從天上賜下的復興
復興不是甚麼
經文
哈巴谷書三1-19
1先知哈巴谷的禱告，調用流離歌。
2耶和華啊，我聽見你的名聲（或譯：言語）就懼怕。耶和華啊，求你在這些年間復興你的作為，在這些年間顯明出來；在發怒的時候以憐憫為念。
3神從提幔而來；聖者從巴蘭山臨到。（細拉）他的榮光遮蔽諸天；頌讚充滿大地。
4他的輝煌如同日光；從他手裡射出光線，在其中藏著他的能力。
5在他前面有瘟疫流行；在他腳下有熱症發出。
6他站立，量了大地（或譯：使地震動），觀看，趕散萬民。永久的山崩裂；長存的嶺塌陷；他的作為與古時一樣。
7我見古珊的帳棚遭難，米甸的幔子戰兢。
8耶和華啊，你乘在馬上，坐在得勝的車上，豈是不喜悅江河、向江河發怒氣、向洋海發憤恨嗎？
9你的弓全然顯露，向眾支派所起的誓都是可信的。（細拉）你以江河分開大地。
10山嶺見你，無不戰懼；大水氾濫過去，深淵發聲，洶湧翻騰（原文是向上舉手）。
11因你的箭射出發光，你的槍閃出光耀，日月都在本宮停住。
12你發憤恨通行大地，發怒氣責打列國，如同打糧。
13你出來要拯救你的百姓，拯救你的受膏者，打破惡人家長的頭，露出他的腳（原文是根基），直到頸項。（細拉）
14你用敵人的戈矛刺透他戰士的頭；他們來如旋風，要將我們分散。他們所喜愛的是暗中吞吃貧民。
15你乘馬踐踏紅海，就是踐踏洶湧的大水。
16我聽見耶和華的聲音，身體戰兢，嘴唇發顫，骨中朽爛；我在所立之處戰兢。我只可安靜等候災難之日臨到，犯境之民上來。
17雖然無花果樹不發旺，葡萄樹不結果，橄欖樹也不效力，田地不出糧食，圈中絕了羊，棚內也沒有牛；
18然而，我要因耶和華歡欣，因救我的神喜樂。
19主耶和華是我的力量；他使我的腳快如母鹿的蹄，又使我穩行在高處。
信息分享
在使用「復興」這個詞語的時候，我們需要十分清楚所談論的是甚麼，所以必須多花一天的時間去認識、理解它的意義。上一代一位偉大的傳道人摩根（G. Campbell Morgan）曾給復興作了這樣的定義：「復興是信徒生命的復甦，但不是靈魂的重生，因他們已『死在罪裡』。當有生命可以被復興時，復興才會出現。」
復興往往是始於神的子民的復甦，而不是罪人的悔改。因此，如果我們以為數以百計或千計的人在佈道會中信主便是復興的話，這想法是錯誤的。傳道是傳揚教會的訊息，而復興是在教會中的經歷；傳道是人為神所做的工作，而復興是神為人所做的工作。
復興的意義遠比挽回倒退的基督徒偉大得多。有些時候在教會生活中，例如在特別的會議、大型的聚會、研討會、營會或其他活動中，一大群了無生氣的基督徒會重新向耶穌基督作更深入的委身，這當然是十分理想並值得感恩的事，不過這並不是復興。再者，我們聽過一些大型的醫治聚會，有數以百計的人得醫治又有奇蹟發生，但這也都不是復興的標記。復興不單包含悔改、更新、被挽回、醫治，它更是一種包含了這一切而又超越這一切的力量。
「當有生命可以被復興時，復興才會出現」
進深研究
賽三十二1-三十三24；詩八十18，一一九25，一一九40，一一九50，一一九88
1. 靈性復興的時候會發生甚麼事情？
2. 這對傳福音的工作有甚麼影響？
祈禱
慈悲仁愛的天父，每當我越思想復興這題目時，就越渴望去經歷它。過去，您以偉大及可畏的能力接觸您的子民，親愛的主，求您再次復興我們。阿們。
Heaven-Sent Revival
What revival is not
Bible reading:
Habakkuk 3:1-19
1 A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On shigionoth.[a]
2 Lord, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy.
3 God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran.[b] His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth.
4 His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden.
5 Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps.
6 He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed—but he marches on forever.
7 I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish.
8 Were you angry with the rivers, Lord? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode your horses and your chariots to victory?
9 You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. You split the earth with rivers;
10 the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high.
11 Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear.
12 In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations.
13 You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot.
14 With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding.
15 You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters.
16 I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us.
17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,
18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.
19 The Sovereign Lord is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to tread on the heights.
Message
As it is vitally important to be quite sure what we are talking about when we use the word "revival", we must spend another day defining it. G. Campbell Morgan, the great preacher of a bygone generation, defined it like this: "Revival is the reanimation of the life of the believer, not the unregenerate as they are 'dead in sin'. There can only be revival where there is life to revive."
Revival always begins, not with the conversion of sinners, but with the reanimation of the people of God. That is why it is a mistake to see evidences of spiritual revival in the crusades where hundreds or thousands of people are converted. Evangelism is the expression of the Church; revival is an experience in the Church. Evangelism is the work man does for God; revival is the work God does for man.
Revival is much greater, also, than the restoration of backslidden Christians. There are times in church life, such as during special conventions, large rallies, conferences, camps and other activities, when large numbers of lethargic Christians make a new and deeper commitment to Jesus Christ. This, of course, is highly desirable and is something for which we ought to be deeply thankful - but it is not revival.
Again, some of the large healing services we hear about, where hundreds of people are healed and wonderful miracles take place, are not a sign of revival. We can see people converted, renewed, restored, healed, and yet these happenings fall short of revival. Revival includes all these things yet surpasses them all.
"There can only be revival where there is life to revive"
Prayer
Gracious and loving Father, the more I meditate on this subject of revival, the more I long to experience it. You have visited Your people in times past in great and awesome power. Do it again, dear Lord. Do it again. Amen.
Further study
Isaiah 32:1-33:24
Psalm 80:18; 119:25; 119:40; 119:50; 119:88
1. What will happen when revival comes?
2. How will this affect evangelism?
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