By MariaMaria #491 CM/FM 3246 3/99

Subjects:

1. Apply yourself!

2. Are you there for your brother in his time of need?

Apply Yourself!

Dear young folks‚

1. God bless you! I love you and have a ­special treat—two messages from Grandpa just for you! Actually‚ the things he shares are good for all of us, but they touch on a subject that many of you young folks in particular face nearly ­every day: school­work. I know it's sometimes diffi­cult for you and you don't always enjoy it. Most of us felt just the same when we were your age! Here's Grandpa with some very good counsel and advice on the subject which I pray is a help to you!

2. (Grandpa speaking:) Hi, kids! I love you! I understand that some of you don't like to do your schoolwork. I know how you feel.

3. I can't say that I was that way when I was young, because I was pretty studious and liked to study. But in my later years, I really went through trials sometimes having to sit down and get to work on my papers. It was really difficult for me. I much preferred to be talking to the Family, or reading something interesting, watching an interesting documentary or inspiring Family video, or doing a handyman project, or traveling, or going out to pioneer, or any one of many other things that I preferred doing about a hundred times more than my paperwork!

4. Sometimes my paperwork seemed very boring to me. There were some days I would have done almost anything to keep from ­having to do it. Are you surprised to hear me talking like that? You thought that because I was a prophet I could do anything I wanted, huh? Ha! I had to sit down each day and get my work done—and it was hard work, and it didn't come easily to me most of the time!

5. There were times when I was really inspired about a project, such as all the work we did in producing the posters. Because I was ­really excited about the project, it made it a bit easier for me. But most of the time, I didn't look forward to my hours at the desk, so to speak. Well‚ it wasn't always at a desk. Sometimes I worked in my chair, or on the bed, or on the floor, or outside—but no matter where I did it, I still had to do it. I had to buckle down and concentrate and work at it.

6. I'm sorry to have to say this, but you just need to buckle down and do your schoolwork. There will be some subjects that you'll like more than others, and every once in a while you'll get to do something that you really enjoy and look forward to. But you can expect the majority of it to be hard work—just sitting down and applying yourself.

7. I know when you're young, it's hard to do that. It's hard to have a vision for things you don't really relish doing. It's easy to sit down and waste the time, or just try to get by with as little done as possible. But someday you're going to regret that!

8. Someday you're going to need that information for one reason or another, and you'll regret it if you don't have it. For example, maybe you really, really want to do a certain ministry, but it goes to another person because you haven't learned all you need to know in order to do it. Or maybe you're talking to a friend or contact and they're surprised that you haven't learned something or other, which might be a poor testimony. Or worse yet, maybe you're having to face some authorities or education officials who are checking out your scholastic progress and you haven't learned what you should have and were told to.

9. You've heard the saying, "God helps those who help themselves, and He also helps those who can't help themselves. But He doesn't help those who can help themselves but won't." That means if you're in the category of those who "can help themselves"—that is, the Lord has given you the opportunity to have school time and you're working on learning what you need to learn—and you do help yourself, then He's going to help you.

10. If you're in the second category, "those who can't help themselves" for some reason, then the Lord will also help you. If you or your teacher get sick, or you have to move, or some other sort of emergency comes up where you have to miss school for a good reason, then the Lord will help you make it up in some way. He'll either teach you what you need to know through those experiences, or else when you need to know something later on, He'll give it to you miraculously or He'll help you to learn it real fast when you study it later. That's a case of "God helping those who can't help themselves."

11. But if you fall into the third category‚ "those who can help themselves but won't," then you can't expect the Lord to help you much ­either. He'll do a lot for you because you're His child‚ but He also expects you to put forth some effort and willpower and put yourself in a pos­ition to be helped!

12. In other words, this third category is when you have the means and the opportunity to learn and study and you could help yourself‚ but you won't because you don't want to make the sacrifice to sit there, or you waste time and fiddle it away‚ or you don't apply yourself to really learning. Then, when the Lord has need of you, you might not be ready to fill the very important slot that He has for you. Or you might find yourself in a place you don't really want to be, because you didn't prepare like you had the chance to.

13. What you learn there on Earth is going to help you throughout eternity! It's not only for the few short years you have left on Earth. The Lord is going to use it for ages to come! So you'll need to learn it now or in Heaven, and if it's some instruction the Lord has for you now, something you need now, then now is the best time to learn it! Otherwise you're just going to have to learn it in Heaven. But why go back to school in Heaven if you don't have to?

14. That's another case of applying the "God helps those …" quote. The skills and talents the Lord has given you are like the talents of gold and silver they had in Bible days. The weights varied, but they were extremely valuable. In days of old‚ a talent was more than 100 pounds of gold or silver, and that's a lot of money—thousands and thousands of dollars. In the same way, your skills and talents are very valuable. In fact, they're priceless!

15. If you've been faithful with your talents—whether the Lord gave you ten‚ or five, or only one—He's going to give you more talents! Fifty, or 100‚ etc. (Mat.25:14-29). But if you go and bury your talent and don't make use of what the Lord has given you, then you're going to be found wanting and lacking, and you're going to have to do some remedial* studies in Heaven while your peers who applied themselves are going off on missions and exciting assignments! You don't want that, do you? So apply yourself now! (*remedial: helping; intended to correct or improve skills in a specific subject)

16. I know some of you are probably wondering if you'll really need to know all this in the Millennium and in Heaven, and why you can't just learn it then. Here's the Lord Himself to explain why:

17. (Jesus speaking:) Even the physical, practical things of life—math, spelling, practical knowledge—will come in handy during the years of the Millennium‚ and those who do not apply them­selves to learn when they have the opportunity will be sorry. But even more than not having the practical problem-solving skills that you need, you will have missed out on the important lessons that come when you apply yourself to something—even something that you don't like or personally care for.

18. The lessons of faithfulness, not skipping grades, persevering, concentrating, disciplining your mind, learning to do things neatly and decently and in order, methodically working through a project until it is done, reviewing something again and again and retaining it in your mind—these are all very important lessons, and these good habits and concepts which you will not be able to get by without are even more important than the facts you learn in school.

19. Yes, you will need to spend time doing remedial work if you don't apply yourself now. I prepare each of My children wisely, and I give them opportunity to learn all that they will need in preparation for their ministries to come. For some, it comes in the form of the opportunity to do school and have scholastic training. For ­others it comes in the form of vocational training as they learn by doing.

20. The important point is to apply yourself, to make the most of your time and opportunity, and not to belittle the training that I'm giving you, whatever it may be! I give you many opportunities to learn and grow, and it pleases Me when you take advantage of them and make the most of them! Don't let any pass you by‚ so that you may grow into the strong, mature young men and women I need for My Kingdom! (End of message from Jesus.)

21. (Grandpa continues: ) Thank You, Lord! Kids, I know you're going to have high times, when it's easier to learn and press in, and low times when you really have to just make yourself sit down and it feels more like a punishment than a blessing. Please try not to murmur about it, though. The Lord can't bless you and can't give you more exciting studies, or more Heavenly help to help you learn, if you murmur. So try to be good soldiers‚ and just count this as part of your job for the Lord.

22. Did you know that when soldiers join the army‚ for the first several months or years‚ depending on their rank‚ they don't do anything but learn? They have classes‚ they train to develop their physical or mental skills and coordination, they have firing practice, they go out on maneuvers with other troops, and they study whatever it is they're going to be called on to do in wartime. All that time they're being trained, but they're not able to put much of that training to use. Of course, they're pre­paring, but that doesn't seem so important to them at the time.

23. You may not feel like you're getting anything done, but you're preparing too. You're doing the most important thing you could be doing right now—being a good student and learning what the Lord knows you're going to need to know in the days to come.

24. What if soldiers didn't apply themselves during their boot camp or training times, because they didn't see the need? Maybe they felt like they weren't accomplishing anything‚ and it all seemed pretty pointless to them at the time—not only boring, but downright difficult and painful sometimes. Now in the army the sergeant is going to make you do something, if necessary. That's like your parents or teachers make you do some things today, because they know you need to learn them. It's for your own good.

25. But the sergeant can't make you apply yourself, just like your parents and teachers can't make you apply yourself, as much as they'd like to. You have to have a vision and do it your­self, because you know you need to learn these things. If soldiers don't learn what they're supposed to, then they won't be ready for battle. They'll be handicapped, and they could wind up injured or killed. And if you don't learn what you need to, you'll be handicapped in the battle of life. You'll be an unskilled, uneducated soldier, and in some cases that might make you easy prey for the Enemy.

26. Now, I'm not giving you that illustration to glorify men's armies—because the Lord hates the wars, the killing, the mass destruction and pain they bring about, all because of selfish­ness. But the Lord has often used the illustration of the army to teach us lessons, because we're in His army. So learn a lesson from that and apply yourself now, so you can be prepared for the days to come‚ okay? I love you!

27. I'll be real proud of you when I see you sitting down and doing your best to apply yourselves, because I know how hard it is. I had to do the same thing for years and years, and it wasn't easy. But it was because of that persever­ance that we, the Family, have gotten as far as we have. Of course, it was all the Lord, and I had an awful lot of help from Mama and Peter and our dear staff—and it was all of you, our dear Family, who went out and did the job! But if I hadn't sat down every day‚ even the times I didn't feel like it, we would have been pretty disorganized‚ and the Lord might have had to find someone else to do the job.

28. All glory to Jesus! He really helped me‚ and I know He'll help you, too! Praise the Lord!

Love, Grandpa (End of message from Grandpa)

29. (Mama:) Others of you may feel like A., age 11, in India, who wrote me the following letter:

Dear Mama,

30. Hi! I love you! You are a wonderful shep­herd­ess. Thank you for all the beautiful Word you send our way. I am praying for you!

31. I am 11 years old and am doing school and sometimes I go witnessing and I enjoy it. I wanted to write you and tell you what I'm going through. You see‚ I have a trial about school. I am not happy when I have to do school. I cannot spell properly. I also have a bad habit with daydreaming. I wanted to ask for prayer so I can get the victory.

I love you so much!

Love from A.

32. (Mama: ) I love you too, Honey! Thanks for your sweet note, and for being a faithful missionary. I'm sorry school is a trial for you. I'm praying for you! We brought your situation to the Lord in prayer and He sent Grandpa with the following message for you and any others who might feel the same way.

33. (Grandpa speaking: ) Hi, kids! It's me, your ol' Grandpa, here to talk to you about school again. Now don't give up on me. I want you to hear what I have to say because it's important!

34. When I talk about school here, I'm talking about the basics that you really need to know—not getting into all sorts of worldly head knowledge that you're never going to use! But the basics are needful, they're important and they're useful! Okay?

35. I know that some of you have real battles with school. You just don't like it, and I understand. You'd much rather be going witnessing, doing fun activities, or even helping with your younger brothers and sisters, cooking, or helping around the Home, but instead you have to sit at your school desk or work area day after day. You have to keep learning and learning, and sometimes you don't feel like you're making any progress or see what's the point of learning all these things. Does that sound familiar?

36. Your teachers try and make your school exciting and interesting, but sometimes you just get bored with learning how to spell, having to review your times tables, having to do end­less math problems—learning addition, subtraction, multiplica­tion, division, and then on to fractions, per­centages and more. You try your best to put your heart into your school, but when you have to do it year after year after year, you just don't see the point. You wonder if you're really getting anywhere or learning anything, and what your knowledge will be good for. You ask, "Why do I have to do school?"

37. Kids‚ school is important, both now and in the future. You need to know how to read well to get your spiritual nourishment from the Word or to be able to understand forms and paperwork you have to fill out. Knowing how to write well enables you to witness to others better‚ because some of your witnessing to friends‚ contacts and relatives is going to be via mail or e–mail. And you need a basic knowledge of math, history, geography and other subjects both for the sake of your witness, so people won't think you're a dummy‚ and for your own sake‚ for your future ministry.

38. When you're younger you don't see all of the reasons why, but when you get older, you'll be thankful that you took the time to study hard and learn all you could. You may have to run a kitchen‚ you may have to manage the finances, you may have a childcare group to oversee or teach, you may become a secretary or have to take care of office work and handle a mail ministry, you may become a handyman, a driver, a mechanic, or a computer expert, and all of the knowledge that you've gained through your years of school will pay off. You'll be so thankful you didn't give up‚ but that you kept learning.

39. But you may say, "Hey, Grandpa, what are you talking about? Jesus is coming back soon and we won't have time to grow up and do all of these fancy ministries that you just mentioned. What if Jesus comes back in a few years? What good will all of this school do for us then?" That's a good question! The answer is that your life in Heaven and in the Millennium is a continuation of your life on Earth.

40. When you get to Heaven you won't auto­matically know everything. You'll still have to learn. Everything isn't just handed to you on a silver platter. So if you don't learn how to read and write while on Earth, you'll have to spend some time in Heaven learning those things, while the other kids your age may be discovering new planets and traveling around the world on special missions. See, what you learn on Earth isn't going to be wasted once you get to Heaven. If you study hard on Earth and learn what you need to learn, you'll be given more exciting jobs in the future.

41. The Lord wouldn't make you learn how to read, write, spell, count and do math, and learn your science, history and geography if it wasn't going to benefit you in the years to come and in the Millennium. In that day, you may be the shepherds, teachers or rulers of groups of people, or even of cities or nations. You'll have a lot of spiritual knowledge to share with them and maybe even a lot of practical knowledge, because those left on the Earth may be simple folks in many cases. Maybe you'll even have to teach them how to read and write and spell so they can read the Word and grow, or learn the things they need to know. We'll have Heavenly bodies and will be able to communicate through our minds, but those on the Earth will be bound to operating in very much the same way that we operate now.

42. If you study hard now, you'll be able to teach others. Whereas if you don't apply yourself to learn what you can now, you'll have to be one of the pupils and learn it in Heaven. There are going to be lots of fun things to learn in Heaven, and it's going to be very exciting! But I'm sure you wouldn't want to have to go back to some of the same old lessons that you were supposed to learn on Earth‚ would you? I'm sure you'd much rather be discovering the mysteries of Heaven‚ or exploring new planets and flying around to the different villages to teach others how to live and learn, so that they can find out more about Jesus, the Bible, and the history of the world.

43. Your schooling is for your benefit while on Earth, so you'll be better equipped for the jobs and ministries the Lord has in store for you. But all of your knowledge will also come in handy when you get to Heaven. Instead of having to relearn all that you missed while on Earth because you were daydreaming during school and skipping work, you'll be way ahead of every­one else. You'll be a ruler rather than a pupil. You'll be a teacher rather than a student.

44. So wouldn't you much rather press in here and now and have a blast later in the Millennium as you teach and rule others? I know it isn't easy to get your mind on the hard work. It's easy to get bored as you sit down to your school­books day after day‚ but just remember that the purpose of it all is so that Jesus can use you in the future.

45. Your parents and teachers try to make your schooling as lively and fun as possible, and you should try to enjoy it all you can, but sometimes it's just plain old hard work and it takes a lot of concentration and stick-to-it­iveness. So‚ don't give up! Your parents and teachers know that you won't want to be stuck in a classroom while your other friends are ­ruling the world, going places and doing fun things, so they want to teach you all they can while there's still time. Do you understand why school is important?

46. Give your parents‚ teachers and shepherds some cooperation. Remember that they're doing what's best for you. The easier you make it for them, the easier it will be for you. One day you'll be thankful that you learned all you could while on Earth. Keep learning and growing. It's all a part of your training, in preparation for the exciting jobs the Lord has in store for you! I love you, kids!

Your Grandpa (End of message from Grandpa)

47. (Jesus speaking: ) My precious children of David, you are blessed with a rich and full education, one that far surpasses what you learn in the actual classroom with your workbooks. Every moment of the day you are being trained and prepared for your coming ministries and the role I have for you to play—both as My End­time witnesses as well as the instructors and teachers of many in the Millennium. Each time you go out witnessing you learn more about how to understand people and relate to them, how to pass on My Words and counsel to them. Each time you help around the Home you learn the important lessons of being great through being a servant of all. You learn faithfulness, un­selfishness, compassion, how to love and give, and much more!

48. Your schoolwork at your desk is a small part of your education, but in this special mess­age to you, I want to encourage you that it's a very important part. Some of you enjoy it, while to others of you it's the most boring or difficult part of the day. But I want to encourage you that it's a very important part of your training and preparation—because you'll not only need much of what you learn in the very near future, as you grow and take on more and more responsibility, but you also build good habits and learn perseverance, faithfulness, how to discipline your mind, concentration‚ and much more—all skills which are vital for you to learn. So take advantage of the time that you have and put your all into it, and I will bless and reward you for it! I love you! (End of message from Jesus.)

(Please see also "Feeling Inspired to Do God's Will," ML #2747, DB11, pg.110.)

Are You There for Your Brother
In His Time of Need?

49. (Mama:) One of the most beautiful things to the Lord, and to Peter and me, is to know that you, our precious Family, are living and working in unity and harmony, giving your lives and sharing your material goods to help your brethren. By the same token, to see some of you fail your brethren through your lack of love is one of the saddest things I know of. I've heard of quite a few heartbreaking instances where Family members felt hurt or used because of others' selfishness. Following is an excerpt of one such letter I received from a Fellow Member who was going through a time of battles:

50. Over the last few years I've felt betrayed by some members (CM and FM), who we've tried to help with money and needs, etc. Some have talked badly about us behind our backs, which has hurt us personally and financially. I've asked the Lord to help me forgive and put it all behind us, but their gossip has influenced people we know in this small town where we live.

51. My business and livelihood is built on trust and word-of-mouth referrals, and when someone has spread half-truths and gossip around the community like one family here has, it has a big effect on us. We helped this family financially when they were getting started here, so to then be stabbed in the back by them has hurt us in many ways.

52. The only time people seem to be inter­ested in us is when we offer to help them with money or some other material need they may have; I'm talking about both Charter and Fellow Members. Everyone seems to be too busy to help us when we need it.

53. When we were CM, our oldest daugh­ters used to sing and be a big blessing, and it seemed everyone wanted them in their Home. But now when our girls are going through rough times and need some love and encouragement, their Family seems nowhere to be found! For years they helped raise money for the work and helped take care of the younger children‚ etc., but where is the sample of love from our Family now? (End of excerpt of letter.)

54. (Mama: ) I thought Dad would have some­thing to say about this problem of Family members asking other Family members for money or other types of help, but then not helping them in return in their time of need, or even being appreciative enough. Several other ­Fellow Members have written in to express similar battles. It's been a cause of bitterness for some when other Family members, whether CM or FM, seem to just ask and ask and take and take, but then don't show appreciation for the help and support they receive. Even worse than that, some have been downright hurtful to the ones who have helped them‚ and have gossiped about them behind their backs.

55. Because many Fellow Members hold System jobs and have a steady income, it seems that the Charter Family has often gone to these brethren for financial help. There's nothing wrong with this in itself, and as a Family we believe in sharing and helping one another, from each according as he is able, and unto each according to his need. But we don't believe in selfishly getting someone else's help but then not showing our appreciation‚ doing what we can for them‚ or being there for them when they need us.

56. (Dad speaking: ) My oh my! These poor people who have been through so much feel like nobody loves them‚ like no one's there for them in their hour of need. Brethren, these things ought not so to be! These situations of hurting others' feelings and being out of unity just come down to a lack of love. What are we here for, anyway? To witness and win the world, right? How can we do that by every man going to his own tent and seeing how much he can get out of other people—other poor, hard-working ­Family members?

57. Some people seem to always be thinking, "What's in it for me? Which situation should I go to where things will be the easiest on me? How can I bend the Home rules so that it will be easier for me? What loopholes can I find in the Charter to make things easier for me? Who can I be nice to so that they'll do something nice for me?" Is that what it's all about?

58. Let me tell you, that's not going to get the job done, and worse yet, it makes the Lord very displeased. He's displeased, not only because then He can't bless you, He can't use you to reach the lost in the way He'd like, and He can't bring folks along for you to minister to as He would like‚ but also because it hurts and stumbles people. It really stumbles some of our dear, precious brethren, our fellow laborers. It causes them to doubt the Lord and His love, and to doubt Mama's love because of your poor sample and your lack of love.

59. Isn't that sad? That in itself should move you and motivate you to ask the Lord to help you to change, to get desperate with the Lord, to search your heart, to do something about it. But if that isn't enough—and it doesn't seem to be for some of you, because I've said it time and again in the Letters, the Lord's told you time and again in His Own Words throughout the Bible, and you've seen the fruits of your lack of love—then let me tell you something else: As the days get worse and worse, your love for the Lord, your love for others, His love—unconditional love—is going to be one of your most vital and powerful weapons and your shield in battle.

60. The Lord has been trying to prepare you. He's been trying to get you to put on your armor, to exercise your muscles in that area, and some of you are and some of you aren't.

61. The people who do know their God shall be strong. What does that mean, "to know your God?"—To be loving Him. If you're loving Him, you're going to be loving others, because He is love. And if you aren't loving Him and loving others like you should be, like He wants you to, it's going to be like going into battle without your weapons and without your shield. You're going to get really bruised and beaten up.

62. I'm warning you, folks, that love and unity are not only essential right now in overcoming these difficulties, in making amends‚ in becoming one Family, One Wife‚ one Bride of Jesus, but they're going to be very important in the days to come. It'll be so important that, without such love and unity‚ we're not going to make it. If you think it's important now to be able to trust your brethren, to know they're not going to turn around and stab you in the back‚ it's going to be many times more important then.

63. Have you got the point? It all comes down to love­—loving the Lord first of all‚ and desperately asking Him to give you the love you need for others. It doesn't matter if you don't like them. It doesn't matter if you don't get along with them. It doesn't matter if you feel they've made mistakes or blown it somehow. You still need to desperately ask the Lord to give you His love. Overlook the things that are coming between you and reach out to them in love. Give yourself to them. Pull them in‚ draw them in, or go over and meet them.

64. Maybe there's someone who you feel is doing poorly, or who isn't being a good example, or who you feel should have given you more or helped you more. Well, holding things against them self-righteously, looking down on them and thinking they don't deserve your love and support, sure isn't the Lord's way of looking at things! Especially if they've given to you and helped you—likely to their own hurt—don't you think you should in turn show more appreciation and gratitude and consideration for them, just out of plain, simple courtesy? You sure should‚ even if they happen to be difficult personalities or if they're having some problems themselves. That's being Christlike!

65. Love loves the unlovely. When you see something or someone unlovely—maybe an un­lovely situation or something less than perfect—if you look down on those involved or talk bad about them, or walk the other way so that you don't have to be faced with it, that's not love. Love motivates you to do something about the situation. If you have real love, you can't see a situation like that without doing something about it. If you don't have the resources to do much about it in the physical, you'll at least try to encourage them with your spirit, your love, your prayers, your help. You'll give them whatever you can, down to the shirt off your back! That's real love.

66. The Lord's love is so great and His mercy is so endless, He'll go to any length to love someone, and you should too. There's never a time when someone has been too bad, has rejected His love too many times, to the point He won't try to love them again. His love never stops, it never ends. He wants to give that love to anyone who asks. He can help you have that kind of love for those you work with, for those you live with, for anyone.

67. It doesn't matter how unlovely they are or how difficult they are to love‚ the Lord still loves them and He can give you His love for them. So if you don't have it, then you'd better ask Him for it. Because when you get up Here, that's primarily what you're going to be judged by—not your great works, not your great accomplishments, not your great anything—just your love—His love, the love you asked Him for so that you could give it to others. Okay?

68. I love you! The Lord has mercy on you, so don't you be like the unjust steward. (End of message from Dad.) n