順服的果子─啟示錄 

這週我們繼續來看啟示錄五章1-5節：

我看見坐寶座的右手中有書卷，裡外都寫著字，用七印封嚴了。

我又看見一位大力的天使大聲宣傳說：有誰配展開那書卷，揭開那七印呢？

在天上、地上、地底下，沒有能展開、能觀看那書卷的。

因為沒有配展開、配觀看那書卷的，我就大哭。

長老中有一位對我說：不要哭。看哪，猶大支派中的獅子，大衛的根，祂已得勝，能以展開那書卷，揭開那七印。 

在天上或地上除了耶穌沒有配展開的是什麼書？七印又是什麼？我們需要了解為何約翰在主寶座前經歷此重要事件，以及為何只有耶穌能展開此書卷？ 

約翰不僅在此異象中是先知，他也是代禱者。詩篇一百一十五篇十六節告訴我們：『天，是耶和華的天；地，祂卻給了世人。』祂比我們還知道我們需要什麼，卻因著祂將地上的權柄委任於人，所以祂不會在地上做什麼，除非我們要求。因此約翰在這裡扮演了代禱者的角色，哭求沒有能敞開書卷的。地上的一個代表必須想要書卷被打開，然後才得著啟示：有一位配得展開那書卷­­­—耶穌，猶大支派的獅子，大衛的根。 

我曾被帶到寶座前，看到主的怒氣直接向著我的朋友而來。主說祂即將要結束我朋友的生命，因為他犯了令主悲痛的罪卻沒有悔改。我乞求主給他另一個機會，而主答應了。 

我知道我被賜予此機會為我朋友代禱，但代禱不單是禱告而已。我決定找出是什麼罪緊抓住他的生命，促使主必須結束他的生命。主很快顯明，開始了漫長的重建過程。 

這一生的主要目的在於成為主的祭司，這是對所有新約信徒的呼召。主若在異象或在自然領域向我們展示某件事，啟示的目的很可能是為了代禱。代禱也可以扮演著協助解決問題，將人從他們所跌落的罪惡陷阱中拉出來，或不讓他們陷入其中。 

在我的經驗裡，似乎我在協助人脫離罪的失敗經驗多過成功經驗。然而，當我為此感到沮喪時，主指引我來看祂的紀錄。雖然祂為所有人而死，似乎許多人並沒有得著祂的救恩—許多人停留在罪中。儘管這看起來很失敗，許多我們現在無法了解的事情，將在要來的時候得到解答。因此，祂正在尋找順服的人，只有祂才知道我們成功的程度。 

我認為海蒂貝克是這些時候最偉大的宣教士之一，她是在印地安人保留區的一場佈道會信主的，而且是當中唯一信主的。毫無疑問，那位佈道家一定覺得那場佈道會徹底失敗，只有一位十五歲的女孩遇見主。然而，因著那位女孩的信主，無以估計的人跟隨主並被她的生命激勵。 

想一想使徒保羅，他禱告能夠效法主的死，而且死得像主一樣。幾乎他的所有朋友都離開他，他用生命所興起的教會實質上也都離經背教，在他處死那天可能納悶自己是否為主成就任何事。然而，透過他所寫的一些書信，他可能比所有在他以後的事工結出更多永生的果子。 

我們幾乎無法在此生來評斷某件事的果子，我們的目標必須單單順服主。 

(摘自喬納 word for the week,Week12, 2017)


 

The Fruit of Obedience—The Book of Revelation

    This week we will continue with Revelation 5:1-5:

      I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.

      I then saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, "Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?"

      But no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the book or to look into it.
      Then I began to weep greatly because no one was found worthy to open the book or to look into it;
       So, one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David,   has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.”

     What is this book that no one in heaven or on the earth except Jesus is worthy to open? What are the seven seals? We need to understand why John was at this remarkable event before the throne of God, and why Jesus alone could open this book.

      John is not just in this vision as a prophet, but he was there also as an intercessor. As we are told in Psalm 115:16, “The heavens are the heavens of the LORD, but the earth He has given to the sons of men.” He knows what we need better than we do. Because He has delegated authority over the earth to mankind, He will not do things on the earth unless we ask. So here John takes the role of the intercessor and weeps that there is no one to open the book. A representative of the earth had to want the book opened. Then came the revelation that there is One worthy to open it—Jesus, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David.

     I was once caught up before the throne and witnessed the anger of the Lord directed toward a friend of mine. The Lord said that He was about to end my friend’s life because of a grievous sin he was committing and had not repented of. I begged the Lord to give him another chance, and the Lord granted it.

     I knew I had been given this experience to intercede for my friend, but intercession is more than prayer. I determined to find out what sin had gripped his life that caused the Lord to have to end it. It was revealed quickly and a long process of restoration began.

     A main purpose in this life is to be a priest to the Lord. This is a calling on all New Covenant believers. If we are shown something in a vision, or in the natural, it is likely that the purpose of the revelation is for intercession. That intercession can also take on the form of helping to resolve the matter, pulling others out of the sinful traps they have fallen into, or keeping them from falling into them.

     In my experience, I seem to have failed in helping some out of sin, or keeping them out of it, more than I have succeeded. However, when I was discouraged about this, the Lord directed me to look at His record. Though He died for all, it seems that many do not partake of His salvation—many remain in their sin. Even though this may look like a failure, many things will be resolved in the age to come that we cannot now understand. Therefore, He is looking for obedience, and He alone really knows the degree to which we are successful.

     I consider Heidi Baker to be one of the great missionaries of these times. She was converted during a crusade at the Choctaw Indian Reservation, and she was the only convert. No doubt the evangelist felt like that crusade was a miserable failure, with just one fifteen-year-old girl being the only one to meet the Lord. However, because of that one convert, countless multitudes have come to Him and been inspired by Heidi’s life.

     Think of the Apostle Paul. He prayed to be conformed to the image of the Lord’s death, and he died much like the Lord. Almost all of his friends had left him alone, and virtually all of the churches he had given his life to raise up had gone into apostasy. He may have wondered on the day of his execution if he had accomplished anything for the Lord. However, through the few letters he wrote, he is likely still gathering more fruit for eternal life than all of the subsequent ministries.

     We can rarely judge the fruit of something in this life. Our goal must simply be to be obedient.