双语灵修（葛培理牧师）：2月16日 充满热情，为主而活

2月16日

充满热情，为主而活

盐本是好的，若失了味，可用什么叫它再咸呢。你们里头应当有盐，彼此和睦。

——马可福音 9:50

说哥伦布疯狂，因为他决定驶向未知的海洋……

马丁·路德被称为疯子，只因他力图推翻当时根深蒂固的宗教等级。

帕特里克·亨利高呼：“不自由，毋宁死！”，世人笑他疯癫。

当乔治·华盛顿的军队在冬季的福吉谷受到数千伤亡、数千逃兵的重创，手中只剩少数人却仍然决定继续作战时，也曾被人当成疯子。

如今我们这代人已经变得过于精明和得体，很难再疯一回。基督教也因饱受尊敬、恪守传统而愈发趋于平淡。盐已经失了味……

惟愿当物欲和世俗主义席卷世界的时候，还能够感受到我们基督徒的威胁，再次把我们与疯子归为一类。感谢上帝，至今仍有人牺牲自己的时间、天赋、社会地位和丰厚薪水，放弃一切优遇来服侍神的国。

今日祷告：

主耶稣啊，求祢将门徒们饱含激情为祢而活的时候，所展现出来的味，也灌注在我的身上。奉耶稣的名，阿们。

February 16

 Living Enthusiastically for God

Good salt is worthless if it loses its saltiness; it can’t season anything. So don’t lose your flavor!
—Mark 9:50 (TLB)

Columbus was called mad because he decided to sail the uncharted ocean. ……

Martin Luther was called mad because he presumed to defy the entrenched religious hierarchy of his time.

Patrick Henry was considered mad when he cried, “Give me liberty, or give me death!”

George Washington was thought to be mad when he decided to continue the war after the winter at Valley Forge, when thousands of his men had died and other thousands had deserted, leaving him only a handful of men.

We have become too sophisticated and respectable to be called mad in our generation. Christianity has become so respectable and so conventional that it is now insipid. The salt has lost its flavor…….

Would to God that the world found us Christians dangerous enough to call us mad, in these days when materialism and secularism are sweeping over the world. Thank God there are those who sacrifice time, talents, social position, and lucrative posts, and who fling aside every advantage in order to serve the Kingdom of God.

Prayer for the day:

Instill in me, Lord Jesus, the same savor that the disciples showed as they lived so enthusiastically for You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.