17. Manna issue 85 - REFLECTION: God’s Chosen Temple 反省：神揀選的聖殿
From a sermon by Barnabas Chong—Singapore 節錄自新加坡 Barnabas Chong 講道
ACCEPTED BY GOD 神悅納
Long ago, Solomon built a grand temple dedicated to God.
Soon after, God appeared to Solomon with some weighty words:
很久以前，所羅門建了一座宏偉聖殿，獻給神。
不久之後，神向所羅門顯現，說了一些沉重的話語：
Then the LORD appeared to Solomon by night, and said to him:
“I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place for Myself as a house of sacrifice.
When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land,
or send pestilence among My people,
if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face,
and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.
For now I have chosen and sanctified this house, that My name may be there forever;
and My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually.” (2 Chr 7:12–16)
12夜間耶和華向所羅門顯現，對他說：我已聽了你的禱告，也選擇這地方作為祭祀我的殿宇。
13我若使天閉塞不下雨，或使蝗蟲吃這地的出產，或使瘟疫流行在我民中，
14這稱為我名下的子民，若是自卑、禱告，尋求我的面，轉離他們的惡行，我必從天上垂聽，赦免他們的罪，醫治他們的地。
15我必睜眼看、側耳聽在此處所獻的禱告。
16現在我已選擇這殿，分別為聖，使我的名永在其中，我的眼、我的心也必常在那裡。
（代下 7：12-16）
These magisterial words were God’s reply to Solomon’s prayer in chapter 6,
a plea for God to remember His people and to be with them no matter what.
Solomon was asking God to dwell with the children of Israel, with the temple as a symbol of this union.
In a handful of powerful sentences, God accepted Solomon’s invitation.
這些權柄的話語，是神在第六章中對所羅門祈禱的回复
懇求神紀念祂的子民，無論如何與他們同在。
所羅門要求神與以色列人同住，聖殿是這種聯合的象徵。
神用一連串有力的詞句，表達了悅納所羅門的邀請。
Imagine what was going through Solomon’s mind.
All that effort and sacrifice he had put into building the temple
could have easily been for nothing if God had rejected it, as was His prerogative.
But God accepted the efforts of His people and the dedication of the temple.
想像一下，所羅門的想法是什麼。
他為建造聖殿，所做的一切努力和犧牲，
如果神拒絕的話，一切很快就變得白費，這本就是神的決定權。
但是神接受了祂子民的付出，和聖殿的奉獻。
The True Jesus Church is that same spiritual temple today.
Over many centuries, thousands of churches have sprung into existence and prominence in every corner of the earth.
Yet, of all these churches, arrayed in architectural splendor, historical richness,
and financial and social capital, God chose the humble True Jesus Church in which to dwell.
We alone have been blessed with the Holy Spirit and the complete truth.
This is a very important reminder of a very important lesson: the church, God’s church,
is not made by the hands of men, but built and sustained by the grace of God.
And so it has been these past hundred years,
where God’s presence is undeniable in explaining how we have come so far with so little.
God has accepted the True Jesus Church, and now dwells with us, and we give thanks.
真耶穌教會就是今日相同的屬靈聖殿。
數百年來，成千上萬的教堂在地球的各個角落如雨後春筍般出現。
然而，所有這些教堂中，呈現出建築技藝上的宏偉輝煌，呈現了豐富多彩多姿的歷史，
展現了社會財家雄厚的資本，而神卻選擇了謙卑的真耶穌教會在其中居住。
只有我們每個人得此祝福，而領受聖靈和完備的真理。
這是對一個極度重要教訓的非常重要提醒：教會，神的教會，
不是人的手造的，而是靠神的恩典建造和維持的。
已經過去的一百年來，
神的同在，無可否認地解釋了，我們如何以如此之少的資源，但卻走了這麼的遠。
神已經接受了真耶穌教會，現在與我們同住，所以我們要感謝神。
AN EVERLASTING COVENANT AND IMMEASURABLE GRACE 永約及深不可測的恩典
There is more to be thankful for.
God’s acceptance of the temple was not lightly done; it was also a promise.
The temple was His house, and Israel His people—
both of which He would watch over and protect.
What did God mean when He said,
“My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place.…
My eyes and My heart will be there perpetually”?
It meant that when the Israelites eventually strayed, when Solomon himself strayed,
and when the temple was destroyed by the Babylonians, God did not forsake His covenant with His beloved.
Even though the entire nation was conquered in punishment,
and the symbol of Israel’s holy zeal—their grand temple—
was brought to ruins, God would always watch over them.
He would lead them, and work with His people to restore things to their former glory.
Thus the temple was rebuilt and the Israelites brought back to their holy land,
and God’s covenant with His beloved endured.
還有更多值得感謝的地方。
神對悅納聖殿，並不是隨意為之的，也是一個承諾。
聖殿是祂的家，以色列是祂的子民-
祂將看顧保護聖殿和百姓。
神說的是什麼意思呢？
“在這個地方，我的眼睛會打開，耳朵注意聽祈禱的聲音。……
我的眼睛和心思，將永遠留在那裡”？
這代表了，當以色列人最終走偏了，所羅門本人也走歪了，
而聖殿被巴比倫人摧毀時，神並沒有拋棄與他所愛之人的約。
即使整個國家都因懲罰而被打敗了，
以色列人心中的象徵代表 - 他們最宏偉的聖殿-
也變成了廢墟，而神卻會一直守護著它們。
祂將帶領他們，並與祂的子民同工，使一切事物恢復往昔的榮耀。
就是這樣的方式，聖殿再被重建，以色列人被帶回了他們的聖地，
而神與他所愛之人所立的約，持續下去。
This is encouraging news for the True Jesus Church:
God will always guide and take care of us.
God’s promises will always be fulfilled.
The True Jesus Church, having been accepted by God, will always be God’s chosen church.
The promise goes further:
with Jesus, we know that as long as we are willing to believe,
God will give us His salvation grace.
God has prepared it all for us.
Now, therefore, we have more to be thankful for:
God has prepared for us immeasurable grace,
and as long as we persist in our faith, He will be with us for all time.
對於真耶穌教會而言，這是令人鼓舞的消息：
神將永遠引導並照顧我們。
神的應許將永不失效。
被神所悅納的真耶穌教會，將永遠是神揀選的教會。
神的應許將有更進一步的擴展：
因為耶穌，我們知道，只要我們願意信主，
神就會賜給我們祂的救恩。
神已經為我們準備好了一切。
因此，現在，我們還有更多可以感謝的事：
神為我們準備了深不可測的恩典，
只要我們堅持自己的信仰，祂就會一直與我們同在。
PASSED ON TO THE NEXT GENERATION 傳承給下一代
Elder John wrote:
"I rejoiced greatly that I have found some of your children walking in truth,
as we received commandment from the Father” (2 Jn 4).
Just as he rejoiced, grateful for the continuation of the faith across generations,
we also have good reason to rejoice today.
Today, it requires herculean effort for one generation to pass on its beliefs to the next,
much more so for a belief that requires as much devotion as Christianity.
But, as promised, God watches over us.
Through His grace, the church community has been effective in creating an environment of love
and dedication within which our young can grow in their faith.
約翰長老寫道：
“4我見你的兒女，有照我們從父所受之命令遵行真理的，就甚歡喜。”
（約二 4）。
正當他高興時候，就感謝神，讓他們世世代代信仰可以延續，
我們今天也有充分的理由感到高興。
如今，需要有巨大無比的努力付出，才能使一代人將其信仰傳承給下一代，
對於像基督教這樣的信仰，是需要有很多虔誠的付出的信仰而言，更是如此。
但是，正如所應許的，非會看顧我們。
藉著祂的恩典，教會團契，已經有效地塑造出有愛和虔誠付出的環境，
使我們的年輕人可以在自已信仰中成長。
Just as the members in apostolic times, we are vulnerable to the temptations and pressures of the world.
In the face of such forces, we are often left feeling confused and alone.
It is in these times that we must give thanks.
For it is when we are brought low that we are truly reminded of the value of our faith.
Our defeats are the precious moments in which we rely on God once more,
to see for ourselves what His promise—to the great kings and prophets of antiquity—looks like in our own lives.
正如使徒時代的信徒一樣，我們容易受到世界的誘惑和壓力的影響。
面對這種力量，我們常常感到困惑和孤獨。
在這些時候，我們必須感謝。
因為只有當我們身處卑微的時候，我們才能真正地聯想到自已信仰有多大的價值。
我們失敗的時候，就是我們再次依靠神的寶貴時刻，
親眼看看，祂對古時，眾國王和先知的應許，在我們自己的生活中，應許將會是以什麼樣子的形式出現。
The church, then, must become a refuge for the young.
For the temple where God dwells is also to be a sanctuary for the weary, for the bereft and bewildered.
The young, in their turn, must learn to seek the church as this promised refuge.
That God works to preserve the gospel in the hearts of His chosen is also His gift to us, and for that we are grateful.
因此，教會必須要成為年輕人的避難所。
因為神所住的聖殿，也要成為那些心中疲倦，為人遺忘和或困於迷惑中之人的聖所。
反過來，年輕人必須學會尋求教會，以此作為神應許的避難所。
神在他所揀選之人的心中，盡力保守福音，這也是祂對我們的恩賜，為此我們要感激不已。
THE FRUITS OF THANKSGIVING 感謝的果子
As we count our blessings and give thanks,
we must also remember those whose names have long been missing from the ledger.
There are many who have abandoned their faith in weakness,
for whom God’s grace is an unimaginable privilege.
We must never forget these members.
In the famous parable of the lost sheep, it is striking that the shepherd,
at the climactic moment of discovering his missing sheep,
“lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing” (Lk 15:5).
This is the true love of the shepherd.
The shepherd, who leaves all behind in search of the lost one,
lovingly holds on to his sheep and is unwilling to ever let go of it again.
This is the love that Jesus has for us—all of us.
Those who are strong and firm in faith must assist in this hunt for the lost and,
like the shepherd, take our fellow brothers and sisters upon our shoulders.
We have all been redeemed by the same blood, and it is our duty to gather the straying ones home.
當我們數算著自已得到的祝福，並感謝神的時候，
我們還必須記住那些名稱早已從名冊中消失的人。
有許多人放棄了信仰，而處於軟弱之中，
對於他們來說，神的恩典是一種無法想像的特權。
我們決不能忘記這些信徒。
眾所皆知的迷羊比喻中，令人吃驚的是牧羊人的表現，
當他發現迷羊的高潮時刻，
“把它扛在他的肩上，很喜樂”（路 15：5）。
這才是牧羊人真正的愛。
牧羊人放下一切，全力以赴尋找失落的羊，
深情地抱著他的羊，不願再放開它。
這就是耶穌對我們所有人的愛。
那些信仰上堅強又堅定的信徒，必須協尋已經迷失的人，
像牧羊人一樣，把我們的兄弟姐妹們扛在肩上。
我們所有人都被同一寶血所救贖，把外面流浪的人聚集回家，就是我們的責任。
Thanksgiving prompts us to look ahead.
We have received so much, yes, but then what?
As Jesus reminds us in the parable of the fig tree,
no matter how deeply rooted we are within the vineyard,
to refuse to bear fruit is to be contemptuous of God’s grace;
and that warrants being cut down and discarded.
有感恩的心，會促使我們向前看。
我們已經豐豐富富的領受了很多，是的，但是那又如何呢？
耶穌在無花果樹的寓言中，提醒我們，
不管我們在葡萄園中，紮根有多深，
拒絕結出果實，就是輕視神的恩典；
並保證會從樹上砍下來，並且丟棄。
Vital to our lives as Christians is the humility to accept God’s reminders.
All thanksgiving begins with remembrance—of good things that have happened in our lives.
We marvel at the miraculous; we rejoice.
Yet greater still is a thanksgiving that is inspired from a deeper level of understanding.
That is, when we suffer, when things do not go our way,
we remember that God is speaking to us through these experiences.
He is asking us to remember our faith and covenant with Him.
Praise God for such humbling opportunities to grow and shine for Him.
謙卑下來，接受神對我們的提醒，以身為基督徒而活著，這是至關重要。
感恩節始於，對我們生命中發生的美好事物，加以紀念。
我們驚嘆於奇蹟； 我們很高興。
更重要的仍是，感恩，它觸動於心中有更深刻的理解。
就是說，當我們遭受苦難時，當事情沒有如願以償時，
我們記得，神通過這些體驗向我們說話。
祂要我們記得信仰，以及與祂的約定。
讚美神，因為祂給我們有如此謙卑的機會，來為他成長和發光。
A century of God's abidance is a lot to be thankful for indeed.
We must, in our prayers and in our mutual encouragements,
remember His grace and give God the glory.
But it cannot end with a muttered prayer and occasional “thank God.”
Our gratitude to God must prompt us to pass on the love, grace and strength we have received.
We are so filled with God’s love that we cannot help but share all we have been blessed with—
the gospel, a helping hand, a heartfelt prayer, a listening ear.
Freely we have received, and freely, gratefully, we give.
經過一個世紀神的同在，確實真的很值得感激。
我們必須在祈禱中，以及相互鼓勵的時候，，
記得祂的恩典，並將榮耀歸給神。
但這不能以喃喃自語式的祈禱，及偶爾才有的“感謝神”來結束。
我們對神的感激，必須促使我們再傳遞我們所得到的愛，恩典和力量。
我們是如此充滿了神的愛，以至於我們會忍不住去分享我們所蒙受的一切祝福—
福音，伸出援助別人之手，衷心的祈禱，聆聽的雙耳。
我們白白地收到了恩典，就該大方地，帶著感謝之心，施捨給別人。
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