美國第二次革命／內戰 4
作者：雷克 喬納 Rick Joyner
摘自 喬納 word for the week, Week4, 2019
中譯：國度禱告網
轉載、轉寄 請註明出處：國度禱告網
戰爭因各種原因開打，包括宗教、政治和經濟方面的戰爭。有些只是為了征服，有些則是一位君主被另一位侮辱而戰，這即是拿破崙侵略俄羅斯的原因，還有許多是綜合上述原因而戰。其中最醜陋、破壞性最大的戰爭莫過於種族之戰。
每場戰役都是人類關係失敗的結果；卓越的政治家風度能避免潛在巨大、具毀滅性的戰爭，和平締造者在主心中有其特殊地位，在我們的歷史中，這些人應該比在戰爭中的贏家更受尊重，事實卻不然。儘管如此，正如傳道書三章所言，戰爭有時，和平有時。若是戰爭的時節，那些不戰之人則無法與時俱進。
正如我們在聖經所讀到的，戰爭會持續一直到世界末了。在戰爭開始前，我們本應為爭論尋找和平的結局。然後我們才必須戰鬥，我們必須為得勝而戰。倘若我們要從天上的角度得勝，我們也必須用正確方式而戰。
一些在戰爭中最感人的故事，就像是在我們的南北戰爭和第一次世界大戰，雙方陣營在壕溝裡為敵方唱聖誕歌曲。它帶來了一種深刻的領悟，那就是在基督裡的弟兄們當下彼此面對面，隔天卻試圖互相殘殺，這怎麼可能是對的？
戰爭是人類的終極失敗，戰爭也是魔鬼最大的勝利，牠的意圖為要殺戮與毀滅，沒有比戰爭可以帶來更大的殺戮。那麼我們何不拒絕作戰呢？因為魔鬼，還有那些受牠控制的人不會停止。拒絕打一場不可避免或公義之戰，並不是在選擇做對的事，反而是屈服於邪惡。有一些戰爭是公義之戰，當其是公義的，而且是爭戰的時候，我們若不做我們該做的就是悖逆。
甚至主在聖經裡一再說祂是戰士。以色列離開埃及時如同『許多閒雜人』或烏合之眾，但在他們到達紅海前已成為『耶和華的軍隊』或軍隊形式。目前，基督肢體是極大的烏合之眾，有一些編組和協會，但缺乏整體定義和紀律。為著存留的餘民這將很快改變。
在每一場內戰中，來自雙方的基督徒領袖皆宣稱他們才是對的一方，這令人很困惑。我們必須定意確保我們是為對的一方，對的原因而戰。當這一點確立後，戰爭最仁慈的方式就是以速戰速決來贏得勝利。 哈里.杜魯門曾說：『多數人都被他們的次要成功擊敗了。』他說的沒錯，此意味著他們完成較小目標後便從他們的最終目標分心了。在歷史上有許多這樣的例子，杜魯門說這可能發生在『多數人』，在我們的獨立戰爭和南北戰爭確實如此。我們要如何避免此致命陷阱呢？我們現在必須決定什麼是最終目標─任何不及此目的之事都算是失敗。 我對將要發生的革命／內戰會是什麼樣子有自己的看法，但我不想分享，甚至不想要。我們所需要的，還有我所祈求的，是天上對此的看法。我在2018年12月14日所做的夢對我而言只是小小的開始。不管我們在基督裡有多成熟或多成功成為神奧秘的管家─認為祂就像我們一樣，祂的看法與我們的相同，這是一個可怕的假設。我是一個宗教保守人士，我試圖謹記在心：當主在地上時，祂最大的敵人正是宗教保守人士。為什麼？
如果你去看法利賽人的教義，他們在信仰上多半是正確的，他們最致力忠於聖經，帶著極大盼望等候彌賽亞。然而，當主來時他們卻是最抵擋的，超過任何團體！為什麼呢？
再一次，我們可以在政治上、政策上與信仰上正確，但驕傲比我們所對抗的邪惡還要致命。驕傲造成人類第一個跌倒，從那之後幾乎每個跌倒都出於驕傲。我們可能是對的，卻不是公義的。要贏得目前的戰爭，很重要的不單是為對的事而戰，更要以對的靈而戰。我們必須為對的事而戰，但我們必須以對的方式而行之。
在革命戰爭中，想要獨立的『愛國者』約佔總人口的三成，想要繼續成為英國臣民的『忠誠者』也佔了三成左右，另外四成尚未決定或哪方優勝選哪方。今日，我們有三成自由黨，三成保守黨，四成未決定或搖擺不定。很快都必須選邊站，現在是決定我們所信為何的時刻。
The Second American Revolutionary/Civil War, Part 4
Week 4, 2018
Rick Joyner
Wars have been fought for different reasons. There have been religious, political, and economic wars. Some have been just for conquest. Some have been fought because one monarch was insulted by another, which is why Napoleon invaded Russia. Many have been fought over combinations of the above. Some of the most ugly and devastating of all have been racist wars.
Every war is the result of some failure in human relations. Potentially great and devastating wars have also been avoided by remarkable statesmanship. The Lord has a special heart and place for the peacemakers. These should be esteemed more in our history than those successful at war, but they are not. Even so, as we are told in Ecclesiastes 3, there is a time for war and a time for peace. If it is time for war, then those who do not fight are the ones out of step with the times.
As we see in Scripture, there will be war until the end of this age. It is right to seek peaceful conclusions to our disputes, until war begins. Then we must fight, and we must fight to win. If we are going to win from heaven’s perspective, we must also fight the right way.
Some of the most touching stories of war are things like the troops on both sides in our American Civil War and in World War I singing Christmas carols to their enemies in the trenches. It brought a poignant realization that brothers in Christ were facing each other, and the next day would try to kill each other. How could this be right?
War is an ultimate human failure. War is one of the devil’s biggest victories. His intent is to kill and destroy, and nothing accomplishes this in a bigger way than war. So why don’t we refuse to fight them? Because the devil, and those controlled by him, will not. To refuse to fight in an inevitable or right war is not choosing to do what is right. Rather, it is to submit to evil. There are righteous wars. When it is right and time to fight, we will be in rebellion if we do not do our part.
Even The Lord says repeatedly in Scripture that He, our Leader, is a Warrior. Israel left Egypt as “a great mixed multitude,” or a mob, but before they even got to the Red Sea they were “marching in martial array,” or military order. Presently, the body of Christ is one big mob, with some groupings and associations but lacking in overall definition and discipline. This will soon change for the remnant that is left.
In every civil war, Christian leaders from both sides have claimed that theirs was the right side. This can be confusing. We must resolve to be sure we are fighting on the right side and for the right cause. When this is established, the most merciful way is to fight to win decisively and as quickly as possible.
Harry Truman was right when he said that “Most people are defeated by their secondary successes.” This means that they got distracted from their ultimate objective after achieving lesser ones. There are many examples of this in history, and Truman was likely correct to say this happens to “most people.” It was true in our Revolutionary and Civil Wars. How do we avoid this deadly trap? We must determine now what the ultimate objectives are—anything less than these would be a defeat.
I have an opinion of what ultimate victory in the unfolding Revolutionary/Civil War looks like, but I don’t want to share it and I don’t even want to have it. What we need, and what I’m begging for, is heaven’s perspective on this. My dream on December 14, 2018 was just a small beginning of this for me. It does not matter how mature we are in Christ or how successful we have been as a steward of His mysteries—it is a terrible presumption to think that He is just like us and that His opinions are the same as ours. I am a religious conservative, and I try to keep in mind that it was the religious conservatives that were the worst enemies of Christ when He walked the earth. Why?
If you look at their doctrine, the Pharisees were generally correct in most of their beliefs. They were the most devoted to being faithful to the Scriptures and were carrying the greatest hope for the Messiah. Yet, they resisted Him more than any other group when He came! Why?
Again, we can be right in our politics, our policies, and our beliefs, but have pride that is more deadly than the evil we are fighting. Pride caused the first fall and virtually every fall since. We can be right but not be righteous. For winning the present war, it is crucial to not just fight for what is right, but to do it in the right spirit. We must fight for right and we must do it right.
In the Revolutionary War, the “Patriots” who wanted independence were about 30% of the population. The “Loyalists” who wanted to remain British subjects were also about 30%. The other 40% were undecided, or tended to switch sides according to who was winning. Today, we have about 30% who are liberal, 30% conservative, and the 40% that are still undecided or wavering. Soon all will have to choose a side. Now is the time to resolve what we believe in.
