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神的计划开始进行了

2020-10-22 in /by

出埃及记7章1-5节     耶和华对摩西说：「我使你在法老面前代替神，你的哥哥亚伦是替你说话的。凡我所吩咐你的，你都要说。你的哥哥亚伦要对法老说，容以色列人出他的地。我要使法老的心刚硬，也要在埃及地多行神蹟奇事。但法老必不听你们，我要伸手重重地刑罚埃及，将我的军队以色列民从埃及地领出来。我伸手攻击埃及，将以色列人从他们中间领出来的时候，埃及人就要知道我是耶和华。」

从神对摩西的呼召，我们看到神把每一步都想好了，祂有全盘的计划，只要摩西跟着计划走就可以了。因此联想到，神在我们每个人身上是否也都有全盘的计划，只等着我们信靠顺服，就能走在神的旨意中了？

神的大计划如下：1.让摩西在法老面前代表神，亚伦则替摩西说话。2.神要摩西说什么，摩西都要告诉亚伦，亚伦再告诉法老。3.神要让法老的心刚硬，所以祂可以多行奇事。4.因为法老不听他们，所以神要惩罚埃及，将以色列人领出埃及。

神的这个计划好奇怪，祂不是要行神蹟让法老心软，而是要法老心硬，祂才能多行奇事。最终的目的，是要领以色列人出埃及，二是要埃及人认识祂是耶和华，自有永有的神。

我们都明白，以色列人在外地寄居的时间够了，神要领他们回迦南地去建国；但是何必还要埃及人认识祂是谁呢？〈以赛亚书〉19章25节，神说：当那日，以色列必与埃及、亚述三国一律，使地上的人得福。 因为万军之耶和华赐福给他们，说：「埃及我的百姓，亚述我手的工作，以色列我的产业，都有福了！」

神也屡次告诉亚伯拉罕：「地上的万族都要因你得福。」所以从一开始，神就没有种族歧视，世上万族都是祂造的，祂是所有生命的起源；但是拒绝神的生命，到最后就没有意义了。神为何要埃及人认识祂呢？因为埃及是个多神教的国家，从苍蝇到法老，什么都拜，看在神的眼里很心痛，所以神希望埃及人开眼，好好认识这位创造宇宙和赐生命给人的耶和华神。这不是一件容易的事，因为人心愚顽。

The Jesus Way to View Money and Possessions

2020-10-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 18:18-30. Let’s go!

Luke 18:18-27 (NIV) 
18  A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
19  “Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good–except God alone.
20  You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'”
21  “All these I have kept since I was a boy,” he said.
22  When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”
23  When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth.
24  Jesus looked at him and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!
25  Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”
26  Those who heard this asked, “Who then can be saved?”
27  Jesus replied, “What is impossible with men is possible with God.” 

On verses 18-27: Is it necessary that a person must sell all their assets and give every material good they own to the poor in order to inherit eternal life? No.

摩西回到埃及

2020-10-21 in /by

出埃及记四章29-31节   摩西、亚伦就去招聚以色列的众长老。亚伦将耶和华对摩西所说的一切话述说了一遍，又在百姓眼前行了那些神蹟。百姓就信了。以色列人听见耶和华眷顾他们，鉴察他们的困苦，就低头下拜。

雅各和神的使者摔跤，直到他的大腿窝被摸了一把，他的脚扭了；他还是不放神的使者走，直到神的使者祝福他，才放他走。摩西也有这个较劲的性情。耶和华神把祂的计划全盘告诉摩西，却换来摩西的推三阻四。

摩西回答说：「他们必不信我，也不听我的话，必说：『耶和华并没有向你显现。』」

耶和华对摩西说：「你手里是什么？」他说：「是杖。」

耶和华说：「丢在地上。」

他一丢下去，就变做蛇，摩西便跑开。

耶和华对摩西说：「伸出手来，拿住牠的尾巴，牠必在你手中仍变为杖。如此好叫他们信耶和华他们祖宗的神，就是亚伯拉罕的神、以撒的神、雅各的神，是向你显现了。」

耶和华又对他说：「把手放在怀里。」他就把手放在怀里，及至抽出来，不料，手长了大痲疯，有雪那样白。

耶和华说：「再把手放在怀里。」

他就再把手放在怀里，及至从怀里抽出来，不料，手已经复原，与周身的肉一样。

又说：「倘或他们不听你的话，也不信头一个神蹟，他们必信第二个神蹟。这两个神蹟若都不信，也不听你的话，你就从河里取些水，倒在旱地上，你从河里取的水必在旱地上变做血。」(出4:1-9)

神给摩西三个特异功能，为了向百姓证明他是奉耶和华神的差遣来救他们。平常人有了这三个特异功能应该欣喜若狂，摩西却不然。

How to Approach God like a Child

2020-10-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 18:9-16, but we’ll add verse 17 in there too, since it fits the context. Let’s go!

Luke 18:9-14 (NIV) 
9  To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everybody else, Jesus told this parable: 
10  “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 
11  The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector. 
12  I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’ 
13  “But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ 
14  “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

On verses 9-14: Through this parable Jesus shows us the difference between those who justify themselves before God and those who look to God for justification. On one hand, those who try to justify themselves, like the Pharisee, take a position of pride and boasting before God. They list their resume of good deeds to show God how good they think they are and why they deserve God’s approval.

摩西遇见神

2020-10-20 in /by

出埃及记三章14节    神对摩西说：「我是自有永有的。」又说：「你要对以色列人这样说：『那自有的打发我到你们这里来。』」

怀抱着拯救同胞的热情，却丝毫没有得到同胞的理解，反而被呛：「谁立你做我们的首领和审判官呢？难道你要杀我，像杀那埃及人吗？」知道法老听见这事后必要杀他，摩西一路逃到了米甸。心理的创伤远胜过肉体的饥渴，离开了埃及王宫，他还剩下什么？在沙漠的日子里，他渴望有人的陪伴，也需要食物和水的补充。因此他来到了一口井旁，坐下，准备为自己打水。

正好有七个女孩来，为羊群打水，打满了槽，却被刚来的一批牧羊人赶走。一旁的摩西义愤填胸，拿出做王子时学的十八般武艺，把那些牧羊人打得落花流水。那些牧羊人平常覇道惯了，这次被修理得够呛，马不停蹄，全跑了。

这七个女孩不是别人，正是米甸祭司的七个女儿，可说是沙漠中的七仙女。她们饮完了羊就回家了，父亲看见她们早早回家，不禁奇怪。女儿们便把事情七嘴八舌说了一遍。这个父亲一听很高兴，便要请摩西吃饭。幸好那时沙漠中没有旅馆，摩西也没地方去，还是在井旁沉思，究竟要喝多少水才会不饿。所以七仙女很快找到摩西，就把他带回家了。

短话长说，摩西吃过饭，这父亲就把他留下了。看这年轻人仪表不凡，虽然风尘仆仆，胡须也几天没剔，谈吐也很有风度，这王室教出来的可不一般，就决定把女儿西坡拉嫁给他了。西坡拉是不是最小的七仙女，这就不知道了。摩西一不小心，就在米甸成家立业了，虽然这业和他的雄心大志无关，但也是他安身落地之处，就是去帮老丈人牧羊去了。西坡拉生了一个儿子，摩西给他起名叫革舜，意思说：「因我在外邦做了寄居的。」所以摩西的心一直没有到米甸，留在了埃及。

Pray Persistently

2020-10-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 18:1-8. Let’s go!

Luke 18:1-8 (NIV) 
1  Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 
2  He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 
3  And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 
4  “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, 
5  yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!'” 
6  And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 
7  And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 
8  I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

On verses 1-8: Jesus’ parable about the persistent widow teaches us an important lesson about prayer: that praying with faith means praying with perseverance. If we want to see God move powerfully in response to our prayers, we must learn to be persistent and persevering in prayer. Persistence shows that we’re serious.

从水里拉出来的孩子

2020-10-19 in /by

出埃及记二章10节     孩子渐长，妇人把他带到法老的女儿那里，就做了她的儿子。她给孩子起名叫摩西，意思说：「因我把他从水里拉出来。」

在一个清朗的早晨，十岁的米利暗被啜泣的声音吵醒了，睁眼一看，是母亲约基别在做一个蒲草箱，蒲草通常被视为是杂草，但也被用来作为织绳、织席、制作草鞋之用，甚至可以被用来制船。她在箱子内外涂上沥青和石漆。米利暗揉揉眼睛，问：「妈妈，你在做什么？」三岁的亚伦也好奇地学姐姐：「妈妈，那是什么？」

约基别擦掉眼泪，小声地说：「小弟三个月了，哭声太大了，妈妈得想个办法。不能让法老发现，叫人把他丢到河里弄死。」米利暗吓得抱住了胸，亚伦没听懂，看着姐姐，说：「怕怕」。

约基别对米利暗说：「妈妈需要你的帮忙。今天下午妈妈要把弟弟放在这箱子里，放在河边的芦苇丛中。平常法老的女儿会在那时到河边洗澡，你要帮妈妈留意，看看公主会不会注意到这个箱子。然后，她抬头望天，仿佛在祷告：「神啊，救救这个孩子吧。」他们为了保护这个刚出生三个月的儿子，己经尽量不让他哭；三个月了，儿子的哭声越来越响亮，怕再也隐瞒不了，若被埃及人发现，他只有死路一条。除了耶和华神，还有谁能保护他呢？那天下午，约基别带着米利暗，趁没人注意时，把箱子搁在河边的芦荻中。约基别先回家，米利暗远远站着，要知道他究竟怎么样。

Keep Your Life and Lose It, Lose Your Life and Keep It?

2020-10-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 17:31-37. Let’s go!

Luke 17:31-32 (NIV)
31  On that day no one who is on the roof of his house, with his goods inside, should go down to get them. Likewise, no one in the field should go back for anything. 
32  Remember Lot’s wife!

On verses 31-32: What happened to Lot’s wife? In Genesis 19:26, when Lot and his family were fleeing from the city of Sodom as it was being destroyed, against God’s command Lot’s wife looked back. In focusing too much on the material things that she left behind, she was stopped in her tracks and became a pillar of salt. Similarly, Jesus warns that when he comes again, material possessions should be the least of our concerns.

埃及新王朝

2020-10-18 in /by

出埃及记一章17节    但是收生婆敬畏神，不照埃及王的吩咐行，竟存留男孩的性命。

以色列人在埃及享福的30年，随着约瑟的过世而走下坡了。「有不认识约瑟的新王起来，治理埃及」，这里的「新王」指的是新的王朝。这个新王朝的法老对他的百姓说：「看哪，这以色列民比我们还多，又比我们强盛。来吧，我们不如用巧计待他们，恐怕他们多起来，日后若遇什么争战的事，就联合我们的仇敌攻击我们，离开这地去了。」他的想法和别人不一样，一般应该是担心外族起来「统治埃及」，他却担心外族「离开埃及」？不过假如我们看过埃及的大型建筑，就不难理解劳动力对法老的重要性。

在约瑟的时代，由于荒年，约瑟先是以粮易畜，用粮食换走了百姓的牲畜；再来又用粮食买他们和他们的地，百姓和他们的地就都属于法老了，人和地都要给法老效力。百姓又求约瑟给他们种子去种地，使他们得以存活。后来约瑟立下规矩，百姓打粮食的时候，要把五分之一纳给法老，四分可以归百姓做地里的种子，也做百姓和他们家口孩童的食物。惟有祭司因有从法老得的常俸，所以不用卖身也不用卖地(创47)。这种规矩流传下去，强迫劳役，也就是每年要无偿为政府做一段时期的工作，变成税收的一种形式。

Don’t Be So Future-Focused That You Miss God’s Will For Today

2020-10-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 17:20-30. Let’s go!

Luke 17:20-21 (NIV) 
20  Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation, 
21  nor will people say, ‘Here it is,’ or ‘There it is,’ because the kingdom of God is within you.”

On verses 20-21: When the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God would come (v20), what they were referring to was the end times when God would judge the world. In response, Jesus warns the Pharisees against thinking that the kingdom of God was just some future event, when in fact the kingdom of God is already here and is working. As Jesus says, “the kingdom of God is within you” (v21).