Entries by

耶稣在拿撒勒

2020-02-27 in /by

以赛亚书1:11从耶西的本必发一条，从他根生的枝子必结果实。

当大希律死了之后，玛利亚和约瑟就带着小小耶稣从埃及回到他们原来住的地方—拿撒勒。耶稣的童年大部分时间都在这个小村庄度过，那时拿撒勒是一个声名狼籍的地方，交通很不方便，离国际大道有六公里之遥；但是自从主耶稣升天之后，在一世纪时，此地变成朝圣者的主要目的地，现今城中有报喜堂、圣约瑟堂、圣加百列堂、基督圣桌堂和拿撒勒修女院等可参观之处。 如今拿撒勒交通方便，公路网四通八达，与加利利的公路系统密切相连。

拿撒勒Netzer（נצרת），这名字的字根zer（נצר），意为“分支(枝桠/苗)”，暗指关于大卫王对弥赛亚的预言。 从耶西的根基起必发一条枝子，这枝必结出果实（赛11:1）。耶西是大卫的父亲，耶西的本(根)指的是大卫的后裔，所以弥赛亚必须合乎预言里的要求，祂必须是大卫的后裔。

拿撒勒在〈圣经〉里是一个默默无闻的小地方，但是天使在这里告诉马利亚，她将要从圣灵怀孕生子；耶稣也以此地为自己的家乡(太13:54)，但是耶稣在自己家乡的会堂教训人时，这地方的人却因为他们对耶稣一家太熟了，以致于看不起耶稣，他们就厌弃耶稣。因此耶稣说：「大凡先知，除了本地、本家之外，没有不被人尊敬的。」他们不但不接受耶稣，还撵他出城。耶稣因而离开他们，也不在那里多行异能。拿撒勒人丧失了一个认识弥赛亚的机会。

Come to God on His Terms, Not Yours

2020-02-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 34:21-37.   It’s not an easy to interpret, but if we stay in it long enough there are valuable lessons for us to learn.  Let’s go!

Job 34:21-25 (NIV) 
21  “His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step.
22  There is no dark place, no deep shadow, where evildoers can hide.
23  God has no need to examine men further, that they should come before him for judgment.
24  Without inquiry he shatters the mighty and sets up others in their place.
25  Because he takes note of their deeds, he overthrows them in the night and they are crushed. 

On verses 21-25:  God sees everything we do, so there is no need to request a hearing with God as Job did, as if we need to remind God of all the good we have done.  Because God sees it all and nothing escapes His notice, He is the best qualified to judge and His judgments are always just.

耶稣在哥拉汛 (Korazin / Chorazim)

2020-02-25 in /by

路加福音10:13 哥拉汛哪，你有祸了！伯赛大啊，你有祸了！因为在你们中间所行的异能，若行在推罗、西顿，他们早已披麻蒙灰、坐在地上悔改了。

在整本《圣经》里，只提到哥拉汛两次，一次在〈路加福音〉，一次在〈马太福音〉；两次都是被骂，就是今天经文里的主角。哥拉汛；迦百农和伯赛大是人称耶稣传福音的鐡三角，意思就是因为其地理位置相近，形成了一个三角型，而耶稣在这三个城镇的时间也特别多，所以称之为福音的鐡三角。

现在经常听到有信徒说，传福音很难，都没有人要信耶!今天你看了耶稣传福音之后，也是如此痛心地指责那些人的不信，心里可能会感到安慰一些。想当年主耶稣周游四方，神蹟奇事不断，当地人还不肯相信，还要驱逐耶稣；更何况我们这些平凡的信徒，所遭受的抵挡原是正常。因为在人心里有着撒旦的位置，怎么会轻易让耶稣取代？所以保罗说，若不是圣灵感动，没有人能称呼耶稣是主(林前12:3)，是一句何等真实的话，鼓励我们传福音更要倚靠祷告，求圣灵动工。

Just…The Way You Are

2020-02-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 34:1-20.  Let’s go! 

From today’s passage I learn a couple important lessons:
Be careful what you say.  Over and over Elihu recalls words that Job has spoken, paraphrases them, and then challenges the validity of those words.  Elihu did this before in Job 33:9, and he does it again here in Job 34 at verses 5, 6 and 9. 

What can we learn from this?  God is not the only one who will hold us accountable for careless words we have spoken (Matthew 12:36). People will as well.  Especially in an age of social media, you need to be careful with what you say.  When you’re angry and in pain like Job was, be especially careful with your words.  As Proverbs 13:3 says, “Those who guard their lips preserve their lives, but those who speak rashly will come to ruin.”  

耶稣在伯赛大

2020-02-25 in /by

马可福音8:22他们来到伯赛大，有人带一个瞎子来，求耶稣摸他。

耶稣和施洗约翰都是传天国的福音，但是他们传福音的方式是相反的。施洗约翰以约但河为据点，呼召各地的人到他那里去悔改，洗礼。耶稣则行走于犹大地各个乡村城镇，到处呼召人出来跟随祂。

耶稣呼召的第一批门徒原先都是住在伯赛大，这是腓力，彼得，安得烈的家乡；但是在耶稣呼召他们时，彼得和安得烈己经住在迦百农。

伯赛大位于加利利湖的东北角，在约但河入湖处的东边，附近有许多野生动物和鱼类，所以其亚兰文原名意思是「渔人之家」，也有人译为「捕鱼之家」或「撒网之地」。在以色列有两个地点被考古学家认为是当年的伯赛大 :  Et-Tell  和El-Araj (阿拉伯语)，到目前为止尚未有定论，但只有一个伯赛大Et-Tell 可以去参观。

伯赛大在旧约里曾是基述(Geshur)的大城，也就是大卫的妻子(基述王达买的女儿)玛迦的娘家。大卫和玛迦生的儿子押沙龙，因为哥哥暗嫩强奸他的妹妹她玛，因此找了一个机会杀死暗嫩，之后就逃到外公家里，也就是当时的基述。此地在主前732年被亚述王所灭。根据犹太史学家约瑟夫的记载，在耶稣时代的伯赛大是个小渔村，分封王腓力将其重建成一个希腊城巿，并以奥古斯都之女的名字命名：「犹利亚斯伯赛大」（Bethsaida Julias）。但是犹太人并不接受此名。

迦百农和伯赛大非常接近，相距不到六公里。在耶稣的时代，这两个城巿由两个分封王：希律·安提帕和希律·腓力管辖，因此有一条主要的道路连接这两座城。当耶稣听到施洗约翰被希律安提帕斩头之后，原想和门徒暗暗地到旷野歇一歇，没想到众人看见他们，就从各城步行比他们先到一步。耶稣看他们如同羊没有牧人一样，便开口教训他们，说啊说的，天就黑了。

God’s Purpose in Your Pain

2020-02-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 33:19-33.  Let’s go!

Job 33:19-26 (NIV) 
19  Or a man may be chastened on a bed of pain with constant distress in his bones,
20  so that his very being finds food repulsive and his soul loathes the choicest meal.
21  His flesh wastes away to nothing, and his bones, once hidden, now stick out.
22  His soul draws near to the pit, and his life to the messengers of death.
23  “Yet if there is an angel on his side as a mediator, one out of a thousand, to tell a man what is right for him,
24  to be gracious to him and say, ‘Spare him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom for him’–
25  then his flesh is renewed like a child’s; it is restored as in the days of his youth.
26  He prays to God and finds favor with him, he sees God’s face and shouts for joy; he is restored by God to his righteous state. 

On verses 19-26:  Just before these verses Elihu describes one way that God can speak to us: through supernatural means like a vision or a dream (v15-16).  Earlier in chapter 32 we learned that another way that God speaks to us: through godly people.  But visions, dreams and godly people are not the only channels by which God tries to get our attention.   

耶稣在约但河

2020-02-24 in /by

约翰福音1:34  我看见了，就证明这是神的儿子。

世界上有很多著名的大河，约但河也许不是其中之一；因为相对而言，约但河的气势或宽长都只算是一条小河。它是世界上最低的河流，由北向南贯穿巴勒斯坦地区。但是俗云，山不在高，有仙则灵；所以河不在大，有神则威。《圣经》里记载着许多关于约但河的故事，我们就来看看一二。

你记得《圣经》中的人物哪一个最早渡过约但河吗？我猜是亚伯拉罕，因为神把迦南地赐给他，所以他从哈兰一路往南，一定要经过约但河才能到希伯仑或是南地。再来是谁呢？再来就是亚伯拉罕的孙子雅各，为了逃避哥哥以扫的追杀，渡过约但河，和他祖父走相反的路线回到巴旦亚兰，在那里娶妻生子。廿年后，再回迦南地。在雅各过约但河的前一夜，他在约但河的雅博渡口和天使摔跤，使者在这里为他改名: 以色列。雅各为那地取名毗努伊勒，意思说：「我面对面见了神，我的性命仍得保全。」(创32:30)

再来便是约书亚率领两百多万以色列人过约约河，当抬着约柜的祭司之脚一踩进水里，那从上往下流的河水就立起成垒，不流的水也断绝了。当所有的人到了对岸之后，祭司才上岸，祭司一上岸，约但河的水就还原，依然涨过两岸。他们上岸后在吉甲安营，立石记念为「要使地上万民都知道耶和华的手大有能力，也要使你们永远敬畏耶和华你们的神。」(书4:24)

虽然在旧约里，约但河流域发生了不少战争，这些我们就不一一细说。有趣的是在列王时期，虽然以色列和亚兰是敌对的关系。但是有一次亚兰的元帅乃缦患了大痲疯，在那时大痲疯是不治之症，糟透了! 但是在他家有一个从以色列地掳来的小女孩，建议他去找先知以利沙。他也真的去以色列找以利沙，没想到以利沙叫他去约但河浸七次。他很生气，后来听仆人的劝，还是去约但河浸了七次，没想到他的大痲疯真的痊愈了。他说：「如今我知道、除了以色列之外、普天下没有神」(王下5:15)

6 Ways to Build Rapport When Talking with Others

2020-02-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 33:1-18.  Let’s go!

Job 33:1-7 (NIV) 
1  “But now, Job, listen to my words; pay attention to everything I say.
2  I am about to open my mouth; my words are on the tip of my tongue.
3  My words come from an upright heart; my lips sincerely speak what I know.
4  The Spirit of God has made me; the breath of the Almighty gives me life.
5  Answer me then, if you can; prepare yourself and confront me.
6  I am just like you before God; I too have been taken from clay.
7  No fear of me should alarm you, nor should my hand be heavy upon you.

On verses 1-7:  At first when I read these 7 verses, the initial impression I get is that Elihu is a bit long-winded and in love with himself.  Then I thought, “Well, maybe it’s because Elihu is nervous, so he ends up speaking quite verbosely at the beginning.” But the more I study Elihu’s words, the more I think I can appreciate Elihu’s purpose in speaking this way:  Elihu is trying to make it clear to Job where he is coming from.  He is trying to build rapport with Job.  How?

今天是礼拜天

2020-02-22 in /by

撒母耳记上2:30b  因为尊重我的，我必重看他；藐视我的，他必被轻视。

其实今天不是礼拜天，明天才是礼拜天。但是明天我休假，所以必须今天提醒你，明天是礼拜天，今天要把明天的事稍微准备一下，不要太晚睡哦!

其实「今天是礼拜天」是一首歌，也是一个广场舞，所以你观看时还可以跟着唱，跟着跳，借此锻炼身体；并且也锻炼灵魂，记得要去敬拜赐我们生命的神。这首歌舞之特别在于它是两岸三地的基督徒合作的成品。让我们记得，不管这世上的政治局势如何，在主里我们都是一家人。

它的歌词如下：

今天是礼拜天， 我们一起敬拜吧!  放下手里忙不完的事情啊，

尽心尽性尽意尽力爱主我的神，因祢是我们随时的帮助。

今天是礼拜天， 我们一起敬拜吧! 主挪去一切重担和烦恼，

灵魂忧伤的人 我们重新得力量，全新的我们现在就出发!

我要以感谢为祭献给祢 ，将荣耀赞美归给祢的名，

我要不住歌颂， 不停的赞美， 因祢的信实直到万代！

(内有视频)

Be Open to God Speaking

2020-02-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 32:1-22.  Let’s go!

Job 32:1 (NIV) 
1  So these three men stopped answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.

On verse 1:  Job refuses to budge from his belief that his suffering is not the result of his sin, so Job’s friends finally give up trying to convince Job otherwise (v1).  What can we learn from this?  The best way, and sometimes the only way, to beat your critics is to outlast them.  If you stand your ground long enough, they will eventually go away and stop bothering you.

Job 32:2 (NIV) 
2  But Elihu son of Barakel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, became very angry with Job for justifying himself rather than God.

On verse 2: A young man called Elihu begins to speak.  According to some scholars, the fact that the author of Job has to explain Elihu’s family background in verse 2 suggests that Elihu was not nearly as well known as Job and his three companions.