於2019-05-16發佈


美國第二次革命/內戰 16 
作者:雷克喬納 Rick Joyner  
摘自喬納 word for the week, Week16, 2019  
中譯:國度禱告網  
轉載、轉寄請註明出處:國度禱告網

正如我們上週開始提到,在我們時代越來越多的黑暗,大部分責任屬於教會,我們沒有成為所呼召的光。雖然今日在美國有許多偉大的教會,但整體看來教會在一些重要方面卻是最軟弱的。我們不能在責怪政客導致美國失敗的同時,卻沒有責怪自己無法稱為所蒙召的光。 在檢視教會與我們政府的失敗中,我們並不是想要怪罪誰,而是尋求提出問題所在。我們也需要來看雙方的一些基本失敗是如何關係到另一方,這即是何以我在此研讀中會包括這些關連。 

我們看見美國無法依附於憲法,如同教會無法依附於聖經至高權柄的反射。我們看見美國無法成為人人平等的國家,如同教會屬靈偏執的反射。這並不單是種族主義(儘管這是教會的主要問題),更是宗教偏執。宗教偏執在於相信我們自己優於別人,因為我們屬於某個教派或運動的一份子。這是以外在判斷而非以聖靈判斷的相同邪惡。 

在這土地上墮胎的瘟疫,如同教會墮掉許多神所栽種之種子的反射,這些種子是為要生出新的使命、事工與屬靈新世代,教會卻使這些種子半途流產。教會使這些種子流產的原因,和數百萬嬰孩從母親身體內被扼殺的原因一樣─因為他們在不便的時候臨到、或者是他們很昂貴,或者是我們太忙碌。我們只是太自私了。 

同性戀議題在文化上越來越主導,如同教會在屬靈同質性上(homo-sect-uality)的反射,就是只和你同類的人往來。我們被造的如此不同是為了彼此互動,並學習我們有多需要彼此,而不是與其餘肢體切割。造物主喜愛多元性,祂的合一是多元性的合一,而不是一致性的合一。因此,在教會要一致性的壓力從何而來? 

在美國對毒品的上癮,如同教會將犧牲生命與背十字架換成『感覺良好的信仰』的反射,只教導與操練使人們感覺良好事物。痛苦並不是件壞事,它是告訴我們某件事出了問題的信差。當我們想要避免痛苦而不尋求為何其存在的原因,我們便在允許某件事繼續錯誤,問題變得越來越糟。當我們擁抱十架,並天天背起十架,我們便在學習面對痛苦,處理成因、除去痛苦。 

我們可以繼續舉例下去,但我們絕不能責怪異教徒,他們不過是在做我們也會做的事,若沒有神的恩典。與其快快怪罪我們的政府領袖偏離憲法,不如尋找我們自己的心並請求聖靈顯明我們的罪,我們在哪裡偏離祂在話語上清楚的道路。倘若我們這樣做,祂應許會醫治我們的地。 

我們必須興起抵擋正在摧毀我們與我們土地上的邪惡,但是我們必須保有一顆謙卑悔改的心,不要認為自己比那些跌倒的人更優越,免得我們所擁有的恩典被拿走。當他們悔改時,我們必須快快施恩於人,正如我們也蒙受恩惠一樣。指出任何沒有遵守神的話或憲法的人並不是在定罪他們,乃是讓進入教會或我們國家地獄之門被關上。 

美國的教會正處於如此低微的狀態,倘若這使我們謙卑,最終會使我們得益處,因為神賜恩給謙卑的人。主似乎對悔改的罪人有無盡的恩典,卻對自義的人毫不留情。我們需要謹記在心,教會是在我們守望之時跌入如此卑微的狀態。 

為此緣故,讓我們定意讓此不成為故事的結尾,讓我們成為那些在歷史最黑暗時刻讓人心轉向神,幫助他們從受壓制中得自由的人。 

 
The Second American Revolutionary/Civil War, Part 16
Week 16, 2019
Rick Joyner 

As we began to address last week, much of the responsibility for the increasing darkness in our times belongs to the church and our failing to be the light that we are called to be. While there are many great churches today, overall the church in America may be the weakest it has ever been in important ways. We cannot blame politicians for the failure of the American Republic without also blaming ourselves for failing to be the light we are called to be. 

In examining the failures of both the church and our government, we are not trying to find someone to blame; rather, we are seeking to address the problems. We also need to look at how some of the basic failures of each are related to one another, which is why I am including this connection in this study. 

We can see the American Republic’s failure to adhere to the Constitution as a reflection of how the church failed to adhere to the supreme authority of The Scriptures. We see the failure of the American Republic to be a nation where all men are treated equally as a reflection of the spiritual bigotry in the church. This is not just racism (though that is a major problem in the church), but religious bigotry. Religious bigotry is believing ourselves to be better than others because we are part of a certain denomination or movement. It is the same evil of judging by externals rather than by the Spirit.

 

The plague of abortion in the land is a reflection of how the church has aborted many of the seeds that God planted in it to bring forth new missions, ministries, and spiritual generations, but the church aborted these seeds. The church usually aborts them for the same reasons that millions of children have their lives snuffed out by their physical mothers—because they come at an inconvenient time, they are expensive, or we are too busy for them. We are just too selfish. 

The increasing domination of the culture by the homosexual agenda is a reflection of the church’s spiritual homo-sect-uality, which is having relations with your own kind. We were made different to have interchange and to learn how much we need each other, not to separate from the rest of the body. The Creator loves diversity and His unity is a unity of diversity, not a unity of conformity. So where does this pressure to conform in the church come from? 

The rising addiction to drugs in America is a reflection of how the church has exchanged the life of sacrifice and taking up our cross to a “feel good faith” that only teaches and practices what will make the people feel good. Pain is not a bad thing. It is a messenger to tell us that something is wrong. When we seek to avoid the pain without seeking to understand why it is there, we allow something wrong to continue and the problems get worse. When we embrace the cross and take it up daily, we learn to face the pain and remove it by dealing with the cause. 

We could go on with this list, but we must not blame the heathen for being heathen—they are only doing what we would be doing if we had not been shown grace. Instead of being quick to condemn our government leaders for departing from the Constitution, let us search our own hearts and ask The Holy Spirit to convict us of our sin where we have departed from the ways He made so clear in His Word. We must humble ourselves and pray, seeking His face and turning from our wicked ways. If we will do this, He has promised to heal our land. 

So we must rise up to resist the evil that is destroying us and our land, but we must keep a humble, repentant heart, not thinking of ourselves as superior to those who have fallen lest we have the grace by which we stand removed. We must be quick to show grace to others when they repent, just as we have been shown grace. Pointing out any who have failed to adhere to the Word of God or the Constitution it is not to condemn, but it is so the gate of hell through which the evil has come into the church and our country is shut. 

That the church in America is at such a lowly state can ultimately work for our good if it keeps us humble, since God gives His grace to the humble. The Lord had seemingly endless grace for repentant sinners, but He had none for the self-righteous. We need to keep in mind that the church that fell to such a low state happened on our watch. 

For this reason let us resolve that this will not be the end of our story. Let us be counted with those who in the darkest of times throughout history turned the hearts of the people back to The Lord and helped deliver them from their oppressors.