Why Rewrite First?
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It became obvious that the second approach was far better for several reasons. Here is a summary of each:
(1) It re-established, in writing, clear evidence of what the entire Church once believed and practiced. It also re-established where the voice of Christ was found, for those still able to recognize what this was and who were looking for it. All mystery about what we teach would also be stripped away.
Consider again. Over time, it has become obvious to more and more of God’s people that Christ is gathering His faithful flock to The Restored Church of God to finish the Work before flight to safety. This gathering has also sped up with time, and become another reason we had to make absolutely plain where Christ’s voice is at work. Taken together, you have learned John 10:4 and 18:37 explain who hears that voice—TRUTH!—and who does not. These passages remove any doubt aboutexactly what it is Christ’s sheep listen and look for. Most do not even know of these verses, let alone read them carefully! Do this if you have not yet.
As vital as it is to finish the commission Mr. Armstrong started, no onewho loves the doctrines of God believes the Work is more important than teaching all of the truth (including publicly establishing that one does). Nor would it be even as important. In addition, therefore, it must also be clearly established for all to see that we never compromise. This would be no easy task—we knew our work was cut out for us.
Consider this to make a point. Many religions, including Protestants, Catholics and the WCG, are doing some kind of ;work—and are preaching a ;gospel. Of course, no one would consider joining them to ;support the work, because what they teach is wrong. Why then would one consider joining a ;work that teaches some things wrong, reflecting the wrong ;tree in the Garden (mixing good and evil knowledge)? How many times did Mr. Armstrong warn of this? If you have ;eyes to see and ears to hear, you will understand this point!
(2) We did not start with thousands (or even many hundreds) of people, as well as hundreds (or even dozens) of ministers. We also lacked the resources and funding necessary to immediately do anything that could have any impact.
(3) During the extraordinarily challenging and difficult period of literature reconstruction—writing (and my late wife typing) in only five years what Mr. Armstrong and others wrote in 52 years—I realized RCG would have time to slowly grow larger while becoming more prepared to eventually expand the Work at great speed.
(4) A tiny early staff—now almost 70, but at first only five, plus a couple part-time volunteers—of zealous, but initially relatively inexperienced, people would be insufficient to keep up with the truly enormous workload, even working 50-60 hours week after week as we had to. (I was forced to work 80 or more hours each week for years, with my wife doing the same.) The staff also needed time to mature and gain experience in what it means to reconstruct God’s Work. In addition, we had some initial start-up difficulties because certain of our earliest employees, unable to see what they had become part of, suddenly left us and did absolutely everything in their power to destroy RCG and me through outrageous false accusations and lies. (In fact, if our early years had become a book or movie it would have been named ;Against All Odds. And, part of God’s overall test and Plan—you probably are witnessing this—our enemies’ efforts continue.) But when this happened, we simply followed Mr. Armstrong’s example of accepting setbacks as the cocking of a gun before it fires a bullet. But it did have some initial effect.
We also have annually carried out our plans to hire more people in new and crucial areas of the Work. Many others will almost certainly be hired every year going forward. (More pastors would be in addition, and this will be discussed later.)
(5) For years, I was the only full-time minister in RCG. Today we have full-time ministers around the world, plus many local church elders. While we were steadily blessed with a growing number of faithful pastors, elders and deacons, I still had to continue working alone in certain regards.
Certainly, we will continue to do much more as additional staff, pastors and elders come with us—but large numbers of these have not. Of course, while we know that prophecy is not encouraging in this regard, we also know that other (at least a few) ministers will come. This said, I recognize Mr. Armstrong also worked entirely alone for much longer than I. Therefore this is not complaining (I deeply love my work), but rather explaining, because it was a huge factor throughout our start-up and reconstruction phase.
This is one reason we established an extensive, and carefully prepared professional Leadership Development Program (LDP) early on, with a later Pastor Training Program. This expanded into the Ambassador Center (AC). We could not waste time worrying about who had not come with us, but instead focused on developing those faithful men and women who had. AC has been of enormous help in this training process.
(6) I knew that when the time came to begin a larger Work (in 2003), we would have virtually every piece of literature already in place, exactly as Mr. Armstrong did in his latter years. This vast supply of material (many hundreds of separate items, some in six languages) would enable us to more efficiently help many more people, and be able to offer almost all of God’s truth immediately. We would also have the staff already in place to handle the anticipated increase in mail. (Of course, this supposed ;slower pace still put us far beyond parallel points of Mr. Armstrong’s time and pattern of growth. It also ensured we could quickly explode to a size much larger and far beyond those with confused priorities. This happened—and is still happening as you will see.)
(7) Finally, there has been another large benefit to the path that we chose. Some, professing their love for the truth, refuse to join us because they incorrectly perceive that we are ;not doing a big enough Work or are ;not on television like Mr. Armstrong.
Understand. These people have not come with us for one reason—they do not sufficiently ;love the truth (II Thes. 2:10), and by this I mean ALL OF IT. And they seem unable to recognize how enormous has become the Work and ;reach of The Restored Church of God. Sadly, they are also unwilling to explore the facts of our size because they would discover how immense we have grown. A big excuse for indecision would evaporate. Further, closed minds have kept many from recognizing the explosive dynamic effort of which they could be a part—if they would just anoint their eyes and open their minds. But, in fact, their attitude toward certain doctrines means they do not belong with us—or at least not yet.
Mr. Armstrong always understood this. I John 2:19-21 has a slightly different but similar application to such people and thinking. These brethren have literally culled themselves from participating with us by the compromised beliefs they have chosen. While we wish them well, God’s overarching purpose has been served. Paul’s statement that ;all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28) has worked on our behalf.
The weight and number of these points made easy my decision. I knew God was guiding us!
Examining the Fruits
In under nine years, The Restored Church of God was able to complete more than 100 books, booklets and brochures, plus many articles. Now consider the four largest splinters. In a combined total of over 50 years of existence, they have collectively produced perhaps about 75 to 80 books and booklets after the pattern from the past. This will probably slowly increase. Also, these publications are incomplete in content and weak in language, as well as of lesser physical quality.
Take the time to peruse their websites and examine their titles—and then look at ours (a few pages back). Notice the many familiar topics from the past that they ignore, apparently thinking them unimportant or unessential to rewrite. Then actually read through a few they have—if you can endure the disappointment!
(Incidentally, we did not count PCG, which has produced over 30 booklets containing what could only be called nonsense—silly prophetic junk—incorrectly connecting hundreds of plain Old Testament passages in the prophets either to Gerald Flurry, Laodicea, Philadelphia or Mr. Armstrong, when these are so obviously addressing physical Israel and Judah. These publications butcher the kinds of passages referenced throughout Chapters Ten, Eleven, Thirteen and Fourteen. We also did not count the literature of Mr. Armstrong that PCG prints.)
Combined, UCG, LCG, PCG and COGwa and COGaic have about 32,000 people, over 800 ministers, staffs totaling almost 200, and take in $60 million annually. Unlike The Restored Church of God, such groups are ;rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing—except a lot more literature and zeal to prepare it. But first they would have to recapture and teach all the doctrinal truth they profess to love. I speak rhetorically, because this is not foretold to happen in these ;sisters of the seventh era. In a fraction of their collective age, and with a tiny fraction of their resources and staff, demonstrating God’s miraculous help, RCG has already out-produced them all—combined—SIGNIFICANTLY!
In the face of these demonstrable facts, you decide, on just this basis, who is lukewarm—as well as ;wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (Rev. 3:17)—and I speak here just in the organizational and production sense, and regarding zeal.
I periodically talk to ministers in other organizations and am invariably appalled at the amount of basic understanding they have lost—and seemingly without a clue that this has occurred. Of course, we hope many more brethren in these groups will yet ;anoint their eyes so they may see what they once had and join The Restored Church of God in doing the Work of delivering a massive arsenal of literature and broadcasts—THE TRUTH!—to all nations while there is yet time!
The fate awaiting the brethren of the seventh era does not have to include them—or you. Every person has a CHOICE about his future!
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