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顺服权柄

2022-12-29 in , /by

传道书8:5   凡遵守命令的必不经历祸患，智慧人的心能辨明时候和定理。

阅读经文：传道书8:2-5

2我劝你遵守王的命令，既指神起誓，理当如此。3不要急躁离开王的面前，不要固执行恶，因为他凡事都随自己的心意而行。4王的话本有权力，谁敢问他说：「你做什么呢？」5凡遵守命令的必不经历祸患，智慧人的心能辨明时候和定理。

这是一门不容易的功课，可见不是只有现代人才会抱怨，或者不满上司的命令。在这里，王代表一种在上的权柄。指神起誓，代表合约。相信每个人在进入公司或机构工作之前，都会签合约。但是签了合约之后，在工作的时候难免对主管有所不满，或是对工作情形不满意，或是不认同老板或上司的作法。

因此所罗门王说：“我劝你遵守王的命令，既指神起誓，理当如此”。在〈彼得前书〉里也有类似的劝勉：“你们为主的缘故，要顺服人的一切制度，或是在上的君王，或是君王所派罚恶赏善的臣宰。（彼前2:13-14）”不管是在所罗门王的时代，彼得的时代，都不是容易自处的。因为所罗门王为了修建圣殿和宫殿，大肆召用民工。以致在他的儿子罗波安接位时，以色列人对罗波安说：“你父亲使我们负重轭做苦工，现在求你使我们做的苦工、负的重轭轻松些，我们就侍奉你。（王上12:4）”

The Key to Entering God’s Kingdom

2022-12-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 12:28-34.  Let’s go!

Mark 12:28-31 (NIV)
28  One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29  “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.
30  Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
31  The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
 
On verses 28-31:  After answering questions from the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees, now Jesus is confronted by a representative of another group: the teachers of the law.  Unlike those who asked the previous two questions, this teacher is not out to trap Jesus but is sincere in his question.  He asks Jesus, “what is the most important commandment in the Jewish law?”  

不怒人生

2022-12-28 in , /by

传道书8:1   谁如智慧人呢？谁知道事情的解释呢？人的智慧使他的脸发光，并使他脸上的暴气改变。

阅读经文：传道书8:1 

1谁如智慧人呢？谁知道事情的解释呢？人的智慧使他的脸发光，并使他脸上的暴气改变。

最近有朋友传来笑话数则，有的颇令人玩味。有个小孩边走吃冰淇淋，旁边一位中年妇女看了就跟他说：“这么凉的天吃冰淇淋，会吃坏身体的！”小孩说他奶奶活了103岁。中年妇女问：“她经常吃冰淇淋吗？”小孩说：“不是。我奶奶从来不管闲事。”后语：多么深刻！现在终于知道为什么衰老得快了！瞎操心操的……

我们都想做智慧人，希望过一个充满智慧的人生。因为人有智慧就不会说错话，就不会急躁，不会暴跳如雷，伤身害体，又后悔莫及。有个人回想起她的父亲，一向很爱孩子，平常从不疾言厉色，但不知为什么，一旦生气，出口大骂，非常吓人。因为她是学心理学的，她认为并不是真的有什么大事惹动父亲的怒气，而是在怒气的底层，有很多没有解决的问题。一旦有人触动了那个机制，他就会失去控制。

Is There Marriage In Heaven?

2022-12-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 12:13-27.  Let’s go!

Mark 12:13-17 (NIV)
13  Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words.
14  They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
15  Should we pay or shouldn’t we?” But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”
16  They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.
17  Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” And they were amazed at him.
 
On verses 13-17:  By asking Jesus whether it is right to pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees and Herodians were trying to trap Jesus in a lose-lose situation, a “catch-22”.   If Jesus answered their question by suggesting that the Jews should not pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees and Herodians could then take this to the Roman government and say, “Look, Jesus is inciting rebellion against Caesar!”  On the other hand, if Jesus suggested that the Jews should pay taxes to Caesar, Jesus might be seen by some Jews as siding with the Roman government and betraying the Jewish nation, similar to the way they viewed tax collectors. 

God’s Values vs. The World’s Values

2022-12-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 12:1-12.  Let’s go!

Mark 12:1-11 (NIV)
1  He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.
2  At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.
3  But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
4  Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully.
5  He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.

On verses 1-11:  Being the master communicator, Jesus shares a simple, powerful, and arresting story that gives people a fresh understanding of a famous phrase in Scripture: “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone” (from Psalm 118:22-23).  At the same time, he uses this story to hint strongly at the tremendous evil that the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders were wanting to do to him.

人生的基本手册

2022-12-27 in , /by

传道书7:29  我所找到的只有一件，就是神造人原是正直，但他们寻出许多巧计。

阅读经文：传道书 7:26-29

26我得知有等妇人比死还苦，她的心是网罗，手是锁链，凡蒙神喜悦的人必能躲避她，有罪的人却被她缠住了。27传道者说：看哪，一千男子中，我找到一个正直人，但众女子中没有找到一个。我将这事一一比较，要寻求其理，我心仍要寻找，却未曾找到。29我所找到的只有一件，就是神造人原是正直，但他们寻出许多巧计。

假如你看过《后宫甄嬛传》，大概可以明白为何所罗门王对女人有这样的看法。所罗门王有后宫妃七百，都是公主；还有嫔三百，至少有一千个女人。想想看她们为了见所罗门一面，要怎样使尽功夫，明争暗斗，也不一定能达到目的。原都是公主美人，一入了所罗门的后宫，就不见天日了，真是情何以堪？

所以所罗门说：有等妇人比死还苦，她的心是网罗，手是锁链，因为他后宫的每个女人见到他，都巴不得把他紧紧抓住。有他的宠幸，她们的人生才能得到一些尊严。她们活在后宫无望地等待所罗门的召见，那种情形真的比死还苦。宫禁森严，不能自由出入，活动的地方那么小，没有人真心和你交朋友，一抓到把柄就出卖你，下人也因为你不得竉就看轻你，真的就像个死囚。这是所罗门自己制造出来的，岂能怪女人当中没有正直人？是因为他不把女人当人看，他先不正直，所以能怪女人要在死地中求生存吗？

Unbelief vs. Honest Questions

2022-12-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 11:27-33.  Let’s go!

Mark 11:27-33 (NIV)
27  They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him.
28  “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”
29  Jesus replied, “I will ask you one question. Answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I am doing these things.
30  John’s baptism–was it from heaven, or from men? Tell me!”
31  They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’
32  But if we say, ‘From men’….” (They feared the people, for everyone held that John really was a prophet.)
33  So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

On verses 27-33:  At one time Jesus’ critics claimed that it was by the prince of demons that Jesus drove out demons, basically attributing Jesus’ power to Satan.  But Jesus put that argument to rest (Mark 3:22-30).  Still, Jesus’ critics couldn’t figure out where Jesus’ power came from and they were also unwilling to acknowledge that God was behind Jesus’ ministry.  So they ask Jesus, “Who gave you the authority to do what you’re doing?” (v28)

万事之理离我甚远

2022-12-26 in , /by

传道书7:23 我曾用智慧试验这一切事，我说要得智慧，智慧却离我远。

阅读经文：传道书 7:23-25

23我曾用智慧试验这一切事，我说要得智慧，智慧却离我远。24万事之理离我甚远，而且最深，谁能测透呢？25我转念，一心要知道，要考察，要寻求智慧和万事的理由，又要知道邪恶为愚昧，愚昧为狂妄。

当最有智慧的所罗门王说：“我曾用智慧试验这一切事，我说要得智慧，智慧却离我远。万事之理离我甚远，而且最深，谁能测透呢？”神已经赐给所罗门王智慧，但是当他越考察，越想明白这宇宙之间的道理时，才发现原来万事之理深不可测。你有没有这样的感觉呢？你越思想，就越感到人生的虚空。

神既然已经赐给所罗门王智慧，是在他以前没有像他的，在他以后也没有像他的；为何所罗门还要得智慧呢？当年所罗门向神求的，是听讼的智慧。因此有许多关于所罗门王听讼的故事流传下来。现在所罗门王寻求的，是人生的智慧，是想对人生有一个更全面的理解。没想到，他越考察就越想不通，人的一生何其有限，忙忙碌碌，即使享受了一切，到最后又留下了什么？人生有何意义？我们在世上走一遭，难道只是为了在体验一下生老病死？

How Should You Dream

2022-12-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 11:20-26.  Let’s go!

Mark 11:20-24 (NIV)
20  In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots.
21  Peter remembered and said to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed has withered!”
22  “Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.
23  “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him.
24  Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
 
On verses 20-24:  Here Jesus shows the power of having faith in God.  As part of this, Jesus here is encouraging his followers to dream big dreams that involve God.  As missionary William Carey is famous for saying, when you’re serving God, expect great things from God, and attempt great things for God.  What is something you dream of doing with God for His glory?

智慧的超越

2022-12-25 in , /by

传道书7:20 时常行善而不犯罪的义人，世上实在没有。

阅读经文：传道书 7:19-22

19智慧使有智慧的人比城中十个官长更有能力。20时常行善而不犯罪的义人，世上实在没有。21人所说的一切话，你不要放在心上，恐怕听见你的仆人咒诅你。22因为你心里知道，自己也曾屡次咒诅别人。

第19节的经文在吕振中译本如下：“智慧使智慧人有能力，比城中十个咨议员更有权势”，“更有能力”的原文还可被译为“胜了”，“压制”或“得胜”。“城中十个官长”类指古时候地方处理事务的长老会议，在印度农村也有类似的五人制的村议会，都是治理城巿事务的掌权者。这节经文有一个很重要的意思，掌权者不一定有智慧，而往往真的有智慧者，他们的话比当权者有更大的影响力。

在许多电影或故事里，掌权者碰到突发事件，往往要靠谋士帮忙，以度难关。在旧约圣经的〈士师记〉里有一个故事，讲到士师基甸有一个儿子叫亚比米勒，为了夺权做王，他杀掉了基甸其他的儿子，只有一个逃跑了。后来亚比米勒和帮助他做王的示剑人反目成仇，两边厮杀不已。亚比米勒一路追杀，直取提备斯城，城里有一栋高楼，所有的城里人都躲到楼里，亚比米勒便叫人用火烧楼。事情十分紧急，众人束手无策，当然那些官长们也不知该如何了，这时有一个妇人把一块磨石丢到亚比米勒的头上。她的急智拯救了全城的人，躲过这场杀戮。