08/11/2020
12:51 Do you think that I have come to grant peace on the earth? No, I tell you, but rather division! 12:51 你们以为我来，是叫地上太平吗？我告诉你们：不是，乃是叫人纷争
“主耶稣是和平的君王，又教导我们要与人和睦。但主耶稣的和睦不是迁就人，叫人停留在犯罪、拒绝神当中，因为这种虚假的「太平」结局是死亡。祂要把福音和审判的火丢在地上，借着十字架的「洗」先使人与神和好，然后众人才能因着同有基督的生命而和睦相处。这「纷争」不是为人的意气相争，而是为着拣选神与不拣选神相争。这时神的儿女就应该付代价持守拣选神的地位，任凭别人不谅解。”
08/12/2020
13:1 Now at the same time some had come to tell him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. 13:1 正当那时，有人将彼拉多使加利利人的血搀杂在他们祭物中的事告诉耶稣。 13:2 And he answered and said to them, “Do you think that these Galileans were sinners worse than all the Galileans, because they suffered these things? 13:2 耶稣说：“你们以为这些加利利人比众加利利人更有罪，所以受这害吗？ 13:3 No, I tell you, but unless you repent you will all perish as well! 13:3 我告诉你们，不是的！你们若不悔改，都要如此灭亡！
Jesus makes it very clear that there is no automatic link between sin and suffering. They were not suffering because they were worse sinners than all the other Galileans. Jesus also points out that natural disasters are not necessarily a form of punishment from God. We need to be very careful about making judgments about why others are suffering.
13:6 And he told this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. 13:6 于是用比喻说：“一个人有一棵无花果树栽在葡萄园里。他来到树前找果子，却找不着。 13:7 So he said to the gardener, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree and did not find any. Cut it down! Why should it even exhaust the soil?’ 13:7 就对管园的说：‘看哪，我这三年来到这无花果树前找果子，竟找不着。把它砍了吧，何必白占地土呢！’ 13:8 But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, leave it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put manure on it. 13:8 管园的说：‘主啊，今年且留着，等我周围掘开土，加上粪， 13:9 And if indeed it produces fruit in the coming year, so much the better, but if not, you can cut it down.’ ” 13:9 以后若结果子便罢，不然再把它砍了。’ ”
As we look at the numerous ministries in the church, some are extremely fruitful. Others are less so. The temptation is to cut back on the less fruitful ones straight way. However, Jesus encourages us to be patient. Yet this patience doesn’t last for ever.
30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” 30 只是有在后的，将要在前；有在前的，将要在后。”
外邦人的被召虽然是「在后」，但因着他们肯悔改接受主，也能「在前」进入神的国坐席。以色列人的被召虽然是「在前」，但他们若没有悔改接受主，照样「在后」进不了神的国。不存在世袭的基督徒，只有个人直接的信心才能把人连上神，在神的国中与主一同坐席。
08/13/2020
13:34 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How many times I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her own brood under her wings, and you were not willing! 13:34 耶路撒冷啊！耶路撒冷啊！你常杀害先知，又用石头打死那奉差遣到你这里来的人。我多次愿意聚集你的儿女，好象母鸡把小鸡聚集在翅膀底下；只是你们不愿意。 13:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” 13:11 因为，凡自高的，必降为卑；自卑的，必升为高。” 13:13 But whenever you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 13:13 你摆设筵席，倒要请那贫穷的、残废的、瘸腿的、瞎眼的，你就有福了！ 13:14 and you will be blessed, because they are not able to repay you. For it will be paid back to you at the resurrection of the righteous.” 13:14 因为他们没有甚么可报答你。到义人复活的时候，你要得着报答。”
这样的「施」不是为要得着人的回报或称赞，而是单单做在神面前。只有活在神儿子生命里的人，才会不为自己的满足而活，而是肯叫自己成为人的供应。这样的人是神所要得着的人，神要把祂的荣耀丰富加给他。
08/14/2020
14:33 In the same way, therefore, every one of you who does not renounce all his own possessions cannot be my disciple. 14:33 这样，你们无论甚么人，若不撇下一切所有的，就不能作我的门徒。
Oh help! I am sure I am holding on to lots of things!
08/15/2020
15:12 And the younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the property that is coming to me.’ So he divided his assets between them. 15:12 小儿子对父亲说：‘父亲，请你把我应得的家业分给我。’他父亲就把产业分给他们。 15:13 And after not many days, the younger son gathered everything and went on a journey to a distant country, and there he squandered his wealth by living wastefully. 15:13 过了不多几日，小儿子就把他一切所有的都收拾起来，往远方去了。在那里任意放荡，浪费资财。 15:14 And after he had spent everything, there was a severe famine throughout that country, and he began to be in need. 15:14 既耗尽了一切所有的，又遇着那地方大遭饥荒，就穷苦起来。
The prodigal’s wretched state, only faintly shadows forth the awful ruin of man by sin. Yet how few are sensible of their own state and character!
08/16/2020
16:10 “The one who is faithful in very little is also faithful in much, and the one who is dishonest in very little is also dishonest in much. 16:10 人在最小的事上忠心，在大事上也忠心；在最小的事上不义，在大事上也不义。
As Billy Graham put it, ‘If a person gets their attitude towards money straight, it will help straighten out almost every other area in their life.’
08/18/2020
17:26 And just as it was in the days of Noah, so also it will be in the days of the Son of Man— 17:26 挪亚的日子怎样，人子的日子也要怎样。 17:27 they were eating, they were drinking, they were marrying, they were being given in marriage, until the day Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 17:27 那时候的人又吃又喝，又娶又嫁，到挪亚进方舟的那日，洪水就来，把他们全都灭了。 17:28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building. 17:28 又好象罗得的日子，人又吃又喝，又买又卖，又耕种又盖造。 17:29 But on the day that Lot went out from Sodom, it rained fire and sulphur from heaven and destroyed them all. 17:29 到罗得出所多玛的那日，就有火与硫磺从天上降下来，把他们全都灭了。
People focus on eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting and building. None of these things is wrong in itself. They are part of regular, ordinary life. The problem in both Noah’s time and Lot’s time was that most people did not listen to the warnings. Jesus urges you to be ready.
Paradoxically, whoever tries to keep their life will lose it and whoever loses their life will preserve it. If you are always trying to find ways of getting the most out of life for yourself – the most money, highest position, best reputation, most popular – you will miss out. If you lose your life in denying yourself and serving Jesus, you will actually find life in all its fullness.
08/25/2020
22:21 “But behold, the hand of the one who is betraying me is with me on the table! 22:21 看哪，那卖我之人的手与我一同在桌子上。 22:22 For the Son of Man is going according to what has been determined, but woe to that man by whom he is betrayed!” 22:22 人子固然要照所预定的去世，但卖人子的人有祸了！”
As we look at the parts played by each of the people in this drama, we see, once again, that the Bible teaches both predestination (that God has planned everything in advance) and free will. This is a mystery that the Scriptures hold in tension and we are rightly suspicious when any human system attempts to explain it away one way or the other.
08/26/2020
22:42 saying, “Father, if you are willing, take away this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done.” ⟦ 22:42 说：“父啊！你若愿意，就把这杯撤去；然而，不要成就我的意思，只要成就你的意思。” 22:44 And being in anguish, he began praying more fervently and his sweat became like drops of blood falling down to the ground.⟧ 22:44 耶稣极其伤痛，祷告更加恳切，汗珠如大血点滴在地上。
In this passage, we see that Jesus, as well as being fully God, was fully human. First, he faced the terrible suffering of the cross. He ‘knelt down and prayed’ (v.41), ‘Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done’ (v.42).
Jesus’ humanity is seen in his anguish and his sweat ‘like drops of blood falling to the ground’ (v.44). Despite all the difficulties, he chose God’s will over his own, and ‘an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him’ (v.43).
You will never face as great a challenge as Jesus faced. But there will be times in your life when God asks you to choose his will over what you want to do. In every sacrifice, great or small, ask for God’s strength to choose his will over your own, as Jesus did.
22:54 And they arrested him and led him away and brought him into the house of the high priest. But Peter was following at a distance. 22:54 他们拿住耶稣，把他带到大祭司的宅里。彼得远远地跟着。 22:55 And when they had kindled a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them. 22:55 他们在院子里生了火，一同坐着；彼得也坐在他们中间。 22:56 And a certain female slave, seeing him sitting in the light and looking intently at him, said, “This man also was with him!” 22:56 有一个使女看见彼得坐在火光里，就定睛看他，说：“这个人素来也是同那人一伙的。” 22:57 But he denied it, saying, “Woman, I do not know him!” 22:57 彼得却不承认，说：“女子，我不认得他。” 22:58 And after a short time another person saw him and said, “You also are one of them!” But Peter said, “Man, I am not!” 22:58 过了不多的时候，又有一个人看见他，说：“你也是他们一党的。”彼得说：“你这个人！我不是。” 22:59 And after about one hour had passed, someone else was insisting, saying, “In truth this man also was with him, because he is also a Galilean!” 22:59 约过了一小时，又有一个人极力地说：“他实在是同那人一伙的，因为他也是加利利人。” 22:60 But Peter said, “Man, I do not know what you are talking about!” And immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. 22:60 彼得说：“你这个人！我不晓得你说的是甚么！”正说话之间，鸡就叫了。 22:61 And the Lord turned around and looked intently at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he said to him, “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny me three times.” 22:61 主转过身来看彼得，彼得便想起主对他所说的话：“今日鸡叫以先，你要三次不认我。’
If you feel, as I do, that you could never be quite like Jesus, but desperately don’t want to be like Judas, then Peter gives us all hope. Peter messed up, as we all do, and yet God used him.
08/29/2020
24:5 And as they were terrified and bowed their faces to the ground, they said to them, “Why are you looking for the living among the dead? 24:5 妇女们惊怕，将脸伏地。那两个人就对她们说：“为甚么在死人中找活人呢？ 24:6 He is not here, but has been raised! Remember how he spoke to you while he was still in Galilee, 24:6 他不在这里，已经复活了。当记念他还在加利利的时候怎样告诉你们， 24:7 saying that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of men who are sinners, and be crucified, and on the third day rise?” 24:7 说：‘人子必须被交在罪人手里，钉在十字架上，第三日复活。’ ”
「为什么在死人中找活人呢」在亚当的旧造里找不到胜过死亡的生命，一切的结局都是死亡。在主耶稣的新造里有生命的大能与荣耀，祂没有死亡的结局，死的经历只是为祂显明生命的完全与丰富。主站在人子的地位上替我们罪人死了，但现在祂已经从死里复活，败坏了掌死权的魔鬼，打破了黑暗权势的辖制。自从亚当以后，只有人进入死亡，却没有人从死亡中出来。主耶稣在复活的大能中第一个从死亡中出来，也叫那些因信祂而在祂里面的人一样能从死亡中出来。祂走出了从死亡中得生命的路，叫跟随祂的人都能脱离死亡，进入生命。