Questions for Dad from TRF Reports

Dad
May 23, 2003

DO 18378/84

1. QUESTION: I HAVE A QUESTION THAT SOME FEEL STILL UNCLEAR IN THE LETTERS. YOU SAID THAT WE SHOULD HAVE RESERVES IN CASE OF EMERGENCY, ETC. But in an "all things common" Home, should couples still have their own personal reserves as well? The reason I ask is that recently in our Home my wife & I really tried to set the sample, putting our $1,000 Home Support into the Home, paying all the rent & other bills, even starting a $200 Home Reserve. But when there was a need & no money in the Home, one couple refused to share part of their personal reserve, claiming that "all things" didn't include reserves. What do you think? (Emmanuel & Sharon Runner, Brazil)

ANSWER: —OF COURSE "ALL THINGS" INCLUDES RESERVES!

2. QUESTION: SHOWING SLIDES, E.G., "TOMMY," TO AN AUDIENCE of 100 people, wouldn't that be considered the same as lit output? (Samuel & Adela, N.A.)

ANSWER: —NO, IT'S MASS WITNESS.

3. QUESTION: WE'VE HAD A QUESTION ABOUT TIPPING FOR A LONG TIME. Coming to the Third World, we are many times heartbroken about the poverty that surrounds us everywhere. We hire maids & this in itself helps, as the unemployment is great here, & we try to give tips wherever we go. However, we could spend all the money we have by giving it to the poor & not even make a dent. On the other hand, we could make a much bigger investment by spending our money on getting out the WWW, which is the only hope for any change. So we are wondering where the balance is between giving to those in need & being frugal & even bargaining down prices from some people who are poorer than us in order to roll the gold to the Spanish–speaking World. Please forgive us if this is a dumb question, but we are confronted with this daily, so we thought we'd ask. (WS Unit‚ L.A.)

ANSWER: "LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR"—THOSE WITH WHOM YOU COME IN CONTACT PERSONALLY ARE THOSE YOU'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR.—You can't tip'm all, but help whom you can, especially those whom you owe love & consideration for their services.

4. QUESTION: WE ARE COUNTING OUR BUSKING AUDIENCE WHO HEAR OUR SONGS & PREACHING FOR 15-20 MINUTES AS A PERSONAL WITNESS. Is this right? (Isaiah & Liv, Africa)

ANSWER: NO, THIS IS STILL MASS WITNESS. Truly Personal Witness is one on one, or maybe two or three.—Beyond that you can't get very personal!

5. QUESTION: DAD, DID YOU EVER HEAR OF HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG OR HIS MAGAZINE‚ THE PLAIN TRUTH? He is an American, about 60 years of age, & has the same opinions as us on the World situation & Endtime. (Redeem & Sapphire, Europe)

ANSWER: YES‚ HE'S VERY GOOD ON MOST OF IT‚ BUT NOT THE SAME.—I used to enjoy hearing him, as we do agree on a lota things. "Choose the good & eschew the evil." (1Pet.3:11)

6. QUESTION: COULD PEOPLE WANTING TO GO TO THE EAST USE THE SAME METHOD THAT THE EAST BLOCK TEAMS USE?—That is, raising support for a trip & going for however long they have their support for, if they can't raise enough support to stay there? (Song of Solomon, Europe)

ANSWER: AMEN—WHY NOT?—AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A RETURN TICKET & DON'T BECOME A BURDEN ON THE POOR LOCAL HOMES!

7. QUESTION: SINCE THE RECENT LETTERS ABOUT REAPING CAME OUT, IT SEEMS LIKE IT IS HARDER TO GET MONEY TOGETHER FOR PRINTING LIT BECAUSE BRETHREN ARE TRYING TO TAKE MORE TRIPS INTO THE EAST BLOCK. They are having good results & I don't think we should make less trips in, but I don't want to see us miss the chance to get out the lit to the thousands of people that we can reach right here. I would really be interested to hear Dad's opinion on this. (Song of Solomon‚ Europe)

ANSWER: WESTERN EUROPE'S HAD ITS CHANCE.—GO EAST!

8. QUESTION: I WAS WONDERING IF PERHAPS BAD SPIRITS COULD POSSIBLY ENTER A HOME THROUGH SOME TELEVISION ADVERTISEMENTS OR EVEN A BAD TV SHOW? If the Devil is the "Prince of the power of the air," could his little demons travel via radio waves—or even in the wind? TY! ILY! (Hepzibah, S.E. Asia)

ANSWER: —AMEN!—ANY CHANNEL HE CAN USE TO ENTER YOUR THOUGHTS!—But you don't have to let'm stay there!—"Resist the Enemy & he'll flee from thee!" (Jam.4:7)—TURN IT OFF!

9. QUESTION: IN "LIT INCOME" ON THE REPORT, DOES THIS MEAN INCOME ONLY FROM LITNESSING? Or does it also include any ministry like busking, door-to-door, personal witnessing, etc., where you pass out lit & get donations too? (Bart & Jeru Yoke, Pacific)

ANSWER: ANYWHERE WHERE LIT HAS A PART.

10. QUESTION: WHILE WATCHING "THE BERMUDA TRIANGLE" RECENTLY ON THE FAMILY CIRCUIT, THEY BROUGHT OUT THE POINT THAT THIS AREA COULD POSSIBLY BE A DOOR INTO ANOTHER WORLD. I'd like to ask what you think about the Bermuda Triangle, whether or not it really could be a door into another dimension? TY & GBY for your time! ILY! (Laz Light, S.E. Asia)

ANSWER: IT SEEMS TO BE AN AREA WHERE THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT WORLD IS VERY STRONG & therefore is in contact with & influence over this one.

11. QUESTION: IN THE "DAVID PROPHECIES," No.1642, DAD SAYS HE'S BOTH KING, PROPHET & PRIEST. Could you explain the difference between being our King, Prophet & being our Priest? Thanks! (Benjamin & Ange, Indian area)

ANSWER: IT'S VERY CLEAR IN THE SCRIPTURES: A king is the political ruler, a Prophet the mouthpiece of the Lord, & a Priest an intercessor for the people—& they often overlap.

12. QUESTION: ANY SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW MUCH IS A REASONABLE FLEE FUND/EMERGENCY FUND? No one I know follows "Fleebag" guidelines, & it's difficult to keep when so many brethren are so needy! We are a family of 7 who have had to flee two countries. (No name)

ANSWER: I DON'T LIKE TO ANSWER ANONYMOUS QUESTIONS.—BUT Mat.9:29.

13. QUESTION: CONCERNING THE GIFT OF TONGUES: Recently you wrote that you'd never received the gift of tongues until Abrahim came to you & that you didn't want to fake it like some Pentecostals. What about the "doctrine" of speaking in tongues by faith until the Spirit starts moving you? Is this a valid outlook on the gift? Mother Eve wrote on this years ago, that it's like priming the prayer pump to get you started. A lot of people in the Family‚ including myself, just sort of pray in tongues by conscientious effort, not really speaking a language so much or getting any interpretation; nevertheless‚ the Spirit does overwhelm me at times. Can you help us to understand this gift better? Thanks! (Gary, Indian area)

ANSWER: I DON'T LIKE THAT DOCTRINE & NEVER AGREED WITH EVE ON IT! TONGUES IS A GIFT—SUPERNATURAL & MIRACULOUS! But "the spirit of the prophet is subject to the prophet" (1Cor.14:32) & you can control its use, either let it go or restrain it.

14. QUESTION: IS IT RIGHT FOR A PERSON IN THE POSITION OF LEADERSHIP WHEN RECRUITING MEMBERS (MAINLY SINGLES) FOR A NEW HOME HE IS OPENING, TO COMPLETELY BYPASS THE HOME SERVANT & GO STRAIGHT TO THE MEMBER HE'S SEEKING? Some people who were approached by him felt it was a little sneaky & underhanded as they were needed in the present Home & were being perhaps lured away by a "better offer"! It just didn't sound like an honest & above-board way of handling it to us! (Josh & Catherine, Indian area)

ANSWER: Mat.9:29.—WHERE ELSE IS HE GOING TO GET MATURE TRAINED HELPERS?—Let's not get like the churches & be selfish with our workers. But better yet, do it in agreement & love.

15. QUESTION: I DO NOT UNDERSTAND PART OF THE "TIGHTEN THE FAMILY" NOTE. Benjamin was in the Family for 3-1/2 years & left 7 years ago. Now he has come back to the Family. In the past Dad has said to count the time in the Family as total time.—So Benjamin's total time is 4 years. If this is right, please send us copies which we requested for him. It seems to me that that is probably not going to be the way to count years according to "Tighten the Family" as he really is a babe again. Also, other long-time Members who are now enemies could begin to report & receive all the lit immediately. (Benjamin & Honey, LA)

ANSWER: OF COURSE NOT!—IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT BACKSLIDERS START AGAIN FROM SCRATCH‚ as they sometimes can be the least trusted till proven! They're Babes again, maybe worse!—No DO Lit!

16. QUESTION: AS A SUGGESTION TO "TIGHTEN THE FAMILY," WE SUGGEST A CLOSER LOOK ON FELLOWSHIPPING—finding out from LAF shepherds who is fellowshipping or not, & also have a fellowship section in the TRF. People that aren't included in any DAF‚ LAF, etc., should not be trusted unless they are well-known by other Family members.

ANSWER: —AMEN! THAT'S WHAT WE SAID.

17. QUESTION: GBY! THIS IS JUST A COMMENT ABOUT THE NEW AUSTERITY MEASURES & PLAN OF SENDING BOOKS BY SURFACE MAIL TO PRESENT A VIEW FROM THE FIELD. Maybe in other countries Homes don't move as much as here, but we noticed with the GN Book Vol.13 that it was sent out in Aug 1983 & we began receiving it in Feb.—A delay of 5-&-1/2 months. During that time much of the personnel of almost every Home has changed, plus many Homes moved from one city to another, leaving P.O. Boxes not in use. We here picked up books at a Box not used for mailings for quite a few months & if the Box had not been rented & used for other purposes, the books would have been sent back. The shepherds here at the Combo also didn't even have records of who was here that long ago & are relying on memory & trying to distribute the books to the right people. I'm sorry we really have no solution, but felt that maybe in light of the moves sure to come, due to the recent calls East‚ that many people would miss their books & maybe in the long run even cost more because of wasted postage & the cost of resending books to other places. (Huram Steward, L.A.)

ANSWER: —AMEN! THAT'S WHY WE TRY TO SEND ALL IMPORTANT MAIL AIR FOR THE FIRST MAILING. Surface has not proven satisfactory.

18. QUESTION: A SUGGESTION WE HAD WAS TO MAKE AN AIRMAIL SERVICE AVAILABLE TO PEOPLE WHO EITHER SEND IN MORE THAN A CERTAIN MINIMUM OR PAY THE POSTAGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SEA MAIL & AIRMAIL. Some books that we had sent 3 years ago Sea mail to our new location in South America have still not caught up with us due to moves & terrible slow Sea mail service. All the Sea mail plus that paid for the forwarding put together is more than it would have cost us to originally Airmail them. And most of all, we don't have the use of these books since all that time. So I'd suggest a voluntary Airmail service. (Matthew & Sarah, India area)

ANSWER: WE ARE NOW TRYING TO SEND ALL IMPORTANT MAIL BY AIR, EXCEPT TO HOME FIELDS such as North America & Europe where folks are more settled down & not moving so much.

19. QUESTION: I WAS WONDERING IF ISAIAH 23 IS A CONFIRMATION ON ESing, as I saw some similarities to us & Tyre. Could it be that we are an ultimate fulfilment of this Chapter? Vs. 8: Aren't we a crowning city? We're princes & definitely traffickers! Vs. 17 & 18 talks about 10 years & having sex with all Kingdoms, but the hire shall be as holiness to the Lord. "It's for them that dwell before the Lord, to eat sufficiently‚ & for durable clothing." Isn't this what our ESing is for? I'd love to see your comments on this Chapter. It sure is nice to see some Scriptural backing on ESing! But do you think it has a more Scriptural application just for us? (Martha Mushi, NA)

ANSWER: THE LORD OFTEN IN A PERSONAL REVELATION TAKES A SCRIPTURE OUT OF CONTEXT TO APPLY IT TO A SPECIFIC SITUATION, as He has impressed you with this one for yourself & your ministry.— It certainly fits! But of course the original had an entirely different interpretation for an ancient nation.

20. QUESTION: DEAR SIRS‚ I AM INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT YOUR ORGANISATION. I obtained your address from Professor H. He also made known to me that he is contact with Deborah in California. Mr. H. also said if I contacted you that you would furnish me with some copies of the explosive & controversial "MO Letters," & a copy of the monthly Magazine, Love Is News. He told me once I had received these sample "MO Letters" that I would be furnished with a price list from which to order more. Thank you. Sincerely, R. (USA)

ANSWER: HA! NUTHIN' DOIN'!—SEND'M A LIN ONLY!

21. QUESTION: PASTOR H., A FAMILY ENEMY IN MUNICH, TOLD THE PARENTS OF A FAMILY GIRL THAT THEY KNOW ABOUT OUR EAST BLOCK WORK. They said, "Those terrible leaders are forcing the innocent members to go behind the Iron Curtain." It seems that we will have to be extra on guard so that we won't be caught unawares. (Paul & Psalms, Europe)

ANSWER: —AMEN! OF COURSE!—IT'S DANGEROUS WORK! GBAKY, IN JESUS' NAME‚ AMEN!