We know that all things work together for good to those who love God . . . —Romans 8:28
The circumstances of a saint’s life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you can’t understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands. God brings you to places, among people, and into certain conditions to accomplish a definite purpose through the intercession of the Spirit in you. Never put yourself in front of your circumstances and say, “I’m going to be my own providence here; I will watch this closely, or protect myself from that.” All your circumstances are in the hand of God, and therefore you don’t ever have to think they are unnatural or unique. Your part in intercessory prayer is not to agonize over how to intercede, but to use the everyday circumstances and people God puts around you by His providence to bring them before His throne, and to allow the Spirit in you the opportunity to intercede for them. In this way God is going to touch the whole world with His saints.
Am I making the Holy Spirit’s work difficult by being vague and unsure, or by trying to do His work for Him? I must do the human side of intercession— utilizing the circumstances in which I find myself and the people who surround me. I must keep my conscious life as a sacred place for the Holy Spirit. Then as I lift different ones to God through prayer, the Holy Spirit intercedes for them.
Your intercessions can never be mine, and my intercessions can never be yours, “. . . but the Spirit Himself makes intercession” in each of our lives (Romans 8:26). And without that intercession, the lives of others would be left in poverty and in ruin.
環境是不知不覺中的聖地
萬事都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處。 （羅八28）
信徒的際遇是神所命定的，信徒生命中沒有偶然那一回事。神在他的旨意中，預備一些你不明白的環境，但神的靈卻明白。他把你帶到某些地方，叫你遇到某些人，遭遇某些事，為使聖靈的代求透過你，行在某一道路上。切勿在環境中說：[我要自己作主；我要當心這個，小心那個。 ]一切環境都在神手中，所以不必為所處的環境滿腹狐疑。你代求的責任，不是要千辛萬苦，乃是用神給你日常的生活際遇，把神安排給你碰到的人帶到他座前，讓你裡面的聖靈有機會為他們代求。這樣，神就能透過聖徒得著整個世界。
我是否無目的，叫聖靈難以工作？我是否要代替聖靈來工作？在代求的事上，我要盡上人的本分，這是指我所處的環境，和我接觸的人。我得把這有知覺的生命作聖靈的聖地，把不同的人帶到神面前，讓聖靈為他們代求。你的代求不能代替我的，我的代求也不能代替你的，只有聖靈在我們個別生命中代求。沒有這代求，人的生命就必受到虧損。
祈禱◆主啊，我投向你，因著你大能的救贖，我以那偉大的勝利禱文來作祈禱：[我們若照他的旨意求什麽，他就听我們，這是我們向他所存坦然無懼的心。 ]
Showing posts with label Love For. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Love For. Show all posts
November 07, 2014
September 20, 2014
The Divine Commandment of Life
. . . be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect —Matthew 5:48
Our Lord’s exhortation to us in Matthew 5:38-48 is to be generous in our behavior toward everyone. Beware of living according to your natural affections in your spiritual life. Everyone has natural affections— some people we like and others we don’t like. Yet we must never let those likes and dislikes rule our Christian life. “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7), even those toward whom we have no affection.
The example our Lord gave us here is not that of a good person, or even of a good Christian, but of God Himself. “. . . be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” In other words, simply show to the other person what God has shown to you. And God will give you plenty of real life opportunities to prove whether or not you are “perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Being a disciple means deliberately identifying yourself with God’s interests in other people. Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
The true expression of Christian character is not in good-doing, but in God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit divine characteristics in your life, not just good human characteristics. God’s life in us expresses itself as God’s life, not as human life trying to be godly. The secret of a Christian’s life is that the supernatural becomes natural in him as a result of the grace of God, and the experience of this becomes evident in the practical, everyday details of life, not in times of intimate fellowship with God. And when we come in contact with things that create confusion and a flurry of activity, we find to our own amazement that we have the power to stay wonderfully poised even in the center of it all.
生命的神聖定律
所以你們要完全，像你們的天父完全一樣。 （太五48）
在這經文中，主勸勉我們對所有人都要寬大慷慨。在屬靈的生活中。當心依從人性的喜好行事。人人都有天然的喜好，我們喜歡某些人，不喜歡某些人。切勿讓這些喜好操縱我們基督徒的生命。 [我們若在光明中行，如同神在光中]，神可以使我們與天性不喜歡的人相交。
主給我們的榜樣不是一個好人，也不是一個好的基督徒，乃是神自己。 [所以你們要完全，像你們的天父完全一樣。 ]－－向人表彰神向你表彰的；神在實際生活上會給我們足夠的機會，去證明我們是否像他一樣完全。作門徒，就是立志要愛神所關注的人。 [叫你們彼此相愛，我怎樣愛你們，你們也要怎樣相愛。 ]
信徒品德的表現不在於善行，乃在於像神。若神的靈已改變你的內心，你生命所表現的是屬天的特性，而不是好人的特性。神的生命在我們裡面，表現的就是神的生命，不是力求敬虔的人的生命。信徒的秘訣，就是藉神的恩典，使超然的在他裡面成為自然，這種經歷並非在與神相交的時刻中表現，而是在日常生活的細節中實行。當我們碰到叫人頭昏腦脹的事，便會稀奇自己竟有能力保持平靜安穩。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，當今天這個屬你的日子正要展開，願你在一切事情上，成為我們獨特的珍寶。願你的靈充滿我們，以致我們各人都被那甜蜜、愜意的屬靈能力所改變。
Our Lord’s exhortation to us in Matthew 5:38-48 is to be generous in our behavior toward everyone. Beware of living according to your natural affections in your spiritual life. Everyone has natural affections— some people we like and others we don’t like. Yet we must never let those likes and dislikes rule our Christian life. “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7), even those toward whom we have no affection.
The example our Lord gave us here is not that of a good person, or even of a good Christian, but of God Himself. “. . . be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” In other words, simply show to the other person what God has shown to you. And God will give you plenty of real life opportunities to prove whether or not you are “perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Being a disciple means deliberately identifying yourself with God’s interests in other people. Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
The true expression of Christian character is not in good-doing, but in God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit divine characteristics in your life, not just good human characteristics. God’s life in us expresses itself as God’s life, not as human life trying to be godly. The secret of a Christian’s life is that the supernatural becomes natural in him as a result of the grace of God, and the experience of this becomes evident in the practical, everyday details of life, not in times of intimate fellowship with God. And when we come in contact with things that create confusion and a flurry of activity, we find to our own amazement that we have the power to stay wonderfully poised even in the center of it all.
生命的神聖定律
所以你們要完全，像你們的天父完全一樣。 （太五48）
在這經文中，主勸勉我們對所有人都要寬大慷慨。在屬靈的生活中。當心依從人性的喜好行事。人人都有天然的喜好，我們喜歡某些人，不喜歡某些人。切勿讓這些喜好操縱我們基督徒的生命。 [我們若在光明中行，如同神在光中]，神可以使我們與天性不喜歡的人相交。
主給我們的榜樣不是一個好人，也不是一個好的基督徒，乃是神自己。 [所以你們要完全，像你們的天父完全一樣。 ]－－向人表彰神向你表彰的；神在實際生活上會給我們足夠的機會，去證明我們是否像他一樣完全。作門徒，就是立志要愛神所關注的人。 [叫你們彼此相愛，我怎樣愛你們，你們也要怎樣相愛。 ]
信徒品德的表現不在於善行，乃在於像神。若神的靈已改變你的內心，你生命所表現的是屬天的特性，而不是好人的特性。神的生命在我們裡面，表現的就是神的生命，不是力求敬虔的人的生命。信徒的秘訣，就是藉神的恩典，使超然的在他裡面成為自然，這種經歷並非在與神相交的時刻中表現，而是在日常生活的細節中實行。當我們碰到叫人頭昏腦脹的事，便會稀奇自己竟有能力保持平靜安穩。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，當今天這個屬你的日子正要展開，願你在一切事情上，成為我們獨特的珍寶。願你的靈充滿我們，以致我們各人都被那甜蜜、愜意的屬靈能力所改變。
August 25, 2014
Sacrifice and Friendship
I have called you friends . . . —John 15:15
We will never know the joy of self-sacrifice until we surrender in every detail of our lives. Yet self-surrender is the most difficult thing for us to do. We make it conditional by saying, “I’ll surrender if . . . !” Or we approach it by saying, “I suppose I have to devote my life to God.” We will never find the joy of self-sacrifice in either of these ways.
But as soon as we do totally surrender, abandoning ourselves to Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives us a taste of His joy. The ultimate goal of self-sacrifice is to lay down our lives for our Friend (see John 15:13-14). When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, our greatest desire is to lay down our lives for Jesus. Yet the thought of self-sacrifice never even crosses our minds, because sacrifice is the Holy Spirit’s ultimate expression of love.
Our Lord is our example of a life of self-sacrifice, and He perfectly exemplified Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do Your will, O my God . . . .” He endured tremendous personal sacrifice, yet with overflowing joy. Have I ever yielded myself in absolute submission to Jesus Christ? If He is not the One to whom I am looking for direction and guidance, then there is no benefit in my sacrifice. But when my sacrifice is made with my eyes focused on Him, slowly but surely His molding influence becomes evident in my life (see Hebrews 12:1-2).
Beware of letting your natural desires hinder your walk in love before God. One of the cruelest ways to kill natural love is through the rejection that results from having built the love on natural desires. But the one true desire of a saint is the Lord Jesus. Love for God is not something sentimental or emotional— for a saint to love as God loves is the most practical thing imaginable.
“I have called you friends. . . .” Our friendship with Jesus is based on the new life He created in us, which has no resemblance or attraction to our old life but only to the life of God. It is a life that is completely humble, pure, and devoted to God.
結實累累的友誼
我乃稱你們為朋友。 （約十五15）
除非我們完全的投上，否則不能真正體會獻上的喜樂。自我的降服是最難的事－－[如果……我就肯了！ ][或許我也該把生命奉獻給神。 ]其中是沒有絲毫捨己的喜樂。待我們真的完全捨棄了，聖靈就叫我們嚐到主耶穌的喜樂。捨己的最終目標是為[朋友]（主耶穌）捨命。聖靈一來，最大的心願就是為耶穌捨命；以往捨己的意念從不會觸動我們的心，因為捨己是聖靈的愛。
主捨己的一生是我們的榜樣－－[我的神，我樂意照你的旨意行。 ]主的捨己是滿有喜樂的。我已經完全降服耶穌基督了嗎？耶穌基督若不是我們的目標，我們的捨己奉獻就毫無益處；我們的奉獻若是專注在他身上，那模造的工夫就必逐漸明朗地顯明。
當心別讓天然的親屬關係，阻礙你行在愛中。扼殺愛最殘酷的方法，是蔑視天然親屬的關係。聖徒唯一的吸引是主耶穌自己。對神的愛並非情感用事，因為聖徒以神的愛去愛，是最實際不過的事。 [我乃稱你們為朋友。 ]這友誼的根基是我們裡面新造的生命。這新生命只與神的生命相連，與舊生命沒有半點關係，是無可言喻的謙和，沒有玷污的潔淨，絕對忠於神。
We will never know the joy of self-sacrifice until we surrender in every detail of our lives. Yet self-surrender is the most difficult thing for us to do. We make it conditional by saying, “I’ll surrender if . . . !” Or we approach it by saying, “I suppose I have to devote my life to God.” We will never find the joy of self-sacrifice in either of these ways.
But as soon as we do totally surrender, abandoning ourselves to Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives us a taste of His joy. The ultimate goal of self-sacrifice is to lay down our lives for our Friend (see John 15:13-14). When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, our greatest desire is to lay down our lives for Jesus. Yet the thought of self-sacrifice never even crosses our minds, because sacrifice is the Holy Spirit’s ultimate expression of love.
Our Lord is our example of a life of self-sacrifice, and He perfectly exemplified Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do Your will, O my God . . . .” He endured tremendous personal sacrifice, yet with overflowing joy. Have I ever yielded myself in absolute submission to Jesus Christ? If He is not the One to whom I am looking for direction and guidance, then there is no benefit in my sacrifice. But when my sacrifice is made with my eyes focused on Him, slowly but surely His molding influence becomes evident in my life (see Hebrews 12:1-2).
Beware of letting your natural desires hinder your walk in love before God. One of the cruelest ways to kill natural love is through the rejection that results from having built the love on natural desires. But the one true desire of a saint is the Lord Jesus. Love for God is not something sentimental or emotional— for a saint to love as God loves is the most practical thing imaginable.
“I have called you friends. . . .” Our friendship with Jesus is based on the new life He created in us, which has no resemblance or attraction to our old life but only to the life of God. It is a life that is completely humble, pure, and devoted to God.
結實累累的友誼
我乃稱你們為朋友。 （約十五15）
除非我們完全的投上，否則不能真正體會獻上的喜樂。自我的降服是最難的事－－[如果……我就肯了！ ][或許我也該把生命奉獻給神。 ]其中是沒有絲毫捨己的喜樂。待我們真的完全捨棄了，聖靈就叫我們嚐到主耶穌的喜樂。捨己的最終目標是為[朋友]（主耶穌）捨命。聖靈一來，最大的心願就是為耶穌捨命；以往捨己的意念從不會觸動我們的心，因為捨己是聖靈的愛。
主捨己的一生是我們的榜樣－－[我的神，我樂意照你的旨意行。 ]主的捨己是滿有喜樂的。我已經完全降服耶穌基督了嗎？耶穌基督若不是我們的目標，我們的捨己奉獻就毫無益處；我們的奉獻若是專注在他身上，那模造的工夫就必逐漸明朗地顯明。
當心別讓天然的親屬關係，阻礙你行在愛中。扼殺愛最殘酷的方法，是蔑視天然親屬的關係。聖徒唯一的吸引是主耶穌自己。對神的愛並非情感用事，因為聖徒以神的愛去愛，是最實際不過的事。 [我乃稱你們為朋友。 ]這友誼的根基是我們裡面新造的生命。這新生命只與神的生命相連，與舊生命沒有半點關係，是無可言喻的謙和，沒有玷污的潔淨，絕對忠於神。
August 21, 2014
The Ministry of the Unnoticed
Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . —Matthew 5:3
The New Testament notices things that do not seem worthy of notice by our standards. “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . .” This literally means, “Blessed are the paupers.” Paupers are remarkably commonplace! The preaching of today tends to point out a person’s strength of will or the beauty of his character— things that are easily noticed. The statement we so often hear, “Make a decision for Jesus Christ,” places the emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him— something very different. At the foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is the genuine loveliness of those who are commonplace. I am truly blessed in my poverty. If I have no strength of will and a nature without worth or excellence, then Jesus says to me, “Blessed are you, because it is through your poverty that you can enter My kingdom.” I cannot enter His kingdom by virtue of my goodness— I can only enter it as an absolute pauper.
The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian. If I wonder if I am being of any use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch of the Lord. “He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord.
Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.
不受注意的事奉
虛心的人有福了。 （太五3）
依我們的標準來看，新約所注意的事物，似乎都是微不足道的。 [虛心的人有福了]，按原意解釋是貧窮的人有福了。貧窮的人，何等平凡！今日的講台很容易側重意志的力量、品性的美善－－一些易於惹人注目的東西。今日常聽的口號－－為主決志，其實是強調了一件我們的主從不信任的事。他從沒有叫我們為他決志，他只要我們降服，這是截然不同的兩件事。耶穌基督國度的基礎，是在於未經修飾的平凡事物。叫我蒙福的，是我的貧窮。我若自知沒有意志力、沒有高貴的品質，耶穌就會說：[你有福了。 ]因為我是透過貧窮無有，得以進入他的國。我不能以好人的身分進入，只能以一無所有的叫化子身分進去。
一切表彰神可愛事物的真正品質，必然是不自覺的。自覺有影響力，是自負及非信徒的表現。若我說：[我懷疑自己到底是否有用。 ]立時就與主的生命失了連絡。 [信我的，要從他腹中流出活水的江河來。 ]我若檢查那流出來的水，就失去了主的能力。哪些人影響我們最深？不是那自以為影響了我們的人，而是那些完全不知道影響我們的人。在基督徒的生命中，內涵的東西總不是自治自覺的；一旦意識到，就會失掉那未經修飾的美，這正是主耶穌親手撫摸的特質。我們往往可以知道耶穌何時在作工，因為他能在平凡中製造超卓。
祈禱◆主啊，我要讚美你，你在每個人的生命中，也透過每個人的生命，來實行你完美的旨意。
The New Testament notices things that do not seem worthy of notice by our standards. “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . .” This literally means, “Blessed are the paupers.” Paupers are remarkably commonplace! The preaching of today tends to point out a person’s strength of will or the beauty of his character— things that are easily noticed. The statement we so often hear, “Make a decision for Jesus Christ,” places the emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him— something very different. At the foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is the genuine loveliness of those who are commonplace. I am truly blessed in my poverty. If I have no strength of will and a nature without worth or excellence, then Jesus says to me, “Blessed are you, because it is through your poverty that you can enter My kingdom.” I cannot enter His kingdom by virtue of my goodness— I can only enter it as an absolute pauper.
The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian. If I wonder if I am being of any use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch of the Lord. “He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord.
Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.
不受注意的事奉
虛心的人有福了。 （太五3）
依我們的標準來看，新約所注意的事物，似乎都是微不足道的。 [虛心的人有福了]，按原意解釋是貧窮的人有福了。貧窮的人，何等平凡！今日的講台很容易側重意志的力量、品性的美善－－一些易於惹人注目的東西。今日常聽的口號－－為主決志，其實是強調了一件我們的主從不信任的事。他從沒有叫我們為他決志，他只要我們降服，這是截然不同的兩件事。耶穌基督國度的基礎，是在於未經修飾的平凡事物。叫我蒙福的，是我的貧窮。我若自知沒有意志力、沒有高貴的品質，耶穌就會說：[你有福了。 ]因為我是透過貧窮無有，得以進入他的國。我不能以好人的身分進入，只能以一無所有的叫化子身分進去。
一切表彰神可愛事物的真正品質，必然是不自覺的。自覺有影響力，是自負及非信徒的表現。若我說：[我懷疑自己到底是否有用。 ]立時就與主的生命失了連絡。 [信我的，要從他腹中流出活水的江河來。 ]我若檢查那流出來的水，就失去了主的能力。哪些人影響我們最深？不是那自以為影響了我們的人，而是那些完全不知道影響我們的人。在基督徒的生命中，內涵的東西總不是自治自覺的；一旦意識到，就會失掉那未經修飾的美，這正是主耶穌親手撫摸的特質。我們往往可以知道耶穌何時在作工，因為他能在平凡中製造超卓。
祈禱◆主啊，我要讚美你，你在每個人的生命中，也透過每個人的生命，來實行你完美的旨意。
July 02, 2014
The Conditions of Discipleship
If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also . . . . And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me . . . . So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple —Luke 14:26-27, 33
If the closest relationships of a disciple’s life conflict with the claims of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person— our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire, respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has “poured out in our hearts” the very “love of God” (Romans 5:5). Whenever the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through you, He will take your entire being and set you ablaze with glowing devotion to Jesus Christ.
The Christian life is a life characterized by true and spontaneous creativity. Consequently, a disciple is subject to the same charge that was leveled against Jesus Christ, namely, the charge of inconsistency. But Jesus Christ was always consistent in His relationship to God, and a Christian must be consistent in his relationship to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to strict, unyielding doctrines. People pour themselves into their own doctrines, and God has to blast them out of their preconceived ideas before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ.
作門徒的條件
人到我這裡來，若不愛我勝過……就不能作我的門徒。 （路十四26、27、33）
耶穌基督說人生中最親密的關係，若與他的要求相衝突的話，就必須立刻選擇順服他。作門徒的意思，就是把自己誠意地奉獻給一位——我們的主耶穌基督。對一個有位格的主奉獻，與對一個原則或運動獻身，並不相同。我們的主從沒有宣告一項運動，他宣告的乃是叫人對他個別的獻身。作門徒就是做主忠誠的愛奴。我們這些自稱基督徒的人，許多根本就不專心愛主。除非聖靈把愛澆灌給人，否則世上沒有一個人懂得熱誠愛主。我們也許會仰慕他、尊敬他，但卻不會愛他。唯一愛耶穌的就是聖靈，是他把神的愛傾瀉入我們心中。聖靈一見有榮耀耶穌的機會，就會佔有你的心、你整個的人，使你在主耶穌的熱愛中燃燒發光。
基督徒的生命，都蓋上了[自然的道德創造力]的印記，所以門徒像主耶穌一樣被人指責為：矛盾不一。其實，主耶穌時刻對神都是如一。信徒也該對神的兒子始終如一，而不是在死硬的教條上持守。人把自己傾進教條里去，神卻要把人的偏見炸毀，叫她們懂得專心愛他。
祈禱◆我何等需要看見你那威嚴、大能和榮耀的作為！我們所有人都只需要你的觸摸，使一切事物都變成嶄新而奇妙，並且抗衡任何不屬於你的影響和標準。願你的同在使我們得以潔淨和滿有能力。
If the closest relationships of a disciple’s life conflict with the claims of Jesus Christ, then our Lord requires instant obedience to Himself. Discipleship means personal, passionate devotion to a Person— our Lord Jesus Christ. There is a vast difference between devotion to a person and devotion to principles or to a cause. Our Lord never proclaimed a cause— He proclaimed personal devotion to Himself. To be a disciple is to be a devoted bondservant motivated by love for the Lord Jesus. Many of us who call ourselves Christians are not truly devoted to Jesus Christ. No one on earth has this passionate love for the Lord Jesus unless the Holy Spirit has given it to him. We may admire, respect, and revere Him, but we cannot love Him on our own. The only One who truly loves the Lord Jesus is the Holy Spirit, and it is He who has “poured out in our hearts” the very “love of God” (Romans 5:5). Whenever the Holy Spirit sees an opportunity to glorify Jesus through you, He will take your entire being and set you ablaze with glowing devotion to Jesus Christ.
The Christian life is a life characterized by true and spontaneous creativity. Consequently, a disciple is subject to the same charge that was leveled against Jesus Christ, namely, the charge of inconsistency. But Jesus Christ was always consistent in His relationship to God, and a Christian must be consistent in his relationship to the life of the Son of God in him, not consistent to strict, unyielding doctrines. People pour themselves into their own doctrines, and God has to blast them out of their preconceived ideas before they can become devoted to Jesus Christ.
作門徒的條件
人到我這裡來，若不愛我勝過……就不能作我的門徒。 （路十四26、27、33）
耶穌基督說人生中最親密的關係，若與他的要求相衝突的話，就必須立刻選擇順服他。作門徒的意思，就是把自己誠意地奉獻給一位——我們的主耶穌基督。對一個有位格的主奉獻，與對一個原則或運動獻身，並不相同。我們的主從沒有宣告一項運動，他宣告的乃是叫人對他個別的獻身。作門徒就是做主忠誠的愛奴。我們這些自稱基督徒的人，許多根本就不專心愛主。除非聖靈把愛澆灌給人，否則世上沒有一個人懂得熱誠愛主。我們也許會仰慕他、尊敬他，但卻不會愛他。唯一愛耶穌的就是聖靈，是他把神的愛傾瀉入我們心中。聖靈一見有榮耀耶穌的機會，就會佔有你的心、你整個的人，使你在主耶穌的熱愛中燃燒發光。
基督徒的生命，都蓋上了[自然的道德創造力]的印記，所以門徒像主耶穌一樣被人指責為：矛盾不一。其實，主耶穌時刻對神都是如一。信徒也該對神的兒子始終如一，而不是在死硬的教條上持守。人把自己傾進教條里去，神卻要把人的偏見炸毀，叫她們懂得專心愛他。
祈禱◆我何等需要看見你那威嚴、大能和榮耀的作為！我們所有人都只需要你的觸摸，使一切事物都變成嶄新而奇妙，並且抗衡任何不屬於你的影響和標準。願你的同在使我們得以潔淨和滿有能力。
June 30, 2014
Do It Now!
Agree with your adversary quickly . . . —Matthew 5:25
In this verse, Jesus Christ laid down a very important principle by saying, “Do what you know you must do— now. Do it quickly. If you don’t, an inevitable process will begin to work ’till you have paid the last penny’ (Matthew 5:26) in pain, agony, and distress.” God’s laws are unchangeable and there is no escape from them. The teachings of Jesus always penetrate right to the heart of our being.
Wanting to make sure that my adversary gives me all my rights is a natural thing. But Jesus says that it is a matter of inescapable and eternal importance to me that I pay my adversary what I owe him. From our Lord’s standpoint it doesn’t matter whether I am cheated or not, but what does matter is that I don’t cheat someone else. Am I insisting on having my own rights, or am I paying what I owe from Jesus Christ’s standpoint?
Do it quickly— bring yourself to judgment now. In moral and spiritual matters, you must act immediately. If you don’t, the inevitable, relentless process will begin to work. God is determined to have His child as pure, clean, and white as driven snow, and as long as there is disobedience in any point of His teaching, He will allow His Spirit to use whatever process it may take to bring us to obedience. The fact that we insist on proving that we are right is almost always a clear indication that we have some point of disobedience. No wonder the Spirit of God so strongly urges us to stay steadfastly in the light! (see John 3:19-21).
“Agree with your adversary quickly . . . .” Have you suddenly reached a certain place in your relationship with someone, only to find that you have anger in your heart? Confess it quickly— make it right before God. Be reconciled to that person— do it now!
立刻做
趕緊與他（對頭）和息。 （太五25）
耶穌基督定下了一個原則－－知道該做的現在就去做，而且要快快的做；否則，那無法避免的歷程就必發生，而你也得嘗受痛苦。神的律是不更改的，人也無法逃避。耶穌的教訓是針對我們本質而說的。
要仇敵尊重我的權利，是很自然的事，可是耶穌卻說償還仇敵的一切，才是最急切而有永恆價值的事。從主的角度看來，我被人欺詐與否，並不要緊；要緊的是我不欺詐人。我是否堅持爭取自己的權益，還是站在主的立場，償還我所欠的？
要快快的做，立即審判自己。不論在道德上，或屬靈上，都必須立刻去做；否則那無情的歷程就必開始。神一心要他的兒女清潔雪白，任何不順服他教訓的，他的靈就會不遺餘力地工作。
我們若一味堅持自己無辜，就表示還有些地方不順服。怪不得聖靈這麼強烈地催逼我們要常在光明中。
[趕快與他和息。 ]你是否一瞬間就察覺與人的關係中有憤怒存在？快快認罪，在神面前趕快解決，與那人和好－－現在就要去做。
祈禱◆主啊，願你成為我生命中一道生機蓬勃、寧謐安恬的廣闊河流。願你今天向我們每一個人展示更多的愛與溫柔－－尤其是我，因為許多人被我直接影響。
In this verse, Jesus Christ laid down a very important principle by saying, “Do what you know you must do— now. Do it quickly. If you don’t, an inevitable process will begin to work ’till you have paid the last penny’ (Matthew 5:26) in pain, agony, and distress.” God’s laws are unchangeable and there is no escape from them. The teachings of Jesus always penetrate right to the heart of our being.
Wanting to make sure that my adversary gives me all my rights is a natural thing. But Jesus says that it is a matter of inescapable and eternal importance to me that I pay my adversary what I owe him. From our Lord’s standpoint it doesn’t matter whether I am cheated or not, but what does matter is that I don’t cheat someone else. Am I insisting on having my own rights, or am I paying what I owe from Jesus Christ’s standpoint?
Do it quickly— bring yourself to judgment now. In moral and spiritual matters, you must act immediately. If you don’t, the inevitable, relentless process will begin to work. God is determined to have His child as pure, clean, and white as driven snow, and as long as there is disobedience in any point of His teaching, He will allow His Spirit to use whatever process it may take to bring us to obedience. The fact that we insist on proving that we are right is almost always a clear indication that we have some point of disobedience. No wonder the Spirit of God so strongly urges us to stay steadfastly in the light! (see John 3:19-21).
“Agree with your adversary quickly . . . .” Have you suddenly reached a certain place in your relationship with someone, only to find that you have anger in your heart? Confess it quickly— make it right before God. Be reconciled to that person— do it now!
立刻做
趕緊與他（對頭）和息。 （太五25）
耶穌基督定下了一個原則－－知道該做的現在就去做，而且要快快的做；否則，那無法避免的歷程就必發生，而你也得嘗受痛苦。神的律是不更改的，人也無法逃避。耶穌的教訓是針對我們本質而說的。
要仇敵尊重我的權利，是很自然的事，可是耶穌卻說償還仇敵的一切，才是最急切而有永恆價值的事。從主的角度看來，我被人欺詐與否，並不要緊；要緊的是我不欺詐人。我是否堅持爭取自己的權益，還是站在主的立場，償還我所欠的？
要快快的做，立即審判自己。不論在道德上，或屬靈上，都必須立刻去做；否則那無情的歷程就必開始。神一心要他的兒女清潔雪白，任何不順服他教訓的，他的靈就會不遺餘力地工作。
我們若一味堅持自己無辜，就表示還有些地方不順服。怪不得聖靈這麼強烈地催逼我們要常在光明中。
[趕快與他和息。 ]你是否一瞬間就察覺與人的關係中有憤怒存在？快快認罪，在神面前趕快解決，與那人和好－－現在就要去做。
祈禱◆主啊，願你成為我生命中一道生機蓬勃、寧謐安恬的廣闊河流。願你今天向我們每一個人展示更多的愛與溫柔－－尤其是我，因為許多人被我直接影響。
June 20, 2014
Have You Come to “When” Yet?
The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends —Job 42:10
A pitiful, sickly, and self-centered kind of prayer and a determined effort and selfish desire to be right with God are never found in the New Testament. The fact that I am trying to be right with God is actually a sign that I am rebelling against the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I pray, “Lord, I will purify my heart if You will answer my prayer— I will walk rightly before You if You will help me.” But I cannot make myself right with God; I cannot make my life perfect. I can only be right with God if I accept the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as an absolute gift. Am I humble enough to accept it? I have to surrender all my rights and demands, and cease from every self-effort. I must leave myself completely alone in His hands, and then I can begin to pour my life out in the priestly work of intercession. There is a great deal of prayer that comes from actual disbelief in the atonement. Jesus is not just beginning to save us— He has already saved us completely. It is an accomplished fact, and it is an insult to Him for us to ask Him to do what He has already done.
If you are not now receiving the “hundredfold” which Jesus promised (see Matthew 19:29), and not getting insight into God’s Word, then start praying for your friends— enter into the ministry of the inner life. “The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends.” As a saved soul, the real business of your life is intercessory prayer. Whatever circumstances God may place you in, always pray immediately that His atonement may be recognized and as fully understood in the lives of others as it has been in yours. Pray for your friends now, and pray for those with whom you come in contact now.
你什麼時候開始代求？
約伯為他的朋友祈禱，耶和華就使約伯從苦境轉回。 （伯四十二10）
以自我為中心的病態式祈禱，苦苦哀求一意強求自己的好轉，在新約中是找不到的。我若要努力弄好與神的關係，正表明我正離棄神救贖的大恩。 [主啊，你若垂聽我禱告，我的心就潔淨；你若幫助我，我就行事正直。 ]我無法使自己的生命在神面前正直，也無法使生命完全；只有接受主耶穌白白的救贖，我才可以與神有正常的關係。我謙卑地接受這個事實麼？我必須放下一切權利，放下一切為自己付出的努力，把自己完全的放在神手中，然後以祭司的身分做代求的工作。今日許多禱告是出於對救恩的不信。耶穌不是開始拯救我們，而是已經救了我們，事情已經成就，因此求他再做是一種侮辱。
你若尚未得著百倍的恩典，未領悟話語的亮光，那就該開始為你的朋友禱告，進入內室的事奉。 [約伯為他的朋友祈禱，耶和華就使約伯從苦境中轉回。 ]作為一個得救的人，你生命的真正事業，就是為人代求。不論神把你放在什麼環境裡，都要立刻禱告，求他救贖的大工在別人身上成就，正如在你身上一樣。現在就為你的朋友祈禱，為那些與你有接觸的人祈禱吧！
祈禱◆噢，主啊，打發更多工人到我們這裡來，直至這教會擠滿了人，而你能透過他們，在全地榮耀你自己。
A pitiful, sickly, and self-centered kind of prayer and a determined effort and selfish desire to be right with God are never found in the New Testament. The fact that I am trying to be right with God is actually a sign that I am rebelling against the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I pray, “Lord, I will purify my heart if You will answer my prayer— I will walk rightly before You if You will help me.” But I cannot make myself right with God; I cannot make my life perfect. I can only be right with God if I accept the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as an absolute gift. Am I humble enough to accept it? I have to surrender all my rights and demands, and cease from every self-effort. I must leave myself completely alone in His hands, and then I can begin to pour my life out in the priestly work of intercession. There is a great deal of prayer that comes from actual disbelief in the atonement. Jesus is not just beginning to save us— He has already saved us completely. It is an accomplished fact, and it is an insult to Him for us to ask Him to do what He has already done.
If you are not now receiving the “hundredfold” which Jesus promised (see Matthew 19:29), and not getting insight into God’s Word, then start praying for your friends— enter into the ministry of the inner life. “The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends.” As a saved soul, the real business of your life is intercessory prayer. Whatever circumstances God may place you in, always pray immediately that His atonement may be recognized and as fully understood in the lives of others as it has been in yours. Pray for your friends now, and pray for those with whom you come in contact now.
你什麼時候開始代求？
約伯為他的朋友祈禱，耶和華就使約伯從苦境轉回。 （伯四十二10）
以自我為中心的病態式祈禱，苦苦哀求一意強求自己的好轉，在新約中是找不到的。我若要努力弄好與神的關係，正表明我正離棄神救贖的大恩。 [主啊，你若垂聽我禱告，我的心就潔淨；你若幫助我，我就行事正直。 ]我無法使自己的生命在神面前正直，也無法使生命完全；只有接受主耶穌白白的救贖，我才可以與神有正常的關係。我謙卑地接受這個事實麼？我必須放下一切權利，放下一切為自己付出的努力，把自己完全的放在神手中，然後以祭司的身分做代求的工作。今日許多禱告是出於對救恩的不信。耶穌不是開始拯救我們，而是已經救了我們，事情已經成就，因此求他再做是一種侮辱。
你若尚未得著百倍的恩典，未領悟話語的亮光，那就該開始為你的朋友禱告，進入內室的事奉。 [約伯為他的朋友祈禱，耶和華就使約伯從苦境中轉回。 ]作為一個得救的人，你生命的真正事業，就是為人代求。不論神把你放在什麼環境裡，都要立刻禱告，求他救贖的大工在別人身上成就，正如在你身上一樣。現在就為你的朋友祈禱，為那些與你有接觸的人祈禱吧！
祈禱◆噢，主啊，打發更多工人到我們這裡來，直至這教會擠滿了人，而你能透過他們，在全地榮耀你自己。
June 17, 2014
Beware of Criticizing Others
Judge not, that you be not judged —Matthew 7:1
Jesus’ instructions with regard to judging others is very simply put; He says, “Don’t.” The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized. The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when you are in a critical mood. Criticism serves to make you harsh, vindictive, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others. Jesus says that as His disciple you should cultivate a temperament that is never critical. This will not happen quickly but must be developed over a span of time. You must constantly beware of anything that causes you to think of yourself as a superior person.
There is no escaping the penetrating search of my life by Jesus. If I see the little speck in your eye, it means that I have a plank of timber in my own (see Matthew 7:3-5). Every wrong thing that I see in you, God finds in me. Every time I judge, I condemn myself (see Romans 2:17-24). Stop having a measuring stick for other people. There is always at least one more fact, which we know nothing about, in every person’s situation. The first thing God does is to give us a thorough spiritual cleaning. After that, there is no possibility of pride remaining in us. I have never met a person I could despair of, or lose all hope for, after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God.
不挑剔的品性
你們不要論斷人，免得你們被論斷。 （太七1）
耶穌對論斷的看法是：[不要]。一般信徒是最擅於挑剔的。批評是人的本性，但在屬靈領域裡，批評絕不能成事。批評就是將被批評者的力量削弱。其實只有聖靈才真有批評的身分，指出錯處而不至招來傷害。你若帶著挑剔的脾氣，是無法與神交通契合的。你會變得剛硬、敵視、殘忍，或沾沾自喜，以為高人一等。耶穌說，作為一個門徒，應當培養口不言人過的品質。這不是一勞永逸的，要隨時當心，不讓任何事使你自高、睥睨一切。
耶穌洞悉一切，誰也無可遁形。我若見你眼中有刺，那我眼中必然有樑木。我見到你的任何錯失，神都在我身上找到了。我什麼時候論斷人，就什麼時候定自己的罪（羅二17-20）。不要在他人身上濫施尺度，每個人總有些隱情，是我們無法了解的。神首先要來一次屬靈大掃除，使我們不再驕傲自滿。每想到若非神的恩典，我裡面根本一無所有，那就不會對任何人感到絕望了。
祈禱◆主啊，我仰望你，求你幫助我正確地敬拜你。為著我與生俱來可敬拜你，我讚美你，可是，我的生活卻沒有速速按照著它當行的去回應你和你的美善。主啊，幫助我。
Jesus’ instructions with regard to judging others is very simply put; He says, “Don’t.” The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized. The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when you are in a critical mood. Criticism serves to make you harsh, vindictive, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others. Jesus says that as His disciple you should cultivate a temperament that is never critical. This will not happen quickly but must be developed over a span of time. You must constantly beware of anything that causes you to think of yourself as a superior person.
There is no escaping the penetrating search of my life by Jesus. If I see the little speck in your eye, it means that I have a plank of timber in my own (see Matthew 7:3-5). Every wrong thing that I see in you, God finds in me. Every time I judge, I condemn myself (see Romans 2:17-24). Stop having a measuring stick for other people. There is always at least one more fact, which we know nothing about, in every person’s situation. The first thing God does is to give us a thorough spiritual cleaning. After that, there is no possibility of pride remaining in us. I have never met a person I could despair of, or lose all hope for, after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God.
不挑剔的品性
你們不要論斷人，免得你們被論斷。 （太七1）
耶穌對論斷的看法是：[不要]。一般信徒是最擅於挑剔的。批評是人的本性，但在屬靈領域裡，批評絕不能成事。批評就是將被批評者的力量削弱。其實只有聖靈才真有批評的身分，指出錯處而不至招來傷害。你若帶著挑剔的脾氣，是無法與神交通契合的。你會變得剛硬、敵視、殘忍，或沾沾自喜，以為高人一等。耶穌說，作為一個門徒，應當培養口不言人過的品質。這不是一勞永逸的，要隨時當心，不讓任何事使你自高、睥睨一切。
耶穌洞悉一切，誰也無可遁形。我若見你眼中有刺，那我眼中必然有樑木。我見到你的任何錯失，神都在我身上找到了。我什麼時候論斷人，就什麼時候定自己的罪（羅二17-20）。不要在他人身上濫施尺度，每個人總有些隱情，是我們無法了解的。神首先要來一次屬靈大掃除，使我們不再驕傲自滿。每想到若非神的恩典，我裡面根本一無所有，那就不會對任何人感到絕望了。
祈禱◆主啊，我仰望你，求你幫助我正確地敬拜你。為著我與生俱來可敬拜你，我讚美你，可是，我的生活卻沒有速速按照著它當行的去回應你和你的美善。主啊，幫助我。
June 16, 2014
“Will You Lay Down Your Life?”
Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. . . . I have called you friends . . . —John 15:13, 15
Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him. Peter said to the Lord, “I will lay down my life for Your sake,” and he meant it (John 13:37). He had a magnificent sense of the heroic. For us to be incapable of making this same statement Peter made would be a bad thing— our sense of duty is only fully realized through our sense of heroism. Has the Lord ever asked you, “Will you lay down your life for My sake?” (John 13:38). It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God. We are not made for the bright-shining moments of life, but we have to walk in the light of them in our everyday ways. There was only one bright-shining moment in the life of Jesus, and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was there that He emptied Himself of His glory for the second time, and then came down into the demon-possessed valley (see Mark 9:1-29). For thirty-three years Jesus laid down His life to do the will of His Father. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). Yet it is contrary to our human nature to do so.
If I am a friend of Jesus, I must deliberately and carefully lay down my life for Him. It is a difficult thing to do, and thank God that it is. Salvation is easy for us, because it cost God so much. But the exhibiting of salvation in my life is difficult. God saves a person, fills him with the Holy Spirit, and then says, in effect, “Now you work it out in your life, and be faithful to Me, even though the nature of everything around you is to cause you to be unfaithful.” And Jesus says to us, “. . . I have called you friends. . . .” Remain faithful to your Friend, and remember that His honor is at stake in your bodily life.
你怎樣對這事？
人為朋友捨命，人的愛心沒有比這個大的。 ……我乃稱你們為朋友。 （約十五13、15）
耶穌雖然沒有叫我為他死，卻要我為他把生命放下。彼得說：[我願意為你捨命。 ]他說的是真心話，他的英雄意識是偉大的。若不能像彼得那樣宣告，實在太差勁了。我們的責任感只有藉著英雄意識，發揮出來。主曾否問你說：[你不願意為我捨命麼？ ]在平凡的生活中，因不忘從上而來的呼召而放下生命，比一死了之困難得多。人生不是為壯烈的一刻而活，乃是在平凡的路上，行在啟示的光中。耶穌一生中，也只有一個壯烈的時刻，就是在登山變像的時候；後來他再度從榮耀中倒空自己，下到鬼附的山谷裡。三十年之久，耶穌擺上自己的生命來遵行父神的旨意。
約翰說：[我們也當為弟兄捨命。 ]這樣行是違反人性的。我若是耶穌的朋友，就要定意為他放下自己的生命。難是難的，感謝神，難並不要緊！救恩是易得的，因為神付出了重大的代價，但要在我生命中彰顯出來，卻是困難重重。神救了一個人，把聖靈賜給他，然後認真的對他說：[好了，要忠於我，即使周遭的事物會令你不忠。 ][我乃稱你們為朋友。 ]要忠於你的朋友，要緊記你肉身的生命，是神尊榮得失之所繫。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著你所賜的救恩，為著聖徒的禱告所帶來的好處和祝福，我讚美你。可是，我是那樣悄悄地領受了你的恩惠，很久才開始思想自己是否配得領受，或是表現得好像自己配得領受一樣。主啊，赦免我。
Jesus does not ask me to die for Him, but to lay down my life for Him. Peter said to the Lord, “I will lay down my life for Your sake,” and he meant it (John 13:37). He had a magnificent sense of the heroic. For us to be incapable of making this same statement Peter made would be a bad thing— our sense of duty is only fully realized through our sense of heroism. Has the Lord ever asked you, “Will you lay down your life for My sake?” (John 13:38). It is much easier to die than to lay down your life day in and day out with the sense of the high calling of God. We are not made for the bright-shining moments of life, but we have to walk in the light of them in our everyday ways. There was only one bright-shining moment in the life of Jesus, and that was on the Mount of Transfiguration. It was there that He emptied Himself of His glory for the second time, and then came down into the demon-possessed valley (see Mark 9:1-29). For thirty-three years Jesus laid down His life to do the will of His Father. “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren” (1 John 3:16). Yet it is contrary to our human nature to do so.
If I am a friend of Jesus, I must deliberately and carefully lay down my life for Him. It is a difficult thing to do, and thank God that it is. Salvation is easy for us, because it cost God so much. But the exhibiting of salvation in my life is difficult. God saves a person, fills him with the Holy Spirit, and then says, in effect, “Now you work it out in your life, and be faithful to Me, even though the nature of everything around you is to cause you to be unfaithful.” And Jesus says to us, “. . . I have called you friends. . . .” Remain faithful to your Friend, and remember that His honor is at stake in your bodily life.
你怎樣對這事？
人為朋友捨命，人的愛心沒有比這個大的。 ……我乃稱你們為朋友。 （約十五13、15）
耶穌雖然沒有叫我為他死，卻要我為他把生命放下。彼得說：[我願意為你捨命。 ]他說的是真心話，他的英雄意識是偉大的。若不能像彼得那樣宣告，實在太差勁了。我們的責任感只有藉著英雄意識，發揮出來。主曾否問你說：[你不願意為我捨命麼？ ]在平凡的生活中，因不忘從上而來的呼召而放下生命，比一死了之困難得多。人生不是為壯烈的一刻而活，乃是在平凡的路上，行在啟示的光中。耶穌一生中，也只有一個壯烈的時刻，就是在登山變像的時候；後來他再度從榮耀中倒空自己，下到鬼附的山谷裡。三十年之久，耶穌擺上自己的生命來遵行父神的旨意。
約翰說：[我們也當為弟兄捨命。 ]這樣行是違反人性的。我若是耶穌的朋友，就要定意為他放下自己的生命。難是難的，感謝神，難並不要緊！救恩是易得的，因為神付出了重大的代價，但要在我生命中彰顯出來，卻是困難重重。神救了一個人，把聖靈賜給他，然後認真的對他說：[好了，要忠於我，即使周遭的事物會令你不忠。 ][我乃稱你們為朋友。 ]要忠於你的朋友，要緊記你肉身的生命，是神尊榮得失之所繫。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著你所賜的救恩，為著聖徒的禱告所帶來的好處和祝福，我讚美你。可是，我是那樣悄悄地領受了你的恩惠，很久才開始思想自己是否配得領受，或是表現得好像自己配得領受一樣。主啊，赦免我。
May 19, 2014
Out of the Wreck I Rise
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? —Romans 8:35
God does not keep His child immune from trouble; He promises, “I will be with him in trouble . . .” (Psalm 91:15). It doesn’t matter how real or intense the adversities may be; nothing can ever separate him from his relationship to God. “In all these things we are more than conquerors . . .” (Romans 8:37). Paul was not referring here to imaginary things, but to things that are dangerously real. And he said we are “super-victors” in the midst of them, not because of our own ingenuity, nor because of our courage, but because none of them affects our essential relationship with God in Jesus Christ. I feel sorry for the Christian who doesn’t have something in the circumstances of his life that he wishes were not there.
“Shall tribulation . . . ?” Tribulation is never a grand, highly welcomed event; but whatever it may be— whether exhausting, irritating, or simply causing some weakness— it is not able to “separate us from the love of Christ.” Never allow tribulations or the “cares of this world” to separate you from remembering that God loves you (Matthew 13:22).
“Shall . . . distress . . . ?” Can God’s love continue to hold fast, even when everyone and everything around us seems to be saying that His love is a lie, and that there is no such thing as justice?
“Shall . . . famine . . . ?” Can we not only believe in the love of God but also be “more than conquerors,” even while we are being starved?
Either Jesus Christ is a deceiver, having deceived even Paul, or else some extraordinary thing happens to someone who holds on to the love of God when the odds are totally against him. Logic is silenced in the face of each of these things which come against him. Only one thing can account for it— the love of God in Christ Jesus. “Out of the wreck I rise” every time.
重整旗鼓
誰能使我們與基督的愛隔絕呢？ （羅八35）
神並不叫人與患難絕緣；他說：[在患難中，我要與他同在。 ]人生不管遭受怎樣重大苦難的打擊，一概都不能叫人與神的關係隔絕。我們[在這一切事上已經得勝有餘了]，保羅在此並不是說些虛幻的事，而是指一些極其真實的事；他說我們在這些事上所以是優勝者，不是靠一己的機智，一己的勇氣，也不是靠任何其他事物，乃是根據一件事實；我們與神在基督耶穌裡的關係，而這關係不是任何事物可以影響的。不管對也好錯也好，我們的景況就是這樣，環境際遇就是這樣。那些環境一帆風順的基督徒，我為他們咕噥道可惜。
[難道是患難麼……？ ]患難絕不是什麼賞心樂事；它所包羅的範圍極大，舉凡困倦、屈辱、勞累等都接踵而至，但都不能叫我們與神的愛隔絕。千萬別讓憂慮和患難阻礙你認識神愛你這事實。
[是困苦麼……？ ]當事事不如意，人說神的愛只是謊言，而正義也不存在，神的愛仍然靠得住麼？ [是飢餓麼……？ ]我們餓著肚子的時候，是否仍然相信神的愛，而且得勝有餘呢？除非耶穌基督是個騙子，把保羅蒙在鼓裡；否則，必定有極不尋常發生在這個人身上，叫他在萬事不如意之中，仍然抓緊神的愛。在這一切事情上，邏輯已經失去它的功用。只有一件事可作解釋－－就是神在耶穌基督裡的愛。讓我重整旗鼓，再接再厲吧！
祈禱◆主啊，為著我身處的地方，我讚美你；可是在我裡面正開始猜想－－這是否稱為我預備的地方？求你牢牢地拖帶我實行你的旨意。我可能只是煩躁不安，求你使我安靜和得力，以致我不會因疑惑而得罪你。
God does not keep His child immune from trouble; He promises, “I will be with him in trouble . . .” (Psalm 91:15). It doesn’t matter how real or intense the adversities may be; nothing can ever separate him from his relationship to God. “In all these things we are more than conquerors . . .” (Romans 8:37). Paul was not referring here to imaginary things, but to things that are dangerously real. And he said we are “super-victors” in the midst of them, not because of our own ingenuity, nor because of our courage, but because none of them affects our essential relationship with God in Jesus Christ. I feel sorry for the Christian who doesn’t have something in the circumstances of his life that he wishes were not there.
“Shall tribulation . . . ?” Tribulation is never a grand, highly welcomed event; but whatever it may be— whether exhausting, irritating, or simply causing some weakness— it is not able to “separate us from the love of Christ.” Never allow tribulations or the “cares of this world” to separate you from remembering that God loves you (Matthew 13:22).
“Shall . . . distress . . . ?” Can God’s love continue to hold fast, even when everyone and everything around us seems to be saying that His love is a lie, and that there is no such thing as justice?
“Shall . . . famine . . . ?” Can we not only believe in the love of God but also be “more than conquerors,” even while we are being starved?
Either Jesus Christ is a deceiver, having deceived even Paul, or else some extraordinary thing happens to someone who holds on to the love of God when the odds are totally against him. Logic is silenced in the face of each of these things which come against him. Only one thing can account for it— the love of God in Christ Jesus. “Out of the wreck I rise” every time.
重整旗鼓
誰能使我們與基督的愛隔絕呢？ （羅八35）
神並不叫人與患難絕緣；他說：[在患難中，我要與他同在。 ]人生不管遭受怎樣重大苦難的打擊，一概都不能叫人與神的關係隔絕。我們[在這一切事上已經得勝有餘了]，保羅在此並不是說些虛幻的事，而是指一些極其真實的事；他說我們在這些事上所以是優勝者，不是靠一己的機智，一己的勇氣，也不是靠任何其他事物，乃是根據一件事實；我們與神在基督耶穌裡的關係，而這關係不是任何事物可以影響的。不管對也好錯也好，我們的景況就是這樣，環境際遇就是這樣。那些環境一帆風順的基督徒，我為他們咕噥道可惜。
[難道是患難麼……？ ]患難絕不是什麼賞心樂事；它所包羅的範圍極大，舉凡困倦、屈辱、勞累等都接踵而至，但都不能叫我們與神的愛隔絕。千萬別讓憂慮和患難阻礙你認識神愛你這事實。
[是困苦麼……？ ]當事事不如意，人說神的愛只是謊言，而正義也不存在，神的愛仍然靠得住麼？ [是飢餓麼……？ ]我們餓著肚子的時候，是否仍然相信神的愛，而且得勝有餘呢？除非耶穌基督是個騙子，把保羅蒙在鼓裡；否則，必定有極不尋常發生在這個人身上，叫他在萬事不如意之中，仍然抓緊神的愛。在這一切事情上，邏輯已經失去它的功用。只有一件事可作解釋－－就是神在耶穌基督裡的愛。讓我重整旗鼓，再接再厲吧！
祈禱◆主啊，為著我身處的地方，我讚美你；可是在我裡面正開始猜想－－這是否稱為我預備的地方？求你牢牢地拖帶我實行你的旨意。我可能只是煩躁不安，求你使我安靜和得力，以致我不會因疑惑而得罪你。
May 12, 2014
The Habit of Having No Habits
If these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful . . . —2 Peter 1:8
When we first begin to form a habit, we are fully aware of it. There are times when we are aware of becoming virtuous and godly, but this awareness should only be a stage we quickly pass through as we grow spiritually. If we stop at this stage, we will develop a sense of spiritual pride. The right thing to do with godly habits is to immerse them in the life of the Lord until they become such a spontaneous expression of our lives that we are no longer aware of them. Our spiritual life continually causes us to focus our attention inwardly for the determined purpose of self-examination, because each of us has some qualities we have not yet added to our lives.
Your god may be your little Christian habit— the habit of prayer or Bible reading at certain times of your day. Watch how your Father will upset your schedule if you begin to worship your habit instead of what the habit symbolizes. We say, “I can’t do that right now; this is my time alone with God.” No, this is your time alone with your habit. There is a quality that is still lacking in you. Identify your shortcoming and then look for opportunities to work into your life that missing quality.
Love means that there are no visible habits— that your habits are so immersed in the Lord that you practice them without realizing it. If you are consciously aware of your own holiness, you place limitations on yourself from doing certain things— things God is not restricting you from at all. This means there is a missing quality that needs to be added to your life. The only supernatural life is the life the Lord Jesus lived, and He was at home with God anywhere. Is there someplace where you are not at home with God? Then allow God to work through whatever that particular circumstance may be until you increase in Him, adding His qualities. Your life will then become the simple life of a child.
不為習慣所束縛
你們若充充足足的有這幾樣，就必使你們在認識我們的主耶穌基督上，不至於閒懶不結果子了。 （彼後一8）
習慣開始形成時，我們是知道的。好些時候，我們自覺在德行、忍耐、虔誠上有了長進，但這不過是生命的初階。但若老是停留在這地步，在靈性上必定趾高氣揚，夜郎自大。而正確的做法是把習慣溶在主的生命裡，直至每一種習慣，都不再是自覺的表現。屬靈的生命需要經常自省，因為還有好些品質未加上去。到了最終，與主的關係就極為單純了。
神可能只是你的一套信徒習慣，在指定的時間內祈禱讀經。假若你崇拜的是這些習慣，而不是習慣所象徵的意義－－[我現在沒空，我正在禱告，這是我親近神的時間。 ]天父可能會把那些時間顛倒。這只是你習慣的時間，你身上仍缺少一些品質。要找出缺點，然後在需要加上去的品質上多多操練。
愛不是習慣，是到了忘掉習慣的地步，達到不自覺的境地。你若自覺聖潔，那麼必然有些事你認為是乾不來的，在某些關係上你也未夠單純；那就是說你還要加上的品質。只有耶穌所過的生活，才是超人的生活，他隨時隨地都與神同在，沒有絲毫隔膜。你有沒有什麼地方與神有隙，不能與他契合無間？讓神在特別的環境下施以壓力，知道你得著他。那時，你的生命就如嬰孩一般單純。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你向我們解明真理，讓我們明白，並使我們在你裡面得以剛強。
When we first begin to form a habit, we are fully aware of it. There are times when we are aware of becoming virtuous and godly, but this awareness should only be a stage we quickly pass through as we grow spiritually. If we stop at this stage, we will develop a sense of spiritual pride. The right thing to do with godly habits is to immerse them in the life of the Lord until they become such a spontaneous expression of our lives that we are no longer aware of them. Our spiritual life continually causes us to focus our attention inwardly for the determined purpose of self-examination, because each of us has some qualities we have not yet added to our lives.
Your god may be your little Christian habit— the habit of prayer or Bible reading at certain times of your day. Watch how your Father will upset your schedule if you begin to worship your habit instead of what the habit symbolizes. We say, “I can’t do that right now; this is my time alone with God.” No, this is your time alone with your habit. There is a quality that is still lacking in you. Identify your shortcoming and then look for opportunities to work into your life that missing quality.
Love means that there are no visible habits— that your habits are so immersed in the Lord that you practice them without realizing it. If you are consciously aware of your own holiness, you place limitations on yourself from doing certain things— things God is not restricting you from at all. This means there is a missing quality that needs to be added to your life. The only supernatural life is the life the Lord Jesus lived, and He was at home with God anywhere. Is there someplace where you are not at home with God? Then allow God to work through whatever that particular circumstance may be until you increase in Him, adding His qualities. Your life will then become the simple life of a child.
不為習慣所束縛
你們若充充足足的有這幾樣，就必使你們在認識我們的主耶穌基督上，不至於閒懶不結果子了。 （彼後一8）
習慣開始形成時，我們是知道的。好些時候，我們自覺在德行、忍耐、虔誠上有了長進，但這不過是生命的初階。但若老是停留在這地步，在靈性上必定趾高氣揚，夜郎自大。而正確的做法是把習慣溶在主的生命裡，直至每一種習慣，都不再是自覺的表現。屬靈的生命需要經常自省，因為還有好些品質未加上去。到了最終，與主的關係就極為單純了。
神可能只是你的一套信徒習慣，在指定的時間內祈禱讀經。假若你崇拜的是這些習慣，而不是習慣所象徵的意義－－[我現在沒空，我正在禱告，這是我親近神的時間。 ]天父可能會把那些時間顛倒。這只是你習慣的時間，你身上仍缺少一些品質。要找出缺點，然後在需要加上去的品質上多多操練。
愛不是習慣，是到了忘掉習慣的地步，達到不自覺的境地。你若自覺聖潔，那麼必然有些事你認為是乾不來的，在某些關係上你也未夠單純；那就是說你還要加上的品質。只有耶穌所過的生活，才是超人的生活，他隨時隨地都與神同在，沒有絲毫隔膜。你有沒有什麼地方與神有隙，不能與他契合無間？讓神在特別的環境下施以壓力，知道你得著他。那時，你的生命就如嬰孩一般單純。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你向我們解明真理，讓我們明白，並使我們在你裡面得以剛強。
May 11, 2014
"Love One Another"
. . . add to your . . . brotherly kindness love —2 Peter 1:5, 7
Love is an indefinite thing to most of us; we don’t know what we mean when we talk about love. Love is the loftiest preference of one person for another, and spiritually Jesus demands that this sovereign preference be for Himself (see Luke 14:26). Initially, when “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5), it is easy to put Jesus first. But then we must practice the things mentioned in 2 Peter 1 to see them worked out in our lives.
The first thing God does is forcibly remove any insincerity, pride, and vanity from my life. And the Holy Spirit reveals to me that God loved me not because I was lovable, but because it was His nature to do so. Now He commands me to show the same love to others by saying, “. . . love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). He is saying, “I will bring a number of people around you whom you cannot respect, but you must exhibit My love to them, just as I have exhibited it to you.” This kind of love is not a patronizing love for the unlovable— it is His love, and it will not be evidenced in us overnight. Some of us may have tried to force it, but we were soon tired and frustrated.
“The Lord . . . is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish . . .” (2 Peter 3:9). I should look within and remember how wonderfully He has dealt with me. The knowledge that God has loved me beyond all limits will compel me to go into the world to love others in the same way. I may get irritated because I have to live with an unusually difficult person. But just think how disagreeable I have been with God! Am I prepared to be identified so closely with the Lord Jesus that His life and His sweetness will be continually poured out through Me? Neither natural love nor God’s divine love will remain and grow in me unless it is nurtured. Love is spontaneous, but it has to be maintained through discipline.
你不能一蹴而就
有了愛弟兄的心，又要加上愛眾人的心。 （彼後一7）
對大多數人來說，愛的意義是模糊的；人談論愛，卻不知愛是什麼。愛是一個人對另一個人超出一切的欣賞。屬靈方面，耶穌要求我們揀選他超過一切（路十四26）。當聖靈將神的愛澆灌在我們心裡，耶穌基督就很自然的居首位了。從此，我們就能活出彼得在此所列舉的種種德行了。
首先，神要把我的偽裝、外表的敬虔，一概拆除。聖靈顯明神愛我，不是因為我可愛，而是因為他愛的本性。他對我說：[好了，如今你要用同樣的愛去愛別人。 ][我怎樣愛你們，你們也要怎樣相愛。 ][我會把好些你看不在眼內的人，擺在你周圍，你必須用我的愛去愛他們，像我愛你們一樣。 ]愛是不能矯揉造作的。不少人試著這樣作，但不久就厭倦了。
[主長久忍耐……]讓我看看自己，又看看他怎樣待我。神愛我到一個地步，以致我一切的罪惡、卑鄙、自私、惡行，他都不追究；因此我就能活在世上，以神的愛去愛人。神對我的愛既是用之不竭，我對別人的愛也必須如此。若我一動怒，在恩典中的長進就會停止。我所以發怒，是因為要與一個怪癖的人共處。但試想，從前我與神相處，叫他多麼難堪！我們是否願意與主耶穌合而為一，讓他的生命與溫馨，每時每刻流露出來？不論人性的愛，或神聖的愛，都需要加以培育，才能存留。愛雖然是自然流露的，卻要操練去持守。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，以你活潑的能力、恩賜和美善，影響我們生活的每一方面，使它能反映出你臉上的榮光。這似乎是我全部的禱告。
Love is an indefinite thing to most of us; we don’t know what we mean when we talk about love. Love is the loftiest preference of one person for another, and spiritually Jesus demands that this sovereign preference be for Himself (see Luke 14:26). Initially, when “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 5:5), it is easy to put Jesus first. But then we must practice the things mentioned in 2 Peter 1 to see them worked out in our lives.
The first thing God does is forcibly remove any insincerity, pride, and vanity from my life. And the Holy Spirit reveals to me that God loved me not because I was lovable, but because it was His nature to do so. Now He commands me to show the same love to others by saying, “. . . love one another as I have loved you” (John 15:12). He is saying, “I will bring a number of people around you whom you cannot respect, but you must exhibit My love to them, just as I have exhibited it to you.” This kind of love is not a patronizing love for the unlovable— it is His love, and it will not be evidenced in us overnight. Some of us may have tried to force it, but we were soon tired and frustrated.
“The Lord . . . is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish . . .” (2 Peter 3:9). I should look within and remember how wonderfully He has dealt with me. The knowledge that God has loved me beyond all limits will compel me to go into the world to love others in the same way. I may get irritated because I have to live with an unusually difficult person. But just think how disagreeable I have been with God! Am I prepared to be identified so closely with the Lord Jesus that His life and His sweetness will be continually poured out through Me? Neither natural love nor God’s divine love will remain and grow in me unless it is nurtured. Love is spontaneous, but it has to be maintained through discipline.
你不能一蹴而就
有了愛弟兄的心，又要加上愛眾人的心。 （彼後一7）
對大多數人來說，愛的意義是模糊的；人談論愛，卻不知愛是什麼。愛是一個人對另一個人超出一切的欣賞。屬靈方面，耶穌要求我們揀選他超過一切（路十四26）。當聖靈將神的愛澆灌在我們心裡，耶穌基督就很自然的居首位了。從此，我們就能活出彼得在此所列舉的種種德行了。
首先，神要把我的偽裝、外表的敬虔，一概拆除。聖靈顯明神愛我，不是因為我可愛，而是因為他愛的本性。他對我說：[好了，如今你要用同樣的愛去愛別人。 ][我怎樣愛你們，你們也要怎樣相愛。 ][我會把好些你看不在眼內的人，擺在你周圍，你必須用我的愛去愛他們，像我愛你們一樣。 ]愛是不能矯揉造作的。不少人試著這樣作，但不久就厭倦了。
[主長久忍耐……]讓我看看自己，又看看他怎樣待我。神愛我到一個地步，以致我一切的罪惡、卑鄙、自私、惡行，他都不追究；因此我就能活在世上，以神的愛去愛人。神對我的愛既是用之不竭，我對別人的愛也必須如此。若我一動怒，在恩典中的長進就會停止。我所以發怒，是因為要與一個怪癖的人共處。但試想，從前我與神相處，叫他多麼難堪！我們是否願意與主耶穌合而為一，讓他的生命與溫馨，每時每刻流露出來？不論人性的愛，或神聖的愛，都需要加以培育，才能存留。愛雖然是自然流露的，卻要操練去持守。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，以你活潑的能力、恩賜和美善，影響我們生活的每一方面，使它能反映出你臉上的榮光。這似乎是我全部的禱告。
April 30, 2014
Spontaneous Love
Love suffers long and is kind . . . —1 Corinthians 13:4
Love is not premeditated—it is spontaneous; that is, it bursts forth in extraordinary ways. There is nothing of precise certainty in Paul’s description of love. We cannot predetermine our thoughts and actions by saying, “Now I will never think any evil thoughts, and I will believe everything that Jesus would have me to believe.” No, the characteristic of love is spontaneity. We don’t deliberately set the statements of Jesus before us as our standard, but when His Spirit is having His way with us, we live according to His standard without even realizing it. And when we look back, we are amazed at how unconcerned we have been over our emotions, which is the very evidence that real spontaneous love was there. The nature of everything involved in the life of God in us is only discerned when we have been through it and it is in our past.
The fountains from which love flows are in God, not in us. It is absurd to think that the love of God is naturally in our hearts, as a result of our own nature. His love is there only because it “has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit . . .” (Romans 5:5).
If we try to prove to God how much we love Him, it is a sure sign that we really don’t love Him. The evidence of our love for Him is the absolute spontaneity of our love, which flows naturally from His nature within us. And when we look back, we will not be able to determine why we did certain things, but we can know that we did them according to the spontaneous nature of His love in us. The life of God exhibits itself in this spontaneous way because the fountains of His love are in the Holy Spirit.
自發的愛
愛是恆久忍耐，又有恩慈……（林前十三4-8）
愛不是預先精打細算，而是自然流露的，是不知不覺地湧現。保羅所舉出的愛，不是清單式地計算出來。我們不能說：[好，現在我不再思想惡事，我要凡事相信。 ]愛的特質是自動自發。我們不是把耶穌的說話擺在面前，當準則去遵行；而是當他的靈在我們裡面自由作工，我們就不知不覺地照著他的標準去生活。當我們回顧過去的經歷，就會詫異某種感情是如此公正無私，這就證明有真愛自然流露在其中。神的生命在我們裡面，但每每等到我們經歷過後，才恍然發覺。
愛的泉源是在神裡面，而不是在我們裡面。若想在自己天然性情中去找神的愛，簡直是緣木求魚。只有當聖靈將神的愛澆灌在我們心裡，我們才有真正的愛。
若我們想向神證明是多麼愛他，這正表示我們並不愛他；若要證明愛他，就要讓愛自動自發地流露出來。回想起來，也說不出為何我們會這樣做，是神的愛在裡面流露，故我們有這樣的表現。神的生命是自然的彰顯，因為愛的泉源是在聖靈裡面（羅五5）
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我何等需要被你的同在所充滿和振奮。賜我在你裡面得著愉快而寧靜的信心，他正是聖靈的憑證。
Love is not premeditated—it is spontaneous; that is, it bursts forth in extraordinary ways. There is nothing of precise certainty in Paul’s description of love. We cannot predetermine our thoughts and actions by saying, “Now I will never think any evil thoughts, and I will believe everything that Jesus would have me to believe.” No, the characteristic of love is spontaneity. We don’t deliberately set the statements of Jesus before us as our standard, but when His Spirit is having His way with us, we live according to His standard without even realizing it. And when we look back, we are amazed at how unconcerned we have been over our emotions, which is the very evidence that real spontaneous love was there. The nature of everything involved in the life of God in us is only discerned when we have been through it and it is in our past.
The fountains from which love flows are in God, not in us. It is absurd to think that the love of God is naturally in our hearts, as a result of our own nature. His love is there only because it “has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit . . .” (Romans 5:5).
If we try to prove to God how much we love Him, it is a sure sign that we really don’t love Him. The evidence of our love for Him is the absolute spontaneity of our love, which flows naturally from His nature within us. And when we look back, we will not be able to determine why we did certain things, but we can know that we did them according to the spontaneous nature of His love in us. The life of God exhibits itself in this spontaneous way because the fountains of His love are in the Holy Spirit.
自發的愛
愛是恆久忍耐，又有恩慈……（林前十三4-8）
愛不是預先精打細算，而是自然流露的，是不知不覺地湧現。保羅所舉出的愛，不是清單式地計算出來。我們不能說：[好，現在我不再思想惡事，我要凡事相信。 ]愛的特質是自動自發。我們不是把耶穌的說話擺在面前，當準則去遵行；而是當他的靈在我們裡面自由作工，我們就不知不覺地照著他的標準去生活。當我們回顧過去的經歷，就會詫異某種感情是如此公正無私，這就證明有真愛自然流露在其中。神的生命在我們裡面，但每每等到我們經歷過後，才恍然發覺。
愛的泉源是在神裡面，而不是在我們裡面。若想在自己天然性情中去找神的愛，簡直是緣木求魚。只有當聖靈將神的愛澆灌在我們心裡，我們才有真正的愛。
若我們想向神證明是多麼愛他，這正表示我們並不愛他；若要證明愛他，就要讓愛自動自發地流露出來。回想起來，也說不出為何我們會這樣做，是神的愛在裡面流露，故我們有這樣的表現。神的生命是自然的彰顯，因為愛的泉源是在聖靈裡面（羅五5）
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我何等需要被你的同在所充滿和振奮。賜我在你裡面得著愉快而寧靜的信心，他正是聖靈的憑證。
April 25, 2014
"Ready in Season"
Be ready in season and out of season —2 Timothy 4:2
Many of us suffer from the unbalanced tendency to “be ready” only “out of season.” The season does not refer to time; it refers to us. This verse says, “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season.” In other words, we should “be ready” whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would never do anything. There are some people who are totally unemployable in the spiritual realm. They are spiritually feeble and weak, and they refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that our relationship is right with God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.
One of the worst traps a Christian worker can fall into is to become obsessed with his own exceptional moments of inspiration. When the Spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you tend to say, “Now that I’ve experienced this moment, I will always be like this for God.” No, you will not, and God will make sure of that. Those times are entirely the gift of God. You cannot give them to yourself when you choose. If you say you will only be at your best for God, as during those exceptional times, you actually become an intolerable burden on Him. You will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously aware of His inspiration to you at all times. If you make a god out of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life, never to return until you are obedient in the work He has placed closest to you, and until you have learned not to be obsessed with those exceptional moments He has given you.
隨時隨地常作準備
無論得時不得時，總要專心。 （提後四2）
不少人有這一種病態情況，就是在[不得時]專心。 [時]不是指時間，乃是指我們。 [無論得時不得時]，就是不論我們喜歡或不喜歡。如果我們只做心想做的事，我們就永遠會一事無成。在屬靈的領域裡，有好些派不上用場的人；也有屬靈的老人，這等人若沒有超然的啟示，是不肯動一個指頭的。啟示要證明我們與神的關係，乃是本分，不管我們是否有感動。
作主工人最大的陷阱，就是高舉自己某一刻的特殊經歷。當神的靈給你啟示與亮光，你就說：[從此我為神持守這個地位。 ]錯了，你不能，神必使你不能如此。經歷完全是神所賜的，你不能隨私意據為己有。你若自稱必能保持高峰狀態，你就成為難以忍受的累贅；而你也要神不住地啟示感動，否則就什麼也不肯作。你若把自己超然的經歷當作神，你會發覺神將從你生命中消失，除非你肯盡你的本分，學會不再崇信自己的超然經歷。
祈禱◆主啊，我的靈魂今天最需要的，是解脫和美化。我來到你面前，我的肉身需要你成為救主和主，求你修補我對你失卻熱忱和敏銳的靈，以致我可以在這里為你發揮適當的影響力。
Many of us suffer from the unbalanced tendency to “be ready” only “out of season.” The season does not refer to time; it refers to us. This verse says, “Preach the Word! Be ready in season and out of season.” In other words, we should “be ready” whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would never do anything. There are some people who are totally unemployable in the spiritual realm. They are spiritually feeble and weak, and they refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that our relationship is right with God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.
One of the worst traps a Christian worker can fall into is to become obsessed with his own exceptional moments of inspiration. When the Spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you tend to say, “Now that I’ve experienced this moment, I will always be like this for God.” No, you will not, and God will make sure of that. Those times are entirely the gift of God. You cannot give them to yourself when you choose. If you say you will only be at your best for God, as during those exceptional times, you actually become an intolerable burden on Him. You will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously aware of His inspiration to you at all times. If you make a god out of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life, never to return until you are obedient in the work He has placed closest to you, and until you have learned not to be obsessed with those exceptional moments He has given you.
隨時隨地常作準備
無論得時不得時，總要專心。 （提後四2）
不少人有這一種病態情況，就是在[不得時]專心。 [時]不是指時間，乃是指我們。 [無論得時不得時]，就是不論我們喜歡或不喜歡。如果我們只做心想做的事，我們就永遠會一事無成。在屬靈的領域裡，有好些派不上用場的人；也有屬靈的老人，這等人若沒有超然的啟示，是不肯動一個指頭的。啟示要證明我們與神的關係，乃是本分，不管我們是否有感動。
作主工人最大的陷阱，就是高舉自己某一刻的特殊經歷。當神的靈給你啟示與亮光，你就說：[從此我為神持守這個地位。 ]錯了，你不能，神必使你不能如此。經歷完全是神所賜的，你不能隨私意據為己有。你若自稱必能保持高峰狀態，你就成為難以忍受的累贅；而你也要神不住地啟示感動，否則就什麼也不肯作。你若把自己超然的經歷當作神，你會發覺神將從你生命中消失，除非你肯盡你的本分，學會不再崇信自己的超然經歷。
祈禱◆主啊，我的靈魂今天最需要的，是解脫和美化。我來到你面前，我的肉身需要你成為救主和主，求你修補我對你失卻熱忱和敏銳的靈，以致我可以在這里為你發揮適當的影響力。
March 17, 2014
The Servant’s Primary Goal
We make it our aim . . . to be well pleasing to Him —2 Corinthians 5:9
We make it our aim. . . .” It requires a conscious decision and effort to keep our primary goal constantly in front of us. It means holding ourselves to the highest priority year in and year out; not making our first priority to win souls, or to establish churches, or to have revivals, but seeking only “to be well pleasing to Him.” It is not a lack of spiritual experience that leads to failure, but a lack of working to keep our eyes focused and on the right goal. At least once a week examine yourself before God to see if your life is measuring up to the standard He has for you. Paul was like a musician who gives no thought to audience approval, if he can only catch a look of approval from his Conductor.
Any goal we have that diverts us even to the slightest degree from the central goal of being “approved to God” (2 Timothy 2:15) may result in our rejection from further service for Him. When you discern where the goal leads, you will understand why it is so necessary to keep “looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2). Paul spoke of the importance of controlling his own body so that it would not take him in the wrong direction. He said, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest . . . I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).
I must learn to relate everything to the primary goal, maintaining it without interruption. My worth to God publicly is measured by what I really am in my private life. Is my primary goal in life to please Him and to be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how lofty it may sound?
工人專一的情志
我們立了志向，要得主的喜悅。 （林後五9）
[立了志向（英文有勞苦作工的意思）……]乃是盡心竭力，把最大的願望擺在首位。意即由年首至歲終，持守著最高的理想。這種理想，並不是熱心去得人靈魂，或者建立教會、舉辦奮興會，而是熱衷於[得主的喜悅]。我們的失敗，並非由於缺乏屬靈的經歷，而是沒有竭力持定那理想的標竿。每一個禮拜，至少要在神面前結算一次，看看你的生命是否夠得上他所要求得水平。
保羅好像一個音樂家，他不管聽眾讚賞不讚賞，只要獲得主人得青睞，就已心滿意足了。任何野心只要稍微偏差，不指向[得主喜悅]的目標，就會叫我們成為被棄絕的人。要學習分辨心志的方向，你就會明白為什麼要向著主耶穌而活。保羅說：[我怕我的身體會領我走入歧途，因此我不斷地提高警覺，攻克己身，叫身服我。 ]（林前九27）
我必須學習把一切所做的連接在這首要的心誌上，同時保守它不間斷。在公眾面前我在身心裡有多少價值，是視乎我私下里的為人。我最高的心志是要討神喜悅，還是為了次一等看來很高貴的目標？
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著今早的經文，我感謝你－－[所以你當歸向你的神，謹守仁愛、公平，常常等候你的神。 ]願你榮耀的同在充滿這廣大的營地；阻止罪惡，激發敬虔。
We make it our aim. . . .” It requires a conscious decision and effort to keep our primary goal constantly in front of us. It means holding ourselves to the highest priority year in and year out; not making our first priority to win souls, or to establish churches, or to have revivals, but seeking only “to be well pleasing to Him.” It is not a lack of spiritual experience that leads to failure, but a lack of working to keep our eyes focused and on the right goal. At least once a week examine yourself before God to see if your life is measuring up to the standard He has for you. Paul was like a musician who gives no thought to audience approval, if he can only catch a look of approval from his Conductor.
Any goal we have that diverts us even to the slightest degree from the central goal of being “approved to God” (2 Timothy 2:15) may result in our rejection from further service for Him. When you discern where the goal leads, you will understand why it is so necessary to keep “looking unto Jesus” (Hebrews 12:2). Paul spoke of the importance of controlling his own body so that it would not take him in the wrong direction. He said, “I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest . . . I myself should become disqualified” (1 Corinthians 9:27).
I must learn to relate everything to the primary goal, maintaining it without interruption. My worth to God publicly is measured by what I really am in my private life. Is my primary goal in life to please Him and to be acceptable to Him, or is it something less, no matter how lofty it may sound?
工人專一的情志
我們立了志向，要得主的喜悅。 （林後五9）
[立了志向（英文有勞苦作工的意思）……]乃是盡心竭力，把最大的願望擺在首位。意即由年首至歲終，持守著最高的理想。這種理想，並不是熱心去得人靈魂，或者建立教會、舉辦奮興會，而是熱衷於[得主的喜悅]。我們的失敗，並非由於缺乏屬靈的經歷，而是沒有竭力持定那理想的標竿。每一個禮拜，至少要在神面前結算一次，看看你的生命是否夠得上他所要求得水平。
保羅好像一個音樂家，他不管聽眾讚賞不讚賞，只要獲得主人得青睞，就已心滿意足了。任何野心只要稍微偏差，不指向[得主喜悅]的目標，就會叫我們成為被棄絕的人。要學習分辨心志的方向，你就會明白為什麼要向著主耶穌而活。保羅說：[我怕我的身體會領我走入歧途，因此我不斷地提高警覺，攻克己身，叫身服我。 ]（林前九27）
我必須學習把一切所做的連接在這首要的心誌上，同時保守它不間斷。在公眾面前我在身心裡有多少價值，是視乎我私下里的為人。我最高的心志是要討神喜悅，還是為了次一等看來很高貴的目標？
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著今早的經文，我感謝你－－[所以你當歸向你的神，謹守仁愛、公平，常常等候你的神。 ]願你榮耀的同在充滿這廣大的營地；阻止罪惡，激發敬虔。
March 03, 2014
His Commission to Us
Feed My sheep —John 21:17
This is love in the making. The love of God is not created— it is His nature. When we receive the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit, He unites us with God so that His love is demonstrated in us. The goal of the indwelling Holy Spirit is not just to unite us with God, but to do it in such a way that we will be one with the Father in exactly the same way Jesus was. And what kind of oneness did Jesus Christ have with the Father? He had such a oneness with the Father that He was obedient when His Father sent Him down here to be poured out for us. And He says to us, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21).
Peter now realizes that he does love Him, due to the revelation that came with the Lord’s piercing question. The Lord’s next point is— “Pour yourself out. Don’t testify about how much you love Me and don’t talk about the wonderful revelation you have had, just ’Feed My sheep.’ ” Jesus has some extraordinarily peculiar sheep: some that are unkempt and dirty, some that are awkward or pushy, and some that have gone astray! But it is impossible to exhaust God’s love, and it is impossible to exhaust my love if it flows from the Spirit of God within me. The love of God pays no attention to my prejudices caused by my natural individuality. If I love my Lord, I have no business being guided by natural emotions— I have to feed His sheep. We will not be delivered or released from His commission to us. Beware of counterfeiting the love of God by following your own natural human emotions, sympathies, or understandings. That will only serve to revile and abuse the true love of God.
放不下的使命
你餵養我的羊。 （約二十一17）
這是愛的模造。神的愛不是被造的，乃是他的本性。我們一接受了聖靈，他就使我們與神聯合，神的愛就藉我們彰顯出來。人的心靈藉著聖靈的內住與神聯合，並不就完事；我們是要與父合一，正如耶穌與父合一一樣。耶穌與父的合一是怎樣的呢？就是父差他到時間來，為我們竭盡所有。然後說：[父怎樣差遣了我，我也照樣差 遣他們。 ]
彼得這時被主刺心的問話啟示，體會自己真的愛主；接著就是將自己耗盡。主對他說：[你不必見證你怎樣愛我，也不必宣告你所得的超奇啟示，只要餵養我的羊。 ]耶穌有許多奇特古怪的羊，有骯髒的羊，有粗魯好鬥的羊，還有迷路的羊！神的愛從不會枯乾，人的愛若從同一源泉發出，也就同樣的不會枯乾。神的愛是不理會 那個性中的差異。我若愛主，就不該受天然性情所左右；我必須餵養他的羊。這使命是不容間斷的。但當心不可依照人天然的同情心去假冒神的愛，否則就是褻瀆神 的愛。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，但願我所有的思想、情感和說話，都蘊含著愛－－對你的完全之愛，並透過它來與人接觸。
This is love in the making. The love of God is not created— it is His nature. When we receive the life of Christ through the Holy Spirit, He unites us with God so that His love is demonstrated in us. The goal of the indwelling Holy Spirit is not just to unite us with God, but to do it in such a way that we will be one with the Father in exactly the same way Jesus was. And what kind of oneness did Jesus Christ have with the Father? He had such a oneness with the Father that He was obedient when His Father sent Him down here to be poured out for us. And He says to us, “As the Father has sent Me, I also send you” (John 20:21).
Peter now realizes that he does love Him, due to the revelation that came with the Lord’s piercing question. The Lord’s next point is— “Pour yourself out. Don’t testify about how much you love Me and don’t talk about the wonderful revelation you have had, just ’Feed My sheep.’ ” Jesus has some extraordinarily peculiar sheep: some that are unkempt and dirty, some that are awkward or pushy, and some that have gone astray! But it is impossible to exhaust God’s love, and it is impossible to exhaust my love if it flows from the Spirit of God within me. The love of God pays no attention to my prejudices caused by my natural individuality. If I love my Lord, I have no business being guided by natural emotions— I have to feed His sheep. We will not be delivered or released from His commission to us. Beware of counterfeiting the love of God by following your own natural human emotions, sympathies, or understandings. That will only serve to revile and abuse the true love of God.
放不下的使命
你餵養我的羊。 （約二十一17）
這是愛的模造。神的愛不是被造的，乃是他的本性。我們一接受了聖靈，他就使我們與神聯合，神的愛就藉我們彰顯出來。人的心靈藉著聖靈的內住與神聯合，並不就完事；我們是要與父合一，正如耶穌與父合一一樣。耶穌與父的合一是怎樣的呢？就是父差他到時間來，為我們竭盡所有。然後說：[父怎樣差遣了我，我也照樣差 遣他們。 ]
彼得這時被主刺心的問話啟示，體會自己真的愛主；接著就是將自己耗盡。主對他說：[你不必見證你怎樣愛我，也不必宣告你所得的超奇啟示，只要餵養我的羊。 ]耶穌有許多奇特古怪的羊，有骯髒的羊，有粗魯好鬥的羊，還有迷路的羊！神的愛從不會枯乾，人的愛若從同一源泉發出，也就同樣的不會枯乾。神的愛是不理會 那個性中的差異。我若愛主，就不該受天然性情所左右；我必須餵養他的羊。這使命是不容間斷的。但當心不可依照人天然的同情心去假冒神的愛，否則就是褻瀆神 的愛。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，但願我所有的思想、情感和說話，都蘊含著愛－－對你的完全之愛，並透過它來與人接觸。
November 07, 2013
The Undetected Sacredness of Circumstances
We know that all things work together for good to those who love God . . . —Romans 8:28
The circumstances of a saint’s life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you can’t understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands. God brings you to places, among people, and into certain conditions to accomplish a definite purpose through the intercession of the Spirit in you. Never put yourself in front of your circumstances and say, “I’m going to be my own providence here; I will watch this closely, or protect myself from that.” All your circumstances are in the hand of God, and therefore you don’t ever have to think they are unnatural or unique. Your part in intercessory prayer is not to agonize over how to intercede, but to use the everyday circumstances and people God puts around you by His providence to bring them before His throne, and to allow the Spirit in you the opportunity to intercede for them. In this way God is going to touch the whole world with His saints.
Am I making the Holy Spirit’s work difficult by being vague and unsure, or by trying to do His work for Him? I must do the human side of intercession— utilizing the circumstances in which I find myself and the people who surround me. I must keep my conscious life as a sacred place for the Holy Spirit. Then as I lift different ones to God through prayer, the Holy Spirit intercedes for them.
Your intercessions can never be mine, and my intercessions can never be yours, “. . . but the Spirit Himself makes intercession” in each of our lives (Romans 8:26). And without that intercession, the lives of others would be left in poverty and in ruin.
環境是不知不覺中的聖地
萬事都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處。 （羅八28）
信徒的際遇是神所命定的，信徒生命中沒有偶然那一回事。神在他的旨意中，預備一些你不明白的環境，但神的靈卻明白。他把你帶到某些地方，叫你遇到某些人，遭遇某些事，為使聖靈的代求透過你，行在某一道路上。切勿在環境中說：[我要自己作主；我要當心這個，小心那個。 ]一切環境都在神手中，所以不必為所處的環境滿腹狐疑。你代求的責任，不是要千辛萬苦，乃是用神給你日常的生活際遇，把神安排給你碰到的人帶到他座前，讓你裡面的聖靈有機會為他們代求。這樣，神就能透過聖徒得著整個世界。
我是否無目的，叫聖靈難以工作？我是否要代替聖靈來工作？在代求的事上，我要盡上人的本分，這是指我所處的環境，和我接觸的人。我得把這有知覺的生命作聖靈的聖地，把不同的人帶到神面前，讓聖靈為他們代求。你的代求不能代替我的，我的代求也不能代替你的，只有聖靈在我們個別生命中代求。沒有這代求，人的生命就必受到虧損。
祈禱◆主啊，我投向你，因著你大能的救贖，我以那偉大的勝利禱文來作祈禱：[我們若照他的旨意求什麽，他就听我們，這是我們向他所存坦然無懼的心。 ]
The circumstances of a saint’s life are ordained of God. In the life of a saint there is no such thing as chance. God by His providence brings you into circumstances that you can’t understand at all, but the Spirit of God understands. God brings you to places, among people, and into certain conditions to accomplish a definite purpose through the intercession of the Spirit in you. Never put yourself in front of your circumstances and say, “I’m going to be my own providence here; I will watch this closely, or protect myself from that.” All your circumstances are in the hand of God, and therefore you don’t ever have to think they are unnatural or unique. Your part in intercessory prayer is not to agonize over how to intercede, but to use the everyday circumstances and people God puts around you by His providence to bring them before His throne, and to allow the Spirit in you the opportunity to intercede for them. In this way God is going to touch the whole world with His saints.
Am I making the Holy Spirit’s work difficult by being vague and unsure, or by trying to do His work for Him? I must do the human side of intercession— utilizing the circumstances in which I find myself and the people who surround me. I must keep my conscious life as a sacred place for the Holy Spirit. Then as I lift different ones to God through prayer, the Holy Spirit intercedes for them.
Your intercessions can never be mine, and my intercessions can never be yours, “. . . but the Spirit Himself makes intercession” in each of our lives (Romans 8:26). And without that intercession, the lives of others would be left in poverty and in ruin.
環境是不知不覺中的聖地
萬事都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處。 （羅八28）
信徒的際遇是神所命定的，信徒生命中沒有偶然那一回事。神在他的旨意中，預備一些你不明白的環境，但神的靈卻明白。他把你帶到某些地方，叫你遇到某些人，遭遇某些事，為使聖靈的代求透過你，行在某一道路上。切勿在環境中說：[我要自己作主；我要當心這個，小心那個。 ]一切環境都在神手中，所以不必為所處的環境滿腹狐疑。你代求的責任，不是要千辛萬苦，乃是用神給你日常的生活際遇，把神安排給你碰到的人帶到他座前，讓你裡面的聖靈有機會為他們代求。這樣，神就能透過聖徒得著整個世界。
我是否無目的，叫聖靈難以工作？我是否要代替聖靈來工作？在代求的事上，我要盡上人的本分，這是指我所處的環境，和我接觸的人。我得把這有知覺的生命作聖靈的聖地，把不同的人帶到神面前，讓聖靈為他們代求。你的代求不能代替我的，我的代求也不能代替你的，只有聖靈在我們個別生命中代求。沒有這代求，人的生命就必受到虧損。
祈禱◆主啊，我投向你，因著你大能的救贖，我以那偉大的勝利禱文來作祈禱：[我們若照他的旨意求什麽，他就听我們，這是我們向他所存坦然無懼的心。 ]
September 20, 2013
The Divine Commandment of Life
. . . be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect —Matthew 5:48
Our Lord’s exhortation to us in Matthew 5:38-48 is to be generous in our behavior toward everyone. Beware of living according to your natural affections in your spiritual life. Everyone has natural affections— some people we like and others we don’t like. Yet we must never let those likes and dislikes rule our Christian life. “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7), even those toward whom we have no affection.
The example our Lord gave us here is not that of a good person, or even of a good Christian, but of God Himself. “. . . be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” In other words, simply show to the other person what God has shown to you. And God will give you plenty of real life opportunities to prove whether or not you are “perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Being a disciple means deliberately identifying yourself with God’s interests in other people. Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
The true expression of Christian character is not in good-doing, but in God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit divine characteristics in your life, not just good human characteristics. God’s life in us expresses itself as God’s life, not as human life trying to be godly. The secret of a Christian’s life is that the supernatural becomes natural in him as a result of the grace of God, and the experience of this becomes evident in the practical, everyday details of life, not in times of intimate fellowship with God. And when we come in contact with things that create confusion and a flurry of activity, we find to our own amazement that we have the power to stay wonderfully poised even in the center of it all.
生命的神聖定律
所以你們要完全，像你們的天父完全一樣。 （太五48）
在這經文中，主勸勉我們對所有人都要寬大慷慨。在屬靈的生活中。當心依從人性的喜好行事。人人都有天然的喜好，我們喜歡某些人，不喜歡某些人。切勿讓這些喜好操縱我們基督徒的生命。 [我們若在光明中行，如同神在光中]，神可以使我們與天性不喜歡的人相交。
主給我們的榜樣不是一個好人，也不是一個好的基督徒，乃是神自己。 [所以你們要完全，像你們的天父完全一樣。 ]－－向人表彰神向你表彰的；神在實際生活上會給我們足夠的機會，去證明我們是否像他一樣完全。作門徒，就是立志要愛神所關注的人。 [叫你們彼此相愛，我怎樣愛你們，你們也要怎樣相愛。 ]
信徒品德的表現不在於善行，乃在於像神。若神的靈已改變你的內心，你生命所表現的是屬天的特性，而不是好人的特性。神的生命在我們裡面，表現的就是神的生命，不是力求敬虔的人的生命。信徒的秘訣，就是藉神的恩典，使超然的在他裡面成為自然，這種經歷並非在與神相交的時刻中表現，而是在日常生活的細節中實行。當我們碰到叫人頭昏腦脹的事，便會稀奇自己竟有能力保持平靜安穩。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，當今天這個屬你的日子正要展開，願你在一切事情上，成為我們獨特的珍寶。願你的靈充滿我們，以致我們各人都被那甜蜜、愜意的屬靈能力所改變。
Our Lord’s exhortation to us in Matthew 5:38-48 is to be generous in our behavior toward everyone. Beware of living according to your natural affections in your spiritual life. Everyone has natural affections— some people we like and others we don’t like. Yet we must never let those likes and dislikes rule our Christian life. “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another” (1 John 1:7), even those toward whom we have no affection.
The example our Lord gave us here is not that of a good person, or even of a good Christian, but of God Himself. “. . . be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” In other words, simply show to the other person what God has shown to you. And God will give you plenty of real life opportunities to prove whether or not you are “perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Being a disciple means deliberately identifying yourself with God’s interests in other people. Jesus says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35).
The true expression of Christian character is not in good-doing, but in God-likeness. If the Spirit of God has transformed you within, you will exhibit divine characteristics in your life, not just good human characteristics. God’s life in us expresses itself as God’s life, not as human life trying to be godly. The secret of a Christian’s life is that the supernatural becomes natural in him as a result of the grace of God, and the experience of this becomes evident in the practical, everyday details of life, not in times of intimate fellowship with God. And when we come in contact with things that create confusion and a flurry of activity, we find to our own amazement that we have the power to stay wonderfully poised even in the center of it all.
生命的神聖定律
所以你們要完全，像你們的天父完全一樣。 （太五48）
在這經文中，主勸勉我們對所有人都要寬大慷慨。在屬靈的生活中。當心依從人性的喜好行事。人人都有天然的喜好，我們喜歡某些人，不喜歡某些人。切勿讓這些喜好操縱我們基督徒的生命。 [我們若在光明中行，如同神在光中]，神可以使我們與天性不喜歡的人相交。
主給我們的榜樣不是一個好人，也不是一個好的基督徒，乃是神自己。 [所以你們要完全，像你們的天父完全一樣。 ]－－向人表彰神向你表彰的；神在實際生活上會給我們足夠的機會，去證明我們是否像他一樣完全。作門徒，就是立志要愛神所關注的人。 [叫你們彼此相愛，我怎樣愛你們，你們也要怎樣相愛。 ]
信徒品德的表現不在於善行，乃在於像神。若神的靈已改變你的內心，你生命所表現的是屬天的特性，而不是好人的特性。神的生命在我們裡面，表現的就是神的生命，不是力求敬虔的人的生命。信徒的秘訣，就是藉神的恩典，使超然的在他裡面成為自然，這種經歷並非在與神相交的時刻中表現，而是在日常生活的細節中實行。當我們碰到叫人頭昏腦脹的事，便會稀奇自己竟有能力保持平靜安穩。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，當今天這個屬你的日子正要展開，願你在一切事情上，成為我們獨特的珍寶。願你的靈充滿我們，以致我們各人都被那甜蜜、愜意的屬靈能力所改變。
August 25, 2013
Sacrifice and Friendship
I have called you friends . . . —John 15:15
We will never know the joy of self-sacrifice until we surrender in every detail of our lives. Yet self-surrender is the most difficult thing for us to do. We make it conditional by saying, “I’ll surrender if . . . !” Or we approach it by saying, “I suppose I have to devote my life to God.” We will never find the joy of self-sacrifice in either of these ways.
But as soon as we do totally surrender, abandoning ourselves to Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives us a taste of His joy. The ultimate goal of self-sacrifice is to lay down our lives for our Friend (see John 15:13-14). When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, our greatest desire is to lay down our lives for Jesus. Yet the thought of self-sacrifice never even crosses our minds, because sacrifice is the Holy Spirit’s ultimate expression of love.
Our Lord is our example of a life of self-sacrifice, and He perfectly exemplified Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do Your will, O my God . . . .” He endured tremendous personal sacrifice, yet with overflowing joy. Have I ever yielded myself in absolute submission to Jesus Christ? If He is not the One to whom I am looking for direction and guidance, then there is no benefit in my sacrifice. But when my sacrifice is made with my eyes focused on Him, slowly but surely His molding influence becomes evident in my life (see Hebrews 12:1-2).
Beware of letting your natural desires hinder your walk in love before God. One of the cruelest ways to kill natural love is through the rejection that results from having built the love on natural desires. But the one true desire of a saint is the Lord Jesus. Love for God is not something sentimental or emotional— for a saint to love as God loves is the most practical thing imaginable.
“I have called you friends. . . .” Our friendship with Jesus is based on the new life He created in us, which has no resemblance or attraction to our old life but only to the life of God. It is a life that is completely humble, pure, and devoted to God.
結實累累的友誼
我乃稱你們為朋友。 （約十五15）
除非我們完全的投上，否則不能真正體會獻上的喜樂。自我的降服是最難的事－－[如果……我就肯了！ ][或許我也該把生命奉獻給神。 ]其中是沒有絲毫捨己的喜樂。待我們真的完全捨棄了，聖靈就叫我們嚐到主耶穌的喜樂。捨己的最終目標是為[朋友]（主耶穌）捨命。聖靈一來，最大的心願就是為耶穌捨命；以往捨己的意念從不會觸動我們的心，因為捨己是聖靈的愛。
主捨己的一生是我們的榜樣－－[我的神，我樂意照你的旨意行。 ]主的捨己是滿有喜樂的。我已經完全降服耶穌基督了嗎？耶穌基督若不是我們的目標，我們的捨己奉獻就毫無益處；我們的奉獻若是專注在他身上，那模造的工夫就必逐漸明朗地顯明。
當心別讓天然的親屬關係，阻礙你行在愛中。扼殺愛最殘酷的方法，是蔑視天然親屬的關係。聖徒唯一的吸引是主耶穌自己。對神的愛並非情感用事，因為聖徒以神的愛去愛，是最實際不過的事。 [我乃稱你們為朋友。 ]這友誼的根基是我們裡面新造的生命。這新生命只與神的生命相連，與舊生命沒有半點關係，是無可言喻的謙和，沒有玷污的潔淨，絕對忠於神。
We will never know the joy of self-sacrifice until we surrender in every detail of our lives. Yet self-surrender is the most difficult thing for us to do. We make it conditional by saying, “I’ll surrender if . . . !” Or we approach it by saying, “I suppose I have to devote my life to God.” We will never find the joy of self-sacrifice in either of these ways.
But as soon as we do totally surrender, abandoning ourselves to Jesus, the Holy Spirit gives us a taste of His joy. The ultimate goal of self-sacrifice is to lay down our lives for our Friend (see John 15:13-14). When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives, our greatest desire is to lay down our lives for Jesus. Yet the thought of self-sacrifice never even crosses our minds, because sacrifice is the Holy Spirit’s ultimate expression of love.
Our Lord is our example of a life of self-sacrifice, and He perfectly exemplified Psalm 40:8, “I delight to do Your will, O my God . . . .” He endured tremendous personal sacrifice, yet with overflowing joy. Have I ever yielded myself in absolute submission to Jesus Christ? If He is not the One to whom I am looking for direction and guidance, then there is no benefit in my sacrifice. But when my sacrifice is made with my eyes focused on Him, slowly but surely His molding influence becomes evident in my life (see Hebrews 12:1-2).
Beware of letting your natural desires hinder your walk in love before God. One of the cruelest ways to kill natural love is through the rejection that results from having built the love on natural desires. But the one true desire of a saint is the Lord Jesus. Love for God is not something sentimental or emotional— for a saint to love as God loves is the most practical thing imaginable.
“I have called you friends. . . .” Our friendship with Jesus is based on the new life He created in us, which has no resemblance or attraction to our old life but only to the life of God. It is a life that is completely humble, pure, and devoted to God.
結實累累的友誼
我乃稱你們為朋友。 （約十五15）
除非我們完全的投上，否則不能真正體會獻上的喜樂。自我的降服是最難的事－－[如果……我就肯了！ ][或許我也該把生命奉獻給神。 ]其中是沒有絲毫捨己的喜樂。待我們真的完全捨棄了，聖靈就叫我們嚐到主耶穌的喜樂。捨己的最終目標是為[朋友]（主耶穌）捨命。聖靈一來，最大的心願就是為耶穌捨命；以往捨己的意念從不會觸動我們的心，因為捨己是聖靈的愛。
主捨己的一生是我們的榜樣－－[我的神，我樂意照你的旨意行。 ]主的捨己是滿有喜樂的。我已經完全降服耶穌基督了嗎？耶穌基督若不是我們的目標，我們的捨己奉獻就毫無益處；我們的奉獻若是專注在他身上，那模造的工夫就必逐漸明朗地顯明。
當心別讓天然的親屬關係，阻礙你行在愛中。扼殺愛最殘酷的方法，是蔑視天然親屬的關係。聖徒唯一的吸引是主耶穌自己。對神的愛並非情感用事，因為聖徒以神的愛去愛，是最實際不過的事。 [我乃稱你們為朋友。 ]這友誼的根基是我們裡面新造的生命。這新生命只與神的生命相連，與舊生命沒有半點關係，是無可言喻的謙和，沒有玷污的潔淨，絕對忠於神。
August 21, 2013
The Ministry of the Unnoticed
Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . —Matthew 5:3
The New Testament notices things that do not seem worthy of notice by our standards. “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . .” This literally means, “Blessed are the paupers.” Paupers are remarkably commonplace! The preaching of today tends to point out a person’s strength of will or the beauty of his character— things that are easily noticed. The statement we so often hear, “Make a decision for Jesus Christ,” places the emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him— something very different. At the foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is the genuine loveliness of those who are commonplace. I am truly blessed in my poverty. If I have no strength of will and a nature without worth or excellence, then Jesus says to me, “Blessed are you, because it is through your poverty that you can enter My kingdom.” I cannot enter His kingdom by virtue of my goodness— I can only enter it as an absolute pauper.
The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian. If I wonder if I am being of any use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch of the Lord. “He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord.
Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.
不受注意的事奉
虛心的人有福了。 （太五3）
依我們的標準來看，新約所注意的事物，似乎都是微不足道的。 [虛心的人有福了]，按原意解釋是貧窮的人有福了。貧窮的人，何等平凡！今日的講台很容易側重意志的力量、品性的美善－－一些易於惹人注目的東西。今日常聽的口號－－為主決志，其實是強調了一件我們的主從不信任的事。他從沒有叫我們為他決志，他只要我們降服，這是截然不同的兩件事。耶穌基督國度的基礎，是在於未經修飾的平凡事物。叫我蒙福的，是我的貧窮。我若自知沒有意志力、沒有高貴的品質，耶穌就會說：[你有福了。 ]因為我是透過貧窮無有，得以進入他的國。我不能以好人的身分進入，只能以一無所有的叫化子身分進去。
一切表彰神可愛事物的真正品質，必然是不自覺的。自覺有影響力，是自負及非信徒的表現。若我說：[我懷疑自己到底是否有用。 ]立時就與主的生命失了連絡。 [信我的，要從他腹中流出活水的江河來。 ]我若檢查那流出來的水，就失去了主的能力。哪些人影響我們最深？不是那自以為影響了我們的人，而是那些完全不知道影響我們的人。在基督徒的生命中，內涵的東西總不是自治自覺的；一旦意識到，就會失掉那未經修飾的美，這正是主耶穌親手撫摸的特質。我們往往可以知道耶穌何時在作工，因為他能在平凡中製造超卓。
祈禱◆主啊，我要讚美你，你在每個人的生命中，也透過每個人的生命，來實行你完美的旨意。
The New Testament notices things that do not seem worthy of notice by our standards. “Blessed are the poor in spirit . . . .” This literally means, “Blessed are the paupers.” Paupers are remarkably commonplace! The preaching of today tends to point out a person’s strength of will or the beauty of his character— things that are easily noticed. The statement we so often hear, “Make a decision for Jesus Christ,” places the emphasis on something our Lord never trusted. He never asks us to decide for Him, but to yield to Him— something very different. At the foundation of Jesus Christ’s kingdom is the genuine loveliness of those who are commonplace. I am truly blessed in my poverty. If I have no strength of will and a nature without worth or excellence, then Jesus says to me, “Blessed are you, because it is through your poverty that you can enter My kingdom.” I cannot enter His kingdom by virtue of my goodness— I can only enter it as an absolute pauper.
The true character of the loveliness that speaks for God is always unnoticed by the one possessing that quality. Conscious influence is prideful and unchristian. If I wonder if I am being of any use to God, I instantly lose the beauty and the freshness of the touch of the Lord. “He who believes in Me . . . out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). And if I examine the outflow, I lose the touch of the Lord.
Who are the people who have influenced us most? Certainly not the ones who thought they did, but those who did not have even the slightest idea that they were influencing us. In the Christian life, godly influence is never conscious of itself. If we are conscious of our influence, it ceases to have the genuine loveliness which is characteristic of the touch of Jesus. We always know when Jesus is at work because He produces in the commonplace something that is inspiring.
不受注意的事奉
虛心的人有福了。 （太五3）
依我們的標準來看，新約所注意的事物，似乎都是微不足道的。 [虛心的人有福了]，按原意解釋是貧窮的人有福了。貧窮的人，何等平凡！今日的講台很容易側重意志的力量、品性的美善－－一些易於惹人注目的東西。今日常聽的口號－－為主決志，其實是強調了一件我們的主從不信任的事。他從沒有叫我們為他決志，他只要我們降服，這是截然不同的兩件事。耶穌基督國度的基礎，是在於未經修飾的平凡事物。叫我蒙福的，是我的貧窮。我若自知沒有意志力、沒有高貴的品質，耶穌就會說：[你有福了。 ]因為我是透過貧窮無有，得以進入他的國。我不能以好人的身分進入，只能以一無所有的叫化子身分進去。
一切表彰神可愛事物的真正品質，必然是不自覺的。自覺有影響力，是自負及非信徒的表現。若我說：[我懷疑自己到底是否有用。 ]立時就與主的生命失了連絡。 [信我的，要從他腹中流出活水的江河來。 ]我若檢查那流出來的水，就失去了主的能力。哪些人影響我們最深？不是那自以為影響了我們的人，而是那些完全不知道影響我們的人。在基督徒的生命中，內涵的東西總不是自治自覺的；一旦意識到，就會失掉那未經修飾的美，這正是主耶穌親手撫摸的特質。我們往往可以知道耶穌何時在作工，因為他能在平凡中製造超卓。
祈禱◆主啊，我要讚美你，你在每個人的生命中，也透過每個人的生命，來實行你完美的旨意。
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