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PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, AUGUST 7, 1981
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selling ideas of this world and tried to bring them into God's Church. Any
one doing that does not realize he has been given the pearl of great price.
I explained this was Paul's message in the book of Colossians and gave an
overview of the book.
I then showed what it means to be "back on the tracks." The ministry is to
teach God's Word and teach it FAITHFULLY. Christ said the words that He
spoke came directly from the Father. He gave them to the apostles. The
apostles passed them on faithfully to the ministry and the members. When our
congregations today receive God's Word through Christ, through the Apostle,
through the ministry exactly as God gave it, the Church is on the track.
When a minister dilutes or distorts it in any way, then his congregation is
off the track. I ended, of course, with II Timothy 4:1-5: "Preach the word"!
Mr. Armstrong returned to the stage. My presentation had sparked a number of
thoughts in his mind. "I wish I could speak for another five to six hours,"
he said. He did speak for two hours straight, sticking once again to the
trunk of the trees. All mankind has been cut off from spiritual knowledge
since the Garden of Eden. Now the Church has been called out, given God's
Spirit and an opportunity to qualify to rule with Christ over the nations.
God's La� does not teach us how to deal with things. It shows us how to get
along with other people (including our mates) and how to relate to God and
stay under His government. When Paul said in Colossians 2:10 that "You are
COMPLETE in Him," he meant those who had God's Holy Spirit had a complete
mind. Those without God's Spirit are not all there!
The human mind is
INCOMPLETE without spiritual knowledge.
He finished the meeting by reminding us all to serve as well as we can where
we are. "God looks to see how well you do the job He has given you to do. He
can give you more to do when He wants to."
Just before the meeting closed, Frank Brown presented Mr. Armstrong with a
beautiful set of 12 crystal glasses which had been engraved with the Arm
strong crest.
That evening was the fireworks display before the Royal Wedding. My room at
the Dorchester overlooked Hyde Park where the display was held. So everyone
came to the room for the show--Mr. and Mrs. Armstrong, Roy McCarthy, Bryan
Mathie, Andre Van Belkum (from South Africa), Frank and Sharon Brown, Melvin
and Diane Rhodes, Aaron and Michelle Dean, and three or four more I did not
recognize! What a display to see right outside your window!
I am typing this in Paris on an Italian typewriter built for France. The
first two pages I typed in Bonn on a German IBM. In Germany someone decided
that it would be better if the Y and the Z were reversed. In France the Y is
where it should be but the Z and the W are reversed as are the Q and the A.
The M is where the semicolon ought to be. The period is upper case only. In
Germany the numbers are lower case, in France upper case. All other keys are
wherever you find them. Many weird and wonderful symbols are also scattered
over the keyboard. One actually frowns at me. It has the umlaut upper case
and the circumflex lower case. This is a part of the patience of the saints.
Wednesday was the Royal Wedding. We all watched it!
That afternoon, Dr. McCarthy gave Mr. Armstrong a presentation on God's Work
in Southern Africa. Having been involved in the area for so many years,