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施比受更為有福

2022-05-17 in , /by

〈箴言〉11:27 懇切求善的，就求得恩惠；唯獨求惡的，惡必臨到他身。

閱讀經文：箴言11:24-27

24有施散的卻更增添，有吝惜過度的反致窮乏。25好施捨的必得豐裕，滋潤人的必得滋潤。26屯糧不賣的，民必咒詛他；情願出賣的，人必為他祝福。27懇切求善的，就求得恩惠；唯獨求惡的，惡必臨到他身。

24-25節：有施散的，卻更增添；有吝惜過度的，反致窮乏。好施捨的，必得豐裕；滋潤人的，必得滋潤。

《現代中文譯本》譯為：慷慨好施，日益富裕；一毛不拔，反更窮困。慷慨好施，更加發達；幫助別人，自己受益。

《The Message》譯為：The world of the generous gets larger and larger; the world of the stingy gets smaller and smaller. 25 The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed; those who help others are helped.

神的數學和人的數學算法是不一樣的。在人的數學裡，若是拿出去了，自己的就減少了；但是在神的數學裡，拿出去了，就有更多空間承受來自上帝的恩典，所以是越拿出去越富足。人總是覺得擁有越多越好，但是神要教導我們，拿出去越多越好，積財在天比屯積在地上的家裡更安全，更有保障。

信心，就是超越人的認知，相信神的應許和擁有；不看自己有多少，而是看天父有多少。施捨或施散都是指幫助缺乏的人，主耶穌說施比受更為有福（使20:35）。敢施捨的人，看的是自己的有，而不是自己的沒有；數算的是神的恩典，而不是難填的慾壑。

Asking for the Breakthrough You Need

2022-05-17 in /by

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 25:1-12.  Let’s go!

Acts 25:1-9 (NIV)
1  Three days after arriving in the province, Festus went up from Caesarea to Jerusalem,
2  where the chief priests and Jewish leaders appeared before him and presented the charges against Paul.
3  They urgently requested Festus, as a favor to them, to have Paul transferred to Jerusalem, for they were preparing an ambush to kill him along the way.
4  Festus answered, “Paul is being held at Caesarea, and I myself am going there soon.
5  Let some of your leaders come with me and press charges against the man there, if he has done anything wrong.”
6  After spending eight or ten days with them, he went down to Caesarea, and the next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him.
7  When Paul appeared, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, bringing many serious charges against him, which they could not prove.
8  Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar.”
9  Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?”

On verses 1 to 9:  Originally governor Festus rejected the request of Paul’s opponents to have Paul moved to Jerusalem for the trial (verses 4-5).  So why in verse 9 is Festus now giving into their request and trying to convince Paul to move to Jerusalem?  It’s because of what happened in verse 6: “After spending eight or ten days with them”, Festus was like putty in the hands of Paul’s opponents.

If You Get Intimidated By People Easily, Knowing THIS Will Ease Your Mind Copy

2022-05-17 in /by

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 26:19-32.  Let’s go!

Acts 26:19-23 (NIV)
19  “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven.
20  First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles also, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.
21  That is why the Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.
22  But I have had God’s help to this very day, and so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen–
23  that the Christ would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim light to his own people and to the Gentiles.”
 
On verses 19-23:  Paul continues his defense in the presence of King Agrippa, insisting that the message he has been preaching is nothing beyond what the Jewish Scriptures already said would happen.  In other words, Paul was not starting some new sect or religion that departed from the Jewish faith, but rather was preaching what the Jewish Scriptures themselves speak about: that the Christ (Messiah) would die, rise from death and give light to both Jews and Gentiles alike.

5 Ways We Can Box Jesus In

2022-05-16 in /by

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 24:17-27.  Let’s go!

Acts 24:17-21 (NIV)
17  “After an absence of several years, I came to Jerusalem to bring my people gifts for the poor and to present offerings.
18  I was ceremonially clean when they found me in the temple courts doing this. There was no crowd with me, nor was I involved in any disturbance.
19  But there are some Jews from the province of Asia, who ought to be here before you and bring charges if they have anything against me.
20  Or these who are here should state what crime they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin–
21  unless it was this one thing I shouted as I stood in their presence: ‘It is concerning the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial before you today.'”
 
On verses 17-21:  Paul continues his defense at his trial before governor Felix in Caesarea.  Paul notes that he did not do anything unlawful or illegal, unless believing in the resurrection of the dead is a crime (v21).  When it came to any possible charges that Paul’s critics would try to lay on Paul, Paul was blameless. 

神眼中的義和惡

2022-05-16 in , /by

〈箴言〉11:22 婦女美貌而無見識，如同金環帶在豬鼻上。

閱讀經文：箴言11:21-23

21 惡人雖然連手，必不免受罰，義人的後裔必得拯救。 22 婦女美貌而無見識，如同金環戴在豬鼻上。 23 義人的心願盡得好處，惡人的指望致干憤怒。

21節：惡人雖然連手，必不免受罰；義人的後裔必得拯救。

《現代中文譯本》譯為：邪惡人難逃懲罰；正直人都蒙救援。
《呂振中譯本》譯為：我敢頓手擔保，壞人必難免於受罰；但義人的族類必蒙救拔。《The Message》譯為：Count on this: The wicked won’t get off scot-free, and God’s loyal people will triumph.
原文直譯：惡人雖然手牽手，仍不免受罰；義人的後裔必得拯救。

所羅門王一直試著要把惡人和義人的結局分別出來，因為在神的眼中只有屬神的人和不願屬神的人。所以我們不要用人的眼光來分別善惡，反而要從神的眼光去明辨善惡。

大衛在〈詩篇〉37篇25-26節裡說：「我從前年幼，現在年老，卻未見過義人被棄，也未見過他的後裔討飯。他終日恩待人，借給人；他的後裔也蒙福！」義人是屬神的人，人不能自己稱義，唯有肯信靠神的人，才會被神稱為義。是屬神的義，而不是用自己的力量去行善的義。屬神的人必蒙神眷顧到底；而悖逆神的人不管有多少人連手，成就的事業有多龐大，終必像巴別塔一樣，最後傾倒滅亡。

真實的工價

2022-05-15 in , /by

〈箴言〉11:20 心中乖僻的，為耶和華所憎惡；行事完全的，為祂所喜悅。

閱讀經文：箴言11:18-20

18 惡人經營，得虛浮的工價；撒義種的，得實在的果效。 19 恆心為義的必得生命，追求邪惡的必致死亡。 20 心中乖僻的，為耶和華所憎惡；行事完全的，為他所喜悅。

18節：惡人經營，得虛浮的工價；撒義種的，得實在的果效。

《現代中文譯本》譯為：邪惡人徒勞無功；行為正直，必得獎賞。
《The Message》譯為：Bad work gets paid with a bad check;  good work gets solid pay.
《當代聖經》譯為：惡人賺得的，轉眼成空；播種公義所得到的，才是真正的報酬。

這句話裡有種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆的意思。但還有更深一層的解釋，人若不認識神，他所賺的都會成為過眼雲煙。就像主耶穌對門徒說的一個比喻：「神對無知的財主說：『無知的人哪，今夜必要你的靈魂，你所預備的要歸誰呢？』  凡為自己積財，在神面前卻不富足的，也是這樣。（路12:20-21）」

人在神面前若不富足，所預備，所積儹的，連自己都無法享用。人在神面前若不富足，表示他的一生都在為自己鑽營，這樣的一生，在神面前是枉然的，所得的一切都是徒勞。邪惡，不是從人的眼光來定標準，而是神以為惡。正直，也不是由人來決定，而是神來決定。

It’s Time to Lawyer Up!

2022-05-15 in /by

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 24:1-16.  Let’s go!

Acts 24:1-9  

1  Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor. 
2  When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: “We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation. 
3  Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude. 
4  But in order not to weary you further, I would request that you be kind enough to hear us briefly. 
5  “We have found this man to be a troublemaker, stirring up riots among the Jews all over the world. He is a ringleader of the Nazarene sect 
6  and even tried to desecrate the temple; so we seized him. 
7   
8  By examining him yourself you will be able to learn the truth about all these charges we are bringing against him.” 
9  The Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true. 

 Acts 24:1-9:  “It’s Time to Lawyer Up!”

The trial of the apostle Paul in Governor Felix’s court is about to get under way.  The high priest and the Jewish elders decide to lawyer up and retain the attorney Tertullus to bring their case against Paul.  But Paul had an even better lawyer on his side to defend him against these false charges: the Lord Jesus.  His judge and his accusers couldn’t see him, but Jesus was there.

善待自己

2022-05-13 in , /by

〈箴言〉11: 14   無智謀，民就敗落；謀士多，人便安居。

閱讀經文：箴言11:14-17

14無智謀，民就敗落；謀士多，人便安居。15為外人作保的必受虧損，恨惡擊掌的卻得安穩。16恩德的婦女得尊榮，強暴的男子得資財。17仁慈的人善待自己，殘忍的人擾害己身。

14節：無智謀，民就敗落；謀士多，人便安居。

《現代中文譯本》譯為：缺少領導，國必衰敗；謀士眾多，國便安全。
《TheMessage》譯為：Withoutgooddirection,peoplelosetheirway;themorewisecounselyoufollow,thebetteryourchances.

民主國家都有選舉領導人的制度，讓我們看到一個國家要有怎樣的領導何等重要。因為一個國家的領袖若沒有好的道德，人民的質素也會相應低落。在〈列王紀〉裡，一個敬畏神的王就會帶領百姓去除偶像，回到神的面前；神就會祝福他們；反之，不敬畏神的王以身作則去拜偶像時，往往民不聊生，經濟蕭條，外侮內患，國力大傷。雖然世上沒有完全人，但是敬畏神卻能把人的軟弱轉為在神裡的剛強。

謀士眾多，表示會聽取多人的意見；集思可以廣益，知道自己有限，願意聽取他人的意見和看法，便是謙遜。但是要聽取智慧人的意見，不是隨便什麼人的意見都聽，免得被小人所害。

You Are God’s Love Letter

2022-05-13 in /by

Hi  GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 23:23-35.  Let’s go!

Acts 23:23-35 (NIV)
23  Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.
24  Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”
25  He wrote a letter as follows:
26  Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings…….

On verses 23-35:  Claudius Lysius is the name of the Roman commander was has been in custody of Paul.  With a huge detachment of soldiers, horsemen and spearmen to protect Paul and a formal letter explaining the situation, the Roman commander Lysius sends Paul to Felix, the governor of Judea, located in Caesarea, so that Paul can be tried in court there.  Governor Felix reads Lysius’ letter and decides that since Paul is from Cilicia, which was within Felix’s jurisdiction, Felix would hear Paul’s case.

做誠實人

2022-05-12 in , /by

〈箴言〉11: 11 城因正直人祝福便高舉，卻因邪惡人的口就傾覆。

閱讀經文：箴言11:10-13

10 義人享福，合城喜樂；惡人滅亡，人都歡呼。 11 城因正直人祝福便高舉，卻因邪惡人的口就傾覆。 12 藐視鄰舍的毫無智慧，明哲人卻靜默不言。 13 往來傳舌的洩漏密事，心中誠實的遮隱事情。

10節：義人享福，合城喜樂；惡人滅亡，人都歡呼。

《現代中文譯本》譯為：誠實人發達，合城喜樂； 邪惡人喪亡，大眾歡呼。
《思高譯本》譯為：幾時義人幸運，全城歡騰；幾時惡人滅亡，歡聲四起。

11節：城因正直人祝福便高舉，卻因邪惡人的口就傾覆。

《現代中文譯本》譯為：城邑因義人居住而興隆；市鎮因邪惡人的言語而傾覆。
《思高譯本》譯為：義人的祝福，使城市興隆；惡人的口舌，使城市傾覆。
這兩節經文讓我們看到，一個城巿的興旺和衰微和其中的居民有極大的關係，而大部份的人都依賴他人的作為，成為沉默的大多數。在2016年八月12日的《舉目》官網天下事專欄裡，作者漁夫要大家注意，因為從該年的秋季開始，在美國有一群人將在有基督教“好消息俱樂部”（Good News Clubs）的小學裡申辦“課後撒但俱樂部”，他們計劃用怪異的音樂，鬼吼以及撒但的形象來宣傳撒旦的活動。