在提摩太后书3:1中，保罗警告说：“你们要知道，末世必有艰难的日子来到。”这句话应该给我们带来鼓励，正如使徒行传14:22所说：“我们进入神的国，必须经历许多艰难。” 试炼和患难是通往神国的大门。最大的试炼和患难会在末世临到世上，因为它们是世人进入神国的大门。

正如我们之前所说，当主的门徒问祂末世的征兆时，他首先说的是：“你们要谨慎，免得有人迷惑你们”（见马太福音24:4）。在这个欺骗盛行的时代，最具欺骗性的谎言之一就是错误的教导：如果神在某件事中，那件事就会很容易。这与整本圣经相悖，也是我们这个时代教会软弱的主要原因。

当然，主有时会让我们的生活更轻松，但祂把我们放在这个“全世界都卧在那恶者手下”（见约翰一书5:19）的地球上，显然是让我们来面对困难。祂复活后立即拥有权柄捆绑魔鬼，驱散魔鬼及其爪牙，让我们的生活更轻松，如果这是祂想要的。然而，祂却利用魔鬼和世上的苦难来训练我们。这种训练主要来自于克服困难。

主显然无意让这个世界的生活一帆风顺，那些这样想的人会一直认为主让他们失望了。我们必须意识到，追求安逸和便利，在很大程度上是为了让我们变得软弱，以便在遇到困难时放弃或退缩。正如提摩太后书所警告的那样，末日会变得更加艰难，但自从人类堕落以来，这个世界在这个时代就已经充满苦难。这难道不是主在启示录中呼召七个教会（代表这个时代的整个教会）的原因吗？这七个教会代表了我们这个时代的整个教会。

每个跟随耶稣的人都应该立志成为得胜者。这要求我们以战胜的决心面对试炼，并学习主希望我们通过试炼学习的一切。神只信守祂的应许。祂从不说谎，从不食言，并应许永远带领我们走向祂的胜利（参见哥林多后书2:14）。但我们必须跟随祂。

再说一次，主是真理，祂总是信守祂的诺言。然而，祂不会像那些曲解祂话语的人所宣称的那样行事——比如让我们轻松自在。魔鬼最恶毒的欺骗之一——也是对基督教信仰最具破坏性的欺骗——就是近代宣扬的轻松、快速、无痛苦的救恩。这与主和祂的门徒所传讲的福音背道而驰。正如迪特里希·朋霍费尔所言：“当耶稣呼召一个人时，他吩咐他来赴死。”而且，这并非一次；他呼召我们天天赴死。

毫无疑问，耶稣基督的福音是世人所能听到的最伟大的盼望信息。它应许我们在一个荣耀、奇妙、平安之地，甚至我们现在无法理解的地方，获得永生；但它并非今生安逸、舒适和奢华的应许。他确实应许我们“丰盛的生命”，但他并没有说那将是轻松的生活。他只是说，那将是丰盛的生命。

耶稣呼召跟随他的人背起他们的十字架，“天天赴死”，不为自己而活，而是为他而活。他说：“因为，凡要救自己生命的，必丧掉生命；凡为我丧掉生命的，必得着生命。”（马太福音16:25）真正的基督徒生活是我们在这个地球上所能过的最美好、最激动人心、最充实的生活，但也将是最具挑战性的生活。

研究表明，我们所回应的、吸引我们归向主的信息的质量，会对我们整个灵命的质量产生重大影响。我们无需研究就能知道这一点；圣经已经宣告了这一点。那些因着被淡化的信息而来的人，那些承诺主从未实现的事情，要么在尝试后很快堕落，要么终其一生都在困惑中挣扎。有多少人因为“另一个福音”而“归向耶稣”？这不正是为什么今天的教会只是一世纪教会的薄弱影子吗？这不正是为什么这么多人一遇到麻烦就跌倒的原因吗？

在这个时代的末期，真正的福音将再次被传扬，那些相信并活出福音的人将散发出基督的生命和祂的大能，他们将成为世上最坚强的人。

作者：雷克·乔纳 Rick Joyner

 In 2 Timothy 3:1, Paul warns, “Realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.” This statement should bring us encouragement, as Acts 14:22 declares, “It is through many tribulations that we must enter the kingdom of God.” Trials and tribulations are doorways to His kingdom. The greatest trials and tribulations come upon the world at the end of the age because they are a door through which the world will enter the kingdom of God.

      As we covered previously, when the Lord was asked by His disciples about the signs of the end of the age, the first thing He said was, “See to it that no one misleads you” (see Matthew 24:4). In this day of widespread deception, one of the most deceptive lies perpetrated in these times is the wrong teaching that if God is in something it will be easy. That is contrary to the entirety of Scripture and a major reason for the weakness of the church in our time.

      Certainly, the Lord may make things easier for us at times, but by putting us on this earth where “the whole world lies in the power of the evil one” (see 1 John 5:19), He was obviously putting us here to face difficulties. He had the authority immediately after His resurrection to bind the devil and dispel him and his minions to make it easier for us if that is what He wanted. Instead, He is using the devil and the troubles in this world for our training. That training comes mostly comes through overcoming difficulties.

      The Lord obviously did not intend for life in this world to be easy, and those who think this are going to be constantly thinking the Lord has let them down. We must realize how much of the devotion to ease and convenience is an attempt to make us softer so we will quit or retreat when something gets difficult. As 2 Timothy warned, it is going to get more difficult at the end, but this world in this age has been difficult since the Fall. Isn’t this why the calling of the Lord to all seven of the churches in Revelation, which represents the whole church in this age, was to the overcomers?

      The resolve of every follower of Jesus should be to become an overcomer. This demands that we face trials with the resolve to overcome them and learn all that the Lord wants us to learn through them. God only honors what He promises. He never lies, never fails to do as He promised, and has promised to always lead us in His triumph (see 2 Corinthians 2:14). But we must follow Him.

      Again, the Lord is the Truth, and He always keeps His word. However, He will not do what those who have twisted His words claim He will—such as making everything easy for us. One of the worst deceptions of the devil—and the most devastating to the Christian faith—is the easy, quick, painless salvation preached in recent times. This is the opposite of the gospel the Lord and His disciples preached. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer asserted, “When Jesus calls a man, He bids him to come and die.” And it’s not just once; He calls us to die daily.

      No doubt, the gospel of Jesus Christ is the greatest message of hope the world will ever hear. It is the promise of eternal life in a place of such glory, wonder, and peace we cannot even comprehend it now, but it is not a promise of ease, comfort, and luxury in this life. He did promise us an “abundant life,” but He did not say it would be the easy life. He just said there would be a lot of it.

      Jesus calls those who would follow Him to take up their crosses and “die daily” and to not live for ourselves but for Him. He said, “For whoever wants to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 16:25). The true Christian life is the most wonderful, exciting, and fulfilling life we can live on this earth, but it will also be the most challenging life we can live.

      Studies have shown that the quality of the message we respond to that draws us to the Lord can have a major impact on the quality of our entire spiritual life. We don’t need studies to know this; the Scriptures declare it. Those who come because of a watered-down message that promises things the Lord never did either fall away quickly when tried or needlessly struggle in confusion their entire lives. How many have “come to Jesus” because of “another gospel?” Is this not why the church today is but a weak shadow of the first century church? Is this not why so many fall away at the first hint of trouble?

      At the end of this age, the true gospel will be preached again, and those who believe and live it will exude the life of Christ and His power, and they will be the strongest people living on the earth.