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ONE OF TWO THINGS must now happen--or we shall LOSE the
Tabernacle! Either each one of us must put in half again more than
we have been doing, or else MORE MEMBERS must contribute who have
not been contributing to this fund.
Here is the situation. The present Tabernacle cost, in
round figures, $350,000. In eleven months--less than a year--we
have paid more than $300,000 of that. I do not know the exact
balance still due without checking at the office, but the payments
of this month and next month (July) will pay off this present
building, except for a part of an August payment. Of course we had
been paying in to this fund for several months before I sent the
first payment to Behlen last June 20th. We had more than $100,000
on hand when we began the payments.
In spite of coming up $6,000 short every month this year,
we did have enough reserve in the bank so that EVERY PAYMENT RIGHT
UP TO NOW HAS BEEN MET PROMPTLY ON TIME, AND MOSTLY AHEAD OF
TIME!!!
BUT--that reserve is now wiped out! And that very fact
makes us look bad at the bank! Having $100,000 and more in special
cash reserve in the bank, as we had a year ago, made us look good,
and sound, in the eyes of our bankers. From now on, if we do not
INCREASE the SPECIAL offerings for the Tabernacle fund up to the
full $18,000 per month, I am going to be forced to take the deficit
out of REGULAR OPERATIONAL EXPENSES for the Gospel work--or else we
shall lose the Tabernacle!
BECAUSE--I have authorized the Behlen people to GO AHEAD
with the BIG ADDITION they are now starting to build onto the
Tabernacle!!!
God commands us to come to the Feast of Tabernacles.
Unless we proceed with this enlargement, a thousand brethren will
be unable to get inside the big auditorium for the meetings! THIS
CANNOT BE!
In FAITH, I am going ahead. God's Church cannot slow down!
I am going to trust GOD to prosper you sufficiently that you shall
be ABLE to send in this $18,000 a month. I am going to TRUST GOD
to lay this responsibility SO HEAVILY on your hearts that you will
INCREASE these special building fund offerings to the full $18,000
per month!
The architect's plans are now completed for the big
addition enlarging it more than 50%. The new addition is to cost
more than $200,000. The Behlen people are already well along in
fabricating and producing all the materials to go into this big
addition. The Behlen people are extending the Church, and me
personally, this additional more than $200,000 credit--to be paid
at $18,000 per month.
THESE $18,000 MONTHLY PAYMENTS, THEREFORE, MUST CONTINUE TO
BE MET FOR MORE THAN ANOTHER YEAR!!
The new Tabernacle will seat around 7,500 people when