8月2日 公义会断送兴盛吗？
公义会断送兴盛吗？
尽管魔鬼的话语如同致命的毒箭，但在属灵争战中，拥有最终发言权的绝不是魔鬼，而是神。
即使撒但投来的第一块石头，即“圣洁会妨碍快乐”这个谎言，没能使你跌倒，牠手中也早已准备好另一块石头。牠绝不是一个毫无经验、只带一发子弹就上阵的猎人；一旦牠发现第一击落空，你就当料到牠会立刻再次瞄准你。
牠的第二个谎言大致如下：“除非你甘愿失去自己辛苦打拼来的一切，否则最好别卷入这种所谓圣洁的生活中。别忘了，还有许多人指望你养活。你只管看看世上那些显赫的人物，他们的财富和地位难道是靠圣洁得来的吗？他们若像你一样良心如此严苛，又被圣洁生活的规条所捆绑，就绝不可能取得今天的成功。如今，你若想获得他们那样的兴盛，首先要做的就是脱下公义的护心镜，或者至少把它解松一点，给你的聪明手段留些施展的余地。不然的话，你还不如直接关门歇业，因为无论你如何苦干，也休想赚到什么利润。”
尽管魔鬼的话语如同致命的毒箭，但在属灵争战中，拥有最终发言权的绝不是魔鬼，而是神。接下来，让我们从神的视角来审视此事的四个方面。
哪怕你身无分文，依然可以飞升天堂；但如果你的内心和生活中缺乏圣洁，你就绝无可能踏入那里。因此，智慧催促你，必须首先顾念这个更为关键、不可或缺的条件。
世上终究有一群余民，只要最终能够抵达天上那荣耀的城，他们便满怀感恩地领受神所赐的救恩。神无须用今世的兴盛或一帆风顺的道路来收买他们，因为他们早已立定心志，无论付上何等代价都要追求圣洁。你根本不必计较自己可能会失去什么。倘若你真心爱神，哪怕需要舍弃整个世界，你也绝不愿与祂分离。
麦琴（麦克谦）读经计划进度
家庭敬拜：士16章，徒20章，
个人灵修：耶29章，可15章
AUGUST 2, SUNDAY
DOES RIGHTEOUSNESS WASTE PROSPERITY?
Although the devil’s words are deadly weapons, he does not have the last word in spiritual warfare—God does.
Even if you did not falter at the first stone Satan hurled—the lie that holiness hinders pleasure—he has another in hand ready to throw at you. He is not such an inexperienced hunter that he goes into battle with a single shot; expect him to aim another at you as soon as he sees that he has missed you with the first one.
Here is how the second runs: “You really should not get involved with this holy kind of life unless, of course, you are willing to lose everything you have worked hard to get. And do not forget, people are depending on you. Just look at the most prominent men in the world—did their wealth and affluence come from being holy? Why, if they had been as strict in their consciences as you are, and tied to the rules of a holy life, they could never have arrived at such success. Now if you want some of their prosperity the first thing you must do is to take off the breastplate of righteousness—or at least unbuckle it so it will hang loose enough to give your ingenuity some room. If you do not, you may as well close up shop, for all the profit you will show for your hard work.”
Although the devil’s words are deadly weapons, he does not have the last word in spiritual warfare—God does. Let us study four facets of it from His point of view.
You can fly to heaven without a penny in your pocket but you will not get there at all without holiness in your heart and life. And wisdom urges you to take care of that more important requirement first.
There is a remnant of people who gratefully accept God’s gift of salvation, if only they can arrive at heaven’s glorious city. And God does not have to bribe them with prosperity and a problem-free walk; they resolve to be holy at all costs. Do not even consider what you might be missing—if you loved God, you would abandon the whole world anyway rather than part with Him.