樟茶鴨的結局

作者：盧國禮

很多人都愛吃樟茶鴨﹐其味甘香﹐我和太太也不例外。在嚴寒的天氣裏吃用樟茶鴨﹐真有特別一番風味。

幾年前﹐不知為甚麼突然興起了吃樟茶鴨的熱潮﹐可能很久沒吃才發生大大的懷舊感﹐回味無窮。弟兄姊妹們不約而同都參加訂購的熱潮﹐因為教會裏有一位姊妹的朋友﹐她是一位秘製樟茶鴨的高手﹐吃過的都很想再吃。買來送禮或與他人分享﹐也能對人表達關懷和愛心﹐一樂也！

一時﹐你要買一兩隻﹐他要買兩三隻﹐我們也買兩三隻。有一次我們買了四隻﹐便把剩餘的一隻放在雪櫃的冰箱裏﹐以為到下星期才食用......。可是一年﹐兩年﹐三年﹐瞬間過了。我們不是完全忘記了它﹐總是沒有把它拿來吃的動機。後來﹐終於把它丟棄到垃圾箱裏﹐這是自然的結局。

今日回想起來﹐心裏都不覺奇怪﹐我看人生就是如此。潮流興起甚麼﹐很容易我們也跟隨。比方說﹐購買時裝﹐年年興不同顏色﹐今季長些﹐來季短些﹐露背﹐露臍﹐露臀﹐露內褲﹐衣不稱身﹐穿洞褲子......。不過﹐潮水總會退下去的﹐明天再來。我們很容易便跟隨所為新潮﹐不知不覺﹐失去審美眼光和判斷的尺度。當然﹐合乎潮流﹐適合大眾需要﹐在這競爭白熱化的後現代社會裏﹐不可說不是  "政治正確" 的必然手段﹐否則會被視為落伍﹐徒然失敗的愚人。

但是﹐世界上大多數人公認為正確的事﹐潮流、標準﹐是絕對無誤嗎？等同真理嗎？世上可有指標作為真理嗎？二千多年前﹐耶穌對世人說﹕祂就是 "道路、真理、生命"。聖經並說﹕除了耶穌基督之外﹐別無他名藉著可以得救而重生。這些啟示﹐發人心醒﹐不可輕看﹐一定要深入思想﹐才能透視其屬靈的奧秘。

在信仰的生命裏﹐基督徒也常常在怒濤掙扎中﹔要看﹐看不見﹔要聽﹐聽不聞﹔食而不知其味﹔要行走天路﹐舉步為艱﹐靈性倒退。很明顯﹐這是與神關係隔絕的必然後果。

神創造天地萬物和人類﹐先祖因犯罪入世﹐人類從始帶著罪性而生。在伊甸園時﹐人性本善﹔犯罪後﹐帶著原罪入世而性本惡﹐虧缺了神的榮耀。然而﹐本性雖不良善﹐容易犯錯誤﹐但人本有神的形像和樣式(即神的屬性) (創世記一﹕26–27)。故有從神而來的屬性內藏於心中。如果要重拾神賜的屬性﹐作神喜悅的事﹐帶罪的人必須接受救恩(就是主耶穌釘身十架﹐流出寶血﹐作了挽回祭﹐以義代罪﹐第三日復活﹐第四十日升天﹐坐於全能者的右邊﹐代信徒祈求)﹐這才能重生得救﹐與神重建和好的關係﹔這是神的恩﹐不是人的善行使他們得救﹐乃是耶穌基督拯救的恩典。

當人類始祖犯了罪後﹐耶和華神對蛇說﹕"我又要叫你和女人彼此為仇﹐你的後裔和女人的後裔﹐也彼此為仇。女人的後裔要傷你的頭﹐你要傷他的腳跟。"(創世記三﹕15,和合本) 舊約聖經的先知(先見)也預言救世主耶穌基督 "道成肉身" 的啟示。

既然﹐"神愛世人﹐甚至將祂的獨生子賜給他們﹐叫一切信祂的﹐不至滅亡﹐反得永生。因為神差祂的兒子降世﹐不是要定世人的罪﹐乃是要世人因祂得救。"(約翰福音三﹕16–17﹐和合本)

所以﹐重生得救的基督徒﹐如要做合神心意的兒女﹐必要走上成聖之路﹐經歷更豐盛的人生﹔他們的靈魂與身子﹐必須無可指摘。當面對最後審判時﹐便能得著從神而來的公義冠冕。

神說﹕"我是首先的﹐我是末後的﹔我是初﹐我是終。"(啟示錄廿二﹕13﹐和合本) 這說明了祂是創始成終的神。神的應許是可信的﹐永不落空。永恆的神﹐有始有終﹐並他應許的﹐用彩虹和人立了約﹔但人卻軟弱﹐缺乏恆久忍耐的信心﹐容易淡化初衷﹐跟著潮流而走迷﹐缺乏了人生的目標。在信仰上﹐不能堅立﹐甚至離棄真神。

聖靈對老底嘉教會說的話﹐也是今日信徒的尷尬﹕"你......如溫水﹐也不冷不熱﹐......卻不知道你是那困苦、可憐、貧窮、瞎眼、赤身的。"(啟示錄三﹕16–17﹐和合本) 你們要 "買火煉白金子﹐......又買白衣穿上﹐......又買眼藥擦......眼睛......使看見。"(啟示錄三﹕18﹐和合本)

滿有憐憫的神﹐祂必責備管教祂的兒女。"看哪﹗我站在門外叩門﹐若有聽見我聲音就開門的﹐我要進到他那裏去﹐我與他﹐他與我同坐席。"(啟示錄三﹕20﹐和合本) 耶穌基督想我們悔改﹐不要作浪子﹐歸回屬靈之家﹐成為聖潔的器皿﹐合乎主用﹐享受更豐盛的生命。

感謝神﹐祂使我們靈魂甦醒﹐引導我們走義路﹐在基督耶穌裏明暸神的旨意﹐便定下人生正確目標。不要陷入上文所謂 "樟茶鴨的結局"。

你是否已定下了人生目標呢﹖像保羅說﹔我們 "向著標竿直跑﹐要得神在基督耶穌裏從上面召我來得的獎賞"(腓立比書三﹕14﹐和合本)。如果你尚未有人生的正確目標﹐筆者想提供可參考的目標作為自己的 "標竿"﹐願你從此得著生命的蛻變和神的恩惠。

1、敬拜真神(基督耶穌)

世人都走迷﹐敬拜偶像、金錢、地位、權勢、物質、性慾等等......我們要敬拜唯一真神﹐耶和華﹐創造天地萬物和人類的主。

2、作神兒女(後嗣)

世人都走迷﹐離開了屬靈之家﹐成為浪子﹐遍行己路。保羅說﹕"我們這許多人﹐在基督裏成為一身﹐互相聯絡作肢體......" (羅馬書十二﹕5﹐和合本) 這就是教會﹐我們要聽神的教導﹐參加團契生活﹐不可停止聚會﹐學習凡事謙虛、溫柔﹐竭力保守聖靈所賜合而為一的心。

3、以基督的心為心(像基督)

世人都走迷﹐失落了神造人的 "形像" 和 "樣式"。基督 "預先所知道的人﹐就預先定下效法兒子的模樣﹐使祂兒子在許多弟兄中作長子。......又召他們來﹐......又稱他們為義﹐......又叫他們得榮耀。"(羅馬書八﹕29–30﹐和合本) 我們 "若靠著聖靈治死身體的惡行﹐必要活著。"(羅馬書八﹕13b﹐和合本) "如果我們和祂一同受苦﹐也必和祂一同得榮耀。"(羅馬書八﹕17b﹐和合本) 活出基督的樣式﹐柔和謙卑的生命。

4、作聖潔的器皿(事奉神)

世人都走迷﹐帶罪的身體﹐沒有聖潔﹐不合主用。聖徒經歷品格塑造﹐蛻變﹐加添決心﹐努力﹐堅持﹐委身於神要我們所作的工。服侍人﹐服務社會﹔靠著神所賜獨特的恩賜盡心﹐盡性﹐盡意﹐盡力去獻上身體﹐作活祭﹐是神所喜悅的。

5、負有使命感(大使命)

世人都走迷﹐失去方向感﹐只有我﹐沒有他。凡事都從自我中心出發﹐做成社會裏人與人的隔膜﹐自私自利﹐走向迷信和占卜的潮流。

耶穌升天前吩咐門徒說﹕"你們要去﹐使萬民作我的門徒﹐奉父子聖靈名﹐給他們施洗。凡我所吩咐你們的﹐都教訓他們遵守﹐我就常與你們同在﹐直到世界的末了。"(馬太福音廿八﹕19–20﹐和合本) 門徒必要承擔的兩件事﹐第一就是廣傳福音於世人﹐帶領人信主、受洗、與神和好。

第二就是訓練門徒(Discipleship)﹐使受了洗的信徒靈性增長﹐活出基督徒的身份﹐榮神益人。這樣做﹐主耶穌基督必伴著我們走完人生之天路。

 

 

The Story of the Camphor-tree-tea-smoked Duck

Francis Loo

Many people enjoy eating Camphor-tree-tea-smoked duck. It's delicious. I and my wife also love eating it with no exception. Eating it in a severe cold weather the flavour is particularly special.

A few years ago, not knowing why, all of a sudden, eating Camphor-tree-tea-smoked duck became trendy. Possibly not having it for so long brought back reminiscence for unlimited reflection. Brothers and sisters all wanted to place orders earnestly, because the friend of a sister in Christ she was an expert cook with secret recipe for preparing Camphor-tree-tea-smoked duck. Those having tasted it wanted to eat it again. Bought it as a gift to friends or for sharing with others is a way to express our care and love – so joyous !

At the same time, one wanted to buy one to two, he wanted two to three and, we also wanted two to three. One time we had bought four ducks. We kept the remaining one in the freezer assuming that we would consume it in the following week. . . .

But one year, two years, three years whooshed past. We had not forgotten it but we did not desire to eat it. Later on, we trashed it—the natural result.

Reflecting on it now doesn't seem queer. I see that life is like this. Whatever becomes trendy we would follow so easily. For instance, buying posh clothing: different colors every year, lengthy this season, shorter the coming season, naked back, naked belly, exposing hip and underwear, unfitting apparel, perforated pants and so on and so forth . . . . Nevertheless there will be ebb tide and the flow will return tomorrow. We would easily follow unconsciously the so called trend –oblivious to esthetics and the standard of judgment. Of course, conforming to the trend, and fitting into the public desires in this competitively heated post-modern world is "not political incorrect" as the must strategy. Otherwise you'll be out-dated as a failing fool.

Give thanks to God. He restores our souls. He guides us in paths of righteousness. In Christ Jesus we know the will of God helping us to set the right objective of life. We'll not fall into the pit of the above-mentioned so called "camphor-tree-tea-smoked duck".

Haven't you set the objective of life? As Paul said, "[We] press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14). If you haven't had the right objective for life, the writer would recommend for your consideration the objective of life as your "goal" and wish you will have the grace of God to transform your life.

• Worship the true God (Christ Jesus)

Human has gone astray, worship idols, money, status, power, materialism, promiscuity and so on and so forth. . . .

We ought to worship the only Lord, God who created heaven and earth and mankind.

• Be children of God (His heirs)

Human has gone astray, leaving their spiritual home, walk his or her own ways as the prodigal son.

Paul said: ". . . so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. . . (Romans 12:5). This is the church. We must listen the teaching of God: participate in fellowship, cease not the meetings, learn humanity in everything, and be gentle. Put all efforts in protecting the gift of the Holy Spirit of unity.

• Have the heart of Christ (Christ-like)

Human has gone astray, having lost the "image of God" and "disposition".

"For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. . . . He also called [them].... He also justified [them]. . . He also glorified [them]" (Romans 8:29-30).

• Be holy instrument (Serve God)

Human has gone astray, committing sins, unholy, not suitable for God's use.

Disciples will experience character-training, being transformed with determination to be strengthened in perseverance committing to work God has destined for us.

• Commitment (the Great Commission)

Human has gone astray, having lost directions. Only me—no others. Everything is self-centered, setting up hampers between peoples in society. Selfishness and self-interest lead them to the trend of superstitious fortune-telling.

Before ascension Jesus told his disciples: "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:19-20).

Believers must be committed to two things. First, to proclaim widely the gospel to the world. Lead peoples to the Lord, and baptize them in reconciliation with God.

Second, provide discipleship to those having been baptized, increasing their spiritual characters. So they will live like a Christian, glory God and humankind. Thus Lord Jesus Christ will accompany us in completing the course of our pilgrimage.