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约瑟的美梦和噩梦

2020-10-11 in /by

从人的眼光来看，神的应许之子和选民都应该比其他人更兴旺才对，但是历史却不是如此记载。亚伯拉罕生了两个儿子，以实玛利一生就十二个族长，而以撒很辛苦才生出以扫和雅各。以扫的子孙在以东都做王了，而雅各的子孙还在牧羊。神一点都不急，祂也不要我们心急，只要我们专心仰望，事情就会成就。快跑的不一定赢，力大的不一定得胜，因为一切都在神的掌管之中。

雅各一家在迦南定居了，表面看起来一切都安稳了。但是雅各对拉结的一往情深，似乎并没有因着岁月的流逝而减少，他把对拉结的爱转移到约瑟身上。拉结生了两个儿子：约瑟和便雅悯，但是看到便雅悯就让雅各想到拉结是为了生他而死，所以他对约瑟的爱就更深了。他为约瑟做了一件彩衣，根据当时的习俗，那是给王子或公主穿的，看在其他哥哥们眼中，真的令人生气嫉妒，因此不跟他说和气的话，也就是处处和他作对。

约瑟的处境很危险，然而天真的他并没有丝毫查觉，反而像个小侦探一样，常常去向父亲打小报告，说这个哥哥做了什么不好的事，那个哥哥又犯了什么错，搞得哥哥们也不敢得罪他，有时还得讨好他，封他的口才行。

有一天醒来，约瑟很高兴地向大家宣布他做了一个奇特的梦，梦到他们在田里捆禾稼，他的捆起来站着，哥哥们的捆来围着他的捆下拜。哥哥们本来己经很讨厌他了，这下更恨他了，因为约瑟将来还要管辖他们？受他一辈子的气？

大家的气都还没消掉，约瑟又宣布他做了另一个梦，梦见太阳、月亮与十一个星向他下拜。这下连雅各都受不了，责备他：「你做的这是什么梦！难道我和你母亲、你弟兄果然要来俯伏在地，向你下拜吗？」 骂归骂，雅各却把这事放在心里。谁也不知道将来如何，但是有些梦却是未来之事的预兆。

The Most Famous Story Ever Told (Part 1)

2020-10-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 15:11-24.  It is the first part to one of the most famous stories ever told.

Luke 15:11-24 (NIV) 
11  Jesus continued: “There was a man who had two sons. 
12  The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. 
13  “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 
14  After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 
15  So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 
16  He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything. 
17  “When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! ….

On verses 11-24:  This parable is one of the greatest, most powerful pictures of God’s amazing, unconditional love for us.  It is such a well known story that people sometimes assume they already know everything there is to learn concerning it.  At a THRIVE service today I’ll be sharing some lessons I’ve been learning from this passage that I hope will give you a fresh revelation of God’s love for you.   Hope to see you there!

真基督徒的三大记号

2020-10-09 in /by

我们要省察自己

我们是基督徒，是谁说的呢？是谁承认的呢？自己说我是基督徒的人，若上帝不承认有什么用呢？「当那日必有许多人对我说：『主啊，主啊，我们不是奉祢的名传道，奉祢的名赶鬼，奉祢的名行许多异能吗？』我就明明的告诉他们说：『我从来不认识你们，你们这些作恶的人，离开我去吧！』」（太7:22-23）

一个人做了传道人，用主的名行了神蹟、赶了魔鬼、医治疾病、说了方言，他以为他已经做了上帝要他做的工作，当他到主面前，他想：「我一生已经做了那么多上帝的工作，讲道、赶鬼、行神蹟、说预言，这样有能力的传道人，上帝一定非常欢喜、接纳」，所以他对主说：「主啊，我不是奉祢的名赶鬼、医病、行神蹟、说预言吗？」主却对他说：「我从来不认识你。」「主啊！我认识祢，我是为祢工作的。我是著名的牧师，我是著名的传道，我做了赶鬼、医病、传福音的工作。」主说：「你这作恶的人，离开我去吧！」

除了《圣经》，从来没有一本书讲比这更可怕的事，自以为是基督徒的，自以为是上帝的仆人，自以为是传福音的，自以为有大能、行神蹟、赶鬼的，而且是奉主的名做这些事，主一个都不认可。不仅如此，主甚至斥责：「你这作恶的人，离开我去吧！」如果这件事临到我们身上，你只能凄凄惨惨、跺脚搥胸、流下眼泪离开耶稣。这什么都放下归向耶稣基督的人，却不得耶稣基督的认可，他的人生还有什么意义？

我们要深思：「如果我不是真基督徒、不是真传道人，却是一个连耶稣都不认可的人，我要怎样度过我的永恒？当我走完世上的日子，进入永恒却不被耶稣所承认，我该怎么办？岂不是要进入地狱，永远受苦吗？」不要等到那一天，因为到了那一天已经太迟了。如果这句话是从主的口里说出来，我们就无法修改自己的命运了，因为耶稣的宣告是最高的权柄、最后的权威，你就要永远离开天父，你的命运就是进到地狱、捶胸顿足。

Because You Are Precious to God, God Searches for You

2020-10-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 15:1-10.  Let’s go!

Luke 15:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Now the tax collectors and “sinners” were all gathering around to hear him. 
2  But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”

On verses 1-2:  Jesus’ biggest critics, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, taught that to be truly holy and pleasing to God, you must separate yourself from people who were known to be habitual sinners.  That is why the Pharisees and teachers of the law found it puzzling, disgusting and also a basis for accusing Jesus when they saw that Jesus was hanging out with the very people that the Pharisees and teachers of the law shunned.    Knowing what the Pharisees and teachers of the law were thinking, Jesus will tell, in the verses that follow, some of his most famous parables to show why He the Son of God welcomes sinners and eats with them. 

Luke 15:3-4 (NIV) 
3  Then Jesus told them this parable: 
4  “Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 

雅各家族在示剑

2020-10-08 in /by

创世记35章11-12节   神又对他说：「我是全能的神。你要生养众多，将来有一族和多国的民从你而生，又有君王从你而出。我所赐给亚伯拉罕和以撒的地，我要赐给你与你的后裔。」

从哈兰到示剑，雅各经过了三条河：幼发拉底河，雅博河与约但河。每经过一条河就过了一个崁，也更接近伯特利，那个他向神许愿的地方。雅各在伯特利作梦后许愿，「神若与我同在，在我所行的路上保佑我，又给我食物吃、衣服穿， 使我平平安安地回到我父亲的家，我就必以耶和华为我的神， 我所立为柱子的石头也必做神的殿。凡你所赐给我的，我必将十分之一献给你。」(创28:20-22)

但是到了疏割时，雅各为自己盖造房屋，又为牲畜搭棚；后来到了示剑，又买地筑坛准备定居。正当一切都顺心畅意时，雅各唯一的女儿底拿却出了问题。这时雅各有十一个儿子，只有一个女儿。家里有许多儿子，只有一个女儿的人都知道，那个女儿必然是全家的宝贝。她跑出去玩时，被当地地主的儿子示剑看上了，而且立刻与她发生性关系。婚姻之外的性闗系就叫行淫，指其是不当的行为。

这件事在雅各家像一颗炸弹，引爆了全家的愤怒。因为底拿是个处女，却被示剑当妓女对待了。此时雅各的儿子们都长大了，正是血气方刚之时，雅各隐忍尚未发作，几个儿子却都己经如箭在弦上。当地主的儿子示剑来求婚时，他们便想出了一个诡计，叫他们全城的男人都要受割礼。割礼就是割阳皮，在婴儿出生第八天时，痛神经尚未长到那里，因此割礼对犹太人而言就没什么。但是对于小孩或成人，割阳皮是要痛上大约一周的事情。

Does Following Jesus Mean Hating My Family?

2020-10-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 14:25-35.  Let’s go!

Luke 14:25-26 (NIV) 
25  Large crowds were traveling with Jesus, and turning to them he said: 
26  “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters–yes, even his own life–he cannot be my disciple.

On verses 25-26:  Do I literally need to hate my parents, my wife, my kids, and my siblings in order to follow Jesus?  No.  God calls us to love our neighbours, especially our immediate family (see 1 Timothy 5:8; 1 Timothy 3:5).  So what does Jesus mean in verse 26?  Here’s what I think Jesus means: to truly follow Jesus means that your number one priority in life is your relationship with Jesus Christ, and that your number one loyalty and allegiance is to Jesus Christ, far above and beyond anyone else in this world.  In fact what I have found in my own life and seen in the lives of others is that when you put Jesus first, it makes you a better lover of your family.  You become a more selfless husband or wife, a wiser parent or child, a better sibling.  In the end, to know and follow Jesus first is the best thing you can do to love your family.

雅各改名为以色列

2020-10-07 in /by

创世记32章1-2节    雅各仍旧行路，神的使者遇见他。雅各看见他们就说：「这是神的军兵。」于是给那地方起名叫玛哈念。

雅各归心似箭，但是却有一个很大的隐忧。廿年前他的离开是因为以扫威胁要杀他，因此父母叫他离开。时隔廿年，以扫还恨他吗？

圣经上说：和拉班分手后，雅各仍旧行路，神的使者遇见他。雅各看见他们就说：「这是神的军兵。」于是给那地方起名叫玛哈念。

根据以色列圣经学者的说法，在翻译时有些原味不见了。例如讲到神的使者(天使)God of angels时，天使angels是多数的。雅各看见他们，就说：「这是神的军兵。This is God’s camp」「神的军兵」在原文的意思是 “the two camps” or “a pair of camps.”，指的是两队。雅各明白，这是神特地让他看见神在一路上差遣祂的使者在保护他和他的家人。

正如他当年离开迦南地时，神也在睡梦中特别向他显现，并且让他看到天使在一路上的保守。当然，学者也有解释为何是两队，他们说因为在每一个地方都有专门管那地方的天使，因此当雅各离开迦南进入哈兰时，就有不同的天使来交班；当雅各要离开哈兰，进入迦南地时，天使也要交班。这样的说话让人心里感到很安慰，原来不管我们去哪里，都有不同的天使会照顾我们。

雅各为人很有计划，他虽然担心，却也很努力地面对自己的恐惧。他先派人去通知以扫他要回乡了；没想到打发去报信的人回来说，以扫带着四百人向着他们来了。这句话吊起雅各极大的恐慌。以扫带四百个男人来，是何用意？雅各一家都是女人和小孩，根本不是对手啊？

在恐慌中，他把自己的人口和羊群、牛群、骆驼分做两队，又把给以扫的礼物摆在最前面。雅各很聪明，他要借着前头去的礼物解以扫的恨，然后再见以扫的面，希望以扫看在礼物的情面上可以容下这个弟弟。〈箴言〉18章16节说：「人的礼物为他开路，引他到高位的人面前」，又说：「暗中送礼物的挽回怒气」（箴21:14）。雅各深知送礼解仇之道。

Don’t Miss the Big Thing Because You Were Caught Up in Little Things

2020-10-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 14:12-24.  Let’s go!

Luke 14:12-14 (NIV) 
12  Then Jesus said to his host, “When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. 
13  But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, 
14  and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”

On verses 12-14:  When you serve others, don’t just serve those from whom you think you can get something back in return.  Serve those who can’t repay you, and in so doing you store up treasure for yourself from heaven.

Luke 14:15-24 (NIV) 
15  When one of those at the table with him heard this, he said to Jesus, “Blessed is the man who will eat at the feast in the kingdom of God.” 
16  Jesus replied: “A certain man was preparing a great banquet and invited many guests. 
17  At the time of the banquet he sent his servant to tell those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 
18  “But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said, ‘I have just bought a field, and I must go and see it. Please excuse me.’ 
19  “Another said, ‘I have just bought five yoke of oxen, and I’m on my way to try them out. Please excuse me.’ 

雅各成家立业

2020-10-06 in /by

创世记31章11-13节    神的使者在那梦中呼叫我说：「『雅各！ 』我说：『我在这里。 』他说：『你举目观看，跳母羊的公羊都是有纹的、有点的、有花斑的，凡拉班向你所做的，我都看见了。我是伯特利的神，你在那里用油浇过柱子，向我许过愿。现今你起来，离开这地，回你本地去吧。 』」

77岁的雅各来到哈兰，看到拉结，知道是自己的表妹，找到亲戚了，不禁放声而哭。雅各在井旁，为他母舅拉班的羊群，把石头转离井口，饮他母舅拉班的羊群。他的心从一个流浪者的孤单转为满心的欢喜，因为他和拉结几乎是一见钟情。但他跟拉结见面时的亲嘴是当时人礼貌上的问候。

母舅拉班看到来了个身强力壮的外甥也很高兴，终于来了个干活的；更可喜的是，雅各和拉结眉目传情，看在老人家眼中，心里就有了底。才住了一个月，拉班就找雅各谈判，问他要什么工价。雅各也不含糊，直就说我要你女儿拉结，我愿为她替你工作七年。

这一说正中拉班心怀，立刻答应，干杯为证。雅各就这样努力干了七年无薪工，心里只有满满的爱情。七年满了，可以和心上人成婚了，不料新婚的第二天早上，发现新娘不是她，是拉结的姐姐利亚。这下真是满心懊恼，舅舅买一送一，想退都不行了。七天后，舅舅让他和拉结成婚，条件是再干七年无薪工。

短短八天内，雅各有了两个老婆，两个妾。因为每个老婆都跟来了一个侍女，后来都变成了雅各的妾。这不仅是齐人之福，也是齐人之祸。因为后来雅各逃走被追上后，跟拉班说：「我白日受尽干热，黑夜受尽寒霜，不得合眼睡着，我常是这样。」牧羊之累，还要轮流服侍四个女人，你说辛苦不辛苦。

中东的人娶了四个妻子，并不像华人想的，四个女人来服侍一个男人；相反的，她们每个人都要有自己的屋子，什么东西都要公平，各有一份；丈夫与每个女人好合的事都要轮流，不可亏待任何一个。所以有一次轮到雅各和拉结同房时，因为拉结想要利亚的儿子拿回来的风茄，就让雅各那晚和利亚睡。风茄在古时被认为是一种刺激性欲的药，有增加生育能力的功效。因为神看到雅各不爱利亚，所以让利亚在生产一事得蒙祝福；而拉结却一直不孕，因此拉结希望借着风茄可以怀孕。

Whether In Private or In Public, Be Consistent

2020-10-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 14:1-11.  Let’s go!

Luke 14:1-6 (NIV) 
1  One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. 
2  There in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. 
3  Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” 
4  But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him away. 
5  Then he asked them, “If one of you has a son or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull him out?” 
6  And they had nothing to say.

On verses 1-6: This is now at least the third time recorded by Luke where Jesus heals a person on the Sabbath day, in violation of the Pharisees’ man-made rules regarding what can be done on the Sabbath day.  But unlike the previous two times recorded in Luke, Jesus heals not at a synagogue but at, or on his way to, a Pharisee’s house to eat (v1).  In this case Jesus heals a man from dropsy (or edema), which means that parts of his body were probably very swollen.  Before he heals the man, Jesus, knowing that he was being carefully watched, asks the very question that the Pharisees and experts in the law were wondering about: is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?  Similar to what he did in Luke 13:15-16, Jesus gives his rationale for healing on the Sabbath in verse 5: it does not violate the Sabbath to rescue someone from their plight on the Sabbath day.