1. Hello, listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，你好，
2. What a joy it is for us to know that you are listening to this broadcast;
我们非常高兴你能收听这一期的节目。
3. and, if God is using this broadcast to bless you, we would love to hear from you.
如果神使用这个期节目赐福给你，我们非常希望能听到你的回应。
4. We would love to read your messages, and we read every one of them.
我们很乐意收到你的来信，每一封信我们都仔细地阅读。
5. I want to remind you that we are in the midst of a series of messages entitled, “Looking Up…” when life knocks you down;
今天我们进入到了系列信息的中间部分，题目是：“遭遇挫折，举目仰望。”
6. and it is based on the life of the Apostle Paul.
这信息来自使徒保罗的生命见证。
7. I want to begin by telling you this:
首先让我告诉你：
8. I think most parents want a better life for their children than what they had.
大多数的父母都希望，儿女能过得比自己好。
9. Most parents want to leave an inheritance to their children;
大多数的父母都想为孩子留下一笔遗产；
10. but the truth is this:
但事实上，
11. the greatest inheritance that you can leave your children or your grandchildren
你能留给儿孙的最大遗产，
12. is not money or property.
不是金钱或产业，
13. The greatest inheritance that you can leave your children and grandchildren is modeling to them godliness.
而是把他们塑造成敬畏神的人。
14. I am going to explain what I mean by this.
让我来解释一下。
15. I was left a great spiritual legacy from my mother and her father.
我从我的母亲和外祖父那里，继承了一笔很大的属灵遗产。
16. My grandfather was truly a man of prayer and praise.
我的外祖父是一位真正喜欢祷告和赞美神的人。
17. This man would wake up three, four, five times during the night to praise and thank the Lord.
他可以在晚上醒来三次，四次，甚至五次来赞美和感谢神。
18. You may say, “Maybe, he was a spiritually disciplined man,”
你也许会说，他可能是一个在属灵上很有纪律的人。
19. or, “Perhaps, he had a great deal to bless God for...”
或者，他有很多事可以赞美神……
20. but let me tell you a couple of things.
但让我告诉你一些事情。
21. He lost two of his sons when they were in their thirties.
他接连失去了两个三十几岁的儿子。
22. His partner stole him blind.
他的生意伙伴骗他的钱。
23. His wife died when he was relatively young;
在他还很年青的时候妻子就过世了；
24. and, then, when he was in his eighties, he lost his eldest daughter in her fifties;
在八十几岁的晚年，他又失去了只有五十几岁的大女儿；
25. and, yet, until the day he died, he never ceased getting up in the night to bless the Lord for salvation.
但即使这样，直到他去世，他从没停止夜里醒来赞美救主。
26. Somebody told me some years ago
几年前，有人这样跟我说，
27. that your perception of God has a direct impact on your attitude toward your circumstances.
你对神的理解，会直接影响你对周围环境的态度。
28. How you see God will directly affect whether you are a praising person or a complaining person.
你如何看待神，将直接影响你成为一个乐于赞美的人，还是常常埋怨的人。
29. If you see God as the all-powerful One who loves you dearly, then nothing will get you down.
如果你知道神是那一位深深爱着你的全能主宰，那么，什么事情都不能将你击垮。
30. If you view God as being in total control of all of the circumstances of those who love Him,
如果你意识到，对于爱神的人来说，神就是掌管一切环境的主宰，
31. then nothing is going to hassle you in this life.
那么，在生活中，什么都不能搅扰到你。
32. If you view God as the One who has a perfect plan for your life, then nothing will intimidate you.
如果你意识到，神已为你的生活制定了一套完美的计划，那么什么事都不能威胁到你。
33. If you see God as the One who cares for the minutest details of every area of your life,
如果你意识到神无微不至地关心着你生活的方方面面，
34. then nothing and no one is able to rob you of your joy;
那么，无论是什么人或什么事情，都不能将你的喜乐夺去；
35. but, if you view God as a benevolent dictator that you go to when you want something really big,
但是，如果你只是把神当作一位大慈善家，每当你遇到特别的难处才去找他，
36. then the slightest change in your circumstances will discourage you, disappoint you and intimidate you.
那么，在你周围环境中哪怕最细微的改变都会让你沮丧，失望和恐惧。
37. It all depends on how you perceive God.
这完全取决于你对神的认识。
38. Paul and Silas’ perception of God caused them to rejoice.
保罗和西拉对神的认识让他们喜乐。
39. Their perception of God caused them to sing praises in the middle of the night in solitary confinement in the prison.
他们对神的认识，使他们在监狱寂寞的子夜中唱出赞美诗。
40. Paul and Silas’ perception of God caused them to sing praises to Him when their bodies were racked in pain.
他们对神的认识，让他们在身体遭受刑罚的痛楚中还能唱出赞美诗。
41. Paul and Silas were singing praises to the Lord even though they were falsely accused and maliciously treated.
保罗和和西拉在遭受诬告和酷刑后，仍能唱诗赞美神。
42. I want you to turn with me to verse 25 of Acts 16.
请翻开使徒行传16章25节。
43. There, you find Dr. Luke, inspired by the Holy Spirit, tells us that about midnight, they were praising God.
你会看见路加医生被圣灵感动，告诉我们，在午夜的时候，他们赞美神。
44. You say, “What is so special about midnight?”
你会问：“为什么午夜会这么特别呢？”
45. Now, remember, in the old days, people went to bed right after sundown;
请记住，在古老的年代里，人们是日落而息；
46. and, then, they got up at sunrise
日出而起，
47. because they didn’t have light;
因为他们没有灯光；
48. so, the reason midnight is mentioned, here, is because, at midnight, everything is accentuated.
之所以会提到午夜，是因为在午夜，所有的事情显得更为突出。
49. At midnight is when loneliness is accentuated.
午夜会让人倍感寂寞。
50. At midnight is when fear is accentuated.
午夜让人更加害怕。
51. At midnight is when the smallest problem becomes a giant problem.
午夜会使小问题扩大化。
52. At midnight is when you’re feeling sorry for yourself.
午夜让人感到自怜。
53. Instead of feeling sorry for themselves, Paul and Silas began to be filled with thanksgiving.
但保罗和西拉不但没有自怜，反而充满了感恩。
54. Instead of griping about their lot in life,
不但没有抱怨他们的人生际遇，
55. they were glorifying the greatness and the glories of God.
反而赞美荣耀的天父。
56. Instead of constantly protesting the blatant injustice, they praised God for their salvation.
他们没有抗拒这明显的不公正，而是赞美主所赐下的救恩。
57. When most of us face adversity,
我们大多数人遇到了逆境，
58. we get ourselves in such a muddle that we do not know how to get out of it.
就会让自己陷入一种困惑中不能自拔。
59. When we face difficult circumstances, we don’t know where the “off” button is.
当我们碰到难处，却找不到解决难处的关键。
60. My listening friends, listen to me very carefully, please.
亲爱的朋友，请留意。
61. The “off” button for your difficulty
这个解决你难处的关键，
62. is in praising the name of the Lord in the middle of your pain—not afterward.
就是正当你处在痛苦中，而不是过后，仍能赞美主的名，这就是那关键了。
63. The “off” button is lifting up the name of Jesus in the middle of your trouble.
这个关键就是，当你身陷困境仍能高举主名。
64. The “off” button is in thanksgiving and gratitude to the Lord in the middle of your dilemma.
这个关键就是，当你在迷茫中还能感恩赞美主。
65. The “off” button is in exalting the name of the Lord Jesus in the middle of your difficulty.
这个关键就是，当你在艰难中仍能颂赞主名。
66. Some people say, “All you need to do is just take your eyes off your problem...”
有人说：“你只要转眼不看你的困难就可以了……”
67. but how can you take your eyes off the problem when you are knee deep in it?
但是若你已深陷其中，你又怎能不看呢？
68. The only way to take your eyes off your problem
唯一能让你转移视线的办法，
69. is by focusing on blessing the name of Jesus.
是集中注意力来颂赞主耶稣的荣耀。
70. If Paul and Silas had not understood this important lesson,
如果保罗和西拉没有学会这门重要的功课，
71. they may have spent their time commiserating with each other.
他们就会陷入自怜之中，大部分时间都用来自我安慰。
72. They would have talked about whom should they blame for their trouble.
他们也许会彼此谈论，这些难处究竟应该怪罪谁呢？
73. They would have spent their time wondering what they could have done differently to avoid being in prison,
他们也许会费尽心思来想，如果当初采取别的做法，可能不至于被捕入狱，
74. or, they could have spent their time wondering if they really were in the will of God by coming to Philippi.
他们也许会怀疑，到腓立比来，到底是不是神的旨意呢？
75. Do you know people like that?
你认识这一类的人吗？
76. The moment they face a problem, they say, “You must be out of the will of God.”
当他们一遇到困难就说：“你一定是违背了神的意愿。”
77. If this were the case, Paul would never have preached the Gospel anywhere,
如果是这样的话， 保罗就不会到各处传道了，
78. because, everywhere he went, he faced problems.
因为，他所到之处，都会面临难题。
79. He faced difficulties. He faced persecution and he faced threat to his life;
他要面对困难，面对逼迫，甚至面对生命的威胁；
80. but Paul and Silas knew that the secret of victory is not going around the problem.
但是保罗和西拉知道，得胜的秘诀不是回避难题。
81. Paul and Silas knew that the secret of victory is not the quick fix.
保罗和西拉也知道，得胜的秘诀不是要急促地解决眼前的困难。
82. Paul and Silas knew that the secret of victory was to look the devil in the eye and sing praises to the Lord.
保罗和西拉还知道，得胜的秘诀是，以唱诗赞美主迎向魔鬼的攻击。
83. They knew that the secret of victory was to appropriate the power that God has for them in praising Him.
他们知道得胜的秘诀是，当他们唱诗赞美主的时候，神就赐给他们所需的能力。
84. Paul knew that afflictions produces a far more exceeding, eternal weight of glory;
保罗知道，苦难会带来超越一切价值，存到永恒的荣耀；
85. therefore, he said, “I will rejoice in affliction.”
因此他说：“我在患难中有喜乐。”
86. Nowhere it is documented that Paul and Silas ever prayed to be released.
没有任何的记载表明，保罗和西拉曾祷告求释放。
87. They may have, but it wasn’t recorded here.
也许他们求过，但这里没有提到。
88. They never even asked for an earthquake;
他们更没有祈求，让地震发生；
89. but the earthquake came as they began to praise God at midnight.
但就在他们午夜唱诗赞美神的时候， 地震就发生了。
90. Do you know what causes the devil either joy unspeakable or pain unbelievable?
你知道什么能让魔鬼狂欢或是极度痛苦吗？
91. If you are happy, the devil is miserable.
如果你喜乐，魔鬼就陷入痛苦。
92. If you are miserable, the devil is happy.
如果你陷入痛苦，那魔鬼可就高兴啦。
93. Do you want to know how to make the devil miserable?
你想知道怎样使魔鬼陷入痛苦吗？
94. You make the devil miserable by the way you handle your circumstances.
你是否能让魔鬼痛苦，取决于你如何面对自己的处境。
95. If you always say, “Why did God do this? Why am I suffering so?”
如果你总是说：“为什么神会这样做？为什么我要受苦？”
96. then, Satan and all his demons are rejoicing;
这样，撒但和他的恶魔们就最开心不过了；
97. but, if you say, “This is puzzling. This is painful. This does not make any sense from my point of view,
但是如果你说：“这是 一个谜，这是很痛苦的，这是很难让我理解的，”
98. but I know God promised that He will work all things together for my good because I love Him...”
但我知道，神早已应许过我：“祂会让万事互相效力，让爱神的人得益处……”
99. 100) and, then, you begin to bless the name of Jesus,
这样，你就可以开口赞美耶稣之名，说：
100. saying, “He is my Rock. He is my Deliverer. He is my Fortress.
“祂是我的盘石，我的拯救，我的山寨。
101. He is everything to me and I will trust Him.”
祂是我的所有，我信任祂。”
102. When you do this, you make the devil miserable,
你能这样作，就会让魔鬼陷入痛苦，
103. because Satan knows there is power that you can only experience when you are able to bless the name of God.
因为撒但知道，有一种大能，唯有当你赞美主名的时候才能经历到。
104. Please listen carefully.
请你注意。
105. There is power in praising the name of the Lord;
赞美主名的时候就有能力；
106. but that’s not all,
还不仅于此，
107. because the Scripture teaches that there is even greater power in praising the name of Jesus in the midst of your pain-
圣经教导我们，在苦难当中赞美主名，就会得到更大的能力……
108. far greater power than you thought possible.
这种大能超出你的所思所想。
109. There is power available to you when you bless the name of the Lord in the midst of confusing circumstances.
你在困境中赞美主名，就会有一种能力临到你。
110. Look at verse 26.
请看使徒行传16章26节。
111. As Paul and Silas praise God, an earthquake hits the town of Philippip;
当保罗和西拉赞美主的时候，腓立比城发生了地震；
112. and the Bible said that it shook the foundation of the prison.
圣经提到，甚至监牢的地基都摇动了。
113. The whole place was shaken up - so much so, that the prison warden was ready to kill himself.
整个监狱都被震动，以至于狱卒都想自杀了。
114. Why did he want to kill himself?
他为什么要自杀呢？
115. Because Roman law says that any soldier who allows prisoners to escape will pay with his life;
因为罗马法律规定，任何兵丁如果让犯人逃脱的话，就得赔上自己的性命；
116. and the prison warden in Philippi probably said to himself, “There is no way that any of the prisoners will be around after this earthquake...”
这个腓立比的狱卒可能在想，“地震以后不可能还有犯人留下来……”
117. and he preferred to put the sword to his own heart than let the Romans do it for him;
因此他宁愿用剑刺向自己的心脏，也不愿让罗马人把他处死；
118. but the Apostle Paul cried out to him and said, “Do not hurt yourself, for we all are here.”
但使徒保罗疾呼阻止他说：“不要伤害你自己，我们都在这里。”
119. My listening friend, I don’t want you to miss this very important point.
亲爱的朋友，请注意，这一点非常重要。
120. The tables have turned and the jailer falls on his knees before the prisoners,
情况完全逆转了，狱卒跪在了犯人的面前，
121. for that’s the power of praising the Lord in the midst of difficult circumstances.
这就是面临困境时赞美主所得的能力。
122. This is the power of God working.
这就是神的大能。
123. The prison warden said, “What can I do to be saved?”
狱卒说：“我当怎样行才可以得救？”
124. What did he know about salvation?
他对救恩又了解多少呢？
125. Well, earlier in the Book of Acts, Chapter 16, there was a woman who had been healed of demon possession;
在使徒行传16章的前面，讲到一个被鬼附的女人得医治的故事；
126. and this woman was shouting a message.
这个女人喊着说：
127. “These men are messengers of the most high God.
“这些人是至高神的仆人，
128. They are here to bring you the message of salvation...”
对你们传说救人的道……”
129. and the Philippian jailer had heard her and the Holy Spirit was working in his life.
这个腓立比的狱卒听到过这女人所说的，圣灵也同时在他身上作工。
130. When he heard the message of salvation from this woman, his heart was being prepared.
当他听到这个女人提到救人的道， 他的心已经预备好了。
131. God was working in him;
神在他身上动了善工；
132. and, so, it took a crisis for him to say, “What must I do to be saved?”
并借助一个危机让他说出：“我当怎样行才可以得救？”
133. What did Paul say?
保罗怎样回答他呢？
134. Paul said to him very simply, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.”
保罗说得非常简单，他说：“当信主耶稣。”
135. Why just believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?
为什么只要信主耶稣基督就可以了呢？
136. Because this man had nothing between him and salvation other than belief;
因为在这个人和救恩之间，没有别的障碍，只要相信，就可以得救；
137. and, by the way, when Paul said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,”
还有，保罗在这里说：“当信主耶稣，”
138. he did not mean just believe that Jesus existed or believe that He was a good man.
他不仅是说要信主耶稣基督的存在，或相信祂是一个好人而已。
139. The word means total surrender to Him;
这句话是说，要完全地向主降服；
140. that He becomes the Lord of your life;
是说，让耶稣成为你的生命的主宰；
141. so, my listening friends, I want to end where I began.
亲爱的朋友，我想在结束的时候回到我开始讲的。
142. If you want to have a legacy to the next generation,
如果你要留遗产给下一代，
143. teach them the praise of God in tough times.
就要教导他们，在困境中赞美主。
144. If you want to leave something to your offspring,
如果你想给你的子孙留下些什么，
145. show them how to appropriate the power of God in your life -
就告诉他们，如何去支取神在我们生命中所赐与的能力……
146. the power that can only come from learning to praise God in the midst of difficulties,
这能力是在困境中赞美神而得到的，
147. because the power of praise is real.
因赞美而来的能力是真实的。
148. The power of praise is lasting.
因赞美而来的能力是持久的。
149. Let me ask you this question, as I conclude.
在结束时，让我来问你。
150. What is it that has robbed you of your joy today?
今天，到底是什么夺走了你的快乐？
151. Whatever it may be,
无论是什么，
152. begin regularly, systematically, unashamedly to praise the name of Jesus;
现在就开始经常地，有条不紊地，堂堂正正地赞美主名；
153. and, then, write to us and tell us about the power of God working in you.
也希望你写信和我们分享，神的大能在你身上所作的善工。
154. Until next time, I wish you God’s richest blessing.
愿神大大地赐福给你，下次再会！
