啟示錄這卷書是對『耶穌基督的啟示』，裡面卻有許多內容論及人的邪惡。在人裡面的終極邪惡被彰顯出來也是這本書的焦點，其就是『敵基督』或是『罪人』。即便如此，這些都成為耶穌基督的啟示，啟示人沒有祂所帶來的墮落，以及祂最終所帶來的得勝。正如在這些揭開的事當中皆有對祂的啟示，我們可否在現今發生的事情中看見祂呢？這必須成為我們的終極追求，不單是知道發生了什麼事，甚至為什麼會發生，我們更要看見耶穌與祂要來的國度，緊緊連結於祂並且傳揚祂。

使徒的福音曾是，現在仍是耶穌。我們在使徒行傳一次又一次讀到他們如何傳揚耶穌與祂從死裡復活。在耶穌裡是救恩的信息，包括醫治、釋放並含括終極社會─教會。在這世代末了，信息仍是耶穌，仍包括救恩並含括祂的新婦，但我們也看見天國的福音必須傳遍地極，末日才會到來。

耶穌傳揚神的國，而祂的子民傳揚祂。現在我們將開始看見祂的信息內結合了關乎祂的信息。正如我們在但以理書二章與其他地方所看見的，象徵祂國度的小石頭到了一個時候會打碎人的國度，這些國就全然倒塌。小石頭將變成一座大山，其代表政府，然後持續成長直到『充滿天下』。

目前的教會看起來軟弱又無能，充滿著醜聞與失敗，教會看起來這樣是因為醜聞與失敗才有新聞。整體來說，教會是剛強的，而且越來越剛強。教會目前是全世界最有能力的實體，她只不過在使用那能力上太過分散與自我聚焦，但這將會改變。她最美好的時光尚未來到。

單單聚焦在自己身上的教會往往是內爆型，或是掉入毀滅性的問題，而那些使命導向的教會則是最強壯的教會，但他們若不持續在健全的教義上成長、鞏固根基，也會變得軟弱。使徒保羅寫著：

因為那已經立好的根基就是耶穌基督，此外沒有人能立別的根基。
若有人用金、銀、寶石、草木，禾稭在這根基上建造，
各人的工程必然顯露，因為那日子要將他表明出來，有火發現；這火要試驗各人的工程怎樣。
（哥林多前書3：11-13）。

正如我們在以弗所書一章所看見的，萬有的總綱都在基督裡，也正如約翰福音第一章、歌羅西書第一章與其他地方所描述的，耶穌就是造物主，祂來到祂的受造物中間，祂自己的受造物卻不認識祂。萬物是藉著祂造的；凡被造的，沒有一樣不是藉著祂造的。使徒保羅也說他想要把各人在基督裡完完全全的引到神面前（參考歌羅西書1:28），以及他如何受生產之苦，直等到基督成形在祂百姓心裡（加拉太書4:19）。那即是一個使徒的真正工作─看見耶穌成形在祂百姓心裡，而不是讓人們進入某種形式或教會生活。耶穌就是信息，耶穌就是使命，耶穌也是萬物的目標。父神在所有受造物中尋找祂的兒子，祂在我們裡面尋找祂的兒子。在祂的工作最後，祂將是萬有的總綱。

這是千真萬確的，我們現在要如何在祂裡面成長？我們要如何更像祂？我們要如何藉著住在我們裡面的聖靈來做祂的工？這是終極目標─終極追求。我們要到達那裡的主要方式就是天天背起十架，保羅也寫著自己已經與基督同釘十字架到一個地步，現在活著的不再是他，乃是基督在祂裡面活著（參考加拉太書2:20）。那是在基督耶穌裡神崇高的呼召。
(摘自 喬納 word for the week, Week 44, 2010)


Prepared for the Times, Part 44
Week 44, 2010     
     
The Book of Revelation is “the revelation of Jesus Christ,” and yet much of it is about the evil of men. The ultimate evil that is to be revealed in men is also a focus of this Book, which is the “antichrist,” or “man of sin” who is a personification of the sin of man. Even so, all of this is a revelation of Jesus Christ. It is the revelation of the depravity of man without Him and the victory that will ultimately be realized by Him. As there is a revelation of Him in all of these things that unfold, can we see Him in the things that are happening today? This must be our ultimate quest, not to just know what is happening, and even why it is happening, but to see Jesus and the coming of His kingdom, abiding in Him and preaching Him.

The apostolic gospel was, and is, Jesus. Over and over in the Book of Acts we read how they preached Jesus and the resurrection from the dead. In Him was the message of salvation, which included healing, deliverance, and inclusion in the ultimate society—the church. At the end of this age, the message is still about Him; it still includes salvation and inclusion in His bride, but we also see that the gospel of the kingdom must be proclaimed throughout the earth before the end of this age can come. 

Jesus preached the kingdom, and His people preached Him. Now we will begin to see His message combined in the message of Him. As we see in Daniel 2 and other places, there is a time when the little stone that is His kingdom will strike the feet of man’s kingdoms and they will all collapse. The little stone will grow into a mountain, which represents government, and then it will continue to grow until it “fills the whole earth.” 

Presently the church looks weak and impotent, riddled with scandals and failures. The reason the church looks this way is because it is the scandals and failures that make the news. Overall, the church is strong and growing stronger. Worldwide the church is currently the most powerful entity on the planet; she is just too divided and self-focused to use that power as she is called to, but that will change. Her finest hour is yet future.

Churches that are just self-focused are the ones that usually implode or fall to devastating problems. Those who are mission-oriented are the strongest churches, but they too can become weak if they do not continue to grow in sound doctrine and strengthening the foundations. The Apostle Paul wrote: 

For no man can lay a foundation other than the one that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver precious stones, wood, hay, straw,
each man's work will become evident; for the day will show it, because it is to be revealed with fire; and the fire itself will test the quality of each man's work (I Corinthians 3:11-13).

As we see in the Ephesians 1, all things are going to be summed up in Christ. As we are told in John 1, Colossians 1, and other places, Jesus is the Creator, who came to His creation, and His own creation did not recognize Him. All things were made through Him and for Him, and in Him all things hold together. The Apostle Paul also wrote about seeking to present every man complete in Christ (see Colossians1:28), and how he labored that Christ might be formed in His people (see Galatians 4:19). That is the true work of an apostle—to see Jesus formed in His people, not to just get the people into a certain form or church life. Jesus is the message, Jesus is the mission, and Jesus is the goal of all things. In everything that was created, the Father was looking for His Son, and He is looking for His Son in us. At the conclusion of His work, all will be summed up in Him.

This being true, how are we growing in Him now? How are we becoming more like Him? How are we doing His work by His Spirit that indwells us? This is the ultimate goal—the ultimate quest. The main way we get there is by taking up the cross daily. Paul also wrote of being so crucified with Christ that it was no longer he who lived, but Christ who lived in Him (see Galatians 2:20). That is the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.