〈箴言〉10:28 義人的盼望必得喜樂，惡人的指望必致滅沒。
閱讀經文：
27敬畏耶和華使人日子加多，但惡人的年歲必被減少。28義人的盼望必得喜樂，惡人的指望必致滅沒。29耶和華的道是正直人的保障，卻成了作孽人的敗壞。30義人永不挪移，惡人不得住在地上。31義人的口滋生智慧，乖謬的舌必被割斷。32義人的嘴能令人喜悅，惡人的口說乖謬的話。
「義人的盼望，必得喜樂」(箴言十:28)。因為有喜樂的主，我們會喜樂。請不要讓我們工作，多到添皺紋。
我們的盼望，是因為有盼望的主。請不要讓苦難挪走所有的盼望，即使無望之望，主耶穌仍是我們的盼望。我們的眼界有限、思想有限、體力有限、日子有限、愛心有限，只有祂是無限。人生是行在有限的路上，過到無限的主。
如果你問海邊的沙子：「一粒沙子的盼望是什麼？」沙子會喜樂的說：「我是蒙上帝賜福的一粒沙，因為上帝曾應許『論福，我必賜大福給你…如同天上的星、海邊的沙』(創世紀二十二:17)。渺小的沙，可以類比天上的星，是上帝計福的單位。」
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Acts 21:26-40. Let’s go!
Acts 21:26-36 (NIV)
26 The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.
27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,
28 shouting, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple area and defiled this holy place.”……
On verses 26-36: Now we see why it was such a dangerous and risky idea for Paul to go to Jerusalem, and why others tried to discourage him from going. Paul was a wanted man in Jerusalem, with many people bent on taking his life. The violent opposition Paul faced in Jerusalem is reminiscent of what Jesus faced in Jerusalem. Both Jesus and Paul knew that danger awaited them in Jerusalem. In Luke 13, when people tried to discourage Jesus from going to Jerusalem, Jesus himself said, “In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day–for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!” (Luke 13:33). Jesus even laments over the people of Jerusalem in the next verses when he says:
〈箴言〉10:25 暴風一過，惡人歸於無有，義人的根基卻是永久。
閱讀經文：
20 義人的舌乃似高銀，惡人的心所值無幾。21義人的口教養多人，愚昧人因無知而死亡。22耶和華所賜的福使人富足，並不加上憂慮。23愚妄人以行惡為戲耍，明哲人卻以智慧為樂。24惡人所怕的必臨到他，義人所願的必蒙應允。25暴風一過，惡人歸於無有，義人的根基卻是永久。26懶惰人叫差他的人如醋倒牙，如煙薰目。
「義人的舌，乃似高銀。」(箴言10:20)。「高銀」是經過多次精煉，才挑選出的銀。這比喻好的講道，來自如火的苦難，精煉而得。
在自然界，銀的含量非常稀少，即使是銀礦，銀的含量低於重量的千分之一。因此煉銀需要一煉再煉，才能去除雜質，顯出銀的潔白。自古以來，純銀很貴。上帝說好的講道，如特選的純銀。有苦難的粹煉，背後有上帝的保守。
歷經火煉的傳講者，是上帝的高銀。他們是銀口傳道人，上帝國度美好的珍寶。
…………………
我在1973年1月信耶穌，教會的牧者是陳中明牧師。他經常分享，講〈羅馬書〉。他容易流汗，邊講邊擦汗。他的聲音沙啞，有時氣喘不過似的。但是，他每次都講〈羅馬書〉，我們私底下稱他是「羅馬書的傳道人」。感謝主，這位牧師將聖經核心的真理，放在我的心中。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Acts 21:15-25. Let’s go!
Acts 21:15-25 (NIV)
15 After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.
16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.
17 When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly.
18 The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present……
On verses 15-20: Paul and his team finally reach Jerusalem. The Jerusalem church elders, including James, praise God after hearing Paul’s reports about what God did among the Gentiles through Paul’s ministry. However, while Paul was away from Jerusalem, a new concern had arisen for the Jerusalem church. According to the ancient historian Josephus, the mid 50s were a time of intense nationalism and anti-Roman sentiment among the Jewish people in Jerusalem, as evidenced by numerous revolts that the Jews launched against the Roman empire. Thus many Jews in Jerusalem did not like the idea that Paul was reaching non-Jewish people throughout the Roman empire. Even more, they thought that Paul was teaching Jewish Christians living outside of Jerusalem to completely disregard the law of Moses.
〈箴言〉10:12 恨能挑起爭端，愛能遮掩一切過錯。
閱讀經文：
11義人的口是生命的泉源，強暴蒙蔽惡人的口。12恨能挑起爭端，愛能遮掩一切過錯。13明哲人嘴裡有智慧，無知人背上受刑杖。14智慧人積存知識，愚妄人的口速致敗壞。15富戶的財物是他的堅城，窮人的貧乏是他的敗壞。16義人的勤勞致生，惡人的進項致死。17謹守訓誨的乃在生命的道上，違棄責備的便失迷了路。18隱藏怨恨的有說謊的嘴，口出讒謗的是愚妄的人。19多言多語難免有過，禁止嘴唇是有智慧。20義人的舌乃似高銀，惡人的心所值無幾。
The Massage（信息聖經）是畢德生牧師Eugene Peterson用了十二年時間，直接從希伯來文和希臘文直接意譯的聖經，從他的譯文裡，有時我們可以得到更清楚的帶領。例如第11節：The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well, but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.這是有對比的。義人的口是生命的泉源，詭詐人的口則好像是充滿惡虐的黑洞。我們可以想像，從生命的泉源出來的，必使人的生命受到造就，得到鼓勵；但是從黑心的洞出來的，必然是令人痛苦的咒詛和惡毒，使人沮喪痛苦的言語。
這一段經文讓我們明白，心裡有什麼，就會從口裡流露出來。所以我們要留心，自己的意念是善或惡。第12節：Hatred starts fights, but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.恨是從爭吵開始的，但是愛像一張毯子遮掩所有的爭吵。這句話說得真好，每一個關係的破壞都不是沒有原因的，往往起自於口角，一點小事就可以導致關係的破裂。很多人離婚之後都深深後悔，若當時不意氣用事，可能也不致於一拍兩散。
〈箴言〉10: 9 行正直路的步步安穩，走彎曲道的必致敗露。
閱讀經文：1智慧之子使父親歡樂，愚昧之子叫母親擔憂。2不義之財毫無益處，唯有公義能救人脫離死亡。3耶和華不使義人受飢餓，惡人所欲的他必推開。4手懶的要受貧窮，手勤的卻要富足。5夏天聚斂的是智慧之子，收割時沉睡的是貽羞之子。6福祉臨到義人的頭，強暴蒙蔽惡人的口。7義人的紀念被稱讚，惡人的名字必朽爛。8心中智慧的必受命令，口裡愚妄的必致傾倒。9行正直路的步步安穩，走彎曲道的必致敗露。10以眼傳神的使人憂患，口裡愚妄的必致傾倒。
人生就是一連串的選擇。從一早醒來，你就要選擇吃不吃早餐？吃什麼樣式的早餐？中午在外面吃或是帶便當，或回家吃。穿什麼衣服出門，穿哪雙鞋，配什麼顏色的襪子？再來就是心情的選擇，要和顏悅色和人說話，或是粗聲惡氣地回答，你可以選擇讓自己和別人都有一個好的開始，也可以有一個憤怒的開始。一天，就在不斷地選擇中開始。
在一天當中，你要做更多的選擇。今天有人送來一個農曆七月諸事不宜，何事要小心的短訊。我可以置之不理，但我選擇提醒他：信耶穌的人不宜和這些事掛鈎。雖然是玩笑性質，但我們最好不要成為撒旦的工具。我們不害怕，但也不必嘲笑害怕的人。在小事上做出選擇，要做神的兒女。箴言第十章看起來好像太多主題，實際上是在告訴我們，我們的選擇決定了我們要成為怎樣的人。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Acts 21:1-14. Let’s go!
Acts 21:1-6 (NIV)
1 After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara.
2 We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail.
3 After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo.
4 Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.
5 But when our time was up, we left and continued on our way. All the disciples and their wives and children accompanied us out of the city, and there on the beach we knelt to pray.
6 After saying good-by to each other, we went aboard the ship, and they returned home.
On verses 1-6: Paul believed that the Holy Spirit was leading him to go to Jerusalem (see Acts 20:22). Yet in verse 4 we read that “[t]hrough the Spirit” Christians in Tyre “urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem”. Was the Holy Spirit giving contradictory directions? I don’t think so. God is not double-minded, so I think the best way to understand verse 4 is that the Holy Spirit had moved Paul’s heart to go to Jerusalem and at the same time impressed it upon the Christians in Tyre to warn Paul that great hardship lay ahead of him if he were to go.
閱讀經文：9:10 敬畏耶和華是智慧的開端，認識至聖者便是聰明。
The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom. Proverbs 9:10
正確的事情，一定有個正確的起頭，所有能夠存在永遠的，一定有個來自永恒的源頭。正如一幢偉大的建築必需立在一塊安放精確的房角石上，作其根源；一條源遠 流長的大河，必定來自一股永不枯竭的水泉；而優秀的學生，最重要的是心中有一個正確與求真的態度。這是怎麼來的？總要有一個開端。
科學與藝術的開端
這種認識開端的學問是怎麼來的？上帝在創造的開始，就放在人的心中，或是腦海的深處。因此物理學家發現只要認識移動物質基本的能量，就能講述天下間各種 光、電、聲、熱等現象；化學家發現只要認識基本粒子間的作用力，就能推展到世界許多生命界與物質界的反應；生物學家只要認識細胞的基本組成與功能，就能了 解許多保護人類生命與管理大自然各樣被造之物的道理。這如同生物化學之父海爾蒙特(Jan Helmont,1580-1644)所說的：「上帝創造生命的法則，仍像是一組隱藏的語言，仍然存在細胞裡。」，偉大的學問，人類文明的精華，總有一個 開端。
不只是科學，藝術也是如此。音樂家只要把幾個音符放在五線譜的正確位置上，人聽了就會感動，就會拍掌，就會起舞；藝術家只要把幾個顏色，正確的塗染在畫布 上，使光線的角度顯出，人看了就會快樂，就得鼓舞，就會成為腦海中一幅美好的印象。音樂之父巴赫(Johann Bach,1685-1750)寫道：「音樂是把人隱藏在深處的感情，用最簡單的方式抒發出來。」不朽的樂曲與畫作，人類藝術的精髓，總有一個開端。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Acts 20:25-38. Let’s go!
Acts 20:25-38 (NIV)
25 “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.
26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock……
On verses 25-38: Here Paul continues his final charge to the elders of the church in Ephesus, knowing that this would be the last time he ever sees them. From this address in the verses that follow we will learn from Paul some of the characteristics that make an excellent leader and lover of God’s church. Since you and I were made to be excellent leaders and lovers of God’s church, I pray that you and I would be intentional about displaying these characteristics as well.
〈箴言〉9:10 敬畏耶和華是智慧的開端，認識至聖者便是聰明。
閱讀經文：〈箴言〉9 章 1-18節
在約旦的瓦迪拉姆保護區，靠近沙烏地阿拉伯邊界，有個沙漠景觀被稱為“智慧七柱”，取名於〈箴言〉九章第一節，因為這座山好像是由七根柱子組成。〈箴言〉九章第一節的七根柱子，有人以為是宇宙論的暗喻，指七根柱子代表神創造的七天（包括安息日）；當然也有其他不同的說法。在九章的智慧人格化，呼叫人來領受智慧，表示城中充滿愚蒙、無知、褻慢的惡人。當我們讀每天的新聞時，便會有類似的感受。我們需要智慧來建立自己的人生，不要圍繞著錢轉，不要被錢當杖使，不要變成錢的奴隸，我們要曉得如何掌握自己的生活。
這一章裡有兩種筵席。第一種筵席是智慧建造房屋後，邀請城裡的愚蒙人和無知的人參加，為了使他們捨棄愚蒙，得以存活，走光明的道。第二種筵席是愚蒙的婦人所預備的，她也同樣邀請愚蒙的人和無知的人，但是她所宴請的食物都是偷來的，人去到她那裡，就進入了陰間的深處。今年八月3日（農曆七月）開始，是台灣人說鬼門關大開的日子，因此有許多命理師出來宣揚怎樣才不會得罪鬼魂的方法。有很多人在八月不敢動手術，有很多患者都要求提早或延後開刀，害怕撞到鬼會有閃失。但是有一項追蹤十年的統計，農曆七月開刀的存活率竟高於農曆八月，反而是害怕有閃失而不敢醫治的病人，延後開刀的後果堪虞。這是光明的道和陰間道的極大不同之處。
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