Herbert W Armstrong

   CO-WORKERS! The time has come for us to be fully AWAKE to the condition we are in. Do you suppose that all danger of world- war has passed—that we have reached a tranquil stage of world peace, and that you and I may now lay down on this final Commission of CHRIST—and leave it for our grandchildren to do?

   WE ARE CLOSER TO NATION-DEVASTATING NUCLEAR WAR THIS VERY MINUTE, AS I WRITE, THAN AT ANY TIME SINCE WORLD WAR II.

   Two months ago yesterday I wrote you that WAR was threatened over FORMOSA. War had just been averted in Lebanon and Jordan on the eastern Mediterranean. The Formosa crisis has quieted down somewhat—even tho it could flare up anew any second. BUT THE GREATEST DANGER SPOT ON EARTH IS, AND HAS BEEN, BERLIN!!

   Khrushchev shouts from Moscow that the Reds are going to take over the three western sectors of Berlin, now occupied by U.S., British and French troops. THIS, ABOVE ALL OTHER PLACES ON EARTH, IS THE ONE SPOT WHERE SUCH A MOVE MEANS HYDROGEN-BOMB WORLD WAR—means that either the UNITED STATES will be laid waste—you and your children and loved ones ALL KILLED—or all RUSSIA will be destroyed—OR BOTH!! If Khrushchev backs down now, he will lose face. He CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE FACE! If the United States backs down, moves out its troops from Berlin, and turns the more than two million Germans of West Berlin over to the Russians, the very last ounce of American Prestige as a world Power will be gone! Actually, I do not believe the world war will actually happen right now—it is nowhere prophesied—but this crisis IS throwing such a scare into West Germany, France, Italy, and other European nations, that it is DRIVING THEM a big step further toward UNITING for their mutual protection into the prophesied soon-coming UNITED STATES OF EUROPE. And it IS definitely prophesied in many places in your Bible that this Nazi-Fascist resurrected Roman Empire WILL CONQUER AND DESTROY THE UNITED STATES!

   Any way you look at it, this is a WORLD-CRISIS far more threatening than the world realizes. IT MEANS OUR TIME TO COMPLETE CHRIST'S GREAT COMMISSION OF MATTHEW 24:14 and MARK 13:10 IS CUT MUCH SHORTER!!! We may have another ten or twelve years—we may have much less!

   No, we cannot lay down on the job to which God Almighty has called YOU and me, and leave it for our children to do! WE must rise to meet this emergency. TIME IS SHORT! Do you ever WONDER, and perhaps grumble a little, because the very WORK OF GOD seems to be continually plunged into CRISIS AFTER CRISIS? I wonder—do you criticize President Eisenhower because the U.S. government is continually plunged into CRISIS AFTER CRISIS? Or, did you complain because during the administrations of Presidents Roosevelt and Truman the government of the United States was plunged into CRISIS AFTER CRISIS?

   The proclaiming of the GOVERNMENT OF GOD—the thundering to the world of the GOSPEL of the KINGDOM OF GOD, which is the very GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST—must also be continually plunged into CRISIS AFTER CRISIS.

   THIS WORK OF GOD IS IN A SERIOUS EMERGENCY CRISIS RIGHT NOW!

   We are already in the CHRISTMAS SHOPPING SEASON! Do you realize what that means? It means that thousands, supposing they are buying BIRTHDAY PRESENTS for CHRIST'S BIRTHDAY, are actually engaging in a wild spending spree to TRADE GIFTS BACK AND FORTH with relatives, friends, and business customers—WHILE THEY FORGET ALTOGETHER ANY GIFT FOR CHRIST—NEGLECT GIVING THE GIFT THAT WOULD GET HIS GOSPEL TO THE WORLD!

   Do you realize where Christmas came from? The TRUTH is astounding! I know that many of you realize this truth. Many of you know that Christmas does NOT honor Christ's birthday at all— that the Bible NOWHERE instructs Christians to honor Christ's birthday—that it is actually a PAGAN RELIGIOUS custom FORBIDDEN in the Bible—that it celebrates the birthday of SOL the SUN-god of heathen worship—that NO ONE KNOWS WHEN CHRIST WAS BORN, except that it definitely was NOT as late in the year as December.

   If you have not already read it, why don't you write in, by return mail—RIGHT NOW, before you lay this letter down—for our free booklet, "The Plain Truth about Christmas."

   LISTEN! Would it not be silly to hold a big birthday party for some noted person—to make it a BIG occasion and plan for it all year—and then, at the party, absolutely SHUN the noted person in whose honor you are holding the party—give HIM no gifts whatever—ignore him—and greet everybody else—and EXCHANGE PRESENTS among all the guests? THAT IS WHAT MILLIONS ARE ACTUALLY DOING RIGHT NOW TO CHRIST!!!

   Don't you think that, IF you still believe in Christmas and give Christmas gifts, THAT AT LEAST THE ONE BIGGEST GIFT, if not ALL the money for gifts, OUGHT TO BE GIVEN TO CHRIST FOR CARRYING ON HIS WORK?

   Very soon now the light of Christ's Gospel will grow DARK. The night will have come when NO man can work in God's Work. There will be a FAMINE of hearing the precious WORD OF GOD! Two months ago, I told you it looked like the Chinese Reds would invade Formosa and drive out Chiang Kai-SheK. I told you GOD would decide whether to allow them to invade it NOW. I told you that WE ARE BROADCASTING TWICE A WEEK—at the very BEST time, 7:00 PM, every Wednesday and every Friday, over Chiang Kai-Shek's super-power RADIO TAIWAN. It is beamed across the Bamboo Curtain, and is listened to by hundreds of thousands of Chinese Reds, beside most of the free Chinese in Formosa. I told you that if GOD decided that HIS WORK there has already been accomplished, the Reds would invade—OUR VOICE WOULD BE STILLED THERE FOREVER. But if GOD'S WORK there is NOT yet done, GOD WOULD HOLD BACK THE REDS! Well, two months have gone by. God HAS held back the Reds while 16 more half-hour Messages from GOD have been thundered across into Red China! That is what the money you send is accomplishing! GOD IS USING IT! This year THOUSANDS have been brought to repentance, acceptance of CHRIST and conversion by this work in all parts of the world. Next month I want to tell you exactly WHAT has been accomplished this year—the year of the BIGGEST harvest yet!

   But I must stop right here and RUSH this emergency S.O.S. to you! God's Work needs your WIDOWS' MITES—it needs the generous offerings of one or several thousand dollars from the VERY FEW of you who are able to give so much for CHRIST and His work. It needs whatever amount is GENEROUS giving, according to YOUR circumstances and ability, whether as much as $50,000 or only one or two dollars.

   THIS YEAR BE SURE YOU PUT CHRIST FIRST!! His Work is in a serious CRISIS! The need is immediate and URGENT! Mails are clogged with Christmas presents—so WHY NOT SEND IT AIR-MAIL? And remember God's Work is in CONTINUOUS need—next month, and all through next year, week by week, month by month. PLEASE PRAY EARNESTLY WITH ME OVER THIS, THAT GOD WILL MOVE ON ALL HEARTS TO RESPOND QUICKLY, LIBERALLY, AND CONTINUALLY! And GOD BLESS YOU—as I know He will!