於2013-06-21發佈

全世界墮胎的根源?
2013年5月12日
瑞克•萊汀斯(Rick Ridings)


煙霧在耶路撒冷的欣嫩子谷(Ben Hinnom Valley)升起。
(圖片來源:卡里諾•卡薩斯/讚美的帳幕)

許多為以色列禱告的人不知道,墮胎在這裡十分普遍。事實上,政府為每一位在以色列國防軍中服役兩年的青年女性提供兩次免費墮胎(1)。

據以色列的彌賽亞反墮胎事工團隊“Be’ad Chaim(支持生命)”估計,在以色列每四次懷孕中就有一次以墮胎終止(從出生和墮胎的資料分析)。據估計自1948年來,在以色列已經有超過200萬起墮胎,超過在納粹大屠殺中被殺害的嬰兒數量。(2)

顯然這扇向死亡的靈敞開的門需要被關起來。這是一項嚴重的罪,需要在耶和華面前坦白認罪。在聖經裡很早就提到,耶和華清晰解釋了流無辜人的血在地上的後果。他在創世紀4:10-12(NIV)宣佈:

聽!你兄弟的血,有聲音從地裡向我哀告。地開了口,從你手裡接受你兄弟的血,現在你必從這地受詛咒。你種地,地不再為你生出土產。

讚美神!Be’ad Chaim正牽頭聚集一群牧師和領袖,呼召設立一個“全國紀念日,以紀念那些未出生的(嬰孩)並代表我們的國家悔改。我們希望將全國的信徒聚集起來,和全世界的信徒一起加入禱告、敬拜和悔改當中”(3)。這個活動很可能會在10月份舉行。他們希望有超過1000名的信徒能夠聚集在一起,在墮胎的罪上,祈求主的饒恕和憐憫能夠臨到以色列。


欣嫩子谷:全世界墮胎的可能根源

欣嫩子谷(在希臘語中稱為“地獄”)坐落在耶路撒冷的現代錫安山,曾是古代敬拜摩洛的地方(耶利米書32:35)。摩洛是亞捫人的神,神在利未記18章和20章中明令禁止(崇拜它)。但以色列人對它的崇拜是由所羅門王的妻子們引入的(列王記上11:4-8)。 

欣嫩子谷的一個區域托非特Topeth,就是“鼓”的意思,人們認為它之所以叫這個名字,是因為摩洛的敬拜者們會大聲擊鼓,以淹沒被獻祭的孩子的慘叫聲。(4)

主已經帶領“讚美的帳幕”(我們的24/7敬拜禱告中心,面向錫安山並坐落在欣嫩子谷之上)的團隊,在好幾年的時間內在這個山谷中多次走禱。

有一天一群猶太人和外邦人代禱者在那裡禱告,為了現代的以孩童獻祭,亦即“墮胎”而悔改。我們感到神向我們展現,有一天這山谷中會有數以百計甚至千計的兒童和青年讚美神。當我們離開山谷的時候,一個小女孩跑向我們並直接說道:“嗨,我的名字是特希拉(Tehilla)!”她的名字在希伯來語中是“代禱性讚美”的意思。

另外還有一次,當我們禱告神興起攻擊死亡的靈時,我們能感覺到一股厚厚的黑暗像毯子一樣覆蓋在山谷之上(譯者注 - 賽24:23,25:7)。當我們離開時,我們看見了一匹灰色馬的屍體。這正好離我們剛剛禱告的地方很近,明顯地是有人把馬扔在了那裡,但當時我們卻沒有聽到任何聲音。我的妻子帕蒂記起灰色馬在啟示錄(6:7-8)中代表的是死亡。當我們為此禱告,我們感覺到主說某些死亡的靈已經死掉了。

幾週之後,我們正和一隊大多數為猶太彌賽亞年輕人在谷中,為與住在附近的阿拉伯人和好一事禱告。突然,其中一個年輕人指出有一匹巨大的白色駿馬在我們上方的懸崖以後腿騰躍,但沒有看到騎手。當我們禱告時,白馬會定睛看我們。這匹非常真實的白馬,緊緊地盯著我們禱告了20到30分鐘。

所以我們受到鼓勵,相信耶穌那救贖和復活的生命有一天會充滿這個山谷。事實上,這在耶利米書31:40已經有應許:

拋屍的全谷和倒灰之處[用來形容欣嫩子谷的句子]……都要歸耶和華為聖。這個城市將不再拔出,不再傾覆。

經過一段時間和我們的家人們在欣嫩子谷每週一次的敬拜,以及在那裡的各種其他的禱告旅程之後,我們一度感到了聖靈的確據,就是欣嫩子谷上空的死亡咒詛已經被打破。

在那一刻的三個月後,我和帕蒂參加了由耶路撒冷市資助的一次欣嫩子谷觀光。導遊講解說:“我們猶太人認為這個山谷因為向偶像獻嬰兒和小孩為祭,在耶利米時代被詛咒了。我們知道欣嫩子谷被詛咒,是因為幾百年來山谷裡都沒有鳥。我不知道發生了什麼,但是大概三個月前,鳥兒回來了,意味著這個山谷不再是被詛咒的了。”

我們顯然對導遊說的話感到非常高興,並且蒙福地看到自此之後,雀鳥不斷地在山谷中出現。而且,在我們禱告的地方的垃圾場也被移走了,取而代之的是一個帶草地和樹木的公園。

禱告以色列成為“列國的光”

如果我們正確地察驗到,與神立約的子民在欣嫩子谷獻嬰兒和孩子為祭,是墮胎的一個歷史性的根源,那麼我們就可以期待,以色列一項改變對待墮胎的政府政策和公眾態度的突破,將不僅會影響以色列,而且還將影響世上列國。
 
當我最近在中國大陸服侍教會領袖和代禱領袖時,這對我來說變得非常真實。在“獨生子女政策”下, 中國大陸已有3.36億嬰兒被墮胎。

在我分享了欣嫩子谷的故事之後我們開始禱告,當我們親愛的中國弟兄姐妹們開始哭泣,為國家墮胎的罪悔改,呼求神的憐憫時,聖靈以非常強有力的方式造訪。這樣的悔改禱告,需要發生在現代世界的大部分國家裡。

請加入我們一起禱告:
求主興起以色列的彌賽亞身體成為餘剩的祭司,為著當代向舒適、物質主義和瑪門這些偶像獻嬰兒為祭而認罪,並尋求主的憐憫。禱告以色列在這個方面有潮流性的改變,使得以色列真正在關注未出生生命的尊嚴和價值方面,成為“列國之光”。


引文

1. “Abortion in Practice.” Be’ad Chaim. Web. 22 April 2013.
2. Shoshani, Oded. “Statistics for prayer for our people.” Message to author. 19 Sept. 2012. E-mail.
3. Shoshani, Sandy. “Notes from Israel Meeting.” Message to author. 10 April 2013. E-mail.
4. “Tophet: Etymology.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 18 April 2013. Web. 22 April 2013.
5. Moore, Malcolm. “336 million abortions under China’s one-child policy.” The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Ltd. 15 March 2013. Web. 22 April 2013.

ACCV蒙允翻譯



THE ROOT OF WORLDWIDE ABORTION?
May 12, 2013
Rick Ridings



Image Source: Cariño Casas/Succat Hallel; Smoke rising over the Ben Hinnom Valley in Jerusalem.

Many who pray for Israel are not aware that abortion is widespread here. In fact, the government offers two free abortions to each young woman serving her two years in the Israeli Defense Forces (1).

According to Be’ad Chaim, the Messianic pro-life ministry in Israel, It is estimated that every fourth pregnancy in Israel is terminated by abortion (from analysis of the numbers of births and abortions).  It is estimated that since 1948 there have been over 2 million abortions in Israel, more babies than were murdered in the Holocaust. (2)

Obviously this is an open door that needs to be closed to the spirit of death.  This is a grievous sin that needs to be acknowledged and confessed before the LORD.  Very early in the Scriptures, the LORD makes clear the effect of the shedding of innocent blood upon the land. He declares in Genesis 4:10b -12a (NIV):

Listen! Your brother’s blood cries out to me from the ground.  Now you are under a curse and driven from the ground, which opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand.  When you work the ground, it will no longer yield its crops for you.

Praise God that Be’ad Chaim is taking the lead in gathering a group of pastors and leaders to call “a national day of remembrance for the unborn and repentance on behalf of our nation. Our hope is to bring together believers from across the country joining for prayer, worship and repentance with believers from around the world” (3).  This will most likely be held in October.  They are hoping that upwards of 1,000 believers will gather together to ask the LORD’s forgiveness and mercy upon Israel in regards to the sin of abortion.

Ben Hinnom Valley:  a possible root of worldwide abortion


The Ben Hinnom Valley (called “Gehenna” in the Greek) is located at the base of modern Mt. Zion in Jerusalem and was an ancient site for the worship of Molech (Jeremiah 32:35). Molech was an Ammonite god expressly forbidden by the LORD in Leviticus18 and 20 but whose worship by Israel is introduced by King Solomon’s wives (1 Kings 11:4-8).

One area of the valley, Topeth, means “drum” and is thought to carry that name because worshipers would beat loudly on drums to drown out the screams of the children as they were sacrificed. (4)

The LORD has led teams from Succat Hallel (our 24/7 worship and prayer center, facing Mt. Zion and located above the Ben Hinnom Valley) to pray in that valley many times over a period of years. 

One day a group of Jewish and Gentile intercessors were praying there, repenting for the modern sacrifice of children called abortion.  We felt God showed us that some day that valley would be filled with hundreds and even thousands of children and youth praising God.  As we were leaving the valley, a little girl ran up to us and simply said: “Hi, my name is Tehillah!”  Her name in Hebrew means “intercessory praise”!

Another time, as we were praying for God to arise against the spirit of death, we could sense a thick, darkness like a blanket over the valley.  As we were leaving, we came across the body of a dead pale horse. It was right near where we were praying just moments before, and yet we had heard nothing when someone evidently dumped the horse there. My wife, Patti, remembered that the pale horse in the book of Revelation (4:7-8) represented death.  As we prayed about that, we sensed that the LORD was saying that something of the spirit of death had died.

A few weeks later, we were praying in the valley with a team of mostly Jewish Messianic youth concerning reconciliation with the Arabs who live nearby.  Suddenly, one of youths pointed out that a huge, white stallion was prancing on the cliff above us with no rider in sight. The horse would stare at us as we prayed.  This very lively, white horse watched us closely as we prayed for 20 to 30 minutes.

So we were encouraged to believe that the redemptive, resurrection life of Yeshua (Jesus) would one day fill that valley.  In fact, that is promised in Jeremiah 31:40 (NIV):

The whole valley where dead bodies and ashes are thrown [a phrase used to describe the Ben Hinnom valley]…will be holy to the LORD.  The city will never again be uprooted or demolished.

After a period of weekly worship with our families in the Ben Hinnom Valley and various other prayer journeys there, we felt at one point the assurance of the Holy Spirit that the curse of death over the valley had been broken.

About three months after that moment, Patti and I were on a tour of the valley sponsored by the City of Jerusalem.  The guide explained:  “You know that we Jewish people believe this valley was cursed in the time of Jeremiah as a result of sacrificing babies and children to idols.  The way we knew the Ben Hinnom Valley was cursed was that there were no birds in the valley for hundreds of years. I don’t know what happened, but about three months ago, the birds returned, which means the valley is no longer under a curse!” 

We were obviously overjoyed at his statement and blessed to see that since then, birds are continually in the valley. Also, the garbage dump in the area where we prayed was removed and replaced by a park with grass and trees.

Pray that Israel may be a “light to the nations”

If we have correctly discerned that the sacrifice of babies and children in the Ben Hinnom Valley by God’s covenant people is a historic root of abortion, then we could expect that a breakthrough changing government policy and public attitudes towards abortion in Israel would not only affect Israel but the nations of the earth.

This was recently made very real to me as I was ministering to church and intercessory leaders in mainland China, where 336 million babies have been aborted under the “one-child policy”. (5) 

After I shared the Ben Hinnom story and we began to pray, the Holy Spirit came in a very powerful way as our dear Chinese brothers and sisters began to weep, confessing the national sin of abortion, crying out to the Lord for mercy. This needs to happen in most nations of the modern world.

Please join us in praying for the Messianic body in Israel to arise as a remnant priesthood to confess and seek the mercy of the LORD for the modern-day sacrifice of babies to the idols of comfort, materialism and mammon.  Pray that Israel may have a tidal change in this area that would enable it to truly be a “light to the nations” concerning the sanctity and value of the life of the unborn.

Works Cited

1. “Abortion in Practice.” Be’ad Chaim. Web. 22 April 2013.
2. Shoshani, Oded. “Statistics for prayer for our people.” Message to author. 19 Sept. 2012. E-mail.
3. Shoshani, Sandy. “Notes from Israel Meeting.” Message to author. 10 April 2013. E-mail.
4. “Tophet: Etymology.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. 18 April 2013. Web. 22 April 2013.
5. Moore, Malcolm. “336 million abortions under China’s one-child policy.” The Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group Ltd. 15 March 2013. Web. 22 April 2013.