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The Father Who Protects You From All Harm

2021-06-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 31:1-16.  Let’s go!

Genesis 31:1-5 (NIV)
1  Jacob heard that Laban’s sons were saying, “Jacob has taken everything our father owned and has gained all this wealth from what belonged to our father.”
2  And Jacob noticed that Laban’s attitude toward him was not what it had been.
3  Then the LORD said to Jacob, “Go back to the land of your fathers and to your relatives, and I will be with you.”
4  So Jacob sent word to Rachel and Leah to come out to the fields where his flocks were.
5  He said to them, “I see that your father’s attitude toward me is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me.

On verses 1-5:   Jacob hears God’s Word telling him to go back to the land of his fathers and to his relatives.  In response to God’s Word, Jacob speaks to his wives Rachel and Leah about going back. 

As part of his pitch to go back, Jacob tells of how his father-in-law Laban had acted deceitfully toward Jacob.  His attitude toward Jacob changed from one of welcoming and warmth to one of coldness.  But Jacob also had a Heavenly Father who acted faithfully toward him.  As Jacob says in verse 5, “your father’s attitude toward is not what it was before, but the God of my father has been with me.” 

第五封信：撒狄教會(上)

2021-06-18 in , /by

撒狄教會是代表教會第五個時代（主後1517－1750年）。那時的教會情形，起先推雅推喇教會腐敗了，神給他們悔改的機會，在這一千多年的時間，推雅推喇教會始終不悔改。神乃從黑暗敗壞的教會中，興起了馬丁路德起來改革教會，所以撒狄教會，就是代表這時的教會情形。

「撒狄」二字，原文是「恢復」，「復興」之意。這是告訴我們，復興原有的教會，恢復失去的寶貝。如把「因信稱義」恢復過來，將隱藏的《聖經》恢復有機會來讀，原來神在一千五百多年的時候，揀選了馬丁路德有權力呼召神的兒女，告訴他們，人是藉著信可以稱義。那時的人看見羅馬教的工作，不能叫人稱義，因為人在神面前，無論工作多好，多完美，但在神面前如污穢的衣服，惟有披上神所給的義，纔能稱義，纔可靠。至於《聖經》方面，在羅馬教的時候是隱藏的，教王嚴禁信徒讀《聖經》。而且那時只有拉丁文，希臘文《聖經》，普通人不易懂。所以教王、主教、神父隨著自己的意思去教訓人。

神在那時藉著馬丁路德呼召神的兒女們，脫離天主教，且把《聖經》譯成德文，使人可以自由閱讀。《聖經》在這種亮光之下，好像黑暗中得著光明，神的兒女們，用不著跟從羅馬教在黑暗中摸索。所以歷史告訴我們，千千萬萬人在那時加入更正教大運動，這固然是好現象，但可惜更正教工作不完全，不澈底。因為更正教之後，所有見到的，不過為道熱心，與及神奇妙的祝福。後來就漸漸冷淡，那時更正教有很大的勢力，因此許多人是為著利用這大勢力而已，也就失去了屬靈的能力。後來復原教的意思，只不過反對羅馬教而已。總括一句話講，從馬丁路德起來改革的時候，教會似乎很好，但後來漸漸退後，成為有名無實的教會了。

一、主耶穌的自稱─13章一節的上半節「你要寫信給撒狄教會的使者說，那有神的七靈和七星的，說。」主的自稱是因著每個教會的情形而定。現在主對撒狄教會說：「那有神的七靈和七星的說。」因撒狄教會與所代表的復原教相同。

Never Forget the Vision

2021-06-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 30:25-43.  Let’s go!

Genesis 30:25-26 (NIV)
25  After Rachel gave birth to Joseph, Jacob said to Laban, “Send me on my way so I can go back to my own homeland.
26  Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and I will be on my way. You know how much work I’ve done for you.”

On verses 25-26:  Jacob has already completed the 14 years he agreed to work for Laban in exchange for his two wives Leah and Rachel.  Throughout these 14 years, Jacob never forgot God’s promise to him in Genesis 28:13-15 as well as his own prayer that God would bring him back safely to his father’s house (Genesis 28:20-22).  He is now taking steps to go back and requests Laban to let him go.  What can we learn from this?  Wherever you are, never forget God’s vision for your life and the dream God has placed in your heart.

約櫃被擄

2021-06-17 in , /by

〈撒母耳記上〉    4:22   她又說：「榮耀離開以色列，因為神的約櫃被擄去了。」

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉   4:1-22

這是以利當士師的最後一役，以色列人出去與非利士人打仗。根據以斯拉網的資料：當以色列人離開埃及時，非利士人已經大量定居於埃及與迦薩之間沿岸一帶，因此以色列人被迫繞道內陸，以避開「非利士地的道路」（出13:17）。事實上，與非利士地毗連的地中海被稱為「非利士海」（出23:31）。〈申命記〉2:23所指的迦斐託人也應該是這地區的非利士人。在約書亞的晚年，非利士人已經在迦薩、亞實基倫、亞實突、以革倫及迦特這五個城市建立了穩固的勢力（書13:2-3）。

士師時代，非利士人欺壓以色列人已有40年（士13:1）。士師參孫的一生都與非利士人有關，最終他跟眾多非利士人同歸於盡（士14:19, 15:14-15, 16:4-30）。《聖經》提過三個非利士神名：大袞（撒上5:2）、亞斯他錄（撒上31:10）及巴力西卜，非利士人向這些神明獻祭（士16:23），在戰爭時帶有護身符（撒下5:21）。他們的異教信仰往往成為以色列人的網羅 (士2:3)。從這時候起，神經常以這些人責打以色列人（士3:2-3）。

當以色列人在戰場上失利時，痛中思痛，也想找出失敗的原因。他們也想到神的同在是得勝的關鍵。但是他們心中的神是誰呢？

在你生命中最重要的，不可遺失的東西是什麼？在這章經文裡，有一個很重要的東西不見了，這個東西被提到了九次，你找得出來嗎？可能你已經猜到了，那就是約櫃。從以色列人打仗，敗得不知如何是好時，以色列的長老們想起了約櫃，而不是想起神。這兩者之間有一個很大的差別，這約櫃是神的寶座所在之處，但耶和華神不是偶像，祂是不是坐在那裡，等著人家去抬呢？能夠幫助以色列人得勝的，是神的座位，還是神呢？這件事他們竟然沒想清楚。

The Son Who Takes Away Disgrace

2021-06-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 30:14-24.  Let’s go!

Genesis 30:14-18 (NIV)
14  During wheat harvest, Reuben went out into the fields and found some mandrake plants, which he brought to his mother Leah. Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.”
15  But she said to her, “Wasn’t it enough that you took away my husband? Will you take my son’s mandrakes too?” “Very well,” Rachel said, “he can sleep with you tonight in return for your son’s mandrakes.”
16  So when Jacob came in from the fields that evening, Leah went out to meet him. “You must sleep with me,” she said. “I have hired you with my son’s mandrakes.” So he slept with her that night.
17  God listened to Leah, and she became pregnant and bore Jacob a fifth son.
18  Then Leah said, “God has rewarded me for giving my maidservant to my husband.” So she named him Issachar.

On verses 14-18:  “Mandrakes” were a rare Middle Eastern plant that were traditionally thought to be an aphrodisiac, and were known among Greeks as “love apples” and among Arabs as the “devil’s apples”.  Leah’s son Reuben finds some mandrakes and brings them to his mom.  Rachel wants some of the mandrakes, so Rachel and Leah strike a bargain where Leah gets to sleep with Jacob that night and Rachel gets the mandrakes.  Later Leah gets pregnant and bears a fifth son, whom she calls Issachar, meaning “reward”.  Leah sees her fifth son as a reward from God for her giving her maidservant Zilpah to her husband.

撒母耳得啟示

2021-06-16 in , /by

〈撒母耳記上〉    3:19  撒母耳長大了，耶和華與他同在，使他所說的話一句都不落空。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉   3:1-21

在撒母耳蒙召時，正值〈士師記〉的末期，也是以色列人信仰極其荒涼的時候。以利當大祭司，又做士師，卻無法盡職，竟讓他的兒子們在會幕裡褻瀆神、渺視神，以致百姓不願意到會幕獻祭，與神隔絕。假如牧者不盡職，講道都隨便講，會友會不會一個個跑掉呢？這是必然的，因為百姓去會幕是想親近神，卻看到祭司有如強盜般的行為，無法親近神，只好就不去了，也免得受氣。牧者若不專心牧養會眾，會眾有如羊群，便會去別的地方找屬靈的「草」吃了。

以利既然不體貼神的心意，神也就不跟他說話了，所以耶和華的言語稀少。不只稀少，而是不跟他講了。神派神人，甚至藉著小小的撒母耳去警告以利，可是以利還是無動於衷。他有權柄可以禁止他們行惡，可是他捨不得管教那兩個逆子。所以神對撒母耳說：「因他知道兒子作孽，自招咒詛，卻不禁止他們。」神為何要派人，甚至藉著小撒母耳傳話呢？假如我們這樣做，會有何用意？豈不是希望他能有所作為，有所悔改，有所行動嗎？可是以利什麼也不做。他已經98歲了，什麼都不想做了。換了是我98歲，還會有所作為嗎？不過，我記得我婆婆去世前是96歲，她頭腦很清楚，還是大是大非的。若頭腦清醒，不管歲數多少，我們都要盡量尊重神，也教導兒女尊重神。希望我們都不要像以利那樣，神已經再三遣人警告他，他依然以兒子們為重，他有權柄，卻不肯禁止兒子們作惡。

以利覺得無能為力，只好憑主旨意。但是在〈以西結書〉卅三章11節，神說：「我指著我的永生起誓，我斷不喜悅惡人死亡，唯喜悅惡人轉離所行的道而活。」神讓以利活到98歲，已經給他比常人更多的機會去悔改，可惜他浪費了神給他的所有年日。但願我們都能像摩西那樣禱告：「求祢指教我們怎樣數算自己的日子，好叫我們得著智慧的心（詩90:12）。」有了從神來的智慧，我們才能好好把握今生的日子，不會虛度一生。不管多大歲數，只要還有一口氣，我們都可以悔改，求神的憐憫。不要輕易放棄自己和兒女們。

Don’t Be Outdone by Envy

2021-06-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 30:1-13.  Let’s go!

Genesis 30:1-2 (NIV)
1  When Rachel saw that she was not bearing Jacob any children, she became jealous of her sister. So she said to Jacob, “Give me children, or I’ll die!”
2  Jacob became angry with her and said, “Am I in the place of God, who has kept you from having children?”

On verses 1-2: Jealous of the fact that her sister Leah had already borne four sons, Rachel idolizes the idea of having children, to the point of saying to her husband Jacob “Give me children or I’ll die!” (v1). Jacob rebukes Rachel for expecting him to be God in her life, since he is not God and can’t control whether they have children or not (v2). 

What can we learn from this? One clue that we have started to put something or someone else in the place of God is when we say things like “I can’t live without ___”. That’s when we begin to look to something or someone else to satisfy us in ways that only God can. Rather than placing your hope in people or circumstances, which can change, put your hope in God, who does not change.

以利和兩個兒子

2021-06-15 in , /by

〈撒母耳記上〉 2:30b    因為尊重我的，我必重看他；藐視我的，他必被輕視。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉  2:12-36

這是發生在祭司家裡的事情，讓我們不免聯想到教會裡，會不會有傳道人或牧者，也不認識耶和華？你覺得有沒有這個可能呢？美國基督長老會在2015年3月17日投票通過，承認同性戀的婚姻，並修改婚姻的定義。你覺得他們認識神嗎？還有更多教會在這之前已經接受了同性戀的聖職人員。你會不會奇怪，為什麼他們讀的《聖經》和我們讀的《聖經》，不一樣嗎？他們信仰的神和我們信仰的神是同一個嗎？很可能不是，因為他們已經用自己的看法，人的看法，取代了神的看法。當人不認識神的時候，他們才會「有膽」這樣做。

例如，在台灣時，有的計程車司機會叫我們不用綁安全帶，因為「警察不會來抓」；但是在溫哥華，我們知道「警察一定來抓」。所以我們在溫哥華開車坐車，一定乖乖綁安全帶。因為溫巿的警察無處不在，你一不守法，他就冒出來。我們認識到這裡警察的勤快，所以我們都很守法。我們若認識神和祂的權柄，我們就不敢違反《聖經》的教導，去接受人的教導。所以人是否認識神，從他的行事為人，就可以辨認出來。所以，有不認識神的祭司，也有不認識神的牧師。

「惡人」的原文是「比列之子（sons of Belial) 」，比列是撒但的別名，可見他們的作為何等惡劣，竟被拿來和撒旦相提並論了。以利的兩個兒子因為不認識神，雖然是祭司的身份，卻什麼事都敢做，甚至搶取百姓獻給耶和華神的祭肉；不准獻祭的人先燒脂油，還和會門前伺候的婦人苟合（跟她們睡覺）。在神的會幕裡做這些事，根本不把神放眼裡，肆無忌憚。他們渺視神，心裡沒有神。

Living for Your Passion and Living with Your In Laws

2021-06-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 29:15-35.  Let’s go!

Genesis 29:31-35 (NIV)
31  When the LORD saw that Leah was not loved, he opened her womb, but Rachel was barren.
32  Leah became pregnant and gave birth to a son. She named him Reuben, for she said, “It is because the LORD has seen my misery. Surely my husband will love me now.”
33  She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Because the LORD heard that I am not loved, he gave me this one too.” So she named him Simeon.
34  Again she conceived, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “Now at last my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons.” So he was named Levi.
35  She conceived again, and when she gave birth to a son she said, “This time I will praise the LORD.” So she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children.

On verses 31-35:  Now both married to the same man Jacob, the two sisters Leah and Rachel begin the most heated rivalry ever recorded in the Bible between two sisters.  Leah is jealous and saddened that Jacob loves Rachel more.  It seems that with each baby she bears for Jacob, Leah somehow hopes it will cause Jacob to love her more.  Leah is desperately longing for her husband’s love and affection, but can’t seem to win it no matter what does.

哈拿的頌禱

2021-06-14 in , /by

〈撒母耳記上〉 2:6    耶和華使人死，也使人活；使人下陰間，也使人往上升。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記上〉 2:1-11

哈拿曾經在神面前哭求禱告，但是當她再回到會幕時，她的禱告就完全不同了。不同的心情，不同的禱告。每當禱告蒙應允時，你可曾記得回到主的面前，獻上你的感謝？或是覺得理所當然，小事一椿？懂得感謝和不懂得感謝的人，在人生的道路上會有決然不同的心情。向上帝發出感恩之情，是人類最基本的感謝。雖然人看不見神，神也不會回應，跟你說：「不要客氣了，下次再來。」但是在看不見的前題下，還能向祂感恩，那就是最真實的感情。若是覺得看不見就不用感謝，只要向看得見的人才說謝謝，那是比較虛偽的，是做給人看的。要先會向神感恩，才能對人也有真實的感恩。

哈拿的禱告和耶穌的母親瑪利亞的禱告，有很很多相似的地方。這是瑪利亞的禱告：「我心尊主為大，我靈以神我的救主為樂，因為他顧念他使女的卑微。從今以後，萬代要稱我有福，那有權能的為我成就了大事，祂的名為聖！祂憐憫敬畏他的人，直到世世代代。祂用膀臂施展大能，那狂傲的人正心裡妄想就被祂趕散了。祂叫有權柄的失位，叫卑賤的升高； 叫飢餓的得飽美食，叫富足的空手回去。祂扶助了祂的僕人以色列，為要記念亞伯拉罕和祂的後裔，施憐憫直到永遠，正如從前對我們列祖所說的話。」（路1:46-55）

兩個禱告的開始，都以神為樂，因為耶和華使她們的心快樂。神希望我們快樂，就好像我們希望自己的孩子快樂一樣。當我們能夠因著神的恩典而喜樂時，神的心何等滿足。我們從一個人的聲音和講話就可以感受到他（她）心裡的「天氣」，是大太陽天或是陰雨不定，甚或雷電交加。所以從哈拿的禱告裡，我們可以感受到她心裡的快樂和解放。她不再壓抑了，毘尼拿已經不能再刺激她了，因為她已經生下撒母耳。神挪走了她的羞辱，讓她的敵人噤若寒蟬，所以她的角因耶和華高舉，她的口向仇敵張開，因此她因耶和華的救恩為樂。