DFO105426/9/81

—"That Is the Question!"—Dad & Shakespeare.

—Should we litness in a "closed" country?

—What did you join the Army for?!

1. ON THIS CONTROVERSY OVER SHOULD YOU LITNESS OPENLY IN A "CLOSED COUNTRY, you all need to read the 14th Chapter or Romans! Neither side is supposed to condemn the other. Each one is doing according to his faith, & you ought to just try to come to some kind of a compromise or reconciliation, "Well, all right, that's the way you believe & act, that's up to you. Our conviction is thus & so. Don't you condemn us for eating, & we won't condemn you for not eating!" (Maria: But the idea in some places is,

2. ("YOU CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO GET US IN TROUBLE! It's your belief‚ but if it's going to get us in trouble, you can't do it!") Well, if the others are operating so selah & clandestine, how can it get them in trouble? Because they associate with them I guess‚ huh? Well, each person's going to have to go according to his own faith, & if they don't want to fellowship with them just because they condemn what they're doing, I think that's certainly wrong!

3. I THINK THAT'S TERRIBLE THAT THEY WANT TO EXCOMMUNICATE THEM JUST `CAUSE THEY'RE LITNESSING & they think it endangers them! (Maria: Those litnessers are the ones that are reaching the people, & time's so short!) Yes, those selah guys are really hiding their light under a bushel, whereas the others are really burning free, the litnessers are really burning free & being received & apparently not being bothered in this case.

4. HOW LONG HAS THAT OTHER BUNCH TRIED LITNESSING?—The guys that are hiding their light under the bushel & trying to operate totally selah! Did they ever try litnessing? Did they ever try it? How do they know it doesn't work? They're both operating according to their own faith, well, so they just have to do what they have faith for, that's all. But you know what side I'm always going to be on!

5. I'M ALWAYS ON THE SIDE OF FREEDOM & LITNESSING & GETTING THE JOB DONE as long as they let'm! Now when they stop'm & ban'm & start real violent persecution or such serious persecution that they can't possibly operate any more, then I'd say God's through with that country & they ought to get out! I've said that so many times I don't know why I have to say it again! (Maria: Well‚ like these litnessing kids point out‚ it's not that you're litnessing, it's what you're giving out, & if you stay with the milky message of love it's been pretty acceptable.

6. AGAINST SUCH LOVE THERE IS LAW, PAUL SAID—LOVE! Although man does have quite a few laws against love nowadays. But anyhow, I'm going to sympathise with the litnessers, & I think I showed my sympathies in what I said to the selah guys & showed how wrong they were in their misinterpretation of the Scripture in thinking that the three-&–a-half years of the first half of the Antichrist reign's going to be total open freedom & liberty & witnessing & litnessing! Of all the ridiculous interpretations! I mean that's going to be the beginning of the restrictions & no freedom for smaller sects‚ only the established major religious!

7. BECAUSE THE ANTICHRIST WILL BE COOPERATING WHOLE-HEARTEDLY WITH THE ESTABLISHED RELIGIOUS SYSTEMS THEN, the Whore—Revelation 17, & they'll probably really rule out the cults, which is exactly what the religious system's big established churches want to clamp down on—the smaller cults! That's probably when the real serious persecution of the cults will begin under the already established religious system Whore supported by the Antichrist Government! But then in the middle he turns on all of them, & they get their punishment for their persecution of the cults & he destroys the Whore!

8. IT'S BAD ENOUGH WHEN THE ENEMY TRIES TO HINDER YOUR LITNESSING, YOUR WITNESSING! I think it's even worse when your friends do it or the Family does it! I mean that shows they're becoming just like the churches! They hate our witnessing & litnessing too & they persecute us for it! (Maria: I'm afraid in some cases it's because they've found a nice safe refuge where they want to settle down & stay till Jesus comes, so they don't want anybody rocking the boat.) Yes, they don't want anybody to upset the status quo or the apple cart by running any risks or having to suffer any persecution!

9. APPARENTLY, OBVIOUSLY THEY DIDN'T GO THERE TO BECOME MISSIONARIES or to freely witness or win souls, but just to seek a refuge from the bombs! Well, you know where my sympathies always lie!—With the deal brave front–line soldiers who are willing to take the risks & suffer persecution to litness & get out the message!

10. WHEN THEY ACTUALLY DO PREVENT YOU‚ THE AUTHORITIES & THE SYSTEM & THE GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY DOES STOP YOUR LITNESSING & witnessing & make it impossible for you to litness or witness, well, then I'd say it's time to stop! But if they do that, then it's also time to get out of that country & go someplace where you can!

11. AND IT DOESN'T SOUND TO ME LIKE THIS COUNTRY IS TO BLAME nor that the government is to blame nor that the government is dishing out any prohibitions or persecutions at all! It's just the Family, said to say! (Maria:

12. IT'S SAD THAT THE SELAH FAMILY'S RUNNING THEIR OWN LITNESSERS OUT who are really distributing the message & bringing the blessings of God on the Family & the country! But if they leave, who knows what'll happen!) Yes! I feel more like excommunicating the guys that refuse to witness & litness, than the poor little litnessers who are doing their job! GB'm!—Amen? GHU!

13. IT'S A KIND OF "DOG IN THE MANGER" SITUATION: The selah guys won't litness, & yet they don't want to let the others litness either! I could understand that if it was a country like some Moslem countries where it'll cost you your life or prison to litness openly!

14. BUT THE COUNTRY IN QUESTION HAS BEEN VERY LENIENT ON THE CULTS, like Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses & us, & though a dictatorship, they've let us litness freely as long as we're not political—& though Catholic‚ they even seem to be favouring Protestants!—So what are the selah guys worried about?—Wait'll the Government starts persecuting'm—then they can hide!

15. WHAT ARE THEY THERE FOR?—TO WITNESS & WIN SOULS & BE MISSIONARIES‚ OR JUST TO HIDE FROM THE ATOMIC WAR?—If you're only seeking a war refuge, you might as well stay home & die with it, & you'll get the best refuge yet!—Heaven!

16. BUT IF YOU'RE REAL SOLDIERS OF THE LORD, YOU'RE ALREADY IN WAR, & it's a dangerous one on the real battlefront where you're gotta be willing to run some risks to fight it!—Are you real soldiers?—Or just plain cowards looking for a hide-out?

17. WELL, FOR GOD'S SAKE, THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS NOT STOP US FROM FIGHTING IT!—Just get out of our way!—Amen? GHU!—& GBY brave, courageous & sacrificial front-line fighters!—Keep'm rollin'! You'll get your refuge & reward here & in Heaven! Tks! GBY! ILY!

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family