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God’s Incredible Patience and Mercy

2023-08-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 15:1-20.  Let’s go!

Judges 15:1-3 (NIV)
1  Later on, at the time of wheat harvest, Samson took a young goat and went to visit his wife. He said, “I’m going to my wife’s room.” But her father would not let him go in.
2  “I was so sure you thoroughly hated her,” he said, “that I gave her to your friend. Isn’t her younger sister more attractive? Take her instead.”
3  Samson said to them, “This time I have a right to get even with the Philistines; I will really harm them.”

On verses 1-3:  Samson’s sense of justice is warped.  First, he thinks that he can abandon his bride on their wedding day and can come back a season later to pick her up again without much issue.  Then, when the bride’s father tells Samson that he gave her away to someone else, Samson treats this as a reason to exact revenge on all the Philistines generally.  But whose fault was it that Samson lost his wife?  No one but Samson’s alone.  When a person lives with themselves at the centre, their sense of what is just and right will be warped.

神聖的呼召

2023-08-21 in , /by

以西結書 3:5 你奉差遣不是往那說話深奧、言語難懂的民那裡去，乃是往以色列家去。

閱讀經文: 以西結書 3:4-15

4 祂對我說：「人子啊，你往以色列家那裡去，將我的話對他們講說。 5 你奉差遣不是往那說話深奧、言語難懂的民那裡去，乃是往以色列家去。 6 不是往那說話深奧、言語難懂的多國去，他們的話語是你不懂得的，我若差你往他們那裡去，他們必聽從你。 7 以色列家卻不肯聽從你，因為他們不肯聽從我，原來以色列全家是額堅心硬的人。 8 看哪，我使你的臉硬過他們的臉，使你的額硬過他們的額。 9 我使你的額像金鋼鑽，比火石更硬。他們雖是悖逆之家，你不要怕他們，也不要因他們的臉色驚惶。」

神在每一個人的生命中都有特別的計劃，即使是失去自由，成為被擄之人，神也可以照樣使用他。保羅在獄中可以傳福音，以西結雖然被擄，也可以傳神的話語。因為神的信息充滿生命和能力，是無法阻擋的。所以現在雖然有很多地方不能公開傳福音，在公共場合、機構，甚至學校，都有嚴格限制，但是我們不必喪志，因為神的智慧超越一切，神的話語也不能被拘禁。

神差遣以西結去傳神的話語，以西結的對象是以色列被擄之民。神特別說明：不是往那說話深奧、言語難懂的多國，而是向自己人傳福音。從六四之後，這個現象就在世界各地出現了。我們不用回到中國，也不用去別的地方，神就把同胞送到我們居住的附近，工作的地方，學習的場所。到處都有中國人，你想傳福音，不用走很遠，只要在身邊，就會碰到言語相通的人。神把中國的門打開了，讓我們知道我們奉差遣向自己人傳神的話語。不用學英語，不用學西班牙語，或法語什麼的，就用自己的語言。

Cracks on the Wall

2023-08-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 14:1-20.  Today we begin the story of Samson, one of the most tragic characters in all the Bible.  There are many lessons we can learn from Samson’s life.  Let’s go!

Judges 14:1-3 (NIV)
1  Samson went down to Timnah and saw there a young Philistine woman.
2  When he returned, he said to his father and mother, “I have seen a Philistine woman in Timnah; now get her for me as my wife.”
3  His father and mother replied, “Isn’t there an acceptable woman among your relatives or among all our people? Must you go to the uncircumcised Philistines to get a wife?” But Samson said to his father, “Get her for me. She’s the right one for me.”

On verses 1-3:  Notice that the first recorded words from Samson’s mouth are about him being so intent on doing something that was against God’s commands for Israel (Deuteronomy 7:3-4) and how he wouldn’t be swayed or persuaded otherwise.  Unlike Gideon who grew from immaturity to a more mature faith, Samson’s entire life it seems would unfortunately be characterized by this kind of me-centered attitude.

甜蜜的書卷

2023-08-20 in , /by

以西結書 2:2  祂對我說話的時候，靈就進入我裡面，使我站起來，我便聽見那位對我說話的聲音。

閱讀經文: 以西結書 2:1-3:3

2-1祂對我說：「人子啊，你站起來，我要和你說話。」 2 祂對我說話的時候，靈就進入我裡面，使我站起來，我便聽見那位對我說話的聲音。 3 祂對我說：「人子啊，我差你往悖逆的國民以色列人那裡去。他們是悖逆我的，他們和他們的列祖違背我直到今日。 4 這眾子面無羞恥，心裡剛硬，我差你往他們那裡去，你要對他們說：『主耶和華如此說。』 5 他們或聽或不聽（他們是悖逆之家），必知道在他們中間有了先知。

神稱呼以西結為：人子Son Of man。你可能覺得這個稱呼有點耳熟，因為在新約裡，主耶穌就稱呼祂自己為人子。在這裡，可能只是指以西結是人所生的兒子，沒有其他意義。有意義的是，神叫他站起來。因為以西結俯伏在地，神沒辦法跟他講話。但是以西結站不起來，我想換了是我，也會嚇到站不起來。但是神幫助以西結，讓聖靈進入他裡面，賜他能力站起來。

這一段話讓我心深有同感，當我們來到主面前要事奉時，往往發現心有餘力不足，若不是靠著神的恩典和能力，根本沒有辦法做有效的事奉。好像我寫每日親近神，常常感到靈裡枯竭，我懂什麼？但是每一次來到主前，祂就賜給我靈感，讓我知道如何下筆。好像以前在詩班事奉，那真是每次都像在過紅海。因為我們的詩班員大多不會看譜，有的會走音，有的會變調，更慘的是我們打拍子也打不準，因此我們的司琴以最大的愛心和耐心陪我們度過了一年又一年。奇妙的是，雖然我們沒有水準，每次靠著神的恩典和能力，每次的獻詩都唱得特別好，因此我們自稱為恩典詩班。我們原本是站不起來的，但是神的靈進入我們裡面，給我們有站起來的能力。

His Name is Wonderful

2023-08-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 13:15-25.  Let’s go!

Judges 13:15-18 (NIV)
15  Manoah said to the angel of the LORD, “We would like you to stay until we prepare a young goat for you.”
16  The angel of the LORD replied, “Even though you detain me, I will not eat any of your food. But if you prepare a burnt offering, offer it to the LORD.” (Manoah did not realize that it was the angel of the LORD.)
17  Then Manoah inquired of the angel of the LORD, “What is your name, so that we may honor you when your word comes true?”
18  He replied, “Why do you ask my name? It is beyond understanding.”

On verses 15-18:  If scholars are correct and the angel of the LORD is a Christophany (i.e an appearance of Christ), then it’s appropriate that the angel of the LORD says that his name is “beyond understanding” (v18) or, also translated, “wonderful”.  For that is what Christ’s name is.  His name is so far beyond any other name in terms of power, authority and wonder.  As Isaiah 9:6 says, “And he will be called Wonderful, Counselour, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace”.

神榮耀的形像

2023-08-18 in , /by

以西結書 1:28 下雨的日子雲中虹的形狀怎樣，周圍光輝的形狀也是怎樣。這就是耶和華榮耀的形象。

閱讀經文: 以西結書1:1-28

1當三十年四月初五日，以西結在迦巴魯河邊被擄的人中，天就開了，得見神的異象。 2 正是約雅斤王被擄去第五年四月初五日， 3 在迦勒底人之地迦巴魯河邊，耶和華的話特特臨到布西的兒子祭司以西結，耶和華的靈降在他身上。

第一節的“當三十年四月初五日”，在英文是When I was thirty years of age，是指以西結三十歲那年的四月五日。那時以西結已經被擄到巴比倫五年了。巴比倫把被擄來的人分配在不同的地方居住，以西結和一些猶大人就被分派到迦巴魯河邊。迦巴魯河現在改名為迦博河，是幼發拉底河的一條支流，行經現在的土耳其和伊拉克。

猶大人被擄到巴比倫，心懷故國，從〈詩篇〉137篇可以感受到他們的心情：“我們曾在巴比倫的河邊坐下，一追想錫安就哭了。我們把琴掛在那裡的柳樹上。因為在那裡，擄掠我們的要我們唱歌，搶奪我們的要我們作樂，說：「給我們唱一首錫安歌吧！」 我們怎能在外邦唱耶和華的歌呢？耶路撒冷啊，我若忘記你，情願我的右手忘記技巧！我若不記念你，若不看耶路撒冷過於我所最喜樂的，情願我的舌頭貼於上膛！(vv.1-6)”﹝我心旋律﹞聖樂事工把它改成〈給我一顆中國心〉：“給我一顆中國心，一顆中國心，每當我在寄居地歌唱，想到你就哭了，中國啊，中國啊，我心所愛，願你不再哭泣。中國啊，中國啊，若我忘記你，情願右手忘記技巧；中國啊，中國啊，若不紀念你，情願舌頭貼於上膛。”

What Faith Looks Like

2023-08-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 13:1-14.  Let’s go!

Judges 13:1-5 (NIV)
1  Again the Israelites did evil in the eyes of the LORD, so the LORD delivered them into the hands of the Philistines for forty years.
2  A certain man of Zorah, named Manoah, from the clan of the Danites, had a wife who was sterile and remained childless.
3  The angel of the LORD appeared to her and said, “You are sterile and childless, but you are going to conceive and have a son.
4  Now see to it that you drink no wine or other fermented drink and that you do not eat anything unclean,
5  because you will conceive and give birth to a son. No razor may be used on his head, because the boy is to be a Nazirite, set apart to God from birth, and he will begin the deliverance of Israel from the hands of the Philistines.”

On verses 1-5:  The purpose of a Nazirite vow was to live a life that was specially set apart for God for a short period of time.  According to Numbers 6:1-8, a person making a Nazirite vow must abstain from wine, haircuts, and touching dead bodies.  Usually a Nazirite vow was something that a person took voluntarily for a set period of time.  In the case of this child to be born in Judges 13, the Nazirite vow was a calling he was given by God (it wasn’t voluntary) and it was to last all his life.

What’s the Password?

2023-08-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 12:1-15.  Let’s go!

Judges 12:1-4 (NIV)
1  The men of Ephraim called out their forces, crossed over to Zaphon and said to Jephthah, “Why did you go to fight the Ammonites without calling us to go with you? We’re going to burn down your house over your head.”
2  Jephthah answered, “I and my people were engaged in a great struggle with the Ammonites, and although I called, you didn’t save me out of their hands.
3  When I saw that you wouldn’t help, I took my life in my hands and crossed over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave me the victory over them. Now why have you come up today to fight me?”
4  Jephthah then called together the men of Gilead and fought against Ephraim. The Gileadites struck them down because the Ephraimites had said, “You Gileadites are renegades from Ephraim and Manasseh.”

On verses 1-4:  In the book of Judges so far, the Ephraimites come across repeatedly as complainers.  When Gideon defeated the Midianites, the Ephraimites complained as to why they did not participate more (Judges 8:1).  When Jephthah defeated the Ammonites, the Ephraimites complained as to why Jephthah didn’t involve them (Judges 12:1).  They even call Jephthah and the Gileadites “nothing but half-breeds and rejects from Ephraim and Manasseh” (Judges 12:4, MSG).  The Ephraimites would pay for their complaining and trash talking, as Jephthah decides to attack the Ephraimites.

求主使我們回轉

2023-08-17 in , /by

耶利米哀歌  5:21  耶和華啊，求祢使我們向祢回轉，我們便得回轉；求祢復新我們的日子，像古時一樣。

閱讀經文:  5:1-22

1耶和華啊，求你記念我們所遭遇的事，觀看我們所受的凌辱。 2 我們的產業歸於外邦人，我們的房屋歸於外路人。 3 我們是無父的孤兒，我們的母親好像寡婦。 4 我們出錢才得水喝，我們的柴是人賣給我們的。 5 追趕我們的到了我們的頸項上，我們疲乏不得歇息。 6 我們投降埃及人和亞述人，為要得糧吃飽。

耶利米所描述的，是一個戰敗國的形象。土地被佔，生活所需都要仰仗於人，婦女被侵犯，男人不能自保，孩童被抓去做苦工。從每一個國家的歷史，我們都可以找到這種黑暗的歷史，那為什麼以色列和猶大的滅亡會有突出的需要呢？

因為我們讀的是一個屬耶和華神的國家之滅亡。耶和華神是不會失敗的，祂是又真又活的神，不同於列國所拜的偶像和假神，為何祂不保護猶大或以色列呢？為什麼祂要眼睜睜地看著祂的聖城被蹂躝？祂的子民被踐踏？

在神要滅掉所多和蛾摩拉兩城時，是因為“城內罪惡的聲音在耶和華面前甚大  The outcries of victims here to GOD are deafening”（創19:13）。因為作惡太多，被害者的哭喊聲上達天廳，以致於神不得不採取行動，不讓罪惡蔓延。在耶利米書裡，神也一再指出以色列和猶大的罪惡，在“耶路撒冷的街上，連一個行公義、求誠實的人都沒有！（耶5:1）”因為作惡太多，以致於神不不採取行動。但是神並沒有滅絕他們的想法，神只是想管教他們。

A Little Bit of Spirituality Without Wisdom Can Be a Dangerous Thing

2023-08-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Judges 11:28-40.  Let’s go!

Judges 11:28-31 (NIV)
28  The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message Jephthah sent him.
29  Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites.
30  And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD: “If you give the Ammonites into my hands,
31  whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”

On verses 28-31:  The king of Ammon ignores Jephthah’s attempt to resolve their dispute peacefully.  Verse 29 says that, empowered by the Spirit of the LORD, Jephthah advances against the Ammonites.  But whereas Jephthah was thoughtful and measured in the way he first corresponded with the king of the Ammonites (v12-27), Jephthah is not so careful when he makes a vow in verses 30-31.   He vows to the LORD that if the LORD gives the Ammonites into Jephthah’s hands, Jephthah will sacrifice as a burnt offering whatever comes out of the door of his house to meet him when he returns.  Notice that the LORD never required Jephthah to make such a vow.  Rather this was Jephthah trying to strike a bargain with God.  Here’s the thing with trying to strike a bargain with God: you can never win.  God can’t be bought.  And what was God’s response to Jephthah’s offer?  Apparent silence.