HomeARC ML 3002
MAMA'S LOVE STORY!--PART 7 \qr Maria #284 DO 3002 3/95
--The Joy of the Lord, Having Fun, & Back to the Basics of Prayer, Praise & the Word!--By Maria
1. (Mama and Peter come in singing and everyone joins in:)
I will praise Him, He's my King,
Of His mercy I will sing.
I will follow in His paths of light,
'Til I see Him in His glory bright.
Praise the Lord, my soul is filled with glory!
Praise the Lord, I love to tell the story
Of His grace that keeps and gives me victory,
And I'm shouting glory 'til I get home!
2. Thank You Lord! Even if you get some of the words wrong, the Lord says to "make a joyful noise!" It doesn't really matter, just so the Lord knows we're singing to Him. Usually you can sing it again and get the words right the next time.--And that means you praise several times, and the Lord likes that too. Thank You Jesus!
3. How is everybody? (Family: Fine!) (Mama speaks to secretary over the intercom speaker, who is absent because she's been sick with a migraine headache that day, and is in bed listening to the meeting:) I love you! We're praying for you! (Secretary: Hi, Mama! I love you! Thank you, I'm feeling much better.) Thank You Jesus! If you get tired, just go to sleep. You can type the tapes of this meeting later and hear it all then. And if anybody here gets tired, just feel free to drop out and you can read it later too. Is everybody else okay? (Family: Yes, we are. We're happy.)
4. We need to pray for Peter, because he's battling some afflictions. He's so brave, he keeps going no matter what. If it was me, I'd be holding my head and moaning and having everybody stop everything and have a big prayer meeting for me!--Ha! (Peter: Actually my head is doing pretty good, it's that spot on my back that's bothering me.) It's like a burn, isn't it? (Peter: Yes, a little bit.) The skin is very sensitive and it hurts him when his clothes are rubbing on it. Of course, you could take your clothes off... (Peter: Then you'd be in danger!) Ha, ha! You might be!--Ha! (Peter: Sorry, you guys!) What's there to be sorry about? David and Techi said it was their "comedy hour" when they fellowshipped with us the other night! We don't know if we can replicate it tonight, but anyway, it was funny. The Lord reminds us to not only praise Him, but also to enjoy ourselves and enjoy everything that He's given us and to have fun! Thank You Lord!
5. So we're going to have fun tonight!--Starting off with this fun song that our team of songwriters has gotten inspired by the Lord to give us. I'm so happy, they're really rolling! This is one that they said would be a little hard to just stand up here and sing, as they had to record it, and it was even a little difficult to record. So we're going to hear it on tape. How many have heard it? (Only one or two people had.) Okay, this is going to be a treat! (It's a song sung in a "rap" style, but very sweet, not the aggressive, mean tone of most rap songs that the System sings. It's called "Say Yes to Jesus!")
Power for the Hour When We Just Say Yes!
6. (David: This is my humbling, as this is quite a different song and I don't know if you're going to like it!) This is a good example of how something that humbles one person is not seen as humbling by others. So we can see that these thoughts we get that something is so humbling are often lying vanities that the Enemy puts in our minds to stumble us or hinder us from doing what we're supposed to do. But even if the situation only seems humbling to us, if we'll do what we think is the humbling thing, He'll bless us for it. Because for other people there's usually no problem and they think, "What in the world is so humbling about that?" But when we say "yes" to the Lord, we get more of His grace, strength and help with the task.
7. I was thinking the other day that when we make a big deal of something and we start talking about how difficult it is and how hard it is and say, "I don't know how I can do this," then it gets blown up very big in our minds and it gets harder and harder the more we talk about it!--I know, because that's the way I am. But instead, if you don't talk about it, and you just go ahead and do it, the moment you do it, all of that worry is dispelled, or much of it is, and you think, "Why did I make such a big deal of that? It wasn't so difficult after all!" Because for one thing, the Lord gives you the power if you go ahead and step out and do whatever it is that you thought was so difficult. He gives you the power and the grace for it--like Grandpa said, "Power for the hour!"--and those worries and fears are dispelled and you realize it wasn't so hard after all!
8. The more we talk about how difficult things are, the more the Enemy can emphasize the negative and reaffirm it in our minds, and it gets bigger and bigger. But if we start talking about how the Lord will give us the grace for it and we know the Lord will help us through it, and we just go ahead and do it without talking about it, it helps. But of course if you're having a big struggle, it is good to talk to your shepherds and ask for their counsel and encouragement to say "yes" to whatever the Lord wants you to do. You shouldn't complain to yourself and to others about how you can't do something and how hard it is. What you should do if you need help is go to others for counsel and prayer to help you in making the right decision.
9. Just remember that something that's terribly humbling for you probably isn't that big a deal to everyone else. Other people often won't think anything of it. Haven't you noticed that? Maybe you have something about yourself that you don't like, some spot on your face or pimple or something, and to you it's this great big deal and you're having such a problem with it. But you mention it to somebody else and they say, "Oh, I didn't even notice!" How many times has that happened in your life? (Fam: Yes, that's true.) Dear Peter has a pimple! And he's worrying about it.--Ha! (Peter: I'm not worrying, I was just going to pick it.) I told him he'd better not pick it, and he said, "But I've done that all my life!" (Fam: It's a new day!) (Everyone laughs!) (Peter: Yes, Mama's really converted me.) And I told him nobody would notice it anyhow. And if they do notice, it won't seem at all as big a thing to them as it is to you.
10. So David, honey, what you think is such a big deal and so embarrassing, the rest of us will just enjoy. (Family: Yes, that's right!) (David: Okay!) (Peter: Just say yes!) (Everyone laughs.) Lord bless this song, in Jesus' name. Techi thinks this is humbling too. (They play the tape of the song:)
Say Yes to Jesus!
{\b \i (Verse 1:)}
There's a new day dawning,
The Son of God is calling,
Is calling you, to love one another.
But you will discover,
That there is no other way! Hey!
Just step out and obey,
Get close to God like two peas in a pod,
Fall in love with the Man,
And be a part of His plan.
{\b \i (Chorus:)}
Say yes, say yes to Jesus,
Do it, you know He will please us.
{\b \i (Verse 2:)}
A smilin' face and thumping bass,
Is almost all we need,
To make the world a better place.
But there's one more thing I'll have you know,
You've gotta have love enough to show.
(Show what?)
Show the love of my Man J.C.
For with His love we can all be free!
{\b \i (Repeat Chorus)}
{\b \i (Verse 3:)}
There will be a new start if we change our hearts.
And all do our part to learn the art,
Of leaning on Him in our time of need,
And if we follow, He surely will lead.
(Lead where?)
He'll lead you through the night
By His power and might
To the City of Gold where we'll never grow old.
{\b \i (Repeat Chorus)}
{\b \i (Verse 4:)}
So c'mon, you all, just answer the call,
And with His love you're gonna be enthralled.
For the Charter is the love shown through His Lamb,
And you know that love is the very best plan.
Just step out by faith,
He'll show you the way
And lead you into a brand new day.
{\b \i (Repeat Chorus)}
11. ({\ul \i Family claps and praises the Lord!)} (Peter: That was really good!) (Family: Yes! Catchy words!) (Mama:) Can you read the words to us? (David: I don't have the words with me, but I could just say them.) Okay. Lord help David to remember them. (David recites the words to the song.) Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus! Thank You Lord!
12. Let's hear it one more time. (Family: Oh yeah!) And this time, let's all stand up and dance just to get some air in our lungs so we can stay awake through the rest of this meeting!--And to get us humble, too! (Everyone laughs.) It doesn't have to be anything special, just stand up in place and jog if you want to. You don't have to put on a big performance. (Mama stands up.) I can't dance very well with my eyes closed. Did you ever try dancing with your eyes closed?--You lose your balance.--But at least I can move in place in time to the music. (The song plays again and everyone dances in place and then praises and thanks the Lord!)
13. Amen, we say "yes" to You, Lord! Thank You Lord! Hallelujah! That was great! (Peter: It's a super good song, isn't it?) (Fam: Yes, very good!) (Peter: It's a hit!) (Fam: Yes!) (Peter: It got us rocking and rolling!) (Mama:) David said, "I think there's going to be some heavy word changes on this one." What did you think, honey? What was your mother going to change?--Ha! (David: Well, actually, I think that was my dear sister who said that!) (Everyone bursts out laughing!) (Mama to Techi:) Dear sister, what was your mother going to change? (Techi: Well, mainly the "my Man J.C." phrase.) Well, honey, you know what Grandpa says, "Mama's changed!" (Techi: I'm seeing that more and more!) (Everyone laughs.)
How Mama Has Changed!
14. Techi, how do you think I've changed? (Techi: How do I think you've changed? Honestly?) Yes, honestly. I want everything you say to be honest! (Techi: Well, like Grandpa said, you're enjoying yourself a lot more.) What makes you think that? (Techi: You definitely laugh more.) How do you know, Techi? (Techi: Because I can hear you through the wall!) (Everyone laughing.) Are you eavesdropping? (Techi: No, I'm just lying in my bed trying to go to sleep, ha!) (Everyone laughing!) Yes, because your bedroom is next to ours. And what do you hear? (Techi: I hear you laughing, among other things.) (Peter: Oooohhh!) (Family: What are the other things?) (Techi: I'll leave that up to your imagination!) So you hear us laughing a lot? Praise the Lord! Even Grandpa said, "Mama, I'm glad that you're enjoying yourself." Thank You Lord! Go ahead, honey, what else?
15. (Techi: You're also a lot more radical. At the slightest hint, if you think the Lord is telling you to do something, you'll just do it.) Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus! Help me, Lord. (Techi: You're more radical in your language too.) Oh yes, I'm using the term "fucking" now instead of always using "making love." (Gary: And you guys were worried about "my Man J.C.!"--O ye of little faith, ha!) (Everyone laughs!)
16. (Techi: I remember when I was little, I was wondering about something Grandpa said, and you said, "Oh well, honey, don't worry, I don't personally like to say the word `fuck,' even though Grandpa uses it a lot." You didn't like it so much, but now you're using it, which shows how Grandpa is really having an effect!) (Mama laughs.) (Mama:) He changed my mind, thank You Jesus! Just like Grandpa always said, we found out that we really can't find a better word for "fuck." It's a little hard to say, "copulate" or "intercourse." "Please intercourse me!" "Please copulate with me!" (Everyone laughs.)
17. "Making love" is not a specific enough term, since it doesn't only apply to fucking, but to other sexual contact as well, so I see that Dad's way was best all the time! Of course, in the System the word "fuck" has a very vulgar connotation, and if you use it, they label you as crass and crude and coarse and definitely not a Christian. So be wise in your speech and don't let your good be evil spoken of by using this perfectly good term outside your Family Home.
18. There are a lot of words that even the System itself used to use but can no longer use because some vocal elements of society have taken them and made them into something filthy and dirty. Like the word "gay," for example. "Gay" used to be a beautiful word that was used all through literature, and people even used it as a first name for their children. It used to mean "merry, light-hearted, happy." Up until 50 years ago it was used all the time in literature as a wonderful word. Everybody used it. But now we can't use it, because no one uses it for anything but that horrible, perverted Sodomite kind of sex and lifestyle that is anything but gay! So in that case, we really can't use the word "gay." Well, we could if we wanted to. If it was that important to us, we probably would, but it's not.
19. But we've been using the word "fuck" since the time the Family started, and this is one thing that we're not going to change. We almost got it changed, and Dad had to go to Heaven and change it back again. So we're on the right track again, thank the Lord! We almost got off the track in this respect, but he didn't let us. Thank You Jesus! We're going to keep using this word, because there isn't a better word. Just remember that with those outside our Family Homes who are offended by the word or think there's something dirty or nasty about it because of the way it is used in the System, you should try to avoid offending them by using it when you converse with them. Just use "intercourse" or "love-making" then.
20. What else, honey? (Techi: I think that's quite a bit!) Yes, that is quite a bit, thank You Lord. It's hard for us to see the changes in ourselves. We need other people to tell us, because they see it better than we do. That's why it's important to tell people when they've changed for the better, so that they will be encouraged. You'll often find people saying, "I can't change, I haven't changed," and they're really discouraged about it. But you may think the exact opposite, and when you tell them, they're amazed! They say, "Really?--You really see a big change in me?" So when you do see changes in people--particularly when you know they're trying to make changes and they've prayed to make changes--you should be very considerate or very loving or conscientious to remember to tell them, for their encouragement.
21. Often you think it yourself or you talk about their change with someone else, but you don't go to the person and tell them. But you need to, that's very important. It may make the difference between someone getting totally discouraged and giving up, or being encouraged and continuing to fight for the further changes they need in their lives.
22. Well, this isn't "encourage Mama time," it's just that this is part of what we have to show to the Family and part of my continuing confession. When you confess to something, it's good that you also show where you've changed and gotten the victory. As we know and as Dad has pointed out, I personally don't have much to do with it. It was Dad's going to be with the Lord and his and the Lord's engineering of all of this that brought about the changes in my life. I didn't really even try to make changes, because I didn't even know I needed them! Isn't that nice and humble?--Ha!
23. So it's really all the Lord and all to His glory--I don't have anything to do with it! I hardly even had a problem saying "yes." It wasn't any real big struggle for me to say "yes" to these things. I've just had to say "yes" in little steps as I go along, but there hasn't been any big major thing like a lot of people have to go through--like a huge forsake-all, having to leave someone or something behind and going on to a new ministry or whatever. I haven't had any of that, it's just been little things. We all have those every day where we have to say "yes" to the Lord, and then one step leads to another and another.
24. Sometimes the Lord allows big things to happen that are major steps in your life, and I was trying to think last night, "When did I last have a big major choice to make that was a huge big battle for me?" When Dad went to be with the Lord I had to let him go, but even that wasn't too difficult because I knew how much better it would be for him. I knew how much he struggled and how he needed new worlds to conquer. I didn't really think of myself, because the feeling was so overwhelming that that was what he needed, and that it would be so wonderful for him. So even that wasn't such a big battle for me.--Especially since I knew he would be right here with me every moment in the spirit.
25. I guess my big battles will come later. Maybe the Lord knew I wasn't strong enough. Anyway, whatever your battle is, whether it's little or big, if you say "yes" to the Lord, it won't seem as big as it does when you're first faced with it, and He'll give you the grace, thank the Lord.
26. So what do you think, David? Is there anything different about me? You don't have to worry if what you say sounds bad, I'll forgive you for anything. (David: Oh, thank you. Let's see, what have we covered already?) Quite a lot. (David: You seem happier.) Because I said "yes." (David: And you laugh more. You're more radical, more free, less conservative. We covered that.) That covers a lot, doesn't it? (David: I don't quite know how to phrase it, but you're more in tune with the spirit world, more receptive to...) The whispers? (David: Yes.) Let's hope so. Lord help me to be! I need to be, that's for sure, because I don't have Grandpa to depend on any more to do it. That's one of the nice things about being left with the responsibility--you get in tune real fast! If you really want to please the Lord and you know what's good for you and what's good for the work, then you get down to business and get desperate. Okay! Praise the Lord!
Foolishness or Fun?
27. We prayed about Techi the other night--not that she was having any problems, but before she goes to join a WS unit we just wanted to know if there was anything the Lord wanted to particularly prepare her for that we were missing or that we weren't aware of. Maybe we can read you part of that, because it has to do with what we've been doing tonight--having fun! Didn't you think that was amazing, Techi, that the Lord would say that? (Techi: Yes.) Actually Dad said it. We were praying for the Lord to speak to us, and I was thinking that Dad would probably be the most interested in talking about this and that I should have asked Dad. And almost as soon as I thought that, Dad started speaking! Here's what he said:
28. "You can show her, too, and tell her that it's okay to have fun, but that there is a balance. You have fun, but you are also very serious with the Lord. See, she knew that I had fun but that I was also serious with the Lord. Now she needs to know that about you too. So talk to her about these things and be both a friend and a mother unto her. And this will give her real reassurance." (See GN 625, "Reassurance and Unconditional Love for Our Teens!", ML #2980:10.)
29. That's interesting, because it is difficult for not only our teens, but the adults too, to see where the line of distinction is between being happy in the Lord and having fun, and being foolish. It's a bit difficult to know, and I think sometimes our adults crack down on the young people when they're just having fun and being happy. They're so afraid they're going to get foolish that they don't even allow them to be happy. They just don't understand how you can be serious about the Lord but be happy and enjoy life at the same time. So when the kids try to enjoy themselves, the adults often think that they must not be loving the Lord enough. On the other hand, teens and adults alike often do get into a foolish spirit, and it's a dilemma to know when to stop.
30. Does anybody have any comments on that? What do you think is the distinction? What's the dividing line? What's the difference between being foolish and being happy in the Lord and having fun? (Fam: Like the verse says, "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven" [EDITED: "Ecc. 3:1"]. There's a time and season for everything. There's a time to have fun, and there's a time to be serious. And sometimes there's the switchover when it's time to be serious, but if people are not sensitive to that, then the fun may continue too long and turn into foolishness. The Lord can't bless it if it's not at the proper time nor place.)
31. (Mama:) So sometimes it's a matter of timing. There are some things that wouldn't be considered foolishness if they were said at the proper time, but if it's not at the proper time, then it gets to be foolish. Sometimes it goes on too long, and what can start out as just having fun can go on and on, and it gets into a foolish spirit and things that aren't even necessary, and things then start even being hurtful sometimes, making jokes about people or whatever. Furthermore, sometimes something that is just in fun can be said once and be perfectly all right, but if it is focused on and emphasized and talked about over and over, it can be very unnecessary and unedifying and even hurtful.
32. What does the word "foolish" mean? (David: Is it like being devoid of wisdom or understanding?) (Mama:) Yes, I'd say that's a pretty good definition. (Fam: Shallow or frivolous.) (Mama:) Yes, or something that's just sort of pointless or meaningless. You know from Dad's sense of humor and Dad's jokes that they almost always had a meaning. They weren't silly or ridiculous, harmful or sarcastic or critical of others, and he often used them to make a point or lighten the mood of a talk. His sense of humor and his sense of happiness, playfulness and lightheartedness is all through the Letters, but it doesn't go on and on and on. You hardly ever have one Letter that's just joke after joke after joke, because like he said, there's a balance.--Except for "Mokes," of course, which was a compilation of Dad's favorite jokes.
33. Like you said, there's a time for everything, and there's usually a time to be funny. It's okay to be funny when it's time to be funny, but there are more times that we need to be serious. There are lots of times to be funny, but they're not usually for extended periods. The Lord knows that the more you do that and the longer it goes on, there's a greater temptation for it to deteriorate into something foolish or frivolous. Dad's jokes almost always had some point or purpose to them. When he was having fun and playtime he played, and like he said, "When I work, I work, and when I play, I play like mad!"
34. Another difference between foolishness and having fun and being happy is that the latter never makes you feel bad. It never hurts. There aren't any hurtful jokes involved, where people are made to feel like fools. But when you're being foolish, you often end up feeling pretty silly and even making other people feel silly also. But happiness and joyfulness and playfulness are things that usually make you feel good--at least the right kind, being happy in the Lord. It doesn't always have to be directly about the Lord, but it's not something that goes on and on and on and just degenerates into nothingness and shallowness. It's just like little children have their playtime, but even little children don't want to play all the time. There is a time for everything.
35. Does anybody else have any thoughts on the difference between foolishness and having fun? (Fam: "A merry heart doeth good like a medicine" [EDITED: "Pro.17:22"]. In other words, genuine enjoyment of life brings forth good fruit. Like you said, it doesn't always have to be directly about the Lord, but it makes you happy in a good or Godly way. Foolish things are kind of "off" and leave you feeling flat, but happy, holy laughter makes you feel good and bears good fruit.) Yes.
36. (Fam: One thing about foolishness is that it tends to get uncontrollable. You start being foolish and you don't even realize it, and it can just go on and on. It just gets out of hand. Whereas if you have a good sense of humor, it's something that you can control.) Yes, that's true.
37. (Fam: To support what Mama said about how Dad's jokes always had meaning or were an illustration of something: We went to a restaurant with Dad one time and we were telling jokes. We started out with Bible jokes like "Who was the stretchiest man in the Bible, the shortest man in the Bible," etc., and Dad was just having fun and enjoying himself. But somewhere from deep down in my past, a joke came out that was just silly and pointless, and Dad said, "That's a problem with telling jokes--sometimes you can digress very fast."
38. (Another kind of humor that hurts is sarcastic humor--cutting things that you can say or do. You mean it to be funny, but it ends up hurting someone.) (Fam: Humor spoken at the right time, like having fun, has a positive effect and leaves you feeling encouraged. But foolishness is just the opposite; it often has a negative effect on you and leaves you feeling empty.)
39. (Peter: When you've been foolish, you often go away in a foolish spirit and carry on being foolish down the hallway or whatever. Whereas it's different if you just have a good laugh. It might just be something funny that happened or telling a funny experience, especially if it's about yourself.--Which is probably the safest kind of story to tell, because if you're telling things about yourself, you're generally not going to hurt somebody else. Like Dad said about Grandmother, she would always tell stories about the funny things that happened to her, or the funny things she did or jokes on herself. That may be a little humbling for you, which is always good, but it spares anybody else from any kind of hurt.
40. (I also got the verse about "a merry heart doeth good like medicine." Sometimes something funny will happen or be said, and everybody has this big burst of laughter, everyone really starts cracking up over whatever it is, and afterwards you feel uplifted because it relieves the pressure and the tension. It's like a medicine.) Hallelujah!
41. (Gary: I was thinking about how Dad was talking to that missionary years ago and he asked him what was the most needed trait for being a missionary. The man answered, "A good sense of humor!" Dad's humor, besides not making anyone feel bad, always had a purpose. A lot of times it was just to break the ice or to kind of loosen you up for a heavier point that was coming, and I think it was real needed.) (Mama:) That's a good point.
42. (Gary: Dad was so natural, because his religion was not the "Jenny the mule" kind. '[EDITED: "See "Be So Happy," ML #159."]' It's quite easy to digress into being super solemn and sober when you become overly "spiritual," so to speak, or people expect you to be that way.) (Mama:) Or you're trying so hard not to be foolish. (Gary: Yes, exactly. And then what you may think is upholding the standard becomes upholding the image, and people around you then become very uncomfortable because they don't know that you can just be normal--normal enough to laugh and to have a good time. Again, it's that long-faced "Jenny the mule" religion, and I think there's enough of that in the world already!) (Mama:) Yes. Well, the Lord has really gifted Gary with a wonderful sense of humor! Even when he's talking about serious things, he always has these funny illustrations. I often just crack up and laugh through the tapes he makes me, even though it isn't on a funny subject.--Ha!
43. Well, at least this is a fun class on foolishness versus having fun! Do you like it? (Fam: Yes!) (Fam: Maybe this is repeating what someone else has already shared, but it seems like the point where it gets foolish is where the fun is taken one degree too far. We sometimes have to catch ourselves and say, "We're digressing, let's stop!" And it's true, when it goes too far, then it deteriorates into foolishness. I don't know if it's got something to do with our letting our guard down, or we just kind of lose it and it becomes uncontrollable, but it seems there are different degrees of having fun and then bordering on foolishness.)
44. (Gary: This may just be a personal doctrine that's erroneous, and if so, I ask for your forgiveness in advance, but it's kind of like prophesying--if you don't allow prophesying because you're afraid of a little wildfire, there won't be any prophecies at all! And I wonder if in the Family we sometimes tend to worry so much about foolishness that we end up not having much of the joy of the Lord in some of our Homes. I know that in working with teens we can get a little bit worried that things are going to get out of hand, or this or that is going to happen, and obviously we do need to be mindful of that and look out for our flocks. On the other hand, I wonder if it's a bit like prophecy in that respect, and we need to learn to loosen up a bit. If there's foolishness cropping up that might be getting out of hand, well, praise God, you can always take care of it later just like you do with somebody who is out of the Spirit in prophecy or any other thing. If somebody gets out of hand and you feel it's necessary, just go speak to them privately, rather than having this overriding wet blanket where people are afraid to be even a little humorous or express themselves in a fun way.)
45. (Fam: It's important to have someone there who knows when to rein it in. It's nice when somebody can say, "Look, I think we're getting a little foolish now. We had fun, but now it's time to pull it in. Let's wrap it up and let's pray, or go on to our next activity.")
46. (Fam: I always knew Dad was funny because there was the "Mokes" Letter and funny things throughout the Letters, but the first time I ever saw Dad on video ("Garden of Eden" series), in a period of an hour of watching Dad, he made you cry, he made you laugh, he made you love the Lord, he made you hate the System and the Devil, and by the end of it, you felt like you'd been through every single emotion there is! But his humor there is so effective in helping you to get the point and in getting his message across.) (Mama:) It makes you remember the points that he brings out too. It's probably one of the most effective ways to remember something. (Note: For more from Dad on happiness and the joy of the Lord, please see "Be So Happy" [EDITED: "ML #159"]; "Hallelujah for Happiness" [EDITED: "ML #1393"]; and "Enjoy Yourself" [EDITED: "ML #1035"].)
47. (Fam: Probably one of the first talks or meetings that I attended when joining the staff was the "Pray and Spray" talk. (See ML #2330.) I remember at the very beginning of the meeting Dad was quite upset about the cockroaches and different things, and we were all learning very good lessons. But the correction didn't last very long, maybe only the first half hour or so, and for the next hour or two he started telling all of these jokes and funny stories. Then at the end of the meeting we didn't feel discouraged or burdened at all. Everybody was just really happy and loving each other, and we learned a good lesson too. We all felt uplifted and happy.) (Mama:) In other words, even though it was an admonition or a rebuke, it ended on a very happy note. (Fam: Yes, it was a good balance, and I thought that was remarkable.)
48. (Mama:) Okay, David, what do you think about all of this? (Long pause.) (David: I think it's true.) (Everyone laughs!) Anything you don't agree with? (David: No.) (Gary: C'mon, David, when you're not in a group setting, you're usually very outspoken.) (David: I was thinking how foolishness and shallowness are often linked together. I think it has to do with the spirit, in that when you're being foolish, you're kind of in a shallow spirit. Whereas when you're just being funny or having that joy of the Lord, I don't think your spirit carries the same shallowness.)
49. (Mama:) Yes. Well, some people might think your song was foolish. Certainly some conservative church people would think it was foolish. A lot of your outlook depends on your attitude and the way you see the Lord and your Christian life, your walk with the Lord and how He wants you to be, what things He's pleased with. He wouldn't have put "a merry heart doeth good like a medicine" in the Word if He hadn't wanted us to be merry!
50. Going back to your song and how some people would see it as foolish: Not only would they see it as foolish, but very "irreverent." Initially I had thought that in the song it would be acceptable, especially since the way you sing it and mean it is very sweet, and within this style of music it didn't sound so out of place. However, I knew that if I were to hear you walking around the house during the day using "J.C." as a replacement of "Jesus," I would probably tell you that I didn't think it was appropriate and that it sounded too familiar and not showing the Lord the honor which is due Him. Besides, there's such power in the Name of Jesus, and we wouldn't want to be guilty of doing anything that would lessen the effect that even hearing that Name has on people. The world has worked very hard to make the name "Jesus" a dirty name, a swear word, and they've even succeeded in getting the name "Christ" taken out of "Christmas" so that in most countries all you see is "Xmas." So we don't want to unintentionally be guilty of doing something that might tone down our witness to the public, or even to the Family.
51. I had thought, along with you, that in the song it would be acceptable. But now that I've had a little more time to think and pray about it, I see that there are reasons that it might be better to change it. You see, when we're judging things, we don't want to criticize them just because they're not something we would do, or not something that sounds comfortable to us. Instead we should judge them on the basis of, "What does the Lord think?" So I didn't want to be too quick to pooh-pooh something until I knew what the Lord thought about it. I guess we're now all learning that this "nickname" to refer to or speak to Jesus would be a little familiar and disrespectful, even though we didn't intend it that way at all!
52. That's why you might want to consider changing the words a bit when you do an actual recording of the song. If it is played repeatedly in the hearing of our younger children, since "J.C." is a catchy term, you can be quite sure that they would pick up on it and start using it in their normal conversations with other Family members and also with outsiders. Anywhere other than the song, using "J.C." to refer to or speak to "Jesus," our wonderful King and Savior, Lord and Master, would be, in most cases, quite familiar and rather disrespectful. So when writing songs that will be played in our Homes, we have to take into consideration how our children will interpret and apply things.
53. (Late news flash!: Our little music team went to work and already has presented us with some very good word changes, which can be used when this song is recorded for one of our new Family teen tapes. Here is the new version--which is the one you should sing:)
Say Yes to Jesus!
{\b \i (Verse 1:)}
There's a new day dawning,
The Son of God is calling,
Is calling you, to love one another.
But you will discover,
That there is no other way! Hey!
Just step out and obey,
Get close to God like two peas in a pod,
Fall in love with the Man,
And be a part of His plan.
{\b \i (Chorus:)}
Say yes, say yes to Jesus,
Do it, you know He will please us.
{\b \i (Verse 2:)}
A helping hand and a smiling face
Is almost all we need to make the world a better place.
But there's one more thing I'll have you know.
You gotta have love enough to show.
(Show what?!)
Show the love of God's only Son,
For with His love we'll have lots of fun.
{\b \i (Repeat Chorus)}
{\b \i (Verse 3:)}
There will be a new start if we change our hearts,
And all do our part to learn the art,
Of leaning on Him in our time of need,
And if we follow, He surely will lead.
(Lead where?)
He'll lead you through the night
By His power and might
To the City of Gold where we'll never grow old.
{\b \i (Repeat Chorus)}
{\b \i (Verse 4:)}
So c'mon, you all, just answer the call,
And with His love you're gonna be enthralled.
For the Charter is the love shown through His Lamb,
And you know that love is the very best plan.
Just step out by faith,
He'll show you the way
And lead you into a brand new day.
{\b \i (Repeat Chorus)}
54. Another thing to watch out for about foolishness is for us older folks not to have a double standard--one for ourselves and one for our young people. Sometimes we interpret the fun times we have as "just being happy," whereas if our young people have the same conversation or say similar things, we are quick to jump on them for "being foolish." So if we both really are being foolish, then we both need to be checked about it. On the other hand, if we're both just having fun, then we need to be careful that we don't squelch our young people, while we allow ourselves the freedom to enjoy things.
55. Sometimes a large group is more conducive to promoting foolishness, whereas two people together may be more spiritually mature and can enjoy a laugh and a joke without it going any further. When you get a group of people together and everyone starts adding his note of humor, it can sometimes be over-done. However, as we said above, it's not the end of the world if we get a little foolish sometimes. I'd rather see people laughing and having a good time than thinking they have to be permanently sober.
56. Maybe this discussion will provide some good guidelines to help you to be able to laugh and have lots of fun and enjoy life as the Lord means you to. There is so much fun you can have and so many interesting things you can talk about that are pleasurable and enjoyable and make you happy that there is no reason why you need to get into meaningless, unedifying, silly conversation that is hurtful and leaves you feeling flat and empty and wishing that you had been discussing something more constructive.
57. (David: Another point is that a lot of it has to do with spiritual maturity, because if you're mature and in tune with the Lord, then it's harder to get into a foolish spirit. I think a lot of the distinction between foolishness and just having fun is an individual thing, and some people's definition of foolishness might be different than others. So I think you just have to be Spirit-led and ask the Lord if you think something is getting too foolish. As was brought out, you don't want to squelch everything, but you also don't want to go overboard. You've just got to be prayerful about it so you don't go to one extreme or the other.) (Mama:) Yes, David, very good. Techi, do you have anything to add?
58. (Techi: Like David was saying about being shallow, when you get foolish you can let the Enemy in in other ways. If you're in a group and you're in a foolish spirit and you walk away in that spirit, but also in a spirit of "Oh, everything is cool," then you're not on guard against the Enemy.)
59. (Mama:) That's why I think it's important that we make the distinction between foolishness and just being happy and having fun, because a lot of people don't understand the difference. So when Grandpa said, "Show Techi that it's okay to have fun, but there is a balance," he didn't mean just Techi, of course, because this is a subject that we've probably needed to discuss with the whole Family. Dad has given us a very good example of how to be happy and how to be funny and how to do it in a Godly way, but it's good to pinpoint and zero in on what the opposite is and what you shouldn't do.
60. I was a little surprised that of all the profound, very spiritual things that Grandpa could have said to tell Techi, he said to "show her how you have fun, but that you are serious with the Lord as well, just as I was." And he was saying this not only about Techi, but he was talking about all of our teens and young people, and that it is apparently an important point to bring out. You might wonder why we spent all of this time having a pow-wow on foolishness, but it seems that it's important and Grandpa was very concerned about it. Of the three things he said to help Techi to realize--and he was saying this for all of our young people--that was one of them!
Testify to Changes!
61. And Grandpa also said, "Let her see how much you've changed." Why do you think he said that, Techi? And again he wasn't just talking about Techi, because she already knows a lot about how I've changed. But he was saying this for all of our children and young people and their parents.
62. So why do you think Grandpa was so concerned with me showing you how much he's changed me? (Techi: I guess like you said, for a good sample to the other teens and their parents of how you're becoming more like Grandpa in different ways. And how you're not taking everything as seriously as you used to, but you're still serious about the Lord, and that's a good sample to emulate.)
63. (Mama:) When you see somebody else changing, what does that do for you? (Techi: You try to change and follow their example.) (Mama:) And if you see someone else has changed, how do you feel about it? (Techi: You feel like it's possible for you to change also. If they can do it, then there's more chance that you can change too.) Isn't that right? (Fam: Yes!) (Mama:) That's what Grandpa said, "If she sees that you have gone through such a great big change, then she knows she can change too, and it will encourage her." This is something that's important for all of us to remember: Our testifying to changes the Lord has made in our lives has a very great influence on others and can be very encouraging for them. When you testify about what the Lord has done for you and how He has helped you to get victories, it may even help someone to keep going who has been contemplating giving up the fight.
64. So those were two things that Dad said I should share with Techi and with all of you. And I don't think I would have even thought about those if he hadn't said it! Isn't it wonderful how we can ask the Lord and Dad and we get the answers to our questions? Thank You Jesus!
Take Time in Your Day to Praise and Sing and Pray!
65. We said in our last meeting that we were going to tell you a few more of the reasons why the Lord said that He put Peter and me together, and one of them was this reason that Dad just brought out--so that we can show others that we can have fun and we can still love the Lord and be serious about the Lord at the same time. Techi hears us laughing a lot, but she also knows that we pray a lot and we praise and sing. Do you hear us singing, honey? (Techi: Yes, but the laughing is the loudest.) The laughing is so loud because I'm so loud, ha! The singing is a little more subdued, but it's there just as much or more than the laughing, and of course we also pray and praise.
66. The Lord has been helping us to pray and praise a lot, and sing, and be humbled by it. Like tonight I was so tired, and I was lying in bed before the meeting thinking, "Lord, I've just got to take a nap. You'll have to give me the strength because I'm so tired, and I don't know what I'm going to do about this meeting anyway. I don't know what to say."
67. Having a meeting is a big obstacle that I have to get over--my big mountain. Peter and Gary go to the Summit meetings, and it's easy for them. How many meetings did you have at the last one? (Peter: Two a day, so about 45.) With all the other activities they had to do, including counseling with the leadership, reporting to me, and having to give five-and-a-half hours of meetings each day, they didn't have too much time to prepare before each meeting. So they probably look at me and think, "What is she talking about? What's the big deal?" (Peter: No, we don't think that.) Well, you should, ha! What is the big deal, anyway? Well, everything is simply a lot harder for me, I don't know why; probably because the Enemy just fights me so hard to try to keep me from giving them. I never could have made it at the Summit meetings. Thank the Lord you guys go and do them. (Peter: It's just a miracle, it's just the Lord.) Yes. It seems like it takes me a week to prepare for one meeting, and they can have two meetings a day.--Ha! (Peter: But your meetings are so much better!) No, they aren't better. I heard your meetings on tape and they were wonderful--they were really the Lord!--Just as much as these are!
68. Anyway, I was praying, "Lord, I'm so tired and I need to take a little nap. And besides that, I don't know what I'm going to do tonight. I've gone over my list and prayed about everything and thought about everything I could think about, and I still don't know what I'm going to do!" I said, "Please Lord, help me to take a nap now." And Peter said, "I'm going out of the room for a few minutes, I've got to talk to the girls about some work." I said okay, and I thought, "This is a nice time to sleep, while Peter is out of the room."
69. Then the Lord spoke to me and said, "Maybe your strength will come more from praying right now and praising Me than it will from taking a nap." I thought, "Yes, that's probably true." So I turned over and I raised my hands and started to pray in tongues, and then I started to sing to the Lord in tongues. It was really refreshing and sweet to talk to the Lord, because after all, what's a little sleep? Sometimes you can take a long nap and when you wake up you feel groggy and more tired than when you started. So sleep isn't always the answer. Often it is, because the Lord made us to need sleep and we can't go without a fairly normal amount of it, but if the Lord wants you to pray and praise Him, He can take care of the lack of sleep.
70. (Peter: So I went out for a minute, and then as I was walking back to our room, I heard someone singing. I thought it was singing in tongues, but I couldn't quite tell where it was coming from. Then all of a sudden I realized I'd left our door open about three or four inches and that it was Mama. So I tip-toed in. Well, my tip-toeing is more like, "Clunk, clunk, clunk!" Anyway, there was Mama lying on the bed singing in tongues with her hands raised, and I thought, "What a wonderful thing to be married to somebody who loves the Lord so much!" It's really wonderful to come in and see your mate lying there praising the Lord!--Knowing that you're going to go to a meeting, and that she's really seeking the Lord and praying. It was quite convicting, because I thought, "Oh man, I've been running around trying to get the meeting notes together, and I need to stop now too and pray and plug into the Lord." It really touched me, and it convicted me to do the same.)
71. (Mama:) That's the way it is when I see Peter praying and praising the Lord, or when he stops and gets out his guitar and starts singing songs to the Lord. That's really precious, because after all, that's what we're here for. That's our whole existence. That's the reason we're in this world at all, and certainly that's even more specifically why we're in the Family, to be close to the Lord, merged with the Lord, having the Lord's mind, doing what the Lord wants us to do, carrying out the mission that He's called us to, which is to be like Him, so we can share His sample and His love with others.
72. A very vital requirement for successful service to the Lord is to have good communication with Him--to be loving Him and praising Him, and getting His mind on things. If we're not doing that, we're failing, aren't we? Besides the few minutes we give to Him at night and in the morning, we need to be in constant touch with Him throughout the day, taking every opportunity to praise Him or ask His blessing on what we are doing, or His instructions, or His protection, or to think about His Word, taking any extra minutes to stop and concentrate fully on Him.
73. (To staff member:) Like you said in your little reaction, you're seeing there are times that you can stop. (Fam: Yes. I was reacting to the little praise time we had on Sunday night. My roommate and I were listening to the "My Heart ... Your Home" tape with all the love songs to Jesus. It was just so beautiful, and it was so nice to stop and praise the Lord. It showed me what I was missing. So often during the day I'm running around doing this or that and I don't really stop and praise the Lord. But it's so refreshing and inspiring and helpful to stop and take some time with the Lord.)
74. (Mama:) If there's work we need to be doing, we don't always have to come to a full stop. There are often times when we have a little break. When you go into the bathroom to go to the toilet, can't you sing to the Lord or quote verses or pray? Often quoting verses or praying is a little too much of a wrench somehow, ha! Some of you might feel like you can't quite get into that mode, but you should at least be able to have a song on your lips!
75. The Family is full of music, and we've got songs for everything. I'm sure you all know songs to praise the Lord with and sing unto the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song! Sing unto Him an old song, sing unto Him any song! Often we'll go into the bathroom and our mind sort of goes blank and we stare at the walls. But there is that time available to praise the Lord. There are often times during the day where we aren't doing anything that takes real concentration, and those are times when we can sing or we can pray or we can quote a verse--which we should make a habit of.
76. Our Family was built on the Word, and in the early days virtually every spare moment you were praying or quoting a verse. No matter what activity you were doing, you were probably quoting verses or singing or praising the Lord. Isn't that right? (Family: Yes, that's right!) (Peter: You hardly ever even talked to anyone without quoting verses and talking about the Lord or sharing some testimony!) (Mama:) Well, we can't go back to doing things exactly the same way as we did then, but we certainly shouldn't ever belittle or look down on that time. That was where our early disciples got their foundation in the Word and a strong connection with the Lord, which has kept them through some very rough times over the years. I believe we have lost something very important as we have gotten further and further away from that with so little emphasis on sharing the Word with each other and praying together at every opportunity and making our praises heard, in song and otherwise, frequently throughout the day.
Being Spiritual Has Gotten the Wrong Connotation!
77. Apparently it didn't take very long to get away from it. Gabe was telling me that it happened quite early on in some of the Homes he was in, and it's really sad. (Gabe: Praising the Lord was not the "in" thing to do any more--it was "out." If someone would say "praise the Lord" or "hallelujah," people would say he was trying to be better than others and he was an old bottle. Then Caleb, who was the top leader in the area, came around visiting the Homes--I think he had just been with Dad--and he was praising the Lord and speaking in tongues, and people looked at him like, "He's an old bottle"--when he was a new bottle and we were the old bottles! It was sad how the Enemy crept in and influenced people to have this attitude that made them look down on people who praised the Lord and shouted "hallelujah!") (Mama:) That's really tragic.
78. (Peter: It's still that way today. People are still being negatively labeled as "spiritual." I guess being spiritual has gotten a wrong connotation--maybe because it was people who were self-righteous and letter of the law who were trying to show off their "spirituality." But when I came in and saw you praising the Lord, I didn't think, "Look how Mama is trying to impress me. Here she is again, praising the Lord. Doesn't she ever stop? What's she trying to do, show me how spiritual she is?" I knew she was just doing it as unto the Lord and not unto men.
79. (In some of those prophecies at the Summit where the Lord said to, "Put your `do not disturb' sign out, take your intercom off the hook, turn off your computer and get close to Me," He also said, "Don't fear the opinions of man when you're doing these things." Apparently He knows He needs to help us to have the conviction to obey Him in spite of what others think of us when we say, "let's praise" or "let's stop to pray." Unfortunately, some of our young people and even older people look down on those who are trying to get close to the Lord and outwardly praying and praising. They almost ridicule those who they feel are trying to be "spiritual." How sad that in our Family we can't communicate with the Lord openly for fear of being thought of as weird.
80. (It's a little bit like the prophecy about the garment in the closet that's not that well worn and we've got to get it "in vogue" again. We've got to say, "This is the garment we all need to wear because now it's in fashion," and make it a little more fashionable.) (Mama:) That was the garment of prophecy that the Lord was talking about, and like Peter says, the Lord could just as well have said the garment of praise. That's a verse, isn't it? (Fam: "To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified" [EDITED: "Isa 61:3"].)
The Enemy Hates Prayer and Praise and Fights It!
81. (Mama:) It's very sad that the Lord has to say over and over, "Don't be afraid of the opinions of men!" All of us living together in a Home is very humbling in many ways, and many things we do are humbling to us. I had the same test tonight. I had to make a decision. I thought, "Well, if I sing and praise the Lord and Peter walks in on me, that's going to be humbling and I'm going to feel awkward." But then I thought, "Why would I feel awkward?" So I had to make two decisions. First of all, I had to ask myself, "Who am I trying to please, the Lord or Peter? Who is the most important to me?" And then I had to say, "If I'm going to choose between doing the humbling thing or the proud thing, what is the humbling thing to do? If it's going to humble me, then that's what I should do!" So I had to make two decisions, and if I say the Lord is the most important to me, then I'm going to do the humbling thing because I want His blessing and I want to do the thing that He said will please Him.
82. But why is that humbling? Why should it be humbling? We have to remember that our warfare is in the heavenlies. What is that verse? (Gary: "We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places" [EDITED: "Eph.6:12"].) (Mama:) Right, it's the spiritual forces, the evil forces of the Enemy that are always there trying to tell us these things. Often when I feel something is humbling, I don't even know why it's humbling.
83. If you feel awkward or embarrassed when someone sees you praising the Lord or praying, you know these are feelings put there by the Enemy. He is trying to defeat the great blessing that it will bring you when you praise and love the Lord, and he is trying to defeat the blessing that it will bring others who will be encouraged to do the same. When I hear someone praising the Lord I think, "Thank You Jesus! They're taking time to acknowledge You and to thank You. I know that is pleasing to You, and I know You're going to bless them for it!"
84. I'm so thankful when I know any of you are praying! If you have a sign on your door that says, "Praying, please do not disturb," that will thrill me! Because the more we pray, the more I know we're connected to the Lord, and the more I know He's going to bless us, and the more I know that we're going to be okay. So the Enemy, knowing how important it is--not only that we do it, but that we show others that we're doing it--does all he can to fight against us doing it.
85. We may be praying, and the Lord knows we are, but it might benefit others if they knew as well. If you hear that someone has been praying, you should thank God they have been. If some people get proud and lifted up about it, the Lord can humble them. We need to have some positive peer pressure for prayer and praising because we've had so much of the negative peer pressure against it.
86. Going into your closet and shutting the door and not letting anyone know has its place. However, in our busy Homes it's pretty difficult to do that with everyone knowing what you're doing. But there is certainly nothing to be ashamed of in letting people know that we are communicating with the Lord and that we are in touch with the Lord and are hearing from the Lord. Our testimony of praying and praising is important, because people need to know that someone is doing it. We've had so much negative peer pressure not to do it in thinking that it's self-righteous or it's hypocritical or whatever reasons the Devil told people that they shouldn't praise the Lord and they shouldn't pray or they shouldn't let anybody know about it.
87. When you write and say, "I was praying and reading the Word and the Lord gave me this," I think, "Thank You Jesus, it's wonderful! I'm so thankful we have people who are spiritual and who are hearing from the Lord." For goodness sake, what are we doing in this Family if we're not hearing from the Lord, if we're not praying, if we're not connected and in tune with the Lord, if we're not getting in the Word?
Talk About the Word!
88. Come to dinner and tell everyone what Word you read today, and talk about it and tell what you got out of it. We read "Old Bottles" (ML #242) the day before yesterday, and the day before that we read "Come On Ma, Burn Your Bra" (ML #286). If you need to wear a bra, don't let this scare you. There were times when Dad suggested that our women with large breasts wear them, especially when they had to be out in the System in hot countries wearing very light, thin tops. He also realized it was much more comfortable for some women to wear them. The point he was bringing out, however, was that we women shouldn't be wearing bras just because we're ashamed of our bodies, afraid of what people would think if we don't, or just because we want to conform to the System!
89. The message of that Letter is just tremendous! It's for today! It's wonderful. What was the other one we read? (Peter: "One Wife" [EDITED: "ML #249"].) That's another one that's just perfect for today. (Peter: And we also read "Other Sheep" [EDITED: "ML #167"].) Yes, almost every Letter is just as applicable today, if not more applicable than it was before! When you read the MO Letters now, you'll get more than you ever got out of them! They just get newer and fresher all the time. (Fam: Like Dad said, we're closer to Jesus than His disciples were. So in a way, we're closer to Dad now than when he was here, through his Words.) (Mama:) Yes, they come more alive than ever. Thank You Jesus!
90. The Lord recently said, "Some of the things that are in the Words of David that David told you when he was with you many years ago, I'm just now taking the veil off of them. You didn't understand them before, but now you will understand them." Evidently it wasn't His time that we understand them fully, but now we are beginning to understand them even more fully than we did before. So they're still good! Just because they were written 24 years ago or 22 years ago doesn't mean that they're not good for today. The Words of David are the Lord's Words, and they're just as good if not better for today, and just as applicable for today as they were before.
91. In your conversations with other Family members, you can tell them what you've read, what it means to you, and what you've gotten out of it. You could share what you've done in your private devotions, which might help other people have more effective and fruitful devotions. You can talk about how you got thrilled and filled with the Words and the seeds, and all the ways you learned to pray, or the new ways that you prayed, the new verses you ran across.
92. In one of the recent prophecies the Lord said to pray the Psalms, and we were doing that the other day for our devotions. We were taking some of the Psalms and going verse by verse, praying them. For instance, after the verse, "Enter into His gates with thanksgiving and into His courts with praise," we prayed, "Lord, we enter into Your gates with thanksgiving and into Your courts with praise." Then the next one might say, "The little hills rejoice on every side. The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing" (Psa. 65:12,13). And we'd say, "Thank You Jesus, we shout for joy at all the wonderful things You've done!" We either repeat the verse as a prayer to the Lord, or we change it to make it into a prayer to the Lord, or we apply it in some way.
93. There are so many ways we can thank the Lord and praise Him. Singing in tongues is beautiful. I think I told you in our last meeting that one time I heard a whole group of people singing in tongues together. It was just beautiful! They were all singing their own tongues, but it blended and harmonized beautifully!
94. We shouldn't make prayer and praise a private, exclusive little thing that everybody is ashamed of or figures should be something that you don't say anything about. We need to bring it out and tell other people and make it a sample, make it a blessing to others. Do you agree? (Family: Yes!) Thank You Jesus! It's a blessing to others to know specifics. Doesn't it help you when we all testify of how we read the Word and how we prayed and praised the Lord? Remember how we've made a point to put in the pubs different ways to pray? Well, now let's start testifying about the different ways to praise the Lord and to worship Him. Thank You Jesus!
95. So all that to say that Peter and I do a lot of praising and praying too, and the Lord said that it was especially important for us to do a lot of it! That's our particular calling and our job right now. However, you each should do as much as you can in your particular situations too. First of all, you may want to identify things you don't have to do--things that aren't really necessary--so you can take that time to spend with Jesus. And if you can't stop everything to pray or praise or read the Word more than in your regular scheduled times, you can still ask Him to help you be conscious of all the spare moments throughout the day when you can send up prayers and praises while you're doing other things.--For example, when you have to go to the bathroom, or while you're travelling back and forth, or getting dressed, or eating, or on get-out. In this way you can be in regular communication with the Lord and praising Him and asking for His help for yourself and for others.
96. So it's not just for us. The Lord wants your prayers and praises too! However, the Lord said that He wants me and Peter to put a special emphasis on our communication with Him. We're supposed to pretty much let go of the other ministries for now and just concentrate on the Lord and hearing from Him and praying to Him and praising Him and loving Him.--And having fun!
Peter's Playground!
97. We don't spend all of our time praying; like Techi confirmed, we do a lot of laughing, too. The Lord helps us to have fun and enjoy life, but I don't think we're foolish. (To Peter:) Are we foolish? (Peter: I don't think so.) Peter calls me his "playground!" Everybody has to have a little relaxation and recreation once in awhile, and Peter even made mud pies last night! (Peter: I didn't really think you were going to tell them about that!) Why didn't you think I was going to tell them? (Peter: I just thought you'd chicken out.) Well, I have to admit, it is pretty humbling to talk about this, but the Lord told us to talk about the funny and the sexy things too.
98. In fact, He said, "So be not afraid. Have I not said that they will rejoice? Be not afraid, only speak the Words that I give unto you. Be not fearful and do not stand in the way. Let Me pour forth through you, for I will show you what to say. Only be open and ready and speak the Words that I give. And the Words that I give may be funny, and they may be natural, and they may be humbling, and they may be sexy. They may be serious. They may be loving. They may even seem naughty or dirty, but it is not for you to judge. It is only for you to give, and for you to be an open channel of My voice unto My children."
99. (To Peter:) So tell them what you were doing on your playground. (Peter: We have a lot of serious times together, but sometimes we play, too. So last night we played.) (Mama starts laughing.) (Peter: You tell them.) No, you tell them. (Peter: You tell them.) One of the girls made us some brownies and some frosting too. (Peter: Mocha honey.) So we had this container of frosting, and I got a little bit on my finger.
100. (Mama:) I can't use my eyes much, so I was smearing this frosting over my brownie that one of the girls had made, and Peter said, "Do you want me to help you?" I said, "Okay." So he was helping me put it on and I got some of it on my finger, and I asked him, "Do you want to lick it off my fingers?" So he licked it off obligingly, of course. Then that led to talking about how you can put frosting on other places on your body. He said, "Oh, can we try it?" I said, "Sure, why not, let's have fun!" So he brought the whole frosting container over and he started painting my nipples with it and then licked it off.
101. He reminded me of a little boy in the playground making mud pies, because the frosting was dark brown. If you don't have time to eat before you make love, then you can do it at the same time.--Ha! (Peter: Yes, it was fun. It was just real sweet.) Yes, it was. I don't think we were being foolish, we were just having fun.
102. (Gary: Didn't Solomon say, "Let her breasts satisfy thee at all times"? [EDITED: "Pro.5:19"]. (Peter: Yes. See, we always need scriptures to back everything up.) (Gary: Peter and I are good at doing that.) (Everyone laughs.) (Mama:) We could probably find MO quotes too, to show that the Lord is not against enjoying life. (Peter: We tried honey, too.) (Mama:) Yes. He said, "Can I bring the honey dispenser, too?" and I said "Sure, why not?" But the honey was a little more liquidy and started running all over, and he had to work fast to lick it all up! (Peter: Anyway, we had lots of fun.)
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Assuming the Position!
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103. (Peter: Can I tell about the ... well, maybe I shouldn't tell this one.) (Family: Oh, now you've got to tell us!) (Mama:) That's okay. See how yielded I am? I said yes and I don't even know what he's going to tell! (Peter: When I start telling you she'll probably say no, ha!
104. (Mama laughs a lot, and when she laughs really hard she has to cross her legs to keep from peeing! I call it "assuming the position." In the military they say "assume the position!" and the guy has to get down to do push-ups. Well, Mama "assumes the position" of crossing her legs!) Really tight! (Peter: Because sometimes when I'm talking to her and I'm saying these profound things, she starts to laugh and then she tinkles in her pants!) (Everyone laughing!)
105. (Peter: So a couple of weeks ago we were lying in bed and I was telling her something, I don't even remember what it was now, but she crossed her legs, she assumed the position, and she was really laughing. She said, "Oh, I'm going to wet my pants!" I had this tissue in my hand, so I said, "I'll catch it!"--And that made her laugh even more, and then she did wet! Oh my!) (Everyone really laughing!) (Mama:) I was laughing so much I was crying. (Peter: So we do have a lot of fun, but we also spend a lot of time praying and praising the Lord and hearing from the Lord.)
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In Honor Preferring One Another!
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106. In living all together communally like this, we have to yield to each other all the time; and the closer we live to each other, the more we have to yield! Because of the nature of our work, Peter and I are in the same room together probably much more than most couples. So we have to yield to each other a lot. (To Peter:) Would you like to tell them how we yield to each other? (Peter: In lots of ways. For example, if one of us is going to go out of the room, we tell the other, saying where we will be going and how long we plan to stay.) (Mama:) Yes. Since Peter moved in with me, we're in this little room almost 24 hours a day. We have our offices there, we do all our work there together, we dictate together. Sometimes he's sitting in his chair dictating and I'm lying on the bed dictating, or vice versa. We do all our work in there, and people come in to see us. Therefore, we have to be very considerate of each other, trying not to do anything that would be disturbing or distracting, like talking to our secretary too loudly or carrying on a lengthy conversation on the intercom while the other is trying to work on something where he needs his full concentration.
107. If one of us wants to listen to music during meals or other times, we ask the other for their preference. If one of us wants to take a nap while the other continues to work, the one who is working does everything possible to keep from disturbing. Most everything we do, we either inform the other that we are going to do it, or we ask if it is all right or try to determine what the other one would like, because when you live in such small quarters, that's the way to live harmoniously. If you love each other and you want to live together unitedly, you have to make some sacrifices in considering the other's needs. It's all "in honor preferring one another," which is yielding to the other's desires and needs and wishes.
108. (Peter: Yes, and at the end of the day, Mama might still be busy working, but I'm done and I'll say, "Is it okay if I play my guitar for a few minutes?" and she stops her work. Or sometimes I'll be working on some letters or reading something, and she'll ask, "Can we prepare for the meeting?" I have in my mind the scenario of all the things I'm going to do this day, but then Mama comes up with something different, and I have to stop and say, "Well, that's what I'm here for." I just have to yield.) (Mama:) We take these changes in our plans as from the Lord.
109. Anything else about that? (Peter: Mama is so sweet and yielded. Like when it comes to having love-ups, to paraphrase the song we heard tonight, Mama is like, "Say yes, say yes to Peter!" '[EDITED: "Everyone laughs."]' She says yes, she doesn't say no. But the effect it has on me is that I have to be attentive to her, and realize, "Oh, Mama's tired," or, "It wouldn't be an appropriate time, we already made love once today!" We were discussing today that with couples it's a two-way street. Sure the wife is supposed to yield to the husband, but the husband has to be mindful of the wife, too. I know she'll say yes, therefore before I ask I have to think, "Is this a good time? Is she too tired? Should I not ask her?") (Mama:) I can say yes because you're so considerate of what you ask me, and when.
110. There are many different areas of our lives where we have to yield on a daily basis. Like we talked about "serve one another in love," if it's not something that's important where I think I should stand up for my point of view or I have something that I really need to do, why not just yield? If I don't have any particular opinion, why shouldn't I let the other person do what they prefer?
111. The Word says, "in honor preferring one another" (Rom.12:10). If it makes Peter happy, it's my pleasure to say "yes" and do whatever he wants to do. Of course, he wants to do the same with me, and it's nice when you get two people saying, "Well, whatever you want." (Peter: I say, "Should we get up now, or should we sing now, or should we put this music on?" And she says, "Whatever you think, whatever you want to do." Then I say, "Well, what I want to do is what you want to do.") (Mama:) And I often say, "I don't have any preference, except that I would be happy to do what you want to do." So we're doing this all day long, ha! (Peter: Sweet Mama.)
112. (Mama:) If it comes to something that the Lord has told us, then of course that's something different. But if it's just little personal preferences or personal things that we're going to do in our schedule, why not prefer one another? Why not yield to the other? It's good for us. It helps us to learn to yield more to the Lord.
Confirming Prophecies
113. Well, we'd better pray! I know it's late, but perhaps we should try to hear from the Lord. We don't always have to have the Lord speak to us in prophecy, but we do want to give Him a chance. I'm as tired as the rest of you, maybe even more tired, and I'd like to finish up the meeting. But I don't want to be guilty of spending two hours talking to you, and then saying, "Okay, Lord, I'm sorry, but I've taken up all the time and there's no time left for You to speak." It's my responsibility to ask the Lord if He has anything that He wants to say, and if He doesn't, if He knows enough has already been said, then He doesn't have to. So let's pray, and then if He doesn't, we'll have another meeting in a few days, God willing, and He can speak to us then. Okay? (Family: Amen!)
114. (Peter: I know sometimes when the Lord is giving me something I kind of fight against it and think, "Should I give it? Is it really You, Lord?" You can go through this whole battle in your mind and in the spirit. But it would make it go faster if you just give it, rather than waiting around and stalling and arguing with the Lord.) (Mama:) Just say yes! Okay, Gary and Gabe, why don't you pray.
115. (Gary prays: Lord, we know that You will speak any time, anywhere, any time that we believe. We just simply have to be open channels to You. We don't want to force You to speak, nor do we want to cut You off, so if You have anything to say to us, please speak to us. Help us to stir up our gifts and be willing to give what we get, in Jesus' name.)
116. (Gabe prays: Lord, we thank You for this wonderful time together with Mama and Peter. We know it's a sacrifice for them and a toll on their strength. We put ourselves now in a position to receive. No one has to feel obligated in any way, but if You have anything, help us to give it right away, and what we do, help us to do quickly. Help us to be yielded instruments of Your Spirit and Your voice and to do what You want us to do--to just say yes, in Jesus' name.)
Prophecies:
117. (Fam:) "The joy of the Lord is your strength, and this is My will, that ye find great joy and great pleasure in serving Me and loving Me. For it is not a task, it is not a drudgery. It makes Me happy when I see you enjoying yourself and when I see you happy and laughing. I love to see you laugh. I love to see you happy. So be happy and enjoy yourself and enjoy life. Enjoy your meals, enjoy your house, enjoy your get-outs, enjoy your work, enjoy your times together. For in enjoying these, you are enjoying Me. I love to see you happy, so be happy, and be not afraid to laugh and enjoy yourself."
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118. (Gary:) "Was not Solomon the wisest of all men who lived on the face of the Earth? And in all of his wisdom and all of his getting, did he not get understanding? And the sum of the matter of which he spake at the end of his life, was it not that the whole purpose of man is to love and enjoy God and to keep His commandments? And has not wisdom itself spoken that thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy mind and all thy soul, and thy neighbor as thyself? And herein is understanding, that you do these things. This ye ought to have done and not to have left the other undone.
119. "It is My pleasure to see My children walk in joy and in newness of life, that they might enjoy all things. For yea, I have given them all things to enjoy and I have created these things for their pleasure. Therefore, take pleasure in these things, for the joy of the Lord shall be your strength. And herein is My love and My joy manifested, that the children of love might show forth that love in joy and merriment. For is not this the purpose of life?--To enjoy Me and love Me forever, and to enjoy the things around you, that ye might be partakers of these, and that others might therefore partake of them because of the joy that ye show to them."
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120. (Fam:) "Happy is that people that is in such a case. I love your holy laughter! I love your holy praise! I love your holy prayer! I love your holy tears! Whatsoever ye do, do it unto Me, and do it with all your heart and as glory unto Me. I dwell in the praises of My people. I love to hear You praise in song. Your singing and your joy and your thanksgiving does please Me so. It makes Me happy to know that ye are enjoying My love and all that I give unto you--all My treasures and all My blessings and all My love. It makes Me so happy to see you enjoy them.
121. "So laugh! Have a good laugh at yourself! Have a good laugh on Me, for this joy and this happiness comes from Me. I will give you wisdom. And those who might tend to overdo will learn. Let them burn free, let them be happy, let them enjoy a good chuckle with My Holy Ghost. I love you and I want you to be happy, for that is one thing that will stand out to people in these dark and troublous times when there are so many sad people. This world is such a sad and sorrowful place, but they will see your happy faces--not only in your laughing but in your songs and giving praise and thanksgiving unto Me--and they will see My happiness reflected in your faces. So be so happy!"
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122. (Peter:) "I give unto you fullness of life, a full spectrum of emotion. For I bring joy and I allow sadness. I bring happiness and difficulty, that ye may know the full spectrum. But ye must allow for all of them, and not leave one undone. The joy and the laughter and the happiness come from Me, so quench them not. For My Spirit brings forth great joy and great happiness and great freedom in the spirit. So quench it not. Allow it to burn, yea, to burn! And in your joy, praise Me. In your joy, worship Me. In your joy, sing unto Me. And your children shall see your joy and your happiness in Me, and they will want it and they will seek for this. They will also find their happiness in Me as they see you come alive in My Spirit with My joy, with My freedom, with My praise, with My songs on your lips. They shall see the transformation of your spirits and they too shall rejoice and they too shall partake of the freedoms that I give.
123. "Therefore rejoice! Rejoice, I say, rejoice! Be glad! Sing a new song unto Me!--A song of gladness, a song of happiness, a song of freedom, for I wish to free you with My love, free you through My Words, free you with My strength and free you with My joy."
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124. (Fam:) "Ye are the happy children of David! For did I not make David a happy prophet, a joyful prophet full of My love and happiness? I would therefore that ye be like him, and be joyful and happy, because I have given you everything to enjoy. I have given you a wonderful life, I have supplied all your needs, therefore rejoice and be happy! And if ye will come unto Me, I will restore unto you the joy of your salvation."
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125. (Fam:) "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty--liberty to proclaim the joy that ye find in Me.--The joy of your salvation, the joy that comes from My Word, from My Spirit and prayer, from the testimonies of your Family, from your friends. Speak one to another of these joys and of the love and the power and the liberty that My Spirit brings in your life, and ye will lift many out of condemnation and fear and worry and apprehension and many things that people fall into when they fall away from My joy and the liberty that only My Spirit can bring.
126. "Was not your prophet and king a man of great joy who led his children in dancing and singing and loving one another? He was continually pouring out and uplifting and caring for everyone that he met, everyone that he came in contact with, always speaking of Me and lifting Me up. So be not fearful but believing, and have joy and peace in your hearts."
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127. (Fam:) "Come lay down and take off thine armor, for it is the time of love and of laughter, to revel in My love and happiness and to be filled with My praise and My joy, to enjoy Me and all that I have given thee. For as thou art enraptured with My love, thou shalt sing aloud thy praises upon thy bed, and all that hear thee shall rejoice, and they too shall sing and praise Me with joyful lips. And when the time of loving and ecstasy and intimate fellowship with Me is over and thou puttest thy armor on to return to the battle, thou canst go forth with joyful praises on thy lips coming from the melody in thy heart. And thou shalt sing and praise and speak unto Me as thou goest about thy duties and to fight thy many battles, until thou once again returnest unto Me in My bed of love and the time of intimate fellowship with Me, rejoicing and reveling in My love and joy."
128. (I saw a picture of a woman taking off her armor and lying down on a bed to have intimate fellowship and love-up with Jesus. The sounds of her ecstasy were praises, singing and laughter. Her face was so very happy and she was having such a wonderful time laughing and praising.)
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129. ({\ul \i Everyone praises and thanks the Lord together!)} (Mama:) Thank You Jesus for these happy words. Hallelujah! Thank You Lord for giving us the joy of our salvation, Your salvation, helping us to love You together as happy Christians, to show the world Your love.--And not only Your love, but Your joyful, happy love. Thank You Jesus! Hallelujah! Thank You Lord! (Family praises.) (Fam: Thank You for Mama having the faith to ask You to speak.) (Family: Amen, thank You Jesus!)
130. (Mama:) Anyone that has anything else can turn it in privately, okay? (Peter: Maybe if you have verses or visions to share, we'll leave a tape recorder right here and you can come afterwards and record them.) (Mama:) Yes, please don't neglect that. If the Lord gave you something, please try to be faithful to record it, okay? And if you get something privately afterwards, a prophecy or something, just turn it in on a tape to us. (Fam: Amen!) (Everyone thanks the Lord.) Praise the Lord! Thank You Jesus!
131. Thanks for coming! (Fam: Thank you, Mama, for coming!) Thanks for participating. (Fam: That was fun!) I'm so glad we can all be happy together here. (Fam: We learned a new song, too!) (Peter: Godly rap!) Amen! Praise the Lord! I love you all!
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
