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神呼召基甸

2021-05-12 in , /by

〈士师记〉 6:12 耶和华的使者向基甸显现，对他说：「大能的勇士啊，耶和华与你同在！」

阅读经文：〈士师记〉 6:1-18

基甸的名字意思是「大能的勇士」，基甸觉得自己甚为渺小，但是神有能力使他人如其名。当神的使者找到这位大能的勇士时，他正躲在酒榨那里打麦子。有一种考古学家挖出土的酒榨，分为上池和下池。上池约8英尺见方，15英寸深，下方约2英尺处有一个用来承接果汁的较小的池。基甸就是用这种酒榨来打小麦。酒榨是为了要把葡萄榨成汁，所以只需要一个很小的地方。但是打麦子通常在空旷的地方，因为需要利用风将麦糠和麦子分开，才能有最多的收成。在一个不通风地方打麦子，那情形必然很窘迫，连呼吸都不容易，因为飞扬的麦粒会到处飘扬。但是基甸没有办法，他不敢去外面空旷的地方打麦子，免得被米甸人或其他外邦人发现，就来抢他的粮食。

这就是以色列人当时的苦境。他们又转去行耶和华眼中看为恶的事，耶和华神就把他们交在米甸人手中七年。以色列人有家归不得，得躲到山中挖穴、挖洞，建造营寨。他们一撒种，米甸人、亚玛力人和东方人都上来攻打他们，对着他们安营，毁坏土产。他们不给以色列人留下食物，以色列人的牛、羊、驴也全被抢走了。就好像有一群匪徒跟着你，你一领薪水就被抢走，或是买完菜要回家就被抢走，他们甚至到你家厨房拿走所有可吃的东西，一点都不留给你。因为他们人多，你根本无力反抗。在这种绝境之中，以色列人才想起耶和华神，祈求祂的帮助。

这一次，神差遣先知去骂以色列人，教训他们。教训之后，就去找基甸了。神的心是如此不忍，不忍见祂的子民生活得如此悽苦。神原本要他们在迦南美地强盛壮大，没想到他们却被逼得像老鼠一样奔逃四窜，到处挖洞筑窝。神呼召我们也是希望我们过得胜的生活，享有祂的荣耀，但是我们是否依然在罪中，因自己的罪过而被魔鬼逼迫无法反击？

Training for Battle

2021-05-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage  s Genesis 14:13-24. Let’s go! 

Genesis 14:13-14 (NIV)
13  One who had escaped came and reported this to Abram the Hebrew. Now Abram was living near the great trees of Mamre the Amorite, a brother of Eshcol and Aner, all of whom were allied with Abram.
14  When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he called out the 318 trained men born in his household and went in pursuit as far as Dan.

On verses 13-14:  The moment Abram heard about his nephew Lot being taken captive, Abram was able to call out 318 trained men born in his household to go and rescue Lot.  Notice that though Abram did not yet have a son of his own, he had over 300 men born in his household trained for battle.    

It’s a reminder that we want the people born in our home to be trained well for battle.  The Bible teaches that we are in the middle of a war between God and Satan.  If we do not train those in our homes and churches to fight and do battle against our enemy Satan, Satan will inevitably take captive the people and things we hold dear, and we will have no idea how to recover what he has stolen.  That’s why it is so important to grow up spiritually and to arm yourself in the ways Ephesians 6:10-20 describes.  One of those ways is knowing and declaring God’s Word for it is the sword of the Spirit, our weapon in battle.   

底波拉和巴拉之歌

2021-05-11 in , /by

〈士师记〉  5: 4 耶和华啊， 祢从西珥出来，由以东地行走，那时地震天漏，云也落雨。

阅读经文：〈士师记〉  5:1-31

在许多争战之后，每个民族都有不同的记录方式。亚述人用浮雕，雕刻战争的战况和得胜；以色列人则多用诗歌记录当时的情形。这首诗歌是底波波和巴拉一起作的，但有的人把它称为底波拉之歌。这首诗歌分成六段，每一段都有一个主题。

第一段是赞美耶和华神，因为当神介入这场战争时，祂的威严无以伦比。那时「地震天漏，云也落雨」，描写当时战争时的天气。这天气和战事大有关系，因为「地震」，以致基顺古河涨溢，把敌军冲没；因为「天漏」下雨，因此地上泥泞不堪，使敌人的九百辆铁车在泥中动弹不得，以致夏琐的大将军西西拉最后不得不下车奔逃。神怎么会怕铁车呢？是以色列人怕，神一点都不怕。再多几百辆，也让它变成废铁一堆。

有一篇写关于以色列的文章，说以色列的国土是沙漠，一年只下卅天雨，竟然成了农业大国。在当年被警告大旱将临时，她毫无反应，反而劝人民不用省水。因为他们有四百座把海水变为能饮用的淡水工厂。他们还能设计人造雪卖给阿尔卑斯山，维持他们的观光经济。以色列人的神给他们有智慧把沙漠变成绿野，也可以把别人引以为傲的前进武器铁车变成一堆废铁。1948年以色列立国后，埃及、叙利亚和阿拉伯国家屡次趁其不备进攻，却都被以色列反击到领土被占。以色列的领土虽看起来微不足道，却有一个很强势的神眷顾着他们。所以我们即使渺小，也有同一个最强势的神眷顾着我们。这个最强势的神却以最卑微的方式来为我们的罪死，以无可比拟的爱来爱我们，我们怎能不降服？

士师底波拉

2021-05-10 in , /by

〈士师记〉 4:4   有一位女先知名叫底波拉，是拉比多的妻，当时做以色列的士师。

阅读 经文：〈士师记〉 4:1-23 

有一位牧师说，底波拉的出现，是当时男人的耻辱。我觉得他太言过其实了，那么柴契尔夫人做英国宰相时，所有的英国男人不都羞愧死了？很多男人没有办法接受底波拉是士师的事实，当他们在解释这段经文时，一定要把巴拉也作为士师加进来。事实上，〈士师记〉的作者写得很清楚，底波拉是一名女先知，又是当时的士师，而巴拉是一位将军。所以解释《圣经》时，若把人的意思放进去，就会变得不必要的复杂。神可以使用「左撇子以笏」，也可以让珊迦使用赶牛棍打败非利士人，任何人任何东西，只要神要使用，有什么不可以呢？女人或男人是否可以服侍神，是在于神的拣选和呼召，而不在于其性别。

底波拉的工作从为以色列人作判断开始，以色列人有纠纷就去找她，可见她有从神来的智慧，才能为人排解纠纷，并且使人乐意听从。她也有从神来的呼召，才能当上女先知，因为神的话语临到她。《圣经》里有不少女先知，可见神的话语要临到谁，是出于神的主权。男人若是没有对神的信心，即使有神的呼召，也无法在他所做的事上得到荣耀。当神呼召一个人时，其实是让他和神同工，因为神要与他同在，让他得荣耀。但是巴拉不明白这一点，他看到的是可怕的敌人和九百辆铁车，他觉得他不行，他没有把握打这个仗。他只看自己，而没想到，这是神吩咐他去打的仗，若是出于神的吩咐，神必负责到底。但是巴拉只看到自己的有限和无能，没有看到神的全能和无限。这就是底波拉和巴拉不同的地方。

底拉波传达神的话：「我必使耶宾的将军西西拉率领他的车辆和全军往基顺河，到你那里去。我必将他交在你手中。」但是巴拉的反应是：「你若同我去，我就去；你若不同我去，我就不去。」他居然相信底波拉胜过相信神的应许！因为他的小信，以致于神把得胜的荣耀交在另一个女人的手中。神没有要求我们做大事，祂只要求我们相信祂，因为在每一件神要我们做的事情上，神亲自要完成奇妙的工作，祂所求于人的，便是要对祂有信心。

Don’t Be Undone By Greed

2021-05-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 14:1-12.  Let’s go!

Genesis 14:1-12 (NIV)
1  At this time Amraphel king of Shinar, Arioch king of Ellasar, Kedorlaomer king of Elam and Tidal king of Goiim
2  went to war against Bera king of Sodom, Birsha king of Gomorrah, Shinab king of Admah, Shemeber king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela (that is, Zoar).
3  All these latter kings joined forces in the Valley of Siddim (the Salt Sea).
4  For twelve years they had been subject to Kedorlaomer, but in the thirteenth year they rebelled…….

On verses 1-12:  These verses describe a war between two alliances of kings.  On one side we have Kedorlaomer king of Elam, the strongest king in the region plus three other kingdoms allied with him (Shinar, Ellasar, and Goyim).  On the other side, we have an alliance of five kingdoms consisting of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zebooi, and Bela/Zoar.  At the Valley of Siddim, these two alliances battle, resulting in Kedorlaomer’s alliance defeating Sodom and Gomorrah.  As part of their victory over Sodom and Gomorrah, Kedorlaomer’s alliance kidnaps Abram’s nephew Lot, since Lot was a resident of Sodom (v12).

What can we learn from this?  These verses are setting the stage for Abram to come to Lot’s rescue and defeat Kedorlaomer, which we will read about in the next verses.  For now it is worth noting that if Kedorlaomer had just taken the goods and food of Sodom and Gomorrah as plunder and had left Lot untouched, Abram would never have gone to fight Kedorlaomer and defeat him.  Apparently Kedorlaomer’s greed may have been his undoing.

以笏和珊迦

2021-05-09 in , /by

〈士师记〉 3:28a    对他们说：「你们随我来，因为耶和华已经把你们的仇敌摩押人交在你们手中。」

阅读经文：〈士师记〉 3:12-31

摩押人是罗得的大女儿和罗得的后裔，罗得是亚伯拉罕的侄子，以色列人是亚伯拉罕的后裔，所以摩押人和以色列人有亲戚关系。他们之间的关系时好时坏，在〈路得记〉里记载当伯利恒有饥荒时，有的以色列人就跑到摩押地避灾；大卫逃难时，也曾把父母放到摩押地去避难。但是在这章里，摩押人约了亚扪人和亚玛力人一起去攻打以色列人，占据了棕树城，也就是耶利哥城。棕树城是耶利哥城的别名，因为在耶利哥城里有许多棕树。

这三族人战胜以色列人，以色列人就服侍摩押王伊矶伦十八年。以色列人何时离开神，何时就失去力量，被敌人所胜。我们也是一样，我们何时离开神，就会失足，或失败。主耶稣说：「因为离了我，你们就不能做什么。（约15:5c）」〈士师记〉里的以色列人，正像有些相信主耶稣的人，虽然身在迦南地，却不一定肯遵行神的话去生活，反而偏行已意，以致常被试探所胜，跌入苦难之中。但是爱我们的神却从不曾离开我们，总是等着我们回转，等著向我们伸出援手。

神会使用谁去拯救以色列人呢？在我们的心中，能拯救一个民族的岂不是超人吗？现在电视电影上不仅有男超人、女超人，还有蜘蛛人、蝙蝠侠，不胜枚举。在人的心中，能拯救人的必然有超凡的力量，一只手可以举起一架坦克，一跑可以快过飞机，但那些都是假的，是人幻想出来的。以色列的「超人」，都是神兴起的。

God’s Plan Is Greater Than Our Mistakes

2021-05-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 13:1-18.  Let’s go!

Genesis 13:1-2 (NIV)
1  So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him.
2  Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold.

Verses 1-2:  Remember who Lot is.  Lot was Abram’s nephew, the son of Abram’s deceased brother Haran (Genesis 11:27).  After Haran died, Lot and Abram lived together in one household under care of Abram’s dad Terah (Genesis 11:31).  When Terah died, Abram took Lot under his wing and became a father figure in Lot’s life.  Practically speaking, because they lived so close to each other for much of their lives, Abram saw Lot like a younger brother and cared for him that way (see verse 8).

Genesis 13:3-4 (NIV)
3  From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier
4  and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the LORD.

第一封信：给以弗所(2)(上)

2021-05-08 in , /by

主对以弗所教会的责备（启2:4-7）

当一个教会什么都有，却缺乏爱

　　以弗所教会有众多的榜样，是亚细亚最大的城市，是政治、娱乐、文化、经济中心，但以弗所教会在这些大城市许多不同的人之中，在行为、劳碌、忍耐、不能容忍恶人上都做信徒的榜样。主看见以弗所教会的好处，也看见她的缺点，因此主说：「有一件事，我要责备你」，这件事使主心里难过，「你已经离弃了起初的爱心」。当一个教会什么都有，却缺乏爱，在最重要的事情上有了错失，那么，他爱心的生活是主动的？还是被动的？

你经常觉悟什么？

　　你失去起初的爱心，但你不容易觉悟。在人生过程中，我们有些很难觉悟的毛病，无法单单透过悟性察觉。有些事情，我们很容易觉悟，有些事情，我们不容易觉悟。

　　我们生病的时候，我们很容易觉悟，我们痊愈的时候，我们不容易觉悟。我们饭后打嗝，我们很容易觉悟；但五分钟后，当你不再打嗝，你却没有觉悟，因为你感到打嗝是不正常的，没有打嗝才是正常的，你对感到是不正常、带给你痛苦的事，马上觉悟，这表示我们常常在恩中不知恩，在福中不知福，等到恩典失去了，福气减少了，突然感到生活很不舒服，「我正在困难中，受疾病的缠扰」，这种只对艰难有敏锐的觉悟，是相当不正常的，因为我们应该常常觉悟的是恩典，这样我们才能常常感恩。

对恩典的不觉悟

　　我们不觉悟的事情有哪些？第一，对恩典不觉悟。很多人不感恩，因为对恩典不觉误，却对患难深有所悟。今天早上五点我起来思想一个问题，今天有很多神学生在这里住、在这里吃，他们不觉悟他们住的楼是世界最新式、最漂亮的楼，他们住的房间是有冷气的房间，而他们付的价钱是全世界最便宜的价钱，这是一个恩典，

Don’t Give Into Fear

2021-05-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 12:10-20.  Let’s go!

Genesis 12:10-20 (NIV)
10  Now there was a famine in the land, and Abram went down to Egypt to live there for a while because the famine was severe.
11  As he was about to enter Egypt, he said to his wife Sarai, “I know what a beautiful woman you are.
12  When the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me but will let you live.
13  Say you are my sister, so that I will be treated well for your sake and my life will be spared because of you.”
14  When Abram came to Egypt, the Egyptians saw that she was a very beautiful woman……

On verses 10-20:  One of the things I appreciate about Genesis is its honesty; that is, when it comes to characters like Abram or Noah, the Bible tells it like it is.  Rather than pretending that these great figures in the Bible did not have their share of flaws and weaknesses, Genesis openly talks about their flaws and weaknesses, not to smear their name but to show that all of us are sinners who need a Saviour.  Here, Abram, whose faith is in many ways an example for us, does something here that no man of faith would be proud of:  fearing what the Egyptians might do to him if they found out he was married to the beautiful Sarai, Abram lies to everyone he meets in Egypt about his marriage to Sarai, saying that they are siblings rather than husband and wife.  He also tells Sarai to do the same.  As a result, Pharaoh king of Egypt takes Sarai into his palace, presumably to be his concubine.  While Abram seems to profit initially from his lie (v16), eventually God sends diseases on Pharaoh and his household, evidently to protect His plans for Abram and Sarai.  Angry at how Abram lied to him, Pharaoh returns Sarai to Abram and sends them away from Egypt.

When God Speaks to You

2021-05-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 12:1-9.  Let’s go!

Genesis 12:1-3 (NIV)
1  The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.
2  “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
3  I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

On verses 1-3:  Everything that Abram might otherwise use to anchor his identity before – his country, his people and his family – God asks Abram to leave in order to go to the land that He will show him (v1).  The only assurance God gives Abram is a promise that God will bless Abram and make Abram into a great nation, and that through him all peoples on earth will be blessed (v2-3). 

How would all peoples on earth be blessed through Abram (v3)?  In a number of ways:  

–        Abram (later known as Abraham) would be regarded as the father of the Jewish people (Mark 12:26; John 8:39; Acts 3:13).

–        From Abram’s blood line Jesus Christ would be born (Matthew 1).   

–        Abraham’s example shows that we are justified (that is, declared righteous and not guilty in God’s sight) simply by having faith in God’s promise, not by the good things we do (Romans 4:1-15).  In this way, Abraham is a father in faith to all who have trusted in Jesus Christ (Romans 4:16; Galatians 3:6-7).