Do you realize that you owe everything you are to the printed page? Had it not been for the Word of God you would not have been a Christian. The Bible says, "Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God." (Romans 10: l7}.

How then can we expect the heathen to hear and be saved-if they do not even have it.

What was it that gave us the Reformation? You say it was Martin Luther's preaching. I do not believe it was. Martin Luther wrote nearly 100 books and circulated them throughout Western Europe, and, as a result of the writings of Martin Luther, there came the Reformation.

I believe that the greatest miracle of our day and generation is the increasing literacy around the world.

Three million people learn to read every seven days. What does that mean? It means that last week three million people who could not read one single word are able to read this week.

It means that next week another three million people who cannot read a single word this week will be able to read next week. Three million people every week - one hundred and fifty million people a year.

That has never happened before in the 6,000 years of man's history on earth. Up until our generation, only a handful of people have been able to read in comparison to the vast multitudes unable. But today the peoples of the world are learning to read.

But what are they going to read? The Communists have the answer. They know something of the power of the printed page.

Did you ever hear of a man by the name of Charles Darwin? Did you ever hear of a book he wrote called "The Origin of Species?" Do you realize that, as a result of the writing of that one book, your sons and daughters are being subjected to the theory-and I do not say the fact, for evolution has never been proven, it is still only a theory-to the theory of evolution in practically all the universities, colleges and high schools of the world?

Nothing has ever challenged the Word of God as has the theory of evolution. That gives you some idea of the influence of just one book.

Do you know that the Communists printed two pieces of literature in a single year for every man, every woman, every boy and every girl, on the face of the earth? What other nation has done that?

Why, they even boast of having taken China by means of the printed page. If (Christians), instead of building hospitals and educational institutions, we had put our money into the Gospel message in China that country might never have gone behind the Bamboo Curtain. China could have been evangelized by the printed page.

For twenty-five years before the Russian Revolution, the Communists poured their literature into Russia.

Some time ago the United Nations gave the number of different books printed by five of the leading nations of the world. Which nation do you think came first? Russia came first with 60,000 different titles.

Which nation came second? The most literate nation on the face of the earth-Japan-with 24,000 titles Great Britain came third with 19,000 and India fourth with 18,000. Which nation do you think came last of all? The United States of America. During the year America printed only 12,000 different titles.

Now, tell me, which nation believes in the power of the printed page? The United States with 12,000 or Russia with 60,000?

Do you know that during one year Russia translated 5,000 books? During the same year the United States translated only 800 and Great Britain 600.

Again I ask, which nation believes in the power of the printed page?

You can buy Russian magazines on almost any news-stand in the United States of America and throughout the world. Russia may not need a war, not if she can win the cold war by using the printed page. The grandson of Ghandi of India said the other day, "The missionaries taught us to read, but the Communists gave us the books." Think of it, if you will. "The missionaries taught us to read, but the Communists gave us the books." Why didn't the missionaries give them the books? Because the churches that had sent out the missionaries-had never caught the vision!

Yes, and let me tell you something else, believe it or not, the False Cults are on the job. Do you realize that the Jehovah's Witnesses have the largest printing press in the world? Why is it that the Christian Church does not have the largest press? Simply because the Christian Church has never realized the value of literature!

Do you know how many magazines that one press prints every minute? Every sixty seconds that one press produces 500 magazines (eighty-four million in a single year). Where are these magazines circulated? Through the English-speaking world? Yes. But mainly in the Orient, Asia, Africa and South America.

Are the Jehovah's Witnesses getting results? Does it pay to get out the printed page? Jehovah's Witnesses held a Baptismal Service in New York some time ago, where at that one service they baptized 7,136 converts.

How many has your church baptized? How many have all the churches of America baptized?

Did you ever see the little inexpensive Kingdom Halls that Jehovah's Witnesses have? You have never known them to build a cathedral. Why? Because they realize that the message is more important than the building.

And this is the point, every convert was won by the means of the printed page. Does it pay? Jehovah's Witnesses think it does.

My friends, we will have to decide whether we are going to put our money into the building-or the message-if we are ever going to evangelize the world.

During a single year the Seventh Day Adventists invested $21,000,000 in the printed page in 218 languages. They, too, believe in the power of the message.

Our missionaries can organize a group of workers and send them from door to door, from house to house, with the message. That was Paul's method and therefore it is Scriptural. He evangelized from "house to house," so as to reach "every creature" with the Gospel message. We cannot do better than to follow his example.

Jesus said "every creature." The only way you can reach every creature is to reach every home and family. That cannot be done by (only) sending out missionaries or by means of radio. The only way it can be done is by using the printed page. There is no other way that I know of to carry out our Lord's command.

I have traveled all over foreign countries. I have given Gospel tracts everywhere. I have seen thousands upon thousands of tracts distributed.

Do you know, I have never yet seen a native tear up a Gospel tract, or a Salvation booklet?

When you hand a native in a foreign land a tract or a booklet he will thank you for it most graciously, and then sit down right where he is - in the train or the bus or the street car - and read it unashamed. Literature is appreciated in foreign lands.

It was during the time of the last World War. France had fallen. The United States had not yet come in. Great Britain was standing alone with her back against the wall expecting almost instant invasion. Sir Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister, decided to speak directly to the American people.

I was driving along the highway with my wife. I drew my car to the side and turned off the engine, so that I would not miss a word and then I tuned in London, England.

The Prime Minister only spoke for two or three minutes, but he said something that I never have forgotten from that day to this. Sir Winston Churchill, in speaking to the American people, said this: "Give us the tools and we will finish the job."

This is what I say to you now. As fast as the money comes in the message goes out! All we need-are the funds with which to do the work. Have you ever invested in the printed page? Have you ever given anything to get the message out? May God help you to do what you can. "Give us the tools and we will finish the job!" †

* This message was written some time ago.  The date is unknown at this posting. It was taken from "Contact With Christ Through Literature" Published by Missionary Crusader, reprinted by permission.