Shooting Straight, Part 4--Letter Links: Abandon Your Own Will!

Submit Yourself to God

(ML #2224, DB 8)

1. Long ago the Lord gave us a beautiful illustration of what yieldedness is in the oldie-goldie classic Letter, "Diamonds of Dust": "Watch the diamonds of dust! They don't TRY to sparkle & shine. They just let the light shine THROUGH them! They don't try to WORK to shine or move. They're not trying to get anywhere; they're not in a hurry! They just FLOAT so quietly on God's air—& only get stirred up when HE blows up a storm. But even then they settle back into their place when it's over!" (No.3:17)

2. "They twist & tumble in their TOTAL YIELDEDNESS to the breath of His Spirit!—That total lack of any will of their own‚ just floating on God's air.—Tumbling, rolling, scintillating‚ shining, exhilarating, so beautiful!" (No.75:24)

3. This simple little Letter also shows us WHY we need to be yielded to the Lord: "The light itself is INVISIBLE!—It can only be seen in the reflections of all those little diamonds of dust! People can only see GOD as WE reflect Him, like little diamonds of dust! They have to look at US to see GOD in our reflection of Him.—God's light can only be seen if YOU reflect it! So, `Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works & glorify your Father which is in Heaven!' (Mat. 5:16) If the DUST weren't there‚ the LIGHT couldn't be seen; & if the LIGHT weren't there, the DUST couldn't be seen! It takes BOTH!" (No.3:9)

4. The Letter then explains somewhat sadly, "You may never see the little diamond of dust again, for some of them just flow into the light, sparkle for a moment‚ & then vanish back into the darkness. They only have their MOMENT of Truth!" This is then followed by an encouraging & hopeful thought: "But if it could STAY in the Lord's Light, it could sparkle its life out to the end, like a candlestick that gives light to the whole house until it is finished! The longer that little grain of dust STAYS in the light, the longer it SHINES—& the longer it stays a DIAMOND!"—And that's what THIS lesson is really all about: How to STAY in the Lord's Light so that you can CONTINUE to be one of His jewels, a YIELDED & USEFUL tool in His Hands that He can fully use to accomplish His plan & purpose!

5. God has a very SPECIAL PLACE for each of us in His Kingdom, & He has a SPECIAL JOB‚ a UNIQUE MISSION for you which only YOU can fulfill! But there's only ONE WAY that you will even be able to FIND His Will for your life—much less be able to FULFIL it—& that is to be truly YIELDED to Him!—Only then will you be able to "let your DUST become DIAMONDS that show the BEAUTY of GOD!", bringing the Lord's wonderful Life, Love & Light to as many folks as you can!

6. After all, this is what the Lord has His children here FOR in the first place: To WITNESS to OTHERS so they TOO can find the Heavenly Love & Salvation that WE have found in Jesus!—And the wonderful thing is, WE don't have to witness & do the Lord's work in our OWN strength.—In fact, if we do, we'll just make a mess of things!—We just need to YIELD to Him, to "let go & let GOD", & HE will then do the work THROUGH us!

7. People have got to see JESUS coming THROUGH you! But if your witnessing is too full of YOU, they'll just go on & figure that what you're saying is a waste of time—no different from what everybody else is preaching. So you can see how IMPORTANT your yieldedness to the Lord is—for YOUR sake‚ for lost SOULS' sake & for GOD'S sake! This is why He tells us that it's "NOT by (YOUR) might, nor by (YOUR) power, but by MY SPIRIT, saith the Lord! For we have this TREASURE (the Lord & His Love) in EARTHEN (fleshly) vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of GOD, & NOT of US!" (Zech.4:6; 2Cor.4:7)

8. Jesus even said of our work for Him, "My yoke is EASY‚ & My burden is LIGHT". (Mat. 11:30) So we don't ever have to worry about carrying too much or pulling too big of a load. We just need to learn to YIELD to JESUS & let HIM do His work THROUGH us! For without Him we are nothing & can of our own selves do nothing!—But as we "cast our cares upon Him", we "can do ALL things through Christ!" Hallelujah! (Jn.5:30; 15:5; 1Pet.5:7; Phil. 4:13)

9. Jesus says, "Abide in Me & I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in Me & I in him, the same bringeth forth MUCH fruit, for without ME ye can do NOTHING." (Jn.15:4,5) This has always been one of my favorite passages, because I knew I was nothing & I could do nothing without the Lord, but that if I'd just abide in HIM, HE'D bring forth the fruit, the LORD could do it! PTL!

"NOT MY WILL, BUT THINE BE DONE!"

10. To really find the Will of God in our lives‚ we have to be totally yielded to the Lord! JESUS gave us the best example of yieldedness when He knelt down in the Garden of Gethsemane &, knowing that He would soon face a horrible & cruel death on the cross, prayed, "NOT MY Will, but THINE be done!" (Mat.26:39) Unless we are yielded to the Lord & willing to lay down our lives for Him, we cannot even find what His Will IS. SUBMISSION is the FIRST step. And if we are unwilling to take THAT step of submitting ourselves to Him‚ we won't be able to go on to any OTHER steps, & will never accomplish what God wants us to!

11. God's Word says, "I beseech you, brethren, that ye present your bodies a LIVING SACRIFICE, holy & acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this World, but be ye TRANSFORMED by the renewing of your mind‚ that ye may PROVE"—or KNOW—"what is that good & acceptable & perfect Will of God." (Rom. 12:1,2) So the FIRST requirement in finding GOD'S Will is having NO will of your OWN!—Utter surrender, utter yieldedness to God of your mind, of your body, of your own will!—THEN you'll know! As someone has said, "The major part of knowing the Will of God is to be prepared to DO it BEFORE you even know what it IS!"

12. If you're a CHRISTIAN, if you're SAVED & have JESUS in your heart, it's important that you realize & understand that you are NOT your OWN! Jesus BOUGHT & PAID for you & your salvation with His Own blood, & you can't just do as you please! (1Pet.1:18,19) You don't just belong to yourself‚ you belong to the LORD & to GOD'S WORK & to the FAMILY! "Know ye not that ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a PRICE! Therefore glorify GOD in your body & in your spirit, which are GOD'S!" (1Cor.6:19,20)

13. If you really believe the Bible, that Jesus bled & died on the cross to save you from Hell & to give you eternal Heavenly life, you should be willing to do ANYTHING for Him!—Go through ANYTHING for Him just in plain THANKS for your SALVATION! Amen? Your life BELONGS to Jesus! He bought & paid for you, so how can you not give Him your ALL & surrender YOUR will to His?

A SEXY BRIDE WITH NOTHING TO HIDE!

14. Although He bought & paid for us with His Own blood, Jesus didn't buy us just to make us His SLAVES‚ His servants who HAVE to do what He commands. He said, "I have not called you servants‚ but FRIENDS!" (Jn. 15:15) He wants us to be His friends, who do His Will not just because we HAVE to, but because we WANT to, because we LOVE Him. In fact, He not only wants us to be His friends, but His Beloved, His BRIDE!—"That we should be MARRIED to Him Who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth FRUIT unto God!" (Rom.7:4)

15. His saved children, His genuine Church, are His Bride, & He, like any husband, wants a YIELDED & SUBMISSIVE wife whose desire is to love & please Him. But sad to say, most so–called Christians today—like a lot of independent & rebellious System wives—are married to Him in name only, & have forsaken Him & His Love & His Word in their HEARTS! They maybe go to a church building once a week, but they never really FELLOWSHIP with Him, don't go to BED with Him, don't have sweet LOVE–MAKING & thrilling spiritual ecstasies with Him.—And they certainly don't want to conceive & bear & have to take care of any more CHILDREN for Him!

16. This is why God has in these Last Days raised up our FAMILY, His sexy NEW Church!—A young NEW Bride bursting with energy & a passionate love for her Bridegroom! He wants a Bride that He can fuck the daylights out of with His Spirit & His Word, His Seed & His Love, to make her PRODUCTIVE & FRUITFUL, to bear everlasting children for the eternal Kingdom of God! "For herein is My Father glorified," Jesus said, "that ye bear MUCH fruit!" (Jn.15:8)

17. To be the kind of Bride He wants, you've got to first of all have enough FAITH in His Love to OBEY & come, & strip off all of the outer garments of appearances, cover–ups & false fronts, & expose yourself to the Lord, TOTALLY YIELDING yourself to Him in submission & humility. You must be willing to be stripped BARE before Him. You're just you‚ & that's what He wants, YOU!—ALL of you!

18. So you've got to drop everything‚ forsake all, come to Him & be willing to be stripped bare, abandon all false cover-ups, & just expose yourself to Him. And then you've got to let Him make love to you & FILL you with His Spirit & His seed, the Word of God, which‚ when conceived in responsive hearts, brings forth FRUIT, new-born babes into the Kingdom of God! Hallelujah!

GIVE GOD A CHANCE!

19. The Lord knows that the more yielded & obedient we are to Him‚ the more He can then USE us, & the HAPPIER we will be & the greater BLESSING we'll be to OTHERS! There is always so much urgent soul-saving WORK that He wants & needs done‚ but He has trouble finding willing WORKERS.—"For the HARVEST is PLENTEOUS, but the LABOURERS are FEW!" (Mat. 9:37) He's more willing to use, empower, anoint & pour His blessings out upon us than we are to receive them. He's usually just waiting for us to step aside & get out of the way so that He can take over & use us to do things HIS way! But until we surrender our OWN will & fully submit to Him & HIS Will, He'll NEVER be able to use us as much as He'd like to.

20. So submission & obedience are probably the MAIN things the Lord is trying to teach us most in our lives.—This is what He's trying to get us to do all our lives long, to SUBMIT to His Will & to be OBEDIENT to Him, which are practically one & the same thing!—You can't very well be yielded to the Lord unless you're obedient, nor can you be obedient unless you're yielded!—It takes BOTH!

21. The whole experience of our whole existence in this life is like a SCHOOLING to teach us what we need to know about the Lord & Salvation & about service, submission & obedience to Him & keeping His loving rules & His LAW OF LOVE.—And the FIRST & most important thing the Lord is trying to teach us is submission in spirit, to have a SUBMITTED & WILLING heart‚ YIELDED & RECEIVING instead of RESENTFUL, WILFUL & REBELLIOUS!

22. HORSES make a good illustration: Some horses can be ridden without a bit or a bridle or spurs or any of these things that are used to MAKE them obey & do what you want them to do. If they are well-trained & used to their master & submitted to him, he can control them with just a halter, without placing a bit in the horse's mouth. A horse can either LOVE its master & GLADLY & WILLINGLY obey & do its duty & its job, or it can be STUBBORN & WILFUL, & chafe at the bit & snap & bite & kick & be very unhappy, "kicking against the pricks" instead of yielding. (Acts 9:5)

23. This is why the Lord tells us‚ "Be ye NOT as the horse, or as the mule‚ which have no understanding, whose mouth must be held in with bit & bridle, lest they come near unto thee!" (Psa.32:9) The Lord "loves a CHEERFUL giver" (2Cor.9:7), & He seldom ever FORCES anyone to do His Will. In fact, if we won't do His Will for LOVE, because we love Jesus, He'd just as soon get somebody ELSE who WILL! He wants & prefers VOLUNTEERS who freely & willingly submit to Him & His slightest bidding.

24. But if you're like a stubborn horse or mule, & you stubbornly cling to your OWN ways & REFUSE to submit to the Lord, you'll NEVER really be what GOD wants you to be or accomplish what GOD wants you to do! You'll be worse than a "HAS-been"‚ you'll be a "COULD-have-been" who never WAS! As someone once said, "God holds us responsible, not just for what we HAVE, but for what we COULD have; not for what we ARE, but for what we MIGHT be." But if you'll just YIELD to Him & be willing to accept WHATEVER He wants‚ then you don't need to worry. He'll mightily bless you & you'll be whatever HE wants you to be! PTL!

25. It reminds me of what an unknown Sunday School teacher said to a lowly teenage shoe salesman that he had led to the Lord in Boston. He said, "Dwight L. Moody, there is NO LIMIT to what God can do with a man who is YIELDED & WILLING to do His Will!" Moody looked him in the eye & replied, "By the grace of God, I am DETERMINED to be that man!" And he WAS! A short while later he moved to Chicago where he began preaching the Gospel & witnessing to others, & was soon so thrilled to be able to lead other folks to Jesus, that he quit the shoe business & began serving the Lord fulltime! He went on to become one of the World's greatest evangelists, with literally tens of thousands of eternal souls won as a result!

26. But what if Moody had NOT determined to yield to the Lord?—What a sad loss it would have been not only to himself‚ but to literally MILLIONS who heard the Gospel through his ministry! Well, the same holds true for each of US: If we are NOT yielded & open to God's Will in our lives, & willing to do WHATEVER He may ask of us, we'll NEVER become what God wants us to be!—And if we're not what HE wants us to BE, we will never be able to ACCOMPLISH what He wants us to DO.—Which could be very sad, not only for US personally‚ but also for ALL those that the Lord wants us to somehow help or reach with His Love.

27. "But," you may argue, "I could never do anything great for the Lord like MOODY did!—I'm no flaming evangelist or outstanding soul-winner!" Well, neither was Moody to begin with! He was just a poor farm boy & a below-average student who became bored with life on the farm & so moved to the big city. After several weeks in the city, he set a new goal for himself—to become a big businessman & to make $100,000. Giving his life to God's service was the LAST thing on his mind!

28. In fact‚ when Moody was first saved, he was so completely ignorant of God's Word & Truth, that when he went before a church committee to see if they would accept him, he was refused membership! His Sunday School teacher later wrote of him. "I can truly say (& in saying it I magnify the infinite grace of God as bestowed upon Mr. Moody), that I have seen few persons whose minds were spiritually darker when he came into my Sunday School class, or one who seemed more UNLIKELY ever to become a Christian of clear‚ decided views of Gospel truth, still less to fill any sphere of extended public usefulness!"

29. But when he found JESUS, & he realized how much the LORD had given for HIM, then he determined to give HIS life to the LORD to do WHATEVER God would ask of him. The Bible tells us, "Draw nigh to GOD, & HE will draw nigh to YOU!" (James 4:8) This is the secret of success of not just Moody‚ but of EVERY truly great man or woman of God whom He has ever used: They drew close to the Lord & relied solely upon HIM & HIS power & His Word for guidance‚ strength & inspiration.

30. Despite all of our faults, weaknesses & inabilities, there really is NO LIMIT to what God can do with us if we will simply turn our lives completely over to Him & be willing to let Him make us what HE wants us to be! Of course, that is a very BIG "IF", because we each have our own free will, & we can CHOOSE to either yield to Him & "seek FIRST the KINGDOM OF GOD" (Mat.6:33)‚ or we can seek first our OWN desires & our OWN plans & our OWN ways. The choice is ours—& whether or not we have His full blessing & His help will depend on whether or not we are willing to give HIM first place in our lives.

31. But the trouble with most Christians today is that they seem to be more concerned about having God accept what THEY want to do than they are about accepting what GOD wants them to do! They're trying to put THEIR program across to God, to get Him to sign HIS name, His approval, to THEIR plans. But the real test of yieldedness is: Are you willing, not to present YOUR program to God for HIS signature?—Not even to be presented with GOD'S program for YOUR signature?—But are you willing to sign a BLANK sheet of paper & let GOD fill it in without your even knowing what His program is going to be?

32. If you're willing to be what GOD wants you to be—not what you ARE, but what GOD wants you to be—THEN He can MIGHTILY use you! God knows you can't make it yourself.—You just have to turn your LIFE, your MIND, your HEART, your EVERYTHING over to the Lord & let HIM make it for you! When you finally get to the point where you just surrender to Him & give up & let go & let God, then GOD has a chance to step in & do it!—And He WILL! Just give Him a CHANCE!

33. When we've yielded & submitted our all to the Lord, then we don't need to worry about ANYTHING.—Our ENTIRE lives are in HIS Hands, under His loving care‚ & the Enemy has NOTHING that He can get ahold of or lay claim to. In fact, to really overcome the Enemy, submission is exactly what the Lord requires. He says, "SUBMIT yourselves to GOD, RESIST the DEVIL, & he will FLEE from you!" (Jam.4:7)

34. But as long as there's one little dark unyielded corner of your life that you're NOT willing to yield to the Lord, if there's one little part that you refuse to surrender, the Enemy can bother you in that one little thing, plague you with that one little thing. This is why God's Word says, "Neither give PLACE to the Devil!" (Eph.4:27)

35. I'm reminded of the story of Huddersfield: A rich landlord desired to buy an entire village, & finally he bought every piece of land in the area.—That is, all except ONE little plot! For there was ONE stubborn farmer who refused to sell his tiny piece of land, & nothing would change his mind! The wealthy land owner even offered the farmer much more money than his little piece of property was actually worth, but the old farmer, fond of his land, absolutely REFUSED to sell! The landlord finally gave up, but encouraged himself by saying, "What difference does just ONE little plot of land make?—I've bought everything else, so Huddersfield is MINE!—It belongs to ME!" But the stubborn old farmer overheard him & reminded him, "Oh NO it doesn't! WE own Huddersfield!—It belongs to you & me!"

36. Don't let the Devil be able to say that of YOU to God!: "Aha! Look, God! He's yielded everything except this ONE little thing! So even though he belongs MOSTLY to THEE‚ a little bit still belongs to ME!" To "overcome the wicked one"‚ & to have the "peace of God which passes all understanding" you must commit your ALL to the Lord. Then, when YOUR will is in perfect harmony with GOD'S will, you are safe under the shadow of His wings, & He will bless you with His perfect peace & Heavenly rest! (1Jn.2:14; Phil.4:7; Psa.91)—Like that dear old hymn says:

"You have longed for sweet PEACE,

And for faith to increase,

And have earnestly, fervently prayed;

But you CANNOT have rest or be PERFECTLY blest

Until ALL on the altar is laid.

Is your all on the altar of sacrifice laid?

Your heart does the Spirit control?

You can only be blest & have peace & sweet rest,

As you YIELD Him your BODY & SOUL!"

37. So yield yourself to God today!—Present your life on His altar of sacrifice, ask Him to take & use you for His glory, & He WILL!—As much as you will LET Him! "There is NO LIMIT!" You are HIS child, & He LOVES you & will always do HIS best for you to make you useful & happy in His loving service for others, so that you may bring THEM the same life & happiness that YOU have found in Jesus! So do YOUR best for Jesus by YIELDING to Him TODAY!—Amen? GBY!

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 Dad

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 Topics: Willfulness and Rebelliousness

Definitions: Willfulness is stubborn determination to have one's own way rather than God's way. Rebelliousness is defiance, disobedience or open opposition to Godly authority or control.

1. Rebellion against what is right—is wrong!

* 1 Samuel 15:23a For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.

* James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.

2. Rebelliousness refuses to listen to God or His people.

* 1 Samuel 8:19 Nevertheless the people refused to obey the voice of Samuel; and they said, Nay; but we will have a king over us.

* Nehemiah 9:16,17a‚26a [Nehemiah recounted the rebellions of his forebears:] But they and our fathers dealt proudly, and hardened their necks, and hearkened not to Thy commandments, 17a And refused to obey, neither were mindful of Thy wonders that Thou didst among them; but hardened their necks. … 26a Nevertheless they were disobedient, and rebelled against Thee, and cast Thy law behind their backs.

* Isaiah 30:1 Woe to the rebellious children, saith the Lord, that take counsel, but not of Me … that they may add sin to sin.

* Jeremiah 32:33 And they have turned unto Me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.

* Jeremiah 44:16 [The people rebelled against the prophet Jeremiah's constant warnings:] As for the Word that thou hast spoken unto us in the Name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee.

* Zechariah 7:11 But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear.

* Matthew 23:37 [Jesus lamented:] O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together‚ even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings‚ and ye would not.

* Acts 7:51-3,57,59a [The rebellious religionists rallied and thought they could silence Stephen by killing him, after he exposed them by telling them:] Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye. 52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? And they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the Just One; of Whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers: 53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels, and have not kept it. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, … 59a And they stoned Stephen.

3. The Devil was the first rebel, and continues to try to incite rebellion against God.

* Isaiah 14:12-15 [The story of the Devil's rebellion and his condemnation:] How art thou fallen from Heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! How art thou cut down to the ground‚ which didst weaken the nations! 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into Heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: 14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. 15 Yet thou shalt be brought down to Hell, to the sides of the pit.

* Matthew 13:38,39a The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the Kingdom; but the tares are the children of the Wicked One; 39a The enemy that sowed them is the Devil.

* Ephesians 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. [See also 5:6 and Colossians 3:6; Isaiah 57:4; 2 Corinthians 4:4.]

* 1 John 3:12 Not as Cain‚ who was of that Wicked One [the Devil], and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

4. Those who rebel against the Lord's ordained leadership are rebelling against the Lord.

* Exodus 16:8b And Moses said [to the people who were murmuring against him] … the Lord heareth your murmurings which ye murmur against Him: and what are we? Your murmurings are not against us, but against the Lord.

* 1 Samuel 8:7 And the Lord said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.

5. The rebellious separate themselves so much from the Lord that He stops speaking to them!

* Deuteronomy 1:43a,45 [Moses said to the Children of Israel:] So I spake unto you; and ye would not hear, but rebelled against the commandment of the Lord. … 45 And ye returned and wept before the Lord; but the Lord would not hearken to your voice, nor give ear unto you.

* 2 Chronicles 15:2b The Lord is with you, while ye be with Him; and if ye seek Him, He will be found of you; but if ye forsake Him, He will forsake you.

* Psalm 66:18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me.

* Proverbs 28:9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.

6. The rebellious, in following their own independent way, are taking the hard way.

* Psalm 68:6b The rebellious dwell in a dry land.

* Psalm 95:9-11 When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My work. 10 Forty years long was I grieved with this generation‚ and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and they have not known My ways: 11 Unto whom I sware in My wrath that they should not enter into My rest.

* Psalm 89:30-32 If his children forsake My law, and walk not in My judgments; 31 If they break My statutes‚ and keep not My commandments; 32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.

* Psalm 107:11,12 Because they rebelled against the Words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: 12 Therefore He brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help.

* Proverbs 1:24-26 Because I [God] have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out My hand‚ and no man regarded; 25 But ye have set at nought all My counsel, and would none of My reproof: 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh.

* Proverbs 13:15b The way of transgressors is hard.

* Jeremiah 2:19 Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee: know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that My fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts.

* 2 Peter 2:19–22 While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he brought in bondage. 20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. 21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. 22 But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire.

7. Willfulness leads to disobedience, rebelliousness and eventual backsliding.

* Proverbs 14:14a The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways.

* Isaiah 65:2 I have spread out My hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts.

* Jeremiah 7:24 But they hearkened not, nor inclined their ear‚ but walked in the counsels and in the imagination of their evil heart, and went backward, and not forward.

* James 1:23,24 For if any be a hearer of the Word‚ and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: 24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.

8. Willfulness limits usefulness.

* Psalm 32:9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule‚ which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

* Titus 1:7a For a bishop [shepherd] must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled.

* 2 Peter 2:10 [Self-will is the product of pride and carnality.] Them that walk after the flesh … presumptuous are they, selfwilled, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

9. Willfulness and rebelliousness cost dearly.

* 1 Samuel 15:23 [King Saul's rebellion cost him the throne:] For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the Word of the Lord‚ He hath also rejected thee from being king.

* 2 Samuel 24:4,10 [King David stubbornly refused to listen to reason, and went his own way, taking a national census in disobedience to God:] Notwithstanding the king's word prevailed against Joab, and against the captains of the host. And Joab and the captains of the host went out from the presence of the king, to number the people of Israel [take a census]. 10 And David's heart smote him after that he had numbered the people. And David said unto the Lord, I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech Thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. [David's willful disobedience cost the lives of 70‚000 men, see verses 11-25.]

* 2 Chronicles 35:22,23,24a [King Josiah of Judah insisted in fighting a battle which God didn't want him to fight, and it cost him his life:] Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself, that he might fight with him, and hearkened not unto the words of Necho [king of Egypt] from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo. 23 And the archers shot at king Josiah; and the king said to his servants‚ Have me away; for I am sore wounded. 24a His servants therefore … put him in the second chariot that he had; and they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died.

* Job 9:4b Who hath hardened himself against Him, and hath prospered?

* Matthew 21:44 And whosoever shall fall on this stone [Jesus] shall be broken: but on whomsoever it shall fall, it will grind him to powder.

10. God often deals very sternly with those who persistently rebel against Him.

* 1 Samuel 12:15a But if ye will not obey the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the commandment of the Lord, then shall the hand of the Lord be against you.

* Proverbs 29:1 He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

* Isaiah 63:10 But they rebelled, and vexed His Holy Spirit: therefore He was turned to be their enemy, and He fought against them.

* Luke 12:47‚48b [The more truth we know, the more accountable we are to obey it.] And that servant, which knew his Lord's will, and prepared not himself‚ neither did according to His will, shall be beaten with many stripes. … 48b For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.

* 2 Thessalonians 2:10b-12 Because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: 12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

* Hebrews 10:26‚27‚31 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, 27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation‚ which shall devour the adversaries. 31 It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

11. Some safeguards against rebellion:

* Psalm 141:5a [King David prayed for the Lord to use others to correct him:] Let the righteous smite me; it shall be a kindness: and let him reprove me; it shall be an excellent oil‚ which shall not break my head.

* Proverbs 19:25 [Openly reproving the rebellious at least serves as a warning to others.] Smite a scorner, and the simple will beware: and reprove one that hath understanding, and he will understand knowledge.

* Matthew 18:15-17 [Jesus gave the basic guidelines for correcting wrongs among brethren:] Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. 16 But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. 17 And if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the church: but if he neglect to hear the church‚ let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican.

* Ephesians 4:15 [Good honest‚ firm, but loving communication creates an environment for spiritual growth.] But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into Him in all things, which is the Head, even Christ.

* Ephesians 5:21 Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.

* Hebrews 3:7-13 [We must warn those who are self–willed and walking in rebellion, before it's too late.] Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear His voice, 8 Harden not your hearts‚ as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness: 9 When your fathers tempted Me, proved Me, and saw My works forty years. 10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do alway err in their heart; and they have not known My ways. 11 So I sware in My wrath‚ They shall not enter into my Rest.) 12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. 13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.

12. If willfulness is the problem, submission to God is the solution.

* Isaiah 64:8 [The prophet Isaiah exclaimed:] But now, O Lord, Thou art our Father; we are the clay, and Thou our Potter; and we all are the work of Thy hand.

* Luke 1:38b [Young Mary prayed:] Be it unto me according to Thy Word.

* John 3:30 [John the Baptist said:] He [Jesus] must increase, but I must decrease.

* Romans 6:13,16 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. 16 Know ye not‚ that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

* Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy‚ acceptable unto God‚ which is your reasonable service.

* James 4:7a,8a Submit yourselves therefore to God. … 8a Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you.

13. Jesus showed by example that we must choose God's will over our own.

* Matthew 6:10b [Jesus taught us to pray in this way:] Thy will be done in earth, as it is in Heaven.

* Luke 22:42,43 [Even Jesus honestly confessed that He didn't want to die on the cross, but He yielded anyway, and God sent Him strength from Heaven:] Saying, Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from Me: nevertheless not My will, but Thine, be done. 43 And there appeared an angel unto Him from Heaven, strengthening Him.

* John 5:30 [Jesus said:] I can of Mine Own self do nothing ... because I seek not Mine Own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent Me.

* John 6:38 For I came down from Heaven, not to do Mine Own will, but the will of Him that sent Me.

14. The grace to forsake our own will comes from a sincere desire to please the Lord.

* Psalm 40:8 I delight to do Thy will, O my God: yea, Thy law is within my heart. [See also 112:1; 119:16.]

* John 4:34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent Me, and to finish His work.

* Romans 7:22 [Paul testified:] For I delight in the law of God after the inward man.

* Ephesians 6:6 Not with eyeservice‚ as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ‚ doing the will of God from the heart.

15. Our every plan should be subject to the will of God. — Let Him have the final say.

* 2 Samuel 15:26b [King David said:] Behold, here am I, let Him [the Lord] do to me as seemeth good unto Him.

* Lamentations 3:37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?

* James 4:13-15 Go to now, ye that say, To day or to morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year‚ and buy and sell, and get gain: 14 Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. 15 For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

* Hebrews 6:3 And this will we do‚ if God permit.

16. Our happiness and well-being depend upon our choosing the path of obedience and submission to God rather than the path of rebelliousness.

* Numbers 14:8,9a If the Lord delight in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. 9a Only rebel not ye against the Lord.

* Deuteronomy 11:26-28a Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; 27 A blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: 28a And a curse‚ if ye will not obey the commandments of the Lord your God.

* Psalm 43:3,4 O send out Thy light and Thy truth: let them lead me; let them bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy tabernacles. 4 Then will I go unto the altar of God‚ unto God my exceeding joy: yea, upon the harp will I praise Thee, O God my God.

* Psalm 143:10 Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God: Thy Spirit is good; lead me into the land of uprightness.

* Isaiah 1:19,20 If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20 But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.