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Wisdom from the Father

2021-02-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 7:14-24.  Let’s go!

John 7:14 (NIV) 
14  Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 

On verse 14:  The Feast of Tabernacles lasted 8 days.  According to some scholars, it had been approximately 18 months since the last time Jesus visited Jerusalem.  Many were expecting Jesus to make a public appearance at the Feast, but Jesus does not appear when everyone expects.  Only when the Feast is halfway through did Jesus begin to teach in the temple courts.  There he amazes the crowd with his teaching. 

John 7:15 (NIV) 
15  The Jews were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?”

On verse 15:  When the Jews ask, “How did this man get such learning without having studied?”, some scholars read this as the Jews simply being amazed that a man without formal rabbinical training like Jesus could teach with such wisdom and power.  However, there is probably also a streak of skepticism in their question as well. 

宰牲食肉之例

2021-02-16 in , /by

〈申命記〉 12:25    不可吃血。這樣，你行耶和華眼中看為正的事，你和你的子孫就可以得福。

在非常推崇素食的時代裡，看到〈申命記〉12章19-32節，會不讓你連想到昨天讀的經文：「各人行自己眼中看為正的事」？今天這段經文給了我們一節對照的經文：「行耶和華你神眼中看為善、看為正的事(申12:28)」。在人的一生裡，經常在這兩節經文的掙扎之中做選擇，究竟要行自己眼中看為正的事好，還是要行耶和華神眼中看為正的事？前一陣子我也一直在思考這個問題，一定要吃素食才健康嗎？雖然現在的肉食有太多的抗生素等等因素，但是有些肉店還是有品質不錯的肉，我們必須放棄嗎？在不斷地思考中，我幾乎不知如何下廚了。

在神起初創造這個世界時，神把蔬菜和水果賜給亞當和夏娃作為食物；在大洪水之後，神又把動物賜給挪亞和他的後裔作為食物。然後在以色列人出埃及之後，神正式宣告，哪些是不潔的動物，哪些是潔淨可食的動物。潔淨的肉食，表示是適合人吃的肉食，也表示是乾淨、完整、無瑕的肉；不潔淨的動物包括自死的或是被野獸撕裂的，當然也有人吃，但是吃了不一定對健康有益。例如，現在有一些地方流行豬瘟疫，有的生意人把病死的豬也拿去做香腸，醃肉，等等，不知內情的人吃了生病都不知道是怎麼回事，十分可怕。

這段經文給我們一個很清楚的引導，肉是神給人的一個恩賜。是人說不可以吃肉，不是神說不可以吃肉。「在你各城裡都可以照耶和華你神所賜你的福分，隨心所欲宰牲吃肉(申12:15)」，不管是潔淨的人或是不潔淨的人都可以吃。只是不可吃血。摩西說得非常清楚，肉是神賜給人的福份。但是不可將血與肉同吃，要先把動物的血放掉，如同倒水一樣倒掉(申12:24)。

From Not Enough to More Than Enough

2021-02-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 6:1-15.  Let’s go!

John 6:1-5 (NIV) 
1  Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), 
2  and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. 
3  Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. 
4  The Jewish Passover Feast was near. 
5  When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?”

On verses 1-5:  Notice that when Jesus sees the crowd, his heart goes out to them and he wants to serve them.  When he sees the crowd, he probably envisions fields ripe for harvest. What do you see when you see crowds in your city? Like Jesus may you have a heart for the people around you.  Like Jesus, may you desire for God to work powerfully in their lives. As we will see in this passage, multitudes will be blessed when the hearts of a few willing and courageous individuals match the heart of God.

在耶和華面前歡樂

2021-02-15 in , /by

〈申命記〉 12:18 要在耶和華─你的　神面前吃，在耶和華─你　神所要選擇的地方，你和兒女、僕婢，並住在你城裡的利未人，都可以吃；也要因你手所辦的，在耶和華─你　神面前歡樂。

讀了這段經文，你有什麼感想嗎？我讀了這段經文之後，心裡有一種很深的感動。摩西在前面幾章講到神為以色列人做的事情，神給他們的律法，神為他們預備的美地，但是都不如這裡的信息那麼令人感動。神為了和以色列人建立關係，的確做出了許多無可倫比的神蹟奇事，又給他們最完備的建國方略（律法等），但是都不如這裡的信息來得直接，神要選民在神的面前歡樂度日。

神不是包青天，準備了龍頭鍘、虎頭鍘和狗頭鍘，專門等那些犯法的人上前來，就給他鍘一下。祂是希望以色列人，祂的子民都因為手所辦的一切事蒙神祝福，因而在神面前歡樂。你可曾想過，神不要你憂愁，祂希望你歡樂？倘若你在神的面前活得很憂愁，祂看了會很難過。以前孩子小的時候，有時早上動作慢，被我斥責了幾句，小臉蛋扯得長長地去上學。等他一出門，我心裡就開始難過了，就開始禱告，求天父讓他開心起來，不要再難過。往往要等他放學時，看到他那飛揚的笑容，我的心才會再度開朗起來。

天父也希望我們喜樂地活在祂面前。主耶穌在最後的晚餐時，為門徒禱告，其中有一句：「我還在世上說這話，是叫他們心裡充滿我的喜樂。(約17:13b)」即使在面對酷刑和死亡之際，主仍然有喜樂在心裡，祂也不想門徒們失去喜樂，祂求神使門徒的心裡充滿祂的喜樂。當以色列人從巴比倫回去耶路撒冷建殿築城時，尼希米鼓勵他們：「你們不要憂愁，因靠耶和華而得的喜樂是你們的力量。(尼8:10)」不是因為環境很美好，不是因為生活舒服，而是在任何景況之下，神都希望我們有祂的喜樂在心裡，因為靠耶和華而得的喜樂是我們的力量。

Moses your accuser, Jesus your Saviour

2021-02-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 5:41-47.  Let’s go!

John 5:41-44 (NIV) 
41  “I do not accept praise from men,
42  but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts.
43  I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.
44  How can you believe if you accept praise from one another, yet make no effort to obtain the praise that comes from the only God?

On verses 41-44:  Interesting.  Jesus seems to be saying that if you’re all about living for people’s praise and approval and are not interested in pleasing God, this will keep you from an effective, saving, fruitful faith in God.  In other words, faith is a heart issue. 

John 5:45-47 (NIV) 
45  “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.
46  If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me.
47  But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”