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Work Hard and Play Hard WITH God, not without Him

2023-10-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 2:1-11.  In case you’re wondering, since I believe that Qohelet, the main speaker  in Ecclesiastes, is best identified as Solomon, I will refer to him interchangeably as Qohelet or Solomon.  Let’s go!

Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (NIV)
1  I thought in my heart, “Come now, I will test you with pleasure to find out what is good.” But that also proved to be meaningless.
2  “Laughter,” I said, “is foolish. And what does pleasure accomplish?”
3  I tried cheering myself with wine, and embracing folly–my mind still guiding me with wisdom. I wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives.

On verses 1-11:  After focusing so much on gaining and studying wisdom and coming up empty (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18), Solomon shifts his focus to amassing wealth and pursuing pleasure.  Solomon claims that his goal was “to see what was good for people to do under the heavens during the few days of their lives.” (v3)  Pastor-author Douglas Sean O’Donnell puts it this way: in Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 Solomon searches for satisfaction in 4 places: the pub, the garden, the treasury, and the bedroom.

兩根木杖接連為一

2023-10-02 in , /by

以西結書 37:17  你要使這兩根木杖接連為一，在你手中成為一根。

閱讀經文：以西結書  37:15-28

15耶和華的話又臨到我說： 16 「人子啊，你要取一根木杖，在其上寫『為猶大和他的同伴以色列人』。又取一根木杖，在其上寫『為約瑟，就是為以法蓮，又為他的同伴以色列全家』。 17 你要使這兩根木杖接連為一，在你手中成為一根。 18 你本國的子民問你說：『這是什麼意思，你不指示我們嗎？』 19 你就對他們說：『主耶和華如此說：我要將約瑟和他同伴以色列支派的杖，就是那在以法蓮手中的，與猶大的杖一同接連為一，在我手中成為一根。』 20 你所寫的那兩根杖要在他們眼前拿在手中， 21 要對他們說：『主耶和華如此說：我要將以色列人從他們所到的各國收取，又從四圍聚集他們，引導他們歸回本地。

在迦巴魯河邊，當猶大被擄到巴比倫的人正在愁眉不展，為故國傷痛不已時，神藉著以西結給他們帶來了枯骨復生的預言，預言靈性早已死亡的以色列人（包括猶大人），都必在神的恩典裡復得新的生命和新的靈。當他們的生命和靈魂都在主裡復活時，以色列和猶大的統一就會來臨。對神而言，這兩個國是一個國，原都是雅各（以色列）的後裔，原是不應分開的。雖然以色列北國是指以色列的十個支派，猶大南國是指以色列的兩個支派：猶大和便雅憫。但是它們應該是一個國家，不是兩個國家，所以有一天，神要把它們重新整合，恢復大衛王在世的盛況，一個國家，就是以色列。

以西結見枯骨復生

2023-10-01 in , /by

以西結書 37:14a  我必將我的靈放在你們裡面，你們就要活了。

閱讀經文：以西結書  37:1-14

1耶和華的靈降在我身上，耶和華藉他的靈帶我出去，將我放在平原中，這平原遍滿骸骨。 2 他使我從骸骨的四圍經過，誰知在平原的骸骨甚多，而且極其枯乾。 3 他對我說：「人子啊，這些骸骨能復活嗎？」我說：「主耶和華啊，你是知道的。」 4 他又對我說：「你向這些骸骨發預言說：『枯乾的骸骨啊，要聽耶和華的話！ 5 主耶和華對這些骸骨如此說：我必使氣息進入你們裡面，你們就要活了。 6 我必給你們加上筋，使你們長肉，又將皮遮蔽你們，使氣息進入你們裡面，你們就要活了，你們便知道我是耶和華。』」

這是以西結書很出名的一個異象。神的靈再次帶以西結出去，把他放在一個滿是骸骨的平原中。換了是你，會不會覺得很可怕呢？那裡的骸骨不僅數目眾多，而且極其枯乾，表示那些人已經死了一段很長的時間。就好像亞倫用的手杖一樣，已經枯乾的木頭，沒有生命力，不可能再長芽了。但是神使亞倫的杖一夜之間，發芽、開花、結果。所以神問以西結，這些枯乾的骸骨，有沒有復活的可能？在人不可能，但是在神，沒有不可能的事情。所以在這裡，我們又發現另一個為什麼神要人要知道祂是耶和華神的特質，唯有祂能使枯骨復活，重得生命。因為祂就是賜人生命的神。

Can You Find Happiness by Pursuing Knowledge?

2023-10-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ecclesiastes 1:12-18.  Let’s go!

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 (NIV)
12  I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
13  I devoted myself to study and to explore by wisdom all that is done under heaven. What a heavy burden God has laid on men!
14  I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.
15  What is twisted cannot be straightened; what is lacking cannot be counted.
16  I thought to myself, “Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.”
17  Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.
18  For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief.
 
On verses 12-18:  In verse 12 Qohelet (the Teacher) confirms that he was king of Israel, ruling in Jerusalem.  Then in verses 13-15 Qohelet describes how he pursued wisdom and knowledge, yet it led him nowhere.  Despite trying to wisely explore everything that is done on the earth (v13), he found nothing that was truly meaningful; everything was just “a chasing after the wind” (v14).  Moreover, Qohelet found that there were certain problems that could not be solved (“what is twisted cannot be straightened” – v15) and certain questions where key information was lacking which made finding an answer impossible (“what is lacking cannot be counted” – v15).  Thus he concludes that pursuing wisdom and knowledge this way was “a heavy burden” that God had laid upon people (v13). 
 

When Life Feels Meaningless

2023-09-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of Ecclesiastes, often considered one of the most puzzling books in the Bible.  The book of Ecclesiastes is about a person known only as “Qohelet”, a Hebrew word often translated into English as the “Teacher” or the “Preacher”, or “Ecclesiastes” in Greek.  Qohelet looks back on his life and draws a number of conclusions based on his life experiences.  Traditionally Qohelet has been identified with King Solomon for many reasons: he is described as a “son of David” (1:1), was “king over Israel in Jerusalem” (1:12), had more wisdom than anyone who ruled in Jerusalem before him (1:16), undertook huge projects (2:4-6), amassed incredible wealth (2:7-8a), owned a harem (2:8), imparted knowledge to the people (12:9), searched out and arranged many proverbs (12:9) and came up with many of his own wise sayings (12:10).   All that certainly sounds like Solomon, although his name is never mentioned explicitly in the book.   Some scholars question whether the author of Ecclesiastes was actually Solomon.  They instead argue that Ecclesiastes falls within a genre of ancient Near Eastern writing known as a fictional autobiography, where someone adopts the persona of a famous person (in this case, Solomon) in order to communicate their ideas.  Ecclesiastes reads like an old, jaded, disillusioned King Solomon in his later years, expressing what is left of his faith in God after he had married many foreign wives and worshiped many foreign gods.  Whether the writer of Ecclesiastes was actually Solomon or not, there is much we can learn from this book in the Bible. 

神賜新心新靈

2023-09-29 in , /by

以西結書 36:27  我必將我的靈放在你們裡面，使你們順從我的律例，謹守遵行我的典章。

閱讀經文：以西結書  36:1-38

1「人子啊，你要對以色列山發預言說：『以色列山哪，要聽耶和華的話。 2 主耶和華如此說：因仇敵說「啊哈！這永久的山岡都歸我們為業了」， 3 所以要發預言說：「主耶和華如此說：因為敵人使你荒涼，四圍吞吃，好叫你歸於其餘的外邦人為業，並且多嘴多舌的人提起你來，百姓也說你有臭名， 4 故此，以色列山要聽主耶和華的話。大山小岡，水溝山谷，荒廢之地，被棄之城——為四圍其餘的外邦人所占據、所譏刺的， 5 主耶和華對你們如此說：我真發憤恨如火，責備那其餘的外邦人和以東的眾人，他們快樂滿懷，心存恨惡，將我的地歸自己為業，又看為被棄的掠物。」』

在仇敵的譏笑聲中，神站出來了。但是祂也告訴以色列民，祂不是為了他們而爭戰，而是為了神自己的名而爭戰。因為耶和華神是至高，宇宙唯一的真神，雖然管教子民，使他們暫時失去地業，成為落魄，但是譏笑神的外邦人，將會擔當自己的羞辱。

“他們就知道我是耶和華。”為什麼神要我們，要世人認識祂是耶和華呢？在這一章裡，我們看到祂是怎樣的神呢？

1. 有權柄和能力的神。 四圍的外邦人總要擔當自己的羞辱。他們怎樣占據以色列人的地業，都要歸還。因為神要再次幫助以色列，使他們人數增多，又使他們得地為業。是怎樣的神才能有權柄和能力，按著自己的心意去運轉乾坤呢？藉著世局的逆轉，神要讓人明白唯有祂，是運轉乾坤的神。

永懷仇恨的以東

2023-09-28 in , /by

以西結書 35: 8   我必使西珥山滿有被殺的人，被刀殺的必倒在你小山和山谷，並一切的溪水中。

閱讀經文：以西結書  35:1-15

1耶和華的話又臨到我說： 2 「人子啊，你要面向西珥山發預言攻擊他， 3 對他說：『主耶和華如此說：西珥山哪，我與你為敵，必向你伸手攻擊你，使你荒涼，令人驚駭。 4 我必使你的城邑變為荒場，成為淒涼，你就知道我是耶和華。 5 因為你永懷仇恨，在以色列人遭災、罪孽到了盡頭的時候，將他們交於刀劍， 6 所以主耶和華說：我指著我的永生起誓，我必使你遭遇流血的報應，罪必追趕你。你既不恨惡殺人流血，所以這罪必追趕你。

為何神要對以色列周邊的國家也發出預言呢？假如神像其他國家的偶像或假神只管自己的地盤，那麼祂就不是宇宙的神了。神要讓所有人都知道，祂是掌管天地，宇宙萬物的耶和華，好讓所有願意相信祂的人都能得到救恩。這就是神的心，祂何等希望人脫離無知和愚昧的崇拜，認識真神和假神、偶像的區別。

神可以預言以東的未來，表示祂也是掌管以東命運的主宰。在這裡，西珥山就是指以東人住的地方。神指出以東的一些短處，這些短處也可能是我們當中有些人的毛病和問題。例如，神講到以東人對以色列人的“永懷仇恨”。這是一個很可怕的致命傷。我認識一位朋友，因為年輕時被丈夫和夫家傷害得很深，她不原諒，寧可不受洗，也要抱著仇恨去過日子。因為她覺得只要她不原諒，她的丈夫就永遠不能釋懷，她要以自己的“永懷仇恨”去作為對丈夫的報復。她相信耶穌，卻不能把這仇恨交給耶穌，以致因而遲遲不敢受洗。她的一生就在這永懷仇恨的心情中度過。年復一年，她選擇活在過去的傷痛和仇恨裡，把自己的生命都搭上了，失去了在主裡的平安和喜樂。你願意這樣生活嗎？

When Someone Lets You Down

2023-09-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 2 Timothy 4:9-22.  Let’s go!

2 Timothy 4:9-15 (NIV) 
9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 
10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 
11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry. 
12 I sent Tychicus to Ephesus. 
13 When you come, bring the cloak that I left with Carpus at Troas, and my scrolls, especially the parchments. 
14 Alexander the metalworker did me a great deal of harm. The Lord will repay him for what he has done. 
15 You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.

On verses 9-15:  Ministry is about serving God but it’s also about working with people.  Because none of us is perfect, you and those you serve with are bound to encounter tension, disagreement and conflict from time to time.  So what should you do?  From these verses we see how a mature leader in God’s kingdom deals with hurt and conflict with fellow servants of God.  In particular here are 3 things I learn from Paul’s example:

耶和華躬自做牧

2023-09-27 in , /by

以西結書 34:11 主耶和華如此說：看哪，我必親自尋找我的羊，將他們尋見。

閱讀經文：以西結書  34:1-31

1耶和華的話臨到我說： 2 「人子啊，你要向以色列的牧人發預言攻擊他們，說：『主耶和華如此說：禍哉，以色列的牧人！只知牧養自己。牧人豈不當牧養群羊嗎？ 3 你們吃脂油，穿羊毛，宰肥壯的，卻不牧養群羊。 4 瘦弱的你們沒有養壯，有病的你們沒有醫治，受傷的你們沒有纏裹，被逐的你們沒有領回，失喪的你們沒有尋找，但用強暴嚴嚴地轄制。 5 因無牧人，羊就分散，既分散，便做了一切野獸的食物。 6 我的羊在諸山間、在各高岡上流離，在全地上分散，無人去尋，無人去找。

大家讀到這章經文，心裡有沒有很感動呢？不管我們以前在教會有怎樣的經歷，天父都知道。教會裡有好牧人，也有壞牧人。在這裡，神指出壞牧人有幾項特點：一，只知道牧養自己，應該說餵養自己更合適吧！因為他們吃脂油，穿羊毛，宰肥壯的，卻不牧養群羊。意思便是只顧自己生活得舒服。

其二，“瘦弱的你們沒有養壯，有病的你們沒有醫治，受傷的你們沒有纏裹，被逐的你們沒有領回，失喪的你們沒有尋找，但用強暴嚴嚴地轄制。”這裡指出，壞牧人根本不理會群羊的需要和疾苦，也不在意群羊的失落。反而用一種強暴的手段去控制群羊，好像自己是君王，主瘴群羊的生死。壞牧人手下掌管的群羊因而在各地流離，在全地分散，甚至成了一切野獸的食物。

At the End of Your Life

2023-09-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 2 Timothy 4:1-8.  Let’s go!

2 Timothy 4:1a (NIV)
1  In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead…

On verse 1a:  Jesus is the judge of the living and the dead.  In the end, all of us will give an account to Him.  So let’s fear people and circumstances.  Let’s not be too concerned about how we look in front of others.  Instead, let’s live in the fear of the Lord.  For in the end, it’s Jesus’ opinion of us that matters far more than anyone else’s opinion.

On verses 1b-8:  In a very formal way where he even calls on God the Father and Jesus Christ as his witnesses (v1), Paul charges Timothy to preach the Word (v2) — that is, to preach Jesus.  He tells Timothy to preach the Word in season and out of season.  Just as the Scriptures are useful for teaching, correcting, rebuking, and training people in righteousness (see 3:16), Paul tells Timothy to “correct, rebuke and encourage – with great patience and careful instruction” (v2).