【双语灵修】直到地极TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

使徒行传 1:8

但圣灵降临在你们身上，你们就必得着能力，并要在耶路撒冷、犹太全地和撒马利亚，直到地极，作我的见证。」

2月21日

直到地极

「……直到地极，作我的见证。」 -徒 1:8

在消除了我们与神之间的隔阂之后，耶稣差遣跟随祂的人，将这一好消息带给全世界。《使徒行传》是讲述关于这个使命的初期事迹。靠着圣灵的能力，基督徒克服了重重障碍，并发现桥梁可盛载福音，使四面八方的人成为耶稣的门徒。而这些人又继续传福音，使门徒倍增。

你可能会认为，现在这个使命已经完成，好消息已经传遍了每个角落。今天，世界上每个国家都有基督徒，但仍有约20亿人——占世界人口的四份之一——几乎没有机会接受福音。他们属于不同的群体（如少数民族），由于持续存在的障碍，他们还没有接触到福音。

其中一些障碍存在于群体本身，譬如对虚假的宗教虔诚，和对耶稣的误解。还有一些更常见的障碍，例如语言和文化的障碍，以及禁止传福音的法律。

此外，可能有一些障碍，使我们无法向其他群体（包括我们周围不认识基督的人）传福音——比如冷漠、恐惧、种族主义以及专注于个人的生活。

让我们祈求神帮助我们克服这些障碍。

祷告

主啊，求祢打破阻碍人们接受福音的种种障碍，也让我们摆脱阻碍我们自身的障碍。阿们。

TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

“You will be my witnesses . . . to the ends of the earth.”            —Acts 1:8

After removing the barrier between us and God, Jesus commissioned his followers to bring this good news everywhere. The book of Acts tells about the early years of this mission. By the power of God’s Spirit, Jesus’ followers overcame barriers and discovered bridges to bring the good news and make disciples far and wide. And they, in turn, spread the message to make more disciples.

You would think that by now the mission would be complete, that the good news would have reached everywhere. Today there are Christians in every country of the world, but there are still about 2 billion people—a quarter of the world’s population—who have virtually no opportunity to receive the gospel. They are in various people groups (like ethnic groups) that haven’t been exposed to the gospel because of ongoing barriers.

Some of those barriers are in the groups themselves—like devotion to false religions, and misconceptions about Jesus. Some other barriers are more common—such as language and cultural barriers, and laws against preaching the gospel.

In addition, we can have barriers that stop us from reaching out to other groups (including people around us who don’t know Christ)—apathy, fear, racism, and preoccupations with our personal lives.

Let’s pray for God’s help in overcoming these barriers.

Lord, please break down the many barriers that prevent people from receiving the gospel, and free us from barriers in ourselves that can hold us back. Amen.