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Your Love for God Is Reflected in THIS

2023-09-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Timothy 5:1-8.  Let’s go!

1 Timothy 5:1-2 (NIV) 
1 Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, 
2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity.

On verses 1-2:  Paul tells Timothy to treat the people in his congregation like family.  These verses remind us that since as Christians we are one family in Christ, we are to treat each other like family as well.

Also, Paul tells Timothy to treat the women in his church with absolute purity. Similarly, men in the church, be careful to treat your sisters in Christ with absolute purity, not lusting after them or leading them on, but serving them, protecting them and reflecting Christ to them.

堕落的姐妹

2023-09-14 in , /by

以西结书 23:49  人必照着你们的淫行报应你们，你们要担当拜偶像的罪，就知道我是主耶和华。

阅读经文：以西结书23:1-49

1耶和华的话又临到我说： 2 「人子啊，有两个女子，是一母所生。 3 她们在埃及行邪淫，在幼年时行邪淫。她们在那里做处女的时候，有人拥抱她们的怀，抚摸她们的乳。 4 她们的名字，姐姐名叫阿荷拉，妹妹名叫阿荷利巴。她们都归于我，生了儿女。论到她们的名字，阿荷拉就是撒马利亚，阿荷利巴就是耶路撒冷。

本章除了指摘以色列宗教上的堕落外，更指出他们政治联盟的不当与不信之恶心。阿荷拉是指撒玛利亚(北国以色列)，阿荷利巴是指耶路撒冷(南国犹大)。二女的恶行是离弃丈夫，与不同的男人行淫；圣经通常都是以婚约来象征与以色列的约，先知以此讽喻撒玛利亚及耶路撒冷离弃神、崇拜异国偶像，并且倚赖外邦的力量，与外邦结盟，而不祈求神的援助，是信仰上的不贞与淫乱。

V.5-10责备北国以色列与述结盟，亚述的战士被描写为撒玛利亚为之着迷的威武骑士，以色列寻求与亚述结盟，并因此而拜起亚述的假神来，因此他的结局就是被亚述国所蹂躏。主前722年，亚述攻陷撒玛利亚，北国从此灭亡。

堵住破口的人

2023-09-13 in , /by

以西结书 22:30  我在他们中间寻找一人重修墙垣，在我面前为这国站在破口防堵，使我不灭绝这国，却找不着一个。

阅读经文：以西结书22:1-31

1耶和华的话又临到我说： 2 「人子啊，你要审问审问这流人血的城吗？当使她知道她一切可憎的事。 3 你要说：『主耶和华如此说：哎！这城有流人血的事在其中，叫她受报的日期来到；又做偶像玷污自己，陷害自己。 4 你因流了人的血，就为有罪，你做了偶像，就玷污自己，使你受报之日临近，报应之年来到。所以我叫你受列国的凌辱和列邦的讥诮。 5 你这名臭、多乱的城啊，那些离你近、离你远的都必讥诮你。

本章提出社会中许多的罪恶(V.7-12)如不孝敬父母、欺压贫穷、不敬畏神、淫乱、贿赂、乱伦、暴力、放高利貣….等，这些罪恶不仅是当年以色列百姓中常犯的罪，就是在当今的社会中，也是司空见惯之事。打开电视、报纸，每天充斥的都是这类的消息。

对于这些我们习以为常的恶事，神却表达出祂的痛心与忿怒，祂必定会审判刑罚所有作恶的人。因此，我们需要天天到主的面前来察验，求神光照我们，改变我们的生命，不但不作不讨神所喜悦的事，更要成为世界上的盐和光，带领百姓离弃罪恶、归向神。

Lead By Your Words and By Your Example

2023-09-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Timothy 4:11-16.  Let’s go!

1 Timothy 4:11-12 (NIV)
11  Command and teach these things.
12  Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

On verses 11-12:  Some commentators speculate that Timothy had a shy and not so aggressive personality and because of that Paul is encouraging Timothy to step into his role as a pastor with confidence.  Whether or not that’s true, verses 11-12 show us that for Paul being an effective pastor and spiritual leader is not just about what you say (v11) but also how you live (v12). Godly leaders don’t just message people about how to follow Christ; they model it for them too.  For those around you, may you set an example of what a Christian should be in the way you speak (speech), the way you live (life), the way you treat others (love), the way you trust and believe God’s Word (faith), and the way you seek to please God with your life (purity).

两条路

2023-09-12 in , /by

以西结书 21:5 一切有血气的就知道，我耶和华已经拔刀出鞘，必不再入鞘。

阅读经文：以西结书21:1-32

1耶和华的话临到我说： 2 「人子啊，你要面向耶路撒冷和圣所滴下预言攻击以色列地， 3 对以色列地说：『耶和华如此说：我与你为敌，并要拔刀出鞘，从你中间将义人和恶人一并剪除。 4 我既要从你中间剪除义人和恶人，所以我的刀要出鞘，自南至北攻击一切有血气的。 5 一切有血气的就知道，我耶和华已经拔刀出鞘，必不再入鞘。』

在第廿章的最后，以西结向神抱怨，因为那些被掳的犹太人无法领会以西结所说的预言，也不相信他的预言，嘲笑他只不过是个说比喻的。因此在这第廿一章的第1-7节里，神重述那个深奥的比喻，便是刀剑和南方树林着火的比喻。神要以西结在这章里有几个特别的动作。第一个动作便是弯著腰，苦苦地叹息。因为神所命定的灾祸快到了。

神要剪除义人和恶人，这事令人不解。神不是跟耶利米说：“你们在耶路撒冷的街是跑来跑去，在宽阔处寻找，看有一人行公义，求诚实没有；若有，我就赦免这城。（耶5:1-3）”所以神已经下了定论，耶路撒冷城里一个义人也没有，为何在此处说要把义人和恶人一并剪除呢？可以从两方面来看：一，城里根本没有义人，所以这只是神要灭城的一种说法，不管义人恶人都要灭掉；二，当灾祸来临时，义们和恶人都会碰上。但是肉体的结束并不是一切，所以即使义人也一样被剪除，但是他们在神那里有永恒的生命。就好像耶利米在其中，他算是义人，虽然后来死在埃及，但我相信，神必然把他的灵魂带到天上。

The Need to Train Spiritually

2023-09-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Timothy 4:1-10.  Let’s go!

1 Timothy 4:1-6 (NIV)
1  The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons.
2  Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
3  They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth.
4  For everything God created is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
5  because it is consecrated by the word of God and prayer.
6  If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith and of the good teaching that you have followed.

On verses 1-6: False teachers were telling people in Timothy’s church that if you really want to be holy and acceptable in God’s sight, you must never marry and you must abstain from eating certain foods (most likely referring to the dietary rules in Leviticus and Numbers of the Old Testament).  In response, Paul says 2 things.  First, Paul says that these false teachings are inspired by demons and deceiving spirits (v1) and the teachers who teach them are hypocritical liars (v2). 

一张满江红的成绩单

2023-09-11 in , /by

以西结书  20:42   我领你们进入以色列地，就是我起誓应许赐给你们列祖之地，那时你们就知道我是耶和华。

阅读经文：以西结书20:1-49

1第七年五月初十日，有以色列的几个长老来求问耶和华，坐在我面前。 2 耶和华的话临到我说： 3 「人子啊，你要告诉以色列的长老说：『主耶和华如此说：你们来是求问我吗？主耶和华说：我指着我的永生起誓，我必不被你们求问。』

在这一章里，有几个以色列的长老来求问以西结，想知道为何神允许他们落到如此不堪的地步。神列举了以色列人在三个时期的成绩单，从以色列人在埃及地的悖逆（4-9节），到在旷野中的悖逆（10-26节），以及进入迦南地之后的悖逆（27-32节），以色列人真的是拿了个满江红（不及格）。

从以色列人悖逆的历史上来看，我们明白人性的无知和愚蠢。当他们在作奴隶时，神应允要领他们出埃及，他们却还是不肯抛弃那辖制他们的，埃及之偶像。为何宁可拜使他们为奴的偶像，不肯拜使他们成为自由人的耶和华神？你能说出个缘由吗？

在旷野里，神使以色列人从一个民族变成一个国家，为他们建立军队，赐给他们律例典章，让他们成为有尊严有气度的一国之民；他们却宁可随从自己的私欲，随从外邦的偶像，成为被践踏的贱民。

The Wonder That Is Jesus

2023-09-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Timothy 3:8-16.  Let’s go!

1 Timothy 3:8-9 (NIV) 
8 Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 
9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience.

On verses 8-9:  In these verses Paul describes the qualifications that deacons must meet.  Deacons were special helpers to the overseer/pastor.  They would assist the overseer/pastor in caring for the flock and possibly also leading certain ministries in the church.

The qualifications of a deacon are similar to those expected of overseers:

– “worthy of respect”:   This is a general term that means carrying yourself in a way that others can admire and look up to.

– “sincere”: To be more specific, it means don’t be a person of “double talk”; that is, don’t be someone who cares for people to their face but then gossips about them behind their back.

– “not indulging in much wine”: This means being someone who is in control of his passions and appetites.

Leadership Begins with Character

2023-09-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Timothy 3:1-7.  Let’s go!

1 Timothy 3:1 (NIV) 
1 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. 

On verse 1:   Paul is about to list the qualifications that a person must meet in order to be an “overseer” or, as other translations put it, a pastor, elder, or bishop in the church.  But before listing those qualifications, Paul first affirms that the work of a overseer/pastor is a noble work.  If you dream of being a leader in God’s kingdom because you want to serve others and use your life for God’s glory, that is definitely a noble dream and a good work.

1 Timothy 3:2-3 (NIV) 
2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 
3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.