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焦急中的選擇

2020-04-27 in /by

撒母耳記上30章6節    大衛甚是焦急，因眾人為自己的兒女苦惱，說要用石頭打死他。大衛卻倚靠耶和華他的神，心裡堅固。

紐約最近有一則新聞，有一位急診室的醫生也被傳染到新冠肺炎，後來自殺。她是我兒子的一個同事，兒子說工作單位裡的人聽到這個消息都非常震驚難過。那位醫生的自殺突顯出在疫情下的醫護人員身心的巨大壓力。在這個新冠病毒肆虐的時候，每個人都受到極大的衝擊，尤其是在第一線的醫護人員和其他工作者。兒子也在急診室上班，他說醫院內外是兩個世界，醫院裡聚滿了許多垂危的病人，但是到了街上彷彿無事一般。除了有親友死去的人，許多人不明白這病毒的傳染有多麼危險，還不肯配合政府的宣導，以致於害人損己。

面對生死的壓力時，我們還能仰望神嗎？大衛讓我最佩服的地方就在此。在他逃亡的後期，非利士王亞吉收留了他，還送給他一座城洗革拉。但是當非利士人要去和以色列人爭戰時，他們擔心大衛會臨陣倒戈，因此不讓大衛和從人參加。大衛他們一行人只好回去洗革拉的家。沒想到迎接他們的是一座被掠奪和焚燒的城，他們的妻子和兒女都被亞瑪力人擄去了。

當大家為妻兒哭泣時，憤怒到要用石頭打死大衛。此時的大衛也很著急，他的妻子也被擄去了，眾人又來勢汹汹，情況萬分危急。聖經記載，此時的大衛卻因為倚靠神，心裡堅固。這句話不是說他己有主意，而是說在此大風大浪之際，他轉眼仰望神。他不是試著去安撫眾人，而是請祭司亞比亞他拿以弗得來求問神。大衛選擇倚靠神，而不讓焦急控制他的心思。

Run After God, Not Away From Him

2020-04-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Jonah 1:1-17.  There are so many powerful lessons we can learn.  Let’s go!

Jonah 1:1-2 (NIV) 
1  The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 
2  “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

On verses 1-2:  Who is this man Jonah?  Is he a deeply spiritual man with a close and honest relationship with God?  Or is he a superficial man who lacks love for God and love for people?  Is he a bit of both?  As you read the book of Jonah, make it your aim to find out what kind of person Jonah is, besides the famous fact of him running away from God and getting swallowed up by a big fish.  Besides the fact that his name means “dove” and he is son of Amittai (which means “true one”), these two verses show us that Jonah had an assignment from God: to go to the city of Nineveh, which would become the capital city of Assyria, and preach a message of repentance to the people in Nineveh.  This was not the only assignment God had ever given Jonah.  In 2 Kings 14:25 we learn that Jonah was a prophet from Gath Hepher who prophesied accurately that Jeroboam II king of Israel would restore the boundaries of Israel.  As a prophet, Jonah was probably someone who was accustomed to hearing God’s voice, receiving assignments from God and giving messages from God to others.

神的戰爭

2020-04-27 in /by

約翰福音16章33節b   在世上你們有苦難，但你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。

年老的耶西有八個兒子，但是當撒母耳去他家時，他只叫了七個出來給先知看。還有一個最小的呢？怎麼不叫他出來呢？原來被派去放羊了。耶西的大兒子又帥又高大，其他的也都不錯，可是神偏偏要那個被挀去放羊的小子，大衛。撒母耳膏了大衛之後，大衛還是回去繼續放羊。他父親顯然沒把他當一回事。

當以色列人和非利士人打仗時，大衛的三個哥哥也跟著掃羅去打仗了。耶西掛念那三個兒子，卻不派其他兒子，獨獨派最小的大衛翻山越嶺帶著餅去看他們。

大衛懷著興奮的心情來到了前線，正好軍兵剛出到戰場，呐喊要戰。大衛在問哥哥們安時，也聽到了非利士巨人歌利亞對以色列軍隊的侮辱和挑戰。聽到了以色列人彼此之間的對話，卻沒有人敢出去應戰。

年輕的大衛有著強烈的愛國心，他奇怪怎麼有人敢如此向永生神的軍隊罵陣，卻沒有人敢挺身除掉以色列人的恥辱？當他問東問西時，有人聽到了便去告訴掃羅王,掃羅便把他叫去，一看之下大失所望：「你太年輕，那人從小就是戰士。」

在這裡大衛的話讓人大吃一驚，他說：「你僕人為父親放羊，有時來了獅子，有時來了熊，從群中銜一隻羊羔去， 我就追趕牠，擊打牠，將羊羔從牠口中救出來。牠起來要害我，我就揪著牠的鬍子，將牠打死。 你僕人曾打死獅子和熊，這未受割禮的非利士人向永生神的軍隊罵陣，也必像獅子和熊一般。」

7 Characteristics of a Great Godly Friend

2020-04-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today we are looking at 3 John, a very short letter most likely written by the apostle John to his friend Gaius.  Let’s go!

3 John 1:1 (NIV) 
1  The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

On verse 1:  In this short letter John refers to Gaius as his “dear friend” four times.   Through this letter we learn several characteristics of a great godly friend.  We find the first one here: a great godly friend speaks affectionately to his friend.  John is affectionate in his words for Gaius.

3 John 1:2 (NIV) 
2  Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.

On verse 2:  A great godly friend is concerned about his friend’s entire well being.  He isn’t just concerned about his spiritual health (“even as your soul is getting along well”), but also about his physical health (“I pray that you may enjoy good health”) and his life in general (“that all may go well with you”).

生活在封鎖時期的耶路撒冷

2020-04-24 in /by

加拉太書2:20   我已經與基督同釘十字架，現在活著的不再是我，乃是基督在我裡面活著。並且我如今在肉身活著，是因信神的兒子而活，祂是愛我，為我捨己。

嗨，我是你們的弟兄。在疫情當下，作為以色列人我想和你們聊聊這裡的生活。

就像全球許多其他的地方一樣，以色列人的日常生活正在發生巨大的變化。這段時間最大的改變就是所有人，無論是猶太人，基督教徒，穆斯林還是其他，只有在採購生活所需時才能夠離開住所。

這周的一篇信息提醒了我需要留在基督裡，而這正和我們需要留在家中的限制非常相似。若我們留在基督裡，這就使祂能夠完成祂所需要的一切工作，以完成祂的心願。在活蚌（基督）和沙粒（信徒）的例子中，我們開始時只是沙粒，不是珍貴的東西，但因著緩慢地留在基督裡，祂有辦法使我們成為他的珍寶。這乃是藉著祂一天一天緩慢地分泌出汁液，而我們被他的素質逐層覆蓋後所產生的。同時，我們也得以遠離活蚌之外的所有細菌和負面的攻擊；就像我們在以色列，如同其許多其他的地方，必須待在室內，以此避免病毒的感染。這是何等的供備，使我們在以色列的信徒們學習在如此受限的環境中來活出基督。

聖徒們的行動受到了限制，為了保護大家免於疾病的困擾，我們被迫轉移成在線上聚會。儘管開始花了一些時間來適應，但藉著身體的供應，我們覺得彼此越來越緊密地聯絡並結合在一起。這樣的聚會方式更是給予了聖徒更多分享基督的機會，得以建立教會。

Truth is a Person

2020-04-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today we’re looking at one of the shortest books in the Bible: it’s 2 John, a letter which is widely believed to be written by the apostle John and written around the same time as 1 John (about early 60s AD).   Let’s go!

2 John 1:1 (NIV) 
1  The elder, To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth–and not I only, but also all who know the truth–

On verse 1:  Who is this “chosen lady” that John is writing to?  Many scholars believe that this chosen lady was not an individual but a church community.  This is supported by the fact that there are no proper names given for this chosen lady, John refers to this lady not just in the singular but also in the plural, and the church is called the “bride of Christ” in the New Testament.  Similarly, “your chosen sister” (v13) is probably referring to another church community from which John is writing his letter.
Since this was a time of heavy persecution of Christians, “chosen lady” and “your chosen sister” may have been secret code words to keep this letter from being detected by persecutors of Christians.

當轉眼仰望耶穌

2020-04-23 in /by

約翰福音19:37 經上又有一句說：「他們要仰望自己所扎的人。」

人生是由許多不同的經歷組合而成的，有時順利，有時不順；有時平安無憂，有時困難忽然而至。當以色列人和迦南人打了一場勝仗後，心情非常快樂得意；接著往何珥山起行，要繞過以東前往迦南地時，因為道路難走，他們的喜樂頓時消散，心裡升起數把無名火，射向神和摩西：「你們為什麼把我們從埃及領出來，使我們死在曠野呢？這裡沒有糧，沒有水，我們的心厭惡這淡薄的食物！」(民21:5)

在曠野走的人怎能期望路邊就有餐館呢？但是神賜的嗎哪包括了所有的維生素和礦物質，以及身體所需要的一切營養，因此他們可以時時刻刻擁有健壯的身體往前行，還有精力打仗，勝過強壯高大的迦南人。反正心情不好要吵架總是有理由的。

但是神聽了不高興，處處為他們著想，他們卻不懂得思想，一味抱怨，有一點難處就不高興。神時時做他們的幫助和倚靠，他們卻總是像小孩只會撒賴生氣抱怨？為什麼不好好求神幫助他們？神多麼希望他們學會不再看眼前的難處，環境的挫折，轉眼仰望祂。神不是為他們行了許多神蹟，帶他們走過許多的困難嗎？為什麼他們還像小小孩只會哭鬧？

於是耶和華使火蛇進入百姓中間，蛇就咬他們，以色列人中死了許多。 他們知道自己有罪了，快快去求摩西。摩西為他們禱告，耶和華對摩西說：「你製造一條火蛇，掛在杆子上。凡被咬的，一望這蛇，就必得活。」 摩西便製造一條銅蛇，掛在杆子上。凡被蛇咬的，一望這銅蛇就活了。(民21:8-9)

The Confidence We Have Because of Jesus

2020-04-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 John 5:13-21.  Let’s go!

1 John 5:13-15 (NIV) 
13  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
14  This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
15  And if we know that he hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of him.

On verses 13-15:  John writes so that his readers would have confidence in their salvation (v13) and confidence that God hears their prayers (v14-15).  As those who believe in the name of the Son of God, we can have the same confidence as well.

1 John 5:16-17 (NIV) 
16  If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.
17  All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

求祢將祢的道指示我

2020-04-23 in /by

出埃及記33章13-14節    我如今若在祢眼前蒙恩，求祢將祢的道指示我，使我可以認識祢，好在祢眼前蒙恩。求祢想到這民是祢的民。」 耶和華說：「我必親自和你同去，使你得安息。」

Max Lucado牧師說，神的應許是整本聖經的脊椎骨，因有神的應許和應驗，我們才得以認識這位神的本質是可信的。

當摩西帶領以色列人到了西乃山下時，以色列人己經經歷了許多神蹟。他們在埃及親眼看到神在埃及所行的十大神蹟，親身走過了紅海變成的乾路，看到法老的追兵全部喪生在紅海滾滾的海水裡，在瑪拉又喝到從苦變甜的清水。然後神要摩西上山四十天，就在這四十天裡，亞倫和百姓造了一隻金牛犢，稱它為神，說是帶領他們出埃及的神。

摩西下山後，神對摩西說祂不要再和百姓同去迦南了，恐怕祂一怒之下把他們滅絕(出33:3)。在摩西懇求之後，神應許摩西：「我必親自和你同去，使你得安息。」然後神又答應摩西，“I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”(NIV) 神說，因為我按你的名認識你，我對你很滿意，所以你的任何要求我都會答應你。和合本的翻譯很斯文，所以不能讓我們真的明白神在講什麼。這是神給摩西的一張信用卡，你要什麼，我都給你。神沒有給亞伯拉罕這樣的應許，也沒有給挪亞或大衛這樣的應許，只有給摩西。何等大的一張支票。只要摩西填上任何要求，神都會給他。

摩西知道神是萬能的神，以色列百姓可能愚昧，經歷那麼多神蹟還把金牛犢當神，但是摩西不愚昧，他知道神是輕慢不得的。他經歷過所有的大風大浪之後，他發現只有一件事最值得擁有，就是神自己。因此他要求要看到神的榮耀，也就是神的本尊。

Trust What Your Heavenly Father Says About Jesus

2020-04-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 John 5:1-12.  Let’s go! 

1 John 5:1a (NIV) 
1  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God…
 
On verse 1a:  I love how simple the apostle John makes it sometimes.  If you believe Jesus is the Christ (the Saviour of the world), you are born of God and have life in Him.  Simple.
 
1 John 5:1b-2 (NIV) 
1…and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 
2  This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.
 
On verses 1a-2:  Earlier John was saying that one important way that we love God is by loving His children.  Now John is taking it in the other direction: he’s saying that to love God’s children is to love God and carry out His commands.  How is it that we love the children of God when we love God and obey His commands?  Here are three ways that works.