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Welcome God’s Presence and God’s Word

2021-05-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 18:1-15.  Let’s go!

Genesis 18:1-10 (NIV)
1  The LORD appeared to Abraham near the great trees of Mamre while he was sitting at the entrance to his tent in the heat of the day.
2  Abraham looked up and saw three men standing nearby. When he saw them, he hurried from the entrance of his tent to meet them and bowed low to the ground.
3  He said, “If I have found favor in your eyes, my lord, do not pass your servant by.
4  Let a little water be brought, and then you may all wash your feet and rest under this tree…….

On verses 10b-15:  Upon hearing the Lord say that about this time next year Sarah will have a son, Sarah laughs to herself and thinks sarcastically, “will I now have this pleasure?”  Previously Abraham had laughed at the Lord’s message that Sarah would bear a child at the age of 90 (Genesis 17:17), but his laugh was a joyful laugh fueled by faith, wonder and awe.  Here Sarah’s laugh is not fueled by faith or joy, but by unbelief, skepticism and ingratitude (v13).  Perceiving Sarah’s sarcastic thoughts, the Lord responds by asking, “Is anything too hard for the Lord” (v14).  Afraid, Sarah denies laughing but God confirms that she did laugh (v15).

耶和华和基甸的刀

2021-05-16 in , /by

〈士师记〉 7:20    三队的人就都吹角，打破瓶子，左手拿着火把，右手拿着角，喊叫说：「耶和华和基甸的刀！」

阅读经文：〈士师记〉 7:1-25

被欺压了七年之久的以色列人，此时在基甸的号召下聚集在哈律泉旁。哈律泉在基利波山的北边，是条温泉小溪，至今仍有泉水自山崖边不断流出，已经建设成一个公园。在哈律泉的北边大约六公里处就是摩利山（又称为摩利岗），那里聚集著米甸营的大军，包括了亚玛力人和东方人。在两边要交峰之前，神对基甸说：「跟随你的人过多，我不能将米甸人交在他们手中，免得以色列人向我夸大」，所以「凡惧怕胆怯的，可以离开基列山回去。」面对着如沙一般多的敌人，基甸可能暗自庆幸，还不错，有三万两千人出来跟随他。没想到神竟然要叫那些心里惧怕的人回去？

在〈申命记〉里，神规定有几种人不可出征：一是刚建造房屋，尚未奉献者；二，谁种葡萄园，尚未用所结的果子者；三，已聘定了妻，尚未迎娶者；四，惧怕胆怯者（申20:5-8）五，刚结婚的人一年内都不可以将之征召入伍（申24:5）。因为这些人心有旁骛，打起仗起若不能专心，怎能得胜？尤其是惧怕胆怯者，不仅对自己没有信心，对神也没有信心，在一起打仗，肯定影响士气，不如不要。在人的眼中，打仗当然是人越多越好；但是在神的眼中，祂只要精兵。

米甸营里一共有十三万五千人，在以色列人眼中尤如过境之蝗虫，洪水也似地翻滚而来。而神却对基甸说，一万人还是太多，祂只要留下三百人。我们有时觉得为神做工的人太少，可是现在来看，这是神一贯的政策。神不要太多工人，像在某些政府部门做事的，有许多打毛衣、聊天或上网打游戏者，神要的每个工人都是实心实地在做事的。而且，神要让这些服侍的人知道，不是因为自己有什么能力，而是神的能力托住他们。所以神所用的人，不能向神夸大，因为明白自己何等软弱，神的能力和恩典才是一切事工的泉源。

Laugh for the Right Reasons

2021-05-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 17:15-27.  Let’s go!

Genesis 17:15-16 (NIV)
15  God also said to Abraham, “As for Sarai your wife, you are no longer to call her Sarai; her name will be Sarah.
16  I will bless her and will surely give you a son by her. I will bless her so that she will be the mother of nations; kings of peoples will come from her.”

On verses 15-16:  Here God expressly states that Sarai will give birth to a son and will become the mother of nations.  God changes Sarai’s name to Sarah, which means “princess”, which is appropriate given that kings would come from her (v16).

This reminds me that when you place your trust in Jesus, you become part of God’s royal family.  As God’s children, you’re not nothing; you are royalty.  (Just for fun, if you want a more royal sounding name, take the name of the street you live on and add a royal sounding title to it, like “Prince Willingdon”, “Lady Katsura”, “King Edward”, or “The Dutchess of Dunbar”.  This usually works for streets in Greater Vancouver, unless you live on No. 2 Road.)

Faith and Circumcision

2021-05-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 17:1-14.  Let’s go!

Genesis 17:1-8 (NIV)
1  When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am God Almighty; walk before me and be blameless.
2  I will confirm my covenant between me and you and will greatly increase your numbers.”
3  Abram fell facedown, and God said to him,
4  “As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations.
5  No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations.
6  I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you.
7  I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.
8  The whole land of Canaan, where you are now an alien, I will give as an everlasting possession to you and your descendants after you; and I will be their God.”

On verses 1-8:  Previously God made a covenant (a legally binding promise) to Abram in Genesis 15, promising to give Abram the land from the Nile to the Euphrates (Genesis 15:18).  Now, in addition to God telling Abram to walk before Him and be blameless (v1), God confirms His covenant with Abram and gives the covenant more definition, like a sculpture getting more and more refined by its sculptor.  Here God confirms that the covenant includes Abram being the father of many nations (v4), with Abram’s name changing to Abraham (meaning “father of many”) (v5).  God also confirms that the covenant is an everlasting one for all of Abraham’s descendants (v7) ad that God is giving to Abraham and his descendants the whole land of Canaan (v8). 

第一封信：给以弗所(2)下

2021-05-14 in , /by

「你要回想你是从哪里堕落的」

　　你的放弃比较主动，你的得回比较被动。你的犯罪，是你的意志产生的果效；你的回头，是上帝的意志继续施恩的果效。上帝的恩典永远大过我们所能做、所能想的。主吩咐以弗所教会要悔改，得回失去的爱心。怎么得回？「你要回想你是从哪里堕落的」这句话，是圣经在启示录告诉我们的。

　　老人家常常会跌倒，老人家跌倒的原因，不是因为爱跌倒，而是因为老人家脑内平衡的系统已经不敏感了，因为他小脑的平衡作用已经失去了灵敏。为什么老人家要用拐杖？因为拐杖的硬度能使他站立。老人家喜欢坐在有可以支撑站起来的椅子，因为老人的平衡力、筋骨的支撑力已经远不如前。老人不觉悟哪一秒要跌倒，旁边照顾他的人要非常敏捷，就马上即时撑着他，让他站着。一个年轻人跌倒了，就站起来；一个老人跌到，要花几分钟慢慢移动身体，才能站起来。感谢上帝给我站立的时候，还可以手靠着讲台，继续维持整个身体的支撑，直到讲完道。

　　有些人用这节圣经引申一句话：「你从哪里跌倒，就从哪里起来。」我从小听牧师讲道：「你从哪里跌倒，就从哪里起来」，我后来觉得这句话是没有道理的，因为没有人从这里跌倒，而从那里起来，你从这里跌倒，一定是从这里起来。今天我们的灵性也如此。我们在懒惰传福音上跌倒，我们却在金钱的奉献上爬起来，你的跌倒是因为懒惰传福音，你的起来怎么是用奉献多一点钱起来？你跌倒的地方与你起来的地方不一样，这是灵性上的错误。

God Hears and God Sees

2021-05-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 16.  Let’s go!

Genesis 16:1-4 (NIV)
1  Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservant named Hagar;
2  so she said to Abram, “The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her.” Abram agreed to what Sarai said.
3  So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife.
4  He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress.

On verses 1-4:  Tired of waiting for God to bless her with a child, Sarai proposes that Abram sleep with their Egyptian maidservant Hagar so that Sarai can have children through Hagar.  Perhaps Sarai thought, “Well, did God ever say the offspring had to come from my body?” (Not until the next chapter in Genesis 17:15-16 would God expressly say that Sarai will be the one to bear Abram’s offspring, although one could argue that this idea was already implied in God’s prior promises.)  According to scholars, it was a customary ancient Middle Eastern practice for a slave to bear children for the wife if the wife could not bear children.  So Abram agrees, Hagar conceives, but the relief that Sarai thought she would experience by executing her plan soon turns into regret. 

耶和华沙龙

2021-05-13 in , /by

〈士师记〉6:31 约阿施回答站着攻击他的众人说：「你们是为巴力争论吗？你们要救他吗？谁为他争论，趁早将谁治死。巴力若果是神，有人拆毁他的坛，让他为自己争论吧！」  

阅读经文：〈士师记〉6:19-40

神的使者向基甸显现，基甸不敢相信他真是从耶和华神来的，因此要他等一等。基甸做了无酵饼，又预备了一只羊羔和汤。从米甸人、亚玛力人和东方人对以色列人的压制和抢夺之下，基甸仍然有麦子可打，有羊羔可杀，可算当时挺有本事的。神的使者用杖头去挨了肉和无酵饼，就有火从下面的磐石中出来，烧尽了肉和无酵饼，表示神的悦纳。基甸此时才醒悟，原来耶和华神的使者真的向他显现了。觌面就是面对面观看的意思。以色列人从摩西时代就知道人不能见神的面，见到神的面必然要死。因为摩西求神让他见到神的面时，神说：「你不能看见我的面，因为人见我的面不能存活。（出33:20）」但是神即刻安慰基甸，他必不致于死。因为神的使者以人的样式出现，正如神以人的样式去找亚伯拉罕一样，是以人的样式与他们见面，并不是以神原本的面目与他们相见。

基甸因而为耶和华神筑了一座坛，起名叫耶和华沙龙Jehovah-Shalom(The-Lord-Is-Peace)，意思是：「神是平安」。因为神成为他的平安，让他心里不再挣扎，不再受苦。从不信到怀疑，从怀疑到相信，基甸经历了他人生一个巨大的转变。原本躲在酒榨中打麦子，现在神叫他去拆巴力的坛，他就在夜里去，并且用砍下的偶像为耶和华的坛做柴。他不敢在白天做，试想在白天会引起多大的纷争啊！在夜里，他按著神的吩咐做好一切事。隔天一早，就引来城里人的惊讶，问清楚是基甸做的事，便要治死他。但是基甸心里有从神来的平安。

The Whole Way

2021-05-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 15.  Let’s go!

Genesis 15:1 (NIV)
1  After this, the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision: “Do not be afraid, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward.”

On verse 1:  In the previous chapter, Abram refused to take any material goods from the King of Sodom, even after he had rescued the people of Sodom from Kedorlaomer.  After Abram refused to receive any reward from the King of Sodom, now the Lord comes to Abram in a vision, saying, “I am your very great reward”.  What can we learn from this?  The greatest reward, the greatest treasure we can have is to know God personally and have His presence in our lives.   

God says another thing to Abram here after Abram’s victory over Kedorlaomer in battle.  He says, “I am your shield.”  In other words, the reason why Abram was able to go into battle against a more powerful enemy and come out unscathed is because God was protecting Abram.  Similarly, you and I face Satan, an enemy more powerful than us, but God is our omnipotent shield against the enemy.  Jesus’ blood shed on the cross shields us from all further accusations that Satan would want to hurl at us.  Jesus protects us from God’s wrath against our sin.  The Lord was Abram’s shield.  He is your shield too.

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.