每日讀經靈修: 你可以幫忙嗎？ (2014年 11月 20日)
Daily Devotional: Can You Help? (Thursday, November 20, 2014)
讀經: 雅各書2章14-20節
Read: James 2:14-20
這樣，信心若沒有行為就是死的。 —雅各書2章17節
Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. —James 2:17
在阿拉斯加的巴羅小鎮上，一所高中的行政人員，因為學生們經常闖禍，且輟學率高達五成，所以他們為了提高學生的興趣，組織了一支足球隊，使學生們有機會學習新的技能、團隊合作及人生的功課。但巴羅氣候極寒冷且乾燥，很難種植草坪，因此他們只能在佈滿碎石和灰塵的地上舉行足球賽。
在四千公里以外的佛羅里達州，有位女士凱茜•帕克（Cathy Parker）聽到這足球隊和他們那滿佈危險的足球場，覺得上帝在催促她伸出援手。學生們積極的改變，給了她深刻的印象，促使她採取行動。一年以後，他們那美觀的人造草皮新球場啟用了。她籌募了數千元，來幫助一些她根本不認識的學生。
這個故事所強調的不是足球或金錢，而是說不可忘記「行善和捐輸」（希伯來書13章16節）。使徒雅各提醒我們，我們信心要付諸於行動（雅各書2章18節）。我們所在的世界充斥著各樣的需要，如果我們像耶穌所教導的愛鄰舍如同愛自己（馬可福音12章31節），我們就能將上帝的愛傳給人。
天父，開我們的眼睛，使我們看見有需要的人。
讓我們用金錢或其他方法幫助他們。
幫助我們把焦點從自己身上挪開，
放在那些我們可以幫助的人身上。
將你的心向上帝敞開，學習憐憫並伸出援手。
The administrators of the high school in Barrow, Alaska, were tired of seeing students get into trouble and drop out at a rate of 50 percent. To keep students interested, they started a football team, which offered them a chance to develop personal skills, teamwork, and learn life lessons. The problem with football in Barrow, which is farther north than Iceland, is that it’s hard to plant a grass field. So they competed on a gravel and dirt field.
Four thousand miles away in Florida, a woman named Cathy Parker heard about the football team and their dangerous field. Feeling that God was prompting her to help, and impressed by the positive changes she saw in the students, she went to work. About a year later, they dedicated their new field, complete with a beautiful artificial-turf playing surface. She had raised thousands of dollars to help some kids she didn’t even know.
This is not about football—or money. It is about remembering “to do good and to share” (Heb. 13:16). The apostle James reminds us that we demonstrate our faith by our actions (2:18). The needs in our world are varied and overwhelming but when we love our neighbor as ourselves, as Jesus said (Mark 12:31), we reach people with God’s love.
Open our eyes, dear Father, to those in need. Allow
us to find ways—monetarily and otherwise—to
help meet those needs. Help us to take the focus off
ourselves and place it on those who can use our assistance.
Open your heart to God to learn compassion and open your hand to give help.
中文版: http://traditional-odb.org/2014/11/20/你可以幫忙嗎？/
Eng Version: http://odb.org/2014/11/20/can-you-help/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
每日讀經靈修: 告別抱怨 (2014年 11月 19日)
Daily Devotional: Goodbye (Wednesday, November 19, 2014)
讀經: 民數記11章1-10節
Read: Numbers 11:1-10
眾百姓發怨言，他們的惡語達到耶和華的耳中。耶和華聽見了就怒氣發作。 —民數記11章1節
When the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. —Numbers 11:1
當麥士．陸卡度（Max Lucado）參加鐵人三項全能競賽時，他經歷到抱怨所帶來的負面力量。他說：「游了2公里後，又騎了90公里自行車，我已經沒有足夠的體力，再跑21公里的路了。跑在我旁邊的傢伙也是如此。他說：『真是糟透了，參加這個競賽是我作過最愚笨的決定。』我就說：『拜拜！』」陸卡度知道如果他繼續聽，他也會同意對方的想法，所以他就離開，繼續往前跑。
在以色列人中，許多人不斷地去聽他人的抱怨，以致開始贊同他們。這當然使上帝發怒，因為上帝已經將以色列民從為奴之地拯救出來，而且應允與他們同在，但是以色列人仍不斷地抱怨。他們不只埋怨曠野的艱困，還不滿上帝所賜的食物嗎哪。以色列民忘了嗎哪是上帝賜給他們的禮物，是出於上帝愛的手（民數記11章6節）。上帝必須管教他們，因為抱怨荼毒了他們的心靈，使他們不再感恩，而且抱怨還會迅速蔓延。
讓我們每天都複述上帝對我們的信實和美善，以確保能告別抱怨和忘恩負義。
主啊!祢給了我們這麼多，
求祢寬恕我們的忘恩負義，
幫助我們謹記和感謝祢所有的供應，
並向他人傳揚祢為我們所做的美事。
宣揚上帝的信實，可以克服不滿。
When Max Lucado participated in a half-Ironman triathlon, he experienced the negative power of complaint. He said, “After the 1.2-mile swim and the 56-mile bike ride, I didn’t have much energy left for the 13.1-mile run. Neither did the fellow jogging next to me. He said, ‘This stinks. This race is the dumbest decision I’ve ever made.’ I said, ‘Goodbye.’ ” Max knew that if he listened too long, he would start agreeing with him. So he said goodbye and kept running.
Among the Israelites, too many people listened too long to complaints and began to agree with them. This displeased God, and for good reason. God had delivered the Israelites from slavery, and agreed to live in their midst, but they still complained. Beyond the hardship of the desert, they were dissatisfied with God’s provision of manna. In their complaint, Israel forgot that the manna was a gift to them from God’s loving hand (Num. 11:6). Because complaining poisons the heart with ingratitude and can be a contagion, God had to judge it.
This is a sure way to say “goodbye” to complaining and ingratitude: Each day, let’s rehearse the faithfulness and goodness of God to us.
Lord, You have given us so much. Forgive us for our
short memories and bad attitudes. Help us to
remember and be grateful for all that You have
provided. And help us to tell others of the good things You have done for us.
Proclaiming God’s faithfulness silences discontentment.
中文版: http://traditional-odb.org/2014/11/19/告別抱怨/
Eng Version: http://odb.org/2014/11/19/goodbye/
Daily Devotional: Can You Help? (Thursday, November 20, 2014)
讀經: 雅各書2章14-20節
Read: James 2:14-20
這樣，信心若沒有行為就是死的。 —雅各書2章17節
Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. —James 2:17
在阿拉斯加的巴羅小鎮上，一所高中的行政人員，因為學生們經常闖禍，且輟學率高達五成，所以他們為了提高學生的興趣，組織了一支足球隊，使學生們有機會學習新的技能、團隊合作及人生的功課。但巴羅氣候極寒冷且乾燥，很難種植草坪，因此他們只能在佈滿碎石和灰塵的地上舉行足球賽。
在四千公里以外的佛羅里達州，有位女士凱茜•帕克（Cathy Parker）聽到這足球隊和他們那滿佈危險的足球場，覺得上帝在催促她伸出援手。學生們積極的改變，給了她深刻的印象，促使她採取行動。一年以後，他們那美觀的人造草皮新球場啟用了。她籌募了數千元，來幫助一些她根本不認識的學生。
這個故事所強調的不是足球或金錢，而是說不可忘記「行善和捐輸」（希伯來書13章16節）。使徒雅各提醒我們，我們信心要付諸於行動（雅各書2章18節）。我們所在的世界充斥著各樣的需要，如果我們像耶穌所教導的愛鄰舍如同愛自己（馬可福音12章31節），我們就能將上帝的愛傳給人。
天父，開我們的眼睛，使我們看見有需要的人。
讓我們用金錢或其他方法幫助他們。
幫助我們把焦點從自己身上挪開，
放在那些我們可以幫助的人身上。
將你的心向上帝敞開，學習憐憫並伸出援手。
The administrators of the high school in Barrow, Alaska, were tired of seeing students get into trouble and drop out at a rate of 50 percent. To keep students interested, they started a football team, which offered them a chance to develop personal skills, teamwork, and learn life lessons. The problem with football in Barrow, which is farther north than Iceland, is that it’s hard to plant a grass field. So they competed on a gravel and dirt field.
Four thousand miles away in Florida, a woman named Cathy Parker heard about the football team and their dangerous field. Feeling that God was prompting her to help, and impressed by the positive changes she saw in the students, she went to work. About a year later, they dedicated their new field, complete with a beautiful artificial-turf playing surface. She had raised thousands of dollars to help some kids she didn’t even know.
This is not about football—or money. It is about remembering “to do good and to share” (Heb. 13:16). The apostle James reminds us that we demonstrate our faith by our actions (2:18). The needs in our world are varied and overwhelming but when we love our neighbor as ourselves, as Jesus said (Mark 12:31), we reach people with God’s love.
Open our eyes, dear Father, to those in need. Allow
us to find ways—monetarily and otherwise—to
help meet those needs. Help us to take the focus off
ourselves and place it on those who can use our assistance.
Open your heart to God to learn compassion and open your hand to give help.
中文版: http://traditional-odb.org/2014/11/20/你可以幫忙嗎？/
Eng Version: http://odb.org/2014/11/20/can-you-help/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
每日讀經靈修: 告別抱怨 (2014年 11月 19日)
Daily Devotional: Goodbye (Wednesday, November 19, 2014)
讀經: 民數記11章1-10節
Read: Numbers 11:1-10
眾百姓發怨言，他們的惡語達到耶和華的耳中。耶和華聽見了就怒氣發作。 —民數記11章1節
When the people complained, it displeased the Lord; for the Lord heard it, and His anger was aroused. —Numbers 11:1
當麥士．陸卡度（Max Lucado）參加鐵人三項全能競賽時，他經歷到抱怨所帶來的負面力量。他說：「游了2公里後，又騎了90公里自行車，我已經沒有足夠的體力，再跑21公里的路了。跑在我旁邊的傢伙也是如此。他說：『真是糟透了，參加這個競賽是我作過最愚笨的決定。』我就說：『拜拜！』」陸卡度知道如果他繼續聽，他也會同意對方的想法，所以他就離開，繼續往前跑。
在以色列人中，許多人不斷地去聽他人的抱怨，以致開始贊同他們。這當然使上帝發怒，因為上帝已經將以色列民從為奴之地拯救出來，而且應允與他們同在，但是以色列人仍不斷地抱怨。他們不只埋怨曠野的艱困，還不滿上帝所賜的食物嗎哪。以色列民忘了嗎哪是上帝賜給他們的禮物，是出於上帝愛的手（民數記11章6節）。上帝必須管教他們，因為抱怨荼毒了他們的心靈，使他們不再感恩，而且抱怨還會迅速蔓延。
讓我們每天都複述上帝對我們的信實和美善，以確保能告別抱怨和忘恩負義。
主啊!祢給了我們這麼多，
求祢寬恕我們的忘恩負義，
幫助我們謹記和感謝祢所有的供應，
並向他人傳揚祢為我們所做的美事。
宣揚上帝的信實，可以克服不滿。
When Max Lucado participated in a half-Ironman triathlon, he experienced the negative power of complaint. He said, “After the 1.2-mile swim and the 56-mile bike ride, I didn’t have much energy left for the 13.1-mile run. Neither did the fellow jogging next to me. He said, ‘This stinks. This race is the dumbest decision I’ve ever made.’ I said, ‘Goodbye.’ ” Max knew that if he listened too long, he would start agreeing with him. So he said goodbye and kept running.
Among the Israelites, too many people listened too long to complaints and began to agree with them. This displeased God, and for good reason. God had delivered the Israelites from slavery, and agreed to live in their midst, but they still complained. Beyond the hardship of the desert, they were dissatisfied with God’s provision of manna. In their complaint, Israel forgot that the manna was a gift to them from God’s loving hand (Num. 11:6). Because complaining poisons the heart with ingratitude and can be a contagion, God had to judge it.
This is a sure way to say “goodbye” to complaining and ingratitude: Each day, let’s rehearse the faithfulness and goodness of God to us.
Lord, You have given us so much. Forgive us for our
short memories and bad attitudes. Help us to
remember and be grateful for all that You have
provided. And help us to tell others of the good things You have done for us.
Proclaiming God’s faithfulness silences discontentment.
中文版: http://traditional-odb.org/2014/11/19/告別抱怨/
Eng Version: http://odb.org/2014/11/19/goodbye/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
