Why God's Work GROWS
God's Work is multiplying in power and effectiveness every few years. How? It has been made possible only through the combined efforts of thousands of CO-WORKERS whom God has called to help financially support this great Work.
In the earlier days of Mr. Armstrong's ministry, he alone was able to reach only a handful of people through his preaching. But as the number of dedicated Co-Workers, who voluntarily gave their tithes and offerings, increased, so did the scope and power of God's Work. This Work of God has continued to grow at the fantastic rate of 30% a year. That means it DOUBLES approximately every 2½ years!
Today Mr. Armstrong's efforts are multiplied millions of times through the modern miracles of radio and the printing press.
Over 50 million watts of radio power is purchased every week. Between three and four million people will read 1,250,000 PLAIN TRUTH magazines printed this month in our gigantic printing facilities. Nearly 90,000 students are studying their Bibles with the Ambassador College Bible Correspondence Course worldwide! And three Ambassador Colleges — Pasadena, California; St. Albans, England; Big Sandy, Texas — are training additional men and women so desperately needed in God's growing Work.
All this obviously costs money! And it has all been made possible through the financial support of a comparatively few thousand Co-Workers who have, OF THEIR OWN ACCORD, decided they wanted to have a part in helping to preach and publish God's warning message as a witness to all nations!
What IS a "Co-Worker"?
God's prophets and leading ministers have always had disciples, helpers and "Co-Workers" in carrying out their mission. Mention of the latter is especially prevalent in the New Testament.
Notice: "We then, as WORKERS together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain" (II Corinthians 6:1). In context, this scripture clearly shows that all true Christians should be workers together with Christ in reaching the unconverted world with His message.
For there is certainly WORK to do!
Yet, God commands His ministers NOT to ask the public for money to carry on this vital Work. Jesus said, "Freely ye have received, FREELY GIVE." We cannot, therefore, put a price tag on the precious truth of God and the WARNING MESSAGE which must go to all the world regardless of its acceptance or their hostility.
So as in apostolic times, God has raised up a growing family of Co-Workers — laborers together with Christ — who are helping out financially, with their moral support and encouragement, and in their faithful, fervent prayers in this Work of God!
Rather than using some wealthy benefactor or millionaire — whom many suppose might be backing this Work — God is using a growing band of sincere, dedicated Co-Workers who are doing their part by supplying the financial need of this Work that the truth may go FREE to others.
Whether in helping, housing, feeding or sending a minister of God on his way with food and money, God has always given many others the privilege and opportunity of being direct helpers in carrying out His Work. The apostle John encouraged those called in his time to receive and support the true servants of God: ". . . that we might be fellow-helpers to the truth" (III John 8).
In writing Philemon, the apostle Paul said: "There salute thee Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus; Marcus, Aristarchus, Demas, Lucas, my fellow-laborers" (Philemon 23-24).
Again, Paul beseeches: "And I entreat thee also, true yokefellow, help those women who labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my FELLOWLABORERS [Co-Workers] whose names are in the book of life" (Philippians 4:3).
God's WAY in Action
It is clearly GOD'S WAY to use many, many scattered individuals in helping carrying out His Work and in supporting and holding up the hands of His called and chosen ministers! And this very act of laboring together with Christ is a mighty important additional factor in the spiritual GROWTH and blessings of those Co-Workers. Notice above that Paul describes the "fellow-laborers, whose names are IN the book of life." Those individuals who GIVE THEIR LIVES — here and now — as living sacrifices in carrying out God's Work are certainly laying up treasure in Heaven! For Jesus said: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" (Matthew 6:21).
Many of our Co-Workers obey Jesus' instruction to NOT leave undone the matter of paying God's tithe — the first tenth of the income to God, with additional offerings as they are able. But, in any case, their hearts are increasingly involved in God's Work as they labor together in this end-time crusade for sanity — a crusade to restore the knowledge of God's TRUTH to man before he blows himself off this planet!
After a person has voluntarily, of his own free will, expressed a desire to HELP with this great Work, Mr. Armstrong sometimes sends personal monthly letters informing these individuals in our family of Co-Workers of the financial conditions of God's Work. Others just add themselves to our Co-Worker list by voluntarily sending in tithes and offerings regularly to show they are fellow laborers in the Work of Christ.
It is ONLY this inner circle of Co-Workers who are ever told about the financial needs of this Work, the details of its growth, or asked for money in any way. There is NO OTHER SOURCE of income for the Work of God today! There is absolutely NO ONE in the millionaire or multimillionaire class who is "sponsoring" this Work of God! Frankly, if there were, such an individual might well decide to start dictating what would be preached. But God Himself has so worked it out that His servants can proclaim the specific warning prophecies affecting our nations and explain and expound God's LIVING LAWS of success and happiness completely without fear or favor to any human being!
Comments from Those Who SERVE
Perhaps some misguided people get the idea that those who help in carrying out the true Work of God are "suffering" or "being taken advantage of." NOTHING could be further from the truth!
It has been my personal privilege to visit literally hundreds of our listeners and Co-Workers throughout the United States, Canada, Great Britain and South Africa, over the last seventeen years. I have continually noticed that those who have their hearts in God's Work, have, as Jesus promised, been BLESSED in every way.
God specifically promises to bless the tither (Malachi 3:10). And although we do not press or pressure even our Co-Workers to tithe, we are COMMANDED to teach God's truth on this subject and we do. To illustrate that it is a BLESSING in every way, I want to share with you the following comments which have come in from our Co-Workers around the world which have been inspiring to me and to many of us here in the Work of God.
From a young woman in Minneapolis:
"I haven't wanted to admit it, but it really does pay to tithe. I am 20 years old. I have more and better food than before; will be getting the clothes I need for winter, even if I can't earn all of the money for it because of a heart condition. The house I live in now is larger and basically better than before. I got a new Cambridge Bible just for the asking when I painted a picture for my aunt. One thing too, tithing has taught me to budget my money better, and not spend it for foolish things. I've noticed that I wasn't getting the results of tithing much, until I began to trust God to provide what was needed, and not try to do it all by myself. Also when I have been trying to be more obedient in all things."
From Maria P., West Germany:
"Here is a thank offering for the spreading of the Gospel. I've been paying my tithe for just a short time, and today my husband received a salary raise from his extremely close-fisted employer. I consider this event God's blessing."
From Hugh J., Grenada, West Indies:
"It took the loss of my father's job to make Mommy realize she ought to tithe. She came to me one day and said, 'Son, here's ten percent of a tip I received today. Hold it and send it up to your minister.' I left the room, I prayed and thanked God for answering me so promptly and that she might continue tithing. The tithe was only ten cents. But two weeks later I received five dollars and Daddy went back to work at the factory. It's all yours, or rather, God's now. I trust it may help print a few lines in The PLAIN TRUTH, and perhaps mail a few letters. It comes from my mother, and she is doing it because she feels it's time she got around to repaying God."
This Crusade Is GENUINE
As America's gold supply dwindles, as race riots get much worse — not better, as drought and famine gradually set in here and in the other English-speaking nations of the world — not just over in Southeast Asia, as we are increasingly alienated from the other nations of the world, as specifically TEN nations in Central Europe under a great false church slowly but surely form the final Frankenstein Monster which God prophesies will destroy our English-speaking peoples, you will know that this CRUSADE FOR SANITY was not a work or idea of men. You will KNOW — and you will know that you know — that this is the Work of the great GOD who guides the destinies of men and nations here below!
If you are able to visit some of the Ambassador College campuses or our foreign offices and SEE — with your own eyes — this sense of purpose, the happiness, peace and understanding possessed by those being used fulltime in this Work of God, you will realize that this is indeed the Work that is being used to restore the RIGHT WAY of God and His laws to this earth. If you are able to observe the happy marriages and the joyous, well-disciplined, balanced children — you will realize that this crusade truly Is being used "to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" (Luke 1:17).
We have facts and PROOF behind what we are doing. Never forget that! Do not be too naive or too lazy to check in your Bible, and with history, and with current events to PROVE the truth or error of what we say. We sincerely challenge you to do this — for your eternal good!
We and our growing family of Co-Workers are not only SINCERE — we have the truth of God, and we want to share it with you FREELY and without fear or favor from men!
Listen! This crusade for SANITY is literally God's last effort to give the fighting, killing, competing, warring men and nations of this age the opportunity to KNOW what lies ahead for them if they will not change, and the TRUTH of God's Way as a witness. "And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a WITNESS unto all nations; and then shall the END come" (Matthew 24:14).