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Rely on God’s Power (Also, When God Interrupts Your Plans)

2020-09-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,
 
Today’s passage is Luke 9:1-17.  Let’s go!
 
Luke 9:1-4 (NIV) 
1  When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 
2  and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 
3  He told them: “Take nothing for the journey–no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. 
4  Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 

On verses 1-4:  Here Jesus sends out his twelve disciples with his power and authority to go from town to town preaching the kingdom of God, driving out all demons and curing diseases (v1-2).  But notice also that Jesus told them to take nothing else for the journey (“no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic” – v3).  What was Jesus doing?  Jesus was teaching his disciples to have faith in God’s power to use them and to provide for their needs, rather than relying on their own smarts, strength and resources. 

巴别巴别

2020-09-13 in /by

创世记11章4节      他们说：「来吧！我们要建造一座城和一座塔，塔顶通天，为要传扬我们的名，免得我们分散在全地上。」

有人说挪亚在五百岁生儿育女之后，就开始做起方舟的总工程师；六百岁时变成方舟游轮的船长；约601岁时，挪亚全家离开方舟，他转行作农夫，而且做得很好，不仅栽了一个葡萄园，而且还能用葡萄酿酒。可能太兴奋了，他一下喝太多，醉了。还好，他是在自己的帐篷里喝的；不幸的是，他那时没穿衣服。

本来，在自己的睡房里有没有穿衣服，实在跟别人没关系。国外也有很多人睡觉时不穿衣服的习惯。偏偏小儿子不知为何事闯进父亲的帐篷，看到了父亲的祼体，觉得很好笑，便跑出去告诉两个哥哥。哥哥们比较懂事，他们拿件衣服搭在肩上，倒退著进去，给父亲盖上，他们背着脸就看不见父亲的赤身。这里就是一个心态上尊重和不尊重的分别，尤其是对长辈。

挪亚也是有脾气的人，当他知道小儿子含那样轻浮的心态时，他咒诅含的儿子迦南，必给他弟兄做奴仆的奴仆。做奴仆己经很可怜，还要做奴仆的奴仆。这事提醒我们，凡事要尊重别人，尤其是对长辈。有人说，老人家说话有时都带有预言的成份，像雅各，摩西的遗言何等有份量。话说回来，在我们看挪亚的三子之后裔的分布情形时，先来看看分散之前的世界是怎样的。

God Works With Your Faith

2020-09-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 8:40-56.  Let’s go!

Luke 8:40 (NIV) 
40  Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.

On verse 40:  In the verses just before this the people of the Garasenes rejected Jesus and told him to go away.  Here another crowd is expecting him and welcoming him.  Likewise, we too need to choose: will we be among those who reject Jesus and push him away, or will we welcome Jesus into our lives?

Luke 8:41-42 (NIV) 
41  Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house
42  because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.

散会比聚会更重要！

2020-09-11 in /by

2017年10月，夏忠坚牧师于七贤路礼拜堂分享，他说了一句很值得反思的话：「教会最要看重的不是『聚会』，而是『散会』！

弟兄姊妹散会后，是否真的在家庭、社群、职场活出基督徒生命？」看一家教会会友聚会人数成千上万，但重要的是有多少会友活出「散会」后的生命？

夏忠坚牧师引用〈列王纪〉上十四章25-28节「金盾牌vs.铜盾牌」的故事—罗波安王制造铜盾牌想代替被窃夺的金盾牌，提醒今天教会的运作是否也是这样：用铜的想代替金的？他指出，教会五种基本功能：敬拜、团契、成长（门徒）、事奉、宣教，目前的光景为何？

例如弟兄姊妹的敬拜只在周日，那周一至周六有无活出敬拜生命？在团契小组里爱的死去活来，但散会后有去爱邻舍及职场遇到的人吗？又或是参加团契（名词），到底有无与其他肢体真正的团契（动词），还是戴着面具来参加？

他问大家：「你的教会有多少人只参加主日，在教会没有小组团契生活？」根据统计，没有稳定小组团契生活的基督徒，本身灵修、奉献、传福音也比较差。而初代教会一开始，是在各个家庭过小组生活，是建造一群人像三一神团契的样子。所以小组生活与结构，比较可以建造真实的教会生活及基督徒生命。

Don’t Push Jesus Away

2020-09-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 8:26-39.  Let’s go!
 
Luke 8:26-33 (NIV) 
26  They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 
27  When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 
28  When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 
29  For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. 

永远的彩虹之约

2020-09-10 in /by

创世记九章12-16节   神说：「我与你们并你们这里的各样活物所立的永约，是有记号的。我把虹放在云彩中，这就可做我与地立约的记号了。我使云彩盖地的时候，必有虹现在云彩中，我便记念我与你们和各样有血肉的活物所立的约，水就再不泛滥，毁坏一切有血肉的物了。虹必现在云彩中，我看见，就要记念我与地上各样有血肉的活物所立的永约。」

因为神看世界败坏了，人思想的尽都是恶，地上满了强暴，所以祂决定除灭祂造的各种活物，只留下挪亚一家和有限的活物。经过四十昼夜的大雨，大渊的泉源都裂开了，天上的窗户也敞开了，在山上盖的方舟也飘浮起来。人以为不可能的事终于发生了，大水淹没了世界上最高的山，人想要进方舟逃难，方舟的门却己经被神关闭，连挪亚也打不开。

灭世洪水水势浩大，在地上共150天。今年长江流域洪水肆虐，也有几个月的时间，加上暴雨，在两个月里淹没了庄稼和众多社区，中国防汛抗旱总指挥部秘书长周学文说，至少有6300万人受到影响，5.4万座房屋被毁。他说至少有219人死亡或失踪。最近美国西岸大面积森林惨遭焦烧，以加州为主的沿岸城市，多日来被数百公里之外飘来的大火烟雾笼罩，导至数千人疏散。即使这些天灾人祸十分惨烈，也不及当时灭世洪水的几分，因为人无处可躲，无地可逃。

Listening to God’s Word Means

2020-09-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 8:16-25.  Let’s go!
 
Luke 8:16-18 (NIV) 
16  “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 
17  For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 
18  Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”

On verses 16-18:  After telling a parable about the importance of having a hungry, humble heart when listening to God’s word (verses 1-15), what is Jesus talking about in verses 16-18?  When Jesus says in verse 18, “Thereforeconsider carefully how you listen”, this suggests to me that verses 16, 17 and 18 are also talking about how to listen to God’s word.
 

为祢癫狂

2020-09-09 in /by

创世记6章14-16/22节    神就对挪亚说：「你要用歌斐木造一只方舟，分一间一间地造，里外抹上松香。 方舟的造法乃是这样：要长三百肘，宽五十肘，高三十肘。方舟上边要留透光处，高一肘。方舟的门要开在旁边。方舟要分上、中、下三层。」 挪亚就这样行。凡神所吩咐的，他都照样行了。

最近有人在脸书上分享，他的牧师叫他们要为主癫狂。当然这主要的意思是要他们去传福音，可是我发现为主癫狂的最佳例子是挪亚。因为神要他做的事，当代人一定都觉得这人真的是癫狂了，大晴天在高山上建方舟，逢人就说有灭世的大洪水要来。大家都活得好好地，又娶又嫁，日子过得好紧凑，只有他不干正事，去盖什么方舟？盖了方舟卖给谁？有钱赚吗？一点钱途也没有，尽干儍事!

但是挪亚排除众议，开始按著神的吩咐去搜集歌斐木和松香，然后像现代人盖房子一样，根据神给的蓝图，一层层一间间地建。在大阳光下，挪亚带着三个儿子搬著一棵棵的大树，削掉树皮，抹上松香，不停地忙碌。

张文亮教授说，根据《圣经》的记载，有一些专家认为歌斐木应该是大树，是在当地森林里常见的树种，且材质坚硬，又能够自树中提取松香油；并且古人早己知道，树干底部的黑色胶油，涂在木头表面，是防水与防腐的上好材料，这些胶油与近代的沥青相似，皆称为松香类。

张教授也指出，方舟尺寸的长宽比是6:1，长高比为10:1，是船只在水中稳定航行的最佳比例，表示方舟的重心较低，乘客较为舒服。方舟分上、中、下三层，可能使较重的生物住在下层，体重中等的在中层，体重较轻的大概住上层，这可以增加方舟的稳定度。

Jesus and Women ( 4 Heart Conditions)

2020-09-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 8:1-15.  Let’s go!

Luke 8:1-3 (NIV) 
1  After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 
2  and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 
3  Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
 
On verses 1-3:  In addition to Jesus’ 12 disciples, here in verses 2-3 we get our first look at the women who walked alongside Jesus as he ministered from town to town.  These women came from various backgrounds – Mary Magdalene came from a broken past; Joanna was a high ranking administrator who managed King Herod’s household.  However, one thing they all had in common was that they all were impacted by Jesus’ ministry in some way: some had been battling demons which Jesus delivered them from; others had diseases which Jesus healed.  What touches me in verse 3 is that many women supported Jesus’ ministry out of their own means.

耶和华神的后悔

2020-09-09 in /by

创世记六章3节    耶和华说：「人既属乎血气，我的灵就不永远住在他里面，然而他的日子还可到120年。」

现在我的孙女很小，才一岁半，很可爱，整天都想亲她抱她。在散步时看到许多小小孩，也有这样的感觉。有一天看到新闻，说有一个七岁的小男孩因为太调皮，被亲娘送去给一个会功夫的师傅管教。因为小男孩经常说谎，被功夫师傅打得七零八落，被人发现打抱不平而上了新闻。找到亲娘，亲娘竟说记者大惊小怪。这则新闻让我沉思好久。

有谁不爱自己的孩子呢？我是讲一般正常的父母，那些不正常的不在这里讨论了。通常父母一知道怀上孩子，就开心得预备一切来迎接婴儿的来临。婴儿时期的一举一动都是父母眼中喜乐的来源。我有个年轻的朋友生了第一胎，天天把孩子的相片放上脸书，天天几十张。看来看去好像都是一个姿态，但是在她眼里，每一张都有不同的趣味。几个月了，这个小模特儿还是她母亲脸书上的主角。而且不是只有她如此，其他好几对父母也是如此比拼，祖父母或外祖父母也是不停地张贴那些小可爱的一举一动。

但是当孩子再大一点之后，父母对孩子的期望提高了，就不再像孩子小时候那么有耐心。以前是又抱又亲，大一点就是：「你再不乖，我就不爱你了! 」再大一点惹得老师不开心或考试成绩不好：「我怎么会生了你这样的孬种？」「我上辈子一定欠了你的，才会生出你这样的孩子」，很多难听的话不断地轰炸小孩。那个抱着婴儿的慈父爱母好像变脸似地，找不回当初那种爱了。

我有时在想，神的后悔是否也是如此？神后悔造人在地上，心中忧伤，以致于祂决定要将所造的人和走兽并昆虫，以及空中的飞鸟，都从地上除灭。这是一种怎样的后悔呢？有个父母生了个儿子，长大后原本进了牙医学院，相当有前途，可惜后来吸毒贩毒又同性恋，后来也查出患了爱滋病。他贩毒被抓后，他的父母决定让这个儿子留在监牢里，希望他在监牢里有改过的机会。他的母亲不停地为他祷告，最后他在狱中悔改回转，提早获释，成为神学教授和青年人工作者，在世界各地分享从绝境到蒙福的经过。这就是袁幼轩教授的见证。