Training & Shepherding Babes!
DO 734
2/77
1. One of our main purposes is to give good training to the babes & disciples we already have to make them more effective witnesses for the Lord. But some want a get-rich-quick policy, all for show instead of a quiet, safe, solid, long-term investment which will reap much greater & more lasting dividends in the future. It takes TIME to do a good job!
2. "Time spent sharpening the scythe is not time lost" is a good slogan for every reaper! Remember "SQUEEZE DON'T JERK!": It takes TIME to build a house! First you must lay the FOUNDATION SOLIDLY, then lay brick upon brick & stone upon stone firmly, with mortar, & you cannot do this in a hurry. The same is true of our TRAINING! (See also "Builders Beware!", No.309B)
3. If you think you can make some kind of OVERNIGHT WONDERS out of these poor bungling babes, I'm afraid you have another think coming! Even in our old schools it took us a good THREE MONTHS to shove them through the basic courses they needed.
4. Faith is not a sudden boom!--It is something that is BUILT by FAITHFUL STUDY of GOD'S WORD. Faith comes--it grows by hearing the Word of God. "Faith cometh by hearing, & hearing by the Word of God."--Rom.10:17. So you must get them into the Word! THAT'S the most important thing!
5. You've got to take the time to ground them & put their faith in the WORD first of all, not merely in their feelings. Because from one day to another they might feel different. What happens when they don't feel so good, & the Devil gives them doubts & they get discouraged? Then what will they do? They must have the WORD in their hearts & KNOW their faith & WHAT they have faith in!
6. I can fail, you can fail, the whole World can fail, but GOD'S WORD WILL NEVER FAIL! "Heaven & Earth shall pass away, but MY Words shall NOT pass away!"--Mat.24:35. It doesn't matter if everybody in the whole World backslides, if everybody in the whole World goes haywire, if the whole Heavens & the whole Earth pass away, they'll STILL keep going for God if their faith is in the Word!
7. Even their getting OUT the Words is not as important as them getting INTO the Words themselves FIRST! They'll never have the spiritual strength & stamina nor even the spirit that will sustain their bodily strength & stamina to keep going to get out the Word--unless they themselves drink in the Word & get spiritually nourished & strengthened by it themselves FIRST.
8. Our strongest witnesses, our strongest babes are ALWAYS those who are STRONG IN THE WORD. Our strongest witnesses amongst you older ones are also those who are strong in the Word, & the weakest witnesses amongst you are those who are not strong in the Word.
9. These babes will NEVER become strong in the SPIRIT unless you really ground them in the WORD. And if you DON'T feed them they're going to STARVE to death spiritually & fall away like some of them have because they didn't get into the Word.
10. So taking time out now to give better TRAINING, PREPARATION & TOOLS to our labourers is not time lost, but actually TIME GAINED to keep us from stumbling & bungling the job in the future! "A stitch in time saves nine!" A fence at the edge of the cliff built now will save us from having to dig a graveyard at the bottom later!
THE COST!
11. A lot of people seem to like to scatter seed, but not many people seem to want to TAKE CARE of the RESULTS--to patiently, PAINSTAKINGLY TRAIN THESE BABES into good leaders! Anybody can go out & scatter seed: It takes the patient FARMER to weed, water, fertilise & prune the little plant to fruitful maturity! Anybody can go out & witness & invite folks to join Jesus & the Home, but very few want to painfully nurse them through the growing stages to leaders!
12. Consider the toils of the farmer, plodding along through the furrows, stumbling over the clods, labouring with his hands patiently, tenderly, diligently nurturing little blades of grain that they may grow up, even in a day that he may never see, & bear much fruit! Such is the ministry of shepherding babes!
13. MOST OF YOUR WORK IS UNSEEN & will never be known by anybody but God & you, & perhaps a few of those closest to you. Most of your sufferings, your sacrifices & your years of labour will never be appreciated in this life, nor realised by others until the rewards are handed out in Heaven.
14. But it is surely ONE OF OUR GREATEST NEEDS: Good leaders who are concerned for their flocks--good shepherds who will lay down their lives for their sheep!--Patient pastors & teachers who have the faith, vision & burden to trudge along day after day, feeding the sheep as they gradually grow to be productive & fruitful in a LASTING, PERMANENT FRUIT that REMAINS for the everlasting Kingdom of God! (See Jn.15:16)
15. Jesus made the cost apparent when He said, "I am the good shepherd: THE GOOD SHEPHERD GIVETH HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP...I lay down My life for the sheep." And, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends."--Jn. 10:11,15; 15:13.
THE JOB!
16. The God-given job & responsibility of each of our Shepherds is to tenderly & lovingly care for His flock & FEED & PROTECT his sheep, & NURSE & CHERISH the sick & afflicted, & to SEARCH OUT the lost, strayed or stolen ones, NOT to act as a dictator, self-righteous ruler & unfeeling lord over God's heritage!
17. "FEED THE FLOCK OF GOD which is among you, taking the OVERSIGHT thereof, not by constraint, but WILLINGLY; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ENSAMPLES to the flock!"--1Pet.5:2,3.
18. HIS JOB IS NOT TENDING TABLES, but LISTENING TO GOD & giving God's orders, tending diligently to THE MINISTRY OF THE WORD & PRAYER.--Acts 6:2-4. Of course this DOESN'T mean just sitting around on his fanny in perpetual meditation doing nothing, but it requires a lot of HARD WORK, prayer, study, teaching & action in direction to see that it's done, which includes a lot of direct supervision, correction, demonstration, counselling, conferring, deciding, ordering, planning, surveying, investigating, choosing, analysing, calculating, counting the cost, seeking God for the answer, etc.!
19. It's a night & day, 24-hour-a-day job. Everybody else does their job, takes their time off, goes to sleep at night & doesn't worry, but the Shepherd has to be thinking, praying, planning & deciding all the time, at least one jump ahead of the rest, so he'll know what to tell'm to do next.
GOOD LEADERS!
20. If the POWER of the POSITION of being a Shepherd goes to your HEAD so that you forget what you're there for & you think, "Ah, now what a big shot I am!", you're simply proving that you're still a NOVICE, filled with pride, & not ready to be a leader!--Luk.22:26; 1Tim.3:1-6.
21. Most good leaders don't want to be leaders--they know what a big job it is & such a serious responsibility, & they do not feel capable. THESE are the BEST leaders, because they will not be cocky & self-confident, but know they have to rely utterly on the LORD.
22. Complete dependence on the Lord is the secret of good leadership. Let go & let God! Let GOD lead. You just be His mouthpiece, His channel, His servant, & everybody else's servant, too. For he that is greatest among you must be servant of all.--Mark 10:43,44.
23. "You CANNOT do the Master's WORK without the Master's POWER!"--And to get it, you must spend time with the Master. If you try to do it in the flesh, you might as well quit. Your own flesh will get you down.
24. For how do YOU know how to lead the sheep, or where to lead them, or ANYTHING about them unless you learn from the Chief Shepherd? HOW DO YOU KNOW WHERE HE'S LEADING UNLESS YOU FOLLOW HIM? HE knows where the green pastures are & where the mountain passes are, & where the cool waters flow! He also knows the woods in which the wolves hide, & He knows the danger spots, & you'd better stay close to Him, for I'm telling you, you don't know much at all!
25. HE'S the One Who has GOT to lead, because ONLY HE CAN! God alone can show you what to do, how to do it, & protect you in doing it, supply the needs & lead & guide every step of the way. So don't try to do it yourself. Get down in prayer, & in DESPERATE PRAYER & desperation ask GOD for the solutions, & HE WILL NEVER FAIL!
26. So the main job of a Shepherd is to keep in touch with the Lord--to begin the day with sweet music--praise & fellowship. We have to learn how to FIRST of all rest at the Lord's feet. THE SECRET OF THAT CALM & PEACE & REST & PATIENCE & FAITH & LOVE is that RESTING IN THE LORD! And THEN you just impart this to the sheep--it's a SPIRIT--you impart that very atmosphere.
27. "COME UNTO ME, all ye that LABOUR & are heavy laden, & I will give you REST. Take My yoke upon you & learn of Me; For I am meek & lowly in heart: And ye shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy, & My burden is light." "Who comforteth US (first)...that we may be able to comfort THEM which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God."--Mat.11:28-30; 2Cor.1:4.
ACCEPTING NEW DISCIPLES!
28. It's quite an interesting & dangerous business to recruit new soldiers into an army! You're bound to have some failures & washouts, but we don't have to have many if we're careful & prayerful & really seek for the good material.
29. Just to rake in all the riff-raff off the streets to give them free room & board is NOT our goal. We're not looking for just ANY kind of disciples. We're looking for the RIGHT KIND who are going to make good FIGHTERS & good OFFICERS.
30. So if you ever need discernment it's when you take new people into your Homes!
--SOME GUIDELINES TO FOLLOW--
31. (A) A RESPONSIBLE LEADER WITH THE GIFT OF DISCERNMENT SHOULD CHECK THEM OUT THOROUGHLY AS TO THEIR SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE. They've got to be SAVED & FILLED with the Holy Ghost & absolutely desperately wanting to serve the Lord, just DYING TO SERVE GOD & willing to absolutely FORSAKE ALL to do it, then & there on the spot, to prove it!
32. The incentive or the attraction of Home living is NOT enough! They have got to really love the LORD & love SOULS! These should be some of the FIRST ACID TESTS BEFORE THEY JOIN, or they DON'T join!
33. (B) MAKE IT TOUGH! Ruth had to beg Naomi to take her! (Ruth 1:16-18) Tell them of the HARDSHIPS! "It's come & die for Jesus!" Tell them they're going to have to wash dishes & clean toilets, sweep floors & peel potatoes, & you'll be amazed how well that weeds out a lot of half-hearted people!
34. Simply warn them that it's going to be hard. But don't load them down with the deeper heavier things like, "Would you be willing to give up or share your wife or husband?" You don't ask a baby before it's born if he's going to be willing to do something!
35. (C) Stick a copy of "THE REVOLUTIONARY RULES" in their hand & say, "Sit down & read this & beware! This is a hard life & not for everybody. You may not even like it, & we may not like you!" These rules are just as good TODAY as they EVER were, & ought to be applied as a STANDARD RULE to EACH NEW DISCIPLE.
36. (D) Then have a meeting with your Home Council & LOOK HIM OVER & talk to him, & if all agree to give him a chance, then his NEXT step to prove it is to go home & get all his stuff & his bank accounts & his money & everything else & turn it over then & there, FORSAKE ALL & MOVE IN!
37. (E) You should also have some kind of PHYSICAL EXAMINATION for them. This would NOT be with the idea of refusing them, but to have immediate & definite PRAYER ABOUT ANY PHYSICAL PROBLEMS they have, & ask the Lord to deliver them before they spread anything contagious to the rest of the camp. particularly those which can be spread by mouth, sex, dirty dishes, dirty linens, & the various forms of vermin such as lice, cooties, crabs, bedbugs & similar creepy crawlers!
38. A PHYSICAL EXAMINATION & immediate action on a contaminated disciple could prevent further infection of the whole Home & a lot of later grief. Stop it BEFORE it gets started!
39. (F) REMEMBER ALSO THAT AS A MATTER OF SECURITY, no new disciple, if he's a genuine sincere disciple, should object to a thorough search of both his person & his belongings before he enters a Home, for things such as drugs, weapons, pornographic materials, etc. Better SAFE than SORRY!
40. (G) It should be a rule to TAKE THEIR PICTURE & GET THEIR TESTIMONY the first day. You can tell a LOT by a person's life history & testimony.
41. (H) We still also cannot accept underage children without written & preferably notarised permission, nor those with LEGAL PROBLEMS which might endanger your whole Home. Again, I say, we cannot risk the whole Army for one soldier's personal problems! Doing so can get your whole work in trouble & give it a bad name with the authorities & turn them against you. Please DON'T do it!
42. (I) Regarding their PARENTS & RELATIVES: You're bound to have SOME trouble--Mat.10:36 has promised this; but I've found that even MOST ENEMIES CAN AT LEAST BE PACIFIED, if handled lovingly & wisely. Some Homes have discovered that it eliminates most of their 10:36 problems by having their younger new disciples IMMEDIATELY PHONE HOME, & then within the next day or two having a wise leader take him HOME FOR A PERSONAL VISIT with his parents to explain what he is doing in joining & why. "Be wise as serpents & harmless as doves!"--Mat.10:16.
43. And please remember, the TESTING of these new potential disciples should be as to SALVATION, SPIRIT, DESIRE, MOTIVATION & DEDICATION--NOT STRENGTH & KNOWLEDGE. How much strength & knowledge has a little babe got? How much does he know & how much can he do? A LOT depends on their MOTIVES. If they wanna do it for JESUS, we'll take almost anybody, or should try.
WHERE TO TRAIN THEM!
44. YOU NEED TO STUDY THE GOSPELS, to see how JESUS, the Master Teacher, did it with HIS little dirty dozen.
45. Sometimes He took them up to a mountain, away from the Flatlanders, & taught them there, sometimes to a desert place, sometimes to the wilderness, sometimes to Mary & Martha's house, or some other friends, or alone in an upper room, or in the middle of the sea in a boat.
46. They frequently had to get away from the crowd for these babes to get their classes in & be strengthened for the witnessing to come. "And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves APART into a DESERT PLACE, & REST a while: for there were many coming & going, & they had no leisure."-Mk.6:31.
47. Afterwards, they would return with Him to the multitudes & the public scene, as He taught them how to witness, how to minister, how to answer, how to evade the Enemy & how to lead & feed the sheep! He taught them, led them & showed them how, & gave them a variety of experience, so they would be WELL PREPARED for the battles ahead!
48. So take YOUR little babes, the children you have begotten in the Lord, to some quiet little nest, away from the hubbub of the pit & the babble of the crowd, if & when you can, to some mountaintop, some wilderness, some quiet place, close to God's glorious Creation--where they can marvel at the work of His Hands, & see Him in His Handiwork, understood by the things that are made, so that they may know God & glorify Him AS God, & be thankful, & have their simple hearts enlightened, & though professing to be fools, they will become wise! Hallelujah!
49. I hope the Lord will help you to work this out, adapting it according to the situation in each case. This will also remove them temporarily from the scene of dangerous action, confrontation, conflict, the majority of enemies, 10:36ers, former friends & associations, & the awful atmosphere of the Pit, as well as into a safer, quieter place to be nurtured by the Lord. THINK ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! And SEE how the LORD LEADS
--ON THE ROAD, OR IN HOMES?--
50. A leader, if he has to, can train his babes full time on the road--but for God's sake, DON'T do it unless you HAVE to! No battlefront general in his right mind wants to have to nurse babes, & train raw recruits with one hand, while he's trying to fight the Enemy with the other.
51. Doing this OCCASIONALLY under special circumstances, or in an EMERGENCY I can understand, particularly when PERSECUTION or the superior forces of the Enemy drive you more or less underground. But doing this as a regular thing can be a little bit hard on both team members & the new babes!
52. A rolling stone gathers no moss, because when you're TRAVELLING, you haven't much time to STUDY, TEACH & TRAIN, & ESTABLISH! It's hard for mothers to travel with babies; even most creatures that God has made have to have a little nest, lair, or burrow once in a while in which to safely rear their young until they're strong enough to be thrust out into the World on their own.
53. This is the whole idea of Colonisation, instead of scatteration--to give the young babes the time & place to grow strong, & their leaders an opportunity to learn responsibility.
--SMALL HOMES & BABES' RANCHES--
54. I still think the small Home's the best place to train babes! When it comes to actually PASTORING them, TEACHING them, FEEDING them, & giving them the INDIVIDUAL CARE & WATCHFULNESS of their growth that's necessary, even JESUS couldn't properly care for more than 12! I'm CONVINCED that a congregation of 12 is the ideal, GOD'S IDEAL.
55. But these big Babes' Ranches are for the birds, whom you just don't have any other place to put to roost temporarily, & should be more of an emergency situation than permanent, a temporary patch to the problem until you can get them to a SMALL HOME.
56. Of course, some Babes' Ranches ARE small Homes, primarily for the purpose of training babes, which is GOOD, but the DANGER is that they have a tendency to grow into bigger & bigger Homes until we have a new retarded MONSTER on our hands. Don't let it happen to YOURS!
57. However, in the event of MANY NEW DISCIPLES COMING IN & A SHORTAGE OF HOUSING, we believe that the BABES' MINISTRY & the TRAINING OF BABES, BABES' HOMES, could be a RARE EXCEPTION TO THE 12-MEMBER MAXIMUM, ANTI-BLOB RULE. It's like this....
58. In the PIONEER DAYS ORIGINALLY THE PARENTS WOULD TEACH THEIR OWN CHILDREN IN THEIR OWN HOME. Then the little local community found that not all the families had the brains & the teaching ability to teach their own children. So the first thing they did was to turn them over to the local pastor who had an education & was usually a good teacher.
59. It had to become a COOPERATIVE COMMUNITY EFFORT. It was a job that individual families, or in this case let's say individual Family Homes, cannot do on their own very well if they are not equipped or they haven't got the talent or the teachers or whatever.
60. But I think we ought to TRY TO GET AWAY FROM IT IF WE CAN. We're for the most part trying to encourage them that they can teach their own babes.
61. We just have to do the most practical thing, whatever it is, the SENSIBLE thing. We've got to judge each case on its own merits.--But I think even these training Centers should each be divided into SEPARATE SMALL HOMES, even if they're on the same property, for better supervision, as I just don't believe you can get over a DOZEN people together & pastor them properly.
SCHEDULES FOR BABES!
62. Schedules are always one of your major problems & scheduling has been an important part of the job from the beginning. We have found that the FOUR MAIN SCHEDULES that need to be worked out immediately to make sure that everyone & everything are taken care of properly are:
63. (A) THE DAILY SCHEDULE--Hour-by-hour for everybody--when to get up, devotions, witnessing, studies, meals, work, meetings, free time, sleep, etc.
64. (B) THE WORK SCHEDULE--If you don't schedule the work details in your Home but rely only on volunteers, you'll soon find out that the willing-spirited are always volunteering, whereas the slothful are always willing to loaf!--So we have found it necessary to schedule it to be fair to all, & to give all the proper training & experience.
65. (C) THE WORD TIME SCHEDULE--When to have quiet study-time, memory-time, group sessions, Bible studies, etc.
66. (D) THE WITNESSING & LITNESSING SCHEDULE--Which has to specify what days, what times, where, what teams, etc.
67. These schedules will all vary according to your numbers, local situation & needs, witnessing opportunities, new disciples being taught, general work of your Home & its purposes, the weather, time of year, transportation, personnel, etc.
68. If you are an actual BABES' TRAINING HOME, you should have LESS WORK, MORE WORD & MORE PLAY--maybe even more MEALS & SLEEP! Baby the Babes!--With a maximum of 3 to 4 hours of labour daily, & a minimum of 3 to 4 hours of Word time daily, plus Devotions, Freetime & Happy Time (music, singing, dancing, sharing, testimonies, slides, tapes, etc.).
69. All work & no play makes a very dull STUDENT, & an even worse WITNESS, & lack of consideration for our human weaknesses & the needs of the body does not encourage loyalty or faithfulness. JESUS taught shepherdly leading, or SHEEP-LEADING, not slave driving! How about YOU?
70. So please try to temper the wind of your schedule to a warm gentle breeze to these dear little newly-shorn lambs, bare babes, who have only recently forsaken all their wool & are born naked to the blast of the wolves without, from which you must shelter them in these early stages!
71. EVEN IN THE EARLY DAYS OF THE SOUL CLINIC, WE KEPT THEM IN FOR AT LEAST TWO WEEKS OF DISCIPLESHIP TRAINING & NURSING IN THE WORD, to give them time to grow at least a little fuzz to protect them from the System, in their first witnessing expeditions, to give them time to grow a little, love a little, know a little & be strengthened a great deal, before sending them forth as sheep in the midst of wolves, praise the Lord! I hope you're listening & learning & loving, heeding & doing! Are you? (For our complete, detailed L.T. class on this subject, please refer to Letter No. 106: "Schedules".)
FEEDING THE SHEEP!
--THE MO LETTERS--
72. WHETHER YOU OR YOUR SHEEP REALISE IT OR NOT, ONLY MO LETTERS & THE LORD CAN KEEP US UNIFIED & united in ideals, actions, spirit & goals!
73. So you'd better READ & STUDY them & SHARE THEM WITH YOUR FLOCK, or you all are going to miss the original pattern that God has given from the very beginning & fall by the way like the rest of the Church Systemites. You'll make mistakes, pull boners, blunders & really blow it, if you don't stick to the plan God has given & follow the leadership He's anointed & appointed!
74. For HOW can they do the job without the INSTRUCTION & TRAINING they need?--And the main source of this specific instruction on nearly every subject is in the LETTERS!
75. "And I will set up ONE SHEPHERD OVER THEM, & he shall feed them, even My servant DAVID; he shall feed them & he shall be their Shepherd."--Eze.34:23.--And he shall give them the MO LETTERS.
--THE IDEAL METHOD: MO ON PAPER--
76. The written Word has proved time & time again to be unquestionably the more effective method. Therefore, the SUREST WAY of getting these kids taught & trained is to PUT THE LETTERS DIRECTLY INTO THEIR HANDS. We've got to get our lit into the hands of each disciple so he can read, study & teach HIMSELF if need be, by the help of the Holy Spirit!
77. This will also SAVE HOURS of UNNECESSARY CLASS TIME, which can get very boring & weary under some lifeless instructors, many of whom are NOT very experienced, efficient, or sufficiently trained themselves to do the BEST job! Why have all these classes with boring teachers droning on for hours when they can read & study it for THEMSELVES at their OWN SPEED on their OWN TIME?
78. I've said enough already--why say more? We have nearly everything they need to know in print & they only need TIME to study it! Just let'm READ it! Give'm time to STUDY it--then just TEST'm on it!
79. So for God's sake, SHUT UP & LET'M STUDY! Just stick the Babes Basic Course in their hands, give'm time to read it, & let the LORD do the rest!
80. GOD, by the power of His SPIRIT & His WORD, & through the one teacher they can take with them, LITERATURE, will try to TEACH & GUIDE them: He will use the MO LETTERS, & maybe if they'll read the MO LETTERS they'll LEARN!
--THE EXCEPTION: READING LETTERS ALOUD--
81. If the need arises to read Letters aloud to your flock (in the instance of LTA Letters, special sessions, limited number of copies, etc.) please read them SLOWLY & with EXPRESSION & SPIRIT which you have caught from them through PRIVATE PRAYERFUL PRE-READING BEFORE reading them PUBLICLY.
82. This is a MUST--to read them in the SAME SPIRIT in which they were GIVEN! They are the gun & ammunition, but the guy using them has got to know how to shoot! Don't just rip through them like a machine gun without PAUSING FOR AUDIENCE REACTIONS. Give each heavy thought TIME TO SINK IN & the SPIRIT TIME TO WORK & your kids time to ABSORB it. Otherwise you're just wasting your time. AVOID INTERPRETING! Let the Letters speak for themselves! Amen?
83. And please only read one MO Letter per session. If you stuff them too much they're apt to get indigestion, or not even be able to assimilate all their food value. The same goes for all of you Homes where I've heard you're reading several Letters in a row, sometimes all night long. This is TOO MUCH for anybody to absorb in one sitting without becoming bored or exhausted, please! Give the poor kids a break! Don't try to cram too much down their throats at one time or they might CHOKE!
84. And try not to read them so late that everybody is too weary to even hear them, much less absorb them! And please, for GOD'S sake & His SHEEPS' sake, TRY TO GET SOMEONE TO READ THEM WHO LOVES THEM, STUDIES THEM, KNOWS THE SPIRIT OF THEM, & can really read them; with all his HEART, EXPRESSION & UNDERSTANDING, so the kids will catch the spirit & meaning of every Letter! THANKS for LISTENING! GBY!
--STRONG MEAT--
85. Jesus Himself told His Own disciples, "I have yet MANY things to say unto you, but YE CANNOT BEAR them NOW."--Jn.16:12. Paul also told some of his followers, "I have fed you with MILK & NOT with MEAT; for hitherto ye were not able to bear it." "But STRONG MEAT belongeth to them that are of FULL AGE."--1Cor.3:2; Heb.5:14.
86. In other words, THE REAL HEAVY STUFF, including shocking revelations, radical revolutionary information, sharp criticism of bad mistakes, the worst kind of bad news & drastic & fanatical changes, etc.--the real strong meat for very mature brothers & sisters who can take almost anything without being offended--THEY are the ones with whom such material should be shared!--NOT the YOUNGER, WEAKER BABES! MILK IS FOR BABES, STRONG MEAT FOR MEN! God help us teachers to know the difference! Amen?
87. Therefore, you must be particularly CAUTIOUS about the materials that you give them in print, that it is only that which is designed for Babes, & that no materials, classified for Leadership Trainees Only fall into their hands until they are proven LT's themselves! Some Letters of a highly critical nature could be misused to our disadvantage.
--BIBLE STUDIES--
88. You're going to have to know some Bible, beloved, & you'd BETTER know your Bibles, & you're SUPPOSED to know your Bibles!
89. I hope you take time to sit down & READ IT WITH YOUR DISCIPLES & your babes & followers in your Homes, & that you minister to them the good Word of God as much as possible.
90. THEY'VE GOT THE LETTERS & they are pretty EASY to understand, & you don't really have to explain them very much. But you might have to SIT DOWN WITH THEM once in a while & READ THEM THE BIBLE & TRY TO MAKE IT CLEAR & EASY TO UNDERSTAND. They can read the Letters anytime themselves, but they might need HELP with the BIBLE.
--TIPS TO TEACHERS--
91. BEFORE you, the Shepherd, go before your little sheep to guide them, YOU SHOULD KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING. You should come from the very presence of God speaking as the oracles of God, from a full heart! PTL! (See 1Pet.4:11)
92. YOU SHOULD PREPARE & feed them from a well-stocked larder of STUDY, PRAYER & EXPERIENCE, along with a few good NOTES to remind you what to say if necessary, so you won't miss anything, or forget something that God told you to tell them.
93. If you're teaching directly from a Scriptural text, which you've previously studied & prayed over, the text itself may be sufficient to remind you of the thoughts God gave you on it; but you'd best jot them down, or CIRCLE a KEY WORD here or there, UNDERLINE, or write a WORD OR TWO IN THE MARGIN to remind you. This is what I usually do when I'm teaching Bible passages--& the best notes are kept in the margin of your Bible, which you're not likely to lose.
94. And try not to dwell too much on theories! Babes may not be able to tell the difference, so we have to watch what we feed them, & differentiate between the two! Babes have to take whatever you give them until they're old enough to know the difference! So let's LOOK OUT WHAT WE FEED THEM, & be sure to EXPLAIN THE DIFFERENCE between facts & fancy, truth & fiction, doctrine & theory!
95. Watch out for some of those unauthorised & spurious interpretations by some! Watch out for those who teach things you haven't heard from me in WRITING! I'd be LEERY of anything that is TOTALLY NEW & NOT in the BIBLE or not in the MO LETTERS! You've got to watch out about misinterpreting what people say, twisting our words.
96. AND, AS I TRIED TO PUT ACROSS TO THE MUSICIANS IN "SOCK IT TO ME!", MAY WE NEVER BE GUILTY OF ROUTINE, HO-HUM, WHAT-A-WEARINESS CLASSES! Even the most factual teaching should be ALIVE IN THE SPIRIT, VITAL, STARTLING, AWAKENING, CHANGING! If it doesn't make somebody glad, mad or sad, it's a failure! Get EXCITED! Do something! Don't just sit there droning your audience to sleep!
--MEMORY WORK--
97. Another very IMPORTANT part of our basic training programme has always been SCRIPTURE MEMORISATION. THE MIND IS LIKE A COMPUTER: It has to be filled with SOMETHING, good or bad, & our reflexes are mentally conditioned to react in a certain way according to what we have been taught or experienced.
98. IF A GREAT DEAL OF THIS HAS BEEN BAD, we have to be spiritually cleansed, mentally washed & psychologically rewired! This is done by JESUS, His WORD & His SPIRIT, "with the washing of water by the Word."--Eph.5:26.
99. The Bible says, "The law of his God is in his HEART; none of his steps shall slide."--Psa.37:31. If it ISN'T in his heart, his steps WILL slide & he'll get off the right track.
100. So please encourage your new disciples to memorise verses every week from the Memory Book. This does not require a special class--only a SPECIAL TEST ONCE A WEEK, written on their honour, or in your presence.
PRACTICAL TRAINING!
--THE CLINICAL METHOD (2TIM.2:2)--
101. The best way, after the theoretical, is ON-THE-JOB TRAINING. But if you withhold this on-the-job training from the babes because you're afraid to give them responsibility for fear they'll learn YOUR job & oust YOU, you OUGHT to be ousted, because this is a clinic, founded to give on-the-job training, to learn by doing, & to TEACH OTHERS TO TEACH OTHERS to take their place!
102. We are to teach by the Clinical Method, LEARNING BY DOING, with someone SHOWING you how to do it. To do this, the Shepherd has to spend time with his sheep.
103. The Lord uses the leader to GUIDE & SHOW them the way, what they're to do. In other words, you don't have to pick up the whole flock of sheep & carry them up the mountain yourself. You just show them the way to go, & then they have to putt putt along under their own steam.
104. As mentioned earlier in this lesson, a vital part of their training is teaching them to be faithful WITNESSES for the Lord so they can carry on no matter WHAT happens. We must teach them to be REAL SOLDIERS who know how to fight, how to use the weapon of the Word & how to wield it!
105. How YOU witness to & minister to others is a good clinical illustration to your sheep of how THEY should do it & will be a valuable asset & visible lesson for them. The GREATEST SHEPHERDS are those who call their sheep to FOLLOW where THEY themselves are going: SAMPLES, NOT JUST SERMONS!
106. The same principle applies to litnessing: No Shepherd should expect more of his SHEEP than he does of HIMSELF ! So no QUOTAS should be set for litnessing which do not include both the HOME SHEPHERD & his SHEPHERDESS! And NO QUOTAS should be set for ANY Home by any higher authority than the LOCAL HOME COUNCIL of THAT particular Home itself.
107. I DO think you ought to encourage them to do their best, but I DON'T think you ought to just needle them & drive them & whip them. I don't like to push them so hard unless they push themselves. Besides, Babes' Centers are not expected to get in so much witnessing, decisions or disciples anyway-but to TRAIN!
108. And please try not to send them out witnessing for hours in the cold, or you may kill both your kids & their witnessing object before he's had time to make a decision--that could land them both in the grave! COLD WINTER WEATHER definitely makes it more DIFFICULT to litness & witness outdoors in the Northern climes, so have a heart & find some WARM INDOOR SPOTS where they can keep their minds on the Lord & the lost, instead of their lungs, larynx, lumbago & freezing limbs! Either that, or obey "802 SOUTH"!
--GIVING'M RESPONSIBILITY--
109. The everyday manual labour of Home operation & maintenance is an essential part of their training, & if they can't pass THAT test, they'll never make it. He that would be chief among you must be servant of all. The Son of Man Himself came NOT to be ministered UNTO, but to MINISTER.--Mat.20:28.
110. If they don't learn THIS lesson, they'll never learn ANYTHING--& head-stuffing with a lot of Scriptures & Bible Prophecy, facts & figures & theories won't mean a thing. This is one of those cases where you have to let'm "work out their own Salvation with fear & trembling!"--Ph.2:12.
111. I frankly believe in people STARTING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LADDER & WORKING their way UP to the top through every rung in between, & where we have not followed this procedure we have suffered from inexperienced & insufficiently trained leadership later.
112. I'm convinced that EXPERIENCE IS THE BEST TEACHER when it comes to leadership, & that someone who has worked his way up through the ranks from the very bottom with time-tested loyalty & dependability is the best qualified for any job for which he's suited.
113. However, the successive responsibilities with which you trust your young soldiers need NOT be based ENTIRELY on SENIORITY, but rather on priorities, needs, talents, capabilities, leadership ability, faithfulness, diligence, loyalty & even personal preference, but MOSTLY THE LEADING OF THE SPIRIT OF GOD!--"A man's gift maketh room for him."--Pro.18:16.
OBEDIENCE TO LEADERSHIP!
114. THE GREATEST LEADERS the World has ever known WON THEIR FOLLOWERS THROUGH PERSONAL LOVE & LOYALTY either to themselves or their cause--or both! The GREATEST Shepherds called their sheep to follow with a VOICE OF LOVE & PERSUASION. They should be following because they love you, know you're right, know you love them & are doing it for their sake & their good & to please the Great Shepherd of all, & because they therefore WANT to!
115. We are still strictly a voluntary army--NO DRAFTEES! Most of these kids were dropouts, non-conformists, individualists, iconoclasts, & unconventional, disillusioned youth in the FIRST place or they wouldn't have joined us!--They got tired of being forced to do things they didn't want to do & couldn't see any point in!--And you're not going to get them to trade one forced System for a new one! They just won't dig it! They're tired of being pushed around! They won't take it!
116. SO IN YOUR DEALINGS WITH YOUR UNDERLINGS & FOLLOWERS, ALWAYS REMEMBER THAT THE CHURCH WAS NOT INTENDED TO BE A DICTATORIAL HIERARCHY RUN ONLY BY THOSE AT THE TOP, without question or counsel or mutual agreement; but God's Children were intended to be a VOLUNTARY FAMILY FELLOWSHIP, COOPERATING TOGETHER IN LOVE, each of his OWN FREE WILL, & NOT by coercion or force, or slave-driving tactics.
117. Blind obedience can sometimes be TOO blind ! Any truly GOOD leader welcomes questions, suggestions & even contrary ideas to his own! "Counsel in the heart of man is like deep water; but a MAN OF UNDERSTANDING will draw it out."--Pro.20:5. He knows he needs to see ALL sides & to weigh them in the balance of his judgment, prayerfully before the Lord, & to try to agree together on a UNANIMOUS decision if possible! "And it seemed good to ALL of them!"--Acts 15:25,28. Hallelujah!
118. It was always my policy to ask you if you'd LIKE to do a certain thing, or do YOU think you should do so-&-so, or what do you WANT to do, or what do YOU think the LORD wants you to do! I USUALLY TRIED TO GIVE YOU YOUR CHOICE, within certain limitations of possibility, & let you move according to your own faith, choose your own team, set your own goals & forge ahead under your own steam!--And you got a lot more done that way, by being led of the Lord according to your OWN faith, initiative, vision & courage.
119. It's OUR business to PRESENT THE NEED & VISION as we get it from the LORD, & to LOVE & WOO them with GENTLE PERSUASION & REASONING & FAITH & SCRIPTURE & try to get them to VOLUNTARILY decide on their OWN to do what they know they SHOULD & WANT to do!-NOT COMMAND THEM LIKE SLAVES & FORCE them like draftees! We just CAN'T do it, haven't the RIGHT to, & will NEVER do well that way!
120. If their obedience doesn't come from the HEART because of love & loyalty & devotion to both the cause & its leadership, you're going to have discontent, disillusionment, dissatisfaction, murmuring, disobedience & even open rebellion!--And a lot of backsliders!
121. You've seldom ever heard me give an order, except in emergencies, that I did not put in the form of a GENTLE SUGGESTION OR QUESTION: "Don't you think we should do so-&-so, or would you like to do so-&-so; or how about doing so-&-so; or what do YOU think we should do about it?"--In order to always give you a CHOICE & make it VOLUNTARY, if possible. WE WANT AN ARMY OF LOVING, LOYAL VOLUNTEERS, NOT DRIVEN DRAFTEES! Try to LEAD your sheep instead of DRIVING them!
SPIRITUAL OVERSIGHT!
122. It is the job of you local Shepherds & individual overseers to give the sheep the individual personal attention they each need. We should never lose this PERSONAL TOUCH, so that we become so swamped in statistics that we lose an appreciation of the VALUE OF THE INDIVIDUAL!
123. Newborn babes usually need someone to continually HELP & ENCOURAGE them, assist them with their problems, answer their questions, explain the Scriptures & help them get adjusted to this kind of life! Please don't fail or neglect them in this regard!
124. A Shepherd leads his flock, but SOMETIMES in a way THE SHEEP CAN LEAD HIM. They can bleat their needs if they're hungry or they're thirsty or they need the binding up of their wounds & so on. The sheep need to voice their needs to let you know so that you can minister to them & supply those needs.
125. But HOW are you going to do that, how do you know what SCRIPTURE they need, what SOLUTION they need or WHAT they need, if you don't LISTEN to what their problems are when they need help? You're not going to know what they need unless you ASK them & get them to TALK. "For out of the abundance of the HEART, the MOUTH speaketh."-Mat.12:34.
126. Sometimes that's the best thing you can do for them, just give them somebody to talk to, to pour out their hearts to. It does them a whale of a lot of good just to unburden their hearts & get it off their mind, get it off their chest & confess it, believe it or not--it does!
127. "CONFESS YOUR FAULTS one to another & PRAY one for another, that ye may be HEALED."--Jam.5:16. It does them good & often helps them get the victory just to confess & tell you these things.
128. Even little things are so important! Have you ever had one word, or a smile or a thought stick with you, & the Lord use it to cheer your whole day, or help you get the victory over something? Well, these kids look up to us with such TRUST & such FAITH, such HOPE that we have the answer--just one smile or nod or interested look from you can really encourage them & help pull'm through!
129. And remember, it doesn't always happen right away: You have to KEEP lifting & loving & laughing & dancing & singing & studying & witnessing & talking to them. You've got to KEEP HELPING THEM. It's often quite a STRUGGLE.
--SOME PROBLEMS & SOLUTIONS--
130. To have a few occasional personality clashes is understandable, but love never fails, & if the machinery is well oiled with the LOVE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, it will operate smoothly & quietly without squeaking & screeching, run faster & more efficiently, wear well & last longer, & not wear out, burn up, get hot, or explode with internal friction, which causes many breakdowns! LOVE, HUMILITY & PRAYER SOLVE ALL PROBLEMS! It NEVER FAILS!
131. Remember also, CHANGE is one of the seven basic needs of human happiness! Variety is the spice of life, & maybe they're just bored with you, your routine, their job, or the scenery! Maybe you haven't given them enough responsibility to satisfy or challenge their capabilities, & keep them busy. If you keep'm busy enough with OTHERS' problems, they won't have time to worry about their OWN--or maybe they NEED a change!
132. But when someone starts MURMURING or TALKING ABOUT GOING BACK TO THE PIT--that's ANOTHER STORY! Like the Children of Israel, murmuring is the first sign of WANTING to turn back. It's USUALLY a sign that they are ALREADY looking back, & the next step is to GO back.
133. It doesn't pay to try to gloss this trouble over, or just turn your back on it & ignore it & hope it'll go away or they'll just get over it! YOU MUST DEAL WITH THE DISEASE OF MURMURING, have it out, LOVINGLY but FIRMLY, as well as the DISEASE OF NOSTALGIA, which is LOOKING BACK. It may be just a TEMPORARY ATTACK which you can sweetly help them overcome with love & sympathy & kind words, or it may be a PERMANENT DISEASE because they're not worthy of Him!--Luk.9:62.
134. In EITHER case, YOU, THE LEADER, ARE THE SOUL DOCTOR & YOU MUST FIND OUT what the real trouble is, whether curable or incurable. If INcurable, you must act QUICKLY & get them gently but firmly OUT OF THE CAMP as soon as possible before their critical, negative & half-hearted rebellious attitude spreads to others who are weak.
135. I don't think I ever talked to a potential BACKSLIDER for more than a FEW MINUTES, except for a few rare cases by special revelation! As soon as I had talked to them long enough to find out that they really WANTED to go back, I HELPED them to leave as quickly as possible.
136. ANOTHER POINT TO ALWAYS REMEMBER IN YOUR DEALINGS WITH PROBLEMS: YOU CAN'T FORCE ANYBODY TO GET THE VICTORY. If they will do THEIR part & forsake their sins & make the right choice to do God's Will, HE'LL give it to them.--If NOT, NOBODY can! I don't care how many hours of counselling you waste on them, they either choose to GET it, or they DON'T!
137. And please don't forget that everybody makes mistakes, everybody has a few problems including you & me, & God's merciful & He gives us a little probationary time. But "he that being OFTEN reproved" & STILL doesn't improve, but "hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be DESTROYED, & that without remedy".--Pro.29:1.
--DISCIPLINE--
138. No man's army is worth a hoot without disciplinary action against the wayward! And if there's anything any soldier has got to learn to do, it's to be able to take a cussin' out for his mistakes by his commanding officer, & say, "Yes, Sir; thank you, Sir; & what next, Sir?"--even if it hurts! This is a WAR & we have little time for sensitivity, nursing our wounds or hurt feelings! We must FIGHT ON!
139. So we need discipline, but it must ALWAYS be tempered with LOVE & MERCY.-Remember that prayer?
140. I myself frequently scold & apply the rod, but I ALWAYS add the HEALING BALM or healing ointment AFTERWARDS. I try to soothe & encourage & comfort AFTER I have applied the rod. I try to give them some HOPE that there is hope of RECOVERY & hope of REDEEMING themselves & hope of making a COMEBACK, showing my FAITH in them & the Lord that there is a possibility of RESTORATION.--Amen?
141. In the case of MISTAKES & FAILURES, & even BACKSLIDERS, you should remember the case of the PRODIGAL SON! HE WAS NOT ROBBED OF EVERYTHING & made to start from scratch, & he was STILL HONOURED as a son, & shown great LOVE & REJOICING by the Father, even feasting & dancing upon his return!--Luk.15:22-25. Think it over! I think we have somewhat to learn here!
142. The formula for discipline: Love never fails!
A.) Bawl'm out--lovingly & sympathetically, with patience.
B.) Confess you've made the same mistake-be understanding, empathise.
C.) Weep, pray, & sympathise with'm--have compassion & pity.
D.) Hug'm, forgive'm & try again. Quit trying to legislate righteousness: It's a GIFT of God! Jesus said, "I will have MERCY, & NOT SACRIFICE!"
PRACTICAL OVERSIGHT!
143. Another important part of "being diligent to know the state of thy flocks" & "looking well to thy herds" (Pro. 27:23) is to do your best to see to it that all of their practical, physical necessities are well met & supplied. Every good Shepherd must be aware of the PRACTICAL as well as concerned about the SPIRITUAL.
144. I was never in a Home but what I CONCERNED MYSELF with EVERY LITTLE DETAIL of that Home, as SERVANT OF ALL! When was the last time YOU went around to every room in your Home, checking to see if they all were tucked in, feeling their covers to see how many they've got, checking the windows to see if they have proper ventilation, checking the heater to see if it was safe? I USED TO DO THAT EVERY NIGHT IN ANY HOME I WAS EVER IN.
145. AND EVEN THOUGH YOU MAY NOT YOURSELF HAVE TIME TO TEND TABLES, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE TO IT THAT THEY ARE TENDED, & to check on everyone to see if they're doing their job, & everything to see to it that things are in proper condition, including cleanliness, orderliness, & attractiveness of your house or camp! (See Acts 6:2-4)
146. Leaders, it is your duty to frequently run around the camp & see that EVERYTHING IS KEPT GOING ! It's also your duty to see that none of the babes are neglected or mistreated & are in GOOD HEALTH both PHYSICALLY & SPIRITUALLY, IF you're a GOOD Shepherd--& not do as some have done in thinking that other things are more important than caring for their sheep!--Or you won't be a leader for long!
147. When was the last time YOU checked to find out if they had proper HEAT & warm CLOTHES & proper FOOD?
148. If you SHOW THEM that you REALLY LOVE them by thus being concerned about them & aware of their weaknesses, & considerate of their needs, they will love YOU more, too, & show greater loyalty & faithfulness to YOU, as you are faithful to THEM.
LOVING THE LAMBS!
149. FOR THE GREATEST EXAMPLE OF LOVING SHEPHERDING, JUST READ THE GOSPELS & see how Jesus fathered HIS little flock & taught His little disciples, His little babbling babes! It's beautiful! They were awful stupid stumble-bums sometimes, & they made a horrible lot of mistakes, but He didn't throw them out because of it--not even Judas: He left of his own accord!
150. Jesus was patient, loving, kind, sympathetic, & forgiving, often teaching them the same thing over & over again till they got the point; sometimes a little aggravated with them, & bawling them out for their foolishness, pointing out their failures, but, nevertheless, ALWAYS GIVING THEM ANOTHER CHANCE, always LOVING them, & not pushing or driving them, & always feeding, encouraging & strengthening them, as His little lambs, so they would grow & learn & follow & be strong, to carry on when He was gone!
151. And if YOU ever hope to become a TRULY GREAT SHEPHERD or leader you also will have to learn this lesson: TO HAVE COMPASSION ON THE SHEEP--to have GREAT LOVE & GREAT MERCY! If only we could learn this-it's greater than faith: Though we have faith & wisdom, tongues & interpretation, though we have a sacrificial spirit--our service is nothing without our love!
152. I always try to put myself in the other fellow's shoes, & not expect any more of HIM than I would expect of MYSELF, & not ask any more of him than I would want him to ask of me were our POSITIONS REVERSED! Try love & patience: It really works! If you'll remember that NO ONE is perfect, including YOU, you'll help them to do the best they can, as you'd like them to help you!
153. Disciples & babes know if you really love them or not, &, if they know you really DO--that you'll die for them, feel for them-they'll follow gladly, & die for you!
154. But if you are HARSH & CRUEL, inconsiderate & unloving, unforgiving & compulsory, you'll reap the same in return! Think it over! Read your Bible & see if this isn't true! "To whom MUCH hath been FORGIVEN, the same LOVETH MUCH" (Luk.7:47), & "if you forgive not, neither will you be forgiven!"--Mat.6:15.
155. (Prophecy): "Therefore, ye My Shepherds, can ye not have PATIENCE with these LITTLE ONES? Can ye not have the love, the gentleness, the kindness, the tenderness I had with THEE, as I took thee up in My arms when thou didst stumble, & I healed the broken & wounded, & did carry thee all day long in My bosom, until thou wast able to graze by My side?
156. "Canst thou not be as patient as I have been upon thee, or will ye be HARD & UNMERCIFUL & UNFORGIVING as was that UNJUST STEWARD?" (See Mat.18:23-34)
157. What EVERYBODY needs is LOVE! If they're not going to find it HERE, WHERE are they going to find it?
IN CONCLUSION!
158. When are you through training a new disciple?--When you have taught him how to teach others & he's actually winning souls? When he's learned how to fight? No! Our job isn't done until we've taught him where & how to establish a FOLD for those sheep & how far to go with that fold until it's able to stand by itself!
159. (David prays for the Shepherds:) Thank You, Lord, that You have ENTRUSTED them with such PRECIOUS RESPONSIBILITY. May they not take it lightly but SERIOUSLY as GOOD STEWARDS of Thy Kingdom, to realise what a GREAT responsibility & what a GRAVE responsibility it is to have all these lives in their hands, Lord, & be responsible for their leadership.
160. Help them to take GOOD care of their sheep, Lord, not to fail them nor neglect them. Help them be GOOD SHEPHERDS as YOU were, Lord, even laying down Your LIFE for the sheep. In Jesus' name, amen!
161. Did we get all the sheep in? NOT YET! There are still LOTS more sheep to come in--MANY MANY MORE FOLDS with MULTITUDES OF GOOD SHEPHERDS! Thank You, Jesus!--Many little folds!
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family