Ⅲ.羅馬二年。徒28:11-31 (第七站 放膽講神國道無人禁止)
壹.經過路線。徒28:11-15
一.上「丟斯雙子」記號的亞力山太船。徒28:11-14
1.過了三個月,我們上了亞力山太的船往前行;徒28:11
這船以「丟斯雙子」為記,是在那海島過了冬的。
2.到了敘拉古,我們停泊三日;徒28:12
3.又從那裏繞行,來到利基翁。徒28:13
4.過了一天,起了南風,第二天就來到部丟利。徒28:13
5.在那裏遇見弟兄們,請我們與他們同住了七天。這樣,我們來到羅馬。徒28:14
二.亞比烏和三館地方迎接保羅。徒28:15
1.那裏的弟兄們一聽見我們的信息就出來,
2.到亞比烏巿和三館地方迎接我們。
3.保羅見了他們,就感謝神,放心壯膽。
貳.羅馬講道。徒28:16-31
一.進了羅馬城,保羅蒙准和一個看守他的兵另住在一處。徒28:16
二.過了三天,保羅請猶太人的首領來。他們來了,就對他們說:徒28:17
1.弟兄們,我雖沒有作甚麼事干犯本國的百姓和我們祖宗的規條,徒28:17
A.卻被鎖綁,從耶路撒冷解在羅馬人的手裏。徒28:17
B.他們審問了我,就願意釋放我;徒28:18
C.因為在我身上,並沒有該死的罪。徒28:18
2.無奈猶太人不服,我不得已,只好上告於該撒,徒28:19
並非有甚麼事要控告我本國的百姓。
3.因此,我請你們來見面說話,徒28:20
4.我原為以色列人所指望的,被這鍊子捆鎖。徒28:20
三.他們說:「我們並沒有接著從猶太來論你的信,徒28:21
1.也沒有弟兄到這裏來報給我們說你有甚麼不好處。徒28:21
2.但我們願意聽你的意見如何;徒28:22
3.因為這教門,我們曉得是到處被毀謗的。徒28:22
四.他們和保羅約定了日子,就有許多人到他的寓處來。徒28:23
1.保羅從早到晚,對他們講論這事,徒28:23
A.證明神國的道,
B.引摩西的律法和先知的書,
C.以耶穌的事勸勉他們。
2.他所說的話,有信的,有不信的。徒28:24
3.他們彼此不合,就散了;未散以先,保羅說了一句話,說:徒28:25
A.聖靈藉先知以賽亞向你們祖宗所說的話是不錯的。徒28:25
B.他說:你去告訴這百姓說:徒28:26
a.你們聽是要聽見,卻不明白;看是要看見,卻不曉得;徒28:26
b.因為這百姓油蒙了心,耳朵發沉,眼睛閉著;徒28:27
c.恐怕眼睛看見,耳朵聽見,心裏明白,徒28:27
d.回轉過來,我就醫治他們。徒28:27
C.徒所以你們當知道,神這救恩,如今傳給外邦人,他們也必聽受。28:28
D.(保羅說了這話,猶太人議論紛紛的就走了。)徒28:29
五.保羅在自己所租的房子裏住了足足兩年。徒28:30
1.凡來見他的人,他全都接待,徒28:30
2.放膽傳講神國的道,將主耶穌基督的事教導人,徒28:31
3.並沒有人禁止。徒28:31
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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。