Manna issue 67 - Know Your Challenges (III): Lack of Vigilance 了解自已的挑戰(III)：沒有警醒
Aun Quek Chin—Singapore 新加坡 陳恩國傳道
DEEP DOZING DANGERS
1. Sleepers are unaware of
time. Sleeping Christians may
miss the bridegroom’s arrival
(cf. Mt 25:1–13).
1. 睡著的人，不會注意到時間。
睡著的基督徒或許會錯過新郎的來到。
(參考，太 25：1-13)
2. Sleepers do not realize their
sad state. Sleeping Christians
may be in defiled garments
when the Lord comes again (cf.
Mt 22:11–14).
2.睡著的人不明白自已可悲的狀態。
睡著的基督徒或許在主再臨之時，會弄髒自已的衣裳。
(參考，太 22：11-14)
3. Sleepers are oblivious
to whoever appears beside
them—friend or foe. Sleeping
Christians may fall prey to the
prowling lion (cf. 1 Pet 5:8).
3.
睡著的人不會注意到任何出現在他身邊的人 - 不論朋友或敵人。
睡著的基督徒或許會成為排徊在四週獅子，口中的獵物。
(參考，彼前 5：8)
Paul exhorts us to take up the whole
armor of God (Eph 6:13–18). He gravely
warns us that it is the only way to survive
the onslaught of the wicked one. Sadly,
despite such warnings, some have fallen,
unable to “withstand in the evil day”.
Why were they defeated?
保羅勸告我們，要穿上神的全副軍裝。
(弗 6：13-18)
他慎重的警告我們，這就是唯一能逃過惡者屠殺的唯一方法。
令人悲哀的是，雖然有這樣的警告在先，
仍有一些人跌倒，在邪惡來臨的日子，不能好好抵擋。
為什麼他們被會打敗呢？
It is important to note that such
spiritual failure cannot be blamed on the
lack of access to the complete armor.
God gives every believer access to every
part of the armor. Even those who have
yet to receive the Holy Spirit cannot claim
to be disadvantaged since they have the
sword of the Spirit, the word of God.
重要的是，要去注意到，這種靈性的失敗，
不能怪罪於缺乏取得全副軍裝的機會。
神讓每一個信徒都能取得軍裝的任何一個部位。
甚至是那些已經得到聖靈的人，
不能宣稱自已是處於劣勢，
因為他們有聖靈的寶劍，神的話。
In actual fact, the source of failure is
the lack of application. Protection comes
not from merely possessing but putting
on the armor. Many Christians “take up”
these armor parts, only to lay them aside!
This is very poor soldiering. According
to the Chinese adage: “The saddle must
never leave the horse, and the armor
must never leave the general.” Good
soldiers know that the enemy may appear
any moment, so they must always be
prepared. Putting on armor and saddling
horses only when the enemy turns up is a
recipe for sure defeat, if not a massacre!
實際上，失敗的原因是因為缺乏應用。
能夠得到保護，不是來自於擁有盔甲，
而是把盔甲穿上才能得到保護。
許多基督徒會把這些盔甲的部件拿起來，
但只是拿起來放在旁邊！
這是一種非常差竟勁的軍備方式。
根據中國的格言：
"鞍不離馬背，甲不離將身"。
好的士兵知道，敵人或許任何時候都會出現，
所以他們一定要一直準備好。
當敵人出現的時候，才穿上盔甲，為馬套上馬鞍，
若沒有遇到大屠殺，也一定會招致失敗。
Being well-armed and ready to fight is
even more critical for the battle of faith.
We do not war against flesh and blood;
instead we are engaged in a titanic and
relentless spiritual battle. So we must
be constantly and highly vigilant. In
particular, there are three antitheses of
vigilance that we must guard against.
在面對信仰的戰役之時，
若是好好裝備自已，準備好來戰鬥，甚至是更加重要的。
我們並不是與有血氣的爭戰：
相反地，我們所從事的，是一個巨大又無情的屬靈戰役。
所以我們一定要一直高度警戒。
特別是，有三種警醒的對照，是我們一定要非常謹慎的。
I. FIRST WARNING: SPIRITUAL SLUMBER
第一個警告：屬靈沉睡
1. Awake! 醒來
The Lord Himself warns those who are
asleep to awake (Eph 5:14); Jesus wants
us to be watchful and not to continue
in our slumber. Paul elaborates on what
being awake means. We are to live “not
as fools”, dazedly muddling along in life,
oblivious to what is happening around
us. Instead, we must understand and
remember that the Lord’s will is for us
to save sinners today and to judge the
world for their sins in the future. Hence,
we must depart from darkness to love the
light; repent and leave our sins. There is
no time to waste because “the days are
evil”, i.e., the judgment of the Lord is
coming soon. So we have to “redeem the
time” to do our work of salvation (Eph
5:15–16).
主耶穌親自警告，那些睡著的人要醒過來；
(弗 5：14)
耶穌要我們小心謹慎，不要一直在沉睡中度過。
保羅詳細的解釋，什麼是醒著的意思。
我們不是"像愚昧的人"一樣活著，
一直在生活中，渾渾噩噩，胡莉糊塗，
對於發生在我們身旁的事情，不是很在意。
相反地，我們一定要了解到，也要記得這件事，
就是主的旨意，對今日的我們而言，是拯救罪人
要在未來對於世界其所犯的罪加以審判。
因此，我們一定要遠離黑暗，喜愛亮光；
悔改並離開我們的罪惡。
沒有時間可以浪費了，
因為"現今的世代邪惡"，
也就是說，神的審判很快就要來了。
要"愛惜光陰"來作成自已得救的工作。
(弗 5：15-16)
Today, man knows much more than his
ancestors, but he also sins much more.
Technology has advanced by leaps and
bounds, but human morality has also
degenerated just as sharply. All these
signs should set alarm bells ringing.
When the entire generation is so evil, it
must mean we have moved deep into the
night. Very soon, dawn will appear. The
sun will rise. Darkness will pass. At that
time, will we be in the light, or stuck in
darkness?
今日，人類比起先祖們了解更多的事情，
但也因為犯了更多的罪。
科技在幾步彈跳之間，就大大的進步很多，
但是人類的道德卻也大大的沉倫。
所有一切的徵兆，都應該可以讓警鈴響起。
當整個世代是這麼的邪惡之時，
這就代表了，我們已經到了夜很深的時候。
不久之後，白畫將要來臨。
太陽會升起。
黑暗會消退。
那時候，我們會不會在光中呢？
或是我們會卡在黑暗之中？
Physical sleep is useful for us to
recharge and refresh. But spiritual
slumber is hazardous to health. So we
must—quite literally—rise and shine!
肉體上的睡眠是有用的，
我們可以重新充電，得到更新。
但靈裡的沉睡，卻對我們靈命的健康有所損害。
所以我們一定要 - 要像字面上所說的 -
興起並發光！
2. Watch and Pray 警醒禱告
When Jesus went into Gethsemane to
pray, He asked the disciples to watch and
pray—why? He did not need the disciples
to intercede for Him. Jesus may have
had moments of weakness and sorrow,
but He never succumbed to temptation.
Watchful in prayer, He overcame all of it.
當耶穌到客西馬尼園禱告，
祂請門徒也警醒禱告 - 為什麼？
祂不需要門徒來為祂代禱。
耶穌或許有些時候的軟弱和憂傷，
但祂從來沒有屈服於引誘。
警醒禱告，祂勝過一切的引誘。
However, Jesus knew that His disciples
were highly vulnerable to temptation
and spiritual sleep. So, He urged them
to watch and pray. Some believers—to
justify their spiritual somnolence—like
to say that the “spirit is willing but the
flesh is weak”. This biblical phrase was
never meant to be a license for carnal
indulgence! Instead we ought to triumph
over weakness by heeding the Lord’s
reminder to watch and pray.
然而，耶穌知道，祂的門徒對引誘是非常的軟弱，
而且靈性在沉睡。
所以，祂鼓勵他們來警醒禱告。
有些信徒 - 會合理化自已靈性沉睡的狀態 -
就會說，"內心固然願意，但肉體卻是軟弱的"。
聖經裡面的句子，從來沒有要被設定用來成為沉溺在肉體軟弱之中的許可証。
相反地，我們應該要藉著留心神的提醒，警醒禱告來勝過自已的軟弱。
After two wake-up calls the disciples
were “still sleeping” and had not realized
that the enemy was approaching. When
Jesus woke them up for the third time,
the enemy was already before them (Mt
26:45–46).
門徒經過二次叫醒之後，"仍然沉睡"，
並不知道，敵人已經接近了。
當耶穌第三次叫醒他們的時候，
敵人已經在他們前面了。
(太 26：45-46)
See the stark contrast between the
respective ways that Jesus and the
disciples faced the enemy. Jesus was calm
and brave. The disciples “forsook Him
and fled” (Mt 26: 56). This was utter,
ignominious failure. When Jesus needed
them the most, they fled. It is clear why
the three disciples had no courage to
stand together with Jesus. It was a lack
of vigilance—they had been asleep, they
were caught unprepared, and so they
fled in terror.
我們可以看到耶穌和門徒，各自面對敵人完全相反的應對方式。
耶穌平靜勇敢。
而門徒"拋棄祂逃走了"。
(太 25：56)
這完全是一種可恥的失敗。
當耶穌最需要他們的時候，他們逃了。
很清楚地，為什麼三個耶穌的門徒，
並沒有勇氣和耶穌站在一起。
因為缺少醒警 - 他們一直沉睡，
他們在沒有準備的時候，被敵人襲擊，
所以他們在恐懼之中逃走。
But this failure was an important
learning and turning point for them,
sowing the seed for their future
unflinching vigilance. We see a very
different apostolic church—the apostles
were constantly watchful in their prayers;
they no longer fled but faced every
challenge courageously.
但這次的失敗，對他們而言，是一次重要的學習，及轉捩點。
撒下了種子，讓他們以後可以有不再退縮的警醒。
我們看到一個非常不一樣的使徒教會 -
許多使徒一直很謹慎的在禱告；
他們不再逃走，而是很勇敢的面對每一個挑戰。
They were undaunted by external
persecution. Brought before officials
who threatened them to stop them from
preaching, Peter and John declared, “Is it
right to obey you men rather than obey
God? You decide” (Acts 4:19). How
bold these apostles had become. When
questioned, they in turn questioned and
made the council reflect on its actions.
They also said, “We cannot but speak
of the things we have seen and heard.”
It was a fearless proclamation that even
if they were arrested, these believers of
“the Way” would continue to preach on
their release.
雖然外在有逼迫，他們還是很勇敢。
聽從你們，不聽從神，這在神面前合理不合理，你們自己酌量罷！
(徒 4：19)
被帶到官員面前，而官員威脅他們，要讓他們不能傳道，
19彼得、約翰說：聽從你們，不聽從神，這在神面前合理不合理，你們自己酌量罷！
(徒 4：19)
這些使徒竟然變得這麼的勇敢。
當他們被別人質疑的時候，
就反過來用問題反質疑，讓議會的人好好想想自已行為的合理性。
他們也說，
20我們所看見所聽見的，不能不說。
(徒 4：20)
這是一種很勇敢的宣告，甚至即使他們被官府抓走了，
這些"道理"的門徒，在他們被釋放出來之後，還是繼續傳道。
Internal problems were quickly
confronted and effectively resolved.
One instance was the distribution of
food. Those involved in the squabble did
not know how to handle the problem.
However, the apostles did. Seven
deacons were appointed to manage
administrative issues so that the apostles
were not distracted from prayer and the
ministry of the word.
內部的問題，馬上很快就會面對，
並且很有效地處理完畢。
例如，食物分配不均的問題。
這些身處在紛爭之中的人，並不知道要如何處理這個問題。
然而，使徒卻會處理。
所以就有七個執事被選出來，要管理這個行政事物，
這樣一來，使徒才不會分心，
可以專心禱告，好好處理傳福音的事。
In short, regardless of whether the
problems came from outside the church
or within the church, the apostles
watched and prayed. They were no
longer spiritually asleep. Thus, we too
must learn to watch and pray and not
allow our spiritual minds to sleep.
簡言之，不論問題是來自於教會外，或是教會內，
使徒都很警醒，且一直禱告。
他們不在是靈性沉睡。
因此，我們也一定要學會警醒禱告，
不會讓自已靈性的頭腦睡著了。
3. Be Willing 樂意
There may be times when we—in a
moment of weakness—doze off. Who
can help us then?
或許有很多時候，我們 - 就在這些時候變得很軟弱 -
開始打磕睡。
那麼，有誰可以幫助我們呢？
Only the Lord can awake man from
spiritual slumber. But we must not take
this for granted because God does not
wake everyone. In particular, He does
not wake those in deep slumber because
sound sleepers who are currently enjoying
sweet dreams do not react well to being
woken. These sleepers ignore or shut off
the alarm clock; they tell the person who
is trying to wake them up to give them
more time. Further attempts to rouse
such a person from sleep will only earn us
their anger, blame or rebuke.
只有神可以讓人很靈性的沉睡狀態，醒了過來。
但是我們一定不要把這種情況當成理所當然，
因為不會每個人都去把他搖醒過來。
特別是，神是不會把那些沉睡的人搖醒過來，
因為沉睡的人，現在正在享受其美夢，
並不能被搖醒過來，好好的反應。
這些睡著的人，會忽略，或是把鬧鐘關掉；
他們會告訴那些去試著搖醒他們的人說，
請他們給更多的時間來睡。
若是想更進一步，試著把他從睡夢中吵起來，
只會得到他們的憤努，責怪和斥責。
God wants a willing heart. Therefore,
He only wakes two kinds of people—the
contrite and the humble. God dwells with
him who is contrite and humble in spirit.
He will revive, i.e., awaken, the spirit of
the humble and the heart of the contrite
(Isa 57:15).
神希望有一顆樂意的心。
所以，神只體搖醒二種類型的人 -
悲傷痛悔的人，謙卑的人。
悲傷痛悔的人，謙卑的人，神會與他靈裡同在。
祂會讓人重新恢復，
也就是說，讓人醒過來，
15要使謙卑人的靈甦醒，也使痛悔人的心甦醒。
(賽 57：15)
God will not awaken the hard-hearted
and proud; not because He does not love
them, but because of their stubbornness.
The hard-hearted will not repent. He
will continue to sin. The proud will not
listen to advice and will act as they wish.
In contrast, the humble listen to advice,
reflect and repent; the contrite are even
more eager to repent. God delights in
such people. Since they are willing to
repent, the spirit of God will be even
more willing and pleased to help and
dwell in them, reviving their spirits.
神不會甦醒那些硬心和驕傲的人；
並不是因為神不愛他們，
而是因為他們的內心非常的頑固。
那些硬心的人都不會悔改。
就會一直犯罪。
驕傲的人不會聽從別人的勸告，
只會照著他們所希望的去行。
相反的，謙卑的人會聽別人的勸，反省，並且悔改；
憂傷痛悔的人，甚至會更加急迫來悔改。
神會喜悅這樣的人。
因為他們很願意來悔改，
神的靈甚至會更加樂意，且願意來幫助他們，
與他們同在，重新恢復他們內心的心靈。
In sum… 總結
Rousing from our slumber requires God’s
help, as well as our humble and contrite
hearts. A good test of our readiness to
awaken is our reaction when listening
to the word of God. We need to ask the
Lord for mercy, entreat His spirit to revive
our hearts and prevent us from further
slumber. One who is sleeping will not
know when the Lord comes, or when
the enemy will appear. And that will be
downright dangerous!
要從沉睡之中醒過來，需要有神的幫助，
同是也要有謙卑及痛悔的心。
能讓我們準備好醒過來的最好測試方法，
就是當我們聽到神的話語時，有所反應和行動。
我們要祈求神的憐憫，讓祂把聖靈來恢復我們的心，
防止我們更進一步睡著。
一個睡著的人，不會知道什麼時候神會來到，
而者是什麼時候敵人會出現。
這種情況，真的是完完全全非常的危險。
FOOTPRINTS: 註記
WERE YOU THERE WHEN THEY CRUCIFIED THE LORD?
主捨命十架時 你在那裡?
In a well-known inspirational poem, a man looks back on the sands of
his life and sees two sets of footprints—the Lord’s and his. He notices,
to his shock, that at his times of greatest sorrow, there is only one set of
footprints. He is upset and demands to know why he was abandoned;
until the Lord gently points out that these were the Lord’s footprints—
the Lord had carried the man through these turbulent periods.
在一首非常令人啟發的詩中，
這個人回頭看他一生之後走過的沙灘，
卻看見有二組腳印的痕跡 - 是主的腳印和他的腳印。
令他感到驚訝的是，他注意到了，
在他最悲傷的時候，只有一組腳印而已。
他就覺得非常的灰心，並且要知道，為什麼他被拋棄了；
最後直到神很溫柔的指出，這些都是神的腳印 -
神一直都在這些非常痛苦的時候，背著他一路走過來。
Similarly, many of us accuse the Lord of ignoring or even abandoning us
when we need Him most. We question His faithfulness and audaciously
grumble that He must have been sleeping on the job! Busy blaming the
Lord, we do not realize that we ourselves have not been standing by the
side of Jesus and hence cannot hear His voice. Even more critically, were
we there when the Lord had need of us?
同樣地，我們許多人會控訴神說，
當我們最需要祂的時候，為什麼祂會忽略我們，或是拋棄我們。
我們會質疑祂有沒有信實，膽子變大向祂抱怨，
就說，一定是祂在工作的時候，一直在偷懶睡覺！
忙著責怪神的錯，我們並不了解，
我們自已並沒有站在耶穌的身旁，因為就不能聽到祂的聲音。
甚至更令人批評的是，
主要我們的時候，你在那裡呢?
God wants a willing heart. Therefore, He only wakes two kinds of
people—the contrite and the humble.
神要人有一個樂意的心。
所以，祂只會搖醒二種類型的人 - 痛悔的人和謙卑的人
II. SECOND WARNING: SPIRITUAL WEARINESS
II．第二個警告：靈性軟弱
Our journey of faith may comprise
many periods of extreme zeal. But
inevitably, there will be times of fatigue.
In moments like these, we do not
particularly want to do anything or speak
to anyone; we just want to lie down,
hide away and have our own quiet time.
Usually, after some rest, we feel better
and are ready to proceed on our journey
of faith and service.
我們信仰的旅程，或許是由許多極度熱心的時間所組成的。
但是無可避免的，總也有我們變得虛弱的時候。
在這些虛弱的時刻之時，
我們特別不想作任何事情，或是向任人說說；
我們只想躺下來，躲起來，想要自已有安靜的片刻。
常常是，在經過一些休息之後，
我們會覺得好一些，
並且準備好來繼續執行自已信仰和服事神的旅程。
Unfortunately, some are so weary
that they do not just feel like giving up
their service—they want to give up on
their lives. One such example was Elijah.
His was no mere physical exhaustion
but a deep spiritual weariness. A great
prophet of faith, Elijah was neither easily
frightened nor easily exhausted. So how
did he end up asking to die?
不幸的是，有一些人很軟弱，
他們不只想要放棄自已的服事工作，
反而他們想要放棄自已的生命。
其中這樣的例子，就是以利亞。
他的問題不只是肉體上的疲乏，
而是內心深處心靈的軟弱。
以利亞是信仰上的大先知，
即不輕易變害怕，也不易疲乏。
所以到底是怎麼回事，為什麼到最後會要求死呢？
It was not an easy ministry that he had
been called to—just one man confronting
850 false prophets, a faithless king and
equally faithless people. However, by
relying on God, Elijah performed two great
miracles (1 Kgs 18). First, he successfully
entreated God to send fire from on high
to burn up the offerings, proving that the
LORD is God and that the 850 prophets
of Baal were worshipping false gods.
Second, his prayer to God for rain ended
a three-and-a-half-year drought. These
two great miracles triggered the people’s
resolve to turn back to God. Together
with Elijah, they executed the 850 false
prophets.
他所被呼召要來事奉，要處理的不是一個簡單的任務 -
就好像是他要一個人來面對850個假先知，
面對沒有信仰的君王，和幾乎已經沒有信仰的百姓。
然而，藉由依賴神，以利亞執行了二個大神蹟。
(王上 18)
第一，他成功地信靠神，從高天降火下來燒掉燔祭，
証明耶和華才是真神，巴力的850個假先知敬拜的是假神。
第二，他禱告求雨，就結束了三年半的乾旱。
這二個大神蹟，引發了百姓決心歸向神。
和以利亞一起，把850個假先知殺了。
At this point, Elijah thought that Israel’s
faith would be restored. But when king
Ahab told queen Jezebel about
the things Elijah had done, she
issued the order to kill Elijah
(1 Kgs 19:1–4). Ahab
was unable to stop his
wife and protect the
prophet of the Lord.
The people who had
personally witnessed
the miracles did
not dare stand up
for Elijah either. All
the miracles had
not changed the
heart of Ahab or
the people; it had
done little to dent
the power that Jezebel
wielded.
在這個時候，以利亞認為，以色列的信仰將會再復興。
但當亞哈王向王后耶洗別說到以利亞所作的事情時，
她頒佈命令要殺以利亞。
(王上 19：1-4)
亞哈王不能阻止他的妻子，保護神的先知。
而那些已經親自見証到神蹟的百姓，
也不敢站起來力挺以利亞。
一切的神蹟都沒有改變亞哈王和百姓的心；
也沒有弱化耶洗別所使用的權力。
Elijah cut a lonely
figure. No one stood up with or for him.
From the lowest to the highest levels of
society, there was no one who dared to
help protect the prophet of God against
the idolatrous queen. Although the
power of God had been demonstrated
so dramatically, the people still could not
turn their minds back to God.
以利亞看起來十分的孤獨。
沒有人站起來和他在一起，或是為他說好話。
從社會的最低層級到最高層級，
沒有人敢來幫助保護神的先知，對抗拜偶像的皇后。
雖然神的力量已經這麼的戲劇化的被展現在眾人面前，
百姓仍然無法改變他們的心意，回歸於神。
Elijah was devastated. He had thought
the miracles would lead to a great
revival of the nation’s faith but the final
outcome was completely different. What
else could he do for God’s kingdom? Left
with no choice, Elijah fled. In fact, the
situation appeared so bleak and his sense
of helplessness so acute that he prayed to
God: “Let me die.”
以利亞變得非常的絕望。
他一直認為，這些神蹟會引領這個國家的信仰，大大的復興，
但是最後的結果卻完完全全的不同。
因著神的國度，他還能作其他什麼事呢？
We may have been in similar
situations. Burning with great aspirations
for God, we put in utmost effort into
His service, only to reap somewhat
disappointing outcome(s). However, our
disappointment was more acute when we
realized that no one was willing to stand
by our side to speak for us. We might
even feel a sense of betrayal when the
very people whom we have tried to help
treat us like feared lepers. In moments
like these, we are truly weary. We give
up. Sometimes we even seek death. Just
like Elijah.
我們或許一直是處於相同的情況之下。
心中燃燒著對神的大熱心，
我們盡最大的努力來服事祂，
結果卻只收到一些另人失望的情況。
然而，當我們發現到，沒有人願意站出來，
站到我們身邊為我們說話的時候，我們失望的情緒會更加的真實。
當這同樣的一群百姓，他們也跟著像怕遇到大麻瘋一樣的對待我們的時候，
我們甚至或許也會有很強的背叛感。
就在我們遇到像這樣情況的時候，就真的非常的軟弱了。
我們就放棄了。
有時候，我們甚至會想求死。
就像以利亞一樣。
Both of these—the truth and the Holy Spirit —nourish,
move and sustain us spiritually. Hence, we ought to ask the Lord to
grant us food and drink to re-energize us and help us emerge from our
exhaustion.
因著真理和聖靈兩者同時的滋養，
在靈性上感動和支持著我們。
因為我們應該要求神來得到靈食和靈水，
讓我們重新充滿力量，從自已的疲乏困頓之中走出來。
1. Take a Short Break 休息一下
In 1 Kings 19, we see that God did not
reprimand Elijah. God understood that
he was weary and knew what he needed
most was rest. So God provided Elijah
with food and drink and allowed him to
sleep. Similarly for us, sometimes God
wakes us when we have fallen asleep. But
at other times, like the loving parent that
He is, God allows us to continue to sleep
so that we can rest and recuperate.
列王記上19章，我們看見神並沒有責怪以利亞。
神知道，他很軟弱，最需要的就是休息。
所以神準備了食物和飲水給他，讓他睡一下。
對我們也是同樣的道理，
有時候當我們睡著的時候，神會搖醒我們。
但是其他的時候，神讓我們繼續睡，
這樣我們才能休息，恢復過來。
But we cannot continue to slumber.
We have to awake at some point in
time. After gently waking Elijah (1 Kgs
19:7), God told him that a great journey
was before him; he still had much to do.
Difficulties in one area of work should
not discourage us from taking up work
in another area. There still is much to
accomplish in many other areas.
但是我們不能一直睡下去。
我們在某些時間點的時候，要及時醒過來。
在輕輕的叫醒以利亞之後，
(王上 19：7)
神告訴他，在前面有一個大的旅程；
他仍然要作很多事情。
在一個地方遇到了工作上的困難，
不該讓我們灰心，而放棄把另一個地方的工作肩負起來。
因為仍然有許多地方的工作，待我們去完成。
2. Undertake Other Ministries 從事其他的事奉工作
God instructed Elijah to pass judgment
on Ahab’s household; to pronounce
judgment on Jezebel and the false
prophets; and to restore the faith of the
people of Israel. These were all future
events. God was telling Elijah to prepare
for the future. Invigorated by his rest,
Elijah knew his direction and thus moved
towards it.
神指示以利亞，把對亞哈王全家的審判，傳達下去；
宣佈對耶洗別和眾假先知的審判；
也要恢復以色列眾百姓的信仰。
這些一切都是未來的事情。
神就是告訴以利亞，要為未來的事情準備。
藉由休息而重新得到力量，
以利亞知道了自已的方向，
因些專心朝向它奔跑。
There is an important lesson here for
us when we find ourselves weary and
disappointed because our ministry does
not seem to be yielding any result. We
need not confine ourselves to just one
area, for there are many other things
in which we can serve. No matter
where, as long as we are doing
it for God, God is pleased.
Even if it is the simplest
action of bringing a
cold drink to the little
ones, Jesus sees
and remembers.
All because we
showed love and
care for the little
one in His name.
這裡對我們而言，有重要的教訓，
當我們發現自已變得很軟弱和失望的時候，
因為自已的事奉工作似乎沒有產生任何的結果。
我們沒有必要把自已限制在某一個領域，
因為有許多其他的事實，我們都可以來服事神。
無論在那裡，只要我們為了神而作，神就喜悅
即使是最簡單的事情，例如為最小的弟兄倒一杯涼水，
耶穌會看見，並且會加以紀念。
這一樣只因為我們，因著祂的名，為這最小的弟兄，表現出慈愛和關懷。
It is also
through little
things that God
can see whether we
have been faithful
to His word. We
have heard so many
sermons but how many
have we applied in our daily lives? When
we are discouraged, do we really turn our
eyes upon Jesus? When we are suffering,
can we draw strength and comfort from
Him whose eye is on the sparrow? Can
we strengthen the tired hands and feeble
knees so that we can complete our
journey of faith (Heb 12:12)?
也是因為透過這一切的小事，
神才能看見我們是不是有忠心信守祂的話語。
我們已經聽過了這麼多的講道，
然而在我們每日的生活中，到底實行了多少呢？
當我們灰心喪志的時候，我們會不會真心轉眼仰望耶穌呢？
當我們正在痛苦之中，
我們是否能從那看顧麻雀的真神身上，得到力量和安慰呢？
我們是否能為那軟弱的手，發酸的膝加添力量，
這樣我們才能完成自已信仰的旅程呢？
(來 12：12)
In sum… 總結
David said, “The LORD is my shepherd; I
shall not want. He makes me to lie down
in green pastures; He leads me beside the
still waters” (Ps 23:1–2).
大衛說，
23（大衛的詩。）耶和華是我的牧者，我必不致缺乏。
2他使我躺臥在青草地上，領我在可安歇的水邊。
(詩 23：1-2)
Our green pastures are the word of
God. They give our hearts strength and
comfort (Ps 119:49–50). The still waters
are the Holy Spirit. He is the water of life,
and will help us. Both of these—the truth
and the Holy Spirit—nourish, move and
sustain us spiritually. Hence, we ought to
ask the Lord to grant us food and drink to
re-energize us and help us emerge from
our exhaustion.
我們的青草地就是神的話語。
他們會賜給我們的內心力量和安慰。
(詩 119：49-50)
而可安歇的水邊就是聖靈的力量。
祂就是生命的活水，會幫助我們。
因著真理和聖靈兩者同時的滋養，
在靈性上感動和支持著我們。
因為我們應該要求神來得到靈食和靈水，
讓我們重新充滿力量，從自已的疲乏困頓之中走出來。
III. THIRD WARNING: SPIRITUAL NUMBNESS
III．第三個警告：靈性麻木
A lack of vigilance is also manifested as
numbness towards the word of God. We
simply refuse to listen to the word and
have no reaction to whatever warning
there is in the Bible. Underpinning this
refusal is simple disbelief—first, disbelief
that God will fulfill His warning of
destruction; and second, disbelief that
God has specified a way of salvation.
缺乏警醒的表現，也顯示在對神話語的麻木感。
我們就是拒絕來聽神話語，
對聖經裡面無論任何的警告，完全沒有反應。
而在這種拒絕之下的基礎，簡單來說就是單純的不信 -
第一，不相信神會完成祂毀滅的警告；
第二，不相信神會有特定的拯救方式。
1. Dull Hearts, Heavy Ears, Closed
Eyes (Isa 6:9–10)
1. 1心蒙脂油，耳朵發沉，眼睛昏迷。
(賽 6：9-10)
Some people consider God’s action of
destroying all humanity except for a
family of eight as excessively cruel. They
question, “Could everyone in Noah’s
time have been so completely evil that all
deserved death? There must have been
varying shades of evilness amongst them,
so why did God have to destroy every
single one of them?”
有一些人認為，神除了一家八口，毀滅了全人類的行動，
是一種極度殘忍的事情。
他們質疑，
"難道在諾亞時代的任何人，就是那麼完全邪惡，
所以所有人都惡有應得，死有餘辜？
在他們之中，就算是邪惡，一定有各種不同的色調，
所以為什麼神一定要毀滅他們之中每一個人呢？"
A fact generally forgotten or glossed
over is that God had provided a very long
grace period. The ark that God instructed
Noah to build was not meant for just the
Noah family. The ark was meant to save
everybody. Unfortunately, not a single
person outside Noah’s family believed.
逐一為人所忘，或是為人所掩蓋的真象是，
神已經有準備了很長的恩典時期。
神指示諾亞所造的方舟，並不是只為了諾亞一家人。
這個方舟是為了救每一個人。
不幸的是，諾亞家以外，沒有任何一個人會願意相信。
Everyone could see the ark. Everyone
had heard Noah warn of the impending
flood. Everyone knew that entering the
ark meant safety from death. They saw,
they heard and they knew but… they
simply did not believe. God had provided
decades of warning but the people’s eyes
were closed, their ears deaf and hearts
dull. So should we still blame God for
heartlessness or man for recalcitrance?
每個人都看的見方舟。
每個人都聽見諾亞的警告，有洪水即將來到。
每個人也知道，若進入方式就可脫離死方，有安全的保障。
他們看見，聽見，而且明白了，但是...
他們就是不相信。
神已經給了他們幾十年的警告，但人們的眼就是閉了起來，
耳朵發沉，心蒙了油一般。
所以，我們該不該仍然在責怪神，這麼無情無義，
或是要怪人是這麼的頑固呢？
The wind blowing through the trees
causes leaves to fall. Not every leaf
falls, only those that are withered and
withering. In fact, lifeless leaves will still
fall off even if there were no wind. On
the other hand, leaves with life may rustle
in the wind but they will stay on the tree.
Ought we to blame the “cruel” wind for
“making” the leaves fall?
風吹過樹梢，讓棄子落下。
但並不是每一片都會掉落，
只有那些已經估萎或是正個估萎的葉子才會掉下來。
實際上，棄子沒有生命之後，就會自已掉下來，甚至沒有風吹。
另一方面，有生命的棄子，在風中會發出沙沙的聲音，
但仍然會留在樹上。
所以我們要責怪風太"殘忍了"，所以"讓"葉子掉下來。
The second coming of the Son of Man
will be similar to the great flood in the
days of Noah. Whether we enter into the
ark and be saved like Noah and his entire
household depends on whether we have
become numb to the message of the
judgment day (cf. Mt 24:37–42).
人子的第二次再臨，就會像是諾亞時代的大洪水一樣。
無論我們是否進入方舟得救，就像諾亞一家一樣，
就決定於是否我們有沒有對審判日的訊息變的麻木。
The Lord Jesus tells us that we have
to be ever-vigilant and never allow
our spiritual senses to be numb (Mt
24:42,44). Heed the Bible’s advice—be
prepared; enter and stay in the ark of the
last days, which is the true church.
主耶穌告訴我們，我們要時時警醒，
不要讓自已的靈性變得麻木。
(太 24：42，44)
留心聖心的勸勉 - 時時作好準備；
進入方式，留在末日的方舟，就是真教會。
2. A Vision of Their Own Heart (Jer
23:16–17)
2. 異象是出於自己的心
(耶 23：16-17)
Some people question, “Is the True
Jesus Church (TJC) really the ark of the
last days? Can you only be saved by
entering the TJC? Is it logical that only
your small number of members will be
saved and everybody else will die? How
can the loving God allow all the other
people to die and save a meagre few?!”
These questions then generally lead to
the conclusion that the TJC is a “cult”
because of our “exclusiveness”.
有些人質疑，"
"真耶穌教會真的是末日的方舟嗎？
你只能藉著進入真耶穌教會，才會得救？
只有你們一小群的信徒會得救，其他每個人都會死，這種說法到底合不合合理嗎？
慈愛的神怎麼可能會讓其他所有的人都死去，只救你們這少少的一群人呢？！"
然後這些問題，就漸漸地會引導到一種結論，
那就是真耶穌教會是一種"邪教"，
因為他們有自稱的"獨一性"。
When we ponder on these questions,
they do not seem unreasonable. Due
to this and the fact that TJC’s rate of
conversion appear lower than many
other denominations, we are somewhat
reluctant to definitively proclaim that the
TJC is THE ark of the last days. Some
have even started to doubt this, especially
those who were not very convinced in the
first place. If we are battling such doubts,
Jesus has given us a clear answer.
當我們思考這些問題的時候，
看起來就好像很不合理。
因為這樣的原因，
事實是改信真耶穌教會的比例，是比其他許多的教派低得很多，
我們就有點不情不願，非常肯定地的承認，
真耶穌教會是神末日的方舟。
有些人甚至已經開始懷疑這一點，
特別是那些一開始就不是非常深信的人。
若我們正在和這些疑惑戰鬥，
那麼耶穌已經給我們一個非常清楚的答案。
The coming of the Son of Man will be
like the days of Noah. How many people
were saved in those days? Only eight
entered the ark; only eight out of an
entire world and generation were saved
(1 Pet 3:20). Even fewer than those who
are in the TJC! All who did not enter the
ark were completely wiped out.
人子的來臨，就會像是諾亞時代的日子。
在那個時代的時候，有多少人會得救呢？
只有八個人進入方舟；
整個世界和整個世代，只有八個人能夠得救。
(彼 3：20)
甚至比那些在真耶穌教會的人更少！
所有的人，若沒有進入方舟，就會被完完全全的毀滅。
Therefore, we must heed God’s
warning to enter into the ark of the last
days, lest we be rejected and left outside
to perish.
所以，我們一定要留心神的警告，進入末日的方舟，
以免我們會被拒絕，被留在外面而滅已。
CONCLUSION 結論
To some, the phrase “God is love”
means we can do anything we like and
still lay a claim on eternal life. However,
the Bible clearly teaches that the lack of
vigilance can jeopardize our salvation. It
is not because God is cruel and unloving,
but because we continually and casually
reject His word. It is not that we do not
know His teaching and warnings, but
because we are unwilling to believe. It is
not that God does not want to save us,
but because we have not done our work
of salvation.
對某此人而言，"神就是愛"這個句子，
代表了我們可以作任何自已喜歡作的事，
並且仍然宣稱自已有永生。
然而，聖經很清楚的教導我們，
危乏警醒會危仍到我們的拯救。
這不是因為神是殘忍的，沒有慈愛，
而是因為我們一直隨著已心拒絕祂的話語。
這也不是因為我們不了解祂的教導和警告，
而是因為我們不願相個。
這不是因為神不要拯救我們，
而是因為我們沒有完成自已得救的工作。
Before the throne of judgment, are we
going to accuse God of heartlessness?
God will say, “I do not know you.”
We will then be cast outside to weep
and suffer. There will be people outside
weeping and gnashing their teeth. They
will cry out, “Lord, Lord, didn’t we
preach in your name? Didn’t we heal the
sick and cast out demons in your name?”
Those who said these words were people
who had preached the gospel and healed
the sick in the name of Jesus. Yet they
were rejected.
在審判寶座之前，難道我們要控告神是無情無義嗎？
神會說，"我並不認識你"。
那麼我們就會丟棄在外，哀哭切齒，承受苦楚。
一定會有人留在外面咬牙切齒。
他們會大聲哭號叫著，
"主啊，主啊，難道我們奉你的名傳道嗎？
難道我們沒有奉你的名醫病趕鬼嗎？
那些說這種話的人，就是那些奉耶穌的名傳福音，替人醫病的人。
然而他們卻被神所拒絕了。
So we must be sober and vigilant for
our adversary prowls around us. Awake
from our spiritual slumber. Rely on
God’s word and Spirit to overcome our
spiritual exhaustion. Re-examine our
heart of belief and repent of our spiritual
numbness. Enter and stay in the ark of
the last days.
所以我們一定很很清醒，並且對於那些徘徊在我們身旁的苦難，很警醒。
從自已靈性的沉睡中，清醒過來。
依靠神的話語和聖靈，來克服自已靈性疲乏。
重新好好檢視自已信心，
好好悔改自已在靈性上的越來越麻木。
要進入末日的方舟，留在其中。
We must be sober and
vigilant for our adversary
prowls around us. Awake
from our spiritual slumber.
Rely on God’s word
and Spirit to overcome
our spiritual exhaustion.
Re-examine our heart of
belief and repent of our
spiritual numbness.
我們一定要清醒，並且對於圍繞在自已身旁的危險，保持警醒。
從屬靈的沉睡狀態中清醒過來，
依靠神的話語和聖靈，來克服自已屬靈上的疲乏。
重新檢視自已信仰的心，
對自已靈性的麻木加以悔改。
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
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