Recently God has done marvellous sanctification work among us, we give Him thanks! 神最近在我们中间做了洁净的工作,很奇妙,感谢赞美主!When we talk about sanctification, spiritual warfare is involved. 谈到成圣,就离不开属灵争战Therefore, Paul the apostle teaches us in 2 Cor 10:4-5, 所以,使徒保罗在林后10:4-5教导我们 “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments (imaginations, kjv) and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.” 4 我 们 争 战 的 兵 器 本 不 是 属 血 气 的 , 乃 是 在 神 面 前 有 能 力 , 可 以 攻 破 坚 固 的 营 垒 ,5 将 各 样 的 计 谋 (想象), 各 样 拦 阻 人 认 识 神 的 那 些 自 高 之 事 , 一 概 攻 破 了 , 又 将 人 所 有 的 心 意 夺 回 , 使 他 都 顺 服 基 督 。
Why can’t we bear the fruit of the Spirit easily? 为什么我们不能很容易就结圣灵的果子 Why do Christians stumble in so many ways?为何基督徒常跌倒软弱?There is something that blocks us from being obedient to God’s command, 是因为有东西拦阻我们顺服神and we need to fight against.我们需要去争战 “imaginations”- futile thoughts, lies, assumptions, and so on, which are all the fruit of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. “想象”,指的是各种无用的空想,谎言,假设等等,都来自吃善恶判断树果子。 Arguments 争论– Pride only leads to arguments (Pro 箴13:10) 骄傲只启争竞Ephesians 4:22 says, (以弗所书 4:22) “throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.” 就要脱去你们从前行为上的旧人,这旧人是因私欲的迷惑渐渐变坏的; Deception is the main scheme of the enemy, 迷惑是仇敌的主要计谋,for he is the father of lies. 因他是谎言之父,He speaks lies to us. 一直向我们撒谎。
In this world, people love listening to lies rather than to reality. 世界上的人喜欢听谎话,不喜欢听真理。Because the reality is always cruel while lies are comfortable to hear. 因真实是残酷的,谎言听起来却很舒服。if you eat this, you’ll die. 你要吃了它,就会死。These words are harsh. 这话听上去很刺耳。“you will certainly not die. 你一定不会死。These words are pleasant but are lying and full of deception! 这话才舒服,却充满迷惑,是撒谎!Doctors give you results even though it’s cruel, 尽管结果很残酷,医生还是会说,because they want you to receive proper treatment, 因医生要你接受合适的治疗,so does God. 神也如此。
Today, we’re looking at Romans 1:17-23,今天,让我们来分享罗1:17-23。V17, It starts with “for”, 第17节起头,说“因为”, For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith. 因为神的义正在福音上显明,这义是本于信,以至于信。Paul tells us that righteousness is granted as a gift from faith to faith. 保罗说义是神的赐予,从信到信的过程。We start with receiving it by faith. 我们起初因信称义,We believe God’s harsh judgement on our sinful humanity我们信神对我们罪性严厉的审判是义的,——that we all have sinned, 就是我们众人都犯了罪, and the sinful nature can’t be reformed, 罪性不能被改好, we need to die, 我们只有死, without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. 若不流血,罪就不得赦免。
But Jesus died for our sins, 但耶稣为我们的罪流血舍命, and we receive what Jesus has done for us on the cross by faith. 我们因信就得着耶稣在十字架上所成就的救恩, That is God’s love and His grace towards us.神的爱和恩典就这样向我们显明。But we still need to continue to live by this faith. 但我们需要持续信下去, That is to turn from the old way of life which is corrupted by lust and deception to the life of Jesus by faith. 就是离弃因私欲和迷惑渐渐变坏的旧人的道路,因信转向耶稣的生命之道。 To prove that we are new creations in Christ.显明我们在基督里是新造的人。 A righteousness that is by faith from first to last. 这义是本于信,以至于信。
When we talk about turning from the old to the new, 谈到离弃旧的转向新的, we must first truly acknowledge what is of the old, 我们先要明白什么属于旧的,and what is of the new什么属于新的,so that we can throw it off, and put on the new. 才能知道脱去什么、穿上什么。 v.18, it says, 第18节说到,the wrath of God will be poured out on people as punishment for their sins. 因审判罪恶,神的忿怒会倾倒在人身上。The book of Revelation calls it ‘the great day of God’s wrath (Re 6:17).” 启示录中称之为“神忿怒的大日”(启6:17)。When we read it, 我们一读,it’s easy to get the impression that it has nothing to do with us, 很容易产生一个印象,就是这与我们没啥关系, that this is talking about the unbelievers.它讲的是不信的人。
But if you read it carefully, 但如果你仔细去读,you’ll discover that it’s talking about God’s wrath against ALL Sinful Humanity. 就会发现这里说的是神的忿怒临到一切有罪性的人。From v.18, we see two things, 从18节我们看到两件事, God’s wrath against two things, 神的忿怒临到两件事,ungodliness and unrighteousness. 不虔和不义。What are they? 那是什么?Ungodliness refers to ignoring God, disregarding Him, living as though He doesn’t exist. 不虔,指的是忽略神、不认神,当神不存在。不义,Unrighteousness refers to living without believing and following the example of Jesus (see 1 John 3:7).不义指的是不信,不跟从耶稣这榜样(约一3:7)。
Of course, God’s wrath will be poured out on the unbelievers who ignore God’s reality because of their sinful humanity. 当然,神的忿怒会因罪倾倒在对神视而不见的非信徒身上。But as believers, we also have Sinful Humanity within us. 但作为信徒,我们本性里也有罪性。How we deal with it matters. 重要的是我们怎样对待它。In Romans 2, 罗马书2章,Paul warns the believers to repent of their sin of passing judgement on others, 保罗警戒信徒,要为论断他人的罪悔改,or verse 5 says, 否则第5节接着说,“you’re storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath. 你为自己积蓄忿怒,以致 神震怒,显他公义审判的日子来到。 (罗马书 2:5) And Gal 6:7-8 warns us, (加拉太书 6:7-8) “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their sinful nature, from the nature will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”不要自欺,神是轻慢不得的。人种的是什么,收的也是什么。 顺着情欲撒种的,必从情欲收败坏;顺着圣灵撒种的,必从圣灵收永生。
It tells us that we can’t go on with our lives in Christ as before. 就是说我们不能在基督里继续照过去那样活着。Christians can be deceived and live lives just pleasing their sinful nature. 基督徒会受迷惑,活着只让自己老我舒服。But when we are deceived by trusting in ourselves, 一旦我们若受迷惑而信了自己,we ignore God as though He doesn’t exist, 就会没有神,仿佛神不存在一样,which can cause us to become like the ungodly and unrighteous.导致我们渐渐成为不虔不义的人。 The more we are deceived by trusting in ourselves, 信自己的迷惑程度越深,the more we fall away from grace and faith. 离恩典和信心就越远。
Who wants to deceive us? 谁想迷惑我们?Our enemy the devil! 是我们的仇敌魔鬼! “Jesus has done everything for you. 耶稣已经为你成就一切了,Now, you are justified. 你现在称义了。 You don’t have to do anything but enjoy life你啥也不用做,开始享受生活吧。.” This is a lie. 这是谎言。We have to walk from faith to faith. 我们必须行走在信的道路上,本于信还要信,We have to tear down the strongholds of the imagination by the divine power必须靠着神的能力拆毁一切想象的营垒, and take captive every thought and make it obedient to Jesus, 将一切心思意念夺回顺服主耶稣,so that we may grow in the knowledge of God.好使我们在认识神上成长。
v.19-20 tells us, 19-20节告诉我们,that the whole world should have an awareness of God’s existence. 世上的人都当知道神的存在。Even if people don’t know about the Trinity, 虽然人不知道三位一体的神,every language has the word –god. 但每一种语言都有这个字——神。God put it there, 神把它放在那里,and people know there is a God. 人就知道有神。v.21 goes on like this, 21节继续, that they knew there was a God, 他们虽然知道有神, but they failed to give Him glory and thanks for what He had done for them. 却不因祂的作为归荣耀与感谢给祂。They turned away from God, 他们离弃神,their hearts were darkened. 心就昏暗了。
And verse 22-23 says, 22-23节说,they worshipped false gods, 他们敬拜假神,and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. 将不能朽坏之神的荣耀变为偶像,仿佛必朽坏的人和飞禽、走兽、昆虫的样式。Do only unbelievers worship idols? 难道只有不信的人才敬拜偶像吗?No, 不是的, this is talking to us the believers这话是在告诉我们这些信主的人, that we need to worship God and serve Him alone by getting rid of idols from our hearts as we continue to follow Him. 在跟随神的道路上,我们需要弃绝心中的偶像,单单敬拜神、单单事奉祂。 Everything that we value above God is an idol. 一切我们看重过于神的都是偶像。Idols could be sports heroes, 偶像可能是体育明星、 movie stars, 电影明星、 music celebrities, 音乐明星,or money and material things, 或金钱和物质上的东西,like a house, 比如房子、 a car, 车子、or children or power, 孩子或权力、or fame, 名声、or success, 成功、or beauty, 美貌,or whatever visible or invisible things that we place the most value on in our lives.或者任何我们在生活中最看重的有形或无形的东西。V. 29-31, says, 29 They are filled with all kinds of wickedness, evil, greed, and vice; they are full of jealousy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They gossip 30 and speak evil of one another; they are hateful to God, insolent, proud, and boastful; they think of more ways to do evil; they disobey their parents; 31 they have no conscience; they do not keep their promises, and they show no kindness or pity for others. 29装满了各样不义、邪恶、贪婪、恶毒(或作“阴毒”),满心是嫉妒、凶杀、争竞、诡诈、毒恨,30又是谗毁的、背后说人的、怨恨 神的(或作“被 神所憎恶的”)、侮慢人的、狂傲的、自夸的、捏造恶事的、违背父母的、31无知的、背约的、无亲情的、不怜悯人的。
It can be summed up with just one word 这一切可以用一个词来概括–“self-centredness”, ——“自我中心”, it’s all about ‘me first.” 一切都是“我先”。Greed - “I want to have it”. 贪婪——“我要拥有它”,Strife - “I wanna be first.” 争竞——“我要第一”, Jealousy – “I wanna be the best”. 嫉妒——“我要成为最好的”,Murder – “I can’t forgive…I ravage”. 凶杀——“我不饶恕……我要毁坏”。The essence of worshipping idols is --- “I, me, me first.” 拜偶像的本质就是 “我,我,我第一” Why can’t Jesus be rejected and hurt? 为什么耶稣不会受拒绝伤害?Because Jesus Christ made himself nothing, 因为耶稣基督倒空自己,and he put the Father and His will first . 把父和父的旨意放在第一位。Why are we hurt? 为什么我们会受伤? Because we put the self and it’s feelings first. 因我们把自己和自己的感受放在第一位。So are these verses only talking about unbelievers? 所以这些经文只是在说不信的人吗? No! 断乎不是!This is talking about all sinful humanity! 这是对所有犯罪的人类说的!How we deal with the sinful nature matters!是说我们如何处理老自己很重要!
By the grace of God, 借着神的恩典, Paul the apostle realised 使徒保罗认识到that nothing good dwelt in his sinful nature, 他的肉体之中没有良善, so he learnt to put it to death所以他学会了要将它治死 – denying and crucifying the old self with Christ. ——否定旧人、与基督同钉十字架。When we condemn the sinful nature, 当我们指出肉体的罪时, we aren’t condemning people, 并不是定人的罪,but condemning the values, the views, and the beliefs that we as the people of God once accepted as a part of us, 而是定我们这些神子民从前所接受的、已经成为我们生命一部分的价值观、想法和所信的罪,which are of the world 因那些是属世界的,and not of the truth.并不是属真理的。We aren’t part of them. 我们不属它, We’re of the truth. 我们乃是属真理的。On our journey of sanctification, 在追求成圣的途中, we gonna recognise and cast out those lies, 我们当认出并弃绝这些谎言,and take captive every thought to the obedience to Christ. 将所有的心意夺回,都顺服基督。So that we are made less of the self and more of Christ. 如此,就会基督在里面长大兴旺,自己衰微。That’s the result of growing in the divine nature of Christ. 这是在基督的神性中成长所结的果子。
Today, Raymond is going to share something with us 今天,Raymond将与我们分享他的经历,based on the unfolded words of this bible passage是藉这段经文所开启的, that he has experienced through God’s love and grace. 是他在神的爱和恩典中经历的。Raymond’s story:请听Raymond的见证:
大家好,感谢神的恩典Brothers and sisters, thank God for His gracious guidance引导我认识祂的话,认识老自己。that He leads me to know more about His words and more about the self.感谢祂那么多年不离不弃的忍耐宽容来陶造。Thank God for His perseverance and tolerance that He never abandons us but shapes us.
我想跟大家分享一个最近的见证!I wanna share something I’ve experienced recently.事情的开始是从上个礼拜五傍晚,It was last Friday evening, Jane说要上楼去泡澡Jane wanted to have a spa bath. 不一会,Jane就在上面浴室叫我,After a little while, I heard Jane calling me in the bathroom upstairs,说水一点也不热,and she said that the water wasn’t hot at all.
我就觉得很奇怪,I thought it was strange, 我也认定了是叶葱不会使用热水器! and judged that she didn’t know how to use the water heater. 因为我已经把开关转扭到新的有足够燃气的那一罐上了!because I had already installed a new bottle of gas.所以,我就去示范给Jane看,So I went up to the bathroom and showed Jane how to use it,并告诉她,是因为新罐煤气太足导致水出来反而不热,and told her that the gas bottle was too full which could cause the water heat more slowly. Jane说那是荒谬的,她可不信 Jane said that was ridiculous, she wasn’t convinced that it was true. 于是,我就开始照着我所相信的去调节阀门,So I started to adjust the valve,把开关扭到旧的罐子上,I twisted the switch linking it to the old bottle, 又上楼调节花洒,then I went upstairs again to adjust the shower,还告诉Jane不要一下子调的很大,and I also told Jane not to turn the hot water switch on very high immediately,要先开小一点,等它又热水出来了,but first to turn it on at a low level until hot water came out,再调节开大。then turned the switch on at a high level.
Jane也不相信我的话, Jane didn’t believe what I said again. 但她说她开始为我祷告求主赐我智慧能明白But she started to pray for me. She asked God to give me wisdom to know reality. 我在继续干我觉得对的事。I kept on doing what I thought was right. 就这样一连折腾了半个多小时,After half an hour of tossing it about in this way over and over again, 我绞尽脑汁反复试尽了一切我想过的可能性,I racked my brain and tried to think of all the possibilities,水温开始越来越冷,but the water came out less warm even less warm,最后出来的全是冷水了。and eventually it became totally cold.
我又下去摇了一下那罐满的气,I went downstairs again to shake the full bottle of gas, 45KG的气加上加上金属罐子的重量,45kg with the weight of the metal jar.起码都有50-60KG 的重量,it should have been at least 50 to 60 weight,怎么那么轻?Why was it so light?? 我有点吃惊,I was a little bit surprised. 原来这不是我认为的满的煤气罐,是空了的罐子。It turned out that this wasn’t a full gas bottle as I’d believed but an empty one.难怪烧不了热水了。No wonder it couldn’t supply hot water anymore?这是怎么回事?What was wrong?这个罐子本可以用40到50天的,This bottle should have been used for 40 to 50 days.怎么用十几二十天就就空了呢?Why was it empty when it had just been used for 10 to 20 days?
我怎么就认定它是满的? Why was I convinced that it was full? 正在我不知道怎么办的时候,When I was wondering what to do, Jane忽然说你可以把阀门拔出来,重新装。Jane suddenly said, “you can pull out the valve and reconnect it.我就想起我们家还有一罐小煤气。Which reminded me that we still have another small bottle of gas.
所以就去换上那罐小煤气。So I went down to change the can of gas. Jane告诉我,那是我里面有坚固的营垒,Jane told me that there were strongholds inside of me,相信一些自己眼见的,就判断,并且信自己的判断,which caused me to judge things according to what I thought,就是相信谎言,which was believing lies,不是在环境里仰望神,求问祂的开启去倚靠祂。instead of turning to God and asking Him and relying on Him in my circumstances.
她说,Jane said, 那些什么水压啊,先放小水,然后放大水,什么调节气压啊?“When you believed that the pressure of the water needed to be adjusted, first to be turned on low then gradually on high,完全都是谎言和虚假的, these were all lies and deceptions, 都是你自己想象出来的。and they were from your imagination. 我也确实承认,我所有的判断都是建立在我相信那一罐燃气是满的这个基础之上的!I did admit that all my judgments had been based on my belief that that bottle of gas was full! 但为什么这罐燃气就没有了呢? But why was that gas empty?
那时我才开始祷告求问神,前面我都没有祷告求问神!then I started to pray and ask God why. 在祷告的时候,脑子清醒了些,When I was praying, my mind was sober again, 就想起Jane曾经问我,and I was reminded that Jane once had asked me,她泡这个热水澡会不会用掉很多燃气,费用会增加?whether it would cost much gas if she had one or two spa both every week. 我就跟她说,I had told her,没事的,不会用很多燃气的, “it’s okay, it won’t use a lot of gas, 费用不会高的,! the cost won’t be high,不会花很多钱的,it won’t cost much,你洗吧!没事的you just do it, no worries!” 所以最近三个礼拜,So in the last three weeks,她泡了5,6次澡当然就把那罐煤气烧的差不多了。she had 5 or 6 baths and of course the gas was used quite a lot. 可是,在我的脑子里,However, in my mind,根本就没有计算这烧掉的煤气,I didn’t think about it, 还是相信那罐煤气是满的,and I believed that the gas bottle still was full,在我的头脑里面我还相信着那一罐燃气还有很多很多! and I still believed that there was much more gas in that bottle! 可是事实证明,这完全是一个虚慌的谎言,But it turned out that this was a complete lie,那一罐我所谓的新罐子里面的燃气已经不足够供应热水器洗澡了! because the gas bottle I thought was full couldn’t supply the hot water to take a bath!
我后面的所有判断,在那个半小时中去试试这个方法再试试那个方法,所作的一切都是建立在这个虚慌的根基上的。All the effort I made by trying this way and that way that half an hour was all based on believing a lie. 我突然发现,有一个谎言的营垒在我里面左右了我的思想和行事!I was enlightened to see that there were strongholds of the imagination inside me controlling my thoughts and my actions.我是追求的基督徒,I’m a Christian seeking to grow in the knowledge of God,我奉献自己给基督耶稣,and I’ve devoted myself to Jesus,去放下一切追求认识祂,跟随祂,and I laid down my career to serve and seek to know Him.
突然发现,在环境里,原来我的思想常被仇敌欺骗就做了无用功。But suddenly, I found that I had been deceived by the enemy into believing my own thoughts so many times about some specific things, 就像那半个小时跑上跑下调节煤气罐。 so that I’ve wasted time and done something useless like what I did half an hour ago. 诗篇11:3, 根基若毁坏,义人还能做什么呢 If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?
仇敌知道怎么来和我们打仗,并且用破坏根基,The enemy knows how to overcome us and destroys the foundation,让我们在环境里信自己,so that we believe in ourselves, 信自己的判断,信谎言,来毁坏我们的根基,and rely on our own judgements which are lies,就是在环境里不给我们因信主耶稣而求问祂,等候祂,rather than believing our Lord Jesus inquiring of Him and waiting upon Him.当我们在真实的生活中被欺骗去信自己,When we are deceived to trust in ourselves,根基就被毁坏了. the foundation is destroyed. 感谢神的宽容忍耐,Praise the Lord for His patient tolerance.祂是拯救,祂是医治,He is the deliverer and the Healer,祂是恩典,祂是真实!He is merciful and true! 祂的更深的拯救是要等我们自己情愿转离老自己, His deep salvation towards our souls requires us to be willing to turn from the self.耶利米书17:9,“人心比万物都诡诈,坏到极处,谁能识透呢? 10 我耶和华是鉴察人心、试验人肺腑的,要照各人所行的和他做事的结果报应他。“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind, to reward each person according to their conduct, according to what their deeds deserve.”
神的判语是真实!God‘s judgement is true!但真理有时很难听。But truth sometimes involves ‘harsh words’. 我想你一定不喜欢人对你说,你的心坏透了,坏到极处不能识透了。I don’t think you’d like to hear that your heart is deceitful and bad beyond cure. 谎言比较容易被接受,Lies are comfortable to hear, “你很好人,你的心好。 ‘you are nice, your heart is kind.”
但信后者会让我们眼瞎并成为俘虏,But the latter will blind us and keep us captive,因此失去从神而来的智慧能力。so that we lose wisdom and power from God.我们需要转向神,We need to turn to God,接受祂对我们老自己的严厉判语,and accept ‘His harsh’ judgement on the old self, 因为神已经赐基督成为我们的生命,because He has given us Christ Jesus to be our life, 我们不需要旧人再做我们的王而是基督we don’t need the old self to be our king any more but Jesus. 回到我的见证,Let’s go back to my own story.
我里面这个谎言的营垒是怎么在里面被建立起来的呢?How had the stronghold of imagination and lies been built within me?第二天晚上祷告的时候,我来到主面前,悔改求光照!The next day when I was praying, I asked God to reveal it to me.祷告时,罗马书1:21节下半句,“他们的思念变为虚慌,无知的心就昏暗了!” During my prayer, Romans 1:21b their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened就从我口中被祷告出来!This verse just came out from my mouth,其实我以前是读不懂罗马书第一章这些经文的!I hadn’t really understood this verse before,我以为是在讲不信的人,和我没有关系。I had thought that was talking about unbelievers and had nothing to do with me.
但那天,But that day,神让我想起这一生从前的经历,the Holy Spirit reminded me of lots of things活在信自己的判断,when I had trusted in my own judgement不愿去接受残酷的事实,and hadn’t wanted to accept the cruel facts以至于给仇敌机会去建立谎言,想象的营垒。it had given the enemy opportunity to build strongholds of lies and imagination in my previous life.
想到在大学我喜欢一个女校友,I recalled that when I was in University, I liked a schoolmate, 她和另一位校友谈恋爱,but she had a relationship with another male schoolmate, 我其实是受拒绝了,但我不愿接受这事实,and I had refused to accept this fact, 就死信我比那人优秀多了,I believed that I was better than that man, 我怎么也不能信她会喜欢上那人。I refused to believe the fact that they already had a relationship.这就是给撒旦机会,去建立谎言和想象的营垒,which has given the devil an opportunity to build strongholds of lies and imagination. 来信自己,麻木自己,骗自己,to deceive me to trust in my own judgement, 自己比那人强的营垒。and to deceive myself that I was better than that man. 后来,几次,Afterwards, a couple of times, 当我感觉已经被人骗了,I felt that I had been cheated by people, 也对自己说他或她没有骗我, but I said to myself, “it’s ok, she or he didn’t cheat me.” 直到真的发现自己被骗了。Until the scam was exposed and it became a fact.
有次,Jane指着一个豪华酒店问我,once, Jane pointed out a luxury holiday house and asked me, 我们住那里去度假应该很贵吧?“Would it cost a lot if we stayed there for our holiday?”我想都不想就说,“不贵”。 I immediately said, “no, it won’t cost much at all.” 为什么会连想都不想就说不贵呢? Why did I say that without thinking about for a minute?
这次也相同,The same in the recent case, 你要泡热水澡,if you want to have a hot water spa bath, 就必须燃烧比平时多的燃气,it must cost you for more gas to heat the water, 这是必须付出的代价! this is the price you must pay. 这么浅显的道理,一个基本普通常识!一个事实! Such a simple principle, common sense, a fact, 你怎么会不懂呢? why didn’t I understand?
神让我想起最近在lockdown期间的聚会中,神释放的医治拒绝伤害的道,I was reminded of the way that God released the series of messages about healing from rejection at the recent gatherings during the lockdown. 原来在我里面有怕被拒绝,Because of the fear of being rejected, 怕被事实的残酷所伤害,the fear of being hurt by cruel facts, 就转向信自己,自己想象一些话来安慰自己,I turned to trust in myself by giving and imagining some nice words to comfort myself, “没事,你不愿看见的事不会发生.’ “it’s ok, nothing that you don’t want to happen will happen.” 当不愿面对我认为不好的真实! When I didn’t want to face facts that I thought were cruel, 就信一些容易接受的,不太伤害自己的声音, I chose to believe something that was easy to accept and didn’t hurt me. 就是信谎言了。That was believing in lies .
Jane告诉我多年的服事中,Jane told me that she has observed this so many years in her ministry她看见信徒若不解决里面的伤害就很容易转向自我安慰, that God’s people who leave the unresolved wounds or hurts inside of them more easily turn to self-comfort 去信一些他们认为容易接受的,and believe something that they think isn’t harsh 而不去被起十字架,否定己,跟随耶稣rather than taking up the cross and denying the self and following Jesus.
那天的祷告,That day during prayer, 神显明了营垒的真相,God revealed the reality of the strongholds within me, 我感觉到事情的严重性,I felt that it was serious. 但也看见神的慈爱的拯救和忍耐。But I saw the love, deliverance and patience of God was with me. 也看见仇敌怎样扭曲真理, And I also saw how the enemy twisted the truth欺骗我们信自己,and deceived God’s people to trust in themselves, 不背起自己的十字架, not to take up the cross, 也不否定自己, and not to deny还以为自己信靠神就自义。but feed the self by what they want to hear, so that they fall into self-righteousness but thought that they were trusting in God.因为21节·上半句说,他们虽然知道神,却不当神荣耀祂,也不感谢祂,25节说他们将神的真实变为虚慌,去敬拜侍奉被造之物,不敬奉那造物的主,because verse 21b says, For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him. 25 They exchanged the truth about God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator—who is forever praised. Amen.
当那天我听并顺从营垒里面出来的声音,When I listened to the voice which was from the strongholds within me that day, 我就没有把神当神,就把神的真实当作虚慌, I exchanged the truth about God for a lie, 就是信奉被造之物,仇敌撒旦的营垒和谎言, and worshipped and served created things我就没有在那环境里听和侍奉神, rather than the Creator in that particular case. 在那个点上我没有侍奉神!At that point, I didn’t serve the Lord, 侍奉了魔鬼的声音,所以就没有侍奉神,but served the enemy’s voice, therefore, I didn’t worship God, 无知的心就昏暗了! When I yielded to the lies, my thinking became futile and foolish. 当我顺服谎言,思念就变为虚慌, and I exchanged the truth about God for a lie. 就将神的真实变为虚慌。
感谢神,祂帮助我在环境里认识我里面有这样的坚固营垒,是要借着祂在我里面的无比大能去争战的。Thank God, that He helped me to recognise that there were really strongholds within me that I needed to fight against through the surpassing divine power of God which was also in me. 神赐给我们过敬虔生活所需的一切恩典,God has given us everything we need for a godly life, 拆毁坚固的营垒!including the divine power to tear down strongholds, 将心思意念夺回顺服基督。and to take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 当我意识到我的敌人是谁,和谁打仗, When I recognise who my enemy is, whom I should fight against, 这仗就不难打了 the fight isn’t too hard.
也很感恩神,在这个Lockdown 期间,I really appreciated God that during the lockdown, 释放出一系列的信息,He released a series of messages, 都在帮助到我和大家更多的认识神爱和怜悯,which all helped us to know more about God’s love and mercy towards us, 也认识自己里面的营垒,明白神要怎样的医治释放我们,and also helped us to know that there were strongholds in us that we needed to be delivered and healed from. 感谢主,神实在是爱我们!Praise the Lord, God really loves us! 我知道,我才刚刚开始,I know that it’s just the beginning for me, 还有很多仗在环境里需要去将心意夺回顺服基督!I still have lots of testing of my faith to overcome, where I need to take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ by relying on the divine power.
愿这个见证可以鼓励到大家起来一起打美好的仗!May this testimony encourage you to fight the good fight of the faith. 不要信叫你听着舒服的谎言,Don’t listen to lies which you think are comfortable to hear, 要听叫肉体听不舒服的真理,but listen to the true judgement which your flesh doesn’t want to hear. 并靠神的爱接纳自己, Let’s accept the Love of God to accept the self 不再顺服自己,but no longer yield to the self, 乃顺服基督, but yield to Christ, 在我们的生活里真正的荣耀神!so that we may live a life truly glorifying God!