因聖靈的催逼，完成不可能的任務（耶20章）

我若說：「我不再提耶和華、也不再奉他的名講論。」我便心裏覺得似乎有燒着的火、閉塞在我骨中、我就含忍不住、不能自禁。（耶 20：9）

耶利米先知的本性，是多愁善感、是柔弱的，但是他的先知職分，卻要他如銅牆、堅城般，能在同胞面前毫無畏懼。他是怎麼做到的？答案只有一個：神的靈的催逼。

就好像彼得還沒得聖靈之前，當耶穌被抓去審判之時，他曾三次斷然地否認耶穌，在人面前公然起誓說不認得主。甚至在約翰福音二十一章中，心灰意冷的他竟登高一呼，說：「我們捕魚去！」完全忘了主耶穌對他的命令。耶穌說：

「我還告訴你、你是彼得、我要把我的教會建造在這磐石上．陰間的權柄、不能勝過他。〔權柄原文作門〕我要把天國的鑰匙給你．凡你在地上所捆綁的、在天上也要捆綁．凡你在地上所釋放的、在天上也要釋放。」（太 16：18-19）

然而在使徒行傳第二章裡，得了聖靈的彼得就不一樣了！他已不畏懼當時原本排山倒海的反耶穌氛圍，竟然敢站起來，並大聲傳講耶穌：

彼得和十一個使徒、站起、高聲說：「猶太人、和一切住在耶路撒冷的人哪、這件事你們當知道、也當側耳聽我的話。」（徒 2：14）

是什麼力量，使原本畏畏縮縮的彼得，成了無所畏懼的福音先鋒？就是聖靈的力量，使他不再是彼得，因為被基督的靈充滿，已成了基督。

但聖靈降臨在你們身上、你們就必得着能力．並要在耶路撒冷、猶太全地、和撒瑪利亞、直到地極、作我的見證。（徒 1：8）

是的！聖靈降臨在我們身上時，我們就必得著能力！我們常常因為軟弱，不敢勇敢地去傳福音、不敢放開完全去愛主，但是這就是那本來的我們，是人的真面目。然而，我們被聖靈充滿之後，我不再是我，而是基督。那原本的我呢？因為聖靈充滿，已經死去。正如保羅所說的：

因我活着就是基督、我死了就有益處。（腓 1：21）

保羅說他活著就是基督的時候，已無所懼怕。請問基督會懼怕嗎？基督會膽怯嗎？有什麼事是基督不能完成的？當然沒有！這時被聖靈充滿的人，就是基督，因此必順服基督的靈行事，管你本來敢不敢做、想不想做、願不願意去做，這時，都會被聖靈催逼著去做，停也停不下來！正如當時耶利米先知的感受：

我便心裏覺得似乎有燒着的火、閉塞在我骨中、我就含忍不住、不能自禁。（耶 20：9b)

這些年我刻意嘗試經常地被聖靈充滿，發現膽量變大了，能力也變強了，無論面對什麼職分與任務，毫無懼怕。不是我改變了，而是徜徉在聖靈的催逼之中，順著催逼行事，因為這樣的催逼，使人自然去行神所要我們做的事，而且想都不用想，自然就會去做。即使有時還是會想要休息、想要偷懶，但心中總有一股力量，像火閉塞在骨中燃燒，有時燒到不能睡覺、必須半夜起來寫下感動，並在寫完之後因感動而流下熱淚。

誰說要一直用人的方法逼自己去愛主、去傳福音、去做主工？其實方法並不是全然如此。真正的方法，就只是要願意捨己、倒空自我，接著讓聖靈充滿，這時聖靈的力量自然源源不絕而來，而且無法抑遏！

我們有這寶貝放在瓦器裏、要顯明這莫大的能力、是出於神、不是出於我們。我們四面受敵、卻不被困住。心裏作難、卻不至失望。遭逼迫、卻不被丟棄。打倒了、卻不至死亡。（林後 4：7-9）

By Isaiah Kao

Completing the Impossible Mission Through the Urging of the Holy Spirit (Jeremiah 20)

July 17, 2026 

"But if I say, 'I will not remember Him or speak anymore in His name,' then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am tired of holding it in, and I cannot endure it." (Jeremiah 20:9, NASB 2020)

The prophet Jeremiah was sentimental and gentle. Yet his ministry as a prophet required him to stand like a fortified city and a bronze wall, fearless before his own people. How was he able to do this? There is only one answer: the urging of the Spirit of God.

Peter was the same before he received the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was arrested and put on trial, Peter boldly denied Him three times. He even swore publicly that he did not know the Lord. Later, in John 21, discouraged and disappointed, he declared, "I am going fishing," seemingly forgetting the Lord's command to him. Jesus had said:

"I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatever you bind on earth shall have been bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven." (Matthew 16:18–19, NASB 2020)

However, in Acts chapter 2, Peter was completely different after receiving the Holy Spirit. He was no longer afraid of the overwhelming hostility toward Jesus. Instead, he stood up boldly and proclaimed Jesus with a loud voice:

"But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: 'Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and pay attention to my words.'" (Acts 2:14, NASB 2020)

What transformed Peter from a fearful man into a fearless pioneer of the gospel? It was the power of the Holy Spirit. Filled with the Spirit of Christ, he was no longer living as merely Peter, but as one who became Christ.

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and as far as the remotest part of the earth." (Acts 1:8, NASB 2020)

Yes! When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, we receive power. Many times we are too weak to preach the gospel boldly or to love the Lord with our whole heart. That is simply our natural human condition. But when we are filled with the Holy Spirit, it is no longer I who live, but Christ in me. Then what about the original me? because the Holy Spirit fills our lives, has died. As Paul said:

"For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." (Philippians 1:21, NASB 2020)

When Paul said, "to live is Christ," he no longer feared anything. Does Christ fear? Does Christ shrink back? Is anything impossible for Christ? Certainly not. Therefore, when a person is filled with the Holy Spirit, he is Christ, he follows the Spirit of Christ. Whether he once dared to do something, wanted to do it, or was willing to do it no longer matters. The Holy Spirit compels him forward, and he cannot stop. This was exactly what Jeremiah experienced:

"Then in my heart it becomes like a burning fire shut up in my bones; and I am tired of holding it in, and I cannot endure it." (Jeremiah 20:9b, NASB 2020)

Over the past several years, I have intentionally sought to be filled with the Holy Spirit as often as possible. I have found that my courage has grown and my strength has increased. No matter what responsibility or mission I face, I no longer feel afraid. It is not because I have changed, but because I am living under the urging of the Holy Spirit. As I simply follow His leading, He naturally moves me to do what God wants me to do. I do not have to overthink it, I simply do it.

There are times when I want to rest or even be lazy. Yet there is always a power within me, like a fire shut up in my bones. Sometimes it burns so strongly that I cannot sleep. I have to get up in the middle of the night to write down what the Lord has placed on my heart. When I finish writing, I am often moved to tears.

Who says we must always rely on human effort to force ourselves to love the Lord, preach the gospel, or serve Him? That is not the true way. The real way is simply be willing to deny yourself and empty yourself, then allow the Holy Spirit to fill you. When that happens, the power of the Holy Spirit flows continuously, and it cannot be restrained.

"But we have this treasure in earthen containers, so that the extraordinary greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." (2 Corinthians 4:7–9, NASB 2020)

By Isaiah Kao