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你在这里做什么

2020-05-07 in /by

列王记上19章13节c  以利亚啊，你在这里做什么？

今年4月底传来一个令人震惊的消息。有位在纽约医院急诊室的医生自杀。Dr. Lorna M. Breen，这位曾救治了上百个新冠状病毒肺炎的医生，自己也被传染上这个肺炎。我有朋友是她的同事，说她心里着急医院里的病人需要救治，两次试着回到医院工作，两次都被医院婉拒。她回到她父母的家中调养，没想到却自杀了。消息传来，她医院的同事都感到非常痛心，在工作的压力之外，更因此事而十分沮丧。

从新闻里，我们也看到还有其他人因为受不了这次疫情的压力而自杀了。压力是我们的时代病，因为压力而产生的忧郁症比比皆是，而忧郁症又往往让人产生自杀的念头和行为。在《圣经》里也曾经有两个人向神求死，你知道是谁吗？

第一个你可能猜到了，就是约拿。因为神没有灭掉尼尼微城的人，给他遮荫的蓖麻又被虫子咬死，因此他向神发怒，向神求死说：「我死了比活着还好！」

第二个人你想到了吗？就是以利亚。你想过以利亚会求死吗？他可是《圣经》里行了许多神蹟的大先知，并且是没有经过死亡，直接被接上天的大先知。神如此重用的仆人怎么会这么软弱呢？而且他求死不是因为事业失败，工作没有成绩，而是因为工作做得太好了。他不久前才在迦密山上打败450个巴力的先知，让以色列人看到耶和华是真神，巴力是假神，叫以色列人把那些假先知全都杀了。

然后神又应允他的祷告，让三年半干旱的以色列重获甘霖；接着他还跟亚哈王的马车赛跑，从迦密山一直跑到亚哈王的行宫所在的耶斯列，他居然奔在亚哈的前头，先抵城门。这时的以利亚充满灵力。

The Comfort of God’s Staff and Rod

2020-05-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Micah 6:1-16.  Let’s go!

Micah 6:1-5 (NIV) 
1  Listen to what the LORD says: “Stand up, plead your case before the mountains; let the hills hear what you have to say. 
2  Hear, O mountains, the LORD’s accusation; listen, you everlasting foundations of the earth. For the LORD has a case against his people; he is lodging a charge against Israel. 
3  “My people, what have I done to you? How have I burdened you? Answer me. 
4  I brought you up out of Egypt and redeemed you from the land of slavery. I sent Moses to lead you, also Aaron and Miriam. 
5  My people, remember what Balak king of Moab counseled and what Balaam son of Beor answered. Remember [your journey] from Shittim to Gilgal, that you may know the righteous acts of the LORD.”

On verses 1-5:  Micah sees a vision of the Lord.  In this vision, like an attorney in a courtroom speaking to a jury, the Lord speaks to the mountains about his case against Israel (v1-2).  The Lord then addresses Israel directly, asking what it is that God has done to burden them (v3) and recalling His goodness to them:

以撒的三个等待

2020-05-07 in /by

创世记26章22节b   他说：「耶和华现在给我们宽阔之地，我们必在这地昌盛。」

今年五月中，再一个星期，温哥华的政府决定要开始放松对疫情的控制了，从一点一点开始：五月中，六月，七月，九月，至于想观看温哥华的热门运动冰上曲棍球Canuck，就要等到疫苗研发出来。可能球迷会很失望，但是对一般人而言，我们己经沉浸在回复自由的喜悦中。感觉这两个多月的等待实在值得，因为不仅帮助自己，也帮助别人，让疫情得到控制。

在《圣经》中最会等待的人莫过于以撒了，亚伯拉罕一百岁才得到的应许之子。照理来说，一般老年得子的人都会把这个老来子竉上天，可是在《圣经》里，这个老来子似乎被调教得非常好。当以撒在等待时，他十分安静。他的一生中有三个比较显著的等待。

亚伯拉罕住在迦南，迦地不是没有女人，但是当亚伯拉罕差遣老仆去他的老家为以撒择妻时，以撒就非常顺服地在家等候。事实上，《圣经》告诉我们，在以撒等到老仆人带利百加回来，并娶她为妻后，他的心才得了安慰。在这之前因为母亲去世，使他一直处在悲伤的情绪里，直到利百加来，他才得了安慰。他迫切需要有人安慰，但是他宁可顺服等待，也不肯像他儿子以扫一样，就地找迦南女人结婚或鬼混。这是他的第一个等待。

第二个等待是妻子的怀孕。身为应许之子，怎能没有后裔？若是利百加不孕，会不会有第二个夏甲呢？当年亚伯拉罕的妻子撒拉，就因为自己不孕，强迫老公和侍女同寝，没想到造成中东直到现在争战不停的局面。

What Happens When Jesus Reigns

2020-05-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Micah 5:1-15.  Let’s go!

Micah 5:1-5 (NIV) 
1  Marshal your troops, O city of troops, for a siege is laid against us. They will strike Israel’s ruler on the cheek with a rod.
2  “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”
3  Therefore Israel will be abandoned until the time when she who is in labor gives birth and the rest of his brothers return to join the Israelites.
4  He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth.
5  And he will be their peace…

On verses 1-5a:  Here Micah sees a dichotomous, two part vision: on one hand he sees Israel being besieged and struck by its enemies (v1).  On the other hand, Micah also sees that out of Bethlehem is coming a very special ruler for Israel, one “whose origins are from of old, from ancient times” (v2).  Micah is talking about the Messiah (Saviour King) that he sees coming.  “Until the time when she who is in labor gives birth” (v3), meaning until this Messiah is born, Israel will be abandoned and without a shepherd.   

神的形像

2020-05-05 in /by

彼得前书2章13节 你们为主的缘故，要顺服人的一切制度，或是在上的君王。

这个星期一(5月4日)的中午，在美国犹他州的一条高速公路上，警察发现有辆汽车开得歪来歪去的，疑心有人醉酒开车，便上前阻拦。没想到在方向盘后面，坐着一个五岁的小男孩。原来小男孩和他母亲吵架，他要母亲买一辆Lamborghini兰博基尼跑车给他。母亲不答应，他就偷偷拿了父母的车匙，自己想要开车到加利福尼亚州去买兰博基尼。警察很幽默，说他可能带不够钱，因为他的口袋里只有三块钱。

昨天我们谈到顺服和信心，信心带出顺服的行动，不信也会带出不顺服的行为。信心带出的顺服行动会荣耀主名，荣神益人；不信的行动所带出的不顺服行为却是相反的。

据新闻报导，美国弗吉尼亚州里士满附近一个社区里，有位著名福音派牧师杰拉尔德·格伦主教不肯关闭教堂，后因与新冠肺炎COVID-19有关的疾病去世。加州也有牧师控诉政府阻止信徒到教堂敬拜，其中的萨克拉曼多Sacramento区，有71人因为参与聚会而被感染。当牧者说，神比任何病毒都伟大时，信徒能反对吗？

最近因为新冠肺炎传染力强，政府要求大家开始戴口罩。在美国俄亥俄Ohio州有位共和党的官员说，因为人是按著神的形像造的，这形像大部份彰显在人的脸上，戴口罩会遮住神的形像，所以他拒绝戴口罩。

Jesus’ AEIOU Kingdom

2020-05-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Micah 4:1-13.  Let’s go!

Micah 4:1 (NIV) 
1  In the last days the mountain of the LORD’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and peoples will stream to it.
 
On verse 1:  In verses 1-8 Micah is describing what will happen “in the last days” (v1), meaning the time when Jesus Christ returns to establish His kingdom.  Here in verse 1 Micah prophesies about the day that “the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains…raised above the hills, and people will stream to it.” (v1)  In other words, Micah is prophesying of the day when the worship of the Lord takes first place and centre stage in people’s hearts. 

What can we learn from this?  Right now you may be facing a mountain in your life, or maybe even multiple mountains, but no matter what always give first place and centre stage to the Lord.  Let your worship of God and your intimacy with Him always be your number priority.  For when you fix your eyes on Jesus, when you remember that His greatness no one can match, then you can say to whatever other mountain you may be facing, “You’re not so big after all.  For my God is greater.” 

挪亚与方舟

2020-05-05 in /by

创世记6章22节 挪亚就这样行。凡神所吩咐的，他都照样行了。

我们都知道神给了我们许多应许，但是我们却常常觉得祷告得不到回应？这当中有什么地方出错了吗？

最近外甥女婿摩西在我家后院开辟了一个菜园，因为是工程系毕业的，特别喜欢挑战，做了好几个泥床，拉水管自动浇水，放各样的肥料，忙得不易乐乎。我们就拣现成的，做三明治时就出去拿几片菜叶，做沙拉时也去抓一些baby green，最嫰的生菜叶。从他下种后，没有人担心过菜会长不出来，只担心来不及吃。因为我们的头脑里从来没有怀疑过，菜会长不出来。

我们对摩西有信心。我们对天气也有信心，温哥华的四.五月，时雨时晴，要阳光有阳光，要雨有雨，神的恩典十分充沛。即使在疫情当中，我们也相信生活终会恢复正常，疫情将会过去。这种信心很难解释，就是一种相信每天都在神的手中，知道神掌管明天的坦然，所以我们可以开心地迎接神给我们的每一天。

但是在摩西种蕃茄时发生了一点小小的挫折，因为Google说五月才可以种蕃茄，他在三月就迫不及待地种了。虽然是先放在室内，但有两棵在搬到室外时冻死了。Google还是经验老到的。万物都有时机，抢先是不行的。神借着万物来训练人的顺服，也让人看到顺服的重要性，顺服和信心之间的关系。

So Much Depends on Leadership

2020-05-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Micah 3:1-12.  Let’s go!

Micah 3:1-4 (NIV) 
1  Then I said, “Listen, you leaders of Jacob, you rulers of the house of Israel. Should you not know justice,
2  you who hate good and love evil; who tear the skin from my people and the flesh from their bones;
3  who eat my people’s flesh, strip off their skin and break their bones in pieces; who chop them up like meat for the pan, like flesh for the pot?”
4  Then they will cry out to the LORD, but he will not answer them. At that time he will hide his face from them because of the evil they have done.

On verses 1-4: God wants leaders to “embrace justice” (v1), but instead Micah finds that the leaders of Jacob (another name for Israel) “hate good and love evil” (v2).  Micah uses cannibalistic imagery to describe how Israel’s leaders take advantage of and abuse the people (v3).  Micah says that because of their evil ways, the Lord will not listen to them when they cry out (v4).

窗户上的两滴眼泪

2020-05-04 in /by

「希伯来书10章23节  也要坚守我们所承认的指望，不致摇动，因为那应许我们的是信实的。

昨天教会的线上敬拜邀请了两位意想不到的来宾，就是几年前被中国抓去关起来的一对加拿大夫妇。我还记得那时教会和脸书上有些机构都呼求为他们祷告。看到他们本人现身，让人迫不及待想知道他们的经历。(以下是简录)

Kevin 和 Julia Garratt原本住在温哥华，读多伦多大学时相识，相恋。一结婚就接到去中国的大学教英文的邀请，成为中共在文革后第一批邀请的当中的两位外国教师。那时他们十分年轻，自嘲像他们那样单纯的人最不可能被当成间谍了。可是事情的发展超乎他们意料之外。

神给了他们两人有同样的感动，两人都希望到中国去服事，他们在中国工作了卅年，除了教英文之外，还参与各种援助工作，教育和社会事业，例如帮助孤儿院和传福音。在2008-2014年间，他们在靠近朝鲜边境的一个地方丹东开了一间咖啡店，为中国和朝鲜的边缘化社区提供一些援助。

在2014年八月的某一天晚上，他们和朋友在一家餐馆吃饱饭后，两人出电梯后分别被不同的警察带走，罪名是：“你是间谍！” Julia害怕极了，在心里不停地祷告。后来她被推入一间当地称的”黑房＂(black jail) 因为那是外界不知道的地方)。 牢房很小，24小时开灯，室内一直有两个警卫监视她。她开始迫切祷告：「神啊，祢在哪里？在这样被隔离中，祢对我有怎样的计划呢？」

Whom You Listen To Affects How You Live

2020-05-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Micah 2:1-13.  Let’s go!

Micah 2:1-5 (NIV) 
1  Woe to those who plan iniquity, to those who plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they carry it out because it is in their power to do it.
2  They covet fields and seize them, and houses, and take them. They defraud a man of his home, a fellowman of his inheritance.
3  Therefore, the LORD says: “I am planning disaster against this people, from which you cannot save yourselves. You will no longer walk proudly, for it will be a time of calamity.
4  In that day men will ridicule you; they will taunt you with this mournful song: ‘We are utterly ruined; my people’s possession is divided up. He takes it from me! He assigns our fields to traitors.'”
5  Therefore you will have no one in the assembly of the LORD to divide the land by lot.

On verses 1-5:  God plans disaster (v3-5) for those who plan disaster against others (v1-2).  Move over Captain America and Iron Man.  The ultimate avenger is Yahweh who says, “It is mine to avenge.  I will repay.” (Deuteronomy 32:35; Romans 12:19)