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种族起源

2020-06-05 in /by

使徒行传17章26节   祂从一本造出万族的人，住在全地上，并且预先定准他们的年限和所住的疆界。

最近因为美国黑人弗罗伊德的死亡，再次挑起了美国的种族暴动，抗议的怒火从美国17个大城漫延到加拿大，甚至德国柏林，所以我们应当正视种族问题，并且明白自己的心里有没有对任何人种的歧视心态。

圣经告诉我们，起初上帝创造人类时，祂只造出人类的一对始祖，即亚当与夏娃。现代科学也告诉我们，人类只有一个祖系，不同种族的人都由这个祖系繁衍，代代相传而来。所以，上帝「从一本造出万族的人……」（徒十七26）与现代科学是互相吻合的。圣经又告诉我们，当挪亚时代，洪水泛滥消灭人类时，惟有挪亚一家八口得救，故此今日的人类又是他们的后裔了。

有些人不了解，为甚么始祖二人会繁衍出今日各不同的种族，各有他们的特征。例如皮肤色素的深浅，毛发的颜色及多寡，鼻、嘴与眼脸的形状，面部与头胪的比例，四肢长短与躯干的比例，及血型的特征等等。从生物学的眼光，这些种族特征的形成可说由于下列各因素：

（一）地理隔离（Geographic Isolation）自然环境因地区不同而气候相异。一般而言，地理相距愈远，种族的特征也愈相异。挪亚的后裔为要寻找肥沃的土壤及适宜的生活环境，四散各方，因地理环境如高山、沙漠、海洋等自然屏阻隔，彼此没有通婚的机会，各自成为独立的基因库。（基因库系族群中共同生活各成员体中遗传基因之总称。）独立的基因库经年累月由下列原因形成各别的特征。

Hang Onto Jesus No Matter What

2020-06-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 6:1-17. Let’s go!

Revelation 6:1-2 (NIV)
1 I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!”
2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest.

On verses 1-2: Jesus, referred to here as the Lamb, opens the first of the seven seals, which causes a rider on a white horse holding a bow to appear. While Jesus Himself will later appear on a white horse (Revelation 19:11), according to many scholars, this particular rider on this particular white horse is not Jesus but the anti-Christ, a powerful figure bent on conquering everything he sees.

What can we learn from this? In the end times, an anti-Christ, also known as “the man of lawlessness” (2 Thessalonians 2:3-4), will appear and deceive many into following him. We will discuss the anti-Christ in more detail as we go further along in Revelation.

西乃山之约

2020-06-04 in /by

出埃及记23章20节  看哪，我差遣使者在你前面，在路上保护你，领你到我所预备的地方去。

要建立一个国度容易吗？现代的年轻人很喜欢自己创业，自己当老板，有的人成功了，有的人输掉了一切投资。但是创业和建国又有极大的区别，创业成不成只影响到一小群人，但是建国失败就影响太多人了。

不过我们也可以来玩一下游戏，扩张我们的想像力，假如你有一个位置，像摩西带领着几百万人出埃及，到了旷野，神说要建国家了，你怎么办呢？要从哪里开始呢？摩西的岳父给他起了个头，大家一起分工，再来怎么办呢？一个国家最重要的是什么？

现在也流行当直播主，也就是网路红人，但是当直播主也不容易，有个直播主说工作的细节小至开播准备、合约内容、心理建设、大至拥有正确的价值观、如何培养观众、成为业界的翘楚，每一段都非常重要。一个直播主都要考虑到正确的价值观和心理建设，等等，那么建设一个国家要有什么正确的价观？

跟人同工自己要伤脑筋，与神同工就可以占点小便宜，麻烦的事都让祂去想就好。既然神不会出错，那我们就可以更放心了。不必等摩西伤脑筋，神就把大纲小纲都计划好了。一开始就是十诫，神以十诫为这个国家法度的中心。就好像一个十字架，直的部份是神和人的关系，横的部份是人和人的关系。

The Only Way to Know the Will of God

2020-06-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 5:1-14.  Let’s go!

Revelation 5:1-4 (NIV) 
1  Then I saw in the right hand of him who sat on the throne a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals. 
2  And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 
3  But no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth could open the scroll or even look inside it. 
4  I wept and wept because no one was found who was worthy to open the scroll or look inside. 

On verses 1-4:  John’s vision of heaven continues as he sees in the right hand of God a scroll with writing on both sides and sealed with seven seals (v1).  At first no one is found worthy to open the scroll or even look inside it (v2-3).  This causes John to weep and weep (v4). 

Why would John weep so much because no one could open the scroll?  Part of the reason I believe is because the scroll represents God’s will. 

建立国度

2020-06-03 in /by

创世记19章6节  你们要归我做祭司的国度，为圣洁的国民。

倘若你曾经跟旅行团去旅行，你觉得当一个导游容易吗？在旅行的当地导游比较容易，只要解说带一小两小时即可，但是当从头带到结束的导游就不容易了。因为一个团里有不同的年龄阶层，不同的健康状况，不同的喜好和习惯，要平安和谐地一起出入，真的要费一番心思。

我有一班朋友曾经一起坐游轮旅行，其中就有两人在某一个港口因为顾著买东西忘了时间，等他们赶回码头时，船己经开走了。假如你问那些导游，他们会有说不完的，令人瞠目结舌的故事。现代导游接的不过就是几十人的团，想想摩西当年带着几百万人的团，每天都有许多的纠纷，他一个人要处理所有的事情，真的筋疲力竭。

幸好他有一个非常有智慧的岳父，看到女婿这样忙，便做了一些建议：「要将律例和法度教训他们，指示他们当行的道、当做的事。  并要从百姓中拣选有才能的人，就是敬畏神、诚实无妄、恨不义之财的人，派他们做千夫长、百夫长、五十夫长、十夫长，管理百姓。 叫他们随时审判百姓，大事都要呈到你这里，小事他们自己可以审判。」摩西听从了岳父的建议，从此以后就有人处理小事，把最难的留给摩西，工作就有效率了。

摩西为我们竖立了一个很好的榜样，摩西很伟大，凡事可以跟神商量；但是当他的岳父，一个老人家跟他提建议时，他也肯倾听采纳。圣经上说，摩西为人极其谦卑，不是没有道理的。

Living to Worship Jesus

2020-06-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 4:1-11. Let’s go!

Revelation 4:1 (NIV)
1 After this I looked, and there before me was a door standing open in heaven. And the voice I had first heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.”

On verse 1: After receiving messages from Jesus for seven churches in Asia (chapters 2-3), John, still in a posture of prayer, sees in front of him a door open to heaven. The same trumpet-like voice he heard before – Jesus’ voice – invites him to come up to the door and He will show John “what must take place after this”. In other words, Jesus is about to show John things that will happen in the future.

Revelation 4:2-3 (NIV)
2 At once I was in the Spirit, and there before me was a throne in heaven with someone sitting on it.
3 And the one who sat there had the appearance of jasper and carnelian. A rainbow, resembling an emerald, encircled the throne.

得胜的密诀

2020-06-02 in /by

出埃及记17章11节  摩西何时举手，以色列人就得胜；何时垂手，亚玛力人就得胜。

摩西带着曾为埃及奴隶的数百万人浩浩荡荡地出了埃及，过了红海，进入旷野。真正的挑战出现在每一天的生活里。看着埃及的军兵被海水淹没固然兴奋，但是没水少肉的现实，让以色列人开始不停的抱怨。一有不满就抱怨，而神认为，这是百姓对祂的试探。因为以色列人从在埃及时就看到一件又一件的神蹟，但是在遇到问题时，他们还是不会交托，不会好好向神说，摆出一付：看你给不给，的姿态。令神厌恶。

我想每个做父母的也是如此，从孩子生下来就照顾得无微不至，而孩子一有问题就抱怨，就说别人的父母比较好，你可能会气得想把他赶出门。孩子想用抱怨来让父母觉得亏欠，做得不够好，试探父母的底线以达到他们的目的，都是惹人厌恶的作法。

即使如此，神还是赐下吗哪，招来鹌鹑，满足他们生活的必需和欲望。即使如此，神还是带领他们打败沙漠之狼的亚玛力人。为了让百姓明白信靠顺服的重要，神借着收取吗哪的规则教他们信心的功课；为了让以色列人明白唯有倚靠神才能得胜，摩西在约书亚打仗时，双手举起不停祷告：「摩西何时举手，以色列人就得胜；何时垂手，亚玛力人就得胜。(出17:11)」因此户珥和亚伦一人一边，扶住摩西的手。

Salve for Your Eyes

2020-06-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 3:14-22.  Let’s go!

Revelation 3:14 (NIV) 
14  “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.
 
On verse 14:  In His message to the church in Laodicea, we learn 3 things about Jesus:
 
– Jesus is the “Amen”.  What does Jesus mean when He calls Himself “the Amen”?  “Amen” carries the meaning of agreement, affirmation and certainty.  When Jesus calls Himself the “Amen”, it means that everything that Jesus is and everything that Jesus does affirms and agrees with who God is.  Jesus is the One who gives us certainty about who God is and what He is like.  If you want to know who God is and what He is like, look at Jesus.

– Jesus is the faithful and true witness, which we discussed when looking at Revelation 1:5.
 

耶和华必为你们争战

2020-06-01 in /by

出埃及记14章14节    耶和华必为你们争战，你们只管静默，不要作声。

看了昨天盐光老师讲解十灾，有没有觉得收获不小？我经常在想，假如一个人经历了十灾，还不肯相信神的话，那就像法老一样，没救了。而亲身参与这十灾的摩西，他对神的信心又会如何增长？

灾难使人成长，但是你需要在灾难中看见神的美意。〈约伯记〉第五章里，约伯的朋友以利法形容「人生在世必遇患难，如同火星飞腾。(伯5:7)」主耶稣也说：「在世上你们有苦难(约16:33)」在十灾里，每一灾都有一个功课，为了要使法老及百姓认识谁是真神。法老的臣仆有一些己经相信摩西所言不假，所以摩西说有雹灾时，他们就把奴仆和牲畜叫进家里；不相信的就把奴仆和牲畜留在田里。所以神的话不管到哪里，有耳肯听的人都是聪明人。

当摩西经历过十灾，带领百姓走到红海时，他对神的信心己经和当初蒙召的信心大大不同了。他亲身经历到神说的每句话都应验了，他也开始明白神的作法，他己经很相信神了。但是碰到红海，后有法老的追兵时，你觉得摩西可以应付吗？

当以色列人在红海边，看见法老的追兵时，就开始骂摩西：「难道在埃及没有坟地，你把我们带来死在旷野吗？你为什么这样待我们，将我们从埃及领出来呢？ 我们在埃及岂没有对你说过，不要搅扰我们，容我们服侍埃及人吗？因为服侍埃及人比死在旷野还好。」

How Jesus Loves His Church

2020-06-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 3:7-13.  Let’s go!

On verses 7-13:  The church in Philadelphia was going through a similar trial as the church in Smyrna, which was persecution from a group that claimed to be Jews but were not.  Jesus calls this group of persecutors a bunch of liars (v9) and, as He did in Revelation 2:9, “a synagogue of Satan”.  To the suffering church in Philadelphia, Jesus expresses His love in several different ways:

1. Jesus tells them that “I know your deeds…I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and not denied my name” (v8).  Jesus expresses compassion for His church.

2. Jesus tells them, “See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut” (v8).  In other words, whereas the church in Philadelphia probably experienced many closed doors in the form of trials and persecution, Jesus tells them that He Himself holds a door open for them that no one can shut.