Sunday, May 25, 2008

为何基督会对宗教人士造成威胁?

宗教家们把耶稣当作危险人物,祂威胁到以色列宗教和政治势力的微妙平衡。人们知道祂会做一些「不可思议之事」,祂以权柄教导世人,把人们的注意力从外在的宗教事物转移到内心的态度。祂教导说,上帝不是在寻找宗教人士,而是在寻找:

虚心的人──他们意识到在生命的各方面都得倚靠上帝。
哀恸的人──他们为自己及他人罪的本性和结果而悲哀。
温柔的人──他们愿意让上帝掌管自己的生命。
饥渴慕义的人──他们接受从上帝而来的公义。
怜恤人的人──他们周济穷人而不求回报。
清心的人──他们的内心是清白的。
使人和睦的人──他们使人与上帝、人与人之间的关系和好(马太福音5章1-9节)


基督被心灵破碎者接受,而不为骄傲的宗教家所接受。祂对宗教家是个威胁,因为任何人接受了祂,便再也不需要法利赛人的宗教了。法利赛人谨守律法细节,而耶稣却教导说,上帝会赦免罪大恶极的人。多年以后,曾是法利赛人的基督使徒保罗主张,律法从没有、也不可能将任何人从罪中解救出来。在数封新约书信中,保罗向我们解释,律法的本意是要让我们明白需要一位在各方面都超越宗教本身的救主。

无论怎么看,基督都超越了宗教本身:
过去──祂是创造者、永恒的道。祂不仅在创世之初与上帝同在,而且祂就是上帝(约翰福音1章1-3节)。
未来──祂是再来的君王和审判者。有一天,祂要统治世界,审查每一颗心(使徒行传1章6-11节;罗马书14章7-12节)。
天上──祂是我们的救主。祂独自从天降下拯救我们,让我们能有一位慈爱和智能的主(约翰福音3章13-16节;腓立比书2章9-11节)。
人间──祂用手扶持我们,作我们的供应者和维持者(歌罗西书1章16节)。
向右──当我们寻求正道时,祂成为我们的教师和榜样(彼得前书2章21节;约翰一书2章6节)。
向左──当我们远离正道,走入叉路时,祂成为我们的代祷者和中保(约翰一书2章1-2节)。
内心──祂是我们的生命、平安及力量(加拉太书2章20节;歌罗西书1章27节)。

这就是法利赛人所错过的完人。他们怎么可能错过祂呢?他们和以色列人等待着弥赛亚降临,当祂真的来临时,他们为何要杀祂呢?让我们仔细地看看耶稣说过的话吧! --Martin R. De Haan II

基督时代的宗教是什么样子?

耶稣知道宗教的危险性。祂被耶路撒冷一些最重视宗教的人士所憎恶。当罪人和社会所厌恶的人都被耶稣所吸引时,当时的宗教人士,如法利赛人、文士、撒都该人以及祭司,反而视祂为敌。

法利赛人── 一个犹太宗教团体,企图透过谨守圣经以及那些将上帝的律法应用到日常生活中的口述传统,从而保守犹太人免受异教徒的污染。
文士──圣经律法的专家,即律法师。他们往往是法利赛人。法利赛人依赖文士作正确的解经。
撒都该人──一个犹太人的高层宗教团体。拒绝法利赛人的口述传统,坚持死板的解释,并坚守摩西的律法。
祭司──亚伦的后裔,继承主持耶路撒冷圣殿祭拜仪式的责任。他们常与撒都该人为伍。
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耶稣不去讨好这些宗教领袖。祂从来不认为这些人是敬虔的,因为他们犯了不承认祂是基督的错误。祂说他们若认识父,也必认识子。当着他们的面,祂称他们是假冒为善,瞎子给瞎子领路的。
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这出乎我们的意料,我们或许认为耶稣的敌人应是无神论者、世俗的思想家,或社会上的罪犯。其实不然:路人被耶稣吸引,罪人也是祂的朋友。甚至犹太的罗马政府官彼拉多,也愿意给祂多一些自白解释的机会。然而,耶路撒冷的宗教人士,如撒都该人和法利赛人,总是企图诋毁耶稣。他们认为耶稣对他们毫无益处,他们相信没有耶稣的世界会更好。
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仔细看看法利赛人。他们也不是十恶不赦的。他们被视为是最敬虔、最具有宗教情操的以色列人,他们是:
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神学家──他们相信以色列的上帝,提倡过以上帝为中心的生活。
独立主义者──他们决心保护以色列不向外邦世界屈服、被吞并或同化。
圣经专家──他们相信以色列的未来取决于尊崇和奉行上帝的律法。
平民主义者──他们当中有许多人从事手工艺和商业,所以被一般人所认同。
实用主义者──他们不仅努力解释律法,而且尽力将律法应用到日常生活中。
传统主义者──他们小心地去记忆、保存并重现属灵的传统。
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然而,在尝试生活中实践上帝律法的这条路上,法利赛人走偏了。当他们竭力将上帝的话语应用于日常生活中时,他们僵硬的应用将自己带入死胡同。久而久之,他们就迷失在鸡毛蒜皮的事情上了。正如耶稣所说的:「他们将人的吩咐当作道理教导人」(马太福音15章9节)。他们太注重细节,反而丧失了真心。 --Martin R. De Haan II

宗教形式化的危险性

自古以来宗教就具有危险性。早在日本的神经毒气邪教──奥姆真理教(Aum Shinrikyo)之前,狂热的信徒就一直以上帝的名义互相残杀;在瓦口(Waco)和琼斯镇(Jonestown)事件之前,宗教狂热就已经建立了战场,在那里有些人得救了,有些人却迷失了。
  
宗教形式化的危险性在我们的始祖身上就可以看到。当亚当和夏娃试图变得更象上帝时,他们犯下一个致命的错误。他们的错误不是他们停止相信上帝,而是他们相信的方式是被禁止的。

亚当的儿子也尝试用自己的方式去信靠上帝。主拒绝了该隐的无血之祭,而喜悦他弟弟所献上的羔羊。该隐怒气冲天,因嫉妒而杀了亚伯,也因此毁掉他自己的一生。

以色列人也因尝试用自己的方式服事、敬拜上帝而招来麻烦。在快要进入应许之地时,一些犹太人接受当地的宗教习俗,与当地女子行淫,造成犹太人在数小时内死亡逾万(民数记25章)

以色列的第一任国王扫罗也是如此,他因犯了宗教上的错误而丧失王位。当祭司撒母耳没有及时出现在战前献祭时,扫罗认为需要他自己来献祭,但是他错了(撒母耳记上13章8-14节;另请参阅15章)

甚至大卫也因形式化的宗教而招惹麻烦。他成为以色列国王以后,他要求把装着十诫的约柜搬来。他率领以色列众民热切地要把这个圣物运来耶路撒冷。然而,当拖负着约柜的牛跌倒时,为了防止约柜倒下,一个名叫乌撒的祭司伸手去扶它,但他却被上帝击杀。大卫既害怕又愤怒,他如何能与这样的上帝同行呢?大卫重读上帝的律法后,才意识到自己是以错误的方式去做正确的事情(历代志上13章;15章12-15节)

为何上帝那么重视我们相信什么,以及用什么方式来服事和敬拜祂呢?因为祂在寻找那些真心敬拜祂的人,而不是那些只顾形式而盲目随从的人(约翰福音4章23-24节)上帝要人们以发自内心的敬拜来回报祂的慈爱和恩典。

这听来复杂,其实却不然。上帝只不过是要我们认识并爱祂的儿子。如此,正确的信仰必会随之而来(雅各书1章26-27节)。--Martin R. De Haan II

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Seven "Ones"

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3)

Have you ever worked at a job where you felt a strong bond with your co-workers? Perhaps you were united by a sense of mission, or by a respect for your boss, or by the belief that a prosperous company will benefit everyone financially. The more points of agreement among members of a group, the more they will be unified, the better they will perform, and the less likely they will be to fight among themselves.

Christians have a built-in list of unifiers that can keep them working together with a oneness of spirit. In Ephesians 4:4-6, Paul listed seven uniting "ones." Think of how helpful they can be to any group of believers working together on the same project:

One body—we are a single family unified for one purpose
One Spirit—we all have the Spirit as our power source
One hope—we all look forward to the same future
One Lord—we all trust the same Person in charge
One faith—we all trust Jesus' sacrifice for our salvation
One baptism—we all have a single identity
One God and Father—we all share the same source of our existence
What a difference it would make if we all could dwell on those seven "ones." — Dave Branon
Followers of Christ should focus on what unites them, not on what divides them.

Why Go To Church?

Let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together. —Hebrews 10:24-25


In a letter to the editor of a British newspaper, a man complained that he saw no sense in going to church every Sunday. "I have been attending services quite regularly for the past 30 years," he wrote, "and during that time . . . I have listened to no less than 3,000 sermons. But, to my consternation, I discover I cannot remember a single one of them. I wonder if a minister's time might be more profitably spent on something else."

That letter sparked many responses. One, however, was the clincher: "I have been married for 30 years. During that time I have eaten 32,850 meals—mostly of my wife's cooking. Suddenly I have discovered that I cannot remember the menu of a single meal. And yet, I received nourishment from every one of them. I have the distinct impression that without them I would have starved to death long ago."

The Bible assumes the importance of going to church, and the only admonition to do so appears in the context of the danger of forsaking the practice (Hebrews 10:25). We need help to keep our faith and hope from wavering (v.23), and to love and do good works (v.24). Just as physical food keeps us alive and strong, so also the spiritual nourishment of teaching and fellowship are necessary for our survival. — Dennis J. De Haan


To keep growing in Christ, keep going to church.

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Changed To Bring Change

You will be His witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. —Acts 22:15


One night a woman dreamed that she was having a conversation with God. She was angry about all the suffering and evil she saw around her, so she complained to the Lord, "Why don't You do something about all this?" God gently replied, "I did. I created you."

God could send another flood, as He did in Noah's day, to cleanse away the wickedness of the world. He could, but He won't. He has promised never to do that again (Genesis 9:11). Instead, He chooses to work through human beings like us, changing them, then enabling them to function as His agents of change.

He changed Paul from a persecutor of the church to "His witness to all men" (Acts 22:15). Paul's life and letters taught, inspired, and comforted the church in its early days, and they still do today. It was the power of God that changed Paul, then used him to change the world around him.

What about you? Have you been transformed by the power of Jesus Christ? Are you now obediently serving Him to change the lives of people around you?

Let's ask God to work in our hearts and lives so that through us He will bring about change in our families, our communities, and the world. — Vernon C. Grounds


Only when we are changed we can help others to change.

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

The Critic

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise. —Proverbs 12:15


When I was a teenager, a family joined our congregation. The wife was quiet, but the husband was loud, critical, and overbearing. I was standing nearby one Sunday morning when he stormed up to the pastor and verbally attacked him for something he had said in the sermon. The man's voice was loud, his tone disrespectful.

The pastor didn't do what I expected. He spoke softly, thanked the critic for his insights, and promised to think through the issue again.

Later, I asked my pastor why he didn't argue right back. He gave me some valuable advice I still try to follow. He said, "Every piece of criticism can be helpful. God may be in it, and if He is, I need to hear what He's saying. The critic just might be right."

When someone criticizes you, here are some biblical principles to follow: First, don't respond in anger (Proverbs 15:1). It will only accelerate the tension between you. Second, realize that you have been presented with a golden opportunity to model Christlike behavior—love, unselfishness, humility, and concern for others (Philippians 2:1-4). Third, the critic may be right; you may need to change. A wise person welcomes advice (Proverbs 9:8-9).

Treat a critic as a friend, and you both win. — David C. Egner


If criticism comes your way,
Consider its intent;
It may be that some truth from God
To you is being sent. —D. DeHaan
Criticism is a good teacher if we are willing to learn from it.

The Debt Of Leadership

Save Your servant who trusts in You! —Psalm 86:2


Examine the words of Psalm 86, and you might forget that you are reading the musings of a good leader. King David prayed, “O Lord, hear me; for I am poor and needy” (v.1). Then the king of Israel refers to himself as a “servant” and pleads for mercy. Think of it! This was the man God had chosen to lead His people, pleading for God’s help. Wow!


As we think about the role of leaders—whether centuries ago or today—it’s vital that we review what leadership means. According to businessman and author Max De Pree, whose leadership moved his company near the top of the Fortune 500: “The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. The last is to say thank you. In between the two, the leader must become a servant and a debtor. That sums up the progress of an artful leader.” Those two words, servant and debtor, describe David’s view of himself as he asked God for help during his time of leadership.


All of us who are in a leadership position—whether leading a family, a church, a classroom, or a business—need the humble words of Psalm 86 as our guide. The “poor and needy” (v.1) servant-leader who trusts God is the one who, in the end, can say as David did, “You, Lord, have helped me and comforted me” (v.17).
— Dave Branon


Controlling other people’s lives
Is not a godly leader’s trait;
But serving other people’s needs
Is what the Lord considers great. —Sper
The only leaders qualified to lead are those who have learned to serve.