1. Hello listening friends, how glad we are that you joined us one more time.
亲爱的朋友，你好，很高兴你再次收听我们的节目。
2. We are going to commence a new series of messages today.
今天我们会开始新的一系列信息，
3. It is about how God works.
是关于神工作的方法的。
4. Have you ever read James 5:17 and 18?
不知你有没有读过雅各书5：17-18？
5. Where he said that Elijah was a man like us?
里面说到以利亚就像我们一样，
6. He prayed earnestly and it would not rain and it did not rain on the land.
他迫切祷告，求神不要降雨在地上，天果然不下雨。
7. Again he prayed and the heavens gave rain.
后来他又祷告，天就降下雨来。
8. People often react in two ways to this type of statement.
人们对这种情况的反应通常有两种：
9. Either they will say that God does not answer prayer like this anymore
要么就是说，神不再应允这样的祷告；
10. Or they might say,
要么就说，
11. I am not one of God’s super-spiritual servants like Elijah.
我不像以利亚，他是神的仆人，一位超级的属灵领袖。
12. And that is why God doesn’t answer my prayer.
所以神不会听我的祷告。
13. Both conclusions are wrong.
这两个结论都是错误的。
14. The problem is that most people have never taken the time or the effort to understand how and why and when God answered Elijah’s prayer.
问题在于，大多数人都没有花时间和精力去研究神是为什么，怎么样，在什么时候听以利亚的祷告的。
15. As we will see in a minute, Elijah was far from being super spiritual.
我们等一下就会明白，以利亚根本不是什么超级属灵人。
16. We will see him depressed and discouraged.
我们会看到他的失望和沮丧；
17. We will see him scared and frightened.
我们会看到他的恐惧和害怕；
18. Doubting and defeated.
他的疑惑和挫败感。
19. In other words, when James said that Elijah was like us, he was in every way like us.
换句话说，当雅各说以利亚像我们的时候，他的确在每一方面都像我们。
20. In fact, in this series of messages, we are going to learn more about God than Elijah.
实际上，在这一系列信息中，我们会对神有更深的了解，而不是以利亚。
21. We are going to see how God works.
我们来看看神的做事法则是什么。
22. I often get asked these questions from people all over the world.
常有人问我这样一个问题，
23. How do you discern the voice of God?
你怎样分辨神的声音？
24. How do you know it is the will of God?
你怎么明白神的旨意？
25. How does God deal with you?
神是怎么造就你的？
26. The truth is there is no secret to it.
事实上，这并没有任何诀窍，
27. The way you know God is from his word.
你认识神是通过祂的话语。
28. In God’s word, you see how God dealt with his people.
在神的话语中，你会看见神是怎样对待祂的百姓的。
29. In God’s word, you will see how God deals with individuals.
在神的话语中，你会看见神是怎样对待每一个人的，
30. And from these readings you will understand the way God deals with you.
从中你可以明白神对待你的方式。
31. God is a consistent God.
神是不改变的，
32. God’s character is a consistent character.
神的性情是不会改变的。
33. And one of the examples we are going to look at is how God worked with Elijah.
我们要来看看神是怎么对以利亚的。
34. The first thing you will notice is in I Kings17:1.
在王上17：1，你会注意到第一件事，
35. If you have a Bible, I hope you will turn to it.
如果你有圣经，请你翻到那一页。
基列寄居的提斯比人以利亚对亚哈说：我指着所侍奉永生耶和华，以色列的神起誓，这几年我若不祷告，必不降露，不下雨。
36. We find that Elijah appears from nowhere.
圣经没提以利亚的过去。
37. Out of the blue he just pops up on the scene.
他突然出现在舞台上，
38. No background.
没有背景；
39. No family tree.
没有家谱；
40. No qualifications.
没有资格；
41. No explanations.
没有解释；
42. Elijah just appears.
以利亚就这样出现了。
43. Here’s what I want to communicate with you today.
这就是我今天想要告诉你的信息：
44. If you want to be effective for God,
你如果想要被神所用；
45. If you want to make a difference for God,
你想要为神改变些什么；
46. If you want God to use you in a mighty way,
你想要神大大地使用你；
47. Listen carefully to how God works.
请仔细听我讲讲神的做事法则。
48. I want to tell you on the outset that God is not impressed with what impresses people.
我想首当其冲的就是：神不以人所爱慕的为爱慕；
49. God is not moved by what moves people.
神不以人所感动的为感动；
50. God does not judge people the way we judge them.
神不以人所论断的为判断；
51. God has a different set of criteria by which he works for each of us.
神有一套完全不同的准则，而祂就是照着这准则来对待我们的。
52. Each of us is different and he uses each of us in a different way.
每个人都不同，祂以不同的方式用我们。
53. It is the prayer of my heart that when you hear these messages.
盼望当你听到这些信息时，
54. Your life will be effective for God.
你的生命会为神所用。
55. The reason God was able to use a man like Elijah or a woman like Esther.
神之所以能用以利亚或是以斯帖这样的人，
56. Is because they were willing to step forward.
乃是因为他们肯为神站出来；
57. They were willing to get out of their comfort zone.
是因为他们愿意走出自己安逸的空间；
58. They were willing to be used of God.
是因为他们愿意被神所用；
59. They were willing to be melted down for Jesus’ sake.
是因为他们愿意为耶稣的缘故软化顺服。
60. Let me tell you a word about King Ahab before I get back to Elijah.
在看以利亚之前，让我们先来聊聊亚哈王。
61. I cannot leave him out.
我不能不谈谈这个人，
62. Ahab is an important element in these series of messages and you will see him popping up again, and again.
亚哈在这一系列信息中是个重要角色，他时不时会登场露面。
63. King Ahab was probably the most wicked king in Israel.
亚哈王大概是以色列历史上最坏的王了，
64. But that was not his only problem.
但并不只是他一个人的原因。
65. He married a woman from Sidon, the daughter of the king of Sidon.
他娶了西顿王的女儿耶洗别为妻，
66. And she was more wicked than her husband, King Ahab.
而这个女人比她的丈夫亚哈王还要坏。
67. But Ahab had another problem.
但亚哈还有另一个问题，
68. He was a first-class wimp.
他是一个超级懦弱的人，
69. And he did not have a spine in him.
没有主心骨。
70. But yet there was another problem.
还有另外一个问题，
71. Jezebel had a superior mind to that of her husband.
耶洗别控制她丈夫的思想，
72. Some have named Jezebel the Lady Mac Beth of the Old Testament.
有些人称耶洗别为旧约里的慈禧太后。
73. Back to Ahab.
再回来谈谈亚哈王。
74. Ahab thought that he knew better than his fathers.
亚哈自以为比父辈们要聪明，
75. So instead of marrying a godly, Jewish woman.
所以他没有娶一个敬虔的犹太女人为妻，
76. Ahab decided to marry a worshipper of Baal, the god of the Phoenicians.
乃是娶了一个敬拜非尼基人之神巴力的女子。
77. There are so many Christians who bring pain to themselves when they marry non-Christians.
有好多人与不信的人结婚，带给自己无限的痛苦。
78. I want to tell you something important.
我要告诉你一件很重要的事，
79. You can do whatever you want to do with your life as long as you know that the Scripture could not be more clear on this issue.
你可以自由自在地生活，只要你明白圣经对此事的说明是再清楚不过了。
80. God’s word says,
神说：
81. Do not be yoked together with unbelievers.
信与不信的不可同负一轭。
82. It’s in II Corinthians 6:14.
是在哥林多后书 6：14。
83. This was not just Paul’s suggestion.
这并不只是保罗的建议，
84. Paul was telling us what the whole Bible was telling us.
保罗乃是在告诉我们，整本圣经要告诉我们的道理。
85. Paul was merely expounding on God’s command to his people not to marry a non-believer.
保罗仅仅只是在重申，神不许祂的百姓与不信的人结合的命令。
86. Jezebel was an intense worshipper of Baal.
耶洗别是巴力的狂热崇拜者，
87. And instead of Ahab converting her, she converted him.
不是亚哈改变她的信仰，而是她改变了亚哈。
88. This is often the case.
事情往往就是这样。
89. Jezebel worshipped Baal, the god of the Phoenicians, who is a symbol of Satan.
耶洗别所敬拜的非尼基人的神巴力，乃是撒但的象征。
90. But what did the people of God do.
但神的子民是怎么做的呢？
91. They danced with Baal and worshipped Baal.
他们侍奉敬拜巴力，
92. They disobeyed God and they lost their privilege as God’s people forever and for good.
他们悖逆了神，也就从此丧失了神子民的身份。
93. And that is why in the fullness of time.
这就是为什么当时候满足时，
94. God sent his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.
神就差祂的独生子主耶稣基督来，
95. And now the church of Jesus Christ is the chosen people.
而如今耶稣基督的教会就是祂的选民。
96. Baal was the god of power without righteousness.
巴力是邪恶力量的代表，
97. Baal was the god of lust without love.
巴力是放荡不懂爱的代表。
98. Baal was a-moal and immoral god.
巴力是一个又罪恶，又有点道德的神。
99. Baal had a bad side and a good side.
他有坏的一面，也有好的一面。
100. And the people never knew which side they were dealing with.
而人们永远不知道他们是在面对哪一面。
101. Listen carefully my dear friend.
亲爱的朋友，请仔细听我说。
102. I want to tell you something very important.
我要告诉你一件非常重要的事，
103. And it comes from my heart.
这是我的肺腑之言。
104. There is a little Baal in every one of our hearts.
在我们每个人的心里都有一个小小的巴力；
105. There is a little shrine in every one of our hearts.
在我们每一个人心里都有一个小小的神龛。
106. And God has been telling you to deal with that Baal.
当神告诉我们要去对付那个巴力时，
107. No, God is not telling you to pray about it.
神不是要你为之祷告。
108. No, God is not telling you to fast about it.
神不是要你为之禁食。
109. No, God is not telling you to read books about it.
神不是要你多读一些有关的书。
110. No, God is not telling you to understand the background of it and how you came where you are.
神也不是要你了解事情的来龙去脉。
111. No.
绝对不是。
112. God wants you to exterminate it.
神乃是要你立即终止这行为，
113. You know what it is.
你自己知道是哪一种行为。
114. Maybe it is a lust that has not been conquered.
也许这是没有胜过的情欲；
115. Maybe it is the lying spirit that is forever shading the truth.
也许这是永远遮蔽真理的撒谎的灵；
116. Maybe it is a habit that you need to overcome.
也许这是你需要克服的一个习惯；
117. Maybe it is a relationship that has no place in your life.
也许这是你生命中不该有的一段关系。
118. And God has been saying to you.
而神一直在对你说，
119. Deal with that little Baal.
对付这个小巴力；
120. Deal with those little shrines.
对付那小小的神龛；
121. Destroy them.
拆毁它们。
122. I pray that you will do so today.
盼望你今天就能这么做，
123. For if you do what Israel did and keep on tolerating that Baal in your life.
因为如果你像以色列人一样，继续容忍巴力在你的生命中存留，
124. Or keep on feeding it.
或是继续喂养它，
125. Or keep on flirting with it.
或是继续和它打情骂俏，藕断丝连，
126. It can prove to be your undoing.
这就会成为你灭亡的原因。
127. Little Baals in our lives are like gas leaks in a room.
我们生命中的小巴力就好像一间屋子漏煤气一样，
128. It leaks just a little bit every day until it is ignited.
每天漏一点点，直到点燃爆炸的那一天。
129. And a small spark will send the roof up in flames.
一个小小的火星就可以掀翻屋顶，
130. And this is exactly what happened in Israel at this time.
这就是当时发生在以色列的情况。
131. For years, Israel flirted with Baal and the worshippers of Baal.
许多年来，以色列民与巴力胶合，侍奉敬拜它。
132. When Jezebel came from Phoenicia,
当耶洗别从非尼基来到以色列，
133. Bringing her gods with her.
她带着自己的神，
134. The whole nation of Israel plunged into immorality.
而整个以色列也就这样陷入了败坏的罪恶之中。
135. Back to Elijah.
再回来看以利亚，
136. Elijah the man who came from nowhere.
圣经里没说以利亚这个人是从哪来的，
137. His name means Jehovah is my God.
他的名字的意思是耶和华是我的神。
138. In Matthew 27:46 and 47,
在马太福音 27：46-47中，
139. When Jesus hung on the cross,
耶稣被钉在十字架上。
140. He said, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabak teni
他说：以罗伊，以罗伊，拉马萨巴各大尼。
141. And the people said, he is calling Elijah.
有人在说他是在叫以利亚，
142. This same Elijah was given the awesome task of confronting immorality and compromise in Israel.
就是这个以利亚身负重任，要指出以色列民的罪恶和他们的妥协。
143. When you think about it, I don’t know whether I want to take that responsibility.
仔细想想，我都不知道自己是否会接受这个使命。
144. Let us look at how God told him how to do it.
让我们来看看，神告诉他怎样做的。
145. Verse 1.
第一节，
146. Elijah confronts the evil in society by confronting the leadership.
以利亚从对付领袖开始，来对付社会的罪恶。
147. And I want to tell you tonight that there is no home, there is no business, there’s no organization or a church that will rise above its leadership.
今天我要告诉你的是，世上没有哪一个家庭、公司、组织或是教会，可以不理会它的领袖的。
148. Elijah looked at Ahab and said,
以利亚看着亚哈王，说：
149. As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew, nor rain in the next few years, except at my word.
我指着所侍奉永生耶和华以色列的神起誓，这几年我若不祷告，必不降露，不下雨。
150. Then the Lord says something very curious to Elijah after that.
然后耶和华就对以利亚说了一些很令人好奇的话，
151. After Elijah had just delivered his message, God says to him.
以利亚传达完信息后，神对他说：
152. Turn eastward and hide in the Charis Ravine east of Jordan.
你离开这里，往东去，藏在约旦河东边的基立溪旁，
153. You will drink from the brook and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there.
你要喝那溪里的水，我已吩咐乌鸦在那里供养你。
154. Well, some of you may be wondering, why the dew?
也许我们有些人已经开始在奇怪，为什么是露水呢？
155. We understand the rain, but not the dew.
我们可以明白不下雨，但为什么连露水都没有呢？
156. In that particular land, they get about 1/50 of an inch of dew every morning which coats the grass and the plants.
在那块特别的土地上，每早晨都会降下0.02寸的露水，滋润草地和植物，
157. That’s what gave the greenery life.
这露水维持了绿色植物的生命；
158. If it were not for the dew there would be no vegetation.
如果没有露水，就没有菜蔬，
159. Everything would die.
所有植物都会死。
160. Yet the man of God said, there will be no dew or rain for years.
然而，神的仆人却说，很多年都不会再有雨露。
161. Why?
为什么？
162. God sent him message through Elijah to prove Jehovah and not Baal of the Phoenicians is the living God.
神借着以利亚传达一个信息：非尼基人的神巴力不是神，唯有耶和华是永生神。
163. Can you imagine Elijah taking that message to King Ahab.
你能不能想象，当以利亚把这个信息转达亚哈王时的情形？
164. And there Ahab and Jezebel and the members of the court and the prophets of Baal sitting together.
而当时亚哈和耶洗别，还有国中的大臣和巴力的先知们都在场。
165. Elijah walks in and he makes a pronouncement.
以利亚进去，并发表了以上的宣言。
166. The God before whom I stand.
我站在永生神的面前，
167. Literally it says, there will be no rain.
我实实在在告诉你，必没有雨水落在地上。
168. I can imagine after he left, Ahab and his cronies probably looked at each other and laughed.
我可以想象他走以后，亚哈和他的狐党们也许相视暴笑不已。
169. Elijah probably looked bad, smelled bad, and dressed bad, and talked bad.
他看起来也许相貌穷酸，臭气熏天，痴言乱语。
170. I imagine that they laughed at his simplicity.
我可以想象，他们一定嘲笑他的痴人说梦。
171. But I want to tell you something very important.
但我想请你注意一件很重要的事，
172. They did not laugh for too long.
他们并没有高兴太久，
173. Within a short period of time.
很快，
174. They were looking for him everywhere.
他们就开始四处寻找他，
175. They went on all-out search for him.
他们倾巢出动去搜寻他。
176. They could not find him
他们找不到他，
177. Because God was hiding Elijah.
因为神将以利亚隐藏起来。
178. I’m going to tell you more about how God hides his faithful servant in the next broadcast.
下一次节目，我就会继续来讲，神是怎样隐藏他忠实的仆人的。
179. Until the next time, I wish you God’s richest blessing.
愿神大大赐福你，再会。
