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"The angel of the Lord came upon him (peter) and a light shined in the prison; and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off." (Acts 12:7.)
"And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God... And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and every one's bands were loosed." (Acts 16:25,26)
THIS is God's way. In the darkest hours of the night, His tread draws near across the billows. As the day of execution is breaking, the angel comes to Peter's cell. When the scaffold for Mordecai is complete, the royal sleeplessness leads to a reaction in favor of the favored race.
Ah, soul, it may have to come to the worst with thee ere thou art delivered; but thou wilt be delivered! God may keep thee waiting, but he will ever be mindful of His covenant, and will appear to fulfill His inviolable word.
─F. B. meyer.
There's a simplicity about God in working out His plans, yet a resourcefulness equal to any difficulty, and an unswerving faithfulness to His trusting child, and an unforgetting steadiness in holding to His purpose. Through a fellow-prisoner, then a dream, He lifts Joseph from a prison to a premiership. And the length of stay in the prison prevents dizziness in the premier. It's safe to trust God's methods and to go by His clock.
─S. D. Gordon.
Providence hath a thousand keys to open a thousand sundry doors for the deliverance of His own, when it is even come to a desperate case. Let us be faithful; and care for our own part which is to suffer for Him, and lay Christ's part on Himself, and leave it there.
-George MacDonald.
Difficulty is the very atmosphere of miracle-it is miracle in its first stage. If it is to be a great miracle, the condition is not difficulty but impossibility.
The clinging hand of His child makes a desperate situation a delight to Him.
每種美德和良善都將把我們帶到兩種不同的路上,也許藉著外在人為的規定或格言,或者藉內在更新的靈使我們更新。通常人們只是改變外表的行為,然而這是假冒的約束;學習和得到良善的方法絕無捷徑,必須要花時間在我們裏面運行。因為律法本是引導我們接觸福音的良師,但只在外表修養也許可使人成為好人,但如使徒書信所說「無法使人得以完全」,而我們又如此迫切需要完全,所以整本聖經都明明指出,除非他們接受救恩,否則他們無法為善或得利。除了有信奉基督的心志,否則這些都不在他們裏面,教導能使人尋得知識和亮光的基礎及根源;並指示我們如何在我們裏面得到真的亮光和生命,以及聖潔的能力。
「從這兩種生命和教導就能看出這兩種不同的美德和良善,假如你是由書本或他人學習外表上的修養,那你只能在公眾場合的時間中有此德性。你或許盡所能地實行所學謙卑、愛心,外面的禱告等美德,但是禱告的靈、愛的靈和謙卑的靈,需從神的靈和亮光中獲得。所以不是只在外表受教育,而是在裏面得到靈的更新。」
哦!教會有何等多外表的教導,而忽略內在的德性。讓我們完全信靠聖靈直接的教導和運行,使我們裏面有屬天新生的樣式。
「天上地上所有的權柄,都賜給我了,所以你們要去,使萬民作我的門徒。」馬太福音廿八章18—19節
激發宣教師的因由,是耶穌基督的威權,不是外邦人的需要。我們很容易把我們的主,看為一位助我們成功神的事業的神,而我們的主卻以自己是支配門徒的大主宰。祂沒有說,如果我們不去,外邦人就不能得救;祂只說:「所以你們要去,使萬民作我的門徒。」藉著主的權威的啟示前進;教訓宣傳關於我的活經驗。
「十一個門徒……到了耶穌約定的山上。」(太廿八16)如果我要知道基督的普遍的權威,我自己就當知道祂,以及怎樣與祂發生個別的團契。「可以到我這裡來」──這是會晤耶穌的地點。你是勞苦擔重擔的人麼?有多少宣教師是這樣啊!而我們將那普世權威者的妙語,就是耶穌向門徒所說的話,當為次要,未免可惜。
「所以你們要去……」「去」的意思是生活。使徒行傳一章8節是去的解釋。耶穌不說──到耶路撒冷,猶太,撒瑪利亞去,卻說──在這些地方,「你們就必作我的見證。」去是我們的事,結果是祂的事。「你們若住在我裡面,我的話就住在你裡面……」我們如此行,便把「去」的動力保持在我們私人生活裡了。無論我們往那裡,是不關緊要的;這是神所要安排的。
「這些事沒有能動我的……」那就表明你具有而不返的傾向。
「……撒但,退我後邊去罷!」馬太福音十六章23節
如果你的老我似乎又復活了,而你又聽從它、害怕它、相信它,那麼它就能像從來沒有釘死過那樣的影響你。它不僅能控制你,至終完全毀了你。所以,面對這種情形,我們應該忽視它,並對它說:「你並非我,你是撒但!你想使我相信我的老我未被釘死,我拒絕你;你乃是我體外的邪惡勢力,我與你毫不相干!」如此那惡者就會消失,那黑影子也會不見,因為信心能驅逐邪惡的靈,把牠趕回黑暗深淵。然後,基督才能以祂復活的生命,帶給我們信心及勝利。
撒但最不能忍受的就是被忽略。如果我們輕視牠,牠會厭煩,然後消失無蹤。耶穌就曾轉過祂的身體對撒但說:「退我後邊去罷!」所以,讓我們也拒絕撒但,靠著我們的信心,撒但會被我們驅逐出去。
我曾經認為我將永遠在掙扎中過日子,
因為我的老我充滿了罪惡。
然而現在有一位滿有能力的主扶持我,
潔淨、保守我,更時時住在我的裡面。