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Praise God BEFORE the Miracle Happens

2022-04-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 16:25-40.  Let’s go!

Acts 16:25-36 (NIV)
25  About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.
26  Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody’s chains came loose.
27  The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.
28  But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!”
29  The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas.
30  He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31  They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved–you and your household.”
32  Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house.
33  At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his family were baptized.
34  The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God–he and his whole family.
35  When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: “Release those men.”
36  The jailer told Paul, “The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.”

On verses 25-36:  Here we see why God allowed Paul and Silas to be flogged and imprisoned. It wasn’t because God was cruel, distant or indifferent. Rather God allowed this painful situation so that Paul, Silas and everyone in the prison with them could witness God’s incredible saving power. Not only did God save his servants from prison, but even more God used the situation so that a jailer and his family could receive Jesus and be saved from hell.  (By the way, notice also that the jailer and his family got baptized immediately after they placed their faith in Jesus. They didn’t wait or delay to obey Jesus’ command to get baptized. Have you gotten baptized in obedience to God’s command?)

智慧人必承受尊榮

2022-04-24 in , /by

〈箴言〉3:35  智慧人必承受尊榮，愚昧人高升也成為羞辱。

閱讀經文：〈箴言〉3:30-35

30人未曾加害於你，不可無故與他相爭。31不可嫉妒強暴的人，也不可選擇他所行的路。32因為乖僻人為耶和華所憎惡，正直人為他所親密。33耶和華咒詛惡人的家庭，賜福於義人的居所。34他譏誚那好譏誚的人，賜恩給謙卑的人。35智慧人必承受尊榮，愚昧人高升也成為羞辱。

所羅門王說：“人未曾加害於你，不可無故與他相爭”。畢德生牧師在The Message裡的譯文是：Don’t walk around with a chip on your shoulder,  always spoiling for a fight.　意思是不要老是臉長長的，好像有人對不起你，跟你過不去，或是欠了你好多錢，動不動就生氣的意思。我們雖然不可能見人就笑，但是也不要常常給人看臉色。學習和顏悅色的方法，最好是每天早上洗臉時，對著鏡中人說：“耶穌愛你，我也愛你”。連說三次，你的表情就會鬆弛下來，不再那麼緊張，甚至笑得出來了。說話的聲音調低一點，非必要時，不要大聲叫。這樣對你的血壓有好處，也比較不會喉嚨痛。可以在說話前先深呼吸再講，慢慢就會習慣了。

“不可嫉妒強暴的人，也不可選擇他所行的路” 。Don’t try to be like those who shoulder their way through life.   Why be a bully? 可能很多人說他不會做這樣的傻事，強暴的人值得嫉妒嗎？實際上，對於那些比我們強，不斷被老師欣賞或升職的同事，經常有人在背後說他們的壞話，很少人他們是憑本事，反而更多人會說那些人會旁門走道，以致得到師長或上司的青睞。畢德生牧師認為那是一種霸凌的現象，藉著自己的力氣或強勢或財富，奪走原不屬於他的。這樣的人，雖然大家口頭上詆譭，但也有人會非常羨慕，進而嫉妒，以致學習。以為世間就是這樣，不横行霸道，就得不到想要的。所以有人說，要先學做人，才能把事情做得好。因為不懂怎樣做人，只想藉著一些方法或勢力拿到自己所要的，卻往往會失去更多。