清晰度—美國遺產概要39
目前在美國所呈現的分裂，有一主要的正面成果─清晰度。分裂一直都在，並且長久以來不斷增加。現在這些分裂是公開的，我們可以來處理，最後的結果將是更大的合一。有可能一時看似相反，但請稍待觀看。
以目前的分裂來看似乎不太可能有如此的合一，但事實是，分裂比我們所經歷的更深層，因此有可能產生更深度的合一。這史無前例的不和，需要前所未有的領袖來解決，但我們有神的話告訴我們，若我們不心懷二意，我們若向主求智慧，主必賜給我們（雅各書1:5-8）。
在經文中「心懷二意」的希臘文指的是「二種心意」或「二個靈魂」，這來自優柔寡斷，在兩個意見中猶豫不決。在目前的分裂中，雙邊是很清楚的，要做的選擇也很清楚。我們正在「斷定谷」，沒有做出決定就無法逃脫，然後我們必須為我們所相信的堅定站立。
要熄滅一根火柴比撲滅森林大火容易得多，我們因著過去的消極面對，現在有一些大型的社會大火要處理。若放任這些大火不管，火勢並不會變小。現在我們必須做當作的事，我們必須投入威脅我們國家存在，或終止我們國家存在的議題。我們處在這樣的局面是件好事，我們無法再從這些議題中逃跑。
在戰役中要對抗黑暗的重要部分，就是曝光在黑暗中所隱藏的事物。認識敵人固然重要，但認識真理、宣告真理，並為真理而戰更為重要。真理比謊言更強大，光將驅逐黑暗。真理不單告訴我們應當自由，真理更釋放我們得自由。
因為邪惡的力量住在黑暗中，當其故意無恥地將自己曝光，那是因為它對勝利充滿信心。馬克思主義/社會主義現在之所以能在美國如此大膽宣告，是因為馬克思主義者/社會主義者對勝利充滿信心。
馬克思主義現在在我們國家變得更強大和根深蒂固，幾乎超過任何人所能想像。我們為所有熱愛自由的美國人好好進入一場戰役，這似乎是我們生存所面臨的最大挑戰。此戰役將決定我們是否能繼續保有自由，還是成為極權政體的奴隸。這些全都在迫使我們定義自己是誰，這是件好事。
怎麼會有這麼多領袖和國民沒有看見如此明顯的邪惡正在我們國家彰顯？他們怎麼會不理解不法和無政府狀態不僅威脅著美國的根基，而且威脅著文明本身？怎麼會有人繼續對我們的生命和我們所愛之人的安全視而不見？答案是蒙蔽。
蒙蔽是戰爭中最強大的武器之一，我們的敵人非常善於使用此武器。沒有一個被蒙蔽的人知道自己被蒙蔽了，或者知道自己不會被蒙蔽。那些認為自己很有知識和分辨力而不會被騙的人，往往是所有人中最容易受騙的。如此的驕傲使我們抗拒修正或啟蒙。
在鐵幕倒塌之後，驕傲充斥在美國，從我們如何傲慢對待從馬克思監獄得自由的列國可知。當時我們領袖的自鳴得意實在令人詫異，現在，同樣的馬克思主義也接近「侵食我們」。我們抵擋此邪惡所需要的智慧和領導才能，將在那些曾活在前蘇聯統治之下的人身上找到，他們像少數人一樣知道並厭惡這種邪惡。
正如箴言十六章18節告訴我們：「驕傲在敗壞以先；狂心在跌倒之前。」
因為馬克思主義的邪惡在我們中間已經變得非常強大，所以美國人現在認為被自己智慧和力量所征服的事物，已受到驕傲蒙蔽。謙卑地承認這一點，將大大有助於我們擺脫目前所處的困境。
敵人欺騙我們最有效的手段之一，是以政治性正確來掩飾他們的所作所為。正如每個致命的陷阱一樣，起初這似乎完全無害，卻能緩慢不受質疑的擴大其控制範圍，變得越來越極端，直到達到目前社會失常的程度。
全球主義者─也就是馬克思和伊斯蘭主義者─非常狡猾地利用我們的憲法來攻擊我們，正如他們誇耀將會這麼做。他們之所以能僥倖成功，是因為我們的領袖無法勝任他們最重要的職責─保護我們免於內外敵人的攻擊，特別是內部敵人。
除了許多其他事情外，我們還必須確定共和國是如何在選拔領導人的制度中如此偏離軌道。我們的共和國當初並不是設計由專業政治人物來領導，而是由僕人式的領袖。政治人物可能擅長選舉，繼續留任，卻沒有真正的領導和管理技能，至少這是大部分的實例。作為國會議員或參議員，應該像擔任陪審員一樣，而不是為了獲得榮譽或其他獎勵。
如果我們讓我們的共和國回到軌道，就像當初所設計的行使職責，我們可以再次達到更高的境界，是從來沒有過的。就算沒有，我們若不修正如何正確選拔我們領導人的問題，我們將很快再次偏離軌道。我們要如何做呢？我們已經有了計畫，就是回到我們政府最初所設計的道路。
～摘錄美國作家─艾瑞卡·鍾（Erica Jong）～
今日許多人認為冷嘲熱諷需要勇氣，事實上冷嘲熱諷是膽小懦弱的極致。需要真正勇氣的是純真和敞開─然而我們卻常因此而受傷。
～摘錄英國小說家─喬治·艾略特（George Eliot）～
做回你自己，永遠不嫌晚。
(摘自喬納word for the week, Week 39, 2020)
Clarity—Heritage Brief 39
With the surfacing divisions in America as they are now, there is one major positive fruit—CLARITY. The divisions are there and have been growing for a long time. Now that they are in the open, we can deal with them. The ultimate result will be an even greater unity. It may look like the opposite for a while, but wait and see.
As unlikely as such unity may seem with the present divisions, the fact that they are deeper than we’ve ever experienced makes an even deeper unity possible. This unprecedented discord is going to require unprecedented leadership to resolve, but we have God’s own word that if we ask Him for wisdom He will give it to us, if we are not “double-minded” (see James 1:5-8).
The Greek word translated “double-minded” in this text actually means “two minds” or “two souls.” This comes from being undecided—hesitating between the two opinions. That the sides are so clear in the present discord is making the choice clear. We are all now in “the Valley of Decision” and there is no escape without making one. Then we must resolutely stand for what we believe.
It is easier to put out a match than a forest fire. We now have some large social fires to deal with because we have been so reticent to confront them before. These fires are not going to get smaller if left alone. Now we have to do what must be done. We must get engaged in the issues that are now threatening our continued existence, or we will cease to exist. That we are at this place is a good thing. We cannot run from the issues any longer.
Exposing what is hidden in darkness is a big part of the battle against darkness. Knowing the enemy is important, but knowing the truth, proclaiming the truth, and standing for the truth is more important. Truth is more powerful than any lie. It is the light that casts out the darkness. Truth does not just tell us we should be free; it is the truth that sets us free.
Because the power of evil is to dwell in darkness, when it purposely and brazenly exposes itself, it is because it has become confident of victory. For Marxism/socialism to now be so boldly declared in America is because the Marxists/socialists have become confident of victory.
Marxism is now stronger and more entrenched in our country than almost anyone would have thought possible. We are well into a battle for all that we hold dear as freedom loving Americans, and it seems likely to be the greatest struggle we have ever faced for our survival. This battle will determine if we will continue to be free, or become slaves of a totalitarian state. All of this is forcing us to define who we are. That is a good thing.
How do so many of our leaders and citizens not see such an obvious evil that is now manifesting in our country? How is it they do not comprehend the lawlessness and anarchy that not only threatens the foundations of our Republic, but civilization itself? How can anyone continue to be blind to our very lives and the safety of all we love? The answer is called deception.
Deception is one of the most powerful weapons of war, and our enemy has been very skillful in using it. No one who is deceived knows they are deceived or they would not be deceived. Those who think that they are so knowledgeable and discerning that they cannot be deceived are usually the most deceived of all. Such pride makes us resistant to correction or enlightenment.
Pride flooded America after the fall of the Iron Curtain, as revealed by how arrogantly we treated the nations that had just been freed from their Marxist prison. The smugness of our leaders at that time was appalling, and now this same Marxism is close to “eating our lunch.” Much of the wisdom and the leadership we need for confronting this evil is found with those who lived under it in the former Soviet states. They know and hate this evil like few others.
As we are told in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before stumbling.”
Now what we Americans thought we had vanquished by our own wisdom and strength, pride has blinded us as the evils of Marxism have grown very strong right in our own midst. The humility to admit this would go a long way to help us see the way out of the predicament we are now in.
One of the most effective tactics of the enemy to deceive us has been to veil what they were up to with Political Correctness. At first this seemed fairly harmless, as every deadly trap does. It went virtually unchallenged while slowly but relentlessly expanding its sphere of control, becoming more extreme until it reached the present level of social insanity.
The globalists—the Marxists and Islamists—have very shrewdly used our own Constitution against us, just as they boasted that they would. They got away with it because our leaders have been inept in their foremost responsibility—protecting us from these enemies that were both foreign and domestic, but especially the domestic ones.
Along with many other things, we must determine how our Republic got so far off the rails in the system that has evolved for choosing our leaders. Our Republic was not designed to be led by professional politicians, but by servant-leaders. Politicians can be skilled in getting elected and staying in office, but be bereft of true leadership and management skills, as is the case with most. Being a congressman or senator was supposed to be like doing jury duty, not something done for the honor or other rewards.
If we get our Republic back on the rails and functioning like it was designed, we can rise to greater heights than ever before. If not, it will be off the rails again quickly if we don’t fix this problem of how we currently choose our leaders. How do we do this? We already have the plans. We go back to the way our government was originally designed.
Many people today believe that cynicism requires courage. Actually, cynicism is the height of cowardice. It is innocence and open-heartedness that requires the true courage – however often we are hurt as a result of it. –Erica Jong
It is never too late to be what you might have been. –George Eliot