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You Can Be Empowered by This

2022-05-03 in /by

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 20:13-24.  Let’s go!

Acts 20:13-16 (NIV)
13  We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot.
14  When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.
15  The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus.
16  Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.

On verses 13-16:  When I read these verses I get the sense that Paul is engaged in a race against time, as if every second counts and every moment matters.  As he travels from place to place, he doesn’t take the scenic route.  Nor does he stop to veg out.  Instead, Paul goes from Troas on foot to Assos, then takes a ship to Mitylene.  The next day he sails to Kios (v15), the day after to Samos, the following day to Miletus.  He skips past Ephesus so that he can get to Jerusalem as soon as possible.  It’s as if Paul is trying to find the quickest route he can to get to Jerusalem.

智慧比珍珠更美

2022-05-02 in , /by

〈箴言〉8:11　因為智慧比珍珠更美，一切可喜愛的都不足與比較。

閱讀經文：〈箴言〉8 章

智慧是什麼？智慧和智力是不一樣的。人可以有不同方面的智力，有的人記憶力強，有的人對數理的領悟性高，有的人富感性，有的人對音樂有天份，有的人心靈手巧，學習能力超強，但是這些都在智力的範圍。

智慧使人的心裡明白，明白正直與邪惡之不同，明白公義和彎曲乖僻並無相通。智慧是一顆明白的心，知道有真理，並且渴求真理和真知識。有的人頭腦很靈 活，但是專門喜歡學旁門走道，好像那些做假奶粉、假雞蛋、假乳鴿的人實在很聰明，他們為了賺錢可以想出很多方法騙人。但是這種人沒有智慧，因為他們只看得見錢，他們不追求真理，不知道人死後有審判，不想假如有一天他們自己的孩子吃了他們做的假東西之下場，他們以為只會害到別人。聰明的人不一 定有智慧，有智慧的人必有真正的聰明，曉得選擇該走的路。

唯有真智慧可以使領袖的權勢穩定，一個只會玩權弄勢的領袖，往往很快“玩”完，因為他想愚弄別人，別人也會愚弄他。有智慧的領袖，他的豐富尊榮必定 長久，因為百姓和下屬都甘心情願臣服。因為“公義使邦國高舉；罪惡是人民的羞辱” (箴 14:34)，作領袖經常要作判斷決策，若是心裡沒有智慧，作出的決策往往搖擺不定，反覆無常。智慧的果實勝過黃金，強如精金；智慧的出產超乎高銀。人都 知道智慧重要，但是智慧何處尋？

Be Quick to Show Compassion

2022-05-02 in /by

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 20:1-12.  Let’s go!

Acts 20:1 (NIV)
1  When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said good-by and set out for Macedonia.

On verse 1:  When all the chaos and upheaval in Ephesus (see Acts 19) had died down, Paul meets with the Christians in Ephesus (possibly in a secure hiding place) and encourages them before leaving for Macedonia.  This might have been the last time that Paul saw most of the Christians in Ephesus.

What can we learn from this?  Whether it’s your family, your church, or a team that you lead, when the people you are leading have just experienced a traumatic or distressing event, it helps for them to gather together and to hear encouraging words from their leader.

Overcoming the Power of the Demonic

2022-05-01 in /by

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 19:13-27.  Let’s go!

Acts 19:13-17 (NIV)
13  Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.”
14  Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this.
15  [One day] the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?”
16  Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.
17  When this became known to the Jews and Greeks living in Ephesus, they were all seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor.

On verses 13-17:  Throughout Acts we see the power of Jesus’ name to heal sickness and to drive out demons. So why in Acts 19:13-16 were the seven sons of Sceva unable to drive out an evil spirit even though they invoked the name of Jesus? Why instead did the evil spirit jump on them and overpower them? It’s because they were not Christians who believed in Jesus personally. Rather, they were exorcists who did not personally believe in Jesus but just tried to use Jesus’ name as if it casting a magic spell. They would say “In the name of Jesus, whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out” (v13) and this shows us that they were quite removed from a personal faith in Jesus Christ.

好像牛往宰殺之地

2022-05-01 in , /by

〈箴言〉7:2   遵守我的命令就得存活。保守我的法則，好像保守眼中的瞳人。

閱讀經文：〈箴言〉7 章

牛的屠宰之地

「淫婦用許多巧言誘他……少年人立刻跟隨他，好像牛往宰殺之地。」(箴言七：21、22)

上帝將淫亂的地方，稱為「宰殺之地」。將經不起淫亂的引誘者，視為待宰殺的「牛」。原來淫亂是殺戮，淫亂者是被害己命而不自知。

在聖經裡，「牛」有一語雙關的意思，正面的涵義是有挺得住的堅強，如同城牆屹立不搖。負面的涵義是被套個環，就容易牽走。

其實，男人具有這兩面，工作時很有原則，下班後禁不住一點色情誘惑，就立刻被帶著走。工作表現人的強項，色情呈現人的弱點，這兩者常只有一牆之隔。

我們要小心，不要被色情之環套住，否則公牛、猛牛、蠻牛、兇牛、黑牛、鬥牛，都會變成肉牛。我們也要看清楚，情慾的場所，上帝視為殺戮之地，色情的節目，是屬靈癱瘓的麻醉品。

The Power of Baptism and the Holy Spirit

2022-04-29 in /by

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 19:1-12.  Let’s go!

Acts 19:1-7 (NIV)
1  While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples
2  and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”
3  So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied.
4  Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.”
5  On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
6  When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied.
7  There were about twelve men in all.

On verses 1-7:  Here Apollos and Paul switch places.  Apollos goes to Corinth and Paul goes to Ephesus.  In Ephesus Paul finds 12 men who had received “John’s baptism”, which is probably referring to a baptism where the person being baptized says, “I am turning from my sins and I wait for God’s Messiah to come”.  These 12 men in Ephesus, who may have been taught by Apollos (see Acts 18:25), had not yet been baptized into the name of Jesus, which is where the person being baptized is essentially saying, “I believe Jesus is God’s Messiah who has come and died on the cross and rose again to save me.”  So when Paul finds this out, he baptizes these Ephesian Christians in the name of Jesus.  Also, since these 12 men had never even heard of the Holy Spirit (v2), Paul lays hands on them in prayer, at which point the Holy Spirit falls on each of them in a powerful way as they begin to speak in tongues and prophesy.

誡命是燈法則是光

2022-04-29 in , /by

〈箴言〉6:23   因為誡命是燈，法則是光，訓誨的責備是生命的道。

閱讀經文：〈箴言〉6:20-35

誡命是燈，法則是光

“因為誡命是燈，法則是光，訓誨的責備是生命的道”。說到誡命、法則和責備，沒有多少人會喜歡，覺得好像是戴上了孫悟空的金箍，渾身不自由。但是聖經的誡命和法則和金箍完全不同。誡命是燈，燈是為了照亮，使人看得清楚；法則是光，光可以照亮也可以溫暖，還有保護的作用。燈和光都是為了讓我們看得清楚，以免誤入陷阱而受害。

假如人在暗中摸索，難免撞得鼻青臉腫。我每天晚上比較晚睡，有時為了不想吵醒外子，就把燈都關掉，摸索著前進。即使在自己家裡，有一點方向感，仍不免撞到什麼或踢到什麼。設想若是外面沒有街燈，出去行走豈不更危險。雖有月光和星光，還是覺得危機重重吧。

在現在的世代，雖然不敢說父親的誡命都是對的，母親的法則也是可靠的，但是他們對人生的經歷，還是我們立身處世的很好指引。因為父母的引導大多數是為我們的好處。我為何這樣說呢？因為有一次看到一個母親教孩子用電動牙刷，她教孩子要拿著牙刷動來動去。我不可置信地看著她，因為電動牙刷若不稍做停留，很難發揮效果。我一聲不發，不好在人家孩子面前說做媽的不是。但是她顯然感覺到我的不同意，當我再走一圈回來時，她正在教孩子正確的方法。所以我覺得做父母的若不先省察自己，有時真是亂教孩子。但其居心還是為孩子好的。

所以我們既然為人父母，要尋找真道，明白神的誡命和法則，接受神的教誨，如此才能把正確的觀念傳給下一代。

耶和華所恨惡的

2022-04-28 in , /by

〈箴言〉6:16  耶和華所恨惡的有六樣，連他心所憎惡的共有七樣。

閱讀經文：〈箴言〉6:12-19

體態語言

「無賴的惡徒……用眼傳神、用腳示意、用指點劃。」（箴六12-13） 

聽人談溝通技巧的時候，常聽說有所謂「體態語言」（body language）。每次聽到，總讓我想起箴言這句話。故然，聖經並沒有說基督徒不應該學習「體態語言」，另一方面，聖經也沒有鼓勵人在這方面下功夫。 

但是，非常有趣，我留意到，似乎聖經提到「體態語言」的時候都不是好事。除了上邊經文之外，還有﹕「以眼傳神的、使人憂患。」（箴10:10） 

我因為土頭土腦，向來不懂得欣賞什麼溝通藝術，每次發現此道高手，我就馬上築起一道防線，提高警惕，唯恐受騙。如果還加上用眼傳神、用腳示意、用指點劃， 我絕對避之則吉。反之，我喜歡和比較木訥的人相處，容易相信他們。正如中國傳統所說的﹕「巧言令色，鮮矣仁」。聖經也說﹕「應對正直的，猶如與人親嘴。」 （箴廿四26）「是就說是，不是就說不是，若是多說，就是出於那惡者。」「體態語言」大有可能包括在「多說」之中。 

世俗教導有待審查！（張逸萍博士）

When You Love Someone Enough…

2022-04-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 18:12-28.  Let’s go!

Acts 18:12-17 (NIV)
12  While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews made a united attack on Paul and brought him into court.
13  “This man,” they charged, “is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.”
14  Just as Paul was about to speak, Gallio said to the Jews, “If you Jews were making a complaint about some misdemeanor or serious crime, it would be reasonable for me to listen to you.
15  But since it involves questions about words and names and your own law–settle the matter yourselves. I will not be a judge of such things.”
16  So he had them ejected from the court.
17  Then they all turned on Sosthenes the synagogue ruler and beat him in front of the court. But Gallio showed no concern whatever.
 
On verses 12-17:  In the past, in virtually every city where Paul preached the gospel, Paul faced persecution and harassment.  But while Paul was in Corinth, the Lord said to Paul, “Do not be afraid…I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city” (see Acts 18:9-10).  Here in verses 12-17 we see the Lord making good on His promise that no one would harm Paul.  Some Jews start legal proceedings against Paul and bring him to court before the proconsul Gallio, all with the hope of having Paul imprisoned or otherwise punished.  But nothing happens to Paul.  In fact, in court, Paul doesn’t even need to speak to defend himself, for before Paul is able to speak, the proconsul Gallio dismisses the claims of Paul’s opponents and ejects them from the court.

Thank God for Your Aquilas and Priscillas

2022-04-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 18:1-11.  Let’s go!

Acts 18:1-3 (NIV)
1  After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.
2  There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them,
3  and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.
 
On verses 1-3:  Paul, Aquila and Priscilla had a lot in common: they had all recently moved to Corinth (Paul from Athens, Aquila and Priscilla from Rome); they were all tentmakers; they were all Jewish by heritage; and there is a good chance that Aquila and Priscilla were already Christians by the time they met Paul.  With so much in common, it made sense to them to go into business together.  Just as Paul had Aquila and Priscilla, thank God for those like-minded people God has placed in your life with whom you can work and do life together.  May you make the most of those relationships and not take them for granted.