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With Prayer Comes THIS

2022-12-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 9:24-32.  Let’s go!

Mark 9:24 (NIV)
24  Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

On verse 24:  After realizing that the size of his own faith mattered, the boy’s father declares his faith in Jesus and asks Jesus to help him overcome his unbelief.  That is a legitimate prayer and request you can make to God: “help me overcome my unbelief”.  When you pray that way, you’re coming to God honestly, humbly and with an open mind.  God loves to give grace to those who come before Him with honesty, humility and an open mind.

長壽的虛空

2022-12-14 in , /by

傳道書6:6   那人雖然活千年，再活千年，卻不享福，眾人豈不都歸一個地方去嗎？

閱讀經文：傳道書 6:3-6

3人若生一百個兒子，活許多歲數，以致他的年日甚多，心裡卻不得滿享福樂，又不得埋葬，據我說，那不到期而落的胎比他倒好。4因為虛虛而來，暗暗而去，名字被黑暗遮蔽，5並且沒有見過天日，也毫無知覺，這胎比那人倒享安息。6那人雖然活千年，再活千年，卻不享福，眾人豈不都歸一個地方去嗎？

根據2017年一月份《Mail Online》的報導，有位印尼人Saparman Sodimejo（索迪米約）在2016年聖誕節過146歲生日，他的身份證上註明他出生於1870年12月31日。他的親友、四任妻子以及所有兒女都已過世，目前由曾孫及玄孫輩照顧。他還能用枴杖自己走路，也幾乎什麼都能吃。他在122歲時就準備好棺材和墓地，連墓埤都已刻好。他說那時最想要的就是死亡。索迪米約於2017年4月底辭世，五月1 日下葬。

這個報導讓我感到十分震撼，因為現代人都講究飲食和長生之道，幾乎人人都想健康的一直活下去。但是這個老人的現狀卻說明了一個事實，就是有一天即使神允許你一直活著不死，也能吃喝，照顧自己，你也可能像他一樣，巴不得死亡早點來臨。死亡原來也是出於神的恩典，是個禮物。世人所盼望的長壽，真的是福氣嗎？

一宗禍患

2022-12-13 in , /by

傳道書6:1  我見日光之下有一宗禍患，重壓在人身上。

閱讀經文：傳道書 6:1-2

1我見日光之下有一宗禍患，重壓在人身上。2就是人蒙神賜他資財、豐富、尊榮，以致他心裡所願的一樣都不缺，只是神使他不能吃用，反有外人來吃用。這是虛空，也是禍患。

“神賜人資財豐富，使他能以吃用，能取自己的份，在他勞碌中喜樂，這乃是神的恩賜”。相反的，若是神賜人資財豐富，卻不能吃用，不能取自己的份，不能在勞碌中喜樂，就是禍患了。你在勞碌中可有喜樂？你能否享用神賜給你的資財，你能否取得自己的份？假如你一直在埋怨你的工作，假如你一天到晚捨不得吃捨不得喝，不敢用錢，一用錢就心疼，那麼你得好好在神面前思考，究竟你這一生的“份”是什麼？

神的恩賜是讓人可以享用他的勞碌所賺取的一切，假如你捨不得去享用你勞碌所賺取的，反而要留給外人吃用，那麼祝福就變成禍患了。這當中的福與禍，就在於自己的心懷意念。假如你的信心放在錢財之上，你自然不敢花用，因為錢財成了你的安全感。你害怕自己年弱衰老之際沒有錢用了，那怎麼辦呢？所以要把錢抓得緊緊的，像華爾街巫婆Hetty Green，洗衣服要省肥皂，只洗領子或袖子；找醫院要找免費醫院，至死不敢用錢。她的錢財就留給外人用了。

In the Kingdom of God, the Size of THIS Matters

2022-12-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 9:14-23.  Let’s go!

Mark 9:14-23 (NIV)
14  When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.
15  As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
16  “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.
17  A man in the crowd answered, “Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech.
18  Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not.”

On verses 14-23:  At first in verse 19 it seems that Jesus is rebuking his disciples for their lack of faith.  But in verse 23, Jesus turns his attention to the father’s apparent lack of faith (v23).  The father’s words “If you can” suggest that the father did not have strong faith that Jesus could help his demon-possessed son.  So when Jesus says in verse 19 “O unbelieving generation”, perhaps Jesus is not just referring to his disciples but also to those who would come to Jesus for help.

阿嬤的冰箱

2022-12-12 in , /by

傳道書 5:19   神賜人資財豐富，使他能以吃用，能取自己的份，在他勞碌中喜樂，這乃是神的恩賜。

閱讀經文：傳道書 5:18-20

18我所見為善為美的，就是人在神賜他一生的日子吃喝，享受日光之下勞碌得來的好處，因為這是他的份。19神賜人資財豐富，使他能以吃用，能取自己的份，在他勞碌中喜樂，這乃是神的恩賜。20他不多思念自己一生的年日，因為神應他的心使他喜樂。

在網上流傳著一個很有趣的問題，為什麼老人家的冰箱總是滿的？因為老人家總是要保留剩菜。假如今天紅燒肉沒吃完，明天紅燒豆腐沒吃完，後天香腸沒吃完，就把它們都放在一起。每天用大同電鍋蒸，沒吃完再把新的剩菜放進去。有人說他的祖母92歲了，只要食物還能嚥下去，基本上都不會丟。到外面吃不完的，一定要打包，有時放到發霉還捨不得丟。你跟她說，這樣吃對健康不好啦，她說她這樣吃都活到92歲了，有什麼不好？你說這樣的老人家是有福氣還是沒福氣？

The Transfiguration of Jesus

2022-12-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 9:1-13.  Let’s go!

Mark 9:1-2 (NIV)
1  And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”
2  After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.
 
On verses 1-2:  It’s not too much of a stretch to say that when Jesus lived on earth, His glory was under cover, veiled by human flesh.  For while Jesus came to the world revealing God’s glory, in some ways by being limited to a human form Jesus was also concealing God’s glory.  For if Jesus came to us in all the glory that He had in heaven, we would not be able to take it.  Like Moses who came down from Mount Sinai with a radiant face and at the people’s bidding had to cover himself with a veil, so Jesus’ heavenly glory would be too much for us to take on earth.  That is why this scene that Mark 9 describes – the transfiguration of Jesus – is so precious.  To transfigure means to change in appearance.  Here, for a moment, God takes the cover off of Jesus’ glory and gives Peter, James and John a glimpse at the kind of glory Jesus had in heaven.   John would see a vision of Jesus’ glory again later in life, which prompted him to write the book of Revelation.
 

Who Are You Living For?

2022-12-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 8:31-38.  Let’s go!

Mark 8:31-33 (NIV)
31  He then began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests and teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and after three days rise again.
32  He spoke plainly about this, and Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
33  But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men.”
 
On verses 31-33:  Peter rebuked Jesus for talking about how Jesus must suffer many things, be rejected by the religious establishment, be killed and rise again after three days.  So why did Jesus respond by saying “Get behind me, Satan”?  It’s because Jesus knew that he had to (“must”) suffer and die.  Jesus didn’t think Peter was Satan, but Jesus saw how Satan could use Peter’s words to distract Jesus from doing what the Father had called him to do. 

積存資財的虛空

2022-12-11 in , /by

傳道書 5:15  他怎樣從母胎赤身而來，也必照樣赤身而去，他所勞碌得來的，手中分毫不能帶去。

閱讀經文：傳道書 5:13-17

13我見日光之下有一宗大禍患，就是財主積存資財，反害自己。14因遭遇禍患，這些資財就消滅，那人若生了兒子，手裡也一無所有。15他怎樣從母胎赤身而來，也必照樣赤身而去，他所勞碌得來的，手中分毫不能帶去。16他來的情形怎樣，他去的情形也怎樣，這也是一宗大禍患。他為風勞碌，有什麼益處呢？17並且他終身在黑暗中吃喝，多有煩惱，又有病患嘔氣。

有錢是虛空，是禍患嗎？即便知道，人依舊像飛蛾一樣，不停地向它撲去。有一位在香港住的浙江人，從小跟著父親學做生意，克勤克儉，以成為巨富為人生的目標。那時正香港的房地產起飛，他從事開發和建築，很快就成為香港巨富之一，據說當時他的財產最少也有十億美元。但他為富不仁，一毛不拔，從不捐助那些有求於他者；他錙銖必較，精打細算，惟求在原有的數目上加多幾個零。

我為錢狂

2022-12-09 in , /by

傳道書 5:12   勞碌的人不拘吃多吃少，睡得香甜；富足人的豐滿，卻不容他睡覺。

閱讀經文：傳道書 5:8-12

8你若在一省之中見窮人受欺壓，並奪去公義、公平的事，不要因此詫異。因有一位高過居高位的鑒察，在他們以上還有更高的。9況且地的益處歸眾人，就是君王也受田地的供應。

10貪愛銀子的不因得銀子知足，貪愛豐富的也不因得利益知足。這也是虛空。11貨物增添，吃的人也增添，物主得什麼益處呢？不過眼看而已。12勞碌的人不拘吃多吃少，睡得香甜；富足人的豐滿，卻不容他睡覺。

馬丁路得曾經說過：「當一個人信了耶穌後，他一定要有三變：一是心的改變，二是意志的改變，三是『荷包』的改變。」三者之中最難的似乎是「荷包」的改變了！

事實上，金錢的力量真的十分廣大，既可收買人心，也可以控制別人的命運。我的兒子凱頌還在念小學二年級的時候，我和太太決定每個月給他二十元零用錢。怎料，他拿著二十元，一天就花光了，回家後更揚揚得意告訴我們他的經歷。他拿二十元在學校買了雪糕雪條請同學吃，尤其是那些平日沒有與他來往的同學。這一天他頓時成為最受歡迎的人物，每個同學都爭著與他打交道，令他感到十分自豪。

It Takes More Than One Touch

2022-12-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 8:22-30.  Let’s go!

Mark 8:22-26 (NIV)
22  They came to Bethsaida, and some people brought a blind man and begged Jesus to touch him.
23  He took the blind man by the hand and led him outside the village. When he had spit on the man’s eyes and put his hands on him, Jesus asked, “Do you see anything?”
24  He looked up and said, “I see people; they look like trees walking around.”
25  Once more Jesus put his hands on the man’s eyes. Then his eyes were opened, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly.
26  Jesus sent him home, saying, “Don’t go into the village.”
 
On verses 22-26:  I appreciate Mark’s honesty here.  Here we have a case where it took not one but two touches from Jesus for this blind man to be healed.  Some might see this as an embarrassing fact for Jesus.  I don’t.  To me there are some important lessons we can learn from this miracle:
 
–  Sometimes the healing God wants us to experience does not have instantaneously but is a process that takes time.