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野心和異象

2022-06-23 in , /by

〈箴言〉16:18    驕傲在敗壞以先，狂心在跌倒之前。

閱讀經文：箴言16:16-20

16 得智慧勝似得金子，選聰明強如選銀子。 17 正直人的道是遠離惡事，謹守己路的是保全性命。 18 驕傲在敗壞以先，狂心在跌倒之前。 19 心裡謙卑與窮乏人來往，強如將擄物與驕傲人同分。 20 謹守訓言的必得好處，倚靠耶和華的便為有福。

這世界上有什麼東西可以勝過金銀呢？所羅門王在登基後，沒有向神求富貴或長壽，只向神求智慧，因而得到神大大的賞賜。他不但擁有了智慧，其他的好處也一併有了。他祈求得太有智慧了。從這件事上，我們看到選智慧的本身就是智慧之舉了。但是智慧是什麼？神以智慧創造天地，我們怎麼可能有那樣的智慧？

希臘人也講究智慧，是理性的智慧；猶太人講的是神性的智慧，也就是所有的智慧，待人處事的智慧，都是根據神的律法和神所教導的。我們若細讀聖經，便會發現其中不僅有理性的智慧，科學的智慧，人文的智慧，無所不包。因為神通曉一切，貫徹一切，祂本身就是智慧。所羅門王說：“敬畏耶和華是智慧的開端”。因為人領用和享用的無一不出自於神，一直居於承恩者的位置，卻不懂得敬畏施恩者，那就是極其自大和無知了。有神的同在，勝過金子和銀子可帶來的好處。

Which Mountain Will You Live On?

2022-06-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 11:22-32.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 11:22-25 (NIV)
22  If you carefully observe all these commands I am giving you to follow–to love the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways and to hold fast to him–
23  then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations larger and stronger than you.
24  Every place where you set your foot will be yours: Your territory will extend from the desert to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the western sea.
25  No man will be able to stand against you. The LORD your God, as he promised you, will put the terror and fear of you on the whole land, wherever you go.
 
On verses 22-25:  Whenever you see God making a conditional offer to bless the Israelites if they fully obey God’s commands, let it be a reminder that whereas we completely failed to obey all of God’s commands and were disqualified from God’s blessings, Jesus perfectly obeyed and earned those blessings.  Now, we who live by faith in Jesus Christ can enjoy the blessings that Jesus’ obedience made possible, which includes having victory over an enemy who is much stronger than us (Satan) and being given territory that we never could have earned ourselves (such as a place in God’s kingdom, a ministry to serve in, and God’s family to belong to).  It is Jesus’ perfect obedience that makes God’s blessings possible in our lives.

God’s Superfood for Your Strengthening

2022-06-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

There are a number of good lessons we can learn from today’s passage, Deuteronomy 11:8-21.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 11:8-9 (NIV)
8  Observe therefore all the commands I am giving you today, so that you may have the strength to go in and take over the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess,
9  and so that you may live long in the land that the LORD swore to your forefathers to give to them and their descendants, a land flowing with milk and honey.
 
On verses 8-9:  Moses tells this current generation of Israelites to observe all of God’s commands so that they may have strength to “take over the land” God has for them (v8) and also strength to “live long in the land” that they take over (v9). 
 
Likewise, as followers of Jesus, when we obey God’s commands, it has a strengthening effect on our lives.  Observing God’s commands fills my life with peace, joy and satisfaction. It positions me to receive God’s blessings. It strengthens my faith and my capacity to love God.

怎樣做一個好的領導者

2022-06-22 in , /by

〈箴言〉16:11    公道的天平和秤都屬耶和華，囊中一切法碼都為他所定。

閱讀經文：箴言16:10-15

10王的嘴中有神語，審判之時，他的口必不差錯。11公道的天平和秤都屬耶和華，囊中一切法碼都為他所定。12作惡為王所憎惡，因國位是靠公義堅立。13公義的嘴為王所喜悅，說正直話的為王所喜愛。14王的震怒如殺人的使者，但智慧人能止息王怒。15王的臉光使人有生命，王的恩典好像春雲時雨。

我們經常提到神在末世的審判，幾乎沒有人懷疑神的審判是否不公。但是你假如看看現在法院審理的案件，可能有很多人會覺得司法不公。該死的不死，不該死的卻被牽連拖累。這就是神和人的不同。我們都希望有人像神一樣，以公道和公義作為領袖的潛質，幾千年來要找到這樣的官吏真是少而又少，因而包拯就成了華人心裡的夢想。

包青天在華人心中是一個夢想，歷史學家說，包拯其實只辦了一兩個案件，其他都是電視的編劇編出來的。在他身邊既沒有王朝馬漢，也沒有公孫先生和展昭，但是人民的心中都希望有他這樣的直吏，敢面對君王去諫言，不畏權勢去上告，為老百姓出氣爭公平。為何給包拯一個青天的稱號了，可見百姓心中相信天（也就是神）是公道和公義的；也可以明白，人對神在潛識裡的相信和敬畏。

耶和華所造的各適其用

2022-06-21 in , /by

〈箴言〉16:4  耶和華所造的各適其用，就是惡人也為禍患的日子所造。

閱讀經文：箴言16:4-9

4耶和華所造的各適其用，就是惡人也為禍患的日子所造。5凡心裡驕傲的，為耶和華所憎惡，雖然連手，他必不免受罰。6因憐憫、誠實，罪孽得贖；敬畏耶和華的，遠離惡事。7人所行的若蒙耶和華喜悅，耶和華也使他的仇敵與他和好。8多有財利行事不義，不如少有財利行事公義。9人心籌算自己的道路，唯耶和華指引他的腳步。

從《聖經》來看神的創造：各從其類，各按其時，各適其用。所以不管在人眼中有沒有用處，在神都有其安排和定意。惡人為禍患的日子所造，並不是說神故意去造惡人，來搞出一些禍患，而是說萬事互相效力，即使人要使壞，神也可以利用其惡心成就神的美意。就好像連加恩在非洲時，為了使當地整潔，發動了舊衣換垃圾的運動。他鼓勵當地人去收集到處都是的垃圾袋，替換他從台灣募捐到的一批批的衣服。那麼那些黑垃圾袋怎麼辦呢？

原本是人們到處亂丟的垃圾袋，在一些有才藝的老師們的指導下，變成了精美的工藝品。原本是不好的，影響了環境衛生和美觀的垃圾袋，竟然成了可以推銷賺錢糊口的工藝品。在神手中，不斷地進行著化腐朽為神奇的作為。在古時的以色列，當他們離開神去拜偶像時，外邦人就成了神管教他們的工具。表面上看來，那些迦南人、亞捫人、以東人、摩押人，等等，好像都要把以色列人致於死地，搶他們的東西，踐踏他們的農作物，抓人去當奴隸；因著這些苦難，以色列人就回轉歸向神。

The Picture I Show Others

2022-06-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 11:1-7.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 11:1-7 (NIV)
1  Love the LORD your God and keep his requirements, his decrees, his laws and his commands always.
2  Remember today that your children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of the LORD your God: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm;
3  the signs he performed and the things he did in the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country;
4  what he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how he overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea as they were pursuing you, and how the LORD brought lasting ruin on them.

On verses 1-11:  In Deuteronomy 11:2, Moses reminds the current generation of Israelites that there were miracles, blessings and lessons that God had shown them which their kids had not seen.  He emphasizes it again in verses 5-7: “It was not your children who saw what he did for you… But it was your own eyes that saw all these great things the LORD has done.”

What is Moses getting at?  He’s implying that the current generation of Israelites have a responsibility to tell the next generation about the incredible miracles, blessings and lessons God had shown them.

The Persistent Love of God

2022-06-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 10:1-11.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 10:1-11 (NIV)
1  At that time the LORD said to me, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones and come up to me on the mountain. Also make a wooden chest.
2  I will write on the tablets the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Then you are to put them in the chest.”
3  So I made the ark out of acacia wood and chiseled out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I went up on the mountain with the two tablets in my hands.
4  The LORD wrote on these tablets what he had written before, the Ten Commandments he had proclaimed to you on the mountain, out of the fire, on the day of the assembly. And the LORD gave them to me.

On verses 1-11:  When I read these verses what strikes me is God’s persistence.  When the Israelites (spiritually) and Moses (literally/physically) broke God’s ten commandments, God didn’t give up.  Instead God persisted and gave Moses and the Israelites two new tablets containing those same ten commandments.  It’s like God was giving them a fresh start.

When the Israelites angered God with their sin such that God did not want to bring them into promised land anymore, God still persisted and decided to lead them there anyway.

失控時的保守

2022-06-20 in , /by

〈箴言〉16:1    心中的謀算在乎人，舌頭的應對由於耶和華。

閱讀經文：箴言16:1-3

1心中的謀算在乎人，舌頭的應對由於耶和華。2人一切所行的在自己眼中看為清潔，唯有耶和華衡量人心。3你所做的要交託耶和華，你所謀的就必成立。

失控時的保守

「心中的謀算在乎人，舌頭的應對，由於耶和華。」(箴言16:1)這是我非常喜歡的聖經節，因為在教書、輔導、演講、分享，與人應對前，我總是想很多，準備很多，考慮很多，但是講出去的那一刻，經常不完全是事先的籌算，有另外的亮光、感動介入，瞬間組成字句，讓我說出去。很多學生告訴我：「聽老師的課，最享受的事，是得到許多啟發，是我們事先沒有想過的。」其實，我事先也沒有想到。

我們的想法，想得再多，只是一部份。現場所講，才是全部。舌頭的應對，要對當時的環境、臨時的啟發、聽者的氛圍、別人的需求，與許多自己不知道的因子等，所以我們對自己所講，事先要交給主，講時要交託主，講後要感謝主，不管講得好與不好，我們只是僕人，定奪在乎主。

我的弱點是，很容易被人激動，或在別人的勉強下回應，或在控告下的詰問，講出不該講的話。我為此難過，就學習被人激動時便離開。但是有時離不開，我會被激動到言語失控，結果成為我極度的憂傷，這是情緒的失控。甚至出現不是原有的念頭，這是想法的失控。上帝的話切入，帶來心靈的平安，與思想的平靜，重新的交託。應對是在乎上帝，不在乎我，結果在乎愛我的主耶穌，不在乎我。（張文亮教授）

Jesus Is Praying For You

2022-06-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 9:13-29.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 9:13-29 (NIV)
13  And the LORD said to me, “I have seen this people, and they are a stiff-necked people indeed!
14  Let me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. And I will make you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they.”
15  So I turned and went down from the mountain while it was ablaze with fire. And the two tablets of the covenant were in my hands.
16  When I looked, I saw that you had sinned against the LORD your God; you had made for yourselves an idol cast in the shape of a calf. You had turned aside quickly from the way that the LORD had commanded you…….

On verses 13-29:  In Deuteronomy 9:13-29, Moses describes two recurring patterns in Israel’s history so far.  First, the Israelites kept rebelling against God.  As Moses says in verse 24: “You have been rebellious against the Lord ever since I have known you.”

But second, each time the Israelites rebelled against God, Moses was there to stand in the gap, to intercede and pray for his fellow Israelites.  God responded to Moses’ prayers and showed mercy to the Israelites.

尊榮與謙卑

2022-06-19 in , /by

〈箴言〉15:33 敬畏耶和華是智慧的訓誨，尊榮以前必有謙卑。

閱讀經文：箴言15:24-33

24 智慧人從生命的道上升，使他遠離在下的陰間。 25 耶和華必拆毀驕傲人的家，卻要立定寡婦的地界。 26 惡謀為耶和華所憎惡，良言乃為純淨。 27 貪戀財利的擾害己家，恨惡賄賂的必得存活。 28 義人的心思量如何回答，惡人的口吐出惡言。 29 耶和華遠離惡人，卻聽義人的禱告。 30 眼有光使心喜樂，好信息使骨滋潤。 31 聽從生命責備的，必常在智慧人中。 32 棄絕管教的，輕看自己的生命；聽從責備的，卻得智慧。 33 敬畏耶和華是智慧的訓誨，尊榮以前必有謙卑。

誰是智慧人，可以從生命的道上升，遠離在下的陰間呢？我有一些朋友，不相信自己有靈魂，也不思想身後事，認為人死一了百了。假如人死了一了百了，又何來那麼多的靈異故事呢？讀者文摘曾經登過一些故事，有的人在親人死後，感覺到親人留下的痕跡和信號。也有一些人在瀕臨死亡時，靈魂出竅，看到醫護人員在手術房裡的急救，看見親友在不同地方為他（她）禱告，醒來之後，細細道來，彷彿歷歷在目，令人驚訝不已。

寧可相信自己有靈魂，為靈魂預備去的地方，也好過不相信自己有靈魂，以後惶惶然下陰間。你相信，有預備，那麼你死了對你不會有損失；但是你若沒有預備，而確實有靈魂，你的損失可就慘重了。所以接受在人的一生中，最大的成就便是找到生命之道，脫離死亡的轄制，便是智慧了。所羅門王說：“神造萬物，各按其時成為美好，又將永生安置在世人心裡”（傳3:11）。人若是正視自己的需要，便會發現自己的靈魂無時無刻不在尋找永生的家，也就是靈魂的歸宿，一旦找到，心裡便有平安和喜樂，因為回家了，回到那賜給我們靈魂和生命的神那裡。