第三週■週五

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晨興餧養

林後十4 ～ 5『我們爭戰的兵器，本不是屬肉體的，乃是在神面前有能力，可以攻倒堅固的營壘，將理論和各樣阻擋人認識神而立起的高寨，都攻倒了，又將各樣的思想擄來，使它順從基督。』

生命在我們裏面所遇到的第三個難處，就是悖逆。比方基督在你裏面運行，給你感動，給你感覺，叫你明明知道祂要你作甚麼，祂向你要求甚麼，要帶領你甚麼，對付你甚麼，你卻偏不順服，一味的違反你裏面的感覺，不接受祂的帶領，也不肯出代價。你這樣的反叛、頂撞，就是悖逆。…你身上只有你的自由、你的興趣，完全沒有生命的道路。

許多時候，我們明明背叛了祂，還自以爲是順從了祂。比方，我們要去傳福音時，主多次在我們裏面運行，就是要我們禱告，但我們不喜歡關在屋子裏禱告，我們喜歡找福音朋友談一談，找弟兄姊妹交通交通，於是我們照着自己的喜歡去作了。這就是悖逆。…我們若這樣去探望，必定無法叫人感覺神的同在，因爲我們裏面已經違反了那位活的基督。所以請記得，我們在外面所作的，最多不過是宗教活動裏的傳福音罷了。

我們所犯的罪，最多、最厲害的，還不是外面看得見的罪行，乃是裏面那些違背基督所給我們感覺的罪。基督活在我們裏面，祂一直給我們裏面生命的感覺。我們應該順從祂，然而我們卻常不順從。…我們經常是這樣的悖逆祂；這個悖逆，使祂的生命在我們裏面常常遇到難處。（李常受文集一九五三年第一册，一七九至一八○頁。）

信息選讀

生命在我們裏面所遇到的第四個難處，就是我們天然的幹才。無論是我們的天然，或是天性，或是我們的己，都是一種難處，使神的生命在我們裏面不容易出來。然而，我們天然的幹才、本領，更是一種厲害的攔阻，使神的生命不容易從我們裏面出來。有許多弟兄姊妹，他們都非常愛主，也爲主熱心，實在是敬虔的；然而，在他們身上有一個最厲害的難處，就是他們的幹才太大，本事太高，使得基督在他們身上沒有地位，沒有出路。

我們都知道，有些人的難處是罪惡，有些人的難處是世界，有些人的難處是他們的個性。然而，天然的幹才這一類的難處，我們不容易察覺。…比方，有一班弟兄姊妹，他們天然的幹才很強，本事相當高。雖然他們愛主，追求主，但他們的幹才和本能，沒有被基督破碎過。所以，你在他們身上…所能摸着的，就是他們的本事和幹才。…主在他們身上所碰到的，所行不通的，就是這個幹才。

這樣的弟兄姊妹，在我們中間爲數不少。他們有幹才，有本能；他們認爲這不是罪惡，不是污穢。他們甚至以爲這是好的，是對召會有用的；他們以爲，要事奉神，就需要這種幹才和本能。…這在他們身上牢不可破，以致成了基督生命的難處。

願主憐憫我們，…能彀看見在我們身上有多少難處，並且給神的生命多少的限制。要知道，在我們身上的難處不止於此。這些難處在我們身上，只有一條解決的路，就是經過十字架，讓十字架來破碎。我們要基督的生命在我們裏面不受限制，就必須經歷十字架的破碎，讓這些難處受到對付並被除掉，讓基督的生命能從我們裏面活出來。（李常受文集一九五三年第一册，一八○至一八二頁。）

參讀：生命的認識，第六、十三篇。

WEEK 3 — DAY 5

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Morning Nourishment

2 Cor. 10:4-5 For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly but powerful before God for the overthrowing of strongholds, as we overthrow reasonings and every high thing rising up against the knowledge of God, and take captive every thought unto the obedience of Christ.

The third problem that life encounters in us is rebellion. Christ operates and moves in us in order to make us clear about His will and requirements for us and about His leading and dealing with us. However, if we do not obey but go against the feeling within, not accepting His leading or paying the price, this unwillingness and opposition are rebellion…We may have our freedom and choice, but we will not have the way of life.

Many times we think that we are obeying the Lord, but actually we are rebelling against the Lord. For example, we may want to preach the gospel, but the Lord’s operation in us is to pray. Since we do not like to stay at home and pray, but instead prefer to speak to gospel friends and fellowship with the brothers and sisters, we may simply act according to our desires. This is to act in rebellion…If we visit people in this way, they will certainly not be able to sense God’s presence with us, because we have disobeyed the living Christ in us. At such a time we should realize that our outward work of preaching the gospel is merely a religious activity.

The sin that we commit the most frequently and most severely is not an outward and visible sin; rather, it is the sin of disobeying the sense of Christ in us. Christ is living in us, and He is constantly giving us an inward sense of life. We should obey Him, but we often disobey Him…We often rebel against Him. Rebellion continually creates obstacles for His life in us. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 1, “Knowing Life and the Church,” pp. 138-139)

Today’s Reading

The fourth problem that life encounters in us is our natural capability. Our natural being, disposition, and self are all problems that prevent God’s life from coming out of us. However, the problem of our natural capability and ability is even more serious, and it is a strong obstacle that prevents God’s life from flowing out of us. Many brothers and sisters truly love the Lord, are zealous for the Lord, and are very godly. Nevertheless, their greatest problem is the strength and greatness of their capabilities and abilities. Consequently, Christ has no ground or way in them.

We all know that some people have a problem with sin, others have a problem with the world, and still others have a problem with their disposition. However, it is not easy for us to be aware of the problem of our natural capability. For example, a group of brothers and sisters, who are very strong in their natural capability and ability, may truly love and pursue the Lord. But when a person touches them, he only senses their capability and ability because they have never been broken in their capability and ability…This is because the Lord is unable to get through in them when He encounters their capability.

Many brothers and sisters…among us…are capable and talented, but they do not consider these things as sin or filthiness. They even think that these are good and useful things to the church. They think that they need such capabilities and talent in order to serve God…If these capabilities remain unbroken in them, they will become a problem to Christ’s life.

May the Lord have mercy on us so that we would be enlightened to see how many obstacles there are in us and how much these obstacles restrict God’s life. Actually, the obstacles in us are not limited only to these things. Nevertheless, there is one solution to all these obstacles in us—we must pass through the cross and let the cross break us. If we want Christ’s life to be unhindered in us, we must experience the breaking of the cross and allow these obstacles to be dealt with and removed. This will allow Christ’s life to be lived out from us. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 1, “Knowing Life and the Church,” pp. 139-140)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “The Knowledge of Life,” chs. 6, 13