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刺和梁木

马太福音7:3-5_刺和梁木

3 为什么看见你弟兄眼中有刺,却不想自己眼中有梁木呢? 4 你自己眼中有梁木,怎能对你弟兄说『容我去掉你眼中的刺』呢? 5 你这假冒为善的人!先去掉自己眼中的梁木,然后才能看得清楚,去掉你弟兄眼中的刺。

平常很少看到农民在网上发表意见,但是最近加拿大广播公司放了一则农夫的申诉,因为他觉得有一些自认保护动物,主张素食的激进份子以偏盖全地指责农民虐待牲畜,若是有小公牛出生,因为没有利用价值,就把牠们和母牛强迫分开,并置之于死地。这位农民强调,那些激进份子并没有实地看到他们怎样爱护他们的牲畜,信口开河,对他们的辛苦视若无睹,令农民都很不满。

在我们教会里以前有伉俪团,有一次在伉俪小组里,突然有个弟兄说,他不知道为什么每星期天上教会时,妻子的动作总是特慢,害他经常迟到,不知有什么办法可以解决这个问题。他一说完,他的妻子就火了:“你还说我慢?他一个人说走就走,我要帮几个孩子穿衣穿鞋,根本忙不过来。”然后大家就热烈地讨论起来,原来几乎每个家庭都有类似的问题。

When People Let You Down

Hi GAMErs,

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

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:

1. In all cases, when you have been wronged by someone, you need to extend forgiveness to that person (see verse 16: “may it not be held against them”).  Forgiving that person is not just for that person’s sake. Even more, it’s for your sake, to enable you to move on and not live in the past.  Otherwise, bitterness will start to rob you of peace and poison your life.

不要论断人

马太福音7:1-2_不要论断人

1你们不要论断人,免得你们被论断。 2 因为你们怎样论断人,也必怎样被论断;你们用什么量器量给人,也必用什么量器量给你们。

我很喜欢信息圣经这段经文的翻译:不要挑别人的错,不要在人家失败时指责他,批评他的缺点或过失。除非你希望别人也如此对待你,因为这种批判的作风会让你自食其果。Don’t pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. (MSG)

今天是情人节,这段话正是对我们的人际关系的最佳提醒。在第六章我们读到很多个人与神的关系,在第七章主耶稣开始教导我们怎样处理人际关系。人和人都不一样,即使在同一个家庭里长大,也会有不同的习惯,不一样的想法和作风。有的人觉得自己的方法和想法才是对的,而人家的想法和作法和你不一样就是错的,那就是冲突和纷争的开始。

Preach the Word and Have a Heart for the Next Generation

Hi GAMErs,

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

2 Timothy 4:6-7 (NIV) 
6 For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. 
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 

On verses 1-8:  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 (i.e. whenever he can). 

不要为明天忧虑

马太福音6:34_不要为明天忧虑

34 所以,不要为明天忧虑,因为明天自有明天的忧虑。一天的难处一天当就够了。

在第六章里,耶稣用许多例子叫我们不要忧虑,不要为明天忧虑。这个道理很容易懂,但是做起来不容易。我们也希望能像天空的飞鸟,野地的花一样,不用为明天的饮食担忧,不必为没有得体的衣着而烦恼。可是生活在这个人组成的社会,怎能逃避得了这样的忧虑和烦恼呢?

在耶稣的教导里,祂要我们看到在不忧虑的后面,有一位强大的神要为我们承担这些忧虑,祂要供应我们的需要。有一位圣经学者用了18个月的时间把《圣经》里神的应许一一找出来,一共有7486个应许。我们所信的耶和华神是一位赐下应许的神。保罗说:「神的应许,不论有多少,在基督都是是的,所以借着祂也都是实在的,叫神因我们得荣耀。(林后1:20)」

The Purpose of God’s Word

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”).

先求祂的国和祂的义

马太福音6:31-33_先求祂的国和祂的义

31 所以,不要忧虑说吃什么、喝什么、穿什么。 32 这都是外邦人所求的。你们需用的这一切东西,你们的天父是知道的。 33 你们要先求他的国和他的义,这些东西都要加给你们了。

忧虑是人的生活里很重要的一部份,因为我们不敢不忧虑。但是主耶稣告诉我们,忧虑于事无补。不信主的人追求这世界的一切物质享受,但是信主的人应该有不同的生活方向。

我们要怎样先求神的国和神的义呢?神的国和神的义似乎离我们很远,我们怎么管得到那么多?事实上,那是一种尊神为大的生活方式。换句话说,不要在争取这世上的一切时,忘记了神的原则,要活出光和盐的特质,让人看见神的荣耀。

How to Recognize a False Teacher

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Timothy 3:1-9.  Let’s go!

2 Timothy 3:1 (NIV) 
1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 

On verse 1: By “last days” what does Paul mean?  “Last days” is a term used by various New Testament writers (e.g 1 Peter 1:20; 2 Peter 3:3; Hebrews 1:2; James 5:3).  It refers to the entire period between Christ’s ascension to heaven and his eventual return to earth.  

Here Paul is saying that during these last days, something terrible will happen:  false teachers will try to influence Christ’s church and lead Christians astray.  

野地的花

马太福音6:28-30_野地的花

28 何必为衣裳忧虑呢?你想野地里的百合花怎么长起来,它也不劳苦,也不纺线, 29 然而我告诉你们:就是所罗门极荣华的时候,他所穿戴的还不如这花一朵呢! 30 你们这小信的人哪!野地里的草今天还在,明天就丢在炉里,神还给它这样的装饰,何况你们呢?

在第6 章25节里,主耶稣提醒我们:生命胜于饮食,身体胜于衣裳。祂要我们把生命的焦点调对了,把忧虑的方向摆正了,头脑就自然清楚了。我们的饮食若为了生命的好处而吃,衣裳若为了身体的好处而穿,生活里的烦恼和忧愁就会相对地减少。

更重要的是,若一直担心想要怎样吃来延年益夀,或是为了体面或漂亮来考虑衣着装饰,就会远离了神给我们生命的初衷。神要我们明白的是祂的信实,而不是要我们去追求那些虚浮的华贵亮丽。

Be Careful Against False Teaching

Hi GAMErs,

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

2 Timothy 2:20-21 (NIV) 
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble.
21 If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 

On verses 14-26:  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 “had already happened” (v18).