TO THE WHITE HOUSE SINGING TEAM!
--From Maria              Maria #199 DO 2863 12/92

(Editor's note: This can be applied to all of our singing teams.)

Dear shepherds and teens,
         1. God bless you! I love you very much, and am praying for you as the day of your performance draws closer. God bless you for putting your all into the preparations for this show, and filling your hearts and minds with His Word to help give you the strength from Him that you'll need, so that out of the abundance of your hearts your mouths will sing and speak.
         2. In praying about your upcoming performance, I've been thinking that compared to the other choral groups and singing troupes which will be performing at the White House for Christmas, alongside them your group may appear unprofessional and more untrained. Unlike members of a highly trained and technically perfect choral group, your main ministry has been that of witnessing and winning souls, for which you'll reap eternal and everlasting rewards. So that's why we're suggesting that you and your singing group just be yourselves and be natural and not try to take on more than you are equipped for or can be trained for in this short period of time. Nor should you feel that you should try to compete with other very professional groups who have probably been together for years and whose main goal has been to learn to sound good for the System, and to make their mark in the world musically.
         3. In spite of the fact we aren't usually nearly as polished and professional as System groups, the Lord often opens doors for us to perform right alongside them. And although according to System standards we're not as professional, refined, polished or trained as most of the world's groups, the Lord always comes through our precious Family performers so beautifully, and people sit up and take notice.--Not of our great talents and abilities and musical perfection, but of His Spirit shining through us.
         4. It reminds me of the scripture, "Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled and took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus" (Acts 4:13). The people who were listening to Peter and John's preaching and witnessing were probably used to hearing speakers all the time who were much more polished and eloquent than Peter and John. So listening to Spirit-filled Peter and John was probably quite an unusual occurrence, and their difference from the other speakers was enough to draw people's attention to them.
         5. As the people kept listening and watching, they realized that what they were seeing and what they were so fascinated with was God's Spirit taking over these ignorant and unlearned men and making them glow with the Lord's presence. This gave Peter and John the ability to touch others in a way the people had never felt before.
         6. Perhaps you teens, as well as you adults, are often tempted to think, "We're so inferior and we don't measure up. We don't compare so favorably with all these Systemites and all their talents and expertise and professionalism." But why would you want to? Do you want to have people look at you and say, "Listen to those singers! They're so skilled! We can see that they've had expert musical training, and their voices are so well-trained and their harmonies are perfect and their stage presence is impeccable!" Or would you rather have them look at you and say, "These folks really stir us! These are the ones who move us and touch us and do something to us! We're not quite sure what it is. They may not be perfect, but when they sing, we feel like they're singing right to us, personally! Their singing reaches out to us and into our hearts, and we feel enthralled when they sing, we feel loved! We can see a real peace about them and a light on their faces and a warm glow that somehow is missing from the other singers. This group has really won our hearts!"
         7. Would you want to have the people see you as professional, polished, refined, tutored and highly trained, but without His Spirit, His light and life-giving love? Or would you rather have the people see Jesus in you, and feel Jesus flowing through you, even if they happen to see your weaknesses and your untrained or unprofessional qualities in the process? Wouldn't you rather have His treasure in your earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of you? For it is not you who live, but Christ Who liveth in you. For when you are weak, then He is strong, for His strength is made perfect and manifested in your weakness. It's the lame who take the prey (2Cor.4:7; Gal.2:20; 2Cor.12:9; Isa.33:23). In fact, if you were so polished and musically perfect, people would have a lot harder time seeing Jesus in you. They would instead think that the beauty they were seeing was coming from your talent and your skill and your ability.
         8. So, although your performance may seem average and simple in comparison to other groups, I believe that when you sing, the power of the Lord's Spirit and His angels and His Holy Spirits will flow forth through you and will make your music take on a very special quality that none of the others will be able to match. But it won't be anything of you; it will be Jesus Who is singing through you! And we're praying that His Heavenly magic will touch many hearts and stir them and help them to think about Jesus, and that even though you may not be able to talk to them, in some way they will feel Him reaching out to them.
         9. So be confident that with the Lord on your side, you're unbeatable and you're brilliant as you shine with His light! God bless and keep you all! Our heartfelt prayers are with you!


Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family