THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE UNITED STATES
From my youth I loved the United States, but all I knew of that country was by hearing others speak of it. All the things I heard were very positive. Then I came to this country. I have been here for more than thirty years. In the beginning, wherever I went my ministry was very warmly welcomed. Nearly all the places I visited were inhabited mainly by Caucasians, and a good number of them were brought into the recovery. But later on, I found out that Americans are seeking too much for pleasure, amusement, and entertainment.
My first visit to the United States was in 1958. At that time a number of brothers came to me and expressed their concern for the United States. They were concerned that this country would fall just as the Roman Empire fell, because of its decadent and luxuriant living. However, I told these brothers that this would not happen, because from the beginning all the worldly powers were invaders, invading others’ countries to rob their people and take their riches. There has been only one country in all of human history that did not rob others. That country is the United States.
The United States has the resources, and all these resources have been developed. The entire country has been built up. The United States has the territory, the resources, and a people who have been educated in high technology. It is difficult for such a country to collapse. Nevertheless, I must say that, according to my observation, the moral situation in this country is definitely declining. Although I believe that the United States is the country that the Lord raised up for His recovery, the present situation of immorality in this country concerns me very much.
KNOWING THE LORD’S MIND AND HIS WAY TODAY
Even though we may have the financial support, we do not have enough people to send to Russia. If we could now send twenty thousand, in a very short time we could have more than one thousand churches raised up in the cities of Russia, with each city having twenty serving ones. Everywhere among the three hundred million Russians, the people are ready. They have a desire to know God and the Bible, and they are very open to Americans. But we do not have a sufficient number of people to go. The denominations have a much larger number, but not many would go, because to go involves paying a price.
I believe that the recent political change in Russia was something of the Lord. No human being could have caused such a thing to happen. Since this was of the Lord, we need to consider what the Lord’s mind and the Lord’s way are. Perhaps the Lord’s way is to gain the Russians who are open and train them for ten years and then send them back to the United States to re-evangelize this country. We surely need to pray over and consider all these matters before the Lord.
(The Practice of the Church Life according to the God-ordained Way, Chapter 10, by Witness Lee)
