HomeARC ML 0836 3
Sequel to "Dirty Homes!" 26/9/79 DO 836_3
--Is your Home dirty with doubt, fear, disobedience, drugs, laziness, loafers, deceit, sin--or just plain dirt!
--If so clean up!
--Clean up!--Or hit the pioneer road--Or go home!--Mad!--Dad
FROM HOSANNA, New IMAACRO Servant! Athens, Greece
--The Sad Tale of Greece: --But the Glad Tale of its future possibilities: PTL: --Edited by Dad.
GBYACTKY! WTG4U! WE NEED YOU, OUR SHEPHERDS, SO MUCH, & thank God for your sample of putting the care of the Lord's sheep foremost in all your dealings. Thank you for speaking the Truth, come what may!
WHAT AN EXPERIENCE THESE LAST DAYS HAVE BEEN OF SEEING GOD WORK & LEAD, & once again realising how specifically the Lord leads you & speaks to you about situations, even though you may be far removed from them physically. What a blessing it's been to have F&J here, as I know it's the beginning of the 'shortening of the cord' that this whole area needs to draw it closer to the bosom of David.
BOY, I SURE WASN'T EXPECTING TO TALK TO YOU ON THE PHONE, MARIA, but surprises like that I'm gonna pray keep happening: --Ha! Really it was such an encouragement to me! There is no excuse why I haven't written you more, but all I can do is explain how my mind (there's the problem, right there!) worked.
(I DIDN'T FEEL IT WAS MY PLACE TO REPORT ON THE AREA, but just try & be faithful with the stats & finances, & our office duties. TG4 F&J's leading questions which helped us stir ourselves up, & provoked us to piece together all aspects of problems or things I have wondered about, & questioned in my heart but never voiced.
IN LOOKING BACK OVER THE LAST YEAR-AND-A-HALF, I know I've felt very little confidence in my spiritual abilities to discern a situation, & certainly in voicing it to cause interference, & felt that the anointing for the jobs, which rested on Kenaz, was leading him. Even as far back as my first months in Greece after the RNR, I'd felt the "you're a Flatlander businessman, so stick to that only" vibes.
EVEN THOUGH I HAD DEFINITE CONVICTIONS about how Rose, the band here &/or other certain individuals were doing, Kenaz's high opinion of them really threw me, as far as my being able to hear from the Lord. And especially hearing of how Rachel & Timothy fell through their own leadings, & knowing I'd been around that environment for so long, I didn't feel that anxious to express my "feelings".
AS YOU SAID ON THE PHONE, MARIA, I'M "CERTAINLY NOT PERFECT," but through all this, I now do feel the conviction to speak my heart & share my leadings more--maybe I'm only now partaking of this aspect of the RNR in this particular area of my life. But LHM, I think I've finally learned the lesson!
WHAT HAS TAKEN PLACE: Based on your leadings & checks you were already receiving from the Lord, plus the overall lack of fruit in the area, the Lord led F&J to uncover the weaknesses & hidden sins which were causing Kenaz & Hodiah & all of us to deviate from the "straight & narrow" of obeying the Letters, & the attitude which was consequently being passed on to the whole area.
OBVIOUSLY KENAZ'S UNDAUNTED FASCINATION & DEFENSE OF SARAH, HIS SECOND WIFE, HAS PLAYED A BIG PART IN IT, & seems to reveal a very heavy spiritual undercurrent that almost seems to have bewitched him in many areas. I believe the Enemy used Sarah as a channel to slip in to weaken Kenaz & get him off the track, as just at the time you had written him offering him the highest possible calling, he was smoking dope with her!
HOWEVER, INSTEAD OF REPENTING & CONFESSING IT, I believe Kenaz missed the main point of your letter, not wanting to lose her & concentrating solely on the first part of the letter, he got quite lifted up of how close he thought he was to you & the Lord. Not to say Kenaz doesn't genuinely love his family, but perhaps without Sarah's influence he might have had the faith to accept the crown you'd offered & not missed the boat.
WHY THE AREA'S IN THE MESS IT IS!: AS FAITHY SAID THE OTHER DAY, "PIONEERING REQUIRES SOME DARING STEPS"! While this area has definitely taken some, founded on Kenaz's faith & initiative, at the same time it seems to have developed into somewhat of a "personality cult" based on Kenaz's interpretation of the MLs, rather than each individual digging it out for themselves out of the Word.
GRANTED, IT IS A DIFFICULT AREA TO REACH for obvious reasons, but it seems that because of this, people have become too dependent on personal counsel from Kenaz's wealth of experience, & not dependent enough on the words straight from the horse's mouth--God's Words! Consequently the prevailing feeling is that "we're apart from the normal situation," & therefore "a special case"--so "even though it says so-&-so in the latest Letters, it doesn't really apply to us!"
WHILE MANY IN THE MIDEAST have felt rather like the "avant-garde of the Revolution," & that "East is East & West is West, & never the twain shall meet" as far back as I can remember, certainly more recently with the publication of several of Kenaz's letters in the FN, & the "Dear Kenaz & Hodiah" Letter, the brethren out here looked to his leadings more than ever before. However, this is dangerous to look to man, as when a person is weak, his spiritual weaknesses are going to reflect heavily in the area, & such was the case.
FOR EXAMPLE, A CERTAIN "LOOSENESS" DEVELOPED, with people putting more emphasis on knowing the field conditions than just simply obeying the Letters & what they said. This quote did not describe the VSs, who were supposed to be a sample--"the practical side is most important, the care & the concern in practical matters, because they have the spiritual in the Letters." (675:43) Rather the VSs & K & H's own presentation as well, was not one of personal cleanliness, & concern over "their clothing, their food & the Home conditions" (674:13).
SINCE THESE WERE AREAS OF LESSER IMPORTANCE IN THEIR OWN PERSONAL LIVES, of course no emphasis was put on these things, but were tossed off as "field conditions". Although many Homes are poor, there is no excuse for them being dirty too! The unfortunate thing is that people who supposedly were "spiritual", but slobs physically, were the examples to all!
FINANCES ALSO WAS A WEAK AREA in both Kenaz's life, as well as the area's. While regular pioneer aid did accomplish a lot of good in aiding teams in winning souls, at the same time, it seems to have hampered everyone's faith that you can live well by faith if you're obeying the Letters. Instead, a dependency developed on WS aid, rather than developing their own source of supply. As you said, the plan was not for WS to support the field, but rather the field support WS & the Words.
[EDITED: "The FFers"] were often put down for "tapping" some of these sources for support, for fear they would associate us with the rest of the prostitutes. However, I believe God's Spirit would be a faithful indicator that we're not solely after their money ... , but if these wealthy [EDITED: "men"] are in the habit of spending thousands on a night's entertainment, then why shouldn't our Homes also benefit from it & invest it in winning souls? (Amen!--Dad.)
AND WHILE DROP-IN JOBS ARE A SUPPORTER & [EDITED: "provide a means to stay"] on difficult fields, & sometimes even a means of getting out the Message, some seem to have "rescued themselves prematurely" from living by faith, as many with jobs have adequate support, but then are not free enough to afford to witness, due to the time factor or fear of [EDITED: "getting kicked out"], etc.
GETTING OUT THE LIT & WITNESSING ARE AREAS WE ALL REALLY SLACKED OFF ON, again I'm sure due to over-security & downright fear of persecution! I'm not saying that these fields can handle all-out blitzkrieg witnessing tactics, but at the same time I feel that many are too "dropped-in" & not geared to instant obedience to the Letters anymore.
OF COURSE IT'S LEFT ACCORDING TO EACH PERSON'S INDIVIDUAL FAITH, but maybe it's time to examine the fruit as compared to other fields in each of our different situations, after this period of being free to follow individual leadings. It was shocking to hear Kenaz come right out & say he had almost zero faith to win live-in Moslems! Obviously this is also the overall (lack of) faith of the entire area, as we have very few Arab disciples.
WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT: If F&J were able to invest the time of visiting the area, it would be such a blessing to not only get an outside view from the top, but also help our Homes to better grasp the spirit of the RNR, as well as assessing what they are actually accomplishing & where they could be doing more. The whole ME area has had little if any visitation, sad to say. (Poor VSs are worse than no VSs!--Dad.)
IN SUCH A PIONEER AREA AS THIS, OUR PIONEERING FAITH NEEDS TO BE RESTORED!--Whereas now many fields are only existing. It seems so far, the "sample" everyone's followed has been "drop-in jobs." Maybe if we had more of the old live-by-faith pioneers & news of it through newsletter, testimonies from the VSs, etc., more & more would start doing it, & not dropping their living standards at all, but seeing God supply.
ONE OUTREACH THAT OF COURSE IS VERY SUCCESSFUL & would be fantastic to expand is the Music With Meaning show, coupled along with follow-up Mail Ministries. If plans develop, these shows could continue to be sold commercially as an advertising tool for companies, as long as we could maintain the option to have some form of mail follow-up in response to the shows.
THIS WOULD TAKE SOMEONE WHO COULD TRAVEL & SELL the product like Dad used to do for Fred, as well as help coordinate Simon Peter's business enterprise at the studio in the Gulf States, which would also involve shepherding of his situation.
WE REALLY NEED TO GET THE ARABIC LLIMM SET UP & ROLLING, & branch into System translators until we win more of our own. Plus, many can be reached through the Greek LLIMM which is already operating, plus a Turkish LLIMM that we have yet to begin to coordinate.
THE MAIN THING WHICH I BELIEVE WILL BRING ABOUT THE MOST FAR-REACHING CHANGES in the Family presently in the area, would be an emphasis on turning to the Letters for the answers, as never before. If K&H really follow through with the vision to be a real living-by-faith family, then this sample would speak very loudly to encourage others to alter their whole approach to living & working in this part of the world.
TO SUM UP ON A POSITIVE NOTE: "In spite of all the mistakes & shortcomings, at least we're still in existence, we're still going. But God knows what we might have been if everybody had obeyed & done what they were supposed to do! God help us to obey the Lord & His Letters!" Amen! (675:58.) (Amen!--Dad.) We love & need you, & will try to follow close. Love & prayers, to our King & Queen--Hosanna XO
P.S. (FROM HOSANNA'S TAPE): I JUST REALLY PRAY THAT I CAN STAY CLOSE TO THE LETTERS.--I know that's the real leaders. And despite all the experiences that I've had with the other leaders, such as Jeth & Rachel & people who worked around her, I just really pray like never before I just learn to really draw my strength from the Letters & that my inspiration through the heart of David might increase & my former training might decrease.
I REALLY, REALLY WANT TO THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart that you've laid down your life for us so that we even have this opportunity to give our testimony of how we found the Lord & how we found the Family. We really pray that in the same way we can lay down our lives for the brethren, too, in order to bring in all the souls for Him, in Jesus' name. We really love you so much, Dad & Maria. (PTL! GBY, Son! WLY! Clean'm up!--M&M)
Copyright (c) 1997 by The Family
