於2011-06-27發佈
主先知性說話的八種方式

誠如我們先前所討論過的,使徒行傳二章17-21節也告訴我們,在『末後的日子』主會澆灌先知性恩賜,這是因為在這些時候我們需要更清楚的引導。主告訴我今年的先知性恩膏會倍增,而我們已經見證很大的增加。誠如聖經裡激勵我們『要切慕屬靈的恩賜,其中更要羨慕的,是作先知講道』(參考哥林多前書14:1這是我們必須順服的事。如預期的,有越來越多人對先知領域感興趣,所以此研讀正是時候。我的目的不單是提供訊息,更是要挑旺在你裡面的恩賜。 

如聖經所顯示的,以下是神先知性對祂子民說話的八種方式:

     1) 感動 
     2)
話語 
     3)
異象 
     4)
異夢 
     5)
魂遊向外 
     6)
天使 
     7)
造訪 
     8)
被提到天上 
 
我們只不過剛開始談到,現在我們要更深入瞭解,先從基本定義開始。

感動通常是在感覺與感官上;可以從輕柔不易領受到非常強烈,但仍比較多是在感覺層面。即便如此,這是主對祂子民說話的一種基本方式,這些感動可以是非常有能力與非常重要的。然而,因為它們極為普遍、容易詮釋,所以對於此層面的領受太過武斷,很可能會犯下大錯。

話語是主透過我們的語言所傳達來的,就像感動與大部分的啟示一樣,其幅度可以小到聽見祂『微小的聲音』,大到耳朵可以聽得見的聲音。這是主與祂子民溝通的一般方式,當我們學會認得祂的聲音,這種方式非常有效率。

異象是我們屬靈眼睛打開時所看見的圖畫;這些可以很輕柔,像是用我們心中的眼睛所看見的。它們可能會像主微小聲音般容易錯過,也可能成為我們所謂的『敞開的異象』,就像是觀看電影螢幕般,你不可能錯過。

異夢從早期一直到新約時代,都是主對祂子民說話非常普遍的方式,到今日異夢仍是主對祂子民說話最普遍的方式。

魂遊向外是主賜給祂子民一些最重要啟示的方式,例如彼得的魂遊向外經歷引導他到哥尼流的家裡,並打開外邦人的信仰之門。魂遊向外有點像是醒著時做的夢,你似乎同時在兩個領域─在靈裡看見東西,同時卻仍感受到周遭的自然事物。 

天使是服役的靈,他們的工作是要來服事承受救恩的繼承人,與天使相遇不應該太奇怪。事實上,我們與天使相遇的機會遠比我們所認知的還要多。他們的工作是傳達從主而來的信息,在神重要的時刻與運作中,神子民與天使的交流確實更為頻繁。在未來我們需要更習慣這方面的事。

造訪是從主而來,在新舊約都很普遍。我們在使徒行傳廿三章11看見一個例子:『當夜,主站在保羅旁邊,說:放心吧!你怎樣在耶路撒冷為我作見證,也必怎樣在羅馬為我作見證。』當然在這樣的情況中,主可以派天使來安慰保羅,但祂選擇自己向保羅顯現。這在今日越來越頻繁。

被提到天上,例如當約翰領受啟示錄時,正如保羅說他曾有此經歷,到今日仍在發生。許多人都曾『被提』到主的寶座前,或進入天堂的其他領域。

這些是主在聖經中說話和彰顯自己的基本方式,未來我們會更深入談到。我個人八種方式全都經歷過,其中一些方式常常經歷。為此緣故,我會用自己的經歷與觀點分享許多我認為很有助益的事,同時我也會分享其他先知性朋友所經歷到比較獨特的方式。我認為你會覺得很有趣,但再一次,你的目標是要有自己的經歷,並在神賜給你的恩賜中成長。

(摘自 喬納 word for the week, Week 23, 2011)


The Prophetic Gifts, Part 5
8 Ways the Lord Speaks Prophetically
Week 23, 2011  

As we have discussed and as we are told in Acts 2:17-21, in “the last days” prophetic gifts will be poured out. This is because we will need this kind of increasingly clear guidance in the times that are unfolding. I was told that the anointing on the prophetic will double this year, and we have already seen a great increase. As we are exhorted in Scripture to “desire earnestly spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy” (see I Corinthians 14:1), this is something we must obey. As expected, there is also a rising increase of interest in the prophetic, so it seems that this study is timely. My purpose in it is not just to give information but to stir up the gifts that are within you.

The following are the ways that the Lord speaks to His people prophetically as revealed in the Scriptures:

1) Impressions
2) Words
3) Visions
4) Dreams
5) Trances
6) Angels
7) Visitations
8) Being caught up into heaven

We have only begun to address these but will now go into them in a bit more depth. We will begin by giving basic definitions of these.

IMPRESSIONS are usually feelings, senses. They can be gentle and hard to perceive to very intense, but they are still more in the feeling realm. Even so, this is a basic way that the Lord speaks to His people, and these can be very powerful and very important. However, because they are so general and open to interpretation, it can be a big mistake to be overly dogmatic about anything we receive on this level.

WORDS are communications from the Lord in our language. Like impressions and most of the other revelations, these can vary in intensity from hearing His “still small voice,” to loud physically audible words from Him. This is a common way the Lord has communicated with His people, and very effective when we have learned to know His voice.

VISIONS are pictures we have when our spiritual eyes are open and we begin to see with them. These can be gentle, like seeing with the eyes of our hearts. They can be easy to miss like the still small voice of the Lord, or they can be what we call “open visions,” which are like watching a cinema screen and you can’t miss it.

DREAMS are a very common way that the Lord has spoken to His people from the earliest times right through the New Testament and is probably the most common way He speaks to His people today.

TRANCES are a way that the Lord has given some of the most important revelation to His people, such as when Peter fell into a trance that led him to going to the house of Cornelius and opening the door of faith to the Gentiles. A trance is like dreaming when you are awake. You seem to be in two realms at once—seeing things spiritually but at the same time, are still aware of your natural surroundings.

ANGELS are ministering spirits whose job is to serve the heirs of salvation, and it should not be a strange thing to have encounters with them. In fact, we have many more encounters with them than we realize. Their job is to communicate messages from the Lord. In important times and moves of God, the interchange between God’s people and angels does become more frequent. This is something we will need to get much more used to in the times to come.

VISITATIONS from the Lord Himself are common in both the Old and New Testaments. We see a case of this in Acts 23:11, “But on the night immediately following, the Lord stood at his side and said, “Take courage; for as you have solemnly witnessed to My cause at Jerusalem, so you must witness at Rome also.” Certainly the Lord could have sent an angel to comfort Paul in this situation, but He chose to appear to Paul Himself. This too is becoming much more frequent today.

BEING CAUGHT UP INTO HEAVEN such as John when he received the Revelation, and as Paul stated that he had been, is still happening today. Many have been “caught up” before His throne, or into other realms of heaven.

These are the basic ways that the Lord has spoken and revealed Himself in Scripture. We will cover them all in some depth. I have personally experienced all of these, and some of them numerous times. For this reason, I will share a lot from my own experience and perspective about the things that I think can be helpful, but at the same time, I will also share how other prophetic friends have experienced these in ways that may be unique. I think you will find them all very interesting, but again, the goal is for you to have your own experiences and grow in the gifts you have been given.