双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：10月27日 面对逼迫

10月27日

面对逼迫

我们劳苦努力（受责骂），……因我们的指望在乎永生的神；……总要在言语，行为，爱心，信心，清洁上；都作信徒的榜样。

提摩太前书4:10,12

我们所受的责骂是人们心中对一切虔诚和公义的自然怨恨。这就是我们要背负的十字架，这就是为什么基督徒要经常受逼迫。保罗在对提摩太的讲论中阐明了这一点。

但我们不要忘记，在逼迫中有喜乐和祝福。正如乔治·马唐纳所说，“我们因苦难而丰富”。我们的主教导受逼迫的人要喜乐，祂说：“应当欢喜快乐；因为你们在天上的赏赐是大的；在你们以前的先知，人也是这样逼迫他们。”（马太福音5:12）

“喜乐”这个词几乎从我们现在的基督教词汇中消失了，原因之一是我们认为只有在舒适、安逸和奢华中才能找到喜乐和幸福。雅各并没有说：“你们坐在安乐椅上，都要以为大喜乐”，而是说：“你们落在百般试炼中，都要以为大喜乐”（雅各书1:2）。

受逼迫的人是有福的，因他们正为回天家做准备。逼迫是基督徒生活的自然结果之一。它对基督徒来说，就相当于成长中的孩子们的“生长之痛”（“成长的烦恼”）。没有痛楚，就没有成长；没有苦难，就没有荣耀；没有奋斗，就没有胜利；没有逼迫，就没有奖赏！耶稣预言：“他们若逼迫了我，也要逼迫你们。”（约翰福音15:20）

圣经说：“那赐诸般恩典的神，曾在基督里召你们，得享祂永远的荣耀，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）。我们很容易忘记“万事都互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处”（罗马书8:28）。

今日祷告：

天父，在每一件事上我信靠祢，无论是我喜欢的还是我害怕的，我知道都是为我的益处和祢的荣耀。为此，我献上感谢；奉耶稣的名，阿们。

October 27

POSITIVE THOUGHTS ON PERSECUTION

We…suffer reproach,because we trust in the living God…but be thou an example of the believers,in word,in conversation,in charity,in spirit,in faith,in purity.1 Timothy 4:10,12

The reproach we experience is the natural resentment in the hearts of men toward all that is godly and righteous.This is the cross we are to bear.This is why Christians are often persecuted.Paul made this clear in these comments to Timothy.

Let us not forget that there is happiness and blessing in persecution.As George MacDonald puts it,we become“hearty through hardship.”Our Lord instructs the persecuted to be happy.“rejoice,”He said,“and be exceeding glad:for great is your reward in heaven:for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you”(Matthew 5:12).

The word“joy”has all but disappeared from our current Christian vocabulary.One of the reasons is that we have thought that joy and happiness were found in comfort,ease,and luxury.James did not say,“Count it all joy when you fall into an easy chair,”but he said,“Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations”(James 1:2).

The persecuted are happy because they are being processed for heaven.Persecution is one of the natural consequences of living the Christian life.It is to the Christian what“growing pains”are to the growing child.No pain,no development.No suffering,no glory.No struggle,no victory.No persecution,no reward!Jesus predicted that if they persecuted Him,they would persecute you who follow Him,too.

The Bible says,“The God of all grace,who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus,after that ye have suffered a while,make you perfect,establish,strengthen,settle you”(1 Peter 5:10).It is so easy to forget that“all things work together for good to them that love God”(Romans 8:28).

Pray for the Day:

Father,I trust You that in everything,whether it is something that I really like or something that I dread,I know that You are working for my good and for Your glory.And because of that,I give thanks;in Jesus’Name,Amen.