最後之戰 3
雷克•喬納

本週我們將繼續深入研究《歷代志》第7章第14節中規定的耶和華醫治我們土地的四個要求中的第一個：我們要謙卑。正如我們將看到的，這一個因素可以在許多方面對我們的生活品質產生強有力的影響。

正如雅各書4:6所說："神阻擋驕傲的人，賜恩給謙卑的人"。神的恩典比任何地上的財寶都更有價值，所以我們必須考慮如果我們有神的恩典而不是祂的阻擋，我們的生活會有多大的不同。有多少我們歸咎於魔鬼的障礙和麻煩，其實是上帝派來抵制我們的使者，因為我們的驕傲？

正如耶穌所說："凡自高的必降為卑，自卑的必升為高"（路加福音18:14）。一心想要抬高自己的人都難逃被謙卑的命運，而神則應許要提拔那些為謙卑付出的人。我們因為驕傲而錯過了多少次神的提拔？如果有祂的恩典而不是祂的阻擋，我們還能取得多少成就？

我們可以謙卑的另一種方式是將我們的焦慮交託神，正如我們在彼得前書5:5-7中所讀到的：

因為神阻擋驕傲的人，賜恩給謙卑的人。
所以，你們要自卑，服在神大能的手下，到了時候他必叫你們升高。
你們要將一切的憂慮卸給神，因為他顧念你們。

焦慮是驕傲的最終形式，因為它暗示我們必須承擔問題的重量，因為我們比上帝更能處理它。把麻煩交給神是我們進入神的安息和平安的主要途徑。祂可能利用我們來解決問題，但我們與祂一起做，對祂來說沒有什麼是不可能的。我們知道全能的上帝正在處理我們的挑戰，怎麼可能沒有安息和平安呢？

我們與主相連的一個主要方式是與基督同釘十字架。羅馬書6:6告訴我們，我們的 "舊人"或舊性情已經與祂同釘十字架。只有那些仍然被他們的舊本性所控制的人才會生活在恐懼中。所有的恐懼都試圖控制我們，取代我們對神的信仰。最終的恐懼是對死亡的恐懼。那些受制於此的人一生都被束縛著（見希伯來書2:15），而那些已經與基督同釘十字架的人不再害怕死亡，因為他們已經在這個世界上死了。因此，我們都可以生活在安息和和平之中，這就是最終的自由。

一個死人不會害怕失敗或被拒絕，當然也不會強調要保持自己的身份。因此，那些過著被釘死的生活，也就是真正的門徒生活的人，是最自由的人。他們是經歷豐富生命的人。

試想一下，如果沒有恐懼或焦慮，我們的生活將是多麼豐富和美好。想一想，如果恐懼和憂慮不控制我們，我們可以做多少事情。如果你認為這是不自然的，你是對的。我們基督徒不是被呼召生活在自然中，而是生活在超自然中。

同樣地，耶穌來不是為了向我們展示上帝如何生活，而是要我們如何生活。如果我們願意和祂一起，每天背起我們的十字架，向這個世界死去，我們將過上最充實、最豐富的生活。如果我們願意奉獻自己成為祂的奴隸，並以此成為所有人的僕人，我們將成為世界上最自由的人。"因為，凡要救自己生命（生命：或作靈魂；下同）的，必喪掉生命；凡為我喪掉生命的，必得著生命。"（馬太福音16:25）。

The Last Battle, Part 3
Rick Joyner

We will continue this week digging down into the first of four requirements laid out in II Chronicles 7:14 for the Lord to heal our land: for us to humble ourselves. This one factor, as we will see, can have a powerful impact on our quality of life in many ways.

As stated in James 4:6, “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (NKJV). God’s grace is more valuable than any earthly treasure, so we must consider how different our lives would be if we had God’s grace instead of His resistance. How many obstacles and troubles that we attribute to the devil are really God’s messengers sent to resist us because of our pride?

As Jesus said, “Everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 18:14 NKJV). No one who is intent on exalting himself will escape being humbled, while God promises to promote those who give themselves to humility. How many of God’s promotions have we missed because of our pride? How much more could we have accomplished with His grace instead of His resistance?

Another way we can humble ourselves is by casting our anxieties on God, as we read in I Peter 5:5-7:

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
Therefore, humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,
casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you (NKJV).

Anxiety is an ultimate form of pride, because it implies we must carry the weight of a problem since we can handle it better than God. Trusting God with our troubles is one primary way we enter His rest and peace. He may use us to resolve problems, but we do it with Him for Whom nothing is impossible. How can we not have rest and peace knowing Almighty God is taking care of our challenges?

One primary way we are joined to the Lord is by being crucified with Christ. We are told in Romans 6:6 our “old man,” or old nature, has been crucified with Him. Only those still controlled by their old nature live in fear. All fear seeks to control us and replace our faith in God. The ultimate fear is the fear of death. Those who are subject to this are kept in bondage their whole lives (see Hebrews 2:15), while those who have been crucified with Christ no longer fear death because they are already dead to this world. Hereby we can all live in rest and peace, which is the ultimate liberty.

A dead person does not fear failure or rejection, and certainly does not stress to maintain their identity. Thus, those who live the crucified life, which is true discipleship, are the freest people of all. They are the ones who experience the abundant life.

Just think how rich and wonderful our lives would be without fear or anxiety. Just think how much more we could do if fear and worry did not control us. If you think that is unnatural, you are correct. We Christians are not called to live in the natural but in the supernatural.

Again, Jesus did not come to show us how God lives but how we are to live. If we will, with Him, take up our crosses daily and die to this world, we will live the fullest, most abundant lives. If we will give ourselves to be His slaves, and by this, servants of all, we will become the freest people on earth. “For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25 NKJV).