January, 1967

Published monthly at Pasadena, California© 1967. by Radio Church of God

ministering to its membersscattered abroad

Number 1

January, 1967

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Garner Ted Armstrong

EDITORHERBERT W. ARMSTRONG

MANAGING EDITOR

David Jon Hill

"",e

Good NewsInternational magazine of

THE CHURCH OF GOD

Volume XVI

The GOOD NEWS

More About Our Cover...Your 1966 ENVOY is now ready for distribution! Itwill be in the mails by the time you read this

announcement. Thank you for your patience - we feel it willbe rewarded. We have spent a year and a half of careful effortto make the '66 ENVOY the very best we could. The strikingcover portrait of this largest, most colorful edition ever can onlyhint at the quality and beauty carried throughout the book.Two-hundred-ten full-color pictures are sprinkled through 440pages to give you a complete, life-like pictorial chronicle of theyear's activities at the three Ambassador Colleges and the Workof God around the world. Ambassador College Photo

What our READERS SAY ...

Mr. and Mrs. G. C. H.,South Carolina

Grateful for "Ruling onWomen's Dress"

"I think your article In The GOODNEWS about 'The Ruling on Women'sDress' was a very eye-opening article.I think it was very eye-opening becauseI am guilty of having my skirts tooshort. Believe me, they ale going to belengthened because I really love Godand His laws and to be of this worldand not God's Church will never be mychoice. Thank you so much for such agreat article of more of God's Word.Thank you for everything. My lifewould be worthless without God'sWord and laws. Thank you!"

Miss C. D.; (age 15)Arizona

New Texarkana Church"I just had to write and tell you

how glad I was to get the letter to goto Texarkana for a Sabbath Service.Thank you for raising up the churchthere. It's 55 miles from home and Ihave to ride the bus and cab, but thatreally is nothing. I can hardly wait forthe next Sabbath day to come."

W. M. 1., Arkansas

Mr. Waterhouse's Tour Appreciated"We do wish to say how much we

enjoyed hearing Mr. Gerald Water­house as well as seeing the movieslides he brought. It was truly worthseeing. We can see very well why otherpeople think the colleges are very beau­tiful. They are very beautiful and wellkept. We do wish he would have had

some pictures of Mr. Garner TedArmstrong and his family. That wouldhave been real nice. Maybe they willnext time. Anyway we think it wasreally something worth seeing. God'sWork is really growing. And we can'tthank God enough for all He has donetu lldp us, and to help you in everyway."

"Mr. Gerald Waterhouse has beenvisiting our church area (Greensboroand Fayetteville, North Carolina) forthe past week. The sermon given byhim and the slides shown made mereally realize the importance of God'sWork. I realize more that God is thereand means business."

M. H., (Co-worker)North Carolina

Eager to Stay "In Touch""The recent broadcasts have been

even more dynamic, the best ever. Mr.Ted Armstrong makes the truth so clear,so logical, so easy to grasp. We dependupon this ministry, as many othersmust, since we are not near a congrega­tion. We eagerly await every letter, everymagazine, pamphlet - even a tithe re­ceipt - to reassure ourselves that weare 'in touch' with other brethren. Weare so happy to be a small part of thisgreatest endeavor on the whole earth­and we are just beginning."

Mr. and Mrs. W. A. S.,New York

SENIOR EDITORS

Roderick C. MeredithHerman 1. Hoeh

Associate Editors

Albert ]. Portune Ronald Kelly

Contributing EditorsDavid 1. Antion Leslie 1. McCulloughDibar K. Apartian Bill 1. McDowellC. Wayne Cole Raymond F. McNairRaymond C. Cole C. Paul MeredithWilliam Dankenbring 1. Leroy NeffRonald 1. Dart Richard F. PlacheCharles V. Dorothy John E. PortuneJack R. Elliott Paul S. RoyerSelmer 1. Hegvold Norman A. SmithCharles F. Hunting Lynn E. TorrancePaul W. Kroll Gerald WaterhouseDennis G. Luker Dean R. WilsonErnest 1. Martin Basil Wolverton

Clint C. Zimmerman

Foods Consultants

Velma Van der VeerMary E. Hegvold Isabell F. Hoeh

Rose McDowell

Editorial and Production Assistants

Paul W. KrollJames W. Robinson

Donald G. McDonald

BUSINESS MANAGER

Albert J. Portune

ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS to the Editor,Box 111, Pasadena, Cal ifo-nia 91109.Canadian members should address Post OfficeBox 44, Station A, Vancouver 1, B. C.; Canada.Our members in United Kingdom, Europe, andAfrica should address the Editor, B. C. M.Ambassador, London, W.C. 1, England.South Africa: Post Office Box 1060, Johannes­burg, Transvaal, R. S. A.Members in Australia and Southeast Asia shouldaddress the Editor, Box 345, North Sydney,N. S. W., Australia.In the Philippines, Post Office Box 2603, Manila.BE SURE TO NOllFY US IMMEDIATELY of anychange in your address. Please include both oldand new address. IMPORTANT!

Church of God News-,.

RLDWIDEMinisterial Conference convenes - new truth and new doorsopened. More Churches and Bible studies begun. Greatest

growth eoer planned.

by David Jon Hill

((W E ARE going to have toaccomplish more in thenext two years than we

have in the past thirty-three!" Thissobering yet thrilling statement madeby Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong set thetheme for the 1967 Ministerial Con­ference at Headquarters here in Pasa­dena. From January 9, through January19, the key ministers from around theworld convened for the thirteenth timein the most important conference onthe face of the earth!

I have been blessed in being ableto attend each one of these Conferencesand feel qualified to say that this year'sConference was outstanding! Just aseach Feast of Tabernacles seems to getbetter than the last, so does each Min­isterial Conference - but this Confer­ence was not just "better than thelast"-it was OUTSTANDING! This seemsto Le the year God's Work goes intohigh gear!

From The Conference

You will be reading articles in TheGOOD NEWS in future months whichwill be the direct fruit of this Con­

ference. A very thorough study of thefarming situation has been taking placeon our Ambassador Campus in Texas,and a thorough report of all theirfindings will be presented to you inthe months following. A thorough andbetter understanding of God's tithinglaws and the real purpose for them

Our Pastor-General, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong,presided at the majority of the meetings.

Amhossodor College Photo

came very clear in this Conference.Articles on this subject will be comingyour way. Also many more principlesof family relations - the husbands'and wives' responsibilities to each otherand their children - were thoroughlydiscussed and more articles are alreadyassigned to cover these discussions anddecisions.

Subjects ranging from the under­standing of God's laws on mixed fab­rics to the milking of cows on theSabbath were expounded and each ofthese will find its way into sermonsin your local congregations and laterinto articles or question box answersin the pages of this magazine.

Most important of all was the mas-

sive work on the subject of warfareand a complete understanding of God'scommand "Thou shalt not kill" thatMr. Herbert W. Armstrong presentedto the Conference ministers. A greatdeal of time and energy - both phy­sical and spiritual - has gone into thepreparation of this subject. New lightfrom God's Word and a most thoroughunclerstanding of the subject has comeout of that time and effort. As soonas the finishing touches are put on byMr. Armstrong. he plans to run theproduct serially in the pages of TheGOOD NEWS.

There were also many reports madefrom around the world regarding thestate of the Work - there were ordi-

nations (which will be covered indi­vidually in the next issue of this maga­zine) - the most productive Minister­ial Conference to date has adjournedand the new life that it inspired inthe men responsible for carryin8 out thf'commission God has given to HisChurch will be felt more dynamicallyin this year to come than in any otherpast year!

1966 In a Nutshell

A very succinct annual report on thegrowth of churches, Bible studies andministers in the Church of God world­wide in 1966 was given at this Conference. Following are some excerptsfrom this report.

The total income increase this yearfell below the usual 30 percent to a24.7 percent - this should drive us toour knees more often and more fer­vently and make us more diligent inour own tithes and offerings, sacrificingmore than ever for the Work in thisyear to come.

In the calendar year of 1966, 26new churches were raised up, 18 in theUnited States and 8 in foreign coun­tries. This brings the total number ofchurches worldwide to 146. In thissame year there were 34 netu ordina­tions and 26 raises in rank in God'sMinistry, bringing the total number ofordained men to 210. In addition tothese ordained men, there are 41 un­ordained men serving full time minis­tering to the churches throughout theworld.

The total number of people attend­ing church in the United States at theend of 1966 was almost 35,000 andthere were 5,100 pIus attending inforeign countries giving a worldwidetotal of over 40 thousand people at-

tending services each week in God'sChurch worldwide!

In the United States alone there area total of 115 churches with an averageattendance in each of these of 304persons. Although there are 134 menvisiting full time in the United States,each is responsible for serving an aver­age of 261 people! Overseas, takingcharge of the 32 churches, are 27 full­time men each serving an average of189 people! In addition to these churchlocations there are 39 separate Biblestudies worldwide available to brethrenwho do not have a local church toattend.

New Churches

Three new churches have heen be­

gun since the fall 1966 report onworldwide distribution of manpowerwhich you all received with the Octo­ber-November GOOD NEWS.

On November 12, of last year theManchester, New Hampshire Biblestudy became the Manchester Church!Mr. Raymond Cole, the District Super­intendent and an Evangelist in God'sMinistry was on hand for the first Sab­bath service there. Mr. Reg Platt is theresident pastor serving the more than170 people in attendance each Sabbath.

Later that same month Mr. FrankSchnee raised up a new church inMunich, West Germany. There were 30people in attendance on that Sabbath,November 26. Mr. Frank Schnee andthe Local Elder, Mr. Gunar Freibergs,have a unique situation in Germany.With the new church in Munich thereare now four churches for these two

Mr. Dale Schurter gave a full report on thetremendous progress being made in the Texas

Farm Program.Ambassador College Photo

January, 1967

Mr. Garner Ted Armstrong addresses 'he con­clave of ministers during an afternoon session.

Ambassador College Photo

men to pastor. Each of these churches isfrom 100 to 200 miles from the othersand in Europe that's a long way!

Therefore, the four German churcheseach meet only once a month. Mr.Schnee finds himself traveling on acircuit through Assyria Just Eke Samueldid going through a circuit in ancientIsrael stopping at Beth-e!, Gilgal, andMizpah each yeal. III today's GermanyHerr Schnee and Herr Freibergs travel incircuit to Frankfurt, Hamburg, Dussel­dorf, and Munich, month by month!

During the successive Sabbaths in allfour cities the day begins around ninein the morning. After a little fellow­ship, a Bible study begins at 9: 30, andduring the next hour and a half or sothe German members are able to havequestions they have accumulated duringthe month answered straight fromGod's Word by God's Minister. Themeeting place in each instance is a finehotel and the people adjourn from theBible study to have a pleasant lun­cheon together. Then a sermonette isdelivered, special music and announce­ments are given, then a full sermonjust as in any Sabbath service any­where in the world in God's Church.After Sabbath services in the afternoonthe brethren again get together forfellowship and personal counsel - thistime over cake and coffee! Mr. Schneereports it is usually about 6: 00 p.m.before the last member leaves! Themembership of each church runs some-

(Conhllued on page 24)

WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?Many of you brethren have never fully realized what your goalought to be. Desiring merely to make it into God's Kingdom is

not enough. You need a much higher goal than this!

by Raymond F. McNair

WH AT SHOULD the real Christiangoal be? Most members ofGod's Church will automati­

cally answer, "Why, my goal is to enterthe Kingdom of God I"

Isn't this what Christ showed theChristian goal should be? He com­manded, "But seek ye first the KING­DOM OF GOD, and His righteousness;and all these things [material necessi­ties] shall be added unto you" (Mat.6:33).

Content To Be A Doorkeeper?

But - is this goal sufficient? Shouldzealous Christians have an even highergoal, within the overall goal of enteringGod's Kingdom?

Should the Christian seek more thanjust entering the Kingdom of God­just making it into God's Kingdom?

Or, should a Christian be quite con­tent to seek no higher goal in the King­dom of God than merely to be "a door­keeper"? Didn't King David say, "Ihad rather be a doorkeeper in the houseof my God, than to dwell in the tentsof wickedness" (Ps. 84: 10) ?

Did David mean that he was contentto seek the lowest place or position inGod's Kingdom?

No, brethren, this is not what Davidsaid or meant!

He merely showed it would be farmore desirable to be a mere doorkeeperin the Kingdom of God than to havewhat some might think to be a morehonored position in this world.

God's Word clearly reveals that Heis not pleased to see us seeking merelyto enter His Kingdom. He wants to seeus enter with "flying colors"! He hopeswe will lawfully strive for more thanjust making it into His Kingdom!

The apostle Peter made this pointvery clear.

"Wherefore the rather, brethren, give

diligence to make your calling andelection sure: for if ye do these thingsye shall never fall: For so an entranceshall be ministered unto you ABUN­DANTLY into the Everlasting kingdomof our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ"(II Pet. 1:10, 11).

The apostle Paul clearly showed that,at the judgment, God will reward everyman "according to his deeds" (Rom.2:5, 6).

Seek for Glory?

But, should a Christian seek morethan eternal life? More than a mereplace in God's Kingdom? Notice theapostle Paul's answer: "To them whoby patient continuance in well doingSEEK for GLORY and HONOR and IM­

MORTALITY, eternal life" (Rom. 2 :7).God Almighty promises He will give

us much more than immortality - morethan mere eternal life in His Kingdom!In addition to eternal life He will giveus "glory, honor, and peace, to everyman that worketh good, to the Jew first,and also to the Gentile" (verse 10).

Yes, brethren, God's Word clearlyreveals that we should seek for morethan mere eternal life.

Some will make it into God's King­dom, but will not receive a very greatreward - because they have not dili­gently served God to the utmost of theirability! They have not served Him withall their might - have not sought, law­fully, for a greater reward in God'sKingdom!

God wants us to receive a full reward."Look to yourselves, that we lose notthose things which we have wrought,but that we receive A FULL REWARD"

(II John 8).Is it possible for people to enter God's

Kingdom, yet not receive a full reward?It certainly is!

If we seek the bare minimum - mere

entrance into the Kingdom of God­then we will probably not even make it!We could even lose the crown whichGod has waiting for us. "Behold, Icome quickly; hold that fast which thouhast, that no man take THY CROWN"(Rev. 3:11).

Yes, God Almighty will reward usaccording to the actual fruits which wehave produced - according to ourworks! At the second coming of JesusChrist every Christian is going to standbefore Him to personally receive thisreward. "For we must all appear beforethe judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in hisbody, according to that he hath done,whether it be good or bad" (II Cor.5 :10).

Some in God's Church are notyielding to God as they should. Theyare not really striving to enter God'sKingdom (Luke 13:24). Such indolentChristians (spiritual drones) are notproducing as much fruit as God Al­mighty expects of them.

Produce a Hundredfold!

Jesus Christ, in the Parable of theSower, revealed that some will produceno fruit whatsoever; others will bearonly thirtyfold or sixtyfold. But somewill produce ONE HUNDREDFOLD.

Should we be content merely to pro­duce thirtyfold? or sixtyfold? or ninety­fold? or should we strive to produce onehundredfold - thereby making Godsupremely happy?

Remember, Christ revealed that itis God's will that we bear - not thirty­fold, or sixtyfold - but one hundred­fold! "Herein is my Father glorified,that ye bear MUCH fruit; so shall ye bemy disciples" (John 15:8).

But how will Christ judge us? Howwill He determine whether we haveborne much fruit? Whether we have

6

borne thirtyfold, or sixtyfold or onehundredfold?

It is vitally important that each Chris­

tian know how God Almighty, in theperson of Jesus Christ, will judge himat Christ's second coming. Be absolutelycertain of this: Christ's judgment willbe completely honest, fair and true.

Talents According to Ability

God Almighty clearly reveals to us,especially through Christ's parables, howwe will be judged.

The Parable of the TALENTS (Mat.25 :14-30) reveals part of the answeras to how Christ will judge us.

This parable clearly shows that weare NOT all born equal! We are notall born with the same innate talentsand abilities! "And unto one He gavefive talents, to another two, and to an­other one; to every man ACCORD­ING TO HIS SEVERAL [individual]ABILITY" (verse 15).

Certainly, some people are born withfar greater talents and abilities ­greater mental and / or physical dex­terity - than others.

God expects each one to make themost of whatever He has given him.

This Parable of the Talents revealsthat God expects each one of us toemploy our talents in some gainful wayso that we can gain other talents inaddition to what we have been given byGod at birth!

Finally, the Lord reckons with theones to whom He has given the talents(verse 19). The one who had been givenfive talents, doubled his and now hadten. Christ said to him, "Well done,thou good and faithful servant; thouhast been faithful over a few things,I will make thee ruler over many things:enter thou into the joy of thy lord"(verse 21).

Likewise, the one who had receivedonly two talents had doubled his, andin like manner, the Lord said to him:"Well done, good and faithful servant;thou hast been faithful over a fewthings, I will make thee ruler over manythings: enter thou into the joy of thylord" (verse 23).

Did you notice that Jesus Christ said,"Well done" to each of these diligentservants? Each had doubled the talentsgiven to him, and each was highly

The GOOD NEWS

commended by the Lord for so doing.But the one who had received only

"one talent" looked upon God as "anhard man" - thought He was dishon­est, and didn't do anything with histalent (verses 24, 25). Christ com­manded, "And cast ye the unprofitableservant into outer darkness" (verse30).

Reward According to Effort

The Parable of the POUNDS (Luke19: 12-27) shows a different aspect ofhow God will judge His people.

In this parable Christ called His tenservants and delivered unto each apound. He told them, "Occupy till Icome" (verse 13). This word "occupy"means to gainfully use or profitably em­ploy by trading.

Verse 15 reveals that when JesusChrist returns, after having received theKingdom, He will call His servants toan accounting to see "how much everyman has GAINED by trading" (verse15).

The most diligent of the ten servantswill come saying, "Lord, thy poundhath gained TEN pounds. And He saidunto him, Well, thou good servant;because thou hast been faithful overlittle, have thou authority over TENcities" (verses 16, 17).

Yes, this diligent servant was givena great deal of responsibility - becausehe had already proved he was able towisely use the responsibility placed uponhim.

The second servant came to reckonwith his Lord. He hadn't been quiteso diligent. He said, "Lord thy poundhath gained FIVE pounds. And Hesaid likewise to him, Be thou also overFIVE cities" (verses 18, 19).

Notice that Christ doesn't call him

"thou good servant"!But what will Christ think of the

slothful servant - the one who lookedupon God as "an austere man"? Theone who thought God was unrighteous(verse 21)?

Christ will severely rebuke this indo­

lent servant, saying that he should havegainfully employed the pound whichhe had been given, so God could have

received His original investment plusinterest [usury]. "Take from him the

January, 1967

pound, and give it to him that hath tenpounds" (verse 24).

The servants who were standing bythought this seemed unwise, if not un­just. They said, "Lord, he hath tenpounds" (verse 25).

But Jesus will plainly reveal thatthose who have already proved they canexercise greater authority - greater re­sponsibility, greater rulership - aremore deserving and capable. They areto be given added responsibility.

This same lesson is also pointed outby Christ in the Parable of the Talents(Mat. 25 :28). The one who had onlyone talent (and who didn't do anythingwith it) had his talent taken from himand given to the one who had "tentalents."

It is certainly right that God shoulddo this! The one who had only provedcapable of handling five talents (or fivepounds) would certainly find it moredifficult to manage an additional talent(or pound) than would the most dili­gent servant - who had already provedhe could manage ten talents (or tenpounds).

This Parable of the Pounds revealsthat (of those who have equal talentsand abilities) God will give the greaterreward to those who develop their tal­ents and abilities to a greater extent.This parable was not intended to showthat everybody in Gad's Church is bornwith the same innate talent and ability.It merely points out that those in God'sChurch of approximate equal abilitywill be judged according to what theydo with their "pound."

All-important Time Factor

The Parable of the LABORERS in theVineyard (Mat. 20:1-6) plainly revealsthat God Almighty will take anothervery important factor - the time ele­ment - into account when judging andrewarding His people.

In this parable all Christians arelikened unto laborers in a vineyard.The householder hired some laborers"early in the morning." He agreed withthem to pay each a penny a day. Laterothers were hired "at the third hour"(9: 00 a.m.) and still others were hiredat "the sixth" (12: 00 noon) and"ninth" (3:00 p.m.) hours of the day.

(Continued on page 19)

TEN RULES TOFINANCIAL SUCCESS!

Here are some of the basic rules and principles you need toknow in order to make ends meet!

by David Jon Hill

W HY CAN'T your family makeends meet? Why are so manymembers in God's Church in

debt-while others are seemingly neverable to rise above the tide of theirfinancial burdens? God's ministers inevery local church encounter all toooften real serious money problems! Isthis God's will that His people shouldbe perennially "in the red," never quiteable to make those ends meet at the endof the month?

You need to know the answers tothese and other questions! In this arti­cle are ten basic principles on han­dling money - whether you are thehead of the house providing for as manyas a dozen, or a student working onlypart time - these rules apply just thesame! There are certainly many otherprinciples regarding income that wecannot possibly deal with in one arti­cle, but these are definitely ten of themost important principles. Read andstudy these rules-analyze where youare falling short, then make the neces­sary changes which will bring results

and end your worries once and for all!

First Things First!

The first rule governing our incomesis the basic, trunk of the tree principlerevealed by Jesus Christ in Matthew6:33! Surely you have frequently heardthat we must seek first the Kingdomof God-but brethren, too many of usare not really applying this great cardi­nal rule in our lives dailyi Read Mat­thew 6:33 again. Notice the emphasisChrist puts on putting first things firsti

Keeping this one prime principle inmind, ask yourself if you are guilty ofputting your physical concerns aboveGod's Kingdom? Are you mainly in-

terested in the same mundane pursuitsafter which the world seeks? Noticeverse 25, "Take no thought for yourlife, what you shall eat, or what youshall drink, nor yet for your body ..."Are these your chief concerns-the ma­terial, temporal cares-s-or is your mainand first concern seeking God's right­eousness? ?

Here is an example of members whoapplied rule number one-they putobedience to God first, regardless of theconsequences.

In this particular instance, a fatherand son, both members in a localchurch, heg~n their roofing businessshortly before the Feast. It may nothave been the most opportune timeto hegin a business, but the way condi­tions occurred they were forced to beginthen. At the time of the Feast theywere faced with the decision of keepingthe Feast Days, or of working. Leavinga new business UNATTENDED at thiscrucial time, the very beginning weeks­for several whole days-would besuicide-without Godi Brethren, youjust don't start a new business then turnright around a couple of weeks later andleave it! But these members did justthat and they kept the Feast with theirwhole hearts and DID NOT LET thebusiness cause them undue concern!

What would you have done? Manyof you would have put the physical,immediate goals first and would nothave fully kept the Feast Days, even tothe point of requiring new employeesto miss several vital days of work­just to keep the Feast and to put Godfirsti

What were the results? Is God REALand able to intervene DIRECTLY to blessthose who obey Him in a tangible,

material way? The answer, as this ex­ample vividly points out, is a resound­ing YES! These members--on returninghome found that in the interim, whilethey were keeping the Feast, a large­scale hailstorm had totally or partiallydamaged approximately 50,000 roofs inthe immediate vicinity! Staggering isn'tit-yet it actually bappenedl

Needless to S"ly there was much morebusiness than the already establishedroofing companies could handle andthese members in God's Church, be­cause obedience to God came first, wereblessed beyond measure and, in fact,are growing monthly to the point ofpossibly becoming a major factor in theroofing business in their area! Acci­dental? Coincidence ? You try to tellthem that it was a mere accident orjust coincidence, or that God did notintervene and give them the real startinto a successful business venture!

Don't misunderstand - hard work,drive, initiative, resourcefulness, per­severance, proper training for the jobthey were tackling were all present.But without their complete trust inGod, yielding to His will when it con­flicted with all the physical signs waswhat brought God's blessing - andmore important than the financialblessing, created right character!

This then, brethren, demonstrates, atleast for those of you who are convertedand can see God's hand in such matters,the first cardinal rule! If you don't fol­low this rule the others will be of NOvalue! Put God and ABSOLUTE obedi­ence to His laws FIRST-and HE willprovide the material blessings!

"Prove Me Now Herewith"

"Here is my regular tithe. I want allof you to know that from the first time

8

I started tithing until now, I have ac­tually doubled my income and havebeen able to triple the size of God'sfirst tithe. I am certainly thankful Godhas revealed His laws to me"-so writesa co-worker from Ohio. Here, brethren,is the second of these rules-the LAWOF TITHING. We as members in theChurch of the Living God, alreadyknow the promises God makes in Mala­chi 3 regarding our tithes-but the realquestion is: why aren't more of youbeing faithful and paying ALL of yourtithes? This law concerns not only thefirst tithe, but the second and the thirdtithes as well-in fact, the principles inGod's Word also COMMAND us to goabove and beyond these tithes and offer­ings.

All too often members or prospec­tive members ask God's ministers forcounsel concerning their finances whenthey are having problems. During theconversation, it often becomes apparentthat the individual is not being com­pletely honest with God and payingALL of his tithes! How can you EXPECTto be blessed? Can you consistentlybreak a man-made law and expect toget away with it? Then how do youexpect to break the inexorable LAWS OFGOD and still be blessed?

The obvious answer is that you can­not!

Here is another recent example of onewho put God to the test- "We arefarmers, raising wheat and cattle, so wedo not have a monthly income, but atthe year's end we figure out our booksand see if God has gotten at least 10percent. We have tithed for over 15years. We know that those who refuse

to yield to God on this are missing ablessing. Since coming into contact withyour preaching, we know some of thetithes we formerly paid were not usedto the best advantage. But, God blessesthe giver on the basis of his under­standing and obedience to what lighthe does have. Besides all the spiritualblessings, we have asked for rain in direneed, and God has granted it. Ofttimesit never rained but on a few squaremiles, and we got the needed rain! Anumber of years our crops were muchbetter than even those right across thefence. We have much more with 90 per-

The GOOD NEWS

cent than we would have with 100percent without God."

Rather than spend more space hereon this important rule, let me encourageyou to re-read and study the booklet,Ending Your Financial Worries and thearticle which appeared in the July, 1960PLAIN TRUTH, "The Man WhoCouldn't Afford to Tithe." These andother articles very thoroughly cover thisrule and should be studied by those ofyou who may still be breaking God'stithing laws and yet expecting God'sblessings.

Remember Jesus Christ's own wordsin regard to this: "For where yourtreasure is, there will your heart bealso" (Luke 12: 34). This is the waywe PHYSICALLY express the extent towhich our HEART is in God's Work!

Resist The Urge!

Rule number three is the vital prin­ciple of self-discipline! Too many areguilty of "impulse buying" and are nowsuffering the serious consequences.Others have borrowed from "loansharks" and find themselves in an evenworse predicament! Part of your con­version and overcoming is the capacityto control yourselves! God promises inGalatians 5:23 as one of the fruits ofHis Holy Spirit the strength to be tem­perate, the ability to control the naturaldesires and pulls of the flesh.

Are you not different from the world?The unconverted people around you aretotally subject to their passions-theyare unable to resist the urge to "im­pulsively splurge." This natural weak­ness directly affects their finances and isone of the major CAUSES of debt andcomplete financial failure! But YOUhave the knowledge of God and thepower of His Holy Spirit which givesyou the strength to resist! Why then,don't more of you utilize this power?God intends for you to OVERCOME thenatural urge to purchase on impulse!

Why do so many husbands even inGod's Church come home to find thattheir wives have foolishly purchasedmore and costly clothes, the latest gad­gets, and a dozen other unnecessarythings?

The same is true of men. They too,are subject to vanity and lust. Oftenthey will desire to have what the other

January, 1967

men have-perhaps a sporty new car, afine expensive rifle, etc., all of whichadd up to MONEY! Brethren, the lackof self-discipline is costly!!

It has often been said of the averagemiddle-class American that he "buysthings he does not really need, to im­press people he may not even like­with money he does, not have." Howshockingly true! This is the world, butcan't you with the strength of God'sSpirit rise above human vanity that saysyou must "keep up with the Joneses"?Yet because many have consistentlybroken and violated this vital law,failing to control their lusts, they arepaying bitterly for it!

Economists in the world generallyclassify our possessions and purchasesin three categories: (1) Needs-suchas food, clothing, furniture, etc. (2)Comforts-this includes the deviceswhich make life more comfortable. Forexample, an automatic washer anddryer, a phonograph, perhaps a secondcar, etc. (3) Luxuries-this should beself-explanatory ... items like an ex­pensive camera, elaborate hunting andfishing equipment, a color TV set, astereo, a motor scooter for the kids,scuba-diving equipment for yourself,and perhaps a private Bying license.Understand - these things are notwrong per se, but frequently we en­counter members who own such itemswhile not being able to properly clothetheir children! Brethren, this is all dueto vanity and an expenrive lack of self­control!

Analyze your recent purchases or forthat matter all your possessions. Classifythem in these three categories. Do youthen begin to see the problem? Spacedoes not permit us to make a completelist for you but you can take the ini­tiative and honestly evaluate your pres­ent possessions-and future purchases.Are you taking care of your familyneeds first, then the comforts, and asyour income allows, a FEW luxuries?

Undoubtedly a few words need tobe said about credit cards because oftheir recent popularity. The principle isbased on temporary borrowing, whichaccording to God's Word, is not wrong.Many have misunderstood the scripturein Romans 13: 8 which says "Owe noman anything ..." Paul is speaking of

January, 1967

being diligent to pay what you owe ­such as in verse 7, "... tribute to whomtribute ..." He is not forbidding to bor­row, u.ben there is a real need.

A credit card offers a number of ad­vantages, such as when genuine needfor something arises at a time when youlack sufficient cash. If such a purchasecan be made now with the credit cardand paid for later, then no principleof God is violated. Many who travela great deal (such as God's ministers)find these cards advantageous. It alle­viates the necessity, for example, ofhaving to carry around large sums ofcashv-an unsafe practice in this dayand age!

The credit card principle differs fromstrict borrowing in that on most cardsthere is no interest charged. It is merelya conrenience and should be utilizedas such. If you have them, be cautiousnot to make purchases because it is JO

eaJy and convenient. You may want toask yourself if you would normallymake this purchase if you had the cashwith you and if it is an obligationwhich you will be able to meet whenthe actual bill comes.

But remember the rule: Resist themge .f

Live Within Your Means

The fourth of these principles someof you may already he employing, butwe can surmise from the problems, thatmallY are not applying it~and may noteven be aware of it.

This is the need for a definite

budget!

Webster defines budget as "a finan­cial statement of estimated income andexpense" ... whether it be a country, abusiness or a family. Every successfulbusiness is run on a certain budget.

The income is figured and the outgo(expenses, overhead, etc.) is calculatedand the difference tells the story ofprofit or loss. Yet many of you havenever really figured your income dollarfor dollar, and accounted for all yourliving expenses-s-and if you ever didhave a budgeL, the chances are you havelong since abandoned it. Yet, brethren,you cannot really learn to rule andbuild character without a definite budg­et for your income!

The GOOD NEWS

If you were to make such a budgeLyou may even find yourselves livingbeyond your income! We find this quiteoften among new members who haverecently come from the world, and be­cause of the social pressures aroundthem found themselves Jiving consider­

ably above their means-primarily to"keep up with the Joneses." Mr. Arm­strong has said in the past that we willbe judged by "what we do with whatwe have." You as an individual havethe responsibility to budget your in­come! How well you learn to handleyour money while in the flesh may welldetermine how you as a spirit beingwill handle much larger responsibili­ties!! In verse 17 of Luke 19, Christsaid, "Because you have been faithfulin a very little, have you authority overten cities." The ten servants were re­warded by what they did with whatthey had! How are you doing, brethren,with what you have? Are you diligentin properly handling your income?Are you learning Lo Jtay within yourbudget?

Establishing a budget is the best wayof finding the "loopholes" and forknowing where every dollar is going.Then you can begin to spot wasteddollars from your income, cut down 011

the unnecessary spending, and quitmaking the same costly mistakes eachmonth. You will probably be utterly

flabbergasted to see where much ofyour hard-earned money is going!

A word here should be said aboutthe children. A budget is a tremendous

way for your children to learn many ofthese principles! If your budget willafford it, allocate certain amounts toeach of your children and teach themto "live within their means."

This is not to say, however, that they

should be given an allowance for doingnothing.' This happens too often; con­sequently, many children grow upthinking that the world, like theirparents, "owes" them a living! What atragic and costly mistake to make witha young, pliable mind! But your chil­dren, properly taught the value of adollar-hard-eamed~will be much bet­ter prepared for adulthood and financialresponsibility. Give them an allowanceregularly if you can afford it, and, even

9

though it is small-teach them how touse that money properly. Make certainthey have done their household choresproperly and have genuinely earned

every penny! It is a lesson of characterthey will never regret when they growup! As Proverbs 22:6 so plainly says,"Train up a child in the way he shouldgo: and when he is old he will notdepart from it."

Write for the reprint of The GOODNEWS budget article for specific infor­mation on how to set up a budget.

Pay Cash

In today's "Great Society," built oninflation and war spending, built on thebuy-now, pay-later basis, built onplanned obsolescence - a completelymaterialistic society - it is difficult topay cash for anything. Even grocerystores have charge accounts to entice you

to overspend. It has been developing solong now that it is virtually impossiblefor the vast majority of people to paycash for a home or an automobile. BUTIT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE TO PAY CASH

FOR NEARLY EVERYTHING ELSE!

Revolving charge accounts tempt peo­ple to purchase things they do not real­ly need at thirty to fifty percent (count­ing interest and carrying charges) abovethe price they should have to pay ifthey shopped around with cash in hand.Eventually all the dollars come out ofthe same income. The only gain youmake is in time - and you pay for itdearly!

An established budget gives yOIl theadvantage. Just a few months of belttightening to make up for the falseeconomy you now live on, will give youcash in the bank to deal with. Just alittle at first, but it grows. And if youput certain portions of your regularbudget money in a savings account(such as clothing and household sec­tions, where purchases needn't be madeeach paycheck) then you receive in­

terest (which adds to your percentageof gain when you do purchase)­your entire financial profile looks betterto those from whom you must borrow(for house or car) and you feet better!

This teaches you self-control, creates

10

character. In turn your children learnthe vital lesson that you should not

buy those things you cannot afford! Itremoves that false, irresponsible atti­tude of "easy come, easy go," it teaches

them respect for the things they dohave, and will probably give them ahigher regard for the property of oth­ers than the others themselves have fortheir own possessions. It teaches carein the selection of any item, to check

it for quality, durability, beauty.

A major blessing of paying cash IS

that if you should lose a job or have

an accident and have your paycheckcut off you do not have those peskymonthly bills to torment you.

Take Advantages of Sales

With a proper budget established

and a little money in the bank, youwill be able to take advantage of gen­

nine sales. My wife and I were dis­

cussing just this year how thankful wewere not to have to be all entangledin the Christmas rush and yet are able

to reap a benefit even from this paganobservance. Every year after this sea­

son there are genuine sales in nearly

every item. Imagine the frustration ofsome fellow who picks up a nice gift

for his wife for Christmas only to

read in the Christmas morning papersthat it has been reduced in price a

full 50 percent! The converted hus­

band is now able to pick up the sameitem if he wished - and at half the

cost, and none of the pressure!

The wife in the family is generally

the one who should be involved in

searching out the bargains, through adsin the local papers, contacts with mer­chants, chats with other housewives.

Solomon says of the ideal wife: "Herhusband may depend on her, and neverlose by that; she brings him profit and

no loss ... she looks out wool and flax,and works it up with a will. She is

like merchant ships, fetching food-stuffs

from afar ... She talks shrewd sense,and offers kindly counsel. She keeps

an eye upon her household ... Charms

may wane and beauty wither, keepyour praise for a wife with brains;

give her doe credit for her deeds,

The GOOD NEWS

praise her in public for her services"(Prov. 31:11-31, Moffatt translation).

In almost every area now, there arediscount houses. Exercise care in allthese things, however, because there ismany a shyster around to sell you in­ferior goods as a "bargain." Checkeach item for its going price in the lo­

cal department stores. Determine aheadof time what brand you want ... youcan always check up on any merchan­

dise at the local library in the Con­

seanor's Cuide. Just explain what youwant to the librarian.

What this all boils down to is thatas in everything else in a Christian'slife, the spending of his money should

be done with thought, care, concern,planning.

Many items of daily use such as

groceries can be purchased at a 10 per­cent discount if you buy by the case

or gross. Most people don't ever get

enough ahead to be able to make thissavings. Actually you'd be ahead to

borrow at 6 percent in order to buy

at a 10 percent discount, but you haveto think it through first! Think aboutit, plan ahead - you'll discover many

other ways you can take advantage ofsales. It's fun, and it gives a feelingof satisfaction - just be sure the sale

IS GENUINE!

Care For What You Have

When God put Adam and Eve in

the Garden of Eden, He instructed

them to dress and keep it. It was thefinest of places, in most excellent con­dition, and God's command was to care

for and maintain its excellence and

beauty.

All too often, in the modern times

we live in, we are accustomed to becareless with what we have. It's too

easy to fall in line with the theory

of planned obsolescence. Clothes areroughly treated, not hung or foldedneatly. Little thought is given to stor­

ing woolens where the moths won'teat them up before they're needed the

next winter. Little concern is spent on

preventive maintenance - a scheduledcheck on the car, the window screens,

the washer, the stove, the roof, the bi-

January, 1967

cycle, the camping equipment for theFeast, etc. At Ambassador College Pressthis "PM" as we call it, is an abso­

lute law! Whenever we have a spare mo­ment on a press waiting for a new job,

the pressman automatically begins to rundown a checklist - many a sad and ex­

pensive experience has been prevented

by this practice. This will work in yourlife too I

Polishing shoes the right way, learn­ing how to remove spots from rugs,tablecloths, using pads for hot things,

using coasters on glasses and cups so

rings won't be left (and all of thesethings are important to know and prac­

tice when in others' homes), wiping

your feet when you come in the door,picking up after yourself around the

home, personal cleanliness - the list

is practically innumerable and involveseverything we own or use. It is this

personal effort and care that illustrates

outgoing concern for others - truelove - and at the same time preserves

the good things we have.

The longer you maintain somethingin good condition the less it costs you,

the fewer you have to buy, the more

quality things you will own.

"To Save or Not to Save"

The eighth of these vital rules IS

saving! Usually those who have money

problems are the same ones who don'tsave a certain amount from each check.

Perhaps you hesitate to place much im­portance on saving because of not un­derstanding what Christ meant in Mat­

thew 6: 19 when He said: "Lay not up

for yourselves treasures upon earth ..."Christ obviously was speaking of a to­tally selfish and unbalanced individual

who would store up great sums ofmoney and material possessions think­ing that these would bring him secur­

ity! He condemned the same attitude inMatthew 19:23, when He said: "A rich

man shall hardly enter into the king­

dom of heaven." If you don't under­stand this scripture, write for the arti­cle, "Does God Hate the Rich?"

Though God clearly shows we must notset our hearts on physical riches, He

nowhere forbids the principle of sav-

January, 1967

ing. As we will see, the Bible encour­ages the right type of saving!

Turn to Proverbs 6: 6-8 (also Prov­erbs 10: '5 ). "Go to the ant thou slug­gard; consider her ways, and be wise:which having no guide, overseer, orruler, provides her meat in the sum­mer, and gathers her food in the har­vest." Here is demonstrated the lessonof saving-the ability to foresee thefuture needs and prepare for them now,little by little.' This lesson applies toprospective husbands who need to pre­pare for the financial burden of mar­riage by saving while still single-tostudents who anticipate the mountingexpenses of a college education-toyoung married couples who desire to befinancially ready when children comealong, and so on it goes-the evidentneed for saving.'

Saving is a rewarding experience!

The man (or family) who will faith­fully extract a certain amount from eachpaycheck and with a real ptlrpose inmind see that small amount grow, willbe building character, as well as amass­ing capital to "weather his financialstorms." But saving should always havea real purpose, a tangible and visiblegoal, such as marriage, etc. Those whodon't have the regular habit of savinghave never experienced seeing a dreamcome true and money in the bank for arainy day!

Yet never should we develop a false"sense of security" merely because wepossess material wealth! And certainly

do NOT cut down on your tithes andofferings to develop a savings account.

Seek Guidance

This brings us to rule number nine,

equally important as the first five, es­pecially because it can involve largesums of money and can be the differ­

ence in failure or success. This is theprinciple of counseling.' Asking the ad­vice and suggestions of others and par­ticularly of God's ministers before

making any major financial decisions in­volving your job, income, or the securityof your family. Too many have rashlymade major decisions on their own­without sufficient counsel-and laterhave found themselves in trouble!

The GOOD NEWS

A 11 God's ministers have heard the

tragic tales of failure or near-failure re­sulting from unwise business, familyand personal decisions, made with little

or inadequate counsel. God says in theProverbs that "in multitude of counsel­lors there is safety," "he that hearkensto counsel is wise,"-also "withoutcounsel purposes are disappointed" andthat is certainly very true.

Look in your own personal life for aminute or two. Consider several majordecisions which involved money. Thechances are you have made severalcostly mistakes. In some instances themistake was not that you failed to applythe principle of counseling, but ratherfailed to apply the counseling.' Somehave disobeyed God in that they feltthey knew better than His ministers,and have "paid" bitterly! Brethren,when you counsel for wisdom fromGod, either in prayer, or through Hisministers-follow it.' They cannot anddo not legislate character or force youinto any decision-but they are God'sservants and He reveals His willthrough them!

Everyone of us at one time or an­other is faced with momentous deci­sions, the outcome of which may evenaffect our eternal lives. Frequently theyare of a nature which involves our fi­nancial situation. For example, youshould pray and trust God (Proverbs3 :5), as well as talk to His ministersbefore changing jobs, or even beforetaking on a time-consuming secondjob, before you buy a new home, orgo into a business-whatever it may be-use wisdom! Seek counsel! And al­ways remember that once you makeyour bed of thorns or roses, then youmust sleep in it!

Do Not Stagnate

Now we come to the final rule ofthese ten rules. Needless to say thereare many other sound principles andDivinely revealed laws which governour finances. This is the importance ofimproving yourself and, consequently,improving your income! Many men inthe Church of God, because of con­version, a change of standards, and realgrowth in the Spokesman Club havefound themselves earning more money

11

-yet others have never dri-ven them­selves enough to make the necessarycharacter changes! God does not ex­pect us to be satisfied with our presentstate once we have been converted, nordoes He expect us to be slothful andlinproductiue l

We know that there may be onlya few years left before we go to aplace of safety, but Mr. Armstrongsays to "think big!" Have you thoughtof ways to better yourself; such asthrough more education, looking for abetter job, or even changing the areain which you live and earn your liveli­hood? Recently one young man movedfrom a low-income area in the South,where his wage was less than one dol­lar per hour, to a large metropolis inthe Midwest and within one week hadlanded a job making over two dollarsper hour! He counseled, read the arti­cles on the subject (including TheSeven Laws of Success) and followedthem. God has blessed his efforts he­cause he knew he could do better anddid his part to improve! Brethren, someof yOIl need to at least consider such amove in order to ever get ahead finan­cially and live the full abundant lifeGod intended you to live, in addition

to being able to send more tithes and

offerings directly to God's Work.'

Don't just PLOD along on your

job with a ho-hum, humdrum, every-day­the-same-routine attitude-be a fireball,a go-getter-CHANGE, GROW, PRODUCE,apply yourself and prove to your em­ployer that you EARNESTLY desire to domore, to have more responsibility and

that you have the capacity and the will

to work! Reread Mr. Armstrong's auto­biography-follow his example. Doyour part first and God WILL bless you!He NEVER fails!

Don't just sit back in your chair and

agree with this article-resolve to TAKEACTION and get out of the rut you'rein. ApPLY the principles given here­put the first things first, prove God, usewisdom, seek counsel-ask God's helpand absolutely FORCE yourself to get onthe ball!!

Remember-God has created you tube an OVERWHELMING SUCCEss-not adismal failure!!!

12 The GOOD NEWS January, 1967

New!

The Work of God is constantly growingin manpower and machinery to send theGospel Around the World! Here are threeof the latest new machines to help fulfillthat great commission.

AUTO-TYPERRIGHT, The most frequentlyused letters from the L. A. D.master file are "typed" ona perforator, which punchesholes in a roll of paper. Thenthis paper is played like aplayer piano, and out comesa perfect form letter. Itlooks as good as the hand­typed version, but cuts thetime in half. This finger-lesstypewriter speeds along at120 words per minute,saving God's Work both timeand money!

A roll ready to be perforated.

FOUR-COLOR PRESSLast September, two train-carloads

(38 tons) of boxes, cylinders and rol­lers were assembled into a new ultra­modern Nebiolo four-color press. Thepress just finished the last ENVOYpages, and is now in use daily, printingPlain Truth covers, and full-color book­lets.

This giant step forward in God'sWork will open the door for tremen­dous growth in top quality full-colorpublications to warn this world of thecatastrophes to come and tell themof the wonderful World Tomorrow.

Mr. Justus points out the benefits of the new Nebiolo Press to Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong.

SPEED LABELERThe new Plain Truth labeling ma­

chine, by Cheshire, increases PlainTruth labeling from 15,000 per hourto 22,000! When it tackles the semi­annual letter this speed is increasedeven more. The old mailing machinecould only handle 6,000 per hour, butthe new Cheshire quintuples that rate,with a blurring 32,000 semiannualleHers per hourI

That's not all! The labeler auto­matically "reads" the labels and sepa­rates them into different cities andtowns. This is done by an intricateelectric eye which reads a predeter­mined code.

With the fastest machine available,God's Work is set to LEAP ahead.

...-..::.,Here's the Cheshire mailing machine in action with a stack of PLAIN TRUTHS entering on the

right and labeled for mailing at six per secondl

Are You Blameless In YourConduct?

Are you measuring up to God's standard of conduct? Is yourlife really a good example to others? Could someone follow youand be assured of entering God's Kingdom? Read this article

and learn what God expects your conduct should be.

by Richard F. Plache

HAVE YOU ever had the uneasy

feeling that someone was watch­ing you- that a pair of eyes was

trained on you, carefully scrutinizingyour every move? Almost instinctively,you've glanced in the direction of theperson, more often than not, only tocatch a fleeting look before the eyesare hurriedly turned in another direc­tion.

This is distracting - annoying. Feel­ings of resentment often arise - espe­cially, if the person persists in "eyeingyou." It makes you feel nervous andself-conscious. You suddenly feel "onthe spot."

Brethren, YOU ARE ON THE SPOT!

You are being watched. At times,you are being followed!

Teaching by Example

God has called us to be living proofs

that His way of life is the very finestavailable to man. It is unsurpassed byanything this world offers. We have thefabulous opportunity of influencingpeople through the power of our ex­ample.

When God called Israel out of Egyp­tian bondage, He intended for them tobe a MODEL nation - a kind of na­tional "showcase" - through which thesurrounding Gentile nations could learnof God's laws by seeing the PRACTICAL

benefits of obedience on a nationalscale. Moses explained this awesome

responsibility to Israel just before theyentered into the promised land. "Keep

therefore and do them [the statutes and

judgments of God]; for this is your

wisdom and your understanding INTHE SIGHT OF THE NATIONS, whichshall hear all these statutes, and say,Surely this great nation is a wise andunderstanding people. For what nationis there so great, who hath God so nighunto them, as the Lord our God is in allthings that we call upon him for? Andwhat nation is there so great, that hathstatutes and judgments so righteous asall this law, which I set before you thisday?" (Deut. 4:6-8.)

The tragic chronicle of Israel's his­tory is that she consistently failed tomeasure up to this high calling. Insteadof remaining faithful to God's laws­which was Israel's greatest claim tofame - she repeatedly borrowed thepagan ideas and customs from the sur­rounding Gentile nations. These nationsdidn't learn righteousness from Israel,because Israel was too busy learningWICKEDNESS from them! Instead ofovercoming the world, Israel was over­come by it!

God's Church - the spiritual Israelof God - has been given the very sameresponsibility. The apostle Peter wrote,"But ye [Christians] are a chosen gen­eration, a royal priesthood, an holy na­tion, a peculiar [purchased] people;that ye should SHOW FORTH the praises[virtues or excellence] of him, whohath called you out of darkness into hismarvellous light" (I Pet. 2: 9) .

We must succeed where Israel failed.People are to see through you theLIVING PROOF that God's way is the

best way to live. Your lives are theshowcases into which people are look­

ing.

Live a Life Worthy ofYour Calling

What a responsibility! Have you everstopped to fully consider the awesomeimplications of this commission?

People are going to be watching you.Your words and your actions are goingto be the mirrors by which God's truthis reflected to others They will ju{lge

God's way of life by your example.Paul wrote, "I therefore, the prisoner

of the Lord, beseech you that yeWALK WORTHY of the vocation where­with ye are called" (Eph. 4: 1). Hereis our real vocation - our JOB - tolive so close to God that our lives giveno occasion for reproach to be broughton God's Church.

Paul also wrote to the PhilippianChurch, "Let your conversation [con­duct] be as it becometh the gospel ofChrist" (Phil. 1 :27). We are livingexamples of the Gospel of Christ - thegood news of what God has purposed toultimately achieve in all mankind. Weare to demonstrate the happy, abundantlives which all men are to experiencein the World Tomorrow. We are theadvance guard - the forerunners - thePACESETTERS.

Yes, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE FOL­LOWING US.

You Must Be Blameless

Last month, you learned what kind

of attitude you should have toward yourultimate job in the Kingdom of God.

You are not to be seeking a positionof rulership for a selfish motive. Per­sonal pride and the vanity of position

14

must be crushed. A true servant of Godis driven forward by a SELFLESS, out­going concern for other people. Hismind isn't on himself but on servingothers. You must desire God's Kingdomso that you can give the matchless bene­fits of God's way of life to future sonsof God. No one is going to qualify as aking or priest unless he has developedthe mind of a servant.

However, there is more to qualifyingfor the Kingdom of God than just hav­ing an attitude of service. There aredefinite QUALIFICATIONS you must meet.Just anyone isn't going to be in God'sruling family - only those who haveqnali fled.

The qualifications for the ministryare spiritual guidelines that can be usedby ellery member of God's Church toevaluate his own personal spiritualgrowth. It is remarkable how many ofthe qualifications God has set for Hisministry - which in princi.ple involveeach member who is to become a partof God's ruling family - involve thematter of personal conduct and howthat conduct can influence others.

The apostle Paul begins the list ofactual qualifications in both I Timothy3 and Titus 1 with the most importantone of all. "A bishop [overseer inspiritual matters] then must be BLAME­

LESS" (I Tim. 3 :2).What does this mean? Is this refer­

ring to spiritual perfection - completesinlessness? Must a man finally reachthe point that he never sins before hecan be ordained to the ministry? Doeshis character have to be absolutelyflawless?

No, brethren, such is most certainly

NOT the case. If it were, there wouldnever have been anyone in the ministryexcept Jesus Christ, who is the only

One who has ever lived a sinless life.The apostle John openly admitted

his own sinful nature when he wrote,"If we [he included himself] say thatwe have no sin, we deceive ourselves,and the truth is not in us" (I John1:8). He had been in the ministryover halt a centtlry when he wrote this.

The apostle Paul wrote, "Not as thoughI had already attained, either were al­ready perfect: but I follow after, ifthat I may apprehend that for which

The GOOD NEWS

also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus"(Phil. 3:12).

Blamelessness does not mean spiri­tual perfection. God is well aware of ourspiritual flaws and weaknesses. Our sinsare not hidden from God (Heb. 4:12­13). However, when we sincerely re­pent of our sins, God promises to com­pletely forgive us and to cleanse usfrom all unrighteousness (I John 1 :9).We are no longer guilty before God,because our sins have been pardoned andblotted out (Acts 3: 19). God has evenpromised to remember them no more(Heb. 10:17). It is as if these sinshad never been committed! Our pastbecomes, therefore, sinless or BLAME­

LESS through God's mercy. Even thoughwe continue to break God's laws throughweakness, God will not impute thesesins to us IF we repent of them andstrive to OVERCOME them (Rom. 4:7-8) .

Blamelessness has another importantdimension. It also involves your conductas seen by other people.

The actual Greek word for blamelesscould just as correctly be translated"irreproachable" or "not open to cen­sure." It refers to a person who hasbeen sufficiently successful in overcom­ing that all the obvious or glaringcharacter flaws, which would make himliable to censure or criticism fromthose about him, have been overcome.

A Reliable Example

He is one whose example can beSAFELY FOLLOWED! This is a primaryconsideration before any man can beordained to the ministry.

We find the apostle Paul makingsuch statements as these: "Be thou[Timothy] an example of the believers,in word, in conversation [conduct], incharity [ love], in spirit, in faith, inpurity" (I Tim. 4: 12) . "Remember

them which have the rule over you[God's ministers], who have spokenunto you the word of God: whose faithfollow, considering the end of theirconversation [conduct]" (Heb. 13: 7) .

A minister of God is one whose ex­ample can be followed. In him, peoplecan see LIVING PROOF of God's lawsin his life.

Some might say, "I thought we

January, 1967

weren't to follow men but only followJesus Christ." Of course, we are to fol­low Jesus Christ. However, since JesusChrist is no longer living on this earthas a human being, it is impossible foryou to personally follow Him. You can­not live with Christ as His originaldisciples did. You cannot listen to Himspeak or observe His every move.

God knew that we needed humanexamples to follow. That is one reasonwhy there are ministers. Paul wrote tothe Corinthians, "Be ye followers [imi­tators] of me, EVEN AS I also am ofChrist" (I Cor. 11: 1). He also wroteto the Thessalonians, "And ye becamefollowers of us, AND of the Lord"(I Thes. 1 :6).

Is this following a man, instead ofJesus Christ? Absolutely not! It is fol­lowing Jesus Christ through the exampleof a man, who himself is faithfullyfollowing Jesus Christ. You are to fol­low God's ministers only in so far asthey follow Christ. Nothing could besafer.

Is This True of YOU?

Is YOUR personal conduct blamelessand above reproach? Can others SAFELY

follow your example? Can Jesus Christbe seen through you?

Yes, brethren, these questions doapply to you! God's ministers aren'tthe only ones responsible for the impactof their lives on others. Your examplealso plays a vital role in fulfilling yourCALLING.

You weren't called merely to haveyour erroneous doctrinal conceptschanged. You were called to CHANGEYOUR WAY OF LIFE! God's truthis something to be LIVED, as well aslearned. Right knowledge is worthlessunless it changes the way you live!

Your calling is "an HOLY calling"(II Tim. 1 :9). God has chosen you to"be holy and WITHOUT BLAME beforehim in love" (Eph. 1:4).

.Your conduct is to be BLAMELESS!

This is the. very purpose for which youhave been called.

God is creating sons. And He de­mands that you grow up spiritually intoHis very character. The apostle Peterwrote, "As he which hath called you isholy, so be ye holy in ALL MANNERof conversation [conduct]; because it is

January, 1967

written, Be ye holy; for I am holy"(I Pet. 1:15-16).

Some in God's Church have utterlyfailed to grasp this purpose of theircalling. Too many have been excusingtheir shameful conduct. They are NOTstriving to be blameless in all mannerof conduct.

Could you be guilty of such carelessdisregard for your personal example andits impact on others? Are you consciousof your influence on others in every as­pect of your behavior?

Paul wrote, "Do all things withoutmurmurings and disputings: that yemay be blameless and harmless [inno­cent], the sons of God, without rebuke[above reproach], in the midst of acrooked and perverse nation, amongwhom ye SHINE AS LIGHTS in theworld" (Phil. 2:14-15).

You are an example to others­whether you like it or not. You cannotescape influencing others. Jesus Christmade this very clear: "Ye are the lightof the world. A city that is set on anhill CANNOT BE HID" (Mat. 5:14). Youcannot afford to be unconcerned aboutyour conduct. People are going to bewatching you. What will they see ? Youare an example. The major question iswhether you are a good or bad example.

Take This Seriously

This is SERIOUS BUSINESS! It is agrave responsibility!

Paul showed that a servant of Godmust be sober-minded (I Tim. 3:2).Do you take your calling seriously?

THIS IS NO GAME! Yet some are"playing around" with salvation. Do yourealize the ultimate stakes which are in­volved? Your conduct - the way youlive day after day - is going to de­termine whether you end up in theKingdom of God or the lake of fire!This is nothing to take lightly.

You need to awaken to the tremen­dous urgency of conquering those sinswhich have been so easily beselling yuu(Heb. 12:1). You need to begin aCRASH PROGRAM to overcome everyoneof your character flaws - beginningon those which are most obvious tothose around you.

You cannot afford to continue com­

promising with sin - to let your weak­nesses be a public spectacle for others

The GOOD NEWS

to witness. Some have brought scornand ridicule on God's Church becauseof their wrong example. Such conductis a REPROACH to the very body ofChrist.

Don't let this happen to you! Beginto seriously apply yourself to the taskof being blameless in your conduct.

Be On Guard

Another qualification - that of VIGI­LANCE - goes hand in hand with be­ing serious-minded (I Tim. 3: 2). Ifyou earnestly desire to be blameless inyour conduct - to be a real overcomer- you are going to be alert and ONGUARD against your enemies. You willnot become spiritually careless and fallasleep on the job.

Satan is one of our major enemies.The apostle Peter explains how to resisthis attacks. "Be sober, be vigilant;because your adversary the devil, as aroaring lion, walketh about, seekingwhom he may devour: whom resiststeadfast in the faith" (I Pet. 5:8-9).No man being stalked by a man-eatinglion hot on his trail is going to becomecareless and forget that he is the hunted

- not the hunter. Satan is bent on de­stroying YOU. Nothing short of abso­lute alertness can avoid disaster.

Not only must we battle Satan, butwe must also be on guard against thealluring pitfalls of this world - a Sa­tanically devised society well calculatedto bombard you with the most enticingways to sin.

Finally, we are subject to these temp­tations because of our biggest enemy ofall- HUMAN NATURE. Within you arepulls and drives which run totally con­trary to the laws of God. These makeyou a potential prey to Satan and theinfluence of this world. You must re­sist them - PUT THEM TO DEATHthrough the power of God's Spirit (Col.3:5) .

This is not the time to go to sleepun the job. The apostle Paul warned theChurch at Rome against this very ten­dency. "And that, knowing the time,that now it is high time to AWAKEOUT OF SLEEP: for now is our salvationnearer than when we believed. Thenight is far spent, the day is at hand:let us therefore cast off the works ofdarkness, and let us put on the armour

15

of light. T.Ft us walk honestly [liveblamelessly], as in the day; not in riot­i,ng and drunkenness, not in cham­bering and wantonness, not in strifeand envying. But PUT YE ON THELORD JESUS CHRIST, and make not pro­vision for the flesh, to fulfil the luststhereof" (Rom. 13: 11-14) .

If this was true in Paul's day, howmuch more applicable it is today. Youare now living at the very close ofman's LONG NIGHT of spiritual igno­rance and rebellion against God's laws.The night is almost over. A new day isabout to dawn. Christ will soon returnto usher in the happy World Tomor­row. No era of God's Church has everbeen so close to its ultimate reward.Christians in other eras have had towait in their graves - in some cases,thousands of years - before receivingwhat you are on the very threshold ofreceIving.

Even as a runner nearing the finishline is spurred on by the prospect ofvictory, all in God's Church should beinspired to put forth a MAXIMUM EF­FORT, since our salvation - the rewardof being born into the Kingdom ofGod - is "NEARER THAN WHEN WEBELIEVED." Are you hard at work­striving to be blameless in every aspectof your life - so you will be qualified

to receive this crown of life?

Self-Control Is Necessary

In order to really master your hu­man nature, you must be TEMPERATE(Titus 1 :8). Too often this word hasbeen misunderstood. It should better betranslated "self-control." This is one ofthe most important of all qualificationsfor a potential king or priest to possess.

This attribute is, however, sorelylacking in today's world. More andmore, we see the evidence of undisci­plined minds - the skyrocketing crimerate, the deterioration of the home, theundisciplined and delinquent children,the lack of respect for authority at alllevels of our society and the appallingincrease in mental breakdowns and evensuicide.

This was prophesied! The apostlePaul described our day when he wroteuf the conditions which would exist inthe "last days." One characteristic he

(Continued on page 22)

16 The GOOD NEWS

KNOW"by Fred R. Coulter

January, 1967

"I know I have a temper! I know I am hard­nosed, gruff, and lacking in love! I know theseare wrong, but I haven't changed." Anothermember of the Church of God said, "I knowI am rebellious, not in submission to my husband,I know my children are monsters, I know myhouse is FILTHY and has been for years. I knowI should pray. I know I need to study . . . but Ijust can't seem to do it. Too many OTHER thingsinterfere." I know . . . I know . . . I KNOW!!

Does this sound like you? Do you KNOW?We have been given the most precious, stu­

pendous, awesome knowledge, the greatest LAWS,way of life, and purposes ever given to anypeople. God has begotten us with His HOLYSPIRIT! This is the purpose of the ages!

THINK ADOUT THIS! You ARE TO BECOMEGOD!

What kind of an effort are you making in thelight of what you know? Are you zealous, driv­ing, changing, growing, overcoming? Or are youslow, lazy, slothful, stagnant, passive, compro­mising with sin? Do you know to do good butare not doing it?

How God Looks at This

God says, "He that knows to do good anddoes it not, to him it is SIN," So in saying "IKNOW" and not acting upon that knowledgeyou are SINNING! Did you realize that you mightas well be saying, "I am sinning" as to say, "Iknow I should do good, but don't"?

In Matthew 25:24-30 is the parable about theservant who KNEW!! He said, "I knew You re­quired me to overcome, Lord, but I just nevergot around to doing it." Analyze that attitudefor a moment! He was slothful, wicked, fear­ful, stubborn, rebellious, proud, accused God ofbeing unfair, justified self, deceived self, and wenthis own carnal way.

Notice! Because he knew and did not even putforth the smallest effort required, he lost hiseternal life and reward. He was cast into outerdarkness ... the wages of sin is death! "He thatknows to do good and does it not _ _ _ IT IS SIN"(James 4: 17).

A Major Cause Waiting on God

Why is there this attitude? Why will membersin God's Church say they KNOW they are sin­ning and make no effort to change, all the timeknowing, they MUST change? Many times it isbecause they are "waiting on God," somehowexpecting Him to swoosh down in a magical,instantaneous show of blazing power to totallydo it all for them. God will change NO ONEthat way!

Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong has said that tocarry the Work of God forward he has had toput forth the maximum effort ... then what hewas lacking God would intervene and provide,but NOT UNTIL!

Christ had to pray with strong cryings andtears to overcome the flesh, ann never sin. Theapostle Paul beat his body into subjection over­coming SELF AND SIN. Yet, he said, "I cando ALL things through Christ which strengthensme" (Phil. 4: 13). Notice, it was through Christ,not that Christ did it ALL!!

Know T hat You Know

Instead of saying like so many, "I know I amsinning but can't change," stop yourself and say"I know this is sin and I AM going to CHANGE!"Repent and quit sinning. Put forth more EFFORTon your part and then God will help you changeand overcome. God says, "And hereby we do knowthat we KNOW Him, IF we keep his COMMAND­MENTS" (I John 2:3). This requires a maximum

effort on your part. This includes daily prayerand Bible study, rooting out sin, proper familyand husband-wife relations, child rearing, serv­ing the brethren in every way possible. Put yourwhole heart into overcoming; into God's Work.

This is HOW you can KNOW that you KNOWChrist if you do the things He commands. Soreally work hard to root out the things youKNOW are sins, and do the good you KNOWyou should. Don't delay ... DO IT NOW! Thenyou will know that you will be in the Kingdomof God. "He that OVERCOMETH shall inheritall things; and I will be his God and he shallbe MY SON" (Rev. 21:7).

NOW YOU KNOW!

PERSECUTION OVERCOMEIN BROTHERLY LOVE

Brethren in the TVinnipeg area of Canada were forced to leavetheir homes. Here's how the Philadelphia Era of God's Church,which depicts brotherly love, proved it in a heartwarming solu-

tion to a heartbreaking situation.

D OES this era of God's Churchhave the same zeal, love anddriving desire to serve God

that the early New Testament Churchhad?

This is undoubtedly a question thathas gone through the minds of manyof you. What if we were to be sub­jected to the same trials that the earlyNew Testament Church was subjectedto? Wauld we pass the test and re­main true and loyal to God?

Most of us in God's Church todayhave not been required to go throughthe things we line! recorc1ee! in thebook of Acts and in various otherscriptures. We live in an affluent so­ciety where many of the physical thingswe have are taken for granted, wherereally we are not deprived of any of thenecessities of life. We also live in asociety where basically we have freedomto practice our religious beliefs. Re­ligious persecution usually is restrictedto past friends, associates or relatives.

Philadelphia Era

We are called the Philadelphia era ofGod's Church. Interestingly enoughthis word means brotherly love or loveof the brethren. Do we have that love

for the brethren that this word de­notes? Do we have that same zeal andlove that the early Church had as re­corded in Acts 2 :44-45, "And all thatbelieved were together, and had allthings common; And sold their posses­sions and goods, and parted them to allmen, as every man had need."

What if circumstances presentedthemselves today so that there was adire need for help by some of thebrethren in God's Church in a given

by Dean R. Wilson

area? What would be the reaction III

the Philadelphia era?According to I John 3:16-18, we

know what the reaction should be,"Hereby perceive we the love of God,because he laid down his life for us:and we ought to lay down our lives forthe brethren. But whoso hath thisworld's goods, and seeth his brotherhave need, and shutteth up his bowelsof compassion from him, how dwelleththe love of God in Him? My littlechildren, let us not love in word,neither in tongue; but in deed andtruth."

Brethren Persecuted in Winnipeg

Recently here in Canada this part ofGod's Church was put to this test withan amazing and gratifying result.

Over the past few months and yearsabout 90 to 100 people in the Winni­peg Church area have been called outof another religious group into theChurch of God. Due to circumstancesover which they had no control theywere required for a period of timeto remain in the circumstances wherethey were called.

The story goes back several years. Itbegan with Mr. Schnee, Sr., who nowworks in the German Department inPasadena, and his son Frank, who isnow a minister of God and over theGerman office in Germany. In the pro­cess of doing business with the variousfarmers in Manitoba and other areas ofnorthern United States they came in con­tact with a group of people known asthe Hutterites. The Hutterites are a

group that practices the belief of hav­ing all things in common, based on anerroneous interpretation of Acts 4:32.

They live on communal farms of ap­proximately 100 to a farm includingchildren. There are many of these farmsscattered in Manitoba, Saskatchewanand Alberta in Canada.

These people have a standard dressthat all adherents wear. They also havevarious other doctrines such as for­bidding radios, newspapers and othermodern conveniences to be used bymembers. The farm is owned and oper­::lted by the members, each sharing inthe responsibilities as well as livingoff the proceeds. They have a commondining hall where all eat as well ashaving their own schools, ministers andchurches right on the colony. For allpractical purposes, other than for doingbusiness, these people are supposed tobe virtually cut off from the outsideworld.

These peculiar doctrines and prac­tices, of course, are "the way that seem­eth right to a man" (Prov. 14:12 and16: 25). Such ways are, as Israel ofold did, following the way that is rightin their own eyes, instead of the waysGod instructs and commands. (Oeut.12:8, Judges 17:6 and 21:25.)

In the process of doing business withthese people, the Schnee's had severaloccasions to be in their homes andbecome well acquainted with them, andin the process introduced several toThe PLAIN TRUTH as well as thebroadcast. Several years went by, but asusual in the process of time God beganto call some of these people. They tookthe usual course of action and uponlearning from the Bible many newthings, began to take it to their minis­ters with exactly the same results manyof us have experienced - outright re­jection, along with a stern warning of

18

the consequences if they persistecl intheir course of action.

They persisted in studying their Bi­bles, reading The PLAIN TRUTH, tak­ing the Correspondence Course andlistening to the broadcast as they couldby secretly bringing in radios where pos­sible. In due time the obvious happened- they were ejected from the HutteriteChurch which meant that they wouldalso, if they did not change, be askedto vacate the colony.

One group that God had called inone colony proceeded with court actionin order to obtain what they felt wastheir fair share of the property andproceeds of the colony. During thisperiod of time they were obliged toremain in the colony while the courtaction was in process which took along period of time. Others in othercolonies also remained in their respec­tive colonies awaiting the results of thecourt action before moving. As itturned out, this meant that from 90 to100 brethren in God's Church wereliving in Hutterite colonies under veryadverse circumstances awaiting courtaction in the province of Manitoba todetermine the distribution of property.

Court Decision

The results of this trial have nowbeen brought down, "Four members ofa Hutterite colony have failed in theirattempt to have a receiver appointed towind up the affairs of the colony anddistribule the assets among the mem­bers.

"In a 96-page judgment, Mr. JusticeR. G. B. Dickson has declared that thecolony leaders were within their rightswhen they expelled the four, becausethey had embraced a religion funda­mentally opposed to that of the rest ofthe community.

"The decision brings to a close, forthe time being at least, a fight whichhas set brother against brother in theInterlake Colony of Hutterian Breth­ren, near Teulon ...

"The four plaintiffs and two of thethree defendants are hrothers - Zach­arias and Jacob - while Jacob S. Hoferis a cousin. The colony has a populationof 84 persons.

"The plaintiffs argued during thehearing that they had been mistreated

The GOOD NEWS

in many ways and other members of thecolony had attempted to expel them.It is no longer possible for the colonyto continue in harmony and therefore itshould be wound up.

"The trustees say that no member ofthe colony has any property rights, thefour have forsaken the faith and prac­tice of the church, and all have there­fore been validly excommunicated fromthe church and expelled from the col­ony.

"In his judgment, which is dividedinto 11 separate sections, Mr. JusticeDickson rules that the plaintiffs arenot entitled to any portion of the realor personal property of the colony.

"Further, he orders that the four,with their families, shall permanentlyvacate the colony and deliver up allpersonal property owned by the colony,which may have come into their pos­session.

"He criticizes some of the indignitiesand mistreatment which evidenceshowed had been suffered by the plain­tiffs, terming it 'strange and repellent,and on occasion excessive,' but observesthere can be no doubt that within areligious community, stern disciplinemust be observed if the community isto survive.

"Such indignities were not a causefor winding up the colony or for givingplaintiffs assets to which they wouldnot otherwise be entitled, Mr. JusticeDickson observes" (Winnipeg Tribune,November 17, 1966, article "Court Up­holds Expulsion of Four From Hutter­ite Colony").

As a result of the decision, this leftthese families destitute with no visiblemeans of support or providing forthemselves and nothing to get startedwith.

Church of God Responds

The Philadelphia era of God's Churchwas facing a test. Would it pass thattest and qualify to hold the name thatGod gave it? The answer is yes! Thetest came and God's Church met thetest and passed it, from our Pastor­General, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong,on down to the laymen in the localchurches.

A telephone call was made to Pasa­dena and here was Mr. Herbert W.

January, 1967

Armstrong's response, "And every onethat hath forsaken houses, or breth­ren, or sisters, or father, or mother, orwife, or children, or lands, for myname's sake, shall receive an hundred­fold, and shall inherit everlasting life"(Mat. 19:29). Mr. Armstrong instructedus that we were to take immediatesteps to alleviate these people's distressand gave permission for us to take upan offering to help the brethren inManitoba, offering any assistance orhelp that we might need from Head­quarters. It was decided that the Cana­dian Churches would handle the situa­tion if they could, calling on othersif necessary.

What was the response in the Cana­dian Churches? Immediately upon an­nouncing the need for clothing, house­hold goods and funds in the VancouverChurch, it became obvious that if simi­lar announcements were to be made inall the churches that more goods thancould ever be used would be forth­coming.

In the Vancouver Church alone, al­most 80 large hoxes of clothing, bed­ding and other household items werecollected. Over 40 boxes of dishes, potsand pans were colIected. The Olltpollr­illg was so great it became necessaryto ask the people to stop as we hadmore than could be used already!

All of these items were of highestquality. Many went out and boughtnew items because they did not haveextras in their homes. Others who didnot have material to turn in and had nofinances to buy items went so far as togo to stores and put things on chargeaccounts so they could have somethingto send.

The response for funds was spon­taneous and certainly exemplary of theheart and attitude the Church of Godshould have. Yes, we are the Philadel­phia era of God's Church and undergiven circumstances will respond in ex­actly the same manner the early Churchresponded. Jesus Christ dwelIs in HisChurch and Jesus Christ is the sameyesterday, today and forever (Heb.13:8) .

The results of this heartfelt atti­tude on the part of God's people isseen in this letter dated December 24from Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hofer:

January, 1967 The GOOD NEWS 19

What Is Your Goal?

Unequal Opportunities

Let us see how this actually will work.God Almighty calls some to repentancein their teens. Such people have beenblessed with the wonderful opportunityof knowing God's truth and applyingit in their lives in their youth. Suchindividuals are better equipped to prop­erly develop both their minds and theirbodies. As a result, they will be ableto accomplish more than they would,had they never known God's precioustruth.

This gives such individuals a greatadvantage over other people who growup in spiritual blindness - in utterdarkness. These spiritually ignorantusually continue to eat unclean foods,fat, blood, and may also continue toindulge in many filthy habits and doother things which would tear them-

ren ! God's True Church responded tothis emergency in the trne fulfillmentand spiritual intent of Acts 4: 32 ­we "were of one heart and of onesoul: neither said any of them [thoseof us who gave] that ought of thethings which he possessed was hisown; but they had all things common."In this emergency, as in the emergencysituation in Acts 4, the same Churchof God responded in the same way­a selfless giving to those in need! Thistruly is the Philadelphia era of God'sChurch!

(Continued tram page 6)

The householder promised to give The U day," mentioned in this parable,"whatsoever is right" unto those hired represents the lifespan of each Chris-at the third, sixth and ninth hours. tian. Some are called into God's Church

But some were still standing idle (into His vineyard ) early in life-near the end of the day. They hadn't early in the morning. Others are calledbeen hired at all. So the householder at noon - in middle age, Some are notwent out late in the afternoon and called until they approach the sunsethired them at "about the eleventh hour." of life - old age!

But when the time came to settle up, When Jesus Christ literally returnsthe ones who had only worked an hour to this earth to judge every Christianor so received a penny - a full day's according to his works, He will takewage! this important time factor into account.

Those who had worked most or all Any who were called into God's Churchof the day saw this. They were very early in life, will be expected by Christhappy. They thought, "We'll receive to have accomplished more in God'smuch more because we've worked all service - than those who were calledday." later in life.

But, when the householder came tosettle up with them, he gave them justa penny - exactly what he had agreedto pay them.

But those servants, who had beenhired earlier in the day, murmured andcomplained "against the goodman of thehouse" (verse 11).

They said, "These last have wroughtbut one hour, and thou hast made themequal unto us, which have borne theburden and heat of the day. But Heanswered one of them and said, Friend,I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agreewith me for a penny? Take that thine is,and go thy way: I will give unto thislast, even as unto thee. Is it not lawfulfor me to do what I will with mineown? Is thine eye evil, because I amgood?" (Verses 12-15.)

Now, what vital lesson are we to learnfrom this parable?

their responsibility] and you be bur­dened and suffer (unfairlyJ. But tohave equality - share and share alike;your surplus over necessity at the pres­ent time going to meet their want andto equalize the difference created by it,so that [at some other time] their sur­plus in turn may be given to supplyyour want. Thus there may be equality.As it is written, He who gatheredmuch had nothing over, and he whogathered little did not lack" (II Cor.8:13-15, Amplified version).

There is a great lesson in this, Breth-

No Split in the Body

"We don't know how to even beginto thank you and the whole churchfor just eoerytbing. You all know howit feels to give, for you have giventremendously. But we, the receivers orrecipients, do you know how we feel?I believe you do know. just letting US

know we should move out of the col­onies was such a joy to us, we werejust overwhelmed' and so were theothers. And then the church membershelped us move out. I didn't evenknow just which house I was movinginto before our furniture was movedin, and then Mr. White took me andthe younger children to our newhome. (My husband had paid therent and selected it the day before.)We were more than satisfied. Wehadn't dreamed we'd ever live in ahome where there was a kitchen, bath­room, bedrooms and a living room,but here we are living in one. Andafter we moved in, everything justpoured in on us so fast, we couldn'teven say thank you properly. A newwasher was delivered to our home,two bunk beds (Oh, they are wonder­ful), a living-room lamp, someonesent us a couch and chair, a groupof ladies with Mrs. White came overand cleaned and waxed all our floors,someone took all our soiled clothesthe first day and washed and driedthem and then delivered them again.Mrs. White brought over some potsand pans. Mr. White bought our chil­dren a crokinole game. Mr. Whitewent with my husband and Mr. DaveHofer and Mr. Jonathan Hofer andhelped them all select cars. So todaywe will all be able to go to SabbathService w itlrout slallill~ and withouttrying to start one another's car withwhichever car would go, like we didup to now. (We hope to spend thisextra time in Bible study.) We arealso 20 miles closer to the church now.And also food is being sent to us. Ahalf sack of whole wheat, a bag ofpotatoes, even some beef, which werarely had before. Oh, we could goon and on and on and on. I hope wenever ever take all this for granted.No other church could do all thiswith the same attitude I'm sure. Wewish we could thank each and everyone of those in the church for helpingout so much. We do say thank youfrom the bottom of our hearts. Wehope we can in some way repay."

Brethren, there is no schism or splitin the body of Jesus Christ. When onemember suffers we all suffer and whenone member is honored we all rejoice(I Cor. 12:25-26). When one part ofthe body is in need the other part willsupply that need and so we help oneanother just as the example we findin II Corinthians, chapters 8 and 9."For if the [eager] readiness to give isthere, then it is acceptable and wel­comed in proportion to what a personhas, not according to what he doesnot have. For it is not [intended] thatother people be eased and relieved (of

20

selves down - destroying their health,their minds and their personalities! Suchpeople, when called later in life, will nothave as alert minds, or as active andhealthy bodies as they could have had,had they known and practised God'struth from their youth (see Eccl.12:1-7).

The students of Ambassador College(who are brought to repentance in theirteens, and are given a wonderful oppor­tunity to receive all sorts of valuableinformation, knowledge, and training)have a tremendous advantage over theaverage member in God's Church. Theyare given opportunities which mostmembers will never receive in this life­time. Therefore, God Almighty willexpect far more of them.

As an example, God began to openmy mind to the precious truths of HisWord when I was in my early teens.When 1 first heard Mr. Armstrongpreaching the real truth (I was about IS

years old), I was surprised and overjoyedLo hear a man preaching God's Wordfaithfully - exactly as God had begunto reveal it to my brother and me. Afterentering Ambassador College in theautumn of 1948, I was baptized by Mr.Armstrong. I was only 18 years old.

The following spring, Mr. RaymondC. Cole and I were chosen to be thefirst students of the College privilegedto be sent on a nationwide baptizingtour.

I was utterly amazed to find that Ihad been selected as one of the twostudents to go on this baptismal tour. Icould hardly believe it.

"Had a mistake been made?" I askedmyself. I even had the secret fear thatperhaps I might in some way disqualifymyself before the tour actually began,and thus never receive the wonderfulopportunity of serving and of learningon this baptismal tour.

A number of you reading this articlewill remember meeting Mr. RaymondCole and me on that nationwide bap­tizing tour in the summer of 1949.

During that summer, I baptized myfirst person in West Texas - an 84­year-old gentleman! What? A mere boy- a lad of 19 - explaining the Bibleto, and baptizing, an 84-year-old man?

God did not call this 84-year-oldgentleman into His truth until he was

The GOOD NEWS

well in "the eleventh hour" of his life.This elderly man was not privileged toreceive many of the blessings whichAlmighty God has bestowed upon meand my family.

He did not have as long in which toovercome his faults, sins and weak­nesses; neither did he have as long, or asmany opportunities, in which to de­velop his innate talents and abilitiesas I have had.

Therefore, God \ :mighty will notexpect as much of J:,!!1 as He will ex­pect of me when I apl-'car before Christ'sjudgment seat.

Fortunately, this elderly gentlemanlived a number of years after he wasbaptized, and remained faithful to thevery end. I think he was over 90 whenhe finally died. But he never had theopportunity of attending AmbassadorCollege, of going on nationwide bap­tizing tours, of preaching sermons,teaching classes, writing articles, ordoing the many other things which GodAlmighty has privileged me to do inHis service - the most important ac­tivity on earth!

Now, 1 do not say these things boast­ing! Many times, I feel - in fact, Iknow! - I should have yielded muchmore to God, and consequently shouldhave borne much, much more fruit inmy life than I have.

As an example, I know I could (andshould) have been writing articles forThe PLAIN TRUTH and The GOODNEWS long before I really "got into thegroove" of writing.

At times, The GOOD NEWS has notbeen able to go to press on time­primarily due to a lack of articles!

So where does boasting come in? Asthe apostle Paul might have put it, "Itis excluded!"

God's Perfect Judgments!

When we put together the parables ofthe Pounds, the Talents and the Labor­ers in the Vineyard, we are then able tosee exactly how God will judge us whengiving us our reward.

The parable of the Talents shows thatwe are not born equal. At birth eachperson receives different talents andabilities from those of every other in­dividual. Then, at conversion, God adds

January, 1967

spiritual talents and gifts according toeach man's natural abilities.

The parable of the Pounds shows that,of those who are of equal talents andabilities ("pounds") , some will usetheir God-given talents more diligentlythan others. As a result, they will receivegreater responsibility in God's Kingdom.The one who multiplies his pound overten times will be given authority overten cities. The one who multiplies hispound over five times will be givenauthority over five cities.

But, the parable of the Laborers re­veals that God will take other things intoaccount - other than innate ability­when judging us. An important factorwhich He will consider will be thematter of the amount of time whichwe were given, after our conversion,to really apply these things. How muchtime, after becoming a member of HisChurch, did you have to overcome yoursins and weaknesses, and to developyour innate talents and abilities? Thosewho are given more time, will be heldaccountable for having overcome andgrown more - and for having producedmore in God's service.

God's judgments are altogether just!The apostle Paul explained this very

well: "0 the depth of the riches bothof the wisdom and knowledge of God!how unsearchable are His judgments,and His ways past finding out!" (Rom.11:33).

God Almighty has not only prom­ised immortality or eternal life inHis Kingdom, but He has also prom­ised us glory and honor in the posi­tion of SERVICE, or responsibility, whichHe will grant us in His Kingdom­according to our diligence here andnow!

It is still true that the human eye hasnot seen, the human ear has not heard,nor has the human mind yet fullygrasped the tremendous, transcendent,eternal blessings which God has pre­pared for us (I Cor. 2 :9). We arejust barely getting a dim glimpse ofthose blessings - through having ourminds illuminated by God's Spirit (ICor. 13:12).

"In thy presence is [ulness of joy; atthy right hand there are PLEASURESfor evermore" (Ps. 16:11). Revelation21 and 22 also further reveal the glory

January, 1967

which the saints - then made immortal- will receive in God's everlastingKingdom.

Thus it is clear from God's Wordthat a Christian sbonld desire more

than eternal life. He should strive to soplease his Creator that He may granthim, because of his diligent service, aplace of honor in His Kingdom. Thisis what God Almighty desires. He wantsus to bear much fruit. If we do producemuch fruit, then He will bless us cor­respondingly with a greater reward ofseruice in His Kingdom.

Even Moses understood this! He chose"rather to suffer affliction with thepeople of God, than to enjoy the

pleasures of sin for a season,' Esteemingthe reproach of Christ greater richesthan the treasures in Egypt: for he had

respect unto the recompense of the

REWARD" (Heb. 11:25, 26).Yes, Moses was willing to suffer re­

proach, affliction, privation, and humili­ation in order to receive "the recompenseof the reward" in the Kingdom of God!He, and the other Old Testamentpatriarchs, "all died in faith," fullypersuaded they would receive the ful­fillment of the promise after their resur­rection (Heb. 11:13,39).

Never Aim for Mediocrity

God compares the Christian life to arace. Many may run in the race, butonly one receives the top prize­though numerous lesser prizes may begiven. Certainly, no one worth his saltshould ever seek to take second, third orfourth place - if he is able to do better.Likewise, God Almighty does not wantus to be satisfied with second best - if

we can do better. He does not want us

to aim for MEDIOCRITY!

Since we are going to be judged byGod Almighty, according to what wedo in the flesh, we need to realize thatwe should look to Him at all times­not to man.

Should we strive to be "rnenpleasers"(Col. 3:22, Eph. 6:6)?

"And whatsoever you do, do it heart­ily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;

knowing that of the Lord ye shall

receive the reward of the inheritance:for ye serve the Lord Christ" (Col.

3:23,24).

The GOOD NEWS

If we can remember that all trueblessings - both in this life and inthe life to come - flow from AlmightyGod, then we will keep our eyes fas­tened on him (Jas. 1: 17). We will thenseek to please Him, rather than tryingto be menpleasers.

It isn't wrong for you to seek honor

and tailor in God's sight! Neither isit wrong to seek promotion from God- if you are really willing to work

for it - if you are willing to pay the

price!We must always keep in mind this

basic truth: "For promotion comesneither from the east, nor from theu est, nor from the soutb. But God is

the jtldge: He plltteth down one, and

settetb liP another" (Ps. 75 :6, 7).Jesus Christ said, "How can you

believe, which receive honor one ofanother, and seek not the HONORthat cometh from God only?" (John5 :44.)

But a word of caution is necessary!Though it is right and good to seekhonor from God - right and good toseek promotion - yet we must alwaysremember that we should seek it in theright way - and not for vanity's sake!

Wrong Ambition

Seek for glory and honor from God,but don't become filled with vain ambi­tion or with self-exaltation.

Remember, it was the wrong type ofambition or self-exaltation that turnedLuci fer into Satan (an adversary).

Lucifer wanted to exalt bimsel], Hewas not content to merely remain inthe high office in which Goel had puthim. He wanted to be equal to God.

"For thou hast said in thine heart,I will exalt my throne above the starsof God: I will sit also upon the mountof the congregation, in the sides of thenorth: I will ascend above the heightsof the clouds; I WILL BE LIKE THE MOST

HIGH" (Isa. 14: 13, 14).Yes, Lucifer wanted to be equal to

God. He was not content to serve as anexalted archangel.

One of David's own sons, Absalom,let the same wrong kind of ambitionfill his heart. He sought to flatter thepeople of Israel so he could turn themaway from his father, David, to himself.Eventually, he got the popular support

21

of the people behind him, and he almostsucceeded in overthrowing the kingdomof his father. David had to flee for hislife, and would have been defeated butfor the grace of God. Finally, however,Absalom's insolence, his rebellion, hisambitious self-exaltation, caught upwith him (II Sam. 15, 16, 17, 18). Adart thrust through his heart ended hiswretched revolt against his own father(II Sam. 18:9, 14).

Are Christians altogether free fromthis temptation of self-exaltation orwrong ambition? Are even motherssometimes tempted with a wrong kindof ambition? The mother of James andJohn, two of Christ's disciples, wasfilled with this kind of vanity.

"Then came to Him the mother ofZebedee's children with her sons, wor­shipping Him, and desiring a certainthing of Him. He said to her, Whatwilt thou? She said unto Him, Grantthat these my two sons may sit, theone Oil thy right hand, and the otherOil the left, in thy kingdom" (Mat.20:20, 21).

Jesus Christ had to reveal to thiswoman and also to James and John thattheir Jelfish request was the way ofself-exaltation. They were asking some­thing which they never should haveasked. His answer, "But to sit on myright hand, and on my left, is not mineto give, but it shall be given to themfor whom it is prepared of my Father"(verse 23).

Yes, even Christ is not the One whoplaces the various ones in the govern­ment of the Kingdom of God. Thisis the Father's direct responsibility.

The Greatest Serves Most

Christ went on to show that theGentile rulers lord it over their sub­jects (verse 25). Christ condemns sucharrogant, high-handed methods of ruler­ship (I Pet. 5:1-4).

And then He added, "But it shallnot be so among you: but whosoevershall be great among you, let him beyour minister,' And whosoever will bechief among you, let him be yourservant" (Mat. 20 :26, 27).

Christ repeatedly warned men aboutexalting themselves. On one occasionHe observed how those bidden to afeast chose the chief rooms. He rebuked

(Continued [rom page 15)

Are You Blameless In Conduct?

22

them in no uncertain terms! Theyshould, said Christ, always take thelowest place, unless they were askedto take a higher position.

He then added, "For whosoeverexalteth himself shall be abased; andhe that bnmbletb himself shall beexalted" (Luke 14: 11 ) .

Christ went on to show that when wemake a supper or a dinner, we shouldcall the poor, the maimed, the lame andthe blind. "And thou shalt be blessed;for they cannot recompense thee: forthou shalt be RECOMPENSED at the

resurrection of the just" (verse 14).

Secure Your Crown!

Yes, you should be careful that noman takes your crown (Rev. 3: 11).Furthermore, we all need to make certain"that we receive a FULL reuiard" (IIJohn 8).

We should not be content with justmaking it into God's Kingdom. Weshould seek tu live full, abundant,productive lives in God's service (toproduce one hundredfold!) here andnow so we can receive a greater positionof responsibility and service in God'sKingdom.

It is quite all right, not only to seek

was inspired to record was that of being"incontinent" (II Tim. 3:3). Thismeans "without self-control, POWER­

LESS." Yes, people today seem power­less to cope with the burgeoning arrayof problems (both public and personal)which besets them on all sides. An in­creasing number are cracking under thestrain. Too many are following the lineof least resistance - refusing to putforth the effort required to disciplinethemselves.

You are a product of this age. Justbecause you have been converted andare now in God's Church doesn't meanyOll no longer have to battle this prob­lem. The chances are that before youwere converted you also were follow­ing this line of least resistance. Youwere indulging in various debilitatingactivities which probably weaken even

The GOOD NEWS

for immortality, but also to seek forglory and honor. We must, however,always make sure we do not seek toexalt ourselves. Wrong ambition is asin! We must always make certain thatwe do not seek honor from men - butseek "the honor that cometh from Godonly" (John 5:44).

What is your goal? Are you contentmerely to make it into God's Kingdom?Or, do you want to make it there withflying colors - and have Jesus Christreassuringly say, "Well done, thou goodand faithful servant"?

Certainly, those who have real under­standing of God's Word will not becontent just to make it into God's King­dom. They will seek a position of honorand glory in God's service - they willhave "respect unto the recompense ofthe reuiard" (Heb. 11 :26).

Christ solemnly promised, "Behold,I come quickly; and my REWARD is

with me, to give every man according

as HIS WORK shall be" (Rev. 22: 12).Let us keep this promise foremost

in our mind and serve God to thevery utmost of our ability! If we dothis, we will not receive thirtyfold, orsixtyfold - but ONE HUNDREDFOLD

in the Kingdom of God!This should be our real goal!

your carnal ability to exercise self­restraint. Many come into God's Churchwith their mental fiber greatly weak­ened.

It becomes necessary then to shoreup your self-discipline. This is not tobe accomplished through the deviousmachinations of so-called "mind sci­ence." While some partial benefits doresult from developing carnal self­discipline, total self-control is abso­lutely impossible. No stream ever risesabove its own source. Therefore, no oneis going to be able to achieve completeSPIRITUAL self-discipline using only hiscarnal mental resources.

God has given us His Spirit - theSpirit "of power, and of love and of asound mind [DISCIPLINE or SELF­

CONTROL)" (II Tim. 1 :7). God's Spiritimparts the spiritual power we need to

January, 1967

bring "into captivity evefY thought tothe obedience of Christ" (II Cor.10: 5). However, too many in God'sChurch have allowed God's Spirit to liedormant in their minds. If we don't stirup this power and put it to use, it isworthless.

Solomon said, "He that hath no ruleover his own spirit is like a city thatis broken down, and without walls."(Prov. 25:28.) You will never be quali­fied to rule others unless you fint learnhow to rule yourself.

Control Your Temper

Another qualification Paul mentionsis "NOT SOON ANGRY" (Tit. 1 :7). Doyou exercise self-control in this impor­tant area of conduct?

Solomon wrote, "He that is slow toanger is better than the mighty; andhe that ruletb his spirit than he thattaketh a city" (Prov. 16:32). By mas­tering this one important facet of char­acter development, you will be morequalified to rule than any of history'sfamous generals or military leaders.Though brilliant military strategists andsuccessful in war, many of these menwere unable to master their own per­sonal weaknesses. Alexander the Great,who brought the mightiest nations ofhis day to their knees, sat down at theage of 31 and wept because therewere llU more nations left to conquer.Yet he died at the youthful age of 34,a victim of his own profligacy. Howtragic! A world conqueror unable toconquer himself!

Notice a remarkable case of short­tcmpcrcdncss in Luke 9:51-56. JesusChrist and his disciples were travelingto Jerusalem. When the messengers Hehad sent to a certain Samaritan villageto prepare for His arrival were rebuffedand snubbed by the villagers, James andJohn became filled with wrath. Theyimmediately urged Christ to allow themto command fire to come down fromheaven and utterly destroy those people.Christ's answer is most significant."But he turned, and rebuised them,and said, Ye know not what mannerof spirit ye are of. For the Son of manis not come to destroy men's lives, butto SAVE them" (Luke 9:55-56).

Think of the colossal damage thesemen would have wreaked on those

January, 1967

hapless individuals if they at that timehad possessed the power to executetheir wrathful reaction.

Now consider the terrifying pros­pect of one possessing the power ofGod without the wisdom and self­control necessary to properly use thatpower for the GOOD of those under hisrule. Without Godly patience and long­sufferin,r;, you would be lashing outwith sudden fury at the slightest provo­cation or demonstration of rebellion.Instead of being a ruler, you wouldbe a ruiner - an executioner.

No one is going to be given thisawesome power until he has first provencapable of controlling himself. If Goddid not have perfect control of Him­self, He would have expunged all hu­man life from the face of the earthbecause of man's God-defying ways.

At the beginning of the Millennium,it is going to take extreme patience inbringing mankind to conversion. Hu­man nature isn't going to easily sur­render. We will have to bear long withmany before they really come to re­pentance. Any unwise and impatientmisuse of power could pIUve disastrous,

There are times, however, when evena deeply converted person will becomeangry - very angry. The Bible recordsmany times when God Himself becameangry. Notice God's statement to Mosesafter Israel had committed gross idola­try in making the molten calf. "I haveseen this people, and, behold, it is astiffnecked people: Now therefore letme alone, that my wrath may WAX HOTagainst them, and that I may consumethem: and I will make of thee a greatnation" (Ex. 32:9-10).

We must learn to be angered by thesame things which make God angry.God hates sin, and His wrath is di­rected towards all ungodliness and un­righteousness (Rom. 1: 18). God be­comes angry when He sees people hurt­ing themselves. This is always the endresult of sin.

By contrast carnal anger is arousedwhen the self is hurt - when personalpride has been offended or personalambition or achievement has beenthwarted. We become very indignantwhen someone crosses us or we don'tget our own way. This kind of angeris totally SELFISH and is SIN!

The GOOD NEWS

A truly converted servant of God isgoing to be motivated by genuine lovefor those about him. His mind will beabsorbed in serving them - not de­fending his self-centered interests. Hewon't become "easily provoked" (I Cor.13: 5) when others don't respond in theway he had hoped. He won't be "losinghis temper" or "flying off the handle."Instead, he will be merciful and pa­tient - LONGSUFFERING - and kind indealing with his fellowman.

Moderation in Drinking

Another way in which self-control

manifests itself is in relation to the useof alcoholic beverages. A well-disci­plined servant of God is not GIVENTO WINE (I Tim. 3:3). This doesn'tmean (as some contend) that a Chris­tian should never take a drink. Rather,it is referring to the proper use ofalcoholic beverages. A Christian is notto be addicted to them but to use themin moderation.

Many of you drank before comiuginto God's Church. How happy you wereto learn that this was one thing youwouldn't "have to give up." So youkept right on drinking - in manycases, exactly the same way you didwhen you were still in the world. Youhave convinced yourself that you are"moderate" in your drinking, neverrealizing that possibly your definitionof moderation may be that of the world

and not of Jesus Christ. The world'sconcept of moderation is usually, inreality, EXCESS!

In most cases, you can't drink theway you drank in the world if youintend to be a Christian-one in whomthe mind of Christ motivates all things,including your use of alcoholic bever­ages. Christ didn't drink the way someof you drink. And if you allow Himto guide you, you won't continue todrink the way you have been drinking.You will alter your concept of modera­tion.

The apostle Paul wrote to Timothyand instructed him to take a LITTLEwine (I Tim. 5:23). This means ex­actly what it says. No one is going toget drunk or come anywhere close to

getting drunk on a "little" wine. Thetrouble with some is that they want the

Church to define the absolute limit they

23

can go before they would be con­sidered drunk. This is the SPIRIT OFLAWLESSNESS! A deeply converted per­son isn't going to want to get as closeto the edge as possible. He will doeverything in his power to stay onsafe ground. Don't flirt with danger­stay far away from the edge. Somehave miscalculated and plunged to theirdoom. Your eternal life is at stake!

Also, don't make the mistake of de­pending on alcoholic beverages for com­fort or strength when the "going getsrough." Some have refused to face upto their problems and have tried toescape into the twilight world of fuzzyfeelings and dulled senses. This doesn'tsolve anything. It only makes mattersworse. Look to God for help and thenin the strength of His might meet thechallenges and overcome them.

A Bond Slave

We naturally are self-willed. Wewant our own way. This is a basicingredient of human nature. Usually,our way is the wrong way.' Solomonwrote, "There is a way that seems rightto a man, but the end thereof are theways of death" (Prov. 14:12).

If you are to be qualified to rule inthe Kingdom of God, you must NOTBE SELF-WILLED (Titus 1: 7). You mustovercome your "know it all," "this isthe way I look at it" self-willed na­ture.

We are now bond slaves - totallyloyal and obedient to God in all things.Notice Paul's statement, "What? knowye not that your body is the templeof the Holy Spirit which is in you,which ye have of God, and YE ARENOT YOUR OWN? For ye are boughtwith a price: therefore glorify God inyour body, and in your spirit, whichare God's" (I Cor. 6:19-20).

A truly converted Christian doesn'twant his will to be done. He has cruci­fied his selfish desires and ambitionsand has completely surrendered his willto the rule of God. He prays, "Not mywill but yours be done."

Neither will he be greedy or covetous(I Tim. 3:3). We don't obey God for

merely what we can get out of it. Asyou learned in the first article in this

series, "Why Do You Want To Be

Church of God News-WORLDWIDE(Continued from page 4)

where between 30 and 75, so the Sab- list and the Business Manager forbath during the month when each God's Work. Mr. Portune had pre-church gets to meet is really just a big viously been pastoring the San Diegofamily Feast Day - both in the good church and this has now become thefood which is available in the fine Ger- full responsibility of Mr. Richard Pla-man hotels where they meet, and in che, a former field minister of Pastorthe more precious spiritual food which rank who has been called into Head-they receive from God's Word. quarters to serve on the Faculty and to

24

in the Kingdom of God?" the motiva­tion must be that of wanting to giveand serve. We are all preparing sowe can be qualified to be mighty SER­V ANTS in God's Kingdom.

This takes time and experience. Noone is qualified to assume a position ofrulership immediately upon enteringGod's Church. Much growth and over­coming is necessary. Therefore, noNOVICE (I Tim. 3 :6) - no inexperi­enced and unqualified "greenhorn"­is ready to discharge the sweeping andawesome responsibilities of rulership inGod's family.

We must all go through a time oftrial and testing before God will entrustsuch powers to our charge. Paul said,"I have fought a good fight, I have

The fastest growing church area isthe Headquarters District centeringaround Pasadena. In the past as moremembers were brought into the Churchby God here at Headquarters it becamenecessary to establish other congrega­tions in the nearby vicinity to take theoverflow from the halls we were using.This process continued until we nowhave 11 churches served from the Cam­pus in Pasadena. The latest addition ofa new congregation was established inAnaheim, California on December 24,hv Mr. Albert J. Portune, an Evange-

The GOOD NEWS

finished my course, T have kept thefaith" (II Tim. 4:7). We also mustprove faithful "under fire." It is the heatof the battle that changes the hootcamp trainee into an experienced, battle­hardened veteran. Even so we must haveour character proven "under fire." Wemust remain on the firing line no mat­ter how rugged the battle might be.Christ said, "he that shall endureunto the end, the same shall be saved"(Mat. 24:13).

N ow is the time to be developingthese qualities in your character. Don'tlet down - don't become careless inyour conduct! Make sure those who arefollowing you will be able to see Christliving His life in you. Remember­our goal is perfection.

Ambossodor College Photo

Mr. Gerald Waterhouse and Mr. Wayne Colediscuss a personal point just prior to a session.

be Mr. Garner Ted Armstrong's assis­tant. Nearly 170 were in attendance forthe first Sabbath service, but the Ana­heim church will soon be over 200 asit is located in a very rapidly growingarea as far as prospective members forGod's Church is concerned.

New Bible Studies

A new monthly Negro Bible studywas begun in New Orleans, Louisiana

January, 1967

on November 23. The racial situationin the southern areas makes it unwisefor mixed meetings, so we are verythankful that we are able to have Mr.Elbert Atlas, a recent graduate fromAmbassador College and a fully or­dained Preaching Elder in the Churchof God to serve his own colored breth­ren in this area. The attendance figurewas not very high but considering thatonly the colored brethren were present,it was heartening to read of the 45who were in attendance there.

On December 4, a new Bible studywas begun in Farmington, New Mexico.Mr. Cecil Battles drove the 150 miles

from his central location in Albuquer­

que to Farmington in the extremenorthwest corner of New Mexico to pro­

vide the once-a-month Bible study for

the 45 brethren who are able to attendfrom that very sparsely settled area.

With the addition of Farmington this

gives Mr. Battles the responsibility forone entire state since he also has a

Bible study In Las Cruces and the

church there in Albuquerque.

Future Growth

The Building Program is continuingas rapidly as possible under the aus­

terity program - new Science and Mu­

sic Buildings will be added to the Pasa­dena Campus as well as the beginning

of the first stage of the new Administra­

tion Building which has so desperately

been needed for many years now. More

details on this, with pictures, will be

included in future articles in this newscolumn.

If the growth for this next year IS

to continue as it has in the past we

will be establishing about 35 or 40

new congregations in the year of 1967- 50 or more men will be ordained

from God's Colleges and from the local

congregations around the world - mil­lions of more watts of radio power

will be added - Mr. Armstrong has

authorized going more completely andthoroughly into mass advertising in

magazines and newspapers - all in all

the Work of God is braced and readyfor a powerful surge forward in every

aspect in this coming year! Be SU1~e

you grow with God's Work!