Mar 30, 2008 Immanuel

Matthew 1 (NASB)
The genealogy of Jesus the Messiah & Conception and Birth of Jesus

讀耶穌的家譜大概要數分鐘，但每個被提及的名字卻是實在地、真實地活過了他們的一生。當中出現的人物若有被詳細論述，每一個人都是有過犯，當中更有很多被明指是邪惡的王。

令我驚訝的是，讀耶穌的家譜看到可能是上千年的歷史，但神卻與每一代的人對話，與他們同在。回到當下，看到眼前的困難及掙扎，看到這個世代的邪惡，有時不禁要問：「神祢是否已死了？若不，祢為何沉默不語？」但原來世世代代的人已行過類似的路，類似的質問更是司空見慣。而儘管當中沒有一人是沒有過犯，但神仍然沒有改變對人的應許。太神奇了！

眼前的困難、掙扎及這個世代的邪惡的體認不會因為讀了耶穌的家譜而有所改變，因為我們就是活在當下的人。但回看所有與神行過的人的名字，神一定在附近。

1:23
BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL

Mar 29, 2008

Psalm 12 (NASB)

Help, Lord, for the godly man ceases to be,
For the faithful disappear from among the songs of men.
They speak falsehood to one another,
With flattering lips and with a double heart they speak.
May the Lord cut off all flattering lips,
The tongue that speaks great things;
Who have said, "With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own, who is lord over us?"
"Because of the devastation of the
afflicted, because of the groaning the needy,
Now I will arise, "says the Lord; "I will
set him in the safety for which he longs."
The words of the Lord are pure words;
As silver tried in furnace on the earth,
refined seven times.
You, O Lord, will keep them;
You will preserve him from this generation forever.
The wicked strut about on every side
when vileness is exalted among the songs of men.


In summary, the poet observed wickedness. The situation seemed to remain unchanged. Yet somehow he summoned his faith in facing his difficulty.

This is nonsensical! When you face difficult situation, you usually get upset or depressed. Doubt and questions are indigenous (originates from where it is found) in troubles and difficulties.

So, can anyone garner (acquire by one's effort) faith in face of adversity? Faith seems to ameliorate (make better) an objectively bad situation. If so, are we just too parsimonious (unwilling to spend resource) to show our faith? Or having faith takes practice?

Mar 24, 2008 New/Old?

2 John 1 (NIV)

2:5-6
And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.


Very often we are excited by newness. Sooner than we realize we become bored by new stuff as it turns old. I have no idea why we are made in such way. Nevertheless, the teachings of the bible is just nothing new, yet exceedingly precious.

As Christians, by no means could we extenuate (lessen the seriousness of) our sin by saying we don't know God's commands, because it is nothing new. We are one of the signatories (party that has signed an agreement) of God's covenant. It is alright to remain in torpor (physical or mental inactivity) in "Christian related" activities, but the command of loving one another is just nothing new. It is nothing esoteric (intended to be understood by people with special knowledge). We might choose to be congenial (similar in nature) to the world's standard or act Christian-ly. We always have the freedom to choose and bear the whatsoever consequence might be.

Mar 23, 2008, love, love, love

1 John 3-5 (NASB)

3:23-24
This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.
4:3-12
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that he loves us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.


What attest (provide evidence of) God's existence? Is that the cohesion of the arrangement of the bible from archaeological evidence? Is that the exquisite design of the universe and all the living creatures? Is that the acts of all the faithful ones across generations such as Hudson Taylor and his genealogy?

YES! But these might seem enigmatic (mysterious) to most people. Afterall who cares? But if it's LOVE, it's all important.

The bible's subtext (underlying theme) is God's salvation, an indemnification (pay compensation for) of our sin. If we say we love God without any action, we are abjuring (abandoning formally) our beliefs as Christians. However, by loving one another---no matter how bantam (very small) our deeds are---God abides in us! Could it be more amazing that God LIVES in us, a flock of sinners?

We were once fatuous (silly) but since have known God now we are judicious (sensible). As to outsiders God is a nebulous (ill-defined) concept, we'd better act in love, which is exactly something this world in this generation could not provide. This is the true weapon we have today! Others can INFER God from our actions if we love another.

I have been wondering how to tell if someone is a true believer. Is it the position he/she holds in church? Is it his/her attendance in church? I think I get a clear answer today.

被忽略了的基督教要旨

1. 神是慈愛的神，但也是行審判的神。我們真的有敬畏祂嗎？
2. 信耶穌會有平安及喜樂，但神是示範順服受苦以致於死的神，我們受苦又會怎麼反應？
3. 神是施行公義的神，既是這樣，我們為什麼自己行私刑，互相攻擊。
4. 除了基要信仰（即耶穌是神也是人愛我們為我們的罪死並復活了），很多聖經的解讀都沒有既定唯一的解釋，誰能說自已的解釋就是答案？
5. 聖經聚多人物中沒有幾個是沒有過犯的，但我們是否常常將人偶像化？

Mar 17, 2008 What do you love about the world?

1 John 2:15-17 (NIV)
Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

There must be something we particular are particularly interested in our lives.

I think in my case, it is the love of knowledge. I just like to think too much. Particularly I am struggling on this specific question, "Is this belief/what the pastor said truly biblical, or much human values has entered into this thread of thoughts?" The point of balance is not easily identifiable.

Mar 16, 2008

你是我神
請開我眼，打開我心，明白你有多麼深愛我，
請釋放我，去我纏累，能讓我再有力榮耀你。

請改變我，謙卑我心，明白我有多麼需要你，
心緊靠你，進你懷內，容讓我永貼近隨著你。

Psalm 10 (NIV)

^{10:1, 14-18}
Why, O LORD, do you stand far off?
Why do you hide yourself in times of trouble?

But you, O God, do see trouble and grief;
you consider it to take it in hand.
The victim commits himself to you;
you are the helper of the fatherless.

Break the arm of the wicked and evil man;
call him to account for his wickedness
that would not be found out.

The LORD is King for ever and ever;
the nations will perish from his land.

You hear, O LORD, the desire of the afflicted;
you encourage them, and you listen to their cry,

defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
in order that man, who is of the earth, may terrify no more.

Mar 14, 2008 寬容

彼得後書3(新譯本)

3:9
主決不耽延他的應許，像有些人以為他是耽延一樣，其實他是寬容你們，不願有一人減亡，卻願人人都悔改。

The above verse probably answers many questions in many people's mind.

Why would God remain quiescent in sight of sins, which are excruciating to the righteous?
How much longer could God tolerate the perfunctory Christians?
If there is truly a denouement for our planet, would there be explanations for what's been going on?
How much longer would such burlesque last if God is a truly righteous God?

Mar 13, 2008 假教師

彼得後書2 (新譯本)

2:1-3
從前在人民中，曾經有假先佑出來，照樣，將來在你們中間，也必有假教師出現。他們偷偷把使人滅亡的異端引進來，甚至否認那曾經買贖他們的主，訊速地自取滅亡。許多人會隨從他們的淫行，因此真理的道，就因他們的緣故被人毁謗。他們因為有貪心，就用揑造的話，想在你們身上圖利，懲罰他們的，自古以來就沒有鬆懈，毁滅他們的，也從不打盹。

8
(因為這義人住在他們中間，天天看見和聽見他們不法的事，他正直的心就感到傷痛。)

Mar 11, 2008

彼德後書1 (新譯本)

彼德後書1:5-10
正因這緣故，你們要多多努力；有了信心，又要增添美德，有了美德，又要增添知識，有了知識，又要增添節制，有了節制，又要增添忍耐，有了忍耐，又要增添敬虔，有了敬虔，又要增添弟兄的愛，有了弟兄的愛，還要增添神聖的愛。因為你們有了這幾樣，並且繼續增長，就必叫你們在確實認識我們的主耶穌基督上，不至於閒懶不結果子。人若沒有這幾樣，就是近視，簡直是瞎眼的，忘記他過去的罪己經得了潔淨。所以弟兄們，要更加努力，使你們所蒙的呼召和捒選堅定不移；你們若實行這幾樣，就決不會跌倒。

Mar 7, 2008

1 Peter 3-5 (NASB)

3:3-4
Your adornment must not be merely external--braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.

3:15-16
but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence; and keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.

Mar 5, 2008

Psalm 9 (NIV)

9:1
I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.

Oh God oh my erudite God, how mighty are you ubiquitous wonders?
What did you do to put all the 120 billion neurons to work perfectly in most of us? Not to mention the trillions of trillions of connections among them! How about the ecosystem the designed for us? Could anyone who studies science heartily easily deny your existence?
Nonetheless, are you lugubrious to see the recalcitrant mankind to disrupt the cosmos of Your travail? Are you pensive on our insisted dauntless stupidity, which makes you doleful? Please let us realize we are nothing but presumptuous men.

lugubrious : doleful

lugubrious : doleful

Mar 4, 2008 - Question without an answer.

Psalm 8:3-4 (NIV)

3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,

4 what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?

Dear God,

Of all my nonsensical questions, the above is something I would like to know the most

"What is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him?"

WHAT ARE WE? Are we not merely mud and clay? Are we not sinful, dirty, infamous, inane, infirm, voluptuaries who have made the Earth such imbroglio? YET you paid an exorbitant price and acknowledged our VALUE? Oh, HOW COME?

Please help me keep this in mind, that you see great value in us. By all means we should treasure all lives bestowed.

Your Son

Mar 1, 2008 - How dare you pray?

Psalm 7:3-5 (New American Standard Bible)

O LORD my God, if I have done this,
If there is injustice in my hands,
If I have rewarded evil to my friend,
Or have plundered him who without
cause was my adversary.
Let the enemy pursue my soul and
overtake it;
And let him trample my life down to the ground
And lay my glory in the dust.

David, a prayer precursor, did not pray nebulously or tacitly. Through him it is difficult to find something tepid, indigent or insipid. He even trumpeted his fervor through prayer, which went against himself. How dare one pray in such bare honesty!

On the other hand, his prayer showed his seriousness about sin. Though he did sin, resulting the split of his kingdom, the way he repent and took his sin seriously exemplifies the way we ought to lead our lives today.