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明白上帝的旨意

2022-04-15 in , /by

〈箴言〉2:10   智慧必入你心，你的靈要以知識為美。

閱讀經文：2:8-10

8為要保守公平人的路，護庇虔敬人的道。9你也必明白仁義、公平、正直，一切的善道。10智慧必入你心，你的靈要以知識為美。

《明白上帝的旨意》

「為要保守公平人的路」(箴言2:8)。

古代的馬路標示不清楚，不像現在有路名。出外旅行的人，經常要跟著車輪的路痕。但是在分岔路，有的車輪的痕跡向左，有的向右，就不容易判斷。

人生不也是如此嗎？我們在只有一條路時，就跟著走。在分岔路上，就難分左或右。上帝知道我們的掙扎，知道我們心裡有多種看法的聲音。

「公平」的意思是在法庭辯論時，替我們辯論者的聲音，又稱為保惠師的聲音。不是我們有公平，而是祂成為我們的公平。祂的聲音，引導我們走上正確的路。在我們人生重大的抉擇，學習傾聽保惠師在我們心中的聲音，才能明白主的旨意。

很多人說他看不到上帝，怎麼知道上帝的旨意？其實重要的不是我們看見上帝，而是上帝看見我們。上帝紀念我們，即使我們看不見祂。紀念的意思，就是「保守」，代表看不見時的扶持，隱藏之時的保護。

願我們在人生重大的選擇時，明白上帝的旨意，知道聖靈(保惠師)的引領。在引領的轉折之處，祂留下《聖經》的話給我們。那些話是我們一生最大的收穫，因為在那裡，我們經歷祂的保守。

Help For My Disability

2022-04-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs! 

Today’s passage is Acts 14:1-12.  Let’s go!

Acts 14:1-7 (NIV)
1  At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.
2  But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
3  So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.
4  The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles.
5  There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them.
6  But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country,
7  where they continued to preach the good news.
 
On verses 1-7:  Paul and Barnabas travel to Iconium, the capital of ancient Lycaonia, about 90 miles southeast of Antioch.  There, they preach in the synagogue and the people are responding, both positively and negatively.  On one hand, a great number of Jews and Gentiles are coming to faith in Jesus.  On the other hand, some oppose Paul and Barnabas by trying to lure new converts away.  Not wanting their gospel message to be misunderstood, Paul and Barnabas spend considerable time in Iconium, defending the gospel, while God would enable them to do miraculous signs and wonders to confirm the validity of their message.  Eventually some Gentiles and Jews begin plotting Paul and Barnabas’ death.  Once Paul and Barnabas hear about the death plots against their lives, they flee to Lystra, Derbe and the surrounding country and continue to preach about Jesus.
 

我是愛叫的小羊

2022-04-14 in , /by

〈箴言〉2:6   因為耶和華賜人智慧，知識和聰明都由祂口而出。

閱讀經文：2:5-8

5你就明白敬畏耶和華，得以認識神。6因為耶和華賜人智慧，知識和聰明都由祂口而出。7他給正直人存留真智慧，給行為純正的人做盾牌，8為要保守公平人的路，護庇虔敬人的道。

《認識上帝》

「你就明白敬畏耶和華，得以認識上帝。」(箴言2:5)。

一個人在極困難的時候，仍然以上帝為信實。在沒有工作成就時，仍相信為主所做不徒然。在悲傷難過時，仍持定主是信實。在黑暗四佈時，仍相信上帝是他的亮光。在死蔭幽谷裡，仍堅信上帝是他的拯救。這是敬畏主。

在這時人會敬畏主，是祂恩典的工作。這不是人的理性，不是人的意志，不是人的感情。敬畏認識主，是奧祕。敬畏主的人，主會讓他們認識。如同彼得在大風大雨中，仍想要認識主。約瑟在情慾的試探下，仍然堅持為上帝而聖潔。亞伯拉罕打敗所多瑪王時，竟連一根線也不拿。

生命的轉彎，在關鍵之處的堅持。即使我們失敗，仍對主說祢是我的主。在那失敗之時，我們將親自認識主。

Don’t Sulk, But Shake Off The Dust

2022-04-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs! 

Today’s passage is Acts 13:42-52.  Let’s go!

Acts 13:42-49 (NIV)
42  As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath.
43  When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
44  On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.
45  When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and talked abusively against what Paul was saying.
46  Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: “We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.
47  For this is what the Lord has commanded us: “‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.'”
48  When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed.
49  The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.

On verses 42-49:  Still in Pisidian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas are invited to come back and speak at the synagogue there.  Practically the entire city shows up the next week to hear Paul and Barnabas preach.  Jealous of all the attention Paul and Barnabas are getting, the Jewish leaders slander Paul and try to oppose the arguments he is making.

How God Fulfilled His Promises

2022-04-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 13:26-41.  Let’s go!

Acts 13:26-31 (NIV)
26  “Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.
27  The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.
28  Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed.
29  When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.
30  But God raised him from the dead,
31  and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.
 
On verses 26-31:  Here Paul continues his sermon to the Jews at the synagogue in Pisidian Antoich.  Paul points out a number of ironies relating to the way Jesus was treated by the people of Jerusalem:
–             Although the people of Jerusalem would read the words of the prophets every Sabbath, they did not recognize who Jesus is (v27).
–             Although the people of Jerusalem did not see that Jesus was the one the prophets prophesied about, they unwittingly fulfilled the prophets’ prophecies about the Messiah by condemning him to death (v27, 29a).

啟示性的聰明

2022-04-13 in , /by

〈箴言〉2:2側耳聽智慧，專心求聰明。

閱讀經文：2:1-4  我兒，你若領受我的言語，存記我的命令， 2 側耳聽智慧，專心求聰明， 3 呼求明哲，揚聲求聰明， 4 尋找她如尋找銀子，搜求她如搜求隱藏的珍寶。

《啟示性的聰明》

「專心求聰明。」(箴言2:2) 聰明經常是天生的智商，後天的教育，與工作的學習。還有一種聰明，來自上帝的啟示，使我們在凡事上認識祂。

這是世界上最期待的聰明，許多企業、組織、團體都在等待，這種天啟式的聰明。因為來自上帝的聰明，是世界不俱有。解決世界上關鍵的問題，需要這種來自造物者的聰明。

上帝將這種聰明，給專心求的人。在牛頓、波義耳、法拉第、馬克士威爾、焦耳、刻普勒等人的身上，都可以看到這種啟示性的聰明。他們長期的留在一個領域，讓啟示性的聰明愈照愈明，照亮人類一大片無知的夜空。

上帝也將啟示性的聰明，給許多小人物，讓他們在小小的角落，為主發光。上帝給的前提是要我們專一、用心地向祂求。祂必給我們，讓我們將啟示的亮光，照在周遭，讓人蒙恩。

飛鳥的網羅

2022-04-12 in , /by

〈箴言〉1:33  唯有聽從我的，必安然居住，得享安靜，不怕災禍。

閱讀經文：〈箴言〉1章:15-33節

神給人最大的禮物就是有選擇的自由。神從來不強迫我們，但是祂把智慧和愚昧，生與死的道路放在我們前面，讓我們做選擇。敬畏耶和華和不敬畏耶和華，就是一個選擇。為何要敬畏神？為何不肯敬畏神？這其中的心理和情緒，很值得我們去探討。敬畏神，是因為我們知道宇宙不是憑空而來，生命也不是從虛幻中產生；萬物都有個主，生命也有來源。所以我們尊重那賜予生命者，以及萬物的創造主。相信造物的比起被造的更有智慧，承認自己受造可畏，因而尊重自己，也尊重那賜生命者。

反之，不敬畏神，是因為以為會被束縛，自己想要凌駕一切的驕傲。這樣的人，所羅門形容他們是：愚昧、褻慢、愚頑，拒絕神的靈之澆灌。神的靈澆灌是為了給人智慧、知識、能力和聰明，拒絕神的靈之人，以為自己可以與神同等，但是他們很快就會發現自己的錯誤，被煩惱和憂慮所纏繞。但願我們都趁著可以尋求神時，快快尋求祂。享有聽從神，必安然居住，得享安靜，不怕災禍之福。

………………………………………………………………………….

《飛鳥的網羅》

「因為他們的腳奔跑行惡，他們急速流人的血。好像飛鳥，網羅設在眼前仍不躲避。」(箴言1:16/17)

上帝提醒我們，犯法的人會明知違法，而挺身試險。行惡的人會知牢獄之災，而仍行惡。這是為惡的慾望太強烈，自己剎不住；犯罪的好處太美妙，自己管不了自己。有些人會貪污、出軌、做壞事，難道他們事先不知道不對嗎？不，他們事先大都知道，而是自己給魔鬼留地步。

It All Points to Jesus in the End

2022-04-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs! 

Today’s passage is Acts 13:13-25.  Let’s go!

Acts 13:13-15 (NIV)
13  From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.
14  From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down.
15  After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.”

On verses 13-15:  Here John Mark decides to leave Paul and Barnabas and go back to Jerusalem, while Paul, Barnabas and the rest of their team continue a physically challenging and dangerous journey to Pisidian Antioch.  You can’t tell from Acts 13:13 that John’s decision to leave bothered Paul, but it did.  In fact, John’s decision to leave would become a point of contention between Barnabas and Paul later on (see Acts 15:37-38).

Dealing with the frustration of John Mark leaving in the back of his mind, Paul still gets up to speak a word of encouragement to the people in the synagogue, with the aim of pointing them to Jesus.

箴言之妙用

2022-04-11 in , /by

〈箴言〉1:7 敬畏耶和華是知識的開端，愚妄人藐視智慧和訓誨。

閱讀經文：〈箴言〉1章:1-14節

若說〈詩篇〉多適用於禱告及靈修生活的話，〈箴言〉則較適用於日常生活。〈箴言〉對實際生活提供了可行的建議。這卷書不單是一部悅耳的嘉言薈萃，更包含從經驗所得的屬靈洞見。耶穌的弟弟雅各在他所寫的〈雅各書〉上的第一章第5節就有這樣的建議：“你們中間若有缺少智慧的，應當求那厚賜於眾人也不斥責人的神，主就必賜給他”。

我們都是需要智慧的人，但是在尋求的過程中，卻不一定能找到真智慧。在醫院裡經常會發生一些讓醫生哭笑不得的事。例如，有個病人的腳弄傷了，原本只是小傷，醫生幫他上藥後；沒想到過了幾星期回來，竟然生膿了。在醫生的追問下，病人才說出，是去看了某人，教他用草藥，結果情況變糟了。也有的病人不聽醫生的話，去看了一兩本書就和醫生爭辯，後來才發現寫書的人根本沒讀過醫。在〈以賽亞書〉第44章裡，神形容人用木材生火煮飯，剩下的木材拿來雕像，然後向它求問。所以在我們尋求智慧時，是否要先認清智慧的來源？

在〈以賽亞書〉第45章5-7節裡，神如此介紹祂自己：“我是耶和華，在我以外並沒有別神，除了我以外再沒有神。你雖不認識我，我必給你束腰， 從日出之地到日落之處，使人都知道除了我以外，沒有別神。我是耶和華，在我以外並沒有別神。 我造光，又造暗；我施平安，又降災禍。造做這一切的，是我耶和華。”祂是創造諸天的耶和華，製造、成全大地的神。因此，這世上有誰能超越神的智慧呢？有什麼是祂不知道的？

Greater is He who is in You

2022-04-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 13:1-12.  Let’s go!

Acts 13:1 (NIV)
1  In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
 
On verse 1:  The church at Antioch had a team of prophet-teachers who spoke to the congregation.  Notice the diversity on this teaching team: Barnabas was Jewish but grew up in Greek-influenced Cyprus, likely making him a “Grecian Jew”.   Simeon, scholars say, was probably black.  Lucius was from Cyrene (North Africa).  Manaen grew up with King Herod Antipas the tetrarch, which meant he probably came a very wealthy background and was older.  Saul, of course, was a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5) but was also well traveled and from Tarsus (modern day Turkey).   God loves diversity.  In fact Jesus’ Church is the largest and most racially, ethnically and culturally diverse family that has ever existed.  

Acts 13:2 (NIV)
2  While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”
 
On verse 2:  It was in an environment of worshiping the Lord and fasting that this team of leaders heard the Holy Spirit tell them to send off Barnabas and Saul for a new assignment.  What can we learn from this?  If you want to hear the Holy Spirit speak, make room for Him through worship and fasting.  When you draw near to God, He will draw near to you.