全班只有你是基督徒，辦公室只有少數人信主，左鄰右舍都是無神論或異教徒，社會風氣敗壞，主流言論和聖經的教導背道而馳。身為基督的門徒，你該怎麼辦？
你該認識到在敵區生活是你的宿命，更是你的使命。是你的宿命，因為這是主的旨意。耶穌對門徒說「我差你們出去，如同羊羔進入狼群」（路10:3），聖經說「全世界都臥在那惡者手下」（約一5:19）。門徒是主從世界中分別出來的人，不屬於世界（約17:14），與那惡者為敵。我們是在敵區生活的人，孤軍深入，羊入狼群。
這也是我們的使命，因為主要我們進入世界，將人從裡面帶出來。主對保羅說：「我差你到他們那裡去，要叫他們的眼睛得開，從黑暗中歸向光明，從撒但權下歸向神。」（徒26:18）弟兄姊妹，主給我們的使命是進入敵區，將人帶出來，遷入神愛子的國度（西1:13），從黑暗歸向光明，從撒但的權下歸向神。這樣看來，我們周圍的風氣敗壞，敵人很多，豈非是正常現象？因為我們是在敵區。
耶穌是世界的光，光來到世間，世人不愛光倒愛黑暗（約3:19），甚至將他釘死。親愛的弟兄姊妹，我們所遭遇的，主都遭遇過了。可是主耶穌卻愛世人，甘心為他們死，好叫一切信他的不至滅亡，反得永生。我們也當奉主差遣，領人歸向光明。
去，住在那裡！Go, and Stay There!
西頓地，撒勒法，一寡婦，在拾柴。
只見一男子逐漸走近，看樣子是個行遠路的。從他的衣著來看，應該是個以色列人。以色列人怎麼會來到西頓？
當時的西頓王名叫謁巴力（王上16:31），是巴力教的祭司。巴力教是個淫邪的宗教，盛行於迦南地。西頓王的女兒名叫耶洗別，從小耳濡目染，深陷於邪教之中。耶洗別長大之後，嫁給了以色列的王亞哈。亞哈受到耶洗別的影響，去事奉敬拜巴力。他在首都撒瑪利亞為巴力建廟，並設立其他的偶像，使全國百姓遠離真神，陷入拜偶像的狂熱之中。
在撒瑪利亞建造巴力的廟，在廟裡為巴力築壇。亞哈又做亞舍拉，他所行的惹耶和華以色列神的怒氣，比他以前的以色列諸王更甚。（王上16:32-33）
耶和華差遣先知以利亞去見亞哈，告訴他大旱將至，幾年不會下雨。亞哈聽了先知的警告並不害怕，繼續拜巴力。黑暗籠罩著以色列，邪靈的勢力不斷增強。就在這時候，耶和華的話臨到了以利亞：
你起身往西頓的撒勒法去，住在那裡；我已吩咐那裡的一個寡婦供養你。（王上17:9）
西頓是謁巴力管轄之地，耶洗別從小長大的地方。神叫以利亞起身往西頓去，深入敵區，在那裡接受一個寡婦的供養。以利亞遵命前往，來到了目的地。他遠行辛苦，又渴又累，只見一個婦人在城門口拾柴，就呼喊她說：「求你用器皿取點水來給我喝！」婦人看見這是個遠行的旅客，身上沒帶器皿，就去取水給他喝。正當她去的時候，沒想到那人又說：「也求你拿點餅來給我。」（王上17:10-11）
撒勒法的寡婦 The Widow of Zarephath
她不是以色列人，這個以色列人卻來向她要水喝。她窮得家裡只剩下一把麵，這個以色列人卻來向她要餅吃。她說，不，我只剩下一把麵，是我和我兒子最後的糧食，吃完了我們就準備餓死。他居然說，你先做個小餅給我吃，剩下的再為你和你的兒子做餅（王上17:12-13）。哪有如此厚顏的人？我們只剩下這麼一點糧食，自己活命都不夠，還要我先做餅給你吃？一股怒氣從婦人的心底升起，正待拒絕，沒想到他接著說：
耶和華以色列的神如此說：罈內的麵必不減少，瓶裡的油必不缺短，直到耶和華使雨降在地上的日子。（王上17:14）
有這種事？降雨的事她不知道，但「罈內的麵必不減少，瓶裡的油必不缺短」她卻聽懂了。婦人以疑惑的眼光望著以利亞：我該相信他嗎？聽說耶和華的僕人能行神蹟，莫非此人是耶和華的僕人？反正我們都快餓死了，或許這是個生機。婦人決定一試。
權能生活 Power Living
西頓王的女兒將巴力傳入以色列，以色列的神差遣他的僕人進入西頓。以利亞向一個窮困的寡婦提出一個不合理的要求，寡婦決定聽從他的話，於是神蹟就發生了：
婦人就照以利亞的話去行。她和她家中的人，並以利亞，吃了許多日子。罈內的麵果不減少，瓶裡的油也不缺短，正如耶和華藉以利亞所說的話。（王上17:15-16）
從婦人接待以利亞的第一天開始，神蹟每日都發生。如同從天降下的嗎哪，麵和油靜悄悄地、信實地、日常地，在器皿中出現，彰顯出神的權能。耶和華以色列的神，因著他的名，照著他的話語，讓神蹟每日在敵區發生！這雖然不像分開紅海那麼壯觀，但卻是一個持續性的神蹟。一天又一天，餅與油總是安靜地來到。如同一線曙光穿過重重的烏雲，神的能力在敵區突破，與他的僕人同在。
耶穌差派門徒出去，如同羊羔進入狼群。吩咐他們無論到了何處，「人若接待你們，給你們擺上甚麼，你們就吃甚麼。」（路10:8）門徒完成任務之後，歡歡喜喜地回來，說：「主啊，因你的名就是鬼也服了我們！」（路10:17）那些奉差遣的門徒經歷到神的供應和權能，正如以利亞一樣。
門徒在魔鬼掌權之地收割莊稼，以利亞在巴力掌權之地過著權能生活。那時他們還不知道，有一個更大的神蹟，正在等待著發生：
有婦人得自己的死人復活。（來11:35）
以利亞的經歷告訴我們：
- 神差遣人去住在敵區
- 神的供應與權能與奉差遣的人同在
【Life is a song】Living Beyond the Enemy Line
In the entire classroom, you are the only Christian. In the office, there are but a handful of believers. You are surrounded by atheists and non-believers. Society’s ethical and moral standards are shifting further away from the biblical worldview, and mainstream culture is moving in a direction that directly opposes biblical teaching. What should you do as a Christian?
You must understand that living in enemy territory is not only God’s plan for you, but it is God’s mission for you. It is God’s plan, because this is the will of God. Jesus told his disciples “I am sending you out like lambs among wolves” (Luke 10:3), and the Bible says “the whole world is under the control of the evil one” (1 John 5:19). Jesus’ disciples have been set apart from the world, and do not belong to the world (John 17:14). Consequently, we are now enemies of the evil one, living in enemy territory, like lambs among wolves.
This is also our mission, because God wants us to go into the world so that we can bring others out of it. The Lord said to Paul, “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18). Brothers and sisters, God has given us a mission to enter the enemy’s land so that we can bring others out of it, that they may be rescued from darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God, and be brought into the kingdom of the Son He loves (Colossians1:13) Now that we look at it from this perspective, it no longer seems unusual that we are surrounded by enemies with opposing beliefs and worldviews, because we are in fact living behind enemy lines.
Jesus is the light of the world. This light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light (John 3:19), so much so that they nailed Him to a cross. Dear brothers and sisters, our Lord has gone through everything we are going through. But He loved the world and willingly gave His life up for them, so that whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life. We must follow in His footsteps and be on mission for God, to lead others to the light.
Go, and Stay There!
In the land of Zarephath of Sidon, there was a widow gathering sticks for firewood. A man approaches, someone who has journeyed from afar. From his attire, he seems to be an Israelite. But why would an Israelite come to Sidon?
The king of Sidon at that time was Ethbaal (1 Kings 16:31), who served the pagan god Baal. The worship of Baal was prevalent throughout Canaan, and their practices were evil and detestable. The king of Sidon had a daughter named Jezebel who grew up immersed in the Baal religion, and later married Ahab king of Israel. Influenced by Jezebel, Ahab began to worship and serve Baal. He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria, and set up other idols as well. He turned the people into an idol-worshipping nation and led them to walk astray from the one true God.
He set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal that he built in Samaria. Ahab also made an Asherah pole and did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him. (1 Kings 16:32-33)
The Lord sent Elijah to warn Ahab that there will be a drought and no rain for several years. Ahab did not heed Elijah’s warning and continued to worship Baal. Israel was shrouded in darkness, and the forces of evil continued to strengthen. It was then that the word of the Lord came to Elijah:
“Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there. I have commanded a widow in that place to supply you with food.” (1 Kings 17:9)
Sidon was King Ethbaal’s domain, and also the place where Jezebel grew up. God told Elijah to go to Sidon, directly into enemy territory, in order to receive food from a widow. Elijah obeyed and set off on a long journey. When he arrived, he was tired and thirsty, so he called to the widow who was gathering sticks there, and asked her “Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?” The woman saw that this was a traveler from afar, without a jar to carry water, and so she went to get him some water. Just as she was going to get water, Elijah called out again, “And bring me, please, a piece of bread.” (1 Kings 17:10-11)
The Widow of Zarephath
She was not an Israelite, yet this Israelite asked her for water. She was so poor that there was only a handful of flour at home, yet this Israelite asked her for bread. She said, no, I only have a handful of flour, and it is our only source of food for myself and my son. We are ready to starve to death after we finish it. But he said, first make a small cake of bread for me, and then make something for yourself and your son with what’s left over (1 Kings 17:12-13). What an audacious request! We only have such little food left, not even enough for us to live by, and you want us to first make you bread? She was about to express her indignance and reject him when he said something surprising.
“For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.” (1 Kings 17:14)
Did he mean this? She may not have comprehended what he meant by “the day the Lord gives rain” but she sure understood “the jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry”. The woman looked at Elijah with puzzled eyes: should I trust him? I’ve heard that those who serve God can perform miracles. Perhaps this man is a servant of the Lord? Well, we are about to starve to death, and this may be a chance at life. The woman decided to do what Elijah said.
Power Living
Jezebel daughter of the king of Sidon spread the worship of Baal to Israel, but the God of Israel sent His servant into Sidon. Elijah made an absurd request to a poor, starving widow. When the widow decided to do as he said, a miracle occurred:
She went away and did as Elijah had told her. So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah. (1 Kings 17:15-16)
From the moment that the widow gave food to Elijah, miracles occurred daily. Just like manna from heaven, the flour and oil silently and faithfully appeared in the jars, as a manifestation of the power of God. The Lord God of Israel, according to His name, and faithful to His word, let miracles occur daily in enemy territory! Although not as spectacular as the parting of the Red Sea, these miracles were ongoing and continuous. Day after day, there always appeared flour in the jar and oil in the jug. Just as a ray of light pierces the darkness, God’s power can break through the stronghold of the enemy’s land, and enable His servant to live powerfully behind enemy lines.
Jesus sent out his disciples like lambs among wolves, and gave them this instruction, “When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you.” (Luke 10:8) When the disciples accomplished their mission, they returned joyfully and said, “Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name.” (Luke 10:17) These disciples experienced the supply and the power of God, just as Elijah did.
The disciples reaped a harvest in a land dominated by the devil, while Elijah lived by God’s power in a land dominated by Baal. They did not know it at that time, but there was an even bigger miracle waiting to happen:
Women received back their dead, raised to life again. (Hebrews 11:35)
The experience of Elijah teaches us:
- God sends us to live beyond the enemy line.
- God’s supply and power are with those whom He sends.
