於2011-10-31發佈

神的道路非同我們的道路

我們的喜好、厭惡或任何其他目的,絕不能成為發預言的動機,預言乃是從主而來的啟示。我被控訴預測西岸的地震與火山爆發是出於討厭加州,但這並非出於真理。第一,我很愛加州,我確實開了許多加州與德州的玩笑,但我只對我深愛的事物開玩笑。倘若我沒有被呼召到北卡,加州和德州是我前五名想要住的地方。即便如此,讓我們的喜好厭惡影響預言是很嚴重的罪過,多年來我們一直在教導這是假預言的主要來源。

我們也必須非常謹慎,絕不將個人的喜好、厭惡或任何不是來自聖經的事物歸給神與祂的道路,這對祂的使者而言也是一項嚴重過犯。有哪一位君王或總統會差派喜歡提出個人意見或加上自己意見的特使?這是我們在先知性事工無法勝任的一個主要方式。我們寧可說自己不瞭解,而不是直接提出我們的意見,除非我們清楚表明這些都是我們的意見,就連使徒保羅都在他的書信中如此做。

聖經上清楚提到神的審判會在這世代末了臨到世界;即便如此,可能有一些事件需歸類於『自然現象』,是地球本身的呻吟或陣痛。我們要如何區分之間的不同?還是之間是否有不同?即便不是神對我們的審判,至少祂容許它們發生。並非全都是從神來的信息,但若是,我們要收到信息,下次祂就不需要用更嚴重的景況來更大聲對我們說話。聖經清楚寫到這些事情有許多是神的審判,我們若沒有收到信息,就沒有希望藉由悔改來使審判轉離了。 

許多在末世臨到我們的困難與患難是我們自己的所作所為,這些是人類傲慢以為我們不需要神,就可以掌管世界,甚至個人生命所帶來的結果。人類做了一些很好的事,但在許多基本領域我們做得非常不好,我們將收成我們所撒的種。回到聖經上,有一個值得思想的證據:神真的曾收回毀滅,若沒有祂的忍耐與渴望人人得救,人早就自我毀滅了。這是主的恩典與憐憫,在許多情況裡,祂的審判不過是祂不再阻止一些事情,任憑人類悖逆與放蕩所產生的結果。即便是因為祂不再阻止這些事,並任由其發生,這些也是神的審判。 

人類問題的終極成因是我們轉離神,認為自己沒有祂也可以做成。終極答案便是以悔改和謙卑回轉向祂,承認我們需要祂,並想要順服祂。我的盼望是讓此發生,好讓逼近我們國家的審判停止。倘若你認為你不過是在對付自然界的災害,而不是神,不把我們的悖逆與過犯與要臨到我們的事連在一起,就不太可能悔改,而本來可以避免的可怕毀滅也會臨到。 
 
 (摘自喬納 word for the week, Week 41, 2011)
 

The Judgments of God, Part 4
God's Ways Are Not Our Ways
Week 41, 2011
 
Our own likes or dislikes, or any other motives, should never be a motivation for prophesying, but rather revelation from the Lord. I have been accused of making predictions about earthquakes and volcanoes erupting on the West Coast out of a dislike of California, but that could not be further from the truth. First, I love California. I do make a lot of jokes about California, and Texas, but I only joke about those I have a high affection for. These two states would both be in the top five places I would want to live if I were not called to be where I am. Even so, to allow our likes or dislikes to affect what we prophesy is a serious transgression, and something we have taught for many years is a main source of false prophecies.
 
We also must be careful to never assign attributes to God and His ways from our own likes, dislikes, or from anything else but the Scriptures. This too is a serious transgression for any who would be His messengers. What king or President would send an emissary who is prone to give his own opinions, or who would add to their words? This is one of the primary ways that we can disqualify ourselves from an important prophetic ministry. It is better to say we do not understand something than to just give our opinions, unless we clearly state that these are our opinions, which even the Apostle Paul did in his letters.
 
The Scriptures are clear that the judgment of God will come upon the world at the end of this age. Even so, there are events that we might categorize as “natural,” or the earth itself groaning and travailing. How can we distinguish the difference, or is there a difference? Even if God is not doing them to us, He is at least allowing them. Not all are a message from God, but if they are, we want to get that message so He does not have to speak louder the next time through a more severe situation. The Scriptures are clear that many of these things are judgments of God, and if we do not get the message, there is no hope of repentance that might turn away His further judgments.
 
Most of the troubles and tribulations coming upon the world at the end of this age are our own doing. These are the result of mankind having the arrogance to think that we can run this world, or even our own lives, without God. Mankind has done some things very well, but in many basic areas we have done very poorly, and we will reap what we have sown. There is considerable evidence, backed up by Scripture, that God has actually held back the destruction with which mankind would have destroyed himself out of His patience and desire for men to be saved. This has been the grace and mercy of the Lord and His judgments, and in many cases, are the result of Him simply not restraining some things any longer and letting the consequences of mankind’s rebellion and debauchery be released. These too are the judgments of God, even if they are in the sense that He is refusing to restrain any longer and allowing them to happen.
 
The ultimate cause of every human problem is our turning away from God and thinking we can do this without Him. The ultimate answer is to turn back to God in repentance and humility, acknowledging that we need Him and we want to obey Him. That this would happen is my hope for having the impending judgments coming upon our nation restrained. If you think you are just dealing with nature instead of God and not connecting our rebellions and transgressions to what is coming upon us, repentance is not likely, and the terrible destruction that could have been avoided will come.