We . . . plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain —2 Corinthians 6:1
The grace you had yesterday will not be sufficient for today. Grace is the overflowing favor of God, and you can always count on it being available to draw upon as needed. “. . . in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses”— that is where our patience is tested (2 Corinthians 6:4). Are you failing to rely on the grace of God there? Are you saying to yourself, “Oh well, I won’t count this time”? It is not a question of praying and asking God to help you— it is taking the grace of God now. We tend to make prayer the preparation for our service, yet it is never that in the Bible. Prayer is the practice of drawing on the grace of God. Don’t say, “I will endure this until I can get away and pray.” Pray now — draw on the grace of God in your moment of need. Prayer is the most normal and useful thing; it is not simply a reflex action of your devotion to God. We are very slow to learn to draw on God’s grace through prayer.
“. . . in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors . . .” (2 Corinthians 6:5)— in all these things, display in your life a drawing on the grace of God, which will show evidence to yourself and to others that you are a miracle of His. Draw on His grace now, not later. The primary word in the spiritual vocabulary is now. Let circumstances take you where they will, but keep drawing on the grace of God in whatever condition you may find yourself. One of the greatest proofs that you are drawing on the grace of God is that you can be totally humiliated before others without displaying even the slightest trace of anything but His grace.
“. . . having nothing . . . .” Never hold anything in reserve. Pour yourself out, giving the best that you have, and always be poor. Never be diplomatic and careful with the treasure God gives you. “. . . and yet possessing all things”— this is poverty triumphant (2 Corinthians 6:10).
總趁現在
我們……勸你們，不可徒受他的恩典。 （林後六1）
你昨天所得的恩典，今天已不合用了。恩典是神豐盛的恩寵；你隨時隨地都可以取用。 [在許多的忍耐、患難、窮乏、困苦]－－這些都是忍耐的考驗。你在這些事上有沒有失去神的恩典？你有沒有說：[算啦，這次不計其內。 ]問題不在於禱告求神幫助；乃是現在就取用神的恩典。我們往往把祈禱當作工作的準備，但在聖經裡根本不是如此。祈禱是支取神恩典的一種操練。
不要說：[我只管忍受一下，等到苦難過去就好好的禱告禱告。 ]現在就祈禱吧！在正有需要時，支取神的恩典吧。祈禱是最實際的事，而不是虔誠的一種反射行動。禱告是支取神恩典最後學習的功課。
[鞭打、監禁、擾亂、勞動]－－在這一切事上不斷支取神的恩典，會使你成為別人眼中的奇蹟。現在就支取，不是等一會才做。屬靈的字彙中有一個詞語，就是現在。不管環境怎樣，只管不斷支取神的恩典。你支取神的恩典一個最大的明證，就是在你受人羞辱時，所表彰的除了神的恩典之外，再無別的。
[一無所有……]不再有任何保留。要把你最好的傾盡，常常貧窮無有。對神所賜的禮物，絕不精打細算地收藏。這就是貧窮中的勝利。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，求你今天賜下你的恩典
June 26, 2012
June 25, 2012
Receiving Yourself in the Fires of Sorrow
. . . what shall I say? ’Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I came to this hour. ’Father, glorify Your name’ —John 12:27-28
As a saint of God, my attitude toward sorrow and difficulty should not be to ask that they be prevented, but to ask that God protect me so that I may remain what He created me to be, in spite of all my fires of sorrow. Our Lord received Himself, accepting His position and realizing His purpose, in the midst of the fire of sorrow. He was saved not from the hour, but out of the hour.
We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to accept and receive ourselves in its fires. If we try to evade sorrow, refusing to deal with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life, and there is no use in saying it should not be. Sin, sorrow, and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them.
Sorrow removes a great deal of a person’s shallowness, but it does not always make that person better. Suffering either gives me to myself or it destroys me. You cannot find or receive yourself through success, because you lose your head over pride. And you cannot receive yourself through the monotony of your daily life, because you give in to complaining. The only way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow. Why it should be this way is immaterial. The fact is that it is true in the Scriptures and in human experience. You can always recognize who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, and you know that you can go to him in your moment of trouble and find that he has plenty of time for you. But if a person has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous, having no respect or time for you, only turning you away. If you will receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people.
從憂患中找著自己
我說什麼才好呢？父啊，救我脫離這時候，但我原是為這時候來的。 （約十二27-29）
身為一個聖徒，我對愁苦困難的態度，不是求神攔阻，乃是求神叫我經過痛苦的火煉，保存他造在我裡面的生命。我們的主在愁苦的火中，接受了自己。他沒有擺脫那時刻，卻從那時刻中出來了。
我們說世上不該有憂患，但事實上憂患卻存在，而且我們還要從火中體認自己。若我們企圖逃避憂患，不肯面對它，實在是愚不可及的。憂患是人生中最具體的事實；硬說世上不該有憂患是無濟於事的。罪惡、憂患、痛苦，的確存在；我們沒有資格說神容讓痛苦存在是錯的。
憂患雖然把人許多膚淺的東西都燒掉，卻不一定使人更完美。憂患可以建立人，也可以毀滅人。在成功之中，很難建立自己，因為你會得意忘形。在枯燥而單調的生活中，也找不到自己，因你會大發牢騷。惟有在憂患的火中，你才找著自己。為什麼會這樣是另一回事；在聖經中，在人的經歷中，都證實如此。一個從憂患中找到自己的人，很容易辨認出來。你有困難去找他，必然大得幫助，他必樂於幫助你。一個未受過苦的人，多偏於浮誇，也沒有時間理會你。你若從苦難的火中找著自己，神便會使你成為別人的供應。
祈禱◆主啊，藉著你那不可逃避和滿有能力的撫摸，今天向我顯明你的慈愛，並在你溫柔的大能中，按照你的計劃使用我！
As a saint of God, my attitude toward sorrow and difficulty should not be to ask that they be prevented, but to ask that God protect me so that I may remain what He created me to be, in spite of all my fires of sorrow. Our Lord received Himself, accepting His position and realizing His purpose, in the midst of the fire of sorrow. He was saved not from the hour, but out of the hour.
We say that there ought to be no sorrow, but there is sorrow, and we have to accept and receive ourselves in its fires. If we try to evade sorrow, refusing to deal with it, we are foolish. Sorrow is one of the biggest facts in life, and there is no use in saying it should not be. Sin, sorrow, and suffering are, and it is not for us to say that God has made a mistake in allowing them.
Sorrow removes a great deal of a person’s shallowness, but it does not always make that person better. Suffering either gives me to myself or it destroys me. You cannot find or receive yourself through success, because you lose your head over pride. And you cannot receive yourself through the monotony of your daily life, because you give in to complaining. The only way to find yourself is in the fires of sorrow. Why it should be this way is immaterial. The fact is that it is true in the Scriptures and in human experience. You can always recognize who has been through the fires of sorrow and received himself, and you know that you can go to him in your moment of trouble and find that he has plenty of time for you. But if a person has not been through the fires of sorrow, he is apt to be contemptuous, having no respect or time for you, only turning you away. If you will receive yourself in the fires of sorrow, God will make you nourishment for other people.
從憂患中找著自己
我說什麼才好呢？父啊，救我脫離這時候，但我原是為這時候來的。 （約十二27-29）
身為一個聖徒，我對愁苦困難的態度，不是求神攔阻，乃是求神叫我經過痛苦的火煉，保存他造在我裡面的生命。我們的主在愁苦的火中，接受了自己。他沒有擺脫那時刻，卻從那時刻中出來了。
我們說世上不該有憂患，但事實上憂患卻存在，而且我們還要從火中體認自己。若我們企圖逃避憂患，不肯面對它，實在是愚不可及的。憂患是人生中最具體的事實；硬說世上不該有憂患是無濟於事的。罪惡、憂患、痛苦，的確存在；我們沒有資格說神容讓痛苦存在是錯的。
憂患雖然把人許多膚淺的東西都燒掉，卻不一定使人更完美。憂患可以建立人，也可以毀滅人。在成功之中，很難建立自己，因為你會得意忘形。在枯燥而單調的生活中，也找不到自己，因你會大發牢騷。惟有在憂患的火中，你才找著自己。為什麼會這樣是另一回事；在聖經中，在人的經歷中，都證實如此。一個從憂患中找到自己的人，很容易辨認出來。你有困難去找他，必然大得幫助，他必樂於幫助你。一個未受過苦的人，多偏於浮誇，也沒有時間理會你。你若從苦難的火中找著自己，神便會使你成為別人的供應。
祈禱◆主啊，藉著你那不可逃避和滿有能力的撫摸，今天向我顯明你的慈愛，並在你溫柔的大能中，按照你的計劃使用我！
June 24, 2012
Reconciling Yourself to the Fact of Sin
This is your hour, and the power of darkness —Luke 22:53
Not being reconciled to the fact of sin— not recognizing it and refusing to deal with it— produces all the disasters in life. You may talk about the lofty virtues of human nature, but there is something in human nature that will mockingly laugh in the face of every principle you have. If you refuse to agree with the fact that there is wickedness and selfishness, something downright hateful and wrong, in human beings, when it attacks your life, instead of reconciling yourself to it, you will compromise with it and say that it is of no use to battle against it. Have you taken this “hour, and the power of darkness” into account, or do you have a view of yourself which includes no recognition of sin whatsoever? In your human relationships and friendships, have you reconciled yourself to the fact of sin? If not, just around the next corner you will find yourself trapped and you will compromise with it. But if you will reconcile yourself to the fact of sin, you will realize the danger immediately and say, “Yes, I see what this sin would mean.” The recognition of sin does not destroy the basis of friendship— it simply establishes a mutual respect for the fact that the basis of sinful life is disastrous. Always beware of any assessment of life which does not recognize the fact that there is sin.
Jesus Christ never trusted human nature, yet He was never cynical nor suspicious, because He had absolute trust in what He could do for human nature. The pure man or woman is the one who is shielded from harm, not the innocent person. The so-called innocent man or woman is never safe. Men and women have no business trying to be innocent; God demands that they be pure and virtuous. Innocence is the characteristic of a child. Any person is deserving of blame if he is unwilling to reconcile himself to the fact of sin.
承認罪的事實
現在卻是你們的時候，黑暗掌權了。 （路二十二53）
不承認罪的事實，會帶來人生一切的禍患。你可以大談人性的尊嚴，可是人性中有一種東西，在你一切的理想面前，會當面嗤笑你。你若不肯承認人性的邪惡自私，有根本上的罪過，這樣，當這些東西襲擊你時，你就會與它妥協，並說抵抗也是沒用。你有沒有準備面對這個關頭，面對這黑暗的權勢？還是你對自己的評價，沒有把罪算在內？你與親屬的關係，與朋友的關係，有沒有承認有罪的事實存在？若沒有，不需多久，你就會被罪追上，與之妥協了。
但若你承認罪的事實，就必立即覺察到危險－－[對啦，我知道這是什麼一回事了。 ]承認罪的事實，並不會破壞友情的根基，反而使彼此看清楚人生基本是可惡的。
耶穌基督雖不信任人，卻不挑剔多疑，因為祂深信為人有所不為。人得到安全的保障是由於清潔，而不是因為無罪。無罪的人是不可靠的。成為無罪，不是人可以做到，只有神才可要求人潔淨敬虔。無邪是孩童的特徵，但成人則要承認罪這事實。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，以你的恩典和榮耀淹沒我，讓你那浩瀚的潮水覆蓋所有。
Not being reconciled to the fact of sin— not recognizing it and refusing to deal with it— produces all the disasters in life. You may talk about the lofty virtues of human nature, but there is something in human nature that will mockingly laugh in the face of every principle you have. If you refuse to agree with the fact that there is wickedness and selfishness, something downright hateful and wrong, in human beings, when it attacks your life, instead of reconciling yourself to it, you will compromise with it and say that it is of no use to battle against it. Have you taken this “hour, and the power of darkness” into account, or do you have a view of yourself which includes no recognition of sin whatsoever? In your human relationships and friendships, have you reconciled yourself to the fact of sin? If not, just around the next corner you will find yourself trapped and you will compromise with it. But if you will reconcile yourself to the fact of sin, you will realize the danger immediately and say, “Yes, I see what this sin would mean.” The recognition of sin does not destroy the basis of friendship— it simply establishes a mutual respect for the fact that the basis of sinful life is disastrous. Always beware of any assessment of life which does not recognize the fact that there is sin.
Jesus Christ never trusted human nature, yet He was never cynical nor suspicious, because He had absolute trust in what He could do for human nature. The pure man or woman is the one who is shielded from harm, not the innocent person. The so-called innocent man or woman is never safe. Men and women have no business trying to be innocent; God demands that they be pure and virtuous. Innocence is the characteristic of a child. Any person is deserving of blame if he is unwilling to reconcile himself to the fact of sin.
承認罪的事實
現在卻是你們的時候，黑暗掌權了。 （路二十二53）
不承認罪的事實，會帶來人生一切的禍患。你可以大談人性的尊嚴，可是人性中有一種東西，在你一切的理想面前，會當面嗤笑你。你若不肯承認人性的邪惡自私，有根本上的罪過，這樣，當這些東西襲擊你時，你就會與它妥協，並說抵抗也是沒用。你有沒有準備面對這個關頭，面對這黑暗的權勢？還是你對自己的評價，沒有把罪算在內？你與親屬的關係，與朋友的關係，有沒有承認有罪的事實存在？若沒有，不需多久，你就會被罪追上，與之妥協了。
但若你承認罪的事實，就必立即覺察到危險－－[對啦，我知道這是什麼一回事了。 ]承認罪的事實，並不會破壞友情的根基，反而使彼此看清楚人生基本是可惡的。
耶穌基督雖不信任人，卻不挑剔多疑，因為祂深信為人有所不為。人得到安全的保障是由於清潔，而不是因為無罪。無罪的人是不可靠的。成為無罪，不是人可以做到，只有神才可要求人潔淨敬虔。無邪是孩童的特徵，但成人則要承認罪這事實。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，以你的恩典和榮耀淹沒我，讓你那浩瀚的潮水覆蓋所有。
June 23, 2012
“Acquainted With Grief”
He is . . . a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief —Isaiah 53:3
We are not “acquainted with grief” in the same way our Lord was acquainted with it. We endure it and live through it, but we do not become intimate with it. At the beginning of our lives we do not bring ourselves to the point of dealing with the reality of sin. We look at life through the eyes of reason and say that if a person will control his instincts, and educate himself, he can produce a life that will slowly evolve into the life of God. But as we continue on through life, we find the presence of something which we have not yet taken into account, namely, sin— and it upsets all of our thinking and our plans. Sin has made the foundation of our thinking unpredictable, uncontrollable, and irrational.
We have to recognize that sin is a fact of life, not just a shortcoming. Sin is blatant mutiny against God, and either sin or God must die in my life. The New Testament brings us right down to this one issue— if sin rules in me, God’s life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed. There is nothing more fundamental than that. The culmination of sin was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and what was true in the history of God on earth will also be true in your history and in mine— that is, sin will kill the life of God in us. We must mentally bring ourselves to terms with this fact of sin. It is the only explanation why Jesus Christ came to earth, and it is the explanation of the grief and sorrow of life.
常經憂患
他……多受痛苦，常經憂患。 （賽五十三3）
我們所經的憂患與主所經的不同；我們是忍受、經歷，卻與憂患沒有密切的關係。我們從起頭就不肯接受罪惡這個事實，對人生採取一種合乎理性的觀點，以為人只要約束自己，教育自己，生命就能逐漸似神。可是日久便發覺有一種東西存在，是意想之外的，就是罪。它把我們一切籌算破壞了。罪使事物本末倒置，毫無道理可言。我們必須承認罪是一個事實，不是一種缺陷；罪是對神赤手空拳的反叛。在我生命中不是神死，就是罪死。新約的真理使我們面對這個問題。若罪在我裡面掌權，神在我裡面的生命就死了；若神在我裡面掌權，罪在我裡面就要死；除此之外，不可能有別的結果了。人滔天的大罪，就是把耶穌基督釘在十架上。神在世上的歷史如何，你我的生命史上也必如何。我們必須承認，罪是人生苦痛憂患的因由。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，你是沒有時間性的，因為[在你看來，千年如已過的昨日]；可是，對我這卻截然不同。你彌補我那被腐敗所吞蝕的年日，在基督耶穌裡使我成為一個新造的人！求你接納我對你的感恩。
We are not “acquainted with grief” in the same way our Lord was acquainted with it. We endure it and live through it, but we do not become intimate with it. At the beginning of our lives we do not bring ourselves to the point of dealing with the reality of sin. We look at life through the eyes of reason and say that if a person will control his instincts, and educate himself, he can produce a life that will slowly evolve into the life of God. But as we continue on through life, we find the presence of something which we have not yet taken into account, namely, sin— and it upsets all of our thinking and our plans. Sin has made the foundation of our thinking unpredictable, uncontrollable, and irrational.
We have to recognize that sin is a fact of life, not just a shortcoming. Sin is blatant mutiny against God, and either sin or God must die in my life. The New Testament brings us right down to this one issue— if sin rules in me, God’s life in me will be killed; if God rules in me, sin in me will be killed. There is nothing more fundamental than that. The culmination of sin was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and what was true in the history of God on earth will also be true in your history and in mine— that is, sin will kill the life of God in us. We must mentally bring ourselves to terms with this fact of sin. It is the only explanation why Jesus Christ came to earth, and it is the explanation of the grief and sorrow of life.
常經憂患
他……多受痛苦，常經憂患。 （賽五十三3）
我們所經的憂患與主所經的不同；我們是忍受、經歷，卻與憂患沒有密切的關係。我們從起頭就不肯接受罪惡這個事實，對人生採取一種合乎理性的觀點，以為人只要約束自己，教育自己，生命就能逐漸似神。可是日久便發覺有一種東西存在，是意想之外的，就是罪。它把我們一切籌算破壞了。罪使事物本末倒置，毫無道理可言。我們必須承認罪是一個事實，不是一種缺陷；罪是對神赤手空拳的反叛。在我生命中不是神死，就是罪死。新約的真理使我們面對這個問題。若罪在我裡面掌權，神在我裡面的生命就死了；若神在我裡面掌權，罪在我裡面就要死；除此之外，不可能有別的結果了。人滔天的大罪，就是把耶穌基督釘在十架上。神在世上的歷史如何，你我的生命史上也必如何。我們必須承認，罪是人生苦痛憂患的因由。
祈禱◆噢，主啊，你是沒有時間性的，因為[在你看來，千年如已過的昨日]；可是，對我這卻截然不同。你彌補我那被腐敗所吞蝕的年日，在基督耶穌裡使我成為一個新造的人！求你接納我對你的感恩。
June 22, 2012
The Unchanging Law of Judgment
With what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you —Matthew 7:2
This statement is not some haphazard theory, but it is an eternal law of God. Whatever judgment you give will be the very way you are judged. There is a difference between retaliation and retribution. Jesus said that the basis of life is retribution— “with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” If you have been shrewd in finding out the shortcomings of others, remember that will be exactly how you will be measured. The way you pay is the way life will pay you back. This eternal law works from God’s throne down to us (see Psalm 18:25-26).
Romans 2:1 applies it in even a more definite way by saying that the one who criticizes another is guilty of the very same thing. God looks not only at the act itself, but also at the possibility of committing it, which He sees by looking at our hearts. To begin with, we do not believe the statements of the Bible. For instance, do we really believe the statement that says we criticize in others the very things we are guilty of ourselves? The reason we see hypocrisy, deceit, and a lack of genuineness in others is that they are all in our own hearts. The greatest characteristic of a saint is humility, as evidenced by being able to say honestly and humbly, “Yes, all those, as well as other evils, would have been exhibited in me if it were not for the grace of God. Therefore, I have no right to judge.”
Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). He went on to say, in effect, “If you do judge, you will be judged in exactly the same way.” Who of us would dare to stand before God and say, “My God, judge me as I have judged others”? We have judged others as sinners— if God should judge us in the same way, we would be condemned to hell. Yet God judges us on the basis of the miraculous atonement by the Cross of Christ.
不變的考驗
因為你們怎樣論斷人，也必怎樣被論斷。你們用什麼量器量給人，也必用什麼量器量給你們。 （太七2）
這句話不是信口開河的瞎猜，而是神永恆的定律。你怎樣論斷人，就得同樣的回報。報復與報應是不同的。耶穌說人生是以報應為本的－－你用量器量人，人也必用什麼量器量你。你若善於挑剔別人，那你所得的也必如此。你付出多少，就收回多少。這定律是由神的寶座上頒下來的（詩十八25-26）
羅馬書第二章對這定律，更為肯定。其中說人批評別人，自己正犯了同樣的罪。神不單看外面的行為，更看人內心的動機。首先，我們不信聖經的話。試問我們真的相信所批評別人的，正是自己所犯上的罪麼？我們所以能看見別人的虛偽、欺詐、虛浮，是因為我們自己心中也有這些東西。聖徒最大的特徵是謙卑－－[是的，若不是神的恩典，這些東西或其他罪惡，都會發生在我身上，因此我無權批判。 ]
耶穌說：[你們不要論斷人，免得你們被論斷。 ]你若論斷人，神則必照你所論斷的量你。我們誰敢對神說：[我的神，請你照我論斷他人的判斷我吧]?我們判斷別人為罪人，若神也同樣判斷我們，我們早已在地獄了。可是，神卻透過耶穌基督奇妙的代贖來判斷我們。
祈禱◆噢，我只求得嘗祢的靈如風吹拂，或得驅策、或使甦醒、或蒙釋放、或被感動，我就心滿意足了。
This statement is not some haphazard theory, but it is an eternal law of God. Whatever judgment you give will be the very way you are judged. There is a difference between retaliation and retribution. Jesus said that the basis of life is retribution— “with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” If you have been shrewd in finding out the shortcomings of others, remember that will be exactly how you will be measured. The way you pay is the way life will pay you back. This eternal law works from God’s throne down to us (see Psalm 18:25-26).
Romans 2:1 applies it in even a more definite way by saying that the one who criticizes another is guilty of the very same thing. God looks not only at the act itself, but also at the possibility of committing it, which He sees by looking at our hearts. To begin with, we do not believe the statements of the Bible. For instance, do we really believe the statement that says we criticize in others the very things we are guilty of ourselves? The reason we see hypocrisy, deceit, and a lack of genuineness in others is that they are all in our own hearts. The greatest characteristic of a saint is humility, as evidenced by being able to say honestly and humbly, “Yes, all those, as well as other evils, would have been exhibited in me if it were not for the grace of God. Therefore, I have no right to judge.”
Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged” (Matthew 7:1). He went on to say, in effect, “If you do judge, you will be judged in exactly the same way.” Who of us would dare to stand before God and say, “My God, judge me as I have judged others”? We have judged others as sinners— if God should judge us in the same way, we would be condemned to hell. Yet God judges us on the basis of the miraculous atonement by the Cross of Christ.
不變的考驗
因為你們怎樣論斷人，也必怎樣被論斷。你們用什麼量器量給人，也必用什麼量器量給你們。 （太七2）
這句話不是信口開河的瞎猜，而是神永恆的定律。你怎樣論斷人，就得同樣的回報。報復與報應是不同的。耶穌說人生是以報應為本的－－你用量器量人，人也必用什麼量器量你。你若善於挑剔別人，那你所得的也必如此。你付出多少，就收回多少。這定律是由神的寶座上頒下來的（詩十八25-26）
羅馬書第二章對這定律，更為肯定。其中說人批評別人，自己正犯了同樣的罪。神不單看外面的行為，更看人內心的動機。首先，我們不信聖經的話。試問我們真的相信所批評別人的，正是自己所犯上的罪麼？我們所以能看見別人的虛偽、欺詐、虛浮，是因為我們自己心中也有這些東西。聖徒最大的特徵是謙卑－－[是的，若不是神的恩典，這些東西或其他罪惡，都會發生在我身上，因此我無權批判。 ]
耶穌說：[你們不要論斷人，免得你們被論斷。 ]你若論斷人，神則必照你所論斷的量你。我們誰敢對神說：[我的神，請你照我論斷他人的判斷我吧]?我們判斷別人為罪人，若神也同樣判斷我們，我們早已在地獄了。可是，神卻透過耶穌基督奇妙的代贖來判斷我們。
祈禱◆噢，我只求得嘗祢的靈如風吹拂，或得驅策、或使甦醒、或蒙釋放、或被感動，我就心滿意足了。
June 21, 2012
The Ministry of the Inner Life
You are . . . a royal priesthood . . . —1 Peter 2:9
By what right have we become “a royal priesthood”? It is by the right of the atonement by the Cross of Christ that this has been accomplished. Are we prepared to purposely disregard ourselves and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The continual inner-searching we do in an effort to see if we are what we ought to be generates a self-centered, sickly type of Christianity, not the vigorous and simple life of a child of God. Until we get into this right and proper relationship with God, it is simply a case of our “hanging on by the skin of our teeth,” although we say, “What a wonderful victory I have!” Yet there is nothing at all in that which indicates the miracle of redemption. Launch out in reckless, unrestrained belief that the redemption is complete. Then don’t worry anymore about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ has said, in essence, “Pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints of God, and pray for all men.” Pray with the realization that you are perfect only in Christ Jesus, not on the basis of this argument: “Oh, Lord, I have done my best; please hear me now.”
How long is it going to take God to free us from the unhealthy habit of thinking only about ourselves? We must get to the point of being sick to death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God might tell us about ourselves. We cannot reach and understand the depths of our own meagerness. There is only one place where we are right with God, and that is in Christ Jesus. Once we are there, we have to pour out our lives for all we are worth in this ministry of the inner life.
內室的事奉
你們是……有君尊的祭司。 （彼前二9）
我們憑什麼資格成為君尊的祭司？是憑救贖。我們有沒有立志放下自己，投身在祭司禱告的職分上？整天只顧審查自己是否合水準，就產生以自我為中心、自怨自艾的基督徒，而不是活潑有力、天真無邪神的兒女。除非我們與神有正確的關係，否則只會掙扎求存，說：[看我打了何等的勝仗！ ]這態度一點也表現不出救贖的奇能。要不顧一切地相信救恩是完全的，然後只照耶穌所說的－－為那半夜來找你的朋友禱告，為聖徒禱告，為萬人禱告。禱告時要知道只有在耶穌基督裡才得完全，不要說：[主啊，我已盡了所能，求你聽我禱告。 ]
到底神何時才把我們從以自我為中心的惡習中釋放出來？我們要對自己厭惡至死，以致神無論說我們什麼，我們也不覺得詫異。我們內心的卑污，實無法可測。只有一處是我們可得完全的，就是在耶穌基督裡。我們進入他那裡，就要竭盡所能作內室得事奉。
祈禱◆願你在今天施福予我們，護衛我們得意念和心靈，抵擋模糊的幻想和虛假的情緒，以及那如幽靈的想像，保守我們完全屬你。
By what right have we become “a royal priesthood”? It is by the right of the atonement by the Cross of Christ that this has been accomplished. Are we prepared to purposely disregard ourselves and to launch out into the priestly work of prayer? The continual inner-searching we do in an effort to see if we are what we ought to be generates a self-centered, sickly type of Christianity, not the vigorous and simple life of a child of God. Until we get into this right and proper relationship with God, it is simply a case of our “hanging on by the skin of our teeth,” although we say, “What a wonderful victory I have!” Yet there is nothing at all in that which indicates the miracle of redemption. Launch out in reckless, unrestrained belief that the redemption is complete. Then don’t worry anymore about yourself, but begin to do as Jesus Christ has said, in essence, “Pray for the friend who comes to you at midnight, pray for the saints of God, and pray for all men.” Pray with the realization that you are perfect only in Christ Jesus, not on the basis of this argument: “Oh, Lord, I have done my best; please hear me now.”
How long is it going to take God to free us from the unhealthy habit of thinking only about ourselves? We must get to the point of being sick to death of ourselves, until there is no longer any surprise at anything God might tell us about ourselves. We cannot reach and understand the depths of our own meagerness. There is only one place where we are right with God, and that is in Christ Jesus. Once we are there, we have to pour out our lives for all we are worth in this ministry of the inner life.
內室的事奉
你們是……有君尊的祭司。 （彼前二9）
我們憑什麼資格成為君尊的祭司？是憑救贖。我們有沒有立志放下自己，投身在祭司禱告的職分上？整天只顧審查自己是否合水準，就產生以自我為中心、自怨自艾的基督徒，而不是活潑有力、天真無邪神的兒女。除非我們與神有正確的關係，否則只會掙扎求存，說：[看我打了何等的勝仗！ ]這態度一點也表現不出救贖的奇能。要不顧一切地相信救恩是完全的，然後只照耶穌所說的－－為那半夜來找你的朋友禱告，為聖徒禱告，為萬人禱告。禱告時要知道只有在耶穌基督裡才得完全，不要說：[主啊，我已盡了所能，求你聽我禱告。 ]
到底神何時才把我們從以自我為中心的惡習中釋放出來？我們要對自己厭惡至死，以致神無論說我們什麼，我們也不覺得詫異。我們內心的卑污，實無法可測。只有一處是我們可得完全的，就是在耶穌基督裡。我們進入他那裡，就要竭盡所能作內室得事奉。
祈禱◆願你在今天施福予我們，護衛我們得意念和心靈，抵擋模糊的幻想和虛假的情緒，以及那如幽靈的想像，保守我們完全屬你。
June 20, 2012
Have You Come to “When” Yet?
The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends —Job 42:10
A pitiful, sickly, and self-centered kind of prayer and a determined effort and selfish desire to be right with God are never found in the New Testament. The fact that I am trying to be right with God is actually a sign that I am rebelling against the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I pray, “Lord, I will purify my heart if You will answer my prayer— I will walk rightly before You if You will help me.” But I cannot make myself right with God; I cannot make my life perfect. I can only be right with God if I accept the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as an absolute gift. Am I humble enough to accept it? I have to surrender all my rights and demands, and cease from every self-effort. I must leave myself completely alone in His hands, and then I can begin to pour my life out in the priestly work of intercession. There is a great deal of prayer that comes from actual disbelief in the atonement. Jesus is not just beginning to save us— He has already saved us completely. It is an accomplished fact, and it is an insult to Him for us to ask Him to do what He has already done.
If you are not now receiving the “hundredfold” which Jesus promised (see Matthew 19:29), and not getting insight into God’s Word, then start praying for your friends— enter into the ministry of the inner life. “The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends.” As a saved soul, the real business of your life is intercessory prayer. Whatever circumstances God may place you in, always pray immediately that His atonement may be recognized and as fully understood in the lives of others as it has been in yours. Pray for your friends now, and pray for those with whom you come in contact now.
你什麼時候開始代求？
約伯為他的朋友祈禱，耶和華就使約伯從苦境轉回。 （伯四十二10）
以自我為中心的病態式祈禱，苦苦哀求一意強求自己的好轉，在新約中是找不到的。我若要努力弄好與神的關係，正表明我正離棄神救贖的大恩。 [主啊，你若垂聽我禱告，我的心就潔淨；你若幫助我，我就行事正直。 ]我無法使自己的生命在神面前正直，也無法使生命完全；只有接受主耶穌白白的救贖，我才可以與神有正常的關係。我謙卑地接受這個事實麼？我必須放下一切權利，放下一切為自己付出的努力，把自己完全的放在神手中，然後以祭司的身分做代求的工作。今日許多禱告是出於對救恩的不信。耶穌不是開始拯救我們，而是已經救了我們，事情已經成就，因此求他再做是一種侮辱。
你若尚未得著百倍的恩典，未領悟話語的亮光，那就該開始為你的朋友禱告，進入內室的事奉。 [約伯為他的朋友祈禱，耶和華就使約伯從苦境中轉回。 ]作為一個得救的人，你生命的真正事業，就是為人代求。不論神把你放在什麼環境裡，都要立刻禱告，求他救贖的大工在別人身上成就，正如在你身上一樣。現在就為你的朋友祈禱，為那些與你有接觸的人祈禱吧！
祈禱◆噢，主啊，打發更多工人到我們這裡來，直至這教會擠滿了人，而你能透過他們，在全地榮耀你自己。
A pitiful, sickly, and self-centered kind of prayer and a determined effort and selfish desire to be right with God are never found in the New Testament. The fact that I am trying to be right with God is actually a sign that I am rebelling against the atonement by the Cross of Christ. I pray, “Lord, I will purify my heart if You will answer my prayer— I will walk rightly before You if You will help me.” But I cannot make myself right with God; I cannot make my life perfect. I can only be right with God if I accept the atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ as an absolute gift. Am I humble enough to accept it? I have to surrender all my rights and demands, and cease from every self-effort. I must leave myself completely alone in His hands, and then I can begin to pour my life out in the priestly work of intercession. There is a great deal of prayer that comes from actual disbelief in the atonement. Jesus is not just beginning to save us— He has already saved us completely. It is an accomplished fact, and it is an insult to Him for us to ask Him to do what He has already done.
If you are not now receiving the “hundredfold” which Jesus promised (see Matthew 19:29), and not getting insight into God’s Word, then start praying for your friends— enter into the ministry of the inner life. “The Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends.” As a saved soul, the real business of your life is intercessory prayer. Whatever circumstances God may place you in, always pray immediately that His atonement may be recognized and as fully understood in the lives of others as it has been in yours. Pray for your friends now, and pray for those with whom you come in contact now.
你什麼時候開始代求？
約伯為他的朋友祈禱，耶和華就使約伯從苦境轉回。 （伯四十二10）
以自我為中心的病態式祈禱，苦苦哀求一意強求自己的好轉，在新約中是找不到的。我若要努力弄好與神的關係，正表明我正離棄神救贖的大恩。 [主啊，你若垂聽我禱告，我的心就潔淨；你若幫助我，我就行事正直。 ]我無法使自己的生命在神面前正直，也無法使生命完全；只有接受主耶穌白白的救贖，我才可以與神有正常的關係。我謙卑地接受這個事實麼？我必須放下一切權利，放下一切為自己付出的努力，把自己完全的放在神手中，然後以祭司的身分做代求的工作。今日許多禱告是出於對救恩的不信。耶穌不是開始拯救我們，而是已經救了我們，事情已經成就，因此求他再做是一種侮辱。
你若尚未得著百倍的恩典，未領悟話語的亮光，那就該開始為你的朋友禱告，進入內室的事奉。 [約伯為他的朋友祈禱，耶和華就使約伯從苦境中轉回。 ]作為一個得救的人，你生命的真正事業，就是為人代求。不論神把你放在什麼環境裡，都要立刻禱告，求他救贖的大工在別人身上成就，正如在你身上一樣。現在就為你的朋友祈禱，為那些與你有接觸的人祈禱吧！
祈禱◆噢，主啊，打發更多工人到我們這裡來，直至這教會擠滿了人，而你能透過他們，在全地榮耀你自己。
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