金句：「约拿怎样为尼尼微人成了神迹，人子也要照样为 这世代的人成了神迹。」（路加福音11章30节)
有一次，我和丈夫杰开车去探访他的父亲。他住在南卡罗来纳州。当时路况很好，一路都很顺利。直到我们穿过田纳西州的山区时，我开始看到一些绕道的 标志。但是杰一直往前开，因此我便假设那些警示与我们无关。我们快抵达北卡罗来纳的边界时，遇到一块警示牌，写着 由于落石，前面的高速公路已被封闭，我们必须回头。杰很讶异，想知道：「为什么都没有任何警示？」我说： 「一路有很多警示牌，难道你没有看见？」他说：「没有啊，你为什么不提醒我呢？」我回答： 「我以为你看到了啊！」现在，我们会经常把这个故事当 成笑料说给朋友们听。
纵观历史，上帝曾为人们提供了许多「标志」，告诉人们 按祂心意而活，但是人们仍偏行己路。最终，上帝差祂的儿子到世上（路加福音11章30 节），宗教领袖们却不注意祂的警示。因为他们的生活安逸，受人们敬重和尊崇（43节），所 以憎恶人家说他们有错（45节）。
我们也可能和法利赛人一样，当生活顺利时，对于要我们 悔改和脱离罪的生活的警示，我们往往都会忽视。我们必须记住：即使生活看来顺利，我们也可能活在罪 中。（JAL）
上帝时常警告我们，
为防跌进罪的深坑；
忽略警示必会跌倒，
悔过能变洁净之人。 Sper
上帝的警示是要保护我们，而非惩罚我们。
April 12, 2011
The road was smooth and we were making good progress as we headed for Jay’s dad’s house in South Carolina. As we drove through the mountains in Tennessee, I began seeing detour signs. But Jay kept going, so I assumed that they didn’t apply to us. Shortly before we reached the North Carolina border, we came to a sign that said the highway ahead was closed due to a rock slide. We would have to turn around. Jay was surprised. “Why wasn’t there any warning?” he wanted to know. “There were lots of warnings,” I said. “Didn’t you see the signs?” “No,” he said, “why didn’t you mention them?” “I assumed that you saw them,” I answered. We now tell this story to entertain our friends.
Throughout history, God provided plenty of “signs” to show people the way to live, but they kept going their own way. When God finally sent His Son as a sign (Luke 11:30), the religious leaders paid little attention to His warnings. Life for them was good. They were recognized and respected (v.43). They resented being told that they were wrong (v.45).
We can be the same way. When life is going well, we tend to ignore warnings that we need to turn around and change our sinful ways. It’s important to remember that we may be wrong even though life is good.
God gives us warnings to prevent
What comes from falling into sin;
What comes from falling into sin;
But if we do ignore—and fall—
Confession cleanses us within. —Sper
Confession cleanses us within. —Sper
God sends warnings to protect us, not to punish us.
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