"...TO EVERY CREATURE!"--Mark 16:15.
--Dad's Christmas Message for 1993!
\qr DO 2959 12/93
1. Lord, we ask You to bless the reading of Thy Word & make it a blessing. (Luke 2, verses 1-5:) "And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the World should be taxed. (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem. (Because he was of the house & lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child." It says they went up from Nazareth, because it was quite a climb! Jerusalem & Bethlehem are up in a mountain range that divides Judaea.
2. (Verse 6:) "And so it was, that while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered." Just think, they weren't even married yet, they were only engaged. In legal terms today, Jesus would be called an illegitimate child & Mary an unwed mother. Think of that!
3. (Verse 7:) "And she brought forth her firstborn Son, & wrapped Him in swaddling clothes."--That's practically like wrapping Him in rags. "And laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." They were out in the stable with the animals. And if you know anything about a barn floor, unless you keep it very clean, it's one of the dirtiest places there is! One of my jobs as a farmer, & Aaron & Ho's, used to be to sweep out the barn floor every night after the cows had been fed & milked, & wash it out with a hose, so in case the cows would lie down, they wouldn't get all dirty.
4. (Verse 8:) "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night." (To Family member who has some pets:) Do you keep watch over your "flock" by night? Well, you go to bed at night. But you do go out there at night before you go to bed & watch over them, so you are watching your flock by night.
5. (Verses 9-10:) "And, lo, the Angel of the Lord came upon them, & the glory of the Lord shone round about them: & they were sore afraid. And the Angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people." Who's the Gospel for? (Family: All people! Everybody!) Yes, & He even says "every creature!" (Mark 16:15.)--So that means the animals, too!
6. (Verses 11-12:) "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger." I wonder how many barns the shepherds had to look into before they found Him!
7. (Verses 13-14:) "And suddenly there was with the Angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, & saying, Glory to God in the highest, & on Earth peace, good will toward men!" I like the Catholic translation that says: "Peace toward men of good will!" It's being offered to everybody, but only those of good will receive it. (Dad sings:)
Joy to the World, the Lord is come!
Let Earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven & nature sing,
And Heaven & nature sing,
And Heaven, & Heaven & nature sing!
He rules the World with Truth & grace,
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness,
And wonders of His Love,
And wonders of His Love,
And wonders, wonders of His Love!
* * *
Hark, the herald Angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King:
Peace on Earth, & mercy mild,
God & sinners reconciled!"
Joyful, all ye nations rise,
Join the triumph of the skies;
With the angelic host proclaim,
"Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Hark, the herald Angels sing,
"Glory to the newborn King!"
Showing God's Love to His Creatures & Creations!
8. Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Well, they've got another one to add to the list of all our "strange" doctrines now: "Oh! They believe animals are going to Heaven!" And I'm going to shock you even more! I believe you can preach the Gospel to the animals by showing them God's Love, & I've got a Scripture to prove it: "Go ye into all the World & preach the Gospel to every creature!"--And we're doing it! All your hard work in taking care of the animals & feeding them & showing them the Love of the Lord is preaching the Gospel to them, & they're getting saved.--They're certainly getting saved from hunger & the storms & the elements. Praise the Lord! We're preaching the Gospel, we're witnessing, when we're showing the Love of God to all our creatures. That's the good news, amen? (Family: Amen!)
9. The Lord said, "Go ye into all the World & preach the Gospel to every creature!"--Mark 16:15. Think of that! I don't think I ever heard any preacher explain why the Lord said "creature," & that you could preach the Gospel to animals! By your love, you show them God & His Love. Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus! So we're getting a lot of "disciples" here, & in a sense, you could even say we're winning souls! We may not be able to go out witnessing regularly because of our security, but at least we can get some of the "creatures" to come to us! We've got a regular church going here! (Family: "And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."--Acts 2:47.) Amen!
10. So that's another one of my doctrines, but it's in the Bible! It says, "The beast of the field shall honour Me!"--Isa.43:20. And it even says the trees of the field will clap their hands! "For ye shall go out with joy, & be led forth with peace: the mountains & the hills shall break forth before you into singing, & all the trees of the field shall clap their hands."--Isa. 55:12. So we could even preach the Gospel to these beautiful trees & bushes & flowers by showing them love as we care for them & tend them! How about that! Wow! And they even rejoice & clap their hands! Thank the Lord!
11. I always wondered why I got so inspired by looking at God's creation. They're just standing there waiting for us to show them His Love, & they show us God's Love, too! They always inspire me. You don't know how much it has inspired me & encouraged me just dealing with all these little creatures of His! I've felt like I'm taking care of His little ones like He takes care of us, & that they appreciate it. And we're witnessing the Love of God to them. Amen? (Fam: Yes, Sir!)
12. Are they receiving it? (Fam: Yes!) He that receives you, receives Me. Praise the Lord? So if they're receiving Him, what are they doing? (Family: Getting saved!) Right, they're getting saved, at least from starvation & other dangers from which we're trying to protect them! Praise the Lord! So we're witnessing to God's creatures here! We're showing them God's Love, making them happy, & winning their love & hearts in return. Praise God! Hallelujah! My oh my oh my, we've got a whole congregation here! I believe it! I know it! It's Scriptural! Praise the Lord!
13. So here in our situation behind the scenes, we can't go out & preach to people--a lot of whom won't even receive it & don't appreciate it--but I don't think there's one animal here that hasn't appreciated it! You'll notice that the little birds are the most receptive of all! We only had two come here at first, but now we've got scores of them coming! I mean, it's almost unlimited what the Lord can do. We couldn't go out to win souls, so we had to invite them to our church! Praise the Lord? Hallelujah!
14. I didn't know I was going to get a message on that today! All you have to do is give the Lord a chance, praise the Lord? (Family: Amen!) I never really thought it out as clearly as this before. It's kind of like that message I gave you yesterday about "Raise the Dead!" (To be published soon, D.V.)--Only we're raising the living here! Our house is surrounded with food (bird feeders) in the presence of all the sinners & enemies around us. We can "set a table before them" in the presence of their enemies. (Psa.23:5.)
15. You should be excited about all this hard work you've been doing! We didn't realise how much "Gospel" we've been preaching! I'm sure those birds look on that bird seed we put out there as wonderfully "Good News," which is what the word "Gospel" means! I've kind of hinted at it sometimes, but now it's so clear. We're "setting a table before them in the presence of their enemies." We're not "anointing their heads with oil," but at least we're offering them life-giving water to drink, & their "cups" are overflowing.
16. So even here in our selah situation, we're witnessing for the Lord! He said, "To every creature," & I never found a preacher yet that could explain that to me! I've asked a lot of them, "What does the Lord mean by `every creature'?" And most of them say, "Well, it means every soul, every person." But it says "every creature"--& "creature" means all the living things that God has created--both people and animals! We're preaching the Gospel to them by showing them God's Love & taking care of them & feeding them, & I'm sure they're thankful. They probably know more about thanking God than we do! Don't you think they have communication with the Lord? I believe it!
17. Dogs & cats are so wise, they certainly must know what they're doing, & they know the Lord. They're God's creatures, amen? (Fam: Amen!) Hallelujah! "Glory to God in the highest, & on Earth peace, good will toward men!" Shall we sing one more Christmas song? (Sings:)
O come, all ye faithful, joyful & triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem!
Come & behold Him, born the King of Angels;
O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him,
O come let us adore Him, Christ the Lord!
Hail Mary, Full of Grace!
18. And now I'm going to sing one that's going to shock you! You say, "Dad, you couldn't shock me any more!" Well, let's see if I can remember it. There are several different tunes. Lord, bring it back to my mind. I used to sing it a lot--"Hail Mary, full of grace!" (Family: "Ave Maria"?) "Ave Maria," that's it! There are two main versions of it, but the one that I used to sing in Latin is so beautiful. So if I happen to lapse into Latin, forgive me. (Sings:) "Ave Maria, gratia plena..." (Dad sings alone in Latin & starts crying.) Praise the Lord!
19. Why can't we say "Hail Mary, full of grace?" Why can't we thank the Lord for Mary? (Everybody praises.) Thank You Lord for Mary, Thy mother. Thank You Jesus! She must've been a real saint, Lord, for You to have chosen her as Your mother. Thank You Jesus! We don't worship her, but we love her, Lord, & we thank You for her. And we certainly honour her for having You, Jesus, God's Own Son! Praise the Lord! Hallelujah!
20. Does anybody else know any songs about Mary? How about all you former Catholics? Didn't you ever sing any songs about Mary? (Fam: How about "Baby Jesus Went to Sleep"?) Yes, go ahead & lead us. (Family sings: "Baby Jesus went to sleep, on a bed of hay. In a manger soft & deep, Baby Jesus lay. Mother Mary tucked Him in, warmed His tiny feet. Sang a lullaby to Him, sleep my baby, sleep.") (Dad cries.) Amen, I can remember when Techi sang that song when she was only three years old at Christmas, & it always made me cry. The girls fixed up the tree & we had a wonderful time. Those were wonderful days, & look what a wonderful young woman she is now. It was worth it all.
21. Can you think of any other songs about Mary? (Family: It's not a Christmas song, but how about "Let It Be"?) Yes, well, the Lord gave us that one for Mama! Do you remember the words? (Family sings: "When I find myself in times of trouble, Mother Mary comes to me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be. And in my hour of darkness, she is standing right in front of me, speaking words of wisdom, let it be. Let it be, let it be, let it be, let it be, whisper words of wisdom, let it be!") Hallelujah! Thank You Lord!
22. I think they honour Mary in the Episcopal church too, or the Orthodox church. I remember they built an Episcopal church right across the street from us when we were living in that big old three-story house on Bayshore Drive in Miami. I was only five then, & we kids used to go over & watch the workmen, & they would give us money to go & buy them cigars. Cigars were only five cents then. Some difference, right? There used to be a sign advertising some cigar that said: "What the Country Needs During the Depression Is a Good Five-Cent Cigar!" Think of that! You could buy a piece of pie for ten cents & a cup of coffee for five cents. Some old bums just practically lived on pie & coffee!
23. Finally when they finished building the church, my father wanted us all to go over there & see what an Episcopal service was like, & it was very colourful. They had processions & the altar service, the eucharist & all that sort of thing. We even went to an Episcopal service on Sunday while we were in Yosemite Valley. It was the only church there, God bless them, & they were having communion. That's the first time I ever tasted real wine, when they passed the cup around & everybody took a sip. (Fam: Even the children?) Oh, yes! If you came up to the altar, they had to give it to you. It meant that you believed & you were saved, born again, or what they call "confirmed." If you came to the altar you were supposed to be saved, so how would they dare deny you the cup or the wafer?
24. Nowadays in the Catholic church they don't give you the wine, they just give you the wafer. (Family: The wine is just for the priest.) Yes. They say that was caused by the great grape famine of the 12th century in France. Their whole grape harvest seemed to be cursed & they weren't able to make enough wine. And it was so expensive that in the churches they decided that only the priests could drink the wine. It was almost symbolic of the way they denied the blood of Christ to really save them from their sins.
25. I'm a Catholic, because I belong to the universal Church! That's what the word "Catholic" means. I don't belong to the Roman Catholic church, but I belong to the universal Church!
Dad's Christmas Play, Choir Angels & Red-Robed Prophets!
26. Well, this is a strange Christmas message, isn't it?--That you can even show God's Love to the animals & the birds! Isn't that what witnessing is?--It's showing God's Love to others. Right? (Family: Right!) So we're evangelising right here! The animals probably know more about God than we do in the natural, but at least we're showing them His Love. Praise the Lord! Shall we continue our Bible reading?
27. (Verse 15:) "And it came to pass, as the Angels were gone away from them into Heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, & see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us." I'll never forget the time I played the part of a little shepherd boy in our Christmas play, & I quoted a poem about, "I too would like to go to Bethlehem & give a present to the Baby. But I'm just a shepherd boy & I have nothing. But I have my heart to give." I can't remember it entirely, but it was a really sweet message & the climaxing message of the play, that everyone, even if they had nothing, could give their hearts to the Lord.
28. It went something like the little song we sing: "What can I give Him, as small as I am? If I were a shepherd, I'd give Him a lamb. If I were a wise man, I'd do my part. I know what I'll give Him, I'll give Him my heart." Well, even if the shepherd boy gives a lamb, & the wise man gives his gifts, they all need to lay their hearts before Him, right?
29. And then in the play all the shepherds marched out singing, "Away, away to Bethlehem!" In the first part of the play we sang a song, "Upon the hillside we watched our flocks of sheep," etc. And then there were some beautiful songs the girls sang, the choir of Angels up in the choir loft. They were all dressed beautifully like Angels in long white gowns made out of cheesecloth, like mosquito netting. It was about the cheapest thing you could buy, but they were just beautiful! The cheesecloth was put on over their heads & even covered their arms, just like we used to do with our red sackcloth robes.
30. We made our first red robes out of burlap that came in a two yard-wide roll. We'd cut each piece off at about 10 feet long so it would reach to their ankles on both sides, front & back. It was already wide enough to reach from wrist to wrist, so all you had to do was take a 10-foot piece & put a hole right in the middle for your head. That's what the Lord told us to do at Laurentide.
31. And that's also where we saw that amazing Aurora Borealis display! It was the most fantastic thing I ever saw! I'd never seen an Aurora Borealis come clear overhead like that & form a dome with all these rays going up to the top. Usually you just see the Northern lights sort of on the horizon. But this time there was a full dome of lights, & in this circle appeared different figures.--A dove of peace, an Angel, a tree (the Lord is sometimes symbolised by a tree), all different kinds of figures, & I called them all out.
32. It was right after a meeting in which the Lord told us about being red-robed prophets & even how to make the robes. And we were also supposed to wear a golden earring in our left ear like the love slave in the Bible, & carry staves & wear yokes. It was wonderful! It was a marvellous session! The Lord was just speaking & speaking & telling us all what we should do & how we should do it, etc. And after it was all over we came outside rejoicing, praising the Lord, & we looked up in the sky & there was this tremendous Heavenly display! (See ML #1541:10-12.)
33. We were outside of Montreal up in the Laurentide mountains, which was kind of a recreational resort area. Doctor Martin had this big camp there with a lot of cottages & halls & things that he gave us to use. He had met Big Josh on Miami Beach when Josh was leading a bunch of our kids witnessing, our "Teens for Christ." That's all they were then, but he was so enthused about us, he said, "I have a youth camp up in Canada near Montreal, & I'd love to have you come & use it for the Summer."
34. So when we were driven out of Huntington Beach, we formed the great caravan & we caravaned clear across the country--our 30 cars & 100 people--& we went in three groups--one South, one Midwest & one to the North. The plan was to all come back together at Laurentide, preaching & winning disciples all the way!
35. So praise the Lord! How did I get into all that? Oh, I was telling you about the choir of Angels & their robes, how they had the cheesecloth tied on each wrist, & when they lifted their arms it looked just like wings! They'd wave them back & forth & it was just beautiful! Mary Anderson played the part of Mary in the play, & she sang a beautiful song. I can't remember it now, but you surely would know it. (Family: Was it "Silent Night"?) We all sang "Silent Night," but the song she sang was something about the babe in the manger. It was a beautiful song, very famous. (Fam: Was it, "Away in a Manger"?) No, that wasn't the one. (Family: "O Little Town of Bethlehem"?) No. But that's another one we all sang. "O Little Town of Bethlehem" is a beautiful song with a real Gospel Message.
36. Lord, what was that song that Mary sang? You may remember me speaking before about Bob Anderson, who was Mother's good friend & was our Scout Master, & Mary Anderson was his sister & Mother's secretary. (See ML#1357:31.) She had long flowing golden hair & she played the part of Mary in the play. She sat there with the baby in the manger right on stage, & sang a song that Mary could sing as herself. Sorry I can't think of it, but anyhow, it was beautiful. Praise the Lord!
37. My father, Mr. Haas, & another tall man played the three Wise Men, & I remember that song. I loved that song! (Everyone sings:)
We three Kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field & fountain, moor & mountain,
Following yonder star.
Ohhhh, star of wonder, star of light!
Star with royal beauty bright!
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light!
38. Oh, they were really beautiful! They had big tall hats on & fancy robes. My father, of course, was a very good singer, & he led, & it was beautiful. They came in where the baby was, knelt down & gave their gifts of gold, frankincense & myrrh. And each one sang a verse of that song, "We Three Kings of Orient Are."
39. {\ul \i (Family member comes in.)} Hi, Sweetheart! I'm sorry you missed the first part of our little meeting, but we're having a good lesson on witnessing & sharing God's Love that I never even expected to have! Did you know we're witnessing here every day? The Lord said, "Go ye into all the World & preach the Gospel to every creature."--So we're preaching the Good News of Jesus' Love to the birdies & all the other creatures out there by showing them His care through provision of their needs.
40. We've even got two little "converts" in jail here--these two birdies in their cage! These are our "brethren in bonds," so pray for them!--Heb.13:3. We did let them out for awhile yesterday, but it was too much for them. It was too big a world & too much room & they were scared. They'd fly around & then just sit still without making a sound. They wouldn't even hardly talk to each other. (Fam: Maybe they were afraid of being discovered if they talked.) Yes, maybe that's it. They were obviously afraid. After all, how would you feel if you'd never been out of anything bigger than that cage, & all of a sudden they let you out into the wide, wide World! You'd be afraid too! Well, praise the Lord! It's amazing how we can get all that out of the Christmas story.
The Simple People Believed!
41. (Continues reading verses 16-18:) "And they came with haste, & found Mary, & Joseph, & the Babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds." Can you imagine what a story that was? Wow! They were left to either believe it or not believe it. I'll bet there were lots of scoffers & mockers who didn't believe it.--But then there were also lots of simple people who believed it, like the shepherds, & the children.
42. (Verses 19-20:) "But Mary kept all these things, & pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying & praising God for all the things that they had heard & seen, as it was told unto them." By whom? (Family: The Angel.) Yes. Praise the Lord!
43. (Verses 21-24:) "And when the eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the Child, His name was called Jesus, which was so named of the Angel before He was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought Him to Jerusalem, to present Him to the Lord. (As it was written in the law of the Lord, every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;) & to offer sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons."
44. That was the smallest sacrifice you could give, & it was usually assigned to the poor people; they could just bring a pair of turtledoves. Doves are all we have, & they can be our spiritual sacrifice to the Lord, amen? Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! Isn't that wonderful?
Our Ministry to All God's Creatures!
45. Well, that's as far as we need to go in the story tonight, as we need to let you go in time to prepare for dinner. So thank You Jesus, wasn't that beautiful? The Lord gave us another shocking doctrine! We not only believe that animals go to Heaven, but that they can be saved. How else could they go to Heaven without getting saved? And we're witnessing to them here & saving them, & now they are clean & pure through our words of Jesus' Love that we have spoken unto them. Though they're not saved in the same sense that we are, they're saved through our sacrifices of love for them. We're loving them because Jesus loved us. We're showing them Jesus' Love because He showed it to us.
46. You might say, "Now I know you're crazy, Dad!" Well, you can call me crazy if you want to, but I think it's the truth! Why else would the Lord have said, "Go ye into all the World & preach the Gospel to every creature"? I've never had a preacher explain that to me yet. They say, "Oh well, that means souls. That means people. It doesn't mean creatures." Well, it says "creatures"! The Lord said it & I believe it! Praise the Lord?
47. And we've got a real good church going here with quite a congregation! We've got our house of God, & servants & ministers of God that wait on their needs. You go out & feed them in the presence of their enemies, & their cup runneth over with joy, thank the Lord! And it sure does run over out there. It's scattered so much that they eat the "crumbs that fall from the Master's table" down below. Praise the Lord? Amen? (Family: Amen!) Do you believe it? (Family: Yes, Sir!)
48. We've got quite a congregation going out there, lots of little creatures! And you've got quite a congregation outside your window. And we've got all this big congregation out here. So we're active in the Lord's service! We've got four churches going!--One in here & one out here & one back there & one outside your window. We've got lots of members & we feed them every day--not just on Sundays like the churches. We show them God's Love every day & preach the Gospel to every creature.
49. Some people are going to say, "Those crazy people! They even preach the Gospel to the animals & the birds & they think they're getting them saved & that's why they're going to Heaven!" Well, why not? Why preach to God's creatures if you're not converting them? You're showing them His Love, His compassion, & that's the Gospel. How else could you preach to His creatures? (Maria: I think with animals maybe it's like we make the choice for them, sort of like with children who are not at the age of accountability yet. The Bible says if the child has a believing parent, he is clean as well (1Cor.7:14). It's like they partake of the Lord's Love & they're covered by His Love because we share it with them, so in a sense, their spirits are clean, like ours. Pets & animals are sort of like children, & the loving care we give them is manifesting or witnessing Jesus' Love to them, just like the love we show our children.)
50. Obviously they don't get saved in the same way that we do: But their spirits are saved from annihilation & from ceasing to exist in the afterlife through our love, which is Jesus' Love. They are saved so that they can go with us to enjoy our wonderful Heavenly Home. When we come to them with our love, & they receive us, they're receiving Jesus. "He that receiveth you receiveth Me, & he that receiveth Me receiveth Him that sent Me."--Mat.10:40.
51. Do you think I'm a little crazy? (Family: No!) Well, like Don Quixote says, "I'm happy even if I am crazy!" Praise the Lord! It's a nice way to be crazy & be happy. I didn't find out until the other night when I got that revelation about "Raise the Dead" that all this time I've been raising the dead & didn't know it. How about that? Well, if I'm crazy, it's a good way to be crazy. Praise the Lord!
52. Some may say, "The older he gets, the crazier he gets!" They used to call people who were a little crazy in their old age "eccentric." Well, I think a lot of them are eccentric--they are off center because the Center is the Lord. But we're not eccentric, we're centered right on the Lord. So maybe we're not so crazy after all!
53. All right, praise the Lord! Who feels led to pray? (Fam: Jesus, we thank You so much for this special time together. Thank You for Your Word & for that revelation, & for the ministry we have here of preaching the Gospel to every creature. You said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye have done it unto Me."--Mat.25:40.) Hallelujah! That's another verse about it, Lord! (Fam: And "he that is faithful in that which is least, is faithful also in much."--Luk.16:10. So Lord, we thank You so much that we can minister Your Word to these different ones. Thank You for Dad & his revelations & his willingness to obey & give what You give him. Thank You for his obedience & his faithfulness. And we thank You for our Family, the Revolution, in Jesus' name!) Amen, amen, amen! Thank You Jesus!
54. And if you folks get any more Scriptures on these two subjects--raising the dead & preaching the Gospel to every creature--I'd like to hear them!--Just like you just got now, Son, while you were praying. So if you think of any more either on raising the dead or preaching the Gospel to every creature, write them down & hand them in to me. You'll be part of our research team! Praise the Lord!
55. As we thank Him together: Thank You Jesus for this day & for our Home so fair. You helped us, Lord, to do a lot of good & kept us in Thy care. And blessed our loved ones everywhere! We thank Thee for the food we're about to eat. Bless it & make it a blessing & give us a good night's sleep. Bless & keep & help us sleep, in Jesus' name!
56. Wasn't that a beautiful Christmas story? We're a couple of days early, but praise the Lord! We got the jump on the rest of them! We can be thankful every night, every day, & especially tonight since the Lord gave us that nice little lesson on how we can even preach the Gospel to the dogs & the cats & the birds & all God's creatures just by showing them kindness. I've always had a real feeling of understanding for the animals.--Except for Old Red, that big ol' cow we had at TSC. I think she had a demon! She was always leading the other cows astray.
57. So there are some animals that are not His creatures. They may have been His creatures, but they got possessed by the Devil, just like people. We believe in people getting possessed of the Devil, right? And the same is true with animals. I saw a cat have a fit one time when my Mother & I were visiting someone's home. Apparently it didn't like us & it got possessed & started climbing the walls! It ran up all the curtains & went screamin' & screechin' & finally Mother prayed for it & cast the Devil out of it & it calmed down, thank the Lord. So even animals can get demon-possessed. And if they can get demon-possessed, why can't they be possessed by the Lord? Praise the Lord? I believe it, amen? (Fam: Amen!) Thank You Lord!
58. So don't forget your ministry to all these creatures! Keep their feeders full & their water basins overflowing, & their cups filled with joy. Praise the Lord?--So they'll praise the Lord. Thank the Lord! You've got a real ministry here feeding four congregations. Praise the Lord!--Witnessing God's Love to them by caring for their needs. We're getting lots of "converts" in the front yard & the back yard, so we have a real witnessing ministry to God's creatures to show them His Love & compassion & to help take care of them. So don't think you're not being of any service besides taking care of us--you've got a lot of service here preaching the Gospel to every creature! Thank You Lord? Amen! Hallelujah! Thank You Jesus!
59. (Dad prays:) Lord, You said to go into all the World & preach the Gospel to every creature, which means even the animals, the creations You have made. And by befriending these little ones around here, the birds & doves & all, we are preaching Thy Love to every creature. We're in a sense showing them Your Love & thereby getting them to have faith, & continue to have faith in Your Love. So in a sense we are thereby saving souls, even of these tiny creatures of Thine; we're saving them & feeding them so that they will survive. Thank You Lord!
60. By our care for Thy little creatures we're preaching the Gospel to every creature & saving them. Thank You Jesus! Praise the Lord! Bless them & keep them & give us wisdom in our care for all these little souls that are running or flying around. Give us a real feeling of responsibility & conviction that we are doing the right thing. We have a whole colony of little ones here.--A front yard church, a back yard church, as well as a human church inside. Thank You Jesus! Praise You Lord!
61. Help us to take good care of Your little creatures, Lord! You told us to go into all the World & preach the Gospel to them, so that's what we're doing. We're showing them Thy Gospel of Love by trying to care for them well. Thank You that the birds have settled in so well & chosen their own nests, & we've been able to help them.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family