Saturday, 2 October 2021
Title: The Bumps Are What We Climb On
By: Wong Yoke Ming

2 Timothy 4:7
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

As the Apostle Paul neared the end of his days on earth, he raised up two spiritual sons – Timothy (in Ephesus) and Titus (in Crete). In his last letter to Timothy, he wrote the above.

Paul was now in a Roman prison, probably awaiting execution, however he wrote not with fear and trepidation but with assurance, hence giving encouragement to Timothy. Confidently, Paul looked in three directions in bearing witness.

First, he looked around him and saw what he had built in his ministry – the churches that he had planted in Asia, the spiritual sons that he had raised up to continue his legacy, and the groundwork that he was leaving behind for Timothy – his ‘good fight’.

He saw not his own impending execution, for which he was ready, instead his own sacrifice for the glory of the Lord. He wrote that the time of his departure was at hand – he did not use the word “death.” He wrote as a soldier striking his tent from a battlefield campaign and departing to permanent and glorious new quarters. He reminded Timothy (and us) that our ‘tent’ (our mortal bodies while on this earth) was merely a temporary shelter. Our ‘home’ will be our home in eternity.

Secondly, he looked back at his journey in ministry. Had he had an easy journey? Of course not! He was imprisoned; he was beaten; he was shipwrecked and bitten by poisonous snakes. He faced insults, resistance from his own people – he did not have a straight path. The race that Paul ran was not easy – it was full of rocks and stones and bumps along the way. But someone once wrote, “The bumps are what we climb on.” An uneven path filled with ‘bumps,’ but the ‘bumps’ had been “steps upwards.” It had not been a smooth journey – he had fought the good fight against worldly ways, satanic provocations and now, he faced Rome, his final adversary. The Lord had always seen him through; and he had written to the church in Philippi, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13) – he had finished the race.

He had warned Timothy to be vigilant, for ‘the time is coming,’ when many shall depart from the faith, drawn away by myths and fables and other falsehoods. Paul looked around, he looked back and he also looked ahead to the crown of righteousness – he kept his faith. “Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who had loved his appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:8)

The peace in our hearts, once we know that our eternal future has been secured is incomparable. So, Paul could write to Timothy with such confidence and such assurance. Looking back, he had no regret; looking round, he had no fear; and looking ahead, he had no doubt because he trusted in Jesus Christ.

Now we carry that mantle as people with Christ’s Name – as Christ ians. Do we have the “three looks” that Paul had?

Prayer:
Lord Jesus, like Paul, we run a race. We commit our own race into Your Hands as Paul did with his, and we pray that we too will run our race without regret, without fear and without doubt. Praying in Your Name. Amen.

班底浸信教會
每日靈粮
星期六，2021 年 10 月 2 日
標題：攀豋崎嶇的山路
作者：黃玉明弟兄
翻譯 : 王靖端姐妹

提摩太後書 4:7
“ 那美好的仗我已經打過了，當跑的路我已經跑盡了，所信的道我已經守住了。”

當使徒保羅在地上的日子接近尾聲時，他培育了兩個屬靈的兒子——提摩太（在以弗所）和提多（在克里特島）。在他給提摩太的最後一封信中，他寫了上述的話。

保羅現在在羅馬的監獄裡，可能正在等待著被處決，但他不是帶著恐懼和惶恐，而是滿懷信心地寫信，藉此來鼓勵提摩太。保羅滿懷信心地為三個方面作見證。

首先，他環顧四周，看到他在事工中的成果——他在亞洲建立的教會，他為傳承他的使命而培養的屬靈兒子，以及他為提摩太留下的基礎——他的’打得美好的仗’。

他已經做好了準備，他看到的不是他自己即將被處決，反而是為榮耀主而犧牲。他寫道，”我離世的時侯到了”( 提摩太後書 4:6)——他沒有使用“死亡”這個詞。他寫道，如同一名士兵，他從戰場戰役中遭到襲擊而被打出他的帳篷，前往永久而輝煌的新住所。他提醒提摩太（和我們）我們的“帳篷”（我們在地球上的凡人身體）只是一個臨時的住所。我們的“家”將是我們永恆的歸宿。

其次，他回顧了他的事工之旅。他的旅程輕鬆嗎？當然不是！他被監禁；他被毆打；他在海難中被毒蛇咬傷。他面臨來自他自己同胞的侮辱和抵制——他未曾有一條康莊大道。保羅的競賽並不輕鬆：一路上充滿了岩石、石頭和顛簸碰撞。但有人曾寫道，“攀豋崎嶇的山路。”一條凹凸不平坦的路途充滿了“崎嶇障礙”，但“崎嶇”是“向上的台階”。這並不是一趟平安順利的旅程——他與世俗的方式、撒旦的挑釁進行了一場美好的戰鬥，現在，他面對的是他最終的對手羅馬帝國。主總是協助他堅持到底；他曾寫信給腓立比的教會，“我靠著那加給我力量的，凡事都能作”（腓 4:13）——”當跑的路”他”已經跑盡了”。

他曾警告提摩太要保持警惕，因為“時候到了”，許多人將背離信仰，被神話謬論、寓言和其他謊言所吸引。保羅環顧四周，他回頭看，他也向前看公義的冠冕——他保持信心。”從此以後，有公義的冠冕為我存留，就是按著公義審判的主到了那日要賜給我的；不但賜給我，也賜給凡愛慕祂顯現的人。”（提後 4:8）

一旦知道我們的永恆的未來已經得到保障，我們心中的平安是無與倫比的。因此，保羅可以如此自信和有抱握地寫信給提摩太。回首往事，他無怨無悔；環顧四周，他無所畏懼；展望未來，他毫無疑問，因為他相信耶穌基督。

現在，我們作為接任擁有基督之名衣缽的人——作為基督信徒，肩負著這一使命。我們能有保羅相同的“三方面的見証”嗎？

禱告：主耶穌，像保羅一樣，我們在競賽。我們像保羅一樣將自己的奔跑交到祢手中，我們祈禱我們也能毫無遺憾、毫無恐懼、毫無疑問地奔跑我們當跑的路。奉祢的名祈禱。阿門。