In previous chapters we have seen God’s ultimate move, God’s ultimate recovery, and the world’s ultimate situation. Now we have to realize our responsibility related to these three things. My burden is not to talk about politics but to show you that since God has a purpose to accomplish on this earth with mankind, He surely has the sovereign authority and power to arrange the situations in human history. I do not believe that many of the professors who teach world history know the significance in human history. Most of them have only the knowledge according to the world’s knowledge. Surely not many have any concept that the world situation has so much to do with God’s move.
Actually, the world situation is under the arrangement of God. It is God who appointed the times for a certain race to do this or to be there. It is God who made the borders of all the different nations (Acts 17:26). It is God who raised up kings and who put down nations. This is clear not only from the Bible but also from the historical facts.
When I studied world history in college, our textbook covered the subject only until about 1920. It was published before 1925. As I have mentioned, I have been observing the world situation since 1925. My knowledge has come not from textbooks but from magazines, newspapers, and my own observation. For example, in September 1939 my brother came to ask me about the exchange rate and other matters that suddenly became problems to him in the export business he was in. What caused these hardships? Hitler had invaded Poland, causing the outbreak of World War II. The export business, of course, is much involved with the international situation. I mention this to illustrate how aware we were of world affairs. I have followed the world situation all these fifty-six years not because of my personal interest but for the Lord’s interests.
From our youth we studied not only the Bible but also the history of the church and the biographies and writings of the spiritual seekers of the past. Then we came to realize that we also needed to know the world situation. Otherwise, we would still be partially in darkness. Most of the other co-workers and myself, under the leading of Brother Watchman Nee, studied these matters. He read books that I did not read, yet he conversed with me on many occasions about the facts of church history. We knew the writings of the church fathers and the great teachers who came later. Doctrinally and theologically, we learned what went on from the time of the apostle Paul down to the present age.
It is clear that the Soviet Union is facing serious problems today, while the United States is trying to keep peace for the whole world. In the world today, what country is taking the lead? Who keeps the order and maintains the peace? What country is the geographic center? Who is on top financially, industrially, educationally, and culturally? It is the United States. Who brought this about? God did it. This is altogether God’s doing. As lovers of God and seekers of the Lord, and as those in the recovery, we worship the Lord for such a country.
This is not to say that the United States has no sin. Just look at the sinfulness in the one city of San Francisco, not to mention Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Las Vegas. I do not mean that the United States is pure or moral. What I mean is that there is no other country where there is such freedom of speech. I believe this freedom has been arranged by God for us to be here to release the truth without restriction or fear. No other country is like it.
The United States is extraordinary. Its people have the highest education and culture. Because of this, they can understand what I am saying. If I were speaking to a primitive, backward people, I doubt that they would be able to apprehend what I was saying. Here it is easy. We have the freedom and boldness to utter whatever the Lord has shown us.
I thank the Lord that He preserved this continent for fifty-five hundred years. Then He sent cultured, godly people to found this nation. Now it is the leading country. All of this is the Lord’s sovereignty.
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