HomeARC ML 2935
PERSECUTION JEWELS!--No.15 Comp.4/94 DO 2935
Our Willing-Spirited Family!
1. The Family could never have grown so fast if we hadn't had so many willing-spirited people who were willing to forsake all & give their all for the Lord. I think I've given them a pretty good start, & they're just going like mad now all over the World! I'm just amazed at what our people are accomplishing! Praise the Lord!
Persecution of the Boston Church of Christ!
(After watching a video clip about "The Boston Church of Christ":)
2. Boy, what a dirty bunch to persecute the Boston Church of Christ like that! The Lord is sifting even the people in the Boston Church of Christ. They sound a lot like us, & like they're doing nothing but preaching Christ & winning souls. They're not required to quit their homes & selfish family living & live communally, but they do give a 10% tithe. They apparently all live separately & hold jobs, so a 10% tithe would be quite a bit if they have good jobs.
3. Apparently they're real strong on witnessing, especially on college campuses.--And you know how angry that makes parents! We had some of our first arrests on college campuses, in the early days of the Family. You could peddle dope on the campuses just about all you wanted to, but not the Gospel!
4. Apparently the Boston Church of Christ is having tremendous success in a number of countries. They've got a lot stricter regime than we have--stricter rules & stricter control.--In fact, many of the things the System accuses us of, of which we're not guilty!
Endtime Message Preached!
5. People are now getting more convinced that times are getting worse, as we have said, & they're beginning to believe us & believe in us, & be driven to us for leadership. As it says in Daniel, "they that understand are going to instruct many" (Dan.11:33), & it's happening already. We're winning the good will of lots of people--sociologists & other academics--& even other so-called "cults" are turning toward us & in a sense uniting with us in our fight against persecution.
6. We're getting more & more allies, & the Message of the Endtime is really getting out! Those who write about us proclaim it all the time & include it in their books & studies of us. They're outlining what we believe about the Endtime & how this is it! So as it happens, people will begin to believe & turn more toward us as we lead the fight.
7. The church people are probably going to be the last ones to believe that they are going to have to go through the Tribulation. They're going to have to see the Antichrist & Image of the Beast before they'll believe it. But when it begins to happen, then they'll know we were right.
8. In one book which the editors have been giving us chapters to look over before it is published, the chapters being written about us are fascinating, fair & fairly accurate. There are a few tiny inaccuracies where there's an accidental mistake or something about our history that wasn't exactly accurate, but those are minor & not even worth correcting.
"
The Powers That Be
!"
9. When I was working in the Dade County District Attorney's office, I found out that it was really the judge who was running the whole department of the District Attorney, & even the District Attorney was his employee. The judge was "his almighty majesty" who ran everything, & Sarah, my immediate boss in the office, was in cahoots with the judge most of the time. She was going right over the head of the District Attorney to his boss, the judge.
10. Just remember, in a lot of places the whole damn System is as crooked as it can be! They, the System, just happen to be the ones who have gotten control & who have the guns, but they're frequently just as crooked as the criminals they arrest--even more crooked & more cruel!
11. We're obligated to obey the powers that be & the police, whom the Lord said are here for our protection.--But they don't always protect us, & in the various police raids of our communities they have done anything but protect us! They were our persecutors & our abusers! So the Lord will deal with them about that. The time will come when every man shall be judged according to his works.--Jer.17:10; Rev.20:12.
12. Thank You, Jesus, that You're in control & they will all get their just deserts. We just need to be sure, Lord, that we're on Thy side & doing what You want us to do. They'll all reap what they've sown. Help us to remember that & believe it & practice it. "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee."--Isa.26:3. Help us to find the right people, Lord, who are Yours or near the Kingdom.
Only Jesus Can Win!
13. You said, Lord, that You are able to turn the heart of the king toward the people, so that includes this judge.--Pro.21:1. May our folks remember that only You can win these court cases, Lord. "Except You build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except You keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."--Psa.127:1.
14. Have Thy way, Lord, You know what's best. We know You will work it all out according to Thy Will. It's Thy business. They're Thy cases. You brought them on, now You get us out of them, & let it mostly be a testimony. Thank You Jesus! Work it all out to Thy glory & expose our enemies for what they are doing. "All things work together for good to them who love Thee."--Rom.8:28. You promised that it would be good for us, Lord.
15. Thank You, Lord, for using us as a testimony to the whole World & for giving us such good people who can stand up for You in court! You obviously want to bring us up before the World for some reason. We didn't realise we were so important! We knew we were right, but we never dreamed we'd ever be so important & brought to the attention of the whole World. But You've done that for Your glory & for the promotion of the Truth.
Jesus Did It All!
16. It was just the Lord's time to bring us to the attention of the World, & look what it has blossomed into! Lawyers & sociologists & theologians all over the World are trying to fathom us, trying to figure out what makes us tick, when all the time it's just the Lord! I never dreamed we'd be such a center of attention, & such a center of enmity by our enemies. Well, that enmity is partly what has drawn the attention of all these great minds.
17. It's funny, because I've always considered myself rather simple, yet here are all these important people trying to figure me out! "How did he cause it? Hmm!" (Maria: And it's got to be supernatural how the friends we have know how unusual we are & they still are willing to stand up for us against the System!--And not only do they stand up for us, but they continue to do it & they are still doing it, in spite of the barrage of criticism they get & all the horrible lies that our enemies tell about us. They just are more convinced than ever of our cause!) One lawyer caught on to our enemies' tactics right away & said, "I don't believe everything I read in the paper!"
18. The Lord's the One that does it all! He's the One that's done it all the time from the very beginning in ways that we never could have done it. It took the whole Family, & most of all the Lord. It's a miracle! The whole Family is a miracle!--And the way we've gotten the attention of the World is a miracle! There had to be some sex in it or they wouldn't have even been interested. The Lord sure is smart, so clever!
19. All these brilliant minds--theologians, sociologists, lawyers, government officials--are all trying to figure out how I did it!--Ha! I didn't do it, the Lord did it! (Maria: It's as though they think you had a plan of what was going to happen 20 or 25 years down the line!) Yes, they think I planned & plotted it all. They've got it figured out why I did this & why I changed that, & why we cancelled this & started that, as though I had it all planned out ahead of time! The truth is, it was all the inspiration of the Lord! I'm surprised at what's happened myself, so how could I have planned it? I had no idea what the Lord was going to do, & how much! He did it all! Thank You Lord! Thank You Jesus! You did it all!
The Indifferent Majority!
20. It was only a handful that crucified Jesus, the next largest group were His disciples, & the biggest group, the multitude & vast majority were just onlookers who came out to see a crucifixion. Some of them may have sympathised & others of them may have thought it was a good idea. My Mother used to call them "the indifferent." They were neither His friends nor His enemies.
21. The vast public who don't know us can hardly even take sides. Some might have heard about us & were persuaded to believe what the papers say, & the Lord will hold that against them. But there are a lot of people out there who are simply ignorant, who don't know what the Truth is. Who knows? Maybe the Lord won't hold them guilty. Maybe they should have found out, or maybe it was our task & we didn't do a very good job of telling them.
The Lord's Rewards!
22. The Lord rewards some more than others depending on how much they love Him. The reward is not dependent upon how much God loves, but upon how much we believers love. (Maria: So God loves all men equally, but then He rewards some more if they show more love for Him, right?) Yes. If they do more for Him & others. (Sings:)
"Red & yellow, black & white,
All are precious in His sight."
The Lord loves all men equally because He died for them all, but He can only save those who receive His Love & sacrifice, who receive Him. Then, in addition, the rewards vary according to our service. "He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."--2Cor.9:6.
Persecution Brings Publicity!
23. The System is willing to pay millions to give us so much publicity & advertise our Message! They're defeating themselves, because they're only doing us good! Praise the Lord! Thank You, Lord, that You're having Your way & getting out the Message & confounding the Enemy!
Our Foolish Persecutors!
24. What fools these persecutors & prosecutors are! They have no other idea than to try to make us look evil. It's absolutely amazing to what lengths our enemies go with all these little tiny details about my beliefs, opinions & theories. The Lord must want them published & publicised!
25. Could you have ever imagined that my set of beliefs should become a World issue? I can hardly believe it! It must be the Lord! Imagine the time they waste, & the millions of Dollars they waste in trying to criticise our Family & our way of life, & every little thing we do & believe.
Prayers Against Our Enemies!
26. It certainly riles up our enemies to know that we are praying against them. But if they'll take a good look they'll see that we pray for a lot more people than we pray against, & the only ones that we pray against are the ones who are fighting us so hard. We should remind them of all the prayers King David prayed against his enemies, & also what the System does with their enemies. They may not pray against their enemies, but they sure try to curse them in every way possible--try to cheat them, steal from them, lie about them, slander them & destroy them in any way possible. We only pray against ours & try to preach the Truth to counter their lies.
Cruel Anti-Christ People Already in Operation!
27. Men are just as cruel & horrible now as they ever were at any period in history. How else could they do the things they've done to us & to the Davidians & to Randy Weaver & all the rest? (Note: Randy Weaver, a White Separatist living in Idaho, was under FBI surveillance when his 14-year-old son was killed by a federal marshal. One of Weaver's friends returned fire on the marshal, beginning an 11-day siege in which Weaver's wife, who was holding a baby, was shot & killed by an FBI sniper. See WND 430, "Trial by Error," & Viewpoints 2.)
28. It's all inspired by the Satanic, devilish, fiendish, cruel anti-Christ people who are already in operation, although he, the Antichrist himself, has not yet been revealed. In the long run, we can't expect things to get anything but worse. But thank the Lord, although the days are growing darker, the End is getting nearer! Praise the Lord!
Martin Luther's Shocking Doctrines!
29. Martin Luther's marriage was just as shocking to the World as our sexual practices & doctrines are. (Note: Luther, a former monk, rejected celibacy & married a former nun who had also rejected celibacy.) His beliefs rained on him just as much criticism & lost him as many friends as ours have. With him it was a doctrine of faith & of belief & he had to do it.--If for no other reason, he said, than to spite the Devil!
30. They got Luther on almost the same things they accuse us of, & took him to court for it. It's almost funny how Martin Luther was so much like me! [DELETED]
The Most Wonderful Work in the Whole Wide World
!
31. Thank You for this wonderful pure water, Lord, which is like Thy Word, the Water of Life, cleansing, nourishing, clean & beautiful! Thank You Jesus! Water is to our bodies what the Word is to our souls. Thank You for the most wonderful Work in the whole World! WWWW!--The most wonderful Work in the whole wide World, spreading the Wonder Working Words by the wonderful working worders! Nothing gives more joy than the Words & the Worder.--The wonderful working Word & its wonderful working work!
Prophecies & Miracles in the Last Days!
32. ({\ul \i While reading some prophecies:)} It's wonderful & encouraging what the Lord gives us. Our people are really getting to be prophets! (Maria: Especially now that it's the End.) The Lord is going to be speaking more & more, & soon doing even mightier miracles. (Maria: It's the beginning of the miracles the Lord has promised.) It's one of the signs. And we'll need mightier miracles as things get worse. As things get worse, we get better.
33. When Jim Ballister prophesied against Deborah way back in the early days, he might have been right!--Nevertheless, the Lord couldn't stand any disunity. He was prophesying against one of the leading officers of the Family. But who knows?--Maybe he was seeing the future. (See ML#1744:1-4,25.)
Wanting to Be the Leader!
34. If you go back to Moses & all the people who challenged his leadership, you'll find it was because they wanted to be the leader. (See Numbers 12.)--Which was some of our rabid backsliders' problem all along, particularly people like Priebe & Sam Warner!
Off-the-Track Christians!
35. While missionaries barely have enough to live on & the poor natives are starving for the Gospel, the church is spending 95% of its wealth on buildings & preaching to self-satisfied believers what they don't need to hear! It's hard for me to believe that the American Christians are so far off the track. Well, they're going to get it one of these days, to purge them & to make them white.--Dan.11:35.
Good Communication!
36. You can get a lot of things from the Lord when you're just dozing, going into dreamland, because your mind is very clear; & when you're clear in the Spirit, you've got good communication. Like that old song: (Sings:)
Telephone to Glory, O what joy divine!
I can feel the current moving on the line!
Built by God the Father
For His loved & Own,
We may talk to Jesus
Through this royal telephone!
--And no problems with communication, thank the Lord!
37. One of these days, that may be all we've got! Just think, in Paul's day, all he had were letters that had to be carried by messengers, & communication was pretty slow. But he got by pretty good. He wrote a whole series of Epistles, & that's all they needed, along with the Gospel.
38. Pretty soon the Crash is going to come & the stricter rules on I.D. & communication & all of that, & we're not going to have such easy communication as we do now. (Maria: Yes, that's why we want to make the best of it while we have it & do as much as we can!--Make hay while the sun shines!) Later we may have to depend on courier, maybe one Letter a month or something, so we'd better luxuriate in our good communications now! (Maria: Yes, we're trying to do as much as we can, while we can!)
Deceivers Yet True!
39. Our enemies sure make a big deal about our little doctrine of "deceivers yet true"! Whew, that's one of their hot subjects!--Ha! The thing is, they lie all the time. We saw a documentary about how everybody lies!--Even the most self-righteous. They all lie under certain circumstances.
Shocking Truths!
40. In that vision I had of Jesus & Mary & Martha, I was shocked at how dark-complexioned Jesus looked.--More dark-complexioned than Western Jews. He looked more like an Israeli Jew, or an Eastern Jew. All three of them were lying there together naked, while Martha & Mary were making love to Him.
41. We are shocking people with a lot of shocking doctrines. It takes shocks to wake up the church, & even then they refuse to believe.--In fact, they're horrified & want to wipe us out, just because we tell the Truth. That's what horrified the scribes & Pharisees--that Jesus was going around telling the Truth. They especially didn't like Him telling it to the people about them!
The Scribes & Pharisees!
42. If Christians aren't the right kind of Christians, they can be the most devilish of all, like the scribes & Pharisees! Just think, the religious leaders of Jesus' day are the ones who killed Him!--Or had Him killed by the government. The Roman government didn't even want to do it, but those dominant religions have a lot of power. They are the whores riding the Beast.--Rev.17:3.
Consciences Seared!
43. If our evil backslidden enemies who are fighting us so viciously have any conscience at all, they must despise themselves! Otherwise they're like Saint Paul said, "Having their conscience seared as with a hot iron."--1Tim.4:2.
Catholics
& [EDITED: "Others"] United Against Us!
44. The Catholics & [EDITED: "others"] are leading the persecutions against us! It's amazing how these opposites can get together if they have a common victim to torture. That's one thing all the denominations can get together on, hating us!--Ha! (Family: We've united the Christian World!) Yes, we're really uniting the Christian World! Ha!--Along with [EDITED: "others"], think of that! That's quite an accomplishment! It's rarely ever been done.
45. But the Lord is delivering us, & it's just almost unbelievable how much publicity we received from our persecution & exoneration in Argentina. The Argentine press, which had initially been against us & very unfavourable, turned to where they were 90% favourable by the time it was all over! Press & TV covered the release of the kids & reunion of the families & it was almost worth it all. Of course, I didn't have to go through the imprisonment, but I'm sure the dear Argentine Family probably feels it was worth it all too.
The Witness Stand!
46. Help us, Lord, to use these court cases to the best advantage for Thee & Thy glory & Thy Family & Thy Work. Thank You for using Thy Words to warn the wicked, even in court cases around the World!--And using our persecution & the stands we're taking for Thee in the witness stands to glorify Thee!
47. It's called "the witness stand," but in modern courts they don't stand, they sit down. Witnesses used to have to stand.
48. Bless all Thy witnesses, Lord, for the good stand they have made around the World, in every way. Bless them, strengthen them & give them wisdom & inspiration & the patience to endure. Thank You Jesus! Help us to do our best for Thee & them today.
Prayer for Court Cases!
49. Thank You, Lord, that You take the foolish things to bring to naught the wisdom of the wise. You made us to be foolish, Lord, to make fools of the wise & to show how foolish they are. Thank You for how You have given us such sweet, wonderful, longsuffering, helpful people & how You've kept us all & used us to spread Thy Word & Thy Message.
50. In Your mercy You're even giving the Truth to the wicked World, Lord. Whether they will hear it or whether they will forebear, at least You've been fair & given them a chance. They will have to suffer the consequences on their own if they reject it & believe the lies of the Enemy. You said You'd even send them strong delusion that they might believe a lie, that they might be damned because they rejected the Truth.--2Th.2:10-12.
51. Help these judges to see the Truth, Lord! Help those that are worthy to believe it & to give us fair, merciful judgements & deliver us.
Madalyn Murray O'Hair
52. That atheist woman Madalyn Murray O'Hair is really going to Hell!--Unless she repents & confesses & begs for the Lord's salvation & mercy before she dies. She's the one who convinced the Supreme Court to ban organised prayer from public schools back in the '60s. Her son, William Murray, got saved & is an evangelist now, & preaches against his mother. His mother said she worshipped the Devil, & his grandmother did too. They were both Satanists who dealt with the occult & tarot cards & communed with evil spirits.
53. It's too bad the churches consider all spirits evil & don't recognise the fact that there are some good spirits. They've really missed a lot. Why else would John have said that you should discern between the spirits?--1Jn.4:1. If there weren't any good spirits & you knew they were all evil, why do you have to "try" them?
54. I'm sure if my parents had known even in my youth how bad the schools were & how much they taught evolution & how mean the bullies were, they wouldn't have sent me there. Those kids always persecuted me because they knew I was what was called a "PK"--preacher's kid! Those guys were sure full of the Devil. I saw a video about bullies in school, how they're getting so bad that they're having to deal with them somehow. Some of them carry guns & knives & start fights. They were bad enough when I was in school--can you imagine what they must be like now?
Victory in Argentina!
(After hearing the good news that Judge Marquevich signed the papers allowing 60 children of Family Members in Argentina to leave the country:)
55. Rebuke our enemies, Lord, & discourage them by their failures! We thank You for how You've gotten the glory & the Message out, & all things have worked together for good to us because we love You! Praise the Lord! Thank You Lord! Well, I prayed for Marquevich, that the Lord could get through to him. If he was willing, God could even save him, or if not, God could [EDITED: "judge"] him! So God's Will be done!
Answered Prayer for Melbourne!
56. Thank You, Lord, for answering prayer for Thy children in Melbourne. You're so good to us, Lord! We're all sinners, & we don't deserve Your constant care & deliverance, but we sure need it. Thank You for delivering us. Now finish the other cases too, & help us not to have too many more. Thank You for making them a testimony around the World. Thank You Jesus!
57. Thank You for life & strength & health to enjoy this day & service! It's wonderful how You've cared for us & used us to help so many people. You've brought so many into Thy Kingdom to enjoy Thy Love. Thank You for making them Thy children, Lord, & making them happy.
Prayer Request for B.I. Case!
58. (Mama:) This is a very crucial time in the B.I. case, & far from letting down our guard because we have won a victory in Australia, we should pray even harder for this judge in England, that the Lord will speak to him & will definitely give him some sign that we are righteous, & that the Family must be protected instead of endangered. Pray that the Lord will put it on his heart to do just that through the influence of his position, & that no matter what stumblingblocks the opposition tries to put in the way, that he won't let them deter him, but that he will listen to the Truth through our folks, through the voice of the Lord that he hears in his own heart, & even through the fanaticism & extremism that our enemies show in the way they fight us so viciously & without scruples.
We're Important to the Lord!
59. It's amazing how our anti-Christ enemies take us to court & spend all this time & money fighting over us little nobodies! But apparently we're more important to the Lord than we realise!
Thanksgiving Prayer!
60. Thank You, Lord, for Your wonderful love & mercy when I'm so unworthy. Thank You that You have used me as Your Own pen to deliver Thy Words to Thy people for their enlightenment & encouragement, & to feed them & give them life & security in Thee. Hallelujah! Thank You Lord for Thy wonderful wonderful Words, for so much of which I feel unworthy. But You did it, Lord, & You said it, & I must accept it & thank You for it & encourage Thy children to continue to have faith during these last awful days.
God's Protection!
61. The Lord says in Revelation 7, "And I saw another Angel ascending from the East, having the seal of the Living God: & he cried with a loud voice to the four Angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth & the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads."--Rev.7:2-3. God's judgements & His curses & His plagues will fall on the Antichrist kingdom, but we will have His protection, thank God! It's better than a computer chip of the Mark of the Beast, which gives those who have it protection from the Beast. We have God's Mark in our foreheads to give us protection from God's curses on the Beast's kingdom! Praise the Lord! It's clearly our duty to continue to preach the Gospel & warn the people as His Endtime Prophets. Praise the Lord! Thank You Jesus!
Signboards Pointing People to God!
62. I'm just a signboard that points people to God. I can't solve the problems, but He can. That's all I am, & that's what all of us are--little signs sticking up showing the way to God. Praise the Lord! Some people don't like our signs, they don't want others to find God. Isn't that terrible? The Devil sure doesn't want them to. We make it so simple & so easy & so clear & we're such a clear signboard. The Devil really hates that, because we get them out of his clutches forever. God damn him! Thank You Jesus! That just came to me like a picture. It's so simple, even a little child can understand that.
Child Abuse Hysteria!
63. I'm convinced that this whole child abuse hysteria is part of the Devil's campaign to persuade the public that child abuse is the worst of all crimes. People can kill babies with abortion, they can be homosexuals & get away with murder & robbery & everything else--but this so-called child abuse is considered "the worst of all crimes!" It's true that there is some very bad child abuse going on in the World, but the Devil has exaggerated the problem & used it to accuse many innocent people & an awful lot of Christians, including us!
64. It's a part of the Devil's own campaign to break up families, because he hates families! Some of these people who have been accused of child abuse were perfectly normal families before that, the father & mother living in peace together with their children. But the Devil hates families, so he's using it as an instrument to break them up, as well as to charge a lot of innocent people with it, turning the World against them & wrecking their lives & families.
Comments on "A Jewish Conservative Looks at Pagan America!"
65. (From Mama:) This new {\ul \i Christian Digest} exposing heathen America, written by a conservative Jew, is terrific! (See Christian Digest #15.) I enjoyed it very much. I certainly hope that not only our outside friends, but our teens & adults will all get a chance to read this. It is a tremendous confirmation of everything Dad has been saying all along, for them all!--And from a Jew who doesn't even believe in the divinity of Jesus! He also says it in terms just as hot & as scathing as Dad, God bless him!--Another one of the very few voices raised in protest at the AC program.
66. It's sad, however, to see a man who discerns what is happening so clearly & is so understanding of the situation & has so much truth, yet doesn't have the entire Truth. He has come so far, but without knowing the Lord he is missing all the benefits & blessings & happiness he could have. At least if you know the Lord, you know there is going to be a happy ending, & you know He is going to come & deliver us all out of this terrible mess. But how sad it is for those who have no hope.
67. Well, some Jews do apparently believe that their Messiah is going to come; & even though they've got the wrong one in mind, at least at the moment I suppose it does provide them with some hope for the future. So maybe he does have some hope for a turn for the better eventually.
68. I feel so sorry for this man who is on the right track in so many things, but who doesn't understand what's most important. If he hadn't come right out & stated that he didn't believe in the divinity of Jesus, I would have thought he was a secret believer. You can't blame him for not believing, considering all that he has seen of Christians; however, he must have seen some good Christians, because he talks about "committed" Christians.
69. I'm praying that this dear man will find Jesus as his Saviour. Who knows? Perhaps the Lord will use the Family to help him!
70. Since this author covers so many of the subjects that Dad covers in the Letters, this Christian Digest is going to be tremendous for our teens. I believe it is going to strengthen them immeasurably to see someone who isn't even a Christian saying these same things. Then any doubts that the Enemy has put in their minds, not only about the Family, and/or that Christians are just fanatics & it's really not the Endtime after all, etc., will hopefully be laid to rest. On some things, this man goes into even more details than Dad has, especially on how the media has bashed the Christians, & he speaks very effectively about the effects of some of the System's music. This Christian Digest will also be great to give to our lawyers, Jewish & otherwise.
Controversy of "Call No Man Father on Earth
"!
71. (From Mama:) One thing that many mainstream Christians don't like is our calling Dad "Father David." The verse they quote is, "And call no man your father upon the Earth: for one is your Father, which is in Heaven."--Mat.23:9.
72. When people read things in the Bible that don't seem to logically fit, they ought to consider another interpretation! They ought to try looking further to see if there isn't some other meaning! Concerning this particular verse, why, for hundreds of years up until just recently, have dads, Christian & otherwise, been called "father" by their children? If it's not Scriptural to address your dad as "father," why were our Christian forbears doing so for hundreds of years? You hear children calling their fathers "father" all the time in old-fashioned movies & you can read it in books, etc.
73. If you're not supposed to call any man your "father," why does it even mention fathers in the Bible, such as the verse about "leaving your father & your mother"? (Mark 10:7.) And why did Jesus Himself say, "Honour thy father & thy mother"? (Mat.15:4.) What are you supposed to call your father but "father"? And how much more appropriate & real & true is the father who is a spiritual father, than one who is just a natural father or mere father of the flesh? Even the Apostle Paul called himself the spiritual father of his followers! He said, "For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye not many fathers: for in Christ Jesus I have begotten you through the Gospel. Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me."--1Cor.4:15-16.
74. I wish these Christians who criticise us for this would use their heads! They're so illogical. That's the wonderful thing about Dad. He's been practical about the Word. He has seen it in such practical terms, & that's why we've been able to make it work in our lives; because he hasn't had such mental blocks that kept him so restricted by all the Scriptural laws that didn't seem to logically apply, or to fit today's situations. Instead he took them & applied them however he could, & however the Lord led him with the spirit of the law instead of the letter! We couldn't have possibly done what we've done by going by the letter of the law. It's impossible! That's why the churches haven't gotten anywhere.
"
My Father David
!"
75. (From Mama:) Isn't it interesting how the Lord often calls Dad "My Father David" in prophecy? It's such an interesting phraseology. And even more often, of course, the Lord calls him, "thy Father David." These people who criticise us for calling Dad "father" because they say the Bible says to "call no man father" are so ridiculous!
76. We don't even call Dad "Father David" very much ourselves, so you know that in these prophecies it's not even the terminology that the folks giving the prophecies would naturally use, & you know it's got to be the Lord coming through. And it comes through so often, the Lord keeps repeating, "My Father David," "thy Father David."
77. It sounds so odd for the Lord to keep saying, "My Father David." Why do you suppose He uses that? Of course, Father David is God's Prophet, & as a possessive pronoun it would be understandable. But in that case you would suppose that the Lord would say "My David," instead of "My Father David."
78. Often the Lord calls Dad, "your Father." These things are nothing new, the Lord's done this for a long time, but I'm just remarking on the interesting terminology the Lord uses. It's pretty consistent throughout many people's prophecies, so we can't just "blame" it on one or two people & the way they prophesy.
Warning about Gossip!
79. (From Mama:) Something we need to warn you about is gossip.--Not only amongst ourselves about Family affairs, but about outside friends. You may get away with gossiping about each other & other Homes, but when it comes to divulging personal matters which you have heard from friends who are telling you things in confidence, this is an extremely dangerous thing to do & could easily lose you friends.
80. Even though an outside friend may not tell you, "Now please don't say anything about this to anyone," that's nevertheless an unspoken "gentleman's agreement"--that you don't go around blabbing things he has told you in confidence. Most of our friends consider us their pastors & spiritual counsellors, & as such, they expect us to hold their "confessions" in confidence just like any pastor or priest is supposed to do.
81. What if the little kids from your Home later go up to them & say, "Oh, we heard that you did such-&-such one time & you felt really bad about it!" Or later they hear from one of their business associates who is also a friend of ours, "The Family mentioned that you received the Lord with them the other day!" Maybe this person happens to be Jewish & the fact that they received the Lord could seriously threaten their job if the word gets out. It's not your business to witness for them; they should do it for themselves as they feel led.
82. We need to watch our mouths more. In the Family we get into the habit of being very open & honest about everything, & this is good to a certain extent when it comes to getting the help we need for our own problems. But when we start talking about other people's problems or details of their personal lives, we should be much more careful & prayerful & judicious in what we say. Even many of our own people have been hurt because Family Members have carelessly bandied about details that they have been told in confidence.
83. We'd better pray the prayer of King David, "'Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.' (Psa.141:3.)--And help me not to divulge personal information unless necessary.--And if I do need to say something, to say it to the right people." You often, of course, need to counsel together about how to best minister to your friends, but this should be limited to those who need to know & should be done for the purpose of helping them progress in their life for the Lord.
84. We have enough exciting news in the Family without gossiping about our friends' private lives. I know you do it sometimes because you think that it's wonderful news & we can glorify the Lord about something good that's happened in someone's life; but remember, what often seems very open & straightforward & a "family affair" to us is not seen the same way by outsiders, & to them it is something very private & something which they do not want to be widely known. Not everyone would want to be so open & honest as we are about our marital problems & subsequent victories that the Lord has gained for us, or a very serious illness that we might have.
85. What for us would be noised abroad happily even in our worldwide pubs, because we know that we can get prayer & that prayer is powerful & it works--just remember that your friends may not have the same experience as you, & for various reasons may not want these things they have told you to go any further than a few adults in your Home, at the most.--Those who need to know for some reason.
86. So pray before you say! Don't risk hurting any of these precious folks who are trusting us to help them & not hurt them.
Our Young People's Exposure to the System
!
87. (From Mama:) I'm just amazed by the charge from our enemies that we are all brainwashed, mindless zombies!--Especially when I get letters from our young people with all sorts of questions about Family policies on music, books, videos & sex, usually expressing quite a liberal attitude toward them! When I hear about the things that our kids are doing & experiencing, I am almost tempted to start wondering if this is the same Family that I think it is, or if it has suddenly evolved into something entirely different--more like some of our TRF Supporter Homes!
88. Don't get me wrong, I think this more extensive contact with the System & more questioning & liberality on the part of our teens has its benefits as well as its drawbacks, & I think the Lord is using it. In some ways, this is what is helping our young folks to make a decision as to whether they are going to be wholeheartedly in the Family, or whether they are going to leave. They're having more of a chance to see the World & what it is like, & some of them are finding that they would rather live there than with the Family.
89. This is resulting in getting rid of half-hearts & those whose hearts are not right, & is helping those who remain to become more dedicated, wholehearted & determined than ever to live for the Lord & be in His Endtime Army. (See 1John 2:19.) So I'm not too worried, but I am concerned that we are walking somewhat of a tightrope, so to speak. It is a very fine line many walk, where they have one foot in the System & one foot in the Family, & we just hope & pray that when they come to a crisis point they are going to be pulled more solidly into the Family than out into the System. However, even that is in the Lord's hands.
90. It's not that we shouldn't try everything we can & do our best to keep our young people through the Word & prayer & counselling, but if having done all that, they still leave, then we can accept this as the hand of the Lord for whatever reason.--Whether they have to just learn through their experiences & come back to the Family later more dedicated than ever, like YA Jo did, or whether they are not now good Family material & it's better that they be out to keep from being a bad influence on their peers.
Don't Be Intimidated!
(Counsel to Family Members going on the witness stand:)
91. (From Mama:) It's very important to be bold & to keep the prosecutor in line. We certainly don't think you need to cower under their vicious cross-examination attacks, but you should feel free to show emotion & anger & even rebuke the prosecutors when they're out of line. You should demand the respect that we as missionaries & God's servants & ambassadors deserve! You in no way need to be intimidated by them. You're one of God's children & deserve to be treated with respect; & when they don't, you should point it out to them in no uncertain terms.
Policy Changes
!
92. (From Mama:) One subject that will undoubtedly come up during these court cases is changes in our policies. They will likely question you regarding some of the changes in our past policies, trying to imply that we haven't really changed them, or get us trapped into saying that we think Dad was wrong & our policies were harmful & thus had to be changed.
93. Perhaps one way to explain things in terms that a judge would understand, would be to bring up some of the old Catholic practices that have now been changed. Two of the most notable ones today that can easily be remembered are "no meat on Friday" & "saying the mass in Latin," whereas now mass is said in the language of the land. You could simply point out that just some years back it was a mortal sin to eat meat on Friday, & if you ate meat on Friday & died having not gone to confession, you went to Hell. This was later changed, so that it was no longer against the rules to eat meat on Friday.--Does that mean that the original rule of not eating meat on Friday was wrong?
94. When the Catholic Church changed their rules, did God have to give some sort of reprieve to those condemned to Hell for eating meat on Friday? Were those who enforced that doctrine prior to the change drummed out of the Church, because they had been condemning people to eternal Hell?--Or was it simply looked upon as a time of change in the Church? The policy or doctrine from the past was no longer considered proper or needed, & was therefore changed.
95. It used to be that the saying of mass was in Latin. Then after Vatican II it was changed to saying it in the local language. Today, if you're saying unauthorised masses in Latin, you can be excommunicated, & some bishops have been. So why is something that was church law prior to Vatican II now an excommunicable offense? It certainly shows that church policy can change, especially when the old ways are no longer applicable to today. So it should not be looked upon as suspicious when we make changes in our policies, because we, like any other church, have to change & move & grow, just like society at large changes & grows.
Exposing Our Enemies!
(Regarding a rebuttal a Family Member in Europe wrote to a newspaper:)
96. (From Mama:) Some Family Members who read that rebuttal seemed to have some questions about whether we should have so openly exposed those who are fighting us in the paper. When praying about this, the example came to me of how Jesus openly condemned the scribes & Pharisees as hypocrites who are like whited sepulchres! (Mat.23:27.) Since they attacked us so openly, we at least need to expose them. People have a hard time seeing where church leaders are wrong because they cover up. They pretend to be so holy & so right about everything, so somebody needs to expose them!
97. On the one hand, we do want to try to win the Christians, but there are some we will never win, & we can't act like we are in agreement with them just to get their friendship. After all, this is war! And whether it is the ACs attacking us, or the Sodomites attacking us, or the public schools attacking us, or the anti-cult groups attacking us, or the church people attacking us, it is all coming from the same source & we've got to expose it.
98. Of course, if we "expose" someone in our writings, we have to be very sure that we are right about what we say & that we have proof, & it is best to stick to talking about or against those who have been quoted as speaking against us.
99. Sometimes the whole group is not to blame, just as we saw with the judges in Argentina where two of them were for us & the other totally against us. You'll even have some church groups where the folks might be somewhat divided. There might be some people who are not speaking out against us, who, while they may not be speaking for us, still might be sympathetic toward us. We want to be conscious of this & the possibility that we could win them if we don't attack their entire organisation.
100. It's probably better to stick to exposing the individual people & try not to give a blanket condemnation of the group as a whole, unless we know that the group, such as CAN, for example, has as its main objective persecuting new religious movements. If that's its stated goal, then they are fair game for us to defend ourselves against.
Defending Our Beliefs!
101. (From Mama:) On this subject of our Statements supposedly being too defensive, which different friends have mentioned, we don't necessarily agree with these people who say this. We are deliberately defending ourselves & our beliefs!
102. What our often well-meaning friends are asking is, "Why do you bring these controversial subjects up, because they don't need defending?" We beg to differ with them. We do have to bring them up & therefore we have to defend them.
103. If we would be nice & quiet & determine not to even talk about FFing & other of our radical doctrines, we could simply "show our sample" & start appearing "normal" & acceptable & thereby probably get much more accepted. However, our ministry is to preach our Message, & our particular Message is what makes us different than the rest. We are some of the few people who have this Message; therefore, the Lord is counting on us to preach it. And in preaching it, of course we have to defend it, because the Lord wants people to believe it.--And how can they believe it unless we tell them the reasons for it, & why they should believe it?
104. Granted, we have now done that quite effectively in some areas, & I can see that we might be going into a slightly different phase where we don't have to try so hard to defend ourselves, because now many folks have accepted our defence & understand where we're coming from. Now we can concentrate more on our positive sample of love, kindness & "good works," & we don't have to spend as much time defending our doctrines unless people ask, or unless we feel they need to know.
105. So when friends say we are being too defensive, I would say that we should find out exactly what they're talking about before we start worrying about it. Defending yourself or your ideals or your beliefs used to be all en vogue. But now it seems that nobody is supposed to fight for anything. But if you have a just & worthy cause, of course you should defend it!
106. It sounds like a trick of the Devil to get people to stop defending things! If you don't defend something, it seems like you are surrendering the territory to the Enemy. If we don't defend our beliefs, people will think we are ashamed of them, or they won't know what to think.
107. Anyway, there may be some places in the Statements where, if we would read them over, we might agree that we could have said things a bit more positively, I don't know. I guess that's something we would have to look into, since we've yet to hear concrete details from these people who say we have been "too defensive." But I have a feeling that a lot of our way of looking at it is what I explained above.
Make Religion an Issue!
108. (From Mama:) We need to make our religious beliefs an issue in legal & media battles, no matter what the Constitution of Australia or anyone else has to say about religious rights or lack of them. This is still the issue that has to be addressed, because this is the issue that the Lord wants brought out. We can dispute until we're blue in the face about so-called isolation or psychological damage or whatever things our critics may want to accuse us of, but when we start talking about our religious rights, that is a lot harder for them to argue against. Of course, they will still try, but this gets into a real sensitive realm no matter what country you're in.
109. I'd like to remind all of you that this is the thing that we have to keep harping on & keep talking about, & this is what the Lord wants to bring out. Questions like, "Are we more isolated than others?" or, "Are some groups more isolated than us?" don't really matter. It's God's Word that matters! By trying to silence us, they are trying to silence God's Word. They are trying to silence the Prophet, & they are trying to deprive us of our religious rights, which is usually not looked upon with approval by most of the System.
110. Most of them try to do it when it suits their purpose, but when you bring the issue of religious rights up plainly in front of them, most of them will deny that they would ever want to take anyone's religious rights away from them.
Our Only Defence--The Word!
111. (From Mama:) We're never going to be able to come out on top in our arguments as far as the System is concerned. They've got the deck stacked against us, & if we stay true to our convictions we can never give them the answers they are demanding. We can, however, give it our best shot by exposing their hypocrisy & even their ignorance, & we can satisfy the small minority of those who are sincerely looking for the Truth.
112. Our enemies are not interested in the Truth. They're just out to use their accusations against us to try to take our kids away & destroy our entire Family. If you take one side of an argument, they'll take the other; then if you switch, they'll switch. It doesn't really matter, just so it's negative about us. It doesn't even have to be logical or make any sense, just so they can spew out their garbage. If you satisfy them on one point, they'll quickly turn to something else & start trying to shoot you down on that one.
113. There are, however, people out there who do want to be fair & who are sincere & who do want answers, & I believe we have to give our answers for their sake. It's our responsibility & our duty to the Lord to expose the System & expose their evil & their wrongdoing & their hypocrisy & the reasons they hate us.
114. The System is not going to change its verdict of "guilty" no matter what we do or say! In their minds, we're already condemned to death, & we are never going to get the sentence revoked. But we're not to "fear them that kill the body & have no more that they can do."--Luk.12:4. We're to remember that "to die is gain" (Phil.1:21), & that even if they ultimately execute & martyr us, they will only be bringing us into Eternal Life.
115. Even if they condemn us to death, that cannot keep us from fighting to the last breath! This is our commission & our job from the Lord, & we cannot fail Him. And this is the reason for the battle--to win for God's Kingdom those who are caught in the Enemy's clutches & don't know how to get freed. They're the ones who need to hear our defence. They're the ones who await our Message with hope.
116. I was praying again about all the charges against us & asking the Lord, "How can we answer these?" No sooner do we answer one & argue that one successfully so that we expose our accusers, than they bring up another one. Then we show them up in that one & they charge us with another! When their first tactic doesn't work, they turn to something else. When we beat them at their own little game in that, then they try something new. So it's endless. Well, not really endless, because we don't have that much time left or that far to go.
117. So I was a little discouraged, thinking, "Lord, we're fighting all these brush fires & we're not really making much progress with the major war because we're having to answer all these charges one by one. We're making a little progress, but no sooner do we get done answering some, than we look up & there are mountains more! No sooner does one 'scandal' die down, than we're faced with another one. How can we defend ourselves effectively? Are we doing the right thing in answering these accusations point by point?--Or is there something bigger that we should be doing? Should we be looking at it in a larger framework, the bigger picture? Is there something bigger that we can do?"
118. It's a little like the way we were putting out our press releases, one after another about Argentina; until we finally realised that this wasn't enough! This was just answering charge by charge, piecemeal, & people weren't getting the big picture. So as a result we were burdened to do an overview & give the full story with everything that was involved--the who, what, when, where, why & how!
119. I was feeling the same about the charges currently being levelled against us. Although I know we need to answer them, I was wondering if there's anything more we're going to be able to do to fight the battle more effectively. The answer that came to me was the same answer that I received months ago when I asked the Lord the same question, "How can we defend ourselves?"--And the Lord showed me that the Word has to be our defence! (See paragraphs 108-110 above.) "So shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me, for I trust in Thy Word!"--Psa.119:42.
120. We really have no other defence but the Word! On the face of it, it looks like the Word isn't a very strong defence & is not going to get us very far. People today view the Word as old-fashioned, antiquated, out of date, not "politically correct" nor appropriate for today's needs--if indeed it ever was! If we're going to look at it in the natural, the Word is not going to do us too much good. However, if we see it with the eyes of faith & the promises that the Lord has made about it, we know that somehow, someway, it's going to be our salvation!
121. "The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God!"--1Cor.1:18. And whether people believe it or not, it is a sharp, two-edged sword which is able to pierce asunder their false foundations, & is a discerner of their thoughts & intents. (Heb.4:12.) It's going to expose them & strip them of their hypocrisy & self-righteousness & show their awful, evil spirits without any of the "outer appearances" that they have tried to cover themselves up with. (Mat.23:25-28.) It's going to cut them to the heart & show how far they've strayed & how wicked their ways are, how perverse & corrupt, what filthy, putrid, open sepulchres they are & how they stink!
122. They may not pay much attention to what the Family says, but God is going to see to it that they pay attention to what He says, & He's not going to let them escape the conviction of His Word! They can sluff off the Family as some "weird cult," but when what the Family says comes straight from the Holy Bible, the Book that their entire Christian civilisation was built upon, it's not going to be so easy to sweep it under the carpet. God is going to make it sting & burn & hit them where it hurts, & they're not going to be able to escape it!
123. The Scriptures that they say they believe--even the benefits of the civilisation that they now have--all came from this Book! Even those who don't accept it are forced to accept that there are millions upon millions in the World today whose faith is founded on this Book & whose lives are influenced by it & who would fight for the right to believe in it. I believe the Lord wants to use us to show them what's really in it, to identify ourselves so closely with the Word that when they charge us, when they criticise us, when they lash out at us, when they shoot at us, they're going to know they are attacking the Word, the Holy Bible, the Christians' cornerstone & Christianity's foundation.
124. Our defence is going to have to be so much of God & His Word that when they argue with us they're going to be arguing with the Word. God wants us to hold His Word high as a standard, that it may give light to those who are seeking it & that it may blind those who hate it.--So that all will be given a chance & all will know His Word, which contains His Will & His Plan & His answers for this perverted, wicked World. "Holding forth the Word of Life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain."--Phil. 2:16.
125. Our defence has to be so much of God's Word that when they attack us they've attacked the Word, & they will know it.--That when they attack us for our "Law of Love" doctrine, we will have given them such an airtight case from the Word for it, they will be attacking the Word directly; when they attack us for supposedly "isolating" our children & not socialising them, they will be attacking God's Word.
126. We can use whatever studies & polls & documentation & other arguments we find that prove in today's World that socialisation with little System monsters in public schools is not good for a child's health, let alone his emotional or psychological well-being, but these arguments will soon be of no avail, since the System's mind is already made up. And the only thing we will be able to do is say, "This is what God says, & we ought to obey God rather than Man! Here we stand, we can do no other! If you don't like what God says, that's too bad, & there's nothing we can do about it!"
127. Our Socialisation Statement is pure Word & it's going to cut them to the heart, & they can't argue against it. They can't tell us, "It's your own little private interpretation & that's just what your cult leader Moses David tells you." This is straight from the Bible in no uncertain terms & there's no doubt about it! And it's getting to the point where this is soon going to be our only defence--the pure, naked, Word of God! Of course, they're going to like that even less than the things we've been saying all along. You know how it is, when you start quoting them God's Word, they cut you off abruptly & tell you to "say it in your own words." It convicts them too much to hear God's pure, unadulterated, discerning Word which uncovers their sins & exposes their direct disobediences!
128. [DELETED] [EDITED: "T"]here's going to come a time when we're just going to have to hand them our "Biblical Perspective on the Jews" & say, "This is what God's Word says, & this is what we believe. If you don't want to believe what we say, then believe what He says!"
129. When they criticise us for our so-called "pornographic literature" & the many references to sex & nudity in our older pubs, & the fact that we dare to have this material in our Homes where our children could possibly get ahold of it, we can point out how hypocritical they're being when their own children have access to hardcore porn videos, magazines & MTV, & are exposed to evil, perverted, ungodly sex at every turn. But even that very strong argument & exposé of their System won't get you anywhere. Anyway, we are dealing with two different things.
130. In the Family, we are talking about our good, clean, beautiful portrayal of God's creation, the beautiful bodies that He made for His glory, & the process of sex which He made for our enjoyment & for the purpose of bringing beautiful pure new lives into the World. But the System is accusing us falsely of the thing that they are guilty of: Evil, dirty, lustful, perverted, hurtful, selfish sex! This is what they are talking about because they don't know anything else. So to argue with them on their own terms does no good because we are arguing about two different things.
131. We are talking about God's good, clean, pure, beautiful gift of life--the beautiful bodies & enjoyment that goes with it; but they are talking about the Devil's distortion & evil counterfeit that, when viewed lustfully & practiced selfishly, is certainly inappropriate. To us, who are pure, all the things that God has given us to enjoy are good & right & beautiful & loving & Godly & pure; but to them, who are defiled, what they have is defiled & evil & lustful, selfish, unloving & harmful. So there is no way that we can effectively argue that our attitudes about sex are good & Godly & right & beautiful & loving since "the natural man cannot receive the things of the Spirit," & if we try to argue on their grounds we will lose the argument.
132. The only defence we have is the Word, whether they like it or whether they don't; whether they understand it or whether they don't. Stand strong on the Word. "Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled & unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind & conscience is defiled."--Titus 1:15. "All things are lawful unto me."--1Cor.6:12. God's only law is love. If they don't like our openness about sex, tell them we learned it from the Bible.
133. Point them to the Bible, the Great Book of all Christians--& Jews--for thousands of years, & show them its references to sex & nudity & "pornography." Let them judge God for His decision to put this Book into the World where all His little child creations could get their hands on it.--Furthermore, where they are encouraged to read & study it as the basis of their religious beliefs.
134. When they blast our Word-based education & try to tear it apart, we're going to have to give them what God's Word says about true education: "I have more understanding than all my teachers, for Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Thy precepts. Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet, & a light unto my path. The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple."--Psa.119:99, 100,105,130.
135. We'll just have to give them God's Word on it. "And when they saw the boldness of Peter & John, & perceived that they were unlearned & ignorant men, they marvelled; & they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus."--Acts 4:13. The Word will be our only defence! Do you think that's enough? Well, the Lord says it. It may not seem like it, & it's going to look like we're in bigger trouble than ever before, but that's going to be God's plan, to make them either accept or deny His Word, knowing full well what they're doing, & only then will He be able to fairly judge the World.
136. The Word has been hidden for so long under false traditions & the many layers of rubble, that the archaeologist has to come along & unearth it & bring it to the light so people will have no excuses. Everything we stand for will have to be based on the Word, & every argument we give will have to be God's Word.
137. A funny thought came to me along these lines. We've always wondered about the revelation that Dad got in which the Lord said that we were going to work with the Antichrist & help bring him into power. (See ML#102:38.) As I was thinking about this whole situation, I could see how our justifying our actions & behaviour & beliefs & lifestyle by the Word of God will force the World to condemn not only us, but the Bible, & will pave the way for the Word to be legally acknowledged as a "dangerous Book." This of course has been happening for many years now, & the process which started out very slowly is escalating.
138. But we will probably be some of the main ones to "clinch the deal," so to speak, & make it possible for them to take such action. It seems a horrible thing to have to do, but obviously it's part of God's plan & He can protect Himself. We can throw the blame on Him & on His Word, & He won't mind at all.--In fact, that's what He wants us to do! It will look like the Word has lost & it has been defeated & God's plan has failed, but "jes wait till they shakes their head!" In times past the Bible being banned as a dangerous Book has backfired on those who banned it, & we know in advance that this will happen again this time around!
139. So don't worry about the Lord, He can pull through anything & He'll pull us through along with Him! We're going to seem defeated temporarily, but as long as we hang on to His Word we know that we'll come through the long tunnel of darkness, by & by into the bright & glorious day! So when we can't use any other arguments, reasoning, documentation, samples, test results, etc., we still have the Word. We know when all else fails & we have only the Word, that's going to be enough!--Even when it doesn't look like it. If we stick to that, hang on to that & keep upholding that, He'll see us through to victory!
140. God is going to use us to show that His Word is not outdated, it's not antiquated, it's not for a different time, it's not impractical or inapplicable, but it's just as good as ever & it's meant to be lived today just as much as it ever was! And though the World won't agree & will ban it & ban us, it's going to be like that little cork, it's going to pop back up when they least expect it & cause them more trouble than they ever dreamed possible! (See Thots 2, pg.1643.)
141. We can refute every charge against us with the Word, & show people right out of the Bible where we get our controversial doctrines. There are lots of Scriptures to answer all the charges they make against us. For example, there are verses on cursing our enemies; God's vengeance on His enemies; the so-called "harsh discipline"; God's hatred of murmuring; God's hatred of disobedience; God's "mind control"; God's hatred of sodomy; God's hatred of abortion; God-ordained authority, good kings who are dictators, etc.; even our justification for singing to the Lord & praising the Lord & memorising Scripture. We already have some compilations of verses on praise to the Lord, Praise Prayers, even the Prayers for Forgiveness, showing Bible precedents for everything we do.
142. We're putting up some pretty major blockages to the Devil's dirty work, & it's so satisfying to know we're causing him problems & confusion & fear & frustration! Hallelujah!--And best of all, winning many of those whom he thought he had on his side. So keep up the good work, keep up the fight & we cannot fail!--Love, Mama.
Good Night for Us!
143. (Dad:) The Lord has given me a voice that has held up pretty well. After all, a Prophet does have to have a voice, & sometimes a pretty loud one. Goodnight, it's shouting all over the World now!
144. I said, "Goodnight," & I guess that's what it's going to be! It's going to be night, but the Lord's going to make it a good night for us, & we're going to be the little lights that shine & lead the way & gather the flock to His Kingdom. Thank the Lord!
The Lord Will Bring Us Through the Storm!
(Later, while reading over the "Prophecies Received for Dad's Security & Protection" in GN 589:)
145. "Give them faith in the Words of your father." I was just reading the prophecy about the Lord being able to sustain us even in deep waters (GN 589, page 10, paragraph 2), & I felt like I was in a ship in a storm & it was rocking & banging us around, in great fury, but the Lord gave me perfect peace. What a beautiful picture!
146. It was a little terrifying at first. I got angry at the waves & I rebuked them in Jesus' name, & He calmed the troubled waters. Thank You Jesus! I was really going through it! Our ship was shaking & trembling, being tossed about by big waves. We were being tossed about, but we just hung on to the Word & hung on to each other, & He finally brought us through!
147. That was a wonderful vision! I felt like I was in it, really going through it, & then the Lord brought us out so beautifully. Thank You Lord! Thank You Jesus! It reminds me of that song "Jesus Our Helmsman" which that famous Swede Einar Waermo used to sing. He was famous during my last days with Mother. She held a meeting together with him--he supplied the music & she supplied the Message! (Sings:)
Our life, like a sailor's,
Sweeps thro' the night seasons,
And forward past billows
And white foaming reefs;
The struggle goes on,
Oft contrary to reason,
But Jesus, our Captain,
Removes all our griefs.
(Chorus:)
With Christ as our Helmsman
In darkness & danger,
We rest in His keeping
By night & by day;
He'll anchor our bark
In the Haven Up Yonder,
And There we'll forget
All the toil of the way.
If billows surround us
And tempest rage madly,
We're nearer the Haven
Each moment that goes;
Soon sorrows & trials,
That troubled us badly,
Are all left behind
With the ocean of woes.
(Repeat Chorus)
148. I used to sing that while we were showing slides. The screen was up front, & I'd stand in the middle of the crowd where the projector was. As I changed from slide to slide, illustrating the song, I would sing that song, "Jesus Our Helmsman!" (--Amen! Praise the Lord! God bless you! He's yours!--Thank the Lord!--We love you! Keep fighting!--D.)
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
