双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：12月1日 就是现在

12月1日

就是现在

嗐，你们有话说：今天明天我们要往某城里去，在那里住一年，作买卖得利；其实明天如何，你们还不知道……

雅各书4:13-14

我曾读到过一个消息，有关一个日晷，那上面刻着一个神秘的信息：“比你想的更晚”。旅行者经常会停下来思考这句话的含义。我们基督徒有一个日晷，就是上帝的话语。从创世记到启示录都有警告：“现在比你想象的更晚了”。保罗在写给当时的基督徒的信中说：“你们晓得现今就是该趁早睡醒的时候，因为我们得救，现今比初信的时候更近了。黑夜已深，白昼将近；我们就当脱去暗昧的行为，带上光明的兵器”（罗马书13:11-12）。

比利·布雷是上一代一位虔诚的牧师，他去看望一位临终的基督徒。这位基督徒生前一直羞于为基督作见证，他说：“如果我有能力，我会高呼荣耀归上帝。”比利·布雷回答说：“很遗憾，当你有能力的时候，你没有高呼荣耀。”我想知道，我们当中有多少人在回顾一生中浪费的机会和无效的见证时，因着我们没有让上帝照着祂的旨意使用我们而哭泣。“黑夜将到，就没有人能作工了”（约翰福音9:4）。

如果我们要研读圣经，如果我们要花时间祷告，如果我们要为基督赢得灵魂，如果我们要为祂的国度而投资，必须就是现在。

今日祷告：

父啊，让我们不浪费任何机会去靠近失丧的人，兴起门徒，训练他们去靠近那些失丧的人。主啊，求祢的圣灵充满我们，赐我们刚强壮胆；奉耶稣的名，阿们。

December 1

THE TIME IS NOW

Go to now,ye that say,Today or tomorrow we will go into such a city,and continue there a year,and buy and sell,and get gain:Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow…James 4:13-14

I once read about a sundial on which was inscribed the cryptic message,“It is later than you think.”Travelers would often pause to meditate on the meaning of the phrase.We Christians have a sundial-the Word of God.From Genesis to Revelation it bears its warning.“It is later than you think.”Writing to the Christians of his day Paul said,“It is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep;for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed.The night is almost gone,and the day is at hand.Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light”(Romans 13:11-12,NASB).

Billy Bray,a godly clergyman of another generation,sat by the bedside of a dying Christian who had been very shy about his testimony for Christ during his life.The dying man said,“If I had the power I’d shout glory to God.”Billy Bray answered,“It’s a pity you didn’t shout glory when you had the power.”I wonder how many of us will look back over a lifetime of wasted opportunities and ineffective witness and weep because we did not allow God to use us as He wanted.“Night is coming,when no man can work”(John 9:4,NASB).

If ever we are to study the Scriptures,if ever we are to spend time in prayer,if ever we are to win souls for Christ,if ever we are to invest our finances for His Kingdom-it must be now.

Pray for the Day:

Father,let us not waste any opportunity to reach the lost,to raise up disciples,and train them to reach the lost.Fill us with Your Holy Spirit,Lord.Give us boldness,in Jesus’Name,Amen.