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造物之奧妙

2022-04-04 in , /by

〈約伯記〉38:19   光明的居所從何而至？黑暗的本位在於何處？。

閱讀經文：〈約伯記〉38章19-41節

有很多人質疑神的存在，卻不曾質疑過自己的存在。若是沒有神，萬物的一切豈不空穴來風？有何物可以不經創造而存在呢？英國著名天文學家哈雷，因推算出一顆彗星的軌道而出名，這顆彗星因而起名叫哈雷彗星。哈雷是牛頓的朋友，他不肯相信上帝創造宇宙萬物。有一天，哈雷到牛頓 家，看到牛頓所造的太陽系模型，中央是一個鍍金的太陽，四圍各大行星各按各的位置排列整齊，一拉曲柄，各行星立刻照自己的軌道和諧轉動，非常形象和美妙。 哈雷見到這模型，玩弄了好久，驚歎叫好，問牛頓是誰設計製造的。牛頓回答說，這個模型沒有人設計和製造，是由各種材料偶然湊巧碰在一起而形成的。哈雷當然不信，並說設計和製造的人是位天才。

牛頓高興地說：「這個模型雖然精巧，但比真正的太陽系，實在算不得甚麼，你尚且相信一定有人製造；難道比這個模型精巧 億萬倍的太陽系，豈不是應該有一位全能的上帝，用高度智慧創造出來的？」哈雷恍然大悟，也信了上帝。這是一個許多人都知道的故事。但是不等到神詰問約伯，我們還不知道自己是何等有限，何等沒有聰明，何等缺乏智慧。所以也無法順服神。

有人說光明和黑暗只是一種對比，因為只要有一絲光射進黑暗裡，黑暗就不再是黑暗。但是神指出，有光明的居所，也有黑暗的本位。你知道在哪裡嗎？神問科學家：“你總知道，因為你早已生在世上，你日子的數目也多。”神問各種專家，包括老人家，活得越長久，就能知道這些答案嗎？神的作為對人而言何等深奧，神若不向人彰顯其奧密，有誰能明白萬物的來龍去脈？因此人必須知道自己有限，有限得很，才能謙卑在神面前，尋求指引。

Obey Without Delay

2022-04-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 10:17-33.  Let’s go!

Acts 10:17-19 (NIV)
17  While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon’s house was and stopped at the gate.
18  They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.
19  While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Simon, three men are looking for you.
 
On verses 17-19:  In verse 3 the Holy Spirit called Cornelius by name.  A number of times in Acts 10 the Holy Spirit calls Peter by name.  (In fact, the Holy Spirit calls him by his new name “Peter” in verse 13 and then calls him by his old name “Simon” in verse 19.)  What can we learn from this?  God is a personal loving Father who knows us and calls by name.   

Acts 10:20-24 (NIV)
20  So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them.”
21  Peter went down and said to the men, “I’m the one you’re looking for. Why have you come?”
22  The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.”

God’s Heart for Every Person on the Planet

2022-04-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 10:1-16.  Let’s go!

Acts 10:1-4 (NIV)
1  At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment.
2  He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
3  One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4  Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God.
 
On verse 4:  God heard the sincere prayers and took note of the generous donations Cornelius made to the poor, though Cornelius at this point had not yet put his trust in Jesus Christ.  Regardless of your faith position, God sees the good that you do and the sincerity with which you pray.  But if all the good you do was good enough to save you, God wouldn’t have sent Jesus Christ for you.  Likewise despite all the good that Cornelius had done in his lifetime, God still connected Cornelius to Peter so that Cornelius could hear the saving news about Jesus Christ.

Acts 10:5-8 (NIV)
5  Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter.
6  He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”
7  When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants.
8  He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

神詰問約伯

2022-04-03 in , /by

〈約伯記〉38:4  我立大地根基的時候，你在哪裡呢？你若有聰明，只管說吧。

閱讀經文：〈約伯記〉38章1-18節

聽完了約伯和朋友們的辯論，神從從旋風中回答約伯。神只回答約伯。因為「誰用無知的言語，使神的旨意暗昧不明？」當約伯的朋友侃侃而談，自以為是時，神卻認為那些都是無知的言語，使神的旨意暗昧不明！當約伯的朋友們以為自己理解神的心意，當神的代言人指責約伯時，神卻指出他們的言語是無知的，他們使神的旨意暗昧不明。我們可曾碰到如此尴尬，被打臉的時候？

神問了幾個基本的問題，沒有人可以回答。當我們覺得自己很聰明，理直氣壯時，若能把這些問題拿來問問自己：「神立大地根基的時候，我在哪裡？我知道誰定地的尺度嗎？地的根基安置在何處？地的角石是誰安放的？」自然就可以謙卑下來了。

在〈箴言〉第八章裡所羅門王形容 “智慧”：「祂立高天，我在那裡，祂在淵面的周圍劃出圓圈， 上使穹蒼堅硬，下使淵源穩固， 為滄海定出界限，使水不越過祂的命令，立定大地的根基。(箴8:27-29)」這句話點明，世界上能回答神這幾個問題的人，只有“智慧”，因為「在耶和華造化的起頭，在太初創造萬物之先，就有了我。從亙古，從太初，未有世界以前，我已被立。(箴8:22-24) 」這“智慧”是指誰呢？所羅門王說：「尋得『我』的就尋得生命，恨惡『我』的都喜愛死亡。(箴8:35/36)」《聖經》裡的神子是誰呢？豈不是主耶穌，神的獨生子嗎？只有主耶穌宣告：「復活在我，生命也在我。信我的人，雖然死了，也必復活； 凡活著信我的人必永遠不死。(約11:25)」“智慧”就是主耶穌，祂在造化的起頭就已經存在，祂也見證了耶和華神的創造。

這段經文提升了我們看大自然的眼界，我們會為了大自然的神奇和美麗而驚嘆不己，但是不會想到：「海水衝出，如出胎胞，那時誰將它關閉呢？」海水需要神用雲彩當海的衣服，用幽暗當包裹它的布，為它定界限，又安門和閂，被限制：『你只可到這裡，不可越過，你狂傲的浪要到此止住。』。何等奇妙，原來有一位造物主在管理這個世界，使萬物不越過本位。

The Greatest Measure of Your Life

2022-04-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

There are lots of great lessons we can learn from today’s passage, Acts 9:23-43.  Let’s go!

Acts 9:23-28 (NIV)
23  After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him,
24  but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him.
25  But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
26  When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.
27  But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.
28  So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
 
On verses 23-28:  Here we see different groups of people responding to Saul differently.  Some (his former allies) want to kill him (v23-24).  Others (his new converts) want to protect him (v25).  Some were afraid of him and doubt his intentions (v26).  Barnabas believes in him and advocates for him (v27).  Just as Barnabas advocated for Saul and spoke on his behalf so that he could join the apostles’ team, so Jesus Christ stood in the gap for us and spoke on our behalf so that we could join His team.

述神之威能奇妙

2022-04-01 in , /by

〈約伯記〉37:21    現在有雲遮蔽，人不得見穹蒼的光亮；但風吹過，天又發晴。

閱讀經文：〈約伯記〉37章

想到38章裡神跟約伯講的第一句話：“誰用無知的言語，使我的旨意暗昧不明？”就覺得神有點著急了。好像若讓以利戶再說下去，不知道他會把祂形容成什麼。以利戶說：“神轟轟的聲音，是祂口中所發的響聲。”以利戶把神的聲音形容成獅子吼似的，“祂發響聲震遍天下，發電光閃到地極。隨後人聽見有雷聲轟轟，大發威嚴，雷電接連不斷。”這可能和古人的迷信有點關係。古時候的人不知道雷電怎樣形成，所以聽見雷聲就以為天神發怒了。其實在《聖經》裡，神都是用微細的聲音跟人講話。

當神呼召摩西時，神在燃燒的荊棘中對他說話，雅各在夢中時神對他說話，以利亞躲到山洞中時，神也是用細微的聲音跟他說話。神跟人說話，是用人能夠理解的語言，不是用轟轟的聲音來展示祂的威嚴。神的口中會發如雷的響聲嗎？祂應該可以，但是神並不選擇如此來嚇我們。大自然裡的雨和風雪都在神的權勢之下，但是神何時封住人的手，來曉得祂的作為呢？筆者反而覺得，神利用各種方式去向人啟示大自然的規律，使人懂得雷電的法則，從而可以使用電力、風力，甚至太陽能來讓生活更加方便，做事更有效率。

以利戶觀察大自然，看到“百獸進入穴中，臥在洞內。” 百獸有神所賜的本能，懂得在天氣不好時進入穴中，臥在洞內保護自己。至於大自然界裡的各種現象，不管是冰天雪地或是密雲滿佈，都為神所用。“暴風出於南宮，寒冷出於北方”，這南宮也可譯為庫房。在以利戶的形容裡，有不少是出於民俗的傳言，例如：“神噓氣成冰” ，“金光出於北方，在神那裡有可怕的威嚴。

Was Blind But Now I See

2022-03-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs!
 
Today’s passage is Acts 9:1-22.  Let’s go!

Acts 9:1-22 (NIV)
1  Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest
2  and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
3  As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4  He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5  “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.
6  “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7  The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.
8  Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus…….

On verses 1-22:  As we read about Saul’s amazing conversion to Christianity, we see that God is full of grace and mercy. He does not treat His enemies as they deserve. Instead of destroying His enemies for their sins, His first choice is to woo them to His side. That’s what Jesus did with Saul. God could have easily destroyed Saul for masterminding the arrest, persecution and murder of His children. But instead He reached out to Saul with incredible grace and mercy, and won Saul over to His side.

人不能全知

2022-03-31 in , /by

〈約伯記〉36:25   他所行的，萬人都看見，世人也從遠處觀看。

閱讀經文：〈約伯記〉36章

你可曾有過衝動，想為神解釋，為神開脫？以利戶在此就有這樣的衝動，因為他覺得約伯對神的看法不對。但是人是如此有限，我們所看到的所明白的，都居於自己的背景、教育和經歷，我們怎能描述出神的真面目呢？讓我們一起來看以利戶眼中的神有哪些特點：第一，“這位神有大能，並不藐視人，祂的智慧甚廣。”這點我想大多數人都會同意，因為這些都是《聖經》裡的啟示。

其二，“他不保護惡人的性命，卻為困苦人申冤。”這點可能有些人像約伯一樣，有所保留。約伯說，“在多民的城內有人唉哼，受傷的人哀號，神卻不理會那惡人的愚妄。（伯24:12）”他舉了很多例子，惡人行惡，神卻容忍惡人，沒有即刻審判刑罰。我們也看到不少這樣的例子，也看到不少惡人在神的恩典裡悔改，成為神的僕人。所以人看為惡人，神不一定看其為惡人。事實上，這世上一個義人也沒有，我們看別人是惡人，我們在神的眼中也有可能是惡人，因為神知道每個人暗地裡的心思意念。神實在是饒了我們這些惡人的性命，並讓我們有回轉的機會。

其三，神看顧義人，使他們被高舉；若被苦難困住，就把他們的作為和過犯指示他們。這正是約伯的祈求，他希望知道自己錯在哪裡。這世界上曾經有的義人，並不像以利戶所言，時時被高舉，相反地，他們經常遭受迫。如施洗約翰和主耶穌，還有使徒，哪一個不是被迫害至死？度日亨通，歷年福樂的義人不是沒有，但是許多為神而活的義人，都遭到不義之手的殺害。

人的作為與神何干

2022-03-30 in , /by

〈約伯記〉35:5    你要向天觀看，瞻望那高於你的穹蒼。

閱讀經文：〈約伯記〉35章

我有時候很佩服這種可以抓住一句話就大肆發揮的人，我一和人吵架，往往吵到第三句就忘了人家說過什麼話了。因為當你看著對方意興橫飛，口沬四噴的樣子，就不自覺要退後幾步，想找個藉口去擦拭臉。尤其春夏秋冬換季之時最容易有流行性感冒，最好不要被人家的唾液噴到為妙。可憐的約伯坐在那裡，被噴得心火冒升，卻毫無逃逸之法。我常在思考，假如約伯的朋友們說的都不怎麼對，還要約伯為他們的錯誤獻祭，才得神的赦免。那麼讓那麼多廢話遺臭萬年，又有何意義，豈不枉費我們的功夫？

可是真的讀了，才明白為何神要這些討論留下來的原因。因為大多數人的思路都和約伯的朋友們一樣，他們說過的話，我們可能也說過，而且還沾沾自喜，不以為過。想到華理克師母在愛子馬太自殺後，被一會友質問，是否有犯過什麼罪時，真是情何以堪？在有位師母患了長年頭痛無法痊癒，卻被教會的執事叫她要悔改時，使她更痛哭不已，病情加重。這種例子不少，而且都發生在我們的身邊，有很多沒有生病就自以為是的信徒，不懂得克制自己的口舌，以致不自覺中犯罪，還以為自己代神出征了。

神要我們讀〈約伯記〉，而且要我們好好地去讀約伯的朋友所說的廢話，免得重蹈覆轍，在自大中傷害到需要幫助的人或軟弱的人。可見驕傲的情緒何等執著地依附著我們，隨時要發動它不義的攻擊。約伯從來沒有說他的公義勝於神的公義。“我不犯罪比犯罪有什麼好處呢？”那是他在苦難中的感嘆，而不是真的以為犯不犯罪無區別。

Start With Where They’re At

2022-03-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 8:26-40.  Let’s go!

Acts 8:26-28 (NIV)
26  Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road–the desert road–that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
27  So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,
28  and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet.

On verses 26-28:  God tells Philip to go south to the desert road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza.  God doesn’t tell Philip why.  On his way Philip meets the treasurer of the Egyptian government.  According to the New American Commentary, eunuchs in the ancient Near East were men who had been castrated at a young age and were put in charge of the royal harem and the treasury.   Not only was this eunuch therefore carrying great responsibility and authority, but also this eunuch was spiritually hungry.  In fact this Ethiopian eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship God and was reading the book of Isaiah on his way home.

What can we learn from this?