Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires —Galatians 5:24
The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh . . . .” The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself. . .” (Matthew 16:24). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.
The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.
天然生命的叛逆
凡屬基督耶穌的人，是已經把肉體，連肉體的邪情私慾，同釘在十字架上了。 （加五24）
天然生命不是罪惡的，我們必須脫離罪，不再與罪有任何膠葛。罪屬於地獄和魔鬼；我，神的兒女，屬於天堂和神。問題不是要放棄罪，而是放棄自己的主權，我天然的獨斷與自恃，是爭戰之所在地。天然觀點看來善美正確的東西，往往使我們得不著神最好的。天然善行往往是降服神的攔阻。洞悉這一點，就到了心靈大戰的核心。少有人為錯失、卑污、邪惡爭辯，但卻會為善德爭辯。善事是至善的對頭，天然善行愈高，與耶穌基督的敵對就愈勁。 [在基督裡的人是把肉體釘在十字架上了。 ]你要付出天然生命的一切，不是一部分。耶穌說：[人若要作我的門徒，就當捨己。 ]就是放下自己的主權；人先要認識耶穌基督是誰，才能這樣放下。當心，不要拒絕參加你自主權的喪禮。
天然生命不是屬靈的，只有獻上，才成為屬靈。若不徹底把天然生命當祭物獻上，超然的生命就無法在我們裡面成為天然的。這條不是康莊大道，各人必須下定決心。這也不是祈禱的問題，而是行動的問題。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我何等肯定自己需要對你有一個更崇高的觀念。在這個祈求中，我願放下所有次要的東西，為了叫自己配去榮耀你。
Showing posts with label Commitment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Commitment. Show all posts
December 09, 2014
December 03, 2014
“Not by Might nor by Power”
My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power . . . —1 Corinthians 2:4
If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.
Once you are rooted in reality, nothing can shake you. If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption. Base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God Himself. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again. That is the meaning of sanctification. God disapproves of our human efforts to cling to the concept that sanctification is merely an experience, while forgetting that even our sanctification must also be sanctified (see John 17:19). I must deliberately give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.
非勢力非才能
我說的話講的道，不是用智慧委婉的言語，乃是用聖靈和大能的明證。 （林前二4）
傳福音的時候，會攔阻人接觸神的實體。宣揚救恩之道時，你對神的信心有根有基。千萬不可依靠自己闡釋的精確；在你闡釋的當兒，緊記依靠聖靈。要靠賴神救贖的大能，相信這能力的確實，這樣，他就要在人心中創造他自己的生命。
你一旦紮根於那真正的實體，就無可動搖。但若信心建基於經歷，那末，任何事情都可以推翻你的信心；神和他救贖大能的真實，是無法推捯的；把信心建基其上，你就像神一樣永遠堅定。你一旦與主耶穌接觸過，就永不再動搖了，這就是成聖的意思。我們若把成聖單放在經歷上，忘記了成聖本身也需要先經潔淨（約十七19），神就會對人的經歷加以否定。我要立志把成聖的生命交給神使用，這樣他能用我做他的手、他的腳。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，當我沒有用足夠的時間祈禱，感謝你給予那些無以言狀的預感和心靈之光。主啊，如今我仰望你；願你臨近，噢，恩慈的主啊，願你臨近，並且願你在今天賜給我恩典，使我在你裡面歡喜快樂。
If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.
Once you are rooted in reality, nothing can shake you. If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption. Base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God Himself. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again. That is the meaning of sanctification. God disapproves of our human efforts to cling to the concept that sanctification is merely an experience, while forgetting that even our sanctification must also be sanctified (see John 17:19). I must deliberately give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.
非勢力非才能
我說的話講的道，不是用智慧委婉的言語，乃是用聖靈和大能的明證。 （林前二4）
傳福音的時候，會攔阻人接觸神的實體。宣揚救恩之道時，你對神的信心有根有基。千萬不可依靠自己闡釋的精確；在你闡釋的當兒，緊記依靠聖靈。要靠賴神救贖的大能，相信這能力的確實，這樣，他就要在人心中創造他自己的生命。
你一旦紮根於那真正的實體，就無可動搖。但若信心建基於經歷，那末，任何事情都可以推翻你的信心；神和他救贖大能的真實，是無法推捯的；把信心建基其上，你就像神一樣永遠堅定。你一旦與主耶穌接觸過，就永不再動搖了，這就是成聖的意思。我們若把成聖單放在經歷上，忘記了成聖本身也需要先經潔淨（約十七19），神就會對人的經歷加以否定。我要立志把成聖的生命交給神使用，這樣他能用我做他的手、他的腳。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，當我沒有用足夠的時間祈禱，感謝你給予那些無以言狀的預感和心靈之光。主啊，如今我仰望你；願你臨近，噢，恩慈的主啊，願你臨近，並且願你在今天賜給我恩典，使我在你裡面歡喜快樂。
November 14, 2014
Discovering Divine Design
As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me . . . —Genesis 24:27
We should be so one with God that we don’t need to ask continually for guidance. Sanctification means that we are made the children of God. A child’s life is normally obedient, until he chooses disobedience. But as soon as he chooses to disobey, an inherent inner conflict is produced. On the spiritual level, inner conflict is the warning of the Spirit of God. When He warns us in this way, we must stop at once and be renewed in the spirit of our mind to discern God’s will (see Romans 12:2). If we are born again by the Spirit of God, our devotion to Him is hindered, or even stopped, by continually asking Him to guide us here and there. “. . . the Lord led me . . .” and on looking back we see the presence of an amazing design. If we are born of God we will see His guiding hand and give Him the credit.
We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never believe that the so-called random events of life are anything less than God’s appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine designs anywhere and everywhere.
Beware of being obsessed with consistency to your own convictions instead of being devoted to God. If you are a saint and say, “I will never do this or that,” in all probability this will be exactly what God will require of you. There was never a more inconsistent being on this earth than our Lord, but He was never inconsistent with His Father. The important consistency in a saint is not to a principle but to the divine life. It is the divine life that continually makes more and more discoveries about the divine mind. It is easier to be an excessive fanatic than it is to be consistently faithful, because God causes an amazing humbling of our religious conceit when we are faithful to Him.
看出神的安排
耶和華在路上引領我……（創二十四27）
我們應該與神合一到一個地步，不必一天到晚求他指引。成聖就是成為神的兒女，而兒女的生命就是順服－－一旦不順服，就立刻直覺地感到一種隔膜。在屬靈的範疇裡，這隔膜是聖靈的一個警號。當聖靈警告，我們就該立即停下來，在心靈裡更新，好知道神的旨意。我們若是神的靈重生的，仍不住求神引我到這裡、到那裡，就是不敬虔。 [耶和華引領我]，回顧過去，我沒恩可以處處看見神奇妙無比的安排。我們若是從神生的，就必歸榮耀給神。在特殊的事上容易看見神的作為，可是只有在屬靈上有操練，才會在每一細節上看見神。別忽略一些偶然的事，認為這些是在神的旨意以外；要隨時隨地明白神的安排。
當心只顧崇拜自己一貫的信念，而不是專心愛神。 [我永不做那件事]－－若你是個聖徒的話，很可能你不能不做。主在世上是最不持守一貫做法的人，但他從不違背父神。聖徒唯一要持守的，不是一套原則，乃是神的生命。有神的生命，才不斷增加對神心意的認識。做狂熱主義者容易，做忠心耿耿的人難，因為要效忠神，需要一種出奇的謙卑；尤其是對在宗教上的虛偽，尤為困難。
祈禱◆[凡有智慧的……也必思想耶和華的慈愛。 ]主啊，那是多麼美好！為著你的榮耀，請賜給我這個記號。今天，我仰望你；願你的恩惠和美善豐厚地臨到我們。
We should be so one with God that we don’t need to ask continually for guidance. Sanctification means that we are made the children of God. A child’s life is normally obedient, until he chooses disobedience. But as soon as he chooses to disobey, an inherent inner conflict is produced. On the spiritual level, inner conflict is the warning of the Spirit of God. When He warns us in this way, we must stop at once and be renewed in the spirit of our mind to discern God’s will (see Romans 12:2). If we are born again by the Spirit of God, our devotion to Him is hindered, or even stopped, by continually asking Him to guide us here and there. “. . . the Lord led me . . .” and on looking back we see the presence of an amazing design. If we are born of God we will see His guiding hand and give Him the credit.
We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never believe that the so-called random events of life are anything less than God’s appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine designs anywhere and everywhere.
Beware of being obsessed with consistency to your own convictions instead of being devoted to God. If you are a saint and say, “I will never do this or that,” in all probability this will be exactly what God will require of you. There was never a more inconsistent being on this earth than our Lord, but He was never inconsistent with His Father. The important consistency in a saint is not to a principle but to the divine life. It is the divine life that continually makes more and more discoveries about the divine mind. It is easier to be an excessive fanatic than it is to be consistently faithful, because God causes an amazing humbling of our religious conceit when we are faithful to Him.
看出神的安排
耶和華在路上引領我……（創二十四27）
我們應該與神合一到一個地步，不必一天到晚求他指引。成聖就是成為神的兒女，而兒女的生命就是順服－－一旦不順服，就立刻直覺地感到一種隔膜。在屬靈的範疇裡，這隔膜是聖靈的一個警號。當聖靈警告，我們就該立即停下來，在心靈裡更新，好知道神的旨意。我們若是神的靈重生的，仍不住求神引我到這裡、到那裡，就是不敬虔。 [耶和華引領我]，回顧過去，我沒恩可以處處看見神奇妙無比的安排。我們若是從神生的，就必歸榮耀給神。在特殊的事上容易看見神的作為，可是只有在屬靈上有操練，才會在每一細節上看見神。別忽略一些偶然的事，認為這些是在神的旨意以外；要隨時隨地明白神的安排。
當心只顧崇拜自己一貫的信念，而不是專心愛神。 [我永不做那件事]－－若你是個聖徒的話，很可能你不能不做。主在世上是最不持守一貫做法的人，但他從不違背父神。聖徒唯一要持守的，不是一套原則，乃是神的生命。有神的生命，才不斷增加對神心意的認識。做狂熱主義者容易，做忠心耿耿的人難，因為要效忠神，需要一種出奇的謙卑；尤其是對在宗教上的虛偽，尤為困難。
祈禱◆[凡有智慧的……也必思想耶和華的慈愛。 ]主啊，那是多麼美好！為著你的榮耀，請賜給我這個記號。今天，我仰望你；願你的恩惠和美善豐厚地臨到我們。
October 18, 2014
The Key to the Missionary’s Devotion
. . . they went forth for His name’s sake . . . —3 John 7
Our Lord told us how our love for Him is to exhibit itself when He asked, “Do you love Me?” (John 21:17). And then He said, “Feed My sheep.” In effect, He said, “Identify yourself with My interests in other people,” not, “Identify Me with your interests in other people.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 shows us the characteristics of this love— it is actually the love of God expressing itself. The true test of my love for Jesus is a very practical one, and all the rest is sentimental talk.
Faithfulness to Jesus Christ is the supernatural work of redemption that has been performed in me by the Holy Spirit— “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit . . .” (Romans 5:5). And it is that love in me that effectively works through me and comes in contact with everyone I meet. I remain faithful to His name, even though the commonsense view of my life may seemingly deny that, and may appear to be declaring that He has no more power than the morning mist.
The key to the missionary’s devotion is that he is attached to nothing and to no one except our Lord Himself. It does not mean simply being detached from the external things surrounding us. Our Lord was amazingly in touch with the ordinary things of life, but He had an inner detachment except toward God. External detachment is often an actual indication of a secret, growing, inner attachment to the things we stay away from externally.
The duty of a faithful missionary is to concentrate on keeping his soul completely and continually open to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. The men and women our Lord sends out on His endeavors are ordinary human people, but people who are controlled by their devotion to Him, which has been brought about through the work of the Holy Spirit.
傳道者忠貞的要決
因他們是為主的名(原文作“那名”)出外，對於外邦人一無所取。 （約翰三書7節）
主曾告訴我們，怎樣才是愛祂。 「你愛我嗎？（約翰福音21：15-17） 」「你餵養我的羊。（約翰福音21：15-17） 」——把你放在我對人的關懷裡，而不是把我放在你對人的興趣裡。哥林多前書13：4-8節 「愛是恆久忍耐，又有恩慈；愛是不嫉妒；愛是不自誇，不張狂，不作害羞的事，不求自己的益處，不輕易發怒，不計算人的惡，不喜歡不義，只喜歡真理；凡事包容，凡事相信，凡事盼望，凡事忍耐。愛是永不止息。 」 描述這愛的品質，是神自己的愛。我對主耶穌愛的考驗，是在實際事情上，其他的不過是空口的賣弄愛情。
我對主耶穌的忠心，是聖靈在我心裡做成超自然的救贖聖工，把神的愛澆灌在我心裡。這愛在我與人接觸時，就產生功效。雖然一切的常理都否定祂，說祂好像晨霧般虛渺，但我仍忠於祂的名。
傳道者忠貞的要決，就是單歸附主耶穌，不受任何人任何事的纏累，但又不是與外界隔絕。主不斷與外界事物接觸，祂的分別為聖，是在於內心朝向神。外表的隔絕，往往表示人裡面暗暗地戀慕著表面上拒絕的東西。
傳道者的忠貞，是要保持心靈單向主耶穌開敞。主所差派出去做工的人，均是平凡人，只是聖靈在他們裡面加上專一不移的忠貞。
Our Lord told us how our love for Him is to exhibit itself when He asked, “Do you love Me?” (John 21:17). And then He said, “Feed My sheep.” In effect, He said, “Identify yourself with My interests in other people,” not, “Identify Me with your interests in other people.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 shows us the characteristics of this love— it is actually the love of God expressing itself. The true test of my love for Jesus is a very practical one, and all the rest is sentimental talk.
Faithfulness to Jesus Christ is the supernatural work of redemption that has been performed in me by the Holy Spirit— “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit . . .” (Romans 5:5). And it is that love in me that effectively works through me and comes in contact with everyone I meet. I remain faithful to His name, even though the commonsense view of my life may seemingly deny that, and may appear to be declaring that He has no more power than the morning mist.
The key to the missionary’s devotion is that he is attached to nothing and to no one except our Lord Himself. It does not mean simply being detached from the external things surrounding us. Our Lord was amazingly in touch with the ordinary things of life, but He had an inner detachment except toward God. External detachment is often an actual indication of a secret, growing, inner attachment to the things we stay away from externally.
The duty of a faithful missionary is to concentrate on keeping his soul completely and continually open to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. The men and women our Lord sends out on His endeavors are ordinary human people, but people who are controlled by their devotion to Him, which has been brought about through the work of the Holy Spirit.
傳道者忠貞的要決
因他們是為主的名(原文作“那名”)出外，對於外邦人一無所取。 （約翰三書7節）
主曾告訴我們，怎樣才是愛祂。 「你愛我嗎？（約翰福音21：15-17） 」「你餵養我的羊。（約翰福音21：15-17） 」——把你放在我對人的關懷裡，而不是把我放在你對人的興趣裡。哥林多前書13：4-8節 「愛是恆久忍耐，又有恩慈；愛是不嫉妒；愛是不自誇，不張狂，不作害羞的事，不求自己的益處，不輕易發怒，不計算人的惡，不喜歡不義，只喜歡真理；凡事包容，凡事相信，凡事盼望，凡事忍耐。愛是永不止息。 」 描述這愛的品質，是神自己的愛。我對主耶穌愛的考驗，是在實際事情上，其他的不過是空口的賣弄愛情。
我對主耶穌的忠心，是聖靈在我心裡做成超自然的救贖聖工，把神的愛澆灌在我心裡。這愛在我與人接觸時，就產生功效。雖然一切的常理都否定祂，說祂好像晨霧般虛渺，但我仍忠於祂的名。
傳道者忠貞的要決，就是單歸附主耶穌，不受任何人任何事的纏累，但又不是與外界隔絕。主不斷與外界事物接觸，祂的分別為聖，是在於內心朝向神。外表的隔絕，往往表示人裡面暗暗地戀慕著表面上拒絕的東西。
傳道者的忠貞，是要保持心靈單向主耶穌開敞。主所差派出去做工的人，均是平凡人，只是聖靈在他們裡面加上專一不移的忠貞。
September 29, 2014
The Awareness of the Call
. . . for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! —1 Corinthians 9:16
We are inclined to forget the deeply spiritual and supernatural touch of God. If you are able to tell exactly where you were when you received the call of God and can explain all about it, I question whether you have truly been called. The call of God does not come like that; it is much more supernatural. The realization of the call in a person’s life may come like a clap of thunder or it may dawn gradually. But however quickly or slowly this awareness comes, it is always accompanied with an undercurrent of the supernatural—something that is inexpressible and produces a “glow.” At any moment the sudden awareness of this incalculable, supernatural, surprising call that has taken hold of your life may break through—”I chose you . . .” (John 15:16). The call of God has nothing to do with salvation and sanctification. You are not called to preach the gospel because you are sanctified; the call to preach the gospel is infinitely different. Paul describes it as a compulsion that was placed upon him.
If you have ignored, and thereby removed, the great supernatural call of God in your life, take a review of your circumstances. See where you have put your own ideas of service or your particular abilities ahead of the call of God. Paul said, “. . . woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” He had become aware of the call of God, and his compulsion to “preach the gospel” was so strong that nothing else was any longer even a competitor for his strength.
If a man or woman is called of God, it doesn’t matter how difficult the circumstances may be. God orchestrates every force at work for His purpose in the end. If you will agree with God’s purpose, He will bring not only your conscious level but also all the deeper levels of your life, which you yourself cannot reach, into perfect harmony.
對神呼召的體認
我是不得已的，若不傳福音，我就有禍了。 （林前九16）
我們很容易忘記神那神秘超然的觸摸。你若能清楚說明在那裡得到神怎麼樣的呼召，我就懷疑你是否真有神的呼召。神的呼召不是這樣來的，它比這更超然。一個人在一生中對這呼召的體認，可能是像霹靂雷想般驟至，也可以像黎明般逐漸破曉，但無論它怎樣來，總隨著超然的暗湧而來，不能以言辭來說明，而且總帶著火光。這無法測度、超然、叫人驚愕、抓住你整個生命的呼召，隨時都會突然臨到－－[我揀選了你。 ]神的呼召與扽就成聖沒有關係。不是因為你成聖了，所以召你去傳福音；傳福音的呼召與此全然不同。保羅形容這是一件不得已的必然任務。
若你阻擋了神在你生命中超然的呼召，試查察一下，看看你哪一方面沒有把神放在首位，只以自己事奉的見解，或性格的專長為首。保羅說：[若不傳福音，我就有禍了。 ]他既已體認神的呼召，就專為此努力，心無旁騖。
人被神呼召，不必管環境怎樣不利，萬事都要互相效力至終指向神的目標。你若順服神的計劃，他不但把你意識可及的生命，就是生命中你無法探測的深邃，都調協和諧起來。
祈禱◆願今天充滿了神的能力，聲音和平安。我何其渴望在一切事物中認知到你那寬大的心！願你保守我裡面那種被呼召的感覺，歷久彌新和充滿活力。
We are inclined to forget the deeply spiritual and supernatural touch of God. If you are able to tell exactly where you were when you received the call of God and can explain all about it, I question whether you have truly been called. The call of God does not come like that; it is much more supernatural. The realization of the call in a person’s life may come like a clap of thunder or it may dawn gradually. But however quickly or slowly this awareness comes, it is always accompanied with an undercurrent of the supernatural—something that is inexpressible and produces a “glow.” At any moment the sudden awareness of this incalculable, supernatural, surprising call that has taken hold of your life may break through—”I chose you . . .” (John 15:16). The call of God has nothing to do with salvation and sanctification. You are not called to preach the gospel because you are sanctified; the call to preach the gospel is infinitely different. Paul describes it as a compulsion that was placed upon him.
If you have ignored, and thereby removed, the great supernatural call of God in your life, take a review of your circumstances. See where you have put your own ideas of service or your particular abilities ahead of the call of God. Paul said, “. . . woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” He had become aware of the call of God, and his compulsion to “preach the gospel” was so strong that nothing else was any longer even a competitor for his strength.
If a man or woman is called of God, it doesn’t matter how difficult the circumstances may be. God orchestrates every force at work for His purpose in the end. If you will agree with God’s purpose, He will bring not only your conscious level but also all the deeper levels of your life, which you yourself cannot reach, into perfect harmony.
對神呼召的體認
我是不得已的，若不傳福音，我就有禍了。 （林前九16）
我們很容易忘記神那神秘超然的觸摸。你若能清楚說明在那裡得到神怎麼樣的呼召，我就懷疑你是否真有神的呼召。神的呼召不是這樣來的，它比這更超然。一個人在一生中對這呼召的體認，可能是像霹靂雷想般驟至，也可以像黎明般逐漸破曉，但無論它怎樣來，總隨著超然的暗湧而來，不能以言辭來說明，而且總帶著火光。這無法測度、超然、叫人驚愕、抓住你整個生命的呼召，隨時都會突然臨到－－[我揀選了你。 ]神的呼召與扽就成聖沒有關係。不是因為你成聖了，所以召你去傳福音；傳福音的呼召與此全然不同。保羅形容這是一件不得已的必然任務。
若你阻擋了神在你生命中超然的呼召，試查察一下，看看你哪一方面沒有把神放在首位，只以自己事奉的見解，或性格的專長為首。保羅說：[若不傳福音，我就有禍了。 ]他既已體認神的呼召，就專為此努力，心無旁騖。
人被神呼召，不必管環境怎樣不利，萬事都要互相效力至終指向神的目標。你若順服神的計劃，他不但把你意識可及的生命，就是生命中你無法探測的深邃，都調協和諧起來。
祈禱◆願今天充滿了神的能力，聲音和平安。我何其渴望在一切事物中認知到你那寬大的心！願你保守我裡面那種被呼召的感覺，歷久彌新和充滿活力。
September 28, 2014
The “Go” of Unconditional Identification
Jesus . . . said to him, ’One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor . . . and come, take up the cross, and follow Me’ —Mark 10:21
The rich young ruler had the controlling passion to be perfect. When he saw Jesus Christ, he wanted to be like Him. Our Lord never places anyone’s personal holiness above everything else when He calls a disciple. Jesus’ primary consideration is my absolute annihilation of my right to myself and my identification with Him, which means having a relationship with Him in which there are no other relationships. Luke 14:26 has nothing to do with salvation or sanctification, but deals solely with unconditional identification with Jesus Christ. Very few of us truly know what is meant by the absolute “go” of unconditional identification with, and abandonment and surrender to, Jesus.
“Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him . . .” (Mark 10:21). This look of Jesus will require breaking your heart away forever from allegiance to any other person or thing. Has Jesus ever looked in this way at you? This look of Jesus transforms, penetrates, and captivates. Where you are soft and pliable with God is where the Lord has looked at you. If you are hard and vindictive, insistent on having your own way, and always certain that the other person is more likely to be in the wrong than you are, then there are whole areas of your nature that have never been transformed by His gaze.
“One thing you lack . . . .” From Jesus Christ’s perspective, oneness with Him, with nothing between, is the only good thing.
“. . . sell whatever you have . . . .” I must humble myself until I am merely a living person. I must essentially renounce possessions of all kinds, not for salvation (for only one thing saves a person and that is absolute reliance in faith upon Jesus Christ), but to follow Jesus. “. . . come. . . and follow Me.” And the road is the way He went.
[去]的無條件認同
你還缺少一件，……你還要來跟從我。 （可十21）
那年輕富有的官有股追求完美的熱情，他一看見主耶穌，就像想他。主呼召門徒的時候，從不把個人的聖潔放在首位；他以自我主權的絕對降服，與他完全認同為先決條件－－這是一種不夾雜別的關係的關係。路加福音十四章26節與救恩成聖完全無關，這經文是論到與主無條件的認同。很少人真認識降服主的絕對一[去]不回。
[耶穌看著他就愛他。 ]被耶穌的目光觸及意味著永遠脫離其他任何人或物。他曾否看著你？主的目光改變人、抓住人。你向神特別柔順的時候，一定是曾經被主目光看過。你若剛硬堅持己意，自以為義，把過錯歸咎別人，就表示你天性中仍有大部分未經主目光的注視而改變。
[你還缺少一件……]在主看來，唯一[善美]之事，就是與他聯合，沒有別的事物在中間阻隔。變賣你所有的……]我必須放下自己，知道只剩下一個意識。我必須徹底捨棄一切，不是為靈魂得救（只有一件事可以救人－－就是絕對仰望耶穌基督），乃是為跟從耶穌。 [來跟從我。 ]這道路就是他當日所行的道路。
祈禱◆主啊，我完完全全地來到你面前。我感到自己全然地需要你，我只等候你向我說話，此外我還能向你說什麼呢？正如沙漠的沙粒靜臥在陽光之下，讓我也在你面前坦然躺下。
The rich young ruler had the controlling passion to be perfect. When he saw Jesus Christ, he wanted to be like Him. Our Lord never places anyone’s personal holiness above everything else when He calls a disciple. Jesus’ primary consideration is my absolute annihilation of my right to myself and my identification with Him, which means having a relationship with Him in which there are no other relationships. Luke 14:26 has nothing to do with salvation or sanctification, but deals solely with unconditional identification with Jesus Christ. Very few of us truly know what is meant by the absolute “go” of unconditional identification with, and abandonment and surrender to, Jesus.
“Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him . . .” (Mark 10:21). This look of Jesus will require breaking your heart away forever from allegiance to any other person or thing. Has Jesus ever looked in this way at you? This look of Jesus transforms, penetrates, and captivates. Where you are soft and pliable with God is where the Lord has looked at you. If you are hard and vindictive, insistent on having your own way, and always certain that the other person is more likely to be in the wrong than you are, then there are whole areas of your nature that have never been transformed by His gaze.
“One thing you lack . . . .” From Jesus Christ’s perspective, oneness with Him, with nothing between, is the only good thing.
“. . . sell whatever you have . . . .” I must humble myself until I am merely a living person. I must essentially renounce possessions of all kinds, not for salvation (for only one thing saves a person and that is absolute reliance in faith upon Jesus Christ), but to follow Jesus. “. . . come. . . and follow Me.” And the road is the way He went.
[去]的無條件認同
你還缺少一件，……你還要來跟從我。 （可十21）
那年輕富有的官有股追求完美的熱情，他一看見主耶穌，就像想他。主呼召門徒的時候，從不把個人的聖潔放在首位；他以自我主權的絕對降服，與他完全認同為先決條件－－這是一種不夾雜別的關係的關係。路加福音十四章26節與救恩成聖完全無關，這經文是論到與主無條件的認同。很少人真認識降服主的絕對一[去]不回。
[耶穌看著他就愛他。 ]被耶穌的目光觸及意味著永遠脫離其他任何人或物。他曾否看著你？主的目光改變人、抓住人。你向神特別柔順的時候，一定是曾經被主目光看過。你若剛硬堅持己意，自以為義，把過錯歸咎別人，就表示你天性中仍有大部分未經主目光的注視而改變。
[你還缺少一件……]在主看來，唯一[善美]之事，就是與他聯合，沒有別的事物在中間阻隔。變賣你所有的……]我必須放下自己，知道只剩下一個意識。我必須徹底捨棄一切，不是為靈魂得救（只有一件事可以救人－－就是絕對仰望耶穌基督），乃是為跟從耶穌。 [來跟從我。 ]這道路就是他當日所行的道路。
祈禱◆主啊，我完完全全地來到你面前。我感到自己全然地需要你，我只等候你向我說話，此外我還能向你說什麼呢？正如沙漠的沙粒靜臥在陽光之下，讓我也在你面前坦然躺下。
September 04, 2014
His!
They were Yours, You gave them to Me . . . —John 17:6
A missionary is someone in whom the Holy Spirit has brought about this realization: “You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19). To say, “I am not my own,” is to have reached a high point in my spiritual stature. The true nature of that life in actual everyday confusion is evidenced by the deliberate giving up of myself to another Person through a sovereign decision, and that Person is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit interprets and explains the nature of Jesus to me to make me one with my Lord, not that I might simply become a trophy for His showcase. Our Lord never sent any of His disciples out on the basis of what He had done for them. It was not until after the resurrection, when the disciples had perceived through the power of the Holy Spirit who Jesus really was, that He said, “Go” (Matthew 28:19; also see Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8).
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). He was not saying that this person cannot be good and upright, but that he cannot be someone over whom Jesus can write the word Mine. Any one of the relationships our Lord mentions in this verse can compete with our relationship with Him. I may prefer to belong to my mother, or to my wife, or to myself, but if that is the case, then, Jesus said, “[You] cannot be My disciple.” This does not mean that I will not be saved, but it does mean that I cannot be entirely His.
Our Lord makes His disciple His very own possession, becoming responsible for him. “. . . you shall be witnesses to Me . . .” (Acts 1:8). The desire that comes into a disciple is not one of doing anything for Jesus, but of being a perfect delight to Him. The missionary’s secret is truly being able to say, “I am His, and He is accomplishing His work and His purposes through me.”
Be entirely His!
我們要完全屬祂！
他們本是你的，你將他們賜給我。 （約十七6）
傳道者就是得到聖靈啟迪，知道[你不是自己]的人。能夠說[我不屬於自己]，就是靈命達到了一個高峰。生命的真正本質，是故意把主權放棄，一心尊尚另一位為主，這另一位就是耶穌基督。聖靈把耶穌的本性向我解明，是要叫我與主合一，而不是要我成為可誇耀的展覽品。主從不單憑他為門徒所作的事，而差派他們出去，直到他復活了，因聖靈的能力，門徒認識耶穌是誰，然後他才說：[去。 ][人到我這裡來，若不恨……不能作我的門徒。 ]他不是說他不能做個正直良善的人，而是不能稱為[我的]。每一個主所說的關係，都可以是與主爭競的。我若選擇屬於母親，或妻子，或自己，這樣耶穌會說：[你不能作我的門徒。 ]這不是說我並不得救，而是我不能成為[他的]。主視門徒為他的產業，他為耶穌做什麼，乃是要成為他所喜悅的。作傳道人的秘訣是－－我屬他，透過我成就他的大工。我們要完全屬他。
祈禱◆主啊，願你今天臨到我，帶領我進入你神性計劃的一切美善中；感動我的心，讓我能明白你的道路，並在其中歡喜快樂。
A missionary is someone in whom the Holy Spirit has brought about this realization: “You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19). To say, “I am not my own,” is to have reached a high point in my spiritual stature. The true nature of that life in actual everyday confusion is evidenced by the deliberate giving up of myself to another Person through a sovereign decision, and that Person is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit interprets and explains the nature of Jesus to me to make me one with my Lord, not that I might simply become a trophy for His showcase. Our Lord never sent any of His disciples out on the basis of what He had done for them. It was not until after the resurrection, when the disciples had perceived through the power of the Holy Spirit who Jesus really was, that He said, “Go” (Matthew 28:19; also see Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8).
“If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). He was not saying that this person cannot be good and upright, but that he cannot be someone over whom Jesus can write the word Mine. Any one of the relationships our Lord mentions in this verse can compete with our relationship with Him. I may prefer to belong to my mother, or to my wife, or to myself, but if that is the case, then, Jesus said, “[You] cannot be My disciple.” This does not mean that I will not be saved, but it does mean that I cannot be entirely His.
Our Lord makes His disciple His very own possession, becoming responsible for him. “. . . you shall be witnesses to Me . . .” (Acts 1:8). The desire that comes into a disciple is not one of doing anything for Jesus, but of being a perfect delight to Him. The missionary’s secret is truly being able to say, “I am His, and He is accomplishing His work and His purposes through me.”
Be entirely His!
我們要完全屬祂！
他們本是你的，你將他們賜給我。 （約十七6）
傳道者就是得到聖靈啟迪，知道[你不是自己]的人。能夠說[我不屬於自己]，就是靈命達到了一個高峰。生命的真正本質，是故意把主權放棄，一心尊尚另一位為主，這另一位就是耶穌基督。聖靈把耶穌的本性向我解明，是要叫我與主合一，而不是要我成為可誇耀的展覽品。主從不單憑他為門徒所作的事，而差派他們出去，直到他復活了，因聖靈的能力，門徒認識耶穌是誰，然後他才說：[去。 ][人到我這裡來，若不恨……不能作我的門徒。 ]他不是說他不能做個正直良善的人，而是不能稱為[我的]。每一個主所說的關係，都可以是與主爭競的。我若選擇屬於母親，或妻子，或自己，這樣耶穌會說：[你不能作我的門徒。 ]這不是說我並不得救，而是我不能成為[他的]。主視門徒為他的產業，他為耶穌做什麼，乃是要成為他所喜悅的。作傳道人的秘訣是－－我屬他，透過我成就他的大工。我們要完全屬他。
祈禱◆主啊，願你今天臨到我，帶領我進入你神性計劃的一切美善中；感動我的心，讓我能明白你的道路，並在其中歡喜快樂。
August 17, 2014
Are You Discouraged or Devoted?
. . . Jesus . . . said to him, ’You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have . . . and come, follow Me.’ But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich —Luke 18:22-23
Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven’t, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all. Jesus says a tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once we do hear Him, His words are harsh and unyielding.
Jesus did not show the least concern that this rich young ruler should do what He told him, nor did Jesus make any attempt to keep this man with Him. He simply said to him, “Sell all that you have . . . and come, follow Me.” Our Lord never pleaded with him; He never tried to lure him— He simply spoke the strictest words that human ears have ever heard, and then left him alone.
Have I ever heard Jesus say something difficult and unyielding to me? Has He said something personally to me to which I have deliberately listened— not something I can explain for the sake of others, but something I have heard Him say directly to me? This man understood what Jesus said. He heard it clearly, realizing the full impact of its meaning, and it broke his heart. He did not go away as a defiant person, but as one who was sorrowful and discouraged. He had come to Jesus on fire with zeal and determination, but the words of Jesus simply froze him. Instead of producing enthusiastic devotion to Jesus, they produced heartbreaking discouragement. And Jesus did not go after him, but let him go. Our Lord knows perfectly well that once His word is truly heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later. What is so terrible is that some of us prevent His words from bearing fruit in our present life. I wonder what we will say when we finally make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point? One thing is certain— He will never throw our past failures back in our faces.
你在奉獻上灰心嗎？
你還缺少一件，要變賣你一切所有的……你還要來跟從我。 （路十八22）
[他聽見這話……]你聽過主說嚴厲的話麼？若沒有，可能你從未聽見他的話。我們聽了主說許多話，卻沒有聽見。若是真聽見，他的話會顯得出奇的嚴厲。耶穌似乎並不在乎這人是否照他的話去行。他也沒有設法去挽留他。他只說：[變賣你所有的，來跟從我。 ]我們的主從不乞求、不勸誘，也不籠絡。他只用人從未聽過的嚴厲話，然後就順其自然。
我聽過主說嚴厲的話麼？他直接對我說話時，我是否立意恭聽？我是否直截地聽他向我說話，而不是隨意解說？這個人確實明白耶穌的話，他聽見了，又衡量過，然而這些話叫他心碎。他不是侮慢地離開，乃是憂愁地離開，時頹喪極了。他著滿腔熱誠來見耶穌，耶穌的話卻給他一盆冷水。他的話沒有帶來忠誠的奉獻，相反地卻叫人心碎地灰心失意。耶穌沒有去追他，是任他離去。主知道他的話一發出，人聽見了，總有一天會結出果子。可怕的事實卻是我們當中好些人，不讓主的話在實際生活上結果。一旦我們決志忠於主，我不知道我們會說些什麼。但有一點可以肯定，他絕不會苛責我們。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著這些日子以來，你賜給我們的身心健康，我感謝你。噢，主啊，求你繼續賜予我們。我們脫離一切虛假的情緒、感傷和悲哀。願你今天以活力和喜樂來賜福我們各人。
Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven’t, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all. Jesus says a tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once we do hear Him, His words are harsh and unyielding.
Jesus did not show the least concern that this rich young ruler should do what He told him, nor did Jesus make any attempt to keep this man with Him. He simply said to him, “Sell all that you have . . . and come, follow Me.” Our Lord never pleaded with him; He never tried to lure him— He simply spoke the strictest words that human ears have ever heard, and then left him alone.
Have I ever heard Jesus say something difficult and unyielding to me? Has He said something personally to me to which I have deliberately listened— not something I can explain for the sake of others, but something I have heard Him say directly to me? This man understood what Jesus said. He heard it clearly, realizing the full impact of its meaning, and it broke his heart. He did not go away as a defiant person, but as one who was sorrowful and discouraged. He had come to Jesus on fire with zeal and determination, but the words of Jesus simply froze him. Instead of producing enthusiastic devotion to Jesus, they produced heartbreaking discouragement. And Jesus did not go after him, but let him go. Our Lord knows perfectly well that once His word is truly heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later. What is so terrible is that some of us prevent His words from bearing fruit in our present life. I wonder what we will say when we finally make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point? One thing is certain— He will never throw our past failures back in our faces.
你在奉獻上灰心嗎？
你還缺少一件，要變賣你一切所有的……你還要來跟從我。 （路十八22）
[他聽見這話……]你聽過主說嚴厲的話麼？若沒有，可能你從未聽見他的話。我們聽了主說許多話，卻沒有聽見。若是真聽見，他的話會顯得出奇的嚴厲。耶穌似乎並不在乎這人是否照他的話去行。他也沒有設法去挽留他。他只說：[變賣你所有的，來跟從我。 ]我們的主從不乞求、不勸誘，也不籠絡。他只用人從未聽過的嚴厲話，然後就順其自然。
我聽過主說嚴厲的話麼？他直接對我說話時，我是否立意恭聽？我是否直截地聽他向我說話，而不是隨意解說？這個人確實明白耶穌的話，他聽見了，又衡量過，然而這些話叫他心碎。他不是侮慢地離開，乃是憂愁地離開，時頹喪極了。他著滿腔熱誠來見耶穌，耶穌的話卻給他一盆冷水。他的話沒有帶來忠誠的奉獻，相反地卻叫人心碎地灰心失意。耶穌沒有去追他，是任他離去。主知道他的話一發出，人聽見了，總有一天會結出果子。可怕的事實卻是我們當中好些人，不讓主的話在實際生活上結果。一旦我們決志忠於主，我不知道我們會說些什麼。但有一點可以肯定，他絕不會苛責我們。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著這些日子以來，你賜給我們的身心健康，我感謝你。噢，主啊，求你繼續賜予我們。我們脫離一切虛假的情緒、感傷和悲哀。願你今天以活力和喜樂來賜福我們各人。
July 17, 2014
The Miracle of Belief
My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom . . . —1 Corinthians 2:4
Paul was a scholar and an orator of the highest degree; he was not speaking here out of a deep sense of humility, but was saying that when he preached the gospel, he would veil the power of God if he impressed people with the excellency of his speech. Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the effectiveness of redemption, not by impressive speech, nor by wooing and persuading, but only by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of redemption comes through the preaching of the gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher.
Real and effective fasting by a preacher is not fasting from food, but fasting from eloquence, from impressive diction, and from everything else that might hinder the gospel of God being presented. The preacher is there as the representative of God— “. . . as though God were pleading through us . . .” (2 Corinthians 5:20). He is there to present the gospel of God. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get close to Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the gospel will result in making me a traitor to Jesus, and I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work.
“And I, if I am lifted up. . . , will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).
信的神跡
我說的話講的道，不是用智慧委婉的言語。 （林前二1－5）
保羅是第一流的學者和演說家；他說這話並非出於下乘的謙遜，乃是說如果他傳福音時，若用漂亮的言詞去吸引人，就掩蓋了神的能力。信耶穌時一項神跡，惟救恩的功效，不是靠話語的魔力、諂媚、說服，而是單憑神的大能。救贖的創造大能，是由傳福音，而不是傳道者的人格帶出來。傳道者真正的禁食，不是食物的禁食，而是在辭鋒、出奇吸引的字眼，及一切阻攔神福音傳送的東西上禁食。傳道者是神的代表——[就好像神藉我們勸你們一般。 ]他要傳的是神的福音。若人單因為我的講道，而發奮向上，他們就永遠無法接近主耶穌。我傳福音若有任何高舉自己，就必使我成了主耶穌的叛徒，因為我攔阻了他救贖的創造大能作工。 [我若從地上被舉起來，就要吸引萬人來歸向我。 ]
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我何等需要你！我來到你面前，求你恩慈地將更新的生命賜給我，直至我的理解力、想像力和說話都全屬於你。今天我所尋求的，是你的感動和振奮的恩典。
Paul was a scholar and an orator of the highest degree; he was not speaking here out of a deep sense of humility, but was saying that when he preached the gospel, he would veil the power of God if he impressed people with the excellency of his speech. Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the effectiveness of redemption, not by impressive speech, nor by wooing and persuading, but only by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of redemption comes through the preaching of the gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher.
Real and effective fasting by a preacher is not fasting from food, but fasting from eloquence, from impressive diction, and from everything else that might hinder the gospel of God being presented. The preacher is there as the representative of God— “. . . as though God were pleading through us . . .” (2 Corinthians 5:20). He is there to present the gospel of God. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get close to Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the gospel will result in making me a traitor to Jesus, and I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work.
“And I, if I am lifted up. . . , will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).
信的神跡
我說的話講的道，不是用智慧委婉的言語。 （林前二1－5）
保羅是第一流的學者和演說家；他說這話並非出於下乘的謙遜，乃是說如果他傳福音時，若用漂亮的言詞去吸引人，就掩蓋了神的能力。信耶穌時一項神跡，惟救恩的功效，不是靠話語的魔力、諂媚、說服，而是單憑神的大能。救贖的創造大能，是由傳福音，而不是傳道者的人格帶出來。傳道者真正的禁食，不是食物的禁食，而是在辭鋒、出奇吸引的字眼，及一切阻攔神福音傳送的東西上禁食。傳道者是神的代表——[就好像神藉我們勸你們一般。 ]他要傳的是神的福音。若人單因為我的講道，而發奮向上，他們就永遠無法接近主耶穌。我傳福音若有任何高舉自己，就必使我成了主耶穌的叛徒，因為我攔阻了他救贖的創造大能作工。 [我若從地上被舉起來，就要吸引萬人來歸向我。 ]
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我何等需要你！我來到你面前，求你恩慈地將更新的生命賜給我，直至我的理解力、想像力和說話都全屬於你。今天我所尋求的，是你的感動和振奮的恩典。
July 09, 2014
Will You Examine Yourself?
Joshua said to the people, ’You cannot serve the Lord . . .’ —Joshua 24:19
Do you have even the slightest reliance on anything or anyone other than God? Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural quality within you, or on any particular set of circumstances? Are you relying on yourself in any manner whatsoever regarding this new proposal or plan which God has placed before you? Will you examine yourself by asking these probing questions? It really is true to say, “I cannot live a holy life,” but you can decide to let Jesus Christ make you holy. “You cannot serve the Lord . . .”— but you can place yourself in the proper position where God’s almighty power will flow through you. Is your relationship with God sufficient for you to expect Him to exhibit His wonderful life in you?
“The people said to Joshua, ’No, but we will serve the Lord!” (Joshua 24:21). This is not an impulsive action, but a deliberate commitment. We tend to say, “But God could never have called me to this. I’m too unworthy. It can’t mean me.” It does mean you, and the more weak and feeble you are, the better. The person who is still relying and trusting in anything within himself is the last person to even come close to saying, “I will serve the Lord.”
We say, “Oh, if only I really could believe!” The question is, “Will I believe?” No wonder Jesus Christ placed such emphasis on the sin of unbelief. “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). If we really believed that God meant what He said, just imagine what we would be like! Do I really dare to let God be to me all that He says He will be?
偉大的探查
你們不能事奉耶和華。 （書二十四19）
除了神以外，你對別的東西有沒有絲毫的靠賴？對天然的德行，對環境等因素，是否仍有殘餘的倚恃？在這項新旨意中，你還有哪方面是靠賴自己的？這就是徹底清查的意思。是的，你可以說：[我無法過聖潔的生活。 ]這是真的；但你可以決志讓耶穌基督使你聖潔。 [你們不能事奉耶和華。 ]但你可以讓神的大能透過你作工。你與神的關係是否美好和諧，以致他能在你身上彰顯他奇妙的生命？
[我們定要事奉耶和華。 ] 這不是一時的衝動，而是一個立定心意的交付。你會說：[神絕不會呼召我作這個，我太不配了，這不會是指著我說的。 ]實在是你，你愈軟弱無能，便癒合適。一個仍有所倚恃的人不會說：[我定要事奉耶和華。 ]
我們常說：[若我真能信多好！ ]但問題卻是[若我真肯信多好]。難怪耶穌基督這樣強調不信的罪。若真相信神所言屬實，我們會變成怎麼樣的人呢？我是否真正肯讓神在我身上成為一位說什麼就成就什麼的神？
祈禱主啊，你的面容、你的感動、你的賜福、使我今天所尋求的。感動我，主啊，直至我的每一部分，都被你滿有恩慈而帶有能力的平安所震撼和振奮。
Do you have even the slightest reliance on anything or anyone other than God? Is there a remnant of reliance left on any natural quality within you, or on any particular set of circumstances? Are you relying on yourself in any manner whatsoever regarding this new proposal or plan which God has placed before you? Will you examine yourself by asking these probing questions? It really is true to say, “I cannot live a holy life,” but you can decide to let Jesus Christ make you holy. “You cannot serve the Lord . . .”— but you can place yourself in the proper position where God’s almighty power will flow through you. Is your relationship with God sufficient for you to expect Him to exhibit His wonderful life in you?
“The people said to Joshua, ’No, but we will serve the Lord!” (Joshua 24:21). This is not an impulsive action, but a deliberate commitment. We tend to say, “But God could never have called me to this. I’m too unworthy. It can’t mean me.” It does mean you, and the more weak and feeble you are, the better. The person who is still relying and trusting in anything within himself is the last person to even come close to saying, “I will serve the Lord.”
We say, “Oh, if only I really could believe!” The question is, “Will I believe?” No wonder Jesus Christ placed such emphasis on the sin of unbelief. “He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief” (Matthew 13:58). If we really believed that God meant what He said, just imagine what we would be like! Do I really dare to let God be to me all that He says He will be?
偉大的探查
你們不能事奉耶和華。 （書二十四19）
除了神以外，你對別的東西有沒有絲毫的靠賴？對天然的德行，對環境等因素，是否仍有殘餘的倚恃？在這項新旨意中，你還有哪方面是靠賴自己的？這就是徹底清查的意思。是的，你可以說：[我無法過聖潔的生活。 ]這是真的；但你可以決志讓耶穌基督使你聖潔。 [你們不能事奉耶和華。 ]但你可以讓神的大能透過你作工。你與神的關係是否美好和諧，以致他能在你身上彰顯他奇妙的生命？
[我們定要事奉耶和華。 ] 這不是一時的衝動，而是一個立定心意的交付。你會說：[神絕不會呼召我作這個，我太不配了，這不會是指著我說的。 ]實在是你，你愈軟弱無能，便癒合適。一個仍有所倚恃的人不會說：[我定要事奉耶和華。 ]
我們常說：[若我真能信多好！ ]但問題卻是[若我真肯信多好]。難怪耶穌基督這樣強調不信的罪。若真相信神所言屬實，我們會變成怎麼樣的人呢？我是否真正肯讓神在我身上成為一位說什麼就成就什麼的神？
祈禱主啊，你的面容、你的感動、你的賜福、使我今天所尋求的。感動我，主啊，直至我的每一部分，都被你滿有恩慈而帶有能力的平安所震撼和振奮。
July 05, 2014
Don’t Plan Without God
Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass —Psalm 37:5
Don’t plan without God. God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the plans we have made, when we have not taken Him into account. We get ourselves into circumstances that were not chosen by God, and suddenly we realize that we have been making our plans without Him— that we have not even considered Him to be a vital, living factor in the planning of our lives. And yet the only thing that will keep us from even the possibility of worrying is to bring God in as the greatest factor in all of our planning.
In spiritual issues it is customary for us to put God first, but we tend to think that it is inappropriate and unnecessary to put Him first in the practical, everyday issues of our lives. If we have the idea that we have to put on our “spiritual face” before we can come near to God, then we will never come near to Him. We must come as we are.
Don’t plan with a concern for evil in mind. Does God really mean for us to plan without taking the evil around us into account? “Love . . . thinks no evil” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). Love is not ignorant of the existence of evil, but it does not take it into account as a factor in planning. When we were apart from God, we did take evil into account, doing all of our planning with it in mind, and we tried to reason out all of our work from its standpoint.
Don’t plan with a rainy day in mind. You cannot hoard things for a rainy day if you are truly trusting Christ. Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled . . .” (John 14:1). God will not keep your heart from being troubled. It is a command— “Let not. . . .” To do it, continually pick yourself up, even if you fall a hundred and one times a day, until you get into the habit of putting God first and planning with Him in mind.
別在神以外籌算
當將你的事交託耶和華，並倚靠它，他就必成全。 （詩三十七5）
別在神以外籌算，我們很多時為事情籌算，卻沒有把神放在裡面；在這情況下，神往往用他奇妙的方法破壞我們的計畫。我們闖進不是神所安排的環境裡去，才猛然發覺自己在神以外行事，沒有讓神成為生活的主導。若要除去憂慮，唯一的辦法是把神帶到我們一切的籌算裡，讓他成為最大的動因。
在宗教上，我們曉得該把神放在首位，但在實際的日常生活裡，卻無法把他放在第一位。若我們必須披上星期日的精神狀態才來親近神，那麼，我們就永不會親近神。我們必須按自己的本相來到神面前。
不要計算惡事，神真要我們不計算惡事嗎？ [愛……不計算人的惡。 ]愛並非不知惡的存在，而是不把惡計算。離開了神，我們便會計算惡；我們會從惡的立場去籌算、去推斷。
別為未來的困境籌算，你若信靠主耶穌，就不會為未來籌謀。耶穌說：[你們心里不要憂愁。 ]神不會叫你的心沒有憂愁，而是[不要……]，那是一項命令。因此一日之中，儘管是一百零一次，總要逼自己遵行，直至養成習慣，事事把神放在首位，一切的籌算有他在內。
祈禱◆[你們奉我的名無論求什麼，我必成就。 ]噢，主啊，那是多麼的奧妙，又是多麼的簡單——我祈求，同時相信你會藉著我的禱告，創造一些前所未有的東西，來答允我的祈求。
Don’t plan without God. God seems to have a delightful way of upsetting the plans we have made, when we have not taken Him into account. We get ourselves into circumstances that were not chosen by God, and suddenly we realize that we have been making our plans without Him— that we have not even considered Him to be a vital, living factor in the planning of our lives. And yet the only thing that will keep us from even the possibility of worrying is to bring God in as the greatest factor in all of our planning.
In spiritual issues it is customary for us to put God first, but we tend to think that it is inappropriate and unnecessary to put Him first in the practical, everyday issues of our lives. If we have the idea that we have to put on our “spiritual face” before we can come near to God, then we will never come near to Him. We must come as we are.
Don’t plan with a concern for evil in mind. Does God really mean for us to plan without taking the evil around us into account? “Love . . . thinks no evil” (1 Corinthians 13:4-5). Love is not ignorant of the existence of evil, but it does not take it into account as a factor in planning. When we were apart from God, we did take evil into account, doing all of our planning with it in mind, and we tried to reason out all of our work from its standpoint.
Don’t plan with a rainy day in mind. You cannot hoard things for a rainy day if you are truly trusting Christ. Jesus said, “Let not your heart be troubled . . .” (John 14:1). God will not keep your heart from being troubled. It is a command— “Let not. . . .” To do it, continually pick yourself up, even if you fall a hundred and one times a day, until you get into the habit of putting God first and planning with Him in mind.
別在神以外籌算
當將你的事交託耶和華，並倚靠它，他就必成全。 （詩三十七5）
別在神以外籌算，我們很多時為事情籌算，卻沒有把神放在裡面；在這情況下，神往往用他奇妙的方法破壞我們的計畫。我們闖進不是神所安排的環境裡去，才猛然發覺自己在神以外行事，沒有讓神成為生活的主導。若要除去憂慮，唯一的辦法是把神帶到我們一切的籌算裡，讓他成為最大的動因。
在宗教上，我們曉得該把神放在首位，但在實際的日常生活裡，卻無法把他放在第一位。若我們必須披上星期日的精神狀態才來親近神，那麼，我們就永不會親近神。我們必須按自己的本相來到神面前。
不要計算惡事，神真要我們不計算惡事嗎？ [愛……不計算人的惡。 ]愛並非不知惡的存在，而是不把惡計算。離開了神，我們便會計算惡；我們會從惡的立場去籌算、去推斷。
別為未來的困境籌算，你若信靠主耶穌，就不會為未來籌謀。耶穌說：[你們心里不要憂愁。 ]神不會叫你的心沒有憂愁，而是[不要……]，那是一項命令。因此一日之中，儘管是一百零一次，總要逼自己遵行，直至養成習慣，事事把神放在首位，一切的籌算有他在內。
祈禱◆[你們奉我的名無論求什麼，我必成就。 ]噢，主啊，那是多麼的奧妙，又是多麼的簡單——我祈求，同時相信你會藉著我的禱告，創造一些前所未有的東西，來答允我的祈求。
June 19, 2014
My Utmost for His Highest
. . . do you love Me? . . . Tend My sheep —John 21:16
Jesus did not say to make converts to your way of thinking, but He said to look after His sheep, to see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Him. We consider what we do in the way of Christian work as service, yet Jesus Christ calls service to be what we are to Him, not what we do for Him. Discipleship is based solely on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on following after a particular belief or doctrine. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate . . . , he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). In this verse, there is no argument and no pressure from Jesus to follow Him; He is simply saying, in effect, “If you want to be My disciple, you must be devoted solely to Me.” A person touched by the Spirit of God suddenly says, “Now I see who Jesus is!”— that is the source of devotion.
Today we have substituted doctrinal belief for personal belief, and that is why so many people are devoted to causes and so few are devoted to Jesus Christ. People do not really want to be devoted to Jesus, but only to the cause He started. Jesus Christ is deeply offensive to the educated minds of today, to those who only want Him to be their Friend, and who are unwilling to accept Him in any other way. Our Lord’s primary obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of people— the saving of people was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father. If I am devoted solely to the cause of humanity, I will soon be exhausted and come to the point where my love will waver and stumble. But if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity, even though people may treat me like a “doormat.” The secret of a disciple’s life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of that life is its seeming insignificance and its meekness. Yet it is like a grain of wheat that “falls into the ground and dies”— it will spring up and change the entire landscape (John 12:24).
熱誠的事奉
你愛我麼？ ……你牧羊我的羊。 （約二十一16）
耶穌並沒有叫人追隨祂的思想，而是要你看顧祂的羊，使他們因認識祂而得著滋養。我們把事奉的工作，視作事奉主；但耶穌基督卻視我們與祂的關係為事奉，而不是我們為祂所做的工作。做門徒，是基於對耶穌基督的忠誠，而不是由於服贗一套信徒規條。 [人到我這裡來，若不愛我勝過……，就不能作我的門徒。 ]沒有爭議，也沒有強逼，只直截了當地－－[你若做我的門徒，必須專心歸我]。一個人被聖靈摸著了，就說：[我如今認識了耶穌是誰。 ]這就是專心歸依的根源。
時至今日，我們已把信條代替了個人的信仰，所以致力於事工的人多，而一心歸服耶穌基督的人卻少。人不要歸服耶穌，只想致力於他所創立的事工。他們只認耶穌為同志。主首先順服的，是祂父的旨意，而不是人群的需要。他之所以救人，是順服父神的必然結果。我若只致力於人群的事工，不久就會精疲力竭，落到愛心冷淡的地步；但若我愛耶穌基督，就是認把我當作地席，我仍要服侍他們。門徒生活的秘訣就是全心歸依基督。那生命的特徵是隱藏不露，就如一粒麥子落在地裡死了，不久就萌芽生長，改變整個田園的景象（約十二24）。
祈禱◆願祢感動我的靈，使他被祢所充滿，直至湧溢。願祢透過我的意念思想，直至我形成[在基督耶穌裡的心懷意念]。
Jesus did not say to make converts to your way of thinking, but He said to look after His sheep, to see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Him. We consider what we do in the way of Christian work as service, yet Jesus Christ calls service to be what we are to Him, not what we do for Him. Discipleship is based solely on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on following after a particular belief or doctrine. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate . . . , he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). In this verse, there is no argument and no pressure from Jesus to follow Him; He is simply saying, in effect, “If you want to be My disciple, you must be devoted solely to Me.” A person touched by the Spirit of God suddenly says, “Now I see who Jesus is!”— that is the source of devotion.
Today we have substituted doctrinal belief for personal belief, and that is why so many people are devoted to causes and so few are devoted to Jesus Christ. People do not really want to be devoted to Jesus, but only to the cause He started. Jesus Christ is deeply offensive to the educated minds of today, to those who only want Him to be their Friend, and who are unwilling to accept Him in any other way. Our Lord’s primary obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of people— the saving of people was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father. If I am devoted solely to the cause of humanity, I will soon be exhausted and come to the point where my love will waver and stumble. But if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity, even though people may treat me like a “doormat.” The secret of a disciple’s life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of that life is its seeming insignificance and its meekness. Yet it is like a grain of wheat that “falls into the ground and dies”— it will spring up and change the entire landscape (John 12:24).
熱誠的事奉
你愛我麼？ ……你牧羊我的羊。 （約二十一16）
耶穌並沒有叫人追隨祂的思想，而是要你看顧祂的羊，使他們因認識祂而得著滋養。我們把事奉的工作，視作事奉主；但耶穌基督卻視我們與祂的關係為事奉，而不是我們為祂所做的工作。做門徒，是基於對耶穌基督的忠誠，而不是由於服贗一套信徒規條。 [人到我這裡來，若不愛我勝過……，就不能作我的門徒。 ]沒有爭議，也沒有強逼，只直截了當地－－[你若做我的門徒，必須專心歸我]。一個人被聖靈摸著了，就說：[我如今認識了耶穌是誰。 ]這就是專心歸依的根源。
時至今日，我們已把信條代替了個人的信仰，所以致力於事工的人多，而一心歸服耶穌基督的人卻少。人不要歸服耶穌，只想致力於他所創立的事工。他們只認耶穌為同志。主首先順服的，是祂父的旨意，而不是人群的需要。他之所以救人，是順服父神的必然結果。我若只致力於人群的事工，不久就會精疲力竭，落到愛心冷淡的地步；但若我愛耶穌基督，就是認把我當作地席，我仍要服侍他們。門徒生活的秘訣就是全心歸依基督。那生命的特徵是隱藏不露，就如一粒麥子落在地裡死了，不久就萌芽生長，改變整個田園的景象（約十二24）。
祈禱◆願祢感動我的靈，使他被祢所充滿，直至湧溢。願祢透過我的意念思想，直至我形成[在基督耶穌裡的心懷意念]。
June 16, 2014
“Will You Lay Down Your Life?”
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. . . . I have called you friends . . . —John 15:13, 15
Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him. Peter said to the Lord, “I will lay down my life for Your sake,” and he meant it (John 13:37). He had a magnificent sense of the heroic. For us to be incapable of making this same statement Peter made would be a bad thing— our sense of duty is only fully realized through our sense of heroism. Has the Lord ever asked you, “Will you lay down your life for My sake?” (John 13:38). It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God. We are not made for the bright-shining moments of life, but we have to walk in the light of them in our everyday ways. There was only one bright-shining moment in the life of Jesus, and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was there that He emptied Himself of His glory for the second time, and then came down into the demon-possessed valley (see Mark 9:1-29). For thirty-three years Jesus laid down His life to do the will of His Father. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). Yet it is contrary to our human nature to do so.
If I am a friend of Jesus, I must deliberately and carefully lay down my life for Him. It is a difficult thing to do, and thank God that it is. Salvation is easy for us, because it cost God so much. But the exhibiting of salvation in my life is difficult. God saves a person, fills him with the Holy Spirit, and then says, in effect, “Now you work it out in your life, and be faithful to Me, even though the nature of everything around you is to cause you to be unfaithful.” And Jesus says to us, “. . . I have called you friends. . . .” Remain faithful to your Friend, and remember that His honor is at stake in your bodily life.
你怎樣對這事？
人為朋友捨命，人的愛心沒有比這個大的。 ……我乃稱你們為朋友。 （約十五13、15）
耶穌雖然沒有叫我為他死，卻要我為他把生命放下。彼得說：[我願意為你捨命。 ]他說的是真心話，他的英雄意識是偉大的。若不能像彼得那樣宣告，實在太差勁了。我們的責任感只有藉著英雄意識，發揮出來。主曾否問你說：[你不願意為我捨命麼？ ]在平凡的生活中，因不忘從上而來的呼召而放下生命，比一死了之困難得多。人生不是為壯烈的一刻而活，乃是在平凡的路上，行在啟示的光中。耶穌一生中，也只有一個壯烈的時刻，就是在登山變像的時候；後來他再度從榮耀中倒空自己，下到鬼附的山谷裡。三十年之久，耶穌擺上自己的生命來遵行父神的旨意。
約翰說：[我們也當為弟兄捨命。 ]這樣行是違反人性的。我若是耶穌的朋友，就要定意為他放下自己的生命。難是難的，感謝神，難並不要緊！救恩是易得的，因為神付出了重大的代價，但要在我生命中彰顯出來，卻是困難重重。神救了一個人，把聖靈賜給他，然後認真的對他說：[好了，要忠於我，即使周遭的事物會令你不忠。 ][我乃稱你們為朋友。 ]要忠於你的朋友，要緊記你肉身的生命，是神尊榮得失之所繫。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著你所賜的救恩，為著聖徒的禱告所帶來的好處和祝福，我讚美你。可是，我是那樣悄悄地領受了你的恩惠，很久才開始思想自己是否配得領受，或是表現得好像自己配得領受一樣。主啊，赦免我。
Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him. Peter said to the Lord, “I will lay down my life for Your sake,” and he meant it (John 13:37). He had a magnificent sense of the heroic. For us to be incapable of making this same statement Peter made would be a bad thing— our sense of duty is only fully realized through our sense of heroism. Has the Lord ever asked you, “Will you lay down your life for My sake?” (John 13:38). It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God. We are not made for the bright-shining moments of life, but we have to walk in the light of them in our everyday ways. There was only one bright-shining moment in the life of Jesus, and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was there that He emptied Himself of His glory for the second time, and then came down into the demon-possessed valley (see Mark 9:1-29). For thirty-three years Jesus laid down His life to do the will of His Father. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). Yet it is contrary to our human nature to do so.
If I am a friend of Jesus, I must deliberately and carefully lay down my life for Him. It is a difficult thing to do, and thank God that it is. Salvation is easy for us, because it cost God so much. But the exhibiting of salvation in my life is difficult. God saves a person, fills him with the Holy Spirit, and then says, in effect, “Now you work it out in your life, and be faithful to Me, even though the nature of everything around you is to cause you to be unfaithful.” And Jesus says to us, “. . . I have called you friends. . . .” Remain faithful to your Friend, and remember that His honor is at stake in your bodily life.
你怎樣對這事？
人為朋友捨命，人的愛心沒有比這個大的。 ……我乃稱你們為朋友。 （約十五13、15）
耶穌雖然沒有叫我為他死，卻要我為他把生命放下。彼得說：[我願意為你捨命。 ]他說的是真心話，他的英雄意識是偉大的。若不能像彼得那樣宣告，實在太差勁了。我們的責任感只有藉著英雄意識，發揮出來。主曾否問你說：[你不願意為我捨命麼？ ]在平凡的生活中，因不忘從上而來的呼召而放下生命，比一死了之困難得多。人生不是為壯烈的一刻而活，乃是在平凡的路上，行在啟示的光中。耶穌一生中，也只有一個壯烈的時刻，就是在登山變像的時候；後來他再度從榮耀中倒空自己，下到鬼附的山谷裡。三十年之久，耶穌擺上自己的生命來遵行父神的旨意。
約翰說：[我們也當為弟兄捨命。 ]這樣行是違反人性的。我若是耶穌的朋友，就要定意為他放下自己的生命。難是難的，感謝神，難並不要緊！救恩是易得的，因為神付出了重大的代價，但要在我生命中彰顯出來，卻是困難重重。神救了一個人，把聖靈賜給他，然後認真的對他說：[好了，要忠於我，即使周遭的事物會令你不忠。 ][我乃稱你們為朋友。 ]要忠於你的朋友，要緊記你肉身的生命，是神尊榮得失之所繫。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著你所賜的救恩，為著聖徒的禱告所帶來的好處和祝福，我讚美你。可是，我是那樣悄悄地領受了你的恩惠，很久才開始思想自己是否配得領受，或是表現得好像自己配得領受一樣。主啊，赦免我。
June 14, 2014
Get Moving! (1)
Abide in Me . . . —John 15:4
In the matter of determination. The Spirit of Jesus is put into me by way of the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I then have to build my thinking patiently to bring it into perfect harmony with my Lord. God will not make me think like Jesus— I have to do it myself. I have to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). “Abide in Me”— in intellectual matters, in money matters, in every one of the matters that make human life what it is. Our lives are not made up of only one neatly confined area.
Am I preventing God from doing things in my circumstances by saying that it will only serve to hinder my fellowship with Him? How irrelevant and disrespectful that is! It does not matter what my circumstances are. I can be as much assured of abiding in Jesus in any one of them as I am in any prayer meeting. It is unnecessary to change and arrange my circumstances myself. Our Lord’s inner abiding was pure and unblemished. He was at home with God wherever His body was. He never chose His own circumstances, but was meek, submitting to His Father’s plans and directions for Him. Just think of how amazingly relaxed our Lord’s life was! But we tend to keep God at a fever pitch in our lives. We have none of the serenity of the life which is “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).
Think of the things that take you out of the position of abiding in Christ. You say, “Yes, Lord, just a minute— I still have this to do. Yes, I will abide as soon as this is finished, or as soon as this week is over. It will be all right, Lord. I will abide then.” Get moving— begin to abide now. In the initial stages it will be a continual effort to abide, but as you continue, it will become so much a part of your life that you will abide in Him without any conscious effort. Make the determination to abide in Jesus wherever you are now or wherever you may be placed in the future.
趕快行動！
你們要常在我裡面。 （約十五4）
藉著救贖，耶穌的靈進到我裡面。此後，我就得完全按照主的心意耐心地被塑造。神不會使我像耶穌一樣去思想，我必須自己去做，我必須將所有的心意奪回，使之順服基督。 [常在我裡面。 ]－－在知識上、金錢上，並在一切與人生有關的事上。我們不是活在一個匣子裡。
我有沒有阻撓神行事；認為這些事會妨礙我與他的交通？這是魯莽的態度。環境怎樣根本不重要，重要的是我是否確實的住在主裡，正如我在禱告中與主同住一樣。我無須自行改變或調整環境；對於主，這種內住的光景是分毫不受影響的。主無論置身何處，都與神同住。他從不挑選環境，只柔和謙卑的順服父神為他所作的一切安排。試想主的人生是何等的閒適！至於我們，卻把神置於緊張關頭，沒有與基督一同藏在神裡面的那種平穩。
想想那些妨礙你與主同住的東西：[主啊，是的，不過等一下，我要先做這個；是的，我完成了這個就與你同住；過了這個星期就沒事了，那時就可以與你同住。 ]趕快行動吧！現在就住在主裡！在起初的階段，要不斷的努力工作，直至成為生命的律，使你在不知不覺中便與他同住。所以，你無論置身何處，都要立志住在耶穌裡面。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我懷著讚美和感恩來到你面前，但仍然渴求對你的良善自覺地有更深的欣賞。求你在今天賜福予我，讓我有更廣闊的胸懷和能力去讚美你。
In the matter of determination. The Spirit of Jesus is put into me by way of the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I then have to build my thinking patiently to bring it into perfect harmony with my Lord. God will not make me think like Jesus— I have to do it myself. I have to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). “Abide in Me”— in intellectual matters, in money matters, in every one of the matters that make human life what it is. Our lives are not made up of only one neatly confined area.
Am I preventing God from doing things in my circumstances by saying that it will only serve to hinder my fellowship with Him? How irrelevant and disrespectful that is! It does not matter what my circumstances are. I can be as much assured of abiding in Jesus in any one of them as I am in any prayer meeting. It is unnecessary to change and arrange my circumstances myself. Our Lord’s inner abiding was pure and unblemished. He was at home with God wherever His body was. He never chose His own circumstances, but was meek, submitting to His Father’s plans and directions for Him. Just think of how amazingly relaxed our Lord’s life was! But we tend to keep God at a fever pitch in our lives. We have none of the serenity of the life which is “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).
Think of the things that take you out of the position of abiding in Christ. You say, “Yes, Lord, just a minute— I still have this to do. Yes, I will abide as soon as this is finished, or as soon as this week is over. It will be all right, Lord. I will abide then.” Get moving— begin to abide now. In the initial stages it will be a continual effort to abide, but as you continue, it will become so much a part of your life that you will abide in Him without any conscious effort. Make the determination to abide in Jesus wherever you are now or wherever you may be placed in the future.
趕快行動！
你們要常在我裡面。 （約十五4）
藉著救贖，耶穌的靈進到我裡面。此後，我就得完全按照主的心意耐心地被塑造。神不會使我像耶穌一樣去思想，我必須自己去做，我必須將所有的心意奪回，使之順服基督。 [常在我裡面。 ]－－在知識上、金錢上，並在一切與人生有關的事上。我們不是活在一個匣子裡。
我有沒有阻撓神行事；認為這些事會妨礙我與他的交通？這是魯莽的態度。環境怎樣根本不重要，重要的是我是否確實的住在主裡，正如我在禱告中與主同住一樣。我無須自行改變或調整環境；對於主，這種內住的光景是分毫不受影響的。主無論置身何處，都與神同住。他從不挑選環境，只柔和謙卑的順服父神為他所作的一切安排。試想主的人生是何等的閒適！至於我們，卻把神置於緊張關頭，沒有與基督一同藏在神裡面的那種平穩。
想想那些妨礙你與主同住的東西：[主啊，是的，不過等一下，我要先做這個；是的，我完成了這個就與你同住；過了這個星期就沒事了，那時就可以與你同住。 ]趕快行動吧！現在就住在主裡！在起初的階段，要不斷的努力工作，直至成為生命的律，使你在不知不覺中便與他同住。所以，你無論置身何處，都要立志住在耶穌裡面。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我懷著讚美和感恩來到你面前，但仍然渴求對你的良善自覺地有更深的欣賞。求你在今天賜福予我，讓我有更廣闊的胸懷和能力去讚美你。
May 08, 2014
The Faith to Persevere
Because you have kept My command to persevere . . . —Revelation 3:10
Perseverance means more than endurance— more than simply holding on until the end. A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, but our Lord continues to stretch and strain, and every once in a while the saint says, “I can’t take any more.” Yet God pays no attention; He goes on stretching until His purpose is in sight, and then He lets the arrow fly. Entrust yourself to God’s hands. Is there something in your life for which you need perseverance right now? Maintain your intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through the perseverance of faith. Proclaim as Job did, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).
Faith is not some weak and pitiful emotion, but is strong and vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. And even though you cannot see Him right now and cannot understand what He is doing, you know Him. Disaster occurs in your life when you lack the mental composure that comes from establishing yourself on the eternal truth that God is holy love. Faith is the supreme effort of your life— throwing yourself with abandon and total confidence upon God.
God ventured His all in Jesus Christ to save us, and now He wants us to venture our all with total abandoned confidence in Him. There are areas in our lives where that faith has not worked in us as yet— places still untouched by the life of God. There were none of those places in Jesus Christ’s life, and there are to be none in ours. Jesus prayed, “This is eternal life, that they may know You . . .” (John 17:3). The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering. If we will take this view, life will become one great romance— a glorious opportunity of seeing wonderful things all the time. God is disciplining us to get us into this central place of power.
信心的忍耐
你既遵守我忍耐的道。 （啟三10）
忍耐不單是忍受。聖徒的生命在神手中，有如弓箭在射箭者的手上。神正瞄準一些我們看不見的東西，在用力拉開弓；聖徒卻說：[我再也受不了。 ]神不加理會，反而繼續拉緊，直至目標在望，才鬆手讓箭射出。放心把自己放在神手中。你現在正要忍耐什麼呢？只要用忍耐的信心，保持你與耶穌基督的關係。 [他雖然殺我，我仍要等候他。 ]
信心不是悲觀的情緒，乃是強而有力的信任，是建造在神聖潔的愛上。你如今看不見他，也不明白他在做什麼，但你是認識他的。我們心靈的平穩，在乎我們是否建立在神至聖的愛這永恆的真理上；否則，信心必如船觸礁而覆沒。信心是你人生中最英勇的奮鬥，是不顧一切的把自己交託神，一心投靠他。
神在耶穌基督裡已赴湯蹈火，不顧一切地救了我們；如今他要我們不惜犧牲一切，全心信靠他。我們裡面還有許多地方，是信心尚未耕耘過的，就是神的生命尚未觸摸到的。在耶穌基督的生命裡，卻沒有這樣的光景，我們也不該有。 [認識你……這就是永生。 ]永生的真正意義，就是一種面對任何事情而不動搖的生命。我們若有這種看見，人生就成為一頁羅曼史，能夠每時每刻經歷到奇妙的事。神一直在操練我們，好使我們進入這能力的中心裡去。
祈禱◆主啊，我理應成為何等樣的人！我那充滿恩典的生命在你的掌管下是那麼奇妙；然而，我仍發覺自己是那麼氣量狹小。主啊，我還可以說什麼呢！
Perseverance means more than endurance— more than simply holding on until the end. A saint’s life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, but our Lord continues to stretch and strain, and every once in a while the saint says, “I can’t take any more.” Yet God pays no attention; He goes on stretching until His purpose is in sight, and then He lets the arrow fly. Entrust yourself to God’s hands. Is there something in your life for which you need perseverance right now? Maintain your intimate relationship with Jesus Christ through the perseverance of faith. Proclaim as Job did, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).
Faith is not some weak and pitiful emotion, but is strong and vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. And even though you cannot see Him right now and cannot understand what He is doing, you know Him. Disaster occurs in your life when you lack the mental composure that comes from establishing yourself on the eternal truth that God is holy love. Faith is the supreme effort of your life— throwing yourself with abandon and total confidence upon God.
God ventured His all in Jesus Christ to save us, and now He wants us to venture our all with total abandoned confidence in Him. There are areas in our lives where that faith has not worked in us as yet— places still untouched by the life of God. There were none of those places in Jesus Christ’s life, and there are to be none in ours. Jesus prayed, “This is eternal life, that they may know You . . .” (John 17:3). The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering. If we will take this view, life will become one great romance— a glorious opportunity of seeing wonderful things all the time. God is disciplining us to get us into this central place of power.
信心的忍耐
你既遵守我忍耐的道。 （啟三10）
忍耐不單是忍受。聖徒的生命在神手中，有如弓箭在射箭者的手上。神正瞄準一些我們看不見的東西，在用力拉開弓；聖徒卻說：[我再也受不了。 ]神不加理會，反而繼續拉緊，直至目標在望，才鬆手讓箭射出。放心把自己放在神手中。你現在正要忍耐什麼呢？只要用忍耐的信心，保持你與耶穌基督的關係。 [他雖然殺我，我仍要等候他。 ]
信心不是悲觀的情緒，乃是強而有力的信任，是建造在神聖潔的愛上。你如今看不見他，也不明白他在做什麼，但你是認識他的。我們心靈的平穩，在乎我們是否建立在神至聖的愛這永恆的真理上；否則，信心必如船觸礁而覆沒。信心是你人生中最英勇的奮鬥，是不顧一切的把自己交託神，一心投靠他。
神在耶穌基督裡已赴湯蹈火，不顧一切地救了我們；如今他要我們不惜犧牲一切，全心信靠他。我們裡面還有許多地方，是信心尚未耕耘過的，就是神的生命尚未觸摸到的。在耶穌基督的生命裡，卻沒有這樣的光景，我們也不該有。 [認識你……這就是永生。 ]永生的真正意義，就是一種面對任何事情而不動搖的生命。我們若有這種看見，人生就成為一頁羅曼史，能夠每時每刻經歷到奇妙的事。神一直在操練我們，好使我們進入這能力的中心裡去。
祈禱◆主啊，我理應成為何等樣的人！我那充滿恩典的生命在你的掌管下是那麼奇妙；然而，我仍發覺自己是那麼氣量狹小。主啊，我還可以說什麼呢！
May 07, 2014
Building For Eternity
Which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it . . . —Luke 14:28
Our Lord was not referring here to a cost which we have to count, but to a cost which He has already counted. The cost was those thirty years in Nazareth, those three years of popularity, scandal, and hatred, the unfathomable agony He experienced in Gethsemane, and the assault upon Him at Calvary— the central point upon which all of time and eternity turn. Jesus Christ has counted the cost. In the final analysis, people are not going to laugh at Him and say, “This man began to build and was not able to finish” (Luke 14:30).
The conditions of discipleship given to us by our Lord in verses 26, 27, and 33 mean that the men and women He is going to use in His mighty building enterprises are those in whom He has done everything. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple ” (Luke 14:26). This verse teaches us that the only men and women our Lord will use in His building enterprises are those who love Him personally, passionately, and with great devotion— those who have a love for Him that goes far beyond any of the closest relationships on earth. The conditions are strict, but they are glorious.
All that we build is going to be inspected by God. When God inspects us with His searching and refining fire, will He detect that we have built enterprises of our own on the foundation of Jesus? (see 1 Corinthians 3:10-15). We are living in a time of tremendous enterprises, a time when we are trying to work for God, and that is where the trap is. Profoundly speaking, we can never work for God. Jesus, as the Master Builder, takes us over so that He may direct and control us completely for His enterprises and His building plans; and no one has any right to demand where he will be put to work.
永恆的建造
你們那一個要蓋一座樓，不先坐下算計花費，能蓋成不能呢？ （路十四28）
主所指的代價，不是要我們去計算，他已經計算好了。就是三十年在拿撤撒，三年被人擁戴、毀謗和憎恨，客西馬尼園無底的痛苦，加略山上被宰殺－－成為整個時間與永恆轉動的樞軸。
耶穌基督已計算了代價。所以世人最終也無法指著他說：[這人動了工，卻不能完工。 ]在26、27及33節中，主陳明作門徒的條件；在他建造大工所用的人，是他已經為他們付上一切代價的人。 [人到我這裡來，若不恨……就不能作我的門徒。 ]主的意思是在他建造大工上用得著的人，是那些熱切地、忠心地愛他，超過地上任何最親密者的人。條件非常嚴格，但卻是榮耀的。
我們一切所建造的，都要經神檢驗。神察驗的火，是否發覺在主的根基上，竟建立了我們自己的事業？現在正是建立事業的大好機會，是我們努力為神工作的日子，可是其中卻密佈著網羅。其實認真地說，我們根本不能為神作工。耶穌把我們放在他的工程上，完全放在他建造的大計中，我們是沒有權選擇要被放在什麼地方。
祈禱◆主啊，引導我們的心思進入你的計劃中。許多人已步向你那榮耀，卻帶有危險的開放境地。主啊，請傾注你那浩大的能力，來糾正我們的生命，使它成為煥發著健康的豐盛生命。
Our Lord was not referring here to a cost which we have to count, but to a cost which He has already counted. The cost was those thirty years in Nazareth, those three years of popularity, scandal, and hatred, the unfathomable agony He experienced in Gethsemane, and the assault upon Him at Calvary— the central point upon which all of time and eternity turn. Jesus Christ has counted the cost. In the final analysis, people are not going to laugh at Him and say, “This man began to build and was not able to finish” (Luke 14:30).
The conditions of discipleship given to us by our Lord in verses 26, 27, and 33 mean that the men and women He is going to use in His mighty building enterprises are those in whom He has done everything. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple ” (Luke 14:26). This verse teaches us that the only men and women our Lord will use in His building enterprises are those who love Him personally, passionately, and with great devotion— those who have a love for Him that goes far beyond any of the closest relationships on earth. The conditions are strict, but they are glorious.
All that we build is going to be inspected by God. When God inspects us with His searching and refining fire, will He detect that we have built enterprises of our own on the foundation of Jesus? (see 1 Corinthians 3:10-15). We are living in a time of tremendous enterprises, a time when we are trying to work for God, and that is where the trap is. Profoundly speaking, we can never work for God. Jesus, as the Master Builder, takes us over so that He may direct and control us completely for His enterprises and His building plans; and no one has any right to demand where he will be put to work.
永恆的建造
你們那一個要蓋一座樓，不先坐下算計花費，能蓋成不能呢？ （路十四28）
主所指的代價，不是要我們去計算，他已經計算好了。就是三十年在拿撤撒，三年被人擁戴、毀謗和憎恨，客西馬尼園無底的痛苦，加略山上被宰殺－－成為整個時間與永恆轉動的樞軸。
耶穌基督已計算了代價。所以世人最終也無法指著他說：[這人動了工，卻不能完工。 ]在26、27及33節中，主陳明作門徒的條件；在他建造大工所用的人，是他已經為他們付上一切代價的人。 [人到我這裡來，若不恨……就不能作我的門徒。 ]主的意思是在他建造大工上用得著的人，是那些熱切地、忠心地愛他，超過地上任何最親密者的人。條件非常嚴格，但卻是榮耀的。
我們一切所建造的，都要經神檢驗。神察驗的火，是否發覺在主的根基上，竟建立了我們自己的事業？現在正是建立事業的大好機會，是我們努力為神工作的日子，可是其中卻密佈著網羅。其實認真地說，我們根本不能為神作工。耶穌把我們放在他的工程上，完全放在他建造的大計中，我們是沒有權選擇要被放在什麼地方。
祈禱◆主啊，引導我們的心思進入你的計劃中。許多人已步向你那榮耀，卻帶有危險的開放境地。主啊，請傾注你那浩大的能力，來糾正我們的生命，使它成為煥發著健康的豐盛生命。
April 25, 2014
"Ready in Season"
Be ready in season and out of season —2 Timothy 4:2
Many of us suffer from the unbalanced tendency to “be ready” only “out of season.” The season does not refer to time; it refers to us. This verse says, “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season.” In other words, we should “be ready” whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would never do anything. There are some people who are totally unemployable in the spiritual realm. They are spiritually feeble and weak, and they refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that our relationship is right with God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.
One of the worst traps a Christian worker can fall into is to become obsessed with his own exceptional moments of inspiration. When the Spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you tend to say, “Now that I’ve experienced this moment, I will always be like this for God.” No, you will not, and God will make sure of that. Those times are entirely the gift of God. You cannot give them to yourself when you choose. If you say you will only be at your best for God, as during those exceptional times, you actually become an intolerable burden on Him. You will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously aware of His inspiration to you at all times. If you make a god out of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life, never to return until you are obedient in the work He has placed closest to you, and until you have learned not to be obsessed with those exceptional moments He has given you.
隨時隨地常作準備
無論得時不得時，總要專心。 （提後四2）
不少人有這一種病態情況，就是在[不得時]專心。 [時]不是指時間，乃是指我們。 [無論得時不得時]，就是不論我們喜歡或不喜歡。如果我們只做心想做的事，我們就永遠會一事無成。在屬靈的領域裡，有好些派不上用場的人；也有屬靈的老人，這等人若沒有超然的啟示，是不肯動一個指頭的。啟示要證明我們與神的關係，乃是本分，不管我們是否有感動。
作主工人最大的陷阱，就是高舉自己某一刻的特殊經歷。當神的靈給你啟示與亮光，你就說：[從此我為神持守這個地位。 ]錯了，你不能，神必使你不能如此。經歷完全是神所賜的，你不能隨私意據為己有。你若自稱必能保持高峰狀態，你就成為難以忍受的累贅；而你也要神不住地啟示感動，否則就什麼也不肯作。你若把自己超然的經歷當作神，你會發覺神將從你生命中消失，除非你肯盡你的本分，學會不再崇信自己的超然經歷。
祈禱◆主啊，我的靈魂今天最需要的，是解脫和美化。我來到你面前，我的肉身需要你成為救主和主，求你修補我對你失卻熱忱和敏銳的靈，以致我可以在這里為你發揮適當的影響力。
Many of us suffer from the unbalanced tendency to “be ready” only “out of season.” The season does not refer to time; it refers to us. This verse says, “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season.” In other words, we should “be ready” whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would never do anything. There are some people who are totally unemployable in the spiritual realm. They are spiritually feeble and weak, and they refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that our relationship is right with God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.
One of the worst traps a Christian worker can fall into is to become obsessed with his own exceptional moments of inspiration. When the Spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you tend to say, “Now that I’ve experienced this moment, I will always be like this for God.” No, you will not, and God will make sure of that. Those times are entirely the gift of God. You cannot give them to yourself when you choose. If you say you will only be at your best for God, as during those exceptional times, you actually become an intolerable burden on Him. You will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously aware of His inspiration to you at all times. If you make a god out of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life, never to return until you are obedient in the work He has placed closest to you, and until you have learned not to be obsessed with those exceptional moments He has given you.
隨時隨地常作準備
無論得時不得時，總要專心。 （提後四2）
不少人有這一種病態情況，就是在[不得時]專心。 [時]不是指時間，乃是指我們。 [無論得時不得時]，就是不論我們喜歡或不喜歡。如果我們只做心想做的事，我們就永遠會一事無成。在屬靈的領域裡，有好些派不上用場的人；也有屬靈的老人，這等人若沒有超然的啟示，是不肯動一個指頭的。啟示要證明我們與神的關係，乃是本分，不管我們是否有感動。
作主工人最大的陷阱，就是高舉自己某一刻的特殊經歷。當神的靈給你啟示與亮光，你就說：[從此我為神持守這個地位。 ]錯了，你不能，神必使你不能如此。經歷完全是神所賜的，你不能隨私意據為己有。你若自稱必能保持高峰狀態，你就成為難以忍受的累贅；而你也要神不住地啟示感動，否則就什麼也不肯作。你若把自己超然的經歷當作神，你會發覺神將從你生命中消失，除非你肯盡你的本分，學會不再崇信自己的超然經歷。
祈禱◆主啊，我的靈魂今天最需要的，是解脫和美化。我來到你面前，我的肉身需要你成為救主和主，求你修補我對你失卻熱忱和敏銳的靈，以致我可以在這里為你發揮適當的影響力。
April 17, 2014
All or Nothing?
When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he put on his outer garment . . . and plunged into the sea —John 21:7
Have you ever had a crisis in your life in which you deliberately, earnestly, and recklessly abandoned everything? It is a crisis of the will. You may come to that point many times externally, but it will amount to nothing. The true deep crisis of abandonment, or total surrender, is reached internally, not externally. The giving up of only external things may actually be an indication of your being in total bondage.
Have you deliberately committed your will to Jesus Christ? It is a transaction of the will, not of emotion; any positive emotion that results is simply a superficial blessing arising out of the transaction. If you focus your attention on the emotion, you will never make the transaction. Do not ask God what the transaction is to be, but make the determination to surrender your will regarding whatever you see, whether it is in the shallow or the deep, profound places internally.
If you have heard Jesus Christ’s voice on the waves of the sea, you can let your convictions and your consistency take care of themselves by concentrating on maintaining your intimate relationship to Him.
不顧一切
那時西門彼得赤著身子，一聽見是主，就束上一件外衣，跳在海裡。 （約二十一7）
曾否有一次經歷叫你立意不顧一切撇下所有呢？這是意志的一關。你可能在外面碰過許多事，但對你沒有絲毫改變。要真正撇下一切的，是在裡面的改變，而不是外面的。表面上的撇棄，可能正表示你裡面仍受捆綁。
你曾否破釜沉舟地順服耶穌基督？這是一項意志的抉擇，而非感情用事；感情只是整個抉擇的附屬品。你若把感情放在首位，就永遠辦不成這項交易。不要問神這交易的後果到底是怎樣，只要就眼前可見的事來作個決定，不管這是簡單還是困難的事。
你若在波濤洶湧中聽見主的呼聲，只管乘風破浪，憑著信念出去！只要保持你與主的關係，就不用怕一切的衝擊！
祈禱◆[你們要將一切的憂慮卸給神，因為他顧念你們。 ]噢，主啊，這句話是多麼的奇妙！不良的思想總是偶爾出現，需要你經常將它們驅走。我仰賴你更新我的思想。
Have you ever had a crisis in your life in which you deliberately, earnestly, and recklessly abandoned everything? It is a crisis of the will. You may come to that point many times externally, but it will amount to nothing. The true deep crisis of abandonment, or total surrender, is reached internally, not externally. The giving up of only external things may actually be an indication of your being in total bondage.
Have you deliberately committed your will to Jesus Christ? It is a transaction of the will, not of emotion; any positive emotion that results is simply a superficial blessing arising out of the transaction. If you focus your attention on the emotion, you will never make the transaction. Do not ask God what the transaction is to be, but make the determination to surrender your will regarding whatever you see, whether it is in the shallow or the deep, profound places internally.
If you have heard Jesus Christ’s voice on the waves of the sea, you can let your convictions and your consistency take care of themselves by concentrating on maintaining your intimate relationship to Him.
不顧一切
那時西門彼得赤著身子，一聽見是主，就束上一件外衣，跳在海裡。 （約二十一7）
曾否有一次經歷叫你立意不顧一切撇下所有呢？這是意志的一關。你可能在外面碰過許多事，但對你沒有絲毫改變。要真正撇下一切的，是在裡面的改變，而不是外面的。表面上的撇棄，可能正表示你裡面仍受捆綁。
你曾否破釜沉舟地順服耶穌基督？這是一項意志的抉擇，而非感情用事；感情只是整個抉擇的附屬品。你若把感情放在首位，就永遠辦不成這項交易。不要問神這交易的後果到底是怎樣，只要就眼前可見的事來作個決定，不管這是簡單還是困難的事。
你若在波濤洶湧中聽見主的呼聲，只管乘風破浪，憑著信念出去！只要保持你與主的關係，就不用怕一切的衝擊！
祈禱◆[你們要將一切的憂慮卸給神，因為他顧念你們。 ]噢，主啊，這句話是多麼的奇妙！不良的思想總是偶爾出現，需要你經常將它們驅走。我仰賴你更新我的思想。
April 15, 2014
The Failure To Pay Close Attention
The high places were not removed from Israel. Nevertheless the heart of Asa was loyal all his days —2 Chronicles 15:17
Asa was not completely obedient in the outward, visible areas of his life. He was obedient in what he considered the most important areas, but he was not entirely right. Beware of ever thinking, “Oh, that thing in my life doesn't matter much.” The fact that it doesn't matter much to you may mean that it matters a great deal to God. Nothing should be considered a trivial matter by a child of God. How much longer are we going to prevent God from teaching us even one thing? But He keeps trying to teach us and He never loses patience. You say, “I know I am right with God”— yet the “high places” still remain in your life. There is still an area of disobedience. Do you protest that your heart is right with God, and yet there is something in your life He causes you to doubt? Whenever God causes a doubt about something, stop it immediately, no matter what it may be. Nothing in our lives is a mere insignificant detail to God.
Are there some things regarding your physical or intellectual life to which you have been paying no attention at all? If so, you may think you are all correct in the important areas, but you are careless— you are failing to concentrate or to focus properly. You no more need a day off from spiritual concentration on matters in your life than your heart needs a day off from beating. As you cannot take a day off morally and remain moral, neither can you take a day off spiritually and remain spiritual. God wants you to be entirely His, and it requires paying close attention to keep yourself fit. It also takes a tremendous amount of time. Yet some of us expect to rise above all of our problems, going from one mountaintop experience to another, with only a few minutes’ effort.
在專誠上散漫
只是邱壇還沒有從以色列中廢去，然而亞撒的心一生誠實。 （代下十五17）
亞撒外在的順服並不完全－－他大體上是對的，但並不完全。若說[不大要緊]的事，要特別當心。對你不大要緊的，對神可能十分要緊。對神的兒女來說，沒有一件事是小的。我們阻止神來教導我們到底要多久呢？但神不會失去耐性。你說：[我知道自己對得起神。 ]可是邱壇猶在，你仍有未順服的事。你是否一面堅稱自己對得起神，一面在生活上仍有些東西令你猶豫不決？一有猶豫，要立即放手，不管這是什麼。沒有什麼事是無關重要的。
在你身體上、思想上，有沒有任何東西，叫你不能專心的？你大致上沒有問題了，但卻很隨便馬虎；那就是在專心的事上出了岔子。你的心臟不能[告假]，停止跳動，同樣的，你屬靈的專一也不能[告假]，稍有鬆懈。你德行的操練若放假一天，你的道德就墮落了；你的靈若放假一天，你就不再屬靈。神要你完全屬他，這就是說，你要警醒自守，保持最佳狀態。這實在需要很長的時間，但有些人卻以為兩三分鐘就可以一飛沖天！
祈禱◆噢，主啊，願你的光穿透我。將你滿意的笑容和福祉賜給我，使我整個人都屬於你。
Asa was not completely obedient in the outward, visible areas of his life. He was obedient in what he considered the most important areas, but he was not entirely right. Beware of ever thinking, “Oh, that thing in my life doesn't matter much.” The fact that it doesn't matter much to you may mean that it matters a great deal to God. Nothing should be considered a trivial matter by a child of God. How much longer are we going to prevent God from teaching us even one thing? But He keeps trying to teach us and He never loses patience. You say, “I know I am right with God”— yet the “high places” still remain in your life. There is still an area of disobedience. Do you protest that your heart is right with God, and yet there is something in your life He causes you to doubt? Whenever God causes a doubt about something, stop it immediately, no matter what it may be. Nothing in our lives is a mere insignificant detail to God.
Are there some things regarding your physical or intellectual life to which you have been paying no attention at all? If so, you may think you are all correct in the important areas, but you are careless— you are failing to concentrate or to focus properly. You no more need a day off from spiritual concentration on matters in your life than your heart needs a day off from beating. As you cannot take a day off morally and remain moral, neither can you take a day off spiritually and remain spiritual. God wants you to be entirely His, and it requires paying close attention to keep yourself fit. It also takes a tremendous amount of time. Yet some of us expect to rise above all of our problems, going from one mountaintop experience to another, with only a few minutes’ effort.
在專誠上散漫
只是邱壇還沒有從以色列中廢去，然而亞撒的心一生誠實。 （代下十五17）
亞撒外在的順服並不完全－－他大體上是對的，但並不完全。若說[不大要緊]的事，要特別當心。對你不大要緊的，對神可能十分要緊。對神的兒女來說，沒有一件事是小的。我們阻止神來教導我們到底要多久呢？但神不會失去耐性。你說：[我知道自己對得起神。 ]可是邱壇猶在，你仍有未順服的事。你是否一面堅稱自己對得起神，一面在生活上仍有些東西令你猶豫不決？一有猶豫，要立即放手，不管這是什麼。沒有什麼事是無關重要的。
在你身體上、思想上，有沒有任何東西，叫你不能專心的？你大致上沒有問題了，但卻很隨便馬虎；那就是在專心的事上出了岔子。你的心臟不能[告假]，停止跳動，同樣的，你屬靈的專一也不能[告假]，稍有鬆懈。你德行的操練若放假一天，你的道德就墮落了；你的靈若放假一天，你就不再屬靈。神要你完全屬他，這就是說，你要警醒自守，保持最佳狀態。這實在需要很長的時間，但有些人卻以為兩三分鐘就可以一飛沖天！
祈禱◆噢，主啊，願你的光穿透我。將你滿意的笑容和福祉賜給我，使我整個人都屬於你。
March 21, 2014
Identified or Simply Interested?
I have been crucified with Christ . . . —Galatians 2:20
The inescapable spiritual need each of us has is the need to sign the death certificate of our sin nature. I must take my emotional opinions and intellectual beliefs and be willing to turn them into a moral verdict against the nature of sin; that is, against any claim I have to my right to myself. Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ . . . .” He did not say, “I have made a determination to imitate Jesus Christ,” or, “I will really make an effort to follow Him”-but-”I have been identified with Him in His death.” Once I reach this moral decision and act on it, all that Christ accomplished for me on the Cross is accomplished in me. My unrestrained commitment of myself to God gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to grant to me the holiness of Jesus Christ.
“. . . it is no longer I who live . . . .” My individuality remains, but my primary motivation for living and the nature that rules me are radically changed. I have the same human body, but the old satanic right to myself has been destroyed.
“. . . and the life which I now live in the flesh,” not the life which I long to live or even pray that I live, but the life I now live in my mortal flesh-the life which others can see, “I live by faith in the Son of God . . . .” This faith was not Paul’s own faith in Jesus Christ, but the faith the Son God had given to him (see Ephesians 2:8). It is no longer a faith in faith, but a faith that transcends all imaginable limits-a faith that comes only from the Son of God.
一己的權益還是與主同死？
我已經與基督同釘十字架。 （加二20）
屬靈上的一個迫切需要，就是向罪宣判死亡。就是在一切感情上、理智上，有一個新的信念，遂向罪下判決。這罪就是為自己的權益所持的主權。保羅說：[我已經與基督同釘十字架。]他不是說：[我決定效法基督。]或[我努力跟隨基督。]而是[我已經自視與他同死了。]每逢我作這屬靈的抉擇，並付諸實行；那末基督在十架上為我成就的，便在我裡面成全了。我自願的順服神，讓聖靈把耶穌基督的聖潔，加在我身上。
[但 我如今活著……]我依然存在，但生命的主流－－那支配我性情的，卻急劇地改變了。人的肉身依然，可是昔日撒旦的主權已毀掉了。[我如今在肉身活著……]這不是我想望中的生命，或祈求要得的生命，而是現金活著的，這個別人可見的生命，[是因信神的兒子而活]。這信心不是保羅對耶穌基督的信心，而是神兒子所分與他的信心。
[信神的兒子（或作神兒子的信）。]不再是相信信心，乃是超越一切觀感的規限，如同神兒子的信心。
◆噢，主啊，我讚美你，透過基督耶穌我們的主，我們所走的路都滿有憐憫、恩慈、恩典和奇蹟；但願我對你和你的作為更加敏銳，我那感恩的心也更像基督。
The inescapable spiritual need each of us has is the need to sign the death certificate of our sin nature. I must take my emotional opinions and intellectual beliefs and be willing to turn them into a moral verdict against the nature of sin; that is, against any claim I have to my right to myself. Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ . . . .” He did not say, “I have made a determination to imitate Jesus Christ,” or, “I will really make an effort to follow Him”-but-”I have been identified with Him in His death.” Once I reach this moral decision and act on it, all that Christ accomplished for me on the Cross is accomplished in me. My unrestrained commitment of myself to God gives the Holy Spirit the opportunity to grant to me the holiness of Jesus Christ.
“. . . it is no longer I who live . . . .” My individuality remains, but my primary motivation for living and the nature that rules me are radically changed. I have the same human body, but the old satanic right to myself has been destroyed.
“. . . and the life which I now live in the flesh,” not the life which I long to live or even pray that I live, but the life I now live in my mortal flesh-the life which others can see, “I live by faith in the Son of God . . . .” This faith was not Paul’s own faith in Jesus Christ, but the faith the Son God had given to him (see Ephesians 2:8). It is no longer a faith in faith, but a faith that transcends all imaginable limits-a faith that comes only from the Son of God.
一己的權益還是與主同死？
我已經與基督同釘十字架。 （加二20）
屬靈上的一個迫切需要，就是向罪宣判死亡。就是在一切感情上、理智上，有一個新的信念，遂向罪下判決。這罪就是為自己的權益所持的主權。保羅說：[我已經與基督同釘十字架。]他不是說：[我決定效法基督。]或[我努力跟隨基督。]而是[我已經自視與他同死了。]每逢我作這屬靈的抉擇，並付諸實行；那末基督在十架上為我成就的，便在我裡面成全了。我自願的順服神，讓聖靈把耶穌基督的聖潔，加在我身上。
[但 我如今活著……]我依然存在，但生命的主流－－那支配我性情的，卻急劇地改變了。人的肉身依然，可是昔日撒旦的主權已毀掉了。[我如今在肉身活著……]這不是我想望中的生命，或祈求要得的生命，而是現金活著的，這個別人可見的生命，[是因信神的兒子而活]。這信心不是保羅對耶穌基督的信心，而是神兒子所分與他的信心。
[信神的兒子（或作神兒子的信）。]不再是相信信心，乃是超越一切觀感的規限，如同神兒子的信心。
◆噢，主啊，我讚美你，透過基督耶穌我們的主，我們所走的路都滿有憐憫、恩慈、恩典和奇蹟；但願我對你和你的作為更加敏銳，我那感恩的心也更像基督。
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