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經文：「見天上有門開了。」（啟4:1） 親愛的讀者，我們都記得使徒約翰是如何地為神的道作見證；他曾被囚禁在拔摩海島上一個淒涼、冷落、荒野的監獄裡。他被迫離開以弗所的親人，斷絕了與教會的交通，所接觸的儘是其他難以相處的俘虜。在這樣的處境之下，神竟然賜他這麼大的異象；在他無路可走的時候，為他開啟了天上的門。 我們也記得雅各曾經離開父家，睡臥在荒寂的曠野中，夢見一把長梯立在地上，梯子的上端頂著天，而神就站在那高處。 除了這兩位還有其他許多信徒，就世界的眼光來看，他們的境遇未必能使他們得到這令人驚奇的啟示；但事實上，他們確實都曾看見天上有門為他們開了；那些有許多是囚犯俘虜，是長期被疾病的痛苦束縛在病床上的患者，是孤單漂泊的旅客，是被家務纏身以致無法聚會的婦女們；他們都曾看見天上的門為他們打開了。 但是那是有條件的：我們想要看見天上的門打開，必須知道怎樣在靈裡生活，必須有一顆清潔順服的心，必須像保羅一樣將萬事當作有損的，以認識我們的主耶穌基督為至寶。 等到我們把神當作一切的一切，並且我們的一擧一動都蒙祂喜悅的時候，天上的門自然也會為我們打開了。--譯自日誠報 Daily Devotional Commentary 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Scripture: "A door opened in heaven" (Rev. 4:1). You must remember that John was in the Isle of Patmos, a lone, rocky, inhospitable prison, for the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus. And yet to him, under such circumstances, separated from all the loved ones of Ephesus; debarred from the worship of the Church; condemned to the companionship of uncongenial fellow-captives, were vouchsafed these visions. For him, also a door was opened. We are reminded of Jacob, exiled from his father's house, who laid himself down in a desert place to sleep, and in his dreams beheld a ladder which united Heaven with earth, and at the top stood God. Not to these only, but to many more, doors have been opened into Heaven, when, so far as the world was concerned, it seemed as though their circumstances were altogether unlikely for such revelations. To prisoners and captives; to constant sufferers, bound by iron chains of pain to sick couches; to lonely pilgrims and wanderers; to women detained from the Lord's house by the demands of home, how often has the door been opened to Heaven. But there are conditions. You must know what it is to be in the Spirit; you must be pure in heart and obedient in faith; you must be willing to count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ; then when God is all in all to us, when we live, move and have our being in His favor, to us also will the door be opened. --Daily Devotional Commentary ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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