〈箴言〉13:1 智慧子聽父親的教訓，褻慢人不聽責備。
閱讀經文：箴言13:1-3
1智慧子聽父親的教訓，褻慢人不聽責備。2人因口所結的果子必享美福，奸詐人必遭強暴。3謹守口的得保生命，大張嘴的必致敗亡。
許人喜歡用「正向思考」的話，來鼓勵人要有積極的人生觀，要有人生的光明面。其實給勵志性的小語幫助人，如同表面傷口擦擦「小護士」，輕微疼痛貼貼「撒隆巴斯」。生命的問題有時需要外科手術，開刀切入深處，將問題取出。
主耶穌的教導從來不給勵志小語，祂在挑戰我們生命真正的跟隨，祂說：「一個人不能事奉兩個主。」(路加福音16:13。祂要我們進教會是敬拜上帝，不是將 教會當成服務24小時的超商，祂說：「我的殿、必作禱告的殿，你們倒使他成為賊窩了。」(路加福音十9:46)。有人求耶穌替他分家產，耶穌沒有落在他的 問題裡，而是告訴他「謹慎自守，免去一切的貪心」(路加福音12:15)。
「智慧子聽父親的教訓，褻慢人不聽責備。」(箴言13:1)，聽正向思考愈多，日後難受教，因他聽不下責備的話。（張文亮教授）
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 1:19-33.
Deuteronomy 1:19-33 (NIV)
19 Then, as the LORD our God commanded us, we set out from Horeb and went toward the hill country of the Amorites through all that vast and dreadful desert that you have seen, and so we reached Kadesh Barnea.
20 Then I said to you, “You have reached the hill country of the Amorites, which the LORD our God is giving us.
21 See, the LORD your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it as the LORD, the God of your fathers, told you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.”
22 Then all of you came to me and said, “Let us send men ahead to spy out the land for us and bring back a report about the route we are to take and the towns we will come to.”
On verses 19-33: Keep in mind what Moses is doing here. Moses is speaking to a new generation of Israelites, preparing them to take possession of the land God had promised them. So that this new generation of Israelites would not repeat the same mistakes that their parents and grandparents had made, Moses recalls in a fresh way specific events that happened along their journey so far, events which this new generation of Israelites may have been too young to remember. In recalling these events Moses is highlighting some lessons that he wants this new generation of Israelites to remember as they get ready to possess the promised land.
Hi GAMErs!
Today we begin the book of Deuteronomy. You might say that Deuteronomy was Jesus’ favourite book in the Old Testament. When Jesus was asked what was God’s greatest commandment, Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5. When Jesus was being tempted by the devil, Jesus fought back with quotations from Deuteronomy 8:3, 6:16, and 6:13. Since Jesus saw the power and importance of Deuteronomy and kept this book close to His heart, I pray we would do the same.
Here is some background information on Deuteronomy that you might find helpful:
– Deuteronomy is the fifth book in the Old Testament. It is also the fifth and final book of the Pentateuch (a name for the first five books in the Bible, also sometimes called the Torah).
– It is widely believed, and with good reason, that Moses was responsible for the writing of the entire Pentateuch including Deuteronomy (other than the last chapter describing Moses’ death).
〈箴言〉12:27 懶惰的人不烤打獵所得的，殷勤的人卻得寶貴的財物。
閱讀經文：箴言12:26-28
26義人引導他的鄰舍，惡人的道叫人失迷。27懶惰的人不烤打獵所得的，殷勤的人卻得寶貴的財物。28在公義的道上有生命，其路之中並無死亡。
在十字路口，遇到恩典的攤販
當我們孤獨無依時，山窮水盡之處，有人在那裏幫助我們、陪伴我們、招待我們，是上帝給我們何等的恩待，何等的眷顧。
「義人引導他的鄰舍」(箴言12:26)，「引導」的原文是個特別的用詞，原意是戰爭時期派出去的探子，到了敵軍轄區，有前來接應的嚮導。
我們的成長不也是如此嗎？在人生難處的十字路口，上帝也派人在那裏開個恩典的小店，照顧我們的孤苦零丁。免得我們孤苦之中嘆孤苦，零丁之中嘆零丁。這些人在暗處幫助人，名不顯揚。
我相信信仰最好，不單是站在台上傳講的人，也有坐在台下的代禱、扶持者。放在光鮮之處的大都是木器、瓦器。留在暗處的才是金器、銀器。
〈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.
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