大使命37
做工的果子
在瞭解人這事上，對於那些不認識神而信靠政府的人，我們不該感到驚訝，那是他們唯一可以信靠的。即便如此，政府正在衰退中，而且會持續衰退。大使命是在提供世界一個永不失望的盼望。
凡是心存盼望並給予盼望的人，將在要來的時候成為最明亮的光。福音的意思是『好消息』，不是壞消息。神所賜給我們傳揚的福音是這世界所能聽到最好的消息，萬王之王就要來了，祂的國度會被建立在地上，好讓祂的旨意行在地上如在天上。正如確切的預言宣告，祂會重建全地如同當初所造的樂園，就連獅子都可以與羔羊一同躺臥，孩子能與眼鏡蛇一同玩耍。神應許我們再也沒有疾病、痛苦或死亡，沒有孩子被虐待，也沒有人會傷害他人。
聖經在一些地方也告訴我們，義人要吃自己行為/勞動所結的果子，如以賽亞書三章10節。許多人有一種很不正確的想法，就是在樂園裡，每一樣東西都會供應給我們。真理是，那將嚴重剝奪我們個人的福祉。倘若你認為自己將要與基督一同掌權，你會對掌權需要預備多少工作而感到震驚。
人受造首要是為了與神相交，其次是工作、耕種園子。工作不是人類墮落的咒詛，勞累才是。勞累是以極大、極痛苦的努力來工作。然而，沒有在人類墮落咒詛下的工作是必須的，好使人有成就感。心理學主張，當一個人被剝奪有意義的勞動力時會發瘋，這樣的說法一點也沒錯。我們受造是為了完成任務，倘若我們被剝奪此事，我們會開始失去我們基本的人性。那即是何以那些以政府津貼維生的人，反而被剝奪他們之所以為人最重要的部分。他們被俘虜在可怕的監獄裡，神的國度不會對人做出這樣的事。
幾年前，我和幾個中情局情報員有一段非常有趣的談話，他們告訴我一個投入在基督教宣教機構所做的研究報告。他們知道有多少基督徒投入在各國的宣教，也知道其結果。我很訝異他們做了如此的研究報告，對其結果同感訝異。我覺得每一個教會和宣教機構需要聽到他們所做出的結論。
這些情報員分享南韓戰後的故事，他們說基督教宣教團體湧進南韓，供應此被破壞殆盡的國家豐富的資源。中情局到州政府要他們制止這些宣教團隊給予如此多的資源，因為他們若能到宣教團隊那裡免費得著物品，人們便失去生產任何東西的動力。當這些慈善團體終於停止供應，南韓的經濟才開始運作，現在它是全世界第六大經濟國。更重要的是，南韓在過去50年間擁有全世界最高比例改信基督教的人口。一些全世界最大的教會，最偉大的基督徒都在那裡被興起。
俗語說的好，你若給人一條魚，他會有一頓飯，但你若教他如何釣魚，他餘生都可以養活自己。儘管給予這些東西都是出於最好的動機，但無限制與無條件的慈惠工作可能無法真正為人們帶來幫助。
當我們開始在非洲為村莊挖井時，學到此功課。我們宣教團的領隊與第一個村莊約定，倘若他們挖出一個洞，我們將提供石頭、水管，還有其他挖井所需的配備。當我們的團隊抵達那裡準備收成時，他們卻還沒有開挖。當我們詢問原因，部落的領袖說宣教士總為他們做每一件事。我們的團隊開始撤離，當地的領袖則表達抗議。然而，宣教團隊說唯有部落做自己的部分，他們才會做他們的部分，於是村莊的領袖叫了一些人開始挖井。因為當他們投注自己的時間和精力在其上，他們才會感覺那是自己的井，也才會小心維護。
後來我們發現不同的宣教團隊和慈善團體在那地方挖了八千多個井，還在用的卻非常的少。許多井無法運作，單單因為缺少一個只要五美元的零件。沒人在維護它們，也沒人教導當地人要如何維護。此不僅浪費掉千萬美元，更為當地人帶來悲慘的後果，倘若他們的井不是白白得來的，他們的生活或許會更好。
當我們與一個村莊共同合作，我們教導他們如何挖井或如何預備水源，也教導他們要如何維護，全村的人經歷對該井所有權的自豪。這也可以應用在建造學校和教會建築，當人們投入工作時，就會跟著改變。當我們為他們做了一切，反而是在傷害他們。
正如我們在卡翠納颶風所學到的，雖然一開始我們必須提供人們一切所需，但很快讓他們一起工作是很重要的。雖然要這樣做很難，因為我們為他們在災難中失去那麼多感到難過，但這樣做卻很重要。倘若人們整天都坐在那裡悲傷，對他們反而更糟，他們可能會變得反覆無常。倘若我們讓他們去做一些建設性的事物，神奇的是他們竟可以如此快開始恢復。
(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week 37, 2013)
The Great Commission, Part 37
The Fruit of Our Labor, Week 37, 2013
Rick Joyner
Continuing with the matter of understanding people, again we should not be surprised by how those who do not know the Lord put their trust in government. It is all they have to trust in. Even so, governments are failing and will continue to fail. The Great Commission is to offer the world a hope that will never disappoint.
Those who have hope and give hope are going to be the brightest lights in the times to come. The gospel means “good news,” not bad news. The gospel we have been given to preach is the best news this world has ever heard. The King is coming, and His kingdom will be established on earth so that His will is done here just as it is in heaven. As the sure word of prophecy declares, He is going to restore earth to the paradise it was originally created to be. Even the lion will lie down with lambs, and children will be able to play with cobras. We are promised that there will be no more sickness, pain, or death. There will be no child abuse, and no one will hurt anyone else.
Also, as we are told in such places as Isaiah 3:10, the righteous will eat the fruit of their own labor. That is a shocking thought to many who have a concept that in paradise everything is provided for us. In truth, that would deprive us of something vital to our well-being. If you think you are going to rule with Christ, you will be shocked at how much work ruling is.
Man was created primarily to have fellowship with God and secondly to work, to cultivate the garden. Work was not a curse from the Fall, but toil was. Toil is to work with great and painful effort. However, work that is not under the curse of the Fall is needful for man’s fulfillment. Psychology is right when it maintains that a human being will go insane if deprived of meaningful labor. We were created to accomplish things. If we are deprived of this, we begin to lose our basic humanity. That is why those who live off entitlements are deprived of a vital part of their very being. They are captured in a terrible prison. The kingdom of God will not do that to people.
A few years ago, I had an interesting conversation with a couple of CIA agents. They told me of a study by the agency that focused on Christian missions. They knew how much Christians had spent on missions in virtually every nation, and they knew the results. I was amazed that they had done such a study, and I was just as amazed by the results. I felt that every church and missionary organization needed to hear what they concluded.
These agents shared the story of South Korea after the war. They said Christian missions swarmed South Korea supplying the devastated country with an abundance of resources. The CIA went to the State Department to ask them to stop these missions from giving so much, because no one was motivated to produce anything if they could go to the mission and get items for free. When this charity was finally cut off, the South Korean economy kicked into gear. Now it is the sixth biggest economy in the world. Even more importantly, South Korea had the highest conversion to Christianity in the world over the next half century. Some of the greatest churches in the world, and some of the greatest Christians, were raised up there.
This common saying is true: If you give a man a fish, he will have one meal, but if you teach him how to fish, he can feed himself for the rest of his life. Even though it is usually given with the best of intentions, unlimited and unconditional charity can be destructive.
We learned this when we started digging fresh water wells for villages in Africa. The leader of our ZAO missions made a deal with the first village that if they would dig the hole, we would supply the stone, pipes, and other requirements for the well. When our team got there ready to complete the well, it had not been dug. When they asked why, the leader of the village said that the missionaries always did everything for them. Our team started to leave and the leader protested. However, the team said they would only do their part if the village did theirs. The leader got some men and dug the well. Because they had their own time and energy invested in it, they had ownership and were careful to maintain the well.
We found out later that there had been about 8,000 wells dug in that region of Africa by various missions and charities, but few were still working. Many wells were not functioning due to the lack of just a $5 part. No one maintained them, and no one had shown the natives how to maintain them. Not only was about $10 million wasted, but this also had tragic consequences for people who might have been better off if they had not been given the wells in the first place.
When we partnered with a village, we taught them how to dig and prepare the well or water source, and also how to maintain it. The whole tribe experienced an important pride of ownership in the well that was elevating. This could be transferred into building schools and church buildings. When people get engaged in the work, it is transforming. When we do everything for them, we are hurting them.
As we learned at the Katrina disaster, though we had to provide everything for people at first, it was important to get them working and doing something quickly. Although this was hard to do because we felt sorry for people who had lost so much, it was crucial. If people sat in their grief all day, it was much worse for them. They could become very volatile. If they were given something constructive to do, it was amazing how quickly they would start recovering.
