“The World Always Changes – But Not the Old Self of Human Race 世界常在轉變,而人類老我卻不然“(Ephesians 以弗所書 4:17-19)
… you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. …
… 你們行事為人不要再像教外人,存著虛妄的意念。他們的心思昏昧,因為自己無知,心裡剛硬,就與神所賜的生命隔絕了。…
Just like a pendulum remaining fixed at the top while it swings back and forth from one extreme to another, so the human race remains basically unchanged while it moves through its limited arc. No responsible person will deny that improvements representing progress and advance are due to some changes made by mankind over the years. However, towards where we are heading has not been made very clear by our leaders! The picture is just like a deadly-serious and fanatically determined dachshund chasing breathlessly after its ‘removed and non-existed tail’ while a number of other dachshunds, bespectacled and solemn, writing books to prove that the frustrated puppy’s activity is progress! (A. W. Tozer)
好像頂端保持固定的鐘擺,從一端盪到另一端來回搖動,人類猶如在其有限的弧度內轉動,同樣地在位置上基本地沒有改變。沒有一個具責任感的人將會否認,代表著發展和進步的改進,是人類在過去年月中所作的改變所致。然而,我們的領袖卻未曾清楚指出,究竟我們向著那裡前進!那情境就像一隻非常認真、矢志不移的獵犬,氣喘喘地追逐自己「被剪去了不存在的尾巴」,而一大群的獵犬也正在戴著眼鏡、神情荘重地振筆疾書,要證明這只受挫的小狗所作的是一種進步!(陶恕)
Prayer: Dear Lord Jesus, there is a constant tendency for us to display to the world that we are really not so different after all. This is often due to a misguided effort to gain the world’s ‘respect’ or approval. Help us to resist at all costs because the goal in itself is both undesirable and unachievable. Thank you that you turn us around by your wonderful love and put us in the right direction by your living word so that we have a proper way and place to walk. May we walk and grow in the direction guided by the Holy Spirit. Amen.
禱告: 親愛的主耶穌,我們有著持續的傾向去對世界展示,結果我們真的不是那麽有分別的。這往往是一種要得著世人「尊重」或認可的誤導之力所致,求你幫助我們不惜一切的代價去抵擋,因為它本身的目標是既令人討厭,又不可達成的。感謝你用你奇妙的愛使我們轉身過來,並以你活潑的道指示給我們正確的方向,好使我們有正確的道路和地方可行。願我們在聖靈引導的方向上而行和成長。阿們。