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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.

耶和華尼西Jehovah-Nissi

2020-11-02 in /by

出埃及記17章14-16節   耶和華對摩西說：「我要將亞瑪力的名號從天下全然塗抹了，你要將這話寫在書上做紀念，又念給約書亞聽。」 摩西築了一座壇，起名叫耶和華尼西，又說：「耶和華已經起了誓，必世世代代和亞瑪力人爭戰。」

汛的曠野位於以琳和西乃中間，是埃及一個主要的防衛站，防範從東邊經巴勒斯坦進侵的敵人。神在此賜下嗎哪和鵪鶉給以色列人，解決他們缺乏糧食的大問題，也藉著嗎哪教導他們要聽從神的話。神的恩賜使以色列人心裡舒暢，那時以色列全會眾都遵耶和華的吩咐，按著站口從汛的曠野往前行，在利非訂安營。

神滿足了他們的要求，他們就都遵耶和華的吩咐，繼續前行，來到利非訂(Rephidim)。利非訂的意思是「休息地」，位於汛的曠野和西奈山之間。再一次，他們碰到了沒有水的問題。這己經不是第一次碰到吃喝的問題了，第一次在瑪拉，第二次在汛的曠野，現在到了利非訂還是有類似的問題。以色列人有沒有變得聰明一些，有更好的心態來面對困境呢？

百姓沒有水喝，所以與摩西爭鬧，說：「給我們水喝吧！」摩西對他們說：「你們為什麼與我爭鬧，為什麼試探耶和華呢？」百姓在那裡甚渴，要喝水，就向摩西發怨言，說：「你為什麼將我們從埃及領出來，使我們和我們的兒女並牲畜都渴死呢？」摩西就呼求耶和華說：「我向這百姓怎樣行呢？他們幾乎要拿石頭打死我。」(出17:1c-4)

百姓還是使出老套，像孩子一樣，與摩西爭鬧。摩西說他們是在「試探耶和華」，因為前面幾次的困境神都為他們解決了，為什麼他們還要用吵鬧的方式去表達？好像很幼稚的孩子一樣。並且說摩西把他們從埃及領出來，要使他們和兒女及牲畜都渴死!  如此誣蔑摩西的動機，令人傷心。而且還幾乎暴動，有人想拿石頭打死摩西。他們拿埃及的富足與曠野相比，對現實感到不滿。為奴甚久，己成了沒有理想的一群人。

Speak Their Language

2020-11-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 20:27-40. Let’s go!

Luke 20:27-40 (NIV) 
27  Some of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Jesus with a question.
28  “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.
29  Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless……

On verses 27-40: The Sadducees, a group of Jews that believed parts of the Old Testament but did not believe that resurrection was possible, come to Jesus with a question to show what they thought was the absurdity of believing in the possibility of resurrection. However, their question was based on a wrong assumption which Jesus challenges. The Sadducees assumed that life in heaven would be just like life on earth, with people marrying and being given in marriage, and that if two people are married on earth, they will be a married couple in heaven too. Jesus corrects the Sadducees’ wrong assumption (v35-36) and then, using the very Scriptures that the Sadducees believed, shows them that their Scriptures affirm the reality of resurrection.

Be Wise with Your Words

2020-10-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 20:19-26. Let’s go!

Luke 20:19-26 (NIV) 
19  The teachers of the law and the chief priests looked for a way to arrest him immediately, because they knew he had spoken this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people. 
20  Keeping a close watch on him, they sent spies, who pretended to be honest. They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor. ……

On verses 19-26: The teachers of the law and the chief priests were fully aware that Jesus’ parable of the tenants (verses 9-16) was Jesus’ way of exposing their intent to kill him. So they thought, “The sooner we can get rid of this guy the better”. The question is how. They were too scared to oppose Jesus publicly anymore, thinking, “If we oppose him publicly, he might humiliate us again, or else the people who love him so much will come to his defense and make us look bad.” So because “they were afraid of the people” (v19), the teachers of the law and the chief priests pay some spies to question Jesus about paying taxes, in the hope that Jesus would say something “anti-Roman” that they could then take to the Roman governor.

生命樹與善惡樹

2020-10-30 in /by

生命樹與善惡樹

上帝一開始對人講話的時候，提到生命樹與分別善惡樹。上帝不要人吃分別善惡樹的果子，不是上帝不要人知善知惡，因為《聖經》充滿分辨善惡的教導，我們由此可知知善知惡原是上帝的旨意。但在什麼時間與藉什麼權威知道，才是獲得知識的重點。就像性的知識，什麼時候知道？時間沒有到的時候，不需要知道；性的知識，是由具有權威的父母告知，或由不負責任的黃色書刊告知，由誰告知才是重點。我們要有成熟的生命承載這些知識，我們要有權威的源頭告訴我們，才能達到上帝所定真正的標準。

歷世歷代都有對上帝的話或對撒但的話的解釋。上帝第一次對人說話，祂提到了生命樹，這生命樹就是指福音，表示上帝是生命的源頭，要把永遠的生命賜給我們，這是世人應當走的路。另一條路，是撒但所介紹、所引誘人的。撒但要人吃分別善惡樹的果子，這分別善惡樹關係到人善惡的成就、自我的傲慢以及不依靠上帝的心。我認為伊甸園的生命樹預表上帝永遠的生命與福音拯救人的能力，分別善惡樹預表人對道德的自我了解、對道德的自我選擇，是順從撒但的告知，在這種源頭下獲得的知識。人對上帝的話與撒但的話的回應，就形成人類哲學、文化、宗教的體系。

如果生命樹預表福音，善惡樹預表宗教以及道德，那麼我們到底是靠著上帝的恩典領受生命，還是靠著宗教的修養、道德的成就建立自己的功勞？聖經完全否定人的功勞是人得以領受上帝恩典的原因，許多人文主義者很難接受這聖經這種說法。耶穌所成就的救恩關乎生與死，不僅是宗教關乎的善與惡，或哲學所關乎的真與假。

天來之糧嗎哪

2020-10-29 in /by

出埃及記16章4-5節      耶和華對摩西說：「我要將糧食從天降給你們。百姓可以出去，每天收每天的份，我好試驗他們遵不遵我的法度。到第六天，他們要把所收進來的預備好了，比每天所收的多一倍。」

當日，耶和華拯救以色列人脫離埃及人的手，以色列人在海中走乾地，水在他們的左右做了牆垣；水卻回流，淹沒了那些跟著以色列人下海的法老全軍，連一個也沒有剩下。以色列人看見埃及人的死屍都在海邊，看見耶和華向埃及人所行的大事，就敬畏耶和華，又信服祂和他的僕人摩西。

摩西和米利暗都帶領以色列百姓讚美耶和華。但是，現實的生活需要擺在眼前。以色列人在曠野走了三天，到了書珥的曠野，找不著水喝。再走到瑪拉，有水了，可是水很苦，喝不了。百姓就開始向摩西發怨言了。他們己經忘了行奇事的神與他們同在，雖然天天都看得到雲柱和火柱，他們卻不懂得向神求，而是用怒氣來發洩不滿，說：「我們喝什麼呢？」

摩西呼求神，神就指示他一棵樹。他把樹丟在水裡，水就變甜了。耶和華在那裡為他們定了律例、典章，在那裡試驗他們。每個臨到我們身上的困難或問題，都在試驗我們對神是否有信心。有的人碰到問題就抱怨。抱怨其實是奴隸的心態，以色列人做奴隸時，完全不能自主，端看主人臉色，因此抱怨就成了面對困難的唯一途徑。現在他們就用這種心態對應摩西，自己不想負一點責任。

摩西比他們成熟一點，他己經知道自己根本沒有能力做這大事，來照顧帶領以色列人，但是他懂得向神呼求。摩西進入生命的第二個時期：我不能，神能。

Jesus Our Cornerstone

2020-10-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 20:9-18.

Luke 20:9-16 (NIV) 
9  He went on to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, rented it to some farmers and went away for a long time.
10  At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
11  He sent another servant, but that one also they beat and treated shamefully and sent away empty-handed.
12  He sent still a third, and they wounded him and threw him out……

On verses 9-16a: Who do the different characters in this parable represent? The vineyard owner represents God the Father. The vineyard represents God’s kingdom. The tenants of the vineyard most likely represent Israel and, more particularly, the chief high priests, teachers of the law and Israel’s elders, who had been entrusted with a lot of God’s kingdom but were mismanaging much of it. The servants sent by the vineyard owner represent the prophets. The vineyard owner’s son represents Jesus. By telling this story of how the tenants beat and humiliated the vineyard owner’s servants and sent them away empty-handed, Jesus is illustrating how Israel shamefully and disrespectfully treated the prophets God sent to them.

雲柱火柱的帶領

2020-10-28 in /by

出埃及記13章20-22節   他們從疏割起行，在曠野邊的以倘安營。日間耶和華在雲柱中領他們的路，夜間在火柱中光照他們，使他們日夜都可以行走。日間雲柱，夜間火柱，總不離開百姓的面前。

當以色列人扶老攜幼地出埃及時，他們會不會覺得在作夢呢？摩西和亞倫會不會感動到流淚呢？終於告別四百年的奴隸生涯，神的應許是那樣的真實。〈希伯來書〉11章1節說：「信就是所望之事的實底，是未見之事的確據。」他們曾經不相信摩西，抱怨生活中的苦楚，沒想到原來神的計劃是如此美好，早知如此，多挨幾鞭又算什麼？因為自由在望了。能夠憑著信心看到所望之事的實底，見到未見之事的確據，我們就不會常常埋怨了。

但是一個得救的經驗之喜樂，能夠維持多久呢？逾越節和基督教的受難日很相似，只不過在後者，神以祂的愛子代替了羊羔，親自死在十字架上，承受了世人的罪。接受了耶穌這救贖之恩的人，就好像得救的以色列人出埃及，不再是撒旦的奴隸，在基督裡得到了真正的自由。但是這就夠了嗎？要到迦南地，神的應許之地，還有一段遙遠的路，他們的信心能撐多久？我們的信心又能撐多久？

法老容百姓去的時候，非利士地的道路雖近，神卻不領他們從那裡走，因為神說：「恐怕百姓遇見打仗後悔，就回埃及去。」所以神領百姓繞道而行，走紅海曠野的路。以色列人出埃及地，都帶著兵器上去。摩西把約瑟的骸骨一同帶去，因為約瑟曾叫以色列人嚴嚴地起誓，對他們說：「神必眷顧你們，你們要把我的骸骨從這裡一同帶上去。」他們從疏割起行，在曠野邊的以倘安營。日間耶和華在雲柱中領他們的路，夜間在火柱中光照他們，使他們日夜都可以行走。日間雲柱，夜間火柱，總不離開百姓的面前。(出13:17-22)