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A God of Second Chances

2020-04-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Jonah 3:1-10.  Let’s go!

Jonah 3:1-3 (NIV) 
1  Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 
2  “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” 
3  Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh…
 
On verses 1-3:  The first time the word of the Lord came to Jonah, Jonah ran away.  But praise God that in His mercy God decided to let His Word come to Jonah a second time (v1).  Likewise, you and I may not have always responded with obedience the first time God called us, but thank God for those times when, after even we have rejected Him, God calls us a second time, or a hundredth time.  I’m so glad that in His mercy God has decided that “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29).  Thank You Lord for being the God of second chances.  Thank You for Your patience with me.

雅各的天梯

2020-04-29 in /by

约翰福音14章16节  我要求父，父就另外赐给你们一位保惠师，叫祂永远与你们同在。

这次新冠疫情带给大家最大的痛苦，大概就是隔离效应了。许多人都觉得很孤单。特别是为了保护老人，儿孙辈不准探访祖辈；在老人院的不准出门，只能关在自己室内，每天三餐送到门口。独居的每天独来独往，生病的更不准探视，进了医院的就等于世隔绝，很多人都在孤独中死去。人人都好像在坐监牢。有人开玩笑说，等疫情过后大家都可以去干一两件坏事，因为我们都己经提早服刑了。

孤单，是这个时代的特色，只是在这次的疫情中更加地突显出来。在旧约里有个人曾经也很孤单。因为他的母亲叫他去偷了他父亲给哥哥的祝福，所以他哥哥气得想杀他，他的母亲只好叫他快快离家，避避风头。这就是雅各的故事。

雅各要从现在的巴勒斯坦/别是巴走到大约土耳其的哈兰，那时称为巴旦亚兰，又称米索波大米，大约需要走一个多月。这是一条很孤单的旅途，圣经记载，雅各累了只能枕石而睡。没有汽车旅馆，也没有住家可以借宿，也没有仆人跟着帮他打点。他就这样一个人默默地走，默默地睡觉。他心里的徬徨可想而知。

有一次温哥华的巴士罢工，有个朋友在餐馆打工，凌晨一点下班，自己没有车。一直走回到家里，己是凌晨四时。她回忆那时的心情十分恐惧，半夜三更路上无人还好，万一有坏人，她都不知要往哪里逃。她说就是一路祷告，不停祷告，直到回到家里。

God’s Grace Is Greater Than Your Troubles

2020-04-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Jonah 2:1-10.  Let’s go!

Jonah 2:1 (NIV) 
1  From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.
2  He said: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.
3  You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.
4  I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’
5  The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6  To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God.
7  “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.

焦急中的选择

2020-04-27 in /by

撒母耳记上30章6节    大卫甚是焦急，因众人为自己的儿女苦恼，说要用石头打死他。大卫却倚靠耶和华他的神，心里坚固。

纽约最近有一则新闻，有一位急诊室的医生也被传染到新冠肺炎，后来自杀。她是我儿子的一个同事，儿子说工作单位里的人听到这个消息都非常震惊难过。那位医生的自杀突显出在疫情下的医护人员身心的巨大压力。在这个新冠病毒肆虐的时候，每个人都受到极大的冲击，尤其是在第一线的医护人员和其他工作者。儿子也在急诊室上班，他说医院内外是两个世界，医院里聚满了许多垂危的病人，但是到了街上仿佛无事一般。除了有亲友死去的人，许多人不明白这病毒的传染有多么危险，还不肯配合政府的宣导，以致于害人损己。

面对生死的压力时，我们还能仰望神吗？大卫让我最佩服的地方就在此。在他逃亡的后期，非利士王亚吉收留了他，还送给他一座城洗革拉。但是当非利士人要去和以色列人争战时，他们担心大卫会临阵倒戈，因此不让大卫和从人参加。大卫他们一行人只好回去洗革拉的家。没想到迎接他们的是一座被掠夺和焚烧的城，他们的妻子和儿女都被亚玛力人掳去了。

当大家为妻儿哭泣时，愤怒到要用石头打死大卫。此时的大卫也很着急，他的妻子也被掳去了，众人又来势汹汹，情况万分危急。圣经记载，此时的大卫却因为倚靠神，心里坚固。这句话不是说他己有主意，而是说在此大风大浪之际，他转眼仰望神。他不是试着去安抚众人，而是请祭司亚比亚他拿以弗得来求问神。大卫选择倚靠神，而不让焦急控制他的心思。

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.

神的战争

2020-04-27 in /by

约翰福音16章33节b   在世上你们有苦难，但你们可以放心，我已经胜了世界。

年老的耶西有八个儿子，但是当撒母耳去他家时，他只叫了七个出来给先知看。还有一个最小的呢？怎么不叫他出来呢？原来被派去放羊了。耶西的大儿子又帅又高大，其他的也都不错，可是神偏偏要那个被挀去放羊的小子，大卫。撒母耳膏了大卫之后，大卫还是回去继续放羊。他父亲显然没把他当一回事。

当以色列人和非利士人打仗时，大卫的三个哥哥也跟着扫罗去打仗了。耶西挂念那三个儿子，却不派其他儿子，独独派最小的大卫翻山越岭带着饼去看他们。

大卫怀着兴奋的心情来到了前线，正好军兵刚出到战场，呐喊要战。大卫在问哥哥们安时，也听到了非利士巨人歌利亚对以色列军队的侮辱和挑战。听到了以色列人彼此之间的对话，却没有人敢出去应战。

年轻的大卫有着强烈的爱国心，他奇怪怎么有人敢如此向永生神的军队骂阵，却没有人敢挺身除掉以色列人的耻辱？当他问东问西时，有人听到了便去告诉扫罗王,扫罗便把他叫去，一看之下大失所望：「你太年轻，那人从小就是战士。」

在这里大卫的话让人大吃一惊，他说：「你仆人为父亲放羊，有时来了狮子，有时来了熊，从群中衔一只羊羔去， 我就追赶牠，击打牠，将羊羔从牠口中救出来。牠起来要害我，我就揪著牠的胡子，将牠打死。 你仆人曾打死狮子和熊，这未受割礼的非利士人向永生神的军队骂阵，也必像狮子和熊一般。」

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”).

生活在封锁时期的耶路撒冷

2020-04-24 in /by

加拉太书2:20   我已经与基督同钉十字架，现在活着的不再是我，乃是基督在我里面活着。并且我如今在肉身活着，是因信神的儿子而活，祂是爱我，为我舍己。

嗨，我是你们的弟兄。在疫情当下，作为以色列人我想和你们聊聊这里的生活。

就像全球许多其他的地方一样，以色列人的日常生活正在发生巨大的变化。这段时间最大的改变就是所有人，无论是犹太人，基督教徒，穆斯林还是其他，只有在采购生活所需时才能够离开住所。

这周的一篇信息提醒了我需要留在基督里，而这正和我们需要留在家中的限制非常相似。若我们留在基督里，这就使祂能够完成祂所需要的一切工作，以完成祂的心愿。在活蚌（基督）和沙粒（信徒）的例子中，我们开始时只是沙粒，不是珍贵的东西，但因着缓慢地留在基督里，祂有办法使我们成为他的珍宝。这乃是借着祂一天一天缓慢地分泌出汁液，而我们被他的素质逐层覆蓋后所产生的。同时，我们也得以远离活蚌之外的所有细菌和负面的攻击；就像我们在以色列，如同其许多其他的地方，必须待在室内，以此避免病毒的感染。这是何等的供备，使我们在以色列的信徒们学习在如此受限的环境中来活出基督。

圣徒们的行动受到了限制，为了保护大家免于疾病的困扰，我们被迫转移成在线上聚会。尽管开始花了一些时间来适应，但借着身体的供应，我们觉得彼此越来越紧密地联络并结合在一起。这样的聚会方式更是给予了圣徒更多分享基督的机会，得以建立教会。