December 20, 1934 Herbert Armstrong Co-Worker Letter

 

The PLAIN TRUTH
A Magazine of UNDERSTANDING
Herbert W. Armstrong, Editor and Publisher
560 4th Avenue, West
EUGENE, OREGON
December 20th, 1934

My Dear Friend:

I am overjoyed to be able to make a most wonderful and important announcement.

The Lord has very graciously blessed the work of the RADIO CHURCH OF GOD during the year now closing---the FIRST radio church in the world having the Bible name "Church of God." He has blessed the PLAIN TRUTH magazine, and it has grown marvelously in circulation and influence. He has blessed the evangelistic campaigns conducted by the writer in Eugene, and at Alvadore. Many souls have been led to Christ, a large number baptized, many have been healed. And at one time or another during this year, the TRUE GOSPEL has been proclaimed to upward of fifty thousand people!

And now he has opened the way for far greater influence during 1935!

It is now possible for The RADIO CHURCH to go with multiplied power during 1935!

A wonderful opportunity has come for The RADIO CHURCH to go on the air in PORTLAND! This may be done by a hook-up between our present station, KORE in Eugene, and KXL in Portland. The broadcast will originate in studios of KORE as at present, broadcast simultaneously over the thickly-populated Portland area thru wire hook-up with KXL. KXL is one of the most popular stations in Portland, particularly for religious programs. This station recently has increased its power two and one-half times.

But there is one fact I want you to realize. It has been said that if a minister would DARE to stand before his congregation and preach the PLAIN TRUTH OF THE BIBLE, he would not have a dozen members left. That is about true, for God's Word is profitable for REPROOF, for CORRECTION (II Tim. 3:16), and the minister who will use it to REPROVE and REBUKE (II Tim. 4:2) as God commands, will find the time has come when people have adopted FABLES!

We have DARED to preach the TRUTH! We have not minced words, nor toned down the Word of God. And but FEW will SUPPORT such preaching.

Yet we have found a peculiar paradox. We have learned that people WILL LISTEN, over the radio, to the straight truth that would cause them to get up and walk out if their own ministers preached it in their own church! They will LISTEN, over the radio, but they WILL NOT SUPPORT SUCH PREACHING! We cut ourselves off totally from their financial support---yet they LISTEN! And do you know, there are MILLIONS over the United States who will never listen to the last Gospel warning in any way EXCEPT OVER THE RADIO. They can be reached by RADIO---and by radio ALONE!

Dear friend, I believe you are one of the FEW who really love the TRUTH! If the last warning Gospel Message for this Age is to be proclaimed with power to the thousands and the MILLIONS, it must be made possible by the VERY FEW! Do you want to see the truth fearlessly proclaimed during 1935 with multiplied POWER, to multiplied THOUSANDS over the great Portland territory---up into the state of Washington---thru nearly the whole Willamette Valley---over those TWO radio stations?

If you do, then you must realize that these THOUSANDS will listen, but only the FEW support it and make it possible! And most of that few are in poor financial circumstances. So if the MANY are to HEAR and BE WARNED, it is the FEW (Mat. 7:14), who must sacrifice, and give up, and deny themselves, (Luke 9:23), that thru their contributions to the Lord's cause, they may have larger part in this glorious work of these last days. It will mean sacrifice to the very limit if this opportunity is realized! The WORLD was called on to "GIVE TILL IT HURTS!" during the war, to buy weapons of destruction to KILL human beings! Will GOD'S PEOPLE be willing now to GIVE TILL IT HURTS---to GIVE UP THINGS---to SACRIFICE---that many may be saved for eternity? The night is far spent! Jesus is SOON COMING! The MILLIONS are not awake! We must WARN THEM! Dear friend, are you WILLING! Will you HELP?

But if we are to grasp this wonderful opportunity, we must act at once! Unless enough money is pledged BEFORE JANUARY 1st, to cover the expense of this great radio program for THE ENTIRE YEAR, we cannot go on the air in Portland. We have been very fortunate in securing, after much believing prayer, a very low rate considering the power and location of the Portland station. But to get it we must contract for ONE YEAR. I must be able to assure them I have SIGNED PLEDGES to cover full payment, month by month, for the whole year.

Let me give you some more facts: The Radio Church of God started over KORE the first Sunday of the present year. It has already become a powerful influence in this section. Its invisible audience has grown to more than 5,000 every Sunday morning. During the year, 35,000 to 50,000 different people have heard the Message proclaimed. But, with the more powerful Portland station also broadcasting our services over its thickly-populated territory, our regular weekly audience will leap to between 50,000 and 100,000 every Sunday morning! THINK OF IT! Fifty thousand, and more, hearing the Truth, once every week! And during the course of the year, upwards of A QUARTER MILLION WILL HEAR IT!

This vast crowd of a quarter of a million are NOT BEING WARNED! Dear friend, do you want to have a part in having the TRUE Gospel --- the WHOLE Gospel ---preached FEARLESSLY, right out of the Bible, straight from the shoulder, with POWER and conviction and earnestness, to this VAST MULTITUDE! I ask you to read carefully, prayerfully, Ezekiel 3:17-21. Turn to it and read it now. If these scores of thousands are WARNED of their sin---of the coming PLAGUES---of the soon coming JESUS -- whether or not they heed, we shall have acquitted ourselves before God. And SOME of them will heed and be saved. BUT---if we FAIL our Lord in this hour of crisis, HE SAYS HE WILL REQUIRE THEIR BLOOD AT YOUR HAND AND MINE!

Dear friend, let us be fellow-servants of God, together. Alone I am helpless and powerless. YOUR help is just as important --- will receive just as much blessing from God --- as my part of the work. Think, now, of some of the material things you plan to buy. Then think of the "stars in your crown" that God will add FOR ETERNITY if you will sacrifice it and use that money to GET THE PURE GOSPEL TRUTH TO THIS VAST MULTITUDE! Upwards of a QUARTER MILLION PEOPLE! IT means ALL ETERNITY for them! SOULS are at stake for ALL ETERNITY! The things you may have to sacrifice to help, or make a larger pledge, you will never miss WHEN JESUS COMES---and HE IS COMING SOON! We must act QUICKLY! And so I ask you to help with your means, even to the point of sacrificing. And above all I ask you to pray! pray! PRAY!!! Your prayers are as necessary as your money!

I must have $50 per month subscribed and PLEDGED, to be sent the first of each month for the entire year 1935, if this wonderful campaign for Jesus is to go with the LOUD VOICE of the radio! The pledges must be in my hands BEFORE JANUARY 1st! Remember, this is entirely a WORK OF FAITH! Every CENT must come from you who receive this letter, and quickly, or we fail. Some will be able to contribute only 25 cents or 50 cents a month. God will bless it, if you cannot send more. But the number who subscribe will necessarily be SMALL---so that unless everyone who possibly can subscribe MORE than a dollar a month---say $5, or $10---this wonderful campaign for God will fail. Subscribe the very largest offering you can give. We cannot, will not, go contrary to God's Word by BEGGING FOR MONEY OVER THE AIR! The whole cost must be pledged IN ADVANCE from God's own believing children, that it may go FREE, WITHOUT BEGGING, over the air to the vast throng. So I ask you to pledge the very largest amount you can. And PRAY EARNESTLY that God will cause enough others to respond. We stand or fall on the result of this one letter!

Now, further, we are considerably behind in current bills, and must have $50 AT ONCE to clear them up, keep God's work out of reproach, and going. I have been preaching NINE TIMES A WEEK, besides editing and printing The Plain Truth, praying for the sick, giving private Bible studies. I am giving of my time and strength to the very limit for God. WILL YOU STAND WITH ME? Will you HELP NOW? By return mail! Send an offering, as large as you can. Send also the money for your first month's pledge now, if you can. Now before you lay this letter down, fill out the pledge below for the largest amount you can, enclose an offering to help pay current bills if possible, and MAIL IT IN THE ENCLOSED ADDRESSED ENVELOPE right now! Before it leaves your mind! God will bless you. And I thank you sincerely.

Your fellow servant in Christ Jesus,

Herbert W. Armstrong


 

To Herbert W. Armstrong,
560 Fourth Ave., West, Eugene, Ore.

I want to help in this great campaign for God. I hereby pledge to send, the _________th day of each month for the year 1935, the sum of $ __________ to be used in financing the broadcasting of The RADIO CHURCH OF GOD over radio station KORE, Eugene, and KXL, Portland for the year 1935. I also enclose an offering of $_________ for current expense in the work.

(WRITE PLAINLY) SIGNED:_______________________ ADDRESS:______________________