最棒的基督徒生命26
重建
在前二週我們談到重建，這是神在這世代所做的主要事情，它包括救贖、和好與復還。我們若沒有與神在這方面的目的上合一，便無法與祂合一。
在我參與重建上所遇到的最大挑戰，是自己傾向限制十字架對救贖和重建的能力，此傾向來自我個人厭惡某類罪惡的結果，有時甚至是完全衝擊。即便如此，一當我願意在這方面跟隨主，我的心與瞭解便被擴張，並得著對十架大能、神的恩慈與憐憫新層次的信任。
我相信魔鬼進入某人生命有多深，一旦鬼被趕除，神就可以多深的來充滿。藉此他們的軟弱變成剛強，當我們開始看見此，我們便開始看到可能會冒犯我們的事，反倒成為看見神恩典工作大能的機會。然而，這對我而言是一段既艱辛又漫長的過程，我仍常受到神憐憫的挑戰。因此，我瞭解為何有些人還無法達到那裡，我對他們也抱持著同理心。
雖然我參與在一些公共的重建計畫、建物與人物，但我仍不會說自己非常擅長。因為我透過重建產業大飯店和會議中心學習良多，我很想在重建初期便知道現在所做的，我認為自己會做得更好。在我們所重建的每個人當中，我也有同樣想法。然而，沒有人一開始就老練，我們是透過經驗而成熟。我認為我正在此事上成熟，但仍有一段路要走。
有時我認為倘若耶穌復活後便留在地上，親自帶領教會，教會不知會有多好。想一想那些初信者在五旬節所要面臨的挑戰，當他們看著他們的領袖，想著：『這些不是才否認主，當祂最需要朋友時逃掉的人？』他們很可能會這樣想；他們的領袖，事實上是教會時代最重要的領袖，在剛開始領導時一點也不完美，可能到結束他們旅程時仍不完美。一路上他們也犯了許多錯，但他們願意接受修正，因此他們和我們能夠從這些錯誤中學習。
我們不由的猜想是否主沒有一復活就接管地上權柄主因，是因為整個教會時代不過是祂子民學習祂道路的一個機會，而且許多是從錯誤中學習。這可能成為令人震驚的想法，直到我們領會神對重建的心意。我不認為神想要亞當和夏娃犯罪，但當他們犯罪時，所有受造物便擁有機會以一種新層次看見祂深度的慈愛和忍耐，當我們犯罪與犯錯時也是如此。
雖然不墮落更好，但那些被饒恕的人反而愛得更多，因為他們經歷更多祂的愛。只是我們絕不要掉落保羅警告我們的終極傲慢：有些愚昧人以為他們理當犯罪，好叫他們經歷更多神的恩慈。凡是對沈淪如此讓步的人離無可解藥不遠了；即便如此，我們的缺點可以成為彰顯神深度之愛的機會，促動祂白白的救贖、和好與重建。
重點是，我們絕不要為著罪或錯誤不斷定罪自己或他人，反倒是利用它們來彰顯神的心。這也需要顯出祂對我們的心並不是在我們罪中離棄我們，乃是祂十字架的恩慈包括勝過罪的能力。因此，一定有對何謂罪的啟示，才有釋放祂恩慈的悔改。
(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week26, 2015)
Restoration- The Greatest Christian Life, Part 26
Week 26, 2015
Rick Joyner
For the last two weeks we’ve touched on restoration. This is the main thing God is doing in this age. It incorporates redemption, reconciliation, and in some cases, restitution. We cannot be in unity with God without being united with His purpose in this.
One of the biggest challenges I’ve had personally while being part of restoration projects is my tendency to limit the power of the cross to redeem and restore. This tendency has almost always been the result of my personal disgust with certain sins or sometimes just outright shock. Even so, as long as I have been willing to follow the Lord in this, my heart and understanding have been stretched, and I’ve gained a new level of trust in the power of the cross, God’s grace, and His mercy.
I’ve come to believe that as deep as the devil gets into someone’s life, once he is removed, that is how deep God can fill them. By this their weaknesses are turned to strengths. When we begin to see this, we start to see things that might otherwise offend us as opportunities to see the power of God’s grace work. However, this has been a long and hard process for me, and I am still often challenged by God’s mercy. So I understand why some just can’t go there yet, and I have empathy for them as well.
Though I have been involved in some public restoration projects, buildings, and people, I still do not claim to be very good at it. Because I learned so much by restoring The Heritage Grand Hotel and Conference Center, I would like to have known what I do now when we started, as I think I could have done a much better job. With every person we’ve worked with, I think the same thing. However, no one starts out mature in anything; we mature by experience. I think I am maturing in this, but I still have a long way to go.
Sometimes I think how great the church would be now if Jesus had just stayed here after His resurrection and led the church Himself. Think about the challenge the converts on the Day of Pentecost faced when they looked at their leaders. “Weren’t those the very ones who denied the Lord, who fled from Him when He needed His friends most?” they likely thought. Their leaders, and indeed the most important leaders in the church age, were far from perfect when they started leading and very likely were not perfect until they ended their course. They too made a lot of mistakes along the way, but they remained correctable, so they and we have been able to learn from those mistakes.
It is easy to wonder if the main reason the Lord did not take His authority over the earth immediately after His resurrection is that this entire church age is just an opportunity for His people to learn His ways, and much of that learning was to come from making mistakes. This can be an appalling thought until we grasp God’s heart for restoration. I don’t think God wanted Adam and Eve to sin, but when they did, it was an opportunity for the whole creation to see a depth of His love and patience on a new level. It is the same with our sins and mistakes.
It is better not to fall, but those who are forgiven much tend to love more because they experience more of His love. Only we must not fall to the ultimate presumption that Paul warned about: Some foolishly thought they should sin so that they could experience more of God’s grace. Those who give in to that perdition can be very close to being incorrigible. Even so, our shortcomings can be opportunities to reveal the depth of God’s love that so motivates His gifts of redemption, reconciliation, and restoration.
The point is, we must not continue to condemn ourselves or others for sin or mistakes, but rather use them to reveal God’s heart. This also requires the revelation that His heart for us will not leave us in our sin, but the grace of His cross includes the power to overcome sin. Therefore, there must be a revelation of what sin is, for there to be the repentance that releases His grace.
