. . . when Moses was grown . . . he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens —Exodus 2:11
Moses saw the oppression of his people and felt certain that he was the one to deliver them, and in the righteous indignation of his own spirit he started to right their wrongs. After he launched his first strike for God and for what was right, God allowed Moses to be driven into empty discouragement, sending him into the desert to feed sheep for forty years. At the end of that time, God appeared to Moses and said to him, ” ’. . . bring My people . . . out of Egypt.’ But Moses said to God, ’Who am I that I should go . . . ?’ ” (Exodus 3:10-11). In the beginning Moses had realized that he was the one to deliver the people, but he had to be trained and disciplined by God first. He was right in his individual perspective, but he was not the person for the work until he had learned true fellowship and oneness with God.
We may have the vision of God and a very clear understanding of what God wants, and yet when we start to do it, there comes to us something equivalent to Moses’ forty years in the wilderness. It’s as if God had ignored the entire thing, and when we are thoroughly discouraged, God comes back and revives His call to us. And then we begin to tremble and say, “Who am I that I should go . . . ?” We must learn that God’s great stride is summed up in these words— “I AM WHO I AM . . . has sent me to you” (Exodus 3:14). We must also learn that our individual effort for God shows nothing but disrespect for Him— our individuality is to be rendered radiant through a personal relationship with God, so that He may be “well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). We are focused on the right individual perspective of things; we have the vision and can say, “I know this is what God wants me to do.” But we have not yet learned to get into God’s stride. If you are going through a time of discouragement, there is a time of great personal growth ahead.
沮喪與拓展
他出去到他弟兄那裡，看他們的重擔。 （出二11）
摩西看見自己的同胞受欺壓，深覺自己是他們的救星；於是按自己的義憤，伸手為他們伸冤。他為神的正義出手，神卻容許人把他趕逐到絕境裡去，要他在曠野牧羊四十年。時候滿足，神顯現告訴他去領百姓出來；摩西那時說：[我是什麼人，竟能去？ ]摩西起初就知道自己是拯救百姓的那一位，但卻先要經過神的訓練。他的觀點是沒有錯的，但在沒有學會與神聯合以前，他仍是未合用的工人。
我們看見神的異象，又清楚神的心意，於是著手去做；然後，是類似那四十年曠野的經歷，似乎神完全不理這回事樂。政黨我們完全絕望，神的呼召又重新臨到，我哦們就顫抖地說：[我是誰？ ]我們必須學習跨出第一大步－－[那自有永有的差遣你！ ]我們必須認識到憑個人的血氣為神工作，是狂妄的表現；我們個人的特質，必須與神相交才能熾熱起來（太三11）。我們往往著重個人對事物的看法，有異象就說：[這就是神要我做的。 ]但我們的步伐，還未與神一致。若你正陷入失望的階段，等著吧，遼遠的拓展就在前頭。
祈禱◆主啊，為著昨晚的睡眠，我感謝你；為著你既不打盹，也不睡眠，不論日夜都保護我們，我稱頌你。
October 13, 2012
October 12, 2012
Getting into God’s Stride
Enoch walked with God . . . —Genesis 5:24
The true test of a person’s spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. A person’s worth is revealed in his attitude toward the ordinary things of life when he is not under the spotlight (see John 1:35-37 and John 3:30). It is painful work to get in step with God and to keep pace with Him— it means getting your second wind spiritually. In learning to walk with God, there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride, but once we have done so, the only characteristic that exhibits itself is the very life of God Himself. The individual person is merged into a personal oneness with God, and God’s stride and His power alone are exhibited.
It is difficult to get into stride with God, because as soon as we start walking with Him we find that His pace has surpassed us before we have even taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined in His ways. It was said of Jesus— “He will not fail nor be discouraged . . .” (Isaiah 42:4) because He never worked from His own individual standpoint, but always worked from the standpoint of His Father. And we must learn to do the same. Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning. It is God’s Spirit that changes the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and then things begin to be possible which before were impossible. Getting into God’s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don’t give up because the pain is intense right now— get on with it, and before long you will find that you have a new vision and a new purpose.
與神同步
以諾與神同行。 （創五24）
一個人屬靈生命與個性的考驗，不是在特殊情況下的表現，乃在平凡無奇的時日中所行所作。人的價值視乎他在隱藏時對普通事物所抱的態度（比較約一36）。要達致與神同步的境地，是一件痛苦的事，那是屬靈上[第二陣風]的經歷。學習與神同行，總有跟不上他步伐的困難；但一旦跟上樂，所表現的唯一特質，就是神的生命。個人的生命在與神結合中隱藏樂，所表現的只有神的步伐與能力。
與神步伐一致是不容易的,因為一開始與神同行,就會發現我們才走了三步,他已在老遠樂.他有他作事的方法,我們必須學習餅接受操練,才能以他的方法作事.耶穌[不灰心,也不喪膽],因為他從不以他個人的觀點去行事,乃是以他父的觀點,我們也要如此.屬靈真理是在薰陶下學習的,而不是靠頭腦的推理.神的靈改變我們看事物的態度,於是從來不可能的事,也變得可能樂.與神同行,就是與神聯合.要做到這個,需時甚久,但要持之以恆。不要因現在的痛苦而放棄，不久，你會得著新的異象與目標。
祈禱◆主啊，如此眾多的活動，如此眾多的事情，如此眾多的人！願你因你的榮耀，以寬大的心胸和美善的屬性來賜福今天。
The true test of a person’s spiritual life and character is not what he does in the extraordinary moments of life, but what he does during the ordinary times when there is nothing tremendous or exciting happening. A person’s worth is revealed in his attitude toward the ordinary things of life when he is not under the spotlight (see John 1:35-37 and John 3:30). It is painful work to get in step with God and to keep pace with Him— it means getting your second wind spiritually. In learning to walk with God, there is always the difficulty of getting into His stride, but once we have done so, the only characteristic that exhibits itself is the very life of God Himself. The individual person is merged into a personal oneness with God, and God’s stride and His power alone are exhibited.
It is difficult to get into stride with God, because as soon as we start walking with Him we find that His pace has surpassed us before we have even taken three steps. He has different ways of doing things, and we have to be trained and disciplined in His ways. It was said of Jesus— “He will not fail nor be discouraged . . .” (Isaiah 42:4) because He never worked from His own individual standpoint, but always worked from the standpoint of His Father. And we must learn to do the same. Spiritual truth is learned through the atmosphere that surrounds us, not through intellectual reasoning. It is God’s Spirit that changes the atmosphere of our way of looking at things, and then things begin to be possible which before were impossible. Getting into God’s stride means nothing less than oneness with Him. It takes a long time to get there, but keep at it. Don’t give up because the pain is intense right now— get on with it, and before long you will find that you have a new vision and a new purpose.
與神同步
以諾與神同行。 （創五24）
一個人屬靈生命與個性的考驗，不是在特殊情況下的表現，乃在平凡無奇的時日中所行所作。人的價值視乎他在隱藏時對普通事物所抱的態度（比較約一36）。要達致與神同步的境地，是一件痛苦的事，那是屬靈上[第二陣風]的經歷。學習與神同行，總有跟不上他步伐的困難；但一旦跟上樂，所表現的唯一特質，就是神的生命。個人的生命在與神結合中隱藏樂，所表現的只有神的步伐與能力。
與神步伐一致是不容易的,因為一開始與神同行,就會發現我們才走了三步,他已在老遠樂.他有他作事的方法,我們必須學習餅接受操練,才能以他的方法作事.耶穌[不灰心,也不喪膽],因為他從不以他個人的觀點去行事,乃是以他父的觀點,我們也要如此.屬靈真理是在薰陶下學習的,而不是靠頭腦的推理.神的靈改變我們看事物的態度,於是從來不可能的事,也變得可能樂.與神同行,就是與神聯合.要做到這個,需時甚久,但要持之以恆。不要因現在的痛苦而放棄，不久，你會得著新的異象與目標。
祈禱◆主啊，如此眾多的活動，如此眾多的事情，如此眾多的人！願你因你的榮耀，以寬大的心胸和美善的屬性來賜福今天。
October 11, 2012
God’s Silence— Then What?
When He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was —John 11:6
Has God trusted you with His silence— a silence that has great meaning? God’s silences are actually His answers. Just think of those days of absolute silence in the home at Bethany! Is there anything comparable to those days in your life? Can God trust you like that, or are you still asking Him for a visible answer? God will give you the very blessings you ask if you refuse to go any further without them, but His silence is the sign that He is bringing you into an even more wonderful understanding of Himself. Are you mourning before God because you have not had an audible response? When you cannot hear God, you will find that He has trusted you in the most intimate way possible— with absolute silence, not a silence of despair, but one of pleasure, because He saw that you could withstand an even bigger revelation. If God has given you a silence, then praise Him— He is bringing you into the mainstream of His purposes. The actual evidence of the answer in time is simply a matter of God’s sovereignty. Time is nothing to God. For a while you may have said, “I asked God to give me bread, but He gave me a stone instead” (see Matthew 7:9). He did not give you a stone, and today you find that He gave you the “bread of life” (John 6:35).
A wonderful thing about God’s silence is that His stillness is contagious— it gets into you, causing you to become perfectly confident so that you can honestly say, “I know that God has heard me.” His silence is the very proof that He has. As long as you have the idea that God will always bless you in answer to prayer, He will do it, but He will never give you the grace of His silence. If Jesus Christ is bringing you into the understanding that prayer is for the glorifying of His Father, then He will give you the first sign of His intimacy— silence.
神沉默之後－－怎樣？
聽見拉撒路病了，就在所居之地，仍住了兩天。 （約十一6）
神有沒有因為信任你，對你默不作聲－－一個滿有意義的沉默？神的沉默就是他的回答。試想在伯大尼那幾天的死寂！在你生命中，有類似的日子嗎？神能否這樣信任你？還是你仍不斷求取眼見的答复？要是你得不著那祝福就不肯前行，神也會賜下；但他若沉默，是表示要使你對他有更深切的認識。你是否因為神未明明地回答你而憂感？你會發現神最親密待你，就是完全的沉默，不是絕望的死寂，而是愉快對你，要讚美他，他正待你進入他偉大的計劃中。神何時彰顯他的答覆，在乎他的主權。時間對神不是什麼一回事。你曾說：[我求餅，他卻給石頭。 ]
其實他沒有這樣作，今日你要發現神賜給你的是生命的餅。神的沉默有一奇妙之處，就是把他的安靜傳給你，使你變得完全的堅信－－[我知道神聽了我。 ]他的沉默表示他聽見了。若你一意要神答允賜福你的禱告，他是會成就的；可是他不會賜你沉默的恩典。若耶穌基督引你明白禱告是為榮耀父神，那末，他就會給你一個先兆，表示他與你的親密關係－－沉默。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，願這刻你以同在的光輝，和你靠近的感覺來施福予我。雖然我惟獨信靠你，但仍渴求自覺地以你的同在為樂，願你將它賜給我。
Has God trusted you with His silence— a silence that has great meaning? God’s silences are actually His answers. Just think of those days of absolute silence in the home at Bethany! Is there anything comparable to those days in your life? Can God trust you like that, or are you still asking Him for a visible answer? God will give you the very blessings you ask if you refuse to go any further without them, but His silence is the sign that He is bringing you into an even more wonderful understanding of Himself. Are you mourning before God because you have not had an audible response? When you cannot hear God, you will find that He has trusted you in the most intimate way possible— with absolute silence, not a silence of despair, but one of pleasure, because He saw that you could withstand an even bigger revelation. If God has given you a silence, then praise Him— He is bringing you into the mainstream of His purposes. The actual evidence of the answer in time is simply a matter of God’s sovereignty. Time is nothing to God. For a while you may have said, “I asked God to give me bread, but He gave me a stone instead” (see Matthew 7:9). He did not give you a stone, and today you find that He gave you the “bread of life” (John 6:35).
A wonderful thing about God’s silence is that His stillness is contagious— it gets into you, causing you to become perfectly confident so that you can honestly say, “I know that God has heard me.” His silence is the very proof that He has. As long as you have the idea that God will always bless you in answer to prayer, He will do it, but He will never give you the grace of His silence. If Jesus Christ is bringing you into the understanding that prayer is for the glorifying of His Father, then He will give you the first sign of His intimacy— silence.
神沉默之後－－怎樣？
聽見拉撒路病了，就在所居之地，仍住了兩天。 （約十一6）
神有沒有因為信任你，對你默不作聲－－一個滿有意義的沉默？神的沉默就是他的回答。試想在伯大尼那幾天的死寂！在你生命中，有類似的日子嗎？神能否這樣信任你？還是你仍不斷求取眼見的答复？要是你得不著那祝福就不肯前行，神也會賜下；但他若沉默，是表示要使你對他有更深切的認識。你是否因為神未明明地回答你而憂感？你會發現神最親密待你，就是完全的沉默，不是絕望的死寂，而是愉快對你，要讚美他，他正待你進入他偉大的計劃中。神何時彰顯他的答覆，在乎他的主權。時間對神不是什麼一回事。你曾說：[我求餅，他卻給石頭。 ]
其實他沒有這樣作，今日你要發現神賜給你的是生命的餅。神的沉默有一奇妙之處，就是把他的安靜傳給你，使你變得完全的堅信－－[我知道神聽了我。 ]他的沉默表示他聽見了。若你一意要神答允賜福你的禱告，他是會成就的；可是他不會賜你沉默的恩典。若耶穌基督引你明白禱告是為榮耀父神，那末，他就會給你一個先兆，表示他與你的親密關係－－沉默。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，願這刻你以同在的光輝，和你靠近的感覺來施福予我。雖然我惟獨信靠你，但仍渴求自覺地以你的同在為樂，願你將它賜給我。
October 10, 2012
How Will I Know?
Jesus answered and said, ’I thank You, Father . . . that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes’ —Matthew 11:25
We do not grow into a spiritual relationship step by step— we either have a relationship or we do not. God does not continue to cleanse us more and more from sin— “But if we walk in the light,” we are cleansed “from all sin” (1 John 1:7). It is a matter of obedience, and once we obey, the relationship is instantly perfected. But if we turn away from obedience for even one second, darkness and death are immediately at work again.
All of God’s revealed truths are sealed until they are opened to us through obedience. You will never open them through philosophy or thinking. But once you obey, a flash of light comes immediately. Let God’s truth work into you by immersing yourself in it, not by worrying into it. The only way you can get to know the truth of God is to stop trying to find out and by being born again. If you obey God in the first thing He shows you, then He instantly opens up the next truth to you. You could read volumes on the work of the Holy Spirit, when five minutes of total, uncompromising obedience would make things as clear as sunlight. Don’t say, “I suppose I will understand these things someday!” You can understand them now. And it is not study that brings understanding to you, but obedience. Even the smallest bit of obedience opens heaven, and the deepest truths of God immediately become yours. Yet God will never reveal more truth about Himself to you, until you have obeyed what you know already. Beware of becoming one of the “wise and prudent.” “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know . . .” (John 7:17).
我怎知道？
父啊，天地的主，我感謝你，因為你將這些事，向聰明通達人，就藏起來，向嬰孩，就顯出來。 （太十一25）
在屬靈的關係上，沒有漸長這回事；有就有，沒有就是沒有。神並不是愈來愈洗清我們的罪，而是我們若行在光中，一切罪就除掉了。問題是順服與否，若順服，那關係就隨即完全了。只要一秒鐘不順服，黑暗與死亡就隨即作工。
神所有的啟示全都是密封的，不能靠哲學或思想開啟。只有靠順服，才向我們開啟。一順服，亮光就來。不是牽腸掛肚地要進入真理，乃是要浸在真理中，好叫他能在你裡面作工。要認識真理，就只有靠重生，而不是靠追尋。順服神告訴你的事，下一步就會向你顯明。關於聖靈的工作，我們可以讀萬卷書，但只要有五分鐘的完全順服，事情就明朗如目光。 [我想總有一天會明白的。 ]其實你如今就可以明白。不是靠研究，乃是靠順服。一點點的順服，就能打開天門，神深奧的真理就立即屬於你了。你若尚未順服神向你啟示的真理，他不會再向你顯示更多真理。要當心變得[聰明通達]。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，願我從肉體和心靈的各種污穢中自潔；除去屬靈生命中所有的粗糙品質，以致我可以在滿足的喜樂中，在你裡面居住。
We do not grow into a spiritual relationship step by step— we either have a relationship or we do not. God does not continue to cleanse us more and more from sin— “But if we walk in the light,” we are cleansed “from all sin” (1 John 1:7). It is a matter of obedience, and once we obey, the relationship is instantly perfected. But if we turn away from obedience for even one second, darkness and death are immediately at work again.
All of God’s revealed truths are sealed until they are opened to us through obedience. You will never open them through philosophy or thinking. But once you obey, a flash of light comes immediately. Let God’s truth work into you by immersing yourself in it, not by worrying into it. The only way you can get to know the truth of God is to stop trying to find out and by being born again. If you obey God in the first thing He shows you, then He instantly opens up the next truth to you. You could read volumes on the work of the Holy Spirit, when five minutes of total, uncompromising obedience would make things as clear as sunlight. Don’t say, “I suppose I will understand these things someday!” You can understand them now. And it is not study that brings understanding to you, but obedience. Even the smallest bit of obedience opens heaven, and the deepest truths of God immediately become yours. Yet God will never reveal more truth about Himself to you, until you have obeyed what you know already. Beware of becoming one of the “wise and prudent.” “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know . . .” (John 7:17).
我怎知道？
父啊，天地的主，我感謝你，因為你將這些事，向聰明通達人，就藏起來，向嬰孩，就顯出來。 （太十一25）
在屬靈的關係上，沒有漸長這回事；有就有，沒有就是沒有。神並不是愈來愈洗清我們的罪，而是我們若行在光中，一切罪就除掉了。問題是順服與否，若順服，那關係就隨即完全了。只要一秒鐘不順服，黑暗與死亡就隨即作工。
神所有的啟示全都是密封的，不能靠哲學或思想開啟。只有靠順服，才向我們開啟。一順服，亮光就來。不是牽腸掛肚地要進入真理，乃是要浸在真理中，好叫他能在你裡面作工。要認識真理，就只有靠重生，而不是靠追尋。順服神告訴你的事，下一步就會向你顯明。關於聖靈的工作，我們可以讀萬卷書，但只要有五分鐘的完全順服，事情就明朗如目光。 [我想總有一天會明白的。 ]其實你如今就可以明白。不是靠研究，乃是靠順服。一點點的順服，就能打開天門，神深奧的真理就立即屬於你了。你若尚未順服神向你啟示的真理，他不會再向你顯示更多真理。要當心變得[聰明通達]。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，願我從肉體和心靈的各種污穢中自潔；除去屬靈生命中所有的粗糙品質，以致我可以在滿足的喜樂中，在你裡面居住。
October 09, 2012
Building on the Atonement
. . . present . . . your members as instruments of righteousness to God —Romans 6:13
I cannot save and sanctify myself; I cannot make atonement for sin; I cannot redeem the world; I cannot right what is wrong, purify what is impure, or make holy what is unholy. That is all the sovereign work of God. Do I have faith in what Jesus Christ has done? He has made the perfect atonement for sin. Am I in the habit of constantly realizing it? The greatest need we have is not to do things, but to believe things. The redemption of Christ is not an experience, it is the great act of God which He has performed through Christ, and I have to build my faith on it. If I construct my faith on my own experience, I produce the most unscriptural kind of life— an isolated life, with my eyes focused solely on my own holiness. Beware of that human holiness that is not based on the atonement of the Lord. It has no value for anything except a life of isolation— it is useless to God and a nuisance to man. Measure every kind of experience you have by our Lord Himself. We cannot do anything pleasing to God unless we deliberately build on the foundation of the atonement by the Cross of Christ.
The atonement of Jesus must be exhibited in practical, unassuming ways in my life. Every time I obey, the absolute deity of God is on my side, so that the grace of God and my natural obedience are in perfect agreement. Obedience means that I have completely placed my trust in the atonement, and my obedience is immediately met by the delight of the supernatural grace of God.
Beware of the human holiness that denies the reality of the natural life— it is a fraud. Continually bring yourself to the trial or test of the atonement and ask, “Where is the discernment of the atonement in this, and in that?”
振作
將肢體獻給義作奴僕，以至於成聖。 （羅六19）
我不能救自己，叫自己成聖，也不能贖罪；我不能救贖世界，把歪的弄直，把不純的變為純淨，把不潔的變為聖潔。這完全是神至高無上的作為。我對主耶穌成就的一切，有沒有信心呢？他成就完全的救恩，我有沒有時刻緊記？最重要的不是作什麼，而是相信。基督的救贖不是一個經驗，乃是神透過基督成就的大作為，我要把信心建基其上。若我的信心寄託再自己的經歷上，就產生最不合聖經的模式－－一個孤立的生命，因為我只注視自身的潔白。要提防那種不以主的救贖為根基的敬虔。這生命毫無用處，只是避世的退隱。對神無用處，對人也無裨益。要以主耶穌來衡量每一種經歷。除非我們把所有事物建在主的救贖上，否則一切所作的都不能討神喜悅。
主耶穌的救贖必須在我的生活上，產生實際自然的功效。每次我順服，神就在我這一方，他的恩典與我天然的順服，就契合為一了。順服就是把一切都沒在主的救贖上，於是就立即得著神恩典的悅納。要否定天然生命的阿敬虔，因這只是個假殼。要經常去到救贖的案前，問自己：救贖在這件或那件事上，有顯明出來麼？
祈禱◆主啊，我來到你的面前，求你自己像一團火那樣四面護衛我，而你的榮耀就在其中。這個祈求聽起來全屬自私，可是，我卻不懂得用別的方法來表達。噢，主啊，你是最清楚知道的。
I cannot save and sanctify myself; I cannot make atonement for sin; I cannot redeem the world; I cannot right what is wrong, purify what is impure, or make holy what is unholy. That is all the sovereign work of God. Do I have faith in what Jesus Christ has done? He has made the perfect atonement for sin. Am I in the habit of constantly realizing it? The greatest need we have is not to do things, but to believe things. The redemption of Christ is not an experience, it is the great act of God which He has performed through Christ, and I have to build my faith on it. If I construct my faith on my own experience, I produce the most unscriptural kind of life— an isolated life, with my eyes focused solely on my own holiness. Beware of that human holiness that is not based on the atonement of the Lord. It has no value for anything except a life of isolation— it is useless to God and a nuisance to man. Measure every kind of experience you have by our Lord Himself. We cannot do anything pleasing to God unless we deliberately build on the foundation of the atonement by the Cross of Christ.
The atonement of Jesus must be exhibited in practical, unassuming ways in my life. Every time I obey, the absolute deity of God is on my side, so that the grace of God and my natural obedience are in perfect agreement. Obedience means that I have completely placed my trust in the atonement, and my obedience is immediately met by the delight of the supernatural grace of God.
Beware of the human holiness that denies the reality of the natural life— it is a fraud. Continually bring yourself to the trial or test of the atonement and ask, “Where is the discernment of the atonement in this, and in that?”
振作
將肢體獻給義作奴僕，以至於成聖。 （羅六19）
我不能救自己，叫自己成聖，也不能贖罪；我不能救贖世界，把歪的弄直，把不純的變為純淨，把不潔的變為聖潔。這完全是神至高無上的作為。我對主耶穌成就的一切，有沒有信心呢？他成就完全的救恩，我有沒有時刻緊記？最重要的不是作什麼，而是相信。基督的救贖不是一個經驗，乃是神透過基督成就的大作為，我要把信心建基其上。若我的信心寄託再自己的經歷上，就產生最不合聖經的模式－－一個孤立的生命，因為我只注視自身的潔白。要提防那種不以主的救贖為根基的敬虔。這生命毫無用處，只是避世的退隱。對神無用處，對人也無裨益。要以主耶穌來衡量每一種經歷。除非我們把所有事物建在主的救贖上，否則一切所作的都不能討神喜悅。
主耶穌的救贖必須在我的生活上，產生實際自然的功效。每次我順服，神就在我這一方，他的恩典與我天然的順服，就契合為一了。順服就是把一切都沒在主的救贖上，於是就立即得著神恩典的悅納。要否定天然生命的阿敬虔，因這只是個假殼。要經常去到救贖的案前，問自己：救贖在這件或那件事上，有顯明出來麼？
祈禱◆主啊，我來到你的面前，求你自己像一團火那樣四面護衛我，而你的榮耀就在其中。這個祈求聽起來全屬自私，可是，我卻不懂得用別的方法來表達。噢，主啊，你是最清楚知道的。
October 08, 2012
Coming to Jesus
Come to Me . . . —Matthew 11:28
Isn’t it humiliating to be told that we must come to Jesus! Think of the things about which we will not come to Jesus Christ. If you want to know how real you are, test yourself by these words— “Come to Me . . . .” In every dimension in which you are not real, you will argue or evade the issue altogether rather than come; you will go through sorrow rather than come; and you will do anything rather than come the last lap of the race of seemingly unspeakable foolishness and say, “Just as I am, I come.” As long as you have even the least bit of spiritual disrespect, it will always reveal itself in the fact that you are expecting God to tell you to do something very big, and yet all He is telling you to do is to “Come . . . .”
“Come to Me . . . .” When you hear those words, you will know that something must happen in you before you can come. The Holy Spirit will show you what you have to do, and it will involve anything that will uproot whatever is preventing you from getting through to Jesus. And you will never get any further until you are willing to do that very thing. The Holy Spirit will search out that one immovable stronghold within you, but He cannot budge it unless you are willing to let Him do so.
How often have you come to God with your requests and gone away thinking, “I’ve really received what I wanted this time!” And yet you go away with nothing, while all the time God has stood with His hands outstretched not only to take you but also for you to take Him. Just think of the invincible, unconquerable, and untiring patience of Jesus, who lovingly says, “Come to Me. . . .”
唯獨基督
到我這裡來。 （太十一28）
要我到耶穌那裡去，豈非卑躬屈膝？試想想有什麼事令我們不想到耶穌那裡去。若想知道自己的真面目，可以用[到我這裡來]這句話考一考自己。你若有任何不真誠，都會千方百計爭辯，不肯到主那裡去；你會逃避，不肯去；你寧可吃苦也不去；你寧可作任何事，也不願走這最後一程自認完全無知的路－－[依我本相到主跟前]。只要你仍有一丁點兒屬靈的自負，總會期望神叫你做大事，而他只叫你到他那裡去。
[到我這裡來。 ]聽見這句話時，便知道你未去他那里以前，某些事情必然發生。聖靈會指示你所當作的，叫你從根本的問題上下斧，除掉那阻路的東西。你不去解決，就無法再前進。聖靈會指出死結所在，但他不能強行解開，他要你自己甘願去解開。
多少時候，你來到神面前祈求，覺得這一次總可以成就了，可是每次都空手而回。其實神一直張開手等待你，要得著你，也要你得著他。想想主耶穌那無法淹沒、無可抗拒、不厭其煩的忍耐－－[到我這裡來]。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，詩人的話對我何其真實－－[我的性命幾乎歸於塵土。 ]我的靈魂鋪滿了塵土，主啊，求你按照你的話語激發我。言語藉著你的靈而得著生機，它所帶來的生命將是何等完美！主啊，願你現在便發聲。
Isn’t it humiliating to be told that we must come to Jesus! Think of the things about which we will not come to Jesus Christ. If you want to know how real you are, test yourself by these words— “Come to Me . . . .” In every dimension in which you are not real, you will argue or evade the issue altogether rather than come; you will go through sorrow rather than come; and you will do anything rather than come the last lap of the race of seemingly unspeakable foolishness and say, “Just as I am, I come.” As long as you have even the least bit of spiritual disrespect, it will always reveal itself in the fact that you are expecting God to tell you to do something very big, and yet all He is telling you to do is to “Come . . . .”
“Come to Me . . . .” When you hear those words, you will know that something must happen in you before you can come. The Holy Spirit will show you what you have to do, and it will involve anything that will uproot whatever is preventing you from getting through to Jesus. And you will never get any further until you are willing to do that very thing. The Holy Spirit will search out that one immovable stronghold within you, but He cannot budge it unless you are willing to let Him do so.
How often have you come to God with your requests and gone away thinking, “I’ve really received what I wanted this time!” And yet you go away with nothing, while all the time God has stood with His hands outstretched not only to take you but also for you to take Him. Just think of the invincible, unconquerable, and untiring patience of Jesus, who lovingly says, “Come to Me. . . .”
唯獨基督
到我這裡來。 （太十一28）
要我到耶穌那裡去，豈非卑躬屈膝？試想想有什麼事令我們不想到耶穌那裡去。若想知道自己的真面目，可以用[到我這裡來]這句話考一考自己。你若有任何不真誠，都會千方百計爭辯，不肯到主那裡去；你會逃避，不肯去；你寧可吃苦也不去；你寧可作任何事，也不願走這最後一程自認完全無知的路－－[依我本相到主跟前]。只要你仍有一丁點兒屬靈的自負，總會期望神叫你做大事，而他只叫你到他那裡去。
[到我這裡來。 ]聽見這句話時，便知道你未去他那里以前，某些事情必然發生。聖靈會指示你所當作的，叫你從根本的問題上下斧，除掉那阻路的東西。你不去解決，就無法再前進。聖靈會指出死結所在，但他不能強行解開，他要你自己甘願去解開。
多少時候，你來到神面前祈求，覺得這一次總可以成就了，可是每次都空手而回。其實神一直張開手等待你，要得著你，也要你得著他。想想主耶穌那無法淹沒、無可抗拒、不厭其煩的忍耐－－[到我這裡來]。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，詩人的話對我何其真實－－[我的性命幾乎歸於塵土。 ]我的靈魂鋪滿了塵土，主啊，求你按照你的話語激發我。言語藉著你的靈而得著生機，它所帶來的生命將是何等完美！主啊，願你現在便發聲。
October 07, 2012
The Nature of Reconciliation
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him —2 Corinthians 5:21
Sin is a fundamental relationship— it is not wrong doing, but wrong being— it is deliberate and determined independence from God. The Christian faith bases everything on the extreme, self-confident nature of sin. Other faiths deal with sins— the Bible alone deals with sin. The first thing Jesus Christ confronted in people was the heredity of sin, and it is because we have ignored this in our presentation of the gospel that the message of the gospel has lost its sting and its explosive power.
The revealed truth of the Bible is not that Jesus Christ took on Himself our fleshly sins, but that He took on Himself the heredity of sin that no man can even touch. God made His own Son “to be sin” that He might make the sinner into a saint. It is revealed throughout the Bible that our Lord took on Himself the sin of the world through identification with us, not through sympathy for us. He deliberately took on His own shoulders, and endured in His own body, the complete, cumulative sin of the human race. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us. . .” and by so doing He placed salvation for the entire human race solely on the basis of redemption. Jesus Christ reconciled the human race, putting it back to where God designed it to be. And now anyone can experience that reconciliation, being brought into oneness with God, on the basis of what our Lord has done on the cross.
A man cannot redeem himself— redemption is the work of God, and is absolutely finished and complete. And its application to individual people is a matter of their own individual action or response to it. A distinction must always be made between the revealed truth of redemption and the actual conscious experience of salvation in a person’s life.
和好
神使那無罪的，替我們成為罪，好叫我們在他裡面成為神的義。 （林後五21）
罪是一種根本的關係；不是指所犯的錯事，而是錯的本體，就是故意極力脫離神獨立。基督教信仰是把一切建基在正視罪的本質。其他宗教對付許多罪行，聖經只對付一樣罪。主耶穌首先面對的，就是罪的遺傳。我們傳福音若忽略這一點，就使福音失卻了叫人扎心及爆炸性的信息。
聖經的啟示不是耶穌怎樣擔負我們肉體上的罪，而是他擔負了沒有人可以觸及的罪根。神叫自己的兒子成為罪，為叫罪人可以成為聖潔。在整部聖經中，我們看見主擔當世人的罪，擔在自己肩頭上，親自承擔一切。 [神使那無罪的，替我們成為罪。 ]正因他這樣做，就為全人類建立了救贖的根基。主耶穌恢復了人類原來的地位，把他們放在神本來計劃的地位上。任何人都可以因主耶穌在十字架上成就的，與神連合。
人無法自救，救贖是出於神，並且已經完全成就。救贖與人的關係，在於人的反應。我們必須把救贖的啟示，與個人生命中得救的經歷清楚區別。
祈禱◆主啊，為著你今早賜給我的感動，我感謝你－－可是，我卻是那麼令人驚愕地毫無生氣和毫不美麗！不過，這個對自己的認識，只表明當你不在我裡面時，我的生命境況。
Sin is a fundamental relationship— it is not wrong doing, but wrong being— it is deliberate and determined independence from God. The Christian faith bases everything on the extreme, self-confident nature of sin. Other faiths deal with sins— the Bible alone deals with sin. The first thing Jesus Christ confronted in people was the heredity of sin, and it is because we have ignored this in our presentation of the gospel that the message of the gospel has lost its sting and its explosive power.
The revealed truth of the Bible is not that Jesus Christ took on Himself our fleshly sins, but that He took on Himself the heredity of sin that no man can even touch. God made His own Son “to be sin” that He might make the sinner into a saint. It is revealed throughout the Bible that our Lord took on Himself the sin of the world through identification with us, not through sympathy for us. He deliberately took on His own shoulders, and endured in His own body, the complete, cumulative sin of the human race. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us. . .” and by so doing He placed salvation for the entire human race solely on the basis of redemption. Jesus Christ reconciled the human race, putting it back to where God designed it to be. And now anyone can experience that reconciliation, being brought into oneness with God, on the basis of what our Lord has done on the cross.
A man cannot redeem himself— redemption is the work of God, and is absolutely finished and complete. And its application to individual people is a matter of their own individual action or response to it. A distinction must always be made between the revealed truth of redemption and the actual conscious experience of salvation in a person’s life.
和好
神使那無罪的，替我們成為罪，好叫我們在他裡面成為神的義。 （林後五21）
罪是一種根本的關係；不是指所犯的錯事，而是錯的本體，就是故意極力脫離神獨立。基督教信仰是把一切建基在正視罪的本質。其他宗教對付許多罪行，聖經只對付一樣罪。主耶穌首先面對的，就是罪的遺傳。我們傳福音若忽略這一點，就使福音失卻了叫人扎心及爆炸性的信息。
聖經的啟示不是耶穌怎樣擔負我們肉體上的罪，而是他擔負了沒有人可以觸及的罪根。神叫自己的兒子成為罪，為叫罪人可以成為聖潔。在整部聖經中，我們看見主擔當世人的罪，擔在自己肩頭上，親自承擔一切。 [神使那無罪的，替我們成為罪。 ]正因他這樣做，就為全人類建立了救贖的根基。主耶穌恢復了人類原來的地位，把他們放在神本來計劃的地位上。任何人都可以因主耶穌在十字架上成就的，與神連合。
人無法自救，救贖是出於神，並且已經完全成就。救贖與人的關係，在於人的反應。我們必須把救贖的啟示，與個人生命中得救的經歷清楚區別。
祈禱◆主啊，為著你今早賜給我的感動，我感謝你－－可是，我卻是那麼令人驚愕地毫無生氣和毫不美麗！不過，這個對自己的認識，只表明當你不在我裡面時，我的生命境況。
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