The Family / Children of God

PRE-RELEASE OF "WHO SAID THEY'RE DEAD?"DO/TS 3059           7/96

--Part 1--By WS Staff

TABLE OF CONTENTS

                Preface   2

                Foreword               3

                Opening a Crack in the Veil                5

                Marilyn Monroe: Sex in Heaven!      7

                Elvis Presley: "I'm Alive!"10

                George Burns: Young Again            12

                John Lennon: Imagine There Is a Heaven       13

                Pocahontas: Listen to the Whispers15

                Arthur Ashe: If You've Got It, Use It!              18

Dear Family,

                God bless you! We pray that Mama's recent Letter on "New GP Books" (see GN 679), in which she shares the vision for getting out books of messages from "beyond," was an inspiration as well as an exciting challenge! We also hope you enjoyed the "sneak preview" of several chapters from the first of these books currently in the works!

                We're presently working on finalizing the first book in this Celestial Interviews series, titled Who Said They're Dead?, and hope to have it printed in the near future. However, since it may still take some time before the book is actually printed and shipped to your Home, Mama thought that you might appreciate being able to read the book's contents now, rather than having to wait until you get the actual printed book. So this GN and the two which follow it will contain the balance of Who Said They're Dead?

                The reason for printing the remaining chapters of the book in these GNs is two-fold: One is so that over the next month or two you can read and be familiar with the contents of the book and the "messages from beyond," so that when you get the book you don't have to take time out of your busy schedule to read the whole book (which you'd probably want to do before you start distributing it).

                Secondly, it's our hope that reading these uplifting messages from the spirit world will help increase your vision to share them with the world--those who are looking for direction and answers to their questions. This book has the answers because it points them to the Answer Man--Jesus!

                The chapters as printed in these GNs are not completely finalized and they may undergo some minor changes. But for the most part, this is what will appear in the book itself, although the order of the chapters may vary from how they're printed here. Also, we're not reprinting the chapters we already included in Mama's Letter and the "sneak preview" GN.

                We love you! Happy reading!

                This book is dedicated to all those who are longing for peace of mind, yearning for love, searching for happiness, whose questions about life and death remain unanswered …

Acknowledgments

                This book would not have been possible without the faith and determination of those who reached beyond the physical realm to communicate with those in the world of the spirit and relay their words to us. I would also like to thank the wonderful editorial staff from The Family who gave their time and effort to compile these messages into book form, as well as those who researched and wrote the brief biographies included in this book.

                My deepest thanks also to my family and those who encouraged and supported both me and those who received these messages from beyond, giving us the courage and conviction to share them with the public. Most of all, I thank God for His inspiration and strength, for giving the original idea for this book, and for helping us carry it through to completion.

Preface

By Maria David

Prophetess and Spiritual Head of The Family

                Have you ever wondered what happens when we die? Is there life after death? If so, where do we go? What do we do? What do we see?

                There is a world all around us that is just as real as the one in which we live. Most people can't see it, but it's there. Maybe you have caught a glimpse of it in a dream, or felt its reality in a premonition, or experienced it through a miracle.

                Now, through this book, a window is opened for you to this seemingly incomprehensible world of the spirit. There are those on the "other side" who are eager to speak to you, to reveal the mysteries of life after death.

                Perhaps you're an unbeliever, a skeptic, or an agnostic. Don't let that stop you. Don't miss this opportunity to explore this unseen world and see things you've never seen before. Open your mind, open your heart.

                You may say you don't believe in ghosts or the world of the spirit, but how do you know? Just because you haven't personally seen it yet doesn't mean it doesn't exist. As depicted in numerous books, and popular movies such as Ghost and Always, many of those who have passed on are still around us.

                They are waiting for an opportunity to send their message through the veil that separates our earthly dimension from the dimension of the spirit -- that great unseen fifth dimension. They are waiting for an open channel, someone who will clear his or her mind of their own thoughts and listen for the whispers, the messages -- someone who will be the voice and provide the tongue for those who are so eager to speak.

                In late 1994, my beloved husband, David Berg, a prophet of God and founder of the unconventional Christian movement known worldwide first as the Children of God and now The Family, passed on. As he had promised, after his death he began to communicate with me and those he had worked closely with while on earth, passing on messages from the world beyond.

                From the realization that departed loved ones can indeed communicate with certain of us on earth was born the idea to attempt to hear from other departed souls, those you know and whom you would be interested in hearing from. I was certain that if my departed husband was able to continue to act as my counselor and guide from "beyond," then these other departed personalities whom you love or admire or are just curious about could likewise provide you with information, direction, encouragement or comfort.

                To receive these communications from beyond, I enlisted the help of a couple dozen members of The Family whom I knew to be reliable receivers of messages from the world of the spirit. These are people with the spiritual gift of being able to hear the whispers of the departed, and who have the faith to receive and deliver the messages they are given.

                Over a period of several months, our "receivers" were able to communicate with many of those who have passed on. Some were famous, others unknown; some died long ago, others only recently. In some cases, the receiver attempted to make contact with a specific departed spirit with whom they felt a certain affinity. In other cases, the receiver simply opened a channel to the world of the spirit, asking God to send whoever He wanted to speak. -- And there were some surprise visitors, some of whom you'll hear from in this book!

                This team effort has resulted in a series of books, Celestial Interviews, in which I would like to share with you these enlightening, intriguing, and sometimes mysterious messages from the fifth dimension. This book, Who Said They're Dead?, is the first in the series.

                You may consider those who speak in this book to be dead and buried. But as they explain in their own words, they are very much alive! They have something to say to you, something important. Some have waited for a long time to finally get through. Now they can tell of their lives, their deaths, their secrets, their mistakes, their hidden dreams and desires. Now they can reveal the mysteries of the afterlife, the emotions they felt, the choices they made, how they undid the damage of the past, how they found forgiveness and Eternal Life in a kingdom of love.

                Through their messages, compiled in this series, these who have gone on before us into the world of the spirit give us a hope-filled glimpse into that mysterious life after life that awaits us. From their vantage point they also offer valuable insight and counsel to help us improve our present earthly lives. They shine a light to guide our steps, illuminating the way to happiness and peace of mind that so many seek amidst the distress and confusion of the material world that surrounds us.

                Come, as we embark on a journey to a world far more entrancing and marvelous than anything you have ever seen or imagined. Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the things that God, the Creator, has prepared for those who sincerely seek Him (The Bible, 1 Corinthians 2:9).

Foreword

By David Berg

                (This message from beyond was received through Peter Amsterdam.)

                (David Berg speaking:) I spent all of my life serving God and His Son, Jesus, trying to bring the truth of the Gospel, the true Gospel, the Gospel of love, to the world. I saw the Gospel a lot differently than do most church people, most churches, and most denominations. I saw it as a Gospel of love, a Gospel of action, and a Gospel of truth. I did not see it as a Gospel to be kept within the confines of a church building or church rules, but as a Gospel for the people, for the poor, the lost, the dying, the hungry, the lonely, the sad, and the searching.

                I knew within me that God was greater than the church buildings and the denominations. I knew He had much more than this, and when I searched His words I found that it was so. He was so much greater than all that I had learned about Him in my youth, in churches and in sermons. He was so much more radical, so much more powerful, so much more willing to pay any price, go any distance, and suffer any loss to reach a lonely and needy soul!

                As I began to study His Word and to live it, and to teach others to do the same, He began to show me much more of the truth of His Gospel. Some of what He showed me went beyond that which was considered acceptable by many churches. But acceptable or not, it was still the truth!

                For years and years I've said that the way God works allows for those who believe to hear from those on the other side. I experienced it myself -- and I'm talking years back. It's a popular thing nowadays through the imitations that abound. But instead of imitations, God wants to give you the real thing! He wants you to hear the words of those who are in His kingdom, as they speak through His children to you.

                This is new, for it is very rare that born-again Christians would accept and receive these words from those who are beyond the veil. But in my lifetime God showed me that it is not only possible, but that this is the way He works. This I told my children -- those whom I led -- and they believed and they received it. They know that this will not be acceptable to many of their brethren in the churches, and that they will continue to be mocked, cast out, and looked down upon by their brethren, just as they were and have been since the beginning, because of their radicalness and their willingness to go much farther to preach God's Gospel of love.

                But they're willing to suffer that shame for your sake, so that you can hear from us here and learn what is beyond, and what these here have to say to you there. This is a sacrifice, but my children are willing to make this sacrifice for you -- to be considered nothing, to be considered false, to even be considered heretics, in order to bring you the truth, to help you understand more, and to help you come to know the love of God through His Son, Jesus, who makes it all possible.

                So when you hear other Christians say, "Oh, this isn't so, this is untrue," just remember that my children do these things out of love for you, in order to bring you the Gospel of love, the truth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who loved you enough to die for you. If you will but open your heart and receive Him, you too will partake of the love of God in this wonderful place, His heavenly kingdom, for eternity.

                To you Christians who wonder if any of this could be true, and who are so apt to judge, I say: Be careful not to judge that which you don't understand. But what I know you will understand is that Jesus has gone to great lengths to win all mankind, because His love for them is so deep, so full! In this day of confusion, this day of misinformation, this day of great deception, He wants His voice to be heard in a way that is understood by the people of today. For there are many, many, many who search for truth, and who do not find it in the traditional ways.

                As He left His heavenly realm to come way, way down to live as a man and to reach people at their level in a way that they could understand, so does He continue to try to reach people today at their level, in a way that they can understand. This is part of His love, His willingness to go to great lengths to bring His wonderful Word to all mankind. For there are those who need more than you can offer, so He allows these to speak in order to reach their hearts in His love, so that they can live forever with Him.

                Berg, David Brandt (a.k.a. Moses David, Father David) (1919 - 1994), controversial American evangelical pastor, founder and leader of the non-traditional Christian missionary movement the Children of God (now known as The Family).

                Berg's parents were both active Christian pastors and evangelists, and his early years were spent traveling with them in evangelistic work. In 1941 he was drafted into the U.S. Army, where he nearly died of pneumonia. After determining to rededicate his life to Christian service, he experienced a miraculous healing.

                Berg spent the next 25 years working full-time in various evangelistic endeavors before receiving God's call to take the Gospel to the hippies of Southern California. There, in 1968, he and his then teen-aged children began a ministry to the youth that was to become the Christian movement known as the Children of God and later The Family.

                Initially composed of mostly former drug addicts and hippies "hooked on Jesus," the group rapidly expanded, drawing followers from diverse walks of life. Berg espoused the communal lifestyle of the early Christians, and called on his followers to devote their full time to spreading the message of Christ's love and salvation. By the mid-'70s Children of God communities had been established around the world. As of this writing, The Family has over 13,000 full-time and associate members engaged in missionary and social work in nearly 70 countries worldwide.

                In his own words, Berg was an "iconoclast" who did not hesitate to shock the established religious and social order. His views were articulated in nearly three thousand "Letters" over a period of 25 years. He once said of his writings that his aim was to leave his readers feeling either "mad, sad or glad." Without a doubt, he succeeded in doing just that.

                Berg's goal was to teach others to spread the message of God's love as far and wide as possible, unfettered by convention or tradition. He castigated mainstream Christians for their failure to follow Christ's teachings more closely, maintaining that many churches had deviated from Jesus' commandments to "love your neighbor as yourself" and "go into all the world to preach the Gospel to every creature."

                He also attacked materialism and decried the de-Christianization and decay in moral values of Western society. He viewed the trend towards a New World Order as setting the stage for the rise of the Antichrist, a godless world dictator whom the Bible predicts will rule the world in the last days before Christ's return.

                Perhaps most contested amongst Berg's teachings were his views on sex in relation to Christianity. This, he believed, was covered under a broad doctrine he referred to as the "Law of Love," which requires that every action be motivated by love for God and for others. Berg held that if done in sacrificial love, without harm to others and with full faith that their actions were in accordance with the Scriptures, consenting partners could have a loving heterosexual relationship without sin in the eyes of God, regardless of their marital status.

                Building on the "Law of Love," in the mid-'70s Berg and his second wife Maria personally pioneered and then encouraged his followers to engage in "Flirty Fishing," a highly controversial but effective method of evangelism in which sex appeal was used as a means of bringing the Gospel to skeptics, those disillusioned by their perception of Christianity, and others who couldn't be reached by traditional evangelism.

                Needless to say, Flirty Fishing drew public notoriety and considerable criticism by established religion and the media. It was practiced successfully for nearly ten years.

                Berg preferred to remain out of the public eye in order to devote himself to his writings, and his whereabouts were largely unknown even to his followers. Upon his death in 1994, leadership of the movement passed to Maria, his second wife and constant companion during his last 25 years.

Opening a Crack in the Veil

An introductory message from Jesus Christ

                (This message from beyond was received through Peter Amsterdam.)

                (Jesus Christ speaking:) I have allowed these [departed persons] to speak from this side as a token of My love for you. For I want you to understand both the love that is here and the place that those who love Me go to, when they pass beyond the veil. The distance beyond the veil is not so great, and what happens on this side is not so different than what happens on that side, your side. But here there is the joy, the love, the peace and the contentment that those on your side of the veil seek so desperately.

                I want you to understand what it is like when you come into the fullness of My love and the fulfillment of the promises that I have made. I want you to know that Heaven is real, that life after death is the true life, that death is just the door through which you pass from the life you now live into eternity!

                Many say that when you pass through the doors of death, it is over, it is finished, it is the end. They are wrong. You enter into a new life: the life on this side of the veil! You are still you. You retain your individuality. You keep your form, but you graduate from the flesh into the spirit. You continue to live and to mature and to learn. Your spirit carries on; only the flesh is shed.

                It is out of My love for you that I explain these things in this way, by allowing those on this side to speak to you on that side. Why would I do such a thing? -- Because I want you to know. There are so many voices in the world today -- so many distractions, so many falsehoods, so much confusion -- it is so difficult to know the truth. So in this day and age I go further to explain, to show you, to help you understand, so that you will grasp the point, the main and most important point that you must grasp! -- That truth is that I love you, that I gave My life for you, and that I have a wonderful place for you in the life beyond. It is there for the asking! It is yours! Simply open your heart and receive it, by receiving Me. Do not try to figure it all out. Just receive! It is My gift to you.

                I let those from this side speak so they can tell you about this gift of their salvation and share with you their experiences, so they can explain the joys and the wonders that are here on this side in a way you can understand. All this awaits you, if you will but receive it.

                The world is becoming darker, more complex, more complicated. Therefore I wish to make it possible for you to hear from beyond and understand. I am trying to give you more information about what awaits you, in order to make it easier for you to receive My love, My free gift. This is a token of My love for you. I have already laid down My life for you, but to help make it easier and more understandable, I open a crack in the veil so that you can hear from these who have gone ahead of you. They can explain many of the mysteries and they can tell you what you will find beyond the veil.

                Please receive the words of these who have passed beyond as a token of My love, as an explanation of what is here, as a connector between the two worlds, so that you can know and understand and find answers to your questions.

                The matters that these speak to you of are not just things of this side, but they speak of the lessons that they have learned, of the things that they did wrong or misunderstood. These are matters for your learning and have been spoken to help you in your life, so that you can learn from the mistakes and experiences of those who have passed on.

                So read them and apply them. Learn from them, for these are as heavenly teachers who share with you some of the wisdom they have learned. And know this, that what you learn now -- the spiritual progress you make -- you take with you; you do not have to learn these lessons again.

                So learn of these things now, that you may take them with you. For when you are called from this life, when you are brought to the threshold and you are called across, you leave the things of this life behind -- your flesh, your material belongings. You shed these things as one sheds a garment. But your spirit, that which is truly you, steps across the veil and remains. Your experience and knowledge -- and mainly the things that you have learned of the Spirit, the matters of love, of kindness, and of truth -- these things remain with you and benefit you. So learn them and apply them. Learn from these who I have allowed to speak, and understand that this, too, is a token of My love for you.

                Within the words of these that speak, you will hear of Me. You will hear of their love for Me. You will hear their pleading for you to come to know Me. This is because they know and understand the importance of this; because they wish to tell you that you too can benefit from the most important truth that exists -- that I am the Son of God, and that I have laid down My life for you personally.

                Through this acceptance of Me and of My salvation, you can cross over the threshold into My wonderful kingdom of love -- where all is love, and where you will have and experience all of those things that you seek. Here you will have peace of heart and mind and contentment of spirit; here you will have no fear; here your needs will be filled abundantly; here you can be creative; here you can find true love, and fill the empty spaces in your life, your heart, your mind, and your spirit.

                For I love you, and I wish to do all that I can to help you understand and to help you easily receive Me, that you may receive joyous, exciting life everlasting! Therefore hear the words of those who have made the trip and are telling you about it. They want you to partake of the joy and the love and the excitement and the fascination that they are living, and I want you to have the same!

                So come! Come! Come through the door! For I am that door, and by coming through Me, your life in this world, and in the world beyond, will be much greater than anything you ever imagined!

                So please come. Please receive Me! Please listen to those who have gone on ahead. It is for this purpose that I open a crack, so that you can understand, so that you can receive Me, so that you can live with these and with Me in My loving, exciting, wonderful, fulfilling, peaceful kingdom -- forever!

                Jesus Christ (4 BC - 29 AD), the Son of God, who came to earth in human form; the principal figure of Christianity. While Jesus' public ministry lasted only three years, He has had a greater impact on history than any person who has ever lived.

                Jesus' birth, in the small Jewish village of Bethlehem, was just the first of many supernatural events surrounding His life: His mother, Mary, was an unwed teenage virgin who miraculously conceived of God Himself, having never been with a man before. Though Jesus was born on the floor of a humble stable with a feeding trough for His crib, His coming was announced by a bright star and a host of angels, bringing both local shepherds and wise men from afar to worship Him.

                Jesus grew up like most other Jewish children of His day and took up his earthly father's trade of carpentry. At the age of 30 Jesus left His hometown and traveled throughout the towns of Palestine, preaching the message of God's love and salvation. He also began to perform many miracles, including healing the sick, the blind, the mute and the crippled. On at least three occasions He brought the dead back to life again. He chose twelve disciples from various walks of life, whom He taught extensively until His death three years later.

                During His ministry, Jesus became widely known as the "Man who went about doing good" (Acts 10:38). He reached out to those in need, including the outcasts and those despised by the highly religious people of His day, who accused Him of being a drunkard and companion of prostitutes. But despite His enemies' accusations, His popularity among the common people grew. Crowds followed Him everywhere He went, eager to witness His sample of love, summed up in His "golden rule": "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you" (Matthew 7:12).

                From the very start, Jesus was perceived as a threat by the established religious system, who correctly predicted that His simple message of faith and love would erode their control over the common people through the strict and complex doctrines of the Jewish religion. They tried to incite the people against Him through false claims, resulting in several attempts on His life.

                Jesus in turn publicly condemned the religious leaders of His day, denouncing them as hypocrites for their self-righteous religiosity and lack of love and mercy. On at least one occasion He physically expelled those who were making merchandise of religion in the temple.

                Eventually His enemies managed to secure His arrest after one of His disciples betrayed Him. Jesus was tried before the Roman governor and sentenced to death by crucifixion at the request of the Jewish high priest and his religious council.

                Christ's crucifixion had been predicted by prophets hundreds of years earlier. Jesus had also prepared His disciples for that day, assuring them that three days after being put to death, He would supernaturally rise again. This is exactly what happened, despite attempts by His enemies to prevent the fulfillment of His prediction by sealing and guarding His tomb.

                After His resurrection, Jesus spent 40 days with His disciples and was seen by many others before "being taken up" into Heaven (Acts 1:9). His disciples were soon filled with power and courage by God's Holy Spirit, and carried on His mission, spreading His message of love, forgiveness of sin, and salvation through simple faith in Christ. Despite numerous persecutions and attempts by both religious and secular authorities to stamp it out, Christianity soon swept across the Roman Empire, and later the world.

Sex in Heaven!

By Marilyn Monroe

                (This message from beyond was received through Valerie Bright.)

                (Marilyn Monroe speaking:) Hello, Doll! My name is Marilyn Monroe! Have you seen any of my pictures? Did you like them? I did that all for you, Honey! And I'd do more for you if I had a chance! There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you, my fans, my loved ones, my friends, my family, all those wonderful faces, all you wonderful people, you gorgeous men, all of you who were so good to me and who loved me. I still love you! Can you feel my love? Come on over here a little closer. You remember me -- Marilyn Monroe. Remember some of my pictures? Well, just imagine I'm right there beside you right now, because I am that close to you in the spirit!

                Maybe you're feeling lonely, or down, and at the end of your rope. Maybe you just had an argument with your wife or your husband, or you've just received another bill in the mail and there's no way you can pay it. Did you just have a flare-up with your next-door neighbor? I know how you feel, Honey, because there were many days in my life when I was so down and so lonely and at the end of my rope. Every day was so empty of hope, so mundane, so dry. I was so very unhappy, and it seemed that nothing could ever help.

                That's why I'm reaching out to you now. That's why I'm speaking to you now from over here, because I know what it's like to be in your shoes. All I can tell you, folks, is to just hang on! You're going to find that Heaven is a place where no one will ever look down on you again. No one will ever hurt you. In Heaven you never hear the words "dumb," "stupid," "slob," or "lazy."

                I had a wonderful life that many girls would dream of having, and they would give anything to be like me -- a beautiful star, a glamorous movie actress. But I was a sad child. I missed my mother and father. I really wanted to be a mother and have a family and a happy married life. I wanted a pretty house and a beautiful garden and a dog and a cat. I wanted so much to be loved and understood and cared for by a man who would love me and take care of me and watch over me and protect me. I wanted it so much. But because of my selfishness, my career, my goals, my desire for fame and attention, my desire to have people applaud me and praise me, I didn't give my heart to being a loving mother and wife.

                When you have the chance, don't miss the opportunity to put your arm around your wife and tell her she's pretty; or put your arms around your hubby and tell him you love him. Our lives are so short; they're over before we even know it. Any one of you could die today. So if you have a family, a wife, a husband, parents, friends, even your boss, even those at work, I want to tell you that it's time to put down your grudges and your differences and put your arms around one another. If you can do that, a lot of your sadness, your loneliness, your sorrow, your bitterness and your emptiness will disappear. In its place you will find happiness and a renewed joy!

                I spent so much of my life alone, in my hotel room, drinking and smoking and mooning and pining over the mistakes I made and the problems of life. I'd hate to see that happen to any of you. Life doesn't have to be like that for anyone, because no matter what anyone tells you, and no matter what anyone does, and no matter what happens in your day, there is Someone who loves you very much. Jesus wants you to know that He is real and that He loves you! Jesus wanted me to tell you that. He said, "Marilyn, you tell them. They know you, Marilyn. They've loved you, they've adored you, they've watched your films, they know you, and they think you're great."

                Well, if you thought I was great before, you should see me now! If you thought I was sexy before, you're going to really like what you see when you get here! And you don't have to worry about "unsafe sex" in Heaven, because there are no diseases or hurts or earthly problems here! You won't have to worry about your loved one getting jealous either, because that doesn't happen here. Here we can love each other without envy or jealousy. We can share our love with each other and show our love to each other freely. I promise you, I'm going to give you a lot of love when you get here!

                Has that been your dream? Well, I want to make it a dream come true! I can! I can be your dream come true! For those of you who believe in the spirit world and who know it's real and it exists, you know we will meet one day. For those of you who aren't sure, just look at a picture of Jesus and tell Him you love Him, tell Him you need Him in your life, and He won't fail you. He'll bring you safely home to Heaven, home to His arms -- and to my arms, too!

                I love you and I'm glad I had a chance to talk to you. I want you to know that I'll be thinking about you. I can see you and I can watch over you, and I'm closer to you than you can imagine. So how do you like having Marilyn Monroe for your guardian angel?

                Keep hanging on through life's ups and downs. Think about me and picture me if things get too tough. Jesus is right beside me. I'll pray for you and He will help you. And don't worry about how you picture me. I'm not dressed in a nun's outfit, so don't worry! I've got something on that you will really like! So let your imagination go wild, boys! That's the way I like it, the hotter the better! I'll warm you up when you're feeling lonely and sad. And when you feel that warmth and you feel that smile on your face, just know that it's God's love for you, and thank Jesus for it.

                Don't worry, don't be ashamed, don't feel guilty, there's nothing wrong! I want you to be very, very happy, and Jesus wants you to be very, very happy. So let's really have a good time! Let's have a good time living! Just be happy and keep smiling so that I'll know that you're all right. Then I won't have to worry about you.

                Are you going to be all right? Is everybody going to be all right? That's good. Here's a big kiss goodbye! And don't forget my promise. I'll see you one day soon and take you in my arms and fulfill all your wildest dreams. That's one of the things I do in Heaven, I keep the boys happy!

                I love being sexy and I love sex, and there's no reason why you shouldn't too. But you do have to be more careful there in your present life than you will here in Heaven. Here you won't have any worries or fears about sex, and it will be so wonderful for you. You won't have any inhibitions or problems. You're going to be so happy. And the One you can thank for that is God, because He made it all! He created us to need sex, to want sex, and to enjoy sex.

                There is sex in Heaven! That's the good news! That should be the news of the century! That should make headlines in all the newspapers, don't you think?! There is sex in Heaven, folks! We all need sex, you know, because God made us to feel that way.

                You won't have any trouble here with impotence or frigidity; those things don't exist here! This is a world of love and loving sex, good and Godly, wonderful, beautiful, thrilling, ecstatic, gorgeous sex! I know, because I've been having sex with these wonderful men up here! You'll have sex too! If you don't think you can understand or accept what I'm saying now, well, don't worry, because like I said, you won't have any problem understanding it once you're here. It's divine and it's wonderful, just the way it should be. It should be that way for you now in your present life, but there has been so much propaganda against sex that hardly anyone can enjoy it to the full without feeling fearful and guilty.

                I want you to know that in Heaven sex is looked upon without fear or guilt. It's looked upon as a beautiful, loving communication between a man and a woman. And if you have any problems or inhibitions or just don't know how, well, we'll be able to teach you. That's one of my jobs, I'm happy to say, and there are other very pretty women here who are very willing to be your new sex teachers, and handsome men for you women! Isn't that fun? Won't that be a fun course to enroll in?!

                I know you're all interested in sex, so don't pretend you're not! That's why you men all spent so much time looking at me, and at all the other beautiful women! God's creation in the form of a female body always gets top billing. Wait till you get here and see some of the beautiful movies that artistically feature God's creation. We're not inhibited here about our bodies, about being naked, about touching one another and caressing one another.

                You won't have any trouble having an erection and keeping it up for as long as you like! You may see a beautiful woman and that's just what might happen! There aren't any inhibitions here! It's a re-learning process -- re-learning that there isn't anything wrong with feeling those sexy feelings. That's why I told you that you're going to be so happy here and it's going to be so wonderful for you. You're going to be able to explode in beautiful orgasms of loving sex with others without fear or condemnation.

                You're going to have a beautiful life in Heaven, a beautiful life after death. You're going to have a brand-new life, a brand-new body, and you won't become tired or weary. You women are going to feel so young and so sexy, like you've never felt before. And the men are going to all want you! And you're going to want all the men! That's just the way it's supposed to be. God meant us to love each other and show each other our love by good, Godly, loving sex. You will even be able to fulfill some of your beautiful sexual fantasies! You can make love under water, and in many new and beautiful ways that you don't even know about yet.

                If sex feels so good to you now on earth, can you imagine how much better it's going to feel in Heaven?! You can go dancing and romancing and love your honey all night long! You're going to feel so young and virile and sexy, and people here won't condemn you.

                Isn't love more wonderful when you feel someone loves you enough to make love to you? Aren't your days brighter and more cheerful, and don't you feel happier when you know someone cares enough and loves you enough to caress every inch of your body? And if you haven't experienced that yet, I want you to know that I'm your girl! I won't let you down, because I love you! You're going to be thrilled to find that not only me, but all the girls and women here are very loving. Like I said, we have a very sexy God!

                But don't worry, there isn't going to be any pressure on you. No one's going to expect you to do anything you don't want to do or don't feel like doing. Perhaps you won't even be that interested, and that's just fine too. It's not a competition.

                The reason why I've taken this time to talk to you about sex is because not many people have told you that there's sex in Heaven. Hardly anybody knows that, so I thought you'd want to know!

                So are you surprised you have a sexy God?! Well, He is sexy, and that's why you feel sexy, too, because He created you in His image! But that's a fairly small part of life in Heaven and the spirit world; there are many more thrills here that are greater than sex. They're waiting for you, and all you have to do is just say "yes" to Jesus! Believe in Him, talk to Him, love Him, need Him and want Him, and one day soon you'll be here with Him. I love you!

                Much love, Marilyn.

                Monroe, Marilyn (1926 - 1962), American actress, who became one of the most internationally recognized and popular sex symbolsof the 20th century.

                Born Norma Jean Mortenson, Monroe spent a sad, lonely and abusive childhood in orphanages and foster homes. She married at 16, but divorced unhappily shortly afterwards.

                In 1944 she was discovered by a U.S. Army photographer, and began a modeling career, which eventually led her into bit parts in several motion pictures in the late '40s and early '50s. She landed her first lead role in 1952, and during the next few years appeared in a number of successful comedies. Her unique mixture of natural charm, sex appeal and the "dumb blonde" image on screen quickly earned her international fame as the sex symbol of the decade. Though she starred in relatively few movies compared with other movie stars, her looks and mannerisms were widely copied, and she remains known worldwide to this day.

                In 1954 Monroe married baseball Hall-of-Famer Joe DiMaggio, but their marriage ended within a year. She soon remarried, but again divorced after five years. She is also widely believed to have been romantically involved with several well-known figures, the most notable being former U.S. President John F. Kennedy.

                Despite her huge success, Monroe was beset by emotional problems and depression, and spent the latter years of her career under psychiatric care. She also became increasingly drug dependent. In the summer of 1962 the world was shocked by the news of her sudden death, apparently of an overdose of sleeping pills.

"I'm Alive!"

By Elvis Presley

                (This message from beyond was received through Jeffrey Schmid.)

                (Elvis starts off singing:)

                "I love you tender,

                I love you true,

                Almost all my dreams are fulfilled!

                Oh my darling, I love you,

                And I always will!"

                Oh, it's good to be back! You're beautiful, you're wonderful! You're probably thinking, "Here comes another impersonator!" -- But this time it's really me! I'm real glad for this opportunity to talk to you all, my dear fans. I'm so glad that there's a bunch down there crazy enough to listen to us up here, because we're very much alive up here! Some of you who believe that I'm still alive, you're right -- I am! I'm more alive than ever, and I'm so happy!

                When I see you thousands and you millions who love me so, it really touches my heart. I do appreciate your love, and I do appreciate each and every one of you! It's wonderful to be loved like that. I don't know what I've done to deserve your love, but I'm thankful for it. I enjoyed pouring out to you all, singing to you, singing my heart out and thrilling you with the music and the love, as well as some of my crazy gyrations. Those hip movements were swell, weren't they? They sure rocked the world at the time!

                But I'll tell you, you ain't got no idea what's happening up here! There's some exciting stuff waiting for you if you'll just get a ticket for the greatest concert you will ever attend! We're preparing a fantastic show up here for all of you, and it won't just be me in the concert, there'll be many others, many great musicians from all ages. We're having our fun times even now, but we're saving our best performance for that great and special day!

                And because I love you all so much, I want each and every one of you to be there! That's why I said that almost all my dreams are fulfilled, because I have this very great wish in my heart that all of you will get to know not only "the king of rock and roll," but that you'll get to know the King of kings. He's the only One who can fulfill all your wishes and all your dreams. That's my wish, and that's when I'll be really happy, when all of you out there accept my Savior as I have accepted Him.

                Open your lives to Him! Give yourself to Him and He'll give you a free gift of Eternal Life and salvation forever, and all the blessings that come with it. And for the cherry on top, you'll be able to attend that greatest concert ever! Don't you think that'd be worth it? Sounds like an offer you can't refuse! It's wonderful and it's true!

                And because I love you all so much, I want to give you what I have that's most precious to me. I gave you all the love that I had to give personally, but only He, the King of kings, can give you the love that will bring you lasting happiness and joy, that will melt away the pain and the hurt, and wipe away and dry your tears.

                We had problems in our era, too, but things sure have gotten worse, and I hurt for you all. I know you live in difficult times. These are the Last Days [1], and it seems like the days are getting more evil with every passing day. I see many of you are hurting and are full of pain and sorrow. Turn to Jesus! He's real, you know! I know this world is not conducive to believing, and there are many evil forces that fight this very simple, basic truth. But reach out and He will help you! He will pull you through.

                If you could only see what beauties await those who love Him! I suppose it would be too easy if you could see it first -- that's why it is required of us to take the first step to follow blindly, to believe by faith. And when you do, you begin to see, little by little! The darkened window is cleaned, and you see better with each passing day, little glimpses here and there, until you see Him face to face in Paradise! [2] That's my wish for you all.

                If you love me, as the saying goes, "Love me, love my friend." In this case, "Love me, love my Savior!" He's got all the answers. He was my answer, and I sang my share of gospel songs to you all. Nevertheless, I was a frail human being and I had my troubles. There were unanswered questions, but they have since all been answered!

                So if you want all my dreams to come true, accept Jesus! Open your heart to Him. He's waiting to come in and to change your life, and to love you with the greatest love you've ever known. Just let Him love you, let Him thrill you, let Him embrace you! And the day will come when I'll be able to embrace you myself, each and every one of you! What a day that'll be, when your world gets straightened out. So whether you get here before that, or whether you last long enough for us to come back and for Jesus to set up His kingdom on earth like it has been foretold for thousands of years, either way, please accept Him into your life. He'll forgive you no matter what you've done! He'll give you a brand-new start no matter how old you are.

                He loves you and He's just waiting on you! He's waiting for you to say "yes" so that He can shower you with His blessings! Why not do it right now? Don't wait! Don't wait another day! Love Him now and He'll love you forever! Until then, I send you lots of love! I can hardly wait to see you all, to touch you, to feel you! We'll still be able to do these things, you know. It's going to be so wonderful to all be together! All right, gotta go now! But I'll be back! I love you! -- Your Elvis.

                Presley, Elvis Aron (1935 - 1977). Affectionately known as "the king of rock and roll," Elvis is considered by many to be the most successful American musical performer of all time. His influence on American culture and music remains strong to this day, with a generation of imitators still mimicking his music and his style.

                The only child of a poor family (his twin brother was stillborn), Elvis was raised in the faith of the First Assembly of God, a Pentecostal church, where he sang gospel music. He also developed a keen interest in rhythm and blues. In 1954, he recorded the first of a series of fifteen early singles, five of which became local hits. But it was his performances -- live and televised -- that gave Elvis' popularity its greatest boost. His charismatic personal style, with a rebel look and sexy hip gyrations that earned him the nickname "Elvis the Pelvis," shocked the older generation of his day while exciting millions of young fans, particularly females, to wild adulation.

                In 1956 Elvis released "Heartbreak Hotel," the first of 45 of his records to sell more than a million copies each, catapulting Elvis into music's Hall of Fame. By his death, Elvis had sold more than 500 million records -- more than any other musical artist in history -- and inspired countless musical artists worldwide.

                Besides making records, Elvis began a career in big-screen movies, and starred in 33 films. He also made numerous TV appearances.

                Public pressure and the worship of his fans took their toll on Elvis. In the '70s his personal problems worsened. He became reclusive, suffering from depression and a dependence on drugs, including prescription diet pills, from which he died at age 42. Hundreds of thousands of fans gathered outside his Graceland estate in Memphis to mourn his death.

Young Again

By George Burns

                (This message from beyond was received through Greg Nelson.)

                Introduction by Greg: I was working late one night shortly after George Burns had died, when I heard his unmistakable voice telling me he had something to say. I was surprised, as this was certainly unexpected! I had to finish the work I was doing, so I "argued" with George that I couldn't stop right then because I was in the middle of something that couldn't be put off. Ever tried arguing with a disembodied voice that only you can hear? Needless to say, I felt thankful no one was watching me.

                Finally, George said, "That's okay, just give me an appointment." I had to laugh, because it was the first time in my experience that a departed spirit had offered to make an appointment; usually, if I'm making an effort to hear from "beyond," they just start talking.

                So I said to him, "Let's make it 10 A.M. tomorrow morning."

                "Fine," he responded, and then the voice was gone.

                Sure enough, a little before 10 the next morning, he showed up. I couldn't see him, but I couldn't miss recognizing that voice of his. This is what he said:

                (George Burns speaking:) Well, kid, I'm glad that you finally stopped and that you want to listen to what I have to say. I wanted to speak to you last night, but you weren't really in the mood for it, so I'm glad we can talk now.

                There are a few things I wanted to pass on to those I have left behind: Everything's okay up here. It's great, it's wonderful.

                Down there, I got to play God. Up here, I get to meet Him. I have to admit, though, that I didn't really do the subject justice. But then again, it was just a comedy, and a sweet one at that. He enjoyed it, He told me. He said it was nice to be brought down to where people could relate to Him, so that they would know that He is alive, that He exists, and that He loves people and is taking care of them. So I'm glad that I got people thinking a little bit about God.

                There are some old friends up here. There are also some old friends who didn't make it, but I understand that they'll get here sooner or later.

                It sure is nice to be able to have a spring in my step again. -- And run! You wouldn't believe how long it's been since I've been able to run. You saw me there on earth, I could barely walk. So it sure is a lot of fun to be able to run and jump and just get around like I haven't been able to for years and years.

                I lived a hundred years down there. That's quite some innings. Well, up here the innings have only begun, and as I understand it, there's not an ending. So I guess I might be a record holder down there, but up here, I'm just a youngster.

                Please tell those I left behind that I love them. I thank them for their care for me, for their friendship when I needed it, and that in hard times they didn't forsake me. I'll never forget'm.

                It was a bit of a shock to find out when I died that Jesus Christ is real and that He is the Son of God. Still, it's nice I never rejected Him down there on earth, although I did tend to use His name in the wrong way at times.

                Anyway, He's a great Jew. (Laughs.) Just like the rest of us. Well, Jewish, Gentile, it doesn't really matter. What really matters is what you've done and what you tried to do for others, the love that you show to others, and that you're not full of hate and wanting to hurt others.

                What really matters is whether you're trying to spread some of that love around and help people, cheer people up, give to people. That's what I tried to do with my life, and I got well taken care of in the process.

                Trying to encourage people and make people laugh, well, that earns you some rewards up here, because for every deed of kindness that you show down there, you get rewarded up here.

                But the big reward, the big enchilada, is if you get to come in. Apparently there is only one way in here, and that was the choice I had to make when I died. Gracie [3] told me, she said, "Well, now you've got to do it. You've got to receive Jesus. Believe on Him and you can come right on in." So I did. No point in arguing at this stage. So I got to come in and it's quite a pad up here. Quite a place. An inspiring sight! You won't regret it.

                I don't want to spoil it all for you by telling you too much about it, though. Apparently there are some rules here that prevent us from telling too much of what is going on up here and what it's like, because that's supposed to be like a reward. If you believe without seeing, without knowing for sure what it's gonna be like, then you get a bigger reward for the whole thing.

                I just want to say that life up here is really fun and really nice, and that my sweet Gracie is here. She's arisen! I found out something else too -- that she was by my side for those thirty-odd years, and that she was the inspiration in my life. She led me and guided me for those last years when I thought she'd gone from me forever. She brought hope to my life, and it was because of her help that I got to be the success I was in those last years.

                Well, we're pretty happy up here and there is a lot going on, and I just wanted you all to know that there is life after death. (Chuckles.) That was pretty simple, wasn't it? Nothing real big, deep or whatever. I just felt I needed to tell you all that. Okay, bye. See you at the curtain call.

                Burns, George (1896 - 1996), popular American actor and comedian; spent over 80 years in a show-business career spanning vaudeville, radio, television, movies, clubs, best-selling books, and record albums.

                Burns was born Nathan Birnbaum in New York's Lower East Side. He started singing in a quartet at the age of seven and left school at age 10. In his teens he began performing song and comedy routines in small vaudeville theaters.

                Burns' first 10 years of performing were a failure, but his fortunes changed in 1922 when he met Gracie Allen. They married four years later. Burns later often credited Gracie with the success of his entire career. The pair initially teamed up as a vaudeville comedy act, and for more than 30 years were successful in clubs, radio, movies and finally television. The popular George Burns and Gracie Allen Show, in which Burns played straight man to Gracie, ran for eight years until Gracie retired in 1958, due to failing health.

                In 1964 Gracie died. Burns was devastated by the loss, and it nearly marked the end of his career. After some slow years, he made a comeback at age 80 with a role in the 1975 movie The Sunshine Boys. That performance won him an Oscar, making him the oldest male actor ever to receive the award.

                A natural comedian on stage or off, for the next twenty years Burns continued to delight audiences with his wisecracks and perfectly timed one-liners between cigar puffs. He starred in a number of successful films, including the popular Oh God! series, and authored several books. At age 85 he recorded a hit country-and-western single, and at age 95 won a Grammy award for best-spoken record of the year. He died several weeks after his 100th birthday.

Imagine There Is a Heaven

By John Lennon

                (This message from beyond was received through Keith Lefevre.)

                (John Lennon speaking:) Hello there, folks! This is John. There are a lot of things that I'd like to say, but I guess the first thing is that I was really touched when so many of you around the world held vigil for me when I died. I was touched by your love for me and your love for my music.

                Music was always my passion -- and not just music, but giving a message through the music. You know, when Paul and I started out, we didn't want to just play music. We wanted to give a message that would make people happy, that would make them laugh, that would make them forget about their problems for a while -- a message of love, a message of peace, a message of happiness. I do believe we did that for some time.

                We helped so many of you wake up to what was inside of you and see that you could be free and happy and you didn't have to worry so much about the mores of society and its restrictions. You could just love and be happy and enjoy yourselves, and that was all well and good. You know, I really believe we had God's anointing when we started out. He was using us to reach so many of you with that message of love and of peace.

                But unfortunately, as time went on I started to think it was me, that I was the one who was producing this great music and writing these great words, that I was the one who was turning so many of you on. That's when things started going down. You see, one thing I've learned since I've been on the other side is that it really doesn't pay to leave God out of the picture. He doesn't like it. When you do, He lets you go your own way, and your life can end up pretty bad, just like mine did.

                Since I wasn't turned on to God any more, I had to find a substitute, and that substitute turned out to be dope. I was looking for answers in the spirit world -- answers that I already had but that I'd refused. I refused to believe it was so simple and I refused to accept God's love. So I started looking for these answers in the spirit world through taking drugs and getting into some pretty weird trips. Unfortunately, that led a lot of people astray. As I look back now, that's one of the things I'm not too proud of, that I led so many people astray. That's what happens when you forget about God and you start thinking it's yourself.

                I once said in a song, "Imagine there's no Heaven." Well, now I know better, because there is a Heaven. I haven't made it to Heaven yet myself because I rejected God, so right now I'm in what you could call a "halfway house" or "way station." I'm learning my lessons, having time to reflect back on my life, even having time to see some of the results of what I did and helping to undo them. Talking to you now is one of my chances to help undo some of what I did, to help turn you back to the original message that we gave, of love, peace and happiness.

                But you know one thing that I've learned since being here on the other side? -- It's that you can't have that love or that peace or that happiness without God. It's not something that comes from inside of you. It's not something you can work up. See, that's the problem. I started believing that I was God, that each one of us was God. Deep down inside I knew it wasn't true, but I was too proud to believe otherwise. All you fans heralded me as your "god," but I was no god. I was a mess just like the rest of you, searching for the truth -- a truth which was so close, but yet so far, because I was unwilling to receive it.

                Well, now I know better. I know the answer now, and that answer is love -- God's love! The wonderful thing about God's love is that it lasts forever, and it's forgiving too, because God told me He's going to give me a second chance. Even though I really screwed up my first one, He's giving me a second chance now to make things right. He's reserving a place for me up in Heaven, and I hope to get there soon. -- And I hope to see you there. I hope that you'll make the right choices, and that you won't make the choice that I made in believing that I was God.

                Remember, like I said, you can't have that love or that peace or that happiness on your own -- it has to come from above. I had a lot of sorrow on earth and I did a lot of searching. I had a lot of pain in my heart, and I'm sure you could feel that in my music. But I'm happy to say that the pain and heartache are now gone, because I know that God loves me and He cares for me. I've seen what it's like on the other side, and I wish that you could see it too.

                And I'm telling you, you can be free, just like we tried to be! We tried to be free through our music and our message. We tried to throw off the shackles of society, but instead we became trapped in society ourselves. We were pulled down to the very thing that we were trying to escape from.

                Now I've discovered that freedom, true freedom, is in the heart. Only God can give that freedom. So if you're looking to be really free, just turn on to Him! Turn on to Jesus! Don't look to yourselves or to your own strength and your own mind -- it hasn't got what it takes. It just doesn't cut it!

                I know that so many of you listened to my music and nearly worshiped me because I expressed the things that you were going through -- your heartcries, your searches, your desperation. The problem was, I didn't know the answers. I didn't know the truth. But now I do, and I'd like for you to know it too.

                So look up! Don't look at yourselves. Don't look at other people. People fail, people get killed. People are not God. There's only one way and that's up, and I hope to see you up there! I know I'll be going there, because like I said, God in His mercy is giving me a second chance. I hope to see you there too!

                So let's all keep imagining together about Heaven and that place beyond, because it is true and it does exist. I know we'll truly be happy there, and we'll have that true peace forever.

                Lennon, John Winston (1940 - 1980), British pop musician-songwriter; member and co-founder of the Beatles, the most popular rock group of the '60s; one of the most renowned songwriters of the 20th century.

                Lennon was born and raised in a working-class neighborhood in Liverpool, England. In 1956 he began singing and playing guitar in small local clubs with fellow teenager Paul McCartney. They were joined by George Harrison the following year, and Ringo Starr in 1962.

                In 1962 the Beatles -- as the foursome was called -- released their first rock-and-roll number, "Love Me Do." It was the start of a succession of hits, including "Please Please Me" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand," that quickly made them the most popular rock group in England. In 1964 they toured the U.S., starting a frenzy of "Beatlemania" amongst the youth which catapulted them to the top of the charts for the next few years.

                The songwriting team of Lennon and McCartney composed most of the Beatles' songs. Their varied lyrics and musical styles influenced scores of rock and pop groups who sprang up in the wake of their success.

                In the mid-'60s the Beatles' music began to move away from the refreshingly simple rock-and-roll tunes and themes of their early years. Their hit album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts' Club Band (1967) reflected their experimentation with hallucinogenic drugs and oriental mysticism, setting a trend for millions of young people around the world. As the idols of their generation, they also popularized long hair and mod dress.

                The Beatles' last public performance was in 1966, and their last joint album, Let it Be, was released in 1970. Amid public quarrels and lawsuits, the band officially dissolved in 1970.

                After the group's break-up, Lennon continued to write songs and produce albums together with his wife, avant-garde conceptual artist Yoko Ono. Still highly popular, Lennon released numerous records throughout the '70s, including his 1971 hit song "Imagine." He also made a number of film appearances, both alone and with the other Beatles. After taking several years off following the birth of his son, in 1980 he began a comeback with his new album Double Fantasy. That same year he was murdered in New York by a deranged fan.

Listen to the Whispers

By Pocahontas

                (This message from beyond was received through Karen Bradford.)

                Introductory note by Karen: Whenever I would focus my thoughts on Pocahontas, in my mind I would see a forest scene, with dark tree trunks, dark green foliage and shadows below. The sun was shining through the trees above, illuminating some beautiful light green leaves near the top of the scene. I later sensed this was a memory that Pocahontas had of her homeland. When I asked Jesus to send her to speak, I saw this beautiful forest scene again, and began to hear the rhythm of drums, beating four beats -- a stronger beat followed by three lighter ones. It was not loud, but gentle: TUM tum tum tum, TUM tum tum tum.

                I then began to receive the following from her in rhythm, like a song or a poem. It seemed to be in the same cadence as the poem, "The Song of Hiawatha," by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and it had some of the same terms used in that poem. I wondered why that was, but then it occurred to me that Longfellow may have also heard the whole story of Hiawatha from a departed spirit who related the account in this rhythm. Following was Pocahontas' message, which I wrote down as it came:

                Far away from home they took me,

                Far across the big sea water,

                Across the shining big sea water,

                Far away from home and loved ones.

                To the land of streets and houses,

                To the white man's land of houses,

                Streets so full of dirt and beggars,

                Far away from shining forests,

                From the land I loved and grew in,

                From the land loved by my fathers,

                From the land where they are buried,

                To this new land I did go then.

                Land of safety for the white man,

                Land of danger for the Indian.

                But in the new land God did keep me,

                Took me to His warm, strong bosom,

                Held me close and so did love me,

                Loved His little Indian princess.

                So I left the land of houses,

                Land of streets and dirt and problems.

                Went to Heaven to my Father,

                Arms of my great loving Father,

                God of earth and God of Heaven,

                God of all that is before us.

                God of red man, white, and black man,

                God of all that is created.

                Greater far than any spirit,

                Greater than the powers of darkness.

                So I went to my great Father,

                So I'll be with Him forever.

                So I left my forest homeland,

                Then I left the land of houses,

                Left the country of the English,

                Gathered to the arms of Jesus.

                Jesus is the one who loves me

                Greater far than any lover,

                Greater than the men who loved me,

                He was the one who died to save me.

                In His mercy He did take me,

                Brought me to His arms of mercy,

                Mercy, love, pardon, forgiveness,

                Such great love as He has shown me.

                So I left the earthly dwelling,

                Now I live in tents of Heaven.

                Now I fly to help God's children,

                Go to lands where children call me.

                So I help with love and reason,

                Help the children love their Father,

                Help the children love each other,

                Help the weary be strong in battle.

                Though I'm not a warlike maiden,

                Still I know that God is with me,

                And He fights to keep His children

                Safe from any harm or danger.

                So I work to guide His children;

                I'm a messenger of Jesus.

                Many people hear my urgings,

                As I speak to them of Jesus,

                Tell them of the way He loves them,

                Tell them how to love each other,

                Help find answers to their problems,

                Help come closer to my Jesus.

                He is Friend and Lover, Warrior,

                He will fight our battles for us.

                And His happy Holy Spirit

                Leads to good and gives us wisdom.

                So I leave you now, dear children,

                But I'll come if you will call me.

                I will come and help you love Him,

                Love my Jesus and the Father,

                And the happy Holy Spirit.

                Not the spirits of creation,

                Not the ghosts in trees and mountains,

                But the lovely Holy Spirit,

                And the good spirits She does send you,

                Guiding, helping, giving wisdom.

                So this day do I bequeath you

                Spirits of the day and nighttime,

                Closeness to the God of Spirits,

                Closeness to the Son, who's Jesus,

                Closeness to the Mother Spirit,

                Closeness to those spirits She sends you.

                Listen to the whispers to you;

                Bare your heart, open your bosom.

                Let the Holy Spirit enter,

                Fill you with Her loving presence,

                And the others who will help you,

                Help you find your way in darkness.

                By the shores of big sea water,

                On the mountain and the hillside,

                Many spirits wait to help you,

                Help you in your work for Jesus,

                Help you love Him and each other.

                Do not miss the time to listen;

                Do not stop from hearing from them.

                They will help you; you can trust them,

                Trust good spirits sent from Jesus.

                I have wisdom of the ages,

                Wisdom of the tribes and sages.

                I am there to guide and help you,

                Help you in your work for Jesus.

                (The following day I was thinking, why not just ask Pocahontas what she thinks of the movie about her. I had the feeling that she liked it and that she wanted me to see it, as I was getting the phrase, "See me in the big screen picture." I had still not seen the movie myself, but I sat down and asked Pocahontas if she liked the animated movie that had been made about her. She responded:)

                God sent me in the big screen picture,

                Sent me so that others know me,

                Sent me so to tell the story,

                Sent me so the white man draw me.

                He is kind, the picture-white-man,

                Picture man who so did draw me.

                Drew me from the looks of others,

                So did make a pretty picture.

                I am princess Pocahontas,

                I was strong, I was a princess.

                I was not a silly schoolgirl.

                I was one of strength and power.

                I was of my father, Powhatan,

                Strongest of the chiefs was Powhatan.

                He did give me sense of duty,

                Sense of right and power and majesty.

                So was I in strength majestic,

                Strong was I, in all my duties.

                So the film does not show princess,

                Reigning in her many duties.

                But for this I have forgiven,

                For I loved the white man John Smith,

                And the movie showed this fairly,

                So am I both pleased and thankful.

                So I loved him when I saw him,

                So did God bring us together,

                Helped the white man love the Indian,

                Helped the Indian love his brother.

                So our God did bring us closer,

                Helped us learn to love each other.

                Through our love, me and the captain,

                Did God join these separate nations.

                Later did war come between them,

                Sad and bloody, awful war times.

                "God, we need you!" cried the white man!

                "God, please help us!" cried the Indian!

                So does God help each and all men,

                All who come to Him will find Him.

                He will never leave forsaken,

                He will love and keep us always.

                By the shores of big sea water,

                By the lakes of many waters,

                So I cry to all my people,

                Come to Jesus, He will heal you!

                (Later I saw Pocahontas in a vision for the first time, though I'd heard from her several times. She was leaning forward, very excited and animated, with a huge smile and happy face, beaming and shining. I saw her from the waist up, but bigger than life. She had Indian braids hanging down close to her cheeks, with bands of decorative beads around the braids, an Indian band around her forehead, and an Indian dress on. She was so big, it was like seeing her on a big screen. She also shone so very brightly, with a silver light of some kind that seemed to come from inside of her. Light was also coming from behind her, so that she had silver and white rays emanating from around her. She didn't look like the other departed spirits I have seen, as the others have had the appearance of regular earthly people. But she seemed almost like an angel, in that she was shining and so big. Maybe it's because she has the job of being a messenger in Heaven and being a helper to many people. She said the following:)

                Shining angels come to help you,

                Shine with splendor, bright and shining.

                Shining like a flash of lightning,

                Shining 'cause they've been with Jesus.

                Beautiful are they, majestic.

                Great in splendor, and in glory.

                Listen to them, they will help you,

                Help you stay on track for Jesus.

                From far across the big sea water,

                So I come to help and love you.

                So come I, your Pocahontas,

                Come to help and love God's children.

                Jesus gives me mighty spirit,

                Spirit of a big strong angel.

                Though I'm not a mighty angel,

                He does help me to be mighty.

                Mighty in my power to help you,

                Mighty to come down and guide you,

                Mighty so to speak to you,

                Listen to me, Pocahontas.

                Pocahontas (originally Matoaka) (1595? - 1617), Native American princess who helped bring peace between her people and early English settlers in Virginia. Her story of courage, love and marriage to a British settler have made her a folk legend in America.

                Daughter of Powhatan, the powerful chief of a federation of Algonquian Indian tribes, Pocahontas (which means "playful one") visited the early English settlement of Jamestown, Virginia, as a child. She also brought food to its near-starving residents.

                According to legend, as a young teen she saved the life of the settlement's founder and leader, Captain John Smith, by throwing her arms around his head as he faced execution by her father's warriors. A measure of peace resulted, but after John Smith left for England the following year, relations between the settlers and Indians again became strained. Pocahontas was taken by the English in 1613 in hopes that she could help negotiate a peace between them.

                Well-treated by the settlers, she converted to Christianity and took the name Rebecca. She and a widowed English settler named John Rolfe fell in love, and in 1614 they married with her father's blessing. Eight years of peace between the Indians and the settlement followed the marriage. Pocahontas bore her only son the following year.

                In 1616 John Rolfe and Pocahontas sailed to England at the behest of the Virginia Governor. She was royally received by both the British court and high society, and also renewed her acquaintance with John Smith. The following year, as the Rolfes prepared to sail back to America, Pocahontas contracted smallpox. The disease quickly claimed her young life, and she was buried in England in 1617.

If You've Got It, Use It!

By Arthur Ashe

(This message from beyond was received through Stephen Rosen.)

                (Arthur Ashe speaking:) Thanks for giving me a chance to speak out, because I do have some things to say. This is Arthur Ashe, and, yes, you will find me in the "courts" of Heaven where I "serve" God and love Him. These are not just cute tennis terms, but there are sports in Heaven -- as well as humor!

                Heaven is a terrific place! I've got a new body now -- a body that has no more heart trouble, no more heart attacks, no more AIDS, and no more illnesses. I'm free to fly, and I'm even free to play tennis! I must say, there are a great variety of sports up here, and a great variety of sportsmen and women.

                But I am not here to speak to you about what Heaven is like. That's for you to enjoy -- that is, those of you who do what I did, which is simply to ask Jesus to come into your heart and to receive the free gift of Eternal Life. I did that as a boy. It wasn't anything that I earned, or had to train for, or had to get in shape for, or dedicate my life to, but I did know Jesus in my early years.

                When I had to make a decision about my life, my decision was: "I want to move up in the world! I want to be somebody! I want to do something with my life! I want to show that Black people have potential, just as much as White people or Yellow people or any other color." We're all God's creatures, He made us. Especially His children, those who are saved, are not bound by any curse or handicap whatsoever.

                So, when I was young I chose to dedicate my life to a sport, to tennis. Like many young athletes that you see and hear about, I ate, slept, practiced, and lived tennis! And like the Bible says, if you invest your talents, you are going to gain. I invested my talents, my abilities, and my resources into playing tennis, and I was rewarded. I used the health and the body that God gave me, and I invested in it. I exercised. I watched what I ate. I studied tennis. I studied strategy. I worked out. I put time and effort into it, and I became a champion. I believe God helped me to do that, because I prayed and asked Him to.

                But there comes a time when you have to determine what the true values in life are, where you are headed, where you are going. And right at the height of my career, just as I had achieved many of the goals I had worked for, I was stricken with heart trouble. It looked like I was afflicted or cursed, just like Job [4]. In the prime of his life, at the height of his wealth he was stricken, and the same thing had happened to me. I thought, "God! What happened? What's wrong?" I took care of my body, I tried to live a clean, good life. I even tried to help people. I spoke out against injustice. I could have done it more, but I was a little bit busy pursuing my career, taking care of my earthly body and investing in my career as a sportsman, as an athlete. That's not something you can take a break from if you want to be on top.

                Why? Why did this happen to me? And not just one heart attack, but several! I was finished in terms of being number one or a world champion. I had to slow down and really start thinking about where I was headed and what my life was for. I had a name -- people knew me. I was a Black who had achieved. I was thought of as a good person both by Blacks and Whites, and I had done some good works.

                Then it hit me: God had blessed me! He brought me to a crossroads in my life and He made it apparent that the road I was on was no longer the one I was supposed to stay on. He wanted me to share more about Him with others. He wanted me to do more for the cause of social justice and helping others. He wanted me to share my experiences. He wanted me to be a help to others. My time for being number one, or living my dream, was over. My ideals, my goals, my vision for my life were over. It was time to do and live His ideals, goals and vision.

                What was thought of as being a handicap or a burden, in the end became a blessing. I was able to devote more time to my family. I was able to devote more time to helping the poor, to sticking up for the cause of justice, to correcting racial inequalities and racial injustice. Looking back, I could have done a lot more. I could have invested a lot more. I could have become as dedicated to that as I had been to myself and to achieving my athletic goals.

                But I must say, I learned a lot through focusing, through dedicating my life, through sacrificing, through training, through discipline. That's what it took to achieve something. Maybe it wasn't all the right things, or maybe it was for what you would say are temporal things, but the lessons I learned from it are eternal.

                If you want me to say a few things to you about what I think -- having now come up here to Heaven -- I'd say this: Take a look, people, where you are at! It is better to be dedicated to something, striving for something, whether it's athletics or business or whatever, than to not do anything at all. The world today -- especially America, and especially the Blacks -- has been deceived into having nothing to live for, except where you're going to get your next meal, or get your next fancy pair of sports shoes, or get the latest fashion in clothes, or get what everybody else has.

                You are never going to achieve something unless you put your mind to it and your heart to it! Otherwise, you're just going to wind up becoming dumb sheep that are led astray by the very forces that you think you are rebelling against.

                Well, I'm not going to preach to you. I just want to share my story, and from my vantage point mention a few things that I hope will help you and encourage you.

                First, you've got to be prepared to have some will power, and some "won't power"! You've got to have a vision of what you are aiming for, what your life is for. Is it to be the best tennis player in the world? Or is it to be the best father or mother? Or the best scientist or doctor? You've got to decide. You've got one life on earth, so you've got to live it for something, and put your heart into it and fight to get it. If not, you're going to fall into the trap that so many brothers have fallen into, of just a day-to-day existence and a quick buck.

                The best alternative, the best choice, the best solution isn't even your own will or won't power, but it's His power, God's power. Call out to Him and say, "God! Jesus! Give me direction in my life! I can't save myself, I can't dedicate myself, I can't discipline myself, but You can! You can help me, You can change me, You can make me a new creature. You can give me something to live for and show me what to do with my life and what direction to go."

                As for me, one thing I can do, people, is encourage you to do something with your life to help others. If you're good at something, put your talents to use! God's given everybody talents, whether it's athletic skill or the ability to figure things out in their head, or to perform or to create. And, of course, everyone has the ability to help others and show concern for others. So put those talents to use and help your brothers and sisters! Be the type of person to whom the Champion of all champions can say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." Those are the words that you want Jesus to say to you at the end of your life -- or should I say the beginning of your Eternal Life, when you approach Him in Heaven.

                Use the life that He gave you! Use the health that He gave you, the talents that He gave you! Put them to good use to help others and tell others of God and His love and of Jesus! Wouldn't it be great to have Him be proud of you and say those words ["well done"] to you?

                Well, see you up here! Maybe we can play a few games of tennis, a few sets. You don't get tired up here, and, boy, you can make some tremendous shots! (But I should add that we don't play competitively up here, but rather just for fun.) And the fun and joy of having a new body that will never get sick, never get AIDS, never decay, is fantastic! It's just wonderful!

                God bless you. I love you! Thanks for listening to me and hearing me out. Bye-bye.

                (Pause, then Ashe speaks again:) Pancho [5] is still a little shy and doesn't feel he has much to add, but I think he does, so I'll pass on a few of his comments and explain a few things about him. He's sorry for being so gruff and mean in his day. He wants to apologize. He says that worldly sports is war, and that he just got past the stage of it being fun, and it instead became survival, a physical and psychological war. He had a rough background and fought his way up through the ranks and made it big time. He was magnificent. He was ruthless on the court, yet underneath he was just a little boy, a man of humble Catholic upbringing who was imprisoned by that which he thought would make him free.

                Don't be surprised that he made it up here. There are a lot more shocking characters up here than dear Pancho! I mean, compared to what tennis has become today, he was a saint on the courts! (Laughs.) Pancho's happy now and he wanted me to tell you that he looks forward to seeing you here some day, especially those of you who may have been leading a rough life but who now want to accept Jesus and let Him come into your heart and change you.

                Ashe, Arthur Robert, Jr. (1943 - 1993), U.S. tennis player and social activist. Ashe was the first Afro-American to win a Grand Slam event (one of the four major international tennis tournaments).

                A talented tennis player in his youth, Ashe captured center stage upon winning the U.S. Open championship in 1968. He followed this with the Australian Open title in 1970, and finally Wimbledon -- considered the most prestigious title in the sport -- in 1975. That year Ashe ranked as the number one tennis player worldwide.

                In 1979, after 15 years as one of the top ten players in the world, Ashe suffered the first of three major heart attacks, requiring bypass surgery. He retired from tennis the following year, though he served as non-playing captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team from 1981 to 1985.

                An eloquent speaker, Ashe devoted much of his life to advancing social causes, particularly upon his retirement from tennis. He was an outspoken opponent of apartheid in South Africa, and actively championed the plight of U.S. inner-city youth and Haitian refugees.

                Blood tests in 1988 revealed that Ashe had developed AIDS, apparently as a result of an HIV-infected blood transfusion administered during his heart bypass surgery nearly ten years earlier. Ashe devoted considerable effort to educating the public about the disease, which claimed his life in 1993.

Footnotes:

                [1] Last Days is a term used in the Bible to describe the time period leading up to the foretold second coming of Christ. Both the Old and New Testaments contain scores of prophecies about this time period, predicting events, some of which are even now taking place. The fulfillment of these prophecies provides proof that Christ's return to earth is soon to come.

                [2] See 1 Corinthians 13:12.

                [3] George Burns' wife, who died in 1964.

                [4] See the Bible, the Book of Job.

                [5] Here Ashe seems to be making reference to Pancho Gonzales. Gonzales was a Mexican-American tennis player who rose from a poor family with no access to tennis clubs or training to become the dominant figure of tennis in the 1950s. Pancho retired at age 33 in 1961, but continued to participate in tournaments throughout the sixties, and was well known for his ageless competitiveness and colorful personality. He died in July 1995.

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family