August 30, 1968  
August 30, 1968 - Brethren & Co-Workers Letter
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Herbert W Armstrong 

The PLAIN TRUTH a Magazine of Understanding
BOX 111, Pasadena, Calif. 91109

HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG, Editor

August 30, 1968

Dear Co-Worker with Christ:

   WOW! Just look at this new WORLDWIDE MASS IMPACT which YOU are helping us make — all over this world!

   NEVER has there been such a STUPENDOUS worldwide IMPACT with the true Gospel — the very Gospel Jesus Himself taught and has commissioned you and me to proclaim!

   This new worldwide ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN is adding 100 MILLION readers to those we have reached before!

   THINK OF IT! Now 50 million listen to The WORLD TOMORROW broadcast on radio and TV every week — most of them listening EVERY DAY! Then 4 MILLION read The PLAIN TRUTH every month! And now, ONE HUNDRED MILLION are being reached by these powerful, dynamic, big-space ads! And another 85 THOUSAND students are studying the Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course! Never in all history did Christ's own GOSPEL reach such vast masses of the world's population!

   Last month I told you about the new brochure we were planning to print, showing you the ads we are now putting before a HUNDRED MILLION people to read. So many of our Co-Workers requested a copy that I felt sure EVERY Co-Worker would want a copy of this brochure — IF you knew what it is like. The only way you can know what it is like is for me to send you a copy. So I decided to send one of these to EVERY CO-WORKER! That's why you have received this month's Co-Worker letter in this big envelope, with the brochure.

   I've been telling you how FAST things are moving toward WORLD COLLAPSE — toward the very END of this man-made Society — the very END of all this CONFUSION of MAN-PLANNED GOVERNMENT over the nations of the earth.

   LOOK, just a moment, at what's happened since last I wrote! The Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, with tanks and machine guns quashing every effort of the Czech people toward FREEDOM!

   Both the Republican and Democratic national Conventions have been held — the Democratic Convention in Chicago closed just yesterday, as I write. WHAT A SHAMEFUL FARCE it was. Until now, nearly all the talk about "POLICE BRUTALITY" has been Communist inspired, and mostly untrue. But in Chicago day before yesterday even many delegates to the Democratic Convention were shouting "Police Brutality." I myself saw — on television — (and perhaps you did also) police charging indiscriminately into crowds, clubbing everyone in their path with their clubs . Some of those clubbed and injured were innocent bystanders — not members of the mob or organized protesters. Undoubtedly the police, in this case, were too savage. BUT, Chicago's Mayor Daley had said he would put down any rioting before it got really going. AND HE DID. I suppose people will condemn the police when they go too far — but they never seem to condemn those who BREAK THE LAW, STIR UP RIOTS, PROMOTE VIOLENCE, DESTROY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS WORTH OF PROPERTY, AND CAUSE MANY MURDERS!

   And did you notice? Political leaders of both parties prior to these conventions were eagerly scanning the polls of voter opinion — not only to see whether they personally could win — but also to see WHAT STAND WOULD WIN THE VOTES. They were for whatever issue they thought would get them VOTES. As one Network Commentator said, these men are not trying to really serve the PEOPLE — they are out to serve their own personal self-interest!

   And THERE IS NOT A STRONG LEADER AMONG THEM!

   Not one who has the wisdom — the vision — the UNDERSTANDING — to see clearly WHAT'S WRONG, with the KNOW-HOW to SOLVE the problems, and END the troubles — and with the COURAGE and INTESTINAL FORTITUDE to SPEAK OUT, and LEAD the people in the way the people ought to be led — whether the people liked it or not!

   No, these HUMAN candidates, fighting for political POWER for themselves, are like the man who was visiting another man in a big city. Suddenly there came the sound of a multitude of shouting voices. The men looked out the window. Thousands were marching by.

   "Oh," exclaimed the visitor, "those are MY PEOPLE. I am their LEADER — I must run and FOLLOW THEM!"

   Today the would-be leaders of the nations are like the preacher who came to me in 1936, in Oregon. "Do you know of a vacant pastorate anywhere in this county?" he asked. "I've just married a woman. She is well-to-do financially, but she insists I've got to get out and get a Job and support her. She doesn't want us to live on her money. I've got to get a job preaching, somewhere."

   "Why, yes," I replied, "I know of one vacant pulpit in this county. But that wouldn't do you any good. That is in a Christian Church, and you're a Methodist — and they would never stand for Methodist doctrines."

   "Oh, that won't make any difference," he said eagerly. "Tell me where it is. I'll be willing to preach whatever they tell me."

   Co-Workers, one reason THIS is the VERY WORK OF THE LIVING GOD, headed, guided, and blessed by the living Jesus Christ, is that ever since He called me out of business in the advertising profession and literally THRUST me into His ministry, I HAVE NEVER BEEN WILLING TO COMPROMISE A FRACTION OF AN INCH ON THE WORD OF GOD! I have been threatened UNLESS I would do and preach what MEN told me, contrary to the Bible. I gave up the salary I was once receiving, in earliest days of my ministry, rather than preach or act contrary to God's Instruction Book. That was in 1933, in the very depth of the depression. We had nothing. I had no automobile. I had only one suit of clothes, one pair of shoes, being worn out WALKING over rocky graveled country roads to a one-room country schoolhouse to preach. I said GOD has promised to supply all my need. I am working for HIM — serving HIM, not people. From henceforth, I said, and my wife agreed with me, we would RELY SOLELY ON GOD! That's the only way we could be FREE to SERVE HIM FAITHFULLY!

   They KILLED Jesus, because of His Message from God. They KILLED John the Baptist for explaining what GOD'S LAW says about adultery. My life has been threatened on the same issue. They stoned Stephen to death for preaching JESUS' truth. Co-Workers, I have never asked YOU what YOU would like to have me preach. I simply proclaim what GOD commands me, in His Word — and HOPE you love HIM and agree with HIM, and want to be a Co-Worker WITH HIM, as I do and am!

   This world is today FILLED WITH VIOLENCE — CRIME — IMMORALITY — SELFISHNESS — GREED. Under our system of HUMAN GOVERNMENT, swayed by lust for POWER, VANITY and greed, we have nothing but PROBLEMS and TROUBLES, and NO SOLUTIONS!

   That is WHY the living CHRIST is going to come down to this earth VERY SOON, in all the POWER and GLORY of the Almighty GOD, and take the rule from MEN. In the Almighty POWER of GOD He will rule ALL NATIONS — to bring us to WORLD PEACE, universal PROSPERITY, vigorous health for everybody, and HAPPINESS in great ABUNDANCE!

   This great work is PAVING THE WAY! This powerful new ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN is a mighty MASTER-STROKE greatly INCREASING the IMPACT of this Work on this mixed-up and very sick world!

   YOU are having a PART in CHANGING THE WORLD — and, under Christ, soon SAVING THE WORLD!

   As I write, my son Garner Ted Armstrong is in England, ready to fly over to Bonn, Germany, for a televised interview with Herr Franz Josef Strauss, whom we believe may be the coming STRONG MAN of EUROPE! He may be a man of great prophetic destiny. Our own television staff, with TV cameras and equipment, have gone over to record this momentous — and perhaps history-making interview. You will hear it on both radio and — where we are on TV, also on television very shortly. There will be an article about it in the October PLAIN TRUTH.

   Last week Chief Reddin of the Los Angeles Police Department came to our own TV studios for a 30-minute color television question-and-answer panel program with Garner Ted. This will also be heard on radio. We are cooperating with both Los Angeles and Pasadena police on helping educate people in OBEDIENCE TO THE LAW!

   The 1968-69 college year opened on our Pasadena campus yesterday, with the largest incoming Freshman class in our history. THINGS ARE MOVING FAST!

   Since we prepared this brochure, I have had to fly to Mexico City. There arrangements were made with the Mexico office of Reader's Digest to put our two-page ads in the SPANISH language edition of Reader's Digest. Just today I had a telephone call from our office in England. The DailY Telegraph, one of London's leading newspapers, has solicited our advertising. Its circulation, over 1,407,000 copies. Our ads will start in this high prestige newspaper September 9. The enclosed brochure is OUT OF DATE ALREADY!

   THINGS ARE MOVING FAST! Co-Workers, you know, of course, this advertising costs money. But it is putting the Message before the eyes of ONE HUNDRED MILLION people! It's the LOWEST COST way to reach people — lowest cost per thousand people reached! I feel sure our Co-Workers will REJOICE, and LEAP TO OUR AID so we may keep this tremendous, POWERFUL, worldwide advertising campaign going!

   In my last letter I mentioned that the tithes and offerings of even our lowest-income Co-Workers — even those who can contribute only the "widow's mites" — helps a great deal! OF COURSE those who are able to contribute large sums help even more. But THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH OF THEM. Most of the money that keeps this mighty Work of God going comes from poor people — people in the lower or middle-income groups. So I say again — IF you are ABLE to send in LARGE SUMS, that does help more, and is sorely NEEDED! But if you are ONLY ABLE to send in small amounts, THAT HELPS MORE THAN YOU REALIZE — IT IS SORELY NEEDED, TOO!

   Let me give you some actual figures, right off our computer which keeps our records. Our records show that for the first six months of this year — January 1 to June 30, 48,884 Co-Workers were able to send for this great Work of God only an amount from 1 cent up to $10. I do not have the exact total amount, but IF the average was $5, then those people, including those who sent only widows' mites, contributed $244,420 to the great Work the living CHRIST is directing. Then I looked to see how big was the amount of those who were able to send between $90 and $100. If these had all sent $100 each, it would have amounted to only $163,700 — FAR LESS than the amount contributed by those who had but little.

   And WHY? Because there are so many MORE of those who can give but little! There are NOT ENOUGH who have the larger amounts to keep this great Work going!

   But then, I wondered, just HOW IMPORTANT are the larger contributions of those who are able to give MORE? So I looked to see how many had been able to contribute up to $1,000 — that is, between $900 and $1,000. Well, these contributions were VERY important, although there were far fewer of them — only about a third as many as could send in $100 or slightly less. The number was 563. If all had given $1,000 each exactly, this would have amounted to $563,000. But this is only slightly more than the smaller amounts of those under $10 each and those between $90 and $100 each — who totalled $407,420.

   While I was at it I thought I would see if ANY were able to contribute up to $10,000 for such a great Work as the living Christ has built for His Gospel Message. The computer had the record of 21 people in that category during the six months period. They contributed $210,000. Just 21 people — a small handful — and did it HELP? Yes, THANK GOD for that help — but still those of you who could give only from 1 cent to $10 contributed MORE, BECAUSE THERE ARE MORE OF YOU! In NUMBERS there is STRENGTH! So, you see, if you can only put $1 or $2 into God's Work, THAT IS IMPORTANT — it helps! If God has made you able to contribute $1,000 or more, that helps MUCH MORE, and that, too, is extremely IMPORTANT! Yet it is where the many of small ability do THEIR PART, those of medium ability do THEIRS and those of large ability give THEIRS — ALL WORKING TOGETHER — ALL PRAYING TOGETHER FOR THIS WORK — that is where there is strength and power — and the WORK OF GOD GROWS GREAT!

   And let me add again, those who do have large amounts they are simply not, at least at this time, free to give outright, THE LOAN of those amounts HELPS VERY GREATLY. Better this money is put where the living JESUS CHRIST is directing its use — where it is WORKING where HE works, with HIS BLESSING, than lying idle in a bank.

   I know there are many wealthy people in the world who would be ABLE to contribute from one to several million dollars for this greatest activity on earth — BUT NOT ONE HAS SO FAR BEEN WILLING! No, this Work was not built by great corporations or wealthy people backing it — but by THOSE OF LESSER MEANS, WHOSE HEARTS WERE IN GOD'S WORK — WHO WANTED TO HAVE A PART IN CHANGING THE WORLD, paving the way for THE HAPPY, PEACEFUL, PROSPEROUS WORLD TOMORROW — WHEN WE SHALL HAVE HAD A PART IN SAVING THE WORLD!

   This, dear Co-Workers, is the MOST IMPORTANT thing in our lives! Please pray earnestly for me, and for the whole Work! THANK YOU!

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

Publication Date: August 30, 1968
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