Author: Billy Conrad

July 16

[Pray] that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak. — Ephesians 6:19–20

Scripture reading: Acts 26:1–29

Paul felt, as we do, the need for utterance. He had plenty of language, but he wanted utterance. We can have inspiration, operation, tongue, mind, heart—we need all these. God works through these in this divine order to give forth the truth most needed for the time. But the supreme need of the hour is prayer for utterance.

Paul and his helpers were men sent forth by the power of the Holy Spirit. But without anointing, they could not open the door or give forth the right word for the hour. Paul and his helpers were unequal to the need. Was this an indication that something was out of order? No! We are all dependent on the Holy Spirit to breathe through us.

How can we live in this place, reliant on omnipotent power? It is by the Spirit of the Lord giving vent, speaking through us. It is not an easy thing. God said to David, “It is good that the desire is in your heart.” (See 2 Chronicles 6:8.) But that will not do for us who live in the latter days when God is pouring forth His Spirit, and rivers of power are available are at our word. We need to live by Mark 11:22–23: “Have faith in God.…Whoever…believes…will have whatever he says.” Let God arise. Let God breathe His Holy Spirit through your nature, through your eyes and tongue—the supernatural in the natural for the glory of God. God raised Paul for this ministry. What was the means? Jesus said, “By faith in Me” (Acts 26:18). The faith of God.

Thought for today: Apart from this living breath of the Spirit, the message is ordinary and not extraordinary.

7月16日

[祈祷] 求神赐我话语，让我大胆开口，将福音的奥秘传扬出去；我为此被囚，作为基督的使者；愿我能按照应有的方式大胆讲说。——以弗所书 6:19-20

经文阅读：使徒行传 26:1–29

保罗像我们一样，感到了表达的需要。他有很多语言，但他渴望表达。我们可以有灵感、行动、舌头、思维、心灵——我们需要这一切。上帝通过这些以神圣的秩序工作，传递当时最需要的真理。但当下最迫切的需求是为表达而祈祷。

保罗和他的助手是靠圣灵的能力被差遣出去的人。但没有受膏，他们无法开启门，也无法说出适合当下的正确话。保罗和他的助手无法满足需求。这是不是意味着有什么不对劲？不是！我们都依赖圣灵在我们里面运作。

我们如何能生活在这个依赖全能力量的地方？这是靠主的灵发泄，通过我们说话。这并不容易。神对大卫说：”心里有这样的愿望是好的。”（见历代志下6:8）但是对我们这些生活在后期，当神倾注他的灵、力量之河等着我们使用的时候的人来说，这还不够。我们需要遵循马可福音11:22–23：“你们当信服神……无论谁……信就必拥有他说的。”让神兴起。让神通过你的本性、通过你的眼睛和舌头吹入他的圣灵——在自然中彰显超自然，为神的荣耀。神兴起保罗来完成这个事工。手段是什么？耶稣说，“凭着对我的信心”（使徒行传26:18）。就是神的信心。

今天的想法：除了这活生生的灵魂气息之外，这个信息普通而不特别。

July 15

Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live. — Ezekiel 37:5

Scripture reading: Ezekiel 37

As we speak in the Spirit, we feel that the fire that burned in the hearts of the two men on their way to Emmaus, when Jesus walked with them, is burning in our hearts. (See Luke 24:13–32.) It is sure to come to pass that when we walk with Him, our hearts will burn; the same power of the Spirit is present today to make it happen. The two men on their way to Emmaus could not understand what was happening on the road, but a few hours later, they saw Jesus break the bread, and their eyes were opened.

But, beloved, our hearts always ought to burn. There is a place where we can live in the anointing and the clothing of the Spirit, where our words will be clothed with power. “Do not be drunk with wine…but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18). Being filled with the Spirit is a wonderful privilege.

It was necessary for John to be in the Spirit on the Isle of Patmos so that the revelation could be made clear to him (Revelation 1:9-10). What does it mean to this generation for us to be kept in the Spirit? All human reasoning and all human knowledge cannot be compared with the power of the life that is lived in the Spirit. In the Spirit, we have power to loose and power to bind (Matthew 16:19). There is a place where the Holy Spirit can put us where we cannot be anywhere else but in the Spirit. But it is only in the Spirit.

Now, I read in Matthew 16:19 that Jesus says, in essence, “I will give you power to bind, and I will give you power to loose.” This is a power that many of us have not yet claimed, and we will not be able to claim this manifestation of the Spirit unless we live in the Spirit. When are you able to bind and loose? It is only in the Spirit. You cannot bind things in human strength or with the natural mind. This power was never lacking in Jesus, but I feel that there is a great lack of it in most of us. God help us!

“The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me” (Luke 4:18). Beloved, there was a great purpose in this Spirit being on Jesus, and there is a special purpose in your being baptized in the Spirit. We must not forget that we are members of His body, and by this wonderful baptismal power, we are partakers of His divine nature (2 Peter 1:4).

The revelation came this way: I saw Adam and Eve driven out of the Garden and a flaming sword at every side to keep them from entering into the Garden. But I saw that all around me was a flaming sword keeping me from evil, and it seemed this would be true if I would claim it, so I said, “Lord, I will.” The flaming sword was around me, delivering me from the power of hell. In this way, we are preserved from evil. God is like a wall of fire around us (Zechariah 2:5); why should we fear? What a wonderful salvation! What a wonderful Deliverer!

Notice Ezekiel 37. The only need of Ezekiel was to be in the Spirit, and while he was in the Spirit, it came to him to prophesy to the dry bones and say, “O dry bones, hear the word of the LORD” (v. 4). And as he prophesied according to the Lord‘s command, he saw an “exceedingly great army” (v. 10) rising up about him. The prophet obeyed God‘s command, and all we have to do is exactly this: obey God. What is impossible with man is possible with God (Luke 18:27).

I pray to God that your spirit, soul, and body may be preserved holy (1 Thessalonians 5:23), and that you may be always on fire, always ready with the anointing on you. If this is not so, we are out of divine order, and we ought to cry to Him until the glory comes back upon us.

Thought for today: If we breathe the Holy Spirit‘s thoughts into our thoughts, and live in the anointing of the Holy Spirit as Jesus lived, then there will be evidences that we are in the Holy Spirit, and we will do His works.

7月15日

我必使气息进入你们，你们就要活过来。——以西结书 37:5

读经：以西结书37章

当我们在圣灵里说话时，我们会感受到，当耶稣与那两个人一同走向以马忤斯的路上，他们心中燃烧的火焰，现在也在我们心中燃烧。（参见路加福音24:13–32）无疑，当我们与祂同行时，我们的心也会燃烧；圣灵同样的力量今天依然存在，使这一切成为可能。那两个前往以马忤斯的男人，一开始无法理解路上发生的事情，但几个小时后，当他们看见耶稣掰开饼时，他们的眼睛才得以明亮。

但是，亲爱的，我们的心总应该充满热情。有一个地方，我们可以在恩膏和圣灵的衣裳中生活，我们的话语将充满能力。“不要醉酒，醉酒使人放荡；要被圣灵充满”（以弗所书 5:18）。被圣灵充满是一种美妙的特权。

约翰必须在拔摩岛的灵里，这样启示才能向他显明（启示录 1:9-10）。对于这一代人来说，被保守在灵里意味着什么呢？所有人的推理和知识都无法与活在灵里的生命的能力相比。在灵里，我们有解开和捆绑的能力（马太福音 16:19）。圣灵可以把我们放在一个只有在灵里才能去的地方，而这个地方我们在其他情况下是无法到达的。只有在灵里才能如此。

现在，我在《马太福音》16章19节读到，耶稣本质上说：“我给你们权柄，可以捆绑，也给你们权柄，可以释放。”这是许多人尚未领取的权柄，而且除非我们活在圣灵中，否则我们无法行使圣灵的这种显现。什么时候你才能捆绑和释放呢？只有在圣灵里才可以。你不能靠人的力量或自然的心智能捆绑事情。这权柄在耶稣身上从未缺少过，但我觉得我们大多数人都很缺乏它。愿上帝帮助我们！

“主的灵在我身上”（路加福音 4:18）。亲爱的，这灵临到耶稣身上有一个伟大的目的，你们受圣灵洗也有一个特别的目的。我们不能忘记，我们是他身体的肢体，通过这奇妙的洗礼能力，我们可以分享他的神性（彼得后书 1:4）。

启示是这样来的：我看到亚当和夏娃被赶出乐园，四周都有一把燃烧的剑阻挡他们回到乐园。但我看到在我四周也是一把燃烧的剑，保护我远离邪恶，似乎只要我承认它，这就会成为现实，于是我说：“主啊，我愿意。”燃烧的剑环绕着我，使我脱离地狱的权势。通过这种方式，我们被保守远离邪恶。上帝就像环绕我们的火墙（撒迦利亚书 2:5）；我们还有什么好害怕的呢？多么奇妙的救恩啊！多么奇妙的拯救者啊！

注意以西结书37章。以西结唯一需要的就是在灵里，当他在灵里的时候，他领受了一个启示，要向枯骨说预言，说：“枯骨啊，耶和华的话临到你们了”（第4节）。当他按主的吩咐说预言时，他看见有一支“极大的军队”（第10节）在他周围兴起。先知顺服了神的命令，而我们要做的就是一样：顺服神。对人不可能的事，在神却是可能的（路加福音18:27）。

我祈求上帝保守你的心灵、灵魂和身体成为圣洁（帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:23），并希望你总是充满热情，总是随时带着恩膏。如果不是这样，我们就偏离了神的秩序，我们应该向他呼求，直到荣耀再次降临我们身上。

今日的思考：如果我们把圣灵的思想吸入我们的思想中，并像耶稣一样活在圣灵的恩膏中，那么就会有证据表明我们在圣灵里，并且我们会行祂的作为。