最近和一些弟兄姊妹交通到有关“禁欲主义（asceticism）”。
禁欲主义在不同的历史时期对基督徒的负面影响是不一样的。历史上，禁欲主义曾误导一些对救恩认识不清楚的基督徒偏离对主的真信心，而去走禁欲主义的道路。然而在现今这个时代，偏向这条道路的人并不太多。
但撒旦的手段何其诡诈。在当今这个时代，禁欲主义更常见是以欺骗的反面手法影响基督徒的。大部分现时代的基督徒知道禁欲主义是错的，但由于看不透其实质，却反过来丢弃或轻看主所教导的敬虔生活的操练，以为那样做是禁欲主义。
换言之，仇敌先用禁欲主义来引诱那肉体骄傲的人偏离信心，但如果这一招不好使，仇敌又会反过来假装否定禁欲主义，来诽[……]
「我賜給你們一條新命令，乃是叫你們彼此相愛；我怎樣愛你們，你們也要怎樣相愛。」 约翰福音13:1:
主日在擘饼时，心被主的爱摸到。
属主的人都知道那晚主对门徒所说的。主当着门徒的面向着父做了儿子的祷告。主向着 神为我们的缘故做了大祭司的祷告。在此之前，主一定有无数次独自做类似的祷告。但那晚的祷告不仅有其最终最深的含义，而且是和门徒们一起祷告的。
除了祷告，主亲口对门徒表达了他对门徒们的爱。
主爱门徒是个事实。他一直就爱他们的。但仔细读福音书的人都会注意到，主很少直接给门徒表达他爱他们。那晚是何等的特殊。主并非借景生情，就说出了对门徒们的爱。主是特意设立了逾越节的宴席，就是为了要告诉他们[……]
“逾越節以前，耶穌知道自己離世歸父的時候到了。他既然愛世間屬自己的人，就愛他們到底。”约翰福音13:1:
主日在擘饼时，心被主的爱摸到。属主的人都知道那晚主为门徒所做的。主亲自设立了逾越节的宴席，为了要表达他对门徒们的爱。主在期间亲手为门徒们洗脚。主设立了饼和杯。主向着父做了儿子的祷告。主向着 神为我们的缘故做了大祭司的祷告。主向门徒告别。
但主自己知道祂第三天要复活，马上再见到门徒，却为何要在那晚那样的慎重呢？
曾有个基督徒对擘饼聚会不解，问，主都已经复活了，你们为什么总要擘饼、擘饼，还说要纪念主的死呢？
你这蒙主恩典的人，除了知道擘饼聚会是主的命令之外，你自己以为如何呢？
主在那[……]
深夜仍无法入睡，就安静来到主面前。还没有来得及祷告倾吐，竟先被主的爱所充满、覆盖了。
圣灵向着我的心讲出新年初的勉励。
勉励。年初时节，勉励几乎是习俗了，善意的人们都会讲出勉励的话语。自勉，互勉，共勉。人的勉励都是以人的愿望为基础的。即使是最真诚的勉励，也是如此。
但是那天在聚会时所唱的一首诗歌，圣灵却道出在基督里的勉励。
“愿人人都能在，主来时向祂说：当跑路已跑尽，所信道已守住，美好仗已打过。愿人人都能从，主那里听见说：又良善、又忠心，可进入我喜乐，可同登我宝座。”
在基督里的勉励。你若听到了圣灵亲口的勉励，你就知道这并非简单是基督徒用属灵的话和圣经上的话语彼此勉励。我们是何等地容[……]
“…the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying: ‘You are worthy, O Lord, To receive glory and honor and power; For You created all things, And by Your will they exist and were created.’”[……]
A brother half-jokingly told about a dream his college-freshman daughter had. The world was coming to an end, and she was glad, because she would no longer need to go to school.
Although the young college student’s dream was a bit humorous, I felt it was a very realistic dream and tells a great par[……]
Abide with me, fast falls the even tide,
The darkness deepens, Lord with me abide,
When other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, O abide with me.
My heart has been repeatedly touched and blessed by this song written by Henry F. Lyte (1793-1847) in 1847: Although this song[……]
This is the last chapter of the book of Romans. Paul sends many personal salutations to the saints in Rome. Paul had never visited the Christian assembly in Rome before he wrote the letter (which became the book of Romans). Yet he knew many of them individually and his heart dwelled on them. These[……]
“We then who are strong ought to bear with the scruples of the weak, and not to please ourselves.” Romans 15:1:
A dear brother in the Lord once confided how difficult and unreasonable one of his siblings was. Every complaint of the brother was more than justified, because his sibling was indeed no[……]