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Who’s Your Daddy?

2022-09-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 4:9-16.  Let’s go!

Romans 4:9-12 (NIV)
9  Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.
10  Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
11  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
12  And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
 
Verses 9-12:  To show that righteousness by faith is a gift that God makes available to everyone and not only to Jews, Paul goes back to the example of Abraham.  Paul notes that Abraham received his righteousness by faith before he was circumcised (v10).  In this way, Abraham is a father of faith (that is, a great example and a forerunner of what it looks like to receive righteousness by faith) for all of us who are not circumcised, i.e. who do not come from a Jewish background (v11). 

以智慧建造人生

2022-09-02 in , /by

箴言24:3   房屋因智慧建造，又因聰明立穩。

閱讀經文：箴言 24:1-4

1你不要嫉妒惡人，也不要起意與他們相處。2因為他們的心圖謀強暴，他們的口談論奸惡。3房屋因智慧建造，又因聰明立穩，4其中因知識充滿各樣美好寶貴的財物。

1你不要嫉妒惡人，也不要起意與他們相處。2因為他們的心圖謀強暴，他們的口談論奸惡。Don’t envy bad people; don’t even want to be around them. All they think about is causing a disturbance; all they talk about is making trouble.

什麼是惡人呢？就是那些心裡圖謀強暴，口裡談論奸惡的人。這樣的人有什麼值得人嫉妒，並且還起意想跟他們相處？你會發現，在日常生活裡，有不少人很羨慕這樣的惡霸。似乎跟他們在一起，自己也有了存在感。

他們似乎是具有特權的人，因為凶惡，令人害怕，不敢得罪，以致於常常佔別人的便宜。大部份人成為被恐嚇的對象。也因此，超人電影往往受人喜愛，因為我們常常感到自己的軟弱，無法和惡勢力對抗。所以惡霸後面總跟著一群人，為了要沾他的光。為了離開自己的軟弱，而成為惡人的手下，卑躬屈膝，成為走狗，大有人在。

例如同性婚姻的訴求，同運人士的操作，即使有很多人心裡不以為然，表面上卻很積極地支持，因為怕被同伴嘲笑落伍，怕被人說有歧視，等等。我們心裡害怕被擠出去，不敢說出心裡真正的看法。因為忘記了，我們有一位耶和華神，是全能的主宰，是看顧我們的天父。我們總是害怕眼所能見的，不敢相信眼見不到的。我們的信心建立在自我之上，所以不敢過分別為聖的生活。

求天父幫助我們，開我們的眼睛，讓我們看到，那與我們同在的，比與他們同在的更多。讓我們明白，不要怕那只能傷害身體的，反而要怕那有能力轄制身體和靈魂的。

You Are Righteous Because of Jesus

2022-09-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 3:21-31.  Let’s go!

Romans 3:21-24 (NIV)
21  But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24  and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
 
On verses 21-24:  In the Bible, to be “righteous” means to be blameless, acceptable and worthy in God’s eyes to be in His presence because we are holy like He is.  In Romans 3:9-20 Paul explained that we could never be righteous by trying to obey God’s laws.  That’s because no matter how hard we try, we will never meet God’s perfect standard.  Because of our sin, we are separated from God’s holy presence.  As Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. 

流連飲酒的後果

2022-09-01 in , /by

箴言23:34   你必像躺在海中，或像臥在桅杆上。

閱讀經文：箴言 23:27-35

27妓女是深坑，外女是窄阱。28她埋伏好像強盜，她使人中多有奸詐的。29誰有禍患？誰有憂愁？誰有爭鬥？誰有哀嘆？誰無故受傷？誰眼目紅赤？30就是那流連飲酒，常去尋找調和酒的人。31酒發紅，在杯中閃爍，你不可觀看，雖然下咽舒暢，終久是咬你如蛇，刺你如毒蛇。33你眼必看見異怪的事，你心必發出乖謬的話。34你必像躺在海中，或像臥在桅杆上。35你必說：「人打我我卻未受傷，人鞭打我我竟不覺得，我幾時清醒，我仍去尋酒！」

根據2016年12月英媒《都市報》報導，波蘭一名25歲男子卡密爾（Kamil）日前參加一個狂飲派對，在過程中他喝下大量伏特加酒，當場喪失意識，經送醫後宣告不治，被送進太平間停放。然而當晚醫院的警衛聽到奇怪的聲音從停屍間傳出，推開門後赫然發現一具冰冷、全裸的「屍體」望著他，並開口要一條毛毯，令警衛嚇到直接報警。警方到場後協同院方人員進行身分比對，確定這具復活的「屍體」是已被宣判死亡的卡密爾，在進行一連串健康檢查後，醫師認為他健康狀況良好，隨即送他出院。不過，死裡逃生的卡密爾出院後目的地竟不是家中，而是另一間酒館。

將心歸我

2022-08-31 in , /by

箴言23:26   我兒，要將你的心歸我，你的眼目也要喜悅我的道路。

閱讀經文：箴言 23:19-26

19我兒，你當聽，當存智慧，好在正道上引導你的心。20好飲酒的，好吃肉的，不要與他們來往。21因為好酒貪食的必致貧窮，好睡覺的必穿破爛衣服。22你要聽從生你的父親，你母親老了，也不可藐視她。23你當買真理，就是智慧、訓誨和聰明也都不可賣。24義人的父親必大得快樂，人生智慧的兒子，必因他歡喜。25你要使父母歡喜，使生你的快樂。26我兒，要將你的心歸我，你的眼目也要喜悅我的道路。

不管是以前或現在，最讓父母傷腦筋的孩子，便是身體長大，心卻長不大的孩子。好吃好玩，就是不工作。在網路上有個親子專欄，裡面有篇文章的作者認為，要想讓一個人殷勤度日而不致於終日閒懶，便要在0-6歲期間幫孩子建立起良好的生活習慣。

在0-6歲期間，一般父母習慣讓孩子過著張口就吃，伸手就給的生活，各方面照顧得非常週全，因此養成孩子五體不勤，好吃懶做的習性。加上華人有“萬般皆下品，惟有讀書高”的偏見，因此一昧把孩子往名校擠，只要孩子成績好，替孩子拿書包，準備一切，什麼都為孩子做。等孩子長大了，還不必交上好飲酒和好吃肉的朋友，自己就已經成為好逸惡勞，貪睡愛享受的一族了。

No One Is Good Except Jesus

2022-08-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 3:9-20.  Let’s go!

Romans 3:9a (NIV)
9  What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all!…

On verse 9:  Given Paul’s Jewish heritage and his international upbringing outside of Jerusalem, Paul has the unique ability to relate to and identify with both Jews as well as Gentiles.  So after talking to the Jewish Christians in Rome and warning them not to take their rich spiritual heritage for granted (Romans 2:17-3:8), Paul in verse 9 speaks to the Gentiles and says, “What shall we conclude then?  Are we any better?”  Paul is using his unique shape to serve God (“shape” meaning his Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality and Experiences).

Likewise, you are uniquely shaped to serve God.  There is not a single aspect of your background, your experiences, your gift set or your personality that God accidentally allowed.  Rather you are a custom-made creation built for the glory of God.  God wants to use you just the way that He shaped you to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

杖的管教

2022-08-30 in , /by

箴言23:15  我兒，你心若存智慧，我的心也甚歡喜。

閱讀經文：箴言 23:12-18

12你要留心領受訓誨，側耳聽從知識的言語。13不可不管教孩童，你用杖打他，他必不至於死。14你要用杖打他，就可以救他的靈魂免下陰間。15我兒，你心若存智慧，我的心也甚歡喜。16你的嘴若說正直話，我的心腸也必快樂。17你心中不要嫉妒罪人，只要終日敬畏耶和華。18因為至終必有善報，你的指望也不致斷絕。

有一個小影片錄了一個真實故事：有一個小孩在一間雜貨店裡偷東西，被他的父親看到了。假如你是他的父親，你會怎樣做呢？會不會趕快叫孩子把偷來的東西放回去就好了？或是給他一巴掌：叫你還敢偷？或是把東西拿去付錢了事？

這個父親為了讓孩子以後永遠不再偷東西，他把孩子帶到售貨員面前，叫孩子親自把東西交還給售貨員，並且向他道歉。小孩被父親抓著，他感到很羞恥，不好意思正面看售貨員。但是他的父親叫他要正面道歉。

我相信這個孩子永遠不會忘記人生的這一課，也會永遠記得那一刻的羞恥感。管教孩童，或許不必用打，卻要認真地執行。

You’re Entrusted with Treasure

2022-08-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 3:1-8.  Let’s go!

Romans 3:1-4 (NIV)
1  What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what value is there in circumcision?
2  Much in every way! First of all, they have been entrusted with the very words of God.
3  What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?
4  Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.”
 
On verses 1-4:  Just prior to this, in Romans 2:25-29, Paul said that a person’s circumcision means very little if that person’s heart is not set on living for God.  But here Paul clarifies that this does not mean that the concept of Jewish circumcision itself has no value, or that being Jewish has no value.  What can we learn from this?

大有能力的救贖主

2022-08-29 in , /by

箴言23:11    因他們的救贖主大有能力，祂必向你為他們辨屈。

閱讀經文：箴言 23:9-11

9你不要說話給愚昧人聽，因他必藐視你智慧的言語。

Don’t bother talking sense to fools; they’ll only poke fun at your words.

讀到這節經文，令我感觸良多。因為當台灣的同性戀者在爭取結婚平權時，有一些自稱是基督教的牧師也去支持，有許多信徒也偏向支持同性戀者可以結婚的看法，以致於有些信徒感到非常迷惘。這件事其實很簡單，那些支持者的原因是因為他們很同情同性戀者的痛苦，覺得他們也該有結婚的權利。

問題是，婚姻是誰設立的？假如婚姻是人設立的，要怎樣修改都說得過去。但婚姻若是神所訂的，誰有權去修改？支持修改的人，是不是打了神一個大大的嘴巴：祢做的不好，所以我要去支持別人，把祢訂的改掉？

當年祭司以利因為放縱兒子，因此神對他說：“因為尊重我的，我必重看他；藐視我的，他必被輕視”（撒上2:30）。神為何放棄掃羅？神一再給掃羅機會，最後神說：“我立掃羅為王，我後悔了。因為他轉去不跟從我，不遵守我的命令”（撒上15）。耶穌當年都說祂來不是要廢棄律法，而是要成全律法。我們有誰可以因為任何原因，超越耶穌的做法？

一個小小的測試，沒有橫駕在脖子上的刀，就把神的話放進抽屜，把自己的想法擺出來大列列地傳講。這樣渺視神話語的人，該怎樣形容呢？

It Depends on Your Heart

2022-08-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 2:25-29.  Let’s go!
 
Romans 2:25-29 (NIV)
25  Circumcision has value if you observe the law, but if you break the law, you have become as though you had not been circumcised.
26  If those who are not circumcised keep the law’s requirements, will they not be regarded as though they were circumcised?
27  The one who is not circumcised physically and yet obeys the law will condemn you who, even though you have the written code and circumcision, are a lawbreaker.
28  A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical.
29  No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man’s praise is not from men, but from God.

On verses 25-29:  Here Paul is speaking to his fellow Jewish Christians in Rome about circumcision.  To those who might take pride in the fact that they were circumcised and who saw their circumcision as evidence of a close relationship with God, Paul clarifies that: