DO 2829 12/91

—How to Take'm!—By MariaMaria #178

(Note: This Letter was written in 1991, shortly after Dad gave the series "It Could Happen This Year." The first 12 paragraphs were published in GN 499, "Presenting Endtime Prophecy to the Public," but the rest of it is new!)

Presenting Endtime Prophecy to the Public!

1. Since we don't definitely know the exact dates when specific Endtime events will be taking place‚ in our witness to the World, to outsiders, it's enough to simply tell them that time is very short & we only have a few years left. We can certainly prove that by showing them some of the outstanding Signs of the End in the Bible, prophecies which are being fulfilled by World events today.

2. In the series of "It Could Happen This Year" Letters‚ Dad is not saying that it is a certainty that the Antichrist will be revealed in 1992, but only a possibility.—Albeit a strong possibility. Therefore, when witnessing to or sharing about the Endtime with the GP or outsiders, specific dates or interpretations of this sort are not the kind of thing to major on with them. You can sock it to them about the shortness of time by just telling them, "Look around you!—Look at what's happening in the World. It's looking like things can hardly get much worse than they are right now, but according to the Bible, they're going to continue to get even worse, until somebody is going to arise on the World scene to pick up the pieces & bring things back together.

3. "And the moment someone comes on the scene who's going to offer a solution, people are going to just grasp at him & his solution desperately. They're already getting pretty desperate‚ but it hasn't really come to a complete global crisis quite yet. But all over the World things are taking a nosedive & they're going down fast. People are getting more & more concerned, more & more desperate‚ more & more willing to grasp at any straw.

4. "The Bible says that a superman is going to arise who will have a solution, & that all the World will wonder after him. (Rev.13:3.) And if you'll just look around‚ you'll see that the World is swiftly coming to such a crisis point that they'll be ready to accept this great World leader that the Bible predicts, the Antichrist. In fact, things are looking so bad right now, there's a strong possibility that these things could even happen as early as this year, 1992.

5. "Then once this man assumes full power, the Bible says there will only be 3-1/2 years left until Jesus returns, at which time He (Jesus) will set things right & take over the entire Earth! We're not saying definitely that the Antichrist is going to seize the reins of World power this year, but it could certainly happen any time in the near future!"

6. We should tell people that it's going to happen soon, & that they'd better get ready. Whether it happens in 1992 or 1993 or 1994, it's still coming very soon, so they'd better get prepared & get ready for it. In your witnessing to others, I think it's best to emphasise the Signs of the Times, & not the time itself. Just tell them how bad everything is getting & what the Bible says about all these things, rather than go into details on specific dates.

7. You can tell them that things have got to come to a head pretty soon. There are wars & rumours of wars breaking out all over the former Soviet Union, economies worldwide are getting so bad that the governments & people just don't know what to do. Something's got to give, something's got to happen.—Soon! The World is just falling apart, & the Bible says that the "Man of Sin" (2Th.2:3) is going to arise & offer the World his solution, & that they will fall for it, & fall down & worship him!

8. That should certainly be sufficient for those who are just being introduced to Bible Prophecy, who do not need an in–depth study of the subject. We do not need to confuse them with all the minor details, nor should we get dogmatic about 1992. Just say, "It could even happen as early as this year!" But even if the Antichrist doesn't rise to World power until 1993, 1994‚ 1995 or whenever, for the System, any time within the 1990s is very soon! For them to think that the end of the World as we now know it is going to happen even within the next 20 years is very shocking! So whether it's next year or in '93, '94 or '95, it's still going to be very shocking & very amazing!

9. So you certainly shouldn't be dogmatic about it happening in 1992. Dad wasn't, so why should you be? If he's not sure, how can you be? You can say, just like he did, "It could possibly happen even this coming year." You don't have to get into all kinds of details about the Temple & all of that sort of thing. Generally speaking‚ all you have to give them is a simple message about the Endtime, that we're in the Last Days & Jesus is coming back soon.

10. Another thing that you can be pretty definite about is the order of the major Endtime events, so you can also use that when you witness to others, telling them that those things will be fulfilled within the next few years‚ but that you don't know for sure exactly when they'll start. I think that the message that you should be giving people is that it is later than they think.—And that we could be approaching the final period right now. That's all the more reason why they should get ready & be prepared!

Avoiding Dogmatism about Dates &

Details with Our Children!

11. I think that the main point that we should emphasise when reading or teaching these Letters to our children is the fact that we know that the World is very ripe & ready for the Antichrist & his takeover, which we know will take place very soon. We can tell them that Grandpa thinks it could even happen as early as this year. But we should avoid getting too dogmatic with them about 1992 or any other specific year, for that matter. The main emphasis should be that we know that the Tribulation is coming soon.

12. In some ways, the dates & possibilities can be presented to our kids in much the same way that we present these things to outsiders. It would be good to familiarise them with the Signs of the Times that are being fulfilled, & show them how bad things are going in the World & how it's very possible that the Tribulation could start at any time. Just tell them that Grandpa feels that it's very possible that the Antichrist could rise to World power this year, so we want to be sure to do all we can for Jesus while we can. But don't be too dogmatic about it. And if the Antichrist doesn't take over until '93, '94 or '95, it's still very soon‚ & doesn't allow us much time to finish the big job we have to do for the Lord! So whether it starts one year or the next year or the next year, we know it's coming very soon, & we should definitely act accordingly.

Why God Sometimes Hides Things

from His Prophets!

13. I think it would be good for you to review some of the things Dad has written on interpretation of prophecy. Now would be a good time to read & review the "Interpreting Bible Prophecy" Compilation (ML #2210, DB8). I don't think we should try to take everything that Dad has said in the past & make it perfectly coincide with what he's just said now. I also don't feel that I need to try to understand why what he said in the past may be different from what he has said now. But I think that's a problem that some of our people have; they sort of feel that Dad has let them down if he changes his mind or if he modifies or corrects something he's said previously.

14. I don't know of any Prophet of God who has ever interpreted everything that he's gotten from the Lord exactly 100% correctly. We're all fallible human beings & we're just not perfect, we can't be perfect, no matter how much we hear from the Lord & no matter how well we can receive & give out the Lord's Words‚ even in direct prophecy! Sometimes we just miss it on our interpretation.—Not necessarily because we made a mistake‚ but because often the Lord just isn't expecting us to get a perfectly accurate 100% correct interpretation.

15. Sometimes He hides some things from us deliberately. Recently Dad & I were discussing how it seems that the Lord sometimes likes to deliberately throw us off the track & even make us think that time is shorter than it actually is. However, during such times we don't know whether the Lord is trying to do that to us or not, maybe He is & maybe He isn't. For example, right now it could be that 3-1/2 years is all the time we have left‚ we don't know for sure.

16. Of course, the question comes up, "If we really only have 3-1/2 years left, then why doesn't the Lord tell us so, directly & definitely?—Why would He want to hide it from us?" Well, maybe the Lord wants to see whether we'll voluntarily choose to get on the ball & whether we'll really get busy of our own volition, because we actually want to, just going by faith that time is short & that we'd better hurry up & do our best for Him. Maybe He prefers that we make our own choice rather than be more or less "forced" into action because we think we have to, because we know definitely that this is all the time we have left, so of course we have to get on the ball, of course we have to do something about it.

17. Maybe He wants to see how many of us are going to really serve Him wholeheartedly & fervently because we love the Lord so much we don't want to risk not doing our best. He sometimes lets His Prophets be fallible & not always know everything & not always be able to figure everything out exactly the way it is, & not even be able to always interpret things correctly.

18. He wants people to look to Him & not get their eyes so much on any one person that they can't tolerate that person making a mistake or they can't see that person being fallible. The Lord wants to be the only One Who is worshipped or esteemed so highly! If we lose faith because another person is not perfect, we're looking at things completely the wrong way & have the wrong attitude!

Nobody Is Perfect!—Except the Lord!

19. Nobody is perfect but the Lord! Everybody is going to make mistakes. You may say, "How can a Prophet of God possibly make mistakes?—After all, he's the mouthpiece of God‚ & we've got to believe in what he says because he's giving us the Words of God!" That's why the Catholics decided to distinguish between when their leader, the Pope, is speaking under inspiration, as "the oracles of God," or when he is speaking just as a man, to give him a little leeway to make mistakes when he is not under inspiration, so people will be a little more tolerant. It's an acknowledgement that no one is perfect & that even great men of God aren't totally accurate all the time, no matter how anointed they are by Him for their special job.

20. We make it a little more difficult on our Prophet by expecting that every single thing that he says is absolutely perfect & has to be completely accurate & there can't be any fallibility in it. I think that's the attitude that a lot of our people have had, at least in the past‚ if not so much right now.

21. No Prophet is perfect! No teacher is perfect! Nobody is perfect! No matter what kind of highly enlightened humans they may happen to be, they're still not perfect & they're bound to make some mistakes, even in their teaching, even in their instruction.—Or even in their interpretation of a revelation.

22. And if Dad & I aren't perfect, then of course we're going to make some mistakes. And that means we're not always going to be completely correct in everything we say. And because we say so much‚ not confining ourselves only to "spiritual" matters, but also spending a lot of time trying to instruct you in all of life's matters, trying to show you how to base even the most practical things on Godly principles‚ we risk being wrong more often than other spiritual leaders, who deal mainly with spiritual principles & not so much with Earthly practicalities & how those principles can be applied in our everyday lives, in everything we say & do.

23. Our religious service is everything in life! It's not just going to church or moral "do's" & "don'ts." But we, as your leaders, have been commissioned by the Lord to instruct you in "all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27), in all matters of life.—Be they "spiritual" or "practical," be they the principles or the practice. We have to try to deal with everything, from caring for babies, raising & training children, safety on the road, outreach ministries, administration & business, etc. etc! This is a much more formidable task than merely preaching you an occasional sermon on the high & lofty ideals of prayer & love & faith.

24. Of course‚ telling you that we're not perfect, that we make mistakes, might cause some people to wonder, "Then how can we know when you're correct & when you're not correct?—Here we take what you say as the very Word of God! But if you tell us that you make mistakes, then we're going to be continually wondering about things because we won't know what is correct & what is incorrect!" If we say one thing one place, & later on we say something different, then our enemies all yell, "False Prophet!", & even a lot of our faithful followers have to resist & fight the doubts that the Devil tries to hit them with, "See, that's a contradiction!—The Letters aren't right after all!"

25. In most cases, the problem isn't really the Prophet, the problem is the people & the way they take things, the way they interpret—or misinterpret—them. If you want to worry about seeming contradictions, look at the classic case in the Book of Proverbs.—One verse says "Answer a fool according to his folly," & the next verse says‚ "Answer not a fool according to his folly!" (Pro.26:4&5.) The Lord probably allowed that to be put in there to see what people's response would be. Are they going to criticise & yell‚ "That's a contradiction!" as many do, or are they going to interpret it wisely & judge righteous judgement & see that there are always several different sides to the story, & that in the case of one fool‚ you would answer him according to his folly, & in the case of another fool you would not answer him according to his folly.—It all depends on the situation.

26. The reason people sometimes have a problem with the Letters is usually because of a lack of understanding.—Or they don't know how to properly handle it when the Lord clarifies something for the Prophet or shows him something new or different from what He's shown him before. They don't know how to take things in the right context, or how to interpret or apply things, to "rightly divide the Word of Truth."—2Tim.2:15.

27. Or they get too dogmatic about a position or interpretation that Dad has taken in the past. Even though Dad has always tried to differentiate between a revelation received directly from the Lord, & what is his own interpretation, idea, conjecture or theory, or just a possibility—such as "What If"—people just naturally like to have everything down pat. They tend to cling to the old theories that they've been comfortable with, & they resist—& sometimes even resent—changes that might blow their nice little preconceived ideas apart.

28. Dad has also been very faithful to back what he's taught us with lots of Scriptures, & has even said‚ "You don't have to believe what I'm telling you unless it's confirmed by the Bible." Of course, in this present age we deal with a lot of subjects that don't necessarily have specific confirmations in the Bible. Dad has given a lot of important, practical instruction for us today that they didn't even think of or need back in Bible times, so of course there aren't any specific Scriptures in the Bible to back them up. For example, you probably won't find too many verses about not staying out too long in the sun or how to take care of your survival needs, repair your automobiles, etc.—All kinds of things like that.

Why People Stumble when Dad Presents

New or Different Teachings!

29. If people are bothered because Dad changes his mind or his interpretation about something, we can't exactly say to them, "Your problem is that you're looking too much to Man & not enough to the Lord!" Because of course they look to Dad as the Lord's representative & as the Voice of God. And herein is the dilemma. The Prophet does speak the Words of God. But not every single word that comes out of his mouth 24 hours a day, 7 days a week is always anointed & inspired by the Lord. No one has ever been 100% inspired in all that they say & do, except Jesus Himself!

30. We've even published Letters in which Dad had gotten discouraged & sunk to the depths of despair, lamenting his own frailties or imperfections, shortcomings etc. Things like that show the humanness of the Prophet‚ & his own spirit & own personality. We publish things like that for the purpose of showing our Family that the Prophet is human, he is not perfect, & to encourage others that if he who is the Prophet of God can have those kinds of trials & difficulties & still be used of the Lord, then certainly they can rise above their difficulties & adversities & still be useful to the Lord too!

31. Of course, I think it's easier for people to understand Dad having personal trials of discouragement or even making mistakes in his presentation of statistics & names & places, or having lapses of memory about past events, than it is for them to accept changes in his interpretation of Bible Prophecy or predictions of the Future. It's also sometimes difficult for people to accept changes in the practical instruction Dad gives them‚ when he tells them a new or better way to handle certain matters or how they should live etc.

32. Maybe they're more affected by these kinds of things, because when it comes to actual teaching & instruction, they expect that Dad will be more perfect & be able to hear the Voice of the Lord more clearly. They're willing to give more leeway along the lines of personal imperfections or lapses in memory of dates & facts & figures etc. than in more substantive matters that affect them much more personally or seriously‚ & that they will follow & pattern their lives after, & in turn teach to others.

33. People can often tend to feel quite sensitive, disappointed or "let down" if they believe that someone they have trusted & put their confidence in to know all the answers, doesn't know everything after all. I think perhaps it's almost a matter of pride sometimes.—That here they've believed certain things & have taught them to others, & then they find out that maybe some of those things are not so sure or certain any more. It makes them feel humbled or embarrassed.

34. Actually, this has happened very rarely with Dad, that he has changed his mind or his teachings on something. When he has, it's mostly been on matters of the interpretation of Bible Prophecy & the Future, which of all the topics or subjects he's taught us, is probably the most mysterious & the most complicated & hard to fathom! This is evidenced by the fact that there are virtually thousands of completely different interpretations by all the different theologians & denominations of the same passages of Scripture in Revelation & Daniel etc.

35. I think Dad has been very accurate in his teaching & in his predictions, & has generally seen & conveyed the Lord's picture very clearly, & only in some peripheral details has it been a little unclear at times. But even Paul said, "Now we see through a glass darkly."—1Cor. 13:12. Not until we get to Heaven are we going to see everything really clearly.

36. But we should be so glad that Dad is willing to step out by faith to give what the Lord shows him, even though he may not always be able to see everything in exactly 100% perfect perspective. His desire to be obedient to the Lord in warning the World & faithfully passing on His Messages is far greater than any concern or worry he may have about others who would criticise or ridicule him just because he might not have gotten every detail exactly correct.

37. Other cases in which we have changed our instruction or teaching over the years have been because times have changed‚ situations have changed, the Family has changed, the World has changed. The Lord never said that our methods had to stay the same! Our basic message of Salvation is unchangeable, yes, but some people have mistakenly thought that we were throwing out the Lord's Message when we changed some of our methods. They have confused the methods with the Message.

38. For example, a lot of people were stumbled when Dad first presented the FFing message. And then a lot of people were stumbled when Dad stopped our FFing! When Dad encouraged everyone to flee the North & head for Southern mission fields, it was not only a great challenge & inspiration to a lot of our folks, but it was a real test & trial for a lot of people as well. And then when Dad started encouraging people to return to their Northern Home Fields, that was a test & trial for quite a few folks too! We've had quite a few methods that have radically changed over the years, including our previous promotion of our MWM Radio Show, our former emphasis on small, scattered, totally decentralised Homes, our previous sudden dropout recruiting methods, our time of "Don't Drop Out, Drop–In" ministries, etc. etc. Through all of these transitions‚ those whose eyes were more on the methods than the Message frequently stumbled or wondered what was going on!

39. Another source of stumbling has been when Dad has said something that simply went beyond our natural reasoning & carnal logic. For example, a lot of people were very surprised at Dad saying Saddam was a man of God when the whole World—including most of us—were convinced about what a villain he was! Was Dad wrong?—No, of course not! We were the ones who were wrong in not understanding what the Lord meant by this. As Dad explained later‚ God meant that Saddam was the Lord's man for the hour to accomplish His purpose in the World, & to direct events in the way that the Lord wanted them to go. God can use anyone, even the Devil! All things are God's, even the Devil.—And even those who work for the Devil. Therefore, even the Devil could be called an instrument of God, or God's tool for the job for which God created him. (Isa.45:7; Amos 3:6; Luk.4:6.) God even told Jeremiah that the heathen king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar‚ was "My Servant!"—Jer.27:6-8.

40. But of course, we all jump to conclusions & try to fit everything the Prophet says into our mold & the way we see things! And if it doesn't fit our ideas or the way we think things should be, then we begin to get doubtful & question instead of looking at the overwhelming monumental evidence that Dad is preaching the Truth & is on the right track. All too easily we allow ourselves to be distracted by some little point for which we can't find a reasonable explanation that satisfies us.

41. So when Dad scolds Faithy for getting too much sun & tells her, "I don't care if you even stayed out in the sun for five minutes!—That was five minutes too much!", we say, "Uh oh, Dad's contradicting himself!—What about all those Get Out Letters where he said we need exercise in the fresh air & sunshine?!—Places where Dad has even said that we should get out for half an hour to an hour in the fresh air & sunshine! So Dad must be contradicting himself!—Oh, how can we know what to believe now?! How can we know what's right & what's wrong!"

42. Well, if you have read that "Rulebreakers Beware" Letter (ML #2710) carefully, you will see that Dad was not so upset at Faithy for being in the sun for five minutes as he was for her disobedient, defiant, rebellious attitude. If her motives had been that she merely wanted to have some fresh air & sunshine for health's sake as Dad has taught, then there wouldn't have been any problem. But the Lord had Dad really sock it to her because she was deliberately getting in the sun for the purpose of getting a suntan for vanity's sake‚ just to be "cool."—And by so doing, was setting a terrible example for the Teens.

43. Most people can stand to be out for half an hour or even an hour in the very same sun that Faithy should not have been in for five minutes.—Because their motives are right, because they're properly clothed or moving or exercising, & not purposely trying to get a tan. For example, getting an asthmatic child out in the sun for the sake of his health, or getting out of a dark stuffy office in order to sit in the fresh air & sunshine for the purpose of dictating, counselling with others, etc., does not at all fall into the same category as sunbathing for the sake of getting a tan so you can look more "classy" or "in."

Riding the Wave & Trusting the Lord

about New Interpretations!

44. The way I take Dad's interpretations of Endtime events—interpretations that change from time to time as he tries to see things more clearly—is to ride the wave, roll with the punches & just try to look at things the way Dad is seeing them. I try to see them the way he is seeing them. When the Lord gives him an interpretation or application that may be new or different from what he's taught before, I lay aside what I've heard previously & just start out fresh with what he has now said.

45. When Dad has a different idea or changes his mind about something, I change my mind too, & I accept that new idea. I let go of what he has said before, I don't dwell on what he has said previously‚ especially if it doesn't seem to fit with what he's saying now. I realise that he's learning as he goes, just the way the rest of us are‚ & as he has often said, "A wise man is wiser today than he was yesterday!"

46. I also trust the Lord that whatever Dad is saying, even if it may not be 100% accurate in every little detail & exactly the way things are going to turn out, the Lord is having him say what He wants him to say. He's having Dad say whatever he's saying for a purpose. That purpose may not always be to show us precisely the way things are going to be. In some cases it may be to test our faith in God's Prophet, or to see if we will interpret him correctly‚ to see if we'll still have faith that he is God's Prophet—even if he isn't always able to give us exact dates & times & places.

47. Maybe the Lord is deliberately hiding some of these things from him to test us, or to keep us guessing so that we will be less comfortable & secure. Like Dad has often said, "The most uncomfortable place for a Christian is a comfortable place," & the minute we get comfortable, or the minute we get secure & feel we are able to definitely predict certain times & events, then we tend to sort of settle down in a rut.

48. I think the Lord is often checking our attitude & testing us to see how we're going to respond to what we hear. His purpose is often more than just to deliver the content of a message to us. Sometimes He's more interested in how we'll take that content, what we'll do with it, how we'll respond to it & God's Prophet who has given it. There's not one human Prophet of God who has ever lived who has been completely accurate in everything they've said! Does that mean they aren't Prophets of God? No, of course not!

49. Dad has often called different men real Prophets of God, even though it's pretty obvious that in a few things they had missed the mark & were wrong. If they're right most of the time, & are right in the basic & most fundamental & important matters, then we've considered them to be true Prophets of God‚ even if in a few minor matters they've been proven wrong at some time or other. If they're giving out God's Message & they're right in all the basics & fundamentals, all the essential & most important matters, then it doesn't disqualify them as Prophets of God just because they make a few mistakes here & there.

Interpreting by the Spirit,

not the "Letter" that killeth!

50. Interpreting things by the letter of the law can get you very confused! But if you interpret things in the Spirit, everything will fall into place & everything will be clear. You've got to balance Scripture with Scripture & principle with principle & situation with situation.

51. I believe that in the Lord's eyes‚ this is one of the most important lessons of leadership. You cannot be a mature‚ responsible leader until you have learned to have a wise balance in your leadership & in your decision-making & in your discerning of situations. The Word says, "A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just balance is His delight."—Pro.11:1.

52. I also believe the Lord allows everything that has been printed in the MO Letters for a certain purpose, & that purpose is not necessarily always for the sake of giving us 100% perfectly accurate information on everything. I think the Lord doesn't want us to get so stuck in a "letter of the law" mode. "The letter killeth, but the Spirit giveth life!"—2Cor.3:6. He wants us to interpret things according to His Spirit, He wants us to "judge not according to the outward appearance, but to judge righteous judgement."—Jn.7:24. He wants us to balance things justly & wisely. I think He's trying to teach us to live by the Spirit of the law & not the letter, to show us that nobody can be perfect by the letter of the law.

53. If we try to hold the Prophet to every word he's ever said & insist on trying to make everything completely coincide & all fit perfectly together, it just won't work. It's impossible for fallible human beings—even those who are filled with God's Spirit & speaking His Words—to be right in everything they say! And the more they say in print, the more chance they're going to have of making mistakes & being inaccurate.

54. But the Lord doesn't allow His true Prophets to be incorrect or to be inaccurate in any of the fundamental matters. We might make a slip of the tongue where we say one word when we mean another word, or we may get our details a little mixed up. We may get some historical facts wrong because of a poor memory. Or our reasoning may even be faulty, inadequate or incomplete in some minor matters.—Which if so, the Lord usually helps us to better understand & correct our error later on. Dad even wrote a whole Letter about this very subject. (See ML #1492‚ "Thank God for the Good!")

55. Dad may have changed his mind & may have gone back & forth about whether the confirming of the Covenant is going to be secret or it is going to be open, but in the very important basic matter of the Endtime & the shortness of time, he has never wavered! And in fact, the only reason he has changed his opinion on some of those details is because the Lord has not seen fit to clearly & definitely reveal these. So don't blame the Prophet. If anything, hold the Lord responsible!

56. Aren't you thankful that the Prophet has attempted to deal with these matters? Haven't we learned some things through them, even if we don't always have exact dates? Haven't we been thankful that we've had some insight, even if it hasn't been perfect insight?

57. I think the thing that really concerns some people more than anything else is that they worry, "If Dad is wrong on this, then he could be wrong on other things! So how do we know what is right & what is wrong? How can we order our lives by something we're not even sure about?" Well, my answer to that would be, you should have the faith to believe that God's in control, & that He is faithful to lead & guide His Prophet.—So you can just go by whatever Dad says; trust it & take it as the Lord's instruction & guidance for you, don't doubt it. It's the best counsel you have, so use it & live by it. And if Dad comes out later with an adapted version or revised version, then you can revise at that point as well. If we find that something works better later & we tell you that, then just be open to change & adaptation & revision & be willing to change.

How Adaptable Are You?

58. That too is a test from the Lord, to see if you're willing to change‚ to see how adaptable you are.—To see how stuck in your rut you are, to see how much you're depending on your own system & your own viewpoint & opinion that you've established for yourself!—Or to see if you're willing to just go when the Lord says go, or change when He says change. How much are you willing to be ruled by the Lord or by others? Are you so into your personal rut that you think you have everything down so pat & so right that you're unwilling to make any changes?

59. If so, that smacks of self-righteousness, thinking that you know it all! The Lord doesn't want you to have that attitude, He doesn't want you to think you know it all! Maybe that's why He hides things from His Prophets sometimes, so you will have some insecurity, so you will have some questions, because the Lord doesn't want us to get too set in our ways & too sure that we know it all & become too "right" about everything. That would make us too proud & self–righteous.

60. He wants us to have some questions, some insecurity, some unsettled feelings of not knowing everything, not knowing the future. That way we can look more to Him & depend more on Him & not on our own strength & our own facts & figures & our own knowledge & our own system of knowledge that we think we have down so beautifully. "Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God!"—Psa.55:19b.

61. Like Paul says, "We see through a glass darkly."—1Cor.13:12. In other words, His Prophets get the basic ideas from the Lord, they get the general picture‚ but it's not perfect, it's usually somewhat muddied. It's foggy, it's misty‚ it's not a clear picture, it's not perfect. We just don't know everything perfectly. We may try to, we strive to, but we often fail. The Lord just didn't make us that way, He didn't create us to be perfect channels. Sometimes I wish He would have, because it seems like it would have been a lot better for Him if He had! But He knows best, & I think He allows our frailties & weaknesses just to test your faith & keep you desperate & dependent on Him alone. PTL!

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family