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耶稣在推罗西顿

2020-03-04 in /by

马太福音15:28 耶稣说：「妇人，你的信心是大的！照你所要的，给你成全了吧。」从那时候，她女儿就好了。

以前我不明白拣选的意思，因为主耶稣的救恩对我而言更像是普世救恩。祂的十字架不是为全人类而背的吗？祂的血不是为众罪人而流的吗？不是单单为我啊!

但是当我再读到耶稣为了撒玛利亚妇人，顶着烈阳去敍加；为了格拉森被鬼附的人，飘湖过浪，几乎灭顶；现在又为了一个外邦小女孩，带着门徒长途跋涉到推罗西顿，我逐渐明白何谓耦选，明白每一个人的得救都不是偶然。当主耶稣来找我们时，祂都是一对一的，在呼唤。然后由点而面，借着一个人的得救使更多人认识祂，从而决定自己要不要这份救恩。

推罗和西顿都是旧约和新约里有名的城巿，尤其在旧约里更记载了她们辉煌的历史。现在这两地都在黎巴嫩的国境内，但是你可能不知道，原来这两地都曾经是神赐给以色列人的地方。

西顿，今天叫赛达（Saida，阿拉伯语意为“钓鱼”）。从前西顿是以挪亚的曾孙，迦南的长子命名（创10:15），并可能是他的后代定居之处。古代迦南的北部边界延伸到西顿（创10:19）；后来雅各预言这是西布伦的边界（创49:13）；约书亚也认为那是神应许以色列的一部分（书13:6）；西顿被包括在亚设地业的北部边界（书19:28）。西布伦和亚设都是雅各的儿子。

Out of the Storm God Speaks

2020-03-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,
Now onto today’s passage.  Today’s passage is Job 38:1-18.  Let’s go!

Job 38:1-3 (NIV) 
1  Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:
2  “Who is this that darkens my counsel with words without knowledge?
3  Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.

On verses 1-18:  Here we see the Lord’s long awaited reply to Job.  Interestingly, God does not directly answer Job’s question about the reason for his suffering.  Rather, in response to Job’s adversarial and confrontational way of approaching God, God asks Job all sorts of questions about the origins of the universe that Job cannot answer.

Notice verse 1 says that the Lord answered Job “out of the storm”.  The storm being referred to here could possibly be an actual weather storm going on while the Lord is speaking to Job.  The “storm” is also referring to the spiritual, emotional, physical, social, and financial torment that Job has faced in losing his family, his fortune, his friends and his health.

耶稣在格拉森

2020-03-03 in /by

路加福音8:39 「你回家去，传说神为你做了何等大的事。」

实际上，大多数圣经学者认为耶稣从来没有去过格拉森。根据马太，马可，路加三人的描写，有些人会以为耶稣去过格拉森。从考古学家的观点，格拉森在加利利湖的东南方，离开加利利海最南端至少35哩，她是低加波利(十个城)中的一个大城，其范围包括了数十哩外的加利利东岸。

马太写作的对象是犹太人，所以他称那是加大拉人的地方，因为加大拉离加利利南端只有六哩，一提加大拉，大家都知道是指什么地方；而马可和路加写作的对象是外邦人，所以称那个被鬼附的是格拉森人。他们三个都没有说耶稣去格拉森，而说是去了格拉森人的地方，或加大拉人的地方。

1970年考古学家Tzaferis在迦百农东南九哩，靠近加利利湖边，挖掘一间拜占庭教会的时候，在300 码远的地方，发现了一处从未被人挖掘的土丘，就是现在的Tell El- Kursi。Kursi有陡峭坡度的山崖在海旁，也有洞穴与坟墓在山边，四周环境极符合福音书的记载。在加利利湖东岸，只有这里有个山崖，直泻入海。Tzaferis 就在这一带工作，証实了这里就是当年耶稣赶鬼入猪群的地方。

在这之前，耶稣和门徒上了一条船，然后耶稣吩咐渡到湖那边去。途中耶稣睡着了，而湖上开始起暴风，船里满了水，耶稣还在睡觉。终于有一个门徒忍不住来叫醒耶稣：「老师啊，我们都快死了。(夫子！我们丧命啦！)」耶稣不慌不忙地站起来，可能先伸个懒腰，然后斥责狂风大浪，风浪就平静了。门徒又惧怕又稀奇。

3 Lessons from Job 37

2020-03-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Now onto today’s passage.  Today’s passage is Job 37:1-24.  Let’s go!
 
Job 37:1-24 (NIV) 
1  “At this my heart pounds and leaps from its place. 
2  Listen! Listen to the roar of his voice, to the rumbling that comes from his mouth. 
3  He unleashes his lightning beneath the whole heaven and sends it to the ends of the earth. ……

On verses 1-13:  It is possible that just as Elihu is speaking a storm is taking place, and so Elihu invites Job to listen to the thunder in the background (v1-2).  In any event, whether or not a storm was actually taking place while Elihu was talking, here Elihu speaks about how God is behind all kinds of weather and the elements – lightning (v3), thunder (v4-5), snow (v6), rain (v6), strong winds (v9), ice and freezing conditions (v10), and clouds (v11-13).  Elihu’s point is that because we cannot understand all that God does – “how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash…how the clouds hang poised” (v15-16) – who does Job think he is to believe he can successfully argue his case with God, who is so much bigger than human beings? (v19-20) 

耶稣在叙加(Sychar)

2020-03-02 in /by

约翰福音4:26 耶稣说：「这和你说话的就是祂(弥赛亚)。」

叙加在哪里？耶稣去过叙加吗？这样说你可能还是想不起来。假如，这是一个在旧约时代称为「示剑」的城巿，座落在以巴路山和基利心山的山脚下，你想起来了吗？或许，再给你一个线索，亚伯拉罕的孙子，就是神为他取名「以色列」的那位，此地有一口井就是以他为名。

然后，在以色列国分裂之后，此地被分到北国以色列的撒玛利亚地区内，成为撒玛利亚的一座城。在北国以色列被亚述灭亡之后，大部份的以色列人被掳到亚述，亚述王又迁了许多外邦人来住此地，如此混杂之后，撒玛利亚人从此失去他们纯正的以色列血统，而被犹太南国的人看轻了。但是耶和华神是否也看轻他们呢？(假如你一看到叙加，就立刻想起这个故事，表示你是一个很注重细节的人，给自己拍拍手鼓励鼓励)

在叙加发生的一件事，很明显地表达了神对他们的爱和怜惜。那是什么事呢？你想起来了吗？在一个炎热的中午，日正当空，没有人会出来打水时，有一个撒玛利亚妇人出来打水了。她根本不想碰到任何人。却没料到，有一个卅来岁的犹太男子，在那里等她，温和地看着她。

他可能不很帅，因为《圣经》上形容他没有佳形美容，他向她要水喝。她很奇怪，这男子一看就知道是犹太人，自以为圣洁的犹太人怎么会不耻下问地向一个撒玛利亚女人要水喝，不怕被沾污了吗？

Put Your Hope in God

2020-03-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 36:17-33.  Let’s go!

Job 36:17 (NIV)
17  But now you are laden with the judgment due the wicked; judgment and justice have taken hold of you.
 
On verse 17:  Much like Eliphaz, Bildad and Zophar before him, Elihu accuses Job of being wicked, saying that the difficulty that has beset Job is Job’s punishment for being wicked (v17).  Praise God that when others betray us, wrongly accuse us or unfairly speak ill of us, Jesus stands at our side to support us.   As 2 Timothy 4:17 says, “But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength…I was delivered from the lion’s mouth.”

Job 36:18-21 (NIV)
18  Be careful that no one entices you by riches; do not let a large bribe turn you aside.
19  Would your wealth or even all your mighty efforts sustain you so you would not be in distress?
20  Do not long for the night, to drag people away from their homes.
21  Beware of turning to evil, which you seem to prefer to affliction.

安息日的主

2020-02-29 in /by

马太福音12:8   因为人子是安息日的主。

耶稣是在怎样的情况下说这句话呢？你记得吗?

有一天，耶稣在安息日从麦地经过。他的门徒饿了，就掐起麦穗来吃。 法利赛人看到了就责备耶稣，说祂皂门徒做了不该做的事情。什么不该做的事情呢？不该肚子饿吗？不该吃麦穗吗？还是不该掐麦穗？还是根本不该在安息日从麦地经过？

法利赛人注重的是该不该。

耶稣注重的，是门徒的需要。门徒饿了，需要食物，把食物放在口里。在耶稣看来理所当然。

从法利赛人的角度，耶稣以大卫吃祭司的饼为例来解释。大卫饥饿时，都可以吃祭司才可以吃的陈设饼；相较之下，麦穗应该更没问题了。

法利赛人认为掐麦穗是犯了安息日的大罪，但是审判人有没有罪的是谁呢？不该由法利赛人来定门徒的罪。法利赛人虽自以为义，却也没有从神来的权柄订人的罪。

假如祭司在安息日，在圣殿里工作不算罪；那么为什么耶稣的门徒因为饥饿掐麦穗是罪呢？律法里没有这一条，很多条文细节都是后人加上去的。因此，只有安息日的主可以审判人是否有罪，是否干犯了安息日。

Cry Out to God

2020-02-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is full of helpful lessons.  Let’s break it down into smaller pieces.

Job 36:1-4 (NIV)
1  Elihu continued:
2  “Bear with me a little longer and I will show you that there is more to be said in God’s behalf.
3  I get my knowledge from afar; I will ascribe justice to my Maker.
4  Be assured that my words are not false; one perfect in knowledge is with you.

On verses 1-4:  Elihu is oozing with self-confidence here, even to the point of possibly coming across as arrogant.  For example, he says to Job, “one perfect in knowledge is with you” (v4) – hopefully he is referring to God and not to himself!  What can we learn from this?  Because arrogance repels, be careful to present what you think you know to others in a humble way.

Surrender to God

2020-02-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 35:1-8.   Let’s go!

Job 35:1-8 (NIV)
1  Then Elihu said:
2  “Do you think this is just? You say, ‘I will be cleared by God.’
3  Yet you ask him, ‘What profit is it to me, and what do I gain by not sinning?’
4  “I would like to reply to you and to your friends with you.
5  Look up at the heavens and see; gaze at the clouds so high above you……..

On verses 1-8:  Elihu is reminding Job that God is way above us (v5).  God is not worse off because we sin against Him or better off because we obey Him (v6-7).  Rather it is we who are worse off when we sin against Him and we who are better off when we obey (v8).  For God did not give us His commands for His benefit, as if God’s well-being depends on whether we are disobedient or obedient to Him.  Rather, God gave us His commands for our benefit, because He loves us.  

耶稣在拿因城 (Nain)

2020-02-27 in /by

路加福音 7:13 主看见那寡妇，就怜悯她，对她说：「不要哭！」

拿因城是一座位于拿撒勒东南约八公里的小城，现今在拿撒勒以南数哩的耶斯列平原上，位于小黑门（Little Hermon）的边缘，一般人都接纳它就是《路加福音》所叙述的地点（路7:11）。在希伯来文的Naim里，意思是使人愉快的绿茵之地，和该地区怡人的景色十分贴切。有人以为她就是旧约里提到的书念，就是为先知以利沙预备小楼的妇人住处，她的儿子也曾经死了，后被以利沙救活(王下4)。

这个故事最动人之处在于没有人向耶稣求什么，寡妇己经伤心欲绝，围观的人也都心感不忍。就在这时，耶稣来了，祂一看到这样的情形就怜悯那寡妇。耶稣叫她不要哭，然后吩咐死人起来。在一片绝望的泪水里，众人领受了从耶稣而来的爱和希望。这真是「那坐在黑暗里的百姓看见了大光，坐在死荫之地的人有光发现照着他们。」的最佳写照。在人类的有限里，我们何等需要神的怜悯。

紧接着就是被希律关在监里的施洗约翰派门徒去问耶稣，「那将要来的是你吗？还是我们等候别人呢？」耶稣的回答对我们的意义可能不如对以色列人那么大。因为在旧约里，以色列人都期盼著神所应许的弥赛亚快快来临。施洗约翰为耶稣施洗时相当确信耶稣就是神的儿子，但是他的心里还是有那么一点疑惑。我们对信仰也会如此吧，有时信心满溢，有时又一点信心也没有。