活在神的國度中Living in God’s Kingdom
[每日靈修] 2/24/2019, 駱鴻銘編譯
上帝的子民一直是朝聖者。若我們活在神的國裏，我們就總是活在被擄的境地中。我們可以恭敬地事奉這世上的政府官員，遵守他們正當的命令。尼希米尊敬國王並為他禱告。在不妥協神的命令的情況下，他在可能的情況下，努力完成公民服從的義務。正如使徒保羅所做的那樣，他努力與眾人和睦相處。
總是有異教徒會像和倫人參巴拉或以弗所的底米丟，企圖破壞上帝的工作。無論是保羅或尼希米都沒有敵視這些異教徒，但他們也沒有與他們結成不聖潔的聯盟。
尼希米也沒有帶領百姓進入曠野，過修道院的隱居生活。耶路撒冷不是一座修道院，而是一座山上的城。重建聖城的任務並不是退出世界的任務。尼希米明白，我們使命的根據地仍然是教會。
如果要有效地執行對世界的使命，神聖行動的臨時集結區（staging zone）必須是安全的。
活在神的面光中（在神面前禱告）：
上帝所賦予你的、向世人傳揚天國的福音的具體角色是什麼？
進一步研讀：
尼四6 這樣，我們修造城牆，城牆就都連絡，高至一半，因為百姓專心做工。
尼六15 以祿月二十五日，城牆修完了，共修了五十二天。 我們一切仇敵、四圍的外邦人聽見了便懼怕，愁眉不展；因為見這工作完成是出乎我們的神。
羅十二18 若是能行，總要盡力與眾人和睦。
Living
in God’s Kingdom
The
people of God are always pilgrims. We are always living in exile if we are
living in the kingdom of God. We may respectfully serve the magistrates of this
world. We may obey their proper commands. Nehemiah honored the king and prayed
for him. He was diligent to give civil obedience where possible without compromising
the commands of God. He sought, as the apostle Paul did, to live at peace with
all men.
There
are always pagans like Sanballat the Horonite or Demetrius of Ephesus who seek
the destruction of the work of God. Neither Paul nor Nehemiah responded to such
pagans with hatred, but neither did they enter into unholy alliances with them.
Neither
did Nehemiah lead a monastic retreat into the wilderness. Jerusalem was not a
monastery, but a city set on a hill. The task of rebuilding the Holy City was
not one of world withdrawal. Nehemiah understood that the home base of our
mission is still the church.
The
staging zone for the divine operation must be sound if the mission to the world
is to be effective.
Coram
Deo
What
is your specific, God-given role in reaching the world with the gospel of the
kingdom?
Passages
for Further Study
Nehemiah
4:6
Nehemiah
6:15–16