身為基督肢體的成員，我們必須下決心來認識神的話，我們不跟隨或容忍那些不知道或不擁護神的話之領袖。

美國第二次革命／內戰 24 

在越來越多混亂和失序的時候，我們找到安穩與秩序的兩個主要方式：像基督徒一般繫住於聖經，像公民一般繫住於憲法。凡是將房子建造在磐石上、在要來的風暴中存活的人就是知道神的話並行出來的人。同樣地，要將穩定帶回政府部門，我們必須知道憲法上寫的話並且擁護憲法。

那些今日被選上或被指派成為政府部門領袖的人，不太清楚憲法在說什麼，甚至不太在乎。他們多半致力於個人的政治野心或議程，盡可能的扭曲或忽視憲法為要成就自己的議程。在聖經中，這樣的景況被稱為『不冷不熱』，這是在末世警告我們將面對的主要邪惡之一。

那我們能做什麼呢？身為基督肢體的成員，我們必須下決心來認識神的話，我們不跟隨或容忍那些不知道或不擁護神的話之領袖。身為公民，我們必須定意不再選那些不委身憲法如同最高法律的人。這些是基本原則。

讓我們繼續談前幾週的主題，關於孩子如何學習用怒氣操縱並掌控他人，倘若不去修正，邪惡將隨著他們的年紀壯大。當他們長大，利害關係會更多、危險也會隨之增加。歷史充斥著看重議程高過法律的腐敗例子是如何在政府內部成長，當它被允許在我們政府取得進一步進展時，對國家的後果將更具破壞性。最終的結果不是無政府的混亂就是暴政，當不法變得更加無法容忍時，多數國家會選擇極權主義。

心理學家曾以為那些沒受過紀律、乃是以規勸管教的孩子，長大後最能抵抗暴政。然而，他們震驚發現結果剛好相反。當孩子成熟時，他們是如此渴望紀律所帶來的秩序，以致於會被最有權柄的人吸引。所以，這並不是我們防止暴政的方式，反而讓人們想要擁有它。這即是何以學校權柄的崩盤導致越來越多的不法，同時不法也在尋求權力掌控。

當然，那些受到施虐父母或其他掌控權柄所支配的人，會被比較軟弱、不具威脅性的權柄吸引。他們來自施虐權柄的創傷，會讓任何最有智慧的權柄看起來都像在掌控，因此也遭到最充滿愛、平衡的權柄所拒絕。

我們沒有時間去探索心理學上的嚴重錯誤是如何成為今日病態社會的根源，但我的重點是連最偉大的領袖都可能碰見人們的極端反應，這並不是領袖的錯。要醫治懂得用暴怒行為來操縱或掌控周遭的人並不容易；同樣地，要醫治被權柄虐待的人也不容易。要醫治整個族群更令人望之卻步。

這是在我們面前的挑戰，超越任何領袖能力所及。我們所面對的完全不可能修復，超過人類的補救方法，因此我們需要神來醫治我們的土地。我們必須轉向祂，也必須謹記在心：在祂沒有難成的事。

紀律幫助我們發展內在的指引和秩序；沒有紀律，受到善變領袖所支配便成為內心深處不和與沮喪的處方，引致恐慌攻擊與其他極端疾病。來自穩定良好的家庭若失去合適、平衡的管教，他們可能會有不法與殘忍的暴怒行為而不自知。同樣地，人們可以在整體上有良好的物質，若沒有清楚內在與外在的引導，容易產生深層黑暗與沮喪，這為一個國家帶來極端的社會問題。

現在我們正面對此─而且持續上升中─我們必須謹記在心：不法的答案不是律法主義，律法主義的答案也不是不法。在生命道路兩旁各有一條壕溝，一邊是律法主義，另一邊是不法。我們必須停留在壕溝之間，我們這樣做的方式之一，就是倘若我們在權柄的位子上，我們第一次說『是』就是『是』，『不是』就是『不是』，每一次也都要如此。

宇宙間的非凡秩序來自『祂大能的話語』，祂是宇宙間的穩定力量，因為祂的話可靠從不落空。祂總是說到做到並且應驗祂的承諾，我們被呼召像祂一樣，因此我們也必須說到做到，我們必須真實看待我們的話。凡是將房子建造在磐石上的人，當洪水臨到時，他們將站立得住，還可以將許多人從水中拉出來。

(摘自喬納word for the week, Week24, 2019)
 

The Second American Revolutionary/Civil War, Part 24

Two primary ways we will find stability and order in these times of increasing chaos and disorder will be our moorings to The Scriptures as Christians and to our Constitution as citizens. Those who build their house upon The Rock and survive the coming storms will be those who know the Word and do it. Likewise, to bring stability back to our government, we must know the words of our Constitution and adhere to them.

     Those who find themselves elected to an office, or appointed to leadership today, tend to know little about what the Constitution says, or even care about this. Most are now more devoted to their own political ambitions or agenda and tend to be willing to bend or ignore the Constitution as much as is necessary to accomplish their agenda. In Scripture, this condition is called “lawlessness.” It is one of the main evils that we are warned we will face at the end of the age.

     So, what can we do about it? As members of the body of Christ, we must determine that we will know The Word of God, and that we will not follow or tolerate leaders who do not know or adhere to it. As citizens we must resolve that we will not continue to elect anyone who is not committed to the Constitution as the Supreme Law of the Land and adhere to it. These are basics.

     Continuing the theme from a few weeks ago about how a child learns that it can manipulate and control others with their rage, this evil will grow with their age if not corrected. As they grow, the stakes will get higher and the dangers increase. History is full of examples of how this same kind of corruption of esteeming agendas above law grows in governments. The further it has been allowed to progress in our government, the more devastating the consequences will be for the nation. The ultimate result will be either the chaos of anarchy or totalitarianism. As lawlessness gets more intolerable, most nations have chosen totalitarianism.

     Psychologists once thought children that were not disciplined but rather reasoned with would grow up to be the most resistant to tyranny. However, they were shocked to find that the reverse was true. As the children matured, they so hungered for the order of discipline that they were drawn to those who were the most authoritarian. So, this is not how we prevent tyranny, but rather condition people to want it. This is why the breakdown of authority in schools has led to increasing lawlessness, and at the same time, a tendency for the lawless to seek authoritarian control.

     Of course, those subject to abusive parents or other domineering authorities have been drawn to weaker, less threatening authority. Their wounds from abusive authority can make almost any exercise of the wisest authority seem controlling, and so they can be repelled by even the most loving, balanced authority.

     We don’t have time to dig into how some seriously flawed psychology is at the root of much of society’s ills today, but my point is that even the greatest leadership can still be met with extreme reactions from people, and it is not the fault of the leaders. To heal a person who has learned to manipulate and control those around them with outrageous behavior is no small thing. Likewise, to heal a person who has been abused by authority is no small thing. To heal an entire population is obviously far more daunting.

     That is the challenge before us. It is beyond what any mere human leader to do. All that we are facing is not possible for us to fix. It is beyond human remedy, so we need God for the healing of our land. We must turn to Him, and we must keep in mind that nothing is impossible for Him. 

     Discipline helps us to develop internal guidelines and order. Not having discipline, and then being subject to whimsical and capricious leaders, is the recipe for deep internal discord and depression. This leads to such things as panic attacks and other extreme maladies. Children can come from very stable and well off families, but without proper, balanced discipline, they can be capable of outrageous acts of lawlessness and cruelty and seem to have little or no conscience about it. Likewise, populations can be well off in material things but be prone to deep darkness and depression without clear guidelines, both within and without. This leads to extreme social problems in a nation.

     Now that we are facing this—and it is increasing continually—we must keep in mind that the answer to lawlessness is not legalism, and the answer to legalism is not lawlessness. There is a ditch on either side of the path of life. The ditch on one side is legalism. The ditch on the other is lawlessness. We must stay between the ditches. One way we do this if we are in a place of authority is for our “yes” to mean “yes” and “no” to mean “no” the first time we say it, and every time we say it.

     The remarkable order in the universe is the result of it being upheld by the “word of His power.” He is the stability of the universe because His word is dependable and never, ever fails. He always means what He says and fulfills His promises. We are called to be like Him, and so we too must have words that are true, and we must be true to our words. Those who are will have built their houses on The Rock. When the floods come they will stand and will be able to pull many others out.