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A Key to Connecting With Your Audience

2022-03-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 7:1-16.  Let’s go!
 
Acts 7:1-16 (NIV)
1  Then the high priest asked him, “Are these charges true?”
2  To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.
3  ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’
4  “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living.
5  He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child.
6  God spoke to him in this way: ‘Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years…….

On verses 1-16: Why is Stephen giving a speech to the Sanhedrin, Israel’s ruling council of elders, about the history of Israel? Remember that the Sanhedrin had accused Stephen of making false, blasphemous statements about Moses, about God (6:11), about the temple (6:13) and about the law of Moses (6:13).  They accused Stephen of trying to subvert Judaism and advocate for a new religion, saying that Jesus would change the customs which the Jews had received from Moses (Acts 6:14).

約伯述昔日佳景

2022-03-23 in , /by

〈約伯記〉29:3   那時祂的燈照在我頭上，我藉祂的光行過黑暗。

閱讀經文：〈約伯記〉29章

我們當中有很多人可能都有約伯的經驗，回憶從前，不甚稀噓。最近有個朋友回鄉探親，回來後講起回鄉尋找五十年前的小吃，那種喜樂和回味令人難以忘懷。當然，從前的小吃或零嘴現在再吃，可能因為感覺變了，味道也不再一樣。但是尋根是人人都有的衝動，回憶也使人的心裡感到充實，尤其是美好的回憶，使我們感到人生沒有白虛度。約伯在自嘆自艾中，回想到他曾經也有過一段非常美好的日子。

約伯以前過怎樣的好日子呢？他把從前人生的美好分為四部份: 神的保守和祝福，神的帶領和同行。約伯享受天倫之樂，以及豐盛的物質。那時約伯正值壯年，事事如意，樣樣稱心。奶多可洗腳，磐石為他出油成河，不管是吃的用的，他都不需愁煩。在他人眼中的磐石可能毫無用處，但是在約伯的手中，卻成了出油的源頭。這種事有人稱之為運氣，別人看不見的，一到他手裡石頭就變錢了。也因為有錢，相對的也受到人的尊重。現代人要競選政治的職位，沒有錢是萬萬不能。

約伯可能因著財富，成為城裡有勢之人，也就是有了官位。以前的城門是審判人民，或為百姓排憂解恨的地方。所以約伯出到城門，在街上設立座位，表示他做了城裡的領袖。因此少年人看到他要迴避，老年人也起身站立，因為他是官。王子看到他就停止說話，首領默默無聲，表示非常的尊敬。那時約伯為困苦人申冤，幫助孤兒寡婦，因此聽見的人都稱他為有福，並且稱讚他的所作所為。

敬畏主就是智慧

2022-03-22 in , /by

〈約伯記〉28:28  敬畏主就是智慧，遠離惡便是聰明。

閱讀經文：〈約伯記〉28章

約伯對神和大自然的認識，在本章中把我們的眼界提升到一個境界，跳脫了無止休的辯論，進入神那遼闊的殿堂。有人說，本章是世界自然史中最古老最優美的篇章之一，也是文學界裡最偉大的詩篇之一。約伯從他對大自然的觀察和理解去認識到一件事，不管金銀寶石何等稀罕難得，也不能買到真正的智慧，唯有敬畏神才能得到真智慧。

現代人都以為科學猛進，我們比古人聰明得多，沒想到在約伯那麼早的年代，就已經掌握了煉礦冶金的方法。根據《舊約聖經背景注釋》，埃及早在第一王朝時代（約主前3000年）已經有採礦的記載。約伯記在此描述的冶金方法，埃及新王國時代（約主前1550～1050年）很多古墓壁畫中都能找到。本段所形容的地下採礦法稱為豎井採礦法〔pitting〕，近東在主前2000年左右開始使用。這種採礦法是在不同距離挖掘垂直的礦井，以求開採平向的礦層。此外，他們亦在山側或懸崖開鑿橫向的礦坑。

狄奧都魯斯也描述了古代的採礦工藝：沿著礦脈把礦井打入山中。用火把礦石燒得易碎，然後由人點著燈把礦石挖出來砸成粉，用水沖，最後得到黃金。“銀子有礦，煉金有方，鐵從地裡挖出，銅從石中熔化”，神把金銀銅鐵都藏在無人居住之處，在山的最深之處，那裡十分黑暗，卻沒料到竟然也有人可以認出那些看起來不足為道的平凡石頭，那些幽暗陰翳的石頭，裡面竟然含有寶藏。而獲取每一種礦的方法都不一樣。採礦工作都在無人居住、與人遠離之地，運送困難，“懸在空中搖來搖去”似乎是說到用纜線運送一桶桶採到的礦之方式。

Wisdom to Face Challenges and Opposition

2022-03-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 6:1-15.  Let’s go! 

Acts 6:1 (NIV)
1  In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
 
On verse 1:  In the Old Testament God shows His heart to care for orphans and widows (see for example Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 10:18; and Psalm 146:9).  This concern for orphans and widows is also found in the New Testament in verses like James 1:27, 1 Timothy 5, and here in Acts 6 where the growing Christian community has a ministry to care for widows in Jerusalem. 
 
Who were the “Grecian Jews” and the “Hebraic Jews” and why does it matter?  In Jerusalem there were many Jews who had moved into Jerusalem from “Grecian” or Hellenistic regions (see Acts 1:5), that is, from countries where the dominant culture was Greek.  These “Grecian Jews” grew up being influenced as much by Greek culture as their Jewish heritage and had moved to Jerusalem where they now were living amongst “Hebraic Jews” who grew up in Jerusalem speaking Hebrew all their lives.   That would be similar to me, a Chinese boy who grew up in Canada speaking English, loving hockey and listening to the Beatles, moving to China to live amongst Chinese people who had spent all their lives speaking Mandarin and living in a more traditionally Chinese culture. 

我持定我的義

2022-03-21 in , /by

〈約伯記〉27:6我持定我的義，必不放鬆；在世的日子，我心必不責備我。

閱讀經文：〈約伯記〉27章

約伯說“神奪去我的理”，好像在《聖經》裡也曾經有人說過類似的話，你記得嗎？那個人說：“我發怒以至於死，都合乎理”。看到神赦免尼尼微城的人，先知約拿氣到口不擇言。他覺得他發怒以至於死，都合乎理，理是在他約拿那邊的，神太無理。約伯也說神奪去了他的理，他本來有理，但是神使他變得無理，所以是神無理。但是誰有理，誰無理，我們這些事後諸葛亮都看得很清楚。

美國敬虔的足球四分衛Tim Tebow（科比）曾被謠傳和環球小姐OliviaCulpo（奧莉薇亞）分手，理由是因為他不願意在婚前發生性關係。有人拿這消息炒作，說他根本就不應該和那類女性交往，並以此大作文章警戒信徒。但是科比的發言人說，那些都是八卦新聞的炒作，只因為奧莉薇亞有一次去科比的教會，就被影射成他們兩人在交往，實際上他們根本連約會都未曾有過。對科比而言，他身處一個壓力很大的環境裡，在他身邊幾乎所有的人都對性都很隨便，只有他一支獨秀，排除所有的異見，單單以《聖經》的教導為至寶。

約伯在他的朋友攻擊之下，雖然覺得神奪走了他的理，以致於朋友和妻子都覺得他沒理。但是他依然決定：“我的嘴決不說非義之言，我的舌也不說詭詐之語”。人在被激怒的情況下最容易失去理智，說出讓自己後悔的話，但是約伯拒絕讓憤怒或悲傷控制他的舌頭。在這裡，我們可以稍微明白，為何摩西在書卷的開頭就形容約是個義人，完全，正直，且敬畏神，遠離惡事。雅各說：“若有人在話語上沒有過失，他就是完全人，也能勒住自己的全身”（各3:2）。約伯在苦難之中，不斷地被朋友指責，但是他仍然立志不說非義之言，不說詭詐之語，這是何等值得我們學習。

God’s Unstoppable Church

2022-03-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 5:33-42.  Let’s go! 

Acts 5:33-40 (NIV)
33  When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.
34  But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.
35  Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.
36  Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing.
37  After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered.
38  Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.
39  But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”
40  His speech persuaded them.  They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
 
On verses 33-40:   The Sanhedrin, which is the assembly of Israel’s elders (Acts 5:21), wants to put the apostles to death for refusing to obey the Sanhedrin’s orders not to preach about Jesus (v33).  But Gamaliel, who is both a Pharisee and a teacher of the law and who is highly respected by the people, uses his considerable influence to move the Sanhedrin in another direction.  Ordering the apostles to wait outside, Gamaliel speaks to the Sanhedrin and asks them to carefully consider their next step (v35).   He cites two previous movements, one led by Theudas who apparently claimed to be a Messiah-like figure (v36) and another led by Judas who revolted against the Roman government census (v37).  These two movements came and went and ultimately amounted to nothing. 

When It’s Not Politically Correct To Obey God

2022-03-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 5:17-32.  Let’s go! 

Acts 5:17-25 (NIV)
17  Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.
18  They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
19  But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.
20  “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.”
21  At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin–the full assembly of the elders of Israel–and sent to the jail for the apostles.
22  But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported,
23  “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.”
24  On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this.
25  Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.”
 
On verses 17-25:  The high priest is jealous of the apostles and the positive attention they were getting from the miracles God had enabled them to perform.  The high priest throws the apostles in jail.  Yet miraculously God sends an angel to deliver the apostles, taking them out of jail without being noticed.  At daybreak the next morning, the high priest finds the apostles in the temple courts telling people “the full message of this life” (v20). 

神將北極鋪在空中

2022-03-20 in , /by

〈約伯記〉26:7  神將北極鋪在空中，將大地懸在虛空。

閱讀經文：〈約伯記〉25-26章

有位姐妹有一次吃魚時吞得太快，把魚骨也吞下了。結果魚骨卡在喉嚨裡，不上不下，讓她越來越不舒服，連吞口水也會痛。但是可能卡得太深了，她去找醫院檢查後，醫生竟然看不到有魚骨，於是約她第二天去做胃鏡。第二天做完一連串的檢查後，沒想到醫生說沒有看到任何東西在裡面。這時她的家人和朋友都開始不相信她，認為她只是胡思亂想。但是魚骨在她喉嚨裡，真的很痛，很不舒服啊！因此她開始禱告，尋求主的幫助。有一天她的同事感冒要去看醫生，她便陪同事一起去了。又請那位醫生幫她看看魚骨還在不在。那位醫生非常細心，很認真地找了一遍，真的找到魚骨，把它夾出來了。多麼令人欣喜的後果，但是在沒有人相信的過程中，又是何等令人沮喪！

約伯此時也是在沒有人願意相信他沒有犯罪的過程裡。書亞人比勒達在這幾次的發言裡都排在以利法的後面，可能因為以利法的年記最大吧。他第一個指責（或許）約伯的兒女作惡，罪有應得（伯8:4）；並且暗示約伯可能因而無子無孫（伯18:19）。他的言語之激烈雖比不上瑣法，但其尖鋭卻有過之而無不及。這是比勒達第三次的發言。他看世人“如蛆如蟲”，不僅不潔淨，更不能稱義。當然，如此一來，他把自己也罵進去了。

約伯的態度開始轉變了，他不再訴說自己的苦楚，不再希望他的朋友可以理解他的苦難。他開始用嘲笑的方式來回答比勒達。他笑比勒達幫助不了無能的人，拯救不了膀臂無力的人，也指教不了無智慧的人。表示比勒達所講皆是虛言，不值一聽。既然你要提到神，那麼就來看看誰對神的理解更深！在約伯的發揮裡，他為我們掀開了一部份宇宙的奧秘，使我們可以稍微一窺神的創造之奧秒神奇。

言善人惡人死亡無異

2022-03-18 in , /by

〈約伯記〉24:22 然而神用能力保全有勢力的人，那性命難保的人仍然興起。

閱讀經文：〈約伯記〉24章

台灣某食品企業曾因為製作黑心油一審，卻被判無罪一事，令台灣百姓無不憤慨萬分。該公司自2008年以來從香港進口動物飼料油，累積56批共2385噸豬油，偷天換日加工成劣質食用油，他們期下的產品很多是民眾喜愛的日用食物，為害人群甚眾。如此作法，居然被判無罪，真是司法不公。我們現在排拒的基因改造食品，也是同樣對人體有害，始作佣者仍然在發不義之財，讓眾人頗感無奈，只求自保。比起約伯列舉的惡人，這些在飲食上蠶害大眾的人，又有誰去制裁他們呢？

約伯列舉的例子和受害者真是一個極大的對比。惡人搶奪群畜，拉去孤兒的驢，強取寡婦的牛為當頭，使貧窮人如同野驢出到曠野，殷勤尋找食物，靠著野地給兒女糊口，終夜赤身無衣，天氣寒冷毫無遮蓋，使人赤身無衣，且因飢餓扛抬禾捆，在那些人的圍牆內造油，榨酒自己還口渴。這些都是惡人欺負窮人的真相。當然，你可能可以列舉更多的例子，使人感到哀鴻遍野，不僅無人理會，神也不理會。

但是當我們讀先知書時，我們就曉得神不是不理會。神差遣祂的先知和使者一個又一個，去警戒世人，但是他們不僅把先知的話當作耳邊風，還殺害先知，到最後還把神的兒子釘上十字架。神不是不管，神只是希望用愛和包容使世人知道悔改，並且給人有悔改的時間。但是世人的心和神的心不一樣，當我們看到惡人行惡時，就像約伯說的，為什麼不讓他們立刻受到報應？這樣不是更可以警戒世人嗎？

Integrity Matters

2022-03-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Acts 5:1-16.  Let’s go!

Acts 5:1-11 (NIV)
1  Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.
2  With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
3  Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?
4  Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”
5  When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened.
6  Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.
7  About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8  Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”
9  Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
10  At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11  Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

On verses 1-11:  What exactly did Ananias and Sapphira do wrong here?  Weren’t they generous in giving money to the church?  Did God strike them down simply because they kept a bit of the money for themselves?  Are we not allowed to keep anything for ourselves when we sell something?