Ⅰ.以弗所。徒18:23-19:9
一.住了些日子,又離開那裏,徒18:23
二.挨次經過加拉太和弗呂家地方,堅固眾門徒。徒18:23
壹.亞波羅放膽傳道。徒18:24-19:1
一.有一個猶太人,名叫亞波羅,來到以弗所。徒18:24
1.他生在亞力山太,是有學問(或作:口才)的,最能講解聖經。徒18:24
2.這人已經在主的道上受了教訓,徒18:25
A.心裏火熱,將耶穌的事詳細講論教訓人;
B.只是他單曉得約翰的洗禮。
二.他在會堂裏放膽講道;徒18:26
三.百基拉,亞居拉聽見,就接他來,將 神的道給他講解更加詳細。徒18:26
四.他想要往亞該亞去,弟兄們就勉勵他,並寫信請門徒接待他。徒18:27
1.他到了那裏,多幫助那蒙恩信主的人,徒18:27
2.在眾人面前極有能力駁倒猶太人,引聖經證明耶穌是基督。徒18:28
五.亞波羅在哥林多的時候,徒19:1a
貳.施洗約翰門徒領受聖靈。19:1b-19:7
一.保羅經過了上邊一帶地方,就來到以弗所;在那裏遇見幾個門徒,徒19:1
二.問他們說:「你們信的時候受了聖靈沒有?」徒19:2
三.他們回答說:「沒有,也未曾聽見有聖靈賜下來。」
四.保羅說:「這樣,你們受的是甚麼洗呢?」徒19:3
1.他們說:「是約翰的洗。」徒19:3
2.保羅說:「約翰所行的是悔改的洗,徒19:4
3.告訴百姓當信那在他以後要來的,就是耶穌。徒19:4
4.他們聽見這話,就奉主耶穌的名受洗。徒19:5
五.保羅按手在他們頭上,聖靈便降在他們身上,徒19:6
1.他們就說方言,又說豫言(或作:又講道)徒19:6
2.一共約有十二個人。徒19:7
參.保羅放膽講道三個月。徒19:8-9
一.保羅進會堂,放膽講道,一連三個月,辯論神國的事,勸化眾人。徒19:8
二.後來,有些人心裏剛硬不信,在眾人面前毀謗這道,徒19:9
三.保羅就離開他們,也叫門徒與他們分離,徒19:9今天: | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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總計: | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
August 29
"And he went out carrying his own cross." (John 19:17.)
THERE is a poem called "The Changed Cross." It represents a weary one who thought that her cross was surely heavier than those of others whom she saw about her, and she wished that she might choose another instead of her own. She slept, and in her dream she was led to a place where many crosses lay, crosses of different shapes and sizes. There was a little one most beauteous to behold, set in jewels and gold. "Ah, this I can wear with comfort," she said. So she took it up, but her weak form shook beneath it. The jewels and the gold were beautiful, but they were far too heavy for her.
Next she saw a lovely cross with fair flowers entwinel around its sculptured form. Surely that was the one for her. She lifted it, but beneath the flowers were piercing thorns which tore her flesh.
At last, as she went on, she came to a plain cross, without jewels, without carvings, with only a few words of love inscribed upon it. This she took up and it proved the best of all, the easiest to be borne. And as she looked upon it, bathed in the radiance that fell from Heaven, she recognized her own old cross. She had found it again, and it was the best of all and lightest for her.
God knows best what cross we need to bear. We do not know, how heavy other people's cross are. We envy someone who is rich; his is a golden cross set with jewels, but we do not know how heavy it is. Here is another whose life seems very lovely. She bears a cross twined with flowers. If we could try all athe other crosses that we think lighter than our own, we would at last find that not one of them suited us so well as our own.─Glimpses through Life's Windows.
If thou, impatient, dost let slip thy cross,
Thou wilt not find it in this world again,
Nor in another; here and here alone,
Is given thee to suffer for God's sake.
In other worlds we may more perfectly,
Love Him and serve Him, praise Him,
Grow nearer and nearer to Him with delight.
But then we shall not any more
Be called to suffer, which is our appointment here.
Canst thou not suffer, then, one hour or two?
If He should call thee from thy cross today,
Saying: "It is finished─that hard cross of thine
From which thou prayest for deliverance,"
Thinkest thou not some passion of regret
Would overcome thee? Thou would'st say,
"So soon? Let me go back and suffer yet awhile
More patiently, I have not yet praised God."
Whensoe'er it comes, that summons that we look for,
It will seem soon, too soon. Let us take heed in time,
That God may now be glorified in us.
─Ugo Bassi's Sermon in a Hospital.
「主為我們捨命,我們從此就知道何為愛,我們也當為弟兄捨命。」約翰壹書三章16節
「人為朋友捨命,人的愛心沒有比這個更大的。」從主為我們而死,就向我們啟示那不可思議的愛。現在這愛的影響和能力住在我們裏面,使我們有份於實踐今天的經文:「我們也當為弟兄捨命」,而像基督的生活和愛心都應該在弟兄身上找到。
基督的十字架是藉我們對基督愛的認識來衡量的,也是根據我們對周圍肢體的愛來測知。唯有衷心對十字架上基督的愛,才能每日使我們的生命有生氣,對肢體的愛也有相同的作用;我們與基督十字架的交通而有捨己的愛,不僅彰顯於基督身上,也在週遭肢體身上。
在此,約翰對內裏生命的呼籲是完全地超然並屬靈,只有以信心接受基督親自內住在我們心中,並確實在其中運行,才能使我們接受此一命令:「若有人要跟從我就當捨己,背起他的十字架來跟從我。」除非治死天然的本性,將「老我」與「肉體」切實地與基督同釘死在十字架上,我們就能不犯罪——除非這樣,否則我們無法說:「我們喜愛祂的誡命,其誡命並非難以遵守。」
然而若非每天持續住在基督耶穌裏,與基督的死交通並傚法之,才能照祂的應許奏效,藉聖靈在我們裏面對基督的啟示和榮耀,我們能深信祂的生命要住在我們裏面;祂要證明加略山上的愛,只有祂能親自使我們說祂的生命傾注在我們裏面,我也當為周圍弟兄而活的真理。只有藉著基督內住,才能使教會做到以基督的愛對待弟兄;而別人也因此看出我們是基督的門徒;世人也才會相信神已經恩待我,像祂愛基督一樣。
「我不是對你說過,你若信,就必看見神的榮耀麼?」約翰福音十一章40節
你在信仰方面敢作敢為的事,在理性方面你必感覺得衝突。理性不是信仰,信仰不是理性;它們的關係,就如自然和聖靈的關係。在你理性所不能信的時候,你能信靠基督麼?當你的理性認為不真,你能英勇的照耶穌基督的話去做嗎?在山上是容易說──「啊,是的,我信神能作這個」,但是你到被鬼附著的山谷裡,遇見事實,你會諷笑你變形山上的信仰的全部。無論甚麼時候,我心裡的信仰的程序是清楚明白的,我所經過的事情總有與它相牴觸的事。惟願我能說我相信神供給我一切的需要,但是,到遇見困難而無出路的時候,我是緊緊握著信心呢?還是退後呢?
信仰是必得試驗的,因為信仰,必要經過衝突,才能為私人所有。此刻你的信仰有否難的問題?這種試驗不是保證你的信仰正確,便是消滅你的信仰。「凡不因我跌倒的,就有福了」。最後一著,就是信任耶穌。絕然信靠祂,「凡你所遇見的,都足以發展你的信仰。」在信仰的生活裡,有不斷的試驗,最末後的大試驗就是死。但願神保守我們,使我們能應付前面的戰爭!信仰是以不能用言語形容的信心信靠神,絕不想到祂不在我們旁邊援助我們!
「……聽命勝於獻祭……」撒母耳記上十五章22節
當我們順服神時,祂常以醫治我們為報酬。若是我們要討祂的喜悅,得到討祂喜悅的人的獎賞,最令祂接受的事奉,則是我們對祂的讚美。
讓我們帶著歡喜及感恩的心接待神,那麼祂就會使我們的臉上反映出祂的榮光。再說,活潑的生命、健康的體魄,都是一個快樂的心所帶來的產品。
事實上,感恩的態度是建立信心的前奏,讚美的心則能使信心同時成長。懂得感恩的人總是樂觀,而且只看神輝煌的一面;也只有用這樣的心態,我們才能永遠地倚靠祂。不信的人則老是看著自己的問題,但問題往往越看越大,甚至變成了高山峻嶺,結果叫人信心全失。有感恩之心的人無論在何種情況下,都能找到令他快樂的原因。反之,悲觀的人即使在晴空萬里時,也能找到一片烏雲,或是在最甜的香膏中發現一隻蒼蠅。願我們能培養出一個喜樂的靈,並且在神和我們的生命中,不斷地發現那些能激勵我們的事,使我們沒有時間懷疑或是懼怕。