大使命38
真正的使者
當我們對人的信心超過對神的信心時，我們傾向將我們的安全感和自信心建立在有多少人認同我們的看法上。耶穌則有不同的觀點，祂在路加福音六章26節說：
人都說你們好的時候，你們就有禍了！因為他們的祖宗待假先知也是這樣。
值得注意的是，在歷史上一些偉大的聲音，他們的觀點後來也被證實是真的，當時卻總遭到大多數人的抵擋，而且常常是孤軍奮戰。我們在初代的使徒身上看見此；即便如此，倘若我們知道自己是被神差派，並知道是從祂那領受信息，那人們怎麼想我們就真的不太重要了。
正如保羅說：『我現在是要得人的心呢？還是要得神的心呢？我豈是討人的喜歡嗎？若仍舊討人的喜歡，我就不是基督的僕人了。』 尋求人認同或鼓勵的心態可能會是我們最大的絆腳石，使我們無法成為真正傳神信息的使者。保羅對此非常瞭解，當他的使徒權柄受到挑戰時，他指出他所受到的痛苦和逼迫證明他真是一位使徒。這與今日宣稱自己是使徒的人有著何等的不同？
當然，也不能單因為有許多人不聽我們的，就證明我們是對的，我們必須留心一些警告，例如馬太福音二十四章12-13節：
只因不法的事增多，許多人/多數人的愛心才漸漸冷淡了。惟有忍耐到底的，必然得救。
倘若我們是從群眾得著我們的安全感，而非從主得著，我們將跟隨群眾而非跟隨主。主沒有說『一些人』或『很多人』的愛心冷淡了，而是說『多數人』。倘若我們傾向跟隨群眾，我們最後會被蒙蔽，就像『全以色列都走迷了』，跟隨押沙龍來攻擊他的父親大衛王。
這樣的事怎麼會發生在以色列？從那時起同樣的方式已發生過許多次，至今仍持續在發生。押沙龍就像一位很好的政客，他會見百姓，對他們的問題表現出同情心。因為他是很好的政客，他逐漸增加在人們身上的影響力。後來大衛和拔示巴犯的罪曝了光，你一定認為神當然會因為大衛犯了如此邪惡的罪而離開他。然而，神比人有恩典多了，祂並沒有棄絕大衛。祂因為愛大衛而管教他，卻從沒有離開他或棄絕他。
撒督是押沙龍背叛時期的大祭司，他冒著失去事奉，甚至生命的危險，抬起約櫃來跟從大衛進入看似毫無勝算的局面。就算『全以色列』都跟隨押沙龍，撒督分辨出恩膏仍在大衛身上，主仍與大衛同在。因此，他孤注一擲來跟隨主。那是相當不尋常的屬靈分辨力和信心，這就是這些時候我們迫切需要的屬靈領袖。
過了許多世紀之後，主透過以西結先知賜給撒督一個最棒的稱讚。主說『撒督的子孫』可以親近祂，事奉祂，並且侍立在祂面前（參考以西結書44:15-16）。所以，今日誰是撒督的子孫？
當法利賽人告訴耶穌他們得以自由，是因為他們是亞伯拉罕的兒子，耶穌回應他們說，他們若是亞伯拉罕的兒子，就必行亞伯拉罕所行的事（參考約翰福音8:39-41）。同樣地，撒督真正的子孫就是那些行撒督所行之事的人─甚至當他們是少數或只有一人，甚至要付上一切代價，甚至可能是生命的代價，他們仍跟隨主到底。今日我們迫切需要『撒督的子孫』。
(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week 38, 2013)
The Great Commission, Part 38
True Messengers,Week 38, 2013
Rick Joyner
When we have more faith in people than in God, we tend to get our security or confidence by how many people share our views. Jesus had a different perspective, saying in Luke 6:26:
“Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.”
It is noteworthy that the great voices in history and those whose perspective proved true were almost always rejected by the majority, and often stood completely alone. We see this with the first apostles. Even so, if we know we are sent by God and that we have received our message from Him, then it really does not matter what men think about us.
As Paul said, “If I were still seeking to please men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ” (see Galatians 1:10). Just the mentality of seeking our approval or encouragement from men can be the biggest stumbling block that keeps us from being true messengers. Paul understood this well. When his apostolic authority was challenged, he pointed to his afflictions and persecutions as evidence that he was indeed an apostle. How different is that from most who claim to be apostles today?
Of course, just because not many people listen to us does not prove that we are right either. However, we must heed such warnings as
Matthew 24:12:
“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved” (NIV).
If we get our security from the crowd rather than from the Lord, we will follow the crowd instead of the Lord. The Lord did not say that the love of “some” or “many” would grow cold, but “most.” If we are prone to follow the majority, then we will end up being deceived just as “all Israel went astray” following Absalom and turning on his father, King David.
How could this thing happen in Israel? The same way it has happened so many times since and still happens today. Like a good politician, Absalom met with people and showed sympathy for their problems. He gradually increased his authority with people because he was a good politician. Then David’s sin with Bathsheba was exposed. You would think that God would certainly depart from David after such a diabolical sin. However, God has considerably more grace than people do, and He did not abandon David. He disciplined David because He loved him, but He would never leave him or forsake him.
Zadok was High Priest during Absalom’s rebellion. At the risk of his ministry and even his life, he picked up the Ark and followed David into what seemed like certain defeat. Even though “all Israel” was following Absalom, Zadok had the discernment to know that the anointing was still on David and that the Lord was still with David. So, he risked everything to follow the Lord. That is remarkable spiritual discernment and faith. It is the kind that is desperately needed in spiritual leadership in these times.
Centuries later, one of the greatest commendations of all time was given by the Lord to Zadok through Ezekiel the prophet. The Lord said that it would be the “sons of Zadok” who would be allowed to come near to Him to minister to Him personally (see Ezekiel 44:15-16). So who are the sons of Zadok today?
When the Pharisees told Jesus that they were free because they were sons of Abraham, Jesus replied that if they were children of Abraham, they would do the deeds of Abraham (see John 8:39-41). Likewise, the true sons of Zadok are those who do the deeds of Zadok—those who follow the Lord even when they are a minority or are alone, and even when it seems certain to cost them everything, maybe even their lives. We are in desperate need of “sons of Zadok” today.
