“God Is Always First and Will Surely Be Last 神永遠是創始的,也必定是成終的“(Revelation 啓示録 1:7-8)
‘Look, he is coming with the clouds,’ and ‘every eye will see him, even those who pierced him’; and all peoples on earth ‘will mourn because of him.’ So shall it be! Amen. ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’
看哪,祂駕著雲降臨,每一個人都要看見祂,連那些刺過祂的人也要看見祂,地上的萬族都要因祂搥胸。這是必定的,阿們。主神說:“我是阿拉法,我是俄梅格;我是今在、昔在、以後永在,全能的神。”
God determines the time or the place of man’s birth. Man’s volitional life begins when he is aware of and accepts his being. Man is in God’s hands: God was there first in making Adam a living soul but he then sinned and wrecked his whole life. Adam’s whole future peace lay in that God was still there after Adam had sinned. Many people including Christians often look lightly or even ignore God’s complete sovereignty and omniscience over the whole of history, from the very beginning to the very end of time itself. It would be great wisdom for us to start living in the light of God being the first and the last!
神決定人的出生的時間或地點,人意識到和接受自己的存在後,他自主自決的生命便開始。人是在神的手裡:神先在那裡,使亞當成為一個活人,但他犯罪,自毀了一生。而亞當此後整個將來的平安,全繫於他犯罪之後,神依舊在那裡。許多人包括基督徒往往輕看,或甚至漠視在整個歷史上,從時間本身之始到它的終末,神所有的主權和全知。我們若開始活在「神是創始,也是成終」的亮光裡,實在是明智之舉。
Prayer: God of Trinity, your reign is complete. You can see the beginning from the end. Nothing comes as a surprise to you. You cannot be caught out. You know how everything will turn out. Human history is in your hand. Your rule is forever and we put our trust to you. Amen.
禱告: 三一真神啊,你作王是整全的。你能从终末看到起初;没有事物来得令你惊讶。你不会/能被欺骗;你晓得每一事物结果是如何。人类的历史是在你手中;你的统治是永远的,而我们把自己的信靠投放在你身上。阿們。