双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：5月3日 回应逼迫

5月3日

回应逼迫

只是我告诉你们，要爱你们的仇敌，为那逼迫你们的祷告。”

马太福音5:44

主耶稣在登山宝训中，告诉我们如何对待逼迫。我们应该：

1欢喜快乐（太5:12）

2爱我们的仇敌（太5:44）。

3祝福咒诅我们的人（太5:44）。

4善待恨恶我们的人（太5:44）。

5为逼迫我们的祷告（太5:44）。

我有一个朋友，失去工作、财产、妻子和家园。但是他坚持自己的信心——这是他仅有的了。有一天他停下来看到一些石匠在建造一个教堂。其中一人正在凿一块三角形的石头。“你打算用它来做什么呢？”我的朋友问。石匠回答说：“你看上面尖塔部分有一个小缝隙吗？我在这里给这个石块整形，好让它可以塞进去。”

我的朋友热泪盈眶地离开那里，因为神通过这个工人的口向他解释了他所经历的磨难。“我在这里塑造你，好让你成为有用的器皿。”圣经也告诉我们，“等你们暂受苦难之后，必要亲自成全你们，坚固你们，赐力量给你们。”（彼得前书5:10）

为义受逼迫的是有福的，因为天国是他们的。世界反对我们，恰好证明我们是属基督的。祂（主）也告诉我们，我们跟随祂会让世界憎恶我们。“并且你们要为我的名被众人恨恶。惟有忍耐到底的必然得救。”（马太福音10:22）

今日祷告：

天父，我感谢你，因为你一直与我同在。当世界与我们作对时，请赐予我们力量，让我们坚守信仰，站立得稳，并永远爱你；奉耶稣的名，阿门。

May 3

PRAYING IN PERSECUTION

But I say to you[Jesus said],love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.Matthew 5:44 RSV

Jesus,in the Sermon on the Mount,had some commandments for us with regard to our attitude toward persecution.We are to:

1. Rejoice and be exceeding glad(Matthew 5:12)
2. Love our enemies(5:44)
3. Bless them that curse us(5:44)
4. Do good to them that hate us(5:44)
5. Pray for them that despitefully use us and persecute us(5:44)

I have a friend who lost his job,a fortune,his wife,and his home.But he tenaciously held to his faith-the only thing he had left.One day he stopped to watch some men doing stonework on a huge church.One of them was chiseling a triangular piece of stone.

“What are you going to do with that?”asked my friend.

The workman said,“See that little opening away up there near the spire?Well,I’m shaping this down here so it will fit in up there.”

Tears filled my friend’s eyes as he walked away,for it seemed that God had spoken through the workman to explain the ordeal through which he was passing.“I’m shaping you down here so you’ll fit in up there.”

After you have“suffered for a while,make you perfect…settle you,”echo the words from the Bible.

The persecuted for“righteousness’sake”are happy because they are identified with Christ.The enmity of the world is tangible proof that we are on the right side,that we are identified with our blessed Lord.He said that our stand for Him would arouse the wrath of the world.“And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake:but he that endureth to the end shall be saved”(Matthew 10:22)

Pray for the Day:

Father,I thank You that You are with me always.And when the world stands against us,give us the strength to stand firm,to hold fast in our faith,and to always love You;in Jesus’Name,Amen.