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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.

耶户除巴力拜金牛

2021-11-23 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下 10:10 由此可知，耶和华指著亚哈家所说的话一句没有落空，因为耶和华藉他仆人以利亚所说的话都成就了。」

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下  10:1-36

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法→约兰→亚哈谢

以色列王：耶罗波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亚哈→亚哈谢→约兰→耶户

耶户做了以色列王，想到先知吩咐他要击杀亚哈的全家（男丁）和耶洗别，他热血沸腾，几乎是见人就杀，连去探望约兰舅舅的犹大王亚哈谢都不放过，连犹太王亚哈谢的兄弟42个人，全部都抓起来杀了。这些人的死亡都是因为犹大王约沙法为儿子约兰娶了亚哈的女儿亚她利雅而惹的祸。约沙法王一生敬畏神，可惜在儿子的婚事上做了一个十分错误的决定，给他的后裔带来极大的苦难。本来不沾亲不带故，偏偏去娶了一个拜亚舍拉的女人，搞得自己的后裔被杀得几乎一干二净，还有更大的灾难在后边。他的孙子亚哈谢和其他42个弟兄就这样莫名其妙被杀死了。只因为沾了一个“姻亲” 的名份，实在算不上是亚哈家的人，也被杀死了。

耶户没有忘记亚哈的儿子们。亚哈有七十个儿子散住在撒马利亚许多有钱有势的尊贵人家里。耶户先假装叫这些照顾王子的人推选一个贤能合宜的出来接续亚哈做王，可是这些人已经听到他诛杀了以色列王约兰和犹大王亚哈谢，他们怎么还敢立王？当然纷纷推辞了。耶户收到他们的回信，一改口，就叫他们把那些王的的首级送到耶斯列。那些人眼见时势不妙，再也顾不得主仆的情谊，立刻把亚哈的七十个王子全部杀了，把他们的头送到耶户那里。耶户有没有大大地奖赏他们呢？相反地，耶户不仅奚落他们出卖主子，并且把他们都杀了，包括亚哈的大臣、密友、祭司全都杀了。耶户说：“耶和华指著亚哈家所说的话一句没有落空，因为耶和华藉他仆人以利亚所说的话都成就了。”

耶户碰见利甲的儿子约拿达并不是偶然，因为约拿达是刻意前来迎接耶户的，耶户问他安，他也忠诚地回应耶户，并且支持耶户要去清除巴力的行动。此时的耶户为耶和华大发热心，订了一个计划要铲除所有拜巴力的人。他先为巴力召开严肃会，然后和约拿达假装去献祭，献完祭趁其不备，便吩咐护卫兵和众军长进去杀人，不容一人出来。又将庙里的巴力柱像都拿出去烧了，又拆了巴力的庙去作厕所，在以色列中灭了巴力。

立耶户为以色列王

2021-11-22 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下 9:36a 他们回去告诉耶户，耶户说：「这正应验耶和华藉他仆人提斯比人以利亚所说的话。

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下  9:1-37

犹大王：罗波安→亚比央→亚撒→约沙法→约兰→亚哈谢

以色列王：耶罗波安（一世）→拿答→巴沙→以拉→心利→暗利→亚哈→亚哈谢→约兰→耶户

再一次把这个犹大王和以色列王的表列出来，如此大家比较可以明白谁打谁，对照一下究竟哪个王死了。因为在这章里有太多个王了。在〈列王纪〉上第十九章15-17节里，神交给以利亚三个使命，以利亚做了一个，就是膏以利沙接续他做先知，其余两项都交给以利沙去做。以利沙见到哈薛，却没有膏他，只是说知道他将来要做亚兰王，给他一个提示。现在他也没有亲自去膏耶户，而是叫一个先知门徒去膏耶户。

以利亚没有即刻去膏耶户，很可能是因为当时亚哈因拿伯的事被先知责备而有悔改之意。因此神说：“因他在我面前自卑，他还在世的时候，我不降这祸。到他儿子的时候，我必降这祸于他的家（王上21:29）”。因此以利亚不能去膏耶户，亚哈的儿子亚哈谢又死得太快，只做王两年，就从楼上掉下去，也来不及叫耶户去杀他。因为亚哈谢没有儿子，所以由他的兄弟约兰做王。以色列王约兰去基列的拉末和亚兰打战，被打伤了。他在耶斯列疗伤时，他的将军耶户在基列的拉末被膏为下一任的以色列王，众军长也拥护他为王。

这个在战场上驰骋大半生的将军一听到先知的命令，要他去杀亚哈的全家（指男丁），在耶洗别身上流血申冤，立刻热血沸腾，像一支箭般地射了出去。而此时另一个被爱心灌满的犹大王亚哈谢，知道舅舅约兰受伤，也急速地往耶斯列去探望。杀机从北而来，爱心由南而至。而毫不知情的约兰，不知死活地套车出去迎接那向他急速射出的箭。耶户的马赶得又快又猛，却没有人意料到将要发生何事。约兰的问候换来耶户的怒吼：“你母亲耶洗别的淫行邪术这样多，焉能平安呢？”当约兰领悟到耶户造反时，耶户的箭已经射中他的脊背，又从心窝穿出。

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)?  

哈薛谋杀便哈达

2021-11-21 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下 8:13b 以利沙回答说：「耶和华指示我，你必做亚兰王。」

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下  8:1-24

这段经文里分别记载了几个小故事，看起来似乎没有什么关联，但是从神的宝座上看下来，有没有关联呢？当然有，因为耶和华神不只是以色列的神，更是全世界、全宇宙的神，因此世代变迁仿佛是人在其中操控一切，实际上History (历史)就是His Story祂的故事。人虽然败坏，摩鬼虽然掌权，但耶和华神依然是主宰历史的神。

以色列王经历了撒马利亚被解救的过程，对以利沙又添加了几分敬佩之心。这一天，当他在听以利沙的仆人基哈西讲以利沙行过的神蹟奇事，正听得津津有味时，有个妇人来找王。原来是书念的妇人，以利沙在以色列的旱灾发生之前，先告诉了书念妇人，叫他们先去非利士地避一避。七年过去了，妇人回来，为她家的房屋和田地求告王。王亲眼看见被以利沙救活的孩子，惊奇不已，便派了一个太监去为书念的妇人讨回属于她的一切，包括田地里的出产。这时间上的巧合说明了什么？是妇人太幸运了吗？她幸运，因为神眷顾她。正如主耶稣说的：“人因为先知的名接待先知，必得先知所得的赏赐（太10:41）”。她记念神仆人的需要，神也记念她的需要。

在〈列王纪〉上第十九章15-17节里，在以利亚从山洞走出来之后，神给了他三道新的命令：耶和华对他说：“ 你回去，从旷野往大马士革去。到了那里，就要膏哈薛做亚兰王，又膏宁示的孙子耶户做以色列王，并膏亚伯米何拉人沙法的儿子以利沙做先知接续你。将来躲避哈薛之刀的，必被耶户所杀；躲避耶户之刀的，必被以利沙所杀。”但是《圣经》上没有记载以利亚去大马士革膏哈薛，或去膏耶户，只有提到他去膏以利沙接替他做先知，显然那两个工作都是要由以利沙去完成。以利沙是否为了这个原因而去大马士革呢？

《圣经中各种审判》10 — 对埃及的审判 之五

2021-11-19 in , /by

第一灾＿水变血　上帝是生命的主宰

　　上帝降在埃及的第一个灾害，是水变成血，这是很可怕的事情。埃及的尼罗河是世界三大河流之一（密西西比河、亚马逊河与尼罗河名列前面三条大河），可以淹盖整个国家三分之一的土地。尼罗河每年泛滥一次，河水涨溢到两岸的土地，淹覆大部分的土地。人怕水灾，埃及则十分不同，反倒非常期待尼罗河每年一次的泛滥。尼罗河上游的红泥借由河水泛滥带到下游，使原本贫脊的土壤变得相当肥沃，因而尼罗河的泛滥成为灌溉的重要时期。

河水、泉源、池塘这些有水的地方，完全都变成血，这就变成大灾难。当血在生物的身体里是生命的泉源，但当血离开身体，这是死亡的记号，非常腥臭，当血遍满全地的时候，埃及人很难呼吸，很痛苦地面对这不能除掉又不能接受的事情，这进退两难生命的大灾难临到埃及。上帝用血成为第一个审判，表示神是生死的掌管者。决定生死的，是上帝，就是创造生命者。〈使徒行传〉告诉我们耶稣是生命的主，我们能杀死耶稣，我们以为我们能杀死一个我们不喜欢的人，却不知道祂是生命的主，祂掌管生命与死亡。耶稣超越全地，也超越众生，祂掌握阴间的权柄，主的能力不是人可以想像与限制的。当上帝击打埃及，首要就是把水变成血。

　　埃及人会因此欢喜快乐吗？埃及人非常痛苦，因为人需要水来过活。没有水，人的生命是短暂的，没有水喝，人几天就死了。埃及人每天没有水喝，成天看见的都是腥臭的血，这是第一大灾害。这灾害来到的时候，上帝却让法老王硬着心不准以色列人离开，法老指责以色列人是懒惰的，要他们做得半死，也不要以色列人有自由。法老王让以色列人吃好、吃多东西，目的不是为了让他们身体健康或享受人生，而是有更大的力量来做他的奴仆。在马克思的共产党宣言说：「全世界的劳工，注意听！你们毕生的产业不是地皮，你们是无产阶级，你们唯一的产业就是你们的体力与劳动价值。资本家苦待你，让你们做得半死半活，然后给你薪水，不是为了让你享受，而是让你一生一世帮着资本家发财」，马克思用了最大煽动性的言语要全世界的劳工反抗资本家的奴役，「当你们反抗的时候，你们损失的是你们的锁链，得到的是你们的自由」。

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.

便哈达围困撒马利亚

2021-11-18 in , /by

〈列王纪〉下7:2b 以利沙说：「你必亲眼看见，却不得吃。」

阅读经文：〈列王纪〉下6:24-7:20

这真是一个悲哀的故事，亚兰军又上来攻打撒马利亚了，而以色列王一筹莫展。此时亚哈已死，他的儿子亚哈谢也病死了，由亚哈的弟弟约兰继位。撒马利亚被围困，城里的情形已经到了易子而食的地步。一个驴头本来是很便宜的，因为驴是不洁之动物，是不可以拿来吃的，而且驴头的肉极少，但此时竟然要卖到八十舍克勒，大约一公斤的银子，也有说约176美元。二升鸽子粪值银五舍客勒。鸽子粪怎能拿来作食物呢？有的学者说，那是一种植物，是伯利恒之星其中的一个品种。伯利恒之星是百合科多年生球根草本植物，长有鳞茎。刚发芽的球茎繁茂地生长在山坡上，远远望去就好像山上舖满了一堆堆的鸽子粪一般，所以当时的人便将伯利恒之星称为“鸽子粪”。

但是所有伯利恒之星品种均有毒，其汁液能令人皮肤出现红疹，牲畜若大量误食可引致死亡，所以能否食用实在不能确定。另一个推测则认为“鸽子粪”指的是一种种子的外壳，因希伯来原文的写法相同，才被翻译成“鸽子粪”。第三个推测是一般拉比的见解，他们认为当时物资匮乏，干燥的鸽子粪被当作燃料的代替品。因为根据那个儿子被吃掉的妇人所言，他们还是要把肉煮熟才吃，不吃生肉。所以使用本来不值钱的鸽子粪用作煮食的燃料，竟然也要二升也要卖到五舍客勒的银子。表示食物和燃料都很昂贵。

以色列王听到妇人易子而食，竟然联想到要杀掉以利沙！他不去请求以利沙求神解决这个困境，却把责任全推到以利沙身上，认为撒马利亚的困境是以利沙造成的。这是事实吗？当然不是。但是有很多人都像以色列王一样，是姓“赖”的，什么责任都赖到别人身上。他是以色列王，不能突围，不能打败敌人，怎能怪先知？且慢，他愤怒的原因是：“这灾祸是从耶和华那里来的，我何必再仰望耶和华呢？”事情不顺利，就是神的错！我没错！神没有把我的国家保护好，所以我不仰望神了！神没有为我开路，所以我不仰望神了！神没有让我有超人的能力，所以我不仰望神了！