於2016-08-18發佈


主題:在你接受一件外袍前,了解神所期待的
日期:2016年8月12日
作者: Kris Vallotton
來源:TOD

當神任命領導人,如祂對約書亞所做的,祂對他們釋放了外袍。這些外袍給了他們超自然的能力來完成自己的使命。

不同於神的恩賜和呼召這些是留在一個人的生命中的,外袍卻是留在使命中,而不是跟著男人或女人走。例如,任何能夠成為美國總統的人必須非常有天賦。一個人不會沒有這種資格就能夠擔任我們這土地上最高的職任。

而在就職日,在屬靈的界域裡有強大的事情發生;從天堂賜下一個總統的外袍給那個人。神從來不會給予一個人任務卻沒有給他(她)來完成的能力。 

角色和恩賜

神自己在宇宙中建立一切的權柄;因此,在這個星球上每一個領導者的角色都是神所命的(羅13:1)。總統的外袍給予這些領導者才幹能用超越人類的能力來帶領我們的國家。然而,當他們的任期結束離開白宮,這件外袍留在這使命裡,好讓它可以被傳遞給下一任總統。但他們的領導恩賜和呼召是跟著他們的。

約書亞是一個外袍如何提升一個人的能力來執行他或她的任務的很好的例子。在約書亞領受到自己的外袍之前,他得以體驗到那臨到摩西肩膀上的外袍所造成的影響。我們發現在出埃及記17章裡最引入注目的例子之一,就是摩西任命約書亞帶領士兵下到山谷去攻打亞瑪力人的故事。

在這場戰鬥中,摩西上山舉起雙手。當摩西累了,垂下了手臂,約書亞就開始敗退。當摩西舉起他的手臂,約書亞就得勝。對以色列的領導階層而言,很明顯的約書亞的勝利是直接與摩西舉起雙手與否息息相關,所以他們把領導者放在摩西的兩邊以幫助支撐他的胳膊,直到約書亞贏得戰鬥,打敗亞瑪力人(出17:8-13 )。 

真實的屬靈權柄

如果我們不知道如何識別和將自己對齊真正的屬靈權柄之下,我們可以建立規模較大的軍隊,發展更好的戰略,購買更強大的武器,但我們還是會輸。它只是從來沒有發生在我們身上,如果我們支持(尊榮)我們的領袖,我們就將會繼承他們的勝利。然而,在一個使徒的職任中,這是領導層被設計要如何來運作的。領導者和那些追隨他們的人們之間的尊榮創建了一個關係,領導人的天花板會變成追隨者的地板。

對於這個主題若欲獲得更多的了解,請在此網站heavyrainbook.com,參考修訂的新版本:Heavy Rain: How to Flood Your World with God's Transforming Power。



Before You Accept a Mantle, Understand What God Expects
2:00PM EDT 8/12/2016
KRIS VALLOTTON

When God commissions leaders, as He did with Joshua, He releases mantles over them. These mantles give them the supernatural ability to complete their mission.

Unlike the gifts and calls of God that remain on a person for life, a mantle stays with the mission, not with the man or woman. For example, anyone who becomes president of the United States must be very gifted. A person does not rise to the highest office in our land without that qualification.

But on Inauguration Day, something powerful takes place in the spirit realm; a presidential mantle from heaven is given to that person. God never grants someone an assignment without giving him or her the ability to complete it.

Role vs. Gift

God Himself establishes all authority in the universe; therefore, every leadership role on the planet is a mission from God (Rom. 13:1). The presidential mantle gives these leaders the capacity to direct our country beyond their human ability. When their term is over and they leave the White House, however, the mantle stays with the mission so it can be passed on to the next president. But their leadership gifts and calling remain with them.

Joshua is a great example of how mantles enhance a person ability to carry out his or her mission. Before Joshua ever received his own mantle, he had the chance to experience the effects of the mantle that rested on the shoulders of Moses. We find one of the most striking examples of this in Exodus 17, the story of Moses commissioning Joshua to take his soldiers and go down in the valley to fight Amalek.

During the battle, Moses went up on the mountain and held up his hands. When Moses got tired and dropped his arms, Joshua began to lose the battle. When Moses lifted up his arms, Joshua won. It became clear to the Israelite leadership that Joshua's victory was directly related to Moses raising his hands, so they put a leader on each side of Moses to help support his arms until Joshua won the battle and defeated Amalek (Ex. 17:8-13).

True Spiritual Authority

If we don't understand how to recognize and align ourselves under true spiritual authority, we may build bigger armies, develop better strategies and buy more powerful weapons, but we will still lose. It just never occurs to us that if we support (honor) our leaders, we will inherit their victories. Yet this is how leadership is designed to work in an apostleship. The honor between leaders and those who follow them creates a relationship in which the leaders' ceiling becomes the followers' floor.

For more on this subject, check out the revised and updated edition of Heavy Rain: How to Flood Your World with God's Transforming Power at heavyrainbook.com.

Have you had the experience of receiving a mantle for a particular mission? Tell me about it in the comments below