从天上赐下的复兴
脚步的声音

经文
撒母耳记下五17-25
17非利士人听见人膏大卫作以色列王,非利士众人就上来寻索大卫;大卫听见,就下到保障。
18非利士人来了,布散在利乏音谷。
19大卫求问耶和华说:我可以上去攻打非利士人吗?你将他们交在我手里吗?耶和华说:你可以上去,我必将非利士人交在你手里。
20大卫来到巴力毗拉心,在那里击杀非利士人,说:耶和华在我面前冲破敌人,如同水冲去一般。因此称那地方为巴力毗拉心。
21非利士人将偶像撇在那里,大卫和跟随他的人拿去了。
22非利士人又上来,布散在利乏音谷。
23大卫求问耶和华;耶和华说:不要一直地上去,要转到他们后头,从桑林对面攻打他们。
24你听见桑树梢上有脚步的声音,就要急速前去,因为那时耶和华已经在你前头去攻打非利士人的军队。
25大卫就遵着耶和华所吩咐的去行,攻打非利士人,从迦巴直到基色。
信息分享
相信我们已明白,在现今的世代,教会迫切须要复兴,在此,我们必须提出一个问题:我们将会在这个时代看见另一次属灵大觉醒吗?我不能肯定,但我确实有这种感觉。有明显的迹象显示复兴正在来临,但在研究这些迹象前,请和我一起停下来,专心研读我们今天的经文。
大卫在以色列被立为王不久便遇到非利士人的威胁,他首先关心的是神要他怎么处理。得到了神准许他前进以后,他带领部下大胆地从前面进攻,并且得胜。但后来非利士人回来,占据了原先的位置。大卫没有假设过去的带领策略仍然有效,他再次寻求神的旨意并蒙神准许他进行攻击。不过这一次神引导他绕到桑林附近敌人的后方进行突击,神对他说:「你听见桑树梢上有脚步的声音,就要急速前去,因为那时耶和华已经在你前头去,攻打非利士人的军队」(24节)。
这两场战役,充份显示了圣灵在教会的正常运作、和祂在复兴时的工作之间的分别。我们在第一次看见大卫在神的指示下,以神所赐的力量行动。第二次是神走到战场,大卫只是在后面跟从,收集战利品。我们已经见证了圣灵的正常运作有数十年之久,现在该是预备迎接复兴的时候了。
「预备迎接复兴的时候到了」
进深研究
诗八十五1-13;哈三1-19
1. 诗人的祷告是甚么?
2. 他的期望是甚么?
祈祷
天父,求您加强我的信心,让我相信圣灵的浇灌是充满大能的,尽管未必比得上五旬节的时候。父啊,我渴望活在您的圣言里面,而您的圣言也活在我里面。求您以您的荣耀充满您的教会──让它涌流不息。奉耶稣的名祈求,阿们。
Heaven-Sent Revival
'The sound of marching'

Bible reading:
2 Samuel 5:17-25
17 When the Philistines heard that David had been anointed king over Israel, they went up in full force to search for him, but David heard about it and went down to the stronghold.
18 Now the Philistines had come and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;
19 so David inquired of the Lord, "Shall I go and attack the Philistines? Will you deliver them into my hands?" The Lord answered him, "Go, for I will surely deliver the Philistines into your hands."
20 So David went to Baal Perazim, and there he defeated them. He said, "As waters break out, the Lord has broken out against my enemies before me." So that place was called Baal Perazim.[a]
21 The Philistines abandoned their idols there, and David and his men carried them off.
22 Once more the Philistines came up and spread out in the Valley of Rephaim;
23 so David inquired of the Lord, and he answered, "Do not go straight up, but circle around behind them and attack them in front of the poplar trees.
24 As soon as you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the poplar trees, move quickly, because that will mean the Lord has gone out in front of you to strike the Philistine army."
25 So David did as the Lord commanded him, and he struck down the Philistines all the way from Gibeon[b] to Gezer.
Message
Having recognised the urgent need for revival, we must ask: Will we see another great spiritual awakening in our own day? I cannot say with certainty, but I most definitely feel so. There are clear signs that a revival is on the way, but before looking at them, pause with me to focus on the passage before us today.
Soon after David had been made king over Israel he was threatened by the Philistines. His first concern was to find what God wanted him to do about it. After getting divine permission to proceed, he led a bold frontal attack that carried the day. Later, however, the Philistines returned and took up the position that they had occupied before. Without presuming on past guidance David again sought God's direction and obtained permission to attack. However, this time he was led to make a detour and take up a position behind the enemy, near the mulberry (or balsam) trees. God said: "When you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then bestir yourself; for then has the Lord gone out before you, to smite the army of the Philistines" (v.24, Amplified Bible).
These two battles illustrate the difference between the normal activity of the Holy Spirit in the Church and the way He operates in revival. In the first we see David acting under God's direction and with His enabling. In the second it is God who takes the field and David follows on behind gathering up the spoils of victory. We have witnessed for decades the normal operation of the Spirit; the time has now come to prepare for revival.
"The time has come to prepare for revival"
Prayer
O Father, quicken my faith to believe for an outpouring of the Spirit as great if not greater than at Pentecost. I want to live in Your Word and Your Word to live in me. Fill Your Church with Your glory - and let it overflow. In Jesus' Name I ask it. Amen.
Further study
Psalm 85:1-13
Habakkuk 3:1-19
1. What was the psalmist's prayer?
2. What was his expectation?
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