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When Being Hard-Headed Is A Good Thing

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 3:1-15.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 3:1-3 (NIV) 
1  And he said to me, “Son of man, eat what is before you, eat this scroll; then go and speak to the house of Israel.”
2  So I opened my mouth, and he gave me the scroll to eat.
3  Then he said to me, “Son of man, eat this scroll I am giving you and fill your stomach with it.” So I ate it, and it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. 

On verses 1-3:  Here are just a few lessons we can learn from these verses:

God gave Ezekiel an edible scroll containing His words for Ezekiel to eat.  Likewise, Scripture is food for your soul.  Jesus says, “Man shall not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)  Don’t starve yourself spiritually but eat of God’s Word every day.
Ezekiel was told to eat God’s Word before going to speak to the house of Israel (v1).  Likewise, if we want to have something good to share with those around us, we need to eat God’s Word and fill ourselves with it.

大卫和约拿单

撒母耳记上 18章1节    大卫对扫罗说完了话,约拿单的心与大卫的心深相契合,约拿单爱大卫,如同爱自己的性命。

在大卫的生命中有一些特别重要的人,其中一个是大王子约拿单。因为以一个牧童的出身,大卫断不敢高攀,与王子为友。但是当约拿单听完大卫和扫罗的对话后,他的心与大卫的心深相契合。究竟大卫说的哪些话打动了约拿单呢?那时约拿单是扫罗的大儿子,大卫是耶西的么儿,想来约拿单的年记会比大卫要大一些。为何他对大卫的话会产生那样大的感动呢?

我们来看一下约拿单做过的一件事,就明白为何约拿单和大卫的心会深相契合。在〈撒母耳记上〉14章,在大卫尚未击杀歌利亚之前,有一日约拿单对拿他兵器的少年人说:「我们不如过到那边,到非利士人的防营那里去。」他去那里做何事呢?

约拿单对拿兵器的少年人说:「我们不如过到未受割礼人的防营那里去,或者耶和华为我们施展能力。因为耶和华使人得胜,不在乎人多人少。」这句话让我们知道约拿单想要偷击非利士人。原来两军正坚持不下,扫罗带了六百人,但是不敢论战。

约拿单说:「我们要过到那些人那里去,使他们看见我们。他们若对我们说『你们站住,等我们到你们那里去』,我们就站住,不上他们那里去。 他们若说『你们上到我们这里来』,这话就是我们的证据,我们便上去,因为耶和华将他们交在我们手里了。」在约拿单行事之前,他先确定一下神是否给他有印证。果然非利士人的防兵看到他们就叫他们上去。他们一上去就开打,一下子就杀了廿几个人;扫罗他们听到动静,也加入战场,那天以色列人得了大胜。其中有些细节改天再说。但是在这个事情里,我们看到约拿单是一个心里尊主为大的人。

Let God’s Word Move You

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 2:1-10.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 2:1-2 (NIV) 
1  He said to me, “Son of man, stand up on your feet and I will speak to you.” 
2  As he spoke, the Spirit came into me and raised me to my feet, and I heard him speaking to me.

On verses 1-2:  Sometimes God’s Word will bring us to our knees.  Sometimes God’s Word will raise us to our feet.  One way or the other, when your heart is humble and open to God, God’s Word will move you. 

Ezekiel 2:3-7 (NIV) 
3  He said: “Son of man, I am sending you to the Israelites, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against me; they and their fathers have been in revolt against me to this very day. 
4  The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says.’ 
5  And whether they listen or fail to listen–for they are a rebellious house–they will know that a prophet has been among them. 
6  And you, son of man, do not be afraid of them or their words. Do not be afraid, though briers and thorns are all around you and you live among scorpions. Do not be afraid of what they say or terrified by them, though they are a rebellious house. 

活出敬拜的生命

马可福音12章30节      你要尽心、尽性、尽意、尽力爱主你的神。

在这个世界,每个人都有他崇拜的一些东西。崇拜与否不是一种选择,因为每一人都崇拜,唯一你可以选择的是你所敬拜的对象。

同时,崇拜不是基督徒的专利品,非基督徒也可以崇拜一些东西。最近,有一个名为《美国偶像》(American Idol)的流行节目,这个节目很受欢迎。在基督教圈子之外,「偶像」一词常常被用作正面术语。我们必须非常小心因着术语的定义被劫持而做出的改变。

此外我们必须认识到在我们的社会中(包括基督徒和非基督徒),有人崇拜金钱,有人崇拜健康,有人崇拜权力,有人崇拜性,有人崇拜资讯等等。而更重要的,是我们必须认识到我们也会被我们敬拜的东西所改变。

而对于基督徒,三一神当然应该就是我们唯一的敬拜对象,因为这是圣经的命令:「你要尽心、尽性、尽意、尽力爱主你的神。」(马可福音12:30)上帝不是只要你生命的某一部分,祂要你使用你的全心、全性、全意、全力去敬拜祂。如果你对神只有部分时间的顺服及三心二意的委身,相信你可能不知道你敬拜的是谁,因为祂只是你生命的一小部分,而不是你完全的摆上。

信徒集合一起敬拜神,有三方面基本的意义:(一)与神对话,正面回应三位一体真神对人的自我启示。(二)对神表达完全的奉献。(三)成为神的形象,成为像基督的生命,在思想、感情、意志、行动上让基督进入自己生命。

Heaven Ain’t No Boring Place (Part 2)

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 1:15-28.  Apparently I ran a little further ahead by writing on yesterday’s passage and today’s passage in my GAME sharing for yesterday.  In case you missed it, below is my GAME sharing concerning Ezekiel 1:15-28.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 1:15-21 (NIV)
15  As I looked at the living creatures, I saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four faces. 
16  This was the appearance and structure of the wheels: They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. 
17  As they moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the creatures faced; the wheels did not turn about as the creatures went. 
18  Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims were full of eyes all around. 
19  When the living creatures moved, the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. 
20  Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels. 

小牧童卷入政治的漩涡

撒母耳记上 18章14节     大卫做事无不精明,耶和华也与他同在。

今天的命题是:小牧童卷入政治的漩涡,受到死亡的威胁。

本来只是奉父命送大饼,没想到一颗石子取了歌利亚的首级,小牧童立刻成为以色列的大英雄,真可谓少年得志,步步高升,这下子耶西老爷子不能再把他抓回去放羊了。

王子约拿单脱下外袍送给他,连战衣、刀、弓、腰带都给了他。在当时,这是王子才独有的待遇,现在小牧童也得到了王子一般的待遇。王子约拿单有了好朋友,宁可当乞丐王子了,因为他把代表王子的装饰都给了大卫。

扫罗大王也派小牧童做战士长,出入都有人跟随,好不威风。因为大卫做事无不精明,耶和华也与他同在。可是这对小牧童是际遇还是悲剧呢?人生的风云难测,祸兮福所倚,福兮祸所依。谁知道明天?

以色列人为了为打赢和非利士人的一仗都欢腾不己,打鼓击磬,歌唱跳舞,竟然还有人作歌编曲:「扫罗杀死千千,大卫杀死万万。」原本风风光光的扫罗大王,顿时觉得颜面无光,自己的荣耀都被小牧童夺去了,从此咬牙切齿,怀恨在心。

大人物的恨意是不轻易流露的,为了保持自己的面子,总是暗箭伤人,刀刀伺候要害。因为他不敬畏耶和华神,耶和华神就远离他了,这就是耶和华神的特性,绝不勉强。神一离开,鬼就来了。鬼有好多种,有大头鬼,小气鬼,魔鬼,讨厌鬼,爱吃鬼,嫉妒鬼,等等。当各样的大鬼小鬼都到扫罗大王的心里开会时,他就开始胡言乱语了。鬼说什么他就说什么,忙不过来。

Heaven Ain’t No Boring Place

Hi GAMErs,

Today we start the book of Ezekiel, a book written by the prophet Ezekiel in approximately 593 B.C.  Though written approximately 700 years apart from one another, the book of Ezekiel and the book of Revelation contain some powerful and overlapping images of who God is and what heaven is like.

Today’s passage is Ezekiel 1:1-28.  Let’s go!

Ezekiel 1:1-3 (NIV) 
1  In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. 
2  On the fifth of the month–it was the fifth year of the exile of King Jehoiachin– 
3  the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was upon him.
 
On verses 1-3:  Ezekiel is a priest at a time when the Jewish people have been ousted from their own land by the Babylonians and are living as exiles in Babylon.  It is during this time that Ezekiel begins to hear from God in a prophetic way.  Ezekiel even specifies the day, the month and the year this started happening. 

牧童与巨人之战

撒母耳记上 17  章47节    耶和华使人得胜不是用刀用枪,因为争战的胜败全在乎耶和华。

这故事的一开始是很简单的。耶西爸爸的三个儿子被扫罗大王征召去当兵了。有一天,耶西爸爸想念儿子们了,就叫人做了一些饼,然后叫小儿子大卫把饼送过去,顺便向儿子们要封家书。那时候没有手机也没有电视,究竟发生什么事都没人知道,真令人挂念。

小儿子大卫很快乐地上路了,平常这时候他是必须放羊的;可以不必放羊,去前线看看哥哥们,就好像去郊游了,而且感到满刺激的,去前线吔!

果然前线和后方大大不同。大卫到了辎重营,看到以色列人和非利士人都摆列队伍,彼此相对,呐喊要战。尤其那个巨人歌利亚的呐喊更让年轻的大卫气血翻腾:「你们出来摆列队伍做什么呢?我不是非利士人吗?你们不是扫罗的仆人吗?可以从你们中间拣选一人,使他下到我这里来。他若能与我战斗,将我杀死,我们就做你们的仆人。我若胜了他,将他杀死,你们就做我们的仆人,服侍我们。(撒上17:8-9)」

大卫以为会有人跳出去和歌利亚对打,相反地,他看到众人听到这话就惊惶,极其害怕,有的甚至逃跑了。大卫问站在旁边的人说:「有人杀这非利士人,除掉以色列人的耻辱,怎样待他呢?这未受割礼的非利士人是谁呢?竟敢向永生神的军队骂阵吗?(撒上17:26)」

旁边的人就告诉他:「这上来的人你看见了吗?他上来是要向以色列人骂阵。若有能杀他的,王必赏赐他大财,将自己的女儿给他为妻,并在以色列人中免他父家纳粮当差。(撒上17:25)」有人听到他到处问,就告诉了扫罗大王。扫罗大王就召他去面试了。

What It’s Like In Heaven (Part 2)

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 22:1-21.  Let’s go!

Revelation 22:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb
2  down the middle of the great street of the city…

On verse 1-2a:  In Psalm 46:4 we read that “[t]here is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.”  Here in Revelation 22, John gets to see that river.  According to John’s description, heaven is such a beautiful city that there is a river of living water, clear as crystal, that flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the main street of heaven.

Revelation 22:2 (NIV) 
2   …On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

On verse 2b:  In Genesis 2:9 we first read about a tree of life in the Garden of Eden, a tree whose fruit somehow enables those who ate it to live forever (Genesis 3:22).  According to John’s vision, in heaven this tree of life stands on each side of the river and bears fruit every month, 12 crops of fruit a year.  Its leaves are “for the healing of the nations” (v2).

合神心意的人

撒母耳记上 13章14节   耶和华已经寻着一个合祂心意的人,立他做百姓的君。

在《圣经》里,亚伯拉罕是神的朋友,摩西是神与他面对面说话的人,那谁是合神心意的人呢?怎样才能合神的心意呢?神的标准那样高,要合神的心意可不容易。

神想要找一个合神心意的人,那是否表示有一个不合神心意的人在高位上呢?在〈 撒母耳记上〉里因为以色列人想要像外邦人一样有王,因此要求最后一任的士师兼祭师(也是先知)的撒母耳为他们立一个王。

神先是找了一位又高又大的扫罗,那时的扫罗十分谦卑敬畏神。但是一登上王位之后,就不一样了。他擅自献祭,他表面听从撒母耳,私底下又做另一套,因而神厌弃他。他既然不合神的心意,神就要把他换掉。

神叫撒母耳去一位名叫耶西的人家里,膏耶西的一个儿子。耶西是路得和波阿斯的孙子,再往上算去就是犹大支派;他一共有八个儿子。但是当撒母耳到他家时,他只叫了七个儿子出来给撒母耳看。这几个年轻人中有几个又高又帅,神却一个也看不上。直到撒母耳再问耶西还有没有孩子时,耶西才说还有一个在放羊。

这就是大卫登上以色列舞台的开始,神亲自把他呼召出来。放羊是容易的工作吗?假如你有养猫狗的经验,就知道不仅要照顾牠们的饮食,清洁他们的粪便,还要为牠们预备睡觉的地方;假如牠们有不舒服,牧羊人就要去看看有什么问题;若有羊走失了,还要上山下水地去寻找。