You Are Worthy Because of Jesus

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 23:1-14.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 23:1-3 (NIV)
1  No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the LORD.
2  No one born of a forbidden marriage nor any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation.
3  No Ammonite or Moabite or any of his descendants may enter the assembly of the LORD, even down to the tenth generation.

On verses 1-3:  Moses lists different conditions that would disqualify a person from entering the assembly where people worship God.  Notice that all these conditions were things that were generally beyond a person’s control — if a man’s genitals were mutilated (v1), or he was born out of wedlock (v2), or he was an Ammonite or Moabite (v3-5).  Similarly, the Bible says that all of us have a condition that disqualifies us from God’s presence: our sin (see Romans 3:9 and Isaiah 59:2).   But praise God that in love He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross to pay the price for all our sins.  Because of Jesus, regardless of our backgrounds or past history we all are invited to draw near to God.  All because Jesus’ blood cleanses us of our sin, we are qualified to enter God’s presence and worship with His people.

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憐憫貧窮的就是借給耶和華

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箴言19:17    憐憫貧窮的就是借給耶和華，他的善行耶和華必償還。

閱讀經文：箴言19:15-17

15懶惰使人沉睡，懈怠的人必受飢餓。16謹守誡命的保全生命，輕忽己路的必致死亡。17憐憫貧窮的就是借給耶和華，他的善行耶和華必償還。

第15節：懶惰使人沉睡，懈怠的人必受飢餓。Life collapses on loafers; lazybones go hungry.《The Message》

有的朋友問我，“信主之後，是不是只要倚靠主，其他什麼都不必做了？”大有信主之後，是不是耶穌就會負責我的食衣住行，不愁吃不愁喝的意思！這是有一點奇怪的想法，假如上帝什麼都幫你做，那你的四肢或嘴巴，等等，留著裝飾用嗎？其實，這個社會上真的有一些人什麼都不用做，都是倚靠別人幫他做。可是你希望做那樣的人嗎？

我家附近有一間教會，租借給殘障人士敬拜。每個星期天早上都會看到有人推著輪椅，送一些殘障人士去做禮拜。我想，就是給你再多的錢和福利，你也不會和那躺坐在輪椅上的人交換位置吧。所以保羅說，要親手做工（帖前4:11）、總要勞力，親手做正經事/或譯為：留心做正經事（弗4:28）。他更強調：若有人不肯做工，就不可吃飯（帖後3:10）。

因為有能力工作是一種福份，也是極大的恩典。你可能會發現，骨折後在休養期間，那部份的肌肉會萎縮。我們身上的器官大多是如此，你不用它，它就萎縮沒用了。大腦也是如此。有人說琴很無情，只要幾天不練，手法就生硬退步了。其實每件事情都是如此，喜歡寫作而不寫的人，筆會生鏽，筆是靈感和文思的代表。

勤勞，是人對神的恩賜所表示的感謝；工作，是生命的脊椎骨。沉睡，是一種心靈的懈怠；懶惰，是對自己最大的鄙視，也是對神的不敬，因為浪費神給的一切恩典。讓我們看重神賜予我們的一切，好好地使用，過榮神益人的生活。

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God and Your Sexual Purity

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 22:13-30.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 22:13-21 (NIV)
13  If a man takes a wife and, after lying with her, dislikes her
14  and slanders her and gives her a bad name, saying, “I married this woman, but when I approached her, I did not find proof of her virginity,”
15  then the girl’s father and mother shall bring proof that she was a virgin to the town elders at the gate.
16  The girl’s father will say to the elders, “I gave my daughter in marriage to this man, but he dislikes her.
17  Now he has slandered her and said, ‘I did not find your daughter to be a virgin.’ But here is the proof of my daughter’s virginity.” Then her parents shall display the cloth before the elders of the town,
18  and the elders shall take the man and punish him.
19  They shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the girl’s father, because this man has given an Israelite virgin a bad name. She shall continue to be his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.
20  If, however, the charge is true and no proof of the girl’s virginity can be found,
21  she shall be brought to the door of her father’s house and there the men of her town shall stone her to death. She has done a disgraceful thing in Israel by being promiscuous while still in her father’s house. You must purge the evil from among you.
 

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賢惠的妻是耶和華所賜

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箴言19:14房屋錢財是祖宗所遺留的，唯有賢惠的妻是耶和華所賜的。

閱讀經文：箴言19:12-14

12王的憤怒好像獅子吼叫，他的恩典卻如草上的甘露。13愚昧的兒子是父親的禍患，妻子的爭吵如雨連連滴漏。14房屋錢財是祖宗所遺留的，唯有賢惠的妻是耶和華所賜的。

第12節：王的憤怒好像獅子吼叫，他的恩典卻如草上的甘露。Mean-tempered leaders are like mad dogs; the good-natured are like fresh morning dew.《The Message》

所羅門王向神求智慧，因為他知道做一個領袖，一個領導人，不是那麼容易。好像他的兒子羅波安接續他做王時，為了解決人民的訴求，接見了兩派人的意見。一派是比較成熟的老年人，他們建議羅波安用好話回答百姓，穩定民心；另一派是少壯派，建議羅波安用話威脅恐嚇，使百姓害怕而就範。

羅波安接納了少壯派的意見，發出了獅子吼，結果國家破裂，百姓都離他而去了，只有猶大支派的人沒走。所以所羅門王以為，領導者的性情若是乖張暴戾，就像瘋狗一樣亂吠，到最後就沒人理了。反而，一個性情平易近人的領導者，會讓百姓感受到如沐甘露一般的舒適，讓人喜歡親近，並且擁護。

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Lessons from Harder to Understand Verses

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 22:1-12.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 22:1-4 (NIV)
1  If you see your brother’s ox or sheep straying, do not ignore it but be sure to take it back to him.
2  If the brother does not live near you or if you do not know who he is, take it home with you and keep it until he comes looking for it. Then give it back to him.
3  Do the same if you find your brother’s donkey or his cloak or anything he loses. Do not ignore it.
4  If you see your brother’s donkey or his ox fallen on the road, do not ignore it. Help him get it to its feet.
 
On verses 1-4:   Here Moses tells the current generation of Israelites to be good neighbours to each other, using illustrations about one Israelite losing something valuable to them.  Likewise, when you come across something that your neighbour has lost, “do not ignore it” (v1, 3).  Rather do for your neighbour what you would have them do for you.   

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迎接另一回合的超越

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〈箴言〉19:11    人有見識就不輕易發怒，寬恕人的過失便是自己的榮耀。

閱讀經文：箴言19:8-11

8 得著智慧的愛惜生命，保守聰明的必得好處。 9 作假見證的不免受罰，吐出謊言的也必滅亡。 10 愚昧人宴樂度日是不合宜的，何況僕人管轄王子呢？ 11 人有見識就不輕易發怒，寬恕人的過失便是自己的榮耀。
第8節：得著智慧的愛惜生命，保守聰明的必得好處。Grow a wise heart—you’ll do yourself a favor; keep a clear head—you’ll find a good life.《The Message》

Grow a wise heart，誰不想有一顆智慧的心？問題是怎樣才能得著智慧的心？智慧的心和愛惜生命之間又有什麼關係？有的人以為得智慧是為了邁向成功之道，可以賺更多錢。假如不能賺錢的點子，即使是智慧，有誰要呢？keep a clear head，中文譯為保守聰明，也可以說保持頭腦清楚，意思就是不要讓自己變笨。當然，變笨了對誰都沒有好處，除了你的敵人。

“高舉智慧，他就使你得高陞。懷抱智慧，他就使你得尊榮” (箴4:8)，所以有智慧真是好。有智慧就能高陞，得著智慧也就是愛惜生命，因為知道人生的取捨，所以才有尊榮。一個妄取妄求的人，怎能有尊榮？一個不知分辨輕重的人，何來機會高陞？沒有聰明，連到手的好處也會失去。在利益面前，在慾望挑戰時，智慧便是一種來自神的，分辨和懂得取捨的能力。也只有聖靈的保守，使我們在黑暗的社會裡，依然有清楚的頭腦，去看清楚自己的道路，那便是聰明了。

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財物使朋友增多

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〈箴言〉19:4    財物使朋友增多，但窮人，朋友遠離。

閱讀經文：箴言19:4-7

4 財物使朋友增多，但窮人，朋友遠離。 5 作假見證的必不免受罰，吐出謊言的終不能逃脫。 6 好施散的，有多人求他的恩情；愛送禮的，人都為他的朋友。 7 貧窮人，弟兄都恨他，何況他的朋友，更遠離他。他用言語追隨，他們卻走了。

第4節：財物使朋友增多，但窮人，朋友遠離。Wealth attracts friends as honey draws flies,     but poor people are avoided like a plague. 《The Message》

我們常想等有錢的時候，就可以幫助人；有高學歷的時候，就可以教導人；有名的時候，就可以扶持人。其實，幫助人是從上帝得來的機會，扶持人是任何時刻都可能發生的事。即使是在野地，我們可以將石頭當講台，對蜥蜴、螞蟻、仙人掌分享。

「財物使朋友增多，但窮人朋友遠離。」(箴言19:4) 有錢可使需要財物支持的人，在富人的身邊增多，但是真正有需要的人，卻遠離。後者，擠不進富人的周 邊，也不想與談錢的擠在一起。淺度需求的人，經常排走真正有需要的人。歌頌讚美的音大，經常遮掩憂傷的低泣。高知名度的講員會吸引多人來，但是自卑自悔之 人會遠離。後者，才是上帝要我們去幫助、看顧、扶持的人。許多上帝的重要僕人，是在我們想像不到的場合得救。

即使在痛苦、低調的時候，仍有可以幫助人的機會，不要放棄。世上成功的時候，反而失去機會。上帝給老鷹展趐上騰的熱氣團，讓牠們遠離地面一些。上帝，親自看顧饑餓小烏鴉。（張文亮教授）

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Marriage, Family and Jesus

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 21:10-23.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 21:10-13 (NIV)
10  When you go to war against your enemies and the LORD your God delivers them into your hands and you take captives,
11  if you notice among the captives a beautiful woman and are attracted to her, you may take her as your wife.
12  Bring her into your home and have her shave her head, trim her nails
13  and put aside the clothes she was wearing when captured. After she has lived in your house and mourned her father and mother for a full month, then you may go to her and be her husband and she shall be your wife.

On verses 10-13:  Here Moses tells the Israelites that when they conquer another nation and notice a beautiful woman from that nation, one of the Israelites may take her as his wife.  The woman must first do the things that signify her break from whatever faith she ascribed to before — shaving her head, trimming her nails, changing her clothes and mourning her parents.  After that, an Israelite could marry her.

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卡森醫生的母親

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〈箴言〉19:1    行為純正的貧窮人，勝過乖謬愚妄的富足人。

閱讀經文：箴言19:1-3

1行為純正的貧窮人，勝過乖謬愚妄的富足人。 2 心無知識的乃為不善，腳步急快的難免犯罪。 3 人的愚昧傾敗他的道，他的心也抱怨耶和華。

第1節：行為純正的貧窮人，勝過乖謬愚妄的富足人。  Better to be poor and honest than a rich person no one can trust.《The Message》

這節經文使我想到《恩賜之手》一書裡的班傑明‧卡森醫生。他來自底特律的貧民區，八歲父母離異，由母親獨力撫養兩兄弟長大。他的母親雖然生活艱難又不識字，卻懂得想辦法讓班傑明和他哥哥去圖書館借書，養成他們喜歡閱讀的習慣，使他們從慘不忍睹的成績突飛猛進，成為班上第一名。又藉著信仰，教他們禱告，使他能治服已心，克制易怒的脾氣。後來他成為世界聞名的約翰霍普金斯大學附屬醫院的小兒神經外科主任。

班傑明的母親，一個十三歲就失學早婚的女人，因遇人不淑而飽受生活的折磨，經常要打三份工維持生活。但是藉著對上帝的信仰，她的孩子成為最傑出的神經外科醫生，救活了許多人。反觀許多乖謬愚妄的富足人，驕傲行事，用錢養大的孩子又如何？到了四、五十歲還需要父母給錢養他們，否則就活不下去，連養活自己的本事都沒有。人若把錢看得比上帝還重要，那麼他總有一天會看到錢的真面目，不僅讓他失去自我，不能相信他人，又讓他的兒女失去做人之本事的真面目。

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When You Face Tragedies You Can’t Explain

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 21:1-9.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 21:1-9 (NIV)
1  If a man is found slain, lying in a field in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him,
2  your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighboring towns.
3  Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke
4  and lead her down to a valley that has not been plowed or planted and where there is a flowing stream. There in the valley they are to break the heifer’s neck.
5  The priests, the sons of Levi, shall step forward, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister and to pronounce blessings in the name of the LORD and to decide all cases of dispute and assault.
6  Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley,
7  and they shall declare: “Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see it done.
8  Accept this atonement for your people Israel, whom you have redeemed, O LORD, and do not hold your people guilty of the blood of an innocent man.” And the bloodshed will be atoned for.
9  So you will purge from yourselves the guilt of shedding innocent blood, since you have done what is right in the eyes of the LORD.

On verses 1-9:  Here Moses describes what to do when a slain human body is found and no one knows who caused his or her death. The town nearest to the dead body had to sacrifice an unworked heifer to atone for the bloodshed (v3-4). The elders of the town also had to wash their hands to symbolize how their town was not guilty of the bloodshed (v6-7).

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