Manna issue 76 - On the Front Line (I)—Knowing Who You Are 站在前線 (I) - 認識你自已
Our identity as soldiers in God’sarmy.
身為基督精兵的認同
by Vuthy Nol-Mantia
Adapted from lectures by Vuthy Nol-Mantia—Dallas, Texas, U.S.
截取自美國達拉斯德州傳道的講稿 Vuthy Nol-Mantia
Most—if not all—of us have seen
soldiers in uniform, be it in the flesh,
on the streets, in the movies or on
TV. They generally evoke admiration
because they seem so different—so
cool and capable. Growing up, many
children say it is their ambition to
be a soldier in order to protect their
family and country. However, being a
good soldier is not easy; a soldier has
to be self-disciplined and proactive;
he must be willing to endure
hardship and be ever ready to fight.
Fundamentally, soldiers need to have
a clear understanding of who they
are and what they are supposed to
do.
我們大部份的人，就算沒有全部，也都看過穿制服的軍人，
無論活生生的看到，還是走在街上，電影中，電視。
一般來說，他們會讓人敬佩，因為他們看起來就很特別 - 即威風又能幹。
長大的時候，許多小孩說，他們的願望是成為軍人，為了保衛家園和國家。
然而，要成為優透的軍人並不容易；
軍人一定要很自律又積極；
他一定要樂意承受磨難，永遠作好準備戰鬥。
最根本的是，軍人要有清楚的認知，
自已是什麼身份，他們應該要作什麼事情。
These are the very questions of
identity, sense of belonging and role
that many youths today struggle
with. In particular, as youths in the
True Jesus Church, how do we see
ourselves?
認同感，歸屬感，還有今日許多青年一直在掙扎要扮演什麼角色，
這些都是問題的所在。
尤其是，身為真耶穌教會的青年，
我們要如何看待自已呢？
This series of articles discusses the
following questions: Do we truly
know and understand who we are?
Do we know our purpose in life? Are
we equipped to fulfill this purpose?
這一系列的文章，會討論接下來的這些問題：
我們是不是真的明白且了解自已的身份？
我們知道自已生命的目的嗎？
我們是否作好準備，可以完成這個人生的目的呢？
IDENTITY: SOLDIERS OF CHRIST 認同感：基督精兵
When we were baptized, we became
children of God by His grace (Jn
1:12–13; 3:5; Rom 6:4). Besides
being adopted, we automatically
enlisted in God’s spiritual army; each
and every one of us is a soldier of
Christ. Since we accepted baptism by
faith, the nature of our enlistment is
voluntary. Even if we were baptized
as an infant, if we have experienced
God for ourselves then His grace
and love will compel us to follow
His calling and to serve Him. In fact,
being a child and soldier of Christ
is a precious status. Not everybody
obtains this status because although
God so loved the world, not all
respond to this love. Though many
are called, few are chosen. Hence,
we must treasure this status which
has been freely given to us.
當我們受洗的時候，因著神的恩典，我們成為神兒女。
(約 1：12-13；3：5；羅 6：4)
除了為神所接納之外，我們自動加入了神屬靈的軍隊；
我們每一個人，都是基督精兵。
我們因著信接受了洗禮，加入神軍隊的根本因素，是自願的。
即使我們是在嬰兒時期的時候，接受了洗禮，
若是自已有體驗到神，那麼神的恩典和慈愛，就會催使我們追隨祂的呼召來服事祂。
事實上，身為基督的兒女和軍隊，是一份值得珍惜的身份。
並不是所有的人可以得到這個身份。
因為雖然很疼愛這個世界的一切，但不是所有的人會回應這份神的愛。
雖然有很多人聽到了呼召，但被選上的卻很少。
因些，我們一定要特別珍惜這個已經白白賞賜給我們的身份。
ROLES OF GOD’S ARMY 神精兵的角色
Ready to Fight 隨時準備戰鬥
What is the purpose of God’s army?
Most armed forces of this world have
several service branches which play
different roles in defending their
homeland; some are more active
and high-paced while others have a
more passive or defensive function.
The Lord’s armed forces clearly
must belong to the former category
because the enemy we fight is ever
seeking opportunities to invade
and conquer (1 Pet 5:8). In fact, a
spiritual war is already being fought
on our territory—the church. We
cannot afford to hunker down and
just wait to be bombarded. Instead,
we must fight back by penetrating
our enemy’s front line and gaining
victory over Satan (Eph 6:11–12).
Satan seeks to destroy our faith
through temptations, tribulations,
and deception; he also wants to
prevent us from saving more souls.
So we must always remain on active
mode, ready for spiritual warfare,
whether it is at home, school, work,
or church.
到底什麼是身為神軍隊的使命呢？
這個世界上，大部份武裝組織都有各種不同的服務方向，
也扮演了各種不同的角色來保衛自已的國家；
有些人比較積極主動，運作節奏特別快速；
而另一些人則是具有較被動的防衛功能。
主的軍隊很明顯地，一定是屬於前面那一種類別，
因為我們要面對的敵人，永遠都在尋找機會入侵，征服我們。
(彼前 5：8)
實際上，我們領土上，已經發生了屬靈的戰爭，就在教會裡面。
我們幾乎不能蹲下放鬆休息，
也不能只是等待敵人來轟炸。
相反的，我們一定要打回去，
穿透敵人的前線，勝過我們的敵人撒旦。
(弗 6：11-12)
經由引誘，苦難，和欺騙的手段，撒旦不段尋找機會要破壞我們的信心；
他也想到阻止我們去拯救更多的靈魂。
所以我們總一定要一直保持積極的狀態，
準備好迎接好屬靈的戰爭，
不是是發生在家裡，學校，職場，或是教會。
Determined to Save 決心拯救
The mighty men of King David were
chosen—like us—to fight on the
front line (2 Sam 23:8–12). On one
occasion, the chief of the mighty
men, Josheb-Basshebeth, singlehandedly
defeated an astounding
800 men. Perhaps we cannot relate
to the feats of these mighty men but
consider another man who, even
more amazingly, defeated 3,000 in
one go; that man is Peter. After the
Holy Spirit descended upon him,
Peter was moved to speak a sermon
that cut to the hearts of his listeners.
Many believed, repented, and were
baptized—thus putting their old
selves to death and being reborn in
Christ Jesus (Rom 6:3–6).
大衛所揀選大能的勇士 - 就像我們一樣，
要在前線與敵人爭戰。
(撒下 23：8-12)
有一次，勇士的隊長，約設巴設，
單手擊敗了800個戰士，令人很驚訝。
或許我們不能把這些功蹟給於這些勇士們，
但若我們來看另一個人，他甚至更令人覺得奇跡，
他在一次外出的時候，打敗了3000人，這個人就是彼得。
聖靈降臨在彼得的身上，而他受到感動對大家講道，
句句打動聽眾的內心。
有很多人因此相信神，悔改，並且受洗 -
把舊我置死，在基督耶穌裡重生。
(羅 6：3-6)
From this perspective, the act of
defeating men no longer pertains to
physical death, but rather to turning
men to Christ and putting to death
their old man. The motto of the US
Army’s Special Forces, De Oppresso
Liber—which means “to liberate
from oppression”—describes well
our role as the Lord’s Army. There
are many people who are still held
captive by the king of the world (Jn
12:31; 14:30; 16:11). The primary
act of spiritual warfare, then, is
preaching the gospel of salvation—
bringing people to the realization of
their sinfulness, and their need for
Jesus to liberate them.
若從這個觀點來看，擊敗敵人的行為，
不只和肉體上的死亡有關，
反而是要讓人能轉向基督，置死自已行為的舊人。
美國陸軍特種部隊的格言是 De Oppresso Liber -
意思是，解放受壓迫的人 -
很完美的詮釋了身為基督精兵的角色。
還有很多人，仍然受到世界之王的俘虜。
(約 12：31；14：30；16：11)
那麼，屬靈戰事上最主要的行動，
就是要傳揚救贖的福音 -
讓人們了解到自已本身有罪，
人們需要耶穌來釋放他們。
When we reflect on our abilities,
skills, and weaknesses, we may feel
that we will never reach the heights
achieved by the mighty men of the
Bible. However, we should not easily
give up. David’s mighty men were
originally homeless renegades, but
they became mighty men after years
of training. Peter was a fisherman
given to bursts of impetuosity and
whose nerve failed him at a most
critical moment. But the Holy Spirit
transformed him, bolstering his
courage and bringing to mind all that
the Lord had taught (Lk 22:33; Jn
18:10, 15–26; Acts 4).
當我們回顧自已的能力，技能，弱點，
我們或許會感到，永遠達不到聖經裡面偉人所能到達的高度。
然而，我們不應該輕易的放棄。
大衛的勇士，原來就是無家可歸的叛徒，
經過了多年的訓練，他們變成了大能的勇士。
彼得是一個漁夫，因為一時的衝動，
而在最關鍵的時刻，他的本性背叛了自已。
但是聖靈改變了他，加強了他的勇氣，
他就想起了，耶穌以前對他一切的教導。
(路 22：33；約 18：10，15-26；徒 4)
Therefore, we too need to undergo
training and equip ourselves with
the Spirit and word of God, to be
able to fight on the front line and to
break through the enemy’s line. Most
importantly, we must acquire the
attributes of a soldier in God’s army.
所以，我們也要經過訓練，用聖靈和神的話語來裝備自已，
要能夠站在前線作戰，衝破敵人的防線。
最重要的是，我們要具備身為神軍隊精兵的特質。
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOD’S
ARMY
神軍隊的特質
Clothed in Fine White Linen 穿著精美的白袍
As with any army, the heavenly
army has its uniform. John witnessed
“the armies in heaven, clothed in
fine linen, white and clean” (Rev
19:14a). The fine, white linen that
they wore was obtained at the point
of baptism (Rev 7:13–14; 1:5; Acts
22:16). Hence, as we approach the
end times, we must strive for holiness
to ensure that our white linen robes
remain unblemished (Rev 3:4; 16:15),
because they identify us as members
of this heavenly army.
就像所有的軍隊一樣，
天兵天將也有自已的制服。
約翰親眼看到了，"站在天上的軍隊，
穿著白袍，純白潔淨"。
(啟 7：13-14；1：5；徒 22：16)
因此，隨著末日逐漸靠近，
我們一定要努力維持自已的聖潔，
確保自已的白袍不受到沾污。
(啟 3：4；16：15)，
因為他們把我們看作是天上軍隊的成員。
Are our thoughts, words, and
actions pure?
我們的思想，言語，行為是否純潔？
Riding on White Horses 騎著白馬
In John’s revelation, the armies in
heaven rode on white horses (Rev
19:14). Jesus, the Lamb of God, also
rode a white horse when “he went
out conquering and to conquer” (Rev
6:2b). The white horse represents the
true church, which means that Jesus
will use the church to conquer and
fulfill His purpose. In the same way,
the armies in heaven rode on white
horses; this signifies that we need to
abide in the true church if we wish
to be part of the heavenly army and
have the power to overcome the
enemy.
約翰的啟示錄寫著，
天國的軍隊騎著白馬。
(啟 19：14)
耶穌，神的羔羊，也騎著一匹白馬，
接著"他便出來，勝了又要勝"。
(啟 6：2b)
白馬代表了真教會，
這裡的意思是，耶穌會以教會來作戰，完成祂的目的。
同樣的情況，
天國的軍隊騎著白馬；
這就表示，
若我們希望成為天國軍隊的一份子，
有能力可以勝過敵人，
我們就要住在真教會裡面。
Do we really believe that the True
Jesus Church is the only church that
is saved in these last days?
我們是不是真的相信，
在這末日的日子裡，
真耶穌教會是唯一得救的教會？
Stay Focused 集中精神
No one engaged in warfare entangles
himself with the affairs of this life,
that he may please him who enlisted
him as a soldier. (2 Tim 2:4)
4凡在軍中當兵的，不將世務纏身，好叫那招他當兵的人喜悅。
(提後 2：4)
As a soldier of God, we must not
entangle our lives with the things of
this world. This does not mean that
we spend all our time praying and
reading the Bible or that we should
all become full-time ministers; in fact,
we should continue to study and
work hard, since these activities can
support the work of evangelism.
身為神的軍兵，我們一定不可以讓自已的生活，被世上的事所纏繞。
這裡的意思不是說，我們要用全部的時間禱告，讀聖經，
或是我們全部的人，都要成為全職傳導人；
事實上，我們要繼續努力工作，學習，
因為這些努力都會幫助到傳福音的聖工。
Neither does it mean that we
cannot enjoy a life of variety. But our
perspective should be different from
that of the world. We must remember
that the things of this world are
temporary and that they can keep
us from reaching our full potential as
mighty men of God. Our first priority
should always be to serve God.
Today, what are we focusing on?
而這裡的意思，也不是說，我們不能享受各種多釆多姿的生活。
但是我們的觀念度，應該要讓世上人的觀念有所不同。
我們一定要記住，世上的事物都是暫時的，
這些事物會讓我們不能發揮自已的潛能，不能成為神大能的勇士。
我們最重要的事，就應該要時常服事神。
時至今日，我們到底專心在什麼事上呢？
Be Watchful 小心謹慎
Behold, it is Solomon’s couch,
With sixty valiant men around it,
Of the valiant of Israel.
They all hold swords,
Being expert in war.
Every man has his sword on his
thigh
Because of fear in the night.
(Song 3:7–8)
7看哪，是所羅門的轎；四圍有六十個勇士，都是以色列中的勇士；
8手都持刀，善於爭戰，腰間佩刀，防備夜間有驚慌。
(歌 3：7-8)
There were about two million
Israelites at the time, but Solomon
chose only sixty to guard his carriage.
These hand-selected sixty were
experts in war. They all held swords
which were bound on their thighs,
meaning that they were always
ready. Moreover, they had fear in
the night, which, coupled with their
readiness, shows that they were
always watchful. Their fear also made
them more humble, for they knew
their limitations and weaknesses.
那個時候，大約有二百萬的以色列人，
但是所羅門王只選了60個人來守衛他的馬車。
這些親手挑選的60人，都是戰爭的專家。
他們全部都握著利劍，劍都隨身綁在自已的大腿上，
所代表的意思是，他們隨時都有充份的準備。
不只如此，他們夜間時常警戒著，
隨時準備好應對一切的情況，
表現出來的，就是隨時隨地很警慎。
而他們戒慎恐懼的內心，也讓他們更加謙虛，
因為他們知道，自已的極限和軟弱。
Today, we too must be watchful at
all times. Do not complacently assume
that our faith is strong enough to
withstand any temptation that Satan
can throw at us. The wily wicked
one will tirelessly try to destroy us
by planting impure thoughts in our
heads and by using a plethora of
temptations. Hence, we must be
prepared. As Christian soldiers, we
are on duty 24/7. In order to defend
ourselves, we must pray and read
the Bible regularly, for God’s Spirit
and word are the weapons we wield
against Satan.
今日，我們也一定要無時無刻都很小心。
不要沾沾自喜，認為自已的信心很堅固，
可以抵擋任何來自撒旦襲來的引誘。
而這個邪惡又詭計多端的惡者，
毫不壓倦地想要來摧毀我們，
在我們的腦海中置入不潔的想法，而且也用了超多的引誘。
因此，我們一定要作好準備。
身為基督精兵，我們無時無刻都身負重任。
為了好好保護自已，我們就一定要定期禱告，讀聖經，
因為聖靈和聖經，就是我們用來揮動對付撒旦的武器。
Are we Spirit-led and do we keep
the word of God in mind at all times?
我們是不是靠著聖靈帶領，
無時無刻都在心中思想神的話語？
Willing to Suffer 願意受苦
You therefore must endure hardship
as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.
(2 Tim 2:3)
3你要和我同受苦難，好像基督耶穌的精兵。
(提後 2：3)
The soldiers of Christ must be
willing to suffer for Him. As we
preach the gospel or serve God in
other ways, we may often have to
give up our personal comfort and
leisure activities, or sacrifice time with
our families and friends.
基督精兵一定要樂意為主受苦。
不論是傳福音，或是在其他方面服事神，
或許我們常常要放棄自已舒適的生活，及閒暇的活動，
犧牲自已與自已家人朋友相處的時間。
Being a full-time soldier is
physically, emotionally, and spiritually
challenging. But we can do all things
through Christ who strengthens
us. We have been chosen by God
to join His awesome army and to
fight in His great battle, the battle at
Armageddon (Rev 16:16). Therefore,
we must fight to the end.
成為一位全職的軍人，
無論在肉體上，情感上，屬靈上，都會受到很多挑戰。
但是因著基督加添給我們力量，我們就能完成所有的事。
我們為神所揀選，來加入祂大而可畏的部隊，
要在神的大戰場中作戰，就是那吉多哈米多頓的戰役。
(啟 16：16)
所以我們一定要戰到最後。
Are we prepared to endure
hardship?
我們作好準備能承受苦難嗎？
WILLING AND ABLE 樂意且能幹
Another battalion of the US army
has Volens et Potens—“willing
and able”—as a motto. Jesus
Christ willingly gave His own life in
exchange for ours so that we, though
unworthy, can receive eternal life. If
God so loved us, we too ought to be
determined to engage in this spiritual
battle—to be well-equipped with the
armor of God, so that we can be like
one of the mighty men on the front
line, fighting for our Lord Jesus Christ
and protecting our beloved family in
Christ.
美軍另一部隊，有意志的能力 -"願意去作，也有能力作得到"-作為他們的格言。
耶穌基督樂意放棄自已的生命，來換取我們的生命，
雖然我們不配，但這一來我們就能得到永生。
若神是這麼的疼愛我們，
我們也應該要因著愛的激厲，而決定來加入這場屬靈的戰役 -
裝備好神所給盔甲，這樣一來，
我們才能像那些在前線其一大能的勇氣，
為主耶穌基督爭戰，在主裡好好保護自已深愛的家庭。
Are we willing and able to fight?
我們樂意且有能力去作戰嗎？
[To be continued…] 待續
小頁 markvmax@hotmail.com
