真理將戰勝—美國遺產概要36　 

當我們晚上拉開窗簾，黑暗不會籠罩我們的房子─光會照進黑暗中。光比黑暗強大，最終總會勝過黑暗。正如光是真理的隱喻，我們可以確定，真理最終同樣也會戰勝。

因此，似乎邪惡在世上佔優勢，人們寧可相信謊言而不信真理。那是因為「全世界都臥在那惡者手下」（約翰一書5:19），耶穌稱撒但這惡者為「說謊之人的父」（約翰福音8:44）。即便如此，從創世記就應允新的日子將臨到，是新的時代，耶穌這位「真理」將要回來，奪回這世界的權柄。

聖經預言描述，在神的國降臨前的時候就像「挪亞的日子」（參考馬太福音24:37），那時人心的意念和意圖充滿邪惡。耶穌說當我們看見這樣的事再次發生，就像挪亞的日子，我們應當仰望神並歡喜快樂！我們要如何在這樣的黑暗中歡喜快樂呢？

尼希米記八章10節告訴我們：「靠耶和華而得的喜樂是你們的力量。」我們絕不要失去在主裡的喜樂，這喜樂是深植在祂終將戰勝一切邪惡的信心裡。因為哪裡有得勝，那裡就一定有戰役。這喜樂也透過聖經給予我們盼望，當形勢對祂最不利時，也是祂喜愛展現出最偉大的工作。在此最大的衝突中，我們將看見祂最偉大的工作。

我們需要對神的終極信心，才能在環境看起來黑暗籠罩，喜樂減少時仍舊相信。最黑暗的時候，將是展現終極信心與信靠主的最佳時刻。因為聖經說我們的受造是出於祂的喜悅，沒有信心是無法討神喜悅的，我們應當視此為取悅神的最好時候。

耶穌和門徒預言大逼迫會臨到世上，就像婦人經歷生產之痛一樣。地上正在經歷生產，要生出主的日子，主自己將掌管世界並從墮落的後果中來復興全地。正如生孩子的陣痛可能忽然開始，但隨著陣痛增強，也越接近生產，我們可以看見此模式現在也正在展開。在帖撒羅尼迦前書五章1-6節給予我們關於這些時候的重要勸誡：

弟兄們，論到時候、日期，不用寫信給你們；

因為你們自己明明曉得，主的日子來到，好像夜間的賊一樣。

人正說平安穩妥的時候，災禍忽然臨到他們，如同產難臨到懷胎的婦人一樣。他們絕不能逃脫。

弟兄們，你們卻不在黑暗裡，叫那日子臨到你們像賊一樣。

你們都是光明之子，都是白晝之子。我們不是屬黑夜的，也不是屬幽暗的。

所以我們不要睡覺像別人一樣，總要警醒謹守。 

我們擁有預言的確據，例如上述的預言，我們現在可以知道並行在要來時候更大的光中。更大的光就是神的兒子主耶穌，當我們跟隨祂，我們也會成為光的器皿，像祂一樣戰勝黑暗。 

我們被告知為主和祂的國度預備道路的主要方式，就是帶門徒，而不單是帶人信主，對象是萬民萬國，而不單是個人。當然，這就是所謂的「大使命」，這是我們所能擁有的最大使命，沒有其他成就能與其相比。 

自從主耶穌頒佈大使命以來，沒有一個國家成為比美國更大的基督門徒，遵行祂的教導與道路。這並不意味我們是完美的門徒，就像古老以色列尋求神又遠離神的歷史循環，我們也可以在美國與主的關係上看見如此的循環。身為一個國家，美國時而遠離神，時而不冷不熱，時而轉向黑暗而沒有來就真光。每一次我們都因叛教而被管教，付上昂貴代價，然後再轉向主。這是我們現在可以為個人、家庭和國家所做最重要之事。 

耶穌警告以色列一些最公義的城市，當審判的日子，所多瑪所受的比他們還容易。為什麼呢？正如耶穌所解釋的，因為在他們中間的光若照在所多瑪，所多瑪早已悔改了。這表明從主來的審判或管教程度，不是依據一個國家墮落的邪惡程度，而是依據拒絕光的程度。 

美國被賜予多少的光？我們最近離光有多遠？我們現在面臨多嚴重的危機是因為此？在新約翻譯「審判」的其中一個字，是「危機」這個字的字根並非偶然。聖經中有許多種類的審判，只有一種是定罪，只有一種是毀滅。其他都是神對所愛之人的管教，正如我們在希伯來書十二章5-8節所看到的： 

你們又忘了那勸你們如同勸兒子的話，說：我兒，你不可輕看主的管教，被祂責備的時候也不可灰心；

因為主所愛的，祂必管教，又鞭打凡所收納的兒子。

你們所忍受的，是神管教你們，待你們如同待兒子。焉有兒子不被父親管教的呢？

管教原是眾子所共受的，你們若不受管教，就是私子，不是兒子了。 

人們常把管教當作拒絕；它不是拒絕，反而是神仍愛我們的象徵。因此，神若停止管教了，我們反而才要擔心。讓我們在這些時候定意不失去在主裡的喜樂，無論祂所允許的管教是什麼，都是為我們好，應當歡喜快樂，我們被呼召活在如此充滿挑戰的時刻，正是主愛我們如同兒子的象徵。 

那光是真光，照亮一切生在世上的人。

他在世界，世界也是藉著他造的，世界卻不認識他。

他到自己的地方來，自己的人倒不接待他。

凡接待他的，就是信他名的人，他就賜他們權柄，作神的兒女。

這等人不是從血氣生的，不是從情慾生的，也不是從人意生的，乃是從神生的。（約翰福音1:9-13） 

 (摘自喬納word for the week, Week 36, 2020)

 

Truth Will Prevail—Heritage Brief 36

When we open our shades at night, darkness does not pour into our house—the light shines out into the darkness. Light is stronger than darkness and will always ultimately prevail over it. As light is a metaphor for truth, we can be sure that likewise the truth will always ultimately prevail.

     So, in the world it will seem that evil is prevailing and people prefer to believe lies rather than the truth. That is because in this age “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (see I John 5:19), who Jesus called Satan “the father of lies” (see John 8:44). Even so, from Genesis on there is a promise of a new day coming, a new age, in which Jesus who is “The Truth” will return and take authority over this world.

     Biblical prophecies describe the time immediately preceding the coming kingdom as being “like the days of Noah” (see Matthew 24:7) when the thoughts and intents of men’s hearts were continually evil. Jesus said when we see this happening again, like in Noah’s time, we should look up and rejoice! How are we to rejoice in the midst of such darkness? 

     We are told in Nehemiah 8:10 that “the joy of The Lord is your strength.” We must never lose our joy in The Lord, which is rooted in the faith that He will ultimately prevail over all evil. For there to be a victory there must be a battle. It is also through the hope given to us in The Scriptures that The Lord loves to perform His greatest works when the odds against Him are the greatest. In this greatest conflict we will see His greatest works.

     It requires ultimate faith in God to believe when it looks like the darkness is prevailing, much less rejoice. This ultimate time of darkness will be the greatest time there will ever be to display ultimate faith and trust in Him. Because Scripture says that we were created for His pleasure, and without faith it is impossible to please Him, we should see this as the greatest time there will ever be to bring Him pleasure. 

     Jesus and the apostles prophesied that this great tribulation would come upon the world like travail upon a woman in labor. The earth is in labor to give birth to the Day of the Lord, the age in which He Himself will rule over the world and restore it from all of the consequences of the Fall. Just as the travail of childbirth may begin suddenly, but it comes in waves that become stronger and more frequent the closer you get to the birth, we can see this pattern in what is now unfolding. In I Thessalonians 5:1-6 we are given an important exhortation about these times:

     Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.

     For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.

     While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape. 

     But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief; 

     for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness; 

     so then let us not sleep as others do, but let us be alert and sober. 

     We are assured by prophecies, such as the one above that we can know and walk in that greater light of the age to come, now. That Greater Light is The Son, and as we follow Him we too become vessels of The Light that overcomes darkness just as He did. 

     The primary way we are told to prepare the way for The Lord and His kingdom is to make disciples, not just converts, and of nations, not just individuals. This is called “The Great Commission” of course. This is the greatest commission that we can have, and no other accomplishment will compare to those who have been successful in fulfilling this one.

     Since The Great Commission was given, no nation has ever been a greater disciple of Christ than America, adhering to His teachings and ways. This is not to imply that we have been perfect disciples. Like the cycles of seeking God and then drifting from Him were the history of ancient Israel, we can see such cycles in America’s relationship to The Lord. As a nation, America has at times drifted from God, been lukewarm, and turned to darkness rather than The Light. Each time we have paid a dear price for our apostacy with discipline, and we returned to Him. This is the most important thing we can do now for ourselves, our families, and our country.

     Jesus warned some of the most righteous cities in Israel that Sodom would have it easier in the judgment than they would. Why? As Jesus explained, if the light Israel was then rejecting had been shown in Sodom, Sodom would have repented. This indicates that the severity of judgment, or discipline from The Lord, is not based so much on the degree of evil a nation has fallen into as it is the degree of light that it has rejected. 

     How much light has America been given? How much have we drifted from it in recent times? How much more severe are the crises we are now facing because of it? It is no accident that one of the words translated “judgment” in The New Testament is the root word that we derive our word “crisis” from. 

     There are many kinds of judgment in Scripture, and only one of them is condemnation, and only one is destruction. All of the rest are discipline for those whom The Lord loves, as we see in Hebrews 12:5-8:

     “MY SON, DO NOT REGARD LIGHTLY THE DISCIPLINE OF THE LORD, NOR FAINT WHEN YOU ARE REPROVED BY HIM; 

     FOR THOSE WHOM THE LORD LOVES HE DISCIPLINES...” 

     It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 

     But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.

     People often take discipline as rejection. It is not rejection, but is actually a sign that God still loves us. Therefore, we should be more concerned if the judgment of God stops. Let us resolve that through these times we will not lose our joy in The Lord, rejoicing in whatever discipline He has allowed for our good, and that we have been called to live in such challenging times is a sign that He loves us as sons.  

     There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 

     He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 

     He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 

     But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 

     who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:9-13).