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在起初

2020-02-12 in /by

创世记1:1  起初，神创造天地。

今天开始我们暂停一下系列性的查经灵修，改为每日一句的灵修，假如我们每天可以记住一句经文，一年就可以记住365句了。我们会参考《以色列圣经学院》的经文解释，从希伯来文的背景去理解神的话。

在希伯来文的‘起初Beresheet’, 有一个隐藏的意思在其中。

英文《圣经》一般都把它译为In The Beginning (在起初)，这并不十分正确，在希伯来原文里，这个字更加有意思。《圣经》里的第一个希伯来文是beresheet,  意思是“at the heading”，在头之处。

头指的不只是身体的最上面，并且是全身最有智慧，人类身份的核心。

《圣经》给人类的信息是：神创造天地是一个智慧的，有计划去做的过程，而不是一个随机发生的错误。因此阅读《圣经》绝不应仅仅是阅读行为， 而必须是一种智力活动。 为了使《圣经》深入人心，我们都需要动脑筋。

当我们如此开始读神的话语时，我们就会明白，相信耶和华神绝对不是迷信，而是一个相当科学和理智的过程。虽然有很多事情我们暂时不能明白，也因而让我们认识到人的智慧有限，应当把信心放在那位无所不能的神身上，让祂成为我们的头，让祂的智慧也启发我们跟随祂的决心。

Leave It to the Holy Spirit to Do THAT

2020-02-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 27:1-12. Let’s go!

Job 27:1-12 (NIV) 
1  And Job continued his discourse:
2  “As surely as God lives, who has denied me justice, the Almighty, who has made me taste bitterness of soul,
3  as long as I have life within me, the breath of God in my nostrils,
4  my lips will not speak wickedness, and my tongue will utter no deceit.
5  I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity……..

On verses 1-12:  After his friends have repeatedly tried to convince Job that he has sinned and needs to repent, here in these verses Job is more adamant than ever about his innocence.  As he says in verses 5-6, “I will never admit you are in the right; till I die, I will not deny my integrity. I will maintain my righteousness and never let go of it; my conscience will not reproach me as long as I live.”  Later on, when God appears to Job and speaks to him directly, Job will repent.  But until God appears to him personally, Job will not budge no matter how much his friends try to accuse him.

诗篇一百五十篇

2020-02-12 in /by

1你们要赞美耶和华！在神的圣所赞美祂，在他显能力的穹苍赞美祂！

2 要因他大能的作为赞美祂，按着他极美的大德赞美祂！

3 要用角声赞美祂，鼓瑟弹琴赞美祂，

4 击鼓跳舞赞美祂，用丝弦的乐器和箫的声音赞美祂，

5 用大响的钹赞美祂，用高声的钹赞美祂。

6 凡有气息的都要赞美耶和华！你们要赞美耶和华！

这是诗篇的最后一篇，经过了将近五个月的时间，我们终于读完一次〈诗篇〉。假如这不是你的第一次，希望也不会是最后一次。在〈诗篇〉第150篇，所有的赞美和颂赞都达到高潮。

赞美从神的圣所开始，其次是神显能力的穹苍正如〈约伯记〉第38章所记，当神在创造宇宙时，“晨星一同歌唱，神的众子也都欢呼”。耶稣最后一次进耶路撒冷时，众人欢呼，法利赛人因此而不高兴， 耶稣却说：“若是祂们闭口不说，这些石头必要呼叫起来！”（路19:40）。

The Whisper of God

2020-02-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 25:1-26:14. Let’s go!

Job 25:1-6 (NIV) 
1  Then Bildad the Shuhite replied: 
2  “Dominion and awe belong to God; he establishes order in the heights of heaven. 
3  Can his forces be numbered? Upon whom does his light not rise? 
4  How then can a man be righteous before God? How can one born of woman be pure? 
5  If even the moon is not bright and the stars are not pure in his eyes, 
6  how much less man, who is but a maggot– a son of man, who is only a worm!”
 
On verses 1-6: To paraphrase Bildad, “Who are you, Job, to think that you can prove yourself righteous in God’s eyes?  No human being is pure before God.”

诗篇一百四十九篇

2020-02-11 in /by

1你们要赞美耶和华！向耶和华唱新歌，在圣民的会中赞美祂！
2 愿以色列因造他的主欢喜，愿锡安的民因他们的王快乐！
3 愿他们跳舞赞美祂的名，击鼓弹琴歌颂祂！
4 因为耶和华喜爱祂的百姓，祂要用救恩当做谦卑人的装饰。
5 愿圣民因所得的荣耀高兴，愿他们在床上欢呼！
6 愿他们口中称赞神为高，手里有两刃的刀，
7 为要报复列邦，刑罚万民。
8 要用链子捆他们的君王，用铁镣锁他们的大臣，
9 要在他们身上施行所记录的审判。祂的圣民都有这荣耀。你们要赞美耶和华！

以色列人希望能安然地住在神所赐给他们的迦南地，可是因着他们屡次离开神，得罪神，转去拜偶像，以致于神兴起外邦人攻击他们，使他们无法享受像所罗门时代的太平盛世。所罗门王的末期也是因为随着妃嫔去拜偶像，以致神兴起敌人，在他死后撕裂王国。

也因为有时被敌人所制，所以在转向神，蒙神祝福后就又享受到一些太平盛世时，便时时记得锡安的好处。不知道你有没有看过以色列人跳舞歌唱的盛况，那真的是名符其实的载歌载舞，实在是开心至极。神爱以色列人，神也爱我们，神希望我们都活在祂的恩典，时时享受祂的福荫。但是神也用历史提醒我们，有时人在福中不知福，就忘了赐福的神。

When Job Met Peter

2020-02-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 24:1-25.  Let’s go!

Job 24:1-17 (NIV) 
1  “Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment? Why must those who know him look in vain for such days?
2  Men move boundary stones; they pasture flocks they have stolen.
3  They drive away the orphan’s donkey and take the widow’s ox in pledge.
4  They thrust the needy from the path and force all the poor of the land into hiding.
5  Like wild donkeys in the desert, the poor go about their labor of foraging food; the wasteland provides food for their children……..

On verses 1-17:  Job sees so much injustice around him – people stealing others’ property (v2), taking advantage of the weak and poor (v3-8), and causing the most vulnerable in society to suffer the most (v9-12).  Job sees murder (v14), adultery (v15), robberies (v16), people reveling in the darkness and avoiding the light (v16-17).  In the face of all this injustice, Job questions why “God charges no one with wrongdoing” (v12) and “Why does the Almighty not set times for judgment?” (v1)

诗篇一百四十八篇

2020-02-09 in /by

1你们要赞美耶和华！从天上赞美耶和华，在高处赞美祂！
2 祂的众使者都要赞美祂，祂的诸军都要赞美祂！
3 日头月亮，你们要赞美祂！放光的星宿，你们都要赞美祂！
4 天上的天和天上的水，你们都要赞美祂！
5 愿这些都赞美耶和华的名，因祂一吩咐便都造成。
6 祂将这些立定，直到永永远远；祂定了命，不能废去。
7 所有在地上的，大鱼和一切深洋，
8 火与冰雹，雪和雾气，成就祂命的狂风，
9 大山和小山，结果的树木和一切香柏树，
10 野兽和一切牲畜，昆虫和飞鸟，
11 世上的君王和万民，首领和世上一切审判官，
12 少年人和处女，老年人和孩童，都当赞美耶和华！
13 愿这些都赞美耶和华的名，因为独有祂的名被尊崇，祂的荣耀在天地之上。
14 祂将祂百姓的角高举，因此祂一切圣民以色列人，就是与祂相近的百姓，都赞美祂。你们要赞美耶和华！

这一首赞美诗分为两部份，第一部份是天上的使者和天军对神的赞美；第二部份是人类对神的赞美。虽然这两部份都赞美耶和华的名，但是在实质上有何不同呢？

在第一部份神命定祂的创造：众使者，神的诸军，日头月亮，放光的星宿，天上的天和天上的水，都被命定要赞美神，因为耶和华神是它们的创造者，它们好像机器人被安置了设计好的程式，都要赞美神，不能废去。

You Can’t See God and Be His Enemy at the Same Time

2020-02-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 23:1-9 (NIV)

1  Then Job replied: 
2  “Even today my complaint is bitter; his hand is heavy in spite of my groaning. 
3  If only I knew where to find him; if only I could go to his dwelling! 
4  I would state my case before him and fill my mouth with arguments. 
5  I would find out what he would answer me, and consider what he would say. 
6  Would he oppose me with great power? No, he would not press charges against me. 
7  There an upright man could present his case before him, and I would be delivered forever from my judge.
8  “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not find him. 
9  When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him. 

On verses 1-9:  Job wants to have a word with God.  Job thinks that if he could argue his case before God, plead his innocence, and convince God that he is upright, God would come to His senses and see that Job is not deserving of such suffering.  Job’s only problem, in his mind at least, is that he can’t find God.

诗篇一百四十七篇

2020-02-07 in /by

1你们要赞美耶和华！因歌颂我们的神为善为美，赞美的话是合宜的。
2 耶和华建造耶路撒冷，聚集以色列中被赶散的人。
3 祂医好伤心的人，裹好他们的伤处。
4 祂数点星宿的数目，一一称它的名。
5 我们的主为大，最有能力，祂的智慧无法测度。
6 耶和华扶持谦卑人，将恶人倾覆于地。
7 你们要以感谢向耶和华歌唱，用琴向我们的神歌颂。
8 祂用云遮天，为地降雨，使草生长在山上。
9 祂赐食给走兽和啼叫的小乌鸦。
10 祂不喜悦马的力大，不喜爱人的腿快。…….

当新冠状肺炎漫延得令人难以控制时，人心惶惶，有许多教会都封门了，没封门的也减少了各样的聚会，这时你还能赞美神吗？当诗人写这些诗篇时，你千万不要以为他们都是在人生顺利或辉煌之时写的，因为真正感人的诗篇都出自神的熬炼，都是出自灵魂的赞美。

所以麦希真牧师在他的脸书每天都用一些话来鼓励我们。他己经高龄九十几，双眼皆盲，但是他的心还看得见，脸书的文字可能是师母或女儿代打上去的。这是他这几天来贴上去的：1.早安， 无论生活是否满意，为我们今天醒来，尚有气息而感恩。2.在家的窗边凝望天父所创造的世界15分钟。3.看新闻看到要爆炸或崩溃时，闭上眼睛深呼吸10下，让自己静下来，让那些引发情诸的人或事祈求主怜悯。

3 Keys to a Blessed Life

2020-02-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 22:21-30. These are Eliphaz’s final recorded words in the book of Job.  If we had to separate the wheat from the chaff in all the words Eliphaz has spoken throughout this book, there would be much unhelpful chaff, but these final words in verses 21 to 30 would be the wheat worth keeping.  If looked at in isolation, verses 21 to 30 might be a helpful sermon for us to hang onto.  But given the context, seeing as these words follow a whole bunch of unfair accusations and judgments Eliphaz has already made against Job, it is likely that Job was not encouraged or helped when Eliphaz spoke these words.  But here let’s give Eliphaz some slack and treat Eliphaz’s words in verses 21-30 as a sermon for us today on how to live a life that God blesses. 

Job 22:21 (NIV) 
21  “Submit to God and be at peace with him; in this way prosperity will come to you.

On verse 21:  The first point Eliphaz gives on how to live a blessed life is: surrender to God.  When we keep demanding our own way, we have no peace.  When we surrender to God, the result is peace.