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普遍啟示與特殊啟示

2020-11-06 in /by

普遍啟示與特殊啟示

我們自小開始不斷看書，完全不知疲倦，得到的知識多的不得了。我這一生買的書有二萬多本，因為有太多知識使我深受吸引。我們把世界的知識與《聖經》的真理做一比較，不違背《聖經》的，我們接受；違背《聖經》的，我們要謹慎，不要受引誘。《聖經》把一切屬靈、屬世重要的原則都告訴我們，我們就要謹慎自己的知識有怎樣的來源與內容。

一、普遍啟示

世上的學問有些很高超，不一定有罪惡的成分，雖然世上的書都是人寫的，人都有犯罪的成分，但上帝把普遍啟示給了人，上帝是真理與啟示的源頭，人可以觀察、探討自然，然後找到一些原理，有些人所找到的原理並沒有錯，因為是上帝把創造的智慧放在其中，使人發現。有些希臘的思想家專研究自然，因為自然有太多奧秘，太使人好奇，吸引人來觀察與思想。這世界上有一個特別的民族，就是希臘人，希臘人一看到什麼就思想，一思想就研究原理，一研究原理就寫下原則，成為自然科學方面的研究。

我們現在用「邏輯」（logy）這個字，就是與「道」（logos）有相同意義的字。我們應當把logy翻譯成「道」，但很多人把logy翻譯成「學」，比如生理學、物理學，其實應該改成生理道、物理道，因為萬有有一個大道，叫作logos，人心裡有一個小道，叫做logigos，人用心裡的小道探知宇宙的大道，結果發現真理的道是知識的總源頭。上帝用祂的道創造萬有，祂的道就隱含在各種知識範圍內。我們透過觀察與研究明白宇宙的自然之道，透過聖靈的啟示明白上帝的超然之道。

Whose Agenda Are You Serving?

2020-11-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 22:1-13. Let’s go!

Luke 22:1 (NIV) 
1  Now the Feast of Unleavened Bread, called the Passover, was approaching…

On verse 1: The Feast of Unleavened Bread, or Passover, was one of the most important festivals in the Jewish calendar. It was an annual event to commemorate the time described in the book of Exodus when the Israelites were still slaves in Egypt and were getting ready to leave Egypt under Moses’ leadership. God warned that every firstborn son living in Egypt would be struck down and killed unless his family sacrificed a lamb without defect and painted the doorframes of their homes with the lamb’s blood. When God saw the blood painted on the doorframes, God’s wrath would “pass over” that family and that house. God also instructed the Israelite families back then to bake bread without leaven (yeast) in it, so as to have a quick meal before being led out of Egypt. As a reminder of the mercy God showed to the Israelites back then, every year the Israelites would commemorate this event through the Feast of Unleavened Bread, or Passover, by eating a similar meal together consisting of unleavened bread and lamb.  

Be Ready for Jesus and Guard Your Mountain Times with God

2020-11-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 21:29-38.  Let’s go!

Luke 21:29-36 (NIV) 
29  He told them this parable: “Look at the fig tree and all the trees. 
30  When they sprout leaves, you can see for yourselves and know that summer is near. 
31  Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that the kingdom of God is near. 
32  “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 
33  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. ……

On verses 29-36: Though we don’t know when exactly Jesus is returning, we know that he is returning soon (v29-31), that it will be an event no one will miss (v35) and that we want to be ready at all times. Assuming that “this generation” in verse 32 means not just Jesus’ disciples 2000 years ago but also includes us and future believers as well, how do we get ready for Jesus’ return? We do so by hanging on to Jesus’ words, which “will never pass away” (v33). We also do so by being careful not to let worry and wasteful living weigh down our hearts (v34). Instead, we will focus on loving God, loving people, and living out His purposes for our lives.

人際關係之二

2020-11-05 in /by

出埃及記20章15-17節     「不可偷盜。16 「不可作假見證陷害人。17 「不可貪戀人的房屋，也不可貪戀人的妻子、僕婢、牛驢並他一切所有的。」

在十誡中的第五誡到十誡裡，耶穌用一句話就把它們概括了：「你們願意人怎樣待你們，你們也要怎樣待人(路6:31)。」

你希望兒女孝敬你嗎？那你就要有好榜樣，先孝敬你和配偶的父母。你不想被殺嗎？或是被人蔑視或看輕，那你就不要恨人，也不要隨便罵人。你不想配偶背叛你，那麼你就要做個忠實的配偶，做一個手潔心清的人，給對方有安全感。

第八誡：「不可偷盜」。你喜歡人家偷你的東西嗎？若是不喜歡自己的東西被偷，那麼自己就不要去偷別人的東西。因為：「你們願意人怎樣待你們，你們也要怎樣待人。」

第九誡：「不可作假見證陷害人」。假見證除了說謊，還包括你知道卻不說事實，或是把事情說一半，留一半不說，都是假見證，因為會誤導人，間接陷害他人。所以不要以為沉默是金，在該說話時保持沉默，那就是犯了此誡。

第十誡：「不可貪戀人的房屋，也不可貪戀人的妻子、僕婢、牛驢並他一切所有的。」現在還可以加上，不可貪戀人的車子，手機，電動玩具，名牌皮包……等等。別人的就是別人的，不要放在自己的心裡。有一次有位朋友告訴我：「你不要以為那些開名車的人都很有錢，大多數是租的或是分期貸款買的。」當然也不要羨慕別人的華屋，除非你有錢請人來打掃，不然住在裡面就變成房子的奴僕了。其他的也是如此，別人用好東西背後的責任和代價，不一定是你要的。

人際關係之一

2020-11-05 in /by

出埃及記20章12-14節「當孝敬父母，使你的日子在耶和華你神所賜你的地上得以長久。13 「不可殺人。14 「不可姦淫。」

在十誡中，5-10誡是神教導人與人之間應當守的法則。我相信這幾誡也是一個和平社會必須有的法則。假如人人在社會裡可以遵守這幾誡，那麼人人都可以道不拾遺，夜不閉戶了。當然，許多人在表面上都可以達到這些要求，好像我沒殺過人，你一定也沒殺過人，他也沒殺過人，要找出殺過人的人並不是隨手可以指出。因為想殺人的，不會在臉上寫：「我要去殺人了。」或是，「我殺過人。」小偷也不會告訴你，他是小偷，要偷你的東西了。做假見證的更是口口聲聲說他說的都是真的，等到對質時，才笑你是大傻瓜。所以我們來看看這六誡裡的內容。

第五誡：「當孝敬父母，使你的日子在耶和華你神所賜你的地上得以長久。」孝敬有時很引起爭議，因為不信耶穌的父母最不想孩子信耶穌，害怕死後沒人燒香或燒紙錢，或是用一些雞鴨水果拜他們，以致他們在陰間沒得吃，他們覺得這就是不孝。但是基督徒強調孝敬父母是要在父母還在人間時，好好地服侍他們，使他們快樂。

因為所羅門王說：「活著的人知道必死，死了的人毫無所知，也不再得賞賜，他們的名無人記念。他們的愛、他們的恨、他們的嫉妒早都消滅了，在日光之下所行的一切事上，他們永不再有份了。(傳9:5-6)」所以與其在父母死後大張旗鼓，倒不如趁著父母還在時對他們好一點。

When Jesus Comes Again

2020-11-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 21:20-28. Let’s go!

Luke 21:20-28 (NIV) 
20  “When you see Jerusalem being surrounded by armies, you will know that its desolation is near. 
21  Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains, let those in the city get out, and let those in the country not enter the city. 
22  For this is the time of punishment in fulfillment of all that has been written. 
23  How dreadful it will be in those days for pregnant women and nursing mothers! There will be great distress in the land and wrath against this people. ……

On verses 20-28: Here Jesus warns his disciples that chaotic and frightening times lay ahead of them before Jesus returns. In terms of specifics, however, as in the case of verses 8-19, it is not 100% clear exactly at what point in these verses Jesus transitions from talking about the impending fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. to talking about his return in verse 27-28, which is certainly an end time event. One could argue that verses 25-26 are most likely talking about the end times, but how much of verses 20-24 is talking about the end times and how much is referring to the already past destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.?

朝見神的時候

2020-11-04 in /by

出埃及記19章16-20節     到了第三天早晨，在山上有雷轟、閃電和密雲，並且角聲甚大，營中的百姓盡都發顫。摩西率領百姓出營迎接神，都站在山下。西奈全山冒煙，因為耶和華在火中降於山上。山的煙氣上騰，如燒窯一般，遍山大大地震動。角聲漸漸地高而又高，摩西就說話，神有聲音答應他。耶和華降臨在西奈山頂上，耶和華召摩西上山頂，摩西就上去。

這是第一次，以色列全會眾一起朝見神的奇妙時刻。那天早晨，在西乃山上有雷轟、閃電和密雲，山下的百姓聽到雷轟，看到閃電和密雲，換了是你，會有怎樣的感覺？我在家裡聽到雷轟，都會想躲到棉被裡，親身在那種場合，一定是種很震撼的感覺。神在山上，那是神的家嗎？神的聖地是不可因為起好奇心而去偷窺的，那是死罪。因此神叫摩西下山去警誡百姓。

耶和華對摩西說：「你下去囑咐百姓，不可闖過來到我面前觀看，恐怕他們有多人死亡。 又叫親近我的祭司自潔，恐怕我忽然出來擊殺他們。」摩西對耶和華說：「百姓不能上西奈山，因為你已經囑咐我們說：『要在山的四圍定界限，叫山成聖。』」耶和華對他說：「下去吧，你要和亞倫一同上來，只是祭司和百姓不可闖過來上到我面前，恐怕我忽然出來擊殺他們。」於是摩西下到百姓那裡告訴他們。(出19:20-25)

There’s Grace Under Pressure

2020-11-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 21:5-19. Let’s go!

Luke 21:5-6 (NIV) 
5  Some of his disciples were remarking about how the temple was adorned with beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to God. But Jesus said, 
6  “As for what you see here, the time will come when not one stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down.”

On verses 5-6: As his disciples fawn over how beautiful and expensive the temple in Jerusalem is, once again Jesus predicts the coming destruction of the temple, which would happen a few decades later in 70 A.D.

On verses 7-12a: The disciples ask Jesus when the temple in Jerusalem would be destroyed and what signs would hint that this event was coming soon (v7). In reply, Jesus warns his disciples not to follow other individuals who come claiming that they are the Messiah (“claiming, ‘I am he’”) and that the time has almost come (v8).

我如鷹將你們背在翅膀上

2020-11-02 in /by

出埃及記19章4-6節    我向埃及人所行的事，你們都看見了；且看見我如鷹將你們背在翅膀上，帶來歸我。如今你們若實在聽從我的話，遵守我的約，就要在萬民中做屬我的子民，因為全地都是我的。你們要歸我做祭司的國度，為聖潔的國民。

在利非訂時，摩西的岳父葉忒羅帶著摩西的家小來和他團聚。原來摩西己經有兩個兒子了，可能在埃及時，摩西覺得太凶險了，萬一法老拿他家人做人質，他就很為難了，因此把他們送回岳父家裡。葉忒羅可能聽聞以色列人己經出埃及，不用再顧忌，所以就帶了他們來見摩西。

當年約瑟離開迦南地，在埃及生了兩個兒子，一個叫瑪拿西，一個叫以法蓮；前者之意是「神使我忘了一切的困苦和我父的全家。」，後者之意是「神使我在受苦的地方昌盛。」

摩西的兩個兒子，一個名叫革舜，因為摩西說：「我在外邦做了寄居的」；一個名叫以利以謝，因為他說：「我父親的神幫助了我，救我脫離法老的刀」。

當你為自己的孩子取名時，會不會跟自己的經歷有關係？跟神有沒有關係？約瑟和摩西都把神的恩典記在兒子的名字裡，所以我們每次讀到這些名字時，就知道他們記得神的恩典，因著仰望神，神也祝福他們。

Son of David, Son of God

2020-11-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 20:41-21:4. Let’s go!

Luke 20:41-44 (NIV) 
41  Then Jesus said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is the Son of David? 
42  David himself declares in the Book of Psalms: “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand 
43  until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”‘ 
44  David calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?” 

On verses 41-44: After being asked different questions by the chief priests, teachers of the law and the Sadducees, Jesus asks a question of his own. He first points out what seems like a contradiction in the Old Testament Scriptures. On one hand, the Scriptures teach that the Messiah is “the Son of David” (v41), that is, a descendant of David. On the other hand, in one of David’s most famous written prayers (Psalm 110:1, which Jesus quotes in verse 42-43), David calls the Messiah his “Lord” (v42). It would be strange for an older person to call one of their distant descendants (i.e. their great-great-great-great-great-great… grand child) “Lord”. So why does David call his own distant descendant, the Messiah, “Lord”? That is Jesus’ question.