August 9, 2004
(ML #3503, GN 1091)
FD/MM/FM July 2004
ML #B:4-17, DB 4
4. ONLY PIONEERS CLIMB MOUNTAINS—people who want to do something that no one ever did before—people who want to get above the multitude—beyond what has already been done & accomplished. PIONEERS MUST HAVE VISION—VISION TO SEE WHAT NO ONE ELSE CAN SEE; FAITH—FAITH TO BELIEVE THINGS NO ONE ELSE BELIEVES; INITIATIVE—INITIATIVE TO BE THE FIRST ONE TO TRY IT; COURAGE—THE GUTS TO SEE IT THROUGH! On the mountain you are the first to see the Sun rise & the last to see it set! You see the full circle of God's glorious creation! You see the World in its proper perspective with range after range to be conquered & a World beyond the horizon of normal men! A World beyond their vision & beyond their horizon! You see distant peaks yet to be climbed! You see distant valleys yet to be crossed. You see things that the men in the valleys can never see.—Can't even comprehend because they can't see it. And you can see the 360-degree circumference of the total horizon-the entire scope! It's like seeing all of life from its beginning to its end & understanding. YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE LIVING IN ETERNITY; WHEREAS DOWN BELOW THEY'RE LIVING IN TIME.
5. YOU GET OVER HERE IN THIS LITTLE MULTITUDE & THIS LITTLE MAKE–BELIEVE OF MAMMON & YOU CAN'T SEE ANYTHING BUT TIME & CREATURES OF TIME & THINGS OF TIME, WHICH ARE SOON TO PASS AWAY, BUT YOU THRUST YOUR HEAD ABOVE THAT OF THOSE AROUND YOU IN THAT MULTITUDE & YOU YOURSELF BECOME A MOUNTAIN IN THEIR MIDST & THEY RESENT YOU & they resist you & they fight you because they can't understand you & because they don't want you. They don't even want to KNOW there are mountains! They don't want their children to HEAR there are mountains! But when you appear to be on a mountain while they are in the valley, they hate you because it's obvious you are above them & they don't want anyone to be above them. They want to keep you stuck in the mud like the rest of them. THEY DON'T WANT IT TO BE KNOWN THAT THERE IS ANY PLACE ELSE TO GO. They don't even want their children to know there is anything else or any other place to go or a way to get there! They want to keep them shut in down in the valley & in the mud & in the mire!
6. DO YOU REALISE THAT SINCE TIME IMMEMORIAL WARS HAVE BEEN FOUGHT BETWEEN THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN THE VALLEYS & THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED ON THE MOUNTAINS? There have always been wars between the mountain people & the valley people. The mountain people are always tougher‚ huskier, hardier, but fewer. But they always survived, because they always had their mountains to flee to & the valley people could never follow because the valley people weren't tough & husky enough to climb, so they would chase them up a little way & let them go. They just wanted to get rid of them. They didn't want to conquer mountains. They just wanted to get rid of the mountain people. The mountain people were just thorns in their flesh & pricks in their side. They proved someone could live somewhere other than in the valley, something THEY said was impossible.
7. HISTORY IS FULL OF EXAMPLES OF MOUNTAIN PEOPLE CONQUERING VALLEY PEOPLE, but seldom of the valley people conquering the mountain people. But the danger has always been that when the mountain people had conquered the valley people, they themselves settled down in the valley. So therefore it is better for mountain people to be at war with the valley people—unending‚ continuous‚ inflexible war with the valley, lest the valley get them too. THE DANGER IS WHEN YOU MAKE PEACE WITH THE VALLEY, WHEN IT BECOMES SAFE FOR YOU TO GO DOWN INTO THE VALLEY, the greatest danger is safety & security, because then you lose that wild freedom & liberty of the mountain!
8. THE VALLEY LAND IS MAN'S COUNTRY—THE HIGH LANDS ARE GOD'S COUNTRY. Man dominates the valley—only God dominates the mountain, & the men living on the mountains know this. But men living in the valleys—they think they are God, because they dominate themselves. But those on the mountains live so close to the things which are so frightening & terrible & dangerous they have to live close to God. The men in the valleys have become so secure they don't need God because they have forgotten there is any God.
9. IT'S A ROUGH & RUGGED ROAD, A HARD & A HEAVY LOAD, & THE PEOPLE YOU MEET AREN'T ALWAYS KIND—on the way up. But they're even worse down in the valley & IN THE VALLEY THEY WILL DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO DISCOURAGE YOU FROM CLIMBING THE MOUNTAIN. There aren't many places to live on the mountain—little rugged shelters, lean-tos. Not much to eat, cold & windy, but it's a thrill even to die there. BETTER TO DIE ON THE MOUNTAIN THAN TO LIVE IN THE VALLEY! Because whoever read in the newspaper about the man who slipped & fell on the city street, but the man who dies on the mountain even in far-off Switzerland, you'll read about in the newspapers here! Because at least he dared to try. BEATEN PATHS ARE FOR BEATEN MEN, but mountain peaks are for the mighty pioneers!
10. YOU TAKE THE MOUNTAIN & YOU'LL LEAVE THE MULTITUDES BEHIND & THEN YOU'LL KNOW WHO THE DISCIPLES ARE! Only Jesus' DISCIPLES came unto Him. When He went up into the mountain, the only ones who had the priceless privilege of hearing the World's most famous sermon—the only ones who really heard from Heaven that day were the ones who left the multitudes and took the mountain—the ones who followed Jesus all the way!
11. YOU NEVER HEAR ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO WAIT TO SEE IF IT CAN BE DONE. You only hear about the people who either made it or died trying. BUT WHEN YOU MAKE IT, THE MOUTH OF GOD WILL BE OPENED UNTO YOU. He'll speak to you face-to–face. He Himself will teach you & reveal to you the greatest of His secrets!
12. SO WHAT DO YOU HEAR ON THE MOUNTAIN? YOU HEAR THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO ECHO AROUND THE WORLD! WHAT DO YOU HEAR IN THE STILLNESS? WHISPERS THAT ARE GOING TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF HISTORY! Eight people came down from one mountain—Noah & his family from the Ark on Mt. Ararat—& they were never the same & the World was never the same! One man, Moses, came down from a mountain & a whole nation was never the same & they changed the World! And JESUS & HIS DISCIPLES CAME DOWN FROM THIS MOUNTAIN IN MATTHEW 5 & CHANGED THE WORLD!
13. WHAT CHANGED THEM THAT CHANGED THE WORLD?—WHEN THEY HEARD THE VOICE OF GOD TEACHING THEM THINGS THAT WERE COMPLETELY CONTRARY TO WHAT WAS BEING SAID IN THE VALLEY!
14. THE POOR IN SPIRIT ARE A MOUNTAIN PEOPLE. They that mourn dwell on the mountain. THE MEEK ARE FROM THE MOUNTAINS. "Blessed are they which do hunger & thirst after righteousness‚ for they shall be filled." THE PEOPLE ON THE MOUNTAIN HUNGER & THIRST & ONLY GOD CAN SATISFY THEM. The people down in the stinking valley can't see any further than the end of their nose & are satisfied with themselves & are full—& He sends them empty away!
15. "BLESSED ARE THE PEACEMAKERS FOR THEY SHALL BE CALLED THE CHILDREN OF GOD." Peacemakers with whom? Make peace with the enemy? Peace with the valley people? Peace with the Devil? Peace with the liars? Peace with the deceivers? How can you be at peace with the valley when the valley refuses to be at peace with you? You come to make peace & preach peace, but what happens? They are for war! YOU CANNOT MAKE PEACE WITH THOSE WHO WANT WAR! WHO THEN CAN YOU MAKE PEACE WITH?—PEACE WITH GOD & PEACE WITH THE PEACEMAKERS.—Peace with those who want peace, as the Angels sang, "Peace on Earth toward men of GOOD will." How can you have peace toward evil men & men of evil will? With them it is impossible. NO PEACE TO THE VALLEY PEOPLE.—JUST WAR. THE ONLY THING YOU CAN DO IS CONQUER THEM. THE EASIEST WAY TO CONQUER THEM IS TO LET THEM ROT IN THEIR OWN INIQUITY—become weak & lazy, fat & sick with their own sin. Then they're no match for the mountain people!
16. YOU ARE PERSECUTED BECAUSE YOU ARE RIGHT & THEY CANNOT STAND THE RIGHT! THE VALLEY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN IN DARKNESS SO LONG THE LIGHT BLINDS THEM & THEY CANNOT STAND TO FIND OUT YOU ARE RIGHT & THEY HAVE BEEN WRONG. They don't want to be exposed. They don't even see things like you do. To them confusion is peace. That's the kind of peace they understand. THEY HATE FOR YOU TO COME ALONG WITH REAL PEACE BECAUSE IT REVEALS TO THEM THAT THEY DON'T HAVE REAL PEACE. It disturbs their peace. So they'll lie & deceive & say all manner of evil against you falsely. But "rejoice & be exceeding glad for great is your reward in HEAVEN!" Not HERE always. Of course, if you live in the continual Heaven of His peace & joy you get a lot of that reward right now! You're already in Heaven in Spirit. The Kingdom of Heaven is within you, so great is that reward of Heaven in your heart, & great is your reward in the Heaven hereafter.
17. DID YOU KNOW WHAT NATIONS HAVE STAYED FREE LONGER THAN ANY NATIONS IN THE WORLD?—Switzerland in the top of the Alps, & Afghanistan & Nepal in the top of the Himalayas! Other civilizations have come & gone & they are still here! One reason they are still free is that they don't have much anybody else wants. Nobody wants their mountains but them. "I'll take the mountain!"—Eze.17:22-24.
ML #198‚ Vol.2
He lived in a world of fantasy
Where all were mad but he.
He lived in a world of madness
Where he alone was free!
He lived in a world of madness
Where only he was sane
He brought them joy and gladness
They only brought him pain!
He lived in a world of madness
Where only he was wise.
They lived in a world of sadness
'Twas folly in disguise!
Where happiness is madness
'Tis wisdom in disguise—
Where sanity is sadness
'Tis folly to be wise!
Oh give me a world of madness
If madness is to be glad!
I'd rather be happy in madness
Than only be sane and sad.
If foolishness is gladness
'Tis folly to be wise!
If sanity is sadness
It makes my brain capsize!
Oh give me pain with gladness
If wisdom is in vain.
'Tis better far than sadness
And sanity again!
If singing songs brings gladness
Like singing in the rain,
And wisdom only brings sadness
I'd rather be mad than sane!
They tell me our goodness is badness
Our singing of songs is in vain.
But I tell them their wisdom is madness
I'd far rather sing than complain!
They tell me our goodness is madness:
We should seek after worldly gain!
But I tell them their saneness is sadness
And it brings to so many such pain!
Oh give me my world of madness!
Give me my songs in the rain!
They can have their saneness and
sadness! I would rather be glad though insane!
It's their whole world that's in madness!
'Tis their whole world that's insane!
I'd rather have joy in my gladness,
Than their sanity, sorrow and pain.
It was their world that was madness!
They were the ones so insane!
For his hope‚ love, joy and gladness
Was better than sorrow and pain.
So therefore if madness be gladness,
And sanity, sorrow and pain,
Oh then, let my gladness be madness
And let me be mad once again!
How crazy are the words of David!—
They'll say he has gone insane!
But I'd rather be mad and be saved
Than lost in their darkness and sane!
So give me his joy and his gladness!
I'd rather have joy than be sane!
I say it is they that have madness
Who'd rather have sorrow and pain.
They live in a world full of madness
It was he that was really sane!
For our Don Quixote had gladness
In spite of their sorrow and pain.
This world full of violence and madness
So violent and mad and insane!
Would you rather my joy, or their sadness?
Would you rather my bliss, or their pain?
So let me dream on if I'm dreaming!
Oh let me drift on in my dreams!
I'd rather be dreaming than screaming!
I'd rather have dreams than their screams!
So come let us dance in our gladness!
Oh come let us dance in the rain!
I'd rather be mad than have sadness,
I'd rather be glad though insane!
I'd rather be old Don Quixote
Than the pompous wise sane King of Spain!
For though he's a little bit dotey
Quixote was happy, 'tis plain!
For he lived in his mind on a rancho
A great knight was he in his brain!
He had his old faithful dear Sancho
And thus he was freed from the strain.
So give me his world full of madness!
And give me his world so insane!
I'd rather have madness than sadness,
I'd rather be glad than be sane!
They say there's no end to this madness!
I say there's no end to their pain!
I'd rather have joy in my gladness
Than all of their sorrow though sane.
You say you have no time for madness?
You have to go quick catch a train?
I'd rather be free and have gladness
While you slave again and again!
So give me this Man of La Mancha!
And sing me his happy refrain!
Oh can you all see it, or can'tcha?
That he was the one who was sane!
Oh I am so weary with study!
Of the reading of books there's no end!
Can't you see their minds are all muddy?
It's they who have gone round the bend!
They like to be rich and be churchy
And wage their cruel wars without end!
Don't let their pollution besmirch me!
I'd far rather heal and to mend.
They call me Pied Piper of Hamelin:
"He's old Don Quixote again!"
They say that on Heaven I'm gamblin'
While they wreak their Hell amongst men!
I may be Abominable Snowman
A giant wild happy and free
Who cares and so what?—Come let's go, Man!
With me you've no idea what you'll see!
So let's sing a song for Quixote!
Let's sing a song for the free!
Let's sing a song though we're dotey
For we're bound for Eternity!
So let's sing a song for Pied Piper
And a song for his Children so free!
For I'd rather be mad than a sniper
Who only brings sad misery.
Let's sing for the Mad Monk Rasputin
Who loved, drank, healed and swayed kings!
For while they were madly disputin',
He made off with all of their things!
So here's to dear Alice's Mad Hatter!
And the Walrus's cabbage and kings!
So what if it's mad, does it matter
If to children it happiness brings?
So here's to the "Light in the Plaza"!
So here's to the madness that sings!
Would you rather have shooting in Gaza
Than a girl who is happy with rings?
So give us the mad Don Quixotes!
Pied Pipers that make us to sing!
And let us be madness devotees
With the joy our insanity brings!
So I'd rather be happy in Jesus
Than sane as the Devil and bad.
If it's madness of spirit that frees us,
I'd rather be mad and be glad!
For we live in a world full of madness
Where all are insane but we!
I'll take my world full of gladness
Though you call it fantasy.
Your world may be sane but temporal—
While mine is unseen but more real!
You call me insane and immoral
In this madness of gladness I feel.
But I say it is you who are crazy
And it's I who have reality!
It is you who are mad and amaze me,
For mine's for Eternity!
For only in realms of the spirit
Can you enjoy Heavenly scenes
That Heavenly sound, can you hear it?
Do you know what such ecstasy means?
No! You're mad, and you don't even know it!
It's you who are living in dreams!
It's I who am glad‚ and I show it!
I dance on in spite of your screams.
It's you who are living in madness!
It's you who are really insane!
It's we who have Jesus and gladness,
And we'll have it again and again!
So here's to our dear Don Quixote,
Pied Piper, Rasputin and MO!
I'd rather be their blest devotee
Than have your insane world of woe!
So give me my wild happy Children
Their singing and dancing so free!
You can have your madness that kills men
Bringing Hell and insanity!
I'd rather have dear Simple Simon
Who tasted the Pieman's wares
Or the "Idiot" who dared to defy men
With the love‚ truth and mercy he bears!
Give me Alices and Don Quixotes
Pied Pipers, Rasputins and MOs!
I'd rather have all of these doties
Than all of your world full of woes!
Give me trips in the spirit that thrill me
And a mind that with visions God blows!
Your world of killing just chills me!
l like living where anything goes!
So here's to our dear Don Quixote
And all of our Heavenly tours!
I'd rather have rice in my roti
Than bats in my belfry like yours!
So that makes just 49 verses‚
And seven times seven must blend:
Or else you will load me with curses—
And wish that my madness would end!
P.S. So wee words of wisdom
Have come from my pen
Though you think my madness
Be full to the brim!
For the foolishness of God
Is wiser than men
And this world's wisdom
Is foolishness to Him!
—1Cor.1:25; 3:19.
ML #328, DB 6
1. MUSICAL PERFECTION IS MATHEMATICAL, BUT MUSICAL INSPIRATION IS DIVINE! Watch performers‚ the difference between the truly greats & the mere perfectionists: The major difference is that the perfectionists, those who have great voices etc., but who are more interested in THEIR performance & are more conscious of how THEY are singing & looking & sounding, are only interested in THEMSELVES!—It falls flat, nothing but an egotistical display of self!
2. WHEREAS THE TRULY GREAT PERFORMERS MAKE YOU FORGET THEY'RE PERFORMING & make you forget their performance & even forget THEM you're so carried away with the emotion of their MESSAGE & what they're singing ABOUT or saying or portraying, so that THEY almost fade out of the picture & you're getting the MESSAGE.—These are the TRULY greats!
3. THE GREATEST STARS ARE THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW THEY'RE STARS. The greatest men are the ones who didn't know they were great, at least they didn't feel great. What makes you REALLY great is the greatness GOD gives you—the SPIRIT, the inspiration.
4. YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT WHICH PEOPLE RECOGNISE AS SOMETHING GREAT. You kind of swing with the drama of it & sort of fit in with it & ride the crest, but you HAVE to remember it is not YOU—it's something DIVINE, the Holy SPIRIT, so people recognize they're not seeing YOU—they're seeing the LORD.
5. WE'RE SHOWING GOD TO THE WORLD. They don't know what He's like. The only way they're going to know is by seeing God in YOU, & that's not YOU. If they only see YOU like they see in the CHURCHES, ugh! But if in seeing you they DON'T see you, they see the LORD, that's the DIFFERENCE.
6. THAT'S WHAT THE WORLD TODAY CALLS CHARISMA, a kind of a mystical charm, a divine anointing, a supernatural fascination. That's what every really great musician, singer, speaker, performer, prophet or king must have, a DIVINE ANOINTING. It ought to really erase the PERFORMER in some respects & make you think of GOD, of the GREATER One BEHIND the person—not the mere INSTRUMENT.
7. WHEN GOD HAS GIVEN YOU A ROLE TO PLAY & you can play it with divine anointing & real inspiration of the Lord & by the power of His Spirit‚ you become that creation of GOD!
8. IT'S THE POWER OF GOD! I asked God one time, "What is it that just grips us & holds us when Faith sings?" And the Lord said, "She sings with AUTHORITY!" It's such divine conviction nothing & nobody could shake it!
9. THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE when witnessing, singing‚ writing or whatever. It's gotta be GOD! But you have to have the faith to play the role God has given you to play.
10. 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.
11. HE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE between lifeless CLAY & the alive, pulsating energetic body of a human BEING! It's the breath of God, the anointing & power of God that makes the difference—& don't you forget it!
12. WITHOUT HIM YOU'RE NOTHING! You'll fall flat as a flounder! What did the Lord show me in the "Bahai Temple Prophecy" about the pitiful prophets who tried to keep on going after the anointing was gone? (See ML No.9) They're the most sad, pitiful cases in all history after God removed the anointing because they went astray or began to exalt THEMSELVES instead of giving GOD the glory.
13. ONE OF THE BIGGEST DANGERS YOU HAVE IS TO BEGIN THINKING IT'S YOU. It's GOD'S anointing. If He withdraws it, you're just as flat as ever. It doesn't matter how technically perfect our bands are, they can be dead as a doornail if they lack the POWER—that SUPERNATURAL thing—that mysterious MYSTICAL power that really turns people on & makes them trip out.
14. THAT'S WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE CHURCHES TODAY: They've got EVERYTHING, but they're one helluva failure because they've lost the SPIRIT—no ANOINTING or POWER‚ no real EMOTION, no dramatic mystical CHARISMA.—The FIRE'S gone!
15. I DON'T CARE HOW MUCH EDUCATION YOU HAVE, how much of an ORATOR you are, if you haven't got the FIRE‚ it profits nothing! If you haven't got the fire I don't care how "good" a witness you are, how many verses you learn, how much you understand Bible Prophecy & can describe every Beast in the Book & hang a label on every horn! If you haven't got the FIRE, it's just cold dead ICICLES of facts & figures—no warmth, no heat! You'll never set anybody on fire without it! All you'll do is get them muddled up & turn them off.
16. IF YOU'VE GOT THAT DIVINE ANOINTING, IT MAKES EVERY LITTLE TASK WONDERFUL! "You've got to have a glory in the thing you do, an everlasting glory that'll carry you through!" I've had some guys polish my shoes who just did it like they could have spit in my face instead of on my shoes! But I've had other little native boys get down & sing to the rhythm as they shined my shoes with glory! It was a GLORY to them & they had an ANOINTING for it!
17. UNLESS IT MOVES YOU‚ WHAT GOOD IS IT? The business we're in is MOVING people! We're trying to move them from one place to the other‚ one life to another‚ one spirit to another. We're trying to MOVE them!
18. IF YOUR MUSIC DOESN'T AFFECT PEOPLE, YOU'RE JUST IN THE ENTERTAINMENT BUSINESS! If your singing doesn't AFFECT people, if your witness doesn't make them glad or mad or sad, it's just so much hot air & a waste of time! It's the difference between somebody who is proud of his OWN work & HIMSELF & those who have the SPIRIT & just wanna exalt JESUS!
19. PEOPLE HAVE TO SEE YOU‚ BUT THEY'VE GOT TO SEE JESUS COMING THROUGH YOU. But if it stops dead with YOU, they'll just go on & figure it was a waste of time—no different from what everybody else was screaming. "Not by (thy) might nor by (thy) power, but by MY SPIRIT!" saith the Lord. Jesus said, "The WORDS that I speak unto thee, they ARE Spirit & they ARE Life"!—Zech.4:6; Jn.6:63.
20. YOU'VE GOT TO MOVE THEM, make them mad, sad or glad, drive them to a decision, spur them to action, emote them into motion by emotion by the Spirit. "It's the Spirit, it's the Spirit!"
21. THE BODY WITHOUT THE SPIRIT IS DEAD!—SO IS EVERY SONG, every sermon, every witness‚ every book, every picture. EVERY task, WHATEVER it is, without the SPIRIT it's DEAD & will eat your heart out & KILL you! But the SPIRIT can make ANYTHING glorious! It can make you even clean toilets with an artistic finesse & be proud of the good job you did & consider it a work of art & a thing of beauty!
22. "YOU GOTTA HAVE A GLORY IN THE THING YOU DO!" The SPIRIT can turn it ON, no matter WHAT it is or WHO it is, & give it GLORY & GLAMOUR & LIFE!—Beauty‚ joy & life and heat and everything.—You name it! It's the SPIRIT that makes the difference.
23. BUT IF YOUR SERVICE FOR GOD HASN'T GOT THE SPIRIT, IT STINKS & people are going to hold their noses & run the other way! All that meat & no potatoes! All that smoke & no fire! All that action & no JUICE that brings FRUIT.
24. HAVE YOU GOT THE SPIRIT? Has your singing, music or whatever you do got the POWER, the FIRE of GOD?—If NOT, it's DEAD WORKS!—And it'll never set anyone ELSE on fire either! God help you to have the FIRE-POWER of God's SPIRIT in ALL you do!—Amen? Praise the Lord! Don't try to WORK up GLAMOUR—PRAY down GLORY! Hallelujah!
ML #2774, DB 11
1. Do you know what I believe the Lord is helping me to do, and what the Lord has always really helped me to do?—To make things simple! I got so sick of education when I was in college that I stood up in class and said, "It seems to me that the whole policy of education is to make things as complicated as possible!"—And the professor gave me a bad grade after that! I just always felt sorry for the poor students, how the professors were always getting way out of their reach.
2. I think the Lord has given me such success with the Family because through me He has made things simple for them, and helped them to see things clearly that were pretty obscure in church. (Maria: I know that in my case, if I hadn't been in the Family all these years, I would have been so complicated, and tried to make everything so complicated! But now‚ because of your sample‚ I'm really simple! The church system for the most part makes things so complicated! Even when they try to make it simple, it just doesn't seem to quite hit the mark. But you've made everything so simple that anybody can understand it!) It's just the Lord, Honey. Give the Lord the credit.
3. This has been true all through history. Unlike most of the church system, the few great men who stood out above the crowds usually preached a pretty simple message. That's why they were so effective and people were so drawn to them.
4. The greatest men of God throughout history preached a simple message and made it clear, including the Lord! He made it very simple, especially in the Gospels. I can't quite say the same for the Apostle Paul all the time, but much of the time he made it quite simple. Of course, he had to reason with the Jews and get into pretty deep doctrine and prove things for their sakes, but when he preached to the Gentiles, he was the soul of simplicity!
5. The further I got along in my education in school, the more I realized that education really prides itself on complication, not on simplicity. In fact, there's no point in your even getting a formal education if you can understand things pretty simply without it! The whole point to education seems to be to make things as complicated as possible so that you can be complicated and appear very complicated to others! It's a pride trip!
6. Much of the simple-minded public worship complication and big words and deep concepts, just because they can't understand them! They think that the educated must be great and wise, because they can't understand them. I've found through all my experiences that the people who worship education the most are the ones who didn't have any, or very little.—And the people who had the most, if honest, were sick of it! I didn't have the most of it, but I sure got sick of what little I had!
7. Too much education puts you out of reach of the common man! You get out of touch with humanity! The simpler and the clearer you can make your message, the better! I always think of that verse—and I think it was even Paul who said it—"But I fear, lest by any means, as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty‚ so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ!" (2Cor.11:3).
8. And they said of Peter and John, "Though they were ignorant and unlearned men, people took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). In other words‚ they were powerful! Their message was powerful because it was so clear and simple.—Whereas the highly educated Pharisees and Sadducees were the very essence of un–understandable complication and deep, dark, doctrinal divinity. And although the Torah—the five Books of Moses, the Law—is virtually the essence of simplicity‚ its Jewish commentary, the Talmud, is the essence of complication, taking a whole page to comment on one verse and just succeeding in making it obscure and confusing.
9. Lord help us and deliver us from too much education! Thank God He delivered me! I think because of my own life experience with preachers and congregations, I was able to see what clicked with the people and what didn't. I saw that people in the average congregation were very childlike and simple-minded, and too often the preachers were not just deep, they just weren't clear!
10. I remember that when I was still in college‚ psychologists estimated that the average American intelligence was at about the level of a child of 12 years of age! If it was that low then‚ imagine what it is now! It's probably sunk to about six or eight, about half that! (Maria: In spite of all their supposed technological advances and more complicated education, they go further and further back all the time.) Yes! The very very few have become very very technical, whereas the very very many have become more and more simple and even ignorant!
11. So God help us to keep it simple and clear! I think this is what has appealed to the Russians so much, because our literature is so simple and so clear. What can they have that's clearer than a picture?—And then the simple explanation on the back! You just couldn't have anything clearer than that! They love it and they're falling all over themselves to get it! Thank the Lord that we're falling all over ourselves to give it to them as fast as we can!
12. Our presentation of the Gospel is simple, it's fast, it's quick! Jesus made it the simplest of all. And to illustrate it, He constantly drew pictures too—parables, picture stories for the simple-minded—and they loved it, they understood it and they believed it. And that's what we try to do! Thank the Lord!
13. Don't get too high and mighty or complicated for people.—Keep it simple and childlike! As Jesus said, "Except ye become as a little child, ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven" (Mat.18:3). If the children can understand it‚ everybody can! If you can help children to understand it‚ you're a genius! (Maria: A simple genius!) Yes, the wise geniuses have found out that it's better to be like a little child and be able to speak to little children and help them to understand you.
14. I really admire childcare workers and people who can understand and help and train children—they're the smartest people we've got! Anybody can talk to the educated and the adults, it's not hard for them to understand you; but to have the little kids understand you, you've really got to be smart!—And that means simple! You've got to know what they can understand and how to present it in a way they won't forget it. Whether it takes pictures or actions or songs or simple rhymes or whatever it takes to put it across, use it!
15. In a way we have found the ultimate, the maximum use of pictures and lessons in our posters! It all boils down to the simplicity of the Gospel! The simpler it is, the more effective it is! To put it bluntly: The easiest and the fastest to the mostest!—And that's what we have been specializing in in our missionary work. It's cheap, fast, mobile, multiplied and effective!—And pictured! We're talking about the lit, flannelgraphs‚ even videos where possible‚ but primarily literature. How much further can we condense the message to make it simple and vivid? It's cheap‚ fast, mobile and effective. It gets results!—And we've got the fruit to prove it! Amen? (Maria: Amen!)
16. So God help us not to get away from the simplicity of the Gospel! The simpler the better!—And the cheaper and the many-er and the more mobile the better! I think that's one reason for our effectiveness, we can move fast! (Maria: Yes!) That's also a handicap in a way, because we're hard for the people to find.—But it's a great advantage with our enemies!—We're harder to find and stop!
17. We're also more indigenous—which is a big word that most people don't understand, but it literally means "self-operating."
18. That little saying keeps coming to me, something about "The Bestest with the Mostest!"—The bestest for the mostest for the leastest! The simpler you say it‚ the better and the longer they're going to remember it. So boiled down to the very barest bones of all, our message would be: Let's get the simplest and the cheapest to the mostest! Let's not get too complicated! Amen? PTL! GBY! ILY!—AMEN!
ML #2794, DB 11
1. (Maria:) We have heard through the reports of various teen shepherds that you teens are often hit with heavy intellectual questions or head trips when out personal witnessing. When faced with such questions, you just have to be willing to be simple and be looked upon as foolish, ignorant, unlearned men and women. But if we're full of the Lord's Spirit and His love, then no matter how ignorant and unlearned we seem, the people we witness to are going to take knowledge of us, that we have been with Jesus, just like they did of Peter and John. The Bible says, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled and they took knowledge of them‚ that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). They're going to see Jesus in us, and their hearts are going to cry out for love and for Jesus, regardless of how intellectual and/or sophisticated they are.
2. So I think you teens need to stop worrying about trying to answer all of these difficult intellectual questions and just be bold and give them Jesus. You need not be intimidated by those questions or afraid to say‚ "Look, I'm not intellectual and I don't have a lot of worldly knowledge, but do you at least consider that the Bible is a great book and that millions have patterned their lives after it? It must have something going for it! Do you know that two of the writers of the Bible are described as 'unlearned and ignorant men,' but what they had to say has, through thousands of years, completely changed millions of lives!
3. "Our mission is just to be simple and preach the truth. And in order to do that, we can't be intimidated by people who try to condemn us or make us feel badly because we're not as educated as they are. We're preaching Jesus‚ who takes the weak and the foolish things to confound the wise. Look at this verse right here, see what it says? 'But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty' (1Cor.1:27). And the verses right before this one are really heavy too. Look what they say: Even 'the foolishness of God is wiser than men' (1Cor.1:25). That means that to preach the Word, which looks like foolishness to many people‚ is wiser than the wisdom of this world. The Bible goes on to say, 'Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called' (1Cor.1:26). See, by that verse you can logically conclude that in order to serve Jesus you don't have to be wise in the ways of the world or mighty or noble.
4. "And here's another interesting verse, 'My speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God' (1Cor.2:4,5). And the Bible warns us to not be corrupted with too much of man's wisdom. Look at this verse: 'Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ' (Col.2:8).
5. "Although I don't have a lot of worldly education like you do, and I'm not going to school to get an advanced education like you are‚ I am happy. And when it comes right down to it‚ which is the most important thing in life?—To be intellectual and have a lot of knowledge, or to be happy? Many people would give all that they have—all the wealth and material goods and knowledge they have—if they thought they could be happy.
6. "I happen to know that Jesus is the only one who can truly make people happy. As a comparison, we could say it's like having a cure for AIDS; if we had a cure for AIDS and didn't tell anyone, what would you think of us? If we kept it selfishly to ourselves and never told the world about it‚ what would you think? Well, we have a cure for more serious and far-reaching diseases than AIDS! We have the cure for unhappiness, for loneliness, for rejection, for fear—illnesses that afflict millions or billions of people, a far greater number than AIDS has ever touched, or will ever touch. And if we didn't share this cure with people, we would be failing God, failing others, failing ourselves‚ and we couldn't live with ourselves. This cure is Jesus, plain and simple! Don't you want to give Him a try?"
7. You can show the intellectual people you witness to the verse where King David said, "I have more understanding [of spiritual truths] than all my teachers, for Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the ancients, because I keep Thy precepts" (Psa.119:99,100). Knowledge and understanding don't have to be complicated and confusing. In the Bible, the great Apostle Paul said, "But I fear, lest by any means, as the Serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty‚ so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ" (2Cor.11:3). The Bible is a simple enough book that the common man down through the centuries has been able to understand it and live by it, yet it is one of the most profound.
8. To go on the attack and take the initiative when witnessing to intellectuals, we almost have to show that what we have is a lot better than what they have. We can show them what we have and how enthusiastic we are about it and how happy it makes us‚ which will by contrast show them how little they have. They will probably come to that conclusion on their own, without us really having to tear down their education too much. We can chase their darkness away not by blasting it, but by letting the light in with the Word, which will bring them understanding.
9. Just showing them the Word would probably do it. You can share verses about how God doesn't think much of worldly education and how the Word should be our education. The majority of people today are so ignorant of the Bible and hardly know anything at all about it. So when you're discussing almost any subject at all, if you will show them what the Bible teaches about it and the great wisdom that is in the Word on every subject, I think they will be fascinated. They'll see that the Bible is a wonderful source of knowledge, encouragement and guidance!—And they'll see that it's truly living waters that will satisfy their souls! It's not a dead book, it's a living book!—It's Jesus!
10. So if you don't feel very confident in yourself and wonder what you'll say when out witnessing, cheer up! The Lord has promised, "Open thy mouth wide and I will fill it!" (Psa.81:10). PTL!
(Following are more verses which show the emphasis the Lord puts on love for Him and others, and the knowledge of His Word, rather than worldly knowledge and intellectual attainments. You may find some of these helpful to share when witnessing to hungry intellectuals.)
"For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow" (Ecc.1:18).
"Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Me‚ that I am the Lord which exercise lovingkindness, judgment and righteousness in the Earth: for in these things I delight‚ saith the Lord" (Jer.9:23,24).
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God" (Rom.12:2).
"Walk not as other Gentiles [unbelievers] walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them" (Eph.4:17,18; 5:11).
"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction‚ for instruction in righteousness" (2Tim.3:16).
"Study to show thyself approved unto God‚ a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth" (2Tim.2:15).
"The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple" (Psa.119:130).
"From a child thou hast known the Holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2Tim.3:15).
"Knowledge puffeth up, but charity [love] edifieth" (1Cor.8:1).
"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world‚ and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Mk.8:36,37).
ML #2863:2-8‚ DB 11
(Editor's note: This can be applied to all of our singing teams.)
2. (Mama:) In praying about your upcoming performance, I've been thinking that compared to the other choral groups and singing troupes which will be performing at the White House for Christmas, alongside them your group may appear unprofessional and more untrained. Unlike members of a highly trained and technically perfect choral group, your main ministry has been that of witnessing and winning souls, for which you'll reap eternal and everlasting rewards. So that's why we're suggesting that you and your singing group just be yourselves and be natural and not try to take on more than you are equipped for or can be trained for in this short period of time. Nor should you feel that you should try to compete with other very professional groups who have probably been together for years and whose main goal has been to learn to sound good for the System, and to make their mark in the world musically.
3. In spite of the fact we aren't usually nearly as polished and professional as System groups, the Lord often opens doors for us to perform right alongside them. And although according to System standards we're not as professional, refined, polished or trained as most of the world's groups, the Lord always comes through our precious Family performers so beautifully‚ and people sit up and take notice.—Not of our great talents and abilities and musical perfection, but of His Spirit shining through us.
4. It reminds me of the scripture, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled and took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). The people who were listening to Peter and John's preaching and witnessing were probably used to hearing speakers all the time who were much more polished and eloquent than Peter and John. So listening to Spirit-filled Peter and John was probably quite an unusual occurrence, and their difference from the other speakers was enough to draw people's attention to them.
5. As the people kept listening and watching, they realized that what they were seeing and what they were so fascinated with was God's Spirit taking over these ignorant and unlearned men and making them glow with the Lord's presence. This gave Peter and John the ability to touch others in a way the people had never felt before.
6. Perhaps you teens, as well as you adults, are often tempted to think, "We're so inferior and we don't measure up. We don't compare so favorably with all these Systemites and all their talents and expertise and professionalism." But why would you want to? Do you want to have people look at you and say‚ "Listen to those singers! They're so skilled! We can see that they've had expert musical training, and their voices are so well-trained and their harmonies are perfect and their stage presence is impeccable!" Or would you rather have them look at you and say, "These folks really stir us! These are the ones who move us and touch us and do something to us! We're not quite sure what it is. They may not be perfect, but when they sing, we feel like they're singing right to us, personally! Their singing reaches out to us and into our hearts, and we feel enthralled when they sing, we feel loved! We can see a real peace about them and a light on their faces and a warm glow that somehow is missing from the other singers. This group has really won our hearts!"
7. Would you want to have the people see you as professional, polished, refined, tutored and highly trained, but without His Spirit, His light and life-giving love? Or would you rather have the people see Jesus in you‚ and feel Jesus flowing through you, even if they happen to see your weaknesses and your untrained or unprofessional qualities in the process? Wouldn't you rather have His treasure in your earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of you? For it is not you who live, but Christ Who liveth in you. For when you are weak, then He is strong‚ for His strength is made perfect and manifested in your weakness. It's the lame who take the prey (2Cor.4:7; Gal.2:20; 2Cor.12:9; Isa.33:23). In fact, if you were so polished and musically perfect, people would have a lot harder time seeing Jesus in you. They would instead think that the beauty they were seeing was coming from your talent and your skill and your ability.
8. So, although your performance may seem average and simple in comparison to other groups, I believe that when you sing, the power of the Lord's Spirit and His angels and His Holy Spirits will flow forth through you and will make your music take on a very special quality that none of the others will be able to match. But it won't be anything of you; it will be Jesus Who is singing through you! And we're praying that His Heavenly magic will touch many hearts and stir them and help them to think about Jesus, and that even though you may not be able to talk to them, in some way they will feel Him reaching out to them.
ML #3124:61-69, Lifelines 24
61. (Dad speaking: ) To win some, you must be winsome. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks on the heart. It seems it's up to you and where you are and what you're doing that would determine your dress. But really, it doesn't matter what you wear. It's Jesus shining in you, shining through you, that people will see.
62. Some of you young folks in the more westernized areas think it's cool to look like the rest of the teens. That in itself is not so bad. Some people may not agree with you, but it's not really so bad in itself. Again, it depends on exactly where you're witnessing. However‚ don't you think that restricts you a little bit? You're trying so hard to be free‚ but you really kind of put yourself in a box when you put yourself in a box of style. So if you really want to burn free, be natural! Let Jesus really shine through you and knock their socks off with your smiling, glowing, sparkling personalities!
63. Now here's a thought for you: You want to dress like those around you so you can witness to them? That's a good thought. That's worth considering. But would you be willing to carry out that same thought if you had to dress like a monk or a nun to witness‚ or if you had to wear a suit and tie if you were witnessing to folks who looked like that? I'll let you think about that.
64. Clothes and fashions are interesting and fun. They change with the times. But they can be quite a bondage, so don't let yourself get bound. Whatever you do, don't let yourself get bound. It's the spirit that matters, your attitude.
65. It depends on where you are. It depends on what area of the world you're in. It's a sacrifice to be a missionary. It's a sacrifice to be a disciple. There were times I wanted to do many a thing that was thought too outlandish, that would have drawn a lot of attention to myself rather than to the Lord, or would have hindered my work for the Lord. So it's a sacrifice to be a disciple, to be a missionary. But it's a small sacrifice, because witnessing and helping turn a soul on to Jesus is far more exciting than turning someone on to you because of your dress or how you look.
66. When I used to take my girls out FFing, they dressed for the occasion, because they were baiting the men with their looks. Some of them got a little bit tripped off. You can ask some of them about it. It was fun for a while, but then many of them matured into realizing what a responsibility the men were that they were attracting to themselves. They realized that their beauty and what they wore wasn't all that important any more, and to keep those men satisfied and happy they had to give them Jesus; they had to give them the Word.
67. But as far as your dress, well, what can I say? I didn't always dress according to any certain code, and I managed all right. You should have seen Maria and some of my staff trying to get me to dress a little better. Ha, ha! For the sake of security, I succumbed to their wishes and I began to agree with them—that it was true, dressing more appropriately drew less attention to myself, which was better for security. Also, since the world so often tends to judge you by your looks, my way of dressing would kind of detract from any message I would give in my witness to them.
68. So it's up to you how you want to dress. It's true, it is a new day and you do have a choice. But remember, it costs to be a disciple. It costs to be a missionary. It costs each individual in different ways. So it's up to you. You know your field, you know who you're ministering to, and you know what would be best and how to dress. So use wisdom and don't be too proud to change your ways. Just think about it, and do what you know is best.
69. Heaven is fun! Just like I used to tell some of the girls on my staff‚ they'll have fun designing clothes‚ wearing different robes of light and making pretty things for Mama, and even wearing nothing, praise God! The things of this Earth really are so temporal. Thank God! So like I said, it's up to you! Use wisdom, and dress in love, preferring others' happiness above your own. Just shine brightly for Jesus, because that's all that counts. People will see Jesus in you. It doesn't matter what you wear or even what language you speak‚ people just notice that spark of difference, that glow in your eyes and on your face! I love you! (End of prophecies.)
ML #3135:86-122‚ Lifelines 24
86. (Mama:) We all know that being a missionary has its hardships and that it's not always easy. It's a rough and a rugged road sometimes, and the climb up the mountain of God's highest will isn't always easy going. But have you ever stopped to think of all the advantages of being a missionary? We experience so many of the benefits in our everyday lives that I think we become familiar with them and don't even realize that they're there. Of course we know the more obvious ones, like being assured of being in the center of the Lord's will and the rewards that He will give us in Heaven, as well as the joy and contentment that He rewards us with here on Earth, but there are many more! If you stopped for a few minutes and thought about it, I'm sure you could list quite a few advantages that perhaps you hadn't thought of before.
87. I wanted to include such a list in this GN, both to encourage you missionaries who are doing the job as well as to show those of you who aren't the many benefits that await you when you do. Most of you have served the Lord on a foreign mission field at one time or another, so you've no doubt experienced many or all of the following benefits. But perhaps you haven't thought about them in some time and would appreciate a little refresher for your encouragement and inspiration!
88. Rather than list them myself, I thought the Lord would be able to give a much better rundown, so I asked Him to explain why we should be missionaries and what the benefits and advantages are in practical terms. Please remember when reading this that while the Lord is specifically referring here to those missionaries who have left their home country to evangelize another part of the world, you can be just as much of a missionary in your home country if you're where the Lord wants you and you're truly laying down your life daily to reach the lost where you are.
89. (Jesus speaking:) Missionaries are at the top of My list! Missionaries are apostles, just like the apostles of old—ones called with a mission. My first disciples were just normal men and women like you. What set them apart from the rest of the world was the fact that they answered My call. They heard My call in their heart and in their spirit, and they followed Me. And as they followed Me, they learned of Me. I was teaching them and training them, instructing them in the ways of Heaven, in the ways of faith, and even in practical ways of how to live their lives to the fullest, to gain the greatest pleasure, joy and happiness.
90. Then after I came to Heaven, I sent My Holy Spirit to lead them and guide them—just as I had done when I was there with them—and I commissioned them to go out as missionaries to win the world. They were continuing to follow Me, to learn of Me‚ to grow. It's not as if they learned everything there was to know. Their learning continued, but at the same time they fulfilled My commission to be missionaries.
91. Today I have many missionaries in many lands, of many cultures, of many nationalities, of many callings and many different ministries. They have left their homes‚ they have left all behind and have gone out to follow Me and to live according to their faith. You‚ My Family missionaries, have great faith because of the abundance of Word that has been poured out upon you. Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God‚ and you have been mightily blessed with an ocean of the Word of God!
92. You have the Word spoken in olden times—the Bible. You have the Word spoken in modern times through the voice of your Father David. And you have the voice of prophecy through which My wonderful Words are being poured forth for today, and for the days to come. As you drink in this Word from all sources, it strengthens you and strengthens your faith. You, of all My children upon the Earth, drink in more of My Word than anyone else, and that is why you have such great faith. The faith that you have from reading My Word is magnified because you are yielded and believing and accepting the new Word, the New Wine from Heaven. This gives you new faith, strong faith, faith for modern times, faith for today, and faith for the things to come.
93. My missionaries have the best of all lives‚ for they have the best of all I have to offer. Those who yield themselves utterly to Me, who seek My perfect will in their lives‚ who answer My call to go and save the lost, those who are willing to forsake all and follow Me daily, taking up their cross—they are the ones who will benefit the most from a life lived for Me, for they are the ones upon whom I may pour My blessings with great abundance for their yieldedness and obedience.
94. My missionaries are pilgrims and strangers upon the Earth. And though they have no nation to call their own, and no certain dwelling place, yet this is their strength and this is their training for the world to come. For My missionaries will be leaders of the world one day. In their daily witnessing and ministering to others, they are learning to understand the hurts and the pain that the world suffers. They are learning of the troubles and the difficulties that the people of this world face. They see their hopelessness‚ their need for love, their struggles to survive, their battles within their families, the trials they face in their form of livelihood.
95. They walk among people of all strata of society and they learn about them so they will understand them and their needs. This helps My missionaries now, and will help them when one day they come into the position of being rulers of this world. This is something they could never learn by just living a normal life, as their experience would be limited to the small circumference of their life and their level of society.
96. My missionaries can transcend the strata of society. They can go from the bottom to the top, and from the top to the bottom. They can relate to all people‚ and they can learn and partake of the lives of people on all levels of society. This is a unique opportunity, a unique experience. My missionaries are not a part of society, and this gives them an advantage to peek in, to observe, to learn and to mingle with those of all walks of life. My missionaries have learned to set aside their own personal wants and wishes so that they may become one to all men, that they may learn to relate to them, to understand them.
97. This is cultural training. This is sociological training. This is training that they could never receive in a classroom, because this is interacting with the real thing, with real people. It's not theory; it's practice. They are meeting people from every level of society. They are speaking with them. They are being accepted into their homes and into their lives, and they are learning about their hopes, their wishes, their desires‚ their heartbreaks and their failures.
98. This is such wonderful preparation for being world rulers! So few of the rulers of this world know and understand the people they govern as well as you will understand your people. My missionaries learn to be broad-minded; they learn to understand and accept the culture, traditions and habits of other societies.
99. This teaches them an openness that few people in the world have—to meet people of other nations, of other cultures, of other tongues‚ without prejudice, without preconceived ideas‚ without judging them by outward appearance. This is something that nations are striving for, but they fall miserably short of. How can they ever have racial equality when they are already so boxed in by their own prejudices, thoughts and ideas?
100. But you, My missionaries, are there with the purpose of learning to bridge the gaps between the peoples of the world. You have open hearts and open minds. You look only at the creation of God, at the human being and his or her eternal soul. That is what you are most interested in, and that is the same in all of the people of the Earth. You see them in the purest way, as My creations‚ as My children, and you look beyond their race, their color, their traditions, their habits and modes of living.
101. My missionaries are some of the most educated people on Earth—not educated in the ways of man, but educated in My ways. They learn the deep things of the Spirit. They learn to hear the voice of God. They learn to understand the Word of God.
102. Because they give themselves wholly to Me and are seeking to do My will, I have more control in their lives. I can teach them yieldedness and bring them closer to Me through their desperation. It is these who are empty of themselves, empty of their own knowledge‚ empty of their own wisdom and empty of their own will that can avail themselves the most of My wisdom‚ My power and My anointing. In becoming seemingly weak and insignificant to the world, they have become strong, powerful and important in My Kingdom.
103. Their wisdom and knowledge is the opposite of that of the world. Their wisdom and knowledge comes from God; the wisdom and knowledge of the world comes from man. But My missionaries are educated and wise in the ways of the world, too, for I teach them these things as well. They learn the languages of many lands. They learn the geography and history of many countries firsthand, by living there, by visiting these places and experiencing life in those countries. They're not just tourists, but they live in every country they go to, whether their time there is long or short. They are pilgrims and strangers. Wherever they are is where they live, and they learn and they grow from these experiences.
104. Very few people in the world have the advantage of living in this way—forsaking their own country, upbringing, culture and personal traditions, to take on those of another land‚ another nation, another people. This is training and experience that can never be gained from a classroom in the same way as it can by living it.
105. My missionaries learn to live by faith. They learn to lean upon Me and to expect Me to supply their every need, and I do. This tests their faith. This causes them to use their muscles of faith, which strengthens them. Living by faith strengthens their faith and causes them to grow. Living by faith keeps them uncompromising and pure. In living by faith they stay true to My precepts and true to their convictions‚ for they know this will bring down My blessings. Living by faith keeps My missionaries unspotted from the world, for they are dependent upon Me and My supply, and not upon the world.
106. Through living by faith, My missionaries learn to be thankful, to be appreciative of the little things, and to give Me thanks and praise for all that I do in their lives. They learn the value of little things, of diligence and carefulness. They develop the gift of praise and thankfulness which helps them to shun murmuring and complaining, which would darken their soul and countenance. They learn to love Me and to praise Me and to thank Me for the smallest answers to prayer‚ for the smallest provision and gifts at My hand. And so they shine with such beautiful and radiant spirits of love and thankfulness. They learn to praise Me when things are good‚ and praise Me when things are not so good. This gives stamina to their spirits and endurance to their faith as they learn to praise Me through all seasons.
107. Living by faith polishes My missionaries and makes them shine! It gives them a special depth‚ a special worth that can only be found through prayer and praise and thanksgiving, through living a life of thankfulness. Through their hardships and difficulties I stretch out their spirits. I broaden them and deepen them so their spirituality grows and they are not shallow. How can this be learned within the safety and security of the System?
108. My missionaries learn to love like no others on Earth, for they see the power of God working in their lives and in other people's lives. Their hearts are broken for the poor and the destitute and the hungry in spirit of this world, and through their brokenness, through the tenderness of their heart, I pour forth My love. Their tenderness opens the channels of My love, and they receive My love in greater measure than those of the world. My love flows through in mighty waves‚ through mighty channels to fill them and to overflow onto others.
109. My missionaries are the salt of the Earth, and I sprinkle them freely across the nations that they may bring out the flavor of My love in all places where they go. I love My missionaries, for they are most blessed upon the face of the Earth. They are My children, and I love them for their obedience and yieldedness. They are learning to forsake the ways of the world. They are learning to lay aside the traditions of man and his wisdom, his values and his goals, that they may embrace the true riches, the true values, the values of Heaven and the richness of My Spirit.
110. This life is but a preparation for the world to come. It is but a school where the entrance exams are given to see who will make it into the next grade. This time on Earth is but a test to see who will choose the ways of the world and who will choose My ways. And these, My missionaries, who choose My ways, will find great reward in the next world and for all eternity to come! (End of message from Jesus)
111. (Mama:) Isn't it neat how the Lord explains things? He covers so many more angles and sides of the issue than we could ever think up with our limited understanding and wisdom. You see‚ that's another advantage of going to the Lord for the answers to your questions instead of trying to figure them out yourself: If you just reason it out in your own mind, you may (or may not) come to the right conclusion. But if you ask the Lord, not only are you certain to get it right, but He often adds much more explanation and detail that you would have never gotten any other way. So it pays to ask!
112. One of the most exciting aspects of the above list from the Lord is the fact that being missionaries is part of our preparation for the job that the Lord has for us in the next life, in the Millennium, and beyond! When you think that the Millennium will last a thousand years, it puts into perspective just how short our time here on Earth is by comparison, and therefore how important it is that we adequately prepare for what the Lord has in store for us. We may think we have a big job now‚ but it's small compared to the job that we will have then.
113. So just as you have to study hard in school and learn to read and write and get the basics down pat if you're to succeed as an adult in society, by the same token we have to learn the basics that the Lord wants to teach us now in His "school of life" if we are to succeed as spiritual adults in the world to come. And one very important course or grade of this school, which the Lord says is a vital part of our training for our "adulthood," is the life of a missionary.
114. Following is a brief listing, taken from the above prophecy, of the various gifts and blessings that the Lord gives those who heed His call to be a missionary. This list should also serve as a reminder of the qualities that each of us, as missionaries, should strive for in our personal lives and Homes:
* Great faith through accepting, believing and obeying the Word.
* Blessings in great abundance for yieldedness and obedience.
* The ability to become one‚ and to understand and accept others.
* Preparation for becoming world rulers in the Millennium.
* The gift of not prejudging or labeling people, but being able to listen with a purpose.
* Open hearts and open minds, embracing those of different backgrounds and cultures as our brothers and sisters.
* The privilege of being the most educated people on Earth in the ways of the Lord, and wise in the ways of the world through our firsthand experience with other cultures, customs, peoples and nations.
* The blessing of being able to hear the voice of God and understand His Word more clearly.
* The blessing of availing ourselves of the Lord's wisdom, power and anointing through being empty of ourselves.
* The tests of our faith strengthen us.
* Living by faith keeps us uncompromising and pure.
* Being able to develop the gift of praise and thankfulness, and appreciation for the little things; which helps us shun murmuring and complaining and keeps us happy in spite of difficult circumstances.
* We have spiritual depth and maturity.
* In forsaking the ways of the world we can embrace the true riches of the Spirit.
115. So many blessings! So many advantages! And I'm sure you could add to this list from your own experiences and the blessings that the Lord has poured out on you personally in the course of being one of His missionaries.
116. The Lord says above that missionaries are the most educated people on the face of the Earth, not only in the ways of the Lord, but in the ways of the world too. You young folks want an education?—Being a missionary is the best education you can get! Even in society‚ the skills that really count, which employers look for even more than those that are learned in a classroom, are those that have to do with interacting with others, work ethic, diligence, faithfulness, etc. And there's no better way to learn those things than as a missionary. That's one reason, beside all the training in the Word that you have, that you young folks who are missionaries are miles ahead of your counterparts in the System! So don't ever feel inferior or ashamed of being "just" a missionary, because let me tell you‚ you're tops not only in the Lord's book but you're even tops when judged from a strictly worldly point of view.
117. When you're witnessing to your peers in the System, you should be proud of the fact that you're a missionary. They'll respect you for it, because they'll recognize that you have a lot more than they do—not just in the spiritual, but in the physical too, in terms of real-life experience, people–handling skills, language abilities‚ etc. So never be ashamed of your calling—it's the best there is in every way! Recently, when Dad was talking about our missionaries in Russia, he said:
118. (Dad speaking:) Being a missionary is where it's at! As you all say today, it's the cool thing to do! Do you want to be not only cool, but in God's elite, God's top unit? Or do you want to be one of the masses‚ just another one of the crowd‚ enjoying the pleasures of the world for a season, sort of going the general direction, but kind of hanging out in the wings? Do you want to be right on-beam, right on target, right in with the in crowd on that straight and narrow road that not only leads to salvation, but also leads to happiness, contentment, and true enjoyment in life? Well, that's the road that I know you missionaries have taken, and I'm so very proud of you!
119. I know it's not easy to leave some of the pleasures of this life behind to dwell in this rather barren land. I know what a sacrifice it is for you physically. I know that it's also a sacrifice spiritually to be in this land, continually surrounded by such darkness and hopelessness. But God is going to bless you for it, and you can take pride in the fact that you're in His elite corps, His top–flight unit‚ His missionaries!
120. You're different! You're different from everybody else. You have different values. You have a different lifestyle. You have different faith. And believe me, you've got something that everybody wants—real love. You know where you're going, and you've got hope. That really sets you apart in that land where there's such a famine for the Word of God, such a famine for real spiritual input.
121. I am so very proud of each and every one of you who are on that field giving and sacrificing. Oh, I know some of you feel like you're not accomplishing much and you're just barely hanging in there, but you are doing the job! You are being a witness and a testimony! And if you'll keep at it, the Lord will bless you! You're going to be so satisfied and thankful that you didn't give up, but that you continued to follow Him and preach the Gospel to that love–starved, hope-starved nation.
122. What could be better than giving your life in service to God and others? What higher calling could you have? How much more cool could you possibly be than to be a member of God's Endtime army?—His apostles, taking His message of hope and salvation to a dying world in these last troublous days of this Earth as we know it! (End of message from Dad.)
ML #3302:12–28, GN 904
Q:
12. There's a lot in the Word about simplicity and how great it is to be simple. Part of me wants to be simple, because I know that's the way the Lord wants us to be; yet at the same time I don't want to be feeble–minded or ignorant. I'm interested in a lot of things, and I like it when things are intriguing or somewhat complex, and that makes the thought of being "simple" not all that appealing. What exactly does it mean when the Lord says He wants us to be simple?
Jesus:
13. I am the embodiment of simplicity, and as you strive to be more like Me‚ you will find simplicity. You don't consider Me feeble-minded. I created the world. I know the depth and breadth and height of the universe. I know the answers to questions you can only begin to imagine. I am depth and sagacity to the nth degree.
14. But I spoke to the children, I stopped to look at the flowers, I cooked fish for My disciples. I passed on great truths, profound words that changed lives forever and still continue to. I was simple; I was clear, and I didn't lose My appreciation of little things. It's when you can't find joy in the normal things in life that you become complicated and unclear and you lose the human touch. It's when you begin to concentrate more on yourself and what you're saying or thinking that you stop listening to others. You become exclusive and will wind up exchanging the joy of living for eruditeness; exchanging depth of character for a labyrinth of complex thinking; exchanging a heart that can be touched by a baby's smile for a mind that seeks to be impressed with knowledge but can't take pleasure in the scent of the grass. That is the end result when you reject simplicity and the simple truths of My Spirit.
15. Simplicity is wisdom. The greatest profundity is found in simple truth. You can be simple and still be very knowledgeable. In fact, you will find that those who have fought to maintain simplicity are those who are very wise, who know that simplicity is the best way to maintain a happy and full life. To be simple is to be clear. To be simple is to love—to be humble enough to give and receive and enjoy love. You can be simple and still be very intelligent. The greatest beauty is found in simplicity. You can be simple and still have depth and understanding of profound truth. Simplicity is the embodiment of My Spirit.
16. Simplicity is intrinsic. It's a gift I bestow on everyone, and what a great gift it is. For simplicity is the wall of protection around your faith. To lose simplicity is to lift that wall, leaving your faith defenseless against the threats of doubt, criticalness‚ and unbelief.
17. Faith is not provable or explainable—it just is. You so often search for a logical explanation, thriving on the complexity you find in that search‚ instead of accepting the simple, but miraculous, mysterious and inexplicable way of faith. Strive for simple faith, and there you will find happiness.
18. When I call you to be simple, I don't mean plain or dull or dumb. What I ask is that you be focused, that your goals be clear-cut, that you be not double-minded and unsure of your calling in life.
19. Life in the Family is challenging, multi-faceted‚ and very involved. As you read through the New Testament, you'll see that the message I preached, though simple, was not an easy one. Likewise, the prophecies that I pour out for My children today are straightforward, but it's not always easy to live them on a daily basis. It's a challenge to do so, and it takes effort and focus. Even though I give you My Words and guidance for a situation, it doesn't always have a predetermined ending. You don't know how things will play out, and depending on your choices‚ others' choices, and My will, there are a myriad of possible conclusions. I think you could call that intriguing. (End of message from Jesus.)
Text box:
Q:
20. Does everyone have the gift of simplicity?
Jesus:
21. I grant the gift of simplicity to all, and it is a valuable gift, for unless you have the simple faith of a little child, you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Unless you can have the childlike simplicity to believe in the unseen—Me, the One Who died for you and now offers you the simple but miraculous gift of eternal life—then you cannot be born again.
22. All men do have this gift, although as they grow, some despise it and discount it, calling it superstition or ignorance, preferring to weave a web of complexity to cover it. But the gift remains for those who would uncover it and make use of it. (End of message from Jesus)
End of text box
Jesus:
23. Many of My children and other great leaders and movers throughout the ages have been simple, unlearned and ignorant men and women. They were often regarded as common or run–of-the-mill folks‚ but by My Spirit they were lifted up and exalted. They all had a calling and a task to accomplish. They all had a mission to fulfill. Their strength was that they were simple. They were unlearned‚ but when anointed by My power and Spirit they became powerhouses. They exploded with such force that the world couldn't help but take notice of them!
24. To be simple doesn't mean to be nerdish or square. It just means that you put My wisdom and My counsel above the ways of the world and you seek after godly wisdom rather than the wisdom of man. While the theories of man are more complicated and might seem more intriguing, they also lack much truth, and are a web which catches your mind and draws you away from the simple truths of life. What good is an intriguing, complex theory, if it is not the truth? Many theories and works of literature are interesting, but if the ideas they impart are not sound, do not motivate you for good or help in some way, what good is it? They might tickle your ears or make you feel good that you're reading something so complex, but if they're not true and won't help you, do they have a real purpose?
25. Even the wisdom of the learned is taken far more seriously and received by many more when presented in a simple manner. Look at your Father David. He was a man of exceptional intelligence—a genius—but he was simple. You have understood all that I have poured through him, for he strove to keep that simplicity alive. He spoke as unto children so that all might understand the things of the spirit. He spoke with the simplicity of the Gospel and he made clear that which generations had complicated. He dug for the simple truth of God and he put My ways above the ways of the world.
26. Stay simple‚ stay loving. Love is simple. It isn't puffed up with worldly knowledge and complexities. Be loving and be simple. All the rest passes away, and love is the only thing that is really worth it in the long run. That's what you're going to be rewarded for one day—so love. (End of message from Jesus)
Q:
27. Why is the way the Lord uses the meaning of the word "simple" so different than the way we often think of it or the way it's often used in the world at large? When you look up the word "simple" in a thesaurus, you get all kinds of awful synonyms, like senseless, brainless, unintelligent, weak-minded, slow, dull, retarded, stupid‚ dim-witted, fool‚ idiot, etc.
Jesus:
28. I can take a word and use it however I wish! The way the world commonly interprets a word can be quite different from the way I choose to use it. This particular word, like many in the rich English language, can have a variety of meanings. Some of these meanings given are the ones that I am referring to; yet I have expounded on it even more, to make it clearer what I'm referring to when I say that I wish for you to be simple. Look in a dictionary. See the many other meanings. Here are those that fit in with My meaning of this word:
—Pure
—Not involved or complicated; easy
—Not embellished
—Unassuming and unpretentious
—Sincere, without deceitfulness
—Straightforward
—Not divided
Quotes:
(Dad:) It's wise to be simple. It's wise to be accepting and take things by faith. It's not a sign of lack of intelligence—it's a sign of wisdom.
Intellectuality and knowledge snarl and tangle things up, but My truths are simple and clear.
Simplicity is the wisest way to be nowadays, as things get more and more complicated.
I was simple in My presentation when I taught on Earth, and My Words are simple. My Word is timeless‚ simple and true. Love and truth don't need to be masked in fancy words; in fact‚ they're more effective when presented simply.
There will be much for you to discover throughout your life on Earth and in Heaven, but you will always find that the most profound truths, the greatest beauty, the most outstanding wisdom‚ is simple. Simplicity is a hallmark of greatness.
ML #3365:69, GN 963
69. (Jesus speaking: ) Satan and his demons can take different forms, just as Satan himself can even appear as an angel of light. What you have seen is indeed the arch-demon Pan. You are seeing him in the form in which he likes to manifest himself, as a golden god, the great demon who rules over the dominion of the mind—the mind that he seeks to elevate and lift up in defiance of Me and My Words of truth. This is his territory, his domain—the "mighty" mind of man, in which he lives to wreak havoc‚ sowing doubt, confusion, and complexity, the ultimate goal being to turn My children away from simplicity, from childlike faith and belief in Me and My Words.
ML #3380:81-85, 88-90, 94, GN 987
81. (Jesus:) The Enemy has to keep finding ways of keeping his subjects happy without Me, which is as futile an endeavor as trying to keep a battery charged without electricity! He keeps on trying to woo their hearts with this allurement, this entertainment‚ this blockbuster, this book‚ this theme park, this mall, this product—all to keep them from looking outside themselves and wondering what the true meaning of life is, and realizing that, as I said so long ago, "a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things he possesses"—or to paraphrase a bit, the abundance of the new things of the flesh that he tries. Because they're temporary! The thrill doesn't last! There always has to be something bigger, something better—and soon it leads to perversion, selfishness‚ and eventually destruction.
82. The Enemy is trying to imitate the ways of My Spirit. My Spirit is always moving‚ always changing‚ always finding new things and new ways in the infiniteness of My realm—the realm of light and eternal power and life that I Am. When you tap into this realm, you become partakers of this newness, of this movement, of the thrills and joys of new discoveries, new messages, new words‚ new stories, new revelations of the Spirit.
83. The eternal joy that Satan forsook when he left My side is forever out of his grasp, though he tries hard to deny this to himself, and attempts to seek it anyway—and his followers with him. But it is all a hoax, a crude attempt to try to outdo the things of My Spirit with the seemingly more real and obvious pleasures of the flesh.
84. I give you both—pleasures of flesh and spirit—and even the pleasures of the flesh I give you are enhanced to much greater levels than the Enemy's ever could be, because you enjoy them in the spirit—the spirit of My love and power. You worship Me through My creation, and you worship Me personally in your heart, so you can enjoy the thrills of the flesh and the thrills of the spirit.
85. When you live for Me, I enhance the pleasures you experience with My Spirit. You're putting one of My spiritual laws into effect—that when you give unselfishly and you try to make others happy, then happiness finds you. And not only does true happiness find you, but I enhance your joys and thrills and make them even more spectacular, lasting, and fulfilling. It's all part of My rewards to you for putting Me first, putting My Spirit first, putting love and giving and unselfishness first.
88. Watch out when you begin looking more to the thrills of the flesh for your satisfaction and neglecting the realm of the spirit. That is when and how the Enemy finds inroads into your life, diluting My power within you and seeking to sidetrack you from the eternal things of the spirit through the more tangible things of the flesh.
89. He fights our closeness and our connection through any means he can find—whether it's to distract you from your main task, weakening you in spirit through exposing you to his influences‚ the things of this world; or even weakening you by causing you to chase after the things of the world for a satisfaction he persuades you you're not getting through Me. Well, in a way it's true—I do not give the kind of satisfaction Satan seeks to give you; I give you a better satisfaction, a purer pleasure, one that he could never imitate and that you will never find by looking anywhere else.
90. There are pleasures that I have given to you‚ My children of David, that I have never given to any other group of My children. You enjoy the greatest of all spiritual gifts this world has ever known, the greatest of all freedoms, and there are yet many more to be given and revealed to you.
94. You have asked for bread, and I have not given you a stone. Your spirit hungers for fish, and I will not give you a serpent. But the Enemy will, so beware of his traps and allurements, and look to Me. As you keep your eyes turned toward Me, you will find that the things of this world grow inconsequential compared to the greater truths and eternal rewards that await My faithful servants and children of these Last Days. (End of message from Jesus)
ML #3399:131–132, GN 993
131. (Peter:) The bottom line is that we'll never produce music on a regular basis that keeps up with the System. We have a handful of studios with maybe about 30 musicians total. Mama and I are very proud of our studio musicians; we feel they've done a tremendous job under difficult circumstances. These musicians are missionaries and disciples, whose commission is to produce music that preaches our Family message. The System has thousands and thousands of studios with tens of thousands of musicians who pump out music on a daily basis. Today's musical style is often obsolete in a year's time. Even their musicians can't keep up with the new styles; instead‚ new musicians playing a new style arrive on the music world scene on a regular basis.
132. Making hit music is not our main ministry. We are disciples, we have goals, and our music is meant to reflect and promote those goals. For the most part, our musicians do a wonderful job producing such music. If it doesn't suit your tastes, I'm sorry. Perhaps you need to reevaluate your musical tastes. Or maybe you need to evaluate whether music has grown more important to you than discipleship.
ML #3401:35-41‚ Post-it GN #3
35. (Jesus: ) Pan has caused you to idolize knowledge and people who have a lot of knowledge. You have a much greater respect for those who are intellectual or educated than those who are simple. You admire the simplicity that you see in some‚ such as your king and queen, for example, but overall, when you look at a person in your Home or in the Family, you consider those who have been well educated or who are naturally intelligent or are intellectual as being on a higher level.
36. You desire to be thought of in this way too, and therefore strive to be knowledgeable about as much as possible, to be informed, to be "intellectual" in the sense of being questioning and cynical. One of the things that you look down on more than anything is someone who is too "simple," who seems to be rather "dumb" or "slow," or who is gullible or too much of a follower. You tend to disassociate from such people or at least look down on them.
37. This may not seem to be such a problem, but it is a warping of your mind that affects other areas of your life as well. It can affect your unity because you don't want to work with or listen to someone who you consider isn't smart or bright. It can affect your ability to work with or under others, or to be shepherded, if you're just looking at someone in the flesh and not in the spirit. You can miss out on receiving helpful input or shepherding from someone because you see yourself as above them because you're "smarter."
38. Last but not least, it's damaging to your own spiritual condition to look at people this way because it ministers to your pride. It's a carnal mindset; it's looking at people in the flesh rather than seeing things in the spirit.
39. Everyone has been given different gifts and abilities, and intelligence and the gift of knowledge is one of those abilities, but it is not an ability that is superior to others. When you realize this, you will see yourself and others in a different light than you have before. It will greatly change your mindset and enable you to be far more spiritually minded, as well as less likely to compare yourself with others, or compare others with others. It will make you less critical of others who you have looked down on, and will also make you more willing to assert your own gifts and talents in the presence of others who you have felt intimidated around.
40. Mental abilities and talents are just one part of a person's makeup, and your views about people don't need to be boxed in by that one aspect of life. It's very limiting. It's very confining. And it twists and warps so much.
41. This is one of the main influences of Pan that I would have you pray against, this measuring people by their intelligence and seeing that as superior to all other talents or attributes. Losing this very wrong mindset will change your life in many ways. It will help you to be more spiritually minded, more tolerant, more compassionate, and less desirous of worldly input overall. (End of message from Jesus.)
#167‚ 186
Some of My young people stray from the simplicity which is in Me. They do not seek My face as they ought, but they look to themselves and their own arm, their talents, gifts and abilities. They look at their situation and their ministry and they look at what they have and what they don't have‚ and they look not to Me as they should. They seek fulfillment in these things, when they should be seeking fulfillment from Me, from My Words and from that peace that comes from knowing that they serve Me, they do My will, and they accomplish My plan of bringing My message of love to the world.
Of this you may be a sample of simplicity in Me and how I love the little people—those that are little in their own sight, those diamonds of dust through which I may shine to light this dark world. I wish that each of them would be diamonds of dust as well. But some do not lift into the light upon My breeze because they are heavy in themselves, because they forsake not themselves and they do not let Me lift them into the light. So be samples of specks of dust unto these, that they may learn from this sample and draw closer to Me. For if I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto Me.
Jangled lines! Mangled, tangled, jangled lines! Complexities! A great web of complexities, all tangled and snarled and intertwined—in and out and over and under, fumbled, mumbled‚ garbled‚ the great web of jangled lines. They are jangled and complex. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophies and vain deceit, after the rudiments of the world and not after Me.
My truth is simple and easy to obtain, easy to put into practice, even in the complex and tangled world in which you live. Simplicity is My law! I do not put the doorknob too high for My children of all colors and creeds and races to reach. I speak not only of My salvation and of My love‚ but of all spheres of your life. My will is simple. Simplicity is My law.
So beware of the tangled lines, for the Evil One walks about as a roaring lion, seeking to entrap and snarl you up in the web of complexities. He advertises his propaganda far and wide through the network of jangled and tangled lines.
You‚ My children‚ must walk in wisdom toward them that are without. You must be wise as serpents‚ yet harmless as doves. Just as you must try the spirits to see if they be of Me, so you must try the information that comes across your path, by praying and seeking Me in all things, to see if it be of Me. Be wise as serpents, praying and seeking the wisdom that is from above, and be harmless as doves as you proceed down the path of My will.
Continue to seek Me in all things, so you may know what is from Me. Satan is very wise and very sly. He mixes much truth with the lie so that it is desirable, delightful, appealing to the eye, soothing to the touch, yet poisonous within. Did not the serpent beguile Eve in such a way—tempting her with a believable story? He is the same old Satan today! He does not always come around in a red suit with horns, pitchfork, and a tail‚ but with smooth words, pretty pictures, desirable appeals‚ even miracles to some degree.
You must try the spirits to see if they be of God. Continue to stay close to Me and My Words, with your eyes fixed upon Me, seeking Me desperately in all things big and small, that you be not led astray from My simplicity. (ML #3053)
#62, 189
"Beware lest ye be led away from the simplicity of the Gospel!" (2Cor.11:3).
The first temptation of man by the Devil was something to make you supposedly wise! — Knowledge! Likewise today, many books are written with the demonic Satanic wisdom of the Devil himself! — Cunningly devised to deceive and lead you astray, to pervert, warp and twist you spiritually to where you don't know what is true!
But the "Lord is not the author of confusion" (1Cor.14:33). He likes things very simple. That's why it's wonderful to have the Bible as a guide. — Then you know what's perverted and what's normal, what's right and what's wrong. But "the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God" (1Cor.3:19). — And you cannot fill your mind and heart with worldly wisdom, the foolishness of Man, without it affecting your spirit. — Just like you can't wade through the garbage and the gutter without getting besmirched.
So for God's sake be satisfied with Christ's Kingdom of Light and don't go poking around in the Kingdom of Darkness, or you may fall back in again and be sorry! — Why waste time on complicated confused theories and thoughts of man, when the Bible is right there, so simple, direct and to the point? — Stick to the refreshing Water of the Word that feeds your soul‚ renews your mind, lifts your spirit, encourages your heart and purifies your whole being! Amen?
"Thou art wise that thou art simple. ..."
It's wise to be simple. Knowledge is not it! All these worldly people get all this knowledge, but they'd be wiser if they were just simple. The Lord has to get by all that stuff to get to their heart. — "Beware lest ye be led away from the simplicity of the Gospel!" "Except ye become as a little child ye shall in no wise enter into the Kingdom of Heaven!" (2Cor.11:3; Mt.18:3). — If we'll just recognize that we're just little children and we don't know anything and that the Lord's the one that knows it all and He's the only one who is really wise and knows what He's doing, and we just follow Him — that's really being smart!
The newborn babe does not try to rationalize his mother and father and brothers and sisters and the new world and life around him. He just accepts and enjoys them and starts learning how to live and enjoy life and loved ones. — It's just that simple: You don't have to personally know all the answers, the why's and wherefores, or be able to explain everything or answer all the questions — just know Him! He brings you love, He makes your life, He gives you happiness and all you ever wanted and more! What else matters?
"Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong‚ we are weak, but He is strong!"
1, 2A, 3,
Jn.15:19Ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world
A. We are citizens of Heaven:
Heb.11:14They...declare plainly that they seek a country
Heb.11:15,16Now they desire a better country...an Heavenly
Heb.13:14Here have we no continuing city...we seek one to come
Jn.14:2,3I go to prepare a place for you...that where I am, there ye may be also
(See also Jn.18:36)
B. We're sojourners in this world, pilgrims passing through:
Heb.11:13Confessed they were strangers & pilgrims on the earth
Psa.39:12bI am a stranger with Thee‚ & a sojourner
Psa.119:19aI am a stranger in the earth
C. Earthly lands & homes are only temporary:
Lev.25:23bThe land is Mine (God's); for ye are strangers & sojourners with Me
D. Our life on earth is brief‚ so we do not settle here:
1Chr.29:15We are strangers before Thee, & sojourners...our days on the earth are as a shadow
1Pet.1:17Pass time of your sojourning here in fear (of God)
(See also Psa.39:4‚5)
E. Guard against thinking this world is your permanent home:
Psa.49:11‚12Their inward thought is, that their houses shall continue for ever, & their dwelling places
A. Christians are not part of this present worldly society:
Jn.17:14-16They are not of the world, even as I (Jesus) am not
Rom.12:2aBe not conformed to this world
Eph.2:2,3In time past ye walked according to the course of this world
Gal.6:14The cross of...Christ, by whom the world is crucified (dead) unto me, & I unto the world
Phi.2:15The sons of God...in the midst of a crooked & perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world
1Jn.4:4-6They are of the world...we are of God
1Jn.5:19We are of God, & the whole world lieth in wickedness (malignant evil)
(See also 1Pet.2:9)
A. Caution not to love this present world:
Jam.4:4The friendship of the world is enmity with God
1Jn.2:15,16Love not the world, neither the things that are in world
B. The pilgrim's attitude:
1Pet.2:11As strangers & pilgrims, abstain from fleshly [worldly] lusts, which war against the soul
Tit.2:12,13Denying ungodliness & worldly lusts...live soberly...in this present world; looking for that blessed hope
Heb.11:24-27Moses...choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God...forsook Egypt
Jam.1:27Pure religion...to keep unspotted from the world
1Pet.1:17(God) judgeth...every man's work, [so] pass the time of your sojourning here in fear
2Pet.3:11,14Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be
1Jn.2:16‚17The lust of the flesh, & the lust of the eyes...is of the world. And the world passeth away
C. We should resist being influenced by trends, fads & media:
Exo.23:2aThou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil
Psa.1:1Blessed is man that walketh not in counsel of ungodly
Pro.1:10My son‚ if sinners entice thee, consent thou not
Rom.12:2aBe not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
1Cor.7:31bThe fashion of this world passeth away
Col.2:8Beware lest any man spoil you through...vain deceit (See 1Pet.3:2-4 re: fashions.)
D. Warning against indiscriminate worldly entertainment:
Psa.101:3I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes
Psa.119:37Turn away mine eyes from beholding vanity
Isa.33:15He that walketh righteously...shutteth his eyes from seeing evil
2Ki.17:15bThey followed vanity, & became vain, & went after the heathen that were round about them
E. The detrimental effect of this wicked world on believers:
2Pet.2:7,8Lot...in seeing & hearing [filthy Sodomites], vexed (tormented) his righteous soul...with their unlawful deeds
2Pet.3:17Beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your steadfastness
F. Peer pressure & influence:
1Ki.12:3-16[King Rehoboam foolishly followed the counsel of] the young men that were grown up with him
G. Don't compromise or tolerate worldly ways:
Exo.23:32Make no covenant with them, nor with their gods
Exo.23:33They shall not dwell in thy land...for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee
1Tim.5:22Neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep...pure
Definition: In the context used here, simplicity is the state or quality of being free from complications, especially in regards to thoughts, motives, and personal conduct. This section does not refer to the other Biblical meaning of being simple-minded or dull.
* Deuteronomy 10:12 And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God‚ to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul?
* Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.
* Micah 6:8 He hath shewed thee, O man‚ what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
* Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.
* James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the World.
* Ecclesiastes 1:18 For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow.
* Ecclesiastes 12:12 And further, by these, my son, be admonished: of making many books there is no end; and much study is a weariness of the flesh.
* Romans 1:22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools.
* 1 Corinthians 3:19,20 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written‚ He taketh the wise in their own craftiness. 20 And again, The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.
* Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men‚ after the rudiments of the world‚ and not after Christ.
* 1 Timothy 6:20b,21a Avoiding profane and vain babblings‚ and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21a Which some professing have erred concerning the faith.
* 2 Peter 3:16b,17 In which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest [distort or twist], as they do also the other Scriptures, unto their own destruction. 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness.
* Proverbs 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the Lord, and depart from evil.
* Isaiah 5:21 Woe unto them that are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
* Romans 8:6,7 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. 7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.
* Ephesians 4:17,18 This I say therefore‚ and testify in the Lord‚ that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.
* 2 Timothy 3:1-4 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be 4 heady, highminded.
* Psalm 119:130 The entrance of Thy Words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.
* Luke 10:21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of Heaven and earth, that Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in Thy sight.
* Luke 18:16,17 But Jesus called them unto Him, and said, Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not: for of such is the Kingdom of God. 17 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the Kingdom of God as a little child shall in no wise enter therein.
* 1 Corinthians 14:20 Brethren‚ be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children‚ but in understanding be men.
* Colossians 2:18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.
* Psalm 131:1 Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty: neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too high for me.
* Matthew 6:22 The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light.
* Matthew 11:25 At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father‚ Lord of Heaven and earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent‚ and hast revealed them unto babes. [See also Mark 10:15.]
* Romans 16:19b I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil.
* 1 Corinthians 3:18 Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world‚ let him become a fool, that he may be wise.
* 1 Corinthians 8:1b Knowledge puffeth up‚ but [love] edifieth.
* 2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
* 1 Timothy 4:6b,7 Nourished up in the Words of faith and of good doctrine, whereunto thou hast attained. 7 But refuse profane and old wives' fables, and exercise thyself rather unto godliness.
* 2 Timothy 2:14-16,23 Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. 15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth. 16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 23 But foolish and unlearned questions avoid‚ knowing that they do gender strifes.
* Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish questions‚ and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.
* Hebrews 13:9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats [ceremonial rules about eating certain foods], which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
* 2 Corinthians 1:12 For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you-ward.
* 2 Corinthians 2:17 For we are not as many, which corrupt the word of God: but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. [See also Titus 2:7.]
* John 12:32 [Just tell the world about Jesus, and you can't go wrong.] And I, if I be lifted up from the earth‚ will draw all men unto Me.
* 1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the Gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect.
* 1 Corinthians 2:1,2,4,5 And I‚ brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. 2 For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. 4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
* 1 Corinthians 14:9 So likewise ye, except ye utter by the tongue words easy to be understood, how shall it be known what is spoken? For ye shall speak into the air.
* 2 Corinthians 3:12 Seeing then that we have such hope, we use great plainness [simplicity] of speech.
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