11月11日 一年的第316天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:徒03-05章
使徒行傳第03章主要在講:「彼得醫治美門口瘸腿的」。
在下午三點的時候,彼得、約翰上聖殿,在殿的美門口有一個四十多歲生來是瘸腿的,指望彼得、約翰賙濟他,彼得說:「金銀我都沒有,只把我所有的給你,我奉拿撒勒耶穌的名,叫你起來行走」,拉著他的右手,扶他起來,他的腳立刻建壯,跳起來走著、跳著讚美上帝,當時眾百姓一起跑到他們那裡,覺得希奇,彼得就對他們講道:「為什麼定晴看我們,以為我們憑著自己的能力和虔誠使這人行走嗎?不是的,我們是因信耶穌的名,才能叫你們看見這人建壯,所以你們當悔改歸正,使你們的罪得以塗抹,這樣安舒的日子,必從主面前臨到,你們各人要回轉,離開罪」。
◎心得分享:用錢賙濟人,是必需的,但是要真正幫助一個人,不只是解決這個人的「生活問題」,更重要的是解決人「心靈的需要」,叫人遇見上帝,經歷上帝,才是重要,是的!再多的錢,再多的賙濟,都不能解決人根本問題,只有當人遇到上帝,才能解決,現代傳道人最可怕的事,是「金和銀我都有,但是耶穌我沒有」,求神幫助我們,最重要的不是要有「錢」,而是要有「耶穌」。
使徒行傳第04章主要在講:「彼得約翰被拿被審被放」。
當使徒彼得對百姓講道的時候,當時約有五千人,祭司們、守殿的官、撒都該人他們忽然來了,他們因徒徒們的教訓就煩惱,於是下手拿住他們,押到第二天。第二天使徒們被帶到大祭司面前,問他們:「用甚麼能力、奉誰的名作這事?」,徒得說;「是拿撒人耶穌,祂是匠人所棄的石頭,成了房角的頭塊石頭,除祂以外別無拯救,因為天下人間,沒有賜下別的名,我們可以靠著得救」,他們看出使徒們是沒有學問的小民,就希奇,恐嚇他們禁止他們不可奉耶穌的名講論,就把彼得、約翰釋放,他們到了會友那裡,把所發生的事告訴他們,他們就同心合意讚美上帝禱告,「求主鑒察,一面叫僕人大放膽量講道,另一方面因著耶穌的名,行出神蹟奇事」,禱告完了,聚會的地方震動,他們就都被聖靈充滿,許多人信的人,都是一心一意,大家把自己的東西賣了,拿出來大家公用,教會內中沒有一個人是缺乏。巴拿巴有田地賣了,把價銀,拿來放在使徒腳前。
◎心得分享:我們要常常這樣的禱告,「求主鑒察,一面叫僕人大放膽量講道,另一方面因著耶穌的名,行出神蹟奇事」。當時教會內中沒有一個人是缺乏,上帝的恩典都是夠每一個用,為什麼教會有人缺乏呢?因為有的人是自私的,不願把他有的分享,才會造成貧富的差距,求神幫助我們,要有願意分享的心與行動,像勸慰子巴拿巴一樣。
使徒行傳第05章主要在講:「欺哄聖靈與使徒再被囚」。
亞拿尼亞,賣了田產,把價銀私自留下幾分,放在彼得得面前,彼對他說:「你欺哄聖靈,把田地的價銀私下留下幾分,你不是欺哄人,是欺哄上帝」,他就仆倒斷氣死了,過了三個小時,他的妻子來,彼得問她:「你們賣的是這些嗎?」,她說:「是的」,彼得說你們夫妻同心試探主的靈,於是婦人仆倒斷了氣死了,全教會都懼怕。使徒在民間行了許多神蹟奇事,大祭司和撒都該教門的人,滿心忌恨就下手拿住徒徒,收在外監。但主的徒者,開了監門領他們出來,他們就繼續在殿裡教訓百姓,大祭司問他們為什麼不聽話,繼續奉主的名傳講耶穌的事,彼得回答:「順從上帝,不順從人是應當」,公會的人聽見就惱怒,想要殺使徒們,他們叫了使徒來,打了他們吩咐他們不可奉耶穌名講道,就把他們釋放了。使徒以為主名受辱為歡喜,每日在殿裡,教訓人傳講耶穌是基督。
◎心得分享:這一章讓我們看到使徒的信心與勇氣,不懼怕大祭司的恐嚇、囚禁、毒打,彼得回答的好:「順從上帝,不順從人是應當」,我們要學習有「為義受逼迫」勇氣,求神幫助我們一生忠心愛主,為主獻上生命。
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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。