從天上賜下的復興
復興如何開始?

經文
詩篇八十五1-13
1(可拉後裔的詩,交與伶長。)耶和華啊,你已經向你的地施恩,救回被擄的雅各。
2你赦免了你百姓的罪孽,遮蓋了他們一切的過犯。(細拉)
3你收轉了所發的忿怒和你猛烈的怒氣。
4拯救我們的神啊,求你使我們回轉,叫你的惱恨向我們止息。
5你要向我們發怒到永遠嗎?你要將你的怒氣延留到萬代嗎?
6你不再將我們救活,使你的百姓靠你歡喜嗎?
7耶和華啊,求你使我們得見你的慈愛,又將你的救恩賜給我們。
8我要聽神─耶和華所說的話;因為他必應許將平安賜給他的百姓─他的聖民;他們卻不可再轉去妄行。
9他的救恩誠然與敬畏他的人相近,叫榮耀住在我們的地上。
10慈愛和誠實彼此相遇;公義和平安彼此相親。
11誠實從地而生;公義從天而現。
12耶和華必將好處賜給我們;我們的地也要多出土產。
13公義要行在他面前,叫他的腳蹤成為可走的路。
信息分享
在過去一段日子,我們都在思想關於復興的各種問題,現在我們來到這討論的中段,讓我們先停下來,提醒自己一些我們考慮過的重點。我們曾說過,復興是神彎下腰,向快將熄滅的餘燼吹氣,令牠再次燃燒起來。五旬節是所有復興的模式,那是神以超越尋常的現象作出超然的顯現。神希望新約教會能有全面的復蘇,並利用復興來達到這個目的。我們為何須要復興呢?原因是教會遠離了當初的愛,墮進衰敗中。當復興來臨時,有時隻需要數星期就可達到正常基督徒活動需要數年才能實現的事情。
我們所要考慮的下一個問題是:復興是如何開始的?牠是否在虔誠的基督徒心裡形成,然後透過彼此懇切有力的代禱去實現?還是不論神的百姓如何的渴望或禱告,都是由神決定是否要賜下?
我可以清楚的告訴你,我認為復興是始於神的心意,牠是神的計劃,人可以做的很少。有很多事情是基督徒可以藉著委身和屬靈的力量帶給教會的,但這不包括復興在內。例如:傳福音、講道、教導和輔導都是我們為神所做的工作,不過復興卻是神為我們而賜下的。
「復興始於神的心意」
進深研究
結十八1-32;賽五十五7;徒十七30
1. 神在賜下復興以前對我們有什麼要求?
2. 這些要求包括什麼?
祈禱
天父,求您奇妙的主權和能力今天深深進入我的心靈裡。求您幫助我明白,您比我想像中更為重要和崇高。奉主基督的聖名祈求,阿們。
Heaven-Sent Revival
How do revivals begin?

Bible reading:
Psalm 85:1-13
1 You, Lord, showed favor to your land; you restored the fortunes of Jacob.
2 You forgave the iniquity of your people and covered all their sins.[b]
3 You set aside all your wrath and turned from your fierce anger.
4 Restore us again, God our Savior, and put away your displeasure toward us.
5 Will you be angry with us forever? Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
6 Will you not revive us again, that your people may rejoice in you?
7 Show us your unfailing love, Lord, and grant us your salvation.
8 I will listen to what God the Lord says; he promises peace to his people, his faithful servants— but let them not turn to folly.
9 Surely his salvation is near those who fear him, that his glory may dwell in our land.
10 Love and faithfulness meet together; righteousness and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs forth from the earth, and righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 The Lord will indeed give what is good, and our land will yield its harvest.
13 Righteousness goes before him and prepares the way for his steps.
Message
Now that we are at the half-way point in our meditations on revival we pause for a moment to remind ourselves of some of the points we have been considering. Revival, we have said, is God bending down to the dying embers of a fire just about to go out and breathing into it until it bursts again into flame. The pattern for all revivals is Pentecost, which was an extraordinary visitation of God accompanied by extraordinary happenings. God is after the recovery of a fully-orbed New Testament Christianity and He has invariably used revivals to this end. The reason why we need revival is because the Church turns from its first love and falls into decline. And when revival comes it achieves, sometimes in a few weeks, what could never have been achieved in years of normal Christian activity.
The next question we must consider is this: How does a revival begin? Is it something that forms in the minds of devoted Christian people and is then brought into being through powerful intercessory prayer? Or is it something that originates in the mind of God and comes down to earth irrespective of the desires or the prayer life of His people?
I have no hesitation in saying that in my opinion revival begins in the mind of God. It is something that God plans, men and women have little to do with it. There are many things that Christians, by dedicated and committed spiritual effort, can bring to pass in the Church, but revival is not one of them. For instance, evangelism, preaching, teaching, and counselling is work that we do for God, revival is work that God does for us.
"Revival begins in the mind of God"
Prayer
Father, let the wonder of Your sovereignty and power sink deep into my soul today. Help me see how much bigger and greater You are than my imagination could ever conceive. In Christ's Name I pray. Amen.
Further study
Ezekiel 18:1-32
Isaiah 55:7
Acts 17:30
1. What does God demand before He will send revival?
2. What does this involve?
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