Dad
April 28, 2003
DO 26556/90
—A Talk from Grandpa to Techi During a Time of Testing!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=–=-=-=–=-
(Note to Parents & Shepherds: Because some of the Letters in this issue are a little longer than usual, you may not be able to cover them in their entirety in one united reading. In order for you to pow-wow the portions of the Letter that you're able to make it through in one sitting with your Teens & JETTs, we suggest that when you're finished reading, you go straight to the pow-wow questions related to the parts of the Letter that you were able to cover. In other words, even if you have to break the reading of a Letter up into two or three separate sessions, you can pow–wow each session's reading separately by using the pow-wow questions that correspond to the paragraphs you covered in your united reading. PTL! Happy reading & pow–wowing! WLY!)
-=-=-=-=-=-=–=-=-=-=-=-
1. With any kind of bad thoughts that the Enemy brings‚ what's the most important thing you should do? It's not enough to try to chase out the darkness, you must turn on the light by immediately starting to quote Scriptures or sing songs about Jesus.—Anything good, think on these things!—Phil.4:8.
2. Everybody has temptations of the Devil & attacks or evil thoughts. The Devil is really on a "roaring lion" rage right now in these End times, & he's especially attacking young people because he knows they're the hope of the Future! His main aim is to destroy God's creations, & if he can't destroy them, he wants to try to tempt them to even destroy themselves or destroy their minds.—Like what happened to poor Mene. The reason she got defeated is because she didn't resist. She didn't think good thoughts in place of those evil ones. She should have instantly resisted.
3. When I was your age & some of those worldly songs kept trying to wear a groove in my mind‚ you know what I'd do? When one of those tunes would begin to go through my head I'd immediately start to sing‚ "Jesus Saves" or "Jesus Saviour Pilot Me" or "'Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus." Because you can't have both in your head at the same time!
4. Why does the Bible say, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee"?—Isa.26:3. Because you can't concentrate on two things at once! If you're concentrating your mind & staying it on Jesus, you won't even be able to think about those other things, because your mind is stayed on Him. Just keep your mind on the Lord! The minute the Enemy tries to butt in, you tell him, "Butt out, in Jesus' name!" & start singing good Christian hymns or choruses or Scripture songs, start quoting verses, just let the Light in, & it will chase away the darkness! PTL?
5. I love you, Honey! I know you're a real fighter & you can make it! PTL! In Jesus' name! The Devil knows how important you are to the Lord's Work as the daughter of the King, as a princess in His Kingdom. God has a great future for you, & the Devil knows it & he's trying to give you all the trouble he can possibly throw at you. So you just resist all the fiery darts of the Evil One! Put up your shield of faith & immediately start quoting Scriptures.
6. What did Jesus do when the Devil tried to tempt Him? (Techi: He quoted the Word.) He kept quoting Scriptures‚ & that totally defeated the Devil! The Devil couldn't conquer Him, he couldn't persuade Him. And also with bad tunes or songs, you can get those out of your mind by singing something else about the Lord. That's all it takes!
7. If the Devil tries to flood you with his darkness, just turn on the Light of the Word & start quoting Scriptures & rebuking the Devil! God's promised that if you "Resist the Enemy, he shall flee from you!"—Jam.4:7. Just say, "Lord, I resist the Enemy!" Amen? That's a promise, & I promise you it will work! Just concentrate your mind on something else‚ concentrate your mind on something good, a Scripture, a song. Sing it out! Sing it loud!—And that'll just drown out the Devil & all his evil! (Maria: And it might take more than one time‚ so do it as much as you need to.)
8. It worked for me, Honey, when I was your age. The Devil was trying to defeat me because he knew how important I was going to become to the Lord & His Work. So I just resisted in Jesus' name & I sang a song or quoted a Scripture & I thought about the good things & I let the Light in‚ & the Devil had to turn tail & run! PTL?
9. It worked for me even the other night when the Devil was trying to scare me with some evil dreams. I just rebuked him & thought about some beautiful pictures of Jesus instead. The Devil really tries to inflict evil things on you, pictures & doubts & all kinds of attacks. You just need to rebuke them in Jesus' name & think of something positive & different. Think of pictures of Jesus or the Disciples & Bible stories. You really do have to refuse to accept them & think of other beautiful things.
10. Think of good things. That's what I do when he tries to bring me doubts & evil pictures. If he tries to put a worldly song in my mind, I just immediately switch over & think of some beautiful Christian song about Jesus. When he tries to give me those evil pictures, I just really rebuke them in Jesus' name & think of beautiful pictures about Jesus.
11. Those Sunday School pictures come to me often. They're so beautiful about Jesus teaching the multitudes, or in the boat or healing the sick. Or you can think of the beautiful Poster pictures we have. You just have to make a deliberate switch & reject the Devil's pictures or the Devil's music & switch to ours.
BATTLES MAKE YOU STRONG!
12. Be a fighter! It takes fight, it takes resistance! Do you know why God's allowing these things?—So you'll turn to Him & you'll learn to be strong! The Devil is attacking you‚ & of course he'll attack you more than most people, because you're my daughter & you're going to be tremendously powerful & influential in the years to come. So the Devil's trying to defeat you by attacking you in every way.
13. He may fly over your head & put thoughts in your head once in awhile, but don't let him build a nest in your hair like Mene did! That was her problem. She kept thinking on those bad things. But the Lord says, "Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, think on these things!"—Phil.4:8. So think on those things, amen? And don't let the Enemy in for a minute! Immediately when you feel some attack of the Enemy trying to put thoughts in your head or pictures in your mind, boom!—Sock it to him with a song & Scripture or something! Let the Light in!
14. I've been through this, so I know what you're going through! Especially when kids are teenagers is when the Enemy attacks the most, because this is the age of decision, this is the age you really make your choices & determine to stick to them! PTL? And the Lord allows it. Why does He allow it? (Techi: To help you & to make you strong!) Right, to make a fighter out of you & to make you strong!
15. Why do they make training so tough in the army? I went through it. Why do they make it so tough? (Techi: So you can fight the battle.) To make you strong! To make you strong so that you can fight the war against the Enemy. In army training they have mock battles where they have to really fight to prepare for real war against the enemy. You have to have a battle to become strong, right? Without a trial there's no triumph! Without battles there are no victories! You have to have those to make you strong, to win victories, to triumph over trials. Amen? So the Lord is allowing you to even be attacked so you can learn how to fight & become strong! PTL?
16. I'm proud of you, Honey! You & David are the best kids I know, & I know you'll win the victory! Just be a fighter & really fight & just don't yield to the Devil & his deviltry! Just sing a song, quote a Scripture‚ read a Letter to resist the Enemy! Read the Word! PTL? I really love you! TYL!
17. In Jesus' name‚ bless & keep her, Lord, & help her to resist the Enemy in Jesus' name! Deliver her, Lord! When she's been strengthened enough to really fight, then deliver her from these things. These afflictions are just light afflictions for the moment, & we have plenty of them, Lord.—2Cor.4:17. You said Yourself that "many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all!"—Psa.34:19. Do you believe that? But you've got to do your part & fight & resist & really sing the victory‚ quote the victory, let the Light in & the Devil will flee! He can't stand it! Amen, you've got it! You can do it! You've got the weapons! You just need to learn how to fight & how to do it & how to use them, amen?
18. And don't let your mind wander! The best way in the World to make it concentrate is to make it quote Scriptures & sing songs. While you're thinking about the good things, you can't think about the bad things, see? I love you, Sweetheart, I'm really proud of you! You're going to be a real fighter! You already are!
"PRIDE COMETH BEFORE A FALL!"
19. The Devil's just like a rat, he just annoys‚ but he can't win! PTL! (Maria: See, Mama & Grandpa both told you the same things! And don't worry that you're "just like Mene."—She had yielded to the Enemy from the time she was a little child, for years & years!) It was pride.—Pride & jealousy. (Maria: And because she'd been weakened from so many years of yielding to daydreaming & bad thoughts.) And a lot of it was self-glorification because she was in a public ministry & a great singer, she let it minister to her pride, & ooh, pride cometh before a fall!—Pro.16:18.
20. Thank God you haven't had any big public ministry that exalted your mind & made you proud. TTL for that. You've been kept private & humble & you haven't had any big glorification‚ except for a few little Techi Letters. (Techi: The thing with me, because I have been kept sort of Selah, when I do Techi Letters, I don't really get so proud about it, because I don't really like to do it. I know I need to be yielded to doing them, but it's hard to be.) (Maria: Because it costs too much to do it & then you have a lot of battles?) (Techi: Yes, but also I feel embarrassed because "Techi Letters" sounds sort of high & mighty, like MO Letters or something, so I don't like it so much.)
21. That's how I feel when people write me letters & say how much I changed their life & saved them & all of these things. And do you know what I always put at the end of that paragraph? I put "TTL!"—Don't just thank me, thank the Lord! He's the One Who did it all! But you have to be known & you have to write your letters, it's a real ministry that the Lord has given you. He told you you're going to be a teacher sometime, like Grandpa is. I write quietly, silently & in privacy‚ yet the whole World hears what I have to say.
WINNING BATTLES DESPITE OUR WEAKNESSES!
22. So why do you think the Devil's attacking you right now?—Because he knows you're getting into your ministry & he's trying to interfere. Amen? Oh boy, the attacks we had in the early days of the Family! But look what happened! God got me through to those youth! I exploded, they exploded, & we have exploded around the World & won millions of souls!
23. Yet I still wonder sometimes, "Lord, how can You use me when I've got so many faults & weaknesses & I have problems with this & that?" The Devil still tries to discourage me. But you know who helps me a lot? That little gal there‚ Mama! She keeps reminding me of my successes: "No, you're not a failure, you're a wonderful success! Look how God has used you & look at the fruits!"
24. I think the Lord has used my weaknesses to try to keep me humble, because how can I brag about anything when I have so many faults & weaknesses? But praise the Lord! (Techi: The Lord can use you more because you're not proud, & also because the Family doesn't think you're perfect or you're an idol or something.) Yes, that's why the Lord gets me to confess my sins & to let them know what battles I have too, so they'll understand, "You mean Grandpa isn't perfect? He has battles too?"—Which shows them that in spite of my problems, I can still win! So that proves to them that in spite of their problems, they can still win too!
25. So you don't have to worry too much about it, just give the Lord the credit & hold on to the Lord! Just fight & push the Lord in front of you & let Him fight the Devil, God damn him! You don't have to worry, because you belong to God & He'll never let you out of His hands. He's promised that. He says, "Neither shall any man pluck you out of My hands" (John 10:28), & that includes the Devil! PTL! Just seek the Lord & claim the Lord's help & ask Jesus to help you, & in the Name of Jesus conquer! PTL?
26. ILY, Honey! And I love you all the more when I see that you're just like the rest of us. We all have battles, but that's what the Lord uses to make us stronger, because when we have battles‚ we fight! What does a soldier do when there's a battle? He gets out there & fights the enemy, & that makes him stronger, believe it or not! PTL! Amen! GBY! ILY!
STORY OF RUTH (LEILA)!
27. Whenever the Enemy tries to put evil thoughts of any kind in your mind, just quote Scripture, sing songs & rebuke the Devil! Remember, the promise is that he'll flee from you!—Jam.4:7. "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, & of love, & of a sound mind!"—2Tim.1:7. Remember that!
28. There was a doctor named Timothy Leary who promoted LSD (a strong drug) in the 60s about the time we were starting the Family. There was a girl‚ Ruth‚ in one of his early groups who he experimented on, giving her 24 times the usual dose of LSD, which nearly wiped her mind out! Finally, thank God‚ the Lord brought her to us, & through our hanging on & fighting & keeping her mind on the Scripture & not allowing her to drift off & go blank, she pulled through! The Lord did it! The rest of the Family were gathered together praying for us‚ while I was dealing with her & praying for her, & it really delivered her!
29. While I was talking to her, sometimes she'd just go completely blank, & I just kept repeating those Scriptures: "Perfect love casteth out fear! God hath not given us a spirit of fear, but of power & of love & of a sound mind."—1Jn.4:18; 2Tim.1:7. And I kept quoting Scriptures about Jesus & telling her, "Resist the Devil & he will flee from you!" I was literally holding her in my arms so I could shake her & try to wake her up & make her hear these Scriptures, because she'd taken so many drugs. And she was delivered, wonderfully delivered, & has been serving the Lord with us for years, along with Ben (Johnny B.), her husband.
TECHI'S YOUTH MINISTRY!
30. Well, you're not in near as bad shape as she was, you're not in bad shape at all, but don't be surprised if the Enemy tries to attack you‚ Honey! You have a great future in the Lord's Work & your ministry is already beginning with your letters. The kids will really listen to you! Adults are always preaching to them & the kids think, "Yeah, but you don't understand my problems. But Techi, she's my age, & she's where I'm at, & she understands the problems I go through!" See? So the Lord's going to really use you with a real Youth Ministry! PTL?
31. You've got it, Honey, you've got the gift of speaking & teaching & expressing yourself, & I love to read your letters, they're really so good, like Mama's! Mama says, "Oh, I can't write," & she writes the most terrific Letters! Her latest are even the best yet‚ TYJ! So the Lord's going to really use you! Don't doubt it for a minute! I know you're called of the Lord!
32. All my life I knew I was going to be used of the Lord somehow, I didn't know how, & I spent 50 years of my life trying to find out! But you already know, because you're already ministering! Of course, all those years I had spent serving the Lord I had a ministry, I was helping your Grandmother & winning souls. (Techi: It was all for training.) Yes, I went through 50 years of training for this job. You don't have that much time‚ because time is very short now. (Maria: So you have to have a crash course!) You have to redeem the time, for the days are evil!—Eph.5:16. So do your best, the most you can right now while you can.
33. And keep thinking of those dear kids & all the problems they have, that they have not even had as much training as you have had‚ & not really been taught as much. So feel their need! If there's anything God ever gave me, it's a love for souls, it's a love for people, & a burden to try to help them. And I knew I had the answer, I knew I had the Scriptures, the Word, & I knew how to deal with them. So thank God, you've got the answers, you've got the Word!
34. You know‚ there's one thing people love, they love to hear stories! And you can give examples from your own life & your own experience. (Maria: Personal testimonies!) They love to hear personal testimonies. Personal testimonies are the way every single Apostle started out‚ telling the story of his conversion & how God had dealt with him. How could others deny it? He was telling them his own experience. Either they believe it or they've got to just say you're a liar & not believe it! But the Holy Spirit is witnessing to the audience all the time, "This is the truth, this is what really happened!" So you can tell them about your experiences, how you were taught things & the lessons you learned. That is really what will help them a lot.
35. (Maria: That's probably why the Lord's having you go through all these things, because other children in the Family go through similar things too.) Yes, because a lot of those kids are being attacked in these same ways! So you're going to be able to tell them how to overcome, how to be an overcomer, how to resist, how to fight, how to be strong! PTL? Amen! I know you're going to make it, Honey‚ don't worry! PTL!
THE PHILADELPHIA PROPHECY!
36. My Mother never lost confidence in me that I was going to some day make it. I gave her a lot of problems sometimes, but I finally did make it. And I would say I have had a ministry in some ways greater than hers. But I had to let her shine first & make her ministry possible until I was able to come into mine. I didn't even know what it was going to be. How could I have known in advance? There weren't any hippies then!
37. But the Lord gave me a lot of encouragement!—A lot of encouraging Scriptures—& it's amazing how three different prophets in three different places all quoted the same passage! When I was lying on my face before the Lord praying in the after services of some of their meetings, weeping my heart out to the Lord, "Lord, show me what to do‚" three of them in three different places who didn't even know me & I didn't know them, all quoted me the part of Revelation 3 about the Philadelphian Church!—Rev.3:7-12.
38. And that's exactly what we have become, just like the Philadelphian Church! And there are promises in there to David, isn't that amazing? You read it & see. You have before‚ I'm sure. The Lord was trying to get through to me & tell me. He even spoke in that passage about our fight with the ACs, that in the End they're going to come crawling in ashes under our feet! PTL!—Rev.3:9.
"...AND PETER!"
39. I believe in you, Honey, & the Lord believes in you, & He knows you're going to come through! These are just battles the Lord is letting you have so you can tell others how to conquer. Amen? You can't really speak much to others concerning problems they have, if you haven't had the same problems. OK? PTL! Can you see that? That doesn't mean you're bad or you're one of the worst people in the World, the Lord's just letting some of these things happen to you so you can get the victory & learn to be strong & conquer & tell others how to do the same! PTL? ILY! GBY, Honey! Amen!
40. I pray for you, that your faith fail not! Just think of the Apostle Peter‚ how he denied the Lord & he lied & everything! The Lord said to him, "The Devil has asked that he might sift thee as wheat, but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail thee not!"—Luk.22:31,32. That showed that Peter was going to be a great great blessing to the Lord's Work. Jesus said, "I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail thee not." (Techi: "And when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.") Right! (Maria: That means that when you learn your lessons & make the needed changes‚ you can strengthen the brethren!)
41. And wasn't the Lord sweet? When He was raised from the grave & the Angel met the women at the sepulchre, he said, "Go thy way, tell His disciples and Peter that He goeth before you to Galilee."—Mark 16:7. The Lord knew that Peter was probably so discouraged & so defeated by his denial of the Lord, that maybe he would think he wasn't even a disciple any more. So the Angel said, "And Peter!" The Lord was saying, "Let Peter know that I still love him." Wasn't that sweet? PTL!
42. Lord, in Jesus' name, give her the faith to hold on to Thy Word that she might be at perfect peace because her mind is stayed on Thee because she trusts in Thee‚ Lord.—Isa.26:3. And to know, Lord, that You have not given us a spirit of fear, but of power & of love & of a sound mind! And that perfect Love casts out all fear.—2Tim.1:7; 1Jn.4:18.
43. Lord, in all of these things the Devil is the propagator of fear, he tries to scare us & lie to us & condemn us & discourage us & make us think we're going to be defeated. So You just help her, Lord, to cling to these Scriptures, in Jesus' name, so that she will hold on to Thee & Thy Love & prayer & faith & quoting the Word, singing the songs, Lord, that will push out all the darkness & let in the Light! TYJ! PYL! Amen! We cannot fail, Lord!
MARTIN LUTHER'S BATTLES WITH THE ENEMY!
44. You should learn that song written by dear Martin Luther. (Sings: )
"A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing!
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft & power are great,
And armed with cruel hate,
On Earth is not his equal!
... But we shall win the battle!"
45. He was a man who really had battles! The Devil even appeared to him‚ & Martin Luther threw an ink bottle at him! They still show you the splash on his wall when you visit his home‚ where the ink bottle crashed against the wall & made a big splash all over the wall! The Devil & his attacks are so real, he even threw an ink bottle at him! Think of that! So if it takes throwing an ink bottle, you go ahead & throw it!
46. That song was a great encouragement to me in the battles I had when I was your age, because it really tells it like it is! I memorised all four verses & I used to sing them! It's terrific! It shows all about his battle with the Enemy & how he came out victorious. It's a marching song! It's a fighting song for the Army of the Lord! (Techi: We used to sing that on our "Jericho marches" when we moved into a new place.) (See ML#s 155:60 & 1409:20-24.) Well, sing it again, it'll encourage you! Learn it & sing it! It will really encourage you. PTL! Amen?
HE'LL ANSWER OUR PRAYERS!
47. Well, this talk took a little time, but I'm sure it was worth it, amen? I really love you, Honey. If I haven't always been perfect, I hope you'll forgive me. (Maria: We're happy, Grandpa‚ that you haven't been perfect.) That should encourage you that in spite of all my faults, the Lord can still use me! Amen? I love you! (Techi: I love you!) Goodnight, Sweetheart! Give me one more hug!
48. Amen, Lord, I lay hands on her right now in Jesus' name. We ask You to strengthen her & keep her mind stayed on Thee because she trusts in Thee‚ Lord! Empower her spiritually, Lord! Help her to really pray, & let the Spirit pray through her in groanings that cannot be uttered, Lord, in tongues or whatever‚ in Thy Spirit. Help her to know that You hear her, in Jesus' name! We anoint her in Jesus' name right now, we lay hands on her & claim Your promises that You will give her the victory! TYL!
49. If the Devil tries to tell you, "Well, the Lord doesn't answer my prayers," just remind him that your mother & your father, two of the greatest warriors for the Lord in the World today, have prayed for you that you'll have the victory! Even if you don't think the Lord will answer your prayers, don't you think the Lord will answer our prayers? The Devil often lies to me‚ "The Lord won't answer your prayers, you're not good enough!" Doesn't the Devil lie to you like that sometimes? All right, you know He'll answer Mommy & Daddy's prayers, & I know He'll answer your prayers too! Amen?
50. So you just say, "Lord, You've got to answer my prayers because Mama & Daddy prayed for me‚ & You've got to answer theirs!" PTL! Amen, Honey, I love you! Bless & keep & strengthen her, Lord, & help her to get an extra good night's rest to make up for the time she spent here. I love you, Sweetheart, & if I've ever failed you in any way, please forgive me. I love you! (Techi: I love you, Grandpa.) Just hang on to Jesus‚ He never fails! PTL! Amen? Amen! I love you‚ Sweetheart. (Techi: I love you, too!)
KEEP SINGING, QUOTING & GIVE NO PLACE TO THE DEVIL!
51. (Sings:)
"How firm a foundation ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent Word!
What more can He say
Than to you He hath said?
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled‚
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled!"
The Devil tried to make me forget that last line, but then Mama joined in & helped me remember the words!
52. Keep singing those songs! When she's not busy concentrating on her work, your mother goes around singing & humming. Sometimes she doesn't even know she's doing it! (Techi: I used to do that a lot.) Yes, that's good, you should, because it helps you keep your mind on the Lord. When you're singing those songs, you can't think about anything else! You have to think about the words. It's good, really good! It sure helped me a lot when I was your age. When those other things would come into my mind‚ I'd just start singing about Jesus, & that was really a help! Try it! You'll like it! Promise? (Techi: Yes.) And quote Scripture. OK!
53. Don't give any place to the Devil!—Eph.4:27. My mother used to say, when the Devil comes knocking at some people's door with doubts or weird thoughts, they open the door & say‚ "Come in, Mr. Devil & Mrs. Devil & all your little doubtlets, & let's sit down & have a chat!" Instead of slamming the door right in his face & cutting his nose off, they'd just invite the doubts in! They just keep thinking about them.
54. Don't think about them! When those things begin to try to come into your head, immediately sing, quote a Scripture, rebuke the Devil, fight! Amen? Fight, team, fight! That's what the athletes say. (Techi: Mommy's "Fighting Chorus" is really good too!) (See ML#2072.) (Maria: It must be the Lord's, since I can't even remember it!) TYL!
55. Amen‚ PTL, Honey, you're gonna be a fighter! TTL! GBY! ILY! TYJ! Always go to bed with Scriptures or a good song on your mind & pray against the Devil, and thank God for such a good mother who comes & covers you up & prays for you & takes care of you. TYJ!
A BOXING MATCH WITH THE DEVIL!
56. Amen! Hallelujah! TYJ! PTL! Just get stirred up about it & just praise the Lord out loud! And if you feel like it, you can fight like your Grandmother did that time when she was so sick & dying of cancer. There was a famous boxing match being broadcast, these World champion fighters were having this World championship fight, & Grandmother was in the next room & she could hear them fighting each other, "Biff! Bam! Boom!" And you know what she did? You've heard about it! She sat up in bed & started boxing with the Devil! "God damn you, Devil! Grrrr! Grrrr!" And she quoted Scriptures every time she "hit a blow"! Dear old Hartley Rainer, the butler, was walking past the window & he heard her damning the Devil & practically cursing & quoting Scriptures & hitting & boxing like this (demonstrates)‚ & he went quick & told Uncle Mark. He said, "I think your sister's lost her mind!"—Ha!
57. Well, it takes something like that sometimes! If you have to sit up in bed & box & say, "God damn you, Devil! I hate you, Devil! I resist you, Satan, in Jesus' name! Lord Jesus‚ give me the victory!" When you get like that, how can you think of anything else? Honey, we've got to be a little crazy to be fighters for the Lord! Better to be crazy like that than the Devil's way! GBY! Mama knows how I've done that sometimes, & she's also fought for me! She's laid hands on me & helped me.
"FAITH OF OUR FATHERS"
58. Well, if the Devil tries to tell you, "The Lord doesn't love you, He's through with you, blah blah," just say, "Well, I know that Grandpa loves me, & I know if Grandpa loves me, the Lord loves me. And Mama loves me!" TYJ!
59. I'll tell you a story about my father that might encourage you: When he was a young teenager, one of his friends invited him to go hear a lecture by a World-famous atheist, I've forgotten his name right now‚ but that doesn't matter, may he be forgotten! When they came out of the lecture hall that night‚ his friend said, "Well‚ I guess that about settles it! That just knocks it all out!—Knocks God & faith in God & the Bible & the whole works all out! He just obliterated it all, didn't he?" He said this to my father. And my father said, "Well, it sounded like it, but there's one thing he can not erase from my mind, & that's the way my mother & father lived, & how they loved & trusted the Lord. I know God exists because of the way I've seen Him living in them!"
60. I often thought about that when I was in school & they were giving me all that atheistic evolutionary teaching. I'd think of my father & mother's faith & the way I'd seen them live & trust God & pray & get miracles. So even if the teachers tried to debunk the Bible & God & everything else, they couldn't debunk my mother & father & their faith. And you've watched us for how many years? (Techi: 11.) So you ought to know! We're still here, amen? And despite the opposition that's getting even worse, & the World's getting worse, the Family is getting better & bigger & stronger every year! Think of it!
61. Year after year I thought, "Maybe this is our last year!", but the next year's always better! We're publishing more now than ever, winning more souls, everything's better! But the battle's getting harder & the enemies are getting meaner, because the Devil's so mad that we're so successful! In spite of everything he's tried to throw at us & throw in our way & hinder us & stop us, & everything he could think of, we're still going strong! After all the persecution they've had there in South America, the Family is even better & stronger with more friends than ever. It really brought out their true friends, & now they're doing better than ever!
THE STRENGTHENING POWER OF PERSECUTION!
62. See, the persecution, the Devil's fight‚ helps to strengthen you & refine you. What does He say in Daniel? "That He may purge them & make them white."—Dan.11:35. That's what persecution does. Having a fight with the Devil is like persecution. You're being persecuted by the Devil, but it will refine you, it will purge you & make you even whiter & better! Amen?
63. So don't get discouraged by persecution. What's that verse? (Techi: "That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire‚ might be found unto praise & honour & glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ."—1Pet.1:7.) See, you know the Scriptures even better than I do! I think of them, but I can't remember them exactly. But there's another verse I was thinking of. (Techi: "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you."—1Pet.4:12.) That's the one! (Grandpa speaks in tongues & cries.) TYL! "Thank You Jesus for making this daughter of David strong, that she might serve Thee in this End of the World!" TYJ! PYL! It's the end of the World as far as they're concerned, the World being another name for the System. And it's happening, it's coming to the end of the System, the Devil's World.
64. So PTL! It's just the Lord. He's just teaching you & training you & putting you through boot camp where it's really tough & rough, so that you can learn to be stronger & a better fighter! PTL! Hallelujah! Aren't you glad? He said, "Rejoice & be exceeding glad" when you're persecuted. You're being persecuted by the Devil! "Rejoice, & be exceeding glad, for great is your reward in Heaven: For so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."—Mat.5:12. PTL!
65. When the Devil's giving you a rough time‚ it's a sure sign that you're really doing what's right, or he wouldn't be fighting. The poor church people, the worst thing about them is that they're asleep. They don't have any persecution to wake'm up. But if you can remember that when the Enemy is fighting you, that you're being fought because he's afraid of you & he's trying to defeat your ministry, then you can feel honoured when you're persecuted, because you must be doing something right! The Devil's afraid of you! Don't be afraid of him! He's afraid of you, because he knows you have the Lord & you cannot possibly fail! You can't lose, because you've got Jesus!
66. Just claim the Name of Jesus, even if you have to just say "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus!" to keep your mind on the Lord! Do it vehemently! Do it with a fighting spirit‚ if you have to sock him with your fists like Grandma did! She won the victory & the Lord healed her! The Devil was trying to destroy her, kill her, get her down, but she fought back & she won the battle, & she lived on about 40 more years after that! She kept fighting the Devil!
WHEN THE DEVIL FIGHTS HARDEST!
67. The more you fight him & the better you fight him & keep fighting him, the stronger you'll get & the easier it will be, believe it or not! The beginning is the hardest time! That's when he tries to stop you, because he figures if he can just stop you now, then that stops you altogether. So that's one of his worst tricks. He tries to stop you at the beginning. But if you refuse to let him stop you, you insist on wanting the victory & you rebuke him in Jesus' name & you get the victory, every time you get a victory it's going to make it easier to get the next victory‚ because you'll be stronger. You'll know by past victories that you can get the victory & you can conquer him! Get it? So every time you do that it makes you stronger & gives you more faith to know you can do it again. PTL?
68. (Maria: At the beginning he just tries to make you think it's too hard & you can't do it so that you'll just give up!) Yes, he tries to stop you & get you discouraged because he knows once he stops you, you'll never do anything more. But if you just refuse to be stopped & you just keep fighting & keep quoting the Scripture & singing the songs, keeping your mind stayed on Jesus, He'll give you perfect peace because you trust in Him. PTL! ILY!
"THE FRUIT OF THE RIGHTEOUS!"
69. The Lord's going to give you the victory, Honey! What is the Scripture about the fruit of the righteous? (Techi: "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life‚ & he that winneth souls is wise."—Pro.11:30.) The Lord gave me that verse when I got real discouraged one time in Portugal. I was reading some articles about all the evil things people say about us, & I thought, "Well, Lord‚ maybe they're true, maybe I am that way. Maybe that's the truth!"—All these lies of the Devil!
70. I'll never forget it! I was standing in the bathroom looking in the mirror, & just as clear as He ever spoke to me, the Lord said, "The fruit of the righteous"—my mother, she was righteous, & I'm her fruit—"is a tree of life, & he that winneth souls is wise." The Lord was telling me: "You can't be wrong, you're a good tree, a life-bearing tree! You're winning souls, you're bearing fruit, so you're bound to be good!"
71. You can't be bad‚ Honey! The Devil tries to tell you you're bad & tries to make you feel bad, but you're our fruit! Do you think we're righteous? We're not perfect, but we're righteous! Quote me that again! (Techi: "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.") Who is that in this case? (Techi: Me!) You! (Techi: "And he that winneth souls is wise.") Well, maybe right now you think you're not winning souls, but with those articles you're writing, you're winning the souls of those kids you're writing to. They're already saved, but in a sense you're strengthening their souls & winning them to be real fighters for the Lord!
72. PTL! Oh my, it's getting late, we've gotta go! But this was worth it, Honey! This will give you more strength than sleep. (Techi: Yes, & it will help me go to sleep faster because I'm tired now. See that's an advantage‚ before I wasn't tired & I might have stayed in bed awake all this time.) Okay, TYL! Well, you just think about what I've said, & go to sleep, & don't worry! Don't worry‚ you're all right, because you're the fruit of the righteous & you're bound to be a tree of life that the Devil cannot overcome!
73. But these things will help you. Just think on these things, the good things! PTL? Quote Scriptures & sing! Go around like your Mama, just cheerfully singing. That helps keep her mind on the Lord, see? When you're singing & quoting Scriptures‚ you can't think about other things. PTL! Amen! ILY! (Techi: ILY, Grandpa.)
74. Amen, Lord bless her & strengthen her & keep her now, & heal her from any problems! Amen. ILY! Praise the Lord, Honey! You're going to make it, don't worry! You can't fail, we're your parents. You're the fruit of the righteous & you're a tree of life & you're going to win souls. GBY, Honey! Goodnight! Have a good night's sleep & think about the Lord! PTL!
75. (Later:) Bless Techi & help her to win the victory‚ Lord. Give her strength to fight & win under these attacks of the Enemy! Bless & encourage her, Lord, & give her real spirit to uplift her, to know she's winning.
76. Rebuke the Satanic attacks of the Devil on Techi! Rebuke those things, in Jesus' name. I ask You‚ Lord, to rebuke the attacks against her & give her strength to resist!—Strength to survive. Strength to keep her mind stayed on You, Lord! Thank You Jesus! In Jesus' name!
77. It's just almost difficult to believe that the Devil would try such direct close attacks on us! My God, rebuke him, in the Name of Jesus, rebuke him! Thank You Lord!
78. (Tongues: ) I pray for the Daughter of David that she may be strong & fight & overcome! In Jesus' name! Lord‚ bless & keep her & help her to sleep, Lord, & help her not to be disturbed by the evil thoughts of the Enemy! Keep her clean, Lord, & strong! In the Name of Jesus! Thank You Lord!
QUESTIONS
(The following pow-wow questions are arranged under the same subtitles that appear throughout the text of the Letter. The paragraph numbers covering each group of questions are also given‚ to make it easier for you to refer back to what the Letter said about any point covered in these questions. God bless you with fun & inspiring pow-wows! WLY!)
1) The most important thing to do when the Enemy attacks you with evil thoughts or temptations is to:
2) (T or F) You can't concentrate on two things at once.
3) How does the following Scripture apply to the statement in question #2? "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee‚ because he trusteth in Thee."—Isa.26:3.
4) Does knowing that even Grandpa is sometimes attacked with bad thoughts & evil pictures encourage you that you're not a "hopeless case" just because the Enemy tempts or hits you with those sort of things? Do you ever get tempted with this sort of thing?
Battles Make You Strong (12-18)
5) Which of the following occurrences is the most revealing in showing whether or not someone is spiritually strong or in tune with the Lord?
6) Why does the Lord allow us to go through battles & temptations?
Pride Cometh Before a Fall (19-21)
7) Mene's exalted ministry of being a great singer & "star" greatly ministered to her pride & self-glorification. Does realising the horrible problems that Mene's pride, self-glorification & exaltation caused her, make it easier for you to take the humiliations, breakings, corrections etc. that the Lord gives you? If so‚ please explain why.
Winning Battles (22-26)
8) Grandpa said he is still tempted to wonder sometimes how the Lord can possibly use him when he has so many faults & weaknesses. Do you ever wonder how the Lord can use you despite all of your faults & weaknesses?—Or do you feel that you don't have any serious faults or weaknesses, & that of course, the Lord can & should use you—perhaps even more than He is right now! (Please discuss.)
Story of Ruth (27-29)
9) Keeping her mind on God's Word broke the power that the Enemy had over Ruth. Do you have faith that the Lord & His Word can do the same thing for you when you go through serious battles in your mind? What verses or Word could you claim when you go through serious battles in your mind?
10) Have you ever won victories over any major fears, doubts, worries or other big spiritual battles by quoting Scriptures & keeping your mind on the Word? If you have any such testimonies, please discuss & share them for the encouragement of others.
Techi's Youth Ministry (30-35)
11) Does it encourage you to realise that Techi goes through some of the same kind of spiritual battles & trials that you go through?
12) Discuss an incident or two where learning about someone else's battles & trials encouraged your faith that you would pull through your battles & trials.
"...And Peter" (39-43)
13) (T or F) Going through heavy spiritual battles & trials is good for us, as the experience will enable us to be a greater help to others.
14) The fact that the Devil attacked the Apostle Peter, & tried to "sift him as wheat" shows us: (Select the correct answers.)
Martin Luther's Battles (44-46)
15) (T or F) Great men of God who were truly close to the Lord, such as Martin Luther, rarely if ever had any serious battles with the Devil.
He'll Answer Our Prayers (47-50)
16) Techi was discouraged because the Devil had lied to her & told her, "You're not good enough, so the Lord won't answer your prayers!" Have you ever felt discouraged like that, thinking that you were so bad that the Lord might not even answer your prayers? Even if you do feel like that‚ can you remember the counsel that Grandpa gave Techi? (See para.49 & 50.)
17) Do you see how helpful it is to confess your battles to others, so you can know that others are praying for you too?
18) Do you faithfully let your parents or Shepherds know when you're "going through it" so you can have their help & prayers?—If not, why not?
Keep Singing & Quoting! (51-57)
19) Grandpa told Techi that she could try sitting up & physically boxing away at the Devil the way Grandmother once did when the Enemy was attacking her. Are you willing to be "a little crazy to be a fighter for the Lord" & do whatever it takes to help you militantly attack the Enemy?—Or would you rather be "cool" & not get quite so stirred up if you think it might make you look foolish in the eyes of others? Please discuss.
20) When the Devil comes knocking at your door with doubts, fears or weird thoughts, what should you do?
21) Are there certain doubts or fears that the Enemy tempts you with that you often have an "a" or "b" reaction to as spelled out in the above question?
22) What are these thoughts, & why do you think it is that you don't immediately "slam the door" on them, but are more tempted to spend time thinking about or "entertaining" them?
Faith of Our Fathers (58–61)
23) If the Enemy ever attacks you with doubts & tries to undermine your faith in the Lord & in the Family, what examples or specific incidences can you look back on from your life in the Family to encourage your faith to resist such doubts? Please discuss some of the miracles you've seen or incidents that have happened that serve as "faith-encouragers" for you.
The Strengthening Power of Persecution (62-68)
24) When you're being attacked by the Devil & he is fighting you with "fiery trials", you should remember:
25) (T or F) The more you fight & resist the Devil, the stronger you'll become & the easier it will be to defeat him in the future.
The Fruit of the Righteous (69-78)
26) Were you personally encouraged by the verse‚ "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life"? If you weren't, think about it again, because you should be!—Like Grandpa & Techi‚ you too are a "tree of life", because you are Grandpa's fruit too‚ that the Devil cannot overcome! PTL!
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family