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If You Love That Person, Do THIS Before You Challenge or Criticize Them

2021-11-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin the book of Philemon, a letter Paul wrote during his first imprisonment in Rome between 61 to 63 AD (imprisoned for preaching the gospel).  Here is some background that you might find helpful:

· Paul wrote this letter to a man called Philemon.  Who was Philemon?  Philemon lived in the city of Colosse and came to faith in Christ through the ministry of Paul (v19).  Later on Philemon would open up his home for the church in Colosse to use as their meeting place.  The fact that Philemon had a home large enough to host a church and owned slaves like Onesimus suggests that Philemon was wealthy.

· Paul’s reason for writing Philemon personally is because one of Philemon’s slaves, called Onesimus, had stolen something from Philemon, ran away, only to meet Paul in Rome and become a Christian under his ministry.  Onesimus becomes useful to Paul’s ministry, but Paul thinks it is best to send Onesimus back to Philemon, encouraging Philemon to forgive his former slave and take him in again.

From this short letter we can learn some powerful lessons on communication, forgiveness, the greatness of what Christ has done for us, and the kind of lives God calls us to live. 

Today’s passage is Philemon 1:1-7.  Let’s go!

Philemon 1:1-7 (NIV)
1  Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker,
2  to Apphia our sister, to Archippus our fellow soldier and to the church that meets in your home:
3  Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

耶戶除巴力拜金牛

2021-11-23 in , /by

〈列王紀〉下 10:10 由此可知，耶和華指著亞哈家所說的話一句沒有落空，因為耶和華藉他僕人以利亞所說的話都成就了。」

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉下  10:1-36

猶大王：羅波安→亞比央→亞撒→約沙法→約蘭→亞哈謝

以色列王：耶羅波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亞哈→亞哈謝→約蘭→耶戶

耶戶做了以色列王，想到先知吩咐他要擊殺亞哈的全家（男丁）和耶洗別，他熱血沸騰，幾乎是見人就殺，連去探望約蘭舅舅的猶大王亞哈謝都不放過，連猶太王亞哈謝的兄弟42個人，全部都抓起來殺了。這些人的死亡都是因為猶大王約沙法為兒子約蘭娶了亞哈的女兒亞她利雅而惹的禍。約沙法王一生敬畏神，可惜在兒子的婚事上做了一個十分錯誤的決定，給他的後裔帶來極大的苦難。本來不沾親不帶故，偏偏去娶了一個拜亞舍拉的女人，搞得自己的後裔被殺得幾乎一乾二淨，還有更大的災難在後邊。他的孫子亞哈謝和其他42個弟兄就這樣莫名其妙被殺死了。只因為沾了一個“姻親” 的名份，實在算不上是亞哈家的人，也被殺死了。

耶戶沒有忘記亞哈的兒子們。亞哈有七十個兒子散住在撒馬利亞許多有錢有勢的尊貴人家裡。耶戶先假裝叫這些照顧王子的人推選一個賢能合宜的出來接續亞哈做王，可是這些人已經聽到他誅殺了以色列王約蘭和猶大王亞哈謝，他們怎麼還敢立王？當然紛紛推辭了。耶戶收到他們的回信，一改口，就叫他們把那些王的的首級送到耶斯列。那些人眼見時勢不妙，再也顧不得主僕的情誼，立刻把亞哈的七十個王子全部殺了，把他們的頭送到耶戶那裡。耶戶有沒有大大地獎賞他們呢？相反地，耶戶不僅奚落他們出賣主子，並且把他們都殺了，包括亞哈的大臣、密友、祭司全都殺了。耶戶說：“耶和華指著亞哈家所說的話一句沒有落空，因為耶和華藉他僕人以利亞所說的話都成就了。”

耶戶碰見利甲的兒子約拿達並不是偶然，因為約拿達是刻意前來迎接耶戶的，耶戶問他安，他也忠誠地回應耶戶，並且支持耶戶要去清除巴力的行動。此時的耶戶為耶和華大發熱心，訂了一個計劃要剷除所有拜巴力的人。他先為巴力召開嚴肅會，然後和約拿達假裝去獻祭，獻完祭趁其不備，便吩咐護衛兵和眾軍長進去殺人，不容一人出來。又將廟裡的巴力柱像都拿出去燒了，又拆了巴力的廟去作廁所，在以色列中滅了巴力。

立耶戶為以色列王

2021-11-22 in , /by

〈列王紀〉下 9:36a 他們回去告訴耶戶，耶戶說：「這正應驗耶和華藉他僕人提斯比人以利亞所說的話。

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉下  9:1-37

猶大王：羅波安→亞比央→亞撒→約沙法→約蘭→亞哈謝

以色列王：耶羅波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亞哈→亞哈謝→約蘭→耶戶

再一次把這個猶大王和以色列王的表列出來，如此大家比較可以明白誰打誰，對照一下究竟哪個王死了。因為在這章裡有太多個王了。在〈列王紀〉上第十九章15-17節裡，神交給以利亞三個使命，以利亞做了一個，就是膏以利沙接續他做先知，其餘兩項都交給以利沙去做。以利沙見到哈薛，卻沒有膏他，只是說知道他將來要做亞蘭王，給他一個提示。現在他也沒有親自去膏耶戶，而是叫一個先知門徒去膏耶戶。

以利亞沒有即刻去膏耶戶，很可能是因為當時亞哈因拿伯的事被先知責備而有悔改之意。因此神說：“因他在我面前自卑，他還在世的時候，我不降這禍。到他兒子的時候，我必降這禍於他的家（王上21:29）”。因此以利亞不能去膏耶戶，亞哈的兒子亞哈謝又死得太快，只做王兩年，就從樓上掉下去，也來不及叫耶戶去殺他。因為亞哈謝沒有兒子，所以由他的兄弟約蘭做王。以色列王約蘭去基列的拉末和亞蘭打戰，被打傷了。他在耶斯列療傷時，他的將軍耶戶在基列的拉末被膏為下一任的以色列王，眾軍長也擁護他為王。

這個在戰場上馳騁大半生的將軍一聽到先知的命令，要他去殺亞哈的全家（指男丁），在耶洗別身上流血申冤，立刻熱血沸騰，像一支箭般地射了出去。而此時另一個被愛心灌滿的猶大王亞哈謝，知道舅舅約蘭受傷，也急速地往耶斯列去探望。殺機從北而來，愛心由南而至。而毫不知情的約蘭，不知死活地套車出去迎接那向他急速射出的箭。耶戶的馬趕得又快又猛，卻沒有人意料到將要發生何事。約蘭的問候換來耶戶的怒吼：“你母親耶洗別的淫行邪術這樣多，焉能平安呢？”當約蘭領悟到耶戶造反時，耶戶的箭已經射中他的脊背，又從心窩穿出。

What Belongs to God

2021-11-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 27:16-34, and it’s full of lessons for us.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 27:16 (NIV) 
16  “‘If a man dedicates to the LORD part of his family land, its value is to be set according to the amount of seed required for it–fifty shekels of silver to a homer of barley seed. 

On verse 16:  Notice that the land is be valued based on “the amount of seed required for it”, that is, how much harvest that land is able to produce.  Why didn’t God base the value of the land on the things real estate agents look at, like desirability of location, quality of the surrounding neighborhood, safety of the area or what schools or public transit are nearby? It’s because the land ultimately belonged to God anyway (see Leviticus 25:23) and the Israelites were to see themselves as tenants on that land.

There’s a lesson in this:  it is true that we are all of great worth to God, such that God gave His only Son Jesus Christ just for the chance to be in relationship with you.  But just as God focuses here on how much a particular piece of land is able to produce, so God focuses on our development potential.  God sees us not just for what we are now, but what we can become.  His vision for us is that we would bear maximum fruit for God’s glory.

Your Worth is Decided by…

2021-11-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 27:1-15.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 27:1-15 (NIV) 
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate persons to the LORD by giving equivalent values,
3  set the value of a male between the ages of twenty and sixty at fifty shekels of silver, according to the sanctuary shekel;
4  and if it is a female, set her value at thirty shekels.
5  If it is a person between the ages of five and twenty, set the value of a male at twenty shekels and of a female at ten shekels.
6  If it is a person between one month and five years, set the value of a male at five shekels of silver and that of a female at three shekels of silver…..

On verses 1-15:  During Moses’ time, people would occasionally make vows to dedicate a person, an animal, or real estate to God.  Instead of actually releasing that person, animal or real estate to God, that person could keep the person, animal or real estate for themselves and instead pay an equivalent price to the priests.  But what should that price be?

Leviticus 27:1-15 sets out the price to be paid for a person, animal or real estate.

Now here’s the big elephant in the room: why are men valued more highly than women here?  For example, why is a 30 year old male valued at 50 shekels of silver (v3) whereas a 30 year old female is valued at 30 shekels (v4)?  

哈薛謀殺便哈達

2021-11-21 in , /by

〈列王紀〉下 8:13b 以利沙回答說：「耶和華指示我，你必做亞蘭王。」

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉下  8:1-24

這段經文裡分別記載了幾個小故事，看起來似乎沒有什麼關聯，但是從神的寶座上看下來，有沒有關聯呢？當然有，因為耶和華神不只是以色列的神，更是全世界、全宇宙的神，因此世代變遷彷彿是人在其中操控一切，實際上History (歷史)就是His Story祂的故事。人雖然敗壞，摩鬼雖然掌權，但耶和華神依然是主宰歷史的神。

以色列王經歷了撒馬利亞被解救的過程，對以利沙又添加了幾分敬佩之心。這一天，當他在聽以利沙的僕人基哈西講以利沙行過的神蹟奇事，正聽得津津有味時，有個婦人來找王。原來是書念的婦人，以利沙在以色列的旱災發生之前，先告訴了書念婦人，叫他們先去非利士地避一避。七年過去了，婦人回來，為她家的房屋和田地求告王。王親眼看見被以利沙救活的孩子，驚奇不已，便派了一個太監去為書念的婦人討回屬於她的一切，包括田地裡的出產。這時間上的巧合說明了什麼？是婦人太幸運了嗎？她幸運，因為神眷顧她。正如主耶穌說的：“人因為先知的名接待先知，必得先知所得的賞賜（太10:41）”。她記念神僕人的需要，神也記念她的需要。

在〈列王紀〉上第十九章15-17節裡，在以利亞從山洞走出來之後，神給了他三道新的命令：耶和華對他說：“ 你回去，從曠野往大馬士革去。到了那裡，就要膏哈薛做亞蘭王，又膏寧示的孫子耶戶做以色列王，並膏亞伯米何拉人沙法的兒子以利沙做先知接續你。將來躲避哈薛之刀的，必被耶戶所殺；躲避耶戶之刀的，必被以利沙所殺。”但是《聖經》上沒有記載以利亞去大馬士革膏哈薛，或去膏耶戶，只有提到他去膏以利沙接替他做先知，顯然那兩個工作都是要由以利沙去完成。以利沙是否為了這個原因而去大馬士革呢？

《聖經中各種審判》10 — 對埃及的審判 之五

2021-11-19 in , /by

第一災＿水變血　上帝是生命的主宰

　　上帝降在埃及的第一個災害，是水變成血，這是很可怕的事情。埃及的尼羅河是世界三大河流之一（密西西比河、亞馬遜河與尼羅河名列前面三條大河），可以淹蓋整個國家三分之一的土地。尼羅河每年氾濫一次，河水漲溢到兩岸的土地，淹覆大部分的土地。人怕水災，埃及則十分不同，反倒非常期待尼羅河每年一次的氾濫。尼羅河上游的紅泥藉由河水氾濫帶到下游，使原本貧脊的土壤變得相當肥沃，因而尼羅河的氾濫成為灌溉的重要時期。

河水、泉源、池塘這些有水的地方，完全都變成血，這就變成大災難。當血在生物的身體裡是生命的泉源，但當血離開身體，這是死亡的記號，非常腥臭，當血遍滿全地的時候，埃及人很難呼吸，很痛苦地面對這不能除掉又不能接受的事情，這進退兩難生命的大災難臨到埃及。上帝用血成為第一個審判，表示神是生死的掌管者。決定生死的，是上帝，就是創造生命者。〈使徒行傳〉告訴我們耶穌是生命的主，我們能殺死耶穌，我們以為我們能殺死一個我們不喜歡的人，卻不知道祂是生命的主，祂掌管生命與死亡。耶穌超越全地，也超越眾生，祂掌握陰間的權柄，主的能力不是人可以想像與限制的。當上帝擊打埃及，首要就是把水變成血。

　　埃及人會因此歡喜快樂嗎？埃及人非常痛苦，因為人需要水來過活。沒有水，人的生命是短暫的，沒有水喝，人幾天就死了。埃及人每天沒有水喝，成天看見的都是腥臭的血，這是第一大災害。這災害來到的時候，上帝卻讓法老王硬著心不准以色列人離開，法老指責以色列人是懶惰的，要他們做得半死，也不要以色列人有自由。法老王讓以色列人吃好、吃多東西，目的不是為了讓他們身體健康或享受人生，而是有更大的力量來做他的奴僕。在馬克思的共產黨宣言說：「全世界的勞工，注意聽！你們畢生的產業不是地皮，你們是無產階級，你們唯一的產業就是你們的體力與勞動價值。資本家苦待你，讓你們做得半死半活，然後給你薪水，不是為了讓你享受，而是讓你一生一世幫著資本家發財」，馬克思用了最大煽動性的言語要全世界的勞工反抗資本家的奴役，「當你們反抗的時候，你們損失的是你們的鎖鏈，得到的是你們的自由」。

The Heart of Your Heavenly Father

2021-11-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 26:27-46.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 26:27-39 (NIV)
27  “‘If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me,
28  then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over.
29  You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters.
30  I will destroy your high places, cut down your incense altars and pile your dead bodies on the lifeless forms of your idols, and I will abhor you.
31  I will turn your cities into ruins and lay waste your sanctuaries, and I will take no delight in the pleasing aroma of your offerings.
32  I will lay waste the land, so that your enemies who live there will be appalled.
33  I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out my sword and pursue you. Your land will be laid waste, and your cities will lie in ruins.
34  Then the land will enjoy its sabbath years all the time that it lies desolate and you are in the country of your enemies; then the land will rest and enjoy its sabbaths…….

On verses 27-39:  Leviticus 26:14-39 describes at length all the punishments and curses that God would bring upon the Israelites if they persistently disobeyed Him and refused to turn from their ways.  The picture of God here is not a pleasant one, but let it be a reminder that because God is holy, God possesses an unrelenting wrath towards sin.  In our day, one may be tempted to read verses 27-39 and wonder, “Where is the compassion of God?”  We will see it in verses 40-46 below.

Keep in mind that the biggest reason why God speaks in these terms is because God, like a loving parent, is trying to do everything He can, short of taking away the Israelites’ freedom to choose, to warn the Israelites not to sin, knowing how miserable His children the Israelites will be if they live in persistent rebellion against God.

In Christ Every Curse Is Broken

2021-11-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 26:14-26.  Let’s go!

Leviticus 26:14-22 (NIV)
14  “‘But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands,
15  and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant,
16  then I will do this to you: I will bring upon you sudden terror, wasting diseases and fever that will destroy your sight and drain away your life. You will plant seed in vain, because your enemies will eat it.
17  I will set my face against you so that you will be defeated by your enemies; those who hate you will rule over you, and you will flee even when no one is pursuing you.
18  “‘If after all this you will not listen to me, I will punish you for your sins seven times over.
19  I will break down your stubborn pride and make the sky above you like iron and the ground beneath you like bronze.
20  Your strength will be spent in vain, because your soil will not yield its crops, nor will the trees of the land yield their fruit.
21  “‘If you remain hostile toward me and refuse to listen to me, I will multiply your afflictions seven times over, as your sins deserve.
22  I will send wild animals against you, and they will rob you of your children, destroy your cattle and make you so few in number that your roads will be deserted.

On verses 14-22:  After describing in verses 1-13 the blessings that would come if the Israelites obeyed God, God describes in verses 14-26 the problems that would come if the Israelites refused to obey God.  As we look at some right now, keep in mind the mentality of the ancient Israelites, who believed that God was the ultimate cause of everything both good and bad.  In their minds, God was the bringer of both sickness and healing, death and life, misfortune and fortune.  In the New Testament, we get a more defined picture of who God is: that everything good comes from God, whereas anything that is not good (such as disease and misfortune) is not something God actively creates and sends but is a natural outflow of living in a world broken by sin.

便哈達圍困撒馬利亞

2021-11-18 in , /by

〈列王紀〉下7:2b 以利沙說：「你必親眼看見，卻不得吃。」

閱讀經文：〈列王紀〉下6:24-7:20

這真是一個悲哀的故事，亞蘭軍又上來攻打撒馬利亞了，而以色列王一籌莫展。此時亞哈已死，他的兒子亞哈謝也病死了，由亞哈的弟弟約蘭繼位。撒馬利亞被圍困，城裡的情形已經到了易子而食的地步。一個驢頭本來是很便宜的，因為驢是不潔之動物，是不可以拿來吃的，而且驢頭的肉極少，但此時竟然要賣到八十舍克勒，大約一公斤的銀子，也有說約176美元。二升鴿子糞值銀五舍客勒。鴿子糞怎能拿來作食物呢？有的學者說，那是一種植物，是伯利恆之星其中的一個品種。伯利恆之星是百合科多年生球根草本植物，長有鱗莖。剛發芽的球莖繁茂地生長在山坡上，遠遠望去就好像山上舖滿了一堆堆的鴿子糞一般，所以當時的人便將伯利恆之星稱為“鴿子糞”。

但是所有伯利恆之星品種均有毒，其汁液能令人皮膚出現紅疹，牲畜若大量誤食可引致死亡，所以能否食用實在不能確定。另一個推測則認為“鴿子糞”指的是一種種子的外殼，因希伯來原文的寫法相同，才被翻譯成“鴿子糞”。第三個推測是一般拉比的見解，他們認為當時物資匱乏，乾燥的鴿子糞被當作燃料的代替品。因為根據那個兒子被吃掉的婦人所言，他們還是要把肉煮熟才吃，不吃生肉。所以使用本來不值錢的鴿子糞用作煮食的燃料，竟然也要二升也要賣到五舍客勒的銀子。表示食物和燃料都很昂貴。

以色列王聽到婦人易子而食，竟然聯想到要殺掉以利沙！他不去請求以利沙求神解決這個困境，卻把責任全推到以利沙身上，認為撒馬利亞的困境是以利沙造成的。這是事實嗎？當然不是。但是有很多人都像以色列王一樣，是姓“賴”的，什麼責任都賴到別人身上。他是以色列王，不能突圍，不能打敗敵人，怎能怪先知？且慢，他憤怒的原因是：“這災禍是從耶和華那裡來的，我何必再仰望耶和華呢？”事情不順利，就是神的錯！我沒錯！神沒有把我的國家保護好，所以我不仰望神了！神沒有為我開路，所以我不仰望神了！神沒有讓我有超人的能力，所以我不仰望神了！