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the Body, but that the various members should have a common concern
for one another. Thus, if one member suffers, all the members
share its suffering; if one member is honored, all the members
share its honor. Now YOU are Christ's Body, and severally members
of it." (I Cor. 12:24-27, Moffatt translation.)
Your thousands of kind letters and cards have shown us how
you have all suffered this unexpected and sudden tragedy with
us--how you have all had a heart-felt deep CONCERN with us.
Dick's last sermon, just a few days before his terrible
accident, was centered on admonishing us to have a common concern
for one another--how much we NEED the fellowship and the prayers of
one another. He told of his long and lonesome stay in London, some
few years ago, when he was setting up and establishing the work Or
God in Europe and establishing its overseas headquarters in London.
He told how he was not privileged to know a single Christian on
that side of the Atlantic ocean. We all felt pretty sad and guilty
as he mentioned that we had been too busy and occupied to write but
a very few letters, which came few and far between, and how,
without Christian fellowship, he fell to the lowest spiritual ebb
of his Christian life. But it is a tremendous satisfaction to us
that, since then, he rose continually to ever-increasing spiritual
heights, overcoming, growing in grace and Christ's knowledge, and
in usefulness and power in God's work. He pleaded, in that sermon
that struck deep into every heart, for us to have this common
concern for one another--to keep fervently and earnestly PRAYING
for one another, sharing one another's burdens, sorrows,
sufferings, victories and joys.
Those in our family, unable to find words properly to
express it, do wish to try to express to you our deep gratitude
that YOU, members with us in the Spirit-empowered Body of Christ
dedicated together in HIS WORK, have proved in this tragic hour
that you DO have that common concern one for another, and you
DO share our sufferings. and you DO have the love of God in your
hearts which so many of you have expressed.
And you WILL share the overwhelming VICTORY with us, which
the power of the Spirit of God in us will achieve, and the
overwhelming JOY of finally, but a very FEW years hence, entering
together with Dick Armstrong, into the JOY of God's everlasting
KINGDOM!
As one wrote, there may have been a temptation to lose
faith over this tragedy. Some had thought God would never let such
a thing happen, especially to one carrying as great responsibility
in God's Work as my son Dick. But NOTHING WOULD PLEASE SATAN MORE
than to see us now lose faith.
Rather, we must plunge on in God's work with greater zeal
and determination than ever! Let this drive us more often to our
knees--it certainly has done that to me. Let it spur us on to
greater effort in God's Work! Let it warn us to PRAY more
earnestly than ever, and with greater FAITH God is still on
His throne! We must be about His work!