AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR FRIENDS!--From Heaven's Magic 12/86 GP 2245
Dear Friend,
IT HAS BEEN CALLED TO OUR ATTENTION THAT SOME VERY FALSE AND LIBELOUS STORIES HAVE BEEN CIRCULATING ABOUT US RECENTLY, in which some of our apparently bitter and jealous enemies have attempted to besmirch us and the good work we've been doing for the Lord. As a result, we've had several interviews in which we have answered many of the questions, excerpts of which we'd like to now share with you:
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(QUESTIONER:) YOUR GROUP HAS BEEN THE SUBJECT OF SEVERAL HEATED DISCUSSIONS LATELY. In fact, some people seem so disturbed about you that they wish to put a stop to all of your activities. You claim to be sincere Christians who are simply doing the Lord's work, but if this is the case, then why do you now have so many enemies who are determined to fight & oppose you?
(HEAVEN'S MAGIC:) WELL, AS ANYONE WHO HAS EVER STUDIED MILITARY STRATEGY KNOWS, WHEN YOU LAUNCH AN ATTACK AGAINST THE ENEMY, YOU CAN EXPECT RETALIATION!--When an army strikes out to conquer enemy territory, they can expect resistance, & to have a real battle! Because we are literally on the attack for Jesus, spiritually invading the Devil's territory & winning as many hearts as we can for God's Kingdom, Satan hates us, & that's why he attacks us every way he possibly can: To try to stop our work for the Lord!
ANYONE WHO DARES TO OPENLY DEFY THE DEVIL & HIS FORCES, TO STAND UP FOR THE TRUTH & FIGHT FOR THE RIGHT, is bound to suffer persecution!--Just read the Bible or look at history! The Bible says, "All who will live Godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution!" (2Timothy 3:12) It's a promise! If you live for the Lord, & actively proclaim His Truth, & fight the Devil & his people, & do the job God has called His children to do, you will receive persecution! Jesus even said, "Woe unto you when all men shall speak well of you, for so spake their fathers of the false prophets!" (Luke 6:26) If you claim to be a Christian, but you never have enemies or persecution, you're not living Godly in Christ Jesus!
(QSTR:) WAIT A MINUTE, I DON'T THINK YOU UNDERSTAND. The recent accusations made against your group have not been coming from "the Devil's people" as you imply, but from the churches & the church leaders!
(HM:) WELL, WHO DO YOU THINK IT WAS THAT PERSECUTED & EVENTUALLY CRUCIFIED JESUS?--IT WAS THE ESTABLISHED RELIGION OF HIS DAY, particularly their religious leaders! The Gospels tell us that Jesus mingled with & preached to the fishermen, drunks, prostitutes, tax-collectors & sinners, & that they "heard Him gladly." (Mark 12:37) But when He went into the Temple, & gave His message to the religious leaders, they mobbed Him, threw Him out, & finally crucified Him! (Luke 4:28,29; John 11:47-54)
IMAGINE, JESUS WAS PERFECT, THE SON OF GOD, He never committed a sin or did anything wrong, but look what the religious leaders of His day accused Him of!--They said that He was demon-possessed, a false prophet, a madman & a deceiver, a seditionist & a law-breaker, a glutton, drunk, & friend of sinners & prostitutes, & a destroyer of the true faith!--Which is the same sort of thing the churches are accusing us of today! (Mark 3:21,22; Luke 7:34; 23:2; John 7:12,20; 8:48,52; 10:20; 11:47,48)
JESUS SAID, "THE DISCIPLE IS NOT ABOVE HIS MASTER, & IF THEY HAVE PERSECUTED ME THEY WILL ALSO PERSECUTE YOU! And if they have called the Lord & Master of the house Baalzebub (the prince of the devils), how much more shall they call them of His household!" (John 15:20; Matthew 10:24,25) Jesus even told us that, "The time shall come that those who kill you will think that they are doing a service to God!" (John 16:2) If they could lie about Jesus & make such false accusations against Him, who are we to expect any better or fairer treatment? But their recent ravings that we are a false cult engaged in "bizarre practices" are nothing but trumped-up charges to cover the real reason why they hate & fight us!
(QSTR:) AND WHAT'S THAT?
(HM:) BECAUSE WE EXPOSE THEM!--JUST LIKE JESUS EXPOSED THE SCRIBES, PHARISEES & HYPOCRITES OF HIS DAY! (See Mat.23!) He preached what they weren't preaching, did what they weren't doing & showed great love & mercy to others, thereby exposing how little love the religious leaders had. His simple life of healing, teaching, loving & reaching the common people in the streets, markets, gathering places, etc., exposed & condemned the religious leaders for their selfishness & lack of love!--Which is why they decided to get rid of Him. (John 15:22-24)
THE MAIN JOB THAT JESUS COMMISSIONED HIS FOLLOWERS TO DO WAS TO "GO INTO ALL THE WORLD & PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE!" (Mark 16:15) This is still God's message to Christians today. He expects us to do all that we can to "preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives & recovering of sight to the blind, & to set at liberty them that are bound." (Luke 4:18) Because we are doing this, it puts other Christians who refuse to do it on the spot, so they have either got to start obeying themselves, or somehow discredit us to ease their own guilty conscience!
(QSTR:) IF YOUR OUTREACH IS GENUINELY CHRISTIAN, THEN WHY AREN'T THE SONGS ON YOUR TAPES MORE RELIGIOUS? They don't seem to talk about Jesus as much as they should.
(HM:) WHICH OF OUR TAPES HAVE YOU PERSONALLY LISTENED TO?
(QSTR:) WELL, I HAVEN'T ACTUALLY LISTENED TO ANY OF THEM PERSONALLY.--But others have told me that they're not very religious.
(HM:) MANY OF THE MILLIONS OF PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD WHO HAVE LISTENED TO OUR TAPES HAVE BEEN SO TOUCHED & MOVED BY OUR SONGS THAT THEY EAGERLY ACCEPTED THE INVITATION AT THE END OF EACH TAPE TO PRAY & ASK JESUS TO COME INTO THEIR HEARTS! Many have written us & confessed that whenever they had listened to other so-called Christian or Gospel tapes, they invariably became bored & sometimes even drifted off & fell asleep. But they said that when they listened to our songs, it was the first time they ever actually became interested & even enthusiastic while hearing a religious message! So thank God our music is different from the typically slow & somber, or flighty & insincere songs that are so common in most of the churches today!
AND TO SAY THAT OUR SONGS & TAPES DON'T TALK ABOUT JESUS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! If you would take the time to listen to one of them, you'd see that they talk about Jesus a lot!--And give His answers & solutions to the relevant problems that people are facing today. Why don't you listen to them yourself instead of going by the critical opinions of others?--That's what's wrong with so many of our accusers: Most of them have never even bothered to meet or speak with us personally, so don't even know our side of the story! But they listen to the rumours, lies & accusations spread by our bitter enemies, swallow them hook, line & sinker, & then begin spreading such unfounded hearsay & garbage themselves!
(QSTR:) IT'S BEEN RUMOURED THAT YOUR GROUP DISTRIBUTES PROVOCATIVE & SEXUALLY EXPLICIT LITERATURE.
(HM:) YOU MUST MEAN OUR BEAUTIFUL COLOUR POSTERS!--Oh yes, they're provocative all right!--They provoke & inspire people to get saved as soon as they read them, because they all deliver an important message followed by a Salvation prayer! But I certainly wouldn't consider any of them "sexually explicit"!--Unless of course you feel there is something wrong or evil about beautiful women & handsome men, many of whom are artistically & tastefully depicted on these gorgeous Posters.
(QSTR:) SPEAKING OF YOUR POSTERS, WHY ARE YOU ALL SUCH DOOM-SAYERS, such calamity-howlers, always warning about the "End of the World"?
(HM:) THE REASON SO MANY OF OUR POSTERS TALK ABOUT "THE END OF THE WORLD," AS YOU SAY, IS BECAUSE ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE, WE ARE NOW LIVING IN THE TIME OF THE END, the last days of wicked Man's rule on Earth!--And very soon, Jesus Christ is going to return to rescue all of His saved children, to destroy the anti-Christ Systems of this World, & to establish the Kingdom of God on Earth!
BUT WE DON'T ONLY TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THE SOON-COMING END OF THIS WICKED WORLD, WE ALSO GIVE THEM THE HOPE & ENCOURAGEMENT FROM GOD'S WORD OF THE BETTER WORLD THAT IS SOON TO COME! Most people today are already aware that this World is a mess & that things can't go on as they have been for very much longer. In fact, countless members of the public have personally thanked us for showing them why the World is in such a mess, & what the future holds.
TO BE FORETOLD IS TO BE FOREWARNED!--AND TO BE FOREWARNED IS TO BE FOREARMED, TO BE PREPARED! Our message from God's Word about the Future has relieved countless thousands from the horrible anxiety they previously suffered, worrying about the future. We give the World hope, & we prepare people for the future by giving them the preparation that prepares them for anything, & that's Salvation through knowing Jesus!
(QSTR:) BUT IT SEEMS FROM YOUR POSTERS THAT YOUR IDEA OF HEAVEN IS SOME KIND OF A BIG PYRAMID THAT'S FLOATING AROUND IN THE SKY!
(HM:) WE DIDN'T MAKE UP OR IMAGINE THIS IDEA OF HEAVEN FLOATING AROUND ABOVE THE EARTH, GOD DID! The Bible tells us that Heaven is a gigantic crystal-gold City that is 1500 miles high, wide & long!--And that it will come floating down from space to land on the Earth one day! (See Revelation 21 & 22!) But only those who have truly received Jesus into their hearts will be able to live within that great golden Heavenly City!--Will you?
(QSTR:) WHY DO YOU MAKE YOUR CHILDREN BEG ON THE STREETS?
(HM:) THAT IS A RIDICULOUS ACCUSATION! WE DO NOT BEG, NOR DO WE MAKE OUR CHILDREN BEG! But we do spend a lot of time on the streets & in public places distributing & offering our inspiring literature & music tapes to those who are interested. Our children often accompany us because they are a very vital & important part of our lives & of our ministry. We love our children very much & consider them a great blessing from God! We are completely opposed to selfish modern Man's methods of birth control, & are absolutely horrified by today's widely-accepted practice of infanticide or child-murder, which is so scientifically & sanctimoniously termed "abortion"!
FROM THE TIME OUR CHILDREN ARE TINY TOTS, THEY ARE TAUGHT TO LOVE JESUS & THE BIBLE. They grow up in an atmosphere of faith & love, & they learn to reach others with the Lord's Love at a very early age. This is why they are out on the streets with us, because we believe we're doing the most important work in the entire World, reaching & winning souls for Jesus!
OF COURSE, WE ALSO FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT THAT OUR CHILDREN RECEIVE A BALANCED EDUCATION, & most of them learn to read & write at a much earlier age than their counterparts who attend public schools. One outstanding comment which is frequently made by visitors to our Homes is how well-behaved, well-adjusted, intelligent, loving, kind & considerate our children are. One great advantage our children have is that their parents are able to spend much more time with them than most parents do.--Time spent reading & teaching them God's Word, which is much more meaningful & educational than sitting around for countless hours watching violent, meaningless television programs or listening to today's absolutely demonic & horrifying Rock Music!
(QSTR:) BUT ISN'T IT TRUE THAT YOUR GROUP SUPPORTS ITSELF BY SELLING OR SOLICITING DONATIONS FOR YOUR MUSIC CASSETTES & POSTERS?
(HM:) YES, WE DO RECEIVE SOME SUPPORT FROM THOSE WHO ARE GRATEFUL TO RECEIVE OUR ABSOLUTELY PRICELESS MUSIC TAPES & COLOUR POSTERS. Why shouldn't we? People couldn't possibly give enough to pay for what these tapes & posters are really worth!--Because after listening to our beautiful music & reading the inspiring texts on the back of our posters, many find the most valuable, wonderful, priceless Gift of all, Eternal Salvation through Jesus!--So what's wrong with them giving a donation? Isn't that how virtually all churches & religious groups pay for their operations & ministries, by asking for donations?
IN FACT, OUR BEAUTIFUL MUSIC TAPES HAVE BEEN SO POPULAR IN ONE COUNTRY, that it's interesting to note that one of the prime propagators of the slanderous stories against us there is a local company that produces & sells religious music tapes. Apparently they consider us competition & a threat to their market, so are therefore doing what they can to try to stamp us out!
AND SPEAKING OF COMPETITION, SOME CHURCHES ARE ALSO FEARFUL THAT WE ARE COMPETING WITH THEM FOR MEMBERS. Nothing could be further from the truth! We seek out those who are not religious & who are unchurched, those who the churches have neglected to win or been unable to reach. But we seek them out to bring them the Good News of Jesus' Love & Hope & Peace, & not to invite them to church! We don't even have a church to invite them to! We don't even want church members!--We just want happy fulfilled friends who've found the true source of happiness in a vital relationship with Jesus & His Word. In fact, we have no church members, & very few members of any kind, because we require our fulltime members to be 24-hour-a-day soul doctors & Christian teachers, counsellors & missionaries who have forsaken all else to live by faith to share Jesus' Love with a lonely sad World! There are very few people who are willing to do the job we do.
(QSTR:) WHY DO YOU REFUSE TO GIVE YOUR HOME ADDRESS OR TELEPHONE NUMBER TO THOSE WHOM YOU CONTACT DAILY?
(HM:) I THINK JUST THE COURSE OF THIS CONVERSATION MAKES IT OBVIOUS WHY WE COULDN'T POSSIBLY GIVE OUR ADDRESS OUT TO EVERYBODY EVEN IF WE WANTED TO! Do you give your private home address & phone number to everyone you meet on the street? We spend much of our time out witnessing to literally thousands upon thousands of strangers on an almost daily basis. If you had such contact with the general public, would you endanger the lives of your wife & children by the wholesale passing out of your personal home address to anyone who was interested in knowing where you live?--They could be criminals, robbers, rapists or murderers for all you know! So of course we don't just pass out our home address to everyone & anyone, & neither do you!
(QSTR:) IS IT TRUE THAT "HEAVEN'S MAGIC" IS THE SAME AS "THE CHILDREN OF GOD" OR "FAMILY OF LOVE" GROUP? And if so, why have you changed your name?
(HM:) IN OUR EARLY DAYS WE WERE KNOWN AS "THE CHILDREN OF GOD," a name given to us by the press in America during the late 1960s. Then in the mid-1970s, as we began maturing & having children & small families, we became popularly known as the "Family of Love." Actually, it wasn't until around a year-&-a-half ago, that people began calling us "Heaven's Magic." Because it wasn't until then--in mid-1985--that we began distributing our music tapes to the public. Originally, "Heaven's Magic" was only the name of our musicians who actually produced & recorded this music. But we found while distributing these tapes that the people on the streets automatically identified us with the name of our musical group which is printed in large letters on the side of each cassette box! Also, due to a considerable amount of unfavourable publicity, lies & slander against us, we found that by accepting this new name, people were able to receive our message without automatically rejecting it because of the stigma attached to our old name.--A lot of groups, businesses & organisations change their names like this.
IN CLOSING, I'D LIKE TO SAY THAT IT SEEMS TO ME THAT IT WOULD BE FAR MORE PROFITABLE FOR RELIGIOUS PEOPLE, INSTEAD OF SITTING AROUND CRITICISING & TRYING TO FIND FAULT WITH US & OUR METHODS, to get up & get out & do something to show the Lord's Love to others themselves! Surely they must read the same newspapers & watch the same news programs that we do, & have seen how desperately the people in their country need to find the Lord, His Love and His answers to their pressing problems! Instead of criticising & working against us, why don't the churches thank & encourage us for doing what they should have done?
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Excerpts from another interview:
(QSTR:) WE'VE HEARD THAT YOUR GROUP DOESN'T REALLY BELIEVE IN JESUS.
(HM:) THAT IS JUST ABOUT THE MOST ABSURD CHARGE I THINK I'VE EVER HEARD! You obviously have never spoken with any of the folks that we have talked with, performed for or led to Jesus! If you had, they'd tell you that we continually tried to turn them to Jesus, to Salvation & to the Bible!--And if you'd listen to our tapes & read our posters, you'd realise the same thing!
IF IT WASN'T FOR JESUS, OUR GROUP WOULDN'T EVEN EXIST!--In fact, He is all we live for, & we have all personally received Jesus Christ into our hearts, & therefore believe in Him as our Lord & Saviour! Our main emphasis has always been--& always will be--Jesus, & His Love & His Salvation! This is what we preach the most & what has always been most important to us!
(QSTR:) WHAT ARE YOUR BELIEFS REGARDING THE HOLY TRINITY?
(HM:) WE BELIEVE JUST WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS!--In the Father, the Son & the Holy Ghost! Why do you ask?
(QSTR:) BECAUSE I WANT TO QUESTION YOU REGARDING YOUR PERCEPTION OF THE THIRD PERSON OF THE TRINITY, THE HOLY SPIRIT.
(HM:) LOOK, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE MORE INTERESTED IN SPLITTING THEOLOGICAL HAIRS NOW than you are in the main issues which are at stake! Whether we believe that the Holy Spirit is best represented by a male, a female, a pigeon or a dove is not all that important, is it? The religious world has wasted centuries arguing & debating over such doctrinal differences, & the sad results are evident: A pitifully divided Christendom! The Baptists don't agree with the Catholics, & the Catholics don't agree with the Methodists, & the Methodists don't agree with the Presbyterians, & the Presbyterians don't agree with the Seventh-day Adventists, etc., etc., etc.!
JESUS TOLD THE SCRIBES & THE PHARISEES, "YOU BLIND GUIDES! You strain at a gnat but swallow a camel!" (Matthew 23:24)--While straining at & arguing over tiny little gnat-like doctrinal differences, many have completely missed the main point of what being a Christian is really all about! Instead of uniting together in love for the Lord & for lost souls who are dying without Christ & His Salvation, they endlessly argue & criticise & belittle each other while the rest of the World goes to Hell! But that's the Devil's own tactic, "Divide & Conquer!" He knows if he can keep the Christians arguing & bickering among themselves, they'll never get out & do the job God wants them to, to win lost souls for Jesus!
IT'S SO SAD, SO HORRIBLE, SO PITIFUL, THAT SO-CALLED CHRISTIANS CAN CRITICISE & VILIFY & SLANDER OTHER CHRISTIANS BECAUSE OF PETTY JEALOUSIES & RELIGIOUS RIVALRIES, thus hindering God's work of winning souls & reaching the lost with the Gospel! Most Christians don't witness much or tell others about the Lord, but, my, do they know how to gossip! Instead of getting off their rear-ends to reach others for the Lord, they'd rather sit around gossiping & spreading all kinds of bad news & juicy rumours about others! Why don't we simply agree together to love the Lord & lost souls, & lay aside our petty differences so we can get out & work together to reach the World for Jesus!
(QSTR:) TELL ME ABOUT THE WAY YOU LIVE.--Is it true that your fulltime members all live together communally?
(HM:) YES, WHENEVER POSSIBLE WE TRY TO LIVE TOGETHER, JUST LIKE THE EARLY CHURCH DID! The Bible says that, "All the believers were together & had everything in common. They sold their possessions & goods & gave them to each other as each had need." (Acts 2:44,45) Through the years we have found the benefits of living together like this are innumerable: For fellowship, for inspiration, for the schooling of our children, as well as for a very economical way of life!
OF COURSE, WE CAN UNDERSTAND WHY SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE WAY WE LIVE, because seeing fairly large numbers of young men & women & children living together sometimes arouses questions in the minds of those who don't know us. But just ask anyone who has come & personally visited us, & they will tell you of the good results of our united, cooperative lifestyle, how well-behaved & well-adjusted, talented & bright our children are, the sweet spirit of unity & love within our homes, & countless other benefits that have resulted from the way we live.
(QSTR:) YOUR GROUP HAS BEEN ACCUSED OF GROSS IMMORALITY & BIZARRE SEXUAL BELIEFS! For example, we heard, & I quote from one report, that you "rationalise that sex is a normal activity & that it is a gift from God that should be gratefully indulged in."
(HM:) YES, THANK THE LORD, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE BELIEVE!--THAT CONTRARY TO THE DOCTRINE OF SOME CHURCHES, MAN'S FIRST SIN WAS NOT SEX, because sex is not a sin, but God-created in the very beginning for our enjoyment & pleasure! The Bible makes it clear that Adam & Eve enjoyed sex together long before they fell into sin, & were created with sexual organs to do so in the very beginning! So how could sex be sinful? God's first commandment to Man was, "Be fruitful & multiply!" (Genesis 1:28)--Which meant they had to have sex!
(QSTR:) NO ONE IS DENYING THAT GOD CREATED SEX as the means to propagate the human race.
(HM:) AND WE'RE CONVINCED THAT HE NOT ONLY MADE IT FOR PURPOSES OF PROCREATION, BUT ALSO FOR OUR PLEASURE! If He didn't intend for us to enjoy sex, then why did He put all those nerves in our sexual organs that make us feel so good? God created those nerves & their responses & sensations! So how could sex possibly be wrong when God made it & He designed our bodies & made our sexual organs? So yes, we believe that sex is not evil, but is a wonderful gift from God to be freely & fully enjoyed in the right relationships! What's wrong with that? Don't you enjoy having sex with your wife?
(QSTR:) WELL, YES, BUT ... I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION I'D LIKE TO ASK YOU: Is it true that members of your group think nothing of undressing & changing clothes in front of other members of the opposite sex?
(HM:) IF I'M IN THE PRIVACY OF MY OWN HOME & I NEED TO CHANGE CLOTHES, & another member of my family who happens to be of the opposite sex is in the same room that I'm changing in, I see no reason why I must ask them to leave the room or anything like that.--Do you? What's wrong with our bodies & the way God made them? Why should some parts of our bodies & their activities be considered normal, necessary & righteous, while others are considered sinful & wicked? So we have no big taboos against undressing in front of members of our family! But such nudity & openness is certainly not to "show-off" or be some kind of sexual exhibitionists!--If anything, it's rather humbling!
BESIDES, IF NUDITY IS SO HORRIFYING, SO SINFUL, INSTEAD OF MAKING A BIG DEAL ABOUT WHAT WE DO IN THE PRIVACY OF OUR OWN HOMES, why aren't the churches screaming about the displays of nudity & "indecent exposure" that are common daily on the streets of most Third World cities? On almost every corner the casual observer can find men unzipping their pants, pulling out their penises & urinating without displaying the slightest twinge of conscience or guilt! And in many cities it's a common sight to see nearly naked people taking advantage of public water faucets as they bathe in the streets! Yet no one seems shocked or horrified. Why not?--Because these examples are considered the normal course of events, just as undressing or changing clothes in front of our family is a normal & accepted course of events within our homes.--So what's the gripe?
(QSTR:) IT HAS BEEN RUMOURED THAT YOU FORCE YOUR YOUNG CHILDREN TO WATCH THEIR PARENTS HAVE SEX.
(HM:) THAT IS SUCH A LIE, IT HARDLY DESERVES AN ANSWER! We never force anyone to have anything to do with sex! But as far as children watching their parents make love, what do you think happens in the millions of families who are crowded together in cramped quarters? Don't you think the children who sleep in the same bedrooms as their parents ever wake up & see them making love? Of course they do!--Yet in spite of it they grow up with healthy attitudes towards sex--or perhaps because of it!
FRANKLY, WE FIND IT PUZZLING THAT OBVIOUSLY RELIGIOUS PEOPLE LIKE YOURSELF ARE SO INTERESTED IN & APPALLED BY THE SEXUAL ASPECT OF OUR BELIEFS! You act as if nudity & sexual relations are the most horrifying crimes & sins in the World, while many of you tolerate & accept much greater evils than these! Worldwide, so-called Christians do nothing to stop the murder of millions of innocent babies through abortion!--Or they support the continuation of a horrifying nuclear arms race that threatens to destroy all of Mankind!--Or they tolerate & compromise with the anti-God, anti-Christ theories of evolution, allowing this faith-destroying spiritual poison to be force-fed to their own children in the public schools!--Or they corrupt themselves & their children by constantly watching absolutely demonic movies & television programs that pollute their minds with violence, perversions, crime, cruelty & outright deviltry!
(QSTR:) WE SUSPECT THAT YOUR GROUP ENCOURAGES ATTRACTIVE FEMALE MEMBERS TO FREQUENT SHOPPING MALLS, hotel lobbies & even bars & nightclubs, where they use their physical charms to lure unsuspecting men.
(HM:) YES!--INTO THE KINGDOM OF GOD! WE HAVE FOUND THAT LOVE, BEAUTY, & ROMANCE ARE ALL GOD-CREATED, & can be used as an excellent means to help us reach our objective, our goal, which is winning souls into God's Heavenly Kingdom! If the Devil & almost all worldly businesses can use sex & the natural sexual attraction between men & women to promote & sell their products--as is evident in most advertisements--then why can't God use it? After all, He is the One Who created it! But instead of using their God-created beauty for mere material gain or for their own selfish, lustful desires, our women sacrificially give love, concern, care & compassion to try to show people that God really loves them! So many folks today have heard sermon after sermon about God's Love from the churches, but so few have ever seen or been shown a genuine example of sacrificial love & unselfish concern!--Someone who will sit for hours with them as they pour out their problems, who will help them find the solution, who will cry with them & pray with them!
AND YES, WE HAVE DISCOVERED THAT THE PLACE TO FIND THE FOLKS WHO ARE REALLY HUNGRY FOR THE LORD, those who are searching & needy & longing for real love, is not in the church buildings, but in the clubs, bars, discos & dance halls! That's where we've found people who are desperately searching for something to fill the aching void & emptiness in their own hearts & lives.--And we have had great success in leading countless people in such places to the Lord! Jesus Himself must have also spent much of His time going to similar places in His day, for His religious enemies accused Him of being, "a glutton, a drunkard & a friend of tax-collectors, prostitutes & sinners"! (Luke 7:34)
(QSTR:) ARE YOU ACTUALLY IMPLYING THAT YOU CONDONE THE USE OF SEX IN ORDER TO WITNESS GOD'S LOVE TO OTHERS?
(HM:) WE CERTAINLY DON'T RULE IT OUT! HOW CAN YOU DRAW THE LINE & SAY WHERE LOVE SHOULD STOP? True Christians are supposed to be examples of God's Love to the World! How else can He show His Love? You ask how we could possibly go to such extremes to win someone to the Lord? You need to understand that we, as committed soul-winners, are engaged in a spiritual war that is just as real as any physical war! When we bring the Gospel & the Love & Truth of God to people, they must choose to either receive or reject Jesus Christ & God's offer of Eternal Salvation.--Therefore, a spiritual struggle between the forces of Heaven & Hell rages over every soul! The Lord is trying to win them, & the Devil is trying to keep them!
AS ANY SOLDIER KNOWS, SOME BATTLES ARE EASIER TO WIN THAN OTHERS. Some require only side arms & handguns, while others require heavy weaponry like tanks & planes. And this is how it is in the spiritual war as well. Some people are very receptive & ready to accept the Good News of Salvation, & therefore only require a simple explanation of the Gospel, which they readily receive. But others are far more difficult to reach. Perhaps they are heartbroken over the loss of a loved one, or they have suffered other personal tragedies which have deeply hurt them, & for which they blame God.
SOME ARE VERY BITTER AGAINST GOD & RELIGION IN GENERAL because they've been disillusioned by hypocrisy & lack of love in the churches. Such people are often desperate, sometimes on the verge of suicide & ready to say, "To Hell with it all, there is no God, there is no love, all is lost!" When we are trying to reach people like this--literally battling against the Devil to try to win their eternal souls--we are faced with a choice: To give up on them & let them go, leaving them to possibly face an eternity in Hell, or to do everything within our power to try to show them that God loves them!--Not just telling them, but showing them that we care enough to give them whatever we have in order to prove our love & win them to Jesus!
LIKE SOLDIERS, WE SOMETIMES HAVE TO LAY DOWN OUR LIVES IN ORDER TO WIN THE BATTLE! But it's worth it to us & to God in order to save such souls from the snares of Satan! Many of those who have been converted through these drastic means have told us that there was no other way that they would have ever received Jesus. One man expressed what many others have also told us: "I was through with church, through with God & with life, I didn't even believe that love existed any more until you proved you loved me, & through your love & all that you told me, I came to know & love God. If you hadn't given me such tangible proof of love I would have never become a Christian!" As Jesus said, "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends!" (John 15:13) We only wish that more Christians were unselfish & sacrificial enough to do the same. But it takes real humility & a lot of the Love of Jesus to love like this, & most people are not willing to do it. If God was willing to sacrifice His Son, & if Jesus was willing to give His life, shouldn't we be willing to share our Love?
IT'S BEEN SAID THAT, "ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE & WAR," & we know from the Bible that using such extreme measures of love to win lost souls is perfectly permissible in the eyes of God! (Matthew 22:37-39) In fact, the Bible says that, "Against love there is no law!" (Galatians 5:22,23) God's only law is Love! So as long as what we do is done in God's Love, & hurts no one, it is no sin! "For love is the fulfilment of the law!" (Romans 13:8) The Bible also says, "To the pure all things are pure," & that "all things are lawful unto us!" (Titus 1:15; 1Corinthians 10:23) Jesus Himself said that if we love God & love our neighbour as ourself, we are fulfilling all the laws of God!
OUR RELIGION IS LOVE!--Our life, our message, our methods, our witnessing, our music, our posters, our everything is LOVE! "For God is Love!"--And Love is God! (1John 4:8) Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that you are My disciples, if you have love!" (John 13:35) Love is the most important thing!
(QSTR:) SOME OF YOUR CRITICS SUSPECT THAT YOU ARE MERELY USING "RELIGION" AS A FRONT, & that you have a hidden sinister motive for approaching & befriending those you come in contact with.
(HM:) HIDDEN, SINISTER MOTIVE?--HA!--THAT'S ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS! Our whole purpose for meeting people is to bring them Jesus & His Love! Here are a few actual testimonies written by people we have recently come in contact with:
AN INFLUENTIAL 53-YEAR-OLD BUSINESSMAN WRITES: "I was cynical, self-satisfied and hardened in heart. I had tried to block God out of a hectic life which had become dedicated to & dominated by business.
"ONE EVENING IN INDIA I CAME BACK FROM A LATE BUSINESS MEETING & went for a 'wind-down' drink in the hotel's bar. I started a conversation with a girl, & soon realised that my new companion was a very sincere & fully-committed Christian. My useless bar chatter was seen by me as being what it was, & we began to talk in an entirely different way. What followed I can only describe as a message from the Lord--a message which I could not refuse. It was mentally & even physically impossible to turn it aside & not listen!
"I HAD TO TOTALLY ACCEPT THE FACT THAT I WAS A SINNER IN NEED OF FORGIVENESS & SALVATION. I prayed humbly & without reservation. Since then I have been trying to show & tell all my business colleagues & contacts that Jesus loves them too. My outlook on serving the Lord has changed from being centered on so-called religious buildings to the truly definite beauty of His Word & telling others about His Love!"
ANOTHER BUSINESSMAN IN HIS 50s WRITES: "I was working for the American Electronics Association in Palo Alto, California, as the Quality & Productivity Manager, & had a combined net income of over $70,000 per year. After 14 years of an unhappy marriage, I got a divorce, but felt very selfish, & life seemed rather meaningless. When my last girlfriend left me in May 1984, I began searching for a new love affair. I found out about escort services, & how easy it was to get some love any time I needed it, & I started spending as much as $3,000 a month on the habit, seeing one or two almost every night. But the more I did this, the more dissatisfied & restless I became.
"ONE NIGHT IN A SINGLES' BAR, I WAS STANDING IN THE CROWD ALONE, & I STARTED PRAYING. I asked God to let me meet someone special whom I would love. The Lord answered my prayer that night, & I met a girl from the Family. She took me under her angel wing & poured out the Lord's Love into me. I was soon so turned on to Jesus & the Family! I began reading God's Word at breakfast, lunch & in the evening! Before, I had usually gone dancing & just kept myself very busy, but now I just couldn't seem to get enough of the Word. The Scriptures were coming alive to me, & I felt such a strong love for Jesus! I decided to follow Him all the way!"
A GENTLEMAN FROM SRI LANKA WRITES: "At this moment of time I was almost on the verge of giving up life itself, but after I read your Poster, I felt that you had just saved my life. I didn't realise that there is still so much love left in the World. Now I feel that there is still hope & that I must go on living & also spread His love to others. Thank you for giving me life again!"
A STORE MANAGER IN SOUTHEAST ASIA WRITES: "You all are the best thing that ever happened in my life! You came at a time when I really needed you most. Before when somebody was preaching to me I got bored, but with you, I don't even want to end our conversations. May God save us all & help us escape from the cruelty of this World!"
A STUDENT IN INDIA WRITES: "I received your Poster, & I was thrilled by it! I don't know how to express it! Though I was a Hindu, I now love Christ. I'm just waiting for the time when I will be able to live in such a World as your Poster describes!"
AFTER MINISTERING & WITNESSING AT THE REFUGEE CAMPS ON THE THAI-CAMBODIAN BORDER, & LEADING HUNDREDS OF THE REFUGEES TO THE LORD, ONE OF THE LETTERS WE RECEIVED FROM THEM SAID: "Dear Sisters & Brothers who have been doing the work of God & bring the Words of Love, Good News of God, our mighty God, I am a Vietnamese refugee, & have been living in this Refugee camp for two years. I have a deep thrill in my heart, when I hear the songs on the cassette which I got from a man who visited here. I listen to it over & over, I also shed tears when I hear the prayer after those songs. I thank all of you who bring comfort through these songs. I want to become your young brother & I want to share in your work too. Please send me your advice as soon as possible!"
A GIRL IN LATIN AMERICA WRITES: "I borrowed your tape with the song, 'Mother Let Me Live!' on it, in which an unborn baby is singing to her mother. I played it for my sister, who was planning to have an abortion. When she listened attentively to it, she started to tremble. After the song finished, she started crying & her heart had completely changed. She decided she would keep the baby! Thank you for such music!"
FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA: "These tapes give me so much peace! I've never heard music that gives me peace before! I have now found Jesus, & I don't need heroin any more! Thank God!"
A YOUNG MAN IN LATIN AMERICA WRITES: "I got ahold of your cassette, & never have I heard such a beautiful message as that at the end of the tape, when that woman with a sweet voice says, 'I'll meet you There!' My father died six months ago, & had a vision while he was dying which he told me about & which I feel reflected in your music & songs. I want to get closer to your message to draw from it the strength & support I need to keep on going! Thanks a lot!"
THESE DIRECT QUOTATIONS, WHICH ARE JUST A TINY SAMPLING OF THE MANY THOUSANDS OF ENCOURAGING REACTIONS WE HAVE RECEIVED FROM THOSE WHOM WE'VE MET & REACHED, SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. Jesus said, "A tree is known by its fruit. A good tree cannot bear evil fruit, neither can an evil tree bear good fruit. So by their fruits you shall know them!" (Matthew 7:18-20)
WE HOPE THESE QUESTIONS & ANSWERS HAVE HELPED YOU TO UNDERSTAND WHO WE ARE, WHAT WE BELIEVE & WHERE WE STAND! We appreciate & are very thankful for your friendship. May God bless you & keep you & continue to make you a blessing!--In Jesus' name, amen.
Love & prayers,
Heaven's Magic
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family