Entries by

来自乡村的先知弥迦

2023-12-14 in , /by

弥迦书  1: 3  看哪，耶和华出了祂的居所，降临步行地的高处。

读经文: 弥迦书 1:1-4

1 当犹大王约坦、亚哈斯、希西家在位的时候，摩利沙人弥迦得耶和华的默示，论撒马利亚和耶路撒冷。

2 万民哪，你们都要听！地和其上所有的，也都要侧耳而听！主耶和华从他的圣殿要见证你们的不是。 3 看哪，耶和华出了祂的居所，降临步行地的高处。 4 众山在他以下必消化，诸谷必崩裂，如蜡化在火中，如水冲下山坡。

先知弥迦来自一个称为摩利沙的小镇，此镇位于离耶路撒冷约有33公里的肥沃高原地带，靠近迦特（非利士城镇），因此又称为摩利沙迦特；也因为此地位于犹大和非利士的边境，对两国均有重大的军事意义，故犹大王常常来此地巡视，看看此地有没有受到威胁。也因为犹大王常来巡视，因此地方虽小，却经常有大人物出入。

弥迦原在犹大的农村工作，蒙召后多半在民间传扬神的话，被称为“乡村的先知”。与他同时代的先知有以赛亚，他是个大学者，和弥迦一起主要向犹大发预言；阿摩司是牧羊人出身，和何西阿（神叫他去娶淫妇）则主要对以色列发预言。弥迦刚奉差遣出来事奉时，北国以色列由耶罗波安二世执政，国势富强，他的儿子撒迦利雅做王六个月后就被篡位；此后政局非当不稳，国势一落万丈。

Live Again Through Jesus

2023-12-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hebrews 13:10-25. Let’s go!

Hebrews 13:10 (NIV) 
10  We have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat.

On verse 10:  Who are “those who minister at the tabernacle”?  The writer of Hebrews is referring to priests who served under the old covenant and who would sacrifice bulls and goats according to the law of Moses.  These priests would sacrifice animals at an altar and would in certain circumstances be allowed to eat some of the sacrificed animals.  So what does the writer of Hebrews mean when he says that “we have an altar from which those who minister at the tabernacle have no right to eat”?   Here the writer of Hebrews is saying that we as believers in Christ living under the new covenant have an altar – that is, a way to worship, connect with God and be in God’s presence – that the old covenant priests could not access by merely sacrificing bulls and goats.  As Hebrews 10:20 says, “a new and living way [to God] opened for us” when Jesus died on the cross for our sins.  Once again it’s the theme that through Jesus Christ we have something incredibly precious and unique that priests under the old covenant did not have.

约拿发怒

2023-12-13 in , /by

约拿书 4:4 耶和华说：「你这样发怒合乎理吗？」

读经文: 约拿书 4:1-11

1 这事约拿大大不悦，且甚发怒， 2 就祷告耶和华说：「耶和华啊，我在本国的时候，岂不是这样说吗？我知道你是有恩典有怜悯的神，不轻易发怒，有丰盛的慈爱，并且后悔不降所说的灾，所以我急速逃往他施去。 3 耶和华啊，现在求你取我的命吧！因为我死了比活着还好。」 4 耶和华说：「你这样发怒合乎理吗？」 5 于是约拿出城，坐在城的东边，在那里为自己搭了一座棚，坐在棚的荫下，要看看那城究竟如何。

这一章里的约拿充份反映出人的本性：“我发怒以至于死，都合乎理”。最近在台北，有一个老翁上了巴士，走到博爱座前看到有一位年轻的女人坐着，没有起来让位给他。就恶狠狠地骂她，还给了她一巴掌。那位年轻的小姐哭了，因为她那天月事来，肚子疼痛不舒服，才坐到博爱座上，没想到那个老翁如此无理，还动手打人。可见老翁本身是有力气站一下的，只是认为博爱座是给老人坐的，别人都不可以坐。老翁觉得他发怒很合理啊，等知道真相时，他岂不感到羞愧？

当人发怒时，其实已经被情绪所制，没有理智可言了。所以雅各说：“人的怒气并不成就神的义”（雅1:20）。

7 Practical Ways to Live Out God’s Word

2023-12-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hebrews 13:1-9. Let’s go!

Hebrews 13:1-9 (NIV)
1  Keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.
2  Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.
3  Remember those in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.
4  Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

On verses 1-9:  While the book of Hebrews contains more doctrine than most other New Testament books, it also contains some of the most important teaching on how to practically live out your life as a Christian.  In these verses, the writer of Hebrews gives us 7 actions he wants his readers to take in light of all that Jesus has done for us:

五个字的布道

2023-12-12 in , /by

约拿书 3:4 约拿进城走了一日，宣告说：「再等四十日，尼尼微必倾覆了！」

读经文: 约拿书 3:1-10

1 耶和华的话二次临到约拿说： 2 「你起来，往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民宣告我所吩咐你的话。」 3 约拿便照耶和华的话起来，往尼尼微去。这尼尼微是极大的城，有三日的路程。 4 约拿进城走了一日，宣告说：「再等四十日，尼尼微必倾覆了！」

神没有改变初衷，也没有改变人选。祂第二次叫约拿去尼尼微大城宣告神吩咐的信息。所以不管约拿经历了多少的艰难，都是出于他自己的不顺服。但是人的不顺服只会为自己带来灾难；受苦之后，神的旨意还是要成全。我们若看透这点，就不要和神讨价还价，或是做逃避的傻事。顺服神的人最有福。

2000年前的希腊历史家狄奥多罗斯，形容尼尼微是个四角形的城市，四边共长480斯达地，周长相等于96公里！与圣经约拿书里的记载完全符合：“这尼尼微是极大的城，有三日的路程(3:3)”。在当时来说，这是一座极大的城，要走三日才能走完，但是约拿只走了一日。布道只用了一句话，在原文只是五个字：“再等四十日，尼尼微必倾覆了！”

From Old Covenant Fear to New Covenant Joy

2023-12-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage, Hebrews 12:12-29, is full of many powerful lessons, so much so that you may want to read my GAME sharing today in parts (read a bit in the morning, another bit in the midday, and finish the rest at night!).  Let’s go!

Hebrews 12:12-13 (NIV) 
12  Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees. 
13  “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

On verses 12-13:  Continuing with the theme that God is our personal trainer who allows pain and pressure to make us stronger, the writer of Hebrews tells his readers to “strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees” (v12).  When you allow pressure and pain to make you stronger, you “make level paths for your feet”, says the writer of Hebrews quoting Proverbs 4:26.  Even more, God can use you to help others “so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.” (v13)

约拿在鱼腹中的祷告

2023-12-11 in , /by

约拿书2:9  但我必用感谢的声音献祭于你，我所许的愿我必偿还。救恩出于耶和华！

读经文: 约拿书 2:1-10

1 约拿在鱼腹中祷告耶和华他的神， 2 说：「我遭遇患难求告耶和华，你就应允我。从阴间的深处呼求，你就俯听我的声音。 3 你将我投下深渊，就是海的深处，大水环绕我，你的波浪洪涛都漫过我身。

约拿在鱼腹里的祷告讲得很清楚，当他被投到海里时，他就知道自己大难临头了。

当他沉到海的深处时，对约拿而言，已经和到了死人所在的阴间差不多，觉得自己必死无疑。（因为他没有戴氧气筒，哈哈）。那时，大水环绕他，波浪洪涛都漫过他身。

在这样紧急的时刻里，约拿立刻求告耶和华。虽然不满意神的差遣，可还是知道只有神可以救他。他的感恩是，当他一求告神时，立刻得到神的应允。就是在此时，神安排大鱼把他吞到肚子里。离开了波浪洪涛，此时约拿才能呼吸到一些空气吧！

How to Persevere Through a Painful Season

2023-12-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hebrews 12:1-11.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 12:1 (NIV)
1  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
 
On verse 1:  What “great cloud of witnesses” is the writer of Hebrews talking about?  He’s referring to every one of the heroes of faith he mentioned in Hebrews 11 and all of heaven as well, the greatest crowd ever assembled.  Here the writer of Hebrews evokes the image of the Olympic games where people are watching in the stands while the runners run.  I believe that while we are running our race on earth, heaven is watching and cheering us on, encouraging us to keep on going and not give up.  When I know that heaven is watching and cheering me on, it gives me extra fuel to keep on running.
 

逃跑的先知

2023-12-10 in , /by

约拿书1:9  他说：「我是希伯来人，我敬畏耶和华，那创造沧海旱地之天上的神。」

读经文: 约拿书 1:1-17

1 耶和华的话临到亚米太的儿子约拿说： 2 「你起来，往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民呼喊，因为他们的恶达到我面前。」3 约拿却起来，逃往他施去躲避耶和华。下到约帕，遇见一只船要往他施去，他就给了船价，上了船，要与船上的人同往他施去，躲避耶和华。

亚米太的儿子约拿，是耶罗波安二世时的北国先知，曾经预言耶罗波安二世将会收回以色列边界之地，从哈马口直到亚拉巴海，事情果然应验了(王下14:25)。那时亚述方兴未艾，正虎视眈眈要进行侵略，以色列人对这个外患必然警戒防范在心。约拿一定没想到自己会被差遣去向他们“传福音”。好像雅各在雅博渡口与天使摔跤角力，约拿也开始和神斗智。神叫他去尼尼微，他立刻起身往另外一个方向逃跑，想去到遥远的西班牙躲起来。

约拿的逃跑使我想起小时候玩蚂蚁的情形，我和其他小朋友用树叶或石头挡住蚂蚁的去路，蚂蚁就绕来绕去找路，但是不管牠怎样跑，都会被我们抓住，或挡住。约拿在神的眼中也像只蚂蚁，不管他怎样跑，都在神的眼目之中。约拿如心所愿地上了往他施的船，放心地跑到底舱，躺卧沉睡。没想到外面狂风大作，船几乎下沉，大家忙着求自己的神，把货物抛掉。在沉睡中被叫醒，又被掣签掣出是导至祸患的人，约拿终于不得不面对自己的审判。

What Faith in the Lord Can Do

2023-12-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hebrews 11:30-40.  Let’s go!

As we complete our look at Hebrews 11, notice how the phrase that gets repeated far more than any other in Hebrews 11 is “by faith”.  Over and over the writer of Hebrews describes instances when someone “by faith” did something.  What does it mean to do something “by faith”?  It means that faith is the fuel behind your actions or decisions.  God wants us to live by faith every day.   In the verses that follow, we see more examples of what living by faith can do.

Hebrews 11:30 (NIV) 
30  By faith the walls of Jericho fell, after the people had marched around them for seven days.

On verse 30:  After talking about Moses and how he led the Israelites out of Egypt, the writer of Hebrews moves on to Joshua.  He mentions how Joshua led the Israelites to break through and conquer the city of Jericho by obeying the Lord’s command to march around the city for seven days (Joshua 5-6).  What can we learn from this?  Faith in the Lord is the key to experiencing breakthrough and victory.