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This Takes Humility

2022-12-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 10:1-16.  Let’s go!
 
Mark 10:1-12 (NIV)
1  Jesus then left that place and went into the region of Judea and across the Jordan. Again crowds of people came to him, and as was his custom, he taught them.
2  Some Pharisees came and tested him by asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?”
3  “What did Moses command you?” he replied.
4  They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”
5  “It was because your hearts were hard that Moses wrote you this law,” Jesus replied.
6  “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’

On verses 1-12:  Divorce was never God’s ideal plan for any married couple.  God’s heart is to protect and bless the marriage between a husband and wife as much as possible.  These sobering words from Jesus show that both marriage and divorce should not be taken lightly.

How to Live Today With Eternity in Mind

2022-12-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 9:42-50.  Let’s go!

Mark 9:42-48 (NIV)
42  “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.
43  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.
45  And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell.
47  And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell,
48  where “‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’
 
On verses 42-48:  Jesus’ words here show us a number of things:
 
1. Here Jesus shows us how holy God is, how nothing with sin can stand in His presence.  If it weren’t for Jesus Christ dying on the cross to pay for our sinfulness, none of us would stand a chance of going to heaven.  As Psalm 130:3-4 says, “If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand?  But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared.”  May we never take God’s incredible holiness or His equally incredible mercy for granted.

人的有限

2022-12-16 in , /by

传道书6:11    加增虚浮的事既多，这与人有什么益处呢？

阅读经文：传道书 6:10-12

10先前所有的，早已起了名，并知道何为人，他也不能与那比自己力大的相争。11加增虚浮的事既多，这与人有什么益处呢？12人一生虚度的日子就如影儿经过，谁知道什么与他有益呢？谁能告诉他身后在日光之下有什么事呢？

第十节的经文若只是从中文字面来看，好像是在说“什么东西都有名字了；人就是人，怎样也不能跟力大的相争。”你能明白它在说什么吗？新译本是这样翻译的：“已经存在的，早已有了名称；大家都知道人是怎样的；人绝对无法与比自己强的抗辩。”我看得很莫名其妙，幸好有信息圣经的翻译助我理解：10Whatever happens, happens. Its destiny is fixed. You can’t argue with fate.原来它的意思是说，不管已经发生了什么事，都已经发生了，每个人都有自己的命，你不能和命运争辩。

我想，这样一来我们都清楚了。先前所有的，是指发生在我们身上的事情。有的人生下来很幸运，有爱他的父母，在父母身边享尽一切的福气。有的人一生下来就被抛弃，几乎死掉，被人捡起来，在许多家庭转来转去，受尽欺凌白眼，成长得十分苦艰难。这些都不是我们能改变的，命运就是那个力大的，在众人之上的命定，人没有办法与之抗争。为什么我们可以要什么有什么，而非洲的穷苦小孩，要什么没什么，连吃口饭都十分艰难。

The Truly Great One Among Us

2022-12-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Mark 9:33-41.  Let’s go!

Mark 9:33-34 (NIV)
33  They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”
34  But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

On verses 33-34:  How silly it was for the disciples to be arguing about who among them was the greatest, when in fact the greatest one by far was with them but not part of the conversation.  It’s like if Wayne Gretzky were to play with a bunch of grade school children and find them arguing about who is the greatest player among them, all the while forgetting that the greatest of all time was in their midst.

珍惜当下

2022-12-15 in , /by

传道书6:7  人的劳碌都为口腹，心里却不知足。

阅读经文：传道书 6:7-9

7人的劳碌都为口腹，心里却不知足。8这样看来，智慧人比愚昧人有什么长处呢？穷人在众人面前知道如何行有什么长处呢？9眼睛所看的比心里妄想的倒好。这也是虚空，也是捕风。

在〈创世记〉第三章17-19节记载，因为始祖亚当犯罪，被神咒诅：“你既听从妻子的话，吃了我所吩咐你不可吃的那树上的果子，地必为你的缘故受咒诅，你必终身劳苦，才能从地里得吃的。地必给你长出荆棘和蒺藜来，你也要吃田间的菜蔬。你必汗流满面才得糊口，直到你归了土，因为你是从土而出的。你本是尘土，仍要归于尘土。”我想，这是人的劳碌都为口腹的开始。

从口腹伸展到心里的各种欲望，我们努力工作赚钱想满足自己，但心灵却越发空虚，无法感到满足。毕德生将其译为：We work to feed our appetites; Meanwhile our souls go hungry. 这句话点出了人类最大的问题，就是不管怎样努力，都无法满足自己的灵，甚至也无法满足别人。就像很多父母骂孩子笨，什么都学不好，考不到好成绩，进不了名校，拿不到好工作。父母担心的是孩子找不到好工作，赚不到大钱，所以从孩子小的时候就一直骂，其实是把自己的不满足投射在孩子身上，希望以他们的成就来满足自己。

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.

长寿的虚空

2022-12-14 in , /by

传道书6:6   那人虽然活千年，再活千年，却不享福，众人岂不都归一个地方去吗？

阅读经文：传道书 6:3-6

3人若生一百个儿子，活许多岁数，以致他的年日甚多，心里却不得满享福乐，又不得埋葬，据我说，那不到期而落的胎比他倒好。4因为虚虚而来，暗暗而去，名字被黑暗遮蔽，5并且没有见过天日，也毫无知觉，这胎比那人倒享安息。6那人虽然活千年，再活千年，却不享福，众人岂不都归一个地方去吗？

根据2017年一月份《Mail Online》的报导，有位印尼人Saparman Sodimejo（索迪米约）在2016年圣诞节过146岁生日，他的身份证上注明他出生于1870年12月31日。他的亲友、四任妻子以及所有儿女都已过世，目前由曾孙及玄孙辈照顾。他还能用枴杖自己走路，也几乎什么都能吃。他在122岁时就准备好棺材和墓地，连墓埤都已刻好。他说那时最想要的就是死亡。索迪米约于2017年4月底辞世，五月1 日下葬。

这个报导让我感到十分震撼，因为现代人都讲究饮食和长生之道，几乎人人都想健康的一直活下去。但是这个老人的现状却说明了一个事实，就是有一天即使神允许你一直活着不死，也能吃喝，照顾自己，你也可能像他一样，巴不得死亡早点来临。死亡原来也是出于神的恩典，是个礼物。世人所盼望的长寿，真的是福气吗？

一宗祸患

2022-12-13 in , /by

传道书6:1  我见日光之下有一宗祸患，重压在人身上。

阅读经文：传道书 6:1-2

1我见日光之下有一宗祸患，重压在人身上。2就是人蒙神赐他资财、丰富、尊荣，以致他心里所愿的一样都不缺，只是神使他不能吃用，反有外人来吃用。这是虚空，也是祸患。

“神赐人资财丰富，使他能以吃用，能取自己的份，在他劳碌中喜乐，这乃是神的恩赐”。相反的，若是神赐人资财丰富，却不能吃用，不能取自己的份，不能在劳碌中喜乐，就是祸患了。你在劳碌中可有喜乐？你能否享用神赐给你的资财，你能否取得自己的份？假如你一直在埋怨你的工作，假如你一天到晚舍不得吃舍不得喝，不敢用钱，一用钱就心疼，那么你得好好在神面前思考，究竟你这一生的“份”是什么？

神的恩赐是让人可以享用他的劳碌所赚取的一切，假如你舍不得去享用你劳碌所赚取的，反而要留给外人吃用，那么祝福就变成祸患了。这当中的福与祸，就在于自己的心怀意念。假如你的信心放在钱财之上，你自然不敢花用，因为钱财成了你的安全感。你害怕自己年弱衰老之际没有钱用了，那怎么办呢？所以要把钱抓得紧紧的，像华尔街巫婆Hetty Green，洗衣服要省肥皂，只洗领子或袖子；找医院要找免费医院，至死不敢用钱。她的钱财就留给外人用了。

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.

阿嬷的冰箱

2022-12-12 in , /by

传道书 5:19   神赐人资财丰富，使他能以吃用，能取自己的份，在他劳碌中喜乐，这乃是神的恩赐。

阅读经文：传道书 5:18-20

18我所见为善为美的，就是人在神赐他一生的日子吃喝，享受日光之下劳碌得来的好处，因为这是他的份。19神赐人资财丰富，使他能以吃用，能取自己的份，在他劳碌中喜乐，这乃是神的恩赐。20他不多思念自己一生的年日，因为神应他的心使他喜乐。

在网上流传着一个很有趣的问题，为什么老人家的冰箱总是满的？因为老人家总是要保留剩菜。假如今天红烧肉没吃完，明天红烧豆腐没吃完，后天香肠没吃完，就把它们都放在一起。每天用大同电锅蒸，没吃完再把新的剩菜放进去。有人说他的祖母92岁了，只要食物还能咽下去，基本上都不会丢。到外面吃不完的，一定要打包，有时放到发霉还舍不得丢。你跟她说，这样吃对健康不好啦，她说她这样吃都活到92岁了，有什么不好？你说这样的老人家是有福气还是没福气？