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智慧和勇力

2023-01-10 in , /by

传道书9:17 宁可在安静之中听智慧人的言语，不听掌管愚昧人的喊声。

阅读经文：传道书9:13-18

13我见日光之下有一样智慧，据我看乃是广大。14就是有一小城，其中的人数稀少，有大君王来攻击，修筑营垒，将城围困。15城中有一个贫穷的智慧人，他用智慧救了那城，却没有人记念那穷人。16我就说：「智慧胜过勇力。」然而那贫穷人的智慧被人藐视，他的话也无人听从。17宁可在安静之中听智慧人的言语，不听掌管愚昧人的喊声。18智慧胜过打仗的兵器，但一个罪人能败坏许多善事。

在台湾放连假时，若是天气晴朗，很多民众会携家带眷出游。有次在连假结束后，高铁各站挤满北返的乘客。因为人潮拥挤，有些乘客几度爆发口角，局面十分混乱。正当恶劣的情绪快要把人弄得失去理性时，有一位高铁女列车长站出来讲了一句话，瞬间让整节车厢乘客都安静下来。你猜猜看她说了什么？换了你是列车长，你会说什么？

她说：“你们放4天假，我上4天班”。这句话让吵闹和发怨言的人都不好意思了。自己玩了四天，难道连这一点辛苦都不能忍吗？我想，这算是很智慧地解决了当时混乱局面的问题。因为假如大家都心烦气燥地抱怨个不停，不仅吵架，到最后失去控制，可能会打架，甚至闹出人命。所以一句话能让大家都冷静下来，实在了不起。

What You Think About Jesus

2023-01-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 14:53-65.  Let’s go!

Mark 14:53-59 (NIV)
53  They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together.
54  Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.
55  The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any.
56  Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.
57  Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him:
58  “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.'”
59  Yet even then their testimony did not agree.
 
On verses 53-59:  As much as the chief priests and the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling council) tried, they could not find any dirt on Jesus that would justify putting him to death. 
 
You’ll never find anything to incriminate Jesus.  Through and through Jesus is blameless and holy.  We, on the other hand, are guilty of so much sin.  As Psalm 130:3-4 says, “If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.”
 

快跑的未必能赢

2023-01-09 in , /by

传道书9:11  我又转念，见日光之下，快跑的未必能赢，力战的未必得胜，智慧的未必得粮食，明哲的未必得资财，灵巧的未必得喜悦，所临到众人的，是在乎当时的机会。。

阅读经文：传道书9:11-12

11我又转念，见日光之下，快跑的未必能赢，力战的未必得胜，智慧的未必得粮食，明哲的未必得资财，灵巧的未必得喜悦，所临到众人的，是在乎当时的机会。12原来人也不知道自己的定期：鱼被恶网圈住，鸟被网罗捉住，祸患忽然临到的时候，世人陷在其中，也是如此。

许多人说人定胜天，但是往往努力了一辈子，才发现自己的奋斗枉然。因为不管人怎样努力，当我们面临人生的尽头时，你都会问自己：我这一生的努力是为了什么？为什么我尽力了，却要撒手而归了？“撒手而归”这句话里的“归”，提醒人要回到他永远的家，所以假如在人的努力当中没有找到归家的路，那么他就是迷路了，他的一生就是白白度过了。所以所罗门王写下了他观察到的一些例子。

“快跑的未必能赢”，最出名的例子便是龟兔赛跑。兔子虽然占有先天的优势，却因为骄傲疏懒，以致输给了乌龟。所以赢在起跑点的，未必能先到达终点。“力战的未必得胜”，想想看自以色列在1948年建国以来，她周围的阿拉伯国家有多少次想把她赶进地中海，超过十个以上的国家与她为敌，不能说他们不奋力而战，实在是倾巢而出，但是不但未能打下以色列，反而次次被以色列打回去，败得一塌糊涂。

It Happened in the Dark

2023-01-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 14:43-52.  Let’s go!

Mark 14:43-46 (NIV)
43  Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.
44  Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.”
45  Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him.
46  The men seized Jesus and arrested him.
 
On verses 43-46:  Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss.  It’s ironic how something so intimate could be used to signal something so evil.  That’s what Satan loves to do: take good things that God always meant to unite, give life, set free and express love, and pervert them into tools that divide, destroy, oppress and hate.
 

Gethsemane

2023-01-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 14:32-42.  Let’s go!

Mark 14:32-42 (NIV)
32  They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
33  He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.
34  “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
35  Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him.
36  “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

On verses 32-42: Gethsemane is a transliteration of two words in Hebrew that mean “olive press”.  It’s also the name of a garden at the foot of Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives.  Scholars say that in Gethsemane there was an olive grove as well as an olive press where olives would be pressed and the oil would be collected.  On this most difficult night of Jesus’ life, Jesus is in Gethsemane.  He knows that incomparable suffering and death await him in just hours.  Thus far in Mark, it is Jesus who has been getting his followers ready for his suffering and death, assuring them that this is the way it has to be.  But now, on the eve of this suffering taking place, Jesus faces his own stress and difficult emotions.  Like an olive being pressed till the oil comes out, Jesus is in Gethsemane, feeling tremendous pressure from knowing that very soon he would be handed over to his enemies, tortured and killed.  In Gethsemane Jesus’ suffering has already begun.

享受人生

2023-01-08 in , /by

传道书9:7 你只管去欢欢喜喜吃你的饭，心中快乐喝你的酒，因为神已经悦纳你的作为。

阅读经文：传道书9:7-10

7你只管去欢欢喜喜吃你的饭，心中快乐喝你的酒，因为神已经悦纳你的作为。8你的衣服当时常洁白，你头上也不要缺少膏油。9在你一生虚空的年日，就是神赐你在日光之下虚空的年日，当同你所爱的妻快活度日，因为那是你生前，在日光之下劳碌的事上所得的份。10凡你手所当做的事，要尽力去做，因为在你所必去的阴间，没有工作，没有谋算，没有知识，也没有智慧。

假如你知道死了的人毫无所知，他们的爱、他们的恨、他们的嫉妒早都消灭了，在日光之下所行的一切事上，他们永不再有份了。这样的认识会不会让你改变现有的一些心态或作法？想想看，从以前到现在的人，有几个是你认识或记得的，你就明白，自己也会列在被遗忘的人之中。有的人以为子孙会记得自己，但是你想想看，你记得哪一个先祖？你就明白，被遗忘是迟早的事。那么，现在还需要和人竞争吗？争来的不管是名誉或金钱或地位，终将成为过去。所以所罗门王给我们一点提示，想要不虚度人生，便是把握人生。

不必跟别人比较，不用羡慕或嫉妒别人拥有的，只要你把和神的关系弄好了，在神面前存著无亏的良心，那就欢欢喜喜吃你的饭，心中快乐喝你的酒。吃你的饭，不要去吃别人的饭心中快乐亮无担忧；喝自己的酒，不用去喝别人的酒，享受神赐给你的一切福份。吃你的饭时，不要去看别人吃什么；喝你的酒时，也不要去看别人喝什么牌子的；因为你的胃口和别人的不一样，吃适合你健康、你口味的食物，你才能真正地享受食物的美味和好处。

生命中必须破除的五种谎言

2023-01-06 in , /by

传道书9:4  与一切活人相连的，那人还有指望，因为活着的狗比死了的狮子更强。

阅读经文：传道书9:4-6

4与一切活人相连的，那人还有指望，因为活着的狗比死了的狮子更强。5活着的人知道必死，死了的人毫无所知，也不再得赏赐，他们的名无人记念。6他们的爱、他们的恨、他们的嫉妒早都消灭了，在日光之下所行的一切事上，他们永不再有份了。

最近在台湾有位清洁工作人员因为开后门，让朋友入垃圾掩埋场倒垃圾，在接受廉政署调查前烧炭死亡。普通人会一时想不开而自杀，不普通的名人也会，例如美国著名作家海明威用双管猎枪结束自己的生命；希腊著名哲学家亚里士多德跳海自杀；日本名作家川端康成在一个深夜含媒气管自杀。自杀仿佛是解决问题最容易的方法，但是肉体死了，还有灵魂要向神交帐，问题未了啊！为何会有取自己性命的想法呢？在水深之处网站有位作者提出了他的看法，很值得我们思考。以下便是：〈生命中必须破除的五种谎言〉。

在这一生当中，你会遇到很多谎言，其中最可怕的谎言不是别人说的，而是自己说给自己听的。其实，那也不算是自己说的，因为主耶稣告诉我们，魔鬼从起初就是杀人的，同时，他也是说谎者的父。换句话说，魔鬼为了杀害我们，使我们的人生无效，会在我们里面鼓动我们，用许多谎言欺瞒我们。这里列出五个令人沮丧的谎言，当你听见脑海里浮现这些话时，赶快找主耶稣，祂能驱逐它们！

Don’t Overestimate Yourself

2023-01-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 14:26-31.  Let’s go!

Mark 14:26-31 (NIV)
26  When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
27  “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’
28  But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
29  Peter declared, “Even if all fall away, I will not.”
30  “I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “today–yes, tonight–before the rooster crows twice you yourself will disown me three times.”
31  But Peter insisted emphatically, “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” And all the others said the same.
 
On verses 26-31:  Peter was so sure and passionate about his commitment to Jesus that he acted as if nothing could possibly shake him.  Not even Jesus’ Scripture-based prophecy that all the disciples would fall away (v27) seemed to affect Peter’s confidence that he would remain faithful to Jesus till the end.  “Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you”, Peter says in verse 31.  But that was more Peter’s own pride speaking.  Peter underestimated his own weakness and how on his own, without Jesus’ help, he didn’t stand a chance of hanging onto his faith.  Peter wasn’t the only disciple who made this mistake.  All the other disciples made the same mistake.  Peter was just the most vocal about it.

人的结局都一样吗？

2023-01-05 in , /by

传道书9:3a   在日光之下所行的一切事上，有一件祸患，就是众人所遭遇的都是一样。

阅读经文：传道书9:1-3

1我将这一切事放在心上，详细考究，就知道义人和智慧人并他们的作为，都在神手中。或是爱，或是恨，都在他们的前面，人不能知道。2凡临到众人的事都是一样：义人和恶人都遭遇一样的事；好人、洁净人和不洁净人，献祭的与不献祭的，也是一样。好人如何，罪人也如何；起誓的如何，怕起誓的也如何。3在日光之下所行的一切事上，有一件祸患，就是众人所遭遇的都是一样。并且世人的心充满了恶，活着的时候心里狂妄，后来就归死人那里去了。

在这忙碌的人生中，我们每天都有许多安排，天天都在忙。有何事会让你的脚步暂停一下呢？所罗门王查看之后，他发现义人和智慧人，还有他们所做的事，都在神的手中；即使如此，不管是将要发生在他们生活中的爱或恨，他们也不能预先知道。义人或智慧人，都该算是敬畏神的人。义人是指在神的眼中不以为有罪的，属神的人；而敬畏神是智慧的开端，所以有智慧的人应该是敬畏神的人。