DO 20972/86—Dad's Farewell to Departing Leadership Teams

1. (MARIA: YOU'VE HAD TO PACK A LOT INTO A SHORT TIME, I GUESS BECAUSE THE LORD KNEW YOU WERE GOING TO HAVE TO LEAVE SO SOON. But it really gives me faith & confirms again what we've been seeing so much of recently, that people can change. No matter how much they have to change, the Lord can change them. You don't have to be as young as 13 or 14‚ but you can even be a mommy or daddy or an auntie like you, Faithy! Even you have changed a lot. Don't you admire Faithy for how much she's gone through? You think, "Oh, I couldn't do that," but I guess the Lord knows if you have to do it‚ you could.) I'm glad she's still a teenager like me, she & I have never grown up!

2. (MARIA: BUT THAT REALLY SHOWS THAT YOU'RE NOT HAS-BEENS, NO MATTER HOW OLD YOU ARE, AS LONG AS YOU'RE WILLING TO KEEP CHANGING & you're willing to be submitted to the Lord & yielded to the Lord‚ you can continually change. You don't have to be a teenager.—Although it's a little easier‚ I must admit, when you are 12, 13 & 14. But it can be done. Look at Faithy, she's a tremendous example of that, & the rest of you too. All of us are changing. But especially you who have just been here for only a short time & have had to put so much into it, Paul too & Zeb, everybody agrees that they've seen a big change in just a few months in all of you.

3. (IT'S REALLY ENCOURAGING FOR THE REST OF US TO SEE YOU BE ABLE TO TAKE IT & GO THROUGH IT IN SUCH A SHORT TIME. So I know the Lord's going to use you. If you don't know what else to say to the people at your leadership meetings, you can just use your own personal testimony. Other people can be so encouraged from that. Even if you don't open your mouth about anything else‚ you can make the entire meeting worthwhile by talking about yourselves & the victories that you've gotten.)

4. AMEN! MARIA'S GOT FAITH FOR PEOPLE! That's what made me, her faith for me. I didn't have any faith myself, I had no faith for myself. Mother Eve had convinced me that I was a flop & failure & never would amount to anything & drilled that into me. Maybe Faithy doesn't know that, but maybe she did see some of it. So to have someone come along & believe in me & have faith in me as well as the Lord, that the Lord could still use me at 50 years of age‚ that was a real lot of faith!—This little girl! (Maria: The Lord just gave it, I didn't think I was doing anything spectacular.) She still doesn't think so, but look at what she's done! (Maria: I'm so bad myself, I know that if I'm still here that there's really hope for anybody!) It's her faith that keeps this thing going, her faith in you‚ her faith in me, & most of all, her faith in the Lord! TYL! If you're going to really help people, you're going to have to have a little faith in them. TTL! PTL!

5. AND YOU FOLKS THAT ARE GOING OUT TO MINISTER TO OTHERS, I was watching Sara nurse the baby awhile ago & I was thinking how much like your ministry that is. You're going out to minister to people, to feed His sheep! She was feeding her sheep, right? A lot of it is just plain loving them—loving them & feeding them & cuddling them & encouraging them, lifting them up‚ making them feel loved, that we still love them. They may still be way back in Europe or way back in America & feel like maybe they've sort of failed & they didn't make it & maybe we just don't love them any more because they haven't gone South & done what we've told them to do. They either didn't make it to the field or they didn't make it on the field, so they feel a little down & in disrepute.

6. I'LL TELL YOU, THEY'VE BEEN VERY FAITHFUL IN SUPPORT & VERY FAITHFUL IN HELPING & KEEPING US ON THE FIELD, you on the field, the missionaries on the field. They've been diligent & faithful in that or they still wouldn't be members of the Family. So we can be thankful for that, they've been faithful in what they could do. "She hath done what she could." (Mk.14:8)

7. SO A LOT OF YOUR MINISTRY IS JUST TO GO & FEED HIS SHEEP‚ LOVE THEM‚ ENCOURAGE THEM & INSPIRE THEM WITH YOUR FAITH. They've lost faith for themselves, a lot of them, so show them you still have faith in them. This is quite a ministry you've had, Faithy. What a name, huh? No wonder the Lord gave her that name, she has a lot of faith. She has faith for other people. Sometimes she hasn't got the faith for herself, like I don't have for myself, but you always have to have somebody along that has got faith in you. Have you got faith for Faithy, Paul? (Paul: Yes Sir!) Do you think the Lord can help her do it? I believe it!

8. YOU NEED SOMEBODY TO HAVE FAITH IN YOU, somebody to believe in you & believe you can do it & encourage you that you can. That's what Maria did for me, & Faithy for years did the same for me, as well as Ho & Aaron. I can't really say the same much for their mother. Well, for a few years there she tolerated me, but her daughter Deborah was just like her‚ sad to say. But I guess that kind of thing sort of made us stronger & more determined to serve the Lord no matter what. But you need somebody that has faith in you to encourage you!

9. IF I WERE TO GIVE ANY MESSAGE TO THOSE PEOPLE YOU'RE GOING TO, EVEN THE PEOPLE YOU'RE GOING TO IN OTHER WORLD SERVICE UNITS‚ YOU'RE TO GO THERE & LET THEM KNOW THAT GRANDPA & MARIA HAVE FAITH IN THEM, that I love'm, we have faith in them & we expect them to do the job! We know they're going to do it because we know the Lord's with them & they can do it! And you need to tell those people too, so many of whom are discouraged, have lost faith in themselves, some have even lost faith in the Family because of mistreatment by the Chain & others, & they really need encouragement & faith to even believe in the Family & me & the Lord & themselves, that they can still do it, it's not too late! Where there's life there's hope!

10. YOU NEED TO TRY TO FAN THAT LITTLE FLAME INTO A REAL FIRE, if there's still a little flickering flame there. In camping a lot of times it looks like the fire has died out completely, but you just get down there on your hands & knees & blow & feed it a little air or oxygen & pretty soon it starts to flicker & comes alive again! Some of those poor folks, they feel like their fire has died out completely, they think they're cold & the fire's gone & they've failed & what's the use of trying? But you can go & breathe the breath of love & life into them, feed those sheep & fan that little tiny flickering coal to a flame of fire & prove to them that they can do it! Tell them to try it, give the Lord a chance, give God a chance, let go & let God!

11. THEY CAN IF THEY'LL JUST TRY, IF THEY'LL JUST OBEY & DO WHAT THEY CAN! "She hath done what she could." (Mk.14:8) She just did what she could. She couldn't do it all, she couldn't do what Jesus did, she couldn't do what the Apostles were doing, she just broke the little box of perfume on His head & baptised Him for His burial. That was apparently all she could do then, & I'm sure she had done all she could do before that in ministering to Him & loving Him & encouraging Him from behind the scenes. "She has done what she could."

12. AND THAT'S YOUR JOB TOO‚ TO GO OUT & DO WHAT YOU CAN FOR THEM & TO CONVINCE THEM THAT THEY CAN DO SOMETHING! They can just do what they can! They shouldn't try to do what they can't. Of course, a lot of times they think they can't when they can! You just need to try to give them faith & inspiration that, well‚ of course they can't do it! You can't do it, but the Lord can through you. You just need to obey & give Him a chance.

13. AS I WAS TELLING THESE FOLKS WHO ARE LEAVING THE OTHER DAY, THAT IS THEIR MAIN JOB AS THEY GO OUT. They're not only trying to still recruit more labourers for the field, trying to push them out if they can.—Or if they can't get them to go, at least to give support for the field. But their main purpose & motivation in going is to do what? (Faithy: Feed My sheep!)—Feed My sheep! (Jn.21:17) And with what reason? What was the Scripture I gave you? (Faithy: "The Love of Christ constraineth me.") (2Cor.5:14)

14. IF YOU DON'T SHOW THEM THAT LOVE‚ THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BELIEVE YOU! No matter what you tell them to do, to go to the field, to give to missions, etc., they're going to think you've just got selfish reasons for it, unless you show them real love‚ that you're there to really feed them & help them & encourage them & inspire them to do what they can. Amen?

15. YOU'RE ON A MISSION OF LOVE! IT'S A LOVE TRIP! That's really why we're sending you. I got so burdened & concerned about those people back in the home fields. And I felt really like they felt sort of ostracised & neglected & in disfavour because we're always telling them to leave & to go & go South & all that & they haven't done it.—Or they did it & failed, or think they failed & went back. So they just don't feel like they deserve anything any more.

16. YOUR MISSION IS TO GO THERE & SHOW THEM SO MUCH LOVE, JUST LIKE YOU DO TO THE SINNERS. You have to love them before they'll believe that God loves them! A lot of those folks feel like they've failed God & maybe God doesn't love them any more. They're still trying to love Him & love the missionaries & love us & be faithful in their giving & correspondence etc., but a lot of them really feel like maybe God doesn't love them any more because they're not where they think they ought to be, or even know they ought to be.

17. HAVEN'T YOU FELT THAT WAY SOMETIMES WHEN YOU DISOBEYED THE LORD OR FAILED THE LORD? You thought, "Well, I guess God's through with me, He doesn't love me any more & I guess there's not much I can do. Maybe I just ought to even quit‚ I'm such a mess." I've felt like that sometimes, as Mama knows. But she never lost faith. She's got more faith than I have‚ because she has faith for me when I haven't got faith for myself.

18. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO FOR THOSE FOLKS, FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO MINISTER TO, feed & encourage & inspire, comfort & love & have faith for, to really show them that God still loves them. The FFers sing that little song, "I am the Love of God for you", & that's exactly your mission, as you go, to show you're the Love of God for them & God still loves them! God still has faith in them, God still believes they can do it, if they'll just try again, just give God a chance & just obey.—Let go & let God & get out there & try again!

19. MAYBE THEY'VE LEARNED SOME LESSONS THEY NEEDED TO LEARN WHEN THEY FAILED & BACKSLID & WENT BACK AGAIN. Maybe this time if they'd try it again, having learned those lessons, they'd succeed! And that's the message of hope that you carry with you to tell those people back in Europe & the Americas.

20. I'LL ADMIT, SOMETIMES I JUST ABOUT GAVE UP ON THEM & I'VE ALMOST CUSSED THEM OUT & BAWLED THEM OUT & got fed up with them & figured‚ "Well, what's the use? They just won't & maybe they never will!" But God hasn't given up on them or you wouldn't be going back there! And I guess the Lord gave me that hope & faith & love for them so that I haven't given up on them or I wouldn't be sending you! PTL?

21. WE DON'T EXPECT TO MAKE ANY MONEY OUT OF THIS TRIP, WE DON'T NECESSARILY EVEN EXPECT TO GET AN AWFUL LOT OF MISSIONARIES OUT OF IT. It's going to cost a lot. But I think it's worth it if we'll just show them we still love them. Even though they didn't make it, even though they can't go, or think they can't go‚ we still love them, therefore God still loves them. PTL!

22. SO THAT'S YOUR MISSION, YOU ARE THE LOVE OF GOD FOR THEM! You're going back to show them that we still love them, I still love them, you still love them, & most of all‚ God still loves them! He still has hope for them, still has faith in them, that they can still do something for Him. I think that's a wonderful mission!

23. THERE'S NOBODY WHO GETS MORE DISCOURAGED THAN THE BACKSLIDER OR THE FAILURE‚ or the one who feels he's a failure. He just feels like he's failed God, he's failed others, he's just not made it, so what's the use? They've given up on themselves, so they figure, "Well‚ I guess God's given up on me too, it looks like the Family's given up on me. They still send me literature because I send them my tithe, but maybe they don't really love me, because I'm not one of the favoured majority that have gone to the field. I'm not the favoured majority of missionaries, but I'm of the failed minority of flops!" And they're really discouraged.

24. I REALLY HAVE A REAL BURDEN FOR THEM! I REALLY BELIEVE THE LORD IS SENDING YOU OUT TO SHOW THEM LOVE. I believe it's their last chance. Maybe there's not going to be another chance or another trip. I'm just praying the Lord will help you finish this one so you'll have gone back there & told them once again we still love them, we still have faith in them. They're still with us & still reading the Word, still want it, still tithing, still helping‚ not only tithing but giving heavily to our missionaries, God bless them, far above their tithes, wonderful! You're going to go back & tell them that we still love them in spite of all the harsh scoldings I've given them.

25. "WHOM THE LORD LOVETH HE CHASTENETH, & SCOURGETH EVERY SON WHOM HE RECEIVETH." (Heb.12:6) Amen? So you just tell'm the reason I've been spanking them so much is because I love them so much! And I wouldn't be surprised the Lord's been spanking them too. But you've got to convince them it's not because God hates them, but because He loves them! He's trying to push them out & get them to do more for Him & for others‚ for missions‚ for missionaries, & most of all, give themselves entirely to the Lord & His service.

26. BUT PLEASE, GO WITH THE MESSAGE OF LOVE, JUST LIKE WE GO TO THE SINNERS & THE WORLD! What is our mission?—Not only just to tell them God loves them, but to really show them God loves them. That's so much & amazingly personified in our FFers, really the Love of God for them, to show them & convince them that God loves them because they love them. Amen?

27. I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO DO IT! I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO CONVINCE A LOT OF PEOPLE, persuade a lot of people that God loves them after all, He still loves them & it's not too late for them to serve the Lord, not too late for them to do what they can, that He still loves them because you show them that you still love them, therefore we still love them, I still love them!

28. I OFTEN THINK & PRAY FOR THEM, MANY OF THOSE OLD-TIMERS THAT HAVE GONE BACK. I think about some of those early ones that we started with & wonder where they are or what they're doing. We never hear from them any more, & it really grieves my heart sometimes to think about some of those early pioneers that helped us get started. Where are they? Are they the sheep that have gone astray? Are you the shepherds that are going to go back & find them? (Dad weeps) Amen? That's what you're doing. You're the shepherds. I'm sending you back to find those lost sheep & the strays that are caught in the brambles & lost in the mountains & in the rocks. You're going to go back & find them. Amen?

29. ISN'T THAT WHAT THE LORD SAID IN ONE OF THE PROPHECIES IN THE SCRIPTURE ABOUT US? We send out searchers. You're my searchers! We're sending out searchers to find them! Oh hallelujah! Thank You Jesus for that Scripture! Anybody got it handy right now? Let's read it. That's a good Scripture to read, the one in Ezekiel. Anybody got your Bible? I know you weren't expecting a lesson or anything tonight so you didn't bring your Bibles.

30. ISN'T THAT A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE THE LORD GAVE?—That passage where He said He'd send forth searchers to search them out & to find them, the sheep that have gone astray‚ the sheep that have been oppressed by their wicked shepherds, like the Chain, those that have been offended & driven away. We're sending you out like the shepherds to search out the sheep, searchers!

31. I THINK EVERY TIME I EVER ASK TECHI WHAT SONG SHE'D LIKE TO HAVE ME SING TO HER AT NIGHT, SHE ALWAYS ASKS ME TO SING "THE ONE LOST SHEEP". At bedtime I often sing her to sleep, & I don't think she hardly ever asks me for anything but "The One Lost Sheep".

32. (SINGS: ) "SAFE WERE THE NINETY & NINE IN THE FOLD, safe though the night was stormy & cold. But, said the Shepherd, when counting them o'er, one sheep is missing, there should be one more! So the Shepherd went out to search for His sheep‚ & all through the night on that rocky steep."—That's America & Europe for you, it's a place I'd hate to go, but He went out anyhow. "He sought till He found him‚ with love bands He bound him, & I was that one lost sheep." You were once upon a time‚ amen? Somebody sought you out & found you out. PTL? So now you have the chance to go out & search for them & bring them back to the fold. That's really what your mission is. Did you find that passage?

33. (FAM: "FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD, BEHOLD, I, EVEN I, WILL BOTH SEARCH MY SHEEP, & SEEK THEM OUT. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, so will I seek out My sheep, & will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy & dark day." (Ez.34:11‚12) PTL! Hallelujah! TYJ! There's some place where He says He will send out searchers. (Fam: In Jeremiah.)

34. THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE, YOU'RE THE LORD'S SEARCHERS! The Shepherd, the Lord, is sending you out to search out His sheep. PTL? And I think you're going to find some real sheep & they'll be really worth it all. All they need is some love & some encouragement & to see that someone has faith in them, like Beauty & the Beast, to really see that somebody loves them & cares enough to search them out & find them. I'm sure the Lord's going to do it. If you go out with weeping, you're going to return with rejoicing, bringing your sheaves with you.—Your sheep, lost sheep. PTL! (Psa.126:6)

35. DID YOU FIND THE SCRIPTURE ON SEARCHERS? Anyhow, that's the picture & that's the Scripture I got for you! So you can find it. I'm sure you remember it & you've read it many times. So I'm sending out searchers. You're to search out His sheep & love them & comfort them, heal them, feed them & free them from the bondage that they're in. Satan's convinced them that they can't break the bonds, but the Lord can! PTL! Amen? Well‚ they can find that for you later‚ but I know it's there, we've read it many a time. Sorry I'm not so good on addresses. All right, PTL! TYJ! Amen? "Without a vision, the people perish," (Pro.29:18) so now there the Lord gave you the vision. That's what He gave & that's the Scripture. Search it out! The word is searchers, to send out searchers. And that's exactly what we're doing in sending you. Okay? PTL? You're some of my searchers going out to search out my sheep! PTL!

36. THAT'S YOUR JOB! THAT'S THE JOB OF ALL OF US, REALLY, BUT THESE ARE ACTUALLY GOING OUT INTO THE FIELD NOW, some into old home fields, others into a new home field to find the sheep, to inspire & encourage them.

37. TECHI'S ALWAYS PIPING UP, "OH GRANDPA, YOU'RE WONDERFUL, GRANDPA! You're beautiful, Grandpa!" I love you, Sweetheart! Thank you! She's my encourager‚ she inspires me! She has faith in me!—Like that story about the boy‚ "He expects it of me!" (See No.639:37-40.) That's why I couldn't fail Maria, she expected it of me & I had to live up to it. I had to do it. So I tried & the Lord helped me & we made it! PTL! And she's still doing it! She's still having faith in me & I still try to live up to her expectations & her faith & yours & your prayers, & I make it, TTL! That's why I'm still here tonight trying to encourage you, because you have encouraged me & helped me make it! Now I'm trying to help you make it! Amen! GBY!

38. DID YOU FIND THAT SCRIPTURE YET? That'll give you some research work to do. I thought it was in Ezekiel, about where the wicked shepherds had muddied the waters with their feet & all that sort of thing. But you find it & that'll be a nice little jewel for you to dig out & discover for yourself. You have to do a little mining sometimes & dig. The most precious jewels are found in the dirt & in dark places, hard to find. So people have to put a little effort into it. The Lord made'm, He put'm there, but He leaves it for you to dig them out a lot of times. A lot of the truths that we teach & have discovered are like that, right? It was all there all the time.

39. BUT I ALWAYS SAY, THE LORD LOVES A MYSTERY! He likes to have you learn to dig it out! He's done all the rest for you, all you have to do is dig for it! He's made it, He's already created these jewels that are out there in the caves of the Earth & in the soil & in the dirt & in the garbage cans. He is just waiting for you to go out there & dig'm out by your faith & your love & your hard work too! PTL! GBY! I love you!

40. MY HEART GOES WITH YOU & WE'RE EXPECTING GREAT THINGS OF YOU! We have faith in you! We believe you're going to do it‚ praise the Lord? Amen? TYL! I know it! With faith you know it's going to happen! Don't you believe they're going to do it? (Fam: Amen!) You say, "Oh boy, Grandpa's sure dumping a big load on us! How are we ever going to live up to all that?" It'll be the Lord! Just let go & let God, He'll do it. Just obey the Lord. Just do what He tells you to do.

41. I JUST FELT LIKE I MUST COME TO DINNER TONIGHT TO SEE YOU & TALK TO YOU & GIVE YOU A LITTLE SEND-OFF. What I really planned to do was just sit here & maybe tell you goodbye. I didn't know what the Lord would do because I think sometimes He likes a mystery‚ He likes our faith! He just likes us to step out by faith! "Just obey, just go, just be there! Then I'll do it, I'll tell you what to do." So that's a little message for you, I think it was an encouragement to me.

42. (MARIA: THAT'S A GOOD POINT TOO, ABOUT JUST GOING & BEING THERE. Paul & Faithy don't exactly know all the details of what they're going to do in the States‚ but they just have to go.)—Right, you just go & He will lead you step by step. He doesn't reveal the whole future. Don't fret about tomorrow, sufficient unto the day is all the evil thereof & all the problems you have & the things you have to work out. Tomorrow will take care of the things of itself. (Mat.6:34) When you get to tomorrow, then the Lord will take care of all those things! PTL! So it's too much to worry about yesterday, today & tomorrow & all of that. (Dad hears a noise outside & sends the boys to investigate.) I have very keen ears, did you hear the rustling in the bushes? Well, PTL! Amen. Maybe that's enough. So why worry about tomorrow? Tomorrow will take care of itself, or the Lord will take care of it when it comes. You just take care of today. PTL? Amen! Let's pray! PTL! Hallelujah! TYJ!

43. (SINGS:) "IF JESUS GOES WITH ME I'LL GO, ANYWHERE! 'Tis Heaven to me, wherever I be, if He is there. I count it a privilege here, His cross to bear. If Jesus goes with me I'll go‚ anywhere!" Hallelujah! TYJ! PTL!—In Jesus' name. Amen, TYL! An old song on that comes to me, I think it was really my Mother's favourite hymn & I'll see if I can remember it. (Sara: "Jesus is my loving Shepherd"?) Exactly, how did you remember that, Honey? (Sara: I sing it to the baby every night. I always loved that song since you told me about Grandmother.) How about that! Well, that's really a miracle! And that picture is in this song:

44. (SINGS:) "JESUS IS MY LOVING SHEPHERD, HE IS SO PRECIOUS TO ME! Oh, how I love & adore Him for all His mercy so free! When I was lost on the mountain‚ barren & dark & cold‚ He sought the sheep that was straying, He brought me back to the fold!"—That's what you're going to do! "Jesus, Jesus, dearer than all to me! Jesus, Jesus, Thine, only Thine I'll be! Where Thou dost lead I will follow, where'er the path may be, then when life's journey is ended‚ Thy face in Glory I'll see!" Just like the Lord sought you out & found you‚ you're to go out as searchers & seek them out & find them & bring them back to the fold! PTL! TYJ! Hallelujah!

45. LET'S PRAY A LITTLE ORDINATION PRAYER FOR THEM! We're already holding hands, we don't have to lay hands on them personally & one by one have a formal ordination service like they do in the churches, but we've got our hands on you right now, PTL!

46. SOME OF THOSE GUYS IN THE EARLY DAYS WERE ALWAYS TRYING TO GET ME ORDAINED, "Well, why don't you join our group & we'll ordain you. Join our denomination & we'll ordain you & make you really official so you can do it legally" & all that stuff. I'll never forget one assembly of great big-shot preachers sitting around this big table who brought me up there for questioning, you know, to give me the real quiz & interrogation to see if I was fit to be one of them. The Chairman of the meeting looked at me soberly & said, "Young man, I understand that you want us to ordain you!" I said, "Oh no, not really, I just understand in order to serve in your denomination that you want to ordain me! As far as I'm concerned‚ I'm already ordained‚ the Lord said so! He called me! He said, 'I have ordained you to go & bring forth fruit.’" (Jn.15:16)

47. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T GET THAT FAR IN THAT CHAPTER ABOUT THE VINE & THE FRUIT & ALL. BUT THAT'S THE WHOLE PURPOSE OF THE WHOLE THING, THAT THE LORD CALLED US, & HE'S ORDAINED US! You know what ordained means, don't you? Don't let these big folks kid you, they don't know what it means either! It really means ordered, commanded. The original Greek word from which it comes means, "I have ordained you‚ commanded you, I have ordered you." But along with it there's the sense of the meaning that He has appointed you officially to represent Him, to go out at His commandment to do a certain mission, a certain job.

48. THE LORD SAID, "I HAVE ORDAINED YOU." AND WHAT DID THE LORD ORDAIN YOU TO DO? (Fam: "To go & bring forth fruit.")—To go! That's the first thing you have to do, you've gotta go or you'll never do it. You've gotta go by faith & bring forth fruit. PTL! What's the rest of that verse? Does anybody know the whole verse? (Fam: "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you, & ordained you, that ye should go & bring forth fruit, & that your fruit should remain. That whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you.") What a promise!

49. IF YOU WILL JUST GO & KEEP HIS ORDERS, HE'LL DO IT! YOU'RE LIKE A SOLDIER IN THE FIELD OBEYING THE COMMANDER'S ORDERS whether you understand it or not or whether you know why or not, & sometimes you might even question it. But you just obey. In the army‚ let me tell you, you learn to obey no matter what crazy things they tell you to do, dig a hole & fill it up, whatever!

50. I'LL NEVER FORGET WHAT THAT OLD CHEF TOLD ME, THE OLD ARMY COOK, WHEN I WAS TRYING TO SET THE TABLE THE WAY MY MOTHER TOLD ME to set the table, the way Emily Post & all of them said to set the table.—Fork goes here, knife here‚ spoon here etc. I started setting the table in the Officer's Mess & he said, "Oh no no, that's not the way you're supposed to do it." I said, "No, this is the right way, I know! This is the right way!" He said, "Listen, buddy, you're going to learn about the army that there's a right way & a wrong way & an army way, & you do it the army way!" In other words, you don't question it, you just obey! And that's what you do with the Lord.

51. YOU'RE GOING OUT UNDER ORDERS, A COMMISSION! Commissioned officers in the army means they're given a certain commission‚ a job to perform. And you are ordained to go out. Quote that Scripture again‚ I love that, that's beautiful! (Fam: "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you & ordained you, that ye should go & bring forth fruit & that your fruit should remain. That whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you!")—Wow! Look at the promises there! If you'll obey & do it, He's going to do it! He's going to give you fruit!

52. YOU DIDN'T CHOOSE HIM, HE'S CHOSEN YOU! How about that! A lot of people pat themselves on the back for choosing the Lord, "I chose to follow Jesus." A lot of them feel like they did God a favour by joining the church & choosing Christ. He says, "I have chosen you." This has to do particularly with service, because that's what He's talking about, fruit-bearing. "I have chosen you, that you should go & bring forth fruit & that your fruit should remain."

53. IF YOU DO THAT, JUST THINK! WHAT A PROMISE! What's that promise again if you do it? First of all your fruit will remain, & then what? "Whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name‚ He may give it you." Isn't that a good Scripture to take with you? Paul? Faithy? Zeb? Damaris‚ Lois? Just think, if you'll obey the Lord & do that, He'll give you whatever you want! PTL! That's a big order! It's a big order, but boy, what He'll serve you if you order that & obey His order! Amen? TYJ! Hallelujah! What a wonderful Scripture!

54. I BELIEVE THE LORD HAS SPOKEN TO US TONIGHT‚ AMEN? TYL! Anything else, Lord? Is there anything else we've neglected or failed to say? Any questions? Any suggestions? As I always say, any complaints?—Better not be! TYL! The Lord doesn't like murmuring. TYJ! PTL! Anything from the Lord that the Lord has given you for any of these folks? These people who have spoken & leaders that you have here, they're not the only ones the Lord speaks through, He can speak through you! PTL! Is there anything else you want to say to them? Is there anything else you think the Lord wants to say to them that hasn't already been said? PTL! TYJ! Hallelujah! Well‚ I guess it's all been said, or at least all the Lord wanted to be said tonight & about all that can be said tonight, & that you need to get to bed. PTL! TYJ! Hallelujah! TYL!

55. THANK YOU LORD FOR THESE WONDERFUL FOLKS, THESE PRECIOUS ONES WHO HAVE OBEYED ORDERS, Lord, & followed their commission & have been ordained, Lord‚ & know they're ordained to go out & bring forth fruit, & know that their fruit will remain, Lord. So whatever they ask of You, Lord‚ You're going to give it to them, because they please You‚ Lord. You give them the desires of their heart‚ because they really please You, Jesus. Thank You Lord for those wonderful promises!

56. BE WITH THEM, KEEP THEM SAFELY, GIVE THEM STRENGTH & THY DIVINE ANOINTING, LORD, & inspiration, Thy mantle of power, Lord, to do the job You have commissioned them to do. We know that You wouldn't have sent them out unless You were going to go with them all the way & give them the power & the wisdom & all the talent & the gifts, everything that it will take to do the job. All they have to do is obey & go.

57. SO LORD, THEY'RE OBEYING, THEY'RE GOING, & THEY KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO GO WITH THEM & HELP THEM TO GET THE JOB DONE, whatever it may be, Lord. We don't even know all You're going to do & how You're going to use them. They don't know! But all they have to do is obey‚ they don't have to know the future, not even tomorrow, all they have to do is obey, Lord‚ & do what You tell them to do & You show the way, praise the Lord, & give them the strength & the power to do it. You'll do it all if they will just do their part & obey & go & try to bring forth fruit‚ in Jesus' name. Hallelujah! As we pray, Lord, Thy Own prayer that You taught us to pray: (Prays the Lord's Prayer) PTL! Hallelujah! TYJ!

58. (SINGS:) "AND WE'LL GIVE ALL THE GLORY TO JESUS, & TELL OF HIS LOVE, HIS WONDERFUL LOVE! We'll give all the glory to Jesus & show them His wonderful Love!" PTL! Amen! GBY all!

59. WELL, THANK THE LORD, THE LORD GOT THROUGH WITH MOST OF IT BEFORE WE HAD THAT LITTLE INTERRUPTION. But I'm sure the Devil isn't very happy tonight or pleased about this meeting & these wonderful missionaries that are going out from here, because this is the Lord's work. But he couldn't bother us very much, I think we were just about all done by the time he pestered us.

60. THE DEVIL'S BEEN CHASING AROUND AFTER US FOR A LONG TIME & HASN'T CAUGHT UP WITH US YET! So don't worry about it! Amen? Just trust the Lord & He'll take care of everything. Your job is just to trust the Lord & obey the Lord & He'll do the rest! Amen? Do you believe it? (Fam: Amen!)

61. GBY ALL! ILY! GOOD NIGHT! I'll save you time, I'll just blow you kisses. Except for the people who are leaving, I'll just hug & kiss you. Well, this gal never misses hers! (Maria: And Mary Dear, she doesn't want to miss hers!) Oh, I said the wrong thing, she's coming up! She's not going to be cheated this time. I always kiss the children & the mothers & the babies. ILY! GBY! God bless all you boys‚ I love you too! TYL! You're a real blessing! The girls couldn't get along without you! You couldn't get along without them either!

62. GOD BLESS YOU! YOU JUST TAKE MY LOVE TO THEM, OKAY? And love them like you love me! Thank you all for your time & attention, for all your help. GBY! You know my heart's always with you & I'll be praying for you.

63. (TECHI: THE VERSE IS JEREMIAH 16:16!) Is that what it was? Can you quote it or read it? (Techi: We found it in a Letter.) (Fam: Maybe that's it, you talked about it in a Letter, "Ezekiel 34". It says, "Behold, I will send forth many fishers, saith the Lord, & they shall fish them.")—Fishers! That was it, I thought it was searchers! (Fam: "And after will I send for many hunters, & they shall hunt them from every mountain & from every hill, & out of the holes of the rocks.") That's the Scripture I was thinking of!—Fishers & hunters. Well, fishers & hunters are always searchers!

64. ANYHOW‚ THAT'S THE WORD THE LORD USED‚ SO I GUESS THAT'S WHAT HE MEANS, HE CALLED YOU SEARCHERS! So search'm out! Fish'm & hunt'm & search'm! Thank you, Son, that is the Scripture I really had in mind, although it wasn't the word I thought. I've often found the Lord uses a different revised version‚ a different word. I know that's a Scripture, but it isn't exactly the same word or the same wording sometimes. TYL! All right, get to bed! ILY!

65. TELL THOSE FOLKS I LOVE'M & THAT I'VE SENT YOU TO FIND THEM‚ SEARCH'M OUT & RESCUE THEM OUT OF THAT HORRIBLE SYSTEM! That's always been our mission, there's nothing new about it, saved or unsaved. TYL! GBY! ILY!

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family