害怕死去的麥子
留在廚房裡

經文
哥林多前書十1-13
1弟兄們,我不願意你們不曉得,我們的祖宗從前都在雲下,都從海中經過,
2都在雲裡、海裡受洗歸了摩西;
3並且都吃了一樣的靈食,
4也都喝了一樣的靈水。所喝的,是出於隨著他們的靈磐石;那磐石就是基督。
5但他們中間多半是神不喜歡的人,所以在曠野倒斃。
6這些事都是我們的鑑戒,叫我們不要貪戀惡事,像他們那樣貪戀的;
7也不要拜偶像,像他們有人拜的。如經上所記:百姓坐下吃喝,起來玩耍。
8我們也不要行姦淫,像他們有人行的,一天就倒斃了二萬三千人;
9也不要試探主(有古卷:基督),像他們有人試探的,就被蛇所滅。
10你們也不要發怨言,像他們有發怨言的,就被滅命的所滅。
11他們遭遇這些事,都要作為鑑戒;並且寫在經上,正是警戒我們這末世的人。
12所以,自己以為站得穩的,須要謹慎,免得跌倒。
13你們所遇見的試探,無非是人所能受的。神是信實的,必不叫你們受試探過於所能受的;在受試探的時候,總要給你們開一條出路,叫你們能忍受得住。
信息分享
今天我們要轉為思想生命的另一個領域,那是我們很多人都渴望可以獲得豁免的──強烈和嚴厲的試探。坦白說,大部分人都希望可以遠離試探。但是試探其實有它的作用,神經常會藉著它來培養我們的品格,使我們的生命更能活出基督的形象。安東尼(Mark Antony)被稱為「羅馬的銀口演說家」,但他卻有不能抵擋試探這個致命的缺點。
不過這恐怕不只是安東尼或者未信的人的缺點,也是很多信徒的問題。我們都常要面對試探,不幸的是很多人都受制於試探的力量。「試探」(希臘語是 peirasmos)這個詞、詞根的意思是測試。而辭典則將試探定義為「為了快樂和獲益的承諾而做錯事的行動」。司蘊道(Charles Swindoll)說:「試探是以給予你好東西的承諾來促使你行為出軌。」
魔鬼不就是這樣嗎?你現在是否在面對特別嚴厲的試探呢?那麼要注意!你其實是擁有所需要的力量來對抗攻擊的。美國前總統杜魯門(Harry Struman)有一句名言,說:「如果你討厭那熱力,就遠離廚房吧。」但我從沒有發現任何人可以不留在「廚房」而仍能保持堅強的意志力。在掌握試探的領域時,我的勸告是:「如果你不能忍受那熱力,就更要留在廚房裡,學習以神的力量來應付它。」
「試探使我們的生命更能活出基督的形象」
進深研究
雅一1-15;羅八31;來二18
1. 我們甚麼時候會受到試探?
2. 我們以甚麼來面對和使用試探?
祈禱
天父,求您讓我知道如何能不斷的勝過試探,並幫助我在生命的這方面不要成為「害怕死去的麥子」。我要以您的力量來面對烈火,因為我知道,您所允許發生的事情,都能被您使用。阿們。
The Corn of Wheat Afraid to Die
"Stay in the kitchen"

Bible reading:
1 Corinthians 10:1-13
1 For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers and sisters, that our ancestors were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.
2 They were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea.
3 They all ate the same spiritual food
4 and drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.
5 Nevertheless, God was not pleased with most of them; their bodies were scattered in the wilderness.
6 Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did.
7 Do not be idolaters, as some of them were; as it is written: "The people sat down to eat and drink and got up to indulge in revelry."[a]
8 We should not commit sexual immorality, as some of them did—and in one day twenty-three thousand of them died.
9 We should not test Christ,[b] as some of them did—and were killed by snakes.
10 And do not grumble, as some of them did—and were killed by the destroying angel.
11 These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come.
12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall!
13 No temptation[c] has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted[d] beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted,[e] he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
Message
We turn now to another sphere of life from which many of us might long to be exempted - the area of strong and unrelenting temptation. Most of us, if we are honest, would like to be excused from having to face temptation, but temptation has its uses: it can work in God's hands to the development of character, and help perfect the image of Christ in our lives. Mark Antony was called "the silver-throated orator of Rome", but he had the fatal flaw of not being able to resist a temptation.
That indictment, I'm afraid, applies not just to Mark Antony, or to the ranks of the unconverted, but to many in the Church also. We all face temptation, and unfortunately far too many of us fall beneath its power. The root meaning of the word "temptation" (Greek, peirasmos) is that of testing. The dictionary defines temptation as "the act of enticement to do wrong, by promise of pleasure or gain". Charles Swindoll commented: "Temptation motivates you to be bad by promising something good."
Isn't that just like the devil? Are you facing a particularly fierce temptation at the moment? Then take heart - you have all the power you need to stand up under the blast. Harry S. Truman, a former President of the United States, is famous for saying: "If you don't like the heat, get out of the kitchen." But I've not found anyone who was able to stay strong without spending time in the "kitchen". In coming to grips with the sphere of temptation, my advice is: "If you can't stand the heat, stay in the kitchen - and in God's strength, learn to handle it."
"Temptation can help perfect the image of Christ"
Prayer
O Father, show me how to experience continual victory over temptation. And help me, in this area of life also, not to be "a corn of wheat afraid to die". I face the fire in Your strength, knowing that You never allow what You cannot use. Amen.
Further study
James 1:1-15
Romans 8:31
Hebrews 2:18
1.When are we tempted?
2. On what basis can we face and use temptation?
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