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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所罗门的追寻

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传道书 2:1 我心里说：「来吧，我以喜乐试试你，你好享福。」谁知，这也是虚空。

阅读经文：传道书 2:1-3

1我心里说：「来吧，我以喜乐试试你，你好享福。」谁知，这也是虚空。2我指喜笑说：「这是狂妄」，论喜乐说：「有何功效呢？」3我心里察究如何用酒使我肉体舒畅，我心却仍以智慧引导我；又如何持住愚昧，等我看明世人，在天下一生当行何事为美。

在所罗门寻找日光之下有何值得他把握的事情时，他以寻乐为第一目标。世人都喜欢快乐，不是吗？喜乐和享福，是许多人心中的第一志愿。父母叫我们小时候要好好读书，就可以有好成绩，才能考上好大学，毕业后才能找到好工作，才能赚大钱。有了钱，就可以买大房子、豪华轿车、请得起佣人，结婚有排场，孩子上名校，等等。所以人生以赚钱为目的，赚钱是为了享福，享福是为了让自己看起来有面子，不必动手做事。到处旅游，享受荣华富贵。

在温哥华有很多移民都已经达到这样的水准了，要什么有什么。结果，你知道吗？有很多这样的达人和贵夫人，天天往赌馆跑，最后把什么都输光了。他们有很多钱，买到了几百万的房子，最名贵的轿车，家里佣人三班制，儿女上不上得了名校又是另一回事。但是享福的结果是只想找刺激作乐。快乐是在找刺激时来那么一下，立刻又走了，因为输钱了；快乐在赢钱时也会过来一下，也很快就走了，因为一下子就输光了。

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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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智慧和愁烦

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传道书 1:14   我见日光之下所做的一切事都是虚空，都是捕风。

阅读经文：传道书 1:12-18

12我传道者，在耶路撒冷做过以色列的王。13我专心用智慧寻求查究天下所做的一切事，乃知神叫世人所经练的，是极重的劳苦。14我见日光之下所做的一切事都是虚空，都是捕风。15弯曲的不能变直，缺少的不能足数。16我心里议论说：「我得了大智慧，胜过我以前在耶路撒冷的众人，而且我心中多经历智慧和知识的事。」17我又专心察明智慧、狂妄和愚昧，乃知这也是捕风。18因为多有智慧就多有愁烦，加增知识的就加增忧伤。

所罗门王自称是传道者Preacher，也有译为寻道者 the Quester。我觉得寻道者好像比传道者更贴切。因为在第13节里，每一个译本都指出所罗门在探寻和追索他所能看到的一切事，为了要找出人生的意义。不料，他的探寻却有一个极为令人惊讶的结果。因为他发现，这世上所发生的一切事，都是造物者为了让人类有事可做，有事可忙。和合本则译为“极重的劳苦”。假如按着人的经历：生老病死而言，用极重的劳苦也不为过。

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万事尽属虚空

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传道书 1:2 传道者说：虚空的虚空，虚空的虚空，凡事都是虚空。

阅读经文：传道书 1:1-11

1在耶路撒冷做王，大卫的儿子传道者的言语。2传道者说：虚空的虚空，虚空的虚空，凡事都是虚空。3人一切的劳碌，就是他在日光之下的劳碌，有什么益处呢？4一代过去，一代又来，地却永远长存。5日头出来，日头落下，急归所出之地。6风往南刮，又向北转，不住地旋转，而且返回转行原道。7江河都往海里流，海却不满；江河从何处流，仍归还何处。8万事令人厌烦，人不能说尽。眼看，看不饱；耳听，听不足。9已有的事后必再有，已行的事后必再行，日光之下并无新事。10岂有一件事人能指著说「这是新的」？哪知，在我们以前的世代早已有了。11已过的世代无人记念，将来的世代后来的人也不记念。

这是一本非常令人喜爱且广传的书。假如说叔本华、尼采等人的作品很有哲理，那么不妨读读〈传道书〉，更是一针见血道出人生的真相。作者应该就是所罗门王，因为他在耶路撒冷做王，又是大卫的儿子，除了所罗门，还有谁呢？当然，也有人认为像〈箴言〉一样，这本书也是希西家王派人编辑而成的。但主要的作者还是所罗门。伟大蒙福如所罗门王，竟然在一句话里道出了五个虚空Vanity，他是怎么想的？

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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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才德的妇女

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箴言31:10  才德的妇人谁能得着呢？她的价值胜过珍珠。

阅读经文：箴言 31:10-31

10 才德的妇人谁能得着呢？她的价值胜过珍珠。 11 她丈夫心里倚靠她，必不缺少利益。 12 她一生使丈夫有益无损。 13 她寻找羊绒和麻，甘心用手做工。 14 她好像商船，从远方运粮来。 15 未到黎明她就起来，把食物分给家中的人，将当做的工分派婢女。 16 她想得田地就买来，用手所得之利栽种葡萄园。 17 她以能力束腰，使膀臂有力。 18 她觉得所经营的有利，她的灯终夜不灭。 19 她手拿撚线竿，手把纺线车。 20 她张手赒济困苦人，伸手帮补穷乏人。 21 她不因下雪为家里的人担心，因为全家都穿着朱红衣服。 22 她为自己制作绣花毯子，她的衣服是细麻和紫色布做的。 23 她丈夫在城门口与本地的长老同坐，为众人所认识。 24 她做细麻布衣裳出卖，又将腰带卖于商家。 25 能力和威仪是她的衣服，她想到日后的景况就喜笑。 26 她开口就发智慧，她舌上有仁慈的法则。 27 她观察家务，并不吃闲饭。 28 她的儿女起来称她有福，她的丈夫也称赞她， 29 说：「才德的女子很多，唯独你超过一切。」 30 艳丽是虚假的，美容是虚浮的，唯敬畏耶和华的妇女必得称赞。 31 愿她享受操作所得的，愿她的工作在城门口荣耀她。

才德的妇女，是利慕伊勒王的母亲所盼望有的媳妇。假如真的要像她所说的通通做到，可能要去订做一个机器人。难怪这世上有很少满意媳妇的婆婆，因为她所订的标准实在无人能及。为什么呢？因为她的灯终夜不灭，未到黎明就要起来，这样不用一星期或一个月，谁能不倒？但是若把她的看法分开来看，其中有许多值得我们借镜的地方。

我觉得第11节是做妻子的成功之匙。不要总是在细节上和丈夫争闹，要成为一个丈夫心里可以倚靠的女人。是心里，不是外表。正如王的母亲所说的，“她丈夫在城门口与本地的长老同坐，为众人所认识。”丈夫在外面必须有面子，所以一个才德的妇人，是在暗地里支持丈夫，从里面把他撑起来的人。不是在外面和丈夫抢荣耀的人。

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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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一个母亲的肺腑之言

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箴言31:2  我的儿啊，我腹中生的儿啊，我许愿得的儿啊，我当怎样教训你呢？

阅读经文：箴言 31:1-9

1利慕伊勒王的言语，是他母亲教训他的真言。2我的儿啊，我腹中生的儿啊，我许愿得的儿啊，我当怎样教训你呢？3不要将你的精力给妇女，也不要有败坏君王的行为。4利慕伊勒啊，君王喝酒，君王喝酒不相宜，王子说「浓酒在哪里」也不相宜。5恐怕喝了就忘记律例，颠倒一切困苦人的是非。6可以把浓酒给将亡的人喝，把清酒给苦心的人喝。7让他喝了，就忘记他的贫穷，不再记念他的苦楚。8你当为哑巴开口，为一切孤独的申冤。9你当开口按公义判断，为困苦和穷乏的辨屈。

有人知道利慕伊勒王是谁吗？知道的请提供消息。在各种查经资料里有许多猜测，在这里我只采用两种比较有可能的说法。第一是根据古老拉比们的说法，他们认为利慕伊勒Lemuel就是所罗门王。在巴比伦《塔木德》一书里指出所罗门一共有六个名字，其中有一个名字就是利慕伊勒，意思就是“towards (lemo) God (el)向着神”。

有位拉比Moncure Daniel Conway曾写过一本有关所罗门王的书，其中有一段故事发生在拔示巴和所罗门之间，和今天的经文有关。大家还记得拔示巴吗？她就是大卫王不择手段抢来的女人，所罗门就是他们的第二个孩子，第一个在神的惩罚下死了。故事是这样的，在所罗门建了圣殿，献殿的那天，所罗门王和埃及公主成婚。那天所罗门喝得酩酊大醉，到第二天才醒来。因为开圣殿的钥匙放在所罗门的枕头下面，因此无法开启圣殿的门。大家都不敢去吵醒所罗门王，因此他的母亲拔示巴进入他的卧室并责备他。

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