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The Woman on the Beast

2020-06-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 17:1-18.  Let’s go!

Revelation 17:1-2 (NIV) 
1  One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. 
2  With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.” 

On verses 1-2:  The key to properly interpreting the book of Revelation is correctly identifying the characters that appear in the book.  Who is “the great prostitute, who sits on many waters” (v1), who committed adultery with the kings of the earth and intoxicated earth’s inhabitants with her adulteries (v2)?  Many commentators believe that this great prostitute represents false religion.  What false religion are we talking about?  In this sharing, I will use the term “false religion” to mean every system of belief in the world that preaches that man by his own effort can reach God or become his own God.  The great prostitute of false religion has affected people all over the world for millennia.  It gives people a false hope and a false comfort that can be fairly described as “adultery” (v2a), for it involves running away from depending on God to save us by the means of His Son Jesus and running into the arms of a false religious system that is all about one’s own effort and exalting oneself.  The comfort of this false religion is like the false comfort of being “intoxicated” (v2b) in that the comfort is fleeting and does not last. 
 

摩西打發探子去迦南

2020-06-16 in /by

民數記14章 18節  耶和華不輕易發怒，並有豐盛的慈愛，赦免罪孽和過犯，萬不以有罪的為無罪，必追討他的罪，自父及子，直到三四代。

在教堂關閉的日子裡，我們特別需要信心，尤其明白自己的信心究竟是在哪裡？在教堂裡嗎？在牧師身上嗎？在小組長身上嗎？或是，神的殿就在你心中？

我覺得讀摩西的事蹟，越讀就越羨幕他和神的關係，這也是每日親近神想帶給讀者的信息，我們的信心來自於我們與神的關係；我們若經常親近神，信心很自然就產生；我們若不親近神，信心要從何產生呢？今天就是要看兩種人的信心，為何一組有信心，一組沒有信心，而且處在同樣的大環境下，為何大多數人會沒有信心？只有少數人有對耶和華神的信心？

在〈民數記〉的記載裡，神吩咐摩西打發探子去窺探迦南地；在〈申命記〉一章裡記載 … 摩西說，「你們都就近我來說：『我們要先打發人去，為我們窺探那地，將我們上去該走何道，必進何城，都回報我們。(申1:22)』」可見大家都非常興奮，都希望看看神所應許的迦南地是怎樣的？那時正是葡萄初熟的時候。

四十天後，12個探子回來，他們到了以實各谷，從那裡砍了葡萄樹的一枝，上頭有一掛葡萄，兩個人用槓抬著，又帶了些石榴和無花果來(民13:23)。他們手裡拿著那地的果子下來，回報說：『耶和華我們的神所賜給我們的是美地。(申1:25)』又告訴摩西說：「我們到了你所打發我們去的那地，果然是流奶與蜜之地。(民13:27)」12個探子都印證了神的話之真實。

How Do You Respond to God When You’re In Pain?

2020-06-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 16:1-21.  Let’s go!

Revelation 16:1-7 (NIV) 
1  Then I heard a loud voice from the temple saying to the seven angels, “Go, pour out the seven bowls of God’s wrath on the earth.” 
2  The first angel went and poured out his bowl on the land, and ugly and painful sores broke out on the people who had the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. 
3  The second angel poured out his bowl on the sea, and it turned into blood like that of a dead man, and every living thing in the sea died. 
4  The third angel poured out his bowl on the rivers and springs of water, and they became blood.
5  Then I heard the angel in charge of the waters say: “You are just in these judgments, you who are and who were, the Holy One, because you have so judged; 
6  for they have shed the blood of your saints and prophets, and you have given them blood to drink as they deserve.” 

摩西的謙和

2020-06-15 in /by

民數記12章3節   摩西為人極其謙和，勝過世上的眾人。

〈民數記〉是摩西寫的，摩西說他為人極其謙和，你認為呢？這事情是這樣引起的，摩西的大姐米利暗和哥哥亞倫一起來找他，不是找他吃飯，是找他理論， 抗爭。理論一件極為隱密的事。

他們說摩西娶了古實的女子，因此毀謗摩西，這件事很可能只有他們三姐弟知道，不然早就給敵人大作文章了。毀謗是指在背後說他人的壞話，因為到了當事前不能亂說，會被拆穿，所以要在背後說。說完之後呢，他們卻對摩西說：「難道耶和華單與摩西說話，不也與我們說話嗎？」這兩件事好像風馬牛不相及，不是嗎？可見他們別有用心。

根據猶太拉比在一本猶大經典《Mirash(米大示)》看到的記載，當摩西逃離法老（出2:15），到達米甸之前，摩西先逃到埃及南方的古實（Cush）。那時他還是一個年輕人，他先是為古實的國王服務，在國王死後，摩西被任命為國王，但是必須娶前王的遺孀為妻。摩西拒絕與她同住並一起敬拜古實的偶像，所以選擇離開，後來才到米甸，娶了米甸祭司的女兒西坡拉。

有的人認為那是他們故意眨低西坡拉，因為長期生活在沙漠，膚色比較黑，所以叫她為古實女人。另一說則認為西坡拉當時己死，是指摩西的續弦(啟導本)。但是無論如何，這些事和他們對摩西的質問是不相干的：「難道耶和華單與摩西說話，不也與我們說話嗎？」神聽到他們對摩西的質問。

他們長期和摩西在一起，還不能明白神和摩西的關係何等親密，神和摩西的同在是何等明顯，竟以為神不在。神聽到了。這裡為何加了一句：「摩西為人極其謙和，勝過世上的眾人。」我相信是因為摩西任憑他們指責，一點都不回嘴，神也看不過去了，就把他們三個都叫出去。

Not Holding onto Wrath and Anger

2020-06-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 14:14-15:8.  Let’s go!

Revelation 14:14-20 (NIV) 
14  I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one “like a son of man” with a crown of gold on his head and a sharp sickle in his hand.
15  Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to him who was sitting on the cloud, “Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.” 
16  So he who was seated on the cloud swung his sickle over the earth, and the earth was harvested. 
17  Another angel came out of the temple in heaven, and he too had a sharp sickle. 
18  Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, “Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth’s vine, because its grapes are ripe.” 
19  The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God’s wrath. 
20  They were trampled in the winepress outside the city, and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses’ bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia.
 

摩西的禱告

2020-06-14 in /by

民數記十章36-37節     約櫃往前行的時候，摩西就說：「耶和華啊，求祢興起！願祢的仇敵四散，願恨祢的人從祢面前逃跑！」約櫃停住的時候，他就說：「耶和華啊，求祢回到以色列的千萬人中！」

從摩西五經裡我們看到摩西的工作實在繁多，不僅要處理百姓的事務，還要把神的各樣交代鉅細無遺地寫下來。假如你是一個牧者或是小組，團契的組長，就會發現照顧人的工作不容易。我也曾聽過帶旅行團的導遊之種種難處。因為每個人都有情緒，往往以自我為中心，並不是每個人都會聽話或守時守規則，只要有一兩個人不留心，就可以讓帶領的人氣大了頭。

摩西帶領百姓在西乃山下做了會幕，交代了祭司的工作。你可能也會發現，當祭司真不容易，除了要像庖丁般地解牛殺羊，還得懂得分辨各種皮膚病，房子的霉爛怎樣處理，還要背誦神的613條律法，等等，而摩西當時就必須把這些從神教導的知識去教導這班祭司。

摩西也需要人的幫忙，因此當他的岳父的兒子何巴，也就是他的小舅子要離去時，他大力挽留，因為何巴對曠野比摩西熟悉。摩西雖然有神的帶領，他還是知道自己的軟弱和不足。有的人因為領受了一兩個神的特殊恩典就變得十分驕傲，自覺靈性高人一等。但是我們發現摩西完全沒有這樣的驕傲，他越親近神就越謙和。我常常在想在這樣多重的壓力下，他什麼時候會懪發。他究竟只是一個人。

果然，在他們離開西乃曠野，來到巴蘭的曠野時，百姓又開始發怨言了。百姓不像摩西心存遠景，一心為以色列打拚。百姓想要的就是過好日子。對著無肉無魚，也沒有黃瓜、西瓜、韭菜、蔥、蒜的食物，百姓各在各家的帳篷門口哭號。那真是很難形容的景象，他們沒有想到神應許的迦南，也不感激不用再做奴隸，有盼望的生涯，只想換換口味。或許居家隔離了幾個月，我們都有一點體會，好像在曠野，只敢想，卻又不能想。美國有幾州一開放，人群就聚在一起，就又有感染，這是人類的劣根性，被慾望控制就失去理智，一定要患病了在生死邊緣徘徊，才說：「我當初太小看這病毒了。」

God’s Message for Everyone

2020-06-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 14:1-13.  Let’s go!

Revelation 14:1-5 (NIV) 
1  Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 
2  And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 
3  And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 
4  These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as firstfruits to God and the Lamb. 
5  No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
 
On verses 1-5:  After his vision in chapter 13 of earth being controlled by Satan the red dragon, the beast from the sea and the beast from the earth, John’s vision switches to heaven where John once again sees the 144,000 whom he saw earlier in Revelation 7.  These 144,000 are quite possibly Jewish Christians who came from the 12 tribes of Israel.  Here in these verses we learn more about these 144,000 and the role that they play in heaven:

飯前謝恩在聖經中有根據麼?

2020-06-13 in /by

馬可福音8章38節   凡在這淫亂罪惡的世代，把我和我的道當作可恥的，人子在他父的榮耀裡同聖天使降臨的時候，也要把那人當作可恥的。

如果有一位聖徒問我說，“我吃飯以前謝恩，只舉目向天禱告，並不閉眼，可以不可以呢？”我回答他說，“可以。”不過我要問他，他自己在家中吃飯，或是與其他聖徒在一處吃飯，是不是也這樣作？我又要問他，從他信主以後，是否一向就這樣作？如果他從信主以後，在吃飯的時候一向都是舉目望天謝恩，而且自己獨自吃飯的時候也是這樣，當然他可以一直作下去。但如果他以前一向是閉目謝恩，而且在自己單獨吃飯並與其他聖徒一同吃飯的時候也是閉目謝恩，唯獨與不信的人一同吃飯的時候不閉目禱告，只舉目望天謝恩，這就有問題了。

主要的一點不是閉目不閉目，乃是閉目和不閉目的動機在哪裡？

很多聖徒都能見證說，在不信的人面前吃飯時謝恩，是多麼不容易的一件事。如果那些不信的人具有常識，知道尊重別人的信仰，對一個吃飯前禱告謝恩的信徒沒有什麼表示，比較還容易。不幸有一些不信的人看見一個基督徒吃飯前謝恩，便加以冷嘲熱諷，或是對他發出一些問題和他辯論，給他一些難堪，這實在是一場劇烈的戰爭。而且這種戰爭不是一次兩次就過去的。許多聖徒每日要和不信的人一同吃飯，因此每日要遇見這種戰爭。吃飯本是一件愉快的事，在他們卻像上陣作戰一樣。這實在不是一件容易的事，但這就是屬靈的戰爭。如果我們在這件事上能得勝，我們就能多得恩典和能力。

An Unholy Trinity

2020-06-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 13:1-18.  Let’s go!

Revelation 13:1-2 (NIV) 
1  And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name.
2  The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.

On verses 1-2:  Picture this: While the red dragon representing Satan stands on the sea shore, a beast rises out of the sea.  Like the dragon, this beast from the sea has 7 heads and 10 horns (compare Revelation 12:3 with 13:1).   Resembling a leopard but also having feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion, this beast is not for God but against God.  Each of the beast’s 7 heads displays a blasphemous name, making a false statement about God (v1b).  The dragon and the beast are clearly affiliated as the dragon gives the beast his power, his throne and great authority.

Heaven Always Gets the Last Laugh

2020-06-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 11:1-19.  Many consider this chapter to be the most difficult chapter in the book of Revelation to interpret.  Let’s go!

Revelation 11:1-2 (NIV) 
1  I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there.
2  But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.

On verses 1-2:  In John’s vision John receives a reed like a measuring rod and is told to measure the temple of God and the altar as well as to count the worshipers there (v1).  John is told not to include the outer court in his measurements, because “it has been given to the Gentiles” who “will trample on the holy city for 42 months” (v2).  The holy city is most likely a reference to the city of Jerusalem.

What does this mean?   When a person is told by God to measure something in the Bible, often it means that either that person or God (or both) will own and take possession of the thing being measured.  For example, “God told Abram to walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you” (Genesis 13:17)