3月20日 努力进入神的国
努力进入神的国
基督徒越靠近天国，就越会有仇敌想要欺骗他的灵魂，偷走他荣耀的冠冕。
在审判之日，若那些魔鬼与世上的权贵能披上卑微奴隶的衣服来领受判决，牠们必会感到万分庆幸。在那一天，牠们所有的头衔、尊荣与财富都不再被视为荣耀，反而成了牠们永远的羞辱与沉沦的证物。
我毫不怀疑——你也不该怀疑——撒但的权势使进天国这件事变得更加艰难。若魔鬼如此强大，而通往天国的道路上又挤满了牠派来捣乱的帮凶，那么我们要想将旌旗插在新耶路撒冷的城墙上，必定要付出代价。若你看见有人独自一人，毫无防备地踏上一段险恶的长途旅行，你会判定他以为路上没有强盗，你也会质疑他的智慧。许多自称基督徒的人也是这样上路的：他们声称要去天国，却几乎不愿与圣徒同行，好像旅途中不需要属灵团契一样！他们大多毫无防备，身上没有半点军装的样子；另一些人则挥舞着一些虚无缥缈，指望神怜悯的“幻想”，却连一处经文都拿不出来作为弹药。这样的“盼望”不过是一把生锈的手枪，等愚昧人想用它自卫时，子弹只会会打在他自己脸上。
这些人当中，有许多在世俗的标准下极其成功，但他们在地上得到财富的过程，绝不像他们想象中的“得天国”那样不费吹灰之力。他们深知，财富不是睡出来的，养家糊口也不是把手插在口袋里闲站着就能做到的。在通向成功的路上走得越远，想要欺骗你的骗子就越多。同样，基督徒越靠近天国，就越会有仇敌想要欺骗他的灵魂，偷走他荣耀的冠冕。你要牢牢记住这一点：你永远无法独自一人抵挡撒但，更无法与撒但联手来对抗神；但你若与基督联合，就必能脱离“自我的私欲”与“撒但的权势”这双重的辖制。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：出31章，约10章，
个人灵修：箴7章，加6章
MARCH 20, FRIDAY
PRESSING INTO THE KINGDOM
The closer the Christian gets to heaven, the more there are who will try to cheat his soul and steal his crown.
Happy would devils be, and happy would worldly potentates be, if at the judgment they could appear in the garb of some poor slave to receive their sentence. On that day, all their titles and dignity and riches will be read no longer for their honor, but for their eternal shame and damnation.
I do not doubt—nor should you—that Satan’s power makes it harder to gain heaven. If the devil is so mighty and the way to heaven so crowded with his mischief-makers, then surely it will cost us something before we can display our banners on the walls of the new Jerusalem. If you see someone taking a long, treacherous journey alone and unprotected, you conclude he expects no thieves on the road and you might well question his wisdom. Many pretenders to Christianity travel in a similar fashion. They tell you they are on their way to heaven, yet they show little inclination to travel in the company of the saints—as if they had no need of fellowship on the journey! Most of them go unfortified, without anything even resembling armor. Others brandish some vain, flighty hopes of the mercy of God, without so much as a single Scripture for ammunition. Such “hope” is a rusty pistol and will fly in the fool’s face when he tries to use it.
These men, many of whom are highly successful by the world’s standards, never got their earthly fortunes with so little effort as they expect to get to heaven. They know from experience that fortunes are not won while sleeping, nor are families provided for by standing around with their hands in their pockets. The farther along the road to success, the more crooks there are who will try to cheat you. And the closer the Christian gets to heaven, the more there are who will try to cheat his soul and steal his crown of glory if they can. Mark this well: You can never defend yourself alone against Satan; nor with Satan, against God. But align yourself with Christ, and you will be delivered from both self and Satan.