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God Cares About The Fruit You Bear

2021-05-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 11:10-32.  Let’s go!

Genesis 11:10-26 (NIV)
10  This is the account of Shem. Two years after the flood, when Shem was 100 years old, he became the father of Arphaxad.
11  And after he became the father of Arphaxad, Shem lived 500 years and had other sons and daughters.
12  When Arphaxad had lived 35 years, he became the father of Shelah.
13  And after he became the father of Shelah, Arphaxad lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
14  When Shelah had lived 30 years, he became the father of Eber.
15  And after he became the father of Eber, Shelah lived 403 years and had other sons and daughters.
16  When Eber had lived 34 years, he became the father of Peleg……

On verses 10-26:  In what the author of Genesis calls the account (i.e. the story or genealogy) of Shem (v10), we find a family tree linking Noah’s oldest son Shem to Terah, the father of Abram (later to be known as Abraham).  Verses 10 to 26 help us to see the connection between two very important figures in the Old Testament: Noah and Abraham.

In this list of ancestors, a pattern recurs where it says “When this person had lived X years, he became the father of Y, and after he became the father of Y, he lived Z years and had other sons and daughters.”  Notice that the author of Genesis starts counting years of a person’s life based on when they became a father to their first born.  What can we learn from this?  For me it’s a subtle reminder that God made us to bear fruit.  I’m not just talking about reproducing children of your own; rather I’m talking about what kind of fruit you are reproducing with your life.

The Power of a United Team

2021-05-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 11:1-9.  Let’s go!

Genesis 11:1 (NIV)
1  Now the whole world had one language and a common speech.

On verse 1:  How could the whole world, or at least the whole world as the author of Genesis had known it, have one language and a common speech when Genesis 10:5 already says that certain maritime peoples had their own languages?  One theory is that there may have been one common language by which all people groups communicated, though each group may have also had their own dialects.  Another theory is that Genesis 10:5 is referring to events that took place after what we read about here in Genesis 11:1. 

Genesis 11:2 (NIV)
2  As men moved eastward, they found a plain in Shinar and settled there.

On verse 2:  According to some scholars, Shinar was likely located in modern day Iraq.

Genesis 11:3-4 (NIV)
3  They said to each other, “Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar.
4  Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”

心灵上的铁车

2021-05-04 in , /by

〈士师记〉 1:19 耶和华与犹大同在，犹大就赶出山地的居民，只是不能赶出平原的居民，因为他们有铁车。

阅读经文：〈士师记 〉1:1-36

有人说〈士师记〉是整本《圣经》中最悲哀的一卷书，描写神的子民离开神，倚靠自己的力量去生存，不但无法夺取未得之地，甚至丧失已得之地，成为异族蹂躙的对象。这也是形容信徒离开神的光景，不但无法过得胜的生活，反而被罪恶所胜，再度成为罪的奴仆，被罪奴役。约书亚带领以色列人进入迦南，打下了基础，以色人却无法完成神的托咐、剩下的使命；正如基督为我们完成了救恩，我们也接受救恩成为神的儿女，但是却未能倚靠神去战胜老我，以致老我居首，又把圣灵关到地下室。

因此我们明白，信心和行为相辅相成的必要。约书亚死后，以色列人的信心开始逐渐转移。以色列人的团结性也逐渐分散，各打各的仗，以致于力量分散，无法像约书亚在世时，集中一气去打战的气势。一开始，仿佛还是有点信心，以色列人去求问神，谁应该先出战。犹大邀请西缅一起作战，因为西缅的地域就在犹大的领域之内。「犹大就上去，耶和华将迦南人和比利洗人交在他们手中」，意思是，犹大一上去，神就把敌人交给他。犹大有凭著信心而出的行为，神立刻回应。这就是神对我们的要求，好像过约旦河时，祭司的脚必须先踏入水中，水才分开。倘若祭司害怕，要神先把水分开，那么他们就无法过河了。犹大采取行动，神就祝福。

犹大和西缅打了个大胜仗，在比色击杀了一万人，又抓到亚多尼比色。亚多尼比色是个头衔，指他是「比色的王」之意。他是一个势力强大且凶狠的统治者，他曾经击败七十个王，并砍去他们手脚的大拇指。在古代希腊和近东的战役里都有类似的习俗，就是砍去战俘的大拇指，让他不能再拿剑执矛，却可以划船。但是亚多尼比色却故意屈辱他的战俘，让他们在他的桌下拾取零碎食物，苟延残喘以度余生。因此，他觉他所受的惩罚是个报应。

至于我和我家

2021-05-03 in , /by

〈约书亚记〉 24:15 b   至于我和我家，我们必定侍奉耶和华。

阅读经文：〈约书亚记〉 24:1-33

我以前不大明白，为何神的仆人从旧约的摩西到新约的司提反，等等，都要一再地提到神呼召亚伯兰，以及带领色列人出埃及的过程。直到有一次我跟一些年轻人相处时，才发现原来追本溯源十分重要。那些年轻人的父母大多白手起家，年轻时创业维艰，又要照顾家庭，很不容易。但是他们的儿女长大之后，只会拚命享用父母的钱，觉得那是天经地意的事情。他们以为白白得来是他们的权利，丝毫不感激父母的付出和辛劳，反而动不动就埋怨，跟父母顶嘴，根本没有动力去工作和建立自己的人生。

但是当我想到犹太人在过年过节时，在享用盛宴之先，总有一位长者把他们跟神的关系，也就是神呼召亚伯兰，以及神带领以色列人出埃及入迦南的事蹟述说一遍，感谢神之后再享用晚餐。这样的习俗不仅使犹太人永远记得他们是神的子民，也使他们不管落在怎样的光景中都有盼望，相信神必拯救他们。因此他们也可以把殷勤工作的习惯和祖业一代代地传下去。年轻人需要知道父母和祖辈的历史，好让他们知道一切都是经过前人的努力和神的恩典，才有他们今天的享福；也帮助他们能竖立自己的目标和展望，好好地去奔走前面的道路，为他们的下一代努力。

我想，这就是家庭祭坛的意义。不要只给孩子金钱和物质，更要给他们传承，让他们能够感受到生命的意义。因此约书亚对以色列人宣告，不管别人的选择如何，约书亚则已经决定：「至于我和我家，我们必定侍奉耶和华」。约书亚有这样的看见，他是他们家族的领袖，他已经决定，侍奉耶和华便是他和他家的目标，定命之所在。这样的决定也激励了其他以色列人，相继回应也要侍奉耶和华，认耶和华是他们的神。

The Ones Who Come After

2021-05-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 10:1-32.  Let’s go!

Genesis 10:1-5 (NIV)
1  This is the account of Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah’s sons, who themselves had sons after the flood.
2  The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras.
3  The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah.
4  The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim.
5  (From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language.)

On verses 1-5:  Here the author of Genesis lists the descendants of Noah, starting with the descendants of Noah’s second son Japheth (v2-5).  There is a reason why the author of Genesis starts with the second son.  It’s because the descendants of Noah’s oldest son Shem would be highlighted last to lead into the story of Shem’s most famous descendants: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and of course Jesus Christ.  The fact that the various peoples that emerged from Japheth’s line each had their own language (v5) suggests that God loves a variety of languages and cultures.  God is a God who enjoys ethnic and cultural diversity.  We will see this all the more in chapter 11.  That is why in Revelation heaven is described as a kingdom of people from every nation.  This also sets us up for a tragedy we will read about in Genesis 11.

Cover Him Up!

2021-05-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 9:18-29.  Let’s go!

Genesis 9:18-21 (NIV)
18  The sons of Noah who came out of the ark were Shem, Ham and Japheth. (Ham was the father of Canaan.)
19  These were the three sons of Noah, and from them came the people who were scattered over the earth.
20  Noah, a man of the soil, proceeded to plant a vineyard.
21  When he drank some of its wine, he became drunk and lay uncovered inside his tent.

On verse 21:  Noah gets drunk and passes out naked inside his tent, apparently in a way that others could see him from the outside.  Keep in mind that during Noah’s time nakedness was associated with shame.  This was an embarrassing moment for Noah.  It’s also proof that while Noah may have been found righteous in his generation compared to the people of his time (Genesis 6:9 and Genesis 7:1), Noah wasn’t perfect and needed the covering and protection of God and others.  In fact, the covering that Noah’s sons Shem and Japheth give Noah foreshadows the covering that Jesus would humbly give us by dying on the cross for our sins.  Jesus covers our shame with the garment of His righteousness and love.

约书亚之遗命

2021-05-02 in , /by

〈约书亚记〉 23:10 你们一人必追赶千人，因耶和华你们的神照他所应许的，为你们争战。

阅读经文：〈约书亚记〉 23:1-16 

人的肉体总有一老和一死，但是像摩西和约书亚这样，可以做完神托咐的工作，安然去见主，是何等有福啊！人老了，身体逐渐衰落，便知道神给自己在世上的时间已经快要结束了。人生有限，神给每个人在世上的日子都是可以数算的，因此我们当求神给我们智慧的心去过世上的岁月。

当约书亚年纪老迈，便召集众人做最后的交代时，他讲了一件很重要的事：「那为你们争战的是耶和华你们的神」，这位神不只是要带领约书亚，也将带领以色列人面对将来的战事，只要他们愿意好好跟随祂。约书亚不是说他自己很厉害，而是说这位神才是带领争战的，所以不要因为他的离开而难过；因为每一个人都可以被取代，唯有神不能被取代。

假如以色列人记得为他们争战的是耶和华，他们就不会因为约书亚的离去而丧志，因为神仍然与他们同在。在家父被主接去的那年，我觉得自己的力气也仿佛消失了。但是圣灵让我回想家父得救的见证，以及他引导我们一家归向主的过程，我发现自己的心力又慢慢回来，我的灵也再次被唤醒，那引导我父亲的，也必继续引领我们前面的道路。我们是有限的，但耶和华神是无限的。

约书亚完成的功业，一是剪除在迦南地的外邦大族，二是使以色列各支派得到分地，可以进驻迦南。但是有一些地方上的异族人还是不肯离开。因此约书亚提醒他们：「耶和华你们的神必将他们从你们面前赶出去，使他们离开你们」，这是一个应许。

A Covenant Making God

2021-04-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 9:1-17.  Let’s go!

Genesis 9:1-4 (NIV)
1  Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.
2  The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands.
3  Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.
4  “But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it.

On verses 1-4:  In verse 1 God gives Noah and his sons a near identical commission to the one God gave Adam in Genesis 1:28: “Be fruitful, increase in number, fill the earth”.  God also gave humans authority over the entire animal kingdom (“they are given in your hands” – v2b).  Meat is now explicitly okay to eat in addition to vegetables (v3), although God demands that special respect be paid to the lifeblood of the animal.

第一封信：给以弗所(下)

2021-04-30 in , /by

你是活的基督徒，还是死的基督徒？

　　教会的行为是很重要的，「你们要将你们的好行为行在世人面前，叫他们看见你们的好行为，便将荣耀归给你们在天上的父」（参：太5:16，彼前2:12），这是有行为的教会，这是有生活见证的教会，也是上帝称赞以弗所教会的第一件事情，「我知道你的行为」。上帝评定你的灵性，不是看你听过些什么、知道些什么、相信些什么，而是要你把所信的行出来。你把所信的行出来，你就是活的基督徒，你不能把你所信的活出来，你就是死的基督徒。我们今天是活的基督徒，或者是死的基督徒？雅各书告诉我们，没有行为的信心是死的（参：雅2:17、20、26）。教会是永生上帝的家。如果一个教会有很多死的基督徒的话，这教会就没有资格传讲永生的信息，因为我们的生活不是彰显永生的香气，而是彰显死亡的臭味，羞辱主名。

会好坏的试金石——行为、劳碌、忍耐、抵挡罪恶

　　耶稣基督对以弗所教会的第二个称赞，「我知道你的劳苦」，他们为了主的工作献上的体力、劳苦，为了主的工作所做的一切牺牲，主都记得。「我知道你的行为，知道你的劳苦，也知道你的忍耐」，这三件事，一件比一件更困难，把所信的真理行出来，是不容易的，为所信的劳劳碌碌地活下去，是困难的，用忍耐的生活为所信的坚持下去，是更困难的，「主说，我知道你的行为、劳碌与忍耐，也知道你不能容忍恶人」，以弗所的立场坚定，并且抗拒罪恶，为信仰付出更大的代价。一个教会若有这几样是太伟大了，因为这就是灵性真正的表现。

　　勇于抵挡罪恶的教会是不与社会同流合污的。现今的美国已经非常败坏，连做人最基本的道理都丢弃了，性行为混乱到一个的地步，男女不分，不伦不类。一九七五年有一美国杂志刊载一个消息：「有一名生物学家养了两只猩猩，有一天他尝试与猩猩发生性关系，想不到猩猩无论如何不要跟他发生性关系，这生物学家很惊奇，因此记录了这项研究。」有些动物接受人与牠性交，像狗、猪，但猩猩没有。那时我才三十多岁，看了这篇文章，我知道上帝的创造是有规律、有规矩的、有限制的，人不可以随便改变，但美国现在已经败坏到一个地步，不像一个人的社会。

The Power of a Sacrifice

2021-04-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 8:13-22.  Let’s go!

Genesis 8:13-20 (NIV)
13  By the first day of the first month of Noah’s six hundred and first year, the water had dried up from the earth. Noah then removed the covering from the ark and saw that the surface of the ground was dry.
14  By the twenty-seventh day of the second month the earth was completely dry.
15  Then God said to Noah,
16  “Come out of the ark, you and your wife and your sons and their wives.
17  Bring out every kind of living creature that is with you–the birds, the animals, and all the creatures that move along the ground–so they can multiply on the earth and be fruitful and increase in number upon it.”……

On verse 20:  Notice that Noah’s first major action after coming out of the ark with his family unscathed was to build an altar to the Lord and sacrifice burnt offerings on it.   What can we learn from this?  When God preserves you and protects you from a terrible ordeal, when He provides greatly for you, the thing to do – the first thing – is to give God a sacrifice of worship and praise.  Realize that whatever you give God is little compared to what God has given to you.