June 26

"For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?" (Rom. 3:3)

I think that I can trace every scrap¹ of sorrow in my life to simple unbelief. How could I be anything but quite happy if I believed always that all the past is forgiven, and all the present furnished with power, and all the future bright with hope because of the same abiding² facts which do not change with my mood, do not stumble because I totter³ and stagger at the promise through unbelief, but stand firm and clear with their peaks of pearl cleaving⁴ the air of Eternity⁵, and the bases of their hills rooted unfathomably in the Rock of God. Mont Blanc does not become a phantom⁶ or a mist because a climber grows dizzy on its side. --James Smetham.

Is it any wonder that, when we stagger at any promise of God through unbelief, we do not receive it? Not that faith merits an answer, or in any way earns it, or works it out; but God has made believing a condition of receiving, and the Giver has a sovereign right to choose His own terms of gift. --Rev. Samuel Hart.

Unbelief says, "How can such and such things be?" It is full of "hows"; but faith has one great answer to the ten thousand "hows," and that answer is--GOD! --C. H. M.

No praying man or woman accomplishes so much with so little expenditure⁷ of time as when he or she is praying.

If there should arise, it has been said--and the words are surely true to the thought of our Lord Jesus Christ in all His teaching on prayer--if there should arise ONE UTTERLY⁸ BELIEVING MAN, the history of the world might be changed.

Will YOU not be that one in the providence⁹ and guidance of God our Father? --A. E. McAdam.

Prayer without faith degenerates¹⁰ into objectless routine, or soulless hypocrisy¹¹. Prayer with faith brings Omnipotence¹² to back our petitions. Better not pray unless and until your whole being responds to the efficacy of your supplication¹³. When the true prayer is breathed, earth and heaven, the past and the future, say Amen. And Christ prayed such prayers. --P. C. M.

"Nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer except that which lies outside the will of God."

　 六月二十六日

“即便有不信的，这有何妨呢？难道他们的不信，就废掉神的信么”？（罗三：3）。

　　我可以说：我一生所有的忧虑，都是由不信产生的。如果我时常相信——我已往的一切都已蒙神赦免；现在的一切都带着主的能力；将来的一切多么光明，因为永生的真实，不会因为我的冷淡而更变，不会因我的失败而消灭——我怎能不欢喜快乐呢？——司买丹

　　当我们带着不信的恶心来怀疑神的允许的时候，顶希奇，我们就得不着那允许了。这并不是说我们的信心该受神的答应，也不是说神的答应是能用信心赚得的；却是因为神曾这样命定：得允许的条件就是信心。赐恩者自有主权选定任何条件来换取他的恩赐。——赫德

　　不信说：“怎样会这样？怎样会那样？”信心只用一个字去答复它的千万个“怎样”，这个字就是——神！——马金都

从来没有一个人，只花极少的时间祷告，却获得极大的成功的。

　　有人说：世上如果兴起一个全然相信的人来，世界的历史就会随着改变。

读者，你愿不愿意起来做这个人呢？——马克亚当

　　没有信心的祷告，会造成无目标的惯例，卑陋的虚伪。如果你的全人还没有同心合意地参加你的祈祷，我劝你还是再等一会祈祷吧！真实的祈祷一发声，天地都会同说阿们。耶稣基督的祈祷，就是这样。

没有一件东西不能借着祈祷求得除非那件东西在神的旨意以外。

1 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

2 abiding   

adj.永久的，持久的，不变的

参考例句：

• He had an abiding love of the English countryside.他永远热爱英国的乡村。
• He has a genuine and abiding love of the craft.他对这门手艺有着真挚持久的热爱。

3 totter   

v.蹒跚， 摇摇欲坠；n.蹒跚的步子

参考例句：

• He tottered to the fridge,got a beer and slumped at the table.他踉跄地走到冰箱前，拿出一瓶啤酒，一屁股坐在桌边。
• The property market is tottering.房地产市场摇摇欲坠。

4 cleaving   

v.劈开，剁开，割开( cleave的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The freighter carrying pig iron is cleaving through the water. 装着生铁的货船正在破浪前进。 来自辞典例句
• IL-10-cDNA fragment was obtained through cleaving pUC-T-IL-10cDNA by reconstriction enzymes. 结果：pcDNA3.1-IL-10酶切鉴定的电泳结果显示，pcDNA3.1-IL-10质粒有一个560bp左右的插入片断，大小和IL-10cDNA大致符合。 来自互联网

5 eternity   

n.不朽，来世；永恒，无穷

参考例句：

• The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
• Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞，永世相随。

6 phantom   

n.幻影，虚位，幽灵；adj.错觉的，幻影的，幽灵的

参考例句：

• I found myself staring at her as if she were a phantom.我发现自己瞪大眼睛看着她，好像她是一个幽灵。
• He is only a phantom of a king.他只是有名无实的国王。

7 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

8 utterly   

adv.完全地，绝对地

参考例句：

• Utterly devoted to the people,he gave his life in saving his patients.他忠于人民，把毕生精力用于挽救患者的生命。
• I was utterly ravished by the way she smiled.她的微笑使我完全陶醉了。

9 providence   

n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝

参考例句：

• It is tempting Providence to go in that old boat.乘那艘旧船前往是冒大险。
• To act as you have done is to fly in the face of Providence.照你的所作所为那样去行事，是违背上帝的意志的。

10 degenerates   

衰退，堕落，退化( degenerate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Liberty often degenerates into lawlessness. 自由常常变质为无法无天。
• Her health degenerates rapidly. 她的健康状况迅速恶化。

11 hypocrisy   

n.伪善，虚伪

参考例句：

• He railed against hypocrisy and greed.他痛斥伪善和贪婪的行为。
• He accused newspapers of hypocrisy in their treatment of the story.他指责了报纸在报道该新闻时的虚伪。

12 omnipotence   

n.全能，万能，无限威力

参考例句：

• Central bankers have never had any illusions of their own omnipotence. 中行的银行家们已经不再对于他们自己的无所不能存有幻想了。 来自互联网
• Introduce an omnipotence press automatism dividing device, explained it operation principle. 介绍了冲压万能自动分度装置，说明了其工作原理。 来自互联网

13 supplication   

n.恳求，祈愿，哀求

参考例句：

• She knelt in supplication. 她跪地祷求。
• The supplication touched him home. 这个请求深深地打动了他。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记