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被责备的有福了

2022-10-02 in , /by

箴言27:5  当面的责备，强如背地的爱情。。

阅读经文：箴言 27:4-6

4愤怒为残忍，怒气为狂澜，唯有嫉妒，谁能敌得住呢？5当面的责备，强如背地的爱情。6朋友加的伤痕出于忠诚，仇敌连连亲嘴却是多余。

嫉妒有1000只眼睛

4愤怒为残忍，怒气为狂澜，唯有嫉妒，谁能敌得住呢？

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

犹太人有一句俗语：“恋爱是盲目的，但嫉妒比盲目更坏，因为它连看不到的东西都要看。”犹太人认为：“嫉妒有1000只眼睛。” 1000只眼睛代表猜疑。这节经文说：“愤怒为残忍，怒气为狂澜，唯有嫉妒，谁能敌得住呢？”犹太人认为:“因嫉妒而疯狂的心，是连骨头都要腐蚀的”。

但是人难免嫉妒，对于自己想要又得不到的，总会嫉妒那些已经拥有的人。因此人若能谦卑，活得低调一些，或许是最好的保护自己的方法。有一次有个朋友通过了一个很难的考试，他的妻子非常高兴，想要大大庆祝一番。他却对妻子说：“但是我有一些朋友，他们和我一起去考，却还没有通过。”如此，他逃过了一个很大的考验，也躲过了一些嫉妒。

天父可能很祝福你，但是我们不必到处张扬，反而要以感谢的心去回报那些帮助过我们的人。因为被嫉妒表示你走在他人前面，也表示你拥有一些他人所渴望的，既然如此，岂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.

不要为明日自夸

2022-09-30 in , /by

箴言27:1   不要为明日自夸，因为一日要生何事，你尚且不能知道。

阅读经文：箴言 27:1-3

1不要为明日自夸，因为一日要生何事，你尚且不能知道。2要别人夸奖你，不可用口自夸；等外人称赞你，不可用嘴自称。3石头重，沙土沉，愚妄人的恼怒比这两样更重。

不要为明日自夸

1不要为明日自夸，因为一日要生何事，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》

在圣经里经常提醒我们，人是有限的，因此不要为明日自夸，因为一日要生何事，你尚且不能知道。耶稣皂弟弟雅各在雅各书的第四章就曾举例：嗐，你们有话说：「今天、明天我们要往某城里去，在那里住一年，做买卖得利。」 其实明天如何，你们还不知道。你们的生命是什么呢？你们原来是一片云雾，出现少时就不见了。 你们只当说：「主若愿意，我们就可以活着，也可以做这事或做那事。」 

有的人在假期带着一家出游，欢欢喜喜上路，悲悲伤伤地结束，因为碰到酒驾，一家四口只留一口，还要住医院。这种事情不胜枚举。前些日子有个人回头一看，年幼的孩子爬上窗户，被窗帘困住几乎没了呼吸。幸好发现得早，马上做急救，捡回了一条命。

因此当把我们自己交托给神，主若愿意，我们就可以活着，也可以做这事或那事。

生活左右铭

2022-09-29 in , /by

箴言26:28 虚谎的舌恨他所压伤的人，谄媚的口败坏人的事。

阅读经文：箴言 26:26-28

26 他虽用诡诈遮掩自己的怨恨，他的邪恶必在会中显露。 27 挖陷坑的，自己必掉在其中；滚石头的，石头必反滚在他身上。 28 虚谎的舌恨他所压伤的人，谄媚的口败坏人的事。

剧烈的毒药

24怨恨人的用嘴粉饰，心里却藏着诡诈。25他用甜言蜜语，你不可信他，因为他心中有七样可憎恶的。26他虽用诡诈遮掩自己的怨恨，他的邪恶必在会中显露。

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节是一段连贯的思想，讲到敌人用虚伪的表现去遮盖心里的苦毒。因此碰到人说甜言蜜语，自己一定要小心，不可轻信人的赞美。就像法利赛人和文士，他们在挑战耶稣，想要引发耶稣说不敬的话之前，都会虚伪地赞美耶稣，称祂为夫子。实际上却是包藏祸心，充满了欲致之于死地的唇枪舌剑。

约瑟的儿子西缅和利未为了为妹妹底拿报仇时，也是用花言巧语使示剑家族去除戒心，接受他们的建议，全族男人接受割礼。在疼痛时，就被西缅和利未带人杀得精光。因此若有人专挑好听的说给你听时，你千万不要得意忘形，反而要荣耀归神，更加谨慎行事为人。因为在撒旦的糖衣之下，都是剧烈的毒药。

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.

不要将谣言当美食

2022-09-28 in , /by

箴言26:22  传舌人的言语如同美食，深入人的心腹。

阅读经文：箴言 26:22-25

22传舌人的言语如同美食，深入人的心腹。23火热的嘴奸恶的心，好像银渣包的瓦器。24怨恨人的用嘴粉饰，心里却藏着诡诈。25他用甜言蜜语，你不可信他，因为他心中有七样可憎恶的。

不要将谣言当美食

「传舌人的言语，如同美食，深入人的心腹。」(箴言二十六：22)

上帝不要我们倾听小道消息，打听坊间传闻，探听别人隐私。上帝知道人性的软弱，是将谣言当美食。

这经节的「美食」原意是长脓的秽物，吃进去后，会填饱人心的某个空间，在里面生毒。谣言是美食，却是毒物，吃了使人死。因此，我们要远离包打听的人，拒绝据说、可能、或许式的报导，不听传闻的消息，离开互传谣言的聚集。

不传递谣传，是止息谣传最好的方法，求上帝医治我们的内心，关掉爱听小道消息的那扇门，封掉爱打听的那扇窗，填掉以谣言为满足的那个钥匙洞。将上帝的话听清楚，圣经才是真正的美食。

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.”

疯狂的世代

2022-09-27 in , /by

箴言26:19  他就像疯狂的人抛掷火把、利箭、与杀人的兵器。

阅读经文：箴言 26:18-21

18人欺凌邻舍，却说：「我岂不是戏耍吗？」19他就像疯狂的人抛掷火把、利箭与杀人的兵器。20火缺了柴就必熄灭，无人传舌，争竞便止息。21好争竞的人煽惑争端，就如余火加炭，火上加柴一样。

笑闹与欺凌

「人欺凌邻舍，却说，我岂不是戏耍吗。」(箴言二十六：18)

罪的清楚呈现，常是政治强盛的地方。强国经常以欺侮隔壁的小国为乐，将邻国视为附庸，定期进贡，抓取人质，随时展示军威，给与恐吓。强国的军国主义是骗局，牺牲许多人的生命，玩弄在少数人的野心间。

罪的清楚呈现，常是权力集中之处。他们经常以污秽的言词中伤对方，以恶意的动作侮辱对方，以不实的谣言羞辱对方。这不是民主，而是人性有罪的表现。

我们要避开笑闹式的戏剧、电影、小说、卡通，有些是侮辱老人、身障、精神病、长得较丑、或身材较矮的人。

人类文明的悲剧是用美好的名词，去包裹可怕的罪恶；用亮丽的口号，去遮掩可怕的凶残；用笑闹的表现，去粉饰可怕的欺凌。

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.