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智慧的超越

2022-12-25 in , /by

傳道書7:20 時常行善而不犯罪的義人，世上實在沒有。

閱讀經文：傳道書 7:19-22

19智慧使有智慧的人比城中十個官長更有能力。20時常行善而不犯罪的義人，世上實在沒有。21人所說的一切話，你不要放在心上，恐怕聽見你的僕人咒詛你。22因為你心裡知道，自己也曾屢次咒詛別人。

第19節的經文在呂振中譯本如下：“智慧使智慧人有能力，比城中十個諮議員更有權勢”，“更有能力”的原文還可被譯為“勝了”，“壓制”或“得勝”。“城中十個官長”類指古時候地方處理事務的長老會議，在印度農村也有類似的五人制的村議會，都是治理城巿事務的掌權者。這節經文有一個很重要的意思，掌權者不一定有智慧，而往往真的有智慧者，他們的話比當權者有更大的影響力。

在許多電影或故事裡，掌權者碰到突發事件，往往要靠謀士幫忙，以度難關。在舊約聖經的〈士師記〉裡有一個故事，講到士師基甸有一個兒子叫亞比米勒，為了奪權做王，他殺掉了基甸其他的兒子，只有一個逃跑了。後來亞比米勒和幫助他做王的示劍人反目成仇，兩邊廝殺不已。亞比米勒一路追殺，直取提備斯城，城裡有一棟高樓，所有的城裡人都躲到樓裡，亞比米勒便叫人用火燒樓。事情十分緊急，眾人束手無策，當然那些官長們也不知該如何了，這時有一個婦人把一塊磨石丟到亞比米勒的頭上。她的急智拯救了全城的人，躲過這場殺戮。

Jesus’ Heart for His House

2022-12-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 11:12-19.  Let’s go!

Mark 11:12-14 (NIV)
12  The next day as they were leaving Bethany, Jesus was hungry.
13  Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs.
14  Then he said to the tree, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” And his disciples heard him say it.
 
On verses 12-14:  We will see the fall out of this in verse 20.  In the meantime, we can learn a few things from these verses:
 
– In the first centuries of the church, history shows that some people had more of an issue with whether Jesus was human than whether Jesus was divine.  The fact that Jesus was hungry in verse 12 shows that Jesus was human.
 
– Was it fair for Jesus to curse the fig tree for not bearing fruit when it was not the season for bearing fruit (v13)?  The fact is: Jesus is sovereign.  He can do whatever he wants.  Perhaps a lesson here is that God always wants us to bear fruit, in any season or circumstance (e.g. see Jeremiah 17:8).  What kind of fruit?  The fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and the fruit of praise (Hebrews 13:15). 
 

行義和行惡

2022-12-23 in , /by

傳道書7:16 不要行義過分，也不要過於自逞智慧，何必自取敗亡呢？

閱讀經文：傳道書 7:15-18

15有義人行義反致滅亡，有惡人行惡倒享長壽，這都是我在虛度之日中所見過的。16不要行義過分，也不要過於自逞智慧，何必自取敗亡呢？17不要行惡過分，也不要為人愚昧，何必不到期而死呢？18你持守這個為美，那個也不要鬆手，因為敬畏神的人必從這兩樣出來。

這是個長久以來佔據在人心裡的問題：為什麼有義人行義反致滅亡，有惡人行惡倒享長壽？為什麼？數年前在溫哥華有位年輕的牧師，剛剛被封牧，在回家的途中就出車禍死了。聽到的人都難過不已，神不是要用他嗎？神不是已經呼召他嗎？他那樣愛主事人，為什麼還才踏出第一步就走了？神不是白白浪費了好多時間塑造這個年輕人嗎？生命是一場玩笑嗎？

假如我們記得那些在中國因為義和團事件而死的宣教士，因為文化大革命被逼迫的基督徒，在剛果或非洲某些地方被土人吃掉的宣教士，甚至近幾年來不斷死在伊斯蘭軍ISIS手下的無數基督徒，從大人到小孩，受到令人髮指的苦難和壓迫。你一定會問吧。行義，是指遵行神的旨意；行惡，是指心裡沒有神，任意妄為。那些因為行義的基督徒，為何死得那麼早？那麼慘？

Treat Jesus Like Royalty Every Day

2022-12-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 11:1-11.  Let’s go!

Mark 11:1-11 (NIV)
1  As they approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two of his disciples,
2  saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and just as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here.
3  If anyone asks you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ tell him, ‘The Lord needs it and will send it back here shortly.'”
4  They went and found a colt outside in the street, tied at a doorway. As they untied it,
5  some people standing there asked, “What are you doing, untying that colt?”

On verses 1-11:  Apparently when ancient kings entered a city on a war horse, it signaled that the king had come to bring war.  When ancient kings entered a city on a colt, it signaled that the king had come in peace.  Jesus entered to Jerusalem on a colt to show that Jesus was coming to bring peace to the people of Jerusalem.  Even more, Jesus entering Jerusalem on a colt fulfilled the prophecy about the Messiah in Zechariah 9:9.

智慧和產業

2022-12-22 in , /by

傳道書7:11   智慧和產業並好，而且見天日的人得智慧更為有益。

閱讀經文：傳道書 7:11-14

11智慧和產業並好，而且見天日的人得智慧更為有益。12因為智慧護庇人好像銀錢護庇人一樣，唯獨智慧能保全智慧人的生命，這就是知識的益處。13你要察看神的作為，因神使為曲的，誰能變為直呢？14遇亨通的日子你當喜樂，遭患難的日子你當思想，因為神使這兩樣並列，為的是叫人查不出身後有什麼事。

據說每個猶太家庭的孩子，都要回答這個問題：“如果家裏的房子有一天失火或財產被劫，那麼你在逃命時將會帶走什麼東西？”倘若孩子回答的是錢或者鑽石，父母就會馬上耐心地啟發他：“孩子，有這樣一種寶貝，一沒有形狀，二不見顏色，三無什麼氣味，你知道是什麼嗎？”要是孩子還回答不上來，父母就嚴肅地說：“記住！你要帶走的不是錢，也不是鑽石，而是智慧。智慧像健康一樣，任何人都無法搶走，你將終身擁有。只要活著，智慧將永遠與你結伴而行。”

在以色列人進迦南地時，神讓約書亞給他們按人數抽籤分地，抽到的土地就是他們的產業，也就是他們立足生根的地方。所以產業是非常重要的。在這裡所羅門王把產業和智慧相比較，指出對活人（見天日的人）有智慧比有產業更好。因為人有產業而無智慧，很可能就在不善經營管理下，失去產業，而變得一無所有。但是倘若沒有產業卻有智慧，還可以逐漸去得到更多的產業。猶太人歷經戰亂，又被丟到世界萬國之中，他們知道若不是靠著神給他們的智慧去生存，他們就早已滅亡了。

The Example of Bartimaeus

2022-12-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 10:46-52.  Let’s go!

Mark 10:46-52 (NIV)
46  Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (that is, the Son of Timaeus), was sitting by the roadside begging.
47  When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
48  Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
49  Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.”
50  Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
51  “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him. The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
52  “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.
 
On verses 46-52:  Contrast Bartimaeus to the rich young man in verses 17-22:
–  The rich young man hoped he could earn salvation on his own merit (“What was I do to inherit eternal life” – v17).  In contrast, Bartimaeus knew that his only hope was Jesus (“Son of David, have mercy on me!” – v47)   

起頭與終局

2022-12-21 in , /by

傳道書7:8 事情的終局強如事情的起頭，存心忍耐的勝過居心驕傲的。

閱讀經文：傳道書 7:8-10

8事情的終局強如事情的起頭，存心忍耐的勝過居心驕傲的。9你不要心裡急躁惱怒，因為惱怒存在愚昧人的懷中。10不要說：「先前的日子強過如今的日子是什麼緣故呢？」你這樣問，不是出於智慧。

在這個社會裡，年輕的父母越來越重視怎樣才能讓孩子贏在起跑點。但是有一位作家提出一個問題：贏在起跑點的孩子，有多少在終點哭泣？所羅門王提出一個很重要的觀點，那就是：“事情的終局強如事情的起頭，存心忍耐的勝過居心驕傲的。”不要以為你一開始就能用錢為孩子提供最好的一切，他就可以一帆風順地出人頭地。因為在這過程中，沒有存心忍耐的特質，便無法勝過驕傲所帶來的敗壞作用，以致半途而廢。

我們之所以會急躁惱怒，是因為看到別人彷彿佔盡優勢，自已趨居下風，心有不甘，才會惱怒不平。若是記得事情的終局強如事情的起頭，便知道只要存心忍耐到最後，自己一定還有希望，這樣思想，就可以轉移惱怒到應該做的事上，專心努力走自己的路了。

情緒勒索

2022-12-20 in , /by

傳道書7:7 勒索使智慧人變為愚妄，賄賂能敗壞人的慧心。

閱讀經文：傳道書 7:7

7勒索使智慧人變為愚妄，賄賂能敗壞人的慧心。

這是我最近學到的新名詞：情緒勒索。因為勒索這件事一般發生在比較有利益衝突的事情上，例如我們看諜影片，好像007，就常有知名的科學家被勒索，被施壓而不得不去做壞事。但是在我們的生活中比較常經歷到的則是情緒上的勒索。所羅門王說：“勒索使智慧人變為愚妄”，讓我們來看看，在自己的生活裡，是否也有這樣的情形出現。

在我的朋友裡，有時會聽到這樣的抱怨：上班時同事都把難的事情交給她，不要做的也交給她做，因為她是個nice person（很好的人），因為好說話，所以工作都交給她。別人都提早下班了，只有她，永遠要帶著一大堆工作回家。當人家說：“你這個人好好…”你就不好意思拒絕了。什麼都接下來了。尤其有的人覺得做基督徒就“必須”幫助別人，“愛”人如已，所以從來不敢說“不”，所以活得好累，苦不堪言。但是她們不曉得的自己正面對一種情緒上的勒索。

The Way Great Leaders Are Driven

2022-12-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 10:32-45.  Let’s go!

Mark 10:32 (NIV)
32  They were on their way up to Jerusalem, with Jesus leading the way, and the disciples were astonished, while those who followed were afraid…

On verse 32:  Why were the disciples astonished and those who followed afraid?
Again he took the Twelve aside and told them what was going to happen to him.  It’s because of what Jesus was telling them on their way to Jerusalem, which Mark describes in verses 33-34.

Mark 10:33-34 (NIV)
33  “We are going up to Jerusalem,” he said, “and the Son of Man will be betrayed to the chief priests and teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles,
34  who will mock him and spit on him, flog him and kill him. Three days later he will rise.”

On verses 33-34:  Don’t take for granted the courage that Jesus demonstrated with every step he took toward Jerusalem, knowing what kind of fate awaited him there.  Jesus was not led by fear, but by God’s purpose, and thus he could lead the way (v32).  Great leaders are not driven by fear but by purpose.

責備強如歌唱

2022-12-19 in , /by

傳道書7:5  聽智慧人的責備，強如聽愚昧人的歌唱。

閱讀經文：傳道書 7:5-6

5 聽智慧人的責備，強如聽愚昧人的歌唱。 6 愚昧人的笑聲好像鍋下燒荊棘的爆聲。這也是虛空。

年紀越大，越難聽到別人對自己真心的責備，甚至自己亦不喜歡接受責備。不知是因為自己胸襟越來越窄，自我保護能力越來越強，抑或是因為別人根本不敢責備自己。常常有一個體會，如果生命再聽不到別人、特別是親人和配偶的責備，這生命是可悲的。不是你沒有錯，乃是他們不敢指出你的錯。承受不起責備的生命便再沒有改善的可能，也就等於再沒有成長的空間。試問，有甚麼比一個停滯不前、自以為是的生命更可悲？

正常來說，一般人是喜歡聽好話多於責備。好話就像歌唱的聲音，悅耳動聽，叫人喜樂歡笑；責備則往往使人心裡不舒服，甚至引起怒氣。但傳道者卻指出，聽智慧人的責備，比聽愚昧人的歌唱更好，因為愚昧人的歌唱就如他的笑聲一樣，只發出吵耳的聲響，叫人感到難耐和厭煩，毫無意義。可是，為甚麼責備勝過歌唱呢？