Go For The Gold

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Go For The Gold!

--By Maria, 1995 (Maria#302;DO#2961)

(Note: In this Letter, when discussing sexual activity, it is only within the context of the age restrictions outlined in the Love Charter.)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A Word to You Young People

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

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

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

A baby is an expression of God's Love.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mama's Personal Decision to Say "Yes" to the Lord About Having a Child!

14. All of this is very complicated and I've been very desperate about it. See, it affects me as well. As you know, the Lord and Dad recently put Peter and me together as a married team, and there is a good possibility that I could get pregnant too. For years I've been unyielded to the Lord in this area. I did not even want to get pregnant with David, and I wanted even less to get pregnant the second time, with Techi, but Dad's prayers prevailed! I'm so glad they did! I dearly love my precious kids and I'm so thankful that the Lord gave me such wonderful gifts in spite of myself!

15. As I've told you recently, after Dad went to be with Jesus, I knew I had to yield to the Lord in every area of my life. This is just another test to see if I'll say "yes" and completely trust in Him. I am saying "yes," so I too have to face the possibility of pregnancy! It's a test for me, but I think the Lord wants me to be in that position so I will be touched more with the feeling of your tests, of the situations you are in, so that I will be more desperate for the answers the Lord has for us all.

16. In my past unyielded state I had all kinds of logical arguments for why I shouldn't have another baby. I could identify with many of you who wrote in, and I wondered myself if perhaps the Lord might want to make some exceptions to His standard on birth control. I didn't see that our young people had much excuse for using birth control, but I wondered if the Lord would allow it in the case of some of our older women who already have many children.

17. But see, while Dad was alive, he was the final authority on matters of doctrine. The final decisions on such questions lay with him. He was God's prophet, His mouthpiece, so I didn't bear the weight or responsibility of these doctrinal decisions. But with his Homegoing, these responsibilities now fall on my shoulders and I want to be very careful that the counsel I give is truly the Lord's will, His Word, His standard.

18. In the past, as I said, it was hard for me to simply trust the Lord for His will in my life, but after Dad went to be with the Lord, I knew that he and the Lord were counting on me to not leave any area unsurrendered, but to yield everything to Him, in full faith that He knew what was best. I knew for the Lord's sake and your sake that I had to make a total commitment and not hold anything back. I had to say "yes" in each thing, step by step, as each decision came along.

19. So recently, when I prayed about and pondered the matter, I couldn't help but feel that any form of taking things into our own hands to prevent pregnancy is contrary to God's Word. It is saying to the Lord that you know better than He does; that you want control of your life, instead of yielding and trusting that He knows what's best for you.

20. I can hear the groans now! "Oh, we thought Mama was going to relax things, we thought she'd understand!" As you'll see, I do understand and so does the Lord, so keep reading!

21. I think that of all the decisions I've had to make and all the yielding I've had to do lately, the hardest one was to say "yes" to the Lord in this area--that of having a child. "But, Lord, I am too weak and sick; Lord, I am too busy and I have too much responsibility already; Lord, it wouldn't be very good security to have a baby and have to take care of all the paperwork and everything; Lord, it would disturb all of our folks here who need their rest and have such important jobs to do; but, Lord, we would have to have someone extra to take care of the baby, and we don't have enough room," and on and on the list goes!

22. But if I am going to be totally yielded to the Lord, I can't be selective and decide what I am going to yield to and what I am not going to yield to. I've got to say "yes" to the Lord step by step as I am presented with the different situations. If I am going to really trust the Lord, I am not going to use the rhythm method* or condoms or whatever other preventative measures there might be. (*rhythm method: not fucking on the days when you're ovulating or most likely to get pregnant.)

23. If I am going to yield and I am going to trust the Lord, then certainly He knows what is best, even if I have all kinds of other contrary opinions. Does He know best or doesn't He? Is a baby a mistake? If the baby isn't a mistake, then that means if I get pregnant the Lord wants me to have it. If I do anything to prevent it, then I am denying what the Lord wants and I am going against His will.

24. I know this sounds awfully hard-line, but I don't see any way around it. It is the truth, and even if I don't like it and even if other people don't like it, it's still the truth. I may not be so enthusiastic about it either, but I can't change the way the Lord does things!

25. The Lord has been so good to me and has given me everything I've desired, and much, much more--exceeding abundantly above all that I can ask or think--and He continues to heap it on daily! If He also wants to give me the gift of another child--which He wouldn't give me unless He knew it was good for me--then I should certainly receive that gift, along with all the other gifts! How can I be selective?

26. How can I accept all His other gifts, but push His hand away if He wants to offer me a baby, and say, "I don't want this gift. I don't like it. It's not going to make me happy. You don't know what You're doing, Lord, so please withdraw Your offer. All Your other gifts are very nice, thank You very much, but this one is just not suitable. Sorry, Lord! Thank You anyway. I've already done my share. After all, don't You think I'm too old? And having a baby would put a strain on my already weak body. And besides, having a baby now would mean there would be 17 years between this baby and my youngest child, and I don't think that's very good. Furthermore, I just don't want to be bothered, I have too much to do. So why don't You try some other gift, Lord? I've liked all the other ones, but You just missed it on this one!"

27. Maybe you think I can preach such total acceptance of pregnancy because I probably wouldn't get pregnant anyway. Well, you're wrong. I have a pretty good chance of getting pregnant. I can see several good reasons why the Lord might allow me to get pregnant. For one thing, if the Lord has given the Family a queen and a king--a mother and a father--it might stand to reason that He might give them a baby to go along with it. Also, with Dad in the Heavenlies able to control things a lot more--Dad, who always wanted babies--I wouldn't be surprised if he would be pushing for it, too!

28. I don't have any excuse about my age, because if He could give dear Marianne and dear Dawn and even some of our other leaders and other older mothers babies at their age, there is no reason why He couldn't do the same with me! If they can take it, I should be able to as well. If they can have babies in the middle of their very great responsibilities, then why shouldn't I be able to have a baby in the midst of mine? I can't claim my weak health as a reason not to have children, since I know very well that the Lord is able to strengthen me. If some of our dear women, like Mary Mom, for example, can have babies one right after another, as weak and sick as she is throughout her entire pregnancy, why shouldn't I? So I really don't think I have any way to weasel out of it.

29. I could say, "Let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done"--which is what I do say--but I feel a little guilty even saying that, because I shouldn't even be looking at it as a "cup," or something bad or difficult. I believe the Lord gives us babies as a sign of His Love, and as a gift to us. Of course, it does take some work and involves some testing, but I don't think that we should look at having a baby as such a terrible thing.

30. Many of our older women have borne baby after baby, so if they can do it, why shouldn't I be able to? And if they can do it, why shouldn't our strong young people be able to bear babies and learn more responsibility, which apparently the Lord wants them to do. But we can hinder the Lord's important plan for our lives by not yielding, and insisting upon our own way.

31. This goes against my natural grain to preach this and to say this, but just the fact that I can shows that the Lord has done a great miracle in my life and really changed me and helped me to become yielded and accepting; whereas once I was very rebellious and stubborn and disobedient and unyielded. Thank the Lord for His miracles! The next step is not only to yield, but to learn to yield happily and eagerly!--And I'm working on that, Lord helping me!

32. Even though it is difficult for me to give this message, I must, because I am responsible to speak the Truth, just as Dad was. I can't water down what God has said just because you or I want things to be different. I'm very open to change, to progress, to freedom, as long as it's within God's will and is not contrary to His Word.

33. I have sought the Lord deeply on this matter and have asked Him to speak on a number of occasions about this, and He has, wonderfully! In fact, I think you'll be surprised at some of what He has said! I was! He has given guidance to those of you with large families, to you single moms, and to you young people, both married and unmarried. Throughout the rest of this Letter He will speak to each of you, showing you His feelings on the matter with great love and understanding.

34. The first thing I want to share is a beautiful prophecy that the Lord gave recently when Peter and I were praying about this matter. I'm going to include my prayer at the beginning as well, so you can see what I was asking the Lord. This is a very important prophecy, as it clearly explains the Lord's will and the choices you have in the matter. Please read it slowly and prayerfully.

Trust Me!—Go for the Gold!

35. (Mama prays:) Lord, there are a lot of people in the Family who either don't feel ready to have babies for one reason or another, or who don't want to have any more babies. There is an attitude that has crept in that babies are a burden and we've already had too many of them, and that we need to stop having so many.

36. The question I have is, what are we supposed to do? Are we supposed to trust You, or are we supposed to take matters into our own hands if we feel we have too many babies? Are we going to trust You that You are going to give us the number of children You want us to have, or are we going to try to do something about it ourselves? Do we leave it completely in Your hands, or is it okay with You if we decide ourselves when we've had enough children?

37. Personally, I feel that if we want to be in Your highest will, then what we need to do is trust You. That's what Dad always said and this is what is expressed throughout all the Letters. But on the other hand, I know You are merciful and don't tempt us above that we are able.

38. We know You have mercy on all of us and You don't come down hard on people who overall are doing Your will, but who don't feel that they can attain Your highest will. You really want them to choose Your highest, but You said if they don't, there is still a measure of joy and blessing with the other, lesser choices within Your will. Recently, Lord, when speaking concerning someone who didn't feel they had the strength to choose Your highest will in one area of their life, You said You wouldn't judge them harshly and that You would help them to be fruitful, although not quite as fruitful as they would be in Your first choice for them. So perhaps this applies to the birth control question also.

39. For me, You are requiring that I do Your highest will, that I trust You completely!--That as one of the earthly heads of Your Family I have to take the road of complete yieldedness to You. I can't get away with being selectively yielded, because if I do, it would be dangerous for Your work. But perhaps with others it is not such a big deal to You, Lord. Perhaps it's not such a problem and it is a smaller thing. Maybe this is a case where You don't require the same standard of everyone. We don't know, Lord, but we need You to show us.

40. I don't want to be so hard-line on people that it discourages them and they feel condemned or like they can't be happy living for You because they are missing the mark or they're disobeying and not trusting You. However, at this point I don't see any way around the fact that they have to trust You, and if we are going to trust You, it seems like we've got to trust You all the way; but I don't want people to be condemned if they feel they can't. So, Jesus, would You please resolve this seeming conflict, this dilemma of do we need to trust You or don't we need to trust You?--Or can we selectively trust You?--Or is it okay that some people have to trust You this way and others don't have to?

41. I feel I have to trust You completely, but I don't want to impose what I think I have to do on everybody else, if You don't impose it on them. We need Your help on this, and we need your answer to be clear because we're going to have to publish all of this material about birth control and Your will and trusting You, for the Family.

42. People are waiting eagerly to hear what Your will is in this matter, and we have got to have it right and properly balanced. You have to be clear and simple and show us how to apply Your principles to the different situations. We need it to be clear and tailored to the different situations so people will understand. Please show us the complete picture so that we don't have little pieces of the puzzle floating all around and people misunderstanding what You have said.

43. We're sorry we're so simple. Maybe we should be able to see how it all fits together and what Your will is, but we just don't, so we've got to ask You about it. Lord, please do show us simply, please tell us clearly so we can present it to the Family.

44. I know what I'm supposed to do, but we don't want to issue some proclamation based on what I feel is good for me, if that's not what You want for everyone!

45. Lord, this is so important! It's such a big point of controversy and a subject of discussion with many differing opinions and different views. People have all kinds of different viewpoints on it, Lord, so You've got to make this clear and we've got to get it right! So please speak to us clearly and completely, in Jesus' name.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Summary of "Trust Me!—Go for the Gold!" Prophecy

84. (Mama:) The Lord certainly answered wonderfully and clearly, didn't He? Thank You Jesus! Let's review briefly the main points.

85. Number 1: Investing in children is a good, wise investment that brings God's blessings and rewards.--Rewards today, tomorrow and for eternity.

86. Number 2: The parents reap reward from the labor and fruit of their children. Now you may think, "What about those young people who leave the Family? That doesn't look like a very good investment. How can the parents reap the rewards of their kids if they leave the Lord's service?" We thought you might have that question, so we came before the Lord, and asked Him if He would like to clarify this for us.

87. The Lord and Dad reassured us that none of His children are lost, and that even if they leave the Family for a time, that eventually they'll be back in His service--if not in this life, then in the next--and at that time, they'll continue their training. So all the time, training and love you parents invested in your children who have backslidden will not be wasted, it will eventually bring forth fruit, and you parents will see the reward of your investment!--If not immediately in this life, then eventually in the Heavenly realm. Our lives on this Earth are just a moment in time, and if the Lord is not able to fulfill this promise completely now, then He will in His eternal Kingdom to come.

88. Of course, the Lord also brought out that those kids who turn their backs on Him won't receive the same reward or honor as those of you who remain faithful to the End. They won't lose their place as His children, but they will have lost valuable time and training, so they will be weaker and will need time to be cleansed and strengthened and to catch up. He commended those of you who stay faithful and loyal to Him, despite the trials and tests, and said you will be greatly rewarded.

89. The Lord touched on some of these same points in GN 608, "When Teens Leave the Family," but He has now filled in many more details and given us a clearer picture. Lord willing, we will publish more on this subject later, but I at least wanted to share some of the main points He recently brought out, so you will better understand how the Lord can and will fulfill this promise. Okay, back to the summary of the "Go for the Gold" prophecy.

90. Number 3: Our young people should also be wise investors, as their parents were, by being willing to have children.

91. Number 4: The simple answer for everyone who is having sexual intercourse and wondering about whether it is okay to use birth control is that it is best to trust the Lord explicitly, without using any form of birth control. This applies to older married couples, young couples with children, newly mated couples, single moms, YAs and senior teens. If you're going to have sex, trusting the Lord concerning pregnancy is His highest and best, and through trusting Him fully, you will find perfect peace and He will reward you or bless you fully.

92. Number 5: If you are having sex but you don't feel you can fully trust the Lord concerning pregnancy, then you should bring it before Him in desperate prayer and He will show you what to do. He will speak to your heart. He will commune with you. In such a case, it's between you and the Lord what you choose to do, whether you choose to use some kind of birth control or not. If you trust the Lord in almost all matters in your life, but you feel like you just can't trust Him in some particular thing, such as whether or not you will have a child, then He says you must bear the weight of this matter yourself. And because you're not trusting Him 100%, He will not be able to give you His full blessings nor His full rewards, but He will have mercy. He understands. He will accept you and love you even though you don't have full faith. However, when you don't trust the Lord completely, you sacrifice a little of the peace that comes with knowing you let the Lord have full sway in your life. He also is not able to fully bless or reward you.

93. Number 6: If you choose not to trust the Lord in this and other matters, and you do not bring the matter before Him in serious prayer, but choose to take matters into your own hands, mainly doing what you think is best, then you must carry much more weight on your own. If you don't seek Him about this decision and commune with Him and receive His instructions for you personally, you will receive even less rewards and blessings.

94. Number 7: Each one of us must live with the consequences of our decisions. The Lord makes it clear, with the gold-silver-bronze medal example, that there are different levels of reward, depending on how much we're trusting Him:

95. —Those who trust fully receive full freedom, full peace, full reward and full blessing.

96. —Those who trust in most matters, but who just can't trust in a few things here or there, if they really seek the Lord and commune with Him, they will still receive the Lord's blessing and anointing--not in full measure, but in great love. These will be rewarded for their love for the Lord and their faith in so many other matters.

97. —There are some who take many decisions into their own hands, who have many reservations, who don't seek the Lord in these matters and who have not given their whole hearts unto Him. They will be honored and rewarded because they have chosen to serve the Lord, but not as much as those who have more faith, more trust and who are more yielded to the Lord.

98. These reservations, this lack of faith, this taking matters into your own hands He likens to receiving silver or bronze medals, as opposed to gold medals, which are given to those who trust the Lord fully in all areas.

99. Number 8: The Lord reminds us not to see things with the eyes of man. Man looks on the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. He cautions us not to judge one another, for only He can judge.

100. Number 9: In the past, the Lord used Dad's insistence on such matters as a means to keep us, as a Family, within God's will. Dad's strictness, his firmness and definiteness helped to purge us of our System ways, because we had been polluted from growing up in the System. But now, all of us, old and young alike, are accountable to the Lord to obey because we choose to, out of faith, belief and trust, because we want to obey, not because we must obey. The Lord is laying before us all a choice, and we must each choose our level of faith and obedience. Our choices determine our blessings and rewards. This applies to all areas of our lives, not just the question of having children.

101. Number 10: Whatever medal we choose to go for--the gold, the silver or the bronze--we will be rewarded accordingly, both here and now, and for eternity. We will all stand on the podium and be rewarded because we have given our lives in service to the Lord. Those who invest in the highest, the path of complete trust and faith and yieldedness, those who give all for the Lord will be given the greatest blessings and rewards. Those who give almost all, but who hold back in a few areas, will receive much reward. And those who give little and who have many reservations and many unyielded areas will receive less reward. Yet in all this He will honor us all for our love and service for Him. We all have run the race. We will all be crowned and given medals of honor.

102. I'm thrilled with these answers! The Lord is now putting this decision on your shoulders instead of mine. Each of you is going to have to decide upon your own level of obedience, of yieldedness, of saying "yes" to Jesus. I know what I've decided, and that is to be completely yielded in this, and all other matters, by God's grace! That's what He says He wants from us all, our complete trust in Him. No matter how difficult this path may look, He's promised to give us the grace and strength for whatever He sends our way. All of us, no matter who we are and no matter what our circumstances, can say "yes" to Him. He doesn't ask anything of us that we can't do if we'll just yield. But if we choose not to, He will still love us and reward us for our love and service for Him.

103. I thought it was very interesting that He said you young people are even more accountable than we adults were at your age because you have grown up knowing His Word since you were born. I hope you clearly understand that the Lord is putting a very serious choice before you, a choice that will affect you for eternity. My prayer is that you will choose to trust Jesus for your children, for pregnancy, for everything. If you have been considering other options, I pray that you will now seriously consider what the Lord has said about it, realizing that your decisions today will affect the rest of your life on this Earth and in the world to come.

104. So as we can all see, the Lord is saying that His highest and best is to trust Him. That no matter what the situation, we should put Him and His will first in our lives.

Freedom to Live the Law of Love!

117. (Prophecy:) Behold the love that I have given unto the children of David, that they can share My love freely, one with another, to find great joy therein, great happiness, great fulfillment, that they may know the ecstasies of the flesh and the ecstasies of the Spirit. So have I used My David to free you from the bondage of the System, from the [religious] laws of those who stifle, who say that which I have made is bad, when I say unto you it is good. For it is of Me and I have made it and I have given you these sensations of the flesh that you may know joy, release, relief, happiness and closeness one to another. I do not mean this to be a burden, but a blessing, a strengthening, a unifying factor, a measure to draw you close one unto another, to unite you together as one, as one body, as one bride, as one marriage.

118. You bring before Me many questions, and I bring unto you the answers to your questions, that this will be clear and understandable and that all will understand, that they may be free to love and to share and to partake of this Heavenly blessing that I have poured forth unto the children of David, for their faith, for their belief and for their trust in the Words of David.

119. So unto you who are married I say, trust Me, for I am He that creates life, I am He that chooses to give unto you your children, and thus trust Me. And if this be too difficult for you, then seek Me, as I have said. [Here the Lord is referring to the "Trust Me!--Go for the Gold!" prophecy.]

120. And for you unmarried who wish to become one with another, one in flesh in full union, in full intercourse, I say unto you, trust Me. But become one knowing that you put your life into My hands, that of your union I could see fit to bring forth one of My children into this world. And when I have given you this gift, this gift is yours and I would that you would be together, that you would help one another, that you would be one. If you can receive it, I would that you would marry, for two are better than one in the care of one of My little ones.

121. But that you would enjoy the freedoms and the love that I have given unto you, I say unto you unmarried that you may love one another. You may love with your hands and love with your mouths, you may kiss and caress and rub and go [have an orgasm] and enjoy the ecstasies of the flesh, but not fully becoming one, not having intercourse. For thus I free you from the burden of the responsibility of pregnancy so that you may learn to have the closeness and the love one with another, that you may fulfill My Law of Love, that you may share freely without worry, and that you may show My love in a tangible, touchable, feelable way one unto another, without partiality.

122. For I now take away the excuse for you unmarried, for you are now free to love, to kiss, to caress, to hold, to enjoy without fear. I say unto you, will you do this thing? Will you now live the Words that I have given unto your Father David? Will you now supply the need of love one unto another? For such love is of God, it is My Love and I wish to use it to draw you closer one unto another. So love and kiss and caress and enjoy and hold not back, for such love is of Me, for I am love.

123. And when you choose to have a full union [intercourse] with one, do so in prayer, do so in wisdom, and do so in My love, in full faith, knowing that there is responsibility there. Love one another and so fulfill the Law of Love, and so be My love one unto another, and do so in faith. But show love, give love, supply love, that you may be called the children of Love, the Family of Love, the children of David. (End of prophecy)

124. (Mama:) I was thrilled to hear what the Lord said here. For starters, He says He wants us to find joy, happiness, fulfillment, release, relief and closeness one to another through sharing love with one another; that it is a blessing, a strengthening and a unifying factor. He calls it a Heavenly blessing.

125. He goes on to reiterate that His best is for the married couples to trust Him, as He has said all along. He then says that those who are not married, who wish to have full intercourse, should also trust Him for the outcome. So if you are going to fuck, His highest is to trust Him rather than to use condoms or other methods of birth control. He also points out that if two singles do make love and it results in pregnancy, then the gift of that child is yours and it would be best, in most cases, if you marry.

126. The Lord then goes on to say that because He wants you to enjoy the freedoms He has given and to live the Law of Love, you who are not married can love one another sexually without full intercourse. He asks if you will now supply one another's need for love, without partiality, as there's now no excuse for not sharing.

127. I was very happy with this answer! I'm sure you unmarried young people and single moms will be as well! Isn't the Lord just wonderful to so beautifully and lovingly resolve this dilemma and these difficulties that you were facing, by making a way for you to obey Him, yet not making it too difficult for you?

128. I still had another question, however. If you, our unmarried ones, are having sexual activity together, but are not having full intercourse, are you then not fully trusting the Lord?

129. This seemed to contradict what the Lord said earlier in "Trust Me!--Go for the Gold!" He said, "And to you younger ones, unmarried, fearful, I say unto you, trust Me. And to you single mothers who struggle, I know your struggle, and I say unto you, trust Me." There seemed to be a contradiction because in one place the Lord said that the unmarried ones needed to trust Him about pregnancy, but then in another place--this last prophecy--He said that they could choose not to have full intercourse. But I knew that somehow this must not be a contradiction, even though it seems like it, because the Lord doesn't contradict Himself. It's just that with our finite understanding, sometimes it looks like that to us.

130. Knowing that He must have an answer to this seeming conflict, and that God's ways are far above our ways, once again we brought our question to the Lord. Here is what He said:

A Step-by-Step Journey of Love!

131. (Prophecy:) I wish for My children to love and show love one unto another, and I take them step by step. I take them where they are at, and I move them forward. I wish for them to trust Me and have faith in Me, full faith to know that I would control their lives in great love, that I would lead their steps, that I would give unto them of My hand and would show them which way they should go and that which they should do, that I would give unto them from My hand all good things.

132. But every journey must start somewhere, and this journey to greater love and greater understanding and greater trusting of Me must have its beginnings first in greater love. For as they learn to love one another and as they learn to love Me, I will then help them to learn to trust Me more.

133. For these young and unmarried have not the same trust in Me that their parents did when they were young, and I must nurture this trust in them. I must bring them along step by step. So I call them first to love, first to share, first to get to know one another, first to kiss, first to caress, and I will put in their hearts the desire to do more, and then I will ask them to trust Me. For first they will be pleased to know that they can be within My will just by loving, kissing and caressing, and then I will work in their lives and they will learn to trust Me and they will make decisions to marry. For by allowing them to love without responsibility, I will bring them into loves where they will want the responsibility, and I will make two as one, and they will trust Me.

134. So let Me lead them step by step, for I will guide them and I will shepherd them, and I will bring them unto Me, and I will bring forth the unions that I wish to bring forth, and I will bring forth the children that I wish to bring forth. But in this manner, I first bring them together, for I take them step by step.

135. So to My young ones, I do say, trust Me! But I say this to them when they are faced with the decision to have full intercourse or not; then I say unto them, trust Me. I must first bring them to the place of decision, and then I say unto them, trust Me for the outcome.

136. And for these, the husbandless mothers, I do the same. For I wish for them to have the fellowship and the supply of their needs and the love they need. In doing so, I will also bring them to the position where they will trust Me, and I will use this ease with which they can share their love and have love shared with them to bring forth those who will love them and who will want to be with them and who will want to father their children. So they too will be in the position, in My time, to say, "I will trust You!"

137. When a union brings forth a child, I wish for these to marry, but I do not demand it, for I seek the willing and the yielded heart. And when there is a question, bring it to Me and I will reveal My will and I will speak to the hearts of these that have brought forth this fruit from the seed of their union.

138. (Dad speaking:) When I was with you, I made it pretty clear that I was all for marriages. I hit pretty strong on that, but I also let up some too. I gave the ideal, but I left room for some movement in the Spirit. The plan is for the younger ones to marry, to get together, to have children, to learn from it, to grow from it, to be strengthened because of it. It will grow them up and it will strengthen them, because they will have responsibility. But when a baby results from a date, and it seems very questionable about whether the couple should get together, then bring it to the Lord, and He and we can show what is His will, for very little is black and white.

139. The Word is given, but it's not like the laws of Moses where "thou shalt do this" or "thou shalt not do that!" Like the Words I gave, I set down the standard, the truth, the direction, but seldom were things so hard and fast. There was always a little room to maneuver for certain situations that didn't fit exactly. So when something doesn't fit exactly, then seek the Lord and pray, and He can show you. You can rightly divide the Word of truth, you can judge righteous judgment if you seek the Lord and get His mind on the matter.

140. That's the key: To follow the Word, but to keep praying; to keep the general guidelines, to keep following closely, but praying each step of the way and being sensitive to the Spirit. So trust and pray, follow and pray, read the Word and pray. (End of prophecy)

141. (Mama:) It's marvelous, isn't it, how the Lord answers our questions when we desperately seek Him? Isn't that wonderful that He had Dad speak as well? I love it when Dad speaks like that. It's just like a brand new MO Letter! Praise the Lord!

142. I just marvel at the Lord's wisdom! He is so loving, caring and understanding. As He unfolds this mystery and explains all aspects of it to us, it's plain to see that He has not contradicted Himself in these different prophecies. Instead, with each prophecy He gives more instruction and explanation. He can't always give us every detail about a subject in one prayer session--at least not when He's speaking on such a complex subject as birth control--so He helps us to gradually understand the whole picture by giving us more details and answering our questions with each additional prophecy.

143. When He first told you young people that you were to trust Him, He was giving us the basic principle. He was giving us the simplest answer possible, saying, "It's best to trust Me." But then He went on to give more details of what this means when He explained that the final point of decision to trust Him comes when you decide to actually have sexual intercourse. And now in the prophecy that you just read, He explains why He is allowing you to be within His will even when you're having sexual contact without fucking. So the prophecies don't contradict one another, they build on one another.

144. In the above prophecy He reiterates that it is His desire (or goal) that people have full faith to trust Him completely, knowing that He will lead them and control their lives in love and give unto them all good things. But He's bringing you unmarried ones to this point of full trust by leading you step by step. He's taking you where you're at and slowly, lovingly and patiently teaching you to have more faith, by first teaching you to love, to share, and to be close to one another. He indicated that while this "journey of love" would begin with loving, kissing, caressing and mutual masturbation, that with time, those involved would learn to love each other and to trust Him more fully.

145. By allowing you unmarried people to enjoy one another sexually without expecting you to fuck, He is allowing you to lovingly supply each other's needs and to get to know one another better. The fruit will be that you will grow closer to each other and you will love one another. The Lord says that through this loving sexual fellowship He will lead you unmarried ones to people with whom you will desire to have full intercourse and take the responsibility of pregnancy and marriage. It is at that point, when you decide to have full intercourse, that you will need to make the choice as to whether you will fully trust the Lord concerning the responsibility of having children together, as is outlined in the "Trust Me!--Go for the Gold!" prophecy.

146. When two people decide to have some sexual fellowship, they should discuss and agree together beforehand how far they want to go. If either person does not want to have full intercourse, then they should not go that far. Neither should the one who seems to have the stronger faith pressure the other one.

When Married Couples Share Outside Their Marriage!

147. If you are married you may wonder what happens if you decide to have sex outside of your marriage union. In other words, what if you decide to share with someone other than your mate? Some of those who read this GN before it was finalized asked whether a married person always falls under the category of "married" no matter who they are making love with, or if they are considered "single" or "unmarried" when they're with someone else other than their mate. This is an important question, because if a married person is considered "single" or "unmarried" when with someone besides his or her mate, in that case the married person has the option to choose some form of sexual activity other than full intercourse and still remain within God's highest will.

148. The Lord has made it clear that it is His highest will for married couples to trust Him concerning pregnancy and not to take matters into their own hands through any form of birth control. He said, "Unto you who are married I say, trust Me, for I am He that creates life, I am He that chooses to give unto you your children, and thus trust Me. And if this be too difficult for you, then seek Me, as I have said. [Here the Lord is referring to the "Trust Me!--Go for the Gold!" prophecy.]"

149. The Lord also said that if unmarried people want to have full intercourse, then they too should trust Him. He said, "And for you unmarried who wish to become one with another, one in flesh in full union, in full intercourse, I say unto you, trust Me." Then He goes on to explain that if a child results from these unions, that He wishes for you to marry, in most cases, for the sake of the child. But there is a special dispensation of grace for those who are not married, when He says, "I say unto you unmarried that you may love one another. You may love with your hands and love with your mouths, you may kiss and caress and rub and go [have an orgasm] and enjoy the ecstasies of the flesh, but not fully becoming one, not having intercourse. For thus I free you from the burden of the responsibility of pregnancy so that you may learn to have the closeness and the love one with another, that you may fulfill My Law of Love, that you may share freely without worry, and that you may show My love in a tangible, touchable, feelable way one unto another, without partiality."

150. This particular portion of the prophecy is a little ambiguous. When the Lord refers to "you unmarried," it's not completely clear whether He's talking only to singles or if He could also be talking to married couples who are sharing with someone that they're not married to. In other words, when the Lord talks to "you unmarried," it could mean those who aren't married at all, or aren't married to the person they happen to be sharing with at the moment.

151. Now if married people were to be seen as "unmarried" when sharing with anyone other than their mates, then they would be able to apply the Lord's counsel to the unmarried to their situation, which means they could opt to not fuck, but love in other ways when with someone other than their mate. This seemed like a good possibility, a logical and reasonable interpretation of this prophecy, but since we were not 100% sure, we brought this question before the Lord. We asked Him if a married person wants to share sexually with someone besides their mate, can they in their relations with people outside their marriage fall under the same category as the unmarried, and therefore can they share sexually in ways other than fucking and still be within God's highest will. We needed to know for sure whether the Lord is giving married folks the same dispensation of grace that He gives the singles. The Lord gave the following prophecy:

152. (Prophecy:) The giving of love is the sharing of love. The showing of My love one to another is the most important. For love begets love. Kindness begets kindness. Mercy begets mercy. So does the giving of love one to another beget the giving of love to others. For it breaks down the walls of partition and brings forth unity and love and care and compassion one to another.

153. So do I wish to break down those walls so that there can be a free flow of My love one to another, with unity, a oneness, a bonding together in love.

154. I do not wish for those who would love to hold back in fear. For I wish My love to be given unto all, that all can benefit from My love, in the arms of another, with the kisses and caresses of another, that all can partake of My love one with another.

155. So I say unto you, he that is married is as a single when with a single, that My love may be spread and given freely without fear. As with the single and single together, when the decision is made to love fully, then I say, trust Me.

156. As with single and single together, you can give love in many forms and thus satisfy the desire for love, and satisfy My desire that you would love one another. For My greatest desire is that you would all love one another, that you would all be My love one for another. That in loving one another you would break down the walls of partition. So give love. Share love and so fulfill My will. (End of prophecy.)

157. Thank the Lord for such a clear answer on this! His greatest desire is that you share love one with another, that you show His love to each other. He doesn't want you married couples to hold back for fear of either the wife getting pregnant with someone else's baby or the husband getting another woman pregnant. He wants you married couples to feel free to love others. If you do decide to have full sex with someone outside your marriage, then He asks you to trust Him, but you can also freely choose to not have full sex, but to enjoy other forms of lovemaking.

158. Remember what He said to the unmarried: "You may love one another. You may love with your hands and love with your mouths, you may kiss and caress and rub and go [have an orgasm] and enjoy the ecstasies of the flesh, but not fully becoming one, not having intercourse. For thus I free you from the burden of the responsibility of pregnancy so that you may learn to have the closeness and the love one with another, that you may fulfill My Law of Love, that you may share freely without worry, and that you may show My love in a tangible, touchable, feelable way one unto another, without partiality."

159. It seems the thing the Lord is most interested in is our sharing love with each other, not necessarily in our having the faith to have babies with everyone we share with sexually. In this case, apparently any reservations or hesitancy to get pregnant with a child from someone other than the husband is canceled out by the love you're willing to show in sharing with others. The Lord will be much more pleased with your sharing love, even if you don't choose to have full sex, than if you hold back and don't share at all.

160. Of course, even though you would be as an "unmarried" person when you have sexual contact with others outside your marriage, you should still counsel with your mate about such relations. It would be advisable to come to a united decision with your mate concerning how far your sexual sharing with others outside your marriage would go, whether you would have full sexual intercourse with others or stay with other forms of sexual activity, excluding intercourse.

The Lord Is Providing Alternatives So You Can Live and Love According to Your Faith!

161. A question that may come to your mind is: "If the Lord is the one who creates the babies, then shouldn't we just trust the Lord completely and have as much full sex as we want? Because wouldn't He just not allow the woman to get pregnant if it weren't His will anyway?" You could choose to make love fully (have intercourse) as much as you want and to whomever you want, within the age restrictions, if you are also willing with the same enthusiasm to take responsibility for any pregnancy that may come about as a result of such loving.

162. There is nothing wrong with trusting the Lord completely, as long as both people involved are willing to give account for their actions and be responsible for the fruit of their love, the child that may result. But at this point in time, many young people don't want to get tied down; they want independence. They're not ready to get married. Also, most people prefer to have a little more choice about their future mate, they prefer to find "the right person." So the Lord is allowing you more leeway in molding your future, because as much as possible He wants two-parent families caring for the children that are conceived, and He wants you to be happy in your marriages.

163. The Lord is trying to make it as easy as possible for you to grow in love and obey Him and still have the freedom to choose who you want to marry. He is providing another alternative, so you can live and love according to your own faith. Different people will choose to apply this counsel differently. You might choose to not have sexual intercourse with anyone unless the two of you have made the decision that you want to get married. If you feel that way, you can still enjoy some sexual fellowship by sticking to other forms of sexual activity, excluding fucking, until you meet the person you want to marry.

164. Another option is that two people might prayerfully choose to go ahead and have sexual intercourse, without planning to marry unless the woman gets pregnant. In other words, they would not necessarily be committed to marry before they have sexual intercourse, but they determine in advance that if the woman gets pregnant, then they would look at that as a confirmation that it is the Lord's will for them to marry. What's right for you is what you have the faith for and how you feel the Lord is leading you.

165. The Lord said He also would use this sexual fellowship to supply the needs of you dear single mothers, and to lead you to people who will love you and want to be with you and help care for your children. He indicated that at that time, when you meet someone and decide together that you want to get mated, then you'll be in a position where you too will need to make a choice as to whether you'll fully trust the Lord for another child.

166. Both the Lord and Dad brought out that if a pregnancy occurs, then marriage is usually the ideal. This is true for not only single moms, but also for unmarried women of all ages. But the marriages shouldn't be forced. In some cases, there may be a question as to whether the couple should marry or not, and thus these matters should be brought before Him in prayer. In fact, as we have counseled previously, before a couple marries it is always wise to hear from the Lord about it, even if everyone is already totally convinced of the Lord's will.

167. The confirmations from the Lord can be a wonderful source of encouragement and instruction, not only for the present but in times to come when things may get rough. When that happens, it's a wonderful comfort to be able to go back to the Lord's confirmations that it was His will for you to be joined together as a team for Him. These promises from the Lord will keep you from thinking the whole thing was a mistake, when the Devil comes around whispering those thoughts in your ear.

168. In general, if unmarried people decide to fuck, the Lord expects them to be responsible for the outcome, and in most cases, though not all, to marry in the event of pregnancy.

169. You single mothers or you senior teens or YAs who are now pregnant may be tempted to feel a little resentful or discontent that you weren't able to have the counsel given in this GN earlier. You may think you could have avoided getting pregnant or having a child if you had known that other options were available. But thinking like this won't bring you happiness. It's much better to realize and accept that getting pregnant was the Lord's plan for you. He could have prevented it if He had wanted to, but He allowed it, and for a good reason. So it's much better to see your pregnancy for what it is--a blessing from the Lord--rather than wasting time wishing things had turned out differently for you.

170. Also, I pray that you married couples aren't feeling like, "Why is the Lord not insisting that the unmarried people have the faith for children when they have sexual fellowship, when He's expecting it of us?--At least He's expecting us to trust Him completely concerning the sex we have with each other." The Lord has said in the Letters over and over throughout the years and again in "Trust Me!--Go for the Gold," that He is, and will, honor and bless you abundantly for raising the precious children that He has given you. He knows your sacrifice and He will repay. He already has, through the love of your children! He even said that you are reaping rewards through the fruits of your children, in this life and in the life to come!

171. I want to share with you a talk that Dad gave a few months before his Homegoing. The tone of it is quite strong, but as the Lord said, He had His reasons for Dad delivering His messages with such force. I feel that it will be of benefit for us all to hear what Dad had to say, and that it will help you married couples to have the faith to fully trust the Lord in the matter of your children.

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==WHAT IF NOT?== March 1994

--Discussion on Whether or Not to Use Contraceptives--By Dad

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

* * *

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

Review of the Main Points Concerning the Law of Love, Sex and Pregnancy!

205. Through all the Lord and Dad have said, I believe we now have the complete answers that we need. Perhaps it would help to review the overall "big picture," the things the Lord has been saying recently on the subject of the Law of Love, sex and pregnancy.

206. For starters, the "Love Charter" brought about some changes in the sexual rules of the Family, in that it allows our 16- and 17-year-olds to participate in sexual fellowship with those aged 16 through 20, if those involved mutually desire. The Lord gave us the faith to make these changes through the Word He spoke at Summit '95. (See GN 649.) In those prophecies He said that it was His desire to give you 16- and 17-year-olds the freedom to partake of His love one with another, and that such freedom would help to bring about the true freedom that He wants to give, the freedom of the Spirit!

207. The Lord indicated that those of this senior teen age group were at different levels and that some would partake of the sexual freedoms readily while others would progress more slowly; that they shouldn't be pressured by their peers to participate, but should proceed at a speed that is comfortable for them.

208. He also clearly stated that pregnancy would occur from their sexual sharing, just as it does in the older age groups, and that we should not fear it; that He ordains it so He can use it to teach and train, to mature and to shepherd the young people, and that pregnancy and marriage will be His tools to draw them closer to Him. (See an exciting message from Dad to Techi further on in this GN!)

209. In this GN, it seems quite evident to me, and I hope to you as well, that the Lord's preferred choice for married couples is that you trust Him for the number of children you have. For those who are not married, but choose to have sexual intercourse, His highest is that you trust Him concerning pregnancy as well, believing that if He wants to bring forth a child through your lovemaking, He will; and if He does, that the child is His gift of love to you. In such a case, He expects you to care for the child and in most cases to marry.

210. For married couples, and any others who choose to fuck, His highest will seems to be that you do not use any form of birth control. However, in His understanding, sympathetic love, He lovingly makes allowances for those who feel they can't fully trust Him in this matter. But in doing so, He clearly explains His terms, that He cannot fully bless you when you do not fully trust Him.

211. For those who are not married or are married to others, the Lord is allowing you to have sexual fellowship together other than full sexual intercourse. He wants you to enjoy the love and freedom of such fellowship without being concerned about pregnancy. This will allow you to share with others who are in need and those you are drawn to. However, once you decide to have full sex with someone, to have intercourse, then you must consider the counsel the Lord put forth in "Trust Me!--Go for the Gold!" (For more details on the choices you will face once you decide to fuck, please see the summary of the "Trust Me!--Go for the Gold!" prophecy in paragraphs 84 - 104 of this GN.)

212. Some of you may question, "Why can those who are not married participate in sexual activity with one another and just refrain from intercourse? Isn't that abstinence, and thus birth control? If so, then what is the difference between that and using a condom?"

213. The difference is that the Lord said He's allowing this blessing of limited sexual fellowship for our unmarried people for a reason. He wants our dear Family to have an avenue to share love and meet each other's needs without fear of pregnancy. He wants to take away any excuses people may now have for not sharing, so that by giving more love and affection through kisses, caresses and touches, you will be drawn together in greater unity and fulfill His Law of Love. But He makes it clear that once you make the decision to engage in full sexual fellowship, intercourse, He wants you to trust Him--if you are willing--and He will reward you accordingly. So once anyone makes the decision to have full sexual intercourse, the Lord puts before them the choice to trust Him completely, which is His highest will. You married folks have already made the choice to have full sex, thus you're already at the point of decision concerning how much you'll trust the Lord concerning pregnancy.

214. I believe the Lord has clearly stated His will, throughout this GN and in Letter after Letter. I feel that both Dad and I have been faithful to give you the full counsel of God, the truth according to His Word. Having done so, I am confident that you are in a position to make a personal decision in these matters, knowing full well what the Lord has said.

215. The decisions you make in regard to pregnancy are your personal decisions, no one else's. Married couples, and those who choose to engage in sexual intercourse, must decide together.

216. Page 140 of the "Love Charter" states: "Members must follow the rules on birth control as explained in ML #2961." As you have now read this Letter, you see that the decision on this matter is between the people involved and Jesus, thus whatever you decide regarding birth control is within the guidelines of the Charter. Married couples will need to decide together what they want to do. If two singles--people who are not married at all or not married to each other--are going to have sexual contact, they would need to discuss this issue, perhaps at length, and come to a decision together. If a married person is going to have sexual contact with someone other than his or her mate, then the mate of the person sharing would also need to be part of the discussion, or at least be in agreement with how far the sexual activity outside of the marriage would go.

217. When discussing these matters, you should not pressure anyone to think or act as you do, nor should you push your personal opinion on others or try to persuade others to act in a way that is not according to their personal faith.

218. If you need counsel or clarification, or you don't understand some point, or you need prayer, please feel free to talk to your shepherds. In fact, you should talk to your shepherds, and you shepherds should feel free to point people to the Word and explain what the Lord has said regarding birth control. You shepherds should explain what the options are and what is the Lord's highest according to the Word, but you are not to try to persuade someone to your particular point of view; you should offer God's counsel and give prayerful help. Presenting what the Word says is fine. Trying to convince someone of your particular viewpoint is not acceptable. Also, shepherds, please remember that after you have pointed people to the Word and answered their questions and prayed with them, the actual decision in the matter of sexual sharing and birth control should be left with the individuals involved, and there should be no pressure or negative repercussions from you (or others) no matter what decision is made.

219. I suggest you take time to prayerfully reread and study this GN. Because it is so long and there are many parts to it, you may still have some questions after having read it the first time. But I believe that when you go back over it and read it again carefully, you will understand it better and catch important points that you missed the first time around.

220. I love you, my dear children, and you are very precious to me. I am praying for you as you face the decisions which are before you. Not just this particular one, but all of them, the daily choices of whether you will yield, whether you will obey, whether you will do the humble thing, the loving thing, the caring thing. Sometimes you will make the wrong choices, usually you'll make the right ones, but please rest assured that our precious Lover, our Savior, our King, our Husband, our Friend, Jesus, loves and cares for you, and always will.

* * *

221. Following is some news concerning three different situations having to do with birth control and pregnancy. The first article is a letter from one of our most faithful secretaries and editors. She is in her 40's and has had 10 children. For quite some time she and her husband, who is also a wonderful, talented, long-time member of WS, have been using the rhythm method. She didn't want to get pregnant, so for the last three years they have refrained from fucking during the middle of the month, her most fertile time, when she would be ovulating. She sweetly shares her personal views and experiences and how the Lord led her after reading this GN. This is an example of how one couple worked out their decision personally with the Lord, but we understand that it may not always work out this way because not everyone lives in exactly the same circumstances or conditions, nor will everybody decide to do the same thing as this couple. We still felt, however, that you'd be interested in reading this testimony.

222. Next I have included a prophecy the Lord gave when we were praying for one of our dear mothers who is pregnant with number seven and who wrote asking about the possibility of using birth control in the future. She is feeling weak physically, as she has had her children very close together. She has six, soon to be seven children, with four of them under the age of six! God bless her! The Lord commends her for saying "yes" to the great ministry of raising children, and He speaks of the tremendous reward that shall soon be hers! These words of commendation are not just for her! They can also be applied to all of you dear women who are willing to bear children for the Lord's glory!

223. Next you will read a very special Letter from Dad, a recent prophecy, in which he talks to Techi. No doubt this will be very interesting to you because Dad is congratulating Techi for her pregnancy! Yes, you heard it right! Techi is pregnant! Praise the Lord! So don't miss Dad's wonderful counsel and encouragement to her on page 28. (Techi is due in early spring! Please keep her and all our young mothers in your prayers! Thanks!)

Thoughts on Birth Control from a Mother of Ten!

--Letter to Mama from a WS editor August 1995

Dearest Mama,

224. God bless you! I love you so very much! This is just a little update on how it's been going with me. As you know, I wrote you before about how the Lord had been convicting my heart about saying "yes" to Him about possibly having another baby. Reading the "Go for the Gold" GN was very encouraging, and after reading it, I decided to "go for the gold!" I felt a real peace about this decision and felt happy that I was doing the right thing.

225. After reading the GN, my husband and I had a little prayer time together where we presented our petitions to the Lord concerning all of this, and then also asked Him to speak and confirm it. I'm sorry to say we didn't record the little prophecy that we got, but in it the Lord was encouraging us to trust Him, and gave us a lot from Hebrews 11.--Especially the verses about how those of faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens, women received their dead raised to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection! (Heb. 11:33-35).

226. These men and women were able to do all of this through faith, showing how important our faith is, and that that's how those people endured, that's how they were able to make that decision not to accept deliverance. They didn't want to take the easy way out. They "saw the promises afar off and were persuaded of them and embraced them." In particular, the verse "others were tortured, not accepting deliverance" took on a new meaning for me! Not that having a baby is "torture" (although it is hard)!--But it was interesting that they were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection--kind of like "going for the gold!"

227. Anyway, Mama, we were all set to embark on our journey of faith and trust Him for the outcome. We'd had our prayer where we told the Lord that we were going to trust Him for whether I get pregnant or not and let Him take complete control, and we also presented our petition to Him that our own personal desire is that I don't really want to get pregnant, and asked that if possible, I wouldn't; nevertheless, not our will, but His be done!

228. Right after our prayer about this, I had my period, so we had a little more time to think and pray about it all. Then my period was over and the day came when we were faced with actually fucking at a time of the month that previously we would not have done so. That very day something happened that caused my faith to waver, I was really tested, and when the time came for us to make love, I chickened out! Can you believe it?! All the old doubts and fears and worries about getting pregnant again started flooding in, and I just couldn't bring myself to do it! Oh my, Lord help me!

229. Well, I got the verse then that "faith cometh by the Word," and I knew I needed to go back and reread the GN. Also, I felt I wanted to hear something more from the Lord for me personally about my situation to encourage me, and I got the idea to ask if someone here could get a prophecy for me. I don't have the gift of prophecy myself, so I thought of asking one of the brothers to pray, who has a beautiful gift of prophecy.

230. So the next day I wrote him a note and asked if he'd mind getting a prophecy for me. I told him that since you, Mama, have encouraged us to ask others to get prophecies for us if we don't have the gift ourselves, would he mind getting one for me? I suggested he just go in his room, ask the Lord to speak, and put it on tape. Well, it turns out he'd never done that before (gotten a prophecy for someone on his own), but he wrote back and said that he would give it a try, God bless him! So when he said yes, then I explained my prayer request, telling him very briefly how we'd been using the rhythm method for three years, but that now I was feeling the Lord wanted me to trust Him for whether I get pregnant or not, and that I just wanted to hear something straight from the Lord for me on this, some encouragement or confirmation or whatever He had to say about it. (This brother had not yet read the "Go for the Gold" prophecy.)

231. A few days later he had the time to do this, and received a beautiful prophecy for me. It was very encouraging and re-strengthened my faith to go ahead with trusting the Lord. Also, I reread portions of the "Go for the Gold" GN, which helped me too! I thought maybe you'd be interested in reading this prophecy, as it is quite a confirmation of what the Lord says in the GN, and also of the things I've received personally. I'll put excerpts of it at the end of this note.

232. So yesterday I took the plunge, and it was my first time of actually fucking on a day of the month when I could get pregnant! So Lord, please have Your perfect way with this! As I said above, I am praying that I won't get pregnant, as I don't really want to; nevertheless, not my will but His be done! The Lord does say that if we delight ourselves in Him He'll give us the desires of our heart, and if we please Him, He'll please us! Even in the prophecy that this brother received for me the Lord says, "For you do please Me, and I would seek to please you, and give you the desires of your heart." So maybe I won't get pregnant. But on the other hand, maybe I will, and if I do, I know He knows best! I know He's in control.

233. I received some real sweet encouragement from the Lord this morning in my personal prayer time. I had a little picture of me just peacefully relaxing at the back of a boat, and He was at the helm, steering the boat. He said something about how I can now have perfect peace and relax and leave it all up to Him to steer the boat, and that He'll take care of everything. I don't have to worry. He's the Captain of my ship and is in perfect control. Praise the Lord! What a nice peaceful feeling!

234. A funny thing happened yesterday on my first day of trusting the Lord for pregnancy! I had my normal weekly date with one of my sharing partners, whom I use a condom with because I have had herpes and he has not. But for the first time ever while using a condom, the condom came off inside of me! Oh my! Soon after this I had sex with my husband, so I ended up getting all those zillions of little sperms from two guys within my first few days of deciding to trust the Lord! So the Lord's will be done! (Three months later: I'm still not pregnant! The Lord again proved to me that He's in control! It pays to trust Him!)

I love you and appreciate you!

Love and prayers!

--Your Secretary

P.S. Here are some excerpts of the prophecy the Lord gave for me:

235. (Prophecy:) Oh My little one, I am pleased that you would look unto Me during this time of questioning, and of searching, and of seeking. These thoughts have been of Me, which have arisen in your heart, to trust Me more fully and completely. I would say unto you, and to your dear one, if you will choose this thing, even so will I be with you, and I will bless you. For do I not seek to give the very best to you, if you leave the choice to Me? And if you feel in your heart that there is a tug of My Spirit for you to learn to trust Me more, this is good in My sight. For, behold, what great peace trust does bring!--An end to fretting and to feuding and fussing, an end to worry and sleepless nights and worrisome days. For trust, true trust, brings great peace, and in this I am well pleased. For I love you and I draw you close to My bosom and I kiss you and I embrace you and I hold you as one dear to My heart.

236. It does greatly please Me that you and your dear lover, your husband, have both felt in your heart the need to trust Me more. For you have learned many lessons along these lines of trusting and faith and believing and overcoming the doubts and the obstacles and the fears.--Even as My men of faith of old had to learn to not look at the waves, to not look at the size of the battle, but to look fully in My face, for the joy that was set before them, enduring as seeing Me, Who am invisible. Even so they could endure any trial, any obstacle. They did not limit

Go For The Gold

From XFamily - Children of God

Contents

Go For The Gold!

A Word to You Young People

Mama's Personal Decision to Say "Yes" to the Lord About Having a Child!

Trust Me!—Go for the Gold!

Summary of "Trust Me!—Go for the Gold!" Prophecy

More Questions About Sex and Sharing!

Freedom to Live the Law of Love!

A Step-by-Step Journey of Love!

When Married Couples Share Outside Their Marriage!

The Lord Is Providing Alternatives So You Can Live and Love According to Your Faith!

Review of the Main Points Concerning the Law of Love, Sex and Pregnancy!

Thoughts on Birth Control from a Mother of Ten!