NEW MUSIC FOR A NEW DAY! 11/95 DO/TS 3022
--By Maria--With Prophecies from Jesus and Dad! Maria #304
1. Okay, kids, are you ready? We're going to talk about one of your favorite subjects!--Music!--Actually, one of my favorite subjects too! I like lots of music, and lots of different kinds! Whenever I eat or exercise or make love or have to spend time in the bathroom, I like to have a tape playing. My most recent favorite is "Back On Track," which I hope you have all received a copy of by now. Did you know that this was a completely indigenous project, with the songs written and recorded entirely by the teens and YAs at the Washington, D.C. studio?--Most of them being sung by them as well. This beautiful tape just shows what you young people can do!
2. I don't know that I dare rave very much about it, though, lest you think that if your parents' generation likes it, maybe you shouldn't! But, hey, kids, please don't label us, just like you don't want us to label you! Don't take the attitude that if we older adults like something, it must not be youthful enough! Instead, try realizing that some of your parents might not be against everything you like, but might actually like it themselves, just because they're young-spirited too! Fair enough?
3. I even like "The Lion, the Dragon and the Beast," and you might find that there are quite a few others of the older generation who do as well. Personally, I like all of our Family music. I like a variety of musical styles--country and western, Gospel, folk, Latin, rock, and occasionally others, as well. I'd like to see us have a wide variety in our music! We don't need to be bound by certain styles of music, just as we don't need to be bound by certain kinds of songs.
4. In the Family we probably have a wider range in the kinds of songs we sing than almost anyone. We have fighting songs, comfort songs, praise songs, witnessing songs, children's songs, prayer songs, Endtime songs, love songs to the Lord, and even love songs to each other! Now, on this last point, don't get skeptical on me, kids! You can write and record love songs to each other, if you don't make it your main preoccupation! If you put Jesus first in your relationships and you express this in your music, there is no reason why you shouldn't have some of these kind of songs. Recently I heard a beautiful love song recorded by one of our YAs which we hope to include on a new audio tape for your inspiration. We'll be pubbing something more on composing love songs which will be coming out in an upcoming GN, God willing, so you might want to wait until you read it before writing any.
5. As I said above, I really like the kind of music you kids want to sing and produce! I've grown to like it more as the years go by. I think that means I'm getting younger in spirit all the time! I like listening to contemporary music--both fast and slow--with its up-front drums and its full bass and its guitar riffs. So I certainly can relate to your enjoyment of this type of music and understand why you would prefer it to other kinds, and why you would want lots of it!
6. Just so you know, contrary to what some of you may have been thinking, we haven't been trying to prevent you from having the kind of music you like! To the contrary, we want you to be able to enjoy your music. No one--not us nor the studios--has been working against you and your desire for contemporary music. In such a large organization as ours--an entire nation--changes come about rather slowly. From the time that we first realize that changes need to be made until the time when these changes can actually be put into motion can often take a while! No matter how great our desire to see immediate changes made, like we wanted with the teen music, it's often not possible to make them as quickly as we would like. In early 1993 I recognized your need for music and we issued the Variety tapes, and I had the intention of pushing for more teen type music. However, some serious emergencies occurred right after that, such as the raids in France and Argentina, the court cases in Australia and England, the problems of the overall Family which led to the months it took to discuss, pray about and write the Love Charter, Dad's Homegoing, and other events which took not only my time but the time of virtually all of our top leadership!
7. The music tapes that were produced during this time, such as "When You Need Him Most" and "Onward and Upward," contained songs that could be quickly recorded as they required only simple musical backgrounds. They also were tapes that the overall Family desperately needed to help them through the trying times of persecution. The studios were also very busy trying to produce our wonderful GP audio and video witnessing tools to reach the lost.
8. I'm sorry that having to attend to these emergency matters meant that the teen music push got moved to the background, but as much as I, the CROs, the studios and others have wanted to do something about it, it just wasn't possible. Now things are different and now we not only intend to do something about it, we are already doing it. We are working hand-in-hand with our studio personnel--not only our older musicians but also our YAs--to produce the kind of music that you like and you want, so you won't have to go to the System to get it. I know you may be skeptical, but we hope that the "Back On Track" tape will provide a token of what you YAs can produce in our own studios. Just think, they were able to produce that beautiful tape in their little four-channel Home studio. Wait until you hear some of their new songs done in their upgraded eight-track studio. We think you'll be thrilled when you hear what is being produced in all of our studios!
Our Young People's Music Far Surpasses the System Christian Music!
9. As you will recall, almost two years ago we wanted to try to fulfill your need for some more contemporary music, so we sent you what were to be the first of a series of contemporary Christian music tapes. Of course, we would have preferred if we could have given you our own Family music, written and produced by you young people. But since we did not have it to offer you, we wanted to give you a substitute, and this was the best that we could do!
10. A few months ago when we were again presented with another set of Christian variety tapes to approve, we expected to listen to them and approve them, just as before. A funny thing happened, though! As I began listening to the songs, I had what you might call a "non-feeling" response. You know how Dad always said that a song needed to make you either mad, sad or glad? These songs evoked none of these emotions. They were okay songs and most of them had an okay message, but they just didn't do anything for me. Sure, they had the drums and they had the guitar riffs and they had good singers, but they were just missing something!
11. As I listened to one after the other, they all blended into a certain sameness, everything sounding so similar! I began to wonder if this was just me and something was wrong with my discernment, or if the Lord was trying to show me something. The next morning I asked Peter to listen to these songs with me. He's always very unbiased in his consideration of things, and I wanted to get his opinion. I tried to be quiet and not "tip the scales," but he had a similar reaction.
12. He said, "Our kids deserve better! They can far surpass this with their own songs any day! Let me show you what I'm talking about." He left the room and came back with some brand new songs that you Family young people had written and composed!--The rough of the "Back On Track" tape, another tape of teen songs from Peru, and yet another tape of current issue songs which we had recently received from our studios. Peter had been listening to these songs, but they were completely new to me.
13. From the time I began listening to them, I was thrilled with the great music you young people had written and recorded! While in some ways they were similar to the System Christian songs in that they had the full instrumentation, the drums, the bass, etc., that you like so much, the spirit of some of your songs was so much more powerful, especially when you were singing the Word! We were very encouraged and impressed by how the Lord had inspired you with these messages in song! You've really got it! You've got the gifts! You've got the message! You've got the depth! You've got the talent!--Everything you need to produce tremendous music for your generation!
14. After hearing what you young people are capable of, and the heartfelt, Word-filled, Spirit-led music you can write, I was determined that we had to have more of it! I was so excited that you already had made a wonderful start, and I knew that if we would get behind you and support you in your efforts, you could take off and there would be no stopping you! You could far surpass the System in your message, and if given a chance, could at least equal it with your recordings! The System Christian songs seemed so inferior to the music you kids had produced, with little depth and not much to them, except the good musical sounds!
15. We know that quite a few of you feel that our Family musical instrumentation is inferior to the music of the System. We're sorry that you feel this way, and in some ways we don't blame you! We know that you know our Family songs have the right message, but it's the music that you feel leaves something to be desired! And we agree!--It does! Most of our music just doesn't have the same sounds, or at least as much of them as the System music. It doesn't have all the prominent drums and the bass and the guitar riffs that you like so much.
16. So, what to do about the situation? We could either keep giving you System Christian variety tapes with the sounds you like, or we could let you make your own music with the sounds you like. The latter is what we would like to do, but we need your help! We know you've got what it takes! You've got the gifts, you've got the talents, you've got the Spirit, you've got the instinct, you've got the perception, and you've got our go-ahead and our support and our promise to help you all we can!
17. Anyway, after Peter and I realized just how capable you young people are of producing such tremendous music, and we were all excited about doing everything we could to make it possible for you to do this, we wanted to pray and ask the Lord what He had to say about this whole music subject: how He sees the secular System music some of you are listening to, how He views the System Christian music, and how He looks at the music that you can produce.
18. One thing we were positive about, even before we prayed, was that you guys have got it! You have what it takes! I know that you have better songs than those System songs! I've heard song after song of yours and I love them! With all that the Lord has poured into you your entire lives, you can certainly write fantastic songs, and just as good, if not better, music than what I was hearing on those System tapes.
19. I'm amazed at the talent the Lord has given you young people! I'm amazed at the songs you've already written and recorded, and I know that you're going to even be surpassing that, as you start receiving from the Lord all He has promised you! Your present material is great, and I know that what you're going to be doing in the future will have even greater depth, beauty, creativity and originality. And you, our own young people, are composing and singing it and are now even recording it! We have our own stars that are so much greater in God's eyes--and our eyes too--than any one of these musical stars of the System! Most of them are so shallow and vain and really don't have much depth nor Word.
20. Their songs are almost like baby food for you kids! They are definitely the "milk" of the Word! Those System Christian songs are nice songs, but when we have so much better ones, and we have stars in the Family who are so much greater, we don't know why we should be going to the System for our music! You young people apparently needed it before, because at the time we couldn't give you your own music. Therefore the Lord wanted you to have it for that time. But as far as continuing to give it to you, we weren't so sure. So because we didn't want to make any mistakes, we brought the matter before Him. Here is what I prayed and the response we received from the Lord:
Prayer for the Lord to Speak About the Music!
21. ({\ul \i Mama prays:) }Jesus, we need to hear from You directly to help our folks to realize that this is serious business. We can't afford to do things now just because we've done them before. It's a new day and You've told us to come before You in prayer, to seek You desperately for the answers to our questions.
22. We ask You to speak to us about this System Christian music and how You see it.--And also, Lord, about our Family music and our Family young people. We need to know what You want our young people to do about their music and what You think about their music. Please tell us and our young people what Your plan is for their music, and their musical diet.
23. Thank You that You are willing to speak to us. This is an important subject. If it is important enough for us to spend our whole day listening to this music and seeing what our kids have written already and how they have recorded it, then it certainly must be important, and we're sure You want to speak to us about it. We've been so impressed by our kids' songs, their depth, their talent and their voices, and seeing the kind of music they can produce. We need to know how You see the music. Lord, we love You so much and we thank You for this opportunity to hear precious Words of wisdom straight from You! Please speak to us clearly and in a way we can all easily understand.
Three Wells Prophecy!
24. ({\ul \i Prophecy:)} Music is food of the Spirit. As you drink it in and absorb it, it becomes part of you, and the words resonate within your mind. The words are the message and the music is the vehicle. The music is the channel which you open to receive the message, the words.
25. This is so not just with My music and My Words, but with all music. Satan pours out his message through the music of man, through the music of this world, through the music of those who seek to destroy, who seek to kill, who seek to maim, who seek to lie, who seek to deceive and who seek to call truth lies and lies truth. They pump it into the hearts and the minds and the spirits of their children. They feed them this spiritual food and it becomes part of them, and they begin to live its message, its horrors, its death and its falsehoods. They begin to believe the lies and act upon them, and it brings forth evil fruit.
26. But the music that bears My Words and My Truth is music that brings life, that brings hope, that pours My Spirit into the hearts and minds and spirits of those who listen, of those who drink in My songs, who listen to My music, and who receive My message.
27. There are three wells! One is the well of the System. When you put your bucket into the well of the System and draw from the waters thereof, they are poisonous waters. The water may look clear and seem no different, but as you drink it in, it poisons, it destroys, it kills.
28. Then there is the well of My children who know Me, who love Me, who sing of Me, but who do not live My Words; who, though called to spread My Message, do it in a way that they feel is good and right, but do not live according to what I have written; who do not sacrifice of themselves or their lives. I bless them, and I use them to pour out My Message. I use the music that they write to send My Message into the hearts of those who don't know Me, and those who only know Me lightly. From this well comes water that looks clear and is drinkable, for it is not poison, but it is brackish, salty. It is enough to sustain life, but it is not pure water.
29. Then there is the well of those who love Me, who serve Me, who give their lives to Me; the well of those who have suffered, whose hearts have been squeezed, whose lives have been a struggle; those who love Me enough to give their lives to Me; those who love Me enough to do My will no matter what it is, no matter when it is, and no matter how it is; who are willing to say, "Not my will but Thine be done." From this well comes clean and pure water--water that refreshes, water that is good, water that is pure! And so must be the water that you pour out to My children. So must the songs be that you pour into their ears, into their hearts, and into their minds.
30. When you send out water from the brackish well, though it is drinkable water, it is not fresh water, and the message contained therein, though it is My Message, has not the purity of My Message. But if you will pour out the pure water, it will strengthen the hearts and the minds and the spirits of these who so desperately seek to be strengthened.
31. For your younger ones now face greater challenges, greater battles, greater mountains! As they fight and as they climb and as they march forward, they need songs of the Spirit to lift their hearts, to encourage their spirits, to say to them, "Carry on! Carry on!" But how can you pour out this message of carrying on from those who do not carry on themselves and who do not fight? (Mama: Most Christian musicians and singers.){\b \i }Their songs are designed for another purpose. But the songs that I pour out to My children of David are designed for My children--to inspire them to move upward and forward, to fight, to enter into the fray and to fear not! For these songs are meat of the Spirit!
32. My children are no longer children--they are men and women of God! They are strong in Spirit! They are soldiers! They are valiant, and they need the meat of the Spirit! They need the strength of the Spirit! They need the rallying cries of the Spirit! And so I pour out to them that which they need. And so will I pour out to them in great abundance as they take up the challenge to fight for Me, to take their stand, as they enter into their day--their day of battles and their day of victories.
33. The children of yesterday are the soldiers of today! So they must lay aside the childish things, the brackish things, and the poisonous things, and they must seek for the clear waters of the Spirit. For it is the clear waters that give them strength, that refresh their souls, that give them the vision and the courage and the faith to carry on!
34. Do not look to the well of poison for your inspiration. Neither look to the brackish well for the uplifting that you seek. Look to the pure waters, the pure water of My Words, the pure water of My music, the pure water of My Spirit. Oh, come! Come! Come up! Come up to the mountains where the mountain streams are clear and fresh! Come up where the air is not polluted! Climb! Climb ever upward, leaving the things of this Earth behind you, and you shall find a purity of spirit, a purity of heart. You shall find thrills that you never knew existed!
35. Come to Me with your cup in hand, and see if I will not pour out to you some of the fresh water of My Spirit! For if you will look to Me in prayer and in desperation, if you will seek Me, and if you will ask Me to pour out to you the songs of the Spirit, then I will pour forth. You will have the music that you seek, with the message that is good, that is strong, that is healthy, that is pure, that is clear, that is filled with Me and My Love and My Word and My strength and My power and My anointing.--Words that speak to your heart, words that pour out the heartcry of your heart, and that bring My answer to those heartcries.
36. You will sing these songs with great joy and with great happiness! They will give you great strength. These songs will strengthen the hearts of your younger brothers and sisters, and will also lift them up to new heights and will give them courage. For they will see that you march forward, and they will say, "So will we march! So will we sing the songs of these who go before us!--These who have fought before us, our brothers and our sisters; these who we love and admire; these who we follow in their footsteps!--And we will follow where they lead us!"
37. Their prayer to Me is, "Oh, dear God, we are following them! Help them to follow You! Help them not to lead us astray, for we march in their pathway and we march behind them watching where they go. That which they do, we do, for we look up to them. Our parents are so far ahead of us, but these are right in front of us, and we march behind them. Oh God, we pray that they will not lead us astray but that they will lead us to You, and that as we follow their footsteps, we will be marching forward and upward, closer, always closer to You!"
38. So I say to you, will you march forward? Will you march upward? Will you shed these things of Earth that hold you down? Will you set your affections on things above? Will you look to My face, and My face alone? Will you drink of My well and of My well alone? Will you come to Me that I may pour out to you the beauties of My Spirit, the beauties in song, the beauties in Word, the beauties in action, the beauties in love?
39. So receive! Receive My messages, receive My songs, receive My Words, and sing them, for they will strengthen your heart. They will encourage the heart of your parents, and they will lift the hearts of your brothers and sisters, and they will reach the world! They will reach your generation, for it will be music that they will understand and will be fed by. They will taste of the pure Words, the pure waters, the pure music, and they will be enlightened. They will say, "We will drink of this well, the well of God, for it refreshes us. It strengthens us. It speaks to us. It puts into our hearts the truth, the life, the love that we seek, that we so desperately need, and that we are dying without!"
40. So sing a new song! Receive a new song! Write a new song! Record a new song! Share My Message, My Words, through the vehicle of your songs! So shall you reach the hearts of many. (End of prophecy.)
41. ({\ul \i Mama:) }Thank You, Jesus, for such an exciting answer! You certainly gave us more than we even expected, Lord! What terrific word pictures!--Such simple explanations! Thank You for letting us know that the burdens we had were of You, and thank You for going on to add so much more to them and to make things so clear for us! We know this message might be a little hard for some, Lord, but if they really believe You, and what Dad has told us over and over, that You never take anything away from us without giving us something better, they'll be able to look upon this as something very wonderful.
42. You really do give the very best to those who leave the choices up to You! If we really love You and we really are trying to serve You, then we're going to trust You and believe that You know best, and that what You show us always works out. Right now it may be hard for them to ever think of flooding the Family with their own music which will be better than this System music, but we know it's possible and we know they're going to do it by Your grace. You are doing everything You can for them, and we're going to be doing everything we can for them, and the only thing that will limit them is their own faith! According to their faith it will be done unto them!
Your Younger Brothers and Sisters Are Looking to You to Lead the Way!
43. This is a real challenge from the Lord! According to the Lord, you young people are no longer children but soldiers, men and women of the Spirit who need the things of the Spirit! It's time to put away childish things and partake more of the meaty things of the Spirit that will feed and strengthen your spirits. It's your day! Are you up to the task? As your brothers and sisters march behind you, will you be leading them to the Lord or away from the Lord? It's quite sobering to hear the prayer of their hearts, pleading with the Lord that you will not lead them astray, but that you will follow Him, because they are following you.
44. This is a new day, folks, and whether you like it or not, you are responsible not only for your actions, but for the effect of your actions on others. Your sample has more impact on the JETTs and younger ones than even your parents' sample does. You are the ones they are looking at. What kind of sample are you being? Do they see in you someone who is following closely, who loves and respects the Word, who partakes of the things of the Spirit? Or do they see someone who is "cool," who is tuned in to the things of the world, who drinks of the poisonous waters of the System? What they see is up to you. Please don't disappoint them! Please don't fail them! Please don't disobey the Lord! Please don't lead them astray! Remember, Jesus had some pretty strong warnings for those who knowingly caused the "little ones" to stumble (Mat.18:6, 10,14). So if you won't do it for your own sake, please do it for their sake!
45. There are a lot of ways that you can be helping your brothers and sisters to follow the Lord, but the way of doing it that He is emphasizing here is by receiving and singing the songs of the Spirit!--New songs, songs for today. The Lord said that if you will come to Him in desperation, in prayer, and be ready and open for what He has for you, He will pour out to you the songs of the Spirit that will not only inspire and strengthen you and your brothers and sisters, but will reach your generation! He says He's got the songs there for you, that you just need to receive them.
46. It's pretty clear that the Lord wants you to have the pure water of His new songs. While contemporary Christian music is not bad and harmful, and may be fine to listen to sometimes, the Lord is now putting the main emphasis on music based on the Word; songs that will not only be musically entertaining and inspiring, but most importantly, will be a spiritual strength, help and encouragement to you!
47. As a further confirmation of His will for you, the Lord gave us an exciting new MO Letter from Dad!:
Heavenly Songs Are Waiting to Cascade Down Upon You!
48. ({\ul \i Prophecy, Dad speaking:)} Well, I had the songs that I sang that spoke to me. They were the songs that I grew up with and the songs that I sang when I was young, that I sang with my mother, and that I sang in the churches. Singing was my ministry! My mother would say, "Oh, sing this one! Sing that one!" And I would stand and sing and it poured out the message. It spoke to the hearts of those that we ministered to. It was the music of my generation.
49. In the early days, those who joined with us sang their songs, the songs of their generation. They wrote the songs that spoke to their hearts, the songs that God gave them. They would sing those songs as they witnessed and as they worshipped, and those songs spoke to their generation.
50. Now it is your turn! Now you must reach your generation, and you must sing the songs that will reach them! I never suggested that you go to the churches to take their literature and to read it for feeding. And why not?--Because it doesn't give the message that we preach. It doesn't give the full truth! It doesn't speak with the same conviction! Why?--Because they are not living the full truth, so how can they write about it? How can they speak it? How can they preach it? The same with the songs and the music. Why sing the songs of those who don't live it? Sure, they're nice melodies. Sure, the words aren't so bad, but they don't have that same conviction, that same truth.
51. But the songs that we have Here for you there are the songs that are waiting to come, the songs that will come when you look upward and you cry out, when you pray, when you seek! When these songs are poured out to you, they are songs of the Spirit, songs of conviction, songs of truth, songs of strength, songs of joy, songs of witnessing, songs of praise, songs of rejoicing, songs of heartbreak and heartache, songs of comfort! They're Here! They're Here! They're Here! I hear them! I hear them playing. I hear them being sung! They're just waiting!--Waiting to pour down to you!
52. But, kids, you've got to turn your antennas upward! Take them out of the mire and mud and hold them upward and listen! Tune in! Fill yourselves first with the Word! Read and pray! Tank up! Fill up! Pray up! Praise up!--And then look up and listen, and the songs will come cascading down upon you! For there are many, many, many! They're waiting for you, just you! Do you hear them? Do you want to hear them? Do you listen? Do you want to listen? If you will listen, these songs will come to you.
53. Music is what reached the generation of your parents. It was the singing in the Spirit that enlightened your parents and that encouraged them through the hard times, through the lean times and through the mean times. There is music Here for you now that will do the same for you, but you've got to get it! And to get it you've got to pray and you've got to listen. You've got to drink in the Words. You've got to clear your spirit, and then they'll come. They'll come in abundance, and it will supply all your need for music.
54. So you want more music?--Write it! You want more music?--Sing it! You want more music?--Listen for it! You want more music?--Look up, receive it. Sing it! Record it! Share it! God said He would supply all your needs according to His riches in glory, and He has great riches and great glory, and He has great music!
55. Music is an important part of our life Here. There is much music, beautiful music! There is every kind of music. It's Heavenly music--music that feeds us in the Spirit!--Music that brings forth our praise to God!--Music that brings us great joy and enjoyment! It's everywhere!--And we want to pour it down on you!
56. So if you want it, don't look outside, look up!--Up to where the greatest music is!--Up to where the purest music is!--Up to where the most exciting music is, where the most thrilling music is!--Music with beats that you've never heard!--Music with words that you could only imagine!--Music that will stir your heart and soul, and that will motivate you into loving action!--Music that will motivate you to serve Him and to love Him, to fight for Him and to die for Him, to lay down your life for Him!--Music that will give you the burden to do the job!--Music that will help you to love your brothers and your sisters, that will convict your souls, that will melt your hearts.--Music that will change your lives.--Music that will encourage your faith.--Music that will help you march forward when you feel like stopping.--Music that will make you love Him like you've never loved Him before!
57. It's all Here! It's all ready! It's waiting! Open up the taps through faith, through prayer, through the Spirit, through the Word and through seeking Him!--And the windows of Heaven will open up to you and you will receive these songs of the Spirit in a new way for this new day!
58. It's there, kids! Believe me! I'm telling you, it's there. It's there for the asking. So seek Him, cry out for it, and it is yours. You'll be glad you did, for it will be new music for you, my children in this new day. (End of prophecy.)
59. ({\ul \i Mama:) }Hallelujah! What a message! Thank You Lord! Thank you, too, Dad! Thank You for showing us what we need to know and for getting through to us about this great music You have There for us here, for our Family young people. You are trying to challenge them in their service and walk with You, and You're trying to give them what they want at the same time, lots of music that they're going to love!
60. It's going to be edifying, unifying, instructive, inspiring, and soul-feeding, but it's going to be lots of fun and they're going to really like it! It's going to be so satisfying because they're going to be able to have fun and enjoy themselves with songs they like, but at the same time they're going to be able to use them to help their younger brothers and sisters and the world! That way they can "have their cake and eat it too!" You said that You have it There for them if they'll pray and seek You for it. Help them to do it, Lord!--To cry out to You for Your music of the Spirit that will come from Your pure well, a well that never runs dry!
Beautiful Songs from Broken Hearts!
61. Well, my dear sons and daughters, what more could you want than that! The question is, do you believe it? Do you believe Grandpa? Do you believe the Lord? Are you willing to work for it? We know it is going to take money and time and effort to get out your music, but we are committed to doing it! I want to hear your music of the Spirit!--Your music miracles!--Music that will continue to make a Revolution!--Your Revolution for today! Are you ready for the challenge? You can be if you'll pray and ask the Lord for those songs. He has them There for you!
62. The Lord will give you the songs because you love Him and it's His reward to you for your service to Him. If you'll listen, He'll speak to you straight from Heaven! He'll also use the Word that just pours out of you young people. The principles of the Word are there, you've been filled up with it all your lives. It's ingrained in you, and it will just come out your mouths! He will also use the testings and trials you've endured, and combined with the Word, it will make beautiful songs of heartcry and comfort--beautiful renditions of God's Word in action. That's what I've heard already in some of the teen and YA songs that I've listened to, and I know He'll give you more!
63. When we publish this music, it will speak out like nothing else will! It will be powerful, because it is your peers, your brothers and sisters, giving these messages in song which are even more powerful than what we can put out on the printed page. Even the printed material is not going to have as much effect as the message in song--as when your own peers sing these words to you.
64. Some of you kids have gone through testings and trials and have been humbled and broken and are now ready to be greatly used. The Lord said that He wants to make you young people great, He wants to make you stars, but in order to do so you are going to have to be humbled, you are going to have to go through these tests and trials. Some of you certainly have, and have come out so much more broken and useful to the Lord.--Like dear Gideon (Tony) and others.
65. Some of you young people who have written and recorded these beautiful songs have obviously gone through some major squeezings, and you've held on to the Lord and His Word, and that comes out through your songs. Some of these songs have depth, they are full of the Word and are a good sample. Some of you young people have gone through your Jordans and through your years of testings and trials and humblings, and you've come out in a way that the Lord can use you even more than before. You've gone through breakings and testings, and this comes out in your songs. The love and the comfort that you experienced in your times of trial are reflected in your songs.
66. Music has always been a very important part of the Family. Dad promoted it! He said music is the language of our generation. It is a language that everyone worldwide can understand. It is powerful and it's one of the things that has made the Family unique. It's one of the characteristics of the Family that is so unusual, that we have so much music and we use music so much to spread the Message. Besides this, music within the Family for our own edification and comfort is very important. But our teen music will not only go to you Family teens, it will spread worldwide and will continue to be the message in song that we have always had, only now it will be music for your generation.
67. So we want to now concentrate on the music that comes from your hearts, you who are filled with the Word and with the Spirit and who can influence your peers in a very positive way. And don't worry!--If you're willing to give the right message, the Lord and we are willing to let you have the music you like to go with it!--The kind you like!
My Apology!
68. I want to again apologize for being so slow in getting the point that the music we have been producing has not been quite what you were looking for and hoping for! As I mentioned earlier, it's not that we have been deliberately trying to keep it from you; it's just that until recently we haven't been able to give it the priority that is needed to make it possible. Now that we are making it a priority, we've recognized that changes are needed, and we are starting to make them. Thank you for your patience in accepting our Family songs, because you know that the message is right. However, I don't blame you for wanting the kind of sounds that turn you on the most.
69. I'm truly sorry that I wasn't able to get more involved in the teen music scene before now, and that only now could we ask for the Lord's guidance in these matters. We're sorry we've been slow in producing--or letting you produce--the kind of instrumentation that you like. You like songs with more beat, more drums and more "rawness" in the instruments and the voices, and not necessarily as refined as much of our music is. Whether you got the taste for those heavier styles from listening to System music and then deciding you like it, or you just like it because you're teens and you like that kind of thing, I don't know. But however you got it, you like it and I think we should try to record the songs you write with the instrumentation that you like! The funny thing is, I like it too, and I'm not a teen!
70. I don't like everything that some of you like, but neither do you all have the very same musical preferences either! Some of you like one thing, and some of you like another, but I think we all agree we need to get more contemporary, in one way or the other! Did you know that some very popular contemporary music is called "unplugged," and a lot of young people are quite big fans of this kind of music? ("Unplugged" albums consist of exclusively acoustic music. No electronic instruments are used. An "unplugged" recording also consists of an audience, usually a small crowd. Applause, audience excitement and cheers are included in the recording to capture the "live" feel and atmosphere.) There's even a popular group which doesn't use musical instruments at all! And, no, I don't mean popular with the adults, but popular with the teens!
71. So, you see, not even all System young people have the same tastes. Some of them have gotten fed up with the big drums and heavy instrumentation, and are looking for a little quieter and softer stuff! Probably most of you, since you've already had the "softer" stuff, now want the heavier stuff! If you do, you've got it! If you'll just give the message that the Lord wants, He'll give you the instrumentation you like! He's so sweet to give us the desires of our heart if we delight ourselves in Him!
Some Further Questions!--And the Lord's Answers!
72. We hope that after all of the above, you are encouraged and hopeful about your musical future. However, I realize that you may still have a few questions. Probably the major one is: Are we really going to get this kind of music, and how soon are we going to get it? Well, I'll let Peter explain that below, as you will read a letter that he recently wrote to the WS music department. (See pg.22.) I think you'll like what he had to say!
73. You may have had a few other questions after reading what the Lord said about the three wells--questions like, "Is the Lord saying that all contemporary Christian songs are `brackish' and that all our songs in the Family are `pure'? If the contemporary Christian songs are brackish, what makes them so much worse than the System Christian songs that we have incorporated into our Family musical repertoire, like the ones on the tape `Onward and Upward'? Also, if the System secular music is poisonous, then doesn't that also make the System songs that Dad put on the `My Old Favorites' tapes poisonous? Doesn't that seem to be saying that all the old music is more inspired than the new music? Some of our songs don't seem so much different in message than the contemporary Christian songs, so how can we call those `brackish' and ours `pure'? So is all music produced by the Family that pure? Is just being in the Family what makes our music different, or is it the music that contains the Words of David--the radical message--that the Lord looks at as the `pure' waters?"
74. You see, when we don't understand something fully that the Lord gives in a prophecy, or when there are further questions, He is very willing that we should come back to Him and ask for additional answers or further explanations. He wants to lead us in a clear and plain path, and He delights in having us come boldly before His throne to receive the help we need. He loves you so much that He wants you to fully understand the situation so that you can have full faith to let go of the old and reach out for the new. He knows that if you have unanswered questions that bother you, these may be a stumbling block and hold you back from taking hold of all of His wonderful promises. I wasn't sure if I knew the answers to all of these questions myself, so I brought them before the Lord on your behalf, and as always, the Lord was so patient and loving and answered so beautifully!
75. {\ul \i (Prophecy:)} When I give you My Words for today, when I answer your questions with clear streams of fresh living waters, you must take these Words in perspective. You must apply these Words with wisdom, with understanding, even with common sense. When you ask Me about a specific situation, I give My answers and My word pictures according to that specific situation. You can't always take those answers or word pictures and apply them to a very, very broad situation, because I speak to you specifically regarding the questions that you ask Me, regarding the situation that you bring before Me.
76. If you ask Me about the needs of the young people and their desire for music, and you ask Me how I look at the music that the young people are listening to, then you must apply the answers and the word pictures that I give you to that situation--to the music that the young people are listening to and desiring.
77. So it is with this word picture that I gave you concerning the three wells: The pure water, the brackish water, and the poisonous water. This is in relation to the music that the young people want to hear. I am speaking of the pure music of the Revolution for Jesus, and I am speaking of the contemporary music of Christians today, and I am speaking of the rock music of the System today. I am not speaking of the music of the past. I am not speaking of the music of the great men and women of God. I am not speaking of even the System music of the past, the days of your father, David. I am speaking specifically about the music that you asked Me about, the music that the young people are listening to today, for that is the issue at hand.
78. You don't have a problem with the young people wanting to listen to "My Old Favorites" all the time, or wanting to listen to nothing but old hymns from the past. You asked specifically for My views and My thoughts concerning contemporary Christian music and the modern rock music of today. So in answer to your question I gave you the word picture of the three wells, and these are My feelings on it.
79. The music that I would give the young people today, the music of My Spirit, of My Revolution, the music of David and Maria, representing the freedom of the Spirit and total dedication to Me, are the songs that represent the pure, clear water.
80. When I speak of the brackish waters, the waters that have some value but that are not pure and totally healthy, I speak of contemporary music that is produced by people who love Me, but who are not totally dedicated to Me, for this is the question at hand. This is what the young people desire. This is what they are wanting to hear, so of course I would talk about this music, not the music of the past. The music of the past is not the issue, it is not the problem.
81. When I speak of the poisonous waters, I am talking of the music of the Devil; the music of System values; the music of hate, war and pain; the music that makes your heart and mind and spirit heavy; the music that comes from this generation of devils of the world. This is the music that is poisonous! I am not talking of the music of 50 years ago. I am not talking about all the music from 25 years ago. I am talking of the music of the new artists who have totally given themselves over to the Devil! For these are the ones that your young people are attracted to and listening to and desiring!
82. If you had come before Me and asked Me My thoughts on "My Old Favorites" or the hymns of the past of the great men and women of God, I would have answered you differently and I would have given a different word picture. When you ask a specific question, I give you a specific answer, and that specific answer can't always be broadened to cover a very broad situation.
83. So not all (System) music from the past--even simple, happy, foolish songs--is poisonous. They are not deadly to your soul. They are not dangerous to your spiritual well-being. This is the category of "My Old Favorites"--simple, happy, light, even funny songs of the past.
84. You ask what makes the difference between the pure clear waters and the brackish waters. It is the strength of message. It is the degree of conviction. It is the distance between the songs and the System. For only the songs of the pure, clear water can preach the dropped-out radical message of David: The message of war against the System; the message of total freedom of My Spirit; the message of complete dedication to Me; the message of laying down your life for the lost; the message of giving up all material goods that you might find and do My Will; the message against the anti-Christ Systems of today; the message of free sex done in love, and the truth of My Law of Love; the message of Heaven and the world to come; the message of the Endtime and the warning of the things to come that shall befall this wicked generation.
85. These are the things that make the clear waters different! These are the things that make the music of the clear waters so precious and so valuable! It is because of the Words of David! My children have such a wealth of truth and knowledge, and only the children of David can sing the songs of David.
86. My children of the contemporary Church do not know these truths, so how can they sing these songs? They are so limited in what they can sing and what they can say, because they have not the Words of David. Yes, they can sing of their love for Me. They can sing of prayer. They can sing of devotion and worship. They can sing of My power, and they can feed your spirit in these ways. But they cannot sing the dropped-out, radical, forsake-all, anti-System message that only the children of David have!
87. As the first generation found satisfaction in singing their songs of protest and rebellion, and their anti-System, anti-church and anti-education rebel songs, so will your younger generation find satisfaction in singing the radical message of David! For only as they sing this message will they truly begin to see the difference between the clear waters and the brackish waters. Then they will see that only in the songs of David will they be able to truly find the radical spirit of the freedom of God! And when they feel the thrill of this radical message, then they will not be satisfied with the brackish waters. Then they will want more and more and more of the freedom of the Spirit of God!
88. So it is the Words of David that make the difference! It is the unique message that I have given to My Endtime army that makes the difference. It is for this reason that I want to give many, many special songs to My children of the Words of David, for the Words of David are so powerful! And when they are put to music, they will be yet more powerful! They will thrill the hearts of My young people! They will challenge them and inspire them with the vision that I have set before them.
89. So is the story of the pure waters and the brackish waters and the poisonous waters. Each person must choose what they want. But once they have tasted of the clear waters, once they have developed a hunger for the clear water and have felt the refreshment that it can bring, then they will no longer desire the brackish waters, and they will certainly reject the poisonous waters.
90. I have put it in the hearts of youth to search, as I put it in your hearts to search when you were young. When you were teenagers and young adults, you searched diligently until you found the pure, clear Words and spirit of David, My Spirit set free!--The Message that set your hearts free, and changed your lives completely, never to be the same again!
91. So it is with your youth, your children. As David has told you, young people will search. Even though they are in the pure water, they will look around and search for what else is out there, for this is in their hearts. As it is with you who listen to some of this Christian contemporary music, you have tested it, and by their fruits you know.
92. As I have said, "Taste and see that the Lord is good." For there is a gray area between the mixing of the waters. Before the pure becomes completely brackish, there is an area in-between, and before the brackish water becomes poisonous, there is an area in-between.
93. So youth will test and taste of these waters, and you can help them. I will help them, and I will put in their hearts what is the clean and pure water, and which water is too brackish to drink, and what will make them sick with the poisonous waters if they insist on tasting it. But as I have said, I will put My music and My Words in their hearts if they will seek Me and desperately cry out to Me and diligently seek My Spirit and My Words and My music. I will give them pure music that will inspire them and set their hearts on fire, just as I gave pure music to their mothers and fathers that set them on fire, and set them free from the poisonous waters and even from the brackish waters.
94. But the brackish waters will not kill them, so be patient and pray. Pray for them, that they will reach out and touch Me to get My Words and My music. You must pray, for this is a battle in the Spirit, and the Enemy is fighting hard to prevent this! He knows that once the children are set free, they will bring their brothers and sisters and everyone else with them.
95. So fight this battle in Spirit, and encourage these young people to look to Me! But do not worry too much about the brackish music, for I will keep My children and those who have a high calling. I will not let this affect them adversely. To the pure, all things are pure, and they will seek for the pure waters. As these pure waters pour forth more abundantly, they will gladly drink them in, and they will become inspired.
96. So give them the freedom to produce this music, and help them all you can. But the poisonous waters are very dangerous and very deceptive, and can be fatal, for the power of Satan is very great in that music and in that poison well. It is a grave danger for those that venture into these unknown and poisonous waters. So encourage them to swim in the pure waters. (End of prophecy.)
Understanding Is the Reward of Faith!
97. ({\ul \i Mama:) }In another prophecy, Dad says, "It's true that if the music, as with everything, inspires you and makes you feel good and makes you do good, then it is good! It's the same with literature. It's the same with movies. But young people have a hard time discerning these things and they need help and they need your prayers and they need as much direction as you can give them."
98. So, my dear young people, if you'd study the above prophecy carefully, I think you will find the answers to most of your questions. If there are some that have not been answered, please pray and ask the Lord to show you the answers. I know He has them for those questions, just as He has had the answers for all of these.
99. Try not to get hung up on little details that you still don't understand. The Lord has given you so much understanding and so many answers, and if there are things you still don't understand, He wants you to show your love for Him and your appreciation for all He has given you by exercising a little bit of faith, at least. When He gives you so much understanding, and He blesses you with the great privilege of hearing personally from Him on so many of your questions, the least you can do is to show Him that you love Him by trusting Him in the little things that you don't have the answers for yet.
100. You are blessed above all young people on the face of the Earth to hear His many, many Messages of Love to you. Please appreciate it. Please love Him for it. Please thank Him for it and realize what tremendous gifts He pours out upon you! With all the love He gives you and all the ways He tries to please you and make it easy for you, it would hurt Him so much to have you complaining and murmuring and stumbling over little details you can't figure out in your finite mind. Please just trust Him and look at all He has revealed to you, instead of highlighting the small details that maybe you don't understand just yet. Remember the famous saying by St. Augustine, "Understanding is the reward of faith." As you trust Him and obey, you will understand more and more.
101. When you don't understand things, sometimes it is not because the answer is not there: It is often because you have not prayerfully "studied to show yourselves approved unto Him, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of Truth" (2Tim.2:15). So don't give up too soon and go off in a muddled, confused state, but prayerfully search the Scriptures. Really study, don't just skim. Take some time to try to figure out what the Lord really is saying, and pray that He will open your mind. Pray the prayer that King David prayed: "Open Thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Thy law!" (Psa.119:18).
The Words of David Make the Difference!
102. So to repeat what the Lord said above, the three wells have to do with the music that concerns you young people today. When He speaks of the "poisonous well," He is talking about the music of war, pain, death, destruction, rebellion, disrespect, ungodly System attitudes, everything that is against Godly values, anything that is not sweet and wholesome and edifying, and anything that makes you dissatisfied, depressed and unhappy.
103. The Lord says that the difference between the brackish music and the clear water music lies in the strength of the message, the degree of conviction and the distance between the songs and the System. Although the brackish music can feed your spirit in certain ways, it doesn't go nearly far enough. He said, "My children of the contemporary Church do not know these truths, so how can they sing these songs? They are so limited in what they can sing and what they can say, because they have not the Words of David. Yes, they can sing of their love for Me. They can sing of prayer. They can sing of devotion and worship. They can sing of My power, and they can feed your spirit in these ways. But they cannot sing the dropped-out, radical, forsake-all, anti-System message that only the children of David have!"
104. There are some Family songs that are very similar to the System Christian songs in that they lack the strength of the message or the conviction, and in such cases, these songs would be considered rather brackish as well. While they are sweet and do feed our spirits in certain ways, as the Lord said, they still do not have the message of the Words of David. This is similar to the Variety tapes that we sent earlier. Those who compiled those tapes listened to hundreds of Christian songs and found that these were the best of what was available. They don't have the radical message, so, like the weaker Family songs, they too are somewhat brackish.
105. It's not that there's anything wrong with them, or the weaker Family songs, but it's just that they don't have sufficient nourishment to provide a steady diet. They are sweet, beautiful songs and they are good for certain purposes, but they alone are not enough to keep us strong soldiers for Jesus. It's like the prophecy said, "For there is a gray area between the mixing of the waters. Before the pure becomes completely brackish, there is an area in-between." The Variety song tapes basically fall into this category, songs in-between the pure and the brackish.
106. The pure, clear waters are the radical message contained in the Words of David. The Lord says, "Only the songs of the pure, clear water can preach the dropped-out radical message of David." And what is that message? He says it is:
1. The message of war against the System.
2. The message of total freedom of His Spirit.
3. The message of complete dedication to Him.
4. The message of laying down your life for the lost.
5. The message of giving up all material goods so that you might find and do His will.
6. The message against the anti-Christ Systems of today.
7. The message of sexual freedom when done in His Love.
8. The message of the truth of His Law of Love.
9. The message of Heaven and the world to come.
10. The message of the Endtime and the warning of the things to come.
107. The Lord says, "These are the things that make the clear waters different! These are the things that make the music of the clear waters so precious and so valuable! It is because of the Words of David! My children have such a wealth of truth and knowledge, and only the children of David can sing the songs of David."
108. Because of the Words of David, even our songs of worship, of prayer, and of our love for Jesus can have more power than those of others, because Dad has taught us to live lives of complete dedication to the Lord, lives of complete yieldedness to Him. Because they come from hearts and lives that are yielded to the Lord and dedicated to His service, these songs of praise and love to the Lord are not brackish, but from His pure well. We need such songs of love and prayer and worship, but in order for them to be different than those of other Christian singers, ours should have the strength of message and conviction of Spirit which come from the Words of David. Of course, Scripture songs, taken straight from God's pure Word in the Bible, would also fall under this category.
109. The Lord in the above prophecy has explained even more clearly to us what the pure waters represent. It's not just songs composed by those who are in the Family, just because they are in the Family, but it is songs that present the radical, dropped-out message of David. The Lord says that it is the Words of David that make the difference. It is the unique message that He has given to His Endtime Army that makes the difference--which only we can sing, because we're the only ones that have it! What a privilege, and what a responsibility!
Each of You Must Make Your Choice!
110. But God's Word says, "Let every man be fully persuaded in his own mind" (Rom.14:5). Each of you must choose which water you will drink of. In order to be a strong part of the Lord's Revolution, you must drink pure waters and you must eat clean and healthy food. Then you will have the spiritual strength to sustain you through the fierce battles that you will fight as a front-line soldier.
111. If you are going to follow Jesus, you must follow Him out of dedication and love and inspiration of His Spirit. You must come to Him to drink of His pure waters if you wish to have the strength to help others and to win others and to inspire others and to encourage others to come into His Kingdom.--And not only to come into His Kingdom, but to be soldiers in His Kingdom. For without the conviction and the strength that the pure waters bring, you will not be able to sustain yourself in these battles, for they are great. You must be close to Jesus to withstand the onslaughts of the Enemy and of the System and of the devils of this world.
112. This is why He has created this Family!--As an oasis for the soldiers of the cross!--That you can come and partake of His purity and His Love and be so overflowing with His purity that you can take it and give it to others!--That you may get the inspiration that you need to help others and to pull them out of the darkness and the depravity of this world, to set the sheep free to dwell with you in the clean, pure pastures and drink of the clear brooks and rivers of His Word and His Spirit and His Family!
113. But each of you must decide for yourself which path you will take, and which waters you will drink of. His warning is clear and His message is clear, that you who wish to follow closest and be the most useful must drink of the pure waters. You must not drink deeply of the brackish waters, and you must not take in the poisonous waters at all, which will destroy your usefulness and even destroy your spiritual life.
114. As always, His Message is the same: "If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me!" (Luk.9:23). His Message is that you must forsake the ways of this world and the things that appear to be good and sparkling and inspiring--like the water from the poisonous well--but which are a lie and which are false, and which only try to drag you into their nets and their poison. For it is the Devil's poison, and he is the one that wishes to poison you!
115. You have reached the age of accountability, and each of you must stand before the Lord and choose whether you will obey or not, whether you will follow in the straight and narrow path of total discipleship and total yieldedness or not. Each of you must make your choice and each of you will be accountable before the Lord for your choice. For though this may seem like a small matter to you, and even insignificant, it is a grave matter, because what you listen to is what you are. What you take in to your spirit and feed of in the way of music is what you become!
116. If you, dear one, wish with all your heart to be revolutionary, a dropped-out child of David, a soldier in his Endtime army, you'll want to get your major musical input from the dropped-out revolutionary songs of David! For the more that you take in of the music of the church system, the more like a church you'll become! Because these songs fill you with their churchy traditions and attitudes instead of the Family's freedoms. By the same token, the more that you take in the music of the Devil, the more like the Devil you'll become!
117. We can't force your obedience or legislate your righteousness, even though we have addressed this music issue in the Love Charter. The Charter says you must minimize and resist ungodly and unedifying influences. It also says you must follow the counsel given in the Letters and the WS pubs regarding music. So if you are listening to the Devil's poison, then you are contravening the Charter. But if someone is absolutely determined to drink from the poisonous well, and they listen to it on the sly, there is nothing anyone can do to stop them because no one will know they're doing it. If you have rejected what the Lord has said about that kind of music and are determined to listen to it, then you will find a way to do so. The Lord wants each of you to make a choice so that He can see where your heart is at and reward you accordingly.
118. You have to make a choice about the amount of brackish water you wish to consume as well. Though you may like their full and beaty music, the message that the System Christians sing is not as rich and as deep and as inspiring as that which is inspired by the spirit of David and the helpers of David, and those that would come to give their songs to the children of David, because the children of David are the Lord's dropped-out, called-out, revolutionary, Endtime army! The Lord can give you songs of more truth because you understand Him better and you know His Spirit better. He can speak to you of the deep truths of the spirit world and the things to come because you believe the Words of David.
He Will Pour Forth the Songs According to Your Faith, Hunger and Desire!
119. However, it takes great effort in the Spirit to get these songs, because the Enemy will fight you! It's going to take a great hunger and desperate prayer and a determination to receive these songs! So those of you who are satisfied, those of you who are full, those of you who do not have a great desire and determination will not get the songs that the Lord is wanting to give you and that the spirit helpers are waiting in eager anticipation to pour out to you. Only those of you who are hungry and who want more of the Lord's Spirit and all that He has to give you will be able to hear the songs of His Spirit that He will whisper in your hearts and minds.
120. There is a great cloud of helpers and counselors and great musicians at your beck and call to give you the music of His Spirit, to speak to you and to teach you the wonders of His spirit world and to give you unique music such as the world has never heard!--Music that will reach out and grab the hearts of His sheep and pull them toward Him and toward His Family. All this is available to you! All is in place to be able to give you these songs. But first you must have a hunger and a great desire! First you must be willing to fight the battle of the Spirit and to prove your desire! You must be willing to seek and to ask and to wait and to desire with all your heart, and then He will pour forth in such abundance that you will be amazed, you will marvel, you will rejoice at the great riches of music that He will pour forth to you!
121. He will pour forth to you according to your desire. He will pour forth according to your hunger. If you are full and satisfied with the music that is at your fingertips from the System, then you will miss out on the glorious mysteries that He has prepared for you. He is only able to fill those who are seeking and desperate, and that doesn't just mean the songwriters, but all you young people who want new music. It's your responsibility to pray as well. Those who are full He'll have to send empty away.
122. So consider this carefully, that according to your faith and your desire He will give to you. He will give you what you want. He will give you what you appreciate. He will give you your heart's desire. And those of you who desire Him most and desire His free wild Spirit and the spirit of David and his dropped-out children will receive all that He has to give you! But if you are satisfied with less, you will not be fed by His hand because He can only pour forth unto you according to your hunger and your desire and your determination to hear from Him. The Lord says to you:
123. {\ul \i (Prophecy:)} I am sending forth My Word to My minstrels, to My gifted ones! If you would hear the songs of My Spirit, if you would hear the songs of David, cry out to Me in desperation! Cry out to Me with a hungry heart! Determine in your heart and mind to be My vessel, to receive that which I want to give you, and I will be able to pour forth unto you abundantly! With the same desire that you call out to Me, I will pour forth unto you. As it is with prayer power, I will answer your prayers with the same intensity with which you pray. So will I give you of the songs of My Spirit with the same intensity with which you desire them.
124. If there is no desire in My young people for the free, wild, totally revolutionary songs of David, how can I pour them forth? If there is no hunger, if there is no vacuum, how can I give that which I want to give? If you are so satisfied and filled with a message that I have given unto the church, how can you receive the message that I want to give unto the children of David?
125. So I say, stir yourselves up to be My called-out ones! Be not satisfied with the message that I have given unto the church. I have given them what they appreciate, what they want and what they can handle, which is not nearly what I want to give unto My children of David. For unto you I can give the pure, unadulterated water of My Word! Unto you I can demonstrate My total freedom! Unto you I can speak about the evils of the System! Unto you I can speak about the glories of Heaven and the world to come!
126. You wouldn't want to miss out on these precious jewels that I want to entrust to your care, would you? You must trust Me, that as you let go of the music that I have given unto the church, that I will give you something that is much, much better. It may not initially seem better to you, but it will be better, and it will not take long before you recognize how much better it is!
127. So, My musicians, stir yourselves up! And My young people, pray for your musicians! Pray for your songwriters, that they might be yielded to Me and free in the Spirit and open vessels to receive that which I have to give. For if you do not receive these songs that I want to give unto My young children of David, it will be such a lack, it will be such a sad story, it will be such a waste! So stir yourselves up, that you might accomplish what I wish, and that you might be the vessels of My free Spirit that I want you to be.
128. For as I gave unto your parents songs for their generation, so do I long to give you songs for your generation!--Songs that will thrill your heart and feed your soul and move you to action! But you must not be lazy and self-satisfied. You must stir yourselves up and be willing to work hard and pray desperately and be determined to get that which I have to give you. But when you receive it, you will know it was worth it all and you will rejoice with great rejoicing! (End of prophecy.)
The Decision Is Yours!
129. ({\ul \i Mama:) }Isn't that exciting? A little bit scary too? But are you willing to try? The Lord is giving you so much encouragement here that if you don't at least step out by faith to try it, think how sad it will make Him! But ultimately, you must decide. I know that many of you will follow and you will revel in the pure waters and you will prove to be strong soldiers in these Last Days. Many of you will follow and come to the Lord for His music.
130. You can even come to Dad! Because if you ask for Dad's inspiration, he can give it to you and he can help you with your music. He can see so clearly the music that is needed to reach the Lord's sheep in the world. So seek the help of the Lord, seek the help of Dad, and ask the Lord for the help of the other spirit helpers, for there are many in the heavenlies that would like to help you. Music is indeed the message of your generation, but you must seek the Lord desperately to get the right message, the right words and even the right music.
131. So we're trusting you, we have faith in you. We know you love the Lord, and you love Dad, and you love us, and you want to do your best for Jesus. So we're trusting you to make the right decision.
132. Of course, we know you might make a few wrong decisions along the way, because some of you are going to want to test the waters now and then. Maybe you'll have to get your fingers burned to learn your lessons, but we'll love you through it. The Lord wants to see what choice you will make, and reward those of you who make the right choices. Even if you make the wrong choices, you're still God's sheep and the Lord will shepherd you. Even if you have to learn the hard way, at least you'll learn. So we're not overly worried about you, because we know that you love Jesus and you want to live for Him.
133. Even though you may try out some various options, I have faith that you'll do what is best in the long run. You'll learn with time and you'll be a lot happier if you can make your own decisions. I have faith in you and I know you won't let us down. I know you won't let the Lord down!
134. Most of you, with time, will end up following closely. Even you who make mistakes will be better in the end, and you will have learned and you'll come back humbler and wiser. We're going to do the best we can to give you the kind of music you want, but as you can see, a lot of it will be in your hands. A lot of it will depend on your faith and your initiative and what you want and what you're willing to stir yourself up to get from the Lord. It depends on your drive and your initiative, and your determination and faith. A lot of it depends on what you want! If you're satisfied with that brackish music, well, of course, it's going to limit the Lord and He's not going to be able to give you all that He wants to give you. And believe me, He wants to give you a lot!
135. In a recent prophecy, Dad said, "If they only knew how much the Lord wanted to give them, they'd be scrambling, they'd be doing everything they could possibly do to get it! Because it's just what they want and need, it's just what they like! Of course the Lord knows what they like! Of course the Lord is going to make them happy and give them what they want! But it's up to them! They have to have the faith. They have to have the vacuum, and they have to want it!--Just like the first generation had the vacuum and they wanted it, and that's why the Lord poured forth in such abundance! That's why we have the heritage of music that we have, the great songs that made the Revolution, the ones that are time tested, that are still sung all over the world!"
136. Okay kids, we've given you the message, and now we're going to leave the results in your hands! Now the ball is in your court, and you'll have to take it and run with it! The decision is yours, and I know that a lot of you will make the right one!
Is It All Right to Bring System Sounds into Our Family Music?
137. Some of our adults wonder if we should be bringing music into the Family that sounds so much like the System. They wonder if that is wrong and if it will do damage. That's a fair and legitimate question, and one which I am going to give you the answer to. Previously, I had that question myself, so I wanted to find out exactly what the Lord thought about it! Is it all right to bring the sounds of the System into our Family music?
138. Does the person who writes, sings and plays the song make a difference in the spirit of the song, regardless of whether the same musical instruments are played in the same way? If there's a System instrumental song, would a Family-written instrumental song that sounds almost the same carry a better spirit, even though both sound very similar? Is it a difference in the music? Is there a spirit in the music itself? From what the Lord said earlier, we know there is a difference in the words, the lyrics, the message, between System songs and Family songs. But what about the music and the instrumentation?
139. The Lord has said that He wants the Family's message, the Family's words in our songs because they carry His Spirit. We know that's right! We know why it's right and why the System messages in the lyrics are wrong, as they have so much of the Devil's words and spirit in them. We also know that the contemporary Christian songs don't have the full message you young people need. But, the question here is, what about the music? In the early days of the Family, some of our Family members brought actual System songs into the Family by putting their own words to them, and we didn't seem to have any problem with that.
140. This is a question which needed answering, and since I didn't know the answer, but I needed to know for your sakes, I asked the Lord about it in the following prayer.
141. ({\ul \i Mama prays:) }Lord, some people have expressed concern that our new teen music is going to sound quite similar to the System's. But that's what the kids want, and if they're willing to put the Family's message and the Family's words, the Words of David into their songs, it doesn't seem like there's anything wrong with the kind of music they want, providing they're willing to listen to the message and sing the message. That way they can reach the System kids too, because the System kids would listen to the songs. If they like the music, then they'll listen to the message, too, and be influenced by it!
142. But Lord, we have to know if the music that is created by the instruments is all right and if it's approved by You. If the message is from the pure well and it's the message of the children of David, does the way the music sounds make any difference to You? Does it matter if our music sounds the same as the music of the System? Do You have any objection to heavy drums, lots of bass, guitar riffs, loud and wild, raw sounds, innovativeness, etc., in a more contemporary style?
143. Please tell us what we need to know! We need Your direction so that we can set the Family's mind at ease and help them to know what we need to do with our music! Please give us the answers to help Your children, in Jesus' name.
144. ({\ul \i Prophecy}:) I will ask you a question: In the days of old, didn't I instruct My children to build a temple? Didn't I instruct My children to burn sacrifices to Me, to slaughter the beasts, to burn them? Wasn't it part of their worship and praise and atonement? And didn't the heathen also have temples and have sacrifice and have worship to their gods?
145. Though these actions, these motions, were similar, weren't they also different in spirit? For some worshipped Me, and the others worshipped false gods, gods that were not gods. Didn't priests of both do the same thing? Didn't My priests slaughter the beasts and offer them up to Me for My people, and didn't their priests slaughter the beasts and offer them up unto their gods? These things are very much the same, but some of it was Godly and the other was ungodly.
146. I make this parallel to show you that at times the action can be the same, but the spirit is not the same; that there can be two actions that look the same, but one will be unto God and the other unto Satan, the god of this world. So it is with this music, for when My children, My priests, play and sing unto Me, even if there is a similar sound to that music which worships the gods of this world, even though they seem and sound so similar, as the two temples seemed so similar, yet they are so different.
147. What made it different? They did the same actions, they went through the same motions. The difference was that My people worshipped Me, the true God. Because they obeyed Me and because their hearts were pure, these actions were actions unto God. So when My children play music unto Me with pure hearts, and they are My children who obey and listen to Me, then this music is as praise to Me.
148. But understand that there is a difference between the music that has a message in the words, and the music that is the message, that has no words. The music that has the message in the words is a vehicle for the message of the words. The music carries the message into the hearts and the minds of man. It is a powerful vehicle for delivering the message. With this vehicle, the vehicle is not so important because the message is contained in the words. When the words uplift Me and praise Me, when they bring forth My Message, this will be what is understood and received in the hearts and minds of men.
149. The music will take it there, and once there, it will go 'round and 'round. It will be heard over and over in the mind and in the heart, and it shall settle there, and what settles there is the words and the message and the simple tune. For when you think of any song, no matter what the vehicle, and you think about it in your mind and heart, you remember the words and the simple tune. The vehicle transported it there, but you don't always remember all the instruments, you simply remember the message and simple tune. So do not be afraid to send the message on an elaborate vehicle, on a vehicle that is acceptable and is welcome and is desired, for in the end, what is remembered is the message.
150. But the music without the words is the message and, as your David has said, some is Godly and some is not. If a Godly person plays music that is ungodly, the message of that music remains ungodly, for the music is the message. If an ungodly one plays music that is Godly, it remains Godly, for the music is the message.
151. Haven't I promised that I would pour out upon you the music that would reach the hearts of your young ones? Haven't I said that there is a multitude Here who wish to inspire this music and these words? It is Here! Spread the message that it is Here, and it will be given! If these will come before Me and cry out to Me, I will give it, that they may have all their needs supplied. I will give them music that will be for them and that will reach their hearts, that will encourage their souls, that will speak their thoughts, that will express their needs, that will explain their feelings and that will inspire them to serve Me, to come to Me and to march to the tune that I play for them, as they march towards the End!
152. Do not hold them back and do not be afraid, for they are My children, raised from their youth with My Words! If they will now seek Me, I will give them blessings, and I will bless them with the sounds of Heaven! (End of prophecy.)
153. Isn't it fascinating to see how the Lord answered our question? He drew that parallel between the temple sacrifices that His children made and the very similar ones that the Devil's children made. He said that though they seemed to be doing the same thing, that the Spirit was different. He said that two actions can look the same, but one can be good, because it is done as unto the Lord, and the other will be bad, because it is done unto Satan.
154. What He is saying in answer to our question is that, yes, we can produce music which sounds similar to the System! This is because we have Godly lyrics and are doing it as unto the Lord! The Godly message is the important thing, and the music is just a vehicle! Even if the music is somewhat on the wild side, if the message is solidly Family, and is Word or Word-based, it won't matter, as the music will simply be a vehicle to get the message into the hearts of the listeners.
155. On the other hand, He said that with instrumental music, the music itself is the message. It's like classical music which doesn't have words. Some of it is beautiful music inspired by God, and whether a Godly person or an ungodly person plays it, it will still remain Godly. In other words, the message of the music, even though it doesn't have words, will be Godly. If the music is ungodly, it doesn't matter who plays it, Godly or ungodly, because the message of the ungodly music is ungodly.
156. When talking about classical music, Dad said in "Musical Key": "Certain kinds of music can also be like a combination of tone signals, almost like dialing a number. If they hit the right combination of notes, the right music can bring a certain response in your own heart and mind. It has a psychological and spiritual effect on you. If you're really spiritually attuned, it has just as direct an effect on you as an electrical current or receiving a radio signal.
157. "It's almost as though it links the heart of the hearer with the heart of the composer. It blends the spirit of the composer into your spirit. It's almost like the composer is a spirit guide and becomes a medium, and his music is his crystal ball! When you listen to his music you gaze with him into his crystal ball, and all of a sudden your spirits are united and you both see the same things.--You both see the same pictures. Music like that is like a vehicle, a crystal ball, like drugs, like electronic keying, tuning into your wavelength, radio tuning. If you're tuned and that's your wavelength and you're supposed to get the message, then you get it!
158. "You know some of these composers were inspired! Wagner was sometimes inspired by the Devil, and others like Handel and Mozart were sometimes inspired by the Lord. It's as though those who were really inspired by the Devil were getting the Devil's message, if they were really tuned in.--And if the hearers are tuned in, they get the message too! Hitler was absolutely hypnotized by Wagner's music! He was getting the message! He was like a receiver for the message and he played the tune. He added the words and the bombs and the bullets to the tune and brought Hell on Earth!
159. "But you see, other composers were inspired by the Lord and were giving God's tune and God's Message. If we're the Lord's and we're tuned to His channel and they're on His channel, if it's God's composer and God's music and God's message, then we who are tuned in and keyed to the Lord get the message!" (ML #326:7,9,12,19-21.)
160. So you see, with music that doesn't have words, the music is the message, but with music that does have words, the words themselves are the message, so the music is less important. So, my dear young people, let's write songs that have the message of God, the message for the youth of today, the message for our Family youth as well. We want teen music for our teens! Can you do it? You can if you pray! The Lord says the songs are there for the asking; all you have to do is to tune in and receive them. Will you? The Lord says if you will, He will "supply all your need for music."
Send In Your Songs and We'll Record'm!
161. I am so inspired about the potential there is for you young people to create your own music! We are committed to producing your music. We want to get it out quickly and on a regular basis, at least one tape every two months, and more if we can. We've already sent out the "Back On Track" tape from the D.C. studio. I hope you like it, I sure do! However, if you're still not satisfied with what you've heard, don't complain, but get busy and pray for those producing the music! Get busy and pray and get your own songs, your own melodies! Get busy and pray, and send in your suggestions and tell us what you want!
162. There are two more teen tapes just about completed at the Brazil studio, and the YAs at the Japan audio studio are recording a number of songs as well, so there's lots in the pipeline! At the moment, the Brazil studio is 25% adults and about 75% YAs. At the Japan studio, a separate studio has been set up to specifically handle the recording of teen songs!--And the D.C. studio is recording new teen songs, too! Praise the Lord!
163. Here's the deal, young people: If you will pray and receive the songs that the Lord has for you, then we will do our best to record them! If you will receive them from the Lord, type the words and record them on a cassette with just your guitar, or whatever you have, and send them to your CRO, they will make sure your tape gets to the appropriate studio. Of course, it may not come out exactly how you pictured it in your mind, but it may come out even better! Also, you may not be able to sing your songs on the final version, but some of the other young people will, God willing.
164. Of course, not all songs that you write will be hits. So before sending in your song on tape, you should try to play the song for your Home and see if they feel it is a good song that they would like to hear on a Family tape. They can be your song teamwork, and if they don't like it so much, perhaps they can point out what it is that they don't like and you can work on it some more.
165. Did you know that most of the songs that are recorded in the Family these days are songs that are teamwork efforts? So don't feel bad if your first attempt on a song isn't met with overwhelming enthusiasm; perhaps all it needs is some changes. Counsel together with your Home or other young people before sending your songs in, and if they feel it's a good song, then send it in! If the studio agrees that the song is a good one, they will record it, God willing.
166. (P.S.: Homes, please bear in mind when listening to someone's new composition that sometimes a good song may not sound that terrific when played on a single guitar. So you may have to picture the song as it could be recorded in order to judge whether it's a good song or not. If the tune is good and the words are as well, then it will probably sound good when it's recorded.)
167. So get those songs in if you want to have a steady stream of new music! Get ahold of the Lord and let Him and His Heavenly musicians pour out the songs. Let them cascade down upon you as you seek Him in the Spirit! We're just waiting for you to do your part, and then we will do our part by letting some of your peers record them and by sending them out to you. Will you do your part? Will you pray? Will you send in the songs from Heaven? We're waiting!
168. As I said in "State of the Nation '95": "To speed things up with our new teen music, we are asking that only the words be sent to WS and to Peter and me. We look over the words, and if we find anything that is either Scripturally wrong or that preaches a message that we don't agree with, we make suggested changes. However, if they are generally okay, we let them go. We do not hear the song itself at all. We don't hear the tune, we just see the words. The musicians at the studio are the ones who judge the tune. If they, in teamwork with those in their studio, both adults and young people, feel the tune is suitable, they record it. If they feel it isn't, they make the decision not to record it. If they can't come to an agreement, they send the song on tape to WS to decide. With this new method of approval, we believe these new Family Teen Tapes will be able to reach you faster and more regularly, providing you are doing your part by writing inspired songs!" (ML #3017:230-231).
169. Since we anticipate that our current studios will be receiving a flood of songs from our budding composers worldwide, it may turn out to be more than they are able to record, considering the time and effort that it takes to bring a song from start to finish. So we're presently considering the idea of opening up another studio, or possibly two, that would hopefully be able to handle much of the recording of these new songs, both for the Family and the GP. Of course this is contingent on available finances and personnel, but the Lord does seem to be leading in this direction, and Lord willing, we hope it will become a reality. We're sure that you would all appreciate having another studio to produce this new music, so please keep these plans in your prayers. If you pray hard enough, it just might happen!
170. Recently Peter wrote to our WS Music Department in order to share the vision of getting out the types of contemporary music that you young people like, so we wanted to include that letter for you. Of course, because our Family is composed of more than just young people, we will need to produce more than just the kind of music you like. We'll have to keep the musical needs of the older ones in mind, as well. Some of the tapes that will be coming out will be geared to both young and old, so I hope you won't complain when a tape comes out that doesn't completely adhere to the guideline that Peter is suggesting.--But don't worry, lots of what's on it will!--Especially if you will write the songs!
Let's Give'm the Best!--Peter's Letter to Our WS Music Department!
Dear WS Music Department,
171. God bless you! We love you very much and have you in our prayers. You and our precious musicians and studios have done such a marvelous job with our Family music over the years. Thank you for all of your hard work in coordinating the multitude of details involved in shepherding the songs from inception to completion. You've done a beautiful job and we're very thankful for it. Had the responsibility been solely left up to Mama and me, it would've never gotten done. We've been very grateful that we could pass the load on to you, and that you shouldered it so willingly and well.
172. As you know from our communications together, the Lord has been showing us that He wants our young people to write more Family teen songs. He's shown us to go a different direction in supplying our young people with the music they want. He has a new, and we believe, a better answer to fill our teens' needs for music--that rather than giving more of the contemporary Christian music to the Family, He wants to pour in our own music, which will far surpass what the System has to offer.
173. The Lord is not saying that the contemporary Christian music is bad; it just doesn't have the message that He has for us. He wants to give us better music, music of our own! He said He has the songs available and that if our young people will pray, He'll pour them out. So we want to encourage the Family young people and musicians to write new songs--new songs for the new day!--New songs by teens for teens--either for Family teens or for teens outside. We want to have the kind of music that our teens like, that they're happy with, that is played the way they like it played, that inspires them the way they like to be inspired, and that will also be the kind of songs they want to sing to the teens they witness to.
174. This is not to say that our older musicians are old "has-beens," or that we don't like their music.--We love their music! Our studios have produced excellent tapes! They're full of good music with good sound! But some of it just hasn't been up to par as far as teen music goes. Personally, I love their music. But some of it can tend to be a little "dated" or overly "nice." I personally like just about all of the music we've produced, whether it's "dated" or not. I also happen to like Strauss and Handel, but I wouldn't give it to the teens because I don't think they'd like it or want to listen to it!
175. I think we have to understand that our teens want different music than what we've been giving them. Let's face it, most of our kids think System music is better than ours.--Why? Probably for the same reason we thought that the Beatles were better than Frank Sinatra. Our parents loved Frank Sinatra, but we didn't. As each new generation comes along, they have their own brand of music that they like to listen to.
176. When Dad started the Family he didn't particularly like the songs that the Family was singing. For example, he could hardly stand to listen to Jeremiah's singing at first. But he knew that that's what the teens wanted and that's what inspired them and that's what reached other teens!
177. Well, we're getting to be the age now that Dad was when he started the Family, and our musicians are getting to be that age as well. However, the Lord is bringing up another generation who want a new and a different kind of music. We gave them the contemporary Christian music in order to temporarily supply the need, but now we want to give them their music.--Music which has the Spirit of God, the Spirit of David, with the Words of God!
178. We don't have to be so particular about how the music sounds if it's got the message, if it's portraying the right spirit and those who are playing the music are playing it in the Spirit of God. Fast--or even slow--and beaty, with full sound and full bass and loud drums that go all over the place, and good guitar and sax and all the other good instrumentation that is out there, along with the words that carry the message, seem to be a good combination.
179. Of course we want the songs to have the message, and the best message for our Family teens is songs in which they can sing the truth of our message. The "Back On Track" tape has a lot of beautiful, Word-filled, convicting songs. It also has songs that are the heartcries and commitment of our youth. And that's what our teens need right now. But they need it in the package that they want it in, that they like.
180. We have got to help them get over thinking that "System music is better than Family music." Let's show them that it's not! Let's show them that they can have the music that they like, but which has a good message and is played by Spirit-filled, Family-inspired musicians.--And they don't have to go to the System for it! We've got some of the best musicians in the world! Jeremy is the best slide guitarist in the world, he's great at lead guitar. Jerry and the others at the JAS are terrific musicians! They are as good as anybody in the System. And we have a lot of good young singers, composers and musicians too. So let's use them! Let's put out the kind of music that our teens compose and that our teens like!
181. Let's also put in some extra guitar riffs! Let's have a mid-section of the song where the musicians can play, where they can put in a drum solo or a guitar solo, and then a piano solo, or a sax, and then go on with the message. Let's incorporate some extra music to show the kids what our Family musicians can do. Let's show them this is what God can give them--because they've been obedient and they've held on. When we yield and do what the Lord says, He gives us what we want if it's not bad for us. And there's certainly nothing wrong with guitar playing or drum solos. We believe the Lord wants to bless our kids with these things, and that He wants to give them this more teen-beat, full-bass type music that will inspire them and help them to see that, "Yes, we've got the best!"
182. One of the reasons the Lord gave for allowing the senior teens to have sex together was so that when they went out and faced the System kids they could say with conviction, "We've got the best of everything!" So let's give them the best music too! Let's give them music that's better, that's more inspired, and with more of the beat which they are desiring. Let's give them God's music! Let's record--or let them record--the songs that they compose, as well as the ones our older musicians are writing. And let's let some of our older musicians burn freer, too!
183. Let's give'm the best! Let's let them burn free! We believe that by doing so, the kids will be happier and more inspired. They'll see that we love them and that they can have the music they want. And because the songs and the message will be composed by them, that will also show them that God loves them.--That the Lord's giving them what He wants them to have, but giving it to them with the true Spirit of the Lord.
184. What about our Latin studios putting out some Latin-type songs?--Some merengue, some salsa! Let's get some of that out. Let's give the Family the best! Let's give them the Lord's music!
185. God bless you, our music department and studios, you have been going great guns! It's just that now we need to do things a bit differently. We need a different kind of music for a different kind of day!
186. Let's give them the musical vehicle they want, so they can receive the message more readily since it comes to them in a way they love to hear, the kind of music that they will want to hear over and over again! Maybe they will be tuning in to those guitar riffs, but at the same time they'll be getting God's Words, the message, the conviction. Whatever it is that is in the song will be pumping into their heart and their spirit and it will influence them for the good, and that's the goal.
187. That's the vision! That's what we're trying to do! That's what needs to be done, and that is what you and those that are coordinating the studios will have to pass on and give others the vision for. It needs to be done! Our teens need the music now! They need it today! And we're going to start pumping it to them! We need to have more of it so that when we finish pumping what we've got, there'll be more behind it ready to go. So let's do it, okay?
188. Jesus, please help our young people to get songs that they can sing with conviction to those on the outside and win them to You--the ultimate goal, Lord, to win souls for Thy Kingdom! But in order to do it, we need an army of people who have the faith and the courage and the vision and the inspiration to go out and do it. We've got to pump that inspiration into our people, Lord. We've been able to do it successfully with the adults over the years, but now we have a new crop of young people that we need to pump it into as much as we can.
189. There's a lot of musical variety, there are a lot of musical opinions, and it's very hard to find out exactly what every teen likes, but You know what's best. You know the kind of music that will reach most of them. We have such a variety. We've certainly got something for everybody! But Lord, help us not to hold back or think that we can't do it this way or that way simply because it's imitating somebody from the System. We don't care if we imitate somebody from the System as long as it's got the message and it's the message our teens need, and they'll listen to it and sing it and it will inspire them! Help us, Lord, to get it out, and get it out now!
Reactions from Family Musicians!
190. The following is a reaction from Jerry Paladino, at the Japan Audio Studio, after reading the above letter from Peter:
191. (From Jerry Paladino:) "My basic feeling and desire is to somehow really `break the box and let it roll' and allow our young people to record, especially in our two main studios, as well as in Washington, D.C., and perhaps also Thailand and Peru where there are teens and YAs with a burden to record. They could help produce a steady supply of music that our young people would really enjoy. Of course, they all have full-time ministries, but perhaps mixed in with their other duties they could also be allowed time to record their own music.
192. "Personally, as much as we older musicians are all trying, I feel they want to hear from their own songwriters and singers, especially those from their own generation. They really tune in to those songs. We adults can provide good music for them as well, and even write material for them, as we have, which we can record in our centers; but I also feel that they want to hear from their own generation's songwriters and singers, singing their own songs, and that that is what they want most and what will really turn them on.
193. "I think we can do a lot to coach them and to help them produce their music better, but I feel that as well as us getting more youthful in our music, one of the keys is just to help them produce their own music, and their own generation will almost automatically like it. I think they need our help, and that it is quite feasible to do so in our different music centers. If we do it that way, then those songs will be `theirs' and we will have helped them, rather than them being `ours' and them helping us by singing them, etc. We can still continue doing that with the songs we write, but I think it'll also be good to give them as much rein as possible and let them record what they want to record, and we can stand back and see what they produce. Praise the Lord!"
194. Here is another reaction to Peter's letter, this one from John Listen at the Japan Studio:
195. (From John Listen:) "I really love you! Thank you for all the communications we've had from you on many subjects. You all are such new bottles and are such a good testimony of flowing with the Lord's direction at whatever the cost!
196. "Reading Peter's comments has started a whole new phase in my musical thinking and in my spirit (whereas I think I was starting to lose some of my vision for my own musical work). For the last month it seems the Lord has let me experience vicariously many emotions that I believe the teens themselves are feeling; I even got a pimple--ha! Previously I think I'd been on the old bottle-side spiritually, but now that I'm going through this metamorphosis, I'm seeing things totally differently!
197. "Just before reading Peter's message, I'd already come to the new conclusion that we adults simply perceive a lot of the new music very differently than our younger generation does. We sometimes see mostly the pride and vanity that lurks behind the worldly music scene, so I was resisting some of the beats and singing styles, even though I personally liked a lot of them. But now I'm just taking them where they're at and enjoying them! There was a phase where we were taught not to sing with an affected or artificial voice. But in imitating some of what's popular now, though it's not completely natural to me, I don't feel one whit different than if I picked up a language book and started practicing phrases to reach someone in their language. The fact that you make an effort, even though you're not used to it, is a sign of love, not being artificial or insincere.
198. "I read the `Musical Key' Letters again. It's interesting that the next Letter in the volume is `Fair Sex,' one of the earlier discussions of presenting God's Love via sex--because I've gotten so many parallels between sex and this music subject. We can't sit around trying to tell them that imitating the music styles of today's popular musicians is bad, that it's a no-no. If we do, they'll just wonder, `If it's so bad, how come it feels so good?' It's almost like trying to hold back nature. One of the neatest things about Dad and the Lord's Love and wisdom through him was claiming back sex for the Lord. Whereas the Devil uses the issue to sour people on System religion, Dad grabbed it back, brought it into the Family, sanctified it, and made it a blessing; and you can get your needs supplied all within the Family framework.
199. "I think Peter's message underlines that we need to do this with the music that our young people like. I was telling some of the young guys here that now our philosophy can be more like, `If you like it and people seem to like it, then grab it and use it for Jesus!' This seems to totally lift the cloud and put the focus back on your love for Jesus. The issue then becomes a positive one of what your motivation is and what you are going to do with it, instead of quibbling about what's good and what's bad, who's right and who's wrong, etc.
200. "I think it's important to realize that there is no such thing as a Family-music style. There is a unique Family message, and our spirits and motivation are unique for sure. But musically speaking, every Family musician from the beginning was a product of the music he liked and was brought up on. Every Family song has its musical roots in some existing System style; we have not created any new musical styles that I know of. We have only adapted the various styles that we liked for the Lord's use.
201. "So we may be very narrow-minded to say that it's okay to sing like Chuck Berry, but it's out-of-it to sing like Michael Bolton or Mariah Carey, whether we personally like their styles or not. Remember, Dad's music teacher thought Bing Crosby was breaking all the rules! (See ML #1091:21,22.) This is why I think it can be a pride trip sometimes to try to not imitate or not copy; whereas all of us most likely did originally copy and learn our styles from somebody in the System, be it a jazz influence, rock and roll, Latin, folk, etc. Again, Dad's sample was to take the best of all cultures and beliefs and whatever he could use to relate to and win people!
202. "God bless our kids, many of whom couldn't see what was so bad about some of these styles, but just took our word by faith and stuck with us until now. But I assure you they are rejoicing and will rejoice over Mama and Peter's new liberating comments and the fact that we adults are finally seeing the light--ha!
203. "One thing I like about our kids is they enjoy listening to `Fear Not' or `When You Need Him Most' just as much as the Variety tapes, when that's what they're in the mood for. They're probably the least bigoted generation in history! Whereas, as teens, we would have never put up with our parents trying to get us to listen to Frank or Bing!
204. "I hope we can get some stuff that really rocks out, or funks out, or whatever! We in the studios have always been pretty cautious and have sort of kept the loving hands around the flame, making sure it burnt properly. Maybe this was good for reaching middle-agers with the DTD tapes. We didn't want to blow away the old ladies on the back row. But now for any of us who want to produce young music (and help the YAs to produce it, because a lot of what they like and hear in their minds and want to produce, they don't have the musical ability yet, so they ask us to perform it), we may have to let our hair down and put on some more sexy clothes and risk being base in our own sight and even being thought a bit out-of-it by some of our fellow adults.
205. "Boy, when Dad came in (at 50 years old), it wasn't carefully and with constraints, or to please his generation. He came in wildly, and that freedom was what turned on those kids, wasn't it? He identified with them and felt their emotions.
206. "Have teens changed any since then? I don't think so, and I think this is the spirit we'll need in order to keep our kids happy! So I hope we can blow their minds (there's your '60s terminology again--ha!) with the new music, and that they'll start getting the new music too!
207. "Since I opened my heart to this new wine, the Lord's already given me three new songs in contemporary styles--a long hip-hop dance number based on `Say Not Ye There Are Yet Four Months,' a Cuban-type number from `Just Say Yes,' and a rock song, `Hold On to Your Crown,' which I was burdened to compose after hearing the trials of local teens (some of whom left us). A week after getting the initial words, the GN with Kerenina's letter came out (see GN 644), exactly on the subject, which inspired me to get the tune and finish the song!
208. "Thank you again for loving us and passing on the Lord's Words and direction to us. I do pray for you, and also that we can be yielded instruments in His hand to produce whatever He desires for the world!"
209. Excerpt from a later reaction by John Listen:
210. "Since we're obeying the Lord and putting ourselves out on a limb by not compiling more System `Variety tapes,' you can feel around here that the Lord is beginning to pour out some neat new stuff. We're getting some pretty wild and far-out ideas. Whereas I personally used to be tempted to take credit for whatever good ideas I got, now each time we get something like that, I just receive it as the Lord's Love for this generation, and an example of what He's willing to do to reach everybody. And He's using both the YAs and the 40's generation to do it, working side-by-side. Sometimes while producing a song the YAs will get a wild inspiration, but call in an older musician to actually perform the part if it's beyond their present (and constantly improving) abilities. Likewise, the adults will call in the YAs to get input and arrangement suggestions on songs they are working on. It's been a blast, and we're very thankful for the Lord's new-bottle leading, and we're sure the Family's going to flip out with some of these new songs! Thanks for your prayers."
211. Here are some further observations from Jerry Paladino at the Japan Studio:
212. (From Jerry Paladino:) "We are trying to work with and train our young people, and it's a little bit tricky at times because we adults don't want to quench or squelch the YAs' and teens' feelings and vision and their desire for the kind of music they want to hear. Our FTT (Family teen tape) meetings up until this point have included myself with the young people, along with Byron and David G., who are both over 21. So far it seems to have been working well, as far as I can tell. There is a desire amongst these young people to be free to do music the way they want, and they don't necessarily want to be bound to the way we do it right now, yet they are hungry for counsel and help, which is encouraging. What's inspiring to me is the fact that they are hungering to have the Family message in their music.
213. "Please pray for us in that respect: that while we're being liberal and tolerant in our allowances in recording methods and new styles of music, that we don't `throw out the baby with the bath water,' but that we uphold the standard of our message. I'd like to ask for special prayer for our studio here to be able to encourage growth and development of our YA producers without squelching them, and that we can find a proper balance and produce inspiring, feeding final products that will inspire the young people in the Family and help reach the youth of the world."
214. (Later, from a different report:) "All of us here at the studio are desperate and trying to hear from the Lord and satisfy the heartcry of our young people. It's a big job, and only together will we be able to do it. I'm sure there will not be any hot shots in any of our units who have all the answers, but it's going to take a mighty teamworking.
215. "I'm encouraged that the YAs are having much more of a say in the studios, praise the Lord! I'm sure that's bound to help the music be even better than it already is. You may have noticed from some of my reports a bit of `weariness in well doing,' especially regarding the area of `new' music that needs to be produced. I've been feeling more and more like I can't do it, and I've since come to the realization that, thank the Lord, I can't, and that the Lord's gonna have to do it and that the Lord is actually doing it through us all! It's been very inspiring to see the Lord working.
216. "It's a real teamwork effort and it's actually going quite well in pretty much every area. People are inspired and challenged and full of new sights and sounds, new ways of doing things. We have our new computers and new equipment in most of the studios. So it's definitely a new day, thank the Lord!
217. "I've personally been feeling quite liberated in that I'm happy to `pass the baton' in some ways to our younger people, especially in the area of producing youthful music. I feel there's still a lot that we can do and I haven't lost hope for us older guys either, thank the Lord. But at the same time I feel liberated in the sense that I have certain gifts and talents and I just need to do what I do, burn the way the Lord made me to burn, and not try to be something I'm not.
218. "At the same time, I want to encourage this in everyone and allow our young people to burn the way the Lord wants them to burn, the way He made them to burn and the way they are wanting to burn! I feel a lot of freshness and newness in their ideas and the things they're working on and the way they hear things and the way they do things. I'm quite content to let them do so. That way we will help them produce the kind of music they like. I can also then produce the music and songs I write the way I like it or the way I have the faith and the ability to produce it.
219. "I don't feel pressured at this point to produce a certain style of music because I don't feel I can, I don't feel able, I don't feel gifted, I don't hear it. I hear things a certain way, and that's where my talent and my limitations lie. Therefore, I want to draw on the young people as much as possible, get their input, get their counsel and direction, whenever possible to teamwork with them, and hopefully together make some beautiful music. At the same time, I feel I have to `call the songs as I see them' or `call them as I hear them' and not try to `make a silk purse out of a sow's ear' or anything like that, but rather take each song and make the arrangement fit the song, and also the age group we're shooting at.
220. "We're also limited by the songs that we write and the styles that `run through our veins.'--`Out of the abundance of the heart' the mouth is going to speak and the styles are going to come. Our young people have youthful styles running through their veins, coming out their ears and mouths, and I'm happy to let them do it and to encourage them, help them, train them and equip them to do it. I look forward to getting their help on any songs that I produce--maybe a mixture of the contemporary and the old-fashioned will somehow work! I guess that's what's happening in the world with a lot of the stars from the '60s, '70s and '80s still around, still pumping out top hits. They've got what the world wants and they're willing to adapt and change, yet they still retain some of their original style that people seem to like."
221. Next is a reaction to Peter's letter from Jeremy at the Brazil Audio Studio:
222. (From Jeremy:) "The message about teen music was a real boost and uplift to us all! It got the YAs here very inspired and encouraged! This whole idea of having musical breaks and allowing a song to develop and be interesting is a burden we've had for a long time. Not that we felt any pressure from anybody to do it any other way, but I guess it's just that we've kind of shied away from it for some reason. But we do definitely want to have more development in the music, and to have it go somewhere exciting.
223. "Also, I agree with what Mama said about the slow songs: That slow songs have to have rhythm, they have to have that lilt or internal rhythm nowadays to make them interesting and make them move well.
224. "I was happy it was brought up in a recent message that you want me to let loose on the guitar, like I did at the `Heart to Heart' India concerts. I'm going to try my best to take a crack at it, but I'm probably going to opt for letting one of our YAs here take some of that lead stuff. He likes to play the guitar more like that, and that's more his bag! The YAs do feel it's part of their generation to play it like that.
225. "Working on songs together with the YAs is inspiring! It's so exciting, it's so new! The YAs in our studio have that fortitude that comes with being younger, to be able to see things through and not settle for anything less. They have that `high energy' feel. Another YA couple just joined our Home, and to have them come at this time is an answer to prayer. We were just praying, `Please, Lord, do something, let us hear from them, because we are stuck, we need a young male singer to do some of this stuff.' Then only two days later, we heard that they were arriving the next day! His input and help in working with the other YAs is just what we need right now.
226. "As I was saying to one of the other musicians the other day, this is really the payoff. These YAs are just alive and kicking with ideas! They are getting in there, and I think it's a boost to our other YAs, too, to have another YA that they can work side-by-side with, and us `old people' can just guide them where they need it."
227. From YA Emmanuel at the Brazil Audio Studio:
228. (Emmanuel:) "I like modern-sounding music, but personally, if I listen to the radio for even a very small amount of time, a couple of songs, or the Variety tapes, I get sick of them very quickly and want to listen to some Family music. Then I come to the conclusion over and over that there is nothing like Family music for feeding the soul. So I think it would be incredible if we could get the best of both worlds and inject more of that power or rhythm or personality into our Family music.
229. "I have always agreed with the point made about where do we draw the line as far as using or copying a certain way of singing or style of music. If it weren't for some of the contemporary musicians of the '60s and '70s, our Family music would have a totally different sound right now. I'll bet even the early Christians sang their songs of praise in a totally different style than King David sang his songs. So the changes of styles have sped up a lot, I'm sure even in my lifetime. Just as languages change and new words come into the English vocabulary every year, so the styles of music are changing!
230. "If these changes are done in the Spirit, then I don't see anything wrong with us keeping up with that change in style. Other Christians are doing that in their music, and I don't think anyone can do it better than the Family, especially compared with most Christian contemporary music, because it is obviously done to man-please and most of it doesn't have the Spirit. But if we could retain that Family Spirit in our songs and keep injecting the new styles, I think we would really have the best of both worlds!
231. "I think the real key is to sing and play with that earnest Family Spirit and with the motive to win the lost, and/or have a time rejoicing in the Lord and being happy and burning free. We might even come up with our own real catchy or unique style!"
232. We just received the following testimony from a new disciple in India, written to the D.C. Show Troupe, after receiving the "Back On Track" tape:
233. "Hi, dear friends! GBY! Congratulations on the fantastic new production of your `Back On Track' tape. It's truly marvelous!
234. "My name is Rahul (age 23) and I am presently based in a Home in Bombay, India. I have been in the Family for 10 months (new disciple). Well, you guys with the help of the Lord really made a hit! TTL!! It's very inspiring and renewing! I am beginning to like all the songs on that tape in just a day. I am usually very selective about my likes of songs, but the `A' side of the tape has already won me over! PTL!! The beat and the music is very well and wonderfully matched. The songs also have a very good beat, with some of them very much fast and slow at the right time. The last tapes that came were `The Lion, the Dragon and the Beast' and `Best Friends,' but that was ages ago. This has been worth the wait and a real boost and excitement. TYJ!
235. "I come from a Hindu background and I was leading a life that was going astray through excessive drinking and indulgence in `Heavy metal' and `Death metal' music. I was frustrated with life and thought the music I was listening to provided the key to my questions, but it was nothing but a slimy road to Hell itself! After awhile I started to gain glory in the music I was listening to--I started dressing up like the musicians, grew my hair, and rebelled against my family. I started criticizing the world outside and slowly started to cut myself off from my friends, due to my weird lifestyle.
236. "The music would practically start my day and end it, leaving me more rebellious, confused and depressed every day. Also, some of the lyrics were sung by singers who would inflict upon themselves cuts through knives and blades and sing in concerts with blood gushing down to their guitars. So whenever I had a fight with my dad or my friends or girlfriends, I used to cut my forearms with blades and listen to that crazy music. I was going crazy for sure!
237. "Thank the Lord, the rescue was on its way! The much needed comfort and hope came through the Family when a catacomber invited me to a get-together where I listened to the Family music for the first time, and since then I have not found anything better in the music world! In fact, the music of the Family is one of the main keys which brought me close to the Family. My life has never been the same again since then. After working on many projects together with the Family, I finally joined in November '94, last year. Through much prayer and the Lord's help I have been able to forsake the influence of that ungodly music. TTL!
238. "I want to thank you for your efforts in producing, planning and making this tape and making it so inspiring. GBY! The spirit in our music really makes the difference! I have never heard music like the Family produces anywhere in the world--especially after listening to all types of music for over 3-1/2 years. Our music is better than the System junk, and that's the reason I liked it!--And that's the reason I wanted to give up my old life! So never think our music is not good--it's the best and I am proud of it! The System cannot produce anything even close to our music or I wouldn't have left it!
"Lots of love to all of you, Rahul."
[EDITED: "End."]
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family