Articles by "Admin, Author at Cong Fang - Page 98 of 114"
Dec 5, 2015 - Default    No Comments

神的震怒(鐘馬田)

“敬畏耶和華是智慧的開端。” 箴 9:10
     反對神的震怒這一項教義的人,多半是從功利的觀點出發。他們說老式的講道會嚇跑人。反之,多強調神的愛就能夠吸引人來。對於這種講法,最簡單的反駁就是擺出事實。當教會將神的審判和震怒推到後面去時,教堂的空位子就多了出來。
     時下流行的思想就是神的愛足以蓋過一切,不管我們所行的是什麼,神的愛終會叫一切都喜慶團圓。但是,教會越遷就人的口胃,到教堂來敬拜神的人數也越少。其實最嚴重、最不妙的打擊還不是在人數而是在對神的信仰。當人不再相信神是全地的主,再以祂為永恆的審判者,當人對神的印像只不過是個笑口常開的好好先生時,人實際上已經不再相信神,也不再以為自己要向神交帳了。說什麼單單強調神的愛,人就會信;宣講神的震怒、公平、公義,人就會反感,根本與事實不符。人之所以繼續相信神,乃是因為他知道 “敬畏耶和華” 是怎麼一回事。
The Wrath Of God” by Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Oct 6, 2015 - Default    No Comments

Alexander Whyte 懷特 (1836-1921)

Portrait_of_Alexander_Whyte蘇格蘭的懷特牧師 (Alexander Whyte, 1836-1921) 生前曾享盛名及受人崇敬達半世紀之久。他的父母出生微寒,他自己受的教育有限,所有的機會,多半由他自己創造。他靠著做鞋匠學徒用微薄的收入僱另一個孩子讀書給他聽。1870年,他成為聖喬治教會 (St. George’s, Edinburgh) 的康德禮博士 (Dr. Robert Canddish) 的助手。三年之後,康德禮博士在去世之前,為懷恃按手,封立他為他的承繼人。
懷特在聖喬治教會50年之久,他的講道吸引人大排長龍,為要等候教堂開門聽他講道,甚至寧肯站著淋雨,也要到教堂聽他講那平常眾人不喜歡聽的救恩的主題。這個主題是他一次在蘇格蘭高地度假時的一次經驗中深深印入他心中的。他描寫那一次的經驗說:“對我來說,好像上帝的聲音,大力地命令我的良心,極清楚地說:‘…不要繼續向前,不要退卻,你要回去;勇敢地去完成交託你,要你去完成的工作。要開口講,不要怕:要不惜任何代價,叫他們以上帝的律法作鏡子,去看明自己的景況,你要作這個工作,因為別人不會去作。沒有人願意冒生命及聲名敗壞的危險,去作這項工作,而你這兩方面都不必冒太多的險。你要回去,用你剩餘的生命在指派給你的工作上,就是指出我百姓的罪,讓他們看明,他們需要我的救恩。’”

“你要作這個工作,因為別人不會去作。沒有人願意冒生命及聲名敗壞的危險,去作這項工作,而你這兩方面都不必冒太多的險。”

懷特常常引用一句講到政治家葛萊司東的話:“他的勤勉,乃是他一半的天才! ” 這句話也可同樣地應用在他自己身上,在他不休止,也不匆忙的一生中,他作成了一個巨人所能完成的工作。
1884年,懷特被邀請在大總會中講道。他的題目是:“傳道的效率”;所用的經文是:“我自己的葡萄園卻沒有看守” (雅歌 1:6)。他呼籲傳道人追求最高的傳道效率,才可使教會免於不育症。二十年之後,他說:“我寧肯所有懶惰的傳道人都退出教會。所有的教會若要在這大家都辛勤工作的世界中興盛,不久,就都必須如此行。”
像他那樣每週講道五次,是需要專心讀書的習慣的。每週星期一,早上九時 (Mon, 9 AM),他一定到書房。他的傳記作者麥加拉康說,他曾詳細地描寫他一日的生活:“上午,他會小心避免任何打擾;上午九時之後的四小時 (9 AM – 1 PM) 是他保留為研讀的神聖時刻… 除非午餐時必須奉陪客人,通常他只是在書房用清淡的午餐。午餐後不久。他即開始他的牧養工作,拜訪,及其他工作,直到午後六時 (6 PM)。雖然,晚上若有工作,他會稍早一點回來,其他的晚上,他會在書桌上及祈禱中消度。
到了週六下午一時 (Sat, 1 PM),他要在週日講的兩篇講道就都已準備好了;下午及晚上都與朋友們一起度過,一直到晚上九時四十五分晚禱 (Sat, 9:45 PM) 的時候。在週日,他早上六時 (Sun, 6 AM) 就開始工作。他在早餐之前要先花兩三個小時在書房中祈禱及修改講章。顯然,其他日子的上午,也是用在靈修上。
巴博在其所寫的懷特傳記中, 有一幀照片,照的是懷特一本加活頁紙的聖經,打開在《約翰福音 第十四章》。他說,懷特在四十年中,每天都寫一兩條註釋在這本聖經中,這本聖經成了他的檔案資料系統懷特講到他必須記錄下來一些材料時說:“沒有人知道,我的記憶讓我損失多大! 因為他沒有像司布真 (C. H. Spurgeon, 1834-1892) 那樣的裝備幫助他記憶,他就在他最常用的聖經中寫下他的筆記,因此,這些資料總是在他的手邊。
懷特在七十幾歲時寫的一篇論文《傳道人的報償》中說:

“傳道人在傳道工作中最大的報償是可以讓自己研讀上帝的話。他人偶爾去行的,可能對我則是經常的事”;他說:“早、午、晚,聖經都必須在我手中。”

其他書籍對懷特也有強烈影響。由於他研讀了勞威簾 (William Law) 的作品全集,他的人生有了新方向。“當我第一次打開勞戚廉的作品時, 那是我人生中的一個大日子,我感到他的手在我的心上,在我的頭腦中,在我的良心裏,並且在我活著的日子,每一天影響我裏面整個的人。”
以後他說:“我若在死前還有時間準備我自己,我知道我要將一些救恩的傑作放在最靠近我床邊的書架上。你要知道這些是甚麼書嗎? 我的新約聖經,我的 ‘樂園’,我的 ‘本仁約翰’ (John Bunyan的天路歷程),尤其是末後在約但的場景:我的 ‘聖徒的安息’ (The Saints’ Everlasting Rest),‘作信徒的好處’ 衛斯理及他的讚美詩。因為我隨時可能死,讓我每一天都有幾分鐘將手放在這天國的書架上吧,尤其是每天晚上,免得忽然之間,在我的案情中,公雞啼了。”
懷特確是在1921年一月在他的睡眠中去世。除了聖誕及復活節短暫的假期之外,他至少用暑期的兩個月,在晚年,則用三個月,離開愛丁堡 (Edinburgh) 去度假。但這些度假的日子,都是用在讀書,默想,及寫作上。他的時間,第一優先是用在準備冬天所舉辦的訓練班上。他先為訓練班列出整個大綱,這些訓練班包括 《偉大的聖經人物》,《偉大的福音派繼承者》(三卷到他時代為止的福音派偉人傳記)。他為了度假預備了特製的木箱,裝滿了書籍。到達目的地之後,他就將箱蓋取下來,成為他臨時的書架。
懷恃所著《使徒保羅》一書中,有一段十分動人的論到讀書的話:“他活撥的靈性,以及他能活在聖經中的能力,使他的講道具有特殊的風格.” 懷特的一位助手講到他在 “年輕的官” 講章中所講的一段道說,他使會眾看見那位年輕的官迴旋著掉入地獄的幽冥之中,迴旋著,迴旋著,正要消失在無底坑之時,他在講台上彎下身來,用熊熊的眼睛望著他,喊著說:“我聽到了!那是宇宙的譏笑聲,哈!” (cf. 太19:16-22; 可10:17-22; 路18:18-23)
懷恃出名的作品有:《聖經人物》、《使徒保羅》、《勞威廉》、《人物與特徵》、《雷德福及他的信函》。
懷特的日常工作極有條理。早上、中午、晚上,他都手持著他那本活頁加白紙的聖經。至少,每個夏天,他都將兩個月的假期,用在讀書,默想,寫作及一 年中的每個聚會的計畫上。這些條件,使這些原先只是鞋匠學徒的他,最終成為該會總會的會長,一所大學的校長,並且無疑地,也是他那一代蘇格蘭最偉大的傳道人。
Sep 30, 2015 - Default    No Comments

你遇见主了吗

多少人在变相出卖福音
多少人把教会当成玩乐
多少人嫌路窄无奈退去
多少人没有真福音可听

是自己的手放下了世上的享受,
是自己的脚甘心到苦难的道路上来奔走!

当你把贫穷的行装背上了肩膀,
却想到了还该去看看年老的爹娘!
你原打算同样地
用勇敢的微笑去告别他们,
但还未曾笑出的时候,
热泪,却早已漱漱地流到脸上……

Sep 26, 2015 - Default    No Comments

Revival

Everything has only one center-point.
If it is not God-centered, it is human-centered.

Musics can lead people to self-centered feelings, no matter what lyrics. Churches can practice human-centered traditions, no matter what theologies they think they are.
Revival is about the revival of the words of God in men’s hearts. It needs preachers who preach nothing but the sins from men and the salvation from Jesus Christ.
Jul 31, 2015 - Default    No Comments

My diary during the Hebrew class in 2015 Summer

2015-06-30
I pray for self-discipline and God gives me the Hebrew class; I pray for a break to catch up and God gives me a quiz. Although we need to learn Hebrew, it is not about Hebrew but God. It is about the calling and passion, and worshiping God. Although we need to do good in exams, God doesn’t need our grades. He called us and sent people to support us for the seminary, so that He can use us to benefit our other brothers.

2015-07-02
Hebrew is not just a language, or not even a biblical language. It is the language that used by Abraham, David, and even Jesus! It is a culture and more than a culture. It is the scent of the Old Testament. It is the language of God! In the Bible, every Hebrew word is numbered. Every dot is unique! You don’t need mnemonic methods to remember vocabularies. You just need to love each of them! Oh! I can have no seminary. I can have no grades. I can have no sleeping. I can have no holidays. I can have no food. I can have no health. Just give me Hebrew!

2015-07-08
“I don’t need the grades of my students. I need my students! When I die and see my Lord, I don’t need to give Him the grades, but I need to tell Him my students. My TA(s), although I need your helps to grade my students, what I need the most is your help to keep them. I want you to help me to help my students! When the class ends, don’t bring me the grades, but bring me my students. My goal is to hand them the basic tools and ignite the fire in their hearts. So they can continue to run, and run for God!” (I imagined I was the teacher…)

2015-07-10
The BIGGEST challenge of the Hebrew class is not that we do not have time to learn, but we do not have time to read the Bible. How can a Christian study how to interpret God’s words everyday, but do not read the Bible in one day? Reading and no reading is one thing; reading more and reading less is another thing. Walking with God is one thing; walking with God with His words in mind is another thing!
“Once God has spoken; twice have I heard this: that power belongs to God” (Psalm 62:11).

July 12-17, 2015
A good study method and self-discipline are important to be more productive. Bad methods rely on the brain, and good methods rely on the tools. The difference is the way of doing repetitions. The key of good study methods is to make repetitions easy to access.
You need to know in order to do, but do in order to remember. For example, you needs to know the vocabularies to do the translations, and do the translations to truly remember the vocabularies.
This Hebrew battle has become more and more quiet. Sometimes I only see the Holy Spirit and myself. God not only trains me in the language, but also in self-discipline, study method, and worship in busy schedules. Honor God for the Sabbath, and God honors you. Let us work hard from day one to six, and let God uses his servants to take care of the rest.

July 19-24, 2015
Hebrew is not the problem, the problem is the time. Language is about repetition, but the point is how to do the repetition, while there is always not enough time? The goal is not to be given more time, but how to be trained to invest the time properly.
The less time needed to memorize things, the more time can be used to do other things. The keys of memorization are writing and repetition, and the keys of repetition are easy accessibility and self-discipline.
Though it takes more time to write, it takes less time to memorize. The self-discipline is to do the memorization as early as possible, and then review periodically, with the information easily accessible on hands.
“To you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. O my God, in you I trust; let me not be put to shame… Indeed, none who wait for you shall be put to shame…” (Psalm 25:1-3).

July 27-31, 2015

It was noisy, now it is quiet.
It was unclear, now it is the whole picture;
It was not confident, now it is a vision.

It is not about grades, it is about Hebrew.
It is not about Hebrew, it is about the time.
It is not about the time, it is about perseverance.
It is not about perseverance, it is about God!
It is about the word of God, with a mind for truth.
It is about Reformed Theology.

One thing at a time, and never give up. Maybe I am always behind, but I am always better. I know why I come, and I know where I go. This is not an end but a start.
Thanks God!