上週我們討論到如何成為聖潔國度的一份子。在衝突的時候，每一個國家都必須動員它的軍隊來對付威脅，威脅越大，就更需要動員。有時當威脅很大時，可能整個國家都需要動員。目前聖潔國度裡的先知性軍隊有越來越多人在動員中；然而，我們需要瞭解何謂先知性軍隊而非用『血氣』或自然界武器的傳統軍隊。我們絕不要轉離我們的更高呼召，我們所擁有的武器是屬天的能力，遠比地上一切軍隊所擁有的槍砲更大。

正如我們先前所討論的，托爾斯泰將預言比喻成在乾柴中所點燃的火─它會一直燃燒、燃燒直到所有的草木禾楷燒盡，金、銀與寶石被煉淨。托爾斯泰用此例子來闡述他所領受成為先知性恩膏的事物，被一些人用來講論邪惡的奴隸制度。他說它成為無法熄滅的火，直到全世界被這樣的火燃燒，很快奴隸制度真的就從地上根除了。

有一些從神來的預言可以轉化社會，甚至帶來文明─就像根除奴隸制度一樣帶來極大的改變。雖然這些預言很少以舊約『耶和華如此說』的型態臨到，卻是從祂來的。預言是從神來的光，為我們稱之為文明的文明行為中帶來極大的進步，許多進步是根源於摩西給以色列的真理，其典範藉由商人與其他方式帶到世界各地。正如主會醫治九個甚至不會回來道謝的瞎子，神愛世人，就算很少人會為這些事感謝祂，祂也會為著他們的益處來做許多事。

奴隸制度的根除是從神來的預言所帶出的結果，雖然不是以舊約我們所看見的方式臨到，卻是從神所恩膏的話語。在托爾斯泰時代最有名的預言書叫『黑奴籲天錄』（Uncle Tom’s Cabin），這本書所點燃的火一發不可收拾，直到邪惡的奴隸制度在美國被燒盡為止。當林肯碰見作者斯陀夫人（Harriet Beecher Stowe），他對她說：『妳就是開始這場大戰的小淑女啊』，指的就是美國內戰南北戰爭。

我們可能納悶當主在地上行走時，為何祂沒有提到奴隸制度的邪惡。其實祂有提到，雖然沒有明確說明，卻是很有能力的話語。耶穌大膽攻擊所有人類奴隸制度的根基，提出只有一件事可以真正釋放人得自由─真理。保羅寫到：『主就是那靈；主的靈在哪裡，那裡就得以自由。』（參考林後3：17），其中清楚提到自由本是主的心意。『當時候滿足時』，神會行動。當時候滿足時，祂便摧毀西方的奴隸制度，雖然奴隸制度的其他形式尚存在，例如經濟奴隸。身為優良士兵，我們的工作是跟隨萬軍之大元帥，在祂動工或點火之處動員起來。

藉由預言所點燃的火目前正在美國燃燒，火勢越來越大，所照亮的終極議題遠超過健保法案。倘若這是真正的預言之火，它將燒盡在國家中長出來的草木禾楷並煉淨珍寶。然而，正如相同的火被英國的威伯福斯點燃，它並沒有成為開始內戰的『野火』，若沒有內戰的暴行，美國的奴隸制度早就根除了。倘若點燃健保法案正在美國燃燒的火適當地被控制住，就不會敗壞成為暴力，從原本要使用它作為最強大武器的路徑上偏軌。

倘若你有讀我登在網站上的特別專欄 ，我知道裡面明確的火花會開始或讓火繼續燃燒。那些議題在我自己的心中燃燒，我無法禁止不言，否則我覺得自己就要被燒盡了。即便如此，這些特別專欄的火勢也有所控制，免得它們成為野火。

熱情固然是好的；國家甦醒了，教會從老底嘉不冷不熱中甦醒了，老底嘉教會的呼召是『要發熱心，也要悔改。』（參考啟示錄3：19）現在臨到許多基督徒的熱心是最鼓舞人心的；然而，讓我們也謹守在心：『節制』（參考加拉太書5：23）也是聖靈的一個果子。

不成熟基督徒對墮胎醫生或尋求墮胎的人憤怒叫罵，對反墮胎運動帶來的傷害遠勝過所有的批評，那些受迷惑要以反墮胎之名殺害墮胎醫生所帶來的傷害，更是好幾倍的傷害。再一次，『我們爭戰的兵器本不是屬血氣的，乃是在神面前有能力』（參考林後10：4）。屬天大能的武器就像是真理與愛，所能完成的事比軍隊更多。

此越來越大的火勢真的是從神來的；真正的戰士跑向戰場，而不是逃離戰場，所以能加入戰局是好的。然而，在我們保有熱情與火的同時，我們也要保有節制，要謹記在心撒旦不會趕除撒旦，所以憤怒不會趕除蒙蔽。耶穌曾說：『我若靠著神的靈趕鬼，這就是神的國臨到你們了。』（馬太福音12：28）。熱情與熱心是從主來的，所以要在聖靈裡行事，不要讓任何人蒙蔽你，使你無法使用更強大的屬靈武器，並竭盡所能來幫助那些在此事上可能沒有你那麼成熟的人。

 (摘自 喬納 word for the week, Week 36, 2009)

Discerning the Times, Part 46
Week 36, 2009
Last week we discussed how we are a part of the holy nation. In times of conflict, every nation has to mobilize its army to meet the threat. The greater the threat, the more who will need to be mobilized, and at times, when the threat is great, a whole nation may need to be mobilized. Right now the holy nation is mobilizing with a prophetic army in increasing numbers. However, we need to understand what it means to be a prophetic army rather than a traditional military force that uses “carnal” or physical weapons. We must not get diverted and fall from our higher calling. The weapons we have been given are divinely powerful, far more so than all of the guns and bombs of all of the other armies on the planet.

As we also discussed previously, Tolstoy likened prophecy to a fire that is lit in a dry wood—it will burn and burn until all of the wood, hay, and stubble is consumed, and the gold, silver, and precious stones are purified. Tolstoy used this example to illustrate what he perceived to be the prophetic anointing that came upon some to address the evils of slavery. He said it became a fire that could not go out until virtually the whole world was burning with it. Soon slavery was virtually eradicated from the earth.

There are prophecies from God that go out to transform society and can even bring civilization-wide changes like the eradication of slavery. These rarely are in the Old Testament style of booming forth “thus says the Lord,” but they are nevertheless from Him. It has been light from God that has brought most of the great advances in civil behavior that we call civilization. Many of these are rooted in the great truths that were given through Moses to Israel, with the ideals being carried around the world through merchants and other means. Just as the Lord would heal nine blind men that would not even return to thank Him for it, God loves people and will do many things for their good, even though few will acknowledge Him for it.

The eradication of slavery was caused by prophecy from God, which did not come in a form like we see in the Old Testament, but it was nevertheless anointed words from God. One of the most prophetic books written in Tolstoy’s day was Uncle Tom’s Cabin. This book started a fire that could not be put out until the evil of slavery was consumed in America. When Abraham Lincoln met the author, Harriet Beecher Stowe, he said to her, “So you’re the little lady that started this great war,” meaning of course the Civil War.

We may wonder why the Lord did not address the evil of slavery when He walked the earth. He did. It is not specifically addressed, but it is powerfully addressed. Jesus boldly attacked the foundation of all human slavery with the only thing that could truly set people free—the truth. Paul wrote that “where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty” (see II Corinthians 3:17), making it clear that liberty was the Lord’s intent. “In the fullness of time,” God moves. In the fullness of time, He moved to destroy the institutions of slavery in the West, though there remain other forms of slavery such as economic slavery. It is our job to follow the Captain of the hosts as good soldiers, and to mobilize where His work is being done or His fire is burning.

A fire is burning in the U.S. now that was lit by prophecy. The fire is increasing and illuminating ultimate issues that go beyond the health care bill. If this is a true prophetic fire, it is going to consume the wood, hay, and stubble that have grown up in the nation and purify the treasures. However, just as the same fire was lit by Wilberforce in the U.K., and it did not become a “wild fire” that started a Civil War, slavery in America could have been eradicated without the violence of the Civil War. If the fire that is now burning in America, which has been ignited around the health care legislation, is properly controlled, it will not degenerate into violence, though we can be sure that this is the devil’s intent in order to discredit and sidetrack it from using its most powerful weapons.

If you read the Special Bulletins I’m posting, there are definite sparks in them that I know will start or keep fires burning. Those issues are burning in my own heart, and I cannot help but to speak about them or I feel that I will be consumed by them. Even so, there are also controls in these Bulletins that are intended to keep the fires contained so that they do not become wildfires.

Passion is good. The nation is waking up, and the church is waking up from its Laodicean slumber. The call to the Laodicean church was for it to be “zealous and repent” (see Revelation 3:19). The zeal that is now coming on so many Christians is most encouraging. However, let us also keep in mind that “self-control” (see Galatians 5:23) is also a fruit of the Spirit.

The rage of immature Christians screaming at abortion doctors or at those seeking abortions has hurt the pro-life movement far worse than all of its critics. The damage done by even more deluded souls who would kill an abortion doctor in the name of pro-life is many times more damaging. Again, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal” or physical, but they are “divinely powerful” (see II Corinthians 10:4). The divinely powerful weapons are such things as truth and love, which can accomplish much more than armies.

This increasing fire rising is real and from God. True warriors run to the sound of battle, not away from it, so it is good to jump into the fray. However, while keeping the passion and fire, also keep your control, and keep in mind that Satan will not cast out Satan, so rage will not cast out deception. Jesus said, “But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you” (Matthew 12:28). Passion and zeal are from the Lord, so stay in His Spirit. Do not let anyone deceive you into departing from using your more powerful spiritual weapons, and do your best to help others who may not have your maturity in this.