In Jesus Christ’s day, the Pharisees failed to see their own sick minds and their need for a physician (Matthew 9:10-13). But this is not just the Pharisees’ problem. This is the number one problem of humanity today! People don’t see their own terminal sickness. They don’t yet see the need for a physician. But soon this world will be in a nuclear holocaust, created by sick human minds. Only then can God begin to teach them, because they will no longer be able to deny the fruits of their human reasoning.
As my father wrote, this is the greatest lesson that any of us can learn. We need God. That is what He’s trying to show us. But we don’t want to listen—because our carnal minds are enmity against God (Romans 8:7).
Mr. Armstrong said in a 1980 sermon:
I talk to heads of governments. And I’ve probably talked to as many as any other living man on the face of the Earth. I mean kings and presidents, and there’ve only been two over large nations—two emperors; and I have known them both personally and talked to them privately; and prime ministers over so many nations that are really heads of state and run the government. I’ve known them all over, and I talk to them in the terms that are simple. And they understand. All the troubles in the world, all of the evils in this world, have come from living the way of get!
That’s an assessment from the greatest international relations expert of the 20th century! Mr. Armstrong visited more heads of state in their own offices than any other diplomat or ambassador of his day. He was an unofficial ambassador for peace, an ambassador without a portfolio or an international relations degree. But he knew a lot more about international relations than the experts of his day, and many world leaders recognized that fact.
In 1973, Mr. Armstrong was invited to address the International Court of Justice at The Hague. He wrote about this meeting in the December 1973 Plain Truth. At the World Court, he rubbed shoulders with the same kinds of people that were in Munich this February—and he said exactly the same thing that today’s experts said after Munich. They recognized a multitude of problems, but they had no solutions.
In that Plain Truth article, Mr. Armstrong gave a history of international law and what the World Court was doing to try to bring peace. He explained that the World Court fundamentally will not work, because it only has jurisdiction over an issue if both nations bring the dispute to the court. And nations only bring issues when it is in their best interest to do so. Also, there is no world policeman to enforce the World Court’s decisions. So for the most part, nothing of substance is accomplished. It’s kind of like the United Nations—lots of rousing speeches, but no solutions.
Mr. Armstrong quoted the former secretary general of the United Nations, U. Thant, who said that in order for the UN to actually succeed, all the nations of the world would have to give up some of their sovereignty so that the UN can enforce its own rulings. However, that is never going to happen, if the nations themselves have anything to say about it. Each nation puts its own interests first, above all other nations.
Mr. Armstrong wrote: “It’s time we quit kidding ourselves. The nations are not going to act contrary to human nature.” Do you think the U.S. would give up its sovereignty and submit to the UN? What about Russia, China, Germany or Iran? This is why meetings like the Munich Security Conference fundamentally will not work. Mr. Armstrong continued:
World-renowned scientists say the world’s only hope, now, is for a world government—one superpower—one single military force—to rule all nations. In the same breath they say that’s impossible.I say, at the same time, the world’s only hope of survival is to change human nature! And man is just as powerless to do that!
Yes, man is powerless to change his own nature. But a world super-government is coming! And that necessary “strong hand from someplace” is going to crush the rebellion of the world and force mankind to live the way of peace and happiness. The nature of man will change (Joel 2:26). That is the only way that we will ever have peace.
This is at the heart of the true gospel message. Christ came with the good news of the Kingdom of God—a future world government. He was an international relations expert, educated and trained in the ways of God. He understood the problem with man and man’s nature from the very beginning.
Godly education in the true way of life is what will fix these problems. Isaiah 2 shows us that instead of learning war, the nations of the Earth will finally learn how to have peace after Christ’s return. There is a way to peace, but as Isaiah 59:8 says, man just doesn’t know that way. That is why we have so many problems—and no solutions.
Mankind has been learning the way of war for 6,000 years. However, very soon a “strong hand from someplace” will bring a new government to this Earth—a new kingdom that will finally enforce peace around the world.
To understand more on this subject and Mr. Armstrong’s unique perspective on international relations, read Gerald Flurry’s free booklet Ambassador for World Peace.
No comments:
Post a Comment