於2014-01-30發佈

大使命3

先知性的世界觀

大使命將會完成,這使命是去使萬國作門徒,而不是個人。要這麼做,我們必須瞭解時候。

我們可以在但以理書二章看見對時候最基本的啟示,當時尼布甲尼撒王夢見一個大像,代表不同時期人的國度。到最後,有一塊石頭打在這像的腳上,它開始碎掉,接著這石頭變成一坐大山,充滿天下。正如但以理所言,一塊小石頭打碎這像的腳:

當那列王在位的時候,天上的神必另立一國,永不敗壞,也不歸別國的人,卻要打碎滅絕那一切國,這國必存到永遠(但以理書2:44)。

瞭解此夢與其解釋是瞭解我們時候的關鍵,從歷史中我們知道此夢是如何正確地展開。現在我們正在人的國搖搖欲墜、開始倒塌的時候,神的國卻在同時成長。今年我們將更深入來看此將如何發生;當我們將世界觀建造在聖經確切的預言上,我們會對我們自己的時候有著更清楚的看見─接下來我們要期待什麼,以及我們在其中所要扮演的角色為何。

擁有如此的世界觀是成為門徒的根基;神賜給人瞭解世界事件的預言,是神子民很特別的遺產,並從起初就有。當以諾與主同行,他是亞當之後第一個這樣做的人,接著『他就說預言』。聖經中與主同行而說預言的人比比皆是,在歷史上也是如此。說預言是代表神說話,這是我們成為祂門徒的基本呼召─在世界代表祂與祂的信息。

正如我們曾談論過,主稱那些瞭解天氣勝過時候徵兆的人假冒為善。天氣是暫時的,聚焦在目前與即時的狀況固然重要,卻遠不及瞭解時候來得重要。正如哥林多前書二章10節告訴我們:『只有神藉著聖靈向我們顯明了,因為聖靈參透萬事,就是神深奧的事也參透了。』因此,一個被神的靈充滿的人不可能膚淺,所有被聖靈引導的人都會想要更深入瞭解。

瞭解神國度的根基,在於明白主耶穌來到地上是因為天父『深愛世人』(參考約翰福音3:16)。瞭解時候的根基,在於瞭解神對世人的愛,耶穌為世人死,因為祂愛他們。祂回來不是為了摧毀世界,而是為了拯救。倘若我們與祂連結,常在祂裡面,我們也會擁有這樣的愛。如此的愛會促使我們想要知道世界發生什麼事,我們可以做什麼來代表萬王之王,祂已救贖這世界,並且即將要拯救它。

因為神就是愛,世界的救贖與贖罪是基於祂的愛,我們只能透過祂對世界愛的眼光,才能瞭解祂的國度或祂要來的國度。此愛包括祂的審判,以及最終除去地上一切與祂的道路和國度對立的事物,但這樣做是出於祂的愛。神的愛是我們必須建造在瞭解神國度和時候的根基。

天國的福音是指帶來『好消息』,而不是壞消息的福音。我們將進入大災難的黑暗時期;然而就在其中,神將賜給世人未曾聽過的最好消息。去宣揚此大好消息是我們的呼召。

(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week 3, 2014)


A Prophetic Worldview - The Great Commission, Part 3
Week 3 
Rick Joyner

The Great Commission will be fulfilled. This commission is to make disciples of nations, not just individuals. To do this, we must understand the times.

One of the most basic revelations of the times is found in Daniel 2. This is when Nebuchadnezzar dreamt of the statue that represented all of man’s kingdoms through the ages. At the end, a stone struck the feet of this statue and it began to collapse. Then the stone grew into a mountain, and it kept growing until it filled the entire earth. As Daniel said of the little stone that struck this statue’s feet:

“In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever” (Daniel 2:44 NIV).

Understanding this dream and its interpretation is a key to understanding our times. We know through history how accurately this dream has unfolded. Now we are at the time when the kingdoms of men are tottering and beginning to collapse, while the kingdom of God is growing. This year we will look with increasing depth at how this is happening. As we build this worldview on the sure word of biblical prophecy, we will have an increasingly clear perspective of our own times—what we can expect next and what our part is in it.

To have such a worldview is fundamental to being a disciple. Prophecy, which gives God’s people an understanding of world events, is a special heritage of God’s people and has been from the beginning. When Enoch walked with God, the first to do so after Adam, “he prophesied.” A good case can be made that everyone who has walked with God in Scripture, and also in history, has prophesied. To prophesy is to speak for God, which is basic to our calling as His disciples—to represent Him and His message to the world.

As we have studied, the Lord called people hypocrites who understood the weather better than they understood the signs of the times. Weather is temporary. Focusing on current and immediate conditions can be important, but it is far less so than understanding the times. As we are told in I Corinthians 2:10, “the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God.” Therefore, no one who is filled with the Spirit will be shallow. All who are Spirit-led will be compelled to understand with depth.

Basic to understanding the kingdom is knowing that the Lord Jesus came to earth because the Father “so loved the world” (see John 3:16). Fundamental to understanding the times is to understand God’s love for the world. Jesus died for the whole world because He loved it. He is not coming back to destroy it, but to save it. If we are united with Him and abiding in Him, we too will have a love for the world. Such love compels us to know what is happening in the world and what we can do to represent the King who has redeemed it and will save it.

Because God is love and the atonement and redemption of the world was based on His love, we cannot understand His kingdom or its coming except through the eyes of His love for the world. This love includes His judgment and the ultimate removal from the earth of everything that is contrary to His ways and His kingdom, but this is done out of love. God’s love is the foundation on which we must build our understanding of the kingdom and the times.

The gospel of the kingdom is a gospel which means “good news,” not bad news. We are entering dark times of great trouble, yet in the midst of it, the world will be given the greatest news ever heard. To proclaim this good news is our calling.