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Ultimate Restoration

2020-03-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Now onto today’s passage. Today’s passage is Job 42:1-17.  Let’s go!
 
Job 42:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Then Job replied to the LORD: 
2  “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted.

On verses 1-6:  Job has now abandoned his previous push to challenge God on His justice (v2).  He now admits to speaking of things that he had no ability to understand (v3).  Job had heard about God all his life, but now, having heard God speak personally, he experiences God’s presence in a powerful and unprecedented way.  In response to encountering God, all Job can do is see how small and unholy he is.  Job repents of his pride before God (v4-6).

What can we learn from this? 

1.We were made not just to hear about God but to experience Him personally.

耶穌在該撒利亞腓立比 Caesarea Philippi

2020-03-08 in /by

馬太福音6:15-16  耶穌說:「你們說我是誰?」西門彼得回答說:「你是基督，是永生 神的兒子。」

假如你要去旅行，會挑選怎樣的地方呢？我相信多數人都會挑選有山有水，風景十分優美的地方。班尼亞斯就是以色列地一個很出名的風景區，因為它位於黑門山麓，又有發源於黑門山的班尼亞斯河與但河，和發源於黎巴嫩的哈斯巴尼河和以雲河匯聚成了約但河，往南注入低於海平面約209公尺的加利利湖，最後注入死海。有人認為舊約的巴力迦得(書13:5)和巴力黑們((代上:23)，指的就是這個地方。

大希律王去世後，將政權分給三個兒子，分封王腓力（Philipp）在班尼亞斯建都，西元前二年他將城市改名為該撒利亞．腓立比（Caesarea Philippi）。此地因有豐沛的水源，加上鄰近地區土壤肥沃、物產豐富，吸引了許多狂熱的宗教崇拜。在希臘和羅馬時期，這座城裡蓋了眾多的神廟，其中有一位希臘神祇「潘Pan」，因而以牠命名，改名為班尼亞斯。所以該撒利亞腓立比就是班尼亞斯Banias。

班尼亞斯位於現今的戈蘭高地，被規劃為自然保護區。從黑門山流下的水流在此地形成了一道美麗的瀑布，形成班尼亞斯極美的河道。另一個水源的出口位於一個大岩壁的洞穴，這個岩壁被稱為「神祗之石」（Rock of the Gods）。岩壁一邊的底下的洞穴，上面嵌著三排尖牙利齒，這就是「潘神岩洞」又被稱為陰間之間或地獄之門。Pan潘神是一個半人半羊的恐怖(panic)之神，常吹著排笛施展魔法，阿拉伯語原稱此地為潘尼亞斯，後來才變成現在的班尼亞斯。

Matchless Power

2020-03-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Now onto today’s passage. Today’s passage is Job 41:1-34.  Let’s go!
 
Job 41:10 (NIV) 
10  No one is fierce enough to rouse him. Who then is able to stand against me?
 
On verses 1-34:  For one whole chapter, God talks about the leviathan.  What is the leviathan and why is God talking about it? 

The leviathan is described as a powerful marine animal that is violent, not easily captured or tamed, armed with fearsome teeth (v14), and who is impervious to attacks with various premodern combat weapons (v26).   In the past scholars surmised that perhaps the leviathan was a sea monster, a whale, or a marine dinosaur.  Today, many scholars believe that the leviathan is a giant crocodile, since “the crocodile fits God’s description of the leviathan’s back (v13, 15-17, 23), teeth (v14), chest and undersides (v24, 30) and its churning of the waters (v31-32)” (The Bible Knowledge Commentary).  If the leviathan is a giant crocodile, then the references to it being fire-breathing (v19-21) might be an exaggeration for effect.

心靈和誠實的敬拜

2020-03-07 in /by

約翰福音4:24 神是個靈，所以拜祂的必須用心靈和誠實拜祂。

最近因為新冠狀病毒的緣故，世界各地有許多教會都開始採用直播，線上聚會，等等。也有許多團契或查經改在網路上進行。這實在是很不得己的事情，因為大家都怕被傳染。

在有些疫情嚴重的地方非關閉教會不可，但有更多地方的害怕是出於無名的恐懼，害怕其他人有沒有接觸過不該接觸的人，害怕有沒有帶菌者也來參加聚會，害怕不認識的人來團契或小組，等等。原本歡迎新朋友，要福音廣傳的教會，一反常態地把自己關閉起來。感覺上，似乎聽到撒旦在仰天長笑。一點點的恐懼，就可以讓基督徒嚇到閉門不出了。

可事實上我們還是在出門，我們還是去上班上學，我們還是要買菜，要呼吸。我們就是不敢上教會，不敢開小組或去團契。我們什麼地方都敢去，就是不敢去神的家。

但是處於末世時代的我們，豈不知有更多的災難將要一一地來臨嗎？當我們聽到哪裡有疫情爆發時，其實是在提醒我們應當怎樣保護自己，而不是一味地恐懼。有些教會開始在門口分發消毒水，口罩，噴酒精，勸會眾有距離地分座，這些都很好，因為至少會眾還是回到教會敬拜了。

When God Puts Us In Our Place

2020-03-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Now onto today’s passage. Today’s passage is Job 40:1-24.  Let’s go!

Job 40:3-5 (NIV) 
3  Then Job answered the LORD:
4  “I am unworthy–how can I reply to you? I put my hand over my mouth.
5  I spoke once, but I have no answer– twice, but I will say no more.”

On verses 1-14:  Before Job wanted nothing else but to confront God with his arguments and prove God wrong.  However, after hearing God speak, Job realizes how unworthy he is to even approach God (v3-5).  To paraphrase the Lord’s next words in verse 6-14, “Job, who do you think you are?  On what basis do you think you have any ability or standing to condemn me and justify yourself?  If you think you are so powerful and wise, then try doing what I do, reigning in perfect majesty and splendour while at the same time dealing justly with the wicked.  If you’re able to do that, then I’ll admit to you that you are as great as God and qualified to accuse Me.”

耶穌在馬加丹和大瑪努他

2020-03-05 in /by

路加福音7:47  所以我告訴你：她許多的罪都赦免了，因為她的愛多；但那赦免少的，他的愛就少。

耶穌用七餅數魚餵飽了四千個男人(女人和小孩不計)之後，離開低加波利，到了一個我們很陌生的地方。那地方馬太叫她「馬加丹Magadan」(太15:39)，馬可稱她「大瑪努他Dalmanutha」(可8:10)，有學者認為這兩者其實是同一個地方。這是什麼地方呢，聽起來好特別。我們且先用「馬加丹」來說事。

馬加丹在加利利海的西岸，在迦百農以南。有聖經學者認為，馬加丹是抺大拉的別名，是同一個地方，原因是阿拉米語經常用字母L(l) 代替希伯來語的N(n)，所以馬加丹（Magadan）可以變成抺大拉（Magdala），其名稱源自希伯來文的Migdal，是「樓塔」之意。很多人認為這就是抺大拉的馬利亞的家鄉。

說到抺大拉的馬利亞，你有沒有什麼印象呢？她是追隨和服事耶穌的幾位女信徒之一。她為什麼會追隨耶穌呢？路加記載，耶穌曾經從她身上趕出七個惡鬼(路8:2)。這之前的辛苦和之後的自由就不用多著墨了，因為馬利亞對耶穌深深的感激不在言下。

在〈路加福音〉第七章裡記載著有位法利賽人西門請耶穌吃飯，有位有罪的女人用眼淚和頭髮擦拭耶穌的腳，然後用香膏抺祂的腳。這個女人就是抺大拉的馬利亞，為何稱她是有罪的女人呢？因為她是個當時大家都認識，卻瞧不起的妓女。耶穌為她趕鬼，使她脫離罪惡的生涯，重新過一個正常人的生活，她對耶穌的感激是西門遠遠無法體會的。因此當西門心裡說：「這人若是先知，必知道摸他的是誰，是個怎樣的女人，乃是個罪人！」

You Matter to God

2020-03-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Now onto today’s passage.  Today’s passage is Job 39:1-30.  Let’s go!

On Job 38:39 to Job 39:30:  After silencing Job with questions about the origins of the universe (38:4-18) and about outer space (38:19-38), God now questions Job about the animal kingdom (38:39 to 39:30): lions (v39-40), ravens (v41), mountain goats (v3-4), donkeys (v6-8), wild oxen (v9-12), ostriches (v13-18), horses (v19-25), hawks (v26), and eagles (v27-30).  When God asks questions about each animal, there is an attention to detail and a sense of wonder and excitement in God’s voice.

For example, here’s God talking about a horse:

Job 39:19-25 (NIV) 
19  “Do you give the horse his strength or clothe his neck with a flowing mane?
20  Do you make him leap like a locust, striking terror with his proud snorting?
21  He paws fiercely, rejoicing in his strength, and charges into the fray.
22  He laughs at fear, afraid of nothing; he does not shy away from the sword…….

耶穌在低加波利Decapolis

2020-03-04 in /by

可5:21 那人就走了，在低加波利傳揚耶穌為他做了何等大的事，眾人就都稀奇。

昨天我們讀到耶穌到了推羅西頓，為迦南婦人的女兒趕鬼。然後，馬可告訴我們，耶穌離開推羅，經過西頓，又從低加波利境內到加利利海。你還記得上次耶穌在低加波利的一座城裡做了何事嗎？

祂特地坐船到低加波利，一上船就碰到一個被鬼附的格拉森人。耶穌讓附在他身上的鬼進入豬群，所有的豬都瘋狂跳入海裡。以致那裡的人懼怕祂，求耶穌離開。那個被鬼附的人想跟耶穌走，但是耶穌要他回家，把神怎樣憐憫他的事告訴親友。現在耶穌回來了，是否要看看那個人的情況如何？(可7:31)

格拉森在加大拉區，也是低加波利的十座城之一。低加波利就是十個城的意思，英文是Decapolis，譯為德卡波利斯。就好像素里巿(或溫哥華，或列治文)在大溫哥華區裡，也是B.C.省(英屬哥倫比亞)的一個城巿。

沒想到這次一來，就有許多人從低加波利的其他城巿裡也來找耶穌。可見那個曾被鬼附的人做的見證何等有效。馬可如此形容：那人就走了，在低加波利傳揚耶穌為他做了何等大的事，眾人就都稀奇(馬5:21)。現在聽到耶穌來了，於是眾人都出來跟隨耶穌，要聽聽祂的教導。

有人帶來一個耳聾舌結的人，又帶著瘸子、瞎子、啞巴、有殘疾的和好些別的病人，都放在祂腳前。耶穌一一醫好他們，他們就歸榮耀給以色列的神。那是外邦人居住的地方，有的人拜希臘的神，有的人拜亞斯她錄—迦南地的女神，但是現在他們想要認識以色列的神，因為這個神看起來又真實又有能力。

When God Trash Talks

2020-03-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Now onto today’s passage.  Today’s passage is Job 38:19-41.  Let’s go!
 
Job 38:19-21 (NIV) 
19  “What is the way to the abode of light? And where does darkness reside? 
20  Can you take them to their places? Do you know the paths to their dwellings? 
21  Surely you know, for you were already born! You have lived so many years!

On verses 19-38:  Out of the storm God is answering Job.  God moves from asking Job questions about the origins of the universe (v4-18) to questions about the skies and outer space in verses 19-38. 

Notice that in response to Job’s highly confrontational and adversarial way of talking to God and about God, God responds in a confrontational and adversarial way as well.  Just look at God’s tone in verses 19 to 21.  Or in verses 3 and 4.  Or verse 18.  This is perhaps the closest you will find in the Bible to God trash-talking a person whom He loves and will later bless.