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When Someone Lets You Down

2023-09-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 2 Timothy 4:9-22.  Let’s go!

2 Timothy 4:9-15 (NIV) 
9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 
10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 
11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 
12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 
13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. 
14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 
15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.

On verses 9-15:  Ministry is about serving God but it’s also about working with people.  Because none of us is perfect, you and those you serve with are bound to encounter tension, disagreement and conflict from time to time.  So what should you do?  From these verses we see how a mature leader in God’s kingdom deals with hurt and conflict with fellow servants of God.  In particular here are 3 things I learn from Paul’s example:

耶和華躬自做牧

2023-09-27 in , /by

以西結書 34:11 主耶和華如此說：看哪，我必親自尋找我的羊，將他們尋見。

閱讀經文：以西結書  34:1-31

1耶和華的話臨到我說： 2 「人子啊，你要向以色列的牧人發預言攻擊他們，說：『主耶和華如此說：禍哉，以色列的牧人！只知牧養自己。牧人豈不當牧養群羊嗎？ 3 你們吃脂油，穿羊毛，宰肥壯的，卻不牧養群羊。 4 瘦弱的你們沒有養壯，有病的你們沒有醫治，受傷的你們沒有纏裹，被逐的你們沒有領回，失喪的你們沒有尋找，但用強暴嚴嚴地轄制。 5 因無牧人，羊就分散，既分散，便做了一切野獸的食物。 6 我的羊在諸山間、在各高岡上流離，在全地上分散，無人去尋，無人去找。

大家讀到這章經文，心裡有沒有很感動呢？不管我們以前在教會有怎樣的經歷，天父都知道。教會裡有好牧人，也有壞牧人。在這裡，神指出壞牧人有幾項特點：一，只知道牧養自己，應該說餵養自己更合適吧！因為他們吃脂油，穿羊毛，宰肥壯的，卻不牧養群羊。意思便是只顧自己生活得舒服。

其二，“瘦弱的你們沒有養壯，有病的你們沒有醫治，受傷的你們沒有纏裹，被逐的你們沒有領回，失喪的你們沒有尋找，但用強暴嚴嚴地轄制。”這裡指出，壞牧人根本不理會群羊的需要和疾苦，也不在意群羊的失落。反而用一種強暴的手段去控制群羊，好像自己是君王，主瘴群羊的生死。壞牧人手下掌管的群羊因而在各地流離，在全地分散，甚至成了一切野獸的食物。

At the End of Your Life

2023-09-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 2 Timothy 4:1-8.  Let’s go!

2 Timothy 4:1a (NIV)
1  In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead…

On verse 1a:  Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead.  In the end, all of us will give an account to Him.  So let’s fear people and circumstances.  Let’s not be too concerned about how we look in front of others.  Instead, let’s live in the fear of the Lord.  For in the end, it’s Jesus’ opinion of us that matters far more than anyone else’s opinion.

On verses 1b-8:  In a very formal way where he even calls on God the Father and Jesus Christ as his witnesses (v1), Paul charges Timothy to preach the Word (v2) — that is, to preach Jesus.  He tells Timothy to preach the Word in season and out of season.  Just as the Scriptures are useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training people in righteousness (see 3:16), Paul tells Timothy to “correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction” (v2).

守望者

2023-09-26 in , /by

以西結書 33:7  人子啊，我照樣立你做以色列家守望的人。所以你要聽我口中的話，替我警戒他們。

閱讀經文：以西結書33:1-33

1耶和華的話臨到我說： 2 「人子啊，你要告訴本國的子民說：我使刀劍臨到哪一國，那一國的民從他們中間選立一人為守望的， 3 他見刀劍臨到那地，若吹角警戒眾民， 4 凡聽見角聲不受警戒的，刀劍若來除滅了他，他的罪就必歸到自己的頭上。 5 他聽見角聲，不受警戒，他的罪必歸到自己的身上；他若受警戒，便是救了自己的性命。 6 倘若守望的人見刀劍臨到，不吹角，以致民不受警戒，刀劍來殺了他們中間的一個人，他雖然死在罪孽之中，我卻要向守望的人討他喪命的罪。

聖城傾覆一年半之後， 消息傳至被擄的人中(參閱一1-3註釋) 。自巴比倫第三次攻城之日至今，以西結已經三年保持緘默(24:1/26-27， 33:22) 。

26章至31章關於推羅埃及的預言， 即發生於這三年之中， 不是口說而是以西結用筆寫的。接到消息之後， 以西結所發出的第一個信息， 就是那些留在猶大的少數惡人必被除滅(23-29) 。

The Purpose of God’s Word

2023-09-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 2 Timothy 3:10-17.  Let’s go!

2 Timothy 3:10 (NIV) 
10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 

On verse 10:  The false teachers disturbing Timothy’s church were known for their immoral character (see verses 1-9).  In contrast, Paul sought to show Timothy what a true man of God and a true leader in God’s kingdom looks like — not just in his teaching, but in his lifestyle (“my way of life”), his character (“my…faith, patience, love, endurance”) and his ambition and his reason for living (“my purposes”).

What can we learn from this?  It’s important to teach the Word of God correctly to those in our care.  But just as important as teaching correctly, we need to model Christ for those around us through our lifestyle, our character and the goals we pursue. 

強權的敗亡

2023-09-25 in , /by

以西結書  32:3   主耶和華如此說：我必用多國的人民，將我的網撒在你身上，把你拉上來。

閱讀經文：以西結書32:1-32

1十二年十二月初一日，耶和華的話臨到我說： 2 「人子啊，你要為埃及王法老作哀歌，說：『從前你在列國中如同少壯獅子，現在你卻像海中的大魚。你衝出江河，用爪攪動諸水，使江河渾濁。 3 主耶和華如此說：我必用多國的人民，將我的網撒在你身上，把你拉上來。 4 我必將你丟在地上，拋在田野，使空中的飛鳥都落在你身上，使遍地的野獸吃你得飽。 5 我必將你的肉丟在山間，用你高大的屍首填滿山谷。 6 我又必用你的血澆灌你所游泳之地，漫過山頂，河道都必充滿。 7 我將你撲滅的時候，要把天遮蔽，使眾星昏暗，以密雲遮掩太陽，月亮也不放光。 8 我必使天上的亮光都在你以上變為昏暗，使你的地上黑暗。這是主耶和華說的。

本章先知把埃及比喻為原始的水中怪物，在有生之日禍害人群，而巴比倫則以英勇戰神的姿態擊滅水怪。強權的背後，是神的手在操縱一切。

V.1-2獅子是百獸之王。法老自認為是世界上最偉大的領袖，像百獸之王獅子那樣雄心勃勃，治理列國。他因驕傲，憑著魯莽的野心，入侵周邊列國，使列國的生活陷入惶恐不安中。

法老被比作大魚(2節)，V.3「網」則比喻聯軍。預言由多個國家民族組成的巴比倫軍隊將攻打埃及，神利用殘暴的巴比倫軍隊來懲罰埃及的驕傲。

3 Clues For Recognizing a False Teacher

2023-09-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 2 Timothy 2:14-26.  Let’s go!

2 Timothy 2:14-18 (NIV)
14  Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.
15  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
16  Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.
17  Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,
18  who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.

On verses 14-18:  The background behind these verses is that Timothy is still dealing with the threat of false teaching influencing his church.  Individuals like Hymenaeus and Philetus were teaching that “the resurrection has already taken place” (v18).  In so doing their teaching, like gangrene (v17), had already started to spread and affect some in Timothy’s church, leading them astray (v18b).

成功與滅亡

2023-09-24 in , /by

以西結書  31:18  在這樣榮耀威勢上，在伊甸園諸樹中，誰能與你相比呢？然而你要與伊甸的諸樹一同下到陰府，在未受割禮的人中與被殺的人一同躺臥。

閱讀經文：以西結書31:1-18

1十一年三月初一日，耶和華的話臨到我說： 2 「人子啊，你要向埃及王法老和他的眾人說：『在威勢上誰能與你相比呢？ 3 亞述王曾如黎巴嫩中的香柏樹，枝條榮美，影密如林，極其高大，樹尖插入雲中。 4 眾水使它生長，深水使它長大，所栽之地有江河圍流，汊出的水道延到田野諸樹。 5 所以它高大超過田野諸樹，發旺的時候枝子繁多，因得大水之力枝條長長。 6 空中的飛鳥都在枝子上搭窩，田野的走獸都在枝條下生子，所有大國的人民都在它蔭下居住。

本章以亞述的榮耀與沒落為喻，藉此警告極度驕傲的法老，不可重蹈亞述的覆轍，倘若埃及心驕氣傲，也必落到與亞述一樣的下場。

先知將亞述比喻為一棵高大的香柏樹，受到眾水的滋潤。如同亞述的首都尼尼微周圍的底格里斯河與它的支流，是使亞述繁榮發展的原動力；而埃及同樣得著尼羅河的滋潤而興盛。V.5樹身高大超過田野諸樹，是表明亞述的政治、軍事和財富遠比其他民族優越。「枝子繁多」則意味著亞述領土的擴張,統治力量與權勢也擴大。大樹猶如母親一般，呵護眾生，列邦也曾受到強國的保護與管理。因著神的祝福，亞述發展成強國。然而，他們因著自己的輝煌功績而心存驕傲，最終難逃遭上帝審判與刑罰的命運。

If You Want to Be Used Greatly by God

2023-09-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 2 Timothy 2:14-26.  Let’s go!

2 Timothy 2:14-18 (NIV)
14  Keep reminding them of these things. Warn them before God against quarreling about words; it is of no value, and only ruins those who listen.
15  Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.
16  Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly.
17  Their teaching will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus,
18  who have wandered away from the truth. They say that the resurrection has already taken place, and they destroy the faith of some.

On verses 14-18:  The background behind these verses is that Timothy is still dealing with the threat of false teaching influencing his church.  Individuals like Hymenaeus and Philetus were teaching that “the resurrection has already taken place” (v18).  In so doing their teaching, like gangrene (v17), had already started to spread and affect some in Timothy’s church, leading them astray (v18b).

不合神心意的同盟

2023-09-22 in , /by

以西結書  30:19  我必這樣向埃及施行審判，他們就知道我是耶和華。

閱讀經文：以西結書30:1-25

1耶和華的話又臨到我說： 2 「人子啊，你要發預言說：『主耶和華如此說：哀哉這日！你們應當哭號。 3 因為耶和華的日子臨近，就是密雲之日，列國受罰之期。 4 必有刀劍臨到埃及，在埃及被殺之人仆倒的時候，古實人就有痛苦；人民必被擄掠，基址必被拆毀。 5 古實人、弗人、路德人、雜族的人民並古巴人，以及同盟之地的人，都要與埃及人一同倒在刀下。

本章提及不僅埃及將受到審判，連那些與埃及聯盟的國家與城巿，也會一同面對神的審判。

第4、6、8節，「古實」在尼羅河的下游(即埃及北部)，「弗」、「路德」、「古巴」及「色弗尼塔」皆為非洲地名，是當時與埃及結盟的軍隊。當神要審判埃及的時候，所有要來幫助埃及的人也必要與埃及一同滅亡。

第20節說，十一月正月即主前586年4月，是耶路撒冷失陷前的三個月，當時法老合弗拉應西底家請求，出兵到耶路撒冷，卻被圍城的巴比倫軍隊打敗。 第22節說，這是耶和華將他的膀臂全行打斷，之後巴比倫軍隊遠征埃及，結果埃及人分散在列邦。