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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.” 

摩西的谦和

2020-06-15 in /by

民数记12章3节   摩西为人极其谦和，胜过世上的众人。

〈民数记〉是摩西写的，摩西说他为人极其谦和，你认为呢？这事情是这样引起的，摩西的大姐米利暗和哥哥亚伦一起来找他，不是找他吃饭，是找他理论， 抗争。理论一件极为隐密的事。

他们说摩西娶了古实的女子，因此毁谤摩西，这件事很可能只有他们三姐弟知道，不然早就给敌人大作文章了。毁谤是指在背后说他人的坏话，因为到了当事前不能乱说，会被拆穿，所以要在背后说。说完之后呢，他们却对摩西说：「难道耶和华单与摩西说话，不也与我们说话吗？」这两件事好像风马牛不相及，不是吗？可见他们别有用心。

根据犹太拉比在一本犹大经典《Mirash(米大示)》看到的记载，当摩西逃离法老（出2:15），到达米甸之前，摩西先逃到埃及南方的古实（Cush）。那时他还是一个年轻人，他先是为古实的国王服务，在国王死后，摩西被任命为国王，但是必须娶前王的遗孀为妻。摩西拒绝与她同住并一起敬拜古实的偶像，所以选择离开，后来才到米甸，娶了米甸祭司的女儿西坡拉。

有的人认为那是他们故意眨低西坡拉，因为长期生活在沙漠，肤色比较黑，所以叫她为古实女人。另一说则认为西坡拉当时己死，是指摩西的续弦(启导本)。但是无论如何，这些事和他们对摩西的质问是不相干的：「难道耶和华单与摩西说话，不也与我们说话吗？」神听到他们对摩西的质问。

他们长期和摩西在一起，还不能明白神和摩西的关系何等亲密，神和摩西的同在是何等明显，竟以为神不在。神听到了。这里为何加了一句：「摩西为人极其谦和，胜过世上的众人。」我相信是因为摩西任凭他们指责，一点都不回嘴，神也看不过去了，就把他们三个都叫出去。

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.
 

摩西的祷告

2020-06-14 in /by

民数记十章36-37节     约柜往前行的时候，摩西就说：「耶和华啊，求祢兴起！愿祢的仇敌四散，愿恨祢的人从祢面前逃跑！」约柜停住的时候，他就说：「耶和华啊，求祢回到以色列的千万人中！」

从摩西五经里我们看到摩西的工作实在繁多，不仅要处理百姓的事务，还要把神的各样交代钜细无遗地写下来。假如你是一个牧者或是小组，团契的组长，就会发现照顾人的工作不容易。我也曾听过带旅行团的导游之种种难处。因为每个人都有情绪，往往以自我为中心，并不是每个人都会听话或守时守规则，只要有一两个人不留心，就可以让带领的人气大了头。

摩西带领百姓在西乃山下做了会幕，交代了祭司的工作。你可能也会发现，当祭司真不容易，除了要像庖丁般地解牛杀羊，还得懂得分辨各种皮肤病，房子的霉烂怎样处理，还要背诵神的613条律法，等等，而摩西当时就必须把这些从神教导的知识去教导这班祭司。

摩西也需要人的帮忙，因此当他的岳父的儿子何巴，也就是他的小舅子要离去时，他大力挽留，因为何巴对旷野比摩西熟悉。摩西虽然有神的带领，他还是知道自己的软弱和不足。有的人因为领受了一两个神的特殊恩典就变得十分骄傲，自觉灵性高人一等。但是我们发现摩西完全没有这样的骄傲，他越亲近神就越谦和。我常常在想在这样多重的压力下，他什么时候会懪发。他究竟只是一个人。

果然，在他们离开西乃旷野，来到巴兰的旷野时，百姓又开始发怨言了。百姓不像摩西心存远景，一心为以色列打拼。百姓想要的就是过好日子。对着无肉无鱼，也没有黄瓜、西瓜、韭菜、葱、蒜的食物，百姓各在各家的帐篷门口哭号。那真是很难形容的景象，他们没有想到神应许的迦南，也不感激不用再做奴隶，有盼望的生涯，只想换换口味。或许居家隔离了几个月，我们都有一点体会，好像在旷野，只敢想，却又不能想。美国有几州一开放，人群就聚在一起，就又有感染，这是人类的劣根性，被欲望控制就失去理智，一定要患病了在生死边缘徘徊，才说：「我当初太小看这病毒了。」

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:

饭前谢恩在圣经中有根据么?

2020-06-13 in /by

马可福音8章38节   凡在这淫乱罪恶的世代，把我和我的道当作可耻的，人子在他父的荣耀里同圣天使降临的时候，也要把那人当作可耻的。

如果有一位圣徒问我说，“我吃饭以前谢恩，只举目向天祷告，并不闭眼，可以不可以呢？”我回答他说，“可以。”不过我要问他，他自己在家中吃饭，或是与其他圣徒在一处吃饭，是不是也这样作？我又要问他，从他信主以后，是否一向就这样作？如果他从信主以后，在吃饭的时候一向都是举目望天谢恩，而且自己独自吃饭的时候也是这样，当然他可以一直作下去。但如果他以前一向是闭目谢恩，而且在自己单独吃饭并与其他圣徒一同吃饭的时候也是闭目谢恩，唯独与不信的人一同吃饭的时候不闭目祷告，只举目望天谢恩，这就有问题了。

主要的一点不是闭目不闭目，乃是闭目和不闭目的动机在哪里？

很多圣徒都能见证说，在不信的人面前吃饭时谢恩，是多么不容易的一件事。如果那些不信的人具有常识，知道尊重别人的信仰，对一个吃饭前祷告谢恩的信徒没有什么表示，比较还容易。不幸有一些不信的人看见一个基督徒吃饭前谢恩，便加以冷嘲热讽，或是对他发出一些问题和他辩论，给他一些难堪，这实在是一场剧烈的战争。而且这种战争不是一次两次就过去的。许多圣徒每日要和不信的人一同吃饭，因此每日要遇见这种战争。吃饭本是一件愉快的事，在他们却像上阵作战一样。这实在不是一件容易的事，但这就是属灵的战争。如果我们在这件事上能得胜，我们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) 

以色列的国家队

2020-06-11 in /by

民数记 2章 34节   以色列人就这样行，各人照他们的家室、宗族归于本纛，安营起行，都是照耶和华所吩咐摩西的。

在《创世记》 里告诉我们「在起初」发生的重大事件，其中「架构出、规范」了人类历史发展的总体方向和路线，包括：耶和华神的创造、人类的犯罪，人离开神、土地受咒诅、人类文明的「自行发展」、耶和华神的毁灭与「历史的终结」。接着，就是「救赎」历史的开展，由亚伯拉罕肩负「修复」世界的任务，再由耶和华神「确立」出一条神圣产业「血脉传承」的系谱，也就是亚伯拉罕–以撒–雅各这条「主线」，以「确保」修复世界、回到起初的总工程可以被「延续」下去，不致中断。

在《出埃及记》里，再次强力证明了《创世记》的信息：耶和华神是创造天地宇宙万物的主宰，祂定意要执行「修复」世界的国度计画。所以，以色列百姓被领出埃及后，很快地来到西奈山与耶和华神「相认」，拿到一张新的「国民身分证」，要成为『祭司的国度，圣洁的子民，在万民中做专属耶和华的子民』；另外还领取一份「永恒的婚约」，就是神的圣法：十诫及一切的典章、律例、法度，统称为「妥拉」。

这是人类历史上，耶和华神 (首度) 将祂的「整套圣法」系统性地授予一个特定的人类社群。因此《出埃及记》的结尾，也是《出埃及记》的巅峰和「完成」，就提到了会幕的竖立和完工，让神的荣耀 (在人类犯罪以后)，首次得以在一个人类团体里面「居住和同在」，这代表耶和华神初步「恢复」了祂与人类「在起初」的同住状态。

Born to Be a Blessing

2020-06-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 10:1-7.  Let’s go!

Revelation 10:1-4 (NIV) 
1  Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars.
2  He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land,
3  and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke.
4  And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”

On verses 1-4:  Revelation is full of strange and awesome creatures: living creatures, fallen angels, the scariest locusts ever conceived, crazy “horses”, the list goes on.  Sometimes I think that if Pokemon could be transported into the world of Revelation, Pikachu, Charmander and all their Pokemon friends would look at some of the creatures in Revelation and think, “They’re so weird.”