Part of Something Greater

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 16:17-27.  Let’s go!

Romans 16:17-19 (NIV)
17  I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
18  For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
19  Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

On verses 17-19:  Treating people with love, honour and respect does not mean that we must put up with behaviour that damages, divides or diverts the body of Christ off course.  That’s why Paul warns the Christians in Rome to watch out for those who cause divisions and who try to turn them away from sound Biblical teaching. 

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Because EQ Matters

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 16:1-16.  Let’s go!

Romans 16:1-2 (NIV)
1  I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.
2  I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.

On verses 1-2:  It would still be some time before Paul would be able to visit Rome.  In the meantime, Paul asks the church in Rome to welcome Phoebe.  Many believe that Phoebe was the one delivering this letter to the church in Rome on Paul’s behalf.  If that is the case, here’s a lesson for us:  Just as the church in Rome was to treat Phoebe the messenger with honour, we want to treat with honour those who bring God’s Word to us, whether it’s in the way we welcome them, speak to them, speak about them or otherwise treat them.

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滿足感

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箴言27:20   陰間和滅亡永不滿足，人的眼目也是如此。

閱讀經文：箴言 27:18-20

18看守無花果樹的必吃樹上的果子，敬奉主人的必得尊榮。19水中照臉，彼此相符；人與人，心也相對。20陰間和滅亡永不滿足，人的眼目也是如此。

看守無花果樹的

If you care for your orchard (the fig tree), you’ll enjoy its fruit; if you honor your boss, you’ll be honored. 《The Message》

在信息聖經裡，畢牧師把無花果樹譯為果園orchard，或許是覺得果園更符合一般工人所做的事情。18節說：“看守無花果樹的必吃樹上的果子，敬奉主人的必得尊榮”。若譯為看守果園的必得吃樹上的果子，敬奉主人的必得尊榮。想來一看就明白了。

在聖經裡神把以色列家比喻為無花果樹，那必然是一片大林子，而不只是一兩棵樹。忠誠為神守住這個果園的工人，必然也從樹的果子得到供養，就像在神的家中服事，也當得到會眾的供養。因為會眾所得的收穫和祝福，莫忘了是牧者辛勤的後果。

牧者的主人便是神，牧者若尊神為大，神也必祝福他的工作，賜給他恩寵。

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When One Chapter of Your Life Closes

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 15:22-33.  Let’s go!

Romans 15:22-24 (NIV)
22  This is why I have often been hindered from coming to you.
23  But now that there is no more place for me to work in these regions, and since I have been longing for many years to see you,
24  I plan to do so when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while passing through and to have you assist me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.

On verses 22-24:  Paul had spent many years trying to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to places in the Eastern Mediterranean where people had not yet heard.  That was his mission.  Now Paul was finding that “there is no more place for me to work in these regions” (v23), since those regions now had reasonable access to the gospel.  Having accomplished basically all that he wanted to accomplish in those regions, Paul looked forward to finally visiting the church in Rome, something he had longed to do for a while.  He was finally making plans to visit Rome on his way to Spain.

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什麼是有效的溝通？

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箴言27:17  鐵磨鐵，磨出刃來，朋友相感也是如此。

閱讀經文：箴言 27:15-17

15大雨之日連連滴漏和爭吵的婦人一樣，16想攔阻她的便是攔阻風，也是右手抓油。17鐵磨鐵，磨出刃來，朋友相感也是如此。

不要重覆講抱怨的話

怨氣如疾風，想擋也擋不住。怒氣似揮發油，想抓也抓不著。人與人相處，怨怒一定會有。我們需要主耶穌，教我們安靜。

「想攔阻他的，便是攔阻風，也是右手抓油。」(箴言二十七：16)這節是接上一節：「大雨之日連連滴漏，和爭吵的婦人一樣。」(箴言二十七：15)可見爭吵如漏水，難補。又像吹風，難攔阻。感情的傷口上，難有止痛劑。憤怒的家，難有排氣孔。

這提醒我們，言語是用來表達，以增加溝通。如果講話像連連滴漏，對方將以為你是老調重彈，不過發洩情緒，了無意義。老是自講自話，將造成自我隔絕，這是非常危險的事。願我們說話是有溝通的目的，不要老發怨言。

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Focus on the Grace God Has Given You

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 15:14-21.  Let’s go!

Romans 15:14-21 (NIV)
14  I myself am convinced, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, complete in knowledge and competent to instruct one another.
15  I have written you quite boldly on some points, as if to remind you of them again, because of the grace God gave me
16  to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles with the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
17  Therefore I glory in Christ Jesus in my service to God.
18  I will not venture to speak of anything except what Christ has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey God by what I have said and done–
19  by the power of signs and miracles, through the power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum, I have fully proclaimed the gospel of Christ.
20  It has always been my ambition to preach the gospel where Christ was not known, so that I would not be building on someone else’s foundation.
21  Rather, as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”
 
On verses 14-21:  A running theme in the book of Romans is: focus on the grace God has given you.  

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見禍藏躲是通達

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箴言27:14  清晨起來大聲給朋友祝福的，就算是咒詛他。

閱讀經文：箴言 27:12-14

12通達人見禍藏躲，愚蒙人前往受害。13誰為生人作保，就拿誰的衣服；誰為外女作保，誰就承當。14清晨起來大聲給朋友祝福的，就算是咒詛他。

見禍藏躲是通達

12通達人見禍藏躲，愚蒙人前往受害。

A prudent person sees trouble coming and ducks; a simpleton walks in blindly and is clobbered. 《The Message》

當我們看到路上有一個大坑時，誰都不會往前走，讓自己掉下去；但是有的人去滑雪或上山時，看到警告的界線，卻常常會故意出界，以致落入險境，要耗費許多時間、人力和金錢，或許可以救回他們的性命，當然有不少人因而喪失性命。在沒有查覺危險時，他們總是覺得自己很能幹，絕對不會有什麼事，因而故意不理會警告，去走偏路。

最近同志平權運動，同運人仕企圖改變婚姻的本質，顛覆家庭的實在。很多人都明白家庭的穩定是社會安定的基礎，但是他們認為異性戀中有許多失敗及出軌，所以乾脆大家一起亂。不管有多少人對家庭不忠，卻不能因而就抹煞婚姻和家庭的重要性，不能以淫亂作為社會的准則。再多的錯，加起來都不能成為對。何況出軌的究竟是少數，還有更多人守住了自己的家庭，在安靜中承擔著倫理的道德與責任。

“通達人見禍藏躲，愚蒙人前往受害”，通達人之所以能見禍藏躲，因為歷史已是明鑑；愚蒙人之所以前往受害，因為他們太自負了，以為可以躲過罪的綑綁和懲罰。他們遮住眼睛，蓋住耳朵，一心朝著撒旦的設計和情慾的陷阱直奔。但願我們可以遵循神的話語，做一個通達人，保守自己，也保守我們的後裔。

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好友如精油

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箴言27:9  膏油與香料使人心喜悅，朋友誠實的勸教也是如此甘美。

閱讀經文：箴言 27:9-11

9膏油與香料使人心喜悅，朋友誠實的勸教也是如此甘美。10你的朋友和父親的朋友，你都不可離棄。你遭難的日子，不要上弟兄的家去，相近的鄰舍強如遠方的弟兄。11我兒，你要做智慧人，好叫我的心歡喜，使我可以回答那譏誚我的人。

好友如精油

9膏油與香料使人心喜悅，朋友誠實的勸教也是如此甘美。

Just as lotions and fragrance give sensual delight, a sweet friendship refreshes the soul. 《The Message》

膏油與香料都是古時上等階級才能使用的，不僅可以美容，並且香氣令人心神舒暢。畢德生牧師的譯文裡，採取了現代人容易明白的“乳液和香料lotions and fragrance”，來對照與朋友誠實的交往對我們靈魂的益處。

與古代膏油與香料對比現代的，可算是各種植物的精油，因為膏油與香料也都是從植物或動物中提鍊出來的。每一種精油的香味都有不同的用處，也有不同的功用。例如，簡單地說：薰衣草可以促進睡眠、驅逐蚊蟲，天竺葵可以快速消除疲勞，乳香可以鎮靜情緒，山茶油可以抗菌，等等。

我們所結交的朋友也各有特性。有的朋友逗你笑，有的朋友人脈很廣，有的朋友很能安慰人，有的朋友氣質很好令人想學習。不一定是要勸教才能領略到朋友的好處，只要有真實甜美的交往，每個朋友都可以成為我們人生裡不可缺少的一種精油，使我們的靈魂得到好處。學習欣賞你的朋友們的長處吧!

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When You Get Tired of Serving Others

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Hi GAMErs!

There are so many lessons we can learn from today’s passage, Romans 15:1-13.  Let’s go!

Romans 15:1-3 (NIV)
1  We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves.
2  Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.
3  For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: “The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.”
 
On verses 1-3:  One of the big lessons of Romans is that we don’t live to please ourselves, but we live to serve others.  That’s the whole point of Romans 14 and now in Romans 15:1-2 says it even more directly.  And why do we live not just to please ourselves but to serve others?  Because that’s how Jesus lived (v3). 

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肉體的滿足

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箴言27:7  人吃飽了，厭惡蜂房的蜜；人飢餓了，一切苦物都覺甘甜。

閱讀經文：箴言 27:7-8

7人吃飽了，厭惡蜂房的蜜；人飢餓了，一切苦物都覺甘甜。8人離本處漂流，好像雀鳥離窩遊飛。

「人吃飽了，厭惡蜂房的蜜；人飢餓了，一切苦物都覺甘甜」 (箴言二十七：7) 。

肉體的滿足

「人吃飽了，厭惡蜂房的蜜；人飢餓了，一切苦物都覺甘甜」 (箴言二十七：7) 。

今年有許多節日，包括你的生日，你是否收到許多禮物了？你滿意嗎？假如你不滿意的話，想想若是非洲的窮人收到你得到的禮物，他們會怎樣呢？會不會欣喜若狂？所以我們接受的東西，本質上都是好的，但憑收的人的心情和情況來決定那是否討人喜歡的禮物。

在這物質爆炸的時代，收到什麼都不足為奇。因為我們平時擁有的已經太多。就好像以前的人，只有在過年過節才有大魚大肉，所以覺得那就是美食；但是現代人平常吃得已經十分豐富，所以過年過節時，反而想吃得清淡一些，免得自己的身體消化不了。

蜂蜜原本是非常好的食物，但是對於吃飽的人而言，舔一口也嫌多。但是對於饑餓的人，就是苦瓜下飯，也覺味美甘甜。所以當我們感到不滿足時，就要學習付出，免得我們再也無法品嚐到神恩典的滋味。學習饑餓時才進食，才能感覺食物的重要和滋味；學習付出，才能明白自己擁有的是何等珍貴。讓肉體經常勞動，不要一直處在太安逸的情況裡，你才能體會到睡覺的甘甜。所以，缺乏，是神給人最美好的禮物。（舟子）

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