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Garner Ted Armstrong
Our Associate Editor-in-Chief,
Garner Ted Arrnstrong, receives
hundreds of letters each week in
response to his broadcasts on
radio and television and his arti–
cles in the Plain Truth and Good
News magazines. Beginning this
iss ue, Mr. Arrnstrong gives
sorne personal no-holds-barred
answers to sorne of the rnost
often asked ques tions which he
receives.
OUESTION:
How would you define
the overall purpose of your radio and
television broadcasts?
ANSWER:
Jesus Christ com–
manded his disciples, "Go ye into
all the world, and preach the gospel
to every creature" (Mark 16: 15) and
prophesied that his gospel - a message
of alarm and hope for this sin-sick
world - would be preached with
great impact just prior to the begin–
ning ofthe great tribula tion (see Mat–
thew 24:14 and Mark 13: lO).
The gospel ofthe Kingdom ofGod
is
a message that Jesus Christ brought
(Mark 1: 14) from the Father. Men
have either rejected that gospel mes–
sage of the soon-coming, world-rul–
ing government ofGod or they have
submerged it in a maelstrom of con–
fusion - adoring and worshipping
the person ofJesus Christ aod talking
of what a wonderful Saviour he
is
(and that is true!) , but ignoring the
dynamic message of both a witness
and a warning!
PLAIN TRUTH October-November 1974
Every broadcast
J
do fits into the
broad spectrum of either a
witness
(i.e., the proof God exists, the fact of
the resurrection, the "biblical mis–
conceptions" programs, doctrinal
programs, subjects such as baptism,
repentance, the real Jesus, salvation,
and the rnillennium) or a
warning
(i .e., the dozens of trends and condi–
tions which sharply indicate that the
great tribulation is just ahead of us
now; the population explosion, pol–
lution, the global arms race ,
drought, famine, massive disease
epidernics, socio-economic problems
sueh as race, crime, the economy,
physical health, the high cost of
dying, drug usage, divorce, and
many others).
When I work with our television
and radio team to prepare a whole
series of telecasts, 1 always insist
upon fitting in somewhere directly
the dual "witness and warning" pic–
ture. Thus, eveo though I may be
speaking of a purely socio-economic
consideration such as today's soar–
ing infiation and the trauma of the
average middle-income family striv–
ing to make ends meet and going
deeper in debt,
I
do so in the light of
God's Word concerning the bless–
ings and cursings of Deuteronomy
28 and Leviticus 26, and the overall
warning to people concerning this
obvious trend toward a big depres–
sion which, if unchecked , could
directly lead to events which could
cause World War III .
Even though I may do severa!
programs on economic consid–
erations, they will always be done in
the light of Bible prophecy, with
strong warnings concerning the im–
pending calamities, just as God's
Word predicts.
I am diligently striving to fulfill
the commands of God given
through Isaiah ("Cry aloud, spare
not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet ,
and shew my people their trans–
gression. and the house of Jacob
their sins" - lsaiah 58: 1).
1 am trying to combine the warn–
ing of an Elijah to the prophets of
Baal, the warnings of Ezekiel to his
beloved people of Israel, the warn–
ings of Jeremiah to the people of
Judah.
1 am striving to fulfill the fright–
ening and sobering commission of
being a "watchman" for the mil–
lions who just do not see .the
enormous catastrophes which lie
ahead of us. All this is obviously
such a broad and monumental task
that it defies description in a few
simple words.
One purpose which is not a part
of the overall thrust of the broad–
cast is to proselyte or try to get
members for any group, church, or
organization! If 1 were doing so,
· then I would be muzzled by the
considerations of numbers and the
size of an organization - and there–
fore handcuffed toa message which
woutd be palatable to the majority.
Remaining completely free to speak
dramatically, soberly, challengingly
and plainly about the staggeríng
sins of God's people on this earth
means I am completely unfettered
and free to "tell it líke ít is" with–
out fear of favor or respect of
persons.
o
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