Herbert W Armstrong

I LEARNED LONG AGO, WHEN MY OWN FATHER DIED IN THE FAITH, THAT ALTHOUGH GOO DOES GIVE US HIS FAITHFUL AND UNBREAKABLE PROMISE TO HEAL, UPON REPENTANCE AND FAITH, HE RESERVES THE DECISION AS TO HOW AND WHEN, IF INDEED GOD DOES CHOOSE TO ALLOW THE FAITHFUL TO DIE, THAT DEATH IS NOT PERMANENT, BUT ONLY A TEMPORARY STATE OF PEACEFUL REST FROM THE SUFFERING OF THIS PRESENT EVIL WORLD, AWAITING THE REDEMPTION OF OUR BODIES INTO THE GLORIOUS LIBERTY OF THE SONS OF GOD!

GOD MERCIFULLY GRANTED US WHAT MR. ARMSTRONG CONSIDERED SEVERAL ADDITIONAL YEARS OF HIS LEADERSHIP, TO TURN THE CHURCH AROUND FROM THE LIBERALIZED PATH IT HAD STRAYED ONTO IN THE MIDDLE SEVENTIES, GOO USED HIM POWERFULLY TO GET THE CHURCH BACK ON TRACK, TO A REDEDICATED, CONCERTED UNITY CARRING OUT THE PURPOSE OF OUR CALLING, THE PROCLAIMING OF CHRIST'S GOSPEL OF THE SOON-COMING KINGDOM OF GOD, AND OF FEEDING THE FLOCK THAT IS THE BODY OF CHRIST.

I AM PERSONALLY, OF COURSE, DEEPLY SOBERED AND HUMBLED BY THE RESPONSIBILITIES GOD HAS PLACED ON MY SHOULDERS, THE APOSTLE PAUL STATED THAT HE WAS THE "LEAST OF THE APOSTLES" (I CORINTHIANS 15:9), IN ANOTHER PASSAGE HE CALLED HIMSELF THE "LEAST OF ALL THE SAINTS" (EPHESIANS 3:8). LIKE PAUL, I AM ALSO THE LEAST OF THE BRETHREN, YET I KNOW, AS PAUL DID, THAT "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME" (PHILIPPIANS 4:13), WHO DWELT IN HIM (JOHN 14:10), HIS ATTITUDE WAS ONE OF PERFECT HUMILITY AND OF PERFECT SUBMISSION TO HIS FATHER, HE WAS NOT SEEKING HIS OWN PURPOSES, BUT HIS FATHER'S, HE WAS FILLED WITH HIS FATHER AND HIS FATHER'S PURPOSES, HE AND HIS FATHER WERE ONE! THEY WERE (AND ARE) IN PERFECT UNITY.

THAT SAME GODLY UNITY MUST BE THE BINDING OF GOD'S CHURCH. WE NEED GOD'S SPIRIT TO LEAD US, AND GOD GRANTS HIS SPIRIT TO THOSE WHO OBEY HIM (ACTS 5:32). THIS TRIAL OF MR. ARMSTRONG'S ILLNESS HAS GIVEN ALL OF US AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK DEEPLY AT OURSELVES, TO SEE WHERE WE HAVE BEEN FALLING SHORT, TO REPENT OF THE SIN THAT SO EASILY BESETS US (HEBREWS 12:1), SO THAT WE CAN DRAW CLOSE TO GOD TO RECEIVE OF HIS SPIRIT TO EMPOWER US TO CARRY ON HIS WORK, THIS HAS BEEN A MOST SOBERING TIME. AND INDEED IT SHOULD BE!

JESUS GAVE US INSTRUCTIONS WITH A WARNING IN LUKE 12:42-48:

AND THE LORD SAID, WHO THEN IS THAT FAITHFUL AND WISE STEWARD, WHOM HIS MASTER WILL MAKE RULER OVER HIS HOUSEHOLD, TO GIVE THEM THEIR PORTION OF MEAT IN DUE SEASON?

BLESSED IS THAT SERVANT WHOM HIS MASTER WILL FIND SO DOING WHEN HE COMES.

TRUTH, I SAY TO YOU THAT HE WILL MAKE HIM RULER OVER ALL THAT HE HAS.

BUT IF THAT SERVANT SAYS IN HIS HEART, MY MASTER IS DELAYED HIS COMING; AND BEGIN TO BEAT THE MENSERVANTS AND MAIDSERVANTS, AND TO EAT AND DRINK AND TO BE DRUNK, THE MASTER OF THAT SERVANT WILL COME ON A DAY WHEN HE IS NOT LOOKING FOR HIM, AND AT AN HOUR WHEN HE IS NOT AWARE, AND WILL CUT HIM IN TWO AND APPOINT HIM HIS PORTION WITH THE UNBELIEVERS.

AND THAT SERVANT, WHO KNEW HIS MASTER'S WILL, AND DID NOT PREPARE HIMSELF, OR DO ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, SHALL BE BEATEN WITH MANY STRIPES.

BUT HE WHO DID NOT KNOW YET COMMITTED THINGS WORTHY OF STRIPES, SHALL BE BEATEN WITH FEW. FOR EVERYONE TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, FROM HIM MUCH WILL BE REQUIRED: AND TO WHOM MUCH HAS BEEN COMMITTED, TO HIM THEY WILL ASK THE MORE.

OUR WORK IS CUT OUT FOR US, GOO HAS CALLED US TO UNITEDLY AND WHOLEHEARTEDLY CARRY ON TILL CHRIST RETURNS, INDEED MUCH MAS BEEN GIVEN TO US AND MUCH WILL BE REQUIRED, THERE WILL BE EVEN GREATER OPPOSITION AND PERSECUTION AHEAD. ARE YOU READY FOR IT? ARE YOU PUTTING YOUR HEART INTO YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOO SO THAT HE CAN USE YOU IN HIS WORK — SO THAT YOU CAN REMAIN FAITHFUL TILL JESUS RETURNS?

AGAIN I STRESS — WE MUST MAKE OVERCOMING THE PRIORITY. THE TIME FOR THIS WORLD'S CIVILIZATION IS SHORT, BUT THERE IS MUCH YET TO DO, AS WE SUBMIT TO GOO, CAREFULLY AND DILIGENTLY SEEKING HIS WILL IN OUR LIVES, AND FORSAKING THE WAYS OF THIS WORLD, GOD WILL CONTINUE TO BLESS HIS WORK, HE WILL LEAD US, DIRECT US, GUIDE US, BUT WE MUST FOLLOW HIS LEAD TOGETHER, AS ONE BODY. JESUS IS NOT FRAGMENTED AND NEVER WILL BE.

AFTER JESUS WAS CRUCIFIED AND BURIED, SEVERAL OF THE DISCIPLES DECIDED TO GO FISHING — BACK TO THEIR OLD TRADE, MAYBE THEY THOUGHT THE WORK WAS OVER, BUT WHAT THEY DIDN'T REALIZE WAS THAT THE GREATEST WORK WAS YET AHEAD!

PRAY AS NEVER BEFORE — FOR GOD'S PEOPLE, FOR ONE ANOTHER, FOR THE GROWTH OF THE WORK, AND PLEASE PRAY FOR ME. MY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU. I DEEPLY APPRECIATE AND LOVE EACH ONE OF YOU. I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT YOUR JOBS ARE AND HOW MUCH YOU AND OUR WIVES NEED GOD'S HELP.

ENCOURAGE HIS PEOPLE, POINT THEM TO JESUS CHRIST, AND STIR THE BRETHREN UP TO RENEW THEMSELVES SPIRITUALLY FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD, REMEMBER THE ADMONITION OF REVELATION 18:14, "COME OUT OF HER, MY PEOPLE, LEST YOU SHARE IN HER SINS, ANO LEST YOU RECEIVE OF HER PLAGUES."

WILL CHRIST FINO US DOING HIS WORK WHEN HE RETURNS? I INTEND TO BE, AND I'M CALLING ON ALL YOU MINISTERS TO STAND WITH ME IN CHRIST'S SERVICE, HOLDING FAST TO THE GREAT COMMISSIONS ME HAS GIVEN US, ENDURING PATIENTLY AND FAITHFULLY TO THE END.

WITM DEEPEST LOVE, IN JESUS' NAME,
JOSEPH W. TKACH

P.S. ENCLOSED WITH THIS LETTER IS AN ADVANCE COPY OF THE M£~BER AND CO-WORKER LETTER THAT IS BEING PRINTED TODAY AND MAILED TOMORROW FROM HEADQUARTERS, PLEASE READ THE LETTER TO YOUR CONGREGATIONS THIS SABBATH, MANY OF OUR MEMBERS WILL NOT HAVE RECEIVED THEIR COPIES BY THEN.