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【Bible Study】Romans 14 - Eating and Drinking as a High-Level Deception of the Devil

2019-05-07 46,253 Romans Whatever is not from faith is sin Faith Devil Power Freedom Deception

Introduction

To defeat your opponent without them even realizing it is the mark of a true master. When I was studying Romans chapter 14, I couldn't shake the feeling that Paul was not just talking about food and drink. Although Paul seemed to be discussing these matters on the surface, there was something deeper at play. I was stuck on this for a long time. As I sought answers, I realized that the chapter delves into profound depths. What is the theme of this chapter? It's that Eating and drinking are the devil's sophisticated schemes. This may not seem immediately obvious, but I will explain it to you step by step.

The Christians in the Roman church were experiencing a peculiar phenomenon. They debated endlessly about food and drink, resulting in much confusion. If the Lord Jesus were still on earth, how would He feel seeing His disciples or those who trusted in Him arguing about these things? I tell you, those who believe in Jesus must return to the root of Jesus. This reminds me of how cunning the spiritual forces of darkness operating behind this matter are!

Behind Eating and Drinking: The Dark Power of the Devil

Where did this debate about eating and drinking begin? I don't think it started when the Romans became believers; it began long, long ago. After Jesus came into the world and fasted and prayed for forty days and nights, the devil came and did something very interesting. The devil said, If you are the Son of God, turn these stones into bread. I don't think this could have corrupted Jesus. We all tend to think, what's the harm in turning stones into bread? I couldn't understand the devil's trickery. But then I realized that the devil's schemes have never changed.

Back in Genesis chapter 3, the serpent said to Eve, The fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil is delicious and pleasing to the eye. Why doesn't God let you eat it? Is it that God doesn't let you eat any of the fruit in the garden? Eve said, No, it's just the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that we can't eat. So why not? As a result, Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Did eating this fruit kill someone? Did it start a fire? Did it do something evil? None of these. But this was a very clever trick of the devil.

The Devil's Scheme is to Corrupt People's Faith

Today, we must rise to a higher level and take a closer look at the devil's sophisticated schemes. These schemes are very clever, so clever that the masters were fighting one another. Even today, although I still haven't figured out why the devil tempted Jesus to turn stones into bread, I know it has something to do with eating.

The same thing happened to the brothers and sisters in the Roman church. The brothers and sisters in the Roman church were arguing about what to eat and drink. Why were they arguing about this? Did they know what Jesus said? They did know. They all knew what Jesus said, that man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Later, Jesus said something very interesting in Matthew. I must analyze the devil's trickery very clearly for everyone.

Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. (Matthew 15:17-18)

Who was Jesus talking to? The Pharisees of that era. Jesus clearly saw that what does eating amount to? It ends up in the stomach and then in the toilet. It's probably just a biological process, merely creating some fertilizer.

But this biological process is the devil's sophisticated scheme. The devil is very clever. After reading Romans chapter 14, we should know why Paul was so concerned about eating and drinking. It is because this can completely corrupt Christians. Eating and drinking is not as simple as ending up in the toilet. The problem lies in the fact that it corrupts people's faith. So Paul wrote at the end of chapter 14:

Paul said this:

But whoever has doubts is condemned if they eat, because their eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)

The devil created confusion and thus disabled these Christians. In fact, when I saw through the devil's trickery, I realized that there are quite a few problems in this generation. Do you know what the problem is in this generation? This generation has something very interesting, which is that it puts the cart before the horse. Important things are not treated as important, and unimportant things are treated as very important.

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a powerful gospel, but they don't take it seriously. Even if they believe in the powerful gospel and it has no power, they don't think there's anything wrong with that. But they take eating and praying very seriously.

I wonder, Paul did not elevate eating and praying to a very high level, but many Christians today exaggerate eating and praying to an extreme. Ten people at a table, each praying for a while, good heavens, prayer before meals takes an hour. Is this important? Let's see what Jesus said about this. This matter is very deadly.

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel. (Matthew 23:23-24)

What does this mean? It means that the Pharisees are vipers. Jesus called them a brood of vipers. What are the Pharisees doing? It's not that they don't know God, but they tithe mint, dill, and cumin. They value these things, but they don't value God's justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Today, brothers and sisters, you must be careful not to take prayer before meals too seriously and to take the power of God's gospel too lightly.

I serve a sister whose family's story is like a novel. Someone in the family has kidney failure and needs a kidney transplant, and they take medicine every day. Someone in the family has a hole cut in their abdomen, and they have to excrete feces from that hole. Someone in their family died at a young age. This one died and that one died. There are so many cancer cases in the family. Recently, her husband discovered that he had bleeding in his brain and some problems with his heart, and he had to be sent to the hospital for examination. Today, I also served her. Actually, it's not a big deal. It's just that people are sent to the intensive care unit of the hospital, and going there is just to give money to the hospital.

I think this family has been ruined too miserably by the devil. When I prayed for her, I had a very strong conviction, so I began to tell her what to do. As a result, this morning when I asked her, she sent me a message saying that she had been released a lot yesterday. Although she slept very little yesterday, she felt very relaxed when she got up. It seemed that she always had a lid on her back. She has been a believer for five years, believing in a gospel that has no power. No one took her problems seriously. What did she believe in?

The devil's sophisticated scheme is that it is not afraid of you believing in the Lord. What it is really afraid of is that you are a powerful Christian. If you believe in the Lord and have no power and cannot resist the devil's activities, then the devil will be very rampant. This is why eating and drinking has caused such serious damage to the church!

When People Put the Cart Before the Horse, They Will Lose the Great Power of the Gospel

Brothers and sisters, you must know for sure that there is something very important in the gospel of Jesus Christ: power. The gospel that Paul preached is a powerful gospel! It is a gospel accompanied by signs and wonders. The gospel that we believe in is a gospel that sets the captives free and releases the oppressed.

If it cannot set the captives free and release the oppressed, then is it still a gospel? Prayer before meals, Christmas programs, what is the difference between these things and what the Pharisees did? The justice, mercy and faithfulness of God doesn't matter. Many people believe in the Lord and are led astray by the blind. This is a very serious matter! God in heaven will be very sad to see people believe in the powerful gospel and find that it has no power.

When Paul was writing Romans, he wrote at the beginning:

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. (Romans 1:16)

In 1 Corinthians, it also talks about this gospel being the power of God to save everyone who believes. Paul is talking about these things. As the scripture says:

My message and my preaching were not with wise and persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom, but on God’s power. (1 Corinthians 2:4-5)

Therefore, wherever I go, I preach the powerful gospel of God. Isn't this great? Some people have lost the power of God and value the things they eat and drink. The believers in Rome valued the issue of eating, which made the church powerless because of the issue of eating. Even if you pray before meals and the food becomes cold, or even if you pray so hard that the food is stale, you still won't be able to solve any problems!

We must know that the devil's sophisticated scheme is to cause people to put the cart before the horse. If the cart is put before the horse, the devil will succeed and the Christians will fail. Don't think that the kingdom of God has failed. The kingdom of God will never fail. It is those Christians who fall into the devil's lies because they do not believe in God's word.

Who let you be deceived by the devil? Who let you become such a Christian? If you become such a Christian and are deceived, isn't that your own fault? Never fall into a gospel that has no power. A gospel that has no power is constantly debating matters of doubt, and then believing that this can be eaten and that cannot be eaten. Some people believe that it can be eaten, and some people believe that it cannot be eaten. Some people believe in speaking in tongues, and some people do not believe in speaking in tongues. In short, there is no power.

A pastor from a church told me that their members have no power to cast out demons, but they are very good at driving out the pastor. After you have read it, you will find out what the devil's sophisticated scheme is all about. The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of peace, righteousness and joy in the Holy Spirit. Therefore, today we must know what the gospel says.

In the church in Rome, Paul fought with the Pharisee faction in the church for many years. When Jesus was on earth, He fought with the Pharisees until He was nailed to the cross. When Paul arrived, Paul also fought with the Pharisee faction of Christians until he wrote Romans chapter 14. If you read Galatians, you will see that it is even more extensive.

The Origin of Christians Emphasizing Eating and Drinking

In the church, when did things that are clean and unclean, and things that can and cannot be eaten, begin? It goes back many years, when Paul was not a very influential apostle. He was preaching the gospel among the Gentiles, and as he preached, he discovered that the gospel he was preaching might be corrupted by something: circumcision.

As a result, he went to Jerusalem by revelation to solve this problem. Although he solved a big problem, it brought about a bigger problem, and this problem became the problem of eating and drinking. At that time, Paul's influence in the church was not so great and his position was not so stable. If the church in Jerusalem wrote to all the churches saying that the gospel Paul was preaching was not the gospel, then all of Paul's efforts would be in vain. So this is what he wrote in Galatians:

Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. (Galatians 2:1-2)

This is so well written. As a result, he went to Jerusalem and held a Jerusalem conference, which is recorded in chapter 15. What I am going to talk about now is why the church in Rome was arguing about eating and drinking. Where did it start? It started with the Jerusalem Conference in Acts 15:12. When was Acts written? It was written several years after Romans. Luke wrote Acts when Paul was arrested by the Pharisees in Jerusalem. After being arrested, he sat in prison in Israel for two years, and then he was sent to Rome and had to be judged in Rome.

The scripture says:

The apostles and elders met to consider this question. (Acts 15:6) The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. When they finished, James spoke up. 'Brothers,' he said, 'listen to me!... (Acts 15:12-13)

James here is the James who wrote the book of James. At this time, Paul had not yet written a letter to Galatians. At that time, Paul could not afford to provoke James, but James was the leader of the church in Jerusalem.

“Brothers, listen to me. Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles.The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it,that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name,’says the Lord, who does these things’—things known from long ago. “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. (Acts 15:15-19)

In fact, at this time, Paul successfully made a decision that these Gentiles should not be made difficult and should not be forced to be circumcised. But James' opinion was that Jews who believed in the Lord still had to be circumcised. The next passage of scripture says:

“Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” (Acts 15:20-21)

Strangled animals and blood cannot be eaten. One tradition of Christians is that blood cannot be eaten. As a result, Christians in Rome also heard about this. It was these things that were very popular in the church in Rome at that time. People at that time were arguing with each other about what could be eaten and what could not be eaten. But as far as Jesus Christ is concerned, what things that our Lord Jesus ate only fall into the toilet, but those things that come out of the mouth and from the heart are the things that defile people!

Therefore, today we must know that the focus of Paul's gospel in Romans chapter 14 is that eating is not important. But James wrote to the Gentiles, making the matter of eating strangled animals and blood very important. Today, brothers and sisters, you must be clear that there is no such teaching in Paul's letters. Strangled animals and blood are Old Testament rules. Today, they do not make things difficult for those Gentiles. They do not make it difficult for us to be circumcised, but they still have a little requirement for us, which is related to eating. Christians in Rome are actually influenced by this kind of thing, but are these things really that important?

Restore the Powerful Gospel of the Kingdom of God

For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. (Romans 14:17)

This is the power of putting the cart before the horse! Tithing mint, dill, and cumin is a requirement in the Bible, but it is not the most important thing in the Bible. Therefore, in Chinese Mingding Destiny theology, there are truths both great and small, and we must first grasp the great ones. The kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking. All that our God asks of us is to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. This is also what I have always believed in.

Today, when we see brothers and sisters being oppressed, have we ever had a heart of mercy? The Christian I serve is miserable and very hardworking. My heart was really in tears when she told me, because she often thought about death, thinking about how good it would be if she died, so that she could be spared these worldly sorrows. One annoying thing after another, her brother not only owed debts but also got sick and had a hole cut in his belly to excrete feces. If he doesn't pay back this debt, he will have to be sent to prison, and his life will be gone. If she helps him pay it back, she will have to pay hundreds of thousands. Where can she get hundreds of thousands? Her son has kidney failure and needs a kidney transplant, and there are this problem and that problem. The whole family is full of these messy things!

My God, the devil is doing such destructive work, does anyone care? Does anyone really want to pull her out of the devil's bondage? This is why I hate these new Pharisees so much! Their mercy is just to give you something to help you. It's not that it's bad to help you with something, but this doesn't solve the essential problem. The kingdom of God is to set the captives free and release the oppressed. Today, many Christians don't even know how the kingdom of God comes. How can they be Christians?

I asked: Do you all know how to pray the Lord's Prayer? Do you really know how the kingdom of God comes? I don't know. Today, I want to repeat again that where we cast out demons by the Spirit of God, there the kingdom of God comes, and where the kingdom of God comes, there will be freedom! We must know that the gospel of Jesus Christ must really return to the truth of the Bible. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a powerful gospel, and every one of us Christians must be raised up!

Last night, I received a phone call. A pastor's mother was sleepless again. I had served her before, and then she was sleepless again. I was very emotional. The pastor's own mother was controlled by a demon, but the pastor cannot cast out that demon. Whom can he deliver? Therefore, I am really surprised that this pastor knows me, but why doesn't he do what I do? He also preaches, studies the Bible, and prays, but he has no power.

Yesterday, I led his mother in prayer. As a result, his mother sent me a message today, saying: Although I slept so late last night, I feel very comfortable all over this morning. I am really emotional. How can people believe in such a good gospel and turn it into such a bad gospel? It is because we value many things that we should not value, but we do not value those things that we should value.

Paul's letters, whether Romans, Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Corinthians, or 2 Corinthians, all say that this gospel is a powerful gospel. Today, we must return to the truth of the faith of Jesus Christ and let the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ begin to be manifested in every one of us Christians.

Let every one of our brothers and sisters be prepared, because this is not difficult to do! It is in your heart. Start preparing yourself today, live for Jesus Christ, die for Jesus Christ, and start restoring these truths of the Bible today.

The Kingdom of God is to Set the Captives Free and Liberate the Oppressed

Are you not reading the Bible every day? And frequently attending this Bible study and that Bible study, this special event and that special event? Live out the power of Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead, live out the power of healing and deliverance, and be a resounding Christian, that your family may be blessed because of you. Those around you will be blessed because of you, for we are to become a blessing to all nations and peoples. This is the truth I uphold, and this is the most crucial!

It's not to say that other things are unnecessary, but we are saying that important truths must be grasped, and unimportant truths must also be grasped. This is what our Jesus Christ said. Don't get caught up in things like eating, and make praying over food so important. Some people think they don't have the gift of healing and deliverance; what else is that but an excuse? Brothers and sisters, know that one day each of us will have to give an account before God.

So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12)

Many people in this world repeatedly dwell on the things of the Pharisees, neglecting the justice and mercy of God. From Genesis to this day, what our God requires of us is simply to do justice and to love mercy. When we see people so miserably afflicted by demons, what is our reaction? Do we turn a blind eye, or do we treat their affairs as our own?

Today, brothers and sisters, begin to walk out of this weak faith and become people who edify one another. The theme of Romans is from faith to faith. When our faith is still weak and our ability is not yet strong, God will reign in us until we grow to the full stature of Jesus Christ.

I truly thank God that the gospel we believe today is a gospel that empowers us, not because we are pious enough to have power, but even before we are so pious, from the moment we begin to believe, we can experience the great power of Jesus Christ. Some people say: You cannot do the work of healing the sick and casting out demons; only I can do it. I tell you, those who say this are in grave danger!

You know that Jesus Christ trained twelve disciples, who were all quite imperfect. Jesus sent them out to preach the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons. Were these people really capable? Not at all! Far from it. But because God gave them authority, they could go out to preach the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons. Later, Jesus trained seventy more disciples, who were also not so impressive, but after training, they also went out to preach the gospel, heal the sick, and cast out demons. Because this gospel sets the captives free and releases the oppressed.

Therefore, today, brothers and sisters, know that the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking. If we make such a small matter of eating and drinking so important, focusing on things like strangled animals and not eating blood, while neglecting the justice and mercy of God, is that not very dangerous? Some people like to give money to this cause and that cause, but they cannot release people from the oppression of the devil. Can money solve their problems? Is that the gospel? Is that the mercy God desires?

So, today, every brother and sister, no matter how weak your faith, whether great or small, must begin to walk on this path of a powerful gospel, a faith that is from faith to faith.

God is Sovereign in All Things

Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand. (Romans 14:4)

Brothers and sisters, do not be quick to judge someone who seems weak. Even if that person is indeed weak, God is still the sovereign God! Our God still reigns today. Brothers and sisters must be clearly aware that the devil's high-level scheme is to strip away the great power of this gospel. For once this gospel loses the power of God, it is no longer the gospel that inflicts heavy damage on the kingdom of the devil, nor is it the gospel that Paul preached, nor is it the gospel that Jesus Christ desires.

If we spend all day judging and debating about eating and drinking, or which day is more important, we will gradually lose the power of the gospel. Among us, have we celebrated Good Friday? Have we celebrated Easter? No. You can observe them or not, because those things are not important. It is not the day that is important, nor is it eating and drinking that is important, but the kingdom of God that is important.

Therefore, we must rely on the grace of Jesus Christ every day to let the captives be released and the oppressed be set free. Otherwise, what will you do when you give an account before God in the future? We must thoroughly recognize the leaven of the Pharisees. The leaven of the Pharisees is very potent, judging one another and arguing about eating and drinking all day long. What is there to argue about?

I am convinced, being fully persuaded in the Lord Jesus, that nothing is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Therefore do not let what you know is good be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men. Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall. (Romans 14:14-21)

As a preacher, I really don't care much about many things, such as putting duck blood in hot pot. Although I don't have the faith to eat that duck blood, I eat whatever I should eat in the soup. Eat whatever you want. What does it matter if you eat the residue of that duck blood? Food cannot corrupt a person, but if faith is corrupted, a person is completely corrupted.

We must become demon-expellers, opening our spiritual eyes, for it is not the flesh that gives life, but the Spirit! Let us be spiritual people, opening our spiritual eyes and seeing through all things. Know that the devil is too wicked. The devil's high-level scheme is to allow things that seem completely insignificant to corrupt the great power of God's gospel.

The history of the church over the past many years tells us that once the church loses the great power of God's gospel, it has been completely defeated under the feet of the devil. Therefore, we must begin to know that we cannot cause people to stumble because of food, nor can we destroy the work of God because of food. Whether it is eating meat or drinking wine, nothing should destroy the work of God.

Everything That Does Not Come From Faith is Sin

Once, I invited a friend to dinner. He drove more than ten hours to come to me, bringing two daughters with mental illnesses and a daughter-in-law with severe arthritis. After I prayed for his daughter-in-law's arthritis, it was healed. After it was healed, she was so excited that she drove to find me, and after she came, I invited them to dinner. We opened a bottle of wine, isn't that normal?

Opening a bottle of wine was first exemplified by Jesus. Jesus first manifested his glory at the wedding feast in Cana, turning thirteen jars of water into fine wine. After those thirteen jars of wine were drunk, did everyone not get drunk? That was the wine that Jesus made. At that feast, do you think Jesus drank that wine? He certainly did.

So I thought, wouldn't it be nice for me to invite him to have some wine? Some people say: Oh, that's not right. I said: Why is it not right? If our pastor were here, that would be trouble. I said: It's okay, old friends should have a drink when they meet, shouldn't they? But don't get drunk, a little wine is good. Of course, you may not have enough faith, not having my faith, that's okay, my faith is for me, your faith is for you, if your faith is weak, then don't drink. As the scripture says:

But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin. (Romans 14:23)

Today, we must know that many gospels in this world seem good, but are actually very corrupting. Some Christians value eating and drinking very much, but I am the least concerned about eating and drinking. Sometimes I eat a meal, sometimes I don't eat much, and I don't really care about whether it is junk food or not. If you want to maintain your health, then maintain it well.

Some people are very particular, they must eat organic food, what time to eat, how much to eat, they are very particular, they make eating and drinking very important; some people attach great importance to sleep, what time to go to bed, what time to get up, how many hours to sleep, they regard these as very important things. Some people value family very much, some people value children very much, some people value the role of father very much, but what about the kingdom of God? People do not value the kingdom of God very much.

If God's Kingdom is Desolate, Your Home Will Also Be Desolate

Some time ago, I saw a Christian who had believed in the Lord for many years whose child had chickenpox, with small pox all over his hips. How much that child suffered! This sister was unable to solve the problem, believing in the Lord as a powerless Christian, how desolate her situation was. If everyone values their own home, and then God's home is desolate, can you keep your home if God's home is desolate? I don't believe you can keep it. So today, brothers and sisters, let us begin to see what the word of God says; the words of Jesus are very heavy.

He replied to him, “Who is my mother, who are my brothers?” Pointing to his disciples, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother, my sister, and my mother.” (Matthew 12:48-50)

If individuals only value their individual homes, then value them well. What do you consider the gospel of God, the kingdom of God, and the home of God to be? Therefore, in the Book of Haggai it says: if you each value your own homes, but God's home is desolate, I will blow away what you have harvested, and let mildew attack you. Is God so petty? No! If we do not let the kingdom of God come among us, we will have endless problems that can never be solved.

Yearning for Growth

Everyone's faith grows from small to large, and everyone's life grows from small to large. For example, a Christian who has just believed in the Lord, how much can he know God? There are many aspects in which he does not know God, and he needs to spend time gradually learning. What if the devil comes to attack him?

Today, brothers and sisters, know one thing: human growth is the key! If you continue to grow in Jesus Christ, God is pleased with you. But if you do not grow, and fall back into destruction, even if your spiritual life is very high, falling back into destruction is finished, so you cannot fall back.

The Christian's road is a one-way ticket, you can only go forward, you cannot retreat. Even if you are a very weak Christian, as long as you continue to grow on this path, you are a potential stock, and God is willing to invest in you. God will definitely take care of you and make you continue to grow and mature, full of the stature of Jesus Christ.

Even if we are not doing well enough now, that doesn't matter, it's not important! What is important is whether we have a yearning heart, a seeking heart. Do we yearn to grow to the full stature of Jesus Christ? Whatever you cannot recognize yet, God will make up for with faith, as long as you believe, God will keep you forever.

People are tools in God's hands. Some people are only half-shaped by God. You cannot say that God made them so badly. I don't think I would dare to say that. I see each of our brothers and sisters in their respective stages, watering and fertilizing with their hearts to do shepherding, because our church is a shepherding church. We want to shepherd God's flock, no matter how weak they are, we must continue to support them and make them grow. We shepherd God's flock with our hearts, and God will surely remember our labor in this world.

According to my own will, I really don't want to do these things, but we are not to do according to our own will, but according to God's will. I know this is the responsibility God has given me. No matter how young and weak you are, I will help you run forward. You may be an old sister in your 70s, or an old sister in your 60s, it doesn't matter, I will not ask you to do the same things as a 20-year-old child. If you don't use the computer well, it doesn't matter, you will grow by writing with a pen.

I wish that every brother and sister among us would come out of the wrong belief system and begin to enter into constant growth and mutual edification. Don't look at this day as stronger than that day anymore. If you looked at it, then you looked at it, it doesn't matter. If some people say eat this and don't eat that, then it doesn't matter. When your faith grows to be like mine, you will know that is not important.

Begin to Value God's Kingdom and Build God's Glorious Kingdom

If your life is still very young, then you need to grow, constantly knowing God, and constantly climbing on the mountain of Jehovah's truth. May you know God more and more, and one day you will grow up. You will see clearly that those unimportant things that you kept in the past are actually nothing great. Begin to value the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is not about eating and drinking, but about God's righteousness, mercy, and humility.

Today, put down everything that corrupts people's faith. We only do one thing, which is to build up people's faith, even if that person has wronged me, it doesn't matter, because we no longer live for ourselves, we live for God. This is the gospel. All things are not important, only manifesting God's will, serving this generation, and letting God's glory and God's grace fill this generation, this is the most important thing! This generation is in great need of a church that is full of God's power and can set the captives free.

I urge everyone by the grace and mercy of God, no matter how hard you are today, maybe you have several children in your family, and there are a lot of problems, anyway, you can't solve your problems, can you? Today, come with me on this path full of God's glory and begin to restore God's great power in your life. That is the way you can solve problems, it is your only answer. In fact, our God longs for you to come out of those problems.

Begin today to say: God, I want to be a good soldier of Jesus Christ, I want to destroy the dark powers in my family, I want to avenge myself on the demonic enemy, the demonic enemy must repay the blessings they have stolen, and they must repay them doubly, I want to restore the power of this gospel, because the power of Jesus Christ rising from the dead is already in me, I want to give everything for Jesus Christ. No matter what problems and difficulties I am facing today, I believe that one day all difficulties will be trampled under my feet. God will exalt me above all nations! You must believe this, and God will accomplish it! Amen! May God bless everyone!

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在对方毫无察觉,浑然不知的时候就把对方干掉,这叫做高手过招。我在查《罗马书》第14章的时候,我怎么读都觉得保罗不是单单在讲吃喝这件事。虽然保罗表面上是在讲吃喝,但是背后一定有一个比较高深的东西。我在这上面卡了很久,后来随着我不断的寻求,我发现这地方讲的比我想象的更深。这一章主题叫做什么呢?叫做“吃喝是魔鬼高端的诡计”,这话听起来好像是连不上,但你听我慢慢地一个一个跟你讲。 罗马教会的基督徒出现了一种很奇特的现象。大家为吃喝这件事辩论不休,结果就是产生了众多的疑惑。如果主耶稣还在这个世上,看到他的门徒或者是那些信靠他的人,在那辩论吃喝这件事,主耶稣会怎么想?我告诉你,关于这事,信耶稣的人必须回到耶稣的根上去。这就让我想起来,这件事背后所运行的属灵黑暗权势多么狡猾!

辩论吃喝这件事是从哪开始的呢?我想不是从罗马人信主开始,是从很早很早以前就开始的。耶稣来到这个世界上,禁食祷告了四十昼夜之后,魔鬼来干了一件事,这事很有意思。魔鬼说:如果你是神的儿子,你就把这石头变成面包。我觉得这事怎么也不可能败坏耶稣,我们大家想一想,即使把它变成面包又能怎样呢?我怎么也不明白魔鬼的诡计。但是后来想了想,原来魔鬼的诡计从头到尾都没改过。 回到《创世记》的第3章,蛇对夏娃说:这识别善恶树的果子又好吃又好看,为什么神不让你们吃呢?是不是神不让你们吃所有树上的果子呢?夏娃说:不是,就是那个识别善恶树上的果子不能吃。那为什么不能吃呢?结果夏娃就吃了识别善恶树上的果子,吃这识别善恶树的果子是杀人了?还是放火了?干坏事了?都不是,但这却是魔鬼非常厉害的诡计。

今天我们要上升到一个高度,我们来仔细看魔鬼高端的诡计,这诡计太厉害了,高手过招真的太厉害了。直到今天,我虽然还没想明白,魔鬼为什么要试探耶稣把石头变成面包?但是我知道这跟吃绝对有关系。 这个事同样发生在了罗马教会的弟兄姐妹身上,罗马教会的众弟兄姐妹就在争论吃啊喝啊,他们为什么会争论这件事呢?他们知不知道耶稣是怎么说的呢?他们不是不知道,他们都知道耶稣所说的,耶稣说,人活着不是单靠食物,是靠神口里所出的一切话。后来耶稣在《马太福音》里说的话很有意思。我必须把魔鬼的诡计给大家剖析的非常清楚。 **岂不知凡入口的,是运到肚子里,又落在茅厕里吗? 惟独出口的,是从心里发出来的,这才污秽人。(《马太福音》15:17-18)** 耶稣讲这话的对象是谁呢?是当时的法利赛人,耶稣当时就清楚的看见吃东西这事算的了什么呢?不过到头来落到肚子里,然后落到茅厕里,大概就是这么一个生物工程,仅仅是创造了一点化肥而已。

但这个生物工程却是魔鬼高端的诡计,魔鬼相当厉害。读了《罗马书》第14章,我们要知道保罗为什么这么关注吃喝这件事,是因为这件事可以彻底的败坏基督徒。吃喝不单是落到茅厕里那么简单,问题就在于它败坏人的信心。所以保罗写到十四章最后的时候, 保罗这样说: **凡不出于信心的都是罪。(《罗马书》14:23 )** 魔鬼制造出困惑,就解决掉了这些基督徒。其实我在看清魔鬼这种诡计的时候,就发现这个世代有相当多的问题,你知道这个世代有什么问题吗?这个世代有一个很有意思的事,就是本末倒置,重要的事,人们不当做重要的事,不重要的事,人们却当做很重要的事。 耶稣基督的福音是一个大有能力的福音,他们不当一回事,即使把大有能力的福音信成没有能力的福音,他们也没觉得怎么样,但是他们却把吃饭祷告看的很重。 我就奇怪了,吃饭祷告这事,保罗没有把它上升到一个很高的高度,但是现在的基督徒,很多人却把吃饭祷告这件事弄到很夸张的地步。一桌十个人,每人祷告一会儿,好家伙,饭前祷告就花费一个小时。这事重要吗?我们来看一看耶稣怎么说这事,这件事非常的要命。

**你们这假冒为善的文士和法利赛人有祸了!因为你们将薄荷、茴香、芹菜献上十分之一,那律法上更重的事,就是公义、怜悯、信实,反倒不行了。这更重的是你们当行的;那也是不可不行的。你们这瞎眼领路的,蠓虫你们就滤出来,骆驼你们倒吞下去。(《马太福音》23:23-24 )** 什么意思呢?就是法利赛人是一个毒蛇,耶稣把他们叫做毒蛇的种类,法利赛人整的是什么呢?他们不是不知道神,但他们将薄荷、茴香、芹菜献上十分之一,他们看重的是这些,结果神的公义、怜悯、信实却不要。今天弟兄姐妹可得要小心,千万别把饭前祷告看的很重,把神福音的能力却看的很轻。 我服侍一个姐妹,她家族的故事写出来跟小说一样。家里哪一个肾衰竭要换肾,天天吃药,他们家族谁的肚子开了一个洞,大便要从那个洞里排出来,他们家的谁,没有多大年纪,就死了,这个死了那个死了,家里癌症这些事多的得一塌糊涂。最近她老公发现脑袋里有出血的症状,心脏业有点毛病,要送进医院去检查。今天我还服侍了一下她,其实也没多大点事,就是人被送到医院的加护病房里了,到那里就是给医院送钱去了。 我想这个家族被魔鬼整的太惨了,我为她祷告的时候,有很强烈的感动,我就开始告诉她怎么做,结果今天早上我问她的时候,她就发给我一条微信,说昨天释放了很多,虽然昨天睡得很少,但是起来以后整个人非常的轻松,以前后背上似乎总是背个锅盖。信主信了五年了,信了一个没有能力的福音,没有人把她的问题当回事,你说她信的是啥? 魔鬼高端的诡计就是它不怕你信主,它真正害怕的是,你是一个有能力的基督徒,如果你信主信到没有能力,对魔鬼的活动没有任何反抗的能力,那魔鬼就会非常的猖獗。这就是为什么吃喝这件事,给教会带来的损害是如此的严重!

弟兄姐妹要确切的知道一个非常重要的东西,在耶稣基督的福音里面就是能力。保罗所传的福音是大有能力的福音啊!是神迹奇事随着的福音。我们所信的福音是使被掳的得释放,被压制的得自由的福音。 不能够使被掳的得释放,被压制的得自由,那还是福音吗?饭前祷告啊,圣诞节搞节目,这些东西看起来跟法利赛人搞的有什么两样?神的公义、怜悯、信实倒不在乎了。很多人信主被瞎子领路,带到歪路上去了,这是很严重的事啊!神在天上看到人把大有能力的福音信成没有能力的福音,会非常的难过。 保罗在写《罗马书》的时候,一开头就写: **我不以福音为耻;这福音本是 神的大能,要救一切相信的,先是犹太人,后是希腊人。 (《罗马书》1:16 )** 到了《哥林多前书》也是讲这福音本是神的大能,要救一切相信的人。保罗讲的都是这些事。正如经文说: **我说的话、讲的道,不是用智慧委婉的言语,乃是用圣灵和大能的明证,叫你们的信不在乎人的智慧,只在乎神的大能。 (《哥林多前书》 2:4-5 )**

所以,我不论走到哪,我传的福音都是神大有能力的福音。你说这多好啊!有些人把神的能力搞没有,看重的就是这吃的喝的这点事儿。罗马的信徒看重吃的问题,让教会变得没有能力是因为吃的问题,即使你饭前祷告把饭都祷告凉了,或者你再厉害点把饭都祷告馊了,还是什么问题也解决不了啊! 我们要知道,魔鬼高端的诡计就是让人本末倒置,如果本末倒置了,魔鬼就成功了,基督徒就失败了。你千万不要以为是神的国度失败了,神的国度永远不会失败,是那些基督徒,因为不信神的话,所以他们就掉到魔鬼的谎言里。 谁让你被魔鬼骗?谁让你做成这样的基督徒呢?你做成这样的基督徒,被骗那不是活该吗?千万不要掉到没有能力的福音里去。一个没有能力的福音,整天在那辩论所疑惑的事,然后相信这个可以吃,那个不可以吃,有的人相信可以吃,有的人相信不可以吃,有的人相信讲方言,有的人不相信讲方言,总而言之就是没有能力。 有一个教会的牧师跟我说,他们的会友赶鬼没有能力,但是赶牧师那非常厉害。你读完了就会发现,这魔鬼高端的诡计是怎么一回事了。神的国不在乎吃喝,只在乎圣灵里的公义,和平,和喜乐。所以,今天我们要知道这福音到底是怎么说的。 在罗马的教会,保罗跟教会里的法利赛门派较劲了很多年,耶稣在世上的时候,跟法利赛人较劲,较到钉十字架。到了保罗的时候,保罗也很跟法利赛门派的基督徒较劲,一直较到写《罗马书》第14章,如果你读《加拉太书》,你会看到那更是洋洋洒洒。

在教会当中,什么东西洁净,什么东西不洁净,什么东西可以吃,什么东西不可以吃,这事是从什么时候开始的呢?是回到好多年前,那个时候保罗不是一个很有影响力的使徒,他在外邦人中传福音,传着传着就发现自己所传的福音可能会被一种东西所败坏,就是割礼。 结果他就奉启示,他到了耶路撒冷,要解决这一个问题。虽然解决了一个大问题,但是却带来了一个更大的问题,这个问题就变成了吃喝的问题。那个时候的保罗,他在教会当中的影响力还不是那么大,地位还不是那么稳。如果耶路撒冷的教会写信给所有的教会,讲保罗所传的福音不是福音,那保罗所有的功夫就全都白费。所以他在《加拉太书》中是这么写的: **过了十四年,我同巴拿巴又上耶路撒冷去,并带着提多同去。 我是奉启示上去的,把我在外邦人中所传的福音对弟兄们陈说;却是背地里对那有名望之人说的,惟恐我现在,或是从前,徒然奔跑。 (《加拉太书》 2:1-2 )**

这话讲得多地道,结果他到了耶路撒冷,开了一个耶路撒冷会议,记录在第15章。我现在要讲的是罗马人的教会为什么在争论吃喝这事,从哪开始呢?从耶路撒冷的会议开始,在《使徒行传》15章12节,《使徒行传》是什么时候写的呢?是写了《罗马书》好几年后,路加写的。路加写《使徒行传》的时候,保罗在耶路撒冷被法利赛人抓了,抓了以后他就在以色列坐了两年的监牢,后又被遣送到罗马,到了罗马就要被审判。 经文说: **使徒和长老聚会商议这事。(《使徒行传》 15:6)众人都默默无声,听巴拿巴和保罗述说神藉他们在外邦人中所行的神迹奇事。他们住了声,雅各就说,诸位弟兄,请听我的话... (《使徒行传》15:12-13)** 这里的雅各,就是写《雅各书》的雅各。这个时候保罗还没有写《加拉太书》,那个时候保罗还惹不起雅各,而雅各是耶路撒冷教会的老大。 **诸位弟兄,请听我的话,方才西门述说神当初怎样眷顾外邦人,从他们中间选取百姓归于自己的名下;众先知的话也与这意思相合。 正如经上所写的:此后,我要回来,重新修造大卫倒塌的帐幕,把那破坏的重新修造建立起来,叫余剩的人,就是凡称为我名下的外邦人,都寻求主。这话是从创世以来显明这事的主说的。所以据我的意见,不可难为那归服神的外邦人;(《使徒行传》15:15-19)**

其实这个时候保罗很成功的做了一个决定,不能难为这些外邦人,不能强迫他们受割礼。但雅各的意见是犹太人信主还得受割礼。接下来的一段经文说: **只要写信,吩咐他们禁戒偶像的污秽和奸淫,并勒死的牲畜和血。 因为从古以来,摩西的书在各城有人传讲,每逢安息日,在会堂里诵读。” (《使徒行传》 15:20-21)** 不能吃勒死的牲畜和血,基督徒的一个传统就是不能吃血,结果罗马的基督徒也听到了这样的事。就是这样的事,在当时的罗马教会非常的盛行。当时的人就彼此争论什么东西可以吃,什么东西不可以吃。但是对耶稣基督来讲,我们的主耶稣吃的东西不过是掉到茅厕里,但是从嘴里从心里发出来的那些东西才会污秽人啊! 所以,今天我们要知道,保罗所传的福音在《罗马书》14章,他所争论的焦点在于吃这个事不重要。但是雅各给外邦人写信,就把吃勒死的牲畜和血这件事变得非常的重要。今天弟兄姐妹要清楚,在保罗所写的书信里没有这样的教导,勒死的牲畜和血这是旧约的规条。今天他们不难为那些外邦人,他不难为我们受割礼,但是还是对我们有一点点的要求,就是跟吃东西有关系。罗马的基督徒其实也受这种东西的影响,但这事真的那么重要吗?

**因为神的国不在乎吃喝,只在乎神的公义和怜悯。公义、和平、圣灵中的喜乐。(《罗马书》14:17)** 这就是本末倒置的厉害呀!将薄荷、茴香、芹菜献上十分之一,这事是《圣经》里的要求,但是这不是《圣经》里最重要的。所以,在华人命定神学的逻辑体系里,真理有大有小,我们先要抓住那个大的。神的国不在乎吃喝,我们的神向我们所求的不过是行公义,好怜悯,存谦卑的心,与你的神同行,这也是我一路来所信奉的。 我们今天看到弟兄姐妹被压制,有没有动过怜悯的心?我服侍的那个基督徒,她是很惨的,非常的辛苦。她很我说的时候,我心里头真的在流泪,因为她常常想到死,想到死掉了该有多好,就免了这些世上的愁苦。闹心的事一堆一堆的,弟弟不仅欠了债,又生病,在肚子上开了一个洞排大便。如果不还这债,他就得被送到监狱里,那命就没了。帮他还,就要还好几十万,她有几个好几十万啊?她儿子肾衰竭要换肾,又这个问题那个问题,整个家庭里全是这些乱七八糟的事儿! 我的天呐,魔鬼这么做败坏的工作,有人关心吗?有人真的想把她从魔鬼的辖制里拉出来吗?这就是为什么我这么痛恨这些新法利赛人!他们的怜悯就是给你点啥帮你,不是说帮你点啥不好,但这不解决本质的问题。神的国度就是要使被掳的得释放,被压制的得自由。今天很多基督徒竟然不知道神的国怎样降临,那怎么做基督徒啊? 我就问:都会祷告主祷文吗,神的国怎样降临,真的知道吗?不知道。今天我要再次重复一下,在哪里我们靠着神的灵赶鬼,神的国就在哪里降临,神的国降临的地方就会得自由!我们要知道,耶稣基督的福音,真的要回到《圣经》的真理里去,耶稣基督的福音本是大有能力的福音,我们每一个基督徒都要被兴起来!

昨天夜里我接到一通电话,一个牧师的妈妈又失眠了。我以前服侍过她,然后她又失眠了,我就非常的感慨,自己的妈妈被鬼辖制,这个牧师却干不掉那个鬼,那他能释放谁呢?所以,我真的是惊讶,这个牧师认识我,那为什么不做我所做的呢?他也讲道,也查《圣经》,也祷告,却没有能力。 我昨天就带着他妈妈祷告,结果今天他妈妈发来一个信息给我,说:昨天晚上,虽然睡的那么晚,但是今天早上起来我浑身都很舒服。我真的很感慨,这么好的福音,人怎么就信成这么烂的福音呢?就是因为我们看重了很多不该看重的,那些该看重的却不看重。 保罗的书信,不管是《罗马书》还是《以弗所书》、《歌罗西书》、《哥林多前书》、《哥林多后书》,全都是说这福音是大有能力的福音。今天我们要回归耶稣基督信仰的真理,让耶稣基督福音的能力在我们每一个基督徒身上开始彰显出来。 我们弟兄姐妹每一个都预备好,因为这事不难行啊!就在你心里,今天就开始预备好自己,为耶稣基督而活,为耶稣基督而死,今天就开始把这些《圣经》的真理重新恢复起来。

你不是天天读经吗?也经常参加这个查经那个查经,参加这个特会那个特会,你把耶稣基督从死里复活的能力活出来,把医治释放的能力活出来,做一个响当当的基督徒,你的家族要因你得福。你周围的人要因你得福,因为我们要成为万国万民的祝福,这是我所奉行的真理,这是最关键的! 不是说其他东西可以不要,我们是说重要的真理一定要抓住,不重要的真理也要抓住,这是我们耶稣基督所说的。不要在那纠结吃饭这些事,把食物祷告就看的得很重要。有人认为自己没有医治释放这个恩赐,那不是借口是什么?弟兄姐妹们要知道,总有一天我们每一个人都要在神面前交账。 **这样看来,我们各人必要将自己的事在神面前说明。(《罗马书》14:12)** 很多人在这世上,把那些法利赛人的东西一而再,再而三翻来覆去的整,神的公义怜悯却不信。我们的神向我们所要的,从创世记直到今天,不过是要行公义,好怜悯。当我们看到那些被鬼搞得那么惨的人,我们心里产生的是什么样的反应?是视若不见呢?还是把他们当做自己的事来对待呢? 今天弟兄姐妹,开始从这种软弱的信仰里走出来,做一个彼此造就的人。《罗马书》所讲的主题是始于信,以至于信。在我们信心还软弱的时候,在我们能力还不强的时候,神会在我们的身上掌权,直到我们长成满有耶稣基督的身量。

我真的感谢神,我们今天所信的福音,是让我们有能力的福音,不是因为我们够虔诚我们才有能力,而是我们在还没有那么虔诚,从刚开始信的时候,就能经历耶稣基督的大能。有的人说:医病赶鬼的事你们不行,你们不能做,只有我能做。我告诉你,说这话的人很要命! 你知道耶稣基督训练了12个门徒,那都是很烂的门徒,耶稣派他们出去传福音,医病赶鬼。这些人真的很行吗?不行!差老远了。但是因为神给他们权柄,他们就可以出去传福音医病赶鬼。后来耶稣又训练了70个门徒,也不怎么样,但是训练完了以后,也是出去传福音医病赶鬼。因为这福音释放被掳的,释放被压制的。 所以,今天咱们弟兄姐妹要知道神的国度不在乎吃喝。如果我们把吃喝这件小屁事看的得那么重要,什么勒死的牲畜啊,不能吃血啦,这些事看的得很重要,神的公义怜悯却不看重,那不是很要命吗?有些人他们喜欢给这个钱给那个钱,但是却不能把人从魔鬼的压制里释放出来,那钱能解决他们的问题吗?那是福音吗?那是神所要的怜悯吗? 所以,今天我们每一个弟兄姐妹,不管你信心多么软弱,信心大还是信心小,都要开始走上这大有能力的福音的道路,这信是始于信,以至于信。

**你是谁,竟论断别人的仆人呢?他或站住,或跌倒,自有他的主人在;而且他也必要站住,因为主能使他站住。(《罗马书》14:4)** 弟兄姐妹,不要看到一个人好像很软弱,就想要去论断,即使这个人真的软弱,神也是掌权的神!我们的神直到今天仍然掌权,弟兄姐妹要确切的知道,魔鬼高端的诡计,就是要剥夺这福音的大能。因为这福音一旦丧失了神的能力,就不再是对魔鬼的国度造成重创的福音,也不再是保罗所传的福音,也不是耶稣基督所要的福音。 如果我们今天整天论断,辩论吃啊喝啊,哪个日子比较重要啊,就会逐渐丧失掉福音的能力。在我们当中,有庆祝过什么受难节吗?有庆祝过什么复活节吗?没有。你可以过,也可以不过,因为那东西不重要,不是日子重要,也不是吃喝重要,是神的国度才重要。 所以,我们要天天靠着耶稣基督的恩典,让被掳的得释放,被压制的得自由,不然将来你在神面前交账的时候你该怎么办?我们要彻底的认清法利赛人的酵,法利赛人的酵很厉害的,成天彼此论断,争论吃啊喝啊,有什么好争论的呢?

**我凭着主耶稣确知深信,凡物本来没有不洁净的;惟独人以为不洁净的,在他就不洁净了。 你若因食物叫弟兄忧愁,就不是按着爱人的道理行。基督已经替他死,你不可因你的食物叫他败坏。不可叫你的善被人毁谤, 因为 神的国不在乎吃喝,只在乎公义、和平并圣灵中的喜乐。在这几样上服事基督的,就为 神所喜悦,又为人所称许。 所以,我们务要追求和睦的事与彼此建立德行的事。不可因食物毁坏 神的工程。凡物固然洁净,但有人因食物叫人跌倒,就是他的罪了。无论是吃肉,是喝酒,是什么别的事,叫弟兄跌倒,一概不做才好。(《罗马书》14:14-21)** 我作为传道人,真的不怎么在乎很多东西,比方说吃火锅里面放鸭血,虽然说我没那个信心去吃那个鸭血,但是汤里面的东西,我该吃啥我就吃。想吃啥就吃吧,就算是吃了那个鸭血的渣又有什么关系呢?食物不能叫人败坏,但是信心如果被败坏了,人就彻底被败坏了。 我们要成为一个赶鬼的人,睁开我们属灵的眼睛,让人活着的不是肉身乃是灵啊!就让我们做一个属灵的人,睁开属灵的眼睛,看透万事。要知道魔鬼太坏了,魔鬼高端的诡计,就是让那些看起来完全不起眼的事,竟然可以败坏神福音的大能。 过去这么多年,教会的历史告诉我们,只要教会丧失了神福音的大能,就已经全然败在了魔鬼的脚下。所以,我们要开始知道,我们不能够因为食物叫人跌倒,不能够叫人因为食物而毁坏神的工程。无论是吃肉还是喝酒,什么事都不能够毁坏神的工程。

有一次我请一个朋友吃饭,他开了十多个小时的汽车来到我这,带着两个精神病的女儿,带着一个有严重关节炎的儿媳妇,他儿媳妇的关节炎,我带着祷告以后好了,好了以后她就非常的兴奋开车来找我,来了以后我就请他们吃饭。我们就开瓶酒,这不很正常吗? 开瓶酒这事是耶稣开的先例,耶稣第一次彰显他的荣耀是在迦南的婚宴上,十三缸的水变成好酒,他的荣耀被彰显出来。那十三缸酒喝下去,所有的人还不喝的伶仃大醉?那是耶稣变的酒啊,耶稣在那个席上,你说耶稣喝没喝那个酒?肯定喝了。 所以我就想,我请他喝点酒不挺好吗?有人说:哎呀,这不行。我说:这咋不行呢?如果我们牧师在这的话,那麻烦了。我说:那没事,老朋友见面还不得喝点,是不是?但是别喝醉,喝点酒很好的。当然你可能信心不够,没有我这信心,那没事,我的信心是给我的,你的信心是给你的,你如果信心软弱你就别喝。正如经文如此说: **若有疑心而吃的,就必有罪,因为他吃不是出于信心。凡不出于信心的都是罪。 (《罗马书》14:23 )** 今天我们要知道,这世界上很多的福音,看起来好像不错,但其实是非常败坏人的。有的基督徒很看重吃喝,我是最不看重吃喝的,有时候吃一顿,有时候也不怎么吃,是不是垃圾食物也不太在意,你要保养的话就好好保养。 有的人就很讲究,要专门吃有机的食物,什么时间吃,吃多少份量,都很讲究,他们就把吃喝的事弄得很重要;还有人把睡觉的事看得很重要,几点睡觉、几点起床,要睡够几个小时,他们把这些看成是很重要的事。有的人把家庭看得很重要,有的人把孩子看得很重要,有的人把爸爸这个位分看得很重要,但是神的国呢?人却不把神的国看得很重要。

前段时间,我看到一个信主很多年的基督徒,她的孩子出水痘,胯部全部都是一小个一小个的水痘,那孩子多遭罪啊!这个姐妹却没有办法解决,信主信成没有能力的基督徒,她的光景是何等的荒凉。如果每个人都看重她自己的家,然后神的家就荒凉,神的家荒凉,你的家能守得住吗?我不相信你能守得住。所以今天弟兄姐妹,我们来开始看神的话怎么说,耶稣说的话是很重的。 **他却回答那人说:谁是我的母亲?谁是我的弟兄?就伸手指着门徒,说:看哪,我的母亲,我的弟兄。 凡遵行我天父旨意的人,就是我的弟兄姐妹和母亲了。(《马太福音》12:48-50)** 如果个人只看重他个人的家,那你就好好看重吧。你把神的福音、神的国、神的家到底当成什么了?所以在《哈该书》这么说:如果你们各自看重各自的家,神的家却荒凉,你们所收来的东西我都吹去,让霉烂攻击你。是神那么小气吗?不是!如果我们不让神的国降临在我们当中,我们就会有永远也解决不完的问题。

每一个人的信心,都是从小到大长起来的,每一个人的生命,也都是从小长到大的。比如说一个刚刚信主的基督徒,他能认识神认识多少呢?他有很多的地方不认识神,需要花时间慢慢的知道。那魔鬼来攻击他怎么办? 今天弟兄姐妹要知道一件事,人的成长是关键!如果你在耶稣基督里不断的成长,神就喜悦你。但如果你不成长,退后沉沦,就算是你属灵生命很高,退后入沉沦也完蛋,所以不能够退后。 基督徒的路是一张单程票,只能往前行,不能退后。就算你是一个很软弱的基督徒,只要你在这条道路上不断的成长,你就是一个潜力股,神就愿意投资在你的身上,神一定会看顾你,使你不断的长大成熟,满有耶稣基督的身量。 就算是我们现在做得还不够好,那不要紧,不重要!重要的是我们里面是否有一颗渴望的心、寻求的心。我们是否渴望成长到满有耶稣基督的身量。凡是你还不能够认识到的,神用信心给你补上,只要你相信,神就会保守你直到永远。

人都是神手里的工具,有的人被神塑造到一半,你不能够说神造的怎么这么烂,我想我是不敢说。我看到我们每个弟兄姐妹在各自的阶段上,都用心浇水施肥,来做牧养,因为我们教会是一个牧养的教会,我们要牧养神的群羊,不管他多软弱,都要不断的扶持他,使他成长起来。我们用心来牧养神的群羊,我们在这世上的劳苦,神一定会纪念。 按着我自己的意思,我真的不想做这些,但是我们不是要按着自己的意思,而是要按着神的心意做,我知道这是神给我的责任。不管你多么幼小多么软弱,我都会扶着你向前奔跑。你可能是70多岁的老姐妹,也可能是60多岁的老姐妹,都没有关系,我不会像要求20多岁的孩子一样来要求你,你用电脑用的不好,没关系,你用笔写也会成长的. 我巴不得我们当中的每一个弟兄姐妹都从错误的信仰体系里走出来,开始进入到不断成长,不断彼此造就的里面。不要再看这个日子比那个日子强,如果你看了就看了吧,没关系。如果有的人说吃这个,不吃那个,那也没关系。等你的信心长到我这样的时候,你就会知道那个不重要。

如果你目前的生命还很幼小,那你需要成长,不断的认识神,在耶和华真理的山上不断地攀登。愿你越来越认识神,总有一天你会成长起来,你会看清过去所守的那些不重要的东西,其实没什么了不起。开始看重神的国度,神的国度不在乎吃喝,只在乎神的公义、怜悯和谦卑的心。 今天就放下一切败坏人信心的东西,我们只干一件事,就是造就人的信心,就算是那个人曾经对不起我,没有关系,因为我们不再是为自己而活,我们是为神而活。这才是福音。所有的事都不重要,只有彰显神的旨意,服侍这个世代,让神的荣耀,神的恩典充满这个世代,这才是最重要的!这个世代太需要一间充满神的能力,能释放那被掳的得自由的教会。 我凭着神的恩典和怜悯劝大家,不管你今天有多么辛苦,可能你家里有好几个孩子,问题一大堆,反正你也解决不完你的问题是吗?今天就跟我一起走这条充满神荣耀的道路,开始恢复神的大能在你的身上,那才是你能够解决问题的方法,是你唯一的答案。其实我们的神巴不得你从那些问题里面走出来。 今天就开始说:神呐,我要做耶稣基督的精兵,我要败坏在我家族当中的黑暗权势,我要向魔鬼仇敌报仇,魔鬼仇敌必须偿还所盗取的祝福,而且还要加倍的偿还,我要恢复这福音的能力,因为耶稣基督从死里复活的能力已经在我身上,我要为耶稣基督摆上一切。不管我今天面临着什么样的问题和困境,我相信总有一天,所有的困难都会被我踩在脚下。神要高举我超过天下万民!你要这样相信,神就会这样成就!阿门!愿神祝福大家!
Mary
The teacher said in the Bible study, "Work is at best earning a few dollars, it is not about the kingdom of God." But some people teach that work is the responsibility of people to "manage the land." I would like to hear the teacher's detailed explanation!
网站小助手
回复Mary:老师在查经中说“工作充其量就是一个赚几块钱,谈不上神的国。”但有一些人的教导是,工作是人“管理这地”的责任。愿听老师详解! 回复:有了神的国,工作才有意义。没有神的国,工作就成了咒诅。挪亚时代,又娶又嫁,又买又卖,又耕种又建造,洪水来了,都冲去了,哪来的神的国?该隐的后来都工作,都很勤劳,哪来的神的国。不要被错误的教导混乱了!
@Mary: 老师在查经中说“工作充其量就是一个赚几块钱,谈不上神的国。”但有一些人的教导是,工作是人“管理这地”的责任。愿听老师详解!
Mary
After reading the reply, I thought of what the teacher said about the "unshakable kingdom." Indeed, everything on earth will pass away and cannot last forever. However, I still have doubts in my heart. In your Bible study on Revelation 21, you said, "Serving God through managing everything on earth." I think the main way of "managing" here is "work" (of course, excluding workaholics who make work their god, putting the cart before the horse).
@网站小助手: 回复Mary:老师在查经中说“工作充其量就是一个赚几块钱,谈不上神的国。”但有一些人的教导是,工作是人“管理这地”的责任。愿听老师详解! 回复:有了神的国,工作才有意义。没有神的国,工作就成了咒诅。挪亚时代,又娶又嫁,又买又卖,又耕种又建造,洪水来了,都冲去了,哪来的神的国?该隐的后来都工作,都很勤劳,哪来的神的国。不要被错误的教导混乱了!