Fall at Jesus’ Feet and Experience His Power

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 5:21-34.  Let’s go!

Mark 5:21-23 (NIV)
21  When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.
22  Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet
23  and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”
 
On verses 21-23:  Had the people living in the region of the Garasenes welcomed Jesus to stay, Jesus may not have crossed over to the other side of the lake and met Jairus and his dying daughter so soon.  The Garasene people’s rejection of Jesus actually opened the door for Jesus to do other and greater miracles elsewhere.  When one door closes, another door opens.  In all things God works for good.

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吃用享福致虚空

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传道书 2:24  人莫强如吃喝，且在劳碌中享福，我看这也是出于神的手。

阅读经文：传道书 2:24-26

24人莫强如吃喝，且在劳碌中享福，我看这也是出于神的手。25论到吃用享福，谁能胜过我呢？26神喜悦谁，就给谁智慧、知识和喜乐，唯有罪人，神使他劳苦，叫他将所收聚的、所堆积的归给神所喜悦的人。这也是虚空，也是捕风。

你对人生有没有一个结论？人生最重要的事是什么？伟大富有如所罗门王，对人生下了一个结论：“人莫强如吃喝，且在劳碌中享福”。这个结论真是令人大吃一惊？吃喝诚然重要，而且是人生的必须，这跟保罗说的：“神的国不在乎吃喝，只在乎公义、和平并圣灵中的喜乐”（罗14:17）。有何等大的差别！

所罗门王觉得吃喝最重要，在劳碌中享福，就是人生的最高境界。但是保罗说，在神的国度里，也就是对信主的人而言，吃喝真的不是最重要的，更重要的是行公义和平，拥有在圣灵中的喜乐。因为“人饥饿非因无饼，干渴非因无水，乃因不听耶和华的话”（阿摩司8:11）。换句话说，不是有吃有喝，人的心灵就会得到满足；人的满足来自行在神的话语当中。

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人的劳碌换得什么

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传道书 2:22  人在日光之下劳碌、累心，在他一切的劳碌上得着什么呢？

阅读经文：传道书 2:18-23

18我恨恶一切的劳碌，就是我在日光之下的劳碌，因为我得来的必留给我以后的人。19那人是智慧是愚昧，谁能知道？他竟要管理我劳碌所得的，就是我在日光之下用智慧所得的。这也是虚空。20故此，我转想我在日光之下所劳碌的一切工作，心便绝望。21因为有人用智慧、知识、灵巧所劳碌得来的，却要留给未曾劳碌的人为份。这也是虚空，也是大患。22人在日光之下劳碌、累心，在他一切的劳碌上得着什么呢？23因为他日日忧虑，他的劳苦成为愁烦，连夜间心也不安。这也是虚空。

我很讶异，充满智慧的所罗门王，也有如此狭窄的一面，和秦始皇想要长生的意念差不多。他们想的都是：这是我的、我的、我的。都是一国之君，但是不能接受人生的有限，无法面对将来的失去。现在大多数人都会考虑到将来，如何交棒，如何把自己的心血传给后代，好让他们可以做得更好，让社会或人类得到更大的益处。但是，所罗门王担心的，竟然是他个人的“失去”。

“我恨恶一切的劳碌，就是我在日光之下的劳碌”，所罗门从他的劳碌上因为看见收获就快乐，但是这快乐在一转念之中就消失了。因为他担心他自己用不完这些劳碌得来的，将来不知要给哪个败家子败光了，他的心里就觉得不值！在这里，我们看到《圣经》再一次显露了人最真实的一面，毫无遮掩地，把人的贪婪和无知暴露出来。让我们看到，即使智慧如所罗门，在心的最深处，也是平凡不过的俗人。

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Don’t Entertain Evil Spirits, but Welcome Jesus

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 5:11-20.  Let’s go!

Mark 5:11-13 (NIV)
11  A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.
12  The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.”
13  He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
 
On verses 11-13:  Notice a couple things here.  First, notice the authority of Jesus.  When Jesus confronted the demons, the demons could only beg for mercy and plead that they take refuge in the pigs instead of the man they had possessed.  Jesus is far greater than evil spirits, both in power and in authority.  So if you have Jesus in your heart, you don’t need to be afraid of evil spirits; evil spirits need to be afraid of you, not because you are anything, but because the Name Above All Names lives in you.

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智慧人和愚昧人一样

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传道书 2:14  智慧人的眼目光明，愚昧人在黑暗里行，我却看明有一件事，这两等人都必遇见。

阅读经文：传道书 2:12-17

12我转念观看智慧、狂妄和愚昧。在王以后而来的人还能做什么呢？也不过行早先所行的就是了。13我便看出智慧胜过愚昧，如同光明胜过黑暗。14智慧人的眼目光明，愚昧人在黑暗里行，我却看明有一件事，这两等人都必遇见。15我就心里说：「愚昧人所遇见的，我也必遇见，我为何更有智慧呢？」我心里说：「这也是虚空。」16智慧人和愚昧人一样，永远无人记念，因为日后都被忘记。可叹智慧人死亡，与愚昧人无异！17我所以恨恶生命，因为在日光之下所行的事我都以为烦恼，都是虚空，都是捕风。

你有没有发现，人的哲学和对人生的领悟是何等可怕的学问。当所罗门完全以人为本，以自我为重心时，他走进了一条没有出路的窄胡同。这就是没有神的人生，所面临的困境。当所罗门对这世上的享受和拥有做了实验之后，他开始去思考，究竟什么算是智慧？什么是狂妄和愚昧？

在第12节的下半句有两种译文：第一种就是“在王以后而来的人还能做什么呢？也不过行早先所行的就是了”。所罗门在当时的世代已经很确定，没有人比得上他了，不管是智慧、财富、荣华，等等，他都是世上第一人。在现在，他当然算不得是第一人了，他连摩托车都没坐过，也没汽车，又没搭过飞机，也不会用电脑，更没有手机，等等。所以我们知道，在他之后的人，还可以做很多他想不到的事。但是在他的心里，没有人能做他没做过的事了。人的心就是这么小，被自己的背景和社会所局限。

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Jesus is Greater Than Evil Spirits

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 5:1-10.  Let’s go!

Mark 5:1-5 (NIV)
1  They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.
2  When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him.
3  This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain.
4  For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.
5  Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.

On verses 1-5:  Notice what happened when Satan got a hold of this man’s life: the man had unusual strength (v4) and yet he spent his days among dead people, hanging among the tombs (v3), cutting himself with stones (v5) and desperate for help.  Similarly, those who play around with the occult or who allow Satan to take hold of their life may from time to time experience unusual strength, but that strength also comes with a haunting emptiness, a depression, a loneliness, great fear and a lack of peace.  The fact that the word “tombs” keeps getting repeated (v2, v3, v5) suggests this:  Satan will never lead you to a place of life but a place of death.

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Jesus Will See You Through The Storm

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 4:30-41.  Let’s go!

Mark 4:30-32 (NIV)
30  Again he said, “What shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it?
31  It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.
32  Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade.”

On verses 30-32:  Whenever the kingdom of God starts in any heart, in any city, in any place in the world, it always begins the same way: as the tiniest seed.  Over time, however, it can become the biggest thing you see and strong enough to give protection and shelter to others.  So don’t despise small beginnings.  God doesn’t.

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所罗门的实验

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传道书 2:9  这样，我就日见昌盛，胜过以前在耶路撒冷的众人。我的智慧仍然存留。

阅读经文：传道书 2:4-11

4我为自己动大工程，建造房屋，栽种葡萄园，5修造园囿，在其中栽种各样果木树，6挖造水池，用以浇灌嫩小的树木。7我买了仆婢，也有生在家中的仆婢；又有许多牛群羊群，胜过以前在耶路撒冷众人所有的。8我又为自己积蓄金银和君王的财宝，并各省的财宝；又得唱歌的男女和世人所喜爱的物，并许多的妃嫔。9这样，我就日见昌盛，胜过以前在耶路撒冷的众人。我的智慧仍然存留。10凡我眼所求的，我没有留下不给它的；我心所乐的，我没有禁止不享受的。因我的心为我一切所劳碌的快乐，这就是我从劳碌中所得的份。11后来我察看我手所经营的一切事和我劳碌所成的功，谁知都是虚空，都是捕风，在日光之下毫无益处。

所罗门王从几方面开始他的实验：一是动大工程，造房建屋；二是修造园囿，栽种各样果树；三是买足仆婢；四是买牛和羊；五是努力赚钱存钱，买乐队，娶妃嫔。换是在今日，可能还要买私人飞机和游艇，加上环游世界。他提供了很多工作的机会，相对的，钱也赚回来了。所以他日见昌盛，胜过以前在耶路撒冷的众人。但是他的智慧仍然存留，意思是他没有迷失在他的成功里，他的心依然在寻找。

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