FSM 140: SPECIAL EDITION!--NEW GP TRACTS INSIDE!
(FN 249) DO
ARTICLES WRITTEN & CONTRIBUTED DIRECTLY BY MISSIONARIES ON THE FIELD!
Copyright: August 1989 By Family Services, Zurich, Switzerland
Receiving Guests At Our Home--By Marianne, Japan
As Dad has taught us, a very powerful way to witness & show our friends what we are all about is to invite them to "come & see". It is a very effective sample when people can come to "taste & see that the Lord is good" & visit our Heavenly Homes & partake of the sweet fellowship that we share, seeing our sweet handsome men & our beautiful loving women & our precious children. We have found that people tend to understand us a lot better & feel a lot freer with us once they have come & seen our Home & the way we live. A lot of times the ideals we share with them & our way of life that we explain seem so unreal or out of the ordinary to them that they have a hard time picturing it. So there's nothing like giving them a little taste of Heaven by inviting them to partake of the Heavenly fellowship of our Heavenly Homes!
But to get the most out of these visits we have found that it is worth taking the time to really prepare & pray about every detail. So we wanted to share with you some of the things that we have learned along this line. After making many mistakes, we found that if the evening is well planned & every detail is really prayed through it flows a lot better & then it leaves a lot more room for the Spirit to move.
First of all, we had to learn that the whole Home does not need to be around when a visitor comes. Actually, most System families are composed of a father, mother & a few children & possibly a grandparent or two, & most Systemites have a hard time understanding how we can squeeze so many people into one house like we do. So, some of the things to think of are who needs to be present at the dinner or for the class, how many people does this guest need to meet & what are we trying to accomplish with this particular guest during his visit. It also helps if the person who invited the guest prays beforehand & comes up with a few suggestions concerning the dinner plan, who they would like to be at the table, what should be shared with the guest etc., & then present this tentative plan to the Home Shepherd. It's good to let performers, especially children & their helpers, know well in advance when they need to be ready. Sometimes VIPs, whose time is limited, appreciate a relaxing, loving atmosphere, but at the same time they appreciate a well-planned, powerful little program. During such a program we sometimes give them a taste of a little bit of everything, carefully choosing what would speak to them, excerpts of a video, songs, photos, a testimony or whatever.
1) Who needs to be there: Probably the person who has met the guest & the people whom he knows. Depending on who the person is & what his personality is like, you may want to have a small quiet dinner or a dinner with some musicians, or have more pretty girls around the table, or whatever fits the person & the situation the best. You have to select who needs to sit at the dinner table & plan your seating arrangement well. Also, if you think he should meet some of the children, he may not need to meet all of your Home's children & maybe the best is to select those children who can relate to visitors the best, those who are the boldest & will not be too shy or bashful, yet who know how to sit quietly through a meal & have good manners. For some guests you want to have a wide variety of people around the table, so they can see the overall group. On the other hand, one of the Generals we were ministering to in the Philippines was quite shy & did a lot better when there were only 3 or 4 people eating dinner with him, as he felt freer to share his heart.
In the Philippines we had two different dinner set-ups: One for large dinners & one in a small cozy dining room (a bedroom we had converted for this purpose), which we reserved for smaller type dinners. This was possible in our particular situation but this may not be the case in every Home.
2) What do you want to accomplish during the visit? It is important to discuss with the person who invites a guest what they would like to achieve with their visitor, which determines how to plan the evening & who is going to sit with the guest. For instance, do we want to introduce this guest to our Family inspiration & do we want to have a couple musicians sit around the table? Or is the guest more interested in our children & would we want to have the children perform either before or after the dinner? Would we want to have both children & adult performances, or would we like to gear the evening towards a few people sharing their testimonies around the table?
Maybe you just want to eat & have a class, or lead that person to the Lord, in which case you can have a large group sitting at dinner so the person can meet several Family members & fellowship with them while he is eating, but then just keep 2 or 3 people to witness to him more personally afterwards, while the rest of the Family quietly goes about their business. It can be quite embarassing for a guest to have so many Family members "staring" at him the whole evening. As sweet & friendly as we are, it really puts them on the spot. So if you have a large group around the table, it is fine because you can fellowship during the meal, but when you come to the more direct feeding or Word time, then a couple of people staying with them is usually all that is needed. It depends on the situation & how the Spirit leads, but it sometimes is a better testimony for the visitor to see people quietly returning to their other ministries rather than just sitting around for hours, looking like we don't have much to do.
Once the meal is over, people can go about their business, either clearing the table or putting the children to bed or whatever else needs to be done, & then the more personal witnessing can be handled by people who have been chosen ahead of time. We usually appoint one person to quietly clear the table while the witnessing goes on.
3) As far as the meal is concerned: We usually try to make a nice well-presented meal, but we don't go overboard into extravagant foods that require a lot of expense or cooking time. Usually, we have a few basic recipes & a few dishes which we serve our guests, things we know go over well & are well presented & which our cook prepares well.
Regarding serving wine during dinner, if the guest brings the wine, of course, we serve it. With certain guests we have found it sets them free to have a little wine during dinner. This may be discussed ahead of time as to whether it is necessary or not, whether it is going to be a good sample or not, or whether it is something that is going to help in your witessing or not. Wine is somewhat of a luxury item, especially in Japan, so we don't serve it unless we feel it is going to be an asset to our witness or it is going to really help the person be more receptive & not so self-conscious. So when it comes to wine, I guess each situation has to be discussed & judged according to its own merits.
We learnt a lesson about offering coffee after a meal. We don't drink coffee after our evening meal, so it may be embarrassing for the guest to drink his coffee alone while none of us take any warm drink, so we started to serve mint tea or some non-caffeine drink to keep company with the guest who drinks coffee.
4) Another thing that is important to plan carefully is the way your house is going to look. First impressions always count & it is very important for somebody who has a real eye for cleanliness & hominess to go through all the areas the visitor is going to see, to make sure they're cleaned & also cleared of items which could be DO, beginning with the outside of the house, into the hallway, slipper & shoe area, the toilet, the bathroom, dining/living room, the kitchen etc.
If you need to have a few signs on the wall, those signs need to be clean, well-written, well-presented & not just slapped on the wall with scotch tape.
A national could go through all the areas the visitor will see to make sure that there is nothing that could shock or offend the guest. We don't want to necessarily push all of our doctrines on visitors when they first come in. The first impression should be that we are as normal as possible. Our spirits are strong enough that we don't have to stumble them unnecessarily with some of our minor doctrines.
We don't need to have quotes or set cards plastered all over the bathroom which looks a little strange to outsiders, but of course, on the other hand, we don't want to be ashamed of what we believe. When we have guests we serve them on our plastic plates which are nice melamine dishes, & this is a testimony of how we are cautious around children.
5) It is really worth it to plan every detail carefully: You need to decide ahead of time who is going to answer the phone, so that the main person leading the witnessing doesn't have to jump up in the middle of the conversation to take a phone call. You need to decide who is going to serve the food, who is going to clear the table, who is going to be the dinner leader or the main one to orchestrate the witnessing, who is going to give their testimony, etc. The dinner leader doesn't have to lead everything. The best is when everyone participates in the conversation, but usually there needs to be one person who kind of oversees & directs the conversation in case it doesn't go the right direction.
In some countries protocol is important, & they want to know "who is boss", & "who am I addressing". So if the guests are important, or if any business is involved (provisioning etc.), it is important to make these things clear to them, so they know who to address, especially for business purposes.
We found that if you plan your dinner well, it saves wasted time once the guest is there, & the Spirit can really take over more freely. Of course, you are not bound by the things that you have pre-planned, because as the dinner unfolds you may feel led to do something totally different, but a lot of times it is more effective to have an idea of where you are going & what the person needs & have all your tools ready & prepared, than to be totally unprepared & hope that the Spirit is going to take over. You don't want to end up wasting some real valuable time for somebody whom you may never see again or may not see for a long time.
To help us plan our visits properly we drew up the following little dinner check-list (Pg.3). Of course, you can adapt it to your own situation. It covers a lot of details we found were necessary to go over together before we have a guest over for dinner or for a class. With a checklist, no matter who is home, you can prepare & get the house ready & set up for a guest, PTL!
DINNER CHECKLIST
Witnessing Prep:
1. Appointment confirmed?
2. Songs for the evening worked out?
3. Video & video machine ready?
4. Family PR photo album available?
5. Class for visitor prepared?
6. Teacher for class picked?
7. Lit & tape package ready if needed?
8. Dinner team picked?
9. Seating arrangement made?
10. Camera, film & photographer available?
11. Goals discussed for the night & anything dinner team needs to know about the guest?
12. Every dinner team member knows what role they have?
13. Good prayer with all attending meal before visitor arrives?
Household Prep:
1. Outer & inner entrance straightened up, floor cleaned, guest slippers out?
2. Toilet & bathroom cleaned? (Please flush every time during visitor's stay & remember to keep it clean!)
3. WNDs & any non-GP quotes or lit removed from bathroom?
4. Trash can in bathroom emptied before visitor comes?
5. Dining room & living room vacuumed, dusted, straightened up, chairs cleaned, couch covers removed, bulletin board put away?
6. Storage room shut; workroom shut & locked?
7. All selah & unnecessary items removed from downstairs?
8. Person to answer phone & intercom appointed?
9. Dining room phone disconnected?
Dinner Prep:
1. Cook notified to prepare dinner to be ready well before guest arrives?
2. Table nicely set?
3. Nice glasses wiped so that there are no stains?
4. Proper amount of chairs set at table?
5. Tea, teapot & coffee cups cleaned & ready on a tray, with a sugar bowl & milk?
6. Kitchen tidied? (Trash can lid cleaned?)
7. Food for those who will not be at dinner set aside?
8. Dish wash set up for those staying upstairs?
Childcare:
1. Baby's food prepared before visitor arrives?
2. If children attend dinner, are there toys available for the children to play with?
After Guest Leaves:
1. Visitors' seats in the living room & dining room seats disinfected?
2. Dish wash set up & dishes brought downstairs?
3. Dining room phone reconnected?
ROAD TRIP TO DUBAI!
From Faith GTG, India Area
"Where God guides, He provides!" Our air tickets to Dubai in the Arabian Gulf were donated & a leading five-star hotel sponsored our visas. Dubai is extremely modern & very business-like. We tried to "become one", however the Lord showed us just to be honest & not try to be too "System", because we are so different.
We went OTO & we'd approach the secretary at the front desk with the Posters & tapes & usually they'd get so turned on they would call everyone around, or send us to meet different people. Because of people's receptivity, it was difficult to do more than three or four offices in a morning!
We had been advised to be cautious about hitchhiking, so we'd just ask people in cars for directions & immediately they'd offer to give us a ride! In a few cases we took taxis, but the taxi drivers refused to take payment! They were all from Pakistan (many Pakistanis work here), so after talking to them in Urdu, they were so touched that we loved them enough to learn their language, they'd take us for free! The local people also speak in Urdu as it is their second language, so they really appreciated that we spoke to them in Urdu also! TYJ!
I really wanted to buy a vacuum cleaner, but the Home didn't have enough finances for it before we left. When we got to Dubai we found that we could get a good one for $60, so we phoned home and asked if we should buy one. But the Lord touched a man's heart & he gave us a brand new vacuum cleaner for free to take back to India with us!
We provisioned all our meals & the people were such cheerful givers, always giving us the best & inviting us back!I gained four kilos in two weeks!
We started out following up on the contacts we already had from a previous team, & people were thrilled that we were back & wanted to introduce us to their friends. We really had an exciting & fruitful two weeks with 376 tapes out, 620 Posters & 77 souls won! Hallelujah!
Tips on Answering the Press!--From Ezra, Pacific
To help our friends know how to answer questions from reporters, I gave them the story in John Chapter 9 of the blind man, using that as an example of how they should be. Since the blind man knew nothing of Jesus, other than the fact that He'd healed him, all he could testify of was the good that Jesus had done & he had no way of answering any of the other charges or any of the other lies that the enemies of Jesus were throwing at him. His stance was, "All I know is that once I was blind & now I can see".--And if they maintain that approach in the event that they're questioned, then it'll be the safest & the most powerful.
We gave them the example of how Margaret Thatcher answers the press. She will never let herself get perplexed or caught off-guard or feeling defensive with reporters, quite the contrary.--She'll start a sentence & if she's interrupted, she'll blast whatever reporter is interrupting her. Or she'll field the question & say she'll answer it & then totally deviate & say whatever she wants to say. With reporters she takes the position that if they are asking her questions & taking up her time, she has the right to exercise whatever is the best way to use that time, according to her judgement, no matter what they ask or what topic the reporters want to hear about. She'll just go on & on about whatever she wants to talk about & make it a theatre for her views & opinions.
So I emphasised that they could take that approach if they're questioned.--Make it a theatre for this message that we want to get out, that we are doing good, that the children are beautiful & changed & shining & a testimony & on & on & on, & all that Jesus & the Family have done for them.
"My Word Shall Never Return Void!"--From Augustin & Paloma, Latin America
Our friend & queen, A., whom we have been ministering to over the last year, had a tremendous breakthrough last month! For some time, she has been cold & distant & we even had lost hope that she would continue to grow. But after almost having a nervous breakdown, the Lord got through to her. She was cleaning out her library full of all kinds of worldly books. She had been asking herself the meaning behind her life & suddenly she described a sensation of light coming into the room, as if shining in between the books & she began to find the DFs, & copies of Letters we had left her over the last year. She said they seemed to fall from between the books in a special order, as if someone was trying to send her a coded message! She began to read & felt a strange & beautiful peace all around her. She decided that nothing was going to keep her from dedicating her heart to the Truth from now on, confessing how much she needs the Lord & the Word through us! Once more, I saw how the Word never returns void, but will always accomplish the purpose it was sent for! TYJ!
KEY WORD STUDY QUESTIONS
(You can photocopy this & paste it in your Bible or Daily Bread!)
Ask yourself the following questions after every Word study. You can adapt these questions for children or teens as needed, bringing out these four key points:
MESSAGE
What is one main point or message of this Letter or Chapter?
LESSON
How did it help me, or what lessons did I personally learn from it or can apply to myself?
ACTION
As a result, what specific actions will I take or changes will I make?
EXAMPLES
What related examples, situations or testimonies can I recall that illustrate or bring to life the main lessons of this Letter or Chapter?
FSM, POL, LIN & HOPE ARTICLE REWARDS!
Dear Family,
GBY! WLY & appreciate so much your encouraging, inspiring & faith-building testimonies which we have received for the FSM, POL, LIN & HOPE! We're thrilled with all that He is doing for you & through you, our dear Family! PTL!
As outlined in LNF#95, GN 267, those who have contributed a published article of one page or more are eligible for five free DTD tapes, which will be forwarded to you by your local RO!
The following is a list of people who will receive these free tapes for their articles:
FSM 108: Marianne Faithful, Pacific; Bart & Mercy Oh, Pacific; Jesse, Pacific; Rufus French & Matthew, N.America; Emanuel Runner, Lat.America; Zichri & Ana, Lat. America.
FSM 111: Cedar, (no area given); Renee, SEA; Lil' David Newborn, East Bloc; Jonathan Fighter, India; John & Mary, India Area; Joy Newmorning, Japan; Willing & Sarah, Japan; Crystal, India Area; Michael Piano, SEA.
FSM 112: Joy Listen, Pacific; Jewel Servant, India; Micah, Japan; P & F, India Area.
FSM 113: Norwegian Maria, SEA; Paul Apostle, Japan; Pedro Fisher, Lat. America; Paul, India; Juanito, Lat.America; Gideon & Mercy Newlife, India Area; Daniel Peace, Bangladesh; Stephen Martyr, Lat.America; Bart & Mercy Oh, Pacific; Anthony (Laban), India.
FSM 114: Joseph, (SEA Jumbo); S & N (no area given); Joseph Willing, Pacific; Robyn & Thomas, Lat. America.
FSM 115: Maria, Lat.America; Peter Tree, India Area.
FSM 116: Sparrow, SEA; Sara Icelandic & Sparrow, SEA; Jewel, Lat.America.
FSM 117: Beth Ann, Lat.America; Mark, (SEA Jumbo).
FSM 118: Mark, Europe; Jonathan Quixote, Brazil; Thaddeus, SEA.
FSM 120: Jonathan, India Area; Jose & Celia, Lat.America; Tirzah (of David), Lat.America; Hannah Honey, Lat.America; Zeb Geppetto, Lat.America; Ana, Pakistan.
FSM 121: Tim Servus, SEA; Paul Davidson, India; Rose Trust (Rose Mideast), SEA.
FSM 124: * Cedar, SEA.
FSM 125: Abel & Fe, Lat.America.
FSM 127: Christia, Pacific; Gabriel Davidson, Pacific; Peter, Australia; Charity, Anna & Shelley, SEA.
FSM 130: * Jonathan & Mercy, USA; Joshua & Faith New Branch, Lat.America.
FSM 136: Mercy Psalms, Pacific; Praise Willing, India.
POL 5: Jay Meek, SEA; Sebastian & Paulo, Lat.America; John (formerly Sam Newsong), Pacific.
POL 6: John (formerly Sam Newsong), Pacific; Spanish Maria, SEA Jumbo; Tony (live-out member), SEA; Peter Cook, India Area.
POL 7: Timothy & Comfort, Japan; Mateus (formerly Enoch), (no area given); Paul & Rebecca, SEA; Gideon Meek (formerly Gibea), Europe.
POL 8: Gideon & Heidi, India Area; Daniel & Joan, Pacific Area; Simon (no area given); Mary, SEA; Timothy (live-out member in SEA).
HOPE 3: David (Jubilee), India Area.
HOPE 5: Joan (formerly Teresha), Japan; Joan (formerly Debbie), Lat.America.
HOPE 6: Tiago & Luke, SEA.
HOPE 7: Timotheus, PAC Area.
HOPE 8: Joan Claire (Ammi), of Mary Praymore, Europe.
LIN 78: John & Hannah, India; Stephen Watchman, SEA.
LIN 79: John, Orient; Tim, Pacific.
LIN 80: David & Judy, Japan; Mariangelica, Lat.America; Paul, India Area.
LIN 81: Rejoice, India; Gabriel, (no area given).
(* Those who contributed "Roaring Lion" articles in FSM 124 & 130, will receive their free Tapes via their ROs.)
Special Pubs Bulletin!--(regarding "The Key to Happiness" GP Tracts)
On the following six pages of this FSM are two GP tracts which we believe will be a blessing to you & those to whom you are preaching the Gospel of His Love! PTL! The Message in them is taken from Dad's beautiful Letters on how to reach, relate to & win those who know little or nothing about Jesus & God's loving Salvation plan for Man. THESE GP TRACTS ARE AN EXCEPTION TO THE "NO DUPLICATING FSMS" RULE.
The text of each tract is basically the same, however the smaller one is slightly condoed, & the larger size one is highly illustrated with attractive artwork.--So please reproduce & use whichever one you feel best suits your particular situation.--And please don't forget to stamp or print your local mailing address on the back of the tract so that those who hunger to know more about the Lord & His marvellous Love can contact you, thus enabling you to follow-up on them! GBY as you continue to love the lost & feed His sheep! WLY!
The Key to Happiness! (GP Tract--full version)
--Why Not Try It?
Copyright: August, 1989 by World Services, Zurich, Switzerland
"Where can I find happiness?--Happiness that really lasts. Where can I find peace?--Peace that money & things have failed to bring me. Where can I find love?--True love that will never hurt or disappoint me. Where can I find answers?--The meaning for my existence."
If you have pondered questions such as these, you're certainly not alone.--The desire to find genuine lasting happiness, purpose and Truth in life is universal, and sooner or later, almost everyone finds themselves wondering what life is all about. Almost instinctively we reach out for the answers.
God, the great Creator and Power behind the Universe, has put this hunger and desire for Truth within each of us. He created us with a hollow spot, an emptiness deep in our hearts that only He can fill. And only by reaching out for His Love can we at last find completion in Him which alone brings true lasting happiness.
"Oh, but I can't understand how that can be!", you may wonder. Well, in a way, it's a little bit like electricity.--You don't have to understand all about electricity in order to use it and have it work for you. You just switch it on and enjoy its benefits, letting it bring you light, warmth, power--whatever you need! So even though you may not understand God, you can still try Him! You've tried so many other things, why not try God?
Of course, God Himself is so big and so vast, He is far beyond our limited human understanding and comprehension. So to help us understand Himself and His Love for us, He sent His Own Son, Jesus, into the World in the form of a person like us. The Bible, God's loving Words to us, tells us that God loved us so much that He gave up the thing most precious to Him--His Beloved Only Son. (John 3:16) God sent Jesus to Earth to show us His Love and offer us Life hereafter in Heaven, as well as peace and happiness and purpose right now.
If you will simply ask Jesus to come into your heart and life, He will fill you with His Love, and you will at last be truly happy and able to unselfishly love others.--And you will no longer have to worry about the Afterlife for you will be assured of a wonderful future in Heaven! If you will simply admit and confess that you need His help, you can have Him and all He has to offer right now! You just have to want Him enough to be willing to pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart.--That's all you have to do!
You don't have to understand all kinds of complicated & confusing religious doctrines! You don't have to try to figure out Who God is.--That's why Jesus came, to show us Who His Father, God, is. The Bible tells us that "God is LOVE" (1 John 4:8), and this is why Jesus came to Earth, to give us an example, a picture, of God's Love. The Bible describes Him as "the Man Who went about everywhere doing good, healing all who were oppressed by the Devil." (Acts 10:38)
God is our Heavenly Father, the great Spirit of Love! His Son, Jesus, is God in the flesh, Who came to show us and give us God's Love! Jesus is God's Love, and He loves you!--And He is alive today and He still helps, heals and saves all who call out to Him for help! So if you are dissatisfied, unhappy, confused, fearful, depressed or oppressed, just turn to Jesus!
Many of the troubles, afflictions and fears that people suffer are because of evil spirits--devils and demons--that are plaguing them. But Jesus has come to love you and free you from them and drive them all away! If you will simply ask Jesus to come into your heart, He will free you from any and all spirits that could be plaguing, troubling or oppressing you!
Jesus is the good God of Love Who can chase away all the bad gods, all the evil spirits! He's the Light that chases away the Darkness! He's the Love that chases away the Hate! He's the Good that chases away the Evil!
He is the good God of Love and Mercy and Forgiveness and everything that's good! He will take away everything that's bad and evil, and give you Light and Love, Mercy and Forgiveness, Joy and Happiness and everything good! It's just that simple: If you let the Light in, the Darkness will flee!
Do you want to get rid of all the darkness in your life and find a way to overcome your problems?--Then just ask Jesus, the Light, to come in! He said, "I am the Light of the World. He that comes to Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life!--For I am the Way, the Truth and the Life! No man comes unto the Father but by Me!" (John 8:12; 14:6)
If you will just take in the good Spirit, the Spirit of Love and Light--Jesus--He will get rid of the bad spirits! He's more powerful than any other spirit, any other god, because God's Love is the most powerful force in the Universe!
He is Light and Love, and He will chase away all the bad evil spirits and He will protect you from them forever! Let Jesus prove to you that He's the Good Spirit of Love and Light and Power that can free you from all the evil spirits and bad spirits and can fill your life with Light, Love, Peace, Happiness and Joy!--Try Him!
Do you want the most powerful God of all, the God of Love and Light Who loves you, Who doesn't trouble you, but wants to help and save you? Jesus is more powerful than any demons or devils, and is able to conquer them all and drive them all away if you will just ask Him, "Please help me, Jesus! Give me Your Power and Light to drive away all the bad spirits of darkness and trouble!"
Jesus said, "All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in Earth!" (Matthew 28:18) All you need to do is ask Jesus to come into your heart, then you've got the greatest, most powerful God of all, Who is your Friend, Who loves you and wants to help you and save you! He says, "Behold, I stand at the door (of your heart) and knock. If you hear My Voice and open the door, I will come in!" (Revelation 3:20)
You know you're not perfect, you know you make mistakes and need help.--So why not try Jesus? Jesus is the Answer to all your problems and troubles! He wants to be your Helper, your Saviour, your Friend! He is the only One Who loved you so much that He left Heaven and came to Earth to live, suffer and die for you, to bring you God's great Love!--He then arose from the grave, conquering death itself and becoming the Giver of Eternal Life to all who will come to Him for Salvation!
Jesus alone is the Great Deliverer, the Healer, the Saviour, Who wants to help you and save you. He is the Spirit of Good and Light and Love and Power, Who will give you peace of mind and lasting happiness. He is the Spirit of Light Who will chase all the spirits of darkness away. He is the Spirit of Power Who will help you solve your problems, answer your questions and work out your troubles!--He is the God of Good Who loves you and wants to help you and save you.
Do you want Jesus to help you?--If so, all you have to do is sincerely pray this little prayer:
"Dear Jesus, I know that I need help and that I can't save myself. I've heard that You are the good Spirit of Love and Light and Power and Happiness Who can help me and save me, that through You I can personally know Your loving Father.
"Jesus, I need Your Love to cleanse me from all fear and hate. I need Your Light to drive away all darkness, and I need Your Peace to fill and satisfy my longing heart. You said in Your Word that if I'd open the door of my heart, You would come in, so I now open my heart to You and believe You will come in and give me Your free gift of Eternal Life. Thank You, Jesus, for suffering for the wrongs I have done and for forgiving me and hearing my prayer! Amen."
Now that you have received Jesus into your heart, a wonderful and thrilling new life is yours! To learn more about Jesus, read God's Word in the Bible, starting with the Gospel of St. John. We care about you and would be happy to send you more information and answer any questions you may have! Please write us today at: [address]
The Key To Happiness! (GP Tract--condoed version)
--Why Not Try It?
"Where can I find happiness?--Happiness that really lasts. Where can I find peace?--Peace that money and things have failed to bring me. Where can I find love?--True love that will never hurt or disappoint me. Where can I find answers?--The meaning for my existence?"
If you have pondered questions such as these, you're certainly not alone.--The desire to find genuine lasting happiness, purpose and Truth in life is universal!
Almost instinctively, we reach out for the answers, because God, the great Power behind the Universe, has created us to do so. He has created each of us with a hollow spot, an emptiness deep in our hearts, that only He can fill. And only by reaching out for His Love can we at last find completion in Him which brings true lasting happiness.
"Oh, but I can't understand how that can be!", you may wonder. Well, in a way, it's a little bit like electricity.--You don't have to understand all about electricity in order to use it and have it work for you. You just switch it on and enjoy its benefits, letting it bring you light, warmth, power--whatever you need! So even though you may not understand God, you can still try Him! You've tried so many other things, why not try God?
Of course, God Himself is so big and so vast, He is far beyond our limited human understanding and comprehension. So to help us understand Himself and His Love for us, He sent His Own Son, Jesus, into the World in the form of a person like us. The Bible, God's loving Words to us, tells us that God loved us so much that He gave up the thing most precious to Him--His Beloved Only Son. (John 3:16) God sent Jesus to Earth to show us His Love and offer us Life hereafter in Heaven, as well as peace and happiness and purpose right now.
If you will simply ask Jesus to come into your heart and life, He will fill you with His Love, and you will at last be truly happy and able to unselfishly love others.--And you will no longer have to worry about the afterlife. You will be assured of a wonderful future in Heaven!
You don't have to understand all kinds of complicated and confusing religious doctrines! You don't have to try to figure out Who God is.--That's why Jesus came, to show us Who His Father, God, is. The Bible tells us that "God is LOVE" (1John 4:8), and this is why Jesus came to Earth, to give us an example, a picture, of God's Love. The Bible describes Him as "the Man Who went about everywhere doing good, healing all who were oppressed by the Devil." (Acts 10:38)
Many of the troubles, afflictions and fears that people suffer are because of unseen spirits--evil spirits, devils and demons that are plaguing them. But Jesus has come to love you and free you from them and drive them all away!
Jesus is the good God of Love Who can chase away all the bad gods, all the evil spirits! He's the Light that chases away the Darkness! He's the Love that chases away the Hate! He's the Good that chases away the Evil!
He is the good God of Love and Mercy and Forgiveness and everything that's good! He will take away everything that's bad and evil, and give you Light and Love, Mercy and Forgiveness, Joy and Happiness and everything good! It's just that simple: If you let the Light in, the darkness will flee!
Do you want to get rid of all the darkness in your life and find a way to overcome your problems? --Then just ask Jesus, the Light, to come in! He said, "I am the Light of the World. He that comes to Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the Light of Life!--For I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life! No man comes unto the Father but by Me!" (John 8:12; 14:6)
If you will just take in the good Spirit, the Spirit of Love and Light--Jesus--He will get rid of the bad spirits! He's more powerful than any other spirit, any other god, because God's Love is the most powerful force in the Universe!
He is Light and Love, and He will chase away all the bad evil spirits and He will protect you from them forever!
Jesus said, "All power is given unto Me in Heaven and in Earth!" (Matthew 28:18) All you need to do is ask Jesus to come into your heart, then you've got the greatest, most powerful God of all, Who is your Friend Who loves you and wants to help you and save you! He says, "Behold, I stand at the door (of your heart) and knock. If you hear My Voice and open the door, I will come in!" (Revelation 3:20)
You know you're not perfect, you know you make mistakes and need help.--So why not try Jesus? Jesus is the Answer to all your problems and troubles! He wants to be your Helper, your Saviour, your Friend! He is the only One Who loved you so much that He left Heaven and came to Earth to live, suffer and die for you, to bring you God's great Love!--He then arose from the grave, conquering death and Hell forever!
Do you want Jesus to help you?--If so, all you have to do is sincerely pray this little prayer:
"Dear Jesus, I know that I need help and that I can't save myself. I've heard that You are the good Spirit of Love and Light and Power and Happiness Who can help me and save me, and that through You I can personally know Your loving Father.
"Jesus, I need Your Love to cleanse me from all fear and hate. I need Your Light to drive away all darkness, and I need Your Peace to fill and satisfy my longing heart. You say in Your Word that if I open the door of my heart, You will come in, so I now open my heart to You and believe You will come in and give me Your free gift of Eternal Life. Thank You, Jesus, for suffering for the wrongs I have done and for forgiving me and hearing my prayer! Amen."
Now that you have received Jesus into your heart, a wonderful and thrilling new life is yours! To learn more about Jesus, read God's Word in the Bible, starting with the Gospel of St. John. We care about you and would be happy to send you more information and answer any questions you may have! Please write us today at: [address]
Copyright 1996 The Family