DUMPS!            DO 33             1/71

         1. I COULDN'T TELL YOU ABOUT IT WHEN I DIDN'T HAVE THE VICTORY! If you talk about it when you're having a trial you just talk defeat & doubt & discouragement. You don't dare put it into words like I did when I sang the song this morning: "Fold up, ye saints of God, there's nothing to be happy about!" It kinda shocked me & woke me up! Sometimes when you say something you shouldn't say it makes you realise how bad you're getting & scares you into stopping! I was just doing it kinda kidding but it was sorta the way I was feeling! And it was kinda nice for a while! Poor me!
         2. YOU'RE USUALLY JUST TRYING TO GET ATTENTION & SYMPATHY! It's 'cause you're selfish! Our pride is wounded, our ego has been a little deflated, self-confidence been a little shaken, & you begin to wonder then if the whole thing was a mistake. Maybe you were never right about anything! Maybe it was all wrong! In come Mr. & Mrs. Doubt, & you pull up a chair & invite them to talk it over--& start agreeing with them that you're just a big mess & you might as well quit.
         3. IT'S 'CAUSE YOU GET YOUR EYES ON YOURSELF INSTEAD OF THE LORD--INTROSPECTION INSTEAD OF HEAVEN-SPECTION! The Devil can really tell you a lot of truth about yourself that's horrible, not to speak of the lies he tells you, so if you start listening to the Devil there's no end to it because you're bad enough as it is; & if you listen to him he can make you sound even worse! Then you start listening to your critics, & even some of your so-called friends & sometimes even members of your family can get you down by some casual little unintentional remark, that the Devil exaggerates & makes a mountain out of a mole hill--something they never meant at all or you misinterpreted. You get all down & discouraged & feel like giving up!--Like King David, when he said, "Some day I shall surely die at the hand of Saul!" Now you just can't make a song out of that or it would sound terrible! "I might as well quit!"--which is exactly what the Devil wants to persuade you to do by all this barrage of doubt & self-pity!
         4. BUT HOW IN THE HELL CAN YOU MAKE A SONG OUT OF THAT? I guess that's why you never find that in one of David's songs! David evidently said it, because he's quoted as saying it in the Book of Samuel--one of those little brief outbursts prompted by the Devil, that manages to get through before we catch ourselves & realise how bad it really sounds! But he had enough sense not to make a song out of it & keep singing that tune! Instead, in the Psalms, he takes a positive approach, defying his enemies, praising God anyhow in spite of his troubles, knowing God would work it all out in the end because He always had & because He promised to!
         5. THIS MORNING WHEN I WAS DISCOURAGED & FELT DEFEATED & MISTAKEN & FRUSTRATED ABOUT SOMETHING, THE DEVIL BEGAN TO GET HIS LITTLE WEDGE IN in order to get a little truth in, to follow it with a big barrage of lies. Somebody sensed I was a little disheartened, so cheerfully began to sing, "Cheer up, ye saints of God, there's nothing to worry about!--Nothing to make you feel afraid, nothing to make you doubt! Our God has never failed, so why not trust Him & shout! You'll be glad you trusted Him tomorrow!"
         6. BUT WHEN YOU'RE DISCOURAGED THE DEVIL MAKES YOU MAD AT THE TRUTH BECAUSE HE'S ABOUT TO BE DEFEATED BY IT, so he makes you mad at the very people who are trying to help you, because you can't enjoy your misery as well if they're trying to make you happy--& your defeatism looks so bad alongside their victory it makes you ashamed--so you try to cover up in a fit of fury against them, or criticise them, trying to find fault with others & with everything & even with God to excuse your own damn self for being such a heel.
         7. SO I WAS TEMPTED TO GET MAD AT THE ONE WHO WAS TRYING TO CHEER ME UP, & said, "Oh yeah?", & jokingly began to sing the reverse: "Fold up, ye saints of God, there's nothing to be happy about,..." That far was a little funny because it was so obviously rebellious & my sin was so apparent, but the next line--when I saw what the reverse of the song was leading to--it scared me, & I didn't care to go on singing it, because how could I sing, "Our God has always failed, so why not murmur & doubt; You'll be sorry you trusted Him tomorrow!" If there's anything I know, it is that God has NEVER failed & I've ALWAYS been glad I trusted Him tomorrow!
         8. LOOK WHAT A HORRIBLE LIE EVEN THAT LITTLE SONG IS, IF YOU SING IT IN REVERSE. That's the way the Devil always does: He starts out seemingly innocently & honestly enough with some minor little thing that doesn't seem to be too bad, but then it's the horrors that it leads to that begin to shake you up & wake you up & shock you into realising what a liar the Devil is & how bad a state you're getting into! Thank God for His shock treatments sometimes, when you realise what a terrible thing you're saying or doing as a result of some tiny little doubt or fear or disobedience that you started with! One of the things that shocked me was that I began to realise what a terrible example I was being to someone weaker & younger than I was in the Faith who was trying to lift me up & encourage me while I was trying to resist it & fight it! Even if it was half joking, the danger of possibly dragging them down with me finally woke me up & I realised I had to get the victory just for their sake, if nothing else!
         9. MY GRANDFATHER USED TO SAY, "IF YOU MUST GO TO HELL, AT LEAST DON'T LET SOMEBODY ELSE STUMBLE OVER YOU INTO HELL, TOO!" But this isn't possible, because everybody has influence! "No man liveth to himself, & no man dieth to himself." Your life is bound to affect others! "No man is an island!" Sometimes just a word or a glance or a smile can make a big difference--how you look or sound or seem! If it's not cheerful & victorious & uplifting it's bound to hurt somebody & pull them down with you! You're either going to pull people up to your level or drag them down to yours--one or the other! You're going to either be hot or cold eventually!--And lukewarmness is the worst form of coldness because it doesn't know it's cold! Just a little bit of doubt, a little bit of fear, a little bit of complaint, a little bit of discouragement can grow & grow until you're totally defeated & a terrible influence on others!
         10. IT SEEMS INNOCENT ENOUGH AT FIRST, & THE DEVIL TRIES TO PERSUADE YOU IT'S NOT SO BAD--BUT IT HAS A BITTER END! There's no standing still! You're either climbing & getting to the top, or you're sinking & drifting downward!--And when you start going down there's no stopping place until you hit bottom--unless you repent & ask God to forgive you & snap you out of it & chuck the whole damn caboodle of lies of the Devil & all your doubts & fears & discouragements & forsake all & follow Jesus & His Word & His Promises! The future is as bright as the promises of God! You've gotta keep your eyes on Jesus because there's no other way to look but down.
         11. YOU'RE GOING TO EITHER BE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE--ONE OR THE OTHER! You can't be just a little bit of both! That's what the Devil will try to tell you: "It doesn't hurt to be just a little down, a little bit sorry for yourself! After all, you deserve to enjoy just a little bit of discouragement so you can get a little bit of sympathy from others! Why not? Misery loves company! Let's make everybody else a little bit miserable, too, so we can all enjoy it!"
         12. LISTEN, BROTHER, THE MINUTE YOU START LISTENING TO THE DEVIL, YOU'RE DONE FOR, because there's no end to it! He'll never quit until he's got you completely down at the bottom, totally & utterly out of the victory, & a terrible reproach to the Cause & a curse to everybody else around you. That's the result of putting his kind of doubts & fears into words & sharing his lies with others! It has just the opposite effect of witnessing the Truth of the Word of God! It gets others down & unhappy & discouraged & doubting & fearing & finally murmuring & complaining just like you are.
         13. THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT WHAT THE LORD SAID ABOUT OUR WORDS. WORDS ARE REAL THINGS! THEY BLESS OR THEY CURSE; THEY LIFT UP OR THEY KNOCK DOWN; THEY SAVE OR THEY DAMN! There's no in-between! You'll give an account of every idle word.
         14. SO IF YOU'RE DISCOURAGED, FRIEND, FOR GOD'S SAKE DON'T PUT IT INTO WORDS, whatever you do! Don't VOICE your doubts & fears! Others have enough troubles of their own without you dumping on them!
         15. WHEN THE LORD SAID, "BEAR YE ONE ANOTHER'S BURDENS," HE DIDN'T MEAN THAT KIND--a burden of doubt & anxiety & a lack of trust & faith in God! He meant to get under the load somebody else has & help them to lift it--not dump yours on top of somebody else.
         16. HE SAYS, "LET EVERY MAN BEAR HIS OWN BURDEN." You can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth you! Ask God for help--& if you really are overloaded, He'll help you! If you really need help, tell it to JESUS first of all! "Cast thy burden upon the Lord & HE shall sustain thee!"--Psa. 55:22. Just roll it over on Jesus & roll over & go to sleep-& let HIM stay up all night! Don't worry about it! Let the Lord do the worrying! His shoulders are broad enough to carry any load--all the burdens all put together, including His Own!
         17. LIKE THE LITTLE GIRL SAID: "AND PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, DEAR GOD, BECAUSE IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO YOU, WE'D ALL BE SUNK!" And that's for sure, because every one of us is a hell of a mess & if we don't keep our eyes on the Lord & our minds on His Word we're doomed to defeat, doubt, disillusionment & final failure! Let go of those damn doubts & fears & discouragements & devilish burdens put there by the Enemy & hang on to the Lord! Hitch your wagon to His star & there'll be no stopping you!
         18. SOME OF YOU SEEM SO FEARFUL THAT GOD ISN'T ABLE, that you're like the guy that was crossing the ice-frozen river on his hands & knees fearful that he was going to break through & drown, when all of a sudden he saw a double team of horses coming pulling a load of pig iron confidently over the very ice on which he was so hesitantly crawling! Let me tell you: God can handle any load you want to give Him! He can stand anything but your damn doubts, fears & lack of faith! This He cannot stomach! "For without faith, it is impossible to please Him, for he that cometh to Him must believe that He is, & that He is the rewarder of them that diligently seek Him."--Heb.11:6.
         19. YOU'VE GOTTA HAVE SOME FAITH & BELIEF IN GOD--OR YOU'RE SUNK! FOR WITHOUT HIM YOU'RE SUNK! WITHOUT HIM YOU'RE NOTHING! If you don't hold onto the Lord, you're lost! Anything & everybody can get you down! In fact, almost nothing! The slightest little provocation, exaggeration, insinuation, or little remark--& you've had it! Your skin is so thin you can't take it--that nice Christian polish you have turns out to be nothing but on the surface--& all it takes is one little scratch & you can see the horrible sight underneath! Or your spiritual balance is so delicate that nobody dare touch you or it will tip you off balance & you'll crash!
         20. SOME PEOPLE ARE SO DAMN DELICATE THEY CAN'T TAKE THE SLIGHTEST PRESSURE--they collapse because they're not holding onto the Lord; they're not standing on the Word; they're not believing in His promises! They're depending on some damn self-righteousness of their own, some depraved greatness they think they have! And let me tell you, that kind of sanctimonious hypocrisy can't stand the shock treatments of the Devil! It shatters very easily! Then everybody's given a terrible look at all the horror within, because you didn't really hold onto the Lord!
         21. "ALL THROUGH LIFE, MY BROTHER, IF YOU'D BE A HAPPY SOUL, KEEP YOUR EYE UPON THE DOUGHNUT--& NOT UPON THE HOLE!" "Keep your eyes upon the goal, & the victory in your soul; always shout, never doubt!" When the Devil tempts you to get down and discouraged--fight! Don't even listen to him, much less surrender! Start doing something POSITIVE! Start saying something cheerful & encouraging.
         22. DON'T JUST SIT THERE: DO SOMETHING--SING, SHOUT, PRAISE THE LORD, QUOTE SCRIPTURES! SOCK IT TO THE DEVIL WITH THE WORD! That's the way Jesus did it when the Devil tempted Him & lied to Him! He just quoted the Scriptures: "It is written!" The Devil is a liar, & the father of it & he can't take the Word! RESIST the Enemy & he'll FLEE from you! Put on the helmet of Salvation, the breastplate of righteousness, the shield of Faith, to quench all the fiery darts of the Evil One; be girt with the Truth & shod with the Gospel of Peace, & take up that white-hot sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, & cut the Devil to the heart! Tell him to get behind & run--that you have no part in him & he has no part in you & he's got no business there!
         23. GET BUSY WORKING! GO OUT WITNESSING! HELP SOMEBODY ELSE! GET SO BUSY WITH THEIR TROUBLES YOU CAN'T THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN DAMN SELF! Get so busy trying to make somebody ELSE happy, you can't help but be happy! Praise the Lord! Pray without ceasing!
         24. BUT TO HELL WITH THOSE DAMN CONFESSION SESSIONS where you like to spread your doubt & gloom & depression & fears & discouragement & your own sinful self, to get people to look at the horror that's you--just to get a little sympathy.
         25. LET'S TALK ABOUT JESUS! LET'S GET POSITIVE! LET'S TALK ABOUT THE NEEDS OF OTHERS! Let's talk about the good things! "Whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, & if there be any praise, think on these things!" Speak evil of no man--even yourself!
         26. KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS! GET BUSY HELPING SOMEBODY THAT NEEDS HELP--& FORGET YOUR OWN DAMN, STUPID SELF! Of course you're a failure! You're a hell of a mess! We ALL are! When we start looking at ourselves we'll REALLY get down!
         27. "NOW UNTO HIM THAT IS ABLE TO KEEP YOU FROM FALLING, & to present you faultless before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy," commit your way, your life, your mind, your thoughts, your time! "For I know Whom I have believed, & am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day." Only He can do it! Just give Him a chance! Let go--& let God! Keep your eyes on Jesus! Let's talk about Jesus! As you pour out, He'll pour in, & you can never outpour Him!
         28. THE OTHER DAY I WAS TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET SOME SCUM OFF THE SURFACE OF A POT OF WATER, & every time I tried to pour it off myself it just got worse stirred up with the rest! Finally, I got the brilliant idea of sticking the pot under the faucet & turning on more water so it would cause the water level to rise in the pot & the surface to overflow, & all that junk on the top just rolled off & went down the drain!
         29. THAT'S WHAT GOD DOES IN THE REFINING FIRES OF HIS TRIALS & TESTINGS! He puts you under the fire, & He brings you to a boil, so all the scum & dross comes to the top where everybody can see it! You don't have to tell them about it-they'll just watch you while you're going through it! They probably already knew it anyway! It just didn't show until God put you on the fire--but that brought it out! That's what the fire's for--to bring out the meanness in you--to show how bad & impure you really are--& then get rid of it--boil it off--let it go down the drain--get it off your chest! Get rid of it!
         30. BUT FOR GOD'S SAKE, DON'T TELL US HOW BAD YOU ARE! WE DON'T WANT TO KNOW! WE WANT TO THINK ABOUT JESUS! Let's talk about Jesus! Don't voice your doubts & fears & lack of faith & your crimes & sins. We want to hear about Jesus--keep our eyes on Jesus!
         31. "ONLY JESUS, ONLY JESUS,
         ONLY HE CAN SATISFY.
         Every burden becomes a blessing,
         When I know my Lord is nigh!"

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family