good news 1958 (vol vii no 08) dec_w

7/28/2019 Good News 1958 (Vol VII No 08) Dec_w

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International Magazine o fTH E C H U R CH OF GOD

VOL VII , NUMBER 8 DECEMBER, 1958Over 4000 Attend Feast ofTabernacles! for You!

Is it Bondage?Satan has deceived all nations (Rev.12:9) into keeping certain false religious customs. Among them, he has introduced COUNTERFEIT FEAST days. Thegreatest of the "Christian" holidays isChristmas!Let's COMPARE the pagan holiday of

"Christmas" and the GOD-ORDAINEDHOLYDAY OF THE Feast of Tabernacles!Millions save money all year long, by

huge parking lo t filleo to capacity ouring Feast of Tabernacles.owers above

A Wonderful Time of Rejoicing Has Been Set AsideHave You Been Missing It?by Garner Ted Armstrong

unto the Lord seven days, on the firstday shall be a sabbath, and on the eighthday shall be a sabbath ... and ye shallREJOiCE before the Lord your God sevendays" (Lev. 23:39-40).And God's people truly REJOICED!But to the WORLD, in which you live,such a practice would be considered aYOKE OF BONDAGE! The world scoffs atthe customs of a people chey believe tobe returning to SLAVERY-to a harshLAW!

H AVE you been MISSING OUT onwhat should he the greatestSpiritual experience of your life?This past fall thousands of God's peoplegathered at the huge tabernacle buildingnear Big Sandy, Texas for the annualFeast of Tabernacles. Multiple hundredsof them had come to a Feast for thevery first time!And what a real FEAST it was! Godsays, "Also in the fifteenth day of theseventh month . . . ye shall keep a feastMammoth New Tabernacle


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Page 2 The GOOD NEWS December, 1958

SERVANTS-but of WHOM?Have YOU found the real delight ofserving God?When you were still of the worldyou were practicing customs you neverquestioned, "going along" with the pressof the crowd, wherever it led you. Youwere a servant of sin. But God has called

His true people OUT of slavery-INTotrue FREEDOM!How many times have you heardpeople expressing how they HATE tothink of Christmas shopping, trafficjams, confusion, gift lists, and all thedizzying hubbub of the year's biggestcommercial season?And how many times have you observed these same people CONTINUINGblindly in the same customs?Peter, when warning about falseprophets, said, "While they promisethem LIBERTY, they themselves are theservants of corruption. For of whom aman is overcome, of the same is hebrought in bondage!" (I I Peter 2:19)This world SERVES Satan, its own

means of special sav ings accounts, furChristmas. The money is spent on buyinggifts for others! THIS, the world assuresus, is FREEDOM!God's people save money ALL YEARLONG (Deur. 14:22-26) to travel whereever He designates and SPEND IT ONTHEMSELVES! This, according to theworld, is surely BONDAGE!Millions of obedient servants to custom(Rom. 12:2, Rom. 6: 16) look forward

to ONEday spent in total or near drunkenness, s laughter ing each other on thehighways, mayhem and murder (moremurders are commi tt ed dur ing the 24hour per iod encompassing Christmaseve than any other similar period duringthe year), and family dinners. This, theworld loudly proclaims, is FREEDOM!God's OBEDIENT CHILDREN look forward to EIGHT FULL DAYS spent ineating wonderful physical food, anddrinking in of deep, satisfying SPIRITUALfood, days of moderation, of rejoicing,of HELPING one-another, of learninghow to SAVE lives. This, the worldwould have you believe, is BONDAGE!

NUMBER 8Herbert W. ArmstrongPublisher and EditorHerman L. HoehExecutive EditorRoderick C. MeredithGarner Ted ArmstrongAsseciase Editors

International magazine ofTHE CHURCH OF GOD

ministering to its membersscattered abroad

VOL. VII

Address communications to the Editor,Box Ill, Pasadena, California.Copyright, December, 1958By the Radio Church of God

Be su re to notify us immedia te ly ofchange of address.Mealtime brings thousands into line in front of first Tabernacle, now converted into dining hall. The outline of originalTab ernacle barely " i ~ i b l e thraugh trees.


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r recemher. 1 l ) ~ H Tbe G O O D N EW S P a ~ e .'

Beneath beautiful cast Texas skies stands the maiestic New Tabernacle! Thousands marvelled at its sol idity and its huge-ness-but it a lready needs to be enlarged for next year!lusts, vani ty , and the whims of society!IT IS TH E lr'OI?LD THAT IS IN TOTALBONDAGE-ABJECT SLAVERY!

Bu t YOU have been g iv en t he oppor-tunity to become a servant of GOD!Yot:have been given t he o p po r tu n it y to be

made truly FREE! "Know yc not, that towhom ye yield yourselves se rvants to(Please continrsc (I n page 12)

Interior of New Tabernacle filled to capacity during Mr. Armstrong's delivery of sermon.


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What Church Membersshould know aboutMASONRY

Editor's Note: An intensive and extended examination and thorough researchinto the FACTS, too long concealed from the Church, has been the conscientious and painstaking work of Mr. Ell iott in the preparation of his forthcoming book, ~ ~ W h a t Church Members Should Know About MASONRY." TheFACTS he brought to light from many authen ti c sources are astounding .This startlingly revealing book was written as a Thesis, in partial fulfillmentof the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Theology conferredon Mr. Ellio tt June 6th, 1958, by Ambassador College.

This book is being reproduced ser ia lly in The Good News, the presentarticle being the first installment. I t will be continued in future numbers.You will find it to be an astonishing and eye-opening revelation. We feelit is breathtaking in interest, intriguing, and shocking-but it is al l the TRUTH,carefully documented.We feel it is high time these little known facts be published for ourChurch members. We need to know how it came about that, even in our modern times, as the Word of God foretold: "all nations were deceived!"

by Jack R. Elliott

I s MASONRY a Christian organization? Do they have the truth? Whyare they so secret? Is it all r igh t toremain in the Lodge? Is it all right tojoin the Masons?This series is designed to help youanswer these questions, give the reasoning behind the answer, and produce theevidence to back it up!This series is NOT WRITIEN FOR

GENERAL PUBLICAl'ION, but to supplyinformation for members of the Churchof God. It is important that you knowsomething about the Masonic Lodgeits teachings and its beliefs-so that youcan answer questions on the subjectwith understanding. Many persons whoare interested in the way of life askquestions that need a t rue and accurateanswer, not the evasion they get whenthey ask information from a Mason.

The Mason cannot answer most oftheir questions because he has sworn,unde r penalty of death, not to revealMasonic secrets. Since the details cannotbe revealed, he merely assures them thatMasonry is a Christian organizationbased on the Bible. They further assureus that Masonry is in accordance withGod's laws and a candidate is not required to take any action against nation, state or family.

Definitions of MasonryDefinitions of Freemasonry have beennumerous. Seldom do you find two alike.

Here are quoted some of the most celebrated ones which were composed byinfluential Masons and, as you mightexpect, they heap much praise upon theLodge."Freemasonry is a beautiful system ofmorality, veiled in allegory, and illustrated by symbols."-Hemming."Masonry is an art, useful knowledgeand learning, and stamps an indeliblemark of pre-eminence on its genuineprofessors, which neither chance, power,nor fortune can besrow.v-s-Preston,"The grand object of Masonry is topromote the happiness of the humanrace."-George Washington.If such statements can be made ofthe Lodge by such noted people, thensurely it is a worthy organization! "Howcan belonging to it be a discredit toanyone?" they ask.Take a closer look and you will see

that while these definit ions are impressive, they still leave the reader in thedark as to the what, why, and how ofFreemasonry.Confusion in Doctrine

Masonic doctr ine is very pl iable because it is so loosely knit together andembodies such a tremendous scope ofChristian as well aspagan ideas. Furthermore, it is cushioned with allowancesfor those members who wish to disagreewith e it her or both because the Lodgeembraces men of all religions. These

allowances also absorb or explain awayany accusations brought against Masonicdoctrine. It makes no difference whetherthe accusation is pro-Christian, proMohammedan, pro-Pagan, or pro-anything. To be more specific, Masonicphilosophy is very inexact, vague inprinciple and so devious in applicationthat it can mean almost anything to anyone. Its basic teaching method is bysubtle suggestion which allows the candidate to warp his former beliefs intothe Masonic framework.Masonry can be more revealingly defined as a group of men, banded togetherin an exclusive lodge to advance, firstand foremost, the ir personal interestsand second, the interests of certainothers of the ir fellowmen. They set astheir guide, morals that are as high asother man-made codes. The fact thatthey are man-made is not considered adegradation by the brotherhood.They set as the highest and simplestof these morals "brotherly love"- (thebrother referred to, however, is a brotherMason). The spir it of Masonry is thatof mystery, feigned pomp and ceremony,and intemperate revelry. They searchancient writings, Christian and pagan,in order to find the mysterious secretsof life.

The teachings of the Holy Bible andthe ancient (pagan) mysteries are accepted alike and consti tu te the ir mainsources of information. From these they


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December, 1958select the principles which most appealto their desires. They have worked outten of their own commandments whichare an amalgamation of some of God'slaws, and some gleaned from the "ancients."

Membership Is ProfitableBelonging to the Lodge is profitable

for a number of reasons. Among theseis the fact that a Mason is usually better informed than the average personon community and civil affairs. Masonsare of every profession imaginable. Theyhave a vast storehouse of knowledge attheir command which they share wit hone another at "refreshment" and duringspecial meetings. Furthermore, they donot content themselves with the knowledge that is already among them, butcertain members make a life work ofseeking out the uncommon, and proclaiming it from lodge to lodge atspecial meetings. Not all informationis edifying, however. Much error is introduced by the informed. (Amongthese is the erroneous teaching aboutthe construction and architecture ofKing Solomon's Temple. Illustrativedrawings of the structure while veryimpressive usually show it adornedwith winged bulls and other pagan objects of worship.)Another helpful princip le is tha t ofextending aid to a brother Mason. Eachmember is dedicated to help a needybrother wherever or whenever he isable. Membership in the Lodge is therefore very useful to those who seek political office, political favor, employmentoppor tuni ties , business connections,travel accommodations, or a privilegedposition in the community. So pronounced are some of these aids tha t allwho do nor enjoy them are greatlyhandicapped when they compete forcertain offices or favor. Political office isa good example, and the Presidency ofthe United States is not excepted. Mostof our Presidents have been Masons,either active or honorary.

SecrecyOur definition could not be completewithout mentioning the secrecy of

Masonry. Smybolism, which meansnothing to the average person, is usedto remind the Mason of his duties andmorals while hiding the allegoric meaning and "beauty" from the "vulgar eyeof the uninformed." Lodges meet insecret behind guarded doors. Secretsigns, handshakes and utterances revealone- Mason to another regardless of hislodge, rite, or country.Membership in the Lodge is, therefore, a ticket to favoritism in any cityor any state or any country, and is aMasonic promise to happiness and prosperity.

The GOOD NEWSIn actuality, Masons find that altruistic ideals of the Lodge break down inpractice. Brother Masons are not muchmore trus tworthy than the "unenlightened." Some do not find the oaths theytake binding enough to keep them fromdefrauding even a brother.At least two Church of God bre threnhave confided to this author t hat they

have been seriously defrauded at thehands of brother Masons. One pu t itthis way: "In swearing to give aid andassistance to a brother Mason, an upright member falls prey to dishonestmembers of the Lodge and is frequentlydefrauded. I have found the word ofmost Masons is just so much wind, andthey would not hesitate to defraud ifthey could do so successfully. They follow Masonic teachings just as far as isconducive to their own gain."Size and Importance

One does not ordinarily realize thescope or importance of Freemasonry inour country. Its different rites, all inan interdependent system, boasted 4,175,000 members in 1939-3,300,000of which were in the United States.There are probably between five and sixmillion members in the United Statestoday.

The various rites have upon theirrolls the names of emperors, kings,princes, priests, and governors, togetherwith scholars, statesmen, and men oflesser stations in church and state. Hereare a few famous rnerr whu have beenMasons in the United States: BenjaminFranklin, President Washington, Jefferson, Monroe, Adams, Jackson, Polk,Fillmore, Harrison, Buchanan, Johnson,Garfield, McKinley, Taylor, Pierce, Taft,Theodore Roosevelt, and Truman. Otherprominen t members were Lafayette,Fulton, Montgomery, Sherman, Burr,Rush, Whipple, Paine, Hamilton, Gerry,Steubon, Stark, Livingstone, Dekalb,Warren, Paul Jones, Witherspoon, Revere and Hancock. Most of these areproclaimed Masons by no lesser authority than the Encyclopedia Americana.Most local, state and federal officialsare Masons. Realize tha t when you apply for employment, the man who mayor may not employ you is likely tobe a member of the Lodge. By handshake or other Masonic sign, you wouldbe able to greatly increase your chancesof securing that job because he hassworn an oath to extend aid and comfort to a fellow Mason if it is withinhis means to do so.You are, likewise, in a much betterposition to have a favor granted froma public official who belongs to theLodge when you are a member.Throughout the United States, manyMasons admit that they know or haveheard of brothers guilty of a crime

Page 5against society, who were never broughtto trial because of their affiliation withthe Lodge, and because of "aid" rendered by an official who was a Mason.Others who have been brought to trialwere either acquitted by a jury containing Masons or were given light sentences.In one such instance which occurredrecently, a man killed one of his closefriends. He was convicted of "premeditated murder without malice," and sentenced to only two years in prison. Aftertwo months' impri sonment he was outon a 30 days' leave. The man was aMason and so were a number of thejurors and law enforcement officials.

Anti-Masonic LiteratureOne seldom sees anti-Masonic literature, even though much has been written. Because printers are often Masons,dedicated to conceal the secrets of theLodge, it has li ttle chance. Bookstore

owners or librarians seldom stock bookseither pro- or anti-Masonic. Laymenwho are Masons are unwilling to divulge secrets because they have beensworn to secrecy.Nevertheless, even in the' h re of allthese obstacles, anti-Masonic literaturedoes exist. Certain organizations havebeen very zealous in their fight againstthe Lodge. Today, though the ir zeal isgone, some continue to publish lodgesecrets. Masons, more than anyone else,buy their books because they find thema convenient aid to learning the longlist of lodge secrets. This is againstlodge rules, however, because Masonsare not allowed to write down thesesecrets, but new members are supposedto be taught by word of mouth only.The arduous and grueling task of insrrurring the uninformed is simplifiedgreatly by this underhanded method ofusing available written material.One example is the Ezra A. CookPublications, Inc.,P.O. Box 796,Chicago90, Illinois. A letter to the Ezra A. CookCompany requesting publications on thesubject of Freemasonry will bring you alengthy list of available books whichaccurately reveal Masonic secrets. Thesebooks are available to anyone.

Structure uf MasonryFigure 1 (found on page 9 of thisinstallment) is the symbolic representation of Freemasonry in America. It isrepresented by a square and compasssupported by two pillars, Jachin andBoaz. The illustration has been considered highly secret aw l was allowedonly to Masons of high degree. It wasgiven to me by a church member whohad formerly been a Mason. Recentlyhowever, an article appeared in Litemagazine (October 8, 1956, pages(Please continue on page 8)


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PREVIEW OF THE 1959 ENVOThe 1959 Envoy presents an insight into the yearbook b


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(prepared for you.


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L

(Print name)

The ENVOY Staff :~ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _ . - - - - - ~

Eye" shown at the top of th e figure,"whom (t hey say) the sun, moon andst ar s obey and under whose watchfulcare even th e comets perform theirstupendous revolutions, (who) pervadesthe inmost recesses of th e human heart,and who will reward us (Masons)according to our merits." (Lightfoot,page 33. ) Th e reward supposedly comesafter death releases him f rom th is wor ldand his soul progresses upwards towardheaven and perfection.When th e apprentice enters Masonry,he is compared to a rough ashIer (o r

rough building stone), and as the ashleris shaped and polished before it is readyfor use, so must the candidate becomeperfected during the first three degreesuntil he becomes a perfect ashIer andmay be used as a building block in th ehouse of God (the house of God assymbolized by Solomon's Temple). Thusperfected th e Maste r Mason may enterinto and work with in the Holy of Holies.Th e Holy of Holies is symbolized by thecentral part of th e structure surroundingthe l et te r "G" . The letter "G" stands forGod; therefore work in all degrees fromthe master's up is done symbolically inth e presence of God, in Hi s most holyplace. (Note: Fig. 1 shows that all ofthe degrees from the master's to thethi rt y- th ird a re in this part of th estructure. )After one has successfully mastered

the first three degrees, or the Blue Lodge,he proceeds up through the Grand Lodgeby way of either the York or th e ScottishRite.Th e Scottish Rite accepts members of

all faiths, so long as they profess acreator God and believe in a life afterdeath. The York R it e is just as liber al,except in its higher orders an oath hasto be taken that affirms a belief in Christ,thus excluding conscientious Jews fromdegrees beyond that point.More inf orm ation can be attained

from th e Encyclopedia Britannica bythose who wish to pursue the technicalorganization of Freemasonry in theUnited States.

The Beginning of a DilemmaVery few Masons understand or care

about the technical aspects of the Lodgeor about its symbolic teachings. Theyate interested instead in such questionsas how important it is to be a member;therefore, how big, important andrighteous Masonry is; how to join; howto climb to the t op ; how to keep othersf rom get ting to the top without dueprocess; how to keep enemies out, etcetera.Th e gr eat majo rity embr ace Free

masonry for the purpose of enhancingtheir business prestige. As long as theycan pass themselves as Masons and makeuse of the secret language which MasonryStateone

the diffe rent bu t accurate i llust ration,demonstrates their inconsistency.Th e apprentice enters the structure,symbolically, between th e two columns,Jachin and Boaz, which are said to rep

resent the two columns of Solomon'sTemple (see II Chron. 3: 15) andprogresses by degrees toward perfection.A ll this h appen s under t he "All-Seeing

sador Campus-relive the moments ofthe recent Feast of Tabernacles in scenescaught by the camera of a top professional photographer. These are an example of the planning being done now asAmbassador students express their gratitude for your participation in past years.Added new subscribers this year canmake these dreams come true. Our finalword to the printer must be given earlyin January. The 1200 copies he is planning to print now includes you. Portionsof the new ENVOY will be printed before you read these lines. Contracts weresigned late last spring giving tentativespecifications for this new book. Thehnal decisions are being made now!Your immediate decision is needed.A flood of subscriptions will allow usto add still more to the quality of theENVOY you will receive next June. Feworders would mean a sharp cutback inall specifications.Ac t Now!In spire of its increased size and quality, in spite of increased postal rates,and labor costs, the price per copy ofthe ENVOY is being held to $5.00 ...and that is the complete price to you including postage, mailers and so forth.The ENVOY will be ready for mailingin early June but the printers must knowmonths in advance the exact number ofcopies to print. We have given them anearly guess as to the number you willorder. They need to know now if thatguess is correct.Just fill in the coupon below orPRINT the required information in aletter and send it IMMEDIATELY to"The ENVOY;' at Post Office Box III,Pasadena, California! Please use the en

closed envelope.

(Print street an d number)

City

New and DifferentEACH year a new creation-a new, different ENVOY. Not an up-to-datereprint of last year's issue but a newinsight into the headquarters of God'sWork.An alcrt new Staff is eager to presenta true view and yet a new view of Ambassador. The campus youths of today arecandidates to lead and serve you tomorrow. Get to know the Faculty andStudent Body through professional portraits in the ENVOY! You will meetmany of them in person at the Festivalsthrough the years to come.

Why We Include Yo uAn ENVOY is the solution to several of your problems. Few of you areable to visit the Headquarters of God'sWork in person. Visitors from the campus to your individual homes have alsobeen few. The ENVOY has the solu

tion. Once a year in late spring an Ambassador, an ENVOY is sent to you.Once a year in the fall you come to thetabernacle in Texas and meet our 200Ambassadors.Our solution is to pack as much information and interest, quality and quantity into an ENVOY as the subscriptionprice will allow and give every familya first-hand account of campus activities.Now each family can have a visitor fromthe Ambassador Campus year by year.W hat You Make Possible

An increase in pages to 128-sectionsin rich new duotone, the printing processthat through the addition of a singlecolor will add life and realism to thepages of your new ENVOY. Attend acommencement program on the Ambas-

IMPORTANTANNOUNCEMENT

A new larger, finer ENVOY is be ing prepa red for you. Join ou rgrowing family of regular ENVOY subscribers now!

YES! I want to reserve a copy of the 1959 ENVOY fo r delivery next June! I enclosethe sum of FIVE DOLLARS ($5.00) which pays the subsc ript ion price in ful l.

Please make all checks payable to: The ENVOY.

104-122) in which the structure ofFreemasonry was represented in similarmanner. The fact that Masons decidedto let the vulgar eye of the public see

( Co nt in ue d from page 5)MASONRY


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ALTAR

ANTE ROOM

J u n i o r Warden

~ T y l e r

Preparation fo r InitiationBefore attending any meetings ortaking any par t in Masonic rituals, thecandidate must be initiated. On his firstvisit to the Lodge, he is kept outside inthe anteroom (see Figure 2) while thefirst part of the meeting takes place.Neither he nor anyone else has a chanceto know what IS going on in themeeting because the door is closed anda guard-usually with drawn sword-isstanding beside it.Finally, three raps are heard at the(Please continue on page 12)

PLAN OF THE LODG E( F i g u r e N o . 2 )

Sen io r Wa rden

J a c h i n

PREPARA n O N ROOM

B o a z '

Square and C o m p a s s on open B i bl e on a l t a r

The applicant must be vouched forand recommended by one or moreMasons. Once submitted, his petition isread before the assembly, and a committee is appointed t o inquire into hischaracter. If nothing is found to disqualify him and the committee giveshim a favorable report, his pet it ion isagain presented to the assembly onemonth later and voted upon by thebrethren.Once the applicant has been accepted,he becomes a candidate for the first, orEntered Apprentice, degree.

Senior Deacon

, T r e a s u r e r .r_. 'A. . . Worshipful M a s t e r

puts within their reach, they are perfectly satisfied and desire nothing more.Information given in the first chapterwas concerned with the overall structureand organization of Masonry. A Masonis not required to know this unless hesits in one of the governing councils.I t is only when his ambit ions spur himin that direction that a Mason is wil lingto expend the effort to learn it, plus amass of other laws, doctrines, andphilosophies.The present chapter is concerned withwhat the candidate for the variousdegrees is exposed to and what he isforced to learn. Every a ttempt will bemade to show you Masonry as the candidate sees it. Therefore, few remarks willbe made to expose fallacies or to criticizethe Lodge at this phase.As the candidate proceeds t hru thedegrees, no one points to any of thefacets of Masonry and says, "That iscondemned by God Almighty." On thecontrary, each aspect is drawn up inbeautifully phrased allegories-the high( human) morality being greatly emphasized. Who would dare question this"holiness" ?

Who Can Belong?If a person wishes to become a member of the Masonic Lodge, he must befreeborn, under no bondage, of at leasttwenty-one years of age, in the possession of sound senses, free from anyphysical defect or dismemberment, andof irreproachable manners, or, as it istechnically termed, "under the tongueof good report." No atheist, eunuch,

cripple, or woman can be admitted. Eventhose who possess all these necessaryqualifications can be admitted only undercertain regulations.Masons' wives or children may no tattend the regular meetings, but onlysuch special functions as may be plannedfor them.To satisfy the desires of wives andchildren to take part in Masonic functions, special or side orders were adopted-such as the Eastern Star ritual, theDe Malay for bays, and the RainbowGirls. These orders have their ownsecrets and functions apart from theregular Lodge, bu t follow its generalpattern. They are supervised by Masons.Indeed, the ir meetings cannot be heldwithou t a Mason present to supervise.

Joining the LodgeBecause Masons are forbidden tosolicit members, a man must requestadmission for himself.The usual procedure for petitioningthe Lodge is to have another Masonrecommend the candidate. He does soby presenting a formal pet it ion, signedby the candidate, to the particular lodgewhich he wishes to join.


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Continued GROWTHChurch of God!

m TheThe world-wide body of Christ is now more strongly knit together.

God continues to BLESS His Church!

DURING this time of increasingworld chaos and the threat ofhuman annihilat ion, God continues to bless His "little flock"-theChurch Jesus built. This Church is nowdeveloping into a real spir itual organism around the face of this ent ire earth!Many changes have taken place--awonderful feast of tabernacles has comeand gone-since the last "Church News"column in this magazine. During thecoming year, we hope to be able togive you the point by point news ofgrowth in God's local churches-and inHis work around the world. May Godmove your hearts so that you will RE-JOICE that He has called us as coworkers toge ther with Christ to do thework of His Church in this age justbefore the World Tomorrow!

New Churches GrowingNews from Mr. Car lton Smith-nowpastor of God's churches in Springfield and St. Louis-indicates t ha t bothof these churches are growing in everyway. The new Springfield church, particularly, has continued its growth anddevelopment. Mr. Smith reports that

the average attendance there recentlyhas been around 85 adults plus children!Indications are that this new churchwill continue its growth. All of usshould pray for i t-for these newbrethren are our brothers and sisters inJesus Christ. Also, we should pray forGod's ministers in this and every areathat the Churches of God may bestrengthened spiritually as well as numerically.The new church in EI Paso, Illinois,near Peoria, is continuing to grow, andthe brethren in that area have indicated that they are certainly thankfulthat the founding of this church wasmade possible. At present, Mr. DeanBlackwell is ministering to this church,which is steadily but slowly growing.Average attendance is now around 25adults plus children.Mr. Blackwell also repor ts that theChicago church is continuing its remarkable growth, and average attendance there is well over 200 people, including children! The Chicago churchwas recently blessed by moving into anew and better hall. Every indicationis that it will become a possible rivaleven to the headquarter's church in

by Roderick C. MeredithPasadena if this rapid growth keepsup! But isn't this kind of "rivalry" thekind that comes as a BLESSING fromGod?Mr. Wayne Cole reports that thechurch in Pit tsburgh, Pennsylvania, iscontinuing its slow but steady growthand that the members are now becoming really grounded in God's t ruth. Thisis something to be very thankful for,because it often takes years for somebrethren to become spiritually mature.Exciting plans are in the making thatMr. Cole may possibly raise up a newchurch in New York City wit hin thenext several months! Let us all PRAYthat God may make this possible asHe knows is best-and guide and blessthrough His Spiri t in all of these plans.Mr. Raymond McNair, pastoringGod's flock in the Brit ish Isles, repor tsthat the London church is continuingits growth and that there are peoplefrom many out lying cities who now attend services occasionally.A new blessing in this area is thebeginn ing of a Bible Study in Bristol,England! This is undoubtedly the beginning of a new church, and nowcomprises about 15 people who regularly attend this study. Let us continueto pray for our brethren in "Ephraim!"We will save other local church newsunt il next time, but it should be mostinteresting to all of you scattered brethren to hear-if you have not alreadydone so--of the speech clubs for themen in our local churches.Several of our churches now havethese clubs, and they are pat terned after the Ambassador Clubs for the menstudents at Ambassador College. These,in turn, are pat terned after the nationalorganization of Toastmaster's Clubs!Anyway, they are after dinner publicspeaking clubs for the men of severalof God's Churches which provide opportuni ti es for Christian fellowship,personality and character developmentand ability to speak and expla in God' struth as a witness. More details will begiven about the "Spokesmen" Clubslater, and new clubs may be inauguratedin o ther local churches as the need andoppor tuni ty arises. Certainly they aresomething we can be thankful for, however, and we should pray that God willguide and bless them and help the meninvolved to draw ever closer and more

surrendered as instruments of JesusChrist in His service.More Deacons Ordained

Four more deacons were recently ordained in the Pasadena congregation.Their service is needed not only in thelocal church, but at the annual Feasts.They are all men who have been inGod's Church for some time, and weshould rejoice tha t He has preparedthem for this office. They arc Mr. AlDennis, Mr. Selmer Hegvold, Mr. BillRapp, and Mr. Lee Sefcak.These men-with many others likethem-are the ones who SERVED all of usin the many physical dut ies involved incarrying on the Feast of Tabernaclesand our other annual Feasts. We all owethem a great big expression of THANKSfor the wonderful job they did duringthis last Feast of Tabernacles! We shouldcontinue to pray that God will add moreconsecrated men to this office and all ofHis local churches. God's Church is tobe one "body"-working together-knittogether in love (Col. 2: 2 ). Havingmore of our local bre thren in these offices ordained by Christ-once He hascalled them-certainly helps us realizemore the meaning of unity and the"family spir it" that ought to permeateGod's Church today.

Nation-Wide Visiting TourOne thing that many of you bre threnprobably d idn' t know is tha t scores ofour brethren and scattered co-workersare being helped, counseled, and somebaptized by a nation-wide visit ing tour.This tour is competently led by Mr.Gerald Waterhouse, recently returnedfrom acting as Pastor of God's Churchin London, England. His companion on

this tour is Mr. Bill McDowell, a zealoussenior theological student in Ambassador College and member of The LetterAnswering Department. These menhave already visited dozens of peoplein the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and are now headingfor nor thern Florida. They are visi tingmany people missed by the summerbaptizing tours, plus many co-workerswho have indicated that their realchurch-home is in God's true church.What a tremendous blessing this is tothe scores of scattered brethren whomight not otherwise be able to meet


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Page 12with any of God's mirusters or peopleexcept at the annual feasts!In view of this fact, I know thatyou will all be happy to join with us inpraying that God will bless and guidein this tour, and others like it in thefuture. As a matter of fact, by the timeyou read this Mr. Waterhouse will probably have returned from this t our andbe preparing for another most importantduty which we will now outline.

World-Wide Baptising TourIt is now planned that shortly afterthe ministers ' conference ends-probably around the first of February-Mr.Waterhouse will fly from Pasadena backto London, England. There he will joinMr. George Meeker. After preaching aSabbath or two in the London Church,Mr. Wa te rhouse and Mr. Meeker willtake a jet flight to Johannesburg, SouthAfrica. From there, they will take sidetrips out to nearby areas to visit andbaptize many interested people whomGod is calling into His Church. Afterfinishing their work in South Africa,they will fly to Australia and visit manyprospective candidates for baptism inthe continent "down under." Remember,brethren, God is using US together asa "team" to reach this con tinent overan ent ire network of stations! We canbe very thankful tha t Chri st is alreadycalling out a nucleus of what may develop into a large segment of HisChurch in that continent.At this point, it is planned that Mr.Ted Armst rong will fly to meet thesetwo men in Sidney, Austral ia , and help

direct the impor tant decision of selecting a site for an office and headquartersfor God's work in Austral ia and Southeast Asia. Tremendous opportuni tiesare opening up in that area! From there,these three men will fly to the Philippines to contact and visi t with the ministers and brethren whom God has addedto His Church in the Philippine Islands.This will be a wonderful meeting!Mr. Ted Armstrong has written many,many letters and shared many thingswith Mr. Orteguero and the otherswhom God is cal ling in the Phi lippinesover a long period of time. Now theywill have the opportunity to meet inperson, to become fully acquainted, andto share the blessed fellowship, thegrowth, the knowledge, the mutual lovethat comes through our union one withthe other in Christ Jesus. In fact, it ishoped that these men from God's headquarters may be with our Phi lippinebrethren at the Passover and share allthe blessings of God' s feast days withthose whom God is calling in this faroff land!At this point, Mr. Ted Armstrongmay leave the other two men and proceed back to the Uni ted States and his

The GOOD NEWSmany important jobs here. If possible,he will stop by Formosa to visit andcounsel with a minister there whomGod is calling, Meanwhile , Mr. Waterhouse and Mr. Meeker will continue tovisit with, counsel, and strengthen thevarious congregations throughout thePhilippines whom God is adding tothe living branch of His true Church.Then they, too, will proceed back toGod's headquarters in Pasadena, probably having to go by way of Japan toobtain proper air passage.Brethren, all of you should PRAY forthe safety of these men on this tripand that God's blessing and guidancewill be with them in every way! I hopeyou can envision the fact that this tripwill help many scores of peoplethroughout the world to be more closely "kn it together" as part of the verybody of Christ from now on, and willhelp to firmly establish God's Churchand work in several foreign lands as wecontinue carrying out our Divine commission to preach the gospel of thekingdom as a "witness" to all nations,and then to feed the "little flock" thatGod is calling.In His parting commission to thisChurch-His Chun.h-Jesus said: "Iam with you always, even unto the endof the age" (Matthew 28:20). Let usREJOICE that God has given our livesreal meaning by permitting us to bemembers of His Church in this eventfulage before the re tu rn of His Son!

MASONRY(Continued from page 10)

door and the guard (whom he will latercome to know as the "TYLER") returnsthem in like manner.A short silence follows, then threeMasons emerge to inter rogate him. Allwear short whi te aprons. These men arethe Secretary and the two Stewards.The Secretary then proceeds to question him in a routine manner and tocharge him with the great importanceof belonging to the Lodge and theseriousness of his undertaking. At thesame time the candidate is promised thathe will not be required to do anythingcontrary to the laws of God or duty tohis king, country, state, family or self.The reader must keep in mind thatthe candidate knows nothing of the rulesand customs of the Fraternity. He canonly take the word of Masons that thereis nothing in those rules contrary to thelaws of God, etc.After the Secretary leaves, the JuniorDeacon, another official who had servedas inside door keeper, joins the candidateand the Stewards and takes charge ofpreparing the candidate for init ia tion.He is taken into the preparation room,

December, 1958is divested of his coat, vest, pants, boots,stockings, drawers, neck-tie, collar-infact, everything except his shirt. He isthen handed a pa ir of drawers (alwaysfurnished by the Lodge) which he putson.All the studs, sleeve-buttonsand otherfurnishings are taken off his shirt.Everything of a metallic kind is takenaway. The left leg of the drawers isrolled above the knee, so as to makethe left foot, leg, and knee bare; theleft sleeve of his shirt is raised abovethe elbow, so as to make the left armbare; and the left breast of the shirt istucked back, so as to make his left breastbare. A slipper is pu t on his r ight foot,with the heel slipshod; a hoodwink(b lindfo ld) is fastened over his eyes;a blue rope, called a cable-tow, is putaround his neck, and he is then duly andtruly prepared to be made a Mason.

The candidate has no idea why thisis done, except he is told that it isnecessary - the explanation must comelater. The candidate is kep t in a state ofprofound darkness and all is calculatedto confuse and bewilder him. Once thehood-wink is placed over his eyes, he cansee nothing and must rely totally on hisother senses.Next, the candidate is conducted bythe Junior Deacon to the door, wherehe is caused to give, or the Junior Deacon gives, three distinct knocks, whichare answered by three from within. Whatgoes on behind the closed door is stillan enigma to the candidate--all thisfor the purpose of filling him with aweand cultivating an air of mystery. Thedoor is then partially opened.Senior Deacon ( from behind thedoor) calls, "Who comes there? Whocomes there? Who comes there?"

The Junior Deacon answers, "A poorb lind candidate who has long been desirous of having and receiving a part ofthe rites and benefits of this worshiplodge, dedicated (some say erected) toGod, and held forth to the holy orderof St. fohns, as all true fellows andbrothers have done who have gone thisway before him."Thus the initiation begins and thegullibility of the candidate is taxed to itsextreme in the performance of weirdrituals. T a be continued

Feast of Tabernacles(Continued from page 3)

obey, his servants ye are to whom yeobey . . . being then made free from sin,ye became the servants of righteousness"(Rom. 6:16-18) .DON'T MISS attending the gloriousFEAST OF TABERNACLES next year!Learn what it means to be a servantof God, and to be really FREE!

good news 1958 (vol vii no 08) dec_w

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