於2009-08-21發佈
上週我們簡短討論到在美國所發生的毀壞現象,是照著神對一個國家審判的明確模式;然而,我們必須謹記在心:在聖經中神的審判有不同的類型,其中只有一種帶著定罪與毀滅。神的審判是祂的管教,凡祂所愛的,祂都管教。發生在我們身上最糟的事莫過於走偏了路,神卻不審判我們。我們需要將我們目前的困難視為主回應禱告的結果,好使我們的國家回轉向主。

然而,正如你可能聽我說過,我的哲學是『一分耕耘(痛苦)、一分收穫』(No pain, no gain)。我不喜歡痛苦,想要遠離痛苦,盡可能越小越好。我們可以自己跌在磐石上碎了,否則祂必須跌在我們身上,我們便會被碾碎如粉末。祂也說我們可以審判自己,免得我們被審判(參考馬太福音7:1),倘若我們願意自己審判自己,祂就不需要這樣做。我寧可自我審判!

最近我受邀為一位知名基督徒領袖的新書背書,我堅持徹底讀完我所背書的每一件事(這即是為何我不常背書),但我非常期待閱讀這位我所敬重之人的新書,而且我一點也不失望。書中的深度與清澈度在最近的基督教叢書中並不多見,後來當我讀到神的審判那一章,我卻對內容的膚淺與不符聖經感到詫異,其立場幾乎全然以理想的人類推論為基礎。

在加州北嶺地震中發現其震央直接在色情製片場的下面,令人詫異的是,在加州大部分基督徒竟一口同聲說這地震並不是神的審判。他們對此陳述的論據完全沒有包含任何聖經經文,而是合理推論那不可能是神的審判,因為有許多基督徒也在此地震中受害。在卡翠娜颶風發生之後我也聽過同樣的說法,可是此暴風的信息卻是如此清楚,卡翠娜的意思是『潔淨』,此暴風在墮落遊行那日略過佛羅里達的西礁島(Key West),卻在『墮落日』遊行前正中紐澳良。

毫無疑問,許多基督徒在這兩個從天上來的鳴槍示警中受苦,但那總是神審判一個國家的情況,在聖經中我們看見,甚至連宣告審判的先知都在當中受苦,例如耶利米的一生,甚至以利亞。你認為在以色列宣告乾旱後,好幾個月坐在曠野的小溪旁很有趣嗎?甚至後來連水源都乾枯了。義人羅得又如何呢?雖然他與家人逃脫了,他卻失去他所擁有的一切。

我們需要思考主說審判要從祂的家開始的意思(參考彼得前書4:17)。研究顯示目前有一半的男性基督徒與越來越多的女性基督徒沈迷於色情 ─ 或許基督徒也在這些災害中受苦的事實正是信息的一部份。要記得,這是神愛的記號,而不是定罪。即便如此,倘若全然公義與聖潔的基督徒在其中受苦,這也是預期中的事。在聖經中是有一些像歌珊地的例子,當時主並沒有讓審判臨到祂的子民,但這是例外。大部分時候主顯然要祂的子民,甚至祂的使者,為著信息的緣故來經歷世界所經歷的,這基本上就是為何主成為人的原因了。

我聽到一些國外的基督徒領袖納悶,為何那些在加州的基督徒無法瞭解神的審判,甚至到了一個地步否定聖經只為了證實他們的立場,並懷疑起這與加州長期的陽光有關,使他們除了陽光外很難瞭解任何事情。當然主曾使用加州產生一些偉大的復興、牧者與教會,但關於神在加州對基督徒的審判,似乎卻如烏雲密佈難以瞭解。我們真的需要為此禱告,因為許多臨到整個國家的審判,其靈界能力的來源確實在加州。

激進的伊斯蘭稱美國是『大撒但』,因為他們認為我們是同性戀的國家,從好萊塢輸出的東西在道德上與心靈上污染了全世界。那麼,他們為何不襲擊好萊塢反而襲擊紐約呢?只為了一件事,他們想要在財務上擊垮我們,他們知道這樣做也會擊垮我們的軍事。然而,當我和一些穆斯林談到此時,我可以察覺就連他們自己也沈迷在色情中。許多的狂熱根源於企圖補償自我失敗與軟弱,色情貶低每一個陷入其中的人,雖然大部分人裡面知道很丟臉,外面卻成為色情狂熱的反對者。

美國正被主審判,這是主常做的事 ─ 正如祂審判埃及是為了讓祂的百姓得自由,審判會越來越強烈地臨到。當祂管教以色列,祂常常使用周圍的異教國家來做,後來又在那些放肆動祂子民的國家帶來審判,甚至毀滅。用同樣的方式,激進的伊斯蘭被使用來審判美國的墮胎與不道德,若不從中悔改,美國與歐洲都處於非常可怕的時候。我們若不想要此臨到我們所愛的國家,我們必須表明我們的立場,以膽量、勇氣與持久的決心說出真理、公義與公平。

在舊約與新約中,更嚴厲的審判臨到那些知道真理卻將其隱藏的人身上。在啟示錄中,在這些被丟在火湖的人當中,『膽怯的』是名單中第一個(參考啟示錄21:8)。我們沒有選擇,只能剛強壯膽;然而,讓我們不單只為了自己能避開審判的緣故而剛強,更讓我們是出於愛而如此做,為了我們的百姓與蒙福所居住的國家,以致於他們不需要在審判中受苦。

(摘自 喬納 word for the week, Week 33, 2009)

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Discerning the Times, Part 43

    Last week we briefly discussed how many of the trends in the meltdown that have been occurring in America are following a very definite pattern of God’s judgment on a nation. However, we must keep in mind that there are several different types of God’s judgment in Scripture, and only one is condemnation or destruction. God’s judgment is His discipline, and He disciplines those He loves. The worst thing that could happen to us is to go astray and for Him not judge us. We need to consider that our present troubles are the result of answered prayer for the Lord to send what would turn our nation back to Him.

    However, as you may have heard me say, my philosophy is “No pain, no pain.” I don’t like pain, and want to get out of this with as little pain as possible. We can fall on the Rock and be broken, or He will have to fall on us, and then we will be crushed into powder. He has also said that we can judge ourselves lest we be judged (see Matthew 7:1), or if we would do it ourselves, He would not have to do it. I’m for that!

    I was recently asked to write an endorsement for a well-known Christian leader’s new book. I insist on thoroughly reading everything I endorse (which is why I don’t endorse many), but I was looking forward to reading this one from someone for which I have such respect. I was not disappointed. It had a depth and clarity that I have found rare in recent Christian books. Then I came to a chapter on God’s judgment and was shocked by how shallow and unbiblical it was, basing their positions almost entirely on idealistic human reasoning.

    When the Northridge earthquake was found to have had its epicenter directly under the pornographic studios, it was shocking when major Christian voices in California almost uniformly rose up to say that this quake was not God’s judgment. The reasoning I heard in their statements about this did not include a single Scripture, but rather that it could not be God’s judgment because so many Christians also suffered in the quake. I heard the same thing after Hurricane Katrina, when the message of this storm was so blatantly clear. Katrina means “to cleanse,” and this storm passed over Key West the day of their decadent parade, and hit New Orleans the day before their “Day of Decadence” parade.

    No doubt many Christians suffered in both of these warning shots from heaven, but that has always been the case when God has judged a nation. Even the prophets who proclaim the judgments suffer in them, as we see in Scripture. Examine the life of Jeremiah, even Elijah. Do you think it was fun sitting by the brook in the wilderness for months after the drought he had declared? Even his source of water dried up. How about “righteous Lot?” He did escape with his life and his family, but he lost everything he had.

    We need to consider that the Lord said He would begin judgment with His own household (see I Peter 4:17). Studies have shown that as many as half of all Christian men are now addicted to pornography, as well as an increasing number of Christian women—maybe the fact that Christians also suffered in these disasters was part of the message. Remember, this is a sign of His love, not condemnation. Even so, if completely righteous and holy Christians suffered in them, this too is to be expected. There are a couple of cases like Goshen in Scripture when the Lord did not let the judgments touch His people, but they are exceptions to the rule. Most of the time the Lord obviously wants His people, and even His messengers, touched with what the world is going through for the sake of the message. This is basically why He became a man.

    I have heard some Christian leaders from other parts of the nation wonder why those in California seem to have this inability to understand God’s judgment, even to the point of contradicting Scripture to verify their position, wondering if it had something to do with the almost perpetual sunshine in California making it hard for them to understand anything by but sunshine. Certainly the Lord has used California to birth some of the great revivals, preachers, and churches, but there does seem to be an uncanny clouding of the understanding concerning God’s judgment with Christians in California. We do need to pray about this because many of the judgments that are coming upon the whole nation have a spiritual power source in California.

    Radical Islam calls America “the great Satan” because they think we are a homosexual nation and are polluting the world morally and spiritually with what is coming out of Hollywood. So why don’t they attack Hollywood instead of New York? For one thing, they want to break us financially, which they know will also break us militarily. However, I could discern when talking to some Muslims about this that they themselves were addicted to pornography. Much fanaticism is rooted in an attempt to compensate for our own failures and weaknesses. Pornography degrades and debases everyone who gets caught up in it, and though most people respond to such degrading internally, they often respond as fanatical opponents of what is debasing them.

    America is being judged as the Lord often does—as He did to Egypt in order to set His people free. Just as in Egypt, the judgments are coming progressively. When He disciplined Israel, He often used the heathen nations around her to do it. He then brought judgment, even destruction, on those nations for presumptuously touching His people. In this same way, radical Islam is being used as judgment against abortion and immorality. Without repentance from these, both Europe and America are in for some very terrible times. If we don’t want this to happen in the nations we love, then we must take our stand and speak out for truth, righteousness, and justice with boldness, courage, and enduring resolve.

    In both the Old and New Testaments, a more severe judgment comes upon those who know the truth but hide it. In the Book of Revelation, the “cowardly” are at the front of the list of those who are thrown into the lake of fire (see Revelation 21:8). We have no option but to be bold and courageous. However, let us not just be bold for the sake of avoiding judgment ourselves, but rather let us do it out of love for the people and the nations we have been blessed to live in, so that they will not have to suffer this judgment.