CORRESPONDENCE THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2001
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CORRESPONDENCE THROUGH AUGUST 2001 Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 We enjoyed having two young Australian couples with us over this last weekend - and with us for our meeting on Sunday. This was especially appreciated because Ronald had called on Saturday to say that he wasn't able to come as he was looking after his sons children for the weekend. Terry was away to Finland so she wasn't in the area as well so the Australians missed seeing her. The one Australian boy had been in our area a few years ago in connection with his university studies - and we had got to know him quite well then - and it was a real joy to see him now with his wife - and wife's brother and wife as they were doing a Europe tour together. The one family is planning on living and working in London for a few months now so we hope we get to see them again. We had our meeting in English for the sake of the visitors with just Becka and Ellen speaking in Swedish (and we translated for them when they spoke, but they understand English well enough when the others spoke so we didn't bother translating the English to Swedish.) Seems several had thought about 'love' and had done some thinking just to assure ourselves that this love is more than just a theoretical value we feel obliged to convince ourselves we have. The Swedish bible describes the most important commandment with a little extra touch. 'Love the Lord thy God with all the heart and mind etc - and the 'person at your side' as yourself. Nothing is a greater, even natural gift, than the privilege of genuine and burning respect , admiration, and love for the 'one closest at our side' - and nothing will make life harder than trying to do the right thing without this. I want to think of this when I get up in the morning as the most important thing I can do throughout the day, and as a practical thing within my reach.. All for now. Edgar 9171 Skickat: den 18 september 2001 Hello Edgar, Hope you'll respect my wishes and remove my name from your mailing list? It will be very much appreciated. We have been having wonderful days and glad for some who have come to listen in the gospel meetings that Gordon and I have been having. Wonderful privilege to go out with the Word of God, and even more wonderful to have peace in one's heart. Greetings there, Martin Johnson 9181 Date: Tue, 18 Sep 2001 To: Dean Martin Johnson Cc: Annika Ivarsson, Audry Lawrence, Bernard Hall, Christian Ivarsson, Dale Shultz, Eldon Knudson, Erik Lund, Jane Ahlm, Jean Bergquist, Jim Atcheson, Kieth Olsen, Larry Stevens, Lars Lund, Lilly Kershwink, Lloyd Kneesch, Mabel Jacobs, Martin Johnsson, Mavis Krapu, Merlin Affleck, Myrna Knudsson, Ron Johnson, Sandra McDermit, Steve Sorenson, Terje Gravningen I noted your desire to not be disturbed by my e-mails, including this last one with the account of our little Sunday meeting again, as we seek the best we can, to come together in the presence of our heavenly Father. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I find it hard to find any other purpose for your email than to express your utter contempt primarily for myself and indirectly for my family. How this can be included as part of your service to God is interesting. I presume you haven't completely forgotten the year you spent in our field amongst our children and often in our home. The disrespect you seek to express to us by this email has, in a way at least, reached its goal of saddening us all. In Christ, Edgar 9182 To Dale, Eldon, Larry and Erik Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2001 To Dale, Eldon, Larry and Erik - (and whoever else has expressed unconditional willingness to follow the dictates of the 'system' regardless of what God has given for conviction and spirit.) It is hard for me not to think that at this very moment, there are children in this world, the same age as my children, being abused and violated before cameras because some have chosen to disregard their own convictions and have made this so good looking 'cover' possible. And because others have been willing to unquestioning make themselves part of this so ugly cover-up operation at the expense of so many innocent people. These things are the direct result of trusting in the philosophy expressed in the following quotation from a well known letter. Each who have embraced this idea must accept responsibility for allowing these ugly things to happen, and take the necessary steps so that they are not responsible for what may allow it to happen again. "But, whichever (right or wrong) is the applicable possibility in this case, it does remain the right thing to respect that decision because of where it has come from and to work with it no matter what our own thoughts might be on the subject." Please don't try to suggest that Jesus planned a way where morals are less important than the hierarchy in a man made system. Never teach people to disregard their personal convictions again! Edgar It seems like extreme hypocrisy when fresh arrangements are made for the man involved to be able to partake of the emblems after his arrest while awaiting trial, while the brother that came to the workers about these things several years ago, isn't welcome to the meetings at all. Expelled violently because he allowed another expelled friend into his home!!!!! 9211 Skickat: den 21 september 2001 Till: Eldon Knudson (E-mail) This is a recent reaction from a Scandinavian brother worker upon receiving my email about the problems in Calgary - Notice the 'many greetings in love'! Hypocrisy knows few borders. Apparently the 'stick your head in the sand' solution has become the only way the workers feel they have to go, and it is true if they aren't willing to do what they can to put wrong things right. Edgar Translation below of Christian Ivarssons latest email to me today Jag vill också informera dig att jag har blockerat din e-mailadress. Jag
hänvisar dig till min postadress...dock BARA personliga brev. Om du sänder mig
några kopiebrev (e-mail (genom någon annan adress) eller via postvägen)
kommer de omedelbart kasseras och förpassas till papperskorgen. Tills vi syns eller hörs - ha det så bra Många kärleksfulla hälsningar Translation of the above letter: I would like to inform you that I have blocked your email address. I refer you to my postal address - although only personal letters. If you send me copy letters (email (through another address) or via the postal system) they will be immediately destroyed and put in the waste paper basket. Till we see or hear from each other - all the best, Many greetings in Love Christian Ivarsson. PL 20. FI-653 01 Vaasa. Finland. End of translation 9212 Fr Grace Burchill Skickat: den 22 september 2001 Till: Edgar Massey Good Morning! We have been enjoying 'the best convention, yet', Edgar. So many of the problems of our present day have been addressed. I have never seen a more respectful bunch of people. There is a sense of urgency among us just to be ready when the Lord returns. The emphasis is on being honest and open before the Lord. We see the war clouds on our horizon and know there is a possibility that our nation, and many of us personally, will be paying the terrible cost of war - again. Already, many Americans, including several families we know personally, have lost their jobs due to economic setback due to damage to our nations confidence in the airline industry. United alone, will likely furlough 20,000 employees. I understand your frustration with the leadership that has allowed protection for a 'dangerous' individual'. However, there is a sentence in your post that I vigorously disagree with. It is this statement: the hierarchy of a man made system. The ministry that Jesus instituted is still alive and well!! Because some individuals fail in the ministry does not being the ministry down to a man-made hierarchy!! I highly respect those who have faith to go as Jesus directed. I hope that faith will remain on the earth until the return of our Lord, and this convention has been a REAL FAITH BUILDER!! We believe God's Word. We respect the worker's whose job is to care for our souls. We stand in awe of the Lord to whom they belong and in whose hand they strengthen ours. The workers we have heard here at convention have ALL pointed us to Jesus. I was at a Canadian convention this summer, and there was definitely an unrest because of the 'Alberta problem's. The emphasis here is so positive. Repent of our wrong and go forward in the joy of the Lord. We were reminded that the Pharisees were originally people of God, but due to not finding the avenue to repentance, they became a people concentrating on their own righteousness. They had become very proud and arrogant. Enemies of the lowly Jesus. "God will avenge His own elect." Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord. When the Lord steps in to 'take care' of a situation, He will do so thoroughly. Just stand back and watch! Our problem is in just waiting and watching - in awe of Him. We heard once that one of the hardest tests of our faith is to believe that God will take vengeance, and because we want it to be immediate, we take something into our own hands that he has reserved for himself to do. I must get ready to go back to convention - just a few thoughts that spoke forcefully to me!! Grace 9221 Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2001 From: Edgar Massey To: Grace Burchill Noticed your points and although I definitely feel many things must be swept under the mat to leave the impression that 'things have never been better'. One of the things that our Lord gave the Pharisees (that you spoke about) credit for, was the ability to appear to others as 'whited-walls' in all their brilliance when really before him they where filled with corruption. I guess we can leave these things in Gods hands. Edgar 9222 To: gemthoughts From: Edgar Massey Date: Sat, 22 Sep 2001 Two dubious qualities that we have to give the Pharisees credit for being extremely skillful at applying to life in their day and age. 1-The cross where Jesus died is just one of the proofs we have of their ability to manipulate logistics to condemn the innocent - and to make the masses to believe their accusations were true. 2- Our Lord also gave the Pharisees credit for the ability to appear to others as 'whited-walls' in all their brilliance when really before him they where filled with corruption. According to him they had the ability to take the vilest of corruption and put it in a package to would appear white and pure. And to make the masses believe that corruption didn't exist amongst them. Can we see these evil things in our day and age?? Edgar 9223
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