“Do You Now Believe?”

'By this we believe...' Jesus answered them, 'Do you now believe?' —John 16:30-31

Now we believe. . . .” But Jesus asks, “Do you . . . ? Indeed the hour is coming . . . that you . . . will leave Me alone” (John 16:31-32). Many Christian workers have left Jesus Christ alone and yet tried to serve Him out of a sense of duty, or because they sense a need as a result of their own discernment. The reason for this is actually the absence of the resurrection life of Jesus. Our soul has gotten out of intimate contact with God by leaning on our own religious understanding (see Proverbs 3:5-6). This is not deliberate sin and there is no punishment attached to it. But once a person realizes how he has hindered his understanding of Jesus Christ, and caused uncertainties, sorrows, and difficulties for himself, it is with shame and remorse that he has to return.

We need to rely on the resurrection life of Jesus on a much deeper level than we do now. We should get in the habit of continually seeking His counsel on everything, instead of making our own commonsense decisions and then asking Him to bless them. He cannot bless them; it is not in His realm to do so, and those decisions are severed from reality. If we do something simply out of a sense of duty, we are trying to live up to a standard that competes with Jesus Christ. We become a prideful, arrogant person, thinking we know what to do in every situation. We have put our sense of duty on the throne of our life, instead of enthroning the resurrection life of Jesus. We are not told to “walk in the light” of our conscience or in the light of a sense of duty, but to “walk in the light as He is in the light. . .” (1 John 1:7). When we do something out of a sense of duty, it is easy to explain the reasons for our actions to others. But when we do something out of obedience to the Lord, there can be no other explanation-just obedience. That is why a saint can be so easily ridiculed and misunderstood.

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現在你們信麼？

因此我們信……耶穌說，現在你們信麼？ （約十六30-31）

[現在我們信。 ]耶穌說：[你們信麼？時候將到……你們要分散……留下我獨自一人。 ]許多基督的工人留下主獨自一人，憑自己的責任感去作工，或憑自己的判斷覺得需要而做；這是因為缺少復活主的生命。其中並沒有罪惡，也與刑罰無關；只是當 發現這事成為認識基督的障礙，帶來何等的困惑、愁苦、難處，就必然蒙羞抱愧，痛悔地歸回。

我們必須更深切地投靠主耶 穌復活的生命，養成一種習慣，把一切事情不斷在他面前陳明。可是我們往往會作出合常理的決定，然後求神賜福。但他無法此物，因為這事不屬他管轄，而且脫離 現實。我們若憑責任感行事，就是堅立了一個標準與耶穌基督敵對。我們自視為[超人]，說：[這件事我要這樣那樣做。 ]我們把責任感放在寶座上，代替了主復活的生命。神沒有叫我們行在良心或責任感的光中，乃是行在神的光中，正如神行在光中一樣。出於責任感的工作，可以言之成理，持之有故；但出於順服主的工作，便無可爭辯；正因如此，聖徒容易受人嘲諷！

祈禱◆噢，主啊，當我醒來，仍與你在一起。願你以大能的復活生命，激發我的血肉之軀；願你藉著不斷湧入的能力，在這一刻喚醒我。

The Impoverished Ministry of Jesus

Where then do You get that living water? —John 4:11

“The well is deep”— and even a great deal deeper than the Samaritan woman knew! (John 4:11). Think of the depths of human nature and human life; think of the depth of the “wells” in you. Have you been limiting, or impoverishing, the ministry of Jesus to the point that He is unable to work in your life? Suppose that you have a deep “well” of hurt and trouble inside your heart, and Jesus comes and says to you, “Let not your heart be troubled . . .” (John 14:1). Would your response be to shrug your shoulders and say, “But, Lord, the well is too deep, and even You can’t draw up quietness and comfort out of it.” Actually, that is correct. Jesus doesn’t bring anything up from the wells of human nature— He brings them down from above. We limit the Holy One of Israel by remembering only what we have allowed Him to do for us in the past, and also by saying, “Of course, I cannot expect God to do this particular thing.” The thing that approaches the very limits of His power is the very thing we as disciples of Jesus ought to believe He will do. We impoverish and weaken His ministry in us the moment we forget He is almighty. The impoverishment is in us, not in Him. We will come to Jesus for Him to be our comforter or our sympathizer, but we refrain from approaching Him as our Almighty God.

The reason some of us are such poor examples of Christianity is that we have failed to recognize that Christ is almighty. We have Christian attributes and experiences, but there is no abandonment or surrender to Jesus Christ. When we get into difficult circumstances, we impoverish His ministry by saying, “Of course, He can’t do anything about this.” We struggle to reach the bottom of our own well, trying to get water for ourselves. Beware of sitting back, and saying, “It can’t be done.” You will know it can be done if you will look to Jesus. The well of your incompleteness runs deep, but make the effort to look away from yourself and to look toward Him.

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限制了耶穌的工作

你從那裡得活水呢？ （約四11）

[井又深。 ]——比撒瑪利亞婦人所想的更深。想想人本性的深奧、生命的奧妙，和你[裡面的井]的深度。你是否限制了主耶穌的工作，以致他不能有所作為？假設你心中有一個像無底深井的煩惱，耶穌會對你說: [你心裡憂愁。 ]你就聳聳肩說：[可是，主啊，井太深；我無法從其中汲取平靜與安慰的水。 ]其實，耶穌要從上頭帶下力量來，而不會從人的井裡打什麼上來。我們若只記得以往讓神為我們做過的事，或說：[我當然不會奢望神這樣做。 ]那麼，我們就限制了以色列的聖者的工作。要全能才做得到的事，信徒該相信耶穌能夠做到。我們若忘記他的全能，就局限了主的工作；那使主的工作顯得衰退的是我們，不是他。我們只接受耶穌作安慰者、同情者，而不接受他為全能者。

我們中間有些人之所以成為差勁的基督徒，是因為心中沒有全能的基督。我們有基督徒的性情與經歷，卻沒有委身於耶穌基督，向他降服。到有了難題，就說：[他實在無能為力。 ]是我們限制了他的工作。我們掙扎到井底，想自己去打水；並且在放棄時心安理得地說：[這事不可能。 ]你知道仰望耶穌就可以做成。你的缺欠深如井，惟有竭力抬頭仰望神。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，只要我能聽見你發出清晰的吩咐，我將產生何等全備的信心！主啊，願你今天吩咐我。

Our Misgivings About Jesus

The woman said to Him, ’Sir, You have nothing to draw [water] with, and the well is deep’ —John 4:11

Have you ever said to yourself, “I am impressed with the wonderful truths of God’s Word, but He can’t really expect me to live up to that and work all those details into my life!” When it comes to confronting Jesus Christ on the basis of His qualities and abilities, our attitudes reflect religious superiority. We think His ideals are lofty and they impress us, but we believe He is not in touch with reality— that what He says cannot actually be done. Each of us thinks this about Jesus in one area of our life or another. These doubts or misgivings about Jesus begin as we consider questions that divert our focus away from God. While we talk of our dealings with Him, others ask us, “Where are you going to get enough money to live? How will you live and who will take care of you?” Or our misgivings begin within ourselves when we tell Jesus that our circumstances are just a little too difficult for Him. We say, “It’s easy to say, ’Trust in the Lord,’ but a person has to live; and besides, Jesus has nothing with which to draw water— no means to be able to give us these things.” And beware of exhibiting religious deceit by saying, “Oh, I have no misgivings about Jesus, only misgivings about myself.” If we are honest, we will admit that we never have misgivings or doubts about ourselves, because we know exactly what we are capable or incapable of doing. But we do have misgivings about Jesus. And our pride is hurt even at the thought that He can do what we can’t.

My misgivings arise from the fact that I search within to find how He will do what He says. My doubts spring from the depths of my own inferiority. If I detect these misgivings in myself, I should bring them into the light and confess them openly— “Lord, I have had misgivings about You. I have not believed in Your abilities, but only my own. And I have not believed in Your almighty power apart from my finite understanding of it.”

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對耶穌的低估

先生沒有打水的器具。 （約四11）

[神所說的一切奇妙我很欽仰，但他休想我能在生活裡真正行出來！ ]論到主耶穌本身的美德，往往叫我們有一種敬虔的優越感。 [你的理想甚高，令我們心悅誠服，但一涉及實際事物，就行不通了。 ]我們各人對耶穌或多或少總有這樣的想法。當我們向人講說與神立約，人家會好奇地問：[你的錢從哪裡來？你怎麼應付生活？ ]因而使我們對耶穌發生質疑。有時這種疑慮會發自我們本身，對主說這件事他也許難以應付。 [說信靠主是不錯的，但人總要生活的啊，耶穌連打水的器具也沒有，他怎樣供應我們？ ]你要留心裡面那敬虔的虛偽說：[我不怪主耶穌，只怪自己。 ]人從來不會怪責自己；我們無能為力的地方，自己知得很清楚，但不滿意主得卻很多。對他能做而我們所不能的，我們會覺得有損自尊。

當我省察自己，才發現神對任何事物都能應付自如，這樣，不滿就油然而生，因為我的自卑感在作祟。若真的是這樣，要來到神面前承認：[主，我對你有誤會，我未能放下自己，去信任你的智慧；我沒有離開自我的悟性，去相信你的全能。]

祈禱◆噢，主啊，我懷著何等的釋然投向你。我對你的需要真是數之不盡，而在那奇異的釋放和喜樂中，我發現我所需要的，就只有你。

The Destitution Of Service

. . . though the more abundantly I love you, the less I am loved —2 Corinthians 12:15

Natural human love expects something in return. But Paul is saying, “It doesn’t really matter to me whether you love me or not. I am willing to be completely destitute anyway; willing to be poverty-stricken, not just for your sakes, but also that I may be able to get you to God.” “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor . . .” (2 Corinthians 8:9). And Paul’s idea of service was the same as our Lord’s. He did not care how high the cost was to himself— he would gladly pay it. It was a joyful thing to Paul.

The institutional church’s idea of a servant of God is not at all like Jesus Christ’s idea. His idea is that we serve Him by being the servants of others. Jesus Christ actually “out-socialized” the socialists. He said that in His kingdom the greatest one would be the servant of all (see Matthew 23:11). The real test of a saint is not one’s willingness to preach the gospel, but one’s willingness to do something like washing the disciples’ feet— that is, being willing to do those things that seem unimportant in human estimation but count as everything to God. It was Paul’s delight to spend his life for God’s interests in other people, and he did not care what it cost. But before we will serve, we stop to ponder our personal and financial concerns— “What if God wants me to go over there? And what about my salary? What is the climate like there? Who will take care of me? A person must consider all these things.” All that is an indication that we have reservations about serving God. But the apostle Paul had no conditions or reservations. Paul focused his life on Jesus Christ’s idea of a New Testament saint; that is, not one who merely proclaims the gospel, but one who becomes broken bread and poured-out wine in the hands of Jesus Christ for the sake of others.

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傾盡的事奉

難道我越發愛你們，就越發少得你們愛麼？ （林後十二15）

天然的愛是期望回報的，但保羅卻說：[我不管你愛不愛我，我甘願竭盡一切犧牲自己，不單是為你的緣故，更是要把你帶到神那裡。 ][你們知道主耶穌基督的恩典，他本來富足，卻為你們成了貧窮。 ]保羅事奉的觀念正是：[不管我怎樣竭盡心力，也是甘心情願的。 ]對保羅來說，這是一件樂事。

神的工人要傳道這觀念，並不是耶穌基督的觀念。他的觀念是要我們藉著服役人而事奉他。 耶穌基督的思想比社會主義者更富於社會主義的色彩。他說在他的國里，最大的要作眾人的僕人。作聖徒真正的考驗不在傳講福音，乃在洗門徒的腳，就是做那些在人眼光中無足輕重的事，在神看來卻是非常重要。保羅樂意為神的緣故，不計算代價地耗盡一切為人。但我們會把經濟問題帶過來——[假如神要我到那裡，薪金怎 樣？氣候怎樣？福利怎樣？ ]人總要考慮這些的。這一切表示我們事奉神仍有保留：而使徒保羅卻毫無保留。主耶穌對新約聖徒的觀念，保羅都集中在自己的生活中；他不但傳播福音，更為別人成為擘開的餅、倒出來的酒。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你今天使那導致我們在你的事奉中軟弱無力的自我意識，永遠消失，這樣，我們所知道的，便只有耶穌。

The Delight Of Sacrifice

I will very gladly spend and be spent for your souls . . . —2 Corinthians 12:15

Once “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit,” we deliberately begin to identify ourselves with Jesus Christ’s interests and purposes in others’ lives (Romans 5:5). And Jesus has an interest in every individual person. We have no right in Christian service to be guided by our own interests and desires. In fact, this is one of the greatest tests of our relationship with Jesus Christ. The delight of sacrifice is that I lay down my life for my Friend, Jesus (see John 15:13). I don’t throw my life away, but I willingly and deliberately lay it down for Him and His interests in other people. And I do this for no cause or purpose of my own. Paul spent his life for only one purpose— that he might win people to Jesus Christ. Paul always attracted people to his Lord, but never to himself. He said, “I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some” (1 Corinthians 9:22).

When someone thinks that to develop a holy life he must always be alone with God, he is no longer of any use to others. This is like putting himself on a pedestal and isolating himself from the rest of society. Paul was a holy person, but wherever he went Jesus Christ was always allowed to help Himself to his life. Many of us are interested only in our own goals, and Jesus cannot help Himself to our lives. But if we are totally surrendered to Him, we have no goals of our own to serve. Paul said that he knew how to be a “doormat” without resenting it, because the motivation of his life was devotion to Jesus. We tend to be devoted, not to Jesus Christ, but to the things which allow us more spiritual freedom than total surrender to Him would allow. Freedom was not Paul’s motive at all. In fact, he stated, “I could wish that I myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren . . .” (Romans 9:3). Had Paul lost his ability to reason? Not at all! For someone who is in love, this is not an overstatement. And Paul was in love with Jesus Christ.

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犧牲的快樂

我也甘心樂意為你們的靈魂費財費力。 （林後十二15）

聖靈一旦將神的愛澆灌在我們心裡，我們就立即與耶穌基督一樣關懷別人。耶穌基督對任何一種人都有愛心。在事奉的工作上，我們不能以自己的嗜好為指導；這是我們與主的關係中，最大的考驗。犧牲的快樂，在於我為[朋友]捨命，這並不是隨手丟出，而是經過深思熟慮後，為他和對人的愛心，甘願把生命捨去。這也不是為 了別的什麼使命。保羅只為一個目的而把自己耗盡——為主得人。他時刻被主吸引，而不體貼自己。 [向什麼樣的人，我就作什麼樣的人。無論如何，總要救些人。 ]人若說他要向神建立聖潔的生命，那對人就絲毫無益了；他不過把自己安置在臺階上，與人群脫節。保羅成了一個祭牲，他所到之處，主耶穌都使用他，作為神的旨意。我們不少人只追求自己的目標，以致主無法隨意使用我們。若我們真的委身於耶穌，就該沒有自己的目標了。保羅說他曉得怎樣作一塊門前的地毯而心無惱怒，因為他的生命已全屬於耶穌了。我們很容易轉移目標，不歸屬基督，而專注於那些叫我們靈性得釋放的事物。保羅的動機不是這樣：[為我弟兄，我骨肉之親， 就是自己被詛咒，與基督分離，我也願意。 ]——太狂放，太誇大了，是嗎？人在愛情裡這樣說話，並不是誇大，乃是愛上了基督，如保羅一樣。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你今天保守我們，讓我們完全不需要想到自己，只是喜樂地與你一起。

The Determination To Serve

The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve . . .—Matthew 20:28

Jesus also said, “Yet I am among you as the One who serves” (Luke 22:27). Paul’s idea of service was the same as our Lord’s— “. . . ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake” (2 Corinthians 4:5). We somehow have the idea that a person called to the ministry is called to be different and above other people. But according to Jesus Christ, he is called to be a “doormat” for others— called to be their spiritual leader, but never their superior. Paul said, “I know how to be abased . . .” (Philippians 4:12). Paul’s idea of service was to pour his life out to the last drop for others. And whether he received praise or blame made no difference. As long as there was one human being who did not know Jesus, Paul felt a debt of service to that person until he did come to know Him. But the chief motivation behind Paul’s service was not love for others but love for his Lord. If our devotion is to the cause of humanity, we will be quickly defeated and broken-hearted, since we will often be confronted with a great deal of ingratitude from other people. But if we are motivated by our love for God, no amount of ingratitude will be able to hinder us from serving one another.

Paul’s understanding of how Christ had dealt with him is the secret behind his determination to serve others. “I was formerly a blasphemer, a persecutor, and an insolent man . . .” (1 Timothy 1:13). In other words, no matter how badly others may have treated Paul, they could never have treated him with the same degree of spite and hatred with which he had treated Jesus Christ. Once we realize that Jesus has served us even to the depths of our meagerness, our selfishness, and our sin, nothing we encounter from others will be able to exhaust our determination to serve others for His sake.

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事奉的決心

人子來，不是要受人的服侍，乃是要服侍人。 （太二十28）

保羅對事奉的觀念與主一樣：[我在你們中間作服侍的，像他一樣。 ][我們為基督的緣故作你們的僕人。 ]我們常以為一個蒙召作傳道的人，是被召成為與眾不同的人。對於耶穌基督，他被召的是別人門前的地毯；做他們的屬靈領袖，卻絕不是他們的上司。保羅說: [我曉得怎樣處卑賤。 ]

保羅對事奉的觀念是這樣：[我為你們耗盡了最後一分力量，你儘管稱讚我，或是指責我，一點也沒有關係。 ]只要有一個人尚未認識耶穌基督，保羅就是欠他的債，要服侍他直到認識主。保羅事奉的根源不是愛人，乃是愛主。我們若獻身人類的幸福努力，很快就會心碎而倒退，因為人忘恩負義，比狗更加厲害。但若動機是出於愛神，那麼怎樣冷酷無情也不能阻攔我們的服侍。

保羅體會耶穌基督怎樣對待他，就成為他決意服侍人的秘訣。 [我從前是褻瀆神的，逼迫人的，侮慢人的。 ]——不論人怎樣對待我，也絕對比不上我昔日怎樣以惡毒來對待耶穌基督。我們一旦體會耶穌基督怎樣為我們的卑鄙、自私、罪惡服侍到底，那麼，不論別人怎樣待我們，也不能改變我們衛士服侍人的決心。

祈禱◆主啊，你僕人的說話，正好標明我內心深切的禱告——我的神，我仰賴你的恩賜，好像我不能從任何人身上尋見，或在人內心的幻想或構思中出現。

The Discipline of Spiritual Perseverance

Be still, and know that I am God . . . —Psalm 46:10

Perseverance is more than endurance. It is endurance combined with absolute assurance and certainty that what we are looking for is going to happen. Perseverance means more than just hanging on, which may be only exposing our fear of letting go and falling. Perseverance is our supreme effort of refusing to believe that our hero is going to be conquered. Our greatest fear is not that we will be damned, but that somehow Jesus Christ will be defeated. Also, our fear is that the very things our Lord stood for— love, justice, forgiveness, and kindness among men— will not win out in the end and will represent an unattainable goal for us. Then there is the call to spiritual perseverance. A call not to hang on and do nothing, but to work deliberately, knowing with certainty that God will never be defeated.

If our hopes seem to be experiencing disappointment right now, it simply means that they are being purified. Every hope or dream of the human mind will be fulfilled if it is noble and of God. But one of the greatest stresses in life is the stress of waiting for God. He brings fulfillment, "because you have kept My command to persevere . . ." (Revelation 3:10).

Continue to persevere spiritually.

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屬靈韌力的操練

你們要休息（英文作安靜），要知道我是神。 （詩四十六10）

堅韌不單是忍耐，乃是在忍耐之上，加上絕對的肯定，知道所期待的必然實現。堅韌也不單是持定，那可能只是怕倒下來的軟弱。堅韌是以最大的努力，堅信他的英雄表現能夠獲得最後勝利。一個門徒最深的恐懼，不是他會被定罪，而是耶穌基督被貶低，叫祂所代表的一切——對人的愛、公義、饒恕和仁慈，至終不能奏凱；而祂所表彰的一切只像電光一閃而過。這是，屬靈的堅韌力叫我們不要徒然持守而無所事事，乃是著實地作工，確信神絕不被挫敗。

若我們的盼望似乎幻滅了，那正是進行潔淨的工夫。人心裡一切所想所​​求；都必一一實現。生命中最竭盡心力的事，莫過於等候神。 [你遵守了我忍耐之道。 ]

保持屬靈的韌度。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，今天讓你那偉大、使人尊貴和叫人鼓舞的感動臨到我們每個人身上。讓我們完全不用驚慌，而我們的心靈亦免於過分的追趕。

Do You Really Love Him?

She has done a good work for Me —Mark 14:6

If what we call love doesn’t take us beyond ourselves, it is not really love. If we have the idea that love is characterized as cautious, wise, sensible, shrewd, and never taken to extremes, we have missed the true meaning. This may describe affection and it may bring us a warm feeling, but it is not a true and accurate description of love.

Have you ever been driven to do something for God not because you felt that it was useful or your duty to do so, or that there was anything in it for you, but simply because you love Him? Have you ever realized that you can give things to God that are of value to Him? Or are you just sitting around daydreaming about the greatness of His redemption, while neglecting all the things you could be doing for Him? I’m not referring to works which could be regarded as divine and miraculous, but ordinary, simple human things— things which would be evidence to God that you are totally surrendered to Him. Have you ever created what Mary of Bethany created in the heart of the Lord Jesus? "She has done a good work for Me."

There are times when it seems as if God watches to see if we will give Him even small gifts of surrender, just to show how genuine our love is for Him. To be surrendered to God is of more value than our personal holiness. Concern over our personal holiness causes us to focus our eyes on ourselves, and we become overly concerned about the way we walk and talk and look, out of fear of offending God. “. . . but perfect love casts out fear . . .” once we are surrendered to God (1 John 4:18). We should quit asking ourselves, “Am I of any use?” and accept the truth that we really are not of much use to Him. The issue is never of being of use, but of being of value to God Himself. Once we are totally surrendered to God, He will work through us all the time.

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你曾否為他忘形？

她在我身上作的是一件美事。 （可十四6）

愛若不能叫人忘形，就不是愛。愛若是拘謹、明智、合理、計較、從不會忘形的，那根本不是愛。

我曾否為神成就一事而虛己忘形，不是因為責任，不是因著有用，也不是因著任何緣故，而單單因為我愛他？我有沒有奉上他所看為珍貴的東西？還是我在他偉大的救恩里遊手好閒，不去做周圍無數正等著我去做的事？不一定是大事，才稱為美妙的，日常的、平凡的俗務，都可以見證我向神的順服。我曾否使主喜悅，正如伯大尼馬利亞所做的？

有時神似乎在觀察，看我們願不願意把真愛毫不保留地表現出來。完全歸神，比個人的聖潔更有價值。個人的聖潔使我們只注視本身的潔白，叫我們十分謹慎自己的言行舉止，唯恐得罪了神。若我們無保留地歸神，完全的愛情就能把這些一概拋開。要除掉這個念頭：[我有沒有用？ ]要深信自己無用，這才更接近真相。因為那根本不是有用與否的問題，而在神是否看為寶貴。我們若全然歸神，他每時每刻都藉著我們作工。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，願我愈來愈渴望將愛心如衣服般穿上，以致當我與人接觸，他便成為人最恆久認出的東西。

Taking the Initiative Against Daydreaming

Arise, let us go from here —John 14:31

Daydreaming about something in order to do it properly is right, but daydreaming about it when we should be doing it is wrong. In this passage, after having said these wonderful things to His disciples, we might have expected our Lord to tell them to go away and meditate over them all. But Jesus never allowed idle daydreaming. When our purpose is to seek God and to discover His will for us, daydreaming is right and acceptable. But when our inclination is to spend time daydreaming over what we have already been told to do, it is unacceptable and God’s blessing is never on it. God will take the initiative against this kind of daydreaming by prodding us to action. His instructions to us will be along the lines of this: “Don’t sit or stand there, just go!” 

If we are quietly waiting before God after He has said to us, “Come aside by yourselves . . .” then that is meditation before Him to seek His will (Mark 6:31). Beware, however, of giving in to mere daydreaming once God has spoken. Allow Him to be the source of all your dreams, joys, and delights, and be careful to go and obey what He has said. If you are in love with someone, you don’t sit and daydream about that person all the time— you go and do something for him. That is what Jesus Christ expects us to do. Daydreaming after God has spoken is an indication that we do not trust Him.

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控制夢想的動力

起來，我們走罷。 （約十四31）

為求事情做得好而產生的夢想，原是對的。但在實行時仍在發夢，那就不對了。我們的主對門徒說完了那番美好的教訓後，我們多半以為他會吩咐門徒好好去默想；但主從來不容讓我們只有空想。與神相交，要尋求他的心意，夢想是可以的；但當神已經告訴我們怎樣做，我們仍想花時間去做夢，這就不對了，神是不會祝福這事。 神對此等夢想，總是鞭辟入裡，要給我們一個當頭棒喝。這一棒叫我們[不要再坐著，再站著，乃要出去]。

若果我們正安靜等候神，他說：[來歇一歇吧！ ]這是在神面前的默想，為要明白神的心意，但一旦神已經說了，就不要耽擱在夢想裡。讓神成為你一切的夢想、一切賞心樂事的源頭，然後遵行他所吩咐的。在愛情裡，你不會一天到晚坐在那裡，夢想你所愛的人；你會去為他有所行動；這正是耶穌基督期望我們做的。當神顯明他的心意，而我們仍在發夢，那表示我們並不信任他。

祈禱◆在我感到自己變得完全無用，只有軟弱的當兒，我何等需要全然抓緊你。我感到自己已經錯失了那起點，而我現時似乎在這種感受下屈服。主啊，求你糾正我的意念和理想。

Taking the Initiative Against Drudgery

Arise, shine . . . —Isaiah 60:1

When it comes to taking the initiative against drudgery, we have to take the first step as though there were no God. There is no point in waiting for God to help us— He will not. But once we arise, immediately we find He is there. Whenever God gives us His inspiration, suddenly taking the initiative becomes a moral issue— a matter of obedience. Then we must act to be obedient and not continue to lie down doing nothing. If we will arise and shine, drudgery will be divinely transformed.

Drudgery is one of the finest tests to determine the genuineness of our character. Drudgery is work that is far removed from anything we think of as ideal work. It is the utterly hard, menial, tiresome, and dirty work. And when we experience it, our spirituality is instantly tested and we will know whether or not we are spiritually genuine. Read John 13. In this chapter, we see the Incarnate God performing the greatest example of drudgery— washing fishermen’s feet. He then says to them, “If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet” (John 13:14). The inspiration of God is required if drudgery is to shine with the light of God upon it. In some cases the way a person does a task makes that work sanctified and holy forever. It may be a very common everyday task, but after we have seen it done, it becomes different. When the Lord does something through us, He always transforms it. Our Lord takes our human flesh and transforms it, and now every believer’s body has become “the temple of the Holy Spirit”. 

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應付苦差的動力

興起發光（賽六十1）

我們踏上第一步，好像神沒有在那裡一般。空等神來幫助是無濟於事的，他不會來；然而當我們有所行動，就發現他在那裡了。神的感動往往是道德性的。我們不要老是呆在那裡，像一根方木似的，是要起來行動。只要興起發光，苦差便在神的光中變相。

苦差是磨練人最佳的試金石。苦差不是理想的工作，而是最低賤的工作。但一觸及這些工作，就立刻知道我們的屬靈情況 [屬靈的實際 ]。約翰福音十三章記載：道成肉身的神作了一 件最不討好的苦差，就是洗漁夫的腳。他說：[我是你們的主，尚且洗你們的腳，你們也當彼此洗腳。 ]苦差需要神的感動，有神的光照在其中。有些人做一件事，便有好的表現，使那件事染上光彩。可能是一件極普通的事，但當他們做過之後，就完全不同了。每當主叫我們做事，他總叫那事變了形象。我們的主披上了血肉之體，叫它改變形象，使之成為聖徒聖靈的殿。

祈禱◆讓神的氣息吹向我，直至我的意念和心靈能適當地調校向你。求你在我們當中和我們心內，散發自由、純潔和能力。

Taking the Initiative Against Despair

Rise, let us be going —Matthew 26:46

In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples went to sleep when they should have stayed awake, and once they realized what they had done it produced despair. The sense of having done something irreversible tends to make us despair. We say, “Well, it’s all over and ruined now; what’s the point in trying anymore.” If we think this kind of despair is an exception, we are mistaken. It is a very ordinary human experience. Whenever we realize we have not taken advantage of a magnificent opportunity, we are apt to sink into despair. But Jesus comes and lovingly says to us, in essence, “Sleep on now. That opportunity is lost forever and you can’t change that. But get up, and let’s go on to the next thing.” In other words, let the past sleep, but let it sleep in the sweet embrace of Christ, and let us go on into the invincible future with Him.

There will be experiences like this in each of our lives. We will have times of despair caused by real events in our lives, and we will be unable to lift ourselves out of them. The disciples, in this instance, had done a downright unthinkable thing— they had gone to sleep instead of watching with Jesus. But our Lord came to them taking the spiritual initiative against their despair and said, in effect, “Get up, and do the next thing.” If we are inspired by God, what is the next thing? It is to trust Him absolutely and to pray on the basis of His redemption.

Never let the sense of past failure defeat your next step.

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抗拒絕望的動力

起來，我們走罷。 （太二十六46）

門徒該儆醒的時候，卻睡著了。當我們發現自己這個樣子，就失望灰心。事情既無可追悔，就很容易沮喪說：[事到如今，再無挽回的餘地了。 ]我們若認為這樣的沮喪是不經常的，那就錯了，這實在是司空見慣的人生經歷。當我們醒覺自己錯過了大好的行事機會，勢必沉溺在失望之中，耶穌基督說：[安 睡罷，機會失去不再回來，也無法挽回。但起來罷，百尺竿頭，更進一步。 ]

讓過去的事消逝吧！只要消逝在主的胸懷裡；然後與他一同迎接不可抗拒的未來。在各自的人生中，我們都有這樣的經驗——陷在頹唐沮喪中。這種沮喪是從現實而來，我們無法自拔。這里門徒做了無可饒 恕的事，就是沒有與耶穌一同警醒，反而睡著了。但他卻給予他們對抗沮喪的動力——[起來，行下一步吧。 ]我們有了神的感動，下一步該是什麼？完全信靠他，在他救贖的憑據上禱告。千萬別讓失敗的意識阻礙你新的行動。

祈禱◆主啊，一份茫然的孤寂感似乎圍繞著我的生命，它是那樣的模糊不清，令我難以將它說明。我沒有下過錯誤的決定，因為我已​​經按照你所指示的去行，但那種不肯定的感覺卻揮之不去。求你抹去這片迷濛的雲霧，將它變成帶著秩序和形式的青天。

Taking the Initiative Against Depression

Arise and eat—1 Kings 19:5

The angel in this passage did not give Elijah a vision, or explain the Scriptures to him, or do anything remarkable. He simply told Elijah to do a very ordinary thing, that is, to get up and eat. If we were never depressed, we would not be alive—only material things don’t suffer depression. If human beings were not capable of depression, we would have no capacity for happiness and exaltation. There are things in life that are designed to depress us; for example, things that are associated with death. Whenever you examine yourself, always take into account your capacity for depression.

When the Spirit of God comes to us, He does not give us glorious visions, but He tells us to do the most ordinary things imaginable. Depression tends to turn us away from the everyday things of God’s creation. But whenever God steps in, His inspiration is to do the most natural, simple things-things we would never have imagined God was in, but as we do them we find Him there. The inspiration that comes to us in this way is an initiative against depression. But we must take the first step and do it in the inspiration of God. If, however, we do something simply to overcome our depression, we will only deepen it. But when the Spirit of God leads us instinctively to do something, the moment we do it the depression is gone. As soon as we arise and obey, we enter a higher plane of life.

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衝破苦悶的動力

起來吃罷。 （王上十九5）

天使沒有給以利亞異象，沒有向他解釋聖經，也沒有做什麼特殊的事；他只吩咐以利亞做一件最簡單的事——起來吃罷。我們若從不曾沮喪，就不是真正生活過的人；只有水晶體才從不會沮喪。人，是會苦悶低沉的，就是會死亡的東西；你對自己的估評裡，總要把沮喪的可能性計算在內。

神來臨，並不是給我們異象，只是吩咐我們做最尋常的事。沮喪往往令我們轉離神創造的尋常事物，但神來到，卻感動人做最簡單的事。我們以為神絕不會在那些事物裡面，誰知稍有行動，就發現他在那裡。這樣的感動臨到我們，就是對抗苦悶低沉的一種動力；要跟著做該做的，依神的感動去做。反之，若我們故意做什麼，企圖去勝過沮喪，就只會變本加厲；我們若照神的吩咐去做，沮喪就會消失。隨即可以起來，遵神的旨意去行。這時，已進入生命的另一更高境界了。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，令我感到驚訝的是，在我外在的生活中，我幾乎是完全無力去彰顯你和你的美善。願主我的神的美善，在今天臨到我身上。

The Inspiration of Spiritual Initiative

Arise from the dead . . .—Ephesians 5:14

Not all initiative, the willingness to take the first step, is inspired by God. Someone may say to you, “Get up and get going! Take your reluctance by the throat and throw it overboard—just do what needs to be done!” That is what we mean by ordinary human initiative. But when the Spirit of God comes to us and says, in effect, “Get up and get going,” suddenly we find that the initiative is inspired.>

We all have many dreams and aspirations when we are young, but sooner or later we realize we have no power to accomplish them. We cannot do the things we long to do, so our tendency is to think of our dreams and aspirations as dead. But God comes and says to us, “Arise from the dead . . . .” When God sends His inspiration, it comes to us with such miraculous power that we are able to “arise from the dead” and do the impossible. The remarkable thing about spiritual initiative is that the life and power comes after we “get up and get going.” God does not give us overcoming life—He gives us life as we overcome. When the inspiration of God comes, and He says, “Arise from the dead . . . ,” we have to get ourselves up; God will not lift us up. Our Lord said to the man with the withered hand, “Stretch out your hand” (Matthew 12:13). As soon as the man did so, his hand was healed. But he had to take the initiative. If we will take the initiative to overcome, we will find that we have the inspiration of God, because He immediately gives us the power of life.

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屬靈推動力的發源

當醒過來，從死裡復活。 （弗五14）

並非所有推動力都是從神感動來的。有人會對你說：​​[振作起來吧！把你的閒懶治死，勇往直前！ ]這屬於人的推動力。但神的靈進前來認真地說：[振作吧。 ]這推動力是從神發出。

年輕的時候，我們都有不少異象理想；可是總有一天，會發覺根本無力實現。所渴望的若無法實行，就會視這等異象理想為已死。然後神對你說：[從死裡復活。 ]當神的感動真的臨到，會帶出神奇無比的能力，叫我們能從死裡復生，作出不可能的事。屬靈推動力最特別之處，是我們先要[振作起來]，然後才有生命力。神並沒有給我們得勝的生命，而當我們得勝之時，神就賜下生命。神的感動來了，他說：[從死裡復活。 ]我們必須自己起來，因神並不拖我們起來。主對那枯乾了手的人說：[伸出你的手來。 ]那人一伸手，就得了醫治。他必須採取主動。你若肯起來，就必發現神的感動，因為他立即把生命給你。

祈禱◆[肉體是何等經常陷於危險和困頓之中]——然而這在我生命中激起什麼呢？當我醒來，願你以你靈的默示伴隨我。

"Am I My Brother’s Keeper?"

None of us lives to himself . . . —Romans 14:7

Has it ever dawned on you that you are responsible spiritually to God for other people? For instance, if I allow any turning away from God in my private life, everyone around me suffers. We “sit together in the heavenly places . . .” (Ephesians 2:6). “If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it . . .” (1 Corinthians 12:26). If you allow physical selfishness, mental carelessness, moral insensitivity, or spiritual weakness, everyone in contact with you will suffer. But you ask, “Who is sufficient to be able to live up to such a lofty standard?” “Our sufficiency is from God . . .” and God alone (2 Corinthians 3:5).

“You shall be witnesses to Me . . .” (Acts 1:8). How many of us are willing to spend every bit of our nervous, mental, moral, and spiritual energy for Jesus Christ? That is what God means when He uses the word witness. But it takes time, so be patient with yourself. Why has God left us on the earth? Is it simply to be saved and sanctified? No, it is to be at work in service to Him. Am I willing to be broken bread and poured-out wine for Him? Am I willing to be of no value to this age or this life except for one purpose and one alone— to be used to disciple men and women to the Lord Jesus Christ. My life of service to God is the way I say “thank you” to Him for His inexpressibly wonderful salvation. Remember, it is quite possible for God to set any of us aside if we refuse to be of service to Him— “. . . lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).

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我豈是看守我弟兄的嗎？

我們沒有一個人為自己活。 （羅十四7）

你有沒有想過，別人靈性的光景，在神面前我們是有責任要承擔？例如我暗地裡偏離神，四周的人都必受累。我們是[一同坐在天上]、[一個肢體受苦，所有的肢體就一同受苦]。你一旦容讓肉體的私慾、思想的怠惰，德行的放鬆、屬靈的遲鈍，你的同伴就要受損。你會說：[立這樣的標準，誰能當得起呢？ ]惟有神自己，我們所能承擔得是出於神。

[你們要作我的見證]。有多少人肯把精力、智力、德性、靈性的每一分為耶穌基督擺上呢？見證這個字在神的心目中，正是這個意思。是要用時間，要耐心。神留我們在地上是為了什麼？得拯救？得成聖？絕不，乃是為他。我願否為他成為劈開得餅，倒出得酒？我甘願被剝奪一切，完全捨棄觀點立場，只為主使萬人作門徒？我以生命作主工人，是對神說不盡得救恩和致謝。記住，每個人都有可能成為被廢棄的銀子——[……恐怕我傳福音給別人，自己反被棄絕了。 ] 

祈禱◆為著你的話說——[父親怎樣憐恤他得兒女，耶和華也怎樣憐恤敬畏他的人]——我讚美你。我何其認清我所領受到的，絕不是你的嚴苛，卻全然是你的慈愛。噢，願你向我所施的慈愛、溫柔與忍耐，能夠透過我向其他人表達。

The Discipline of Hearing

Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops —Matthew 10:27

Sometimes God puts us through the experience and discipline of darkness to teach us to hear and obey Him. Song birds are taught to sing in the dark, and God puts us into “the shadow of His hand” until we learn to hear Him (Isaiah 49:2). “Whatever I tell you in the dark. . .”— pay attention when God puts you into darkness, and keep your mouth closed while you are there. Are you in the dark right now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? If so, then remain quiet. If you open your mouth in the dark, you will speak while in the wrong mood— darkness is the time to listen. Don’t talk to other people about it; don’t read books to find out the reason for the darkness; just listen and obey. If you talk to other people, you cannot hear what God is saying. When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else once you are back in the light.

After every time of darkness, we should experience a mixture of delight and humiliation. If there is only delight, I question whether we have really heard God at all. We should experience delight for having heard God speak, but mostly humiliation for having taken so long to hear Him! Then we will exclaim, “How slow I have been to listen and understand what God has been telling me!” And yet God has been saying it for days and even weeks. But once you hear Him, He gives you the gift of humiliation, which brings a softness of heart— a gift that will always cause you to listen to God now.

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聽從的操練

我在暗中告訴你們的，你們要在明處說出來。你們耳中所聽的，要在房上宣揚出來。 （太十27）

有時神放我們在黑暗中，是要教導我們聽話。鳴鳥在黑暗裡學習唱歌，我們也要在神的陰影下學習聽他。 [我在暗中告訴你們的]——留意神把你放在什麼黑暗的地方，在那裡你要閉口不言。你如今四面漆黑嗎？你的生命與神之間幽暗嗎？保持安靜吧。在暗中開口，說話會不合宜。黑暗正是靜聽的時刻。不必告訴別人，不必去尋找黑暗的原因，只要留意靜聽；你若告訴人，就听不見神在說什麼！所以，你在黑暗中要聽；神會給你極寶貴的資訊，讓你出到光明後，可以向別人分享。

每一次經過黑暗，都會有一種欣喜與謙卑交織的心情（若只有欣喜，就不是真的聽見神了）。欣喜的時候聽見了神，但主要是謙卑——[我竟花這許多時間才聽見！我多麼遲鈍！而一直以來，神就不斷地說話。 ]這時，神叫你謙卑，使你柔順，從此聽命於他。

祈禱◆主啊，我要用詩人的話來敬拜你——[正直人在黑暗中，有光向他發現。 ]噢，主啊，我在何等的黑暗中！所以，你必然是光。

The Devotion Of Hearing

Samuel answered, ’Speak, for Your servant hears’ —1 Samuel 3:10

Just because I have listened carefully and intently to one thing from God does not mean that I will listen to everything He says. I show God my lack of love and respect for Him by the insensitivity of my heart and mind toward what He says. If I love my friend, I will instinctively understand what he wants. And Jesus said, “You are My friends . . .” (John 15:14). Have I disobeyed some command of my Lord’s this week? If I had realized that it was a command of Jesus, I would not have deliberately disobeyed it. But most of us show incredible disrespect to God because we don’t even hear Him. He might as well never have spoken to us.

The goal of my spiritual life is such close identification with Jesus Christ that I will always hear God and know that God always hears me (see John 11:41). If I am united with Jesus Christ, I hear God all the time through the devotion of hearing. A flower, a tree, or a servant of God may convey God’s message to me. What hinders me from hearing is my attention to other things. It is not that I don’t want to hear God, but I am not devoted in the right areas of my life. I am devoted to things and even to service and my own convictions. God may say whatever He wants, but I just don’t hear Him. The attitude of a child of God should always be, “Speak, for Your servant hears.” If I have not developed and nurtured this devotion of hearing, I can only hear God’s voice at certain times. At other times I become deaf to Him because my attention is to other things— things which I think I must do. This is not living the life of a child of God. Have you heard God’s voice today?

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專一的聽

請說，僕人敬聽。 （撒上三10）

我在某一件事上專一聽神，並不表示我凡事都聽從他。我的靈與心志對他的話反應遲鈍，正表示我不愛神，也不尊敬他。若我愛朋友，自然體察他的需要。耶穌說：[你們是我的朋友。 ]這一周裡，我有沒有違背主的命令呢？我若明白那是主的命令，就不會故意違背了。但我們多數蔑視神，根本不聽神在說什麼，似乎神從未說過話一般。

屬靈生活的極峰，就是達到與耶穌基督合而為一，常常聽神說話。神也時常聽我（約十一4），若我與耶穌基督聯合，就會隨時隨地專心聽他。一朵百合花、一棵樹、一位神的僕人，都可以帶來神的信息。叫我聽不到神的，是纏累我的其他事物。我不肯聽他，是我心有外鶩，不在適當的事上專心。我只專注在事物上、事奉上、信念上、神只管說：我卻置若罔聞。嬰孩的態度始終是：[主啊，請說，僕人敬聽。 ]要是沒有培養好這種專心聆聽的習慣，就只能在某些時刻聽到神的聲音，其他時間卻被世務纏身，無法擺脫。於是我向神就是聾了耳，沒有孩子的樣式。我今日聽見神的聲音沒有？

祈禱◆噢，主啊，我要稱頌你聲音的語調和能力，你的語調帶著溫柔和滿有恩典的愛；你的語調亦帶有自然界強大風暴的能力。主啊，讓你榮耀的聲音在這地方被聽聞，亦讓我的靈得以聽見。

Are You Listening to God?

They said to Moses, ’You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die’ `—Exodus 20:19

We don’t consciously and deliberately disobey God— we simply don’t listen to Him. God has given His commands to us, but we pay no attention to them— not because of willful disobedience, but because we do not truly love and respect Him. “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Once we realize we have constantly been showing disrespect to God, we will be filled with shame and humiliation for ignoring Him. 

“You speak with us, . . . but let not God speak with us . . . .” We show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His servants rather than to Him. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we don’t want God Himself to speak to us. Why are we so terrified for God to speak to us? It is because we know that when God speaks we must either do what He asks or tell Him we will not obey. But if it is simply one of God’s servants speaking to us, we feel obedience is optional, not imperative. We respond by saying, “Well, that’s only your own idea, even though I don’t deny that what you said is probably God’s truth.”

Am I constantly humiliating God by ignoring Him, while He lovingly continues to treat me as His child? Once I finally do hear Him, the humiliation I have heaped on Him returns to me. My response then becomes, “Lord, why was I so insensitive and obstinate?” This is always the result once we hear God. But our real delight in finally hearing Him is tempered with the shame we feel for having taken so long to do so.

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我非聽不可嗎？

（百姓）對摩西說：求你和我們說話，我們必聽。不要神和我們說話，恐怕我們死亡。 （出二十19）

我們並不是有意違背神，只是我們並不重視神。神給我們命令，我們卻不理會。這不是出於故意的反叛，而是我們不愛他，也不尊敬他。 [你們若愛我，就必遵守我的命令。 ]我們如果覺察自己一直在輕慢神，就必滿面羞愧自咎，因為我們沒有把他放在眼裡。

[求 你和我們說話……不要神和我們說話。 ]這表示我們愛神多麼少，寧可聽他的僕人。我們喜歡聽認得見證，卻不願神向我們說話。我們何以會害怕神對我們說話呢？因為知道神一開口，就事在必行；除非 我們告訴神，我們不肯聽從。若是神僕人的說話，就覺得不是絕對的命令，我們會說：[嗯，那不過是你個人的見解，雖然我不否認這可能是真理。 ]

神一直把我如兒女般看待，而我卻老是不理睬他。我是否把神貶低而羞辱他？若我真真不聽見他，那我加在他身上的羞愧便會回到我的頭上——[主啊，為什麼我這樣愚頑？ ]每次聽見神的時候，總會有這種感覺。聽見神的聲音，我們會愧喜交集，以為聽從得如此遲緩。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，我要尋求你的面，但若你不啟示你自己，我的尋求又有何用處？讓我看見你的面，噢，主啊。讓我能永遠看見你。

Is Your Mind Stayed on God?

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You —Isaiah 26:3

Is your mind stayed on God or is it starved? Starvation of the mind, caused by neglect, is one of the chief sources of exhaustion and weakness in a servant’s life. If you have never used your mind to place yourself before God, begin to do it now. There is no reason to wait for God to come to you. You must turn your thoughts and your eyes away from the face of idols and look to Him and be saved (see Isaiah 45:22).

Your mind is the greatest gift God has given you and it ought to be devoted entirely to Him. You should seek to be “bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ . . .” (2 Corinthians 10:5). This will be one of the greatest assets of your faith when a time of trial comes, because then your faith and the Spirit of God will work together. When you have thoughts and ideas that are worthy of credit to God, learn to compare and associate them with all that happens in nature-the rising and the setting of the sun, the shining of the moon and the stars, and the changing of the seasons. You will begin to see that your thoughts are from God as well, and your mind will no longer be at the mercy of your impulsive thinking, but will always be used in service to God. 

“We have sinned with our fathers . . . [and] . . . did not remember . . .” (Psalm 106:6-7). Then prod your memory and wake up immediately. Don’t say to yourself, “But God is not talking to me right now.” He ought to be. Remember whose you are and whom you serve. Encourage yourself to remember, and your affection for God will increase tenfold. Your mind will no longer be starved, but will be quick and enthusiastic, and your hope will be inexpressibly bright.

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你對神的盼望弱如垂死？

堅心倚賴你的，你必保守他十分平安。（堅心倚賴：有把心思意念寄放在神身上的意思。）（賽二十六3）

你的想像力是停留在神身上，還是逐漸衰退消失？叫主工人生命枯槁衰竭最主要的原因，就是缺乏想像力。你若從來未運用想像力來到神面前，現在就開始吧。老等神來是無濟於事的，你必須把想像力從偶像的臉上轉移到神身上，以致得救。想像力是神給我們最大的恩賜，理當全然獻給他。你若已經將所有的心思奪回，順服基督，當試煉臨到，你的信心就有了寶貴的資產，因為你可以與神的靈同心同工。要學習把一切合神心意的思想，同自然界所發生的事連繫起來——太陽的出沒，日月 星辰的運轉，四時的變換。這樣，你的想像力就不會受別的影響，而是受神的支配，為神而用。

[我們和我們的列祖犯 罪……忘記了……]——這樣就要放一把匕首在你沉睡的地方（意即枕戈待旦，不眠不休的等候神）。 [神現時不和我說話]，但其實他是時常和我說話的。要記住你是屬於誰，你事奉的是誰。挑起回憶，你愛神的心勢必增添十倍。你的想像力也不再呆滯，而是變得活潑、熱切；你的盼望也必光輝燦爛不可言狀了。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，隨著自然界春天的來臨，我的靈渴望你那旺盛的生命力能流進我的生命，不住不住地湧流。然而，我是何其醜陋、何其不像基督！不過，這並非情緒低落的感受，而是我在奇異的盼望中看見這情況。

Is Your Ability to See God Blinded?

Lift up your eyes on high, and see who has created these things . . . —Isaiah 40:26

The people of God in Isaiah’s time had blinded their minds’ ability to see God by looking on the face of idols. But Isaiah made them look up at the heavens; that is, he made them begin to use their power to think and to visualize correctly. If we are children of God, we have a tremendous treasure in nature and will realize that it is holy and sacred. We will see God reaching out to us in every wind that blows, every sunrise and sunset, every cloud in the sky, every flower that blooms, and every leaf that fades, if we will only begin to use our blinded thinking to visualize it.

The real test of spiritual focus is being able to bring your mind and thoughts under control. Is your mind focused on the face of an idol? Is the idol yourself? Is it your work? Is it your idea of what a servant should be, or maybe your experience of salvation and sanctification? If so, then your ability to see God is blinded. You will be powerless when faced with difficulties and will be forced to endure in darkness. If your power to see has been blinded, don’t look back on your own experiences, but look to God. It is God you need. Go beyond yourself and away from the faces of your idols and away from everything else that has been blinding your thinking. Wake up and accept the ridicule that Isaiah gave to his people, and deliberately turn your thoughts and your eyes to God.

One of the reasons for our sense of futility in prayer is that we have lost our power to visualize. We can no longer even imagine putting ourselves deliberately before God. It is actually more important to be broken bread and poured-out wine in the area of intercession than in our personal contact with others. The power of visualization is what God gives a saint so that he can go beyond himself and be firmly placed into relationships he never before experienced.

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你對神的想像力衰退了嗎？

你們向上舉目，看誰創造這萬象。 （賽四十26）

以 賽亞時代神的百姓，只看偶像的面孔，以致缺乏想像力。以賽亞吩咐他們舉目望天，就是叫他們再用想像力。大自然對聖徒而言，是神聖的。我們若是神的兒女
，在大自然中就必發掘無限的寶藏。一陣微風，一個晝夜，天空的變化，大地的興衰，都實實在在是神向我們說話。只要我們運用那呆滯已久的想像力，便可以領略。

屬靈上的專一是一個考驗，要看我們能否利用想像力專一向神。你的[思想]是否向著偶像？這偶像是你自己？你的作為？你事奉的觀念？你得救與成聖的經歷？那末，你對神的想像力是呆滯了。當你面對困難，你就無能為力，只好在黑暗中忍受吧。你的想像力若是貧乏，切勿回頭看自己的經歷，因你需要的是神。你要擺脫偶像的羈絆，離開任何阻攔你思想神的事物。醒來吧，接受以賽亞對百姓的吩咐，把[心思意念]轉向神。

禱告含混模糊的原因之一是沒有想像力，沒有決志把自己擺在神面前。我們要先學習怎樣做劈開的餅，倒出來的酒，做代禱的工夫，多於做與人接觸的工作。想像力是神給聖徒的一種能力，叫他從[己]出來，進入從未經歷過的關係裡去。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，我完完全全地需要你！我來到你面前，求你藉著你的生命，慈愛地使我更新，以致我的理解力、想像力和說話，完全屬於你。今天，我尋求你的感動和使人振興的恩典。

Are You Exhausted Spiritually?

The everlasting God . . . neither faints nor is weary —Isaiah 40:28

Exhaustion means that our vital energies are completely worn out and spent. Spiritual exhaustion is never the result of sin, but of service. Whether or not you experience exhaustion will depend on where you get your supplies. Jesus said to Peter, “Feed My sheep,” but He gave him nothing with which to feed them (John 21:17). The process of being made broken bread and poured-out wine means that you have to be the nourishment for other people’s souls until they learn to feed on God. They must drain you completely— to the very last drop. But be careful to replenish your supply, or you will quickly be utterly exhausted. Until others learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus directly, they will have to draw on His life through you. You must literally be their source of supply, until they learn to take their nourishment from God. We owe it to God to be our best for His lambs and sheep, as well as for Him.

Have you delivered yourself over to exhaustion because of the way you have been serving God? If so, then renew and rekindle your desires and affections. Examine your reasons for service. Is your source based on your own understanding or is it grounded on the redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually look back to the foundation of your love and affection and remember where your Source of power lies. You have no right to complain, “O Lord, I am so exhausted.” He saved and sanctified you to exhaust you. Be exhausted for God, but remember that He is your supply. “All my springs are in you” (Psalm 87:7).

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你的靈疲憊不堪麼？

永在的神耶和華……並不疲乏，也不困倦。 （賽四十28）

疲憊就是生命的活力耗盡。屬靈的疲憊並非因罪而來，而是因事奉而來。你疲憊與否，就視乎你的供應從何而得。 耶穌對彼得說：[餵養我的羊。 ]卻沒有給他飼料。要成為劈開的餅，倒出來的酒，就必須要耗盡你的一點一滴，所以你要趕快得著供應，否則不需多久，你就精疲力竭了。人未懂得直接向主汲取供應之前，他們要透過你去獲得；你要像被人吮吸一般，直到他們學會了從神得養料。我們在神面前有這責任，不但要盡忠於他，也要為他得羊群盡上一切。

你事奉神的方式是否令你疲憊不堪？若然，就該重新挑旺你的熱誠。你的事奉從哪裡出發？是從你個人的同情心，還是基於耶穌基督的救贖？要追溯你熱誠的根源，並回想你能力來自何方。你沒有權這樣說：[主啊，我多麼困倦。 ]他拯救你，叫你成聖，正是要燃燒你。為神耗盡吧，但緊記你的供應從他而來。 [我的泉源都在你裡面。 ] 

祈禱◆噢，主啊，我所渴求的是你！ [我的心渴想神，就是永生神，我幾時得朝見神呢？ ]噢，願你得感動、你得生命、你得美善，此刻臨到我，主啊，就在我禱告的這一刻。

The Cost of Sanctification

May the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely . . . —1 Thessalonians 5:23

When we pray, asking God to sanctify us, are we prepared to measure up to what that really means? We take the word sanctification much too lightly. Are we prepared to pay the cost of sanctification? The cost will be a deep restriction of all our earthly concerns, and an extensive cultivation of all our godly concerns. Sanctification means to be intensely focused on God’s point of view. It means to secure and to keep all the strength of our body, soul, and spirit for God’s purpose alone. Are we really prepared for God to perform in us everything for which He separated us? And after He has done His work, are we then prepared to separate ourselves to God just as Jesus did? “For their sakes I sanctify Myself . . .” (John 17:19). The reason some of us have not entered into the experience of sanctification is that we have not realized the meaning of sanctification from God’s perspective. Sanctification means being made one with Jesus so that the nature that controlled Him will control us. Are we really prepared for what that will cost? It will cost absolutely everything in us which is not of God.

Are we prepared to be caught up into the full meaning of Paul’s prayer in this verse? Are we prepared to say, “Lord, make me, a sinner saved by grace, as holy as You can”? Jesus prayed that we might be one with Him, just as He is one with the Father (see John 17:21-23). The resounding evidence of the Holy Spirit in a person’s life is the unmistakable family likeness to Jesus Christ, and the freedom from everything which is not like Him. Are we prepared to set ourselves apart for the Holy Spirit’s work in us?

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隨時隨地堅守不移的成聖

願賜平安的神，親自使你們全然成聖。 （帖前五23-24）

我們成聖，有沒有打算按這經文中的標準呢？我們把成聖這句話看得太輕率了。對成聖所要求的代價，我們有沒有預備付出？代價是我們減少一切屬地的興趣，而擴大對神國度的興趣。成聖是我們全神貫注留意神的心意與觀點；也是約束身體靈魂所有的智慧，專為完成神的旨意。我們肯不肯讓神在我們身上下工夫，成就神分別為聖的目的？又他在我們身上的工作完成之後，我們肯像耶穌一樣，甘願分別自己為聖歸於神？ [我為他們的緣故分別為聖]。我們未能進入成聖的經歷裡，是我們未從神的觀點了解成聖的意義。成聖就是與耶穌合而為一，以致那支配他的，也支配我們。我們預備付出那代價麼？就是一切在我們裡面不屬於神的東西，都要放下。

我們能否與保羅的禱告起共鳴？我們能否說：[主， 你能叫一個蒙恩得救的罪人有多聖潔，就求你使我有多聖潔？ ]耶穌禱告要我們與他合一，正如他與父合一一樣。聖靈在人身上唯一的特徵，就是叫人酷肖耶穌基督，宛如骨肉，同時擺脫一切與基督相反的性情。我們肯把自己 分別出來，讓聖靈在我們裡頭作工麼？

祈禱◆主啊，當我的心思不是完全被你掌管，它很容易胡思亂想！願我身心靈的主權都穩操在你的手中。

Spiritual Dejection

We were hoping that it was He who was going to redeem Israel. Indeed, besides all this, today is the third day since these things happened —Luke 24:21

Every fact that the disciples stated was right, but the conclusions they drew from those facts were wrong. Anything that has even a hint of dejection spiritually is always wrong. If I am depressed or burdened, I am to blame, not God or anyone else. Dejection stems from one of two sources— I have either satisfied a lust or I have not had it satisfied. In either case, dejection is the result. Lust means “I must have it at once.” Spiritual lust causes me to demand an answer from God, instead of seeking God Himself who gives the answer. What have I been hoping or trusting God would do? Is today “the third day” and He has still not done what I expected? Am I therefore justified in being dejected and in blaming God? Whenever we insist that God should give us an answer to prayer we are off track. The purpose of prayer is that we get ahold of God, not of the answer. It is impossible to be well physically and to be dejected, because dejection is a sign of sickness. This is also true spiritually. Dejection spiritually is wrong, and we are always to blame for it.

We look for visions from heaven and for earth-shaking events to see God’s power. Even the fact that we are dejected is proof that we do this. Yet we never realize that all the time God is at work in our everyday events and in the people around us. If we will only obey, and do the task that He has placed closest to us, we will see Him. One of the most amazing revelations of God comes to us when we learn that it is in the everyday things of life that we realize the magnificent deity of Jesus Christ.

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沮喪的操練

但我們素來所盼望……不但如此，……現在已經三天了。 （路二十四21）

門徒在這裡講述的都沒有錯；但她們從其中所得的推斷卻是錯的。任何叫靈性沮喪的事，必然是錯的。苦悶和沮喪來到，是咎由自取，不必怨天尤人。沮喪頹唐，來源有二，非此即彼：一是我的私慾得到滿足，一是我得不到所慾望的。情慾的意思是必須立刻得著。屬靈的慾望叫我逼神應允我，而不是叫我尋求那位有求必應的神。我一向相信神會怎樣行，到今日－－就是此時此刻－－已經三天了，他還未動工，我就有理由沮喪，可以怪責神。什麼時候我們要神答允禱告，便已經是走差了。禱告是我們抓住神，而不是抓住禱告的應允。身體健康，便絕不頹喪；頹喪是病態的表現，在屬靈上也是這樣。屬靈的沮喪是錯的，要責怪的就責怪自己吧。

我們盼望從天看見異象，從地震、雷轟中搜尋神的大能（我們的沮喪表示我們確是這樣去搜尋），卻沒想到神竟一直在最平凡的事物、在我們周遭的人中間。我們若盡上義務，就必看見他。主耶穌的神聖，是在最平凡的事上顯現出來，我們一旦明白這一點，對神就有了最深切的認識。

祈禱◆主啊，在每日繁多的責任中，保守我有平靜的心；藉著你的撫慰和仁慈，使我成為尊貴。讓我在你裡面得著平靜安穩。

Are You Ready To Be Poured Out As an Offering? (2)

I am already being poured out as a drink offering . . . —2 Timothy 4:6

Are you ready to be poured out as an offering? It is an act of your will, not your emotions. Tell God you are ready to be offered as a sacrifice for Him. Then accept the consequences as they come, without any complaints, in spite of what God may send your way. God sends you through a crisis in private, where no other person can help you. From the outside your life may appear to be the same, but the difference is taking place in your will. Once you have experienced the crisis in your will, you will take no thought of the cost when it begins to affect you externally. If you don’t deal with God on the level of your will first, the result will be only to arouse sympathy for yourself.

“Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar” (Psalm 118:27). You must be willing to be placed on the altar and go through the fire; willing to experience what the altar represents-burning, purification, and separation for only one purpose-the elimination of every desire and affection not grounded in or directed toward God. But you don’t eliminate it, God does. You “bind the sacrifice . . . to the horns of the altar” and see to it that you don’t wallow in self-pity once the fire begins. After you have gone through the fire, there will be nothing that will be able to trouble or depress you. When another crisis arises, you will realize that things cannot touch you as they used to do. What fire lies ahead in your life?

Tell God you are ready to be poured out as an offering, and God will prove Himself to be all you ever dreamed He would be.

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你準備好被澆奠嗎？

我已經預備好被澆奠。 （提後四6，意譯）

[我現在已預備好獻上。 ]這是意志的抉擇，而不是情緒的衝動。告訴神你已預備好獻上；就是不顧後果，神怎樣安排也沒有絲毫的怨嘆。神能把你帶過難關，這是沒有人可以幫你的。外面環境可能依舊，裡面的心志卻有了不同。在心志里首先經歷這種轉變，那麼當事情臨到，就不會斤斤計較了。你若沒有與神這樣碰頭，最終便會自憐自嘆。

[用繩索把祭牲綁上、拴在祭壇的角上。 ]祭壇就是火的意思－－焚燒、潔淨、隔離，其目的就是斷絕一切不由神而來的關係，隔絕所有不屬於神的物品。不是你去燒毀，乃是神；你只要把祭牲拴在壇角。 當火起來燃燒，不要去惋惜這些東西。經過了火的焚燒，就再沒有什麼會壓制你，或使你沮喪。當重要關頭臨到，發覺沒有什麼可以像昔日那樣摸著你了。你的 [火]是什麼？告訴神你預備獻上，神便會向你顯示他自己，就是你日夕所想的。

祈禱◆[但到了神我們救主的恩慈，和他向人所施的慈愛顯明的時候……]噢，主啊，這句話經常縈繞我的心頭；然而，我極少將你的恩典和慈愛展示人前！

Are You Ready To Be Poured Out As an Offering? (1)

If I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all—Philippians 2:17

Are you willing to sacrifice yourself for the work of another believer—to pour out your life sacrificially for the ministry and faith of others? Or do you say, "I am not willing to be poured out right now, and I don’t want God to tell me how to serve Him. I want to choose the place of my own sacrifice. And I want to have certain people watching me and saying, ’Well done.’ "

It is one thing to follow God’s way of service if you are regarded as a hero, but quite another thing if the road marked out for you by God requires becoming a “doormat” under other people’s feet. God’s purpose may be to teach you to say, “I know how to be abased . . .” (Philippians 4:12). Are you ready to be sacrificed like that? Are you ready to be less than a mere drop in the bucket—to be so totally insignificant that no one remembers you even if they think of those you served? Are you willing to give and be poured out until you are used up and exhausted—not seeking to be ministered to, but to minister? Some saints cannot do menial work while maintaining a saintly attitude, because they feel such service is beneath their dignity.

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你準備好被澆奠嗎？

我以你們的信心為供獻的祭物，我若被澆奠在其上，也是喜樂，並且與你們眾人一同喜樂。 （腓二17）

你願意為建立別人的信心而被澆奠嗎？就是把自己的生命，為信仰像澆奠一般傾倒出來。還是你說：[我現在還未能獻上；我不想神為我選擇工作。我要自己挑選奉獻的崗位；我要得人的注意，得人的讚賞，說我行事得宜。 ] 

走這孤單的路，要持有英雄氣概，與遵從神鋪設道路，成為他人腳下的地毯，根本是兩回事。設若神要教你[我懂得處卑 賤]的功課，你甘願嗎？你願意成為連桶裡的一滴水還不如，不被人重視，甚至你所服侍的人也不想你？你願意費財費力，不受人服侍而去服侍人？在卑賤的工作中 而不失聖徒的身份，是許多聖徒辦不到的，因為那有失她們的尊嚴哩。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，我的主，願你使今天成為榮耀的日子。在我對你的事奉上，我祈求能專心一志。

The Compelling Majesty of His Power

The love of Christ compels us . . . —2 Corinthians 5:14

Paul said that he was overpowered, subdued, and held as in a vise by “the love of Christ.” Very few of us really know what it means to be held in the grip of the love of God. We tend so often to be controlled simply by our own experience. The one thing that gripped and held Paul, to the exclusion of everything else, was the love of God. “The love of Christ compels us . . . .” When you hear that coming from the life of a man or woman it is unmistakable. You will know that the Spirit of God is completely unhindered in that person’s life.

When we are born again by the Spirit of God, our testimony is based solely on what God has done for us, and rightly so. But that will change and be removed forever once you “receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you . . .” (Acts 1:8). Only then will you begin to realize what Jesus meant when He went on to say, “. . . you shall be witnesses to Me . . . .” Not witnesses to what Jesus can do— that is basic and understood— but “witnesses to Me . . . .” We will accept everything that happens as if it were happening to Him, whether we receive praise or blame, persecution or reward. No one is able to take this stand for Jesus Christ who is not totally compelled by the majesty of His power. It is the only thing that matters, and yet it is strange that it’s the last thing we as Christian workers realize. Paul said that he was gripped by the love of God and that is why he acted as he did. People could perceive him as mad or sane-he did not care. There was only one thing he lived for— to persuade people of the coming judgment of God and to tell them of “the love of Christ.” This total surrender to “the love of Christ” is the only thing that will bear fruit in your life. And it will always leave the mark of God’s holiness and His power, never drawing attention to your personal holiness.

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無以抗拒的大能

原來基督的愛激勵我們。 （林後五14） 

保羅說他被基督的愛統管支配，如同給鉗子鉗住一樣。很少人知道被神的愛抓緊是怎麼一回事，因我們往往被自己的經歷所約制。但約制保羅的只有一件，就是神的愛，除此便別無所見。 [基督的愛激勵我們]，信徒身上有沒有這個音符，一聽便知。在這些人的生命裡，聖靈通行無阻。 

當聖靈重生了我們，我們作見證的重點在神為我作了什麼，這是對的。但受了聖靈的洗，這些就成為過去的經驗，我們才開始了解耶穌說[你們是我的見證]的意思了。不是見證耶穌能夠做什麼，那是初步的見證，而是[見證我]。我們要視所有的事，都是發生在他身上，不論是稱許或指責，是逼迫或讚賞。人若未曾被他能力的威嚴所感召，絕不能為他站立。只是最要緊的事，而奇怪的，這卻是基督工人最忽略的。保羅說他被神的愛抓住了，就成 了他一生行事的動力。

人說他瘋狂，說他拘謹，他也毫不介意。他只為一件事而活，就是叫人相信神的審判和基督的愛。這種為基督的愛丟棄萬事的人生，才可以結出生命的果子，將神聖潔與大能的形象刻在人心裡。這是神的聖潔，絕不是我們個人的聖潔。 

祈禱◆﹝在柱頂上刻著百合花。 ]噢，主啊，這句話在我的腦海中，尤其是我對那粗糙、不起眼的[百合花]是何其無知。願我藉著表達和經歷你的恩典，能屬於你。

Becoming the "Filth of the World"

We have been made as the filth of the world . . . —1 Corinthians 4:13

These words are not an exaggeration. The only reason they may not be true of us who call ourselves ministers of the gospel is not that Paul forgot or misunderstood the exact truth of them, but that we are too cautious and concerned about our own desires to allow ourselves to become the refuse or “filth of the world.” “Fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ . . .” (Colossians 1:24) is not the result of the holiness of sanctification, but the evidence of consecration-being “separated to the gospel of God . . .” (Romans 1:1).

“Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you . . .” (1 Peter 4:12). If we do think the things we encounter are strange, it is because we are fearful and cowardly. We pay such close attention to our own interests and desires that we stay out of the mire and say, “I won’t submit; I won’t bow or bend.” And you don’t have to— you can be saved by the “skin of your teeth” if you like. You can refuse to let God count you as one who is “separated to the gospel . . . .” Or you can say, “I don’t care if I am treated like ’the filth of the world’ as long as the gospel is proclaimed.” A true servant of Jesus Christ is one who is willing to experience martyrdom for the reality of the gospel of God. When a moral person is confronted with contempt, immorality, disloyalty, or dishonesty, he is so repulsed by the offense that he turns away and in despair closes his heart to the offender. But the miracle of the redemptive reality of God is that the worst and the vilest offender can never exhaust the depths of His love. Paul did not say that God separated him to show what a wonderful man He could make of him, but “to reveal His Son in me. . .” (Galatians 1:16).

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公然斷絕關係

人還把我們看作世界上的污穢。 （林前四13）

這並非誇大的話。我們這些稱為福音的使者，看不見這話在我們身上實現，不是因為保羅這話不真確，而是我們仍有太多戀棧不捨的事物，以致未讓自己成為渣滓。 [為基督的苦難而受苦]，並不是成聖的證明，乃是[為福音分別出來]的表現。

彼得說：[有火煉的試驗臨到你們，不是以為奇怪。 ]我們若對所遇的事以為奇怪，乃是由於我們懦弱膽怯。我們顧惜面子，保持自己不掉入泥濘中去－－[我不要低頭，我不要折腰]。你大可不必，你是可以咬緊牙根過關的。你可以拒絕神，不讓他將你為福音分別出來。你也許會說：[只要福音被傳揚，即使自己被看作地上的渣滓，也不介意。 ]耶穌基督的僕人，就是肯為福音而殉道的人。一個徒有道德修養的人，當他接觸到卑污、邪淫和詭詐，人性的良善使他感到極度的噁心，以致退縮不前，在絕望中 把心門關閉起來。反之，神救贖的最奇特之處，就是他也愛那些罪惡滔天的人。保羅並沒有說神把他分別出來，要造成一個怎樣可愛的人，而是[把他兒子啟示在我心裡]。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，請你以溫柔，撫慰那被你的話語所刺透，而經歷破碎的心靈和生命。

The Compelling Force of the Call

Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! —1 Corinthians 9:16

Beware of refusing to hear the call of God. Everyone who is saved is called to testify to the fact of his salvation. That, however, is not the same as the call to preach, but is merely an illustration which can be used in preaching. In this verse, Paul was referring to the stinging pains produced in him by the compelling force of the call to preach the gospel. Never try to apply what Paul said regarding the call to preach to those souls who are being called to God for salvation. There is nothing easier than getting saved, because it is solely God’s sovereign work— “Look to Me, and be saved . . .” (Isaiah 45:22). Our Lord never requires the same conditions for discipleship that he requires for salvation. We are condemned to salvation through the Cross of Christ. But discipleship has an option with it-”If anyone . . .” (Luke 14:26).

Paul’s words have to do with our being made servants of Jesus Christ, and our permission is never asked as to what we will do or where we will go. God makes us as broken bread and poured-out wine to please Himself. To be “separated to the gospel” means being able to hear the call of God (Romans 1:1). Once someone begins to hear that call, a suffering worthy of the name of Christ is produced. Suddenly, every ambition, every desire of life, and every outlook is completely blotted out and extinguished. Only one thing remains— “. . . separated to the gospel. . . .” Woe be to the soul who tries to head in any other direction once that call has come to him. The Bible Training College exists so that each of you may know whether or not God has a man or woman here who truly cares about proclaiming His gospel and to see if God grips you for this purpose. Beware of competing calls once the call of God grips you.

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呼召的催逼

若不傳福音，我就有禍了。 （林前九16）

當心對神的呼召充耳不聞。每一個得救的人，神都呼召他作見證；可是那並不是傳道的呼召，那只是傳道中的例證。保羅所指的是神催逼他傳福音所帶來的壓力。千萬不要把保羅在此所說的，於人來到神面前求拯救一事相提並論。得救是最容易不過的事，因為這是神完成的工作－－[你來就我，我必定拯救。 ]主並沒有把作門徒的條件，作為得救的條件。我們藉耶穌基督的十字架，由定罪而獲得拯救。但作門徒卻有取捨的餘地－－[若有人……]。

保羅實說我們既成為耶穌基督的僕人，無論他要我們做什麼或往那裡去，都不必徵得我們的同意。我們成為擘開的餅，倒出來的酒，為要叫神喜悅。 [為福音分別出來]，就是聽見神的呼召。當人聽見這個呼召，痛苦隨即便來，因為要為這名受苦。所有的生活慾望停止了，所有的期望理想也消失淨盡，雄心大志也像花草在萌芽時摘下，如今只剩下一件事－－為福音分別出來。一旦呼召臨到，卻偏行己路、自作抉擇，那人便有禍了。

要你們看看神在這裡是否尋得一個弟兄或一個姊妹，肯擺上地傳福音；也要看看神有沒有抓住你。神若真的抓住你，就當留心那些與神為敵的事物。

祈禱◆噢，主啊，吸引我進入與你不可缺少得靈交裡。陽光給自然界帶來的差別是何等顯著：你臨到我們時，所帶來的差別也是何等的炯异！求你不住的催促，直至我們因你的同在而振奮。

The Call of God

Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel . . . —1 Corinthians 1:17

Paul states here that the call of God is to preach the gospel. But remember what Paul means by “the gospel,” namely, the reality of redemption in our Lord Jesus Christ. We are inclined to make sanctification the goal of our preaching. Paul refers to personal experiences only by way of illustration, never as the end of the matter. We are not commissioned to preach salvation or sanctification— we are commissioned to lift up Jesus Christ (see John 12:32). It is an injustice to say that Jesus Christ labored in redemption to make me a saint. Jesus Christ labored in redemption to redeem the whole world and to place it perfectly whole and restored before the throne of God. The fact that we can experience redemption illustrates the power of its reality, but that experience is a byproduct and not the goal of redemption. If God were human, how sick and tired He would be of the constant requests we make for our salvation and for our sanctification. We burden His energies from morning till night asking for things for ourselves or for something from which we want to be delivered! When we finally touch the underlying foundation of the reality of the gospel of God, we will never bother Him anymore with little personal complaints.

The one passion of Paul’s life was to proclaim the gospel of God. He welcomed heartbreak, disillusionment, and tribulation for only one reason— these things kept him unmovable in his devotion to the gospel of God.

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神的呼召

基督差遣我，原不是為施洗，乃是為傳福音。 （林前一17）

保羅在此指明，神的呼召是傳福音；不過要知道保羅所說的福音究竟是什麼意思。福音就是主耶穌基督救贖的實在。我們很容易把成聖作為我們傳道的最終目的，然而保羅卻把個人的經歷作​​為例證，說明這不是他傳道的鵠的。神從來沒有吩咐我們去傳揚得救或成聖；他乃吩咐我們高舉耶穌基督（參 約十二32）。我若說耶穌基督在救贖中受苦，為要使我成為聖徒，這便是曲解聖經。耶穌基督在救贖中受苦，乃是要拯救全人類，使她們無瑕疵地，重新活在神的寶座面前。我們能夠經歷救贖，便足以證明救贖之實在大能，可是這仍舊非救贖的終極目標。神若像人一樣，對我們日夕要求得救，要求成聖，他將感到多麼心煩於厭倦哩！我們朝夕為自己求這求那，求把我拯救出來！真是消耗了神許多的精力！一旦我們觸摸到福音的真正意義時，就不會再為個人微不足道的事去煩神了。

保羅一生唯一的願望就是傳福音。他面對創痛、誤解、逼迫而不退後，唯一的原因就是這些事保守他對福音忠心不移。

祈禱◆主啊，你最清楚知道，今天早上我何等需要振奮！願我所說，能讓人聽聞你榮耀的聲音、看見你慈愛的面容，和感受到你那無處不在的靈。