April 27, 1975  
April 27, 1975 - Brethren & Co-Workers Letter
QR Code
Herbert W Armstrong 

WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
WORLD HEADQUARTERS
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91123

HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG
President and Pastor

April 27, 1975
Bombay, India

Dear Co-Worker with Christ:

   I have returned to Bombay to speak this afternoon to 4,000 delegates attending a Lion's Club District Convention. Last February 26, I spoke here in Bombay to a group of 400 at a Lion's Club banquet. Many of the leaders of this organization were present, and they asked if I would return to be the guest speaker this afternoon to the entire 4,000 at this convention. I will tell them HOW world PEACE is soon coming — in this very generation. Christ is coming in all the supreme glory of WORLD RULER, to set up the KINGDOM OF GOD on earth. This is Christ's GOSPEL MESSAGE!

   Yesterday afternoon I spoke to a group of nearly 300 PLAIN TRUTH readers from this part of India. After that meeting my hotel room telephone kept ringing constantly, with people saying that they had just received their invitation from Pasadena — too late to come. I would estimate there would have been 500 at this meeting, but for the delay in the mail.

   At this meeting I covered the entire "skeleton" framework of the Bible from the creation of the earth and pre-history through the creation of man — explaining God's PURPOSE in putting man on earth, the process of conversion and the gift of eternal life, on to the imminent coming of the KINGDOM OF GOD. They were a MOST ENTHUSIASTIC audience, bubbling over with happy smiles, to have me visit their country.

   GOD'S WORK is leaping ahead with more power than ever. But in the WORLD, it is not GOOD news but BAD news that is accelerating. World conditions are fast WORSENING.

   The long drawn-out war in Vietnam is now a total LOSS for the United States and South Vietnam. Last week Cambodia fell and Communist forces took over. The bloody loss of life in the closing days, both from the final fighting and from the chaotic efforts of many to escape before it was too late, was horrible beyond words. Communist forces have taken over all of South Vietnam, except in areas surrounding Saigon.

   Last Monday President Thieu resigned, turning the Presidency over to Tran Van Huong. And today, the South Vietnam National Assembly is in the process of turning over the Presidency to the third president within a week, to General Duong Van Minh (commonly called "Big Minh"), to try to negotiate for "peace" — which means, of course, surrender to Communism with whatever concessions Hanoi will grant — which probably will be NONE — probably nothing short of unconditional surrender. The Communist program, which I wrote about and spoke about on radio years ago, is to conquer the whole world. Their strategy is to conquer and occupy and rule all Southeast Asia first, then Singapore, Indonesia, and Australia next; then the Middle East, then Europe, and, finally, the United States.

   Their program is not for a single five- or ten-year campaign, but one for decade after decade, and even generation after generation, if necessary.

   Their program is NOT a fast booming "blitzkrieg," but more in keeping with their comparisons to a BEAR — a Big, lumbering, slow- moving, ponderous BEAR. And so far they are right on schedule and still pressing on.

   The United States spent some 50,000 precious American lives, many more thousand American wounded, and some $170 BILLION in trying to STOP the Communist drive at the South Vietnam border — but it has failed! God says of us, we allow ourselves to be mixed up with foreigners (allies at war). "Foreigners eat away his strength, unknown to him" (Hosea 7:9).

   It was unlike any other war. As former Ambassador Bunker said, it was the first war ever fought ON TELEVISION, but also it was a war where the United States' PURPOSE was: "DON'T WIN — just CONTAIN."

   The events of the past couple of weeks have moved me emotionally. I have been to Saigon three or four times. I KNOW many there, including now former President Thieu, Senator Pauline, as we call her — actually, Senator Pauline Tho, who gave us much help and aid and went with us to the meeting with the President. Her husband is a former cabinet member and a professor in the university. I know their lovely children, and I have been in their very nice home. What will now happen to them, and the Minister of Education, and the Minister of Public Health, and others?

   What are humans DOING on earth anyhow? Nations are speaking "PEACE." Yes, but each nation wants peace under ITS government, with no resistance to ITS rule. And, of course, the other governments want PEACE under their form of government and under their rule. And so the governments FIGHT — for "PEACE"!

   Co-workers, you and I are co-workers with Jesus Christ, who is going to bring us REAL peace, with NO fighting. I am here in Bombay to get THAT Message over to leaders among these people in the second largest nation on earth! I am showing leaders of these nations that FIGHTING for peace doesn't bring it, and that the Living Christ is soon coming back to earth to HELP all these leaders of government over the world to have REAL PEACE — permanent, with universal prosperity, instead of wasting their strength and effort fighting against each other.

   God is now holding back the world events heading toward the final climax of the GREAT TRIBULATION and the DAY OF THE LORD u n t i l we get the message of the KINGDOM OF GOD to the leaders and rulers of East Asia.

   This world, with its nations, its societies, its ways of life, is fast coming to ITS CLOSE. We are at the END of this present evil world.

   Do you realize WHY God has held world events up, delaying the coming of CHRIST, of the GREAT TRIBULATION, and the DAY OF THE LORD?

   It is clearly apparent now — though we could not have realized it three or four years ago. THIS WORK is PREPARING THE WAY for Christ's coming and the PEACEFUL WORLD RULE of the KINGDOM OF GOD.

   And in the first FORTY YEARS of this Work that Christ is doing through us, we have gotten His final MESSAGE over to only those nations from the "lost" House of Israel — that is, the United States and Canada, Britain, Australia and New Zealand, South Africa, and Western Europe. But we have not been able to get this GOOD NEWS of the coming KINGDOM OF GOD into these BIG-population countries where God is now opening the doors for me.

   I want you to notice this. First, notice the prophecy in Malachi 3:1: "Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant...."

   It is a prophecy, not only of Christ's coming to earth, but of a Messenger with a MESSAGE, preparing the way immediately ahead of His coming.

   Now a number of New Testament passages refer to John the Baptist being that messenger. And, indeed, he was, with the message of REPENTANCE, preparing for Jesus' coming more than 1900 years ago.

   But Christ is COMING AGAIN, very soon now, to RULE and set up the KINGDOM OF GOD on earth.

   Now go back and read the rest of Malachi's prophecy. That prophecy speaks primarily of His SECOND COMING IN POWER! Read it! Beginning with verse 2: "But who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he is like a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap: And he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Eternal an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the Eternal, as in the days of old, and as in former years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the Eternal of hosts" (Mal. 3:2-5).

   Jesus did none of these things when He came as the meek "Lamb" to be slain for our sins. The whole prophecy speaks primarily of His SECOND COMING in POWER to RULE.

   Who, then, is even NOW preparing the way for His second coming to earth? Who is carrying the MESSA5E of His coming — the messenger with the MESSAGE of the KINGDOM OF GOD?

   GOD'S CHURCH is sending forth that MESSAGE.

   That Message was prepared before the end of the first century. The world has not heard it from about 70 A.D. until THIS WORK began proclaiming it publicly, and THIS is a sure sign that Christ gave that we are in the very END TIME, and the END of this world is upon us!

   In Matthew 24, His disciples asked privately what would be the sign of His COMING and of the END of this present world? He gave this sign: "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world as a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end [of this world] come" (Matt. 24:14).

   Dear co-worker, the Living CHRIST, soon to come again in SUPREME POWER, has called and chosen YOU, with me and Garner Ted, to GIVE THIS GOSPEL MESSAGE to the nations — to be the MESSENGER with the Message of the KINGDOM OF GOD — to CLEAR THE WAY for Christ's coming to RULE and to bring us WORLD PEACE!

   And this is YOUR responsibility as well as mine. I cannot do MY part; Garner Ted cannot do HIS part; others proclaiming this Message cannot do THEIR part, except as YOU stand fully and faithfully and generously BEHIND US! And you have been standing faithfully behind us, and we are grateful beyond words, and GOD IS PLEASED!

   Right now we need your continued generous backing! God bless you for it!

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

Publication Date: April 27, 1975
Back To Top