第十二章

7 在天上就有了爭戰。米迦勒同他的使者與龍爭戰，龍也同牠的使者去爭戰，8 並沒有得勝，天上再沒有牠們的地方。9 大龍就是那古蛇，名叫魔鬼，又叫撒但，是迷惑普天下的。牠被摔在地上，牠的使者也一同被摔下去。10 我聽見在天上有大聲音說：「我神的救恩、能力、國度，並他基督的權柄，現在都來到了！因為那在我們神面前晝夜控告我們弟兄的，已經被摔下去了。11 弟兄勝過牠，是因羔羊的血和自己所見證的道。他們雖至於死，也不愛惜性命。12 所以，諸天和住在其中的，你們都快樂吧！只是地與海有禍了！因為魔鬼知道自己的時候不多，就氣忿忿地下到你們那裏去了。」

 

默想：

1. 撒但確是存在，且像咆哮的獅子遍地游行。牠是要試探並欺騙信徒。我們多麼容易就會陷入撒但的陷阱網羅中！
2. 但基督徒的保障就是基督已經得勝撒但和死亡。救恩是肯定的，神的國度毫不動搖。不論龍（撒但）有多威猛，基督終會得勝。信徒當持定對神的信心，為主的見證，宣揚基督的執掌王權。
3. 用這首詩歌，加入千萬聖徒的大詩班，向神、也向我自己重新肯定「對神的信心，為主的見證」：

祂是主，祂是主，祂是勝過死亡又復活的主；
萬膝當跪拜，萬口當承認，耶穌基督是主。

 

禱告與筆錄：

繼續安靜在神面前，與神對話，並聆聽祂對我說的話。將心中的思想（心得），或是與神的禱告，記錄在「靈程筆記簿」上面。

 

Chapter 12

⁷And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. ⁸But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. ⁹The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.

¹⁰Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say:
“Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God,
and the authority of his Christ.  For the accuser of our brothers,  who accuses them before our God day and night,  has been hurled down.
¹¹They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb  and by the word of their testimony;
they did not love their lives so much  as to shrink from death.
¹²Therefore rejoice, you heavens   and you who dwell in them!
But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you!
He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.”

 

Meditation

1. Satan is alive and is roaming the earth as roaring lion.  His goal is to keep people from coming to know Jesus personally, and to tempt and fool the believers.  How often we fall traps to the tricks of Satan!
2. But Christians are reminded of the victory of Christ over Satan and death.  Salvation is assured and God’s rule is intact. No matter how daunting the Dragon, Christ will prevail.  Believers have to keep trusting God and persist in their witness, proclaiming that Christ reigns.
3. Join the crowds of saints in singing this hymn to affirm my “trusting God and persisting in witness”.

He is Lord, He is Lord, He has risen from the dead, And He is Lord

Every knee shall bow, Every tongue confess, That Jesus Christ is Lord

 

Prayer & Journaling:

Stay with God for a little longer.  Continue to converse with God and listen to what he wants to tell me.  Then write down any thought and/or prayer in the 2012 “Spiritual Journal” book.