I want to stop this afternoon to write a brief letter to you, and just a few others, who are among my most loyal friends and Co-Workers in God's great work, — and who have sacrificed repeatedly to keep this great work alive and constantly growing in power, influence and scope.
It is friends and brethren in Christ like you who give me my greatest inspiration and encouragement for my part in the Master's work. I thank God for you, and for continuing loyally to hold up my hands in these trying days, and thru the discouragements, handicaps, tests of faith I am called upon constantly to face.
My heart has ached over the long delay in getting out The PLAIN TRUTH. I simply could not understand it — how just one unforeseen thing after another has appeared constantly to interfere with it and delay getting this largest issue so far published, — were it not for God's own explanation in Ephesians 6:12: "We wrestle not against flesh and blood (human beings), but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness (or wicked Spirits) in high places." But I do take very great encouragement in knowing that Satan is angry at this work, trying every way he knows to slow it down or to stop it. But in verses 10 and 11 and 13 of this passage we are told to BE STRONG in the power of God's might — to put on God's whole armor, that we may stand against the wiles of the devil.
Time after time during the past two months I have had to turn to such promises God has given us as the following, and claim them: "Trust in the Eternal and do right, be loyal to Him within His land; make the Eternal your delight and He will give you all your heart's desire. LEAVE ALL TO HIM, RELY ON HIM, AND HE WILL SEE TO IT; He will bring your innocence to light, and make the justice of your CAUSE clear as noonday. LEAVE IT TO THE ETERNAL AND BE PATIENT!" (Psalm 37:3-7). And, "Though I must pass thru the thick of trouble, thou wilt preserve me; thy hand shall fall upon my angry foes; thy right hand rescues me. THE ETERNAL INTERVENES ON MY BEHALF: Eternal One, thy kindness never fails, thou wilt not drop the work thou hast begun." (Psalm 138:7-8). This is a PRAYER, in God's true and genuine PRAYER- BOOK, (the Bible) which I have often had to pray recently. And God has always answered! But we are told to pray one for another.
In Matthew 18:19 Jesus promised that if TWO of us shall agree on earth as touching anything we shall ask, IT SHALL BE DONE for us of our Father in heaven. I can't tell you the troubles, the difficulties, the opposition I have been called upon to face recently — from unforeseen, unexpected, almost mysterious sources. God has been delivering us repeatedly out of just one such trouble after another. At times I haven't known where to turn — what to do — except just to turn to God and trust Him. But now I ask YOU if you won't get down on your knees and pray these same prayers to God, which He inspired for us to pray — and AGREE with me that Satan shall be turned back, that God's work may march ahead in multiplied power. Will you?
I'm more than happy to tell you The PLAIN TRUTH is in the hands of the printers, the presses are about ready to roll and turn out 35,000 or more copies, and all the paper (a ton and a half) is bought and delivered. We hope now to start mailing it within ten days. PLEASE pray that nothing further will be allowed to hold it up. And PLEASE CONTINUE TO STAND BY ME, as you have in the past with your tithes and offerings. I write you as one of the brethren in the Lord, for we NEVER ask any but our own co-workers and brethren for money. It's never mentioned over the air or in The PLAIN TRUTH, as you of course know. But at the present moment I am facing the most severe financial crisis this work has ever met, and unless I receive several hundred dollars almost immediately, we might even have to go off the air! I know you'll do everything you possibly can to help until The PLAIN TRUTH is out.
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