Pastor's Comments July 19, 2008

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet BEFORE the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD. And he will TURN the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, LEST I come and strike the earth with a curse (utter destruction, Malachi 4:5-6).

For the comments this time I am forwarding to all of you a preview of the current project Mr. Frank Olive, our webmaster, is doing for us. It is the Bible Story. This was a work that Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong asked Mr. Basil Wolverton, a beloved man whom I was blessed to know personally, to do this work that would add greatly to his commission that Jesus Christ gave to him in bringing families together (Malachi 4:5-6).

In the introductory part of the 1^st Volume of the Bible Story, Mr. Armstrong wrote (excerpts from it) the following about Mr. Wolverton’s excellent work with it.

Never has there ever been a Bible story book like this. That is not a rash statement indulging in superlatives. It is the truth. I would like to explain the reason.

For years, in my ministry, I felt an overpowering sense of responsibility, mingled with a feeling of inadequacy, for getting the proper teaching to children. It was a frustrating consciousness, for my time was so completely filled in the ministry to adults. . . .

Bible stories up to now, it would seem, have had no mission but that of providing exciting entertainment. Biblical incidents are taken out of context, their real connection with the very PURPOSE of life ignored. . . .

In His own due time God supplied the man for the job – a man equipped by natural talent, training, experience and profession for this all important mission. . . .

He became an elder in the Worldwide Church of God. He was a student of the Bible and taught a Bible class.

The Bible Story is definitely not a series of disconnected stories of excitement and violence with no special meaning. Our purpose is to tell simply, in language children can read and understand, plainly, yet interestingly, the plain story of the Bible itself. It begins at the beginning. A continuous story thread runs through the entire Bible. Most people read a verse here or a chapter there, failing to properly connect them, or understand the true continuity of the Bible story.

This book is not merely written for children. Adults by multiple thousands followed the installments avidly when they first appeared in the Plain Truth [a monthly Church magazine]. Adults will gain an understanding of the WHOLE BIBLE – of its continuous story thread – from this book.

Mr. Wolverton has written in language of about nine – to twelve-year level. . . . Mr. Wolverton stuck tenaciously to the literal Biblical account. He took, where it was felt necessary, author’s license, to portray certain portions or sequences in conversational style – but he was zealously careful not in any way to “add to or detract from” the real meaning and truth of the Scriptures.

It is our fervent hope that this volume of the Bible Story in book form, now published in memory of Basil Wolverton who died in December 1978, and presented to you as a ministry of love, without money and without price, will bring you and your children abundant blessings.”

Jesus Christ has further supplied the webmaster that has natural talent, ability and experience to restore the Bible Story in a very clear and artistic manner just as he has been doing in restoring the Recorded Works of Mr. Armstrong on the websites Christ has given us.

Not long ago, he restored the Correspondence Course in his usual clear and artistic style.

Mr. Olive sent this preview of the first 20 pages to a fellow writer, and member in Australia, and copied it to me. You will be able to read what each wrote in their notes to each other about this project.

Hopefully, this will be inspiring to all of you as well to see another very important facet of the commission given to Mr. Armstrong going forward before this age comes to and end.

Please remember to pray for him as well as Mr. Raymond Mills who is also doing a great job as our server for our websites.

The pictures above are intended for educational purposes only.
Brought to you by the Church of God Faithful Flock

From: Frank Olive [mailto:frankolive@frankolive.com]
Sent: Sunday, 6 July 2008 2:57 AM
To: Frank Olive
Subject: The Bible Story (Project Preview)

A little sneak preview of a current project. The goal is to bring back "The Bible Story" in a vibrant, attractive and up to date format. It will be in web page format with full text and pictures. I am re-working each picture by hand as I go in order that they are not yellowed and blurry etc.

Emphasis is on the books by having them in color and the rest of the page in gray scale. Navigational links (not yet linked) to the right will lead to an index for each of the six volumes in this set.

So far twenty pages are now online links at the bottom of each page take the viewer forward or back.

The text and graphics for the first twenty pages can be viewed at this link http://www.bodyofchristonline.us/vol_I/page1.html

Here are two additional links taking people directly to pages with pictures. I thought direct links might be nice.

I have worked my way to volume three as far as cropping the photo's. All is going well and once I have the photo's enhanced and sized it is only a matter of placing them along with text in each page and sending up to the internet. I have streamlined the process to cut several months off the time it would normally take. It may be possible to complete this project well before the FOT.

Brethren are truly excited about having this resource available in a vibrant format once again. I am already thinking ahead to the next project, all thanks to the Father for giving me the ability to do this.

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