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Lead By Example and By Your Words

2019-01-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

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

1 Timothy 4:11 (NIV) 
11 Command and teach these things. 

On verse 11:  Can a pastor command his congregation to do certain things?  According to Paul in verse 11, yes a pastor can, but always with gentleness and respect and always leading by example (as we’ll see in the next verse).  Western culture tends to focus so much on individual freedom and equality, such that we tend to downplay or even ignore the truth that our pastor or spiritual leaders have authority over us.  When met with the idea that we must follow and submit to our pastors and spiritual leaders, we might retort, “Well, we are all broken and prone to error.”  Paul recognized that we are all broken and prone to error, but he still told Timothy to command and teach his church.  He urged him to step courageously into his role as their leader and spiritual authority.

免我们的债

2019-01-30 in /by

马太福音6:12_免我们的债

12 免我们的债，如同我们免了人的债。

时近年关，在接近春节之际，华人最常做的事便是大扫除，因为要除旧迎新。犹太人也有过他们的农(民)历新年的习俗。对华人而言，有一些习俗例如要拜灶君，希望贿赂他，好去向上天(玉皇大帝)报告时，能有多几句美言。犹太人也有类似的习俗，犹太传统相信在这天生命册被打开，如果一个人刚过的那年所做的善大于恶，那他的名字就会被登记在生命册上，有效期一年。(所以写卡片祝贺朋友时会写「祝你在新年被纪念在生命册上」(l’shana tova tikateinu)。

在华人的除夕，除了家人团聚，大吃大喝之外，接着就是玩通宵，打麻将，打牌，喝酒，等等风花雪月。而根据以斯拉培训网站，犹太人在他们过新年之前的最后一个星期六傍晚；也就是他们的除夕。犹太会堂会举行「赦免」聚会（Selichot）。「赦免」聚会在午夜时分举行。在早期，犹太人每天的作息是从破晓时分开始，而比平常早四或五个小时（亦即午夜时分）起床来诵读「赦免」祷文，可以表现出一个犹太人对悔罪的乐意与热忱。

Train Yourself to Be Godly

2019-01-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

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

1 Timothy 4:7-8 (NIV) 
7 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives’ tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.
8 For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. 

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. 

Let Your Life Reflects the Excellence of Jesus

2019-01-29 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.

赐给我们日用的饮食

2019-01-29 in /by

马太福音6:11_赐给我们日用的饮食

11 我们日用的饮食，今日赐给我们。 

假如你记得十诫的话，你可能会记得在十诫的前面四诫都是和神有关的教导，下面的六诫便是和人的关系。在主祷文里的秩序也是如此，前两句和神有关系，后面三句和人有关系。这就是宇宙间的秩序：神，人，物。任何一个秩序摆错了，生活就会频频出问题。所以你的生活若有问题，自己对照一下，自己生活的秩序是怎样安排的，那么你很快就可以找出问题在哪里，而重新调整你的生活。

主耶稣不是不看重人的需要，但是祂知道，人活着不是单靠食物，乃是靠着神口里所出的一切话。所以祷告时要先求神的国和神的义。神的国和义若临到我们身上，我们就非常有福气了。神的旨意若能运行在我们的生活中，如同行在天上，那么或许会感受到天人合一的无比喜乐。

愿祢的国降临

2019-01-28 in /by

马太福音6:10_愿祢的国降临

10 愿祢的国降临，愿祢的旨意行在地上，如同行在天上。

不晓得这世界上有没有人真正满意自己的国家，对自己也是完全满意的？有的国家看起来很不错，但是住下来就会发现其中很多的瑕疵。根据2019年最佳国家报告，美国新闻与世界报导，BAV集团和宾夕法尼亚大学沃顿商学院的排名和分析，在八十个国家里，加拿大被选为第三个最好的国家，瑞典居冠，日本次之。在世界排列第三名，感觉应该相当好。但是真正住在加拿大的居民，可以告诉你很多加拿大的不好。

我想日本也是，仅管她拿了第二名，可是她也有很多问题。瑞典虽然居冠，也有很多问题。我有个朋友本来在那里找了个高薪的工作，但是住不到一年就全家搬回加拿大了。这些名次很好的国家都有一些相通的问题：税高、工作难找、租房困难、语言问题、性的开放和信仰的迷惘，等等，诸如此类，不胜枚举。

Leadership Begins with Character

2019-01-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is.  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.

我们在天上的父

2019-01-28 in /by

马太福音6:9_我们在天上的父

9 所以，你们祷告要这样说：我们在天上的父，愿人都尊你的名为圣。 

主耶稣教我们祈祷，就好给了我们一个地图，一个指引。很多人说他们不会祷告，那么就可以从耶稣教我们的主祷文开始学起。

主祷文的第一句是：“我们在天上的父。”这句话很重要，因为你要知道祷告的对象是谁。我们，是指世上所有的人。祂不是只是信徒在天上的父，祂也是所有生命的父，因为祂是赐人生命的神，是我们生命的源头，所以祂是我们在天上的父亲。

有些人的父亲并没有做好父亲的本份，所以他们的子女一听到“我们在天上的父。”心里就害怕，拒绝，不想跟父亲有任关系。因为这样，我们更需要认识我们生命的本源之父，从祂那里我们才能对父亲有一个真正的概念，进而明白我们的生命何等宝贵，天上的父何等珍惜宝贵祂的每一个儿女。

Be a Humble Servant, Not a Distraction

2019-01-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

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

1 Timothy 2:8 (NIV) 
8 I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. 

On verse 8:  Some people stereo typically think, “It’s the man’s job to work and the woman’s job to pray”.  But here Paul affirms that one of the most important things a man can do is to devote himself to prayer.  When a man devotes himself to prayer, he is much better able to lead in his home, to see things from God’s perspective, to bring God’s wisdom to situations and to model Christ to those in his care (especially his own family).