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巴別巴別

2020-09-13 in /by

創世記11章4節      他們說：「來吧！我們要建造一座城和一座塔，塔頂通天，為要傳揚我們的名，免得我們分散在全地上。」

有人說挪亞在五百歲生兒育女之後，就開始做起方舟的總工程師；六百歲時變成方舟遊輪的船長；約601歲時，挪亞全家離開方舟，他轉行作農夫，而且做得很好，不僅栽了一個葡萄園，而且還能用葡萄釀酒。可能太興奮了，他一下喝太多，醉了。還好，他是在自己的帳篷裡喝的；不幸的是，他那時沒穿衣服。

本來，在自己的睡房裡有沒有穿衣服，實在跟別人沒關係。國外也有很多人睡覺時不穿衣服的習慣。偏偏小兒子不知為何事闖進父親的帳篷，看到了父親的祼體，覺得很好笑，便跑出去告訴兩個哥哥。哥哥們比較懂事，他們拿件衣服搭在肩上，倒退著進去，給父親蓋上，他們背著臉就看不見父親的赤身。這裡就是一個心態上尊重和不尊重的分別，尤其是對長輩。

挪亞也是有脾氣的人，當他知道小兒子含那樣輕浮的心態時，他咒詛含的兒子迦南，必給他弟兄做奴僕的奴僕。做奴僕己經很可憐，還要做奴僕的奴僕。這事提醒我們，凡事要尊重別人，尤其是對長輩。有人說，老人家說話有時都帶有預言的成份，像雅各，摩西的遺言何等有份量。話說回來，在我們看挪亞的三子之後裔的分佈情形時，先來看看分散之前的世界是怎樣的。

God Works With Your Faith

2020-09-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 8:40-56.  Let’s go!

Luke 8:40 (NIV) 
40  Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.

On verse 40:  In the verses just before this the people of the Garasenes rejected Jesus and told him to go away.  Here another crowd is expecting him and welcoming him.  Likewise, we too need to choose: will we be among those who reject Jesus and push him away, or will we welcome Jesus into our lives?

Luke 8:41-42 (NIV) 
41  Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house
42  because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.

散會比聚會更重要！

2020-09-11 in /by

2017年10月，夏忠堅牧師於七賢路禮拜堂分享，他說了一句很值得反思的話：「教會最要看重的不是『聚會』，而是『散會』！

弟兄姊妹散會後，是否真的在家庭、社群、職場活出基督徒生命？」看一家教會會友聚會人數成千上萬，但重要的是有多少會友活出「散會」後的生命？

夏忠堅牧師引用〈列王紀〉上十四章25-28節「金盾牌vs.銅盾牌」的故事—羅波安王製造銅盾牌想代替被竊奪的金盾牌，提醒今天教會的運作是否也是這樣：用銅的想代替金的？他指出，教會五種基本功能：敬拜、團契、成長（門徒）、事奉、宣教，目前的光景為何？

例如弟兄姊妹的敬拜只在週日，那週一至週六有無活出敬拜生命？在團契小組裡愛的死去活來，但散會後有去愛鄰舍及職場遇到的人嗎？又或是參加團契（名詞），到底有無與其他肢體真正的團契（動詞），還是戴著面具來參加？

他問大家：「你的教會有多少人只參加主日，在教會沒有小組團契生活？」根據統計，沒有穩定小組團契生活的基督徒，本身靈修、奉獻、傳福音也比較差。而初代教會一開始，是在各個家庭過小組生活，是建造一群人像三一神團契的樣子。所以小組生活與結構，比較可以建造真實的教會生活及基督徒生命。

Don’t Push Jesus Away

2020-09-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 8:26-39.  Let’s go!
 
Luke 8:26-33 (NIV) 
26  They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 
27  When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 
28  When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 
29  For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. 

永遠的彩虹之約

2020-09-10 in /by

創世記九章12-16節   神說：「我與你們並你們這裡的各樣活物所立的永約，是有記號的。我把虹放在雲彩中，這就可做我與地立約的記號了。我使雲彩蓋地的時候，必有虹現在雲彩中，我便記念我與你們和各樣有血肉的活物所立的約，水就再不氾濫，毀壞一切有血肉的物了。虹必現在雲彩中，我看見，就要記念我與地上各樣有血肉的活物所立的永約。」

因為神看世界敗壞了，人思想的盡都是惡，地上滿了強暴，所以祂決定除滅祂造的各種活物，只留下挪亞一家和有限的活物。經過四十晝夜的大雨，大淵的泉源都裂開了，天上的窗戶也敞開了，在山上蓋的方舟也飄浮起來。人以為不可能的事終於發生了，大水淹沒了世界上最高的山，人想要進方舟逃難，方舟的門卻己經被神關閉，連挪亞也打不開。

滅世洪水水勢浩大，在地上共150天。今年長江流域洪水肆虐，也有幾個月的時間，加上暴雨，在兩個月裡淹沒了莊稼和眾多社區，中國防汛抗旱總指揮部秘書長周學文說，至少有6300萬人受到影響，5.4萬座房屋被毀。他說至少有219人死亡或失蹤。最近美國西岸大面積森林慘遭焦燒，以加州為主的沿岸城市，多日來被數百公里之外飄來的大火煙霧籠罩，導至數千人疏散。即使這些天災人禍十分慘烈，也不及當時滅世洪水的幾分，因為人無處可躲，無地可逃。

Listening to God’s Word Means

2020-09-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 8:16-25.  Let’s go!
 
Luke 8:16-18 (NIV) 
16  “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, he puts it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 
17  For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. 
18  Therefore consider carefully how you listen. Whoever has will be given more; whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”

On verses 16-18:  After telling a parable about the importance of having a hungry, humble heart when listening to God’s word (verses 1-15), what is Jesus talking about in verses 16-18?  When Jesus says in verse 18, “Thereforeconsider carefully how you listen”, this suggests to me that verses 16, 17 and 18 are also talking about how to listen to God’s word.
 

為祢癫狂

2020-09-09 in /by

創世記6章14-16/22節    神就對挪亞說：「你要用歌斐木造一隻方舟，分一間一間地造，裡外抹上松香。 方舟的造法乃是這樣：要長三百肘，寬五十肘，高三十肘。方舟上邊要留透光處，高一肘。方舟的門要開在旁邊。方舟要分上、中、下三層。」 挪亞就這樣行。凡神所吩咐的，他都照樣行了。

最近有人在臉書上分享，他的牧師叫他們要為主癫狂。當然這主要的意思是要他們去傳福音，可是我發現為主癫狂的最佳例子是挪亞。因為神要他做的事，當代人一定都覺得這人真的是癫狂了，大晴天在高山上建方舟，逢人就說有滅世的大洪水要來。大家都活得好好地，又娶又嫁，日子過得好緊湊，只有他不幹正事，去蓋什麼方舟？蓋了方舟賣給誰？有錢賺嗎？一點錢途也沒有，盡幹儍事!

但是挪亞排除眾議，開始按著神的吩咐去搜集歌斐木和松香，然後像現代人蓋房子一樣，根據神給的藍圖，一層層一間間地建。在大陽光下，挪亞帶著三個兒子搬著一棵棵的大樹，削掉樹皮，抹上松香，不停地忙碌。

張文亮教授說，根據《聖經》的記載，有一些專家認為歌斐木應該是大樹，是在當地森林裡常見的樹種，且材質堅硬，又能夠自樹中提取松香油；並且古人早己知道，樹幹底部的黑色膠油，塗在木頭表面，是防水與防腐的上好材料，這些膠油與近代的瀝青相似，皆稱為松香類。

張教授也指出，方舟尺寸的長寬比是6:1，長高比為10:1，是船隻在水中穩定航行的最佳比例，表示方舟的重心較低，乘客較為舒服。方舟分上、中、下三層，可能使較重的生物住在下層，體重中等的在中層，體重較輕的大概住上層，這可以增加方舟的穩定度。

Jesus and Women ( 4 Heart Conditions)

2020-09-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 8:1-15.  Let’s go!

Luke 8:1-3 (NIV) 
1  After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 
2  and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 
3  Joanna the wife of Cuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.
 
On verses 1-3:  In addition to Jesus’ 12 disciples, here in verses 2-3 we get our first look at the women who walked alongside Jesus as he ministered from town to town.  These women came from various backgrounds – Mary Magdalene came from a broken past; Joanna was a high ranking administrator who managed King Herod’s household.  However, one thing they all had in common was that they all were impacted by Jesus’ ministry in some way: some had been battling demons which Jesus delivered them from; others had diseases which Jesus healed.  What touches me in verse 3 is that many women supported Jesus’ ministry out of their own means.

耶和華神的後悔

2020-09-09 in /by

創世記六章3節    耶和華說：「人既屬乎血氣，我的靈就不永遠住在他裡面，然而他的日子還可到120年。」

現在我的孫女很小，才一歲半，很可愛，整天都想親她抱她。在散步時看到許多小小孩，也有這樣的感覺。有一天看到新聞，說有一個七歲的小男孩因為太調皮，被親娘送去給一個會功夫的師傅管教。因為小男孩經常說謊，被功夫師傅打得七零八落，被人發現打抱不平而上了新聞。找到親娘，親娘竟說記者大驚小怪。這則新聞讓我沉思好久。

有誰不愛自己的孩子呢？我是講一般正常的父母，那些不正常的不在這裡討論了。通常父母一知道懷上孩子，就開心得預備一切來迎接嬰兒的來臨。嬰兒時期的一舉一動都是父母眼中喜樂的來源。我有個年輕的朋友生了第一胎，天天把孩子的相片放上臉書，天天幾十張。看來看去好像都是一個姿態，但是在她眼裡，每一張都有不同的趣味。幾個月了，這個小模特兒還是她母親臉書上的主角。而且不是只有她如此，其他好幾對父母也是如此比拚，祖父母或外祖父母也是不停地張貼那些小可愛的一舉一動。

但是當孩子再大一點之後，父母對孩子的期望提高了，就不再像孩子小時候那麼有耐心。以前是又抱又親，大一點就是：「你再不乖，我就不愛你了! 」再大一點惹得老師不開心或考試成績不好：「我怎麼會生了你這樣的孬種？」「我上輩子一定欠了你的，才會生出你這樣的孩子」，很多難聽的話不斷地轟炸小孩。那個抱著嬰兒的慈父愛母好像變臉似地，找不回當初那種愛了。

我有時在想，神的後悔是否也是如此？神後悔造人在地上，心中憂傷，以致於祂決定要將所造的人和走獸並昆蟲，以及空中的飛鳥，都從地上除滅。這是一種怎樣的後悔呢？有個父母生了個兒子，長大後原本進了牙醫學院，相當有前途，可惜後來吸毒販毒又同性戀，後來也查出患了愛滋病。他販毒被抓後，他的父母決定讓這個兒子留在監牢裡，希望他在監牢裡有改過的機會。他的母親不停地為他禱告，最後他在獄中悔改回轉，提早獲釋，成為神學教授和青年人工作者，在世界各地分享從絕境到蒙福的經過。這就是袁幼軒教授的見證。

The Key to Loving Jesus A Lot

2020-09-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,
 
Today’s passage is Luke 7:24-35.  Let’s go!

Luke 7:36-50 (NIV) 
36  Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. 
37  When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, 
38  and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. 
39  When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is–that she is a sinner.” 
40  Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.” “Tell me, teacher,” he said. ……

On verses 36-50:  Here we see one of the most beautiful and intimate acts of worship that anyone would show Jesus during his time on earth.  While Jesus is having dinner at the home of a Pharisee called Simon, a woman shows up having come from a notoriously sinful past and brings with her an alabaster jar of expensive perfume.  She wets Jesus’ feet with her tears, wipes them with her hair, kisses them and pours perfume on them.  Simon the Pharisee is appalled by this woman and also by the way Jesus receives her offering.  In response, Jesus tells Simon a parable about forgiving debts and how the more we realize just how much God has forgiven us, the more we will respond to God with humble service and great affection.