2016年1月12日
持守！ Hold On!
读经: 啟示錄3章7-13節
Reading: Revelation 3:7-13
我必快來，你要持守你所有的。-啟示錄3章11節
I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have.- Revelation 3:11
全年读经: 創世記29-30章;馬太福音9章1-17節
Bible in a Year: Genesis 29–30; Matthew 9: 1-17
我有一個朋友，他是個在德州牧場長大的牛仔。我覺得他說話很有意思，我最喜歡的一句是：「香濃的咖啡，不需要用太多水。」若有人遇到困難，或是將繩索套在公牛上卻無法應付時，我的朋友就會大聲喊道：「緊緊抓住！」意思就是說：「救星快到了！不要放手！」
在啟示錄中，我們讀到寫給亞細亞七個教會的書信 （2-3章） 。上帝給初代教會的信息充滿著鼓勵、責備和挑戰，今天這些話語也同樣教導我們。
在這些書信中，曾經有兩次提到「持守你所有的」。上帝對推雅推喇教會說：「但你們已經有的，總要持守，直等到我來」 （2章25節） 。對非拉鐵非教會，祂說：「我必快來，你要持守你所有的，免得人奪去你的冠冕」 （3章11節） 。當時的信徒們面臨極大的考驗和逼迫，他們緊緊抓住上帝的應許，堅持對上帝的信心。
當我們面對困境，哀傷愁苦多過喜樂時，耶穌對我們大聲說：「持守你所有的，緊緊抓住！救星快到了！」這應許使我們持守信仰，常常喜樂。
主啊，我們緊緊抓住祢的應許，
期盼祢再來，以信心持守，
我們要說：「主耶穌啊，我願祢來！」
基督再來的應許讓我們信心堅定。
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A cowboy friend of mine who grew up on a ranch in Texas has a number of colorful sayings. One of my favorites is "It don't take much water to make good coffee." And when someone ropes a steer too big to handle or is in some kind of trouble, my friend will shout, "Hold everything you've got!" meaning "Help is on the way! Don't let go!"
In the book of Revelation we find letters to "the seven churches in the province of Asia" (chs. 2–3). These messages from God are filled with encouragement, rebuke, and challenge, and they speak to us today just as they did to the first-century recipients.
Twice in these letters we find the phrase, "Hold on to what you have." The Lord told the church at Thyatira, "Hold on to what you have until I come" (2:25). And to the church in Philadelphia He said, "I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown" (3:11). In the midst of great trials and opposition, these believers clung to God's promises and persevered in faith.
When our circumstances are harsh and sorrows outnumber joys, Jesus shouts to us, "Hold everything you've got! Help is on the way!" And with that promise, we can hold on in faith and rejoice.
Lord, we cling to Your promise, expect Your return, and hold on with confidence as we say, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus!"
The promise of Christ's return calls us to persevere in faith.