PSALM 68!        GP 83            7/71

         1. THE TIME WAS ABOUT JANUARY, 1968. The place was Grandmother's living room in her little cottage in California. And our little family was just visiting there from Texas. We had come about a month before at her invitation and also in response to a prophecy the Lord had given back in Florida the year before.
         2. BUT THERE WE SAT ON HER FLOOR IN HER LITTLE LIVING ROOM IN HER TINY COTTAGE, DEJECTED, DISCOURAGED & DEFEATED--a month or more after our arrival--with virtually no doors open to us, no church bookings for meetings & almost no money--& there were about ten of us trying to live in Grandmother's tiny three-room cottage on a back alley. Nobody wanted a pitiful little group of teenage Texans--musical amateurs-when the churches of Southern California had all the top-flight stellar celebrities of the Gospel entertainment world at their beck & call. WE were absolutely nobody--they never heard of us, we belonged to nothing but the Lord, carried no credentials, no denominational ties, so only a few of Grandmother's friends had taken us in.
         3. IN CALIFORNIA WE COULD GET ALMOST NO MEETINGS, SO WERE VIRTUALLY FLAT BROKE & we'd been a month or more with Grandmother until she was actually supporting us on her small pension at 82 years of age! We were so blue & discouraged we were about to give up & quit California & go back East where we had been better received, when, as we sat that evening on her floor the Lord again began to speak to encourage our hearts & to show us the future & to tell us to be patient!
         4. THE KIDS HAD CONTINUED TO WITNESS ON THE BEACHES, at the Rose Bowl Parade etc., but winning young people to the Lord was so discouraging when you had no fold for the sheep-no place to send them but to the damnable churches!
         5. BUT WE WAITED & WE KEPT BUSY FOR THE LORD, witnessing etc. with a few little meetings which amounted to almost no thing! But still no door!--No new ministry! We were really discouraged!
         6. BUT THAT NIGHT THE LORD BEGAN TO SPEAK! We had called a little prayer meeting together to inform Grandmother we were going to go back East--there was no ministry for us here! It all seemed so hopeless! And then the Lord spoke, PTL! He said, "When you don't know where to go, sit still! When you're driving your car through a fog & it becomes so dense you can't see, you don't just keep on driving--you pull over to one side & wait--sit still until the fog lifts & you can see your way!" He said, "Be still & know that I am God & I will soon reveal to you what you should do--that I am even now preparing the way!" Then He said, "Open your Bible & I'm going to show you what I am going to do!"--And immediately Ho opened his Bible & this is the passage that the Lord gave us--the glorious prediction of our future ministry!--Psalm 68-on that desolate, discouraged night in the Winter of 1968!:
         7. VERSE 1--"LET GOD ARISE, LET HIS ENEMIES BE SCATTERED: let them also that hate Him flee before Him." God Himself was going to arise & defeat our enemies--the Devil & the forces of Satan that had so discouraged us--the churches that had rejected us--the Christians that had not listened! c
         8. VERSE 2--"AS SMOKE IS DRIVEN AWAY, SO DRIVE THEM AWAY: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God." God was going to drive away the clouds & the smoke that now obscured our vision--the dense fog of frustration that we were in & the Satanic forces that had bottled us up, & was going to deliver US & scatter THEM, PTL!
         9. VERSE 3--"BUT LET THE RIGHTEOUS BE GLAD; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice." We weren't to be down in the mouth & murmuring & discouraged. We were to praise the Lord & thank Him for the glorious victories of the future He was going to give us by faith, even if we couldn't see them now. I'll never forget how that prayer meeting turned into a praise service when we finished this passage!
         10. VERSE 4--"SING UNTO GOD, SING PRAISES TO HIS NAME: extol Him that rideth upon the Heavens by His name JAH, & rejoice before Him." God gets His greatest victories out of seeming defeat & He often brings them along the neglected path of praise! When things look darkest, don't look down!-Look UP! Don't murmur & complain!--Start praising the Lord & you'll often praise your way right out of the pit into which the Devil is trying to cast you! The Lord loves praise, the High & the Holy One dwelleth in the praises of His people. The fragrance of the Lord is in the perfume of the praises of His Children! PTL!
         11. VERSE 5--"A FATHER OF THE FATHERLESS, & A JUDGE OF THE WIDOWS, IS GOD IN HIS HOLY HABITATION." Now God was beginning to give us a glimpse of what He was going to do with us in the near future--the ministry that He was about to give us. We really didn't comprehend it THEN, but NOW as we look back we realise what He was talking about! He was going to use us to show His compassion upon the Forsaken Generation--these poor little wandering sheep scattered & having no Shepherd-the Hippie Generation--the Orphans of the Spirit waiting for the Love of God!--A small beginning through us which was to result in the present mounting wave of the mighty Jesus Movement amongst the youth of the World! The widows seem to symbolise the forsaken, the neglected, even those WHO ARE ALREADY CHRISTIANS BUT HAVE NO HUSBAND, NO HOME--THE TRUE, SINCERE, CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE NOT FOUND, BUT ARE LOOKING FOR THE TRUTH & GOD'S TRUE WAY--BUT HAVEN'T FOUND IT IN THE CHURCH-that part of His Bride who are like widows without a home-the humblest in the land--the sincere--the seeking.
         12. AND HOW MANY WIDOWS OF ZAREPHATH HAS THE LORD USED TO HELP US, LIKE HE DID THE PROPHET OF OLD! How many of them, themselves almost starving, have shared what little they had with us! And how mightily God has blessed them for it!
         13. VERSE 6--"GOD SETTETH THE SOLITARY IN FAMILIES: He bringeth out those which are bound with chains: but the rebellious dwell in a dry land." This is exactly what God has done. He's placed these lonely youth in these families, He's liberated them from the chains of Satan's bondage. But the church people are still dwelling in the dry land of their own making, because of their rebellion against the Truth!
         14. VERSES 7 & 8--"OH GOD, WHEN THOU WENTEST FORTH BEFORE THY PEOPLE, when Thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah: The Earth shook, the Heavens also dropped at the pres ence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, even the God of Israel." The Lord was indicating He was going to march before us & lead us & shake the Earth at our tread--& truly they tremble at the thunder of our prophets as God thunders His warnings at them through us!
         15. VERSE 9--"THOU, O GOD, DIDST SEND A PLENTIFUL RAIN, WHEREBY THOU DIDST CONFIRM THINE INHERITANCE, WHEN IT WAS WEARY." This verse was surely for us! We, His inheritance, were so weary & discouraged & so dry & in need of refreshing when He began to pour out His Spirit & blessing upon us through our ministry to the neglected hippies & youth of California. I've never seen such an outpouring of His Spirit as we were soon to witness among the youth who began to be filled with His Spirit almost as fast as they were won, with many mighty manifestations & messages in that little group!
         16. VERSE 10--"THY CONGREGATION HATH DWELT THEREIN: Thou, O God, hast prepared of Thy goodness for the poor." Even "congregation" sounded big then to our little handful, but God was soon to show us how He was going to provide for MANY poor, through us--many poor, desolate young people--both spiritually & materially--& for us too in the process, who were now ourselves down to our last dime. "He who careth for the poor lendeth to the Lord, & surely He will repay."--And He certainly has!
         17. VERSE 11--"THE LORD GAVE THE WORD: GREAT WAS THE COMPANY OF THOSE THAT PUBLISHED IT!" We knew we had the Message, but this verse nearly scared us! We were having a hard enough time just having faith for our little family without caring for a whole COMPANY of publishers! I knew that this meant that there were going to be many, many more of us & I really didn't want the responsibility, but I knew from this that God was going to give it to us whether we wanted it or not, PTL! And He certainly has! There are a lot of great Worldly companies even helping us publish it--some of the biggest newspapers in the World have carried our story--some of the greatest publishing companies, radio & TV stations & the network companies, PTL!
         18. VERSE 12--"KINGS OF ARMIES DID FLEE APACE: & she that tarried at home divided the spoil." I could see then teams going out from home base all over led by the kings of the Lord--you, His children, spreading the Word throughout the land while directed by the Lord in their exploits of spoiling the Egyptians of their most valuable spoil--their greatest riches--their most precious treasures--the souls & lives of their young people.
         19. VERSE 13--"THOUGH YE HAVE LIEN AMONG THE POTS, YET SHALL YE BE AS THE WINGS OF A DOVE COVERED WITH SILVER, & her feathers with yellow gold." Though we had been cast on the trash pile by the church, God was going to give us wings to mount to the Heavenlies in this new ministry--glory such as we had never known before--heights of ministry we had never imagined!
         20. VERSE 14--"WHEN THE ALMIGHTY SCATTERED KINGS IN IT, IT WAS WHITE AS SNOW IN SALMON." So much of this we're just now beginning to understand & really know what this verse means. But what did the Lord call "white"?--The HARVEST, right? He's scattering you kings amongst the land in the harvest fields to reap it for His glory, Hallelujah!
         21. VERSE 15--"THE HILL OF GOD IS AS THE HILL OF BASHAN; an high hill as the hill of Bashan." The hill of Bashan was the habitation of Og the giant. It was a mountain on the other side of the Jordan amongst their enemies. These hills represent governments. The hill of the Lord represents us, His people, His children. God is saying He's going to increase HIS hill just as high as the enemies' hill--as the governments of the World--a New Nation!--In fact, even GREATER than the mountains that oppose us! Because WE are the Kingdom of God!
         22. VERSE 16--"WHY LEAP YE, YE HIGH HILLS? THIS is the hill which God desireth to dwell in; yea, the Lord will dwell in it forever." They are trying to leap up & exalt THEMSELVES, but WE are the ones whom the Lord has exalted!
         23. VERSE 17--"THE CHARIOTS OF GOD ARE TWENTY THOUSAND, EVEN THOUSANDS OF ANGELS: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place." Wouldn't that make some wagon train--20,000 chariots! We're only getting started, Praise God! We're His angels too--His angels on Earth, His ministering spirits, His Saints. In Daniel we're called the Host of Heaven! See also Rev.22:8,9.
         24. VERSE 18--"THOU HAST ASCENDED ON HIGH, THOU HAST LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE: Thou hast received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them." The recapturing of the captives.--What rightfully belonged to Him, He's taken it back. The youth were captives of the Devil! Now God's recaptured them--those who were His Children before they were born--before the foundations of the World! "Thou has received gifts for men"--OF men. Or you might put it this way: "Thou has received men for gifts"-gifts that the Lord is most pleased with--the lives & hearts of men! There was always a glorious presentation of gifts before the conquering king. We, God's victorious army, will lay at His feet--the feet of the Conquering King--the souls we have recaptured from the Enemy. Or you might interpret this as being the gifts of the Holy Spirit He has given us!
         25. "THE REBELLIOUS ALSO."--We had predictions in Laurentide that through our ministry & the judgements of the Lord, the rebellious church is going to repent & the Lord will have mercy & forgive!
         26. VERSE 19--"BLESSED BE THE LORD, WHO DAILY LOADETH US WITH BENEFITS, even the God of our Salvation. Selah." From the moment we didn't get in churches any more & couldn't get any offerings, the Lord began to supply from the most unexpected sources. It was amazing! Many times previously I had asked the Lord why the money didn't come & He always seemed to say, "Don't worry, you'll get it when you need it most!" So it was a real token of encouragement that if we'd just go out & help the kids, He'd take care of us! It's so obvious that God has blessed & provided for us & loaded us with His benefits for our obedience to Him!
         27. VERSE 20--"HE THAT IS OUR GOD IS THE GOD OF SALVATION; and unto God the Lord belong the issues from death."--We preach the real message of Salvation--total Salvation--body, mind & spirit; & God has rescued these kids who came from the very gates of death & Hell!
         28. VERSE 21--"BUT GOD SHALL WOUND THE HEAD OF HIS ENEMIES, & the hairy scalp of such an one as goeth on still in his trespasses." In the original Hebrew the word for Satan means literally "the hairy one" & we have had a lot of hairy experiences with that Old Boy since we began. But God's going to wreak vengeance on our enemies one of these days!
         29. VERSE 22--"THE LORD SAID, I WILL BRING AGAIN FROM BASHAN, I will bring My people again from the depths of the sea." Again the Lord is emphasising that He is recovering His children from the captivity of the Enemy. They belong to HIM in the first place! It's these devilish parents that have kidnapped them from God, but God's now recapturing them into His New Nation--the Nation that HE recognises!
         30. VERSE 23--"THAT THY FOOT MAY BE DIPPED IN THE BLOOD OF THINE ENEMIES, & the tongue of thy dogs in the same." Even the Saints in Heaven are crying out to the Lord, "When are you going to avenge us? When are you going to clobber them, Lord?"--Rev.6:10.
         31. VERSE 24--"THEY HAVE SEEN THY GOINGS, O GOD; even the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary." The whole World is watching what God is doing through us.
         32. VERSE 25--"THE SINGERS WENT BEFORE, THE PLAYERS ON INSTRUMENTS FOLLOWED AFTER; among them were the damsels playing with timbrels." That sure is a picture of us with all our music & instruments & dancers & pretty girls! Hallelujah! I know this was a literal prediction of what we were going to do & I believe others are also, like He showed us in the "New Nation Prophecy" & Ezekiel & others! Many of the prophecies of God have INTERMEDIATE fulfilments, but they also have ULTIMATE fulfilments, & I really believe with all my heart that we're the ultimate fulfilment of many of these prophecies. There are many peoples of God throughout history, but I believe with all my heart that we are THE FINAL people of God--this generation--these Children of God! There's no time for any other! WE are the ultimate fulfilment of many of these prophecies!--The Grand Finale!
         33. VERSE 26--"BLESS YE GOD IN THE CONGREGATIONS, even the Lord, from the foundation of Israel." If there's anything we're famous for, it's praising God!
         34. VERSE 27--"THERE IS LITTLE BENJAMIN WITH THEIR RULER, the princes of Judah & their council, the princes of Zebulon, & the princes of Naphtali." The Lord even knew we were going to use those old tribal names of which the tribes of Israel were only a weak forerunner & symbol!
         35. VERSE 28--"THY GOD HATH COMMANDED THY STRENGTH: strengthen, O God, that which Thou has wrought for us." It is GOD that gives us the strength & GOD that has done it all! We are the Work of GOD--the Work of HIS Fingers. Give HIM all the glory! PTL!
         36. VERSE 29--"BECAUSE OF THY TEMPLE AT JERUSALEM SHALL KINGS BRING PRESENTS UNTO THEE." WE are the temple & His Jerusalem! Because of His presence in us His people, kings are supporting us & will even more in the future.
         37. VERSE 30--"REBUKE THE COMPANY OF SPEARMEN, the multitude of the bulls, with the calves of the people, till every one submit himself with pieces of silver: scatter thou the people that delight in war." God is rebuking the World & the System through us & making them serve us with their material possessions. Use it!
         38. VERSE 31--"PRINCES SHALL COME OUT OF EGYPT: Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God." Each one of you young men is a prince unto God--a young King that He's taken out of Egypt! And in another sense, God has given us some young people whom the World looked up to--princes in their eyes--by THEIR standards! The black Ethiopians of this nation will also seek after the Lord in you.
         39. VERSE 32--"SING UNTO GOD, YE KINGDOMS OF THE EARTH: O sing praises unto the Lord: Selah." We're God's admonition to them that they'd better praise the Lord! They even sing and dance with us in the parks!
         40. VERSE 33--"TO HIM THAT RIDETH UPON THE HEAVENS OF HEAVENS, WHICH WERE OF OLD; LO, HE DOTH SEND OUT HIS VOICE, & that a mighty voice." We're like His voice to the World!
         41. VERSE 34--"ASCRIBE YE STRENGTH UNTO GOD: His excellency is over Israel, & His strength is in the clouds." The LORD is our strength, our power is only in the Spirit!
         42. VERSE 35--"O GOD, THOU ART TERRIBLE OUT OF THY HOLY PLACES: the God of Israel is He that giveth strength & power unto His people. Blessed be God!" We're a terrible & awesome representative of God to the World, because we come in the strength & power of the Lord--& they're terrified! They may make fun, but they're afraid! They scoff to conceal their fear, because they KNOW we're the voice of God!
         43. AMEN! PRAISE YE THE LORD! "The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad!"--And there's MUCH MORE TO COME! Hallelujah!

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family