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貧窮的蒙光照

箴言29:13   貧窮人強暴人在世相遇,他們的眼目都蒙耶和華光照。

閱讀經文:箴言 29:13

13貧窮人強暴人在世相遇,他們的眼目都蒙耶和華光照。

有一種喜好認知的動機,是深知自己的貧窮。知道自己不明白的太多,這是知識的貧窮。平日太少喜樂,這是生活的貧窮。面對未來太少盼望,這是靈性的貧窮。

貧窮的人啊,要在哪裡得供應呢?我們需要蒙上帝的光照,看見周遭充滿祂的恩惠與供應,不要落在這個不足、那個不足,要抓到一些人、事、物,才能證明自己的 足夠。上帝知道我們的需要,祂沒有立刻供應所需,祂有美意。也許我們迫切的需求,不是真需求,而是需要等待;抓到的不是問題的解決,而是更多問題的前來。

軟弱的器皿,一生要承受多少?貧窮的目的,是什麼?也許貧窮是讓我們蒙受上帝的光照,單純的仰望主。

The Winner of This Bout by Submission: God and His People

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Daniel 7:15-28.  Let’s go!

Daniel 7:15-18 (NIV)
15  “I, Daniel, was troubled in spirit, and the visions that passed through my mind disturbed me.
16  I approached one of those standing there and asked him the true meaning of all this. “So he told me and gave me the interpretation of these things:
17  ‘The four great beasts are four kingdoms that will rise from the earth.
18  But the saints of the Most High will receive the kingdom and will possess it forever–yes, for ever and ever.’

On verses 15-18:  Still within his own dream, Daniel inquires as to their meaning of the visions he saw.  He is given a short explanation: the four great beasts he saw represent four kingdoms that will arise from the earth (v17).  In the end, however, it is God’s people (“the saints of the Most High” – v18) who will prevail and receive a kingdom that will last forever.

When Daniel Saw Jesus

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Daniel 7:1-14.  Let’s go!

Daniel 7:1 (NIV)
1  In the first year of Belshazzar king of Babylon, Daniel had a dream, and visions passed through his mind as he was lying on his bed. He wrote down the substance of his dream.

On verse 1:  Chapter 6 of Daniel concerned a time when the Medes and Persians had already succeeded the Babylonians as the dominant empire.  But here in chapter 7 Daniel goes backward in time to describe a dream that Daniel had while the Babylonians were still in power, before the events of even Daniel 5.  Why didn’t Daniel order everything chronologically?  We don’t know for sure, but notice this: chapters 1-6 describe very public, high drama events where Daniel and his friends are dealing with the kings in power at that time, while chapters 7-12 concern private visions and dreams that Daniel had.

怒氣與言語

箴言29:11  愚妄人怒氣全發,智慧人忍氣含怒。

閱讀經文:箴言 29:10-12

10好流人血的,恨惡完全人,索取正直人的性命。11愚妄人怒氣全發,智慧人忍氣含怒。12君王若聽謊言,他一切臣僕都是奸惡。

提防政治的陷阱

「好流人血的,恨惡完全人,索取正直人的性命。」(箴言二十九:10)

恐怖世代的背後,常有好殺戮的領袖。危險國家的前提,是人民將主權交給好流人血的管理者。

在政治操作的開始,喜好殺戮的領袖常以開明者出現,讓完全人接近他;或先以正義者現身,招聘正直人。他先用完全人與正直人鞏固地位,等到權力穩固,就殺害 完全人與正直人。上帝告訴我們,要提防這種滅命的陷阱,這種領袖用人,是有不好的目的;高舉人,是他找時機索取他們生命。

權力裡的黑暗面,是人性裡邪惡的投射;政治裡的殺戮,常落在完全人與正直人身上。善良的人,要看清邪惡者的多面。人要有高尚的表現,要看誰在使用你。你的貢獻,不該是你生命的奉獻;你的給予,不該是落入滅命下的網羅。

分辨正義的人

箴言29:7  義人知道查明窮人的案,惡人沒有聰明就不得而知。

閱讀經文:箴言 29:7-9

7 義人知道查明窮人的案,惡人沒有聰明就不得而知。8褻慢人煽惑通城,智慧人止息眾怒。9智慧人與愚妄人相爭,或怒,或笑,總不能使他止息。

分辨正義的人

「義人知道查明窮人的案,惡人沒有聰明就不得而知。」(箴言二十九:7)

真正能夠為窮人伸冤,不是窮人翻身的社會改革,而是福音所結的果子。義的工作,要有義人在其中。從事社會的正義,改革者必須是義人。改革不單是程序正義、方法正義、理想正義、口號正義,而是改革者為義。

這是上帝給義人的能力,他們能夠了解窮人,體會貧窮的原因,能夠替窮人辯白,為窮人發聲。有這種能力的人,自己還需要有裝備、思考、調查,才能「查明」窮人的案。

有義的本質,才能勝任義的工作。義的工作,還需要靠主學習、頭腦清楚。求主給這世代,有這種年輕人,能在窮人之中見證主恩,預備自己蒙主用。

The Lion On Your Side

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Daniel 6:15-28.  Let’s go!

Daniel 6:15-20 (NIV)
15  Then the men went as a group to the king and said to him, “Remember, O king, that according to the law of the Medes and Persians no decree or edict that the king issues can be changed.”
16  So the king gave the order, and they brought Daniel and threw him into the lions’ den. The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”
17  A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet ring and with the rings of his nobles, so that Daniel’s situation might not be changed.
18  Then the king returned to his palace and spent the night without eating and without any entertainment being brought to him. And he could not sleep.
19  At the first light of dawn, the king got up and hurried to the lions’ den.
20  When he came near the den, he called to Daniel in an anguished voice, “Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to rescue you from the lions?”

On verses 15-20:  Daniel was sentenced to death in the lion’s den because he had broken the king’s law. The king was distressed because he wanted to save Daniel but had no power to do so.

公平與賄賂

箴言29:4   王藉公平使國堅定,索要賄賂使國傾敗。。

閱讀經文:箴言 29:4-6

4王藉公平使國堅定,索要賄賂使國傾敗。5諂媚鄰舍的,就是設網羅絆他的腳。6惡人犯罪自陷網羅,唯獨義人歡呼喜樂。

公平與賄賂

「王藉公平使國堅立,索要賄賂使國傾敗。」(箴言二十九:4)

權力與金錢常連在一起,但是權力的公平性會與金錢的賄賂分開。一個有權力的人,過著樸實的生活,是令人尊敬的典範。一個有權力的人,過著奢華的生活,早晚 會身敗名裂。偏偏有些人以權力,當成換取不法利益的捷徑。他們忽略權力的本質來自上帝,自陷於權力的迷戀,忘了權力的所託來自全民,只為自己謀利,是辜負 了職權。

有權力,是讓我們有服務別人的機會;有金錢,是讓我們有幫助別人的機會。權力是給出,不是壟斷;金錢是付出,不是佔有。一個國家真正的權力在公平施予百姓,不是少數人。一個家庭真實的財富,是一家人共同擁有珍貴的回憶,不是帳戶。

上帝,願我的公平是以祢為基準,所得的金錢是祢給予,而非賄賂。

No Matter What Put God First

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Daniel 6:1-14.  Let’s go!

Daniel 6:1-2 (NIV)
1  It pleased Darius to appoint 120 satraps to rule throughout the kingdom,
2  with three administrators over them, one of whom was Daniel. The satraps were made accountable to them so that the king might not suffer loss.

On verses 1-2:  Daniel has outlasted the Babylonian empire and now he is serving while the Medes and Persians are in power.  King Darius is now at least the third king that Daniel has served as a top political advisor.

Faith Is Not A Matter of Sight, But of Heart

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Daniel 5:13-31.  Let’s go!

Daniel 5:13-24 (NIV)
13  So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah?
14  I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom.
15  The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it.
16  Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

On verses 13-24:  Belshazzar knew all about how God had shown up in Nebuchadnezzar’s life.  Belshazzar knew how God had taken away Nebuchadnezzar’s authority and drove him into obscurity when Nebuchadnezzar pridefully attributed all his power and glory to himself.  Belshazzar also knew how God exalted Nebuchadnezzar to an even higher level when Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself and gave praise to God.  Daniel reminds Belshazzar that “though you knew all this” “you have not humbled yourself” (v22).

慎用選擇權

箴言29:2   義人增多,民就喜樂;惡人掌權,民就嘆息。

閱讀經文:箴言 29:1-3

1人屢次受責罰,仍然硬著頸項,他必頃刻敗壞,無法可治。2義人增多,民就喜樂;惡人掌權,民就嘆息。3愛慕智慧的使父親喜樂,與妓女結交的卻浪費錢財。

責罰之外的引導

「人屢次受責罰,仍然硬著頸項。」(箴言二十九:1)

對於剛硬的人,責罰不是使他們改過的教育。這種人做錯不低頭,犯罪不回頭,懲罰不轉頭,稱為硬著頸項。他們常自認是對,責罰他們是別人理虧,他們正直。剛硬的人易引來責罰,但是責罰使他們愈剛硬。

求主給我們智慧,用引導的方法,不是用責罰。外表剛硬的人,常是內在脆弱與自卑的人,他們用意志武裝最後的尊嚴,責罰使他們更容易走入極端。偏激的人格, 常來自幼年不當的責罰,對人產生的不信任。給人責罰,需相當小心,不是生氣下的打罵譏貶,而是用在合宜之處,責罰之後又重新和好。

使人心柔軟,是聖靈的動工,從心裡知道自己是罪人。不是責罰,叫人就範。