我們作為守望者的呼召 3
當我們繼續研讀成為守望者的責任和方式，對如此重要的任務，我們必須發展一些技能，所有人都應該認真明白並且執行。守望者的技能也可以放大我們所做的一切，因為這些技能幫助我們更加警覺並專注於我們周遭所發生的事。
守望者的技能不只在「看守」時使用，更可以釋放我們的察覺和意識水平，這是我們應該一直開啟的，可以在我們所做的一切事上幫助我們。這些不單只是防禦性地尋找威脅，還可以把尋找這些事當作被主用來接觸有需要者的機會。
話雖如此，我們已經進入暴力的威脅幾乎隨時隨處都在發生的時候。當我們通過成為有效守望者的訓練，並且學習認出威脅，這實際上會讓我們擁有更大的平安和信心，因為我們不是面對一個模棱兩可的未知數，而是知道在尋找什麼，並知道如果威脅出現時我們可以看到。
良好訓練和裝備將使我們能更快進入超前部署的姿態，使我們投入狀況並取得控制，而不是顛倒過來。在威脅的狀況中被動，總是會把我們放在更危險的位子。完全投入和超前部署往往是一件我們可以去做最安全的事。以後我們會談到一些例外，但此原則通常是正確的。
基督徒應該在任何受威脅的情況下有其優勢，因為我們不應懼怕死亡，正如我們在希伯來書二章14-15節所看見的：
兒女既同有血肉之體，祂也照樣親自成了血肉之體，特要藉著死敗壞那掌死權的，就是魔鬼，並要釋放那些一生因怕死而為奴僕的人。
此陳述說不怕死可以敗壞魔鬼在我們身上的權勢，魔鬼藉著懼怕讓人在綑綁中，而懼怕死亡則是最大的恐懼，也是最大的綑綁。我們從懼怕死亡中得自由的程度，正是我們從綑綁中得自由的程度。靠著十架和復活的信心，我們要從此終極恐懼中得自由，還有從其他可能控制我們的恐懼中得自由，好讓我們是被神的靈所掌管。
我們仍懼怕死亡的程度是一個氣壓計，顯出我們有多不相信神或福音。相信基督教教義還不夠，如果我們的生命沒有改變，那些真實相信十架大能和復活應許的人，就不會懼怕死亡。當我們從此終極懼怕中得自由，我們便可以輕易地從其他綑綁的軛中得自由。
這即是何以使徒的福音是「本著耶穌，傳說死人復活」（使徒行傳4:2, 4:33, 17:18）。這是對他們靈魂極大的盼望和倚靠，使初代教會的聖徒面對威脅、逼迫，甚至為著耶穌之名的緣故面對死亡時毫不懼怕。他們不只是相信復活的教義，他們更將教義轉變為現實生活的真實信心。
我們若擁有在耶穌裡的真實信心，而不單是關於祂的教義，我們也會擁有關於復活的真實信心，而不只是關於復活的教義。因此，凡是擁有真實信心的人，將成為眾人中最無懼、最充滿勇氣的人。我們若沒有行在真實信心與其所帶來的終極勇氣中，那我們必須在這方面下功夫，就像我們在守望者技能上的努力一樣。事實上，在這些時候我們尋求做的每件事，最終都應該在各方面成長，連於元首基督。
(摘自喬納word for the week, Week 28, 2021)
Our Calling as Watchmen, Part 3
As we continue studying the duties and methods of being watchmen, there are skills we must develop for such an important task that we should all be very serious to know and to do. The skills of a watchman can also magnify everything that we do as they help us to be much more alert and focused on what is happening around us.
The skills of a watchman are not just for use while “on duty” as watchmen, but can release in us a level of perception and awareness that we should have turned on all of the time that can help us in all we do. These are not just for looking defensively for threats, but also looking for such things as opportunities to be used by the Lord to touch others in need.
This being said, we have entered a time when there is a threat of violence in almost every place and at any time. As we go through the training to be an effective watchman and we learn to recognize threats, it will actually allow us to have greater peace and confidence because we are not facing an ambiguous unknown, but know what we’re looking for, and know that we can see it if it appears.
To be well-trained and prepared will allow us to move more quickly into a posture that is proactive, enabling us to engage the situation and gain control over it rather than the other way around. Being passive in a threatened situation will almost always put us in a much more dangerous position. Being engaging and proactive is usually one of the safest things we can do. There are exceptions that we will cover, but this principle is generally true.
Christians should have an advantage in any threatened situation because we should have no fear of death, as we see in Hebrews 2:14-15:
“Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,
“and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives.”
This states that having no fear of death renders the devil powerless over us. The devil keeps people in bondage by fear, and the fear of death is the ultimate fear and the ultimate yoke of bondage. The degree to which we are free from the fear of death is the degree to which we are free from bondage. It is through faith in the cross and the resurrection that we are freed from this ultimate fear, and thereby every other fear that might control us so that we are controlled instead by the Spirit of God.
The degree to which we still fear death is a barometer that indicates how much we do not believe the gospel or trust God. It is not enough to believe a doctrine if it does not change our life. Those who really believe in the power of the cross, and the promise of the resurrection, will not fear death. When we are freed from the power of this ultimate fear, we can easily get free of every other yoke of bondage.
This is why the apostolic gospel was they “proclaimed Jesus and the resurrection from the dead” (Acts 4:2, 4:33, 17:18). This was the great hope and anchor for their souls that enabled the saints in the early church to be so fearless in the face of threats, persecution, and even death for the sake of His name. They did not just believe in a doctrine of the resurrection, they had true faith that turns doctrines into a reality in our life.
If we have true faith in Jesus, not just a doctrine about Him, we will also have true faith in the resurrection, not just a doctrine about it. Therefore, those who have the true faith will be the most fearless and courageous people of all. If we are not walking in the true faith, and the ultimate courage that it brings, then we must work on that as we work on our watchman skills. In fact, everything that we will seek to do in these times should be ultimately about growing up in every way into Him.
