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Live with the End in Sight: 5 Characteristics of Someone Who Finishes Well

2022-05-04 in /by

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.

光明和阴间之道

2022-05-03 in , /by

〈箴言〉9:10   敬畏耶和华是智慧的开端，认识至圣者便是聪明。

阅读经文：〈箴言〉9 章 1-18节

在约旦的瓦迪拉姆保护区，靠近沙乌地阿拉伯边界，有个沙漠景观被称为“智慧七柱”，取名于〈箴言〉九章第一节，因为这座山好像是由七根柱子组成。〈箴言〉九章第一节的七根柱子，有人以为是宇宙论的暗喻，指七根柱子代表神创造的七天（包括安息日）；当然也有其他不同的说法。在九章的智慧人格化，呼叫人来领受智慧，表示城中充满愚蒙、无知、亵慢的恶人。当我们读每天的新闻时，便会有类似的感受。我们需要智慧来建立自己的人生，不要围绕着钱转，不要被钱当杖使，不要变成钱的奴隶，我们要晓得如何掌握自己的生活。

这一章里有两种筵席。第一种筵席是智慧建造房屋后，邀请城里的愚蒙人和无知的人参加，为了使他们舍弃愚蒙，得以存活，走光明的道。第二种筵席是愚蒙的妇人所预备的，她也同样邀请愚蒙的人和无知的人，但是她所宴请的食物都是偷来的，人去到她那里，就进入了阴间的深处。今年八月3日（农历七月）开始，是台湾人说鬼门关大开的日子，因此有许多命理师出来宣扬怎样才不会得罪鬼魂的方法。有很多人在八月不敢动手术，有很多患者都要求提早或延后开刀，害怕撞到鬼会有闪失。但是有一项追踪十年的统计，农历七月开刀的存活率竟高于农历八月，反而是害怕有闪失而不敢医治的病人，延后开刀的后果堪虞。这是光明的道和阴间道的极大不同之处。

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　因为智慧比珍珠更美，一切可喜爱的都不足与比较。

阅读经文：〈箴言〉8 章

智慧是什么？智慧和智力是不一样的。人可以有不同方面的智力，有的人记忆力强，有的人对数理的领悟性高，有的人富感性，有的人对音乐有天份，有的人心灵手巧，学习能力超强，但是这些都在智力的范围。

智慧使人的心里明白，明白正直与邪恶之不同，明白公义和弯曲乖僻并无相通。智慧是一颗明白的心，知道有真理，并且渴求真理和真知识。有的人头脑很灵 活，但是专门喜欢学旁门走道，好像那些做假奶粉、假鸡蛋、假乳鸽的人实在很聪明，他们为了赚钱可以想出很多方法骗人。但是这种人没有智慧，因为他们只看得见钱，他们不追求真理，不知道人死后有审判，不想假如有一天他们自己的孩子吃了他们做的假东西之下场，他们以为只会害到别人。聪明的人不一 定有智慧，有智慧的人必有真正的聪明，晓得选择该走的路。

唯有真智慧可以使领袖的权势稳定，一个只会玩权弄势的领袖，往往很快“玩”完，因为他想愚弄别人，别人也会愚弄他。有智慧的领袖，他的丰富尊荣必定 长久，因为百姓和下属都甘心情愿臣服。因为“公义使邦国高举；罪恶是人民的羞辱” (箴 14:34)，作领袖经常要作判断决策，若是心里没有智慧，作出的决策往往摇摆不定，反复无常。智慧的果实胜过黄金，强如精金；智慧的出产超乎高银。人都 知道智慧重要，但是智慧何处寻？

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.

好像牛往宰杀之地

2022-05-01 in , /by

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

阅读经文：〈箴言〉7 章

牛的屠宰之地

「淫妇用许多巧言诱他……少年人立刻跟随他，好像牛往宰杀之地。」(箴言七：21、22)

上帝将淫乱的地方，称为「宰杀之地」。将经不起淫乱的引诱者，视为待宰杀的「牛」。原来淫乱是杀戮，淫乱者是被害己命而不自知。

在圣经里，「牛」有一语双关的意思，正面的涵义是有挺得住的坚强，如同城墙屹立不摇。负面的涵义是被套个环，就容易牵走。

其实，男人具有这两面，工作时很有原则，下班后禁不住一点色情诱惑，就立刻被带着走。工作表现人的强项，色情呈现人的弱点，这两者常只有一墙之隔。

我们要小心，不要被色情之环套住，否则公牛、猛牛、蛮牛、凶牛、黑牛、斗牛，都会变成肉牛。我们也要看清楚，情欲的场所，上帝视为杀戮之地，色情的节目，是属灵瘫痪的麻醉品。

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.

诫命是灯法则是光

2022-04-29 in , /by

〈箴言〉6:23   因为诫命是灯，法则是光，训诲的责备是生命的道。

阅读经文：〈箴言〉6:20-35

诫命是灯，法则是光

“因为诫命是灯，法则是光，训诲的责备是生命的道”。说到诫命、法则和责备，没有多少人会喜欢，觉得好像是戴上了孙悟空的金箍，浑身不自由。但是圣经的诫命和法则和金箍完全不同。诫命是灯，灯是为了照亮，使人看得清楚；法则是光，光可以照亮也可以温暖，还有保护的作用。灯和光都是为了让我们看得清楚，以免误入陷阱而受害。

假如人在暗中摸索，难免撞得鼻青脸肿。我每天晚上比较晚睡，有时为了不想吵醒外子，就把灯都关掉，摸索著前进。即使在自己家里，有一点方向感，仍不免撞到什么或踢到什么。设想若是外面没有街灯，出去行走岂不更危险。虽有月光和星光，还是觉得危机重重吧。

在现在的世代，虽然不敢说父亲的诫命都是对的，母亲的法则也是可靠的，但是他们对人生的经历，还是我们立身处世的很好指引。因为父母的引导大多数是为我们的好处。我为何这样说呢？因为有一次看到一个母亲教孩子用电动牙刷，她教孩子要拿着牙刷动来动去。我不可置信地看着她，因为电动牙刷若不稍做停留，很难发挥效果。我一声不发，不好在人家孩子面前说做妈的不是。但是她显然感觉到我的不同意，当我再走一圈回来时，她正在教孩子正确的方法。所以我觉得做父母的若不先省察自己，有时真是乱教孩子。但其居心还是为孩子好的。

所以我们既然为人父母，要寻找真道，明白神的诫命和法则，接受神的教诲，如此才能把正确的观念传给下一代。

耶和华所恨恶的

2022-04-28 in , /by

〈箴言〉6:16  耶和华所恨恶的有六样，连他心所憎恶的共有七样。

阅读经文：〈箴言〉6:12-19

体态语言

「无赖的恶徒……用眼传神、用脚示意、用指点划。」（箴六12-13） 

听人谈沟通技巧的时候，常听说有所谓「体态语言」（body language）。每次听到，总让我想起箴言这句话。故然，圣经并没有说基督徒不应该学习「体态语言」，另一方面，圣经也没有鼓励人在这方面下功夫。 

但是，非常有趣，我留意到，似乎圣经提到「体态语言」的时候都不是好事。除了上边经文之外，还有﹕「以眼传神的、使人忧患。」（箴10:10） 

我因为土头土脑，向来不懂得欣赏什么沟通艺术，每次发现此道高手，我就马上筑起一道防线，提高警惕，唯恐受骗。如果还加上用眼传神、用脚示意、用指点划， 我绝对避之则吉。反之，我喜欢和比较木讷的人相处，容易相信他们。正如中国传统所说的﹕「巧言令色，鲜矣仁」。圣经也说﹕「应对正直的，犹如与人亲嘴。」 （箴廿四26）「是就说是，不是就说不是，若是多说，就是出于那恶者。」「体态语言」大有可能包括在「多说」之中。 

世俗教导有待审查！（张逸萍博士）