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生活在封鎖時期的耶路撒冷

2020-04-24 in /by

加拉太書2:20   我已經與基督同釘十字架，現在活著的不再是我，乃是基督在我裡面活著。並且我如今在肉身活著，是因信神的兒子而活，祂是愛我，為我捨己。

嗨，我是你們的弟兄。在疫情當下，作為以色列人我想和你們聊聊這裡的生活。

就像全球許多其他的地方一樣，以色列人的日常生活正在發生巨大的變化。這段時間最大的改變就是所有人，無論是猶太人，基督教徒，穆斯林還是其他，只有在採購生活所需時才能夠離開住所。

這周的一篇信息提醒了我需要留在基督裡，而這正和我們需要留在家中的限制非常相似。若我們留在基督裡，這就使祂能夠完成祂所需要的一切工作，以完成祂的心願。在活蚌（基督）和沙粒（信徒）的例子中，我們開始時只是沙粒，不是珍貴的東西，但因著緩慢地留在基督裡，祂有辦法使我們成為他的珍寶。這乃是藉著祂一天一天緩慢地分泌出汁液，而我們被他的素質逐層覆蓋後所產生的。同時，我們也得以遠離活蚌之外的所有細菌和負面的攻擊；就像我們在以色列，如同其許多其他的地方，必須待在室內，以此避免病毒的感染。這是何等的供備，使我們在以色列的信徒們學習在如此受限的環境中來活出基督。

聖徒們的行動受到了限制，為了保護大家免於疾病的困擾，我們被迫轉移成在線上聚會。儘管開始花了一些時間來適應，但藉著身體的供應，我們覺得彼此越來越緊密地聯絡並結合在一起。這樣的聚會方式更是給予了聖徒更多分享基督的機會，得以建立教會。

Truth is a Person

2020-04-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today we’re looking at one of the shortest books in the Bible: it’s 2 John, a letter which is widely believed to be written by the apostle John and written around the same time as 1 John (about early 60s AD).   Let’s go!

2 John 1:1 (NIV) 
1  The elder, To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth–and not I only, but also all who know the truth–

On verse 1:  Who is this “chosen lady” that John is writing to?  Many scholars believe that this chosen lady was not an individual but a church community.  This is supported by the fact that there are no proper names given for this chosen lady, John refers to this lady not just in the singular but also in the plural, and the church is called the “bride of Christ” in the New Testament.  Similarly, “your chosen sister” (v13) is probably referring to another church community from which John is writing his letter.
Since this was a time of heavy persecution of Christians, “chosen lady” and “your chosen sister” may have been secret code words to keep this letter from being detected by persecutors of Christians.

當轉眼仰望耶穌

2020-04-23 in /by

約翰福音19:37 經上又有一句說：「他們要仰望自己所扎的人。」

人生是由許多不同的經歷組合而成的，有時順利，有時不順；有時平安無憂，有時困難忽然而至。當以色列人和迦南人打了一場勝仗後，心情非常快樂得意；接著往何珥山起行，要繞過以東前往迦南地時，因為道路難走，他們的喜樂頓時消散，心裡升起數把無名火，射向神和摩西：「你們為什麼把我們從埃及領出來，使我們死在曠野呢？這裡沒有糧，沒有水，我們的心厭惡這淡薄的食物！」(民21:5)

在曠野走的人怎能期望路邊就有餐館呢？但是神賜的嗎哪包括了所有的維生素和礦物質，以及身體所需要的一切營養，因此他們可以時時刻刻擁有健壯的身體往前行，還有精力打仗，勝過強壯高大的迦南人。反正心情不好要吵架總是有理由的。

但是神聽了不高興，處處為他們著想，他們卻不懂得思想，一味抱怨，有一點難處就不高興。神時時做他們的幫助和倚靠，他們卻總是像小孩只會撒賴生氣抱怨？為什麼不好好求神幫助他們？神多麼希望他們學會不再看眼前的難處，環境的挫折，轉眼仰望祂。神不是為他們行了許多神蹟，帶他們走過許多的困難嗎？為什麼他們還像小小孩只會哭鬧？

於是耶和華使火蛇進入百姓中間，蛇就咬他們，以色列人中死了許多。 他們知道自己有罪了，快快去求摩西。摩西為他們禱告，耶和華對摩西說：「你製造一條火蛇，掛在杆子上。凡被咬的，一望這蛇，就必得活。」 摩西便製造一條銅蛇，掛在杆子上。凡被蛇咬的，一望這銅蛇就活了。(民21:8-9)

The Confidence We Have Because of Jesus

2020-04-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 John 5:13-21.  Let’s go!

1 John 5:13-15 (NIV) 
13  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
14  This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
15  And if we know that he hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of him.

On verses 13-15:  John writes so that his readers would have confidence in their salvation (v13) and confidence that God hears their prayers (v14-15).  As those who believe in the name of the Son of God, we can have the same confidence as well.

1 John 5:16-17 (NIV) 
16  If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.
17  All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

求祢將祢的道指示我

2020-04-23 in /by

出埃及記33章13-14節    我如今若在祢眼前蒙恩，求祢將祢的道指示我，使我可以認識祢，好在祢眼前蒙恩。求祢想到這民是祢的民。」 耶和華說：「我必親自和你同去，使你得安息。」

Max Lucado牧師說，神的應許是整本聖經的脊椎骨，因有神的應許和應驗，我們才得以認識這位神的本質是可信的。

當摩西帶領以色列人到了西乃山下時，以色列人己經經歷了許多神蹟。他們在埃及親眼看到神在埃及所行的十大神蹟，親身走過了紅海變成的乾路，看到法老的追兵全部喪生在紅海滾滾的海水裡，在瑪拉又喝到從苦變甜的清水。然後神要摩西上山四十天，就在這四十天裡，亞倫和百姓造了一隻金牛犢，稱它為神，說是帶領他們出埃及的神。

摩西下山後，神對摩西說祂不要再和百姓同去迦南了，恐怕祂一怒之下把他們滅絕(出33:3)。在摩西懇求之後，神應許摩西：「我必親自和你同去，使你得安息。」然後神又答應摩西，“I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”(NIV) 神說，因為我按你的名認識你，我對你很滿意，所以你的任何要求我都會答應你。和合本的翻譯很斯文，所以不能讓我們真的明白神在講什麼。這是神給摩西的一張信用卡，你要什麼，我都給你。神沒有給亞伯拉罕這樣的應許，也沒有給挪亞或大衛這樣的應許，只有給摩西。何等大的一張支票。只要摩西填上任何要求，神都會給他。

摩西知道神是萬能的神，以色列百姓可能愚昧，經歷那麼多神蹟還把金牛犢當神，但是摩西不愚昧，他知道神是輕慢不得的。他經歷過所有的大風大浪之後，他發現只有一件事最值得擁有，就是神自己。因此他要求要看到神的榮耀，也就是神的本尊。

Trust What Your Heavenly Father Says About Jesus

2020-04-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 John 5:1-12.  Let’s go! 

1 John 5:1a (NIV) 
1  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God…
 
On verse 1a:  I love how simple the apostle John makes it sometimes.  If you believe Jesus is the Christ (the Saviour of the world), you are born of God and have life in Him.  Simple.
 
1 John 5:1b-2 (NIV) 
1…and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 
2  This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.
 
On verses 1a-2:  Earlier John was saying that one important way that we love God is by loving His children.  Now John is taking it in the other direction: he’s saying that to love God’s children is to love God and carry out His commands.  How is it that we love the children of God when we love God and obey His commands?  Here are three ways that works. 

耶利哥城的奇蹟

2020-04-22 in /by

約翰福音10章10節 b  我來了，是要叫羊得生命，並且得的更豐盛。

古耶利哥城是一個很了不起的城巿，它的城牆有裡外兩層，相隔12 尺，內牆有12尺厚，外牆則有六尺厚和30 尺高，裡面住的盡是大能的勇士。兵士站在城牆上守衛，能極目遠眺。迦南人認為它固若金湯，牢不可破。想要進去迦南地，就要先經過耶利哥城。想要得到迦南地，就要先攻取此城。

當以色列人來到約旦河畔時，耶和華曉諭約書亞說：「看哪，我已經把耶利哥和耶利哥的王，並大能的勇士，都交在你手中。」約書亞怎樣帶領以色列人攻下耶利哥城是舊約裡一個非常振奮人心的事蹟，因為耶利哥城不是約書亞打下來的，整場戰役都是神的工作。神說祂己經把耶利哥和耶利哥王，並大能的勇士都交在約書亞手裡。就好像有人買了禮物，付了錢，把禮物交到你手中一樣。

沒有人像約書亞那樣領取耶利哥的勝利，不費一兵一卒，不用一彈一箭，只是率領祭司和兵丁帶著約櫃繞城共13次，耶利哥的城牆就倒塌了。根據考古學家的研究，其外牆往外倒，內牆往內倒，甚是奇妙。耶利哥的失守，是神對以色列人應許的應驗之一。

神己經把耶利哥交在他們手中，但是神要他們親自上陣去領取這個禮物，成為與神一起同工的人。歷史也把這功勞記在約書亞的頭上。

God’s Love Drives Out Fear

2020-04-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 John 4:13-21.  Let’s go!

1 John 4:13-14 (NIV) 
13  We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
14  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

On verses 13-14:  In other words, the faith that John and his fellow apostles preach is not merely about believing in abstract ideas.  Rather their faith comes with a real experience of God’s Holy Spirit (v13), and their testimony is based on having actually seen this Jesus who was sent from the Father to be the Saviour of the world (v14).  In other words, Christian faith is not simply a bunch of philosophical principles and metaphysical ideas.  Rather, the Christian faith is grounded in historical fact and is accompanied by a real, life-changing experience of the Holy Spirit.

建立在磐石上的生命

2020-04-20 in /by

馬太福音7:24-27   「所以，凡聽見我這話就去行的，好比一個聰明人，把房子蓋在磐石上。 雨淋，水沖，風吹，撞著那房子，房子總不倒塌，因為根基立在磐石上。 凡聽見我這話不去行的，好比一個無知的人，把房子蓋在沙土上。 雨淋，水沖，風吹，撞著那房子，房子就倒塌了，並且倒塌得很大。」

拉塞爾·凱爾索·卡特（Russell Kelso Carter）（1849-1928）是一位有許多恩賜和能力的人。他出生於美國馬里蘭州巴爾的摩，年輕時就被譽為傑出運動員，15歲時立志奉獻一生給主，1887年被任命為傳道人。他在賓夕法尼亞州軍事學院擔任過化學，自然科學，土木工程和數學教授。他也是個醫生和音樂家。

在30歲那年，他患了很嚴重的心臟病，徘徊在生死邊緣。他有一位要好的同事Connie Ruth Christiansen如此描寫當時的卡特：他跪下來向神禱告，不管神醫治他與否，他都立定心意服事神。他完完全全抓住《聖經》裡的應許，把自己交給神。他相信神的應許，而不是看神是否醫治才相信神。

我們常常說要有信心，但是我們的信心從何而來？很多人都憑自己的感覺和判斷去揣摩神的旨意，但是憑感覺和判斷的人很容易被打倒，因為事情的走向多數不是按著人的心意去發展。

How God Shows His Love

2020-04-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 John 4:7-12.  Let’s go!

1 John 4:7-12 (NIV) 
7  Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
9  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him…….

On verses 7-12:  This is my favourite passage in 1 John, so much so that when Sharleen and I got married this was the passage we chose to be read at our wedding.  This passage is not just beautifully written; more importantly, it is one of the best summaries you will find in the Bible of what Christianity is all about: