| 今天: | |
| 昨天: | |
| 總計: |
"As many as I love I rebuke and chasten."(Rev. 3:19)
GOD takes the most eminent and choicest of His servants for the choicest and most eminent affictions. They who have received most grace from God are able to bear most afflictions from God. Affliction does not hit the saint by chance, but by direction. Got does not draw His bow at a venture. Every one of His arrows goes upon a special errand and touches no breast but his against whom it is sent. It is not only the grace, but the glory of a believer when we can stand and take affliction quietly.
-Joseph Caryl.
If all my days were sunny, could I say,
"In His fair land He wipes all tears away"?
If I were never weary, could I keep
Close to my heart, "He gives His loved ones sleep"?
Were no graves mine, might I not come to deem
The Life Eternal but a baseless dream?
My winter, and my tears, and weariness,
Even my graves, may be His way to bless.
I call them ills; yet that can surely be
Nothing but love that shows my Lord to me!
-Selected.
"The most deeply taught Christians are generally those who have been brought into the searching fires of deep soul-anguish. If you have been praying to know more of Christ, do not be surprised if He takes you aside into a desert place, or leads you into a furnace of pain."
Do not punish me, Lord, by taking my cross from me, but comfort me by submitting me to Thy will, and by making me to love the cross. Give me that by which Thou shalt be best served...and let me hold it for the greatest of all Thy mercies, that Thou shouldst glorify Thy name in me, according to Thy will.
-A Captive's Prayer.
「他們不屬世界,……正如我不屬世界一樣。」約翰十七章14、16節
主在世上最後一個晚上向門徒澄清祂和世界有個無法越過的隔閡,門徒和世界之間也是一樣(約十六16-21)。祂論到聖靈:「世人不能接受祂,因未曾見過祂,也不認識祂。」「因為你們不屬世界,所以世界恨你們。」
門徒最大的特色,就是在世上的小基督徒;就因小,可以在世界,基督和他們在十字架和復活的方面都合而為一,屬另一個世界——天國,門徒的特色是被聖靈充滿而與世有別。為何在聖靈裏的信心如此少為基督徒傳講或體驗?因世界的影響力佔據了太多基督徒的生命,而屬天的生命卻太少,但是也自稱在基督耶穌裏面,「愛世界」(約壹二15、16)有「肉體的情慾」,在安樂和舒適上滿足吃喝的慾望;有「眼目的情慾」,流連於世上賞心悅目的事,使生命失去了榮光,為靠人類智慧和能力而有的成就自傲——所有心靈外在的敏感和渴望都得真正捨棄,才配接受聖靈。
但願每位以五旬節禱告來祈求聖靈的人,都要接受是否愛世界的考驗,愛世界的靈無法熱衷於禱告,所以絕對需要專心來求父所應許的。但願主把世俗無法接受聖靈的話寫在我們心靈深處,「你們不屬世界,正如我不屬世界一樣。」
「你信這話麼?」約翰福音十一章26節
馬大相信耶穌基督具有支配萬事的權力。她相信祂如果在那裡,必能治好她的兄弟。她也相信耶穌與神有特殊的關係,祂無論向神求甚麼,神必定成就;但她需要進一步的瞭解耶穌。馬大信仰的程序,是將來可以成功的;耶穌領導她,直到她的信為她個人所獨有,而後漸漸化成一種特殊的遺產──「主啊!是的!我信您是基督……」。
主對付你的事,是像這樣的嗎?耶穌教育你,叫你與祂發生密切的關係嗎?讓祂叫你熟習祂的問題──「你信這話麼?」你所懷疑的究竟是甚麼呢?你的環境找不著出路,你信的程序能演進到個人信仰的階段,像馬大一樣麼?不到個人的需要,而從個人的問題產生出來,是絕不能有的事。
信是順服,智性信仰的程序,是順服信仰的程序。放棄一切與順服無關的事。私人的信仰,是在道德上順服自信,不與任何事妥協。特殊的信仰,是在靈性上順服耶穌基督,決意在那件事上接受主的支配。
當我與耶穌面對面的時候,祂向我說──「你信這話麼?」我覺得信心是像呼吸一樣自然,我從前之不信祂,是何等愚笨的事。
「我的心哪,你要稱頌耶和華……」詩篇一百零三篇1節
「我的心哪,你要稱頌耶和華!凡在我裡面的,也要稱頌祂的聖名!我的心哪,你要稱頌耶和華!不可忘記祂的一切恩惠!祂赦免你的一切罪孽!醫治你的一切疾病。祂救贖你的命脫離死亡,以仁愛和慈悲為你的冠冕。祂用美物使你所願的得以知足,以致你如鷹返老還童。」(詩一百零三篇1—5)
誰還能唱出如此優美的感恩詩歌呢?惟有基督徒能在神全然的救恩中喜樂,並為復活主所賜的健康及青春獻上讚美。
按聖經的章節來算,這五節經節正好在整本聖經的正中間。所以,盼望我們也以這五節經節作為我們生命的中心;無論從那個角度看現在、過去、未來,都存感謝。願我們能稱頌神,就像此篇最後一節所說的:「你們一切被祂造的,在祂所治理的各處,都要稱頌耶和華!」主啊,求您使我們全人能以您為中心,並充滿愛及讚美的靈。