Author: Billy Conrad

April 7

As we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. — 1 Corinthians 15:49

Scripture reading: John 3:1–21

Jesus spoke to Nicodemus and told him that this new birth is not flesh and blood; it is the life of God. It is a spiritual life, as real as God, as true as God. We are formed in God‘s very image. He has quickened us and made us to be like Him with an inward, spiritual life. Just as we have our humanity, so the new nature, the new power, is continually forming a new man in us after the order of Him. The first Adam was formed, and we are in the vision of him; the last Adam, the new creation, is going to have a vision and expression like Him.

I was once exactly where Nicodemus was; I said, “How can these things be?” (John 3:9). Then there came by faith a regenerating power that made me know I was born of God. It came like the wind. I could not see it, but I felt it. It had a tremendous effect upon my human nature, and I found that I was a new creation. I found I wanted to pray and to talk about the Lord. Oh, I will never forget saying “Father.”

If you catch this truth, it does not matter where you are. If you are in exile somewhere—isolated from everybody, far from any human comfort—if this life gets into you, you will know that when He comes again, you will go to meet Him.

When you are born of God, God‘s nature comes in. I won‘t call it the germ of eternal life, but the seed of God, because we are conceived by the Word, we are quickened by the power, we are made after His order. What is from above has entered into what is below, and you have now become a quickened spirit. You were dead, without aspiration, and without desire. As soon as His life comes in, aspiration, desire, and prayer ascend, lifting higher and higher, and you have already moved toward heavenly things.

Thought for today: This new creation cannot live bound to the earth. It always lives, soaring higher—higher and higher, loftier and loftier, holier and holier.

4月7日

我们既有尘土之人的形像，也必有天上之人的形像。——哥林多前书 15:49

圣经朗读：约翰福音 3:1–21

耶稣与尼哥德慕说话，并告诉他，这重生不是凭血肉，而是神的生命。这是属灵的生命，如同神一样真实，如同神一样真实。我们是按神的形象形成的。他使我们复活，使我们有内在的属灵生命，成为像他一样的人。正如我们拥有人的性情，新的本性，新的能力，也在不断地在我们里面塑造一个照他样式的新人成长。初的亚当已被造，我们在他的异象中；末后的亚当，即新造的人，将会有像他一样的异象和表现。

我曾经正处在尼哥底母所处的位置；我说：“这些事怎么能有呢？”（约翰福音 3:9）然后，有一股重生的能力通过信心来到，使我知道我生于神。这股能力像风一样到来。我看不见它，但我能感觉到它。它对我的人性产生了巨大的影响，我发现我成为了一个新造的人。我发现我渴望祷告和谈论主。哦，我永远不会忘记说“父啊”。

如果你领会了这个真理，那么你身处何地都无关紧要。如果你在某个地方流亡——与所有人隔绝，远离任何人类的安慰——如果这种生命进入了你，你就会明白，当他再次降临时，你将去迎接他。

当你属于神而被生出来时，神的本性便进入了。我不会称它为永生的萌芽，而是称它为神的种子，因为我们是因着道而受孕，是因着能力而复活，是按着祂的次序被造的。从上而来的已经进入下面，你现在已经成为一灵活的灵。你曾经死了，没有渴望，也没有欲望。一旦祂的生命进入，渴望、欲望和祷告便升起，越升越高，而你已经朝向天上的事物前进了。

今日的思考：这个新造的人不能被束缚在地上。它总是生存着，不断地飞得更高——更高、更高，更高尚、更高尚，更圣洁、更圣洁。

April 6

But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord. — 2 Corinthians 3:18

Scripture reading: 1 Corinthians 15:35–58

The coming of the Lord is for the life of the Lord, not for our bodies. Our bodies will never be in heaven; they will never reach there. They are terrestrial things, and everything terrestrial will come to an end on this earth.

What is going to be there? The life of the Son of God, the nature of the Son of God, the holiness of the Son of God, the purity. Life will be there, as well as the likeness and everything pertaining to it.

As we go on, we will see that He is in this life that is going to have a new body. This life will demand a new body; it is demanding it now. This is a law of life. You have a law of life in nature. But now you have to have a law of a spirit of life, which is free from everything of the natural order (Romans 8:2). And this is the law of life, of the life of Christ that is in you, which I am taking you through or bringing you to, so that you may be firmly fixed on the perfect knowledge that no matter what happens, you know you will go. When I say “you,” it is right to say you will go. You will go up, but you, as you now know yourself, won‘t go in. You will be dissolved as you go. But the nature of the Son, the new life, will go in with your new body.

We move on now to a further foundation. In the first chapter of John, the fourteenth verse, we read, “And the Word became flesh [they saw it] and dwelt among us [it was right in the midst of them, and they couldn‘t help seeing the glory of it], and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Now you have to receive that—full of grace, full of truth, the glory of the Lord. You must remember that glory is not a halo around your head. In some paintings of the Lord Jesus or of saints, you will see a light patch painted just over their heads, the idea being to exhibit glory. Glory never is that way. Glory is expressive.

Glory had two mighty powers with it: it not only had grace, which was the canopy of the mercy of the high order of God, all the time prevailing and covering and pressing Him, but it also had truth. Christ spoke so that every heart was filled with what He said.

And this glory is what we have to have. This is what will be caught up to heaven and expressed. Can expressiveness be taken up? Yes, because it is the nature of the new birth. Will truth be taken up? Yes, for truth is the very embodiment of the Son. Just as this life permeates through your body, it would be impossible for any saint ever to be free to give anything but absolute truth. The saint has to become an embodiment of truth, life, and Christ manifested. We have to be like Him, just as He was, filled with His glory, this divine order speaking out of fullness, greater than anything we have ever had. Our minds and souls must perceive the things of God so that we live, move, and act in this glory.

The glory of the Lord, the presence of the Lord, the power of the Lord, the life of the Lord is being made manifest. It is not you He is after: it is what has been created in you.

Thought for today: Glory is not an outside halo; glory is an inward conception

4月6日

我们众人既然以敞开的脸得以观看主的荣耀，好像镜子上的光景，就变成主的形象，荣耀变成荣耀，正如从主的灵一样。——哥林多后书 3:18

经文阅读：哥林多前书 15:35–58

主的降临是为了主的生命，而不是为了我们的身体。我们的身体永远不会在天上；它们永远无法到达那里。它们是属地的东西，而一切属地的东西都将在这地上结束。

那里会有什么？神子的生命，神子的本性，神子的圣洁，纯净。生命会在那里，同时也会有相似性以及与之相关的一切。

随着我们的深入，我们将看到祂在这生命中，而这生命将会拥有一个新的身体。这生命将需要一个新的身体；它现在就正在需求它。这是生命的法则。你在自然界中有生命的法则。但现在你必须拥有一个生命之灵的法则，这生命之灵从自然秩序的一切中解放出来（罗马书 8:2）。这就是生命的法则，即在你里面的基督生命，我正带你经历或引导你走向它，以便你能坚定地掌握完全的知识，无论发生什么，你都知道你将去。当我说“你”时，说“你将去”是正确的。你将上去，但你，按现在了解自己的状态，是不会进去的。你将随着上去而被解散。但子的本性，这新的生命，将随着你的新身体进去。

我们现在继续进入另一个基础。在约翰福音第一章第十四节，我们读到：“道成了肉身[他们看见了]，住在我们中间[就在他们中间，他们无法不看见他的荣耀]，我们也看见了他的荣耀，正如父独生子的荣耀，充满恩典和真理。”

现在你必须接纳那一切——充满恩典，充满真理，是主的荣耀。你必须记住，荣耀不是你头上的光环。在一些耶稣主或圣徒的画作中，你会看到在他们头顶上方画了一个光斑，其意图是展示荣耀。荣耀永远不是那样的。荣耀是有表现力的。

荣耀拥有两种强大的力量：它不仅拥有恩典，这是高阶上帝的慈悲之篷，始终存在、覆盖并推动祂，而且它还拥有真理。基督所说的话，使每一颗心都充满了祂的话语。

而这种荣耀是我们必须拥有的。这就是将被提升到天堂并得以显明的东西。可表达性能被提升吗？可以，因为这是重生的本质。真理会被提升吗？会的，因为真理正是子道的具象。正如这生命渗透你的身体一样，任何圣徒都不可能自由地去给予除绝对真理之外的任何东西。圣徒必须成为真理、生命和基督显现的具象。我们必须像他一样，正如他当时那样，充满他的荣耀，这从充盈中发出的神圣秩序，比我们曾经拥有的任何东西都要伟大。我们的心智和灵魂必须感知神的事物，以便我们在这种荣耀中生活、行动和举动。

主的荣耀，主的同在，主的能力，主的生命正在显现。祂追求的不是你本人：而是祂在你里面所创造的东西。

今日的思考：荣耀不是外在的光环；荣耀是一种内在的观念。

April 5

You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. — Psalm 16:11

Scripture reading: Psalm 16

The Word of Life is to make your joy full. We must remember that what is absent in the world is joy. The world has never had joy; the world never will have joy. Joy is not in the five senses of the world. Feelings are there, happiness is there, but joy can only be produced where there is no alloy. Now, there is no alloy in heaven. Alloy means that there is a mixture. In the world there is happiness, but it is a mixture; very often it comes very close to sorrow. Often in the midst of festivities, there is a place of happiness, and right underneath is a very heavy heart.

But what Christians have is this: it is joy without alloy, without a mixture. It is inwardly expressive. It rises higher and higher until, if it had its perfect order, we would drown everything with a shout of praise coming from this holy presence.

We want everyone to receive the Holy Spirit because the Holy Spirit has a very blessed expression of the Lord in His glory, in His purity, in His power, and in all His blessed words. All these are coming forcefully through as the Holy Spirit is able to witness to you of Him. And every time the Son is manifested in your hearts by the Holy Spirit, you get a real stream of heavenly glory on earth: joy in the Holy Spirit—not in eating and drinking, but in something higher, something better. We all enjoy eating and drinking, but this is something higher, something better, something more substantial: joy in the Holy Spirit! And the Holy Spirit can bring this joy to us.

Thought for today: No one gets his answers to his prayers—he never does—for God answers prayers abundantly above what we ask or think to pray for.

4月5日

你必将生命的道路指示我；在你面前有满足的喜乐；在你右手中有永远的福乐。——诗篇 16:11

经文阅读：诗篇16篇

生命的话是让你的喜乐充满。我们必须记住，世界上缺失的东西是喜乐。世界从未有过喜乐；世界永远也不会有喜乐。喜乐不在世界的五感中。感受在那儿，幸福在那儿，但喜乐只能在没有杂质的地方产生。现在，天堂中没有杂质。杂质意味着存在混合。在世界上有幸福，但它是混合的；它常常非常接近悲伤。常常在庆祝活动中，有一处幸福的地方，而在其下正是沉重的心。

但是基督徒拥有的是这样的东西：那是纯粹无杂质的喜乐，没有任何掺杂。它在内心中得以表达。它不断升高，直到如果它达到了完美的秩序，我们将会用从这圣洁临在中发出的赞美之声淹没一切。

我们希望每个人都能领受圣灵，因为圣灵在祂的荣耀、纯洁、能力以及祂所有祝福的话语中带有主极其美好的彰显。所有这些都随着圣灵能够为你作见证而有力地显现出来。每当圣子借着圣灵在你心里显现时，你就在地上得到真正的天国荣耀的流露：在圣灵里的喜乐——不是在吃喝中，而是在更高、更美好的事物中。我们都喜欢吃喝，但这是更高、更美好、更实在的事物：在圣灵里的喜乐！而圣灵可以将这种喜乐带给我们。

今日思考：没有人能从祷告中得到他所求的答案——他从未得到——因为上帝的回答远远超过我们所求或想到去祈祷的。