Dad
May 14, 2003
—MOAugust 15‚ 1972NO.176—DO
Copyrighted August‚ 1972 by The Children of God
P.O. Box 31, London WC2E 7LX, England or GPO Box 3141, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936
1. Dear Children: Greetings in Jesus' Precious name! God's Monster is on the move! WE HAVE NOW EXPLODED WITH NEARLY 1000 MISSIONARIES INTO ALMOST 40 COUNTRIES AROUND THE GLOBE, outside of Continental United States‚ where we still have over a thousand full time workers, many of them also bound for other countries! THE HISTORY OF THE MISSIONARY EFFORTS OF THE CHURCHES COMPARED TO OURS!
2. WE HAVE AGAIN DONE WHAT THE CHURCHES HAVE FAILED TO DO, and which they, therefore, said couldn't be done! We have done what I used to say a lot of churches should have done long ago: We have closed up shop in some overworked fields which have had their major harvest, primarily in the U.S., and we have moved bag and baggage to hungry new fields which are already ripe unto harvest!
3. THE LORD HAS ANSWERED OUR PRAYERS. He has sent forth His labourers into His harvest, where the harvest truly is plenteous but the labourers were few!
4. WHY SHOULD ANYONE HEAR THE GOSPEL TWICE WHEN SOME HAVE NEVER EVEN HEARD IT ONCE? This is the challenging question with which our dear old personal friend, Dr. Oswald Smith, one of the world's greatest missionaries, used to embarrass the Church, as he himself pastored one of the world's most missionary-minded churches, the People's Church at Toronto, Canada, which had put over 500 missionaries into the field from one single church!
5. OUR FORMER DENOMINATION, THE CHRISTIAN AND MISSIONARY ALLIANCE, HAD REJECTED HIM, SAYING HE COULD NEVER MAKE A MISSIONARY, SO HE QUIT THE ALLIANCE AND STARTED HIS OWN CHURCH AND MADE OVER 500 MISSIONARIES. He, like a good many other great men and women of God, became too big for that small denomination with small faith and narrow vision, who said it couldn't be done! But these men and women of great faith and unlimited vision, such as the world-famous evangelist‚ Paul Rader, the world-famous miracle worker‚ Raymond Richey, the world-famous missionary‚ Oswald Smith, and the world-famous faith builder‚ Virginia Brandt Berg, and now ever ourselves‚ refused to believe that God was dead or even sick‚ and exploded out of the narrow confines of limited churchianity into all the world, to preach the Gospel to every creature with every method possible!
6. THIS NARROW-MINDED LITTLE DENOMINATION HAD ONCE HAD THE FAITH, UNDER ITS GREAT FOUNDER, DR. A.B. SIMPSON, TO SEND OVER 2000 MISSIONARIES TO THE FIELD, but by the time I came along‚ as one of their young pastors, they were telling us we should close down some of our Bible Schools for prospective young missionaries, because the field was no longer able to absorb the number of missionaries we were already producing in these schools!
7. THIS IS JUST THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT JESUS SAID: "THE HARVEST TRULY IS PLENTEOUS, BUT THE LABOURERS ARE FEW." What the Alliance really meant was that the little faith of their small-minded leaders was unable to absorb the number of young workers their great missionary message was producing. They just didn't have the faith to send them into the fields to reap the bounteous harvest by faith. They had became too busy building churches and a powerful denominational organisation at home, to devote the time, energy, funds and labourers to the fields of the rest of the world, for which their beloved founder had shown such faith and love. In the first ten years of their history, under his faithful inspiration, they had sent over 200 missionaries into the harvest fields of the world, by faith!—But they never again equaled that record! At first, they were only a loose, missionary-minded fellowship, meeting wherever they could and giving their young missionary volunteers only nine months of Bible training before sending them into the fields by faith!
8. BUT AS THEY GREW IN NUMBERS BUT DIMINISHED IN FAITH and obedience they began sending fewer and fewer into the fields, while they became more and more interested in higher and higher education and more and more buildings and fancier programs at home, until, when last heard from, after over 100 years of operation, they still had the same number of missionaries in the field‚ although their number of churches at home had increased out of all proportion to their dwindling missionary effort; and although their educational requirement for missonaries had increased to five years each, the number of new missonaries being sent to the field had dwindled to a pitiful ratio, compared to the increasing number of church-minded members in the saturated home field.
9. THIS IS WHEN I GOT OUT! In fact, they threw me out for telling them so and they've been fighting us ever since, from the time they stole my parents' church in Miami and my church in Arizona to the present time when they are spreading vicious lies about us throughout the U.S. and Canada. We have exposed their failure, their lack of faith and their changing emphasis, and this has evidently infuriated some of their Pharasaical and hypocritical leaders and caused many of their sincere members to turn to us for renewed vision and faith to pick up the torch of such great men like Smith and Simpson and carry it on to a bright new day!
10. THANK GOD! GOD IS STILL THE GOD OF THE FAITHFUL and the believing, and He's proven that it can still be done, that we can still do what He commanded us to do. I used to say that what was wrong with most of our churches was that they should quit sending missionaries to the field, and close up their churches and pick up bag and baggage and move to the fields themselves, and it they'd all obey, God would supply all their needs!
11. I USED TO TELL THEM THEY OUGHT TO PRACTICE WHAT THEY PREACHED ABOUT MISSIONS, AND ALL OF THEM GO INTO ALL THE WORLD, and God would honour their faith and go with them. But they said I was crazy! What would the missonaries do without at least 10 people at home to support each one in the field? In fact, they got so strong on this home support kick that they developed 25 members at home for every missionary in the filed, and the last I saw them they were still going that direction! More and more at home and less and less in the field!
12. ANY CORPORATION THAT CONTINUES TO BUILD MORE AND MORE factories and offices and showrooms, BUT TRAINS AND SENDS FEWER and fewer salesmen, is soon going to go bankrupt for lack of sales for its beautiful product! And THE CHURCH HAS GONE BANKRUPT SPIRITUALLY! While rich and increased in goods materially, it has become wretched and naked and blind spiritually!
13. THEY TOLD US WE COULDN'T LIVE TOGETHER COOPERATIVELY because the Church hadn't done it for 2000 years! They told us we couldn't win souls without a Bible College education! They told us we couldn't pastor churches without seminary degrees! They told us we couldn't live by faith!—we'd starve to death! They told us we couldn't spend all of our time praying, praising, studying and witnessing and working for Jesus!—It just wasn't heard of! They told us we couldn't send young, uneducated missionaries to foreign fields by faith!—It just couldn't be done! They told us we couldn't close up our Colonies, or churches, and move them to the fields, or we'd collapse and go to pieces!
14. BUT WE DIDN'T BELIEVE THEM! WE BELIEVED GOD! AND, AS A RESULT OF OUR FAITH AND OBEDIENCE, WE HAVE DONE ALL THESE THINGS, and the world has heard about us, and we're invading the whole world for Jesus! They told me I shouldn't write that "Homegoing" Letter—the kids would never come back—but they did! They told me I shouldn't write that "Independence" letter—that the whole Revolution would fall apart!—But it didn't! We are not falling apart!—We're exploding into more countries that we've ever been in before! And we're sending out more missonaries that we've ever sent before! 1000 NEW MISSIONARIES IN 40 COUNTRIES OUTSIDE CONTINENTAL U.S. IN ONE YEAR!—SOMETHING NO ONE HAS EVER DONE BEFORE! And young people are hearing the Good News of the love of Jesus around the world!
15. OF COURSE, IT'S TRUE THAT WE'VE CLOSED UP A LOT of old worn-out Colonies in some old worn-out fields in the Gospel-glutted areas of our former home base! We're not properly proud, like most churches: Most buildings mean nothing to us but a place to eat and sleep and praise the Lord, and we've found we can do this almost as well, and sometimes even better, in the open fields, on the grass, under the trees, in the parks and squares, along the streets and highways and village greens, byways and hedges of the world where we can compel many hungry hearts to enter into the Kingdom of God in the Spirit of His Love, Truth and Peace, with our happy hearts, vibrant voices, joyful singing, merry music, jubilant dancing and visible sample of the love and happiness of living for Jesus! Hallelujah!
16. CHURCHES?—WHO NEEDS THEM? WE'RE THE LIVING CHURCH OF THE LIVING GOD, NOT THE DEAD CHURCHES OF THE DEAD! We're a monstrous Movement on the move, not dead corpses, not white-washed sepulchres. WE'RE NOT STATIC!—WE DON'T HAVE TO STAY ANYWHERE EXCEPT IN THE LOVE AND WILL OF GOD! WE'RE NOT WEIGHED DOWN WITH BUILDINGS or tied to any single country or bound by any single language or culture! We're the workman of the world who've already united! We belong to God and the whole world‚ of every culture‚ tongue and nation! We're the mighty army of Christian soldiers fighting a relentless war for the Truth and Love of God, against the confusion of Babylon‚ the anti-God, anti-Christ Systems of this world‚ whether Godless educations‚ Christless religions, vicious economies and hellish wars of the traditions, boundaries and prejudices of selfish, greedy and godless man! WE'RE OUT TO WIN THE WORLD WITH HIS WORD‚ AND WE'RE WELL ON OUR WAY TO DOING IT!
17. WHAT OTHER CHRISTIAN GROUP CAN BOAST OF A THOUSAND NEW MISSIONARIES IN 40 NEW COUNTRIES IN ONE YEAR? We're not just talking about it, like some!—We've already done it!—Hallelujah!—by the grace of God! Sure, there've been some mistakes and casualties! No mighty army makes a massive move without a few technical errors, a few minor defeats, a few costly battles‚ a few losses!—But we're winning to War!—WE'RE DOING WHAT THEY SAID COULDN'T BE DONE! We've NEARLY CLOSED UP SHOP IN ONE COUNTRY AND MOVED TO 40 OTHERS! We've withdrawn most of our forces from one dangerous and overworked battlefield to re-deploy them on a multitude of vital, moving, marching fronts!
18. IT'S A BLITZKRIEG OF THE SPIRIT!—A lighting war of the soul for the souls of men!—And we're winning it. Praise His Name!—And we've hardly begun to fight yet! SUCH A MIGHTY MOVE OF THE CHURCH HAS NOT OCCURRED SINCE THE FIRST CENTURY! Who hath heard such a thing and where hath such a thing been done before? A Nation has exploded in a day and the fall-out is saturating the world with the Gospel! The dropouts are landing all over the place! Don't be surprised if one lands on you! It may turn you on for His Glory!
19. BECAUSE GOD HAS OFTEN COMPARED US TO THE IRREPRESSIBLE BIBLE CHARACTER OF DAVID, some of us sing a song composed by one of our own musicians, called "David's Mighty Men!" Hallelujah! Since the "Monster" letter, some have been singing it "David's Monster Men"! Hallelujah! God's Monster's on the move! We are the lions of the Tribe of Judah! Like the month of March, we're coming in like a lion, but going out like a lamb!—the Lord's own little lambs multiplying around the world! We have the face of both the Lion and the Lamb and we lie down together in the Kingdom of God! To some we're like a lion; to others‚ like a lamb! To the wolves, we're as lions; to the sheep, we're as lambs! Praise God! Hallelujah! There are times to roar and times to bleat "ba-a-a-a-ah"! Just please pray God you'll know the difference!
THE BEGINNING OF THE LITERATURE BOOM!
20. WE'RE ALSO MAKING TREMENDOUS PROGRESS IN SOLVING THE LITERATURE CRISIS! No army on the move can do without plenty of ammunition, and the Lord is raising up a great company of publishers, printshops, and publishing houses that are rolling out our literature: lessons, letters, tracts, pamphlets, booklets, books, newspapers, cartoons and magazines at a tremendous rate of hundreds of thousands all over the world in many languages!
21. IN ONE COLONY ALONE, WE HAVE OVER 20 TRANSLATORS WORKING fulltime day and night translating our words into a dozen different major languages, and other translators are busy in nearly all these 40 countries turning out local literature in the local languages of their respective fields!
22. THE DESPERATE CRISIS OF LEADERSHIP AND LITERATURE ARE BEING SOLVED BY ABSOLUTE EXPLOSIONS IN BOTH OF THESE FIELDS! New leaders are springing up all over and new literature is being printed everywhere, and even the publishing houses of the world are begging for our works! It's a Revolution! It's an Explosion! It's a Monster on the move! It's a mighty army moving across the nations of the world conquering all in its path, winning the hearts of youth everywhere!
PROPHECY OF "KNIGHTS OF OLD" AND THE CHILDREN TODAY!
23. (PROPHECY): "AS THE KNIGHTS OF OLD TROD ACROSS THE NATIONS of the world and conquered in those so-called Crusades for Me, so shall ye tread from nation to nation and thou shalt conquer people after people and tongue after tongue and tribe after tribe and place after place and city after city until thou hast spread around throughout all the Earth, and thy standards shall be lifted high, and the banners of David shall wave aloft over many tongues and tribes and nations, and thou shalt cover the earth as the waters cover the seas, as My righteousness goes with thee, and as My banner is over thee‚ My Love!
24. "The Rebellion of David is exploding through all the earth! The armies of David that I have promised to march abroad, the things that I have promised unto David, I have fulfilled, and every word shall be fulfilled and everything that I have promised shall be done!"
25. Hallelujah! Are you exploding with us? Are you moving with God's Mighty Men? Are you a part of God's conquering army? Get on the move for God! We're really going places and seeing miracles! Praise God, He's not dead‚ and it can be done, and we're doing it, by the power of His Spirit in obedience to His Word!
THE NEED TO CAREFULLY PLAN PERSONNEL MOVES—NO DESERTION OF POSTS!
26. SOME HAVE SACRIFICIALLY STAYED BEHIND TO STAND BY THE STUFF that had to be left there so the army could move on, laying aside every weight, and yet have their backing and their prayers as they conduct mopping-up exercises and a rearguard campaign in support of the major forces a field! God bless them! These home base forces are a faithful and vital part of God's great army in still fruitful portions of former battlefields! We love you! Thanks you your help in keeping the home fire burning! You'll receive equally with them that go forth to the battle! Praise the Lord!
27. OTHERS ARE STILL GETTING THEIR GEAR AND EQUIPMENT TOGETHER AND TRYING TO RAISE THEIR PASSAGE to higher ground, as the storm approaches, and we trust they'll make it safely soon! JUST PLEASE DON'T DESERT YOUR POSTS OF DUTY WITHOUT REPLACEMENTS OR REINFORCEMENTS OR A CAREFULLY PLANNED EVACUATION OF YOUR PARTICULAR FRONT! DON'T LEAVE YOUR SHEEP STRANDED AND SHEPHERDLESS WITHOUT KNOWING WHERE TO GO! Remember, "The Great Escape" is purely voluntary! It's a volunteer army and not a bunch of reluctant draftees, so no one has a right to close down your Colony and order you out if you don't want to go, and if you have the faith to stay there and keep it going! If that's your calling, by all means obey it!
28. THE STANDBY TROOPS WILL NEED LOTS OF REFUGES, WELL STOCKED and operative, when the Trouble comes‚ and there'll be lots of work to do in witnessing to those who are turned to the Lord by His Judgements! God has promised a great harvest of these at that time, so stick to your guns and don't let anybody move you‚ if you don't want to go! Some of you are going to be needed right where you are!
COMMUNICATION—REPORT ALL MOVES TO GET NEW LIT!
29. AND PLEASE, WHEREVER YOU ARE, PLEASE DON'T FAIL TO KEEP REPORTING YOUR ACTIVITIES EACH WEEK, AS USUAL, SO WE CAN KEEP TRACK of the whole army and know your location and numbers, leadership‚ conditions, needs and problems and accomplishments! It's still a Revolution and WE'RE STILL ONE BODY! PLEASE DON'T NEGLECT TO COMMUNICATE! NO ARMY CAN OPERATE WITHOUT COMMUNICATION! NO BODY CAN MOVE WITHOUT COORDINATION!
30. SO KEEP THOSE REPORTS COMING IN FAITHFULLY! We still want to read those thrilling stories in the "New Nation News" and keep the "New Truth" newspaper the hottest one going! We also want to share your new ideas and suggestions for says to win the world, and get your reactions and comments on our new moves‚ letters, lessons, literature‚ etc. We need to keep exchanging and sharing and changing and moving in order to grow and woo and win to His Way! Hallelujah!
31. ANYBODY THAT DOESN'T MOVE AND KEEP CHANGING IS DYING OR ALREADY DEAD! DON'T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU! KEEP IN TOUCH with the latest development, and help us keep in touch with you! Please notify us immediately of any change of address or location so we can be sure you continue to get your letters, papers, magazines and other literature along with the news of what's going on in the rest of God's army around the world! If you're a living branch, don't get cut off from the vine! Stick with us! Keep us posted on your progress! We don't want to lose track of you, or for anybody to get lost in the shuffle!
32. ONE OF THE GREATEST DANGERS OF AN ARMY ON THE MOVE IS A LOSS OF COMMUNICATION AND SOMETIMES A CONSEQUENT LOSS OF SUPPLIES and ammunition! So don't let it happen to you! Keep in touch! Keep those reports coming in!
33. I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENED TO OUR STATISTICIANS who were supposed to keep track of what's going on, and rendering a weekly Statistical Report on the progress of the army, but we haven't seen an up-to-date statistical analysis chart for many moons‚ and we've had to glean most of our current information directly from your own personal reports!
34. THANK GOD FOR THOSE WHO ARE STILL FAITHFULLY WRITING and making the "New Nation News" the most exciting and fascinating religious periodical in the whole wide world! I nearly flip every time I read it! Don't miss your copy! It's the greatest, and gets better with each new edition! And the "Truth" newspaper is the hottest Revolutionary rag on the underground circuit! Every one is a bombshell!
35. THERE ARE ALSO ALL KINDS OF NEW TRACTS AND MO BOOKLETS already out and more coming along with some brand new basic lesson books that'll really Wow 'em! Don't fail to carry some of these big guns and a fistful and backpack of this kind of powerful ammunition with you wherever you go! You're going to need it!
GET DONATIONS FOR LIT—DON'T GIVE IT AWAY!
36. And for God's sake and your own sake and the sake of the Revolution, DON'T BE AFRAID TO DEMAND A DONATION IN RETURN for some of this priceless literature, or we'll all be the losers! David said, "I will not give unto the Lord of that which hath cost me nothing!" (2Sam.24:24) People don't usually appreciate what they don't have to pay for! They figure if it's free, that's all it's worth, and it's good for nothing! Remember what the old Coloured preacher said: "The Gospel am free, Brethren, but it costs somethin' to pipe it to ya!"
37. SO DON'T HESITATE TO INSIST ON AT LEAST THE SUGGESTED MINIMUM DONATION to not only pay the cost of the literature, but to help with the expenses of the Revolution, including your own! And please, if you've personally got the bread, try to remember to enclose a little to help pay for them, when ordering these items! And make sure when you're peddling them on the street that you check the suggested minimum donation list so you don't undersell the whole Revolution with cut-rate religion and bargain-counter cop-outs! We'll never get anywhere trying to make the System help finance the Revolution through our literature if you're out there giving them away free!
38. EVEN THE KIDS CAN USUALLY AFFORD TO GIVE SOMETHING! If they can't afford a quarter for a paper, try a dime, or even a nickel! If they can't afford a buck for a book, try six bits or even four! If they can't afford a pound for a periodical, try plenty of pence‚ or at least a few bob!
39. EVERYBODY CAN AFFORD SOMETHING, AND IF THEY DON'T THINK IT'S WORTH ANYTHING, THEY WOULDN'T EVEN BOTHER TO READ IT! So make 'em value it! What costs them nothing they'll throw away! What they give good money for they'll keep around awhile to get their money's worth!—And believe you me‚ they'll get it, if they read it!
40. SO DON'T UNDERCUT THE WHOLE REVOLUTION BY GIVING IT ALL AWAY! Let's face it‚ Friends: we need the funds, so dig it out of them! Don't kid yourself: they can afford it, and it's worth it, and we need it! Giving stuff away is a pride trip! Asking for donations takes humility, sincerity and genuine concern, and a lot of guts! Just try and see, and you won't be sorry! God will bless you for it, and, believe it or not, He'll bless them, too! You'll rob them of a blessing if you cheat them out of giving by letting them have it for free!
41. Don't do it! START TEACHING THEM HOW TO LIVE BY TELLING THEM HOW TO GIVE! God bless you and make you a blessing! The Devil doesn't give his stuff away!—He makes them pay plenty for it, and the wages of sin is death! The Gift of God is Eternal Life‚ but it cost Jesus His‚ to give it to you, and it'll probably cost you yours to live it!
42. SO DON'T HAND ME ANY OF THAT STUFF ABOUT A FREE, NO-WORKS RELIGION! We're sure not saved by our works, but if we're saved‚ we'll sure work like everything to give it to others, and it'll cost you everything! The churches are full of cheap‚ shortcut, cut-price, bargain-counter religion‚ and believe, that's all it's worth: little or nothing!
43. MAKE THEM VALUE OUR KIND! LET THEM KNOW HOW MUCH IT'S GOING TO COST THEM, AND START BY MAKING THEM PAY FOR THOSE PAPERS and buy the books with a few small donations!—And I'm not kidding! This means you! Put a stop to those great giveaways right now! Anybody caught giving the stuff away is betraying the Revolution and ought to have his heart examined! Don't let any of your folks get away with it free! That's stealing from the Lord and robbing God and depriving yourself and your brethren of needed bread! Get out and spoil Egypt! Rip it off the System and make it pay, and even help the kids to treasure it by getting them to give!
44. IF THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE A QUARTER FOR A PAPER, THEY'RE SURE NOT GOING TO GIVE THEIR LIVES FOR GOD! If the Systemites can't give a buck for a book, it wouldn't do them a damn bit of good anyhow! And they're sure as hell gonna inherit hellfire if they can't help His Cause just a little, so why waste it on them by giving it away! Use it!
SUGGESTED DONATIONS FOR LIT
45. JUST IN CASE YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE SUGGESTED MINIMUM DONATIONS FOR OUR MAJOR PUBLICATIONS, according to the latest word they were as follows:
25 cents or 2 shillings or 10 pence) per copy for the newspaper, or
$3.00 (1.20 pounds British) for one year's subscription to the newspaper.
46. The "New Nation News", that incomparable Revolutionary news magazine containing your own stories and pictures of the latest exciting events in the Revolution is:
$1.00 (40 pence, British) a copy; or, $5.00 (2.00) a Quarter; or $10.00 (L 4.00—Four pounds British) for six months; or $20.00 (L 8.00—Eight pounds British) for one year!
—Obviously one of the most valuable magazines in the world!
47. "SURVIVAL" OR "THE TRUE STORY OF MOSES AND THE CHILDREN OF GOD" is worth all of A DOLLAR (40 pence), and they ought to give a lot more for it!—The first true story of the Revolution by its founder and leaders!
48. And the BOOKLETS OF MO LETTERS, called "Letters From a Shepherd", in various editions printed for the public, as well as GRANDMOTHER'S BOOKS, "The Hem of His Garment" and "Streams That Never Run Dry" are all worth A DOLLAR EACH, at least, and they ought to give a whole lot more for such priceless truth about what makes the Revolution tick!
49. The new classbooks just coming off the press, "BIBLE BASICS FOR BABES" contain the actual lessons and doctrines taught in those terrible Children of God Colonies, so if they want the real inside dope, they're going to have to give at least 3 dollars for each of two or possibly 3 volumes (L 1.20).
50. We're also even thinking about offering a subscription to the latest publishable weekly MO Letters for only $1.00 a copy, or 50 bucks a year (that's L 20.00)! And Man, are they heavy!
51. Some day you might even offer hairs from the Prophet's beard, if he ever grows one, for only $100.00 each, with his blessing, and see what kind of reaction you would get! We could even increase that ante quite a bit by splitting a few of those hairs! Of course, we already have plenty of prophets with sizeable beards available, which could be used "prophetable" for this purpose! Ha! But they'd probably prefer our scalps, but these would be pretty costly!
52. This all adds up to a grand total of $84.00 (or about L 34.00) for a whole year of delightful reading! So why not just make it an even hundred dollar (L 40.00) donation for the lot and have yourself a real good time, and feel like a real good giver, who really enjoys giving!
SUBSCRIPTIONS—DON'T COLLECT MONEY FOR UNDELIVERED GOODS!
53. AND PLEASE DON'T FORGET YOU'RE NOT TO COLLECT THIS MONEY YOURSELF UNLESS YOU CAN DELIVER THE GOODS! We can't even credit your donors for their gifts to your local Colony to pay for these publications! They're going to have to send the money directly to our offices in either Texas or London, according to the address given below! They should make all checks payable to the "Children of God Publications".
54. DO NOT COLLECT ANY OF THIS MONEY YOURSELF UNLESS IT IS FOR BOOKS, PAPERS, OR MAGAZINES THAT YOU DELIVER ON THE SPOT, AND FOR WHICH YOU YOURSELF HAVE ALREADY GIVEN DONATIONS according to the special rates available to members only, of which you'll be notified, in which case you can keep the balance if you need it, or send it in to help print more!
55. GOD BLESS YOU! GET OUT THE WORD! IT'S A REVOLUTION!—And it'll cause more Revolutions, and we all need the money to cause more and more Revolutions! Hallelujah! Sock it to 'em! It's a Revolution!—for Jesus!—And David's rebels are on the way‚ with His inflammatory incendiaries to set the world on fire! Glory to God! It's a Revolution!—For Jesus! Let it burn!
REORGANISATION OF GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE!
56. LAST BUT NOT LEAST‚ YOUR TOP LEADERS HAVE BEEN BUSY MOVING AND REORGANISING to keep up with this vast, moving army, and we've had to run some to do it! We've just held our Fourth Annual Top Leadership Summit Conference in which all the top leaders available participated in a GENERAL REORGANISATION OF OUR WHOLE GOVERNMENTAL STRUCTURE‚ broadening its base‚ spreading out its leadership, and resulting in a greater sharing of its responsibilities and burdens, creating a Central Council consisting of the major members of the Royal Family and their children and mates‚ and naming each of them as Ministers of a variety of Ministries, such as Publications; Missions; Business and Material Affairs; Personnel; Bible Education; Child Education; Health‚ Childcare‚ and Welfare; Prayer and Spiritual Affairs; Music and Inspiration etc.
57. Each of these is headed by a Minister of the same, of whose names you'll be notified shortly so you'll know who to contact regarding your needs in these various Departments.
58. MEANWHILE, SIMPLY WRITE IN YOUR PROBLEM OR REQUEST OR INFORMATION TO EITHER OF OUR TWO MAJOR OFFICES‚ whichever is close to you, and it will be referred immediately to the Minister in charge of the Ministry concerned, for more prompt attention than you have ever received before!—We hope! We have done this to try to expedite the Lord's Affairs of State within His New Nation and to broaden the base of Government and representation and to prevent the concentration of too much power and responsibility in the hands of too few and to make greater use of the manpower of our leadership more available!
59. ACTUALLY, THIS HAS SIMPLY MEANT A MORE OFFICIAL RECOGNITION of the responsibility, ministry, and authority, with specific titles, for each of those already actively engaged in the work of these Departments! In other words, they already had the job and were doing the work!—We're just giving it and them a name, and specifically designating the areas of their operations and jurisdiction, instead of a haphazard attitude of "WHAT'S EVERYBODY'S IS NOBODY'S AND WHAT'S NOBODY'S IS EVERYBODY'S!"
60. FROM NOW ON YOU'RE GOING TO KNOW WHO TO CONTACT to get the job done, God Willing, and not be limited and bottle-necked by having to go through just one or two channels to get action! You will contact directly the Department Head concerned and, we hope‚ receive immediate action! This Monster is too big for a one-man dictator, and it's too big a job for even two or three to handle the primary leadership!
61. So we're broadening this responsibility to include this Council of Ministers to share these duties! At the top is the Lord, of course, and under Him, His Prophet and King, supported by the Council and backed by a larger conference of Regional Shepherds and Departmental officers, eventually selected by Conventions of local Colony Shepherds and delegates from the ranks. The Regional Conferences and Local Conventions will be held as soon as possible to approve of this form of Government and representation for God's New Nation, of which you will be notified, so don't miss having your say–so at the grass-roots level!
LEADERS TO BE CALLED SHEPHERDS TO REMIND THEM OF THEIR JOB!
62. Our leaders will no longer be called "Advisors" and "Supervisors"‚ but "Local Shepherds"‚ "District Shepherds", "Regional Shepherds", "National Shepherds", etc., to remind them constantly of their responsibility to tenderly and lovingly care for their flocks, and feed and protect their sheep‚ and nurse and cherish the sick and afflicted, and to search out the lost‚ strayed or stolen ones; rather than acting as hardened bosses and calloused dictators‚ self-righteous rulers and unfeeling lords over God's heritage, as some have sadly proved to be in the past, governing God's flocks heartlessly to their own advantage, shearing the sheep to their own profit, and willfully neglecting them when it suited their own convenience!
EXPLANATION OF THE BEST GOVERNMENT!
63. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT, WHICH THE LORD HAS LED US TO ADOPT, INCORPORATES THE BEST OF BOTH THE OLD AND NEW TESTAMENT Churches! It is very similar to the democratic constitutional monarchies of formerly Christian Europe‚ with a divinely appointed King and Royal Family at its head, assisted by a Council of Ministers, the King's Privy Council, a House of Lords and a House of Commons, giving everybody a chance to have his say, and especially The Lord, our King of kings!
64. THIS FORM OF GOVERNMENT HAS RESULTED IN FAIRLY STABLE AND ANCIENT REGIMES IN SOME PARTS OF THE WORLD, which have lasted for more than a thousand years and are still surviving in peace and plenty, some of which have even managed to stay out of the world's senseless wars and, therefore, have been blessed of God with greater peace and prosperity than the rest of the world; unlike the chaotic, violent, selfish, greedy, war-mongering of the so-called democratic nations of Meglomania!—The Image-a-Nation of the authoritarian‚ autocratic rule of the rich over the poor such as America, in the chaos and confusion of the modern Babel of a Fascist dictator chosen by the affluent to protect their riches against any possible uprisings of the young and the poor!—A nation which has lasted less than a mere 200 years and shows a pretty good chance of not even surviving to her highly touted 200th Anniversary, for which great plans are being made for '76!—A Nation whose existence has been a mere flash in the pan near the end of the Play on God's great ancient and venerable stage of time–honoured history—His Story!
THE FAITHFUL WELCOME TO TRAVEL!
65. SO TAKE HEART‚ ME HEARTIES, AND BEND TO THE OARS for a safe passage through the Storm unto a haven of rest and quieter seas of pioneer lands where the provisions may be scarcer‚ the living conditions more primitive and the life full of hardships and sacrifices, but where there's more freedom and justice for all who obey the Lord! Hallelujah!
66. HOWEVER, YOU MAY SOON FIND IT MUCH HARDER TO STAY AT HOME‚ so may we continue to encourage those of you who are not problems‚ not shirkers, not deserters, not rebellious, but sincerely anxious to obey the Lord and your leaders, to go into His fields of whiter harvests abroad‚ to continue to do so if you have the faith and the funds, the needed talents, the right motives and proper counsel and clearance with your leaders! We still need you and He still needs you everywhere! "God bless our loved ones everywhere!"—And they are almost everywhere! Praise God! Hallelujah!
67. IF YOU HAVE THE FAITH AND FUNDS AND ARE FREE TO TRAVEL, HAVE FAITH AND TRAVEL! Just be sure you're not deserting your post without counsel or replacement, or arriving in some field unexpectedly and unaccounted for‚ as some have!
UNFAITHFUL DESERTING LEADERS—WARNING!—WHAT TO DO WITH THEM
68. SAD TO SAY, THIS ATTITUDE WAS WOEFULLY MANIFESTED BY A FEW who took advantage of the "Independence" letter by declaring their own independence from their responsibilities as Shepherds, deserting their folds and scattering their sheep to the wolves without any provision for their care or leadership when they themselves wanted to leave, using this as an excuse to even close Colonies by order against the desire of their occupants!
69. May we remind you again that THE "DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE" LETTER WAS INTENDED TO GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE WHO WERE SINCERELY TRYING TO GET TO THEIR FIELD of service for the Lord to do so, but were being hindered from doing so by slow, reluctant or selfish leadership! IT HAD NOT BEEN EXPECTED THAT THIS WOULD GIVE AN OCCASION TO SOME IRRESPONSIBLE LEADERS TO SUDDENLY DESERT THEIR FLOCKS, close their folds without consultation and scatter their sheep to the four winds without direction!
70. HOWEVER, THIS WAS THE RESULT WITH A FEW, sad to say, which at least revealed some of the weaknesses of our leadership and will help us to purge some of these from further positions of responsibility!
71. SOME OF THESE WHO HAVE PERFUNCTORILY DESERTED THEIR POSTS AND FLAGRANTLY ABDICATED THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO THEIR SHEEP TO SAVE THEIR OWN NECKS, like the hirelings that Jesus spoke of, are going to be surprised to find that they are not too welcome in the places to which they have fled, and, at the most, will again be treated as new disciples or Babes applying for membership in a new Colony, if indeed they are received at all!
72. Some of the most rebellious and willfully contemptuous of counsel who declared their total independence of the advice of their fellow leaders may be shocked to discover when they arrive at wheresoever they have fled, that they are also totally unexpected and, in fact, unwelcome and may even be sent back on the road on their own to shift for themselves or pioneer, until they have learned how to be faithful to God's flock and His shepherds!
73. WE DON'T NEED PROBLEM CASES LIKE THESE ON NEW FIELDS and difficult battlefronts, so we may even suggest that they immediately use their return tickets to return home until they have learned how to follow, before they are again given the serious responsibilities of leadership! We have already done this with a few!—The next may be you!
74. WE AGAIN, THEREFORE, HEARTILY AUTHORISE ANY COLONY ON ANY FIELD THAT FEELS THEY'RE GETTING OVERCROWDED WITH SUCH PROBLEM CASES TO IMMEDIATELY GIVE SOME OF THESE THE GATE and encourage them to launch out on their own by faith and continue doing their own thing bit, which they had evidently done when they left‚ until they learn how appreciate their blessings, value their job‚ respect their leadership and love their sheep! Maybe if they pioneer their own Colony from scratch, they'll learn these lessons!
75. WE'RE EVEN THINKING OF PUBLISHING A LIST OF THE SPECIFIC NAMES OF THESE GUILTY OFFENDERS SO THAT ALL COLONIES WILL KNOW to beware of them and treat them accordingly! So let the hirelings who desert their sheep in time of danger learn to beware, and may we learn to beware of them and not permit them to continue to get away with this kind of behaviour without disciplinary action! Beware lest any man steal thy crown because of your own disobedience or neglect of desertion!
76. ACCORDING TO THE ARTICLES OF WAR‚ ANY SOLDIER WHO DESERTS his post during battle can be severely court-martialed or even shot in the back on the spot if he's leading others also astray! We may not take such drastic action as this, but we're sure going to let some of you deserters know that we disapprove of your actions‚ and you're not going to be rewarded with honour and glory on some other battlefront to which you have fled!
77. YOU MAY DISCOVER WHEN YOU ARRIVE THAT YOU'VE BEEN CLASSIFIED AS A DESERTER WHO IS CONSIDERED AS HAVING COMPLETELY LEFT THE ARMY and will have a hard time getting back in! No man's army is worth a hoot without disciplinary action against the wayward! We have always been known as a tough, strict army of the Lord‚ and we shall remain so to get the job done! Any of you who think the "Independence" letter changed that are mistaken! Our rules, discipline and leadership are just the same! That letter only speeded up the release of some who were being hindered from doing the Lord's will, but it also turned out to expose some very unworthy leaders! Thank God these weaknesses have been revealed before they could do many more damage! Don't let these deserters infiltrate your ranks and cause division and trouble! Send them on their way, or back home! Amen?
78. A WORD TO THE WISE IS SUFFICIENT, BUT WITH THE SIMPLE YOU HAVE TO BE MORE SPECIFIC: In case you guilty ones don't know who you are, ANY ONE WHO CLOSED A COLONY WITHOUT PERMISSION and without even the unanimous consent of its members‚ and left its sheep without provision for their needs is guilty! And any officer who deserted his post of duty in defiance of the counsel of his local leaders and REBELLIOUSLY TOOK OFF WITHOUT CLEARANCE is guilty! And any of these who are SOWING DISCORD OR DISSENSION IN THE RANKS BY CRITICISM and DEFIANCE OF SOME DULY CONSTITUTED LEADERSHIP as a result‚ are also guilty! And even any stray sheep who wandered off on his own to seek his own way abroad may find difficulty in entering a new fold! That's independence! The only way you can do as you please in any or all areas is by declaring yourself independent from the Revolution! If that's what you intended to do, so be it! Goodbye and may God help you!
79. But if, through some mistake or unwitting misunderstanding, you find yourself guilty of any of these offenses, you had better repent quickly and bring forth works meet for repentance, lest you be judged accordingly!
80. IN OTHER WORDS, GET BUSY WASHING DISHES, SCRUBBING FLOORS‚ cleaning toilets, or whatever needs to be done until you've proven yourself worthy of forgiveness, even if a Colony does accept you! If they can't accept you, you'd better hit the road by faith to prove yourself, or go home and try to undo some of the damage you have done!
81. Is that clear? I hope we have made our meaning very plain this time! If not, CONSULT YOUR LOCAL LEADER AND DO AS HE SAYS—IF YOU WANT TO STAY IN THE REVOLUTION AND NOT BE INDEPENDENT! We're an army!—for Jesus! Hallelujah? Amen! Forward!—March! One, Two, Three, Four!—Trouble us no more! Or you'll find out what the army's for! What did you join the army for?
REVOLUTIONARY FINANCIAL PLAN!
82. I'm sure you'll also be pleased to know that we're working on a MODEL BUDGET AND FISCAL PLAN FOR A REVOLUTIONARY ECONOMIC SYSTEM, which we hope will result in a greater sharing of the wealth and more equitable distribution of funds and an easier supply of finances with less control in the hands of the few and more say-so in the hands of the many!—If we obey the Lord!
83. THIS MAY MEAN EVEN GREATER SACRIFICES ON THE PART OF SOME‚ BUT MUCH GREATER BENEFITS ON THE PART OF MANY! By a percentage proportionment plan in the apportionment of available funds, we hope that no longer will some Colonies be nearly starving for bread, while others are rolling in more dough than they need, and the Central offices will take no more than their share, neither be deprived of what is their rightful due for their services.
84. How does that strike you? Sound great? Let's hope it works‚ and I believe it will if we ALL WORK TOGETHER AND EACH DO HIS PART AND CARRY HIS SHARE of the load, as well as receiving his share of the benefits!—Like those who solicit donations in return for our literature, "Muzzle not the ox that treadeth out the corn," and "The LABOURER IS WORTHY OF HIS HIRE‚" and "They that preach the Gospel shall live of the Gospel"! From each according to his ability—unto each according to his need, according to Acts 2 and 4!
PROPHECY OF PEACE AND ORDER
85. YOUR LEADERSHIP HAVE SPENT MANY WEARY HOURS AND ALL NIGHTS of discussion and prayer, some sessions as much as ten to 16 hours long in working out these plans and hearing from the Lord in an effort to follow His Master Plan for us all. Amongst other things, He reassured us that "EVEN AS ALL THINGS ARE ORDERED IN EVERY KINGDOM and all ministries fall in their place‚ so shall it also be in My Kingdom under My King David!"
86. "EVEN AS IT WAS WITH THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL UNDER MOSES‚ that he did lead them across the confusion of the Wilderness‚ yet I did order each step that was made, each turn that was taken, and the ranks by file and tribes by order‚ so shall it be done with thee in thy Kingdom! For this indeed is My Kingdom and thou indeed art My children; for, I, Jesus, am thy King and I have come that I might bring peace to your hearts and a sword unto others; but within, thou shalt have unity and THOU SHALT HAVE PEACE RATHER THAN CONFUSION."
SUMMARY OF ALL POINTS IN LETTER
87. So hold your breath and hang onto your pouches for what's coming and pray it won't take long!
88. To sum it all up: (1) WE'VE BECOME THE FASTEST GROWING MISSIONARY MOVEMENT IN MODERN HISTORY with already over 2000 missionaries in about 40 countries in only four years' time! It's a monstrous Explosion! It's a Revolution for Jesus!
89. (2) LITERATURE IS GOING TO BECOME ONE OF OUR GREATEST AND MOST WIDESPREAD WITNESSES, going places where even we cannot go, and spreading the Message where even we cannot preach, as well as portending to become one of our major sources of both individual and collective income to finance the work of the Lord—His Revolution for Jesus!
90. (3) THE SHORTAGE OF LEADERSHIP AND LABOUR LEADERS IS BEING SOLVED BY A REORGANISATIONAL SHAKEUP, which will help share the burden and spread out the responsibility and the power of the authority of Government and finances into more hands, according to abilities and needs, with more representation and voice from the bottom up, as well as from God's top down.
91. (4) As with any army on the move and in every victorious conquest, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CASUALTIES, MISTAKES AND LOSSES, BUT WE ARE LEARNING VALUABLE LESSONS by all of them!
92. THESE ARE OUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND AIMS AND PROBLEMS of our present Great Explosion into all the world! God's Mighty Monster is on the move, and David's Mighty Men are on the march! Look out, World! Here we come! Hallelujah!
93. ARE YOU MOVING WITH US? IF NOT‚ STEP ASIDE! God's time and tide wait on no man! And His Wonderful Wave of Worldwide Witnessing is mounting higher day by day, thundering in mighty crescendo that is sweeping across the shores of every continent around the world! His MONSTROUS ARMY OF MIGHTY MEN ARE ON THE MARCH! Hallelujah! They can't stop our rain! THEY CAN'T CHAIN GOD'S MONSTER ON THE MOVE! God bless you! Keep moving for God! Hallelujah!—We love you!—MO.
LATE NEWS FLASHES
AMERICA!—Children of God re-open many Colonies under brave, faithful new Shepherds!
WASHINGTON!—Children of God lawyers sock it to FreeCOG on violation of Civil Rights and conspiracy in criminal charges!
ORIENT!—Children of God invade Japan, Thailand, and New Zealand!
PARIS!—Children of God invade the Monmarte by Prophet Bus!
LONDON!—Children of God invade Front-Page Headlines, Radio and TV!
LONDON!—Children of God invade and occupy downtown church!—"The gates of Hell shall not prevail against it!"—God even gave us the key!
AMSTERDAM!—Children of God invade World Council of Churches with bombshells of literature at our own booth!
LATIN AMERICA!—Children of God invade on all fronts, even at gunpoint!—Theirs, the Border Patrols' courageously crossing No Man's Land with Jesus!
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family