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PASTOR
GENERAL'S
TO THE MINISTRY
OF
THE
REPORT
WORLDWIDE CHURCH
OF
GOD
VOL.
8.
NO. 31
PASADENA.
CALIFORNIA
DECEMBER
16. 1986
Dear
Mi n i s t e r s of Jesus
C h r i s t ,
God's Work
is
indeed growing, and growing r a p i d l y 1
Wi t h
growth
comes
t h e
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o e f f i c i e n t l y and e f f e c t i v e l y c o n t r o l
t h a t
growth, so
t h a t
it
is
manageable and p r odu c t i v e .
When
God
p l aced
Ad am
and Eve i n
t h e
Garden of Eden,
He
i n s t r u c t e d
them
t o
"dress
and keep"
it.
I t
was
a b e a u t i f u l garden.
I t
con t a i ned
a l l
t h e i r
needs f o r p r odu c t i v e , abundant l i v e s .
God
H i m s e l f
had
p l a n t e d
it, which
means, of c ou r s e ,
t h a t it
w a s
p e r f e c t .
Y e t ,
once
H e
had
created
it
and set
them
i n
i t ,
He
t o l d
-
them
t o
dress
and keep
it.
I t
became
t h e i r
r e s p o n s i b i l i t y t o p r o p e r l y care f o r
i t .
They would
have t o prune . They would have t o
p i ck .
They
w o u l d
have t o r e s p o n s i b l y
c o n t r o l
t h e
growth
of
t h e
v e g e t a t i o n i n
t h e
garden.
God
d i d
n o t s a y
H e
would do
t h a t
f o r
them.
God
knew
what
would have happened t o
t h e
garden
i f
a l l
t h e
t r ee s
i n
it
were
al lowed t o s imp l y grow una t t ended i n d e f i n i t e l y .
Su r e , t he r e
would
s t i l l
be
f r u i t .
Bu t t h e
f r u i t
would n o t
be
t h e
b e s t
q u a l i t y . And
t h e
appearance of
t h e
ga rden
would
become
l e s s
and
l e s s
b e a u t i f u l .
Even t ua l l y
it
would become more of
a
j u n g l e t h a n a ga rden . Even g e t t i n g
around i n
it
would become i n c r e a s i n g l y
d i f f i c u l t
a s
t h e
eve r - t h i cken i ng
f o l i a g e clogged
more
and more a v a i l a b l e
space.
God
s imp l y
is
n o t
t h a t
kind of God!
H e
is
t h e
a u t ho r of peace , n o t of confus i on .
H e
is
t h e
Cr ea t or of beau t y , n o t unkempt u g l i n e s s .
Now maybe
there
a r e
some i n
God's
Chu r c h
who t h i nk
I
shou l d
j u s t
l e t
t h e
" P l a i n
T r u t h "
magazine c i r c u l a t i o n i n c r e a s e
a s
f a s t
as w e
can
p o s s i b l y
ma k e
it
do
so,
and t hen t r u s t
God
t o send
u s
t h e
money t o
back
I N THIS
ISSUE
From
t h e
Pa s t o r General .
. .
1
From
Church
Admi n i s t r a t i on
.
.
4
Treasurer ' s
Repor t
. . . . .
-11
From E d i t o r i a l Se r v i c e s .
.
.
-12
Mail
Proces s i ng
Update
.
.
.
-13
On
t h e
World
Scene
.
.
. . .
-15
-
t h a t
up.
Maybe
some t h i nk
w e
shou l d
j u s t
go on more and
more
t e l e v i s i o n s t a t i o n s , any
t i m e
a
new o p p o r t u n i t y comes a v a i l a b l e .
Af ter
a l l ,
t h e y r ea son , s h o u l d n ' t
w e
w a l k
t hrough eve r y open door
and s imp l y
t r u s t
God
t o g i v e
u s
t h e
money?
I
hope none of you run your
own f ami l y f i n a n c e s
t h a t
way1
God
h a s
g i ven
u s ,
H i s
Chu r c h ,
a commission.
Th a t
commission
i s