老底嘉教會─啟示錄 

你要寫信給老底嘉教會的使者，說：那為阿們的，為誠信真實見證的，在神創造萬物之上為元首的，說：我知道你的行為，你也不冷也不熱；我巴不得你或冷或熱（啟示錄3:14-15）。 

老底嘉的意思是『審判』或是『由人來審判』，這意味著是教會，是人對神的見解。倘若我們警醒，追尋神將成為我們生命每天的動力。當人的意見被高舉過於神，我們會擔起一種對人沒有聖化的同情，開始懼怕人的意見超過神的意見。在我們的時代，這被稱為『政治性正確』。如此的想法將引至可怕的沈淪，正如主在馬太福音十六章23節警告彼得： 

耶穌轉過來，對彼得說：撒但，退我後邊去吧！你是絆我腳的；因為你不體貼神的意思，只體貼人的意思。 

倘若我們太同情人的意思，我們將成為神計畫的絆腳石，這即是何以保羅在加拉太書一章10節說：『我現在是要得人的心呢？還是要得神的心呢？我豈是討人的喜歡嗎？若仍舊討人的喜歡，我就不是基督的僕人了。』沒有任何事比懼怕人或討人的喜歡，更能促使我們在服事主上妥協。 

耶穌在路加福音十六章15節警告法利賽人：『你們是在人面前自稱為義的，你們的心，神卻知道；因為人所尊貴的，是神看為可憎惡的。』我們若做討人喜歡的事，我們便在做神看為可憎惡的事；倒過來也一樣，我們若做神看為喜歡的事，通常就是做人所憎惡的事。我們有一個選擇：不是神就是人會憎惡我們所做的事，所以我們想選擇的是？ 

耶穌在路加福音六章26節再次警告：『人都說你們好的時候，你們就有禍了！因為他們的祖宗待假先知也是這樣。』我們若受懼怕人所驅使，這就是我們將會掉入的類型，尋求人的認同超過神的，說出與神真正信息背道而馳的話，使我們成為假先知。 

在雅各書四章4節的挑戰更上一層樓：『你們這些淫亂的人（原文作：淫婦）哪，豈不知與世俗為友就是與神為敵嗎？所以凡想要與世俗為友的，就是與神為敵了。』我們蒙召愛世界，卻不與世界為友。朋友有著共同的興趣與追求；我們的生命是蒙召成為世俗方式的先知性挑戰，我們若呈現世俗的方式，我們便與神為敵了。 

耶穌責備那些活在懼怕人之下的人說：『你們互相受榮耀，卻不求從獨一之神來的榮耀，怎能信我呢？』（約翰福音5:44）在這裡榮耀的希臘文可以被翻成『認可』，所以想得著人的榮耀或認可會摧毀我們的信心，這很可能是今日教會為何會如此小信、沒有能力的主要原因了。 

在此教會時期，多數人將會掉落悲慘的景況，但有個盼望和應許賜給那些勝過世上之靈的人，遠大過任何賜給其他教會時期的應許。我們將在下一週談到此。 

 (摘自喬納 word for the week,Week51, 2016)

 

The Church of Laodicea—The Book of Revelation
Week 51, 2016
Rick Joyner

“To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things say the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God;

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would thou were cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew you out of my mouth” (Revelation 3:14-15).

         Laodicea means, “judged” or “judging by the people.” The implication is that in this church, men’s opinions are exalted above God’s, resulting in a people lukewarm to Him. There is nothing more offensive in any relationship than indifference. This church is so offensive to the Lord that they make Him sick, and He will vomit them out of His mouth. Yet the greatest promises given to any church age are given to the overcomers in this age.

         We have plenty in the biblical prophecies to warn us that this is no time to be lukewarm about God. If we are awake, the pursuit of God will be the daily drive of our life. When men’s opinions are exalted above the Lord’s, we take on an unsanctified sympathy for the ways of men and begin to fear their opinions more than God’s opinions. In our time, this is called “political correctness.” Such a mindset will lead to a terrible fall, as the Lord warned Peter in Matthew 16:23:

              “But He turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind Me Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests but man’s.’”

         We will become a stumbling block to the purposes of God if we become too sympathetic with the interests of men. This is why Paul wrote in Galatians 1:10: "If I were still seeking to please men I would not be a bondservant of Christ." Nothing can cause us to compromise our service to the Lord as much as the fear of man, or the tendency to please men.   

         Jesus warned the Pharisees about this in Luke 16:15: “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.” If we do what is pleasing to men, we will do what is detestable in God’s sight. The reverse is also true. If we do what is pleasing in God’s sight, we will often do what is detestable to men. We have a choice: either God or men will detest what we are doing. So who do we want it to be?

         Jesus again warned in Luke 6:26: “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for in the same way their fathers used to treat the false prophets.” This is the category we will fall into if we are driven by the fear of men, seeking their approval over God’s and speaking what is contrary to the actual message of God, making us false prophets.

         The challenge is taken to a new level in James 4:4: “You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself and enemy of God.” We are called to love the world, not be friends with it. Friends have common interests and pursuits. Our very lives are called to be a prophetic challenge to the world’s ways. If we take on the ways of the world, we become enemies of God.

         Jesus gave another important rebuke to those who would live in the fear of men: “How can you believe, when you seek glory from one another and you do not seek the glory that is from the one and only true God?” (John 5:44) The Greek word translated “glory” here could have been translated “recognition.” So, seeking glory, or recognition, from men will destroy our faith. This is likely the main reason why there is so little faith and power in the church today.

         This is the church age when most will fall to this deplorable condition. Yet there is a hope and a promise given to those who overcome the spirit of this age that is greater than the promises given to any other church. We will cover this next week.