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甲部
1. Hello our listening friends and welcome to this broadcast.
亲爱的朋友，你好，欢迎你。
2. We are glad that you have tuned in to listen to this program.
很高兴你收听这个节目。
3. We are coming very close to concluding our series of messages on the life of Abraham.
我们讲亚伯拉罕的生平已近尾声了。
4. And I want to begin by telling you about a well-known fact.
首先，我想告诉你一件大家都知道的事实。
5. And that is that all of the ancient gods and goddesses and their modern manifestations... have one common message.
古今中外的满天神佛，都传达着一个共同的信息。
6. The message is one word.
这信息只有一个中心。
7. SELF.
就是“自我”。
8. Whether you turn this message sideways or upside down…
无论你将这信息如何千变万化，
9. whether you dress it up in religious dress... or put it in a secular suit,
无论你把它用宗教或世俗的外衣如何地包装，
10. whether you cover it up... or you display it...
无论你将它隐藏或是公开，
11. whether you look at it in its essence... or in one of it’s many forms,
无论你从它的本质或是从它许多形态中之一来看，
12. the goddess of self... is at the core of all rebellion.
将自我神化，是一切反叛的核心。
13. The goddess of self... is at the very root of all unbelief.
将自我神化，是一切不信的根源。
14. Self is often frantically trying to unseat the living God from His rightful place in our lives.
“自我”总是想尽办法要把神从我们生命中应有的地位上赶下来。
15. Self is forever demanding our allegiance...
“自我”永远要求我们对它忠诚。
16. demanding our time...
要求我们的时间。
17. demanding our energy...
要求我们的精力。
18. self is forever demanding our money...
“自我”也总是要求我们的金钱。
19. and our attention.
以及我们的注意力。
20. A modern day prophetess of the Religion of Self said the following:
一位崇尚自我宗教的现代女先知说：
21. “The most pleasurable journey you can take is through your self...”
“最开心的旅程就是能随心所欲，
22. “The only sustaining love involvement is with yourself...”
唯一持久的爱就是对自己的爱。”
23. When you look back on your life and try to figure out where you have been and where you are going…”
当你回顾你的一生，想想你曾何去何从，”
24. she continues to say “when you examine all of that closely...”
她接着说：“当你仔细思考，
25. “what you really find out is that the only person that matters is yourself.”
你会发现最重要的就是你自己。”
26. End of quote.
这就是她所说的。
27. As this religion of self is constantly preached throughout the movies and through television...
这个崇尚自我的宗教，不断借着电影和电视来传播信息，
28. you will find that even church goers have developed a sentimental type of self-centered Christianity.
你会发现什至在某些基督徒的心中，也因着感情用事而形成一套自我中心的基督教信仰。
29. Because of the incredible impact of this type of message of divine self,
因为这种将自我神化的信息，就像一股难以想象的浪潮冲激着我们，
30. today’s Christians have shaped an image of God that is more like “self” than the God of the Bible.
以至于在今天基督徒的心目中，塑造出一种神的形像，更像自我而不像圣经里的神。
31. Yet God’s design... and God’s desire... is for Christians to have a true Biblical perspective.
然而神的计划，及神的旨意是要基督徒遵从圣经的真理。
32. God’s design... and God’s desire is for us to know Him as He has revealed Himself to us...
神的计划，及神的旨意是要我们按照祂所启示的来认识祂，
33. and not the way that we would like Him to be.
并不是我们自己心目中所塑造的神。
34. God’s design... and God’s desire... is that we may know Him... love Him... and worship Him…
神的计划，及祂的旨意是要我们认识祂，爱祂，并敬拜祂。
35. even if we don’t understand all that He does.
纵使我们不明白祂所作的一切。
36. God’s design... and God’s desire... is for us to obey Him and to trust Him...
神的计划，及祂的旨意，是要我们顺服和信靠祂。
37. even when His ways and means are not fathomable to our puny brains.
纵使我们小小的头脑不能测透神做事的方法。
38. For those of you joining this broadcast for the first time,
如果你这是第一次收听这个节目，
39. we have come to the end of the study of Abraham.
我们研究亚伯拉罕的生平，已接近尾声了。
40. Today, we are going to find that God puts Abraham to the test.
今天，我们要看神如何考验亚伯拉罕。
41. It is a test we do not fully comprehend...
这个考验，我们无法完全明了。
42. a test that we can’t fully understand...
这个考验，我们无法完全理解。
43. but it is a test that has magnificent results.
但这个考验却有伟大而高贵的结果。
44. Today, Abraham graduates with a spiritual doctorate of philosophy.
如今亚伯拉罕终于可以毕业，取得属灵的博士学位。
45. Abraham passed Elementary school when he finally left Haran and went to Bethel.
当年，亚伯拉罕毅然离开哈兰去伯特利时，等于是小学毕业。
46. Then he passed Middle School and the adolescent years when He came out of Egypt.
当他离开埃及时，就好像进入青春期，刚刚初中毕业。
47. Then he graduated from High School when he let his nephew Lot go his own way.
当他让侄儿罗得自由选择他所要走的方向时，亚伯拉罕算是从高中毕业了。
48. In college, Abraham learned that the “Do-It-Yourself” type of religion was useless... and painful.
在属灵的大学里，亚伯拉罕领悟到，在信仰上“一切靠自己”不但徒劳无功，而且是极其痛苦的。
49. So after graduating from college... he went through 13 years of a spiritual slump.
因此，当他从大学毕业后，他经历了13年属灵的低潮。
50. In post-graduate school, he went through the test of letting Ishmael and Hagar go.
后来他接受硕士班考试，也就是让以实玛利和夏甲离开他。
51. And today, we see Abraham finally coming through his comprehensive examinations with flying colors.
今天，我们要看亚伯拉罕经历最后的考验，并获得了极优异的成绩。
52. Turn with me to Genesis 22 and verse 1.
请翻到创世记22章第1节。
53. And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham,
(Gen 22:1a KJV)
这些事以后，神要试验亚伯拉罕。
54. What is “After these things.”
“这些事以后”，指的是什么？
55. Everything in Abraham’s life has been building up to this moment of testing.
过去亚伯拉罕生命中所遭遇的一切，都是要装备他接受这一刻的考验。
56. My listening friends, please listen carefully.
亲爱的朋友，请留心听着。
57. There is no doubt that God wants to mature His people.
神愿意祂的子民不断长进趋向成熟，这是无可置疑的。
58. And, the way He does that...
祂使用的方法就是，
59. by permitting testing in our lives.
容许我们的生命里有考验。
60. Now, if I was in charge... and not God... I would exempt all Christians from trials and testing.
如果是由我代替神作决定的话，我会免除一切基督徒的考验。
61. I would have spared believers any trouble.
我会免去基督徒所有的烦恼。
62. My reasoning would be this simple.
我的理由很简单，
63. We could win more friends that way.
这样，我们可以广得人心，有更多的朋友。
64. We could win more disciples that way.
有更多的人成为门徒。
65. It was Saint Theresa who was quoted to have said to the Lord:
特蕾莎修女曾这样对主祷告说：
66. “If that is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few!”
“如果这就是你对待朋友之道，难怪你的朋友寥寥无几！”
67. Again my friends, please listen carefully.
亲爱的朋友，请再留心听着。
68. A trouble free life is not the way God matures His saints.
没有烦恼的生命，不能使圣徒成熟。
69. We must go through the valley of testing in order to get to the mountain of triumph.
我们必须经历考验的低谷，才能到达胜利的高峰。
70. We must go through Gethsemane in order to experience the resurrection.
我们必须先经过客西马尼园，才会有死而复活的经历。
71. We must endure the cross if we are to receive the crown.
我们必须忍受过十字架的痛苦，才可以接受荣耀的冠冕。
72. Testing is not a strange thing for the Saints of God.
对神的圣徒来说，“考验”不足为怪。
73. Many Christians have grown comfortable and filled with false sentimentality about the Christian faith.
许多基督徒在舒适的环境中成长，他们的信心只是些虚幻的感情。
74. They talk about loving God... and yet are not willing to give up anything, let alone everything, for him.
他们谈论如何爱神，却不愿意为神放弃任何事物，更别提“全然奉献”了。
75. For Abraham... “everything” was a five letter word...
对亚伯拉罕来说，他所有的一切就是，
76. ISAAC.
以撒。
77. Isaac... the child of promise.
以撒是神应许给他的儿子。
78. Isaac... the child of his old age.
以撒是他年老时所生的儿子。
79. Isaac... the hope of his future.
以撒是他对未来的希望。
80. Isaac... the treasure of his life.
以撒是他生命的珍宝。
81. Isaac... the child for whom Abraham waited 25 years.
以撒是亚伯拉罕等了25年才生下的儿子。
82. In verse 1 of chapter 22 “After these things”
在创世记22章第1节说：“这些事以后”，
83. You see, Abraham must have focused on Isaac.
要知道，这时的亚伯拉罕必定是将一切注意力都集中在以撒身上。
84. Abraham must have poured all of his hopes and dreams and aspirations on Isaac.
亚伯拉罕将所有的希望、梦想和期盼都寄托在以撒身上。
85. Abraham must have been obsessed with Isaac.
亚伯拉罕的全副心思都被以撒占据了。
86. Abraham must have made an idol out of Isaac.
亚伯拉罕什至把以撒当作他心中的偶像。
87. Let me tell you a fact.
让我告诉你一件事实。
88. God does not like to be in second place.
神不喜悦人把祂放在第二位上，
89. Either He is in first place or He is in no place at all.
祂要不是居首位，就是毫无地位。
90. Someone said to me years ago:
几年前，有人对我说：
91. “I cannot comprehend that God would ask anyone to do such a terrible thing!”
“我不能理解神怎么会叫人做那么恐怖的事！”
92. I understood how he felt... who wouldn’t?
我明白他的感受，谁不觉得恐怖呢？
93. But my answer to him was this.
但我的答案是：
94. Abraham lived at a time when human sacrifice was accepted.
亚伯拉罕所处的社会，以人为祭牲是当时的风俗。
95. It was a common practice among the pagan nations that surrounded him.
在他周围那些不信真神的民族当中，这是很惯常的做法。
96. What Abraham did not know was that his God wouldn’t require him to offer his son as a burnt offering... like the other gods.
亚伯拉罕并不知道，神其实不是要求他将自己的儿子烧为祭牲，就像拜其他神的宗教仪式那样；
97. Abraham did not know that His God was only testing him.
亚伯拉罕并不知道，神只是想考验他。
98. Listen to what God said,
听听神怎样说：
99. "Take your son, “
你带着你的儿子，
SECTION B
乙部
1. your only son,
就是你独生的儿子，
2. Isaac,
以撒，
3. whom you love,
你所爱的，
4. and go to the region of Moriah.
往摩利亚地去，
5. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."
在我所要指示你的山上，把他献为燔祭。
6. I cannot imagine any knife that could cut any deeper into a Father’s heart... like these words.
我很难想象，这些话刺透一位父亲的心，所造成的创伤有多深。
7. But what is truly amazing here is that there is no evidence that Abraham argued with God.
但很奇怪，这里完全没有提到亚伯拉罕与神有任何争论。
8. Any one of us would have said many things.
如果是我们，任何一个人都会有许多话说。
9. “Wait a minute Lord!”
“主啊！慢着！”
10. “Do you know what you are saying?”
“你说什么？”
11. “This is the son of the promise!”
“这可是你应许给我的儿子啊！”
12. “Lord, I have a thousand rams... I give them all to you.”
“主啊！我有一千只羊，全部都献给你。”
13. “Lord, I have thousands of heads of cattle, they are all yours... take them!”
“主啊！我有一千头牛，都给你了，拿去吧！”
14. Or “Lord, take me, I have lived all these years, take my life instead.”
或者说：“主啊，让我来吧，我活得够久了，用我的命顶替吧！”
15. “Lord, do you understand the implication here?”
“主啊，你到底明不明白其中的涵义呀？”
16. “Lord, your promise will go down the drain.”
“主啊，你的应许岂不是付诸东流了吗？”
17. “Lord, your reputation will be marred in the land.”
“主啊，你的名誉将受到损害。”
18. “Lord, my testimony will be tarnished forever.”
“主啊，我为你所作的见证就从此失色了。”
19. Yet none of that seemed to be Abraham’s response.
然而事实上，亚伯拉罕并没有这样反应。
20. Abraham’s response was that of submission.
亚伯拉罕的反应只是顺服。
21. Abraham’s response was that of obedience.
亚伯拉罕的反应就是服从。
22. What was his secret?
他的秘诀是什么？
23. Abraham, at this point of his life had learned not to limit God with human experience.
亚伯拉罕在人生这个阶段已经学会了，不以人的经验来限制神。
24. I don’t want you to overlook the little detail of the fact that it was a three days journey.
我希望你不要忽视这短短三天的旅程。
25. It is one thing to be assigned a distasteful task... and be able to get it out of the way quickly.
如果你被派去执行一件令人讨厌的任务，最好就是尽快解决它。
26. And it is quite another thing to have to stretch the distasteful task out over a long period of time.
否则，如果将那令人讨厌的任务拖延下去，就会更痛苦。
27. We do not know how Abraham handled the inner pain during those three days.
我们不知道亚伯拉罕在这三天里如何处理他内心的痛苦。
28. We don’t know the level of anguish during those three days... that must have felt like three years.
我们不知道这三天里，亚伯拉罕的焦虑达到什么程度，他很可能度日如年。
29. When they got to the bottom of the mountain, Abraham told the two servants something very curious.
当他们到达山脚时，亚伯拉罕对两个仆人说了些很古怪的话。
30. Verse 5 of chapter 22 of the book of Genesis.
在创世记22章第5节。
31. Let us read it.
让我们读出：
32. He said to his servants, "Stay here with the donkey while I and the boy go over there. We will worship and then we will come back to you."
(Gen 22:5 NIV)
亚伯拉罕对他的仆人说，你们和驴在此等候，我与童子往那里去拜一拜，就回到你们这里来。
33. You notice Abraham used the word “we.”
你留意亚伯拉罕用“我们”这样的字眼。
34. Abraham knew that if Isaac died he would have been resurrected from the dead.
亚伯拉罕知道，就算以撒死了，也必定会从死里复活过来。
35. Abraham believed that the God who rejuvenated Sarah’s dead womb would bring Isaac back to life.
亚伯拉罕相信神既然能够会恢复撒拉生育的能力，祂必定能使以撒复活。
36. Abraham believed that both of them would come back to the servants.
亚伯拉罕相信他们二人必定会回到仆人那里。
37. And that is how strong his faith in God had become.
这就看出如今亚伯拉罕对神的信心如何坚定了。
38. And here, perhaps, we can observe from the human perspective...
或者让我们从人类的角度来看，
39. How both the Father and the Son must have felt when the Son hung on the cross in Calvary.
当神的儿子被挂在迦略山的十字架上时，天父与神子有何感受？
40. And I want you to tune in next time and I will tell you all about the relationship between Abraham and the Cross of Christ.
请你下次继续收听，我会告诉你亚伯拉罕与基督十字架的关系。
41. I don’t want you to miss this very important last message.
请不要错过最后一个非常重要的信息。
42. I will look forward to speaking to in the next broadcast.
我期待着下次节目再与你谈话。
43. Until the next time, I wish you God’s richest blessing.
愿神大大的赐福给你，下次再会！
