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OUR Co-Workers'
BULLETIN
Published every little while, to keep our Co-
Workers informed of the progress, the problems
and future plans for carrying on God's work in
these closing days of this age; ---broadcasting
"The WORLD TOMORROW;" publishing The PLAIN
TRUTH, and other Gospel literature. HERBERT W.
ARMSTRONG, Box 111, Eugene, Ore.
VOLUME VIII. Number 4
August 4, 1947
Dear Co-Workers in Christ:
GREETINGS! in Jesus' name: Again it is time I report to you
the progress of God's precious work, as time races on in this
chaotic "TIME OF THE END" to the very END OF THIS AGE.
This has been, perhaps, the most hectic month in the history
of this great work. As time grows short, the work comes to the
CROSS-ROADS. It is now in its greatest crisis. We face grave
decisions that will set the future course of God's great cause
during its remaining years--perhaps have potent bearing unrealized
now on the future and welfare of this nation and much of the world!
But listen! Do you, yourself, really REALIZE the time in
which we live? Never was the world like it is today. Something
happened in 1914 that has completely CHANGED this world. Today it
is in CHAOS, bankrupt, completely upset, even its leaders
bewildered and helpless, staring atomic war and worse in the face,
--the utter extinction of human life from this earth! This world
is not like it was. NOTHING is the same, since going thru two
world wars. World revolution is sweeping the earth. We are
witnessing the colossal DESTRUCTION of civilization as men have
known it. THAT IS THE STARK TRUTH!
What is YOUR PART, and mine, in this supreme crisis of the
age? It's time we stopped to take stock--to check up--to take
inventory, and see where we stand, and what it means to US!
1900 years ago the Creator sent into this world His Son,
bearing the most vital Message ever given to mankind. That
Messenger, Jesus Christ, foretold these present days. He knew
WHAT'S WRONG with the world. This world is simply not living
right! It's in the grip of a society based on the spirit of
competition, greed, vanity, ORGANIZED by MEN. The Great Teacher
foresaw where it would lead--straight to this chaos in the "time
of the end,"--a time He prophetically described as "distress of
nation, with perplexity; men's hearts failing them for fear, and
for looking after those things coming on the earth." HIS MESSAGE
was the GOOD NEWS (Gospel) of a world-government to be set up by
the Eternal Creator, with He Himself as King of Kings, to rule
ALL NATIONS, destroy and take over ALL GOVERNMENTS, and bring
right ways, peace, prosperity, and happiness at last to all. That
GOOD NEWS was His GOSPEL--the only real and true Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
That Gospel He commissioned HIS ministers to proclaim to
the world. But He foresaw, and many other prophecies foretold,
that apostasy and deception would replace His truth and deceive
the world until this very "time of the end." Then, AT THIS TIME,
which fulfillment has revealed to be this mid-twentieth century,
A.D., Jesus said His true Gospel of the Kingdom shall go out
powerfully to ALL THE WORLD, for a witness unto ALL NATIONS.
A third of the Bible, approximately, is prophecy. About
90% of prophecy applies, directly or indirectly, to THIS END-TIME
IN WHICH WE LIVE. The central theme and burden of these prophecies
is a DESTRUCTION, by invasion, destruction of our CITIES (which
only atomic power could accomplish), captivity and enslavement of
the peoples of the United States, British commonwealth, and the
democracies of north-western Europe. As Daniel's prophecy (12th
chapter) discloses, these prophecies were mostly closed up and
sealed to human understanding UNTIL this very mid-twentieth century
TIME OF THE END--the time of universal and rapid transportation--of
the increase and diffusion of knowledge. Today the long-hidden
meaning of these vital prophecies is revealed to spiritual "babes"
but still and forever hidden from the carnally "wise and prudent."
It cannot be grasped nor used by any of the organized denominations
who DARE NOT admit the error in their traditional doctrines, or
change them or add to them the light of this end-time revelation.
For the purpose of carrying this warning to our nations--
and of carrying this true GOSPEL of the KINGDOM to all the world,
the Almighty has raised up this present work. It's fruits are
ample evidence of that. It is the most important mission and cause
in this world today. The governments of the world soon are to be
overthrown, destroyed, and REPLACED by the divine government of God
under Jesus Christ returned to this earth IN PERSON, and we are the
called ADVANCE-AGENTS, if you please, of that world-Kingdom--the
WORLD TOMORROW. As such we are AMBASSADORS FOR CHRIST!
But more and more experience shows that no man alone could
carry on this tremendous responsibility. God has always provided
all His called servants with adequate help and assistance from
others. It is YOUR personal responsibility, too. It is YOUR
personal CALLING, as well as mine. YOU shall be required to stand
before the judgment seat of Christ, upon His return to earth as
King of kings, as well as I. YOU shall then be called upon to GIVE
ACCOUNT of whether you shirked this calling and responsibility, or
whether you DID YOUR BEST--the same as I. We are co-workers
TOGETHER, and God is no respecter of persons.
Yes, the time is here to stop and TAKE INVENTORY--for each
of us to search down deeply into his own heart, and ask himself
candidly, "Am I really doing all I can--am I putting THE KINGDOM
OF GOD and His righteousness FIRST in my life and interest and
thoughts, or are material interests crowding it out of my heart?"
Are YOU, personally, making your calling and election SURE? Will
Christ say to YOU, when He comes--and it will be SOON--"Well done,
thou good and faithful servant?"
Some of you dear co-workers are so VERY FAITHFUL--GOD BLESS
YOU!--and without you this mighty work of God could not have
continued to now. But also, on the other hand, MANY OF YOU who
will read this Bulletin have been letting down--NEGLECTING this so
great salvation which we must carry to the millions of others, as
well as work out in ourselves. Too many of you let the faithful
FEW take these messages to heart and carry the whole burden at too
great sacrifice, while you let down and do little or nothing. And
to those of you guilty of this neglect, for your own sake, I plead
in the name of Jesus Christ, DON'T let this negligence drop you by
the wayside, to be cast aside by the soon-coming Master as an
unprofitable servant! HAPPY is he who heeds this message, and does
HIS FULL PART in this unselfish work of carrying GOOD TO OTHERS!
The ONLY true happiness comes from DOING GOOD to OTHERS, and that
is the purpose for which God raised up this work. Those few who
try to excuse their neglect by fault-finding and criticism will
never find true peace and happiness in so doing. And so, let every
one of you in this solemn crisis hour EXAMINE HIMSELF, and
CONSECRATE and DEDICATE HIMSELF ANEW to the glorious work and cause
of Christ! It's not yet too late, but time is fast running out on
us!
Jesus did not commission His true called ministers to stay
in some one small neighborhood--but "Go ye," He said, "into ALL THE
WORLD, and preach the Gospel to every creature." To ALL NATIONS is
the divine commission!
In the Spring of 1946 God revealed to me the need of a
college as the only means of providing the trained and qualified
assistance soon to be needed in carrying this great Message of
Jesus Christ into ALL NATIONS. Yet no man can choose for himself
the active ministry as a life vocation, and probably none who do
really serve the true Christ. Christ Himself always did, and does
now, select HIMSELF, those HE has chosen for His work, and CALL
them by special spiritual call to His work. Consequently this
college cannot be a ministerial college--it MUST be a general
LIBERAL ARTS college, educating and preparing young men and women
for ALL walks of life and proper occupations and professions. But
God, I know, is able to cause those few HE has chosen for His work
to BE AMONG THESE STUDENTS. Jesus told us how we shall recognize
them--"BY THEIR FRUITS." But that takes time, and a testing by
EXPERIENCE. Consequently AMBASSADOR COLLEGE has been planned to
fit young men and women for whatever occupation in life they them-
selves may choose, giving practical and technical instruction to
all--and AT THE SAME TIME the course is so designed that if and
when we see, BY THEIR FRUITS, and by having known them over a
period of some four years, some one out of twenty, or out of forty
or a hundred, has been truly CALLED of God to the true ministry of
Jesus Christ, and then that ONE shall have been adequately and
properly TRAINED for this very mission! And in the meantime we
shall have established on earth a college patterned after GOD'S
TRUTH, and rendered to all other students a most wonderful
blessing!
Ambassador College is VITAL to the future of God's work!
When it seemed necessary, last Fall, to postpone the establishment
of the college at least two more years, God performed a miracle and
suddenly opened the way for the fine and splendid property in
Pasadena to come into our hands. Consequently, we proceeded from
there with the program to open the college Sept. 22, this Fall.
May 1st, its president, Walter E. Dillon, joined our staff,
to devote full time to organizing and preparing for this fall
opening. July 1st, we took full possession of the buildings and
grounds for the college. Prior to that, we had opened a temporary
office in one of the buildings and added the secretary-registrar to
the staff. July 1st, our librarian started active duty, preparing
for the purchase of the college library.
But beginning July 1st we entered, as I stated, the most
hectic month since this work began. We ran into certain
difficulties and barriers in even gaining possession of the
property. With four of the college executive staff (including the
buildings-and-grounds superintendent) in full-time service, things
began to "click." The entire staff was quickly completed---an
amazing experience, for God literally SENT us a hand-picked faculty
of highly trained, experienced, competent professors--a faculty
that would add prestige to the highest-standing universities in the
land--yet every member is a Christian, committed to and having at
heart the ideals upon which Ambassador is founded! Certainly THAT
is a miracle!
But then, some ten days ago, we came abruptly to our "Red
Sea." The fire marshall and building inspector inspected our
buildings, and showed us some "small print" regulations in the
building code respecting educational institutions which
necessitated some $30,000 or $40,000 in structural changes before
the building would be passed and approved for use as a school!
None of the experts we had called in for counsel, before making our
original deal for the property, had caught any of these
technicalities. Neither our attorneys nor the bank appraisers had
caught them. This came as a stunning blow!
Many centuries ago God performed miracles and started the
children of Israel on a definite course--out of Egypt, the holy
land their goal. They came to the Red Sea, and they were stopped
dead. They began to grumble. They reasoned that this proved God
had never started them out of Egypt--those were not real miracles
but only imagined--they should have stayed there, and many wanted
now to turn back and GIVE UP going on to Canaan. Well, for two or
three days I felt almost like this. WHAT A RELIEF, my wife and I
both felt, it would be if we could just give up the college
altogether, with all its trials and problems and griefs. But,
after a few days filled with almost constant prayer and even
fasting, God spoke as plainly as He does speak to His children
today, and said, as He said to His children at the Red Sea, "Stand
ye STILL, and SEE THE SALVATION OF THE ETERNAL."
EASY going is no proof that God has started a thing. The
surest proof in the world that God is in it is ROUGH GOING,
obstacles and difficulties from which ONLY GOD can extract us, and
which compel us constantly to cry out to HIM for help and to rely
continuously upon HIS GUIDANCE AND DELIVERANCE.
Then we realized that two-thirds of the total estimated
expense was called for by the smaller of the two buildings. The
college could open and get started without the use of this
building, using only the larger main building. We called in
architects and contractors for estimates, and at the present
writing have found ways to apparently whittle down the estimated
$10,000 cost of alterations for this building to perhaps $8,000.
One of our dear and faithful co-workers sent us $1,000 for the
purpose---another $500. Another deeded to us four small ocean-
view lots, which, if sold, will provide another $2,000. Others
rallying to this supreme emergency have, as this is written,
brought the amount needed to about HALF of what is required. We
can now begin to see our way thru, still BY FAITH!
Co-Workers, THIS WORK MUST NOT BE STOPPED! We are
obligated, now, for the services of a fine and capable faculty.
We have applications from hundreds who wish to enter Ambassador
as students. The faith of scores of fine young men and women
would be shattered if we had to give up here, or even postpone
the opening of the college a year. TIME is too short to permit
the delay of a single year. There is a dire NEED for such a
quality, high-standard, soundly-based college where our listeners
and co-workers may send their children knowing they will receive
the finest education along with character and cultural development,
and WITHOUT SHATTERING THEIR FAITH. Surveys have shown that 90% of
freshmen entering the average college today believes there is a
personal God, but 90% of graduating seniors have had their faith
utterly shattered by their college career, and not are confirmed
atheists or agnostics! God's work simply cannot carry out Christ's
GREAT COMMISSION, and in time, unless this college opens, and OPENS
THIS FALL ON SCHEDULE! The books for the library are all selected
and listed, ready for purchase. One co-worker has contributed a
special gift of $500, toward their purchase. We need more such
gifts to complete the splendid library planned. We have an
adjoining 26-room property now offered to us as a splendid
dormitory for at least 55 young men students---but we need an
additional two or three thousand dollars to acquire it, after which
student rentals will carry most of the payments!
Meanwhile, the broadcasting and publishing work has not yet
emerged from the crisis we found it plunged into last March. The
past 30 days we have reduced the indebtedness a little more---but
THERE MUST BE NO INDEBTEDNESS AGAINST GOD'S WORK--and I pledge you
there will be none, for long, God helping us! We have made a
change in policy and set definite plans in motion to prevent such
reproach again coming upon this work, in the future. God's
business must be CLEAN, and above reproach before the world!
Now briefly regarding The PLAIN TRUTH--even the last letter
I sent out simply did not result in sufficient funds being sent in
to make possible the long over-due issue. I have had to solve this
vital problem in some way. I have prayed for wisdom, and believe
God has shown the way. To get The PLAIN TRUTH re-established and
back on its feet, so it can come out REGULARLY, I have decided to
go back to the smaller 8 page size for one or two issues. All who
are not co-workers, with the exception of those who have gone on
the mailing list during he past eight months, will be sent
expiration notices, and must voluntarily RENEW their names on the
mailing list or they will be taken off. This undoubtedly will
reduce the circulation of The PLAIN TRUTH a great deal--probably by
half, for the time being, but all who wish it enough to buy a
postage stamp to say so will remain on the list. But this plan
will reduce the expenses enough, I believe, so that we may hope to
get it re-established on at least a regular bi-monthly basis, and
then, after a few issues at most, I am sure we can again go up to
the full 16-page magazine.
God is permitting many problems, trials and tests, in the
conduct of His work. But He is delivering us out of them all--
His is going before, guiding, blessing, and giving us many precious
souls for our efforts as we go along! Several are being baptized,
as time progresses, hundreds awaiting the opportunity, many lives
being straightened out and CHANGED, many sick being healed, and the
GOSPEL is preached to the poor.
Co-Workers, the work of God stands AT THE CROSS-ROADS! It
is in it's greatest crisis. The fate of Ambassador College hangs
in the balance. We have not more than TEN DAYS to get STARTED on
the structural changes, or it will be TOO LATE to start the college
this year. The crisis is NOW! We are all going to answer in the
judgment for what WE do, each of us, as OUR part in this crisis,
NOW! God surely blesses those who serve Him well! NEVER has this
work so direly needed large and generous offerings of $1,000 and up
to MANY thousand dollars. Several of you are ABLE, if you permit
God to make your hearts willing. Lay up treasure in heaven, while
you may, and see how God blesses you for it! And, again, NEVER has
the need been so great so that the widows' mites will help so much
as now. Let each give as God has prospered and made possible,
generously, even at sacrifice, as you are able---and PLEASE RUSH IT
AIR-MAIL, in the enclosed envelope!
And let me close by saying that I know well it is THE
EARNEST AND BELIEVING PRAYERS of many hundreds of you who are
earnestly praying for this work constantly that is keeping it
going. I NEED YOUR PRAYERS NOW AS NEVER BEFORE. GOD BLESS YOU!
In Jesus' name,
Herbert W. Armstrong
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