基督教的正常狀態就是受逼迫，真正的基督教與真正的基督徒會在受逼迫的期間得著最大的躍進。然而，在美國與歐洲所發生的事，代表基督教的角色大大失去影響力，輕看並以福音為恥。這也推斷出日益上升的不法正拖著更多的靈魂進入毀滅。

所以，此悲劇的轉化怎麼會在西方世界發生呢？只有一個途徑─因為基督徒變得不冷不熱或保持中立。

在哥林多後書二章11節勸誡我們不要輕忽撒但的詭計，神的軍隊基本訓練的一部份在於學習仇敵的戰術，好使我們可以抵擋他們，並且勝過他們。因此，我們會花一些時間在此上，但先讓我們來學習一個神的策略。

記得少數激情者將支配多數中立者的原則，倘若有一小群的基督徒拋開他們的不冷不熱，再次熱情地愛上神，那將會開始影響並甦醒其他的基督徒。於是基督徒將再次成為充滿熱情的一群，他們是有影響力的，使他們再次成為被呼召的鹽和光。

愛是我們所擁有最強大的武器，先是對神的愛，倘若我們要照我們所應該的來愛人，我們一定要將愛神放在第一。因此，我們對神的愛是我們最有價值的寶藏。倘若它是我們最大的寶藏，我們會不惜一切代價來保護，並且會努力增加，超越一切事物。

現在我所說的，意謂著愛是我們所擁有的最強大武器。想一想：貫穿整個歷史，支配著中立百姓的激情都不是愛。所以，我們的武器並不一樣，我們的方式或策略並不一樣，我們的目標也不一樣。在哥林多後書五章14-15節我們讀到對此的總結：
原來基督的愛激勵我們；因我們想，一人既替眾人死，眾人就都死了； 並且祂替眾人死，是叫那些活著的人不再為自己活，乃為替他們死而復活的主活。

要評估在神的軍隊中我們在哪裡，還需要多少基本訓練，我們需要知道我們的愛、我們的思想、我們的行動與我們的時間，有多少是受基督的愛所激勵，相對有多少仍投注於追求貪婪、驕傲、憎恨等。

我們不應該如此關切得回我們生活中的政治影響勝過我們的熱情，失去熱情導致我們失去作為基督徒曾有的正面影響。我們必須重得愛火，我們必須重得起初的愛，並且不再失去它。

(摘自 喬納 word for the week,2008 #10)

The Army of God Mobilizes, Part 10
The normal state of Christianity is to be persecuted, and true Christianity and true Christians tend to make the greatest advances during times of persecution. However, what has been happening in the U.S. and Europe represents a dramatic loss of influence on the part of Christianity and the belittling and shaming of the gospel. This also computes to the growing lawlessness that is dragging an increasing number of souls into damnation.

So, how could this tragic transformation of the West happen? There is only one way—for Christians to become lukewarm or neutral.

We are exhorted in II Corinthians 2:11 not to be ignorant of the devil’s schemes. A part of our basic training in the army of God is to learn the tactics of the enemy so we can counter them and then prevail over them. Therefore, we will spend a little time on this, but there is one strategy of God that we want to learn first.

Remembering the principle that a few passionate people will control the multitudes that tend to be neutral, if just a tiny percentage of Christians cast off their lukewarmness and fall passionately in love with God again, it will begin to infect and wake up other Christians. Then the Christians will once again become the passionate ones whose influence is dominant, making them again the salt and light they are called to be.

Love is the most powerful weapon we have. This is love for God first, which must always be kept first if we are going to be able to love others as we should. Therefore, our love for God is our most valuable treasure. If it is our greatest treasure, it is something that we will protect at all costs and will try to increase above all things.

Now I said, and mean, that love is the most powerful weapon we have. Think of this: The majority of the passions that have controlled the neutral masses throughout history have been anything but love. They have been hatred, fear, racism, pride, greed—almost every human passion but love. So, our weapons are different, our methods or strategies are different, and our goals are different. To sum up all of these we read in II Corinthians 5:14-15:
For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, that they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.

To evaluate where we are and how much basic training we need to be in Gods army, we need to know just how much of our lives, our thoughts, our actions, and our time, are controlled by the love of Christ, as opposed to how much is still devoted to the pursuits of greed, pride, hatred, and so on.

We should not be so concerned about just getting political influence back as we should be about getting the passion back in our lives, the loss of which has caused us to lose the influence Christians once had for good. We must get the fire back. We must get our first love back and never lose it again.