於2014-04-25發佈

大使命15

先求祂的國

上週我們討論到教會與她所蒙召的樣式仍差很遠,但這也給予我們一個終極機會─我們是否可以開始有動力,真正加速主再來的日子?

記得我們曾提到唐波特(Don Potter)對婚禮的觀察(請參考大使命 2)?新娘在典禮開始前幾分鐘看起來還一團亂,突然間出現卻是如此完美,這真是一個偉大的神蹟。或許基督的新婦將會以同樣的方式呈現,有什麼比幫助新婦預備自己來得更重要,好讓我們的王擁有配得上祂的妻子?

光是活在這些時候已是很大的光榮了,所有古時的先知和義人都渴望看見這些日子來到,我們得以蒙召活在其中。最大的愚笨莫過於能活在這些時候卻沒有『看見』。

倘若我們想在委身教會以前先等著教會行動,我們將錯過一起行動的機會。倘若我們沒有與教會一起歷經預備的過程,我們將無法融入,而且遠遠不及。

為何有許多基督徒無法找到可以融入的肢體呢?對許多人,可能是大部分人而言,那是因為他們沒有在對的地理位置。倘若我們選擇住在哪裡,只因為那裡有最好的工作,是我們喜歡的地方,或是我們家人或其他關係所在,我們便有可能沒有在神旨意的地理位置。倘若我們做所有重大決定是先求祂的國,特別是住在哪裡,我們才能在神的旨意中並持守在神的旨意裡。

我們總要先尋求我們在神國度的目的,勝過其他的興趣。倘若我們並不是那樣做重大決定,我們便可能在那些事情上遠離神的旨意。要如何回到神的旨意呢?我們需要悔改並定意在做重大決定時將神的國放在首位。

這意味我們可能要搬家嗎?是有可能,搬家或改變工作,甚至換到比原來更小的工作,都比錯過我們在主裡的目的來得好。主應許我們若先求祂的國,祂會為我們看顧其餘的每件事。祂所做的任何事都好過我們,所以這是再好也不過的交易了。我認識許多沒有這樣做的人,反而搬到最佳工作地點,他們的工作或許做得很好,但他們生命中其餘的每件事都分崩離析。

魔鬼用試探主的相同方式來試探基督徒,似乎每一次主呼召人去做某件重大的事,魔鬼就在那裡給予非常誘人的機會,常常是工作或生意機會。有時甚至是更好的宣教機會,但那卻不是主呼召我們去做的事。

我曾有七年像這樣遠離我的目的,我從中學習許多,那時主繼續與我同在並且不斷教導我。我所得到的成功遠超過我所夢想的,卻過得很糟。當我悔改並將每一件事放在祭壇前,將我的生活回到主的旨意上,我失去了財富,幾乎失去我所擁有的一切,但我卻比那些年間過得更平安快樂。

神的旨意是我們唯一可以感到安全的地方,也是我們唯一能真正認識平安的地方。倘若我們要行在智慧裡,我們生命的主要追求將是行祂的旨意,遠超過對世界任何成就的追求。這並非意味我們不能得著世界偉大的成就,或有美好的事物,而是這世上最好的事物若與我們在基督裡的永恆目的相比,就顯得如此廉價與短暫。

倘若耶穌真是我們起初/首要的愛,我們主要的渴望便是看見祂有地方居住。大衛王說他不容他的眼睛睡覺,直到主有居所。他提到一個深切的真理─我們也無法經歷真實的安息,直到我們成為祂的居所。我們無法單獨來做,祂的居所是用『活石』所做成的殿,我們必須從隨意散在一地的一堆活石中,凝結在一起成為一個殿。

(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week15, 2014) 

 

His Kingdom First - The Great Commission, Part 15

Week 15, 2014
Rick Joyner

          Last week we discussed how the church is still so far from what it is called to be, and yet this also gives us an ultimate opportunity—could we begin a momentum that would actually hasten the coming of the day of the Lord?

         Remember Don Potter’s observation about weddings? It is a great miracle how the bride can look like such a disaster just minutes before the ceremony starts and then suddenly appear looking so perfectly beautiful. Maybe it will be that way with the bride of Christ. What is more important than helping the bride prepare herself so that our King has the wife He is worthy of?

         Just to live in these times is a great honor. All of the prophets and righteous ones of old just desired to see these days, and we have been called to live in them. Possibly the greatest folly of all would be to live in these days and not “see” them.

         If we are waiting for the church to get its act together before we commit to it, then we will miss out on it. If we do not go through the process with her to get ready, we will not fit in and will be left far behind.

         Why are so many Christians unable to find a body that they fit into? For many, and maybe most, it is because they are not in the right place geographically. If we chose the place where we are living because it is where the best job is, where we like the geography, or where our family or other relationships are, then we are likely not in the geographical will of God. We will only be in the will of God and stay in the will of God, if we make all major decisions, especially where we live by seeking the kingdom first.

         We are to always seek our purposes in the kingdom before any other interest. If that is not how we are making all of our major decisions, then we are likely out of the will of God in those things in which we did not do this. How do we get back into the will of God? We repent and resolve that we will not make any major decisions without putting the interests of the kingdom first.

         Does this mean that we might have to move? It could. It would be far better to move and change jobs, even going to a much lesser job, than to miss our purpose in God. The Lord promises that if we seek the kingdom first, He will take care of everything else for us. He can do everything much better than we can, so this is the best deal ever. I know many who did not do this, but instead moved to where the best job was. Their job may be going great, but everything else in their lives is falling apart.

         The devil tempts Christians the same way he tempted the Lord. It seems that every time the Lord calls a person to something significant, the devil is there to offer something very tempting, often a job or business opportunity. Sometimes it could even be a better ministry opportunity, but it is not the one the Lord has called us to.

         I was sidetracked from my purpose for seven years in this way. I learned much through it as the Lord continued to be with me and teach me the whole time. I became far more successful than I ever dreamed but was miserable the whole time. When I repented and laid everything on the altar to return to the Lord’s will for my life, I lost a fortune, almost everything I had, but was much happier and more peaceful than I had been in years.

         The only safe place we can ever be and the only place where we can truly know peace is the will of God. If we walk in any wisdom at all, then a chief pursuit of our lives will be to do His will, far above the pursuit of any worldly accomplishments or attainments. This does not mean that we cannot achieve great accomplishments in the world, or have nice things, but even the best things of this world are cheap and temporary compared to the eternal purpose we have in Christ.

         If Jesus is truly our first love, then one of our chief desires will be to see Him have a place to dwell. King David said that he could not sleep until the Lord had a place. He was touching on a profound truth—we too will never experience true rest until we become His dwelling place. We cannot do this alone. His dwelling place is a temple made of “living stones.” We must go from being piles of living stones thrown together randomly, to being cemented together into a temple.