TSGN19: GETTING GOD'S ANSWERS!
3/95
--By Maria
DO/TS
1. (Mama and Peter come into the room singing and everyone joins in:)
I've got Your joy, joy, joy, joy down in my heart,
Down in my heart, down in my heart!
I've got Your joy, joy, joy, joy
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay!
And I'm so happy, so very happy,
I've got Your Love, dear Jesus, in my heart.
And I'm so happy, so very happy,
I've got Your Love, dear Jesus, in my heart!
I've got Your peace that passeth understanding down in my heart,
Down in my heart, down in my heart!
I've got Your peace that passeth understanding
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay!
I've got Your Love, dear Jesus, Love, dear Jesus, down in my heart,
Down in my heart, down in my heart!
I've got Your Love, dear Jesus, Love, dear Jesus,
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay!
I know the Devil doesn't like it but it's down in my heart,
Down in my heart, down in my heart!
I know the Devil doesn't like it but it's
Down in my heart, down in my heart to stay!
2. (Mama:) Thank You Lord! That's a cute little chorus that I used to sing in Sunday school, which we've reworked. Some of you probably learned it in the Family. Those little choruses really stay with you, don't they? They come back and they're simple. Like Dad says, the best ones are the repetitive ones where you hear the refrain over and over and over, and it sticks with you.
3. And we're all little children anyway, aren't we? (Fam: Yes!) I've always felt that all my life, especially with Dad. All my life in the Family I've felt just like a little child, I never felt like an adult. I don't know if that's a bad admission to make or not, but I always had that feeling of being a child. I guess it's the simplicity that the Lord gives us. The Lord says, "Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven" (Mat.18:3). So I guess that's a good way to feel and a good way to be! Otherwise you think you have to be so staid and sophisticated and stodgy and perfect about everything because you're an adult. But if you're a child you can make mistakes and just be the way you are, without any cover-ups. Thank You Jesus! In His Word the Lord calls us "children" over and over again. He certainly looks at us as children, so we shouldn't think more highly of ourselves than we ought! Thank You Lord!
4. I always liked to sing the little choruses. Here's another one:
The birds up in the tree tops sing their song,
The angels chant the chorus all day long,
The flowers in the garden blend their hue,
So why shouldn't I,
Why shouldn't you, praise Him too?
5. You can try it with me. (Everyone sings it again with Mama.) "Blend their hue" means to blend the different shades of color. As you can see, the wording is a little difficult for children. A lot of the songs for children that we used to sing when I was a child were written by adults who really didn't get down to the children's level. If you look in some of the old hymnals under "children's songs," you'll find the wording is often very adult. So no wonder the poor little kids growing up then got the words mixed up and thought they said something different than they actually said! Think of all the wrong interpretations and all the things the poor little children didn't understand when they were growing up and singing all these religious songs.
6. So thank the Lord! Thank You Jesus! Help us to do better in our songs for children. --And I believe we have been putting the cookies on a lower shelf and getting things down to where they can understand them better. Thank You Lord! Anyway, those old choruses served their purpose, and even if we didn't understand every word of them, we still remember them today and they're still a blessing. And now that we're a little more grown-up children we understand them better! Thank You Jesus!
"Touches of Love" to Keep Us Weak and Meek!
7. Okay, how's everybody tonight? (Fam: Fine!) We are too! Thank the Lord! The Lord's really answering prayer for Peter, and his headaches and neckaches are almost gone. However, nearly every day he has some other little affliction. His tooth hurt him the other night a little bit. (Peter: I think it was just to wake us up. I got up and worked for awhile and then it went away.) (Mama:) And thank you for praying for his sore throat today, because he's feeling better.
8. His penie is a little sore today. (Peter: I knew you were going to say that!) (Mama:) I said to myself that I wasn't going to, but I thought, "Well, what's the humble thing to say --for both of us!"--Ha! (Peter: Mama really tries to get me humble!) (Mama:) It was humbling for me too, but I decided to say it anyway! I think he was rubbing too hard on me or something!--Ha! (Peter: I'll try to give poor Mama a break. The Lord probably gave me a sore throat too so I wouldn't be kissing her all the time and I'd give her a few days off!)
9. (Mama:) Well, the point of telling you all of that is that Peter is still getting these little "touches of love" from the Lord, every day something new and different. But thank the Lord, the Lord is using it to keep us weak and humble. (Peter: And desperate!) (Mama:) Weak and meek. Thank You Jesus! Thank You Lord!
We're Created for His Pleasure!
10. Thank You, Lord, for giving us a good time, too, and putting the joy, joy, joy down in our hearts! Thank You Jesus! "Thou hast put gladness in my heart!" (Psa.4:7a). Thank You Jesus! We delight ourselves in You, Lord, and we delight in each other and Your creations. Thank You, Jesus, for the fun You give us and the happy times. Thank You Lord! Your Word says, "Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created" (Rev.4:11). Thank You Jesus!
11. Isn't that beautiful? We're created for the Lord's pleasure! When you think of having pleasure, what do you think of? (Fam: Having fun!) Yes, enjoyment, fun. So if we're created for the Lord's pleasure, that means He's going to have fun with us.--And we have fun with Him and enjoy Him. So that's not having a long face and being serious and sober all the time, but that's enjoying Him and His creation and the life He's given us, and that gives Him pleasure.
12. Help us to have fun and pleasure tonight, Lord, and also thoughtfulness as we reflect on the things that You have said and that You want us to do in order to be able to give You pleasure. Bless the songs we sing, too, and make this time a blessing to our hearts. Thank You Jesus!
Scripture Songs!
13. Tonight we're going to sing a few of our Scripture songs that I bet you haven't heard for awhile.--Or maybe I'm one of the few that hasn't heard them for awhile, but I love these songs! These are from the Memo Book tapes, and the two or three songs we'll sing are verses about prayer. It's straight Scripture, as you know, and these songs are worth reviewing frequently. They're tremendous verses on power and praise and victory and the Word and prayer!
14. This is also good dance music, but we won't dance to these tonight because I think we might get distracted by looking at each other and how cute we look! I was going to say how funny we look, but I didn't.--Ha! Well, you could clap your hands or tap your feet or whatever. But try to think of the words and what the meaning is. Okay, David, push the button! (Peter: Strike up the band!) ("Daybreak" tape playing:)
He Heareth Us!
(Intro)
He heareth us! He heareth us!
(Part 1:)
This is the confidence that we have in Him,
That if we ask anything according to His will,
He heareth us. He heareth us!
(Repeat)
(Part 2:)
And if we know that He hears us,
Whatsoever we ask,
We know that we have the petitions
That we desired of Him.
We know that we have the petitions
That we desired of Him.
(Repeat Parts 1 and 2)
15. (Mama:) Hallelujah! Okay, with the next two songs, let's all keep our eyes closed and just think about the words. Having your eyes closed helps to keep you from getting distracted. You can sing, but just close your eyes. That helps you to think of the words better, doesn't it? (Fam: Yes.) It sure helps me! I'm glad I have to keep my eyes closed most of the time. That way I don't get distracted by you, either.--Ha! Well, I'm sure it would be a nice distraction, but it's probably one I don't need. Thank You Lord! (Next song, also from "Daybreak" tape:)
I Will Answer!
And it shall come to pass,
That before they call I will answer.
I will answer!
And it shall come to pass,
That before they call I will answer.
I will answer!
And while they are yet speaking I will hear.
And while they are yet speaking I will hear.
I will hear!
(Repeat two times.)
16. (Mama:) Thank You Lord! You've had that happen many times, haven't you? (Fam: Yes!) The Lord answered before you called and before you even knew you needed it! Okay, shall we sing one more?
Whatsoever We Ask!
Whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him,
Because we keep His commandments.
Whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him,
Because we keep His commandments.
And do those things that are pleasing
in His sight,
And do those things that are pleasing
in His sight.
(Repeat)
Whatsoever we ask we receive of Him,
Because we keep His commandments.
Because we keep His commandments.
Because we keep His commandments.
17. (Tape runs into next song and Mama says:) Well, shall we listen to the next one, too? Do you want to hear one more? (Fam: Yes!) (Mama:) Okay!
There Am I!
(Part 1:)
If two of you shall agree on Earth
As touching anything that they shall ask,
It shall be done for them
Of My Father which is in Heaven.
If two of you shall agree on Earth
As touching anything that they shall ask,
It shall be done for them
Of My Father which is in Heaven.
(Part 2:)
Where two or three are gathered
Together in My name,
There am I, there am I, in the midst of them.
There am I, there am I, in the midst of them.
(Repeat parts 1 and 2)
There am I, there am I, in the midst of them.
There am I, there am I, in the midst of them.
There am I, there am I, in the midst of them.
18. (Mama:) Hallelujah! Wowee! That was an inspiring one, wasn't it? See, we've got to be open to what the Lord wants, and the Lord led David to go on to the next one! That was really inspiring! Thank You for being in the midst of us, Lord. Thank You Lord! Hallelujah! When we gather together, there You are in the midst of us. Thank You Jesus! Praise the Lord! It's so wonderful, Lord! We know You're right here with us! Thank You Jesus! And we've got one more song. I don't know if you can see the words. (The lights are dimmed so they don't bother Mama's eyes.) You've probably sung this song before, but we've slightly adapted the words so we can sing these to the Lord and not just about the Lord. We're taking the liberty to adapt the words to a lot of songs nowadays, so if they're a little unfamiliar to you, just follow along with the songsheet. Thank You Lord!
I Love You in the Morning
I love You, Lord, in the morning,
When the day is at its best;
And Your presence comes like glory,
Of the sunrise to my breast.
(Chorus:)
All day long Your presence lingers,
All day long You stay with me;
And we sail in perfect calmness,
O'er a very troubled sea,
O'er a very troubled sea.
Other ships are blown and battered,
Other ships are sore distressed.
But the winds that seem to drive them,
Bring to us a peace and rest.
(Repeat chorus)
Then I think of other mornings,
With a keen remorse of mind,
When I too have loosed the moorings,
With Your presence left behind.
And I think I know the secret,
Learned from many a troubled way:
I must love You in the morning,
If I want You through the day.
(Repeat Chorus)
19. (Mama:) Hallelujah! We praise You Lord! We glorify Your Name! We love You, Jesus! We need You, Lord! We really need You! We're nothing without You, Lord! We don't know a thing without You, we can't do a thing without You! We're just little babies that don't know anything without their parents, without their Daddy to help them. Jesus, we really do give You all the glory. Like You said, everything that we have You've given us. We have nothing without You, and what we have we give back to You in praise and glory for all You've done for us! Thank You Jesus! Hallelujah! Thank You Lord!
20. We thank You for speaking to us. Thank You for these beautiful songs that we can claim as we talk to You and praise You. We thank You for the Words that You've given us in the Words of David. Beautiful, wonderful Words, so many words that have given us counsel in every situation throughout our life for You. Thank You Lord! Thank You for all of them, every one that is so fitting, all those precious jewels. And thank You for the things You're giving now that are just confirmations of all You've given before. Thank You Lord for the reminders. Hallelujah! It's so wonderful! Thy Word is truly "a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path" (Psa.119:105). It's our life, Lord, and we can't do without it! Thank You Jesus! Thank You Lord!
21. Lord, guide this meeting and may it be what You want it to be. May it be Your voice speaking in every respect. Everything we say and do, we pray that it will be of You and will be a blessing. Thank You Jesus! Praise the Lord! Thank You Jesus! Hallelujah!
Let the Lord Plan Your Schedule!
22. Well, praise the Lord, Peter and I loved the Lord this morning.--Of course, our "morning" began at five o'clock in the afternoon! Thank you for your prayers that enabled us to have a good night--or a good day's night! Since our schedule was such that we worked most of the night, we slept until five in the afternoon. And of course knowing we were going to have a meeting tonight, the tendency for me was to hurry and get everything over so I could begin preparing for the meeting. That was the little thought lurking in the back of my mind, that I had to get up pretty quick and go over my outline and my ideas and plans for the meeting.
23. But thank the Lord, I resisted it and we spent three hours in preparing for the meeting by praising and thanking the Lord and reading the Word and singing songs and hearing from the Lord in prophecy. By that time it was eight o'clock and we were all prepared for the meeting--we didn't have anything else to do, ha! Thank You Jesus! And besides, we didn't have to worry about the outline because we weren't going to follow it anyway! Thank You Jesus! So you see, when you let the Lord take control and plan your schedule, sometimes you don't have to do what you had already planned anyway, and any plans of your own would have just been a waste of time, if He wanted you to be spending that time with Him! That's not to say that you should never plan!--Plans are often very important, but we just have to be open to the fact that the Lord may want to change them!
Mama's Prayer Asking the Lord to Say Whatever He Wants to Say!
24. Instead of going on with the reasons the Lord has put Peter and I together--of which we have quite a few more that we haven't yet covered--I felt like we needed to start sharing more of the things that the Lord has been giving us. We have all these beautiful Words from the Lord, and I felt like we needed to start pushing them out and sharing them. We've got so much and the Family needs them, because they're about taking time with the Lord and stopping and hearing from the Lord as He wants us to.
25. So before we got up I wanted to pray and ask the Lord if there was anything He wanted to say. I also asked Him to let us know if we were on the right track with our meeting tonight. And the Lord spoke really beautifully. Would you like to hear it? Hot off the... what do we say? (Fam: The griddle!) (Peter: The press!) (Mama:) From Heaven! (Fam: Hotcakes from Heaven!)
26. (Mama:) I'll just tell you what my prayer was. It's not a very good prayer, but maybe it'll make you feel better about your prayers if you think yours aren't so good either. At least it gives you an idea of what I was praying and asking the Lord. I said, "This is a whatever-You-want-Lord day," ha! A lot of times we have specific questions that we ask the Lord, but I don't like to do that all the time. I don't want to box the Lord into, "Tell us this and tell us that," because the Lord may have something else He wants to tell us. Of course, the Lord can tell us whatever He wants to say at any time while we're praying. But He's a Gentleman and He's considerate and He respects what we ask, and if we're asking Him something specific and we're not really giving Him leave to say what He wants, often He'll just go by what we've asked and not butt in with what He wants. "Whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him." Or as Dad put it, "He gives us what we ask for and have the faith for."
27. Now if it's real important and urgent that we get His message, then of course that's something different. But He's very sensitive to us and to what we want and our requests, and usually He'll go by those. So we have to be very sensitive to Him and see that even though we're praying and asking Him for things, sometimes we can miss it even on that, if we're not open to asking the Lord what He wants to say to us specifically. Maybe He has something on a different subject that He wants to talk to us about, other than the subject we want Him to talk to us about.
28. So this was my prayer. (Mama repeating from the tape:) "Lord, we don't want to just keep asking and asking and asking for what we want, but we want to ask for what You want. Thank You Jesus! We love You, Lord. We had lots of fun praising You and listening to Your Word and doing all these things that have to do with You, exalting You and glorifying You and giving You honor and praise and thanksgiving, and now we feel like we're addicted--not to our paperwork this time, but to hearing from You in prophecy, and we want to do it every morning. You said for Peter and me to seek You, and to do it every morning. We can seek You in other ways too, and we do, but because You're so willing to speak to us in this particular way--in prophecy--if we didn't ask You to speak we'd feel like we were missing something so special, this wonderful gift and treasure You've given us.
29. "If You ever don't want to speak to us in prophecy and You want to have us hear from You in another way, You said You'd tell us, but we do love to hear from You this way. We hear from You in all the other ways, too, but this way is so special, and if we don't hear it we really miss it in more ways than one. We miss it by getting off the track if we don't ask You. And we certainly feel that something is missing if we don't. So we just want to hear from You and whatever You want to say to us.
30. "This hearing from You in prophecy each morning when we're together is what You have shown us to do as the shepherds of Your Family. Help others not to feel pressured that they have to do exactly the same thing. Help them to just be open to whatever you want them to do! You don't always work with all of us in exactly the same way, and You don't always teach us the same lessons at the same time. Lessons which some people learned years ago, I may just now be learning! Likewise, lessons which I learned long ago, others may just now be learning! So help people not to feel so bound to do everything exactly the way we do! You haven't made us all the same and You don't have the same plan for us, nor the same ministry, so the exact same things aren't required of each one of us.
31. "We each have to ask You what is Your will for us! Most people aren't going to need to hear from You in prophecy every morning; it'll be more important that they read Your printed Word, and the prophecies that You've given us and that we've sent to them! But You are encouraging all of us to be able to hear from You in prophecy, so You do want people to hear from You like this sometimes, especially when they have a question that they can't get the answer to any other way, or when they need Your confirmation for their plans. That's when You want them to seek You together for the solutions!
32. "The whole point of this is to get our answers from You!--In whatever way we can! There are some things that we'll only be able to get through prophecy, but how and when and under what circumstances we hear from You in prophecy will vary according to the individuals and their own particular situations. We all should apply the basic principles that You give us, but You don't expect us all to apply those principles in the same way, but instead to adapt them to our own particular circumstances.
33. "Lord, we have a meeting again tonight. You've already given us all these things to say and share, but we don't want to have our own plans even if they're good, and even if they're to read Your Word, if they're not the Words that You want to be read. So if You want us to do something else or You want to give us something else, however You want to do it, please tell us. Or You can show us even during the meeting to change our plans and do something else, just like You did in the last meeting." (Mama comments:) I didn't plan the "foolishness pow-wow"! The Lord arranged that one! (See "Mama's Love Story!--Part 7!" TS GN 16.) I'm learning not to plan so much, ha! Thank You Lord! Well, it's good to plan, but you need to be open to letting the Lord give you another plan.
34. (Mama continues repeating from the tape:) "Whatever You want to say to us about anything, Lord, we're open to that. We thank You so much for this special privilege of being able to hear Your direct voice in whatever You want to say to us. Thank You Lord!" (End of prayer.)
35. (Mama:) So are you guys hearing more from the Lord nowadays? (Fam: Yes!) (Mama:) I know your dear Home shepherds are, they're really cooking! They've been asking the Lord about things which pertain to the personal situations of some of you, and also about various local situations that they need to hear straight from the Lord about. So it's wonderful. Thank You Jesus! You can be confident that they're really praying and seeking the Lord for you and our local situation. (Now Mama repeats the prophecy from the tape:)
Begin the Cycle of the Empowerment of God!
36. (Prophecy:) "Behold these My receivers who faithfully tune in to My Spirit and seek Me, who suck from My Words! They are learning the power of the voice of the Lord their God, and they are learning that I am always there ready and willing and able to speak unto them and to give unto them the guidance that they seek. For as they continue to learn that they are nothing, and know nothing, and have no wisdom and have no might, so do they seek Me, and so do they know that in Me is the power and might that they need. As they take time to stop, to turn on their receivers to create a vacuum, so will I fill it and give them the answers that they need, and not only that they need, but that My Family needs.
37. "For truly these shepherds know not where to go unless they seek Me, the Chief Shepherd. But as they tune in, as they suck in the Spirit, as they create the vacuum for Me to fill, so can I lead and so do I lead and so do I give them the messages that strengthen and feed My children. Are not these messages feeding? Are they not that which ye need? Do they not confirm that which David hath said unto you, lo, these many years? And I say it again fresh and new, for this is the message that My children need at this time: That they must learn to seek Me, that they must learn to hear My voice, that they must learn to follow Me and My Words, that they must live the Words of David.
38. "For I am now forcing them out of the nest that they may build their own nests and that they may bear their own babes, and that they may teach them and train them. And how will they know how to teach and train them unless they follow the Words of David, and unless they hear My voice and listen to the whispers of those that help them? I am giving them this time now to learn these things so that in the days to come they will know how to better follow Me, how to better follow My Words, and how to better follow My voice.
39. "When they hear that ye take time and ye hear from Me, that ye turn on your receivers and ye create a vacuum in the Spirit for Me to fill, so will it encourage them to do these things. They are desperate for this counsel and guidance, for they know they will be heading out on their own and that they are responsible for that which they do and that which they decide. So they need further guidance and instruction on how to hear from Me, and they need encouragement to do so. And they will be encouraged, for ye will encourage them by the fact that ye tune in and receive.
40. "They need My Words, the Words of David, and they have them. If they will diligently study them and seek out the principles and the guidance therein, they will be strengthened. And if they will seek out My voice and listen to Me and receive the messages that I have for them, so too shall they be strengthened and so too shall they be encouraged and so too shall they be given guidance. For as David hath said, the power is always there, the message is beaming and broadcasting at all times.
41. "They must just turn on their receivers, they must put up their antennas, they must pull My Spirit into the vacuum through their praises, through their quietness and through their desperate seeking of Me. I will fill them and I will instruct them and I will guide them; I will speak unto them the Words that they need to hear so that they will know the things that they must do. For how can they know unless they seek Me? How can they know unless they seek My Word, unless they seek My voice, unless they commune with Me in prayer?
42. "They can no longer operate without Me. No longer will I allow them to operate in the arm of the flesh. In days past I winked at these things, for there were many other lessons to learn, there was much other growth needed. But these days are now the days of the voice of the Lord, the voice of My whispers, the strength of quietness and the power of weakness. No more will I allow the strength of the strong or the wisdom of the wise or the power of the mighty to rule, for those are the ways of defeat. But now the strength and power of My Word and the strength and the power of your weakness rules, and the strength and the power of My voice instructs, and the strength and the power of My Love empowers. These are the things that must rule in these days.
43. "Would ye have this power? Would ye have this wisdom, and would ye have this understanding, and would ye have this empowerment, and would ye have this strength? Then come unto Me! Enter into My rest, for in quietness and confidence shall be your strength. Ye must stand back and see Me fight! Stand back and see My strength! Stand back in prayer, stand back in praise, stand back in quietness, stand back in communion with Me. Stand back as receivers, listening, tuning in to My voice. Then ye shall see the power and might of God in a way that ye have not seen it in any of the days past.
44. "As I have brought weakness unto your shepherds, so do I bring weakness upon you, for I will not let you operate any longer in the arm of your own might. Instead ye must operate in the power of My might, in the power of prayer, in the power of quietness and in the power of communion with Me.
45. "And what must ye do to accomplish this? Ye must take time in quietness, listening unto Me. Ye must take time in feeding, feeding of My Words. Ye must take time in asking, asking for My help. Ye must take time in seeking, seeking My direction. And ye must take time in listening unto My voice.
46. "Ye must continue to do the works that I have sent for you and the work that I will show you that ye must do. But ye can no longer do this work without the power of My Spirit, and the power of My Spirit can only be received in communion with Me.
47. "Do not fight it, do not resist it, just yield. Just yield to Me. Yield by stopping, yield by looking, yield by listening, yield by putting up your antennas and carefully tuning in to My Spirit in faith, in quietness and in confidence, knowing that as ye tune in to Me, ye shall receive that which I have for you. And that which I have for you will work and will strengthen you and empower you, and it will push you and move you and guide you. And by this, ye shall surely know that it is the power and might of God that leads you and that brings forth victory.
48. "It will cause you to praise Me even more, it will cause you to seek Me even more, and it will be a continual cycle of you seeking, Me answering, and you praising. The more ye see these victories and the answers to your prayers and the empowerment of My Spirit, the more ye will praise Me and the more ye will ask of Me and the more I will do for you; and the more ye will seek Me and the more ye will praise Me and the more I will do for you! And it will continue rolling and rolling and rolling, ever gaining momentum and gaining praise and gaining victories and gaining miracles.
49. "So shall your strength grow, and your faith grow, and your in-tuneness grow, and so shall My power and might within you grow, and so shall ye be the children of David, empowered by the Spirit and the might of God! So shall ye have faith to do the exploits and the mighty things that I will call upon you to do in the Last Days.
50. "For this is the beginning, and ye must learn these things now. Ye must yield unto My power and My might now. Ye must learn to tune in to Me and receive of Me now. Ye must learn to seek Me now, to praise Me now, to worship Me now, to be empowered by Me now. The cycle must begin now, so that in the time that ye have remaining, ye will grow in power, grow in might, grow in praise, grow in thanksgiving, grow in faith--that ye may be strong in the power and might of God in the days ahead!
51. "So fear not, worry not; ye will grow if ye will but take the little steps now. Just begin tuning in now. Commune more with Me now. Speak more to Me now. Listen more to Me now. Love Me more now. Follow closer now. Obey My Word now. Yield to Me now in the little things, day by day, step by step. Make the effort and pay the price. Take the humbling and take the step of faith, and do it now, that ye may begin the cycle of the empowerment of God!" (End of prophecy. Everyone praises the Lord!)
The Lord Wants Us to Ask, and to Keep Asking!
52. (Mama:) Thank You for Your answers, Lord! Thank You for this beautiful message of Your instruction and how clearly You've laid out exactly what we need to do, and why. We thank You for giving us the answers. Thank You for making it so simple, so easy for us. You don't try to make things complicated, You don't even want them to be complicated. You don't want it to be hard for us, but You make it easy for us to be good. Thank You Jesus! Hallelujah! Thank You for Your simplicity. Thank You Lord! Thank You Jesus! You're so good to us, Lord!
53. Wow! Isn't that wonderful? We often have this idea in the back of our minds that the Lord wants us to really work to get the answers. But it's so simple, He just wants us to ask. He wants to give us the answers so simply just because He loves us, and He doesn't want to make it difficult for us. And that's what He's saying, we're all supposed to ask, and keep asking.
54. Every time we come feebly to Him and say, "Lord, I don't know, maybe we shouldn't be asking again so soon." Or "maybe we shouldn't be asking about this because it's not really that important and it's just a little thing." --The Lord keeps repeating so patiently, so gently, "Just ask Me. I want you to ask Me. I want you to come before Me every day. I want you to ask for whatever you need and whatever you want. I delight in your asking." He keeps telling us, keeps repeating it, and we keep crawling out on the ice a little bit more and saying, "Okay, Lord, do You really want to speak to us?" And He keeps saying, "Ask Me whatever you want. I want to answer you. I delight in speaking to you."
55. His answers aren't just for me and for Peter and for your leaders, they're for all of us. He's saying He's giving this gift abundantly, so it will be available for everyone, and in most cases, if you ask Him, He will give it to you! If you don't get it yourself personally, don't worry! Seek the Lord with someone who does have the gift and ask the Lord to speak through them. As He's said over and over lately, it's something that we'll desperately need in the time to come. He wants to give it to us now and He wants us to practice. He wants us to start the cycle now of asking Him, seeking His answers, praising Him for those answers and asking Him again. Isn't it marvelous to think of His Love for us and the wonderful plan that He's laid out for us? It's just beautiful! See, I hardly had to say anything, the Lord said it all!
56. Thank You Lord! Thank You Jesus! Thank you all for being yielded. The Lord did tell one of you specifically, "I'm giving you this gift because I love you, and also because it's going to help to humble you." Wasn't that sweet? The Lord gives it to us because He loves us and because He knows it's something that will help us and make it easier for us, but He also uses it to humble us and to help us and to draw us closer to Him and get us to yield. So thank You Jesus!
Gary's Question: What's the Balance?
57. (Gary: Maybe I'm a little dense here, but I'm wondering what the balance is.) (Mama:) I was seeking the balance too, and even in the prophecy we just read, the Lord said, "Go to the Words of David, study them, but also come and hear My voice in direct prophecy." In other words, let the principles in the written Word guide you as much as you can, but there are things that the written Word doesn't tell us about some situations that we need to know specifics about. Sometimes the principles aren't quite enough and we don't know what to do. We can make a pretty good guess based on the principles, and many times we can hit it right. But why should we make the decision ourselves when we can be certain of it and sure of it if we ask the Lord to speak to us in direct prophecy?
58. (Gary: I guess what hasn't gelled in my mind is the balance between using prophecy and using other forms of finding the Lord's will, or even just using common sense if it isn't something that is out of the ordinary, that you need to find out. I realize prophecy is a wonderful thing in getting answers, but it's just the degree to which each person would apply it in their ministry.--That's my question.)
59. (Mama:) Yes, I had that question too. I said, "Lord, this is really wonderful and I just love this! But I don't want to misuse it, I don't want to be asking You to speak 24 hours a day and going overboard and not using the other ways that You said You'd speak to us. I'm afraid maybe I am going overboard a little bit." And the Lord said, "Don't worry about it. Just seek Me, ask Me." He said, "If I don't want to tell you those answers and I want to show it to you some other way, I'll tell you. I'll tell you I don't want to tell you, or I'll tell you to get it another way. Or I won't tell you right now and I'll tell you another time."--Which He has.
60. We've asked a couple of specific questions and the Lord has said, "I'll tell you when the time comes." But for the most part, the Lord just keeps pouring on the encouragement to ask Him every day about the problems that come up. I'm surprised myself at how much encouragement the Lord is giving us to go to Him with the questions and have the answers come through direct prophecy.
61. I think you all know from the meetings we've had and the way the Lord has confirmed those things that He is putting a big emphasis on prophecy. Not only because He wants to answer us that way, but as He says, He wants us to get into the practice of asking Him. The more we ask, the more the Lord's going to answer us. And if we're asking too much or we're going overboard, I'm sure the Lord's going to tell us. I said, "Lord, am I going overboard? Am I out of balance here?" And the Lord said, "No, just keep asking Me, and if I don't want to speak to you in this way and I don't want to tell you, I'll let you know."
62. So you don't have to worry about it! Just pray, "Lord, I don't want to get out of balance, I don't want to put too much emphasis on getting all my direction in prophecy, but I'm going to ask You simply because You said to ask You and You keep telling us to ask. So when there are things that I don't think I can find the answer to any other way, I'm going to ask You, and not hesitate to do it. Of course, I don't have to ask You things that are already clearly covered in the Word, like should I witness, should I have get-out, should I take care of my children, etc."
Mama's Question: Why Not Get Our Answers Directly from the Lord?
63. You say, "Why isn't reading the Word enough? Why can't we just get our answers from the printed Word, as we always have?" Yes, you should get as many answers from the printed Word as you can, but where the printed Word doesn't go far enough to answer your specific needs, the Lord has given prophecy as a supplemental way of finding His specific direction. The printed Word gives you the fundamentals, the basics, but often the Lord wants to give you specifics for your particular situation through speaking to you directly in prophecy.
64. "Well," you say, "If this is true and if this is what we're supposed to do, why didn't Dad tell us to do it a long time ago!" Dad did tell you to do it! Have you read "Stop, Look, Listen"? (ML #74). Have you read "Faith"? (ML #73). However, the reason that Dad didn't push prophecy like the Lord is pushing it now is that there wasn't as much need for it then. People weren't making as many of their own decisions. There was strong direction in the Letters on specific moves for the entire Family. There was instruction on what action the Family should take collectively.
65. However, in this new day, under the Charter, people are making many more of their own decisions. They are diversifying into many different ministries. There's much more variety, many unique situations. In all of these, the basic principles of the Word still apply. However, there is much direction needed that will not be found specifically in the Letters. Therefore, the Lord is offering you this special, priceless gift of speaking to you directly about your own individual situation, when there are questions that you can't resolve in any other way.
66. The Lord says right here, "Read the Words of David, study the Words of David." But He says for the specific guidance, you need both. You need the Words of David, you need the principles, all the basics, all the training in the Word that we've gotten. But we also need the Lord's specific counsel for the situations that aren't talked about in the Letters. We need what He calls "the voice of His Word" through hearing from Him directly, fresh, right now. He says it is a new day.
67. You may think you've got the right answer through going to the Word, and it sounds pretty right, but you're not quite sure. Why would you opt for making a decision based only on a general principle instead of asking the Lord to speak to you directly and specifically?
68. (Gary: I think there's an element of practicality involved. In my ministry and other people's ministries, there are certain things we certainly should seek the Lord for and probably get prophecies and direct leadings and revelations about. And I'm trying to apply this now to not only my ministry, but to all of our Family members on the field--the handymen, or the childcare worker taking care of six kids. She may not have the time to get a prophecy! She's got to seek the Lord and hear from the Lord, but it's during the course of her day, while running after these six kids! So in certain cases maybe there's some leeway where the Lord would speak to you and answer your prayer some other way than in a prophecy. Or am I missing the point?)
The Basics Are Already Established! --We Need to Hear from the Lord About Specifics!
69. (Mama:) The thing is, you don't have to ask the Lord for a prophecy on whether you should go on get-out or not, because that is all taken care of in the Word and it couldn't be more specific there. And you don't have to ask the Lord if you should get up in the morning, because that's all taken care of too. We know we have to get up and we have to do our work.
70. Those basic things are already established. We know we're supposed to have get-out, and we know we're supposed to eat our meals, and we know we're supposed to eat good food. We don't have to ask the Lord to give us a prophecy about what we're supposed to eat that day or whether we should go on get-out or whether we should have our BM, or whether we should keep a to-do list. Normally, we wouldn't have to get a prophecy about what work we should do today. If we're prayerful, the Lord will show us through His still small voice and the wisdom that He gives, or through circumstances and conditions, or the other ways to know God's will.
71. Most of the things that we do, we already have counsel and guidance about in the Word, and that's pretty much already established. We know, like the Lord said, that we have to do our work, and the cooks know that they have to cook the meals and the dishwashers know they have to wash the dishes. There are some things that have already been established and we know what the Lord wants us to do. But the things we need to hear from the Lord on through prophecy are things that come up that we really can't make a certain decision on, we don't know for sure, things that are outside of the norm of our usual schedules. Can we give some examples?
72. (Peter: We know from the Word that we're supposed to go witnessing. Every Home knows they're supposed to go witnessing and they're supposed to do outreach. But are they supposed to reach the Muslims, go to the churches, reach the teens, or have a "consider the poor" ministry? There are a whole range of choices, and that Home might need to hear from the Lord about it. All those things are in the Word, and you have to make a choice as to which one you should do.
73. (Another example is when it comes time to move. You're househunting and you find a place that has good possibilities, but you're not sure, because it has some disadvantages too! In a case like that, you'd certainly want to ask for the Lord's guidance in prophecy as to what you should do! Even if you find a house that you're absolutely thrilled with and which looks good in every respect, it seems that you would still want to get the Lord's confirmation before going ahead! It pleases Him when you acknowledge Him in all your ways, and want to hear what He has to say!
74. (Or what if you're in an outreach situation, a "consider the poor" ministry, and suddenly one of your kings who is supporting you in this work says you can't witness to the people any more? How do you know whether you should just go ahead and defy the man and witness anyway and the Lord can help him to change his mind? Or maybe it's the Lord's will to terminate what seems to you like a very fruitful ministry. Maybe if you'd go ahead and witness anyway, the Lord would calm him down and he wouldn't try to take some kind of drastic action against you. On the other hand, you don't know that. This would be a case where you definitely would need to seek the Lord and ask for His specific direction in prophecy. The principles of the Word say that you should witness, but you have a lot of options as to where to witness, so you can't be sure that you should continue to witness in this particular place. Maybe it's the Lord's way of moving you to something even more fruitful!)
75. (Fam: I've got another example. We here in WS usually do not do any open witnessing because of our security. But sometimes sheep do fall in our path, like the poor man we met on the street and the doctor. So then we have to ask the Lord, "What do You want us to do in this particular situation?" Naturally, we'd say our security is more important. But we prayed and asked the Lord and He told us that He wanted us to minister to them. It's kind of contrary to our natural reasoning, but we prayed and heard from the Lord about it.)
76. (Fam: It's probably a habit for us to get our answers from the Word rather than through prophecy. It's like a skill, and we've been taught how to find an applicable verse, quote or Letter. Also, it's sometimes more humbling to get things in prophecy. So we now have to not only use the Word, but also do the humble thing for the times that we can't get the answer in any other way, or that we need a confirmation on the answer we have already gotten. And if the CROs apply this principle, they'll be getting more of their questions answered more quickly by the Lord!) (Mama:) Yes. They are doing more of that! God bless them.
77. (Peter: As far as what the handyman does when he needs an answer: Dad would always pray about problems and ask the Lord, "How do we fix this?" or "What do we do about that?" and the Lord would often give him the answer in pictures.) (Mama:) He'd sometimes spend hours in the morning, thinking and praying about things, and oftentimes at night too. He usually didn't get things like this in prophecy, but if he hadn't been able to get them any other way, I'm sure he would have asked the Lord for a prophecy.
78. (Peter: In some of the prophecies the Lord has given recently He keeps bringing it around to the "Seven Ways to Know God's Will." He says, "I might speak to you through the Word or through My whispers." You may get something in the Spirit about it, or through all these other ways too. So I don't know that it's limited only to prophecy, though I think the Lord is trying to really push prophecy right now, at this particular time and stage of our development. He's trying to get us more in tune, and prophecy seems to be the way He wants to use at this time. But the main thing is that we should pray and get something from the Lord about it, whether it's verses or prophecy or pictures. The cook shouldn't have to ask in prophecy, "Do I cut the carrots lengthwise or crosswise?" But she might need to pray and get something from the Lord about her whole meal plan and whether she's serving the right kinds of foods, etc.)
79. (Mama:) The thing is, is there any reason why we shouldn't ask the Lord in prophecy about things which we can't get a clear answer to in any other way? You can go to the Word and you get the principles. You discuss and you pray about something and you come up with what you think is a good decision. But is there any reason why you shouldn't get a confirmation from the Lord on that? You think it's a pretty good decision but you're not absolutely positive, so wouldn't it be a good idea to even get a confirmation on it?
80. Why not use it?--This wonderful, marvelous gift that people in the world would pay millions for!--It's priceless!--They couldn't even pay enough for it!--This direct hot-line to Heaven, to the great Creator of the Universe, the One who can reveal all knowledge and all mysteries, the One who can tell us the present and the future, the One who delights to do so! So why don't we use it?--Especially when we hear the Lord constantly saying, "Ask Me, call on Me, let Me tell you these things!" Why don't we want to use it? Is it because it's too simple? Or is it because we just think we're bugging the Lord, in spite of what He says to us? Or is it because we think some of these things are too small to ask Him about? Or what is it?
81. (Handyman: I'm trying to apply it in my everyday life of maintenance and things like that. Maybe we think it takes longer to get a word from the Lord. But if we sharpen our skills to where it doesn't have to take long, we could get a word from the Lord about a situation and then apply it immediately!)
82. (Mama:) The Lord keeps saying, "Stop and seek Me and ask Me!" So whatever way you're going to stop and seek Him, it doesn't seem like one way takes any longer than another way. You're simply supposed to stop and ask the Lord, and if you can get clear enough answers through the other ways to know the will of God, fine! But there are many times when you need more specific answers that can only come through prophecy.
Peter's Trip!--How the Little Things Lead to Bigger Things!
83. We made a couple of decisions recently that were contrary to our natural reasoning concerning the situation, one of which was when Peter's parents invited him to join them for a four-day family reunion on a cruise ship for their 50th wedding anniversary! At first we said, "Of course he can't go to the States for this! My goodness! After all, he just visited them a year ago, and this is a very crucial time right now." We decided right off the bat that he couldn't and shouldn't go. We felt he was needed right where he is in this very important work with all these important changes that are going on. So he sent an answer back to them saying, "Sorry, but I can't possibly get away right now." Then we got a letter from Peter's dad saying, "Well, son, we really would like you to come. We may never be together like this as a family again, and won't you please reconsider?"
84. When I heard that, I was touched and realized how very important it was for Peter's parents to see him. I said, "You know what? We didn't really pray about that decision! We just made the decision on our own, looking at the circumstances and going by our natural reasoning and what we thought was right. I think we should see what the Lord has to say about it!" I felt quite convicted. Whatever the Lord was going to say, I felt convicted that we hadn't really prayed about it but had just made the decision according to what normally and naturally made sense.
85. Wouldn't most of you have made that same decision? (Fam: Yes.) (Mama:) After all, Peter had seen his parents not so long before, and look at the important things that are going on! We need him here! It just seemed like he couldn't possibly be spared to make such a trip, just a pleasure cruise. Wouldn't you all have said the same thing, even going by the Letters? You can read the Letters and you probably would have come up with the same thing. If he hadn't seen his parents for 20 years, that might have been different, but he visited them a year ago!
86. So this is a case where if we hadn't asked the Lord we would've made the wrong decision. We needed to ask the Lord and we did, and the Lord said, "It would be a mission of love, a mission of mercy, but it's your choice. They would take this as My Love for them and My mercy on them, and you could show them that you love them and that I love them." But He said, "It's your choice. I'll bless you one way or the other."
87. What would you have done after you got that prophecy? If you really wanted to please the Lord and do the loving thing, then of course you're going to go! You're going to do the loving thing, the thing that the Lord really wants the most. We have lots of love, but they haven't had much and the Lord wants to show them how much He loves and cares for them.
88. (Peter: But the thing is, the Lord later said, "And while you're there in the U.S., there are all these academics that maybe you should see." And I'm thinking, "Oh man! It's one thing to go for a little four-day boat ride and back, but to visit with the academics...!" And later the Lord said, "If I had only said, `You'd better go see the academics,' it would have been rough. So I sort of tricked you into making this decision to go to see your parents, and then when you started going in that direction, then I could show you these other reasons that were actually more important!" The little things lead to the bigger things, and you have to be prayerfully going along each step of the way.) (Fam: Otherwise you could've missed God's will.) (Update: And besides visiting the academics, the Lord had Peter there so he would be available to visit with those involved in the Austin traffic accident!)
89. (Mama:) Peter had seen some of the academics last year as well, but the Lord said that these folks are going to need the strengthening. They're going to need the faith, because this is a new day and I'm showing you new and radical things. They're going to be scorned and ridiculed and mocked for continuing to study us and for telling the truth and explaining that we are normal people who have strong faith in Jesus, and they're going to need the faith to do it. So they're going to need to see Peter, they're going to need to see our leadership, they're going to need to be able to touch us and feel us and hear us and see us and realize that we're still okay people, we're normal--at least we're halfway normal!--Ha!--And that we're not weird and they can converse with us and relate to us.
90. Peter is going to have to discuss these things with them and put their minds and hearts at ease, to reassure them that we are still on the right track and that we have very good, Godly reasons for the things we're doing. To the Lord that's very important--much more important than his even going to see his parents. But because we were open to that and made the right decision about his parents, then the Lord was able to work and will be able to strengthen these academic friends!
"Ask Me About My Sheep!"
91. I made another decision about another situation, but I wasn't sure of the answer and I felt convicted that we weren't asking the Lord specifically about it. So I said, "Okay, Gabe, maybe you should get together with someone and hear from the Lord specifically about it." --And he did, and I was wrong!--Which I suspected maybe I was, and that's why I wanted to ask the Lord about it! It had been a tentative decision and I was a little doubtful about it. So I was real thankful when the Lord gave the answer which was different than what I was deciding!
92. In this prophecy the Lord said to Gabe, "How can you know the needs of your sheep unless you ask Me?--Because sometimes they won't even tell you! You can't be a good shepherd unless you ask Me about the needs of the flock." How about that? Sometimes the sheep won't even tell you. Of course, that doesn't mean you guys should never speak up again and not say what's on your heart and expect Gabe to ask the Lord every time, "What are they thinking? What do they want?" But the point is that the Lord says, "Ask Me about My people, ask Me about My sheep. Ask Me what they need and I'll tell you!"
However You Do It, Be Sure You're Hearing from the Lord!
93. (Gary: May I ask another question? I'm simply trying to find some answers that I think will be applicable on a broader scope. Prophecy is a wonderful thing and I know we get wonderful answers when we ask the Lord for things, and the Lord's sworn to give it. But it seems that "asking the Lord for things" is sort of a broad phrase, and it could mean you pray and the Lord speaks to your heart, or you ask the Lord to speak through the Word or through prophecy or however. And it seems to me that the Lord's still going to continue to answer your request in different ways, and not only through prophecy.
94. (I'll give an illustration: Let's say our finance man sends us a message and asks a question about finances. I don't have a clue what the answer is. The parallel or illustration I'll use here is that I call Peter on the intercom and I say, "Did you see the finance question?" And he says, "Yes." And I say, "Is the answer yes or no?" And Peter says, "Yes." That's a real simple answer like the Lord could give us in prayer. But Peter could have chosen to speak for 15 or 20 minutes on the intercom explaining all the reasons that the answer to the question is yes. That would be the equivalent of a beautiful, long, flowing prophecy with many details added.
95. (Or Peter could've suggested, "Go look in the Charter, page 147." That would be the equivalent of the Lord saying, "Go look in ML such-and-such." I guess what I'm saying is, we have to be open, because the Lord's answer might come in different forms.) (Mama:) Yes, exactly. That's what the Lord says: There are all kinds of different ways to hear from Him.
96. (Gary: I guess I misunderstood. I thought there was such an emphasis on prophecy that you were suggesting the Family should really try to get the elongated version on everything. And that's why I'm saying that in some cases, practically speaking, people will be less inclined to do that. There are certain cases in which you have to get the long answer and you have to really seek the Lord and get the prophecy. But maybe there are times where the abbreviated answer is acceptable.) (Mama:) Right.
97. If you get a definite answer that you're sure is from the Lord, and it comes a different way, then you don't have to get a prophecy. Like tonight I was wondering, "Which prophecies should I read first? What should be the order of the meeting?" and I just felt that I should do one above the other first. I didn't have to have a prophecy to decide that because I just felt that that was the way to do it! There are a lot of things we pray about and we feel sure about, we get a definite answer; not in direct words, but in assurance in our heart and mind of what the Lord's will is. The Lord could even show you by a verse.
98. The point is, however we do it, we need to be sure that we're hearing from the Lord! And if we're not sure, we'd better do something to make sure we are sure! You may just want to ask the Lord for a verse or a MO quote. But the thing is, the Lord has given us this beautiful gift that we can avail ourselves of, so why not use it?--Not for everything, we wouldn't have time, like you say. We don't have time with every decision we make to be in an hour-long prophecy session. There are a lot of things that come up that I suppose we could ask the Lord for a verse for instead of a prophecy. If you don't have time, just get a verse, or something that you know is a definite answer to your question. However, sometimes the Lord won't be able to say everything He wants to say in one little verse, and will want to give you more details in the form of a more lengthy prophecy. But we need to get something definite from the Lord however we do it, and know it's the Lord!
The Key Is to Stop, Look and Listen!
99. (Peter: In some of the various prophecies the Lord gave earlier, He indicated that we should listen to the whispers. He said, "Stop in the hallways and hear My whispers!" It seems that the main thing the Lord is concerned about is that we are stopping and that we're taking time and that we're asking Him. He has indicated quite frequently of late about hearing His voice and the voice of the whispers. In some of the prophecies we've gotten here, the Lord said that there are all these people around in the Spirit World that want to help.
100. (In the prophecy we read tonight, the Lord said to put our antennas up and get it! If we get it, then we'll be operating according to what He has for us, whether we get it in direct prophecy or through the voice of the whispers or because we're reading the Word. In any of those cases we're stopping and we're asking and we're seeking, and that seems to be one of the major keys. But like Mama said, there is a beautiful gift to avail ourselves of, and if you have the gift of prophecy you should use it to help you in your service for the Lord when you need to. As Gary said, it won't be necessary to get a prophecy for every single thing, but you should ask for the Lord's guidance in some form or another.
101. (One of the things the Lord gave was, "Stop and pray about what you should do. When you have your to-do list, let Me show you the different things that you should do first, and when you're done with those, ask Me again." So it seems that He is indicating that He wants us to do a lot more stopping and listening and tuning in rather than just kind of putt-putting along. So the main key is the stopping and the looking and the listening, and then how the Lord answers is up to Him.)
102. (Mama:) Peter and I have a lot of decisions to make in a day, and we probably only ask the Lord to speak in prophecy twice at the most each day. That should show you that we're not making all our decisions via prophecy. We do keep a little list of things to pray for, and throughout the day, if I feel like I'd like to pray for something, I put it on the list. But in 24 hours a day and with all the things that we have to decide, if we just ask the Lord to speak in prophecy once or twice at the most, I wouldn't say that's excessive. We have to ask the Lord things that often because we have very major decisions to make which affect the whole Family. I don't imagine others will need to hear in prophecy as much as we do. Not everyone would have the same number of decisions to make, nor would they probably have the need to hear even as much as we do in prophecy, but each person or Home will have to use this gift of prophecy in the way the Lord leads them!
103. I'd say that Peter, Gary and I make most of our day-to-day decisions based on the wisdom and the thoughts the Lord gives us when we pray, and through our prayerful counseling with others, as well as prayerfully considering the principles of the written Word. Nevertheless, it may seem like we do nothing but get prophecies, because when we come to these meetings, we give you all these prophecies one after another! However, it's not that we're spending hours and hours prophesying. It's just that we have had a lot of these prophecies saved up over a period of time, and now we're sharing them with you.
Give the Lord a Forum to Speak!
104. (Peter: Another thing too ... I'll just come up here and talk into this mike--and cuddle!) (Everyone laughs! Mama has a mike pinned on her dress by her bosom, so rather than talk into the pass-around dictaphone, Peter put his head on Mama's breast and talked into the mike. And Mama put her hand around his head. Cute!) (Peter: Any excuse I can get!--Ha! (Peter snuggling closer on Mama's breast.)
105. (Peter: We received a letter from a single mom who has seven kids, and Mama felt quite burdened to pray for her specifically. But when we did, the Lord gave a prophecy for all our single moms and about all these related situations--how the single moms should act, how the married couples should act toward the single moms, how the single men should act toward the single moms, how the Family should act toward them, etc. Then at the end He tacked on a little word to the particular mom we were praying for.
106. (So sometimes when you're seeking an answer on one specific thing, the Lord can give you a much broader answer that answers a lot of other things. That's what the Lord's been doing for us too. We'll ask something specific, but He gives us a broader answer. The Lord's answers and wisdom are much greater than ours, and once He has an opportunity to speak, then He can answer a lot more than just one little question.)
107. (Mama:) Yes. When the Lord speaks to Peter and me specifically, often He broadens it out and says, "This is what all My children are supposed to be doing." So He gets a lot of mileage out of what He says to us!
108. (Fam: When we prayed about the man we met, we were asking the Lord specifically about him, but the Lord gave us lots of counsel about people like him. He said, "Here's how I want you to handle all of them." And when we prayed about another local situation, it was like the Lord said, "Now that I've got your attention, I have a few other things I want to say to you!" He didn't just stop and answer that one question. Maybe He will in some situations, but in a lot of these things He's given us other counsel which was very helpful, and had we not asked the initial question we might not have gotten the other answers.) (Mama:) Oh yes! He does that so often.
109. So the Lord wants to speak to us, and we might be able to get the answer we want some other way, but if we don't frequently give Him that forum to speak to us directly through prophecy, it's hard for Him to say what He wants to say.
110. But if we're open, if we're waiting, if we're praising Him and willing to be quiet before Him, then He can punch through with things that He wants to get across to us that we don't even know about and we aren't even thinking about or asking about.
111. So praise the Lord! Thank You Jesus! Well, maybe that's sufficient for tonight and maybe we should ask the Lord to speak now and clarify any other questions that the Lord knows are on our hearts or that we need to find a balance for. The Lord has already told us some things that we'd like to read you that might answer some of your questions, but since we don't have time tonight, maybe we can just ask the Lord if there's anything that He wants to tell us that will help. Thank You Jesus! This is exciting!
Confirming Prophecies, Visions and Verses
112. (Fam:) "I love when My children listen to Me. I love when My children spend time with Me. I love when My children love Me. And I love when My children speak My Words, for this is a neglected gift. For I hear many requests, many of My children around the world saying, `I want this and I need this and give me this.' I love to give and I have said to ask, and I promised I would give if you would ask. But I also love when you sit and listen to Me and hear My voice and spend time speaking My Words and vocalizing My Words for the benefit of others, and putting them on a recorder, or putting them on paper, or putting them on a typewriter.
113. "Did not My servant David emphasize the importance of the written Word? I give you the living Word so it can become the written Word. So record it, write down My messages of Love to you. And as ye write them down or record them, I will give you more! I love My children who obey Me and do what I ask them to do, no matter how hard or how humbling or how much sacrifice it is. I love the obedience of My children of David."
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114. (Fam:) "Don't try to figure it out, just enjoy it! Once you've made the effort of obedience in stopping and looking and listening, putting yourself in a receptive mood, all you've got to do is leave the giving up to Me. I will be the judge on how I will answer. Your part is to stop and listen and ask and suck, as the baby doth suck, full of faith, and I will answer in the way which pleases Me. Ye do well to follow the sample of your queen, who in her humbleness is not afraid, once a decision has been made, to reconsider.
115. "Leave yourself open. For I might even change My mind sometimes, and I might even change your mind if you leave yourself open. Therefore, acknowledge Me in every situation and I will answer you. I will not fail you, for I know what ye need, even before ye ask. And be not fearful of taking too much time, for ye will save time in asking Me. Ye will save lots of time. Just try it. It works! My queen and king have set the sample for you to follow.
116. "Say not it cannot apply to this situation or that situation. For it is one and the selfsame Spirit. It is My doing, for this is the hour."
117. (Comment from Mama added later:) The Lord is saying here that all of you are to follow our example of seeking Him in prophecy when necessary. You do not, however, have to follow every detail of what we do. Our situation is very different in some respects, and you must find the Lord's will for your situation. How and when and where and how many times and for what purposes you get prophecies may differ, but the fact remains that the Lord has given us this wonderful gift and He can help us in greater ways than before, if we will use it.
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118. (Fam:) "I know what you need and I know your questions. As My Word says, before ye call I will answer. So whatever your ministry, whatever your personality, I will answer and lead you and guide you and show you the way which ye should go. But as these here have shared tonight, I want you to stop, I want you to hear from Me, and I'll speak to you in the ways that ye need, to know the answer. It may be in My whispers, or in direct prophecy, either alone in your room seeking Me and My will, or with your teamworkers, with your co-workers. Or grab someone in the hall if you really have a question, and pray with them.
119. "And you're right, that this is a new day, and it is different for you. But don't worry, you'll get the hang of it soon. Just keep trying, keep practicing, and even if you feel like you flop once in awhile, don't worry. I will bless your every effort. For I love you and I love to hear from you and I love to answer you. These times are changing, not only for you, but for the world. Ye may not always have such a strict, rigid schedule that ye can adhere to or rest on, and ye will need to hear from Me fresh throughout each and every day.
120. "So enjoy it! Start getting used to it so you can wear it like a glove that is comfortable through use and fits your form. I love to answer you in every way I know you need, be it the big things, the small things, or the everyday things. I will lead and I will guide and I will answer you."
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121. (Fam:) "Shhh! Shhhh! Be still and know that I am God. I am your Husband, your Lover. How do you think I feel if you pass by My room and you don't come in to see Me, you don't come in to love Me and you don't come in to talk with Me and you don't listen to what I want to tell you? If you love Me, come to see Me, come talk with Me. Let Me talk to you, and listen to what I have to say. But ye must come and be quiet, ye must stop by My room and see Me.
122. "Come in! Come in and lie with Me in My bed and I will speak to you. I'll give you your answers, and I will love you, and you can walk out of the room and love others, and you'll know what to do. But without coming to see Me, you just won't know what to do and you'll probably make a mess of things. So come to see Me and we can talk. And don't forget to listen well, because I'll give you the answers if you listen."
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123. (Fam:) "Come unto Me, ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Said I not unto you, get wisdom, and with all your getting, get understanding? For My understanding is what ye need. I have told you to covet earnestly the best gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy. So seek Me and I will pour My Spirit on you. I will give you the answers and I will guide you. My gifts are tools to be used in the building and administration of My Kingdom. Use them wisely as a master builder, but stop and ask Me which tool to use and when and how to use it. And I will give you peace and direct you in all that ye do. Look to Me, I have all the answers."
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124. (Fam:) "Ye cannot do it in your own strength, ye cannot figure it out in your own reasoning. For it is not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit speaking to you and through you, telling you what ye shall do. If ye shall take this time with Me, I will speak to you and ye shall hear a voice behind you saying, `This is the way, walk ye in it. Do this. Go here and do that.' I long to tell you the answers if you'll just stop and listen. And if ye will do this, your way shall be prosperous and ye shall have great success."
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125. (Peter:) "Consider the days that I walked upon the Earth and had My disciples with Me and how I spoke unto them; how I taught them and trained them and how I guided them and led them and fed them and showed them what they should do. And then when I was taken from them, My Spirit came upon them, and by My Spirit I led them and guided them and fed them and showed them what to do.
126. "And consider your David, how he was with you those many years, and how he fed you and strengthened you, how he guided you and how he showed you what to do. Now he is taken from you and brought into the Heavenlies, and My Spirit and his spirit and all of our spirits Here pour forth unto you the direction and the guidance and the counsel that ye need.
127. "And consider My disciples in the olden days, the change it was for them from My having been with them teaching them and guiding them, and then pouring forth upon them and teaching them and guiding them through My Spirit and through prophecy. Consider the change it was for them and the surprise that I would work in this way. But they had no other way to know the things that I had for them, for it was a new day then. And as they heard My voice and were led of My Spirit, they did great works, even greater works than I did. For in one day, three thousand were added, and in another, five thousand. And lo, they went over all the Earth preaching the Gospel.
128. "They did not get regular mailings, and they very seldom heard from their shepherds and their leaders. But they heard from Me, and I spoke to them and I fed them and I directed them and I guided them and I showed them what they should do. And when they were sad I comforted them, and when they needed instruction I instructed them through the voice of My Spirit.
129. "And so it is with you in these days, for it is a new day and I wish to pour forth more upon you now that your David is taken from you; and, yea, I am pouring forth. As your Pentecost Day cometh, so will I pour forth My Spirit in greater abundance upon My children everywhere! For they need My voice, they need to hear Me, they need to hear the whispers, they need to hear the voice of My Word, and they need to be strengthened through these things. For the time cometh when they will need these things even more greatly than they do now.
130. "But I cast not aside that which I have written, nor the Words of David, for these are the very foundation that ye are built upon. These are the yardstick that I have given to judge all that ye shall receive. But in the days to come ye must hear from us on this Side to know what ye must do on that side. For it now becomes too complex, too difficult and too deep for you to understand all that goes on about you. But we understand and we can lead you and guide you and direct you if ye will but listen, and if ye will but believe, and if ye will but trust and have faith that the Words that we speak unto you are Words from Heaven and are Words of God, and are instruction from us Here unto you there.
131. "Ye simply cannot know what to do unless ye seek Me, unless ye listen, any more than My disciples in the early days could have known what to do without seeking Me step by step, day by day. Why were they so successful, and why did they reach so many, and why did they spread through all the Earth in such a short amount of time? Because they heard My voice and they followed and obeyed. And so shall the children of David grow and expand and reach many with the Words of David and the Words of God. For they will listen to Me and they will fight the battles according to My instruction, and they shall fight in the power of My might because they hear the voice of the Spirit of God."
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132. (Mama:) Is there anything else, Lord? Please speak it if there's anything more You want to say. Thank You Jesus!
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133. (Fam:) I'm getting a picture. It's not too clear, but it's as though a special task force has been appointed in Heaven to help us learn this lesson. There's a picture of a right way and a wrong way. Sometimes you get moving so fast in your work that you fail to call on the Lord or acknowledge Him. The job of the task force is to slow us down when we get into that mode, to have something happen to make us realize our need for the Lord. On the other hand, if we would acknowledge the Lord in each job, then their job is to prosper us. They're like extra help we're getting. (Mama:) That's like what the Lord said in the prophecy we read tonight, that He wouldn't allow us to operate in the arm of the flesh any more, that He was going to make us all weak.
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134. (Fam:) I had a picture of a closet door and got the phrase, "Even the weak vessels have strength to reach out and turn the knob and open the door to My presence." In the middle of the closet were hanging some garments, and around them was light. The Lord was showing that the different garments were the different ways He chooses to answer our prayers or our questions, like through prophecy or His Word or other ways. We just have to open the door and believe that we won't be disappointed and that we're going to get something from Him. He's providing it and we just have to reach for it.
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135. (David:) I got the letter "Turn On and Tune In!" (ML #2087). Also the quote, "The power's always on. The message is always there. God's Spirit is like a broadcasting station, broadcasting all the time. All you have to do is throw the switch and tune in." (From "Faith!" ML #73:14.)
136. I also got the verse, "For your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him" (Mat.6:8). I got that in relation to hearing from the Lord in general, that if you ask the Lord, He's going to know how best to answer you.--Whether to give you a prophecy or to just give you a thought or an idea. The Lord knows what's best before you even ask Him, so we don't have to worry so much.
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137. (Fam:) I got the quote, "I may not know the answer, but I know the Answer Man!" I was reminded of how Mama answered someone once about how maybe not everyone has the gift of prophecy.--Though perhaps now it seems like the Lord is encouraging us all to try and receive it. But Mama said how this person was such a sweet, loving shepherdess, and although she may not be hearing from the Lord through prophecy, that the Lord speaks to her throughout the day. That's encouraging for people who might not have the gift of prophecy.
138. (Mama:) Yes, that's good. I was just thinking something similar. For those who don't have the gift or may not get it for some reason or other, the Lord said you can just grab somebody who does have the gift of prophecy, and pray with them! There are going to be a lot of people that do have the gift, and we're all one body, we don't just live to ourselves. I don't have it myself, but it works perfectly well for me to grab Peter!
139. So if you don't have it personally, there are lots of people around that you can pray with. You probably have a roommate or somebody around. So don't worry about it if you don't have it yourself; somebody else does! It's the Lord's voice no matter who it comes through, they're just channels. So that shouldn't be a problem with the Lord pouring it on in our Homes and giving the gift to so many people and having so many channels. There's always going to be somebody around who can hear from the Lord that way, so you just need to avail yourself of that gift, no matter who is the channel. Thank the Lord!
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140. (Fam:) When Mama asked, "Is there anything else," I had a little vision that I had a few years back when we were praying for Dad's healing, of Dad being taken away. I was kind of shocked at the time, like, "What's this?" It was obviously for the future. The vision was of him being taken away, and as a result a great anointing was falling upon all his children around the world. And just as in "I Gotta Split" (ML #28) Jesus had to go to send His Holy Spirit, there's something significant about Dad leaving and an extra special anointing of his mantle coming on all of us. Dad was God's prophet, so maybe that's one of the gifts that the Lord wants to use, the gift of prophecy, and He's putting that special anointing upon all of us! (Mama:) The Lord said his mantle was not only on me, but on all of us since Dad has left. So with the anointing and the power come the gifts and the direction that we need.
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141. (Fam:) Something I personally prayed about was where it talks about the gifts of the Spirit, and it says that not all are prophets (1Cor.12:28-31; Eph.4:11,12). In other words, I was questioning, "How come so many people have the gift of prophecy compared to other Christians?" And I felt the answer that the Lord was giving was that our particular part of His Body, the Family, will be His prophets to speak the truth. I've been to a lot of churches and I've hardly ever seen anybody using the gift of prophecy, though there are a few small denominations that do. So maybe the Lord wants to use us more in that way.
142. (Mama:) You mean of all the Body of Christ, of all the Christians, that the Lord may give us that gift more than the others if we're willing to use it and be obedient? (Fam:) Yes! Also, it's not unusual that many people are going to have the gift in our Homes, because when you consider the whole Body of Christ, then it's just a small portion. (Gary:) We're like the "school of the prophets." (Mama:) Yes!
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143. Thank You Lord for these beautiful answers and Your wonderful Words! Who wants to close in prayer? (Fam: Thank You, Lord, for speaking so clearly to us, and for this time that we could sit at Your feet and suck from You and hear Your direction and Your Words. You're just so good to us, Lord, and You love us so much. Help us to learn and grow from these times, and to spend more time at Your feet seeking Your answers.--Not striving in our own strength or our own wisdom, but coming to You with things we just don't know. Give us the humility to do so, so that we can accomplish more for You and Your Kingdom. Give us all a good night's rest, encamp Your angels around us. Give us a good sleep and keep our Home.)
144. (Mama:) Amen! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Have a good night, everybody! Thank you for coming! Sorry it went a little long. (Fam: It was really exciting!) (Everyone has a little love feast, hugging and kissing each other, and Mama and Peter give everyone a hug.)
Testimony and Lesson on Reading Prophecy!
--From a Visitor to Mama's House
7/95
God bless you! I'd like to share a little testimony, as well as a lesson that I learned recently about prophecies. To be honest, I was having a bit of a difficult time reading the many GNs that have been printed lately containing mostly prophecies! I liked the Letters and the way Dad and Mama spoke and taught us, but for some reason when I picked up a GN that had pages and pages of prophecies, I would not have the same interest or hunger to read it.
I was happy when Mama started adding more of her comments and interpretations of what the prophecies were saying, since that seemed to hold my interest much better. It got to where I would just skip through the pages of the GN looking for Mama's comments in bold, and only read them! As I did that, I noticed many times Mama would say something like, "Did you see what the Lord said? Isn't that amazing? Can you imagine the great God of the Universe speaking to us like that in such a sweet way?" When I came across comments like that, I was convicted that I didn't feel the same way about the prophecies, or get as stirred up and turned on by them as Mama did. I would only quickly glance through the prophecies, trying to find the "punch line," but then I didn't usually find it until I read Mama's comments.
Then one day something happened! I was in a position where I had to read the prophecies very, very slowly. Well, actually I had to listen to them as I was checking a typed version, to be sure there weren't any words missing or any typing mistakes. At first I was frustrated at the slow rate of the tape recorder and wished there were a way I could speed it up, but there wasn't! So I resigned myself to the fact that I would just have to take my time and listen and read very slowly. But in doing so, all of a sudden the words of the prophecy became very alive to me. They had real power and life and I found myself getting excited about what I was reading! Instead of looking at it as just being a lot of thee's and thou's and poetic speech, all of a sudden I saw the Lord speaking so clearly and definitely and specifically for the situation that was prayed for. The prophecies were for Jesse, the driver of the car in the recent accident in Austin. I found myself being really moved by the prophecies and even crying as I listened and read them.
Since that time I've made a real effort to slow down and read the prophecies in the GNs very slowly and with greater respect, just as if I were hearing the Lord's voice directly, or Dad's voice or whoever happened to be speaking, and it's made such a difference in how I get fed by it! Now, several weeks after this happened to me, I look back at the way I used to be and wonder what the big problem was. I can only conclude that the Enemy was really fighting me getting fed by these prophecies because he knew just how powerful they were! He knew that if I closed my heart and mind to the Word in the form of prophecy that I would just become an old bottle and not be able to continue to move along with the Lord's Spirit, with the direction He's leading the Family now!
There have been times off and on throughout the years I've been in the Family that I've had a rough time getting fed by the Word. For one reason or another I would feel dry or uninspired, but now I'm beginning to see that it's all a part of the spiritual warfare that we have to fight. Just like Dad taught us, God's greatest power is in His Word. So of course it makes sense that the Enemy is going to fight the Word and fight our getting fed by it, so we just have to fight all the harder to overcome.
With this recent battle I had with prophecy, though, it wasn't even a matter of consciously fighting so much as it was a case of my needing to slow down and let the Lord do the work in my heart. Once I began to read the prophecies slowly, word for word and really study them, not just read Mama's comments, they were a lot more real and alive.
Thank You Jesus! I'm so glad for this change in the way I react to prophecy, as it has made a big difference in the quality of my Word time and my connection with the Lord.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family