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. PASTOR GENERAL'S REPORT, January 4, 1980
Page 3
FINISH GOD'S.WORK IN A BLAZE OF SUCCESS! The new ENTHUSIASM is contagious
--and the whole Church is catching it!
The year--and the decade of the '70s--ended with the most important
single event in the Work so far--the carrying of the GOOD NEWS of the
coming KINGDOM OF GOD into Communist China--to those now educating, molding
the thinking of A FOURTH OF EARTH'S POPULATION! We reached those who are
making themselves RESPONSIBLE for the thinking and beliefs of ONE BILLION
PEOPLE!
We haven't even started to turn that billion people into converted
children of God. God has not called us to do that. WE HAVE done what
God called us to do--delivered the Message that was Christ's Gospel AS A
WITNESS to those God holds RESPONSIBLE for the beliefs of one-fourth of
all the people on earth!
And now the door has been opened by Christ to carry this Message
into the third largest nation--where, also, the few LEADERS at Moscow
are RESPONSIBLE for the beliefs of almost 300 million people in the
Soviet Union!
Yes, God brought me back from death FOR A PURPOSE--and the living
CHRIST is bringing to fruition that PURPOSE!
HOW NEAR TO FINISHING THE WORK?
Now just where are we, in terms of FINISHING the Work Christ is
using us in doing?
Just HOW do we go about ME.P
-.SURING how far God expects HIS WORK, NOW,
to go? Does He expect us to reach EVERY LAST SINGLE PERSON on earth with
the KINGDOM OF GOD Message? Of course not! Then how many? 1%, 10%, 50%
or more? I think Jesus Himself showed
us!
We are "sowing the seed" and the seed is "the Word"--in our case
today, the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. In the parable of sowing, or
spreading the Gospel, by far the greatest portion of the "seed" fell by
the wayside. "Those by the wayside are they that hear (or see in print);
then cometh the devil and taketh away the word out of their hearts, lest
they should believe and be saved
11
(Luke 8:12). Matthew's version has
the same. In other words, by far the largest number hear or see the Word
--hear part, perhaps only 30 or 60 seconds of a broadcast or telecast-
have no interest as soon as they see it is about the Bible, turn away.
Or, they pick up a sample copy of the PT on a newsstand, and as soon as
they see it is concerned with religion, put it back. BUT THE SEED WAS
SOWN. In such cases we have done what God expected of us.
Those on the stony places have no root--the seed cannot take root or
grow. Those among the thorns may become interested, even repent and be
baptized, but the cares and interests of the world, or jealousy, envy,
resentment, enter their hearts, and they leave.
It is only the very smallest percentage that remain, bearing fruit,
and shall enter God's Kingdom.
Now we have found, through 46 years experience, and other religious
broadcasters all agree--that every request received for literature