607 中翻英 (307) The Word became flesh (二). 道成肉身(二). 12/10/2023

607 中翻英 (307)         The Word became flesh (二).              道成肉身(二).          12/10/2023

編輯者每逢到聖誕節時, 總都要述說耶穌基督誕生( The Word became flesh)的實存(reality). 我所要向世人宣告的是耶穌因聖靈成孕 (道成肉身), 藉童女馬利亞所生在伯利恆的馬槽裡的聖嬰.  從十二月的第一個星期日就要從約翰福音第一章一節講到第十八節. 按節講到耶穌的道成肉身.

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome^[a] it. ⁶ There was a man sent from God whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. ⁸ He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. ⁹ The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. ¹¹ He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. ¹² Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— ¹³ children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. ¹⁴ The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.  ¹⁵ (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) ¹⁶ Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. ¹⁷ For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. ¹⁸ No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and^[b] is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

十二月十日

「他打了三次，便止住了。神人向他發怒說，應當擊打五六次。」（王下   13:18-19）

我們常有一個危險，就是將神的工作，限制在我們所指定的范圍里。今天神要我們在福音的工作上，作好新拓展的預備，但我們卻為神規定了一個目標。當神的工作越過了這個目標時，我們的信心就沒有准備再往前去了。我們并不明白耶和華得胜之箭的飛行是何等高遠。我們看見有數百靈魂來到主面前蒙恩，我們便會感到滿足，這可能成為盈千累万要前來蒙恩之人的攔阻。我們為著傳福音而建筑的大會所，是否會成為將來福音布道發展的限制？在事奉上，常有一個嚴重的危險，那就是我們將神的恩典規限于一個范圍里。其實，神所賜下的祝福，是為著將來更大的祝福而開路，而絕不是使它成為那更大祝福的障礙。讓我們按著步驟而工作，這是無可厚非的，但要擺脫一切老舊的束縛和限制，而活在一种恒常盼見新事物的光景中。我們前面正擺著一項遠超既往而又巨大深廣的工作。神的計划是要給我們空前的祝福。

December 10

"He struck him three times, and then he stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, 'Smite him five or six times.'" (2 Kings 13:18-19)

We are always in danger of setting a limit to what God can do.  Today God wants us to prepare for a new release in the work of the gospel, but we have set Him a target beyond which our faith is not prepared to go.  We have not understand the flight of the Lord's "arrow of victory".   Our gratification over the hundred souls that have come to Him may be the thing that hinders their coming in their thousands.  Is it not possible that the large hall we have built for the proclaimation of the gospel may impose a limit on future growth? There is always a grave danger of circumscribing God's grace.  The blessings God gives is intented to pave the way for greater blessings, never to become a barrier to it.  By all means let us work to a plan, but let us shake ourselves free from all trammels of the past and live in a state of constant expectancy.  Right ahead of us lies a work immensely greater than that which lies behind.  God plans for us unprecedented blessings.