Don’t Be Afraid to Share What God Has Given You

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 4:21-29.  Let’s go!

Mark 4:21-23 (NIV)
21  He said to them, “Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don’t you put it on its stand?
22  For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open.
23  If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.”
 
On verses 21-23:  Remember that Jesus is talking here with his disciples, to whom he has revealed the secrets of God’s kingdom (see v11).  As a disciple of Jesus, you’ve been entrusted with the light of His truth not just for your benefit but for the benefit of others.  God doesn’t give you this light so that would hide it (“put it under a bowl or a bed” – 21).   He wants you to share it, disclose it, bring it out into the open (v22). 

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所羅門的追尋

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傳道書 2:1 我心裡說：「來吧，我以喜樂試試你，你好享福。」誰知，這也是虛空。

閱讀經文：傳道書 2:1-3

1我心裡說：「來吧，我以喜樂試試你，你好享福。」誰知，這也是虛空。2我指喜笑說：「這是狂妄」，論喜樂說：「有何功效呢？」3我心裡察究如何用酒使我肉體舒暢，我心卻仍以智慧引導我；又如何持住愚昧，等我看明世人，在天下一生當行何事為美。

在所羅門尋找日光之下有何值得他把握的事情時，他以尋樂為第一目標。世人都喜歡快樂，不是嗎？喜樂和享福，是許多人心中的第一志願。父母叫我們小時候要好好讀書，就可以有好成績，才能考上好大學，畢業後才能找到好工作，才能賺大錢。有了錢，就可以買大房子、豪華轎車、請得起佣人，結婚有排場，孩子上名校，等等。所以人生以賺錢為目的，賺錢是為了享福，享福是為了讓自己看起來有面子，不必動手做事。到處旅遊，享受榮華富貴。

在溫哥華有很多移民都已經達到這樣的水準了，要什麼有什麼。結果，你知道嗎？有很多這樣的達人和貴夫人，天天往賭館跑，最後把什麼都輸光了。他們有很多錢，買到了幾百萬的房子，最名貴的轎車，家裡佣人三班制，兒女上不上得了名校又是另一回事。但是享福的結果是只想找刺激作樂。快樂是在找刺激時來那麼一下，立刻又走了，因為輸錢了；快樂在贏錢時也會過來一下，也很快就走了，因為一下子就輸光了。

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Keep a Soft Heart Toward God

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Hi GAMErs!  

Today’s passage is Mark 4:10-20.  Let’s go!

Mark 4:10-12 (NIV)
10  When he was alone, the Twelve and the others around him asked him about the parables.
11  He told them, “The secret of the kingdom of God has been given to you. But to those on the outside everything is said in parables
12  so that, “‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven!'”
 
On verses 10-12:  Yesterday we learned one reason why Jesus taught in parables: to make truth about the kingdom of God easier for his disciples to understand and remember.  But here we learn a second reason why Jesus taught in parables and, paradoxically, it’s the opposite of the first reason: Jesus taught in parables in part to make it difficult for those whom God had not chosen to understand what Jesus was saying.
 

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智慧和愁煩

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傳道書 1:14   我見日光之下所做的一切事都是虛空，都是捕風。

閱讀經文：傳道書 1:12-18

12我傳道者，在耶路撒冷做過以色列的王。13我專心用智慧尋求查究天下所做的一切事，乃知神叫世人所經練的，是極重的勞苦。14我見日光之下所做的一切事都是虛空，都是捕風。15彎曲的不能變直，缺少的不能足數。16我心裡議論說：「我得了大智慧，勝過我以前在耶路撒冷的眾人，而且我心中多經歷智慧和知識的事。」17我又專心察明智慧、狂妄和愚昧，乃知這也是捕風。18因為多有智慧就多有愁煩，加增知識的就加增憂傷。

所羅門王自稱是傳道者Preacher，也有譯為尋道者 the Quester。我覺得尋道者好像比傳道者更貼切。因為在第13節裡，每一個譯本都指出所羅門在探尋和追索他所能看到的一切事，為了要找出人生的意義。不料，他的探尋卻有一個極為令人驚訝的結果。因為他發現，這世上所發生的一切事，都是造物者為了讓人類有事可做，有事可忙。和合本則譯為“極重的勞苦”。假如按著人的經歷：生老病死而言，用極重的勞苦也不為過。

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萬事盡屬虛空

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傳道書 1:2 傳道者說：虛空的虛空，虛空的虛空，凡事都是虛空。

閱讀經文：傳道書 1:1-11

1在耶路撒冷做王，大衛的兒子傳道者的言語。2傳道者說：虛空的虛空，虛空的虛空，凡事都是虛空。3人一切的勞碌，就是他在日光之下的勞碌，有什麼益處呢？4一代過去，一代又來，地卻永遠長存。5日頭出來，日頭落下，急歸所出之地。6風往南颳，又向北轉，不住地旋轉，而且返回轉行原道。7江河都往海裡流，海卻不滿；江河從何處流，仍歸還何處。8萬事令人厭煩，人不能說盡。眼看，看不飽；耳聽，聽不足。9已有的事後必再有，已行的事後必再行，日光之下並無新事。10豈有一件事人能指著說「這是新的」？哪知，在我們以前的世代早已有了。11已過的世代無人記念，將來的世代後來的人也不記念。

這是一本非常令人喜愛且廣傳的書。假如說叔本華、尼采等人的作品很有哲理，那麼不妨讀讀〈傳道書〉，更是一針見血道出人生的真相。作者應該就是所羅門王，因為他在耶路撒冷做王，又是大衛的兒子，除了所羅門，還有誰呢？當然，也有人認為像〈箴言〉一樣，這本書也是希西家王派人編輯而成的。但主要的作者還是所羅門。偉大蒙福如所羅門王，竟然在一句話裡道出了五個虛空Vanity，他是怎麼想的？

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Aim to Be a Great Communicator

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Hi GAMErs!  

Today’s passage is Mark 4:1-9.  Let’s go!

Mark 4:1 (NIV)
1  Again Jesus began to teach by the lake. The crowd that gathered around him was so large that he got into a boat and sat in it out on the lake, while all the people were along the shore at the water’s edge.
 
On verse 1:  According to many scholars, Jesus’ voice would project more clearly by sitting in a boat out on a lake than standing on the shore.  This would make a difference especially when speaking to a large crowd, as Jesus often would.  So church volunteers and staff who are into sound crew and sound editing, remember this:  Jesus cared about good sound!  Your ministry matters so much.  For if the sound quality is not good, it almost doesn’t matter how good the message is or how well the band plays and sings.  If Jesus was intentional about having a good sound delivery system, we should be as well. 

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才德的婦女

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箴言31:10  才德的婦人誰能得著呢？她的價值勝過珍珠。

閱讀經文：箴言 31:10-31

10 才德的婦人誰能得著呢？她的價值勝過珍珠。 11 她丈夫心裡倚靠她，必不缺少利益。 12 她一生使丈夫有益無損。 13 她尋找羊絨和麻，甘心用手做工。 14 她好像商船，從遠方運糧來。 15 未到黎明她就起來，把食物分給家中的人，將當做的工分派婢女。 16 她想得田地就買來，用手所得之利栽種葡萄園。 17 她以能力束腰，使膀臂有力。 18 她覺得所經營的有利，她的燈終夜不滅。 19 她手拿撚線竿，手把紡線車。 20 她張手賙濟困苦人，伸手幫補窮乏人。 21 她不因下雪為家裡的人擔心，因為全家都穿著朱紅衣服。 22 她為自己製作繡花毯子，她的衣服是細麻和紫色布做的。 23 她丈夫在城門口與本地的長老同坐，為眾人所認識。 24 她做細麻布衣裳出賣，又將腰帶賣於商家。 25 能力和威儀是她的衣服，她想到日後的景況就喜笑。 26 她開口就發智慧，她舌上有仁慈的法則。 27 她觀察家務，並不吃閒飯。 28 她的兒女起來稱她有福，她的丈夫也稱讚她， 29 說：「才德的女子很多，唯獨你超過一切。」 30 豔麗是虛假的，美容是虛浮的，唯敬畏耶和華的婦女必得稱讚。 31 願她享受操作所得的，願她的工作在城門口榮耀她。

才德的婦女，是利慕伊勒王的母親所盼望有的媳婦。假如真的要像她所說的通通做到，可能要去訂做一個機器人。難怪這世上有很少滿意媳婦的婆婆，因為她所訂的標準實在無人能及。為什麼呢？因為她的燈終夜不滅，未到黎明就要起來，這樣不用一星期或一個月，誰能不倒？但是若把她的看法分開來看，其中有許多值得我們借鏡的地方。

我覺得第11節是做妻子的成功之匙。不要總是在細節上和丈夫爭鬧，要成為一個丈夫心裡可以倚靠的女人。是心裡，不是外表。正如王的母親所說的，“她丈夫在城門口與本地的長老同坐，為眾人所認識。”丈夫在外面必須有面子，所以一個才德的婦人，是在暗地裡支持丈夫，從裡面把他撐起來的人。不是在外面和丈夫搶榮耀的人。

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Misunderstood By Your Family?

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Hi GAMErs!  

Today’s passage is Mark 3:31-35.  Let’s go!

Mark 3:31-35 (NIV)
31  Then Jesus’ mother and brothers arrived. Standing outside, they sent someone in to call him.
32  A crowd was sitting around him, and they told him, “Your mother and brothers are outside looking for you.”
33  “Who are my mother and my brothers?” he asked.
34  Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!
35  Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”
 
On verses 31-35:  Jesus was known for making shocking statements, but what did Jesus mean exactly when he says that “whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother” (v34-35)?  Jesus means that those who believe in Jesus and follow Him are Jesus’ true family.  The same goes with us today.  When you believe in Jesus and decide to follow Him, not only are you forgiven of your sins, but you become a child of God and a member of God’s family, and those who also believe in Jesus are your brothers and sisters in Christ.

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You Belong to Someone Stronger

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 3:20-30.  Let’s go!

Mark 3:20-22 (NIV)
20  Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat.
21  When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.”
22  And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebub! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.”
 
On verses 20-22:  In our day a lot of people long to be famous.  But here we learn something about fame from the most famous person of all, Jesus Christ: fame is a double-edged sword.  For example:
 
You may have crowds that love you, but you’ll also find it difficult to have a normal life because of it.  For example, Jesus couldn’t eat his meal because there were people crowding him and clamouring for his attention (v20).  

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一個母親的肺腑之言

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箴言31:2  我的兒啊，我腹中生的兒啊，我許願得的兒啊，我當怎樣教訓你呢？

閱讀經文：箴言 31:1-9

1利慕伊勒王的言語，是他母親教訓他的真言。2我的兒啊，我腹中生的兒啊，我許願得的兒啊，我當怎樣教訓你呢？3不要將你的精力給婦女，也不要有敗壞君王的行為。4利慕伊勒啊，君王喝酒，君王喝酒不相宜，王子說「濃酒在哪裡」也不相宜。5恐怕喝了就忘記律例，顛倒一切困苦人的是非。6可以把濃酒給將亡的人喝，把清酒給苦心的人喝。7讓他喝了，就忘記他的貧窮，不再記念他的苦楚。8你當為啞巴開口，為一切孤獨的申冤。9你當開口按公義判斷，為困苦和窮乏的辨屈。

有人知道利慕伊勒王是誰嗎？知道的請提供消息。在各種查經資料裡有許多猜測，在這裡我只採用兩種比較有可能的說法。第一是根據古老拉比們的說法，他們認為利慕伊勒Lemuel就是所羅門王。在巴比倫《塔木德》一書裡指出所羅門一共有六個名字，其中有一個名字就是利慕伊勒，意思就是“towards (lemo) God (el)向著神”。

有位拉比Moncure Daniel Conway曾寫過一本有關所羅門王的書，其中有一段故事發生在拔示巴和所羅門之間，和今天的經文有關。大家還記得拔示巴嗎？她就是大衛王不擇手段搶來的女人，所羅門就是他們的第二個孩子，第一個在神的懲罰下死了。故事是這樣的，在所羅門建了聖殿，獻殿的那天，所羅門王和埃及公主成婚。那天所羅門喝得酩酊大醉，到第二天才醒來。因為開聖殿的鑰匙放在所羅門的枕頭下面，因此無法開啟聖殿的門。大家都不敢去吵醒所羅門王，因此他的母親拔示巴進入他的臥室並責備他。

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