You shall not go out with haste, . . . for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard —Isaiah 52:12
Security from Yesterday. “. . . God requires an account of what is past” (Ecclesiastes 3:15). At the end of the year we turn with eagerness to all that God has for the future, and yet anxiety is apt to arise when we remember our yesterdays. Our present enjoyment of God’s grace tends to be lessened by the memory of yesterday’s sins and blunders. But God is the God of our yesterdays, and He allows the memory of them to turn the past into a ministry of spiritual growth for our future. God reminds us of the past to protect us from a very shallow security in the present.
Security for Tomorrow. “. . . the Lord will go before you . . . .” This is a gracious revelation— that God will send His forces out where we have failed to do so. He will keep watch so that we will not be tripped up again by the same failures, as would undoubtedly happen if He were not our “rear guard.” And God’s hand reaches back to the past, settling all the claims against our conscience.
Security for Today. “You shall not go out with haste . . . .” As we go forth into the coming year, let it not be in the haste of impetuous, forgetful delight, nor with the quickness of impulsive thoughtlessness. But let us go out with the patient power of knowing that the God of Israel will go before us. Our yesterdays hold broken and irreversible things for us. It is true that we have lost opportunities that will never return, but God can transform this destructive anxiety into a constructive thoughtfulness for the future. Let the past rest, but let it rest in the sweet embrace of Christ.
Leave the broken, irreversible past in His hands, and step out into the invincible future with Him.
昨日
以色列的神必作你們的後裔。 （賽五十二12）
脫離昨天的保證。 [神需要用過去的事。 ]年終的時候，我們會期待地指望神帶領將來，但回想歸去，也會帶來焦慮。今天對神恩典的享受，很容易受過去的罪與錯失影響。可是神是管理昨天的神，他容許過去的回憶存留，為的是將來的屬靈培育。神有時用過去提醒我們，免得我們停在現今膚淺的滿足裡。
昨天的保證。 [因為耶和華必在你們前頭行。 ]這是滿有恩典的啟示，神在我們失敗的地方守衛，留意不讓我們重蹈覆轍。若他不作後盾，我們勢必再犯。神的手伸到昨天去，為我們的良心清除存貨。
今天的保證。 [你們出來必不至急忙。 ]在進入新一年之際，讓我們不要急躁鹵莽、興奮忘舊，也不要輕率衝動，只要從忍耐中得力，知道以色列的神必在前頭行。昨天無可挽回，錯過的機會永難再得，但神可以把這摧毀性得焦慮，變成建設性得心思，作將來之用。讓過去睡吧，但要睡在主耶穌的懷裡。
把一去不復返的過去放在他手中，然後與他一同踏進必要來到的將來。
祈禱◆主耶穌啊，[父一切的豐盛，都在你裡面居住]；[萬物都交在你的手裡]；[天上地下所有的權柄都賜給你了]－－噢，我天上的父神，願你按照你在基督耶穌榮耀裡的豐盛，滿足我一切的需要。
Showing posts with label Christian Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christian Faith. Show all posts
December 31, 2012
December 21, 2012
Experience or God’s Revealed Truth?
We have received . . . the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God —1 Corinthians 2:12
My experience is not what makes redemption real— redemption is reality. Redemption has no real meaning for me until it is worked out through my conscious life. When I am born again, the Spirit of God takes me beyond myself and my experiences, and identifies me with Jesus Christ. If I am left only with my personal experiences, I am left with something not produced by redemption. But experiences produced by redemption prove themselves by leading me beyond myself, to the point of no longer paying any attention to experiences as the basis of reality. Instead, I see that only the reality itself produced the experiences. My experiences are not worth anything unless they keep me at the Source of truth— Jesus Christ.
If you try to hold back the Holy Spirit within you, with the desire of producing more inner spiritual experiences, you will find that He will break the hold and take you again to the historic Christ. Never support an experience which does not have God as its Source and faith in God as its result. If you do, your experience is anti-Christian, no matter what visions or insights you may have had. Is Jesus Christ Lord of your experiences, or do you place your experiences above Him? Is any experience dearer to you than your Lord? You must allow Him to be Lord over you, and pay no attention to any experience over which He is not Lord. Then there will come a time when God will make you impatient with your own experience, and you can truthfully say, “I do not care what I experience— I am sure of Him!”
Be relentless and hard on yourself if you are in the habit of talking about the experiences you have had. Faith based on experience is not faith; faith based on God’s revealed truth is the only faith there is.
經歷還是啟示？
我們所領受的……乃是從神來的靈，叫我們能知道神開恩賜給我們的事。 （林前二12）
救贖本身是[真實]的，而不是我對救恩的經歷；不過若不是用我能體會的語言傳遞出來，救恩對我就毫無意義。重生之後，神的靈就立即把我從自己和自己的經歷中領出來，使我與耶穌基督連合。若我仍留在自己的經歷中，那些經歷必然不是從救恩而來。那經歷若是由救恩產生的，最好的明證是我脫離自己，不再以自己的經歷作為[真實]的基礎，而只專注於帶來這些經歷的實體。我的經歷若不叫我對準源頭－－主耶穌，就一文不值。
你若堵住聖靈，要為自己製造一些主觀的經歷，你會發覺他會爆溢而出，把你帶回曆史的基督面前。經歷若不植根於神，也不叫你對神產生信心，就不當培育。若然，不管你所見的異像是什麼，你的經歷與基督敵對的，主耶穌是你經歷中的主？還是你要經歷作他的主？有沒有經歷是比主更寶貴的？他要作你的主，你對那些不以他為主的經歷，不應重視。你會來到一個地步，神叫你對自己的經歷不耐煩－－[不管我的經歷是什麼，我只求持定神。 ]你若有很多機會談及自己的經歷，就得對自己無情一點。肯定自信的信心，不是信心；對神有把握的信心，才是唯一的信心。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你除去這思想上的枷鎖，為我帶來平安、純潔和能力。願今天你以溫柔、憐憫和恩典來充滿我。
My experience is not what makes redemption real— redemption is reality. Redemption has no real meaning for me until it is worked out through my conscious life. When I am born again, the Spirit of God takes me beyond myself and my experiences, and identifies me with Jesus Christ. If I am left only with my personal experiences, I am left with something not produced by redemption. But experiences produced by redemption prove themselves by leading me beyond myself, to the point of no longer paying any attention to experiences as the basis of reality. Instead, I see that only the reality itself produced the experiences. My experiences are not worth anything unless they keep me at the Source of truth— Jesus Christ.
If you try to hold back the Holy Spirit within you, with the desire of producing more inner spiritual experiences, you will find that He will break the hold and take you again to the historic Christ. Never support an experience which does not have God as its Source and faith in God as its result. If you do, your experience is anti-Christian, no matter what visions or insights you may have had. Is Jesus Christ Lord of your experiences, or do you place your experiences above Him? Is any experience dearer to you than your Lord? You must allow Him to be Lord over you, and pay no attention to any experience over which He is not Lord. Then there will come a time when God will make you impatient with your own experience, and you can truthfully say, “I do not care what I experience— I am sure of Him!”
Be relentless and hard on yourself if you are in the habit of talking about the experiences you have had. Faith based on experience is not faith; faith based on God’s revealed truth is the only faith there is.
經歷還是啟示？
我們所領受的……乃是從神來的靈，叫我們能知道神開恩賜給我們的事。 （林前二12）
救贖本身是[真實]的，而不是我對救恩的經歷；不過若不是用我能體會的語言傳遞出來，救恩對我就毫無意義。重生之後，神的靈就立即把我從自己和自己的經歷中領出來，使我與耶穌基督連合。若我仍留在自己的經歷中，那些經歷必然不是從救恩而來。那經歷若是由救恩產生的，最好的明證是我脫離自己，不再以自己的經歷作為[真實]的基礎，而只專注於帶來這些經歷的實體。我的經歷若不叫我對準源頭－－主耶穌，就一文不值。
你若堵住聖靈，要為自己製造一些主觀的經歷，你會發覺他會爆溢而出，把你帶回曆史的基督面前。經歷若不植根於神，也不叫你對神產生信心，就不當培育。若然，不管你所見的異像是什麼，你的經歷與基督敵對的，主耶穌是你經歷中的主？還是你要經歷作他的主？有沒有經歷是比主更寶貴的？他要作你的主，你對那些不以他為主的經歷，不應重視。你會來到一個地步，神叫你對自己的經歷不耐煩－－[不管我的經歷是什麼，我只求持定神。 ]你若有很多機會談及自己的經歷，就得對自己無情一點。肯定自信的信心，不是信心；對神有把握的信心，才是唯一的信心。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你除去這思想上的枷鎖，為我帶來平安、純潔和能力。願今天你以溫柔、憐憫和恩典來充滿我。
December 06, 2012
“My Rainbow in the Cloud”
I set My rainbow in the cloud, and it shall be for the sign of the covenant between Me and the earth —Genesis 9:13
It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.
Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God–a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, “Now I believe.” There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, “Look to Me, and be saved . . .” (Isaiah 45:22).
When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.
雲中彩虹
我把虹放在雲彩中，這就可作我與地立約的記號了。 （創九13）
神的旨意是要人類與他有道德上的關係，而他的約就是為此。 [為什麼神不救我？ ]他已經救了我，只是我還沒有與他建立關係。 [為什麼神不作這個？又不作那個？ ]他已經做了，問題是我是否肯踏進這個約的關係裡？神一切大恩已經作成，不過我要先因他的約，與他建立關係，這一切才成為我的。
等待神是不信的化身，表示我對他不信任；我等待神在我裡面作事，好叫我可以信得過他。神不會這樣做，因為這不是神與人關係的基礎。在人與神的約中，人要離開自己，正如神在他與人的約中付出自己一樣。問題是在於我們對神的信心－－一樣非常難得的東西。我們往往只信自己的感覺；要神把東西放進我們手裡，知道實在有了，否則就不肯信。得著了，就說[如今我信了。 ]這並不是信。 [仰望我的，必然得救。 ]
我若當真與神立約，完全交託，不再自覺有功，不再有人的成分在內，只意識到完全與神合一，那時一切都會變得平安喜樂。
祈禱◆主啊，願你今天以充沛的能力，與及甜蜜的恩慈和美善，來感動我們每個人的生命；讓它有機會彰顯你的面容和能力。
It is the will of God that human beings should get into a right-standing relationship with Him, and His covenants are designed for this purpose. Why doesn’t God save me? He has accomplished and provided for my salvation, but I have not yet entered into a relationship with Him. Why doesn’t God do everything we ask? He has done it. The point is— will I step into that covenant relationship? All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into a relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant.
Waiting for God to act is fleshly unbelief. It means that I have no faith in Him. I wait for Him to do something in me so I may trust in that. But God won’t do it, because that is not the basis of the God-and-man relationship. Man must go beyond the physical body and feelings in his covenant with God, just as God goes beyond Himself in reaching out with His covenant to man. It is a question of faith in God–a very rare thing. We only have faith in our feelings. I don’t believe God until He puts something tangible in my hand, so that I know I have it. Then I say, “Now I believe.” There is no faith exhibited in that. God says, “Look to Me, and be saved . . .” (Isaiah 45:22).
When I have really transacted business with God on the basis of His covenant, letting everything else go, there is no sense of personal achievement— no human ingredient in it at all. Instead, there is a complete overwhelming sense of being brought into union with God, and my life is transformed and radiates peace and joy.
雲中彩虹
我把虹放在雲彩中，這就可作我與地立約的記號了。 （創九13）
神的旨意是要人類與他有道德上的關係，而他的約就是為此。 [為什麼神不救我？ ]他已經救了我，只是我還沒有與他建立關係。 [為什麼神不作這個？又不作那個？ ]他已經做了，問題是我是否肯踏進這個約的關係裡？神一切大恩已經作成，不過我要先因他的約，與他建立關係，這一切才成為我的。
等待神是不信的化身，表示我對他不信任；我等待神在我裡面作事，好叫我可以信得過他。神不會這樣做，因為這不是神與人關係的基礎。在人與神的約中，人要離開自己，正如神在他與人的約中付出自己一樣。問題是在於我們對神的信心－－一樣非常難得的東西。我們往往只信自己的感覺；要神把東西放進我們手裡，知道實在有了，否則就不肯信。得著了，就說[如今我信了。 ]這並不是信。 [仰望我的，必然得救。 ]
我若當真與神立約，完全交託，不再自覺有功，不再有人的成分在內，只意識到完全與神合一，那時一切都會變得平安喜樂。
祈禱◆主啊，願你今天以充沛的能力，與及甜蜜的恩慈和美善，來感動我們每個人的生命；讓它有機會彰顯你的面容和能力。
November 13, 2012
Faith or Experience?
. . . the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me —Galatians 2:20
We should battle through our moods, feelings, and emotions into absolute devotion to the Lord Jesus. We must break out of our own little world of experience into abandoned devotion to Him. Think who the New Testament says Jesus Christ is, and then think of the despicable meagerness of the miserable faith we exhibit by saying, “I haven’t had this experience or that experience”! Think what faith in Jesus Christ claims and provides— He can present us faultless before the throne of God, inexpressibly pure, absolutely righteous, and profoundly justified. Stand in absolute adoring faith “in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . .” (1 Corinthians 1:30). How dare we talk of making a sacrifice for the Son of God! We are saved from hell and total destruction, and then we talk about making sacrifices!
We must continually focus and firmly place our faith in Jesus Christ— not a “prayer meeting” Jesus Christ, or a “book” Jesus Christ, but the New Testament Jesus Christ, who is God Incarnate, and who ought to strike us dead at His feet. Our faith must be in the One from whom our salvation springs. Jesus Christ wants our absolute, unrestrained devotion to Himself. We can never experience Jesus Christ, or selfishly bind Him in the confines of our own hearts. Our faith must be built on strong determined confidence in Him.
It is because of our trusting in experience that we see the steadfast impatience of the Holy Spirit against unbelief. All of our fears are sinful, and we create our own fears by refusing to nourish ourselves in our faith. How can anyone who is identified with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear! Our lives should be an absolute hymn of praise resulting from perfect, irrepressible, triumphant belief.
信心與經歷
……神的兒子……他是愛我，為我捨己。 （加二20）
我們要與自己的情緒搏鬥，完全歸向主耶穌；從自我的小圈子中出來，完全降服於他。試想想新約中的耶穌基督是誰，然後想想我們可憐的信心多麽渺小- [我沒有這種經歷，又沒有那種經歷！ ]試想想對主耶穌的資訊該存的指望- 他能把我們無可指摘地帶到神的寶座前，完全無瑕疵，完全改變稱義。我們要心存何等崇敬的信心。他成為我哦們的智慧、我們的義、我們的成聖與救贖。我們憑什麽說為神的兒子有所犧牲！從地獄和沈淪蒙救贖的人，竟膽敢說犧牲！
我們要經常保持對耶穌基督的信心；不是一個祈禱會裡的耶穌；不是一本書中的耶穌，乃是新約中的耶穌，是神成了肉身，把我們治死在他腳前的那一位。信心必須是對准給我們經歷的那一位。主耶穌要求我們毫無保留地歸他。我們實在無法經歷到主耶穌，也無法把他拘禁在我們心裡，可是信心卻對他有堅強不移的靠賴。在這一點上，我們看見聖靈對不信是多麽不耐煩。一切的恐懼都是可惡的，因為恐懼是源於我們不肯培育信心。人若與主合一，怎可能再落在恐懼疑惑裡？應該充滿無法抑制、得勝的信心凱歌。
祈禱◆主啊，願今天在我們眼前，展現你在我們當中那使人振奮和更新的臨在，為此我們只有欣喜，因為我們對永恆如何具體介入時間之中，有了新的盼望。
We should battle through our moods, feelings, and emotions into absolute devotion to the Lord Jesus. We must break out of our own little world of experience into abandoned devotion to Him. Think who the New Testament says Jesus Christ is, and then think of the despicable meagerness of the miserable faith we exhibit by saying, “I haven’t had this experience or that experience”! Think what faith in Jesus Christ claims and provides— He can present us faultless before the throne of God, inexpressibly pure, absolutely righteous, and profoundly justified. Stand in absolute adoring faith “in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God— and righteousness and sanctification and redemption . . .” (1 Corinthians 1:30). How dare we talk of making a sacrifice for the Son of God! We are saved from hell and total destruction, and then we talk about making sacrifices!
We must continually focus and firmly place our faith in Jesus Christ— not a “prayer meeting” Jesus Christ, or a “book” Jesus Christ, but the New Testament Jesus Christ, who is God Incarnate, and who ought to strike us dead at His feet. Our faith must be in the One from whom our salvation springs. Jesus Christ wants our absolute, unrestrained devotion to Himself. We can never experience Jesus Christ, or selfishly bind Him in the confines of our own hearts. Our faith must be built on strong determined confidence in Him.
It is because of our trusting in experience that we see the steadfast impatience of the Holy Spirit against unbelief. All of our fears are sinful, and we create our own fears by refusing to nourish ourselves in our faith. How can anyone who is identified with Jesus Christ suffer from doubt or fear! Our lives should be an absolute hymn of praise resulting from perfect, irrepressible, triumphant belief.
信心與經歷
……神的兒子……他是愛我，為我捨己。 （加二20）
我們要與自己的情緒搏鬥，完全歸向主耶穌；從自我的小圈子中出來，完全降服於他。試想想新約中的耶穌基督是誰，然後想想我們可憐的信心多麽渺小- [我沒有這種經歷，又沒有那種經歷！ ]試想想對主耶穌的資訊該存的指望- 他能把我們無可指摘地帶到神的寶座前，完全無瑕疵，完全改變稱義。我們要心存何等崇敬的信心。他成為我哦們的智慧、我們的義、我們的成聖與救贖。我們憑什麽說為神的兒子有所犧牲！從地獄和沈淪蒙救贖的人，竟膽敢說犧牲！
我們要經常保持對耶穌基督的信心；不是一個祈禱會裡的耶穌；不是一本書中的耶穌，乃是新約中的耶穌，是神成了肉身，把我們治死在他腳前的那一位。信心必須是對准給我們經歷的那一位。主耶穌要求我們毫無保留地歸他。我們實在無法經歷到主耶穌，也無法把他拘禁在我們心裡，可是信心卻對他有堅強不移的靠賴。在這一點上，我們看見聖靈對不信是多麽不耐煩。一切的恐懼都是可惡的，因為恐懼是源於我們不肯培育信心。人若與主合一，怎可能再落在恐懼疑惑裡？應該充滿無法抑制、得勝的信心凱歌。
祈禱◆主啊，願今天在我們眼前，展現你在我們當中那使人振奮和更新的臨在，為此我們只有欣喜，因為我們對永恆如何具體介入時間之中，有了新的盼望。
November 11, 2012
The Supreme Climb
He said, ’Take now your son . . .’ —Genesis 22:2
God’s command is, “Take now,” not later. It is incredible how we debate! We know something is right, but we try to find excuses for not doing it immediately. If we are to climb to the height God reveals, it can never be done later— it must be done now. And the sacrifice must be worked through our will before we actually perform it.
“So Abraham rose early in the morning . . . and went to the place of which God had told him” (Genesis 22:3). Oh, the wonderful simplicity of Abraham! When God spoke, he did not “confer with flesh and blood” (Galatians 1:16). Beware when you want to “confer with flesh and blood” or even your own thoughts, insights, or understandings— anything that is not based on your personal relationship with God. These are all things that compete with and hinder obedience to God.
Abraham did not choose what the sacrifice would be. Always guard against self-chosen service for God. Self-sacrifice may be a disease that impairs your service. If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; or even if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him. If the providential will of God means a hard and difficult time for you, go through it. But never decide the place of your own martyrdom, as if to say, “I will only go to there, but no farther.” God chose the test for Abraham, and Abraham neither delayed nor protested, but steadily obeyed. If you are not living in touch with God, it is easy to blame Him or pass judgment on Him. You must go through the trial before you have any right to pronounce a verdict, because by going through the trial you learn to know God better. God is working in us to reach His highest goals until His purpose and our purpose become one.
登峰造極
你帶著你的兒子……（創二十二2）
神的命令是：現在就帶去，不是等一會兒。我們辯論的伎倆是高超的，知道某件事是對的，但總設法找藉口拖延，不立刻去做。要攀上神的高峰，絕不可等一會兒，必須立刻去做。犧牲首先在意志裡作成；然後才有實際的行動。 [亞伯拉罕清早起來……起身往神指示他的地方去了。 ]（第3節）亞伯拉罕的單純多可愛！神對他說的話，他沒有與屬肉身的人商量。你要是想與屬肉身的人商量，就是與你的自憐和觀點，以及一切在你與神的個人關係以外的東西商量。那你就得當心，這些東西是爭奪並攔阻你對神的順服。
亞伯拉罕並沒有推薦自己去奉獻。總要提防自我揀選為神工作，自我犧牲可以是病態的。若神給你的杯是舔的，存感恩的心去喝；若苦的，就與他聯合去喝。若神為你鋪設的道路是困苦的，仍要走上去；但千萬不要挑選殉道。神揀選亞伯拉罕接受磨難，亞伯拉罕沒有異議，只勇往直前。你若非與神親密地一同生活，就很容易會指控神。在未有經歷磨難以先，你沒有權利下斷語，因為在磨難中，你會更認識神。神一直為他至高的目標而作工直至他的心意與人的心意合而為一。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，靠近我，進入我知覺的領域，直至我完全被你所佔有。願今天閃耀著你的能力。
God’s command is, “Take now,” not later. It is incredible how we debate! We know something is right, but we try to find excuses for not doing it immediately. If we are to climb to the height God reveals, it can never be done later— it must be done now. And the sacrifice must be worked through our will before we actually perform it.
“So Abraham rose early in the morning . . . and went to the place of which God had told him” (Genesis 22:3). Oh, the wonderful simplicity of Abraham! When God spoke, he did not “confer with flesh and blood” (Galatians 1:16). Beware when you want to “confer with flesh and blood” or even your own thoughts, insights, or understandings— anything that is not based on your personal relationship with God. These are all things that compete with and hinder obedience to God.
Abraham did not choose what the sacrifice would be. Always guard against self-chosen service for God. Self-sacrifice may be a disease that impairs your service. If God has made your cup sweet, drink it with grace; or even if He has made it bitter, drink it in communion with Him. If the providential will of God means a hard and difficult time for you, go through it. But never decide the place of your own martyrdom, as if to say, “I will only go to there, but no farther.” God chose the test for Abraham, and Abraham neither delayed nor protested, but steadily obeyed. If you are not living in touch with God, it is easy to blame Him or pass judgment on Him. You must go through the trial before you have any right to pronounce a verdict, because by going through the trial you learn to know God better. God is working in us to reach His highest goals until His purpose and our purpose become one.
登峰造極
你帶著你的兒子……（創二十二2）
神的命令是：現在就帶去，不是等一會兒。我們辯論的伎倆是高超的，知道某件事是對的，但總設法找藉口拖延，不立刻去做。要攀上神的高峰，絕不可等一會兒，必須立刻去做。犧牲首先在意志裡作成；然後才有實際的行動。 [亞伯拉罕清早起來……起身往神指示他的地方去了。 ]（第3節）亞伯拉罕的單純多可愛！神對他說的話，他沒有與屬肉身的人商量。你要是想與屬肉身的人商量，就是與你的自憐和觀點，以及一切在你與神的個人關係以外的東西商量。那你就得當心，這些東西是爭奪並攔阻你對神的順服。
亞伯拉罕並沒有推薦自己去奉獻。總要提防自我揀選為神工作，自我犧牲可以是病態的。若神給你的杯是舔的，存感恩的心去喝；若苦的，就與他聯合去喝。若神為你鋪設的道路是困苦的，仍要走上去；但千萬不要挑選殉道。神揀選亞伯拉罕接受磨難，亞伯拉罕沒有異議，只勇往直前。你若非與神親密地一同生活，就很容易會指控神。在未有經歷磨難以先，你沒有權利下斷語，因為在磨難中，你會更認識神。神一直為他至高的目標而作工直至他的心意與人的心意合而為一。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，靠近我，進入我知覺的領域，直至我完全被你所佔有。願今天閃耀著你的能力。
November 06, 2012
Intimate Theology
Do you believe this? —John 11:26
Martha believed in the power available to Jesus Christ; she believed that if He had been there He could have healed her brother; she also believed that Jesus had a special intimacy with God, and that whatever He asked of God, God would do. But— she needed a closer personal intimacy with Jesus. Martha’s theology had its fulfillment in the future. But Jesus continued to attract and draw her in until her belief became an intimate possession. It then slowly emerged into a personal inheritance— “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ . . .” (John 11:27).
Is the Lord dealing with you in the same way? Is Jesus teaching you to have a personal intimacy with Himself? Allow Him to drive His question home to you— “Do you believe this?” Are you facing an area of doubt in your life? Have you come, like Martha, to a crossroads of overwhelming circumstances where your theology is about to become a very personal belief? This happens only when a personal problem brings the awareness of our personal need.
To believe is to commit. In the area of intellectual learning I commit myself mentally, and reject anything not related to that belief. In the realm of personal belief I commit myself morally to my convictions and refuse to compromise. But in intimate personal belief I commit myself spiritually to Jesus Christ and make a determination to be dominated by Him alone.
Then, when I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and He says to me, “Do you believe this?” I find that faith is as natural as breathing. And I am staggered when I think how foolish I have been in not trusting Him earlier
信心歷程
你信這話麽？ （約十一26）
馬大相信耶穌有能力行事；她型心他若在場，就可以醫治她的弟弟。她也相信與神有特別的關係，他求神什麽，神都成就。可是，她需要與耶穌有更親密的個人關係。馬大的信心是在未來才實現的；耶穌領她體驗，直至信心成為她個人的財富，然後形成一個特有的產業- [主啊，是的，我信你是基督……]
主對你是否也一樣？主是否教導你，使你進入與他個人親密的關係裡？讓神的問題追逼你 - [你信這話麽？ ]你懷疑的是什麽？你所遭遇的，有否像馬大的一樣，把你帶到一處，叫你的信仰快要變成個人的信仰？這個地步，非透過難處而產生個人問題，不能達致。
相信就是完全委身。在心智上委身，就是把一切與這委身無關的事擯棄；在信仰上委身，在道德上就絕不與其他信仰妥協；在特殊信仰上委身，就把靈交給耶穌基督，決志只讓主居首位。當我面對主耶穌，他對我說：[你信這話麽？ ]我會發現信心像呼吸一樣自然，而詫異以往為何愚昧地不信靠。
祈禱◆主啊，並非基於任何不配的感覺，或自覺不足，或是任何關乎自己的思想；我來，只因你是你。
Martha believed in the power available to Jesus Christ; she believed that if He had been there He could have healed her brother; she also believed that Jesus had a special intimacy with God, and that whatever He asked of God, God would do. But— she needed a closer personal intimacy with Jesus. Martha’s theology had its fulfillment in the future. But Jesus continued to attract and draw her in until her belief became an intimate possession. It then slowly emerged into a personal inheritance— “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ . . .” (John 11:27).
Is the Lord dealing with you in the same way? Is Jesus teaching you to have a personal intimacy with Himself? Allow Him to drive His question home to you— “Do you believe this?” Are you facing an area of doubt in your life? Have you come, like Martha, to a crossroads of overwhelming circumstances where your theology is about to become a very personal belief? This happens only when a personal problem brings the awareness of our personal need.
To believe is to commit. In the area of intellectual learning I commit myself mentally, and reject anything not related to that belief. In the realm of personal belief I commit myself morally to my convictions and refuse to compromise. But in intimate personal belief I commit myself spiritually to Jesus Christ and make a determination to be dominated by Him alone.
Then, when I stand face to face with Jesus Christ and He says to me, “Do you believe this?” I find that faith is as natural as breathing. And I am staggered when I think how foolish I have been in not trusting Him earlier
信心歷程
你信這話麽？ （約十一26）
馬大相信耶穌有能力行事；她型心他若在場，就可以醫治她的弟弟。她也相信與神有特別的關係，他求神什麽，神都成就。可是，她需要與耶穌有更親密的個人關係。馬大的信心是在未來才實現的；耶穌領她體驗，直至信心成為她個人的財富，然後形成一個特有的產業- [主啊，是的，我信你是基督……]
主對你是否也一樣？主是否教導你，使你進入與他個人親密的關係裡？讓神的問題追逼你 - [你信這話麽？ ]你懷疑的是什麽？你所遭遇的，有否像馬大的一樣，把你帶到一處，叫你的信仰快要變成個人的信仰？這個地步，非透過難處而產生個人問題，不能達致。
相信就是完全委身。在心智上委身，就是把一切與這委身無關的事擯棄；在信仰上委身，在道德上就絕不與其他信仰妥協；在特殊信仰上委身，就把靈交給耶穌基督，決志只讓主居首位。當我面對主耶穌，他對我說：[你信這話麽？ ]我會發現信心像呼吸一樣自然，而詫異以往為何愚昧地不信靠。
祈禱◆主啊，並非基於任何不配的感覺，或自覺不足，或是任何關乎自己的思想；我來，只因你是你。
October 31, 2012
The Trial of Faith
If you have faith as a mustard seed . . . nothing will be impossible for you —Matthew 17:20
We have the idea that God rewards us for our faith, and it may be so in the initial stages. But we do not earn anything through faith— faith brings us into the right relationship with God and gives Him His opportunity to work. Yet God frequently has to knock the bottom out of your experience as His saint to get you in direct contact with Himself. God wants you to understand that it is a life of faith, not a life of emotional enjoyment of His blessings. The beginning of your life of faith was very narrow and intense, centered around a small amount of experience that had as much emotion as faith in it, and it was full of light and sweetness. Then God withdrew His conscious blessings to teach you to “walk by faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7). And you are worth much more to Him now than you were in your days of conscious delight with your thrilling testimony.
Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God’s character must be proven as trustworthy in our own minds. Faith being worked out into reality must experience times of unbroken isolation. Never confuse the trial of faith with the ordinary discipline of life, because a great deal of what we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive. Faith, as the Bible teaches it, is faith in God coming against everything that contradicts Him— a faith that says, “I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do.” The highest and the greatest expression of faith in the whole Bible is— “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).
信心的辨識
你們若有信心像一粒芥菜種（太十七20）
我們往往認為神會因我們的信心，報答我們。初時可能是這樣，但其實我們不能藉信心賺取什麼。信心使我們與神的關係正確，以致神有機會作工。你若是聖徒，神往往要把你的經驗底板抽去，好使你直接與他接觸。神要你明白，這是信心的生命，而不是情感化地享受他祝福的生命。你早期的信心生命是狹窄的、緊張的，環繞著一小撮光明的經歷，滿了陽光與甜蜜，可是其中信心的成他分，與常理的成他分差不多同等。後來神把可見的祝福挪開，教你行信心的路，你如今在他手上更有價值，遠超那些感覺喜樂、滿有激動見證的日子。
信心必須經過試驗。信心真正的考驗，不是在於我們覺得難以信靠神，而是在於我們對神的性情，必須有清楚的認識。信心的實現，必須經過一連串個別孤立的考驗。不要把信心的試驗與一般生活的操練混為一談。許多我們成為信心的考驗，不過是活在地上無法避免的事情。聖經中的信心，是在一切違反神自己的事上，還持定信神－－[不管神怎樣做，我必定忠於神的本性。 ][他雖然殺我，我仍要信靠他。 ]－－這是聖經中信心的最高表現。
祈禱◆主啊，今天早上，一堆微小但實際的事情擠進我的思想，我將它們直接帶到你的面前。你以智慧說：[住了吧！靜了吧！ ]願我們那接受你吩咐的生命，承認你的平靜是何等美好。
We have the idea that God rewards us for our faith, and it may be so in the initial stages. But we do not earn anything through faith— faith brings us into the right relationship with God and gives Him His opportunity to work. Yet God frequently has to knock the bottom out of your experience as His saint to get you in direct contact with Himself. God wants you to understand that it is a life of faith, not a life of emotional enjoyment of His blessings. The beginning of your life of faith was very narrow and intense, centered around a small amount of experience that had as much emotion as faith in it, and it was full of light and sweetness. Then God withdrew His conscious blessings to teach you to “walk by faith” (2 Corinthians 5:7). And you are worth much more to Him now than you were in your days of conscious delight with your thrilling testimony.
Faith by its very nature must be tested and tried. And the real trial of faith is not that we find it difficult to trust God, but that God’s character must be proven as trustworthy in our own minds. Faith being worked out into reality must experience times of unbroken isolation. Never confuse the trial of faith with the ordinary discipline of life, because a great deal of what we call the trial of faith is the inevitable result of being alive. Faith, as the Bible teaches it, is faith in God coming against everything that contradicts Him— a faith that says, “I will remain true to God’s character whatever He may do.” The highest and the greatest expression of faith in the whole Bible is— “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him” (Job 13:15).
信心的辨識
你們若有信心像一粒芥菜種（太十七20）
我們往往認為神會因我們的信心，報答我們。初時可能是這樣，但其實我們不能藉信心賺取什麼。信心使我們與神的關係正確，以致神有機會作工。你若是聖徒，神往往要把你的經驗底板抽去，好使你直接與他接觸。神要你明白，這是信心的生命，而不是情感化地享受他祝福的生命。你早期的信心生命是狹窄的、緊張的，環繞著一小撮光明的經歷，滿了陽光與甜蜜，可是其中信心的成他分，與常理的成他分差不多同等。後來神把可見的祝福挪開，教你行信心的路，你如今在他手上更有價值，遠超那些感覺喜樂、滿有激動見證的日子。
信心必須經過試驗。信心真正的考驗，不是在於我們覺得難以信靠神，而是在於我們對神的性情，必須有清楚的認識。信心的實現，必須經過一連串個別孤立的考驗。不要把信心的試驗與一般生活的操練混為一談。許多我們成為信心的考驗，不過是活在地上無法避免的事情。聖經中的信心，是在一切違反神自己的事上，還持定信神－－[不管神怎樣做，我必定忠於神的本性。 ][他雖然殺我，我仍要信靠他。 ]－－這是聖經中信心的最高表現。
祈禱◆主啊，今天早上，一堆微小但實際的事情擠進我的思想，我將它們直接帶到你的面前。你以智慧說：[住了吧！靜了吧！ ]願我們那接受你吩咐的生命，承認你的平靜是何等美好。
October 30, 2012
Faith
Without faith it is impossible to please Him . . . —Hebrews 11:6
Faith in active opposition to common sense is mistaken enthusiasm and narrow-mindedness, and common sense in opposition to faith demonstrates a mistaken reliance on reason as the basis for truth. The life of faith brings the two of these into the proper relationship. Common sense and faith are as different from each other as the natural life is from the spiritual, and as impulsiveness is from inspiration. Nothing that Jesus Christ ever said is common sense, but is revelation sense, and is complete, whereas common sense falls short. Yet faith must be tested and tried before it becomes real in your life. “We know that all things work together for good . . .” (Romans 8:28) so that no matter what happens, the transforming power of God’s providence transforms perfect faith into reality. Faith always works in a personal way, because the purpose of God is to see that perfect faith is made real in His children.
For every detail of common sense in life, there is a truth God has revealed by which we can prove in our practical experience what we believe God to be. Faith is a tremendously active principle that always puts Jesus Christ first. The life of faith says, “Lord, You have said it, it appears to be irrational, but I’m going to step out boldly, trusting in Your Word” (for example, see Matthew 6:33). Turning intellectual faith into our personal possession is always a fight, not just sometimes. God brings us into particular circumstances to educate our faith, because the nature of faith is to make the object of our faith very real to us. Until we know Jesus, God is merely a concept, and we can’t have faith in Him. But once we hear Jesus say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9) we immediately have something that is real, and our faith is limitless. Faith is the entire person in the right relationship with God through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
信
人非有信，就不能得神的喜悅。 （來十一6）
反常理的信心，是宗教狂熱；反信心的常理，是理性主義。信心的生活卻將二者調和成正確的關係。常理不是信心，信心也非常理。二者代表了自然與超然的關係，直覺與啟示的關係。耶穌基督所說的一切話，非從常理，乃從啟示，在常理無效之際，他的話依然有效。信心必須受試驗，然後這信心才真實。 [我們知道萬事都互相效力]，這樣，無論什麼事發生，神的煉金術總能把理想的信心，變作實際。信心必須從個人開始，神整個計劃就是使理想的信心，在他兒女身上實現。
日常生活中每一細節，都在啟示神，叫我們可以在實際經歷中，證實我們所信的。信心是一項極主動的原則，總把主耶穌放在首位－－[主啊，你這樣說過（太六33），看來全不合理，但我要依你的話去做。 ]若要把頭腦的信心變成個人產業，便市場都要經歷爭戰，不是偶爾經歷。神放我們在某一環境中，是要教育我們的信心；但一旦聽見耶穌說：[人看見了我，就看見了父。 ]我們就有了實際的東西，信心就毫無止境。信心就是透過耶穌基督的能力，全人與神建立正確的關係。
祈禱◆但如今，[神啊，求你堅固我的守]－－主啊，請在這一刻，到我這裡來，以你自己來充滿我，那麼，我便不會再有未滿足的渴求。
Faith in active opposition to common sense is mistaken enthusiasm and narrow-mindedness, and common sense in opposition to faith demonstrates a mistaken reliance on reason as the basis for truth. The life of faith brings the two of these into the proper relationship. Common sense and faith are as different from each other as the natural life is from the spiritual, and as impulsiveness is from inspiration. Nothing that Jesus Christ ever said is common sense, but is revelation sense, and is complete, whereas common sense falls short. Yet faith must be tested and tried before it becomes real in your life. “We know that all things work together for good . . .” (Romans 8:28) so that no matter what happens, the transforming power of God’s providence transforms perfect faith into reality. Faith always works in a personal way, because the purpose of God is to see that perfect faith is made real in His children.
For every detail of common sense in life, there is a truth God has revealed by which we can prove in our practical experience what we believe God to be. Faith is a tremendously active principle that always puts Jesus Christ first. The life of faith says, “Lord, You have said it, it appears to be irrational, but I’m going to step out boldly, trusting in Your Word” (for example, see Matthew 6:33). Turning intellectual faith into our personal possession is always a fight, not just sometimes. God brings us into particular circumstances to educate our faith, because the nature of faith is to make the object of our faith very real to us. Until we know Jesus, God is merely a concept, and we can’t have faith in Him. But once we hear Jesus say, “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9) we immediately have something that is real, and our faith is limitless. Faith is the entire person in the right relationship with God through the power of the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
信
人非有信，就不能得神的喜悅。 （來十一6）
反常理的信心，是宗教狂熱；反信心的常理，是理性主義。信心的生活卻將二者調和成正確的關係。常理不是信心，信心也非常理。二者代表了自然與超然的關係，直覺與啟示的關係。耶穌基督所說的一切話，非從常理，乃從啟示，在常理無效之際，他的話依然有效。信心必須受試驗，然後這信心才真實。 [我們知道萬事都互相效力]，這樣，無論什麼事發生，神的煉金術總能把理想的信心，變作實際。信心必須從個人開始，神整個計劃就是使理想的信心，在他兒女身上實現。
日常生活中每一細節，都在啟示神，叫我們可以在實際經歷中，證實我們所信的。信心是一項極主動的原則，總把主耶穌放在首位－－[主啊，你這樣說過（太六33），看來全不合理，但我要依你的話去做。 ]若要把頭腦的信心變成個人產業，便市場都要經歷爭戰，不是偶爾經歷。神放我們在某一環境中，是要教育我們的信心；但一旦聽見耶穌說：[人看見了我，就看見了父。 ]我們就有了實際的東西，信心就毫無止境。信心就是透過耶穌基督的能力，全人與神建立正確的關係。
祈禱◆但如今，[神啊，求你堅固我的守]－－主啊，請在這一刻，到我這裡來，以你自己來充滿我，那麼，我便不會再有未滿足的渴求。
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 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。
September 12, 2012
Going Through Spiritual Confusion
Jesus answered and said, ’You do not know what you ask’ —Matthew 20:22
There are times in your spiritual life when there is confusion, and the way out of it is not simply to say that you should not be confused. It is not a matter of right and wrong, but a matter of God taking you through a way that you temporarily do not understand. And it is only by going through the spiritual confusion that you will come to the understanding of what God wants for you.
The Shrouding of His Friendship (see Luke 11:5-8). Jesus gave the illustration here of a man who appears not to care for his friend. He was saying, in effect, that is how the heavenly Father will appear to you at times. You will think that He is an unkind friend, but remember?He is not. The time will come when everything will be explained. There seems to be a cloud on the friendship of the heart, and often even love itself has to wait in pain and tears for the blessing of fuller fellowship and oneness. When God appears to be completely shrouded, will you hang on with confidence in Him?
The Shadow on His Fatherhood (see Luke 11:11-13). Jesus said that there are times when your Father will appear as if He were an unnatural father?as if He were callous and indifferent— but remember, He is not. “Everyone who asks receives . . .” (Luke 11:10). If all you see is a shadow on the face of the Father right now, hang on to the fact that He will ultimately give you clear understanding and will fully justify Himself in everything that He has allowed into your life.
The Strangeness of His Faithfulness (see Luke 18:1-8). “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Will He find the kind of faith that counts on Him in spite of the confusion? Stand firm in faith, believing that what Jesus said is true, although in the meantime you do not understand what God is doing. He has bigger issues at stake than the particular things you are asking of Him right now.
屬靈的困惑
你們不知道所求的是什麼。 （太二十22）
在屬靈生命中，有時會有困惑的時刻；若強說沒有是解決不了問題的。這不是對或不對的問題，而是神有時要領你走一條你不明白的路，只有經過了這一段困惑時期，你才知道神想要的是甚麼。
他的友情隱藏了（路十一5-8）。耶穌比喻中的那個人，好像對他的朋友漠不關心；有時候，在我們看來，天父也好像那個人。時候到了，一切都會明朗。心中的友情被雲層遮蔽，有時連愛本身也要在痛苦與眼淚中等待那更完全契合的福氣。當神似乎完全隱藏了，你能否依然因著對他的信心而堅持？
他的父愛在陰影裡（路十一11-13）。耶穌說，天父有時像一個不近人情的父親，冷漠不仁；要記住他不是這樣的。我已告訴你：[凡祈求的就得著。 ]若此刻他的臉被陰影遮蔽，要持守到底，因為至終他必向你清楚解明，叫你知道他所容許的事都有其用意。
他信實不比尋常（路十八1-8）。 [人子來的時候，遇得見世上有信德麼？ ]他能否找到在困惑中仍緊抓著他信心的人？要在信心中起步，知道耶穌所說的是可信的，雖然當時你不明白他所作的。在你所祈求的事以外，神還有更重大更危急的事。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，今天我將要奉你的名傳講你的資訊，但我至今仍沒有聖靈的感動。噢，因著耶穌基督的緣故，求你將你的思想傳達至我那靈性遲緩的腦袋中。
There are times in your spiritual life when there is confusion, and the way out of it is not simply to say that you should not be confused. It is not a matter of right and wrong, but a matter of God taking you through a way that you temporarily do not understand. And it is only by going through the spiritual confusion that you will come to the understanding of what God wants for you.
The Shrouding of His Friendship (see Luke 11:5-8). Jesus gave the illustration here of a man who appears not to care for his friend. He was saying, in effect, that is how the heavenly Father will appear to you at times. You will think that He is an unkind friend, but remember?He is not. The time will come when everything will be explained. There seems to be a cloud on the friendship of the heart, and often even love itself has to wait in pain and tears for the blessing of fuller fellowship and oneness. When God appears to be completely shrouded, will you hang on with confidence in Him?
The Shadow on His Fatherhood (see Luke 11:11-13). Jesus said that there are times when your Father will appear as if He were an unnatural father?as if He were callous and indifferent— but remember, He is not. “Everyone who asks receives . . .” (Luke 11:10). If all you see is a shadow on the face of the Father right now, hang on to the fact that He will ultimately give you clear understanding and will fully justify Himself in everything that He has allowed into your life.
The Strangeness of His Faithfulness (see Luke 18:1-8). “When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8). Will He find the kind of faith that counts on Him in spite of the confusion? Stand firm in faith, believing that what Jesus said is true, although in the meantime you do not understand what God is doing. He has bigger issues at stake than the particular things you are asking of Him right now.
屬靈的困惑
你們不知道所求的是什麼。 （太二十22）
在屬靈生命中，有時會有困惑的時刻；若強說沒有是解決不了問題的。這不是對或不對的問題，而是神有時要領你走一條你不明白的路，只有經過了這一段困惑時期，你才知道神想要的是甚麼。
他的友情隱藏了（路十一5-8）。耶穌比喻中的那個人，好像對他的朋友漠不關心；有時候，在我們看來，天父也好像那個人。時候到了，一切都會明朗。心中的友情被雲層遮蔽，有時連愛本身也要在痛苦與眼淚中等待那更完全契合的福氣。當神似乎完全隱藏了，你能否依然因著對他的信心而堅持？
他的父愛在陰影裡（路十一11-13）。耶穌說，天父有時像一個不近人情的父親，冷漠不仁；要記住他不是這樣的。我已告訴你：[凡祈求的就得著。 ]若此刻他的臉被陰影遮蔽，要持守到底，因為至終他必向你清楚解明，叫你知道他所容許的事都有其用意。
他信實不比尋常（路十八1-8）。 [人子來的時候，遇得見世上有信德麼？ ]他能否找到在困惑中仍緊抓著他信心的人？要在信心中起步，知道耶穌所說的是可信的，雖然當時你不明白他所作的。在你所祈求的事以外，神還有更重大更危急的事。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，今天我將要奉你的名傳講你的資訊，但我至今仍沒有聖靈的感動。噢，因著耶穌基督的緣故，求你將你的思想傳達至我那靈性遲緩的腦袋中。
August 29, 2012
The Unsurpassed Intimacy of Tested Faith
Jesus said to her, ’Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’ —John 11:40
Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture out with courage on the words of Jesus Christ, while the realities of your commonsense life continue to shout, “It’s all a lie”? When you are on the mountaintop, it’s easy to say, “Oh yes, I believe God can do it,” but you have to come down from the mountain to the demon-possessed valley and face the realities that scoff at your Mount-of-Transfiguration belief (see Luke 9:28-42). Every time my theology becomes clear to my own mind, I encounter something that contradicts it. As soon as I say, “I believe ’God shall supply all [my] need,’ ” the testing of my faith begins (Philippians 4:19). When my strength runs dry and my vision is blinded, will I endure this trial of my faith victoriously or will I turn back in defeat?
Faith must be tested, because it can only become your intimate possession through conflict. What is challenging your faith right now? The test will either prove your faith right, or it will kill it. Jesus said, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” Matthew 11:6). The ultimate thing is confidence in Jesus. “We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end . . .” (Hebrews 3:14). Believe steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges you will strengthen your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith up to the point of our physical death, which is the last great test. Faith is absolute trust in God— trust that could never imagine that He would forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5-6).
無比的親密
我不是對你說過，你若信，就必看見神的榮耀麼？ （約十一40）
每次你憑信心出去闖蕩，總會發覺在常理的環境下，有些事物是完全違反你的信心的。常理並不是信心，信心也不是常理，二者的關係就是天然生命與屬靈生命之間的關係。當理性叫你不能信靠主，你仍能堅信他麼？當生活中的事實高呼這是[謊話]，你能否依然信靠主的話勇往直前？在山上很容易說：[我相信神會成就。 ]但你必須下到鬼附的山谷去，面對諷刺的現實－－對你山上變像信念當面譏諷的現實。每次在我清楚自己有信心時，就必遇到與信心互相抵觸的事情。我若說相信神會供給我需用的一切，然後不名一文，又沒有出路，那我能否通得過這信心得考驗？還是會倒退？
信心必須受試驗，只有經過爭戰，信心才能成為你個人得產業。你的信心如今遇何試煉？這試煉或證明你的信心正確，或會置之於死地。 [凡不因我跌倒的，就有福了。 ]最終的目標是對主的信靠。堅定信靠他，一切反對的事物智慧更堅定你的信心。信心的生活要不斷經歷考驗，而最後最大的考驗，就是死。求神保守我們常裝備好去作戰：信心是對神說不出來的信任，絕不去想神不支持我們。
祈禱◆噢，我驚訝自己竟那麼遲緩去發出讚美；願你使我快速而正確地讚美你。願你賜給我適當的感覺，強烈地認知到你的美善，以致我能使你的內心充滿喜樂滿足。
Every time you venture out in your life of faith, you will find something in your circumstances that, from a commonsense standpoint, will flatly contradict your faith. But common sense is not faith, and faith is not common sense. In fact, they are as different as the natural life and the spiritual. Can you trust Jesus Christ where your common sense cannot trust Him? Can you venture out with courage on the words of Jesus Christ, while the realities of your commonsense life continue to shout, “It’s all a lie”? When you are on the mountaintop, it’s easy to say, “Oh yes, I believe God can do it,” but you have to come down from the mountain to the demon-possessed valley and face the realities that scoff at your Mount-of-Transfiguration belief (see Luke 9:28-42). Every time my theology becomes clear to my own mind, I encounter something that contradicts it. As soon as I say, “I believe ’God shall supply all [my] need,’ ” the testing of my faith begins (Philippians 4:19). When my strength runs dry and my vision is blinded, will I endure this trial of my faith victoriously or will I turn back in defeat?
Faith must be tested, because it can only become your intimate possession through conflict. What is challenging your faith right now? The test will either prove your faith right, or it will kill it. Jesus said, “Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me” Matthew 11:6). The ultimate thing is confidence in Jesus. “We have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end . . .” (Hebrews 3:14). Believe steadfastly on Him and everything that challenges you will strengthen your faith. There is continual testing in the life of faith up to the point of our physical death, which is the last great test. Faith is absolute trust in God— trust that could never imagine that He would forsake us (see Hebrews 13:5-6).
無比的親密
我不是對你說過，你若信，就必看見神的榮耀麼？ （約十一40）
每次你憑信心出去闖蕩，總會發覺在常理的環境下，有些事物是完全違反你的信心的。常理並不是信心，信心也不是常理，二者的關係就是天然生命與屬靈生命之間的關係。當理性叫你不能信靠主，你仍能堅信他麼？當生活中的事實高呼這是[謊話]，你能否依然信靠主的話勇往直前？在山上很容易說：[我相信神會成就。 ]但你必須下到鬼附的山谷去，面對諷刺的現實－－對你山上變像信念當面譏諷的現實。每次在我清楚自己有信心時，就必遇到與信心互相抵觸的事情。我若說相信神會供給我需用的一切，然後不名一文，又沒有出路，那我能否通得過這信心得考驗？還是會倒退？
信心必須受試驗，只有經過爭戰，信心才能成為你個人得產業。你的信心如今遇何試煉？這試煉或證明你的信心正確，或會置之於死地。 [凡不因我跌倒的，就有福了。 ]最終的目標是對主的信靠。堅定信靠他，一切反對的事物智慧更堅定你的信心。信心的生活要不斷經歷考驗，而最後最大的考驗，就是死。求神保守我們常裝備好去作戰：信心是對神說不出來的信任，絕不去想神不支持我們。
祈禱◆噢，我驚訝自己竟那麼遲緩去發出讚美；願你使我快速而正確地讚美你。願你賜給我適當的感覺，強烈地認知到你的美善，以致我能使你的內心充滿喜樂滿足。
August 16, 2012
Does He Know Me . . . ?
He calls his own . . . by name . . . —John 10:3
When I have sadly misunderstood Him? (see John 20:11-18). It is possible to know all about doctrine and still not know Jesus. A person’s soul is in grave danger when the knowledge of doctrine surpasses Jesus, avoiding intimate touch with Him. Why was Mary weeping? Doctrine meant no more to her than the grass under her feet. In fact, any Pharisee could have made a fool of Mary doctrinally, but one thing they could never ridicule was the fact that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her (see Luke 8:2); yet His blessings were nothing to her in comparison with knowing Jesus Himself. “. . . she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. . . . Jesus said to her, ’Mary!’ ” (John 20:14, 16). Once He called Mary by her name, she immediately knew that she had a personal history with the One who spoke. “She turned and said to Him, ’Rabboni!’ ” (John 20:16).
When I have stubbornly doubted? (see John 20:24-29). Have I been doubting something about Jesus— maybe an experience to which others testify, but which I have not yet experienced? The other disciples said to Thomas, “We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25). But Thomas doubted, saying, “Unless I see . . . I will not believe” (John 20:25). Thomas needed the personal touch of Jesus. When His touches will come we never know, but when they do come they are indescribably precious. “Thomas . . . said to Him, ’My Lord and my God!’ ” (John 20:28).
When I have selfishly denied Him? (see John 21:15-17). Peter denied Jesus Christ with oaths and curses (see Matthew 26:69-75), and yet after His resurrection Jesus appeared to Peter alone. Jesus restored Peter in private, and then He restored him publicly before the others. And Peter said to Him, “Lord . . . You know that I love You” (John 21:17).
Do I have a personal history with Jesus Christ? The one true sign of discipleship is intimate oneness with Him— a knowledge of Jesus that nothing can shake.
認識我麼？
他按著名叫自己的羊。 （約十3）
當我誤會他時，他認識我麼？ （約二十17）人可以認識所有教義，卻不一定認識耶穌。若教義的只是霸占了與主的相親，那人就陷入危機裡。馬利亞為什麼哭？教義對馬利亞來說，無重於腳下的草。任何法利賽人都可以在教義上愚弄馬利亞，可是有一件事實卻是他們無法抹煞的；耶穌曾從她身上趕出七個鬼。不過他的賜福，絕對比不上他自己。馬利亞[看見耶穌站在那裡，卻不知道是耶穌。 ]但當她一聽見祂的聲音，便立刻知道說話的那一位原與她有關係。 [夫子！ ]
在我固執地懷疑時，他認識我麼？ （約二十27）我有沒有對主某一方面存疑－－懷疑人家的見證，因為我沒有那樣的經歷？門徒告訴多馬看見了主，多馬卻懷疑－－[我非看見……我總不信。 ]多馬需要主耶穌個人的接觸。他什麼時候觸摸，怎樣觸摸，我們不曉得，但當這臨到，是何等的寶貴哩。 [我的主，我的神！ ]
我自私地不認他時，他認識我麼？ （約二十一15-17）彼得曾發咒起誓不認耶穌，但主復活以後，卻單獨向他顯現。祂扶起他，然後又在別人面前復興他。 [主啊，你知道我愛你！ ]（約二十15-17）我與耶穌基督有沒有一段個人的歷史？門徒的標記之一，就是與主緊密的聯繫，深切的認識祂，以致任何東西也不能搖動對祂的信心。
祈禱◆我們所需要的就只有你！願今天我們與你的親密關係，成為永遠難忘的日子！
When I have sadly misunderstood Him? (see John 20:11-18). It is possible to know all about doctrine and still not know Jesus. A person’s soul is in grave danger when the knowledge of doctrine surpasses Jesus, avoiding intimate touch with Him. Why was Mary weeping? Doctrine meant no more to her than the grass under her feet. In fact, any Pharisee could have made a fool of Mary doctrinally, but one thing they could never ridicule was the fact that Jesus had cast seven demons out of her (see Luke 8:2); yet His blessings were nothing to her in comparison with knowing Jesus Himself. “. . . she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. . . . Jesus said to her, ’Mary!’ ” (John 20:14, 16). Once He called Mary by her name, she immediately knew that she had a personal history with the One who spoke. “She turned and said to Him, ’Rabboni!’ ” (John 20:16).
When I have stubbornly doubted? (see John 20:24-29). Have I been doubting something about Jesus— maybe an experience to which others testify, but which I have not yet experienced? The other disciples said to Thomas, “We have seen the Lord” (John 20:25). But Thomas doubted, saying, “Unless I see . . . I will not believe” (John 20:25). Thomas needed the personal touch of Jesus. When His touches will come we never know, but when they do come they are indescribably precious. “Thomas . . . said to Him, ’My Lord and my God!’ ” (John 20:28).
When I have selfishly denied Him? (see John 21:15-17). Peter denied Jesus Christ with oaths and curses (see Matthew 26:69-75), and yet after His resurrection Jesus appeared to Peter alone. Jesus restored Peter in private, and then He restored him publicly before the others. And Peter said to Him, “Lord . . . You know that I love You” (John 21:17).
Do I have a personal history with Jesus Christ? The one true sign of discipleship is intimate oneness with Him— a knowledge of Jesus that nothing can shake.
認識我麼？
他按著名叫自己的羊。 （約十3）
當我誤會他時，他認識我麼？ （約二十17）人可以認識所有教義，卻不一定認識耶穌。若教義的只是霸占了與主的相親，那人就陷入危機裡。馬利亞為什麼哭？教義對馬利亞來說，無重於腳下的草。任何法利賽人都可以在教義上愚弄馬利亞，可是有一件事實卻是他們無法抹煞的；耶穌曾從她身上趕出七個鬼。不過他的賜福，絕對比不上他自己。馬利亞[看見耶穌站在那裡，卻不知道是耶穌。 ]但當她一聽見祂的聲音，便立刻知道說話的那一位原與她有關係。 [夫子！ ]
在我固執地懷疑時，他認識我麼？ （約二十27）我有沒有對主某一方面存疑－－懷疑人家的見證，因為我沒有那樣的經歷？門徒告訴多馬看見了主，多馬卻懷疑－－[我非看見……我總不信。 ]多馬需要主耶穌個人的接觸。他什麼時候觸摸，怎樣觸摸，我們不曉得，但當這臨到，是何等的寶貴哩。 [我的主，我的神！ ]
我自私地不認他時，他認識我麼？ （約二十一15-17）彼得曾發咒起誓不認耶穌，但主復活以後，卻單獨向他顯現。祂扶起他，然後又在別人面前復興他。 [主啊，你知道我愛你！ ]（約二十15-17）我與耶穌基督有沒有一段個人的歷史？門徒的標記之一，就是與主緊密的聯繫，深切的認識祂，以致任何東西也不能搖動對祂的信心。
祈禱◆我們所需要的就只有你！願今天我們與你的親密關係，成為永遠難忘的日子！
August 11, 2012
This Experience Must Come
Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha . . . saw him no more —2 Kings 2:11-12
It is not wrong for you to depend on your “Elijah” for as long as God gives him to you. But remember that the time will come when he must leave and will no longer be your guide and your leader, because God does not intend for him to stay. Even the thought of that causes you to say, “I cannot continue without my ’Elijah.’ ” Yet God says you must continue.
Alone at Your “Jordan” (2 Kings 2:14). The Jordan River represents the type of separation where you have no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one else can take your responsibility from you. You now have to put to the test what you learned when you were with your “Elijah.” You have been to the Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are facing it alone. There is no use in saying that you cannot go— the experience is here, and you must go. If you truly want to know whether or not God is the God your faith believes Him to be, then go through your “Jordan” alone.
Alone at Your “Jericho” (2 Kings 2:15). Jericho represents the place where you have seen your “Elijah” do great things. Yet when you come alone to your “Jericho,” you have a strong reluctance to take the initiative and trust in God, wanting, instead, for someone else to take it for you. But if you remain true to what you learned while with your “Elijah,” you will receive a sign, as Elisha did, that God is with you.
Alone at Your “Bethel” (2 Kings 2:23). At your “Bethel” you will find yourself at your wits’ end but at the beginning of God’s wisdom. When you come to your wits’ end and feel inclined to panic— don’t! Stand true to God and He will bring out His truth in a way that will make your life an expression of worship. Put into practice what you learned while with your “Elijah”— use his mantle and pray (see 2 Kings 2:13-14). Make a determination to trust in God, and do not even look for Elijah anymore.
必會臨到的經歷
以後不再見他了。 （王下二12）
倚賴以利亞是沒有錯的，只要是神把他給你；可是別忘記，總有一天他會離開。他不再做你的領導，因為神認為他不應該再做你的領導。你會說：[沒有以利亞，我無法前行。 ]但神說你一定要前行。
獨自在你的約但（14節）。約但是分離的表徵，表示再沒有人與你相交，沒有人分擔你的責任。你必須把從以利亞學習所得的，拿出來考驗。你跟以利亞過約但河不知有多少次了，但如今你得獨自面對。空說不能過，是沒有用處的。這事已經臨到，你必定要前行。你若要知道神是否如你所信的一樣，就得單獨的過你的約但河。
獨自在你的耶利哥（15節）。你曾在耶利哥看見以利亞行大事，但當你來到自己的耶利哥，就退縮，不肯主動去信靠神，只想別人去替你擔當。可是，你若遵從以利亞所學的，就必得著神與你同在。
獨自在你的伯利恆（23節）。在伯利恆你來到自己才智的盡頭，這卻是神智慧的開端。千萬不可在智窮力竭時，仆倒恐慌之中，要緊靠著神，忠於他，他自有方法把真理顯明，使你的生命成聖。把你跟以利亞所學的行出來，用他的外衣和他的祈禱。立志信靠神，不要再尋找你的以利亞了。
祈禱◆主啊，我餓生命是如此傾斜，如此充滿漏洞，求你今天讓我全神貫注於你！願我回到你的家中，重新過著完全倚靠你的生活。
It is not wrong for you to depend on your “Elijah” for as long as God gives him to you. But remember that the time will come when he must leave and will no longer be your guide and your leader, because God does not intend for him to stay. Even the thought of that causes you to say, “I cannot continue without my ’Elijah.’ ” Yet God says you must continue.
Alone at Your “Jordan” (2 Kings 2:14). The Jordan River represents the type of separation where you have no fellowship with anyone else, and where no one else can take your responsibility from you. You now have to put to the test what you learned when you were with your “Elijah.” You have been to the Jordan over and over again with Elijah, but now you are facing it alone. There is no use in saying that you cannot go— the experience is here, and you must go. If you truly want to know whether or not God is the God your faith believes Him to be, then go through your “Jordan” alone.
Alone at Your “Jericho” (2 Kings 2:15). Jericho represents the place where you have seen your “Elijah” do great things. Yet when you come alone to your “Jericho,” you have a strong reluctance to take the initiative and trust in God, wanting, instead, for someone else to take it for you. But if you remain true to what you learned while with your “Elijah,” you will receive a sign, as Elisha did, that God is with you.
Alone at Your “Bethel” (2 Kings 2:23). At your “Bethel” you will find yourself at your wits’ end but at the beginning of God’s wisdom. When you come to your wits’ end and feel inclined to panic— don’t! Stand true to God and He will bring out His truth in a way that will make your life an expression of worship. Put into practice what you learned while with your “Elijah”— use his mantle and pray (see 2 Kings 2:13-14). Make a determination to trust in God, and do not even look for Elijah anymore.
必會臨到的經歷
以後不再見他了。 （王下二12）
倚賴以利亞是沒有錯的，只要是神把他給你；可是別忘記，總有一天他會離開。他不再做你的領導，因為神認為他不應該再做你的領導。你會說：[沒有以利亞，我無法前行。 ]但神說你一定要前行。
獨自在你的約但（14節）。約但是分離的表徵，表示再沒有人與你相交，沒有人分擔你的責任。你必須把從以利亞學習所得的，拿出來考驗。你跟以利亞過約但河不知有多少次了，但如今你得獨自面對。空說不能過，是沒有用處的。這事已經臨到，你必定要前行。你若要知道神是否如你所信的一樣，就得單獨的過你的約但河。
獨自在你的耶利哥（15節）。你曾在耶利哥看見以利亞行大事，但當你來到自己的耶利哥，就退縮，不肯主動去信靠神，只想別人去替你擔當。可是，你若遵從以利亞所學的，就必得著神與你同在。
獨自在你的伯利恆（23節）。在伯利恆你來到自己才智的盡頭，這卻是神智慧的開端。千萬不可在智窮力竭時，仆倒恐慌之中，要緊靠著神，忠於他，他自有方法把真理顯明，使你的生命成聖。把你跟以利亞所學的行出來，用他的外衣和他的祈禱。立志信靠神，不要再尋找你的以利亞了。
祈禱◆主啊，我餓生命是如此傾斜，如此充滿漏洞，求你今天讓我全神貫注於你！願我回到你的家中，重新過著完全倚靠你的生活。
July 29, 2012
Do You See Jesus in Your Clouds?
Behold, He is coming with clouds . . . —Revelation 1:7
In the Bible clouds are always associated with God. Clouds are the sorrows, sufferings, or providential circumstances, within or without our personal lives, which actually seem to contradict the sovereignty of God. Yet it is through these very clouds that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith. If there were never any clouds in our lives, we would have no faith. “The clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:3). They are a sign that God is there. What a revelation it is to know that sorrow, bereavement, and suffering are actually the clouds that come along with God! God cannot come near us without clouds— He does not come in clear-shining brightness.
It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials. Through every cloud He brings our way, He wants us to unlearn something. His purpose in using the cloud is to simplify our beliefs until our relationship with Him is exactly like that of a child— a relationship simply between God and our own souls, and where other people are but shadows. Until other people become shadows to us, clouds and darkness will be ours every once in a while. Is our relationship with God becoming more simple than it has ever been?
There is a connection between the strange providential circumstances allowed by God and what we know of Him, and we have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God. Until we can come face to face with the deepest, darkest fact of life without damaging our view of God’s character, we do not yet know Him.
“. . . they were fearful as they entered the cloud” (Luke 9:34). Is there anyone except Jesus in your cloud? If so, it will only get darker until you get to the place where there is “no one anymore, but only Jesus . . .” (Mark 9:8 ; also see Mark 2-7).
你在雲中看見什麼？
看哪，他駕雲降臨。 （啟一7）
在聖經裡，云總與神有關。雲就是我們個人生命中里里外外的悲哀痛苦，這些似乎與神的本質相違，但神的靈卻正用這些雲教我們在信心中行走。若沒有云，就無法有信心。 [云不過是我父腳下的塵。 ]雲是他在這裡的表徵，當我們明白愁苦是與神一起來的雲，那是何等的啟示啊！沒有云，神就無法就近，他不會萬丈光芒地來。
不要說神要在試煉中教導我們什麼，其實他要用每一朵雲，去掉我們學到一些東西。神用雲的目的，是要簡化我們的信心，直到我們與他的關係像一個小孩子一樣——只有神和我，別人不過是影兒。別人若不成為影兒，雲和黑暗就必不斷臨到。我與神的關係，是否日益單純？似乎難以明白神的旨意，與我們對他的認識有一定的關係；我們必須學習在認識神的光中，明白生命中的奧秘。除非我們能面對最黑暗的人生，而對神的性情仍無所歪曲，否則我們仍未認識神。
[他們進入雲裡，就甚懼怕……]在你的雲裡[除耶穌以外]，還有誰？若有，那雲就會愈變愈黑。你一定要[不見一人，只見耶穌]。
祈禱◆噢，我的父神，雲彩只是你足下的塵土！當恐懼過後，讓我在神的眷佑、或神的屬性、或神的恩典的每朵雲彩中，不見別人，只見耶穌，直至恐懼不再存在。
In the Bible clouds are always associated with God. Clouds are the sorrows, sufferings, or providential circumstances, within or without our personal lives, which actually seem to contradict the sovereignty of God. Yet it is through these very clouds that the Spirit of God is teaching us how to walk by faith. If there were never any clouds in our lives, we would have no faith. “The clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1:3). They are a sign that God is there. What a revelation it is to know that sorrow, bereavement, and suffering are actually the clouds that come along with God! God cannot come near us without clouds— He does not come in clear-shining brightness.
It is not true to say that God wants to teach us something in our trials. Through every cloud He brings our way, He wants us to unlearn something. His purpose in using the cloud is to simplify our beliefs until our relationship with Him is exactly like that of a child— a relationship simply between God and our own souls, and where other people are but shadows. Until other people become shadows to us, clouds and darkness will be ours every once in a while. Is our relationship with God becoming more simple than it has ever been?
There is a connection between the strange providential circumstances allowed by God and what we know of Him, and we have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God. Until we can come face to face with the deepest, darkest fact of life without damaging our view of God’s character, we do not yet know Him.
“. . . they were fearful as they entered the cloud” (Luke 9:34). Is there anyone except Jesus in your cloud? If so, it will only get darker until you get to the place where there is “no one anymore, but only Jesus . . .” (Mark 9:8 ; also see Mark 2-7).
你在雲中看見什麼？
看哪，他駕雲降臨。 （啟一7）
在聖經裡，云總與神有關。雲就是我們個人生命中里里外外的悲哀痛苦，這些似乎與神的本質相違，但神的靈卻正用這些雲教我們在信心中行走。若沒有云，就無法有信心。 [云不過是我父腳下的塵。 ]雲是他在這裡的表徵，當我們明白愁苦是與神一起來的雲，那是何等的啟示啊！沒有云，神就無法就近，他不會萬丈光芒地來。
不要說神要在試煉中教導我們什麼，其實他要用每一朵雲，去掉我們學到一些東西。神用雲的目的，是要簡化我們的信心，直到我們與他的關係像一個小孩子一樣——只有神和我，別人不過是影兒。別人若不成為影兒，雲和黑暗就必不斷臨到。我與神的關係，是否日益單純？似乎難以明白神的旨意，與我們對他的認識有一定的關係；我們必須學習在認識神的光中，明白生命中的奧秘。除非我們能面對最黑暗的人生，而對神的性情仍無所歪曲，否則我們仍未認識神。
[他們進入雲裡，就甚懼怕……]在你的雲裡[除耶穌以外]，還有誰？若有，那雲就會愈變愈黑。你一定要[不見一人，只見耶穌]。
祈禱◆噢，我的父神，雲彩只是你足下的塵土！當恐懼過後，讓我在神的眷佑、或神的屬性、或神的恩典的每朵雲彩中，不見別人，只見耶穌，直至恐懼不再存在。
July 28, 2012
God’s Purpose or Mine?
He made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side . . . —Mark 6:45
We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God’s purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself.
What is my vision of God’s purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish— His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see “Him walking on the sea” with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see “Him walking on the sea” (Mark 6:49). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.
God’s training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.
God’s purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.
順服之後又如何？
耶穌隨即催門徒上船，先渡到那邊……（可六45-52）
我們很容易這樣想：主若催逼我們，我們若順服他，他就必叫我們大大的成功。千萬別把成功的夢想，當作神對我們的計畫；神的計畫可能恰好相反。我們以為神要領我們到某一特定的目的——一個理想的目標；其實並不是。到達某一目的，只是附帶的事。我們所稱為過程的，神卻稱為目標。
我對神的計畫有何夢想？他的計畫就是要我現在倚靠他和他的能力。在動盪不安之中，我若能保持平靜不疑惑，這就是神計畫的目標。神作工不是為某一個特別的終點；他的目標就在過程之中——要我看見他正行在波浪上；雖然不見邊岸，沒有目的地，但有一個肯定的確信，深知必然平安無事，因為我看見他正在海面上行走。這是過程，不是目標，使神得著榮耀。神的訓練是即時的，不是等一會兒的。他的計畫是這一分鐘，不是將來某件事。我們不必顧及順服之後會怎樣；若牽掛以後會怎樣，就走錯了路。人所謂的訓練與預備，神卻稱為目的。
神的目的是要我如今就知道，他能在我生命的混亂動盪中行走。若我們在前方另有目標，那麼，臨到我們的每一刻都變得如珍如寶了。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，倘若那需要是出於你，我便歡喜！為著你教訓我們[有火煉的試驗臨到你們，不要以為奇怪，倒要歡喜]，我讚美你。
We tend to think that if Jesus Christ compels us to do something and we are obedient to Him, He will lead us to great success. We should never have the thought that our dreams of success are God’s purpose for us. In fact, His purpose may be exactly the opposite. We have the idea that God is leading us toward a particular end or a desired goal, but He is not. The question of whether or not we arrive at a particular goal is of little importance, and reaching it becomes merely an episode along the way. What we see as only the process of reaching a particular end, God sees as the goal itself.
What is my vision of God’s purpose for me? Whatever it may be, His purpose is for me to depend on Him and on His power now. If I can stay calm, faithful, and unconfused while in the middle of the turmoil of life, the goal of the purpose of God is being accomplished in me. God is not working toward a particular finish— His purpose is the process itself. What He desires for me is that I see “Him walking on the sea” with no shore, no success, nor goal in sight, but simply having the absolute certainty that everything is all right because I see “Him walking on the sea” (Mark 6:49). It is the process, not the outcome, that is glorifying to God.
God’s training is for now, not later. His purpose is for this very minute, not for sometime in the future. We have nothing to do with what will follow our obedience, and we are wrong to concern ourselves with it. What people call preparation, God sees as the goal itself.
God’s purpose is to enable me to see that He can walk on the storms of my life right now. If we have a further goal in mind, we are not paying enough attention to the present time. However, if we realize that moment-by-moment obedience is the goal, then each moment as it comes is precious.
順服之後又如何？
耶穌隨即催門徒上船，先渡到那邊……（可六45-52）
我們很容易這樣想：主若催逼我們，我們若順服他，他就必叫我們大大的成功。千萬別把成功的夢想，當作神對我們的計畫；神的計畫可能恰好相反。我們以為神要領我們到某一特定的目的——一個理想的目標；其實並不是。到達某一目的，只是附帶的事。我們所稱為過程的，神卻稱為目標。
我對神的計畫有何夢想？他的計畫就是要我現在倚靠他和他的能力。在動盪不安之中，我若能保持平靜不疑惑，這就是神計畫的目標。神作工不是為某一個特別的終點；他的目標就在過程之中——要我看見他正行在波浪上；雖然不見邊岸，沒有目的地，但有一個肯定的確信，深知必然平安無事，因為我看見他正在海面上行走。這是過程，不是目標，使神得著榮耀。神的訓練是即時的，不是等一會兒的。他的計畫是這一分鐘，不是將來某件事。我們不必顧及順服之後會怎樣；若牽掛以後會怎樣，就走錯了路。人所謂的訓練與預備，神卻稱為目的。
神的目的是要我如今就知道，他能在我生命的混亂動盪中行走。若我們在前方另有目標，那麼，臨到我們的每一刻都變得如珍如寶了。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，倘若那需要是出於你，我便歡喜！為著你教訓我們[有火煉的試驗臨到你們，不要以為奇怪，倒要歡喜]，我讚美你。
July 20, 2012
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 05, 2012
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 27, 2012
The Overshadowing of God’s Personal Deliverance
. . . I am with you to deliver you,’ says the Lord —Jeremiah 1:8
God promised Jeremiah that He would deliver him personally— “. . . your life shall be as a prize to you . . .” (Jeremiah 39:18). That is all God promises His children. Wherever God sends us, He will guard our lives. Our personal property and possessions are to be a matter of indifference to us, and our hold on these things should be very loose. If this is not the case, we will have panic, heartache, and distress. Having the proper outlook is evidence of the deeply rooted belief in the overshadowing of God’s personal deliverance.
The Sermon on the Mount indicates that when we are on a mission for Jesus Christ, there is no time to stand up for ourselves. Jesus says, in effect, “Don’t worry about whether or not you are being treated justly.” Looking for justice is actually a sign that we have been diverted from our devotion to Him. Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it. If we look for justice, we will only begin to complain and to indulge ourselves in the discontent of self-pity, as if to say, “Why should I be treated like this?” If we are devoted to Jesus Christ, we have nothing to do with what we encounter, whether it is just or unjust. In essence, Jesus says, “Continue steadily on with what I have told you to do, and I will guard your life. If you try to guard it yourself, you remove yourself from My deliverance.” Even the most devout among us become atheistic in this regard— we do not believe Him. We put our common sense on the throne and then attach God’s name to it. We do lean to our own understanding, instead of trusting God with all our hearts (see Proverbs 3:5-6).
全能的拯救
我與你同在，要拯救你。 （耶一8）
神應允耶利米要親自拯救他－－[要以自己的命為掠物。 ]這是神對他兒女的應許。神不論差我們到那裡，都必保護我們。私人財物是無足輕重的，對這些東西我們要看得開，否則，就會有震驚、傷心和痛苦。這就是在全能者的蔭下得拯救。
登山寶訓中說，我們若奉主耶穌得差遣，就無暇為自己爭取什麼。耶穌的意思其實是說：[不必理會人家是否對你公平。 ]追求公平，表示人偏離了對主的忠誠。不要指望在這世界中找到公平，但要不斷的施行公平。我們若求公平，就會抱怨，沉溺在自憐不滿的光景中－－[我為何受這樣的待遇？ ]我們只要專心愛主，就不用理會任何遭遇：公平也好，不公平也好。
耶穌說：人若恆久遵行他的話，他必保護他；人若要自己保護自己，就在他的拯救裡無分了。有些敬虔熱心的人，在這事上卻與不信者無異；他們不信任神，高舉理智，只把神的名掛上去吧。的確，我們往往倚靠自己的聰明，沒有一心仰賴神。
祈禱◆噢，主啊！我認識你的恩福並讚美你，作為你僕人的我所尋求的，正是那難以描述的感動和動力－－我不知道自己要尋求的是什麼，但你卻知道。我何等渴慕你！
God promised Jeremiah that He would deliver him personally— “. . . your life shall be as a prize to you . . .” (Jeremiah 39:18). That is all God promises His children. Wherever God sends us, He will guard our lives. Our personal property and possessions are to be a matter of indifference to us, and our hold on these things should be very loose. If this is not the case, we will have panic, heartache, and distress. Having the proper outlook is evidence of the deeply rooted belief in the overshadowing of God’s personal deliverance.
The Sermon on the Mount indicates that when we are on a mission for Jesus Christ, there is no time to stand up for ourselves. Jesus says, in effect, “Don’t worry about whether or not you are being treated justly.” Looking for justice is actually a sign that we have been diverted from our devotion to Him. Never look for justice in this world, but never cease to give it. If we look for justice, we will only begin to complain and to indulge ourselves in the discontent of self-pity, as if to say, “Why should I be treated like this?” If we are devoted to Jesus Christ, we have nothing to do with what we encounter, whether it is just or unjust. In essence, Jesus says, “Continue steadily on with what I have told you to do, and I will guard your life. If you try to guard it yourself, you remove yourself from My deliverance.” Even the most devout among us become atheistic in this regard— we do not believe Him. We put our common sense on the throne and then attach God’s name to it. We do lean to our own understanding, instead of trusting God with all our hearts (see Proverbs 3:5-6).
全能的拯救
我與你同在，要拯救你。 （耶一8）
神應允耶利米要親自拯救他－－[要以自己的命為掠物。 ]這是神對他兒女的應許。神不論差我們到那裡，都必保護我們。私人財物是無足輕重的，對這些東西我們要看得開，否則，就會有震驚、傷心和痛苦。這就是在全能者的蔭下得拯救。
登山寶訓中說，我們若奉主耶穌得差遣，就無暇為自己爭取什麼。耶穌的意思其實是說：[不必理會人家是否對你公平。 ]追求公平，表示人偏離了對主的忠誠。不要指望在這世界中找到公平，但要不斷的施行公平。我們若求公平，就會抱怨，沉溺在自憐不滿的光景中－－[我為何受這樣的待遇？ ]我們只要專心愛主，就不用理會任何遭遇：公平也好，不公平也好。
耶穌說：人若恆久遵行他的話，他必保護他；人若要自己保護自己，就在他的拯救裡無分了。有些敬虔熱心的人，在這事上卻與不信者無異；他們不信任神，高舉理智，只把神的名掛上去吧。的確，我們往往倚靠自己的聰明，沒有一心仰賴神。
祈禱◆噢，主啊！我認識你的恩福並讚美你，作為你僕人的我所尋求的，正是那難以描述的感動和動力－－我不知道自己要尋求的是什麼，但你卻知道。我何等渴慕你！
June 04, 2012
The Never-forsaking God
He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you’ —Hebrews 13:5
What line of thinking do my thoughts take? Do I turn to what God says or to my own fears? Am I simply repeating what God says, or am I learning to truly hear Him and then to respond after I have heard what He says? “For He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
“I will never leave you . . .”— not for any reason; not my sin, selfishness, stubbornness, nor waywardness. Have I really let God say to me that He will never leave me? If I have not truly heard this assurance of God, then let me listen again.
“I will never . . . forsake you.” Sometimes it is not the difficulty of life but the drudgery of it that makes me think God will forsake me. When there is no major difficulty to overcome, no vision from God, nothing wonderful or beautiful— just the everyday activities of life— do I hear God’s assurance even in these?
We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing— that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God’s assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life.
永不失信的神
因為主曾說：[我總不撇下你，也不丟棄你。 ]（來十三5）
我思想的路向如何？是轉向神的話，還是轉向自己的恐懼？我有沒有學習不去講述神說什麼，而是先聽他說些什麼，然後才開口？ [主曾說：『我總不撇下你，也不丟棄你。 』所以我們可以放膽說：『主是幫助我的，我必不懼怕，人能把我怎麼樣呢？ 』]
[我總不失信。 ]（中文聖經作[我總不撇下你]）——不管我是罪污、自私、固執、背逆，神總不撇下我。我真有讓神對我說：[我總不失信]？若我曾聽過神如此說，讓我如今聽他再說吧。
[我總不丟棄你。 ]有時並非是困難叫我覺得丟棄我，而是枯燥乏味的生活。滅有困難的高山可以攀登，也沒有異象賜下，更沒有甚麼興奮美麗的東西，只是日復一日的平凡生活——在這景況下，我有聽見神如此說呢？
在我們的意念中，總以為神會行奇事，裝備我們將來要成就偉大的工作。可是，我們若在神的恩中生活，便會發現神就在此時此地榮耀他自己。我們若有[神如此說]作後盾，就有最奇異莫名的能力臨到，使我們在平凡的生活中歡呼歌唱。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你榮耀的復活，進入我們的生命、路程和行動中。求你今天的醫治、盼望、恩典和美善，強而有力地臨到。
What line of thinking do my thoughts take? Do I turn to what God says or to my own fears? Am I simply repeating what God says, or am I learning to truly hear Him and then to respond after I have heard what He says? “For He Himself has said, ’I will never leave you nor forsake you.’ So we may boldly say: ’The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?’ ” (Hebrews 13:5-6).
“I will never leave you . . .”— not for any reason; not my sin, selfishness, stubbornness, nor waywardness. Have I really let God say to me that He will never leave me? If I have not truly heard this assurance of God, then let me listen again.
“I will never . . . forsake you.” Sometimes it is not the difficulty of life but the drudgery of it that makes me think God will forsake me. When there is no major difficulty to overcome, no vision from God, nothing wonderful or beautiful— just the everyday activities of life— do I hear God’s assurance even in these?
We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing— that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God’s assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life.
永不失信的神
因為主曾說：[我總不撇下你，也不丟棄你。 ]（來十三5）
我思想的路向如何？是轉向神的話，還是轉向自己的恐懼？我有沒有學習不去講述神說什麼，而是先聽他說些什麼，然後才開口？ [主曾說：『我總不撇下你，也不丟棄你。 』所以我們可以放膽說：『主是幫助我的，我必不懼怕，人能把我怎麼樣呢？ 』]
[我總不失信。 ]（中文聖經作[我總不撇下你]）——不管我是罪污、自私、固執、背逆，神總不撇下我。我真有讓神對我說：[我總不失信]？若我曾聽過神如此說，讓我如今聽他再說吧。
[我總不丟棄你。 ]有時並非是困難叫我覺得丟棄我，而是枯燥乏味的生活。滅有困難的高山可以攀登，也沒有異象賜下，更沒有甚麼興奮美麗的東西，只是日復一日的平凡生活——在這景況下，我有聽見神如此說呢？
在我們的意念中，總以為神會行奇事，裝備我們將來要成就偉大的工作。可是，我們若在神的恩中生活，便會發現神就在此時此地榮耀他自己。我們若有[神如此說]作後盾，就有最奇異莫名的能力臨到，使我們在平凡的生活中歡呼歌唱。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你榮耀的復活，進入我們的生命、路程和行動中。求你今天的醫治、盼望、恩典和美善，強而有力地臨到。
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