愛是 . . . Love is . . .

先備的恩典 – Prevenient Grace 稱義的恩典 – Justifying Grace 认识神的大门 – To Know God 稱義的恩典 – Justifying Grace 可以成为神的儿女 – To Become God’s Children 成聖的恩典 - Sanctifying Grace 超過我自己所能的 – More Than I Can Be  負責任的恩典 - Responsible Grace   使世界不一樣 Grace to Make a Difference and Change the World 完全的恩典 - Perfecting Grace  终將实现的盼望 Promise of Hope Realized 恩典的途徑 Means of Grace  祷告 – Prayer 圣经 – Scriptures 团契 – Fellowship 禁食 – Fasting 圣餐 – Lord’s Supper . . . 所以我亲爱的弟兄们，你们务要坚固不可摇动，常常竭力多作主工，因为知道你们的劳苦，在主里面不是徒然的。, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain. - .-哥林多前书1 Corinthians 15:58

感恩洋溢，愛果丰盈 Overflowing with Grace, Abounding in Love

基督徒的愛是上帝的愛 – Agape的愛 Christian love is God’s love – Agape love

基督徒的愛是上帝的愛 – Agape的愛 Christian love is God’s love – Agape love “Eros” – erotic “Phileo” – Philadelphia, philanthropy

聖爱是我们人際関係中的指標 Agape love is standard of measure in our relationships 基督徒的愛是上帝的愛 – Agape的愛 Christian love is God’s love – Agape love 聖爱是我们人際関係中的指標 Agape love is standard of measure in our relationships 我若能说万人的方言，并天使的话语却没有爱，我就成了鸣的锣，响的钹一般。 2 我若有先知讲道之能，也明白各样的奥秘，各样的知识。而且有全备的信，叫我能够移山，却没有爱，我就算不得什么。 3 我若将所有的周济穷人，又舍己身叫人焚烧，却没有爱，仍然与我无益。 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing. -哥林多前书 1 Corinthians 13:1-3

所罗门王的财宝与智慧胜过天下的列王。 24 普天下的王都求见所罗门，要听神赐给他智慧的话。 25 他们各带贡物，就是金器，银器，衣服，军械，香料，骡马，每年有一定之例。 26 所罗门聚集战车马兵，有战车一千四百辆，马兵一万二千名，安置在屯车的城邑和耶路撒冷，就是王那里。 27 王在耶路撒冷使银子多如石头，香柏木多如高原的桑树。 28 所罗门的马是从埃及带来的，是王的商人一群一群按着定价买来的。 29 从埃及买来的车，每辆价银六百舍客勒，马每匹一百五十舍客勒。赫人诸王和亚兰诸王所买的车马，也是按这价值经他们手买来的。 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. 24 The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart. 25 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift--articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules. 26 Solomon accumulated chariots and horses; he had fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horses, which he kept in the chariot cities and also with him in Jerusalem. 27 The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and cedar as plentiful as sycamore-fig trees in the foothills. 28 Solomon‘s horses were imported from Egypt and from Kue--the royal merchants purchased them from Kue. 29 They imported a chariot from Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred and fifty. They also exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and of the Arameans. – 列王紀上 1 Kings 10:23-29

所罗门王在法老的女儿之外，又宠爱许多外邦女子，就是摩押女子，亚扪女子，以东女子，西顿女子，赫人女子。 2 论到这些国的人，耶和华曾晓谕以色列人说，你们不可与她们往来相通，因为她们必诱惑你们的心去随从她们的神。所罗门却恋爱这些女子。 3 所罗门有妃七百，都是公主。还有嫔三百。这些妃嫔诱惑他的心。 4 所罗门年老的时候，他的妃嫔诱惑他的心去随从别神，不效法他父亲大卫诚诚实实地顺服耶和华他的神. . . 。 9 耶和华向所罗门发怒，因为他的心偏离向他两次显现的耶和华以色列的神。 10 耶和华曾吩咐他不可随从别神，他却没有遵守耶和华所吩咐的。 11 所以耶和华对他说，你既行了这事，不遵守我所吩咐你守的约和律例，我必将你的国夺回，赐给你的臣子。 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh's daughter--Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, "You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods." Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray. 4 As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his father had been. . . . 9 The LORD became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the LORD, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. 10 Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the LORD's command. 11 So the LORD said to Solomon, "Since this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.. – 列王紀上 1 Kings 11:1-4, 9 - 11

耶稣在教训之间，说，你们要防备文士，他们好穿长衣游行，喜爱人在街市上问他们的安， 39 又喜爱会堂里的高位筵席上的首座。 40 他们侵吞寡妇的家产，假意作很长的祷告。这些人要受更重的刑罚。 41 耶稣对银库坐着，看众人怎样投钱入库。有好些财主，往里投了若干的钱。 42 有一个穷寡妇来，往里投了两个小钱，就是一个大钱。 43 耶稣叫门徒来，说，我实在告诉你们，这穷寡妇投入库里的，比众人所投的更多。 44 因为他们都是自己有余，拿出来投在里头。但这寡妇是自己不足，把她一切养生的都投上了。 As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces, 39 and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. 40 They devour widows‘ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such men will be punished most severely.” 41 Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. 42 But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a fraction of a penny. 43 Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. 44 They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything--all she had to live on.“ -马可福音 Mark 12:38-44

Agape爱是什么? What is Agape love? 基督徒的愛是上帝的愛 – Agape的愛 Christian love is God’s love – Agape love 聖爱是我们人際関係中的指標 Agape love is standard of measure in our relationships Agape爱是什么? What is Agape love? 爱是恒久忍耐，又有恩慈。爱是不嫉妒。爱是不自夸。不张狂。 5 不作害羞的事。不求自己的益处。不轻易发怒。不计算人的恶。 6 不喜欢不义。只喜欢真理。 7 凡事包容。凡事相信。凡事盼望。凡事忍耐。 8 爱是永不止息。先知讲道之能，终必归于无有。说方言之能，终必停止，知识也终必归于无有。 love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. -哥林多前书 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

刀(knife) +心 (heart) = 亲爱的弟兄啊，有一件事你们不可忘记，就是主看一日如千年，千年如一日。 9 主所应许的尚未成就，有人以为他是耽延，其实不是耽延，乃是宽容你们，不愿有一人沉沦，乃愿人人都悔改。 But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. 9 The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. – 彼得后书 2 Peter 3:8-9

所以，你的仇敌若饿了，就给他吃。若渴了，就给他喝。因为你这样行，就是把炭火堆在他的头上。 21 你不可为恶所胜，反要以善胜恶。 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. -罗马书 Romans 12:20-21

感恩洋溢，愛果丰盈 Overflowing with Grace, Abounding in Love

What is Love, from a kid's point of view What is Love, from a kid's point of view? (published in Montreal newspaper) "When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love." “Love is when someone hurts you, and you get so mad, but you don't yell at them because you know it would hurt their feelings." “Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him, to make sure the taste is okay." “Love is what's in the room with you at Christmas if you stop opening presents and listen." “Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well." “Love is when Mommy sees Daddy smelly and sweaty and still says he is handsomer than Robert Redford." “Love is when your puppy licks your face even after you left him alone all day." "You really shouldn't say 'I love you' unless you mean it. But if you mean it, you should say it a lot. People forget."

我若能说万人的方言，并天使的话语却没有耶稣，我就成了鸣的锣，响的钹一般。 2 我若有先知讲道之能，也明白各样的奥秘，各样的知识。而且有全备的信，叫我能够移山，却没有耶稣，我就算不得什么。 3 我若将所有的周济穷人，又舍己身叫人焚烧，却没有耶稣，仍然与我无益。 4耶稣是恒久忍耐，又有恩慈。耶稣是不嫉妒。耶稣是不自夸。不张狂。 5 不作害羞的事。不求自己的益处。不轻易发怒。不计算人的恶。 6 不喜欢不义。只喜欢真理。 7 凡事包容。凡事相信。凡事盼望。凡事忍耐。 8耶稣是永不止息。 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not Jesus, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not Jesus, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not Jesus, I gain nothing. 4 Jesus is patient, Jesus is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Jesus does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8 Jesus never fails. -哥林多前书 1 Corinthians 13:1-8