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When the Direction You’re Considering Is A Wrong Shortcut

2021-06-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 27:1-14.  Let’s go!

Genesis 27:1-14 (NIV)
1  When Isaac was old and his eyes were so weak that he could no longer see, he called for Esau his older son and said to him, “My son.” “Here I am,” he answered.
2  Isaac said, “I am now an old man and don’t know the day of my death.
3  Now then, get your weapons–your quiver and bow–and go out to the open country to hunt some wild game for me.
4  Prepare me the kind of tasty food I like and bring it to me to eat, so that I may give you my blessing before I die.”……

On verses 1-14:  Isaac, up in years and eager to give his blessing to his firstborn son Esau before he dies, tells Esau to prepare his favourite meal so that he can give Esau his blessing.  Rebekah overhears Isaac’s plan, thinks about the fact that the older twin Esau was always meant to serve the younger twin Jacob.  So Rebekah decides to take matters into her own hands.  Instead of trying to reason with her husband Isaac as to why their firstborn Esau should not get the blessing, Rebekah chooses a dishonest, deceitful shortcut approach to trying to secure the blessing for her younger son Jacob. She thought, “I’ll just go behind Isaac’s back and trick Isaac into giving Jacob the blessing instead of Esau.” While it is true that in the short-term Rebekah would get what she wanted, her plan also led to several painful long-term consequences that Rebecca never intended:

路得有求于波阿斯

2021-06-09 in , /by

〈路得记〉  3:5     路得说：「凡你所吩咐的，我必遵行。」

阅读经文：〈路得记〉 3:1-18

 在男女交往之间，一直以来有个不成文的规定，一般都是凤求凰。因而也有人问，那么就不可以凰求凤吗？当然有凰求凤的例子，而且成功的还不少。当拿俄米向路得提出这个凰求凤的建议时，路得的反应是：「凡你所吩咐的，我必遵行」。路得不是以色列人，可能不懂得以色列人的规矩和传统，但是她相信拿俄米。在她要跟着拿俄米回伯利恒时，她已经说了：「你往哪里去，我也往哪里去；你在哪里住宿，我也在哪里住宿。你的国就是我的国，你的神就是我的神。你在哪里死，我也在哪里死，也葬在那里。除非死能使你我相离。」这种信心，就是神向我们要的信心，但是即使死也不能使我们与主分离。

路得不明白以色列人的传统，但是因为相信拿俄米，她就完全顺服。这种顺服也是神所求于我们的，因为相信神，所以不管明不明白，都愿意顺服。拿俄米叫路得去做的事，不是花好月圆那回事。拿俄米是要路得去探探波阿斯心里有什么想法？拿俄米所关心的是路得的终生幸福，不是她自己的利益关系。这样的婆婆殊是难得，人都想养儿防老，没儿了，有个愿紧紧跟随的媳妇，还能不把她抓紧一点，看紧一点？哪里还让她去跟别的男人制造机会？

但是拿俄米心里还有件事，她的丈夫以利米勒和儿子都死了，以利米勒的产业没人去赎回。除非有个至近的亲属，例如拿俄米的丈夫的兄弟再娶拿俄米，为拿俄米的丈夫生个儿子，才能继承以利米勒的产业。

Forgiving Brings New Blessings

2021-06-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 26:23-35.  Let’s go!

Genesis 26:23-25 (NIV)
23  From there he went up to Beersheba.
24  That night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham.”
25  Isaac built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD. There he pitched his tent, and there his servants dug a well.

On verses 23-25:  One thing Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, three generations of men, had in common was that after hearing God speak, each of them would build an altar to God and call on His name.  It’s a reminder to me that:

1. God wants to personally speak to people in every generation.  You were made not simply to hear about God from the generation before you.  You were made to personally hear from God yourself and to worship Him. 

2. Just as Isaac pitched his tent and dug a well in the same place where he worshiped God and heard from God, so may you choose to live near God’s presence every day, make worship your priority, and seek to add more blessings and prosperity to the place where you worship and hear from God.    

波阿斯厚待路得

2021-06-08 in , /by

〈路得记〉   2:12   愿耶和华照你所行的赏赐你。你来投靠耶和华以色列神的翅膀下，愿你满得祂的赏赐。

阅读经文：〈路得记〉   2:1-23

路得之所以被世人所称赞，除了她愿意牺牲自己美好的青春年华，去侍候一个年老的婆婆，还有她那善体人意的好心肠。她跟着拿俄米回伯利恒，并不是为了要享福。她很清楚知道自己将要面临的生活，必须承担起照顾婆婆的责任。伯利恒对她而言是块陌生的土地，幸好语言方面并无障碍，她已习惯了和婆婆沟通的方式。回到伯利恒解决了住的问题，其次就是吃的问题。她没有日坐愁城地等待，而是决定成为一个可以供应家庭的人。

有的人喜欢被人侍候，觉得有人侍候才算是上等人，因此宁可什么事都不做，找很多的借口来搪塞。但是神赐给我们的五官四体若是不使用，就会逐渐丧失其功能。最明显的就是骨折之后的手或脚，因为需要时间使骨骼长成，不能使用，因此肌肉就会慢慢消失，骨骼也会僵硬；要逐渐按摩，适当运动之后，才能恢复其功能。所以我们的身体若是越动就越能动，越不动就真的不动啦！所以工作勤快的人，表面看起来好像吃亏，因为做的事比较多，但实际上神已经祝福他了，因为他的身体各方面都能联络得更好。

路得主动提出要去田间拾取麦穗，因为这是最直接可以得到粮食的方法，也是不用钱可以温饱之道。在山东省有个老太太，从小经历了好多次的饥荒，对粮食特别爱惜。儿女长大有了好工作，生活富裕之后，她依然去拾取麦穗和稻米。她说，机器收割粮食掉的多，她一季可拾取100多斤麦穗，有时捡回去的稻米，一家人半个月都吃不完。上帝很公平，勤劳的人饿不死，光是用捡的都可以喂饱一家人。

When You Face Problem After Problem

2021-06-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 26:12-22.  Let’s go!

Genesis 26:12-22 (NIV)
12  Isaac planted crops in that land and the same year reaped a hundredfold, because the LORD blessed him.
13  The man became rich, and his wealth continued to grow until he became very wealthy.
14  He had so many flocks and herds and servants that the Philistines envied him.
15  So all the wells that his father’s servants had dug in the time of his father Abraham, the Philistines stopped up, filling them with earth…….

On verses 12-22:  God blesses Isaac with great wealth (v12-13), so much so that the Philistines begin to envy him (v14) and stop up the wells that Isaac’s father Abraham had dug (v15).  In fact, despite Isaac trying to cooperate with the government of Gerar (v16-17) and doing what was within his rights (v18), over and over the Philistines cause problems for Isaac, disputing with Isaac over one well after another (v19-21).  Despite encountering problem after problem and dispute after dispute, Isaac refuses to give up.  He persists in his well digging until he can find a well that no one will fight with him over.  When he finally finds it, he calls the well Rehoboth, meaning “room” (v22), believing that now God has given him and his family the room to grow.

你的神就是我的神

2021-06-07 in , /by

〈路得记〉  1:16  路得说：「不要催我回去不跟随你！你往哪里去，我也往哪里去；你在哪里住宿，我也在哪里住宿。你的国就是我的国，你的神就是我的神。」

阅读经文：〈路得记〉 1:1-22 

〈路得记〉是发生在士师秉政时期的一个温馨感人的故事，也再一次让我们看到人若有对耶和华神的信心，神的祝福是何等地大。从亚伯拉罕到迦南地开始，我们就不时看到迦南地有饥荒。亚伯拉罕曾因而下埃及、到非利士地去躲避饥荒；以撒也曾经想去埃及，但是神叫他留在基拉耳，非利士人之地。在士师秉政时，迦南地又有饥荒，伯利恒素来称「为鱼米之乡」，阿拉伯语的意思是「肉篮子」，希伯来文之意是「面包之家」，面包是指各样的粮食，所以又称「粮仓」，主要都在形容她的富庶。现在她以耶稣诞生的圣地闻名于世，生产以橄榄木和珍珠贝为原料的宗教记念品、刺绣工艺品，也是农产巿场和贸易中心。

这样一个以生产粮食著称的地区，竟然发生饥荒，有的人就会想外出找粮食了。但是当拿俄米回去伯利恒时，正是动手割大麦的时候。那么，以利米勒把全家迁到摩押地，是否是个明智的决定呢？那些没有迁移的人，留在伯利恒都得到了神的祝福，「因为她在摩押地听见耶和华眷顾自己的百姓，赐粮食于他们」。假如以利米勒跟其他人留在伯利恒，那么后果是否会完全不一样？以利米勒把全家都迁到摩押地，其结果是他和两个儿子都客死异乡，留下三个孤苦的女人。这种后果，让人想到，当我们离开神的应许之地时，那结果必是可悲的吧。亚伯拉罕两次离开迦南地，都害怕被人所害，因而说谎，置妻子于险地。最后他还是回到迦南地。

为便雅悯人娶妻

2021-06-06 in , /by

〈士师记〉    21:25  那时以色列中没有王，各人任意而行。

阅读经文：〈士师记〉   21:1-25

在〈士师记〉   的初期，以色列人还可以为了征讨不法之人而同心敌忾；在底波拉时，有的支派各自营生，已经无法同心；到了参孙时，神只能用他单打独斗非利士人。在〈士师记〉   里，以色列人犹如一盘散沙，没有王，因而各人任意而行。以色列人攻打便雅悯人时，正是亚伦的孙子，以利亚撒的儿子非尼哈做大祭司的时候，所以这场内战应发生在〈士师记〉   的早期。以色列人在米斯巴集合，如同一人去攻打便雅悯人，但是他们打胜仗之后，却痛哭不止，为什么？

打胜仗不是应该欢呼庆祝吗？以色列人得胜了，但是他们很痛苦，因为这是一场内战，是他们在惩治自己的弟兄。他们原本以为给他们下马威，只要他们交出犯罪的人即可。没想到便雅悯人不肯，因此他们就发动战争了。这些作法从人的眼光来看，似乎理所当然，但是我们看到他们对自己处理的后果并不满意，反而很痛心，因为死伤了太多人，都是自己人，便雅悯人几乎都被他们杀光了，以色列的十二支派中有一支派被自己人几乎灭绝了。在人的意气用事之下，虽然理直气壮，没想到后果竟如此严重。

这就是人的本相，我们有时看到不法之事就怒气填胸，立刻用自己的方法去解决，往往两败俱伤。但是神的意念高过人的意念，倘若我们可以在生气时学会祷告，让神来负责整件事，后果必然完全不一样。有位姐妹作见证，有次有位同事对她很不客气，她本想立即反击。但是她立刻安静下来，在心里祷告，圣灵立刻给她一节经文：「要爱你的仇敌」。此时姐妹一抬头，那位同事正好也在看她，姐妹冲她微微一笑。同事整个人都傻住了。可想而知，这位姐妹不但没有竖敌，反而多了一个朋友。当我们看不法之事时，都会有意气之争。我们很可能有道理，理都在我们这边，但是我们解决事情的方法是否高明，那就不一定了。

Like Father, Like Son

2021-06-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 26:1-11.  Let’s go!

Genesis 26:1-6 (NIV)
1  Now there was a famine in the land–besides the earlier famine of Abraham’s time–and Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines in Gerar.
2  The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live.
3  Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham.
4  I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed,
5  because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements, my commands, my decrees and my laws.”
6  So Isaac stayed in Gerar.

On verses 1-6:  Because of a famine in the land, Isaac moves his family to Gerar where they live among the Philistines and their king Abimelech.  Isaac was thinking about then moving his family to Egypt, but God appears to Isaac and tells him instead to stay in this land because God will be with him, will bless him, and will give him this land and other lands as God promised his father Abraham.  In verse 4 God gives the same promise to Isaac that God gave Abraham in Genesis 22:17-18: “I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed” (v4).  The reason God gives for giving Isaac this promise is “because Abraham obeyed me and kept my requirements…” (v5).  Isaac believes in God’s promises and by faith decides to stay in Gerar.

Don’t Sell Out Your Destiny

2021-06-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 25:19-34.  Let’s go!

Genesis 25:19-21 (NIV)
19  This is the account of Abraham’s son Isaac. Abraham became the father of Isaac,
20  and Isaac was forty years old when he married Rebekah daughter of Bethuel the Aramean from Paddan Aram and sister of Laban the Aramean.
21  Isaac prayed to the LORD on behalf of his wife, because she was barren. The LORD answered his prayer, and his wife Rebekah became pregnant.

On verses 19-21:  Just as Isaac prayed on behalf of his wife Rebekah, so husbands we should pray on behalf of your wives, believing that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective (James 5:16).  Praying with and for your wife is one of the best and most important ways you can lead your wife and family spiritually.  More generally, for those of you who are not married and not wishing to get married, may this be a reminder that God hears the prayers of His people, so let’s lift one another up in prayer, believing that God hears and God will answer in our time of need. 

第四封信：给推雅推喇教会(上)

2021-06-04 in , /by

推雅推喇又译非拉铁非，这名是指兄弟之爱。当初建这座城是为了将希腊文化传到这地，再传往亚洲，人称「通往东方之门」，为宣扬古希腊文化和生活方式。这里的土壤十分肥沃，适合种葡萄树，但永远不知何时会发生地震，居民常必须在地震过后重建，特别重视建筑物的品质，因此信中提到门、钥匙和柱子等有关建筑的物品，都是他们熟知的。

非拉铁非教会很小，他们自卑地努力求生存；充满活力的撒狄教会就在附近，多半的人都想去撒狄。这个忠心但弱小的教会，信徒对所在的城市显然没有太大的影响力，增长的速度也不快。但耶稣却不用严厉的语气向他们说话，也不想挫败他们的信心。耶稣在这封信上的自我介绍最长，因为祂似乎想表明，他们在这七个教会中最但最重要；鼓励他们也许不起眼、没有影响力，但所需要的一切，都在耶稣里面。

耶稣提到自己是圣洁、真实，是那位圣者，这是上帝的称号，在启示录中有用相同的称号，来称呼上帝和耶稣，表明耶稣就是上帝，如阿拉法、俄梅戛；首先的、末后的，启示录一章如此称呼上帝，最后一章也这样称呼耶稣。

〈以赛亚书〉廿二章曾提到掌银库的家宰权力最大，有大卫王宫的钥匙，权力仅次于王。当时家宰舍伯那骄傲，以为自己的地位比王还重要，开始为自己凿皇家规格的墓穴，后来上帝刻意将此人驱逐出境，他在国外某处死了。以利亚敬取代他的地位，这是个谦卑可靠的人、值得信赖，他开的门无人能关，他关的门无人能开。耶稣在这里如此说，为了相较这世上的统治者趾高气扬，为自己盖巨大的坟墓，耶稣是谦卑可靠掌管王宫的那位。〈启示录〉提到旧约圣经约四百多次，若不了解旧约圣经，很难了解〈启示录〉。