Herbert Armstrong’s War of Opportunity

December 24, 1941 Co-Worker Letter
-Herbert W Armstrong

W A R ! What it Means in P R O P H E C Y! to my pocketbook!

“Want God to help America Win the War? Send me Money to Preach!”

The onset of WWII has begun and Herbert Armstrong see opportunity in this event.

The following is one of Herbie’s co-worker letters dated December 24th, 1941.

Red denotes pleas for money, failed prophecies, or just plain bullshit in the article below.

Blue denotes cult mind control tactics.

Green denotes Herbert mentioning ones soul being at risk.

Light blue are my notes.

W A R ! What it Means in P R O P H E C Y — to YOU — to our WORK

In the last BULLETIN, dated September 28th, the headline was: “United States on Brink of WAR—as God Opens Marvelous Opportunity for Broadcast.”

The last number of The PAIN TRUTH (Sept-Oct) contained the page 1 headline, “America Stands in Mortal DANGER, Now!”

For months I have been saying to our radio audiences that WAR was coming closer to America. Perhaps few took these warnings seriously. America has been “protected” by two great oceans!

Well, it has come. American soil has been invaded, the U.S. Navy seriously crippled. Enemy submarines are torpedoing ships 20 miles off our Pacific Coast. Enemy planes have been flying over San Francisco. We know what black-outs are.

Prophesied events SWEEP ON! Bible prophecy is CERTAIN! Far more horrible events now loom immediately ahead. This, now, is only “the BEGINNING of sorrows.” Do we now believe it? Are we at last AWAKE?

True, we could not know exactly HOW, or WHERE, or even WHEN the blow would strike America. There is no specific prophecy foretelling Japan’s attack against America, except as Japan is part of Hitler’s Axis.

But in the last BULLETIN, we did say: “Negotiations with Japan are reported breaking down, as inevitably they must. Japan cannot back down without ‘losing face.’ And Japan would rather suffer annihilation than ‘lose face.’ The U.S. also has gone too far to back down. Soon Japan must … ‘lose face’ utterly—or seize territory…which means WAR with America.”

Today the people are desperately trying to convince themselves that Hitler is weakening—about to disintegrate. Because of reverses the past two weeks in Russia, Hitler has deposed his army commander-in-chief, and assumed personal direct command. Instead of relying upon seasoned military judgment, Hitler says he will now direct the German army according to his “intuitions.” The world scoffs, believes this means Hitler’s end. But I warn our co-workers it probably means the beginning of greater German successes than ever! Satan the Devil rules and guides Hitler. His “intuitions,” scoffed at by many, are simply the cunning, supernatural directions of the devil himself. Bible prophecy shows Hitler is far from through. He will take Gibralter —perhaps, now, NEXT! He will take SUEZ. He will enter and take PALESTINE—eventually set up his headquarters there! If the course of Bible prophecy is followed, it is probable that Japan will take the Philippines—that Singapore will fall. We have not yet seen the end of disaster. This, now, is only the “BEGINNING of sorrows!” according to Jesus’ prophecy (Mat. 24:8.)

Our liberties threatened by the Axis CAN be preserved and made secure—but only if America confesses that sin is the transgression of GOD’S law—only if America now quickly REPENTS, as a people, of sin—only if America will now turn in dead earnest to our GOD, putting her trust, not in America stamina merely, but in a HIGHER SUPERNATURAL POWER than the diabolical power guiding Hitler—only if America gets on the WHOLE ARMOR OF GOD! (Ephesians 6:10-18.)

If we want to help America now in her hour of supreme test—if we love this country and want to help save this people from captivity and slavery, I tell you, my dear co-workers, we need now to make EVERY sacrifice, put forth EVERY effort, to shout this warning to the whole people. I need your help as never before. I need it badly—quickly—continuously.

(The member is made to feel special and in control)

If you believe God and His Word—if you know that Bible prophecy is SURE, and CERTAIN—then you will realize that America stands in PERIL today—that America’s HOPE is in the ETERNAL GOD, whose people we are—that God says plainly He will send the foreign sword of invasion UNLESS our people now turn with their whole hearts, and with broken contrite repentant hearts, to HIM. In God Almighty now lies our hope. Our people do not realize it. It is SPIRITUAL armament I am fighting for! Are you with me? If you want to save America—if you want to see souls saved—if you want to help spread the true GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM, then I KNOW YOU ARE!

Remember, Jesus commanded us to seek FIRST the KINGDOM OF GOD, and all material considerations, even to material defense, secondarily. Then, he promised, all these material needs SHALL BE ADDED! Now, more than ever, we must put GOD FIRST! That is the most effective way we who are Christians can help protect and save America, as well as our own souls. Remember this war is PROPHESIED! It is the LAST war! It is for a PURPOSE! God’s JUDGMENTS are about to fall! Our first—our HIGHEST duty—is to God and His Kingdom. He that endures thru to the END of these terrible times shall be saved!

I call upon every co-worker now to ENLIST in this fight— this SPIRITUAL fight for God and country—for the duration. We must dedicate our ALL to it. If we put our ALL on the altar—are willing to GIVE now to the very limit, God will give it all back heaping with interest. If we now lose our heads, forget to put FIRST things first, try to SAVE our all, we shall then LOSE all— all our material goods, and our souls as well! Help me, now, in this crusade to shout God’s warning to our people in this crisis, by adding more and more radio stations until the warning and the true Gospel Message are going COAST TO COAST. It means utter sacrifice, our fullest interest and effort, continuous earnest prevailing PRAYER. May I count on you?

* * * * * Again, in the last BULLETIN, I said: “‘Cry aloud, and spare not; lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgressions!’ commands the Lord (Isa. 58:1). ‘When I bring the sword upon a land,’ says the Almighty, ‘if the people of the land take a man of their coasts, and set him for their watchman: if when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow the trumpet, and warn the people; …he that taketh warning shall deliver his soul. BUT if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood will I require at the watchman’s hand!’ (Ezek.33:1-6). Fellow Co-workers, I SEE HE SWORD COMING! …Our people MUST BE WARNED! God has commissioned US to shout that warning as certainly as He commissioned the prophets of old!” This prophecy is for OUR TIME —for US. Will you HELP me fulfill it? (The member is made to feel special and in control)

The STATE of GOD’S WORK

We are entering the most critical time for God’s work. Perilous times lie ahead–-immediately ahead. The time, now, is just the BEGINNING of sorrows, as Jesus foretold. God’s work is in DANGER.

But now, more than ever, His work MUST GO ON—in vastly multiplied power! It SHALL go on, thru faith in HIM!

Let me tell you candidly of the present state of the work. Readjustments have had to be made. The war is causing readjustments in every line of activity in America. In the September 26th BULLETIN I told you of the marvelous opportunity God had opened to add a Los Angeles station to the broadcast. For that a special separate fund of $750 is needed. About a third of it came in.

But we had to stop in our tracks, and make some readjustments here in the office first. As most of you may know, Mrs. Armstrong and I have been carrying nearly all this work alone, almost without help, and without necessary office equipment. Letters were piling up on my desk by the scores, requiring a personal answer. I was unable to get to them. The PLAIN TRUTH mailing list increased to 6,500, and we had no addressing-machine. If you can imagine writing out 6,500 names and addresses every time we send The PLAIN TRUTH,—writing them BY HAND—you will see what we were up against. It was holding up The PLAIN TRUTH, so it has been coming out only about every three months. (Its your fault)

I did not dare start a Los Angeles station that would DOUBLE our present mail, and the mailing list, until we could organize the office to handle it. For years I have needed an efficient secretary. Since the last BULLETIN, God has provided us with a good Christian girl whose heart is in this work, and who is taking hold of the office work in splendid shape. Since, we have added another girl. Both can type, but neither can take shorthand. The only solution for answering letters was to install dictaphones. With them I can dictate letters as rapidly as I can talk, even when away on trips. The way opened for us to secure a second-hand addressing machine at one-seventh its actual value. We had to add another typewriter. To make a long story short, we are now equipped and organized in the office to handle all the mail and names for the mailing list that come in, no matter how many radio stations we are able to add—that is, this can be done by adding later whatever help is necessary in the office. This office “bottle-neck” has been taken care of. We have weathered the hardest month in the year, financially, and we face 1942 just “set” for the work to take a great LEAP ahead. I am very thankful. God has blessed us! He is providing every need, opening the way for His work.

(Herbie’s lead up to another plea for money) So at the moment the work stands like this: We are prepared now for the greatest leap forward the work has ever taken. The time has come—GOD’S time—when it MUST leap forward in mighty power. We are READY. We have about a third of the needed fund for the Los Angeles broadcast on hand. BUT—here is the other side of the picture: we face such increases in expenses that, except by faith, I would say the work could not carry on. One of our larger radio stations has almost DOUBLED the cost of the weekly Sunday broadcast. We were forced to take extra office space, and office rent has more than doubled. God has blessed us with the two girls we needed in the office—both working for almost no salary at present, but “the servant is worthy of his hire,” and they are both putting their whole hearts into the work and their work is improving as rapidly, I MUST increase their salaries gradually until they are receiving what they truly earn.

So, we face a wonderful opportunity—we are READY for a great work—yet the work is in immediate DANGER, now! We MUST have a larger week-to-week income. We MUST have another $250 to complete the office equipment absolutely necessary. We must have an additional $500 for the Los Angeles fund. God is ABLE—thru you Co-workers—if you give as He makes possible. It will take SACRIFICE. Remember GOD’S work must come FIRST. Double what you have been sending if you can. I ask those who can to send amounts of $50, $100, or $500. Send whatever amount you can, as OFTEN as you can. Stand by me. God bless you!