11月21日 一年的第326天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:帖前01-05章
帖撒羅尼迦前書第01章主要在講:「稱讚教會」。
帖撒羅尼迦教會的特點是:1.因信心作工夫、因愛心受勞苦、因盼望存忍耐,2.是蒙揀選的人,3.在大患難中蒙了聖靈賜下喜樂,領受真道,4.效法了保羅,也效法了主耶穌,成了馬其頓和亞該亞信主之人的榜樣,5.離棄偶像,服事上帝,等候神的兒子從天降臨。因此保羅:1.為他們感謝上帝,2.禱告的時候不住的記念他們,3.在傳福音上是用:言語、權能、聖靈、充足的信心。
◎心得分享:帖撒羅尼迦教會,正遇到患難,然而他們面對問題,是用信心、愛心、盼望、領受聖靈的喜樂的態度在處理問題,因此能領受真道,效法保羅,也效法主耶穌,成了信徒的榜樣,「患難」是給上帝給我們的祝福,只有經歷過患難的人,才能安慰在患難中的人,惟有經過患難得勝的人,才能得到榮耀冠冕。
帖撒羅尼迦前書第02章主要在講:「表白愛心」。
保羅表明了他對教會的愛:1.在被害受辱大爭戰中,仍然靠上帝放開膽量傳福音給你們,2.為討上帝的喜歡,勸勉你們,不是出於錯誤、污穢、詭詐,不是討人喜歡,也沒有藏著貪心,3.沒有向人求榮耀,只存溫柔的心疼愛,如同母親乳養自己的孩子,不但願意給福音,連性命也願意給,4.辛苦勞碌、畫夜作工傳福音,向你們是何等聖潔、公義、無可指摘,囑咐你們像父親待自己的兒女,5.暫時別離,心卻不離別,極力想辨法見你們,但是撒但阻擋,我們盼望和喜樂,就是你們在耶穌面前站立得住。
◎心得分享:這一章讓我們看到保羅對帖撒羅尼迦教會的愛,是如此深,像母親的愛,也像父親的愛,甚至為了他們,連自己性命也願意給出去,師傅雖有一萬,但是為父的卻不多,保羅的愛是深切,求神也把這樣愛教會的心,放在我們心裡。
帖撒羅尼迦前書第03章主要在講:「堅固信仰」。
我們相見你們心,不能再忍,就打發提摩太去在你們所信的道上堅固勸慰你們,免得有人被患難搖動,受患難原是命定,提摩太回來將你們的信心和愛心以及想念我們的心的好消息,報給我們,因你們信心就得了安慰甚是喜樂,晝夜祈求,要見你們的面,補滿信心的不足,希望上帝引領我們到你們那裡,見你們彼此相愛心增長充足,在主耶穌來的時候,你們心裡堅固、成為聖潔、無可責備。
◎心得分享:心動不如行動,到底帖撒羅迦教會在患難中,會不會放棄信仰呢?於是保羅派提摩太去了解他們的情形,知道他們在患難中,仍然存著信心、愛心、就得到安慰與喜樂,而且期盼他們,持守這樣的心,直到耶穌來的時候。
帖撒羅尼迦前書第04章主要在講:「教導聖潔」。
勸你們領受教訓以後,就要1.更加勉勵討上帝的喜悅,神的旨意就是要:成為聖潔、遠避淫行,用聖潔尊貴守著自己的身體,不放縱私慾像外邦人,2.不要越分,欺負弟兄,要彼此相愛。3.要更加勉勵立志作安靜人,辦自己的事,親手作工,向外人行事端正,4.要用主耶穌會從天降臨,我們會被提到雲裡,在空中與主相遇的話,彼此勸慰。
◎心得分享:有好的信仰,也要有好的行為,神的旨意就是要我們成為聖潔、遠避淫行,而要達到這樣的標準,最好的方式是:立志作安靜的人、辦自己的事、親手作工、行事端正。「日子如何、力量就如何」,求神幫助我們過聖潔的生命,親手作正經事。
帖撒羅尼迦前書第05章主要在講:「鼓勵行善」。
主來的日子,要像夜間的賊一樣,人正說平安穩妥,災禍忽然臨到,1.你們是光明之子,不要睡覺像別人一樣,總要儆醒謹守,把信和愛當作護心鏡遮胸,把得救的盼望當作頭盔戴上,上帝是豫定我們藉耶穌得救,他替我們死,2.要彼此勸慰、互相建立,叫我們無論醒著睡著,都與耶穌同活,3.要敬重在主裡面勞苦、治理、勸戒你們的,用愛心格外尊重他們,你們也要彼此和睦:警戒不守規矩,勉勵灰心的,扶助軟弱,要向眾人忍耐,4.要追求良善:A.不以惡報惡,B.常常喜樂、不住的禱告、凡事謝恩,這是神的旨意,D.不要銷滅聖靈的感動,不要藐視先知的講論,凡事察驗:善美要持守、惡事要禁戒不作,E.靈、魂、身子得蒙保守,主耶穌降臨時,完全無可指摘。
◎心得分享:要追求良善,在跟人的關係上:要彼此勸慰、互相建立,也要用愛心敬重教會的領袖,在與上帝關係上:要常常喜樂、不住的禱告、凡事謝恩,在聖靈的感動上:要有客觀的心,凡事察驗的心,善美要持好,不作惡事,與自己關係上:要聖潔,無可指摘。
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"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."(Gal. 6:14)
THEY were living to themselves; self with its hopes, and promises and dreams, still had hold of them; but the Lord began to fulfill their prayers. They had asked for contrition, and had surrendered for it to be given them at any cost, and He sent them sorrow; they had asked for purity, and He sent them thrilling anguish; they had asked to be meek, and He had broken their hearts; they had asked to be dead to the world, and He slew all their living hopes; they had asked to be made like unto Him, and He placed them in the furnace, sitting by "as a refiner and purifier of silver," until they should reflect His image; they had asked to lay hold of His cross, and when He had reached it to them it lacerated their hands.
They had asked they knew not what, nor how, but He had taken them at their word, and granted them all their petitions. They were hardly willing to follow Him so far, or to draw so night to Him. They had upon them an awe and fear, as Jacob at Bethel, or Eliphaz in the night visions, or as the apostles when they thought that they had seen a spirit, and knew not that it was Jesus. They could almost pray Him to depart from them, or to hide His awfulness. They found it easier to obey than to suffer, to do than to give up, to bear the cross than to hang upon it. But they cannot to back, for they have come too near the unseen cross, and its virtues have pierced too deeply within them. He is fulfilling to them His promise, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32).
But now at last their turn has come. Before, they had only heard of the mystery, but now they feel it. He has fastened on them His look of love, as He did on Mary and Peter, and they can but choose to follow.
Little by little, from time to time, by fitting gleams, the mystery of His cross shines out upon them. They behold Him lifted up, they gaze on the glory which rays from the wounds of His holy passion; and as they gaze they advance, and are changed into His likeness, and His name shines out throught them, for He dwells in them. They live alone with Him above, in unspeakable fellowship; willing to lack what others own (and what they might have had), and to be unlike all, so that they are only like Him.
Such, are they in all ages, "who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."
Had they chosen for themselves, or their friends chosen for them, they would have chosen otherwise. They would have been brighter here, but less glorious in His Kingdom. They would have had Lot's portion, not Abraham's. If they had halted anywhere-if God had taken off His hand and let them stray back-what would they not have lost? What forfeits in the resurrection?
But He stayed them up, even against themselves. Many a time their foot had well night slipped; but He in mercy held them up. Now, even in this life, they know that all He did was done well. It was good to suffer here, that they might reign hereafter; to bear the cross below, for they shall wear the crown above; and that not their will but His was done on them and in them.
-Anonymous.
基督曾說過:「我心柔和謙卑,你們當學我的樣式,這樣你們心裏就必得享安息。」這兒有雙重的真理,有忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的美德,這與傚法基督或信靠祂有相同的意義;同時因著你有這些美德,可以完全脫離亞當墮落的本性而有信靠主高尚的行為。
連帶而有的福份,是因著脫離罪惡和對基督初步信仰、期望,受基督忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的靈引導並管理;當你具有這些德性,你的生命就有目的,是真理和生命的基督才會在你裏面,你不再掌權,而是基督在你裏面活著。除非你願在忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好裏治死老我,否則神聖愛的靈,因無立足之地而不能在你裏面產生;而當你又為不忍耐、驕傲所困擾之際,馬上完全捨己,求神施恩幫助。當你遇到難處就促使與神親近,最能使你忍耐接受神的幫助,我們對神有多少信心和期望就可得多少的啟示。
「這些雖然很簡短,但是真正確的教義,使我們因賜下的救恩而真正完全順服神的啟示下,也真正宣告承認三而一的真神。」現在願你有個思想:完全將我的心靈獻上,單單尋求救恩,直接藉著溫柔、謙卑、忍耐和與神和好的力量,使我的生命有屬天的德性。
「並且要作這更大的事,因為我往父那裡去。」約翰福音十四章12節
祈禱不是叫我們適於那偉大的工作;祈禱本身就是偉大的工作。我們以為祈禱,是叫我們得到較高的能力,去應付神的工作。但按照耶穌基督的眼光看,祈禱是我本已救贖的奇蹟,藉著神的能力,同時也是別人救贖的奇蹟。結果子之方法,是祈禱,但須記取的,這種祈禱是建立在救贖的痛苦,不是建立於我的痛苦。一個小孩能獲得祈禱的答覆,一個聰明人反而得不著。
你無論在那裡祈禱總是一種戰爭。不管神製造環境的方法怎樣,本分就是祈禱。切不可如此作想──「我所在的地方,不見得有用;」因為你不在的地方,你必沒有有用。無論神安排你在那裡,祈禱,常常向祂祈禱。「你們若奉我的名求甚麼,我必成就。」(約十四13)我們不肯祈禱,我們得不著奮興,就不肯祈禱,那就是靈性自私的極度形態。我們要依照神的指導而勞動,但祂指導我們的是祈禱,「所以你們當求莊稼的主,打發工人出去,收祂的莊稼。
通常的工人對於工作,是沒有興奮的,但是成功通常是工作勞作出來的;同樣基督的概念,沒有那些勞苦的聖徒是不會發現的。你慇勤祈禱,從神的立場看,是無時不發生效果的。當帕子揭開,一種說不出的驚奇必然發現,你可以看出你是慣於接受耶穌基督的命令的,已經為祂收穫了不少的靈魂。
「……亞伯拉罕信神……」羅馬書四章3節
亞伯拉罕的信心是向著神本身的,他認識帶領他的神,所以他對神有絕對的信心。
亞伯拉罕一生的秘訣在於他與神的友誼。他所認識的神是一位偉大、良善、信實的朋友。無怪乎他能聽神的話,從他自身所愛的本家本族出來,走向一條未知的道路。
除了信靠神的話語,我們是否已學會把自己全然交給神呢?神有無限的愛及力量,祂是與我們立約的主並永遠的好朋友。
經上告訴我們,亞伯拉罕因著信心而榮耀了神。最能榮耀神的辦法,乃是讓世人看見神是誰,以及祂的大能力。神並不希望藉著我們所能做的事,讓世人知道祂能做什麼;神也不用那些有乖謬性格的器皿。相反的,祂一直在找尋那些謙卑的人,並用這些人在世世代代中榮耀祂。