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allowed Satan to strike at myself, or Garner Ted Armstrong, it
might have stopped the broadcast, because we do all the
broadcasting. On the other hand, tho some of you Co-Workers
scattered over the country may not know it, Dick Armstrong somehow
has had more LOVE and COMPASSION for those he ministers to than any
of our ministers, including myself. As a natural result, there
is none among us MORE LOVED by more people. Satan thought he could
strike a master blow by striking at Dick Armstrong. He is director
of all the overseas work around the world. If God let my life be
taken, it would have to be either Dick or Garner Ted who would step
into my shoes in the general direction of this whole work of God.
Satan wanted to strike at JOB. God allowed it, but said:
"Behold, he is in thine hand, but save his life." Satan could go
no farther than God allowed. God allowed him to go as far as
possible SHORT OF DEATH. God allowed the same in this accident
with Dick. Satan can go no farther than God allows. This has been
a terrible shock to those who have heard it. Even though I have
been up here, away from Pasadena, some have come to me to tell me
how it has shaken them up, and brought them to a reconsecration and
full dedication of their lives to GOD and this work of Jesus
Christ!
God DOES NOT PROMISE TO PROTECT US FROM ANY TROUBLES OR
ACCIDENTS HAPPENING! He does promise to deliver us OUT of them,
after they happen! "MANY are the afflictions of the righteous: but
the ETERNAL delivereth him out of them all." "The angel of the
ETERNAL encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth
them" (Psalm 34:19,7). Notice. the angel does not ALWAYS prevent
the accident from happening--tho I fully believe he USUALLY does.
But he "delivereth them"--if or when they get into it!
These things do not come as punishment. Job's friends
kept arguing that his affliction came as punishment for his sins.
Job flatly denied this. God said Job's friends were wrong and Job
was right. The Apostle Paul was afflicted, and allowed to suffer
physical violence up to the very point of death. Notice Acts
14:19. READ IT! God allowed Satan to use human enemies to STONE
PAUL, until his heart actually stopped beating long enough for his
enemies to decide he was dead, and go away. GOD WAS NOT PUNISHING
PAUL, for he had committed no sin to bring it on. He was in God's
service at the time, the same as my son Dick was. Paul came as
near death as Dick--but God kept him alive and RESTORED HIM WHOLE,
FOR GOD'S WORK!
Paul was not in an automobile wreck--they didn't have
automobiles then--but PAUL WAS IN A WRECK! He said, "Thrice was I
beaten with rods, once I was stoned, THRICE I SUFFERED SHIP-WRECK!"
This was all WHILE in God's service proclaiming the SAME GOSPEL
Dick was, when Dick was allowed to get into a wreck. Notice
II Cor 3:11. Paul was in persecutions, and afflictions--but GOD
DELIVERED HIM OUT OF THEM--as I know He will deliver Dick, if you
join me and other thousands in BELIEVING PRAYER!
Not since the days of the original apostles has this same
GOSPEL JESUS PREACHED been proclaimed to the whole world. Satan
persecuted them, by bringing VIOLENCE on them in various ways.