Eugene, Oregon
October 29,1943
My dear Friend and Co-Worker:
I want to stop this afternoon to write a brief letter to
you, and just a few others, who are among my most loyal friends
and Co-Workers in God's great work,--and who have sacrificed
repeatedly to keep this great work alive and constantly growing
in power, influence and scope.
It is friends and brethren in Christ like you who give me
my greatest inspiration and encouragement for my part in the
Master's work. I thank God for you, and for continuing loyally
to hold up my hands in these trying days, and thru the
discouragements, handicaps, tests of faith I am called upon
constantly to face.
My heart has ached over the long delay in getting out The
PLAIN TRUTH. I simply could not understand it--how just one
unforeseen thing after another has appeared constantly to
interfere with it and delay getting this largest issue so far
published,--were it not for God's own explanation in Ephesians
6:12: "We wrestle not against flesh and blood (human beings), but
against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the
darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness (or wicked
Spirits) in high places." But I do take very great encouragement
in knowing that Satan is angry at this work, trying every way he
knows to slow it down or to stop it. But in verses 10 and 11
and 13 of this passage we are told to BE STRONG in the power of
God's might--to put on God's whole armor, that we may stand
against the wiles of the devil.
Time after time during the past two months I have had to
turn to such promises God has given us as the following, and
claim them: "Trust in the Eternal and do right, be loyal to Him
within His land; make the Eternal your delight and He will give
you all your heart's desire. LEAVE ALL TO HIM, RELY ON HIM, AND
HE WILL SEE TO IT; He will bring your innocence to light, and
make the justice of your CAUSE clear as noonday. LEAVE IT TO THE
ETERNAL AND BE PATIENT!" (Psalm 37:3-7). And, "Though I must
pass thru the thick of trouble, thou wilt preserve me; thy hand
shall fall upon my angry foes; thy right hand rescues me. THE
ETERNAL INTERVENES ON MY BEHALF: Eternal One, thy kindness never
fails, thou wilt not drop the work thou hast begun." (Psalm
138:7-8). This is a PRAYER, in God's true and genuine PRAYER-
BOOK, (the Bible) which I have often had to pray recently. And
God has always answered! But we are told to pray one for
another.
In Matthew 18:19 Jesus promised that if TWO of us shall
agree on earth as touching anything we shall ask, IT SHALL BE
DONE for us of our Father in heaven. I can't tell you the
troubles, the difficulties, the opposition I have been called
upon to face recently--from unforeseen, unexpected, almost
mysterious sources. God has been delivering us repeatedly out of
just one such trouble after another. At times I haven't known
where to turn--what to do--except just to turn to God and trust
Him. But now I ask YOU if you won't get down on your knees and
pray these same prayers to God, which He inspired for us to pray
--and AGREE with me that Satan shall be turned back, that God's
work may march ahead in multiplied power. Will you?
I'm more than happy to tell you The PLAIN TRUTH is in the
hands of the printers, the presses are about ready to roll and
turn out 35,000 or more copies, and all the paper (a ton and a
half) is bought and delivered. We hope now to start mailing it
within ten days. PLEASE pray that nothing further will be
allowed to hold it up. And PLEASE CONTINUE TO STAND BY ME, as
you have in the past with your tithes and offerings. I write you
as one of the brethren in the Lord, for we NEVER ask any but our
own co-workers and brethren for money. It's never mentioned over
the air or in The PLAIN TRUTH, as you of course know. But at the
present moment I am facing the most severe financial crisis this
work has ever met, and unless I receive several hundred dollars
almost immediately, we might even have to go off the air! I know
you'll do everything you possibly can to help until The PLAIN
TRUTH is out.
With love and gratitude,
HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG