11月13日 一年的第318天 筆者:黃哲輝牧師
讀經:徒10-12章
第10章主要在講:「彼得異象向外邦傳福音」。
在該撒利亞義大利營的百夫長哥尼流,是虔誠人、敬畏神、賙濟百姓、常常禱告的義人,在下午三點禱告時,在異象中天使吩咐找人去約帕叫彼得來,他就找三個人去,將近城時,彼得魂遊象外見異象,上帝一連三次叫他吃不潔淨的物,隨即收回天上,彼得正猜疑,那三人就來彼得,住了一宿後,彼得就同約帕的弟兄,進入該撒利亞,哥尼流跟他講他的經歷的異象,於是於彼得就開口向他們講道,還說話的時候,他們就被聖靈充滿說方言,於是彼得就為他們施洗。
◎心得分享:上帝要彼得向外邦人宣教,但是因為他拒絕了,所以不潔淨的物就收回去,雖然他也向外邦人傳福音禱告,但是之後彼得的服事聖經就沒特別寫,反而保羅接著這個服事的異象,把福音往天下傳去,一旦我們拒絕神,神就很難再使用我們。
第11章主要在講:「外邦的安提阿教會興旺」。
使徒和猶大眾弟兄指責彼得進入未受割禮的外邦人家與他們一同吃飯,彼得把他自己見異象的事以及為外邦人禱告,他們受聖靈和受洗的事告訴他們,眾人就不言語,只歸榮耀給上帝。門徒遭患難四散只向猶太人講,「居比路、古利奈人」到了安提阿向希臘人人傳講主耶穌,信而歸主的很久,耶路撒冷教會就打發巴拿巴到安提阿,巴拿巴就到大數找掃羅(保羅)到安提阿教會聚會,有一年之內,門徒稱為基督徒是從安提阿起首,有先知預言耶路撒冷有饑荒,果然有了,門徒就定意,照各人的力量捐錢,托巴拿巴和掃羅(保羅),送到眾長老那裡。
◎心得分享:安提阿教會是一個外邦人的教會,因為猶太人不對外邦人傳福音,但是因為「居比路、古利奈人」的熱心傳道,安提安的教會就成立,安提阿教會的增長就比耶路撒冷的教會更快更好,教會的存在是為了要使萬民作主門徒而存在,不是為信徒「彼此取暖」而設立的。
第12章主要在講:「雅各被殺彼得被天使救」。
希律王下手苦害教會,用刀殺了門徒雅各(第一個殉道的),見猶太人高興,就去捉拿彼得收在監裡,被兩條鐵鍊鎖著,當時教會為他切切禱告,天使拍彼得的肋旁,鐵鍊脫落,叫他束上帶子穿上鞋,跟著走,彼得不知道是真的,走過二層監牢,就來到臨街鐵門開了,走過一條街,才醒悟過來知道是天使救了他,彼得到了信徒聚集禱告的地方敲門,使女羅大聽見彼得的聲音,顧不得開門,就先跑去告訴眾人,眾人認為使女瘋了,彼得不住的敲門,他們開了門就甚驚奇,彼得擺手不要他們作聲,把天使領他出來的事告訴他們,天亮希律就把看守的人殺了,希律到了該撒利亞,他惱怒推羅、西頓人,他在所定的日子,穿上朝服,對百姓講論一番,百姓說:「這是神的聲音,不是人的聲音」,希律不歸榮耀給神,天使罰他,他就被蟲所咬,氣就絕了,上帝的道日漸興旺,巴拿巴和掃羅從耶路撒冷帶著馬可同去。
◎心得分享:這一章讓我們看到都是主耶穌的門徒,同樣的呼召,卻有不同樣的結局,有人早逝,有人晚逝,無論早逝或晚逝,相同的態度,就是為主殉道,人生活著重要的「不在乎長度,而是在乎深度與亮度」,求神幫助我們要活得精彩。
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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。