On The Rocks: Episode 4: The Last Session

It was on this very beach several winters ago 几年前的一个冬季，就是在这片海滩， that my legendary friend, Kurk Catrell, father of three, 我的朋友，一位传奇人物，也是三个孩子的父亲， had his last session. 结束了他最后一次冲浪。 Wiping out under the water he bumped his head against a rock, 他从浪端上跌落，头撞在了礁石上， And never breathed again. 没有活过来。 In the same way, everyone of us will have a last session, 我们每个人都会有这一时刻， and the last breath, whether we die in the surf, 可能发生在冲浪中， or out of the surf - our days are numbered. 或者冲浪以外—总之，我们在世的日子是有限的。 The question is, 'What happens when we die?' 问题是：‘死后会怎样？ ’ There are five possibilities: 实在说，有五种推论: One: We simply none exist, because we're only physical beings... 第一种：我们至此不复存在，因为我们是没有灵魂，只有身体的活物… Two: We become disembodied spirits... 第二种：我们会成为游魂… Three: We reincarnate... 第三种：我们转世投胎… Four: Regardless of how we lived our lives, 第四种：不管在世的生命曾经如何， we all go to a kind of paradise... 所有人都会去天堂… Or Five: We meet our Creator face to face in a judgment day, 第五种：在审判日，我们会与创造主面对面， and depending on how we responded to Him in this life... 我们曾经如何回应祂的呼召… He responds to us there. 神便凭此审判我们。 What if this last possibility is the reality? 假使这最后的推论是真实的，你该怎么办？ What if life on earth is a mere foretaste of the wonders of life after death? 如果现今属世的生命是死后奇妙生命的一个预备，你该怎么办？ What if instead of denying death trying not to think about death, 不要再试图忽视有关死亡的话题， we're meant to think about it. 相反，我们却要思想。 Even prepare for it? 甚至要做好准备。 Not just asking what I will be doing five years from now, 不只问：5年之后我在做什么， but what will I be doing five million years from now. 而是问：5百年之后我在做什么。 I don't know what you believe, 我不晓得你相信什么， but I'm convinced that in Christ, 而我相信：在基督里， there is life after life. 此生之后，有永生的生命。 And something happened that greatly deepened my conviction about this. 我个人的经历使我对此坚信不疑。 Let me tell you my experience... 让我和你分享我的遭遇吧… Sometime ago, I went up coast on my own to surf and pray... 一次，我独自一人来到海边冲浪，并祷告… After a great day of surf, 一天美好的冲浪之后， I was praying and God spoke to me so vividly, I wrote down what he said: 我向神祷告，祂很清楚地向我说话，于是我写了下来： Now some background information, is that my brother was a Christian... 我要提一句，我的哥哥是一名基督徒… but my mom wasn't. 我的妈妈那时还不是。 God says to me, 'Terryn, your brother is about to come to me full force.' 上帝对我说，“Terryn，你的哥哥将以全力来到我面前。’ Interesting words, don't know what they mean... 我觉得这些话有趣，但是不知道是什么意思… '...and through this your mother's gonna become a Christian, “…经历这些后，你的妈妈会成为基督徒， and many other people too.' 还有更多的人也会信靠我。 Wow, I think to myself - go to sleep... 哇，我对自己说：该睡觉了… 5:47 the next morning, phone rings, my mom's boyfriend, 第二天清晨，电话响了，是我妈妈的男友， Tragic news... 噩耗传来… My brother died in a car accident the night before... 昨晚我的哥哥死于车祸… Phoned some friends up, they picked me up... 于是我打电话给一些朋友，他们开车送我… We're driving back to Cape Town in this thick mist... 我们就在浓雾中行驶… And then I remembered these words... 这时我想起那句话语… 'Coming to God full force' and I think to myself: “全力地来到上帝面前”, 我对自己说： 'Is there a more literal way of going to God, ‘我的哥哥在车祸中死去， than dying instantly in a head on collision as my brother did?' 这不正是 ’全力’ 地奔向神吗？ So I read it to my friends... 于是我把那句话念给我的朋友们… but they aren't listening, they're pointing out the car to this 但是没有人注意听，而是指着车外的一束光线 shaft of light which has appeared in the mist... 在浓雾中隐约可见… I first think it's the sun shining, 起初，我以为是阳光， then I realize the sun is on the horizon... 但是发现太阳才刚刚从地平线露出来… And without any scientific explanation 然后，没有任何科学依据可解释 this shaft of light stays next to our car for five minutes. 这束光就伴随在我们车的旁边，有5分钟之久。 But what was most memorable, 让我迄今难以忘怀的是， was the shaft of light that was shining in my heart at that moment. 那一刻我的心被照亮了。 God's presence became so vivid... 上帝的同在是如此生动形象… And I felt God say to me that everything was okay, 我感到神对我说：一切都会好的， and that Ryan was more alive than ever before. Ryan仍然活着。 We get to Cape Town, see my mother, we hold each other and weep for a few minutes, 我们到达了开普敦，见到母亲，我们二人彼此相拥而泣， but eventually she steps back and says words I cannot believe. 然而她对说的话让我难以相信。 She says, 'Terryn... 她说：“Terryn… God has given me a miracle.' 上帝给了我一个奇迹。” I go, 'What happened?!' 我问她：“发生什么事了？！” Turns out the night before she goes to sleep early (her boyfriend's working late), 原来前一晚，她睡得较早（她的男友工作较晚）， And she finds a Bible and has this weird thought to give it to Toray. 她找出一本圣经，然后就有奇怪的念头，想把它送给Toray。 My mom puts it down next to her bed... 于是我母亲将圣经放在床边… The next morning she wakes up with the tragic news of Ryan's death, 第二日清晨她就听到了Ryan去世的噩耗， She says to her sister who's come: 于是她对赶来的姐姐说: 'Please just read the book, I think it's a sign, read anything!' “为我读读圣经吧，有预兆喔!” Her sister randomly flips the book open, 于是她的姐姐打开圣经， and starts reading John 14 where Jesus is speaking... 开始读约翰福音14章耶稣所说的话… Jesus says: 耶稣说： 'Trust in God, trust also in me... “你们信神，也当信我… don't let your heart be troubled, I am going to the father's house, 你们心里不要忧愁，我是去到我父的家里， I'll prepare a wonderful place, 我去为你们准备美好的地方， where you can be with me forever. I am the way, 这样你们就可以与我永远在一起。 我是道路， the truth the life, no one comes to the father except through me.' 真理和生命，若不藉着我，没有人能到父那里去。’ In that moment... 那一刻… My mom knows that God is real, 我母亲认识到上帝是真实的， and that Jesus is the son of God, 耶稣是上帝的儿子。 and that Ryan is alive and well. 并且Ryan还活着，他好好的。 She decides to become a Christian... 于是她决定成为基督徒… and the days to come many other people too. 后来很多人也归信了主。 The amazing thing is God has spoken to me through just what he said, 最奇妙的是上帝藉着那段话与我讲话， but the real golden thread in this story... 然而这个故事中最宝贵的主题是… is that my brother knew Christ. 我的哥哥认识了耶稣基督。 Had my brother not known Christ... 如果他没有认识基督… that would've been another story. 情况就有所不同了。 Without Christ, we should fear death, 没有基督，我们会害怕死亡， because judgment and hell are real, 因为审判和地狱是真实存在的， but with Christ, judgment is replaced with forgiveness... 但是有了基督，饶恕代替了审判… and hell is replaced with heaven. 天堂代替了地狱。 Death is not something to be feared anymore. 对于死亡也就不再害怕。 Listen to how the Bible puts it: 听听圣经怎么说吧： 'Since we are flesh and blood, ‘既然我们是有血肉之体， Christ too shared in our humanity, 基督也照样亲自成了血肉之体。 so that by his death, 特要借着基督舍命的死， He might break the power of him who holds the power of death, 神败坏那掌死权的， that is the devil, 就是魔鬼， and free those who all their lives, 并要释放那些， were held in slavery by their fear of death' (Hebrews 2:14-15). 一生因怕死而为奴仆的人。（希伯来是2:14-15） Elsewhere it says: 又有一处说： 'I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, “我将这些话写给你们信奉神儿子之名的人， so that you may know that you have eternal life' (1 John 5:13). 要叫你们知道自己有永生。” (约翰一书5:13) If you were about to drown, 如果你正要溺水了， and someone reached out their hand to save you... 有人伸出手救你… wouldn't you take hold of that hand? 你岂不抓住那只手吗？ That's why I hope you take hold of Christ's hand, 这也是为什么我希望你抓住基督的手， as He reaches out to you. 因为祂的手已向你伸出。