. . . do you love Me? . . . Tend My sheep —John 21:16
Jesus did not say to make converts to your way of thinking, but He said to look after His sheep, to see that they get nourished in the knowledge of Him. We consider what we do in the way of Christian work as service, yet Jesus Christ calls service to be what we are to Him, not what we do for Him. Discipleship is based solely on devotion to Jesus Christ, not on following after a particular belief or doctrine. “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate . . . , he cannot be My disciple” (Luke 14:26). In this verse, there is no argument and no pressure from Jesus to follow Him; He is simply saying, in effect, “If you want to be My disciple, you must be devoted solely to Me.” A person touched by the Spirit of God suddenly says, “Now I see who Jesus is!”— that is the source of devotion.
Today we have substituted doctrinal belief for personal belief, and that is why so many people are devoted to causes and so few are devoted to Jesus Christ. People do not really want to be devoted to Jesus, but only to the cause He started. Jesus Christ is deeply offensive to the educated minds of today, to those who only want Him to be their Friend, and who are unwilling to accept Him in any other way. Our Lord’s primary obedience was to the will of His Father, not to the needs of people— the saving of people was the natural outcome of His obedience to the Father. If I am devoted solely to the cause of humanity, I will soon be exhausted and come to the point where my love will waver and stumble. But if I love Jesus Christ personally and passionately, I can serve humanity, even though people may treat me like a “doormat.” The secret of a disciple’s life is devotion to Jesus Christ, and the characteristic of that life is its seeming insignificance and its meekness. Yet it is like a grain of wheat that “falls into the ground and dies”— it will spring up and change the entire landscape (John 12:24).
熱誠的事奉
你愛我麼？ ……你牧羊我的羊。 （約二十一16）
耶穌並沒有叫人追隨祂的思想，而是要你看顧祂的羊，使他們因認識祂而得著滋養。我們把事奉的工作，視作事奉主；但耶穌基督卻視我們與祂的關係為事奉，而不是我們為祂所做的工作。做門徒，是基於對耶穌基督的忠誠，而不是由於服贗一套信徒規條。 [人到我這裡來，若不愛我勝過……，就不能作我的門徒。 ]沒有爭議，也沒有強逼，只直截了當地－－[你若做我的門徒，必須專心歸我]。一個人被聖靈摸著了，就說：[我如今認識了耶穌是誰。 ]這就是專心歸依的根源。
時至今日，我們已把信條代替了個人的信仰，所以致力於事工的人多，而一心歸服耶穌基督的人卻少。人不要歸服耶穌，只想致力於他所創立的事工。他們只認耶穌為同志。主首先順服的，是祂父的旨意，而不是人群的需要。他之所以救人，是順服父神的必然結果。我若只致力於人群的事工，不久就會精疲力竭，落到愛心冷淡的地步；但若我愛耶穌基督，就是認把我當作地席，我仍要服侍他們。門徒生活的秘訣就是全心歸依基督。那生命的特徵是隱藏不露，就如一粒麥子落在地裡死了，不久就萌芽生長，改變整個田園的景象（約十二24）。
祈禱◆願祢感動我的靈，使他被祢所充滿，直至湧溢。願祢透過我的意念思想，直至我形成[在基督耶穌裡的心懷意念]。
June 19, 2012
June 18, 2012
Keep Recognizing Jesus
. . . Peter . . . walked on the water to go to Jesus. But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, he was afraid . . . —Matthew 14:29-30
The wind really was boisterous and the waves really were high, but Peter didn’t see them at first. He didn’t consider them at all; he simply recognized his Lord, stepped out in recognition of Him, and “walked on the water.” Then he began to take those things around him into account, and instantly, down he went. Why couldn’t our Lord have enabled him to walk at the bottom of the waves, as well as on top of them? He could have, yet neither could be done without Peter’s continuing recognition of the Lord Jesus.
We step right out with recognition of God in some things, then self-consideration enters our lives and down we go. If you are truly recognizing your Lord, you have no business being concerned about how and where He engineers your circumstances. The things surrounding you are real, but when you look at them you are immediately overwhelmed, and even unable to recognize Jesus. Then comes His rebuke, “. . . why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). Let your actual circumstances be what they may, but keep recognizing Jesus, maintaining complete reliance upon Him.
If you debate for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you. Never start to say, “Well, I wonder if He really did speak to me?” Be reckless immediately— totally unrestrained and willing to risk everything— by casting your all upon Him. You do not know when His voice will come to you, but whenever the realization of God comes, even in the faintest way imaginable, be determined to recklessly abandon yourself, surrendering everything to Him. It is only through abandonment of yourself and your circumstances that you will recognize Him. You will only recognize His voice more clearly through recklessness— being willing to risk your all.
不必籌算了，上路吧！
彼得就……在水面上走，要到耶穌那裡去。只因見風甚大，就害怕。 （太十四29-30）
風雖然大，浪雖然高，但彼得卻視若無睹。他並不怕波濤洶湧，因為他一心一意只知道主，而且因主在水面上走。過後，他發現到現實的環境，隨即就下沉了。何以主不使他在水底行走，像在水面上一樣呢？若不認識是主耶穌，兩者都不能行。
在某些事上，我們會毅然信靠神，稍後就姑息自己，便往下沉了。所以只要認清是主，就不必問他怎樣處理環境。現實本來就是如此，你一旦注目其上，就被它支配，看不見耶穌了。神就會責備你說：[為什麼疑惑呢？ ]不管現實環境怎樣，總要認識耶穌，保持對他完全的信賴。
神的話一發出，只要你有一刻的遲疑，就完了。切勿說：[唔，他到底有沒有說過呢？ ]這時要立即孤注一擲，把一切投在他身上。你不知道他什麼時候說話，但只要稍微認識他，就該不顧一切地投上。只有捨棄一切，你才會認出他來。只有當你不顧一切時，才更清楚認出他的聲音。
祈禱◆主啊，求你在這天，讓那使我們在你的事奉中軟弱下來的自我意識永遠消失，使我們所認知的，就只有耶穌。
The wind really was boisterous and the waves really were high, but Peter didn’t see them at first. He didn’t consider them at all; he simply recognized his Lord, stepped out in recognition of Him, and “walked on the water.” Then he began to take those things around him into account, and instantly, down he went. Why couldn’t our Lord have enabled him to walk at the bottom of the waves, as well as on top of them? He could have, yet neither could be done without Peter’s continuing recognition of the Lord Jesus.
We step right out with recognition of God in some things, then self-consideration enters our lives and down we go. If you are truly recognizing your Lord, you have no business being concerned about how and where He engineers your circumstances. The things surrounding you are real, but when you look at them you are immediately overwhelmed, and even unable to recognize Jesus. Then comes His rebuke, “. . . why did you doubt?” (Matthew 14:31). Let your actual circumstances be what they may, but keep recognizing Jesus, maintaining complete reliance upon Him.
If you debate for even one second when God has spoken, it is all over for you. Never start to say, “Well, I wonder if He really did speak to me?” Be reckless immediately— totally unrestrained and willing to risk everything— by casting your all upon Him. You do not know when His voice will come to you, but whenever the realization of God comes, even in the faintest way imaginable, be determined to recklessly abandon yourself, surrendering everything to Him. It is only through abandonment of yourself and your circumstances that you will recognize Him. You will only recognize His voice more clearly through recklessness— being willing to risk your all.
不必籌算了，上路吧！
彼得就……在水面上走，要到耶穌那裡去。只因見風甚大，就害怕。 （太十四29-30）
風雖然大，浪雖然高，但彼得卻視若無睹。他並不怕波濤洶湧，因為他一心一意只知道主，而且因主在水面上走。過後，他發現到現實的環境，隨即就下沉了。何以主不使他在水底行走，像在水面上一樣呢？若不認識是主耶穌，兩者都不能行。
在某些事上，我們會毅然信靠神，稍後就姑息自己，便往下沉了。所以只要認清是主，就不必問他怎樣處理環境。現實本來就是如此，你一旦注目其上，就被它支配，看不見耶穌了。神就會責備你說：[為什麼疑惑呢？ ]不管現實環境怎樣，總要認識耶穌，保持對他完全的信賴。
神的話一發出，只要你有一刻的遲疑，就完了。切勿說：[唔，他到底有沒有說過呢？ ]這時要立即孤注一擲，把一切投在他身上。你不知道他什麼時候說話，但只要稍微認識他，就該不顧一切地投上。只有捨棄一切，你才會認出他來。只有當你不顧一切時，才更清楚認出他的聲音。
祈禱◆主啊，求你在這天，讓那使我們在你的事奉中軟弱下來的自我意識永遠消失，使我們所認知的，就只有耶穌。
June 17, 2012
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, 2012
“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。
June 15, 2012
Get Moving! (2)
Also . . . add to your faith . . . —2 Peter 1:5
In the matter of drudgery. Peter said in this passage that we have become “partakers of the divine nature” and that we should now be “giving all diligence,” concentrating on forming godly habits (2 Peter 1:4-5). We are to “add” to our lives all that character means. No one is born either naturally or supernaturally with character; it must be developed. Nor are we born with habits— we have to form godly habits on the basis of the new life God has placed within us. We are not meant to be seen as God’s perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace. Drudgery is the test of genuine character. The greatest hindrance in our spiritual life is that we will only look for big things to do. Yet, “Jesus . . . took a towel and . . . began to wash the disciples’ feet . . .” (John 13:3-5).
We all have those times when there are no flashes of light and no apparent thrill to life, where we experience nothing but the daily routine with its common everyday tasks. The routine of life is actually God’s way of saving us between our times of great inspiration which come from Him. Don’t always expect God to give you His thrilling moments, but learn to live in those common times of the drudgery of life by the power of God.
It is difficult for us to do the “adding” that Peter mentioned here. We say we do not expect God to take us to heaven on flowery beds of ease, and yet we act as if we do! I must realize that my obedience even in the smallest detail of life has all of the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it. If I will do my duty, not for duty’s sake but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience all of the magnificent grace of God is mine through the glorious atonement by the Cross of Christ.
趕快行動！
有了……加上……（彼後一5）
彼得說（4節），你們既承受了屬天的性情，如今就要專心一致，竭力養成良好的習慣。 [加上]的意義，是就品格方面而言。不論是天然的或超然的，人的品格絕不是與生俱來的，他必須加以後天的培養。習慣也不是與生俱來的，我們要根據神所賜的新生命，去養成習慣。神的意思不是要我們做閃閃發光的標本，而是要我們在日常平凡的生活中，表現出他恩惠的奇妙。一般的俗務乃是人格的試金石；屬靈生命的大障礙就是要做大事。 [耶穌……拿一條毛巾……洗門徒的腳。 ]
有時生活缺乏亮光，便沒有什麼值得興奮的，只是日復一日，從事平凡的作業。神卻用例行的事務，給我們啟示。別期望神天天給你興奮的時刻，要學習靠著神的能力，活在常務中。 [加上]是難的，我們常說不指望神用舒適的花轎將我們抬進天堂，但我們的行事為人，卻往往與此相反。我所順服的不論是多微小的事，都有神恩典的大能在背後。我之所以盡本分，不是因為職責所在，乃是因我信神安排的一切；這樣，我一順服，神超然的恩惠就透過救贖臨到我身上。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我的靈經歷你的新恩，然而我在你大能的恩典中成長是何等緩慢！求你速速臨到我身上，使我今天的體驗，如自然界一般延展至壯闊的地平線。
In the matter of drudgery. Peter said in this passage that we have become “partakers of the divine nature” and that we should now be “giving all diligence,” concentrating on forming godly habits (2 Peter 1:4-5). We are to “add” to our lives all that character means. No one is born either naturally or supernaturally with character; it must be developed. Nor are we born with habits— we have to form godly habits on the basis of the new life God has placed within us. We are not meant to be seen as God’s perfect, bright-shining examples, but to be seen as the everyday essence of ordinary life exhibiting the miracle of His grace. Drudgery is the test of genuine character. The greatest hindrance in our spiritual life is that we will only look for big things to do. Yet, “Jesus . . . took a towel and . . . began to wash the disciples’ feet . . .” (John 13:3-5).
We all have those times when there are no flashes of light and no apparent thrill to life, where we experience nothing but the daily routine with its common everyday tasks. The routine of life is actually God’s way of saving us between our times of great inspiration which come from Him. Don’t always expect God to give you His thrilling moments, but learn to live in those common times of the drudgery of life by the power of God.
It is difficult for us to do the “adding” that Peter mentioned here. We say we do not expect God to take us to heaven on flowery beds of ease, and yet we act as if we do! I must realize that my obedience even in the smallest detail of life has all of the omnipotent power of the grace of God behind it. If I will do my duty, not for duty’s sake but because I believe God is engineering my circumstances, then at the very point of my obedience all of the magnificent grace of God is mine through the glorious atonement by the Cross of Christ.
趕快行動！
有了……加上……（彼後一5）
彼得說（4節），你們既承受了屬天的性情，如今就要專心一致，竭力養成良好的習慣。 [加上]的意義，是就品格方面而言。不論是天然的或超然的，人的品格絕不是與生俱來的，他必須加以後天的培養。習慣也不是與生俱來的，我們要根據神所賜的新生命，去養成習慣。神的意思不是要我們做閃閃發光的標本，而是要我們在日常平凡的生活中，表現出他恩惠的奇妙。一般的俗務乃是人格的試金石；屬靈生命的大障礙就是要做大事。 [耶穌……拿一條毛巾……洗門徒的腳。 ]
有時生活缺乏亮光，便沒有什麼值得興奮的，只是日復一日，從事平凡的作業。神卻用例行的事務，給我們啟示。別期望神天天給你興奮的時刻，要學習靠著神的能力，活在常務中。 [加上]是難的，我們常說不指望神用舒適的花轎將我們抬進天堂，但我們的行事為人，卻往往與此相反。我所順服的不論是多微小的事，都有神恩典的大能在背後。我之所以盡本分，不是因為職責所在，乃是因我信神安排的一切；這樣，我一順服，神超然的恩惠就透過救贖臨到我身上。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我的靈經歷你的新恩，然而我在你大能的恩典中成長是何等緩慢！求你速速臨到我身上，使我今天的體驗，如自然界一般延展至壯闊的地平線。
June 14, 2012
Get Moving! (1)
Abide in Me . . . —John 15:4
In the matter of determination. The Spirit of Jesus is put into me by way of the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I then have to build my thinking patiently to bring it into perfect harmony with my Lord. God will not make me think like Jesus— I have to do it myself. I have to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). “Abide in Me”— in intellectual matters, in money matters, in every one of the matters that make human life what it is. Our lives are not made up of only one neatly confined area.
Am I preventing God from doing things in my circumstances by saying that it will only serve to hinder my fellowship with Him? How irrelevant and disrespectful that is! It does not matter what my circumstances are. I can be as much assured of abiding in Jesus in any one of them as I am in any prayer meeting. It is unnecessary to change and arrange my circumstances myself. Our Lord’s inner abiding was pure and unblemished. He was at home with God wherever His body was. He never chose His own circumstances, but was meek, submitting to His Father’s plans and directions for Him. Just think of how amazingly relaxed our Lord’s life was! But we tend to keep God at a fever pitch in our lives. We have none of the serenity of the life which is “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).
Think of the things that take you out of the position of abiding in Christ. You say, “Yes, Lord, just a minute— I still have this to do. Yes, I will abide as soon as this is finished, or as soon as this week is over. It will be all right, Lord. I will abide then.” Get moving— begin to abide now. In the initial stages it will be a continual effort to abide, but as you continue, it will become so much a part of your life that you will abide in Him without any conscious effort. Make the determination to abide in Jesus wherever you are now or wherever you may be placed in the future.
趕快行動！
你們要常在我裡面。 （約十五4）
藉著救贖，耶穌的靈進到我裡面。此後，我就得完全按照主的心意耐心地被塑造。神不會使我像耶穌一樣去思想，我必須自己去做，我必須將所有的心意奪回，使之順服基督。 [常在我裡面。 ]－－在知識上、金錢上，並在一切與人生有關的事上。我們不是活在一個匣子裡。
我有沒有阻撓神行事；認為這些事會妨礙我與他的交通？這是魯莽的態度。環境怎樣根本不重要，重要的是我是否確實的住在主裡，正如我在禱告中與主同住一樣。我無須自行改變或調整環境；對於主，這種內住的光景是分毫不受影響的。主無論置身何處，都與神同住。他從不挑選環境，只柔和謙卑的順服父神為他所作的一切安排。試想主的人生是何等的閒適！至於我們，卻把神置於緊張關頭，沒有與基督一同藏在神裡面的那種平穩。
想想那些妨礙你與主同住的東西：[主啊，是的，不過等一下，我要先做這個；是的，我完成了這個就與你同住；過了這個星期就沒事了，那時就可以與你同住。 ]趕快行動吧！現在就住在主裡！在起初的階段，要不斷的努力工作，直至成為生命的律，使你在不知不覺中便與他同住。所以，你無論置身何處，都要立志住在耶穌裡面。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我懷著讚美和感恩來到你面前，但仍然渴求對你的良善自覺地有更深的欣賞。求你在今天賜福予我，讓我有更廣闊的胸懷和能力去讚美你。
In the matter of determination. The Spirit of Jesus is put into me by way of the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I then have to build my thinking patiently to bring it into perfect harmony with my Lord. God will not make me think like Jesus— I have to do it myself. I have to bring “every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5). “Abide in Me”— in intellectual matters, in money matters, in every one of the matters that make human life what it is. Our lives are not made up of only one neatly confined area.
Am I preventing God from doing things in my circumstances by saying that it will only serve to hinder my fellowship with Him? How irrelevant and disrespectful that is! It does not matter what my circumstances are. I can be as much assured of abiding in Jesus in any one of them as I am in any prayer meeting. It is unnecessary to change and arrange my circumstances myself. Our Lord’s inner abiding was pure and unblemished. He was at home with God wherever His body was. He never chose His own circumstances, but was meek, submitting to His Father’s plans and directions for Him. Just think of how amazingly relaxed our Lord’s life was! But we tend to keep God at a fever pitch in our lives. We have none of the serenity of the life which is “hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3).
Think of the things that take you out of the position of abiding in Christ. You say, “Yes, Lord, just a minute— I still have this to do. Yes, I will abide as soon as this is finished, or as soon as this week is over. It will be all right, Lord. I will abide then.” Get moving— begin to abide now. In the initial stages it will be a continual effort to abide, but as you continue, it will become so much a part of your life that you will abide in Him without any conscious effort. Make the determination to abide in Jesus wherever you are now or wherever you may be placed in the future.
趕快行動！
你們要常在我裡面。 （約十五4）
藉著救贖，耶穌的靈進到我裡面。此後，我就得完全按照主的心意耐心地被塑造。神不會使我像耶穌一樣去思想，我必須自己去做，我必須將所有的心意奪回，使之順服基督。 [常在我裡面。 ]－－在知識上、金錢上，並在一切與人生有關的事上。我們不是活在一個匣子裡。
我有沒有阻撓神行事；認為這些事會妨礙我與他的交通？這是魯莽的態度。環境怎樣根本不重要，重要的是我是否確實的住在主裡，正如我在禱告中與主同住一樣。我無須自行改變或調整環境；對於主，這種內住的光景是分毫不受影響的。主無論置身何處，都與神同住。他從不挑選環境，只柔和謙卑的順服父神為他所作的一切安排。試想主的人生是何等的閒適！至於我們，卻把神置於緊張關頭，沒有與基督一同藏在神裡面的那種平穩。
想想那些妨礙你與主同住的東西：[主啊，是的，不過等一下，我要先做這個；是的，我完成了這個就與你同住；過了這個星期就沒事了，那時就可以與你同住。 ]趕快行動吧！現在就住在主裡！在起初的階段，要不斷的努力工作，直至成為生命的律，使你在不知不覺中便與他同住。所以，你無論置身何處，都要立志住在耶穌裡面。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，我懷著讚美和感恩來到你面前，但仍然渴求對你的良善自覺地有更深的欣賞。求你在今天賜福予我，讓我有更廣闊的胸懷和能力去讚美你。
June 13, 2012
Getting There (3)
. . . come, follow Me —Luke 18:22
Where our individual desire dies and sanctified surrender lives. One of the greatest hindrances in coming to Jesus is the excuse of our own individual temperament. We make our temperament and our natural desires barriers to coming to Jesus. Yet the first thing we realize when we do come to Jesus is that He pays no attention whatsoever to our natural desires. We have the idea that we can dedicate our gifts to God. However, you cannot dedicate what is not yours. There is actually only one thing you can dedicate to God, and that is your right to yourself (see Romans 12:1). If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you— and His experiments always succeed. The one true mark of a saint of God is the inner creativity that flows from being totally surrendered to Jesus Christ. In the life of a saint there is this amazing Well, which is a continual Source of original life. The Spirit of God is a Well of water springing up perpetually fresh. A saint realizes that it is God who engineers his circumstances; consequently there are no complaints, only unrestrained surrender to Jesus. Never try to make your experience a principle for others, but allow God to be as creative and original with others as He is with you.
If you abandon everything to Jesus, and come when He says, “Come,” then He will continue to say, “Come,” through you. You will go out into the world reproducing the echo of Christ’s “Come.” That is the result in every soul who has abandoned all and come to Jesus.
Have I come to Him? Will I come now?
到主那裡去
來跟從我。 （可一17）
跟從耶穌最大的阻礙之一是性情做藉口。自己的性情加上天然的傾向，往往成為我們就近主的障礙。來到主面前，首先會發現他並不理會我們天然的傾向。我們都有一種概念，以為可以把自己的天賦才能奉獻給神。其實，你根本不可能把不屬於你的東西奉獻出來，只有一樣是你可以奉獻的，就是你的主權（羅十二1）。只要你把自己的主權交給神，他就會在你身上作一項神聖的試驗；而他的試驗是必然成功的。聖徒的標誌之一，就是在德行上的創新力，這種創新力是從向主耶穌完全降服而來的。在聖徒的生命中，有一股奇異的活泉不斷的湧出來，把生命重生。神的靈是一口水井，他所湧出來泉水，是萬古常新的。聖徒知道是神安排各種環境際遇，因此不怨嘆愁苦，反而不顧一切地奔向耶穌。切勿從經驗中製造原則；神在別人身上所做創新的工作，必作在你身上。
你若完全委身於耶穌，他叫你[來]，你就來，這樣他就會繼續透過你說[來]；你在世上就不斷的發出基督[來]的呼聲。這是每個降服主，到耶穌跟前來的人必然的結果。我有沒有來就耶穌？我現在肯不肯來？
祈禱◆噢，主啊，你偉大而榮耀的計劃，在我們眾人心靈的目光前，已經成就和正在成就。主啊，我們雖不見前路，卻認識和信靠你。願你保守我們的思想和心靈，在你裡面得以剛強和平靜。
Where our individual desire dies and sanctified surrender lives. One of the greatest hindrances in coming to Jesus is the excuse of our own individual temperament. We make our temperament and our natural desires barriers to coming to Jesus. Yet the first thing we realize when we do come to Jesus is that He pays no attention whatsoever to our natural desires. We have the idea that we can dedicate our gifts to God. However, you cannot dedicate what is not yours. There is actually only one thing you can dedicate to God, and that is your right to yourself (see Romans 12:1). If you will give God your right to yourself, He will make a holy experiment out of you— and His experiments always succeed. The one true mark of a saint of God is the inner creativity that flows from being totally surrendered to Jesus Christ. In the life of a saint there is this amazing Well, which is a continual Source of original life. The Spirit of God is a Well of water springing up perpetually fresh. A saint realizes that it is God who engineers his circumstances; consequently there are no complaints, only unrestrained surrender to Jesus. Never try to make your experience a principle for others, but allow God to be as creative and original with others as He is with you.
If you abandon everything to Jesus, and come when He says, “Come,” then He will continue to say, “Come,” through you. You will go out into the world reproducing the echo of Christ’s “Come.” That is the result in every soul who has abandoned all and come to Jesus.
Have I come to Him? Will I come now?
到主那裡去
來跟從我。 （可一17）
跟從耶穌最大的阻礙之一是性情做藉口。自己的性情加上天然的傾向，往往成為我們就近主的障礙。來到主面前，首先會發現他並不理會我們天然的傾向。我們都有一種概念，以為可以把自己的天賦才能奉獻給神。其實，你根本不可能把不屬於你的東西奉獻出來，只有一樣是你可以奉獻的，就是你的主權（羅十二1）。只要你把自己的主權交給神，他就會在你身上作一項神聖的試驗；而他的試驗是必然成功的。聖徒的標誌之一，就是在德行上的創新力，這種創新力是從向主耶穌完全降服而來的。在聖徒的生命中，有一股奇異的活泉不斷的湧出來，把生命重生。神的靈是一口水井，他所湧出來泉水，是萬古常新的。聖徒知道是神安排各種環境際遇，因此不怨嘆愁苦，反而不顧一切地奔向耶穌。切勿從經驗中製造原則；神在別人身上所做創新的工作，必作在你身上。
你若完全委身於耶穌，他叫你[來]，你就來，這樣他就會繼續透過你說[來]；你在世上就不斷的發出基督[來]的呼聲。這是每個降服主，到耶穌跟前來的人必然的結果。我有沒有來就耶穌？我現在肯不肯來？
祈禱◆噢，主啊，你偉大而榮耀的計劃，在我們眾人心靈的目光前，已經成就和正在成就。主啊，我們雖不見前路，卻認識和信靠你。願你保守我們的思想和心靈，在你裡面得以剛強和平靜。
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