. . . fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ . . . —1 Thessalonians 3:2
After sanctification, it is difficult to state what your purpose in life is, because God has moved you into His purpose through the Holy Spirit. He is using you now for His purposes throughout the world as He used His Son for the purpose of our salvation. If you seek great things for yourself, thinking, “God has called me for this and for that,” you barricade God from using you. As long as you maintain your own personal interests and ambitions, you cannot be completely aligned or identified with God’s interests. This can only be accomplished by giving up all of your personal plans once and for all, and by allowing God to take you directly into His purpose for the world. Your understanding of your ways must also be surrendered, because they are now the ways of the Lord.
I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. God is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him. I should never say, “Lord, this causes me such heartache.” To talk that way makes me a stumbling block. When I stop telling God what I want, He can freely work His will in me without any hindrance. He can crush me, exalt me, or do anything else He chooses. He simply asks me to have absolute faith in Him and His goodness. Self-pity is of the devil, and if I wallow in it I cannot be used by God for His purpose in the world. Doing this creates for me my own cozy “world within the world,” and God will not be allowed to move me from it because of my fear of being “frost-bitten.”
福音裡的相交
……在基督福音上和神同工……（帖三2，新譯本）
人成聖以後，很難再明說自己的人生目標是什麽，因為神已藉聖靈把你放在他的計畫裡。如今在他對全世界的計畫中，他使用你，正如他在我們的救贖計畫中，使用他的名字一樣。你若為自己求大事- 神呼召我做這個那個，就是限制了神對你的使用。只要你對自己的品性仍感關注，或仍抱個人的野心，就無法與神的心意認同。要與神合一，必須把自己的意念決絕地拋棄，讓神待你到他對全世界的計畫中。這樣，你的行動既全在主裡，就必無法明白所行的路。
人生的目標是屬神的，不是屬自己的，這一點我們必須學習。神按著他美好的旨意用我，要求我信賴他，不要說：[主啊，這事叫我心痛。 ]我這樣說就成了一個阻礙。若不再對神說我要什麽，他才能毫無阻隔地把所要的給我。他可以把我壓碎，也可以叫我高升，他可以隨己意而行。神只要求我對他完全信任，信任他和他的良善。自憐自憫出於魔鬼，我若走這條路，神就不能用我於全世界的計畫裡。我若活在一個[世界裡的世界]，深怕走到外面會凍僵，深就永無法帶我出來。
祈禱◆主啊，願你發聲，讓我可以聽見和明白。我的屬靈生命似乎太表面化，能察覺到帶有恩慈的能力是那麽少；求你激勵我，直至我與你一同發光。
Showing posts with label His Will. Show all posts
Showing posts with label His Will. Show all posts
November 10, 2014
September 23, 2014
The Missionary’s Goal
He . . . said to them, ’Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem . . . ’ —Luke 18:31
In our natural life our ambitions change as we grow, but in the Christian life the goal is given at the very beginning, and the beginning and the end are exactly the same, namely, our Lord Himself. We start with Christ and we end with Him—”. . . till we all come . . . to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . .” (Ephesians 4:13), not simply to our own idea of what the Christian life should be. The goal of the missionary is to do God’s will, not to be useful or to win the lost. A missionary is useful and he does win the lost, but that is not his goal. His goal is to do the will of his Lord.
In our Lord’s life, Jerusalem was the place where He reached the culmination of His Father’s will upon the cross, and unless we go there with Jesus we will have no friendship or fellowship with Him. Nothing ever diverted our Lord on His way to Jerusalem. He never hurried through certain villages where He was persecuted, or lingered in others where He was blessed. Neither gratitude nor ingratitude turned our Lord even the slightest degree away from His purpose to go “up to Jerusalem.”
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master” (Matthew 10:24). In other words, the same things that happened to our Lord will happen to us on our way to our “Jerusalem.” There will be works of God exhibited through us, people will get blessed, and one or two will show gratitude while the rest will show total ingratitude, but nothing must divert us from going “up to [our] Jerusalem.”
“. . . there they crucified Him . . .” (Luke 23:33). That is what happened when our Lord reached Jerusalem, and that event is the doorway to our salvation. The saints, however, do not end in crucifixion; by the Lord’s grace they end in glory. In the meantime our watchword should be summed up by each of us saying, “I too go ’up to Jerusalem.’ “
傳道者的目標
看哪，我們上耶路撒冷去。 （路十八31）
在天然生命中，我們會按著發展而改變自己的野心。可是在信徒生命中，目標一開始就擺明出來，而這目標是始終如一的：主自己。我們始於基督，也終於基督－－[直等到我們……長大成人，滿有基督長成的身量。 ]我們並不是依自己認為的理想信徒生命而行。傳道人的目標是要行神的旨意，不是要大得使用，不是要贏得許多不信的人。他當然要合用，也當然要贏多人信主，但那不是他的目標。他的目標是遵行神的旨意。
在主的一生中，耶路撒冷是他在十架上成就天父旨意的頂峰。我們若未與他同往，就並未與他同行。主上耶路撒冷的路上，沒有什麼事物可以叫他灰心。在備受攻擊的村鎮，他沒匆匆避過；在大受擁戴的地方，他也不會流連不去。不管人對他感恩或是忘恩，總不能叫他走向耶路撒冷的心意改變一丁點兒。
[僕人不能高過主人。 ]在往耶路撒冷的路上，我們也要遭遇同樣的事。神的工作會透過我們彰顯，有人得著祝福，一兩個人會表示感激，其他的人可能會忘恩負義。可是，不要讓任何事物使我們偏離上耶路撒冷的路。
[他們在那裡釘他十字架。 ]這就是主到耶路撒冷所遭遇的，而這卻開啟我們得救的門。聖徒的終局不是釘十字架；憑神的恩典，他們的終局是榮耀的。在這當兒，我們口號是：也上耶路撒冷去。
祈禱◆主啊，我能夠認識你是何等美好；我何其需要靠近你。當你成為我的生命時，我怎能顫抖！
In our natural life our ambitions change as we grow, but in the Christian life the goal is given at the very beginning, and the beginning and the end are exactly the same, namely, our Lord Himself. We start with Christ and we end with Him—”. . . till we all come . . . to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . .” (Ephesians 4:13), not simply to our own idea of what the Christian life should be. The goal of the missionary is to do God’s will, not to be useful or to win the lost. A missionary is useful and he does win the lost, but that is not his goal. His goal is to do the will of his Lord.
In our Lord’s life, Jerusalem was the place where He reached the culmination of His Father’s will upon the cross, and unless we go there with Jesus we will have no friendship or fellowship with Him. Nothing ever diverted our Lord on His way to Jerusalem. He never hurried through certain villages where He was persecuted, or lingered in others where He was blessed. Neither gratitude nor ingratitude turned our Lord even the slightest degree away from His purpose to go “up to Jerusalem.”
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master” (Matthew 10:24). In other words, the same things that happened to our Lord will happen to us on our way to our “Jerusalem.” There will be works of God exhibited through us, people will get blessed, and one or two will show gratitude while the rest will show total ingratitude, but nothing must divert us from going “up to [our] Jerusalem.”
“. . . there they crucified Him . . .” (Luke 23:33). That is what happened when our Lord reached Jerusalem, and that event is the doorway to our salvation. The saints, however, do not end in crucifixion; by the Lord’s grace they end in glory. In the meantime our watchword should be summed up by each of us saying, “I too go ’up to Jerusalem.’ “
傳道者的目標
看哪，我們上耶路撒冷去。 （路十八31）
在天然生命中，我們會按著發展而改變自己的野心。可是在信徒生命中，目標一開始就擺明出來，而這目標是始終如一的：主自己。我們始於基督，也終於基督－－[直等到我們……長大成人，滿有基督長成的身量。 ]我們並不是依自己認為的理想信徒生命而行。傳道人的目標是要行神的旨意，不是要大得使用，不是要贏得許多不信的人。他當然要合用，也當然要贏多人信主，但那不是他的目標。他的目標是遵行神的旨意。
在主的一生中，耶路撒冷是他在十架上成就天父旨意的頂峰。我們若未與他同往，就並未與他同行。主上耶路撒冷的路上，沒有什麼事物可以叫他灰心。在備受攻擊的村鎮，他沒匆匆避過；在大受擁戴的地方，他也不會流連不去。不管人對他感恩或是忘恩，總不能叫他走向耶路撒冷的心意改變一丁點兒。
[僕人不能高過主人。 ]在往耶路撒冷的路上，我們也要遭遇同樣的事。神的工作會透過我們彰顯，有人得著祝福，一兩個人會表示感激，其他的人可能會忘恩負義。可是，不要讓任何事物使我們偏離上耶路撒冷的路。
[他們在那裡釘他十字架。 ]這就是主到耶路撒冷所遭遇的，而這卻開啟我們得救的門。聖徒的終局不是釘十字架；憑神的恩典，他們的終局是榮耀的。在這當兒，我們口號是：也上耶路撒冷去。
祈禱◆主啊，我能夠認識你是何等美好；我何其需要靠近你。當你成為我的生命時，我怎能顫抖！
September 21, 2014
The Missionary’s Predestined Purpose
Now the Lord says, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant . . . —Isaiah 49:5
The first thing that happens after we recognize our election by God in Christ Jesus is the destruction of our preconceived ideas, our narrow-minded thinking, and all of our other allegiances— we are turned solely into servants of God’s own purpose. The entire human race was created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Sin has diverted the human race onto another course, but it has not altered God’s purpose to the slightest degree. And when we are born again we are brought into the realization of God’s great purpose for the human race, namely, that He created us for Himself. This realization of our election by God is the most joyful on earth, and we must learn to rely on this tremendous creative purpose of God. The first thing God will do is force the interests of the whole world through the channel of our hearts. The love of God, and even His very nature, is introduced into us. And we see the nature of Almighty God purely focused in
John 3:16
— “For God so loved the world. . . ”
We must continually keep our soul open to the fact of God’s creative purpose, and never confuse or cloud it with our own intentions. If we do, God will have to force our intentions aside no matter how much it may hurt. A missionary is created for the purpose of being God’s servant, one in whom God is glorified. Once we realize that it is through the salvation of Jesus Christ that we are made perfectly fit for the purpose of God, we will understand why Jesus Christ is so strict and relentless in His demands. He demands absolute righteousness from His servants, because He has put into them the very nature of God.
Beware lest you forget God’s purpose for your life
傳道者的預選
耶和華從我出胎造就我作他的僕人。 （賽四十九5）
我們一清楚在耶穌基督裡被神選召，第一件發生的事就是偏見、狹隘的思想、愛國主義的破滅，變成神的僕人，為完成他的計劃。整個人類原是為榮耀神，永遠享受神而被造的。罪惡把人類帶入歧途，但卻不能改變神原意的一絲一毫。我們重生得救時，就立時進入神對人類偉大的用心裡去；我是為神而被造的，神創造了我。明白神的選召，是世上最快樂不過的體會，我們必須信賴神偉大的創造計劃。神要作在我們身上的第一件事，就是要把對世界的關注，灌注到一顆心的通道裡去。他把愛，就是自己的本性，引進我們裡面，而全能神的本性，就集中在約翰福音三章16節：[神愛世人……].
我們要保持心靈向神創造的本意敞開，不要把自己的意念攙雜在裡面。若非如此，不管我們多痛苦，神也要把我們的意圖壓碎。傳道者的任務，就是作神的僕人，讓神得著榮耀。若我們明白在主的救恩里，成為完全適合神用的人，就明白主耶穌的要求何以這樣決絕。他要求他的僕人絕對的正直，因為他已把自己的本性放在他們裡面。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著我所負責的這些人，我懇求你帶領我與你的計劃活潑相連。為著今天所擁有的一切機會，求你重新膏立我。讓我看見你救恩的作為。
The first thing that happens after we recognize our election by God in Christ Jesus is the destruction of our preconceived ideas, our narrow-minded thinking, and all of our other allegiances— we are turned solely into servants of God’s own purpose. The entire human race was created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Sin has diverted the human race onto another course, but it has not altered God’s purpose to the slightest degree. And when we are born again we are brought into the realization of God’s great purpose for the human race, namely, that He created us for Himself. This realization of our election by God is the most joyful on earth, and we must learn to rely on this tremendous creative purpose of God. The first thing God will do is force the interests of the whole world through the channel of our hearts. The love of God, and even His very nature, is introduced into us. And we see the nature of Almighty God purely focused in
John 3:16
— “For God so loved the world. . . ”
We must continually keep our soul open to the fact of God’s creative purpose, and never confuse or cloud it with our own intentions. If we do, God will have to force our intentions aside no matter how much it may hurt. A missionary is created for the purpose of being God’s servant, one in whom God is glorified. Once we realize that it is through the salvation of Jesus Christ that we are made perfectly fit for the purpose of God, we will understand why Jesus Christ is so strict and relentless in His demands. He demands absolute righteousness from His servants, because He has put into them the very nature of God.
Beware lest you forget God’s purpose for your life
傳道者的預選
耶和華從我出胎造就我作他的僕人。 （賽四十九5）
我們一清楚在耶穌基督裡被神選召，第一件發生的事就是偏見、狹隘的思想、愛國主義的破滅，變成神的僕人，為完成他的計劃。整個人類原是為榮耀神，永遠享受神而被造的。罪惡把人類帶入歧途，但卻不能改變神原意的一絲一毫。我們重生得救時，就立時進入神對人類偉大的用心裡去；我是為神而被造的，神創造了我。明白神的選召，是世上最快樂不過的體會，我們必須信賴神偉大的創造計劃。神要作在我們身上的第一件事，就是要把對世界的關注，灌注到一顆心的通道裡去。他把愛，就是自己的本性，引進我們裡面，而全能神的本性，就集中在約翰福音三章16節：[神愛世人……].
我們要保持心靈向神創造的本意敞開，不要把自己的意念攙雜在裡面。若非如此，不管我們多痛苦，神也要把我們的意圖壓碎。傳道者的任務，就是作神的僕人，讓神得著榮耀。若我們明白在主的救恩里，成為完全適合神用的人，就明白主耶穌的要求何以這樣決絕。他要求他的僕人絕對的正直，因為他已把自己的本性放在他們裡面。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著我所負責的這些人，我懇求你帶領我與你的計劃活潑相連。為著今天所擁有的一切機會，求你重新膏立我。讓我看見你救恩的作為。
September 09, 2014
Do It Yourself (2)
. . . bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ . . . —2 Corinthians 10:5
Determinedly Discipline Other Things. This is another difficult aspect of the strenuous nature of sainthood. Paul said, according to the Moffatt translation of this verse, “. . . I take every project prisoner to make it obey Christ . . . .” So much Christian work today has never been disciplined, but has simply come into being by impulse! In our Lord’s life every project was disciplined to the will of His Father. There was never the slightest tendency to follow the impulse of His own will as distinct from His Father’s will— “the Son can do nothing of Himself . . . ” (John 5:19). Then compare this with what we do— we take “every thought” or project that comes to us by impulse and jump into action immediately, instead of imprisoning and disciplining ourselves to obey Christ.
Practical work for Christians is greatly overemphasized today, and the saints who are “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity” are criticized and told that they are not determined, and that they lack zeal for God or zeal for the souls of others. But true determination and zeal are found in obeying God, not in the inclination to serve Him that arises from our own undisciplined human nature. It is inconceivable, but true nevertheless, that saints are not “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity,” but are simply doing work for God that has been instigated by their own human nature, and has not been made spiritual through determined discipline.
We have a tendency to forget that a person is not only committed to Jesus Christ for salvation, but is also committed, responsible, and accountable to Jesus Christ’s view of God, the world, and of sin and the devil. This means that each person must recognize the responsibility to “be transformed by the renewing of [his] mind. . . .” (Romans 12:2).
自己做
又將人所有的心意奪回，使他都順服基督。 （林後十5）
這是信徒成聖須竭盡心力的另一面。保羅說：[我將所有計劃都封鎖，使它們都歸服於基督。 ]（摩法特譯本）今天多少基督徒的事工是沒有紀律，只出於一時衝動的！主每一件事都律己，遵照父的旨意。他沒有一絲行動，是脫離父的旨意，出於私意的衝動－－[子憑自己不能作什麼。 ]
再看看我們自己－－有活現的宗教經歷，就立刻衝動地把計劃付諸行動，而不是把它約束在對基督的順服裡。這時代太強調實際工作，以致那些為主把計劃俘擄的人，被批評為不熱心為神，也不愛靈魂。真心的熱誠，在於順服神，而不在於人性、不受約束的事奉熱誠。聖徒還未把每一計劃俘擄，就按本性－－未經定志律己而來的屬靈性情－－慫動去作神的工作，這雖是不可思議，卻確有其事。
我們很容易會忘記人不單要在救恩上歸服基督，也要歸服於基督對神、對世界、對罪、對魔鬼的觀點。這就是說，他必須藉心意的更新而改變。
祈禱◆主啊，我來到你面前。求你將你的生命豐盛地賜給我，直至我的理解力、想像力和言語，都全屬於你。你更新了我的靈，使我重獲救恩之樂，你是何等偉大！
Determinedly Discipline Other Things. This is another difficult aspect of the strenuous nature of sainthood. Paul said, according to the Moffatt translation of this verse, “. . . I take every project prisoner to make it obey Christ . . . .” So much Christian work today has never been disciplined, but has simply come into being by impulse! In our Lord’s life every project was disciplined to the will of His Father. There was never the slightest tendency to follow the impulse of His own will as distinct from His Father’s will— “the Son can do nothing of Himself . . . ” (John 5:19). Then compare this with what we do— we take “every thought” or project that comes to us by impulse and jump into action immediately, instead of imprisoning and disciplining ourselves to obey Christ.
Practical work for Christians is greatly overemphasized today, and the saints who are “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity” are criticized and told that they are not determined, and that they lack zeal for God or zeal for the souls of others. But true determination and zeal are found in obeying God, not in the inclination to serve Him that arises from our own undisciplined human nature. It is inconceivable, but true nevertheless, that saints are not “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity,” but are simply doing work for God that has been instigated by their own human nature, and has not been made spiritual through determined discipline.
We have a tendency to forget that a person is not only committed to Jesus Christ for salvation, but is also committed, responsible, and accountable to Jesus Christ’s view of God, the world, and of sin and the devil. This means that each person must recognize the responsibility to “be transformed by the renewing of [his] mind. . . .” (Romans 12:2).
自己做
又將人所有的心意奪回，使他都順服基督。 （林後十5）
這是信徒成聖須竭盡心力的另一面。保羅說：[我將所有計劃都封鎖，使它們都歸服於基督。 ]（摩法特譯本）今天多少基督徒的事工是沒有紀律，只出於一時衝動的！主每一件事都律己，遵照父的旨意。他沒有一絲行動，是脫離父的旨意，出於私意的衝動－－[子憑自己不能作什麼。 ]
再看看我們自己－－有活現的宗教經歷，就立刻衝動地把計劃付諸行動，而不是把它約束在對基督的順服裡。這時代太強調實際工作，以致那些為主把計劃俘擄的人，被批評為不熱心為神，也不愛靈魂。真心的熱誠，在於順服神，而不在於人性、不受約束的事奉熱誠。聖徒還未把每一計劃俘擄，就按本性－－未經定志律己而來的屬靈性情－－慫動去作神的工作，這雖是不可思議，卻確有其事。
我們很容易會忘記人不單要在救恩上歸服基督，也要歸服於基督對神、對世界、對罪、對魔鬼的觀點。這就是說，他必須藉心意的更新而改變。
祈禱◆主啊，我來到你面前。求你將你的生命豐盛地賜給我，直至我的理解力、想像力和言語，都全屬於你。你更新了我的靈，使我重獲救恩之樂，你是何等偉大！
September 02, 2014
A Life of Pure and Holy Sacrifice
He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow . . . —John 7:38
Jesus did not say, “He who believes in Me will realize all the blessings of the fullness of God,” but, in essence, “He who believes in Me will have everything he receives escape out of him.” Our Lord’s teaching was always anti-self-realization. His purpose is not the development of a person— His purpose is to make a person exactly like Himself, and the Son of God is characterized by self-expenditure. If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain but what He pours through us that really counts. God’s purpose is not simply to make us beautiful, plump grapes, but to make us grapes so that He may squeeze the sweetness out of us. Our spiritual life cannot be measured by success as the world measures it, but only by what God pours through us— and we cannot measure that at all.
When Mary of Bethany “broke the flask . . . of very costly oil . . . and poured it on [Jesus’] head,” it was an act for which no one else saw any special occasion; in fact, “. . . there were some who . . . said, ’Why was this fragrant oil wasted?’ ” (Mark 14:3-4). But Jesus commended Mary for her extravagant act of devotion, and said, “. . . wherever this gospel is preached . . . what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her” (Mark 14:9). Our Lord is filled with overflowing joy whenever He sees any of us doing what Mary did— not being bound by a particular set of rules, but being totally surrendered to Him. God poured out the life of His Son “that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). Are we prepared to pour out our lives for Him?
“He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”— and hundreds of other lives will be continually refreshed. Now is the time for us to break “the flask” of our lives, to stop seeking our own satisfaction, and to pour out our lives before Him. Our Lord is asking who of us will do it for Him?
神聖的祭
信我的人……從他腹中要流出……（約七38）
耶穌不是說：[信我的人，要領受神豐盛的福分。 ]他乃是說：[信我的人，要從他裡面流出領受的一切。 ]主的教訓總是與自我實現相違。他的目的不是要發揮個人，而是要使人完全像他。神兒子的特質就是自我的傾倒。我們若相信耶穌，那麼最重要的不是得著什麼，乃是我們信耶穌，那麼最重要的不是得著什麼，乃是我們倒出多少。神不是造我們成為顆顆圓潤的葡萄，乃是要把我們的甜汁擠出來。在屬靈的領域裡，生命不能以成功來衡量，而是要看我們倒出什麼，這個也是我們無法量估的。
伯大尼的馬利亞打破玉瓶，倒在耶穌的頭上，沒有人能看出是什麼理由；門徒甚至看為浪費。但耶穌稱讚馬利亞這愛的傾盡，並說凡福音傳到的地方，[也要述說這女人所作的以為紀念]。主若看見我們行馬利亞所行的，不計較經濟得失，完全獻上給他的時候，他的喜樂是無法形容。神傾盡他兒子的生命，為拯救世界，我們能否為他傾盡生命？ [信我的人，從他腹中要流出活水的江河來。 ]－－許多的生命會不斷得著更新。如今是把生命之瓶打破的時候，不要再眷戀追求自我滿足，要把生命傾出去。主正在問誰肯為他這樣傾出？
祈禱◆噢，主啊，在絕對的貧乏中，我投向尼。求你在肉身、思想、道德和靈性上臨到我，使我有效地彰顯你、歸榮耀予你。
Jesus did not say, “He who believes in Me will realize all the blessings of the fullness of God,” but, in essence, “He who believes in Me will have everything he receives escape out of him.” Our Lord’s teaching was always anti-self-realization. His purpose is not the development of a person— His purpose is to make a person exactly like Himself, and the Son of God is characterized by self-expenditure. If we believe in Jesus, it is not what we gain but what He pours through us that really counts. God’s purpose is not simply to make us beautiful, plump grapes, but to make us grapes so that He may squeeze the sweetness out of us. Our spiritual life cannot be measured by success as the world measures it, but only by what God pours through us— and we cannot measure that at all.
When Mary of Bethany “broke the flask . . . of very costly oil . . . and poured it on [Jesus’] head,” it was an act for which no one else saw any special occasion; in fact, “. . . there were some who . . . said, ’Why was this fragrant oil wasted?’ ” (Mark 14:3-4). But Jesus commended Mary for her extravagant act of devotion, and said, “. . . wherever this gospel is preached . . . what this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her” (Mark 14:9). Our Lord is filled with overflowing joy whenever He sees any of us doing what Mary did— not being bound by a particular set of rules, but being totally surrendered to Him. God poured out the life of His Son “that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:17). Are we prepared to pour out our lives for Him?
“He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow rivers of living water”— and hundreds of other lives will be continually refreshed. Now is the time for us to break “the flask” of our lives, to stop seeking our own satisfaction, and to pour out our lives before Him. Our Lord is asking who of us will do it for Him?
神聖的祭
信我的人……從他腹中要流出……（約七38）
耶穌不是說：[信我的人，要領受神豐盛的福分。 ]他乃是說：[信我的人，要從他裡面流出領受的一切。 ]主的教訓總是與自我實現相違。他的目的不是要發揮個人，而是要使人完全像他。神兒子的特質就是自我的傾倒。我們若相信耶穌，那麼最重要的不是得著什麼，乃是我們信耶穌，那麼最重要的不是得著什麼，乃是我們倒出多少。神不是造我們成為顆顆圓潤的葡萄，乃是要把我們的甜汁擠出來。在屬靈的領域裡，生命不能以成功來衡量，而是要看我們倒出什麼，這個也是我們無法量估的。
伯大尼的馬利亞打破玉瓶，倒在耶穌的頭上，沒有人能看出是什麼理由；門徒甚至看為浪費。但耶穌稱讚馬利亞這愛的傾盡，並說凡福音傳到的地方，[也要述說這女人所作的以為紀念]。主若看見我們行馬利亞所行的，不計較經濟得失，完全獻上給他的時候，他的喜樂是無法形容。神傾盡他兒子的生命，為拯救世界，我們能否為他傾盡生命？ [信我的人，從他腹中要流出活水的江河來。 ]－－許多的生命會不斷得著更新。如今是把生命之瓶打破的時候，不要再眷戀追求自我滿足，要把生命傾出去。主正在問誰肯為他這樣傾出？
祈禱◆噢，主啊，在絕對的貧乏中，我投向尼。求你在肉身、思想、道德和靈性上臨到我，使我有效地彰顯你、歸榮耀予你。
August 10, 2014
The Holy Suffering of the Saint
Let those who suffer according to the will of God commit their souls to Him in doing good . . . —1 Peter 4:19
Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God’s will— even if it means you will suffer— is something very different. No normal, healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. And no saint should ever dare to interfere with the lesson of suffering being taught in another saint’s life.
The saint who satisfies the heart of Jesus will make other saints strong and mature for God. But the people used to strengthen us are never those who sympathize with us; in fact, we are hindered by those who give us their sympathy, because sympathy only serves to weaken us. No one better understands a saint than the saint who is as close and as intimate with Jesus as possible. If we accept the sympathy of another saint, our spontaneous feeling is, “God is dealing too harshly with me and making my life too difficult.” That is why Jesus said that self-pity was of the devil (see Matthew 16:21-23). We must be merciful to God’s reputation. It is easy for us to tarnish God’s character because He never argues back; He never tries to defend or vindicate Himself. Beware of thinking that Jesus needed sympathy during His life on earth. He refused the sympathy of people because in His great wisdom He knew that no one on earth understood His purpose (see Matthew 16:23). He accepted only the sympathy of His Father and the angels (see Luke 15:10).
Look at God’s incredible waste of His saints, according to the world’s judgment. God seems to plant His saints in the most useless places. And then we say, “God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him.” Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.
聖徒的分別為聖
所以那照神旨意受苦的人，要一心為善，將自己靈魂交與那信實的造化之主。 （彼前四19）
故意選擇受苦是不妥當的；但若是為了神的旨意而甘心受苦，就完全不同了。正常的聖徒不會選擇受苦；像主耶穌一樣，他的選擇是為了神的旨意，不管這是否需要受苦。沒有聖徒能干預別的聖徒在受苦上的操練。
一個滿足主心意的聖徒，能使別的聖徒靠神堅強、成熟起來。能幫助我們的，並非那些一味同情的我們的人。他們會成為阻礙，因為同情可能叫人軟弱。醉明白聖徒的，就是最靠近主心懷的聖徒。我們若接受別人的同情，反應就是－－[神對我實在太苛刻了。 ]所以主耶穌說自憐出於魔鬼（太十六23）。他從不反駁，也從不維護自己。
不要以為主耶穌在世時需要人的同情；他從不接受人的同情，是因為深知地上沒有人真明白他的使命。他只接受天父及天使的同情（比較路十五10）。按世人的眼光來看，神把聖徒放在最無出色的角落去，實在是極大的浪費。我們會說：[神放我在這裡，因為我非常有用。 ]耶穌卻從不這樣衡量自己的生命。其實神是把聖徒放在能榮耀他的地方，我們是無權選擇到底那是甚麼地方。
祈禱◆主啊，我完全仰賴你；在你出現之前，我若有[迷失]的感覺，相信對我是好的.
Choosing to suffer means that there must be something wrong with you, but choosing God’s will— even if it means you will suffer— is something very different. No normal, healthy saint ever chooses suffering; he simply chooses God’s will, just as Jesus did, whether it means suffering or not. And no saint should ever dare to interfere with the lesson of suffering being taught in another saint’s life.
The saint who satisfies the heart of Jesus will make other saints strong and mature for God. But the people used to strengthen us are never those who sympathize with us; in fact, we are hindered by those who give us their sympathy, because sympathy only serves to weaken us. No one better understands a saint than the saint who is as close and as intimate with Jesus as possible. If we accept the sympathy of another saint, our spontaneous feeling is, “God is dealing too harshly with me and making my life too difficult.” That is why Jesus said that self-pity was of the devil (see Matthew 16:21-23). We must be merciful to God’s reputation. It is easy for us to tarnish God’s character because He never argues back; He never tries to defend or vindicate Himself. Beware of thinking that Jesus needed sympathy during His life on earth. He refused the sympathy of people because in His great wisdom He knew that no one on earth understood His purpose (see Matthew 16:23). He accepted only the sympathy of His Father and the angels (see Luke 15:10).
Look at God’s incredible waste of His saints, according to the world’s judgment. God seems to plant His saints in the most useless places. And then we say, “God intends for me to be here because I am so useful to Him.” Yet Jesus never measured His life by how or where He was of the greatest use. God places His saints where they will bring the most glory to Him, and we are totally incapable of judging where that may be.
聖徒的分別為聖
所以那照神旨意受苦的人，要一心為善，將自己靈魂交與那信實的造化之主。 （彼前四19）
故意選擇受苦是不妥當的；但若是為了神的旨意而甘心受苦，就完全不同了。正常的聖徒不會選擇受苦；像主耶穌一樣，他的選擇是為了神的旨意，不管這是否需要受苦。沒有聖徒能干預別的聖徒在受苦上的操練。
一個滿足主心意的聖徒，能使別的聖徒靠神堅強、成熟起來。能幫助我們的，並非那些一味同情的我們的人。他們會成為阻礙，因為同情可能叫人軟弱。醉明白聖徒的，就是最靠近主心懷的聖徒。我們若接受別人的同情，反應就是－－[神對我實在太苛刻了。 ]所以主耶穌說自憐出於魔鬼（太十六23）。他從不反駁，也從不維護自己。
不要以為主耶穌在世時需要人的同情；他從不接受人的同情，是因為深知地上沒有人真明白他的使命。他只接受天父及天使的同情（比較路十五10）。按世人的眼光來看，神把聖徒放在最無出色的角落去，實在是極大的浪費。我們會說：[神放我在這裡，因為我非常有用。 ]耶穌卻從不這樣衡量自己的生命。其實神是把聖徒放在能榮耀他的地方，我們是無權選擇到底那是甚麼地方。
祈禱◆主啊，我完全仰賴你；在你出現之前，我若有[迷失]的感覺，相信對我是好的.
August 03, 2014
The Compelling Purpose of God
He . . . said to them, ’Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem . . —Luke 18:31
Jerusalem, in the life of our Lord, represents the place where He reached the culmination of His Father’s will. Jesus said, “I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30). Seeking to do “the will of the Father” was the one dominating concern throughout our Lord’s life. And whatever He encountered along the way, whether joy or sorrow, success or failure, He was never deterred from that purpose. “. . . He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem . . .” (Luke 9:51).
The greatest thing for us to remember is that we go up to Jerusalem to fulfill God’s purpose, not our own. In the natural life our ambitions are our own, but in the Christian life we have no goals of our own. We talk so much today about our decisions for Christ, our determination to be Christians, and our decisions for this and that, but in the New Testament the only aspect that is brought out is the compelling purpose of God. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you . . .” (John 15:16).
We are not taken into a conscious agreement with God’s purpose— we are taken into God’s purpose with no awareness of it at all. We have no idea what God’s goal may be; as we continue, His purpose becomes even more and more vague. God’s aim appears to have missed the mark, because we are too nearsighted to see the target at which He is aiming. At the beginning of the Christian life, we have our own ideas as to what God’s purpose is. We say, “God means for me to go over there,” and, “God has called me to do this special work.” We do what we think is right, and yet the compelling purpose of God remains upon us. The work we do is of no account when compared with the compelling purpose of God. It is simply the scaffolding surrounding His work and His plan. “He took the twelve aside . . .” (Luke 18:31). God takes us aside all the time. We have not yet understood all there is to know of the compelling purpose of God.
神的催逼
看哪，我們上耶路撒冷去。 （路十八31）
在主耶穌的生命中，耶路撒冷是他成就父神旨意的頂峰。 [我不求自己的意思，只求那差我來者的意思。 ]在救主的一生中，這是他唯一最大的關注。路途上所遇的一切，不論憂喜成敗，從不使他偏離這個目標。
[他就定意向耶路撒冷去。 ]最重要的是知道上耶路撒冷去，是要完成神的計劃，而不是我們自己的計劃。很自然的，雄心是出於我們自己；但在信徒的生命中，該沒有自己的目標。今天太多人提出自己為基督而作的決定－－我們決志作基督徒，我們決定做這做那－－但新約帶出的資訊，卻是神自己的催逼。
[不是你們揀選了我，是我揀選了你們。 ]我們並沒有意識地同意神的計劃，乃是在不知不覺中進到神的計劃裡去。我們根本不知道神怎樣籌算，而且一日比一日模糊。神的目標似乎總是達不到，其實是因為我們太短視，看不見他的射標。初信之時，我們對神的計劃有自己的想法－－[我應該到某處某處。 ]
[神呼召我作這特別的工作。 ]於是，我們去了，做了，但神的催逼依然存在。我們所作的工算不得什麼，與神的催逼比較，不過是平台架而已。 [耶穌帶著十二個門徒。 ]他不住地帶領著我們，我們還有許多未進入之地。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我來到你面前；無論自覺或非自覺地，我懷著極大的需要靠近你。求你為著你的榮耀高舉我、帶領我、充滿我，使我能和諧地配合你的計劃和旨意。
Jerusalem, in the life of our Lord, represents the place where He reached the culmination of His Father’s will. Jesus said, “I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30). Seeking to do “the will of the Father” was the one dominating concern throughout our Lord’s life. And whatever He encountered along the way, whether joy or sorrow, success or failure, He was never deterred from that purpose. “. . . He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem . . .” (Luke 9:51).
The greatest thing for us to remember is that we go up to Jerusalem to fulfill God’s purpose, not our own. In the natural life our ambitions are our own, but in the Christian life we have no goals of our own. We talk so much today about our decisions for Christ, our determination to be Christians, and our decisions for this and that, but in the New Testament the only aspect that is brought out is the compelling purpose of God. “You did not choose Me, but I chose you . . .” (John 15:16).
We are not taken into a conscious agreement with God’s purpose— we are taken into God’s purpose with no awareness of it at all. We have no idea what God’s goal may be; as we continue, His purpose becomes even more and more vague. God’s aim appears to have missed the mark, because we are too nearsighted to see the target at which He is aiming. At the beginning of the Christian life, we have our own ideas as to what God’s purpose is. We say, “God means for me to go over there,” and, “God has called me to do this special work.” We do what we think is right, and yet the compelling purpose of God remains upon us. The work we do is of no account when compared with the compelling purpose of God. It is simply the scaffolding surrounding His work and His plan. “He took the twelve aside . . .” (Luke 18:31). God takes us aside all the time. We have not yet understood all there is to know of the compelling purpose of God.
神的催逼
看哪，我們上耶路撒冷去。 （路十八31）
在主耶穌的生命中，耶路撒冷是他成就父神旨意的頂峰。 [我不求自己的意思，只求那差我來者的意思。 ]在救主的一生中，這是他唯一最大的關注。路途上所遇的一切，不論憂喜成敗，從不使他偏離這個目標。
[他就定意向耶路撒冷去。 ]最重要的是知道上耶路撒冷去，是要完成神的計劃，而不是我們自己的計劃。很自然的，雄心是出於我們自己；但在信徒的生命中，該沒有自己的目標。今天太多人提出自己為基督而作的決定－－我們決志作基督徒，我們決定做這做那－－但新約帶出的資訊，卻是神自己的催逼。
[不是你們揀選了我，是我揀選了你們。 ]我們並沒有意識地同意神的計劃，乃是在不知不覺中進到神的計劃裡去。我們根本不知道神怎樣籌算，而且一日比一日模糊。神的目標似乎總是達不到，其實是因為我們太短視，看不見他的射標。初信之時，我們對神的計劃有自己的想法－－[我應該到某處某處。 ]
[神呼召我作這特別的工作。 ]於是，我們去了，做了，但神的催逼依然存在。我們所作的工算不得什麼，與神的催逼比較，不過是平台架而已。 [耶穌帶著十二個門徒。 ]他不住地帶領著我們，我們還有許多未進入之地。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我來到你面前；無論自覺或非自覺地，我懷著極大的需要靠近你。求你為著你的榮耀高舉我、帶領我、充滿我，使我能和諧地配合你的計劃和旨意。
July 28, 2014
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 27, 2014
The Way to Knowledge
If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine . . . —John 7:17
The golden rule to follow to obtain spiritual understanding is not one of intellectual pursuit, but one of obedience. If a person wants scientific knowledge, then intellectual curiosity must be his guide. But if he desires knowledge and insight into the teachings of Jesus Christ, he can only obtain it through obedience. If spiritual things seem dark and hidden to me, then I can be sure that there is a point of disobedience somewhere in my life. Intellectual darkness is the result of ignorance, but spiritual darkness is the result of something that I do not intend to obey.
No one ever receives a word from God without instantly being put to the test regarding it. We disobey and then wonder why we are not growing spiritually. Jesus said, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). He is saying, in essence, “Don’t say another word to me; first be obedient by making things right.” The teachings of Jesus hit us where we live. We cannot stand as impostors before Him for even one second. He instructs us down to the very last detail. The Spirit of God uncovers our spirit of self-vindication and makes us sensitive to things that we have never even thought of before.
When Jesus drives something home to you through His Word, don’t try to evade it. If you do, you will become a religious impostor. Examine the things you tend simply to shrug your shoulders about, and where you have refused to be obedient, and you will know why you are not growing spiritually. As Jesus said, “First . . . go . . ..” Even at the risk of being thought of as fanatical, you must obey what God tells you.
認識之道
人若立志遵著他的旨意行，就必曉得這教訓……（約七17）
屬靈悟性的金科玉律，不是智力，而是順服。人若想得著科學只是，可循智力好奇去求；但人若要洞悉主耶穌的教訓，只有靠順服。事情對我來說是隱晦難明的，可以肯定必然有什麼我是不肯去做的。智力上的暗晦從無知而來；屬靈的黑暗卻由不肯順服而來。人領受了神的話語後，總即時落在考驗之中。我們不肯順服，卻又稀奇自己何以在靈性上不見長進。耶穌說：[你在祭壇獻禮物的時候，若想起弟兄向你懷怨……先去同弟兄和好。 ]耶穌的教訓正命中我們生活的要害，在他面前我們一秒鐘也不能裝假。他的教導是徹底的。神的靈把自我維護的牆鑿開，又使我們對從未想過的事敏感起來。
主耶穌若指出什麼，不要規避。你若規避，就成了宗教騙徒。留意那些你聳肩不顧的事，就會明白為什麼靈性停滯不前。去吧，即使冒著被人稱為宗教狂熱者的危險，也必須順服神的吩咐。
祈禱◆[當他隱藏他的面，誰能看見他呢？ ]在這些等候的日子中，你與我們同在的記號是何其渺小。我不求任何外在成功的記號，只求能感應你的賜福和認可。
The golden rule to follow to obtain spiritual understanding is not one of intellectual pursuit, but one of obedience. If a person wants scientific knowledge, then intellectual curiosity must be his guide. But if he desires knowledge and insight into the teachings of Jesus Christ, he can only obtain it through obedience. If spiritual things seem dark and hidden to me, then I can be sure that there is a point of disobedience somewhere in my life. Intellectual darkness is the result of ignorance, but spiritual darkness is the result of something that I do not intend to obey.
No one ever receives a word from God without instantly being put to the test regarding it. We disobey and then wonder why we are not growing spiritually. Jesus said, “If you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). He is saying, in essence, “Don’t say another word to me; first be obedient by making things right.” The teachings of Jesus hit us where we live. We cannot stand as impostors before Him for even one second. He instructs us down to the very last detail. The Spirit of God uncovers our spirit of self-vindication and makes us sensitive to things that we have never even thought of before.
When Jesus drives something home to you through His Word, don’t try to evade it. If you do, you will become a religious impostor. Examine the things you tend simply to shrug your shoulders about, and where you have refused to be obedient, and you will know why you are not growing spiritually. As Jesus said, “First . . . go . . ..” Even at the risk of being thought of as fanatical, you must obey what God tells you.
認識之道
人若立志遵著他的旨意行，就必曉得這教訓……（約七17）
屬靈悟性的金科玉律，不是智力，而是順服。人若想得著科學只是，可循智力好奇去求；但人若要洞悉主耶穌的教訓，只有靠順服。事情對我來說是隱晦難明的，可以肯定必然有什麼我是不肯去做的。智力上的暗晦從無知而來；屬靈的黑暗卻由不肯順服而來。人領受了神的話語後，總即時落在考驗之中。我們不肯順服，卻又稀奇自己何以在靈性上不見長進。耶穌說：[你在祭壇獻禮物的時候，若想起弟兄向你懷怨……先去同弟兄和好。 ]耶穌的教訓正命中我們生活的要害，在他面前我們一秒鐘也不能裝假。他的教導是徹底的。神的靈把自我維護的牆鑿開，又使我們對從未想過的事敏感起來。
主耶穌若指出什麼，不要規避。你若規避，就成了宗教騙徒。留意那些你聳肩不顧的事，就會明白為什麼靈性停滯不前。去吧，即使冒著被人稱為宗教狂熱者的危險，也必須順服神的吩咐。
祈禱◆[當他隱藏他的面，誰能看見他呢？ ]在這些等候的日子中，你與我們同在的記號是何其渺小。我不求任何外在成功的記號，只求能感應你的賜福和認可。
June 06, 2014
“Work Out” What God “Works in” You
. . . work out your own salvation . . . for it is God who works in you . . . —Philippians 2:12-13
Your will agrees with God, but in your flesh there is a nature that renders you powerless to do what you know you ought to do. When the Lord initially comes in contact with our conscience, the first thing our conscience does is awaken our will, and our will always agrees with God. Yet you say, “But I don’t know if my will is in agreement with God.” Look to Jesus and you will find that your will and your conscience are in agreement with Him every time. What causes you to say “I will not obey” is something less deep and penetrating than your will. It is perversity or stubbornness, and they are never in agreement with God. The most profound thing in a person is his will, not sin.
The will is the essential element in God’s creation of human beings— sin is a perverse nature which entered into people. In someone who has been born again, the source of the will is Almighty God. “. . . for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” With focused attention and great care, you have to “work out” what God “works in” you— not work to accomplish or earn “your own salvation,” but work it out so you will exhibit the evidence of a life based with determined, unshakable faith on the complete and perfect redemption of the Lord. As you do this, you do not bring an opposing will up against God’s will— God’s will is your will. Your natural choices will be in accordance with God’s will, and living this life will be as natural as breathing. Stubbornness is an unintelligent barrier, refusing enlightenment and blocking its flow. The only thing to do with this barrier of stubbornness is to blow it up with “dynamite,” and the “dynamite” is obedience to the Holy Spirit.
Do I believe that Almighty God is the Source of my will? God not only expects me to do His will, but He is in me to do it.
活出神在我裡面所成就的
作成你們得救的功夫。 （腓二12-13）
你的意志是與神一致的，但你肉體中有一種傾向，叫你無法實行所該行的。當主進入你的心，良心就會喚醒意志，而意志必定是與神一致的。你會說：[可是我不知道自己的意志，是否與神的一致。 ]仰望耶穌，你就必發現你的良心與意志是與他相合的。那在你裡面叫你說[我不會]的，是比意志更薄弱的背逆頑梗，它們永遠與神背道而馳。在人最深處的是他的意志，而不是罪。意志是神創造人最基本的元素；罪確實闖進人心的偏頗性情。一個重生的人意志的根源是全能的神。 [因為你們立志行事，都是神在你們心裡運行，為要成就他的美意。 ]
你要把神在你身上所成就的，謹慎地活出來。你不是自己去成全救恩，而是活出救恩，以堅定不移的信心倚靠主完全的救贖，作為根基。這樣，你心裡所發出來的意志，就不會與神相違；神的旨意就是你的旨意，你順其自然的選擇，就會跟神的旨意一致，生命乃像呼吸一樣自然。神是你意向的根源。因此你可以完成他的旨意。頑梗是不明智的楔子，阻礙真理，不肯受光照；唯一的方法是用炸藥把它炸開，這炸藥就是對聖靈的順服。
我相信全能的神是我意志的源頭嗎？神不但期望我遵行他的旨意，他更在我裡面實行出來。
祈禱◆主啊，當我仰望你的時候，求你高舉我。求你將你的臉光光照我，讓我可以將它反照給你。
Your will agrees with God, but in your flesh there is a nature that renders you powerless to do what you know you ought to do. When the Lord initially comes in contact with our conscience, the first thing our conscience does is awaken our will, and our will always agrees with God. Yet you say, “But I don’t know if my will is in agreement with God.” Look to Jesus and you will find that your will and your conscience are in agreement with Him every time. What causes you to say “I will not obey” is something less deep and penetrating than your will. It is perversity or stubbornness, and they are never in agreement with God. The most profound thing in a person is his will, not sin.
The will is the essential element in God’s creation of human beings— sin is a perverse nature which entered into people. In someone who has been born again, the source of the will is Almighty God. “. . . for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” With focused attention and great care, you have to “work out” what God “works in” you— not work to accomplish or earn “your own salvation,” but work it out so you will exhibit the evidence of a life based with determined, unshakable faith on the complete and perfect redemption of the Lord. As you do this, you do not bring an opposing will up against God’s will— God’s will is your will. Your natural choices will be in accordance with God’s will, and living this life will be as natural as breathing. Stubbornness is an unintelligent barrier, refusing enlightenment and blocking its flow. The only thing to do with this barrier of stubbornness is to blow it up with “dynamite,” and the “dynamite” is obedience to the Holy Spirit.
Do I believe that Almighty God is the Source of my will? God not only expects me to do His will, but He is in me to do it.
活出神在我裡面所成就的
作成你們得救的功夫。 （腓二12-13）
你的意志是與神一致的，但你肉體中有一種傾向，叫你無法實行所該行的。當主進入你的心，良心就會喚醒意志，而意志必定是與神一致的。你會說：[可是我不知道自己的意志，是否與神的一致。 ]仰望耶穌，你就必發現你的良心與意志是與他相合的。那在你裡面叫你說[我不會]的，是比意志更薄弱的背逆頑梗，它們永遠與神背道而馳。在人最深處的是他的意志，而不是罪。意志是神創造人最基本的元素；罪確實闖進人心的偏頗性情。一個重生的人意志的根源是全能的神。 [因為你們立志行事，都是神在你們心裡運行，為要成就他的美意。 ]
你要把神在你身上所成就的，謹慎地活出來。你不是自己去成全救恩，而是活出救恩，以堅定不移的信心倚靠主完全的救贖，作為根基。這樣，你心裡所發出來的意志，就不會與神相違；神的旨意就是你的旨意，你順其自然的選擇，就會跟神的旨意一致，生命乃像呼吸一樣自然。神是你意向的根源。因此你可以完成他的旨意。頑梗是不明智的楔子，阻礙真理，不肯受光照；唯一的方法是用炸藥把它炸開，這炸藥就是對聖靈的順服。
我相信全能的神是我意志的源頭嗎？神不但期望我遵行他的旨意，他更在我裡面實行出來。
祈禱◆主啊，當我仰望你的時候，求你高舉我。求你將你的臉光光照我，讓我可以將它反照給你。
May 31, 2014
Put God First
Jesus did not commit Himself to them . . .for He knew what was in man —John 2:24-25
Put Trust in God First. Our Lord never put His trust in any person. Yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, and never lost hope for anyone, because He put His trust in God first. He trusted absolutely in what God’s grace could do for others. If I put my trust in human beings first, the end result will be my despair and hopelessness toward everyone. I will become bitter because I have insisted that people be what no person can ever be— absolutely perfect and right. Never trust anything in yourself or in anyone else, except the grace of God.
Put God’s Will First. “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:9).
A person’s obedience is to what he sees to be a need— our Lord’s obedience was to the will of His Father. The rallying cry today is, “We must get to work! The heathen are dying without God. We must go and tell them about Him.” But we must first make sure that God’s “needs” and His will in us personally are being met. Jesus said, “. . . tarry . . . until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The purpose of our Christian training is to get us into the right relationship to the “needs” of God and His will. Once God’s “needs” in us have been met, He will open the way for us to accomplish His will, meeting His “needs” elsewhere.
Put God’s Son First. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” (Matthew 18:5).
God came as a baby, giving and entrusting Himself to me. He expects my personal life to be a “Bethlehem.” Am I allowing my natural life to be slowly transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God? God’s ultimate purpose is that His Son might be exhibited in me.
神為首
以信靠神為首。耶穌卻不將自己交託他們，因為他知道萬人。 （約二24-25）
我們的主不信賴人，可是他對任何人都從來不存疑心、不懷苦毒、不失盼望，因為他先依靠神。他完全信得過神為每一個人行事那顆恩慈的心。我若把信心先放在人身上，結果就會失望。我會變得苦毒，因為硬要人做到十全十美，而這卻是沒有人能達致的。所以，除了神的恩典之外，無論對自己、對人，都不可信賴。
以神的需要為首。 [我來了為要照你的旨意行。 ]（來十9）
人的順服，往往是看見某一種需要才有所擺上。但主的順服，乃是遵行他父的旨意。今日的呼聲是[要去工作。外邦人因沒有神而走向死亡，我們要把耶穌傳給他們。 ]可是在作工之先，我們必須先讓神在我們身上得到滿足。 [你們在此等候，直到……]等候的目的，就是要我們好好的連接在神的需要上。當神對我們的需求達到了，他就會開路，使我們知道在別處的需要。
以神所託付的為首。 [凡為我的名，接待一個像這小孩子的，就是接待我。 ]（太十八5）神把自己當作一個嬰孩託付了我，期望我的生命像[伯利恆]。我天然的生命沒有藉著神兒子內住的生命，而變化更新？神終極的目的，是要在我這必死的身上，彰顯他兒子的榮耀。
祈禱◆主啊，我知道你有豐盛的恩典，也一直滿有平安；求你將恩典與平安賜給我。你最清楚知道，我們的屬靈生命是如何倚賴著肉身所感受到的平安。
Put Trust in God First. Our Lord never put His trust in any person. Yet He was never suspicious, never bitter, and never lost hope for anyone, because He put His trust in God first. He trusted absolutely in what God’s grace could do for others. If I put my trust in human beings first, the end result will be my despair and hopelessness toward everyone. I will become bitter because I have insisted that people be what no person can ever be— absolutely perfect and right. Never trust anything in yourself or in anyone else, except the grace of God.
Put God’s Will First. “Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God” (Hebrews 10:9).
A person’s obedience is to what he sees to be a need— our Lord’s obedience was to the will of His Father. The rallying cry today is, “We must get to work! The heathen are dying without God. We must go and tell them about Him.” But we must first make sure that God’s “needs” and His will in us personally are being met. Jesus said, “. . . tarry . . . until you are endued with power from on high” (Luke 24:49). The purpose of our Christian training is to get us into the right relationship to the “needs” of God and His will. Once God’s “needs” in us have been met, He will open the way for us to accomplish His will, meeting His “needs” elsewhere.
Put God’s Son First. “Whoever receives one little child like this in My name receives Me” (Matthew 18:5).
God came as a baby, giving and entrusting Himself to me. He expects my personal life to be a “Bethlehem.” Am I allowing my natural life to be slowly transformed by the indwelling life of the Son of God? God’s ultimate purpose is that His Son might be exhibited in me.
神為首
以信靠神為首。耶穌卻不將自己交託他們，因為他知道萬人。 （約二24-25）
我們的主不信賴人，可是他對任何人都從來不存疑心、不懷苦毒、不失盼望，因為他先依靠神。他完全信得過神為每一個人行事那顆恩慈的心。我若把信心先放在人身上，結果就會失望。我會變得苦毒，因為硬要人做到十全十美，而這卻是沒有人能達致的。所以，除了神的恩典之外，無論對自己、對人，都不可信賴。
以神的需要為首。 [我來了為要照你的旨意行。 ]（來十9）
人的順服，往往是看見某一種需要才有所擺上。但主的順服，乃是遵行他父的旨意。今日的呼聲是[要去工作。外邦人因沒有神而走向死亡，我們要把耶穌傳給他們。 ]可是在作工之先，我們必須先讓神在我們身上得到滿足。 [你們在此等候，直到……]等候的目的，就是要我們好好的連接在神的需要上。當神對我們的需求達到了，他就會開路，使我們知道在別處的需要。
以神所託付的為首。 [凡為我的名，接待一個像這小孩子的，就是接待我。 ]（太十八5）神把自己當作一個嬰孩託付了我，期望我的生命像[伯利恆]。我天然的生命沒有藉著神兒子內住的生命，而變化更新？神終極的目的，是要在我這必死的身上，彰顯他兒子的榮耀。
祈禱◆主啊，我知道你有豐盛的恩典，也一直滿有平安；求你將恩典與平安賜給我。你最清楚知道，我們的屬靈生命是如何倚賴著肉身所感受到的平安。
May 22, 2014
The Explanation For Our Difficulties
. . . that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us . . . —John 17:21
If you are going through a time of isolation, seemingly all alone, read John 17 . It will explain exactly why you are where you are— because Jesus has prayed that you “may be one” with the Father as He is. Are you helping God to answer that prayer, or do you have some other goal for your life? Since you became a disciple, you cannot be as independent as you used to be.
God reveals in John 17 that His purpose is not just to answer our prayers, but that through prayer we might come to discern His mind. Yet there is one prayer which God must answer, and that is the prayer of Jesus— “. . . that they may be one just as We are one . . .” (John 17:22). Are we as close to Jesus Christ as that?
God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn’t ask, “Do you want to go through this loss of a loved one, this difficulty, or this defeat?” No, He allows these things for His own purpose. The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better, and nobler men and women, or they are making us more critical and fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way. The things that happen either make us evil, or they make us more saintly, depending entirely on our relationship with God and its level of intimacy. If we will pray, regarding our own lives, “Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42), then we will be encouraged and comforted by John 17, knowing that our Father is working according to His own wisdom, accomplishing what is best. When we understand God’s purpose, we will not become small-minded and cynical. Jesus prayed nothing less for us than absolute oneness with Himself, just as He was one with the Father. Some of us are far from this oneness; yet God will not leave us alone until we are one with Him— because Jesus prayed, “. . . that they all may be one . . . .”
這就是答案
使他們都合而為一，正如你父在我裡面，我父在你裡面，使他們也在我們裡面。 （約十七21）
你的道路若是孤單，請讀約翰福音第十七章。你可以在這裡得到正確的解釋－－耶穌正求父叫你與父合一，如同他與父合一一樣。你是盡力使這禱告得到答允？還是你的人生另有目標？
你既成為門徒，就不能像昔日一般獨立自主了。神的目的不是要應允我們的祈求，而是藉我們的禱告，叫我們能分辨他的心意，這在約翰福音第十七章已顯示出來。有一個禱告是神必然應允的，就是主耶穌的禱告－－[叫他們合而為一，如同我們合而為一]。我們與主耶穌是這樣親密嗎？
神關注的並不是我們的計劃。他不曾說：[你願意經歷這痛苦的困擾嗎？ ]他容讓這些事發生，自有他的目的。我們所經歷的事，要不是叫我們變得更溫柔、更完美、更高貴；就會叫我們更吹毛求疵，更挑剔、更堅持己意。經歷可以叫我們成為妖魔，也可以叫我們變作聖徒，關鍵完全在乎我們與神的關係。我們若說：[願你的旨意成就。 ]就能得著約翰福音第十七章的安慰，就知道天父以智慧行萬事。當我們知道神的用心，就不會卑鄙無恥。耶穌所禱告的，是要我們完全與他合一，正如他與父合一一樣。有些人仍離得很遠，但神不會任憑我們，必使我們真正與他合一，因為耶穌已為我們禱告，盼望我們可以達到這境界。
祈禱◆對於在世上為你結果子，我是那麼無助，我是那麼胸襟狹小，多麼的不像你。求你赦免我，並且，願我因著住在耶穌裡面，可以多結果子，榮耀天父。
If you are going through a time of isolation, seemingly all alone, read John 17 . It will explain exactly why you are where you are— because Jesus has prayed that you “may be one” with the Father as He is. Are you helping God to answer that prayer, or do you have some other goal for your life? Since you became a disciple, you cannot be as independent as you used to be.
God reveals in John 17 that His purpose is not just to answer our prayers, but that through prayer we might come to discern His mind. Yet there is one prayer which God must answer, and that is the prayer of Jesus— “. . . that they may be one just as We are one . . .” (John 17:22). Are we as close to Jesus Christ as that?
God is not concerned about our plans; He doesn’t ask, “Do you want to go through this loss of a loved one, this difficulty, or this defeat?” No, He allows these things for His own purpose. The things we are going through are either making us sweeter, better, and nobler men and women, or they are making us more critical and fault-finding, and more insistent on our own way. The things that happen either make us evil, or they make us more saintly, depending entirely on our relationship with God and its level of intimacy. If we will pray, regarding our own lives, “Your will be done” (Matthew 26:42), then we will be encouraged and comforted by John 17, knowing that our Father is working according to His own wisdom, accomplishing what is best. When we understand God’s purpose, we will not become small-minded and cynical. Jesus prayed nothing less for us than absolute oneness with Himself, just as He was one with the Father. Some of us are far from this oneness; yet God will not leave us alone until we are one with Him— because Jesus prayed, “. . . that they all may be one . . . .”
這就是答案
使他們都合而為一，正如你父在我裡面，我父在你裡面，使他們也在我們裡面。 （約十七21）
你的道路若是孤單，請讀約翰福音第十七章。你可以在這裡得到正確的解釋－－耶穌正求父叫你與父合一，如同他與父合一一樣。你是盡力使這禱告得到答允？還是你的人生另有目標？
你既成為門徒，就不能像昔日一般獨立自主了。神的目的不是要應允我們的祈求，而是藉我們的禱告，叫我們能分辨他的心意，這在約翰福音第十七章已顯示出來。有一個禱告是神必然應允的，就是主耶穌的禱告－－[叫他們合而為一，如同我們合而為一]。我們與主耶穌是這樣親密嗎？
神關注的並不是我們的計劃。他不曾說：[你願意經歷這痛苦的困擾嗎？ ]他容讓這些事發生，自有他的目的。我們所經歷的事，要不是叫我們變得更溫柔、更完美、更高貴；就會叫我們更吹毛求疵，更挑剔、更堅持己意。經歷可以叫我們成為妖魔，也可以叫我們變作聖徒，關鍵完全在乎我們與神的關係。我們若說：[願你的旨意成就。 ]就能得著約翰福音第十七章的安慰，就知道天父以智慧行萬事。當我們知道神的用心，就不會卑鄙無恥。耶穌所禱告的，是要我們完全與他合一，正如他與父合一一樣。有些人仍離得很遠，但神不會任憑我們，必使我們真正與他合一，因為耶穌已為我們禱告，盼望我們可以達到這境界。
祈禱◆對於在世上為你結果子，我是那麼無助，我是那麼胸襟狹小，多麼的不像你。求你赦免我，並且，願我因著住在耶穌裡面，可以多結果子，榮耀天父。
May 09, 2014
Reaching Beyond Our Grasp
Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision], the people cast off restraint . . . —Proverbs 29:18
There is a difference between holding on to a principle and having a vision. A principle does not come from moral inspiration, but a vision does. People who are totally consumed with idealistic principles rarely do anything. A person’s own idea of God and His attributes may actually be used to justify and rationalize his deliberate neglect of his duty. Jonah tried to excuse his disobedience by saying to God, “. . . I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm” (Jonah 4:2). I too may have the right idea of God and His attributes, but that may be the very reason why I do not do my duty. But wherever there is vision, there is also a life of honesty and integrity, because the vision gives me the moral incentive.
Our own idealistic principles may actually lull us into ruin. Examine yourself spiritually to see if you have vision, or only principles.
Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?
“Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision]. . . .” Once we lose sight of God, we begin to be reckless. We cast off certain restraints from activities we know are wrong. We set prayer aside as well and cease having God’s vision in the little things of life. We simply begin to act on our own initiative. If we are eating only out of our own hand, and doing things solely on our own initiative without expecting God to come in, we are on a downward path. We have lost the vision. Is our attitude today an attitude that flows from our vision of God? Are we expecting God to do greater things than He has ever done before? Is there a freshness and a vitality in our spiritual outlook?
沒有開展的把持
沒有異象，民就放肆。 （箴二十九18）
理想與異像是不同的。理想沒有道德性的啟示；異象則有。沉湎在理想中的人，甚少有所作為。一個人可以用對神的看法，作為逃避責任的藉口。約拿曾自辯說，神既然是公義憐憫的，因此一切都必妥當。我也許對神有十分正確的觀念，但這可能成為我不盡本分的理由。若有異象，生命必然公義正直，因為異象帶來道德的催逼。
理想可以緩頓以至消滅，試審察一下你的屬靈狀況，看看是只有理想，還是真有異象。 [啊，人所達致的，該超過他所把握的，否則，天堂何價？ ][沒有異象……]一旦看不見神，我們就會放肆，不受約束，不作禱告，在小事上把神撇在一邊，依照自己的意思行事。我們若一手包辦，自作主張，不期望神介入，我們就在走下坡，失去了異象。我們今日的態度，是否從神的異象而來的呢？我們期望神行大事，勝於往日嗎？我們屬靈的展望是否活潑有力？
祈禱◆噢，主啊，某些情緒似乎很容易令人悄悄地從你的身邊和你的計劃中溜走。可是，主啊，我不相信這是現在的情況；我所相信的，是人可能像一頭野獸那樣進入你的計劃中，沒有判斷能力，也缺乏異象。主啊，我深願成為你的兒子。
There is a difference between holding on to a principle and having a vision. A principle does not come from moral inspiration, but a vision does. People who are totally consumed with idealistic principles rarely do anything. A person’s own idea of God and His attributes may actually be used to justify and rationalize his deliberate neglect of his duty. Jonah tried to excuse his disobedience by saying to God, “. . . I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm” (Jonah 4:2). I too may have the right idea of God and His attributes, but that may be the very reason why I do not do my duty. But wherever there is vision, there is also a life of honesty and integrity, because the vision gives me the moral incentive.
Our own idealistic principles may actually lull us into ruin. Examine yourself spiritually to see if you have vision, or only principles.
Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp, Or what’s a heaven for?
“Where there is no revelation [or prophetic vision]. . . .” Once we lose sight of God, we begin to be reckless. We cast off certain restraints from activities we know are wrong. We set prayer aside as well and cease having God’s vision in the little things of life. We simply begin to act on our own initiative. If we are eating only out of our own hand, and doing things solely on our own initiative without expecting God to come in, we are on a downward path. We have lost the vision. Is our attitude today an attitude that flows from our vision of God? Are we expecting God to do greater things than He has ever done before? Is there a freshness and a vitality in our spiritual outlook?
沒有開展的把持
沒有異象，民就放肆。 （箴二十九18）
理想與異像是不同的。理想沒有道德性的啟示；異象則有。沉湎在理想中的人，甚少有所作為。一個人可以用對神的看法，作為逃避責任的藉口。約拿曾自辯說，神既然是公義憐憫的，因此一切都必妥當。我也許對神有十分正確的觀念，但這可能成為我不盡本分的理由。若有異象，生命必然公義正直，因為異象帶來道德的催逼。
理想可以緩頓以至消滅，試審察一下你的屬靈狀況，看看是只有理想，還是真有異象。 [啊，人所達致的，該超過他所把握的，否則，天堂何價？ ][沒有異象……]一旦看不見神，我們就會放肆，不受約束，不作禱告，在小事上把神撇在一邊，依照自己的意思行事。我們若一手包辦，自作主張，不期望神介入，我們就在走下坡，失去了異象。我們今日的態度，是否從神的異象而來的呢？我們期望神行大事，勝於往日嗎？我們屬靈的展望是否活潑有力？
祈禱◆噢，主啊，某些情緒似乎很容易令人悄悄地從你的身邊和你的計劃中溜走。可是，主啊，我不相信這是現在的情況；我所相信的，是人可能像一頭野獸那樣進入你的計劃中，沒有判斷能力，也缺乏異象。主啊，我深願成為你的兒子。
April 04, 2014
The Way to Permanent Faith
Indeed the hour is coming . . . that you will be scattered . . . —John 16:32
Jesus was not rebuking the disciples in this passage. Their faith was real, but it was disordered and unfocused, and was not at work in the important realities of life. The disciples were scattered to their own concerns and they had interests apart from Jesus Christ. After we have the perfect relationship with God, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, our faith must be exercised in the realities of everyday life. We will be scattered, not into service but into the emptiness of our lives where we will see ruin and barrenness, to know what internal death to God’s blessings means. Are we prepared for this? It is certainly not of our own choosing, but God engineers our circumstances to take us there. Until we have been through that experience, our faith is sustained only by feelings and by blessings. But once we get there, no matter where God may place us or what inner emptiness we experience, we can praise God that all is well. That is what is meant by faith being exercised in the realities of life.
“. . . you . . . will leave Me alone.” Have we been scattered and have we left Jesus alone by not seeing His providential care for us? Do we not see God at work in our circumstances? Dark times are allowed and come to us through the sovereignty of God. Are we prepared to let God do what He wants with us? Are we prepared to be separated from the outward, evident blessings of God? Until Jesus Christ is truly our Lord, we each have goals of our own which we serve. Our faith is real, but it is not yet permanent. And God is never in a hurry. If we are willing to wait, we will see God pointing out that we have been interested only in His blessings, instead of in God Himself. The sense of God’s blessings is fundamental
“. . . be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Unyielding spiritual fortitude is what we need.
不信的邊緣
看哪，時候將到，……你們要分散。 （約十六32）
耶穌不是在責備門徒，他們的信心是真實的，只不過受到困擾；以致在實際的事情臨到，信心沒有發生果效。他們分散，各顧各的事，而這些事不是屬基督的。我們與神有了分別為聖的關係後，就必須在實際行動上活出信心來。我們被解散，不是到工廠上去，而是到個人內心的絕境裡，叫我們體會什麼叫做向神的賜福死去。我們準備好嗎？這不是我們所揀選的，乃是神所安排的環境，帶我們進入這經歷裡去。
除非我們有了這樣的經歷，否則，我們的信心不過是建立在感覺與福氣之上，為二者所支撐而已。一旦我們到了這個地步，不論神放我們在哪裡，也不論落到怎樣的絕境，我們仍然可以讚美神，知道一切都盡善盡美，這才是信心真實地發揮出來。
[……留下我獨自一人。 ]我們有沒有因著追逐個人的嗜欲，偏離神旨，留下耶穌獨自一人？這時因為我們在所遇的環境裡看不見神嗎？黑暗來臨，也是出於神的全能。我們預備讓神照他的心意對待我們嗎？就是甘願拋棄我們能察覺的福氣嗎？除非等到耶穌基督作我們的主，否則我們總會去爭取自己的目標；我們的信心是真實的，卻仍未堅固。神從來不草率行事；只要我們等候，神必要指明。但我們所專注的不是神，而是他的賜福。只意識到神的賜福，乃是靈程的初階。 [你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。 ]我們需要屬靈的剛毅。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我何等需要你！求你今天以豐盛的能力，臨到我們實際的環境中。
Jesus was not rebuking the disciples in this passage. Their faith was real, but it was disordered and unfocused, and was not at work in the important realities of life. The disciples were scattered to their own concerns and they had interests apart from Jesus Christ. After we have the perfect relationship with God, through the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit, our faith must be exercised in the realities of everyday life. We will be scattered, not into service but into the emptiness of our lives where we will see ruin and barrenness, to know what internal death to God’s blessings means. Are we prepared for this? It is certainly not of our own choosing, but God engineers our circumstances to take us there. Until we have been through that experience, our faith is sustained only by feelings and by blessings. But once we get there, no matter where God may place us or what inner emptiness we experience, we can praise God that all is well. That is what is meant by faith being exercised in the realities of life.
“. . . you . . . will leave Me alone.” Have we been scattered and have we left Jesus alone by not seeing His providential care for us? Do we not see God at work in our circumstances? Dark times are allowed and come to us through the sovereignty of God. Are we prepared to let God do what He wants with us? Are we prepared to be separated from the outward, evident blessings of God? Until Jesus Christ is truly our Lord, we each have goals of our own which we serve. Our faith is real, but it is not yet permanent. And God is never in a hurry. If we are willing to wait, we will see God pointing out that we have been interested only in His blessings, instead of in God Himself. The sense of God’s blessings is fundamental
“. . . be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Unyielding spiritual fortitude is what we need.
不信的邊緣
看哪，時候將到，……你們要分散。 （約十六32）
耶穌不是在責備門徒，他們的信心是真實的，只不過受到困擾；以致在實際的事情臨到，信心沒有發生果效。他們分散，各顧各的事，而這些事不是屬基督的。我們與神有了分別為聖的關係後，就必須在實際行動上活出信心來。我們被解散，不是到工廠上去，而是到個人內心的絕境裡，叫我們體會什麼叫做向神的賜福死去。我們準備好嗎？這不是我們所揀選的，乃是神所安排的環境，帶我們進入這經歷裡去。
除非我們有了這樣的經歷，否則，我們的信心不過是建立在感覺與福氣之上，為二者所支撐而已。一旦我們到了這個地步，不論神放我們在哪裡，也不論落到怎樣的絕境，我們仍然可以讚美神，知道一切都盡善盡美，這才是信心真實地發揮出來。
[……留下我獨自一人。 ]我們有沒有因著追逐個人的嗜欲，偏離神旨，留下耶穌獨自一人？這時因為我們在所遇的環境裡看不見神嗎？黑暗來臨，也是出於神的全能。我們預備讓神照他的心意對待我們嗎？就是甘願拋棄我們能察覺的福氣嗎？除非等到耶穌基督作我們的主，否則我們總會去爭取自己的目標；我們的信心是真實的，卻仍未堅固。神從來不草率行事；只要我們等候，神必要指明。但我們所專注的不是神，而是他的賜福。只意識到神的賜福，乃是靈程的初階。 [你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。 ]我們需要屬靈的剛毅。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我何等需要你！求你今天以豐盛的能力，臨到我們實際的環境中。
January 25, 2014
Leave Room for God
But when it pleased God. . . — Galatians 1:15
As servants of God, we must learn to make room for Him-to give God “elbow room.” We plan and figure and predict that this or that will happen, but we forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses. Would we be surprised if God came into our meeting or into our preaching in a way we had never expected Him to come? Do not look for God to come in a particular way, but do look for Him. The way to make room for Him is to expect Him to come, but not in a certain way. No matter how well we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that He may break in at any minute. We tend to overlook this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way. Suddenly—God meets our life “. . . when it pleased God . .. .”
Keep your life so constantly in touch with God that His surprising power can break through at any point. Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.
留位置給神
神既然樂意。 。 。 。 。 。 （加一15-16）
作為神的工人，我們必須學習給神留下應有的地位，就是給他有自由活動的空間。我們會計算量度，說這個那個會這樣那 樣，卻忘記騰出空間，給神自由進出的餘地。神若突然闖入我們的聚會中，或我們講道時他來了，我們會詫異嗎？不要指望神照你指定的方式來到，只要注目在他身上，這才是給他空間。要指望他來，但不要限制他只能用某種方式來。不論我們認識神有多少，最重要的是要知道：神任何一分鐘都可以裂天而降。我們很容易忽視 這個突如其來的可能性，其實神做工一向就是如此。神往往出其不意地碰着人的生命——[神樂意。 。 。 。 。 。 ]。
經常與神保持貼近，以致神奇異的大能隨時地從他右手或左手發出。要常在期待當中，給神空間隨他的意思降臨。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你以愛慕的枷鎖將我與你結連；在你差派我時，以你的眷佑環繞我；加添我的能力，以致我愈來愈能夠被你使用。
As servants of God, we must learn to make room for Him-to give God “elbow room.” We plan and figure and predict that this or that will happen, but we forget to make room for God to come in as He chooses. Would we be surprised if God came into our meeting or into our preaching in a way we had never expected Him to come? Do not look for God to come in a particular way, but do look for Him. The way to make room for Him is to expect Him to come, but not in a certain way. No matter how well we may know God, the great lesson to learn is that He may break in at any minute. We tend to overlook this element of surprise, yet God never works in any other way. Suddenly—God meets our life “. . . when it pleased God . .. .”
Keep your life so constantly in touch with God that His surprising power can break through at any point. Live in a constant state of expectancy, and leave room for God to come in as He decides.
留位置給神
神既然樂意。 。 。 。 。 。 （加一15-16）
作為神的工人，我們必須學習給神留下應有的地位，就是給他有自由活動的空間。我們會計算量度，說這個那個會這樣那 樣，卻忘記騰出空間，給神自由進出的餘地。神若突然闖入我們的聚會中，或我們講道時他來了，我們會詫異嗎？不要指望神照你指定的方式來到，只要注目在他身上，這才是給他空間。要指望他來，但不要限制他只能用某種方式來。不論我們認識神有多少，最重要的是要知道：神任何一分鐘都可以裂天而降。我們很容易忽視 這個突如其來的可能性，其實神做工一向就是如此。神往往出其不意地碰着人的生命——[神樂意。 。 。 。 。 。 ]。
經常與神保持貼近，以致神奇異的大能隨時地從他右手或左手發出。要常在期待當中，給神空間隨他的意思降臨。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你以愛慕的枷鎖將我與你結連；在你差派我時，以你的眷佑環繞我；加添我的能力，以致我愈來愈能夠被你使用。
January 01, 2014
Let Us Keep to the Point
". . . my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness, as always, so now also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death" —Philippians 1:2
My Utmost for His Highest. “. . . my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed . . . .” We will all feel very much ashamed if we do not yield to Jesus the areas of our lives He has asked us to yield to Him. It’s as if Paul were saying, “My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest— my best for His glory.” To reach that level of determination is a matter of the will, not of debate or of reasoning. It is absolute and irrevocable surrender of the will at that point. An undue amount of thought and consideration for ourselves is what keeps us from making that decision, although we cover it up with the pretense that it is others we are considering. When we think seriously about what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn’t know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point— He does know. Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only— my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone.
My Unstoppable Determination for His Holiness. “Whether it means life or death-it makes no difference!” (see Philippians 1:21). Paul was determined that nothing would stop him from doing exactly what God wanted. But before we choose to follow God’s will, a crisis must develop in our lives. This happens because we tend to be unresponsive to God’s gentler nudges. He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him and we begin to debate. He then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide— for or against. That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives. If a crisis has come to you on any front, surrender your will to Jesus absolutely and irrevocably.
認定目標
照著我所切慕所盼望的，沒有一事叫我羞愧，只要凡事放膽，無論是生，是死，總叫基督在我身上照常顯大。 （腓一20）
竭盡己心以成全主至高的旨意。 [照著我所切慕所盼望的，沒有一事叫我羞愧。 ]耶穌要求我們凡事順服，若我們不肯順服，就必然會大大羞愧。保羅說：[我決志要竭盡所能，成全神至高的旨意。 ]要達到這個目標，是意志的問題。不是討價還價，理長論短，乃是意志的降服，是絕對的，不反悔的，對正要害的降服。但我們往往思前想後，諸多疑慮，過分自作主張，無法定意順服，而且還口稱是為了顧及別人的需要。我們揣摩測度，心想若順服了耶穌的呼召，會怎樣影響那些人；於是就告訴神說：[你知道我順服之後會有怎樣的後果？ ]只要持定目標，神是知道的。把所有顧慮都放下，單單來到神面前，存一個心志－－[竭盡所能，完成神至高的旨意。 ]
為他的聖潔榮耀，不折不撓。 [無論是生，是死，我全不介懷！ ]（參21節）保羅立定心志，不讓任何事物阻攔他去成就神的旨意，是不折不扣地惟命是從。神行事的程式是我們在生命中有一個改變，因為神好好跟我們說的時候，我們多半不理睬。他於是把我們帶到一個地步，叫我們竭誠為他，那時我們就開始掙扎（原文作爭辯）；然後，他造一個非忍受可以控制的局面，叫我們必須下一個決定－－或順命或逆命。從這裡開始，決定性的分界線就產生了。假若神生命的改變臨到你，你只要絕對的，毫不反悔的順服。
祈禱◆主啊，我何等渴望藉著祢能力的驅策、祢恩典的撫摸，和祢聖靈的感動，帶領我與祢面對面。為著我的遲緩，要那麼久才對某些事情有所醒悟，我祈求祢的寬恕。
My Utmost for His Highest. “. . . my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed . . . .” We will all feel very much ashamed if we do not yield to Jesus the areas of our lives He has asked us to yield to Him. It’s as if Paul were saying, “My determined purpose is to be my utmost for His highest— my best for His glory.” To reach that level of determination is a matter of the will, not of debate or of reasoning. It is absolute and irrevocable surrender of the will at that point. An undue amount of thought and consideration for ourselves is what keeps us from making that decision, although we cover it up with the pretense that it is others we are considering. When we think seriously about what it will cost others if we obey the call of Jesus, we tell God He doesn’t know what our obedience will mean. Keep to the point— He does know. Shut out every other thought and keep yourself before God in this one thing only— my utmost for His highest. I am determined to be absolutely and entirely for Him and Him alone.
My Unstoppable Determination for His Holiness. “Whether it means life or death-it makes no difference!” (see Philippians 1:21). Paul was determined that nothing would stop him from doing exactly what God wanted. But before we choose to follow God’s will, a crisis must develop in our lives. This happens because we tend to be unresponsive to God’s gentler nudges. He brings us to the place where He asks us to be our utmost for Him and we begin to debate. He then providentially produces a crisis where we have to decide— for or against. That moment becomes a great crossroads in our lives. If a crisis has come to you on any front, surrender your will to Jesus absolutely and irrevocably.
認定目標
照著我所切慕所盼望的，沒有一事叫我羞愧，只要凡事放膽，無論是生，是死，總叫基督在我身上照常顯大。 （腓一20）
竭盡己心以成全主至高的旨意。 [照著我所切慕所盼望的，沒有一事叫我羞愧。 ]耶穌要求我們凡事順服，若我們不肯順服，就必然會大大羞愧。保羅說：[我決志要竭盡所能，成全神至高的旨意。 ]要達到這個目標，是意志的問題。不是討價還價，理長論短，乃是意志的降服，是絕對的，不反悔的，對正要害的降服。但我們往往思前想後，諸多疑慮，過分自作主張，無法定意順服，而且還口稱是為了顧及別人的需要。我們揣摩測度，心想若順服了耶穌的呼召，會怎樣影響那些人；於是就告訴神說：[你知道我順服之後會有怎樣的後果？ ]只要持定目標，神是知道的。把所有顧慮都放下，單單來到神面前，存一個心志－－[竭盡所能，完成神至高的旨意。 ]
為他的聖潔榮耀，不折不撓。 [無論是生，是死，我全不介懷！ ]（參21節）保羅立定心志，不讓任何事物阻攔他去成就神的旨意，是不折不扣地惟命是從。神行事的程式是我們在生命中有一個改變，因為神好好跟我們說的時候，我們多半不理睬。他於是把我們帶到一個地步，叫我們竭誠為他，那時我們就開始掙扎（原文作爭辯）；然後，他造一個非忍受可以控制的局面，叫我們必須下一個決定－－或順命或逆命。從這裡開始，決定性的分界線就產生了。假若神生命的改變臨到你，你只要絕對的，毫不反悔的順服。
祈禱◆主啊，我何等渴望藉著祢能力的驅策、祢恩典的撫摸，和祢聖靈的感動，帶領我與祢面對面。為著我的遲緩，要那麼久才對某些事情有所醒悟，我祈求祢的寬恕。
November 10, 2013
Fellowship in the Gospel
. . . fellow laborer in the gospel of Christ . . . —1 Thessalonians 3:2
After sanctification, it is difficult to state what your purpose in life is, because God has moved you into His purpose through the Holy Spirit. He is using you now for His purposes throughout the world as He used His Son for the purpose of our salvation. If you seek great things for yourself, thinking, “God has called me for this and for that,” you barricade God from using you. As long as you maintain your own personal interests and ambitions, you cannot be completely aligned or identified with God’s interests. This can only be accomplished by giving up all of your personal plans once and for all, and by allowing God to take you directly into His purpose for the world. Your understanding of your ways must also be surrendered, because they are now the ways of the Lord.
I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. God is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him. I should never say, “Lord, this causes me such heartache.” To talk that way makes me a stumbling block. When I stop telling God what I want, He can freely work His will in me without any hindrance. He can crush me, exalt me, or do anything else He chooses. He simply asks me to have absolute faith in Him and His goodness. Self-pity is of the devil, and if I wallow in it I cannot be used by God for His purpose in the world. Doing this creates for me my own cozy “world within the world,” and God will not be allowed to move me from it because of my fear of being “frost-bitten.”
福音裡的相交
……在基督福音上和神同工……（帖三2，新譯本）
人成聖以後，很難再明說自己的人生目標是什麽，因為神已藉聖靈把你放在他的計畫裡。如今在他對全世界的計畫中，他使用你，正如他在我們的救贖計畫中，使用他的名字一樣。你若為自己求大事- 神呼召我做這個那個，就是限制了神對你的使用。只要你對自己的品性仍感關注，或仍抱個人的野心，就無法與神的心意認同。要與神合一，必須把自己的意念決絕地拋棄，讓神待你到他對全世界的計畫中。這樣，你的行動既全在主裡，就必無法明白所行的路。
人生的目標是屬神的，不是屬自己的，這一點我們必須學習。神按著他美好的旨意用我，要求我信賴他，不要說：[主啊，這事叫我心痛。 ]我這樣說就成了一個阻礙。若不再對神說我要什麽，他才能毫無阻隔地把所要的給我。他可以把我壓碎，也可以叫我高升，他可以隨己意而行。神只要求我對他完全信任，信任他和他的良善。自憐自憫出於魔鬼，我若走這條路，神就不能用我於全世界的計畫裡。我若活在一個[世界裡的世界]，深怕走到外面會凍僵，深就永無法帶我出來。
祈禱◆主啊，願你發聲，讓我可以聽見和明白。我的屬靈生命似乎太表面化，能察覺到帶有恩慈的能力是那麽少；求你激勵我，直至我與你一同發光。
After sanctification, it is difficult to state what your purpose in life is, because God has moved you into His purpose through the Holy Spirit. He is using you now for His purposes throughout the world as He used His Son for the purpose of our salvation. If you seek great things for yourself, thinking, “God has called me for this and for that,” you barricade God from using you. As long as you maintain your own personal interests and ambitions, you cannot be completely aligned or identified with God’s interests. This can only be accomplished by giving up all of your personal plans once and for all, and by allowing God to take you directly into His purpose for the world. Your understanding of your ways must also be surrendered, because they are now the ways of the Lord.
I must learn that the purpose of my life belongs to God, not me. God is using me from His great personal perspective, and all He asks of me is that I trust Him. I should never say, “Lord, this causes me such heartache.” To talk that way makes me a stumbling block. When I stop telling God what I want, He can freely work His will in me without any hindrance. He can crush me, exalt me, or do anything else He chooses. He simply asks me to have absolute faith in Him and His goodness. Self-pity is of the devil, and if I wallow in it I cannot be used by God for His purpose in the world. Doing this creates for me my own cozy “world within the world,” and God will not be allowed to move me from it because of my fear of being “frost-bitten.”
福音裡的相交
……在基督福音上和神同工……（帖三2，新譯本）
人成聖以後，很難再明說自己的人生目標是什麽，因為神已藉聖靈把你放在他的計畫裡。如今在他對全世界的計畫中，他使用你，正如他在我們的救贖計畫中，使用他的名字一樣。你若為自己求大事- 神呼召我做這個那個，就是限制了神對你的使用。只要你對自己的品性仍感關注，或仍抱個人的野心，就無法與神的心意認同。要與神合一，必須把自己的意念決絕地拋棄，讓神待你到他對全世界的計畫中。這樣，你的行動既全在主裡，就必無法明白所行的路。
人生的目標是屬神的，不是屬自己的，這一點我們必須學習。神按著他美好的旨意用我，要求我信賴他，不要說：[主啊，這事叫我心痛。 ]我這樣說就成了一個阻礙。若不再對神說我要什麽，他才能毫無阻隔地把所要的給我。他可以把我壓碎，也可以叫我高升，他可以隨己意而行。神只要求我對他完全信任，信任他和他的良善。自憐自憫出於魔鬼，我若走這條路，神就不能用我於全世界的計畫裡。我若活在一個[世界裡的世界]，深怕走到外面會凍僵，深就永無法帶我出來。
祈禱◆主啊，願你發聲，讓我可以聽見和明白。我的屬靈生命似乎太表面化，能察覺到帶有恩慈的能力是那麽少；求你激勵我，直至我與你一同發光。
September 23, 2013
The Missionary’s Goal
He . . . said to them, ’Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem . . . ’ —Luke 18:31
In our natural life our ambitions change as we grow, but in the Christian life the goal is given at the very beginning, and the beginning and the end are exactly the same, namely, our Lord Himself. We start with Christ and we end with Him—”. . . till we all come . . . to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . .” (Ephesians 4:13), not simply to our own idea of what the Christian life should be. The goal of the missionary is to do God’s will, not to be useful or to win the lost. A missionary is useful and he does win the lost, but that is not his goal. His goal is to do the will of his Lord.
In our Lord’s life, Jerusalem was the place where He reached the culmination of His Father’s will upon the cross, and unless we go there with Jesus we will have no friendship or fellowship with Him. Nothing ever diverted our Lord on His way to Jerusalem. He never hurried through certain villages where He was persecuted, or lingered in others where He was blessed. Neither gratitude nor ingratitude turned our Lord even the slightest degree away from His purpose to go “up to Jerusalem.”
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master” (Matthew 10:24). In other words, the same things that happened to our Lord will happen to us on our way to our “Jerusalem.” There will be works of God exhibited through us, people will get blessed, and one or two will show gratitude while the rest will show total ingratitude, but nothing must divert us from going “up to [our] Jerusalem.”
“. . . there they crucified Him . . .” (Luke 23:33). That is what happened when our Lord reached Jerusalem, and that event is the doorway to our salvation. The saints, however, do not end in crucifixion; by the Lord’s grace they end in glory. In the meantime our watchword should be summed up by each of us saying, “I too go ’up to Jerusalem.’ “
傳道者的目標
看哪，我們上耶路撒冷去。 （路十八31）
在天然生命中，我們會按著發展而改變自己的野心。可是在信徒生命中，目標一開始就擺明出來，而這目標是始終如一的：主自己。我們始於基督，也終於基督－－[直等到我們……長大成人，滿有基督長成的身量。 ]我們並不是依自己認為的理想信徒生命而行。傳道人的目標是要行神的旨意，不是要大得使用，不是要贏得許多不信的人。他當然要合用，也當然要贏多人信主，但那不是他的目標。他的目標是遵行神的旨意。
在主的一生中，耶路撒冷是他在十架上成就天父旨意的頂峰。我們若未與他同往，就並未與他同行。主上耶路撒冷的路上，沒有什麼事物可以叫他灰心。在備受攻擊的村鎮，他沒匆匆避過；在大受擁戴的地方，他也不會流連不去。不管人對他感恩或是忘恩，總不能叫他走向耶路撒冷的心意改變一丁點兒。
[僕人不能高過主人。 ]在往耶路撒冷的路上，我們也要遭遇同樣的事。神的工作會透過我們彰顯，有人得著祝福，一兩個人會表示感激，其他的人可能會忘恩負義。可是，不要讓任何事物使我們偏離上耶路撒冷的路。
[他們在那裡釘他十字架。 ]這就是主到耶路撒冷所遭遇的，而這卻開啟我們得救的門。聖徒的終局不是釘十字架；憑神的恩典，他們的終局是榮耀的。在這當兒，我們口號是：也上耶路撒冷去。
祈禱◆主啊，我能夠認識你是何等美好；我何其需要靠近你。當你成為我的生命時，我怎能顫抖！
In our natural life our ambitions change as we grow, but in the Christian life the goal is given at the very beginning, and the beginning and the end are exactly the same, namely, our Lord Himself. We start with Christ and we end with Him—”. . . till we all come . . . to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ . . .” (Ephesians 4:13), not simply to our own idea of what the Christian life should be. The goal of the missionary is to do God’s will, not to be useful or to win the lost. A missionary is useful and he does win the lost, but that is not his goal. His goal is to do the will of his Lord.
In our Lord’s life, Jerusalem was the place where He reached the culmination of His Father’s will upon the cross, and unless we go there with Jesus we will have no friendship or fellowship with Him. Nothing ever diverted our Lord on His way to Jerusalem. He never hurried through certain villages where He was persecuted, or lingered in others where He was blessed. Neither gratitude nor ingratitude turned our Lord even the slightest degree away from His purpose to go “up to Jerusalem.”
“A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master” (Matthew 10:24). In other words, the same things that happened to our Lord will happen to us on our way to our “Jerusalem.” There will be works of God exhibited through us, people will get blessed, and one or two will show gratitude while the rest will show total ingratitude, but nothing must divert us from going “up to [our] Jerusalem.”
“. . . there they crucified Him . . .” (Luke 23:33). That is what happened when our Lord reached Jerusalem, and that event is the doorway to our salvation. The saints, however, do not end in crucifixion; by the Lord’s grace they end in glory. In the meantime our watchword should be summed up by each of us saying, “I too go ’up to Jerusalem.’ “
傳道者的目標
看哪，我們上耶路撒冷去。 （路十八31）
在天然生命中，我們會按著發展而改變自己的野心。可是在信徒生命中，目標一開始就擺明出來，而這目標是始終如一的：主自己。我們始於基督，也終於基督－－[直等到我們……長大成人，滿有基督長成的身量。 ]我們並不是依自己認為的理想信徒生命而行。傳道人的目標是要行神的旨意，不是要大得使用，不是要贏得許多不信的人。他當然要合用，也當然要贏多人信主，但那不是他的目標。他的目標是遵行神的旨意。
在主的一生中，耶路撒冷是他在十架上成就天父旨意的頂峰。我們若未與他同往，就並未與他同行。主上耶路撒冷的路上，沒有什麼事物可以叫他灰心。在備受攻擊的村鎮，他沒匆匆避過；在大受擁戴的地方，他也不會流連不去。不管人對他感恩或是忘恩，總不能叫他走向耶路撒冷的心意改變一丁點兒。
[僕人不能高過主人。 ]在往耶路撒冷的路上，我們也要遭遇同樣的事。神的工作會透過我們彰顯，有人得著祝福，一兩個人會表示感激，其他的人可能會忘恩負義。可是，不要讓任何事物使我們偏離上耶路撒冷的路。
[他們在那裡釘他十字架。 ]這就是主到耶路撒冷所遭遇的，而這卻開啟我們得救的門。聖徒的終局不是釘十字架；憑神的恩典，他們的終局是榮耀的。在這當兒，我們口號是：也上耶路撒冷去。
祈禱◆主啊，我能夠認識你是何等美好；我何其需要靠近你。當你成為我的生命時，我怎能顫抖！
September 21, 2013
The Missionary’s Predestined Purpose
Now the Lord says, who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant . . . —Isaiah 49:5
The first thing that happens after we recognize our election by God in Christ Jesus is the destruction of our preconceived ideas, our narrow-minded thinking, and all of our other allegiances— we are turned solely into servants of God’s own purpose. The entire human race was created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Sin has diverted the human race onto another course, but it has not altered God’s purpose to the slightest degree. And when we are born again we are brought into the realization of God’s great purpose for the human race, namely, that He created us for Himself. This realization of our election by God is the most joyful on earth, and we must learn to rely on this tremendous creative purpose of God. The first thing God will do is force the interests of the whole world through the channel of our hearts. The love of God, and even His very nature, is introduced into us. And we see the nature of Almighty God purely focused in
John 3:16
— “For God so loved the world. . . ”
We must continually keep our soul open to the fact of God’s creative purpose, and never confuse or cloud it with our own intentions. If we do, God will have to force our intentions aside no matter how much it may hurt. A missionary is created for the purpose of being God’s servant, one in whom God is glorified. Once we realize that it is through the salvation of Jesus Christ that we are made perfectly fit for the purpose of God, we will understand why Jesus Christ is so strict and relentless in His demands. He demands absolute righteousness from His servants, because He has put into them the very nature of God.
Beware lest you forget God’s purpose for your life
傳道者的預選
耶和華從我出胎造就我作他的僕人。 （賽四十九5）
我們一清楚在耶穌基督裡被神選召，第一件發生的事就是偏見、狹隘的思想、愛國主義的破滅，變成神的僕人，為完成他的計劃。整個人類原是為榮耀神，永遠享受神而被造的。罪惡把人類帶入歧途，但卻不能改變神原意的一絲一毫。我們重生得救時，就立時進入神對人類偉大的用心裡去；我是為神而被造的，神創造了我。明白神的選召，是世上最快樂不過的體會，我們必須信賴神偉大的創造計劃。神要作在我們身上的第一件事，就是要把對世界的關注，灌注到一顆心的通道裡去。他把愛，就是自己的本性，引進我們裡面，而全能神的本性，就集中在約翰福音三章16節：[神愛世人……].
我們要保持心靈向神創造的本意敞開，不要把自己的意念攙雜在裡面。若非如此，不管我們多痛苦，神也要把我們的意圖壓碎。傳道者的任務，就是作神的僕人，讓神得著榮耀。若我們明白在主的救恩里，成為完全適合神用的人，就明白主耶穌的要求何以這樣決絕。他要求他的僕人絕對的正直，因為他已把自己的本性放在他們裡面。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著我所負責的這些人，我懇求你帶領我與你的計劃活潑相連。為著今天所擁有的一切機會，求你重新膏立我。讓我看見你救恩的作為。
The first thing that happens after we recognize our election by God in Christ Jesus is the destruction of our preconceived ideas, our narrow-minded thinking, and all of our other allegiances— we are turned solely into servants of God’s own purpose. The entire human race was created to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever. Sin has diverted the human race onto another course, but it has not altered God’s purpose to the slightest degree. And when we are born again we are brought into the realization of God’s great purpose for the human race, namely, that He created us for Himself. This realization of our election by God is the most joyful on earth, and we must learn to rely on this tremendous creative purpose of God. The first thing God will do is force the interests of the whole world through the channel of our hearts. The love of God, and even His very nature, is introduced into us. And we see the nature of Almighty God purely focused in
John 3:16
— “For God so loved the world. . . ”
We must continually keep our soul open to the fact of God’s creative purpose, and never confuse or cloud it with our own intentions. If we do, God will have to force our intentions aside no matter how much it may hurt. A missionary is created for the purpose of being God’s servant, one in whom God is glorified. Once we realize that it is through the salvation of Jesus Christ that we are made perfectly fit for the purpose of God, we will understand why Jesus Christ is so strict and relentless in His demands. He demands absolute righteousness from His servants, because He has put into them the very nature of God.
Beware lest you forget God’s purpose for your life
傳道者的預選
耶和華從我出胎造就我作他的僕人。 （賽四十九5）
我們一清楚在耶穌基督裡被神選召，第一件發生的事就是偏見、狹隘的思想、愛國主義的破滅，變成神的僕人，為完成他的計劃。整個人類原是為榮耀神，永遠享受神而被造的。罪惡把人類帶入歧途，但卻不能改變神原意的一絲一毫。我們重生得救時，就立時進入神對人類偉大的用心裡去；我是為神而被造的，神創造了我。明白神的選召，是世上最快樂不過的體會，我們必須信賴神偉大的創造計劃。神要作在我們身上的第一件事，就是要把對世界的關注，灌注到一顆心的通道裡去。他把愛，就是自己的本性，引進我們裡面，而全能神的本性，就集中在約翰福音三章16節：[神愛世人……].
我們要保持心靈向神創造的本意敞開，不要把自己的意念攙雜在裡面。若非如此，不管我們多痛苦，神也要把我們的意圖壓碎。傳道者的任務，就是作神的僕人，讓神得著榮耀。若我們明白在主的救恩里，成為完全適合神用的人，就明白主耶穌的要求何以這樣決絕。他要求他的僕人絕對的正直，因為他已把自己的本性放在他們裡面。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著我所負責的這些人，我懇求你帶領我與你的計劃活潑相連。為著今天所擁有的一切機會，求你重新膏立我。讓我看見你救恩的作為。
September 09, 2013
Do It Yourself (2)
. . . bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ . . . —2 Corinthians 10:5
Determinedly Discipline Other Things. This is another difficult aspect of the strenuous nature of sainthood. Paul said, according to the Moffatt translation of this verse, “. . . I take every project prisoner to make it obey Christ . . . .” So much Christian work today has never been disciplined, but has simply come into being by impulse! In our Lord’s life every project was disciplined to the will of His Father. There was never the slightest tendency to follow the impulse of His own will as distinct from His Father’s will— “the Son can do nothing of Himself . . . ” (John 5:19). Then compare this with what we do— we take “every thought” or project that comes to us by impulse and jump into action immediately, instead of imprisoning and disciplining ourselves to obey Christ.
Practical work for Christians is greatly overemphasized today, and the saints who are “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity” are criticized and told that they are not determined, and that they lack zeal for God or zeal for the souls of others. But true determination and zeal are found in obeying God, not in the inclination to serve Him that arises from our own undisciplined human nature. It is inconceivable, but true nevertheless, that saints are not “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity,” but are simply doing work for God that has been instigated by their own human nature, and has not been made spiritual through determined discipline.
We have a tendency to forget that a person is not only committed to Jesus Christ for salvation, but is also committed, responsible, and accountable to Jesus Christ’s view of God, the world, and of sin and the devil. This means that each person must recognize the responsibility to “be transformed by the renewing of [his] mind. . . .” (Romans 12:2).
自己做
又將人所有的心意奪回，使他都順服基督。 （林後十5）
這是信徒成聖須竭盡心力的另一面。保羅說：[我將所有計劃都封鎖，使它們都歸服於基督。 ]（摩法特譯本）今天多少基督徒的事工是沒有紀律，只出於一時衝動的！主每一件事都律己，遵照父的旨意。他沒有一絲行動，是脫離父的旨意，出於私意的衝動－－[子憑自己不能作什麼。 ]
再看看我們自己－－有活現的宗教經歷，就立刻衝動地把計劃付諸行動，而不是把它約束在對基督的順服裡。這時代太強調實際工作，以致那些為主把計劃俘擄的人，被批評為不熱心為神，也不愛靈魂。真心的熱誠，在於順服神，而不在於人性、不受約束的事奉熱誠。聖徒還未把每一計劃俘擄，就按本性－－未經定志律己而來的屬靈性情－－慫動去作神的工作，這雖是不可思議，卻確有其事。
我們很容易會忘記人不單要在救恩上歸服基督，也要歸服於基督對神、對世界、對罪、對魔鬼的觀點。這就是說，他必須藉心意的更新而改變。
祈禱◆主啊，我來到你面前。求你將你的生命豐盛地賜給我，直至我的理解力、想像力和言語，都全屬於你。你更新了我的靈，使我重獲救恩之樂，你是何等偉大！
Determinedly Discipline Other Things. This is another difficult aspect of the strenuous nature of sainthood. Paul said, according to the Moffatt translation of this verse, “. . . I take every project prisoner to make it obey Christ . . . .” So much Christian work today has never been disciplined, but has simply come into being by impulse! In our Lord’s life every project was disciplined to the will of His Father. There was never the slightest tendency to follow the impulse of His own will as distinct from His Father’s will— “the Son can do nothing of Himself . . . ” (John 5:19). Then compare this with what we do— we take “every thought” or project that comes to us by impulse and jump into action immediately, instead of imprisoning and disciplining ourselves to obey Christ.
Practical work for Christians is greatly overemphasized today, and the saints who are “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity” are criticized and told that they are not determined, and that they lack zeal for God or zeal for the souls of others. But true determination and zeal are found in obeying God, not in the inclination to serve Him that arises from our own undisciplined human nature. It is inconceivable, but true nevertheless, that saints are not “bringing every thought [and project] into captivity,” but are simply doing work for God that has been instigated by their own human nature, and has not been made spiritual through determined discipline.
We have a tendency to forget that a person is not only committed to Jesus Christ for salvation, but is also committed, responsible, and accountable to Jesus Christ’s view of God, the world, and of sin and the devil. This means that each person must recognize the responsibility to “be transformed by the renewing of [his] mind. . . .” (Romans 12:2).
自己做
又將人所有的心意奪回，使他都順服基督。 （林後十5）
這是信徒成聖須竭盡心力的另一面。保羅說：[我將所有計劃都封鎖，使它們都歸服於基督。 ]（摩法特譯本）今天多少基督徒的事工是沒有紀律，只出於一時衝動的！主每一件事都律己，遵照父的旨意。他沒有一絲行動，是脫離父的旨意，出於私意的衝動－－[子憑自己不能作什麼。 ]
再看看我們自己－－有活現的宗教經歷，就立刻衝動地把計劃付諸行動，而不是把它約束在對基督的順服裡。這時代太強調實際工作，以致那些為主把計劃俘擄的人，被批評為不熱心為神，也不愛靈魂。真心的熱誠，在於順服神，而不在於人性、不受約束的事奉熱誠。聖徒還未把每一計劃俘擄，就按本性－－未經定志律己而來的屬靈性情－－慫動去作神的工作，這雖是不可思議，卻確有其事。
我們很容易會忘記人不單要在救恩上歸服基督，也要歸服於基督對神、對世界、對罪、對魔鬼的觀點。這就是說，他必須藉心意的更新而改變。
祈禱◆主啊，我來到你面前。求你將你的生命豐盛地賜給我，直至我的理解力、想像力和言語，都全屬於你。你更新了我的靈，使我重獲救恩之樂，你是何等偉大！
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