11月30日 一年的第335天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:林後10-13章
哥林多後書第10章主要在講:「盼望:主權柄是造就非敗壞」。
我用基督的溫柔和平勸你們,1.讓我在你們中間不要有憑著血氣行事的勇敢,2.主賜給我權柄是要造就你們,不是敗壞你們:你們有人說保羅的信,又沉重又利害,及至見面,卻是氣貌不揚,言語粗俗,3.我在信上言語如何?見面的時候,行事也必如何?4.我指望你們信心增長,得以將福音傳到你們以外的地方,不是自己稱許的,乃是主所稱許的。
◎心得分享:。
哥林多後書第11章主要在講:「盼望:多受勞苦更是神僕人」。
我曾把你們許配一個丈夫,把你們如同貞潔的童女獻給基督:1.我一點都不在最大使徒以下,我的言語雖然粗俗,我的知識卻不粗俗,2.我白白傳上帝福音給你們,自居卑微,虧負別的教會,向他們取了工價來給你們效力,3.我缺乏的時候,沒有累到你們,我沒有拿你們的工價,是因我不愛你們嗎?不是的,是要斷絕假使徒尋機會的機會,4.我是基督的僕人:比別人多受勞苦、多下監牢、多受鞭打,遇船難,多次不得睡、又飢又餓、多次不得食、受寒冷走身露體,5.除了外面的事,還有為眾教會掛心的事,天天壓在我身上,有誰軟弱,我不軟弱?有誰軟弱,我不焦急?我若必須自誇,就關於我軟弱的事。
◎心得分享:。
哥林多後書第12章主要在講:「盼望:用神蹟顯出使徒憑據」。
我自誇固然無益,但我是不得己:1.我曾在十四年前被提到三層天,到了樂園聽見隱秘的言語,是人不可說的,2.我就是願意誇口,也不算狂,上帝恐怕我因所得啟示自高,就有一根刺在我肉體上,就是撒但差役攻擊我,我三次禱告求主叫這刺離開我,祂對我說「恩典夠我用」,3.我為基督緣故,就以軟弱、凌辱、急難、逼迫、困苦篤可喜樂,我甚麼時候軟弱,甚麼時候就剛強,4.我在你們中間用百般忍耐,藉著神蹟奇事異能,顯出使徒的憑據,5.我打算第三次到你們那裡,所求一切事,都是為造就你們。
◎心得分享:。
哥林多後書第13章主要在講:「盼望:所求是你們作完全人」。
我第三次要到你們那裡,1.憑著作見證的定準,就犯罪的人,必不寬容,因基督在你們身上不是軟弱,而是大能,2.你們總要自己省察、試驗自己的信心沒有,3.我盼望所求的,是你們一件惡事都不作,行事端正,扶助真理,作完全人,4.末了的話,要喜樂作完全人,受安慰、要同心合意,彼此和睦,務要聖潔。
◎心得分享:。
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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。