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"AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR FRIENDS"--MO December 20, 1972 NO.193--GP

Copyrighted January 1973 by The Children of God Box 31, London WC2E
7LX, England or B.P.752, 75123 Paris, Cedex 03 France

Dear Ones:

1. CHRISTIAN GREETINGS AND A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL in Jesus precious Name! I'm so happy that you, too, have been delivered into the freedom and fellowship of His Spirit and those who are hungry to obey God and accomplish his purpose to the uttermost in winning souls and reaching the world with the Gospel, I'm sure this is what brought you into our fellowship and it is certainly what keeps us all here where we're getting real results, for, as Jesus said, "by their fruits, ye shall know them"!
2. WE MAY HAVE SOME ZANY DOCTRINES AND SOME AMAZING INTERPRETATIONS OF BIBLE PROPHECY, and you may receive some pretty wild letters from me and hear of some very odd goings-on within this Revolutionary Kingdom of God, and we may make a lot of mistakes and some of us pull some really classic boners, but no one can deny, not even our enemies, that we are really getting the results, really reaching the kids and really turning them on with God's Truth and really changing their lives into useful service for Jesus and others! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
3. AS FOR THE MO LETTERS, no one is anymore surprised and shocked by some of God's revelations than I am, but as the Apostle said," I cannot but speak the truth in God: I lie not." And as Martin Luther said, "They are indeed my writings, I cannot deny it, so here I stand by the grace of God, I can do no other!" Much of the deeper revelations which I have received were so in the Spirit that I was not even conscious of what was happening and afterward had to be told what had been said, which was often as much a wonder to me as anyone. All I know is this is the way God speaks to me and has from the beginning, and I'm only a messenger boy who delivers his telegrams, and I'm not always responsible for what has been said or revealed. You'll have to blame God for that!--Or thank Him.
4. I ONLY REGRET THAT YOU HAVE BEEN SO LONG IN GETTING SOME OF THESE MESSAGES from the Lord, including some of my own personal advice, counsel, instructions and admonitions to the kids. However, I'm sure you can understand why they tend to be a little suspicious of our older generation when some of our generation have caused them so much trouble and proven themselves untrustworthy of their confidence.
5. EVEN WHEN ONE OF OUR AGE ACTUALLY FORSAKES ALL AND JOINS US, we seem to be inclined to be a little skeptical that they'll ever make it, as they seldom do. But perhaps it's our own doubtfulness that discourages them sometimes, and, as you can see, it is certainly not easy for the middle-aged to make it under such rigorous conditions and such inexperienced youthful leadership. It's no wonder that some of them give up in despair that either we'll ever make it or they'll ever survive, so it's obviously only God that we're still here! Amen?
6. SO I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT THEY'VE BEEN A LITTLE HESITANT TO TRUST YOU until they're very sure of you and you've really proven yourself, and even then, you may still find it difficult to enter into their complete confidence because you're just too old to understand, you're just not one of their generation, you're just not one of the kids, so how can they really trust you? You still belong to a generation who, by and large, have been their bitterest enemies and in whom they have been the most disillusioned, from their parents and pastors to their professors and employers, and finally to their politicians and even God!
7. SO IF THEY CONSENT TO WORK WITH YOU AT ALL, YOU CAN BE THANKFUL, even after giving them thousands of dollars in support, months of your time and loads of your help in every way you can--you still belong to a generation that has disappointed them too often and whom they feel is already to blame for too many of their ills, heartaches, unhappiness and disastrous world conditions--although you personally may not have been responsible for any of these,--you were just born thirty years too soon! Only God can help you!
8. AS FOR WHY THEY TRUST ME ONLY GOD KNOWS, but I guess one reasons is that I'm just a kid at heart myself, a disillusioned teenager who understands them, speaks their language, thinks their thoughts and still has their irrepressible hopes and aspirations that there must be an answer somewhere and am willing to try anything to find a way out, even God's way, and believes that it can be done no matter if no one else is doing it and everyone else says it can't be done. They recognise the kindred spirit in me, I speak their thoughts, I say and do things the way they'd like to see them said and done, and I have convinced them that I, too, do not like nor trust the older generation and its futile and failing domestic, religious, educational, economic and political systems, and am determined to break out of the mold into which they've tried to pour us and instead, find God's mold and plan for our lives, the original one which he purposed for the world and us that He created:--And I believe we're finding it!--
9. BUT WHAT THE KIDS SOMETIMES DO NOT REALISE is that they could never have done it without your help and the help of a few others like you, even though you may be of the older generation, Although they curse the Devil's own systems of which we are all victims, they really love and appreciate and are glad to accept the help of many of its Systemites. As the Apostle has said, we should use it, but not abuse it: in other words, accept its help, its goods and services, but not impose upon it more than is necessary, nor take unfair advantage of it, not be unduly burdensome to it, nor make ourselves troublesome, but helpful, obedient, cooperative, understanding, grateful and thankful.
10. I TOO REGRET THAT THE KIDS DO NOT ALWAYS UNDERSTAND the distinction between Satan's systems and it's often ignorant, innocent and helpless victims--that they are to hate the sin, but not the sinner and that they're to try to help him find salvation, be he young or old, and that they are to try to treat him with compassion, sympathy, patience, love, understanding and appreciation. Most of the kids, long before they came to us, already hated both the System and its members of the older generation and it's only the grace of God that teaches them to learn the difference and to try to have more love for its unwitting victims, particularly their parents, who have often caused both them and us so much trouble.
11. WE ARE NEVER GOING TO GET FAR WITHOUT BETTER PUBLIC RELATIONS, including better parental, pastoral and political relations--and I might include provisioning relationships for we could not have survived this long without help from many of these sources, and we need desperately to improve our communications with them. We need more friends and parents to supervise us. God bless you and I'm sure He has the many of you that have been such a blessing to us! Amen.
12. REGARDING OTHER QUESTIONS AND PROBLEMS which may yet arise: it is not necessary that either you nor I nor any of the rest of us see exactly eye to eye on every technical detail of theological hairsplitting, such as minor doctrines and interpretations and even MO Letters which are not essential to salvation, witnessing, soul winning and world evangelism. It is only necessary that we agree on Salvation through Jesus, the basic authority of God's Word, our obligation to witness His Truth to others, to manifest His love to the world and win the lost for Christ and His service as we see it. Although I and the kids and other leaders may have our very decided opinions or other minor doctrines, principals, practices and interpretations of which are thoroughly convinced as being scriptural and true, we do not have to totally agree on all these to work together!
13. SUCH TOLERANCE AND BROAD-MINDEDNESS ON OUR ON OUR PART MAY COME AS A SHOCK to some, but the fact of the matter is that this has really always been our own personal policy, but has often been sadly ignored by many of our other sincerely zealous, but sometimes sadly unwise, lesser leaders. In fact, there are a number of minor doctrines now being taught by some teachers and leaders in the Revolution with which I personally do not agree and never have, and for the teaching of which I was never responsible, and some of which have caused us much grief.
14. A FEW OFF THESE I MIGHT MENTION SPECIFICALLY herewith I am diametrically opposed to the dangerous, erroneous and false teaching which appears to have originated with some of our leaders on the West Coast sometime ago and continues to be spread by an incorrigible few who have disregard many reproofs--I speak of a terrible teaching of which I myself have often been very falsely accused by both our enemies and the news media, to wit: that it's all right to lie, cheat, steal and perhaps even commit violence in the name of Jesus as long as it's good for the Cause--so they say!
15. I HAVE NEVER SAID THIS, NEVER taught this, and you can find it in absolutely no MO Letter in existence, and I challenge any of our own leaders to prove in writing that I have ever indicated such at thing in all my years of teaching them, or in my own personal practices or polices or the living example that I have tried to show them. I am absolutely unconditionally opposed to this very dangerous and unscriptural teaching. and wish there were some way we could put a stop to it! It has cropped up repeatedly. The leaders who persist in teaching it should be reprimanded and reproved, openly apologise and repent, or be demoted on probation that they never be heard to voice such a horrible doctrine again or they'll be EXCOMMUNICATED!
16. THE ABOVE FALSE DOCTRINE seems to be also connected and contingent upon another very twisted and over wrought doctrine of an exaggerated, absolute and total unquestioned obedience to leadership, as summed up in a flagrantly defiant and erroneous slogan with which I have never had anything to do whatsoever, but which I hear and see repeatedly being mouthed by those who know no better and having also originated on the West Coast of America in the days of our second stay there under the Soul Clinic: "My family, my family--right or wrong, my family!"--And this is often followed by or associated with another false teaching that, "Unity is more important than being right!"
17. ALTHOUGH I BELIEVE IN UNITY and loyal and faithful obedience to leadership in the Lord, I still do not believe that these are total absolutes which must be put above reason, right, Scripture and personal conviction of God's Truth. It is true that murmuring and discord are great sins which can destroy if not stopped, but no disciplinary action can be justified on these grounds that the end always justifies any means! This is absolutely not so. and the Scriptures deny it in which the Apostle rebukes those who were saying, "Let us do evil that good may come." There is absolutely no justification for such a doctrine!
18. THIS DOCTRINE HAS BECOME SO RAMPANT IN SOME of our U.S. ranks that as late as last week, it was reported to me that two of our well meaning but unwise over-zealous and certainly mistaken disciples both testified on a nationwide CBC TV telecast in Canada that they were so loyal to Moses and so obedient that even if he told them to kill their parents, they would do so! This is horrible and shocking to the worst degree! I have never even suggested such unquestioning blind and implicit obedience! May the Lord rebuke those who are responsible for spreading such a dangerous doctrine! Not only dangerous to the kids and their parents, but also damaging the Cause! Let's stop it now and have no more of it! You are hurting Christ's Cause! STOP!
19. I ALSO HAVE NEVER CLAIMED TO BE CONCEIVED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, nor that my words are to be substituted for the authority of Jesus or the Word of God, nor that the present Kingdom of God within us is of exactly the same nature and manifestation as the coming Kingdom of Christ on earth after His visible personal Return when we shall in our supernatural resurrected bodies rule the world with miraculous power!
20. I WAS NO MORE CONCEIVED OF THE HOLY SPIRIT THAN WAS JOHN THE BAPTIST: but the Spirit has testified that I was filled with the Holy Ghost even from my Mother's womb, even as John! This does not make us or anyone else but Jesus Christ, God's Only Begotten Son, conceived of the Holy Spirit. In spite of this, the Scripture also later recounts how human John was in getting discouraged that he even wondered if Christ was the Messiah after all! Nevertheless, Christ Himself testified that there was never a man born to woman greater than John, and that yet, he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven shall be greater than he! So to be filled with the Holy Ghost makes me no more supernatural nor super human than John the Baptist nor any of the rest of you who are filled with His Spirit--I merely got a head start on you because of the work God had created me to do! Hallelujah! Why is this so hard to believe?
21. NEITHER HAVE I EVER RECEIVED ANY REVELATION FROM GOD THAT WAS CONTRARY IN ANY WAY TO THE SCRIPTURE! They have only enlarged our understanding of the already existing Text, and sometimes filled in a few details which are not made completely clear in the Word, but certainly nothing ever contrary to it. I challenge anyone to prove by the written Text and from my written letters that I have ever taught anything contrary to the scriptures. God has simply told me some things which were not told in the Scriptures or made plain there, modern, up-to-date revelations which you needed to encourage you for today, Most of what He has told me are simply fulfillments of what was already written or greater detail on what He had already predicted in His Word. Is that so strange? Has no prophet of God ever prophesied anything new or in greater detail than His other prophets had prophesied before? Just read the Bible and you will find a constant and continual greater and greater revelation of more and more truth, fitting more and more missing pieces into the great and puzzling picture of God's complete and perfected and final overall design! Amen?
22. NEVER HAVE I SUBSTITUTED MY AUTHORITY FOR JESUS' NOR MY WORD FOR HIS, and I have no more authority than that which He has given me and to you as well, so that you can do all things through Christ who strengtheneth you, for all power is given unto Him, so that even the angels of Hell are subject unto us. If even Peter's shadow and a cloth from Paul's body and touching the hem of Christ's garment could bring healing by faith, and if even a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple be rewarded, as Jesus Himself said, why should some think it so strange that the Spirit should have said that if they had even rebuked that demon in David's name it would have fled! With God nothing shall be impossible, and all things are possible to him that believeth, and I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me! Don't under estimate the power that God has given each of us! According to your faith be it unto you!
23. NOR HAVE I EVER CLAIMED THAT THE FINAL KINGDOM OF CHRIST HAS ALREADY ARRIVED ON EARTH. This will not begin until the visible personal Return of Christ Himself in mighty power at the end of the Tribulation and the Wrath of God some years from now. Neither have we claimed that our interpretations, applications and estimations of the Time Prophecies which He has given us regarding these coming events are absolutely infallible. We have always tried to make it clear that these were our personal interpretations of what the Lord has said. But no prophecy of God is of private interpretation, so your personal interpretation or opinion maybe just as good if not better than ours. However, watch out for some of those unauthorized and spurious interpretations by some! Watch out for those who teach things you haven't heard from me in writing! Some have even misunderstood our friendly approach to thee Catholics as meaning that we agree with their every doctrine. We are only trying to work together on the things we do agree on, such as the love of God and the Message of Christ. Amen? Especially since those who should have agreed with us have rejected us! Because we are so much like them, the Catholics have received us and God will bless them!
24. BUT JESUS HIMSELF PREACHED THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD WAS ALREADY AT HAND even in His day, and already within the hearts of His disciples. and taught that we were to seek it first, and pray that it should be on earth as it is in Heaven. Please reread and study the simple little two pages of notes and Scriptures references which we gave you in our recent study entitled "The Kingdom". This should make very clear to anyone what we mean when we say, "His Kingdom is already come in us. This is exactly what Jesus said! Why do we doubt it? Read the verses on the Kingdom.
25. I DON'T BLAME YOU FOR BEING A LITTLE WORRIED about later MO Letters, because some of the things God has given me have even been a little hard for me to understand, and some of them have been obviously offensive to those who didn't care to understand. However, I assure you they're of the Lord, and, as you have seen, God has always fulfilled them, they're bearing good fruit, and I have no reason to believe that He will not continue to fulfill them and continue to cause them to bear such good fruit. Praise the Lord! Amen? I'll confess that some of the things which the Lord has said have amazed and nearly appalled us, but I have always immediately asked God for Scriptures to confirm their authenticity, and He has never failed to help me find the answers in His Word.
26. I KNOW THAT EVEN THE ENEMY CAN USE THE BIBLE AND QUOTE SCRIPTURE, as did Hitler, but how did he live and what were his fruits? This is, after all, as Jesus indicated, the only conclusive proof: "By their fruits ye shall know them"! I certainly believe that our own children and our good fruit around the world is sufficient proof that we and our words are of God and that we are a good tree bringing forth good fruit praise the Lord?

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