Restoration Efforts 修复工程

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Dexu Xia

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Apr 26, 2026, 2:41:26 AMApr 26

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Encourage one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Today's Scripture Ezra 2：68； 3：1-7

Today's Insights Just as God equipped the leaders and priests to encourage the Israelites (Ezra 2-3), throughout the ages, He’s equipped others to be encouragers. A prime example is “Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus,” better known as Barnabas, which means “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36). God used him to speak on Paul’s behalf to the disciples, who were fearful because of the apostle’s former role as persecutor of the church (9:1-4, 26-28). Barnabas also taught the believers in Jesus in the church of Antioch, where he “encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts” (11:23). Later, Barnabas sought out and brought Saul to work with him. Just as God gave others the tools needed to encourage others, He can do the same for us.

Today's Devotion In April 2019, a fire broke out in Notre-Dame de Paris—the city’s famed medieval cathedral—destroying the spire and a “forest” of oak beams supporting the lead roof. Almost immediately, plans formed to restore the cathedral. Donations poured in from across the globe, and craftsmen have undertaken restoration using the same building techniques and the same types of timber and stone employed in the original structure.

When Nebuchadnezzar instructed his armies to set fire to God’s temple in 586 bc as part of his siege on Jerusalem, the structure was decimated (2 Kings 25:9). When the people returned to Jerusalem after decades in captivity in Babylon, they “gave freewill offerings toward the rebuilding of the house of God” (Ezra 2:68).

After tending first to the altar, they “gave money to the masons and carpenters” and secured “cedar logs by sea from Lebanon” to lay the temple’s foundation (3:7). Though their rebuilding efforts were opposed and even sabotaged, the task was finally completed, and God’s people once again worshiped Him in His temple (6:14-22).

As believers in Jesus, we—together—are God’s temple (1 Corinthians 3:16-17). God equips us to continuously restore fellow believers and “build each other up,” not with wood or stone, but with encouraging words, prayer, and spiritual gifts (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Reflect & Pray

How are you building up fellow believers in Jesus? How has someone built you up recently?

Thank You, loving Father, for supplying what I need to build up and restore others as Your temple. By Kirsten Holmberg

你们该彼此劝慰，互相建立。帖撒罗尼迦前书5:11

今日经文以斯拉记2章68节，3章1-7节

今日洞见正如上帝装备了领袖和祭司去鼓励以色列人一样（以斯拉记2-3章），历世历代以来，祂也装备了许多人去担当“鼓励者”的角色。一个极佳的例子便是“约瑟，一个生在塞浦路斯的利未人”，他更为人熟知的名字是巴拿巴，意为“劝慰子”（使徒行传4:36）。上帝使用他，替保罗向门徒们说话；当时门徒们因保罗曾是教会的迫害者而心存惧怕（使徒行传9:1-4，26-28）。巴拿巴还在安提阿教会教导信靠耶稣的信徒，在那里他“勉励众人，立定心志，恒久靠主”（使徒行传11:23）。后来，巴拿巴去寻访扫罗，并把他带回来，让他与自己一同作工。正如上帝赐給巴拿巴所需的才干去鼓励他人那样，上帝也能为我们做同样的事。

今日灵修 2019年4月，巴黎圣母院这座享誉世界的城市中世纪大教堂突发火灾，尖塔被毁，支撑铅制屋顶的成片橡木横梁（被称为“森林”）也付之一炬。几乎就在瞬间，修复这座大教堂的计划便已成形。来自全球各地的捐款如潮水般涌入，工匠们也已着手进行修复工作，他们使用了与当初建造原建筑时相同的工艺，以及同类型的木材和石料。

公元前586年，当尼布甲尼撒王在围攻耶路撒冷期间下令军队焚烧上帝的圣殿时，这座建筑遭到了彻底的摧毁（列王纪下25:9）。数十年后，当百姓结束在巴比伦的被掳生涯、重返耶路撒冷时，他们“甘心献礼物，要重建上帝的殿”（以斯拉记2:68）。在首先修整了祭坛之后，他们“将银子给石匠、木匠”，并从“黎巴嫩海运香柏木”而来，以此为圣殿奠定根基（ 以斯拉记 3:7）。尽管他们的重建工作曾遭遇反对甚至破坏，但这项任务最终得以完成，上帝的子民也得以再次在祂的圣殿中敬拜祂（ 以斯拉记 6:14-22）。

作为耶稣的信徒，我们，作为一个整体，就是上帝的圣殿（哥林多前书 3:16-17）。上帝装备我们，使我们能持续地去修复信徒同伴，并“彼此建立”；我们所用的材料并非木头或石头，而是鼓励的话语、祷告以及属灵的恩赐（帖撒罗尼迦前书 5:11）。

反思与祷告你正如何去建立其他的耶稣信徒？最近，又有谁曾给予你建立与造就？ 亲爱的天父，感谢祢赐下我所需的一切，使我能去建立并修复他人，这样，我们能共同成为祢的圣殿。