FSM 245 / FN 354 Special PER Issue!--Copyrighted October, 1993, by Family Services, Zurich, Switzerland
Side by Side!
More Testimonies of Adults Who've Moved Over to Make Room for the Next Generation!
(PTL! Terrific! Wonderful! Inspiring! Thrilling! WOW! GBY! Thanks! ILY!--D.)
From Ahlai, U.S.A.
I am sold on YA Shepherding Teamworks!--YAs on DFing, PR, reaching the top & provisioning, too. Having them on these teams is like having a sample that is worth a thousand words. I'll never forget when this dawned on me & made a definite change in my life & current ministry. I had just moved to my present Home & was working in follow-up. I had made contact with a top organisation by phone & an appointment was set to meet the directors. It was a pretty important appointment that could really help our Work not only to get started with opportunities for personal witnessing in this area, but also with food & other needs. I had been used to carrying the ball in this kind of thing, or working with another adult to lean on & teamwork with. Sad to say, I didn't really discover personally what solid teamworkers the teens & YAs were until there just weren't any adults free for that job, as our Home had just three available adults & all the rest were teens & YAs!
Before the appointment I prayed the Lord would help me get out of the way & let the YAs shine. I prayed that He would help me not be a bore & do all the talking, which I'm sure can be very frustrating for the YAs & teens, & I determined that He had to help me change gears in my life.
I went to the appointment with Jason (21) & Regina (16). They made sure we were on time & had tools. They had the car all checked & ready to go & provisioned gas on our way. I was amazed at their vision & ideas for the appointment, which we talked & prayed about on the way, getting all filled up with the subject.
When we got there, I introduced our Work only briefly as I'd already talked on the phone with the lady we were meeting, & then let the teens go right into telling their background testimonies, which are always powerful. Then Jason pulled out the Home photo album & began explaining our Work. When the director would look back to me with a question, I saw the impact it had when I would direct her question to the young people: "Well, Regina, what have you personally been involved with since arriving here?" And if there was a pause in the conversation, instead of jumping in right away, I'd ask the teens questions & try to set them up if they needed help in carrying the ball.
I knew it was a success when the eye contact with our friend ceased to be with me, but rather was transferred to them. As I sat back in the chair, I actually saw the mantle pass to these young people, & it's changed my life & witnessing to where I now don't want to go anywhere without them! It shed a new light on one of my favourite quotes from "Follow God": "It's wonderful, it's thrilling when you realise that you don't have to do it!"--because now our young people are doing it!
Back at home, there was the same anointing on the YAs. I had just moved to this Home & was having my first real hands-on experience teamworking with the YAs. It was at a time when I was going through some breakings in my life, as I had been an Area Shepherd, but in my heart I was still really clinging to any position, any last straw of seeming worth (with a title) & I at least wanted to hang on to being on a Home Teamwork! LHM! Then I was asked if I would like to go on fulltime DFing & come off of the Teamwork, as a new YA couple was moving in to do that particular job! This at first was quite difficult for my old bottle! Ha! But that is when I grew the most in my relationship with the Lord. And it was the YAs on that Teamwork who were the biggest encouragement to me during that time, & really helped pull me through. They were always so sweet & respectful!
I knew it was harder on them to shepherd me than it was on me to be shepherded by them, & that I needed to get the victory even for their sakes! I didn't say much, but I knew the sweet YAs were watching me & I needed to be a sample! They are just naturally very considerate & submissive & won't take the lead over us unless we let them know we are all for it--if not, they could feel like nothing more than figureheads, which is all they'll be if we don't move over!
Our Teamwork would very gingerly ask me to do things that would come up or explain things, & their sweet attitude really broke my heart. I saw that I needed to make it easy for them to be good by asking them to please correct me & inform me if I've erred, & letting them know that I'm available for whatever. Going on the attack made it more open & fun, & helped us establish a more intimate relationship together, which I really value now & has been a real strength to me.
Out of that Gethsemane the Lord had other plans for me that really outdid my greatest expectations, just like it says in "Getting Organised". Because I was then free & available, He let me get launched into a fulltime provisioning & DFing ministry that I otherwise would never have had the time or freedom to do!--And we know from the Word that there is no unemployment in God's Kingdom--we just have to believe it! There were certain projects that the Lord needed us adults for, but you can't launch out on the sea unless you let go of the shore. The thrilling pioneering of DFing & provisioning here has truly been proof of His promises! We have a particularly strong & mature group of YAs shepherding our Home, a young 21-year-old, his YA wife, & another YA sister on the Teamwork. One thing that I think has brought this about has been the responsibility that has been entrusted to them over the years--leading teams at 14 & 15, heading up a kitchen at 13 & 14, teaching & overseeing childcare at an early age, much the same as Dad's first teens. All of our young people could be as used if we continue to give them as much as they can handle at early ages (with good oversight by the clinical method, of course), & get out of the way ourselves.
In many cases, they have also had more "flexibility training" & more rough edges knocked off than some of us adults, as some of us have worked on our own, possibly in shepherding positions, for years. But what I've seen here is that the training our young people have received has given them special understanding, patience & a healthy fear of the Lord to stay in line & operate in prayer, meekness & faith, which really shows in their shepherding & administration. For years they have been overseen & brought up in the admonition of the Lord, especially during their teen years. They've either gone through major trainings themselves or seen their peers go through many renewals, purges, Victor programmes, tighten-ups & just general good Christian upbringing, & they have profited greatly by these ups & downs.
Another thing to mention that's a big plus for all of us in the Home, both young & older, is that our YA Teamwork is so much fun! They generate a lot of fun & enthusiasm serving the Lord day to day, which everyone appreciates. The teens are more inspired, as well as the children, & it is just a thrill to be around people this age! When we heard a few weeks ago that our YA Teamwork couple may be going on to another Area I was very excited for them, but I immediately started praying in my heart for more YAs to take their place in the Teamwork, as it's really a hard act to follow for any older couple who could possibly be asked to come take their place! YAs are just such a revolution to the Revolution!
In closing, I asked my 17-year-old son what he thought about this subject of YAs moving into shepherding our Homes & if he had anything to add to this article. His reply was simple & says it all. "It's change," he said. "It's just doing what Grandpa's said for years we should do--to keep changing."
Much love, Ahlai
How I Learned to Work with Teens
From French Philip, South America
To be honest, when I was first asked to work with teens, I wasn't that enthusiastic about it. It was at the time of the South American YES, & although I really enjoyed being a Room Shepherd & treasured the time spent with them, as soon as the YES was over I could hardly wait to get back to "my" job. Well, to make a long story short, I wanted things "my way" & did everything I could not to be involved in teen shepherding.
As I went back to the field, it seemed that the Lord was leading the Work to be more teen-oriented, & as we were opening a School (at the time of the School Vision), I was really hoping not to be invited to work with them, nor asked to go to the School. When it was suggested for me to take teens on the road, I basically refused to do it & ran the other way. LHM! To sum it up, I was a real flatlander & just didn't have the vision for teens, didn't understand teens, nor really know how to relate to teens. I guess the Lord had patience with me & took the time to teach me some very needed lessons of yieldedness & submission, which led me to a teen training centre.
There a miracle happened, & the Lord did break my heart for the teens. Although I had a lot to learn, I could suddenly see them in a whole new light. As I started to work on a Teamwork with YAs, I realised how much potential they had. Of course, this is nothing new--Dad has said that over & over--but I guess I was pretty thick-headed & slow to learn. I have to say that working with the YAs, the JETTs & the teens at the Training Centre was one of my most rewarding & thrilling times in the Family. I just opened my heart to them & really took them in as my own children. I learned to understand them & realised that they actually were very needy & hungry for love, appreciation & encouragement.
As I started to work on the Teamwork with different YAs, I learned to really appreciate them as well as realise that they are the future of this Family. As the Lord gave me a real love for them, it was then easy to have faith for them & trust them to make decisions, giving them the authority to move & grow. I learned a lot at this time & it really drove me to the Word, especially to Dad's sample--how he was so faithful to turn the Revolution over to us when we were still teens & YAs. Dad is the perfect sample of "how to" for this situation. This is a real key while working with YAs & teens--to get out of the way, to have faith & a "can-be-done" spirit.
It's actually a funny thing how they are adults, but they also are in some ways teens who need a father (or mother) & shepherding themselves. It is sometimes hard for them to get along with adults, if those adults have not realised yet that there are "no adults nor teens in Christ Jesus", but that we are all disciples & we need to respect & appreciate one another. These kids are the Revolution for Jesus & our future. It is so important for us adults to step aside & let them do it.
In my case, I have seen that they can do things much better & much more efficiently than I can. They have good ideas, initiative, inspiration, faith & drive. Most of them have received very good training & have been exposed to a lot of good input. On the other hand, you cannot just drop everything in their laps & walk off, as sometimes they can't really take too much pressure & need help to get adjusted to more responsibility than they've had before.--But that's all they need--a little help. A lot like Dad explains in "Aries, the Ram", you have to be there to catch them when they fall, shepherding them without making it too obvious, & mostly really loving them & encouraging them. Keeping things up front as well as having a good open channel of communication is vital, as it helps when you have to correct them or point things out.
I know this is their day & they are here to shine. The Revolution needs everyone! That's how we are going to win this war--by fighting it together, side by side!
Much love, Philip
No Longer Threatened, but Thrilled!
From Mercy (of Martin), South America
Dad's latest counsel in "Teaching the Children" as well as my working with the teens & YAs lately has made the counsel in "Let'em Do It" come alive for me as never before! As these young, highly trained & energetic, dynamic disciples mature & bud, what else can we do but give them a chance to step to the front & do it!
I must admit, though, this concept alarmed me a few years ago, as I personally felt threatened & felt I would lose my place of service. But I can now see that there is no other challenge for them but to step forward & fulfil their role in this final Endtime drama. We adults can't even meet the need of shepherding all these up-&-coming JETTs. So it takes a big burden off of us adults to be able to pass on & delegate things to the YAs & teens.
It's thrilling to watch their personal problems fall into insignificance as they step forward courageously to meet these new challenges! I can also see that launching them on the System is like presenting irrefutable proof of our Message to the incredulous majority of today's World.
As I've watched senior & junior teens & YAs take over jobs that I've done in the past (such as secretarial work, sending messages, scheduling, helping to shepherd the JETTs), or even ones I have never done (such as the Home's finances), I've seen them blossom & mature the way that only those given responsibility can. They learn to appreciate the adults' roles all these years, & they are learning how to work with us & include us as we now have begun to include them in the decision making & execution of these decisions.
I certainly no longer feel threatened, but rather thrilled, to see these kids that we've poured into for so long step to the front to fulfil their destiny--not alone, as that might be too heavy a load for them, but with us encouraging them & backing them up & offering counsel where needed.
Much love, Mercy
My Exciting New Role
From Jenny (formerly Hannah), South America
By far one of the most thrilling & fulfilling experiences for me in coming to the field, after having been in a Unit with only adults & children for many years, has been the opportunity to meet, work with & live with our young people. This was not without some initial apprehension. At first it was a little scary because I didn't know what to expect. I was especially concerned about whether I would relate, or be an "old bottle", or if I would experience a generation gap. I think at first I had the idea that I had to "be a teen" to relate, but that was a little hard & I think even funny to live up to at 36, ha!
Over the months I have felt that the Lord has wanted me to grow into a completely new job of the backstage variety. In order to support the young people in the job that the Lord has groomed & prepared them for all these years, He wanted me to mature into something else also.
At first the Enemy came in with lots of thoughts like, "You're old & washed up"; "You're ready for the junk pile." But the Lord often reminded me of how Dad acted with us & the things he said in Letters like "Diamonds of Dust"--that it is the diamonds that the Lord wants to use to sparkle & shine, not the carpet on the floor. In the Letter he likened himself to the carpet on the floor & how ridiculous it would be for him to try to jump up into the limelight.
Also in another Letter, Dad says, "I just lit your fuse & you exploded." That's just the way I feel about our dear young people. I am learning how thrilling it is to "let'm do it" & just watch & see what new & exciting thing the Lord will do. It is a real relief in the sense that our job of reaching the World for Jesus & the many facets of our Work are so vast that it is sometimes overwhelming to think of accomplishing it all.
It was funny how when first coming to the field from my former role behind the scenes, I also thought I needed to provide a lot of "rah-rah" as a Shepherd to get everyone inspired. I felt very incapable of doing this, which then made me feel old! But the more I have personally gotten to know some of our teens & YAs, I have been impressed by their capability, training & potential; I've seen that the main need is not for me to try to do everything, but to provide an opportunity for them to put their abilities into practice.
For instance, I was faced with having to plan the main meeting for our monthly prayer day & my first reaction was, "Oh dear, how am I ever going to come up with something that is inspiring enough for the teens?" Then I realised that all I needed to do was teamwork with some of them on the planning & it worked out great, as they came up with just about all the ideas, which made it real simple. It was such a relief, strength & blessing to simply ask them.
I often feel a little burdened with the many cares of this life--the kids, the schooling, the finances, the schedule, etc., etc., so it has been a super blessing, inspiration & strength to partake of the young people's "can-be-done", "let's-try", "the-sky's-the-limit" spirit. Their enthusiasm, energy, new ideas & suggestions have been a real good step forward in many areas, which I really appreciate & know I need.
It has been so fulfilling & simply thrilling for me to see how the former little tots have grown into thinking, mature, concerned adults who have a deep desire to serve the Lord, who want to do more for Him & by no means have to be coaxed to do so. Much to the contrary, it seems the main problem is my limited vision holding them back from stepping out & doing more! I have found it real liberating, refreshing & rewarding to implement their ideas & see them work & bear fruit.
The saddest thing is when I find out that I underestimated someone's potential & frustrated them & what they could be doing for the Lord. I know I do this at times, as much as I don't want to. I think I am just learning & growing myself in this new role of working together, mixing our adult experience & spiritual endurance with the teens' fire, strength, faith & ideas. With the Lord's help we can all be what He wants us to be, & He is making us into an unbeatable team!
The Lord often brings to my mind how I met the Family at 15 & right then & there decided what I was going to do with my entire life. To think that after 15 years of System training I was capable of taking a stand against the System & making a decision like this, & then to compare this with how I sometimes tend to "baby" our own young people makes me ashamed! But Lord help me, I think little by little I am learning.
I often feel very convicted to think how when I was 21--just barely an adult--Dad made me a KQS (King & Queen's Servant--the title for a top leader at that time, similar to a CRO today). I had never even been a Home Shepherd, & looking back now, I know that this took a lot of faith in the Lord. So who am I not to have that same faith in the Lord in our young people who are far more capable! It makes me cry to think how much faith Dad invested in us (& me personally) & how much more faith & trust I should have in our young people who have had so much more training.
Another area that I feel I am learning in is to realise at what point teens & YAs are ready to take responsibility. I've seen that this is a gradual process & therefore needs to be started early--the sooner the better, & often much sooner than we tend to think. We need our younger generation to have the experience of not just being helpers, but carrying responsibility as soon as they are capable, in all aspects of our life--from shepherding to teaching, from outreach to office work, etc.--simply because there is so much to do.
This is another trial I had to face, the typical lie: "Oh, they are going to take over & I will be useless."--Whereas the Bible teaches us that "the harvest is plenteous & the labourers are few." As a Family we can cut off our nose to spite our face if we do not pour all we can into our young people & expect them to help shoulder the big job there is to do.
Hallelujah! I feel we are just beginning to embark on a whole new exciting era of our Family & I am very, very thankful to be part of it & see the many things that Dad has said about our young people come to pass. PTL!
Love, Jenny
"Rolling Over"--The Story of Jaziz
By Ricky, Pacific (now in U.S.A.)
Once upon a time, a long, long time ago in the early days of our Family, there was a young man named Jaziz. He joined the Family at Fifth & Towne, a building Fred Jordan had let us use, in Los Angeles. There were some real on-fire inspirations at night in the evenings, where Jeremy Spencer, Singin' Sam, & others played in a band. After all the battles & burdens of the day, this was a time to look forward to in Jaziz's life, as all the disciples would get really turned on & filled with the Spirit & out of themselves, singing & dancing to the Lord with the music & rhythm of this band.
Soon after, he was off to Babes' Ranch to receive his Basic Revolutionary Discipleship Training. It was during this time at Babes' Ranch that the Shepherds decided to start a band to help inspire the disciples. Having had experience playing folk-type music before joining, Jaziz was picked to be in this band. They started off simple & learned many Family songs such as, "Oh, In the Sky", "Honk Honk Hallelujah", & the Lord blessed the Colony with lots of fun & exciting inspirations. But Jaziz really admired those musicians in the band that he had seen when he first joined, & continually looked back to their sample, hoping someday he would be able to play as well as they could.
After he graduated from Babes' Ranch, it was announced that a team was going to go off to pioneer New York City, & the band from the Babes' Ranch was needed to come with them. So Jaziz went along. It wasn't an easy thing pioneering New York & there wasn't much opportunity for this band to play, as they mostly did personal witnessing & provisioning. But the Lord did many wonderful miracles.
Soon a place opened up for them to use as a base, & the inspirations started again. The drums, electric guitars & amplifiers came out of storage, & the brethren started singing & praising the Lord after dinner to the sound of the music, & having some real fun & inspiring inspirations!
Next thing you know, Jaziz & the band were off to travel & live in a bus, completely by faith, with very few Dollars to get them started. They travelled the northeast United States for seven months, hitting different rock festivals & concerts & discos--just about anywhere where they could find an open door to play & sing our songs of warning against the sins of America & the coming judgements of God!
At that time, there was a magazine the Family put out called "The New Nation News". Looking through the different testimonies, Jaziz always picked out the ones that talked about the bands!--The LA band, the Atlanta band, the Cincinnati band. He especially looked for testimonies that talked about "The New York Band". He wanted to see his name in the paper! Ha!
Although he wasn't even that skilled in music or in song-writing, nor had he had the experience of the other musicians in the Family, Jaziz wanted to become famous in the Family, a famous musician or rock star within the Family, & it was his personal ambition that led to many difficult & unsatisfying years to come in his life.
Times were changing, & Family bands broke up for a few years. Then a major push was started to open Family discos in major cities, to help reach the lost through personal witnessing & dancing, music & skits. This is when the New York Disco Band was formed, & Jaziz was asked to help. The Lord really blessed this form of outreach, as many disciples joined, & thousands of souls were saved.
Jaziz got married & he & his wife had their first child, & after three years of playing in New York City, he was invited to travel across the Pacific to the Orient, to a country called Japan, to help in the Catacomb Kids Revolution that was being pioneered there. So immediately preparations were made & the band hit the field to raise funds.
In the meantime, over in Japan, one of the top leaders was doing a big promotion of the New York Disco Band for all the Catacomb Kids. He got them all worked up by showing films from New York of the band playing. These 13- & 14- & 15-year-old Japanese kids were getting real excited about having this "American Band" come & play for them.
The first time the Band played at a Catacomb Kids Party, it was unbelievable how the kids were jumping up & down & screaming & yelling, just as if the Beatles were playing! This really went to Jaziz's head. It made him feel like he had really become a "star" in the Family; he'd really made it, he thought. He was hoping that the news would be broadcast to all the Homes in the World, so everybody would know that Jaziz had finally become a famous rock star in the Family. But as the Bible says, "Pride cometh before a fall", & it wasn't long before the Lord started chipping away at this terrible root of pride in Jaziz's heart.
Meanwhile, their second child was born & soon a third! Off playing at different concerts, with a lot of witnessing & excitement & acclaim, his wife was home with her hands full--feeding the children, & washing their dirty diapers in buckets of water, in a Home with no flush toilets. She was learning to become the mother that God was teaching her to be.
Apparently the leadership saw the damage that had been done in Jaziz's life from his being lifted up in pride. He had built his house on the wrong foundation, & now it needed to be torn down & rebuilt. So he was asked to step out of the band, go back to his home & help his wife take care of his three children. Needless to say, this was a real killer for Jaziz, as it was so hard for him to yield to the Lord's remoulding of his life.
He went through huge trials of envy of the other band members, & criticism against his leadership, that eventually took him out of the Home & off to pioneer other parts of Japan with just his little family. Time passed & resentment built up. He put away his guitar & didn't pick it up for three years. Sometimes he would open his guitar case & find that his guitar was all mouldy! If only Jaziz could have let go of his own ideas of what he wanted to be & let the Lord mould & break him for His Own purpose, these hard, difficult years could have been so much more beautiful--being with his little family, learning to love & grow together & witness to the lost.
The years passed & Jaziz was used a little bit here & there. Soon he had six children of his own & he was busy busking & singing with them every day, witnessing & winning souls, & also raising support for his Home & for expensive visa trips that his family had to take across vast oceans. He still hadn't found that total fulfilment in his life, but deep inside, he still longed to be somebody in music, instead of just being happy with what the Lord had him doing.
When the Music with Meaning Show began, a local language radio show started in Japan, & this is when Jaziz was asked once again to come & help & be part of the Combo that was producing it. He thought, "Wow, this is my chance again! I can start singing & recording in the studio & be on radio, & be famous!" But the Lord still wasn't pleased with that attitude, after all these years of trying to get through to him, & it turned out that his main ministry was to take the children of the musicians out witnessing every day, to help support the Home so they could produce the radio program. This caused him to get real bitter towards the leader of the Home & that bitterness eventually led him out once again, & off to pioneer an isolated city, just to get away from all leadership & get away from everybody!
The next two years were dry & hard, as Jaziz started teaching English part-time & witnessing only part-time with his kids. Life for him & his family became very uninspired, with no vision or goals. This was one of the lowest times in Jaziz's life, as he seemed so isolated from the Spirit & from the fellowship of the Family. He & his wife had been having big problems; he was drinking heavily & working for the System.
Thank the Lord, the darkest hour is just before dawn! The Lord in His mercy sent Faithy & Maggie to Japan, where they held some meetings. Jaziz got some major victories in his life through wonderful deliverances from bitterness, & other major NWOs. He got re-inspired & got the vision again to really give his all to the Lord! He forsook all, dropped out of his job & he moved into the newly pioneered National Combo with his family.
Because of the new Door-to-Door Tape push, a studio was built & different well-known Family musicians came in to start producing these beautiful songs. Jaziz once again saw it as an opportunity to finally get into the studio. But the Lord was way ahead of him & had other plans.
You can imagine the trials he had when the musicians would wake up in the morning & go into the studio to produce the music tracks & sing the vocals, but Jaziz wasn't invited to help. One of his Shepherds finally sat down with him & told him something that he had never realised before in his life. He said, "Jaziz, you aren't really a studio musician! You are an inspirationalist!" This was like a revelation to him!
It was sweet Faithy who heard Jaziz's heartcry & his burden of wanting to sing in the studio. She had heard from the Lord & had an idea to inspire this poor young man. She approached him one day & said, "Jaziz, would you like to take the children & start teaching them to sing & teach them harmony, because we would like to produce our first children's Tape in Japanese for DTD distribution here! You can be our children's music director!"
Now, at first this news wasn't very exciting for Jaziz, because he wanted to get into the studio, & now he was supposed to teach the children to sing, so they could get into the studio! It seemed like a rock instead of a piece of bread. The Lord gave him the grace, though, & he put his heart into it & he started teaching those kids to sing.
Some of them couldn't even carry a tune at first, but after a lot of practice & a lot of prayer & perseverance, the children started really singing beautifully & were able to record some of the children's first DTD songs in Japanese. When Dad & Mama heard those Tapes, they commissioned those same children to sing quite a few songs for the English DTD Tapes that we now have, & which are all over the World & have even gone so far as to be used in the making of our beautiful Kiddie Viddies!
Did anybody guess that the author of this article used to be Jaziz? Ha! That was me! As I look back, I see that after years & years of trying to become popular & famous in the Family myself, it was only when I stepped out of the way & began pouring everything I knew into these kids, that they have turned around & borne so much more fruit in so many different ways & reached so many more people than I could have ever reached by myself. This opportunity to pour my gifts & talents & training into the children gave me a great victory of satisfaction & fulfilment in my own life. All those years, though hard, had given me lots of experience working with children, & that has helped me to be a Shepherd to them.
Later I was asked to come to the HCS & start working with teens, but it was something I had never really done before in my life. I went through a lot of battles & lessons, & it was hard work. But something that really kept me was the vision that Dad gave us, that our teens are the future. That helped me pour my gifts & talents into them & not try to be the star myself, but to let them become the stars. I would see different adults who were very skilled & gifted & were some of the best in their ministries, with lots of "trophies" & "medals" awarded them over the years for their successes in the Family.--Yet, they didn't have the vision to turn around & pour this wealth of experience into our upcoming generation, maybe fearing that they would lose their place or their title in the Family.
This is when I realised that it was time to "roll over"!--Time for us adults to move over & let the teens get in. Start working with them & for them! Like Mama brings out in "Independence through Dependency", we can work alongside them so they can become the leaders that we needed yesterday in the Family. Let's face it, some of us are getting into our 40s, which is a new experience for us. It's also the first time we have had so many teenagers in our Family who need to get experience so that they can become the young leaders of our Revolution! We have got to catch the vision of us rolling over & letting them come in & do it, instead of hogging the stage & trying to shine ourselves. We need to push them out in front, so that we can be the ground on which they fall, & they can shine!
In professional sports, you rarely see an older, middle-aged athlete out on the field competing with the fresh younger players, do you? There comes a time when he steps off the field & puts on the cap & the whistle & becomes the coach, to train his team & lead them to become champions. In the Army, Navy or Air Force training academies, they use seasoned veterans to train the new raw recruits to make leaders out of them, & that is what we are commissioned to do in the Lord's Army. So let's get in there & do our best to help them shine! PTL! ILY!
Much Love, Ricky
Our Teens' Calling & Their Training!
Excerpts of Prophecies Received During the Fast by Teens in the Pacific & SEA
"I SHALL ENCAMP MY ANGELS 'ROUND ABOUT YOU & ye shall be My prophets of the Endtime, My prophets for now, for behold, it is the Endtime. Ye are but little children, human, & ye think yourselves weak. But it is good that ye think yourselves weak for I am all-powerful, I am the power of the Universe. If ye know Me, then ye know My power, & ye know My job & My Love, & others can partake of it. For behold, each of you must be committed, for I will call on you to give your lives for Me. Doubt this not, for it shall happen & the day shall come."
"Hear, O My children, for I have somewhat to say unto you. For ye have had many Shepherds & they have made you what you are today. Therefore despise them not, for they also have had a big part in this plan. Ye shall be used, yes, but I have used them to train you. They have fed the flock of God, which you are.--And now is your hour, it is your day & you shall burn.
"But forget them not, for I have great rewards in Heaven for them for the great job that they have done in bringing you up & rearing you in the way that you should go. Therefore be thankful to them & thank them & show your appreciation. For they have sacrificed much so that ye may be where ye are today."
"Be sober, be vigilant, for your adversary the Devil as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. For lo, My children, there are dark days ahead. Ye are walking into the darkest days that this World has ever known. The Enemy of all the children on the face of the Earth hateth you the most, for ye have My fire & ye have My life.
"But ye shall falter & fail if you do not cling to My Word. For lo, if ye could see through the eyes of the Spirit, ye would see a great cloud of evil witnesses that are trying to destroy you, & if it were not for My Word you would be destroyed.
"For he throws darts at you, darts of doubts & lies & fears & discouragement, & My forcefield of the Word must save you. Receive the Holy Spirit, for She shall guide you into all Truth & help you to understand My Word, that ye may fight the Devil in these dark days. For ye are My prophets & prophetesses of the Endtime. For lo, this is the End. This is the worst time that this World has ever known & I have chosen each one of you for a special job.
"Please, I ask you not to leave My Word. Delve into it, for it is your strength, it is your sword, it is everything which you will need. If ye leave it, the Devil will take you. Let this be a warning to you, My children.
"So many evil forces surround you even now. Ye see it not. For if the forcefield of My Word protects you, they shall not harm you. Not one hair of your head shall be touched, not one hair of your head shall be singed, & ye shall be the victors over this World & this evil generation.
"Ye are here to save them!--This is your mission, this is your time! But ye will fail if you have not My Word. The doubts will ensnare you, the doubts will overcome you. Ye have strength through the power of My Word, know ye not this? It is Spirit & life, know ye not this?
"Be not overly familiar with My Word, My children. From a child ye have known the Holy Scriptures, forsake them not. Bind them continually about thy heart & tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, they shall keep thee; when thou sleepest, they shall be with thee; when thou wakest, they shall talk with thee.
"I am entrusting you, the younger generation, to hold to My Word. Carry it with you & it will protect you from anything. Be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the Work of the Lord, inasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord."
I was seeing a vision of a group of young people, teens, JETTs & EAs, & they were underneath a great big Book, like the Word--the Letters & the Bible. They were sheltered & protected. On top of it, all these doubts & darts were falling like rain. Encircling the group of teens with the Bible over their heads was darkness.
The interpretation I got was that if we step out from underneath that umbrella & that shelter of the Word, we would get deluged with doubts & the Enemy would snatch us into that darkness if we weren't careful.
"Behold, ye are a peculiar people. I have chosen you out of so many. Ye shall not love yourself, neither the things that are of this World. The lust of the flesh & the lust of the eyes & the pride of life are not of Me. I ask you to give up yourself, your life, your desire. I need you to be strong in Me. Ye are not strong in yourself. Ye know that ye must stay close to Me.
"The life that ye have is not yours but Mine. I ask you to give it back to Me, that I may use it for My glory, not for your own sake. For it is not you that live, but Christ that liveth in you, but ye must learn what that meaneth. Ye must learn how to give, as your Father David has. He gives & continually gives. And now that he is old, he is still here because of you.
"But these are the changes I would have you make--to have even more love for Me, more love for My Word, love for lost souls, the desire to win them, love for your brothers & your sisters & your Family, love for My sheep & My little ones. See how much your Shepherds have loved you? They are putting their trust in you.
"Now take up this challenge & let go of these things that hold you back--any pride or coolness or lust of the World. Be not entangled again with the World or the things of this World, for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not of this World, they are Eternal. Look not in the flesh but see through the eyes of the Spirit.
"Take fast hold of instruction, let Her not go; keep Her, for She is thy life. Love correction, desire it. Hold it, take it in thy arms & cherish it, for it is thy life.
"That which a man soweth, that shall he also reap. To whom much hath been given, of the same shall much be required. Ye cannot just say unto Me, `Give, give,' & yet not give out to others yourselves. When you are given training & you are given responsibilities & trust is put in you, then it is your time to give. You must pour out your soul to the hungry & to the thirsty & the needy; to the parched ground you must give water.
"You have had so much water, you have been flooded with water your whole lives. You have been full to overflowing! Do not be bottled up or shut your tap off, but let it burst forth! Let it burst forth to the whole World! Do not think about yourselves & how you want this or that, but think of the people who need love, who need the water.--Those who have been searching for this all their lives.
"You do not realise the loneliness of heart that they have had to experience. You have never had to experience the harshness of the World, the coldness & hardness of others. You have never had to experience a lack of love or concern. Your Shepherds & teachers & friends have had concern for you all your lives. What is it to you to give but a little?
"But do not give just a little! Let it burst forth to the whole World, to all nations. To whom much hath been given, of the same shall much be required."
Rewards for Letting the Teens Shine!
From the HCS, Pacific
"ONE CAN CHASE A THOUSAND, but two can put ten thousand to flight. For in unity there is great strength. Lean therefore on your Family, for I am in your Family, & in unity is My Spirit manifested. Have I not said that where two or three of you are gathered together in My Name, I am in the midst of you? For I delight in your unity, I delight in your working together & preferring one another & showing great love one to another. And in that I am manifested.
"For by this shall all men know that ye are My disciples & that I walk among you--if ye have love one to another. Give of yourselves, hold not back, think not of yourselves but think of your brother. And if all shall do this My Spirit shall be manifested more greatly in you & among you, & you shall cease from your own labours & it shall be Me that works through you.
"Ye of your own selves can do nothing. Thus have I put you in families & in groups & in Homes, that ye may work together, for one cannot go without the other. The one cannot say that he hath no need of the other. The hand needs the arm, the arm needs the head, the head needs the toes.--Every part needs each other, & together you are a body fitly joined together that ye may accomplish My purpose.
"Therefore strive not against the parts of the body, strive not against one another, but in love & in honour prefer one another. For ye must sacrifice in order to prefer & ye must give of yourselves. I speak unto you adults, ye must give of yourselves to prefer one another. Ye must give of your pride & prefer one another, that ye may uphold & uplift these younger ones whom I am calling forth that they may shine.
"For I have called forth a mighty Army that they may stand before Me & before the Enemy in these Last Days. Exalt not yourselves against them. But be the ground on which they may fall, & support them in prayer & in encouragement. Give of yourselves, sacrifice of yourselves that they may shine.
"For these are My followers of these Last Days. Indeed ye shall shine, but they shall shine even brighter. For these are My stars of the Last Days."
"As the wind blows upon the tree & hardens the wood that it might stand the purpose for which I have created it, even so do these trials & tribulations strengthen these whom I have called to glorify My Name. Therefore strengthen them with My Word, but shelter them not. For I have called them unto these trials, I have called them unto these tests, that they might become what I wish them to be. They will not be strong if they do not fight.
"Therefore let them fight, & fight by their side, but let them stand on their own two feet before Me & call upon My Name for themselves, for I have called them as an Army. A soldier must be strong, a soldier must not lean upon him who is next to him; he must stand upon the ground before Me & fight. For I have called them as soldiers, therefore give them My Word, give them your experience, but let them stand before Me."
Adults, Your Time Has Just Begun!
From the Enterprise, South America
I SAW A BIG CANDLE BURNING WITH ITS FLAME, but that candle was held by us. All the hands of all the adults were holding that candle, but they (the teens) were the ones that were burning & shining.
"These are the precious ones that I have given you; you must let them shine. Hold on to that candle, but let them shine. For just as I have called you My friends & not servants, you should call them friends too. Let them know the things that you do."
"By this shall all men know that ye are My disciples, if ye have love one for another. This is what makes My Family so different, so beautiful--the unity that is within you, for I have called you to lay down your lives for your brethren, for your children, for your teens. But in doing so, ye shall see them resurrecting & flying & shining with greater power than ever.
"For I will bind your hearts together & ye shall be fighting side by side. But let them do it. Just step out on the water & let them do it, & you will see that I am sufficient for them.--That I will hold their hands & they will be able to walk on the waters, & you will greatly rejoice & be happy & praise My Name.
"For ye have need of patience & of great understanding & love--for the Enemy seeketh to trouble them & confuse them. He seeketh to snuff out their usefulness. Give them the understanding that I have given you, show them that same love, that same patience. For ye are men of like passions, & many of them shall fall, but ye shall be My Shepherds to catch them when they fall, to help see them through in their hour of need.
"Think not that your time is over, it has just begun. The time has come when ye shall pick these little ones up & help them to shine forth."
I thought of 1 Peter 5 where it says: "The elders which are among you, I exhort to feed the flock," & then saying: "Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock." Then further down it says: "Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder," but then it doesn't keep talking to the younger ones. It says, "Yea, all of you"--and I was really getting that part a lot--"be subject one to another, & be clothed with humility. For God resisteth the proud & giveth grace to the humble."--1Pet.5:1-3,5.
More Messages on the Teens' Calling!
Received by Various Adults Worldwide
"AS ARROWS IN THE HAND OF A MIGHTY MAN, so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them. For they shall speak with the enemies in the gate, & they shall give answer to him that asketh a reason of the hope that is in them. They shall speak My Word, for My Word is Truth which shall tear down, root out, throw down the lies of the evil ones. For is not My Word like a hammer that breaketh in pieces the rocks, & shall cut through the lies that I may be glorified. For these children are Mine & the fruit of the womb is My reward. And they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."
"Arise, shine, for the light is come & the glory of the Lord shall be seen in them, for they are the children of the Revolution. They are the children born of the Words of David. They are My children of promise. For did not David say great things of them?--And that in them My promises would be fulfilled in an even greater way than they have been fulfilled in you?--For they are truly the children of the Revolution.
"The time must come when they must separate themselves from their mothers & their fathers & stand with Me, to declare their loyalty & devotion to Me before the World, to put to nought the lies of the Devil that say they have no choice.
"Arise, shine, for their light has come & My glory shall be seen in them. It shall be a great light & it shall give sight to those that will believe, & shall smite & blind the eyes of the liars!"
"A picture is worth a thousand words. Man looketh on the outward appearance, & without them ye have not much to show, for they are the proof of your good works, & in them is the hope of the future. For they were children & now are they men & women, & they must stand up for their father, for their Family.
"Indeed the torch is passing, & they readily look forward to taking up the torch. For wisdom is with the grey hair, but the enthusiasm & spark are with the youth. Together ye shall make an unbeatable team."
The Good Fruits of Trust & Respect
A Personal Reaction from Marianne to the PER!
Thank you so much, Mama, for the GN introducing the PER. I personally feel it's terrific, a very needed & exciting new revolution! Of course, we older adults may tend to worry that we may not be new bottles enough to take it & be able to change as needed, but the way you present it is very encouraging. You present well the various obstacles we'll have to overcome, as well as the areas the adults & the teens will have to watch out for. I feel it's tremendously exciting, it's timely & it's needed, & it will be a super encouragement to our young people.
Personally I'm thrilled to see that in some areas we'll be loosening up a bit as a Family.--For instance, giving more freedom to our teens to have access to the Word, giving them a greater variety of music, giving them a chance to participate more in the decision-making process of the Homes, etc. I was raised in a family of three children, & our parents raised us in quite a natural way. They didn't drink much, hardly ever smoked, we didn't have television, but we had access to lots of reading material, & our parents showed us a lot of trust.
My parents also allowed my brother and sister and I to travel, either with each other or with friends when I was 15 and 16. On our different trips we managed our own budget and made our own decisions. While out on our own we were tested as to whether we'd do what we knew was right, or disregard the principles our parents had taught us and get involved in things like smoking, drugs or sex.
We didn't feel at all that our parents were trying to get rid of us or didn't care about us. On the contrary, they were trying to encourage us to take more responsibility & they acted as though they believed we would behave, & we did. None of us knew the Lord, but we knew our parents loved us & trusted us, & we didn't want to disappoint them. We never got into drinking or smoking or taking drugs or even having sex (though our parents were not prohibitive in that area either, but we had high ideals about whom we wanted to get involved with).
We were raised with beliefs that we had to stand up for & with the awareness that we were supposed to do something to make the World a better place. As I look back now, I feel that the fact that my parents expected so much from us actually helped us to stay in line.
I realise that the Devil was not after us like he is after our teens, as we were unsaved & actually fighting more for the Devil's cause at the time (Communism). I also feel that our parents could have given us a lot more guidance & direction & help when it came to matters such as communicating with others, relating with our peers, love, emotion, sex, etc. But they were quite immature in those areas themselves, so I don't know that they had very much counsel to give us, as they didn't have the Lord. So I'm not saying that the way I was raised would necessarily apply to our situation with our own children, but I'm really thankful that this new revolution is addressing the issue of trusting our teens a lot more--trusting their decisions that they'll do right if we give them the Word on the issues, & addressing the fact that the adults need to treat them more like equals, responsible & mature teamworkers, as they really are.
As I've seen, trust & respect actually often help bring out maturity. I don't remember a conflict of generation within our home, as our parents showed us a lot of respect as individuals, & though they didn't always necessarily agree with us or let us do anything we wanted, they certainly didn't make us feel as though we couldn't make right decisions, so we felt we had to live up to their expectations.
I know this is the way you, dear Dad & Mama, have treated us young leaders through the years. As I look back, I can see how immature we were in so many areas, but you have always treated us with a lot of respect & confidence that the Lord was going to come through, that we would hear from the Lord, & that the Lord was going to lead us in the decisions we have to make. Whenever you've corrected us, you've always given us the benefit of the doubt that we were still trying our best, & not trying to purposely hinder the Work or fool around, etc. Personally, I feel that this has helped us to grow as leaders, & I really pray that all of us adults can now show this same type of attitude towards our younger generation, pushing them forward & letting them become all that the Lord wants them to be. PTL! ILY!
Love, Marianne
(When asked to react on Marianne's testimony about her trips and other activities as a teen, a YA wrote the following:)
My main outstanding reaction to Marianne doing all that travelling alone or without her parents was how the Lord must have kept her miraculously, as she could have had real trouble. But because she was one of the Lord's chosen, He had mercy on her and kept her safe. But we Family young people shouldn't want to take off just for adventure or independence; it would have to be for a worthwhile reason and in the Lord's Will, so that we could go with the faith that the Lord was in it and He would protect us. The article did not make me personally feel, "Yes, the adults really should let us teens take off more on our own and have freedom to go anywhere we want without supervision." Things are different with us than it was with our parents. The Devil is much more on the rampage now than he was back then, it seems, & the spiritual battles are much heavier, as we're getting closer to the End.--And the World now is a much more dangerous place than it was 30 years ago, with all kinds of crime everywhere--stealing & rape & murder & violence & all sorts of horrors!
I would have the fear of the Lord about just going off with another teen or so, for the sake of "freedom". Personally I feel I wouldn't want to go anywhere in this day and age with just anybody!--Unless I knew it was the Lord's Will, and to accomplish His purpose, to be doing something worthwhile. So I think if a teen who reads this has any fear of the Lord, which our Family teens do, he wouldn't feel, "Hey, why can't we just travel around on our own and see the World and have all that fun?"
I think it would be good and fine to let the older teens go out together with YAs, without older adults but with permission--on teams for witnessing trips, road trips, etc., to try their wings and learn what responsibility is. They may feel they would want to do something like this after reading Marianne's article, but of course they would want it to be the Lord's Will and only go with His blessing. I especially liked the point she made about the way her parents were--how they made her want to be responsible, and she didn't want to let them down.
The Day the Teens Took Over!
Excerpts from a report to her over-Shepherds from Clara, at the Enterprise, South America:
These past two weeks have been wonderful, super exciting & filled with miracles! All that the Lord has done is such a confirmation of how much He must love our teens, as He's certainly blessed, prospered & opened incredible doors for them in a very obvious way! PTL!
Having this teen gathering has turned out to be the perfect setting for them to begin trying out their wings, besides proving also to be a real learning experience & time to draw close to the Lord & the Family, TYJ! I don't mean to say that they can't find that same fulfilment in their regular situations, but certainly the Lord is giving them a special reward, as they're all thrilled & very grateful for this special time of fellowship & witnessing.
When the teens moved in here for three weeks so that they could begin working on their show, there were piles of other things to be done in the Home, including translating & recording responsibilities, not to mention the day-to-day running of things. The Teamwork consisted of only Pedro Mexico & myself, & we felt led to present the situation to the teens. We let them see for themselves that there just weren't enough adults to cook, clean, take care of the kids, do the business & bring in the funds while they merrily practised their music & songs! Some were shocked, & even more so when they realised that our shopping day was coming around & due to recent changes & moves, we were in an emergency situation with no funds on hand!
We had some mighty prayer & planning time together, & they just took up the challenge & took over the administration of the Home--in addition to going to work right away on the show itself!
Then our first appointment for our show was confirmed! The Lord showed us that though He'd moved all the big "stars" & those with more experience to other locations, He also promised that He'd raise up everything that we needed from among those present in that very room, so that He would get all the glory & credit. Before long, YA Praise became the fulltime coach as far as the dancing, & it was so obvious that she had the Lord's anointing for the job, that everybody just marvelled at it!
Of course, some had trials getting used to the idea of having to submit to their own pals, but this was just part of what He wanted to teach them, & they've really done well in this area. YA Heidi became a pillar as far as the organisation & communications of the Home, & TTL, YA Carmen arrived safely a week after it had all begun & has been a tremendous help & inspiration both to the Teamwork & the Home, God bless her! She took over the provisioning & details of the costumes, another area in which the Lord has abundantly blessed.
Just this morning, Samuel, Heidi & Shawn (all YAs) came home with the good news that a man we were referred to agreed to give us 20 top-quality T-shirts for the boys. The Lord also led Praise, Jon, & myself by a total miracle to a sweet man who will be sewing the basic outfits for all the girls! He said he didn't believe in God, but just yesterday after spending the day with us, watching the concert on video & even having his 21-year-old son drive the teens around all day looking for material, he said, "If all of you are like this, I think you might convert me!" Ha! PTL!
We found Andrew to be a very good singer, & he may sing "Jesus the Light"! He's just flourishing, PTL! The Lord has been doing so much to encourage our faith as well as the teens'! The lessons are innumerable. It's so thrilling to see how happy the teens are to be in the Family & how much they're growing & maturing in response to the challenge!
When we see them practising (in other words, jumping up & down) for hours on end, & then still full of enough energy to go out witnessing, making follow-up appointments during water breaks & planning their next class for their sheep with so much initiative, it becomes easier to understand why some were feeling unchallenged & others were getting in trouble lately. God bless them, they just wanted a chance to explode for the Lord! TTL for Dad & Mama's love & understanding for them, & for our over-Shepherds here for giving them this opportunity.
Last Friday night they went out to some witnessing spots, & they improvised a show with the few songs they'd practised, especially the Endtime ones, & the response was terrific! They have sheep calling all the time! Steven (17) said, "These witnessing outings have really been inspiring & have really encouraged my faith, especially in personal witnessing. For example, I felt so fulfilled after giving a Daniel 2 class to this couple last night! I mean, they were knocked for a loop about Bible prophecy! I was also able to prove to them (to the point that they were convinced) that Evolution is a lie! I have their phone number to get in contact for more classes! TYJ!"
Here's a bit of YA Samuel's reaction: "One thing that really turned me on was the people's reaction to our singing & the way our Message spoke to them. People would come up to us afterwards & ask us if they could drop out & join us! It was really exciting! I know the Lord is going to do wonders with our new show!" Just yesterday three YAs went out with YA Samuel (of Leila) as the driver, provisioned all the gas for the day & met a very sweet man, a real sheep, who got totally turned on with our Work & has promised to help with all kinds of food! He also gave them the names & personal phone numbers of four owners of large "distribuidoras" (companies that distribute goods) & told them to go ahead & use his name as a reference in provisioning from them too. The teens made an appointment to give him a Bible class in his office tomorrow! Our dear king has also been super helpful & has provisioned all the boy's slacks & shirts from one of his own friends! TYL!
Last night we had a ball trying on the new costumes--this show is going to be such a bomb! The girls looked just gorgeous & the guys sooo handsome! We even found a place that's making special shoes for our boys, TYJ! You should have seen Carmen, Praise & me at the open-air marketplace here. Everyone knows us by now & we flooded the place with "Alguien Te Ama" (Somebody Loves You) tracts! We got the most beautiful Japanese silk for the dresses with a super discount & everything else that we needed!--Tons of things that would have taken so much time & money, had it not been for the Lord's bountiful supply & miraculous leading, TYJ!--And honestly, the teens are doing it all!
The people at the stores literally treat them like ambassadors & are so happy to see them every time they come, even if they don't buy anything! The Lord has also led them to a very sweet man who is helping us with all kinds of goods, mainly lots of food, & they have literal kings on the line! One of them is coming over tonight, a long drive for him, just to see them! Steven got on the phone & provisioned 200 sausages a week from a German company, & is ministering to the owner himself, together with Daniella & the others.
We are seeing little miracles day after day, one after another! Our finances are still low, & our Home isn't exactly the model of organisation, but the Lord is blessing in every way--in happiness, lessons learned, & good health.
I hope with so many testimonies that this doesn't sound like I'm trying to hide the trials & tests & the different things that we're all going through. I guess it's obvious that most, if not all of these victories are the result of many many lessons & breakings, which I'm sure I'll have time to share soon. But honestly, even the toughest trials are being worked out by the Lord.--It just takes time & lots of love, care & prayer.
Well, I could go on & on with miracles & testimonies, but I thought you'd want to hear just a few of the repercussions of the radical move of bringing the teens together for this few weeks' time. I hope I didn't in any way manifest a lack of faith in the Shepherds who will be taking the teens back to their Homes.--It's just that I'm totally amazed at the fruits of not nagging the teens, & of believing what God told Mama, that "these whom you call weak, I call strong," & letting them put into practice some of the things that at least I personally was afraid of before.
I think as a Teen Shepherdess I'd taken the Letter "Independence through Dependency" to an extreme, without realising that I was almost snuffing out their candle, Lord help me. This situation is forcing them to use their faith muscles, come out of themselves & have a chance to shine. It's totally renewing their faith in the Family, that there is a special ministry awaiting them beyond the world of JJTs & routine, & not just public performances, but many ministries such as provisioning, shepherding, finances, teaching & many many other things. Please forgive me if I sound critical of the past training our kids have received.--I know that these things had their day & that they were right for that day, as our young people needed to learn all the daily tasks of running the physical part of the Home, etc. They will still have to do many of the less inspiring jobs, just as we adults do, to keep things running.
My prayer is that we can continue to hear from Him so that He can unfold His plan for our precious teens. As I see them launch out into this challenge that they've been presented, with such dedication & seriousness in spite of their weaknesses & failures, it makes me ashamed to have not had this much faith in them before. Thank you for trusting me with this precious group of kids, in spite of my many failures! I love you!
Love, Clara
Copyright 1996 The Family