饥荒真正的元凶

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以赛亚书1:18b   你们的罪虽像朱红，必变成雪白；虽红如丹颜，必白如羊毛。

阅读经文：以赛亚书1:18-31

18耶和华说：「你们来，我们彼此辩论。你们的罪虽像朱红，必变成雪白；虽红如丹颜，必白如羊毛。19你们若甘心听从，必吃地上的美物；20若不听从，反倒悖逆，必被刀剑吞灭。」这是耶和华亲口说的。

21可叹忠信的城变为妓女！从前充满了公平，公义居在其中，现今却有凶手居住！22你的银子变为渣滓，你的酒用水掺兑。23你的官长居心悖逆，与盗贼做伴，各都喜爱贿赂，追求赃私。他们不为孤儿申冤，寡妇的案件也不得呈到他们面前。

有一次大卫鲍森接受澳洲广播电台ABC的采访，主持人对大卫鲍森充满敌意，他说：「我刚刚从衣索匹亚回来，在那里看见许许多多人挨饿，如果神是良善的神，怎么会容许这种事情发生？」大卫鲍森回答说：「你知不知道全世界有足够的粮食可以喂饱所有的人。」

根据联合国粮食组织的报告，全球每一年有足够的粮食，可以喂饱所有的人。人之所以会挨饿并不是神的错，有些国家的胖子太多，因为他们吃得太多，有些国家的粮食却不够，这不是神的错，因为神每年都供应足够的食物给全世界的人，问题在于我们不肯分享。西方社会丢掉很多食物，但是第三世界会很乐意吃那些食物，所以不要把饥荒归咎到神身上，这不是神的错，神应许尽到祂的责任，让春夏秋冬四季持续运转，祂守住了承诺，问题出在我们身上，我们让祂失望，霸占了太多食物不肯分享给别人。（好消息电视台：饥荒真正的元凶）

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Welcome to the Mountain of God

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 2:1-5.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 2:1-2 (NIV)
1  This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem:
2  In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.
 
On verses 1-2:  Isaiah foresees the day when the worship of the LORD will be the most prominent movement in the world (“chief among the mountains” – v2), when the church grows from a small, miniscule, inconspicuous mustard seed of a faith to the largest force in the world that no one can ignore, and people from all nations will be a part of it.

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Sin Can Transform You, but So Can God

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 1:21-31.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 1:21-23 (NIV)
21  See how the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness used to dwell in her– but now murderers!
22  Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water.
23  Your rulers are rebels, companions of thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts. They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.

On verses 21-23:  These verses describe two transformations that the people of Judah would go through.  The first is a negative transformation as a result of sin (v21-23):  Jerusalem was once “the faithful city (v21) but has become a whore.  Her riches are now depleted and diluted (v22).  Once they had the almighty, just and compassionate God as their best friend, ruler and protector, but now, having forsaken Him, they have heartless rebels for rulers and evil thieves for companions (v23).

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再一次机会

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以赛亚书1:17   学习行善，寻求公平，解救受欺压的，给孤儿申冤，为寡妇辨屈。

阅读经文：以赛亚书1:9-17

10你们这所多玛的官长啊，要听耶和华的话！你们这蛾摩拉的百姓啊，要侧耳听我们神的训诲！11耶和华说：「你们所献的许多祭物与我何益呢？公绵羊的燔祭和肥畜的脂油，我已经够了；公牛的血、羊羔的血、公山羊的血，我都不喜悦。12你们来朝见我，谁向你们讨这些，使你们践踏我的院宇呢？13你们不要再献虚浮的供物！香品是我所憎恶的，月朔和安息日并宣召的大会也是我所憎恶的，做罪孽又守严肃会我也不能容忍。14你们的月朔和节期，我心里恨恶，我都以为麻烦，我担当便不耐烦。15你们举手祷告，我必遮眼不看，就是你们多多地祈祷我也不听，你们的手都满了杀人的血。

所多玛和蛾摩拉不是已经灭亡了吗？怎么会有所多玛的官长和蛾摩拉的百姓在这里出现呢？先知在这里是以这两个城巿在比喻哪些人？当年的所多玛和蛾摩拉为何会灭亡呢？在〈创世记〉十三章，作者描述当年罗得看见约旦河的全平原，直到琐珥，都是滋润的。那地在耶和华未灭所多玛、蛾摩拉以先如同耶和华的园子，也像埃及地。当年的所多玛和蛾摩拉何等蒙福，如同耶和华的园子，也就是伊甸园。神祝福那地，使其水草丰盛，所以罗得选择了约旦河的全平原。

罗得住在平原，渐渐挪移帐篷，直到所多玛。《圣经》记载：“所多玛人在耶和华面前罪大恶极”。接着，因为所多玛王、蛾摩拉王和其他三王背约，所以来自东方两河流域的四王联合来攻打在约旦河平原的五王。四王显然十分强悍，骁勇善战，把五王打得落花流水。罗得因为住在他们当中，所以他和家人及一切所有的都被掳去了。亚伯拉罕当年真是神勇，带着318个精练家丁，不但打败四王，还把罗得和其他人及财物通通救回来。

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若不是

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以赛亚书1:9    若不是万军之耶和华给我们稍留余种，我们早已像所多玛、蛾摩拉的样子了。

阅读经文：以赛亚书1:1-9

1当乌西雅、约坦、亚哈斯、希西家做犹大王的时候，亚摩斯的儿子以赛亚得默示，论到犹大和耶路撒冷。2天哪，要听！地啊，侧耳而听！因为耶和华说：「我养育儿女，将他们养大，他们竟悖逆我。3牛认识主人，驴认识主人的槽，以色列却不认识，我的民却不留意。」

在1947年的春天，有两个牧羊少年人在死海旁康隆的一个山崖脚下牧羊，因为羊走失，去找羊的时候，年轻人无聊便随意丢了一个石子到崖上的一个小洞里。原本他以为会听到石子打到岩洞里石块的响声，没想到听到哗啦的物体破碎声，他便吓得跑回家。后来他开始想或许那个洞不是什么野狼狐狸洞，而是黄金财宝洞。于是他与他的伙伴回去，便发现那的洞里有很多细长的瓶子。其中还有一个里头有很多皮革。这些腐蚀的皮革就是有名的「死海卷轴」。

在这之前，有很多人认为当时所用的《圣经》和3500年以前的原著有很大的出入，所以攻击《圣经》是最靠不住、最败坏、最不可信的一本书。但是死海卷轴出现之后，证明我们今天所用的《圣经》和原始《圣经》的内容完全相同，内中并没有搀杂一点错误（翻译或印刷排版之错不算在内），这便堵住了那些不信者的攻击。在这一切古卷中，〈以赛亚书〉全卷最为完整，它被抄录在一块宽一尺，长二十四尺的羊皮卷上，藏在瓦质的瓶中，并用麻布包裹，外面还浇上沥青。现在被保存在耶路撒冷的希伯来大学图书馆里。（摘自《圣经与死海古卷》）

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What True Worship Looks Like

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 1:10-20.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 1:10 (NIV)
10  Hear the word of the LORD, you rulers of Sodom; listen to the law of our God, you people of Gomorrah!

On verse 10:  Why is God now addressing the people of Sodom and Gomorrah?  He’s not.  Rather God is calling the people of Judah “you rulers of Sodom…you people of Gomorrah”.  It’s because Sodom and Gomorrah were two cities that were destroyed for their wickedness and God is now equating the level of Judah’s sin to that of Sodom and Gomorrah.

Isaiah 1:11-17 (NIV)
11  “The multitude of your sacrifices– what are they to me?” says the LORD. “I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.
12  When you come to appear before me, who has asked this of you, this trampling of my courts?

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爱情如死之坚强

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雅歌8:7a   爱情，众水不能熄灭，大水也不能淹没。

阅读经文：雅歌6:4-8:14

6:4我的佳偶啊，你美丽如得撒，秀美如耶路撒冷，威武如展开旌旗的军队。5求你掉转眼目不看我，因你的眼目使我惊乱。你的头发如同山羊群卧在基列山旁。6你的牙齿如一群母羊洗净上来，个个都有双生，没有一只丧掉子的。7你的两太阳在帕子内，如同一块石榴。8有六十王后八十妃嫔，并有无数的童女——9我的鸽子，我的完全人，只有这一个是她母亲独生的，是生养她者所宝爱的。众女子见了就称她有福，王后妃嫔见了也赞美她。

最后一幕记所罗门也极思念其爱人，极渴念其爱人回来他的怀抱（ 6:4-13）。此时幕景转到婚娶之夜，在洞房之夜，他们二人互吐相思与爱恋之话（7:1-8:3）。到晨早起来书拉密女还在享受爱的安眠。本书（或本幕）以补记书拉密女之身世（8:8-14）为剧终。(摘自马有藻博士《旧约概论》)

曾是麻醉科医师改行当作家的侯文咏，有一次在经历写不出东西来的肠枯思竭的时候，他问了易智言导演一件事：“每个人的爱情故事不是大同小异吗？一切无非只是同样的结构，一再的重复罢了。能写出什么新的东西来呢？”易导演说：“仅管从外在看起来，故事和故事差别不大。可是你不觉得对每一个人的内心世界来说，初恋那种感觉却是唯一的吗？”他又说： “所以在大同小异的剧情里，把那种唯一的感觉写出来，让其他没有经历过，或者是已经忘记了的人也感受到那种唯一，就是创作者的使命。”（节录自《我就是忍不住笑了》）

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The One Who Beat the Bully

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Hi GAMErs!

If you want to get to know God, Jesus or the Bible better, Isaiah is an excellent and important book to study.

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

Isaiah 1:1 (NIV)
1  The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.

On verse 1:  Isaiah’s ministry as a prophet spanned the reign of 4 kings of Judah: Uzziah (790-739 BC), Jotham (750-732 BC), Ahaz (735-715 BC) and Hezekiah (715-686 BC).  If King Uzziah died in 739 B.C. and Isaiah lived to report the defeat and death of Assyria’s king Sennacherib in 681 B.C., that means Isaiah’s ministry lasted at least 58 years.

Isaiah’s light didn’t burn bright for a moment only to flame out after a few years.  Isaiah served God with great longevity.  I pray that, like Isaiah, you and I would serve God with longevity as well.  May we not burn bright for God for a season, only to flame out and disappear.  Rather, for as many as years God gives us on this earth, may we live out our calling to worship Jesus, to grow more like Him, to serve Him, to lead out others to Him, and to love the church family He gave us.

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Your Story is Part of a Much Greater Story

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Hi GAMErs!

Today we finish the book of Ruth with Ruth 4:13-22.  Let’s go!

Ruth 4:13-16 (NIV)
13  So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife. Then he went to her, and the LORD enabled her to conceive, and she gave birth to a son.
14  The women said to Naomi: “Praise be to the LORD, who this day has not left you without a kinsman-redeemer. May he become famous throughout Israel!
15  He will renew your life and sustain you in your old age. For your daughter-in-law, who loves you and who is better to you than seven sons, has given him birth.”
16  Then Naomi took the child, laid him in her lap and cared for him.

On verses 13-16:  The book of Ruth began with Naomi as a weeping, empty, bitter widow, having lost both her husband and her two sons.  It ends with Naomi as a busy and a grateful grandmother.  As much pain as Naomi had endured, I believe Naomi was able to say “He made all things beautiful in His time.”

Consider this:  Naomi left God’s chosen people the Israelites because she and her husband thought they could find a better life in a place that didn’t worship God.  There she lost almost everything, including her husband and sons.  Like the “prodigal daughter of the Old Testament” (as Pastor Jon Courson describes her), Naomi returns home to Israel and God restores her, renews her, and fills her life again.

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良人属我，我也属祂

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雅歌6:3   我属我的良人，我的良人也属我；他在百合花中牧放群羊。

阅读经文：雅歌5:2-6:3

5:2我身睡卧，我心却醒。这是我良人的声音！他敲门说：「我的妹子，我的佳偶，我的鸽子，我的完全人，求你给我开门，因我的头满了露水，我的头发被夜露滴湿。」3我回答说：「我脱了衣裳，怎能再穿上呢？我洗了脚，怎能再玷污呢？」4我的良人从门孔里伸进手来，我便因他动了心。5我起来要给我良人开门，我的两手滴下没药，我的指头有没药汁滴在门闩上。6我给我的良人开了门，我的良人却已转身走了。他说话的时候，我神不守舍。我寻找他，竟寻不见；我呼叫他，他却不回答。7城中巡逻看守的人遇见我，打了我，伤了我，看守城墙的人夺去我的披肩。8耶路撒冷的众女子啊，我嘱咐你们，若遇见我的良人，要告诉他，我因思爱成病。

此幕记有一次所罗门晚间突访书拉密女，但因夜已太深，她已换了衣服休息，故不肯开门，所罗门从门孔伸手进来求她，她一时心软，便下床开门；待她开后所罗门已等不及走了，于是她立即到外面寻他回来，却寻不著，还给人误会打伤。此后她因过分思念成病，镇日胡思乱想他的可爱；她的朋友来安慰她，愿与她同找。(摘自马有藻博士《旧约概论》)

假如按著这幕剧的发展来看，所罗门和书拉密女婚后并没有住在一起，像普通夫妻一样。是否因为所罗门的后宫太多，所以书拉密女也有自己的院，而所罗门也不是天天和她在一起。当所罗门来找她时，她已经换好衣服在休息。书拉密女在休息时，手涂了没药。希伯来人将没药树枝制作成各种芳香剂、防腐剂和止痛剂。旧约时期，常被做成油膏。书拉密女和所罗门结婚了，不必再去做粗重的工作，开始会保养了。

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