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Judged According to What

2020-07-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 7:1-13.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-13:  One phrase that gets repeated over and over in this passage is: “I will judge you according to your conduct and repay you for all your detestable practices” (v3, 4, 8, 9).  Often times we can have an inflated view of ourselves.  The world would make us want to think that we are pretty good people and that God thinks so too.  I just heard one Hollywood celebrity post on social media, “All I’ve ever tried to do was help people”.  Yet a more accurate and impartial assessment of our lives would show that while we are capable of some good and have probably done some good in our lifetime, we are also capable of much evil and have acted in sin, selfishness and pride.  We must remember that God’s standards are not like ours.  His standards absolutely perfect and that is why the Bible’s assessment of our conduct is that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  If God were indeed to judge us according to our conduct, none of us would stand a chance.

God could treat us as our conduct deserves, but praise God that He is much more merciful than that.  For those of us who are humble enough to admit that we are sinners in need of a Saviour and who trust that Jesus is the Saviour we need, God does not treat us as our sins deserve.  Rather He gives us unmerited favour and undeserved grace.  That’s why David would write,

與祢同行

2020-07-03 in /by

當教會開放的日子越來越不可期待時，你和神還是好朋友嗎？

曾經我們以為關閉教會只是鐵幕下的作為，共產國家的逼迫。曾幾何時，因為一隻小小的病毒，北美的教會也都關閉了，我們也嚐到了沒有教會的滋味。在有些地方，沒有公開的教會，也可以偷偷地在隱藏的家庭教會聚會，但是我們連這個都做不到，因為必須居家隔離。

聚集在一起幾乎等於是集體自殺，因為經常有人一聚集，就立刻有人得病了，那隻病毒真的太厲害了。也曾有教會的詩班長距離地一起練詩，很快就有人生病了。這些例子使我們不敢再踏進教會，即使教會開放，我們也不敢進去。

這種情形讓我們怎樣來評價以前的熱心聚會，是否真的沒有價值？這種情形好像撒旦在狂笑，沒有了教會，看你們這些信徒怎麼辦？又好像是神藉著這機會在篩選誰是真門徒。我們被推到了一個沒有教會的時代，我們怎樣敬拜呢？

回想聖經裡的起初，其實也沒有教會。神揀選亞伯拉罕，他就是一個孤單的信徒，只有他一個人相信耶和華神。沒有教會，也沒有牧者，更沒有弟兄姐妹。以撒，雅各，約瑟和其他以色列人都是這樣過來的，可是他們心裡就是有神。真的好奇妙的信仰。

亞伯拉罕和雅各在特別的時候會築壇敬拜神，可是為什麼他們在特別的時候會想起神呢？因為有時在夢裡得到神的指引，有時是完成了某一階段的路程，為了平安而獻上感謝。他們的心裡就是有神。所以，其實在沒有教會，沒有牧者，沒有弟兄姐妹的情況下，神要我們孤單到一個程度，讓我們明白，除了神以外，沒有一個人可以永遠伴著我們。這就是現實。

When Will You Know

2020-07-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 6:1-14.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-14:  Why does God tell Ezekiel to speak to the mountains (v1-3)?  That’s because the mountains of Israel were the site where much of the Israelites’ idol worship took place.

Here God gives Ezekiel a message of judgment and destruction on the Israelites as a result of their rampant and persistent idolatry.  God promises that all the high places, incense altars and idols that the Israelites used to worship other gods will be destroyed, and most of the Israelites along with them (v3b-7).  Despite God revealing Himself to the Israelites time and time again, despite all of His faithfulness to them and the warnings He gave about what would happen if they turned to worship other gods, the Israelites obstinately refused to obey God’s commands or heed God’s warnings.  Thus the consequences God warned them about eventually overtook them.

Still there would be a remnant who would realize the error of their ways and whom God would spare (v8-10).

What can we learn from this?  Notice that one phrase that gets repeated over and over is the phrase: “you/they will know that I am the Lord” (v7, 10, 13, and 14).   One day, sooner or later, whether during this lifetime or after, every person will realize who the Lord is.

Real Wrath, Real Mercy

2020-07-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 5:1-17.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-17:  Here comes another object lesson from Ezekiel, given to catch the attention of the spiritually calloused Israelites.  Ezekiel senses God telling him to shave his head and beard with a sharp sword.  He is to burn one third of the shavings inside the city.  He is to take another third and strike it with the sword, doing this all over the city.  He is also to take the last third of his hair shavings and scatter them to the wind.  All of these actions were to symbolize how, as punishment for their persistent disobedience and idolatry, God would give the Israelites over to famine (possibly symbolized by the fire), military attack (symbolized by the sword), and to wild beasts and disease (symbolized by the wind).   The reference in verse 10 to fathers eating their children and children eating their fathers is talking about how severe the famine would become that the Israelites would resort to cannibalism.

“How could a loving God do this to His own people?” you may ask.  It is worth noting that for centuries God repeatedly and with great clarity warned the Israelites that they should expect such consequences if they continued to disobey Him and persist in rebellion and idolatry.  See, for example, Deuteronomy 28 where Moses warns the people of all the problems they could expect to come upon them if they disobey. 

美麗的隱基底

2020-07-02 in /by

撒母耳記上24章6節   我的主乃是耶和華的受膏者，我在耶和華面前萬不敢伸手害他，因祂是耶和華的受膏者。

現在的隱基底是以色列的國立天然公園，也是一個旅客必然要去的地方，因為它除了有沙漠中的甘泉之外，還含有一個以色列最偉大的國王在這裡發生的故事，帶給後人極大的啟示。

話說大約兩千多年前，大衛還是一個廿歲出頭的小伙子，因為被神揀選，預備當以色列的王，因此受到當時的王掃羅極大的嫉恨，要追殺置他於死地。大衛帶著幾百人在掃羅王的追殺裡四處奔逃，來到了這個乾旱的曠野，到處都是危崖絕壁山洞，卻有湧自崖壁的泉水。這裡，是野羊出没之處，又名「野羊的磐石」。這裡，有一條流淌不息的小溪，名為「大衛河」，是為了紀念大衛在流亡時的一段經歷。

當大衛與從人為了有美好的棲息之所而高興時，有人也把這消息傳給掃羅。掃羅就帶著三千軍兵，往野羊的磐石去尋索大衛和跟隨他的人。

〈撒母耳記上〉24章記著：到了路旁的羊圈，在那裡有洞，掃羅進去大解；當時，大衛和跟隨他的人正藏在洞裡的深處。(怎麼這樣巧?)  大衛本來可以輕而易舉地奪去掃羅的性命，但由於大衛敬畏神，因此不伸手加害耶和華的受膏者，也不讓跟隨的人去殺害他，最後只是悄悄割下掃羅外袍的衣襟。他說：「我的主乃是耶和華的受膏者，我在耶和華面前萬不敢伸手害他，因祂是耶和華的受膏者。」

多好的機會啊! 掃羅己是60多歲之人，大衛正值青年，掃羅大解時身邊也沒有軍士，只要大衛一伸手，這個惡夢就可以解決，大衛就可以登基當王，為什麼不做？換了你，會放過這樣的機會嗎？從人都可以說，是神把他交在你手裡啊!莫負天意!

Making An Impression

2020-07-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 4:1-17.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-17:  In 2003, illusionist and endurance artist David Blaine put himself in a transparent box suspended 30 feet over the River Thames while going without food for 44 days.  The city of London and millions around the world watched in curiosity.  Approximately 2,600 years before this, the prophet Ezekiel would perform similar stunts in the city of Babylon, except that his stunts were not simply to test his endurance or to entertain the masses.  Rather these stunts were object lessons that carried a spiritual message for the Israelites exiled in Babylon.

The first part of the object lesson seems simple enough for a child to do with Lego bricks (v1-3): make a mini-model of Jerusalem using a writing tablet (or a brick) and show how the Babylonians besieged Jerusalem.

The second part of the object lesson is much stranger (v4-8): Ezekiel is to lie for 390 days on his left side (facing north to symbolize the Northern Kingdom of Israel, some scholars say) and then for 40 days on his right side (facing south to symbolize the Southern Kingdom of Judah, some scholars say).  Each day that Ezekiel lay on his side was to represent a year of the Israelites’ sin.  In this way Ezekiel was to symbolically “bear their sin” (v4). He would be tied up the whole time (v8).

大衛的流亡(3)

2020-07-01 in /by

詩篇16篇1節  神啊，求祢保佑我，因為我投靠祢。

在〈大衛的流亡〉之一裡，筆者的心思逃得比大衛還快，把伊基拉事件放在挪伯事件之後，現在把秩序調過來。

大衛進入哈列的樹林後，有人告訴大衛非利士人在攻擊基伊拉。哈列的樹林和基伊拉都在希伯崙附近，所以顯然有人希望可以向大衛求助，究竟他曾是以色列的第一戰士，打倒巨人歌利亞的英雄。

但是大衛並沒有聽了就立刻奔向戰場，顯示自己的實力。相反地，他先求問神可不可以攻打非利士人。就是這樣的特質，讓我很敬佩大衛。盧雲在耶穌的試探中有一些看法，魔么試探耶穌要求祂把石頭變成餅。這個試探表面上看來是說，耶穌禁食了四十天，應該餓了，可以自己滿足自己吧。事實上，魔鬼是拿人類的需要來試探耶穌，有那麼多窮人，需要幫助的人，只要把石頭變餅，就可以救很多人了。

好像現在世界上很多地方有饑荒，聯合國就到處分糧食。魔鬼的意思就是要鼓動耶穌去展現能力，因而被驕傲所困。我們會不會也落在這樣的迷思裡，把自己當成超人，以為自己很有能力去解決別人的問題？大衛有能力，但是他不迷惑。因為他敬畏神，即使有能力，也要看看是否合神的心意。

不把自己當超人，這就是大衛的越人之處。他把這個需求帶到神面前，求問神可不可以攻打非利士人？我們常說要謙卑，但是怎樣做才是謙卑呢？就是像大衛這樣，把事情帶到神面前，真的把神當主子，把自己當成神的僕人使女。很多信徒都這樣自謙，但是行事為人像不像就不一定了。

大衛的流亡(2)

2020-06-30 in /by

詩篇34篇4節    我曾尋求耶和華，祂就應允我，救我脫離了一切的恐懼。

在大衛離開亞希米勒之後，他的心極為懼怕，不敢再留在以色列的國境內，便逃到了迦特王亞吉那裡。迦特是非利士的一座城，亞吉是他個人的名字，亞比米勒是非利士王的稱號，所以在〈詩篇〉34篇裡所寫的亞比米勒便是亞吉。就好像士師基甸，人稱他為耶路巴力一樣。

〈詩篇〉34篇裡，大衛說神救他脫離了一切的恐懼。因為當他到了亞吉那裡時，他可能和亞吉有不錯的私交，但是亞吉的臣僕提醒亞吉，大衛不是普通人，「這不是以色列國王大衛嗎？那裡的婦女跳舞唱和，不是指著他說『掃羅殺死千千，大衛殺死萬萬』嗎？(撒上21:11)」

大衛聽出了亞吉臣僕的弦外之音，知道自己可能有殺身之禍，為求保命，心生一計，便開始裝瘋。就在眾人面前改變了尋常的舉動，在他們手下假裝瘋癲，在城門的門扇上胡寫亂畫，使唾沫流在鬍子上。亞吉便叫人把大衛趕走了。事實上，我個人認為亞吉也不是那麼好騙的，但是為了救大衛，他就藉機下台，把大衛趕走，也是救了大衛一命。

因此大衛說：「義人呼求，耶和華聽見了，便救他們脫離一切患難。耶和華靠近傷心的人，拯救靈性痛悔的人。義人多有苦難，但耶和華救他脫離這一切，又保全他一身的骨頭，連一根也不折斷。(詩34:17-20)」

大衛那時十分落魄，從他的詩裡，我們看到他在苦難中竭力親近神，尋求神的恩典；在神的應許裡，雖然還在患難中，依然發出讚美：「我要時時稱頌耶和華，讚美他的話必常在我口中。我的心必因耶和華誇耀，謙卑人聽見，就要喜樂。你們和我當稱耶和華為大，一同高舉祂的名。(詩34:1-3)」所以基督徒的喜樂不是因為凡事順利才能喜樂，是因為知道有神的同在，即使在患難中，也有信心與神應對，在苦難中也能看到神的恩典。

A Serious Responsibility

2020-06-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 3:16-27.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 3:16-21 (NIV) 
16  At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me: 
17  “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 
18  When I say to a wicked man, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 
19  But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself. 
20  “Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 
21  But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself.”
 
On verses 16-21:  No pressure there Ezekiel.  When God says that He has made Ezekiel a watchman for the house of Israel, what does He mean?  A watchman is a soldier who stands guard in a watch tower and watches for any danger coming on the horizon against his city and warns the people accordingly. 

大衛的流亡(1)

2020-06-29 in /by

詩篇57篇1節   神啊，求祢憐憫我，憐憫我，因為我的心投靠祢。我要投靠在祢翅膀的蔭下，等到災害過去。

從英雄變狗熊，在大衛是再切身不過的經驗了。在他殺死巨人歌利亞後，他成了以色列的英雄；但是當掃羅大王開始追殺他之後，他就變成了過街的老鼠，猖狂四逃。比狗熊還不如。到處都有掃羅大王的密探，只要大衛到了哪裡，掃羅大王就帶人追蹤而至。掃羅大王立意殺掉大衛，而且要親自動手，以絕後患。

在米甲的幫助下，大衛成功地逃離基比亞，掃羅的居住地。在倉皇之中，他選擇投奔在拉瑪的撒母耳，那個用油膏他的先知。撒母耳就帶著大衛去拿約，拿約可能是一個比較隱敝的地方，也有人說「拿約」是「住所」、 「學校」或「聖壇」的意思，是專有名詞。但是有人告訴掃羅，掃羅三次打發人去捉大衛，都因為撒母耳在教一班先知受靈的感動說話，派去的人也都受感說話，徒勞而歸。後來掃羅親自過去，也受感說話，就不了了之地回去了。掃羅雖然受感說話，而且一晝一夜露體躺臥，但是當他離開了聖靈運行的地方時，他又變回了自己，沒有生命上的改變。

因為掃羅沒有下手捉大衛，而且他的行蹤也洩露了，他選擇回去把事情弄清楚。這次是約拿單幫他弄清楚掃羅的心思。原來每到初一，王坐席要吃飯，大衛也是座上客之一。大衛連續兩天沒有露面，約拿單替大衛找藉口。這時掃羅罵他: 「耶西的兒子若在世間活著，你和你的國位必站立不住。現在你要打發人去，將他捉拿交給我。他是該死的！(撒上20:31)」確定掃羅的心意後，約拿單告訴大衛。大衛開始逃亡。