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Studio of the Divine Artist

2026-10-09 in /by

Do your days feel like a hike on an Appalachian Trail in winter? A struggle to place one foot in front of the other? If so, I urge you friend, hang on, hang on. Don’t give up. Help is here. It may not come in the manner you requested or as quickly as you desire, but it will come.

Assume that something good is going to happen. The door of tomorrow is unlocked from the inside. Just turn the knob and step out. The divine artist isn’t finished. The earth is his studio. Every person on earth is one of his projects. Every event on earth is a part of his great mural. He is not finished. The scripture says in Philippians 1:6 (NCV), “God began doing a good work in you, and I’m sure he will continue it until it is finished when Jesus Christ comes again.” Remember friend, you are never alone.

Our Ever Present Help

2026-10-08 in /by

The father may have thought he was walking the road to Capernaum all alone. Quite the contrary. Christ had supernaturally gone into the nobleman’s residence and not only healed the son, but also won the hearts of the entire household. Was the father’s prayer answered? By all means! It was answered in a manner greater than he had requested.

Yours will be as well. Perhaps the answer will come this side of heaven. Perhaps it awaits you on the other side. Either way, this story urges you and me to keep walking and believing in our God who is our ever-present help in trouble.

Ever-present. You’ll never be put on hold or told to check back later. Ever-present. As near as your next breath. Ever-present help. He is here to help. That’s the message of this miracle. That’s the message of the Gospel. Remember friends, you are never alone.

利未人和他的妾

2026-10-08 in , /by

〈士师记〉 19:30凡看见的人都说：「从以色列人出埃及地直到今日，这样的事没有行过，也没有见过！现在应当思想，大家商议当怎样办理。」

阅读经文：〈士师记〉 19:1-30

「当以色列中没有王的时候」，〈士师记〉作者列举一些发生过的事情，让我们明白，在心中没有王的年代里，人可以做出何等无道之事。有一个住在以法莲山地的利未人，他娶了一个妾。没想到这个妾与人行淫，可能因而被赶回伯利恒的父家。按照律法，行淫之人当用石头打死，但是这个利未人可能对他的妾还有感情，所以不但没让人用石头把她打死，还要亲自去她的父家把她迎接回来。

没想到他的亲家十分热情，天天留请他吃饭。住到第五天，吃完饭，这人就坚持要走了。虽然行夜路十分危险，他还是去意已决。那时耶路撒冷尚未成为以色列人的地方，还是由耶布斯人所住，名字也还是叫做耶布斯。

Not Yet Answered Prayer

2026-10-07 in /by

The Gospel of John tells the story about a man from Capernaum who approached Jesus in Cana. “Come heal my son?” the man asked. Jesus said the boy would be healed, and the man set out for Capernaum.

Do you find yourself somewhere between Cana and Capernaum? Like the official, you begged Jesus for help. And like the official you didn’t receive the answer in the way you wanted. This is the issue of the not yet answered prayer, or the not answered in the way I asked prayer.

How should we react? I’m sorry that the job did not materialize or the cancer chose to metastasize. Life has its share of dark, dank moments. Read the Bible from the table of contents in the front to the maps in the back, and you will not find any promise of a pain-free life on this side of heaven. But you will find this assurance, “Never will I leave you. Never will I forsake you.” You are never alone.

但族和拉亿

2026-10-07 in , /by

〈士师记〉  18:31 神的殿在示罗多少日子，但人为自己设立米迦所雕刻的像也在但多少日子。

阅读经文：〈士师记〉  18:1-31

「那时以色列中没有王」，这句话在〈士师记〉中一共出现了四次（17:6/18:1/19:1/21:25），表示作者在写此书时，以色列中已经有王治理。所以他认为，以色列人的问题，是因为以色列中没有王的原因。其实「王」只是领导者的代名词，但是以色列人想的并不是这样，他们渴望的是像外邦人一样有个耀武扬威的王，使人产生敬畏的王。因为摩西、约书亚和一些士师，其实都起了很好的带领作用，使他们远离偶像，敬拜耶和华，在许多方面蒙福。因此我们可以看到，以色列人一直没有找出他们得罪神和失败的根源。

Godly Weapons

2026-10-06 in /by

When we go out in God’s name, Satan makes a dash for the nearest exit. We have weapons he cannot match. What are our weapons? 2 Corinthians 10:4: Prayer, worship, and Scripture. Prayer invites God, praise dethrones Satan, Scripture discloses truth. And Satan hates the truth.

Flee sexual immorality. Let no evil come from your mouth. Make sure the demons of hell know that you are on God’s side, not theirs. People of unbreakable courage know what Elijah knew. “The Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand” (1 Kings 17:1 NKJV).

Victims? Not on your life. Victors? You can count on it!

米迦和他的偶像

2026-10-06 in , /by

〈士师记〉   17:6  那时以色列中没有王，各人任意而行。

阅读经文：〈士师记〉  17:1-13

虽然〈士师记〉  里参孙是最后一个士师，但是真正最后的一个士师是撒母耳。在〈士师记〉  里最后几章都是描写以色列中没有王，各人任意而行的几个例子，让我们明白在一个心中没有王的社会里，会产生的奇怪现象和许多悲剧。

第一个例子说到有一个叫做米迦的人的家中所发生的事情。有一天，米迦的母亲丢了一千一百舍客勒银子，米母（简称）非常生气，可能大骂小偷无耻无道，又咒诅他绝子绝孙的。假如你丢了那么多钱，你会怎样骂小偷，你想得到的，她可能都骂出来了。

参孙与大利拉

2026-10-05 in , /by

〈士师记〉 16:28 参孙求告耶和华说：「主耶和华啊，求你眷念我！神啊，求你赐我这一次的力量，使我在非利士人身上报那剜我双眼的仇！」

阅读经文：〈士师记〉 16:1-31

在这一章的经文里，我们看不到「耶和华的灵感动参孙」这句话了。有的人质疑，参孙身为士师，竟然去找妓女，而且爱上妓女，难道也是出于神的旨意吗？〈士师记〉的作者在写书时，一点不含糊，在这些事上，完全没有神的灵在作工的迹象，参孙被情欲所操纵了。参孙出生时的身份是拿细耳人，但是他破坏了所有拿细耳人的规矩，这就是参孙失败的真正原因。

Defy the Devil

2026-10-05 in /by

Worshippers of Baal believed they could earn the favor of their god through violence or promiscuous sex. For that reason the priests cut themselves, had prostitutes in the temple, and offered babies in the fire. What would such paganism do to a culture? We don’t have to look far to know. What two themes dominate our society? Violence and sex. On average, American youth will witness more than two hundred thousand violent acts on television before the age of eighteen. Thirty-five percent of internet downloads are for pornography.

If you want to be faithful in a faithless world, dare to defy the devil. Yes, he is powerful. But you are a child of the living God! The One who empowered Elijah will empower you.

隐哈歌利之泉

2026-10-04 in , /by

〈士师记〉 15:19 神就使利希的洼处裂开，有水从其中涌出来，参孙喝了精神复原。因此那泉名叫隐哈歌利，那泉直到今日还在利希。

阅读经文：〈士师记〉15:1-20

从参孙处理事情的方法，你会发现他和其他的士师不一样。其他的士师在神呼召他们之后，就登高一呼，大家就来跟随他，一起打战。但是参孙不同，参孙好像都是为了自己的事情在忙，为了自己的事复仇。神就是这样使用他，让他一人去打击非利士人。使非利士人不敢侵犯以色列人，因为参孙会报仇，而且杀戳绝不留情。神给参孙有超人的神力，他就像是现代美国电影中的超人，凡事一脚踢，都不需要别人帮忙。