双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：6月16日 新清教徒

6月16日

新清教徒

“一个仆人不能事奉两个主；不是恶这个爱那个，就是重这个轻那个。你们不能又事奉神，又事奉玛门。”

路加福音16:13

仅仅像创可贴这样的补救措施是不够的。只有深入到生命最深处、触及到毒害我们生活各方面的罪，这样的治疗才能解决问题。除非我们迅速采取道德和属灵的行动，否则我们可能会发现自己处于极权之下，所有的自由都会很快受到压制。

圣经教导我们：不能同时侍奉真神上帝，又事奉另一个物质的神。但如果我们向神心怀正直，我们可以用物质来事奉神。就我个人而言，我认为，我们的生活必须与我们所信的一致。我们必须调适我们的生活方式，从而赢得我们儿孙们的尊重，即便这意味着我们要做出牺牲。

让我们承认，我们这一代，包括你和我，我们生活得太世俗、太奢侈，而数百万人却生活在饥饿的边缘。我们的儿孙们已经意识到这种不平衡，他们向我们提出的问题让我们难以作答。至少我自己的孩子们是这样的。

是的，我今天提倡所谓的新清教主义，无论道德上还是物质上，我们的生活必须持续与（美元）硬币上的口号“我们信靠上帝”保持一致。我认为，只有当我们把自己的生命交托给上帝时，这才会付诸实现。如果我们自己不处理好这个问题，那么，谈论公司或国家如何解决这个问题便毫无意义。

拥有财物并没什么错，上帝常赐福给那些让祂在心中居首位的人。祂知道并信任他们：他们永远不会崇拜物质过于祂。

然而，很多时候，物质成为我们敬拜的焦点，我们想要侍奉物质而不是上帝。这样，物质财富便成了我们的主、我们的偶像，而不是服事我们的。

今天，你也必须做出选择：谁是你事奉的对象。是上帝？还是金钱？

今日祷告：

天父，我选择祢！帮助我根除我生命中任何贪婪的根源。奉耶稣的名，阿们。

June 16

THE NEW PURITANISM

No servant can serve two masters:for either he will hate the one,and love the other;or else he will hold to the one,and despise the other.Ye cannot serve God and mammon.Luke 16:13

Band-Aid remedies are not enough.Only a remedy that goes to the very depths,to touch the sin that has poisoned all facets of life,can meet our needs.Unless we take moral and spiritual action,and do it quickly,we could find ourselves in a totalitarian state with all freedom suppressed in a relatively short time.

The Bible teaches we cannot serve God-the true God-and another god called materialism.But we can serve God with material things if our heart is right toward God.Individually I suggest that we’re going to have to adopt lifestyles that are more consistent with the faith that we profess.We must adapt our way of living so as to gain the respect of our children and our children’s children,even if it means sacrifice on our part.

Let’s admit it.Our generation-yours and mine-we’ve lived too gaudily and too ostentatiously while millions live on the verge of starvation.And our children are seeing the inconsistency of it all.And they are asking us questions that are hard for you and me to answer.My own children are,at least.

Yes,I’m advocating today what could be called the new Puritanism,both morally and materially.Our lives must be consistent with the slogan on our coins,“In God We Trust.”And I recognize that this can happen only when we have personally committed our lives to God.There’s little point in talking about corporate or national dealing with the problem,if we don’t come to grips with it individually ourselves.

There is nothing wrong with having things.God often blessed with great wealth those who place Him first.He knew He could trust them with it and that they would never worship things ahead of Him.

Too often however,things become our focus of worship,and we desire to serve things rather than God.It is at that point that material goods become our masters,our idols,rather than our servants.

You must choose,even this day,whom you will serve.Will it be God or money?

Pray for the Day:

Father,I choose You.Help me root out any source of greed in my own life;in Jesus’Name.