於2011-08-07發佈

先知性成熟過程 

我們一直在討論基督徒在先知性方面的成熟度─特別是這樣的成熟度是如何影響著我們詮釋感動的方式。在先知性啟示的感動層級上,不成熟的人可能會摻雜個人的感覺,儘管是暫時性的,就像是戒除咖啡因、以及對好壞的偏見與看法。我們確實需要成熟的歷練,才能學習區分什麼是聖靈的感動,什麼是我們個人的感覺。

兩歲的孩子包著尿布,把所有東西弄得一團亂,你並不會感到意外。我們必須允許年輕的基督徒不成熟,弄得一團亂。年輕不成熟具先知性的人,所表現出來的就是不成熟。有一些人想在具先知性的人身上強加一種看法─若是你犯了一個錯,你就是假先知,此看法抑制了他們的成熟,更糟的是,它可能會完全扭曲他們的特性。

倘若一位教師充滿重擔,因為他若是犯了一個錯,就會被當成假教師,有哪一位教師能教導呢?倘若一位牧師充滿壓力,因為他若是犯了一個錯,就為被當成假牧師,有哪一位牧師可以給人建議呢?這樣只會使這些職分腐蝕,正如在年輕具先知性的人身上所加的軛,可能會扭曲他們的發展。

我們稍後將更多討論到此,但只具有先知性恩賜不會使一個人成為先知。先知的職分是一個特別的委派,除非我們領受從上頭來的委派,否則我們應當只將自己視為在聖靈恩賜與果子裡成長的基督徒,盡我們所能成為祂最棒的僕人。同樣地,我們也需要給予那些想要在呼召與恩賜上成熟的人恩典。

藉由宗教的靈而進入教會的主要地獄之門,是透過更成熟的信徒錯誤判斷與譴責年輕信徒的行為而來,通常這些年輕信徒不過是尚未成熟。我們絕不能讓那軛加在我們個人或我們掌管之人身上。我們需要允許年輕信徒的不成熟,並讓他們以正常的方式來長大成熟,我們要從錯誤中學習的事物還很多。

毫無疑問的,在教會我們也有一個普遍性的問題,就是信徒沒有長大成熟。我認為這是主對末世的警告,祂說:『當那些日子,懷孕的和奶孩子的有禍了。』(參考馬太福音24:19),我認為這句話可以詮釋為:『當那些日子,讓他們的羊群不成熟的人有禍了。』我們當然需要成熟,但我們需要讓人在正常的速度中成長,正如使徒、長老一樣,聖靈定意在新的外邦信徒身上做同樣的事。

這就是不偏左右/溫和是如此重要的地方,既然我們仍在談論主如何以感動來對我們說話,以及如何分辨神放在我們身上的感動與我們個人偏見之間的不同─溫和就是分辨的關鍵因素。一個溫和的人不會太過論斷,或以極端的角度來看人。唯一以極端來看事情的時刻,是因為那即是真理,但我們不要因為自己的極端而這樣做。

人們對先知性事工的看法多半是:他們是極端份子,以極端的角度來觀看每件事。這或許是不成熟者的事例,當先知性的人在典型教會時,的確有一些因素攔阻他們成熟。我聽到有一些人說他們想成為『充滿恩典的先知』,還有一些人想成為嚴厲的先知,但我們要活化我們的角色,我們不應該偏向任何諸如此類的標籤,而是做一切神差派我們去做的工。不及之處只顯明我們還是嬰孩。  

在啟示錄中,即使七個教會出現在相同的時代與區域,但我們看見主耶穌對他們都有不同的話。一些比較律法主義的教會可能需要強大的恩典信息,而比較無法紀的教會可能需要一句神審判的話語。保羅在羅馬書寫著,我們應該同時看見:『神的恩慈和嚴厲』(參考羅馬書11:22)。倘若我們只看見祂的恩慈,我們就沒有真正按祂所是的來看祂,我們也不可能呈現出祂真正的本質。倘若我們只看見祂的嚴厲,相同的事情仍會發生。倘若我們要按祂所是的來看祂,並且呈現出祂的本質,我們就必須同時看見祂的恩慈和嚴厲。

(摘自 喬納 word for the week, Week 29, 2011) 

The Prophetic Experiences, Part 6
The Maturing Process of the Prophetic
Week 29, 2011   

We have been discussing Christian maturity in relation to the prophetic—especially how it can impact the way we interpret impressions. On the impression level of prophetic revelation, the immature can be prone to mix in their own feelings, even when they are temporary such as caffeine withdrawal, prejudices for good or bad, and opinions. It does take the kind of experience that can only come from maturity to learn to separate what the Holy Spirit may be impressing upon us and what are our own senses. 

You expect two-year olds to wear diapers and make a mess with just about everything they touch. We have to allow the young in Christ to be immature, and yes, make messes. Young and immature prophetic people will act like young and immature prophetic people. The belief that some have tried to impose on the prophetic—that if you made one mistake you are a false prophet—inhibits their maturity, or worse, it can profoundly distort their character.

 What teacher could teach if they were under the burden that if they made one mistake, they would be considered a false teacher? What pastor could ever give counsel to anyone if they were under the pressure that if they made just one mistake, they would be considered a false shepherd? Such would pervert these ministries, just as that yoke imposed on young prophetic people can distort their development. 

We’ll discuss this a bit more later, but just having prophetic gifts does not make one a prophet. The office of prophet is a special commission, and until we have received that commission from above, we should just consider ourselves Christians who are trying to grow in the gifts and fruit of the Spirit to be the greatest servant to Him that we can be. We likewise need to give grace to those who are just trying to mature in their calling and gifts.

One of the primary gates of hell through which a religious spirit gains entry to the church is through more mature believers wrongly judging and condemning younger believers for their behavior, which is usually simple immaturity. We must not allow that yoke to be put on us or on those we have charge over. The young need to be allowed to be immature and to mature in a normal way, a lot of which has to do with learning from our mistakes.

 Without question, we have a general problem in the church with many believers not maturing as they should. I think this was the real definition of the Lord’s warning about the last days when He said, “Woe to those who nurse babes in those days” (see Matthew 24:19), which I think could have been interpreted as, “Woe to those who keep their people in immaturity.” Certainly we need to be maturing, but we must let people mature at the right pace just as the apostles, elders, and Holy Spirit were resolved to do with the new Gentile believers.

 This is where moderation is so essential. Since we are still covering how impressions are one way that the Lord speaks to us, but also how to discern the difference between something He has impressed on us from our own prejudices or perspectives—moderation is a key factor in this. A moderate person will not tend to be so judgmental or to see people in extremes. There is a time to see matters in extremes because that is the truth, but we don’t want to do this because we are extreme. 

The perception that most seem to have about prophetic ministries is that they are extremists and see everything in extremes. This may be the case for the immature, and it is true there are factors which are hindering people from maturing in the prophetic while staying in a typical church. I hear people say they want to be a “grace prophet,” and others like to be severe, but if we are going to be the real thing, we should not lean toward any such label, but rather be what we have to be to do the job that we’re assigned. Anything less just reveals that we are still babes. 

We see in the Book of Revelation how the Lord Jesus had a different word for each of the seven churches even though they all existed at the same time and in the same general location. Some churches that have been prone toward legalism may need a strong grace message, while some churches that have been prone to lawlessness may need a word about the judgment of God. Paul wrote in Romans that we should “behold then the kindness and the severity of God” (see Romans 11:22). If we can only see His kindness, then we are not seeing Him as He is, and we are not likely to represent Him as He really is. If we can only see His severity, then the same is true. We must see them both together if we are to see Him as He is, and represent Him as He is.