FAMILY UPDATE NEWS # 12 -- January 3, 1994. DO
"We are becoming the leading characters in God's grand finale on Earth--leaders of the Last-Day Christians against the Antichrist!" (MOP 28:11)
PSALM 94 FOR 1994!
Let's pray that this will be a year in which we see God's vengeance upon our enemies (verses 1-11, 23); draw ever closer to the Lord as we look to His Word (verses 12,13 & 19); & watch the Lord Himself rise up to defend & deliver us (verses 14-18, 20-22)! Let's pray & claim this beautiful Psalm together as we enter this New Year! PTL!
ARGENTINA:
* ALL OF OUR CHILDREN WERE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS! In answer to everyone's prayers, the Lord gave the Family in Argentina a very special Christmas present: Enough of the houses were reopened & put back together in time for all the children to return home for Christmas! PTL! Even though the houses had been ransacked during and after the raids, and all of their clothes, toys & school materials had been stolen, it was truly a day of rejoicing & a very blessed Christmas for all! TYJ!
* CHILDREN'S RETURN HOME GETS TERRIFIC MEDIA COVERAGE: All of the main papers in Buenos Aires came out to see the children being reunited with their parents & loved ones, & beautiful articles followed! Clarin, the newspaper with the largest circulation in the country, did a beautiful article with gorgeous pictures of the parents & children rejoicing & embracing!
All of the TV channels were also at the Heritage (our old school Home) for the event, & included in their news broadcasts clips of the children being greeted by their parents. There were heart-rending images of the children hugging their daddies & mommies & crying--just beautiful! On one 90-minute talk show, Family Members were the only guest speakers! Some programs were also transmitted to many other countries within South America via satellite. What a wonderful way to preach His message during this Christmas season!--Our greatest witness yet!
The Family was also filmed for the end-of-the-year special of the very popular Mauro Viale TV talk show. A team just "happened" to make a follow-up visit to the station while the program was in progress, & they were invited on. The YAs sang two songs & exposed one of our archenemies, Navarro, who happened to be a guest on the show. Navarro made a complete fool of himself before Mauro Viale finally cut him off. Everyone at the station was on our side, so having Navarro there, though unpleasant for a moment, was the best thing we could have asked for!
* POLICE CHIEF REBOLLO REMAINS IN JAIL. An Argentine congressman who was living at a small hotel which authorities thought to be a Family Home was mistakenly arrested during the September 1st raids. He has had Rebollo charged with abuse of authority, & the police chief has been in jail since early December. "The Lord is known by the judgement which He executeth: the wicked is snared in the work of his own hands. He made a pit & digged it, & is fallen into the ditch which he made. His mischief shall return upon his own head, & his violent dealing shall come down upon his own pate." (Psa.9:16; 7:15,16.)
* APPEALS COURT RESOLUTION SYSTEMATICALLY REJECTS ALLEGATIONS. In their 335-page majority ruling, released on December 13th, the appeals court methodically examined & disqualified each of the affidavits filed by the backsliders who were involved in the raids. Thank you, Family, for your prayers for these judges to "judge righteous judgement" (Jn.7:24). Your prayers were answered wonderfully!
* APPEALS COURT RULING & RELEASE FROM PRISON FORETOLD: The same night, just prior to their release on the 13th of December, all five of our sisters in jail had dreams that they were freed. Claire was so certain of it that she sent most of her belongings away with her mother when she visited the next day!
Also several days before their release, both the men & the women in prison received Esther 9:1. It says that on the 13th day of the 12th month, the king's decree went out declaring the innocence of the Jews! All were tremendously inspired when this was fulfilled to the very day!
About that same time, members of a Home in Buenos Aires united for desperate prayer & received a prophecy which is yet to be fulfilled--Esther 9:25, where Haman (Marquevich?) was hung on the gallows on which he had intended to hang Mordecai.
* FLOR & CHARITY WITNESS TO JUDGE MARQUEVICH: On December 10th, Flor & Charity were summoned to testify before another federal judge concerning the way they had been treated when they were detained & interrogated by the police. By mistake, the girls were first taken to Marquevich's office, where Flor had a chance to "deliver her soul" to him personally! Although Marquevich tried to blame others for our situation, Flor clearly exposed his lack of compassion on innocent Family Members who had to suffer at the hands of police & prison officials.
She told him, "We believe in God & have been praying, & He is going to work things out."
"I believe in God too!" the Judge exclaimed, grabbing her hands. "Pray for me!" he pleaded.
At that moment, however, they were interrupted by his secretary who came into the room. Marquevich jumped back & snapped at his secretary, "Take her [Flor] out of here, she's a hopeless case!"
* MARQUEVICH CONTINUES TO JUSTIFY HIS ACTIONS & SPEAK AGAINST THE FAMILY: In spite of Flor & Charity's witness, Marquevich is not yielding to the Lord's Spirit, as evidenced by the following article which appeared several days later in a Buenos Aires paper, under the headline: "Cult Judge Unfazed."
"San Isidro Federal Judge Roberto Marquevich said yesterday that the San Martin Federal Appeals Court's decision last Monday to release the leaders of the religious cult known as The Family did not surprise him, although he insisted the raids he ordered on the group in September were based on `irrefutable evidence.'
"In radio statements, the judge, whose jurisdiction over the case was also questioned in the ruling, said that he was not caught unaware because the media had correctly predicted the decision of the appeals court.
"Marquevich said he remained `completely convinced' that he had made the correct decision & noted that one of the judges on the three-member panel dissented in the decision to let the cult members go free while the case against them wends its way through the courts. . . .
"Marquevich predicted that the case will `end up in the Supreme Court' & could result in a split decision, like the lower court ruling."
* MEETING WITH MINISTER OF JUSTICE. On Wednesday, December 15, three Family Members met for one hour with the Minister of Justice. He was warm, considerate & attentive & expressed concern about the fact that our children were placed in institutions with delinquents. This, he agreed, was clearly an injustice.
ELSEWHERE IN SOUTH AMERICA:
* VICTORY PRESS CONFERENCE HELD. Following the release of the brethren in Argentina, the Family in Chile held a major press conference. Three of the largest TV stations were present, along with important newspapers & several large radio stations. All of the media people were receptive, & most stayed for over an hour to see a live presentation by the children of the Media Home. Fantastic news coverage on all the channels resulted.
That evening all the teens, JETTs & YAs did a Holy Ghost sample through town, stopping in key places where kids gather. A couple of teens they witnessed to joined in with them! Later, after reading the press release, a 19-year-old girl called & asked how she could join the Family!
* POSITIVE MEDIA OPENS MAJOR WITNESSING OPPORTUNITIES. The Family in Peru reported that following the release of the Family in Argentina, and the positive results of the investigation in Peru, five positive newscasts appeared on the main TV stations of the country. Three of these newscasts were also transmitted via satellite to Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia & Argentina. Another TV station filmed a prime-time special at one of the Homes.
In addition to testifying publicly of the Lord's deliverance & expressing gratitude that we can continue with our main goal of preaching the Gospel, they used this media coverage as a platform to call for the authorities to investigate those who instigated this injustice, & uncover their hidden agenda. They also exposed the AC's plan to take over the world via a One World government.
Media teams also visited the newspapers which had not immediately printed news of the positive appeals court ruling in Argentina. Two teams of 10--which included YAs, teens & JETTs with guitars & press releases--went to the newsrooms! They had the desired effect & several papers promised to publish our side of the story.
* CHRISTMAS BENEFIT PERFORMANCES: Following the three-month official investigation into the Family in Peru, several government institutions invited our "show group" to perform at their annual Christmas parties. The Family also did shows at two of the main jails, reaching over 4,000 inmates & officials.
* FAMILY FRIENDS ARE GRATEFUL FOR VINDICATION. The Family in several other South American countries also reported that shortly after the release of the Family in Argentina, Family teens performed at Christmas parties for important contacts & their staffs or families. These friends were delighted at the news that our brethren had been delivered. Some who were especially encouraged said they had also been praying for the Family in Argentina.
* PSYCHOLOGISTS PRAISE FAMILY CHILDREN. The Family in Peru received some extremely positive evaluations from a team of psychologists who conducted tests on several of our children. These examinations were conducted independently of the District Attorney's official investigation, concluded in mid-December, which also attested to the excellent care which our children receive.
ASIA:
* EDITOR PUBLISHES HEALING TESTIMONY. A very dear & long-standing friend who is one of India's most respected journalists & publishers has written a number of newspaper columns which quote extensively from the Letters & other Family pubs. In one recent article, entitled "The Power of Faith & Prayer", he testified of the Lord's marvellous healing power, citing several examples of miraculous healings of Family Members which he has witnessed. In the column he also declared that Father David & the Family have helped him to have faith.
The owner of a chain of first-class hotels, after reading this article, sent a representative to meet with our friend to see how he can get in touch with the Family.
* GOOD NEWS FROM ARGENTINA RESULTS IN A SUPER-DUPER MEDIA BLITZ. The Manila Family reports, "Immediately following the release of the brethren in Argentina, we took the Argentine press release, our OC singing group, tapes & Posters to visit the media. At nine different newspapers, we sang Christmas carols for captivated audiences of editors to reporters--about 300 journalists in total. Carolling to the media proved to be a very effective approach. We witnessed personally to the different editors & they were all won by the shining sample of our beautiful kids.
"The results of our visit were astounding! Many of the positive articles which followed not only quoted our Argentine press release, but also recounted how the personal visit & performance by our kids' singing troupe had won their hearts: `The young carollers, normal & affable, delighted the staff Thursday afternoon (17 Dec.) with a medley of Christmas carols which they complemented with fancy choreography,' stated one of the articles in a prominent paper. The article continued, `Several social scientists who have conducted direct, observational studies [of] The Family wrote the Argentine government to express their concern.' It went on to quote some of these professionals' positive assessments of our Homes & children."
"When we went to visit a friend in the broadcast media, he was in the middle of his prime-time radio show. He warmly welcomed us & invited us right into the broadcast booth. After we joyfully shared with him the news of our Family being released in Argentina, he read our press release right on his show, live! After the show, we sang for him & his whole staff.
"We also visited one of our TV friends, the host of a popular TV show, who had us join in the taping of his Christmas Special. The kids shone brightly with the Lord's Spirit, & our friend was greatly touched."
AUSTRALIA:
* MELBOURNE CASE PREPARATION: Our legal team in Melbourne is extremely busy as the court date approaches, & they need our desperate prayers. A mediation attempt is scheduled to begin January 24th. If mediation fails, which H&CS (formerly CSV) maintains it will (due to their intransigence), the case will go forward on January 27th.
If the case goes through, some of our most vicious backsliders from outside of Australia may appear as witnesses for the prosecution in what they hope will become the most extensive case ever conducted involving the issue of CA in the "cults". Reportedly, many international "experts" are also being brought in to testify against us.
Even though we have a very good legal team of competent lawyers, they have mountains of material--boxes upon boxes--which they need to study. Most of the members of our present team are new to the case & know hardly anything about the Family, whereas the other side has spent over a year & millions of dollars preparing!
The Lord has told us from the start that He, & only He, can win the court battles we now face, but we must also fight in prayer. Recently, He repeated that message in this prophecy, received at a leadership strategy meeting:
"Say not, `It is too much,' & say not, `What a weariness,' but say, `We are but wretched & unworthy servants who are not worthy of the great honour that has been bestowed upon us. For thou canst not see the realm of the Heavenlies, what is being accomplished at this time . . . that upon thee shall the ends of the World be fulfilled.
"So trust in Me, that each battle that I have thrust thee into, I will win for thee. Seek Me each time & say not within thyselves, `Yea, we have fought this battle before & we know what to do.' For each battle will be different & each lock will be opened with a special key, intricate & freshly designed & molded by My hand.
"But fear not, for I shall send thee forth to battle, & I delight in confounding thy adversaries by thy simplicity & thy foolishness & thy lack of preparedness, thy weakness & thy poverty. Yea, I thrill & delight in confounding those that think with their great riches & their New World Order & their politics & their new technology that they can crush My children. But they cannot as long as thou dost cling to Me.
"So fear not, fret not, nor be dismayed at that which thou canst not finish, for I know that it is too much for thee. . . . I have need of thee to show My power, for I cannot show My power through great riches & wealth & fame & the opinions of Man & the traditions of Man, for all this will crumble & come to dust. But I have need of the despised & the weak & the persecuted, that in thee & in thy weak flesh and in thy earthen vessels I can bestow My glory, & My magnificence & My omnipotence, & thus have I done as I have hurled thee time & time again into the fire & caused thee to glow & sparkle & to be refined & to come forth greater gold."
EUROPE:
* MORE NEWS FROM UNESCO CONFERENCE: In December, a team from the Family attended a UNESCO-sponsored human rights conference in Paris. (See FUN #11.) On the first evening, they attended a cocktail party held for the participants & met the heads of a number of organizations, as well as a prominent international jurist whom they had unsuccessfully tried to meet previously. After the conference they spoke with most of the delegates, got their cards & gave them an information pack which introduced them to our work & explained the opposition we are facing. A religion editor for an important European newspaper who is also a key opinion-maker in his country, wants to do an in-depth article about us.
* FAMILY MEETS WITH PARLIAMENTARIAN. In the beginning of December, a team met with a prominent member of parliament of one European country. This man already knew about the Children of God & our more radical beliefs. Those witnessing to him shared about our beliefs on Salvation, the Holy Spirit, communal living & many other subjects from the Statements. He agreed with everything, & seemed very interested in the Word & the Lord. They also explained in detail the situation in Argentina, & he agreed to discuss it with fellow legislators & organize some action.
He invited them to attend sessions of the legislature where bills on subjects that we have a particular interest in are being discussed. He suggested that at such times we could meet other politicians who share our interests & concerns on key issues.
* HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION OFFERS HELP: In early December, the Polish Media Team met with a representative of an important international human rights monitoring agency. She said that our literature gave her a fresh perspective after having heard all sorts of bad things about us. She would now like to help organize a press conference at which we could present the truth about the Family to the people of Poland.
* DANISH "DIALOG CENTRE" HOLDS HEARING ON THE FAMILY. In mid-December, a team which included YAs & Teens attended a hearing on the Family in Denmark. Dr. Richard of ADFI was there, along with other ARM (anti-religious movement) agents. Also attending were journalists & church officials from other Scandinavian countries & England. Our representatives delivered a powerful expos of the hidden agenda behind the persecution of the Family. They also showed 28 minutes of the new "Insight" video, on which a number of respected academics & lawyers share their firsthand observations about the Family. They were applauded after their presentation, & the following question & answer period was a marvelous occasion to refute the ludicrous allegations being levelled against us.
They later spent an evening with members of a group of academics who study & advise the public about NRMs. They had good fellowship, & showed them a sample of the Family's warm & loving spirit. Although basically a "cult watchdog" group, these people turned out to be sincere Christians who told us, "The churches need you!"
NORTH AMERICA:
* OCs & MCs FILM CHRISTMAS SPECIAL FOR BROTHER THOMAS. The kids in Houston were featured on a TV show which was aired daily throughout the Christmas season, & included a phone number & address for people to contact us. The teens also did a Christmas special for their "Stand up for Jesus" program on Brother Thomas' TV station, which aired three times weekly.
* VICTORY PROCLAIMED AT ARGENTINE SOCCER MATCH. Just days after the release of our Family in Argentina, the Miami Home took advantage of the World Cup soccer match between Argentina & Germany to broadcast the Argentine appeals court ruling. A picketing team at the media entrance bore fantastic fruit! Gideon & Celine, who had just arrived from Argentina, did interviews with five different news organizations. A favourable radio station spent an hour right on the street interviewing the team. A photographer for a local paper took some excellent photos of their picketing, including one of Celine holding a sign saying, "VICTORY, ALL `FAMILY' MISSIONARIES RELEASED!"
* YAs' TESTIMONIES IMPRESS EDITOR. With few exceptions, the press generated by the release of the brethren in Argentina was fair & factual. However, one paper wrote an unfavourable article, which the media team answered with a powerful "Letter to the Editor" & a visit to the newspaper office. The team included a YA couple who had just returned from Argentina. The assistant editor started quivering when they told him that they were some of those supposedly abused YAs from Argentina, & that they were upset by the tone of the article. He was taken aback by the fact that our YAs are not the mind-controlled zombies they have been portrayed to be, but are responsible, thinking young people! He agreed to publish our side in the Sunday edition of his paper.
* THE HEAVENS DECLARE THE GLORY OF GOD. The moment after a well-known Mexican TV newscaster announced the news of the release of the Argentine Family, he told everyone to run to their window to see an incredible shower of shooting stars which was taking place. The heavens were rejoicing--quite a marvellous sign!
* CHRISTMAS SHOW ENCOURAGES FRIENDS: The Family held a Christmas show for several hundred of their friends & supporters. All the guests had a wonderful time as the Family expressed their appreciation through music. Many were moved to tears. It was a powerful sample to these dear ones of the Lord's love, & the Family was greatly encouraged to see how much these folks love & appreciate us.
* THE FAMILY PERFORMS FOR THE POLICE. The Family participated in a municipal police department's Christmas show. Most of the 200 attendees--police officers & their families--prayed to receive the Lord after a very powerful performance!
* * *
MAMA'S COMMENT ON RECENT JOHN FRANCIS INTERVIEW: "This media advisory, the John Francis interview, is just dynamite! Now all we have to do is pray that we can get it to the right people, & that those right people will read it.
"I hope our folks will get it out to all of their friends, too, as it contains the Family's thanks to them at the end, & will make them proud of the Family for all that it has done to fight for our brethren."
ANSWERED PRAYER:
Dad recently had flu-like symptoms, at which time those with him prayed for him to be healed, & he woke the next morning completely free of any signs of the illness, which was supposed to be quite serious & last for days.
PRAYER REQUESTS:
WORLDWIDE:
1. For Peter's health. The Lord has done miracles in healing his legs, thanks to your prayers. However, he has been under intense stress due to an extraordinarily heavy workload, & had two very bad colds in rapid succession. At present he is very weak & tired, has lost his voice & has a very bad cough which pains his chest. Please pray for his strength, & that his cold will not develop into pneumonia or any other serious illness.
2. For a friend who is making a film about the Family, that he will retain editorial control & that the film will be fair & objective.
3. That the media advisory "Interview with John Francis" reaches the right people, & that those people will read it.
SOUTH AMERICA:
4. For the strength of Family Members in Argentina who have come out of prison & gone right into a full-scale media battle.
5. That all of the families in Argentina who are not involved directly in the case (adults & children who were in the institutes) can leave the country soon.
6. That Family Members who are involved in the case will also be able to leave Argentina soon.
7. For the follow-up of various government officials in Argentina, & that this will result in them taking action on our behalf.
8. That the minors judge being appointed to take over our case in Argentina will be just, & that he or she will allow the children to leave the country.
9. That the Argentine Supreme Court will reject the DA's appeal of the appeals court ruling, & that the Lord will give our lawyers wisdom in helping to bring our case to a speedy, victorious end.
10. That the Family will be able to witness further to Judge Marquevich, & that he will be convicted & realize that we are God's children.
11. For the girls whom our women roomed with, got very close to & won to the Lord in prison; that the Lord will do miracles to push their cases through & get them released.
12. For two-year-old Maria Clara in Buenos Aires, who is due to have her feet operated on; that the operation will be successful, & that Maria will recover speedily; for her parents' strength & encouragement at this trying time.
13. That another investigation in Latin America will close very soon, & the outcome will be as positive as the recent investigation in Peru.
ASIA:
14. For the hotel owner who read our friend's healing article & wants to get in contact with the Family; that this meeting will be fruitful, & that the Lord will work in his heart.
AUSTRALIA:
15. For strength, wisdom & anointing for our Melbourne legal team as they prepare for the case; & for the Lord to miraculously work out a mediation agreement with H&CS (formerly CSV) on January 24th.
16. For a close Family friend who is going through a rough period. (Continued prayer request from FUN #11.)
JAPAN:
17. That YA Cherish of Miguel will be able to carry her new baby to full-term (one more month), & that the baby will gain sufficient weight during that time; for a safe, smooth delivery; for Cherish's strength & encouragement, & against attacks of the Enemy through discouragement, worry or fear.
EUROPE:
18. For Pearl, who will probably need to represent herself in court, having run out of money to pay for a lawyer. Also for the other members of her Home who will now be more involved in the case.
19. For continued fruitful contact with the Dialog Centre in Denmark.
NORTH AMERICA:
20. For the health of the Family in Mexico City, where the pollution is at near-record levels; for all those battling coughs, colds, runny eyes, etc.; also that the pollution will clear up.
21. For the 11-year-old daughter of a close friend, who has been bedridden for several months following a car accident; for her speedy recovery, & that the Lord will use this crisis to strengthen our friend.
22. For one of our media team Shepherds in the U.S. to be totally healed from a recent back injury.
23. For the current court case in the state of Washington against CAN deprogrammer Rick Ross to result in a solid conviction, as this would not only put him out of action for years, but would also send a strong warning to the entire deprogramming industry.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family