第四週　週五

晨興餧養

提後四8　從此以後，有公義的冠冕為我存留，就是主，那公義的審判者，在那日要賞賜我的；不但賞賜我，也賞賜凡愛祂顯現的人。

腓三20　我們的國籍乃是在諸天之上，我們也熱切等待救主，就是主耶穌基督，從那裏降臨。

我們既知道主的再來是如此寶貴，就該愛慕主的顯現（提後四8）。聖經末了結束於：『主耶穌阿，我願你來！』（啟二二20）…在使徒們的心目中，他們一直認定，主必快來，他們也過着豫備主再來的生活。…不要想我們既清楚主來臨的兆頭，就可以鬆懶，先愛世界，到了末七再追求主。…要相信主是可畏的。在路加十二章主說了一個比喻，有一個財主努力積儹錢財，要叫魂享用快樂；神卻對他說，『無知的人哪，今夜必要你的魂。』（16~20）我們能有每一個今天，實在都是主的恩典。所以只要還有今天，只要氣息尚存，我們就當愛主，愛慕祂的顯現，熱切等待主來（腓三20），並且常以此事為勉（李常受文集一九九○年第三冊，七○九頁）。

信息選讀

保羅在提後四章一節對提摩太說，『我在神並那將要審判活人死人的基督耶穌面前，憑着祂的顯現和祂的國度，鄭重的囑咐你。』那是保羅將要殉道之時的勸勉。他說那美好的仗他已經打過了，當跑的賽程他已經跑盡了，當守的信仰也已經守住了；在審判台前他必要得公義冠冕的賞賜；這冠冕也賞賜給凡愛主顯現的人（6~8）。他以審判和國度題醒提摩太，也題醒我們，要過一個愛主顯現的生活，這會叫我們不灰心、不退後、不輭弱，忠心到底。

主來的時候要像賊一樣，隱密地臨到那些愛祂的人，把他們當作寶貝偷去，到祂天上的同在裏（太二四42）。因此我們需要儆醒並豫備（二五13，二四44）。我們若要被提，就需要先被屬天的氣充滿，在器皿裏盛着油。我們若扎根在地上，天天被今生的思慮、屬地的享樂所霸佔，在那時候就無法被提。我們要回想羅得的妻子，她…變成鹽柱，被撇在蒙羞之地。…我們若還貪愛世界，主就會把我們留下經過大災難，叫我們蒙羞，直到我們成熟被提。

主也題醒我們要小心，時時儆醒，常常祈求，不可因酗酒（或放蕩）、沉醉並今生的思慮，累住我們的心，以致大災難的那日子如同網羅忽然臨到我們。…我們需要護衛我們的心，完全把地位讓給主，好叫我們能得勝，逃避這一切的事，得以站立在人子面前（路二一34~36，參啟十二5~6、14）。

成熟不是一天的事，所以為着祂的來臨，我們必須豫備自己，愛祂並在祂裏面長大，使我們在祂顯現時得以成熟被提，並得賞賜（李常受文集一九九○年第三冊，七○九至七一一頁）。

參讀：神命定之路最新的陳明與基督來臨的兆頭，第七篇。

WEEK 4 — DAY 5 

Morning Nourishment 

2 Tim. 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, with which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will recompense me in that day, and not only me but also all those who have loved His appearing. 

Phil. 3:20 For our commonwealth exists in the heavens, from which also we eagerly await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Since we know that the Lord’s second coming is so precious, we should love the Lord’s appearing (2 Tim. 4:8). The Bible concludes with “Come, Lord Jesus!” (Rev. 22:20)… In their hearts the apostles firmly believed that the Lord would come quickly, and they also lived a life in preparation for the Lord’s second coming… Do not think that since we are clear concerning the signs of the Lord’s coming, we can be slothful and can first love the world and then pursue the Lord when the last week comes… We should believe that the Lord is to be feared. In Luke 12 the Lord gave a parable concerning a rich man who endeavored to lay up wealth for himself so that his soul might enjoy itself and be merry. But God said to him, “Foolish one, this night they are requiring your soul from you” (vv. 16-20). Every “today” that we have is truly the Lord’s grace. Therefore, as long as we have today, as long as we still have breath, we should love the Lord and His appearing, await the Lord’s coming (Phil. 3:20), and always take His coming as an encouragement. (CWWL, 1990, vol. 3, “The Up-to-date Presentation of the God-ordained Way and the Signs concerning the Coming of Christ,” p. 587) 

Today’s Reading 

In 2 Timothy 4:1 Paul said to Timothy, “I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom.” This is an exhortation from Paul immediately before his martyrdom. He said that he had fought the good fight, he had finished the course, and he had kept the faith, and that at the judgment seat he would be awarded the crown of righteousness, which would be awarded to all those who have loved His appearing (vv. 6-8). He reminded Timothy, and also us, by the Lord’s judgment and kingdom, that we should have a living that loves the Lord’s appearing. This will cause us not to be discouraged, not to backslide, not to become weak, but to remain faithful to the end. 

When the Lord comes, He will come secretly as a thief to those who love Him and will steal them away as His treasures and bring them into His presence in the heavens (Matt. 24:42-43). Hence, we need to watch and be ready (25:13; 24:44). If we desire to be raptured, first we must be filled with the heavenly breath and have oil in our vessels. If we are rooted on the earth and occupied daily with the anxieties of this life and with earthly pleasures, we will not be raptured at that time. We should remember Lot’s wife… She became a pillar of salt and was left to suffer in a place of shame… If we love the world, the Lord will leave us here to pass through the great tribulation so that we may be put to shame until we become mature and are raptured. 

The Lord also reminded us to take heed to ourselves and to be watchful at every time, beseeching lest our hearts be weighed down with debauchery and drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that the day of the great tribulation come upon us suddenly as a snare…We should guard our hearts and give all the room to the Lord so that we may prevail to escape all these things and stand before the Son of Man (Luke 21:34-36; cf. Rev. 12:5-6, 14). 

To attain maturity is not an overnight matter. Therefore, for His coming we must prepare ourselves, love Him, and grow in Him, that at His appearing we may be mature to be raptured and receive the reward. (CWWL, 1990, vol. 3, “The Up-to-date Presentation of the God-ordained Way and the Signs concerning the Coming of Christ,” pp. 587-588) 

Further Reading: CWWL, 1990, vol. 3, “The Up-to-date Presentation of the God-ordained Way and the Signs concerning the Coming of Christ,” ch. 7