WORLDWIDE
Herbert W. Armstrong
PRESIDENT and PASTOR
Dear Brethren of God's Church:
I'm writing this
special letter to express, if I possibly can, the combined feelings of vast
relief, thanksgiving, humility, and joy over the events of these past few
months.
My father, along
with several of the Vice Presidents of the Work and Mr. Rader, our General
Counsel and Financial Adviser were here only a few hours ago in the
little "A-frame" my wife and I have been renting for several
months in the mountains of Colorado.
It was one of the
most important days in all my life -- and, I really hope and pray, an important
day for the Work of our Saviour for this age.
As I write, I
know my father has already told a few close friends in Pasadena preparatory to
an announcement he will make this coming Friday night in Bible study that I am
to begin radio broadcasting, television programmes , writing,
and other duties almost immediately -- that he has written a letter to you
Brethren, making the same announcement, and that, if I can get this letter to
him in time, he will include my thoughts to you. He is announcing
not only that I will be back on radio and TV soon, but that a whole new
format is to begin, which I have wanted desperately to do for many
years. It will not really be so "new", after all,
but rather much more like the format of the broadcasts my father was
doing when I was but a boy, and very much like many of the newer programmes he has been doing of recent date. Not only on
radio, but on television, I hope to begin more of the hard-hitting,
straightforward Biblical and prophetic messages which make our programme absolutely unique in this world. I hope ,
through God's own help, these new programme will be
more powerful as witness for the soon coming Ruler and King of this earth Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, than over before! God truly does now "command all men
everywhere to REPENT". His time has come to get that message to the
world.
Brethren of God,
I know there were literally thousands of you praying for this Work — and
even for me, personally, during these past months. I needed those
prayers, like a member of any family needs the
loving concern of all the other members if he is in sore trial. I know
through many experiences that God Almighty was working with me -- that
the very purpose for my drawing breath on this earth is to give myself utterly
to His own Work -- that God, Himself, was rendering a decision. It was as if He
had said,, "I will yet use you to MY honour and glory -- to MY purpose -- you are NOT YOUR OWN you
are BOUGHT WITH A PRICE! " I know Christ PAID for my life, and
what a purchase price for such worthless merchandise. Still, if God will use me
for His purpose I want only that for the rest of my life -- and nothing else.
I know some were
confused, perhaps shocked, in wonderment and perplexity --- and I know
that many defamatory articles appeared against God's own Work. God is the
judge, however, of all such men -- and He alone really searches and tries their
hearts. We should only pray FOR them.
I want to thank
all of you who have so earnestly besought our Creator on my behalf — and, if I
could, the tens of thousands who are not yet truly converted, and
brought to their God, but who, nevertheless, made it obvious I, in spite of my
own clay, and totally common humanity, had come to have daily meaning to their
lives. Thank you, Brethren, VERY much for your loving concern.
The one in this
human sphere to whom I truly owe the greatest debt, besides my own father,
is right here beside me, as she has been for these many years -- my wife Shirley. Without
her, I know I would be only a vagabond in this earth, without cause or purpose
-- not a whole man.
We serve a
wonderful God, Brethren -- and how totally ANXIOUS I am to be about our
Father's business!
In
Christ's name,
Garner Ted Armstrong