HomeARC ML 0151
"READING, PINUPS, MISTAKES & WORLD CONQUEST!--THRU LOVE!"--MO January 26, 1972 NO.151--LTA
© Copyrighted January, 1972 by The Children of God, Box 31, London WC2E 7LX, England or GPO Box 3141, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936
READING: THE PROBLEM OF HAVING TOO MUCH TO READ
Dear Children: Greetings in Jesus' Precious Name! THANKS AGAIN FOR YOUR PRECIOUS LETTERS, NOTES, PHOTOS, TAPES, TESTIMONIES, ARTICLES, REPORTS AND LOGS, ETC. You are growing in such numbers and particularly in the number of Colonies that all of this material from you is pouring in at such a rate that we are barely able to absorb it all, and sometimes we begin stacking up a backlog of certain items which take a great deal of time, such as tapes and very lengthy personal letters from leaders--some almost as long as mine, which are too long! Forgive me! Perhaps I've set you a bad example in writing lengthy Letters and some of you are trying to live up to my dandy bad example in making your letters as long, if not longer.
2. WE LOVE YOU AND WE LOVE TO READ EVERY WORD-- if we can--and we appreciate every word you write and thank you for your many messages of love, inspiration, and encouragement, as well as your questions and problems, and we would like to answer them all individually if we could. But this is physically and humanly impossible due to the pressure of time and the sheer weight of numbers and the tremendous numerical quantity of your communications. Some of you Colonies are so active and getting so much publicity that we not only receive an exciting log from you each week along with your thrilling Shepherd's Report, but also usually a news article or two, a tape of some broadcast or other interesting activity as well as a lengthy personal tape and perhaps a long personal letter.
3. NOW IF YOU WILL JUST TRY TO ADD UP THE NUMBER OF HOURS just to read your Colony log alone which usually consists of an average of three or four pages plus your Shepherd's Report, most of them running about two pages plus another page of either articles, testimonies or special reports plus an additional personal letter from you of at least two or three pages plus an hour or two of tapes of some fascinating events that happened at your Colony this past week, etc., you can see that we could be reading as much as ten pages or so from your Colony alone, which, as slow a reader as I am, would take me a couple of hours to read and study, plus at least an hour for your tape or tapes, which could mean at least three or four hours of enjoyable but labourious perusal of all the material from your Colony alone. Then if you'll add that many hours for each of at least 70 other Colonies, you could come up with a figure something like two or three hundred hours a week!--And this didn't even include the Newsletter, the Prayer letter, the Newspaper, and the Overseers' Reports, as well as the various books, magazine articles and other things that are being written about us, plus trying to keep up with current events in the way of significant and important national and world news and how it relates to us or how it might affect us or our various fields of labour!
4. SO I'M SURE YOU CAN SEE THAT THERE JUST AREN'T THAT MANY HOURS IN THE WEEK-not even with two or three people trying to read it all or listen to it or observe it all or study it all-much less try to answer it all, or write about it all! So as you can see, the task of doing a complete, thorough, and exhaustive job of it all has become virtually impossible!
5. WHEN WE REACHED THUS SAME IMPASSE AT OTHER TIMES BEFORE, WE MADE SUGGESTIONS ABOUT HOW TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF YOUR LOGS, REPORTS, ETC., so that it would be possible to read them all. We even endeavoured to solve the problem by trying to delegate who was to read what according to the various departments of authority and responsibility, as the Lord had shown us through that story of Moses, in which he was trying to judge every little matter personally, and just couldn't make it, and meanwhile, many matters were being neglected. The people were standing in long lines to be judged and things were just getting worse. So the Lord showed us, as He did Moses, that we just simply cannot judge every matter or personally read everything. We can hardly read it all and hear it all even with help! (Ex.18:13-27)
6. AS A RESULT, WHAT TOO OFTEN HAPPENS IS THAT WE JUDGE THE EASIEST MATTERS FIRST, and push the weightier ones aside until we have time, which may never come!--In other words, we look at and enjoy the pictures first of all and read the little notes on the back of them, read the shortest reports, logs, letters, etc., first, listen or view the shortest and easiest tapes first, and leave the lengthier volumes till last--which may be never!
PINUPS: SENDING YOUR PHOTO TO MO--WHAT TO INCLUDE
7. SO I'M GOING TO MAKE SEVERAL SUGGESTIONS ON HOW WE CAN REDUCE THIS LOAD and thereby lighten the burden on all of us: First of all, I'm going to suggest that when each of you in the rank and file want to write me a personal note and get it read immediately, WRITE IT ON THE BACK OF YOUR PICTURE!--This way I'll not only get a nice little love note from you, but will also be able to associate it with your face and maybe even figure which will help me remember who you are if I've never personally met you and will also help me understand better who's writing me by seeing what you look like. This helps a lot in knowing who you are, and I might even add you to my pinups which could remind me daily to pray for you personally by name. I've already got one wall almost full, so I'm thinking about pinning some of you to the ceiling above my bed so I can remember to pray for you when I get in bed at night and wake up in the morning. I'll put the prettiest ones above my bed, of course, so if you want to rate the bedroom and prayer at least twice a day, make it real pretty!--and close up, if possible, so I won't have to put on my glasses to see you. Of course, you're all beautiful and sweet and wonderful to me, so that includes just about everybody!
8. OF COURSE, IF YOU HAVEN'T GOT A CLOSE-UP SNAPSHOT OF YOURSELF, PLEASE HAVE SOMEONE TAKE ONE OF YOU, so you can send it to me, preferably just a portrait shot, just head, or head and shoulders--unless there's more that's interesting and lovely to see, as an attractive adornment for our bedroom. And don't forget to autograph your name plainly somewhere on the front of it, as well as writing me a little note on the back.
9. IF YOU WANT TO WRITE ME A LITTLE NOTE, BUT HAVEN'T GOT A GOOD PICTURE OF YOURSELF alone, then maybe you could ask your Colony Shepherd if he's got a group shot that you're in and mark yourself plainly with an arrow and sign your name on the face of it. Some Colonies have thoughtfully sent such group shots with everybody's name signed on them and designating who's who. I've tried to get the information Centre to print up a Yearbook with pictures of everybody in all the Colonies and thumbnail sketches of information on each, but it looks like we're growing so fast and COGIC has so much to do, that they'll never get around to it. But if you'll help me, I'll have my own little private Yearbook of your precious faces plastered to all my walls, ceilings, doors, and whatnot! Amen?
10. IF YOU CAN'T EVEN FIND A GROUP SHOT, MAYBE YOU COULD SEND ME AT LEAST YOUR OLD HIGH SCHOOL PHOTO, baby picture, ID Card or something! Just don't send me your driver's license or passport! You're gonna need those yourself. On the back of your picture, please write your full Bible name, age, nationality, the name of the Colony where you first joined, and what your educational and/or vocational and religious background was plus what your job is now for the Lord in your present Colony. Also you might mention who you were trained under mostly, what work you like to do, have done, and want to do, and what field of service you would like to work in, if any. Maybe I can pull a few strings with the Lord to help you get there. If you're married, of course, please state the Bible name of your mate and the names and ages of your children, if any. Maybe you could send me a family picture of you all together. I'd also like to know what languages you speak and what special training or skills you have. This could help me and the Lord know and decide where you're needed most and would fit best. I've been trying to get your leaders to do this for me for a long time, but they're too busy-so now it's up to you, if you and I are ever going to get it done. Take your picture with this information on the back to your Colony secretary or Shepherd and they will mail it to me--at once, I hope! Hallelujah! Don't be afraid to tell me if you don't like your present job, Colony, Shepherd, situation, or whatnot, and make any suggestions you feel led to make about how your situation could possibly be remedied. If you'll write real small and your snapshot is big enough, I think you can squeeze all this on the back of it, so it won't get lost from your picture. I used to be able to write a whole letter on a postcard!--And write lightly so you don't ruin the picture on the other side-and be sure to autograph your name on the front somewhere. This means everybody, please! I want to see what you look like, know more about you and try to help you--but it must all be on the back of your picture, please, regardless of size, but preferably at least 3x4 and not more than 5x7! Thanks! I love you! Send it quick!
PERSONNEL FILE NEEDED AT EVERY COLONY--IDENTIFY ALL PHOTOS
11. WE NOTICE THAT DEB, IN HER LATEST ADVISORY OF JANUARY 13 HAS ASKED FOR YOUR PICTURE ALSO for the Central Files and Yearbook, as I suggested, but this does not take the place of the personal one I want you to send to me but it can be a duplicate or additional copy of the same. It could even be a copy of your passport photo, which is 2-1/2 to 3 inches square. So if you haven't had your passport photo made yet, be sure to get enough copies for everybody-that is, you have to have three for your passport application; one for COGIC; one for me; one for your relatives, or so; and it might be a good idea to have one for yourself or your personal ID; and one for your own Colony's files. EACH COLONY SHOULD KEEP A PERSONNEL FILE WITH A PICTURE AND ALL THIS PERTINENT INFORMATION OF EACH MEMBER. So for your passports and everything, you're gonia need at least a bare minimum of half a dozen photos or more. Colour is nice, but expensive, and black and white will do, especially if you can process it in you own Colony's lab. Please try look your own Colony's lab. Please try to look cheerful, happy, and smile! I want to remember you at your best, and the way you oughtta be, especially if I'm going to use you for a decoration and a prayer reminder. Thanks!
12. THANKS FOR THE BEAUTIFUL CARDS AND PHOTOS SOME OF YOU HAVE ALREADY SENT! Most of you labelled them wisely so we'd know who and what they were, but quite a few of you didn't! Some of you sent us some beautiful pictures without a word of description, name, or anything to identify them as to who or what they were. All we know is that they're apparently members of your Colony. PLEASE REMEMBER TO ALWAYS IDENTIFY EVERY PHOTO OR PROOFSHEET ON THE BACK OF EACH! It always helps to know who's who and what's what! Tks!
REPORTING: REDUCE SIZE AND USE ONION SKIN PAPER
13. THESE PHOTOS WERE OUR FIRST SUGGESTION ON HOW TO HELP REDUCE THE READING LOAD as well as make your communication more informative, interesting, and illustrative, as well as serve as a helpful prayer reminder for our walls, and a decoration to boot! OUR SECOND SUGGESTION IS FOR YOU SHEPHERDS AND OVER SEERS TO EACH TRY TO REDUCE THE SIZE OF YOUR REPORTS TO NOT MORE THAN ONE PAGE, IF POSSIBLE. This may not always be possible, particularly in the in the case of your Overseer's Reports, considering the number of Colonies in some regions, but try to be as brief as possible. One recent Shepherd's Report was even a classic half page, which is just about the record, and I must admit, I read it immediately because it was so short! Maria reads the long ones first, so it all depends on who you want to read it first, but it'll certainly be a help to all of us if you'll try to cut it short, including a help to you and your postage!
14. WHICH REMINDS ME-MOST OF YOU DON'T SEEM TO KNOW THAT ONIONSKIN PAPER HAS BEEN INVENTED YET!--That tissue-thin typing paper that makes so many good carbon copies and saves so much postage, especially airmail or overseas-and it's also cheaper to buy! Why not try it! Some of you are using paper so heavy, especially for overseas, that the postage is going to break you up in business! Besides, heavy paper costs more and doesn't make good carbon copies. Why not try it? Sometimes it's called airmail or copy paper and it's made specifically for the purpose of making better copies and saving on postage. Please use it if you can. We used to get as high as nine carbon copies by using this tissue-thin paper-and if we had used anything else for overseas airmail, it would have cost us a fortune. Each of you Colonies now has to send us at least about five pages of reports, summaries, logs, etc. each week, and you have to make several copies of these in order to send your full quota each: one set for your Regional Shepherds, one to COGIC for the Newsletter, one to the North American Overseer, one for Europe, one for me, and one for your own Colony's file--which makes six sets, which means you have to make six sets, which means you have to make six copies of each item, and five of these sets you have to mail out each week, mostly to different addresses, and at least one set overseas. So if you don't start using this thin paper, you're gonna be making lousy copies, the last one of which you'll barely be able to read, and it's gonna cost you a fortune in postage. SO EVERYBODY PLEASE CONVERT TO ONIONSKIN PAPER IMMEDIATELY! This refers of course, only to your typed copies, as duplicating machines like Xerox cannot use this thin paper, of course.
15. Finally, I think the other suggestions in Deb's Advisory are good, particularly about the SUBJECT DIVISIONS OF THE LOG SUMMARIES. This will make the reading easier and remind you particularly about what we need to know. Especially the "EVENT OF THE WEEK" paragraph suggested, or a one-paragraph summary of your Colony's major news of the week, specifically designed for the Newsletter could certainly help the dear Newsletter Editor with her monumental task. And while I'm on the subject of the Newsletter, Shiphrah, I want to congratulate you and the other girls for the marvellous job you have done, along with, incidentally, giving birth to a new baby girl named Davida!--beautiful! GBY!
STATISTICS
16. INCIDENTALLY, MAYBE WHEN COGIC GETS OUR PERSONNEL FILES WHIPPED INTO LINE, THEY'LL BE ABLE TO FURNISH US WITH SUCH INTERESTING DATA as the total number of births and betrothals we have already had in the Revolution, as well as the Newsletters keeping us up to date on each week's developments along this line. How about including those two items in the heading totals of the Newsletter each week, we're having so many of each. It would certainly be interesting to see the totals at a glance-more vital statistics! Also, please remember to put the Colony Shepherd's name in each Colony's heading so we can keep track of them. I understand Deb's got some good new ideas along this line! We'll be looking forward to her new, revised, issue!
SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN
17. I HEARTILY AGREE WITH DEB'S WARNING TO YOU ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN, and in fact, I inspired it: and I warn you again, you could easily lose your kids or your own freedom if you don't get those kids in school!--IT'S THE LAW! OBEY IT!--Or it could have tragic consequences. Unless you're on the move or only visiting and could be classed as a tourist, you'd better get your school-age children into one of our schools, or you're going to have to put them in some other school if you want to keep 'em and stay out of trouble with the law--or you could be very very sorry too late and lose'em altogether!
MISTAKES: NEGLECT OF SHEEP; PRIDE; LACK OF LOVE; OVERSIZE COLONIES
18. I GUESS YOU KNOW BY NOW THAT JOSH IS HEADED FOR THE OVERSEAS BATTLEFRONTS AND HIS DEAR LITTLE WIFEY, AND JETH AND DEB ARE TAKING HIS PLACE AS THE NORTH AMERICAN SUPERVISORS. They should be able to do a good job, considering all the training and experiences they've had, the mistakes they've made, and the breaking and humbling they've gone through, which I think have taught them some valuable lessons which will help keep them on the right track from here on. SOME OF YOU SMART ALECS SEEM TO THINK THAT JUST BECAUSE I BAWL PEOPLE OUT WHEN THEY MAKE MISTAKES, that I'm ready to throw them out, so you jump on the bandwagon and proceed to take it upon yourself to also beat them over the head. This is like everybody in the family deciding to spank one errant member just because Dad has spanked them, so everybody else jumps on'em too! Nothing could hardly be worse or further from the truth, and some of you made a big mistake in so doing, along with making some other even bigger mistakes than they made, such as losing some extremely important disciples who could have been a big help to us, but now could do us great harm because of your foolish treatment and horrible neglect!
19. SOME COLONY LEADERS SEEM TO BE MORE INTERESTED IN FIGHTING WITH OTHER SHEPHERDS INSTEAD OF CARING FOR THEIR OWN FLOCKS--more interested also in their own privacy and pet projects than they are in caring for the sheep of their own fold-more interested in pinching pennies because of their little faith than properly caring for the lambs--more proud of their own authority than concern for their babes!
20. ONE COLONY LEADER WAS SO RIDICULOUS AS TO EVEN DENY HEAT IN THE CABIN OF AN OLDER COUPLE WHO HAD GIVEN US THEIR WHOLE HOUSE! This parallels the case of the unjust steward Jesus talked about who asked to be forgiven a big debt, and then went around beating on the little guys under him to save his own money! Needless to say, this leader is no longer the head of a Colony, but now doing dishes and cleaning toilets, starting back at the bottom to learn what it's like to be a follower before he can ever be a leader again. His wife got so cocky in the pride of her position that she even began telling off her superiors, as a result of which, of course, she, too, no longer has that position! God's way up is down! He that is greatest among you must be servant of all! If the power of your position goes to your head so that you forget what you're there for, you're simply proving that you're still novice, filled with pride, and not ready to be a leader! (Mt.18:23-35; Lk.22:26; 1Tim.3:1-6)
21. ANOTHER LARGE COLONY LEADER, with some of his under-shepherds and shepherdesses, got so interested in forming their own little private club, enjoying exclusive parties, and got on such a pleasure trip that he so neglected his sheep that they seldom even saw him, so that he didn't even know the state of his flocks had become absolutely deplorable, their living conditions terrible, and their physical and spiritual condition a disaster area, so that many valuable sheep were lost, some nearly died, others got ripped off by the wolves, and even the marriages of the leaders began to fall apart, and the whole Colony began having all kinds of terrible trouble. Needless to say, he too, has been removed from his position, and demoted for further training as a follower, until he learns how to be a leader--the servant of all! Let others beware!
22. THESE TRAGIC CIRCUMSTANCES BOTH DEVELOPED AT TWO LARGE, OVER-SIZE COLONIES, so that perhaps some of these conditions were not entirely their own fault but due to the overcrowded, over-burdened, impersonal atmosphere of Colonies that were too big. Meanwhile, some much younger and less experienced leaders of much smaller Colonies have been doing just great, doing a tremendous job and marvelously, with so little training and leadership experience, taking good care of their flocks with a personal interest in every little sheep and constant attention to both his physical and spiritual welfare, bearing good fruit blessed of the Lord, and even getting good publicity and well spoken of without! May God continue to deliver us from these big Colonies and their bad big-Colony spirit! Please DON'T LET YOUR COLONY GET SO BIG YOU CAN'T TAKE CARE OF YOUR SHEEP. You're bound to grow, but when you get to 24 you ought to divide and give the other half another shepherd and send them to some new fold in greener pastures where they can continue to grow, but not lose the intimate fellowship of the small Colony spirit, both with the Lord and each other! Hallelujah! It's God's own plan! Use it!
NEW TEAMS AND ADVICE FOR PIONEERS!
23. WE THANK GOD WE ARE DOING IT: BREAKING UP THESE BIG COLONIES AND SCATTERING SMALLER ONES IN SMALLER FLOCKS IN SMALLER FOLDS, BUT IN MANY MORE AND LARGER NEW FIELDS where they can be even more fruitful! As a result, we now have over 70 Colonies in about a dozen major countries throughout North America, Europe, and the Middle East! God bless you there in Jerusalem, Amasa and Rose! Since I notice you're interested in God's numerology, I know it will thrill you to know that Jerusalem was both our seventieth Colony and also our seventh overseas! Hallelujah! Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! And you who are in such underground Colonies as tourists, stay very close to the Lord and follow only His great wisdom! We're praying earnestly for you all! God's Will be done!
24. I'M CONVINCED THE LEADERS OF THESE NEW COLONIES SHOULD BE OUR VERY BEST, SKIMMED RIGHT OFF THE TOP OF OTHER EXISTING COLONIES, THOSE WHO ALREADY KNOW HOW TO RUN COLONIES on their own, and particularly those who already know how to pioneer new Colonies and who have had experience in pioneering, if possible! Take it from an old pioneer who knows: Once a pioneer, always a pioneer! Almost anybody can drive a car, but it takes a genius to build one! Once you pioneers have established a new Colony and things are going well, almost any good leader can keep it going with the Lord's help, what you've already built, while you go on to pioneer another! Don't you good pioneers let yourself get bogged down too long in one place! You know who you are: when you've got that Colony rolling, keep moving, and start a new one as the Lord leads! Hallelujah! God bless you! I Love pioneers! THE PIONEER IS ONLY INTERESTED IN PIONEERING! Once he's got something built, he loses interest, he's happy to let somebody else run it, while he moves on to pioneer another! Amen? Keep moving Pioneers!--and keep breaking in new young leaders to take over when you're gone! Keep growing and going for God! God bless you!
THE WORLD'S 33 MAJOR FIELDS TO PIONEER AND THE PLAN OF HOW TO DO IT STEP BY STEP!
25. THIS IS WHY WE HAVE GROWN SO FAST AND THE ONLY WAY WE CAN KEEP GROWING TIL WE'VE CONQUERED THE WHOLE WORLD FOR JESUS, Praise God!--And we're going to do it, too, and sooner than you think. Believe it or not, we only have about 33 more major cities and countries to invade and Colonise in order to reach the rest of the major cities and countries of the globe! This will put us in every major area of the world from which we can spread to all the minor areas til Jesus comes! Amen? Hallelujah! Praise God! Do it!
26. I BELIEVE WE CAN PIONEER EVERY ONE OF THESE THIRTY-THREE MAJOR FIELDS THIS YEAR--1972! I believe we must pioneer them this year, or we'll be too late! I believe we have the leadership and personnel available in each of the necessary areas to begin doing the job right now, and I know that as we begin to obey and continue to obey, God will supply all the necessary needs--and more, and will bless us beyond measure for our faithfulness in fulfilling His Word! Are you with me? Do you believe it? Then let's go!
27. TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, THIS YEAR, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD DIVIDE THE WORLD INTO TWO MAJOR AREAS of operation: (1) North and South America and the Islands of the Pacific and Caribbean in one area, for which the North American leadership will be responsible, and (2) Europe, Africa and Asia, the Mediterranean and Near East in the other area, for which the European leadership should be responsible!
28. I BELIEVE THAT THIS GROWTH AND PIONEERING OF EACH NEW AREA SHOULD, AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BE STEP BY STEP FROM ONE AREA TO THE NEXT NEAREST AREA, and then on the next nearest area to that, and so on, so that none of our Colonies will become too isolated, too far from help with supply lines too long and fares to the next field too high to make them economically feasible. We have already proven this by present experience in establishing our present Colonies and in our present pioneering to be the best, easiest, most economical and most effective method of pioneering, so that as much as possible there are always other Colonies not too far away who can help with various needs of supervision, personnel, and material.
29. THIS MAY NOT ALWAYS BE POSSIBLE BECAUSE OF CERTAIN EXCEPTIONAL CONDITIONS such as hopping an ocean to establish the first beachhead on a new continent as our beginning centre of operations in a new area, as we did with London! But from this first beachhead, I believe we should grow to the next nearest target area as rapidly as possible, like stepping stones, as is even now being done in Europe by those brave pioneers. God bless them! This is obviously God's plan and method! He has directed it, led it, and blessed it-and it's working! So let's continue to do the same from both Europe and North America toward all of these target areas as rapidly as possible: Which is just as soon as each new Colony is established and going under good leadership, the pioneers should move on to the next, etc., step by step, city by city, country by country!
30. I BELIEVE THAT EACH OF THESE NEW STEPS NOW SHOULD BE IN THE DIRECTION OF EACH OF THESE NEW MAJOR TARGET AREAS! Once these major Colonies are established in each major country or city, that Colony can be held responsible for branching out into the surrounding minor areas on its own. But we must reach these major areas first, if possible, before considering branching out in the surrounding nearby minor areas. The existing established first major Colonies in these major areas can take care of the minor areas as we go, but we must try to put these major areas first, and reach them not later than this year while there's still the time, ability, and freedom to do it! Once in, no matter what happens, a little leaven will leaven the whole lump-but if we don't inject our leaven into each of these major lumps this year, we may fail to get any leaven at all into some of them!
31. FOR EXAMPLE: LONDON WAS A MAJOR BEACHHEAD TO START REACHING EUROPE, and from there Africa and Asia. But London first branched to Amsterdam, then Amsterdam to Essen, and Essen to Brussels, etc., even before starting more minor Colonies in the immediate area of England, which it is now doing, to train young leadership in pioneering, having already gotten the major areas of Europe well started.--First the major beachheads, then the normal growth in smaller branches in the minor surrounding areas of each major beachhead.
32. I AM THEREFORE GOING TO SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING PROCEDURE, as the Lord leads, for THE AMERICAS AND THE PACIFIC to endeavour to reach these major goals in their are this year: Mexico City, from Texas, San Juan, Puerto Rico, from New York, the cheapest fare into the Caribbean. From Puerto Rico, a team could hitchhike by island boat to Jamaica, and another to Trinidad, and from Trinidad, to Caracas, Venezuela, and Colombia. From there, the next steps should be: Rio, Buenos Aires, and Santiago, the major cities and countries of South America. From Hawaii, we should send teams to Tokyo, Manila, Vietnam, Australia, and New Zealand. These are the major areas of the Pacific and East Indies and Latin America, from which each of these Colonies can spread to any other minor nearby areas, as the Lord leads!
33. EUROPE SHOULD CONTINUE TO REACH OTHER NEARBY MAJOR OBJECTIVES AS RAPIDLY AS THEIR FAITH AND FORCES PERMIT, particularly the following major objectives: Paris, Zurich, Rome, Madrid, Crete, Cyprus, Turkey, and India. In AFRICA, they should reach, besides, Casablanca and Liberia, Johannesburg, Salisbury, and Nairobi, if possible, God Willing. And while in the MEDITERRANEAN area, I forgot to mention also Beirut and Cairo, as the Lord leads. Many of these in the European and Mediterranean and African areas can be reached much more cheaply by third class boat than by air, and it's even possible to go to India by charter bus--you'll find the ads in the London papers every day for the poor Indians! What an overland trip that would be!--I think it takes a week or two and you go by land all the way right through Communist-dominated East Europe, etc. Wow! Think of the countries you'd visit and the people you'd meet if you survived it! And you can go anywhere in the Mediterranean area by boat, with your stateroom and meals all paid for on a several days' cruise for less than half of what it costs you to fly! We know!--We've done it! Keep moving, Europe! GBY!
34. MEANWHILE, AMERICA, YOU CAN ALSO FINISH INVADING AND COLONISING SUCH MAJOR CITIES as Philadelphia, Washington, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Rochester, Norfolk, Memphis, Phoenix, and a Mexican team in San Antonio, etc. And what about one in Alaska this Summer!
35. WELL, THAT ABOUT DOES IT, OR SHOULD DO IT WITH THE LORD'S HELP, by the end of this year, if you'll keep trusting God, following Jesus, lovin' the kids, and dyin' to save 'em. Joel says we also gotta get into Moab, Ammon and Edom, and also rebuild the Temple and conquer the whole world, so we'd better get busy! I don't know about that, but I sure know we've gotta go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature, and from what the Lord told me the other day, we're gonna do it! Praise the Lord! (Mk.16:15)
36. I WAS READING ONE OF THE MANY NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ABOUT US recently, and commenting that we had certainly delivered our souls to the churches, as our message is being heard world wide through the news media, even in controversy, when suddenly the Lord spoke: "Said I not unto thee that I WOULD MAKE THEE AS AN ENSIGN TO THE NATIONS, and that thy word should go forth as water covereth the sea, until ALL NATIONS SHALL HEAR the words of David!" Hallelujah! Praise God! They can't stop our Rain! So let's keep Reigning! Glory! (Is.11:12)
37. IF YOU HAVE THE FAITH TO MAKE A LARGER JUMP TO ONE OF THESE MAJOR AREAS, leaping over the others between, as we've done to Jerusalem and Liberia, and you have the burden and leading for it and the personnel with what it takes, like you've suggested, Ho, to India, etc., and can get charter fares that cheap, and can live there that cheaply, I'd say go ahead, as the Lord leads! Do it now, if you can! The quicker we reach'em all, the better! I have named these particular major targets because they are the leading countries and capitals and major cities of these various continents, and once you're established there, you're bound to spread to the minor areas between. But WE NEED TO REACH THESE GOALS THIS YEAR if we're going to survive long enough to reach the rest in the difficult days to come! We need to go as far and as fast as we can, now, while it's still fairly easy and possible, BEFORE THERE'S SOME MAJOR NATIONAL OR WORLD-WIDE EMERGENCY WHICH MIGHT SLOW US DOWN and make travel, freedom, financing, and witnessing more difficult--such as a world Communist take over, and the collapse of Western Governments! Do it now! God bless you! He's with you!
38. TESTING NEW LEADERSHIP IN SMALL COLONIES TO PREPARE THEM TO TAKE OVER THESE NEW COLONIES after they're established, is fine. BUT SEND YOUR VERY BEST TOP PIONEER LEADERSHIP TO PIONEER them, if possible, top talent like Faith and Abraham and others who've been doing it in Europe. However, we've had brand new young leaders who never even led a Colony before pioneering brand new Colonies all by themselves with very little help all over the States and Canada, so, little is much if God is in it, and nothing is impossible with God, and all things are possible to him that believeth! He'll go with you to the End of the world! Hallelujah! (Mk.10:27; 9:23; Mt.28:20)
39. NOW HERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS FOR THE LOGISTICAL DETAILS OF THIS YEAR'S WORLD CONQUEST, HOW TO PLAN, RELEGATE RESPONSIBILITY, HOW TO START, AND HOW TO ADVANCE STEP BY STEP, GOD WILLING. First of all, I would suggest that in addition to our present Regions the following approximate Regions be established; prospectively thus, or as the Lord may lead: The Caribbean Region, including the Islands of the West Indies, the North Shore of South America, and perhaps Central America. Since the cheapest route into this area by air is from New York to Puerto Rico (with the exception, of course, of reaching the Bahamas from Florida), and since the predominant language of the area is Spanish and English, I would suggest that also, since Benjamin of New York has already been placed in charge of overseeing the transportation of our overseas teams and is being funded for the same, and, as I understand it, already has a number of Spanish speaking workers in his area ready to be shipped wherever needed, that Ben, therefore, be placed in charge of this advance into the Caribbean and South America, and to right now begin to organize teams for these two major regions and endeavour now to find qualified leadership for them who are burdened for these areas, feel called to them, have the faith for them, and really want to go, to see the youth of these areas reached with the Gospel, and willing to make any sacrifice to do so even unto death!
40. SINCE THE CARIBBEAN IS WITHIN EASY ACCESS OF NEARBY SUPERVISORY LEADERSHIP and therefore fairly easy to supply with personnel and material, this would be the easier of the two areas to supervise and help, and your team should be chosen accordingly. However, since the South American team for Rio, Buenos Aires, and Santiago will be extremely far removed by great distance from North American supervision, that team will have to be the stronger of the two, able to stand on its own with very little supervision and very little help, especially in the way of costly transportation for personnel supply or changes.
41. THIS SOUTH AMERICAN FIELD WILL BE AS FAR REMOVED FROM NEW YORK AS INDIA IS FROM LONDON, SO, AS SUGGESTED BEFORE, SUCH EXTREMELY DISTANT FIELDS so far from their home bases will be very costly to send, difficult to supply, difficult to supervise, and therefore, must have some of the very strongest of teams, experienced, capable, and well able to stand on their own and operate by the help of God under tried and proven leadership of experienced pioneers who have already definitely shown by previous demonstration that they are able to do such a job, and their, little team able to carry on virtually alone. They will not be able to be running back and forth for help or requesting frequent assistance, distant personnel changes, etc. They're gonna have to be like paratroopers dropped in the midst of hostile enemy territory with very little communication or supplies or help, and almost able to live off the land, and with the great faith to do so. They're not gonna be able to depend on lengthy and expensive telephone talks for every decision and move they make, nor a quick sending of helpers to the rescue. These distant teams are going to have to be strictly strong survival teams with ability and faith to get along on their own and dependent entirely on the Lord. So plan accordingly! Neither will they be able to run home frequently for this or that, but must be prepared to stay and die there if need be, prepared to say farewell, til Jesus comes, if necessary!
42. THE SAME SHOULD BE TRUE OF THE TEAMS BEING SENT INTO THE PACIFIC REGIONS, such as Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, the East Indies, Australia, New Zealand, and the other Islands of the sea, Since Justin is already in Hawaii, he could be Supervisor for these Pacific Regions, God willing, if he proves himself as a strong leader in his present pioneering experience. Otherwise, a very strong leader will have to be sent to Hawaii who can supervise these entire Pacific Regions. Here again, transportation will be a tremendous problem, but not too great for the Lord!--So we should give this area all the help we can. We are going to try to help these teams reach these distant places as much as we can, or they're going to have to raise their own before they go, but once there, they're going to have to pretty much shift for themselves.
43. THE PRESENT EUROPEAN LEADERSHIP WILL HAVE TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR organising and supervising teams for the Eastern Mediterranean Region and the African and Indian Regions, D.V.
WORLD CONQUEST!--THRU' LOVE!
44. THE PRAYERFUL SELECTION OF ALL THESE TEAMS SHOULD BEGIN AT ONCE. The most likely candidates should be encouraged to volunteer and be chosen for their proven, self sacrificial love for the lost; their very close spiritual link with the Lord; their tested ability to be led by Him in major decisions in the absence of any other leadership; their proven leadership ability in having a loving concern for their under-shepherds and sheep; an ability to get along with them and lead them aright; as well as to win souls.
45. THE LEADERS OF THESE TEAMS MUST ALSO HAVE A GREAT DEAL OF WISDOM and common sense about the practical affairs of transportation, Government relationships, good public relations, good business sense and good management ability in caring for his flock in the everyday things of life, as well as teaching and spiritual leadership. He must certainly have also studied up as much as possible on a thorough preliminary knowledge of his prospective field and its people and the conditions to expect there in order that he might be prepared for them, including a usable knowledge of their language and a familiarity with their customs, religions, taboos, laws, practices, attitudes towards his nationality, etc., as much as possible, God Willing.
46. LET ME EMPHASIS HERE THE PRE-EMINENT REQUISITE FOR ANY SUCH TEAM-OR FOR ANY TEAM, FOR THAT MATTER--OR FOR ANYONE IN THE REVOLUTION--must be the same driving passion which motivated the Apostle Paul and all the Apostles and all the martyrs and every great man or woman of God--in fact, that irresistible compassion which should motivate every Child of God in everything they do, everything you say, everywhere you go, with everybody, and which that great fanatical Apostle summed up in these few famous and ringing words which have cried out from the heart of every true Christian in every true good deed he has ever done, and for which indeed he is willing to die: "THE LOVE OF CHRIST constraineth us!" (2Cor.5:14)
47. "FOR GOD IS LOVE!" Beloved, let us LOVE ONE ANOTHER: for Love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is Love. In this was manifested the Love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is Love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. ... (1Jn.4:7-11)
48. "IF WE LOVE one another, God dwelleth in us and His Love is perfected in us ... and we have known and believed the Love that God hath to us. God is Love, and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect ... because as He is, so are we in this world. ... We love Him because He first loved us ... and this commandment have we from Him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. ... By this we know that we love the Children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments." "This is My commandment, That ye LOVE ONE ANOTHER, as I have loved you." (1Jn.4:12,16,17,20,21; 5:12; Jn.15:12)
49. "FOR GOD SO LOVED the world that He gave His only begotten Son," and "God commendeth His Love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." "Hereby perceive we the Love of God: because He laid down His life for us, we ought to LAY DOWN OUR LIVES FOR THE BRETHREN." "Greater love hath no man than this, than a man LAY DOWN HIS LIFE FOR HIS FRIENDS." "LOVE ONE ANOTHER as I have loved you, ... By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples." "Behold what manner of Love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God!" (Jn.3:16; Ro.5:8; 1Jn.3:16; Jn.13:34,35; 1Jn.3:1)
50. "THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT IS LOVE", "because the Love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost." "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart. ... This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." "For ALL THE LAW IS FULFILLED IN ONE WORD, EVEN THIS: THOU SHALT LOVE." "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even your faith," but it is "faith which worketh; by LOVE." Therefore "we are more than conquerors through Him that loved!"--For "the greatest of these is LOVE!"--"LOVEST thou Me? ... FEED My Sheep!"--"And His banner over me was LOVE"! Win with LOVE! (Gal.5:22; Ro.5:5; Mt.22:37-40; Gal.5:14; 1Jn.5:4; Gal.5:6; Ro.8:37; 1Cor.13:13; Jn.21:15-17; SOS.2:4)
51. IF YOU CAN'T EVEN LOVE YOUR BROTHER OR SISTER, YOUR HUSBAND OR WIFE, YOUR LEADER OR FOLLOWER, OR YOUR MOTHER OR FATHER WHOM YE HAVE SEEN, HOW ARE YOU GOING TO LOVE GOD OR HIS HEATHEN CHILDREN WHOM YE HAVE NOT SEEN?--Especially when his looks, language, and customs will be so different from yours! If you can't win souls here, you're certainly not going to be able to win them in some other country under even more difficult conditions! JUST TRANSPORTING YOU ACROSS THE OCEAN IS NOT GOING TO MAKE A MISSIONARY OF YOU if you can't love the folks in your own back yard, and just sending you to some foreign country is not going to make a leader out of you if you had no concern for your neighbour at home, and no tender loving care for the sheep of your former fold! (1Jn.4:20)
52. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE A MISSIONARY UNLESS YOU LOVE THEM ENOUGH TO DIE FOR THEM.
"Ah, sweet mystery of life, at last I have found thee!
Ah, at last I've found the reason for it all!
Ah, 'TIS LOVE AND LOVE ALONE THE WHOLE WORLD YEARNS FOR!
And 'tis love that bids them heed Thy call!"
Hallelujah! Love conquers all, and to win some, you must be winsome and willing to become all things to all men that ye might win some. Love loves the unlovely and casts a veil over countless sins! Love prefers the happiness of others to your own. It's hard for you to see anything good in someone you don't love, but if your really love someone, it's much easier to overlook and forgive their faults. (1Cor.9:22; Pr.10:12)
53. MAYBE THIS IS WHAT'S WRONG WITH SOME OF YOUR MARRIAGES!--You don't really love each other.--And if you don't, you don't have the Love of God because His Love can love anybody, even your enemies! Love begets love, and we love Him because He first loved us! Ask God to help you love them with His Love which passeth all understanding! Love is not blind.--It has an extra spiritual eye which sees the good and possibilities that others cannot see! Ask God for His Love for each other, or you'll never make it--as a marriage or a missionary! Only the Love of Christ can constrain you! (Mt.5:44; 1Jn.4:19; Phil.4:7; 2Cor.5:14)
54. ONLY GOD'S LOVE WILL MAKE YOU STRONG ENOUGH TO MAKE IT--CHRIST IN YOU, the hope of Glory! Then you can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth you! But if you have any other motive, you'll fail!--You'll fail your leaders, you'll fail your followers--and you'll fail the Lord! BUT LOVE NEVER FAILS!--"But whether there be prophecies they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away"--But "love never fails!" Do you want to be successful for the Lord and with others?--Love, and you can't lose--for love never fails! Do you want the key to every heart?--Try love!--It never fails, because God is Love, and it's impossible for Him to fail! (Col.1:27; Phil.4:13; 1Cor.13:8)
55. IF YOU GO IN GOD'S LOVE, YOU CANNOT HELP BUT WIN THEM, AS SO MANY OF YOU ALREADY HAVE. You have already found out that GOD'S LOVE IS THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING: It saves souls, forgives sins, satisfies hearts, purifies minds, redeems bodies, wins friends, and makes life worth living. It's the only Truth, the only Way, and the only Peace! LOVE worketh no ill to his neighbour: you'll not curse him, cheat him, steal from him, or lie to him, if you love him--much less hurt him! You also won't run up his telephone bill--or give him hep, VD, or Hongkong flu by kissing him on the mouth when you're sick! Love even prevents accidents! I gave a safety lecture in college once on how that most traffic accidents are caused by a lack of love, and consideration for the other guy, believe it or not. So not only wars, but slaughter on the highways is caused by pride, selfishness, and lack of love. So a lot of our recent troubles with parents, backsliders, and our recent rash of disease and accidents have undoubtedly been caused by lack of love and the consequent breaking of His Commandments--for IF YOU LOVE HIM, YOU'LL OBEY HIM and avoid these! (Ja.4:1; Jn.14:15,23)
56. SO THE ONLY WAY TO WIN THE WORLD, THE YOUTH OF THIS GENERATION, IS WITH THE LOVE OF JESUS!--Which we're doing and showing as we're going, and WE'LL KEEP ON WINNING IF WE KEEP ON LOVING them with His Love, Praise the Lord. So make each new step to each new country a loving step, and let each new leader be a loving leader, and each new Colony a loving one!--And we cannot fail. Praise His Name! For LOVE NEVER FAILS! Let's win the world with His Love! LOVE your way in, through, out and around it!--LONG LIVE LOVE!
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family}
