[基督徒] 竭诚为主 章伯斯 [灵修]

《竭诚为主》4月22日 褪去的光

我们众人既然敞着脸，得以看见主的荣光……（林后三18）


神的仆人必须时常独处，以致不觉得自己是孤单的。在信徒生活的初期，很容易灰心失意，本来是领导的人黯然消失，本来与我们一起事奉的人离开了。我们必须视为寻常，以致不觉得自己是孤单的。“没有人前来帮助，竟都离弃我…..惟有主站在我旁边。”（提后四16-17）。我们的信心，不是建立在会熄灭的光上，乃是在那不灭的光。我们会为“伟人”逝世而伤心，除非明白他们是命定要过去的。那不能消逝的，只有一件，就是仰望神的脸。


别让任何事物阻碍你仰望神，从他的面光中，去正视你自己和你的信念；每次讲道之前，记得先仰望向神，把事情全摆在他脸光之下；这样，必一直有他的荣光。主的工人必须不断的与神面对面，然后才去向人传道。基督工作的特色，就是有那不自觉的荣光同在。“摩西不知道自己的面有荣光，因耶和华和他说话而使他发光。”神从没有叫我们把疑惑显示出来，也没有叫我们把与神相交的喜乐张扬。神工人生活的秘诀，就是一直与神保持和谐的关系。


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April 22 The Light That Fails


“We all with open face beholding . . . the glory of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18


A servant of God must stand so much alone that he never knows he is alone. In the first phases of Christian life disheartenments come, people who used to be lights flicker out, and those who used to stand with us pass away. We have to get so used to it that we never know we are standing alone. “All men forsook me . . notwithstanding the Lord stood with me” (2 Tim. 4:16-17). We must build our faith, not on the fading light, but on the light that never fails. When “big” men go we are sad, until we see that they are meant to go, the one thing that remains is looking in the face of God for ourselves.


Allow nothing to keep you from looking God sternly in the face about yourself and about your doctrine, and every time you preach see that you look God in the face about things first, then the glory will remain all through. A Christian worker is one who perpetually looks in the face of God and then goes forth to talk to people. The characteristic of the ministry of Christ is that of unconscious glory that abides. “Moses wist not that the skin of his face shone while he talked with Him.”


We are never called on to parade our doubts or to express the hidden ecstasies of our life with God. The secret of the worker’s life is that he keeps in tune with God all the time.

《竭诚为主》4月23日 崇拜工作


      与神同工。（林前三9）

      
当心别让任何为神的工作，叫你离开对神的专注。许多主的工人敬拜自己的工作。工人唯一应该关注的，是集中于神身上，其他生活的一切，如精神、道德、灵性等等，都像赤子般的自由——一个敬拜神的孩子，不是背逆的儿女。神的工人若没有这种认真对神专注的心，就很容易被工作打垮，以致身体、心思、精神，没有丝毫的自由；结果身体疲惫耗尽，心力交瘁，失去自由，生活也没有乐趣。精神、心思、心灵被重压到一个地步，以致神的祝福也无法临到。另一方面，当你真的专注在神身上，生活的各方面都自由了，因只有神在掌管。工作的责任不在你身上；你唯一的责任是保持与神有活泼不断的关系，不让任何事物阻碍你与他合作。成圣后的自由，是儿女的自由，一切叫生命受制的东西都没有了。但要记住，你的自由是单单为了一件事——绝对忠于你的同工。

      
我们没有权去命令神该放我们在哪里，或自作主张地要神在哪方面操练我们。神安排一切；不论他放我们在哪里，我们最大的目的是要在那工作上面尽我们的忠诚。“凡你手所当作的事，要尽力去作。”

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      April 23 The Worship Of The Work

      “Labourers together with God.” 1 Corinthians 3:9

      Beware of any work for God which enables you to evade concentration
on Him. A great many Christian workers worship their work. The one concern of a
worker should be concentration on God, and this will mean that all the other
margins of life, mental, moral and spiritual, are free with the freedom of a
child, a worshipping child, not a wayward child. A worker without this solemn
dominant note of concentration on God is apt to get his work on his neck; there
is no margin of body, mind or spirit free, consequently he becomes spent out and
crushed. There is no freedom, no delight in life; nerves, mind and heart are so
crushingly burdened that God’s blessing cannot rest. But the other side is just
as true – when once the concentration is on God, all the margins of life are
free and under the dominance of God alone. There is no responsibility on you for
the work; the only responsibility you have is to keep in living constant touch
with God, and to see that you allow nothing to hinder your co-operation with
Him. The freedom after sanctification is the freedom of a child, the things that
used to keep the life pinned down are gone. But be careful to remember that you
are freed for one thing only – to be absolutely devoted to your
co-Worker.

      We have no right to judge where we should be put, or to have
preconceived notions as to what God is fitting us for. God engineers everything;
wherever He puts us our one great aim is to pour out a whole-hearted devotion to
Him in that particular work. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy
might.”

《竭诚为主》4月24日 放纵的警告


然而不要因鬼服了你们就欢喜。（路十20）


作主工人的，世俗不会成为网罗，罪恶也不会成为陷阱，可是属灵的放纵则会。这就是说，承受现今宗教潮流的模式，只专注于属灵的成功。除了神的赞许，千万不要追逐别的事物。要“出到营外就了他去，忍受他所受的凌辱。”耶稣吩咐门徒不要为事奉的成功而欢欣，但这却偏偏是大多数人最庆幸的。我们的眼光是很商业化的——有多少人得救、成圣、于是就感谢神，因一切都办妥了。神的恩已立好根基，我们乃是在这根基上作工；我们不是去拯救灵魂，乃是叫他们作门徒。救恩与成圣是神无限恩典的工作；身为他的门徒，我们的工作就是要使人作门徒，直至他们全然顺服神。一个全然归神的生命，比一百个仅仅被圣灵唤醒的人，更为神所珍贵。作为神的工人，我们必须在属灵上繁殖同类的生命，这要成为我们作神工人的明证。


神既藉着恩典把我们带到更高的生活水平，我们就有责任使别人也达到这种水平。除非工人过的是与基督一样藏在神里面的生活，他势必成为惹人讨厌的独裁者，而不是一个在主里作门徒的人。我们不少人是独裁者，喜欢支配人，操纵聚会，唯我独尊。耶稣却从来没有这样对我们。主每逢提到作门徒，他便一定加一个“若” 字，他从来不用强制的命令说“你必须”。作门徒是有选择的余地的。


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April 24 The Warning Against Wantoning


“Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you.” Luke 10:20


As Christian workers, worldliness is not our snare, sin is not our snare, but spiritual wantoning is, viz.: taking the pattern and print of the religious age we live in, making eyes at spiritual success. Never court anything other than the approval of God, go “without the camp, bearing His reproach.” Jesus told the disciples not to rejoice in successful service, and yet this seems to be the one thing in which most of us do rejoice. We have the commercial view – so many souls saved and sanctified, thank God, now it is all right. Our work begins where God’s grace has laid the foundation; we are not to save souls, but to disciple them. Salvation and sanctification are the work of God’s sovereign grace; our work as His disciples is to disciple lives until they are wholly yielded to God. One life wholly devoted to God is of more value to God than one hundred lives simply awakened by His Spirit. As workers for God we must reproduce our own kind spiritually, and that will be God’s witness to us as workers. God brings us to a standard of life by His grace, and we are responsible for reproducing that standard in others.



Unless the worker lives a life hidden with Christ in God, he is apt to become an irritating dictator instead of an indwelling disciple. Many of us are dictators, we dictate to people and to meetings. Jesus never dictates to us in that way. Whenever Our Lord talked about discipleship, He always prefaced it with an “IF,” never with an emphatic assertion – “You must.” Discipleship carries an option with it.

《竭诚为主》4月25日 随时随地常作准备

无论得时不得时，总要专心。（提后四2）


不少人有这一种病态情况，就是在“不得时”专心。“时”不是指时间，乃是指我们。“无论得时不得时”，就是不论我们喜欢或不喜欢。如果我们只做心想做的事，我们就永远会一事无成。在属灵的领域里，有好些派不上用场的人；也有属灵的老人，这等人若没有超然的启示，是不肯动一个指头的。其实要证明我们与神的关系，乃是本分，不管我们是否有感动。


作主工人很大的陷阱，就是高举自己某一刻的特殊经历。当神的灵给你启示与亮光，你就说：“从此我为神持守这个地位。”错了，你不能，神必使你不能如此。经历完全是神所赐的，你不能随私意据为己有。你若自称必能保持高峰状态，你就成为难以忍受的累赘；而你也要神不住地启示感动，否则就什么也不肯作。你若把自己超然的经历当作神，你会发觉神将从你生命中消失，除非你肯尽你的本分，学会不再崇信自己的超然经历。


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April 25 Instant In Season


“Be instant in season, out of season.” 2 Timothy 4:2


Many of us suffer from the morbid tendency to be instant “out of season.” The season does not refer to time, but to us – ‘Be instant in season, out of season,” whether we feel like it or not. If we do only what we feel inclined to do, some of us would do nothing for ever and ever. There are unemployables in the spiritual domain, spiritually decrepit people, who refuse to do anything unless they are supernaturally inspired. The proof that we are rightly related to God is that we do our best whether we feel inspired or not.



One of the great snares of the Christian worker is to make a fetish of his rare moments. When the Spirit of God gives you a time of inspiration and insight, you say – “Now I will always be like this for God.” No, you will not, God will take care you are not. Those times are the gift of God entirely. You cannot give them to yourself when you choose. If you say you will only be at your best, you become an intolerable drag on God; you will never do anything unless God keeps you consciously inspired. If you make a god of your best moments, you will find that God will fade out of your life and never come back until you do the duty that lies nearest, and have learned not to make a fetish of your rare moments.

《竭诚为主》4月26日 攀高



你带着你的儿子……在我所要指示你的山上，把他献为燔祭。（创二十二2）


一个人如何领会神的旨意，乃在于他的个性（参诗十八25-26）。亚伯拉罕对神命令的领会，就是要把儿子杀了。他只好把传统的观念抛在脑后，忍受极度痛苦的考验。神只有用这个方法去炼净他的信心。我们若存诚实的心顺服神，神自然会将我们从传统对他的误解中释放出来。有许多信念是我们要摒弃的，就如：神要把一个孩子取去，因为那母亲太爱他了。这简直是魔鬼的谎话，是嘲弄神的本性。魔鬼会不惜代价阻碍我们踏上登高之路，不让我们除掉对神误解的传统观念。可是，只要我们忠于神，他就会带我们经过考验，使我们从经验中更认识他。


亚伯拉罕对神信心的伟大处，在于他肯为神赴汤蹈火、在所不辞。他只一心听从神，不惜违反任何观念。亚伯拉罕并非一己信念的忠实信徒，否则他就会一意孤行，杀了以撒，说那天使的呼叫是魔鬼的声音了。这只是狂妄者的态度。只要你保持对神的忠诚，神必领你经过一切障碍，进入内室得以认识他；但其中有个关键，就是放弃传统的信念与看法。不要求神试验你，切勿像彼得那样宣称：“我什么都肯做，甚至愿与你同死。”亚伯拉罕并没有作此宣告，他始终对神忠诚，神也就炼净了他的信心。


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April 26 The Supreme Climb


“Take now thy son . . and offer him there for a burnt-offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.” Genesis 22:2


Character determines how a man interprets God’s will (cf. Psalm 18:25-26). Abraham interpreted God’s command to mean that he had to kill his son, and he could only leave this tradition behind by the pain of a tremendous ordeal. God could purify his faith in no other way. If we obey what God says according to our sincere belief, God will break us from those traditions that misrepresent Him. There are many such beliefs to be got rid of, e.g., that God removes a child because the mother loves him too much – a devil’s lie! and a travesty of the true nature of God. If the devil can hinder us from taking the supreme climb and getting rid of wrong traditions about God, he will do so; but if we keep true to God, God will take us through an ordeal which will bring us out into a better knowledge of Himself.


The great point of Abraham’s faith in God was that he was prepared to do anything for God. He was there to obey God, no matter to what belief he went contrary. Abraham was not a devotee of his convictions, or he would have slain Isaac and said that the voice of the angel was the voice of the devil. That is the attitude of a fanatic. If you will remain true to God, God will lead you straight through every barrier into the inner chamber of the knowledge of Himself; but there is always this point of giving up convictions and traditional beliefs. Don’t ask God to test you. Never declare as Peter did – “I will do anything, I will go to death with Thee.” Abraham did not make any such declaration, he remained true to God, and God purified his faith.

《竭诚为主》4月27日 你要什么？


你为自己图谋大事吗？（耶四十五5）


你是否正为自己图谋大事？你不是求成为一个伟人，而是为自己向神求大事。神盼望你与他更亲密的关系，过于领受他的恩赐，他要你认识他。大事是偶发的，会来也会去；神从来不会给我们一些偶然的东西。其实，与神建立正常的关系是最容易不过的，除非我们所要的不是神，而是他所赐的东西。


你若单向神求东西，那么在撇下一切归神的路上，你还未踏上第一步，你不过是照着自己的意思去作基督徒。“我曾经求神给我圣灵，但他并没有给我预期的平安与安息。”神马上就会指出原因——你根本不是寻求主，只是为自己有所图谋。耶稣说：“你们祈求，就给你们。”你要的可以向神求，但是你所求的若不对，就得不着。当你与神亲近，就不再是求东西了。“你们没有祈求以先，你们所需用的，你们的父早已知道了。”那么为何还要求呢？这是要你们更认识他吧。


你为自己图谋大事吗？“神啊，求你以圣灵给我施洗。”神若不应允，乃是由于你尚未完全归顺他，你还有些事不肯做的。你肯不肯扪心自问：你向神所求的到底是什么？为什么要这些？神总是为了最终的完美，而不顾现今暂时的好处。他不会只令你现今快乐幸福，而是为那最终的完美而作工——“叫他们合而为一，像我们合而为一。”


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‍April 27 What Do You Want?


‍ “Seekest thou great things for thyself?” Jeremiah 45:5


Are you seeking great things for yourself? Not seeking to be a great one, but seeking great things from God for yourself. God wants you in a closer relationship to Himself than receiving His gifts, He wants you to get to know Him. A great thing is accidental, it comes and goes. God never gives us anything accidental. There is nothing easier than getting into a right relationship with God except when it is not God Whom you want but only what He gives.


If you have only come the length of asking God for things, you have never come to the first strand of abandonment, you have become a Christian from a standpoint of your own. “I did ask God for the Holy Spirit, but He did not give me the rest and the peace I expected.” Instantly God puts His finger on the reason – you are not seeking the Lord at all, you are seeking something for yourself. Jesus says – “Ask, and it shall be given you.” Ask God for what you want, and you cannot ask if you are not asking for a right thing. When you draw near to God, you cease from asking for things. “Your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask Him.” Then why ask? That you may get to know Him.


Are you seeking great things for yourself? “O Lord, baptize me with the Holy Ghost.” If God does not, it is because you are not abandoned enough to Him, there is something you will not do. Are you prepared to ask yourself what it is you want from God and why you want it? God always ignores the present perfection for the ultimate perfection. He is not concerned about making you blessed and happy just now; He is working out His ultimate perfection all the time – “that they may be one even as We are.”

《竭诚为主》4月28日 你要得着什么？


但你无论往哪里去，我必使你以自己的命为掠物。（耶四十五5）


主对信靠他的人，有一个坚定不移的秘密，就是“我要把你的生命给你”。除了生命，人还要什么呢？生命是最重要的。“以自己的命为掠物”，意思是不论你到哪里去，甚至进入地狱，你仍然能够带着生命出来，没有任何事物能害你的。我们多半被事物的荣美所吸引；其实受吸引的不该是属物质的产业，而是所蒙的祝福。一切都会过去；但有一样比这些更荣美，且永不过去－－就是“与基督一同藏在神里面的生命”。


你是否愿意与神联合，不再注目于你所谓的“大事”上？你愿否尽弃所有，付之东流？放弃一切就是不再问：“那么，这个又怎么办？”要提防一切的假设。一旦容让“怎么办”，就是意味着你仍未肯放弃一切，仍未肯完全信靠神。只要你肯放下一切，就不再担心神会怎样办。你若完全撇下给神，他就立即说：“我必使你以自己的命为掠物。”人对生命厌倦的原因，是神没有赏给他们什么，他们并未得着生命的掠物。要脱离这景况，就要完全向神降服。若向神完全顺服，你会成为地上最惊喜的人；神完全得着你，是把生命赐给你。但如果你尚未到达这地步，可能是你不肯顺服，也可能是你不够单纯。


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A‍pril 28 What You Will Get


‍“Thy life will I give thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.” Jeremiah 45:5


This is the unshakable secret of the Lord to those who trust Him – “I will give thee thy life.” What more does a man want than his life? It is the essential thing. “Thy life for a prey” means that wherever you may go, even if it is into hell, you will come out with your life, nothing can harm it. So many of us are caught up in the shows of things, not in the way of property and possessions, but of blessings. All these have to go; but there is something grander that never can go – the life that is “hid with Christ in God.”


Are you prepared to let God take you into union with Himself, and pay no more attention to what you call the great things? Are you prepared to abandon entirely and let go? The test of abandonment is in refusing to say – “Well, what about this?” Beware of suppositions. Immediately you allow – What about this? – it means you have not abandoned, you do not really trust God. Immediately you do abandon, you think no more about what God is going to do. Abandon means to refuse yourself the luxury of asking any questions. If you abandon entirely to God, He says at once, “Thy life will I give thee for a prey.” The reason people are tired of life is because God has not given them anything, they have not got their life as a prey. The way to get out of that state is to abandon to God. When you do get through to abandonment to God, you will be the most surprised and delighted creature on earth; God has got you absolutely and has given you your life. If you are not there, it is either because of disobedience or a refusal to be simple enough.

《竭诚为主》4月29日 未有确据而安之若素之恩典

将来如何，还未显明。（约壹三2）


我们本性喜欢一五一十地计算得清清楚楚，于是视未确定的事为坏事。我们总爱假设一个可达的目标；其实，属灵生命的本质不是这样的。属灵生命的本质是 在未确定的时候，便心里坚定；因此，我们不必到处筑巢，安身立命。理智会说：“唔，假如我在那情况之下……”但我们根本不能置身于自己尚未经历过的情况。


安稳是属世生活的表记，而在不稳定中靠主恩安详，是属灵生命的标志。相信神，就意味着我们对生活各方面的事情不肯定，因为我们不晓得一天将会发生什么事。这句话一般都是存着愁叹来说；其实，这应该是一句满有希望的说话才对。我们虽不知下一步如何，但我们相信神。


那只要将自己一切交给神，并尽上本份，神就会使我们每时每刻充满惊喜。可是，我们若只高举一些教条，死就进来了；我们不是相信神，而是相信他的信念。耶稣说：“你们若不……变成小孩子的样式……。”属灵生命是赤子的生命。我们对神并非不肯定，乃是不肯定他下一步怎样做。若我们只对信仰肯定，就是把自己抬高，变得严厉自尊，只对自己的见解下结论；但我们若与神有正常的关系，生命就充满自然的、欢乐的期望，因为对未来的事并没有把握。


耶稣说：“你们也当信我。”他不是说：“你们要信某些关于我的事。”完全交托他吧！虽然不知道他何时临到，但他必然会临到。持守对他的忠贞吧。


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April 29 The Graciousness Of Uncertainty


"It doth not yet appear what we shall be." 1 John 3:2


Naturally, we are inclined to be so mathematical and calculating that we look upon uncertainty as a bad thing. We imagine that we have to reach some end, but that is not the nature of spiritual life. The nature of spiritual life is that we are certain in our uncertainty, consequently we do not make our nests anywhere. Common sense says – “Well, supposing I were in that condition . . .” We cannot suppose ourselves in any condition we have never been in. Certainty is the mark of the common-sense life: gracious uncertainty is the mark of the spiritual life. To be certain of God means that we are uncertain in all our ways, we do not know what a day may bring forth. This is generally said with a sigh of sadness, it should be rather an expression of breathless expectation. We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God. Immediately we abandon to God, and do the duty that lies nearest, He packs our life with surprises all the time. When we become advocates of a creed, something dies; we do not believe God, we only believe our belief about Him. Jesus said, “Except ye become as little children.” Spiritual life is the life of a child. We are not uncertain of God, but uncertain of what He is going to do next. If we are only certain in our beliefs, we get dignified and severe and have the ban of finality about our views; but when we are rightly related to God, life is full of spontaneous, joyful uncertainty and expectancy.


"Believe also in Me," said Jesus, not – "Believe certain things about Me." Leave the whole thing to Him, it is gloriously uncertain how He will come in, but He will come. Remain loyal to Him.

《竭诚为主》4月30日 自发的爱

爱是恒久忍耐，又有恩慈……（林前十三4-8）


爱不是预先精打细算，而是自然流露的，是不知不觉地涌现。保罗所举出的爱，不是清单式地计算出来。我们不能说：“好，现在我不再思想恶事，我要凡事相信。”爱的特质是自动自发。我们不是把耶稣的话摆在面前，当准则去遵行；而是当他的灵在我们里面自由作工，我们就不知不觉地照着他的标准去生活。当我们回顾过去的经历，就会诧异某种感情是如此公正无私，这就证明有真爱自然流露在其中。神的生命在我们里面，但每每等到我们经历过后，才恍然发觉。


爱的泉源是在神里面，而不是在我们里面。若想在自己天然性情中去找神的爱，简直是缘木求鱼。只有当圣灵将神的爱浇灌在我们心里，我们才有真正的爱。


若我们想向神证明是多么爱他，这正表示我们并不爱他；若要证明爱他，就要让爱自动自发地流露出来。回想起来，也说不出为何我们会这样做，是神的爱在里面流露，故我们有这样的表现。神的生命是自然的彰显，因为爱的泉源是在圣灵里面（罗五5）


原文：


April 30 The Spontaneity Of Love


“Love suffereth long, and is kind . . .” 1 Corinthians 13:4-8


Love is not premeditated, it is spontaneous, i.e., it bursts up in extraordinary ways. There is nothing of mathematical certainty in Paul’s category of love. We cannot say – “Now I am going to think no evil; I am going to believe all things.” The characteristic of love is spontaneity. We do not set the statements of Jesus in front of us as a standard; but when His Spirit is having His way with us, we live according to His standard with out knowing it, and on looking back we are amazed at the disinterestedness of a particular emotion, which is the evidence that the spontaneity of real love was there. In everything to do with the life of God in us, its nature is only discerned when it is past.


The springs of love are in God, not in us. It is absurd to look for the love of God in our hearts naturally, it is only there when it has been shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.


If we try to prove to God how much we love Him, it is a sure sign that we do not love Him. The evidence of our love for Him is the absolute spontaneity of our love, it comes naturally. In looking back we cannot tell why we did certain things, we did them according to the spontaneous nature of His love in us. The life of God manifests itself in this spontaneous way because the springs of love are in the Holy Ghost. (Romans 5:5)

《竭诚为主》5月1日 是真知而非感情


     因我们行事为人，是凭着信心，不是凭着眼见。（林后五7）

     有些时候，我们感觉到神的关顾；之后，他就开始使用我们。不久，我们便装出一副可怜兮兮的样子，整天说什么试炼困难；其实，神一直训练我们在隐藏中尽自己的本分。属灵方面来说，除非是不得已，没有一个人愿意隐藏自己。神若关上天门，我们能尽什么本分？有些人整天想着头上有发光的金圈，做荣光四射的圣徒，充满了感动启示，并有圣徒经常造就。徒有外表（原文作镀金边）的圣徒是无用的，是不正常的。他无法过平凡的生活，而且根本不像神。我们活在地上，不是做行将长成的天使。我们在世作工，是因为我们已从上面而生，有极大无比的能力，得以在磨难中站立。

     要是我们想把罕有的启示经历重演一遍，就表示我们要的不是神。我们只是宝贵与神说话的时刻，并且坚持要他再来一次。其实神是要我们行在信心中。我们多少人曾袖手旁观地说：“神若不向我显现，我是无能为力的。”他不会显现。这样，就是没有启示，没有神出奇不意的触摸，我们也得着手去做。那知，“原来他一直在这里，我竟然不知！”不要为那罕有的时刻而活，这只是惊喜的礼物。当神看我们没有走歪，就会将启示显明出来。千万别把启示的一刻作为标准，我们的标准乃是尽自己的本分。

       原文：

        May 1 Insight Not Emotion

     "I have to lead my life in faith, without seeing Him." 2 Corinthians 5:7

     For a time we are conscious of God's attentions, then, when God begins to use us in His enterprises, we take on a pathetic look and talk of the trials and the difficulties, and all the time God is trying to make us do our duty as obscure people. None of us would be obscure spiritually if we could help it. Can we do our duty when God has shut up heaven? Some of us always want to be illuminated saints with golden haloes and the flush of inspiration, and to have the saints of God dealing with us all the time. A gilt-edged saint is no good, he is abnormal, unfit for daily life, and altogether unlike God. We are here as men and women, not as half-fledged angels, to do the work of the world, and to do it with an infinitely greater power to stand the turmoil because we have been born from above.

     If we try to re-introduce the rare moments of inspiration, it is a sign that it is not God we want. We are making a fetish of the moments when God did come and speak, and insisting that He must do it again; whereas what God wants us to do is to "walk by faith." How many of us have laid ourselves by, as it were, and said – "I cannot do any more until God appears to me." He never will, and without any inspiration, without any sudden touch of God, we will have to get up. Then comes the surprise – "Why, He was there all the time, and I never knew it!" Never live for the rare moments, they are surprises. God will give us touches of inspiration when He sees we are not in danger of being led away by them. We must never make our moments of inspiration our standard; our standard is our duty.

《竭诚为主》5月2日 忍耐的情操


       虽然迟延，还要等候。（哈二3）

       忍耐不是置之不理；忍耐是一座极其坚强的磐石，受得起一切的打击。忍耐的根源，是看见了神的异象；因为看见神，就带来品德上的启示。摩西之所以能坚忍，不是因为他对正义与责任的理想，而是因为看见了神。他恒心忍耐，“如同看见那不能看见的主。”一个有神异象的人，不是投身于一件工作或某一项任务，而是献身于神自己。异象是否出于神，是看得出来的，只要看所带来的启示便可知；生命会变得广大和滋润，因为一切由神发动。神若在属灵上给你一段旷野试探的时期，像他儿子所经历的，完全没他的话语，你就要忍耐；恒心忍耐，是因为你看见神。

       “虽然迟延，还要等候。”要证明我们的确看见了异象，是要伸手去抓住那超乎我们所能抓住的（意即竭力追求）。属灵的自满是不好的。诗人说：“我拿什么报答耶和华？”“我要举起救恩的杯。”我们很容易自满自足－－“现在我得着了；现在我完全圣洁了；现在我能够忍受了。”这样我们马上就会跌倒。我们的目标必须超越实际的。“我不是以为自己已经得着了，已经完全了。”我们有的若只是经历，就一无所有了；但我们若有神异象的启示，那所有的就远超过所经历的了。要当心属灵懈怠的危险。

       原文：

        May 2 The Passion Of Patience

       Though it tarries, wait for it… —Habakkuk 2:3

       Patience is not indifference; patience conveys the idea of an immensely strong rock withstanding all onslaughts. The vision of God is the source of patience, because it imparts a moral inspiration. Moses endured, not because he had an ideal of right and duty, but because he had a vision of God. He “endured, as seeing Him Who is invisible.” A man with the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue; he is devoted to God Himself. You always know when the vision is of God because of the inspiration that comes with it; things come with largeness and tonic to the life because everything is energized by God. If God gives you a time spiritually, as He gave His Son actually, of temptation in the wilderness, with no word from Himself at all, endure, and the power to endure is there because you see God.

       “Though it tarry, wait for it.” The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have grasped. It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. “What shall I render unto the Lord?” said the Psalmist. “I will take the cup of salvation.” We are apt to look for satisfaction in ourselves – “Now I have got the thing; now I am entirely sanctified; now I can endure.” Instantly we are on the road to ruin. Our reach must exceed our grasp. “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect.” If we have only what we have experienced, we have nothing; if we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience. Beware of the danger of relaxation spiritually.

《竭诚为主》5月3日 有力的代求


      靠着圣灵，随时多方祷告祈求。（弗六18）

      
我们代求的时候，会发觉对神的顺服，与别人的得失有极大的关系，这是我们想不到的。但有一个危机，就是那些神听了祷告而逐渐被提升到另一个不同领域里的人，我们用人的同情心去代求。一旦我们从与神同心去关怀别人，退到用同情心去代祷，那与神息息相关的联系就失去了。我们把同情心掺入代祷中，便是故意顶撞神。

      
除非我们完全认识神，否则无法作有效的代求。我们与神的关系最大的分化力，就是个人的同情与偏见。认同是代求的钥匙，一旦停止与神同心，就是同情心而不是罪在作祟，不一定是罪阻碍我们与神的关系，同情心也会。对自己的同情，对别人的同情，令我们说：“我不要让这样的事发生。”这样，与神密切的关系就立时中断。

      
代求根本没有时间，也没有倾向于为自己的愁肠祷告。你不用排除自己的忧愁，因为根本不应该有自己的成分在里面。你这时是与神同心，完完全全地关怀别人。神呼召我们代求，是要明辨，不是要吹毛求疵、

     原文：
      May 3 Vital Intercession

       "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spiritt."
Ephesians 6:18

      As we go on in intercession we may find that our obedience to God is
going to cost other people more than we thought. The danger then is to begin to
intercede in sympathy with those whom God was gradually lifting to a totally
different sphere in answer to our prayers. Whenever we step back from
identification with God's interest in others into sympathy with them, the vital
connection with God has gone, we have put our sympathy, our consideration for
them in the way, and this is a deliberate rebuke to God.

      It is impossible to intercede vitally unless we are perfectly sure of
God, and the greatest dissipator of our relationship to God is personal sympathy
and personal prejudice. Identification is the key to intercession, and whenever
we stop being identified with God, it is by sympathy, not by sin. It is not
likely that sin will interfere with our relationship to God, but sympathy will,
sympathy with ourselves or with others which makes us say – “I will not allow
that thing to happen.” Instantly we are out of vital connection with
God.

      Intercession leaves you neither time nor inclination to pray for your
own “sad sweet self.” The thought of yourself is not kept out, because it is not
there to keep out; you are completely and entirely identified with God's
interests in other lives.

      Discernment is God's call to intercession, never to fault
finding.

《竭诚为主》5月4日  替代的代求


弟兄们，我们既因耶稣的血，得以坦然进入至圣所。（来十19）


当心别以为代求是把自己的同情心带到神面前，然后要求他照我们所求的成就。我们能亲近神，完全是由于主耶稣作成这赎罪的工作。我们是“因耶稣的血，坦然进入至圣所”。


属灵的固执是代求中最大的障碍。因为同情心的根据，是我们里面和别人里面那些自以为不必用血来救赎的部分。我们以为还有些好处与德行，是不必用血来救赎的。这观念所产生的障碍，叫我们无法代求。我们没有与神爱人的心合一，我们生神的气；我们总有自己的主意，代求就成为天然同情心的自我吹擂。耶稣自己成为罪，就把人所有的同情心彻底地改变了。替代式的代求，就是立志把我们对人的天然同情心，换上神对人爱顾的心。


我是固执的还是被神的心替代了？与神的关系是失调还是和谐？在闹意气还是属灵？偏行己路还是与神同心？


原文：


M‍ay 4 Vicarious Intercession


“Having therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.” Hebrews 10:19


Beware of imagining that intercession means bringing our personal sympathies into the presence of God and demanding that He does what we ask. Our approach to God is due entirely to the vicarious identification of our Lord with sin. We have “boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus.”


Spiritual stubbornness is the most effectual hindrance to intercession, because it is based on sympathy with that in ourselves and in others that we do not think needs atoning for. We have the notion that there are certain right and virtuous things in us which do not need to be based on the Atonement, and just in the domain of “stodge” that is produced by this idea we cannot intercede. We do not identify ourselves with God's interests in others, we get petulant with God; we are always ready with our own ideas, and intercession becomes the glorification of our own natural sympathies. We have to realize that the identification of Jesus with sin means the radical alteration of all our sympathies. Vicarious intercession means that we deliberately substitute God's interests in others for our natural sympathy with them.


Am I stubborn or substituted? Petted or perfect in my relationship to God? Sulky or spiritual? Determined to have my own way or determined to be identified with Him?

《竭诚为主》5月5日 在爱的渊中受审判


因为时候到了，审判要从神的家起首。(彼前四17)


作主的工人必须记住，救恩是从神来的，不是人自己可以得到；因此，这是一道测不透的深渊。救恩是神一个极高超伟大的意念，而不是一个经历。经历只不过是一道门，让救恩进入我们的生命里。千万别传扬经历，乃要传扬经历背后神伟大的意念。我们传道，并不是宣布人怎样可以得救，脱离地狱，变成有道德、圣洁的人；我们乃是传达神的好消息。


在耶稣基督的教训中总夹着审判，这是神爱的表征。若有人觉得接近神是件难事，我们不必表示同情，因为这不是神的错。我们也不必设法解释困难的缘故，只要把神真理讲出来，圣灵就会指出毛病所在。传道最大的考验，就是要把各人带进审判里去。神的灵会个别对付每一个人。


耶稣若给我们一条命令，而不给我们力量去实行的话，他就是个说谎者。若我们让自己的无力实行成为顺服的拦阻，那就是在对神说，他有些事考虑不周详。任何的自倚自恃，都必须被神粉碎。完全的软弱与信赖，往往是圣灵彰显他能力的时候。


原文：


‍ May 5 Judgment On The Abyss Of Love


‍“For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God.” 1 Peter 4:17


The Christian worker must never forget that salvation is God's thought, not man's; therefore it is an unfathomable abyss. Salvation is the great thought of God, not an experience. Experience is only a gateway by which salvation comes into our conscious life. Never preach the experience; preach the great thought of God behind. When we preach we are not proclaiming how man can be saved from hell and be made moral and pure; we are conveying good news about God.


In the teachings of Jesus Christ the element of judgment is always brought out, it is the sign of God's love. Never sympathize with a soul who finds it difficult to get to God, God is not to blame. It is not for us to find out the reason why it is difficult, but so to present the truth of God that the Spirit of God will show what is wrong. The great sterling test in preaching is that it brings everyone to judgment. The Spirit of God locates each one to himself.


If Jesus ever gave us a command He could not enable us to fulfil, He would be a liar; and if we make our inability a barrier to obedience, it means we are telling God there is something He has not taken into account. Every element of self-reliance must be slain by the power of God. Complete weakness and dependence will always be the occasion for the Spirit of God to manifest His power.

《竭诚为主》5月6日 福音里的自由


基督释放了我们，叫我们得以自由。（加五1）


一个有属灵深度的人，绝不会要求你说：“你要信这个信那个。”他只会要求你的生活能够符合耶稣的标准。神没有叫我们相信圣经，乃是叫我们相信圣经所显示的那一位主（比较约五39－40）。我们蒙召是传扬良心得释放，而不是见解上得自由。我们若在基督的自由里得释放，那么别人也会被带进同样的自由里－－那自由就是认识耶稣基督统驭万有的权柄。


总要照耶稣的标准去量度你的生活。你的颈项只可以套上主的轭，绝不负别的轭；同时，要当心别替人家套上那不是出于耶稣基督的轭。我们常以为人人都要与我们有同一样的观点，否则就是错的。神从不这样看，因此他要花许多时间去纠正我们的错误。自由只有一种，就是耶稣在我们的心里作工，使我们能够做合宜的事。


不要烦躁不安、失去耐性，要记住神怎样对待你－－用忍耐与温柔；但却不要减弱神的真理。让主的道自由作工，不必为它歉疚。耶稣说：“去，使万民作我的门徒”，而不是使人信服你的见解。


原文：


May 6 Liberty On The Abyss Of The Gospel


“Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free.” Galatians 5:1


A spiritually minded man will never come to you with the demand – “Believe this and that;” but with the demand that you square your life with the standards of Jesus. We are not asked to believe the Bible, but to believe the One Whom the Bible reveals (cf. John 5:39-40). We are called to present liberty of conscience, not liberty of view. If we are free with the liberty of Christ, others will be brought into that same liberty – the liberty of realizing the dominance of Jesus Christ.


Always keep your life measured by the standards of Jesus. Bow your neck to His yoke alone, and to no other yoke whatever; and be careful to see that you never bind a yoke on others that is not placed by Jesus Christ. It takes God a long time to get us out of the way of thinking that unless everyone sees as we do, they must be wrong. That is never God’s view. There is only one liberty, the liberty of Jesus at work in our conscience enabling us to do what is right.


Don’t get impatient, remember how God dealt with you – with patience and with gentleness; but never water down the truth of God. Let it have its way and never apologize for it. Jesus said, “Go and make disciples,” not “make converts to your opinions.”

《竭诚为主》5月7日 永恒的建造


你们哪一个要盖一座楼，不先坐下算计花费，能盖成不能呢？（路十四28）


主所指的代价，不是要我们去计算，他已经计算好了。就是三十年在拿撒勒，三年被人拥戴、毁谤和憎恨，客西马尼园无底的痛苦，加略山上被宰杀－－成为整个时间与永恒转动的枢轴。


耶稣基督已计算了代价。所以世人最终也无法指着他说：“这人动了工，却不能完工。”在26、27及33节中，主陈明作门徒的条件；在他建造大工所用的人，是他已经为他们付上一切代价的人。“人到我这里来，若不恨……就不能作我的门徒。”主的意思是在他建造大工上用得着的人，是那些热切地、忠心地爱他超过地上任何最亲密者的人。条件非常严格，但却是荣耀的。


我们一切所建造的都要经神检验。神察验的火，是否发觉在主的根基上竟建立了我们自己的事业？现在正是建立事业的大好机会，是我们努力为神工作的日子，可是其中却密布着网罗。其实认真地说，我们根本不能为神作工。耶稣把我们放在他的工程上，完全放在他建造的大计中，我们是没有权选择要被放在什么地方。


原文：


May 7 Building For Eternity


“For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?” Luke 14:28


Our Lord refers not to a cost we have to count, but to a cost which He has counted. The cost was those thirty years in Nazareth, those three years of popularity, scandal and hatred, the deep unfathomable agony in Gethsemane, and the onslaught at Calvary – the pivot upon which the whole of Time and Eternity turns. Jesus Christ has counted the cost. Men are not going to laugh at Him at last and say – “This man began to build, and was not able to finish.”


The conditions of discipleship laid down by Our Lord in vv. 26, 27 and 33 mean that the men and women He is going to use in His mighty building enterprises are those in whom He has done everything. “If any man come to Me, and hate not . . . he cannot be My disciple.” Our Lord implies that the only men and women He will use in His building enterprises are those who love Him personally, passionately and devotedly beyond any of the closest ties on earth. The conditions are stern, but they are glorious.


All that we build is going to be inspected by God. Is God going to detect in His searching fire that we have built on the foundation of Jesus some enterprise of our own? These are days of tremendous enterprises, days when we are trying to work for God, and therein is the snare. Profoundly speaking, we can never work for God. Jesus takes us over for His enterprises, His building schemes entirely, and no soul has any right to claim where he shall be put.

《竭诚为主》5月8日 信心的忍耐


你既遵守我忍耐的道。（启三10）


忍耐不单是忍受。圣徒的生命在神手中，有如弓箭在射箭者的手上。神正瞄准一些我们看不见的东西，在用力拉开弓；圣徒却说：“我再也受不了。”神不加理会，反而继续拉紧，直至目标在望，才松手让箭射出。放心把自己放在神手中。你现在正要忍耐什么呢？只要用忍耐的信心，保持你与耶稣基督的关系。“他虽然杀我，我仍要等候他。”


信心不是悲观的情绪，乃是强而有力的信任，是建造在神圣洁的爱上。你如今看不见他，也不明白他在做什么，但你是认识他的。我们心灵的平稳，在乎我们是否建立在神至圣的爱这永恒的真理上；否则，信心必如船触礁而覆没。信心是你人生中最英勇的奋斗，是不顾一切的把自己交托神，一心投靠他。


神在耶稣基督里已赴汤蹈火、不顾一切地救了我们；如今他要我们不惜牺牲一切，全心信靠他。我们里面还有许多地方是信心尚未耕耘过的，就是神的生命尚未触摸到的。在耶稣基督的生命里，却没有这样的光景，我们也不该有。“认识你……这就是永生。”永生的真正意义，就是一种面对任何事情而不动摇的生命。我们若有这种看见，人生就成为一页罗曼史，能够每时每刻经历到奇妙的事。神一直在操练我们，好使我们进入这能力的中心里去。



原文：


May 8 The Patience Of Faith


“Because thou hast kept the word of My patience.” Revelation 3:10


Patience is more than endurance. A saint's life is in the hands of God like a bow and arrow in the hands of an archer. God is aiming at something the saint cannot see, and He stretches and strains, and every now and again the saint says – “I cannot stand any more.” God does not heed, He goes on stretching till His purpose is in sight, then He lets fly. Trust yourself in God's hands. For what have you need of patience just now? Maintain your relationship to Jesus Christ by the patience of faith. “Though He slay me, yet will I wait for Him.”


Faith is not a pathetic sentiment, but robust vigorous confidence built on the fact that God is holy love. You cannot see Him just now, you cannot understand what He is doing, but you know Him. Shipwreck occurs where there is not that mental poise which comes from being established on the eternal truth that God is holy love. Faith is the heroic effort of your life, you fling yourself in reckless confidence on God.


God has ventured all in Jesus Christ to save us, now He wants us to venture our all in abandoned confidence in Him. There are spots where that faith has not worked in us as yet, places untouched by the life of God. There were none of those spots in Jesus Christ's life, and there are to be none in ours. “This is life eternal, that they might know Thee.” The real meaning of eternal life is a life that can face anything it has to face without wavering. If we take this view, life becomes one great romance, a glorious opportunity for seeing marvelous things all the time. God is disciplining us to get us into this central place of power.

《竭诚为主》5月9日 没有开展的把持


        没有异象，民就放肆。（箴二十九18）

     理想与异象是不同的。理想没有道德性的启示；异象则有。沉湎在理想中的人，甚少有所作为。一个人可以用对神的看法，作为逃避责任的藉口。约拿曾自辩说，神既然是公义怜悯的，因此一切都必妥当。我也许对神有十分正确的观念，但这可能成为我不尽本分的理由。若有异象，生命必然公义正直，因为异象带来道德的催逼。

     理想可以缓顿以至消灭，试审察一下你的属灵状况，看看是只有理想，还是真有异象。“啊，人所达致的，该超过他所把握的，否则，天堂何价？”“没有异象……”一旦看不见神，我们就会放肆，不受约束，不作祷告，在小事上把神撇在一边，依照自己的意思行事。我们若一手包办，自作主张，不期望神介入，我们就在走下坡，失去了异象。我们今日的态度，是否从神的异象而来的呢？我们期望神行大事，胜于往日吗？我们属灵的展望是否活泼有力？

       原文：

        May 9 Grasp Without Reach

        “Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint.” Proverbs 29:18 (R.V.)

     There is a difference between an ideal and a vision. An ideal has no moral inspiration; a vision has. The people who give themselves over to ideals rarely do anything. A man's conception of Deity may be used to justify his deliberate neglect of his duty. Jonah argued that because God was a God of justice and of mercy, therefore everything would be all right. I may have a right conception of God, and that may be the very reason why I do not do my duty. But wherever there is vision, there is also a life of rectitude because the vision imparts moral incentive.

     Ideals may lull to ruin. Take stock of yourself spiritually and see whether you have ideals only or if you have vision.

     “Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp, Or what's a heaven for?”

     “Where there is no vision. . . .” When once we lose sight of God, we begin to be reckless, we cast off certain restraints, we cast off praying, we cast off the vision of God in little things, and begin to act on our own initiative. If we are eating what we have out of our own hand, doing things on our own initiative without expecting God to come in, we are on the downward path, we have lost the vision. Is our attitude today an attitude that springs from our vision of God? Are we expecting God to do greater things than He has ever done? Is there a freshness and vigour in our spiritual out look?

《竭诚为主》5月10日 采取主动


        “…有了信心，又要加上德行…” (彼后1:5)

      
“加上”的意思是要有所行动。我们常有一个危险，就是忘记我们不能作上帝作的事，上帝也不会作我们能作的。我们不能救自己，也不能叫自己成圣–那是上帝作的事。上帝既不会给我们好的习惯或者性格，也不会强迫我们行在他的旨意里。我们自己必须作这些事。神在我们里面作工，但我们自己必须“作成”我们“得救的功夫”（腓2:12）。“加上”意味着我们必须养成作事情的习惯，而这在一开始总是很困难。采取主动要有一个开头–把自己带到必走之路上。

      
要警醒本来清楚知道神的旨意却要反复询问的倾向。采取主动–停止犹豫–迈开第一步。当上帝告诉你他的心意时，靠信心马上就付诸行动，永远都不要再考虑或者改变最初的决定。如果当神要你去做一件事，你却犹犹豫豫，那你就在不经意间摒弃了神的恩典。自己要采取主动，现在就做出决定，不要让自己那么容易就回头。破釜沉舟之时，告诉自己，“我要写那封信”，或者“我要把那笔债还掉”；然后就去作吧！不要轻易改变！

      
我们必须养成在一切事情上仔细聆听神声音的习惯，明白他的心意并听从他的命令。如果当灾难到来时，我们能条件反射般地转向神，我们就知道自己已经养成了这种习惯了。采取主动必须从目前所站的岗位上开始，而不是那些我们还没有经历过的。

      原文：
       May 10 Take The Initiative

        “Add to your faith virtue. . .” (“Furnish your faith with
resolution.”) (MOFFATT.) 2 Peter 1:5

       “Add” means there is something we have to do. We are in danger of
forgetting that we cannot do what God does, and that God will not do what we can
do. We cannot save ourselves nor sanctify ourselves, God does that; but God will
not give us good habits, He will not give us character, He will not make us walk
aright. We have to do all that ourselves, we have to work out the salvation God
has worked in. “Add” means to get into the habit of doing things, and in the
initial stages it is difficult. To take the initiative is to make a beginning,
to instruct yourself in the way you have to go.

       Beware of the tendency of asking the way when you know it perfectly
well. Take the initiative, stop hesitating, and take the first step. Be resolute
when God speaks, act in faith immediately on what He says, and never revise your
decisions. If you hesitate when God tells you to do a thing, you endanger your
standing in grace. Take the initiative, take it yourself, take the step with
your will now, make it impossible to go back. Burn your bridges behind you – “I
will write that letter”; “I will pay that debt.” Make the thing
inevitable.

       We have to get into the habit of hearkening to God about everything,
to form the habit of finding out what God says. If when a crisis comes, we
instinctively turn to God, we know that the habit has been formed. We have to
take the initiative where we are, not where we are not.

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