牧者心聲
迎向末世，憑信前行
譚廣海牧師
2024 年 6 月 8 日 / 9 日
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每當談到戰爭與天災，我們都會感到不安與無奈！近年不同區域出現的戰爭，縱有多國介入調停，但仍無法止息。加上地震風災頻繁出現，人們除了憂慮性命財產不保之外，心中對禍患險境的陰霾也是揮之不去。今天，在災害患難的處境中，我們該怎樣從信仰的角度去思考及應對？在未來的日子，我們仍可以擁有信仰的熱誠、積極跟隨主與事奉主嗎？
請看主耶穌對世界末後現象的勸慰與警示。祂指出，我們雖注意到打仗的風聲，但不要過度驚慌，因為這些事是必須發生的，可是這還不是世界的終局。我們接續會看到民要攻打民、國要攻打國，多處出現的饑荒與地震，那都只是災難的起頭，往後要發生的才更值得我們關注。另外，根據上下經文的記載，主耶穌作出的警示，是要我們留意末世對信仰生活的衝擊，包括：信仰受迫逼，使許多人放棄跟隨基督；出現假先知的教導，使許多人的信仰受到迷惑；不法的事情增加，使許多人的愛心漸漸冷淡（太二十四6-12）。
今天我們的信仰生命，有否落入上述的困境？有一項重要的信仰反思，可幫助我們學習應對末世的景況。我們試回想自己歸向神的經歷，當時神怎樣使我們的靈魂甦醒，祂不僅為我們的信仰生命狀況帶來修復與更新，也因著自己的名，親自帶領我們走在合祂心意、祂所喜悅的義路上（詩二十三3）。我們今天面對末世眾多議題的時候，切勿因不信主的勸慰與警示，使心靈的眼睛再被弄瞎；反倒要懇切祈求，讓基督榮耀的福音光照我們，好使我們在災害禍患的處境中，仍以堅忍到底的信心跟隨神、事奉神，將福音傳遍天下、向萬民作見證（太二十四13-14；林後四4-5）。
親愛的弟兄姊妹，我們在末世的處境中，確實容易出現驚慌害怕、消極乏力的情緒，然而，主耶穌早已把這些事情告訴我們，為要使我們在祂裡面有平安，我們豈能因患難而忘記「基督耶穌已經勝了這世界」的事實（約十六33）？起來吧，讓我們踏上信仰當行的路，為自己與神的關係守望禱告。猶如一首詩歌所言，每一日我向主懇求三件事：更深刻認識你，更虔誠敬愛你，更緊緊地跟隨你。感謝神，主雖然以艱難給我們當食物，以困迫給我們當水，但祂卻不再隱藏，我們不論偏向左或偏向右，祂都必指引我們行在正路上。（賽三十20-21）
Mere mention of wars and natural disasters would make us feel insecure and helpless. Wars are waged in different regions in recent years and despite intervention by some countries, they continue unabated. Earthquakes and damaging winds are also rampant. All of this creates worries over lives and properties, and the fear of the threat of disasters and danger remains in people's hearts. Just how should we look at and handle these disastrous and difficult situations today from the perspective of faith? Can we, in the days and years to come, continue to zealously uphold our faith and actively follow and serve the Lord?
Please read the words of exhortation, comfort and warning from the Lord Jesus for the last days. He points out that we will hear of wars and rumors of wars but we need not be alarmed, for such things must happen. Yet, the end is still to come. Then we see that nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. What happens next deserves greater attention. According to the verses before and after this portion of the Scripture, the Lord sounds out a warning in order to draw our attention to the impact of the last days on our faith, including religious persecution, which makes many turn away from following Christ; the appearance of false prophets, who deceive many people in their faith; and increased wickedness, which makes the love of most grow cold (Matthew 24:6-12).
Now is our faith faced with the above difficulties? There is an important reflection on our faith that can help us learn how to deal with the situation of the last days. Try to recall how we came to believe in God, how He awakened our souls. Not only had He restored and renewed our spiritual lives, but He had guided us along the God-pleasing paths after His heart for His name's sake (Psalm 23:3). In the face of all the issues in these last days, our spiritual eyes must not be blinded again because of not trusting in the Lord's exhortations, comfort and warnings. On the contrary, we need to pray earnestly for the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ to shine on us so that in all the disastrous and difficult situations, we can still stand firm to the end with steadfast faith, follow and serve God, and preach the gospel in the whole world as a testimony to all nations (Matthew 24:13-14; 2 Corinthians 4:4-5).
Dear brothers and sisters, in these last days, it is easy for us to feel alarmed, scared, negative and exhausted. However, the Lord Jesus has, from the start, told us these things so that in Him we may have peace. How can we, because of the trouble in this world, forget the fact that Christ has "overcome the world"? (John 16:33) Now get up and let us walk in the way of faith. Let us watch and pray for our relationship with God. Just like the lyrics of one hymn, I earnestly pray to God for three things day by day: to see Thee more clearly; to love Thee more dearly; to follow Thee more nearly. Thanks be to God, although the Lord gives us the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, He will be hidden no more. Whether we turn to the left or to the right, He will surely guide us to walk on the right path (Isaiah 30:20-21).
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