The Power of Baptism and the Holy Spirit

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 19:1-12.  Let’s go!

Acts 19:1-7 (NIV)
1  While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples
2  and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3  So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied.
4  Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5  On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
6  When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
7  There were about twelve men in all.

On verses 1-7:  Here Apollos and Paul switch places.  Apollos goes to Corinth and Paul goes to Ephesus.  In Ephesus Paul finds 12 men who had received “John’s baptism”, which is probably referring to a baptism where the person being baptized says, “I am turning from my sins and I wait for God’s Messiah to come”.  These 12 men in Ephesus, who may have been taught by Apollos (see Acts 18:25), had not yet been baptized into the name of Jesus, which is where the person being baptized is essentially saying, “I believe Jesus is God’s Messiah who has come and died on the cross and rose again to save me.”  So when Paul finds this out, he baptizes these Ephesian Christians in the name of Jesus.  Also, since these 12 men had never even heard of the Holy Spirit (v2), Paul lays hands on them in prayer, at which point the Holy Spirit falls on each of them in a powerful way as they begin to speak in tongues and prophesy.

誡命是燈法則是光

〈箴言〉6:23   因為誡命是燈,法則是光,訓誨的責備是生命的道。

閱讀經文:〈箴言〉6:20-35

誡命是燈,法則是光

“因為誡命是燈,法則是光,訓誨的責備是生命的道”。說到誡命、法則和責備,沒有多少人會喜歡,覺得好像是戴上了孫悟空的金箍,渾身不自由。但是聖經的誡命和法則和金箍完全不同。誡命是燈,燈是為了照亮,使人看得清楚;法則是光,光可以照亮也可以溫暖,還有保護的作用。燈和光都是為了讓我們看得清楚,以免誤入陷阱而受害。

假如人在暗中摸索,難免撞得鼻青臉腫。我每天晚上比較晚睡,有時為了不想吵醒外子,就把燈都關掉,摸索著前進。即使在自己家裡,有一點方向感,仍不免撞到什麼或踢到什麼。設想若是外面沒有街燈,出去行走豈不更危險。雖有月光和星光,還是覺得危機重重吧。

在現在的世代,雖然不敢說父親的誡命都是對的,母親的法則也是可靠的,但是他們對人生的經歷,還是我們立身處世的很好指引。因為父母的引導大多數是為我們的好處。我為何這樣說呢?因為有一次看到一個母親教孩子用電動牙刷,她教孩子要拿著牙刷動來動去。我不可置信地看著她,因為電動牙刷若不稍做停留,很難發揮效果。我一聲不發,不好在人家孩子面前說做媽的不是。但是她顯然感覺到我的不同意,當我再走一圈回來時,她正在教孩子正確的方法。所以我覺得做父母的若不先省察自己,有時真是亂教孩子。但其居心還是為孩子好的。

所以我們既然為人父母,要尋找真道,明白神的誡命和法則,接受神的教誨,如此才能把正確的觀念傳給下一代。

耶和華所恨惡的

〈箴言〉6:16  耶和華所恨惡的有六樣,連他心所憎惡的共有七樣。

閱讀經文:〈箴言〉6:12-19

體態語言

「無賴的惡徒……用眼傳神、用腳示意、用指點劃。」(箴六12-13) 

聽人談溝通技巧的時候,常聽說有所謂「體態語言」(body language)。每次聽到,總讓我想起箴言這句話。故然,聖經並沒有說基督徒不應該學習「體態語言」,另一方面,聖經也沒有鼓勵人在這方面下功夫。 

但是,非常有趣,我留意到,似乎聖經提到「體態語言」的時候都不是好事。除了上邊經文之外,還有﹕「以眼傳神的、使人憂患。」(箴10:10) 

我因為土頭土腦,向來不懂得欣賞什麼溝通藝術,每次發現此道高手,我就馬上築起一道防線,提高警惕,唯恐受騙。如果還加上用眼傳神、用腳示意、用指點劃, 我絕對避之則吉。反之,我喜歡和比較木訥的人相處,容易相信他們。正如中國傳統所說的﹕「巧言令色,鮮矣仁」。聖經也說﹕「應對正直的,猶如與人親嘴。」 (箴廿四26)「是就說是,不是就說不是,若是多說,就是出於那惡者。」「體態語言」大有可能包括在「多說」之中。 

世俗教導有待審查!(張逸萍博士)

When You Love Someone Enough…

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 18:12-28.  Let’s go!

Acts 18:12-17 (NIV)
12  While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court.
13  “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
14  Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you.
15  But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law–settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.”
16  So he had them ejected from the court.
17  Then they all turned on Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever.
 
On verses 12-17:  In the past, in virtually every city where Paul preached the gospel, Paul faced persecution and harassment.  But while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to Paul, “Do not be afraid…I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city” (see Acts 18:9-10).  Here in verses 12-17 we see the Lord making good on His promise that no one would harm Paul.  Some Jews start legal proceedings against Paul and bring him to court before the proconsul Gallio, all with the hope of having Paul imprisoned or otherwise punished.  But nothing happens to Paul.  In fact, in court, Paul doesn’t even need to speak to defend himself, for before Paul is able to speak, the proconsul Gallio dismisses the claims of Paul’s opponents and ejects them from the court.

Thank God for Your Aquilas and Priscillas

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 18:1-11.  Let’s go!

Acts 18:1-3 (NIV)
1  After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
2  There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them,
3  and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.
 
On verses 1-3:  Paul, Aquila and Priscilla had a lot in common: they had all recently moved to Corinth (Paul from Athens, Aquila and Priscilla from Rome); they were all tentmakers; they were all Jewish by heritage; and there is a good chance that Aquila and Priscilla were already Christians by the time they met Paul.  With so much in common, it made sense to them to go into business together.  Just as Paul had Aquila and Priscilla, thank God for those like-minded people God has placed in your life with whom you can work and do life together.  May you make the most of those relationships and not take them for granted.

飛鳥的急轉彎

〈箴言〉6:5   要救自己如鹿脫離獵戶的手,如鳥脫離捕鳥人的手。

閱讀經文:〈箴言〉6:1-11

飛鳥的急轉彎

「如鳥脫離捕鳥人的手。」(箴言6:5)

鳥類是機警的動物,在飛行時遇到危險會急轉彎。所以在高速公路上,車子很少撞到鳥類。在鄉野,慢慢開車,反而會撞到鳥類。牠們自以為安全,就會失機警。

上帝提醒我們,謹慎自己的言語,免得言過其實;謹慎自己的承諾,超過自己的能力,就成為網羅。日後纏在其間,難以掙脫。我們要謹慎公開的見證,以免日後不 是那樣子。我們要謹慎愛情的承諾,以免激情過後難維繫。我們不要講「沒問題,這事包在我身上。」、「我保證完成」、「我一定負責到底」、「我支持到底」 等,講這些話是匹夫之勇,日後成網羅。

對天生熱情,喜歡幫助別人的人,要特別小心。有時幫助別人,反而絆倒人,要事先多想一想。主阿,我就是這樣的人,請教我急轉彎的飛行。(張文亮教授)

信靠主和倚賴主

有人問了一個問題,我們是應該信靠主,還是倚賴主?因為在信靠主時,該做的事,自己還是要努力去做;倚賴主就是我什麼都不用做了,上帝,都交給你了,我去玩囉!或睡大覺去!

世界上有一個很有趣的現象,往往越多使用的肢體或技能,它就越發達或越成熟;反之,你一旦不用,它就會越來越衰弱,越來越生疏。你去觀察骨折的病人,上了石膏後的腳,三週後拿掉石膏,那部份的肌肉都會萎縮。要再經過鍛鍊,肌肉才會再長出來。假如你學過第二語言,但是很久沒用,你的舌頭也會不聽使喚了。這是神給人的一個隱形的功課:毋怠惰。

The Reason God Allows Everything That Happens In Your Life

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 17:16-34.  Let’s go!

Acts 17:16-17 (NIV)
16  While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols.
17  So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there.

On verses 16-17:  Because Paul was distressed to see so many idols being worshiped in Athens, Paul decided to do something about it.  He begins to preach about Jesus in the synagogue and marketplace of Athens.  When you are distressed by something that you see, don’t just complain about it or be frustrated by it.  With your time and your talents, do something productive in light of it.

Acts 17:18 (NIV)
18  A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to dispute with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

通姦是不是罪

〈箴言〉5:18   要使你的泉源蒙福,要喜悅你幼年所娶的妻。

閱讀經文:〈箴言〉5:1-23

自從2013年台灣前文化部長龍應台於行政院會上的一句「通姦罪是落伍的法律」,讓通姦除罪化成為外界討論焦點。許多人分為正反兩方紛紛提出看法。贊成通姦除罪化的人,大多數認為:1.刑事處罰不應介入家庭生活,道德也不應用法律處罰。夫妻兩人的婚姻結合,是靠情感維繫及彼此經營,不須無限上綱國家介入;2.愛情不能用法律綁住,若想藉由通姦罪來限制對方發展,到最後卻是懲罰自己,無須用通姦罪來緊守一段不忠誠的婚姻;3.通姦罪形式上看似「性別平等」的男女都罰,但是若從實務操作的面向來看,通姦罪的存在,卻實質造成了懲罰更多女性的效果。4.再有一個藉口,便是通姦罪「是落伍的法律」,因為有「許多國家」都沒有這個刑法了。

反對通姦除罪的一面則認為:1. 婚姻不單只是愛情,對家庭的責任才是婚姻核心,因此通姦罪是維持婚姻穩定的重要規範,讓有心無膽的人不敢越界;2.台灣現行法律對已婚婦女已缺乏保障,包括財產的分配、子女的教養權,已對婦女相當不公平,若再將通姦除罪化,另一半配偶就可以為所欲為;3. 通姦罪雖然限制人民的性自由,但這是為維護婚姻、家庭制度及社會生活秩序;4. 由於家庭主婦多為經濟弱勢的一方,一旦發生丈夫外遇,刑法的存在還可協助配偶請求民事賠償,對弱勢的一方有雙重的保障。(內容節錄自新頭殼線上辯論) 

你呢?同不同意通姦除罪論?參與討論的,有人認為想廢除這條法律的人,無非是小三小四和八卦媒體,還有那些唯恐天下不亂的男人。假如你去訪問那些在戀愛中的人,你覺得他們會認為通姦是不是罪呢?假如他們的對象常劈腿,與人約炮,你想他們的戀情還能繼續嗎?劈腿是和別的異性交往,約炮是指約別人發生不必負責任的性活動。不僅如此,在號稱最前進的好萊塢,那些明星家庭的分裂,主因絕大多數是一方不忠誠,有了外遇。

With the Help of Our God, We Dared

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 17:1-15.  Let’s go!

Acts 17:1-5 (NIV)
1  When they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.
2  As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures,
3  explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,” he said.
4  Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women.
5  But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd.

On verses 1-5:  Here’s further proof that when Paul said, “Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:46), Paul was only talking about their mission in the city of Pisidian Antioch but didn’t mean he was giving up on reaching his own Jewish people.  For here in Acts 17:1-4 we see Paul, “as his custom was” (v2), going into the Jewish synagogue, this time in Thessalonica.  There Paul shows through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah and that this Messiah was destined to die and rise again from the grave.  And there, some Jews as well as a large number of Greek men and influential women find faith in Christ.

保守你心

〈箴言〉4:23  你要保守你心,勝過保守一切,因為一生的果效是由心發出。

閱讀經文:〈箴言〉4:1-27

做父母的人誰不希望自己的兒女一生平安呢?但是人生的道路何等崎嶇,每一個選擇都會帶我們走往不同的路。因此作為父母的可以給兒女最好的忠告,便是教導他們要保守自己的心勝於一切,因為一生的果效由心發出。這是父母的殷殷教誨,希望兒女持守智慧的道,不要被惡人所乘,以致跌倒。但事實上,現代多數父母怎樣教育孩子,完全以他們心中的思念為準,若是情緒不好時,有的父母也會亂來;每個人在成長期都會想試試看,用自己的想法來走自己的路,兒女的想法與父母不同時,就成了不聽話的兒女。

心中沒有智慧的父母,便無法以智慧教導兒女。我們的價值觀及社會觀,都已經受到這個社會極大的影響,也受到祖輩的灌輸,所以即使知道是智慧,也不一定會跟隨。因為我們的想法都很實際,以既得利益為先。凡事都想爭第一,都希望自己或孩子比人優秀。所以我們要先省察自己的意念和心思,因為人的意念若只以利益為出發點,很可能到最後得不償失。就像有一個留學生,去德國留學時,為了省錢,常常不買車票上車。沒想到他雖然以最好的學業成績畢業,找工作時卻到處碰壁。他百思不得其解,後來終於有人告訴他,他坐霸王車的記錄使許多大公司的主管都覺得此人不可靠,品德上有重大缺失。

因此我們自己要學習智慧之道,走正直的路,保守自己的心,遠離惡人的道,才能教導兒女也跟隨你的腳步,一生走在平安的路上。

不可行惡人的路,不要走壞人的道。要躲避,不可經過,要轉身而去。