從天上賜下的復興
因我的名
經文
約翰福音十四15-31
15你們若愛我，就必遵守我的命令。
16我要求父，父就另外賜給你們一位保惠師（或作：訓慰師；下同），叫他永遠與你們同在，
17就是真理的聖靈，乃世人不能接受的；因為不見他，也不認識他。你們卻認識他，因他常與你們同在，也要在你們裡面。
18我不撇下你們為孤兒，我必到你們這裡來。
19還有不多的時候，世人不再看見我，你們卻看見我；因為我活著，你們也要活著。
20到那日，你們就知道我在父裡面，你們在我裡面，我也在你們裡面。
21有了我的命令又遵守的，這人就是愛我的；愛我的必蒙我父愛他，我也要愛他，並且要向他顯現。
22猶大（不是加略人猶大）問耶穌說：主阿，為甚麼要向我們顯現，不向世人顯現呢？
23耶穌回答說：人若愛我，就必遵守我的道；我父也必愛他，並且我們要到他那裡去，與他同住。
24不愛我的人就不遵守我的道。你們所聽見的道不是我的，乃是差我來之父的道。
25我還與你們同住的時候，已將這些話對你們說了。
26但保惠師，就是父因我的名所要差來的聖靈，他要將一切的事指教你們，並且要叫你們想起我對你們所說的一切話。
27我留下平安給你們；我將我的平安賜給你們。我所賜的，不像世人所賜的。你們心裡不要憂愁，也不要膽怯。
28你們聽見我對你們說了，我去還要到你們這裡來。你們若愛我，因我到父那裡去，就必喜樂，因為父是比我大的。
29現在事情還沒有成就，我預先告訴你們，叫你們到事情成就的時候就可以信。
30以後我不再和你們多說話，因為這世界的王將到。他在我裡面是毫無所有；
31但要叫世人知道我愛父，並且父怎樣吩咐我，我就怎樣行。起來，我們走吧！
信息分享
昨天我們提到有些人對聖靈的工作和本質，存在著一些奇怪的想法。今天讓我們繼續來思考這個問題。我認識一位牧者，他不幸染上了酒癮，不能自拔。然而，他不但沒有承認自己受到捆綁，也沒有向其他基督徒尋求幫助和支持，他反而把問題合理化，說酗酒令他向聖靈開放，除去他的障礙，令他更容易接受神的啟示。我說他實在是喝醉了，他卻回答說：「酒精令一些人喝醉，但令我更容易被神使用。」真是一派胡言！
然而，透過基督，聖靈的本質和內容獲得了確定，對此我們實在十分感恩。聖靈好像耶穌基督，正如今天的經文說，聖靈是因著基督的名賜下的，所以在舊約時期，神只是有限地給人賜下聖靈，祂在等候耶穌來確定聖靈的內容和特質，因為只有在耶穌裡面，我們才能看到聖靈最真實的特性。
在深入地看聖靈之前，讓我們先深入的看看耶穌，這樣才能夠有一個正確的認識。耶穌沒有任何神秘、怪異或失衡的地方，祂不需要透過異象或夢境去獲取指引（這卻是某些現代基督徒的做法）。祂是透過禱告和等候而得到從神而來的指示，而這也是你和我所該做的事。異象和夢境在基督徒的生命中也許有它們的位置，但不能失去平衡，把它看得過為重要。
「在耶穌裡面，我們才能看到聖靈最真實的特性」
進深研究
林前二1-13；路十二12；約壹二27
1. 保羅的見證是甚麼？
2. 試列出聖靈教導你的五件事情。
祈禱
天父，我再次感謝您讓我清晰聖靈的內涵和特質，求您幫助我不要期望您向我們的生命展現一些神奇的力量，是耶穌基督不曾行使過或表現出來的。阿們。
Heaven-Sent Revival
"In My Name"
Bible reading:
John 14:15-31
15 "If you love me, keep my commands.
16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—
17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be[a] in you.
18 I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.
19 Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live.
20 On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.
21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them."
22 Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, "But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?"
23 Jesus replied, "Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.
24 Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
25 "All this I have spoken while still with you.
26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
28 "You heard me say, 'I am going away and I am coming back to you.' If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father, for the Father is greater than I.
29 I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.
30 I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold over me,
31 but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.
Message
We continue with the thought we considered yesterday, that some people have strange ideas about the work and nature of the Holy Spirit. I once knew a minister who unfortunately had fallen into the grip of alcohol and could not break free. Instead of admitting the bondage he was in and seeking help and support from his fellow Christians, he rationalised the problem and said his heavy drinking opened him up to the Holy Spirit because it lifted his inhibitions and made him more susceptible to divine revelation. I suggested that all that was happening to him was that he was getting drunk. He replied: "Ah, alcohol makes some people drunk, but me it makes more available to God." What nonsense!
How thankful we ought to be that through Christ the nature and content of the Holy Spirit has been fixed. The Holy Spirit is like Jesus. As our text for today says, He is given in Christ's Name. This is why God could only give the Holy Spirit sparingly to people in Old Testament times; He waited until Jesus had fixed the content and character of the Spirit. It is only in Jesus that we see ultimate character revealed.
So take a good look at Jesus before you take a good look at the Holy Spirit, and then you will come out with the right perspectives. There was nothing weird or strange or unbalanced about Jesus. He never laid stress (as do some modern-day Christians) on getting guidance through visions and dreams. He received His guidance through prayer and waiting upon God, as you and I should. Visions and dreams may have their place in the Christian life, but not an unbalanced place.
"In Jesus we see ultimate character revealed"
Prayer
Father, once again I want to thank You for clarifying for me the content and character of the Holy Spirit. Help me not to expect You to exercise or demonstrate in my life any power that is not power Jesus would have exercised or demonstrated. Amen.
Further study
1 Corinthians 2:1-13
Luke 12:12
1 John 2:27
1. What was Paul's testimony?
2. List 5 things the Holy Spirit has taught you.
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