使徒行傳 第9章 中英摘要

  使徒行傳第九章是描述保羅,他從一個迫害基督徒的人,進而認識主,成為神的器皿為神所使用的過程。
保羅在往大馬色要去捆綁基督徒的路上,約在响午,看見天上發大光,這是神的榮光,甚至比正午的日頭還要亮,於是保羅就仆倒在地,聽見有聲音說:「掃羅、掃羅,你為什麼逼迫我?」保羅並沒有直接逼迫耶穌,他逼迫的乃是信奉耶穌的人,所以神在這裡清楚的告訴我們:逼迫神的兒女,就是逼迫主。
  當保羅從地上起來,眼睛就瞎了,神打發亞拿尼亞去按手在他身上,讓他能看見,又被聖靈充滿,此時的保羅不但肉眼能看見,心眼也被開啟。當一個人心眼被蒙蔽,他就是瞎的,他是活在黑暗中,看不見神的光。很多人說他先要研究神、搞懂神,他才能相信神,這就是被蒙蔽了心眼,因為我們的神太偉大了,沒有人是能夠完全搞懂、明白神的,我們唯有先相信而接受,神就會開我們的心眼,讓我們得以活在神的光中,來認識祂、明白祂,所以我們千萬不要本末倒置。
  耶路撒冷的門徒害怕保羅,不信他是門徒,惟有巴拿巴接待保羅,領他去見使徒。弟兄姊妹,我們要昌盛就要忘記背後,正如約瑟被他的兄弟賣到埃及,又被他主母陷害,被酒政遺忘,如此不幸的遭遇,約瑟卻將他兩個孩子,取名為瑪拿西跟以法蓮,瑪拿西就是忘記,以法蓮就是昌盛,我們要先忘記一切的困苦,才能經歷神所賜的昌盛;我們不要一直落在以往的苦毒傷害中,也不要因別人得罪過我們而耿耿於懷。當時的亞拿尼亞若是不能忘記掃羅的過去,他就沒有辦法完成神的旨意,去開保羅的眼;如果耶路撒冷的門徒,因著保羅逼迫過基督徒而不肯原諒接納他,那保羅就沒辦法成為外邦人的使徒,福音就無法傳至外邦。所以我們總要忘記背後,努力面前,因為判斷我們的乃是主。
  現在大家都在講宗教信仰是個人自由、父母不應該干涉孩子的信仰自由….這全是來自撒旦的謊言,如果你真的知道不信主就會走向滅亡,你還會跟你的孩子講自由,隨便他信什麼都好嗎?如果你真的知道永生神的審判,是何等的可怕,你就不會跟你的家人講什麼信仰自由、信什麼都好。我們若不在神光明的國度裡,就是落在撒旦黑暗的權勢中,撒旦就是黑社會,我們要脫離這個黑社會的掌控,唯有來信靠耶穌基督救贖的大能。

葉長老 風美小組信息 / 高雄 錦泰 摘錄回應

Acts 9

  The process of how Paul was transformed from a persecutor of Christians to a servant of Jesus Christ is recorded in Acts 9. While Paul was on his way to Damascus to take disciples as prisoners, a light from heaven flashed around him suddenly. The light was the glory of God, and it was brighter than the sun at midday. Then, Paul fell to the ground and heard a voice said to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Actually, Paul did not harm Jesus directly, yet he oppressed Jesus’s followers. Hence, God is sending us a clear message in this chapter: victimizing God’s children is the same as maltreating God.
  When Paul got up from the ground, he became blind. God sent Ananias to place hands on Paul to restore his sight. Paul was filled by the Holy Spirit, and not only did Paul’s eyes of flesh were restored, but also his spiritual eyes were opened. When a person’s spiritual eyes are covered, he/she is blind; that person is living in darkness because he/she cannot see the light of God. Many people claim that they have to study and understand God before they can believe in Him. This is a sign of spiritual eyes being blind. Our God is too great to be fully understood by any human. We need to believe and accept God first, then God will open our eyes. Only then can us live in God’s light, and know and understand Him. Let us not get the order wrong.
  Disciples in Jerusalem were afraid of Paul; they did not believe that Paul really was a disciple. Only Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. Brothers and sisters, let us remember that if we want to prosper, we need to forget what is behind. Joseph is a good example; he was sold to Egypt by his brothers, falsely accused by his master’s wife, and forgotten by the chief cupbearer, and yet, after all his unfortunate experiences, he named his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim (meaning forget and prosper). We need to put all the difficulties behind us in order to experience the prosperous God will bestow on us. Let us not be trapped by the pain and bitterness of the past, and don’t dwell upon someone else’s offence. If Ananias couldn’t forget Paul’s past, he couldn’t have fulfilled God’s will and restored Paul’s sight. If the disciples in Jerusalem couldn’t forgive and accept Paul because he once persecuted Christians, Paul couldn’t have spread the gospel to the gentiles. So, let us forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. Remember, it is God who judges us.
  Now everyone is talking about freedom. Religion is a freedom; parents should never interfere with children’s choice of religion. This is a huge lie from Satan! If you know that your children will perish if they don’t believe in Jesus, will you still consider it a freedom for them to choose what they believe in? If you know how frightening is the judgment of the eternal God, you would not speak of religious freedom to your family. Either we live in the bright kingdom of God, or we live under the dark forces of Satan. The devil is a dark society. We need to escape the control of this dark society and live by the salvation of Jesus Christ.

Message by Elder Yeh / Summary and response by Jim Lin