於2011-02-06發佈
雖然舊約先知糾正神子民的工作在新約中比較是使徒的工作,但我們仍需要公義與公平的先知性傳道者。施洗約翰是最具典範的公義傳道者,聖經告訴我們他帶著以利亞的恩膏,卻不像以利亞,他的先知性啟示非常少,也沒有展現出以利亞那種能力。即便如此,他的信息為主預備了道路。為此緣故,主說凡婦人所生的,沒有一個興起來大過他(參考馬太福音1111)。     

瑪垃基書告訴我們在這世代末了之前,在主大而可畏日子未到以先,以利亞會再次被差來。自從瑪垃基寫了此預言以來,教師和神學家不斷在思索,但大多數新約學者同意這臨到的方式,會和帶著以利亞恩膏的施洗約翰很像。他們也看見此會以集體性恩膏臨到許多人身上,而不是只有一個人,因為現在主透過祂身體─教會中的許多成員來彰顯自己。 

這恩膏在教會時代的一些人身上已證實,他們被使用來為主預備道路。此事工是建造以賽亞書四十章所說的一部分大道,那裡告訴我們要如何為主預備道路。以賽亞書四十章的大道(highway)是一條更高的道路(higher way),是通往神國的路徑。悔改的信息是要將人們從毀滅之路,轉變成引至神國度的大道。 

誠如傅蘭吉所指出的,耶穌和施洗約翰傳講悔改是因為神的國近了,而不是因為審判近了。羅馬書二章4節告訴我們:是神的恩慈帶來悔改』,而不是一些人所認為的懲罰威脅。要如此行,我們必須謹記在心:神在十字架上所展現出來的慈愛遠超過任何其他地方。祂最大的恩慈就是為我們的罪付上代價,所以十字架是對神恩慈的最大領悟,這即是何以十字架的信息對真正使徒性的傳講如此重要,也成為整個教會時代偉大使者與信息的基礎。 

十字架的信息比我們藉著十字架與神和好的教導更深,但它也是十字架生命的傳講。真正基督徒的生命是犧牲的生命,耶穌說我們若是祂的門徒,就必須每天背起十字架(參考路加福音923)。此十字架的信息展現在偉大聖徒的信息中,他們都是教會時代的先知性、使徒性使者。你也可以看出這不單是他們的信息─而是他們的生命。他們藉著天天捨己來活出十字架的信息,他們的渴望就是為了福音的緣故來活出犧牲的生命。 

那些試圖要傳講十字架卻沒有活出來的人,可以輕易從他們講道缺少能力看出,他們的信息會和他們一同死去。凡是為了福音緣故而真實『每天捨己』的人,以一種奇妙方式觸動到永恆生命,以致他們的信息不會隨之死去─會比他們地上的生命更長久。那信息是他們引至神國大道的一部份,在每一個世代都有一些人完成他們的部分來建造大道。 

許多人認為在神以能力恩膏他們之前,他們必須達到某種程度的聖潔。但實情是神以能力恩膏了一些非常不聖潔的人,參孫就是其中一個例子。擁有大能事工的人可能會犯罪,能力卻還在,因為縱使我們不忠心,神仍是信實的,聖經告訴我們神的恩賜和選召是『沒有後悔的』(參考羅馬書1129。這意味著一旦祂將恩賜賜給我們,祂就不會拿回來。為此緣故,神仍使用我們行神蹟,不代表我們與祂的關係很好。正如哥林多前書十三章告訴我們,我們可以行許多神蹟,甚至有信心可以移山,但我們若沒有愛,就算不得甚麼。 

我們需要更多能力,我們也需要更多神蹟、醫治和預言,但當我們追求這些東西時,我們不能忘記自己的終極呼召是在對神的愛與彼此相愛中成長。你越愛一個人,你越樂意為那人犧牲。我們越愛神,我們會越多為祂和那些祂曾捨命的人來放下自己的生命。 

我們將研讀已經賜給教會的先知性恩賜和事工,我們也會尋求更多的能力。然而,我們也需謹記在心俗話說:『能力使人腐敗』,屬靈能力也是如此,倘若我們沒有將生命活在與主連結、愛祂和彼此相愛的穩固根基中,這會呈現在我們對天天背起十字架的委身程度,唯有此才能使我們繼續走在生命道路上。

(摘自 喬納 word for the week, Week 4, 2011)

Seeing and Hearing, Part 4
Week 4, 2011 

Although the Old Testament prophets' mandate of bringing correction to God’s people has become more of the mandate of the apostle in the New Testament, there is still a need for the prophetic preachers of righteousness and justice. John the Baptist, the greatest of all transitional ministries, was the greatest of all preachers of righteousness. We are told that John came in the anointing of Elijah, but unlike Elijah, he had very little prophetic revelation and really did not demonstrate any of the kind of power that Elijah walked in. Even so, his message prepared the way for the Lord. For this reason, he was called by the Lord the greatest man ever born of woman (see Matthew 11:11).

We are told in Malachi that before the end of this age, before the great and terrible day of the Lord, that Elijah the prophet will be sent again. Teachers and theologians have speculated about this probably since Malachi wrote it, but most New Testament scholars agree that this will come like it did upon John the Baptist with the anointing of Elijah. Most also see this coming in a corporate anointing upon many rather than upon one person because the Lord is now manifested through the many members of His body, the church. 

This anointing is evidenced on a number throughout the church age, which has been used to prepare the way for the Lord. This ministry is one of building part of the highway that is spoken of in Isaiah 40, which we are told is how we are to prepare the way of the Lord. The highway of Isaiah 40 is God’s “higher way.” It is the path to the kingdom. The message of repentance is to turn people from the road to destruction to the highway that leads to the kingdom. 

As Francis Frangipane points out, both Jesus and John preached repentance because the kingdom was at hand, not because judgment was at hand. We are told in Romans 2:4 that it is the “kindness of God that leads to repentance,” not threats of punishment as some suppose. This being so, we must also keep in mind that the great kindness of God is demonstrated at the cross more than anywhere else. His greatest kindness of all was paying the price that He did for our sins. So the greatest of all realizations of the kindness of God is the cross. This is why the message of the cross is so central to true apostolic preaching and has been so much the basis of the great messages and messengers of the entire church age. 

The message of the cross was much more than the teaching of the atonement we have through the cross, but it was also the preaching of the life of the cross. The true Christian life is a life of sacrifice, which Jesus said we had to do daily by taking up our own crosses if we were to be His disciples (see Luke 9:23). This message of the cross is sown throughout the message of the great saints who have been the prophetic and apostolic messengers of the church age. You can also tell that this was much more than just their message—it was their life. They lived the message of the cross by dying daily to their own will and their own desires to live a life of sacrifice for the sake of the gospel. 

Those who try to preach the cross, but do not live it are easily discerned by the lack of power in their words, and their message will die with them. Those who truly “die daily” for the sake of the gospel touch eternal life in such a way that their message cannot die either—and it lives long beyond their own physical lives. That message is their part of the highway that leads to the kingdom, and some in every generation have done their part to build it. 

Many think that they have to reach a certain degree of holiness before God will anoint them with power, but the truth is that God has anointed some very unholy people with power, as Samson is just one example. People who have power ministries can fall into sin and the power will continue because God is faithful even if we become unfaithful, and we are told the gifts and callings of God are “without repentance” (see Romans 11:29 KJV). This means once He has given them to us, He will not take them back. For this reason, just because God still uses us to do miracles, does not mean that we are right with Him. As we are told in I Corinthians 13, we can do many miracles, and even have the faith to move mountains, but if we do not have love, it will all count for nothing.

We need more power, and we need more miracles, healings, and prophecy, but in our pursuit of them, we cannot forget that our ultimate calling is to grow in love for God and then love for one another. Just as the greatest demonstration of God’s love that there will ever be was the cross, those who live a true life of the cross, the life of sacrifice for the sake of the gospel and the people who need it, is the greatest of all demonstrations of true love. The more you love someone, the more you will gladly sacrifice for them. The more we love God, the more we will lay down our own lives for Him and those whom He laid down His life for.

We will study the prophetic gifts and ministries that have been given to the church, and we will seek more power. However, we will also keep in mind the saying that “power corrupts” can be true of spiritual power too if we are not living our lives on the solid foundation of abiding in the Lord, of loving Him and one another, which is demonstrated by our devotion to taking up our crosses daily. This alone will keep us on the path of life.