預備時候–之 21
於2010-06-01發佈
來自兩黨的主席、國會議員、政府官員與媒體似乎都沒注意到一個事實，就是中小企業才是美國經濟的引擎，也是世界真正昌盛與經濟成長的來源。在馬克.納托（Marc Nuttle）所著的關鍵時刻（Moment of Truth）一書中，他寫到一位中國領導所說的話，可能是到目前為止最重要的洞見之一。前時代週刊特派員大衛 .艾克曼（ David Aikman）於2002年訪問前中國國家主席江澤民，問到他對中國未來的願景，他的回答震驚了艾克曼與全世界。
预备时候-之21
来自两党的主席、国会议员、政府官员与媒体似乎都没注意到一个事实，就是中小企业才是美国经济的引擎，也是世界真正昌盛与经济成长的来源。在马克.纳托（Marc Nuttle）所著的关键时刻（Moment of Truth）一书中，他写到一位中国领导所说的话，可能是到目前为止最重要的洞见之一。前时代周刊特派员戴维.艾克曼（David Aikman）于2002年访问前中国国家主席江泽民，问到他对中国未来的愿景，他的回答震惊了艾克曼与全世界。
他说：『我希望我的国家成为基督教的国家。』
当问及『为什么』时，江泽民的回答有着奇妙的启示，他解释中国有一群学者花了二十年研究为何中国持续在科学、工业与文化上落后西方世界，听了每一位学者的说明后，他们总结是西方的宗教遗产使其达到如此颠峰，这些中国学者的陈述是：
我们受邀做的一件事就是调查成功的原因；事实上，西方的卓越成就众所皆知。我们竭尽所能从历史、政治、经济与文化观点来研究。一开始，我们以为是因为强大的军事力量，后来我们以为是因为最好的政治制度。接下来我们聚焦在你们的经济制度上，但在过去二十年我们才意识到，你们的文化核心是宗教：基督教，这即是西方为何会强大的原因。基督教在社会与文化生活的道德根基使资本主义出头，后来又成功转型为民主政治。对此我们毫不怀疑。（摘录自戴维.艾克曼所著的耶稣在北京：基督教如何改变中国及全球力量平衡）
藉由允许更多的经济自由，中国已经开始大大使用此强大经济力量─就是自由。然而，正如江泽民所了解的，不单是经济自由促使美国与西方兴起到如此的颠峰─而是圣经世界观。在昌盛的背后有其目的；然而，美国发展了最强大的经济，现在却失去了此最基本的连结。让前共产国家二大势力苏俄与中国的领袖深感震惊的是，美国这个历史上最强大经济力量之先驱与创始者，现在却抛弃了前共产国家正在拥抱的圣经世界观。我在1988年所写的『收割异象』一书中就预言此会发生，但我承认当我看着其发生时，仍感到震惊不已。
正如我们曾谈过，研究显示中小企业在美国创造了百分之七十以上的新工作，而且多半由家族来经营事业。此最大动力来自家庭，而家庭是由信念凝聚在一起。当这些东西在美国遭到破坏，能支撑美国持续繁荣的基础建设也随之殆尽。
圣经有时会区分钱财与财富；钱财（riches）比较来得容易与快速，来得快去得也快；然而，财富（wealth）是充分计划、忠心、耐心与耐力的结果。财富来得比较慢、比较不易，却一代代延续。若持守相同的生财原则，通常会倍增。财富远大过户头的钱或是资产负债表─它是为着一个目的所集结的资源，这些资源通常是由家庭或家族一同追求而来的。
同样地，美国累积财富是因为有其目的，虽然不见得每次都是如此，这却是美国的核心所在。此目的延续下去是因为美国多数人受道德与价值所引导；然而，当美国的大多数成为『沉默的多数』时，最危险的元素就被释放进入美国的文化中。正如马克思所教导的，小群充满热情的少数将支配被动的多数。这即是美国今日被当初建造美国成为如此强国完全相反的势力掌管的原因。
历史的引爆点通常来自小群却充满热情的少数。超过半个世纪，小群却很大声的少数越来越多在支配着美国的方向，能翻转此现象的大多数却越来越被动。不苏醒过来，正急速下滑进入中央集权的景况将很难翻转，但目前还没到那地步，确实人们对此威胁也奇妙的苏醒过来。这就像是墨西哥湾漏油，我们发现情况比我们所认为的更糟。可能从来没有像现在一样，有更多的市民真正去阅读国家宪法─权利法案，研究我们国家的历史，甚至读那些国会所通过的法案，就连国会议员都很少这么做。这是带来盼望的根基。
(摘自 乔纳 word for the week, Week 21, 2010)
Prepared for the Times, Part 21
Week 21, 2010
Presidents from both parties, congressmen, government workers, and the media seem oblivious to the fact that small business is the economic engine of America and where true prosperity and economic growth is in the world. In Marc Nuttle’s remarkable book, Moment of Truth, he writes about one of the most important insights possibly ever stated by a leader of China. Former Time correspondent, David Aikman, interviewed the retiring head of state in Communist China in 2002, Jiang Zemin, and asked what he wished for in regard to China’s future. His response shocked Aikman and much of the world when he replied:
I would like for my country to become a Christian nation.
When asked “Why,” Zemin’s response was an amazing revelation. He explained how a panel of Chinese scholars had spent twenty years studying why China continually lagged behind the West in science, industry, and culture. After considering every possible explanation, they concluded that it was the religious heritage of the West that had allowed it to reach such heights. The statement of these Chinese scholars was:
One of the things we were asked to do was look into what accounted for the success; in fact, the pre-eminence of the West all over the world. We studied everything we could from the historical, political, economic, and cultural perspective. At first, we thought it was because of a more powerful military. Then we thought it was because you had the best political system. Next we focused on your economic systems. But in the past twenty years we have realized that the heart of your culture is your religion: Christianity. This is why the West is powerful. The Christian moral foundation of the social and cultural life was what made possible the emergence of capitalism and then the successful transition to democratic politics. We don’t have any doubt about this. (Quoted from, Jesus in Beijing: How Christianity is Changing the Global Balance of Power, by David Aikman.)
By allowing more and more economic freedom, China has begun to mightily use this powerful economic force that simple freedom is. However, as Jiang Zemin understood, it is not just economic freedom that enabled America and the West to rise to such heights—it was its biblical worldview. There was purpose behind the prosperity. However, in the greatest economy ever developed, this most basic connect is being lost now in the United States. To the expressed shock of the leaders of the two most powerful former communist states, Russia and China, America, the forerunner and premier founder of the most powerful economic force in history, is now abandoning its biblical worldview as the former communist countries are embracing it. I prophesied that this would happen in a book I wrote in 1988, The Harvest, but I confess that watching it happen is still shocking to me.
As we have covered, studies have shown that small businesses create more than 70 percent of all new jobs in America, and most of these are family run businesses. The most powerful drive of this incentive is family, and family is held together by faith. As all of this has eroded in America, so has the basic infrastructure that could sustain America’s continued prosperity and strength.
At times, Scripture makes a distinction between riches and wealth. Riches tend to come easily and quickly and leave just as easily and quickly. However, wealth is the result of sound planning, faithfulness, patience, and endurance. Wealth comes much more slowly and with more difficulty, but will last for generations and usually multiplies if the same principles that created it are continued. Wealth is more than a balance sheet or money in accounts—it is resources gathered for a purpose. These resources are usually pursued by a family or families together.
Likewise, America built wealth because it was driven by purpose. This was never true of all, but it was true of the core of America. This purpose stayed on course because of the morals and values that guided the majority. However, the most dangerous elements were released into the culture of America when this majority became “the silent majority.” As Karl Marx taught, the tiny minority of the passionate will control the majority who are passive. This is how America is being taken over today by forces which are contrary to everything that built America into such a great and powerful nation.
The tipping points of history have usually come through the small but passionate minorities. Now, for more than half a century, small but loud minorities have dictated more and more of the direction of America. The vast majority, who has by far the great numbers required to turn this around, have become more and more passive. Without a wake-up, soon the downward spiral into centralized control will be hard to reverse, but it is not there yet, and there does seem to be an amazing awakening to this threat. This is kind of like the Gulf Coast oil spill in which we keep discovering that the situation is actually much worse than we thought. There may have never been a time when more citizens are actually reading the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, studying our national history, and even reading bills being passed by Congress, when it seems few congressmen are doing this. This is a foundation for hope.
他說：『我希望我的國家成為基督教的國家。』
當問及『為什麼』時，江澤民的回答有著奇妙的啟示，
我們受邀做的一件事就是調查成功的原因；事實上，
藉由允許更多的經濟自由，中國已經開始大大使用此強大經濟力量─
正如我們曾談過，
聖經有時會區分錢財與財富；錢財（riches）
同樣地，美國累積財富是因為有其目的，雖然不見得每次都是如此，
歷史的引爆點通常來自小群卻充滿熱情的少數。超過半個世紀，
(摘自 喬納 word for the week, Week 21, 2010)
预备时候-之21
来自两党的主席、国会议员、政府官员与媒体似乎都没注意到一个事实，就是中小企业才是美国经济的引擎，也是世界真正昌盛与经济成长的来源。在马克.纳托（Marc Nuttle）所著的关键时刻（Moment of Truth）一书中，他写到一位中国领导所说的话，可能是到目前为止最重要的洞见之一。前时代周刊特派员戴维.艾克曼（David Aikman）于2002年访问前中国国家主席江泽民，问到他对中国未来的愿景，他的回答震惊了艾克曼与全世界。
他说：『我希望我的国家成为基督教的国家。』
当问及『为什么』时，江泽民的回答有着奇妙的启示，他解释中国有一群学者花了二十年研究为何中国持续在科学、工业与文化上落后西方世界，听了每一位学者的说明后，他们总结是西方的宗教遗产使其达到如此颠峰，这些中国学者的陈述是：
我们受邀做的一件事就是调查成功的原因；事实上，西方的卓越成就众所皆知。我们竭尽所能从历史、政治、经济与文化观点来研究。一开始，我们以为是因为强大的军事力量，后来我们以为是因为最好的政治制度。接下来我们聚焦在你们的经济制度上，但在过去二十年我们才意识到，你们的文化核心是宗教：基督教，这即是西方为何会强大的原因。基督教在社会与文化生活的道德根基使资本主义出头，后来又成功转型为民主政治。对此我们毫不怀疑。（摘录自戴维.艾克曼所著的耶稣在北京：基督教如何改变中国及全球力量平衡）
藉由允许更多的经济自由，中国已经开始大大使用此强大经济力量─就是自由。然而，正如江泽民所了解的，不单是经济自由促使美国与西方兴起到如此的颠峰─而是圣经世界观。在昌盛的背后有其目的；然而，美国发展了最强大的经济，现在却失去了此最基本的连结。让前共产国家二大势力苏俄与中国的领袖深感震惊的是，美国这个历史上最强大经济力量之先驱与创始者，现在却抛弃了前共产国家正在拥抱的圣经世界观。我在1988年所写的『收割异象』一书中就预言此会发生，但我承认当我看着其发生时，仍感到震惊不已。
正如我们曾谈过，研究显示中小企业在美国创造了百分之七十以上的新工作，而且多半由家族来经营事业。此最大动力来自家庭，而家庭是由信念凝聚在一起。当这些东西在美国遭到破坏，能支撑美国持续繁荣的基础建设也随之殆尽。
圣经有时会区分钱财与财富；钱财（riches）比较来得容易与快速，来得快去得也快；然而，财富（wealth）是充分计划、忠心、耐心与耐力的结果。财富来得比较慢、比较不易，却一代代延续。若持守相同的生财原则，通常会倍增。财富远大过户头的钱或是资产负债表─它是为着一个目的所集结的资源，这些资源通常是由家庭或家族一同追求而来的。
同样地，美国累积财富是因为有其目的，虽然不见得每次都是如此，这却是美国的核心所在。此目的延续下去是因为美国多数人受道德与价值所引导；然而，当美国的大多数成为『沉默的多数』时，最危险的元素就被释放进入美国的文化中。正如马克思所教导的，小群充满热情的少数将支配被动的多数。这即是美国今日被当初建造美国成为如此强国完全相反的势力掌管的原因。
历史的引爆点通常来自小群却充满热情的少数。超过半个世纪，小群却很大声的少数越来越多在支配着美国的方向，能翻转此现象的大多数却越来越被动。不苏醒过来，正急速下滑进入中央集权的景况将很难翻转，但目前还没到那地步，确实人们对此威胁也奇妙的苏醒过来。这就像是墨西哥湾漏油，我们发现情况比我们所认为的更糟。可能从来没有像现在一样，有更多的市民真正去阅读国家宪法─权利法案，研究我们国家的历史，甚至读那些国会所通过的法案，就连国会议员都很少这么做。这是带来盼望的根基。
(摘自 乔纳 word for the week, Week 21, 2010)
Prepared for the Times, Part 21
Week 21, 2010
Presidents from both parties, congressmen, government workers, and the media seem oblivious to the fact that small business is the economic engine of America and where true prosperity and economic growth is in the world. In Marc Nuttle’s remarkable book, Moment of Truth, he writes about one of the most important insights possibly ever stated by a leader of China. Former Time correspondent, David Aikman, interviewed the retiring head of state in Communist China in 2002, Jiang Zemin, and asked what he wished for in regard to China’s future. His response shocked Aikman and much of the world when he replied:
I would like for my country to become a Christian nation.
When asked “Why,” Zemin’s response was an amazing revelation. He explained how a panel of Chinese scholars had spent twenty years studying why China continually lagged behind the West in science, industry, and culture. After considering every possible explanation, they concluded that it was the religious heritage of the West that had allowed it to reach such heights. The statement of these Chinese scholars was:
One of the things we were asked to do was look into what accounted for the success; in fact, the pre-eminence of the West all over the world. We studied everything we could from the historical, political, economic, and cultural perspective. At first, we thought it was because of a more powerful military. Then we thought it was because you had the best political system. Next we focused on your economic systems. But in the past twenty years we have realized that the heart of your culture is your religion: Christianity. This is why the West is powerful. The Christian moral foundation of the social and cultural life was what made possible the emergence of capitalism and then the successful transition to democratic politics. We don’t have any doubt about this. (Quoted from, Jesus in Beijing: How Christianity is Changing the Global Balance of Power, by David Aikman.)
By allowing more and more economic freedom, China has begun to mightily use this powerful economic force that simple freedom is. However, as Jiang Zemin understood, it is not just economic freedom that enabled America and the West to rise to such heights—it was its biblical worldview. There was purpose behind the prosperity. However, in the greatest economy ever developed, this most basic connect is being lost now in the United States. To the expressed shock of the leaders of the two most powerful former communist states, Russia and China, America, the forerunner and premier founder of the most powerful economic force in history, is now abandoning its biblical worldview as the former communist countries are embracing it. I prophesied that this would happen in a book I wrote in 1988, The Harvest, but I confess that watching it happen is still shocking to me.
As we have covered, studies have shown that small businesses create more than 70 percent of all new jobs in America, and most of these are family run businesses. The most powerful drive of this incentive is family, and family is held together by faith. As all of this has eroded in America, so has the basic infrastructure that could sustain America’s continued prosperity and strength.
At times, Scripture makes a distinction between riches and wealth. Riches tend to come easily and quickly and leave just as easily and quickly. However, wealth is the result of sound planning, faithfulness, patience, and endurance. Wealth comes much more slowly and with more difficulty, but will last for generations and usually multiplies if the same principles that created it are continued. Wealth is more than a balance sheet or money in accounts—it is resources gathered for a purpose. These resources are usually pursued by a family or families together.
Likewise, America built wealth because it was driven by purpose. This was never true of all, but it was true of the core of America. This purpose stayed on course because of the morals and values that guided the majority. However, the most dangerous elements were released into the culture of America when this majority became “the silent majority.” As Karl Marx taught, the tiny minority of the passionate will control the majority who are passive. This is how America is being taken over today by forces which are contrary to everything that built America into such a great and powerful nation.
The tipping points of history have usually come through the small but passionate minorities. Now, for more than half a century, small but loud minorities have dictated more and more of the direction of America. The vast majority, who has by far the great numbers required to turn this around, have become more and more passive. Without a wake-up, soon the downward spiral into centralized control will be hard to reverse, but it is not there yet, and there does seem to be an amazing awakening to this threat. This is kind of like the Gulf Coast oil spill in which we keep discovering that the situation is actually much worse than we thought. There may have never been a time when more citizens are actually reading the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, studying our national history, and even reading bills being passed by Congress, when it seems few congressmen are doing this. This is a foundation for hope.