SEARCHERS!
DO 2097
2/86
--Dad's Farewell to Departing Leadership Teams
1. MARIA'S GOT FAITH FOR PEOPLE! That's what made me, her faith for me. I didn't have any faith myself, I had no faith for myself. Mother Eve had convinced me that I was a flop & failure & never would amount to anything. So to have someone come along & believe in me & have faith in me as well as the Lord, that the Lord could still use me at 50 years of age, that was a real lot of faith! (Maria: I'm so bad myself, I know that if I'm still here that there's really hope for anybody!) It's her faith that keeps this thing going, her faith in you, her faith in me, & most of all, her faith in the Lord! TYL! If you're going to really help people, you're going to have to have a little faith in them.
2. AND YOU FOLKS THAT ARE GOING OUT TO MINISTER TO OTHERS, I was watching Sara nurse the baby awhile ago & I was thinking how much like your ministry that is. You're going out to minister to people, to feed His sheep! She was feeding her sheep, right? A lot of it is just plain loving them--loving them & feeding them & cuddling them & encouraging them, lifting them up, making them feel loved, that we still love them. They may still be way back in Europe or way back in America & feel like maybe they've sort of failed & they didn't make it & maybe we just don't love them any more because they haven't gone South & done what we've told them to do.
3. I'LL TELL YOU, THEY'VE BEEN VERY FAITHFUL IN SUPPORT & VERY FAITHFUL IN HELPING & KEEPING US ON THE FIELD, you on the field, the missionaries on the field. They've been diligent & faithful in that or they wouldn't still be members of the Family. So we can be thankful for that, they've been faithful in what they could do. "She hath done what she could." (Mk.14:8)
4. SO A LOT OF YOUR MINISTRY IS JUST TO GO & FEED HIS SHEEP, LOVE THEM, ENCOURAGE THEM & INSPIRE THEM WITH YOUR FAITH. They've lost faith for themselves, a lot of them, so show them you still have faith in them.
5. IF I WERE TO GIVE ANY MESSAGE TO THOSE PEOPLE YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE TO GO THERE & LET THEM KNOW THAT GRANDPA & MARIA HAVE FAITH IN THEM, that we love'm, we have faith in them & we expect them to do the job! We know they're going to do it because we know the Lord's with them & they can do it! And you need to tell those people too, so many of whom are discouraged, have lost faith in themselves, some have even lost faith in the Family because of mistreatment by the Chain & others, & they really need encouragement & faith to even believe in the Family & me & the Lord & themselves, that they can still do it, it's not too late! Where there's life there's hope! Breathe the breath of love & life into them, feed those sheep & fan that little tiny flickering coal to a flame of fire & prove to them that they can do it! Tell them to try it, give the Lord a chance, give God a chance, let go & let God!
6. AND THAT'S YOUR JOB TOO, TO GO OUT & DO WHAT YOU CAN FOR THEM & TO CONVINCE THEM THAT THEY CAN DO SOMETHING! They can just do what they can! They shouldn't try to do what they can't. Of course, a lot of times they think they can't when they can! You just need to try to give them faith & inspiration that, well, of course they can't do it! You can't do it, but the Lord can through you. You just need to obey & give Him a chance. The main purpose & motivation in going is to do what? (Faithy: Feed My sheep!)--Feed My sheep! (Jn.21:17) And with what reason? What was the Scripture I gave you? (Faithy: "The Love of Christ constraineth me.") (2Cor. 5:14)
7. YOU'RE ON A MISSION OF LOVE! IT'S A LOVE TRIP! That's really why we're sending you. I got so burdened & concerned about those people back in the home fields. And I felt like they really felt sort of ostracised & neglected & in disfavour because we're always telling them to leave & to go & go South & all that & they haven't done it.--Or they did it & failed, or think they failed & went back. So they just don't feel like they deserve anything any more.
8. YOUR MISSION IS TO GO THERE & SHOW THEM SO MUCH LOVE, JUST LIKE YOU DO TO THE SINNERS. You have to love them before they'll believe that God loves them! A lot of those folks feel like they've failed God & maybe God doesn't love them any more. They're still trying to love Him & love the missionaries & love us & be faithful in their giving & correspondence etc., but a lot of them really feel like maybe God doesn't love them any more because they're not where they think they ought to be, or even know they ought to be.
9. BUT MAYBE THEY'VE LEARNED SOME LESSONS THEY NEEDED TO LEARN WHEN THEY FAILED & BACKSLID & WENT BACK AGAIN. Maybe this time if they'd try it again, having learned those lessons, they'd succeed! And that's the message of hope that you carry with you to tell those people back in Europe & the Americas.
10. WE DON'T EXPECT TO MAKE ANY MONEY OUT OF THIS TRIP, WE DON'T NECESSARILY EVEN EXPECT TO GET AN AWFUL LOT OF MISSIONARIES OUT OF IT. It's going to cost a lot. But I think it's worth it if we'll just show them we still love them. Even though they didn't make it, even though they can't go, or think they can't go, we still love them, therefore God still loves them. PTL! So that's your mission, you are the Love of God for them!
11. I OFTEN THINK & PRAY FOR THEM, MANY OF THOSE OLD-TIMERS THAT HAVE GONE BACK. I think about some of those early ones that we started with & wonder where they are or what they're doing. We never hear from them any more, & it really grieves my heart sometimes to think about some of those early pioneers that helped us get started. Where are they? Are they the sheep that have gone astray? Are you the shepherds that are going to go back & find them? (Dad weeps) Amen? That's what you're doing. You're the shepherds. I'm sending you back to find those lost sheep & the strays that are caught in the brambles & lost in the mountains & in the rocks. You're going to go back & find them. Amen?
12. ISN'T THAT WHAT THE LORD SAID IN ONE OF THE PROPHECIES IN THE SCRIPTURE ABOUT US? We send out searchers. You're my searchers! We're sending out searchers to find them! Oh hallelujah! Thank You Jesus for that Scripture!
13. ISN'T THAT A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE THE LORD GAVE?--That passage where He said He'd send forth searchers to search them out & to find them, the sheep that have gone astray, the sheep that have been oppressed by their wicked shepherds, like the Chain, those that have been offended & driven away. We're sending you out like the shepherds to search out the sheep!
14. (SINGS:) "SAFE WERE THE NINETY & NINE IN THE FOLD, safe though the night was stormy & cold. But, said the Shepherd, when counting them o'er, one sheep is missing, there should be one more! So the Shepherd went out to search for His sheep, & all through the night on that rocky steep."--That's America & Europe for you, it's a place I'd hate to go, but He went out anyhow. "He sought till He found him, with love bands He bound him, & I was that one lost sheep." You were once upon a time, amen? Somebody sought you out & found you out. PTL? So now you have the chance to go out & search for them & bring them back to the fold. That's really what your mission is.
15. (FAM: "FOR THUS SAITH THE LORD GOD, BEHOLD, I, EVEN I, WILL BOTH SEARCH MY SHEEP, & SEEK THEM OUT. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered, so will I seek out My sheep, & will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy & dark day." (Eze.34:11,12) PTL! Hallelujah! TYJ!
16. THAT'S WHAT YOU ARE, YOU'RE THE LORD'S SEARCHERS! The Shepherd, the Lord, is sending you out to search out His sheep. PTL? And I think you're going to find some real sheep & they'll be really worth it all. All they need is some love & some encouragement & to see that someone has faith in them, like Beauty & the Beast, to really see that somebody loves them & cares enough to search them out & find them. I'm sure the Lord's going to do it. If you go out with weeping, you're going to return with rejoicing, bringing your sheaves with you.--Your sheep, lost sheep. PTL! (Psa.126:6)
17. SO I'M SENDING OUT SEARCHERS! You're to search out His sheep & love them & comfort them, heal them, feed them & free them from the bondage that they're in. Satan's convinced them that they can't break the bonds, but the Lord can! And that's exactly what we're doing in sending you. You're some of my searchers going out to search out my sheep! PTL!
18. THAT'S YOUR JOB! THAT'S THE JOB OF ALL OF US, REALLY, BUT THESE ARE ACTUALLY GOING OUT INTO THE FIELD NOW, some into old home fields, others into a new home field to find the sheep, to inspire & encourage them.
19. MY HEART GOES WITH YOU & WE'RE EXPECTING GREAT THINGS OF YOU! We have faith in you! We believe you're going to do it! TYL! I know it! With faith you know it's going to happen! You say, "Oh boy, Grandpa's sure dumping a big load on us! How are we ever going to live up to all that?" It'll be the Lord! Just let go & let God, He'll do it. Just obey the Lord. Just do what He tells you to do. He just likes us to step out by faith! "Just obey, just go, just be there! Then I'll do it, I'll tell you what to do." So that's a little message for you, I think it was an encouragement to me.
20. (MARIA: THAT'S A GOOD POINT TOO, ABOUT JUST GOING & BEING THERE. Paul & Faithy don't exactly know all the details of what they're going to do in the States, but they just have to go.)--Right, you just go & He will lead you step by step. He doesn't reveal the whole future. Don't fret about tomorrow, sufficient unto the day is all the evil thereof & all the problems you have & the things you have to work out. Tomorrow will take care of the things of itself. (Mat.6:34) When you get to tomorrow, then the Lord will take care of all those things! PTL! You just take care of today.
21. (SINGS:) "IF JESUS GOES WITH ME I'LL GO, ANYWHERE! 'Tis Heaven to me, wherever I be, if He is there. I count it a privilege here, His cross to bear. If Jesus goes with me I'll go, anywhere!" Hallelujah! TYJ! PTL!
22. (SINGS:) "JESUS IS MY LOVING SHEPHERD, HE IS SO PRECIOUS TO ME! Oh, how I love & adore Him for all His mercy so free! When I was lost on the mountain, barren & dark & cold, He sought the sheep that was straying, He brought me back to the fold!"--That's what you're going to do! "Jesus, Jesus, dearer than all to me! Jesus, Jesus, Thine, only Thine I'll be! Where Thou dost lead I will follow, where'er the path may be, then when life's journey is ended, Thy face in Glory I'll see!" Just like the Lord sought you out & found you, you're to go out as searchers & seek them out & find them & bring them back to the fold! PTL! TYJ!
23. THE LORD SAID, "I HAVE ORDAINED YOU." AND WHAT DID THE LORD ORDAIN YOU TO DO? (Fam: "To go & bring forth fruit.")--To go! That's the first thing you have to do, you've gotta go or you'll never do it. You've gotta go by faith & bring forth fruit. PTL!
24. IF YOU WILL JUST GO & KEEP HIS ORDERS, HE'LL DO IT! YOU'RE LIKE A SOLDIER IN THE FIELD OBEYING THE COMMANDER'S ORDERS whether you understand it or not or whether you know why or not, & sometimes you might even question it. But you just obey. In the army, let me tell you, you learn to obey no matter what crazy things they tell you to do!
25. YOU'RE GOING OUT UNDER ORDERS, A COMMISSION! Commissioned officers in the army means they're given a certain commission, a job to perform. And you are ordained to go out. Quote that Scripture again, I love that, that's beautiful! (Fam: "Ye have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you & ordained you, that ye should go & bring forth fruit & that your fruit should remain. That whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it you!")--Wow! Look at the promises there! If you'll obey & do it, He's going to do it! He's going to give you fruit!
26. THANK YOU LORD FOR THESE WONDERFUL FOLKS, THESE PRECIOUS ONES WHO HAVE OBEYED ORDERS, Lord, & followed their commission & have been ordained, Lord, & know they're ordained to go out & bring forth fruit, & know that their fruit will remain, Lord. So whatever they ask of You, Lord, You're going to give it to them, because they please You, Lord. You give them the desires of their heart, because they really please You, Jesus. Thank You Lord for those wonderful promises!
27. BE WITH THEM, KEEP THEM SAFELY, GIVE THEM STRENGTH & THY DIVINE ANOINTING, LORD, & inspiration, Thy mantle of power, Lord, to do the job You have commissioned them to do. We know that You wouldn't have sent them out unless You were going to go with them all the way & give them the power & the wisdom & all the talent & the gifts, everything that it will take to do the job. All they have to do is obey & go.
28. SO LORD, THEY'RE OBEYING, THEY'RE GOING, & THEY KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO GO WITH THEM & HELP THEM TO GET THE JOB DONE, whatever it may be, Lord. We don't even know all You're going to do & how You're going to use them. They don't have to know the future, not even tomorrow, all they have to do is obey, Lord, & do what You tell them to do, & You show the way & give them the strength & the power to do it. You'll do it all if they will just do their part & obey & go & try to bring forth fruit, in Jesus' name. Hallelujah!
29. GOD BLESS YOU! YOU JUST TAKE MY LOVE TO THEM, OKAY? And love them like you love me! GBY! You know my heart's always with you & I'll be praying for you. (Fam: "Behold, I will send forth many fishers, saith the Lord, & they shall fish them.")--Fishers! That was it, I thought it was searchers! (Fam: "And after will I send for many hunters, & they shall hunt them from every mountain & from every hill, & out of the holes of the rocks.") (Jer.16:16) That's the Scripture I was thinking of!--Fishers & hunters. Well, fishers & hunters are always searchers! Anyhow, that's the word the Lord used, so I guess that's what He means, He called you searchers! So search'm out! Fish'm & hunt'm & search'm!
30. TELL THOSE FOLKS I LOVE'M & THAT I'VE SENT YOU TO FIND THEM, SEARCH'M OUT & RESCUE THEM OUT OF THAT HORRIBLE SYSTEM! That's always been our mission, there's nothing new about it, saved or unsaved. TYL! GBY! ILY!