Various Worker Comments from Sermons and Letters

• (The word home is in italics, meaning someone added it to make the sentence complete.)

Harry Brownlee:

"Some have asked when did this start?

We don't know, but for my family, it started in 1904 when two workers came to our door and my parents heard the gospel.

We don't claim apostolic succession.

What is this producing? That's confirmation of the true see. There's literature floating around. Do you know the thrust of these letters? To undermine your belief in the Bible."

"In Noah's day, the ones who did believe, they were in the ark. I can tell those who really believe today. They are following Jesus. They're walking in Jesus' Way. They're doing it the Bible way. Believe and be baptized."

"I don't question that the blood covers the guilt and shame of those that are in the house of faith."

"But we said, when you believe the message that came originally from the homeland, this is what brings salvation."

"D. L. told of a witchcraft person living next to a Sunday A.M. meeting home. She hated this and tried to put a curse on them but failed, so hired a famous witchcraft lady to come to curse it. She walked near the home and said, "Wow, I have never encountered anything like this." She was stunned by the power that she felt. This also happened in Africa and now the witchcraft people are attending gospel meetings."

Quote from a letter by Everett Swanson, 2005

"One day, we stood in the midst of Vatican City in Rome. It was very impressive with all of its buildings, sculpture, wealth, carvings, idols and pride. This is also the 500 room building where the pope lives. In the midst of all of this, I saw the beauty and glory of God. It was in the two lives of the sister workers standing next to me and the two married, professing couples. People were lining up by the hundreds to see the tomb of the pope and they should have been standing in line to ask these godly people about their testimony."

Quote from a letter by Everett Swanson, 2005

A comment from a letter from Willie Pollack to 2x2's asking him to confirm if the origins of the 2x2's were true............this family had been told that in Europe these facts "WERE" well known..........so they sent him an article from one of the internet sites. This family figured since Willie was "FROM" Ireland, that he would tell them the truth...............here is his reply:

Dear _ _ _ _ _ _ ,

What you have seen on the internet is POISON placed there by ENEMIES to sow doubts and create damage, and it is not right to take poison as Eve did when she LISTENED TO THE SERPENT.

There has not always been an open worship and active ministry, as in the wilderness, and between the Old and New Testaments, when the temple became a thieves' den, then came Jesus and THE WORK WAS REVIVED, and it is so to THIS DAY. Some of the names in the article are correct, but the motive is malicious, but WE BELIEVE THAT GOD USED SOME PEOPLE TO REVIVE HIS WORK. We do not have a history of the work to our time, and DATES AND PERSONALITIES ARE NOT RELEVANT, but the fruit. This ministry bagan in Acts 10:37, and the proof is not on the facts, but on the fruit, and the WORKERS GO OUT AS JESUS SENT THEM. Eve sinned, then she offered it to Adam, and both of them were contaminated and punished.

If this is poison, DO NOT TAKE IT, NOR READ IT BECAUSE WHAT THE MIND RECEIVES<>THE MIND WILL REPEAT.

We have the sound doctrine in the Bible which is sufficient without relying on the CRITICISM FROM EVILDOERS. Only this..........greetings to your family.

As always, your brother and friend,

Willie

Posted on the 2x2 List on June 11, 2001

Name Withheld

Here is the response from this family that wrote to Willie Pollack asking him about the origins of the 2x2's:

"You can see by this letter that Willie Pollack, an overseer, was not willing to confirm the "TRUTH" of the origins of the 2x2's nor willing to speak directly or even mention the topic of William Irvine.

Most people in Europe are aware of it from generations, but in America, it is something THEY WANT TO HIDE AND THEY DON"T WANT TO TALK ABOUT.

As for my family, we couldn't get Willie Pollock to say that it's true that William Irvine began this ministry. My family has been in the 2x2's for almost 40 years, they just came back from conventions in _ _ _ this weekend.

At this point, I just pray that all these people in the 2x2's will be delivered into the freedom of knowing a Savior who sees the heart, NOT THE EXTERNAL APPEARANCE, into the freedom and joy of worshipping HIM, indeed, in spirit and in truth.

Got to go................love you all,

Name Withheld

Posted on the 2x2 List on June 11, 2001

"A number of years ago, two young people married over there in Europe, they took the step of marriage. Both were professing in the "way" of God. Well, after just two or three years, the young man drew back. He read other things, other books, other philosophies, other ideas, and he lost his faith. So he drew back. He no longer came. His wife struggles on, did her best to keep on going in the "way" of God. The marriage began to founder. There was separation there, there were problems in the marriage, in the home-life with two small children. He said to her finally: "If you want to save the marriage, give up the meetings. Don't go any more. If you want to save our partnership, save the home, you must give up the meetings." She didn't want to, this young person. Then she came to us after a few weeks and was in tears. To the brothers in the tent mission, she said: "I'm sorry, I have to try and save my marriage. I'm giving up the meetings. I'm giving up the "way" of God. I'm giving up Godly things because I want to save my marriage. I don't want to lose my husband. I want to go with him." Well, just in a few short words, she lost everything. He said to her, just months later, "You can go. I've got no more time for you. Go somewhere else. I don't want you anymore." She lost her marriage.

She already had lost her salvation.

The workers had pleaded with her, previously: "Don't give up the meetings. Don't give up the "way" of God. That's the last thing to give up. "Well, she did it to try and save her marriage and lost everything. That's not the end of the story. I have no time to tell you all the details this morning, that doesn't matter. It's nice to know that years later she came back.

When the children grew older and started asking questions, she came back to help her children. Today, she is a faithful soul in "God's Kingdom."

Quote from sermon given by Graham Snow called "Don't Give Up" in Durban, Australia in 1998.

"I sat in a meeting once when an old sister worker said she felt sorry for those who didn't believe in God. She said: "I just can't understand them." Well, I sat there and listened, and said to myself, "I can understand them" Because of my human mind, my human reasoning and logic. It's often in the way. It really hinders me from believing, implicitly.  I have to pray that I may believe. Sure I believe, but help Thou my unbelief." I stood once on a terrace overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and some one stood alongside me. We looked at the sky, saw the stars, a peaceful scene.

This person turned to me and said to me, "Graham, do you ever have the thought that there may not be a God?" I said: "Yes, sometimes I do." Don't get me wrong.

This human reasoning just stands in the way. "I believe. Help thou my unbelief!" This is being justified, without works. If we can just believe in God. That there is a God. that there is a Jesus Christ. That there is a "way" of God on the earth today. Just to believe this, will justify us."

Quote from sermon given by Graham Snow called "Don't Give Up" in Durban, Australia in 1998.

"An old worker, an old servant of God, came to this country for conventions, many years ago - spent time here at conventions with you good folk. It came time to leave. Time to go back onto the boat to go back to his field of labor. He climbed up the gangplank and up onto the deck of the boat and looked down on the wharf there. He saw so many of the friends and so many of the workers gathered there to say goodbye. They had appreciated his ministry, his presence, amongst them. He'd done so much for them. He'd brought them so much encouragement for future days. This old servant of God out there on the deck, looking down and seeing all the faithful there, he prayed this prayer; "If ever I were to disappoint these people Lord, I'd prefer that this boat go down and take me with it." He didn't want to leave his "place," and in leaving his "place," discourage others. He wanted to stay to the very end and not wander from his "place." Not leave his "place" but just to be there, to be a help and an encouragement to others. By the grace of God, and only by the grace of God, I stand before you this morning. It is only through His help, for the way that He has helped me down through the years not to leave my "place."

Quote from sermon given by Graham Snow called "Don't Give Up" in Durban, Australia in 1998.

"I thanked God, the other morning that he took our Brother Willie; this afternoon at this time Willie and I were to move to another home. Our brother Willie has not had a home of his own since 1937. The Apostles had no home of their own, they had no salary and "our brother Willie was one of our present day apostles."

Alan Beggs speaking at the graveside service of Willie Thomas.
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2005
Portglenone, Co, Antrim

"I can never understand a person living at home and never writing to workers. I am glad when I get letters from man and wife who have spent Sunday afternoon writing to me and others. I am comforted and made happy because there are those who have the interests of the kingdom at heart, and are not merely living for the seen and temporal things instead of for the unseen and eternal."

 Fannie Carroll Testimony........a sister of "May Carroll."
Approximately 1922.........San Diego Convention 

"That verse in the 106th Psalm often comes to mind; It says "And he gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul."

God's servants are seeking out a right way and a safe way for us. And if we don't want to obey the suggestions they've made, we don't have to. But then there's going to be leanness in our soul, we won't have satisfaction in the way, we won't have any joy, we won't have any confidence before God, and we may not have any hope. We don't want leanness in our soul."

Jerome Frandle comment at Independence, Kansas Convention - 2007

“There has “NOT” been a continuity from Jesus time until now, but we feel there was a stump left somewhere ~~ but today, there is a tree. God's work may have to go underground again, but there is a tree of fellowship today.”

Willie Pollock – Glen Valley, British Columbia - 1988

“I don't want to drop a bombshell on you by saying this ~~ but there has not always been a tree ~~ not even in the Bible. But we believe that somewhere there has always been a root, a stump of Truth. We can't explain it. By faith, we accept it.

If we need too much explanation, we don't have faith. During the time of the captivity, there was no tree ~~ no true worship and sacrifice. But Daniel prayed toward Jerusalem like a stump. We don't read of any tree during the period of time between the Old and New Testaments, but when Jesus came, we read of six people. It sprouted again. In our day, there is a tree that is flourishing.

Willie Pollock – Gilroy #1 -- 1988

"Regarding your attending the home meetings: You are always welcome to come and listen and sing, but we can't leave the door open for you to take part in the meetings as it would cause offense and a great difference in what we understand God's way for mankind is. We do "not" (the word "not" is underlined) accept those of different denominations as one in spirit or belief with our fellowship."

Sydney Holt's response to an Ex-member of the 2x2 "way" who asked if he could attend meeting.

CONVENTION NOTES  1910 -1917

(The author of the following advice was not identified.)

Don'ts for Two-by-Two Members

Don’t forsake the assembling of yourselves together, Heb. 10:25. It is one of the ways you can show your neighbors and friends who your master is.

Every Lord’s day rain or shine, go to the Meeting with others in His name. Your going and presence is a testimony for God but your absence chills the meeting.

Don’t  come too early or talk on unprofitable subject so you are unfit for Meeting.

Don’t  come too late, a preacher was once named the late Douglas because he never was on time; if the Lord is your Master you will be on time for meeting.

Don’t  have too long a meeting: good Meetings are held within an hour.

Don’t  pray too long, long prayers are for the secret place; pray in such a way that all can hear, understand, and be edified.

Don’t  preach too long, its not the multitude of words that count with God: short sharp messages are best; say much in a few words.

Don’t  tire the Church with a multitude of words.

Don’t  read too much: when you hear a person read a lot its proof they haven't anything from God, one or two words spoken from the heart are better and more helpful.

Don’t  preach more than once at a meeting, if after you sit down, you remember something you left out, wait until some other time to speak of it.

Don’t  look up your own sermon while another is speaking, but listen attentively, you can make it very hard for others to speak, or you can make it very easy by being a sympathetic listener.

Don’t  have too long pauses between testimonies, make up your mind as far as you are concerned there will be no long pauses.

Don’t  ask questions in meetings, you should come together for edification; no questions should even be introduced in a meeting. The Corinthian Church got into serious trouble through this.

Don’t  do anything that mars the unity of the meeting and each other.

Don’t  remain seated when speaking, it suggests laziness; if there are only two or three in the meeting it may be all right to remain seated, but when more you will always find it better to stand up while speaking.

Don’t  leave the telephone without a silencer, let your neighbors know you will not answer the telephone at that time.

Don’t  have meetings in a home where children are not under control. Those who have the privilege of having meetings in their Homes are responsible for exercising Authority over their children, so there is no romping around or disturbance while God's people are in the Meeting.

Don’t  have a meeting in a room that's too hot; you are responsible for having seats nicely arranged and room in proper condition so that the heat won't put them to sleep, or too cold to give them La Gripp.

Don’t  keep a dog that barks at everyone and everything that passes; and so disturbs.

Don’t  forget to pray for meeting and fellow saints during the week, and also before meeting.

Don’t  forget you are responsible to God and your brethren to be helpful in the meeting.

Don’t  forget you have the same responsibility as workers to get people saved, this thought should save us from drifting. If you live in the world as you should, you would help to get them saved. Two ways of living in the world, one way to live in it for what you can get out of it. The true Love, Live in it for what you can give it - "The Truth."

Don’t  freeze strangers who come to your meetings, give them a welcome.

Don’t  pray at them or preach to them like some did till the man was glad to escape with his life and never wanted to come back anymore. Conduct your Meeting same as no stranger was there.

Don’t  tell him you want to get him saved, but have the desire in your heart to do your part in accomplishing it.

Don’t  be afraid to love each other with the true love of God, look up the passages in New Testament that speak of loving each other, you may love all the workers from the least to the greatest, but that is not the whole testimony, the real test as to whether you are in God's testimony or not, do you love all the Saints even the weakest, who seemingly gets the least victory, and the ugly ones too? Love with the spirit of give and take - - - Live and let live.

Bear and forbear, and you will not violate the law of love. Think of your own ugliness and crankiness, and you will have more love for others. Look for good qualities and not for bad ones.

Don’t  forgive and remember, but forgive and forget.

Don’t  forget to read these often and you will find them helpful.

May 15, 1919

Some Worker Pronouncements:

"No one man had anything to do with this Way: it was in the mind of God before creation."

"The first worker list was in Matthew 10. The first hymn book was the Book of Psalms. The first convention was in Matthew 28."

Another question that often comes up: what is our name? And we often reply that we don't have a name.
 
Oh, when I am required to identify a religious affiliation on a form, I write "nondenominational," but we do have a name. When the marriage vows are spoken, the wife agrees to submit to her husband and he agrees to care for her at his expense. She gives up her name and takes his. When my mother and father married, she gave up her name, took his and followed him around the world. There are two sides to these vows:
 
Submission and Ultimate care.
 
(I can remember a time when my father wrote out a blank check and gave it to my mother to go buy something that was quite expensive. He trusted her to buy what she wanted and she bought what she knew he wanted. She bought it in his name.) We do have a name; it is not our own, it is the name of Christ.
 
Some may use the name of Christ, but not be submitted and sanctified. Part of the privilege of the Bride is being able to use His name. I often question myself, could it be that it is just tradition that I end my prayer, "In Jesus' name"? I need to ask in my personal prayer life, "In Jesus' name"! It is a strong thing to be able to pray "In Jesus' name," but I must be sanctified, or it would be like writing a forged check: I wouldn't have any right to use His name.
 
Richard Maxwell - Christ and His Bride
Edgewood - 2003 Convention Gems

This is a poor translation into English from Juan’s Spanish but feel it is a good letter by a concerned Worker.
 
Appreciated  Friends,
 
I feel the necessity to go to all the parents, and mainly to those of you who have adolescent children, for expressing a thing that for a long time has worried me. To you we love and we love your children and we only want the best thing for them, that is, in the spiritual things.           
 
We live in a  world full of dangers and I am sure that all of you are more than conscious of this, and more so when having children of such a  vulnerable age. We want to be like the parents of Moses, and to weave an ark well, so that between the rushes nothing can enter that it cannot destroy the boy.           
 
There are two things that are so common now between the young people, the computer and on the other hand the MP3, iPod or consoles, and whereas they can be used for good, so easily they become a trap, of which, sometimes single we realize when already the damage is done.           
 
I must confess that it hurt me to my soul, to have the knowledge and experience already by means of three different people, who as much in the camp of men like in the camp of women, during the annual conventions there were young people (of Spain), listening to music with its MP3 until between the meetings ....... and in the camp of the women, they were listened to jokes of a similar apparatus the night before the meetings. I believe that all we are conscious that the annual conventions, in spite of having meetings in a common house during the year, in the time of the annual conventions it is to be in a place and the intention of them is to separate us completely from the world, (out of our own houses and the preoccupations of them), to dedicate this time to God and the one who gave to us the Kingdom, during these special days.  How can it be that we bring to the annual conventions worldly things as music equipment? and more  How can we have desires to be wanting to hear music, that is not nothing sacred, in a sacred place? Nor in the world, it would make resemblance thing within a church.
 
So I request you like Parents, to be the careful that in the future these apparatuses does not arrive at the place of the annual conventions.   Apart from this, the MP3 now is cause of preoccupation between those of the world, since it serves to isolate the young people of the real life. They follow in this, the world of the fantasy of music that by all means does not make anything to help to have and appetite for the true things of God. Sometimes it is good to ask ourselves the question, the music that I listen to, is it compatible with the faith that I express? Of the dangers of the MP3, `is enough to read the article generation MP3', way of the isolation. If somebody wants  to read It,  I can facilitate a copy to them.
 
We have felt sad sometimes when being in certain houses, (and that has happened many times already) that almost we did not have a visit with the young people, because they arrive behind schedule at the table, (they come of course from the computer) and before even finishing the food, they go away from us again to the computer. We have verified in most of the cases, that it is not for doing tasks or something of value, but to play with the games or to watch until films are downloaded off the Internet. The television served to destroy the bonds of family in the homes of the world, but it seems to me that the computer, without the suitable control of the parents, is obtaining exactly the same thing between us today.
 
Imagine the following thing for a moment,  You contract to a professor to come as an  individual teacher for your children…. That this person comes to the  house to teach  them, after the first day of we suppose 4 hours of class….  you ask your son…  what have you learned today? , and he responds, “I learned to handle a pistol, to kill more than 100 people with bullets, listened to jokes full of potholes and I saw a film about married people how they fight”.  What position would you take as soon as to that professor? I believe that you would not let him neither step on one more a single time to your house….  For certain? , plus this it is what we do when we leave the children with violent games in the computer (by the way, nothing comparable with the lessons of Christ), and we let them calmly continue using them. I believe that you understand me more than well. It worries me for  the future about all the young people, and I know that what feeds myself now is going to give fruit in the future, for good or for bad.
 
Please excuse me if in some way I am entering territory that is yours, in speaking of these subjects, but I do it, with the spirit not to criticize to anybody, but by a precaution that it might  heal and purify, for this is what I feel for the future towards our young people and of them.
 
A copy of this letter goes to all the parents who have children until the age of adolescence, and those that they are for being parents, and also a copy for the bishop of each Church.           
 I know that your concerns are our concerns, and we hope that with the guidance of God and the will to work together for the good of all, we will take this forward to a good aim.             
 
Your brother, Juan