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October 4, 1951
Dear Friend and Co-Worker in Christ:
I want to write a special letter of THANKS, in
appreciation of your very important help in God's great work, and
in acknowledgment of the tithe or offering just received.
My, what wonderful---what GLORIOUS accomplishment God is
bringing about through us in our efforts in yielding ourselves,
our talents, our time, and our hearts and our money to HIM to use
in these very closing days of this age. Every year sees a larger
and richer harvest reaped for God's Kingdom. This work right now
stands on the threshold of leaping into such wonderful WORLD-WIDE
influence and power as would have been thought utterly impossible
four or five years ago.
Some few people have mistakenly looked on this as
"Brother Armstrong's work." A feeling of human jealousy and
competition has been allowed to creep unsuspected into their
hearts. They couldn't see where they had any part in it. But how
much of this great work do you suppose I could do alone without
you, and our other Co-Workers---without your continuous, heart-
rending, earnest and believing PRAYERS for the protection and
progress and needs of this work---without your sacrifice and
devotion and your tithes and offerings which make it all possible?
Let's look at that question a moment. Without any
Co-Workers at all I could, as I did when this work was started 18
years ago, perhaps obtain permission from some country school board
to have the free use of some little one-room country school house
to hold services. I could, as I did 18 years ago, walk afoot all
over the country-side, telling people about the services, inviting
them to come. Perhaps I could again borrow the use of a
typewriter, and type out carefully an outline of the topics I would
cover in the preaching campaign. And, if the people came, I could,
without any money or help from you Co-Workers, preach to 30 or 40
people. But, the chances are that without the power of GOD back of
it, all my efforts would fail to persuade even 30 or 40 people to
attend. The chances are not more than four or five people would
come. And even if 30 or 40 did come and listen, unless the power
and Spirit of GOD were in it---unless GOD was really using me---of
my own efforts alone not one single soul would even have his mind
opened to the TRUTH, and not a single soul would be converted. The
fruit borne would be,---EXACTLY NOTHING!
So you see, in the first place, all of us together could
do nothing---of ourselves! It is CHRIST IN US doing the work.
Yes, this is GOD'S DOING---not ours! This is GOD'S GREAT AND
GLORIOUS WORK, not "Brother Armstrong's work." But even so, God is
using YOU as well as me. He must be able to work in and through
YOU as well as me. True, He uses me as His called and chosen
minister and representative, thru whom He guides and directs the
work. He uses my voice before the microphone, in the college
class-room---my hands in writing His TRUTH! But how many people
would that reach WITHOUT YOUR MONEY AND YOUR PRAYERS? Perhaps 30
or 40. But now we are reaching a vast cumulative weekly audience
of some 8 or 10 MILLION precious souls! Every one of your dollars
carries God's vital and precious last Gospel and warning Message
to more than TWO THOUSAND people! Yet without your help only 30
or 40 probably would hear! Looked at that way, it would almost
appear that every single one of the dollars you put into God's
work accomplishes much more than all my personal efforts, doesn't
it? But it is our COMBINED efforts---each doing his or her part
as God has allotted and made possible---which GOD uses and works
thru in producing the great, and rapidly increasing precious
HARVEST OF SOULS! Isn't it a blessing and a joy to be privileged
to be a PART of the great work of GOD HIMSELF? From the heart I
do thank you for YOUR PART.
In Jesus' name,
Herbert W. Armstrong
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