Determined Faith || 坚定的信心

The following article was originally published February 7, 2020. This was the very first Spiritual Waimai we sent out to feed those at home needing some spiritual food. May His Word continue to nourish and encourage us today to be determined with faith to overcome.

这篇文章首次发表于2020年2月7日。人们滞留家中渴望属天灵粮，这是发送给他们的第一篇属灵外卖。愿神的话今天依然持续滋养、鼓舞我们，使我们下定决心，凭信过得胜的生活。

There is a story in the Bible about four friends who were crazy determined to do whatever they could to help their friend who was paralyzed. They knew the only one that could truly help him was Jesus. So these four friends went on a daring mission, nothing stopped them. Their faith in God and love for their friend compelled them to use all of their strength to help him, and they did it: mission accomplished!

圣经中有一个故事，有四位朋友下定决心要不顾一切、竭尽所能帮助自己瘫痪的朋友。他们知道唯一能真正帮助朋友的人是耶稣。所以这四位朋友开始了一场勇敢的使命，什么都不能阻止他们。对神的信心和对朋友的爱促使他们竭尽全力帮助自己的朋友，他们成功了：使命完成了！

A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home. They gathered in such large numbers that there was no room left, not even outside the door, and he preached the word to them. Some men came, bringing to him a paralyzed man, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus by digging through it and then lowered the mat the man was lying on.
Mark 2:1-4 NIV

 

过了些日子，耶稣又进了迦百农。人听见他在房子里，就有许多人聚集，甚至连门前都没有空地，耶稣就对他们讲道。有人带着一个瘫子来见耶稣，是用四个人抬来的。因为人多，不得近前，就把耶稣所在的房子，拆了房顶，既拆通了，就把瘫子连所躺卧的褥子都缒下来。
马可福音2:1-4

Sometimes we are in such a desperate situation, we will do anything to get help. These four friends went to extreme measures to get their friend in front of Jesus. And it worked. They couldn’t get in the front door but they were creative, determined, courageous and full of faith. A crowded room was not going to stop them. They went to the rooftop, broke through roof and dramatically lowered their paralyzed friend down right in front of Jesus. What a sight that must have been!

有些时候我们会处在绝望的境地，愿意付出一切来获取帮助。这四位朋友采用了非常极端的举措使朋友来到耶稣面前。他们不能从正门进入房子，但他们有创造力、决心和勇气并充满信心。挤得水泄不通的房子不能阻止他们。他们爬上房子，拆了屋顶，激动人心地把瘫子朋友缒下放在耶稣面前。那是怎样的一副情景啊！

Let’s have the faith, determination and courage to bring this nation before Jesus as these four friends did. We don’t have a crowded room keeping us from Jesus; we can come to Him freely. Through prayer on behalf of China we can be determined and full of faith to believe that Jesus can heal this land.

如同这四位朋友，让我们怀着信心、决心和勇气将这个民族带到耶稣面前。没有挤满了人的房子阻止我们，我们可以自由来到耶稣面前。透过为中国祷告，我们可以坚定并充满信心地相信耶稣要医治这块大地。

When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Now some teachers of the law were sitting there, thinking to themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Immediately Jesus knew in his spirit that this was what they were thinking in their hearts, and he said to them, “Why are you thinking these things? Which is easier: to say to this paralyzed man, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Get up, take your mat and walk’? But I want you to know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins.” So he said to the man, “I tell you, get up, take your mat and go home.” He got up, took his mat and walked out in full view of them all. This amazed everyone and they praised God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”
Mark 2:5-12 NIV

 

耶稣见他们的信心，就对瘫子说：“小子，你的罪赦了。”有几个文士坐在那里，心里议论说：“这个人为什么这样说呢？他说僭妄的话了，除了神以外，谁能赦罪呢？”耶稣心中知道他们心里这样议论，就说：“你们心里为什么这样议论呢？或对瘫子说：‘你的罪赦了’，或说：‘起来，拿你的褥子行走’，哪一样容易呢？但要叫你们知道，人子在地上有赦罪的权柄。”就对瘫子说：“我吩咐你起来，拿你的褥子回家去吧！”那人就起来，立刻拿着褥子，当众人面前出去了。以致众人都惊奇，归荣耀与神说：“我们从来没有见过这样的事！
马可福音2:5-12

Jesus is always most concerned about our hearts. When Jesus saw that man coming down from above Him, He didn’t notice that the man was paralyzed, He noticed the man’s faith and his need for forgiveness. The first thing out of Jesus’ mouth was so kind yet so unexpected. He said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.”

耶稣最关注我们的心。当耶稣看到那个人从上面缒下来，祂没注意他是瘫子，他注意到的是那个人的信心和他要得到医治的需要。耶稣嘴里说的第一句话是如此仁慈且出人意料。祂说：“小子，你的罪赦了。“

For Jesus, the spiritual life is more important than the physical life. The sickness of sin has infected the spirits of all people, and we desperately need a cure. The cure is forgiveness through Jesus Christ, an amazing gift Jesus offers to all who come to Him and believe. There is no crowded room like those four friends had to fight through stopping you from approaching Jesus today. You can pray right now to Jesus, with faith ask for forgiveness, and receive His spiritual healing.

于耶稣而言，属灵生命比肉身的生命更为重要。罪这个疾病污染了人的灵，我们极需治疗。治疗就是耶稣的赦罪—耶稣赐给所有来到祂面前并相信祂的人的宝贵礼物。今天没有挤满人的房间阻止你来到耶稣面前，就像那四位朋友一样。你现在就可以跟耶稣祷告，凭着信心请求祂赦罪，并接受祂属灵的医治。

Let’s have the determination of the four friends to hold the nation of China up to Jesus during this time of the virus. Through God’s power and for His glory, may China be healed on the inside and outside and then rise up and walk in full view of the world. Just like the crowd in the story of the paralyzed man, may the whole world be amazed and praise God, saying, “We have never seen anything like this!”

在疫情的时期，让我们带着那四位朋友的决心，将中国这个民族举起在耶稣面前。藉者神的能力和荣耀，愿中国里里外外都得着医治，站起并行走在全世界面前。就像瘫子故事里的人群，愿全世界都惊奇并赞美神说：“我们从来没有见到过这样的事！