於2011-11-21發佈

背負主的擔子

前兩週我強調要行在先知性預言的兩項重要原則:研讀並願意做你不樂意做的事,並將其轉變為敬拜。聖經要我們『竭力(研讀)在神面前得蒙喜悅』(參考提摩太後書2:15)。我知道很少人的生活方式,可以使他們能夠像我一樣花那麼多時間研讀,但研讀的數量不如研讀的品質來得重要。

我也需要努力經營我的大型事工,當我還在做大生意時,我仍找時間來研讀,所以凡是看重研讀的人都可以做得到。任何人都可以一天找到三十分鐘來做他們認為重要的事,首先可能需要紀律,但幾乎每件重要的事都需要紀律。倘若我們願意稍微使自己有紀律,就有可能將此事轉變成熱情,接著你會找到更多時間。

幾乎我所認識的每一個人,一週都花好幾小時上健身房或運動,雖然我需要更多時間運動,更少時間坐著閱讀,但幾乎我所認識的每一個人,在他們的生活中都需要更多時間閱讀和研讀。加拉太書六章7節告訴我們:『人種的是什麼,收的也是什麼。』所以,我們想要花更多時間撒種在我們的身體,還是屬靈『裡面的人』?  

我知道『照顧我們的殿』指的是我們的身體;然而,主住在裡面不是外面,照顧身體的殿比不上照顧裡面的屬靈人重要。倘若我們在潔淨裡面的人所花的時間和外面的身體一樣多,我們哪裡會比較屬靈呢?許多人熱愛運動的確很棒,但我們應當定意花更多時間在裡面的人,勝過外面的身體。   

提摩太前書四章8節告訴我們:『操練身體,益處還少;惟獨敬虔,凡事都有益處,因有今生和來生的應許。』所以,這節經文是在說:鍛鍊身體確實有一些益處,卻遠不及在敬虔上的屬靈操練。不管我們花多少時間在身體上,總有一天會被取代,裡面的人卻永遠活著。

現在讓我們再一次來看如何來追求『以薩迦支派』恩膏,知道時間並有智慧協助指引神子民當做的事,因為在這些時候此變得更加重要。讓我們再一次讀創世記四十九章14-15節,雅各對以薩迦的預言:

以薩迦是個強壯的驢,臥在羊圈之中。
他以安靜為佳,以肥地為美,便低肩背重,成為服苦的僕人。

驢被稱為『背負擔子的動物』。正如舊約先知所說的,先知性事工的根基在於願意背負『主的擔子』。當然,沒有任何人可以背負主所有的擔子,但祂與我們分擔我們所能承受的,好讓我們可以感受祂所感受的。當我們發預言時,祂不要我們冷淡不帶感情的來做這件事,而是要我們盡可能的傳遞祂的心腸,至少這是阿摩司書三章7節的部份含意:

主耶和華若不將奧祕指示祂的僕人─眾先知,就一無所行。
   
主的『奧祕』就是在祂心中深層的事;我先前分享過我最近在西岸,是如何被極深的憂傷淹沒長達好幾小時,甚至到認為自己無法負荷的地步。我毫無理由有這樣的感覺,當時我與一些好朋友有很美好的交通,但當我一個人禱告時,此極度的悲傷臨到我。結果是我認為我願意做任何事,不讓我所看見要臨到西岸的災難發生。每一天我想著這件事,為此事禱告,祈求主興起一些比我更合適的人發出警報,賜給人可聽的耳。

我知道讓此災難不發生的唯一方式是透過悔改與復興,我對這些事情的代禱不僅進到新的層次,我更定意繼續發出警報。當一些人因為我不撤銷這些預言而更加惱怒,我卻更定意竭盡所能讓此預言傳出去。我知道這是主的心腸,倘若沒有深度的悔改,回轉向祂,這些人即將大大受苦。這一點也不有趣,但這是成為『強壯的驢』的一部份,願意背負重擔,並在剛強中來做這件事。

人們常常告訴我,若我不去承擔如此多具爭議性的議題,我會有更大的事工。那也許是真的,但我在這裡不是為了建造大型事工,而是為了順服主。在1991年一月16日,主在一次造訪中警告我,會有一些試探使我能夠建造更大的事工,出版更多書籍與資訊,但那卻會使我無法遵行祂的旨意。我對於跌進那樣試探的擔心,遠勝過受人爭議。

 (摘自 喬納 word for the week, Week 44, 2011)


The Judgments of God, Part 7
Carrying the Burden of the Lord
Week 44, 2011

The last two weeks I emphasized two crucial disciplines for those who would walk in the prophetic: study and the willingness to do the things you don’t enjoy doing and turning them into worship. We are told to “study to show ourselves approved by God” (see II Timothy 2:15). I know few people have had the lifestyle that enabled them to study as much as I’ve been able to do, but the amount of study is not as important as the quality of study.

I would also contend that I run a large ministry, and when I ran a fairly large business I still found the time to study, so it can be done by anyone who esteems it enough. Anyone can find 30 minutes a day for something they consider important. It may require discipline at first, but so does almost everything that is important. If we will discipline ourselves for just a little while it may then turn into a passion, and then you will find more time.

Almost everyone I know spends several hours a week in a gym or exercising, and though I may need to do more of that and less time sitting and reading, almost everyone I know needs more reading and study in their lives. We are told in Galatians 6:7 that “whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.” So do we want to spend more time sowing to our natural bodies or our spiritual “inner man?”

I understand the devotion to “take care of our temples,” which we are told are our bodies. However, the Lord lives on the inside, not the outside. Taking care of the physical temple is not as important as taking care of the inner, spiritual man. Where would we be spiritually if we just spent as much time cleaning our inner man as we do the outer? It is great that so many are devoted to exercising, but we should resolve that we will spend more time on the inner man than the outer.

In I Timothy 4:8 we are told that “bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable in all things” (NKJV). So this is saying that bodily exercise does profit some, but not nearly as much as spiritual discipline for godliness. Regardless of how much time we spend on our bodies, they are going to be replaced. It is the inner man that will live forever.

Now let’s look again at how to pursue the “sons of Issachar” anointing to know the times and have the wisdom to help give guidance about what God’s people should do since it is becoming increasingly crucial for these times. Let’s look once more at what Jacob prophesied over Issachar in Genesis 49:14-15:

“Issachar is a strong donkey, lying down between the sheepfolds.
“When he saw that a resting place was good and that the land was pleasant,
he bowed his shoulder to bear burdens, and became a slave at forced labor.”

A donkey is called “a beast of burden.” Fundamental to the prophetic ministry is being willing to take “the burden of the Lord,” as the prophets called it in the Old Testament. Of course, no human could ever carry the whole burden of the Lord, but He shares with us what we can stand so that we can feel what He feels. When we prophesy, He does not want us to do this from a cold and detached place, but as much as possible, conveying His heart. This is what is at least partly meant by Amos 3:7:

 "Surely the Lord GOD does nothing unless He reveals His secret counsel to His servants the prophets."

The “secret counsel” of the Lord are the deep things on His heart. I shared before how when I was on the West Coast recently I would be overcome for hours at a time with a grief that was at the limit of what I thought I could take. There was no reason in the natural for me to feel this. I was having a great time with great friends, yet when I would get alone to pray, this terrible grief would come upon me. The result has been that I think I would do anything to keep the disasters I was shown from coming to pass on our West Coast. Every day I think about it, pray about it, and ask the Lord to raise up those who will sound the alarm better than I have and to give the people ears to hear.

I know the only way for what I was shown not to happen is through repentance and revival. My intercession for these has not only gone to a new level, but also my resolve to keep sounding the alarm. Just as some are getting angrier with me for not recanting these prophecies, I’m more resolved than ever to get the word out any way that I can. I know this is the Lord’s heart for the people who are about to suffer greatly if there is not a profound repentance and returning to Him. This is not fun, but it is part of being a “strong donkey,” willing to carry burdens, and to be strong in doing it.

People tell me often that I would have had a much larger ministry if I had not taken on so many controversial issues. That may be true, but I’m not here to build a large ministry but to be obedient. I was warned in a visitation on January 16, 1991 about temptations that would enable me to build a much larger ministry and distribute many more books and materials, but that would keep me from doing His will. Falling to that temptation concerns me far more than being controversial.