Herbert W Armstrong

I AM DEEPLY SADDENED TO HAVE TO INFORM YOU THAT HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG'S ILLNESS HAS ENDED IN THE MANNER LEAST EXPECTED BY ALL OF US, MR ARMSTRONG DIED PEACEFULLY IN HIS SLEEP AT 5:59 THIS MORNING WHILE RESTING IN THE FAVORITE CHAIR OF HIS LATE WIFE MRS. LOMA ARMSTRONG.

IN THE NEXT SECOND OF HIS CONSCIOUSNESS HE WILL AWAKE IN THE FIRST RESURRECTION, COMPLETELY HEALED, NOT IN THE CORRUPTIBLE BODY OF THIS MORTAL FLESH, BUT AS AN IMMORTAL SPIRIT-COMPOSED BODY, IN GLORY IN GOD'S ETERNAL KINGDOM!

THROUGH THE YEARS, WE HAVE LEARNED THAT GOD'S PROMISES ARE ABSOLUTELY SURE—BUT NOT ALWAYS IN THE WAY WE EXPECT, BECAUSE HIS WAYS ARE NOT OUR WAYS, GOD SAYS TO US, "'FOR MY THOUGHTS ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS, NOR ARE YOUR WAYS MY WAYS.'" SAYS THE LORD, 'FOR AS THE HEAVENS ARE HIGHER THAN THE EARTH, SO ARE MY WAYS HIGHER THAN YOUR WAYS, AND MY THOUGHTS THAN YOUR THOUGHTS.'" (ISAIAH 55:8-9).

GOD HAS PROMISED TO HEAL THE SICK, UPON REAL REPENTANCE AND FAITH, BUT GOO HAS NOT PROMISED HOW, OR WHEN, THAT WE MUST LEAVE TO HIM IN FAITH.

GOD, IN HIS INFINITE MERCY AND WISDOM, FAITHFULLY ANSWERED OUR PRAYERS IN THE WAY HE CHOSE, RATHER THAN THE WAY WE WOULD HAVE CHOSEN, "PRECIOUS IN THE SIGHT OF THE LORD IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS" (PSALM 116:15).

GOD IS FAITHFUL, HE IS MERCIFUL, COMPASSIONATE, AND LOVING, HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG IS MERELY AWAITING THE DAY OF HIS CHANGE, ALONG WITH THE OTHER THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF GOD'S SAINTS, INTO IMMORTAL, GLORIOUS SPIRIT-LIFE, BORN INTO THE VERY FAMILY OF GOD AT THE SOON COMING RETURN OF JESUS CHRIST.

GOD GRANTED MR. ARMSTRONG 93 1/2 DYNAMIC YEARS, THE LAST 53 OF WHICH WERE FULLY IMMERSED IN DOING THE WORK OF GOD, PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD TO A WORLD BLINDED BY THE DECEPTION OF THE GOD OF THIS WORLD, SATAN THE DEVIL (REVELATION 12:9).

EVEN IN THE LAST YEAR OF HIS LIFE, WITH DECLINING STRENGTH, HE COMPLETED WITH GOD'S HELP, HIS MOST POWERFUL AND EFFECTIVE BOOK "MYSTERV OF THE AGES", THIS AFTER HALF A CENTURY OF ARTICLES, LETTERS, BOOKLETS, BOOKS, SERMONS AND BROADCASTS, PREACHING AND TEACHING THE TRUTH OF GOD'S WORD, OF HIS PLAN FOR MANKIND, OF THE GLORIOUS AND RADIANT FUTURE THAT IS THE ULTIMATE DESTINY OF HUMANITY.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT TRIALS LIE YET AHEAD OF US IN COMPLETING GOD'S WORK OF PROCLAIMING THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD, PERHAPS GOD SAW FIT, AS HE DESCRIBES IN ISAIAH 57:1, TO SPARE MR. ARMSTRONG, AT HIS ADVANCED AGE, FROM THE PERSECUTIONS AND TRIALS PROPHESIED TO COME AS WE FINISH THE WORK OF GOO FOR THIS AGE, INDEED, AS MR, ARMSTRONG WROTE IN HIS FINAL LETTER TO YOU, "THE GREATEST WORK LIES YET AHEAD...NEVER BEFORE IN THE HISTORY OF THE CHURCH HAS IT BEEN POSSIBLE TO REAP SO GREAT A HARVEST."

NOW LOOK AT REVELATION 3:10-11, JESUS TELLS US, "BECAUSE YOU HAVE KEPT MY COMMAND TO PERSERVE, I ALSO WILL KEEP YOU FROM THE HOUR OF TRIAL WHICH SHALL COME UPON THE WHOLE WORLD, TO TEST THOSE WHO DWELL ON THE EARTH, BEHOLD, I COME QUICKLY! HOLD FAST WHAT YOU HAVE, THAT NO ONE MAY TAKE YOUR CROWN."

LET US PERSEVERE, LET US CARRY CN, REDOUBLING OUR EFFORTS TC DRAW CLOSER TO GOO IN PRAYER AND BIBLE STUDY, FASTING OFTEN. ANO STRIVING TO OVERCOME, AS WELL AS PUTTING OUR HEARTS INTO DOING THE WORK OF GOD! AS MR. ARMSTRONG SO OFTEN STATED, "WHEN OUR WAYS PLEASE GOD, HE WILL BLESS US."

I AM REMINDED OF LOMA D. ARMSTRONG'S ADMONITION TO SEVERAL HEADQUARTERS MINISTERS AT HER BEDSIDE JUST BEFORE HER DEATH NEARLY 19 YEARS AGE, SHE SAID, "WELL, GO ON NOW, ALL YOU MEN, AND DO YOUR WORK. I'LL BE ALL RIGHT."

HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG HAS GIVEN US THE SAME ADMONITION SO MANY TIMES, AS HE WOULD SAY, "GO! CARRY ON WITH GOD'S WORK, NEVER SLACKEN! NEVER LET DOWN!"

THE GREATEST TRIBUTE WE CAN GIVE MR. ARMSTRONG IS TO DO THE WORK WE'VE BEEN CALLED TO.

HE OFTEN POINTED US TO HIS MOTHER'S FAVORITE VERSE IN THE BIBLE, PSALM 133:1, "BEHOLD, HOW GOOD AND HOW PLEASANT IT IS FOR BRETHREN TO DWELL TOGETHER IN UNITY," WE DO NEED THAT UNITY NOW AS NEVER BEFORE. JESUS CHRIST, THE HEAD OF HIS CHURCH, HAS PROMISED US THAT HE WILL NEVER LEAVE US NOR FORSAKE US (HEBREWS 13:5)! WE MUST MAKE SURE WE DO NOT LEAVE OR FORSAKE HIM, BUT REMAIN STEADFAST IN HIS CALLING, WORKING TOGETHER IN UNITY AND HARMONY LED BY HIS SPIRIT!

PRAY ESPECIALLY FERVENTLY FOR GOD'S CHURCH AT THIS CRITICAL TIME, AND FOR ONE ANOTHER, AND PLEASE PRAY FOR ME AND THE OTHER MEN HERE IN PASADENA. WE NEED YOUR PRAYERS, AND OUR DAILY PRAYERS ARE WITH YOU.

LET US CARRY ON IN FAITH, THERE IS MUCH YET TO DO!

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