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大衛求問神

以賽亞書 53:2-3   祂在耶和華面前生長如嫩芽,像根出於乾地;祂無佳形美容,我們看見祂的時候,也無美貌使我們羨慕祂。 祂被藐視,被人厭棄,多受痛苦,常經憂患。祂被藐視,好像被人掩面不看的一樣,我們也不尊重祂。

我於一九七七年到巴勒斯坦去參加一個「聖地研習班」,在受難聖週中,收到的一些資料裡,有耶穌釘十字架的畫像。但我看了以後,感到排斥及不
舒服。因為耶穌的畫像與平時常見到的完全不同。釘在十字架上的耶穌不但矮小猥瑣,而且其貌不揚。迴異於教會中常見的慈譪悲憫的耶穌像。研習班的教授內博士解釋說,這張畫像是根據耶穌時代,當地原住民的一般形像繪成,並沒有特別將耶穌的畫像加以美化或神聖化,而是一張當地人普通的臉。
這張耶穌的畫像讓我困惑了許久,我開始想像主耶穌到底應該是甚麼樣子,十分確定的祂是「取了奴僕的形像,成為人的樣式」(腓2:7),主耶穌的時
代還沒有照相的技術,而畫像卻是有的,但主並沒有留下畫像或雕塑,現在置身在教會中的主的畫像,都是畫家憑自己的想像繪製出來的。因為流傳得
久遠與普遍,所以似乎已經成了信徒們心目中的定裝照。如再出現不同的造型,人們便很難接受了。然而,耶穌的形象卻的確是一個值得深思的問題。

Spiritual Dashboard

Is there anything in your life that needs to be removed? Any impediment to the impression of God’s Spirit? We can grieve the Spirit with our angry words and resist the Spirit in our disobedience. We can test or conspire against the Spirit in our plottings. We can even quench the Spirit by having no regard for God’s teachings.

But here’s something that helps us stay in step with the Spirit. It’s in Galatians 5:22: “We know that the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” These are indicators on our spiritual dashboards. So whenever we sense them, we know we are walking in the Spirit. Whenever we lack them, we know we are out of step with the Spirit. Keep in step with the Spirit.

為耶穌畫一張定裝像

以賽亞書 53:2-3   祂在耶和華面前生長如嫩芽,像根出於乾地;祂無佳形美容,我們看見祂的時候,也無美貌使我們羨慕祂。 祂被藐視,被人厭棄,多受痛苦,常經憂患。祂被藐視,好像被人掩面不看的一樣,我們也不尊重祂。

我於一九七七年到巴勒斯坦去參加一個「聖地研習班」,在受難聖週中,收到的一些資料裡,有耶穌釘十字架的畫像。但我看了以後,感到排斥及不
舒服。因為耶穌的畫像與平時常見到的完全不同。釘在十字架上的耶穌不但矮小猥瑣,而且其貌不揚。迴異於教會中常見的慈譪悲憫的耶穌像。研習班的教授內博士解釋說,這張畫像是根據耶穌時代,當地原住民的一般形像繪成,並沒有特別將耶穌的畫像加以美化或神聖化,而是一張當地人普通的臉。
這張耶穌的畫像讓我困惑了許久,我開始想像主耶穌到底應該是甚麼樣子,十分確定的祂是「取了奴僕的形像,成為人的樣式」(腓2:7),主耶穌的時
代還沒有照相的技術,而畫像卻是有的,但主並沒有留下畫像或雕塑,現在置身在教會中的主的畫像,都是畫家憑自己的想像繪製出來的。因為流傳得
久遠與普遍,所以似乎已經成了信徒們心目中的定裝照。如再出現不同的造型,人們便很難接受了。然而,耶穌的形象卻的確是一個值得深思的問題。

To Save and Sustain

I believe we make the mistake the Welsh woman made. She lived many years ago in a remote valley and felt it worth the cost to have electricity installed in her home. Several weeks after the installation, the power company noticed she’d barely used any electricity. A meter reader went to see her. “Is there a problem?” he asked. “Oh no, we’re quite satisfied. Every night we turn on the electric lights to see how to light our lamps.”

We’re prone to do likewise. Depend on God’s Spirit to save us but not sustain us. We turn to him to get us started and then continue in our own strength. It is possible to have the Spirit, but not let the Spirit have us. Scripture urges us “keep in step with the Spirit.” Plug in to his power, and leave the switch turned on.

God’s Power in Us

We look at other believers and ask, “Why is her life so fruitful and mine so barren? Why is his life so powerful and mine so weak? Aren’t we saved by the same Christ?”

The answer may be found in the first chapter of the book of Acts where Jesus told Peter and the other followers, “Wait here to receive the promise from the Father. John baptized people with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 1:4-5 NCV).

During Jesus’ earthly ministry Jesus lived near the disciples. The Holy Spirit, however, would live in the disciples. Jesus taught; the Spirit teaches through us. Jesus comforted; the Spirit comforts through us. The Holy Spirit is a year-round resident in the hearts of God’s children. As God’s story becomes our story, his power becomes our power.

人生不重來,選擇要正確

帖撒羅尼迦前書5:16-18   要常常喜樂, 不住地禱告, 凡事謝恩,因為這是神在基督耶穌裡向你們所定的旨意。

人生不重來,因此我們要學習做正確的選擇。自從患上巴金森病以來, 我每天都要面對一些問題,例如:因僵硬而無法轉動的頸背,因肌肉僵痺而引起的無法咀嚼、無法吞嚥的困難,以及口水不斷流出來的難堪。最令我感到受挫折的,則是因口吃而無法與人溝通的痛苦。

每天早上醒來,我都要做選擇:我要如何面對今天? 若是任由情緒支配,那我肯定會有一個非常憂鬱,非常不快樂的一天。

因此每天早上我都要強迫自己做一個正確的選擇,並且祈求聖靈來做我這天的主人。當我讓聖靈做主時,祂就會引導我的情緒、感覺及思想。但是我明白,在肉體與聖靈奮戰之際,我先要克服許多的障礙。

Not the Final Chapter

Death is not the final chapter in your story. John 11:25-26 assure us that in death we will step into the arms of the One who declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (NIV).

Winston Churchill believed this. The prime minister planned his own funeral. Two buglers were positioned in the dome of St. Paul’s Cathedral. At the conclusion of the service, the first played Taps, the signal of a day completed; the second played Reveille, the song of a day begun. Death is no pit but a passageway, a corner turn. Isaiah wrote, “Your dead will live…All you dead and buried, wake up! Sing!…The earth is bursting with life, giving birth to the dead” (Isaiah 26:19 MSG).

So play on, bugler, play on!

幸福的理由

詩篇 90:15    求祢照著祢使我們受苦的日子,和我們遭難的年歲,叫我們喜樂。

傳道書 5:20  他不多思念自己一生的年日,因為神應他的心使他喜樂。

農場有一隻小驢每天早上出門,朋友們和牠打招呼時,牠總是輕快地回答:

「早啊!我很快樂。」日子久了大家都很納悶,為什麼小驢總是那麼快樂,於是大家過來問小驢:「為什麼你總是那麼快樂?」

小驢說:「因為我很幸福。」

公雞說:「為什麼你那麼幸福?」

小驢回答:「為何不?」

母雞搶著回答:「農場裡大家都有工作,母雞要生蛋,牛要耕田,連最輕鬆的公雞都要天天報時,工作是那麼辛苦,當然不幸福啊!」

公雞問:「那你為什麼那麼幸福?」

小驢搖晃著大耳朵回答站在牠背部厚繭上的公雞:「呃!我也不曉得。」

一天早上,公雞哀怨地喔啼,牛才很不情願地走向麥田,母雞脹紅著臉生第一顆蛋,沒有人看見小驢,而小驢呢?小驢載著主耶穌進入耶路撒冷。

Covered in Christ

The Apostle Paul says, “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ” (Galatians 3:27 NIV). When you make God’s story yours, he covers you in Christ. You wear him like a vest. Old labels no longer apply. How about these new labels: Royal priest. Free from condemnation. Secure. God’s coworker. God’s temple. God’s workmanship. Now you’re dressed in a new wardrobe.

Psalm 103:12 reminds us not to mess with the old clothes any longer. “As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us” (NIV). When God sends your sins to the east and you to the west, you can be sure of this: he sees his Son and not your sin. In fact, Isaiah 43:25 says he “remembers your sins no more.” How do you like that outfit?

祢用油膏了我的頭

詩篇23:5在我敵人面前,祢為我擺設筵席,祢用油膏了我的頭,使我的福杯滿溢。

牧羊人為羊塗抹膏油並非是一種儀式或裝飾,而是因為羊很脆弱,容易受傷,無法保護自己免受未知傷害。塗油是一種關愛,是個人行為,是保護,也是牧羊人每日的例行公事。

在古代,牧羊人會將橄欖油與草藥和香料混合,輕輕塗抹在羊的頭部、鼻子、耳朵,有時甚至全身。這種油用途廣泛:它可以治癒被岩石劃傷的傷口;可以舒緩因炎熱乾燥而受到刺激的皮膚;最重要的是,它可以保護羊免受寄生蟲和昆蟲的侵害。蒼蠅或蚊蟲會在羊的鼻子或耳朵裡產卵,導致感染、痛苦,甚至死亡。油形成了一道屏障,讓曾經帶來刺激和危險的因素再也無法侵入。

羊不會自己塗抹油,它們不會因為表現良好而獲得這種待遇,也不會因為絕對服從而請求這種待遇。牧羊人察覺到羊群的需要,並以關懷回應。油並非獎賞,而是供應。

這幅畫面意義深遠,因為聖經常常將上帝比喻為我們的牧者,將我們比喻為祂的羊。大衛寫道:“你用油膏了我的頭”,他並非在吟詩作賦,而是在描述牧羊人對我們生命中脆弱之處的悉心關懷。油象徵醫治、保護和同在。