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The World Your Words Create

2021-07-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 50:14-26.  Let’s go!

Genesis 50:14-21 (NIV)
14  After burying his father, Joseph returned to Egypt, together with his brothers and all the others who had gone with him to bury his father.
15  When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?”
16  So they sent word to Joseph, saying, “Your father left these instructions before he died:
17  ‘This is what you are to say to Joseph: I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.
18  His brothers then came and threw themselves down before him. “We are your slaves,” they said.
19  But Joseph said to them, “Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God?
20  You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.
21  So then, don’t be afraid. I will provide for you and your children.” And he reassured them and spoke kindly to them.

On verses 14-21:  Back in Egypt after burying their late father in Canaan, Joseph’s brothers wonder if Joseph still holds a grudge against them and has plans to exact revenge for all the ways they treated him long ago.  They send a message to Joseph saying that their father requested that Joseph forgive his brothers and asking Joseph to forgive them.  It’s unclear whether their father actually spoke those words or not. After all, if it was so important to Jacob that Joseph forgive his brothers, and given the close relationship between Jacob and Joseph, wouldn’t you expect Jacob to talk to Joseph about this directly? 

Born To Overcome, To Be Free and Fruitful

2021-07-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 49:18-33.  Let’s go!

Genesis 49:18 (NIV)
18  “I look for your deliverance, O LORD.

On verse 18:  Perhaps because of all the trouble, danger, conflict and pain that Jacob saw a number of his sons encountering in the future, Jacob cries out to God in the middle of prophesying over his sons, saying, “I look for your deliverance, O Lord” (v18).  Jacob, nearing the end of his life, does the one thing that we all need to do when we see trouble up ahead: cry out to God for help and look for God to deliver us. 

Genesis 49:19 (NIV)
19  “Gad will be attacked by a band of raiders, but he will attack them at their heels.

On verse 19:  Jacob prophesies that though Gad’s descendants would be attacked by others, Gad’s descendants would not be defeated but would attack their attackers “at their heels”, suggesting that Gad’s attackers will retreat and Gad will be victorious.  

Likewise, your enemy Satan will try to attack you in various ways, but you have everything you need to withstand his attack, go on the offensive and overcome your enemy in the end.  As John writes in 1 John 2:14, “I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” Praise God! Though Satan will attack, you have everything you need to overcome the evil one.

七封信的總結：患難與得勝

2021-07-23 in , /by

〈啟示錄〉中的七個教會就像鏡子，反映出歷世歷代以來教會的優缺點。這七封信告訴我們，基督在各地尋找有愛心的教會、遭受苦難的教會、純潔的教會、遵守真理的教會、活著的教會、宣教的教會和火熱的教會。耶穌不但向這七間教會指出目前的景況，還告訴他們將來會發生的事，也是在呼召基督徒好好預備自己，去面對將來要來臨的大患難。
從整卷〈啟示錄〉的背景來看，耶穌不是分別給這七封信，祂一次給出七封信，在同一卷書中。

〈啟示錄〉二、三章的標題可訂為「地上的狀況不好」，敗壞的世界使教會妥協，而教會的兩大殺手是拜偶像和淫亂，已悄悄滲透教會；現在就要改過自新，在患難來臨之前改正，妥協的教會是受不住逼迫的。

第四到五章這段標題可訂為「天上的狀況很好」。因為地上的狀況一團亂，有許多苦難、戰爭、饑荒、地震、疾病，相較於約翰所看見的天上，上帝安詳地坐在寶座上，前面有水晶海，四周有像綠寶石的虹環繞，一切都在掌控之中，不管地上發生什麼事，上帝都不驚慌，因為祂瞭若指掌。上帝讓基督掌管歷史的結局，這結局記載在封了七印的書卷上，書卷上寫著末日來臨前，要發生的事。沒有人配打開那印來終結歷史，只有一位像獅子又像公羊者，公羊看起來像被宰殺過，身上有傷口，祂就是耶穌，祂是配得打開七印、掌管結局的人，因祂是首先的、末後的。

六到十八章的標題可訂為「情況會先惡化再好轉」。基督徒要面對的遭遇，不會比這裡所描述的更糟。有四匹馬跑遍天下，白馬象徵軍事侵略、紅馬象徵流血、黑馬象徵饑荒，灰馬象徵疾病。這四匹馬已經在地上奔馳，天災、巨大的冰雹、地震等，洋海、空氣也遭到污染，全球都發生極大的災難。這是上帝最後的警告，竭力叫人清醒，但世人仍不悔改。

Communicating God’s Heart To Those You Love

2021-07-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 49:1-17.  Let’s go!

Genesis 49:1-2 (NIV)
1  Then Jacob called for his sons and said: “Gather around so I can tell you what will happen to you in days to come.
2  “Assemble and listen, sons of Jacob; listen to your father Israel.

On verses 1-2:  Nearing his death, Jacob gathers his sons and begins to prophesy over his sons.  What is prophesy?   Simply put, prophesy is declaring God’s heart and God’s plans to God’s people.  Based on this definition of prophecy, I believe every parent has a prophetic role to play in the lives of their children and every leader has a prophetic role to play in the lives of those they lead.  We are to communicate God’s heart to the people we are leading.  “But how I do know what God’s heart, promises and plans are for the people in my care?”  Draw near to God.  Meditate on His Word.  More and more He will give you a sense of His heart for the people He has called you to lead.  When you speak in faith those prophetic pictures and images God places in your heart for the people in your care, the results will be powerful.  That is what Jacob is about to do in the verses that follow.

大衛再次放過掃羅

2021-07-22 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉上 26:24  我今日重看你的性命，願耶和華也重看我的性命，並且拯救我脫離一切患難。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉上 26:1-25 

現在出現的人名越來越多了，我們要來看一下，掃羅的元帥是誰？押尼珥是誰？大衛的元帥又是誰？不要小看大衛只有六百多人，也是一個小小的軍隊。掃羅的父親是基士，押尼珥的父親是尼珥，基士和尼珥是兄弟，所以掃羅和押尼珥是堂兄弟。亞比篩、約押和亞撒黑是大衛的姐姐洗魯雅的兒子，算是大衛的外甥。所以不只是華人兄弟親，在以色列人那樣重視宗派的民族裡，親人的份量也很重。

〈歷代志上〉第十一章記載了一個故事，當非利士的防營在伯利恆時，防營即防守地方的軍隊；那時大衛躲在亞杜蘭洞的山寨裡，不能下去伯利恒。但是他非常想喝伯利恆城門旁井裡的水。他原只是說說而已，沒想到真的有三個勇士聽到他的話，就闖過非利士人的營盤，從伯利恆城門旁的井裡打水，拿來給大衛喝。大衛知道後卻不肯喝，因為他說那水就好像是三個勇士的血一樣，因為他們冒著生命的危險去為他取水。因此他把水澆奠在耶和華面前。這三個勇士的首領就是約押的弟弟亞比篩。亞比篩曾經一個人用槍殺了三百人，這槍不是現代的子彈槍，是古時的長矛槍。所以他被推選為卅個勇士的首領。

亞比篩一生對大衛都非常忠誠，他驍勇善戰，曾率兵擊殺了一萬八千個以東人，也帶頭擊潰了亞捫人，平定後來便雅憫人示巴的叛亂。在大衛最後一次出征時，大衛碰上非利士巨人以實比諾，他的銅槍重三百舍客勒（約三公斤），又佩著新刀，也是亞比篩上前幫忙，殺死以實比諾，救了大衛。也因為忠於大衛，所以凡是有人要對大衛不利，他都會挺身而出，不顧自己的性命。

God’s Sovereign Choice to Bless You

2021-07-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 48:1-22.  Let’s go!

Genesis 48:1-6 (NIV)
1  Some time later Joseph was told, “Your father is ill.” So he took his two sons Manasseh and Ephraim along with him.
2  When Jacob was told, “Your son Joseph has come to you,” Israel rallied his strength and sat up on the bed.
3  Jacob said to Joseph, “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and there he blessed me
4  and said to me, ‘I am going to make you fruitful and will increase your numbers. I will make you a community of peoples, and I will give this land as an everlasting possession to your descendants after you.’
5  “Now then, your two sons born to you in Egypt before I came to you here will be reckoned as mine; Ephraim and Manasseh will be mine, just as Reuben and Simeon are mine.
6  Any children born to you after them will be yours; in the territory they inherit they will be reckoned under the names of their brothers.

On verses 1-6:  Jacob, nearing his death, gets ready to bless the generations that have come after him.   He decides to begin with Joseph and Joseph’s sons.  What does Jacob mean when he says that Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh will be reckoned as his own “just as Reuben and Simeon are mine” (v5)?  Jacob means that for inheritance purposes he will treat Ephraim and Manasseh as belonging to the same generation as Jacob’s own sons, meaning that Ephraim and Manasseh would each get the same kind of inheritance that their uncles would get.  The effect of this decision was two-fold: 

大衛和亞比該

2021-07-21 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉上 25: 30 我主現在若不親手報仇流無辜人的血，到了耶和華照所應許你的話賜福與你，立你作以色列的王，那時我主必不致心裡不安，覺得良心有虧。耶和華賜福與我主的時候，求你記念婢女。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉上 25:1-44

以色列中集先知、士師和大祭司一身的偉人撒母耳死了。再偉大的人都要面對肉體的死亡，每一個人都要面對肉體的死亡。死了才能蓋棺定論。對於撒母耳本人，他的工作實在可圈可點，值得我們學習的地方甚多。他的一生是以色列人從士師時代轉到王國時代的一座橋。他的順服在於，不得不去做神所不喜悅的事，卻不能做神所喜悅的事。神不喜悅以色列人立王，但是當神叫撒母耳去做時，撒母耳不能不順服。撒母耳的偉大在於他對神的順服和盡忠，他一點沒有私心。只可惜可能因為時間都用在照顧以色列人的事工上，以致和以利一樣，沒能把兒子們教好。但還是一個值我們敬愛和學習的偉人。

大衛在逃亡的過程裡要經歷許多事情，這章經文所寫的故事使我們明白，在掃羅沒有追殺他的日子裡，他們所做的一些事情。因為跟隨大衛的人口眾多，先是四百人，再來是六百人，人數一直在增加。因此大衛不能不想辦法去找口糧，使眾人能夠生存下去。這裡說到在瑪雲有個大財主拿八，他有三千綿羊，一千山羊。他雇了人在迦密看顧他的羊群。但是他不知道，在曠野裡有許多過游牧生活的阿拉伯人，又稱為貝都因人，他們住在可以隨時遷移的帳篷；他們主要的工作是養駝、養羊、狩獵、劫掠。

大衛和跟隨他的人經常要在曠野上跑來跑去，看看有沒有掃羅來的蹤跡，因此看到有人騷擾拿八的羊群，便上前保護，因此使拿八的羊群一無所失。按著拿八一個僕人的說法：“他們晝夜做我們的保障”，表示大衛和從人都很看顧他們，免於被人欺負。

大衛在隱基底

2021-07-20 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉上 24:16 (大衛)對跟隨他的人說：「我的主乃是耶和華的受膏者，我在耶和華面前萬不敢伸手害他，因他是耶和華的受膏者。」

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉上 24:1-22

隱基底位於猶大曠野的盡頭，正在死海的西岸，屬猶大支派的城鎮，是猶大山區的“出入口”。在亞伯拉罕時期是亞摩利人居住的地方。隱．基底En-Gedi由兩個希伯來字組成，“隱”是泉源，“基底”指羔羊，所以，隱基底的意思就是“羔羊之泉”；又因為是野山羊出没之處，又稱為“野羊的磐石”。在曠野和死海一帶，隱基底有如世外桃園的綠洲。在〈雅歌〉裡，所羅門王形容愛人如一束鳳仙花開放在隱基底的葡萄園裡(歌1:14)，非常有詩意。大衛逃避掃羅追殺時，逃到乾旱疲乏無水的猶大曠野，隱基底成為他的避難所。

在這野羊的磐石裡，大衛碰到一個千載難逢的機會。他和從人進入羊圈深處躲避掃羅，沒想到在那樣空曠的地方，那麼多洞穴的地方，掃羅就選中了大衛他們躲的那個羊圈進去大解。是一個報仇的機會，也是一個對大衛的試探。跟隨的人用神的話鼓勵大衛去殺掃羅，大衛偷偷去割下掃羅的衣襟，心裡卻已經感到不對勁了。他立刻對跟隨他的人說：“我的主乃是耶和華的受膏者，我在耶和華面前萬不敢伸手害他，因他是耶和華的受膏者”。大衛的心裡何等敬畏神，在這性命攸關的時刻，也不願意逞一己之快而得罪神。他並且以同樣的話去攔止跟隨的人殺掃羅。

一個好像是神送上來的好機會，然而因著敬畏神，大衛戰勝了這個試探。大衛若此時殺了掃羅，勢必遺臭萬年，成為一個不忠不義的弒君之臣，即使當上了以色列王，又有何面子？到處都會被指責他殺了以色列王，以色列人會忠於他嗎？從歷史上來看，雖然他根本沒有動手加害掃羅，但是在大衛執政的初期，便雅憫族的人都認為大衛是搶了掃羅王位的人，而不肯歸順大衛。

The Riches of Christ’s Righteousness

2021-07-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 47:1-31.  Let’s go!

Genesis 47:13-22 (NIV)
13  There was no food, however, in the whole region because the famine was severe; both Egypt and Canaan wasted away because of the famine.
14  Joseph collected all the money that was to be found in Egypt and Canaan in payment for the grain they were buying, and he brought it to Pharaoh’s palace.
15  When the money of the people of Egypt and Canaan was gone, all Egypt came to Joseph and said, “Give us food. Why should we die before your eyes? Our money is used up.”
16  “Then bring your livestock,” said Joseph. “I will sell you food in exchange for your livestock, since your money is gone.”……

On verses 13-22:  The famine in Egypt and Canaan is severe.  On behalf of the Egyptian government, Joseph first sells grain to the Egyptians in exchange for their money.  But when the Egyptians have no more money to give, Joseph agrees to give the Egyptians grain in exchange for their livestock.  When the Egyptians have no more livestock to give, Joseph agrees to give the Egyptians grain in exchange for their real estate.  When the Egyptians’ real estate had all been transferred to the government, the Egyptians still had a need for grain, so Joseph agrees to hire the Egyptians as workers for the Egyptian government.  He gives the Egyptians grain to plant in the ground and allows them to keep 80% of the harvest while giving 20% back to the Egyptian government.  Only the land of the priests was not touched, since the priests received a regular allotment from Pharaoh.

西弗人幫助掃羅

2021-07-19 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉上23:14  大衛住在曠野的山寨裡，常在西弗曠野的山地。掃羅天天尋索大衛，神卻不將大衛交在他手裡。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉上23:14-29

很奇妙啊，掃羅和約拿單都去找大衛，同樣在西弗曠野的樹林裡，約拿單一下子就找著了，掃羅天天尋索大衛卻找不著。這也是天父的幽默感。掃羅作王，不管理國事，一天到晚就想著要除掉大衛；掃羅喜歡到處亂跑，就給他跑個夠，讓他疲於奔命。看他何時才會發現自己的愚蠢！我們若不尋求神的心意，也會變成一個掃羅式的人，為了自以為重要的事忙個不停，到最後才發現所付出的精力和財力都是徒勞無功。

西弗曠野也在猶大支派的領地裡，曠野和樹林都是缺少人煙的地方。西弗ziph的原意是flowing湧流，在曠野或沙漠中有何物會湧流？但是神奇妙的恩典就在這看似沒有希望和前景之地，向大衛湧流出祂的厚愛。像一隻被追逐的動物，大衛不斷地逃，掃羅不停地追；大衛每天要觀望，要逃躲，會不會覺得自己年輕的生命就這樣浪費了？在曠野裡有一餐沒一餐，臥無遮蓋，睡無床舖，餐風露宿，不知何時才到頭？但是在曠野中，約拿單來了。

這個曾經用自己性命保他的王子，約拿單來了。約拿單來看大衛，他說了三件事，使大衛在曠野的生命得到了湧流的祝福。一，他勸告大衛，使他倚靠神得以堅固。彷彿神看到大衛已經開始軟弱疲乏，很想放棄一切時，讓約拿單來鼓勵他，要倚靠神。人都有軟弱的時候，此時我們需要的，是靈裡互相勸勉的朋友，再次提醒我們，要倚靠神得以堅固，不倚靠神就站立不住。