October15 Update

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October 15, 1999 Greetings Brethren, By now all of you are long since home from what we hear over and over again was a truly wonderful and memorable and, most important, unified Feast. I could easily make the rest of this update one letter excerpt after another and one phone conversation after another, as well. My wife and I are still on a high from eight very, very special days with Gods people. Im only sorry that a number of you had to stay home during the Feast because we could not provide enough sites. I found myself saying that its far harder to find anything to argue about when virtually everyone believes exactly the same things - - even down to doctrinal details. Heres an excerpt from just one of the letters I have received which says so well what so many others have written: Greetings... There are some things I want to tell you about but first I just want to say what a great feast this was! It was the most unique feast I was ever at. The love, unity, zeal and harmony was most evident from the first day to the last. It seemed that you could not pass anyone and just say hello. That was an invitation to start talking. The conversations were without fear of saying the wrong thing. Everyone seemed to sense that we were all on the same track and we could talk and communicate openly. That produced a feeling of brotherly affection that was truly heart warming. My thanks to all! . . . . A second paragraph of a very different nature follows what you just read in the letter I am quoting. Life has very harsh and painful realities - - particularly for those of us who live in the end-time. Please consider the following incident when you realize why the whole world needs the reality of the eight days that we rehearsed less than two weeks ago. Now I must tell you that the tribulation is continuing, at least for my family. Upon arriving home I had a message waiting for me that my baby brother in (state) had stabbed his wife to death. They had been having trouble for a long time. She had moved out and was living with another man. My brother is a much more easy going guy than I am, but I guess he snapped. Ill let you know more as I can. We are very close and I and my family sure need your and Mrs. Pack's prayers. (Another brother) is not dealing with it even as well as I am. I too am an open person so I don't mind whom you mention this to. Youve just seen a very stark contrast between what our lives should be and what is happening in the world. The Devil wants the Church to reflect the misery of the entire world, which he has deceived. (Rev. 12:9) It makes me so very sad when I think of how many people are sliding BACK into the deception that we all came out of. Because that slide is often just an inch or two at a time, it fools even the people who believe that they are holding fast and standing firm! Please consider how well you are doing in retaining everything that God gave us, which brought us out of a world filled with such misery and awful evil. HOLY DAY OFFERINGS Before we leave the subject of the Feast, I want to thank Gods people for their special generosity shown in the Restored Church of Gods first year of existence. Each year the Church receives two

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income spikes that carry it for approximately six months each time. These spikes are the Spring and Fall Holy Day offerings which supplement the Churchs regular income that is received through tithes and offerings. Gods Church received 18.4% more than we budgeted for. This is wonderful news! It will allow us to do significantly more than we thought we could this early in our existence. Im sure God is pleased when He sees such cheerful giving as reflected by His people who truly wish to hold fast. CATCHING UP Now that the Feast is over, so is much of the tremendous crush of work that preceded it for our headquarters staff. Next year we will have a long running start at establishing the necessary additional Feast sites we will surely need in other places by that time. I would imagine that we will need, perhaps, three to six more sites, if not more. Well see what God shows us is necessary. Those of you who are members or who are on our mailing list will, hopefully, be very soon receiving our beautiful new book EXCEPT THE LORD BUILD THE HOUSE. The printer should have it next Wednesday. I am learning to more often say God willing. At this point, it certainly appears that God is willing that this happen at that time. The let up in pressure is a relief for those of us here who are striving to find ways to serve you more effectively. This most difficult of times, when the Restored Church of God was trying to do so much so quickly, now appears to be pretty much over. It seems that we can now at least begin to settle into more of a routine. This means that we can begin to slowly add more of the projects that we probably tried too hard to do prior to the Feast when we had insufficient time and staff to do them right. Im so excited that I feel like the proverbial kid in a candy shop. If brethren can be patient, some truly wonderful projects are on the near horizon. MR. TIGERS ARRIVAL Mr. and Mrs. Don Tiger are arriving in town this weekend. We are thrilled to have them aboard. He is hoping to spend a half-day in the office as soon as next Wednesday. It does appear that it will require two trips before he is established in a temporary rental that he is securing in the area. 80 CD REQUESTS Mr. Tiger sent me a brief message on Wednesday morning that included some extremely encouraging news. In the ten days immediately following the Feast he received 80 separate requests for the CDs of Mr. Armstrongs literature. Three days later would put this total at probably well over 100 at the current daily average. I look forward with great excitement to being able to fulfill these requests. Mr. Tiger hopes to start our first mailing by early November. We could have quite an accumulation of requests by that time at the current rate with which they are arriving. Please pray about this most important project that will be a big focus in our future plans to continue to feed My sheep as Christ commanded in John 21. We must be found fulfilling this command by Jesus Christ - - and we will! NEW FAMILIES It is encouraging to see a number of new families coming with us during and after the Feast. We have had several just this week. The requests for literature also continue at a very steady pace. This is encouraging and inspiring. We will never be the group that grows fast or has a smooth ride. Make no mistake of that. Slow, steady growth consisting of dedicated, committed, battle-tested, adversity-forged people is a far better and more Godly way to grow than people who may storm

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with us and later find reasons to just as quickly storm out from among us. In I John we read that people go out from us because they are not of us. That is a Bible and spiritual reality. However, I expect I will be surprised if those who come with us do not generally always outnumber those few who depart from us. If such continues to be the case, then we will be able to do a little more and a little more and a little more, etc., as time steadily moves us toward the Tribulation and the horrible events that lie both before and during this period. SPECIAL SERMON TAPE Tomorrow, October 16th, all of the congregations of The Restored Church of God will be playing a special tape entitled, GODS WAY: SMALL, LITTLE, FEW! I have often tried to mention in these updates that I would try to admit openly when I have been wrong. Most of Gods ministers have spent much of their lives numbering the armies. The story of David shows how God hates this faithless approach to him. Approximately 70,000 people had to die because David forgot that God, alone, formed his (Davids) army. I have probably been one of the worst at this numbers game. Big pastorates, fast growth, and large participation in programs and events can be intoxicating. It certainly intoxicated me as it did others. I am very sorry for this approach and have determined to never let it overtake me again. This sermon takes you into the subject of size and numbers from Gods perspective in a way that I never remotely saw before in Scripture. It explains how only two times in history has God ever done things in a big way - - over a 6,000 year period. This tape will become a hallmark sermon for all those who wish to really understand how God views the subject of size as it pertains to everything. STAFF CHANGES Rumors are flying about staff resignations at headquarters. Some have asked me to comment on this. Since Ive received a few e-mails and phone calls this week asking about such reports on the Internet, I have decided to quote a response I sent to a man this afternoon. It serves to give you an idea of how I intend to approach the subject of answering charges as people manufacture them against either me, RCG or other ministers and leaders. Please read this quote carefully! Thank you for your recent e-mail. I know that you will understand that no leader within the Church of God could ever get very much done if he always had to "set the record straight" each time he was attacked. Because we teach the most truth, we must expect to be the most attacked. If I followed a rule of answering all those attacks, the Devil need merely send them in an endless stream, and he has effectively stopped me from doing God's Work. Additionally, most people would probably form their own opinion anyway. A wise leader must understand those rare times when he ought try to "set the record straight". Actually, the moment he does this, he ought expect a "counter strike". If he sets THAT new, additional record straight, he ought merely expect another counter strike, ought he not? Such is the dilemma of all true servants of God. Do a study of the accusations against Christ in the New Testament. They were both horrific and endless but went almost entirely unanswered. All of that said, I intend to give a brief response in my update this evening. If a follow-up(s) is required, I will consider that at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way. The attacks that lie ahead for those who intend to strive to be God's true servants will dwarf what we are experiencing now. I hope you will understand that the responsibilities that are upon me daily are more than exhausting as is. Just consider how long it took my wife to type this e-mail - and all the others like it today. This will give you a bit of insight into the limits of answering

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charges. It does appear that one full-time staff member has left the Church and is preparing to launch some kind of smear campaign against me. Well see what the future holds. I did also let go one other part-time employee prior to the Feast - - for cause. This man was scheduled to be relieved, at least temporarily, partly at his request (because he felt he could earn more elsewhere) and Mr. Tiger was scheduled to pick up his duties anyway. Another part-time helper was also let go prior to the Feast in anticipation of Mr. Tigers arrival to pick up his duties. This man wished to step aside and plainly said so before several people. Four full-time and several other part-time and volunteers remain and are doing just fine. One other is evaluating his future role. We are also considering various other people for hire in key areas where needs have developed. We will, no doubt, also be announcing, in an on-going way, position needs as time passes. Brethren, the devil is very, very unhappy at what we are doing here. The wonderful Feast referred to at the beginning of this update is, in itself, enough to infuriate him - - if it accurately reflects the wonderful unity and love at our Feast sites this year. Believe me, that quote did reflect the atmosphere we all enjoyed this year. The following quote from Mr. Armstrong will appear in the book, EXCEPT THE LORD BUILD THE HOUSE, which will soon be sent out. Do we still believe the simplicity of quotes such as these? Do they seem old-fashioned? Do they seem out of step with reality? I certainly hope not. Many brethren in various groups seem to have so easily forgotten the Work of this great being who deceives the whole world. Since the devil has the world deceived, he must focus on Gods people - - and most particularly those who will compromise none of His Truth. We, at headquarters, must expect the greatest attacks since our congregation is so large.
Herbert W. Armstrong, Why Did God Put You in His Church? Good News, May 1974

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Today, as in the time of the first apostles, MANY DECEIVERS are gone out into the world. They will ACCUSE Gods Church and His Work. It is Satan the devil who is the accuser of the true brethren (Rev. 12:10). MUCH of the New Testament is WARNING Gods people of these snares of Satan to hinder - - to attempt to DESTROY the very Work of God - - the very Work which is THE REASON God has called you NOW - - before He undertakes to SAVE THE WHOLE WORLD! I am currently planning a comprehensive policy statement for the near future. It will be sent to brethren, subscribers and will be posted on this website. It will set the record straight in a way that no one expects - - while it attacks also no one. You will simply have to wait for it in order to understand this statement. Have a wonderful Sabbath! In Christs Service, David C. Pack (330) 334-2266 (330) 334-6513 (FAX) davidcpack@aol.com Restored Church of God P.O. Box 23295 Wadsworth, OH 44282

P.S. Circumstances have caused us to have to wait until the next shipment of tapes (approximately 2 weeks) to be able to produce our next NEWSLETTER for the brethren. This will be our first

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issue after the Feast.

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