最棒的基督徒生命20

令人折服的異象

前二週我分享到自己在逃離主呼召時如何建立成功的事業，我確實認為那是主的祝福，因為祂會盡一切所能來祝福我們，即使我們不是全然順服。然而，我們在整本聖經中看到，主會祝福許多祂不在其中的事。『好』可能成為『最好』的敵人，在好與最好之間也可能有著極大的不同。神賜給我們自由做決定，羅馬書十二章2節勸誡我們：

不要效法這個世界，只要心意更新而變化，叫你們察驗何為神的善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意。

在這節經文我們看到神的旨意是『善良與可喜悅/可接受的』（good and acceptable）或『純全的』（perfect）。我們可以選擇『善良與可接受的』，這仍是祂的旨意，並擁有美善與多結果子的生命。神並沒有因此定罪我們，但使徒保羅看見更大的呼召，以致於他為此奔跑，他稱之為『神在基督裡的崇高呼召』。就算在接近他生命尾聲時，他仍專注追求此呼召（參考腓立比書3章）。

在啟示錄七章，我們看見來自各族各方的『許多人』在主寶座前敬拜祂，這些人比我們今生所能想像的還要快樂。然而，在啟示錄三章21節告訴我們，得勝的將『在祂寶座上』與祂同坐。有一個崇高的呼召是任何信徒可以為此奔跑的，但即使我們選擇走安全、容易的道路，接受十架救恩與活在順服主的獎賞已超乎我們所能想像。

當我注視著引我向前的呼召之路，充滿著危險，而『可接受的路』似乎是安全的。二條路都有一定的挑戰，但跟隨我所委任的路似乎危險得多。『可接受的』路已經有許多人走過且證明行得通，只要單單跟隨明確的商業原則就可以成功。另一條路則很難走，而且引至最危險的領土，一個人一次頂多只能走上幾步。

是什麼促使任何人選擇難走的路？那亦是促使亞伯拉罕選擇走上去的同樣原因─他看見一個異象─一座神在建造的城，其使人所能建造的任何事物都相形失色。

成為神所建造的一部份，值得我們冒險，即使失敗了，仍值得試一試。那是一座永恆的城，追尋它可能會或可能不會使我們享受太多地上的生活，但它是如此折服亞伯拉罕、以撒和雅各，當他們富有到足以建造偉大宮殿，卻全都願意住在帳棚裡。他們對在地上所能建造的事物毫無興趣，因為他們已經看見比此更好的東西。

這是自從亞伯拉罕以來折服每一個真實寄居者的異象，跟隨此異象是一個人此生所能擁有的最大探險，但就像所有真實的探險，它並不安全。路上充滿危險，需要持續擴張我們的信心、智慧與瞭解，但最重要的，就是持續緊緊跟隨神。

(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week20, 2015)
 

 
The Compelling Vision- The Greatest Christian Life, Part 20
Week 20, 2015
Rick Joyner

I shared how I had built a successful business while running from my calling in the Lord. I do think it was blessed by the Lord, because He will do all He can to bless us, even if we are not being perfectly obedient. However, as we see throughout the Scriptures, the Lord will bless many things He will not inhabit. Good can be the worst enemy of best, and there can be a great difference between good and best. We are all given the freedom to make this choice. Romans 12:2 exhorts,

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Here we see that the will of God can be “good and acceptable” or “perfect.” We can choose the “good and acceptable” and still be in His will and have a good and fruitful life. There is no condemnation for this, but rather blessing, and an eternal reward far greater than we can even imagine. But the Apostle Paul saw something much greater that he was running the race for, which he called “the high calling of God in Christ.” Even near the end of his life, he was still in focused pursuit of this (see Philippians 3).

In Revelation 7 we see a “great company” from every tribe and tongue before the throne of God worshiping Him. These will be happier than we can even imagine in this life. However, in Revelation 3:21 we are told that those who overcome will be with Him “on His throne.” There is a high calling any believer can run the race for, but even if we choose to play it safe and take the easy way, the rewards of accepting the atonement of Christ and living in obedience to Him are beyond comprehension.

When I looked at the road my calling would lead me on, it was filled with dangers. The “acceptable” path seemed safe. Neither path is without challenges, but to follow my commission was going to have many more. The “acceptable” path was a proven path with many walking it and succeeding by just following the well-defined business principles. The other was hardly travelled at all, led into the most dangerous territory, and it seemed one could, at best, only see a few steps at a time.

What would cause anyone to choose the hard road? The same thing that caused Abraham to choose it—he had a vision of a city God was building that would far eclipse anything man could build.

Being a part of what God is building is worth the risk. Even if you fail, it would be worth it to try. It is an eternal city. Pursuing it may or may not enable us to enjoy much here, but it was so compelling that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all willing to live in tents, when they were wealthy enough to have built great palaces. Their vision was on things above, not what they could have here. They were not interested in what they could build here because they had seen something else that was so great.

This is the vision that has compelled every true sojourner since Abraham. To follow this vision is the greatest adventure one can experience in this life. But like all true adventures, it is not safe. It is fraught with dangers that require a constant expansion of our faith, wisdom, and understanding, but most of all, walking continually closer to God.