—From World Services, 5/91

Dear Family,

GBY! We love you & pray that this letter finds you happy & healthy in His Service! Thank you all so much for your continued prayers for Dad, Mama, God's Work & lost souls. "Prayer is powerful" & we greatly depend upon your prayers! We also want to thank you for your faithful support via your tithes & gifts, which helps our worldwide Family to continue to get out the Message in these Last Days. PTL! And we know the Lord will continue to bless you as you continue to do so! Unlike the System, "Our economy is built on the Lord & Love & sharing. And as long as you keep giving, you can't lose. God will feed you, protect you, clothe you & care for you, no matter what happens." (MOP 47:85)

It has been brought to our attention that some of you have written extensively to your Reporting Office, at which time you've asked a number of questions regarding aspects of your TRF Supporter status. We would like to apologise for any lack of communication on the part of your Office or WS, & we're sorry for any concern or anxiety this may have caused you. As you probably realise, our Office staffs do have quite a busy workload, which makes it virtually impossible for them to give personal answers to everyone who writes in. However, we do want to keep you in close communication, & therefore hope to address some of the various questions that you have posed via Advisories like this one. So please "hang on" a little longer & we'll attempt to answer some of the main questions that you've asked. OK? GBY! WLY!

We are sure that all of you are very thankful for the wonderful Pubs that Dad & Mama continue to send you for your study & feeding, TYJ! At this time we would also like to extend to you a sincere apology for the fact that WS has not been producing as many DFO Pubs in recent months as we would like. This has been due to various factors, but it is not meant to reflect a change in your standing in the Family nor in our desire to send you as much Word as possible. Very shortly we hope to rectify the situation, with other DFO Pubs coming your way soon. Please keep these Pubs projects in your prayers—thanks! We are very happy to be able to include in this mailing a brand-new bonus GN on "Bitterness!—The Deadly Root that Devours & Destroys," as well as a complementary issue of "The Christian Digest" on the related subject of "Forgiveness." We are sure that reading these new Pubs will be a blessing to you & will provide you & your family with further spiritual guidance & strength.

Some of you have occasionally mentioned that it has been difficult for you to get used to receiving only DFO mailings as a TRF Supporter, as for many years you were able to read DO Pubs while in a DO TRF Home. We of course can understand your feelings, as the Word is one of the most precious things to all of us. We pray that the following explanation will help you to "Count Your Blessings" & dwell on the positive aspect of all that you do receive.

As you know, the TRF Supporter Program is a relatively new one, begun during the last two years. The TRF Supporter circle of discipleship does not require the same strict adherence to the discipline, scheduling & close oversight as a DO disciple & is an option which the Folks have lovingly offered as an alternative place of service in the Family. Prior to the TRF Supporter Program, when a Member's classification was changed from DO to either DFO or GP, he or she was only allowed to receive the monthly LIN. The new TRF Supporter status now enables people such as yourselves to also receive the WNDs, POLs, KIDz & Hope TKs, in addition to the LINs (now the GP Testimony Tracts). As you are aware, the WNDs provide valuable insight into current events, to help you & your family prepare for events to come, while the KIDz Mag & Hope TKs offer an excellent means of feeding & instructing your children. TYJ!

The TRF Supporter Program began at the time of GN 381 as a merciful alternative offered by Dad & Mama to those Family Members who for one reason or another decided they could not comply with Combo living, or for those whose offenses or spiritual weaknesses would otherwise result in separation from DO fellowship. According to longstanding Family policy, the grounds for which you were requested to leave a DO Home would have normally placed you outside of fellowship with the Family; in other words, excommunication. However, as mentioned above, the Folks lovingly drew a larger concentric circle of Family fellowship by establishing the TRF Supporter Program. As Dad has said, "It's a special calling to be one of Jesus' fulltime disciples, but it's also a high privilege to be part of the 70!" In light of the alternative—that is, total excommunication—we trust that you would agree with us that your present TS status is one to be greeted with thankfulness, realising the many benefits & privileges which the Folks have lovingly & mercifully provided for you! PTL! So even if you are not eligible to receive all the mailings, you can still stay very much an active part of the Family as a TRF Supporter! You are still a Member of God's Endtime Movement, witnessing, TRFing, tithing & still receiving regular WS mailings, & will share in the blessings & rewards! That's certainly something to be thankful for, isn't it?! There's still lots to do, & you can do it!

In response to questions that some of you have asked, we would like to conclude this first WS TRF Supporter Advisory by offering the following further explanation as to what the TRF Supporter classification means for you. In order to continue to qualify as a TRF Supporter, you need to continue to fulfill the following basic requirements:

1. You must regularly witness as much as you are able.

2. Completely fill in a TRF each month, leaving no blanks.

3. Send in a monthly 10% tithe, which must be a minimum of $50 in order to receive regular WS mailings of the WND, POL, KIDz, Hope TKs & GP Testimony Tracts, etc.

We encourage you to "`Despise not the day of small things' (Zech.4:10) or whatever humble position you hold or task the Lord may call you to perform. The less responsibility you have, the less you will be held responsible for. But if you are faithful in the small things, the Lord will commit greater things to your care when you have proven that you can be trusted with them. (Luk.16:10) In the meantime, `In everything give thanks,' `Be thankful for all things,' & `In whatsoever state you're in,' whether `abounding or abased' (1Thes.5:18, Phi.4:11-12), be thankful for your many blessings & that Jesus loves you & your loved ones love you & we all love you & are praying for you that you'll make it by continuing to be faithful—full of faith & love in Jesus!" (DB6, pg.145)

GBY! WLY & are praying for you! May God bless you as you continue to help change your part of the World!

Much love,

Peter A. for

World Services

P.S. Following is a letter that was passed on to us from a couple in Europe, who were recently reclassified as TRF Supporters, & by whose attitude we've been greatly encouraged. Though they've encountered some difficulties living with other TRF Supporters as well as in coming to grips with not being in a DO Home, they've accepted the challenge to attack their problems & fight through to victory. GBT!

Dear Shepherds,

PTL! He's been so good to us & His mercy is forever! It's actually the first time that I've ever been asked to leave a DO situation. In some ways it's quite hard to fully understand this change, & I'm not yet seeing clearly the full plan in it all. However, from a lot of counsel we've received in the Family & a lot of examples & testimonies, I know that nothing happens to any of us by accident, & the Lord gets His greatest victories out of seeming defeats! Also, it's very important that in such situations we (I) take the blame & really desperately seek what the Lord is trying to change or what really is the lesson.

One thing my wife & I have witnessed that we do not accept is all the doubts & murmurs that are going around amongst some members of the outer circle of disciples—not big things, a lot of little things that drain the Spirit.—Such as gossiping & blah blah about other TSers, things from the past, bitterness, familiarity etc. Well, you can imagine the scene! Just two days ago, my wife & I decided not to talk about any other TSers & not to allow one word of gossip amongst ourselves, as there was quite a bit of this in the first days when we were making a real effort to just share testimonies, the Word or positive things together in our new Home.

Concerning the lessons the Lord is showing me about my walk with Him: One thing that became so clear was that when all the props & crutches & the security of the DO Home were taken away, I could see just how selfish I've been for years!—Such as how I'd manage to just make it without really giving my all, kind of hanging in there by the skin of my teeth. Of course I have the reputation of being a "sweet brother" & easy to get along with, etc. etc.—a kind of God-given gentle side. Glory to God! But leaning on that softness kind of "handicap of natural ability" made me forget about some very serious NWOs & areas required for good discipleship, such as strength in the Word, faith, & a close relationship with Jesus! So I ended with an almost total lack of vision & faith to do anything! I had a lot of self-works, but not the fruits that come from real faith and dependence on Jesus only. My attitude has probably been, "What's in it for me?" most of the time, not really learning to serve & be responsible.—Actually the worst thing is probably a real lack of faith which makes me doubt the Lord's Will & Love in my life & His innumerable promises in His Word. Consequently that brought a lot of discouragement, doubts, fears & generally a weak state of mind & heart. I haven't been faithful in the little things & I have been really annoyed with & critical of those who were faithful. LHM! But I can see now that one cannot be faithful by "trying," but that faithfulness & obedience is a spirit that comes by getting closer to Jesus & having the Word in our hearts.

How I have been using the crutches to go around, & not the Lord's strength!—All things I have depended on that were not faith, were just crutches. These things don't give strength, they cannot heal or change, they're just a drag! "That we might not trust in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead." PTL!

Now I know & realise that the Lord had to do that to me—He had to jerk the rug out from under my feet & take away my props & false sense of security! He had to put me in a situation where I have to learn, I have to fight, I have to have faith & depend utterly on Him! It was the only way to wake me up & shake me up & show me the sad state I was in! Now, of course, I'm fighting to pray, work, & get in the Word, take care of everybody & keep the standard. I don't want to let go & accept a defeat! I want to accept God's correction, and refuse to accept drifting away from the center & from Dad's ways. I am determined to get up & try again! I want to learn to truly return to my First Love! Actually, what I feel inside is, "If You will, let this cup pass away from me—nevertheless, not my will but Thine be done!"—Like I'd rather not go through all this, but I know it's the Lord's Will & it was the only way for me to learn my lessons! It's the only way to get some kind of a resurrection—a beauty for ashes. It still hurts quite a bit inside, but more & more I'm starting to be thankful for what the Lord is doing & to see the benefits in my life in the Spirit. I do see more now than ever before how much my kids' & my wife's lives & state depend on my own state of mind & spirit & how poor a Shepherd I've been all along, how selfish & weak! Now I have to "fight for dear life" & dear lives. And to any doubts & discouragements I am compelled to shout, "Hell no! We ain't even begun to fight!" Praise God! I feel I am only starting to fight & finally thank God for teaching me again those vital lessons & for having not given up on me.

Reading the Daily Light of February 18th, I got some verses that I will claim for our situation as God's promises for the victory: "In my prosperity I said I shall never be moved ... Thou didst hide Thy face & I was troubled. For a small moment I have forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid My face from thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy redeemer!—Sorrow shall be turned into joy!" In Jesus' name! Amen!

Thank you for taking your time to read this! Thank you for all your help & prayers!

Love in Jesus & David, J.B.

P.S. Now I have to pray all the time so I won't just drift & so that I can follow closely. I am now putting the Prayerfulness Revolution into effect more than I ever did before. It brings great comfort because I know & see that the Lord is leading, He is doing it & He doesn't fail us. PTL!

Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family