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诗篇一百十九篇65-72节

2019-12-23 in /by

ט Teth　（第九段）

65耶和华啊，祢向来是照祢的话善待仆人。
66求祢将精明和知识赐给我，因我信了祢的命令。
67我未受苦以先走迷了路，现在却遵守祢的话。
68祢本为善，所行的也善，求祢将祢的律例教训我。
69骄傲人编造谎言攻击我，我却要一心守祢的训词。
70他们心蒙脂油，我却喜爱祢的律法。
71我受苦是与我有益，为要使我学习祢的律例。
72祢口中的训言与我有益，胜于千万的金银。

在这段经文里，给我最大的感受是71节: 「我受苦是与我有益，为要使我学习祢的律例」。谁都不喜欢受苦，可是苦痛却是人生真正的福，因为没有受苦，往往不能得到真正的利益。

我第一次对这句话有感受是在牙医诊所洗牙之后。因为洗牙时要忍受机器吱吱叫，然后有时弄到牙龈时会敏感，全身都酸麻。不过，我知道这样的受苦于我有益，免得牙齿或牙龈有更大的问题出现。

Paul Brand医生写过一本书, 痛苦是人生最大的祝福。他是一位医治痲疯病人的专家，医治过无数的痲疯病人。他发现疾病本身并不可怕，可怕的是病毒使身体的神经失去功能，以致感受不到痛觉，而痛觉恰恰是神给身体最大的保护。当手没有痛觉时,拿再烫的东西也不知道，就会被烧伤；踼到重物或被压到也不知道，以致受伤。因此他写书让人明白，痛是一样神给人何等宝贵的礼物。

The Silliness and Sinfulness of Showing Favoritism

2019-12-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is James 2:1-13.  Let’s go!

James 2:1 (NIV) 
1  My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. 

On verses 1-4:  James rebukes his readers for showing favoritism to rich people when they would walk into church while treating the poorer attendees poorly.  How about you?  Do you show favoritism?  Do you treat people whom you meet well or poorly based on how rich, beautiful or well-connected they appear to be, or based on what we think they can do for us?  

Many of us today have the tendency to “size people up” when we first meet them, to favour certain people over others based on external, superficial differences we see.    Yet the Bible calls showing favoritism sin.  Why?  It’s because showing favoritism falls short of the way God loves us.  God does not show favoritism (see Romans 2:11).  Jesus did not die only for those in the highest tax bracket, or only for those whom he thought could advance His cause. Jesus died for everyone.  Likewise, God calls us to love people regardless of how they “size up” in our eyes.
 

诗篇一百十九篇57-64节

2019-12-21 in /by

ח Heth（第八段）

57耶和华是我的福分，我曾说，我要遵守祢的言语。
58我一心求过祢的恩，愿祢照祢的话怜悯我。
59我思想我所行的道，就转步归向祢的法度。
60我急忙遵守祢的命令，并不迟延。
61恶人的绳索缠绕我，我却没有忘记祢的律法。
62我因祢公义的典章，半夜必起来称谢祢。
63凡敬畏祢、守祢训词的人，我都与他做伴。
64耶和华啊，祢的慈爱遍满大地，求祢将祢的律例教训我。

诗人在这段经文里提到一件有趣事，就是他半夜会起来称谢神。你有没有过这样的经历，半夜睡不着爬起来？

半夜睡不着的人一般会觉得辛苦，因为想再睡却睡不着。诗人却没有这样的懊恼，因为当他睡不着时，他记起了神在他身上的恩典。

最近施以诺博士提出了一个〈三眠主义〉，建议晚上睡不着的人：一要先饶恕，二要先感恩，三要放下明天的事。有这〈三眠主义〉，就可以睡得很舒坦。

Mirror, Mirror

2019-12-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is James 1:19-27.  Let’s go!

James 1:19-20 (NIV) 
19  My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, 
20  for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires.

On verses 19-20:  Jesus came to give us life to the full (John 10:10), especially in our relationships.  If we want to experience the full and “righteous life that God desires” for us, we need to follow God’s way of handling relationships.  That includes being “quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” (v19).  Often it is our failure to manage our anger in appropriate and healthy ways that causes destruction in our relationships.

诗篇一百十九篇49-56节

2019-12-19 in /by

ז Zayin (第七段)

49求祢记念向祢仆人所应许的话，叫我有盼望。
50这话将我救活了，我在患难中因此得安慰。
51骄傲的人甚侮慢我，我却未曾偏离祢的律法。
52耶和华啊，我记念祢从古以来的典章，就得了安慰。
53我见恶人离弃祢的律法，就怒气发作，犹如火烧。
54我在世寄居，素来以祢的律例为诗歌。
55耶和华啊，我夜间记念祢的名，遵守祢的律法。
56我所以如此，是因我守祢的训词。

当一个人高兴到文字和言语都不足以表达内心感受的时候，会情不自禁地开口歌唱，甚至手舞足蹈地跳起来。但是，当一个人面临死亡威胁、苦不堪言的时候，还能开口唱歌吗？

1910 年的某一天，美国卫理公会牧师卜理杰前往主持福音聚会，师母带着三个孩子回娘家探亲。聚会结束，卜理杰牧师接到通知，妻儿四人全都命丧火窟。听到噩耗的当下，他在神面前跪下祷告说 : 「主啊，我才刚向世人传讲福音，述说祢的安慰如何医治伤心的人。求祢现在也来安慰我！」

虽然卜理杰牧师不明白这样的惨剧，为什么会发生在忠心事奉主的仆人身上，但他选择相信神，用赞美感谢代替抱怨自怜；虽然面临全家罹难、唯我独活的痛苦，他选择用歌唱颂扬代替哀痛悲鸣，以进行曲节奏写下〈耶稣使我歌唱不停〉的赞美诗，诉说爱慕耶稣、有耶稣同在的甜蜜。上帝应许我们，无论是患难、困苦、逼迫、危险，靠着爱我们的主，都已经得胜有余了，因为没有任何事物能够隔绝我们与神之间的爱。

What Helps Me Persevere

2019-12-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin the book of James.  Possibly the earliest of all the New Testament writings, the book of James is estimated by scholars to have been written in approximately 45-48 AD.  James is one of the hardest-hitting and most easily applicable books you will find in the Bible. 

Today’s passage is James 1:1-12.  This passage has special significance for me.  When I was a new Christian, James 1:2-12 was the first passage I ever tried to memorize.  Almost 25 years later, it’s still a passage I come back to over and over again in my heart. 
 
James 1:1 (NIV) 
1  James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings.

On verse 1:  The author of James is most likely Jesus’ half-brother James.  In other words, after Jesus was born, Jesus’ parents Joseph and Mary finally consummated their marriage and had other children.  One of those children was James.  James grew up in the same home and family as Jesus, but did not believe that his half-brother was the Son of God (John 7:5).  His heart remained hardened and unbelieving until Jesus rose again from the dead and appeared to James.  After that, James became a believer and started referring to his half-brother as “the Lord Jesus Christ”.  James would go on to become the leader of the church in Jerusalem before being martyred for his faith in 49 AD. 

You Remember What You Take the Time to Celebrate

2019-12-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Esther 9:20-10:3.  Let’s go!

Esther 9:20-22 (NIV) 
20  Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, 
21  to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar 
22  as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor. 

On 9:20-32:  It might sound incredibly trite and obvious to say, but I’ll say it anyway: when we don’t take a moment to remember, we forget.  That is, when we don’t take the time to recall and celebrate the great things God has done in our lives, we can just as easily forget that He did anything for us at all.  That is why here in these verses Mordecai and Esther use their influence to require every Jewish family in every province and city and in every generation to take the time to remember and celebrate how God turned the Jews’ sorrow into joy when He protected them from Haman’s genocide plan.  This two day festival would become known as the Jewish Feast of Purim.

诗篇一百十九篇41-48节

2019-12-18 in /by

ו Waw (第六段)

41耶和华啊，愿祢照祢的话，使祢的慈爱，就是祢的救恩，临到我身上。
42我就有话回答那羞辱我的，因我倚靠祢的话。
43求祢叫真理的话总不离开我口，因我仰望祢的典章。
44我要常守祢的律法，直到永永远远。
45我要自由而行〔或译：我要行在宽阔之地〕，因我素来考究祢的训词。
46我也要在君王面前论说祢的法度，并不至于羞愧。
47我要在祢的命令中自乐，这命令素来是我所爱的。
48我又要遵行〔原文是举手〕祢的命令，这命令素来是我所爱的，我也要思想祢的律例。

在这一段经文里，你最喜欢哪一节经文呢？哪一节经文可以成为你今天的力量和祝福？在这一段经文里，诗人提到被人羞辱。在新约里，主耶稣说，若有人打你的右脸，连左脸也转给他打；若有人强迫你走一里路，你就陪他走两里路（太5:39）。但是在旧约里，诗人一直强调因神而得胜。所以我们明白，主耶稣并不是要羞辱我们，反而是提出一种更高明的得胜之道。因为坏人也是人，当他发现你以爱回报他的恶时，他的心就会软化，然后被神得着。就像主耶稣不因我们的恶惩罚我们，反而为我们被钉上十字架，从此我们就明白何谓爱，并且因着爱而放弃在罪中的生活，转而过神所喜悦的生活。

因此诗人求神按着祂的应许，赐下祂的怜悯慈爱和救恩，如此我们便能因为倚靠神来回答羞辱我们的人。主耶稣说：咒诅你们的，要为他祝福；凌辱你们的，要为他祷告（路6:28）。保罗说：逼迫你们的，要给他们祝福，只要祝福，不要咒诅（罗12:14）。

诗篇一百十九篇33-40节

2019-12-17 in /by

ה He (第五段)

33耶和华啊，求祢将祢的律例指教我，我必遵守到底。
34求祢赐我悟性，我便遵守祢的律法，且要一心遵守。
35求祢叫我遵行你的命令，因为这是我所喜乐的。
36求祢使我的心趋向祢的法度，不趋向非义之财。
37求祢叫我转眼不看虚假，又叫我在祢的道中生活。
38祢向敬畏祢的人所应许的话，求祢向仆人坚定。
39求祢使我所怕的羞辱远离我，因祢的典章本为美。
40我羡慕祢的训词，求祢使我在祢的公义上生活。

北宋黄庭坚说过：「士大夫三日不读书，则义理不交于胸中，对镜觉面目可憎，向人亦语言无味。」这句话后来简化成：「三日不读书，便觉语言无味，面目可憎」。对基督徒而言，这句话要改成：「三日不读圣经，便觉心情软弱，离主甚远」。

犹如我们的身体，每天都需要补充养份；我们内在的生命，也需要时时获取智 慧与启迪。苏东坡曾说：「腹有诗书气自华」。一个人若有内涵，他的生命自会散发出生命的光采。基督徒能否散发出生命的光采，便决定于他心里存有多少神的话语。倘若「腹有诗书气自华」，那么「心怀天道人自正」。

在这诗篇里，大卫教导我们要寻求一些值得一生坚持的东西。但要找到这些东西，需要神的恩典赐予。否则因为人的贪欲，往往使我们迷路，找不到正路。因此我们不只要读神的话，还要求神赐下悟性，否则读来读去只会感到乏味。哪有意志去遵行，还会感到喜乐?

When the Tables Turn

2019-12-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Esther 9:1-18.  Let’s go!

Esther 9:1 (NIV) 
1  On the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the edict commanded by the king was to be carried out. On this day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, but now the tables were turned and the Jews got the upper hand over those who hated them. 

On verses 1-10:  The thirteenth day of the twelfth month was supposed to be a day of great weeping and destruction for the Jews, a day when their enemies had legal authority to annihilate them.  But due to a new edict that Mordecai helped put into effect, the legal situation changed, allowing the Jews to assemble, defend themselves and attack their attackers.  Due to this change in the law, “the tables were turned” and now the Jews go on the offensive and “attack those who determined to destroy them.”  Mordecai himself also grows in prominence, while the ten sons of Haman are killed so as not to eliminate any further threat from Haman’s family.