DON'T FORCE PUBLIC DECISIONS!    DO 2443  6/88

         1. WHEREVER YOU ARE GUESTS AT PUBLIC FUNCTIONS, INVITED PRIMARILY TO ENTERTAIN OR TO ADVERTISE YOUR SCHOOL OR SOME OTHER PROJECT OPEN TO THE GP, I don't think that most people would consider that an appropriate place to come right out & preach the Gospel & FORCE them to make a DECISION! I don't think that's wise at all.
         2. IF YOU HAVE A PLACE THAT'S OPEN FOR THE GP, LIKE SOME OF OUR SCHOOLS, I THINK YOU SHOULD INVITE THEM TO COME THERE, that's a real test. And if they're interested enough to come there, to YOUR place, THEN you can invite them to the Lord on your own terms.
         3. ATTENDING SUCH PUBLIC FUNCTIONS IS USUALLY A GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR GOOD PR, TO ADVERTISE YOUR SCHOOL & invite them to "come & see" (Jn.1:46), then only those who are really seriously INTERESTED will come. THOSE are the ones who really DESERVE to be invited to the Lord, & it's on YOUR OWN turf, so you have the right & privilege & freedom to do so.
         4. NOW IF YOU DO THAT ON YOUR OWN TERRITORY, THAT'S YOUR BUSINESS, but when you do it on THEIR territory, it's almost like going into their church & trying to rip off their members! It's a very ticklish business.
         5. IT'S A DIFFERENT THING WHEN YOU GO INTO OLD FOLKS' HOMES & HOSPITALS, THAT SORT OF THING, people who CAN'T get out & it may be their LAST CHANCE, I would dare to go right ahead & give an invitation. (Maria: I think perhaps one of the reasons they're doing it is because they read in "Get Going--Or Get Out!" to sock it to them & preach the Gospel, so I think with any public meeting they go to now, they're openly witnessing about Salvation & trying to get decisions.) They're always going to the extreme!
         6. I THINK YOU'RE REALLY PUSHING IT, & IT WILL TURN MORE PEOPLE AGAINST YOU WHOM YOU MIGHT HAVE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO REACH LATER by inviting them up to your School. If you go into a public meeting, like a Rotary Club or Lion's Club & that sort of thing, & give an evangelistic invitation at the end of your presentation, it will probably be the LAST time you're invited! (Maria: And they'll figure they have you pegged & they know all about you.) And then they will not recommend you to other groups or clubs or functions. (Maria: And they won't want to come to see you either then because they figure they already know what you're all about.) Exactly, you've satisfied their curiosity. It would be far better NOT to push it that far.
         7. IN MANY OF OUR PRESENT SITUATIONS I WOULD ABSOLUTELY RECOMMEND AGAINST IT. Invite them to your School, give them a sample, tell them all about how wonderful it is & Who makes it that wonderful, etc., but don't force them to a DECISION THERE! Wait till they come to YOU, in the right atmosphere & on your own turf, then you're not going to offend a lot of people who weren't a bit interested in you in the first place & didn't invite you to their club, somebody ELSE did, & they might even RESENT it & get him in trouble!
         8. THE PROGRAM DIRECTOR OR WHOEVER INVITED YOU THERE, YOU'RE GOING TO GET HIM IN TROUBLE, & they're going to be mad at him for even having invited you.--"What's the big idea of inviting these Christian EVANGELISTS to preach us a sermon & give us an invitation?" It's just not the place for it! (Maria: Maybe that's one reason they didn't get very big donations in those Rotary Clubs other than the fact that [some] are such tightwads.) Yes, exactly, they made it just too plain what it was all about & what they were after, trying to get Christian converts & raise money for a Christian school!
         9. I DON'T THINK IT'S WISE AT ALL! I THINK IT'S A DELICATE SITUATION & THEY NEED TO REALLY APPROACH IT WITH GREAT WISDOM. Enthusiastically present their SAMPLE & their SINGING & the KIDS & their PICTURES & the SCHOOL & all the rest, & give out brochures & invite them to visit. But as far as when they are invited guests there, supposedly just to present their School & a program with the kids, to take such obvious advantage of the opportunity, they're really sort of pushing it.
         10. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S WISE AT ALL, particularly, in a heathen country where you're trying to very gently WOO them! I don't think it's wise to go in there & WOUND them instead of WOO them! Because a lot of them are going to feel offended & hurt.

WHERE TO GET DECISIONS--ON YOUR OWN TURF, NOT THEIRS!

         11. JESUS SAID, "IF I BE LIFTED UP, I WILL DRAW ALL MEN UNTO ME" (Jn.12:32), & He can draw them up to your place where you can get a decision without having to do it there publicly right in front of their fellow businessmen & everything else!
         12. NOW I HAVE SAID--& I'M ALWAYS EXTREME IN SOME THINGS--THAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR, TO PREACH THE GOSPEL, ETC. But when we have a place on our OWN turf to preach it, where we can really get them in the Spirit & a spiritual atmosphere where we can really get them softened up for it & plow & water & cultivate the ground right there in our own place, after they have seen the School & the kids & all, I think they would consider we have a RIGHT, having given them all that, to ask them then.
         13. BUT WHEN WE ARE ON THEIR TURF IN A PUBLIC MEETING WITH ALL KINDS OF DISINTERESTED PEOPLE IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY! When we've been invited there by somebody who was interested & wanted to help us ADVERTISE our place, I think even your inviter is apt to be a little offended that you just went a little too far, & you won't get invited back.--And the word will get around & you won't get invited OTHER places either!

INVITE THE SHEEP & AVOID THE DEVOID!

         14. WE'RE NOT TO THROW THAT WHICH IS HOLY UNTO THE DOGS NOR CAST OUR PEARLS BEFORE SWINE!--Mat.7:6. I think it's far better to WAIT till they come to YOUR place & show that they're hungry SHEEP, looking & searching, & give it to them THEN, & not just publicly cram it down their throats! I wouldn't be surprised if some of their hosts & advisors at some of those businessman's clubs particularly were SHOCKED that they would turn it into an evangelistic Gospel meeting with an altar call! They probably went away in a state of shock that we even had the NERVE to do such a thing & they probably figured, "Well, they certainly haven't got much WISDOM, they aren't very SMART!"
         15. AND NOT ONLY THAT, YOU EXPOSE YOURSELF & GIVE AWAY YOUR WHOLE PURPOSE & MEANING TO THE WHOLE GENERAL PUBLIC, as well as advertising your efforts to your ENEMIES so they'll all know what it's all about! Otherwise, they have to come to where YOU ARE to find out. (Maria: And then they can usually be won over a lot easier there on your own turf.) Oh yes, they're in a much better atmosphere to be talked to & invited, much better. And they will consider it your RIGHT! They're YOUR guests then, YOU'RE the hosts, & hosts have certain privileges that guests just don't have.
         16. IF THEY'RE REALLY HUNGRY, SEARCHING & WANT MORE, THEY'LL COME & VISIT. Just be sure you INVITE them & make it clear WHERE you are, & give them a little HINT of what it's all about. (Maria: The children's songs about Heaven would be all right?) Yes, songs & a sample of our children are fine, & tell them about the School & give them little hints what it's all about, then those who are hungry will catch it & they'll come.

THE FOLLY & DANGERS OF HARD-SELL MASS EVANGELISM!

         17. YOU KNOW ME, I HAVE TALKED AGAINST MASS EVANGELISM FOR YEARS & YEARS & YEARS! I think it's worked against us a lot in LOTS of places when we came out too openly & publicly. When we were invited guests, we offended our hosts by trying to grab some sheep right there & run off with them, right there in their own folds! I really think it's been offensive.
         18. WE'VE BEEN TOO OPEN! And it's getting more & more where you just CAN'T be so open when you're in meetings before the general public where you've been invited, whether it's a club or an outdoor meeting or WHATEVER it may be!
         19. THE WORD'S GOING TO GET AROUND, & a lot of people who could have been secret friends & gotten away with it, befriending & helping you, are going to be AFRAID to do it! They're going to literally be afraid to help or show their colours because you have been so OPENLY, AGGRESSIVELY evangelistic Christians who go right in where Angels fear to tread & try to invite the dogs & the swine & everybody to Jesus! I just don't think it's wise!
         20. (MARIA: WE ALWAYS WANT TO BE KNOWN AS REAPERS, whereas Paul said some SOWED.--1Cor.3:68. And by our SAMPLE, we're really SOWING. But WE want to sow & reap at the same time, & we feel like we've failed if we're not reaping.)
         21. LIFT UP CHRIST, & HIS SHEEP WILL BE DRAWN TO HIM.--Jn.12:32. That doesn't show movement on the part of Christ chasing after them, or chasing after the stray sheep or even the dogs & the goats & the pigs! That shows you're inviting them to FOLLOW, & if they're interested & hungry they'll follow you. You don't have to offend the rest of the public & throw your pearls to the swine & the dogs, the Lord says "lest they TURN on you & REND you!"--Mat.7:6.
         22. THE DOGS & THE PIGS & THE SWINE & THE GOATS ARE NOT GOING TO RECEIVE IT, & that's the MAJORITY of every audience! So what you're doing is just OFFENDING the vast majority of the audience by trying to woo & win the others who are then going to be afraid & embarrassed & ashamed to even come NEAR you in a country of largely secret believers! I just don't think it's wise at all.
         23. PAUL SAID, "BE INSTANT IN SEASON & OUT OF SEASON" (2Tim.4:2), but I really feel, & I'm sure he knew too, that it's far BETTER to be instant IN season, & when out of season, go easy & try to give them a chance to get on your turf where it can be more IN season! By doing it too much OUT of season you could ruin your chances to ever get'm where you could get them IN season. I'll tell you, you sure get in trouble with the authorities when you go HUNTIN' or FISHIN' out of season!--That's a good illustration.
         24. I'VE OFTEN WARNED YOU, WHEN YOU PUSH THINGS TOO FAR, YOU OFTEN EVEN MAKE THE OFFICIALS COME TO A DECISION REGARDING YOU! People complain to them, "Why do you give those crazy people permission to stay here?"
         25. PEOPLE WHO HEAR ABOUT YOU SECOND & THIRD HAND, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE SO MUCH UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT & the atmosphere & impressed by the testimony of the kids, etc. They have just heard ABOUT it, hearsay, & they usually hear the WORST side from most people. Let's face it, most of the people that go out of one of those public meetings didn't make the decision, at least not voluntarily or willingly. There are very few sheep in such crowds who sincerely, honestly made the decision.
         26. YOU FORCE THE REST OF THEM TO MAKE A DECISION AGAINST YOU!--Whereas they could have just let it slide & turned the other way & saved face & ignored it. But you literally FORCED them to become ENEMIES. So who will spread the word the most about how crazy you are & to the most people?--The vast majority of them in the meeting. So you're going to have more people out there talking AGAINST you than FOR you!
         27. THOSE KINDS OF SITUATIONS ARE VERY TICKLISH & THEY'VE GOT TO BE HANDLED WITH KID GLOVES & TREMENDOUS WISDOM. Jesus Himself said, "I send you forth as SHEEP in the midst of WOLVES, therefore be as WISE as serpents, & HARMLESS as doves."--Mat. 10:16. But when you look to them like you ARE serpents & you ARE harmful to them & their culture & their religions, then they're going to be AFTER you!

PUBLIC EXPOSURE ENSURES PUBLIC REJECTION!

         28. "WIDE IS THE GATE & BROAD IS THE WAY THAT LEADETH UNTO DESTRUCTION & MANY there be that go in thereat!"--Mat.7:13. The vast MAJORITY of people are REFUSERS, the vast majority of people are GOATS, the vast majority of the people are not only goats, but they're PIGS & WOLVES & ENEMIES, especially if you force them to make a decision!
         29. IF YOU WANT TO GET SO MUCH PUBLICITY SO THAT EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT YOU'RE PREACHING, everybody has heard the Gospel, has heard your message, has been FORCED to make a decision either for or against Jesus & Christians & Christianity & your School & your sample, then your job is DONE! You have required instantaneous acceptance or rejection. And since the MAJORITY are going to be REJECTERS, that's what you're going to get, REJECTION!--Because that's what it always means in the long run.
         30. ONCE WE HAVE PUBLICISED THE MESSAGE & WE HAVE REAPED THE HARVEST, THEN THE VAST MAJORITY WHO REJECTED IT FIGHT US, smear us & drive us out. Now if you want to precipitate that, then spread the word, let them know right now!
         31. BUT ABOUT THE ONLY WAY WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO STAY IN MOST EASTERN COUNTRIES IS BY just giving them a little sugar-coated sample of the one essential message of Jesus. But even that, in many heathen, pagan countries, is offensive to them.
         32. I THINK WE SHOULD BE VERY VERY CAREFUL IN ALL PUBLIC MEETINGS WITH OUTSIDE GP AUDIENCES, including TELEPHONE ministries, ENGLISH CLASSES, etc. I think that we should let those be sort of fishing ponds where we lure the few hungry fish into a little more private intimacy where they can make a PRIVATE decision. Most Orientals do not like to be seen as out of line & out of step with the majority. But if they can make it in PRIVATE & be disciples so nobody knows it, you have a better chance. And if they do any witnessing at all, they're going to have to do it personally. It all comes back to PERSONAL WITNESSING as being the most effective, the most fruitful & the best way of winning disciples.

WISE FISHING!--AND SCHOOL[S]!

         33. IN THAT TYPE OF SITUATION I BELIEVE WITH ALL MY HEART YOU HAVE TO GO SLOW, GO VERY PRAYERFULLY & TRY TO FIND THE SHEEP, the GOOD fish, the real HUNGRY ones, the ones who really sincerely WANT what you've got, & then you have a chance to give it to them. But just going out helter-skelter, pell-mell & everywhere just throwing out the nets so that immediately the wary fish are warned away & swim the other direction & resent you & your actions & warn others away from it, you'll soon be LOSING your FISHING GROUND!
         34. SO IF YOU WANT TO SURVIVE IN AN OPEN SITUATION LIKE THAT WHERE YOU'RE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC & you're on display & vastly advertised, then don't go around broadcasting. Just go around trying to find the OPEN ones, very carefully, prayerfully, SEEKING OUT the lost sheep, & not just casting your pearls & Holy Food every direction in the mud & amongst the dirty swine & hounds & wolves!
         35. THESE SCHOOLS WERE IN A SENSE INTENDED TO BE A NEW TYPE OF APPROACH TO APPROACH HEATHEN in their own heathen land under other religions, to try to kind of get under their skin without slapping them in the face with it. But every time you go out to public meetings & insist on driving people to a public decision, you are offending people & slapping the vast majority of them in the face! They're going to be offended & the Family's not going to last there very long.
         36. IF YOU WANT TO STAY IN SOME OF THOSE COUNTRIES MUCH LONGER, the smartest thing you can do is try to not be too [pushy] about WHO you are, WHAT you are & what you're doing.--Which again shows the advantage of personal, individual soul-winning, without fanfare, public advertising or huge public meetings at which you FORCE them to make a DECISION!--Maybe AGAINST you!
         37. SO IF YOU WANT TO LAST IN SOME OF THOSE SITUATIONS, I THINK THE SMARTEST THING TO DO IS KEEP YOUR PROFILE LOW.
         38. (MARIA: ANOTHER POINT IS THAT OUR PEOPLE HAVE TO HAVE AN AWFUL LOT OF DISCERNMENT, WHICH VERY FEW OF THEM SEEM TO HAVE, to really know what people are THINKING & what their ACTUAL ATTITUDE is. Often you just can't tell. Most Easterners & Orientals have a wonderful talent, a gift for just acting nice even when they're fuming inside & when they don't like you.) As some businessmen have said, the Orientals can be twofaced to the extreme! They can be nice to your face & stab you in the back! Because hospitality & politeness & courtesy, above all else, is really their religion.--To SEEM good!
         39. (MARIA: WHEN THEY COME ON OUR TURF IT'S EASIER FOR US TO TELL IF THEY'RE REALLY SINCERE & GENUINE. But in those big public meetings, like you said, no matter how much they clap or they even pray, "Jesus come into my heart" or they nod or whatever they do, there's no way to really tell if they mean it or not.) The Enemy is a liar from the beginning, the FATHER of liars, & the father of deceit & the Great Deceiver.--Jn.8:44. So his people are like him, they will lie & deceive & will do their best to FOOL you.

MORE COUNSEL RE: LIT DISTRIBUTION AT GP MEETINGS!

         40. (MARIA: I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, DO YOU DEFINITELY THINK THAT THEY SHOULD GO AHEAD & PASS OUT LIT WITH AN INVITATION ON IT, "Dear Jesus, please come into my heart?") What kind of lit? (Maria: Well, if they're going to wholesale pass out something like that, I don't know if they should use Posters, maybe they could come up with some little thing that they could photocopy.)
         41. IN THOSE EASTERN, PAGAN, NON-CHRISTIAN COUNTRIES, I WOULD ADVISE AGAINST IT. When I said yes, I had the POSTERS in mind right then, that they've got all that kind of lit ALREADY, & it's ALREADY got the salvation message on it. But I would say that the best kind of lit for some of them right now would be their School Brochures & Flyers, neither of which has an invitation on it, neither of which really preaches the Gospel or plan of Salvation or anything. I'd say that's the only thing they ought to be PASSING OUT PUBLICLY to EVERYONE, which are both invitations to VISIT & see a SAMPLE. That's all they need to pass out in such GP meetings in such pagan countries, & certainly no outright Gospel literature.
         42. (MARIA: IF A CROWD IS MOSTLY YOUNGER TEENS WHO PROBABLY WON'T EVER GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME VISIT A SCHOOL, would we want to give them a stronger witness?) It depends on what you mean by witness. Just standing in front of them is a witness, especially if you're singing them our songs about Heaven & showing & telling them how happy we are in the Lord. (Maria: But that doesn't necessarily bring them to a DECISION.) It's one thing to WITNESS, it is another thing to force a DECISION. (Maria: We may never see them again.) If they get curious enough, interested enough, desperate enough, they could find a way somehow.--And even if they can't visit, they can always WRITE you for MORE information or lit!--Give'm POSTERS!
         43. YOU'VE GOT TO LEAVE SOME THINGS UP TO THE LORD! At least if you have given them a brochure, they've got something to tell them where they can find you or where they can write you. If they've seen your program, they get a little idea what it's all about, & if they're hungry, they'll follow the invitation & come to see you. The point is, we don't have to [come ona as] Christian evangelists & missionaries who are trying to change their religion!--Just give'm JESUS!
         44. LET'S STOP FORCING PUBLIC DECISIONS! Search out, invite & PERSONALLY witness to the truly HUNGRY & sincerely INTERESTED, & we'll get a lot FURTHER & LAST a lot LONGER! Amen?


Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family