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雷克•喬納
2022.8.2
約翰一書3:8告訴我們，耶穌被派來 "消滅魔鬼的作為"。耶穌也為祂的門徒向天父祈禱："你怎樣差遣我到世界上去，我也怎樣差遣他們到世界上去"（約翰福音17:18）。因此，摧毀魔鬼的工作也是我們的任務。使徒行傳10:38解釋了耶穌是如何做到這一點的，這也是我們被呼召去做的："神怎樣以聖靈和能力膏拿撒勒人耶穌，這都是你們知道的。他周流四方，行善事，醫好凡被魔鬼壓制的人......" 當然，"行善事"包括傳揚天國的福音和不斷地教導。
當人們被神醫治或釋放時，看到他們的喜悅是如此美妙。被祂醫治是最偉大的經歷之一，不僅是解除苦難，而且知道神關心我們，觸摸我們。這可能是一種更偉大的心靈醫治。然而，與此同樣令人敬畏的是，被神使用來醫治或釋放某人可能是更大的喜樂。
我受到神的祝福，被允許完成我所有最大的夢想，成為飛行員，並在事奉中為神服事。我走遍世界，遇到並認識了世上最有趣和最成功的人。我有好的家庭，很親密。我的生活如此美好，我真的想不出有什麼人，不管是活著還是死了，我願意和他交換我的生活。我生命中的每一個十年都比前一個十年好，自從2014年我與主相遇後，每一年都比前一年好。我正在過著我所能想像的最偉大的冒險和最充實的生活，然而我沒有發現有什麼比被神使用來幫助有需要的人更令人興奮或充實的事情，無論是通過醫治、先知性的話語，還是主使用我們來感動人的無數其他方式。
主有許多奇妙的方式可以使用我們來"行善事"。當祂這樣做時，我們體驗到祂的愛通過我們。除了一些與祂相遇或預言的經歷，其他人類的經歷都比不上被神使用來做祂的工作。這也改變了我們。當我們學會住在祂裡面並被祂使用時，我們生命的果子會增加。
正如我們在福音書中看到的，許多醫治帶來釋放。耶穌給了門徒對付鬼的權柄。當祂派我們做祂的工時，這也是我們被賦予的基本權柄。這不就是為什麼主告訴門徒，祂走了對他們更好，這樣聖靈就可以來，通過他們生活和工作？所以，祂現在以一種比祂在這裡時更榮耀的方式與我們同在。因此，今天與祂同行應該比祂作為人在地上行走時更令人興奮。如果我們基督徒行走在全地不是那麼令人興奮，行走在全地可以是令人興奮而且應該是令人興奮的。
所有基督徒都沒有經歷過這種最偉大的冒險，原因之一是他們被告知神只用最成熟的領袖來做這種事。這不是真的。基督的每一個真正的門徒都有這種權柄。成熟並不是必需的。然而，對祂的權柄的信心是需要的。在路加福音第10章，主派祂的門徒去醫治病人，趕鬼，並傳揚國度。在路加福音第11章中，門徒們要求耶穌教他們禱告。所以，在教他們禱告之前，他們就得到醫治、趕鬼和傳揚祂的國度福音的權柄！
我們可能會想，如果門徒們還不知道如何禱告，他們是如何為人們祈求醫治的。但如果他們跟隨耶穌的榜樣，他們就沒有禱告。他們只是在主的權柄下命令人們得到醫治或命令鬼離開。當祂派我們在祂的權柄下做祂的工作時，祂就會做這些工作。我們有這個權柄不是因為我們有神學院的學位、成熟度、智慧或公義。我們有這個權柄是因為我們是祂的身體，祂的聖殿，祂住在裡面，並通過它來彰顯祂自己。這就是為什麼我們被稱作是祂的門徒。
問題不是我們是否有權柄做這些工作，而是我們是否是祂的門徒。跟隨耶穌的眾人相信祂和祂的工作，但實際上並沒有成為祂的門徒。相信祂並不能使我們成為門徒。成為祂的追隨者很好，有很多好處，但成為祂的門徒要好得多。
在以色列，成為偉大教師的門徒被認為是最高的榮譽和最大的承諾。要成為門徒，必須放棄其他所有的奉獻，把自己完全交給老師。大多數老師要求他們的弟子單身，因為他們的生活中不允許有任何可能分散他們注意力的事物。我們是否更應該一心一意地成為神之子的門徒？
耶穌是如何描述我們成為祂的門徒的應許的？如果我們讀了耶穌對門徒的定義，我們可能會認為我們從未見過門徒。然而，大使命是要使人成為門徒，而不僅僅是信徒。真正的門徒是罕見的，任何有此願望並願意遵守祂的要求的人都可能開始為最偉大的事業進行今生最大的冒險。
我們將在未來幾週內介紹更多這方面的內容。
Choices, Part 11
Rick Joyner
We are told in I John 3:8 Jesus was sent to “destroy the works of the devil.”Jesus also prayed to the Father concerning His disciples: “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world” (John 17:18). So, it is also our assignment to destroy the works of the devil. Acts 10:38 explains how Jesus did this, which is how we are called to do it: “God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil…” Of course, “doing good” included preaching the gospel of the kingdom and continually teaching.
It is so wonderful to see people’s joy when they are healed or set free by God. To be healed by Him is one of the greatest experiences, not only to be relieved of the affliction but also to know God cares enough to touch us. This can be an even greater healing of the heart. Yet as awesome as this is, to be used by God to heal or deliver someone can be an even greater joy.
I am blessed by God to have been allowed to accomplish all my biggest dreams to be a pilot and to serve Him in ministry. I have traveled the world and met and have known some of the world’s most interesting and successful people. I have a great family that is close. My life has been so good, I really can’t think of anyone, living or dead, with whom I would trade my life. Every decade of my life has been better than the previous, and since the encounter I had with the Lord in 2014, every year has been better than the previous. I am living the greatest adventure and most fulfilling life I could imagine, yet I have not found anything more exciting or fulfilling than to be used by God to help someone in need, whether by healing, a prophetic word, or the myriad of other ways the Lord uses us to touch people.
There are so many wonderful ways the Lord can use us to “do good.” When He does, we experience His love passing through us. Except for some encounters or prophetic experiences with Him, no other human experience compares to being used by God to do His works. This also changes us. As we learn to abide in Him and be used by Him, the fruit of our life increases.
As we see in the Gospels, many healings are deliverances. Jesus gave His disciples authority over demons. This is a basic authority we too are given when He sends us to do His works. Isn’t that why the Lord told His disciples it was better for them that He went away, so the Holy Spirit could come and live and work through them? So, He is now with us in an even more glorious way than when He was here physically. So, walking with Him today should be even more exciting than when He walked the earth as a man. If our Christian walk is not that exciting, it can and should be.
One reason all Christians do not experience this greatest of all adventures is they have been told God only uses the most mature leaders in this way. That is not true. Every true disciple of Christ has this authority. Maturity is not required. However, faith in His authority is. In Luke 10, the Lord sent His disciples to heal the sick, cast out demons, and preach the kingdom. In Luke 11, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray. So, they were given authority to heal, cast out demons, and preach the gospel of His kingdom before they were taught how to pray!
We may wonder how the disciples prayed for people to be healed if they did not yet know how to pray. But if they followed Jesus’ example, they didn’t pray. They simply commanded people to be healed or commanded demons to leave in the Lord’s authority. He does the works when He sends us in His authority to do His work. We don’t have this authority because we have a seminary degree, maturity, wisdom, or righteousness. We have this authority because we are His body, His temple, which He abides in and manifests Himself through. That is why we are called to be His disciples.
The question is not whether we have authority to do these works but whether we are His disciples. The multitudes that followed Jesus believed in Him and His works but did not actually become His disciples. Believing in Him does not make us disciples. Being followers of Him is wonderful and has many benefits, but being His disciple is far better.
To be a disciple of any great teacher in Israel was considered the highest honor and greatest commitment one could have. To be a disciple one had to abandon every other devotion and give themselves completely to their teacher. Most teachers required their disciples to be single since they were not allowed to have anything in their lives that could distract them. How much more ought we be single-minded to become a disciple of God’s Son?
How did Jesus describe our commitment to be His disciples? If we read Jesus’ definition of a disciple, we might think we have never met one. Yet the Great Commission is to make disciples, not just believers. True disciples are rare, and anyone who desires this and is willing to comply with His requirements may begin to live the greatest adventure in this life for the greatest cause.
We will cover more of this in the coming weeks.
