Saturday, November 27, 2010

读经亮光:神迹还是信心?

“这世代是个邪恶的世代。它寻求神迹,除了约拿的神迹以外,再没有神迹给它” (路加福音11:29)

1. 十二篮:主为什么在五饼二鱼食饱5千人以后留12篮?我们都知道是给他的12个门徒留的。若只是如此,主耶稣就仅仅展示了祂的丰富。但主永远不会只是为着神迹而行神迹,是要叫他们知道,主是有预备的,12篮是要加添他们的信心。 “你们要给人,就必有给你们的,用十足的量器,连摇带按,上尖下流的倒在你们怀里。” (路加福音6:38)

2. ”你不可告诉人” 与“你的信心救了你”: 在福音书里,当主耶稣医治人以后,常常会说这两句话。仔细读过我们就会发现,凡不是出于信心的医治都是主“动了慈心”,但主“知道人里面的是什么”,所以祂不需要神迹的见证,而是信心的见证。当我们为主为真理做见证的时候,“若不是出于信心的就要切记“不可告诉人”,因为我们的见证还在罪中。主实在不希望我们眼中只看到一个又一个的神迹奇事,而是认识到祂是谁,认识到“这是主”(It is the Lord)。 正如约翰福音所记:“当耶稣在耶路撒冷过逾越节的时候,有许多人看见祂所行的神迹,就信入祂的名。耶稣却不将自己信托他们,因为祂知道每一个人。也用不着谁见证人怎样,因祂知道在人里面的是什么。”(约翰福音2:23-25)

不是出于信心的神迹:
(1)睚鲁的女儿:“耶稣嘱咐他们,不要把所发生的事告诉人。” 因为“他们明知她已经死了,就嗤笑耶稣。” 他们把主耶稣当作一个医生而已,医生可以救还没死的人,救不了已经死了的。
(2)满身患痲疯的人:主医治他的麻风病是因为他面伏于地,求主说,”主阿,你若肯,必能叫我洁净了。” 他还没有信心主肯不肯,主对他的医治就只是洁净他的疾病而已,“你不可告诉人”。
(3)毕士大的瘫子:瘫痪了38年得医治,却不是因为有信心,而是主的怜悯。“看哪,你已经痊愈了,不要再犯罪,恐怕你遭遇的更加厉害。”

出于信心和认识主是神的儿子的神迹
(1)相比之下,患12年血漏的女人,凭着信心摸主的衣坠就得了医治,主还专门从拥挤的人群中把她找出来,说“女儿,你的信救了你,平平安安的走罢!”
(2)对另一位两次被主赶出鬼的,因为他认识主是谁,主耶稣甚至说:“你回家去,述说神为你作了何等大的事。”,因为这位被鬼附过身的喊过“至高神的儿子耶稣,我与你何干?求你不要叫我受苦。”

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Homer Simpson's Quotes

Operator! Give me the number for 911!

Bart, with $10,000, we'd be millionaires! We could buy all kinds of useful things like...love!

I'm normally not a praying man, but if you're up there, please save me Superman.

Son, if you really want something in this life, you have to work for it. Now quiet! They're about to announce the lottery numbers.

Well, it's 1 a.m. Better go home and spend some quality time with the kids.

Maybe, just once, someone will call me 'Sir' without adding, 'You're making a scene.'

Marge, don't discourage the boy! Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals! Except the weasel.

You know, boys, a nuclear reactor is a lot like a woman. You just have to read the manual and press the right buttons.

Lisa, if you don't like your job you don't strike. You just go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American way.

Son, when you participate in sporting events, it's not whether you win or lose: it's how drunk you get.

I'm going to the back seat of my car, with the woman I love, and I won't be back for ten minutes!

[Meeting Aliens] Please don't eat me! I have a wife and kids. Eat them!

What do we need a psychiatrist for? We know our kid is nuts.

Kids, you tried your best and you failed miserably. The lesson is, never try.

When I look at the smiles on all the children's faces, I just know they're about to jab me with something.

I'm not a bad guy! I work hard, and I love my kids. So why should I spend half my Sunday hearing about how I'm going to Hell?

Getting out of jury duty is easy. The trick is to say you're prejudiced against all races.

It's not easy to juggle a pregnant wife and a troubled child, but somehow I managed to fit in eight hours of TV a day.

I want to share something with you: The three little sentences that will get you through life. Number 1: Cover for me. Number 2: Oh, good idea, Boss! Number 3: It was like that when I got here.

Oh, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. 14% of people know that.

How is education supposed to make me feel smarter? Besides, every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain. Remember when I took that home winemaking course, and I forgot how to drive?

Television! Teacher, mother, secret lover.

If something goes wrong at the plant, blame the guy who can't speak English.

I like my beer cold, my TV loud and my homosexuals flaming.

[Looking at a globe map...country being Uruguay]
Hee hee! Look at this country! 'You-are-gay.'

Dad, you've done a lot of great things, but you're a very old man, and old people are useless.

But Marge, what if we chose the wrong religion? Each week we just make God madder and madder.

I think Smithers picked me because of my motivational skills. Everyone says they have to work a lot harder when I'm around.

That's it! You people have stood in my way long enough. I'm going to clown college!

Beer: The cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.

If something's hard to do, then it's not worth doing

I'm in no condition to drive...wait! I shouldn't listen to myself, I'm drunk!

'To Start Press Any Key'. Where's the ANY key?

Monday, October 4, 2010

婚姻的纳什均衡1

婚姻里面没有谁赢谁输,只有双赢或者双输。 (anonymous)

纳什均衡就是这样的一个点,博弈双方都会因为偏离该点而损失,最佳的选择是停留在这一点上。 这一点并不一定存在,特别是当信息不透明或者不平衡的时候。

因为婚姻的博弈不是一次性的,所以除了双方都要考虑下一次的结果。 而信息的透明或分享就能增加进入纳什均衡,减少博弈的双输可能性。

当然博弈的前提是博弈者是理性的,这个前提有可能无法实现,均衡就无从谈起。

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

My favorite Lincoln's Quotes

God and Religion
1. Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.

2. In great contests each party claims to act in accordance with the will of God. Both may be, and one must be wrong.

3. When I do good, I feel good. When I do bad, I feel bad. That's my religion.

4. Surely God would not have created such a being as man, with an ability to grasp the infinite, to exist only for a day! No, no, man was made for immortality.

5. With Malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds.

6. There is nothing true anywhere, The true is nowhere to be seen; If you say you see the true, This seeing is not the true one.

7. I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.

Life and Man
1. Common looking people are the best in the world: that is the reason the Lord makes so many of them.

2. Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.

3. I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.

4. I don't know who my grandfather was; I am much more concerned to know what his grandson will be.

5. I have always found that mercy bears richer fruits than strict justice.

6. Important principles may, and must, be inflexible.

7. It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.

8. It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.

9. Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.

10. People are just as happy as they make up their minds to be.

11. The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time.

12. The best way to destroy an enemy is to make him a friend.

13. We should be too big to take offense and too noble to give it.

14. You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

“与你何干” 和“这又何妨”

与你何干(what is that to you)
主耶稣在地上对彼得说的最后一句话:“我若要留他直到我来的时候,与你何干?你跟从我罢。”
我们的难处就是眼睛总是看着别人,象彼得一样问 “主啊,这人将来如何?”, 其实我们只要关心一件事就好,"You must follow me."
主的话很直接很难听,却是彼得需要的。彼得就像我们一样,除了三次说“主啊,我爱你”以外,还要加上一条潜在的台词,“我比你更爱主”,因为“即使众人因你绊跌,我总不绊跌." (马太26:33)。然而“神总是真实的,人都是虚谎的。” (罗3:4)若不能认识我们的局限性,我们就会在比来比去中失去神的真实,而被人的虚谎所蒙蔽。

这又何妨 (what does it matter?)
保罗的一生的喜乐有一个秘诀,就是“这又何妨”。 有没有不信主不爱主的,肯定有,只是福音本是“神的大能”,不是“出于人的意思”(加1:11)(from man),也不是“借着人” (by man), “ 即便有不信的,这有何妨?难道他们的不信,就废掉神的信么?” (罗马书3:3)。
有没有借着主的名行不法之事的,当然有,只是轮不到我们去审判,“人哪,每一个审判人的!你是无法推诿的,你在什么事上审判人,就在什么事上定自己的罪。”(罗2:1), 就算是出于假意,不是出于真诚,“这有何妨?无论怎样,基督究竟被传开了。” (腓利比1:18)

读经偶拾

“门徒被称为基督徒是从安提阿起首”(使徒行传11:26)

这里的“被称为”,说明了基督徒不是自封的,也不能要求别人去称呼你,实在是要有一种光,能够被人看见,因为“你们是世上的光。城立在山上,是不能隐藏的。”(马太福音5:14)很多基督徒是号称的,主当然知道,因为如果能够隐藏,不能说众人看不见,是瞎眼的,只能说明一件事,就是你还没有光。“善行也有显明的;就是那些不显明的,也不能隐藏。”(提前5:25)

主说:“你们若彼此相爱,众人因此就认出你们是我的门徒了。”(约翰福音13:35),我们相信安提阿的教会是一个彼此相爱的教会,也许没有耶路撒冷教会的规模和地位,但门徒们却在这里被认出来是基督徒,而不再是被当作犹太教的一个分支。 行传里的吕底亚在受浸以后对保罗说:“你们若断定我对主是忠信的,就请到我家里来住。”(使徒行传16:15) 吕底亚没有自称是对主忠信的,她需要保罗和他的同工们来断定。 我们何等需要这样的谦卑,这样对着主的态度。

电影“末代皇帝”里,少年溥仪和他的英国老师RJ有一段对话,溥仪问“Are you a gentleman? ", RJ回答说:“I would like to be a gentleman, Your Majesty, I try to be.” 真正的gentleman当然不会自封,只能不断地努力,期望能每天有一些进步,离gentleman近一点。愿我们这些主的门徒能“忘记背后,努力面前,向着标杆直跑”,活出我们主光的见证!

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

敬畏神是智慧的开端

人的智慧开启起源于认识到自己的渺小和不足(Knowing how small we are is the beginning of wisdom), 什么时候我们自大了,感觉富足了,什么时候我们就失去了智慧,就进入属灵的黑暗。

主说,“灵里贫穷的人有福了,因为诸天的国是他们的。” (马太福音5:3),“祂的怜悯归与敬畏祂的人,直到世世代代。 祂用膀臂施展权能,驱散那些心里妄想的狂傲人。祂叫有权柄的失位,叫卑微的升高。叫饥饿的得饱美物,叫富足的空着回去。(路加福音1:50-53)

但我们个人的渺小没有关系,因为 “神若帮助我们,谁能抵挡我们?”(罗马书8:31)

Saturday, August 28, 2010

When I say I am a Christian by Carol Wimmer

当我说我是基督徒时

When I say..."I am a Christian"  当我说我是基督徒时
I'm not shouting "I am saved" 我并不是在叫喊着「我是得救的」
I'm whispering "I get lost!"     而是在低声的说「我曾经迷失过,
"That is why I chose this way.""  所以我选择了这条路」

When I say..."I am a Christian"   当我说我是基督徒时,
I don't speak of this with pride. 并不是因为我觉得比你高一等
I'm confessing that I stumble 而是承认我一直在蹒跚而行
and need someone to be my guide. 所以我需要一位生命中的向导

When I say..."I am a Christian" 当我说我是基督徒时
I'm not trying to be strong. 我并不是在显示自己很强壮
I'm professing that I'm weak 而是在承认自己的软弱
and pray for strength to carryon. 并祈祷寻求继续前进的力量

When I say..."I am a Christian" 当我说我是基督徒时
I'm not bragging of success. 我并不是在吹嘘我的成功
I'm admitting I have failed 而是在承认自己的失败
and cannot ever pay the debt. 并且没有能力偿还所背负的债

When I say..."I am a Christian" 当我说我是基督徒时
I'm not claiming to be perfect, 我并不是在自我宣称我是完美的
my flaws are too visible 而是让你看到我生命中的瑕疵是这么的明显
but God believes I'm worth it. 但主相信我是有价值的

When I say..."I am a Christian" 当我说我是基督徒时
I still feel the sting of pain 我还是会感到痛如针剌
I have my share of heartaches  但我有主来分担我的心痛
which is why I seek His name. 所以我会继续寻求祂的名

When I say..."I am a Christian" 当我说我是基督徒时
I do not wish to judge. 我并不是在评价你
I have no authority. 因为我没有那样的权柄
I only know I'm loved. 我只知道我是被爱着的。

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

It Is How Much You Overcome

Tiger Woods 在新闻发布会上为他的过犯道歉时引用了一句话:“It is not how much you achieved that matters, it is how much you overcome." 我觉得如果他真这么相信,他的悔改就有希望了。
世界上的人如何评价一个人,常常是看他/她所成就的,有多少财产,拿过多少冠军,是不是总统或部长。 神来看我们,则不一样。祂看我们是不是fight a good fight (提后4:7 那美好的仗我已经打过了,当 跑的赛程我已经跑尽了,当 守的信仰我已经守住了),是不是good and faithful servant ,每个人既有不同的天分(一个,五个,十个他连得),也就有不同的托付(马太25:27 到我来的时候,可以连本带利 收回。)
路遥的小说“平凡的人生”中,孙少平从一个吃丙种饭的农村学生,最后成为一名煤矿工人。就成就而言,实在是说不出什么。但他所经历和战胜的困难,却让他在金秀眼中比很多大学生更有吸引力。
主耶稣在地上的三十三年,以马槽的出生开始,紧接着就是全家向埃及的逃亡;祂还没有传福音时,施洗约翰就已经下了监。祂在加百农治病救人,却被赶出城去。祂被自己的门徒出卖,被犹太人和罗马人钉死在十字架上。但这一切祂都战胜了,祂向我们彰显的是一个道成肉身的基督,如何overcome every odds in life, even the death on the cross。 我们信耶稣是基督就在于此。

Monday, February 8, 2010

”罪“是什么

In Biblical Hebrew, the generic word for sin is het. It means to err, to miss the mark. It does not mean to do evil.

The Greek word hamartia (ἁμαρτία) is usually translated as sin in the New Testament. In Classical Greek, it means "to miss the mark" or "to miss the target" which was also used in Old English archery.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

约翰福音第二章的灵感

约翰福音的第二章讲了两件事:迦那的婚宴变水为酒和主在耶路撒冷洁净圣殿。 两个主题看似不相关,一个是婚宴上酒喝尽了,一个是圣殿成了买卖的场所。由于犹太人对婚宴(长达七天)的重视,酒的好坏暂且不论,没有酒是不可想象的。因此婚宴有酒喝,就如同圣殿里有神一样理所当然。 然而因着以色列人堕落的光景,供奉神的圣殿已经没有了神的同在,成为商人们买卖的场所。这也是主耶稣来施拯救的原因。

酒有好酒,次酒,最差的是酒喝尽了。“人都是先摆上好酒,等客喝足了,才摆上次的。你倒把好酒留到如今。” 人的身体也是这样,从好到坏,直到死亡。感谢神,我们有主的好酒留到最后,就是末日的复活与永远的生命。

圣殿也是有所罗门的第一圣殿,第二圣殿,到没有圣殿。所罗门的圣殿“内殿里面长二十肘,宽二十肘,高二十肘,都贴上纯金;又将香柏木作的坛包上纯金。所罗门用纯金贴了殿里面;又把金链子横挂在内殿前,内殿都贴上金子。全殿贴上金子,直到都贴了;属于内殿的坛,整个都用金子包裹。” (列王记6:19-22)然后有第二圣殿,“这殿是四十六年才造成的”,但其中约柜,十诫石板,都已不在,主后70年如主耶稣的预言,也再次被毁。

然而主耶稣说,“你们拆毁这殿,我三日内要再建立起来。” (约2:19),这是祂被钉十字架的“罪名”之一。 圣殿里没有神,如同婚宴上没有酒一样,只是后者还清楚自己的“没有”,而宗教里的人既“将我父的殿当作买卖的地方”(约2:16),当然容不下主耶稣的到来。唯有主耶稣以他的身体为殿,在复活里重建了有神的圣殿,才让我们这些与神无份无关的,可以与他同住,“在灵和真实里敬拜”神(约4:24)。