自強街87號

Genesis
1:1-31 Creation during six days: 1. light and darkness 2. seperation from water and air (sky), water and vapor 3. seperation from water and continents, creation of plants 4. creation of two major lights and the stars in charge of lightening day and night, marking seasons, days, and years Notice that the Sun and the Moon didn't appear until the "Day" 4; how come there was a concept of "day" since the Sun didn't exist then? So it is only a description for a certain period of time counting, not the exact meaning of "day" as we today are used to recognize. 5. sea life in the waters and birds 6. animals, reptiles, bugs (insects), and the last, GODLIKE HUMANS, reflectiing God's nature and taking charging in Earth.
1:29 All the plants, fruits, and vegis were food for humans. Yet God didn't mention that animals were edible.
Chapter 2 may be a brief summary and guideline on human's creation. Therefore the details of creation may be not here to be emphasized.
2:5 The plants were created on Day 3, when there's no rain yet. Why? There's no Sun, no vaporization. But why wasn't there yet rainfall on Day 6? Saturized vapor pressure!
2:5 Just at the same moment, God created Adam. Did Adam show up early on Day 3 or even earlier, living alone in a special garden, or to be more precisely, sanctuary God made for him, for the greens didn't sprout then yet? Not likely, such big headline should be recorded on Day 3. Besides, sprouting is reproducing, not producing itself, while creating is letting them exist. They might be of different conditions. Until Day 6, God then created "human beings", which referred that Adam and Eve together.
3:11-13 The very beginning of evading and dishonesty. They just wouldn't admit their mistakes, imputing the faults and blames to others.
4:1 With God's help, humans began to acquire more and more knowledge. The pain, the instant pain of giving birth, would only be mentioned once in the last chapter 3:16, then never again. This is the style of God. He always describes things with plain words, not in sensational breaking news.
4:19 Monogamy, God's original intention, has been broken by Lamech.
4:23 Lamech's words are the model of nowadays revenge. Paying back is the last way to solve hatred. [Song of Revenge]
4:26 "And then Seth had a son whom he named Enosh. That's when men and women began praying and worshiping in the name of God."
5:24 Enoch walked with God and was taken away by God at the age of 365. He never experienced death, as Elijah (2 Kings 2:11)
5:29 Noah alleviated the toil from his offsprings there after.
6:2 the sons of God: 1. fallen Angels (Job 1:6, 2:1, 38:7) 2. sons of Seth (married the daughters of Cain)
6:3 "...from now on they can expect a life span of 120 years.", which means human longivity could therefore in manipulation within only 120 years more. Then God would wipe off all His works on earth, when Noah was about 600 years old. (Ge 8:13)
6:4 Giants, the mighty men, the Transformers - the union of God's sons (Angels) and men's daughters
6:6 "後悔" means "being sorry", not "to repent". Besides, God has expectations upon us, or He'll never feel sad.
6:9 How to prove Noah is a "righteous" person according to Jesus? He walked with God.
6:14 In today's language, the ship is made of teakwood, 450 feet long, seventy-five feet wide, and forty-five feet high, with a roof and windows every eighteen inches from the top, a door on the side of the ship, and three decks, lower, middle, and upper.
7:15 "-everything that has a breath of life...", everything, that's really hard to imagine!
8:7-8 The raven symbols self-survival; a dove, relying on God, and God offers help.
8:1-17 For how long could the brimming prodigality be enough to reproduce and flourish? (How long shall we hold our essence to nourish ourselves?)
9 months+1+40+7+7 = 330 days aprx.!!!
8:21 The ground was cursed, so humans have this bent toward evil since very young? Is there a relationship between them? 【性惡】
9:3 We are authorized to eat meat. But not one with blood.
9:24 Noah practiced his own creterion to prize (wish) Shem and Jepheth and punish (curse) Ham's son, Canaan, whose father might have insulted his grandpa. But why could a son have to bear his father's fault? Why should Noah curse his grandson instead of his youngest son? Well, that's his creterion, but it did change the history in the coming future. Just remember two things: 1. Noah was human, too. 2. Noah did this after being drunk and with a hangover. Getting drunk is really not a good idea.
10:6 Egypt was Ham's son.
10:8-12 Nimrod was the first great warrior ever since, who later built the Babel Tower in Shinar.
10:17 Ham - Canaan - offsprings in Sodom, Gomorrah
11:6 Don't get too strong on your own and in your way, or you will be losing the pure purpose for coming into this world.
11:28 Abram, Shem's offspring, and Sarai and Lot, Haran's son, Abram's nephew, first on stage.
12:3 Because Jesus is his offspring.
12:7 God first promised Abram to grant his offsprings the land of Canaan.
12:13 A tumble of faith! Even Abram experienced self-survival and told a lie.
12:18 How did Pharao know the truth? Through wizards, charmers, or the familiar spirits?
13:6 What is so much money for? What will so much money be?
13:8 Abram cared no wealth; he preferred harmony and God's order!
13:18 Abram never forgot to owe all the glory to God.
14:4 "事奉" means "be under the thumb of ..."
14:12 What happened when Abram went west? (13:8) Being good and nice for the time being in front of our eyes doesn't seem to be so all the time...
14:18 Melchizedek, king and prime priest of Jerusalem (Salem), took the tenth of Abram from the battle.
14:20 The earliest tenth ever written.
14:22-23 The offering of Sodom was quite troublesome (In 15:1, God told him not to be afraid... Your reward will be grand.) in the long run, so Abram didn't accept his "generosity".
15:6 "Believed God! God declared him "Set-Right-with-God." Faith consummates righteousness. Here is the first stated.
15:13 Isrealites will be slaves in Egypt for 430 years. Exodus 12:40
15:17 "smoking firepot" and "flamming torch"; compare Ex 13:21
16:2 A tumble of faith again. A toil and carnage of the descendants in the future...
16:4-6 Vanity fo Hagar. Abram's ignorance and neglect of the dispute between Hagar and Sarai brought about family tragedy - Hagar's runaway.
17:5 Abram - Abraham, father of many nations
17:15 Sarai - Sarah, princess
18:1 The Oaks of Mamre, in Hebron, I love this name!
18:8 God also ate plumppy calf! ^^
18:15 God never questions people bitterly.
18:26 Bad people would be left survived only for the sake of good people, regardless of its minority.
19:1 Sitting at the city gate means good reputation.
19:10-11 Angels' might!
19:26 Lot's wife - curiosity kills the cat.
19:36 Incest immorality.
20:2 A tumble of faith part III! Humans are so weak! (12:13, 16:2)
20:7 First time mentioned "prophet" in Bible.
20:11 Self-survival... (20:2)
20:18 Sarah's womb "has to" give birth from Abraham's legacy.

Romans
1:1 Paul held himself as "a devoted slave of Jesus Christ" and was authorized to proclaim God's words. Words under his pen are from God's. He referred these writings as "sacred". (1:7)
1:5 "Through him we received both the generous gift of his life and the URGENT task of passing it on to others who receive it by entering into obedient trust in Jesus." Indeed, the task is urgent!

    Issues and Commentaries on Tuesday's Bible Study 
Matthew
1:1-17 Jesus' genealogy from Josef's branch is with 4 women's names included, all once sinners, and gentiles. The one in Luke 3 is from Maria's.
2:1-2 Eastern scholars were gentiles. They observed the star sign to find the One, though it was against God's will.
2:23 The prophetic words were not found in the rest of Scriptures. Is this a hint that there would still be scritptures not found yet?
3:7-10 Jesus called Pharisees "Brood of snakes". Not merely Devil was compared with snakes. "It's your life that must change, not your skin!" We may not change what belongs to our flesh and disire, yet we can choose to live a new life with redemption.
3:15 Even Jesus had His time and necessare preparations!
3:17 "Son" is not the same words as "sons". Begotten sons are not adopted, while they are all sons.
4:6 The Devil quoted Scriptures (Psalm 91) too, which means he knows the truth and facts in Bible. Most importantly, he admitted Bible too.
4:16 Jesus was also compared to "the sun". There might not be an only symbol to be the One.
4:23-25 Jesus must acquire varieties of expertise, be granted talents to do all this from God. Expertise is one of the most equipment for missions!
5:3,5,8,9 The message has the best explanations!
5:11-12 "What it means is that the truth is too close for comfort and they are uncomfortable." People are afraid to be touched directly in the heart...
7:13-20 Surefire success? Easygoing formulas? For people today, there is only ONE WAY TO SUCCEED.
10:9-10 You don't need too much equipment to begin you missons, nor need to travel far.
10:21 When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don't quit. Don't cave in. This reminds me of how I did to "persuade" Dad to believe in God. Just do your part well; let them know the living God is in you; live out a Christian model.
11:19 Opinion polls don't count for much, do they? The proof of the pudding is in the eating.
11:27 No one knows (except) the Son the way the Father does, nor (except) the Father the way the Son does.
12:3 1Samuel 21:6
12:4 Leviticus 24:8
12:18 Isaiah 42:1-4
12:31,32 What is blasphemy?
12:41 Jonah 3
12:42 2 Chronicles 9:6
12:49 Obedience is thicker than blood.
13:3 "What do you make of this?" means  "What do you think about this parable?"
13:11-14 You've been given insight into God's kingdom. You know how it works. Not everybody has this gift, this insight; it hasn't been given to them. Whenever someone has a ready heart for this, the insights and understandings flow freely. But if there is no readiness, any trace of receptivity soon disappears. That's why I tell stories: to create readiness, to nudge the people toward receptive insight. In their present state they can stare till doomsday and not see it, listen till they're blue in the face and not get it.
13:27 The farmhands came to the farmer and said, 'Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn't it? Where did these thistles come from?'
13:32 eagles = flying birds = (excellent) gentiles, (eagles = Americans?)
from out side the God's kingdom
13:35 Psalm 78; Asaph, 2 Chronicles 29:30
13:52 He said, "Then you see how every student well-trained in God's kingdom is like the owner of a general store who can put his hands on anything you need, old or new, exactly when you need it."
14:1 The Herods, father and son, were regional rulers of Jews during Jesus time.
15:33  His disciples said, "But where in this deserted place are you going to dig up enough food for a meal?"
18:17 "...you'll have to start over from scratch, confront him with the need for repentatnce, and offer again God's frogiving love."
18:18-20 "What you say (the Good News) to one another is eternal."
19:8 "...as a concession to your hard heartedness, but it is not part of God's original plan." Even God Himself made concissions! And that's exactly why we're still staying put now...
19:11-12 Jesus opinion about marriage. "Not everyone is mature enough to live a married life."
19:30 Because the scale differs.
20:1-16 Wage is the eternal life, granted all whoever would be the first come or the last. Seniority is not the point.
21:4-5 Zechariah 9:9
21:13 Isaiah 56:7; Jeremiah 7:11
21:16 Psalms 8:2
21:42 Psalms 118:22; Isaiah 28:16
22:11 "properly dressed" means what is mentioned in Philippians 3:7-9
22:30 According to the Message, people would lead lives with God, just as with the Angels. It didn't mention whether Angels marry or not. (Mk 12:25) (Ge 6:2)
22:37 Jesus said, "Love the Lord your God with all your passion and prayer and intelligence..." Pay attention to "intelligence". We should devote all what we can do and be good at doing to God's work to honor Him. Deuteronomy 6:5, Leviticus 19:18
22:44 Psalms110:1
22:45 Is Misaiah, the Saviour, David's offspring? (Abraham's? Genesis 12:3.) How did they know? 2 Samuel 7:12 + 7:16 + Psalms 110:1 + John 4:26 = Jesus is the Messiah, King of Jews, David's offspring!
23:2 "on Moses" means on his teaching position
23:13-36 Seven Woes (Why have to be 7?): 1. antichrist, :13 2. distract others, :15 3. mispreaching, :17 4. misordered spiritual priorities, up side down, :23 5. hypocrisy, 25 6. false witness, :30 7. killing the decent people, :35
24:6 "...This is routine history;", which mean it is doomed to happen.
24:27-28 "The Arrival of the Son of Man isn't something you go to see. He comes like swift lightning to you!"..."You can be quite sure that it's not the living Son of Man pulling in those crowds."
25:1-3 Who are the ten virgins? Candidates (Wesley) for the Kingdom, employed for tasks in this world. Ten is a number of consummation in Jewish culture. Five-five means the co-existance of various intellectual levels of humans is the condition. What is the lamp? Hearts, possible to accept Jesus as redemption or to accept anything else as what they value in their lives. What is oil? The love and the faith, the only way and the readiness to keep the zeal for Lord's way shining. (In this their wisdom was displayed. They not only "let their light shine," but at the same time kept the grace renewed that was essential to the continuance of their light, according to Johnson's commentary) Besides, the ten were in a ring; the foolish five "could have noticed" the other wise five with extra oil.
25:4 The wise took oil in their vessels --- Love in their hearts. And they daily sought a fresh supply of spiritual strength, till their faith was made perfect. (Wesley)
25:5 "fell asleep" means "being lazy to find the Truth and the Way, busy taking care of earthly trifles or something else"
25:9 There will be no borrowed righteousness on the day of the Lord's coming, for no one will have any to spare. The Roman Catholic confidence in saints, and the trust of some Protestants in pious parents, are alike unavailing: each soul must see to its own lamp. (McGarvey and Pendleton) We have to earn it ourselves, not to borrow it. Besides, righteousness is nowhere to be borrowed --- only through Jesus.
25:12 Those whose faith once existed but later withered (abandoning Jesus' words and redemption) cannot be granted the Kingdom.
25:18 "...carefully buried his master's money." "Carfully" means in a way of cowardly fear, old-womanishness, dare not to display and utilize what Father has granted. "Buried" means "not to use".
25:30 Never ever try to live an assumptiously safe life. Make the most out of your talents to honor your Master.
25:40 "...I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me."
26:28 Probably the MOST PRECIOUS, MOST HONORED, MOST PREVILEGED, VITALEST, AS WELL AS ULTIMATUM INFINITE Scripture in the whole Bible comes from here:

The following critic is adapted from "Bible Research" --- www.bible-researcher.com

Dear Father,
I think you already knew why I have to write you in person this time, instead of talking to you face to face. Well yes, I'd like it to be a bit more formal, formal enough to express my disappointment and confusing, and in passing make a complaint against those f#$% college professors abusing me brutally.
As GEPT last time, I again failed the exam for graduate school. Well, I'm sorry to say I got a pathetique result and I didn't even make myself on a waiting list...NOT EVEN ON A WAITING LIST! ! ! Because my grades were too poor ! According to the result, writing: 58, oral presentation: 73, which are in all still almost 20 points behind the least examinee to be clinched. How could that be? Are the people nowadays REALLY so tough and excellent in English? 

                                                                                                      
Sample of brief oral self-introduction
Dear Professors, Landies, and Gentlemen,
my name is Christian Chiou, 18 years old, going to be graduated from NTNU High School this year. I have a wonderful family in Hsin-tien with my parents, siblings, and I love them very much. I also have many friends for I do have lots of hobbies and never feel too tired to participate in any activity I'm interested in. I am happy to be with people around. It is always a great thing to work together with friends. I am not a person with quick temper, easy going, and, well, according to them, I'm considerate in many cases. So, they like to be with me too. I am proud and with all my pleasure when they call me Chris and need my help any time.
Piano, jazz drums, golf and martial arts are my faithful companies along the way besides ordinary studying every day. Piano music reveals a christalic, pristine melodies that embrace the nobility of human souls. Jazz drum beats introduce me a rhythmic stamina to dance with the instant passion of liveliness. Golf teaches me how to keep calm and prudent especially when facing inevitable fear and trouble, offering me the courage to overcome the weakness and blindness of myself. Martial arts are good ways to build me up fitness, agility, and beauty of equilibrium and power. They are, in my opinion, some essential ways to true well-being, an initiation into the gateway of serving in our world.
Among various subjects I've learned and I am now engaging in, I like foreign language catagory best, especially English, which might be the single incentive for me to have further studying later in college. In fact, I spend quite a lot of time reading English stories, English current news, writing articles in English, talking with people in English, and even trying thinking in an "English" way. I believe language is crucial to knowing a culture better and a foundamentality to successful mutual communication, with which a real success from every walk of life might be resulted in.
What is then a "real success"? To me, a real success is to help others live better, get together more harmoniously, know themselves about where they should head for, and, most importantly, realize what they are for. A real success consists of such awarenesses along with a positive attitude, which is exactly as Paul, a great disciple of Jesus Christ, once said, "I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before." Indeed, I will reach forth unto those things which are before, which are awaiting me to explore, to understand, and to improve.
I am really honored to have an opportunity to introduce myself today. And thank you very much for your listening.

如何才是真愛的感覺？
真愛的感覺，五味雜陳，酸甜苦辣，
卻讓人意猶未盡，屢屢沉浸在二人的美好，
這是真生命的滋味！
僅一剎那，已是永恆。
回想起來，絕對是讓靈魂隨之起舞的蜜釀。
我想，下面這首歌，
應該捕捉到些許真愛的感覺了，
寥寥數字，卻滿有情意。
渴望真愛的朋友們，聽聽吧：
     知道不知道    劉若英 
   

I just couldn't believe my eyes...as Tiger did sink the 18th hole from a snake-long birdie putt to win the game. He was still far behind in the last three rounds, leaving a huge gap between the leader and other will-be runner-ups. And then, like magic, he came up step by step, stroke by stroke, skinning and devouring anyone who was in front of him, getting in his way to any tournament champ. Well,he did it! After 8 months rehabilitation, his left knee is just tact as one in adolescence.
If you watched the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill then you know what I'm talking about. Talent is not enough to beat the monster. Sean O'Hair played a brilliant round of golf and even summoned the strength and determination to tie it up at four under going to the 18th hole against Tiger.  

1. Studying Episode
Recognition And Repentance
I once was addicted to playing online games while at junior high school and a perfunctory student putting off assignments each time, falling far behind scheduled learning.  The situation yet was never improved till the Basic Proficiency Test was coming. I awoke from my past idling days suddenly, only to find out how innocent I had been before. In order not to let my parents down, I decided to face the music and take a plunge into making up the lagging.
Fortunately, my efforts has been rewarded and now I am a national senior high school student. Looking back those naive three years, those days fluctuating up and down, I come to realize there would be no gains without pains; in a calm sea every is a good pilot. It would be only meaningful when one meets all the challenge courageously and honestly, then taking every chance and  just doing it.