双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：5月1日 为义受逼

5月1日

为义受逼

“为义受逼迫的人有福了！因为天国是他们的。”

马太福音5:10

当我们想到逼迫的时候，我们很少想到耶稣登山宝训中提到的因为我们的信仰而受到的攻击。那时候，逼迫意味着被鞭打、抓捕、入狱甚至死亡。然而，无论在圣经时代还是后来的历史，勇敢的基督徒们都宁愿选择受逼迫，也不愿意否定自己的信仰。

今天，很多人认为，我们传福音是在帮神的忙，忘记了这是他的命令、我们的使命。只要有人轻看我们的信仰，我们就觉得很委屈，觉得受逼迫。

世界上还有一些地方，基督徒因为分享福音而入狱，或者带领失丧灵魂归向基督而面临死刑。但这种情况并不多见。大多数人根本不在乎别人信仰什么，或者是否有信仰。

基督徒信仰逐渐贬值，因为我们自己开始不在乎。如果传道人主日的讲道时间超过几分钟，我们就会抱怨。而且很不情愿在同一个星期去两次教会。难怪世界上很多人都不把我们的信仰当回事，因为我们连付出时间都不愿意，更不要说为之舍弃自由或生命了。

想一想，你有没有因为分享信仰而受逼迫。你的信仰有没有让你付出什么代价？如果没有，也许你最好再反省一下，思想我们的主说过的话，“人若因我辱骂你们，逼迫你们，捏造各样坏话毁谤你们，你们就有福了！”（马太福音5:11）

今日祷告：

天父，当我们分享福音被人拒绝的时候，求祢给我们力量，帮助我们有这样的盼望，知道我们的名字都写在了生命册上。求祢给我们从圣灵而来的勇气和胆量。奉主耶稣的圣名，阿们。

May 1

PERSECUTION

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’sake:for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.Matthew 5:10

When we think of persecution we rarely think of the kind of attack for sharing our faith that was commonplace when Jesus preached the Sermon on the Mount.In those days,persecution meant beatings,arrest,imprisonment,even death.Yet the Bible and all of history are full of instances where bold men and women chose persecution over denial of our Lord.

Today,many of us think we are doing God a favor when we tell another about Christ,even though we were commanded to do so.And we think we are suffering real persecution when someone makes light of our faith.

There are places in the world where Christians can still be jailed for sharing their faith or face the death penalty for leading a lost soul to Christ,but they are few and far between.Most people don’t care what others believe in,or if they believe in anything.

The Christian faith has become a cheap faith because we too often live as if it has no value.We complain when the preacher runs over a few minutes on the Sunday sermon and consider it a great inconvenience to return to services once or twice more in the same week.No wonder so much of the world does not consider our faith relevant when we are not even willing to give of our time,much less our freedom or lives,for what we say we believe in.

Think about it.Have you ever been persecuted for sharing your faith in Christ?Has your faith cost you anything?If not,perhaps you had better re-examine your faith to see if it measures up to the One who said,“Blessed are ye,when men shall revile you,and persecute you,and say all manner of evil against you falsely,for my sake.For so persecuted they the prophets which were before you”(Matthew 5:11).

Pray for the Day:

Father,when we share our faith and we’re rejected for it,give us strength,and help us to find our hope in the fact that our names are written in the Book of Life.Give us courage and boldness from Your Holy Spirit;in Jesus’Name,Amen.