Entries by

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.
 

約拿在魚腹中的禱告

2023-12-11 in , /by

約拿書2:9  但我必用感謝的聲音獻祭於你，我所許的願我必償還。救恩出於耶和華！

讀經文: 約拿書 2:1-10

1 約拿在魚腹中禱告耶和華他的神， 2 說：「我遭遇患難求告耶和華，你就應允我。從陰間的深處呼求，你就俯聽我的聲音。 3 你將我投下深淵，就是海的深處，大水環繞我，你的波浪洪濤都漫過我身。

約拿在魚腹裡的禱告講得很清楚，當他被投到海裡時，他就知道自己大難臨頭了。

當他沉到海的深處時，對約拿而言，已經和到了死人所在的陰間差不多，覺得自己必死無疑。（因為他沒有戴氧氣筒，哈哈）。那時，大水環繞他，波浪洪濤都漫過他身。

在這樣緊急的時刻裡，約拿立刻求告耶和華。雖然不滿意神的差遣，可還是知道只有神可以救他。他的感恩是，當他一求告神時，立刻得到神的應允。就是在此時，神安排大魚把他吞到肚子裡。離開了波浪洪濤，此時約拿才能呼吸到一些空氣吧！

逃跑的先知

2023-12-10 in , /by

約拿書1:9  他說：「我是希伯來人，我敬畏耶和華，那創造滄海旱地之天上的神。」

讀經文: 約拿書 1:1-17

1 耶和華的話臨到亞米太的兒子約拿說： 2 「你起來，往尼尼微大城去，向其中的居民呼喊，因為他們的惡達到我面前。」3 約拿卻起來，逃往他施去躲避耶和華。下到約帕，遇見一隻船要往他施去，他就給了船價，上了船，要與船上的人同往他施去，躲避耶和華。

亞米太的兒子約拿，是耶羅波安二世時的北國先知，曾經預言耶羅波安二世將會收回以色列邊界之地，從哈馬口直到亞拉巴海，事情果然應驗了(王下14:25)。那時亞述方興未艾，正虎視眈眈要進行侵略，以色列人對這個外患必然警戒防範在心。約拿一定沒想到自己會被差遣去向他們“傳福音”。好像雅各在雅博渡口與天使摔跤角力，約拿也開始和神鬥智。神叫他去尼尼微，他立刻起身往另外一個方向逃跑，想去到遙遠的西班牙躲起來。

約拿的逃跑使我想起小時候玩螞蟻的情形，我和其他小朋友用樹葉或石頭擋住螞蟻的去路，螞蟻就繞來繞去找路，但是不管牠怎樣跑，都會被我們抓住，或擋住。約拿在神的眼中也像隻螞蟻，不管他怎樣跑，都在神的眼目之中。約拿如心所願地上了往他施的船，放心地跑到底艙，躺臥沉睡。沒想到外面狂風大作，船幾乎下沉，大家忙著求自己的神，把貨物拋掉。在沉睡中被叫醒，又被掣籤掣出是導至禍患的人，約拿終於不得不面對自己的審判。

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.

When Faith Empowers You

2023-12-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hebrews 11:20-29.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 11:20-22 (NIV)
20  By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
21  By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
22  By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.

On verses 20-22:  When your life is empowered by God-pleasing faith, you will have a heart to encourage and help the next generation.  That’s what happened in the case of Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.  There is so much you could say about each of these men – just look at how long the book of Genesis is!  And yet, the writer of Hebrews decides to focus here only on what Isaac, Jacob and Joseph did toward the end of their lives.  

到那日

2023-12-08 in , /by

俄巴底亞書 1: 21  必有拯救者上到錫安山，審判以掃山，國度就歸耶和華了。

閱讀經文: 俄巴底亞書 1:1-21

1 俄巴底亞得了耶和華的默示。論以東說（我從耶和華那裡聽見信息，並有使者被差往列國去，說：「起來吧，一同起來與以東爭戰」）： 2 「我使你以東在列國中為最小的，被人大大藐視。 3 住在山穴中，居所在高處的啊，你因狂傲自欺，心裡說：『誰能將我拉下地去呢？』 4 你雖如大鷹高飛，在星宿之間搭窩，我必從那裡拉下你來。這是耶和華說的。

這本先知書，大家只知道俄巴底亞是“神的僕人”之意，沒有背景，沒有年代，也不知道他從哪裡來。就像無名的傳道者一樣，回應了上帝的呼召，然後默默地告退。他的身世不詳，但他的書卻極受猶太人尊重而被列入舊約聖經；這書在全舊約是最短的，但卻有極重要的屬靈意義。俄巴底亞是第一個警告以色列人會被擄的先知；這是舊約最短的一卷書，書中有一個觀念貫穿所有的大先知書，也貫穿新約聖經，就是“到那日”。從大小先知的預言，我們可以看出一個原則：上帝根據各國對待祂子民的態度來審判他們。上帝最看重的是我們怎麼對待祂的子民，在舊約時代是指以色列民，在今天也包括教會。

神的憤怒和憐憫

2023-12-07 in , /by

阿摩司書 9: 6 那在天上建造樓閣，在地上安定穹蒼，命海水澆在地上的，耶和華是祂的名。

閱讀經文: 阿摩司書 9:1-15

1 我看見主站在祭壇旁邊，他說：「你要擊打柱頂，使門檻震動，打碎柱頂落在眾人頭上。所剩下的人我必用刀殺戮，無一人能逃避，無一人能逃脫。 2 他們雖然挖透陰間，我的手必取出他們來。雖然爬上天去，我必拿下他們來。

這章有四個預言，第1-10節是三個毀滅性預言，指出無人能逃避脫神的憤怒和審判。

一、神的憤怒　(9:1-10)

(1) 人受審判 (9: 1-4)

神吩咐先知擊打柱頂，房子塌下，會死去很多人(參9:1)。剩下的用刀殺戮，神的憤怒下無人能逃脫。先知之前叫百姓悔改，但百姓不肯悔改，還叫先知離開並閉嘴，他們以為自己無問題，以為審判日子不會到。神卻定住眼目，要把他們每一個人都殺盡，降禍不降福(參9:2-4)。

What Faith Looks Like In Real Life

2023-12-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hebrews 11:8-19.  Let’s go!

To illustrate what faith looks like in real life, the writer of Hebrews focuses in on the life of Abraham and his wife Sarah.  Their incredible story is told in Genesis 12-25.  Here’s what I learned verse by verse about what faith looks like from the life of Abraham and Sarah as described by the writer of Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:8 (NIV)
8  By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.

On verse 8:  Faith is going where God tells you to go, even when you don’t see the whole picture.  So if you’re waiting to see the full picture before you go, guess what?  You’re not living by faith.

What is Faith?

2023-12-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hebrews 11:1-7.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV)
1  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

On verse 1:  In the previous verse (Hebrews 10:39), the writer of Hebrews channeled his inner football coach and encouraged his readers to keep on fighting the fight of faith.  He told them “we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved” (Hebrews 10:39).  Now the writer of Hebrews goes on to explain what faith is.  His definition, as translated by the NIV: “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (v1).  I believe this verse shows us there are two parts to faith. 

人飢餓非因無餅

2023-12-06 in , /by

阿摩司書 8: 11 主耶和華說：「日子將到，我必命饑荒降在地上。人飢餓非因無餅，乾渴非因無水，乃因不聽耶和華的話。

閱讀經文: 阿摩司書 8:1-14

1 主耶和華又指示我一件事：我看見一筐夏天的果子。 2 他說：「阿摩司啊，你看見什麼？」我說：「看見一筐夏天的果子。」耶和華說：「我民以色列的結局到了，我必不再寬恕他們。」 3 主耶和華說：「那日，殿中的詩歌變為哀號，必有許多屍首在各處拋棄，無人作聲。」

一、夏果臨到 再不饒恕 (8:1-3)

「主耶和華又指示我一件事：我看見一筐夏天的果子。」(8:1) 夏果異象是接續第七章中的三個異象──蝗蟲、火和準繩；這和之前三個異象相同的是神「指示我一件事」。當阿摩司看到蝗蟲和火兩個異象，他為以色列代求，但到第三個異象，神不許他代求；來到夏果異象，神同樣沒有讓他代求。神說：「我民以色列的結局到了，我必不再寬恕他們。(8:2)」夏天的果子成熟了，再不吃也不能收藏多久，很快就腐爛，夏果表示結局到了！