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International Magazine of The Church of God,

AMBASSADOR COLLEGE ATH"

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2 The GOOD NEWS December, 1964

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Good NewsInternational magazine of

THE CHURCH OF GOD(Reproduced from the February, 1958, GOOD NEWS)

More About Our Cover...

Associaie Editors

Contributing Editors

NO. 12

Ronald Kelly

Leslie 1. McCulloughRaymond F. McNair

C. Paul MeredithL. Leroy Neff

Benjamin L. ReaLynn E. Torrance

Gerald WaterhouseBasil Wolverton

Clint C. Zimmerman

ministering /0 its membersscattered abroad

Foods Consultants

Velma Van der VeerMary E. Hegvold Isabell F. Hoeh

Rose McDowell

W. A. BergRobert C. BorakerBryce G. ClarkC. Wayne ColeRaymond C. ColeCharles V. DorothyJack R. ElliottSelmer HegvoldErnest L. Martin

Editorial and Production Assistants

Paul W. KrollJames W. Robinson

Donald G. McDonald

EDITOR

HERBERT W. ARMSTRONG

Published monthly at Pasadena, California© 1965, by Radio Church of God

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Garner Ted Armstrong

MANAGING EDITOR

David Jon Hill

SENIOR EDITORS

Roderick C. Meredith

Herman 1. Hoeh

Albert ]. Portune

VOL. XIII

then varying kinds of unhappiness, fearand worry, strife and war, come in

varying degrees AS THE PENALTY.

That great over-all SPIRITUAL law is

just simply LOVE.' It is LOVE in con­

tinual action. It is love manifest and

expressed! It is love, first to God theCREATOR, in reverence, adoration, grati­

tude and OBEDIENcE-(because He is

the SUPREME CREATOR-RuLER who

alone KNOWS what is right for us and

has power to give it); and it is love,

second, to FELLOW MAN, expressed in

peaceableness, co-operation, service. It

is a way that travels the very OPPOSITE

DIRECTION from greed, vanity, hate,

strife and war.

This great SPIRITUAL LAW is a PRIN­

CIPLE-a WAY OF LIFE-it is an ATTI­TUDE OF MIND AND HEART. It is the

correct way to think, and to LIVE. It is

not merely moral principle-it is di­vinely-set-in-motion SPIRITUAL LAW,

and it operates automatically and inex­

orably!But since man by nature does not

know WHAT LOVE IS, God had to

define this principle of LOVE by TENDISTINCT ron-rrs-c-the TEN COMMAND­

MENTS.

The Apostle John explained it this

(Please continue on next page)

You are probably often asked howthe Ten Commandments could be a

law of LOVE.

Here is a way of explaining what

love means-an explanation which

most outsiders probably never heard

before!

When the Eternal RULER of the

universe first placed man on this plan­

et earth, all was perfect harmony andbeauty. There was PEACE. There was

PLENTY. There was BEAUTY. There

was every need and facility for HAPPI­NESS.

In order to make POSSIBLE for man

continued peaceful, happy, prosperousand joyful existence, the Eternal God

designed that all things operate accord­

ing to fixed, inexorable LAWS. Wehave the laws of physics and the laws

of chemistry.

Then, of necessity, there is the great,

fundamental, invisible, SPIRITUAL LAW

which regulates man's relationship with

his CREATOR, and man's relationshipwith fellow MAN. The purpose of this

inexorable SPIRITUAL law, like all of

God's laws, is to make possible man's

HAPPINESS-to bring man PEACE and

JOy-to make life REALLY worth liv­

ing!

When this spiritual law is broken,

Unique in construction, this fine facility is the first of the new

buildings to be constructed on Ambassador campus. Though'1: the building was done very speedily, no detail of

\\'GOO~_~~~~s.", quality was overlooked. It provides an auditoriumfor college assemblies and functions and Sabbathservices for the Headquarters congregation as well

as a fine basketball floor and swimming pool forcollege athletic events.

© 1965 Ambassador College

BUSINESS MANAGER

Albert J. Portune

ADDRESS ALL COMMUNICATIONS to the Editor.Box 111, Pasadena, California 91109.Canadian members should address Post OfficeBox 44. Station A, Vancouver I, B.C, Canada.Our members in United Kingdom, Europe, andAfrica should address the Editor, B. C M. Am­bassador, London, W.e. 1, England.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 NOTIFY US IMMEDIATELY of anychange in your address. Please inclose both oldand new address. IMPORTANT!

December, 1964 The GOOD NEWS

READERS SAY.

Secretary of church inQueensland, Australia

Another Special Miracle"I want to thank the Lord for His

healing power. Brother Armstrongsent me an anointed handkerchief. Ilaid it on my eyes and prayed. TheLord healed my eyes. I can read thebooklets now."

Mrs. O. B., North Carolina

Truth Causes Furor

"Since writing my last letter I havebecome involved in a difficult situation.Last Sunday I preached a sermon onI John 3:4 and explained to the con­gregation that the law that John wasspeaking about was the Ten Command­ments. This caused a furor in thechurch and now quite a number areready to string me up by the toes. Iam still convinced that what you sayis right, but I have a couple of ques­tions that I would appreciate you an­swering."

John 3:16"I am at present recerving 'La PURE

VERITE' and your Bible CorrespondenceCourse, the first lesson. I am confused,moved and delighted-c-all at the same

time. Confused-s-because I can give you

nothing in return, since I have been ina wretchedly poor monastery for two

and one-half years. Moved by the sin-(Please continue OJl page 21)

the desire to GET, to accumulate, toHAVE, is the impelling motive thatstimulates EFFORT, produces incentive

for endeavor, spurs man on towardPROGRESS!" "COMPETITION," men be­lieve, "is the very LIFE of trade, com­

merce and business. It spurs men on,leads to greater production, makes forPROGRESS!" That is the philosophy ofthis world! That is the opposite of

LOVE. That is the opposite of the TENCOMMANDMENTS!

AND THAT VERY PHILOSOPHY OF

LIFE, PUT TO 6,000 YEARS OF PRAC­TICE, IS THE ONE ROOT CAUSE OF ALLOUR HUMAN WOES!

That philosophy means that manhas REBELLED against the rule and thelaw of God! God rules by His LAWOF r.ovs-s-the TEN COMMANDMENTS.But God, for a great PURPOSE, mademan a free moral agent. MAN CHOSETO REJECT THE RULE AND THE LAWOF GOD. and instead has tried to governHIMSELF and his fellows. THAT ISMAN'S GREAT MISTAKE! What man

needs is to return to obedience to thelaw of God which alone can restoreorder out of chaos!

"Four cents of this is tithes for myseven year old son. He picked up colddrink bottles and sold them. I told himtwo cents were his tithes. He said, 'I'llsend three cents.' He picked up moreand so his tithes and offering amountsto four cents. I want him to learn God'sway of tithing." SAfrs. . J. R.

be sending money in and especially atthese rates last year I would have toldthem they were crackpots. I really haveno trouble in sending yOll these Stuns,and my money goes farther, plus wehave more than ever before along withthe purchase recently of a new home."

Mr. and Mrs. L. M., Ohio

• •

{Contrnned from inside front cover)

way: "For this is the LOVE of GOD, that

we keep his commandments: and his

commandments are not grievous" (I

John 5: 3).

"Love," wrote Paul, "is the ful­filling of the law" (Rom. 13: 10).

Since no one can fulfill the law if heis breaking it, then love must be theKEEPING of the ten points of the law!

He who breaks anyone is guilty ofall (Jas. 2:10), and is therefore NOTloving his neighbor.

The Creator also made man a FREE

MORAL AGENT~and for a pllrpose.'~

FREE TO DECIDE WHICH WAY OF LIFEHE WOULD FOLLOW! Ever since Adamin the Garden of Eden, man, somehow,has believed that the law of God iswrong and that man is sufficient untohimself. Man has followed the ways ofvanity and of GREED ever since.

"Why, PRIDE," man reasons, "and

~oJfrom the Editor

Tithing Blessings"Enclosed please find my tithe and

10 percent of the second tithe. Ifanyone would have told me I would

• Your prayers for God to call and

influence people to support His Workare important.

Answered Prayers

"The article 'The Man Who Couldn't

Afford to Tithe' has influenced mevery deeply. I have already read it sev­eral times and have decided to give

God the tithe regularly every month."

Man from Switzerland

original wage. On the two latter oc­

casions the increase came in the veryweek I had enclosed an extra offeringwith my tithe to God's work. God

truly has opened the windows ofheaven."

Man from Sydney, New South Wales,Australia

ourWhat

Blessings"I would like to offer Illy experience

in finding and working in my job toadd to the proof that God truly doespour out a blessing that there is not

room enough to receive it to the tithepayer. It took me six to eight weeks tofind my present job. I was turned awayfrom at least twenty other similar situ­ations, until, I was ready to take what­ever pay, whatever conditions availedthemselves. At all these jobs I was of­fered no more than £2 over halfwhat I am receiving in my present job.The working conditions were undesir­

able in the majority of cases. To allthese I had submitted many referencesand qualifications, but the job I havenow fell into my hands without myproducing so much as one certificate.My employer is extremely amiable, andthe atmosphere is by far the most

pleasant I have encountered. To 'topit off' the salary, besides being twiceas much as any other similar positionwould offer, has been increased threetimes in the eight months I have beenemployed there, by one-fourth of my

4

Ambassador College Photos

ABOVE: Excavation begins on the new athleticfacility after the old buildings have beencleared away. RIGHT: Within a few weeksthese giant beams were being placed-menand machinery struggling in organized con­fusion to meet the deadline for completeccn strvc t io n. BELOW: The beautiful southernexposure-with the giant windows of the nata­torium-cloud-covered mountains in the back­

ground, unfinished landscaping in the fore­ground. The facility is completed, and beingused DAilY in the service of God's Work!

•1nInspiring PROGRESS

God's ChurchNow there are ministers and elders of the True Church aroundthe entire earth. Read here of the marvelous GROWTH of

God's Church in our age-and its breathtaking FUTURE.

by Roderick C. Meredith

H ERE WE are winding up the year1964!

When I first graduated fromAmbassador College, in June of 1952,there were only three active local con­gregations in this era of God's Church.

At that time, when Ambassador Col­lege was just beginning to producefruit, there was only ONE faithful min­ister in God's Church-and two LocalElders who were faithful.

Imagine!Now as we end this calendar year of

1964, there are 94 local church congre­gations scattered around the earth­with new ones constantly being added!And now, instead of one minister andtwo Local Elders, there are exactly 126ministers and elders of God's Churchin all parts of the globe! To a largeextent this is the fruit-not alone ofThe WORLD TOMORROW broadcast­but of Ambassador Colleges directly.Through these colleges which Christhas established, more trained and dedi­cated men and women are constantlybeing readied for service in this end­time crusade.

Recent Ordinations

Several weeks ago, on a visit and in­spection tour of our offices in Geneva,Switzerland, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrongordained a recent graduate of Ambassa­dor College in England, who is now theOffice Manager there. Mr. Colin Wil­kins was ordained as a Local Elder inGod's Church-giving him added au­thority in counseling and anointing theSwiss brethren in that area. Coinci­dently, another blessing came to Mr.

Wilkins and his wife about the sametime. For soon after the ordination shebrought forth a baby girl! So congratu­lations! For all our prayers and bestwishes go with you, Mr. and Mrs. Wil­kins!

At the same time, Mr. Armstrongordained Mr. Etienne Bourdin as aDeacon in God's Church. Mr. Bourdinhas been one of the most faithful mem­bers in the entire French Work, and isnow on the staff in our Geneva office.

On the weekend of November 7,Mr. Albert J. Portune and his familymade a visit from God's Headquartersto the Sacramento-Oakland Churcharea. Mr. Portune was present at a spe­cial Bible study and church social andgave an inspiring sermon in bothchurches on "What It Means To Be aPillar in God's Church." He brought the

Mr. Colin Wilkins

Mr. Sid Cloud

Mr. Harry Sleder

6

brethren much news and exhortationfrom God's Headquarters in Pasadena,and many expressed their thankfulnessfor his visit.

During this visit, as a result of pre­vious consultations, he and Mr. DennisLuker, local pastor, ordained Mr. HarrySleder and Mr. Sid Cloud as LocalElders in this church area. Mr. Slederwas ordained for the Oakland area, andMr. Cloud for the Sacramento area.

These three ordinations, includingMr. Wilkins, bring the total numberof ministers and elders in God'sChurch to 126--world-wide. But thatfigure won't stand for long!

New Churches in BatonRouge and Jackson

Mr. Vernon Hargrove, new area min­ister, reports that the new churches inBaton Rouge, Louisiana, and Jackson,Mississippi, got off to a fine start onthe Sabbath of November 28. BatonRouge began with 149 in attendanceand everyune was very enthusiasticabout the opportunity of this newchurch. They started out with a ready­made Deacon-for Mr. Harold Rich­ard, who had moved from the Arizonaarea, is already ordained to that officeand trained to carry on those responsi­bilities in this new church area.

Mr. Kenneth Swisher, the Southeast­ern United States District Superintend­ent, flew up from Florida to bringthe messages in the two new churchesand gave a sermon showing the needfor each of the members to have aloving concern for the other.

In Jackson, there were 88 for the firstSabbath service, and Mr. Swisher gavethe same sermon to get this new churchoff to a good start.

So let us REJOICE, brethren, in thesetwo new churches and ask God tobless and inspire Mr. Hargrove and allof the brethren in this new area intheir service to the Living Christ.

A Full Deputy Chancellorfor Big Sandy College

A few Sabbaths ago, I was preachingat the Pasadena Headquarters Church.I looked at Mrs. Les McCullough andsaid, "You never know where God isgoing to use you!"

Mr. McCullough-accompanying Mr.

The GOOD NEWS

Garner Ted Armstrong and Mr. AlbertPortune-was in Big Sandy, Texas,over this weekend for a flying visitto the college there. Mr. Herbert W.Armstrong was coming through on hisway back from England, and I had reoceived word-by a telephone confer­ence with Mr. Ted Armstrong-thatbig things were in the offing.

Soon after, the official announce­ment came: Mr. Les McCullough wasappointed as Deputy Chancellor forAmbassador College in Big Sandy!

As some of our other leading men,Mr. McCullough came to AmbassadorCollege as an older, experienced, mar­ried man. He had had certain businessexperience before ever entering Am­bassador College. For the past fewyears, he has been a member of theExecutive Staff assisting Mr. GarnerTed Armstrong. Many of you EastCoast brethren know Mr. McCulloughfor his work in setting up and organ­izing the Feast of Tabernacles at JekyllIsland. In this and many other respon­sibilities, he has shown leadership anddedication in God's Work and is nowshouldered with an even greater re­sponsibility in guiding God's new Col­lege in Texas under Mr. Armstrong'sover-all direction.

Certainly the new Ambassador Col­lege in Texas-and now Mr. McCul­lough pe"sol1ally-will need yourprayers, brethren.

So let us REJOICE that the right manhas been found for this important posi­tion, and let us not forget to remem­ber the third Ambassador College inour daily prayers.

Headquarters Church Meets inBeautiful New

Gymnasium

Mr. Garner Ted Armstrong recentlyopened the first assembly of Ambassa­dor College in our own magnificentgymnasium. He reminded the studentsand faculty that this is the first realbuilding that we have ever had theprivilege of building on this campus!

It has turned out to be of such finequality and character, that Mr. Arm­strong has given the go-ahead for us tohold the Sabbath services and Biblestudies in this fine new edifice-in ad­dition to the college forums, assemblies

December, 1964

Deputy Chancellor McCullough

and other special meetings and activi­ties. So we really intend to USE thisgymnasium-not only for athletics­but for many of the most importantfunctions in God's Work! Temporar­ily, at least, until the much-neededcollege assembly hall can be built,God's Headquarters Church will havethe opportunity of meeting in thecheerful, spacious atmosphere of ournew gym-which frankly is of muchbetter quality and provides a better at­mosphere than most of our localchurches anywhere are privileged toobtain.

So the local church area brethren,the Student Body and faculty of Am­bassador College-all are extremelyTHANKFUL that God has at last al­lowed us to embark this far on ourmuch-needed Building Program. Re­joice with us, brethren, that this finenew edifice has been completed in sucha manner. And keep praying and doingyour part for the Building Fund thatour desperately needed dining hall andassembly hall may also be completedwithin reasonable time. Remember andrespond to last month's article on TheTithe of the Tithe by Mr. Portune.

District Ministers Meeting

This year, for the first time, we'vedecided not to bring in all of God'sministers to Pasadena for the annual

(Please continue on page 20)

Are You SURE WeAreGOD'S MINISTERS?

How DOES one know he has been "CALLED" of God?THOUSANDS say they have been-some say they've "felt"that way; that "God laid it upon their hearts," or that theyreceived a "VERY SPAISHUL (special) burden" from theLord. Did they really? How does God call His TRUE ministers?

by Garner Ted Armstrong

PERSECUTORS HATE this Work ofGod. It makes them bitterlyangry when we speak positively,

dogmatically, authoritatively about theWorcl of God!

Coming across my desk in just thepast week have been several more ofthe usual booklets, tracts and pam­phlets which bitterly criticize thisWork. Some of them are nasty. Theyridicule. They hurl invective-they im­pute motives.

But the one greatest point thatmakes our persecutors MAD is to hearus infer we are the ONE TRUE CHURCHOF GOD ON EARTH, THAT ONLY WEARE HIS TRUE MINISTERS! This liter­ally ENRAGES them.

But it's true!

Persecutors, False MinistersWere PROPHESIED!

Were these men called of God? Ifthey were, were WE? If both werecalled of God, how is it some PERSE­CUTE, while others answer not a word?

You need to thoroughly understandjust WHO GOD'S TRUE MINISTERS ARE.And you need to PROVE it! You needto know, from your own Bible, HOWHe calls them, HOW to recognize them,and HOW to recognize the great differ­ence between the TRUE ministers ofChrist and the false prophets of Satan.

But not only did Christ warn offalse prophets and teachers from WITH­OUT the church-He also warned ofsome who would arise FROM WITHIN!

Just as the early beginnings of ourchurch were fraught with dangers, so

is this present age bringing us evercloser to the same identical dangers.Jesus warned, "Take heed that no mandeceive you" (Matt. 24:4). In Hiswarning about deceptions, Jesus talkedof false ministers who would be mas­querading as true ministers of the Gos­pel, who would "show great signs andwonders; insomuch that, if it were pos­sible, they shall deceive the very elect"(Matt. 24:24).

This warning was about OUR times­NOW!

And to whom was the warninggiven? To the church!

Brethren, the time has come to can­didly WARN you of a very grave dangerthat could mean the loss of salvationfor many of the "babes in Christ" whohave been called into the wonderfullight of God's Truth.

In the early church, there arose falseministers, and lay members, who beganto set themselves up as "teachers" and"leaders" of the people. The wholetheme of the New Testament, from thevery inception of God's True Church tothe end of the book of Revelation, isone of APOSTASY, one of God's trueApostles and ministers constantly strug­gling against FALSE DOCTRINES creep­ing in, and against connterjeit minis­ters who were trying to lead off peopleafter themselves.

Notice, the Council at Jerusalem washeld for this very reason! "And certainmen which came down from Judeataught the brethren, and said, Exceptye be circumcised after the manner ofMoses, ye cannot be saved" (Acts

15: 1). Notice further that these menwanted to ARGUE about the small,physical question of circumcision..'When therefore Paul and Barnabashad no small dissension and disputa­

tion with them, they determined thatPaul and Barnabas, and certain otherof them, should go up to Jerusalemunto the apostles and elders about thisquestion" (Acts 15: 2).

God's Gouernmens went into effect,and a decision was rendered by James,the chief Apostle at Jerusalem (Verse19), and the other Apostles then de­livered a DECREE (binding, authorita­tive decision, as a law) to the brethrenin the church (Acts 16:4).

Paul's Experience

In Paul's letters of correction and ex­hortation to the early church, he wasoften forced to show them, by the man­ner of his calling and training the au­thenticity of his office. Notice howmany of his letters begin with state­ments of divinely ordained authority.(See Rom. 1 :1-5; I Cor. 1 :1; II Cor.1 :1; Gal. 1 :1-2; etc.)

Even Lay Members Tried It

Almost immediately after the begin­ning of God's True Church, certainmen arose who began to lead away fol­lowings after themselves-out of hu­man jealousy and vanity! "For I knowthis," Paul said to the Ephesian elders,"that after my departing shall grievouswolves enter in among you, not spar­ing the flock. Also of YOUR OWNSELVES shall men arise, speaking per-

8

verse things, to draw away disciplesafter them" (Acts 20:29-30).

In the three cities of southern Gala­tia, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe, thestory had been circulated, apparently,that Paul was merely Peter's "messen­ger boy," and an attempt was made toappeal to supposed conflicts within theministry in order to confuse and dividethe church.

Paul, for that very reason, unhesitat­ingly stated the mistake Peter had madein disfellowshiping the Gentiles in pres­ence of the Jews, and told the church,"But when I saw that they walked notuprightly according to the truth of thegospel, I said unto Peter before themall, If thou, being a Jew, livest afterthe manner of Gentiles, and not asdo the Jews, why compellest thou theGentiles to live as do the Jews?"(Gal. 2:14.)

The remaining verses of this entirechapter are the inspired words Paulspoke to Peter! The often quoted, won­derful statement of Paul, "I am cruci­fied with Christ: nevertheless I live; yetnot I, BUT CHRIST LIVETH IN ME"(Verse 20), was a statement made di­rectly to Peter to show the authorityby which Paul spoke. It was Christwho inspired Paul to speak thusly.

Make no mistake! Peter and Paulwere not enemies! Everthing was donefor the advancement of the church, forthe GOOD of the flock. The importantthing to notice also is that Peter didtake the correction and later calledhim beloved brother-exhorting theChristians to take heed to the thingsPaul had written in his epistles! (IIPet. 3: 15-16.)

And so, even though there wascorrection needed-Peter and Paul werein absolute union and agreement oncePeter acknowledged his error.

Look at the spectacle of the present­day Ecumenical movement. Many dif­fering, disagreeing, conflicting re­ligions, each wanting its own way;trying somehow to find some commonground for partial agreement. Not ONEadmits it has embraced ERROR! NotONE is willing to REPENT--each holdsto its OLD TRADITIONS, but just "mod­ernizes" them, or gives them a "newlook" and attempts to "explain" themin more contemporary language.

The GOOD NEWS

Not so in God's TRUE CHURCH!As my father has said so many times,

the decisions have always been 100 percent unanimous whenever God's trueministers gather together to settle aquestion-or when doctrinal points arediscussed in the annual MinisterialConferences. And, so long as we remainGOD'S Church, in which dwells HisHoly Spirit. this will continue to betrue! God's True Church is a UNITEDChurch, even as Christ prayed it wouldbe! (John 17:11.)

Paul Was Criticized

It has been said the busier a manbecomes, and the more he accomplishes,the more criticism he will receive.

God's Word certainly bears this up!Jesus Christ was the busiest and themost-criticized man who ever lived.

The Apostle Paul was constantly be­ing criticized by unthinking, carnal­minded people who did not reallyfear God's Government as they shouldhave.

The Corinthians were accusing himof being covetous of what they sup­posed was their money (which wasreally not theirs, but God's), and Paulanswered by saying, "Mine answer tothem that do examine me is this, Havewe not power to eat and to drink?"(I Cor. 9:3-4.)

He then proceeded to prove that theministry should be supported fromGod's tithes.

The entire first chapter of Galatiansis Paul's affirmation of the DIVINEAUTHORITY with which he spoke andwrote.

The important thing to realize is thatthis defense was necessary only becauseof the false teachers and "leaders" whowere stirring up the people-trying todiscredit God's true ministers-tryingto lead off a following after them­selves!

Paul told the young Evangelist, Tim­othy, "Now the Spirit speaketh ex­pressly, that in the latter times [now]some shall depart from the faith [doc­trine-body of beliefs], giving heed toseducing spirits, and doctrines of de­mons" (I Tim. 4:1).

Paul called by name certain falseteachers when he said, "But shun pro-

December, 1964

fane and vain babblings: for they willincrease unto more ungodliness. Andtheir word will eat as doth a canker:of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus;who concerning the truth have erred"(II Tim. 2:16-18).

After describing the conditionswhich will be extant during this verytime in the first few verses of thethird chapter of his second letter toTimothy, Paul said, "But evil men andseducers shall wax worse and worse,deceiving, and being deceived" (IITim. 3:13).

Remember, these letters to Timothywere concerned primarily with churchgovernment! Never forget that eventhe FALSE ministers will appearas the ministers of Christ! "For suchare false apostles, deceitful workers,transforming themselves into the apos­tles of Christ. And no marvel; forSatan himself is transformed into anangel of light. Therefore it is no greatthing if HIS MINISTERS also be trans­formed as the ministers of righteous­ness; whose end shall be according totheir works" (II Cor. 11:13-15).

A Cloak of Church Authority

Astounding though it may seem,these false teachers who began leadingthe members astray told direct, deliber­ate lies, or else led the people to be­lieve by subtl!rfuge and insinuationthat they were known by, commissionedby, and ordained to their positions byGod's true ministers!

Yes-they told the people they rep­resented Paul, or Peter, and that theycame from them!

Notice, "I marvel that ye are so soonremoved from him that called you intothe grace of Christ unto another gospel:which is not another; but there be somethat trouble you, and would pervertthe gospel of Christ" (Gal. 1:6-7) .

Simon Magus and his followers weremaking every effort to subvert the TrueChurch. They tried to "divide andconquer"! But the True Church is notdivided!

Paul then proceeded to put a bindingCURSE on perverting Christ's Gospel,even though he himself should turnaround and begin preaching differentlyin the future. "But though WE [in­cluding ALL the Apostles and the min-

December, 1964

istersJ, or an angel form heaven, preachany other gospel unto you than thatwhich we have preached unto you, lethim be anathema [cut off fromChrist)" (Gal. 1:8).

Paul was forced to write to thebrethren at Thessalonica: "Now webeseech you, brethren ... that ye be notsoon shaken in mind, or be troubled,neither by spirit [an angel, or evilspirit], nor by word [oral teachingfrom others], nor by letter as from us,as that the day of Christ is at hand"(II Thess. 2:1-2). Did you read it?Paul warned them not to be deceived,even though someone wrote a FALSEEPISTLE, and DELIBERATELY signed itwith his name! In closing this import­ant letter, Paul purposely signed it withhis own hand-saying, "The salutationof Paul with mine own hand, which isthe token in every epistler, so I write[or, after this manner, I write)" (IIThess. 3:17).

He had told them, "Let no man de­ceive you by any means" (II Thess.2: 3), and then went on to give theman absolute key as to what was sureto happen prior to the coming ofChrist.

Peter Gave Warning, Too!

Peter was not unaware of the under­current toward apostasy that was be­ginning then. He wrote, "But therewere false prophets also among the peo­ple, even as there shall be false teachersamong you, who privately shall bringin damnable heresies, even denyingthe Lord that bought them, and bringupon themselves swift destruction" (IIPet. 2: 1). Paul had said the "fallingaway" from true doctrine was a mysteryof lawlessness that was beginning inhis time! (II Thess. 2:7.)

The entire second chapter of Peter'ssecond letter is a grave warning againstfalse teachers.

They Always HATE Authority

Notice, however, that there is alwaysONE THING THESE TEACHERS HAVE INCOMMON. Even Korah, and the ones heled with him in his rebellion againstthe authority of Moses, showed thesame traits (See Num. 16:1-3).

"But chiefly them that walk after theflesh," who are concerned about the

The GOOD NEWS

PHYSICAL SENSES, and the fleshly, car­nal sensations, the vanity they mighthave in obtaining an office, the popu­larity, the money they covet-"in thelust of uncleanness, and despise gov­ernment [AUTHORITY, RSV)" (II Pet.2:10).

Do you see?These false teachers who are prophe­

sied to enter in among you brethrenwill always despise the Government ofGod. They will talk against the AU­THORITY in God's Church-promisingLIBERTY, emancipation from the au­thority of God!

That is exactly what Nimrod did.He promised the people LIBERTY fromany rule, any order and governmentthat might regulate their lives in theways of God's laws, which lead to ever­lasting happiness and peace.

"Presumptuous are they," continuesPeter (II Pet. 2:10). Yes, they are al­ways PRESUMING to have office, posi­tion and authority-while busily en­gaged in preaching against it! Theywish to ARROGATE to themselves a posi­tion of authority-yet promulgate adoctrine of NO authority! They con­tradict their own words by their AC­TIONS, which are visible to all!

"... selfwilled [not doing the will ofGod, but of SELF], they are not afraidto speak evil of dignities" (II Pet.2:10).

These are never really submissive tothe authority in God's Church, but just"go along" with it, until it steps onTHEM-then, they suddenly show theirtrue colors, and are not in the leastbit fearful to speak openly AGAINSTMr. Armstrong, or any other of God'scalled and chosen servants. Have youever listened to such a person? AREyou such a person? If you ARE-thenCHANGE your ways, before it is toolate!

God says of such: "But these, asnatural brute beasts, made to be takenand destroyed, speak evil of the thingsthat they understand not" (they neverhave the facts of the picture, and sojump to false conclusions), "and shallutterly PERISH in their own corruption"(II Pet. 2:12).

The church, during its first age,called the "Ephesian" age, or theChurch at Ephesus, in the letters to the

9

churches In Revelation, was com­mended because it had "tried themwhich SAY they are apostles, and arenot, and hast found them LIARS"(Rev. 2:2). Jesus showed here thatmany TOOK THE TITLE of offices inthe church and tried to use the sane­

tion of the church, a cloak of "author­ity," to deceive the flock!

Same Situation Possible Now

Most of us are asleep to the dangerof that identical thing developingRIGHT NOW! Brethren, whether most ofyou realize it or not, there are, at thisvery moment, FALSE TEACHERS WITH­IN the Church of God!

God's true ministers are aware thatthere are, at this moment, men whoare in scattered parts of the country,holding "Bible studies" and meetings,even preaching, in so-called "cam­paigns" from time to time, visiting,perhaps, with some of YOU people.They DELIBERATELY LIE, saying theyare from the Headquarters Church inPasadena, saying they were ordained byMr. Armstrong and the other ministers,and that we in Pasadena have commis­sioned them to labor in the doctrine!

Yes, astounding though it may seem-some are deliberately LYING to lis­teners of the broadcast-deluding theminto believing they represent the min­istry of this church.

We have heard reports of men whohave been visiting members, or perhapsjust listeners to the broadcast and read­ers of The PLAIN TRUTH magazine, invarious parts of the United States.

Every year, at the Feast of Taber­nacles, we realize we must be con­stantly on guard to prevent any lengthy"Bible studies" from developing wherecertain dominant personalities begin to"teach" the people-i-rxr.sa DOCTRINES!

It is GOOD that God's people shouldtalk about the Bible. It is right, justand godly that all of God's peopleSHOULD do this-but when certain onestry to set themselves forward as min­isters, as teachers of the Word, thenGod's true ministers must exercise theall-powerful AUTHORITY God has giventhem, with the very POWER OF GOD,in putting down such false teachingsin order to protect the flock!

Do not let yourself become an "in-

10

terested" listener to damnable heresies,evil speakings and gossip against some­one else, or against God's great Work,or against any of the ministers as in­dividuals!

Ministry a Grave Responsibility

It is because the ministers must laborin TEACHING others that God lays sucha heavy responsibility on them. NoticePeter's exhortation: "The elders (allministers are elders) which are amongyou I exhort, who am also an elder ...feed the flock of God which is amongyou ... neither as being lords overGod's heritage, but being ensamples tothe flock" (I Pet. 5 :1-3).

To cause another human being toLOSE SALVATION is the most dastardlyact a person can commit! Notice whatJesus said of such an act: "But whososhall offend one of these little oneswhich believe in me, it were better forhim that a millstone were hanged abouthis neck, and that he were drowned inthe depth of the sea. Woe unto theworld because of offences [causing an­other to stumble-and go back intosin]! for it must needs be that of­fences come; but woe to that man bywhom the offense cometh 1" (Matt.18:6-7.)

The well-known third chapter ofJames, the lesson on the evils of thetongue-of evil-speaking and gossip­is directed primarily to those whoTEACH OTHERs-the MINISTRY.

"My brethren, be not many mas­ters," is better translated, "My breth­ren, do not many of you becometeachers!" (Verse 1), "... knowingthat we shall receive the greater con­demnation [judgment)."

Why? Simply because, as Paul saidto Timothy, "Take heed unto thyself,and unto the doctrine; continue inthem: for in doing this thou shalt bothsave thyself, and them that hear thee"(I Tim. 4:16). The minister can helpSAVE people by the RIGHT, DILIGENT,FAITHFUL preaching of God's trueWord! He can also be responsible forsending people straight to Gehennafire by the wrong use of the positionin which God has placed him!

It is because of that TREMENDOUSresponsibility that James said, "Don't

The GOOD NEWS

many of you become teachers!"But!Anyone-be he false minister, pro­

fessing teacher, deliberate liar, or inno­cent lay member trying to "do good"to others, who teaches doctrines to anyother person which LEAD THAT PERSONASTRAY-COmeS under the condemna­tion of the Word of God-which saysWOE unto that man! (Luke 17:1-2.)

And, perhaps even without realizingit, YOU could be teaching false doc­trines to another person! "Examineyourselves, whether ye be in the faith;prove your own selves. Know ye notyour own selves, how that Jesus Christis in you, except ye be reprobates?"(II Cor. 13:5.) "Let him that thinkethhe standeth take heed lest he fall" (ICor. 10:12).

Perhaps many of the brethren havenot realized the gravity of the respon­sibility of being a steward of God'sWord. Many times, "old wives' tales"and cure-aIls for petty ailments and af­flictions are freely passed out when oneperson learns another is sick. Thiscould constitute a vitally serious in­fraction against Almighty God-andagainst the sick brother or sister! Theseare just a few of the ways in which itis possible to cause a brother to stum­ble! But remember, God's Word isliterally filled with fearsome WARN­INGS to any and all who would pre­sumptuously SET THEMSELVES UP as"teachers" of the people, when Godhas not specifically PLACED them inthat office!

How God Calls His Servants

My father fully explained the prin­ciples of ordination in his article en­titled, "Must God's Ministers Be Or­dained by the Hand of Man?"

It is GOD who chooses and calls Hisservants (Eph. 4: 11; I Cor. 12: 28) .The WAY He calls them needs to bedefinitely understood!

Notice, Jesus said to His disciples,"Ye have not chosen me, but I havechosen you, and ordained you ..."(John 15:16). When He was walkingby the Sea of Galilee, He said toPeter and Andrew, "FOLLOW ME, andI will make you fishers of men"(Matt. 4:19). Notice, NOT ONE ofJesus' disciples whom He called and

December, 1964

ORDAINED to the ministry CHOSE THEM­SELVES!

I want you to think very carefullyabout this next statement! It consti­tutes a great principle of God's Word-and a vitally important KEY to beused in God's true ministry!

THERE IS NOT ONE SINGLE EXAMPLE-ANYWHERE IN THE BIBLE, WHEREA CALLED AND CHOSEN SERVANT OFGOD CAME FORWARD AND VOLUN­TEERED FOR THE OFFICE!

Moses argued that he was unfit forthe job, Jeremiah said he was tooyoung, Jonah ran away, Samuel wasdirectly called of God, David knewnothing until Samuel announced it tohim. All of the Prophets say, "Theword of the Lord CAME unto ... "them, not that they volunteered for theoffice!

Jesus called and appointed His truedisciples. Paul was struck down by amiracle. Paul "took" Timothy untohim, and so it is throughout the his­tory of God's Church. My fatherfought vigorously against the Truth ofGod before he was finally called.

However-after a person has beencalled into the church, and becomes aSpirit-begotten child of God, it is notwrong, but rather a good thing if heDESIRES an office in the ministry (ITimothy 3: 1) .

God Works Through HumanInstruments

But Jesus said, "Wherefore by theirfruits ye shall know them!" (Matt.7 :20.) The Scriptural QUALIFICATIONSimposed upon any person whom God iscalling to the ministry are so absolutelyRIGID that there is no possibility of un­qualified, uncalled and untrained menbeing ordained.

One great principle that seems sodifficult for some few to understand isthat the Creator who gives us everybreath of air we breathe accomplishesHis Plan here below-yes, and evengoverns His Church-THROUGH HU­MAN BEINGS-HIS INSTRUMENTS!

God is now sending the Gospel ofHis soon-coming Government intomany parts of this darkened world. ButHe is not yet shouting with His ownbooming, earth-shaking voice-He is

(Please continue on page 23)

A HISTORY OF THE-

Ambassador-SpokesmanClubs

How did these clubs develop? How important are they toYOU? How can you benefit from them? Here are the answersto these questions, written by the assistant to Mr. Jack R.Elliott, the Executive Director of Ambassador-Spokesman Clubs.

by Paul Kroll

O NE OF the most important ac­tivities carried on by the Workof God today is the system of

Ambassador - Spokesman Clubs in­stituted by God in HIS CHURCH andColleges.

As Mr. Armstrong himself wrote inthe Introduction to the Ambassador­Spokesman Speech Manual, "Nearly allthe leaders in God's great Work-inGod's cuuacn-s-perhaps every one­has received a great part of his train­ing in an Ambassador Club at Ambassa­dor College, or in a Spokesman Clubat his local church.

"Without these speech clubs I do notbelieve any of those God uses as Hisleaders would possess either the speak­ing ability or the leadership exertedtoday."

How Important?

Just how important are the Ambassa­dor-Spokesman Clubs to you? Itdoesn't matter if you are IN a club ornot. If you are a member of theChurch of God-and a part of Hisgreat endtime Work-they should beVERY IMPORTANT TO YOU.'

Not that each church member shouldselfishly strive to grasp some churchoffice. God puts a man in office. TheSpokesman Clubs are not a "stepping­stone" to the ministry. Let every man­and for that matter-every member inGod's Church realize that! This is notthe purpose of the Spokesman Clubs.But more of their vital purposes later.

Mr. Herbert W. Armstrong in hisIntroduction to the Speech Manual-

A big welcome for Spokesmen in Shreveport, te.

which is the basic guide to the func­tion of the club-outlined the GREATVALUE of the Spokesman Clubs to allmembers.

"The value and importance of yourSpokesman Club, to YOU, and to God'sWork, is beyond evaluating. It meansdevelopment and growth as a MAN, asa HUSBAND, as a FATHER-in additionto development and growth in spiritualcharacter and in ability to serve, as aBEGOTTEN SON OF GOD."

Notice that these clubs are of tre­mendous value to God's Work. You

should be praying that God wouldguide those at Headquarters to set theright policies for the Spokesman Clubs-regardless as to whether YOU thinkthat you personally will ever be in theclub.

Since it affects the Work, it involvesYOU PERSONALLY! It also involves youpersonally in the local church. If themen in the local club are growing asmen, husbands and fathers-theirwives and families will also grow. As aresult, your local congregation will alsogrow.

Spokesman Clubs Increase

At the writing of this article, thereare ONE-HUNDRED-TEN SPOKESMANCLUBS. Today, THE SUN NEVERSETS on the Spokesman Club locations!There are clubs in the United States,Canada, Great Britain, South Africa,Australia-with perhaps one to bestarted in the near future in thePHILIPPINES!

The clubs generally average twentymembers each. Immediately, it is appar­ent that a great part of the churchIS DIRECTLY INVOLVED. This is a totalof 2,200 men-adult, baptized mem­bers of God's Church-attending oneof the Spokesman Clubs-plus someTHREE HUNDRED MEN in the Ambas­sador Clubs, at the three AmbassadorColleges.

When you realize this will also af­feet the wives and children of thesemen directly, it becomes quite appar­ent WHY the Church of God at Head­quarters regards this function as a tre-

The presenting of the awards highlights this evening Ambassador Club at Bricket Wood, England.Gerald Croswell, a transfer student from the United States, is receiving this trophy as Mr. and Mrs.

Garner Ted Armstrong join in the applause.

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mendous way in which to help shep­herd the flock.

Club Organization

Today, Mr. Herbert W. Armstrongdirects a Headquarters Executive Com­mittee which supervises the ever-in­creasing world-wide activites of theAmbassador-Spokesman Clubs. Mr. TedArmstrong is the Chairman of theCommittee.

However, the chief officer of theCommittee-responsihle to oversee thepolicies and programs of all the clubs­is Mr. Jack R. Elliott, who is also theDean of Students at Ambassador Col­lege, Pasadena, California.

Of course, the clubs are locallyadministered as an activity of theCHURCH !-not the other way around.The Spokesman Clubs are one of thefunctions anel agencies which thechurch uses to guide the TOTALGROWTH of all its members.

Although locally supervised by theminister-they are an extension courseand activity of the Ambassador Col­leges. Thus, they achieve the status ofan educational, college extension butchurch-oriented function.

Today, the Ambassador - SpokesmanClubs are a smooth-flowing organiza­tion complete with a very effective

The GOOD NEWS

Speech Manual. It has its own Con­stitution and Bylaws which are basedon the principles of God's Word.

For example, here is an excerpt fromthe Constitution expressing the basicpurpose of the clubs. "The purpose ofthe Ambassador and Spokesman Clubs... is to qualify church members tobetter represent the Kingdom of theEternal, Living God by training incharacter development, leadership with­in God's Church, effective organizationof right thoughts and ability to putthem across in plain, understandablespeech."

Many times when the local ministeris planning a church-sponsored outing,he may call on members who have de­veloped leadership through the Spokes­man Club to help him organize thefunction. In this way, THE WHOLECHURCH benefits from what these clubmembers have learned.

Intriguing History Unfolds

As all aspects of God's Church, thisnow very effective tool, the Ambassa­dor-Spokesman Clubs, began in a tiny,insignificant way. Let's take a quickbehind-the-scenes look at the fascinat­ing story of the history and develop­ment of this most important activity.

Ambassador clubs began in the sev­enth year of the College and are now

December, 1964

twelve years old. Little is rememberedof that monumental first meeting onFebruary 10, 1953. The secretary'sMinutes reveal little except that it wasdecided to hold weekly meetings.

The club was organized and set inmotion by Mr. Elliott only after itspurpose and proceedings had been re­viewed and approved by Mr. HerbertW. Armstrong.

Mr. Roderick C. Meredith, now anEvangelist and the Second Vice-Presi­dent of the whole Work of God, wasthe most effective speaker that evening.Mr. Kenneth Swisher, now a Pastor andDistrict Church Superintendent, wasacknowledged as the one who gave thebest Table Topics comment. Dr. Her­man Hoeh, another Evangelist, Man­aging Editor of The PLAIN TRUTH,and Dean of Instruction at AmbassadorCollege, gave the most helpful evalua­tion.

Later Minutes reveal that Mr. DickArmstrong was the first AmbassadorClub president and Mr. Meredith be­came the first vice-president. The orig­inal membership was twenty-one!

Today the Ambassador Clubs havegrown to a total of l'OURTEEN withnearly three hundred students insidetheir ranks.

December, 1964 The GOOD NEWS 13

Here you see a panorama of a Spokesman Club during ladies' night. If the faces do not lookfamiliar to most of you, it is because this is the Spokesman Club, Johannesburg, South Africo.This serves to illustrate the world-wide scope of these speech clubs. Mr. Gerald Waterhouse,Evangelist and Director of the Work in South Africa, is scated, back-center, Mr. and Mr:r.. Ernest

Williams at his right.

The first meeting of any SpokesmanClub was at Pasadena on October 24,1956--some eight years ago! At thetime, it was called the "Senior Ambas­sador Club." The Minutes reveal thatMr. Sidney Hegvold, now an instructorat Ambassador College, Big Sandy,Texas, was the first president! It alsowas started by Mr. Elliott, after its pur­poses and format were approved by Mr.Herbert W. Armstrong.

The first meeting was held on thePasadena campus in what is now called"Murphy House" and houses Ambas­sador College co-eds.

Another club was soon started in BigSandy, Texas. This was followed bythose in Houston, Texas and St. Louis,Missouri. These were all under theHeadquarters supervision of Mr. DickArmstrong.

On October 2, 1958, the FIRST AN­NUAL Spokesman Club meeting washeld in the Lounge Room of the OldTabernacle-now the Dining Hall atthe Festival Grounds in Big Sandy,Texas. It appears from the Minutes thatthere were then FNE SPEECH CLUBS­Dallas, Texas; Gladewater, Texas; Hous­ton, Texas; Pasadena, California, andSt. Louis, Missouri!

New Name Adopted

It was here that a HISTORIC EVENTtook place! The name "SpokesmanClub" became the official title rec­ognized at Headquarters. Here is anexcerpt from that meeting:

"Mr. Hill"-now a Pastor in God'sChurch and Managing Editor of TheGOOD NEws-"stated that there issome confusion concerning the namesbeing adopted by the speech clubs inthe various churches outside Pasadena.To avoid future problems of this na­ture, Mr. Hill moved that we unani­mously accept the name "Spokesman."

This name, along with a number ofother suggestions, was taken into con­sideration by those at Headquarters. Thename "Spokesman Club" was approvedby Mr. Armstrong and finally adoptedfor all clubs.

The Minutes for the combined clubmeeting at Gladewater the next yearreveal that there was a total of ELEVENCLUBS! Thus, that year seven morewere added.

The records for the next years are

not complete. But in 1960, probablysome EIGHT additional clubs wereadded. The big jump in new clubs oc­curred in 1961 when NINETEEN newclubs were added to the existing ones.

By January, 1962, some THIRTY­SEVEN Spokesman Clubs were in ex­istence. Twenty-one were added in thatyear to bring the January, 1963, totalto approximately FIFTY-NINE!

In 1963, there were also TWENTY­ONE new clubs founded. This pastyear up to the writing of this article inlate November of 1964-a recordTWENTY-EIGHT clubs have been estab­lished-to make a grand total of one­hundred-ten Spokesman Clubs!

What IS a Meeting Like?

No doubt, many of you have won­dered, "What do they do in the Spokes­man Club?" For this purpose many ofthe clubs have an "open house" invit­ing many of the congregation, perhapsthe widows, or other guests, to see themen in action. Probably every club hashad one or more ladies' nights, wherethe wives can "look in on" what their

14

husbands are doing and learning inthese vital speech clubs.

But here is a behind-the-scenes viewof a typical Spokesman Club in session.

At the time when the meeting is tobegin, the Local Director-who is usu­ally the minister of the church-beginsthe club with an opening prayer.

He may then appoint someone to leadin a brief, fast-moving "vocal exer­cise" session. This is to get the menlimbered up and to get their vocalmechanism in shape.

The vocal exercise leader may havethe men do "tongue-twisters" such as,"A big black bug hit a big black bear,made a big black bear bleed!" See ifyou can say that RAPIDLv-withoutstumbling!

Or he may have them do "barking"exercises-or go up and down themusical scale. Anything to get themlimbered up.

Next, the men sit down to enjoy themeal (if it is a dinner club) and somescintillating conversation for ten min­utes or so. Here in a relaxed but formalatmosphere the men may disrnss any­thing from world news to the personaltidbits of the week.

Business Session

The president rises, makes a fewopening remarks and calls for the intro­duction of the guests. Then he willhave the club secretary succinctly sumup the gist of the previous meeting.Special emphasis is given to the busi­ness which the club is undertaking.

Then comes a most interesting por­tion of the evening-the business ses­sion. Here the members discuss clubactivities which are pertinent to them­ladies' nights, dues, meeting places, orother business of such a nature.

This lasts for fifteen minutes. Mem­bers receive the opportunity to bringup SOUND IDEAs-and to think themthrough to achievement.

After business comes the Table Topicssession. Here the men are mentallychallenged to comment-on the spur ofthe moment-on almost any given top­ic. This session offers an opportunityfor EVERY MAN in the club to jumpto his feet in stimulated discussion ofthought-provoking subjects.

The GOOD NEWS

This is a time to learn to THINKON YOUR FEET!

Anything from a "most embarrass­ing experience," or current events top­ics, to answering Scripture questionsmay be asked by the Table TopicsChairman.

This twenty-five minute period endsand a short recess of about five minutesor so begins.

Stimulating Second Portion

Then the men return for the secondportion of the meeting. The presidentcalls for the "Toastmaster" of the eve­ning. It is his responsibility to get thefive speakers off to a zippy start! Hemust take the responsibility of a genialhost-and create an atmosphere ofeager interest for the speakers.

When he gets through with his in­troduction of a speaker the audienceshould be thinking, "I really want tohear from this speaker!"

When each speaker is through he re­ceives a short but thorough evaluationfrom one of the men of the club desig­nated as his evaluator.

Immediately after the five speakersplus their evaluators have finished, thepresident calls for the "opinion slips"of the men. Each club member putsdown his opinion as to who he thoughtgave the most effective speech andevaluation and the most improvedspeech.

But this IS NOT VOTING!

In the Goals and Purposes section ofthe Speech Manual, this principle is il­lustrated, "There is no voting in con­ducting the Ambassador - SpokesmanClub business! An opinion poll may betaken to quickly determine the wishesand counsel of the club membership asa whole, for 'in multitude of counsel­lors there is safety' (Pro. 24:6)."

But throughout it is the Government

of God-and members learn this. TheDirector in some cases may go AGAINSTTHE CHOICE of the members when hesees that the majority has been wrong.But often the impression the speakerleft on the audience has been correctlyindicated by the club members.

This gives the members the oppor­tunity to discern and judge as to what

December, 1964

are GOOD speech traits-and gives themthe insight to correct any defects or im­prove good points in their own speak­ing.

Director Gives Evaluation

As the opinion slips are coming in,the Director takes the speaker's standand begins the most important portionof the evening-his over-all evaluationof the club.

In Spokesman Clubs these evalua­tions may take half an hour-with allemphasis on getting to the one or twomain problems of the club that eve­ning.

His is an OVER-ALL evaluation. Usu­ally one or two good or bad pointshave consistently cropped up during themeeting. These will affect the averagemember of the club. This is especiallywhat the Director watches for.

At the end of such a meeting, eachman has had an opportunity to speakand to be evaluated. He comes awayfrom the meeting with a greater under­standing of his weak and strong points.He is now armed with greater knowl­edge as to how to work on himself.

That evening the average memberhas probably had to master his self­

will and vanity. He has had to havethe self-discipline to prepare effec­tively. Above all he has had to grow

in humility to take the sometimesstrong correction.

His whole personality has becomebroadened. He has had the properChristian fellowship and recreation.The principles and workings of God'sGovernment have become more obvi­ous. He has had an opportunity to dem­onstrate leadership and service amonghis fellow club members.

In short, this is a great opportunityto become closer to the stature and

fulness of Christi i

No individual realizing this tremen­dous benefit will forsake his duty andat the same time this opportunity-ifhe is in a club. If he is NOT IN A

CLUB-and should be-he is missinga tremendous opportunity to grow,serve others-and better fit himself fora position in God's Kingdom, becausethe benefits extend beyond the individ-

The Bible Answers Your QuestionsPlease address any questions YOU would like answered

in this column to the Editor.

December, 1964

ual-to his wife and family, plus to theentire church! It is evident that Godis blessing the Ambassador-SpokesmanClubs. He has shown by its OWNGROWTH-and the fruits and productsof the clubs-that they are good! Hehas put His stamp of approval on them.

Anyone who is able to attend, shouldattend to be part of this great churchfunction-so that ALL MAY BENEFIT!And those of you who are not ABLEto attend? Are you supporting the

Just what is a "saint"?

According to Webster's Dictionary,a saint is "A holy or godly person;especially one regenerated and sancti­fied or undergoing sanctification." Asaint is "One of the heatifiecl souls"or "one who is canonized by thechurch."

Similarly, E. Royston Pike declaresthat the term "saint" refers to theBLESSED DEAD (see The Encyclopaediaof Religion and Religions). He ex­plains, "... a saint is one, man or wom­an, who has been canonized for havingdisplayed the virtues of faith, hope,and charity, prudence, justice, and for­titude in a heroic degree, and futher­more has performed miracles."

Is this definition true? Not accord­ing to the plain Word of God! Noticewhat the Rible says!

The Greek word in the New Testa­ment translated "saint" is hagios andsimply refers to a holy person or ob­ject (see Strong's Exhaustive Concord­ance) . Therefore, saints are simplythose people who have been set apartby God for His purpose-those peoplewho have repented of their sins andhave come under the government ofGod!

The word "saint" merely means aTRUE CHRISTIAN!

The Apostle Paul called all the breth­ren in Christ saints. He wrote to the

The GOOD NEWS

clubs in yuur area by your prayers?Are you praying for their success­especially for guidance of those atHeadquarters?

Are YOU taking advantage of thisgreat opportunity? If you are in aclub, are you putting forth total, onebundred. percent effort? If you areNOT in a club-is there a reason, or areyou simply shirking your responsibilityand missing out on a great blessing?Only you know-and God!

Corinthians, "Paul, called to be anapostle of Jesus Christ through the willof God, and Sosthenes our brother,Unto the church of God which is atCorinth, to them that are sanctified[set apart for a holy use] in ChristJeslls, CALLPn TO BE SAINTS, with all

that in every place call upon the nameof Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirsand ours" (I Cor. 1:1-2).

Notice! Paul calls all the Christiansat Corinth SAINTs-as well as "all thatin every place" call upon the name ofJesus Christ and serve Him!

Furthermore, we read in II Corin­thians 1:1 that Paul writes to ". . . thechurch of God which is at Corinth,WITH ALL THE SAINTS which are inAchaia.' And, Paul also wrote theRomans, "To all that be in Rome, be­loved of God, called to be saints . . ."(Rom. 1:7).

Writing to the Ephesians, Paul de­clared, "Now therefore ye are no morestrangers and foreigners, but fellow­citizens with the saints, and of thehousehold of God" (Eph. 2: 19). And,Paul exhorted the Hebrew Christians,"Salute all them that have the rule overyou, and all the SAINTS. They of Italysalute you" (Heh. t 3 :24).

How clear-the word "saint" merelyrefers to a true Christian-and "thesaints" are true Christians everywhere!

But what makes a person a saint?What "sets us apart," or makes us

15

"holy" to God? Christians are sancti­fied or set apart from the world by onething-the INDWELLING OF THE HOLYSPIRIT!

True Christians have been begottenby God's Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13-14;II Cor. 5 :5) . We become Christ'swhen we receive the Holy Spirit. TheApostle Paul explained, "But ye are notin the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so bethat the Spirit of God dwell in you.Now if any man have not the SPIRITOF CHRIST, HE IS NONE OF HIS"!

(Rom. 8:9.)

How plain! Having God's HolySpirit is what sets a person apart fromthe world-makes him a true Christian-and makes him a SAINT! All thosepeople who are begotten by the HolySpirit ARE SAINTS!

Contrary to the definitions of men,and the opinions of men, a "saint" isNOT a "beatified soul," or an heroicindividual "canonized" by the churchfor having lived an abstemious life andperforming miracles. Such is not Bibli­cal teaching!

No, rather, if we are true Christians-if we are truly Christ's-then, breth­ren, we ARE saints!

If God changed His mindin Exodus 32 about destroyingIsrael, how can I be completelyassured that He won't change Hismind about healing me?

First let's look at some of the ex­amples in the Bible which record Godchanging His mind.

In Exodus 32 we find God planningthe destruction of all Israel. In fear ofthe entire nation being destroyed, Mosesfasted for forty days and forty nightsbeseeching God for mercy. Then, inVerse 14, we find, "The Lord repented

of the evil which he thought to dounto his people."

Another example is in Jonah 4.Again, God seriously considered de­stroying the entire city of Nineveh fortheir uncontrolled wickedness.But Jonahbegan to preach God's Word there andthe people repented. Once again Godchanged His mind (Jonah 4:11).

For one more example, turn over to

16

II Kings 20 and read the account ofHezekiah. He was on his "death bed"and he cried out to God for help. Hedid his part; he exhibited the faith heneeded. God not only healed him ofhis immediate illness but went aboveand beyond and added fifteen years tohis life (II Kings 20:6).

God only changes His mind aboutpreserving and destroying a person ornation (Jer. 18:7-10). Even then Heleaves the decision up to the particularperson or nation. If that nation repentsof its evil practices, God will forgivethem and preserve them. And sinceGod PLANS this change upon certainconditions it is NOT a change in the waywe refer to a human being who ischangeable - it is a planned changebased on prerequisites.

Notice what God says in Exodus15: 26, "If you will ... give ear to hiscommandments, and keep all his stat­utes, I will put none of these diseasesupon thee." If you obey God, He willwatch over you and heal you of ANY

disease you may have.

Nowhere in the entire Bible do youfind an account of God's changing anypromise He has made, as long as yOIl

do your part. He is not slack aboutHis promises (II Pet. 3:9). God neverforgets His promises to heal you. Butyou must come to Him and ask andalso obey Him. Even then, you may notbe healed instantly, because God doesn'tpromise WHEN you will be healed­only that you surely WILL BE! Yourown faith-the faith of Christ in you­is a vital factor (Matt. 9:29). If youaren't healed, examine YOURSELF, notGod. Be faithful to God and He willALWAYS be faithful to you (Heb.13:S).

Recendy, while reading the ac­count of creation in the firstchapter of Genesis, I noticed thatthere was light brought forth onboth the first and the fourth day.This has me puzzled!

Confusion arises from the translationof the verbs. In Verse 3 when God said,"Let there be light," the word LET

from the Hebrew doesn't mean tocreate or make--it means merely to

The GOOD NEWS

manifest what was previously in exist­ence.

The Hebrew word for LET in Verse14 is an entirely different word fromthat used in Verse 3. By this time theatmosphere had been completely puri­fied and the heavenly bodies were nowunveiled in all their glory.

In Verse 16 we read, "And Godmade two great lights." Once again aclearer verb translation makes this plain.The Hebrew meaning is: constituted,appointed or ordained.

Gods' creation progressed in thisorder: On the first day, from an al­ready existing heaven (sun, moon andstars) and earth, God manifested lightthrough the darkness of the cloudedatmosphere. The firmament was di­vided on the second day. Dry land andvegetation appeared on the third day.Then on the fourth day, the sun, moonand stars became visible for the firsttime. They were then appointed or or­dained for special purposes: for signs,seasons, days, years, etc. (Verses14-18).

Should Christians today eat ofthat sinew which is on the hol­low of the thigh of their cattle?Is this portion specifically pro­scribed in Genesis 32:32?

The example of the Israelites ab­staining from this particular portionof meat is not binding upon Christianstoday.

Although this tradition was faith­fully observed by the Jews in the timeof Jesus Christ as is recorded in theAntiquities of the Jews by FlaviusJosephus (Book 1, Chap. 20, Sec. 2),and is followed today by some Ortho­dox Jews, there is no record in theBible that Christ ever observed it Him­self. It was a tradition of men.

You will notice that Genesis 32:32shows that the children of Israel VOL­

UNTARILY took upon themselves theobservance of this custom out of re­spect for their ancestor Jacob. Whetherthey did or not IN NO WAY affectedthe blessing he received for perseveringwhile wrestling with the Messenger.

It would not be wrong to observe thiscustom today. However, such an ob-

December, 1964

servance would be TOTALLY UNNEC­

ESSARY.

In Matthew 16:28, Jesus said,"Verily I say unto you, Therebe some standing here, whichshall not taste of death, till theysee the Son of man coming inhis kingdom." Jesus' disciplesdied long ago and Christ stillhasn't returned with His King­dom. What is the meaning ofthis verse?

The context of the verse clearly re­veals the meaning. Notice that Jesuswas talking only to His disciples (Matt.16:21). Then in Verse 28, Jesus couldhardly have made it more clear thatHe was referring to only some of Hisdisciples by saying "some of them thatstand here."

Next, notice that Jesus merely saidthat they would "see the Son of mancoming in his Kingdom" before theydied. He didn't say He was actuallygoing to come before they would "tasteof death."

The first verse of the next chapterbegins with "and"-it is a continua­tion of the same train of thought. Thenext few verses are still a part of thecontext of Verse 28 of the precedingchapter even though a chapter breakwas placed there.

Continue reading: "And after sixdays Jesus taketh Peter, James, andJohn his brother, and bringeth them upinto an high mountain apart." Herewere some of Jesus' disciples going withHim.

Now, notice the companion accountsof this occurrence in Mark 9:2-4 andLuke 9:28-32. Jesus went up into themountain to pray (Luke 9:28). Thenext verse says, "And as he prayed,the fashion of his countenance wasaltered, and his raiment was whiteand glistering." Matthew describes thisamazing miracle as a transfiguration,and says that Jesus' face shone as thesun! God was divinely intervening byHis Holy Spirit to change the appear­ance of His Sun!

"Trans" means across or beyond, and"figure" means form, shape, or appear­ance. So Jesus was taken "across" or

(Please continue on page 23)

Are YOU Responsible?A growing problem-prevalent in this world around us-is

found too often in God's Church today

by Dave Albert

These massed thousands do not realize they are going to be held responsible for worshipingaccording to the dictates of paganism. They have never bothered to check up, to prove, to takethe responsibility of finding oul why Ihey were born. God has been merciful in bringing you out

of Ihis-are you now properly taking your other responsibilities?Wid. World Photo

AMOMEN T of inattention behindthe wheel suddenly results in atragic accident snuffing out the

lives of several people.Deep and worsening financial trou­

bles trigger a violent husband-and-wifeargument.

A child regularly "forgets" to do hischores around the house and gets hisassignments in late at school.

An: these just unrelated incidents ineveryday life? No l ! These are typicalsymptoms of a common character dis­ease called IRRESPONSIBILITY! It isan attitude of mind that manifests it-

self constantly in the world around us,and is all too often present in theChurch of God today!

It is a sin that could keep you outof the Kingdom of God, or could atleast greatly subtract from your eternalreward!

Why We're Guilty

Let's be honest about this matter ofresponsibility. Many times in our lives,in many different ways, we have failed

to properly execute the responsibilities-whether small or great-we've beengiven.

Stop and think a moment. When isthe last time you just plain forgotsomething-forgot to buy somethingat the store, pay a bill, mail a letter,meet someone, or arrange for some­thing? Chances are it hasn't been toolong ago. And whether the incidentwas painfully embarrassing or quickly

It's suddenly too late. the realization of the responsibility of guiding 4000 pounds of metal atspeeds of a mile-a-minute was not properly executed by this unfortunate young man.

Wide World Photo

18

forgotten, it demonstrates a humanweakness that must be overcome!

Why even in God's Church mustthis problem occur and reoccur withdiscouraging regularity - sometimeswith heartbreaking results? We inGod's ministry have seen this one char­acter fault-irresp0 nsibility--contributeto broken homes, personal and businessfinancial woes, unruly children, un­happy parents, and many other BIG

problems. You may feel this is a little,minor matter, brethren, but Jesus Christvery plainly shows in His Word it isnot!

The answer to why we face thisproblem is found in I Corinthians,Chapter One. Turn there in your ownBible, and begin reading in Verse 26where our calling-yours and mine­is described: "For ye see your caIling,brethren, how that not many wise menafter the flesh, not many mighty, notmany noble, are called: But God hathchosen the foolish things [or foolishones, as is implied by the originalGreek) of the world to confound thewise; and God hath chosen the weakthings [or weak ones) of the worldto confound the things which aremighty...."

Yes, God says in His Word that wehave been the foolish and weak onesof this world, not the high and mighty.And this is why many of our actions­even since coming into God's Church-in our families, on our jobs, with ourfinances, etc. have been foolish andweak. These shortcomings and weak­nesses which began in our youth-andeven before through heredity--carryover into our adult lives and cause usto have attitudes and actions that arenot dependable, trustworthy, reliable,or responsible. We are today just theproduct of so many yesterdays-ifwe've lacked these important charactertraits in the past and have made noeffort to overcome it, then we are stillirresponsible.

But that is no excuse t Christ com­mands us, "Become ye therefore PER­FECT!" (Matt. 5 :48.)

For Example

Let's get down to some clear-cut, con­crete cases where you may be guilty.

The GOOD NEWS

First of all, let's take a look at thefamily finances. What is the financialpicture like in your home? Good,sound, well-regulated? A smoothlyfunctioning budget with savings in thebank? If so, congratulations! Youhave shouldered a very important re­sponsibility. If not-and this applies totoo many of us !-you have failed In

this responsibility.Finances, whether in the home or

business, demand a continual, diligentexecution of responsibility. They are agood yardstick by which to measureyour character. How do you measureup? The tragedy is that most of ushave had little or no financial trainingin the past from our parents or anyoneelse. Most of us "spent it" about asfast as we "made it." We neverLEARNED financial responsibility. Andwhat a toll this takes in later life!What unhappiness it causes families allover this land-even leading to divorceIn many cases.

Whose fault is it? Though in mosthomes today the woman is the finan­cial manager, it should not be so! Thehusband as head of the home (Eph.5 :23) should shoulder this vitally im­portant responsibility! If it is not thatway in your home, chances are you

December, 1964

have an upside-down home. This isthe man's job, and too many men arefailing to perform it. It is very diffi­cult for a wife to deeply respect herspouse if he can't keep the family'sfinancial ship on an even keel. Howmany bitter arguments would be for­ever ended if the "Mr." would onlydo this.

And once tackled, thought out, andplanned, a budget can be fun! It'sreally a good feeling to know that themoney is going where it ought to go.Most families have talked about havinga budget for years. Why talk about it?Why not do something about it! Thenwives have the responsibility of stick­ing to it, and almost every womanwould cheerfully admit she wouldmuch rather stick to the budget herhusband made, than try to managethings all by herself. She wasn't madeto handle this task-to manipulate andcontrol the income and the outgo.YOU WERE, MEN!!

Don't fail in this. Jesus Christ says,"If therefore ye have not been faith­ful in the unrighteous mammon (thatis, riches or money), who will committo your trust the true riches?" (Luke16: 11.) The answer is no one! If youcannot prove faithful in discharging

December, 1964 The GOOD NEWS 19

your present financial obligations, Godwill not give you the much greaterduties of the Kingdom of God. It isthat important!

If you realize this Is a problem withyou, start doing something about itnow. There are many good books anthis very subject at your disposal inyour public library; banks often havesimilar material. Study about it, thinkabout it, pray about it. If necessary,consult your local minister about it ifyou are in a church area. In a fewweeks' time you can be in control of thesituation, and from there you can go onto a sound financial standing for your­self and your household. You will bevery glad you did! This doesn't meanyour wife can't write the checks, ad­dress and stamp the envelopes for you-but it does mean that you shouldalways know your living expenses arewithin your earning power.

Wid. World Photo

If you continue in the way God has shown you, shouldering correctly the small responsibilitiesHe give. you now-Cod ....iII lomedoy give you the po ....er to remove scenes like this from off

the earth.

Other Areas

Now that you have begun applyingyour mind to this matter of responsi­bility, do you begin to see other areasthat need your attention? As importantas money matters are, they seem almostsmall compared to other tasks in yourlife. Take the everyday business ofdriving, for example. Are you a re­sponsible driver? When you have thelives of your family, friends, andothers at stake as well as your ownlife and property, how do you takethat vast responsibility?

"Speed Kills!" is a popular high­way slogan. That is not entirely true.Recently Mr. Donald Campbell ofEngland drove his turbine-poweredrace car "Bluebird" to the fantasticspeed of 403.1 miles per hour for theofficial Land Speed Record of theworld. That is five or six times as fastas you or I will ever drive our familyauto, and it didn't kill him. But one

split second of INATTENTION or CARE­

LESSNESS would have! The same istrue of each one of us whenever wetake to ourselves the responsibility ofdriving.

As members of God's Church we doa lot of driving. We travel to andfrom church services, Spokesman Clubmeetings, annual Holy Day observ-

ances, and special events. All the morereason we should think and act withresponsibility, and thus qualify forGod's promised protection. Plan allyour trips with responsibility. Leaveon time. Drive within the specifiedspeed limits. Keep alert-stay ALIVE!

Equally great is the full-time job ofproperly rearing your children. Eventhough God's Church has suppliedevery help and aid, many members stillshrug off this responsibility lightly.They overlook somehow the most glar­ing offenses, putting off forever thetask of disciplining their children. Yet"He that spareth his rod hateth hisson ..." God says in Proverbs 13: 24.Furthermore, while they are still chil­dren is the time to train into them thehabit of responsibility.

Children should be given regularchores to do around the house such asdish-washing, lawn-mowing, snow­shoveling, etc. They may be given asmall allowance to manage, so thatthey can learn God's tithing laws andproper financial CONTROL which shouldinclude some savings. Parents shouldencourage school-age children to pre­pare their assignments fully and ON

TIME! By giving them the guidance and

training that in many instances we didnot receive, they will be not the weakof this world, but Millennial Pioneersequipped with good, responsible char­acter traits.

Spiritually, TOO!

Most important of all are our spir­itual responsibilities. A big point toconsider here, however, is that if wecannot even master the little physicaldetails in our lives, we will certainlynot be able to prove faithful spiritually.Responsibility or "faithfulness," as theBible puts it, is a far-reaching virtue.It involves every facet of our lives.

Countless times we have been ex­horted, urged, and encouraged toSTUDY and PRAY regularly, faithfully,day after day, at least thirty minutes aday. This is the most important re­sponsibility of all to our spiritual lifeand ultimate salvation. Yet why is itthat this is the one in which we alltoo often let down? We can't afford tolet that happen, brethren! The time istoo short!

Notice how Christ explained this inMatthew 24:45-51. He asked, "Whothen is a faithful and wise servant,whom his lord hath made ruler over

(Continued from page 6)

Inspiring PROGRESS20

his household, to give them meat indue season?" Christ then explained itwould be the servant that was responsi­ble in all his duties even in his mas­ter's absence, like the ant of Proverbs6 that laid up for the winter without"guide, overseer, or ruler."

Nobody is standing over us with awhip or club to make us pray and studyas we ought. We must make ourselvesdo these things, calling on God for thestrength to overcome. our resisting car­nality.

The evil servant (Verses 48-50) whobegins to abuse his office and utterlyfail to perform his responsibilities shallbe totally unexpecting and unpreparedfor Christ's return, and shall be cut offand have only the reward of the otherhypocrites who also pretended to bedoing their duties. For these there willbe "weeping and gnashing of teeth"(Verse 51).

Become Responsible NOW!

Don't let this happen to you!! Ifyou feel yourself drifting in that di­rection, check that drift now before itis forever too late! Ask yourself, "Whatare my responsibilities?" List on apiece of paper as many of them as youcan think of. Note which ones you aredoing faithfully and which ones youaren't. Then arrange the ones you havebeen falling down on in the order oftheir importance-spiritual ones first!Then launch into an all-out campaignto perform these responsibilities faith­fully, regularly, diligently. And don'tforget to enlist God's help at everystep of the way, remembering that"The spirit indeed is willing, but theflesh is weak!" (Matt. 26:41.)

Remember that there won't BE anyIRRESPONSIBLE members of the Godfamily! 1£ you don't demonstrate thevirtue of responsibility now in youreveryday living, you won't make it intothe Kingdom of God!

But if you do make it part of younow, someday you will hear our Masterand King, Jesus Christ, say, "Well done,thou good and faithful [responsible)

servant: thou hast been faithful over afew things, I will make thee ruler overmany things: enter thou into the joyof thy lord!" (Matt. 25:21..)

The GOOD NEWS

Ministerial Conference. God's Workhas grown so large-and so many doz­ens of men are now ordained and inthe Work full-time that it is becomingincreasingly awkward, time-consumingand expensive to bring all of the min­isters in each year for this importantConference.

But, our churches and ministers herein the United States are divided intoseven church districts. And so, fromnow on, each church district will behaving its own ministerial meetings twoor three times each year plus gettingtogether with those of us from Head­quarters at the Feast of Tabernacles,Passover and perhaps on Pentecost.Then, the District Superintendents andcertain other ministers-as the needarises-will come into Pasadena for thegeneral Conference to represent thewhole Church.

Two of these district conferenceswere recently held, and the ministersand their wives attending them werehelped and inspired in many ways. OnNovember 15, 16 and 17, the North­Central District Conference was held inthe home of the Area Superintendent,Mr. Dean Blackwell.

There were meetings each day, re­ports by each minister on his area, andmany discussion periods concerningprospective members, problems and fu­ture growth potential.

In addition, two evenings were setaside for socializing, and certainlyGod's ministers and their wives werethankful for this change of pace andfor the opportunity to be togetheragain. Mr. Blackwell reports that theministers' conference was a sucecss inevery way and should add to thegrowth, enthusiasm and effectiveness ofGod's ministers in his church area.

Over the Thanksgiving weekend,the ministers from the Southwest Dis­trict met on the college grounds atBig Sandy under the direction of Mr.Leroy Neff, acting District Super­intendent there until Mr. McCullough'sarrival. They had the special treat ofhaving lunch with Mr. Herbert W.

December, 1964

Armstrong, who was passing throughBig Sandy on his way back from Eng­land.

During the three days, they also hadspecial instruction periods, forums re­garding church problems and potentialgrowth and fine social occasions-someof which were shared with the StudentBody and faculty at Big Sandy.

Mr. Neff reported: "I believe thatthe conference was very helpful foreveryone and that each minister can bea little better servant of Jesus Christand a more helpful minister in eachchurch. The ministers profited frombeing here, enjoying the fellowship,the meetings, and the opportunity tovisit Ambassador College, Big Sandy,as well as to participate in the socialevents."

God's Work Must BeORGANIZED

In reviewing these District Minis­ters' Meetings, brethren, each of youshould remember that God's Churchneeds to be increasingly organized asit grows in size and scope. "For Godis NOT the author of confusion" (ICor. 14:33).

We now have exactly SEVEN ChurchDistricts within the United States.These include the Northeastern Dis­trict, whose Superintendent is one ofGod's Evangelists, Mr. Raymond Cole.This is the fastest-growing districtcomprising the largest population areain the United States. New churches­such as the recently established church­es in Buffalo, Harrisburg and Asheville-are constantly being raised up in thisdistrict. It has tremendous potential forGROWTH.

The Southeastern United States Dis­trict is one of the newest. But it isalso fast-growing, and its Superintend­ent, Mr. Ken Swisher, has had muchexperience during his many years atGladewater.

The Southwestern United States Dis­trict-mentioned above-also has goodgrowth potential. and now hasthe added advantage of having its

December, 1964

Headquarters at the third Ambassador

College at Big Sandy. Mr. Les McCul­lough will become the permanent Dis­trict Superintendent upon his arrival atBig Sandy as Deputy Chancellor.

The North-Central District is one ofthe oldest and largest. The DistrictSuperintendent is Mr. Dean Blackwell,now one of God's Evangelists, and con­stant growth is evident in this districtalso.

The Central-Midwest District is su­perintended by Mr. Bryce Clark, Pas­tor of God's Churches in Kansas City,Springfield and Omaha. It is one of ournewest districts but is rapidly growingas are all others. The new churches inOmaha, Nebraska, and Columbia, Mis­souri, are a fine addition-plus a con­siderable addition now that the St.Louis Church is coupled with Colum­bia and so now falls in Mr. Clark'sdistrict.

The Pacific Northwest District is the"oldest" in this era of God's Church.It is the area where God raised up Mr.and Mrs. Herbert W. Armstrong toinitiate anrl guirle this era of God'sChurch. It includes our two oldestchurches, the "mother" Church at Eu­gene, and the District HeadquartersChurch at Portland, Oregon. Mr. Carl­ton Smith is now the District Super.intendent there-having moved fromNew York City-and reports showcontinual and steady growth in thisdistrict with the Portland Church soonto reach the 500 mark in regular Sab­bath attendance!

Last, but actually first in priority andresponsibility, is the Headquarters Dis­trict. It comprises the Churches of Godin California, Nevada and Arizona. ItsHeadquarters is, of course, Pasadena,California, and the District Superin­tendent is your author who also has theover-all responsibility as General Super­intendent, under Mr. Armstrong, overall the Churches in the United States.

So you can see, brethren, that evenour local church congregations mustnow be organized and properly directedfrom God's Headquarters through vari­ous District Superintendents in order topreserve the spirit of growth, unity andconsecration demanded by the LivingChrist, our Head. In your personal,

The GOOD NEWS

(laiTy prayp1'(, he sure to REMEMBER

these various church districts in theUnited States-plus each of the over­seas church areas--and pray for themintelligently and specifically-"break­ing your prayers up fine" as you ap­proach the throne of God.

Be sure your whole heart. interestand BEING is in this Work of God­and in Christ's Cburcb, which is HisBody-and leave no stone unturned indoing your part, and more, in thisCRUSADE in which Jesus Christ has privi­leged each of us to have a part.

Readers Sa!l ...(Continued from page 3)

cere love you show us in offering usall these good things. Delighted-be­cause this is such a blessing in thesehours of suffering."

A Catholic nun from Lyon

Effective Sermon

"I have just recently given my lifeinto God's keeping, but I have not yetbeen baptized. I thought that at last Ihad found peace, but I found it wasnot as peaceful as I had expected.Nothing seemed to go my way. I wasalmost ready to let go and leap backto my former way of life when I hearda minister in the locality. He said wewere in a war against Satan and ourhuman carnal nature. He said we werein a fight that was no easy battle, thatwe would fall flat on our faces, butGod would pick us up and set us onour feet again. He said some will giveup because the battle is too fierce andit's easy to go the way of least resist­ance. As he spoke I sat straighter andlistened closer. I saw myself as one ofthose who were giving up. I decidedthat I wouldn't give up at all. Christhad it much harder than I. Thank youfor training that wonderful man and Ithank God for allowing you to trainhi "

im, Woman Member

Free Coal

"Having heard some of your talks onMalachi 3: 10 I decided to send in somemoney to help the Work along. As aresult I have a couple of years' supplyof coal piled near the barn on account

~l

of trucks ditched in front of my house,breaking down on the road and truck­ers just backing in and dumping it offwhen they were afraid of heing ("aughtwith an over-weight load. There wastruly not enough room in my coalcellar to receive it, as the pile contains40 to 50 tons. We have lived on thisfarm since 1943 and no one ever hadany reason to pile off coal here untilthis summer. I feel sorry for those coalmen, and I guess they think this vi­cinity has something wrong with it."

Elwood P. H., Ohio

More Tools for Learning"Your PLAIN TRUTH magazine has

blessed me for about 12 years. Now wehave Bible studies at Kearney, Nebras­ka. Also we were honored by visits toour home by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Sharpand later by Mr. Roger Foster and Mr.Wilcox. It has really opened my wife'seyes to see how helpful and thoughtfulyour ministers are. In going throughour home they alerted us to mistakeswe were making and told us how tocorrect them. What other church wouldtake the time and effort to inquire, in­struct, and reprove us in our welfare?Most churches would smile at you allthe way down the road to hell! It al­ways takes more effort to prepare a finemeal, make a better suit or better car;so it must be this way."

Mr. Delmar M., Nebraska

"I just can't tell you how much weenjoyed the Feast of Tabernacles inSquaw Valley. What I really want tosay is, I can't thank the Church of GodENOUGH for helping me go. I haveseven children. I wish I could thank allthe people personally for what they doto help people like me. Maybe you canmention a big thanks to the brethrenin The GOOD NEWS from all of us thatget to share in the Feast. I say thiswith love and tears of gratefulness. Ionly wish the Feast would last longer.It's terrible to come back to this horridworld. I can truly say with all myheart THY KINGDOM COME."

Mr. D. A., California

Cod Blesses Tither

"For 6 months I have tithed to you,as I am convinced this is truly God's

22 The GOOD NEWS December, 1964

(If you have filled out an application before, do not write for another.J

NOTICE TO ALL MEMBERS

PERSONNEL DEPARTMENT363 GROVE ST.PASADENA, CALIF. 91105

Ambassador College Press is in real need of experienced, qualified,skilled printers. If you have completed a six-year apprenticeship andhave had experience in the commercial field, or if you are an apprenticewith at least two years or more experience in a commercial printing plant-composing or pressroom-please write for an application form. Ad­dress your inquiry to:

so I reminded God that I had donewhat He commanded and asked Him tolet this debtor wait until I received an­other pay check. Two days later wasthe regular pay day where I work.Everyone else was receiving his check.I knew I wouldn't get one. Then theboss came over to me and handed me acheck for $47.74. He said he knew Iwasn't to get a check, but the IBMhad run it out by mistake. He said theplant superintendent knew this, butbefore he could tear it up he had tocheck with the business manager. Thebusiness manager told the superintend­ent to go ahead and give it to me,that he felt I had earned it by puttingin good work in the past year. So Godgave me what I needed-some extra torun me until I get payed. I'm certainlythankful for the wonderful truth Godhas revealed to me"

Herbert R., California

Hungry for More"For nearly a year now we have been

receiving The PLAIN TRUTH and areon lesson 8 of the CorrespondenceCourse. Since August we have been at­tending the Toledo church. Mr. Mo­karow has given us more correctionfrom the pulpit in 3 months than weever had in 30 years in another church.If ever either one of us are fit forthe Kingdom of God, it will bethrough the spiritual nourishment ofthe church and all the printed materialwe are receiving. There are so manymore articles that we want. I don'tknow where to start. My husband jok­ingly said I should list what we haveand request one of each of all therest."

Me. and Mrs. Dale F. B., Ohio

Third Tithe Year"This Feast starts my third tithe year.

I was a little worried if I would be ableto pay my bills and buy grocerieswhen I arrived back home from theFeast, as I had only 4 days' wage com­ing, and I had 3 tithes coming out ofthat. I got my check on Wednesdayafter getting back home. I payed first,second, and third tithe and could onlypay a few of my bills then after buyinggroceries. One bill was really pressing,

has now made it possible [or me to ob­serve it. I suppose He always had butI lacked the faith to follow through. Ihad my own store and when I had theSabbath truth revealed to me I thoughtif I could sell the store I would keepthe Sabbath, but when I sold the storeI found I was out of work for a month,so I bought another store. Now aftertwo years of trials and losing money,kidding myself that I would close thestore Saturdays, God has gotten me outof the store into a job where there i~

no Saturday work. I have been in thejob three months and have had tworaises and promotion. I believe keepingGod's Sabbath pays in all ways."

Man, Victoria, Canada

Make-Up Booklet"I am writing to ask a question. Is

the use of make-up, its minimum ormaximum use, pagan or wrong? Per­sonally, I don't like make-up, or theidea of literally piling various cosmet­ics on my face. Being a teen ager, Iprefer the natural look. The questionis, 'Are the women in God's Churchsupposed to wear any make-up?' Iwould like to know God's truth con­cerning this matter."

Ruth M., California

Wonderful Feast"Just got home from the most won­

derful Feast of Tabernacles that I haveattended. God was there in a specialway this time. Of course I loved theother two that I went to, but this one

was special." Victer E., Wa8hington

"The Sabbath has been a stumblingblock to me for several years, but God

Work. At first I sent $2.00, a tithe ofmy grocery allowance. Then an offercame to take over a failing NurserySchool. Something I had always wantedto do; but lacked the courage becauseI feared failure. It looked like every­body was right when they told one toclose up. Two people had alreadyfailed it, and it did look like I wouldbe number 3. Then all of a sudden itbegan to grow; and now I am havingto turn people down, because I can'thandle everybody. I also am in theprocess of building a new building. IfI hadn't been shown these laws of Godwere real laws, I would still be in thesame old rut. Every day is a challenge,and I love life as I never thought pos­sible. Our marriage was in troubleuntil we decided we'd try it God'sway. I challenge anybody to show mea happier couple anywhere! I heardBilly Graham the other night say hecouldn't prove God existed. What ashame he doesn't send in for these lawson the proofs that God exists. I knowyou can prove He exists."

Jean D., Georgia

"We had a rejoicing time at JekyllIsland. Even the squirrels were at peacelike in the World Tomorrow. Theywould eat out of your hand. There wasone that drank water out of theneighbor's cooler. He left the plug outand the squirrel would suck water outof it like a bottle. Mr. Garner Tedsaid double what you had purposed togive in the offering. When I doubledmy little offering, I had a little over$7.00 to drive almost 400 miles withmy wife and 4 children. I am notbragging, just saying I am proud tohave the True God for my Father. Ididn't have one bit of trouble; and Ihad $1.75 when I got home, so I didnot need it anyway."

Gene M., North Carolina

Are You Sure We Are God's Ministers?(Continued from page 10)

sending the Gospel over the air waves typed, printed, and mailed by humanby the voice of HIS HUMAN INSTRU- instrttmentJ.MENTS! It is the same in calling His min-

He is seeing to it that YOU are re- istry!ceiving this magazine, to feed and Many have assumed the Apostle Paulnourisb you in His Truth, to warn you was the exception to the rule that min-of impending dangers, to try to HELP isters were always ordained througheach hungry "babe in Christ" gain an HUMAN INSTRUMENTS, by the layingentrance into His glorious Kingdom, on of the hands of the ministry!But the magazine is written, edited, That assumption is false!

December, 1964

Bible Questions(Continued from page 16)

"beyond" in "appearance" to a FU­TURE time!

Notice, Verse 9 of Matthew 17:"Jesus charged them, saying, Tell thevision to no man." Moses and Elijahwere merely a VISION! The disciplessaw Christ as He ioonld look when Hereturns to this earth. But only in visionand not in reality!

Revelation 1: 13-16 describes Christas He appears now-"and his coun­tenance was as the sun shineth in hisstrength" (Verse 16). And Revelation21 :23 tells us that Christ will be shin­ing with great light AFTER He hasreturned to earth to set up His King­dom. This makes it clear that the trans­figuration of Christ was a transforma­tion of Jesus by God to give Him thesame appearance He would have at Hissecond coming! The three discipleswere seeing Christ just as they weregoing to see Him again when He is"coming in His Kingdom"!

"Should Christian brethrenclose personal letters to one an­other 'IN JESUS' NAME'?"

Just what does the phrase "In [esns'

name" signify? Do YOU know?

God's ministers-when performingthe office of their ministry-close theirletters with this phrase. Mr. Armstrongcloses his letters to Co-Workers andMembers of God's Church this way.

The phrase "in Jesus' name" is justanother way of saying, "by Jesus Christ'sauthority," or "as the direct representa­tive of Jesus Christ." The phrase is

The GOOD NEWS

similar to a policeman saying, "Stop!In the name of the law!"

When closing a letter, God's minis­ters use this phrase to signify that theyare acting as representatives of JesusChrist, doing the work of Jesus Christand His TOle Church. It also showsthat Jesus Christ-the LIVING HEAD OFTHIS CHURCH-backs -r what they havewritten in the body of their letter.

To Almighty God in heaven a namehas a great deal of meaning.

It is so very important in fact thatone of the TEN COMMANDMENTS warns,"Thou shalt not take the NAME of theLord thy God in vain; for the Lord willnot hold him guiltless that taketh hisNAME in vain" (Ex. 20:7)! JesusChrist's name identifies Him as ourSaviour, God in the flesh. It conveysto our minds His reputation, and re­sponsibilities. One of Satan's mostdiabolical plots has been to use Christ'sNAME in His false religion to deceive

the world!Yes, a NAME is important in God's

sight!Since, when you are writing a personal

letter to someone else in God's Churchyou are NOT ACTING AS CHRIST'SREPRESENTATIVE, it would be WRONGto sign your letter, "in Jesus Christ'sname." If you did so it would actuallyTAKE CHRIST'S NAME IN VAIN! Forthe phrase "in vain" means "to nouseful purpose"!

However, it would not be wrong toclose a letter to a friend with a phraselike, "in Christian fellowship" or "inChristian love." Using this type ofclosing to a personal leller is good, Itconveys that close, truly DEEP relation­ship we have together in and throughJesus Christ, as members of His Church.

23

Paul's Ordination

Read the account of Paul's ORDINA­TION by human instruments with yourown eyes!

Turn to Acts, the 13th chapter.Here, you see the gathering of theelders at Antioch, and the ordinationof Paul. The entire account was ex­plained in a former article; but verybriefly remember that Paul had beenstruck down on the road to Damascus,blinded, and made willing to receiveGod's Spirit through a real REPENT­ANCE!

He was able to "preach Christ" tothe Jews at Damascus then, "provingthat this is very Christ!" (Acts 9:20,22), But notice that Paul was not aMINIsTER-he was not an active mem­ber in the governmental body of thechurch-he was merely doing whatANY OF YOU should be able to do".. , be ready always to give an anstt'e!'

to every man that asketh you a reasonof the hope that is in you with meek­ness and fear" (I Pet. 3: 15 ).

After this short "witnessing" thatJesus was the true Christ, Paul wentto Arabia (Gal. 1: 17), and returnedto Damascus. After three years (Verse18), Paul then went down toTARSUS, the city of his birth. Priorto this time, however, Paul had beenwith the other Apostles in Jemsalem,after Barnabas had told them of themiraculous way in which God struckhim down, He learned from them,"And he was with them coming in andgoing out at Jerusalem" (Acts 9: 28) ,

Just as God's ministers are actuallysent out to a local church to preachsermonettes-or perhaps even to serveas acting Pastor for a period of time­so PAUL was TRIED AND PROVED in theactual ministry.

Notice how Barnabas, also a discipleof the church, later took Paul withhim when he went to Antioch, and theytaught many people for another addi­tional YEAR (Acts 11:25-26). It wasonly after this time of actual minister­ial experience and training - havingbeen alone with Christ in the desert­having been under the direct supervi­sion of the Headquarters Church at Je­rusalem, then taken with Barnabas, whowas older in the faith, to Antioch, that

24

God finally led His servants to (Jl'dain

Paul!Notice, as the elders were mimster­

ing to the Lord at Antioch, they wereFASTING (Acts 13:2). During this time,as they were in fasting and prayer­the "Holy Spirit said, Separate me Bar­nabas and Saul for the work where­unto I have called them" (Verse 2).

God's Holy Spirit directed the mindsof His praying, fasting servants-HisHUMAN INSTRUMENTS! For example,the Holy Spirit said, "Separate HermanHoeh and Roderick Meredith unto mefor the work whereunto I have calledthem!" He directly REVEALED to Mr.Armstrong-who could see by theFRUITS being borne of these men, bytheir consecration and dedication toGod's Work, by the need of the Work-by their spiritual leadership andqualifications that God was doing thecalling!

And so it was with the ApostlePaul!

The ministers were told to "separate"Paul! A setting apart or a "separation"for an office is just another word forORDINATION! Notice what happened!

"And when they had fasted and

prayed (as in all cases of ordinations),AND LAID THElH HANDS ONTHEM, they sent them away" (Acts

13:3) .There is the record of the ordina­

tion of the Apostle Paul BY HUMANINSTRUMENTS, in the exact same wayGod always calls and chooses His trueministers-after conversion, a number

of years of sttldy and preparation, ac­tual field testing and proving in theministry, and final ordination whenGOD shows His ministers His will!

False "Visions" and "Dreams"

Some, however, who are alwayslooking for ways to GET AROUND theset and established ways of their Crea­tor and RULER, want to "have theirown way," and so try to achieve theirwrong goals by wrong means!

Frequently, some will get a certain"feeling" they are being called to theministry! Setting their heart on theministry, they DECIDE God has calledthem to be His stewards-and try tomaneuver THEMSELVES IN! Notice, theyhave NOT been trained-s-have NOT ful-

The GOOD NEWS

filled the divinely imposed Scripturalqualifications, have NOT been observed,tested and proved by God's true min­isters-they merely "make up theirminds" and then VOLUNTEER!

BUT NONE OF GOD'S TRUE SERVANTSHAVE EVER VOLITNTEERFD IN THISMANNER!

Others have a "dream" and thencome to the ministers, telling themGod is calling them to the ministry!But WHO HAD THE DREAMS IN THEBIBLE? The one being called? Or thehuman instrument used in the actualcalling?

Notice! In the case of the ApostlePaul, the miraculous vision on the roadto Damascus WAS ALSO COUPLED WITHA VISION WHICH APPEARED TO ANA­NIAS-a truly converted man, who wasalready in God's Church-whom Godused as the instrument in baptizingPaul. Ananias DID NOT ordain Paul­he merely baptized him!

God's true servants are not called byweird dreams and visions which Godkeeps HIDDEN from His already-called

and ordained officers of the church.

A lay member will not be called tothe ministry without the MINISTERSbeing the FIRST ONES TO RECOGNIZEIT-BEFORE THE LAY MEMBER EVERDOES!

A Host of "Volunteers"

The Bible is also explicit 011 a wholeGROUP of men who "volunteered" forthe ministry, or a prophetic office, or aposition of leadership in the congre­gation!

"Now Korah ... rose up beforeMoses, with certain of the children ofIsrael ... against Moses and againstAaron, and said unto them, yO' take

too much upon you, seeing ALL thecongregation are holy ... whereforethen lift ye up YOURSELVES above thecongregation?" (Num. 16:1-3.)

Notice! Moses and Aaron were ac­cused of having APPOINTED THEM­SELVES and "lifting up themselves"over the congregation! You and Iknow, however, that Moses and Aaronwere called of Godi

But-as is nearly ALWAYS the casewhen a presumptuous person tries toUSURP authority, he repudiates theoffice of the one in the already-estab-

December, 1964

lished pOSitIon, and accuses that per­son of having arrogated the office tohimself!

Let's never let this happen to any ofus! Notice the fearsome END of Korah!" ... the ground clave asunder that wasunder them: and the earth opened hermouth, and swallowed them up, andtheir houses, and all the men that ap­pertained unto Korah, and all theirgoods ... and they perished fromamong the congregation" (Num. 16:31-33).

Satan "volunteered" to take ouer the

office of God i All the FALSE prophetsret themselves up, claiming to be thetrue Prophets of God! Adonijah, Solo­mon's half-brother, tried to set himselfup as King over Israel, and was finallykilled for his presumptuousness! Si­mon, the sorcerer, wanted the power ofGod, and tried to buy it with money I

Peter said, "Thy money perish withthee, because thou hast thought thatthe gift of God may be purchased withmoney ... thy HEART IS NOT RIGHT inthe sight of God" (Acts 8:20-21).

Any person who tries to arrogate tohimself an office of the ministry joinsranks with Korab, with Adonijah and

all the false prophets, with SimoniHagm and with Satan the deuil him­

Jelf.'

Your Responsibility

God tells you to STUDy-to studylong and hell'd, and come to KNOWHis express Word! Come to know, tounderstand, to really comprehend thetruths of His Word so YOU CAN NEVERHE DECEIVED!

Secondly, your Creator tells you toPRAY that more and more dedicatedservants of His will be called, trained,qualified to enter His true Ministry.PRAY for the students in the Ambassa­dor Colleges. PRAY for your brethrenin the churches, in the SpokesmanClubs, and in the scattered areas allaround the world.

"PRAY ye therefore the Lord of theharvest, that he will send forth labor­ers into his harvest" (Mall. 9:38).

And above all things-once you havePROVED God's Truth~NEVER doubt it,NEVeR compromise with it, NEVERlisten to the siren song of deceiversand persecutors.