December 27, 1981  
December 27, 1981 - Brethren & Co-Workers Letter
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Herbert W Armstrong 

HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG
PASADENA CALIFORNIA 91123

Pasadena

December 27, 1981

Dear Brethren and Co-Workers with Christ:

   1981 has brought the United States, Britain and much of the Western world into economic depression. Inflation and unemployment have escalated and so has crime, violence, discontent and trouble generally. A year ago the big news was still the hostages in Iran. Now it's the crisis in Poland. The Middle East boiling caldron still boils over.
   What the world does not realize is that, under cover, secret planning is proceeding furiously, uncovered by the news media, unknown by the public
   But suddenly, unexpectedly, as biblical prophecy reveals, the whole world will be startled and shocked into WONDER, to learn that a new THIRD SUPER WORLD POWER has suddenly burst forth onto the world scene — a resurrection of the medieval Holy Roman Empire by a union of 10 nations in Europe — very possibly five in Western Europe, and five broken loose from the Communist orbit in Eastern Europe! The crisis in Poland is tremendously significant, and with it the fact that there is now a Polish pope!
   The whole world now is in deep trouble, not only between nations, but between PEOPLE in every walk of life. Discontent is everywhere. People tried to be merry at Christmas time, and many lost their lives being merry on alcohol mixed with automobile driving. But in too many cases — perhaps more than half of all — husband and wife can't get along together, parents and children, family and next-door neighbor, black and white, management and labor, nation and nation. No one seems to be HAPPY, and we may well ask, will anyone have a "happy new year"?
   People don't know how to live GOD'S WAY OF LIFE! Stop and reflect! Just what IS God's way of life? It's the way God lived for trillions and centillions times trillions of years with "The Word." The Word was a Personage who, some 1,980 years ago was born as Jesus Christ, the Son of God. You read of them in John 1:1-4, 14. In them was LIFE immortal, eternal — they had always existed! They LIVED! But HOW did they live? The way they lived is GOD'S WAY OF LIFE. There were just the two of them in existence — until they created other living beings. Two cannot walk together except they be AGREED. They AGREED! Jesus Christ is the SAME yesterday, today and forever. He has not changed. He said, 1,950 years ago, that His father, God, is greater than He. He is the Word of God, but He said He spoke only as God commanded Him. So, God was the "boss." One has to be the leader! But there was perfect agreement and harmony. God LOVED the Word. He said, when the Word was made flesh, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." The Word loved God. LOVE is always OUTflowing, never in-grasping or coveting or lustful. LOVE is cooperating, unselfish serving, helping, giving. They did not seek to GET or take from one another.
   That is the way they lived! That is GOD'S WAY OF LIFE. It is the basic SPIRITUAL LAW — and for humanity it is LOVE to GOD and LOVE to neighbor as to self. The Ten Commandments magnify that basic Law. The first four define love to God, the last six love to neighbor. SIN is the transgression of that LAW — that PRINCIPLE, which becomes an ATTITUDE — a MOTIVE — an INTENT, and we come to know what is sin by applying the principle of that attitude, motive or intent, for sin is the transgression of that spiritual Law. It is GOD'S WAY OF LIFE and the world is living precisely the OPPOSITE WAY, or the way of SIN. Sin has caused all our troubles, evils, pains and sufferings.
   We are right now in the preliminary stages leading to "THE GREAT TRIBULATION" of Matthew 24:21-22. In that Tribulation a third of our people will be killed by World War III — an all — out nuclear war that would destroy all humanity from the earth except for the supernatural intervention of GOD! Another third will die of disease epidemics resulting from famine. A final third will be taken prisoners and made SLAVES. This coming world Tribulation will quickly proceed to the point where, if God delayed intervening another day, ALL HUMANITY WOULD BE ERASED FROM EARTH!
   WHY will God allow such a chaotic disaster as the Great Tribulation? Because MAN — and perhaps even YOU, dear co-worker — still seems to think there are desirable pleasures in THIS WORLD and ITS WAYS, even above GOD'S WAY OF LIFE! God knows it is necessary for our eternal happiness, peace and joy, to come to the very END of our human rope and way of life!
   As God raised up John the Baptist, a voice in the PHYSICAL wilderness of the Jordan River to prepare the way for Christ's first coming as the PHYSICAL Jesus, to His PHYSICAL people Judah, and to His PHYSICAL temple of stone, wood and materials, with His Message (Gospel) foretelling the FUTURE Kingdom of God to RULE THE WORLD in PEACE and HAPPINESS, SO, God has raised up this Work as a voice crying out in the SPIRITUAL wilderness of religious confusion, to prepare the way for the SPIRITUAL Christ's Second Coming, in all the supreme POWER AND GLORY of GOD, to His SPIRITUAL people — His Church — and His SPIRITUAL TEMPLE — the Church — to ESTABLISH the KINGDOM OF GOD to rule with POWER and FORCE over ALL NATIONS, and to bring us PEACE AT LAST! Peace can come only when:
   1) Satan is abolished from earth, and
   2) Christ in POWER forces people to be happy and live at peace, living in GOD'S WAY OF LIFE, which made God and the Word happy for trillions of years, and will make us happy for trillions upon trillions to come for all ETERNITY, NEVER ENDING!
   That, dear co-workers, is my mission, and YOUR mission as a co-worker with me. I'm giving my ALL to it. How much are YOU giving?
   Satan has attacked this Work this year and also me personally as never before. But Jesus Christ, as He promised, has not left nor forsaken His Work or me, or us in it. We have been getting His Church and Work back on the track — HIS track — this year. I know He is pleased, because He has blessed this WORK this year as NEVER BEFORE!
   Let us now get whatever remains to be put back on the track, and PUSH AHEAD AS NEVER BEFORE THIS COMING YEAR. God is opening new television and radio stations now. Help us afford to use them. Responses from television and radio are increasing at a most gratifying rate. New co-workers are joining us. We are reaching the world with the Message more and more by newspapers and magazine advertising. God is opening new doors. Praise and thank Him, and pray for His Work, and for me personally, if you will.

In deep gratitude and love, in Jesus' name,

Herbert W. Armstrong

Publication Date: December 27, 1981
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