於2012-12-27發佈

從最近大選所學到的功課

由於2012年的總統大選持續讓許多人困惑,我們將提出從中所學到的一些功課來結束這一年。緊接著我們將開始新的一年,用前所未有的契機來看見我們國家轉向主,迎接歷史上最大的收割。

我知道許多先知性的人期待羅姆尼當選,在我為此次選舉所交通的對象中,並沒有人預言羅姆尼會贏,但這幾乎是普遍性的看法。連我自己都沒有尋求主誰會贏,因為我覺得我已經知道祂的想法,那完全是一種假想。

鮑布瓊斯在2012年一月16日一次與主相遇中,主問他對一位摩門教徒當總統的看法,當時離共和黨決定候選人的時間還很久,而鮑布的回應是他對此沒太多想法。鮑布一直抱持這種看法,直到羅姆尼贏得共和黨提名後,於是他相信自己一定錯了,羅姆尼一定是出於神的選擇。選舉之後,他才領悟原來他讓自己的看法取消主在第一時間就想要他看見的東西。

鮑布是我所認識最有經驗與智慧的先知性人物,他以極大的智慧來接受此修正,就連最偉大的先知仍看見的有限,所預言的也有限。我們有許多先知性話語絕對是從神來的,但我們卻詮釋錯誤,直到其應驗。我仍認為詮釋是先知性事工最弱的一環,但貫穿整個歷史也都是如此,包括聖經歷史。即便如此,我相信我們必須在神給我們的先知性話語上做更好的詮釋。

有些人會將主問鮑布的問題詮釋為,主並不想要一位摩門教徒當總統,但那也不是主所說的話。事實上,主沒有說什麼,只是問了一個問題。那個問題可能成為決定選舉的終極問題,或許我們當時應該花更多注意力來回答那問題。我並不是在說一定是這樣,但很可能是這樣,羅姆尼可能是神的選擇,但我認識許多很棒的基督徒沒有投給他,因為他們說他們無法投票給一位摩門教徒。

我將這些事寫出來,是因為我知道會讀每週一話的人多半是成熟認真的基督徒,他們可以處理這方面的問題。就像使徒保羅承認曾被『撒旦阻擋』,若這樣的事可以發生在他身上,我想我們若以為不會發生在我們身上就大錯特錯了。我們在這方面應當謙卑,好消息是神賜恩給謙卑的人,我們絕對需要更多的恩典。謙卑的兩個最基本特性就是受教與受修正;我們需要從一切會影響我們與我們時代的事情中學習,我們必須接受修正。

這次的大選是學習不再掩蓋問題的大好機會,我覺得從選舉以來,我幾乎每天都在學習某件很深層的事。智慧與瞭解比金銀更有價值,我很抱歉我們對此次選舉在瞭解上並沒有做得更好,但我熱愛修正,因為我可以從中學習。倘若我們從中學到我們的功課,就可以在未來更重要的時刻拯救我們。我盼望這樣說會有幫助,下週我會分享更多。我們今年的主題是『生命的道路』,正如箴言十章17節告訴我們的:

謹守訓誨(修正)的,乃在生命的道上;遺棄責備的,便失迷了路。

我們不要失迷了路,乃藉由修正來持守在生命的道路上。我們也要謹記在心:主讓萬事互相效力,叫愛祂的人得益處,就是按祂旨意被召的人(參考羅馬書8:28)。此會得益處,是因為我們有充足的證據顯示主仍何等愛我們,而且祂永遠不會停止愛我們。

 (摘自喬納 word for the week, Week 51, 2012)


Lessons Learned from the Recent Elections - The Path of Life, Part 44
Week 51, 2012 
Rick Joyner 

Because the 2012 elections continue to be a source of confusion to many, we will address a couple of more lessons to learn from this to finish out this year. Then we will begin the New Year with possibly unprecedented opportunities to see our nation turn to the Lord for the greatest harvest in history.

I know a lot of prophetic people who fully expected Romney to win the election. Of those I communicated with about the election, I do not know of any who gave a prophecy that Romney would win, but it was an almost universal opinion. I did not even seek a word from the Lord about it myself because I felt that I already had His opinion. That was a huge presumption.

Bob Jones had an encounter with the Lord on January 16, 2012 in which the Lord asked him what he thought about having a Mormon for President. This was long before the Republican nomination had been decided, and Bob’s response was that he did not think very much of it. Bob held to that opinion until after the nomination was won by Romney, and then he believed that he must have been wrong and that Romney must be God’s choice. After the election, he realized how he had let his own opinions cancel out what the Lord was trying to show him in the first place.

Bob is the most seasoned and wise prophetic person I know, and in great wisdom, he embraced this correction. Even the greatest prophets still see in part and prophesy in part. We have had many prophetic words come true exactly as they were given, but we misinterpreted them until they were fulfilled. I still consider interpretation one of the greatest weaknesses in the prophetic ministry, but it was also this way throughout history, including biblical history. Even so, I believe we must do better with interpreting what we are being shown prophetically.

Some would interpret the question that Bob was asked by the Lord to mean that the Lord did not want a Mormon as President, but that is not what the Lord said either. In fact, the Lord did not say anything, but just asked a question. That question may have been the ultimate question that in fact decided the election. Maybe we should have spent far more attention trying to answer that question than we did. I’m not saying that it was, but it could have been. Romney could have been God’s choice, but I know many good Christians who did not vote because they said they could not vote for a Mormon.

I am writing these things to you because I know that those who read this Word for the Week tend to be mature and serious Christians who are capable of handling questions like this. Even the Apostle Paul admitted to having been “foiled by Satan.” If it could happen to him, I think we would be terribly presumptuous to think it could not happen to us. We should be humbled by this, but the good thing is that God gives His grace to the humble. We certainly need more grace. The two most basic characteristics of humility are being teachable and correctable. We need to learn all that we can from everything that is affecting us and our times, and we must embrace correction.

This past election was too good of an opportunity to learn to sweep it under the rug. I feel that I have learned something profound almost every day since the election. Wisdom and understanding are worth much more than gold or silver. I am sorry that we did not do better in understanding this election, but I love the correction because of what I’m learning. If we learn our lessons from this, they could save us in far more crucial times to come. I hope this is helpful, and I have a bit more to share next week. Our theme for this year is “The Path of Life” and as we are told in Proverbs 10:17:

He is on the path of life who heeds correction, but he who forsakes reproof goes astray. 

Let’s not go astray, but stay on the path of life by heeding correction.   Let’s also keep in mind that the Lord causes all things to work together for good for those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose (see Romans 8:28). This too will work for good because we have abundant evidence of how the Lord still loves us, and He will never, ever stop.