平静风和海

马太福音8: 23-27_平静风和海

23 耶稣上了船,门徒跟着他。 24 海里忽然起了暴风,甚至船被波浪掩盖,耶稣却睡着了。 25 门徒来叫醒了他,说:「主啊,救我们,我们丧命啦!」 26 耶稣说:「你们这小信的人哪!为什么胆怯呢?」于是起来,斥责风和海,风和海就大大地平静了。 27 众人稀奇,说:「这是怎样的人?连风和海也听从他了!」

从昨天的经文里,听到耶稣对文士和门徒的回答之后,你还要不要跟从耶稣?你是不是在心里掂量,假如跟从耶稣不能发财,连房子也没有,是否值得走下去?你可曾担心,为了跟随耶稣,就要放弃一些传统的作法,会不会遭到社会或亲友的唾骂?这些事,耶稣都留给那两个想要跟随祂的人去思考,然后祂就上船了。

忙忽了一整天,耶稣一上船就睡着了。一点也没有察觉天气起了变化。这时船上至少有四个老练的渔夫,他们正奋力与灌进船里的海水战斗。情势越来越紧张,越来越控制不住,船身也开始倾斜。在他们完全没有办法时,他们来叫醒耶稣。

加利利海是个淡水湖,是地球上海拔最低的一个淡水湖,也是世界上海拔第二低的湖泊(第一低是死海)。加利利海大多时候是平静的、美丽的,里面鱼群众多,有许多好吃的罗非鱼,也就是旅客经常要品尝的“圣彼得鱼"。加利利海位于约旦地势低洼的大裂谷中,这个大裂谷正好是非洲板块和阿拉伯板块的分界线,该处地震频繁,经常突然发生强烈的风暴,即使是老练的渔夫也无法预先测知。

God Wants to Build His Church Through You

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 5:1-18.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 5:3-5 (NIV) 
3 “You know that because of the wars waged against my father David from all sides, he could not build a temple for the Name of the LORD his God until the LORD put his enemies under his feet. 
4 But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side, and there is no adversary or disaster. 
5 I intend, therefore, to build a temple for the Name of the LORD my God, as the LORD told my father David, when he said, ‘Your son whom I will put on the throne in your place will build the temple for my Name.’ 

On verses 1-5:  In these verses King Solomon communicates with King Hiram of Tyre, a long time ally of his father David.  King Solomon discloses to King Hiram his ambition to build a temple where people can worship the Lord.  Solomon notes that this was also his father David’s desire, but David was not able to build the temple because he was always fighting the enemies surrounding him.

你跟从我吧!

马太福音8: 18-22_你跟从我吧!

18 耶稣见许多人围着他,就吩咐渡到那边去。 19 有一个文士来对他说:「夫子,你无论往哪里去,我要跟从你。」 20 耶稣说:「狐狸有洞,天空的飞鸟有窝,人子却没有枕头的地方。」 21 又有一个门徒对耶稣说:「主啊,容我先回去埋葬我的父亲。」 22 耶稣说:「任凭死人埋葬他们的死人,你跟从我吧!」

跟从,英文是follow, 也有跟随,跟着的意思。当你要跟从一个人的时候,你会有怎样的选择和决定呢?大陆有个相亲(或新相亲)的节目,当女方或男方决定要跟一个人走之前,都要问清楚对方的爱好、家庭、事业,等等,刨底得差不多了,再问几个问题让自己安心,才会跟着心仪的人走。有很多男性在表白时,说自己很会煮饭作菜,会一心一意爱未来的伴侣,还要让双方父母表白一下,让女方可以放心地跟随。总之,就是保证会把她当女儿,会宠她爱她,等等。当你选择工作时,有可能无法选择你的上司,但是一旦被录取,你就得跟随上司的要求去做事,再无理的要求也得去做。有一位朋友很性格,在考虑要不要当博士生时,认为当博士生都被教授当作工人,所以后来他放弃了。

How to Be Amazed at What God Does In and Through Your Life

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 4:20-34. Let’s go!

On verses 20-34:  Previously in 1 Kings 3:4-15, Solomon asked the Lord for a wise and discerning heart so that he could govern the nation of Israel for God’s glory.  In response to Solomon’s request, God promised that He would not only give Solomon a wise and discerning heart, but also unparalleled riches and honor “so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings” (v13).

The rest of 1 Kings 3 and all of 1 Kings 4 show God fulfilling His promises to Solomon.  1 Kings 4:20-28 speak of the great prosperity that Solomon and his people enjoyed.  Verses 29 to 34 speak of the unparalleled “wisdom and very great insight, and breadth of understanding as measureless as the sand on the seashore” (v.29) that God gave Solomon.

耶稣医治彼得岳母

马太福音8: 14-17_耶稣医治彼得岳母

14 耶稣到了彼得家里,见彼得的岳母害热病躺着。 15 耶稣把她的手一摸,热就退了。她就起来,服侍耶稣。 16 到了晚上,有人带着许多被鬼附的来到耶稣跟前,他只用一句话就把鬼都赶出去,并且治好了一切有病的人。 17 这是要应验先知以赛亚的话说:「他代替我们的软弱,担当我们的疾病。」

从前犹太人的家和华人的家庭结构很相似,多是男主外女主内,因此主持中馈一般是母亲大人负责。一旦母亲病倒了,家里就会好像停摆了一样。根据马可、路加和马太的记载,当耶稣在一个安息日从迦百农的会堂赶鬼出来后,便跟着雅各、约翰,进了西门和安得烈的家,没想到彼得的岳母在家里发高烧,躺着不能起来。

耶稣知道之后,便上前摸她的手,热就退了。当我们当中若有人感冒,我们最先想到的就是敬而远之,大家都怕被传染。耶稣既然可以用一句话就让百夫长不在场的仆人病愈,祂当然也可以用一句话让彼得的岳母退烧,祂根本可以不用靠近她,万一被传染怎么办?

It Takes a Team to Run a Kingdom

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 4:1-19.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-19:  Here we see that King Solomon “ruled over all Israel” (v1) by delegating different parts of the kingdom to various people, whom he trusted to help him govern the kingdom well (v2-19).  What can we learn from this?

1.  When the project is too large for any one person to handle, a wise leader will delegate different responsibilities to trustworthy individuals.  As a kingdom grows, it takes not just one individual but a strong and excellent team to lead it.  What is one area of your life where it would be more effective to delegate, outsource or at least seek advice rather than you trying to figure it all out by yourself?  

这么大的信心

马太福音8: 5-13_这么大的信心

5 耶稣进了迦百农,有一个百夫长进前来,求他说: 6 「主啊,我的仆人害瘫痪病,躺在家里甚是疼苦。」 7 耶稣说:「我去医治他。」 8 百夫长回答说:「主啊,你到我舍下我不敢当,只要你说一句话,我的仆人就必好了。 9 因为我在人的权下,也有兵在我以下,对这个说『去!』他就去,对那个说『来!』他就来,对我的仆人说『你做这事!』他就去做。」

10 耶稣听见就稀奇,对跟从的人说:「我实在告诉你们:这么大的信心,就是在以色列中我也没有遇见过! 11 我又告诉你们:从东从西,将有许多人来,在天国里与亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各一同坐席; 12 唯有本国的子民,竟被赶到外边黑暗里去,在那里必要哀哭切齿了。」 13 耶稣对百夫长说:「你回去吧!照你的信心给你成全了。」那时,他的仆人就好了。

在旧约圣经里有很多信心的伟人,例如:亚伯拉罕、摩西、大卫、以诺、挪亚,等等;新约也有,例如众圣徒和外邦信徒如路加医生、亚居拉和百居拉夫妇,等等。但是外邦人又非信徒的信心伟人,这段经文里的百夫长是第一位,也是很难得被耶稣称赞到的一位。

When In Doubt, Bring Out Your Sword

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 3:16-28.  Let’s go!

On verses 16-28:  As proof that God had answered Solomon’s prayer for a wise and discerning heart, here we see Solomon displaying superior wisdom in dealing with a difficult situation where two prostitutes argue over who is the true mother of a new born baby boy.  Since neither side would budge, Solomon asks for a sword and orders that the child be cut in two.  One of the women cannot bear to see the baby boy cut in two and asks the king to give the baby to the other woman.  King Solomon rules that the surrendering woman is the real mother.

What can we learn from this?  When Solomon did not know which side to listen to, he asks for a sword.  Similarly, when you face a question where you’re not sure what the answer is, ask for a sword; that is, look to the Word of God.  Over and over the Bible is likened to a sword.  Paul calls the Word of God the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:18). 

我肯,你洁净了吧!

马太福音8: 1-4_我肯,你洁净了吧!

耶稣下了山,有许多人跟着他。 2 有一个长大痲疯的来拜他,说:「主若肯,必能叫我洁净了。」 3 耶稣伸手摸他,说:「我肯,你洁净了吧!」他的大痲疯立刻就洁净了。 4 耶稣对他说:「你切不可告诉人,只要去把身体给祭司察看,献上摩西所吩咐的礼物,对众人做证据。」

犹太人当时所谓的大痲疯,就是一种会传染的皮肤病,所以犹太人也从神的教导里学到了对隔离的认知。一旦有人被认定有了大痲疯,他就不能再住在犹太人的社区里,要独自去隔离的地方和有同样问题的人住在一起。当他们看见有人走过来时,就要大喊:「不洁净了,不洁净了!」警告人们不要靠近,免得被传染。所以一旦患上大痲疯,就注定了我们所谓的,一生的漂泊。这种漂泊一点也不浪漫,是很孤独悲伤的。

所以当耶稣讲完登山宝训后下山时,有许多人跟着祂,这个长大痲疯的人竟敢跑到耶稣跟前,表示他带着极大的决心而来。因为他不可以在人多的地方出现,为了赶逐他,人们可以向他丢石头,让他受到更大的伤害。为何他会这样做呢?