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Dealing with Criticism

2021-09-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Corinthians 11:1-15.  Let’s go!

2 Corinthians 11:1-15 (NIV)
1  I hope you will put up with a little of my foolishness; but you are already doing that.
2  I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.
3  But I am afraid that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may somehow be led astray from your sincere and pure devotion to Christ.
4  For if someone comes to you and preaches a Jesus other than the Jesus we preached, or if you receive a different spirit from the one you received, or a different gospel from the one you accepted, you put up with it easily enough.
5  But I do not think I am in the least inferior to those “super-apostles.”
6  I may not be a trained speaker, but I do have knowledge. We have made this perfectly clear to you in every way.
7  Was it a sin for me to lower myself in order to elevate you by preaching the gospel of God to you free of charge?
8  I robbed other churches by receiving support from them so as to serve you. ……

On verses 1-15:  Here in 2 Corinthians 11:1-15 we see Paul using some strong language to respond to several different attacks and criticisms people were making of him, such as:
– “you’re not a trained speaker, Paul” (v6)
– “you talk a lot of foolishness, Paul” (v1)
– “you can’t be a legit minister because you serve us for free as a volunteer, Paul” (v7-8)
– “your gospel is not as cool sounding as the gospel that the “super apostles” talk about, Paul” (v4)

Boast In Jesus, Not In Yourself

2021-09-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Corinthians 10:7-18.  Let’s go!

2 Corinthians 10:7-14 (NIV)
7  You are looking only on the surface of things. If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ, he should consider again that we belong to Christ just as much as he.
8  For even if I boast somewhat freely about the authority the Lord gave us for building you up rather than pulling you down, I will not be ashamed of it.
9  I do not want to seem to be trying to frighten you with my letters.
10  For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.”
11  Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.
12  We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise.
13  We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you.
14  We are not going too far in our boasting, as would be the case if we had not come to you, for we did get as far as you with the gospel of Christ.

On verses 7-14:  One criticism being thrown at Paul was that Paul had been boasting excessively about his authority in the church.  This criticism was probably coming from the “super apostles”, a group that featured speakers who were more eloquent than Paul but who did not have the authority that Paul had as founding pastor of the church.   Paul tells his church, “Stop judging by mere appearances and enough with these silly comparisons.” (v7)  

亚多尼雅被杀

2021-09-23 in , /by

〈列王纪〉上 2:12 所罗门坐他父亲大卫的位，他的国甚是坚固。

阅读经文：〈列王纪 〉上 2:1-15

有古话说：“人之将死，其言也善”，我觉得把它改成“其言也真”更合适。从大卫对所罗门的交代里，我们发现他的心里对某些事难以忘怀，而且他要所罗门为他执行。大卫要所罗门做的事不算善，也不是不善，只是要两条人命，因为那些人曾经做过一些不该做的事，他们必须为自己做过的事付出代价。当然，你可能会说，主耶稣不是教我们要饶恕，申冤在祂，祂必负责吗？为何大卫不能饶恕这些得罪过他的人呢？

大卫没有在他们犯罪时就惩罚他们，并不表示他们可以逃过罪的审判。我觉得这和神的审判有点类似，神没有在我们犯罪时就一棒打下来，敲碎我们的脑袋，祂给我们时间去悔改。我们若固执不肯悔改，有一天罪会追上我们，不仅要尝到犯罪的苦果，更要面对神的审判。所以还在罪中洋洋得意的人要很小心，因为犯罪的后果和审判都不是容易受的。所以，我们要明白，审判不是不到，只是时机未到；一旦时机到了，审判也随之来到。所以千万不要以为人有逃过罪责的可能，我们应当存对神的敬畏，时时保守自己的心怀意念。

有哪几件事让大卫耿耿于怀呢？第一，是约押在太平时期杀了两个元帅的事情。一是押尼珥，二是亚玛撒。这两个人都是扫罗家那边的勇士，接受了大卫的任命后，就被约押杀了。在战争时杀人是不得已的，但是在太平时期杀人，便是谋杀。大卫没有在他的任上解决此事，因为他和约押的关系太亲密了。从大卫逃亡开始，他就紧紧跟随大卫，不计生死地帮助大卫。要大卫亲手处决约押，对大卫来讲应是一件非常困难的事，因为约押对大卫实在是非常地死忠。因此即使他犯下这两件谋杀大罪，大卫也只能口头咒诅，不敢有实际的惩罚。但是大卫知道约押必须为他的罪行负责，免得他的罪行变成大卫的罪行。因为大卫是约押的领袖，部下有罪不罚，罪当然就由领袖承担。就好像一艘船或飞机出事，不管是谁的错，船长或机长都必须出面负责。因此，约押不能不死。他偏偏又在亚多尼雅一事上站错边，又多了一条罪名。

Meekness Is Not Weakness

2021-09-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Corinthians 10:1-6.  Let’s go!

2 Corinthians 10:1-6 (NIV)
1  By the meekness and gentleness of Christ, I appeal to you–I, Paul, who am “timid” when face to face with you, but “bold” when away!
2  I beg you that when I come I may not have to be as bold as I expect to be toward some people who think that we live by the standards of this world.
3  For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does.
4  The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.
5  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
6  And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete.

On verses 1-6:  In 2 Corinthians 10:1-6 Paul addresses a criticism that some people were making of him: that he is so bold and forceful when he writes letters from a distance, but when he is face to face with the people he is “timid” (v1).  Perhaps it’s because these critics were comparing Paul to other religious leaders who called themselves “super apostles”, who carried themselves in front of the Corinthian church in a more impressive way, and who spoke negatively about Paul.

所罗门作王

2021-09-22 in , /by

〈列王纪〉上 1:52 所罗门说：「他若做忠义的人，连一根头发也不至落在地上；他若行恶，必要死亡。」

阅读经文：〈列王纪 〉上 1:28-53

这是一个不可避免的宫庭斗争，大家都为了自己的前途在拚命。因为都知道，假如自己做不了王，性命堪虞，这就是宫庭斗争的可怕。胜者为王，败者为寇。大卫王虽然年记老迈，却依然思想清楚，没有老年痴呆的症状。他立刻向拔示巴保证，他应许过所罗门要做王一事，依然有效，而且必然成为真实：“我今日就必照这话而行”。大卫也立刻明白两边的情况，因此召来亚多尼雅没有邀请的几个人：祭司撒都、先知拿单和比拿雅，要让他们几位带领所罗门，骑上大卫的骡子到基训泉，膏他做以色列的王。

可能因为不在战争时期，所以大卫出入不用马而用骡子。骡子是一种动物，有雌雄之分，但是没有生育的能力。牠是马和驴交配产下的后代，分为驴骡和马骡。公驴和母马交配，生下的叫“马骡mule”；公马和母驴交配，生下的叫“驴骡hinny”。马骡个大，具有驴的负重能力和抵抗能力，又有马的灵活性和奔跑能力，是非常好的役畜（摘自中文百科）。大卫的骡子是马骡Mule，马骡耐性好，又聪明善体人意，需要的饲料也比马少，是平常可以代步的好牲畜。约瑟当年戴上法老的戒指，坐着法老的副车出门，象征他是法老的代表；所罗门骑上了大卫王的骡子，众人一看就明白，他就是继承王位的人。

在古代，基训泉和隐罗结水泉是大卫城两个主要的水泉，两泉之间只相距约七百米。据说当年大卫攻下耶布斯城（后来的耶路撒冷），就是约押从基训泉的隧道进去，里外夹攻，才克敌制胜。既然亚多尼雅去了隐罗结的水泉，所以大卫就让所罗门去了基训的水泉，在那里让祭司撒都和先知拿单膏他做以色列的王，然后叫人吹角，并且呼喊：“愿所罗门王万岁！”大卫的计划十分完善，虽然是小小的仪式，却发挥了大大的作用。众民的欢呼声冲破云霄，直达到亚多尼雅的耳中。

Your Reputation Depends on How You Handle Other People’s Money

2021-09-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Corinthians 8:16-24.  Let’s go!

2 Corinthians 8:16-24 (NIV) 
16  I thank God, who put into the heart of Titus the same concern I have for you. 
17  For Titus not only welcomed our appeal, but he is coming to you with much enthusiasm and on his own initiative. 
18  And we are sending along with him the brother who is praised by all the churches for his service to the gospel. 
19  What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. 
20  We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. 
21  For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of men. 
22  In addition, we are sending with them our brother who has often proved to us in many ways that he is zealous, and now even more so because of his great confidence in you. 
23  As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you; as for our brothers, they are representatives of the churches and an honor to Christ. 
24  Therefore show these men the proof of your love and the reason for our pride in you, so that the churches can see it. 

On verses 16-24:  In making preparations to collect the offering from his church in Corinth, Paul goes out of his way to tell his church in Corinth that he and his team are taking great pains to make sure that the funds given by his church are being handled carefully and without any hint of mismanagement.  In particular Paul focuses on the trustworthiness of the individuals who have been appointed to go to the church in Corinth to receive their offering and from there to deliver the offering to its intended destination.  Those individuals include Titus, whom Paul praises at length (v16-17) as well as two other individuals whose names are not stated but who are apparently highly reputable church representatives (v18-19a and v23).  

亚多尼雅想做王

2021-09-21 in , /by

〈列王纪〉上 1:18 现在亚多尼雅做王了，我主我王却不知道。

阅读经文：〈列王纪 〉上 1:1-27

当大卫年老时，就像所有的人年老一样，因为血液循环不好，越来越怕冷，盖了极多的被子还是不够暖。他的仆从们就想到要找人用体温去为他取暖。我们看电视或电影时，偶而也会有类似的情节，当一个人在水里浸得太久，或在雪里被埋了，救他的人在没有任何设备的情况下，往往就把衣服脱了，跟昏迷的人抱在一起，用自己的体温去使那昏迷的人得到温暖，而能存活下来。大卫不需要这样的急救，只是因为常常觉得很冷，所以仆从们就想到一个这样的方法。可能因为大卫的妻妾都年记大了，无法给大卫足够的温暖，所以他们要特意去找一个处女和大卫睡觉。但是我们看到大卫王和以前不一样了，一来可能是因为年记大了，二来也有可能经过拔示巴一事之后，被神惩罚，因此在这方面十分警戒小心，以致不愿意再亲近亚比煞。

亚比煞虽然只是个伺候王的童女，但是因为一直在大卫身边，所以宫庭里的机密，她知道的还不少。例如拔示巴去找大卫为所罗门说项的事。大卫年记大了，宫庭里的有心之人都开始为自己筹谋，免得大卫一驾崩，他们就没有靠山。这就是倚靠人的实情，尤其在权力斗争时，要选择站哪一边便是一个很重要的决定。就好像现在很多搞政治的人，他们选择去拥护同性恋、赞成堕胎、大麻合法化，等等不合神心意的事，因为他们以为选票是在人的手中，所以他们要去讨好那些赞成做那些事的人。他们选择离弃神，去投靠人。

我们也看到继押沙龙之后，大卫的四子亚多尼雅，也开始展露野心。他说：“我必做王”。亚多尼雅前面的三个哥哥都消失了，在他的心中，他应该就是继承王位的人。可是从各样的蛛丝马迹来看，似乎所罗门的呼声比他更高，于是他决定趁著大卫不知道时，放手一搏，来个霸王硬上弓，造成时势，使大卫不得不承认他的王权，也不能立所罗门为王。大卫平时虽然知道亚多尼雅喜欢为自己造势，自尊自大，可是大卫从来不过问，也不阻止他。大卫的放纵可能使亚多尼雅误以为大卫默认了他的作法。

Give and Think Outside the Bubble

2021-09-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Corinthians 8:1-15.  Let’s go

2 Corinthians 8:1-6 (NIV)
1  And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches.
2  Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity.
3  For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own,
4  they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints.
5  And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God’s will.
6  So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part.

On verses 1-6:  Paul encourages his church in Corinth to learn from the example of the churches he helped to start in the northern region of Macedonia.  How about you?  Are you willing to learn from others?  Part of following Jesus is being willing to change and learn from the example of others, especially from more mature followers of Jesus.

2 Corinthians 8:7 (NIV) 
7 But just as you excel in everything–in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us–see that you also excel in this grace of giving.      

有谁乐意将自己献给耶和华

2021-09-20 in , /by

〈历代志〉上 29:5b  今日有谁乐意将自己献给耶和华呢？

阅读经文：〈历代志 〉上 29章

这一年来因为疫情的关系，温哥华的教堂大都关闭了。有不少教堂就利用这段期间好好地整修一番。当然，整修教堂需要的费用不小，因此也很需要会众在经济上的支持。当我们看到大卫为圣殿预备，筹备基金和各样需要的材料时，便明白这不是大卫一个人的工作，他也需要全国人民共襄盛举。神的工作从来不是个人秀，而是神的儿女们共同的责任和义务。

大卫说：“因我心中爱慕我神的殿，就在预备建造圣殿的材料之外，又将我自己积蓄的金银献上，建造我神的殿，就是俄斐金三千他连得，精炼的银子七千他连得，以贴殿墙，金子做金器，银子做银器，并藉匠人的手制造一切。”接着他丢出一句令人激动的呼召： “今日有谁乐意将自己献给耶和华呢？”大卫先做楷模，献金献银以贴殿墙，只因为他对神的爱，所以他可以毫无保留。爱有多少，就会付出多少。在2015年6月26日，ISIS恐怖份子突袭突尼斯的度假胜地苏斯Sousse，受伤的大多是游客。其中有一对英国情侣，当ISIS开始扫射时，那个男的冲到女的面前，用身体挡住子弹，并叫未婚妻快逃。他自己中了至少三颗子弹。他的未婚妻事后很伤心地去寻找他的尸体，没想到他竟然被救活了，正在医院里接受抬疗。爱到一个地步，可以为她死。唯有爱，可以使人无怨无悔地付出。

大卫王没有呼召会众为神死，只是呼召奉献建圣殿，会众被大卫对神的爱感染，也都乐意献上。大卫知道凭他个人的力量无法完成这个巨大的工程，神的殿需要百姓的参与，有参与才有关注。我们都需要有这样的认识，知道一己的力量是很有限的，我们都需要同工。当会众献上金子五千他连得零一万达利克，银子一万他连得，铜一万八千他连得，铁十万他连得，还有宝石时，大卫王的心何等喜乐。因为不是勉强来的，而是大家诚心乐意献给神，因此百姓和大卫都大大欢喜。这就是在基督里的奇妙之处，把钱拿出去，自己拥有的就减少了，但是心里反而非常喜乐。这就是和世人的加减乘除不同的地方，世人是拿出去就减少了，就忧愁了；信神的人拿出去，神给的祝福却反而使我们感到更多更喜乐。

大卫示所罗门圣殿模型

2021-09-19 in , /by

〈历代志〉上 28: 19 大卫说：「这一切工作的样式，都是耶和华用手划出来使我明白的。」

阅读经文：〈历代志 〉上 28章

相信在大家读了〈历代志〉上这几章之后，对大卫王会有一个比较全面的理解，不会只记得他杀了歌利亚和犯罪两件事，也能看到他在位时，为以色列付出的劳苦和心血。在这一章里，大卫王显示了两件极重要的事，一是所罗门做王是出于神的拣选，二圣殿的设计是出自于神，神亲自绘出圣殿的蓝图给大卫，好让所罗门按著神的设计去建殿。

大卫说：“我心里本想建造殿宇，安放耶和华的约柜，作为我神的脚凳”，这意思是指约柜本是个黄金包木的箱子，箱子上面有两个有翼基路伯天使作为装饰，基路伯的中间就是神施恩的宝座，所以约柜也可以算是神的脚凳。大卫对约柜的作用非常清楚，不像有的以色列人把它当作神同在的依据，好像拜偶像一样，以它为护身符。大卫非常明白，守护人的是神，而不是约柜。

大卫召集所有王室行政人员，向他们说明神对他和所罗门的拣选，以及为何他不能建殿的原因。大卫的开诚布公使服侍他的人知道怎样去配合他要做的事，我想这是做一个领袖的高明之处。一个为首之人必须和与他同工的人有良好的沟通，才能彼此信任，相互理解，避免不必要的误会。以色列虽然有王了，但还是一个神权统治的国家，对他们而言，神的拣选是一个必要的条件：“你总要立耶和华你神所拣选的人为王。（申17:15）”大卫也在此强调：“耶和华以色列的神在我父的全家拣选我做以色列的王，直到永远。”