Maria #429CM/FM 31791/98

By Maria

1. (Dad speaking:) I'm so sorry for you young teens who've been discouraged and feeling down and out. Several of you have written in, and Mama has brought your letters to my attention—so that's why I want to have a little chat with you now. I came here with a hankerin' to talk to you younger teens, and to answer these letters you've written. But I wanna tell you, I've been zeroing in on all of you—younger and older teens and SGAs alike—and I think what I have to say will be a help to you all. So I hope you all take this talk to heart!

2. Remember, Jesus directed His salvation message to Nicodemus, because he was the one who asked the big question, "How can you be born again?" But the Lord knew that talk was going to benefit millions down through the ages, right? So although the Lord was talking to Nicodemus‚ He knew what He was saying was the answer for everyone—the millions more who were going to benefit from it—because what He was saying applied to everyone. So you older teens and SGAs, please listen up, because I'm talking to all of you!

Things Can Seem Rough and Tough!

3. I'm so sorry that some of you have been so discouraged and feeling down and out! I know at your age things can seem real tough, and the going can get a little rough. Isn't that right, kids?—Especially if you feel real frustrated and like hardly anybody really understands what you're going through.

4. I can't much blame you if sometimes you feel like you're caught between a rock and a hard place—because, in a way, you are! Especially you younger teens‚ because you're too old for some things and too young for others. And all of you young people at one time or another might feel like folks don't always listen to what you have to say, or that they don't appreciate you enough‚ and so on.

5. Some of you might just be bursting at the seams to do this or that! You want to learn things, to experience life, to go places, to be used of the Lord—and, oh, the frustration that sets in when things don't happen as quickly as you would like, or how you would like. I know it can be rough‚ kids! Believe me, I know. I went through similar things when I was your age. Yep‚ way back then!

Get It Off Your Chest Because Prayer Changes Things!

6. I'm sorry when things don't always work out the way you'd like them to, but when that happens, it's really good to get it off your chest and to share your heart with someone who can help. And if there's no one around to talk with, well, tell Jesus, of course, or write Mama, or tell me! By getting things out, then you know you can at least get the prayer you need—and prayer changes things! Prayer can alter any situation.

7. I want you to know that you'll have me and Mama and Peter all praying for you, and that's really something! You can expect big miracles if you just hang in there, 'cause the Lord always answers our prayers! The only way you can be defeated is if you quit! But if you tell the Lord your problems, He'll whisper solutions in your ear—and I will too, if you'll sit real still and listen!

The Only Way Outta the Hole

8. So what's the solution for you young folks when you find yourselves in situations like this? I'll tell ya, when I think about it, I get so fightin' mad at that ol' snake, that ol' Devil who's trying with all he's got to get you kids all down in the dumps and discouraged and defeated and feeling like you just want to quit and throw in the towel! I can tell you from personal experience that the only way to get out of that kind of hole you find yourself in is to get up and punch that ol' boy back!

9. I know you kids can do it, 'cause I know you've got what it takes! I have faith in you—each and every one of you. It doesn't matter what others say or do—I know you've got what it takes! As long as you're willing to sock that ol' Devil right between the eyes, you're gonna make it!

10. If you feel down and defeated and like it's no use, that's the time to stand up and fight! When the goin' gets tough, the tough get goin'! Even if you don't feel so tough, or you don't feel like you've got one more ounce of strength in you to keep going—well, that's the time to just sock it to him anyhow. That's the time to walk by faith, not by sight, 'cause the Lord won't fail you!

11. Look at all the great fighters down through history! John Paul Jones and others fought on in spite of all odds against them, in spite of what they felt like, and they went on to win the battle! It doesn't matter what you feel like, 'cause you can be strong in the Lord! Let Him carry you, and He will! Praise God!

12. I know all of Satan's tricks! He'll tell you that it's no use, so you might as well give up; that you feel so defeated, you might as well let him walk all over you. Phooey on all that hogwash! If you go listening to all that‚ there's just no end to it! I know! I had so many faults and weaknesses myself when I was young, and oh, the Devil sure liked to remind me of them! He was always trying to blow up all my faults, telling me I was good for nothing, full of this problem and that problem, that others didn't like me, or that they had it in for me.

Will You Go Under or Rise Above?

13. When I was a young teen, those big bullies really liked to pick on me! I was skinny and scrawny and a weakling in the flesh compared to some of those big brutes. I was a real loner as a teen, and there were all sorts of reasons why the big bullies liked to pick on me. I was the preacher's kid‚ for one, and also the teacher's pet as far as they were concerned, because I studied hard and applied myself and got better grades than they did. I didn't speak their bad language and I wouldn't go along with their pranks and all their cuttin' up, so they were always railin' on me.

14. I just had to decide if I was going to let it bother me or not. I had to make the decision as to whether I was going to go under because of it, or rise above it. I knew the Lord‚ I knew the truth, and once I decided I was going to live for Him, He gave me the guts and the faith to stand up for my convictions. I was a fighter for my faith and what I believed, because I knew I was right! And now today, it's just as important for all you young people to stand up and be fighters for your faith as well. Right here in the Family you can be a fighter for your faith. Stand up for what you know is right, and don't let anything get you down!

Can't Keep a Good Man Down!

15. I was praying for you kids, that you'd find the faith to hold on, and you know what came to me? I immediately thought of the story about the girl who wanted to be a ballet dancer. Have you all heard that one? She had studied ballet all during her childhood, and as a young woman, when the ballet company came to town, she went to see them perform. Afterwards she went backstage and told the ballet master that she hoped to be a great ballerina some day, but she didn't know if she had the talent. So the ballet master asked her to dance for him. He watched her for just a minute, and then shook his head and told her‚ "No, no, no, you haven't got what it takes."

16. So the young girl went away heartbroken, hung up her ballet shoes, and never danced again. Years later, after she'd married and had a family of her own, she went to see the ballet master, and reminded him that they'd met before. She'd been bothered all those years and curious to know just how it was that the ballet master could tell so quickly that she didn't have what it took to be a ballerina.

17. The master looked at her and said, "Oh, I hardly watched you! I say the same thing to everyone who comes to me." Horrified, the woman cried out, "Why, that's unfair! You ruined my life! I could have been a great dancer!" The old man looked at her and said, "No, I don't think so. If you'd had what it takes, you wouldn't have paid any attention to what I said." Praise the Lord! Do you see what I'm getting at? The point is‚ you can't keep a good man down!

18. This story reminds me a little of some of you young folks who find yourselves in difficult situations. When the Devil comes along with all these things to discourage you and get you down—whether it's someone who isn't as nice to you as they should be, or you're not able to express yourself the way you'd like to, or when folks won't listen to you, or when people, even some of the adults who should know better‚ disappoint you by not being the sample they should be—when all the things that can go wrong seem to be happening all around you, are you gonna let that stop you from serving the Lord and pleasing Him? That's the big question, as hard as it sometimes seems.

19. The big question that each of you need to ask yourself is, "Am I gonna let someone tell me it can't be done?" And that's my question to you kids: Are you gonna let the discouragement that the Devil's trying to cast your way scare you out and stop you? Are you gonna fall for his "it can't be done" line? Or are you gonna stand up like John Paul Jones and scream back in his face, sockin' it to him with an, "I haven't even begun to fight yet‚ you ol' Devil, so you just hit the road and get outta here!"

Catch the Vision!

20. I think it'll help you kids if you can realize just how important you are to the Lord, to the Family‚ and to the world! I know it's hard for some of you to grasp it, because you might not feel like it right now, but let me tell you—you are! Without a vision the people perish, and what you need to do is ask the Lord to help you catch the vision. You've gotta keep your eye on the donut and not on the hole.

21. If you young people could just see what the Lord has in store for you‚ there's no way you would even have second thoughts about piddling around wasting time with a little here and a little there, or tinkering with this‚ that, and the other thought of "Maybe it'd be easier out in the System" and all that tommyrot! And it is just that—tommyrot!

22. For goodness sakes, do you want to know why it looks so good when you look around at the System?—Why it seems folks out there hardly have any problems? If it doesn't look so bad out there to you, it could be because you're only looking on the surface! Of course it doesn't look so bad on the surface; if it did‚ you wouldn't be tempted! It would be no test!

Read the Fine Print!

23. I'll tell you, when the Devil tempted Jesus with all the kingdoms of the world, those kingdoms looked mighty good to Him—especially since He'd been hanging out up in the mountains for 40 days and nights with nothing to eat! (See ML #3088:104-106, GN 713.) If you don't believe me‚ just ask the Lord to tell you about it some time! That was a big test, a great temptation, when the Lord came to Earth and saw firsthand what a mess things were in, and here the Devil offered Him the kingdoms of the world! He told Jesus that He could rule the world if He would just bow down and worship him.

24. Don't you think that probably looked mighty tempting to the Lord, to see that He could have ruled the whole world right then and there and had a chance to set things straight and solve all the problems on Earth? Because, after all, He would be in charge then! Don't you think He was tempted right then? He could have ended His hunger on the spot, and maybe avoided having to go through more suffering and pain and having to die on the cross for us!

25. But what the Devil didn't tell the Lord was that there was a catch to it! He didn't tell Him that He would have to rule the world his way and according to his rules. And of course he didn't tell Jesus that that meant He would have to be his slave! Satan is sly. He never tells you the catch. He never gives you the whole truth, because he only deals in half-truths, twisted truths, and contorted, distorted pictures.

26. When Satan tempts you kids, it's like those advertisements on the bottle of medication that don't clearly give all the details or the ingredients. They often don't give you a true picture of that product, or what side effects might occur. While he pushes one side of the coin, he ignores the other. The Devil doesn't deal much in details, in the fine print—which, although it's very fine sometimes, is nevertheless often very important and could cost you your life if you don't pay attention!

27. He tries to hide or cover up or disguise what's really in the product, or what harmful side effects might occur if you take that medication. The painkiller might take away the one pain it was intended for, but what they don't tell you is that it's likely to cause some other pain or disorder somewhere else, like dizziness, nausea‚ allergies, headaches‚ blurred vision, or worse yet, heart failure‚ cancer, or other things—one or many assorted harmful side effects!

28. But thank the Lord‚ Jesus was too smart for that ol' Devil, and when He prayed and looked up to His Father in Heaven, He found the faith and the conviction to sock it to him—pow—right in the ol' kisser! No, I don't mean He kissed him! Back in my day, if you hit someone "right in the kisser," that meant you socked him right in the face! That's what the Lord did to the Devil when he tempted Him with all the kingdoms of the world. He hit him right between the eyes, dead center, right in the face!—Just socked him right out and knocked him flat with the Scripture, and the Devil had to flee.

29. But let me tell you, those kingdoms sure looked real tempting, and the Lord's Own faith really got tested that day. But that was good! It's good when your faith gets tested‚ because that's what's gonna make you strong. The battles and the tests are what's gonna make good soldiers out of you!

Don't Be a Deadhead!

30. So don't be fooled when you see these guys in the System who appear to be cruising along in what seems like an easy life‚ and maybe on the surface it seems they're doing okay, like they have so few problems and they don't really have much opposition in their lives. Of course they don't always have opposition, because they're deadheads! They aren't doing anything to oppose!

31. Sure, in some ways the System might seem easy, but they're dead! They aren't doing anything to make a lasting difference. They're hardly doing anything worthwhile! And not only is it all gonna burn, but those who seem to be easing along today are gonna get a rude awakening tomorrow! Even now it's beginning. The days of troublous times and peril have begun, and they're not prepared.

32. If you take a look at the System and think that its people have a relatively easy life, it's because they're no threat to the Devil's kingdom! He's lulled them to sleep! They're asleep out there! And when they finally wake up, they're gonna find they have plenty of troubles—more than they ever bargained for—and they're gonna be desperate for answers!

The Lure and the Hook

33. Sure‚ it doesn't look so bad out there in the System. Do you think the Devil's gonna let it look bad while he's trying to lure you away? He doesn't entice you with things that seem or look bad—otherwise you'd never fall for it! The Devil lures you with attractive things. When you go fishing and you bait the hook, you want to make it look as attractive as possible, right? You want to cover up that hook so the fish doesn't know what he's getting himself into! That's what a lure is. It's something that attracts you. It's a decoy. It's not "the real McCoy," but it's a decoy, a fake, something artificial, something to trick you‚ to get you to fall into a trap!

34. Just because it's packaged in a fancy wrapping doesn't mean it's not all rotten on the inside. But let me tell you, all that glitters is not gold, and what the System appears to be on the surface is not the true picture, and that's that! Finito! Them's the facts, kids! I oughtta know! You can take it from me because of my own firsthand experience—my own times of backsliding when I tried to get away from the Lord's work and helping my mother.

35. Let me tell you, it wasn't even hours after I'd made that decision to join the army that I knew I'd made the wrong choice! But it was too late, and I had to stick it out for several months before the Lord delivered me. I learned my lesson the hard way. But you kids don't have time to learn the hard way. The Lord needs you now! And I need you now! Whaddaya say?

See the Big Picture!

36. And not only do I know from personal experience that the System's not where it's at, but I can see it so much clearer from my vantage point up Here! If you could only see behind the scenes, you'd know what I'm talking about! But thank the Lord, He can help you see it, and I can help you see it too. You can't see it all clearly right now, you can't always see all the pitfalls—but what you can do is listen to the Lord and me! If you're smart, you'll pay attention to the guy who's got the advantage and can see the big picture! That's what the Lord did when the Devil tempted Him: He looked up to His Father Who could see all sides.

37. The Devil's offer looked mighty good to Jesus when He was tempted. The Bible says Jesus was tempted, so that means He was faced with what the Devil was offering. Those thoughts were coming to Him. That's what temptation is, isn't it? It's a lure, an attraction. You get tempted and you have to make a choice. And in order to make a choice, you usually have to look at all sides of the equation, at least for a moment.

38. Temptation always looks good! It's attractive, and it always has some sort of promise attached to it too—otherwise it wouldn't be a temptation! But the thing folks don't realize when they fall for the Devil's temptations is that his promises are empty.

39. The Lord looked up when Satan tempted Him. He listened to His Father when He told Him that was not the way to go. The Father could see clearer, and the Lord knew that, so He listened. He was smart. He knew the best thing to do would be to listen to the One Who could see all sides of the equation—and Who could do that better than God Himself?

40. So now that I'm over Here on this side and I can see clearer‚ I can certainly tell you and warn you that that's not the way to go! That oughtta carry some weight! It oughtta shake you up, and I hope help inspire you to catch the vision of the big things the Lord has in store for you if you keep on fighting and don't quit! Believe me!

Boredom Lovers, Welcome to the System!

41. Don't kid yourself. If you don't like a boring routine and empty living, I wouldn't recommend going the System way! Talk about routine and having to fit into someone else's mold! Talk about no freedom! That's what the System's all about—bondage! It's bondage of the worst kind under the guise of freedom. It's slavery to the chains of conformity. No wonder Jesus said to not be conformed to this world. He said‚ "Come out from among them! Don't be conformed, but be transformed. Renew your mind. Rewire your thinking. Don't be like they are!"

42. The System's full of conformity to all their rules and regulations and boring routine, and it hardly has any mercy. Let me tell you, if you don't fit all nice and neat into their System mold, you'll hear about it! Everybody's somebody's fool—don't kid yourself. You kids need to just ask yourself whose fool you want to be. You're either gonna be a fool and a slave of the System, or a fool for Christ! The only thing is, those who want to be a fool and a slave for the System are gonna have a pretty rude awakening one of these days when they wake up and see the bottom's falling out and they have nothing to hang on to! Whereas those who are willing to be a fool for Christ today are gonna live and reign with Him tomorrow, when we're gonna set this world right-side up!

A Crucial Time to Get on Board

43. What you kids need to realize—and I know it's hard to see sometimes, but you can take it from me—is that the Devil fights hardest every time you're about to begin something really important. He's fighting you hard right now because he knows how important all of you young people are. This is the age of decision—so many decisions! You're having to decide which way you want to go in life and what type of person you want to be.

44. Just because you're in the Family doesn't mean you don't have to make decisions about what you're gonna do with your life. For those of you who are holding on and wanting to serve the Lord right here in the Family, you also need to make up your mind as to what kind of a disciple you want to be. Are you gonna just ride along on someone else's coattails? Or are you gonna really press in to all the Lord has for you right now and give Him all you've got?

45. Everybody has battles! Every good soldier has to fight battles, because that's how they become stronger and able to fight the really big ones and win big victories!—Until they're able to win the final victory and win the war!

46. I sympathize with you young people. The Devil's trying some of his worst tricks on you, because he figures if he can get you to give up now, then you won't be as big a threat to him and his dirty kingdom. And the Lord's allowing you to be tested. It's a crucial time for you as you make the decision to get on board and go all the way for Jesus. But it oughtta encourage you at the same time, because you can know you're fighting for something that's worth fighting for!

Your Chance to Prove What You're Made Of!

47. Well‚ I know that some of you are in some bad situations, and some people aren't being the good samples that they should be. There's no excuse for that‚ and with the Lord's help we hope to change that. Nevertheless, you have to remember what Jesus said: "What is that to thee? Follow thou Me!" Those Words of Jesus were always a help to me in my teen years. Whenever those bullies were picking on me, or whenever I felt things were unfair, or that I was misunderstood, I'd remember those words‚ and they helped me to hold on. They helped me to remember that it was between me and the Lord, and I was gonna be held accountable to Him to stay faithful.

48. If you kids know what the sample should be, then it's up to you to follow it yourself. And if you find yourself in a tough situation‚ you can encourage yourselves that the Lord has a purpose and a plan even in allowing those rough times. It's your chance to prove what you're really made of—to pitch in with all your might and not let anything hold you back!

IF!—Success and Failure

49. If you're passing through a few hard times, the important thing is what you do about it in the meantime, how you handle all the rough spots that come up in daily life—whether it's misunderstandings and frustrations, or even the good times, the fun and excitement, the liberties and the blessings the Lord gives us. Did you know we even get tested on our blessings too? You can tell a lot about someone when you see how they handle success, and what they do after a big victory—if they're just gonna ride on that one big victory they got and then get lazy or let their guard down from then on, or if they're gonna continue pressing in and gaining greater victories day by day.

50. It reminds me of that famous poem by Rudyard Kipling that meant so much to me as a young teen. He says, "If you can take success and failure and treat these two impostors just the same, you'll be a man, my son!" That's when you've matured and learned to be really wise—if you can handle both success and failure the same. If none of these things move you, neither success nor failure, then you've wised up; you've grown and gained knowledge.

Refuse to Give Up!

51. Are you willing to catch the vision of the great things you're gonna do? I'm not talking about something way far off‚ either. The only way you can lose is if you give up. As long as you keep on fighting and keep hanging in there, you're gonna make it, because the Lord's gonna make it for you! He promised He would make it through you.

52. When you find yourself in a tough situation, or down and out, or like nobody understands you—the solution is, you've just gotta keep on forging ahead! You've gotta keep on keeping on and making progress! Refuse to give up! The easy way out is to give up. Anybody can give up, but it takes someone with real guts to keep on fighting!

53. Remember that girl who gave up and quit on her whole career? Imagine, she gave up her chance to be a prima ballerina all because of one little comment from one man. Just one little remark and she threw it all away. She took the easy way out instead of proving him wrong. You can always find legitimate, reasonable, logical, acceptable excuses for why you can't make it, and there'll always be someone around willing to listen. But God is listening too, and He knows better. He knows you can make it‚ because He can make it in you!

54. I like to fight! If you tell me it can't be done, I'm gonna go right ahead and prove to you it can be done! That's the kind of faith I like to see! Jesus never said that taking up your cross and following Him would be easy, but He did say it would be thrilling! Just because the beginning stages might seem a little rough right now, just because the entrance exams are a little hard, nevertheless, the end result and the exhilarating thrill of accomplishment and victory make it well worthwhile! Like anything that's worth fighting for, you've gotta train, and sometimes training can be a little monotonous. It can be a test, and strenuous, and just plain ol' hard work!

Action Here as well as Rewards Hereafter!

55. To amount to anything in the System, it takes plenty of hard work too. You have to apply yourself and work hard to make it out there‚ but the difference is‚ you'll have nothing to show for it in the end. There are no rewards out there that are gonna last, whereas serving Jesus in these Last Days will not only promise excitement, suspense and action here and now, but rewards hereafter!

56. It's a battle, I know, and the battles won't necessarily cease. But if you're a fighter like me, you'll love the battle! That's what we joined this army for! That's what we've committed ourselves to in this Family—to fight the Enemy, to pull down his strongholds in the hearts and minds of men!

57. I'm sorry if the battles seem so strong, but that just goes to prove that you must be doing something right, or the ol' Devil wouldn't be fighting so hard and trying to get you down! And when it seems like the spotlight's on you, well, hard as it might seem at the moment, that's the time to be happy! Be happy that the Lord is putting you through these tests, 'cause that's what'll make you strong!

Ask Him and He'll Clear the Fog

58. Now, I'm not gonna say that nothing in the Family or in your Home needs to change. You can take my word on this, that we're working on it! And most important, if you keep praying‚ not only for yourself‚ but for all the folks around you, the Lord is working on them too—working in their hearts and lives. Everybody's on trial with the Lord, and that's good! It shows that we're all important to Him. We're all a heck of a mess without the Lord, and we all need Him. We all make mistakes, we all have our faults and shortcomings, and we all need more of Jesus!

59. I want you young people to see just how the Enemy's trying to trick you, to where some of you feel confused about things, and others of you feel like you can't even hear from the Lord clearly. That's ridiculous! If you ask, you will receive. If you ask for bread, He's not gonna give you a stone! If you'll start praying and listening, you're gonna find that the Lord will solve a lot of your problems, and He'll clear away the fog. When you feel like you can't hear from the Lord, or you feel all confused and like you don't understand, or when you feel all down and out and condemned for past mistakes—well, that's the time to sock it to the Devil with everything you've got!

Jesus—The Big Boss!

60. We know that confusion and condemnation are not of the Lord. So if you feel that way, at least you can tell that ol' Devil to scram! Just refuse to listen! Refuse to get down! Refuse to play his game! If you feel like going out in the garden and eating worms, just tell that ol' Devil that you might be a mess‚ but Jesus in you is your hope of glory! If the voice tells you to do something good—that's the thing to follow; you know that's the Lord. But if it tells you to do something bad, that's the time to tell the Devil to get out!

61. When it comes to getting so down in the dumps and feeling discouraged‚ that's the time to refuse to listen! The Devil might sometimes try to throw lightning bolts over your head, and thunder, and loud crashing in the form of battles and trials—trying to scare you out. He might try to wield his power and scare you. But you've got the One Who can stop the storm in a moment, and can stop the thunder and all the lightning bolts! The Devil might be the prince of the power of the air, and he tries to show off the little power he's got, but you've got the King of kings, the Head Honcho, the Big Boss—Jesus—Who has control over all things!

Word Grenades!

62. So that's when you've gotta sock it to the Devil! Use the Word constantly! Sock him with the Word! Shoot that Devil with your Word bullets, and they'll be just like death rays that'll blast him right off the map! Zap him! Cream him! Vaporize him! Nuke him with the positive declaration of your faith by throwing him a Word grenade!

63. Hit him with surprise attacks in commando raids throughout the day. Don't give him any place! Sock it to him any place‚ anywhere, any time, by sockin' him with the Word! Go over the Word and positive things in your mind! Say it out loud with your mouth. Sing it, whisper it, think it—when you get up, when you lie down, in the bathroom, in the kitchen, when you're having get-out, when you're working in the house‚ on your way to the bus or the train, while riding in the car, when you're waiting for someone, even when you're watching a movie. You can be thinking and praying and socking it to the Devil no matter what else you're doing, any time of the day. So let it rip! Don't let him catch you! Run away so you can fight another day.

Your Fortress of Protection!

64. That reminds me again of when I was a boy and those big bullies at school would tease me and threaten to beat me up. They were somethin' terrible, those big ol' mean guys. I was just a skinny little runt, but at least I knew I could outrun'm! So when those big bullies threatened me, I'd yell back at'm and say, "Well, you've gotta catch me first!"—And I'd start running as fast as I could for my house.

65. That's what you've gotta do with the Devil when he tries to get you down like he has. Just yell back at him and say, "You've gotta catch me first!" Then just run as fast as you can right into your fortress, right into the arms of Jesus! He'll protect you, 'cause He's got a great big stick and He'll chase that ol' Devil away—and all his doubts and lies and condemnation, and everything else to boot!

Fight to the Finish!

66. You young people are old enough and smart enough and have got what it takes to hang in there and fight it out to the finish! You just need to decide and make the commitment as to what kind of young person you wanna be. Do you wanna be the kind of person who gets scared out every time the ol' Devil says "boo"?—Or just because somebody does something that gets your goat, or they do something that maybe isn't the best thing to do? Just because somebody else rubs you the wrong way, are you gonna let that hold you back from what the Lord wants you to do? Are you gonna let a few little "wrongs" that folks might do to ya scare you out of serving the Lord altogether? You need to decide if you're gonna let that stop you from receiving all the rewards and the crown that are rightfully yours if you keep your eyes on the goal!

67. This is the question you all need to ask yourselves should you find yourself in a difficult situation, or if you feel like you're getting a raw deal. What you need to do is decide if you're gonna be like the young woman who wanted to be a ballerina but gave it all up at the drop of a hat just because someone discouraged her and told her she didn't have what it takes‚ and let that one little remark alter her entire life. Or are you gonna be like the guy who refused to give up, and when someone told him it couldn't be done‚ he went right on ahead and did it anyhow!

68. Are you gonna settle down and be satisfied with the run of the mill? Or are you gonna go ahead and pitch in with all your might and not let anything or anybody prevent you from doing the right thing—the thing that the Lord wants, the thing that can really get you somewhere?

69. Once you determine in your mind and heart you're gonna go for it, then put your all into it! Then when the temptations and the trials come, it will be easier to take, because no matter how hard it gets, you'll know all you've gotta do is hold on. Every great man and woman of God was determined and usually had to fight against all odds in order to do what God wanted them to do. But knowing that their God would never leave them or forsake them gave them the faith to carry on. They knew they were on the winning side and that they couldn't fail, because the Lord can't fail!

70. It takes guts! It takes faith! It takes courage and daring! It takes abandonment! It takes launching out into the deep and trusting God to see you through!—And He will! He'll never let you down‚ because His promises are not empty. If you'll just hold on to Jesus no matter how dark the outlook, He'll pull you through! You'll have the satisfaction of real accomplishment, and you'll come out safe and sound and whole and hardy and ready to live and try again—to reach a new thrill, a higher goal, as we follow Him on to conquer the world! Hallelujah!

No Losers with Jesus!

71. So next time you're tempted to feel down or discouraged, or if you find yourself in a tough situation and it looks like everything around you is falling apart and going wrong, just remember this little talk. Remember all the fighters throughout history‚ okay? Remember, the only way you can be defeated is if you quit—because we're on the right side, the side worth fighting for, the side that can't fail, because Jesus won't fail. There're no losers with Jesus, and there're no winners with the Devil!

72. I want you all to remember that, okay? Remember to trust, even when others are doubting. When you don't understand, that's the time to trust. If friends seem to forsake you, put your hope in Jesus. If others try to dissuade you from what the Lord wants you to do, just keep waiting on the Lord and trusting Him to bring you through. Trust Him to change the situation, to change others' hearts if need be, to change your heart—and He will!

73. Wait on the Lord. Wait on His Word. When you get tested‚ refuse to worry and insist on not giving up. If you find yourself in a difficult situation and it's hard to cope, smile your way through! Be content, knowing that the Lord will meet you there and He'll pull you out.

74. If others seem to give you a hard time and troubles tumble about you—refuse to murmur! Sing, shout, praise! Yell at the top of your lungs if you have to! But don't complain. When you get tempted to sin, fight for the right, stand firm, and knock that ol' Devil a deadly blow! When you stumble or fall, get right back up again! Grab on to Jesus and let Him steady you.

75. When others are jeering at you, speak up for Jesus in spite of their sneers! When negative peer pressure is pressing hard against you, speak the truth and follow the right! If you feel lonely, look for someone lonelier than you to console. When Satan lets loose on you with his fiery darts‚ pray and walk by faith, not by sight. When you want thrills and excitement and lots of action, turn to Jesus and let Him point you in the right direction. Stand up and be counted for Jesus, and you'll have the victory!

The Best Game of All!

76. Whatever you do, don't quit serving Him! No one is beat till they quit. Stick to the fight when you're hardest hit, 'cause that's the time you mustn't give up. It's easy to quit‚ but it takes real guts to fight on! If you try and don't get results, that's the time to keep on trying! Keep going! Keep screaming at that ol' Devil when he tempts you to quit. Keep yelling right back in his face! Pound on him with the Word! Keep holding on! That's one thing you can do if you can't do anything else—hold on!

77. Keep fighting when you're hardest hit! To fight on even in the face of discouragement—that's the best game of all! That's where the challenge is! The real excitement and thrill and suspense is in the fight! In the heat of the battle is where all the action is! Like the strong man who loves to run the race! Like the athlete who loves the athletic event! Like the soldier who loves the battle and the exhilarating thrill of victory! Like me!—I love to fight the Enemy, because I know I'm fighting for you, and for souls, and for the things that are really worth fighting for!

78. Will you young people be my firebrands that will keep challenging the Enemy face to face? Will you get on fire for God so the world can watch you burn? Will you keep fighting and keep holding on to Jesus? This is the only thing worth living for—the Lord and His love, winning souls, and fulfilling His Endtime commission. I know you can do it—that's why I love you so! I have faith in you kids, and I'm counting on you! You're my hearts aflame! Keep going for Jesus and you'll never be sorry! XXXXXXX! Love, your Grandpa

P.S. from Dad

79. Okay, kids‚ now since I've been talkin' to you all about one of my favorite subjects here—fightin' the good fight of faith, and the importance of sockin' it to that ol' Devil—wouldn't you know that Mama would spring another question on me? Ha! That's my curious Mama! She's got more questions than a dog has fleas! God bless her! Thank the Lord she does, 'cause if she didn't ask, we couldn't give you the answers!

80. All right now, who can guess what she asked this time? Mama just asked me how spirit helpers and folks in the spirit world fight the Devil! Oh boy! Now, that's a good question, because Heaven's full of fighters! You want to learn from an old pro herself? Let me introduce you all to a real fightin' gal! This is my friend, Liza—and let me tell you, she really knows how to sock it to the Punk! (End of message from Dad.)

Thrash Him and Trash Him!

81. (Spirit helper, Liza, speaking:) Wow, this is neat! I'm so glad to meet you all and that you asked this question about how we fight the Devil! I'd be happy to share this with you! I just love sockin' it to him! When I fight that ol' sleazeball, I get riled up and let it rip! Praise You Jesus!

82. When it comes to fighting the Devil, this is the time to let go and knock the pants off him! Jesus said that there's a time and a place for everything‚ and this is the one time you can go ahead and let your aggression out! Launch an aggressive attack! Our warfare is not carnal but is in the spirit‚ and this is the time and place to get riled up in spirit and whack that ol' creep right where it hurts!—Right between the eyes!—Between the legs, if you must!—Anywhere else you please, just as long as you whack him good and put him out of commission!

83. Don't be afraid to make it known in your words and actions! Sock it to him! Go to it! Get on fire about socking it to the Devil! Defy him! Hit him back! Shatter him to bits! This is your mission! Fighting the Devil takes action! Get excited! You can't do it calmly. Get angry at his dirty work. Shout at him, scream at him, curse at him, sock it to him! That's what we do up Here! We just sock it to him right and left, on every side. Don't give him an inch—shoot him right down!

84. I love to fight the Devil, because I love to see him defeated! We up Here in Heaven all love to fight evil. Heaven is made up of fighters—souls who love to fight and stand up for the truth! We're not about to let anything get in our way.

85. Although everything up Here is beautiful‚ serene, peaceful and calm on one hand, Heaven is also alive‚ vibrant, glowing, moving, living, energizing, pulsating‚ invigorating‚ bouncing, action-packed, thrilling‚ high-spirited, robust, dynamic, full of drive, powerful‚ full of unending passion, full of emotion, wild and free! And this is how we fight the Devil in the spirit world—we fight with everything in us! We turn all this energy and power toward knocking him right out of commission!

86. We know all about his evilness, his dastardly deeds, his poisonous venom, that he's the father of lies, and we're not about to let him win! We love to fight because we know we can't lose. We love to destroy evil! We fight for Heaven! We fight for you! We fight to free men from the clutches of Satan! We fight on to victory, and we love it because we know we're fighting for the Lord and for the truth, and we know the truth will always triumph over the lie!

87. You want to know how we fight the Devil? The way we fight the Devil is with every ounce of strength that's in us! The way we fight the Devil is with every ounce of energy we can muster up!—Double barrel, no holds barred! When you're fightin' the Devil, that's the time to get aggressive; it's not the time to hold back.

88. I've got good news for some of you who tend to get discouraged with some of your‚ as you say‚ NWOs, from time to time. You might have to work on overcoming being too pushy, too aggressive‚ too loud‚ too brash, or too strong-willed with your brethren. There's certainly a time to desperately seek the Lord and depend on Him to help you control all these qualities. But there's also a time when the Lord can use even your NWOs. He can turn around your bad habits and use them for something good!

89. Cheer up, folks! Even some of your bad habits can be put to use when fighting the Devil, if you'll let the Lord channel them to the right time and place! There's a time to get angry and yet sin not—and that's when you're fightin' the Devil! This is the time you can let it all hang out! You can let out all your pent-up pushiness when it comes to fighting the Punk! Hit him hard and don't let up!

90. Kaboom! Head on! Zip, zam, bam!—Right between the eyes! That's how you fight the Devil! Jesus has given us all power in Heaven and in Earth and in the universe to fight the Punk‚ so we just let it rip! No mercy on Lucifer—that's how to fight the Devil! Till the finish—that's how we fight the Devil! Till all evil is forever stamped out—that's how long we'll keep fightin' the Devil!

91. Words are real things‚ and Satan and his dirty crew can't stand the Word of truth! The Word is our weapon and we just sock it to him—right, left, top‚ bottom, on every side—with God's Word!—And even a few of our own words thrown in if it helps us get in the groove! It doesn't hurt to get riled up so you can pack those punches with a powerful delivery!

92. Take a look at what Satan does. He has his dupes get all revved up with his Satanic music, doesn't he? Like those guys who drop bombs on the innocent in those horrific wartime massacres! How do you think those guys who fly those fighter planes get revved up to kill? They rev up with Satanic music and go out for the hunt. They fill up with the lies and spirit of Satan, and go out and slaughter the innocent!

93. So how much more should we get revved up to fight the Punk and put an end to his dirty work? You've gotta get revved up in spirit and in truth! Get revved up on the Lord and His holy spirits, and go to town putting a stop to the Punk's evil deeds, his dirty tricks and slimy, sly ways that he uses to put people in bondage! Sock it to him in song! Turn up the boom box of the Word, and blast away! Kaboom! Knock him out! Sound the instruments and drums of war, and forward attack despite his evil flak!

94. That vile viper is out to get your soul, so you've gotta attack back with all that's in you! Don't be fooled! Don't allow him to gain one inch of ground in your mind or in your heart. Fight him! Rebuke him! Reprove him! Zap him to bits with the laser gun of the truth you hold in your hand! Slash away with the sword of light! Cut him to the heart and be done with his poison! And if you see him sinking his deadly teeth into your brother or sister or innocent person to whom you're ministering, come to their rescue by sending the likes of this slithering snake into the depths of the sea!

95. Resist him steadfast in the faith! Beam a prayer at him with a mighty thrust! Show him where your faith lies—that in the Almighty you trust! Follow the sample of Jesus when He said‚ "I rebuke you, Satan! Get thee hence!" Do it with conviction! Sock him! Refute him! Make it total eviction! Hit him hard! Hit him high! Hit him low! Slam him on the right! Slam him on the left! Hit him below the belt. Team up with a partner and go for a bash!

Slam him! Ram him! Thrash him! Then trash him!

Attack him and whack him and punch up and pack him!

Go for the offense—don't give up or despair!

Remember this punk's power works only through fear.

So be bold and brave, and stand up for the right

Power up your punches and give him a fight!

Rebuke his darkness! Let in the light!

Konk him and zonk him right outta sight!

Just toss him the truth and yell in his face,

"Get outta here, you rotter! I give you no place!

Get behind me‚ you Devil, you skunk and you punk!

I want no part of your slimy junk!

Take that!" Powee! Just thrash him like that!

"I resist you‚ I detest you! Go! Scram, you fat rat!"

Neutralize him, vaporize him, boil him and foil him!

Resist his dirty deeds—pluck'm out like deadly weeds!

Root'm out! Throw'm 'round! Cast'm down to the ground!

Rise up and fight and show him your might—

'Cause you've got all the power, and now is the hour!

Show'm who's boss and give him a toss!

Don't be weary and don't get faint‚

Sock him with the Word that belongs to the saints!

If you're feeling weary, like you just wanna sit,

Grab a bro or a sis! Don't be tempted to quit!

Join hand in hand, unite for the fight!

There's power in one, but two's outta sight!

Be bash brothers for Jesus! Go on‚ show'm your stuff!

Just ram him and slam him, call his bluff!

"In the Name of Jesus we take this stand,

Take that, you imps, and get off of our land!

We resist you, we rebuke you, we refuse to obey you!

We give worship to God, so you just can't stay!

We call down the power from the Almighty Above,

We'll march on to victory as we live in His love!

You devils can't win, we refuse to surrender,

Take that‚ catch that!"—Send'm for a bender!

"Our God will deliver us from your evil works,

In the Name of Jesus, get out, you jerks!"

All power is ours in Heaven and Hell,

On Heaven we're standing and we think that's just swell!

So let it be known today and forever‚

Advance on all sides—we never say never!

All things are possible to us who believe!

With Jesus beside us, it's really a breeze!

(End of message from Liza.)

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family