October 27, 1972  
October 27, 1972 - Brethren & Co-Workers Letter
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Herbert W Armstrong 

WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
WORLD HEADQUARTERS
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91123

HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG
President and Pastor

October 27, 1972

Dear Brethren of God's Church:

   Everybody I have discussed it with says enthusiastically, this Feast of Tabernacles was not only the GREATEST in every way so far, but also it was the TURNING POINT!!! The world doesn't believe it, but THERE ASSUREDLY IS A DEVIL. And Satan has pulled out all stops in his attack to try to DESTROY GOD'S CHURCH and GOD'S WORK! He has hit us three major blows in the past year. It was beginning to cast a pall of gloom over some of us.

   But it was definitely noticeable at all Feast sites this year, that there was a decisive TURNING POINT in our spirits, our attitudes, our renewed earnestness of dedication, and our UNITY!

   I was privileged to speak at every Festival site in the United States and Canada. It was INSPIRING to see the growth in membership, the spirit of JOY and REJOICING as we experienced a foretaste of the KINGDOM OF GOD, and the millennium which will be without Satan's disturbing presence!

   I know it was encouraging and inspiring to all to hear the financial report, showing — NOT a decrease in income as enemies have tried to accuse, but a healthy and substantial INCREASE, even since the first of this year, though not as big an increase as we would like. It has been greatly encouraging to realize that, even with Satan's vicious and dastardly attacks, and in spite of the fact that we, being human have made some mistakes, that THESE ARE INFINITESIMAL COMPARED TO THE REMARKABLE AND UNPRECEDENTED ACHIEVEMENTS GOD HAS WROUGHT THROUGH US! Never in history has Christ's very Gospel gone out worldwide in SUCH POWER!

   There is no "success story" I verily believe, in the annals of institutional experience, noncommercial or even commercial, equal to what has been accomplished in this great Work.

   And WHAT IS that Work — that Great Commission? It is, first of all, getting Christ's Gospel — the GOOD NEWS of the coming KINGDOM OF GOD — to the whole world.

   That is the number ONE purpose of God's Church. That is the number one REASON why the Eternal God has put YOU into His Church — not just for what you may GET out of it, but to help GIVE this precious Message of coming world peace — of eternal life in God's Kingdom — as a witness to the world. Our Mission is NOT to CONVINCE the world, not to SAVE the world NOW — it is to TELL the world what is going to happen whether they believe it or not. Brethren, we must realize that when we TELL THEM, we have done what we were called to do, regardless of their response!

   But when THOUSANDS do respond — when thousands of hearts have been moved to repentance and belief — when THOUSANDS have been added to God's Church, as THOUSANDS HAVE during this year — that is joyful EXCESS blessings — like additional reward God gives us!

   This has had to become a very large ORGANIZED operation. NOTHING like it has ever been done before. We proclaim the SAME GOSPEL the original Apostles did — the same the Apostle Paul and his assistants proclaimed to the Gentile nations. BUT THE ORGANIZED METHODS OF DOING IT have had to be geared to the vastly changed world of our time. God has opened the doors of MASS EVANGELISM — radio, television, the printing press. Where the original Apostles could reach hundreds, we are reaching MILLIONS!

   We have had no GUIDELINES. We cannot organize or operate like activities, organizations, institutions, or businesses in this world. God has given us the guidelines ONLY by adapting the PRINCIPLES God has revealed IN HIS WORD!

   Brethren, if I, for example, had been one of the GREAT or the MIGHTY of the world, God would never have chosen me. If Garner Ted Armstrong had been one of the GREAT or MIGHTY of the world, God would never have chosen him.

   Yet the building of God's Church, and His Work has become a "success story" probably unparalleled IN THE ORGANIZATIONS OF THE WORLD. That is the "FRUITS" by which GOD judges. W H Y? Because THE POWER OF GOD was in it! Because God chose men WEAK in this world — perhaps weak in human ability in many respects — but those who humbled themselves, and in FAITH relied on the GREAT GOD and the POWER of His HOLY SPIRIT!

   The GREAT COMMISSION to which God called you and me IS BEING ACCOMPLISHED — and now, in far GREATER POWER than ever before. Being human — NOT having been trained in complicated organizational procedures which RAPID GROWTH have brought on us, God has allowed us to make some mistakes — BUT NEVER A MAJOR NOR FATAL ONE — and they have been TINY compared to the BIG and IMPORTANT MATTER-that God's GREAT COMMISSION IS BEING FULFILLED — His Work is GROWING, NOW greater than ever before! Therefore, "LET us BE GLAD AND REJOICE, and give honor to HIM, for the marriage of The Lamb is "soon COMING — and his Wife — the CHURCH — is surely making herself ready. (Compare Revelation 19:7.)

   Before closing, let me give you a report on the Auditorium — to us, GOD'S HOUSE at His present Headquarters of His Church and His Work. It is fast becoming a SUPERB structure — and it is now 11 weeks ahead of schedule in construction. A week ago, four or five of our top executives here at Headquarters went with me on a visit through the building, as it is being erected. They were amazed and moved at what they saw. Two days ago a few of us visited the foundry where the giant 72-foot-high columns are being made. They are the most beautiful I ever saw. In gleaming WHITE, with numerous flakes of a stone like white marble glistening throughout the columns. Completion now is expected in December of next year. It will be fitting to honor and glorify THE GREAT GOD!

   I am sending, also, the usual monthly Co-Worker letter, revealing new plans for the Work.

   Brethren, let's get our eyes fixed steadily on the ONE BIG POINT THAT MATTERS — GOD'S GREAT WORK! And let us dedicate ourselves to PRAYER for it as never before. I pray daily — and often several times a day — FOR YOU! And I really NEED you to pray for ME, personally. Please — WILL YOU? I do love you all!

In deep love, in Jesus' name,
Herbert W. Armstrong

Publication Date: October 27, 1972
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