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Because Jesus Rose Again

2023-01-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 16:12-20.  Let’s go!

Mark 16:12-14 (NIV)
12  Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.
13  These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
14  Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

On verses 12-14:  Even after Jesus had repeatedly told them that he would rise again, even after the incredible miracles the disciples had seen Jesus do, and even after multiple witnesses were testifying to them about Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples still refused to believe.  Based on all that the disciples had been shown, the disciples should have believed earlier, but they didn’t.  So Jesus rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe.

將糧食撒在水面

2023-01-18 in , /by

傳道書11:1   當將你的糧食撒在水面，因為日久必能得著。

閱讀經文：傳道書11:1-6

1當將你的糧食撒在水面，因為日久必能得著。2你要分給七人或分給八人，因為你不知道將來有什麼災禍臨到地上。3雲若滿了雨，就必傾倒在地上；樹若向南倒或向北倒，樹倒在何處，就存在何處。4看風的必不撒種，望雲的必不收割。5風從何道來，骨頭在懷孕婦人的胎中如何長成，你尚且不得知道，這樣，行萬事之神的作為，你更不得知道。6早晨要撒你的種，晚上也不要歇你的手，因為你不知道那一樣發旺，或是早撒的，或是晚撒的，或是兩樣都好。。

在所羅門王寫的智慧書裡，他的信息都和一般人的生活息息相關，不是講一些與我們不相干的哲學或是很難懂的理論，今天這段經文對我們也很實用。他說：“當將你的糧食撒在水面，因為日久必能得著”。“糧食”的英文是bread麵包，所以假如你把麵包撒在水面上，會有怎樣的後果呢？有幾個可能性：若不是變潮了，發霉了，就是被鴨子或海鷗吃掉了，你媽媽可能會很生氣，你竟然不把麵包吃掉，把它丟到水裡！所羅門王是何意呢？他要我們拿食物去餵魚嗎？是否水裡有不止一個枉死的屈原？

在這句經文裡的“撒”裡含有sea trade海上交易的意思；“糧食”指的是它的來源，例如做麵包的原料：麵粉和小麥。原來《聖經》裡已經告訴我們，所羅門王是一個做生意的高手，在他的時代，已經和許多國家做起對外貿易的生意。所羅門王造船（王上9:26），以色列的商人運著各樣的糧食到遙遠的國度，又到俄裴運金子回耶路撒冷。

空中的鳥必傳揚這聲音

2023-01-17 in , /by

傳道書10:19  設擺筵席是為喜笑，酒能使人快活，錢能叫萬事應心。

閱讀經文：傳道書10:19-20

19設擺筵席是為喜笑，酒能使人快活，錢能叫萬事應心。 20你不可咒詛君王，也不可心懷此念，在你臥房也不可咒詛富戶。因為空中的鳥必傳揚這聲音，有翅膀的也必述說這事。

在第十章的智慧論裡有許多對比，例如：一點愚昧能敗壞智慧和尊榮，柔和能免大過，智者說恩言，愚者說話吞滅自己，孩童和貴胄之子掌權的後果，還有一些行事的法則：做事之前要先將觀察準備，鐵器鈍了，要先將刃磨快，等等。在這第19節裡，所羅門王讓我們知道，凡事都有它的目的。

好像人設擺筵席多是因有喜事。例如有婚宴，嬰兒滿月，或有什麼畢業典禮，或是年終尾牙老闆請工吃飯，等等。人請你去參加筵席，是為了和你一起享受他的喜樂和滿足。所以不管你的心情何等欠佳，也要擺出一個笑臉，不要把臉拉得長長的，掃大家的興緻。

Take Jesus at His Word

2023-01-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 16:1-11.  Let’s go!

Mark 16:1-3 (NIV)
1  When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body.
2  Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb
3  and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

On verses 1-3:  In accordance with Jewish custom, Mary Magdalene, Mary and Salome brought spices to Jesus’ tomb, hoping to pour the spices on Jesus’ body, both as a sign of love and to counteract any odor.  In other words, they all fully expected Jesus to be dead.  Little did they know that they and Jesus wouldn’t need the spices after all.

孩童和貴胄之子

2023-01-16 in , /by

傳道書10:16   邦國啊，你的王若是孩童，你的群臣早晨宴樂，你就有禍了！

閱讀經文：傳道書10:16-18

16邦國啊，你的王若是孩童，你的群臣早晨宴樂，你就有禍了！17邦國啊，你的王若是貴胄之子，你的群臣按時吃喝，為要補力，不為酒醉，你就有福了！18因人懶惰，房頂塌下；因人手懶，房屋滴漏。

當所羅門王說這句話時，他可能萬萬沒有想到，他的兒子羅波安就是他筆下的“孩童”。在這裡“孩童”指的不是年齡，而是心智上不成熟的人。因為一早起來就和群臣宴樂，怎麼會有心去處理國家大事，或為百姓爭取公道，做一個明智之君？

羅波安自小在宮庭長大，養尊處憂，不識人間疾苦，因此當碰到問題時，自己也不懂得思想，即使有群臣在旁，也無法判斷誰的建議是智慧或愚蠢。當百姓希望他減輕苦役和重擔時，他不但不同情，反而選擇了加重他們要負的軛，以致引起叛變。最後以色列十個支派都歸附耶羅波安。這事雖然也因為神對所羅門拜偶像而引發的處治，但是羅波安的“孩童”之心則是使以色列國分裂的關鍵。

The One Who Fills the Gap

2023-01-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 15:42-47.  Let’s go!

Mark 15:42-47 (NIV)
42  It was Preparation Day (that is, the day before the Sabbath). So as evening approached,
43  Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent member of the Council, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of God, went boldly to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body.
44  Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died.
45  When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph.
46  So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb.
47  Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where he was laid.

On verses 42-43:  According to scholars, usually crucified criminals were not buried.  Rather their bodies were left to rot on the cross.  However, in Jewish culture, giving a dead person a proper burial was the right thing to do.

恩言和絕句

2023-01-15 in , /by

傳道書10:12  智慧人的口說出恩言，愚昧人的嘴吞滅自己。

閱讀經文：傳道書10:12-15

12智慧人的口說出恩言，愚昧人的嘴吞滅自己。13他口中的言語起頭是愚昧，他話的末尾是奸惡的狂妄。14愚昧人多有言語，人卻不知將來有什麼事，他身後的事誰能告訴他呢？15凡愚昧人，他的勞碌使自己困乏，因為連進城的路他也不知道。

雅各說：“舌頭在百體裡是最小的，卻能說大話；它能污穢全身，也能從地獄中把生命的輪子點起來”（雅3:5-6）。一句話可以令人笑，一句話也可以令人跳，一句話可以讓人飄飄欲仙，也可以把人逼死。所以當智慧人口說恩言，恩言是指什麼？恩言的反面是什麼，且稱之為絕句吧，因為它會讓人跳，讓人叫，讓人氣到渾身發抖。

有一個人把夫妻間的恩言和絕句寫了下來，您且看看對不對？恩言如下：「你好厲害哦！」「我好喜歡跟你在一起。」 「你今天看起來好帥 / 漂亮哦！」 「我真慶幸能嫁給 / 娶到你！」「辛苦你了！」 「我有榮幸幫助你嗎？」 「謝謝你為我禱告。」「對不起！我不是故意的。」 「我好愛你哦！」 「我好想念你哦！」等等。

The Death of Jesus

2023-01-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 15:33-41.  Let’s go as we take a verse by verse look at Jesus’ death on the cross.

Mark 15:33 (NIV)
33  At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.

On verse 33:  The sixth hour to the ninth hour would be from 12pm to 3pm.  Mark describes how there was supernatural darkness that came over the whole land as Jesus hung on the cross and neared death.  Truly these were three of the darkest hours in human history.  One can only imagine what was going on in heaven when Jesus, heaven’s darling, was hanging on the cross.

知行合一

2023-01-13 in , /by

傳道書10:8  挖陷坑的自己必掉在其中，拆牆垣的必為蛇所咬。

閱讀經文：傳道書10:8-11

8挖陷坑的自己必掉在其中，拆牆垣的必為蛇所咬。9鑿開石頭的必受損傷，劈開木頭的必遭危險。10鐵器鈍了，若不將刃磨快，就必多費氣力，但得智慧指教便有益處。11未行法術以先蛇若咬人，後行法術也是無益。

華人常喜歡說一命二運三風水。何謂“命”？就是指你出生的環境，是沒得選擇的。出生在富貴人家或出生窮苦人家都不是自己可以決定，這就是命。“運”是指機遇。有話說好運來時擋都擋不住，運來時避也避不掉。“風水”就是環境及各種形成的因素。因此有許多人覺得自己無法把握人生的趨勢，所以總想從算命或看星座去看看自己的將來如何，也因而經常受騙。

《聖經》裡告訴我們，生命是神賜給我們的，祂是掌管生命的神。因此不管我們出生在怎樣的家庭，碰上怎樣的機遇，只要相信神，把事情交託給祂，祂就必成全。人生難料，但是只要抓住神的手往前行，就可以走入一條神為我們預備的路。我們的前途在神的手中，但我們也有自己必須承擔的責任。所以所羅門王告訴我們：“掌權者的心若向你發怒，不要離開你的本位，因為柔和能免大過”（傳10:4）。一個因為不滿上司而經常換工作的人，可能永遠沒有辦法學到當學的功課。奇美集團的董事長許文龍說：“跌倒的時候，不要馬上爬起來，先看看地上有沒有什麼寶貝可以撿”。

Torture

2023-01-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 15:16-32.  Let’s go!

Mark 15:16-20 (NIV)
16  The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.
17  They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.
18  And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”
19  Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.
20  And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.

On verses 16-20:  After enduring the extreme physical torture of flogging (v15), Jesus is brought into the palace to be abused psychologically and emotionally by the soldiers.

All the things Jesus legitimately deserved – to be robed in royal robes, to be crowned with many crowns, to be bowed down before, to be honoured and praised – the soldiers took and applied to Jesus in the most mocking, humiliating and violent way.  (By the way, I believe people do something of the same today when they use the name of Jesus as a curse word, spoken out of frustration and irreverence.)