JY Bible Notes 聖經小筆記

By Jimmy Lau 2Sa 19:43   And the men of Israel answered the men of Judah, and said, We have ten parts in the king, and we have also more right in David than ye: why then did ye despise us, that our advice should not be first had in bringing back our king? And the words of the men of Judah were fiercer than the words of the men of Israel.   Pride causes strife everywhere it goes. It caused strife between Israel and Judah. It caused strife among the disciples of Jesus (Matthew 20:24). It caused strives in the church at Corinth (1 Corinthians 1:10-17). And pride still causes strives in the church today. Solomon concurs: “ Only by pride cometh contention ” (Proverbs 13:10). Perhaps there is not a quarrel among men, or even among nations, which does not proceed from pride and ambition.   Pride is such a terrible sin that it tops the list in the things that God hates (Proverbs 6:16-19). Do you know someone that is full of pride? Are they not hard to be around with? Indeed, pride destroys

By Jimmy Lau 2Sa 16:23   And the counsel of Ahithophel, which he counselled in those days, was as if a man had enquired at the oracle of God: so was all the counsel of Ahithophel both with David and with Absalom.  Ahithophel speaks for the devil, and he has many disciples. There are many so called Christian preachers, who speak like Ahithophel, whose followers think they speak from God, but, are in actual fact, delivering devilish messages of damnation. Paul says their end is damnation (Galatians 1:6-9). And those who follow them join them in the same path of eternal damnation (2John 1:11). The only way we can know whether one speaks from God or from the devil is to know the message of God ourselves. Christ says we can know the truth (John 8:32). It requires a diligent study (2 Timothy 2:15). It requires diligent investigation (Acts 17:11).   Ahithophel’s evil counsels exist even today. The evil prosperity gospel and the false doctrine of faith alone save are just two examples. L

by Jimmy Lau 2Sa 11:3   And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?  David’s sin was not in seeing Bathsheba; it was accidental. David’s sin was in choosing to keep his eyes on an alluring image which let the lust fester with serious outcome. James warns: “ But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death ” (James 1:14, 15). The way to overcome temptation is to “ nib it in the bud .” The idiom means to stop something before it gets worse, like nipping a flower when it's still a bud so it can't grow. If David had just walked away the moment his eyes caught sight of the woman bathing, nothing would have happened. Solomon says the way to flee from temptation is to flee from temptation: “ Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away ” (Proverbs

by Jimmy Lau 2Sa 10:3   And the princes of the children of Ammon said unto Hanun their lord, Thinkest thou that David doth honour thy father, that he hath sent comforters unto thee? hath not David rather sent his servants unto thee, to search the city, and to spy it out, and to overthrow it?  One reason why a person cannot trust another person is because he is not trustworthy himself. As Christians, God wants us to see the best in others. I know it is not always easy to do so; but try we must. One way is to find the positive intention behind every action. Think positive and not negative. Paul wrote that true love believe all things (1 Corinthians 13:7). He means love is ever ready to believe the best of every person. That in regard to the conduct of others, we will put the best construction on it, believing that they are actuated by good motives and they intend no evil malice. Love produces this because it rejoices in the happiness and virtue of others. This does not mean we shou

from Kwan Thai Chun 有人尖刻的嘲笑你， 你马上尖酸的回敬他； 有人毫无理由的看不起你， 你马上轻蔑的鄙视他； 有人在你面前大肆炫耀， 你马上加倍证明你更厉害； 有人对你冷漠， 你马上对他冷淡疏远。 看，你讨厌的那些人， 轻易的就把你变成， 你自己最讨厌的那种样子。 这才是“敌人”对你最大的伤害。 不要以恶报恶。 众人以为美的事要留心去做。 若是能行， 总要尽力与众人和睦。 【罗12:17-18】。

by Jimmy Lau 2Sa 6:8   And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah: and he called the name of the place Perezuzzah to this day.  Should we be angry with God for killing Uzzah? The Scripture says “ And David was displeased, because the LORD had made a breach upon Uzzah ” (v.8). Does David have a right to be angry with God? Of course not! Eliphaz asked this question in Job 4:17: “ Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his maker?  ”   God is strict about keeping to His commandments. Today, God is still strict about how we worship Him. Christ said: “ True worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth ” (John 4:23, 24).   God desires only true worship. And true worship is in accordance with God’s words, the truth (John 17:17). God accepts only true worship (Matthew 15:9).   Worship must b

by Jimmy Lau 2Sa 4:10   When one told me, saying, Behold, Saul is dead, thinking to have brought good tidings, I took hold of him, and slew him in Ziklag, who thought that I would have given him a reward for his tidings . Indeed, there are so many wrong ways to judge a person. So, why judge, knowing we will be wrong?   Yet, we can’t help. So, what should we do? 1.  Look for basic goodness -  Even a lion knows how to protect its pride: “ Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others ” (Philippians 2:4). 2.  Give the benefit of the doubt  – You don’t know what the other person has gone through: “ Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment ” (John 7:24). 3.  Be open  - When someone does something you don’t like, or does a certain thing differently from you, think of it as he is simply solving a problem in a different way than you would, after all, we are all different: “ So receive him in the Lord with all joy, and honor s

by Jimmy Lau 2Sa 3:8   Then was Abner very wroth for the words of Ishbosheth, and said, Am I a dog's head, which against Judah do shew kindness this day unto the house of Saul thy father, to his brethren, and to his friends, and have not delivered thee into the hand of David, that thou chargest me to day with a fault concerning this woman?  What kind of a person was Abner?   1.  Ambitious and Cunning . Abner was a very capable soldier and administrator. Why would such a talented man stick with a useless Ishbosheth? One reason could be he knew only with Ishbosheth he would be the most powerful man in the kingdom. The weak Ishbosheth needed Abner. Abner was using Ishbosheth to achieve his ambition.   2.  Proud . His pride and self-esteem are apparent in his haughty answer to Ishbosheth (v.8). His answer to Ishbosheth is akin to saying this: “ I've always been loyal to your father's family and to his relatives and friends. I haven't turned you over to David. And yet yo

by Jimmy Lau If someone has repeatedly been hurtful to us, it is easy to give in to vindictive pleasure when they experience misfortune. But God wants us to love. Christ shows us how to love our enemies when He forgave those who put Him up on the cross: “ Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do ” (Luke 23:34). He said: “ For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? ” (Matthew 5:46).   Love is perfected when we can show love to our enemies (Matthew 5:48). I know it’s easier said than done. I’m learning it too. But remember: Agape love is the love of the will. Even the best of saints have enemies. His enemy can even be a church member. Is there a church member who seems to hate you? How do you respond to his hostility? Remember: How others behave is their business; God is looking at how we respond. Stephen, following in the Lord’s footsteps, prayed to God to forgive the Jews who stoned him to death (Acts 7:55

from Kwan Thai Chun 什么是沟通？ 沟通是有了误会及时说明， 有了意见直接提出， 有了矛盾互相认错。 为什么要沟通？ 没有沟通， 人和人之间就有了隔阂， 心和心之间就有了距离。 两个人之间， 没有沟通就没有延续， 没有联系就没有感情。 如果一个不问，一个不说， 再熟悉的人， 也会渐渐没了共同语言， 再深的感情， 也会渐渐找不到支点。 连倾诉和倾听的欲望都没有了， 这段感情也就差不多走到了头。 两个人的沟通， 70%是情绪，30%是内容。 情绪不对，内容就会被扭曲。 没有良好的情绪， 心里话就说不出来， 真心话就听不进去。 说话口气轻重把握不好， 让人误以为是挑衅。 脾气一触即发， 把沟通变成了吵架。 爱，是最伟大的治疗师， 智慧使人不故步自封、固执己见。 箴15:4。 温良的舌，是生命树； 乖谬的嘴，使人心碎。 要沟通，就诚心实意。 平和的情绪，诚恳的语气。 气头上不谈沟通： 生气时不易作出正确的决定， 情绪中说双方的沟通常无好话。 箴18:7。 愚昧人的口，自取败坏； 他的嘴，是他生命的网罗。 有时，生活就是一种妥协， 一种忍耐，一种迁就。 并非所有的事情， 都适宜针锋相对，铿锵有力。 强硬有强硬的好处， 忍让有忍让的优势。 妥协不一定全是软弱， 忍让不一定就是无能。 箴18:6。 愚昧人张嘴启争端， 开口招鞭打。 学会与人沟通， 学会控制脾气， 学会调整情绪， 千万不要对最爱你的人发火， 千万不要让你最爱的人伤心。 箴10:19。 多言多语难免有过? 禁止嘴唇是有智慧。

by Jimmy Lau 1Sa 29:3   Then said the princes of the Philistines, What do these Hebrews here? And Achish said unto the princes of the Philistines, Is not this David, the servant of Saul the king of Israel, which hath been with me these days, or these years, and I have found no fault in him since he fell unto me unto this day?  The Scriptures warns us about making friends with the wicked. Indeed, evil friendship corrupts good morals (1 Corinthians 15:33). How many Christians do you know who spend their time mixing with worldly friends and are faithful and godly? It is more likely that you see them bringing their worldly attitudes into the church. And they tend to influence some to their evil ways. It’s true that strong Christians can be strong wherever they go and influence for good to those around them. Yet, are you strong enough? If you play with fire you get burned. The Bible warns us in several places not to count on our abilities to avoid temptations. Proverb 6:27 warns: “ Can

from Kwan Thai Chun 【关于工作】 工作，是爱的化身。如果不能怀着爱心工作，只是闷闷不乐地做事，不如放下工作，坐在圣殿门口，让那些乐在工作中的人来周济你……若非有爱，工作尽归徒劳；当你怀着爱心工作，便与自己、与彼此、并与神紧密相系。——正如哥林多前书13章里讲到的，没有爱，方言也就成了鸣的锣、响的钹！ ​​​​ 在任何地方你都能将挂虑变为祈祷。 我希望带领我个人生活和工作生活的，是神、圣经和祷告。 “我们寻求方法、讲究理由去爱神，结果因着无知之故，心思就变乱了。因此在追求与神同在的事上，给自己许多烦扰。岂不知这事非常简单，只要在日常的工作上，每一件事都为着爱神而做就好了。将我们手所做的工都献上，用心与神交通，与神同在。” ​​​​ –摘 在职场传福音的人应追求工作卓越。当你表明基督的时候，你要料到你的同事会仔细查看你。你的工作要反映出神的创造力、旨意和良善。你要彰显出信实和诚实。工作“不要发怨言，起争论”（腓2:14）。顺服权柄，谦卑服侍。我们工作中生命的内涵，应当强调出，而不是削弱我们传扬的福音内容。——摘

by Jimmy Lau 1Sa 27:1   And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.  He said in his heart  – David did not ask God what he should do. Perhaps he was thinking that God wanted him to do something instead of waiting. Aren’t we the same too? At times, we do think perhaps God wants us to do it this or that way. And we acted based on our guesswork.   I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul  – David has forgotten that God has been delivering him all these times that Saul seeks his life. Has God ever told him He has stopped protecting him and he is now on his own? The answer is NO! Fear comes in when we stop trusting God. Why did David doubt God now? I think it is because he has grown weary - weariness, fatigue, and then depression. Yes, even

from Kwan Thai Chun 慧人 慧语 慧悟 一、成熟的人不问过去；聪明的人不问现在；豁达的人不问未来。 二、在人之上，要把人当人；在人之下，要把自己当人。 三、知道看人背后的是君子；知道背后看人的是小人。 四、你犯错误时，等别人都来了再骂你的是敌人，等别人都走了骂你的是朋友。 五、人只要能掌握自己，便什么也不会失去。 六、变老并不等于成熟，真正的成熟在于看透。 七、简单的生活之所以很不容易，是因为要活的简单，一定不能想的太多。 八、人们常犯最大的错误，是对陌生人太客气，而对亲密的人太苛刻，把这个坏习惯改过来，天下太平。 九、我们在梦里走了许多路，醒来后发现自己还在床上。 十、你的丑和你的脸没有关系。 十一、航海者虽比观望者要冒更大的风险，但却有希望到达彼岸。 十二、穷人的苦恼在于没有选择，富人的苦恼在于有太多选择。 十三、不要总觉得被轻视，先问问自己有没有分量。 十四、一个人的价值，不体现在与别人相同的东西上，而体现在与别人不同的东西上。 十五、静坐常思己过，闲谈莫论人非。 十六、发展是硬道理，但硬发展是没道理。 十七、人们是看你做什么，不是听你说什么。 十八、要求别人是很痛苦的，要求自己是很快乐的。 十九、不敢生气的是懦夫，不去生气的才是智者。 二十、对于人来说，问心无愧是最舒服的枕头。 二十一、嫉妒他人，表明他人的成功，被人嫉妒，表明自己成功。 二十二、有些事情，不谈是个结，谈开了是个疤。 二十三、一口吃不成胖子，但胖子却是一口一口吃来的。 二十四、喜欢花的人是会去摘花的，然而爱花的人则会去浇水。