於2022-09-17發佈

 

DAY 87
通往結果子的道路
雷克-喬納

正如我們昨天所學習的,"大使命不僅僅是使人信主,而是使人做門徒。門徒這個詞的意思是 "學生"。它也意味著 "有紀律的人"。兩者都適用於我們在基督裡的生活。

當我們來到主身邊時,我們就成為一個終身的學生。正如我們在哥林多前書2:10中所讀到的,"......因為聖靈參透萬事,就是神深奧的事也參透了"。因為這是聖靈的本性,如果聖靈在引導我們,我們也將一直在尋找,以更深入地瞭解主。我們將被迫瞭解祂的方式,而不僅僅是祂的行為。真正的基督教和淺薄是相互矛盾的。

因為 "門徒"一詞也意味著 "有紀律的人",《提摩太後書》1:7宣稱:"因為神賜給我們,不是膽怯的心,乃是剛強、仁愛、謹守的心。" 很少有人認為紀律是聖靈的果子或恩賜,但它是我們被賦予的聖靈的性質的非常基本的東西。如果我們靠聖靈生活,我們就會成為一個有紀律的人。這指的是以專注和目的控制自己。這就是為什麼 "自制"被列為聖靈的果子(見加拉太書5:22-24)。

提摩太前書4:7-8告訴我們要 "為敬虔的目的約束自己;因為身體的約束沒有什麼益處,惟有敬虔對一切都有益處,因為它對今生和來生都有應許。" 沒有紀律,很可能就沒有任何有意義的事情被完成。如果我們願意在基督裡約束自己,我們就會完成那些會結出永恆果子的事情。如果我們想做任何有意義的事情,我們必須抓住並應用通過紀律釋放的巨大力量。

有幾次,從小就認識我的朋友告訴我,他們無法理解我是如何完成我所做的事情的。我理解他們的疑惑。他們中的許多人比我聰明,而且更有天賦,但他們卻在自己討厭的工作中苦苦掙扎,而我卻在做他們夢想的那種事情。為什麼呢?雖然我在學校是個失敗者,而且似乎註定要過失敗的生活,但當我重生後,我得到了紀律的恩賜。有什麼東西抓住了我,使我知道沒有什麼比認識主更重要或更有成就感。當其他人在外面玩耍時,我留在家裡學習了好幾年。在他們看來,我是在浪費自己的生命,但現在看來,他們才是在浪費自己做重要事情的機會。

不管你多大年紀,或者你可能已經浪費了多少年,現在改變還不算太晚。所有的紀律將得到回報。我們在主裡的紀律將結出永恆的果子。如果許多人把現在花在電視前的時間,改為花在神的寶座前,尋求認識祂,服事祂奉獻自己,就會開始過著碩果累累的生活。

下面的經文可以將生活從灰心、失敗,轉變為神國度的有力彰顯。閱讀它們、思考它們、為它們禱告、順服它們。

你們又忘了那勸你們如同勸兒子的話,說:我兒,你不可輕看主的管教,被他責備的時候也不可灰心;
因為主所愛的,他必管教,又鞭打凡所收納的兒子。
你們所忍受的,是神管教你們,待你們如同待兒子。焉有兒子不被父親管教的呢?
管教原是眾子所共受的,你們若不受管教,就是私子,不是兒子了。
再者,我們曾有生身的父管教我們,我們尚且敬重他,何況萬靈的父,我們豈不更當順服他得生嗎?
生身的父都是暫隨己意管教我們;惟有萬靈的父管教我們,是要我們得益處,使我們在他的聖潔上有分。
凡管教的事,當時不覺得快樂,反覺得愁苦;後來卻為那經練過的人結出平安的果子,就是義。(希伯來書12:5-11)。

不要浪費你的考驗。它們比黃金更珍貴。正如主在啟示錄3:19所說:"凡我所疼愛的,我就責備管教他;所以你要發熱心,也要悔改。" 



DAY 87
The Path to Fulfillment
Rick Joyner

As we studied yesterday, the "Great Commission is not just making converts, but making disciples. The word disciple means "student." It also means "disciplined one." Both apply to our lives in Christ.

When we come to the Lord we become a lifelong student. As we read in I Corinthians 2:10, "... for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God." Because this is the Spirit's nature, if the Holy Spirit is leading us we too will always be searching to know the Lord deeper. We will be compelled to know His ways, not just His acts. True Christianity and shallowness are contradictory to each other.

Because the word "disciple" also means "a disciplined one," II Timothy 1:7 declares, "For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline." Few think of discipline as a fruit or gift of the Spirit, but it is very basic to the nature of the Spirit that we have been given. If we live by the Spirit we will be a disciplined people. This denotes controlling ourselves with focus and purpose. That is why "self-control" is listed as a fruit of the Spirit (see Galatians 5:22-24).

In I Timothy 4:7-8 we are told to "discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come." Nothing of significance has most likely ever been accomplished without discipline. If we will discipline ourselves in Christ we will accomplish things that will bear eternal fruit. If we want to do anything of significance we must seize and apply the great power that is released through discipline.

I have been told a few times by friends who have known me from childhood that they cannot understand how I ever accomplished the things that I have. I understand their perplexity. Many of them are smarter than I am, and much more gifted, yet they languish in jobs they hate while I am doing the kind of things they dream about. Why? Though I was a failure in school, and seemed destined to a life of failure, when I was born again I was given the gift of discipline. Something gripped me so that I knew there was nothing more important or more fulfilling than getting to know the Lord. While others were out having fun, I stayed home and studied for years. To them it looked like I was wasting my life, but now it looks like they are the ones who were wasting their opportunity to do something significant.

It does not matter how old you are, or how many years you may have wasted, it is not too late to change. All discipline will pay off. Our discipline in the Lord will bear eternal fruit. Many would begin to live lives of great fruitfulness and fulfillment if they took just the time they now spend in front of the television and instead spent it in front of the throne of God, seeking to know Him, giving themselves to His service.

The following verses can change lives from one of defeat and discouragement into powerful demonstrations of the kingdom of God. Read them. Ponder them. Pray over them. Obey them.

and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, "My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, nor faint when you are reproved by Him;
For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and He scourges every son whom He receives."
It is for discipline that you endure; God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom his father does not discipline?
But if you are without discipline, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
Furthermore, we had earthly fathers to discipline us, and we respected them; shall we not much rather be subject to the Father of spirits, and live?
For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.
All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness (Hebrews 12:5-11).

Do not waste your trials. They are more precious than gold. As the Lord said in Revelation 3:19: "Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; be zealous therefore, and repent."