从天上赐下的复兴
你预备好了吗？
经文
加拉太书一11-24
11弟兄们，我告诉你们，我素来所传的福音不是出于人的意思。
12因为我不是从人领受的，也不是人教导我的，乃是从耶稣基督启示来的。
13你们听见我从前在犹太教中所行的事，怎样极力逼迫残害神的教会。
14我又在犹太教中，比我本国许多同岁的人更有长进，为我祖宗的遗传更加热心。
15然而，那把我从母腹里分别出来、又施恩召我的神，
16既然乐意将他儿子启示在我心里，叫我把他传在外邦人中，我就没有与属血气的人商量，
17也没有上耶路撒冷去见那些比我先作使徒的，惟独往亚拉伯去，后又回到大马色。
18过了三年，才上耶路撒冷去见矶法，和他同住了十五天。
19至于别的使徒，除了主的兄弟雅各，我都没有看见。
20我写给你们的不是谎话，这是我在神面前说的。
21以后我到了叙利亚和基利家境内。
22那时，犹太信基督的各教会都没有见过我的面。
23不过听说那从前逼迫我们的，现在传扬他原先所残害的真道。
24他们就为我的缘故，归荣耀给神。
信息分享
过去几天我们都在看「复兴祷告」的一些指标，也是那些对复兴很有负担的人，他们祷告的一些特点。我们已经研究过六个特点（当然还有更多）：第一是热诚；第二是坚持；第三是大胆；第四是有说服力；第五是悔罪；第六是绝望。
现在让我们来思想另一个问题：是甚么令这些特点显露出来呢？是神放在人心里的东西？还是源自周围的情况？很可能是两者的结合。我认为章伯斯（Oswald Chambers）掌握了当中的关键。他说：「每当神计划赐下复兴的祝福时，祂首先会在那些把自己预备好以供祂使用的人心里放下负担。」请留意这句话：「那些把自己预备好以供祂使用的人。」章伯斯讲述一个年老的圣徒一天晚上来到牧者那里宣布说：「我们即将有复兴。」那牧者问他为甚么这样说，老人回答：「两小时前，我到牛棚去照顾我的牛，主使我一直不断的祷告，因此，我知道我们即将有复兴。」章伯斯接着说：「是的，正如老人所预测，复兴接着临到那儿。」
我们是否也为神预备好自己了呢？我们在属灵上是否有足够的敏锐力，知道神甚么时候会介入并将祈求复兴的负担放在我们心里？或者说，这就是复兴迟迟不出现的真正原因？
「复兴迟迟不出现，是否因为我们在属灵上不够敏锐？」
进深研究
约三1-8；罗八14；徒十19-20
1. 耶稣说了关于圣灵的甚么事情？
2. 彼得有些甚么经验？
祈祷
慈爱的天父，今天，您再二次将您的指头放在我生命的神经中枢上，令我感到震撼。求您帮助我不要后退，因为我知道这是生与死的问题。求您帮助我预备好自己以让您使用。奉耶稣的名祈求，阿们。
Heaven-Sent Revival
Are you available?
Bible reading:
Galatians 1:11-24
11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin.
12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.
13 For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
14 I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15 But when God, who set me apart from my mother's womb and called me by his grace, was pleased
16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, my immediate response was not to consult any human being.
17 I did not go up to Jerusalem to see those who were apostles before I was, but I went into Arabia. Later I returned to Damascus.
18 Then after three years, I went up to Jerusalem to get acquainted with Cephas[a] and stayed with him fifteen days.
19 I saw none of the other apostles—only James, the Lord's brother.
20 I assure you before God that what I am writing you is no lie.
21 Then I went to Syria and Cilicia.
22 I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ.
23 They only heard the report: "The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy."
24 And they praised God because of me.
Message
Over the past days we have been looking at some of the marks of "revival praying" - the special characteristics that appear in the intercessions of those who feel deeply burdened for revival. We have examined six of these characteristics (though of course there are many more): first, zealousness; second, persistence; third, boldness; fourth, persuasiveness, fifth, contrition and sixth, desperation.
We now ask: What is it that causes these characteristics to manifest themselves? Is it something that God puts into people's hearts or is it something that arises out of the conditions that are around? Probably it is a combination of both. Oswald Chambers has the key to it, I think, when he says: "Whenever God plans to send revival blessing He first lays a burden for it on the hearts of those who make themselves available to Him." Note the phrase: "those who make themselves available to Him". Oswald Chambers tells the story of how an aged saint came to his pastor one night and announced: "We are about to have a revival. The pastor asked him why he thought this, whereupon the old man replied: "I went into the stable to take care of my cattle two hours ago, and the Lord has kept me in prayer until just now. Because of this I just know we are going to have a revival." Oswald Chambers continues: "Sure enough, a revival followed just as the old man had predicted."
Are we similarly available to God? Would we be spiritually sensitive enough to know when God is breaking in upon us to lay a burden of prayer upon our hearts for revival? Is this perhaps the real reason why revival tarries?
"Is revival delayed because we are not spiritually sensitive"
Prayer
Gracious and loving heavenly Father, once again You have Your finger on a nerve centre in my life - and I wince. Help me not to draw back, for I know that here are the issues of life and death. Help me be available. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
Further study
John 3:1-8
Romans 8:14
Acts 10:19-20
1. What did Jesus say of the Holy Spirit?
2. What was Peter's experience?
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