September 29, 1968  
September 29, 1968 - Brethren & Co-Workers Letter
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Herbert W Armstrong 

The WORLD TOMORROW
A WORLDWIDE BROADCAST

HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG
GARNER TED ARMSTRONG

Proclaim to the World the GOOD NEWS OF THE WORLD TOMORROW

Box 111, Pasadena, Calif. 91109

Publishing: The PLAIN TRUTH a Magazine of UNDERSTANDING

September 29, 1968

Dear Co-Worker with Christ:

   I have just returned from England and Europe. I want to report on events — for they are happening fast. Every month, now, I have exciting and IMPORTANT news to report to you. It's hard to realize how FAST things are moving, now, toward the most colossal CRISIS of all world history.

   When I wrote to you a month ago, the 22nd college year was just getting started on the Pasadena campus. I flew first to the Texas campus, spoke to the new students at Orientation, attended the Faculty Reception, introducing new incoming students to the Faculty. Then on to the campus at Bricket Wood, near London, in England. There I addressed new incoming students at Orientation, attended the Faculty Reception, spoke at a couple student Forums and Assemblies, taught three or four classes of new students. So all three campuses of Ambassador College are off to a big start on another school year — with largest enrollment so far at all three. Enrollment on the three campuses is now close to 1,200.

   But do you realize HOW IMPORTANT this is? This great WORK OF GOD is growing so rapidly, as we come in on the "home stretch" of the Work, that it is absorbing all qualifying graduates. This last graduation, early June, EVERY GRADUATE was taken right into the Work, full-time — think of it, EVERY ONE! Some became ordained ministers, going out to counsel with people being converted, requesting baptism — and this number GROWS EVERY YEAR! Some went into foreign offices around the world, trained for jobs opening, reading, and answering the heavy mail that comes to these offices from the broadcast, from reading The PLAIN TRUTH and studying the Bible CORRESPONDENCE COURSE (now more than 100,000 students enrolled worldwide!!!). Many writing in for booklets and The PLAIN TRUTH from reading our big advertisements now appearing in the world's largest mass-circulation magazines and newspapers.

   This new ADVERTISING IMPACT, of these ads in Reader's Digest, LIFE magazine, London Sunday TIMES, EXPRESS, and TELEGRAPH — and other publications — is bringing such a HEAVY RESPONSE — more than 50,000 so far — that it takes a bigger staff of trained people to handle all these inquiries.

   We MUST take in more students every year, for we MUST HAVE more and more trained personnel to handle this great and rapidly expanding WORK OF GOD.

   On this European trip I visited our office in Geneva, then our office at Bonn, Germany. Did not have time to visit the Duesseldorf office this trip, but did fly to Hamburg where I arranged to purchase FULL PAGE advertising space every month in Germany's largest mass-circulation magazine — over 4 million copies — read by some 12 million people! This will greatly increase the circulation of the German edition of The PLAIN TRUTH. The German office will now need more trained help!

   The Czechoslovakian crisis has flared to white-hot heat since my last letter. THIS IS HASTENING THE URGENCY OF EUROPEAN NATIONS TO UNITE — as we have been telling the world for 35 years will happen!

   My son, Garner Ted, had an hour and a half interview in his Bonn office with Herr Franz Josef Strauss, regarded by most observers as the coming STRONG MAN OF EUROPE! Three TELEVISION and RADIO programs were recorded, in interviews with Herr Strauss, during this conference. You will hear them, at least on radio — perhaps already have.

   Suddenly opportunity opened (apparently) for Ambassador College to enter a collaboration, in the most important archeological excavation ever undertaken in history, with the Hebrew University in Israel, and in excavating the ruins of the ancient world capital of TYRE, in collaboration with the government of Lebanon — one collaboration with Jewish, and one with Arab organizations.

   I cannot divulge more details than that at this time. But Dr. Herman L. Hoeh and Dr. Ernest L. Martin (of the English campus) are at Jerusalem today making the preliminary contacts. Dr. Hoeh has done considerable research work at Hebrew University in Jerusalem, knows well the Israeli chief scientist in the field of archeology.

   But, Co-Workers, let's just stop right here a moment, and get our bearings. Are all these things important to YOU? Let's see if we can UNDERSTAND the meaning of all this — what it means to YOU, as an individual, at this very moment.

   I have before me an important book — called "WITNESS," by Whittaker Chambers. He was, as you may remember, a noted Communist who turned against Communism. He exposed alleged activities of Alger Hiss, prominent in the State Department. They had a world- famous trial. Whittaker Chambers wrote a book about it.

   WHAT IS IMPORTANT is that he explains, as probably no one else ever did, WHY educated people — hundreds of college professors among them — become Communists.

   This is important to YOU! Communism, in fact, is EVIL. But do men join in it because they desire to be and do EVIL? No indeed! They join it because they see THIS IS A SICK WORLD! Because they LOSE FAITH in existing governments — existing SOCIETY — existing SYSTEMS OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS.

   Chambers explains how today's WORLD CRISIS resulted from "the impact of science and technology upon mankind." Science and technology came into the world representing themselves as a god — to solve the world's ills. What Chambers does not mention is that science and technology DROVE OUT GOD and THE BIBLE from education, introduced godless evolution, started even the churches doubting God — doubting Christ was God's Son — doubting God's TRUTH. But, science and technology FAILED to solve the world's troubles. Problems multiplied — troubles escalated. This brought on WORLD CRISIS.

   WORLD WARS are the military expression of the crisis, says Chambers. Worldwide depressions are its economic expression. Universal desperation — college students losing all hope for the future — is its spiritual expression. And This, he says, is the climate of Communism.

   Educated men see these conditions. They see we live in a SICK WORLD! So, Chambers explains, "Philosophers have EXPLAINED the world: it is necessary to CHANGE the world!" Communism is a NEW FAITH! Many people have lost faith in this western world's sick society. So they feel they must have a faith to LIVE BY. They have a conviction, WE MUST CHANGE THE WORLD.

   These people are blinded to any FAITH IN GOD. They are cut off from God. God just doesn't exist IN THEIR THINKING. They see no faith in "democracy," — they see no NATIONAL PURPOSE in the United States, they WANT TO HAVE A PART in CHANGING THE WORLD!

   Actually, Communism is like plunging from the frying pan into the fire. It is going from BAD to WORSE! But they see only that the present state of things is BAD. Communism CLAIMS to be able to CHANGE THE WORLD. They ASSUME the change will be GOOD. It is a straw which they grasp!

   Since Chambers wrote his book, 1952 — 16 years ago — world conditions have grown progressively WORSE! Now we have the RACE hatreds, riots, and VIOLENCE; now morals have plummeted all the way down into the cesspool; now, crime has increased alarmingly, become rampant even in residence neighborhoods and open country; college and university campuses in revolt, student riots and VIOLENCE, education in CHAOS! Now it is unsafe to walk on sidewalks in cities or in towns. Now if you are away overnight your house or flat may be broken into — MINE WAS RECENTLY! Now SPACE exploration has progressed to where Russia may be able to set up SPACE PLATFORMS, from which they could DESTROY ALL AMERICA — including YOUR HOME — unless the United States would surrender. Now, five or more means exist that could BLAST ALL LIFE — including YOUR life — out of existence!

   Now what does this mean to US — to YOU and me?

   It means WE have been privileged by the Almighty God to HAVE A PART IN NOT ONLY CHANGING — BUT IN SAVING THE WORLD!

   There IS hope for this world. Communism is NOT that hope! Science and technology are NOT that hope — they have FAILED. Since science and technology — since Communism — the world has grown more and more degenerate — going from bad to WORSE!

   Jesus Christ was the world's greatest NEWSCASTER! The word "Gospel" means "GOOD NEWS!" Prophecy is simply ADVANCE NEWS REPORTS! Jesus the great newscaster reported, as of about 1970 to 1975 (approximately, not setting definite dates) — world troubles SO TRAGIC, SO GREAT, that, "EXCEPT THOSE DAYS SHOULD BE SHORTENED, NO FLESH SHOULD BE SAVED ALIVE." Not a human being left alive on earth. That means YOU and YOUR CHILDREN — YOUR FAMILY!

   There is NO KIDDING about this! This is REAL! You need to HEED!

   But, Jesus continued His advance REPORT: "...but for the elect's sake those days SHALL BE SHORTENED!"

   There IS HOPE!

   The ONLY hope is in the Eternal GOD and the living CHRIST!

   But WHY will He cut short the world destruction, violence, and extinction of human lives? He says: "FOR THE ELECT'S SAKE!" And WHO are the elect? They are YOU and me, and the ones God is bringing to Him THROUGH HIS WORK, TO WHICH HE HAS CALLED YOU AND ME AS HIS CO-WORKERS AND HIS INSTRUMENTS HE IS USING!

   Jesus also said, just before the above quotes: "And this GOOD NEWS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF GOD shall be preached in all the world as a witness unto all nations, and THEN shall the end (of this present society) come."

   YOU are having a PART in proclaiming that GOOD NEWS. No one else is doing it! THIS WORK is raising up "THE ELECT" for whose sake the Mighty GOD will save humanity alive!

   IS THAT IMPORTANT?

   Would you rather just FORGET it — look to this world's pleasures — and instead of sending GOD'S tithes and your generous offerings for HIS WORK, spend it on pleasures, or a new TV set, or new clothes, or new things for your home? If so, God will allow it — but REMEMBER, He has given you the precious and priceless PRIVILEGE of being used BY HIM in HIS WORK — and if you GROW LAX, slacken off, or turn from it — you'll have NO HOPE — you'll go down with a dying world now in its death-rattle last gasps of breath for its survival.

   THIS IS REAL! Co-Workers, we have not been ON FIRE for God and His Work. We have grown lukewarm, indifferent, careless! But EVENTS ARE FAST MOVING in the world, toward the final GRAND SMASH CLIMAX! NOTHING ELSE is important, now! This world is on its last legs.

   WHY IS IT, that people will join the Communist Party, make every sacrifice, submit to its merciless discipline and authority, put their WHOLE HEARTS into that diabolical movement of Satan the devil — while those CHRIST has called as His Co-Workers slacken off, let their heads be turned in LUST and GREED to material interests and pleasures — and the precious WORK OF GOD — the WORLD'S ONLY HOPE, goes begging?

   God's Work needs a financial "SHOT-IN-THE-ARM!" I don't believe in DRUG shots-in-the-arm — but we do need a SPIRITUAL one! REMEMBER, it is the sacrifice made by God's POOR — the many contributions of the small amounts of those who do not have more to give — PLUS the LARGE sums of the VERY FEW who have more, that carries on this greatest Work on earth! We NEED the scattered few BIG sums. We NEED the loans of money you are not free to GIVE OUTRIGHT at this time, but could let be working where the living CHRIST is working — where HE directs!

   This Work is bearing RICH and ABUNDANT RESULTS. It is bringing THOUSANDS upon THOUSANDS of precious lives into God's Kingdom for all eternity. It is preparing the WAY for His coming to set up WORLD GOVERNMENT — GOD'S OWN government to SAVE THE WORLD. You are having a PART in that G L O R I O U S Work!

   Dear Co-Workers, I don't dare slacken my efforts. Most men RETIRE when 16 years younger than I. THIS WORK MUST GO ON! I have to ask God, in faith, to give me personal STRENGTH — to renew my youth, as He promises (latter part of Isaiah 40), that I may have the DRIVE and the energy to keep this great Work DRIVING ON, under Christ!

   Won't YOU tighten YOUR belt, too, and go right now to a place of PRAYER, and pray for ME and for increased strength and vigor — and for the WORK — and for God to help YOU to be able to DO YOUR PART BETTER, as I try to do mine better?

   God is BLESSING THIS WORK above everything on earth!

   His WORK is waiting, now, ON YOU!

With love, in Jesus' name,
Herbert W. Armstrong

Publication Date: September 29, 1968
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