於2012-08-21發佈

復興的海嘯正來到

正如我曾在收割異象一書中提過,內容是 神在廿五年前讓我看見的異象,我看見兩大波的復興浪潮將臨到地上。第一波是有史以來 神最大的作為,為要召聚人們歸向主,那一波在我領受異象後幾年開始發生。在那一波復興浪潮期,是人類歷史上最多人信主的時刻。 神也讓我看見在聖靈更大一波橫掃全地之前,會有一段屬靈平靜期。第二波即將來到,那將是 神在地上最大的作為。

我看到第二波復興浪潮會像海嘯一樣來到。當海嘯接近地面,一開始水會先退去。許多人會在大海嘯中喪生,就是因為他們驚訝水退了,就開始走向海洋,接著他們就被浪潮捲走。我對此的詮釋是,看起來似乎已從世界退出來的基督教,會在 神最大作為前突然闖入。不要跟隨退去的水流,而是要向高處行。

在這裡我所謂的高處是信靠主為你的供應者,你的醫治者,你的王和你的審判官,不要更多去信靠地上的政府。世上最強大穩固的政府非常不可靠,非常容易摧毀。凡是信靠他們的人也會被震動,感到害怕與絕望。那些沒有建造在主道路上的人將很快崩潰;即便如此,就在此時, 神的國不斷在成長。要將你的生命建造在祂的國度與祂的道路上,信靠祂,不要信靠人,你將永不動搖。

神的國即將來到,無法被攔阻或減慢速度,但可以加快速度!彼得後書三章12節告訴我們,應當『切切仰望 神的日子來到』。我們要做什麼才能協助加快帶下祂的國度呢?我們可以建造我們的生命在祂的國度上,所到之處都傳揚天國的好消息。

正如我們好幾次提到但以理書二章,我們需要瞭解代表人國度的大像,其正在粉碎,我們也要瞭解代表 神國度的小石子。這大像的腳是用鐵和泥做成,幾乎所有教師和神學家都同意鐵的腳代表羅馬帝國,泥的腳則代表教會。鐵和泥所摻雜而成的腳就是教會和國家之間的摻雜,這特別發生在羅馬天主教會,但也發生在許多基督教會,幾乎發生在所有變成『國教』的教會。

可以理解的是,如此不聖潔的摻雜,促使美國建國父老禁止國會將基督教定為國教。這樣做是很有智慧的,因為有太多美國早期的開拓者,是從歐洲國教制度的宗教逼迫下逃離,變成國教所造成的後果在他們記憶中仍歷歷在目。

值得注意的是,美國的憲法禁止國會將基督教定為國教,卻沒有禁止各州這麼做。憲法清楚表明,沒有明確賦予聯邦政府的權力,卻保留給州政府,所以各州有權做一些事,例如禁止在學校裡禱告,或是從事其他宗教活動。顯然這權柄留給州政府,是由他們來決定這樣做或不這樣做。

我們的聯邦政府在許多方面反應過度,無恥地做出許多憲法禁止的事情,其中有許多顯然是在打壓基督教。禁止國會設立國教的同樣憲法,也禁止國會攔阻宗教自由。常有人問我是否認為在美國的基督徒會遭受迫害,我的回覆是那已經發生很長一段時間了。倘若我們沒有改變目前的軌道,我們可以預期很快逼迫會成為正式的國家政策,現在還是非正式的國家政策。

在美國現今政府管理下,已經立下許多嚴重逼迫基督徒的根基,有一些是透過立法而來,如『仇恨犯罪』(Hate Crimes)條例,特別是針對基督徒。另一些則企圖讓美國人隸屬於國際法與聯合國決議,公然抵觸憲法。美國憲法第六條表示憲法『為全國之最高法』;因此,讓美國人隸屬在非憲法的任何法律,都是對憲法的基本攻擊。

因為每一位被選上或指派的政府官員都必須宣誓捍衛憲法,不受國內外敵人的攻擊,那些提倡這些事的人正帶領我們走向非常嚴重的憲法危機中,甚至可能會被視為叛國罪。

因此,這將如何影響到美國的教會?美國的教會又當如何回應這些議題?首先,我們有一個比美國憲法更崇高的憲法,就是遵守在聖經清楚教導的神的道路。倘若 神的道路與人的道路之間有任何衝突,我們必須順服 神的道路而非人的。就算受到死亡的威脅,我們也不能妥協 神託付給我們的真理─就是耶穌是世人的救主,除祂以外,沒有別的方式可以與 神和好。

我們現在不是在談論要臨到美國的復興嗎?所以逼迫要如何在同時發生呢?事實是:貫穿教會歷史,逼迫與復興總是在同時來到,而逼迫往往煽動復興之火,在這裡也將如此。逼迫會讓我們時代許多大議題更加明朗化,不冷不熱的人將被迫選邊站。這會讓許多人回到起初的愛,為主成為燃燒的火,那會使他人退縮,但這樣的事也需要發生。

倘若我們活在天國權柄之下,這樣的公義,就是行在主眼中看為正的事,會帶來平安和喜樂,而這兩種特質是天國公民最基本的身份證明。只有這樣的身份我們才能在越來越黑暗與混淆的時候,成為蒙召的光和鹽。對那些不偏離的人,祂應許祂的榮耀,而萬國終將來就祂的榮耀。

 (摘自喬納 word for the week, Week 31, 2012)


A Tsunami Wave of Revival Is Coming - The Path of Life, Part 24
Week 31, 2012 
Rick Joyner 

As I have mentioned before in the Vision of the Harvest that I was given twenty-five years ago, I saw two waves of revival coming upon the earth. The first was the greatest move of God in history for gathering people to the Lord. That wave of revival began just a couple of years after I received this vision. More people came to Christ during that move than had come to Him before in all of history. I was also shown a period of relative spiritual quiet before an even bigger wave of the Holy Spirit swept across the earth. That wave is now approaching, and it will be the biggest move of God on the earth of all time.

I saw this second wave of revival coming like a tsunami. When a tsunami approaches land, the water first starts to recede. Many were killed in the last great tsunami because they marveled at the water going out and began to walk out on the ocean floor. Then they were caught by the wave. I interpreted this that it would appear that Christianity would seem to be in retreat around the world just before the greatest move of God of all time would break upon us. Don’t follow the water receding, but get to the high ground!

The high ground I am addressing here is to trust in the Lord as your Provider, your Healer, your King, and your Judge, and do not fall to putting increasing trust in human governments. The most powerful, stable governments in the world are very shaky, and they are crumbling. All who put their trust in them will be shaken, terrified, and desperate. All that has not been built upon the Lord’s ways will soon crumble. Even so, at this time, the kingdom of God is growing. Build your life on His kingdom and His ways. Trust in Him, not man, and you will never be shaken.

The kingdom of God is coming, and it cannot be stopped or slowed, but it can be hastened! In II Peter 3:12, we are told that we should be “looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God.” What could we do to help bring His kingdom faster? We can do this by building our lives on His kingdom now and preaching the good news of His kingdom everywhere we go.

As we’ve referenced Daniel 2 a number of times, we need to understand the statue that represents man’s empires, which are now crumbling, and the little stone that represents God’s kingdom. The feet of this statue was made out of iron and clay. Virtually all teachers and theologians agree that the iron legs in this stature represent the Roman Empire, and the clay represents the church. This mixture in the feet was a mixture of church and state, especially as this happened in the Roman Catholic Church, but it happened in many Protestant churches too and virtually any church that became a “state church.”

It was the understanding that such a mixture was unholy that caused the Founding Fathers to prohibit the Congress of the United States from establishing religion. This was very wise, and because so many of the first colonists had fled the religious persecution by state religious institutions in Europe, the consequences were still very fresh in their memory.

It should be noted that the Constitution of the U.S. forbids Congress from establishing religion but not the states. The Constitution clearly states that all authority not specifically given to the Federal Government is reserved to the states, so the states have authority to do this. This also makes it clear that it is not the Federal Government’s place to do things such as prohibit prayer in schools, or any other religious activity, as this authority is obviously reserved to the states and is their place to do this or not do it.   

There are many ways that our Federal Government has overreached and has brazenly done what the Constitution forbids. In most of these, you can see an obvious agenda of suppressing Christianity. The same Constitution that forbids Congress from establishing religion also prohibits it from hindering its free exercise. I’m often asked if I think Christians in America will suffer persecution, and my response is that it has been happening for a long time. If our present trajectory is not changed, we can expect it to soon become official state policy. Right now it is unofficial state policy.

Under the present administration, there have been a number of ways that the ground is being laid for a far more serious persecution against Christians in America. Some of this is coming through legislation such as the “Hate Crimes” legislation that specifically targets Christians. Some is coming through attempts to subject Americans to international laws and the U.N. resolutions, another very blatant violation of the Constitution. Article 6 declares that the Constitution will be “the supreme law of the land.” To subject Americans to any law other than our Constitution would therefore be a basic attack on the Constitution.

Because every elected or appointed official of our government has to take a vow to defend the Constitution from enemies both foreign and domestic, those who are promoting these agendas are leading us to a very serious constitutional crisis and could even be considered treason.

So, how will this affect the church in America? How should the church in America react to these issues? First, we have a higher constitution than that of the U.S., which is to obey God’s ways that are clearly taught in the Scriptures. If there is ever a conflict between God’s ways and man’s ways, we must obey God rather than man. Even under the threat of death, we must never compromise the truth that we have been entrusted with—that Jesus is the Savior of mankind, and there is no other way to be reconciled to God except through Him.

Now weren’t we just talking about revival coming to America? So how is this persecution coming if revival is too? The fact is that throughout church history, they have almost always come at the same time, and persecution has often fanned the flames of revival, as will be the case here. Persecution will cause many of the great issues of our times to become much clearer, and the lukewarm will be forced to make a choice. This will cause many to return to their first love, and become burning fires for the Lord. It will cause others to shrink back, but this needs to happen too.  

If we are living under kingdom authority, then this righteousness, which is doing what is right in the sight of the Lord, will result in a peace and joy that is the most basic identification of the citizens of the kingdom. Only from this position can we be the salt and light we are called to be in these increasingly dark and confusing times. To those who remain true, His glory is promised, and eventually the nations will come to His glory.