在我裡頭的聖靈，焚燒吧！（賽4章）

主以公義的靈、和焚燒的靈、將錫安女子的污穢洗去、又將耶路撒冷中殺人的血除淨、那時、剩在錫安留在耶路撒冷的、就是一切住耶路撒冷、在生命冊上記名的、必稱為聖。（賽 4：3）

常常聽到教會中在討論聖靈充滿。今年的上半年各地的靈恩佈道會已漸漸接近尾聲。我聽到目前已辦理完的教會，很多都沒有人受聖靈。這次石牌教會靈恩佈道會也沒有人受聖靈。當然人若不是發自內心渴求聖靈，聖靈就不會賜給他。

上個月，也就是三月份聽見一個美好的見證：一位在真耶穌教會臺灣神學院受訓的韓國神學生，因為自身中文能力不足，所以白天在神學院上課，晚上要到逢甲大學語言中心學中文。在學中文期間，結識一位印尼來的同學，一樣因為中文不好才來到語言中心就讀。兩人用生澀的中文，竟相談甚歡。韓國神學生（中文名：金基錫）跟印尼同學表明自己是未來的傳道者，引起印尼同學的好奇。接著邀請印尼同學來北臺中教會參加月佈道聚會，這位同學竟然依約前往。

或許神看見印尼同學渴求的心，第一次參加聚會，在中文聽不太懂的情況之下，因著他主動到前面求聖靈，於是就得到寶貴的聖靈。當下我聽見這位韓國神學生金弟兄的生澀中文見證，令人感動莫名！

一位韓國的神的工人，傳福音給印尼的人，用生澀的中文傳福音，在陌生的中文教會北臺中教會參加聽不太懂的月佈道聚會，竟因著神看人的內心，就賜給他聖靈。上週北臺中月佈道聚會，金弟兄再次邀約，告訴他怎麼搭公車「自己來」，他又再次來到教會參加聚會。感謝主！主的羊，聽主的聲音，只要聲音對了，不就不用多說，因為神自然叫他生長。

聖靈，是焚燒的靈，因祂是公義的靈。人常常不願意接受焚燒，因為會痛，致使雜質如今仍然存在。人不認罪，聖靈就進不來。願意讓聖靈進來時，聖靈會燒掉我們心中的一切罪，使我們成為聖潔。或許今天的人心漸漸越來越不認罪，使得求得聖靈的人越來越少。但是若得聖靈的人變少，甚至沒有人得聖靈是教會的常態，為何這位印尼的華僑一來就受聖靈？為何熟悉中文聽中文講道、尚未受聖靈的人，比不上一個中文語言不通，卻在中文環境中接受真理的印尼華僑？為何人們是如此地不願意接受聖靈焚燒？

聖靈來，要燒掉不合真理的罪，也包含不守真理的工人。

亞倫的兒子拿答、亞比戶、各拿自己的香爐、盛上火、加上香、在耶和華面前獻上凡火、是耶和華沒有吩咐他們的．就有火從耶和華面前出來、把他們燒滅、他們就死在耶和華面前。於是摩西對亞倫說、這就是耶和華所說、我在親近我的人中、要顯為聖、在眾民面前、我要得榮耀．亞倫就默默不言。（利 10：1-3）

神為何燒祂的工人？為何犯一次罪就要死？為何沒有轉圜的餘地？因為，有些罪是沒有轉圜的餘地的，而他們的死亡也直接拒絕了他們悔改的機會。神也說明祂的理由：「我在親近我的人中、要顯為聖、在眾民面前、我要得榮耀」。

焚燒吧！願聖靈天天燒掉我靈魂中的雜質，藉由真理天天洗淨，使我在主來的那日，得以成全完備、能被神成聖稱義進入天城。阿們！

你們作丈夫的、要愛你們的妻子、正如基督愛教會、為教會捨己．要用水藉着道、把教會洗淨、成為聖潔、可以獻給自己、作個榮耀的教會、毫無玷污皺紋等類的病、乃是聖潔沒有瑕疵的。(弗 5：25-27）

By Isaiah Kao

Let the Holy Spirit Within Me Burn! (Isaiah 4)

“When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, then it will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 4:3, NASB 2020)

We often hear discussions in the church about being filled with the Holy Spirit. In the first half of this year, Evangelical Services＆ Spiritual Convocation in various places are gradually coming to an end. I have heard that in many churches that have already held these services, no one received the Holy Spirit. Even in Shipai Church, no one received the Holy Spirit. Of course, if a person does not truly desire the Holy Spirit from the heart, the Holy Spirit will not be given to them.

Last month, in March, I heard a beautiful testimony. A Korean theological student training at the Taiwan Theological Seminary of the True Jesus Church had limited Chinese ability. So during the day, he attended classes at the seminary, and at night he went to the language center at Feng Chia University to learn Chinese. During his studies, he met a classmate from Indonesia, who was also there because of limited Chinese ability. The two spoke in simple, broken Chinese, yet they communicated very well.The Korean student (Chinese name: Jin Ji-xi) told the Indonesian classmate that he would become a preacher in the future, which aroused his curiosity. Then he invited him to attend a monthly evangelistic service at the North Taichung Church. Surprisingly, the classmate agreed and came.

Perhaps God saw the Indonesian student’s seeking heart. Even though he could not fully understand the Chinese during his first visit, he went forward on his own to pray for the Holy Spirit—and he received the precious Holy Spirit. When I heard Brother Jin share this testimony in his simple Chinese, it was deeply moving.

A servant of God from Korea preached the gospel to a person from Indonesia, using simple Chinese. In an unfamiliar Chinese-speaking church, attending a service he could barely understand, yet because God looks at the heart, He granted him the Holy Spirit. Last week, at the North Taichung Evangelical Service Monthly, Brother Jin invited him again and told him how to take the bus “by himself.” He came again to the church. Thank the Lord! The Lord’s sheep hear His voice. As long as the voice is right, there is no need to say much, God Himself will make him grow.

The Holy Spirit is a spirit of burning, because He is a spirit of righteousness. People often do not want to accept this burning because it is painful, and so impurities remain within them. If a person does not confess sin, the Holy Spirit cannot enter. But when one is willing to let the Holy Spirit come in, He will burn away all the sin in our hearts and make us holy.

Perhaps today, people are less and less willing to acknowledge their sins, and so fewer people receive the Holy Spirit. But if receiving the Holy Spirit becomes rare—or even nonexistent—then why did this Indonesian Chinese receive the Holy Spirit the very first time he came? Why do those who understand Chinese and listen to sermons still not receive the Holy Spirit, while someone who does not understand the language can receive it in a Chinese environment? Why are people so unwilling to accept the burning of the Holy Spirit?

When the Holy Spirit comes, He burns away sins that do not align with the truth, including workers who do not keep the truth.

“Now Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took their respective firepans, and after putting fire in them, placed incense on it and offered strange fire before the Lord, which He had not commanded them. And fire came out from the presence of the Lord and consumed them, and they died before the Lord. Then Moses said to Aaron, ‘It is what the Lord spoke, saying, “By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored.”’ So Aaron, therefore, kept silent.” (Leviticus 10:1–3, NASB 2020)

Why did God burn His servants? Why did they die for committing sin once? Why was there no chance to turn back? Because some sins have no room for turning back, and their death directly removed their opportunity to repent. God also explained His reason:

“By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, and before all the people I will be honored.”

Burn, O Holy Spirit! May the Holy Spirit burn away the impurities in my soul every day, and cleanse me daily through the truth, so that on the day the Lord comes, I may be complete and perfected, sanctified and justified by God, and enter the heavenly city. Amen!

“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.” (Ephesians 5:25–27, NASB 2020)

By Isaiah Kao