今天我们开始研究圣经一段相当有力和富深度的经文──八福。它们是登山宝训，是主耶稣对门徒的教导的第一个部分。希望我们对八福的研究，能对我们的属灵生命产生很大的影响，让我们因此受到祝福。

在我们开始这个主题时，我想先把一个思想传递给你──构成八福的八个原则，是精神和灵性健康的最好处方。著名的精神病专科大夫费希尔（James Fisher）博士，常常走访世界各地，为了寻找构成精神健康的正面素质。他说：「我梦想可以写一本简单、实用、容易明白、容易做到的手册，目的是能够教人怎样生活，应该培养甚么思想、态度和哲学，以及在寻求精神健康的时候要避免甚么陷阱等。而让我意外的是，这本著作竟然早已完成，那就是耶稣所讲的八福。」

这是一项多么惊人的发现！我认为一个人一旦吸取八福背后的原则，并依照它们而生活，那人便永不会再陷入严重的抑郁或沮丧的情绪中。基督教会手中拿着健康和丰盛生命的蓝图，却往往要将抑郁或沮丧的人转介给世界的精神科专家，这是多么可惜啊！

We begin today a study on what is without doubt one of the greatest themes of Scripture - . I say "heaven-sent" because real revival is not something that springs up or out of the normal activities of the Church but something that comes down to us from above.

There are, of course, many different and conflicting views on this subject, so I want to begin by looking at a question which I imagine no Christian will have any difficulty in facing: Has God got something bigger in His heart for us than we are at present seeing? What is your response, I wonder? Those who are privileged to be part of a vibrant church, or are actively involved in evangelism, might respond differently from those who find themselves in a spiritual backwater. But the truth is (in my opinion) that no matter how spiritually alive the community in which you work and worship, God is able to do greater and yet more wondrous things. Our God has reserves of power which we, the Church of this generation, have not fully experienced. Surely every Christian believes that.

Although we must not be unappreciative of the fact that God is obviously sending showers of blessing upon His Church, we must not forget either that the God who sends the showers can also send the floods. In fact, revival is just that - God flooding a locality or a community of His people, stirring up the complacent, and producing the conviction and conversion of a great number of people. It has happened at various times in various places throughout history, and as sure as night follows day it will happen again.