Mar 2, 2018 - 
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Default No Comments Spiritual Wisdom
Spiritual wisdom can be simple. God let you see what is a horse, then you can tell what is a horse and what is not.
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Feb 17, 2018 - Default No Comments
Default No Comments 講道的人必須是個嚴肅的人
——摘錄自鍾馬田（Martyn Lloyd-Jones）著，夏蔚譯，《講道與講道的人》（麥種，2015年4月），第五章
下一個要素就是嚴肅性。講道的人必須是個嚴肅的人，他絕不能讓人覺得講道是一件輕鬆、膚淺、平庸的事。我在此只略微提一下，稍後我會有更多的闡述。現在我籠統地提出，一個講道的人必須使人感到，他所做之事的嚴肅性超越任何人所能考慮到的事情。
他究竟在此做什麼？他乃是從神而來向他們說話，在向他們講述神，講述人的境況以及他們靈魂的狀態：
他告訴他們，他們天生就處在神的憤怒之中。
「本為可怒之子，和別人一樣」。
他們的生活方式得罪了神，要受到神的審判，
並且警告他們那擺在他們前面的、可怕的、永遠的結局。
無論如何，所有講道的人都要認識到今生的生命轉瞬即逝。
全世界的人都忙於自己的工作和事務，沉浸在享樂與虛榮之中，
他們從未停下腳步，思索生命的短暫。
這就意味著，講道的人始終應該營造並傳達一種印象，讓人們知道講臺上正在進行的事情是多麼的嚴肅。你記得理查．巴克斯特（Richard Baxter）的著名格言：
我講道，好似再無機會講道
好似一個垂死之人向一群垂死之人講
I preached as never sure to preach again,
and as a dying man to dying men.
我認為，這再恰當不過了。你還記得十九世紀蘇格蘭那位聖潔的麥其尼（Robert Murray McCheyne）吧。據說，他走上講臺之時，甚至還未發一言，人們就開始默默哭泣。這是為甚麼？就是因為他具有這種嚴肅性。人們一見到他就能感受到，他從神而來，要向他們傳講神的信息。所以，他還未開口，就產生了此番效果。忘記這一點，對我們自己有害，對聽眾也損失慘重。
接下來要說的事情，在一定程度上可以糾正——或者，與其說是糾正，不如說是防範——人們對我在此講述的觀點的曲解。我指的是「活潑」的因素。這裏所強調的嚴肅，並不意味著陰沉。嚴肅不是悲傷、不是病態。這些都是非常重要的區分。講道的人必須充滿活力，你完全可以既充滿活力又嚴肅認真。
讓我換種方式來說。講道的人絕對不要沉悶，不要枯燥乏味，他不應該是所謂的「陰沉」的人。我之所以強調這幾點，是因為人們常常告知我這些，讓我很是憂心。我隸屬於改革宗傳統，並且最近四十年該傳統在英國的復興多少跟我有些關係。因此，當教會的人不時跑來跟我說，年輕的改革宗都是好人，他們無疑讀過很多書，也非常有學識，但是他們是十分乏味無趣的講道者，這讓我感到擔憂。跟我說這話的人，自身也持改革宗的立場。這對我來說是很嚴重的問題。沉悶乏味的講道者，有一些根本上的錯誤。一個人在處理這些事情的時候怎麼會乏味呢？我想說，一個「沉悶的講道者」，這本身就是個矛盾用語。如果他很沉悶，那麼他就不是一位講道的人。他也許站在講臺上講話，但是他肯定不是講道的人。有了聖經的宏偉主題和信息，是不可能沉悶的。這是宇宙中最引人入勝、最激動人心、最扣人心弦的主題。用很沉悶的方式將其呈現出來，這真的使我懷疑，造成這種沉悶的人，是否從未真正理解他們自稱相信並提倡的教義。我們的所作所為，常常顯示出我們的所是。
Feb 10, 2018 - Default No Comments
Default No Comments The Loneliness of the Christian
The Loneliness of the Christian by A. W. Tozer
(From Man – The Dwelling Place of God, ch. 39)
The loneliness of the Christian results from his walk with God in an ungodly world, a walk that must often take him away from the fellowship of good Christians as well as from that of the unregenerate world. His God-given instincts cry out for companionship with others of his kind, others who can understand his longings, his aspirations, his absorption in the love of Christ; and because within his circle of friends there are so few who share his inner experiences he is forced to walk alone.
The unsatisfied longings of the prophets for human understanding caused them to cry out in their complaint, and even our Lord Himself suffered in the same way.
The man [or woman] who has passed on into the divine Presence in actual inner experience will not find many who understand him. He finds few who care to talk about that which is the supreme object of his interest, so he is often silent and preoccupied in the midst of noisy religious shoptalk. For this he earns the reputation of being dull and over-serious, so he is avoided and the gulf between him and society widens.
He searches for friends upon whose garments he can detect the smell of myrrh and aloes and cassia out of the ivory palaces, and finding few or none he, like Mary of old, keeps these things in his heart.
It is this very loneliness that throws him back upon God. His inability to find human companionship drives him to seek in God what he can find nowhere else.
Feb 7, 2018 - Default No Comments
Default No Comments Liberal Churches
A liberal church says you are welcome here, and Jesus will change your life.
A legalistic church says you are welcome here, and you need to change your life.
A reformed church says you are welcome here, and God will change your life through Jesus by the Holy Spirit with the Bible.
Feb 2, 2018 - Default No Comments
Default No Comments 得救的信心 Saving Faith
天主教 vs. 基督教
天主教：称义 = 信心 + 善行
基督教：信心 = 称义 + 善行
* “称义” = 被称为 “义人” (好人) = 得救
* “善行” = “好行为” = 顺服神 = 遵行律法
* “善行” = “好行为” = 顺服神 = 遵行律法
什么是 “得救的信心”？
| Saving Faith (得救的信心) |
= | Notitia (知道) |
+ | Assensus (同意) |
+ | Fiducia (信靠) |
| 1) 知道 = 知道福音的内容 2) 同意 = 同意福音的真实性 3) 信靠 = 信靠和顺服 |
“我们被称义不是因为遵守律法， 而是为了可以遵守律法。” |
Notitia = Knowing
Assensus = Assenting
Fiducia = Trusting and Obeying
Legalism: Works = Justification
Antinomianism: Faith – Works = Justification
Catholicism: Faith + Works = Justification
Christianity: Faith = Justification + Works
Hebrews 11:1 “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.”
Logic: Knowledge + Evidence = Truth
Faith: God’s Word = Truth
Logic: Knowledge + Evidence = Truth
Faith: God’s Word = Truth
真正的悔改
Repentance is running from sin, and faith is running to God. Same direction, same action. They are the two sides of the same coin.
Repentance = Running from sin = Running to God = Faith
Fear-based repentance is running to God without Christ.
Joy-based repentance is running to God in Christ.
Joy-based repentance is running to God in Christ.
Attrition = fear of punishment
Contrition = a broken and contrite heart = true faith