1. Hello, listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，你好。
2. We are so glad that you have joined us today.
非常高兴你能收听今天的节目。
3. We are in the midst of a series of messages about God’s grace.
我们正在播出的是一个讲述神恩典的系列信息。
4. We are calling this series, “Portrait of Grace;”
我们称之为“恩典的描绘”。
5. and, today, we’ll be looking at Genesis, Chapter 28, verses 10 to 22.
今天，我们将要学习的是创世记28章10到22节。
6. You know, my listening friend, if you traveled the world over, as I have done, you see broken people everywhere.
亲爱的朋友，如果你和我一样曾到世界各地旅行，你到处都会遇到伤心失意的人。
7. Rich and poor alike, they all get sick and die.
富人与穷人一样，他们都会生病和死亡。
8. They all go through loss and pain of all kinds;
他们都会经历各样的损失和痛苦；
9. but what I want to tell you is that those times can be times of blessing;
但我想告诉你的是，这些时刻可以成为蒙福的时刻；
10. and, in today’s message, we find Jacob broken and alone with God.
在今天的这段信息中，我们看到雅各落魄的时候与神单独在一起。
11. He has a stone for a pillow and the stars for a blanket.
他以石头为枕，以星空为被。
12. He has the hard ground for a mattress and no mother to look out for him.
他睡在坚硬的地面，没有母亲在一旁照料。
13. He has no business to attend to and no scheming to occupy his attention.
再没有什么事情让他动脑筋筹谋参与的。
14. He is in the wilderness all alone with God in Bethel;
他在伯特利的旷野与神单独在一起；
15. but I don’t want you to miss the way God deals with His broken children.
这里我想请你留意，神如何对待祂受伤的儿女。
16. You will have expected God to appear to Jacob in the wilderness and say to him, “You are a miserable sinner.
你也许认为，神在旷野向雅各显现会对他说：“你这个糟糕的罪人，
17. You conspired with your mother to deceive your father.
你与母亲一起合谋来欺骗自己的父亲。
18. You have missed your opportunity and I cannot use you anymore.
你已经失去了机会，我不能再使用你了。
19. Look at yourself now—all alone and desperate. Don’t look to Me for help.”
瞧瞧你现在这付样子，既孤单又绝望，别想让我帮助你。”
20. Is that what the Bible said?
圣经上是这么讲的吗？
21. No.
不是的。
22. The way God deals with us when we are broken is not to punch us in our wounds.
当我们受伤的时候，神对待我们的方法不是在伤口上再打一拳。
23. The way God deals with us when we are down is not to kick us.
当我们跌到的时候，神对待我们的方法不是再踢一脚。
24. The way God deals with us when we are burdened with guilt is to pour out His grace.
当我们受压于罪疚感之下时，神对待我们的方法是将祂的恩典倾倒在我们身上。
25. Today, I have a word from the Lord to all those who are either broken or heading for brokenness.
今天，我要对那些受伤或即将受伤的人们讲一句从神而来的话。
26. I want to tell you three things that you must never forget about your Bethel experience.
我想告诉你，在经历你的伯特利的时候，请记住三点：
27. First, rejoice when you are in your Bethel experience.
首先，当你经历伯特利的时候要喜乐；
28. Secondly, respond immediately to your Bethel experience;
第二，对你所经历的伯特利要马上作出响应；
29. and, thirdly, remember to return to your Bethel often.
第三，记住要常常回想你所经历的伯特利。
30. What do I mean when I say, “Rejoice when you are in your Bethel?”
那么，我所说的“当你经历伯特利的时候要喜乐”是什么意思呢？
31. Because, most often, Bethel is the only place where God can get your attention.
因为，很有可能，伯特利是唯一能让你注意到神的地方。
32. Because, most often, Bethel is the only place where you are not distracted by other things.
很有可能，伯特利是唯一能让你不被其它事情搅扰分心的地方。
33. Because, most often, Bethel is the only place where you are ready to hear God;
很有可能，伯特利是唯一能让你聆听神说话的地方；
34. so, if you view your Bethel experience positively,
因此，如果你能积极地来看待你所经历的伯特利，
35. you will see it as an opportunity to encounter the living God.
你就会把它看成一个遇见永生神的机会。
36. You will not see your hardship as a place from which you want to flee,
你不会想逃脱这个困境，
37. but a place in which you encounter the living God.
而是把它看成一个遇见永生神的地方。
38. For most of us, our natural reaction when we get into our Bethel experience is to cry out to the Lord, “Get me out of this!
大多数人，当我们经历我们的伯特利时，本能的反应就是向神哭求：“把我解救出去吧！
39. Lord, do something and do something quick!
主啊，做点什么，快做点什么吧！
40. Lord, find me a way out!”
主啊，给我找一条出路吧！”
41. Instead, ask yourself, “Why am I here in my Bethel?”
然而，你应该问自己：“为什么我会落在伯特利这个地步呢？”
42. Because there are dreams that God wants to give you, but they can only be received in Bethel.
那是因为神要托梦给你，只有在伯特利，你才能收到。
43. There are blessings that God wants to communicate to you, but they cannot be communicated when you are on top of the world;
神要赐福给你，但当你处于世界的顶峰，这些福分就无法送出；
44. and that’s what He did with Jacob;
这就是神在雅各身上所行的；
45. and, oh, what a dream God gave Jacob in Bethel!
神在伯特利给了雅各一个多么奇妙的梦啊！
46. Do you remember the story of the tower of Babel?
你还记得巴别塔的故事吗？
47. There, the Babylonians wanted to reach God;
当时巴比伦人想要寻找神；
48. and they were busy building a tower to the zodiac that would connect them to God.
他们忙着建造了一座观星相的高塔，认为这样他们就可以与神相通。
49. They were busy working, trying to get to God their way;
他们努力建造，想要按自己的方式到达神那里；
50. and we call it, the “Tower of Babel;”
我们称这个塔为“巴别塔”；
51. but, here, God builds the stairway to Heaven for Jacob.
而在这里，神为雅各建造了一个通往天堂的梯子。
52. God reaches down and reveals Himself to Jacob.
神亲自下来，向雅各显现。
53. God manifests His glory to Jacob.
神将祂的荣耀向雅各显明。
54. My listening friend, God is the One who is always reaching out to us.
亲爱的朋友，神一直都愿意主动来接触我们。
55. God is the One who’s always seeking after us.
祂是那位一直在找寻着我们的神。
56. God is the One who wants to bless us and pursue us.
祂是那位想要赐福给我们，并紧紧跟着我们的神。
57. If you are frantically trying to find God,
如果你正急切地想要寻找神，
58. if you are praying and praying and not sure that God is hearing your prayer,
如果你不断地祷告，但不确信神是否在听你的祷告，
59. my advice to you is this:
我给你的忠告是：
60. calm down so that you can hear the gentle voice of God calling you,
冷静下来，这样你才能够听到神轻声的呼唤，
61. so that you can see the hand of God reaching down to you,
这样你才能够看到神向你伸过来的手，
62. so that you can feel the presence of God.
这样你才能够感受到神的同在。
63. He may be speaking to you today through this broadcast.
神也许今天就要透过这篇信息跟你说话。
64. In Jacob’s case, when all of his scheming and maneuvering was over,
对雅各来讲，当他用尽了自己所有的谋算和努力，
65. God reaches down to Jacob in the lowest point of his life and gives him a glorious dream;
神在雅各处于生命谷底的时候临到他，赐给他一个荣耀的梦；
66. and, when Jacob wakes up from the incredible dream, or vision,
当雅各从这个不可思议的梦或异象中醒来的时候，
67. he concludes, in Genesis 28:17, that this is an awesome place.
他在创世记28章17节总结到，这是一个令人敬畏的地方。
68. “This is no other than the house of God. This is the gate of Heaven...”
“这不是别的，乃是神的殿，也是天的门。”
69. and that is why he calls it, “Beth-el.”
这就是为什么他称之为“伯特利”。
70. “Beth” means “house,” and “el” means “God;”
“Beth”代表殿，“el”代表神；
71. and, then, he sets up an altar and worships God.
然后，他就筑坛敬拜神。
72. This vision is nothing less than a vision of Jesus Christ, who was to come.
更重要的是，这个异象就是关于耶稣基督将要降临的异象。
73. This is a vision of Jesus Christ, who’s the only Stairway to Heaven.
这就是耶稣基督的一个写照，祂是通往天堂唯一的梯子。
74. What a privilege for Jacob to have in the wilderness!
雅各在旷野得到了何等大的特权！
75. He receives the confirmation of Abraham’s blessing.
他接到了神对亚伯拉罕赐福的确认。
76. and he is assured that the Messiah will come through his descendants.
他被告知，弥赛亚将以他后裔的身份降临。
77. In John’s Gospel, when Andrew brought Nathaniel to meet Jesus,
在约翰福音中，当安得烈带着拿但业来见耶稣时，
78. Jesus told him about Jacob’s stairwell to Heaven.
耶稣跟他讲述了雅各所梦到的通往天堂的梯子。
79. What is Jesus saying?
耶稣是在讲什么呢？
80. Jesus was proclaiming that Jacob’s vision was fulfilled in Him,
耶稣是在宣告，雅各看见的异象，已在耶稣身上应验了，
81. that Christ is the blessing that God spoke about to Abraham and to Isaac and to Jacob;
基督就是神对亚伯拉罕、艾萨克和雅各所应许的赐福；
82. so, my friend, rejoice in your Bethel, because there is your special blessing.
因此，亲爱的朋友，当你经历伯特利的时候要喜乐，因为那里有神给你特别的赐福。
83. Jacob responded to God’s revelation to him.
雅各对神的显现作出了回应。
84. How did he respond?
他是如何回应的呢？
85. He responded tangibly.
他作出了明确的回应。
86. He responded in self-commitment.
他用自己的承诺来响应。
87. He responded with taking concrete steps to express his attitude of gratitude.
他用具体的步骤来表达自己的感激之情。
88. Many of you, my listening friends, have been eternally saved through Jesus Christ;
亲爱的朋友，许多人因着耶稣基督而在永恒里得到了救赎；
89. and many of you are thankful that your sins are forgiven.
许多人为着自己的罪得赦免而感恩。
90. Many of you are thankful for the fact Jesus died on the cross to save you and to forgive your sins;
许多人感谢神，因为通过耶稣在十字架上受死，祂拯救了你，并赦免你的罪；
91. but what most of us often forget is to always thank God for His salvation.
但我们大多数人常常忘记的是，要不断地感谢神所赐的救恩。
92. We often take that awesome gift of God for granted.
我们常常把神所赐的这份非凡的礼物当作是应得的。
93. Jacob said, “I will give ten percent of all that God will put in my hands back to God.”
雅各说：“凡神所赐给我的，我必将十分之一献给神。”
94. Remember, this was 400 years before the Law of Moses was given regarding the tithe.
请记住，这是发生在摩西颁布什一奉献律法四百年以前的事情。
95. Now, I want you to think about this, my listening friend.
亲爱的朋友，现在，请你想一想。
96. Jacob is going to give something back.
雅各打算要回报神了。
97. All of his life, he had been a taker.
他的一生之中，雅各一直都是一个索取者。
98. All of his life was characterized by “give me, give me, give me.”
他的一生是不断地叫嚷“给我，给我，给我”的一生。
99. All of his life was characterized by selfish ambition;
他的一生是充满了个人野心的一生；
100. but, now, at Bethel, he has been transformed by the power of God.
但是，现在，在伯特利，他被神的大能所改变。
101. Here, at Bethel, he responds to the grace of God by being a giver and not just a taker.
在伯特利，他对神的恩典作出了回应，成为了一个给与者，而不再仅仅是索取者。
102. Generous giving is always in response to the grace of God.
慷慨的给与常常是出于对神恩典的回应。
103. Generous giving is in response to the God who meets you in your Bethel.
慷慨的给与常常是对神在伯特利与你相遇的回应。
104. Generous giving is always in response to the generous grace of God that He heaps upon you—that He heaps upon us—again and again;
慷慨的给与常常是出于对神不断倾撒在你我身上的丰盛恩典的回应；
105. so, rejoice in your Bethel.
因此，当你经历伯特利的时候要喜乐。
106. Respond to your Bethel.
回应你所经历的伯特利。
107. Thirdly, remember to return to your Bethel often.
第三，记住常常回想你所经历的伯特利。
108. Jacob’s Bethel experience did not transform him into a super spiritual man overnight,
雅各在伯特利的经历并没有在一夜之间，把他转变成一个属灵伟人，
109. for he fell back into his old habits, as we will see in the coming messages.
正如我们将在下面的信息里所看到的那样，他又回到了从前的老习惯中。
110. The process of becoming like Christ every day is a process.
要想每一天更像基督的样式，需要一个过程。
111. Every day, you and I are faced with temptation.
每一天，你和我都会面临试探。
112. We often find ourselves in the same old territory that we thought we have left a long time ago.
我们常常发现自己仍旧停留在，自以为早已脱离的老地方。
113. We often find ourselves drifting into doubt, discouragement and depression.
我们常常发现自己正陷入怀疑、失望和沮丧之中。
114. Those are the times when we must return to our past Bethels again and again.
这些时刻，我们必须回到从前所经历的伯特利。
115. Those are the times when we must return to those places where we have experienced God before,
这些时刻，我们必须回到从前经历神的地方。
116. those places where we have encountered God before,
在那些地方我们曾遇见过神，
117. those places where we have seen that God moved mountains in our lives,
在那些地方我们曾见到神将我们前面的大山挪开，
118. those places where we have seen God answer prayers.
在那些地方，我们曾见到神应允了我们的祷告。
119. You must keep on going back in your memories to those places.
你一定要不断地在自己的记忆里回到那些地方。
120. There is no doubt that during the tough times that Jacob faced in his life,
毫无疑问，当雅各在生活中面临困境时，
121. he returned to Bethel again and again in his mind and in his spirit.
他一次又一次在自己的心中和灵里回到了伯特利。
122. My listening friend, I’m about to conclude, so, please, listen carefully.
亲爱的朋友，在我进行总结的时候，请留心听。
123. As I said in the beginning, your Bethel experiences need not be negative.
正如我在一开始所讲，你所经历的伯特利不一定是负面的。
124. The Bethel experiences in our lives are supposed to be touchstones for us.
我们生命中所经历的伯特利，应该成为我们生命的试金石。
125. They are supposed to be defining moments.
它们应该成为具有决定意义的时刻。
126. They are supposed to be landmarks which we remember deeply and can return to.
它们应该成为里程碑，让我们牢记并可以回到那里。
127. When we face times of brokenness in our lives,
当我们面临生命中的伤痛时，
128. we need to remind ourselves that the God who helped us once will help us again.
我们要提醒自己，那位曾经帮助过我们的神还会再来帮我们。
129. The God who met us then will meet us again,
那位曾经遇见过我们的神还会再来见我们，
130. that the God who blessed us then will bless us again,
那位曾经赐福给我们的神还会再来赐福我们，
131. that the God who gave me a dream then will confirm it again and again.
那位曾经托梦给我们的神还会再来应验它。
132. Rejoice, respond and remember,
喜乐，回应并且牢记，
133. so that your Bethel experience will bring you to new heights of love and appreciation for your gracious Lord.
这样，你所经历的伯特利就会把你带到一个对神更加感激和爱戴的新境界。
134. Until next time, I wish you God’s richest blessing.
愿神大大地赐福你们，下次节目再会！
