Proclaim to the World the GOOD NEWS OF THE WORLD TOMORROW
Box 111, Pasadena, Calif. 91109
Publishing: The PLAIN TRUTH a Magazine of UNDERSTANDING
Written from Ambassador College, near London, in England
November 18, 1962
Dear Friend:
GREETINGS! It has become custom for me to write a special personal letter at this time every year, to you who are subscribers to The Plain Truth, to personally THANK YOU for your interest, and offer you (free of course) something special.
Hundreds write me asking personal questions, about myself and the WORLD TOMORROW broadcast. It seems I can best answer many of these questions by this means of a general personal letter.
And right now I do have something NEW, special, and never before announced or offered. I feel sure you'll want to know about it! And, as always, there's no price. I'm sure you know we have nothing to sell!
Of course that's something most people simply cannot fully understand. They may know it's true, but it's hard for many to understand HOW! I'm quite sure you have never heard of anything like it before!
HOW, so many continually ask, can we publish a high class magazine like The Plain Truth, broadcast on the most powerful radio stations around the world, constantly offer free books and booklets and attractive literature—and a no-tuition complete Correspondence Course—WITH NO PRICE, no charge for anything, and never ask for money?
"Who is back of it?" many want to know.
Did YOU ever hear of anything like it before? Ever hear of any radio or TV program, which is NOT sponsored by any commercial business, and which has nothing to sell—a program not financed by government or philanthropic Foundation—yet purely in the public interest, with NO MOTIVE EXCEPT TO GIVE good things—to contribute to the welfare, peace, happiness of listeners and readers—and STILL never soliciting financial support from those listeners, readers, or the public?
Sounds incredible—yes, I know! But it's true!
LISTEN! When Jesus Christ, at age 30, began proclaiming the very Message Almighty GOD had sent, through Him, to mankind, did He solicit financial support from the world to which He preached? It almost sounds ridiculous to ask that question, doesn't it?
Yet Jesus Christ had no apparent, visible, means of support!
Now listen further! Jesus Christ, in his personal individual human body, was starting the WORK OF GOD on earth! God always starts things, through humans, the smallest—and then they GROW GREAT! This WORK OF GOD was started by the one individual, Jesus Christ! He called, chose, then taught and trained TWELVE to become His Apostles!
After Christ's resurrection, and ascension to God's throne in heaven, He sent the SAME SPIRIT OF POWER that had started GOD'S WORK in His individual body, into the COLLECTIVE BODY of His disciples! That same day 3,000 others were added. They became the COLLECTIVE BODY in and through which the power of God's Spirit carried on THE WORK OF GOD. That is WHY the true Church is called "THE BODY OF CHRIST"!
You cannot find any record of THAT BODY soliciting funds from the world to which it proclaimed Christ's Gospel—HIS GOOD NEWS!
For two 19-year time-cycles that BODY proclaimed the GOOD NEWS of the coming Kingdom of God to rule the world and bring us PEACE—in the happy WORLD TOMORROW! The first 19 years in Palestine and Asia Minor, then, exactly 19 years after it started, Christ "opened a door" for the Apostle Paul to take the Gospel to Europe. But, 69 A.D., when the Roman armies approached Jerusalem, the disciples, remembering Jesus' warning (Matthew 24:15-16; Luke 21:20-21) fled north—and then ended, for the time, the organized proclaiming of Christ's Message to the world.
Do you realize what happened? It is recorded in Matthew 25. Those early disciples had expected Christ to return again to earth in supernatural power, as the KING of kings, in their time. But, "while the Bridegroom (Christ) tarried, they all slumbered and slept." (Matthew 25:5). That is, in the WORK OF GOD, the WHOLE BODY figuratively went to sleep on the job of proclaiming the Good NEWS of the coming world-ruling KINGDOM OF GOD—for more than 18 1/2 centuries! The united power for the mass-proclaiming of that Gospel ceased for the duration of that 18 1/2 centuries.
But the MIDNIGHT HOUR actually struck IN OUR TIME! The CRY was made: "Behold the Bridegroom cometh!" (Verse 6).
The WORKERS OF GOD were aroused from slumber. Again, the WORK OF GOD started small—but it grew and grew in power and scope. This time, the living Christ OPENED A DOOR (Revelation 3:8)—the massive door of radio and the printing press—MASS media for reaching MILLIONS around the earth—because those being used now had but little strength (same verse)—BUT they "KEPT HIS WORD" faithfully (same verse).
That door of radio and the printing press opened the first week in January, 1934. Then a time-cycle later, first week in January, 1953, "a door" was opened (Radio Luxembourg) to carry the last warning Message to Europe, and on around the world!
Today, there is not much time left—just a few years! Prophecy no longer "marches on"—it literally streaks past, in dynamic rapid fulfillment! We are very near the END of this world—and the coming of the happy, peaceful WORLD TOMORROW!
This is the very WORK OF GOD, empowered by HIS SPIRIT. Christ utilizes HIS BODY as His instrument in proclaiming His Message to all the world as a witness, just before the END of this world—as Christ said (Mat. 24:14). The great and living Lord Jesus Christ has called together many whose hearts He has made willing, who voluntarily and without any solicitation have joyfully become Co-Workers with Him, as His collective BODY, carrying on GOD'S WORK in these last days, proclaiming His last Message in all the world with POWER!
And, as at the beginning in 31 A.D., we do not solicit financial support from the public to whom we GIVE the precious GOOD news! This is the WORK OF GOD, conducted GOD'S WAY. There is no other work like it on earth!
Now I have a happy ANNOUNCEMENT to make!
Beginning the very next number, the January, 1963, issue, The Plain Truth is again increased in size—this time, we feel, to its ultimate number of pages-52. It will blossom out with the new year in a heavier cover!
I dreamed of such a magazine, 'way back in 1927. I had publishers in Portland, Oregon, make up a few blank-page dummies. Then I had a professional letter-artist design and letter in the front cover page. But it was seven years before I was able to produce the first issue of the real magazine itself.
And even then, it was a small, home-made-appearing mimeographed "magazine." There was no money for anything better or larger. BUT THERE WAS NO SUBSCRIPTION PRICE, and no solicitation for funds!
For the next seven years it came out—and not even regularly—as a mimeographed "magazine"—if it could be called that. Then it became an 8-page printed magazine, bi-monthly. Little by little it grew, slowly. After some time it went to 12 pages, then 16, then 24. On up it climbed, to 30, 36, 42, 48 pages. Now it steps up to 52, with a full magazine-weight heavier cover. This is the ultimate in SIZE, so far as we envision now. But we do hope for one more final improvement—to come out in FULL COLOR (it is appearing in two colors, now)—like the finest of the large-circulation commercial magazines.
Remember, The Plain Truth carries no advertising! lt is 52 pages of solid interesting and eye-opening reading, with illustrations. We feel that 52 pages is about as much as readers will digest in any one issue. And remember, that is approximately the number of pages of actual reading matter in any of the large popular commercial magazines. The remaining pages are all ADVERTISING!
Now, before closing, I HAVE SOMETHING SPECIAL TO OFFER. And, as always, NO PRICE—it's free—and I hope you'll give me and our Co-Workers the happiness and pleasure of sending it to you!
Back in the September, 1957, number of The Plain Truth, I began writing and publishing, serially, my own autobiography. Thousands of readers wanted to know the facts and details of the start of this work, and how it grew. But actually, it started much earlier than 1934. There were many years of preparation before God started this work.
In the Bible you read of how Moses was specially prepared and trained, through all the years from his childhood, as a prince in Pharaoh's palace, for the work God later called him to do. You read of David's previous training before he became King of Israel —of the Apostle Paul's education and special training before God called him into His service.
God does the same today. And so the facts about the start of this work began with my own special and unique training from the earliest childhood. Therefore the Autobiography began with those earliest years—recounting, at age 3, my great-grandfather, who was 94; "swearing off" of chewing tobacco, at age 5; my first "girl friend" at age 6, and such incidents.
The coming number of The Plain Truth will carry Installment 50, bringing this life-story up to the year 1948. But thousands who missed them, or no longer have their back numbers for 1957 and 1958, have requested The Autobiography in book form. That is not possible now, for the simple reason there still remain 14 years of this history to be written.
But the editors of The Plain Truth have decided to reprint, in special booklet form, the first three installments. This has not been announced as yet over the air. In fact, the decision has just now been reached. You are the first to know about it. But if you would like a copy of this special booklet, as a special gift for you at this time, we shall be happy to send it. It is to be printed immediately—and I hope will be ready for mailing by the time your letter arrives.
ALSO—two other very important booklets, reprinted from articles which I wrote for Tho Plain Truth during the past year, just now off the press!
"What Do You MEAN—BORN AGAIN?" and also,
"What Do You MEAN—The KINGDOM OF GOD?"
Do you realize that very few know just what the Bible MEANS by being "born again"? The answer is SURPRISING! Few know how, or when it occurs. Then there are all kinds of ideas about what the Bible means by the Kingdom of God. The TRUTH is far from what most people suppose! These, truly, are eye-opening booklets—and they make the truth Plain!
Then, at this time every year we offer again the astonishing, shocking booklet, "The Plain Truth About Christmas." This is shocking. The truth is, Christ was not born at this time of year at all! Today people suppose—in giving Christmas gifts —they are following the example of the wise men who presented gifts to the Christ child. But they presented their gifts many days later—NOT on His birthday—and they presented them to CHRIST —while today people often NEGLECT any gift for the cause of CHRIST, while they EXCHANGE GIFTS back and forth among themselves!
You'll find all these booklets astonishing, dynamically interesting, informative, important. NO CHARGE! NO PRICE!
It truly is, as Jesus said, more blessed to GIVE than to receive, and so I sincerely hope you'll give me and my associates the pleasure and blessing of GIVING YOU these booklets! It's a joy to serve you.
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