United We Stand, Divided We Fall!

Love and Appreciation for

Our Nationals!—By Maria

Maria #468 CM/FM 3222 4/98

Dear Family,

1. I love you so much! We really are an international bunch, aren't we? The Lord has called us from many nations, different cultures, unique backgrounds, and all with different experi­ences, that together we might complement‚ uphold and support each other. The only way we can be as effective for the Lord as He'd have us be, and fulfill the mission He's given us‚ is if we operate in love and unity together.

2. That sounds simple, and you've heard it so often that it probably doesn't even mean much to you anymore. But unity is one of the very most important goals to have ever before us in our service for the Lord. It should be so important to us that we are willing to forsake our personal preferences, opinions, wants, desires, ideas, or whatever else might be standing in the way, in order to accomplish the greater goal of maintaining loving unity!

3. We've addressed unity in a number of GNs in recent months, and it's one of the goals we're trying to reach. Do you feel you're making the progress the Lord has for you in your Home and your personal lives? Peter and I are sure praying for each of you, and we're doing all we can through the GNs, our counsel with your leadership‚ and our prayers for you. So please do your part, and the Lord will never fail to do His!

4. This GN addresses one specific aspect of our unity, or rather something which is hindering it, and it has to do with the different backgrounds that we come from and the way we mingle and become one. The problem has to do with an attitude which we'll call "pro-American‚" and which Dad addresses quite strongly in the following messages. Sadly, we've heard numerous reports that some of you don't have the right attitudes needed in order to blend lovingly together, and rather are causing division through your comments, actions, and what you might consider your "personal preferences."

5. Note: When I refer to nationals in this Letter, I simply mean those of you in a Home who are citizens of the country in which that Home is located. Obviously Americans would be nationals in the U.S., English would be nationals in England, Germans would be nationals in Germany, etc. So all of us are nationals of one sort or another, and when we use the term "nationals" it's not in a derogatory sense—nor should it be when you use it either. It's simply a short word which replaces the more precise but cumbersome definition of nationals as citizens of the country in which a Home is located.

6. Of course, the problem we're addressing in this Letter is generally that of American, European or Australian nationals looking down on nationals from other countries. But you're all nationals of one sort or another. Some of you just seem to have a bit of a superiority complex because you're Western nationals! If you feel that way‚ it might do you good to remember that Jesus was a darker-skinned Easterner who didn't speak English!

7. I'll give you some sad examples of the fruits of this attitude‚ which are even beginning to affect our little children. Some of our children no longer want to be thought of as ­nationals of their birth country. Those who are part American‚ with one American parent, prefer to be called Americans‚ and are actually ashamed of being associated with their national country. Some of them don't want to learn and speak the local language, and instead of being happy with their calling of being missionaries to their people, they want to go and live in the U.S. Where are they getting these attitudes from?

8. Some of our nationals have been dis­couraged to the point of feeling like quitting, because they've had such a hard time trying to fit in with the "Westerners" or have felt so in­ferior! Let me tell you right now, folks, I don't look at you dear nationals as inferior, and I know Dad doesn't, and the Lord certainly doesn't ­either!

9. Peter and I are so very thankful for you—we literally could not accomplish nearly as much without you! You are one of the greatest assets our Homes have! One of these days, some of you might be the only ones allowed to remain in your fruitful home countries where there is still an immense harvest to reap! Even now, without your knowledge of the language, customs, cultures, and ways of the lands we live in, our Family would be seriously handicapped—not to speak of your helping us to understand the people of your country, and helping us learn to relate to them in order to save them!

10. Our Family needs you desperately, and often you're some of the most valuable people in the Home, as you speak the local language, are capable of doing the outside business‚ and do much of the ministering to kings and sheep. And besides that, you're such sweet, willing and loving brethren! We love you, appreciate you, and need you more than we can say! So please don't be discouraged!

11. This GN is directed at those of you in our Family who have had a less than Godly attitude toward those of other nationalities and need to get things straight in your minds and hearts. Please read it prayerfully and begin to act on it immediately! Remember that "we reap what we sow," and that our attitudes and actions here on Earth—as well as the far–reaching results of those actions—will follow us to Heaven. Lord help us never to be guilty of causing someone to stumble through our pride, lack of love, and na­tional­istic attitude! Ask the Lord to help you see things through His eyes and you'll be amazed at how different things look! Praise the Lord!

Pro-American, Pro-Western

Attitudes Hinder Our

Effectiveness as Missionaries!

12. (Dad speaking:) Help us with this, Jesus! Our Family needs a shakeup in this area, so help us all to tune in to You now and receive from Your Words what You have for us personally. Amen? Okay, dear Family, if the shoe fits, wear it!

13. We have a problem in the Family right now of an overly pro-American and pro-Western attitude. This is not just something that I've been asked to talk about by Mama and Peter because they've heard reports about it, but it's something that I've seen for myself. You might have noticed that we're having a few shakeups in the Family these days, and I hope this will be another one!

14. How's it going in your Home? Are you shook up and desperate with the Lord‚ reading up on the subjects that have been addressed‚ discussing solutions, and doing everything you can to put them into practice? Are you in touch with the flowing and moving of the Lord's Spirit through the ranks? Are you giving the New Wine first priority? I don't mean just reading it during your allotted reading time, but putting it into effect in every area of your life! That means when it comes out and calls for improvement in a certain area, you make room and time to put it into practice, even in the midst of your busy schedule. Are you putting the Lord first?

15. Or are you even surprised that we're calling this time in the Family a shakeup? Are you saying, "Oh, I didn't know that the problems we've been having had reached the point that we needed a shakeup!" Do the mailings that you've gotten in the last several months regarding problems and the Lord's call to improvement seem like they're great for others but not so applicable to you? Has your Home continued on pretty much business as usual? If it has, there's something seriously wrong, folks!

16. The Lord wasn't kidding when He called these the days of preparation! Without getting into that whole subject again, I can tell you that it would be wise for you to stick real close, because the Lord is moving quickly! He's given you all a lot of time to get used to certain things, like hearing from Him in prophecy‚ loving Him intimately, and He's going on to more new moves of the Spirit, which are not going to move as slowly. He's starting to expect more instant obedience, instant desperation‚ and calling out to Him to help you yield and flow. So let's get with it, shall we? Praise the Lord!

17. Okay‚ back to the main subject of this talk. This problem of being so pro-American and pro–Western has crept into our Homes and is poisoning the vine. What nation do we belong to as a Family? What do we claim as our citizenship? We're citizens of a Heavenly Kingdom! It sure as anything isn't the United States! God help us! I've said over and over that there were many times when I was on Earth that I was ashamed to be an American! I don't think you'll find that disgusting, pro-American, "worship the Whore," "fuck materialistic Babylon" spirit in any of my Letters! So where is it coming from? How is this attitude getting in, and how are we allowing it to get in?—To the point that now it's outright hurting our sample and effectiveness as missionaries!

18. I'll tell you where it's coming from. It's coming straight from the pit—from Satan himself—and from the materialistic, whoring sirens of Babylon! You should be ashamed that you've fallen for it! My God, don't you know what America stands for? Murder of babies, sodomites, selfishness to the point of destroying food to keep it from the poor nations, and keeping the world in submission through war and brutality! That's what I think of when I think of America today!

19. America's not the only country that does this sort of thing, of course. Other countries have legalized abortions, sodomites, wastefulness‚ wars and brutality, but they don't cover themselves with the same cloak of righteousness and moral uprightness that America does—really just a cloak of hypocrisy! What a terrible sample to the world from what used to be a great Christian nation! They spread their filthy attitudes and corruption all over the world, to the point that nearly everyone wants to visit America or live in America. Disgusting!

20. So how is this pro-American attitude getting in, folks? I want your Home to stop right now and discuss how it's getting into your lives. I'll give you a few ideas to start with. Through movies‚ for one thing. The big movies are almost all made in the U.S., most actors are American, they play American music, they're usually set in the Great Whore, and they constantly promote Babylon as the greatest. Another thing is the horrible spirit of materialism that has one of its strongholds there. Granted, we have to take advantage of some of the ­modern technology, but I'd almost rather we throw it all out than take with it the sickening, devilish, corrupting and polluting spirit of America!

21. I'm serious about this, folks. The Lord has sent you into all the world to preach the Gospel—His Gospel, the Gospel of love, the Gospel of salvation, the Gospel of being one body in Christ! How do you think you can get that across when some of you believe and think in your minds and hearts that America is the best? It's not! They've got more than most countries, but what have they done with it? They've wasted it‚ hoarded it, and used it for the glory of evil rather than for good. It's a reproach to them‚ not a credit! They should be so ashamed of them­selves! And one day they will be as the Lord metes out His judgments and brings them to their knees for all the world to see!

22. So for some of you children of the King­dom to be worshipping them in spirit and desiring to be like them, talk like them, listen to their music, dress like them and be one of them is abso­lutely shameful! I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say!

23. Do you know what the fruit of it is? It doesn't stop with you. The fruit of your actions, whether you think those thoughts subconsciously or whether you know you think them, is that it makes some of our dear, precious, loving nationals—who have forsaken all to follow Jesus just like you, who have given up their lives in the world and made sacrifices to preach the Gospel just like you—feel like second-class citizens!

24. If anything, you have more to overcome than they do, because you've been polluted or indoc­trinated with that "America is best" attitude in one way or another, either through having lived there, having absorbed it from the ­media or gotten it from your parents, etc. Of course, many nationals feel that way to some degree too, because their countries are often poorer or less advanced or less free than America is. Thank God that they can find Heaven in our Homes, with real wealth, real advancement and real freedom, much greater than any worldly nation can provide!

25. But for some of you to make them feel that they're second-rate, that their ideas, opinions, suggestions, thoughts and feelings are not as "educated" as yours are, is downright conceited!—And you're wrong! The Lord con­siders their thoughts, feelings and ideas just as valid and important as yours, and they probably know a lot more about how to reach their people than you do! The Lord loves them just as much as He does you, and He's able to use them just as easily as you—if not more—because they don't have as much of that disgusting nationalistic pride to over­come first!

26. And these attitudes are filtering all the way down to the children! Some of our kids now wish they were American too; they don't want to learn their local language and they're ashamed of the nationality they were born with! What have I preached to you all through the Letters? It was to become one with the people you were trying to reach. To learn their language, adapt to their customs, and leave the uncultured, uncivilized, rude, ugly, impolite, and downright ungodly American attitudes right where they belong—in America—not in our Homes!

27. This makes me so upset! I feel like making it mandatory for all our overseas Homes to speak only the local language for a while, to let all you foreigners get a taste of what it's like to try to stumble through. I dare say our nationals would be a lot more under­standing‚ compassionate, patient teachers‚ and make you feel a lot more at home and at ease than many of you have done for them!

28. Get it through your heads, folks, that the Lord loves the people of these nations that He's called you to be missionaries in! When He sees the peoples there‚ He weeps for them, prays for them, and sends you—vessels of His love—to reach them. Do you know what He does when He sees the United States and some of these other Western nations? He weeps for the sheep, yes. But most of the time He becomes furious as He sees their waste‚ their lack of ­hunger for the Spirit, their unyieldedness, their persecution of the prophets, and their pride which slaps Him in the face! Can you see the difference?

29. So God forbid that we would continue to allow this spirit in our Homes! God forbid that we would fall prey to thinking with the mindset of the Americans—almost the most ungodly mindset you could have!

30. And you folks from other Western coun­tries who've been guilty of this same proud, un­loving, conceited, misguided attitude or way of thinking that you're better than the dear nationals can take note too, and shape up! I addressed the Americans because they're the majority of the guilty ones. But some of you others are just as guilty, and this stiff talk is straight to you as well! Okay? Let's have a little more Godliness, a little more Heavenly–minded­ness, and pull out of the worldly frame of mind. Like the Lord said, "Ye are not of this world, for I have chosen you out of the world!" Amen?

31. Those of you who've been guilty of this—whether in attitude or action—need to ask for prayer. You need to ask for the Lord to cleanse you, to wash you, to create in you a clean heart and renew a right spirit within you. It's going to take some rewiring, so I suggest you read up on the subject in the Letters‚ and there you'll get the mind of the Lord on what He thinks about the States and their whoring. You need to ask forgiveness from your children, your brothers and sisters, and humble yourself.

32. This whole thing really comes down to pride. That's one reason the Devil promotes it so much. It's not only taking in and allowing the spirit of the Great Whore to become a part of you, but it's also allowing pride to become a part of you; thinking you're better than others, or even just thinking that the U.S. is pretty good, or a pretty nice place to be or be from—even though they've rejected the Lord. Although there are a lot of Christians there, overall they've rejected the Lord as a nation, in their laws, and in their selfish, hardened, violent way of life. That's a serious attitude to harbor, folks. I know you probably didn't realize it‚ but that's what the Enemy's trying to get in with.

33. So get down and ask the Lord for help and cleansing, and He'll give it! I love you. I'm sorry that I have to spank you, but you needed it. Boy‚ the U.S. is really getting it from all sides recently, isn't it? Maybe that will help to convince some of you who still need to get out of there that the Lord's really serious, and He means it when He said to get out, unless He's really called you to stay there. And those of you who do stay had better be desperate every day for the Lord's force field around you to be strong, so you aren't polluted with the poison and indoctrination of Satan. God help us!

34. Okay, I love you. Ask the Lord to help you, and He will! He never fails! We're citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven‚ amen? One day we're going to rule the world, and in that day it's all going to be even and fair. No one will have to be nationalistic about their country‚ because they'll have a common Ruler—the Lord—and genuine equal opportunity, with us as their servants‚ teachers‚ kings and queens. Praise the Lord! Do what you can today to evangelize the world, because we're going to need all the help we can get in those days! Those who receive the Lord now will have a chance to grow during the Great Tribulation, and by the time of the Millennium will be considerably stronger and able to help in at least a small way.

35. Go to it, folks! We've got a lot to do! And in everything you do, remember, we don't belong to this world or its wickedness or imitations. We're citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven! We are the ones who have the realities of the spirit world, and the Lord's given us great riches in that sense!

(Sings: )

This world is not my home,

I'm just a passing through!

My treasures are laid up

Somewhere beyond the blue.

The angels beckon me

From Heaven's golden shore‚

And I know I don't belong

To this world anymore!

36. Hallelujah! I love you! (End of mess­age from Dad.)

Rid the Racism!

37. (Mama:) In a separate message, Dad tackled the problems some of our darker-skinned teens have faced when they were teased about their skin color or barraged with unloving comments and actions because of it.

38. (Dad speaking:) It's really sad to hear reports that some of our folks in the Family are teasing and putting down their peers because of their race and color. In fact, it's more than sad—it downright infuriates me! Haven't they read the Letters? What did they think we meant by "God Is No Respecter of Persons"? (ML #2909, Lifelines 21). So many of the world's problems are because of envy, hate and racism. There is so much tension and war because man has such a hard time getting past the outward appear­ance‚ the skin color, the accent‚ the nationality. But we don't have to be like them. Jesus has given us a better way—a way of love. It's a new day of love, loving without partiality.

39. How do you think the Lord judges us—by our color or our background? When He hands out the rewards and when He pours out His love and His Word and His counsel, He doesn't look on the outward appearance. He doesn't look at the way you're dressed or the way your hair is cut. He doesn't look at whether you're white or black or brown, yellow, pink, red or purple. He looks at your dedication and your love for Him, your yieldedness, your heart. How do you measure up to that standard? Believe me, your color isn't going to make one iota of difference when you're standing before the Lord! So why should it now?

40. It just really gets my goat when I hear about these situations where our young folks—and our older folks too, for that matter—put down and scorn their brothers and sisters just because they're of a different race. These folks who laugh at others and tease them and think that they have a monopoly on the Lord's blessings or that their place in the Family is guaranteed just because of their color are going to be in for quite a shock! My God‚ help us! I'll tell you, you're not going to get very far or accomplish very much for the Lord or be a sample of loving and winning the lost if you can't even love your brother or sister right there in your Home.

41. What is one of the foremost things that sets us apart from the System? What did Jesus tell His disciples? "By this shall all men know that you are My disciples‚ if you have love"—God's love, unconditional love—"one to another." And you can bet your boots that putting people down and discriminating and teasing was not what He was talking about! We were chosen by the Lord to be in this Family to be a sample of love, of lifting people up when they fall‚ of showing genuine concern for each other‚ of encouraging others when they're down.

42. That's a pretty heavy responsibility the Lord's given each of us. Whether you realize it or not, you're responsible for the welfare of those in your Home, the Family members you live and work with, and those you come in contact with. I'm sure you've heard the Lord say many a time that He has no hands but ours, no lips but ours, no feet but ours—but have you ever really thought about what that means? He wants to pour out His love in such great abundance, to show His love to each of us throughout the day, and He wants to do it through you. When you see someone looking a little downcast, a little dis­couraged, or struggling with a task, maybe the Lord is hoping to use you to be a channel of His love through a friendly pat on the back, a smile, a hello‚ or a "here, let me help you."

43. That's what the Lord means when He says you can "be Jesus" for someone else. He needs you to be a physical embodiment of His love. He needs your lips to speak a word of encouragement to someone in need. He needs your feet to carry out an errand for a frazzled childcare worker‚ a busy cook, a tired mommy, or a sick peer. He needs your hand to reach out and help someone just when they need that extra support.

44. There are a lot of little things throughout the day that we can do to make this Family a closer, more unified team. You can start changing the world by doing one loving deed today. All it takes is a little bit of effort. You could turn your entire Home around and cause a love revolution just by being a sample of it yourself! (End of message from Dad.)

Loving Attitudes Encourage

Unity and Oneness!

45. (Mama:) Next, along the same lines‚ Dad gave another message with more specifics on what you can do to remedy the situation in your Home, whether you have a problem with Western attitudes or a tinge of prejudice or ­racism. When we were praying about this GN‚ he said:

46. (Dad speaking:) It's like letting in the light, and the darkness will flee of itself. If our folks are laying down their lives in love and sacrifice, and becoming one with the people of their mission field, they're not going to have any problems with this proud, selfish, discriminatory American attitude. But it's when they lose that vision‚ when they lose sight of the way the Lord sees it—that we're all brothers and sisters and brides to Him—that they start allowing this attitude to creep in. "Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free!" What wonderful freedom it is to be honest, to be loving, to be humble with your brothers and sisters, and to know that you're no better than anyone else! (End of message from Dad)

The West Isn't Best!

We All Need Each Other!

47. (Mama:) In the following message, be sure to look for the practical steps that you can take if you've been guilty of such unloving attitudes. Lord help us all to lay down our lives in love and humility‚ so that You can help us to have the right attitudes, the loving attitudes, which will encourage unity and oneness‚ and encourage our dear brethren. Thank You Jesus!

48. (Dad speaking:) Nationals are the greatest asset, the most valuable commodity, in every single country. Now that I've visited ­every Family Home in the world, I'm more sure of it than ever! Yet it upsets me to see how they're treated by their brethren in many cases. Some of you still have major victories to get over your "Western imperialism" attitudes of treating ­nationals like second-class citizens simply because they've spent less time in the Family and don't speak English with quite the same accent that you do. I'd suggest you go back and read Letters like "Become One" (ML #208) and "The Ugly Americans" (ML #2349), because the ­issues I addressed so many years ago are still issues today.

49. The nationals are some of our hardest working people in the Family! Because they know the language of the land, they're often depended on for the bulk of the Home's business, visa work, and day-to-day pounding of the pavements. Because they love the Lord and want to serve Him with all their hearts, they give it their all and then some more. But sadly, there's another reason: They also do it because they feel that if they don't pull a double load in the Home, they'll be even more discriminated against, perhaps seen as more of a burden than an asset because they happen to see things differently, or have new ideas and methods to reach the people of their own country.

50. Beloved, these things ought not to be! Are you simply colonizers‚ moving into a country, winning the people to the Lord, then expecting them to learn to eat, talk‚ dress, and operate just like you do? Or are you true missionaries, moving in and asking the people to teach you how to dress, talk, and best reach their fellow countrymen? Do you teach your children to respect the people of the land that you're guests in? Or do you teach them, through your attitudes and conversation, that the natives are of lesser quality, to be looked down upon, criticized, and laughed at for their cultural differences?

51. Search your hearts and honestly assess where you stand in these areas. You could ask the nationals in your Home to do an evaluation of your behavior, then receive what they have to say with humility and a desire to change and adapt in whatever way you need to. Do you have a national on your Home teamwork? If not, why not? How many times do I have to emphasize the importance of marrying your nationals, bringing them into your lives, into your thoughts, discussions and plans, and also allowing yourselves to be brought into theirs?

52. Do you resent their soft-spokenness or meekness of spirit? Perhaps you should try to imitate the mannerisms of the gentler cultures you live amongst, rather than despising them for their unassertiveness. Are you constantly talking about "the way we used to do it back home," or referring to customs‚ foods and mannerisms you learned during your Western upbringing? Perhaps you should take a stand to purge your "West is best" conversation and ways, and truly become one with the people you claim to be evangelizing.

53. Folks, you have to understand that the nationals don't want to be set apart or seen as "special cases" or lesser brethren. They want to be your equals—and they are. They want to live with you‚ learn with you, love with you, witness with you. There needs to be a whole change of attitude and change of approach towards our nationals. We are all equals and no different in the Lord's eyes. They need you to be considerate of their need for Word time and quiet time, because they aren't about to bring these things up when they risk being even more looked down upon for stirring the waters.

54. The nationals deserve your respect. They face their fellow countrymen every day, and the lives they forsook are constantly ­staring them in the face when they step outside the doors of the Home. It costs them more than it costs you, for often their countrymen despise and persecute them even more for forsaking the traditions and religions of their land for what they perceive to be a "Western culture" and a "Western missionary movement."

55. So in some ways they have greater battles than you do, because they're having to face their own people every day, and in many cases they have even greater rewards than some of our Western disciples. Every time they talk to someone they see a little bit of themselves reflected in that person's life, and it's a battle for them. Their strength against the taunts and temptations of their native country should inspire even more respect and appreciation in your hearts.

56. I know you can't change the color of your hair or your skin, or the fact that you were born in another country, but you can change your atti­tudes, with the Lord's help. You can blend in with your surroundings. Try eating local food, wearing local clothes, and teaching your children local customs, if they're health­ful and good.

57. As you try your best to become one with the people you're reaching, there will be an added benefit in the lives of your children. Do you wonder why so many young people desire to go to the U.S. or some other Western nation when they're old enough? Who are the ones who spark their interest in Babylon the Whore? Movies and System influences play a big part, but all of that would be downplayed if they saw you, their parents‚ loving the country and the people of the country you're in‚ instead of reminiscing about the fleshpots of Egypt or the way things used to be.

58. So, beloved‚ will you give this a try? Will you humbly and respectfully accept your national brethren? Will you commit yourselves, in prayer together, to work in unity to win the nation you are in? Will you teach your children to respect and love the people? Will you listen with open hearts and minds to the advice and the ideas of the nationals‚ who know their own people? Will you seek the Lord together in prophecy for His will and His methods? I know you can do it, if you have a willing mind and if you recognize the need. If you don't recognize the need, then pray to!

59. I know this isn't a problem in every Home. Many of you have become one with the people of the land you're in. It has become your land, and I'm proud of you. You're doing great! I'm praying for you all. You need each other! You need the nationals and the nationals need you. United we stand, divided we fall. Love, Dad. (End of message from Dad.)

National Kids—Love, Honor,

And Respect Your Parents!

60. P.S. from Mama: We've also received some letters from national parents who've been concerned about the attitude of their children toward them. In many cases, national kids grow up speaking fluent English‚ as if it were their mother tongue, and they sometimes laugh at their parents' broken English or make fun of it. Here's what Dad had to say about this situation when we brought it before the Lord.

61. (Dad speaking:) Kids‚ these things ought not so to be! You're supposed to respect your parents and give honor to whom honor is due. Your parents are the ones who brought you into this life. They're the ones that changed all of your dirty diapers when you were a baby. They're the ones that stayed up late at night when you were crying and wouldn't go to sleep. They're the ones that took care of you when you were sick. They're the ones that fed you, clothed you, and taught you just about everything you know.

62. In many cases your parents were the ones who taught you how to read and write, and they're certainly the ones who taught you how to speak in the first place, even if their native language isn't English. In some cases your parents have even taught you two languages—English and Japanese, or English and Chinese, or English and Thai, or English and Spanish, or English and Portuguese, or English and French, or English and Russian‚ or English and Hungarian, or English and Polish.

63. Then how do you repay all of this? Do you repay your parents with kind words of appreciation? Or do you repay them for all that they've done for you by mocking the way they speak once you're old enough to speak English more clearly than they do? I'll tell you what‚ I don't want to hear of this mocking, mimicking, or making fun of your parents—or anyone, for that matter—who doesn't pronounce every ­English word with sheer perfection!

64. You'd better make sure you're not biting the hand that feeds you! Nobody likes to be made fun of. I'm sure you don't like people making jokes about you, so don't do it to others—whether they're your parents, your teachers, or your peers. Quit it! All right? I don't want to hear any more of this! You'd better be thankful for your parents and respect them, whether their English is perfect or not.

65. If it weren't for them, you wouldn't even be here. If it weren't for them, you wouldn't have been born, wouldn't be in this Family, and wouldn't be enjoying many of the blessings you take for granted right now! It's because of their love‚ dedication, obedience and sacrifice that you're here‚ serving the Lord and living a life with meaning, looking forward to Heavenly rewards!

66. Let's show a little more love and consideration. Build up walls of communi­ca­tion; don't tear them down. Everyone wants to feel loved and accepted. Don't you be the one to reject or cast out through your unloving words or mimicking of others. Be the one to show acceptance and love.

67. Did you know that when you throw out love and consideration you're actually throwing out Jesus? Think about it. God is love; love is God. So if you don't show love, then you don't show Jesus. That's not a very pretty picture, and you certainly won't have His blessings. So love! Amen? (End of message from Dad)

(For more on the subject of discrimination, prejudice or racism‚ please see: "Who Are the Racists?" ML #105; "God Is No Respecter of Persons," ML #2909, Lifelines 21; "The Un-Cursed Sons of Ham," ML #2928, Lifelines 21; and DM 1:279.)