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WORLDWIDE CHURCH OF GOD
WORLD HEADQUARTERS
PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91123
HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG
PRESIDENT and PASTOR
October 27, 1972
Dear Brethren of God's Church:
Everybody I have discussed it with says enthusiastically,
this Feast of Tabernacles was not only the GREATEST in every way
so far, but also it was the TURNING POINT!!! The world doesn't
believe it, but THERE ASSUREDLY IS A DEVIL. And Satan has pulled
out all stops in his attack to try to DESTROY GOD'S CHURCH and
GOD'S WORK! He has hit us three major blows in the past year.
It was beginning to cast a pall of gloom over some of us.
But it was definitely noticeable at all Feast sites this
year, that there was a decisive TURNING POINT in our spirits, our
attitudes, our renewed earnestness of dedication, and our UNITY!
I was privileged to speak at every Festival site in the
United States and Canada. It was INSPIRING to see the growth in
membership, the spirit of JOY and REJOICING as we experienced a
foretaste of the KINGDOM OF GOD, and the millennium which will be
without Satan's disturbing presence!
I know it was encouraging and inspiring to all to hear the
financial report, showing -- NOT a decrease in income as enemies
have tried to accuse, but a healthy and substantial INCREASE, even
since the first of this year, though not as big an increase as we
would like. It has been greatly encouraging to realize that, even
with Satan's vicious and dastardly attacks, and in spite of the
fact that we, being human have made some mistakes, that THESE ARE
INFINITESIMAL COMPARED TO THE REMARKABLE AND UNPRECEDENTED
ACHIEVEMENTS GOD HAS WROUGHT THROUGH US! Never in history has
Christ's very Gospel gone out worldwide in SUCH POWER!
There is no "success story" I verily believe, in the annals
of institutional experience, noncommercial or even commercial,
equal to what has been accomplished in this great Work.
And WHAT IS that Work -- that Great Commission? It is,
first of all, getting Christ's Gospel -- the GOOD NEWS of the
coming KINGDOM OF GOD -- to the whole world.
That is the number ONE purpose of God's Church. That is
the number one REASON why the Eternal God has put YOU into His
Church -- not just for what you may GET out of it, but to help
GIVE this precious Message of coming world peace -- of eternal
life in God's Kingdom -- as a witness to the world. Our Mission
is NOT to CONVINCE the world, not to SAVE the world NOW -- it is
to TELL the world what is going to happen whether they believe it
or not. Brethren, we must realize that when we TELL THEM, we have
done what we were called to do, regardless of their response!