八福
和睦不等于甚么？
经文
提多书二1-15
1但你所讲的总要合乎那纯正的道理。
2劝老年人要有节制、端庄、自守，在信心、爱心、忍耐上都要纯全无疵。
3又劝老年妇人，举止行动要恭敬，不说谗言，不给酒作奴仆，用善道教训人，
4好指教少年妇人，爱丈夫，爱儿女，
5谨守，贞洁，料理家务，待人有恩，顺服自己的丈夫，免得神的道理被毁谤。
6又劝少年人要谨守。
7你自己凡事要显出善行的榜样；在教训上要正直、端庄，
8言语纯全，无可指责，叫那反对的人，既无处可说我们的不是，便自觉羞愧。
9劝仆人要顺服自己的主人，凡事讨他的喜欢，不可顶撞他，
10不可私拿东西；要显为忠诚，以致凡事尊荣我们救主神的道。
11因为神救众人的恩典已经显明出来，
12教训我们除去不敬虔的心和世俗的情欲，在今世自守、公义、敬虔度日，
13等候所盼望的福，并等候至大的神和我们（或作：神─我们）救主耶稣基督的荣耀显现。
14他为我们舍了自己，要赎我们脱离一切罪恶，又洁净我们，特作自己的子民，热心为善。
15这些事你要讲明，劝戒人，用各等权柄责备人；不可叫人轻看你。
信息分享
今天我们继续对和睦这题目作进一步的探讨，我们肯定一个人除非体会内心平安的意思，否则他们不能在属灵和心理上得到健康。一位心理学家说：「要是我们可以量度人类性情中因为缺乏和平而消失的情感能量，就会惊讶地发现，我们在身体、心理和情感上的损失是人类经济的最大亏损。」他是在说，内在的冲突无论在身体、心理和灵性上，都使我们支离破碎。
但令人向往的是，我们与神和好时，生命便会经历改变，而这也会在别人的生命中反映出来。我们不单得着平安，有了平安的表现，我们甚至能够成为和平的使者。简单地说，成为和平的使者代表我们成为使人和睦的人──使别人与神和好、彼此和好。
我们需要小心，不要误解「使人和睦的人」这句话的意思。让我们花点时间来了解使人和睦不等于甚么。使人和睦不等于维持和平。有些人致力维持和平，因为他们不想在纠正事情时遇到不快。他们借着表面的和谐避免冲突，但这不是和平。真正使人和睦的人有时需要成为勇士。这似乎有点矛盾，但事实上，他们蒙召不是要过被动的生活，而是过积极的生活。那些追求这事奉的人必须明白，使人和睦不是修补事情，而是去到问题的根源。使人和睦的人有时需要先引起麻烦，然后才能够解决麻烦。
「我们要成为使人和睦的人」
进深研究
弗六1-15；诗一一九165；腓四7
1.福音的本质是什么？
2.是什么保守了我们的心思和意念？
祈祷
天父，感谢您提醒我，使人和睦不是懦弱或只是喜欢宁静。求您给我所需的勇气，使我无惧于在纠正问题时遇到不快。奉耶稣的名祈求，阿们。
The Beatitudes
What peacemaking is not
Bible reading:
Titus 2:1-15
1 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.
2 Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.
3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.
4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children,
5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.
7 In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness
8 and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us.
9 Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,
10 and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive.
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
15 These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.
Message
Today we go a step further and affirm that no one can be spiritually or mentally healthy until they know what it means to have peace in their inner beings. A psychologist says: "If we could only measure the amount of emotional energy that is dissipated within the human personality by lack of peace, we would be surprised to find that physical, mental and emotional loss would represent our greatest deficit within the human economy." He is simply saying that inner conflict tears us apart - physically, mentally and spiritually.
The intriguing thing is that as we make peace with God, a change comes about in our own lives and this, in turn, is reflected in the lives of others. We are not only at peace - we become peaceable. But even more - we become peacemakers. To be a peacemaker means, quite simply, that we become reconcilers. We reconcile people to God and to each other.
We should be careful not to misunderstand the meaning of the word "peacemaker", so let's examine for a moment what it is not. Peacemaking is not just keeping the peace. Some strive to keep the peace because they do not wish to risk any unpleasantness that might be involved in trying to put matters right. They avoid a conflict by smoothing over the surface, but this is not peace. The true peacemaker sometimes has to be a fighter. Paradoxically, he or she is called, not to a passive life, but an active one. Those who pursue this ministry must realise that peacemaking is not patching things up, but getting to the roots of the problem. Peacemakers sometimes have to stir up trouble before they can resolve it.
"We become reconcilers"
Prayer
Father, thank You for reminding me that peacemaking is not cowardice or the love of quiet. Give me the courage I need to risk any unpleasantness that may be involved in the cause of putting matters right. In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.
Further study
Ephesians 6:1-15
Psalm 119:165
Philippians 4:7
1. What is the essence of the gospel?
2. What keeps our hearts and minds?
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