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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.

耶稣在迦拿

2020-02-20 in /by

以赛亚书42:3 压伤的芦苇祂不折断，将残的灯火祂不吹灭，祂凭真实将公理传开。

耶稣接到了一个喜筵的邀请，便带着几个新接收的门徒一起往迦拿而去。迦拿在拿撒勒和迦百农的中间，是一个在小山和溪水旁的小村，交通不方便，是一个十分安静的小村子。

从迦百农往东南走了大约15公里，就到了迦拿。此时耶稣刚收的一个门徒腓力去找他住在迦拿的朋友拿但业，对他说：「摩西在律法上所写的和众先知所记的那一位，我们遇见了，就是约瑟的儿子拿撒勒人耶稣。」(约1:45) 根据对拿撒勒的认知，拿但业轻蔑地回答：「拿撒勒还能出什么好的吗？」

耶稣一看见拿但业，便说他是个心里没有诡诈的真以色列人，拿但业很詑异耶稣从何知道他？耶稣说：腓力还没有叫你时，我己经看到你站在无花果树下了。拿但业觉得耶稣好「神」哪!立刻称呼耶稣是神的儿子，以色列的王。更「神」的事接着发生了。

耶稣领着几个门徒到了迦拿的婚宴，婚礼的主人家可能是耶稣的母亲马利亚的亲戚，因此她也在那里帮忙张罗。在充满喜乐的盛筵里，马利亚却很着急地来找耶稣，因为给客人喝的酒准备得不够，这是何等失礼的事啊!这样大的事，马利亚不找主人或管家再去买些酒，反而是去找儿子耶稣，可见她知道耶稣能人之所不能。因此，她对用人说：「他告诉你们什么，你们就做什么。」这就是耶稣变水为酒，第一件公开施行的神蹟。祂的门徒就因而信祂了。(约2:1-11)

A Game You Can’t Win

2020-02-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 31:21-40.  Let’s go!

Job 31:21-23 (NIV) 
21  if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court,
22  then let my arm fall from the shoulder, let it be broken off at the joint.
23  For I dreaded destruction from God, and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things.

On verses 21-23:  In verses 16-22 Job denies taking advantage of the poor, the widow and the fatherless.  In verse 23 he says he did not sin in this way because of his fear of the Lord and the destruction that God could bring if he sinned in that way. It’s as if Job took seriously Jesus’ parable on the sheep and goats in Matthew 25:31-46 without even hearing it.  In that parable, Jesus describes himself as a King who rewards or punishes people based on how they treated the most vulnerable in society.  This parable is where Jesus famously says, “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me” (Matthew 25:40) and “whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’” (Matthew 25:45).

耶稣在迦百农

2020-02-19 in /by

马太福音4 :19  耶稣对他们说：「来跟从我，我要叫你们得人如得鱼一样。」

迦百农是在加利利湖边的一个小镇，在旧约时默默无闻，到了公元前二世纪才开始有人注意到她，那时她的名字是Capharnaum迦弗农，到了第五世纪才改为Capernaum迦百农；「迦百」翻译自英文的「Caper」，在希伯来文是Kefar，意思是村。「农」翻译自英文的「naum」，在希伯来文的意思是安慰；也有说Kefar Nahum，Nahum意指那鸿，所以是「那鸿的乡村」，但是无法查考这那鸿是否旧约里的先知那鸿。Talhum是她的阿拉伯名。

耶稣离开拿撒勒后，就来到约卅公里外的迦百农，若以时速4公里计算，大约要走七、八个小时。当时的迦百农并不是一个名不经传的地方，她座落在当时国际通道的中心。这条国际通道是从底加波利Decapolis到叙利亚Syria的主要公路，向南通到埃及，向西可以通到地中海沿岸的三个大港口：该撒利亚(Caesarea)，多利买(Ptolemais)，及推罗(Tyre)。

因为这条公路，迦百农成为一个从富庶的东方而来的驼商队之第一个休息站，并且从其西南方一带来的咸鱼，一定要先经过这里，然后才上往西的罗马公路，到地中海岸的多利买，而输出到欧洲。因此在迦百农很自然的就有一个税关(Custom House)，并且坐在税关上的一位税吏马太(或名利未)，后来竟然成为耶稣的十二门徒之一(路5:27-29)。

最近在迦百农发现一个「罗马里程碑」(Roman milestone)，也证明了「罗马道路」曾经经过这个城镇，也解释了为什么有一位罗马的百夫长，要住在以犹太人为主的迦百农(路7:1-10)。耶稣曾在这里医治了一位百夫长的仆人，并称赞百夫长的信心。

How Do You Know If You Are Lusting After Someone or Just Attracted to Them?

2020-02-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Job 31:1-20.  Let’s go! 

On verses 1-20:  Here in chapter 31, Job makes one last attempt to plead his innocence in different areas.  He even invites a curse to be placed on his life if indeed he is truly guilty of sin in any of those areas.

Job 31:1-4 (NIV) 
1  “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl. 
2  For what is man’s lot from God above, his heritage from the Almighty on high? 
3  Is it not ruin for the wicked, disaster for those who do wrong? 
4  Does he not see my ways and count my every step?
 
On verses 1-4:  Here Job denies ever having looked lustfully at a girl (v1).  Job says his reason for not doing so is because he knows that God sees everything he does (v4) and he would not want to invite disaster on himself by sinning in this way (v2-3).  What can we learn from this?  According to Job, and according to Jesus later in the Gospels (e.g. Matthew 5:28), looking lustfully at someone is sin.  What exactly does it mean to look at someone lustfully?