THE FIVE PILLARS OF GRACE (3)

Paul also wrote to the Philippian churches concerning the gift of grace released through prayer for his deliverance. So, there was more than one church in more than one city praying for him. And these were churches Paul pioneered, got the members filled with the Holy Spirit and taught them to pray.#2 Pillar: The Spirit of Prayer (Part 2)In Troas, Paul received a vision of a Macedonian man (Acts 16:-10), urging him to go to Macedonia. So Paul made his way there and started the church of Philippi. However, it was here that Paul was arrested for preaching the gospel. In prison, Paul wrote the letter to the Christians in Philippi as he was in danger of death (Philippians 1:20-23). But Paul had hope that God would deliver them just as He said in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11; He would deliver him again.Paul was confident about two things concerning the Philippian churches he pioneered and trained:1. Paul knew they would pray2. Paul knew when they prayed, he would be deliveredPhilippians 1:19 (NKJV) For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus ChristPaul was confident because he had taught and trained them to pray. He knew when the Philippi church prayed, the gift of grace for deliverance would unconditionally be dispensed to them.Paul’s revelational knowledge of the gospel came directly from the Lord (Galatians 1:12). He taught us that it is of faith that it might be according to grace (Romans 4:16); he taught us faith and grace. Paul also taught as we continue to believe, we will enter into His rest (Hebrews 4:1-8). Paul was in a state of rest in prison because he believed God would deliver him again (2 Corinthians 1:8-11). First, however, he needed the churches in Achaia, Philippi, and elsewhere to come together as a local church to pray for him that he may receive the gift of grace for his deliverance every single time.The church in Jerusalem understood they needed to come together (Acts 12:12) in corporate prayer as a church for Peter’s deliverance, and hence many came. They prayed into the wee hours of the night.Acts 12:5 (NKJV) Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.The church constantly prayed earnestly and fervently for Peter’s deliverance. And in Peter’s case, the manifestation of the gift of grace brought him out of prison safely:1. An angel was sent by God into the prison cell to instruct Peter on what to do, and Peter followed him. After Peter had walked out of the iron gate and into the street, the angel left him. It signified that the angel was not Peter’s personal angel but one sent by God for a specific task. (Acts 12:7-10)2. The chains fell off Peter’s hands, and the iron gate opened itself. It was the result of the gift of the working of miracles of the Holy Spirit in manifestation and the power of the Holy Ghost released. It was not the angel who removed the chains and opened the iron gate.3. This working of miracles by the gift of the Holy Spirit kept the guards in the prison cell and at the two guard posts from being awakened, allowing Peter to walk past them without their knowledge.All these were the gifts of grace released to deliver Peter. Many had come together to pray as a church because of the severity of the situation. It had become intense because James, the apostle of the Lamb, was executed by Herod to please the Jews not long ago. And if Peter was executed, Herod would continue to do the same thing to the next apostle of the Lamb.There are many things we could pray ourselves and get answers for them. Small prayer groups of believers in the same church could get many answers too. Nevertheless, there are situations in a nation or church regarding the lives of people and those in the five-fold ministry that could only be changed by corporate prayer. An aspect of the gift of grace can only be released by coming together to pray as a church and not done in any other way.The gift of grace is released when an individual or a small group prays, and the church comes together in corporate prayer. The difference is in the degree of the power released. For greater is the grace, the greater is the power of the Holy Ghost released.Acts 4:33 (NKJV) And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.There is great grace when the local body comes together to pray in united, corporate prayer, and great power is made available by the Holy Ghost to effect a change in the realm of the spirit first and then in the natural realm.Rev. Cheong Yew KwongFaith Church SingaporePlease visit our website at faithchurch.sg#goodtoread ... See MoreSee Less

恩典的五大支柱（三）

保罗还写信给腓立比教会，讲述恩典的恩赐，这恩赐通过祈祷被释放出来，救保罗于危难之中。在不止一座城市中，有不止一个教会为他祈祷。保罗开拓了这些教会，使会友圣灵充满，并教导他们如何祈祷。第二根支柱：祷告的灵（下）保罗在特罗亚时（使徒行传16:10），看到了一个马其顿男子的异象，敦促他去马其顿。保罗到那里以后，就开拓了腓立比教会。然而，保罗在这里因传福音被捕。在监狱中，保罗面临着死亡的危险，便在腓立比给基督徒写了这封信（腓立比书1:20-23）。但是保罗却希望神能照祂在哥林多后书1章8到11节说的那样拯救他们。祂会再次拯救他。对于他开创和培养的腓立比教会，保罗在两件事上充满信心：1、保罗知道他们会祈祷2、保罗知道他们祈祷后，他就会得释放腓立比书1:19 【吕振忠译本】因为我知道、藉着你们的祈求、以及耶稣基督的灵之供应，这件事的结果终必使我得救的。保罗之所以有信心，是因为他教导和培养了他们如何祈祷。他知道腓立比教会祈祷时，神会无条件地将拯救的恩赐赐给他们。保罗对福音的启示性知识直接来自主（加拉太书1:12）。他教导我们说，得救是因着信心，也是照着恩典（罗马书4:16）。他教导我们什么是信心和恩典。保罗还教导说，若我们继续相信，就会进入祂的安息中（希伯来书4:1-8）。保罗在监狱中也处于安息的状态，因为他相信神会再次拯救他（哥林多后书1:8-11）。但是，首先，他需要亚该亚、腓立比和其他地方的教会作为当地教会聚集在一起，为他祈祷，使他每次都能得到恩典的赏赐。耶路撒冷的教会知道他们需要聚在一起（徒12:12），共同为彼得得救祈祷，因此有许多人来了。他们一直祷告到深夜。使徒行传12:5【新钦定本】于是彼得被囚在监里，教会却为他恒切地祷告神。教会一直在不断恳切祈求彼得被救。在彼得的例子中，恩典赏赐的显现将他安全地带出了监狱：1、神派一个天使进入监狱牢房，指示彼得该怎么做，彼得并跟随了他。彼得从铁门里走到街上后，天使离开了他。这表明天使不是彼得的私人天使，而是为了一个特殊的任务而被差遣的。（使徒行传12:7-10）2、铁链从彼得的手上掉下来，铁门自动打开。这是行异能的圣灵恩赐彰显出来，以及圣灵的能力被释放出来的结果，而不是天使卸下了铁链并打开了铁门。 3、行异能的圣灵恩赐发挥功用，使监狱和两个守卫哨所中的守卫们无法醒来，让彼得可以在他们不知情的情况下走过去。所有这些都是恩典的赏赐被释放出来的表现，是这些恩赐拯救了彼得。由于局势严重，许多人聚集在一起祈祷。之所以情形如此紧迫，是因为不久前希律王为了讨好犹太人而处死了羔羊的使徒雅各。如果彼得被处决，希律王将继续处死下一个羔羊的使徒。我们可以为自己的很多事情祷告，并且也能得到答案。同一所教会里的信徒小组祷告也能得到很多答案。但是在国家或教会的事情上，有时人们的生活和五重职事的生命只能通过集体祷告才能改变。恩典的赏赐有时只能通过教会聚在一起合一祈祷才能释放，除此以外别无它途。当一个人、一个小组或者一所教会一起祈祷时，恩典的赏赐就会被释放。不同之处在于释放的程度，因为恩典越大，所释放的圣灵能力也更大。使徒行传4:33【中文标准译本】使徒们大有能力地为主耶稣的复活做见证，并且在他们每个人身上都有极大的恩典。当基督在一个地方的肢体聚集在一起祷告时，就会有极大的恩典，圣灵也可以让巨大的能力为我们所用，改变灵界的事物，从而让物质世界也发生改变。耀光牧师新加坡信心教会请访问我们的中文播客,faithchurch.sg/牧师手札/#牧师手札 ... See MoreSee Less