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The Point of Prophecy

2022-10-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Daniel 2:17-30.  Let’s go!

Daniel 2:17-18 (NIV)
17  Then Daniel returned to his house and explained the matter to his friends Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.
18  He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon.

On verses 17-18:  Clearly Daniel was not depending on his own strength and wisdom to overcome this dilemma.  He was looking to God, and to help him do that, he urges his friends to pray to God for help.

There have been many times when the prayer support of others has made such a miraculous, tangible difference in my life and ministry.  Don’t be afraid or ashamed to ask people to pray alongside you when you’re facing an especially difficult and pressure-filled situation.

信徒無所爭？

2022-10-12 in , /by

箴言28:4  違棄律法的誇獎惡人，遵守律法的卻與惡人相爭。

閱讀經文：箴言 28:4-6

4違棄律法的誇獎惡人，遵守律法的卻與惡人相爭。5壞人不明白公義，唯有尋求耶和華的無不明白。6行為純正的窮乏人，勝過行事乖僻的富足人。

信徒無所爭？

4違棄律法的誇獎惡人，遵守律法的卻與惡人相爭。5壞人不明白公義，唯有尋求耶和華的無不明白。

4 If you desert God’s law, you’re free to embrace depravity; if you love God’s law, you fight for it tooth and nail.5 Justice makes no sense to the evil minded; those who seek God know it inside and out.

這經文裡指的律法是神的律法，壞人是指那些心裡沒有神的人，與尋求耶和華的人互相對照。

聖經裡的律法細則一共有613條，摩西頒布十誡，而主耶穌則總結出兩條誡命。是613條容易守呢？還是十誡或是兩條總結的誡命容易守？其實都不容易，因為所有的律法和誡命都直接指的是要合乎神的心意，跟世人所訂的法律不一樣。

最近網路上沸騰著基督教某間出版社對某間基督教雜誌社的控訴，因為後者在沒有經過同意下引用了不少前者出版的文物，並且其出版物是銷售訂閱的。後者在合解後，依然振振有辭，讓前者憤而再度出面澄清。我看網友的反應，有許多都是站在息事寧人的立場發言，有少數人則出文支持出版社的抗爭。

單純的信心是獅子的膽量

2022-10-11 in , /by

箴言28:2  邦國因有罪過，君王就多更換。因有聰明、知識的人，國必長存。

閱讀經文：箴言 28:1-3

1惡人雖無人追趕也逃跑，義人卻膽壯像獅子。2邦國因有罪過，君王就多更換。因有聰明、知識的人，國必長存。3窮人欺壓貧民，好像暴雨沖沒糧食。

單純的信心是獅子的膽量

我剛到美國唸書時，有一個傍晚，吹著口哨騎腳踏車回家，在學校附近，有一個人叫我：「台灣來的？」我停下車，對他說：「是啊！」他說：「為什麼這麼快樂？」我說：「我是基督徒。」他說：「太好了，幫我一個忙。」我說：「什麼忙？」

他說：「前面這間店我想買下來，開家餐廳。你能替我禱告，購買順利嗎？」我就為他禱告。幾天後，我又經過該處，他興奮地跑過來說：「太奇妙了，巿政府通過我可以在那裡開餐廳了。」我與他握握手，恭喜他。當時我不知道在大學城開一家幾乎沒有停車位的餐廳，是何等困難的事。

後來這餐廳的老闆信了主，還帶一大家族的人信主。這家餐廳開放成為我們禱告會的所在。我那時對美國無知，卻經歷「義人卻膽壯像獅子。」(箴言二十八：1)。獅子的膽量是大且確定，不在乎知識的多寡，只在乎所信的主。

Give God a Chance to Show Up

2022-10-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Daniel 2:1-16.  Let’s go!

Daniel 2:1-11 (NIV)
1  In the second year of his reign, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his mind was troubled and he could not sleep.
2  So the king summoned the magicians, enchanters, sorcerers and astrologers to tell him what he had dreamed. When they came in and stood before the king,
3  he said to them, “I have had a dream that troubles me and I want to know what it means.”
4  Then the astrologers answered the king in Aramaic, “O king, live forever! Tell your servants the dream, and we will interpret it.”

On verses 1-11:  Upon hearing the king’s request that they accurately tell him what his dream was in addition to interpreting it, the astrologers understandably exclaimed, “No one can reveal it to the king except the gods, and they do not live among men.”  The astrologers got it half right.  It’s true that no one except the divine could know and reveal what the king had dreamt.  But it is not true that the divine do not live among us: “And the Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” (John 1:14)  What is too difficult for people is not too difficult for God.  God was about to use this situation to show Nebuchadnezzar, the astrologers and everyone in their circle that God is alive and actively at work among people.

資財不能永有

2022-10-10 in , /by

箴言27:23  你要詳細知道你羊群的景況，留心料理你的牛群。

閱讀經文：箴言 27:23-27

23你要詳細知道你羊群的景況，留心料理你的牛群。24因為資財不能永有，冠冕豈能存到萬代。25乾草割去，嫩草發現，山上的菜蔬也被收斂。26羊羔之毛是為你做衣服，山羊是為做田地的價值，27並有母山羊奶夠你吃，也夠你的家眷吃，且夠養你的婢女。

詳細知道，留心料理

基督徒常會被人質疑，面對生活不夠積極、不夠實際，遇到事情就說「交給上帝」，沒有真正去面對；或許，基督徒本身也會被這樣的想法限制住。「交給上帝」，有時候伴隨的是拖延、逃避。

靈修的時候，讀到箴言這一段話，注意到一些詞句──「詳細知道」、「留心料理」、「因為貲財不能永有，冠冕豈能存到萬代」。人的一生擁有許多寶貴的事物和情感，包括錢財、房屋、書籍、回憶、感動、那些愛過或被愛過的人……，這些都是上帝交給我們的產業，我們豈能不盡心去管理呢？

這裡提到的羊群或牛群，或指一般人在生命中認為最放心、被祝福的部分，同樣也是上帝託付的負擔，包含感情或物質。

Feed on the Word, not the World

2022-10-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of Daniel.  While you will always find people positing other theories, there is good reason to believe that the book of Daniel was written by Daniel himself starting in approximately 605 B.C.   Many Bible scholars believe that Daniel lived around the same time as the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel, was born of noble birth in Judah and spent his first 15 years or so there.  Growing up in Judah, Daniel probably heard the prophet Jeremiah preach about how one day because of their persistent rebellion against God, the king of Babylon would take over Jerusalem and send its people into exile.  When Jerusalem in fact fell to Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar, Daniel was among the young Jewish men who were taken to Babylon, to be educated in the Babylonian system in service of the Babylonian king.  Daniel would spend the rest of his life living outside of Jerusalem, serving in the administration of various foreign kingdoms, including Babylon and Persia, while holding fast to his faith in the LORD.

Today’s passage is Daniel 1:1-21.  Let’s go!

人的稱讚也試煉人

2022-10-09 in , /by

箴言27:21  鼎為煉銀，爐為煉金，人的稱讚也試煉人。

閱讀經文：箴言 27:21-22

21鼎為煉銀，爐為煉金，人的稱讚也試煉人。22你雖用杵將愚妄人與打碎的麥子一同搗在臼中，他的愚妄還是離不了他。

21鼎為煉銀，爐為煉金，人的稱讚也試煉人

一、經文要義

這節聖經有三個「煉」字，「鼎為煉銀，爐為煉金，人的稱讚也試煉人」，我們借這節聖經，了解天上的父親對我們每一個人的期望是甚麼。若我們過分注意鼎如何煉銀，爐如何煉金，就會失去這節經文的真正意義。因為聖經不是要講出用甚麼工具和材料煉金銀，而是要指出用不同的試煉工具得著不同價值的產品。這經文暗示了一個目的，就是這位天上的父親在我們每一個人身上有一個期望──期望我們是被煉成像金銀一般貴重的器皿。

「在大戶人家，不但有金器銀器，也有木器瓦器；有作為貴重的，有作為卑賤的。人若自潔，脫離卑賤的事，就必作貴重的器皿，成為聖潔，合乎主用，預備行各樣的善事。」（提後2:20-21）這就是天父讓我們在人生中遭遇各種試煉的原因。我們怎樣成為大戶人家貴重的器皿呢？必須經過試煉。

試煉大致上有兩種：一是經過火的試煉，就是苦難、不如意、遭陷害糟蹋等等，都是負面的。「人的稱讚也試煉人」卻是另一類，不但沒有火燒，反而是非常舒服的。有人對你稱讚、討好、奉承、另眼相看，這些事也試煉人。這兩類的試煉都可以使你成為大戶人家裡面貴重的器皿。

Part of Something Greater

2022-10-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 16:17-27.  Let’s go!

Romans 16:17-19 (NIV)
17  I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.
18  For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.
19  Everyone has heard about your obedience, so I am full of joy over you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.

On verses 17-19:  Treating people with love, honour and respect does not mean that we must put up with behaviour that damages, divides or diverts the body of Christ off course.  That’s why Paul warns the Christians in Rome to watch out for those who cause divisions and who try to turn them away from sound Biblical teaching. 

Because EQ Matters

2022-10-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

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

Romans 16:1-2 (NIV)
1  I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church in Cenchrea.
2  I ask you to receive her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many people, including me.

On verses 1-2:  It would still be some time before Paul would be able to visit Rome.  In the meantime, Paul asks the church in Rome to welcome Phoebe.  Many believe that Phoebe was the one delivering this letter to the church in Rome on Paul’s behalf.  If that is the case, here’s a lesson for us:  Just as the church in Rome was to treat Phoebe the messenger with honour, we want to treat with honour those who bring God’s Word to us, whether it’s in the way we welcome them, speak to them, speak about them or otherwise treat them.

滿足感

2022-10-07 in , /by

箴言27:20   陰間和滅亡永不滿足，人的眼目也是如此。

閱讀經文：箴言 27:18-20

18看守無花果樹的必吃樹上的果子，敬奉主人的必得尊榮。19水中照臉，彼此相符；人與人，心也相對。20陰間和滅亡永不滿足，人的眼目也是如此。

看守無花果樹的

If you care for your orchard (the fig tree), you’ll enjoy its fruit; if you honor your boss, you’ll be honored. 《The Message》

在信息聖經裡，畢牧師把無花果樹譯為果園orchard，或許是覺得果園更符合一般工人所做的事情。18節說：“看守無花果樹的必吃樹上的果子，敬奉主人的必得尊榮”。若譯為看守果園的必得吃樹上的果子，敬奉主人的必得尊榮。想來一看就明白了。

在聖經裡神把以色列家比喻為無花果樹，那必然是一片大林子，而不只是一兩棵樹。忠誠為神守住這個果園的工人，必然也從樹的果子得到供養，就像在神的家中服事，也當得到會眾的供養。因為會眾所得的收穫和祝福，莫忘了是牧者辛勤的後果。

牧者的主人便是神，牧者若尊神為大，神也必祝福他的工作，賜給他恩寵。