Entries by

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).

约伯述昔日佳景

2022-03-23 in , /by

〈约伯记〉29:3   那时祂的灯照在我头上，我藉祂的光行过黑暗。

阅读经文：〈约伯记〉29章

我们当中有很多人可能都有约伯的经验，回忆从前，不甚稀嘘。最近有个朋友回乡探亲，回来后讲起回乡寻找五十年前的小吃，那种喜乐和回味令人难以忘怀。当然，从前的小吃或零嘴现在再吃，可能因为感觉变了，味道也不再一样。但是寻根是人人都有的冲动，回忆也使人的心里感到充实，尤其是美好的回忆，使我们感到人生没有白虚度。约伯在自叹自艾中，回想到他曾经也有过一段非常美好的日子。

约伯以前过怎样的好日子呢？他把从前人生的美好分为四部份: 神的保守和祝福，神的带领和同行。约伯享受天伦之乐，以及丰盛的物质。那时约伯正值壮年，事事如意，样样称心。奶多可洗脚，磐石为他出油成河，不管是吃的用的，他都不需愁烦。在他人眼中的磐石可能毫无用处，但是在约伯的手中，却成了出油的源头。这种事有人称之为运气，别人看不见的，一到他手里石头就变钱了。也因为有钱，相对的也受到人的尊重。现代人要竞选政治的职位，没有钱是万万不能。

约伯可能因着财富，成为城里有势之人，也就是有了官位。以前的城门是审判人民，或为百姓排忧解恨的地方。所以约伯出到城门，在街上设立座位，表示他做了城里的领袖。因此少年人看到他要回避，老年人也起身站立，因为他是官。王子看到他就停止说话，首领默默无声，表示非常的尊敬。那时约伯为困苦人申冤，帮助孤儿寡妇，因此听见的人都称他为有福，并且称赞他的所作所为。

敬畏主就是智慧

2022-03-22 in , /by

〈约伯记〉28:28  敬畏主就是智慧，远离恶便是聪明。

阅读经文：〈约伯记〉28章

约伯对神和大自然的认识，在本章中把我们的眼界提升到一个境界，跳脱了无止休的辩论，进入神那辽阔的殿堂。有人说，本章是世界自然史中最古老最优美的篇章之一，也是文学界里最伟大的诗篇之一。约伯从他对大自然的观察和理解去认识到一件事，不管金银宝石何等稀罕难得，也不能买到真正的智慧，唯有敬畏神才能得到真智慧。

现代人都以为科学猛进，我们比古人聪明得多，没想到在约伯那么早的年代，就已经掌握了炼矿冶金的方法。根据《旧约圣经背景注释》，埃及早在第一王朝时代（约主前3000年）已经有采矿的记载。约伯记在此描述的冶金方法，埃及新王国时代（约主前1550～1050年）很多古墓壁画中都能找到。本段所形容的地下采矿法称为竖井采矿法〔pitting〕，近东在主前2000年左右开始使用。这种采矿法是在不同距离挖掘垂直的矿井，以求开采平向的矿层。此外，他们亦在山侧或悬崖开凿横向的矿坑。

狄奥都鲁斯也描述了古代的采矿工艺：沿着矿脉把矿井打入山中。用火把矿石烧得易碎，然后由人点着灯把矿石挖出来砸成粉，用水冲，最后得到黄金。“银子有矿，炼金有方，铁从地里挖出，铜从石中熔化”，神把金银铜铁都藏在无人居住之处，在山的最深之处，那里十分黑暗，却没料到竟然也有人可以认出那些看起来不足为道的平凡石头，那些幽暗阴翳的石头，里面竟然含有宝藏。而获取每一种矿的方法都不一样。采矿工作都在无人居住、与人远离之地，运送困难，“悬在空中摇来摇去”似乎是说到用缆线运送一桶桶采到的矿之方式。

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. 

我持定我的义

2022-03-21 in , /by

〈约伯记〉27:6我持定我的义，必不放松；在世的日子，我心必不责备我。

阅读经文：〈约伯记〉27章

约伯说“神夺去我的理”，好像在《圣经》里也曾经有人说过类似的话，你记得吗？那个人说：“我发怒以至于死，都合乎理”。看到神赦免尼尼微城的人，先知约拿气到口不择言。他觉得他发怒以至于死，都合乎理，理是在他约拿那边的，神太无理。约伯也说神夺去了他的理，他本来有理，但是神使他变得无理，所以是神无理。但是谁有理，谁无理，我们这些事后诸葛亮都看得很清楚。

美国敬虔的足球四分卫Tim Tebow（科比）曾被谣传和环球小姐OliviaCulpo（奥莉薇亚）分手，理由是因为他不愿意在婚前发生性关系。有人拿这消息炒作，说他根本就不应该和那类女性交往，并以此大作文章警戒信徒。但是科比的发言人说，那些都是八卦新闻的炒作，只因为奥莉薇亚有一次去科比的教会，就被影射成他们两人在交往，实际上他们根本连约会都未曾有过。对科比而言，他身处一个压力很大的环境里，在他身边几乎所有的人都对性都很随便，只有他一支独秀，排除所有的异见，单单以《圣经》的教导为至宝。

约伯在他的朋友攻击之下，虽然觉得神夺走了他的理，以致于朋友和妻子都觉得他没理。但是他依然决定：“我的嘴决不说非义之言，我的舌也不说诡诈之语”。人在被激怒的情况下最容易失去理智，说出让自己后悔的话，但是约伯拒绝让愤怒或悲伤控制他的舌头。在这里，我们可以稍微明白，为何摩西在书卷的开头就形容约是个义人，完全，正直，且敬畏神，远离恶事。雅各说：“若有人在话语上没有过失，他就是完全人，也能勒住自己的全身”（各3:2）。约伯在苦难之中，不断地被朋友指责，但是他仍然立志不说非义之言，不说诡诈之语，这是何等值得我们学习。

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). 

神将北极铺在空中

2022-03-20 in , /by

〈约伯记〉26:7  神将北极铺在空中，将大地悬在虚空。

阅读经文：〈约伯记〉25-26章

有位姐妹有一次吃鱼时吞得太快，把鱼骨也吞下了。结果鱼骨卡在喉咙里，不上不下，让她越来越不舒服，连吞口水也会痛。但是可能卡得太深了，她去找医院检查后，医生竟然看不到有鱼骨，于是约她第二天去做胃镜。第二天做完一连串的检查后，没想到医生说没有看到任何东西在里面。这时她的家人和朋友都开始不相信她，认为她只是胡思乱想。但是鱼骨在她喉咙里，真的很痛，很不舒服啊！因此她开始祷告，寻求主的帮助。有一天她的同事感冒要去看医生，她便陪同事一起去了。又请那位医生帮她看看鱼骨还在不在。那位医生非常细心，很认真地找了一遍，真的找到鱼骨，把它夹出来了。多么令人欣喜的后果，但是在没有人相信的过程中，又是何等令人沮丧！

约伯此时也是在没有人愿意相信他没有犯罪的过程里。书亚人比勒达在这几次的发言里都排在以利法的后面，可能因为以利法的年记最大吧。他第一个指责（或许）约伯的儿女作恶，罪有应得（伯8:4）；并且暗示约伯可能因而无子无孙（伯18:19）。他的言语之激烈虽比不上琐法，但其尖锐却有过之而无不及。这是比勒达第三次的发言。他看世人“如蛆如虫”，不仅不洁净，更不能称义。当然，如此一来，他把自己也骂进去了。

约伯的态度开始转变了，他不再诉说自己的苦楚，不再希望他的朋友可以理解他的苦难。他开始用嘲笑的方式来回答比勒达。他笑比勒达帮助不了无能的人，拯救不了膀臂无力的人，也指教不了无智慧的人。表示比勒达所讲皆是虚言，不值一听。既然你要提到神，那么就来看看谁对神的理解更深！在约伯的发挥里，他为我们掀开了一部份宇宙的奥秘，使我们可以稍微一窥神的创造之奥秒神奇。

言善人恶人死亡无异

2022-03-18 in , /by

〈约伯记〉24:22 然而神用能力保全有势力的人，那性命难保的人仍然兴起。

阅读经文：〈约伯记〉24章

台湾某食品企业曾因为制作黑心油一审，却被判无罪一事，令台湾百姓无不愤慨万分。该公司自2008年以来从香港进口动物饲料油，累积56批共2385吨猪油，偷天换日加工成劣质食用油，他们期下的产品很多是民众喜爱的日用食物，为害人群甚众。如此作法，居然被判无罪，真是司法不公。我们现在排拒的基因改造食品，也是同样对人体有害，始作佣者仍然在发不义之财，让众人颇感无奈，只求自保。比起约伯列举的恶人，这些在饮食上蚕害大众的人，又有谁去制裁他们呢？

约伯列举的例子和受害者真是一个极大的对比。恶人抢夺群畜，拉去孤儿的驴，强取寡妇的牛为当头，使贫穷人如同野驴出到旷野，殷勤寻找食物，靠着野地给儿女糊口，终夜赤身无衣，天气寒冷毫无遮盖，使人赤身无衣，且因饥饿扛抬禾捆，在那些人的围墙内造油，榨酒自己还口渴。这些都是恶人欺负穷人的真相。当然，你可能可以列举更多的例子，使人感到哀鸿遍野，不仅无人理会，神也不理会。

但是当我们读先知书时，我们就晓得神不是不理会。神差遣祂的先知和使者一个又一个，去警戒世人，但是他们不仅把先知的话当作耳边风，还杀害先知，到最后还把神的儿子钉上十字架。神不是不管，神只是希望用爱和包容使世人知道悔改，并且给人有悔改的时间。但是世人的心和神的心不一样，当我们看到恶人行恶时，就像约伯说的，为什么不让他们立刻受到报应？这样不是更可以警戒世人吗？

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?