馬可福音5:1-20

5:1 他們來到海那邊格拉森人的地方。
5:2 耶穌一下船，就有一個被污鬼附著的人從墳塋裡出來迎著他。
5:3 那人常住在墳塋裡，沒有人能捆住他，就是用鐵鍊也不能；
5:4 因為人屢次用腳鐐和鐵鍊捆鎖他，鐵鍊竟被他掙斷了，腳鐐也被他弄碎了；總沒有人能制伏他。
5:5 他晝夜常在墳塋裡和山中喊叫，又用石頭砍自己。
5:6 他遠遠地看見耶穌，就跑過去拜他，
5:7 大聲呼叫說：「至高上帝的兒子耶穌，我與你有甚麼相干？我指著上帝懇求你，不要叫我受苦！」
5:8 是因耶穌曾吩咐他說：「污鬼啊，從這人身上出來吧！」
5:9 耶穌問他說：「你名叫甚麼？」回答說：「我名叫『群』，因為我們多的緣故」；
5:10 就再三地求耶穌，不要叫他們離開那地方。
5:11 在那裡山坡上，有一大群豬吃食；
5:12 鬼就央求耶穌說：「求你打發我們往豬群裡，附著豬去。」
5:13 耶穌准了他們，污鬼就出來，進入豬裡去。於是那群豬闖下山崖，投在海裡，淹死了。豬的數目約有二千。
5:14 放豬的就逃跑了，去告訴城裡和鄉下的人。眾人就來，要看是甚麼事。
5:15 他們來到耶穌那裡，看見那被鬼附著的人，就是從前被群鬼所附的，坐著，穿上衣服，心裡明白過來，他們就害怕。
5:16 看見這事的，便將鬼附之人所遇見的和那群豬的事都告訴了眾人；
5:17 眾人就央求耶穌離開他們的境界。
5:18 耶穌上船的時候，那從前被鬼附著的人懇求和耶穌同在。
5:19 耶穌不許，卻對他說：「你回家去，到你的親屬那裡，將主為你所做的是何等大的事，是怎樣憐憫你，都告訴他們。」
5:20 那人就走了，在低加坡裡傳揚耶穌為他做了何等大的事，眾人就都希奇。

They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.^{[a] 2} When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. ³ This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. ⁴ For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. ⁵ Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

⁶ When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. ⁷ He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God’s name don’t torture me!” ⁸ For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!”
⁹ Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?”
“My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” ¹⁰ And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area.
¹¹ A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. ¹² The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” ¹³ He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
¹⁴ Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. ¹⁵ When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ¹⁶ Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. ¹⁷ Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region.
¹⁸ As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. ¹⁹ Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” ²⁰ So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed.

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    從這個趕鬼事件讓我們認識到：主耶穌看重人的得釋放，超越二千頭豬。雖然這人被一群鬼所附，在人看來是沒有價值又會害人的怪物，倒不如死掉算了！但是，耶穌還是拯救他，不只讓他從鬼的權勢下釋放，還讓他成為傳福音的人，使人因他而得救贖。

    而耶穌的拯救不只是在當時，在今日我們奉耶穌的名，上帝仍然做工拯救。許多人在人的眼中看來已經不可能有將來的，但是他們卻因為福音的緣故，重新站立起來，而且站得更堅定！因為，上帝在基督裡施行拯救，是超越人的所求所想，祂必在基督裡賜人意外的平安！

    所以，不管你現在是甚麼景況，永遠不要放棄，上帝必保守聖徒到底，聖徒必有力量來堅忍，直等到主耶穌在來的時候，要在基督裡得極大的榮耀！不要懼怕，有一天黑暗過去，光明國度必定實現！正如這被群鬼所附的人，上帝沒有放棄他，也必定不放棄你！

箴言15:27

貪戀財利的，擾害己家；恨惡賄賂的，必得存活。

The greedy bring ruin to their households,
    but the one who hates bribes will live.

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    錢財常常是使人的眼目迷失，讓人忘記仰望上帝，只活在今世的虛榮之中，而這樣的虛榮常常讓人沉迷於罪中之樂，而不去思念上帝永恆的恩典，甚至造成家庭的破碎和不平安。

    因此，人要能不被錢財迷惑，才不會取不義之財，不管是做官或是做見證，才不會被錢財影響而離開上帝。常常與上帝同在，才是真正有生命與自由的。

    所以，我們要求上帝讓我們不被錢財所綑鎖，不管是富有或貧窮的時候，總要專心仰望上帝，內心才會得自由與平安！

哥林多前書15:12-19

15:12 既傳基督是從死裡復活了，怎麼在你們中間有人說沒有死人復活的事呢？
15:13 若沒有死人復活的事，基督也就沒有復活了。
15:14 若基督沒有復活，我們所傳的便是枉然，你們所信的也是枉然；
15:15 並且明顯我們是為上帝妄作見證的，因我們見證上帝是叫基督復活了。若死人真不復活，上帝也就沒有叫基督復活了。
15:16 因為死人若不復活，基督也就沒有復活了。
15:17 基督若沒有復活，你們的信便是徒然，你們仍在罪裡。
15:18 就是在基督裡睡了的人也滅亡了。
15:19 我們若靠基督只在今生有指望，就算比眾人更可憐。

¹² But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? ¹³ If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. ¹⁵ More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. ¹⁶ For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. ¹⁷ And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. ¹⁸ Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. ¹⁹ If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied.

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    保羅說明「死人復活的事」對基督徒的信仰是非常重要的！因為若沒有「死人復活的事」，就沒有「基督的復活」；沒有「基督的復活」，我們的信仰就沒有意義了！我們所信得既然沒有意義，我們就和一般為信耶穌的人沒有兩樣了！因為，我們都盼望因著基督復活，罪和死的權勢就被敗壞了！既然基督沒有復活，罪和死仍然向人掌權與轄制了！

    這樣得不斷推論中，我們真的要好好把握信仰的原則：基督既然已經復活了，我們也復活了！我們的復活是從與生命源頭——上帝的關係重新建立起來，不再是斷絕了！也因此，我們不在罪和死的權勢之下了，我們乃是在基督的權勢之下了！

    既然如此，我們當靠著主的恩典，成為聖潔的人，我們就要自潔，脫離卑賤的事，就必作貴重的器皿，合乎主用，預備行各樣的善事。這也就是說，我們要活出榮耀上帝的生命，因為我們也是復活的人！

箴言15:26

惡謀為耶和華所憎惡；良言乃為純淨。

The Lord detests the thoughts of the wicked,
    but gracious words are pure in his sight.

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    人常常會自以為聰明，想了一些計謀。本以為自己做得很好，卻沒想到這是遭上帝憎惡的事。這是為甚麼呢？就是因為他們所思考的是邪惡的。

    然而一個人的言語帶著恩惠，使人感受到溫暖與關懷，甚至得到激勵和希望。這樣的言語，是上帝所喜悅和看重的，在上帝的觀點是純淨可喜悅的！這也是上帝期盼我們這些屬祂的人，可以在言語上，有如此的表現。

    我們既然是上帝的兒女，就要做上帝所喜悅的事，讓我們都是「良言乃為純淨」，隨時說造就人的話，並用我們的言語傳上帝的福音，使上帝的名得榮耀！

提摩太前書 5:17-21

5:17 那善於管理教會的長老，當以為配受加倍的敬奉；那勞苦傳道教導人的，更當如此。
5:18 因為經上說：「牛在場上踹穀的時候，不可籠住牠的嘴」；又說：「工人得工價是應當的。」
5:19 控告長老的呈子，非有兩三個見證就不要收。
5:20 犯罪的人，當在眾人面前責備他，叫其餘的人也可以懼怕。
5:21 我在上帝和基督耶穌並蒙揀選的天使面前囑咐你：要遵守這些話，不可存成見，行事也不可有偏心。

¹⁷ The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” ¹⁹ Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. ²⁰ But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning. ²¹ I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.

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    保羅這段話讓傳道者覺得很感動，因為傳道的人是靠福音養生，若沒又好得供應豈能好好的事奉上帝和教會呢？因為經濟是很現實的問題，沒有經濟來源人就會在生活上發生問題。而經濟的供應不缺乏，對人心的安定有幫助。

    除了經濟的供應，受到接納與尊重更是重要。若一個人感受到被善待時，就是拼死拼活來回饋。同樣，教會希望能復興、能增長，就要尊重與接納傳道者，讓他們在教會發揮所長，教會才會蒙賜福。

    所以，教會不要為人事費用來吝惜，好好的善待傳道人，給他們的身心靈安舒，他們必定存感恩的心來愛教會，服事弟兄姐妹，善於教導之工，大家才會有豐富的屬靈供應，教會才會蒙福！