Avoid The Slow Leak (Chinese/English)

Avoid The Slow Leak

避免缓慢漏气

“Do thy diligence to come shortly unto me: For Demas hath forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica; Crescens to Galatia, Titus unto Dalmatia.   Only Luke is with me. Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry-2 Timothy 4:9-11.”

“你要赶紧地到我这里来。因为底马贪爱现今的世界，就离弃我往帖撒罗尼迦去了，革勒士往加拉太去，提多往挞马太去，独有路加在我这里。你来的时候，要把马可带来，因为他在传道的事上于我有益处…提摩太后书 4:9-11”

Paul is very sad.  One of his closest friends has in fact turned out to be one who has betrayed him and left him.  Indeed, Paul had included Demas in the closing verses of Colossians and Philemon. But what had happened?   Crescens and Titus had been sent to their ministries, but it looks like Demas had just gone. He had departed and there was no coming back to Rome and to Paul. He had watched the Apostle Paul and this probably was a slow leak instead of a snap decision.   Demas probably hadn’t woken up and thought, “Today I will leave Paul and return to the world.” These things happened because of a slow leak in his life.  Moment by moment and day by day he had one little thought after another;one little compromise after another and then finally the draw of the world was too much.

保罗非常难过。他的一个亲密朋友事实上显示出会成为一个背叛他和离弃他的人。保罗的确在哥罗西和腓利门结尾章节提到了底马。但发生了什么呢？革勒士和提多被派去传道，看起来底马已经走了，他已经离开，没有回到罗马和保罗那里。他一直在观望使徒保罗，这可能是一个缓慢泄露过程而非突然决裂的决定。底马可能还未觉醒，他或许在想，“今天我要离开保罗回到这世界。”这些事会发生是因为他的生活中有缓慢泄漏。一天天一刻刻他有一个又一个小小的念头，一个又一个小小的妥协，最终这世界的吸引力变得更大了。

It is a warning to us.   Did Demas repent?   We are not told. Was he saved? He had all the trappings of the Christian.   He was with Paul after all; indeed, he was called Paul’s co-worker. There is another person mentioned in verse 11, John Mark. Remember Him?   He is the one who deserted Paul and Barnabas. This is the one that Paul wants Timothy to bring.  John Mark had truly upset Paul, as we see in Acts 15, because it had led to the breakup of himself and Barnabas. But now here is Paul saying that He is profitable to him.

这是对我们的警示。底马后悔吗？我们不得而知。他得到救赎了吗？他陷入所有基督徒的陷阱里。他毕竟跟随保罗，的确，他被称为保罗的同工。在11节提到了另一个人，约翰马可。记得他吗？他就是那个抛弃保罗和巴拿巴的人，他是保罗要提摩太带来的人。正如使徒行传15章所看到的，约翰马可真的使保罗很难过，因为这引发他自己和巴拿巴的决裂。但在这里保罗说，他对他有益处。

There is hope for the believer, who for whatever reason walks away from his/her faith or his/her ministry. Many years ago, I walked away from my faith, but the Lord held me and in time and under the urging of the Holy Spirit, I came back. PRAISE HIS NAME!   Maybe Demas came back or maybe he didn’t; only God knows. But in these two men, we have a divine warning in Demas and Divine comfort in John Mark. We have to watch our heart.   Guard our hearts to the pull of the world.  Proverbs 4:23 says, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

对信徒来说，无论什么理由离开了他（她）的信仰或传道，希望也是存在的。许多年前我离开了我的信仰，但主及时抓住了我，在圣灵的催促下我重新回来了。 赞美主的名！也许底马会回来也许不会，只有神知道。但对于这两人，对底马是神性的警示，对约翰马可是神性的安慰。我们必须审视我们内心。防备我们的心被这世界拖走。箴言 4:23说，“你要保守你心，胜过保守一切，因为一生的果效，是由心发出”

Are you watching your heart?   Demas wasn’t.   He hadn’t set a guard against the pull of the world. When we watch TV and listen to worldly things, we are giving the devil a foothold in our lives, which we need to break down by turning those things off. Protect yourself.   Christian, fill yourself full of the Word and prayer.   Are you a John Mark or like a Peter? There is hope for you. You can be profitable to God and the body of Christ.

你在审视你的内心吗？底马没有这么做。他没有设立防备，以免被这世界拖走。当我们看电视听世俗之事时，我们就在我们的生活中给了魔鬼立足之处，我们需要通过关闭这些东西来打破它。保护好你自己。基督徒们，用神的话语和祷告充满你自己。你是约翰马可还是像彼得呢？对你来说希望一直都在。你可以对神对基督的身体有益处。

God Bless You

愿神祝福你