传道书12:14 因为人所做的事，连一切隐藏的事，无论是善是恶，神都必审问。
阅读经文：传道书12:9-14
9再者，传道者因有智慧，仍将知识教训众人，又默想，又考查，又陈说许多箴言。10传道者专心寻求可喜悦的言语，是凭正直写的诚实话。11智慧人的言语好像刺棍，会中之师的言语又像钉稳的钉子，都是一个牧者所赐的。12我儿，还有一层你当受劝诫：著书多，没有穷尽；读书多，身体疲倦。13这些事都已听见了，总意就是敬畏神，谨守他的诫命，这是人所当尽的本分。14因为人所做的事，连一切隐藏的事，无论是善是恶，神都必审问。
曾经我们的小组请了一位特别来宾来分享。他那年83岁了，看上去精神奕奕，一点没有老态。他就是在1960年代享誉北美的大厨Stephen Yan. 他享誉于北美不只是因为他是个大厨，更因为他创作的电视节目非常风趣幽默，深受大众喜爱。他在50岁退休，参与了泰国一位神父的慈善工作，帮助泰国许多被人丢弃或是遭到强暴及虐待的不幸儿童，及一些残废的孩子。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Ruth 2:1-13. Let’s go!
Ruth 2:1-13 (NIV)
1 Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side, from the clan of Elimelech, a man of standing, whose name was Boaz.
2 And Ruth the Moabitess said to Naomi, “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain behind anyone in whose eyes I find favor.” Naomi said to her, “Go ahead, my daughter.”
3 So she went out and began to glean in the fields behind the harvesters. As it turned out, she found herself working in a field belonging to Boaz, who was from the clan of Elimelech.
On verses 1-13: In today’s passage from Ruth 2:1-13, we see from Ruth and Boaz some outstanding traits that made each of them worth noticing. Guys and girls, when you look for a life partner, don’t just focus on physical appearance or financial standing. Even more, focus on the person’s character because it’s the character of the two partners — not their looks or their bank account — that will determine how happy and healthy their relationship will be in the end.
Here are 4 great qualities about Ruth from today’s passage:
1. She was wise and resourceful (v2 – “Let me go to the fields and pick up the leftover grain…”). According to Leviticus 19:9-10 and 23:22, the poor and foreigners were allowed to go into an Israelite’s field and pick up the leftover crops that were not harvested the first time. Ruth understood this law and decided to use it to provide for her family.
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Ruth 1:14-22. Let’s go!
Ruth 1:14 (NIV)
14 At this they wept again. Then Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-by, but Ruth clung to her.
On verse 14: Orpah and Ruth were both completely within their rights to go back to their own people after their husbands had died. Orpah did nothing wrong by leaving especially after Naomi had told her to do so. But God was doing something extraordinary in Ruth’s heart.
On verses 15-18: Ruth decides to stay with her mother-in-law Naomi, go back to Naomi’s home country of Israel, and even adopt Naomi’s people and God as her own. All of this is incredible when you consider that:
– It was her mother-in-law! (I’m kidding. A common stereotype is that a mother-in-law can be a “monster-in-law”. But the truth is that I’m blessed with a wonderful mother-in-law, and I’m sure I’m not the only one.)
传道书12:1 你趁著年幼，衰败的日子尚未来到，就是你所说「我毫无喜乐」的那些年日未曾临近之先，当记念造你的主。
阅读经文：传道书12:1-8
1你趁著年幼，衰败的日子尚未来到，就是你所说「我毫无喜乐」的那些年日未曾临近之先，当记念造你的主。2不要等到日头、光明、月亮、星宿变为黑暗，雨后云彩返回。3看守房屋的发颤，有力的屈身，推磨的稀少就止息，从窗户往外看的都昏暗。4街门关闭，推磨的响声微小，雀鸟一叫人就起来，歌唱的女子也都衰微。5人怕高处，路上有惊慌，杏树开花，蚱蜢成为重担，人所愿的也都废掉。因为人归他永远的家，吊丧的在街上往来。6银链折断，金罐破裂，瓶子在泉旁损坏，水轮在井口破烂，7尘土仍归于地，灵仍归于赐灵的神。8传道者说：虚空的虚空，凡事都是虚空。
12章是所罗门给活人最忠实的劝告。所罗门王虽然风光了大半辈子，但是终于也有：“日头、光明、月亮、星宿变为黑暗，雨后云彩反回”的感受了。这是讲到一个人年老时眼睛的视力不行了，看东西模糊不清。雨后万物清朗，但人若有白内障或青光眼，看来看去都像被云遮住。
“看守房屋的发颤，有力的屈身，推磨的稀少就止息，从窗户往外看的都昏暗”，指人老体态的改变，脚站不稳了，会发颤；背也屈了。人老也会缩水，变小了；有的朋友开始弯腰驼背，大家都互相提醒。推磨的，有人认为是肾的功能减退，到最后完全没有了，就什么也排不出去。也有人认为“推磨的”是指牙齿，人的老化不仅从脚开始，牙齿也会开始有问题。
传道书11:10 所以你当从心中除掉愁烦，从肉体克去邪恶，因为一生的开端和幼年之时，都是虚空的。
阅读经文：传道书11:7-10
7 光本是佳美的，眼见日光也是可悦的。 8 人活多年，就当快乐多年。然而也当想到黑暗的日子，因为这日子必多，所要来的都是虚空。9 少年人哪，你在幼年时当快乐，在幼年的日子使你的心欢畅。行你心所愿行的，看你眼所爱看的，却要知道，为这一切的事神必审问你。 10 所以你当从心中除掉愁烦，从肉体克去邪恶，因为一生的开端和幼年之时，都是虚空的。
这段经文仿佛是写给年轻人的，但仔细看去，只要是活在日光之下的人，都可以引以为念。光是佳美的，只有当你经历过天天下雨的日子，你才能体会眼见日光也是可悦的。这个日光代表了人生强壮的日子。
所罗门的看法是：人活多年，就当快乐多年。意思是，人活着时就当快快乐乐。愁烦度日不是神造人的本意。正如我们有了儿女之后，也希望儿女能天天快乐，不要愁眉苦脸。有日光的日子和黑暗的日子是个对照，前者指的是身强体壮时，后者是指眼目昏黑，没有力气的时候。年老时度日如年，比较之下，似乎所经历的都是虚空。这是很真实的人生过程。
Hi GAMErs!
Today we begin the book of Ruth, a short but powerful book that shows us that God makes all things beautiful in His time. It’s also one of the coolest love stories ever written. Today’s passage is Ruth 1:1-13. Let’s go!
Ruth 1:1-2 (NIV)
1 In the days when the judges ruled there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.
2 The man’s name was Elimelech, his wife’s name Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Kilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to Moab and lived there.
On verses 1-2: The book of Judges comes right before the book of Ruth and describes a dark time in Israel’s history, a period when the nation of Israel was ruled by “judges”. During this time, Israel had already taken over the Promised Land with God’s help.
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Mark 16:12-20. Let’s go!
Mark 16:12-14 (NIV)
12 Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.
13 These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
14 Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
On verses 12-14: Even after Jesus had repeatedly told them that he would rise again, even after the incredible miracles the disciples had seen Jesus do, and even after multiple witnesses were testifying to them about Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples still refused to believe. Based on all that the disciples had been shown, the disciples should have believed earlier, but they didn’t. So Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe.
传道书11:1 当将你的粮食撒在水面，因为日久必能得着。
阅读经文：传道书11:1-6
1当将你的粮食撒在水面，因为日久必能得着。2你要分给七人或分给八人，因为你不知道将来有什么灾祸临到地上。3云若满了雨，就必倾倒在地上；树若向南倒或向北倒，树倒在何处，就存在何处。4看风的必不撒种，望云的必不收割。5风从何道来，骨头在怀孕妇人的胎中如何长成，你尚且不得知道，这样，行万事之神的作为，你更不得知道。6早晨要撒你的种，晚上也不要歇你的手，因为你不知道那一样发旺，或是早撒的，或是晚撒的，或是两样都好。。
在所罗门王写的智慧书里，他的信息都和一般人的生活息息相关，不是讲一些与我们不相干的哲学或是很难懂的理论，今天这段经文对我们也很实用。他说：“当将你的粮食撒在水面，因为日久必能得着”。“粮食”的英文是bread面包，所以假如你把面包撒在水面上，会有怎样的后果呢？有几个可能性：若不是变潮了，发霉了，就是被鸭子或海鸥吃掉了，你妈妈可能会很生气，你竟然不把面包吃掉，把它丢到水里！所罗门王是何意呢？他要我们拿食物去喂鱼吗？是否水里有不止一个枉死的屈原？
在这句经文里的“撒”里含有sea trade海上交易的意思；“粮食”指的是它的来源，例如做面包的原料：面粉和小麦。原来《圣经》里已经告诉我们，所罗门王是一个做生意的高手，在他的时代，已经和许多国家做起对外贸易的生意。所罗门王造船（王上9:26），以色列的商人运著各样的粮食到遥远的国度，又到俄裴运金子回耶路撒冷。
传道书10:19 设摆筵席是为喜笑，酒能使人快活，钱能叫万事应心。
阅读经文：传道书10:19-20
19设摆筵席是为喜笑，酒能使人快活，钱能叫万事应心。 20你不可咒诅君王，也不可心怀此念，在你卧房也不可咒诅富户。因为空中的鸟必传扬这声音，有翅膀的也必述说这事。
在第十章的智慧论里有许多对比，例如：一点愚昧能败坏智慧和尊荣，柔和能免大过，智者说恩言，愚者说话吞灭自己，孩童和贵胄之子掌权的后果，还有一些行事的法则：做事之前要先将观察准备，铁器钝了，要先将刃磨快，等等。在这第19节里，所罗门王让我们知道，凡事都有它的目的。
好像人设摆筵席多是因有喜事。例如有婚宴，婴儿满月，或有什么毕业典礼，或是年终尾牙老板请工吃饭，等等。人请你去参加筵席，是为了和你一起享受他的喜乐和满足。所以不管你的心情何等欠佳，也要摆出一个笑脸，不要把脸拉得长长的，扫大家的兴致。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Mark 16:1-11. Let’s go!
Mark 16:1-3 (NIV)
1 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.
2 Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb
3 and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”
On verses 1-3: In accordance with Jewish custom, Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome brought spices to Jesus’ tomb, hoping to pour the spices on Jesus’ body, both as a sign of love and to counteract any odor. In other words, they all fully expected Jesus to be dead. Little did they know that they and Jesus wouldn’t need the spices after all.
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