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This issue of The Present Testimony is the first of this year. There are many reasons for the delay of the publication of this issue, but we praise God who has made it possible for us to now complete it.
When we looked at God's provision for The Present Testimony during the last year, we could not help but praise God. Year after year, the number of copies printed has increased (we are now printing five thousand copies of each issue), and the expenses have increased also. However, God has provided all our needs. He is worthy of our trust. The offerings of God's faithful stewards to Him, though small at times, has been a genuine touch of their love. Praise God!
Some people have asked whether the content of The Present Testimony can be simplified so that it can reach the ordinary believers. Some have asked whether The Present Testimony can mention other particular truths. Some people have even mailed us some very good articles and asked if these can be published in The Present Testimony. For these reasons, I realize that God wants me to clarify the nature of The Present Testimony once again.
I think that the readers who have been reading this magazine for several years will feel that the messages delivered in The Present Testimony are substantially different from other magazines. It is even different from Notes on Scriptural Messages which is a magazine published by us for young believers. The reason for this difference is that The Present Testimony has a specific goal, a specific nature, and a specific direction. We feel deeply that there is a great deal of literature that is very helpful to people, and we have no intention of discrediting their merits. But God's church is lacking a special kind of magazine that emphasizes only spiritual principles, that does not mention anything but "Principles of Spiritual Life," so that it may provide a little light to those who are genuinely seeking progress in the spiritual pathway. We also have special conferences each year for this purpose. We admit that The Present Testimony is not for all believers; it is for those believers who have a need. If The Present Testimony falls into someone's hands who does not have a need or who does not feel a need, it will not mean much to him. If, however, The Present Testimony falls into someone's hands who happens to have a need, he will feel that he has found his food. The purpose of The Present Testimony is to meet a need; therefore, it will only help those who have the need. Many people have told us that at first they did not think too much of it, but after a period of time when God began to deal with them, they realized that The Present Testimony had its special usefulness.
We have paid careful attention to this special nature ever since we published the old edition of The Present Testimony in 1923. We have even paid more specific attention to this point since we started the new edition of The Present Testimony in 1928. This is God's commission to us, and we hope in the future that we can be faithful to this commission and not change for any reason. May God open our eyes to see that some truths are different from other truths. Praise God that more than a few people have already seen this difference. Peace be with you all!
A household slave of Christ,Watchman NeeMay 1932
