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Dec. 18th, 1952
Dear Co-Workers:
Here's the BEST NEWS in years!
We're on the air OVER ALL EUROPE! At last! This Gospel
of the Kingdom of God IS now starting to go out with a tremendous
LOUD VOICE to all the world for a witness to ALL NATIONS, just as
Jesus foretold (Mat. 24:14). Now, in addition to the nations of
North America, it is going to Britain and all the nations of
Europe, and even of North Africa!
This is not our doing it's GOD'S! It ought to sober
us with a very grave sense of humility and gratitude that God has
chosen us to be His instruments in carrying out what He had long
before determined.
Jesus said He would do it! In less than a hundred years
after He brought God's GOOD NEWS and taught it to His disciples,
men perverted His true Gospel, turned the Truth into a lie, buried
it under an avalanche of pagan fable and superstition which they
falsely labeled "Christianity." For 1800 years the world has been
DECEIVED, led into false pagan teachings supposing this to be the
Gospel of Christ.
But Jesus knew what would happen. He foretold it. He
said, "Many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many."
He inspired Paul to write, "they shall turn away their ears from
the TRUTH, and shall be turned into fables." But Jesus, explaining
to His disciples WHEN this world would come to its END, and WHEN He
should return in Person and in Power and Glory to set up the
Kingdom of God to RULE THE WORLD, also said: "This GOSPEL OF THE
KINGDOM shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto ALL
NATIONS, and then shall the END (of this age) come." (Mat. 24:14).
Notice it !
Just before His Second Coming just before the END of
this world the very same Gospel He brought from God and taught
His disciples was to be preached in all the world to ALL NATIONS as a witness. But before this, (Mat. 24:4-5 and II Thes. 2:2-3),
the great deception and falling away from the Truth was to come.
It has happened just as Jesus said. The world is
deceived spiritually drunk on counterfeit teachings and customs.
The world won't receive the truth but some precious souls here and
there will a number will be saved NOW, and as Jesus ordained, HIS
GOSPEL shall now quickly and powerfully be proclaimed IN ALL
NATIONS.
WHAT A RESPONSIBILITY this places on you and me! But we
need not fear, or falter. It is GOD'S doing. We are merely the
instruments He has chosen. He has already raised up the mechanical
instruments and power to CARRY His Message by radio into ALL
nations. He will guide us and direct us. He has given us His
Message opened our understanding to His TRUTH. He has provided us
with the prerequisite ability and EXPERIENCE, thru 19 years of
broadcasting in America. He has given us the "know-how," and now,
also the organization and the trained, consecrated, experienced
HELP I need in the ministry. One of the greatest miracles in all
this miraculous work of God is what He has done in raising up young
ministers to assist me.
Let me tell you a bit about that. IT'S IMPORTANT! Among
the students God has sent to Ambassador College are some whom our
professors, who have taught at Harvard, Cornell, and similar
institutions, tell me would rank at the very TOP if they had gone
to Harvard, Stanford, Princeton, or such universities. We have
men of exceptional talents and abilities but above all, men whom
God has called, who are consecrated to Him and His mission, and
whom He has given UNDERSTANDING of God's TRUTH. Yet it seems no
two of these men have the same talents or abilities. God has
sent to me at Pasadena that VARIETY of capabilities needed for
His work. Already four of them have graduated, two more will
graduate in January, and another two in June. They are learning
to speak foreign languages fluently.
For example, I am starting the broadcast to all Europe
with a half hour program in English. Millions will be listening
who understand English. Then in June, when he expects to receive
his post-graduate Master's degree, my son Dick, according to
present plans, is to return to Europe to open permanent branch
offices in London and Paris, and open an additional 15-minute
program to all Europe in the French language, which he speaks like
a native Frenchman. The following June Dick's understudy and
assistant in the radio work, Norman Smith, upon graduation, is
scheduled to go to Europe and join Dick in the management of the
work there, and perhaps permit Dick to return home a while on
vacation. Meanwhile, a third 15-minute broadcast will be scheduled
over all Europe, for Herman L. Hoeh to speak in the German
language. Mr. Smith, who speaks Spanish and has a fine radio
voice, probably will start broadcasting to Europe and to all South
and Central America in the Spanish language.
Other broadcasts to other parts of the world in other
languages will follow. While in New York making final arrangements
for the broadcast to Europe, I had lunch with radio station
representatives who are agents for stations in India, Pakistan,
South Africa, Australia, and other parts of the world. As soon as
our work expands to the place where we are ready for it, and we
have men trained in fluently speaking still other languages, they
will arrange for "The WORLD TOMORROW" to be broadcast in all those
countries. I have already made tentative arrangements with a
station representative in Los Angeles for sending Christ's true
Gospel by radio to all Central and South America, to China, Japan,
the Philippines, Indo-China, BurmaÄÄall the far-east.
Yes, dear Co-Workers. THIS very Gospel Jesus preached is
STARTING AROUND THE WORLD it is now to soon go TO ALL NATIONS, in
every corner of the earth!
This is no little thing. IT'S A TREMENDOUS UNDERTAKING!
It is developing into a gigantic enterprise. AND IT TAKES A LOT OF
US TO DO IT--myself and these fine, well-trained young ministers
coming out of Ambassador College all our rapidly growing staff in
Pasadena headquarters and ALL OF YOU CO-WORKERS. It takes YOUR
PRAYERS your earnest, fervent, persevering, believing prayers. It
takes YOUR FINANCIAL SACRIFICE in generous offerings beside the
faithful paying of God's TITHE. It costs money, and will from now
on cost more and more as this great work grows and spreads. The
agents tell us we will receive no financial help at all from
listeners in Europe our own Co-Workers here in America will have
to join me in SENDING THE GOSPEL TO THE WORLD. We must raise the
money HERE.
HERE ARE THE DETAILS of the broadcast to Europe:
The program starts on OUR 19th ANNIVERSARY OF BROAD-
CASTING, the first week in the new year, 1953, a full half hour
broadcast every week.
Surveys made in Europe show that in France, Belgium, and
other countries, 85% of all houses have radio sets! Think of it nearly all homes over there have radio sets, sets that really work!
Of these, 88% of the sets in France get "good" or
"excellent" reception on Radio Luxembourg. It's 91% in Belgium.
In 84% of the homes of French listeners, surveys show the
WHOLE FAMILY listens to Radio Luxembourg.
Surveys in Greater Paris show that the leading net-work,
government owned and controlled, with 10 stations, is listened to
by 83% of the people. That includes TEN STATIONS! Radio
Luxembourg alone, ONE station, is listened to by 80.1% practically
the same as the total combined listening audience of all ten local
French stations! The second net-work, with 3 stations, is listened
to by only 45.2%. That bears out what Dick Armstrong and Herman
Hoeh learned by interviewing people all over France, Germany,
England and Switzerland this past summer: Radio Luxembourg is
listened to by far more people than any other station in Europe
more in London than local British stations more in Paris than any
local Paris station. And it's highest percent of listeners are in
the smaller towns and rural districts!
These surveys show that on any one broadcast in English
we will be reaching in excess of TEN MILLION LISTENERS! Imagine
talking to ten million people at one time! Yes, it's breath-
taking! It's tremendous! And "The WORLD TOMORROW" program always
builds up a multiplied larger audience on any station!
Soon we shall be sending out a second program IN FRENCH,
and then a third one IN GERMAN. We may soon be pouring Christ's
own Gospel into the ears of as many as fifty or a hundred million
people scattered over Europe!
IT WILL TAKE SACRIFICE! It will take FAITHFULNESS on
your part. I must now ask every Co-Worker to try to send in a
little larger amounts than heretofore, and if possible even more
often. WHAT A PRIVILEGE to be called of God to such a great world-
wide work! WE ARE PREPARING THE WAY FOR THE SECOND COMING OF
CHRIST! WE ARE PREPARING THE WAY FOR WORLD PEACE!
And now, second only to this great broadcast work in
importance, here's THE LATEST NEWS FROM GLADEWATER, TEXAS.
I am writing this from Gladewater, on our return trip
from New York and Chicago. I have just spent a few hours going
over our grounds here with our architect. The first preliminary
plans and architect's drawings of the new combination Tabernacle,
Church and School, were submitted to me and Mr. Hammer. WE WERE
MORE THAN THRILLED WITH THEM. It required a great deal of
ingenuity to plan a building to serve so many purposes in the
smallest possible space and at lowest possible construction cost.
Mr. Hammer now has the grounds all cleared. For the
first time we could really SEE the beautiful site God has opened to
us. It is even more beautiful than we thought. The building site
has been chosen, atop a terraced knoll, surrounded by beautiful
shade trees, overlooking the lake to be created below. The roadway
has been graded all the way to the building site, and now awaits a
gravel covering.
A few minor changes must be made in the architect's
plans, and then I hope to be able to have the plans and sketches
printed and sent to you. I do not know now whether they can be
ready in time to enclose with this letter, but if not, I will send
them later. It is going to be a BEAUTIFUL place, back off the
highway, secluded from the world.
The building is designed in three parts, with entrance in
the middle. To the rear is to be the large Tabernacle originally
to contain 4800 square feet and seat 420 people. As attendance
grows, this will be widened to add 210 seats to each side, until it
will eventually contain 840 seats. While very attractive in
appearance, this will be used only at our festivals in the spring
and possibly the fall when the weather is mild. Consequently it
will be very inexpensively constructed. Even so, at smallest
possible cost per square foot, it will cost several thousand
dollars.
The middle section, to be built next after the
Tabernacle, will serve as combination school room, church, and
dining room, with a kitchen separated by folding doors. This must
be of sound, well-insulated construction, heated in winter and air-
conditioned in summer, and is planned to contain 2,168 square feet,
not including kitchen or rest rooms which are to adjoin. This room
can be opened up to give us 150 extra seats opening into the
Tabernacle, with grand total of 1,000 seats.
The last section to be constructed is the front lounge
room, almost wholly glassed in, overlooking the magnificent
terraced view and the projected lake. It will also serve as class
room and for dining purposes when large numbers are attending.
WORK MUST START ON THIS BUILDING PROJECT AT ONCE! I am
determined NOT to go into debt in this. We MUST have cash in
advance to pay as we build. So I must now make an EXTRA SPECIAL
APPEAL for special funds LARGE funds from those who are able for
this special BUILDING FUND.
Three families already have moved to Gladewater I have
met two of them here. Many others are planning to move here, or
near here. But again, let me caution you, DO NOT MOVE HERE until
you have first come here and established yourself in a job, a
business, or means of earning a living. Jobs around here are
scarce temporarily, just now, due to the fact the big Lafourneau
plant in Longview recently laid off a few hundred men. This, I
believe, is a temporary condition. One of the men I have met here
managed to get a good job and is now going to move his wife and
children here.
Again, don't send anything for the special building fund
you would have sent anyway for the GOSPEL Work. The GOSPEL work
must go out stronger and stronger. We cannot take money from that
for building purposes. So, try to sacrifice an EXTRA, ADDITIONAL
sum for this special building fund, and state plainly in your
letter how much is tithe and regular offering, and how much is for
the special building fund.
My, ISN'T GOD GOOD TO US? Isn't it just WONDERFUL the
way He blesses His work, keeps it growing so powerfully? How we
should thank and praise Him! God bless you, I know you'll continue
to stand with us! RUSH the largest amounts your means and
circumstances permit.
Sincerely, gratefully, in Jesus' name,
Herbert W. Armstrong
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