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"The WORLD TOMORROW"
A NATION - WIDE BROADCAST
HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG
Analyses Today's News, with the
Prophesies of THE WORLD TOMORROW
Publishing Box 111, EUGENE, OREGON
The P L A I N T R U T H
Magazine of Understanding
January 9, 1947
Dear Friend and Co-Worker:
GREETINGS! and again THANK YOU, for your continued
interest, faithfulness, and help, as expressed in the offering
(or tithe) which I gratefully acknowledge.
I'm sure you'll rejoice with me and our staff here at the
great leaps this work is taking toward greater, widened, more
powerful service in fulfillment of the Great Commission, and the
special call, to which we have been definitely called in this
special and tremendously-important mission in these very end-days
of this age.
Up to now, we have had to face two serious handicaps.
Two important, necessary things were lacking in this great work.
One, we have been unable to publish The PLAIN TRUTH as often as we
knew it ought to come out, and due to paper shortages and war-time
conditions we have had to hold it to a thin eight pages. This has
troubled me much. Hundreds and hundreds of letters from listeners
and enthusiastic PLAIN TRUTH readers have shown me how important it
is that we be enabled to cover more ground in each number, by
having more pages for more articles, and also that we be in
position to issue it regularly and more often. It is really as
important a phase of this work as the broadcasts. I know the
tremendous amount of good that will be done by the new, attractive,
twice-as-large PLAIN TRUTH now to be issued regularly EVERY MONTH!
It's just about the thrill of a life-time to me to realize this is
at last possible. I know it will thrill you, too, and you'll share
our gratitude it has been made possible.
Then second, it has become increasingly more imperative
that this vast rapidly-expanding work have a personal follow-up.
Hundreds are being converted by the broadcasts---their lives
CHANGED from what they have made of them into what God purposes
to make of them. But many of them need personal help. Many have
personal questions that are not answered in the broadcasts or
articles, and that I personally have not had time to answer, even
by mail. The need of able, trained, experienced, called men---
called and chosen by God and guided by His Spirit---to go out and
visit personally these hundreds of newly-converted all over the
nation, has become more and more imperative. Souls are at stake.
I have tried to find men for this need---some have urged themselves
on us for it---a few have tried out, to our sorrow. But always I
have been disillusioned, disappointed. I have come to see that we
shall simply have to train and educate men for this purpose. Yet
we cannot tell which, for instance, of thirty or a hundred
candidates have been truly called to this mission by GOD---or which
will prove faithful under the test of actual experience and will be
willing to be actually used of God. It's easy to discern physical
or material values, but it is difficult to discern the Spiritual
values, and the inner intents of the heart. Only God can read and
judge minds and hearts.
And so, I rejoice more than I can express to you that God
has given me the vision to see that His solution for the problem is
our new school, now definitely to start next September. There is
a CRYING NEED for such a school. Since we cannot tell, in advance,
whether any particular student enrolling is called, qualified by
ability, and will be able finally to fulfill this mission, we are
opening the school as a GENERAL school of advanced grade, giving a
general and full education fitting students for several and varied
occupations in life. Some will become school teachers---the kind
GOD would have teaching children. Some will become wives and
mothers, trained in practical, common-sense, down-to-earth methods
and knowledge of how to be happy, successful wife, mother, and
home-maker, as well as a useful, practical, spiritual Christian.
But some, I know by faith, we shall see God has truly called, and
a few out of each class will be fitted and trained for the true
ministry, full-time in God's service.
And I more than rejoice---I THRILL to the development of
the past week or two, where in God has placed in our hands
opportunity to purchase the most splendid possible physical assets
for this beautiful private small-college campus in America! Real-
estate men, bankers and lawyers and architects all tell us it is a
miracle that such a fine and large property came to us at the price
and the way it did. But the God whom we serve performs miracles---
He has PROMISED us He will supply all our need, and when that need
came to be a home for our school which has actually cost around
$400,000 to build and develop, God moved miraculously to supply
that need. He CAN do things like that, but God CAN'T break His
promise! We were able to purchase this property for a fraction of
its actual cost, on a basis we can handle.
More and more God is giving us EVIDENCE that He is with
us, guiding, directing His Work, pouring upon it HIS BLESSING, and
blessing it abundantly over and beyond our imagination or fondest
dreams!
Of course, WE have OUR PART in all He is doing for us.
God has done His part already. Now our part is to supply the funds
necessary,---to plan the many, many things necessary to found and
begin a new college of the very HIGHEST standards---to carry out
and execute all these tasks. Walter E. Dillon, whom I have chosen
to head the college is planning to go to New York early in February
and take a semester course in (UNABLE TO READ 1 OR 2 WORDS)
educational research at Columbia University. There, in this
special course, he will have the guidance and direct counsel and
help of the Columbia faculty---the most expert technical assistance
to be had in America---in designing and planning every detail of
our new college. While it will be utterly DIFFERENT from the
colleges of this world---God's type of college, yet the principles
and methods of conducting a college are the same in any educational
institution---the planning of curriculum, arranging of classes and
class-rooms, hours, subjects,---a thousand and one things. And our
standards will be HIGH. A school based on GOD'S true foundation,
educating students in the RIGHT direction instead of the wrong
direction as worldly colleges do, should not have a lower standard
of efficiency or thoroughness than the schools of this world! No,
rather, I am determined it shall be HIGHER!
These two new projects---the enlarged DOUBLE-size more
attractive PLAIN TRUTH coming out every month---the opening and
conducting of the new college, will add from $4,000 to $5,000 per
month to the expenses of conducting this very great and growing
work. Then, with the greatly-increased rates being charged us this
year for radio time, means that the cost of conducting this work
will now run just about DOUBLE the expenses of this past year.
Yet, a year ago I launched out on faith, when God showed me plainly
it was right, and His will to do so, and assumed obligations to
TRIPLE the cost of the work over the year before that. God did not
let us down. More and more of you dear Co-Workers responded, and
month-by-month the increased expenses were met---and six to ten
times as many people were reached by the Message! I know God won't
let us down his year. I waited, before going ahead with these
commitments, until I was SURE it was right---SURE it was God's
will, and that His hand was in it! Then I acted without delay or
hesitation, on faith.
I merely remind you that we are starting, new, on the
month of the biggest test-of-faith we have ever faced. I intend to
do MY PART, with my whole heart and with all my energies. And I
know you will do YOUR part, too. I don't know your personal
circumstances. God doesn't expect any to give into His work what
they do not have, or are unable to give, but according as He has
prospered them. But if you are one who is able, I know you'll
double or triple your offerings for His work, from now. And I ask
you, urgently, PLEASE double or triple the amount, earnestness, and
faith of your prayers for me and for this work from now on. THAT,
I know you can do, and PLEASE don't fail me or God in doing that.
This is a great thing we are undertaking. But it isn't
too much. I am NOT "biting off more than I can chew," as some
might express it. As the work grows, God raises up others to join
me in sharing the responsibility. This great increased undertaking
can, must, and SHALL be carried on successfully.
GOD BLESS YOU, dear friend, for YOUR PART!
Sincerely, in Jesus' name,
Herbert W. Armstrong
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