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被責備的有福了

2022-10-02 in , /by

箴言27:5  當面的責備，強如背地的愛情。。

閱讀經文：箴言 27:4-6

4憤怒為殘忍，怒氣為狂瀾，唯有嫉妒，誰能敵得住呢？5當面的責備，強如背地的愛情。6朋友加的傷痕出於忠誠，仇敵連連親嘴卻是多餘。

嫉妒有1000隻眼睛

4憤怒為殘忍，怒氣為狂瀾，唯有嫉妒，誰能敵得住呢？

We’re blasted by anger and swamped by rage, but who can survive jealousy? 《The Message》

猶太人有一句俗語：“戀愛是盲目的，但嫉妒比盲目更壞，因為它連看不到的東西都要看。”猶太人認為：“嫉妒有1000隻眼睛。” 1000隻眼睛代表猜疑。這節經文說：“憤怒為殘忍，怒氣為狂瀾，唯有嫉妒，誰能敵得住呢？”猶太人認為:“因嫉妒而瘋狂的心，是連骨頭都要腐蝕的”。

但是人難免嫉妒，對於自己想要又得不到的，總會嫉妒那些已經擁有的人。因此人若能謙卑，活得低調一些，或許是最好的保護自己的方法。有一次有個朋友通過了一個很難的考試，他的妻子非常高興，想要大大慶祝一番。他卻對妻子說：“但是我有一些朋友，他們和我一起去考，卻還沒有通過。”如此，他逃過了一個很大的考驗，也躲過了一些嫉妒。

天父可能很祝福你，但是我們不必到處張揚，反而要以感謝的心去回報那些幫助過我們的人。因為被嫉妒表示你走在他人前面，也表示你擁有一些他人所渴望的，既然如此，豈能不珍惜天父的好意，保守自己。

Our Response to God’s Love

2022-09-30 in /by

i GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 13:8-14.  Let’s go!

Romans 13:8a (NIV)
8  Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another,…

On verse 8:  Paul is saying two things: (1) we should not stay in debt to others. So if we borrow money, we need to pay it back; and (2) we should always see ourselves as owing a debt to love others. That’s because God showed us the greatest, most incredible love of all, and He asks us in return to live a life of loving others.

Romans 13:8b-10 (NIV)
8…for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law.
9  The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
10  Love does no harm to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.

不要為明日自誇

2022-09-30 in , /by

箴言27:1   不要為明日自誇，因為一日要生何事，你尚且不能知道。

閱讀經文：箴言 27:1-3

1不要為明日自誇，因為一日要生何事，你尚且不能知道。2要別人誇獎你，不可用口自誇；等外人稱讚你，不可用嘴自稱。3石頭重，沙土沉，愚妄人的惱怒比這兩樣更重。

不要為明日自誇

1不要為明日自誇，因為一日要生何事，你尚且不能知道。

Don’t brashly announce what you’re going to do tomorrow; you don’t know the first thing about tomorrow. 《The Message》

在聖經裡經常提醒我們，人是有限的，因此不要為明日自誇，因為一日要生何事，你尚且不能知道。耶穌皂弟弟雅各在雅各書的第四章就曾舉例：嗐，你們有話說：「今天、明天我們要往某城裡去，在那裡住一年，做買賣得利。」 其實明天如何，你們還不知道。你們的生命是什麼呢？你們原來是一片雲霧，出現少時就不見了。 你們只當說：「主若願意，我們就可以活著，也可以做這事或做那事。」 

有的人在假期帶著一家出遊，歡歡喜喜上路，悲悲傷傷地結束，因為碰到酒駕，一家四口只留一口，還要住醫院。這種事情不勝枚舉。前些日子有個人回頭一看，年幼的孩子爬上窗戶，被窗簾困住幾乎沒了呼吸。幸好發現得早，馬上做急救，撿回了一條命。

因此當把我們自己交託給神，主若願意，我們就可以活著，也可以做這事或那事。

生活左右銘

2022-09-29 in , /by

箴言26:28 虛謊的舌恨他所壓傷的人，諂媚的口敗壞人的事。

閱讀經文：箴言 26:26-28

26 他雖用詭詐遮掩自己的怨恨，他的邪惡必在會中顯露。 27 挖陷坑的，自己必掉在其中；滾石頭的，石頭必反滾在他身上。 28 虛謊的舌恨他所壓傷的人，諂媚的口敗壞人的事。

劇烈的毒藥

24怨恨人的用嘴粉飾，心裡卻藏著詭詐。25他用甜言蜜語，你不可信他，因為他心中有七樣可憎惡的。26他雖用詭詐遮掩自己的怨恨，他的邪惡必在會中顯露。

Your enemy shakes hands and greets you like an old friend, all the while conniving against you. When he speaks warmly to you, don’t believe him for a minute; he’s just waiting for the chance to rip you off. No matter how cunningly he conceals his malice, eventually his evil will be exposed in public. (vv.24-26) 《The Message》

24-26節是一段連貫的思想，講到敵人用虛偽的表現去遮蓋心裡的苦毒。因此碰到人說甜言蜜語，自己一定要小心，不可輕信人的讚美。就像法利賽人和文士，他們在挑戰耶穌，想要引發耶穌說不敬的話之前，都會虛偽地讚美耶穌，稱祂為夫子。實際上卻是包藏禍心，充滿了欲致之於死地的唇槍舌劍。

約瑟的兒子西緬和利未為了為妹妹底拿報仇時，也是用花言巧語使示劍家族去除戒心，接受他們的建議，全族男人接受割禮。在疼痛時，就被西緬和利未帶人殺得精光。因此若有人專挑好聽的說給你聽時，你千萬不要得意忘形，反而要榮耀歸神，更加謹慎行事為人。因為在撒旦的糖衣之下，都是劇烈的毒藥。

How to Relate to Governing Authorities

2022-09-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 13:1-7.  Let’s go!

Romans 13:1-7 (NIV)
1  Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.
2  Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.
3  For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you.
4  For he is God’s servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God’s servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
5  Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience.
6  This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God’s servants, who give their full time to governing.
7  Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.

On verses 1-7:  Perhaps you read these verses from Paul telling the Christians in Rome to submit to their governing authorities and a part of you thinks, “Isn’t this being a bit idealistic?”  

When God Painted A Self-Portrait

2022-09-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 12:9-21.  Let’s go!
 
Romans 12:9-21 (NIV)
9  Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.
10  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
11  Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.
12  Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.
13  Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.
14  Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.

On verses 9-21:  Paul’s advice to the Christians in Rome is just as applicable to us today.  You can even turn these verses into a prayer, asking God to help you to love sincerely, hate what is evil, cling to what is good, etc.  Each of these verses could be a sermon on its own, but here’s one lesson I learn generally from these verses:  God will never ask you to do anything that He Himself isn’t willing to do, or something that He Himself has not already done.   In fact, when you read Romans 12:9-21, don’t see it simply as a list of ways we ought to live. Even more, remember it’s a portrait of Jesus and how He lived his life on earth.

不要將謠言當美食

2022-09-28 in , /by

箴言26:22  傳舌人的言語如同美食，深入人的心腹。

閱讀經文：箴言 26:22-25

22傳舌人的言語如同美食，深入人的心腹。23火熱的嘴奸惡的心，好像銀渣包的瓦器。24怨恨人的用嘴粉飾，心裡卻藏著詭詐。25他用甜言蜜語，你不可信他，因為他心中有七樣可憎惡的。

不要將謠言當美食

「傳舌人的言語，如同美食，深入人的心腹。」(箴言二十六：22)

上帝不要我們傾聽小道消息，打聽坊間傳聞，探聽別人隱私。上帝知道人性的軟弱，是將謠言當美食。

這經節的「美食」原意是長膿的穢物，吃進去後，會填飽人心的某個空間，在裡面生毒。謠言是美食，卻是毒物，吃了使人死。因此，我們要遠離包打聽的人，拒絕據說、可能、或許式的報導，不聽傳聞的消息，離開互傳謠言的聚集。

不傳遞謠傳，是止息謠傳最好的方法，求上帝醫治我們的內心，關掉愛聽小道消息的那扇門，封掉愛打聽的那扇窗，填掉以謠言為滿足的那個鑰匙洞。將上帝的話聽清楚，聖經才是真正的美食。

What True Worship Is

2022-09-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 12:1-8.  Let’s go!
 
Romans 12:1 (NIV)
1  Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.
 
Verse 1:  “This is your spiritual act of worship”.  What is worship really?  At its heart true worship is not simply singing songs or going to church.  Don’t get me wrong.  God commands us to sing worship songs and go to church regularly as part of a healthy life of worship.  However, true worship is bigger than that.  It’s about offering your entire life to God as a response to who God is and what God has done.  
 
True worship happens when you surrender your heart, mind and body to God to be used for His purposes and His glory.  Worship is an attitude as much as it is an action.  So make every moment of your life a moment to worship God.  Whatever you do, do it with the goal of wanting to honor and please God.  As 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.”

瘋狂的世代

2022-09-27 in , /by

箴言26:19  他就像瘋狂的人拋擲火把、利箭、與殺人的兵器。

閱讀經文：箴言 26:18-21

18人欺凌鄰舍，卻說：「我豈不是戲耍嗎？」19他就像瘋狂的人拋擲火把、利箭與殺人的兵器。20火缺了柴就必熄滅，無人傳舌，爭競便止息。21好爭競的人煽惑爭端，就如餘火加炭，火上加柴一樣。

笑鬧與欺凌

「人欺凌鄰舍，卻說，我豈不是戲耍嗎。」(箴言二十六：18)

罪的清楚呈現，常是政治強盛的地方。強國經常以欺侮隔壁的小國為樂，將鄰國視為附庸，定期進貢，抓取人質，隨時展示軍威，給與恐嚇。強國的軍國主義是騙局，犧牲許多人的生命，玩弄在少數人的野心間。

罪的清楚呈現，常是權力集中之處。他們經常以污穢的言詞中傷對方，以惡意的動作侮辱對方，以不實的謠言羞辱對方。這不是民主，而是人性有罪的表現。

我們要避開笑鬧式的戲劇、電影、小說、卡通，有些是侮辱老人、身障、精神病、長得較醜、或身材較矮的人。

人類文明的悲劇是用美好的名詞，去包裹可怕的罪惡；用亮麗的口號，去遮掩可怕的兇殘；用笑鬧的表現，去粉飾可怕的欺凌。

The Reason Everything Exists

2022-09-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 11:25-36.  Let’s go!
 
Romans 11:25-36 (NIV)
25  I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in.
26  And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.
27  And this is my covenant with them when I take away their sins.”
28  As far as the gospel is concerned, they are enemies on your account; but as far as election is concerned, they are loved on account of the patriarchs,
29  for God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.

On verse 36:  Paul says that all things are FROM God, THROUGH God, and FOR God.  What does that mean exactly?

“All things are FROM God.” Explanation: God is the creator of the universe.  He is omnipotent (all-powerful) and omniscient (all-knowing).  Nothing happens in this world without Him allowing it. In this way all things are FROM God.   So why would God allow evil and suffering?  We cannot know all the reasons.