Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . —Matthew 5:3
Beware of thinking of our Lord as only a teacher. If Jesus Christ is only a teacher, then all He can do is frustrate me by setting a standard before me I cannot attain. What is the point of presenting me with such a lofty ideal if I cannot possibly come close to reaching it? I would be happier if I never knew it. What good is there in telling me to be what I can never be— to be “pure in heart” (Matthew 5:8), to do more than my duty, or to be completely devoted to God? I must know Jesus Christ as my Savior before His teaching has any meaning for me other than that of a lofty ideal which only leads to despair. But when I am born again by the Spirit of God, I know that Jesus Christ did not come only to teach— He came to make me what He teaches I should be. The redemption means that Jesus Christ can place within anyone the same nature that ruled His own life, and all the standards God gives us are based on that nature.
The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount produces a sense of despair in the natural man— exactly what Jesus means for it to do. As long as we have some self-righteous idea that we can carry out our Lord’s teaching, God will allow us to continue until we expose our own ignorance by stumbling over some obstacle in our way. Only then are we willing to come to Him as paupers and receive from Him. “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . .” This is the first principle in the kingdom of God. The underlying foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is poverty, not possessions; not making decisions for Jesus, but having such a sense of absolute futility that we finally admit, “Lord, I cannot even begin to do it.” Then Jesus says, “Blessed are you . . .” (Matthew 5:11). This is the doorway to the kingdom, and yet it takes us so long to believe that we are actually poor! The knowledge of our own poverty is what brings us to the proper place where Jesus Christ accomplishes His work.
進天國的門
虛心的人有福了。 （太五3）
當心不要把主教師的身分放在第一位。耶穌基督若光是一位教師，他所作的無非是設立了一些我無法達到的標準來戲弄我。若根本是無法達到的理想，介紹給我有何用？我不知道反更妙。要我清心，要我連非分內的事也作，要我完全歸向神，可是我卻無力達到，告訴我這些有何益處？若要基督的教訓對我真有意義，而不是引志絕望的空理想，我就必須以耶穌基督為救主。我在神的靈裡重生活，就曉得耶穌基督來不是單為教導；他更要使我成為他所教導的。救恩是主耶穌把他的性情，放進任何人裡面。而神一切的標準，都是根據主耶穌的性情而定。
對一個未有新生命的人，登山寶訓只會帶來絕望，這正是主耶穌的用意。因為我們若仍然自以為義，自高自傲，以為自己可以實踐主的教訓，神就會任由我們，讓難處揭露我們的無知，叫我們像叫化子一般來親就他，接受他的施予。 [心靈貧乏的人有福了。 ]這是天國的第一原則。主耶穌國度的基石是貧窮，不是產業；不是決志接受耶穌基督，而是完全無能為力的：[我不知從何著手。 ]那時耶穌說：[你有福了。 ]這就是門，我們往往要走好運的路，才相信自己真的貧窮！若知道自己貧窮，就是已經來到作工的道德前線。
July 21, 2014
July 20, 2014
Dependent on God’s Presence
Those who wait on the Lord . . . shall walk and not faint —Isaiah 40:31
There is no thrill for us in walking, yet it is the test for all of our steady and enduring qualities. To “walk and not faint” is the highest stretch possible as a measure of strength. The word walk is used in the Bible to express the character of a person— “. . . John . . . looking at Jesus as He walked. . . said, ’Behold the Lamb of God!’ ” (John 1:35-36). There is nothing abstract or obscure in the Bible; everything is vivid and real. God does not say, “Be spiritual,” but He says, “Walk before Me. . .” (Genesis 17:1).
When we are in an unhealthy condition either physically or emotionally, we always look for thrills in life. In our physical life this leads to our efforts to counterfeit the work of the Holy Spirit; in our emotional life it leads to obsessions and to the destruction of our morality; and in our spiritual life, if we insist on pursuing only thrills, on mounting up “with wings like eagles” (Isaiah 40:31), it will result in the destruction of our spirituality.
Having the reality of God’s presence is not dependent on our being in a particular circumstance or place, but is only dependent on our determination to keep the Lord before us continually. Our problems arise when we refuse to place our trust in the reality of His presence. The experience the psalmist speaks of— “We will not fear, even though . . .” (Psalm 46:2)— will be ours once we are grounded on the truth of the reality of God’s presence, not just a simple awareness of it, but an understanding of the reality of it. Then we will exclaim, “He has been here all the time!” At critical moments in our lives it is necessary to ask God for guidance, but it should be unnecessary to be constantly saying, “Oh, Lord, direct me in this, and in that.” Of course He will, and in fact, He is doing it already! If our everyday decisions are not according to His will, He will press through them, bringing restraint to our spirit. Then we must be quiet and wait for the direction of His presence.
倚靠神的同在
但那等候耶和華的……行走卻不疲乏。 （賽四十31）
行路並無甚刺激，但卻是一切堅定品質的考驗。 [行走卻不疲乏]，是能力最高的境地。聖經中用[行走]來描畫人的品質——[約翰見耶穌行走，就說，看哪，這是神的羔羊！ ]聖經的話從不抽象，總是生動而真實。神沒有說：[你要屬靈。 ]他是說：[行在我裡面。 ]我們的身體或情緒上處於不健康的狀態，就會尋求刺激，尋求凌空飛翔的經歷，就會招來屬靈破產的結局。
神同在的真實，不在乎地方，只在乎我們決心把主常擺在面前。許多的問題，都出自不肯信賴他同在的事實。詩人說：[雖然……我們也不害怕。 ]若我們倚靠他，也能有同樣的經歷；者不是倚靠神同在的感覺，而是抓緊神同在的真實。 ——[噢，他原來一直都在這裡！ ]。當然，在緊急關頭時可以求主指引，但卻不需要一天到晚說：[主啊，帶領我這個，帶領我那個。 ]他必會帶領的。我們按常理作的決定，若不合神的心，他自會插手阻攔；這是，我們就得安靜，等候他的引導。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，你的道路何等奇妙！當我回想你帶領和陪同我走過的道路，我便在驚嘆、愛意和讚美中渾然忘我。
There is no thrill for us in walking, yet it is the test for all of our steady and enduring qualities. To “walk and not faint” is the highest stretch possible as a measure of strength. The word walk is used in the Bible to express the character of a person— “. . . John . . . looking at Jesus as He walked. . . said, ’Behold the Lamb of God!’ ” (John 1:35-36). There is nothing abstract or obscure in the Bible; everything is vivid and real. God does not say, “Be spiritual,” but He says, “Walk before Me. . .” (Genesis 17:1).
When we are in an unhealthy condition either physically or emotionally, we always look for thrills in life. In our physical life this leads to our efforts to counterfeit the work of the Holy Spirit; in our emotional life it leads to obsessions and to the destruction of our morality; and in our spiritual life, if we insist on pursuing only thrills, on mounting up “with wings like eagles” (Isaiah 40:31), it will result in the destruction of our spirituality.
Having the reality of God’s presence is not dependent on our being in a particular circumstance or place, but is only dependent on our determination to keep the Lord before us continually. Our problems arise when we refuse to place our trust in the reality of His presence. The experience the psalmist speaks of— “We will not fear, even though . . .” (Psalm 46:2)— will be ours once we are grounded on the truth of the reality of God’s presence, not just a simple awareness of it, but an understanding of the reality of it. Then we will exclaim, “He has been here all the time!” At critical moments in our lives it is necessary to ask God for guidance, but it should be unnecessary to be constantly saying, “Oh, Lord, direct me in this, and in that.” Of course He will, and in fact, He is doing it already! If our everyday decisions are not according to His will, He will press through them, bringing restraint to our spirit. Then we must be quiet and wait for the direction of His presence.
倚靠神的同在
但那等候耶和華的……行走卻不疲乏。 （賽四十31）
行路並無甚刺激，但卻是一切堅定品質的考驗。 [行走卻不疲乏]，是能力最高的境地。聖經中用[行走]來描畫人的品質——[約翰見耶穌行走，就說，看哪，這是神的羔羊！ ]聖經的話從不抽象，總是生動而真實。神沒有說：[你要屬靈。 ]他是說：[行在我裡面。 ]我們的身體或情緒上處於不健康的狀態，就會尋求刺激，尋求凌空飛翔的經歷，就會招來屬靈破產的結局。
神同在的真實，不在乎地方，只在乎我們決心把主常擺在面前。許多的問題，都出自不肯信賴他同在的事實。詩人說：[雖然……我們也不害怕。 ]若我們倚靠他，也能有同樣的經歷；者不是倚靠神同在的感覺，而是抓緊神同在的真實。 ——[噢，他原來一直都在這裡！ ]。當然，在緊急關頭時可以求主指引，但卻不需要一天到晚說：[主啊，帶領我這個，帶領我那個。 ]他必會帶領的。我們按常理作的決定，若不合神的心，他自會插手阻攔；這是，我們就得安靜，等候他的引導。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，你的道路何等奇妙！當我回想你帶領和陪同我走過的道路，我便在驚嘆、愛意和讚美中渾然忘我。
July 19, 2014
The Submission of the Believer
You call Me Teacher and Lord, and you say well, for so I am —John 13:13
Our Lord never insists on having authority over us. He never says, “You will submit to me.” No, He leaves us perfectly free to choose— so free, in fact, that we can spit in His face or we can put Him to death, as others have done; and yet He will never say a word. But once His life has been created in me through His redemption, I instantly recognize His right to absolute authority over me. It is a complete and effective domination, in which I acknowledge that “You are worthy, O Lord . . .” (Revelation 4:11). It is simply the unworthiness within me that refuses to bow down or to submit to one who is worthy. When I meet someone who is more holy than myself, and I don’t recognize his worthiness, nor obey his instructions for me, it is a sign of my own unworthiness being revealed. God teaches us by using these people who are a little better than we are; not better intellectually, but more holy. And He continues to do so until we willingly submit. Then the whole attitude of our life is one of obedience to Him.
If our Lord insisted on our obedience, He would simply become a taskmaster and cease to have any real authority. He never insists on obedience, but when we truly see Him we will instantly obey Him. Then He is easily Lord of our life, and we live in adoration of Him from morning till night. The level of my growth in grace is revealed by the way I look at obedience. We should have a much higher view of the word obedience, rescuing it from the mire of the world. Obedience is only possible between people who are equals in their relationship to each other; like the relationship between father and son, not that between master and servant. Jesus showed this relationship by saying, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). “. . . though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). The Son was obedient as our Redeemer, because He was the Son, not in order to become God’s Son.
信徒的主
你們稱呼我夫子，稱呼我主，你們說的不錯，我未來是。 （約十三13）
我們的主從不堅持他的主權；他從不說——[你必須這樣]。他給我們絕對的自由。我們可以吐唾沫在他面前，像世人一樣；也可以把他置諸死地，像昔日的人一樣；他不會發一言。可是當他的生命藉救恩創造在我裡面後，他在我身上便有絕對的主權。這屬道德上的管治——[你配得]。只是我裡面那不配的，拒絕向那配的俯伏。當我碰見一個比我聖潔的人，不肯去尊敬他，也不肯順服從他發出的命令，這正暴露了我的不配。神往往用一些比我們好的人——不是知識上比我們好，而是比我們聖潔的人——來管教我們，直至我們服在他的管治之下，直至我們整個的人生態度都順服他。
若我們的主堅持要我們順服，他就成了一個管工，不再有什麼權威了。他從不堅持要我們順服，可是我們若真看見他，就必立時順服。他很自然地成為我們的主，從早到晚我們都活在對他的欽慕之中。對順服的看法，可以顯示我在恩典中有多少長進。 [順服]一詞，指到必須從泥坑中救拔出來。只有地位平等才有順服，這是父子的關係，而非主僕的關係。 [我與父原為一]，[他雖然為兒子，還是因所受的苦難學了順從]。身子的順服是要做救贖者，他順服是因為他是兒子，而不是為了成為兒子而順服。
祈禱◆主啊，帶領我更加靠近你，直至我在你的工作中，對你愈來愈有用。
Our Lord never insists on having authority over us. He never says, “You will submit to me.” No, He leaves us perfectly free to choose— so free, in fact, that we can spit in His face or we can put Him to death, as others have done; and yet He will never say a word. But once His life has been created in me through His redemption, I instantly recognize His right to absolute authority over me. It is a complete and effective domination, in which I acknowledge that “You are worthy, O Lord . . .” (Revelation 4:11). It is simply the unworthiness within me that refuses to bow down or to submit to one who is worthy. When I meet someone who is more holy than myself, and I don’t recognize his worthiness, nor obey his instructions for me, it is a sign of my own unworthiness being revealed. God teaches us by using these people who are a little better than we are; not better intellectually, but more holy. And He continues to do so until we willingly submit. Then the whole attitude of our life is one of obedience to Him.
If our Lord insisted on our obedience, He would simply become a taskmaster and cease to have any real authority. He never insists on obedience, but when we truly see Him we will instantly obey Him. Then He is easily Lord of our life, and we live in adoration of Him from morning till night. The level of my growth in grace is revealed by the way I look at obedience. We should have a much higher view of the word obedience, rescuing it from the mire of the world. Obedience is only possible between people who are equals in their relationship to each other; like the relationship between father and son, not that between master and servant. Jesus showed this relationship by saying, “I and My Father are one” (John 10:30). “. . . though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered” (Hebrews 5:8). The Son was obedient as our Redeemer, because He was the Son, not in order to become God’s Son.
信徒的主
你們稱呼我夫子，稱呼我主，你們說的不錯，我未來是。 （約十三13）
我們的主從不堅持他的主權；他從不說——[你必須這樣]。他給我們絕對的自由。我們可以吐唾沫在他面前，像世人一樣；也可以把他置諸死地，像昔日的人一樣；他不會發一言。可是當他的生命藉救恩創造在我裡面後，他在我身上便有絕對的主權。這屬道德上的管治——[你配得]。只是我裡面那不配的，拒絕向那配的俯伏。當我碰見一個比我聖潔的人，不肯去尊敬他，也不肯順服從他發出的命令，這正暴露了我的不配。神往往用一些比我們好的人——不是知識上比我們好，而是比我們聖潔的人——來管教我們，直至我們服在他的管治之下，直至我們整個的人生態度都順服他。
若我們的主堅持要我們順服，他就成了一個管工，不再有什麼權威了。他從不堅持要我們順服，可是我們若真看見他，就必立時順服。他很自然地成為我們的主，從早到晚我們都活在對他的欽慕之中。對順服的看法，可以顯示我在恩典中有多少長進。 [順服]一詞，指到必須從泥坑中救拔出來。只有地位平等才有順服，這是父子的關係，而非主僕的關係。 [我與父原為一]，[他雖然為兒子，還是因所受的苦難學了順從]。身子的順服是要做救贖者，他順服是因為他是兒子，而不是為了成為兒子而順服。
祈禱◆主啊，帶領我更加靠近你，直至我在你的工作中，對你愈來愈有用。
July 18, 2014
The Mystery of Believing
He said, "Who are You, Lord? —Acts 9:5
Through the miracle of redemption, Saul of Tarsus was instantly changed from a strong-willed and forceful Pharisee into a humble and devoted bondservant of the Lord Jesus.
There is nothing miraculous or mysterious about the things we can explain. We control what we are able to explain, consequently it is only natural to seek an explanation for everything. It is not natural to obey, yet it is not necessarily sinful to disobey. There can be no real disobedience, nor any moral virtue in obedience, unless a person recognizes the higher authority of the one giving the orders. If this recognition does not exist, even the one giving the orders may view the other person’s disobedience as freedom. If one rules another by saying, “You must do this,” and, “You will do that,” he breaks the human spirit, making it unfit for God. A person is simply a slave for obeying, unless behind his obedience is the recognition of a holy God.
Many people begin coming to God once they stop being religious, because there is only one master of the human heart— Jesus Christ, not religion. But “Woe is me” if after seeing Him I still will not obey (Isaiah 6:5 , also see Isaiah 6:1). Jesus will never insist that I obey, but if I don’t,I have already begun to sign the death certificate of the Son of God in my soul. When I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and say, “I will not obey,” He will never insist. But when I do this, I am backing away from the recreating power of His redemption. It makes no difference to God’s grace what an abomination I am, if I will only come to the light. But “Woe is me” if I refuse the light (see John 3:19-21).
信的奧秘
他說，主啊，你是誰？ （徒九5）
救贖的奇跡，使大數的掃羅由一個認真、意志堅強的法利賽人，一刻之間變成主耶穌謙卑的忠僕。可以解釋的事根本就無奇妙可言。可以解釋的事便能控制，所以我們要求解釋是極自然的。順服並非自然的事；不順服也並不一定有罪。除非我承認有一更高的權威指揮一切，否則順服不算甚麼德行。對別人而言，不順服可能是一種解放。一個人若對另一個人說：[你一定要這樣。 ]他就傷害了那人的靈，這樣的靈並不合神用。順服的背後必須承認有一位聖潔的神，否則，只淪為順服的奴隸。許多人要擺脫宗教的外殼，才能真正來到神面前。因為心裡只有一位主人，這不是宗教，而是耶穌基督。倘若我見他，卻對他說：[我不肯。 ]我就有禍了。他不會強求，但我已在心裡神兒子的死亡證上簽了字。我面對主耶穌，卻對他說：[我不願意。 ]他斷不會堅持，但這樣我就從救恩的再造大能中退後了。我若肯來就光，不管我怎樣可惡，神的恩典總不會計較；我若不肯來到光中，就有禍了（參約三19-21）。
祈禱◆[看啊！這些不過是他的道路顯而易見的部分，至於他能力的響聲誰能明白呢？ ]那許多無根的思緒在我的腦海中浮過，除非我的黑暗蒙你光照，否則對於屬你的東西，我全無智慧和知識。
Through the miracle of redemption, Saul of Tarsus was instantly changed from a strong-willed and forceful Pharisee into a humble and devoted bondservant of the Lord Jesus.
There is nothing miraculous or mysterious about the things we can explain. We control what we are able to explain, consequently it is only natural to seek an explanation for everything. It is not natural to obey, yet it is not necessarily sinful to disobey. There can be no real disobedience, nor any moral virtue in obedience, unless a person recognizes the higher authority of the one giving the orders. If this recognition does not exist, even the one giving the orders may view the other person’s disobedience as freedom. If one rules another by saying, “You must do this,” and, “You will do that,” he breaks the human spirit, making it unfit for God. A person is simply a slave for obeying, unless behind his obedience is the recognition of a holy God.
Many people begin coming to God once they stop being religious, because there is only one master of the human heart— Jesus Christ, not religion. But “Woe is me” if after seeing Him I still will not obey (Isaiah 6:5 , also see Isaiah 6:1). Jesus will never insist that I obey, but if I don’t,I have already begun to sign the death certificate of the Son of God in my soul. When I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and say, “I will not obey,” He will never insist. But when I do this, I am backing away from the recreating power of His redemption. It makes no difference to God’s grace what an abomination I am, if I will only come to the light. But “Woe is me” if I refuse the light (see John 3:19-21).
信的奧秘
他說，主啊，你是誰？ （徒九5）
救贖的奇跡，使大數的掃羅由一個認真、意志堅強的法利賽人，一刻之間變成主耶穌謙卑的忠僕。可以解釋的事根本就無奇妙可言。可以解釋的事便能控制，所以我們要求解釋是極自然的。順服並非自然的事；不順服也並不一定有罪。除非我承認有一更高的權威指揮一切，否則順服不算甚麼德行。對別人而言，不順服可能是一種解放。一個人若對另一個人說：[你一定要這樣。 ]他就傷害了那人的靈，這樣的靈並不合神用。順服的背後必須承認有一位聖潔的神，否則，只淪為順服的奴隸。許多人要擺脫宗教的外殼，才能真正來到神面前。因為心裡只有一位主人，這不是宗教，而是耶穌基督。倘若我見他，卻對他說：[我不肯。 ]我就有禍了。他不會強求，但我已在心裡神兒子的死亡證上簽了字。我面對主耶穌，卻對他說：[我不願意。 ]他斷不會堅持，但這樣我就從救恩的再造大能中退後了。我若肯來就光，不管我怎樣可惡，神的恩典總不會計較；我若不肯來到光中，就有禍了（參約三19-21）。
祈禱◆[看啊！這些不過是他的道路顯而易見的部分，至於他能力的響聲誰能明白呢？ ]那許多無根的思緒在我的腦海中浮過，除非我的黑暗蒙你光照，否則對於屬你的東西，我全無智慧和知識。
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 16, 2014
The Concept of Divine Control
. . . how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! —Matthew 7:11
Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct in this passage for those people who have His Spirit. He urges us to keep our minds filled with the concept of God’s control over everything, which means that a disciple must maintain an attitude of perfect trust and an eagerness to ask and to seek.
Fill your mind with the thought that God is there. And once your mind is truly filled with that thought, when you experience difficulties it will be as easy as breathing for you to remember, “My heavenly Father knows all about this!” This will be no effort at all, but will be a natural thing for you when difficulties and uncertainties arise. Before you formed this concept of divine control so powerfully in your mind, you used to go from person to person seeking help, but now you go to God about it. Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct for those people who have His Spirit, and it works on the following principle: God is my Father, He loves me, and I will never think of anything that He will forget, so why should I worry?
Jesus said there are times when God cannot lift the darkness from you, but you should trust Him. At times God will appear like an unkind friend, but He is not; He will appear like an unnatural father, but He is not; He will appear like an unjust judge, but He is not. Keep the thought that the mind of God is behind all things strong and growing. Not even the smallest detail of life happens unless God’s will is behind it. Therefore, you can rest in perfect confidence in Him. Prayer is not only asking, but is an attitude of the mind which produces the atmosphere in which asking is perfectly natural. “Ask, and it will be given to you . . .” (Matthew 7:7).
神掌管一切的觀念
何況你們在天上的父，豈不更把好東西給求他的人麼？ （太七11）
耶穌為那些有他的靈在心中的人，設下一些行為的法則。他藉這幾句簡單的辯論，要我們滿心相信神是控制一切事情的。意思就是：門徒必須完全信靠，同事渴切尋找祈求。
你的心思要牢扣神在這裡的意念，這樣，困難一旦臨到，你就像呼吸一樣，記得：[嗨，我的父完全知道！ ]你不必費力，這個意念是在困惑壓逼之中自然出來的。以往你會去找這個人那個人幫忙，如今你既對神至高的掌管如此堅信，你就去找神。耶穌在此為有他靈的人奠下行為的法則，原則就是——神是我的父，他愛我，沒有忘記我的每一件事，那末，我何必憂慮呢？
耶穌說神有時候不把黑幕挪開，你仍要信靠他。神似乎像個狠心的朋友，他其實不是。他似乎像個不合理的父親，他實在不是。他似乎像不公正的審判官，他絕非如此。要記住，神實在一切事的背後。這觀念要加強且不住的增長。除非神的旨意在背後，否則沒有任何事可以發生，因此你大可以完全信靠安息。祈禱不光是祈求，更是一種生髮自然祈求氣氛的心態。 [你們祈求，就給你們。 ]
祈禱◆噢，主啊，以你充沛的能力、恩慈和美善，來激勵我的生命；讓它有機會顯露你的面容。這似乎便是我全部的禱告。
Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct in this passage for those people who have His Spirit. He urges us to keep our minds filled with the concept of God’s control over everything, which means that a disciple must maintain an attitude of perfect trust and an eagerness to ask and to seek.
Fill your mind with the thought that God is there. And once your mind is truly filled with that thought, when you experience difficulties it will be as easy as breathing for you to remember, “My heavenly Father knows all about this!” This will be no effort at all, but will be a natural thing for you when difficulties and uncertainties arise. Before you formed this concept of divine control so powerfully in your mind, you used to go from person to person seeking help, but now you go to God about it. Jesus is laying down the rules of conduct for those people who have His Spirit, and it works on the following principle: God is my Father, He loves me, and I will never think of anything that He will forget, so why should I worry?
Jesus said there are times when God cannot lift the darkness from you, but you should trust Him. At times God will appear like an unkind friend, but He is not; He will appear like an unnatural father, but He is not; He will appear like an unjust judge, but He is not. Keep the thought that the mind of God is behind all things strong and growing. Not even the smallest detail of life happens unless God’s will is behind it. Therefore, you can rest in perfect confidence in Him. Prayer is not only asking, but is an attitude of the mind which produces the atmosphere in which asking is perfectly natural. “Ask, and it will be given to you . . .” (Matthew 7:7).
神掌管一切的觀念
何況你們在天上的父，豈不更把好東西給求他的人麼？ （太七11）
耶穌為那些有他的靈在心中的人，設下一些行為的法則。他藉這幾句簡單的辯論，要我們滿心相信神是控制一切事情的。意思就是：門徒必須完全信靠，同事渴切尋找祈求。
你的心思要牢扣神在這裡的意念，這樣，困難一旦臨到，你就像呼吸一樣，記得：[嗨，我的父完全知道！ ]你不必費力，這個意念是在困惑壓逼之中自然出來的。以往你會去找這個人那個人幫忙，如今你既對神至高的掌管如此堅信，你就去找神。耶穌在此為有他靈的人奠下行為的法則，原則就是——神是我的父，他愛我，沒有忘記我的每一件事，那末，我何必憂慮呢？
耶穌說神有時候不把黑幕挪開，你仍要信靠他。神似乎像個狠心的朋友，他其實不是。他似乎像個不合理的父親，他實在不是。他似乎像不公正的審判官，他絕非如此。要記住，神實在一切事的背後。這觀念要加強且不住的增長。除非神的旨意在背後，否則沒有任何事可以發生，因此你大可以完全信靠安息。祈禱不光是祈求，更是一種生髮自然祈求氣氛的心態。 [你們祈求，就給你們。 ]
祈禱◆噢，主啊，以你充沛的能力、恩慈和美善，來激勵我的生命；讓它有機會顯露你的面容。這似乎便是我全部的禱告。
July 15, 2014
My Life’s Spiritual Honor and Duty
I am a debtor both to Greeks and to barbarians . . . —Romans 1:14
Paul was overwhelmed with the sense of his indebtedness to Jesus Christ, and he spent his life to express it. The greatest inspiration in Paul’s life was his view of Jesus Christ as his spiritual creditor. Do I feel that same sense of indebtedness to Christ regarding every unsaved soul? As a saint, my life’s spiritual honor and duty is to fulfill my debt to Christ in relation to these lost souls. Every tiny bit of my life that has value I owe to the redemption of Jesus Christ. Am I doing anything to enable Him to bring His redemption into evident reality in the lives of others? I will only be able to do this as the Spirit of God works into me this sense of indebtedness.
I am not a superior person among other people— I am a bondservant of the Lord Jesus. Paul said, “. . . you are not your own . . . you were bought at a price . . .” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Paul sold himself to Jesus Christ and he said, in effect, “I am a debtor to everyone on the face of the earth because of the gospel of Jesus; I am free only that I may be an absolute bondservant of His.” That is the characteristic of a Christian’s life once this level of spiritual honor and duty becomes real. Quit praying about yourself and spend your life for the sake of others as the bondservant of Jesus. That is the true meaning of being broken bread and poured-out wine in real life.
屬靈尊榮
無論是希利尼人，化外人……我都欠他們的債。 （羅一14）
保羅深覺自己欠了耶穌基督的債，他被這個感覺完全淹沒，以致要把自己耗盡來償還。保羅的生命給每一個尚未蒙拯救的人，有沒有一種欠了基督的感覺？作為一個聖徒，我生命的屬靈尊榮在於償還我欠基督的債。我生命中每一點一滴有價值之處，全因主耶穌的救贖大工；我有沒有作任何事，使他的大工在別人身上得以實際彰顯？只有當聖靈在我裡面，使我有這欠債的感覺時，我才能作這工。我在人類中並非超凡的人，乃是主耶穌的奴僕。 [你們不是自己的人。 ]保羅把自己賣了給耶穌基督。他說：[我因著耶穌的福音，欠了全世界人的債；我唯一的自由，就是做一個十足的奴僕。 ]人一旦體驗了這份屬靈的尊榮，生命就有這個特質。不要再為自己祈禱，而要作耶穌基督的奴僕，為別人把自己燃燒。作劈開的餅、倒出來的酒，實際上就是這個意思。
祈禱◆主啊，願你再次感動我的靈、魂、體。倘若我的飲食，妨礙了你在我裡面的工作，或阻礙了你透過我所行的事，請向我顯示，並保守我屬於你，以致無論我或吃或喝，或做任何的事情，都可以榮耀你。
Paul was overwhelmed with the sense of his indebtedness to Jesus Christ, and he spent his life to express it. The greatest inspiration in Paul’s life was his view of Jesus Christ as his spiritual creditor. Do I feel that same sense of indebtedness to Christ regarding every unsaved soul? As a saint, my life’s spiritual honor and duty is to fulfill my debt to Christ in relation to these lost souls. Every tiny bit of my life that has value I owe to the redemption of Jesus Christ. Am I doing anything to enable Him to bring His redemption into evident reality in the lives of others? I will only be able to do this as the Spirit of God works into me this sense of indebtedness.
I am not a superior person among other people— I am a bondservant of the Lord Jesus. Paul said, “. . . you are not your own . . . you were bought at a price . . .” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). Paul sold himself to Jesus Christ and he said, in effect, “I am a debtor to everyone on the face of the earth because of the gospel of Jesus; I am free only that I may be an absolute bondservant of His.” That is the characteristic of a Christian’s life once this level of spiritual honor and duty becomes real. Quit praying about yourself and spend your life for the sake of others as the bondservant of Jesus. That is the true meaning of being broken bread and poured-out wine in real life.
屬靈尊榮
無論是希利尼人，化外人……我都欠他們的債。 （羅一14）
保羅深覺自己欠了耶穌基督的債，他被這個感覺完全淹沒，以致要把自己耗盡來償還。保羅的生命給每一個尚未蒙拯救的人，有沒有一種欠了基督的感覺？作為一個聖徒，我生命的屬靈尊榮在於償還我欠基督的債。我生命中每一點一滴有價值之處，全因主耶穌的救贖大工；我有沒有作任何事，使他的大工在別人身上得以實際彰顯？只有當聖靈在我裡面，使我有這欠債的感覺時，我才能作這工。我在人類中並非超凡的人，乃是主耶穌的奴僕。 [你們不是自己的人。 ]保羅把自己賣了給耶穌基督。他說：[我因著耶穌的福音，欠了全世界人的債；我唯一的自由，就是做一個十足的奴僕。 ]人一旦體驗了這份屬靈的尊榮，生命就有這個特質。不要再為自己祈禱，而要作耶穌基督的奴僕，為別人把自己燃燒。作劈開的餅、倒出來的酒，實際上就是這個意思。
祈禱◆主啊，願你再次感動我的靈、魂、體。倘若我的飲食，妨礙了你在我裡面的工作，或阻礙了你透過我所行的事，請向我顯示，並保守我屬於你，以致無論我或吃或喝，或做任何的事情，都可以榮耀你。
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