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others in the ministry--had faced this same problem. I was aware
of the usual reasoning: "Well, if these MEN--or this denomination
--or this group backing--will not allow me complete freedom to
preach all I see in the Bible, it is better to preach as much of
the Truth as they allow than to defy them and not be able to preach
anything. It seems that it seldom occurs to those who have chosen
the ministry as a profession to TRUST GOD for financial support.
It seems to be customarily taken for granted that ministers must
look to MEN or religious ORGANIZATIONS of men, for sustenance.
I was fully aware, too, that if I relied on GOD for salary, I
would have to serve Him faithfully, NEVER COMPROMISING WITH HIS
WORD, or HE would "fire" me! My wife and I made the decision to
trust GOD.
A local church was formed as a result of that evangelistic
campaign, in Eugene, Oregon. Almost immediately after we made that
decision to look to God ALONE, Jesus Christ OPENED THE DOOR of
radio and the printing press, for the MASS proclamation of Christ's
own Gospel!
So, WHO SPONSORS THIS WORK? The living Jesus Christ does! I
did send out letters to a handful of people I knew, and believed to
be true disciples of Christ, asking pledges to make possible the
broadcast. But these pledges fell far short. By experience I
learned we had to really look to GOD for financial support. We
did; and somehow, the money always came--just barely enough--to
keep us on the air, on a 100-watt Eugene station.
A year later a small 100-watt station in Portland offered us
time. Again I made the mistake of asking support from people. It
did not come, and at that time I did not trust God and walk through
that open door.
Do you know what happened? Experience is NOT the BEST
teacher--it is the DEAREST--most costly--one. Jesus Christ
punishes every son He loves. He taught me a lesson. He did not
open that door again for TWO LONG YEARS! Then, three years after
we had first started on the air, that same station once again
agreed to let us go on. This time we walked through that open door
IN FAITH, trusting God to send the wherewithal! That was the
beginning of a gradual, slow, but steady and constant GROWTH of
this Work. The living Christ proved again He is alive, by sending
the necessary funds. Just barely enough, not more.
God carries on His Work through human instruments. He has
never rained down literal printed dollars from the sky. Always,
without our begging, He has laid it on the hearts of enough of His
people to GIVE, so we in turn could GIVE His precious TRUTH!
Jesus Christ is the executive HEAD of God's Work. Christ is
very much alive, and very active. He has, through the years,
continued to open doors (see Rev. 3:8). After a while we were on
a third little 100-watt station, in Seattle. The program, in those
days, went on once a week only. We had multiplied three times
over--300 watts of radio power weekly. Then a Spokane station.
Then, in 1942, after eight years, a 1,000-watt station in
Hollywood. Late in 1942, a superpower 50,000-watt station in the