〈箴言〉12:24 殷勤人的手必掌權，懶惰的人必服苦。
閱讀經文：箴言12:21-25
21義人不遭災害，惡人滿受禍患。22說謊言的嘴為耶和華所憎惡，行事誠實的為他所喜悅。23通達人隱藏知識，愚昧人的心彰顯愚昧。24殷勤人的手必掌權，懶惰的人必服苦。25人心憂慮屈而不伸，一句良言使心歡樂。
試煉與試探
「義人不遭災害」(箴言12:21)，義人，是有主保守的人。「不遭災害」是不遭試探與引誘。這如同耶穌教我們的禱告：「不叫我們遇見試探，救我們脫離兇惡」(馬太福音六:13)。試煉與試探的本質不同，試煉是煉去雜質顯出好，試探是落入網羅顯出壞。我們會遇見試煉，求主讓我們避去試探。
在箴言裡，「試探」是人用力追求時，所發出的喘氣聲。這世界追求金錢、追求欲望、追求偶像等，都會使人發出喘氣。
聖靈的禁止，與仇敵的控告，也有不同的本質。聖靈的禁止帶我們回到主面前，重新仰望與交託。仇敵的控告讓我們落入失敗的人、事、物，纏在裡面難掙脫。主啊，我願憑信回到祢面前，相信祢的應許。雖然曾遭災害，我不論斷自己，只信我的救主不失敗。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Acts 28:17-31. Let’s go!
Acts 28:17-20 (NIV)
17 Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.
18 They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.
19 But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar–not that I had any charge to bring against my own people.
20 For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
On verses 17-20: Having received so much opposition in the past from certain Jews in the various cities where Paul had gone, Paul decides to take the initiative to reach out to the Jewish leaders in Rome and explain to them plainly where he is coming from. His hope was to avoid misunderstanding based on possible rumours and hearsay.
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Acts 28:1-16. Let’s go!
Acts 28:1-10 (NIV)
1 Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta.
2 The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.
3 Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.
4 When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”……
On verses 1-10: Has anyone ever judged you and jumped to conclusions about you because of your circumstances? In Acts 28:34, Paul is bitten by a snake and based on these unfortunate circumstances the residents of Malta assume he is guilty of murder. But when Paul shows no ill effects from the snake bite, those same people change their minds and call him a god (v6)! That’s how fickle public opinion can be.
〈箴言〉12:10 義人顧惜他牲畜的命，惡人的憐憫也是殘忍。
閱讀經文：箴言12:9-11
9 被人輕賤卻有僕人，強如自尊缺少食物。 10 義人顧惜他牲畜的命，惡人的憐憫也是殘忍。 11 耕種自己田地的必得飽食，追隨虛浮的卻是無知。
第9節： 被人輕賤卻有僕人，強如自尊缺少食物。
《新譯本》：被人輕看卻有僕人的人，勝過自尊自大卻缺少食物的人。
《呂振中譯本》：地位輕微、而自己有農產物（傳統︰僕人），勝過自尊自大、而缺少食糧。
《The Message》：Better to be ordinary and work for a living than act important and starve in the process.
這句話很像在形容没落的貴族，假如你喜歡看韓劇的話，裡面有時也有一些沒落的兩班，因為好賭，賭到連自己的家譜都賣掉以維生。當我們這樣對照幾本不同的經文時，立刻有更清徹的明白。中文的翻譯道出現實的殘酷，為何時下有些大學生寧可放下身份去做出賣肉體的生意呢？因為想賺容易錢。因為這個世界笑貧不笑娼。大家都覺得錢很重要，可以讓自己活得有體面。
但是信息聖經，也就是畢德生牧師的英文翻譯有點不一樣，他說，人最好活得平凡，為生活而工作，強如為了擺闊而餓死。這樣我們就非常清楚這句經文的意思了。人要活得實實在在，不要為了面子害死自己。
〈箴言〉12:16 愚妄人的惱怒立時顯露，通達人能忍辱藏羞。
閱讀經文：箴言12:12-16
12惡人想得壞人的網羅，義人的根得以結實。13惡人嘴中的過錯是自己的網羅，但義人必脫離患難。14人因口所結的果子必飽得美福，人手所做的必為自己的報應。15愚妄人所行的在自己眼中看為正直，唯智慧人肯聽人的勸教。16愚妄人的惱怒立時顯露，通達人能忍辱藏羞。
根部與結果
箴言12:12 惡人想得壞人的網羅，義人的根得以結實。
許多事情，我們禱告很久，仍未成就。上帝為什麼讓我們等待又等待、期盼又期盼？這裡有一個答案，「義人的根，得以結實」(箴言12:12)，這是上帝做事的法則，先長樹根，再結實。樹根我們看不見，以致不知結實前的預備。等到有了結果，上帝早就在預備。
這節箴言，乍讀之時，也許會想結果是在樹上，怎麼會是在根上呢？但是細想，植物結果營養分輸自根部，水分卻來自根部，支撐需要根部，穩定在乎根部，任何植物要結果，必須基盤穩固。
何等多次，我們期待結果，上帝卻引導我們，先在根部的成長與修補。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Acts 27:27-44. Let’s go!
Acts 27:27-32 (NIV)
27 On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.
28 They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep.
29 Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.
30 In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow.
31 Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”
32 So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.
On verses 27-32: Knowing that the ship was soon going to crash into land, some sailors try to secretly let a lifeboat down into the sea to save themselves. But for the sake of everyone’s safety including the sailors trying to escape, Paul warns the centurion and soldiers that everyone needs to stay with the ship if they want any hope of being saved.
〈箴言〉12:10 義人顧惜他牲畜的命，惡人的憐憫也是殘忍。
閱讀經文：箴言12:9-11
9 被人輕賤卻有僕人，強如自尊缺少食物。 10 義人顧惜他牲畜的命，惡人的憐憫也是殘忍。 11 耕種自己田地的必得飽食，追隨虛浮的卻是無知。
第9節： 被人輕賤卻有僕人，強如自尊缺少食物。
《新譯本》：被人輕看卻有僕人的人，勝過自尊自大卻缺少食物的人。
《呂振中譯本》：地位輕微、而自己有農產物（傳統︰僕人），勝過自尊自大、而缺少食糧。
《The Message》：Better to be ordinary and work for a living than act important and starve in the process.
這句話很像在形容没落的貴族，假如你喜歡看韓劇的話，裡面有時也有一些沒落的兩班，因為好賭，賭到連自己的家譜都賣掉以維生。當我們這樣對照幾本不同的經文時，立刻有更清徹的明白。中文的翻譯道出現實的殘酷，為何時下有些大學生寧可放下身份去做出賣肉體的生意呢？因為想賺容易錢。因為這個世界笑貧不笑娼。大家都覺得錢很重要，可以讓自己活得有體面。
但是信息聖經，也就是畢德生牧師的英文翻譯有點不一樣，他說，人最好活得平凡，為生活而工作，強如為了擺闊而餓死。這樣我們就非常清楚這句經文的意思了。人要活得實實在在，不要為了面子害死自己。
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Acts 27:13-26. Let’s go!
Acts 27:13-26 (NIV)
13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.
14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the “northeaster,” swept down from the island.
15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.
16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure.
17 When the men had hoisted it aboard, they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Fearing that they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along…..
On verses 13-26: As Paul and about 270 others sail to Rome, their ship is caught in the middle of a storm of hurricane proportions called a northeaster. After many days of fearing for their lives, Paul stands up and addresses everyone on the ship, telling them that to keep up their courage, because God spoke to Paul and assured him that he would go to Rome to testify before Caesar and that not one person on this ship would be lost.
〈箴言〉12:5 義人的思念是公平，惡人的計謀是詭詐。
閱讀經文：箴言12:5-8
5 義人的思念是公平，惡人的計謀是詭詐。 6 惡人的言論是埋伏流人的血，正直人的口必拯救人。 7 惡人傾覆歸於無有，義人的家必站得住。 8 人必按自己的智慧被稱讚，心中乖謬的必被藐視。
5-6節：義人的思念是公平，惡人的計謀是詭詐。 惡人的言論是埋伏流人的血，正直人的口必拯救人。
《新譯本》：義人的籌算是公平，惡人的計謀卻是詭詐。惡人的言語等著要流人的血，正直人的口能拯救人。
《The Message》：The thinking of principled people makes for justice; the plots of degenerates corrupt. The words of the wicked kill; the speech of the upright saves.
這兩句經文點出人心裡的黑暗，有時明明心裡有鬼，表面卻說得冠冕堂堂，頭頭是道。例如買賣房子為何需要律師呢？因為有的人借的房債沒還清，但是不講就把房子賣了。若沒有律師代查，買者很容易被騙。譯經家James Moffatt翻譯得相當清楚：「好人的目標是可尊敬的；壞人的計畫是卑鄙的」。
美國奧運游泳健將Ryan Lochte在巴西比賽後喝醉鬧事，結果謊稱被劫。他鬧事的過程都有攝影為證，最後只好承認自己做了很不成熟的行為。結果所有支持他的一些公司，全都撤消對他的支持。什麼是籌算，何謂計謀？當他想說謊嫁禍於人時，沒想到卻有錄影暴露他的詭詐。這就是在最後的審判時，我們所要面對的情形。
所有的事都要像影片在我們眼前經過，使我們無可推諉。若不是有錄影為證，他的謊言很可能會害到一些無辜的人。因為他的好成績會讓人以為他說的都是真的。不管是詭詐或正直，假如人都能藉著錄影而明辨，那麼，何況神呢？祂豈不明白我們的所作所為嗎？
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Acts 27:1-12. Let’s go!
Acts 27:1-12 (NIV)
1 When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment.
2 We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us.
3 The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.
4 From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us.
5 When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia.
6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board…..
On verses 1-12: Paul and other prisoners are heading for Rome and these verses detail the first stages of their voyage. Notice that when the winds were especially strong, Paul’s ship would head toward the “lee” of a nearby island, in one case the “lee” of Cyprus (v4), in another case the “lee” of Crete (v7). What is a “lee”? A “lee” is the sheltered side of something, the side that is away from the wind. When the winds were strong, Paul’s shipmates would look for a lee and go to it for shelter from the storm. In fact, we see a contrast here between the lees that provided shelter for Paul’s ship (v4, 7) and a harbor in Crete that was not suitable for Paul’s ship to stay in (v12).
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