Herbert W Armstrong

  UNITED STATES ONLY                                  Percent Increase Over 1983

  Mail received                            2,374,569            33.1%

  Phone calls requesting literature          390,389            21.8%

  New subscribers added to PLAIN TRUTH       783,968            53.5%

  PLAIN TRUTH circulation (U.S.)           4,688,990            27.9%

  GOOD NEWS circulation                      226,926            60.7%

  New Correspondence Course students         139,333            23.0%

  Books and booklets sent                  2,695,442            37.2%

   These figures are for the United States only. Adding Canada, Britain, and all other countries would greatly enlarge these figures. In several other countries growth has been even larger. Total PLAIN TRUTH circulation now is over SEVEN MILLION copies.

   In the world, the drift toward world economic collapse is the most serious threat to the continued existence of the present civilization. The whole world is geared to the way of "GET." God's way is "GIVE" — serve, help, share, cooperate. The world lives by competition, greed, coveting, selfishness, strife, violence. Yet MONEY is the medium of exchange, whether for "GIVE" or "GET." Whatever people strive to "GET" is acquired through money. Money is handled through banks. The banking system is organized and regulated by the government.

   But United States banks are in a system of international banking for transference of funds. United States banks and the federal government have made bad loans of many billions of dollars to developing nations, especially in South America. Those countries can't pay back, and threaten to default altogether. That places the United States in a serious dilemma with European nations. It could suddenly result in triggering European nations to UNITE as A NEW WORLD POWER larger than either the Soviet Union or the U.S. That, in turn, could bring on THE GREAT TRIBULATION suddenly. And that will lead quickly into the Second Coming of Christ and END OF THIS WORLD as we know it.

   The world situation is SERIOUS. At the recent Economic Summit held in London while I was there, no definite action was announced. Do you know why? The other major nations do not want to disturb the U.S. political picture until after the November election, hoping for a Reagan reelection. After November things may happen swiftly.

   Meanwhile the MOST IMPORTANT ACTIVITY on earth is the WORK OF THE LIVING GOD. Time grows constantly shorter. For us, nothing else is important now.

   This record GROWTH of God's mighty work does cost money. WE CANNOT SOLICIT OR BEG THE PUBLIC FOR CONTRIBUTIONS. It is not the public, but GOD, to whom we must look for the financial means to carry on so great a worldwide work. AND GOD SUPPLIES IT THROUGH YOU. You are his own begotten children and co-workers with Christ — you who voluntarily have become a co-worker of your own accord. I pray earnestly for God to BLESS YOU for that.

   And God IS blessing his people whose hearts are in his work. Our records show that percentage-wise you co-workers are not cursed with unemployment to the same extent of the rest of the world. When disasters of weather or other calamities strike, our people are on the whole far better protected than the population in general. God promises to bless the tithe-payer and the liberal offering-giver.

   Right now we reach the most difficult time of the year, when our cash reserves are at their lowest ebb. THANK GOD, I don't have to write you that we are behind five or seven million dollars in paying bills, begging you to bail us out. Our bills are PAID! Our budget is BALANCED. But our reserves are the lowest of the year, and the situation could suddenly become alarming. So as Jesus' own servant, and in his name, I ask you to earnestly PRAY that God will specially prosper his people and co-workers during the remainder of this year, that there may be MORE for them to contribute as their PART in the great work of GOD. THANK God for the manner in which he has so richly blessed his work these more than 50 trying years. We have been persecuted, hindered. Satan has used every wile to try to destroy God's work. But Jesus Christ is the HEAD of his Church and work. He is our High Priest, living and alive at the right hand of God, but now, soon, to come back to this earth in full POWER and GLORY to usher in RIGHTEOUSNESS and PEACE, with salvation opened to all.

   The NEED is now URGENT. I do not say that except when it is true, and thankfully it has not been often. THANK YOU for your prayers for me personally. I know God hears them. If you haven't read our book The United States and Britain in Prophecy, be sure to request your free copy, and read especially the last chapter, on what shall soon happen.