從天上賜下的復興
令人愉快的高山
經文
彼得前書一3-12
3願頌讚歸與我們主耶穌基督的父神！他曾照自己的大憐憫，藉耶穌基督從死裡復活，重生了我們，叫我們有活潑的盼望，
4可以得著不能朽壞、不能玷污、不能衰殘、為你們存留在天上的基業。
5你們這因信蒙神能力保守的人，必能得著所預備，到末世要顯現的救恩。
6因此，你們是大有喜樂；但如今，在百般的試煉中暫時憂愁，
7叫你們的信心既被試驗，就比那被火試驗仍然能壞的金子更顯寶貴，可以在耶穌基督顯現的時候得著稱讚、榮耀、尊貴。
8你們雖然沒有見過他，卻是愛他；如今雖不得看見，卻因信他就有說不出來、滿有榮光的大喜樂；
9並且得著你們信心的果效，就是靈魂的救恩。
10論到這救恩，那預先說你們要得恩典的眾先知早已詳細的尋求考察，
11就是考察在他們心裡基督的靈，預先證明基督受苦難，後來得榮耀，是指著甚麼時候，並怎樣的時候。
12他們得了啟示，知道他們所傳講（原文作服事）的一切事，不是為自己，乃是為你們。那靠著從天上差來的聖靈傳福音給你們的人，現在將這些事報給你們；天使也願意詳細察看這些事。
信息分享
讓我們繼續來思考復興的主要目的，它不是要令聖徒變得完美，而是要喚醒沉睡的人。羅伯茨（Emry Roberts）說：「培養基督徒的美德，建立正確和健全的基督徒品格，是牧師和教師在神的祝福下的工作。」雖是這樣，但在復興中，人們可以強烈地感受到崇高和喜悅的感覺。
讓我們來聽聽一個曾經歷復興的人的體會：「1904年12月22日星期四的晚上，那些如同烈火般的信息，將永遠銘刻在我心底！我永遠沒有辦法描述那天晚上的感受！我只能說，我感到聖靈好像一股光的洪流，令我顫抖。我看見耶穌基督，我的本性在祂腳前溶化。自星期四晚起，我甚麼也沒有做只是對自己唱『耶穌的愛』這首詩歌。今天我感到自己屬於每一個人。啊！基督的愛擴闊人的心懷。」
有人對復興的批評是，這種高漲的情緒不能持久，我對此十分同意。那些期望可以持續以這種亢奮和狂熱來生活的人是錯誤的。但是這並非表示這種感受是沒有用的。一個支持復興的人形容這些經歷說：「我感受我好像是在令人愉快的高山上行走，而在山上我們可以看到錫安山。我們需要以信心而不是以眼目前行。在我們朝聖的旅程中，能夠看見天上的聖城，並預嘗它的幸福和喜樂，這真不是一件小事。」
「基督的愛擴闊人的心懷」
進深研究
弗三14-21；賽十二2；約十五11，十六20-28；詩十六11
1. 我們要怎麼做才可以滿懷喜樂？
2. 保羅的禱告是甚麼？
祈禱
天父，我對復興的渴望日益加增，我明白只有您的介入，才能讓教會並全世界都歸向您，求您應許這事可以很快實現，奉耶穌基督的名字祈求，阿們。
Heaven-Sent Revival
The Delectable Mountains
Bible reading:
1 Peter 1:3-12
3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you,
5 who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
6 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.
7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
8 Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy,
9 for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care,
11 trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of the Messiah and the glories that would follow.
12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things.
Message
We continue considering that the primary purpose of revival is not to bring saints to perfection but to wake up the drowsy. "The cultivation of Christian virtues, and the building of sound and sane Christian character," says Emry Roberts, "is the work, under the blessing of God, of the pastor and the teacher." Sublime and joyous feelings, however, have their place, and these are felt most keenly during revival.
Listen to what one person says about his experience of revival: "Thursday night the 22nd December 1904 will be inscribed in letters of fire on my heart for ever! Don't ask me to describe what I felt that night - I can never do it! All I can say is that I felt the Holy Spirit like a torrent of light causing my whole nature to shake. I saw Jesus Christ - and my nature melted at His feet. I have done nothing since Thursday night but to sing to myself that hymn: 'O, the love of Jesus'. And today I feel I belong to everybody. Oh how the love of Christ expands a man's heart."
We readily agree with the critics of revival that such an elevated emotional state cannot last, and it would be misguided to expect that one could live continuously in the fever of such exaltation. This does not mean, however, that there is no point to such feelings. One supporter of revival says of such experiences: "They are like a walk on the Delectable Mountains from whose heights we are given a glimpse of Mount Zion. We have to walk generally by faith and not by sight but on our pilgrimage it is no small thing to catch a glimpse of the heavenly city and to know a foretaste of its felicity and bliss."
"How the love of Christ expands a man's heart' "
Prayer
O Father, day by day my appetite for revival is being whetted. I see that only an invasion from heaven can produce the impact to turn both the Church and the world in Your direction. Grant that it may come soon. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
Further study
Ephesians 3:14-21
Isaiah 12:3
John 15:11; 16:20-28
Psalm 16:11
1. What do we need to do for our joy to be full?
2. What was Paul's prayer?
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