• 哥林多后书 9

1关于供给圣徒的事，我本来不必写信给你们； 2因为我知道你们的好意，常对马其顿人夸奖你们，说亚该亚人预备好已经有一年了。你们的热心感动了许多人。 3但我差遣那几位弟兄去，要使你们照我的话预备妥当，免得我们在这事上夸奖你们的话落了空。 4万一有马其顿人与我同去，见你们没有预备好，就使我们所确信的反成了羞愧；你们的羞愧更不用说了。 5因此，我想必须鼓励那几位弟兄先到你们那里去，把从前所应许的捐款预备妥当，好显出你们所捐的是出于乐意，不是出于勉强。

6还有一点：“少种的少收；多种的多收。” 7各人要随心所愿，不要为难，不要勉强，因为上帝爱乐捐的人。 8上帝能将各样的恩惠多多加给你们，使你们凡事常常充足，能多做各样善事。 9如经上所记：“他施舍，周济贫穷；他的义行存到永远。”

10那赐种子给撒种的，赐粮食给人吃的，必多多加给你们种地的种子，又增添你们仁义的果子。 11你们必凡事富足，能多多施舍，使人藉着我们而生感谢上帝的心。 12因为办这供给的事，不但补圣徒的缺乏，而且使许多人对上帝充满更多的感谢。 13他们从这供给的事上得了凭据，知道你们宣认基督，顺服他的福音，慷慨捐助给他们和众人，把荣耀归给上帝。 14他们也因上帝极大的恩赐显在你们身上而切切想念你们，为你们祈祷。 15感谢上帝，因他有说不尽的恩赐！

我怀疑近期将是教会长期以来发展最缓慢的几年，然而我们若全力以赴，放手一搏，为教会复兴的祷告可能还是会蒙上帝应允。

知道我在讲什么吗？我是在谈钱。

如果目前的经济形势进一步恶化，人们的财务状况就会崩溃：公司裁员、收入枯竭、生意关张。上一次我看道琼斯指数的时候，股票曲线的走势就像从大峡谷边缘扔下的石头——垂直下落。

这或许正是我们的机会。如果我们信靠我们的那位供应者，深挖资源，为他人的需要牺牲一下自己的欲望，那么教会发出的光可能会比任何时候都更加明亮。教会一旦慷慨地把钱给予那些财务匮乏的人，大家对教会只晓得伸手要钱的成见就将不复存在。

保罗在鼓励哥林多的基督徒慷慨捐款的时候，也宣讲了同样的信息：“他们从这供给的事上得了凭据，知道你们承认基督顺服他的福音，多多地捐钱给他们和众人，便将荣耀归与上帝。”（哥林多后书9:13）

我们承认耶稣基督的福音，这福音的好消息就是——上帝把他的独生儿子赐给我们，也正是这位爱子为了我们的罪摆上他唯一的生命。设若我们也按着自己对那厚赐众人的主所存的信心，慷慨地给予我们的社区呢？

人们是否终于会倾听我们所宣讲的福音？他们心中的高墙是否会短暂拆毁，使他们能够聆听？他们是否会不得已放下异议，再次给教会一个机会？他们是否会仅仅问我们：“为什么？”

即便只有一个人听到了关于十字架的好消息，那不也是值得的吗？而这将会成为证据，再次证明基督＞新冠病毒。

• 花点时间向神献上感恩与祈求

• 2 CORINTHIANS 9

The Collection for Christians in Jerusalem

1Now it is superfluous for me to write to you about the ministry for the saints, 2for I know your readiness, of which I boast about you to the people of Macedonia, saying that Achaia has been ready since last year. And your zeal has stirred up most of them. 3But I am sending the brothers so that our boasting about you may not prove empty in this matter, so that you may be ready, as I said you would be. 4Otherwise, if some Macedonians come with me and find that you are not ready, we would be humiliated—to say nothing of you—for being so confident. 5So I thought it necessary to urge the brothers to go on ahead to you and arrange in advance for the gift you have promised, so that it may be ready as a willing gift, not as an exaction.

The Cheerful Giver

6The point is this: whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 7Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. 8And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. 9As it is written, “He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor; his righteousness endures forever.”

10He who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will supply and multiply your seed for sowing and increase the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way, which through us will produce thanksgiving to God. 12For the ministry of this service is not only supplying the needs of the saints but is also overflowing in many thanksgivings to God. 13By their approval of this service, they will glorify God because of your submission that comes from your confession of the gospel of Christ, and the generosity of your contribution for them and for all others, 14while they long for you and pray for you, because of the surpassing grace of God upon you. 15Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!

I suspect that recent years will throw us the slowest pitch the Christian church has gotten in a long time. Our prayers for revival might be answered if we swing for the fences.

What am I talking about? Money.

If the current economic climate gets worse, people’s financial lives are about to fall apart. Jobs will be cut. Income streams will dry up. Businesses will close their doors. The last time I checked, the Dow Jones line graph looked like a rock dropped from the edge of the Grand Canyon.

And that could be our opportunity. If we trust our Provider, dig deep, and sacrifice our wants for the sake of their needs, the church’s light could shine more brightly than ever before. The old stereotypes of churches just wanting money will go out the window once the church gives its money to those left wanting.

Paul preached this same message while encouraging the Corinthian Christians to give: “... others will praise God for the obedience that accompanies your confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with everyone else.” (2 Corinthians 9:13)

We confess the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news that God gave his one and only Son, the same Son who gave his one and only life for our sins. What if we accompanied our faith in our generous Lord with a generous gift to our communities?

Would people finally listen to the gospel we preach? Would their walls come down long enough to listen? Would they be forced to give up their objections and give the church another chance? Would they simply ask us, “Why?”

If just one person hears about the cross, wouldn’t it be worth it? It would be proof, once more, that Christ > Corona.

• Take a moment to give thanks and prayers to God