And I, if I am lifted up . . . will draw all peoples to Myself —John 12:32
Very few of us have any understanding of the reason why Jesus Christ died. If sympathy is all that human beings need, then the Cross of Christ is an absurdity and there is absolutely no need for it. What the world needs is not “a little bit of love,” but major surgery.
When you find yourself face to face with a person who is spiritually lost, remind yourself of Jesus Christ on the cross. If that person can get to God in any other way, then the Cross of Christ is unnecessary. If you think you are helping lost people with your sympathy and understanding, you are a traitor to Jesus Christ. You must have a right-standing relationship with Him yourself, and pour your life out in helping others in His way— not in a human way that ignores God. The theme of the world’s religion today is to serve in a pleasant, non-confrontational manner.
But our only priority must be to present Jesus Christ crucified— to lift Him up all the time (see 1 Corinthians 2:2). Every belief that is not firmly rooted in the Cross of Christ will lead people astray. If the worker himself believes in Jesus Christ and is trusting in the reality of redemption, his words will be compelling to others. What is extremely important is for the worker’s simple relationship with Jesus Christ to be strong and growing. His usefulness to God depends on that, and that alone.
The calling of a New Testament worker is to expose sin and to reveal Jesus Christ as Savior. Consequently, he cannot always be charming and friendly, but must be willing to be stern to accomplish major surgery. We are sent by God to lift up Jesus Christ, not to give wonderfully beautiful speeches. We must be willing to examine others as deeply as God has examined us. We must also be sharply intent on sensing those Scripture passages that will drive the truth home, and then not be afraid to apply them.
正確工作的路線
我若從地上被舉起來，就要吸引萬人來歸我。 （約十二32）
很少人真正明白主耶穌受死的原因。若世人需要的只是同情，那末耶穌的十字架不過是場鬧劇，根本用不著。世界所需要的，不是一點點愛，乃是開刀動手術。當你面對一個在靈性上遇到困難的人，要提醒自己那在十字架上的耶穌基督。若那人可以從別的途徑到神那裡，耶穌基督的十字架就是多餘。你若以為能用自己的同情心或體諒去幫助人，你就是主的叛徒。你必須與神保持正確的關係，依他的方法，為他傾倒，而不是忽略了神，依人的方法去傾倒，但今日最響的調子，卻是溫和派的宗教。
有一件事不能不做的，就是每時每刻高舉被釘的主耶穌。任何教義不植根於耶穌的十字架的，必領人入歧途。工人若深信耶穌基督，緊抓他救贖的真實，和說話的人，必然被吸引。神的工人是否有用，全賴他與耶穌基督的單純關係。而這種關係是長存的，也是日益加深的。
新約的工人蒙召，是要揭發罪惡並指出耶穌是救主，因此他不能詩情畫意，乃是要嚴謹開刀。我們被差是要高舉主耶穌，不是要發表美妙的論說。我們的搜索必須深入，像神搜索我們一樣；對聖經要敏銳，把真理直截闡明，不留情地應用。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我察覺到我最近的內心，是何其缺少將我對耶穌的信心實踐出來，那些隱藏的意欲似乎經常出沒。願你將基督裡的單純引進我的生命，又使我對事情有更深入的看法－－唯一關注的是凡事獲得你的認可。
Showing posts with label Ministry And Outreach. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ministry And Outreach. Show all posts
December 20, 2012
December 09, 2012
The Opposition of the Natural
Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires —Galatians 5:24
The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh . . . .” The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself. . .” (Matthew 16:24). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.
The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.
天然生命的叛逆
凡屬基督耶穌的人，是已經把肉體，連肉體的邪情私慾，同釘在十字架上了。 （加五24）
天然生命不是罪惡的，我們必須脫離罪，不再與罪有任何膠葛。罪屬於地獄和魔鬼；我，神的兒女，屬於天堂和神。問題不是要放棄罪，而是放棄自己的主權，我天然的獨斷與自恃，是爭戰之所在地。天然觀點看來善美正確的東西，往往使我們得不著神最好的。天然善行往往是降服神的攔阻。洞悉這一點，就到了心靈大戰的核心。少有人為錯失、卑污、邪惡爭辯，但卻會為善德爭辯。善事是至善的對頭，天然善行愈高，與耶穌基督的敵對就愈勁。 [在基督裡的人是把肉體釘在十字架上了。 ]你要付出天然生命的一切，不是一部分。耶穌說：[人若要作我的門徒，就當捨己。 ]就是放下自己的主權；人先要認識耶穌基督是誰，才能這樣放下。當心，不要拒絕參加你自主權的喪禮。
天然生命不是屬靈的，只有獻上，才成為屬靈。若不徹底把天然生命當祭物獻上，超然的生命就無法在我們裡面成為天然的。這條不是康莊大道，各人必須下定決心。這也不是祈禱的問題，而是行動的問題。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我何等肯定自己需要對你有一個更崇高的觀念。在這個祈求中，我願放下所有次要的東西，為了叫自己配去榮耀你。
The natural life itself is not sinful. But we must abandon sin, having nothing to do with it in any way whatsoever. Sin belongs to hell and to the devil. I, as a child of God, belong to heaven and to God. It is not a question of giving up sin, but of giving up my right to myself, my natural independence, and my self-will. This is where the battle has to be fought. The things that are right, noble, and good from the natural standpoint are the very things that keep us from being God’s best. Once we come to understand that natural moral excellence opposes or counteracts surrender to God, we bring our soul into the center of its greatest battle. Very few of us would debate over what is filthy, evil, and wrong, but we do debate over what is good. It is the good that opposes the best. The higher up the scale of moral excellence a person goes, the more intense the opposition to Jesus Christ. “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh . . . .” The cost to your natural life is not just one or two things, but everything. Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself. . .” (Matthew 16:24). That is, he must deny his right to himself, and he must realize who Jesus Christ is before he will bring himself to do it. Beware of refusing to go to the funeral of your own independence.
The natural life is not spiritual, and it can be made spiritual only through sacrifice. If we do not purposely sacrifice the natural, the supernatural can never become natural to us. There is no high or easy road. Each of us has the means to accomplish it entirely in his own hands. It is not a question of praying, but of sacrificing, and thereby performing His will.
天然生命的叛逆
凡屬基督耶穌的人，是已經把肉體，連肉體的邪情私慾，同釘在十字架上了。 （加五24）
天然生命不是罪惡的，我們必須脫離罪，不再與罪有任何膠葛。罪屬於地獄和魔鬼；我，神的兒女，屬於天堂和神。問題不是要放棄罪，而是放棄自己的主權，我天然的獨斷與自恃，是爭戰之所在地。天然觀點看來善美正確的東西，往往使我們得不著神最好的。天然善行往往是降服神的攔阻。洞悉這一點，就到了心靈大戰的核心。少有人為錯失、卑污、邪惡爭辯，但卻會為善德爭辯。善事是至善的對頭，天然善行愈高，與耶穌基督的敵對就愈勁。 [在基督裡的人是把肉體釘在十字架上了。 ]你要付出天然生命的一切，不是一部分。耶穌說：[人若要作我的門徒，就當捨己。 ]就是放下自己的主權；人先要認識耶穌基督是誰，才能這樣放下。當心，不要拒絕參加你自主權的喪禮。
天然生命不是屬靈的，只有獻上，才成為屬靈。若不徹底把天然生命當祭物獻上，超然的生命就無法在我們裡面成為天然的。這條不是康莊大道，各人必須下定決心。這也不是祈禱的問題，而是行動的問題。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我何等肯定自己需要對你有一個更崇高的觀念。在這個祈求中，我願放下所有次要的東西，為了叫自己配去榮耀你。
December 03, 2012
“Not by Might nor by Power”
My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power . . . —1 Corinthians 2:4
If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.
Once you are rooted in reality, nothing can shake you. If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption. Base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God Himself. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again. That is the meaning of sanctification. God disapproves of our human efforts to cling to the concept that sanctification is merely an experience, while forgetting that even our sanctification must also be sanctified (see John 17:19). I must deliberately give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.
非勢力非才能
我說的話講的道，不是用智慧委婉的言語，乃是用聖靈和大能的明證。 （林前二4）
傳福音的時候，會攔阻人接觸神的實體。宣揚救恩之道時，你對神的信心有根有基。千萬不可依靠自己闡釋的精確；在你闡釋的當兒，緊記依靠聖靈。要靠賴神救贖的大能，相信這能力的確實，這樣，他就要在人心中創造他自己的生命。
你一旦紮根於那真正的實體，就無可動搖。但若信心建基於經歷，那末，任何事情都可以推翻你的信心；神和他救贖大能的真實，是無法推捯的；把信心建基其上，你就像神一樣永遠堅定。你一旦與主耶穌接觸過，就永不再動搖了，這就是成聖的意思。我們若把成聖單放在經歷上，忘記了成聖本身也需要先經潔淨（約十七19），神就會對人的經歷加以否定。我要立志把成聖的生命交給神使用，這樣他能用我做他的手、他的腳。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，當我沒有用足夠的時間祈禱，感謝你給予那些無以言狀的預感和心靈之光。主啊，如今我仰望你；願你臨近，噢，恩慈的主啊，願你臨近，並且願你在今天賜給我恩典，使我在你裡面歡喜快樂。
If in preaching the gospel you substitute your knowledge of the way of salvation for confidence in the power of the gospel, you hinder people from getting to reality. Take care to see while you proclaim your knowledge of the way of salvation, that you yourself are rooted and grounded by faith in God. Never rely on the clearness of your presentation, but as you give your explanation make sure that you are relying on the Holy Spirit. Rely on the certainty of God’s redemptive power, and He will create His own life in people.
Once you are rooted in reality, nothing can shake you. If your faith is in experiences, anything that happens is likely to upset that faith. But nothing can ever change God or the reality of redemption. Base your faith on that, and you are as eternally secure as God Himself. Once you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, you will never be moved again. That is the meaning of sanctification. God disapproves of our human efforts to cling to the concept that sanctification is merely an experience, while forgetting that even our sanctification must also be sanctified (see John 17:19). I must deliberately give my sanctified life to God for His service, so that He can use me as His hands and His feet.
非勢力非才能
我說的話講的道，不是用智慧委婉的言語，乃是用聖靈和大能的明證。 （林前二4）
傳福音的時候，會攔阻人接觸神的實體。宣揚救恩之道時，你對神的信心有根有基。千萬不可依靠自己闡釋的精確；在你闡釋的當兒，緊記依靠聖靈。要靠賴神救贖的大能，相信這能力的確實，這樣，他就要在人心中創造他自己的生命。
你一旦紮根於那真正的實體，就無可動搖。但若信心建基於經歷，那末，任何事情都可以推翻你的信心；神和他救贖大能的真實，是無法推捯的；把信心建基其上，你就像神一樣永遠堅定。你一旦與主耶穌接觸過，就永不再動搖了，這就是成聖的意思。我們若把成聖單放在經歷上，忘記了成聖本身也需要先經潔淨（約十七19），神就會對人的經歷加以否定。我要立志把成聖的生命交給神使用，這樣他能用我做他的手、他的腳。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，當我沒有用足夠的時間祈禱，感謝你給予那些無以言狀的預感和心靈之光。主啊，如今我仰望你；願你臨近，噢，恩慈的主啊，願你臨近，並且願你在今天賜給我恩典，使我在你裡面歡喜快樂。
November 26, 2012
The Focal Point of Spiritual Power
. . . except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ . . . —Galatians 6:14
If you want to know the power of God (that is, the resurrection life of Jesus) in your human flesh, you must dwell on the tragedy of God. Break away from your personal concern over your own spiritual condition, and with a completely open spirit consider the tragedy of God. Instantly the power of God will be in you. “Look to Me. . .” (Isaiah 45:22). Pay attention to the external Source and the internal power will be there. We lose power because we don’t focus on the right thing. The effect of the Cross is salvation, sanctification, healing, etc., but we are not to preach any of these. We are to preach “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). The proclaiming of Jesus will do its own work. Concentrate on God’s focal point in your preaching, and even if your listeners seem to pay it no attention, they will never be the same again. If I share my own words, they are of no more importance than your words are to me. But if we share the truth of God with one another, we will encounter it again and again. We have to focus on the great point of spiritual power— the Cross. If we stay in contact with that center of power, its energy is released in our lives. In holiness movements and spiritual experience meetings, the focus tends to be put not on the Cross of Christ but on the effects of the Cross.
The feebleness of the church is being criticized today, and the criticism is justified. One reason for the feebleness is that there has not been this focus on the true center of spiritual power. We have not dwelt enough on the tragedy of Calvary or on the meaning of redemption.
If you want to know the power of God (that is, the resurrection life of Jesus) in your human flesh, you must dwell on the tragedy of God. Break away from your personal concern over your own spiritual condition, and with a completely open spirit consider the tragedy of God. Instantly the power of God will be in you. “Look to Me. . .” (Isaiah 45:22). Pay attention to the external Source and the internal power will be there. We lose power because we don’t focus on the right thing. The effect of the Cross is salvation, sanctification, healing, etc., but we are not to preach any of these. We are to preach “Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). The proclaiming of Jesus will do its own work. Concentrate on God’s focal point in your preaching, and even if your listeners seem to pay it no attention, they will never be the same again. If I share my own words, they are of no more importance than your words are to me. But if we share the truth of God with one another, we will encounter it again and again. We have to focus on the great point of spiritual power— the Cross. If we stay in contact with that center of power, its energy is released in our lives. In holiness movements and spiritual experience meetings, the focus tends to be put not on the Cross of Christ but on the effects of the Cross.
The feebleness of the church is being criticized today, and the criticism is justified. One reason for the feebleness is that there has not been this focus on the true center of spiritual power. We have not dwelt enough on the tragedy of Calvary or on the meaning of redemption.
November 14, 2012
Discovering Divine Design
As for me, being on the way, the Lord led me . . . —Genesis 24:27
We should be so one with God that we don’t need to ask continually for guidance. Sanctification means that we are made the children of God. A child’s life is normally obedient, until he chooses disobedience. But as soon as he chooses to disobey, an inherent inner conflict is produced. On the spiritual level, inner conflict is the warning of the Spirit of God. When He warns us in this way, we must stop at once and be renewed in the spirit of our mind to discern God’s will (see Romans 12:2). If we are born again by the Spirit of God, our devotion to Him is hindered, or even stopped, by continually asking Him to guide us here and there. “. . . the Lord led me . . .” and on looking back we see the presence of an amazing design. If we are born of God we will see His guiding hand and give Him the credit.
We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never believe that the so-called random events of life are anything less than God’s appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine designs anywhere and everywhere.
Beware of being obsessed with consistency to your own convictions instead of being devoted to God. If you are a saint and say, “I will never do this or that,” in all probability this will be exactly what God will require of you. There was never a more inconsistent being on this earth than our Lord, but He was never inconsistent with His Father. The important consistency in a saint is not to a principle but to the divine life. It is the divine life that continually makes more and more discoveries about the divine mind. It is easier to be an excessive fanatic than it is to be consistently faithful, because God causes an amazing humbling of our religious conceit when we are faithful to Him.
看出神的安排
耶和華在路上引領我……（創二十四27）
我們應該與神合一到一個地步，不必一天到晚求他指引。成聖就是成為神的兒女，而兒女的生命就是順服－－一旦不順服，就立刻直覺地感到一種隔膜。在屬靈的範疇裡，這隔膜是聖靈的一個警號。當聖靈警告，我們就該立即停下來，在心靈裡更新，好知道神的旨意。我們若是神的靈重生的，仍不住求神引我到這裡、到那裡，就是不敬虔。 [耶和華引領我]，回顧過去，我沒恩可以處處看見神奇妙無比的安排。我們若是從神生的，就必歸榮耀給神。在特殊的事上容易看見神的作為，可是只有在屬靈上有操練，才會在每一細節上看見神。別忽略一些偶然的事，認為這些是在神的旨意以外；要隨時隨地明白神的安排。
當心只顧崇拜自己一貫的信念，而不是專心愛神。 [我永不做那件事]－－若你是個聖徒的話，很可能你不能不做。主在世上是最不持守一貫做法的人，但他從不違背父神。聖徒唯一要持守的，不是一套原則，乃是神的生命。有神的生命，才不斷增加對神心意的認識。做狂熱主義者容易，做忠心耿耿的人難，因為要效忠神，需要一種出奇的謙卑；尤其是對在宗教上的虛偽，尤為困難。
祈禱◆[凡有智慧的……也必思想耶和華的慈愛。 ]主啊，那是多麼美好！為著你的榮耀，請賜給我這個記號。今天，我仰望你；願你的恩惠和美善豐厚地臨到我們。
We should be so one with God that we don’t need to ask continually for guidance. Sanctification means that we are made the children of God. A child’s life is normally obedient, until he chooses disobedience. But as soon as he chooses to disobey, an inherent inner conflict is produced. On the spiritual level, inner conflict is the warning of the Spirit of God. When He warns us in this way, we must stop at once and be renewed in the spirit of our mind to discern God’s will (see Romans 12:2). If we are born again by the Spirit of God, our devotion to Him is hindered, or even stopped, by continually asking Him to guide us here and there. “. . . the Lord led me . . .” and on looking back we see the presence of an amazing design. If we are born of God we will see His guiding hand and give Him the credit.
We can all see God in exceptional things, but it requires the growth of spiritual discipline to see God in every detail. Never believe that the so-called random events of life are anything less than God’s appointed order. Be ready to discover His divine designs anywhere and everywhere.
Beware of being obsessed with consistency to your own convictions instead of being devoted to God. If you are a saint and say, “I will never do this or that,” in all probability this will be exactly what God will require of you. There was never a more inconsistent being on this earth than our Lord, but He was never inconsistent with His Father. The important consistency in a saint is not to a principle but to the divine life. It is the divine life that continually makes more and more discoveries about the divine mind. It is easier to be an excessive fanatic than it is to be consistently faithful, because God causes an amazing humbling of our religious conceit when we are faithful to Him.
看出神的安排
耶和華在路上引領我……（創二十四27）
我們應該與神合一到一個地步，不必一天到晚求他指引。成聖就是成為神的兒女，而兒女的生命就是順服－－一旦不順服，就立刻直覺地感到一種隔膜。在屬靈的範疇裡，這隔膜是聖靈的一個警號。當聖靈警告，我們就該立即停下來，在心靈裡更新，好知道神的旨意。我們若是神的靈重生的，仍不住求神引我到這裡、到那裡，就是不敬虔。 [耶和華引領我]，回顧過去，我沒恩可以處處看見神奇妙無比的安排。我們若是從神生的，就必歸榮耀給神。在特殊的事上容易看見神的作為，可是只有在屬靈上有操練，才會在每一細節上看見神。別忽略一些偶然的事，認為這些是在神的旨意以外；要隨時隨地明白神的安排。
當心只顧崇拜自己一貫的信念，而不是專心愛神。 [我永不做那件事]－－若你是個聖徒的話，很可能你不能不做。主在世上是最不持守一貫做法的人，但他從不違背父神。聖徒唯一要持守的，不是一套原則，乃是神的生命。有神的生命，才不斷增加對神心意的認識。做狂熱主義者容易，做忠心耿耿的人難，因為要效忠神，需要一種出奇的謙卑；尤其是對在宗教上的虛偽，尤為困難。
祈禱◆[凡有智慧的……也必思想耶和華的慈愛。 ]主啊，那是多麼美好！為著你的榮耀，請賜給我這個記號。今天，我仰望你；願你的恩惠和美善豐厚地臨到我們。
October 27, 2012
The Method of Missions
Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . . —Matthew 28:19
Jesus Christ did not say, “Go and save souls” (the salvation of souls is the supernatural work of God), but He said, “Go . . . make disciples of all the nations . . . .” Yet you cannot make disciples unless you are a disciple yourself. When the disciples returned from their first mission, they were filled with joy because even the demons were subject to them. But Jesus said, in effect, “Don’t rejoice in successful service— the great secret of joy is that you have the right relationship with Me” (see Luke 10:17-20). The missionary’s great essential is remaining true to the call of God, and realizing that his one and only purpose is to disciple men and women to Jesus. Remember that there is a passion for souls that does not come from God, but from our desire to make converts to our point of view.
The challenge to the missionary does not come from the fact that people are difficult to bring to salvation, that backsliders are difficult to reclaim, or that there is a barrier of callous indifference. No, the challenge comes from the perspective of the missionary’s own personal relationship with Jesus Christ— “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28). Our Lord unwaveringly asks us that question, and it confronts us in every individual situation we encounter. The one great challenge to us is— do I know my risen Lord? Do I know the power of His indwelling Spirit? Am I wise enough in God’s sight, but foolish enough according to the wisdom of the world, to trust in what Jesus Christ has said? Or am I abandoning the great supernatural position of limitless confidence in Christ Jesus, which is really God’s only call for a missionary? If I follow any other method, I depart altogether from the methods prescribed by our Lord— “All authority has been given to Me . . . . Gotherefore. . .” (Matthew 28:18-19).
宣教之方
所以你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒。 （太二十八19）
耶穌基督不是說：[去拯救靈魂。 ]（靈魂的得救，是神超然的工作。）他乃是說：[去，使萬民作我的門徒。 ]除非你自己先作門徒，否則無法叫人作門徒。昔日門徒第一次奉差遣出去，因為污鬼也服了他們，歡樂而回。耶穌就說：[不要因工作成功而歡欣；快樂最大的秘訣，是與我保持正確的關係。 ]宣教士最要緊的是對神的呼召效忠，知道他唯一的目標是使人作主的門徒。有時對靈魂的熱切，不是由神而來，而是出於想人家跟從自己的觀點。
宣教士的挑戰，並不是人難以得救；不是退後的人難以迴轉；也不是人的冷漠、毫不動心；而是他與主耶穌基督的關係。 [你們信我能作這事麼？ ]我們的主不斷問這個問題，每遇一事，主都會這樣問。我們唯一的大挑戰是－－我認識我的複活主麼？我認識他內居的靈的大能麼？我是否因著對主耶穌話語的完全信靠，以致在神眼中成為智慧的，而在世界看來，卻是愚拙？還是我拋棄了那超然的地位，也就是神對宣教士唯一的呼召－－對主耶穌基督無限的信賴？我若用其他任何方法，就脫離了主所定下的方法了，主說：[天上地下所有的權柄都賜給我了，所以你們要去……]
祈禱◆噢，主啊，吸引我靠近你；願我以你自己為榮，因為你將我這樣的一個罪人，變成你有用的僕人。
Jesus Christ did not say, “Go and save souls” (the salvation of souls is the supernatural work of God), but He said, “Go . . . make disciples of all the nations . . . .” Yet you cannot make disciples unless you are a disciple yourself. When the disciples returned from their first mission, they were filled with joy because even the demons were subject to them. But Jesus said, in effect, “Don’t rejoice in successful service— the great secret of joy is that you have the right relationship with Me” (see Luke 10:17-20). The missionary’s great essential is remaining true to the call of God, and realizing that his one and only purpose is to disciple men and women to Jesus. Remember that there is a passion for souls that does not come from God, but from our desire to make converts to our point of view.
The challenge to the missionary does not come from the fact that people are difficult to bring to salvation, that backsliders are difficult to reclaim, or that there is a barrier of callous indifference. No, the challenge comes from the perspective of the missionary’s own personal relationship with Jesus Christ— “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” (Matthew 9:28). Our Lord unwaveringly asks us that question, and it confronts us in every individual situation we encounter. The one great challenge to us is— do I know my risen Lord? Do I know the power of His indwelling Spirit? Am I wise enough in God’s sight, but foolish enough according to the wisdom of the world, to trust in what Jesus Christ has said? Or am I abandoning the great supernatural position of limitless confidence in Christ Jesus, which is really God’s only call for a missionary? If I follow any other method, I depart altogether from the methods prescribed by our Lord— “All authority has been given to Me . . . . Gotherefore. . .” (Matthew 28:18-19).
宣教之方
所以你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒。 （太二十八19）
耶穌基督不是說：[去拯救靈魂。 ]（靈魂的得救，是神超然的工作。）他乃是說：[去，使萬民作我的門徒。 ]除非你自己先作門徒，否則無法叫人作門徒。昔日門徒第一次奉差遣出去，因為污鬼也服了他們，歡樂而回。耶穌就說：[不要因工作成功而歡欣；快樂最大的秘訣，是與我保持正確的關係。 ]宣教士最要緊的是對神的呼召效忠，知道他唯一的目標是使人作主的門徒。有時對靈魂的熱切，不是由神而來，而是出於想人家跟從自己的觀點。
宣教士的挑戰，並不是人難以得救；不是退後的人難以迴轉；也不是人的冷漠、毫不動心；而是他與主耶穌基督的關係。 [你們信我能作這事麼？ ]我們的主不斷問這個問題，每遇一事，主都會這樣問。我們唯一的大挑戰是－－我認識我的複活主麼？我認識他內居的靈的大能麼？我是否因著對主耶穌話語的完全信靠，以致在神眼中成為智慧的，而在世界看來，卻是愚拙？還是我拋棄了那超然的地位，也就是神對宣教士唯一的呼召－－對主耶穌基督無限的信賴？我若用其他任何方法，就脫離了主所定下的方法了，主說：[天上地下所有的權柄都賜給我了，所以你們要去……]
祈禱◆噢，主啊，吸引我靠近你；願我以你自己為榮，因為你將我這樣的一個罪人，變成你有用的僕人。
October 26, 2012
What is a Missionary?
Jesus said to them again, ’. . . As the Father has sent Me, I also send you’ —John 20:21
A missionary is someone sent by Jesus Christ just as He was sent by God. The great controlling factor is not the needs of people, but the command of Jesus. The source of our inspiration in our service for God is behind us, not ahead of us. The tendency today is to put the inspiration out in front— to sweep everything together in front of us and make it conform to our definition of success. But in the New Testament the inspiration is put behind us, and is the Lord Jesus Himself. The goal is to be true to Him— to carry out His plans.
Personal attachment to the Lord Jesus and to His perspective is the one thing that must not be overlooked. In missionary work the great danger is that God’s call will be replaced by the needs of the people, to the point that human sympathy for those needs will absolutely overwhelm the meaning of being sent by Jesus. The needs are so enormous, and the conditions so difficult, that every power of the mind falters and fails. We tend to forget that the one great reason underneath all missionary work is not primarily the elevation of the people, their education, nor their needs, but is first and foremost the command of Jesus Christ— “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . .” (Matthew 28:19).
When looking back on the lives of men and women of God, the tendency is to say, “What wonderfully keen and intelligent wisdom they had, and how perfectly they understood all that God wanted!” But the keen and intelligent mind behind them was the mind of God, not human wisdom at all. We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the divine guidance of God being exhibited through childlike people who were “foolish” enough to trust God’s wisdom and His supernatural equipment.
宣教士是什麼？
"父怎樣差遣了我，我也照樣差遣你們。"約20：21
宣教士是被耶穌所差遣的人，正如耶穌被神差遣一樣。最重要的不是人的需要，而是耶穌的命令。激勵我們為神工作的根源是在後面，而不是在前面。今日的趨勢是將激勵放在前面，把每一件事帶到我們面前，使其達到我們對勝利的看法。在新約裡面，激勵是放在我們後頭，就是主耶穌。目標是向他真誠，實現他的事業。
一定不可以忽視個人對主耶穌和他的觀點的忠誠。在宣教事業中，最大的危險是神的呼召被人的需要逐漸削弱，以致人的同情心絕對的壓倒了被耶穌差遣的意義。需要是如此巨大，環境是如此令人困惑，以致我們心思裡的所有力量都動搖和失敗。我們忘記了在所有宣教事業背後最大的原因首先不是人的高尚，不是人的教育，也不是滿足他們的需要；居首位的和最重要的是耶穌基督的命令－－"所以，你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒。"（太28： 19）
當回過頭來看屬神的男女的生平，趨向說－－"他們有何等奇妙機敏的智慧！他們如此完全的明白神的旨意！"其實這機敏的心思乃是神的心思，根本不是人的智慧。我們本當信任神的屬天指引的時候，我們卻信任人的智慧；神藉著小孩子一樣的人來引導我們，他們是"愚拙"而完全信靠神的智慧和他超自然才能的人。
祈禱◆主啊，求你今天在我的禱告、敬拜和工作中，以你的靈重新膏抹我，以致在一切事情上，你都可以得居優越的位置。
A missionary is someone sent by Jesus Christ just as He was sent by God. The great controlling factor is not the needs of people, but the command of Jesus. The source of our inspiration in our service for God is behind us, not ahead of us. The tendency today is to put the inspiration out in front— to sweep everything together in front of us and make it conform to our definition of success. But in the New Testament the inspiration is put behind us, and is the Lord Jesus Himself. The goal is to be true to Him— to carry out His plans.
Personal attachment to the Lord Jesus and to His perspective is the one thing that must not be overlooked. In missionary work the great danger is that God’s call will be replaced by the needs of the people, to the point that human sympathy for those needs will absolutely overwhelm the meaning of being sent by Jesus. The needs are so enormous, and the conditions so difficult, that every power of the mind falters and fails. We tend to forget that the one great reason underneath all missionary work is not primarily the elevation of the people, their education, nor their needs, but is first and foremost the command of Jesus Christ— “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . .” (Matthew 28:19).
When looking back on the lives of men and women of God, the tendency is to say, “What wonderfully keen and intelligent wisdom they had, and how perfectly they understood all that God wanted!” But the keen and intelligent mind behind them was the mind of God, not human wisdom at all. We give credit to human wisdom when we should give credit to the divine guidance of God being exhibited through childlike people who were “foolish” enough to trust God’s wisdom and His supernatural equipment.
宣教士是什麼？
"父怎樣差遣了我，我也照樣差遣你們。"約20：21
宣教士是被耶穌所差遣的人，正如耶穌被神差遣一樣。最重要的不是人的需要，而是耶穌的命令。激勵我們為神工作的根源是在後面，而不是在前面。今日的趨勢是將激勵放在前面，把每一件事帶到我們面前，使其達到我們對勝利的看法。在新約裡面，激勵是放在我們後頭，就是主耶穌。目標是向他真誠，實現他的事業。
一定不可以忽視個人對主耶穌和他的觀點的忠誠。在宣教事業中，最大的危險是神的呼召被人的需要逐漸削弱，以致人的同情心絕對的壓倒了被耶穌差遣的意義。需要是如此巨大，環境是如此令人困惑，以致我們心思裡的所有力量都動搖和失敗。我們忘記了在所有宣教事業背後最大的原因首先不是人的高尚，不是人的教育，也不是滿足他們的需要；居首位的和最重要的是耶穌基督的命令－－"所以，你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒。"（太28： 19）
當回過頭來看屬神的男女的生平，趨向說－－"他們有何等奇妙機敏的智慧！他們如此完全的明白神的旨意！"其實這機敏的心思乃是神的心思，根本不是人的智慧。我們本當信任神的屬天指引的時候，我們卻信任人的智慧；神藉著小孩子一樣的人來引導我們，他們是"愚拙"而完全信靠神的智慧和他超自然才能的人。
祈禱◆主啊，求你今天在我的禱告、敬拜和工作中，以你的靈重新膏抹我，以致在一切事情上，你都可以得居優越的位置。
October 25, 2012
Submitting to God’s Purpose
I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some —1 Corinthians 9:22
A Christian worker has to learn how to be God’s man or woman of great worth and excellence in the midst of a multitude of meager and worthless things. Never protest by saying, “If only I were somewhere else!” All of God’s people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them. Unless we have the right purpose intellectually in our minds and lovingly in our hearts, we will very quickly be diverted from being useful to God. We are not workers for God by choice. Many people deliberately choose to be workers, but they have no purpose of God’s almighty grace or His mighty Word in them. Paul’s whole heart, mind, and soul were consumed with the great purpose of what Jesus Christ came to do, and he never lost sight of that one thing. We must continually confront ourselves with one central fact— “. . . Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).
“I chose you . . .” (John 15:16). Keep these words as a wonderful reminder in your theology. It is not that you have gotten God, but that He has gotten you. God is at work bending, breaking, molding, and doing exactly as He chooses. And why is He doing it? He is doing it for only one purpose— that He may be able to say, “This is My man, and this is My woman.” We have to be in God’s hand so that He can place others on the Rock, Jesus Christ, just as He has placed us.
Never choose to be a worker, but once God has placed His call upon you, woe be to you if you “turn aside . . . to the right or the left . . .” (Deuteronomy 28:14). He will do with you what He never did before His call came to you, and He will do with you what He is not doing with other people. Let Him have His way.
永遠的破碎
"向什麼樣的人，我就作什麼樣的人。無論如何總要救些人。"林前9：22
一個基督徒工人要學會如何在卑賤的事中成為屬神的高尚之人。千萬不要用這個藉口－－如果我在其他地方就好了！所有屬神的人都是平凡人，只是因神所給予他們的內容而成為特別。除非我們在心智和情感上都有了正確的內容，否則我們會對神毫無用處。我們不是選擇作神的工人。許多人刻意地選擇作神的工人，但在他們裡面沒有神全能的恩典，也沒有他大能的話語。保羅的整個心、思想和靈魂都被耶穌基督降世的偉大使命所吸引，他從沒有忘記這件事。我們也要面對自己在這個中心的事實－－耶穌基督並他釘十字架。
"我已經揀選了你。"要在你的信條裡牢記這偉大的話語。不是你得到了神，而是他得到了你。在這所學校裡，神在做工，他改變人，他打碎人，他模造人，按照他所揀選的去做。我們不知道他為什麼做這個，他只是為了一個唯一的目的－－就是他可以說，這是屬於我的男人，這是屬於我的女人。我們要在神的手裡，好讓他把人栽種在磐石上，就像栽種我們一樣。
不要自己選擇去做一個工人，但是當神呼召你時，如果你左推右搪，就有禍了。他會在你身上做些事情，是呼召你以前所未做過的；他會對付你，不像對其他人那樣。讓他按他的方式做吧。
A Christian worker has to learn how to be God’s man or woman of great worth and excellence in the midst of a multitude of meager and worthless things. Never protest by saying, “If only I were somewhere else!” All of God’s people are ordinary people who have been made extraordinary by the purpose He has given them. Unless we have the right purpose intellectually in our minds and lovingly in our hearts, we will very quickly be diverted from being useful to God. We are not workers for God by choice. Many people deliberately choose to be workers, but they have no purpose of God’s almighty grace or His mighty Word in them. Paul’s whole heart, mind, and soul were consumed with the great purpose of what Jesus Christ came to do, and he never lost sight of that one thing. We must continually confront ourselves with one central fact— “. . . Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).
“I chose you . . .” (John 15:16). Keep these words as a wonderful reminder in your theology. It is not that you have gotten God, but that He has gotten you. God is at work bending, breaking, molding, and doing exactly as He chooses. And why is He doing it? He is doing it for only one purpose— that He may be able to say, “This is My man, and this is My woman.” We have to be in God’s hand so that He can place others on the Rock, Jesus Christ, just as He has placed us.
Never choose to be a worker, but once God has placed His call upon you, woe be to you if you “turn aside . . . to the right or the left . . .” (Deuteronomy 28:14). He will do with you what He never did before His call came to you, and He will do with you what He is not doing with other people. Let Him have His way.
永遠的破碎
"向什麼樣的人，我就作什麼樣的人。無論如何總要救些人。"林前9：22
一個基督徒工人要學會如何在卑賤的事中成為屬神的高尚之人。千萬不要用這個藉口－－如果我在其他地方就好了！所有屬神的人都是平凡人，只是因神所給予他們的內容而成為特別。除非我們在心智和情感上都有了正確的內容，否則我們會對神毫無用處。我們不是選擇作神的工人。許多人刻意地選擇作神的工人，但在他們裡面沒有神全能的恩典，也沒有他大能的話語。保羅的整個心、思想和靈魂都被耶穌基督降世的偉大使命所吸引，他從沒有忘記這件事。我們也要面對自己在這個中心的事實－－耶穌基督並他釘十字架。
"我已經揀選了你。"要在你的信條裡牢記這偉大的話語。不是你得到了神，而是他得到了你。在這所學校裡，神在做工，他改變人，他打碎人，他模造人，按照他所揀選的去做。我們不知道他為什麼做這個，他只是為了一個唯一的目的－－就是他可以說，這是屬於我的男人，這是屬於我的女人。我們要在神的手裡，好讓他把人栽種在磐石上，就像栽種我們一樣。
不要自己選擇去做一個工人，但是當神呼召你時，如果你左推右搪，就有禍了。他會在你身上做些事情，是呼召你以前所未做過的；他會對付你，不像對其他人那樣。讓他按他的方式做吧。
October 18, 2012
The Key to the Missionary’s Devotion
. . . they went forth for His name’s sake . . . —3 John 7
Our Lord told us how our love for Him is to exhibit itself when He asked, “Do you love Me?” (John 21:17). And then He said, “Feed My sheep.” In effect, He said, “Identify yourself with My interests in other people,” not, “Identify Me with your interests in other people.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 shows us the characteristics of this love— it is actually the love of God expressing itself. The true test of my love for Jesus is a very practical one, and all the rest is sentimental talk.
Faithfulness to Jesus Christ is the supernatural work of redemption that has been performed in me by the Holy Spirit— “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit . . .” (Romans 5:5). And it is that love in me that effectively works through me and comes in contact with everyone I meet. I remain faithful to His name, even though the commonsense view of my life may seemingly deny that, and may appear to be declaring that He has no more power than the morning mist.
The key to the missionary’s devotion is that he is attached to nothing and to no one except our Lord Himself. It does not mean simply being detached from the external things surrounding us. Our Lord was amazingly in touch with the ordinary things of life, but He had an inner detachment except toward God. External detachment is often an actual indication of a secret, growing, inner attachment to the things we stay away from externally.
The duty of a faithful missionary is to concentrate on keeping his soul completely and continually open to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. The men and women our Lord sends out on His endeavors are ordinary human people, but people who are controlled by their devotion to Him, which has been brought about through the work of the Holy Spirit.
傳道者忠貞的要決
因他們是為主的名(原文作“那名”)出外，對於外邦人一無所取。 （約翰三書7節）
主曾告訴我們，怎樣才是愛祂。 「你愛我嗎？（約翰福音21：15-17） 」「你餵養我的羊。（約翰福音21：15-17） 」——把你放在我對人的關懷裡，而不是把我放在你對人的興趣裡。哥林多前書13：4-8節 「愛是恆久忍耐，又有恩慈；愛是不嫉妒；愛是不自誇，不張狂，不作害羞的事，不求自己的益處，不輕易發怒，不計算人的惡，不喜歡不義，只喜歡真理；凡事包容，凡事相信，凡事盼望，凡事忍耐。愛是永不止息。 」 描述這愛的品質，是神自己的愛。我對主耶穌愛的考驗，是在實際事情上，其他的不過是空口的賣弄愛情。
我對主耶穌的忠心，是聖靈在我心裡做成超自然的救贖聖工，把神的愛澆灌在我心裡。這愛在我與人接觸時，就產生功效。雖然一切的常理都否定祂，說祂好像晨霧般虛渺，但我仍忠於祂的名。
傳道者忠貞的要決，就是單歸附主耶穌，不受任何人任何事的纏累，但又不是與外界隔絕。主不斷與外界事物接觸，祂的分別為聖，是在於內心朝向神。外表的隔絕，往往表示人裡面暗暗地戀慕著表面上拒絕的東西。
傳道者的忠貞，是要保持心靈單向主耶穌開敞。主所差派出去做工的人，均是平凡人，只是聖靈在他們裡面加上專一不移的忠貞。
Our Lord told us how our love for Him is to exhibit itself when He asked, “Do you love Me?” (John 21:17). And then He said, “Feed My sheep.” In effect, He said, “Identify yourself with My interests in other people,” not, “Identify Me with your interests in other people.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 shows us the characteristics of this love— it is actually the love of God expressing itself. The true test of my love for Jesus is a very practical one, and all the rest is sentimental talk.
Faithfulness to Jesus Christ is the supernatural work of redemption that has been performed in me by the Holy Spirit— “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit . . .” (Romans 5:5). And it is that love in me that effectively works through me and comes in contact with everyone I meet. I remain faithful to His name, even though the commonsense view of my life may seemingly deny that, and may appear to be declaring that He has no more power than the morning mist.
The key to the missionary’s devotion is that he is attached to nothing and to no one except our Lord Himself. It does not mean simply being detached from the external things surrounding us. Our Lord was amazingly in touch with the ordinary things of life, but He had an inner detachment except toward God. External detachment is often an actual indication of a secret, growing, inner attachment to the things we stay away from externally.
The duty of a faithful missionary is to concentrate on keeping his soul completely and continually open to the nature of the Lord Jesus Christ. The men and women our Lord sends out on His endeavors are ordinary human people, but people who are controlled by their devotion to Him, which has been brought about through the work of the Holy Spirit.
傳道者忠貞的要決
因他們是為主的名(原文作“那名”)出外，對於外邦人一無所取。 （約翰三書7節）
主曾告訴我們，怎樣才是愛祂。 「你愛我嗎？（約翰福音21：15-17） 」「你餵養我的羊。（約翰福音21：15-17） 」——把你放在我對人的關懷裡，而不是把我放在你對人的興趣裡。哥林多前書13：4-8節 「愛是恆久忍耐，又有恩慈；愛是不嫉妒；愛是不自誇，不張狂，不作害羞的事，不求自己的益處，不輕易發怒，不計算人的惡，不喜歡不義，只喜歡真理；凡事包容，凡事相信，凡事盼望，凡事忍耐。愛是永不止息。 」 描述這愛的品質，是神自己的愛。我對主耶穌愛的考驗，是在實際事情上，其他的不過是空口的賣弄愛情。
我對主耶穌的忠心，是聖靈在我心裡做成超自然的救贖聖工，把神的愛澆灌在我心裡。這愛在我與人接觸時，就產生功效。雖然一切的常理都否定祂，說祂好像晨霧般虛渺，但我仍忠於祂的名。
傳道者忠貞的要決，就是單歸附主耶穌，不受任何人任何事的纏累，但又不是與外界隔絕。主不斷與外界事物接觸，祂的分別為聖，是在於內心朝向神。外表的隔絕，往往表示人裡面暗暗地戀慕著表面上拒絕的東西。
傳道者的忠貞，是要保持心靈單向主耶穌開敞。主所差派出去做工的人，均是平凡人，只是聖靈在他們裡面加上專一不移的忠貞。
October 16, 2012
The Key to the Master’s Orders
Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest —Matthew 9:38
The key to the missionary’s difficult task is in the hand of God, and that key is prayer, not work— that is, not work as the word is commonly used today, which often results in the shifting of our focus away from God. The key to the missionary’s difficult task is also not the key of common sense, nor is it the key of medicine, civilization, education, or even evangelization. The key is in following the Master’s orders— the key is prayer. “Pray the Lord of the harvest . . . .” In the natural realm, prayer is not practical but absurd. We have to realize that prayer is foolish from the commonsense point of view.
From Jesus Christ’s perspective, there are no nations, but only the world. How many of us pray without regard to the persons, but with regard to only one Person— Jesus Christ? He owns the harvest that is produced through distress and through conviction of sin. This is the harvest for which we have to pray that laborers be sent out to reap. We stay busy at work, while people all around us are ripe and ready to be harvested; we do not reap even one of them, but simply waste our Lord’s time in over-energized activities and programs. Suppose a crisis were to come into your father’s or your brother’s life— are you there as a laborer to reap the harvest for Jesus Christ? Is your response, “Oh, but I have a special work to do!” No Christian has a special work to do. A Christian is called to be Jesus Christ’s own, “a servant [who] is not greater than his master” (John 13:16), and someone who does not dictate to Jesus Christ what he intends to do. Our Lord calls us to no special work— He calls us to Himself. “Pray the Lord of the harvest,” and He will engineer your circumstances to send you out as His laborer.
The key to the missionary’s difficult task is in the hand of God, and that key is prayer, not work— that is, not work as the word is commonly used today, which often results in the shifting of our focus away from God. The key to the missionary’s difficult task is also not the key of common sense, nor is it the key of medicine, civilization, education, or even evangelization. The key is in following the Master’s orders— the key is prayer. “Pray the Lord of the harvest . . . .” In the natural realm, prayer is not practical but absurd. We have to realize that prayer is foolish from the commonsense point of view.
From Jesus Christ’s perspective, there are no nations, but only the world. How many of us pray without regard to the persons, but with regard to only one Person— Jesus Christ? He owns the harvest that is produced through distress and through conviction of sin. This is the harvest for which we have to pray that laborers be sent out to reap. We stay busy at work, while people all around us are ripe and ready to be harvested; we do not reap even one of them, but simply waste our Lord’s time in over-energized activities and programs. Suppose a crisis were to come into your father’s or your brother’s life— are you there as a laborer to reap the harvest for Jesus Christ? Is your response, “Oh, but I have a special work to do!” No Christian has a special work to do. A Christian is called to be Jesus Christ’s own, “a servant [who] is not greater than his master” (John 13:16), and someone who does not dictate to Jesus Christ what he intends to do. Our Lord calls us to no special work— He calls us to Himself. “Pray the Lord of the harvest,” and He will engineer your circumstances to send you out as His laborer.
October 15, 2012
The Key to the Missionary’s Work (2)
He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world —1 John 2:2
The key to the missionary’s message is the propitiation of Christ Jesus— His sacrifice for us that completely satisfied the wrath of God. Look at any other aspect of Christ’s work, whether it is healing, saving, or sanctifying, and you will see that there is nothing limitless about those. But— “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”— that is limitless (John 1:29). The missionary’s message is the limitless importance of Jesus Christ as the propitiation for our sins, and a missionary is someone who is immersed in the truth of that revelation.
The real key to the missionary’s message is the “remissionary” aspect of Christ’s life, not His kindness, His goodness, or even His revealing of the fatherhood of God to us. “. . . repentance and remission of sins should be preached . . . to all nations . . .” (Luke 24:47). The greatest message of limitless importance is that “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins . . . .” The missionary’s message is not nationalistic, favoring nations or individuals; it is “for the whole world.” When the Holy Spirit comes into me, He does not consider my partialities or preferences; He simply brings me into oneness with the Lord Jesus.
A missionary is someone who is bound by marriage to the stated mission and purpose of his Lord and Master. He is not to proclaim his own point of view, but is only to proclaim “the Lamb of God.” It is easier to belong to a faction that simply tells what Jesus Christ has done for me, and easier to become a devotee of divine healing, or of a special type of sanctification, or of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But Paul did not say, “Woe is me if I do not preach what Christ has done for me,” but, “. . . woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). And this is the gospel— “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
宣教信息之鑰
祂為我們的罪作了挽回祭，不是單為我們的罪，也是為普天下人的罪。 （約翰一書2：2）
宣道信息的中心，就是耶穌基督作了挽回祭。試拿基督任何其他方面的工作看——醫治、拯救、成聖；這些都不是無限的。 「神的羔羊，除去世人罪孽的。（約翰福音1：29） 」才是無限的。宣道的信息就是耶穌基督為普天下人的罪作了挽回祭，宣道士也就是被這一個啟示充滿的。
宣道信心的中心，不是耶穌基督的仁慈和良善，也不是祂彰顯了父神；而是基督把我們從罪中釋放，那是最無限的重點，就是祂為我們的嘴作了挽回祭。宣道信息不是愛國主義，不是單為某國或某人，乃是為整個世界的。聖靈進到我裡面，並不投我的喜好，祂來是要帶我與主耶穌聯合。
宣道士是與他的主聯合，他傳揚的不是自己的觀點，而是神的羔羊。要歸屬於一個宣傳“主為我們作過什麼”的集團、要成為一個熱衷於神蹟治病或成聖或靈洗的份子較容易。可是，保羅並不是說：“我若不傳主為我所作的，我就有禍了。”他乃是說：「若不傳福音，我便有禍了。（哥林多前書9： 16） 」，「神的羔羊，除去世人罪孽的。（約翰福音1：29） 」這就是福音。
The key to the missionary’s message is the propitiation of Christ Jesus— His sacrifice for us that completely satisfied the wrath of God. Look at any other aspect of Christ’s work, whether it is healing, saving, or sanctifying, and you will see that there is nothing limitless about those. But— “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”— that is limitless (John 1:29). The missionary’s message is the limitless importance of Jesus Christ as the propitiation for our sins, and a missionary is someone who is immersed in the truth of that revelation.
The real key to the missionary’s message is the “remissionary” aspect of Christ’s life, not His kindness, His goodness, or even His revealing of the fatherhood of God to us. “. . . repentance and remission of sins should be preached . . . to all nations . . .” (Luke 24:47). The greatest message of limitless importance is that “He Himself is the propitiation for our sins . . . .” The missionary’s message is not nationalistic, favoring nations or individuals; it is “for the whole world.” When the Holy Spirit comes into me, He does not consider my partialities or preferences; He simply brings me into oneness with the Lord Jesus.
A missionary is someone who is bound by marriage to the stated mission and purpose of his Lord and Master. He is not to proclaim his own point of view, but is only to proclaim “the Lamb of God.” It is easier to belong to a faction that simply tells what Jesus Christ has done for me, and easier to become a devotee of divine healing, or of a special type of sanctification, or of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. But Paul did not say, “Woe is me if I do not preach what Christ has done for me,” but, “. . . woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (1 Corinthians 9:16). And this is the gospel— “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
宣教信息之鑰
祂為我們的罪作了挽回祭，不是單為我們的罪，也是為普天下人的罪。 （約翰一書2：2）
宣道信息的中心，就是耶穌基督作了挽回祭。試拿基督任何其他方面的工作看——醫治、拯救、成聖；這些都不是無限的。 「神的羔羊，除去世人罪孽的。（約翰福音1：29） 」才是無限的。宣道的信息就是耶穌基督為普天下人的罪作了挽回祭，宣道士也就是被這一個啟示充滿的。
宣道信心的中心，不是耶穌基督的仁慈和良善，也不是祂彰顯了父神；而是基督把我們從罪中釋放，那是最無限的重點，就是祂為我們的嘴作了挽回祭。宣道信息不是愛國主義，不是單為某國或某人，乃是為整個世界的。聖靈進到我裡面，並不投我的喜好，祂來是要帶我與主耶穌聯合。
宣道士是與他的主聯合，他傳揚的不是自己的觀點，而是神的羔羊。要歸屬於一個宣傳“主為我們作過什麼”的集團、要成為一個熱衷於神蹟治病或成聖或靈洗的份子較容易。可是，保羅並不是說：“我若不傳主為我所作的，我就有禍了。”他乃是說：「若不傳福音，我便有禍了。（哥林多前書9： 16） 」，「神的羔羊，除去世人罪孽的。（約翰福音1：29） 」這就是福音。
October 14, 2012
The Key to the Missionary’s Work (1)
Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ’All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . .’ —Matthew 28:18-19
The key to the missionary’s work is the authority of Jesus Christ, not the needs of the lost. We are inclined to look on our Lord as one who assists us in our endeavors for God. Yet our Lord places Himself as the absolute sovereign and supreme Lord over His disciples. He does not say that the lost will never be saved if we don’t go— He simply says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . . .” He says, “Go on the basis of the revealed truth of My sovereignty, teaching and preaching out of your living experience of Me.”
“Then the eleven disciples went . . . to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them” (Matthew 28:16). If I want to know the universal sovereignty of Christ, I must know Him myself. I must take time to worship the One whose name I bear. Jesus says, “Come to Me . . .”— that is the place to meet Jesus— “all you who labor and are heavy laden . . .” (Matthew 11:28)— and how many missionaries are! We completely dismiss these wonderful words of the universal Sovereign of the world, but they are the words of Jesus to His disciples meant for here and now.
“Go therefore . . . .” To “go” simply means to live. Acts 1:8 is the description of how to go. Jesus did not say in this verse, “Go into Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria,” but, “. . . you shall be witnesses to Me in [all these places].” He takes upon Himself the work of sending us.
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you . . .” (John 15:7)— that is the way to keep going. Where we are placed is then a matter of indifference to us, because God sovereignly engineers our goings.
“None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus . . .” (Acts 20:24). That is how to keep going until we are gone from this life.
宣教士之鑰
耶穌進前來，對他們說：“天上地下所有的權柄都賜給我了。所以你們要去使萬民作我的門徒，……。（馬太福音28：18-19）
差傳的基礎是主耶穌的主權，而不是外邦人的需要。我們很容易視主耶穌為我們事奉神的助手，而主其實是門徒絕對、至高無上的主人。祂不是說，我們若不去，外邦人就失喪了。祂只是說：「所以你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒。 」依從我至高的權柄，去吧；因著在我裡面活生生的經歷，去教導並傳揚。
「十一個門徒往加利利去，到了耶穌約定的山上。（馬太福音28:16） 」我若要認識基督普世的主權，就必須親自認識祂，知道怎樣獨自與祂相處。我必須用時間去敬拜我所配戴的名，就是基督。 「到我這裡來。（馬太福音11：28） 」——那就是見主耶穌的地方。你勞苦擔重擔嗎？多少傳道人正是如此。主宣告祂對整個世界的主權，我們卻看為次要，但這是主對門徒親口說的話。
「所以你們要去…… 」「去」的意思是“活出來”。使徒行傳1：8「但聖靈降臨在你們身上，你們就必得著能力，並要在耶路撒冷，猶太全地，和撒瑪利亞，直到地極，作我的見證。”」是描寫怎樣去。耶穌沒有說去耶路撒冷、猶太、撒馬利亞；但祂說：「作我的見證。 」。至於「去」的地方，祂會負責安排。
「你們若常在我裡面，我的話也常在你們裡面，……（約翰福音15:7 ） 」這是保持我們個人生命活潑的途徑。神放我們在什麼地方都無關重要，因為祂自會安排。
「我卻不以性命為念，也不看為寶貴，只要行完我的路程，成就我從主耶穌所領受的職事，證明神恩惠的福音。(使徒行傳20：24) 」這就是我們工作的態度，直到死那一天。
The key to the missionary’s work is the authority of Jesus Christ, not the needs of the lost. We are inclined to look on our Lord as one who assists us in our endeavors for God. Yet our Lord places Himself as the absolute sovereign and supreme Lord over His disciples. He does not say that the lost will never be saved if we don’t go— He simply says, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations . . . .” He says, “Go on the basis of the revealed truth of My sovereignty, teaching and preaching out of your living experience of Me.”
“Then the eleven disciples went . . . to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them” (Matthew 28:16). If I want to know the universal sovereignty of Christ, I must know Him myself. I must take time to worship the One whose name I bear. Jesus says, “Come to Me . . .”— that is the place to meet Jesus— “all you who labor and are heavy laden . . .” (Matthew 11:28)— and how many missionaries are! We completely dismiss these wonderful words of the universal Sovereign of the world, but they are the words of Jesus to His disciples meant for here and now.
“Go therefore . . . .” To “go” simply means to live. Acts 1:8 is the description of how to go. Jesus did not say in this verse, “Go into Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria,” but, “. . . you shall be witnesses to Me in [all these places].” He takes upon Himself the work of sending us.
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you . . .” (John 15:7)— that is the way to keep going. Where we are placed is then a matter of indifference to us, because God sovereignly engineers our goings.
“None of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus . . .” (Acts 20:24). That is how to keep going until we are gone from this life.
宣教士之鑰
耶穌進前來，對他們說：“天上地下所有的權柄都賜給我了。所以你們要去使萬民作我的門徒，……。（馬太福音28：18-19）
差傳的基礎是主耶穌的主權，而不是外邦人的需要。我們很容易視主耶穌為我們事奉神的助手，而主其實是門徒絕對、至高無上的主人。祂不是說，我們若不去，外邦人就失喪了。祂只是說：「所以你們要去，使萬民作我的門徒。 」依從我至高的權柄，去吧；因著在我裡面活生生的經歷，去教導並傳揚。
「十一個門徒往加利利去，到了耶穌約定的山上。（馬太福音28:16） 」我若要認識基督普世的主權，就必須親自認識祂，知道怎樣獨自與祂相處。我必須用時間去敬拜我所配戴的名，就是基督。 「到我這裡來。（馬太福音11：28） 」——那就是見主耶穌的地方。你勞苦擔重擔嗎？多少傳道人正是如此。主宣告祂對整個世界的主權，我們卻看為次要，但這是主對門徒親口說的話。
「所以你們要去…… 」「去」的意思是“活出來”。使徒行傳1：8「但聖靈降臨在你們身上，你們就必得著能力，並要在耶路撒冷，猶太全地，和撒瑪利亞，直到地極，作我的見證。”」是描寫怎樣去。耶穌沒有說去耶路撒冷、猶太、撒馬利亞；但祂說：「作我的見證。 」。至於「去」的地方，祂會負責安排。
「你們若常在我裡面，我的話也常在你們裡面，……（約翰福音15:7 ） 」這是保持我們個人生命活潑的途徑。神放我們在什麼地方都無關重要，因為祂自會安排。
「我卻不以性命為念，也不看為寶貴，只要行完我的路程，成就我從主耶穌所領受的職事，證明神恩惠的福音。(使徒行傳20：24) 」這就是我們工作的態度，直到死那一天。
September 30, 2012
The Assigning of the Call
I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church . . . —Colossians 1:24
We take our own spiritual consecration and try to make it into a call of God, but when we get right with Him He brushes all this aside. Then He gives us a tremendous, riveting pain to fasten our attention on something that we never even dreamed could be His call for us. And for one radiant, flashing moment we see His purpose, and we say, “Here am I! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8).
This call has nothing to do with personal sanctification, but with being made broken bread and poured-out wine. Yet God can never make us into wine if we object to the fingers He chooses to use to crush us. We say, “If God would only use His own fingers, and make me broken bread and poured-out wine in a special way, then I wouldn’t object!” But when He uses someone we dislike, or some set of circumstances to which we said we would never submit, to crush us, then we object. Yet we must never try to choose the place of our own martyrdom. If we are ever going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed—you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed.
I wonder what finger and thumb God has been using to squeeze you? Have you been as hard as a marble and escaped? If you are not ripe yet, and if God had squeezed you anyway, the wine produced would have been remarkably bitter. To be a holy person means that the elements of our natural life experience the very presence of God as they are providentially broken in His service. We have to be placed into God and brought into agreement with Him before we can be broken bread in His hands. Stay right with God and let Him do as He likes, and you will find that He is producing the kind of bread and wine that will benefit His other children.
呼召的使命
現在我為你們受苦，倒覺快樂，並且為基督的身體，就是為教會，要在我肉身上補滿基督患難的缺欠。 （西一24）
我們在自以為是的分別為聖上，自己製造出呼召來；但當我們與神的關係和諧無間，他就把一切挪開，把我們接駁到我們從未夢想過的東西。這過程痛苦得可怖，但就在金光閃耀得一瞬，卻看出神得心意。就說：[我在這裡，請差遣我。 ]
這呼召與個人成聖無關，乃是要我們成為破碎得餅，澆奠的酒。若拒絕神的擠壓，酒永遠不會成酒。但願神用自己的指頭，用特別的方法來是我成劈開的餅澆奠的酒就好了！但他往往用我們不喜歡的人，或用我們曾說死也不依順的環境來做壓器，於是，我們就抗拒了。我們千萬不可自己挑選殉道的場景。若要成酒，就必須被壓榨；葡萄是不能喝的，必須被擠壓才能成酒。我不知道神用什麼樣的指頭來擠壓，而你就像彈子一般滾避開去。若神在你尚未成熟時壓榨你，那酒就會苦澀得可怕。分別為聖的意思，就是天然生命的每一部分，被神破碎。在事奉中，有神自己的臨在。我們若要在他手中成為劈開的餅，就要先與他配合。要與神有正確的關係，讓他可以隨意而行。這樣你會發現，他要用你做出對其他兒女有益的餅和酒來。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，願你今天是我脫離慌張忙亂讓我保持平靜和單純屬你。願你使這個地方成為神的居所，以及人靈魂進入天堂的門檻。
We take our own spiritual consecration and try to make it into a call of God, but when we get right with Him He brushes all this aside. Then He gives us a tremendous, riveting pain to fasten our attention on something that we never even dreamed could be His call for us. And for one radiant, flashing moment we see His purpose, and we say, “Here am I! Send me” (Isaiah 6:8).
This call has nothing to do with personal sanctification, but with being made broken bread and poured-out wine. Yet God can never make us into wine if we object to the fingers He chooses to use to crush us. We say, “If God would only use His own fingers, and make me broken bread and poured-out wine in a special way, then I wouldn’t object!” But when He uses someone we dislike, or some set of circumstances to which we said we would never submit, to crush us, then we object. Yet we must never try to choose the place of our own martyrdom. If we are ever going to be made into wine, we will have to be crushed—you cannot drink grapes. Grapes become wine only when they have been squeezed.
I wonder what finger and thumb God has been using to squeeze you? Have you been as hard as a marble and escaped? If you are not ripe yet, and if God had squeezed you anyway, the wine produced would have been remarkably bitter. To be a holy person means that the elements of our natural life experience the very presence of God as they are providentially broken in His service. We have to be placed into God and brought into agreement with Him before we can be broken bread in His hands. Stay right with God and let Him do as He likes, and you will find that He is producing the kind of bread and wine that will benefit His other children.
呼召的使命
現在我為你們受苦，倒覺快樂，並且為基督的身體，就是為教會，要在我肉身上補滿基督患難的缺欠。 （西一24）
我們在自以為是的分別為聖上，自己製造出呼召來；但當我們與神的關係和諧無間，他就把一切挪開，把我們接駁到我們從未夢想過的東西。這過程痛苦得可怖，但就在金光閃耀得一瞬，卻看出神得心意。就說：[我在這裡，請差遣我。 ]
這呼召與個人成聖無關，乃是要我們成為破碎得餅，澆奠的酒。若拒絕神的擠壓，酒永遠不會成酒。但願神用自己的指頭，用特別的方法來是我成劈開的餅澆奠的酒就好了！但他往往用我們不喜歡的人，或用我們曾說死也不依順的環境來做壓器，於是，我們就抗拒了。我們千萬不可自己挑選殉道的場景。若要成酒，就必須被壓榨；葡萄是不能喝的，必須被擠壓才能成酒。我不知道神用什麼樣的指頭來擠壓，而你就像彈子一般滾避開去。若神在你尚未成熟時壓榨你，那酒就會苦澀得可怕。分別為聖的意思，就是天然生命的每一部分，被神破碎。在事奉中，有神自己的臨在。我們若要在他手中成為劈開的餅，就要先與他配合。要與神有正確的關係，讓他可以隨意而行。這樣你會發現，他要用你做出對其他兒女有益的餅和酒來。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，願你今天是我脫離慌張忙亂讓我保持平靜和單純屬你。願你使這個地方成為神的居所，以及人靈魂進入天堂的門檻。
September 29, 2012
The Awareness of the Call
. . . for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel! —1 Corinthians 9:16
We are inclined to forget the deeply spiritual and supernatural touch of God. If you are able to tell exactly where you were when you received the call of God and can explain all about it, I question whether you have truly been called. The call of God does not come like that; it is much more supernatural. The realization of the call in a person’s life may come like a clap of thunder or it may dawn gradually. But however quickly or slowly this awareness comes, it is always accompanied with an undercurrent of the supernatural—something that is inexpressible and produces a “glow.” At any moment the sudden awareness of this incalculable, supernatural, surprising call that has taken hold of your life may break through—”I chose you . . .” (John 15:16). The call of God has nothing to do with salvation and sanctification. You are not called to preach the gospel because you are sanctified; the call to preach the gospel is infinitely different. Paul describes it as a compulsion that was placed upon him.
If you have ignored, and thereby removed, the great supernatural call of God in your life, take a review of your circumstances. See where you have put your own ideas of service or your particular abilities ahead of the call of God. Paul said, “. . . woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” He had become aware of the call of God, and his compulsion to “preach the gospel” was so strong that nothing else was any longer even a competitor for his strength.
If a man or woman is called of God, it doesn’t matter how difficult the circumstances may be. God orchestrates every force at work for His purpose in the end. If you will agree with God’s purpose, He will bring not only your conscious level but also all the deeper levels of your life, which you yourself cannot reach, into perfect harmony.
對神呼召的體認
我是不得已的，若不傳福音，我就有禍了。 （林前九16）
我們很容易忘記神那神秘超然的觸摸。你若能清楚說明在那裡得到神怎麼樣的呼召，我就懷疑你是否真有神的呼召。神的呼召不是這樣來的，它比這更超然。一個人在一生中對這呼召的體認，可能是像霹靂雷想般驟至，也可以像黎明般逐漸破曉，但無論它怎樣來，總隨著超然的暗湧而來，不能以言辭來說明，而且總帶著火光。這無法測度、超然、叫人驚愕、抓住你整個生命的呼召，隨時都會突然臨到－－[我揀選了你。 ]神的呼召與扽就成聖沒有關係。不是因為你成聖了，所以召你去傳福音；傳福音的呼召與此全然不同。保羅形容這是一件不得已的必然任務。
若你阻擋了神在你生命中超然的呼召，試查察一下，看看你哪一方面沒有把神放在首位，只以自己事奉的見解，或性格的專長為首。保羅說：[若不傳福音，我就有禍了。 ]他既已體認神的呼召，就專為此努力，心無旁騖。
人被神呼召，不必管環境怎樣不利，萬事都要互相效力至終指向神的目標。你若順服神的計劃，他不但把你意識可及的生命，就是生命中你無法探測的深邃，都調協和諧起來。
祈禱◆願今天充滿了神的能力，聲音和平安。我何其渴望在一切事物中認知到你那寬大的心！願你保守我裡面那種被呼召的感覺，歷久彌新和充滿活力。
We are inclined to forget the deeply spiritual and supernatural touch of God. If you are able to tell exactly where you were when you received the call of God and can explain all about it, I question whether you have truly been called. The call of God does not come like that; it is much more supernatural. The realization of the call in a person’s life may come like a clap of thunder or it may dawn gradually. But however quickly or slowly this awareness comes, it is always accompanied with an undercurrent of the supernatural—something that is inexpressible and produces a “glow.” At any moment the sudden awareness of this incalculable, supernatural, surprising call that has taken hold of your life may break through—”I chose you . . .” (John 15:16). The call of God has nothing to do with salvation and sanctification. You are not called to preach the gospel because you are sanctified; the call to preach the gospel is infinitely different. Paul describes it as a compulsion that was placed upon him.
If you have ignored, and thereby removed, the great supernatural call of God in your life, take a review of your circumstances. See where you have put your own ideas of service or your particular abilities ahead of the call of God. Paul said, “. . . woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” He had become aware of the call of God, and his compulsion to “preach the gospel” was so strong that nothing else was any longer even a competitor for his strength.
If a man or woman is called of God, it doesn’t matter how difficult the circumstances may be. God orchestrates every force at work for His purpose in the end. If you will agree with God’s purpose, He will bring not only your conscious level but also all the deeper levels of your life, which you yourself cannot reach, into perfect harmony.
對神呼召的體認
我是不得已的，若不傳福音，我就有禍了。 （林前九16）
我們很容易忘記神那神秘超然的觸摸。你若能清楚說明在那裡得到神怎麼樣的呼召，我就懷疑你是否真有神的呼召。神的呼召不是這樣來的，它比這更超然。一個人在一生中對這呼召的體認，可能是像霹靂雷想般驟至，也可以像黎明般逐漸破曉，但無論它怎樣來，總隨著超然的暗湧而來，不能以言辭來說明，而且總帶著火光。這無法測度、超然、叫人驚愕、抓住你整個生命的呼召，隨時都會突然臨到－－[我揀選了你。 ]神的呼召與扽就成聖沒有關係。不是因為你成聖了，所以召你去傳福音；傳福音的呼召與此全然不同。保羅形容這是一件不得已的必然任務。
若你阻擋了神在你生命中超然的呼召，試查察一下，看看你哪一方面沒有把神放在首位，只以自己事奉的見解，或性格的專長為首。保羅說：[若不傳福音，我就有禍了。 ]他既已體認神的呼召，就專為此努力，心無旁騖。
人被神呼召，不必管環境怎樣不利，萬事都要互相效力至終指向神的目標。你若順服神的計劃，他不但把你意識可及的生命，就是生命中你無法探測的深邃，都調協和諧起來。
祈禱◆願今天充滿了神的能力，聲音和平安。我何其渴望在一切事物中認知到你那寬大的心！願你保守我裡面那種被呼召的感覺，歷久彌新和充滿活力。
September 28, 2012
The “Go” of Unconditional Identification
Jesus . . . said to him, ’One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor . . . and come, take up the cross, and follow Me’ —Mark 10:21
The rich young ruler had the controlling passion to be perfect. When he saw Jesus Christ, he wanted to be like Him. Our Lord never places anyone’s personal holiness above everything else when He calls a disciple. Jesus’ primary consideration is my absolute annihilation of my right to myself and my identification with Him, which means having a relationship with Him in which there are no other relationships. Luke 14:26 has nothing to do with salvation or sanctification, but deals solely with unconditional identification with Jesus Christ. Very few of us truly know what is meant by the absolute “go” of unconditional identification with, and abandonment and surrender to, Jesus.
“Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him . . .” (Mark 10:21). This look of Jesus will require breaking your heart away forever from allegiance to any other person or thing. Has Jesus ever looked in this way at you? This look of Jesus transforms, penetrates, and captivates. Where you are soft and pliable with God is where the Lord has looked at you. If you are hard and vindictive, insistent on having your own way, and always certain that the other person is more likely to be in the wrong than you are, then there are whole areas of your nature that have never been transformed by His gaze.
“One thing you lack . . . .” From Jesus Christ’s perspective, oneness with Him, with nothing between, is the only good thing.
“. . . sell whatever you have . . . .” I must humble myself until I am merely a living person. I must essentially renounce possessions of all kinds, not for salvation (for only one thing saves a person and that is absolute reliance in faith upon Jesus Christ), but to follow Jesus. “. . . come. . . and follow Me.” And the road is the way He went.
[去]的無條件認同
你還缺少一件，……你還要來跟從我。 （可十21）
那年輕富有的官有股追求完美的熱情，他一看見主耶穌，就像想他。主呼召門徒的時候，從不把個人的聖潔放在首位；他以自我主權的絕對降服，與他完全認同為先決條件－－這是一種不夾雜別的關係的關係。路加福音十四章26節與救恩成聖完全無關，這經文是論到與主無條件的認同。很少人真認識降服主的絕對一[去]不回。
[耶穌看著他就愛他。 ]被耶穌的目光觸及意味著永遠脫離其他任何人或物。他曾否看著你？主的目光改變人、抓住人。你向神特別柔順的時候，一定是曾經被主目光看過。你若剛硬堅持己意，自以為義，把過錯歸咎別人，就表示你天性中仍有大部分未經主目光的注視而改變。
[你還缺少一件……]在主看來，唯一[善美]之事，就是與他聯合，沒有別的事物在中間阻隔。變賣你所有的……]我必須放下自己，知道只剩下一個意識。我必須徹底捨棄一切，不是為靈魂得救（只有一件事可以救人－－就是絕對仰望耶穌基督），乃是為跟從耶穌。 [來跟從我。 ]這道路就是他當日所行的道路。
祈禱◆主啊，我完完全全地來到你面前。我感到自己全然地需要你，我只等候你向我說話，此外我還能向你說什麼呢？正如沙漠的沙粒靜臥在陽光之下，讓我也在你面前坦然躺下。
The rich young ruler had the controlling passion to be perfect. When he saw Jesus Christ, he wanted to be like Him. Our Lord never places anyone’s personal holiness above everything else when He calls a disciple. Jesus’ primary consideration is my absolute annihilation of my right to myself and my identification with Him, which means having a relationship with Him in which there are no other relationships. Luke 14:26 has nothing to do with salvation or sanctification, but deals solely with unconditional identification with Jesus Christ. Very few of us truly know what is meant by the absolute “go” of unconditional identification with, and abandonment and surrender to, Jesus.
“Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him . . .” (Mark 10:21). This look of Jesus will require breaking your heart away forever from allegiance to any other person or thing. Has Jesus ever looked in this way at you? This look of Jesus transforms, penetrates, and captivates. Where you are soft and pliable with God is where the Lord has looked at you. If you are hard and vindictive, insistent on having your own way, and always certain that the other person is more likely to be in the wrong than you are, then there are whole areas of your nature that have never been transformed by His gaze.
“One thing you lack . . . .” From Jesus Christ’s perspective, oneness with Him, with nothing between, is the only good thing.
“. . . sell whatever you have . . . .” I must humble myself until I am merely a living person. I must essentially renounce possessions of all kinds, not for salvation (for only one thing saves a person and that is absolute reliance in faith upon Jesus Christ), but to follow Jesus. “. . . come. . . and follow Me.” And the road is the way He went.
[去]的無條件認同
你還缺少一件，……你還要來跟從我。 （可十21）
那年輕富有的官有股追求完美的熱情，他一看見主耶穌，就像想他。主呼召門徒的時候，從不把個人的聖潔放在首位；他以自我主權的絕對降服，與他完全認同為先決條件－－這是一種不夾雜別的關係的關係。路加福音十四章26節與救恩成聖完全無關，這經文是論到與主無條件的認同。很少人真認識降服主的絕對一[去]不回。
[耶穌看著他就愛他。 ]被耶穌的目光觸及意味著永遠脫離其他任何人或物。他曾否看著你？主的目光改變人、抓住人。你向神特別柔順的時候，一定是曾經被主目光看過。你若剛硬堅持己意，自以為義，把過錯歸咎別人，就表示你天性中仍有大部分未經主目光的注視而改變。
[你還缺少一件……]在主看來，唯一[善美]之事，就是與他聯合，沒有別的事物在中間阻隔。變賣你所有的……]我必須放下自己，知道只剩下一個意識。我必須徹底捨棄一切，不是為靈魂得救（只有一件事可以救人－－就是絕對仰望耶穌基督），乃是為跟從耶穌。 [來跟從我。 ]這道路就是他當日所行的道路。
祈禱◆主啊，我完完全全地來到你面前。我感到自己全然地需要你，我只等候你向我說話，此外我還能向你說什麼呢？正如沙漠的沙粒靜臥在陽光之下，讓我也在你面前坦然躺下。
September 10, 2012
Missionary Weapons (1)
When you were under the fig tree, I saw you —John 1:48
Worshiping in Everyday Occasions. We presume that we would be ready for battle if confronted with a great crisis, but it is not the crisis that builds something within us— it simply reveals what we are made of already. Do you find yourself saying, “If God calls me to battle, of course I will rise to the occasion”? Yet you won’t rise to the occasion unless you have done so on God’s training ground. If you are not doing the task that is closest to you now, which God has engineered into your life, when the crisis comes, instead of being fit for battle, you will be revealed as being unfit. Crises always reveal a person’s true character.
A private relationship of worshiping God is the greatest essential element of spiritual fitness. The time will come, as Nathanael experienced in this passage, that a private “fig-tree” life will no longer be possible. Everything will be out in the open, and you will find yourself to be of no value there if you have not been worshiping in everyday occasions in your own home. If your worship is right in your private relationship with God, then when He sets you free, you will be ready. It is in the unseen life, which only God saw, that you have become perfectly fit. And when the strain of the crisis comes, you can be relied upon by God.
Are you saying, “But I can’t be expected to live a sanctified life in my present circumstances; I have no time for prayer or Bible study right now; besides, my opportunity for battle hasn’t come yet, but when it does, of course I will be ready”? No, you will not. If you have not been worshiping in everyday occasions, when you get involved in God’s work, you will not only be useless yourself but also a hindrance to those around you.
God’s training ground, where the missionary weapons are found, is the hidden, personal, worshiping life of the saint.
傳道者的彈藥
你在無花果樹底下，我就看見你了。 （約一48）
我們一位面臨重大關頭的時候，不然應付得來；可是，重大關頭只會揭露我們的本相，不會給我們加增什麼。 [要是神呼召我，我自會應付得來。 ]除非你能善處工廠的工作，在神面前有真材實料，否則，在重大關頭時，你必不能應付。倘若現在你連神在你身旁安排的事也不作，當重大關頭來到，你不但擔當不起，反而顯得不合用。重要關頭往往能把人的品性顯露出來。
在隱秘處敬拜神，是人合用與否的先決條件。時候到了，不會再有[無花果樹下]的生活，你要出到外頭，在日光之下工作。那時你會發現，除非在家中你一向敬拜神，否則就一無可取。所以要有正確的敬拜，這樣，當神釋放你，你才准備妥當；因為在除了神就沒有人看得見的生命裡，你已完全茁壯合用。考驗來到，神才可以倚重你。
[現今的環境不容我過成聖的生活，我現在沒有時間讀經祈禱，我的機會還未來到，若時機一到，我自然可以應付。 ]錯了。你若一向沒有經常趁機會敬拜，一旦進入工廠，你不但無用，更會成為同工極大的障礙。聖徒私下隱藏的敬拜生活，乃是傳道工廠的彈藥。
祈禱◆噢，主，我的神，幫助我敬拜你。為著你的恆久不變，我讚美你。感動我，噢，主啊，藉著你的能力更新我的靈，使它對你和你的真理更加渴慕與感激。
Worshiping in Everyday Occasions. We presume that we would be ready for battle if confronted with a great crisis, but it is not the crisis that builds something within us— it simply reveals what we are made of already. Do you find yourself saying, “If God calls me to battle, of course I will rise to the occasion”? Yet you won’t rise to the occasion unless you have done so on God’s training ground. If you are not doing the task that is closest to you now, which God has engineered into your life, when the crisis comes, instead of being fit for battle, you will be revealed as being unfit. Crises always reveal a person’s true character.
A private relationship of worshiping God is the greatest essential element of spiritual fitness. The time will come, as Nathanael experienced in this passage, that a private “fig-tree” life will no longer be possible. Everything will be out in the open, and you will find yourself to be of no value there if you have not been worshiping in everyday occasions in your own home. If your worship is right in your private relationship with God, then when He sets you free, you will be ready. It is in the unseen life, which only God saw, that you have become perfectly fit. And when the strain of the crisis comes, you can be relied upon by God.
Are you saying, “But I can’t be expected to live a sanctified life in my present circumstances; I have no time for prayer or Bible study right now; besides, my opportunity for battle hasn’t come yet, but when it does, of course I will be ready”? No, you will not. If you have not been worshiping in everyday occasions, when you get involved in God’s work, you will not only be useless yourself but also a hindrance to those around you.
God’s training ground, where the missionary weapons are found, is the hidden, personal, worshiping life of the saint.
傳道者的彈藥
你在無花果樹底下，我就看見你了。 （約一48）
我們一位面臨重大關頭的時候，不然應付得來；可是，重大關頭只會揭露我們的本相，不會給我們加增什麼。 [要是神呼召我，我自會應付得來。 ]除非你能善處工廠的工作，在神面前有真材實料，否則，在重大關頭時，你必不能應付。倘若現在你連神在你身旁安排的事也不作，當重大關頭來到，你不但擔當不起，反而顯得不合用。重要關頭往往能把人的品性顯露出來。
在隱秘處敬拜神，是人合用與否的先決條件。時候到了，不會再有[無花果樹下]的生活，你要出到外頭，在日光之下工作。那時你會發現，除非在家中你一向敬拜神，否則就一無可取。所以要有正確的敬拜，這樣，當神釋放你，你才准備妥當；因為在除了神就沒有人看得見的生命裡，你已完全茁壯合用。考驗來到，神才可以倚重你。
[現今的環境不容我過成聖的生活，我現在沒有時間讀經祈禱，我的機會還未來到，若時機一到，我自然可以應付。 ]錯了。你若一向沒有經常趁機會敬拜，一旦進入工廠，你不但無用，更會成為同工極大的障礙。聖徒私下隱藏的敬拜生活，乃是傳道工廠的彈藥。
祈禱◆噢，主，我的神，幫助我敬拜你。為著你的恆久不變，我讚美你。感動我，噢，主啊，藉著你的能力更新我的靈，使它對你和你的真理更加渴慕與感激。
September 04, 2012
His!
They were Yours, You gave them to Me . . . —John 17:6
A missionary is someone in whom the Holy Spirit has brought about this realization: “You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19). To say, “I am not my own,” is to have reached a high point in my spiritual stature. The true nature of that life in actual everyday confusion is evidenced by the deliberate giving up of myself to another Person through a sovereign decision, and that Person is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit interprets and explains the nature of Jesus to me to make me one with my Lord, not that I might simply become a trophy for His showcase. Our Lord never sent any of His disciples out on the basis of what He had done for them. It was not until after the resurrection, when the disciples had perceived through the power of the Holy Spirit who Jesus really was, that He said, “Go” (Matthew 28:19; also see Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8).
“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, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). He was not saying that this person cannot be good and upright, but that he cannot be someone over whom Jesus can write the word Mine. Any one of the relationships our Lord mentions in this verse can compete with our relationship with Him. I may prefer to belong to my mother, or to my wife, or to myself, but if that is the case, then, Jesus said, “[You] cannot be My disciple.” This does not mean that I will not be saved, but it does mean that I cannot be entirely His.
Our Lord makes His disciple His very own possession, becoming responsible for him. “. . . you shall be witnesses to Me . . .” (Acts 1:8). The desire that comes into a disciple is not one of doing anything for Jesus, but of being a perfect delight to Him. The missionary’s secret is truly being able to say, “I am His, and He is accomplishing His work and His purposes through me.”
Be entirely His!
我們要完全屬祂！
他們本是你的，你將他們賜給我。 （約十七6）
傳道者就是得到聖靈啟迪，知道[你不是自己]的人。能夠說[我不屬於自己]，就是靈命達到了一個高峰。生命的真正本質，是故意把主權放棄，一心尊尚另一位為主，這另一位就是耶穌基督。聖靈把耶穌的本性向我解明，是要叫我與主合一，而不是要我成為可誇耀的展覽品。主從不單憑他為門徒所作的事，而差派他們出去，直到他復活了，因聖靈的能力，門徒認識耶穌是誰，然後他才說：[去。 ][人到我這裡來，若不恨……不能作我的門徒。 ]他不是說他不能做個正直良善的人，而是不能稱為[我的]。每一個主所說的關係，都可以是與主爭競的。我若選擇屬於母親，或妻子，或自己，這樣耶穌會說：[你不能作我的門徒。 ]這不是說我並不得救，而是我不能成為[他的]。主視門徒為他的產業，他為耶穌做什麼，乃是要成為他所喜悅的。作傳道人的秘訣是－－我屬他，透過我成就他的大工。我們要完全屬他。
祈禱◆主啊，願你今天臨到我，帶領我進入你神性計劃的一切美善中；感動我的心，讓我能明白你的道路，並在其中歡喜快樂。
A missionary is someone in whom the Holy Spirit has brought about this realization: “You are not your own” (1 Corinthians 6:19). To say, “I am not my own,” is to have reached a high point in my spiritual stature. The true nature of that life in actual everyday confusion is evidenced by the deliberate giving up of myself to another Person through a sovereign decision, and that Person is Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit interprets and explains the nature of Jesus to me to make me one with my Lord, not that I might simply become a trophy for His showcase. Our Lord never sent any of His disciples out on the basis of what He had done for them. It was not until after the resurrection, when the disciples had perceived through the power of the Holy Spirit who Jesus really was, that He said, “Go” (Matthew 28:19; also see Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8).
“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, he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). He was not saying that this person cannot be good and upright, but that he cannot be someone over whom Jesus can write the word Mine. Any one of the relationships our Lord mentions in this verse can compete with our relationship with Him. I may prefer to belong to my mother, or to my wife, or to myself, but if that is the case, then, Jesus said, “[You] cannot be My disciple.” This does not mean that I will not be saved, but it does mean that I cannot be entirely His.
Our Lord makes His disciple His very own possession, becoming responsible for him. “. . . you shall be witnesses to Me . . .” (Acts 1:8). The desire that comes into a disciple is not one of doing anything for Jesus, but of being a perfect delight to Him. The missionary’s secret is truly being able to say, “I am His, and He is accomplishing His work and His purposes through me.”
Be entirely His!
我們要完全屬祂！
他們本是你的，你將他們賜給我。 （約十七6）
傳道者就是得到聖靈啟迪，知道[你不是自己]的人。能夠說[我不屬於自己]，就是靈命達到了一個高峰。生命的真正本質，是故意把主權放棄，一心尊尚另一位為主，這另一位就是耶穌基督。聖靈把耶穌的本性向我解明，是要叫我與主合一，而不是要我成為可誇耀的展覽品。主從不單憑他為門徒所作的事，而差派他們出去，直到他復活了，因聖靈的能力，門徒認識耶穌是誰，然後他才說：[去。 ][人到我這裡來，若不恨……不能作我的門徒。 ]他不是說他不能做個正直良善的人，而是不能稱為[我的]。每一個主所說的關係，都可以是與主爭競的。我若選擇屬於母親，或妻子，或自己，這樣耶穌會說：[你不能作我的門徒。 ]這不是說我並不得救，而是我不能成為[他的]。主視門徒為他的產業，他為耶穌做什麼，乃是要成為他所喜悅的。作傳道人的秘訣是－－我屬他，透過我成就他的大工。我們要完全屬他。
祈禱◆主啊，願你今天臨到我，帶領我進入你神性計劃的一切美善中；感動我的心，讓我能明白你的道路，並在其中歡喜快樂。
September 03, 2012
Pouring Out the Water of Satisfaction
He would not drink it, but poured it out to the Lord —2 Samuel 23:16
What has been like “water from the well of Bethlehem” to you recently— love, friendship, or maybe some spiritual blessing (2 Samuel 23:16)? Have you taken whatever it may be, even at the risk of damaging your own soul, simply to satisfy yourself? If you have, then you cannot pour it out “to the Lord.” You can never set apart for God something that you desire for yourself to achieve your own satisfaction. If you try to satisfy yourself with a blessing from God, it will corrupt you. You must sacrifice it, pouring it out to God— something that your common sense says is an absurd waste.
How can I pour out “to the Lord” natural love and spiritual blessings? There is only one way— I must make a determination in my mind to do so. There are certain things other people do that could never be received by someone who does not know God, because it is humanly impossible to repay them. As soon as I realize that something is too wonderful for me, that I am not worthy to receive it, and that it is not meant for a human being at all, I must pour it out “to the Lord.” Then these very things that have come to me will be poured out as “rivers of living water” all around me (John 7:38). And until I pour these things out to God, they actually endanger those I love, as well as myself, because they will be turned into lust. Yes, we can be lustful in things that are not sordid and vile. Even love must be transformed by being poured out “to the Lord.”
If you have become bitter and sour, it is because when God gave you a blessing you hoarded it. Yet if you had poured it out to Him, you would have been the sweetest person on earth. If you are always keeping blessings to yourself and never learning to pour out anything “to the Lord,” other people will never have their vision of God expanded through you.
把滿足的水澆奠
……他卻不肯喝，將水奠在耶和華面前……(撒下二十三16)
對你來說，什麼東西像是從伯利恆井裡打來的水？是愛？朋友？還是屬靈的祝福？你若只顧滿足自己，就必危害自己的靈命。這樣，就無法把它傾在主面前。凡是拿來滿足自己的東西，必無法分別為聖歸神。你若拿神的賜福來滿足自己，就必致敗壞。你必須把它獻上，完全傾倒。
我怎樣把天然的愛或屬靈的祝福傾倒給主呢？只有一個方法，就是立定心志。一個不認識神的人，永沒法接受別人所作的某些事，因為這些事並非人力所能報償的。要是我說：[這太偉大了，我不配受，根本不是血肉之軀的人可以接受的，我必須把它傾出來給主。 ]就在這一刻，這些東西就傾在湧流四方的活泉里。我若不這樣傾倒，就會危害自己和所愛的人，因為它會變成情慾。在並不污穢卑劣的事情上，也可以產生貪戀的情慾。愛必須為主完全傾倒，才能達到主變象的境界。
若為自己緊緊抓住神的賜福，你就會愈來愈苦澀煩躁；相反地，你若早把它澆奠在主前，就早已成為從天而降最愉快的人。你若只會一味接受賜福，而從不學習為主傾倒，別人的眼界就永不會因你得著擴闊。
祈禱◆主啊，這個早上，我懷著一份靈性失敗的感覺，來到你面前。藉著你的恩典來潔淨我，讓我重回基督耶穌在天上的地方。
What has been like “water from the well of Bethlehem” to you recently— love, friendship, or maybe some spiritual blessing (2 Samuel 23:16)? Have you taken whatever it may be, even at the risk of damaging your own soul, simply to satisfy yourself? If you have, then you cannot pour it out “to the Lord.” You can never set apart for God something that you desire for yourself to achieve your own satisfaction. If you try to satisfy yourself with a blessing from God, it will corrupt you. You must sacrifice it, pouring it out to God— something that your common sense says is an absurd waste.
How can I pour out “to the Lord” natural love and spiritual blessings? There is only one way— I must make a determination in my mind to do so. There are certain things other people do that could never be received by someone who does not know God, because it is humanly impossible to repay them. As soon as I realize that something is too wonderful for me, that I am not worthy to receive it, and that it is not meant for a human being at all, I must pour it out “to the Lord.” Then these very things that have come to me will be poured out as “rivers of living water” all around me (John 7:38). And until I pour these things out to God, they actually endanger those I love, as well as myself, because they will be turned into lust. Yes, we can be lustful in things that are not sordid and vile. Even love must be transformed by being poured out “to the Lord.”
If you have become bitter and sour, it is because when God gave you a blessing you hoarded it. Yet if you had poured it out to Him, you would have been the sweetest person on earth. If you are always keeping blessings to yourself and never learning to pour out anything “to the Lord,” other people will never have their vision of God expanded through you.
把滿足的水澆奠
……他卻不肯喝，將水奠在耶和華面前……(撒下二十三16)
對你來說，什麼東西像是從伯利恆井裡打來的水？是愛？朋友？還是屬靈的祝福？你若只顧滿足自己，就必危害自己的靈命。這樣，就無法把它傾在主面前。凡是拿來滿足自己的東西，必無法分別為聖歸神。你若拿神的賜福來滿足自己，就必致敗壞。你必須把它獻上，完全傾倒。
我怎樣把天然的愛或屬靈的祝福傾倒給主呢？只有一個方法，就是立定心志。一個不認識神的人，永沒法接受別人所作的某些事，因為這些事並非人力所能報償的。要是我說：[這太偉大了，我不配受，根本不是血肉之軀的人可以接受的，我必須把它傾出來給主。 ]就在這一刻，這些東西就傾在湧流四方的活泉里。我若不這樣傾倒，就會危害自己和所愛的人，因為它會變成情慾。在並不污穢卑劣的事情上，也可以產生貪戀的情慾。愛必須為主完全傾倒，才能達到主變象的境界。
若為自己緊緊抓住神的賜福，你就會愈來愈苦澀煩躁；相反地，你若早把它澆奠在主前，就早已成為從天而降最愉快的人。你若只會一味接受賜福，而從不學習為主傾倒，別人的眼界就永不會因你得著擴闊。
祈禱◆主啊，這個早上，我懷著一份靈性失敗的感覺，來到你面前。藉著你的恩典來潔淨我，讓我重回基督耶穌在天上的地方。
August 17, 2012
Are You Discouraged or Devoted?
. . . Jesus . . . said to him, ’You still lack one thing. Sell all that you have . . . and come, follow Me.’ But when he heard this, he became very sorrowful, for he was very rich —Luke 18:22-23
Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven’t, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all. Jesus says a tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once we do hear Him, His words are harsh and unyielding.
Jesus did not show the least concern that this rich young ruler should do what He told him, nor did Jesus make any attempt to keep this man with Him. He simply said to him, “Sell all that you have . . . and come, follow Me.” Our Lord never pleaded with him; He never tried to lure him— He simply spoke the strictest words that human ears have ever heard, and then left him alone.
Have I ever heard Jesus say something difficult and unyielding to me? Has He said something personally to me to which I have deliberately listened— not something I can explain for the sake of others, but something I have heard Him say directly to me? This man understood what Jesus said. He heard it clearly, realizing the full impact of its meaning, and it broke his heart. He did not go away as a defiant person, but as one who was sorrowful and discouraged. He had come to Jesus on fire with zeal and determination, but the words of Jesus simply froze him. Instead of producing enthusiastic devotion to Jesus, they produced heartbreaking discouragement. And Jesus did not go after him, but let him go. Our Lord knows perfectly well that once His word is truly heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later. What is so terrible is that some of us prevent His words from bearing fruit in our present life. I wonder what we will say when we finally make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point? One thing is certain— He will never throw our past failures back in our faces.
你在奉獻上灰心嗎？
你還缺少一件，要變賣你一切所有的……你還要來跟從我。 （路十八22）
[他聽見這話……]你聽過主說嚴厲的話麼？若沒有，可能你從未聽見他的話。我們聽了主說許多話，卻沒有聽見。若是真聽見，他的話會顯得出奇的嚴厲。耶穌似乎並不在乎這人是否照他的話去行。他也沒有設法去挽留他。他只說：[變賣你所有的，來跟從我。 ]我們的主從不乞求、不勸誘，也不籠絡。他只用人從未聽過的嚴厲話，然後就順其自然。
我聽過主說嚴厲的話麼？他直接對我說話時，我是否立意恭聽？我是否直截地聽他向我說話，而不是隨意解說？這個人確實明白耶穌的話，他聽見了，又衡量過，然而這些話叫他心碎。他不是侮慢地離開，乃是憂愁地離開，時頹喪極了。他著滿腔熱誠來見耶穌，耶穌的話卻給他一盆冷水。他的話沒有帶來忠誠的奉獻，相反地卻叫人心碎地灰心失意。耶穌沒有去追他，是任他離去。主知道他的話一發出，人聽見了，總有一天會結出果子。可怕的事實卻是我們當中好些人，不讓主的話在實際生活上結果。一旦我們決志忠於主，我不知道我們會說些什麼。但有一點可以肯定，他絕不會苛責我們。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著這些日子以來，你賜給我們的身心健康，我感謝你。噢，主啊，求你繼續賜予我們。我們脫離一切虛假的情緒、感傷和悲哀。願你今天以活力和喜樂來賜福我們各人。
Have you ever heard the Master say something very difficult to you? If you haven’t, I question whether you have ever heard Him say anything at all. Jesus says a tremendous amount to us that we listen to, but do not actually hear. And once we do hear Him, His words are harsh and unyielding.
Jesus did not show the least concern that this rich young ruler should do what He told him, nor did Jesus make any attempt to keep this man with Him. He simply said to him, “Sell all that you have . . . and come, follow Me.” Our Lord never pleaded with him; He never tried to lure him— He simply spoke the strictest words that human ears have ever heard, and then left him alone.
Have I ever heard Jesus say something difficult and unyielding to me? Has He said something personally to me to which I have deliberately listened— not something I can explain for the sake of others, but something I have heard Him say directly to me? This man understood what Jesus said. He heard it clearly, realizing the full impact of its meaning, and it broke his heart. He did not go away as a defiant person, but as one who was sorrowful and discouraged. He had come to Jesus on fire with zeal and determination, but the words of Jesus simply froze him. Instead of producing enthusiastic devotion to Jesus, they produced heartbreaking discouragement. And Jesus did not go after him, but let him go. Our Lord knows perfectly well that once His word is truly heard, it will bear fruit sooner or later. What is so terrible is that some of us prevent His words from bearing fruit in our present life. I wonder what we will say when we finally make up our minds to be devoted to Him on that particular point? One thing is certain— He will never throw our past failures back in our faces.
你在奉獻上灰心嗎？
你還缺少一件，要變賣你一切所有的……你還要來跟從我。 （路十八22）
[他聽見這話……]你聽過主說嚴厲的話麼？若沒有，可能你從未聽見他的話。我們聽了主說許多話，卻沒有聽見。若是真聽見，他的話會顯得出奇的嚴厲。耶穌似乎並不在乎這人是否照他的話去行。他也沒有設法去挽留他。他只說：[變賣你所有的，來跟從我。 ]我們的主從不乞求、不勸誘，也不籠絡。他只用人從未聽過的嚴厲話，然後就順其自然。
我聽過主說嚴厲的話麼？他直接對我說話時，我是否立意恭聽？我是否直截地聽他向我說話，而不是隨意解說？這個人確實明白耶穌的話，他聽見了，又衡量過，然而這些話叫他心碎。他不是侮慢地離開，乃是憂愁地離開，時頹喪極了。他著滿腔熱誠來見耶穌，耶穌的話卻給他一盆冷水。他的話沒有帶來忠誠的奉獻，相反地卻叫人心碎地灰心失意。耶穌沒有去追他，是任他離去。主知道他的話一發出，人聽見了，總有一天會結出果子。可怕的事實卻是我們當中好些人，不讓主的話在實際生活上結果。一旦我們決志忠於主，我不知道我們會說些什麼。但有一點可以肯定，他絕不會苛責我們。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，為著這些日子以來，你賜給我們的身心健康，我感謝你。噢，主啊，求你繼續賜予我們。我們脫離一切虛假的情緒、感傷和悲哀。願你今天以活力和喜樂來賜福我們各人。
July 17, 2012
The Miracle of Belief
My speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom . . . —1 Corinthians 2:4
Paul was a scholar and an orator of the highest degree; he was not speaking here out of a deep sense of humility, but was saying that when he preached the gospel, he would veil the power of God if he impressed people with the excellency of his speech. Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the effectiveness of redemption, not by impressive speech, nor by wooing and persuading, but only by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of redemption comes through the preaching of the gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher.
Real and effective fasting by a preacher is not fasting from food, but fasting from eloquence, from impressive diction, and from everything else that might hinder the gospel of God being presented. The preacher is there as the representative of God— “. . . as though God were pleading through us . . .” (2 Corinthians 5:20). He is there to present the gospel of God. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get close to Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the gospel will result in making me a traitor to Jesus, and I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work.
“And I, if I am lifted up. . . , will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).
信的神跡
我說的話講的道，不是用智慧委婉的言語。 （林前二1－5）
保羅是第一流的學者和演說家；他說這話並非出於下乘的謙遜，乃是說如果他傳福音時，若用漂亮的言詞去吸引人，就掩蓋了神的能力。信耶穌時一項神跡，惟救恩的功效，不是靠話語的魔力、諂媚、說服，而是單憑神的大能。救贖的創造大能，是由傳福音，而不是傳道者的人格帶出來。傳道者真正的禁食，不是食物的禁食，而是在辭鋒、出奇吸引的字眼，及一切阻攔神福音傳送的東西上禁食。傳道者是神的代表——[就好像神藉我們勸你們一般。 ]他要傳的是神的福音。若人單因為我的講道，而發奮向上，他們就永遠無法接近主耶穌。我傳福音若有任何高舉自己，就必使我成了主耶穌的叛徒，因為我攔阻了他救贖的創造大能作工。 [我若從地上被舉起來，就要吸引萬人來歸向我。 ]
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我何等需要你！我來到你面前，求你恩慈地將更新的生命賜給我，直至我的理解力、想像力和說話都全屬於你。今天我所尋求的，是你的感動和振奮的恩典。
Paul was a scholar and an orator of the highest degree; he was not speaking here out of a deep sense of humility, but was saying that when he preached the gospel, he would veil the power of God if he impressed people with the excellency of his speech. Belief in Jesus is a miracle produced only by the effectiveness of redemption, not by impressive speech, nor by wooing and persuading, but only by the sheer unaided power of God. The creative power of redemption comes through the preaching of the gospel, but never because of the personality of the preacher.
Real and effective fasting by a preacher is not fasting from food, but fasting from eloquence, from impressive diction, and from everything else that might hinder the gospel of God being presented. The preacher is there as the representative of God— “. . . as though God were pleading through us . . .” (2 Corinthians 5:20). He is there to present the gospel of God. If it is only because of my preaching that people desire to be better, they will never get close to Jesus Christ. Anything that flatters me in my preaching of the gospel will result in making me a traitor to Jesus, and I prevent the creative power of His redemption from doing its work.
“And I, if I am lifted up. . . , will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32).
信的神跡
我說的話講的道，不是用智慧委婉的言語。 （林前二1－5）
保羅是第一流的學者和演說家；他說這話並非出於下乘的謙遜，乃是說如果他傳福音時，若用漂亮的言詞去吸引人，就掩蓋了神的能力。信耶穌時一項神跡，惟救恩的功效，不是靠話語的魔力、諂媚、說服，而是單憑神的大能。救贖的創造大能，是由傳福音，而不是傳道者的人格帶出來。傳道者真正的禁食，不是食物的禁食，而是在辭鋒、出奇吸引的字眼，及一切阻攔神福音傳送的東西上禁食。傳道者是神的代表——[就好像神藉我們勸你們一般。 ]他要傳的是神的福音。若人單因為我的講道，而發奮向上，他們就永遠無法接近主耶穌。我傳福音若有任何高舉自己，就必使我成了主耶穌的叛徒，因為我攔阻了他救贖的創造大能作工。 [我若從地上被舉起來，就要吸引萬人來歸向我。 ]
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我何等需要你！我來到你面前，求你恩慈地將更新的生命賜給我，直至我的理解力、想像力和說話都全屬於你。今天我所尋求的，是你的感動和振奮的恩典。
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)