1. Manna issue 82 - The Winter Rains 冬天的雨水
Winter is a time of preparation
for the fruition of God’s plan.
冬天是為了可以讓神計劃結果的準備時間
Vincent Yeung—Cambridge, UK
英國劍橋 Vincent 楊
Most people dislike winter, the coldest
period of the year, characterized by
dark and gloomy days. In winter,
the seas give up their blue and the
stones no longer show their russet
colors. Naked trees line the avenue.
The winter wind howls through the
desolate marsh and, on the horizon,
the sky melts into the earth in a blend of
indistinguishable grey tones. If winter
is such a bleak, lifeless and desolate
season, would we not be better off
without it? Yet the Bible tells us that
there is a season for everything and a
time for every purpose (Eccl 3:1).
大部份的人不喜歡冬天，這是一年中最冷的時節，
最黑暗陰鬱的日子。
冬天的時候，海水放棄的淡藍，
石頭不再顯露黃褐色。
沿著一條一條的街道，排列著一列一列光禿禿的樹幹。
冬風沿著荒涼的沼澤咆哮著，
而在地平線上，天空和遠處的土地上融合成一種混合的灰色調。
若冬天是這麼的荒涼，毫無生氣，萬物消條的季節，
若是沒有了冬天，難道我們不會過得更好嗎？
然而，聖經告訴我們，
1凡事都有定期，天下萬務都有定時。
(傳 3：1)
Winter in the holy land is the
period of heaviest rain; hence, the
rain associated with winter (Ezra
10:9) is known as geshem, a word
referring to a violent downpour.
Autumn showers soften the parched
ground for sowing; come winter, the
heavier rainfall allows the crops to
grow. When winter is past, the rain
is gone. Flowers appear on the earth,
fig trees put forth their green figs, and
vines hang heavy with tender grapes
(Song 2:11–13). In Nisan (March),
the latter rains nourish the barley and
wheat crops before they are ready
for harvest. God gives us seasons
and appointed weeks for the harvest.
Integral to the entire agricultural cycle
are the former and latter rains (Jer
5:24; Deut 11:14).
聖地的冬天，收獲雨季的時期；
因此，雨水和冬天有很大的關係，
(拉 10：9)
被人稱為是希伯來文 Geshem，
這個字的意思是降下兇猛的大雨。
秋天的陣雨軟化了烤焦的土地， 讓土地可以撒種；
而冬天的雨水，大雨讓殼物可以生長。
冬天過去之後，雨水就停止了。
花兒生長在地上，無花果樹長出青色的無花果，
葡萄藤重重的垂掛著水嫩的葡萄。
(歌 2：11-13)
尼散月的時候(三月)，
晚雨在收割之前，滋潤了大麥和小麥。
神賞賜季節給我們，指定了那幾周給我們用來收獲。
整個農業生產的循環，就包含了早雨和晚雨。
Former Rain 早雨
The eternal purpose of God has
been hidden since the foundation
of this world (Eph 3:11; cf. 1:4); but
this purpose would be disclosed at
the appointed time (Eph 3:9). God
promised that after the Messiah is
pierced, a steady stream of living water
will continue throughout the earth
in summer and winter (Zech 14:8).
This refers to the former and latter
rains which bring life. The former rain
represents the downpour of the Holy
Spirit in the apostolic period. Jesus
commanded the apostles to remain
in Jerusalem to receive power when
the Holy Spirit came upon them (Acts
1:4, 8). Sure enough, the Holy Spirit
alighted upon the apostles on the day
of the Pentecost (Acts 2:1–4). Peter
then testified boldly for Jesus, and
3,000 received the word and were
baptized (Act 2:41). The church was
established by the power of the Holy
Spirit. The gospel did indeed come
“[not] in word only, but also in power,
and in the Holy Spirit” (1 Thess 1:5).
自從世界根基立定以來，神永恆的目的一直隱藏著；
(弗 3：11；參考，1：4)
然而這特別的目的會在特定的時機揭露出來。
(弗 3：9)
神的應許就是，在彌賽亞受刺之後，
有一條穩定的活水，會一直流遍整個夏天和冬天。
(亞 14：8)
這裡的意思指的就是早雨和晚雨會帶來生命。
早雨代表聖經在使徒時代的降臨。
耶穌命令使徒停留在耶路撒冷，
當聖靈降在他們身上的時候，就得領受能力。
(徒 1：4，8)
果然不出所料，聖靈降在五旬節的時候，降在使徒身上。
(徒 2：1-4)
然後彼勇敢為耶穌作見証，
有3000個人領受的這道而受洗。
(徒 2：41)
教會因著聖靈的能力而建立。
確實如此，福音真的傳來，
5福音傳到你們那裡，不獨在乎言語，也在乎權能和聖靈。
(帖前 1：5)
Undoubtedly, when the gospel
flourishes, Satan will oppose the
church. The Bible depicts Satan as a
dragon standing before a pregnant
woman (signifying the church), ready
to devour her Child (Rev 12:4). In
fact, even when the apostles were still
alive, the gospel was already being
adulterated (Gal 1:6; 1 Cor 15:12;
Col 2:8, 18; 2 Pet 2:1; Jude 1:4). Just
as Jesus had prophesied through the
parable of the kingdom, the church—
like a mustard seed that became a
colossal tree—would be secularized
and institutionalized. The birds of the
air would lodge in its branches (Mt
13:32), and snatch the seeds (i.e.,
God’s word) from people’s hearts
(Mt 13:4, 19). The secularized church
would be like the leavened dough (Mt
13:31–33; cf. 1 Cor 6:6–8); full of sin,
void of the truth and the Holy Spirit.
毫無疑問地，當福音茂盛開展的時候，
撒旦就會抵擋教會。
聖經描寫撒旦就像一條龍，站在一位懷孕的女人前面，(代表教會)
準備好要吞了祂的小孩。
(啟 12：4)
事實上，甚至當使徒還活著的時候，
福音就已經受到污染了。
(加 1：6；林前 15：12；西 2：8，18；彼後 2：1；猶 1：4)
就如耶穌透過天國的比諭所作的預言，
教會就像芥菜種子會變成大樹 - 會被世俗化及制度化。
天空的飛鳥會住在其枝子之中，
(太 13：32)
會從人的心中，攫耶一些種子(就是神的話語)。
(太 13：4，19)
世俗化的教會就會像發酵的麵團；
(太 13：31-33；參考林前 6：6-8)
充滿了罪，讓真理空洞化，聖靈無力化。
God had, on many occasions,
withheld rain from Israel because of
the wickedness and idolatry of the
people (Jer 3:2–3; Lk 4:25). Similarly,
the cessation and withdrawal of
the Holy Spirit caused famine and
desolation in the secularized church.
In 1517, Martin Luther famously
nailed his 95 Theses of Contention to
the church door at Wittenberg, listing
out 95 issues of heretical theology;
the crimes of the Roman Catholic
Church epitomised the corruption of
a secularized church.
許多時候，神讓以色列地停住雨水，
是因為百姓的邪惡和拜偶像。
(耶 3：2-3；路 4：25)
同樣地，聖靈的停降及收回，
讓世俗化的教會產生餓荒，變得荒涼。
在西元1517年，著名的馬丁路德在威滕伯格教會門上，
釘下了95條教會爭論，列出了95個異端神學的問題；
羅馬天主教會的罪惡代表了世俗化教會的腐敗。
God’s Unceasing Work 神不止息的工作
During these dark hours, revelation
ceased and God seemed far away.
God-fearing people sought God but
they could neither hear His word nor
find Him (Amos 8:11–12).
在這些黑暗的時刻之中，沒有啟示，神似乎離人很遠。
敬畏神的人尋求神，但是他們即不聽從祂的話語，
也不能找到祂。
(摩 8：11-12)
Even though God’s revelation
had ceased, and the Holy Spirit no
longer lived amongst humankind,
God continued to work and lay the
groundwork for the salvation of His
chosen people at the appointed time.
Jesus told us that “the Father has
been working until now” (Jn 5:17b).
We may not realize it, but God never
stops working; He continues to work
behind the scenes, gradually unfolding
and realizing His plan.
即使神的啟示停止了，聖靈不再出現在人類之中，
神還是一直工作，為了祂的選民，
能在特定的時間得到救贖，而打下基礎。
耶穌告訴我們，
"17我父做事直到如今。"
(約 5：17b)
我們或許不能明白，但神從來沒有停止工作；
祂一直在背後工作，漸漸的展開祂的計劃，實現它。
Throughout the ages, God has
inspired devout people to prepare the
ground for His chosen ones. In the
Old Testamental era, Elijah thought
he was the only prophet left when he
was relentlessly persecuted by Jezebel
the evil queen (1 Kg 18:4; 19:14).
Unknown to him, God had preserved
7,000 faithful worshippers (1 Kg
19:18).
這麼多年來，神已經啟示敬虔的人，
為了祂的選民，準備地土。
在舊約的時代，以利亞當他被壞皇后耶洗別無情的逼害之時，
認為自已是唯一甚下的先知。
(王上 18：4；19：14)
然而他所不知的是，
神早就預留了7000個忠心敬拜祂的人。
(王上 19：18)
In more modern times, God has
inspired musicians to leave a legacy
of beautiful hymns for present-day
Christians. Joseph Scriven (born
in 1820) was the lyricist of one of
Christendom’s most well-known
hymns, What a friend we have in
Jesus. His lyrics might have been
influenced by the tragic death of
his bride-to-be on the eve of their
wedding, but his expressions on
the burden of sin, the sorrow, and
poignant sighs of distress, resonate
in every human heart throughout the
ages.
在越靠近現代，神已經啟示很多音樂家，
為了現今的基督徒，遺留下了很多美好的讚美詩。
Joseph Scriven 約瑟夫·斯克里文 (1820年出生)，
是基督教界中，其中最為人所知的讚美詩歌詞的作者之一，
耶穌恩友。
祂的的歌詞，或許受到了未婚妻，
在他們結婚前夕死亡悲劇的影響，
但他對罪重擔，悲傷，困難深刻嘆息的詮釋，
多年以來，引起了每個人內心的共嗚。
God has also inspired translators.
Many devoted Christians toiled and
even died for their conviction that
the Bible should be made available
to ordinary people. The first English
manuscripts were translated from
the Latin Vulgate in 1380 by John
Wycliffe, an Oxford professor and
theologian. His follower, John Hus,
was burned at the stake in 1415 for
actively promoting Wycliffe’s idea
that the layman should be permitted
to read the Bible in his own language.
Martin Luther was the first person to
translate and publish the Bible in the
commonly spoken Germanic dialect.
Luther initiated church reform, urging
a return to the Bible as the source
of the truth. Despite limited success
in getting the Catholic Church to
return to the original doctrines, his
actions led to the emergence of
many Christian denominations. The
Chinese Union Version of the Bible,
for example, was translated by a
panel with members from the various
Protestant denominations.
神也啟發了許多的翻譯者。
許多虔誠的基督徒勞苦工作，甚至為了他們的確信而死，
認為聖經應該要讓每個平凡人都能擁有。
第一個英文聖經手稿，是在1380年由 John Wycliffe 約翰·威克利夫，
用拉丁聖經公認的版本所翻譯，祂是牛津教授及神學家。
祂的門徒 John Hus 約翰．胡司在 1415年，
因為積極地推廣約翰·威克利夫的想法，而面臨受火刑的危險，
認為一般人應該可以允許用自已的語言來讀聖經。
馬丁路德是第一個把聖經翻譯成一般通用德文日常會話，
並且印刷成聖經出版的人。
馬丁路德開始了宗教改革，
鼓勵人們回歸聖經，作為真理的源頭。
雖然對於讓天主教回歸到原始耶穌的教義，只有少少的一點成功而已，
他的行為卻導致了許多基督教派的浮現。
例如，聖經的中文和合本，
就是由一小組各種新教教派的基督徒成員所翻譯的。
Jesus told His disciples He was
sending them to reap that harvest for
which others had labored (Jn 4:38);
they were to labor until the season
that His plan was to be fulfilled (Act
1:7).
耶穌告訴祂的門徒，祂來是派他們去收割別人所付出的努力；
(約 4：38)
他們要一直努力工作，直到神計劃成就的時節來到為止。
(徒 1：7)
God’s Eternal Love 神永遠的愛
Humankind suffered because of
human weakness and God’s righteous
judgment. The transgression of Adam
brought sin and death into the world
and triggered the condemnation of all
men (Rom 5:12, 18). The destruction
of the Northern and Southern
Kingdoms in Jewish history was the
result of their wickedness—idolatry
in the former (2 Kg 17:13–16) and
Manasseh’s sins in the latter (2Kg
24:3). Suffering and destruction also
result from human cruelty—when
Assyria, the rod of God’s anger,
overstepped, they went from being
the instrument to become the target
of destruction (Isa 10:5, 7; cf. Hab
1:17).
人們會受苦，是因為人的軟弱和神公義的審判。
亞當的過犯，把罪和死亡帶進了世界，
引發了所有人類都受到譴責。
(羅 5：12，18)
猶太歷史中，北國和南國的毀滅，
是他們自已罪惡的結果 -
前者有拜偶像的罪，後者則承擔了殺死彌賽亞的罪。
(王下 24：3)
受苦和毀滅也都來自已人類的殘忍 -
當亞述，神憤怒的權杖，超出了所當行的界限之時，
他們就從神的工具，轉變成被毀滅的目標。
(賽 10：5，7；參考，哈 1：17)
War and famine do not discriminate
between the wicked aggressors or
innocent bystanders; all have to go
through the ordeal; some will survive,
some will perish.
戰爭和餓荒，並不是岐視邪惡的侵略者，或是無辜的旁觀者；
大家都要經過嚴酷的考驗；
有一些人可以活下來，有一些人就會死去。
Despite man’s weakness, God's
eternal purpose and love towards
His chosen ones remain unchanged.
Before God sent Adam and Eve away,
He clothed them with garments of skin
to protect them and keep them warm
(Gen 3:21). Suffering and judgment
were often intertwined with His
tender loving care and consolation,
demonstrating His eternal purpose and
salvation plan. Hearing the people’s
outcry during the Syro-Ephraimite
war, God promised deliverance and
the coming of Immanuel (Isa 7:14).
Sennacherib’s onslaught brought
affliction and anxiety, but God’s
guidance was never far away (Isa
30:20–21). No matter what happened
to the physical Jerusalem, a remnant
was preserved to take root and to
prosper (Isa 37:31–32). The remnant
survived due to God’s goodness and
eternal purpose (Isa 1:9), without
which destruction was inevitable. The
“remnant will return,” and a highway
will open up for them, even though
they had been scattered (Isa 10:20–
21; 11:16, 11).
雖然人類很軟弱，神那永恒的目標及對祂選民的愛，仍然沒有改變。
在神把亞當和夏娃送出去伊甸園之前，
祂給他們穿上皮衣，來保護他們，得到溫暖。
(創 3：21)
受苦和審判時常交纏著祂溫柔呵護及安慰，
展現著祂一直以來的目的和救贖的計劃。
在以色列敘利亞戰爭期間，一聽到了百姓的哭號，
神就應許了以馬內利的降臨，及其所帶來的拯救。
(賽 7：14)
亞述帝國國王西拿基立的猛攻，導致了痛苦和憂慮，
但是神的引領從來都不曾遠離過。
(賽 30：20-21)
不論任何事發生在物質上的耶路撒冷城上，
都有餘民被保存下來，扎根，再重新發旺。
(賽 37：31-32)
餓民可以活下來，是因為神的良善及永生目的，
(賽 1：9)
若沒有神的幫助，被毀滅是無法避免的。
"餘民將會回歸"，會有一條大路為他們打開，
即使他們一直以來都四散在各處。
(賽 10：20-21；11：16：11)
God’s intention is unequivocally
declared to the remnant: I will save you
and I will bring you back (Jer 30:10,
18). He took the initiative to save
His remnant. God’s eternal purpose
cannot be frustrated or scuppered by
man’s failure. Man fails and becomes
faithless, but God remains faithful; He
cannot deny Himself (2 Tim 2:11–13).
He deals with humankind out of His
“everlasting love” (Jer 31:3) and the
faithfulness He promised to Abraham
(Ps 105:42; Lk 1:72–73). Historically,
He redeemed and ransomed, built and
rebuilt the exiled people (Jer 31:7, 11,
4). But His ultimate rebuilding work
is the making of a new covenant,
putting His law into individual hearts
and minds (Jer 31: 31, 33); this is
fulfilled by the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit in our heart (2 Cor 3:6). Though
the post-apostolic church ended in
failure because of human weakness,
God had already planned to redeem
His chosen ones in the last days.
神的用意是很明確地向餓民宣告：
我會拯救你們，把你們帶回來。
(耶 30：10，18)
祂是主動來拯救自已的餘民。
神永生的目標是無去被挫敗，或是因為人為的失敗而受阻。
人們失敗了就會沒有信心，但神仍是信實的；
祂不能否定自已。
(提後 2：11-13)
祂對人們的所有作為，都是出自於"永恒的愛"，
(耶 31：3)
就是祂向亞伯拉罕所應許的信實。
(詩 105：42；路 1：72-73)
就歷史上來看，祂展開救贖，將他們贖回來，
建造再建告這一群被放逐的人群。
(耶 31：7，11，4)
但是祂最終的再造工作，就是新約的形成，
要把祂的律法放在每個人的內心和思想之中；
(耶 31：31，33)
這樣的事情就是藉著聖靈進駐在人內心之後而成就。
(林後 3：6)
雖然後使徒教會最後失敗了，因為人的軟弱，
神早就計劃好了，在末日來拯救祂的選民。
It is interesting to note that Joel’s
prophecy, recorded in Joel 2:28–32,
was only partially fulfilled by the
apostolic church (Act 2:17–21). The
last three verses of the prophecy
concern cosmological events which
would only take place in the last days,
before Jesus’ second coming. Those
who call on the name of the Lord in
those last days shall also be saved.
有趣的是來看看約珥書的預言，
記載在約珥書二章28-32節，
這個預言只被使徒教會完成了一部份。
(徒 2：17-21)
這個預言的最後3節，與整個宇宙事件有關，
它只會發生在末後的日子，在耶穌再臨之前。
在這段末後日子中，會以神的名祈求的人，
應該也要被拯救。
The end-time portion of God’s
salvation plan unfolded when He
established the True Jesus Church in
Beijing, China, in 1917. This was the
time which God had appointed to
re-establish His church by the Holy
Spirit—when He set His hand “the
second time” (Isa 11:11). Through
the Holy Spirit, the spiritual wilderness
and wasteland became a fruitful field,
a forest and a garden (Isa 32:15;
51:3).
當神在1917年中國北京建立真耶穌教會的時候，
神救贖計劃在末日發生的這一部份展開了。
這個就是神指定用聖靈再度建立祂教會的時間 -
11當那日，主必"二次"伸手救回自己百姓。
(賽 11：11)
藉著聖靈的帶領，
靈裡的曠野和荒地變成了結果的田野，林子和花園。
(賽 32：15；51：3)
Hope and Persevere 盼望及毅力
There is always a tension between
present and future. We experience
hope in the immediate present, but
the fulfilment of that hope is only
realized in the distant future. As Paul
succinctly put it: “[W]e were saved in
this hope, but hope that is seen is not
hope” (Rom 8:24a). Therefore, both
the natural world and the believers
still groan and wait for redemption
(Rom 8:22–23). God has promised
deliverance, but our strength to
hold on is derived from hope and
perseverance, allowing us to quietly
and submissively wait for God’s
salvation (Isa 30:15, 18).
在現代及末來之間，總有一股拉力。
我們在現時之中，會體會到盼望，
但成全盼望的時刻只會遙遠的未來。
就如保羅簡單扼要的指出：
24我們得救是在乎盼望；只是所見的盼望不是盼望，
(羅 8：24a)
所以，自然世界和許多信徒都心裡歎息，等候救贖的時間來到。
(羅 8：22-23)
神已經應許會來拯救，但是我們堅持的力量，
是來自於盼望及毅力，
讓我們靜靜順服地等候神的救贖。
(賽 30：15，18)
It can be difficult to remain hopeful
when we go through trials. When the
people of God went through periods
of turmoil, they were confused,
saddened by their sins and plight (Lam
5:22; Ps 137:1), and they lamented
on the injustice they had to endure
(Hab 1:1, 13). Paul described his
own suffering as “above strength,”
causing him to “[despair] even of life”
(2 Cor 1:8), when he reminded the
believers that they had to go through
many tribulations (Acts 14:22). In
the midst of their trials, the author of
Hebrews warned the believers not to
drift away, neglect their salvation, or
cast away their confidence (Heb 2:1–
2; 10:35).
當我們經歷患難之時，要保持有盼望可能很困難。
當神的百姓經歷磨難時期的時候，
他們變得很混亂，因為自已罪惡和困境變得很憂傷。
(哀 5：22；詩 137：1)
他們為了自已遇到要忍耐的不公平大大的悲嘆。
(哈 1：1，13)
保羅描寫自已的苦難，就像是"超過自已力量所能承受的"，
讓他"幾乎斷了生存下去的希望，產生絕望"，
(林後 1：8)
那時他提醒信徒，會要經過許多的苦楚。
(徒 14：22)
在他們的苦難之中，
希伯來書警告信徒，不要隨流漂去，
忽略了自已所得到的拯救，
或是拋棄了自已的信心。
(來 2：1-2；10：35)
God is the God of comfort and
the spring of everlasting consolation
(2 Cor 1:3; 2 Thess 2:16). We are
born of God, and by faith we can
overcome the world (1 Jn 5:4). Only
when our faith is tested by trials will it
be found genuine and become more
precious than gold (1 Pet 1:6–8). God
is faithful, He will not allow us to be
tempted beyond what we are able to
bear (1 Cor 10:13). Paul’s affirmation
of his trust in God was not based
on the will of man. He had come
to the brink of death many times,
but survived each ordeal. His past
experiences buttressed his present
faith, such that he firmly believed
God would be able to deliver him
from any future troubles, extending
to the final act of deliverance into the
heavenly kingdom. This assurance is
unrestricted by place and time, and
encompasses all who trust in God—
knowing this enabled Paul to comfort
those who were in trouble (2 Cor 1:4,
10). God is a faithful God; His word
is righteous and He will not renege
on His promises (Isa 45:22–23; cf. Ps
132:11). The Bible describes His will
as what He has purposed (Isa 14:24),
and His eternal purpose is to fulfil the
promise to Abraham and have mercy
on Jacob (Isa 14:1; Heb 6:13; cf. Deut
29:13).
神是安慰人的神，是永恆安慰的泉源。
(林後 1：3；帖後 2：15)
我們是神所生，因著信我們可以勝過世界。
(約壹 5：4)
只有當我們的信心經過試煉測試，它才會變的純正，比精金更加寶貴。
(彼前 1：6-8)
神是信實的，祂不會讓我們接受那超過我們所能承受試煉。
(林前 10：13)
保羅可以確認自已對神的信賴，並不是基於人的意志。
他好幾次經歷死亡的邊緣，但每一次的磨難他都存活下來。
他過去的經驗支撐了現在的信心，
以至於堅定相信神可以拯救他脫離任何未來的困難，
並且延伸到拯救人進入天國的最終行動。
這種確信並不會被時間地點所限制，
並且環繞著那些信靠神的所有人 -
他們知道這也是讓保羅可以安慰那些正在苦難之中的人。
(林後 1：4，10)
神是信實的神；祂的話語公義，
祂未曾違背過自已的應許。
(賽 45：22-23；參考，詩 132：11)
聖經描寫祂的旨意就像是祂定意一樣，
(賽 14：24)
祂終極的目標就是要完成對亞伯拉罕的應許，
給雅各施慈愛。
(賽 14：1；來 6：13；參考，申 29：13)
Break Up Your Fallow Ground 挖開你的荒地
While waiting, quietly and confidently,
for the second coming, we should
actively cultivate ourselves spiritually.
The Bible uses many active phrases
to encourage us to engage positively
with our faith. Paul reminded believers
to “work out their salvation” (Phil
2:12); Peter used the term “be even
more diligent” (2 Pet 1:10); and the
Lord Jesus commanded us “to shine”
(Mt 5:16). Therefore, we should not
just sit on our hands, behaving as a
disinterested and apathetic bystander,
turning up late for service, melting
into the crowd, and not taking any
interest in interacting with fellow
church members.
雖然在等待之中，仍要自信且安靜地等候主的再臨，
且應該積極培養自已的靈性。
聖經用很多積極的句子來鼓勵我們，
正面的和自已的信仰來互動。
保羅提醒很多信徒，要
"12做成你們得救的工夫。"
(腓 2：12)
彼得用這樣的詞，
"10應當更加殷勤"；
(彼後 1：10)
並且神命令我們"要發光"。
(太 5：16)
所以我們不應該沒有反應，
所作所為就像沒有興趣，無動于衷的旁觀者，
聚會很晚才出現，融入群眾，
沒興趣和其他教會信徒來互動。
Worse, if we are passive in our faith,
then we may become complacent and
expect to gain our salvation without
any commitment. We might tick
the boxes: baptism, foot washing,
receiving the Holy Spirit, partaking
in Holy Communion regularly, and
attending Sabbath services. But what
about street leafleting? What if my
work colleagues see me? Or inviting
friends to evangelistic services so they
can hear the gospel? They might not
want to be my friends if they find out
I’m a Christian. Or leading hymns
before Sabbath service? Give others a
chance to work for the church. What
is wrong with such objections? While
we think these are valid reasons for
our behavior, these actions (or lack
of them) actually show that we are
ashamed of Christ, ashamed of being
a Christian. We have forgotten why
we came to believe. Unknowingly, we
have become the fallow and barren
ground.
遭糕的是，若我們對自已信仰很消極，
那麼我們或許會很自滿，
期待可以得救，卻不想有任何對神的承諾。
我們會在信仰清單的空格上打勾：
洗禮，洗腳禮，受聖靈，定期同領聖餐，參加安息日聚會。
但是有在街上發傳單嗎？萬一我的同事看到我怎麼辨？
或是邀請朋友來參加佈道會，讓他們可以聽到福音呢？
他們發現我是一個基督徒，或許就不想和我交朋友了。
或是要不要接受安息日聚會前領詩的工作？
讓別人可以為教會工作。
這些目標有錯嗎？
當我們認為，這些都是我們行為合理的解釋之時，
作到這些行為來打勾(或是沒有作到這些事)，
事實上顯出了，我們以基督為恥，以成為一個基督徒為恥。
我們已經忘了，為何自已會來信主。
不知不覺之中，我們已經成為一塊荒蕪和貧瘠的土地。
Paul tells us to redeem the time as
the days are short and evil (Eph 5:16;
Rom 13:11). The dangers before us
today are temptations, heresies and
idleness. When we give less time to
God, He is no longer our priority. In
stark contrast, God is gracious. He
continues to preserve us, showering
us with blessings (Hos 6:3). His Spirit
pours into our hearts, just like rain
softening the ground to prepare it
to be ploughed and sown with seed.
Fallow ground, ploughed but not
seeded, will yield no fruit. He who
sows righteousness will reap mercy,
he who sows wickedness will reap
iniquity (Hos 10:12). Salvation is
purely a result of God’s mercy, but
we still need to sow righteousness in
words and behavior; then at the right
time, a torrent of righteousness will
fall upon us.
保羅告訴我們，要愛惜光陰，因為現今的世代又短暫又邪惡。
(弗 5：16；羅 13：11)
今日我們面前的危險，就是引誘，異端和懶惰。
當我們給神的時間越來越少，神就不再是我們生活中的第一優先順序。
而在這鮮明的對比之下，神是慈愛的。
祂一直保守我們，降下很多祝福給我們。
(何 6：3)
神的聖靈降下來，進入我們的內心，
就像雨水軟化了地土，準備來犁田，撒種。
荒地若已犁好了田，但沒有撒種，就不會結果子。
那些撒下公義種子的人，就會收穫慈愛，
那些撒下邪惡種子的人，就會收穫罪孽。
(何 10：12)
救贖純粹是神慈愛的結果，
但是我們仍要在言語和行為上，撒下公義的種子；
那麼當適當的時機來到之時，
公義的大水就會臨到我們。
Conclusion 結論
Winter, a seemingly unfruitful season,
is in fact a period of preparation and
waiting. It points to God’s faithfulness.
Just as He continuously provides rain
for the crops to grow, God also keeps
showering His grace upon us and
continuously nourishes us. We need
to make the most of this period to
grow and equip ourselves spiritually
(Jas 1:3–4). To realize God’s kingdom
on earth, we must first establish His
rule in the true church. Instead of
yearning and asking, “How long,
how long?” we should serve God
in joy and with quiet confidence.
The kingdom of God will spring up
without us knowing (Mk 4:26–27);
God will enable His faithful to witness
His salvation as long as they wait
faithfully (Lk 2:25).
冬天看起來似乎是不會結果的季節，
事實上是一段準備和等候的時節。
冬天連結到神的公義。
就像祂一直預備雨水讓殼物得以生長，
神也一直降下祂的恩典給我們，一直滋養著我們。
我們要儘量利用這段時間來生長，在靈性上好好裝備自已。
(雅 1：3-4)
在地上實現神國，首先我們一定要在真教會裡建立神的原則。
不要只是一味渴望和祈求而已，"到底還要多久？多久啊？"
我們應該用安靜對神的信心，在喜樂中服事神。
在我們預料之外，神國就會降臨；
(可 4：26-27)
神會讓對祂忠心的人，見証祂的救贖來到，
只要他們有信心的等候下去。
How have you been nourished
by God? How do you see God’s
faithfulness in your life? Winter is a
time of waiting. The farmer has to wait
for the crops to ripe, as the winter rain
continues into spring. Do you have
the patience to wait for God, and to
rejoice in and derive your strength
from Him (Hab 2:3; 3:17–19)?
過去你是怎麼被神所養育呢？
你是怎麼在自已的生活中，看見神的信實呢？
冬天是等候的時間。
農夫要等待殼物成熟，就像冬雨會一直下到春天來臨。
你有沒有信心等候神呢？
從神身上得到喜樂，產生出力量呢？
(哈 2：3；3：17-19)
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
歡迎主內同靈來信加入翻譯
Manna 嗎哪 56 (1)