totallylovedbygod65
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- Mar 12, 2024
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GUEST DEVOTIONS
ENGLISH AND CHINESE
Feeding Sheep, or Amusing Goats?
(Archibald Brown)
喂养羊群，还是逗乐山羊？
(阿奇博尔德·布朗)
An evil is in the 'professed' camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most short-sighted Christian can hardly fail to notice it. During the past few years this evil has developed at an alarming rate. It has worked like leaven, until the whole lump ferments!
主所“宣称”的阵营中存在一种邪恶，其厚颜无耻之程度，即便是最缺乏远见的基督徒也难以忽视。在过去的几年里，这种邪恶以惊人的速度发展。它像酵母一样发酵，直到整个面团都膨胀起来！
The devil has seldom done a more clever thing, than hinting to the Church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them. From speaking out the gospel, the Church has gradually toned down her testimony—then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses!
魔鬼很少做出比这更聪明的事情，他暗示教会，他们的使命之一是为人们提供娱乐，以此来吸引他们。教会从直言不讳地传福音，逐渐软化了她的见证——然后对当下的轻浮行为视而不见，甚至为之辩解。接着，她在自己的范围内容忍这些行为。现在，她以接触大众为借口，采纳了这些做法！
My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the Church. If it is a Christian work, then why did not Christ speak of it? "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature—and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel."
我的第一个论点是，圣经中从未提到为人们提供娱乐是教会的职责。如果这是一项基督徒的工作，那么为什么基督没有提及？“到全世界去，向每一个受造物传福音——并为那些不喜欢福音的人提供娱乐。”
No such words, however, are to be found. It did not seem to occur to Him. Where do entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted because they amused the people—or because they confronted them? The 'concert' has no martyr roll.
然而，这样的语句并不存在。基督似乎从未考虑过这一点。娱乐者从何而来？圣灵对此保持沉默。先知们是因为娱乐了人们而遭受迫害，还是因为他们直面人们？“音乐会”没有殉道者的记录。
Again, providing amusement is in direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all His apostles. What was the attitude of the apostolic Church to the world? "You are the salt of the world"—not the sugar candy; something the world will spit out—not swallow.
再次，为人们提供娱乐与基督及其所有使徒的教导和生活直接对立。使徒教会对世界的态度是什么？“你们是世上的盐”——而不是糖果；是世界会吐出的东西——而不是吞下的东西。
Had Jesus introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into His teaching, He would have been more popular. When "many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him," I do not hear Him say: "Run after these people, Peter, and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow; something short and attractive with little preaching. We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it! Be quick, Peter, we must get the people somehow!"
如果耶稣在祂的教导中引入更多明快和愉悦的元素，祂会更受欢迎。当“许多门徒退去，不再跟随祂”时，我没有听到祂说：“彼得，快去追这些人，告诉他们我们明天会有一种不同的礼拜方式；简短而吸引人，少一些讲道。我们将为人们举办一个愉快的夜晚。告诉他们他们一定会喜欢！快点，彼得，我们必须想办法把人留住！”
No! Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them—but never sought to amuse them!
不！耶稣怜悯罪人，为他们叹息和哭泣——但从未试图娱乐他们！
In vain will the epistles be searched to find any trace of the 'gospel of amusement.' Their message is, "Therefore, come out from them and separate yourselves from them . . . Don't touch their filthy things..." Anything approaching amusement is conspicuous by its absence. They had boundless confidence in the gospel, and employed no other weapon.
徒然翻查使徒书信，也找不到任何“娱乐福音”的痕迹。它们的信息是：“因此，你们要从他们中间出来，与他们分别……不要触碰他们肮脏的东西……”任何接近娱乐的东西都明显缺失。他们对福音有无限的信心，且未使用其他武器。
After Peter and John were locked up for preaching, the Church had a prayer meeting, but they did not pray, "Lord, grant unto your servants that by a wise and discriminating use of innocent recreation we may show these people how happy we are!"
在彼得和约翰因传道被囚禁后，教会举行了祷告会，但他们没有祈祷：“主啊，赐给你的仆人智慧和辨别力，通过无害的娱乐活动，让我们向这些人展示我们是多么快乐！”
No! They did not cease from preaching Christ. They had no time for arranging entertainments. Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere preaching the gospel. They turned the world upside down—that is the only difference from today's church.
不！他们没有停止传扬基督。他们没有时间安排娱乐活动。因迫害而分散，他们四处传福音。他们颠覆了世界——这与今日教会的唯一区别。
Lastly, amusement fails to effect the end desired. Let the heavy-laden who found peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom the dramatic entertainment had been God's link in the chain of their conversion, stand up! There are none to answer! The mission of amusement produces no converts!
最后，娱乐无法实现所期望的目的。让那些通过音乐会找到平安的重担之人不要沉默！让那些因戏剧娱乐而归信神的醉汉站出来！无人回应！娱乐的使命没有带来任何归信者！
The need of the hour for today's ministry is earnest spirituality joined with Biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire.
当今事工的迫切需要是真诚的灵性与圣经教义相结合，如此理解和感受，以至于点燃人心。
Lord, clear the Church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed on her, and bring us back to apostolic methods!
主啊，清除教会中魔鬼强加给她的所有腐朽和垃圾，带我们回到使徒的方法！
ENGLISH AND CHINESE
Feeding Sheep, or Amusing Goats?
(Archibald Brown)
喂养羊群，还是逗乐山羊？
(阿奇博尔德·布朗)
An evil is in the 'professed' camp of the Lord, so gross in its impudence, that the most short-sighted Christian can hardly fail to notice it. During the past few years this evil has developed at an alarming rate. It has worked like leaven, until the whole lump ferments!
主所“宣称”的阵营中存在一种邪恶，其厚颜无耻之程度，即便是最缺乏远见的基督徒也难以忽视。在过去的几年里，这种邪恶以惊人的速度发展。它像酵母一样发酵，直到整个面团都膨胀起来！
The devil has seldom done a more clever thing, than hinting to the Church that part of their mission is to provide entertainment for the people, with a view to winning them. From speaking out the gospel, the Church has gradually toned down her testimony—then winked at and excused the frivolities of the day. Then she tolerated them in her borders. Now she has adopted them under the plea of reaching the masses!
魔鬼很少做出比这更聪明的事情，他暗示教会，他们的使命之一是为人们提供娱乐，以此来吸引他们。教会从直言不讳地传福音，逐渐软化了她的见证——然后对当下的轻浮行为视而不见，甚至为之辩解。接着，她在自己的范围内容忍这些行为。现在，她以接触大众为借口，采纳了这些做法！
My first contention is that providing amusement for the people is nowhere spoken of in the Scriptures as a function of the Church. If it is a Christian work, then why did not Christ speak of it? "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature—and provide amusement for those who do not relish the gospel."
我的第一个论点是，圣经中从未提到为人们提供娱乐是教会的职责。如果这是一项基督徒的工作，那么为什么基督没有提及？“到全世界去，向每一个受造物传福音——并为那些不喜欢福音的人提供娱乐。”
No such words, however, are to be found. It did not seem to occur to Him. Where do entertainers come in? The Holy Spirit is silent concerning them. Were the prophets persecuted because they amused the people—or because they confronted them? The 'concert' has no martyr roll.
然而，这样的语句并不存在。基督似乎从未考虑过这一点。娱乐者从何而来？圣灵对此保持沉默。先知们是因为娱乐了人们而遭受迫害，还是因为他们直面人们？“音乐会”没有殉道者的记录。
Again, providing amusement is in direct antagonism to the teaching and life of Christ and all His apostles. What was the attitude of the apostolic Church to the world? "You are the salt of the world"—not the sugar candy; something the world will spit out—not swallow.
再次，为人们提供娱乐与基督及其所有使徒的教导和生活直接对立。使徒教会对世界的态度是什么？“你们是世上的盐”——而不是糖果；是世界会吐出的东西——而不是吞下的东西。
Had Jesus introduced more of the bright and pleasant elements into His teaching, He would have been more popular. When "many of His disciples turned back and no longer followed Him," I do not hear Him say: "Run after these people, Peter, and tell them we will have a different style of service tomorrow; something short and attractive with little preaching. We will have a pleasant evening for the people. Tell them they will be sure to enjoy it! Be quick, Peter, we must get the people somehow!"
如果耶稣在祂的教导中引入更多明快和愉悦的元素，祂会更受欢迎。当“许多门徒退去，不再跟随祂”时，我没有听到祂说：“彼得，快去追这些人，告诉他们我们明天会有一种不同的礼拜方式；简短而吸引人，少一些讲道。我们将为人们举办一个愉快的夜晚。告诉他们他们一定会喜欢！快点，彼得，我们必须想办法把人留住！”
No! Jesus pitied sinners, sighed and wept over them—but never sought to amuse them!
不！耶稣怜悯罪人，为他们叹息和哭泣——但从未试图娱乐他们！
In vain will the epistles be searched to find any trace of the 'gospel of amusement.' Their message is, "Therefore, come out from them and separate yourselves from them . . . Don't touch their filthy things..." Anything approaching amusement is conspicuous by its absence. They had boundless confidence in the gospel, and employed no other weapon.
徒然翻查使徒书信，也找不到任何“娱乐福音”的痕迹。它们的信息是：“因此，你们要从他们中间出来，与他们分别……不要触碰他们肮脏的东西……”任何接近娱乐的东西都明显缺失。他们对福音有无限的信心，且未使用其他武器。
After Peter and John were locked up for preaching, the Church had a prayer meeting, but they did not pray, "Lord, grant unto your servants that by a wise and discriminating use of innocent recreation we may show these people how happy we are!"
在彼得和约翰因传道被囚禁后，教会举行了祷告会，但他们没有祈祷：“主啊，赐给你的仆人智慧和辨别力，通过无害的娱乐活动，让我们向这些人展示我们是多么快乐！”
No! They did not cease from preaching Christ. They had no time for arranging entertainments. Scattered by persecution, they went everywhere preaching the gospel. They turned the world upside down—that is the only difference from today's church.
不！他们没有停止传扬基督。他们没有时间安排娱乐活动。因迫害而分散，他们四处传福音。他们颠覆了世界——这与今日教会的唯一区别。
Lastly, amusement fails to effect the end desired. Let the heavy-laden who found peace through the concert not keep silent! Let the drunkard to whom the dramatic entertainment had been God's link in the chain of their conversion, stand up! There are none to answer! The mission of amusement produces no converts!
最后，娱乐无法实现所期望的目的。让那些通过音乐会找到平安的重担之人不要沉默！让那些因戏剧娱乐而归信神的醉汉站出来！无人回应！娱乐的使命没有带来任何归信者！
The need of the hour for today's ministry is earnest spirituality joined with Biblical doctrine, so understood and felt, that it sets men on fire.
当今事工的迫切需要是真诚的灵性与圣经教义相结合，如此理解和感受，以至于点燃人心。
Lord, clear the Church of all the rot and rubbish the devil has imposed on her, and bring us back to apostolic methods!
主啊，清除教会中魔鬼强加给她的所有腐朽和垃圾，带我们回到使徒的方法！
| Soldiers of the Cross! Spurgeon, "All at it" #2044. Acts 8:4, 5, 35. Scarcely anything has been more injurious to the kingdom of Christ than the distinction between clergy and laity. No such distinction was ever laid down by the Spirit of God. "You are a royal priesthood." "He has made us unto our God kings and priests." In the Church of God there is no special priesthood because all are priests. We have made among ourselves a distinction between ministers and others. But you are all to minister! There are many ministries of one form and another; and though God gives to His Church apostles, teachers, pastors, evangelists, and the like, yet not by way of setting up a professional caste of men, who are to do the work for God while others sit still. All Christians are soldiers of the Cross and all on active duty! Every converted man is to teach what he knows. All those who have drunk of the Living Water are to become fountains out of which shall flow rivers of Living Water. All are to proclaim the Word and no one is exempted by another form of service. It is thought nowadays that a man must not try to proclaim the Gospel unless he has had a good education. But there is nothing whatever in the whole compass of Scripture to excuse any mouth from speaking for Jesus when the heart is really acquainted with His salvation. We are all called to make Jesus known if we know Him. We must come back to the pattern of the original church. Every Christian must be a herald of the Cross. If you do not tell the Gospel, you are leaving your fellow men to perish. Yonder is the wreck and you are not sending out a life boat! Yonder are souls starving and you give them no bread! If we felt that blessed amazement which we ought to feel when we think of Free Grace and dying love, silence would be impossible. |