Shooting Straight, Part 2—Letter Links: Is It Smart to Go for the Gold?

Go for the Gold

(ML #2961:1–13, 46-83, 172-204, Lifelines 22)

1. (Mama:) About a year before Dad's Homegoing, he and I began to receive a number of letters regarding the use of birth control of one form or another. I have continued to receive such letters ever since. These letters have come from older parents with large families‚ young couples with small but growing families‚ single mothers, and unmarried YAs. They have expressed a variety of reasons why they felt the Family policy on birth control should either be changed or modified, usually in order to fit the situation they were writing about.

2. Sometimes medical reasons were cited. Sometimes they felt the mother had already had so many children that they needed a rest or cessation from childbirth. In the cases of young married couples, they often stated that they already had one or two children and they felt this was enough‚ that having more would either be too much for them or would hinder their work for the Lord. The single mothers feel they already carry such a heavy load and are less welcome in the Homes. The unmarried YAs who wrote usually commented that they didn't want to get pregnant unless it was with the one they planned on marrying. In some cases they wanted to share sexually, but they didn't feel they were ready to get pregnant and have a child.

3. Recently I've heard of situations where some of our married adults are using various forms of contraception and that some of our young couples are stating that they intend to do the same in order to limit the number of children they will have.

4. I've heard these letters with varying emotions. The letters from parents with large families usually make me cry, because I know theirs are such heartcries. They have truly sacrificed in the raising of their many children and I can sympathize with their desire for a break or rest. I can also understand the fear and uncertainty of the young married couples who see themselves with ever-increasing families, as they worry about the future and their ability to raise the children and support themselves, while at the same time being a blessing to the Home. They wonder if they will be wanted in Homes, or if because of the size of their family, they will be considered an unwanted commodity.

5. Hearing from the single moms is perhaps the hardest for me, as theirs is a difficult struggle trying to raise children without fathers and often without sufficient help and care from their Homes. Our unmarried teens and YA women fear becoming pregnant and not having a mate, meaning they would face life as a single mom, and they worry they will become stigmatized, talked about and unwelcome or unwanted by their peers or their Homes.

6. For the past two years I have thought and prayed a great deal about this matter. I have cried out desperately to the Lord for those who have written about their difficulties. I've been asking the Lord what we can do about our single moms, our young families, our young people. I have asked our WS prophets to pray and hear from the Lord about these matters. I have asked the worldwide leadership to bring these matters before the Lord in the Summit Meetings. When Dad was here‚ I discussed it with him, and Peter and I have prayed together about the matter.

7. You see, the question isn't just if the Family can use birth control or not, it's much broader than that. It has to do with our whole attitude towards children, love, sex, sharing, the Law of Love‚ faith‚ trust and belief in God's Word. When I read many of the letters sent in, or when leaders would report some of the things being said by adults and young people alike, I could feel that there was something in the spirit that didn't seem right to me.

A Word to You Young People

8. One of our young people wrote me and said, "Some YAs and teens feel that the reason the Family is having many of the battles we are faced with is simply that we have so many children. The fact that we were blobbed up in large Homes (before the Love Charter), the fact that we are struggling financially and that we don't have as many missionaries out on the field any more is because we have so many children. One girl said that after her first baby is born she will definitely take the pill so that she can be free to be a missionary and `learn from our past mistakes' of having too many children." Other girls have lamented that it's the end of their "careers" when they get pregnant, and some have even tried to induce natural abortions!

9. Oh my! It really saddens me that some of you younger ones could feel that way about children, especially after all Dad has said on the subject. Do you feel that way because our adults have inadvertently imparted this to you?—Or is it because you've been absorbing more of the ways and thoughts of the world than the Word of God?—Or is it both?

10. Have you read the beautiful things the Lord has said about children through Dad all these years? I'll include just a few quotes as a reminder to you:

* A baby is an expression of God's Love.

* That's the most precious gift—God's greatest gift—His Love in a little child—so sweet and beautiful!—Such a treasure!

* The Lord entrusts you with children to show you how much He loves you and how much you need Him!

* Children are forever!—The only things you have on this Earth that God gives you that you can have forever and will go with you through eternity besides the souls you win!

* Bearing babies and having children is the greatest experience in this natural life!—The creation of new eternal souls for the Kingdom of God!

* A baby is the biggest miracle since the creation of the world!

* We believe in having children! We don't kill our babies in horrible abortions or try to keep from conceiving those precious children by using drugs and pills and various contraptions of the Devil to try to stop the birth of God's children! We believe in having those children for the glory of God and the Kingdom of God forever!

* We thank the Lord for each child He gives us because, "Children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is His reward!" (Psa.127:3).

* The future is in your hands!—That tiny babe will be a king some day!—That little girl will be one of His queens!—Those happy, laughing, shouting children will be His princes and princesses and officers and governors and governesses who shall "rule the Earth with His iron rod" of love!

* (Prophecy:) And every little grain of dust shall shine before Me‚ and even the least of these thy children shall be mightier than the kings of this world! For that which I have breathed upon is mightier than even the greatest of all the kings of this world!

11. Haven't you young people read our Letters on the subject of children, motherhood, fatherhood, families and marriage‚ the classic Letters such as: "What Is That in Thy Hand?" (ML #315); "Real Mothers" (ML #389); "Jesus Babies" (ML #739); "God's Gift Is God's Work" (ML #744-746); "Frustrated" (ML #835:1-4); "One Wife" (ML #249); "Divorce" (ML #359); "Make It Work!" (ML #2433). Judging from the many wrong attitudes concerning these subjects that are now very prevalent amongst our younger generation, it seems something is hindering you from being able to take hold of these Words in faith and believe them and apply them to your own lives. We can be sure that the Enemy is attacking you and trying to do everything in his power to get you to doubt God's Word. Any exposure to the System brings with it a multitude of attitudes and ideas directly opposed to God's ways and God's Word, such as much that you absorb from movies, System music, newspapers and television.—So that instead of allowing the truth of the Word to guide your thoughts and formulate your attitudes, you're being deceived or tripped off by the ways of the world.

12. Of course, I don't entirely blame the attacks of the Enemy or the effects of outside System influences for this, as certainly the sample you have seen from some of the adults, especially if they have complained about pregnancies and large families, has echoed the message that children are a burden‚ pregnancy should be avoided and babies are too much work. You've seen our single moms struggling due to the selfish attitude that has been manifested by many, and have concluded that living "One Wife"—helping one another, and the principle that all of the children are "our" children—doesn't work. You've seen that some of the larger families are not sought out to be members of new Homes opening up and singles are, and thus you feel it's better to have either just a few children, or none at all. If you haven't seen "How to Have a Happy Home" (GN 616) being practiced‚ you may also feel that in large families the children don't get the time and attention that they would like, and that you feel they need. It seems many of you are fearful of the future and wonder how you'd care for and support a large family.

13. The sample you have witnessed within some of the Homes may have caused you to draw conclusions which seem very right to you, but which are contrary to the ways of God. Apparently you are letting the failures of some of those around you convince you that God's Word is not true and that it has failed. In your own mind your conclusions probably seem very logical, yet they aren't in accordance with God's Word.

46. (Prophecy:) Children are the heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is His reward. Are they a burden? Or are they a blessing? Or are they both? Take a look around you at the range of your children—the babies, the toddlers, the YCs, the MCs, the OCs, the JETTs, the Juniors, the Seniors, the YAs. Look at them all. Are they a burden? Or are they a blessing? Are they not the fulfillment of that which your Father David has said?

47. Look at these older ones. Are they not the princes and princesses that your father has said they would be? Have they not stood in the gates and spoken with your enemies? Are they not the army that I have said they would be?

48. And you teens and YAs‚ you who doubt about children, do you not understand that you were the babies of your parents when they were your age? Do you not understand that you are the product of their sacrifice? Do you not understand that you are the fruit of their labors? And do you not understand that your fruit is their fruit?—That they are partakers of your labors, and that they will partake of your reward?

49. For they have invested in you. As he that takes his money and invests it in a project, and the project is successful and the project continues to make money and to prosper, so the original investor gains the dividends, has an increase and is rewarded for his investment. So are your parents receiving reward for that which you do, for they have invested their lives in you. And great is their reward in My Heavenly Kingdom, for they have done that which I have said shows the greatest love, they have laid down their lives for another.—For you! They have lived a life of sacrifice for you. They have been wise investors and have made good investments in you.

50. Judge ye: Should they have said, "Oh, I must prevent you from being born"? They could have said, "I can accomplish so much more if I did not have these young ones tugging at my skirts all the time. I could be out reaching more! Doing more! Accomplishing more! I could go to many places. I could be more useful. I could be more attractive if I did not have these children, or if I was not pregnant."

51. In the short term this may have been true, but it would have been as one who has money in his hand and says, "I have this money and if I invest it, I don't have it in my hand any more‚ for it is invested in something that I cannot see. So I must keep it and use it for myself." I say that these are the unwise investors. For those funds that they held on to and did not invest are gone. But he that invests wisely in My Kingdom reaps the rewards today, tomorrow and for eternity.

52. Look at your parents and ask yourself, "Did they invest wisely?" Look at yourself and say, "I am the fruit of their investment." And now I say unto you, what kind of investors will you be? "Oh," you say, "there is not enough time for our investments to come to fruition. For if we have our children now and the Time of the End comes, they won't be old enough that we can reap the rewards of our investment."

53. But you know not how the investment shall go. For some investments bring forth great reward speedily, and some are longer term. You cannot begin to think that you know what is ahead. For this only I know, and only I know what your investments will bring forth. For no investor knows exactly what the investment shall bring forth, or when it shall bear its fruit, but he invests by faith, trusting and believing that it will be a sound investment.

54. For I am not the author of confusion‚ but of peace. You seek to have a simple answer, you seek to know the simple word. The purest form of simplicity is this: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not to your own understanding. If you would have simplicity, if you would have peace with no confusion, then trust Me explicitly, looking neither to the right nor to the left‚ considering no other options, but just trusting. In this lies perfect peace.

55. For when you trust Me with all of your heart, when you trust Me with your life and every aspect of it, you can know that you are in My will. So if you would have perfect peace, then trust. Trust Me. Trust Me with your life. Trust Me with your death. Trust Me for your health. Trust Me for your children. Trust Me for the number of your children. Trust Me for the timing of your children.

56. Those that do this know that each child I bring forth through them is My will, My blessing and My reward. They will not go through their life wondering, "Is there one that I should have had that I didn't? Is there one that I prevented? Have I allowed my God to have full sway with me and to accomplish within me that which He pleased to do?" For those that trust have faith that I have brought forth all that I wish to bring forth. They have no question, they have no doubt, for they trusted Me and thus they have peace. But he that takes a matter into his own hands knows this not. So if you would have the simple answer, then I say unto you, trust.

57. To you whose bodies are tired from the bearing of children, I say trust. For in trusting you have put your life into My hands, and this shows your faith, in which I am well pleased.

58. To you young ones who have child after child and think, "Oh dear God! My usefulness to the Lord is over. I must stop having them, for they are too much for me, they are too many. What shall I do?" Unto you I say, trust Me. For I am the all-wise God and I know that which I do.

59. To you younger ones who are just married with one or two or no children and are contemplating what to do, and you look about you and see the fruitfulness of others, and you see the difficulties of large families, and you look at the young couples with increasing families and you wonder what to do, I say unto you‚ trust Me.

60. To you very young ones, unmarried, fearful‚ I say unto you, trust Me.

61. And to you single mothers who struggle, I know your struggle, and I say unto you, trust Me.

62. For this is the simple answer. This is My highest. This is the best. Trust Me. Trust in Me with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding.

63. Many of you look at the Words of David and the power and the strength of his Word and the forcefulness with which he brought forth the answer to this question, and you say, "Oh, but this is so hard! It is so unbending. It is even unmerciful!" I say that he spoke the Truth, for he said unto you, trust God. He delivered unto you the standard of God, the Truth of God. For his message was true, and his commission, as My voice, was to speak the Truth unto you. And thus he did in faithfulness and in truth.

64. And as with Moses and the children of Israel who came out of Egypt, it was necessary to lay down the law strongly and firmly, for they in their minds had been polluted with that which they had grown up with in the land of Egypt and the influences of the Egyptians. So were the hard Words of David for this, your first generation. They were strict, they were forceful. They left little room for choice! But this was to teach you and to purge you from the influence of the System that you had grown up with. This kept you following My will closely. For had his Words not been strong and forceful and hard, you would have strayed, for your upbringing was such that you understood not the ways of God nor the will of God. But now you have learned, lo, these many years. These things have been purged out of your system.

65. And to this, the second generation, who have grown up knowing the Words of God, who have grown up without being controlled and indoctrinated in their youth by the ways of man, I can speak in a different manner. For you, the second generation‚ are more accountable, because you have had the Word of God all the days of your life.

66. You say‚ "Oh, those Words of David spoken to our parents made it so difficult for them, for it said they must do this and they must do that!" But that definiteness and firmness made it not more difficult, but easier. It was very easy for them to obey because they were directed, they were ordered! Their attitude was one of, "I will do this because the Prophet has said so."

67. I honored them for this and I loved them for this!—For their obedience, for their loyalty and for their faith in the Words of David‚ yea, My Words, My Truth. I wish that you would also believe and obey these Words! But now you must obey and believe because of your choice.—Not because the Words of David say you must do this or you must do that, but because you say, "I believe. I have faith. I will trust."

68. For now I lay before each of My children—whether they be old, of the first generation, or whether they be young, of the second—the Word of God, the Words of David, the Words that I pour forth in these days‚ all of them together, and I say unto you, "Choose ye that which you will do. Choose ye the level of your obedience. Choose ye the level of your faith."

69. I lay forth the standard of My Word, the highest, the best, the Truth. I say unto you, this is the Truth of God, this is the way of God, this is the highest that I pour forth unto you. I have made it clear and I have poured it forth through the Words of David; and they are there for all to see, and they are there for all to obey, if they will but obey.

70. But I do not say that you must obey! For I place before you the majesty of choice. Each of you are as he that holds in his hand the funds which I have given unto you, and you must make the decision of how you will invest these funds, these gifts that I have put into your hand. He that invests wisely, he that invests in that which I say to invest in, reaps the greatest rewards. He that only invests a little here and a little there may reap reward, but not of the same measure. And he that invests not‚ reaps not the rewards.

71. For he that invests in the highest, in the path of trust‚ in the path of faith, in the path of complete yieldedness unto Me and unto My will, he that says, "Not my will but Thine be done," to him are the greatest blessings and the greatest rewards.

72. You may look at him and say, "Look at the hardships that this one goes through. Look at the difficulties. Look at the battles! He was not a wise investor." But I say unto you, I see things differently than the way man sees them. Man looks on the outward appearance, but I look upon the heart. I look upon the faith‚ the trust and the yieldedness of the heart. But judge not one another, for only God can judge.

73. If you have not the faith to trust Me explicitly‚ to trust Me with all your heart, if you have only the faith to trust Me with most of your heart, then acknowledge Me and I will direct your path. Bring these matters before Me desperately in prayer, seeking Me diligently. If you cannot trust Me fully, I will show you what you should do, I will speak unto your heart, I will commune with you, and I will have mercy on you. I understand. I will accept you and love you even though you lack full faith. But you are as those who do not fully invest, yet you reap the blessings of God, for you are My children and I love you.

74. You who take these matters into your own hands without seeking Me‚ without hearing My direction, you‚ too, are still My children and I love you. But you too must understand that I cannot bless you in full measure.

75. For I have set you all free to follow Me at the level of your faith, and I have said that you must live with the consequences of your decisions. You must live with the dividends of your investments. He that invests heavily in faith reaps heavily in reward. He that withholds some and invests much, reaps also reward. And he that invests only a little reaps a little in reward.

76. For there is good, there is better and there is best. The best is to trust Me fully, for in full trust and in full faith you can have full freedom and have full peace, and have full reward and full blessing.

77. The better is he that trusts Me, who gives his life to Me, but who has reservations here or there, or matters in which they feel they cannot fully trust Me. They feel they must take a little here and there into their own hands, and they must bear the weight of the matters that they take into their own hands themselves. Yet they still reap reward for their love for Me and for their faith in so many other matters, and I love them and I pour forth unto them My blessing and My anointing—maybe not in full measure‚ but in great love.

78. And the good? The good are those who love Me and serve Me, and who I am well pleased with, in that they have chosen to serve Me and that they have chosen to love Me. And though they have not given their whole hearts unto Me and do not fully trust Me, yet they have given their lives unto Me and I honor them and I reward them greatly. But they must carry much weight, for they keep many decisions unto themselves.

79. All of these, the good, the better and the best, are My children and I love them dearly and I accept them where they are, but I cannot reward them equally, nor can I bless them equally. So I lay before you the good, the better and the best, and I say, choose ye. Invest at whichever level you choose to invest in. And know this, that whether you choose the good, whether you choose the better, or whether you choose the best, that I love you and I understand. I have compassion and great love for you. But you must understand that he that invests all receives all. He that invests much receives much, and he that invests little receives little.

80. For I give you the choice. I let you decide, and in doing so, you choose your blessings‚ your rewards. This is true not only in the decisions regarding whether you will accept the children that I would give unto you or whether you will restrict them, but in all matters.—In all matters of choice, of faith, in all matters of belief in My Word, in the giving of love one to another, in the getting out of My Message, in the overcoming of your besetting sins and all of these matters. He that trusts Me, he that yields unto Me, and he that gives all, receives the greater blessings and rewards. He that gives most, receives much. And he that gives little receives little.

81. All are loved and all are cared for, and unto all I give the basics of My blessings. But as he that runs the race and runs the fastest receives the medal of gold, and the next the medal of silver, and the next the medal of bronze, so is it in My Kingdom‚ and so is it with My blessings. For he that loves Me most follows closest.

82. Lovest thou Me?—Trust Me. Follow closest. Lovest thou Me?—Trust Me. But if you can't trust Me all the way, trust Me as much as you can. Lovest thou Me? If you cannot trust so much, still, keep serving Me‚ keep loving Me. For all three are blessed and all three are crowned with crowns, and all three are given medals of honor, for they have run the race.

83. I wish for all to receive the medals of gold, but all will receive their medals because all have run the race and all can stand on the podium and receive the honor and the glory that they deserve for serving Me in great love‚ for giving their lives unto Me. For they have run the race. They are not sitting in the grandstands just observing, but they are there on the podium receiving the admiration and the applause. They deserve it, for they have run the race well. They all receive of My love, and they all receive the blessings, and I am proud of them all. (End of prophecy)

What If Not?

Discussion on Whether or Not to Use Contraceptives—By Dad3/94

172. We've had several of our people write in recently, asking about birth control. One said she's had seven children so far and she's getting tired of it. A number of teenage girls that do not seem to be too fond of our birth policies have also written me. In this last case‚ a man and his wife who wrote in have eight children and they were just wondering if that was enough and couldn't they possibly use some birth control.

173. I told him, "Why ask me? You already know what I think about it. I think the Lord must think you're wonderful parents or He wouldn't have given you so many children!" I know that having and raising children is difficult. It's hard work, I grant you that. I've been through that six times now—four times with my first family and twice with Maria. I also sympathize with the mothers, because I know it's taxing on their bodies to have so many children.

174. But take a look at all of our Family children, they're now some of our main witnessers! They're our main defenders! You should read the testimonies of some of those teens, how they have stood up and socked it to their accusers in court, in the media and on TV! The lawyers and courts and judges are practically shocked with how well they conduct themselves, what powerful witnesses they are!

175. Our children are wonderful! Sure they are a lot of work! Sure the parents have to sacrifice!—But look at the results! They're the best kids in the world today!—The most powerful witnesses! I'm proud of them!—And I'm proud of their parents who have given their lives to raise them. No wonder the Lord keeps giving you more‚ because He knows what good parents you are and He wants you to raise more children of light in this world of darkness.

176. We are a people who know and love the Lord and trust Him‚ right? Don't you think the Lord knows what He's doing? You're not going to have one child that isn't God's will. Do you believe that or not? I don't think He's going to give you any more children unless it's His will. Don't you think the Lord knows if you can stand any more children?

177. People are writing to me asking, "Can't you change the policy of the Family now? Can't we start using contraceptives?" Boy, as explicitly as I have written on the subject and with no punches pulled, now they're asking me if it isn't time to change Family policy. "Isn't it time that we can get a reprieve? Do we still have to have so many children?"

178. I'll tell you, some of these people wouldn't even have had one child if they could've helped it! But look what a help those children are now! My mother blew a fuse when she heard Eve and I were going to have a third child. She said, "That's it! That's enough! No more, I'm through. You're fired!"

179. But do you know what happened? That child, Hosea, became her favorite and was her biggest helper when my father had a stroke. He lived with them for two years and took care of my dad full time, and my mother found she could hardly do without him! When we started Teens for Christ, I told her she was going to have to get somebody else. Other people could take care of an invalid, but nobody could preach like Ho! Imagine, the one she complained the most about and murmured the most about us having, turned out to be the greatest blessing to her!

180. Eve got to the point where she said, "My God, is this all I'm going to do for the rest of my life, have babies and wash diapers? When am I ever going to get back to working for the Lord?" Now get the meaning of that complaint. She was complaining about having her fourth child‚ and two of them in diapers at one time.

181. How do you think the Lord felt about that?—Especially when He knew what those four babies were going to do! Can you imagine her saying that about the four children who were going to start Teens for Christ, which resulted in the Children of God and the Family?—Saying "My God! When am I going to stop having babies and get back to the Lord's work?"

182. What was she doing in having those babies? (Family: The Lord's work!) Exactly! That was the Lord's work! He was preparing the team that was going to start something worldwide that has won millions of souls! Having those babies and changing and washing their diapers as diligently as she did, and taking care of them as diligently as she did, training them up in the way they should go was the biggest work for the Lord she ever did! She was a stickler on them memorizing Scripture and references and being able to stand up before a whole crowd and quote those verses with conviction, to the astonishment of those church members! It was her work, her training of those children that actually started the Family.

183. So my answer to those who have been writing in about this is: Don't you think God knows His business? What do you think God thinks about it? What if Eve had taken things into her own hands, after the first one or two, and said, "I am going to quit having children. I don't want to have any more." Look what would have been missed!—Especially if she would have prevented the birth of Ho and Faithy, who were the most instrumental in beginning the Family. She could have said, "I only want two children." And if she would have insisted, she would have missed God's will. Are you going to use contraceptives to try to prevent the will of God? Who knows what you'll miss!

184. That's the way I feel about it, and if I hadn't taken a firm stand on that throughout our Family history‚ we wouldn't have so many children who are now becoming teens and our very best witnesses and defenders!—Just like I said they would way back there in the beginning. I said that one of these days they're going to be the best witnesses we've got, they're going to be the proof of the pudding! So why are you complaining about having children?

185. Look at all that would not have been accomplished had we allowed contraception in the Family, if our couples had taken the selfish stand to just have children when they wanted them and not have them if they didn't want them. I'm sure there have been many of our mothers who cried, wondering how they could stand having any more kids. But look what those kids are doing for the Lord now!

186. Who impresses people the most?—It's our children! All the investigators come and observe our kids, and the sociologists are just raving about our children, saying they're the best they've ever seen and more intelligent and more socialized and higher quality and everything. They're just raving about them! It's terrific! What the Lord led me to say has come to pass: That some day you'll be thankful because they'll become our best witnesses and our best fighters!

187. Even some of our teenage girls who haven't had any children yet are worrying about it. Some are writing me, saying, "Do you think it's wise for me to have a baby when I'm so young? Couldn't I wait a few years and use contraceptives in the meantime?" Well, I'll tell you, some of our girls in the early stages of the Family were young teens when they had their first babies. And now those very same babies are some of the biggest fighters we've got. They are you YAs of today! Those girls could've complained about having children so young, saying, "It's poor security. We shouldn't have babies because we're so young." If they had, then you older teens and YAs wouldn't be here!

188. I know raising kids is hard! I know it's hard on you precious women to have so many. I know it's hard on you husbands when your wife seems to be pregnant most of the time. But God says, "Endure hardness!" (2Tim.2:3).

189. When my father was faced with the hardship of having an invalid wife, he could have prayed, "Oh, God, please take her! What can I do with an invalid wife? Can't You take her and give me another one?" Didn't he have a right to feel like she would be a terrible burden‚ and was a terrible burden? "How could You stick me with this invalid, Lord‚ when I need a woman who can work with me and do things and help me, the poor preacher?—At least someone who can take care of her kids and the house!"

190. Is that what he did? Nope! He just insisted on praying for that woman, that God would heal her!—And God did it and performed one of the most marvelous miracles you ever heard of, which produced one of the most marvelous women you ever heard of, who evangelized the nation, won thousands of souls to the Lord‚ healed hundreds, and then she produced me, of all things!

191. She could've said, "Lord‚ I've already got two children! Here I'm now working with my husband in churches and giving my life story and becoming an evangelist, how can I handle another child?" She had these other two kids to take care of as well as her husband. What did she do? Did she complain? Did she murmur? Did she go around crying, "Oh Lord, why me? Why did You give me a third child now when I've got so many problems already?" Do you know what she did? She praised the Lord and she called his name David. (Dad bursts out in tongues:) Hallelujah! Thank You Lord! "This I have ordained and this have I designed and this have I planned.—For this was of My Spirit!" Thank You Jesus! That's not the first time the Lord's ever said that He named me.

192. She thanked the Lord, praised the Lord, named me David, and believed God that I was going to do something for the Lord! Later she was the one that helped it to come to pass with her prayers and some of her prophecies, which were such encouragements! Do you think she should have used contraceptives? She had enough kids! Having been a poor invalid, should she have used contraceptives so she wouldn't have had a third child?

193. What do you think about that? What if she hadn't had me? (Fam: There wouldn't have been a Family!) There would be millions of souls unsaved and thousands of young people still drifting around without any keels‚ with no direction, lost‚ unsaved and unwanted and doing nothing for the Lord, even doing themselves and their families damage. What if she hadn't wanted me and had said, "Two is enough, Lord!"

194. What if Eve hadn't had those four children that she complained about? What if my mother hadn't had me? Where would the world be now? Better off or worse off? (Family: Worse!) Because those women were willing to suffer and have those babies, the world is a very different place, and millions of souls will spend eternity in Heaven.—All because those two mothers—Grandmother and Eve—were willing to get pregnant and have the children the Lord wanted them to have!

195. Who's going to get the greater glory?—The women who bore the children and gave them to the Lord's work and suffered and nearly died for them?—Or the selfish women and men who are using contraceptives because they don't want to have any more children?

196. Let me just leave you with this question: What if not? What if Eve had not had those four children? What if my mother had refused to have me? Does God know what He's doing? Are you willing to leave it in the hands of God no matter what, and consider that God knows best?—That He knows what He's doing‚ and if you have another child, it's the will of God, even if you don't feel able to take care of it? Well, that's how I feel about it!

197. I want to ask you, who do you think you are to question the wisdom of God in letting you have children? Who do you think you are to tell God what He should do or not do? Why don't you look to the Lord and trust God and be yielded to His will, whatever it may be? Amen? And if God wants you to have any children or any more children or no more children, what are you going to say to the Lord? (Family: Thy will be done.) Amen! Praise God!

198. I hope I'm getting the message across to these people who are complaining about our rules! They're not our rules, they're God's rules! I didn't think up these things, God had made up His mind from the beginning! What did He say? What is the first commandment in the Bible? (Family: "Be fruitful and multiply" [Gen.1:28].) Yes, the first commandment in the Bible was to be fruitful and multiply‚ and He didn't set any limit on it! If you're unwilling to be fruitful and unwilling to multiply, then the trouble is not with God or me or my rules or Family policy, the problem is with you!

199. This is beginning to be a bone of contention in the Family‚ and some people are complaining and murmuring about it and they don't like it. Do you know what they're trying to do? They're trying to pass the buck to me! They know how I feel about it, so they want to ask me, "Isn't it time to change the policy of the Family? Won't you give us permission?" They want me to take the blame so they can say, "Oh, Dad said we could. Isn't that great?"

200. They want me to change my convictions and the Family policy to suit their convenience and their selfishness! "Can we change the rules, Dad?" You might as well ask me, "Can you change God's rules?" No, definitely not! And if you go ahead and do as you please, then the blame will be on you! I have delivered my soul!

201. I'm sorry for you. I'm sorry you don't want to have a child. I'm sorry you don't appreciate the blessing and the honor of God even giving more children than you think you need or can bear. I'm sorry for you.

202. Aren't you thankful that my mother had me? (Family: Amen.) And aren't you thankful that Mother Eve had our four? You don't know what God may be going to do through the children He wants to give you!—Whether it's the first or second or third‚ or the ninth or tenth or twelfth!

203. I appreciate your problem and I appreciate your being concerned about it. But why not just put it in God's hands and let Him worry about it? You're His! You're bought with a price! Trust Him with your life and with the life of your children, no matter how many He wants to give you! They are the Lord's heritage. They are His love gift to you. Amen?

204. (Mama:) One thing about Dad, he always spoke the truth with conviction! Do you remember what the Lord said earlier in the prophecy? "Many of you look at the Words of David and the power and the strength of his Word and the forcefulness with which he brought forth the answer to this question and you say, `Oh, but this is so hard! It is so unbending! It is even unmerciful!' I say that he spoke the Truth, for he said unto you, trust God! He delivered unto you the standard of God‚ the Truth of God!" Thank God for Dad who was unwavering in his willingness to follow and obey the Lord and to give His Message no matter what the consequences. Praise the Lord!

Word Basics—Children: Sections 1-2

1. Pregnancy:

A. Children are a blessing from God:

Psa.127:3Children are an heritage of the Lord: & the fruit of the womb is His reward

Gen.49:25God...shall bless thee with blessings of...the womb

Psa.113:9He maketh the barren woman to keep house, & to be a joyful mother of children

Psa.127:4,5As arrows...so are children...Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them

Psa.128:1,3Blessed is every one that feareth the Lord. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine

Pro.17:6Children's children are the crown of old men

1Tim.5:14I will therefore that...women marry, bear children

(See also Gen.30:1; Deut.33:24; 1Sam.1:1-18; Lk.1:42.)

B. People do their part, but conception is still God's doing:

Gen.25:21Isaac entreated the Lord for his wife, because she was barren...& Rebekah his wife conceived

Gen.30:22,23God remembered Rachel...& opened her womb. And she conceived, & bare a son

1Sam.1:27For this child I prayed; & the Lord hath given me

Heb.2:13Behold I & the children which God hath given me

Lk.1:7,13Thy prayer is heard; & thy wife...shall bear thee a son

(See also Gen.29:31; 33:5; Judg.13:3; Psa.115:14.)

C. God is the One Who blesses women with pregnancy:

Gen.4:1Adam knew Eve...& she conceived‚ & bare Cain, & said, I have gotten a man from the Lord

Gen.4:25Adam knew his wife again; & she bare a son...God, said she, hath appointed me another seed

Ruth 4:13When (Boaz) went in unto (Ruth), the Lord gave her conception, & she bare a son

(See also 1Sam.1:19,20)

D. It is God Who keeps some women from having children:

1Sam.1:5But the Lord had shut up (Hannah's) womb

(See also Gen.30:1,2)

E. In the Bible, it was considered a reproach not to have children:

(See Gen.20:17,18; 2Sam.6:23; Jer.22:30. )

2. The Lord's hand on children before birth:

A. God forms children in the womb:

Job 31:15Did not He that made me in the womb make him? And did not One fashion us in the womb?

Job 33:4The Spirit of God hath made me‚ &...given me life

Psa.71:5,6By Thee I have been holden up from the womb

Psa.139:14-16I am wonderfully made...in Thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned

(See also Isa.44:24a)

B. It is God Who gives life & a soul to unborn children:

Job 33:4The breath of the Almighty hath given me life

Gen.2:7God...breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; & man became a living soul

Acts 17:25bHe giveth to all life, & breath

C. His care of children in the womb:

Psa.139:13Thou hast covered me in my mother's womb

Isa.40:11He...shall gently lead those that are with young

D. God loves & knows children, even before birth:

Psa.22:10I was cast upon Thee from the womb: Thou art my God from my mother's belly

Isa.49:1The Lord hath called me from the womb; from the (womb) hath He made mention of my name

Jer.1:5Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; before thou camest out of the womb I sanctified thee

Lk.1:13[Angel said:] Thy wife...shall bear thee a son‚ & thou shalt call his name John