约拿书 第三章 - 神的丰富怜悯
“这是好的，在我们救主神面前可蒙悦纳；祂愿意万人得救，并得以认识真理。”（提摩太前书2:3-4）。 《约拿书》第3章记录了这一情感的经典例证。它记载了先知约拿向尼尼微人传道，以及尼尼微人悔改的故事。 当我们看到尼尼微人悔改的故事时，我们可以从中找到一种安慰。正如神在尼尼微人真心悔改时宽恕了他们一样，我们也有信心，只要我们以真诚的心悔改，神今天也会以怜悯宽恕我们的罪。 然而，我们不应因为认为神会对我们仁慈而变得自满。在这一章中，我们看到尼尼微人为了寻求神的宽恕所付出的努力。首先，第6节记载，王自己披麻蒙灰，坐在灰中。第7至9节记录了王颁布的命令，要求所有百姓禁食哀哭，促使他们都在神面前悔改。让我们花点时间反思一下，这是我们最终转向神之前想要达到的状态吗？尽管尼尼微人最终得到了赦免，但我们不要被欺骗，他们当时的状态是悲惨的。 此外，《希伯来书》 10:26告诉我们：“因为我们得知真道以后，若故意犯罪，赎罪的祭就再没有了。” 神的爱是丰盛的，祂的怜悯是充足的，但我们要小心，永远不要滥用这种爱和怜悯。 约拿的故事也教导我们如何对待那些我们可能认为有罪的人。《约拿书》的叙事围绕着约拿拒绝向尼尼微宣讲的故事，因他憎恨那座城市，并怀疑那里的人民是否会改变。 当我们读到约拿的故事时，我们会很快说约拿的态度是不对的。然而，当我们看周围的同伴时，我们是否也不知不觉地采取了约拿的心态？我们是否轻易地评判他人？是否给他们贴上某些标签，并拒绝在他们的信仰上帮助他们？我们必须记住，神愿意万人得救。在神的眼中，每一个灵魂都是宝贵的。既然如此，作为神的仆人，我们必须履行祂的旨意，努力拯救每一个灵魂，无论我们对他们的看法如何。 总而言之，我们已经从神那里领受了这份爱与怜悯的礼物。我们也应当将这美好的礼物与他人分享。
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良好的比较，还是错误的比较？
人与生俱来的本性使我们常常拿自己与他人比较。 无论是与朋友，家人，还是与网络上的人相比，我们总是不自觉地进行比较。 有人认为，比较有其积极的一面，因为它能让我们发现自己的弱点，并激励我们改进。然而，许多时候，比较源于我们的骄傲，最终使我们感到不满，甚至对他人和对神心生怨恨。 我们可以通过 《路加福音》 18:9-14中法利赛人与税吏的比喻来学习何为良好的比较与错误的比较。在这个比喻中，我们可以观察到每个角色所作的比较。 法利赛人拿自己与税吏相比， 用自己的善行衡量税吏的不足。他确实做了许多善事！毕竟，并不是每个人都能自愿每周禁食两次。 然而，正因为如此，他变得自以为是，轻视他人（路加福音 18:11）。 另一方面，税吏拿自己与神相比。就像在强光下，连最细微的尘埃都无所遁形一样，把自己放在神的标准下，他清楚地看见了自己的罪。 因此，他谦卑下来，真诚地悔改（路加福音 18:13）。 我们不应拿自己与他人比较。因为当我们这样做时，潜在的动机往往是希望借此让自己感觉更好，抬高自己。然而，耶稣在《马太福音》23:12中警示：“凡自高的，必降为卑。” 这种比较最终会让我们被贬低。 保罗也提醒我们，这种比较是不明智的（哥林多后书 10:12）。 我们的比较应以神的标准为基准。就像把一件白色衣物放在强光下检查是否洁白无瑕一样。 这可能会让人感到不适，因为这样的比较不会带来自信或骄傲的感觉。相反，就像税吏一样，我们可能会因察觉到自己众多的罪孽，而感到不配面对神，甚至心生沮丧。 然而，这种不舒服的感觉正是我们学习谦卑的过程。而我们如何应对这个过程，将决定我们作为基督徒的成长。 我们可以选择昂首挺胸，自我夸耀，认为自己比大多数人做了更多善事； 或者，我们可以低头悔改，满怀痛悔地向神呼求，寻求祂的赦免。
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To Walk the Last Mile
“I’m here to walk the last mile with them,” the deacon thoughtfully summed up his role as an overseer of the nursing home. “In average we see about one off every month,” he added softly. From the bottom of my heart, I gave thanks to God for his humor, patience, candidness and, most of all, for enjoying his work. Located in Puli, a small township in central Taiwan, the Christian Renai Nursing Home is surrounded by verdant mountains. Founded in 1996, the nursing home sits peacefully on a premise of 177,950 square feet. As of December 2024, the facility is served by 50 staff and houses 85 residents. Of these residents, 60 percent are church members. Half of these members are still able to attend church services regularly. Each week, ten church services are held. The nursing home is where many last miles have been accomplished. Here care is given and received, from everyday functional activities to spiritual fulfillment. If one likens the whole person to a sculpture, the last mile is when the sculptor is nearing the completion of a work. Throughout life, God shapes us by various forces. Aging and infirmity are two such forces. Aging means going through many repetitions in life. Through these repetitions, God chips, chisels, and sands hard edges into gentle curves. The natural form of an individual is transformed into the fullness of His image. Through infirmity, God eventually takes away the outer form for the formless perfection from within. Job, at the brink of his life, likens this transformation of going from form to formlessness as a process of rigorous refinery (Job 19: 25-27; 23: 10; 42:5). David therefore pleads in his prayers, “Do not cast me off in the time of old age, do not forsake me when my strength fails” (Psalms 71:9). On a separate occasion, he asks God to sustain him in his sickbed when the day comes (Psalms 41:3). In response, through Isaiah, God reassuringly proclaims, “Even to your old age, I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you! I have made, and I will bear; even I carry, and will deliver you” (Isaiah 46:4). Meaning, even as we come with imperfection and an expiration date, God’s warranty is infinite. For His own glory, He is responsible for His own handiwork. Certainly, to the best of our ability, we take good care of ourselves. As the doctor’s advice goes, prevent the preventable and delay the inevitable. We aim to live actively, creatively and age gracefully. But when the inevitable meets us, we have no fear. Through the many repetitions in life, God has already prepared us ready for the day.
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阿摩司书 第七章（英文）
As servants called according to the will of God, we must fulfill His calling by relying on His truth and love.
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