PARENTHOOD
a divine stewardship

Where among today's Christians is the bride being made ready? If you were to visit the different Christian meetings, you would realize how poor the situation is.

I am deeply burdened for you to see what God's ultimate move is. Do not think I have no earthly cares. I have a wife, children, grandchildren, daughters-in-law, and sons-in-law. Sometimes I have to see a doctor for a physical problem. Yes, I have my share of troubles; that is part of my lot as a human being. But none of these is my real concern. My real concern is how to present to the dear saints the Lord's ultimate move so that they may see it. I have a burden within. Where can the Lord get His heart's desire? Surely not in the idol temples, nor in the Moslem mosques, nor in the Catholic cathedrals. The Lord has no way. Even the proper gospel preaching, Bible teaching, and scriptural meetings have been neglected. Who cares about them? And who cares about God's ultimate move to carry out His eternal intention? Who even knows what God's eternal intention is?

When there is an evangelistic campaign today, the sponsors often depend on their organizational methods, rather than the power which comes through prayer and the Word. They advertise, they invite famous people to attend, and they ask the various denominations to band together to promote the campaign. In this way they are able to gather large crowds. Great numbers may respond. After a few years, however, what becomes of all these people? Consider all the campaigns that have been held these past thirty years. Where are those who were supposedly saved in them? On the one hand, I rejoice in the Lord. On the other hand, I mourn. Where does the Lord have a way? Who are the people He can use? What people on this earth afford Him a way?

We must turn to the Lord and ask for His mercy. Even if our gospel preaching is adequate, our Bible teaching accurate, and our meetings scriptural, we still need to ask ourselves: Do we have the ultimate move of God among us?

THE FOURTH STEP

There must be a good number, not just a few, who truly know how wonderful a Person Christ is. He must be our life, and we must live Him. We must be filled and permeated and saturated with Him. Our entire being must be infused with His feelings, His thoughts, and whatever He is. We must grow in life by being transformed little by little by His flowing life within us. Then we can be built up with our fellow-believers. In our locality there will be a lampstand. The bride will be prepared for Him to come back. It is this that the Lord is after today. I call it the fourth step.

For the first step, the spread of the gospel, God prepared the Roman Empire. For the second step, the return to the Bible, God prepared Germany. For the third step, the recovery of the gospel, the teaching of the Bible, and the proper meetings-God in the last two centuries used Great Britain. Finally, for the fourth step God has prepared the United States. All of the big points of human history match God's move on the earth. Actually, all the major events of human history were prepared by God for His move on this earth....

You should not be here just to make a living! That is too low. Be burdened with God's ultimate move. Then you will see God's oneness with you, and there will be no problem with your living. I do not use the Old Testament term, that you will have God's blessing. I say that you will see God's oneness with you, because you are one with Him.

The time is short; the end is close. If you know world history and the trend of history, you will realize that it is unlikely God would prepare another country to be a power in this world for Him to take yet another step. I believe that America is the last power God will use for His final move. This fourth step, His final move, is the carrying out of His eternal intention to have a number of His seekers, lovers, live Christ and be the lampstand in their locality, that He may prepare His bride.

Witness Lee, The World Situation and God's Move, pp. 30-45

APPLICATION

1. What is the scriptural basis to the declaration: "The events of the world history have been sovereignly arranged by God for Him to carry out His purpose"?

2. Explain what the ultimate move of God means, and apply it to the way you are living and raising your family.

3. Take some time to pray and open to the Lord concerning your present priorities and how they fit with His ultimate move.