ctivated

CHANGE YOUR LIFE. CHANGE YOUR WORLD.

GOD STILL
SPEAKS
Are you getting the message?

DARE TO BE
DIFFERENT
The risks and rewards of
nonconformity

LEFT BEHIND?
More truth about the Rapture

Acti_Issue_09.indd 1 03/14/02, 11:08 AM

 personally speaking
For a wide range of books and
audio and video productions to
feed your soul, lift your spirit,
strengthen your family, and provide
fun learning times for your children,
please contact one of our distribu-
tors below, or visit our Web site at
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Activated Ministries
P.O. Box 462805
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USA spouse, your best friend, your child—and never talking with
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and so are all of the most important relationships we are
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relationship to God and Jesus in a philosophical sort of
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and stronger through honest, open communication with our
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[email protected] Him too. He wants us to tell Him our needs and desires, our
EDITOR
problems and fears, our innermost thoughts, and our secret
Keith Phillips dreams. And it works both ways. He also wants to answer
our questions, help solve our problems, encourage us when
DESIGN
Giselle LeFavre we feel down, and share our victories and joys. Most of all,
He wants to help us understand and experience His love in
ILLUSTRATIONS
Max Belmont, Hugh Westphal
a very real and personal way.
If you haven’t yet discovered how to hear directly from
PRODUCTION
Francisco Lopez
God, to receive His personalized messages of love, encour-
agement, instruction, guidance and more, this issue of Acti-
VOL 1, ISSUE 9 vated explains how.
© 2002 Aurora Production AG
All Rights Reserved
Printed in Thailand
www.auroraproduction.com
Keith Phillips
Unless otherwise indicated, all For the Activated family
Scripture quotations in Activated are
from the New King James Version of the
Bible © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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 God still

speaks
GOD ISN’T DEAD! He’s alive and only wants to communicate with
well, and still ready, willing, and able you through His written Word, but
to speak to His children—and He directly. He takes a loving personal
wants to speak to you. interest in you, and wants to be
“How can that be?” you may ask. involved in your life. He knows
In order to comprehend the answer that you have questions and prob-
to that—how the great God and Cre- lems, and He wants to give you
ator of the universe could commu- the answers and solutions. He also
God wants nicate directly with you, or why He wants to speak personal words of
would even want to—you must first love and encouragement to you, to
you to understand how much God loves boost your faith and reassure you
you. He loves you so much that He during those rough times. Most of
know how sent His Son, Jesus, to die for your all, He wants you to know how
much He sins so that you could be forgiven much He loves you personally. So
and receive God’s gift of eternal life He created a means of two-way
loves you in Heaven, simply by believing in communication, a channel
personally. Jesus and receiving Him as your between Him and you, so that you
Savior. Jesus died for the sins of the can talk to Him in prayer and in
whole world, but He would have reply hear words He gives specially
died for you alone. He and His for you.
Father love you that much! But what if you don’t consider
In His love, God also gave you yourself very “spiritual” or close to
the Bible, through which He tells God? Well, you’ll be happy to know
you how to live in love and harmony that God will speak to anyone who
with Him and others. God’s Words has a little childlike faith. He wants
in the Bible are an inexhaustible to speak to you, to give you a chance
source of faith, comfort, encour- to experience His infinite wisdom
agement, instruction, wisdom, and and boundless love. He wants to
strength of spirit. lead you step by step into a closer
But God didn’t stop there. He relationship with Him and a greater
loves you so much that He not understanding of His will and ways.
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 God may speak to you in a cal value than the gift of prophecy.
number of ways: As you read the Did you know that the principal
Bible, He may cause a particular dictionary definition of the word
passage to stand out to you and “prophecy” is not “a prediction,”
show you how it applies to your situ- but rather “a divinely inspired utter-
ation or how it answers a question ance”? In other words, prophecy is
you may have. He may not even receiving a message directly from
use words; He may just give you God. Whenever you hear words in
an impression or inner conviction, a your mind that you believe are from
sort of intuitive knowledge about a God and you say them or write them
particular situation. He may speak to down, you are prophesying.
you through vivid dreams or visions. You can hear from Heaven! Put
He may speak through others— God to the test! See if He will not
godly counselors whose wisdom and open to you the windows of Heaven
experience you can benefit from. and pour out such blessings on
But of all the ways God is able you—the treasures of His Words for
to speak to you, perhaps none is you personally—that you will not be
more wonderful or of greater practi- able to contain them all! •

How Prophecy Works

Once you’re open to the idea that God can speak to you,
what next? Here are the basic ground rules:

1. Have a personal relationship 3. Pray for the gift.

with Jesus Christ. The ability to receive messages
If you’ve received Jesus as your directly from God—commonly
Savior, you’ve already met the first referred to as the gift of proph-
and most important requirement. ecy—is one of the gifts of the Holy
When you opened your heart to Spirit that are explained in 1 Cor-
Jesus, you began an intimate rela- inthians chapter 12. God is more
tionship with Him not only as your than willing to give you this or what-
Savior, but also as your friend, ever other gifts of the Spirit you ask
teacher, and counselor. for (Matthew 7:7–8). (See God’s Gifts,
from the Get Activated series, for
2. Be filled with the Holy Spirit. more information on the Holy Spirit
Jesus told His disciples shortly and the gifts of the Spirit.)
before He was crucified that after He
was gone, He would send the Holy 4. Talk to Jesus.
Spirit, the Spirit of Truth, to teach Prayer is not meant to be a reli-
them all things and guide them into gious ritual, but a living relation-
all truth (John 16:7,13–14). He has ship. Jesus wants to speak to you as
promised to give the Holy Spirit to openly and freely as your best friend
you, too, if you ask for it (Luke or spouse would, but it’s a two-way
11:9–13). street. It may be awkward at first
if you aren’t used to speaking to
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 Him personally, but it gets easier answers and therefore need God’s
once you begin to do it regularly. answers. “We have this treasure in
He understands and loves you as no earthen vessels”—lowly clay pots—
other can. He wants you to tell Him “that the excellence of the power
your deepest thoughts, your inner- may be of God and not of us” (2 Cor-
most feelings, your secret dreams inthians 4:7).
and longings.
9. Ask God to override your
5. Read God’s Word. own thoughts while hearing from
In order to correctly apply the Him, and to help you submit
words that Jesus speaks to you per-
sonally in prophecy, you need a cer-
your will to His.
To receive God’s messages, you
tain understanding of God’s already
need to have an open mind and
recorded Word. Knowing the Word
heart. You need to be ready to accept
also helps you to have faith that the
whatever He gives, even if it’s not
message you are hearing is from the
what you were expecting, not com-
Lord. The Bible is your foundation.
pletely to your liking, or you don’t
Read it, study it, memorize it; let it
understand it fully. Your own ideas
become a part of you.
and desires may be good, but His
will prove better.
6. Have faith.
The Bible tells us that having
faith is being certain that what we
10. Now you’re ready to begin.
Start by finding a quiet place and
hope for is waiting for us, even
taking a few minutes to talk to the
though we cannot see it right now.
Lord. Tell Him what’s on your heart.
How do you get faith? Simple! Faith
Thank Him for His blessings in your
comes from reading the Word of
life.
God (Romans 10:17). As you read
If you have a specific question
the Word and commit key passages
you’d like to ask Jesus, go ahead.
to memory, your faith will grow.
Then be still and focus your mind
on the Lord. Closing your eyes
7. Ask! will help you shut out distractions
This may seem pretty obvious, around you.
but in order to receive something in Do your best to concentrate and
prophecy, you first have to ask the patiently listen with your spirit. Then
Lord to speak to you. “Call on Me, take in whatever comes to your
and I will show you great and mighty heart, mind, ears, or eyes, and accept
things which you do not know” (Jer- that as the Lord’s message for you.
emiah 33:3). Place your telephone As you speak or write down the first
call and get His reply! bit you get, the Lord will give you
more. When you’ve sincerely asked
8. Be humble. the Lord to speak, and your heart and
Your mindset, your attitude of mind are open to Him, He will!
heart, your motives—all of these
(For more explanation of the gift of
help determine how clearly you will prophecy and how to use it and benefit
be able to hear from Heaven. You from it, read Hearing from Heaven, a book-
need to realize that you are weak let in Aurora Production’s Get Activated
in yourself, that you don’t have the series.) •
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 heaven’s

hotline
Charles Spurgeon, the famous evangelist, and George Mueller, Olga Kristensen spent forty
the thief-turned-Christian who founded and directed five orphanages, years in China as a missionary.
both lived in 19th-century England. Once Spurgeon worked hard to col- One night toward the end of
lect 300 pounds in donations—a lot of money in those days—that was her stay, she and her co-workers
urgently needed by the orphanage he supported. When he had gotten received news that a gang of
the last of the money, he went to bed that night a contented man. bandits was heading toward
But before he could go to sleep, the Lord said to him, “Give those 300 their mission station, burning,
pounds to George Mueller, for his orphanages in Bristol.” killing, and pillaging. Before long,
“But Lord,” Spurgeon protested, “I need that money for my dear they heard shots being fired
orphans in London.” at the end of their street. Ms.
Again he heard, “Give those 300 pounds to George Mueller!” Kristensen later recounted that
Spurgeon finally agreed, and went to sleep. night:
The next morning he made his way to George Mueller’s home and “I went into my room and
found him praying. “George, God told me to give you these 300 pounds,” asked God for a word to calm me
he said. and the others, and a passage
“I have just been asking the Lord for that exact amount!” Mueller I had often read before came
exclaimed. to me: When you lie down, you
When Spurgeon returned to London, he found a letter on his desk. will not be afraid; yes, you will
It contained 300 guineas (one guinea was worth one pound and one lie down and your sleep will
shilling). “The Lord has returned my 300 pounds,” he shouted out for joy, be sweet. Do not be afraid of
“and with 300 shillings interest!” sudden terror, nor of trouble
from the wicked when it comes;
Virginia Brandt Berg once told how the Lord used the verse Psalm for the Lord will be your confi-
46:10—“Be still and know that I am God”—to save the day and demon- dence, and will keep your foot
strate His ability to give her specific, immediate guidance as she listened from being caught (Proverbs
to Him in prayer. There was an emergency, and she needed to find 3:24–26).
someone who had recently moved, whose new address she didn’t have. “I shared that message with
“Every part of my being seemed to throb with anxiety because that the others there and told them
person had to be reached, and reached at once!” she later recalled. “Sud- to go get some rest. Then I
denly a paraphrase of Scripture came to me. Just be still, get quiet, and went off to bed myself and slept
know that I am God. So I sat down and quietly asked to the Lord to do soundly.
something to avert disaster, and the Lord spoke to my heart. Just write a “The next morning, bodies
note and take it to the apartment where they lived before. Maybe they lay in the street outside our
will have some reason to go back there. premises. There had been fight-
“So I wrote the note and went over to the apartment to deliver it. ing and murder, but no one had
Just as I arrived, note in hand, up drove the very person I had wanted so much as knocked on our
to reach but couldn’t!” door.” •
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 Feeding Reading

turn on and tune in

HEARING FROM GOD

The Holy Spirit connection

Mark 13:11
God is like a broadcasting station, broadcasting all John 16:7,13–14
the time. Just like the radio waves that are unseen in the 1 Corinthians 2:9–10,14
air all around you this very minute, God’s Spirit is ever
present, waiting for you to make contact. And much the The Lord will guide and instruct
same as a simple little transistor radio, you have been Psalm 25:8–9,12
designed by your Creator to receive those signals. God’s Psalm 32:8
power is always on. The message is always there. But in Jeremiah 33:3
order to receive it, you must turn on and tune in to His Isaiah 30:21
frequency! Isaiah 42:16
Compared to the tremendous power and complex
Daniel 2:20–22
operations of the broadcasting station, you, the operator
of the receiver, need not have much power and only the
Get quiet and take time to listen
simplest of skills. Prayer is the hand of faith that flips
the switch and turns on what little power you have. And Psalm 4:4
then the hand of hope tunes with expectancy, feeling Psalm 143:8,10
for the frequency upon which God is broadcasting, and
suddenly His great broadcasting station booms in with Biblical examples
tremendous positive volume and power, and the mes- Numbers 9:8
sages come through loud and clear! 1 Samuel 3:9–10
If you concentrate and wait with faith and patience, 1 Kings 19:11–12
without distraction, you’ll receive some of the most pow- Jeremiah 1:9
erful, thrilling, and amazing messages that will stir you Ezekiel 3:27
to action! The messages you receive from Him minister Luke 2:26
faith, joy, hope, love, and praise. The vibes you get from Acts 10:19–20
the Lord are all good things. They just totally renew you Acts 13:13
and give you new vision, fresh inspiration, new strength,
rest and peace and joy! You’ll dance to His tunes; you’ll God still speaks
move according to His signals, His directions; and you’ll Malachi 3:6
know you’re fulfilling His will, the purpose for which you Amos 3:7
were created. Acts 2:17
—David Brandt Berg Hebrews 13:8

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 A WORLD-FAMOUS NONCONFORMIST
dare Hero or Heretic?
to be
named Jesus, while exhorting His
disciples to leave their old lives in History has proven time and
order to follow Him, warned them again in every age that the majority
that they would be “as sheep in the is usually wrong. As Jesus
midst of wolves” (Matthew 10:16). “If said, “Wide is the gate and
you were of the system,” He said, broad is the way that leads
“the system would love its own. But to destruction, and there
you are not of the system, therefore are many who go in by it:
the system hates you” (John 15:19 because narrow is the gate
paraphrased). and difficult is the way which leads
Dare to be different, He was to life, and there are few who find it”
saying. Venture to vary from the (Matthew 7:13–14).
norm which the systematic system When any courageous icono-
addicts have established to conform clast becomes so presumptu-
to their own Establishment behavior, ous as to dare to smash
and they will hate you for daring to the idols of the generally
challenge their authority to tell you accepted behavior of the
what they have decided is right and vast and wrongful majority,
wrong. or if some brave pioneer of
Just you dare to be so bold as to spiritual matters or of sci-
think, act, live, or teach differently ence is so foolhardy as to
from the vast robotic, narcotic, con- even suggest that society could pos-
ventional, pretentional, conformist, sibly be wrong on some things, he
performist, zombie bombie, so- is often hooted down as a maniac,
called silent majority of the suppos- denounced as demented,
edly average worldlings, and you will persecuted as a departur-
soon discover that they are not so ist, and sometimes even
silent, and you will hear them too, condemned as a criminal,
for it is the hit dogs that howl! And hanged as a heretic, or cru-
if you learn to run with these wolves, cified as a menace to soci-
you will learn to howl too, especially ety!
when someone dares to say and Why? Because the dark-
prove that the “normal” way is not ness cannot stand the light,
the only way! and the wrong cannot bear

By David Brandt Berg

8
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 the right, and the big lie cannot tol- When a lowly shepherd from
erate the truth, and those who are lonely Sinai claimed he was going
bound bitterly resent the freedom to single-handedly deliver six mil-
of the free, because by all of these lion Hebrew slaves from the greedy
the wrongful majority are exposed clutches of their all-powerful Egyp-
for their sins of darkness, deception, tian oppressors, Moses’ own people
greed, and the enslavement of the made fun of him. But it was he
exploited. They must therefore furi- who later had the fun as he led
ously endeavor to smother the light, them miraculously through the Red
say that wrong is right, attempt Sea on dry ground! (Exodus 3:1–10;
to shout down and drown out 14:8–30).
the voice of truth, frustrate The people of Jericho jeered
and bind the free, and exter- when Joshua jogged his Jews seven
minate those who would times around their impregnable
expose and terminate soci- walls, but it was really a blast on
ety’s hypocrisy. those tiny trumpets when those
walls came tumbling down! (Joshua
The Last Laugh 6:4–5,15–16, 20).
When Noah built his big The Midianite army of thou-
boat on dry land and said sands must have really cracked up
there was going to be a laughing when most of Gideon’s
worldwide flood (when it army departed and he was only left
had never even rained with three hundred men. But it was
before), he was laughed at the Midianites’ turn to flee when
by the vast, vocal majority Gideon’s paltry party pelted them
of his day who were later with pottery in the middle of the
to drown in that very same night! (Judges 6:11–14; 7:1–23).
flood, while Noah and his The mighty lords of the con-
family had the last laugh! quering Philistines sneered when
(Genesis chapters 6–8; Samson, the proverbial Israelite
Hebrews 11:7). strongman, stood blind before them
When Abraham, at the as their captive. But when he
age of 100, claimed that he pushed the pillars of their temple
was going to become the apart, it was his turn to snicker
father of many nations as he slew more of his enemies
and that his descendants with his death than his life! (Judges
would be as numerous as 16:23–30).
the sands of the sea, his The giant Goliath ridiculed the
own barren wife, Sarah, little lad with the slingshot, but
laughed him to scorn. But when David cut loose with just one
Abraham was soon to honest bit of rock, the Philistine
laugh last, because Sarah, phony fell flat on his face and the
herself in her nineties, bore children of God danced for joy! (1
him Isaac, the forefather of Samuel 17:1–10, 42–51).
the Jews. And Sarah’s handmaiden, The prophets who predicted the
Hagar, bore him Ishmael, forefather doom of the dominant dominions of
of the Arabs (Genesis 17:1–21; their day were derided as daft and
18:1–15; 21:1-7). demented, but when each power fell

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 in its time according to their rhyme, of the memory
they were no longer found to be of mankind
fanatically funny! that here
When Jesus told His religious were those
foes, the Pharisees, that their proud who stood
temple would be pulled down, they out from the
denounced Him in derision. But rest, outstanding
forty years later when the Romans for their
burned it to the ground and pulled achievements.
it stone from stone to get at the They dared
melted gold in the cracks, Jesus’ to be different and did what every-
prophecy wasn’t so funny any more one told them not to, or what others
(Luke 19:37–44). said couldn’t be done, because they
When the early Christians thought it should be done and they
prophesied the fall of the Roman could do it, no matter what anybody
Empire, Nero exiled, beheaded and said.—And they did it, and the world
crucified them, burned them at the heard about them!
stake, and fed them to the lions.
But Nero died a perverted, raving Beaten paths are for beaten men!
maniac, and Rome burned and her Burning the candle at both ends
empire eventually crumbled—and may look crazy, but it sure
the remains were joyously taken gives a better light! You
over by the Christians themselves! may not last long, you
may wear out fast, but
you’ll generate a lot
Fools for Christ of heat! And when
Nearly all the prophets and lead- this life is over and
ers of God throughout the Bible and the angels beckon
past ages were thought to be crazy you, the world will
by the rest of the world—dreamers remember you. If
and visionaries who hallucinated, what you did was
heard “voices,” and were pretty well right, God will never forget it! You’ll
“flipped out” over religion. shine as the stars forever, and you’ll
They lived in fame and died hear Him say to you, “Well done,
in flame, but nothing and no one good and faithful servant ... enter
could stop them, because the others into the joy of your Lord”—you and
didn’t know how to handle it; they all the rest who dared to be “fools for
didn’t know where these pioneers Christ’s sake!” (Daniel 12:3; Matthew
were going, because nobody had 25:21; 1 Corinthians 4:10). •
ever gone there or done that before.
The rest just weren’t prepared for (The above was
it, so it took them quite a while to excerpted from
catch up with them. Dare to Be Dif-
Of course, the majority usually ferent, available
managed to smother the flame by
from Aurora
overwhelming it with the sheer
Produc-
number of their dead bodies. But
tion.)
they have never been able to put out

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 Answers to your Questions
3. Give them your time. As much
as your children may need and
appreciate the material things you
provide, they’d rather have you.
4. Teach them by your own exam-
ple. Don’t try to be perfect, but be
someone your children can look up
to and trust. Try to be what you want
your children to be.
5. Give them discipline and train-
ing—a clear standard of right and
wrong. Children are happiest and
feel most secure and confident
when they know what’s expected of
them. Set clear boundaries and rules
It’s no secret but, yes, there is a as to what your children are allowed
Q: I love key: love—your love and God’s love! to do, and set reasonable punish-
my children It would be impossible to cover the ments for crossing the bounds or
and want to topic of parental love thoroughly breaking the rules.
be a good in this short column, but here is a 6. Promote honest, open commu-
parent, but I brief list of some of the most impor- nication. Give them your undivided
feel very tant ways that parents can show attention when they’re trying to
incapable. their children love—and they’re all communicate. Be a good listener.
Is there a within your easy reach, with the Show sincere interest. Try to see
secret to Lord’s help. things from their point of view.
raising happy, 1. Give them Jesus. Jesus wants 7. Give them praise and encour-
well-adjusted to guide your children through life. agement. All children thrive on
children? Receiving Him is so simple that even praise. It’s more important to praise
a two-year-old can do it. As soon children for good behavior than it
as you have taught your children is to scold them for bad behavior.
who Jesus is, you can explain: “Jesus Always try to accentuate the positive.
wants to come and live in your
8. Have faith in them for what
heart. He loves you, and He wants to
they can become. Ask the Lord to
be your best Friend.”
help you see their potential as He
2. Give them God’s Word. Teach does.
your children to love God’s Word
9. Express your love. Children
and how to apply it personally,
need reassurance. Put your love into
and they’ll know where to find
words and actions.
the answers, faith, and conviction
they’ll need to not only make (For more tips on parenting, see the
it through childhood, but also to Keys to Parenting series of booklets from
become happy, productive adults. Aurora Production.) •
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 Left Compiled from the writings of David Brandt Berg

Behind?
ONE OF THE DEVIL’S CLEVEREST
THE TRUTH ABOUT
THE RAPTURE, PART 2

Jesus is going to come for you and

TRICKS has been to deceive Chris- me—after the Tribulation, and not a
tians into thinking that Jesus is day before!
going to rescue them out of this Why is Jesus going to
world before the three-and-a-half- return?—To gather His “elect,” the
year Great Tribulation, because eklektos in Greek, the chosen ones,
those who believe that are going to the saved. Christians will have been
be totally unprepared for the Trib- preaching the Gospel and winning
ulation, and it’s going to shake the multitudes to the Lord in this time of
faith of some. A lot of Christians tribulation. Why would He pull His
who are expecting to get “raptured” laborers out before those few years
(gathered into Heaven at Jesus’ when people will be the most des-
Second Coming) before the Tribula- perate for salvation and there will be
tion are going to get the shock of one of the greatest harvests of souls
their lives, because that’s not going ever, when we’ll be “doing exploits
to happen. Jesus said so Himself: and instructing many”? (Matthew
“Immediately after the tribulation of 9:37–38; Daniel 11:32–33). And if
those days … they will see the Son we’re going to be doing exploits and
of Man coming on the clouds of instructing many during the Tribu-
heaven with power and great glory. lation, we must still be here. He is
And He will send His angels with going to need lots of us here to tell
a great sound of a trumpet, and the world what’s happening.
they will gather together His elect But if God loves saved Christians
from the four winds, from one end so much, some people reason, why
of heaven to the other” (Matthew would He let them go through the
24:29–31). Tribulation?—To put them to the
After the Tribulation shall appear test. He’s going to test their faith to
the sign of the Son of Man in see if they really believe. Will they
the heavens. After the Tribulation, be witnesses for Him, or will they
then shall all the tribes of the earth be ashamed of Him and try to save
mourn. After the Tribulation they their lives by not witnessing? He’s
shall see the Son of Man coming going to purge them and refine them
in the clouds of heaven with power as by fire, His Word says, to make
and great glory. After the Tribulation them white (Daniel 11:35).
He shall send His angels with a I’m sorry if you’re disappointed
great sound of a trumpet and they to hear that! I’m sorry if you thought
shall gather His elect. That’s when you had it made being a Christian
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 because He’d come and rescue you matter), that even if they love Jesus
before anything terrible happened. and are saved, if they’re not good
Well, He’s not going to! The Tribula- enough, if they didn’t go to church
tion is going to put us through the enough or if they commit another
refining fire, but those who have real sin, they’re not going to be ready for
faith are going to come through like Jesus when He comes, and they’re
pure gold. going to miss the Rapture! The
We know the Tribulation is going preachers said, “They may be saved,
to be difficult, or it wouldn’t be but they’ll be left behind in that
called the Tribulation. But still, we terrible Tribulation, because in the
shouldn’t look ahead to it with trep- Rapture Jesus is only going to take
idation, expecting horrible defeat the good people.”
with nothing but persecution and Well, let me tell you, nobody is
suffering. It’s going to be primarily ever good enough! Nobody can ever
a time of great victory over the love Him enough. Nobody can ever
forces of Satan and tremendous tri- be perfect enough, clean enough,
umph over the anti-Christ wicked. pure enough, or holy enough except
It’s going to be a time of terrible and by the blood of Jesus Christ, and
awesome events, but we are going to that’s done the instant you receive
have terrible and awesome powers Jesus as your Savior. So you don’t
Nobody to protect us and defend us and have to worry about whether or not
deliver us and keep us going right you’re good enough. If you belong
who has to the end (Daniel 11:32; Revelation to Jesus, He is going to take you to
12:7–11; 17:14). We don’t need to be with Him when He comes, no
received worry or fear, because God is going matter what.
to take care of His own (Revelation Nobody who has received Jesus
Jesus is 3:10; 7:1–3; 12:6). is going to be left behind. Jesus
going to Another false teaching about the promised to send His angels out
Rapture is that it’s only for the “best” to gather us from everywhere, from
be left Christians. When I was a boy I heard the four winds, from all around
different preachers say, “Some day the world, and He won’t leave one
behind. you’ll come home and find all your behind! He won’t forget one—not
loved ones have disappeared.” And one! (Matthew 24:31). Isn’t that won-
sure enough, one day I came home derful?
from school and nobody was home. So if you have the Lord, you’re
I thought, “Oh my! The Rapture has ready! Now help others get ready.
occurred! My dear sweet mother and Pass on the Good News of God’s love
father have gone to be with the Lord! and salvation in Jesus to as many
They and all the other dear Chris- as you can. Tell your friends and
tians I knew and who helped take family and everybody else so they
care of me were all ready. They loved may also be ready for the wonderful
the Lord and weren’t naughty like event that is soon to take place,
me! They’ve already gone to be with when Jesus comes to rescue us out
the Lord and here I am, left behind of this world and take us to heavenly
and all alone in this big house”—and places with Him for eternity. Don’t
I practically cried! let one be left behind because you
What a terrible thing to teach failed to tell them! •
little children (or anyone, for that
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 Delivered!
Vijay was 31 years old and had spent over half of his life on drugs.
For the last ten years he had been a heroin addict. He was in a drug
rehabilitation center in Bombay when he met Mary, a volunteer from
the Family who did counseling and other work at the center. The two
became friends. After Vijay was released from the rehab center and
returned to his home in northern India, they kept in touch by mail and
phone. About a year later, Mary received a letter from Vijay in which he
told how Jesus had done what doctors and therapists hadn’t been able
to do—broken his addiction. Vijay wrote:
❧
Dear Mary and all, enjoyed their company. It was as if
Hi! Thanks a lot for your last two members of our own family, not
letter, which came at a time when strangers, had come to visit.
I was thinking about giving up the Unbeknownst to James and
fight. It gave me courage to hold on. Rajesh, I was using drugs at the
Now I reread that letter whenever time. The first couple of days I just
I’m feeling low. barely managed to get dressed in
As I wrote some time ago, after the morning, take them around, and
I finally
leaving the center I kept clear of then come back in the evening and
understood drugs for a while, but then started crash out. About the third day I
taking them again. I just couldn’t started to feel that I wanted to quit
that He had find any motivation to carry on. Life using drugs, but I was afraid of the
created me again felt empty. painful withdrawals.
About that time, I got a phone The fourth day, before driving
and had a call from James and Rajesh [two of them to the station to catch an eve-
Mary’s co-workers from the Family]. ning train home, we all had tea
purpose for They explained that they were with my mother. Rajesh asked if they
my life. coming to visit some schools here, could pray for her, then turned to
and I invited them to stay with my me and asked if there was anything
parents and me. I would like them to pray for. I said I
For four days, I drove them to wanted to get off of drugs again.
many schools where they met the Rajesh prayed for Mom, and
principals and offered them the then James prayed for me. Tears
Treasure Attic series of character- started flowing from my eyes, and
building videos for children. We soon I couldn’t stop. James was also
also visited some people whom in tears. At that moment, I wished
Rajesh and James knew from pre- that time would stop. I was in a dif-
vious visits. My mom and dad also ferent world. I felt very relieved, and
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Acti_Issue_09.indd 14 03/14/02, 11:09 AM

 ❝
determined that I would quit taking
drugs.
For the next three days I stayed
in bed. On the first day I got your
letter. It was really great reading it in
the middle of this experience. I also
Thots
started reading the various publi-
cations and listening to the cas- It’s easy to get messages from the Lord:
settes you had sent me. I did not You just have to have faith. When you ask the
eat anything for three days, but had
Lord to speak, expect Him to answer and take
no withdrawal pains and felt great.
the first thing that comes. If you really believe
Jesus was with me for the duration.
and ask the Lord, and you want to hear or see,
I cried a lot, but they were tears of
relief and gratitude. Everything was you won’t be disappointed. That thing you see
coming together! I felt Jesus’ pres- or hear with the eyes or ears of your spirit,
ence all around me and in every- that’s the Lord. Just open up your heart and let
thing. I won’t forget those days as the sunshine in!
long as I live. Only God’s love could —D.B.B.
have done that!
I wanted to stay there with that
Most Christians don’t pray Samuel’s prayer,
experience forever, but life goes on.
“Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears” (1 Samuel
I picked up where I had left off,
3:2–10). Most of them pray, “Hear, Lord, for Your
but this time with renewed faith and
servant speaks.” They expect the Lord to hear
strength. I knew that God loved me

❞
and would look after me and guide them, but they don’t really expect to hear any-
me, if only I would follow His direc- thing from Him. Isn’t that sad? A large part of
tion. I finally understood that He prayer time is meant to be spent listening.
had created me and had a purpose —D.B.B.
for my life.
I thank you from the bottom of
my heart for your help. All this was
only possible because I met you. I
now understand what real love is.
“God works in mysterious ways, His Prayer for the Day
miracles to perform.” He took me
to the drug rehabilitation center to Dear Jesus,
meet you. All this was a part of His Thank You for Your gift of hearing directly
grand scheme. from You. It is like a special, magical door into
the realm of endless possibilities, beautiful and
With love and prayers, fitting word pictures, words of love from You
Vijay to me. Passing through this door brings discov-
eries of every kind: from the joys of Heaven
Note from Mary: The above was to the depths of Your comfort; from a touch
written nearly four years ago, and
of Your love to explanations of the mysteries
Vijay has stayed off of drugs all this
of life; from encouragement after disappoint-
time with the Lord’s help. “If the Son
ments to clear, sure-fire guidance when I don’t
makes you free, you shall be free
know what to do.
indeed” (John 8:36). •
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 From Jesus with Love

In the Secret
Chambers

In the quiet chambers,

as you take time with Me,
I will speak to you. At first it
won’t even be in words. I’ll just
give you the peace that you need.

But as you take this time with Me more

faithfully—always coming in faith, believing
that I’m there, waiting for you, that I enter
with you into the secret, quiet chambers of
your heart—as you do this more and more,
you will begin to hear Me more clearly. It’s
something that you need to make a habit
of, something that you have to practice.
You have to attune your spiritual ears so
that you can hear My voice. It’s just like
learning anything new. At first you have to
concentrate, to really make an effort.

It’s like someone learning to tune a stringed

instrument. At first it’s very difficult. Musi-
cians have to really concentrate to be able
to tell which notes are off key, which strings
need to be tightened and which need to
be loosened. But after a while, it becomes
second nature to them and they can do it
almost without thinking.

So it is with learning to listen to Me and hear

from Me. Come regularly, step into the quiet
chambers of your heart, and tune in to hear
My voice. Little by little you will begin to hear
Me clearer and clearer, until pretty soon it
won’t require such a big effort. You’ll be able
to hear Me loud and clear. You won’t even
wonder if it’s Me. You won’t even have to
strain to hear it, but My still, small voice will
just be there, clearly instructing you in your
heart.

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