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Out of Great Hurt God Brings Out Greater Good

2019-07-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 8:1-40.  Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 8:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Benjamin was the father of Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second son, Aharah the third, 
2  Nohah the fourth and Rapha the fifth.
 
On verses 1-5:   1 Chronicles 8 is the longest and most comprehensive of the genealogies for Benjamin.  Yet when you compare the different genealogies for Benjamin found in the Bible (Genesis 46, 1 Chronicles 7:6-12, 1 Chronicles 8, and Numbers 26:38-46) those genealogies are not exactly the same.  Certain names appear in some lists but not in others.  Does this mean that the Bible contradicts itself?   Not necessarily.  We need to look closer at what’s going on.  One possible reason for the different names is that those who wrote out these genealogies were not writing down exhaustive lists of every single person who was born into Benjamin’s family tree.  Rather they were selective about which people from which generations to mention and focus on.  In some cases they focused only on tribal leaders or individuals whose lives taught a spiritual lesson that the writer wanted to highlight.  So when reading these genealogies, keep in mind that the term “son” does not always refer to a person’s direct descendant in the next immediate generation, but the writer could be skipping one or more generations and be referring to a grandson or an even more distant descendant.  

要警醒要预备

2019-06-30 in /by

马太福音24: 36_44_要警醒要预备

36 但那日子、那时辰，没有人知道，连天上的使者也不知道，子也不知道，唯独父知道。 37 挪亚的日子怎样，人子降临也要怎样。 38 当洪水以前的日子，人照常吃喝嫁娶，直到挪亚进方舟的那日， 39 不知不觉洪水来了，把他们全都冲去。人子降临也要这样。 40 那时，两个人在田里，取去一个，撇下一个； 41 两个女人推磨，取去一个，撇下一个。 42 所以，你们要警醒，因为不知道你们的主是哪一天来到。43 家主若知道几更天有贼来，就必警醒，不容人挖透房屋，这是你们所知道的。44 所以，你们也要预备，因为你们想不到的时候，人子就来了。

现在温哥华己经进入夏天，有的人习惯开着窗户睡觉，但是有些人明白为什么不可以开着窗户睡觉。有不少人因为贪凉，开了一点窗户睡觉，第二天早上起来发现被人进屋搜括一空，手机、钱包、电脑、相机都不翼而飞；还有更糟的事都上了新闻。所以就像耶稣说的，若我们知道有可能引贼入室，必然锁紧门窗，开电扇也就够了。

在这一段经文里，耶稣用了三个比喻来说明为何需要警醒。第一个是挪亚进方舟的例子，那时候的人看挪亚盖方舟都当他是儍的，在山上盖方舟何等荒唐? 但是挪亚相信神的话比人的话更可靠，因此他一心一意倚靠神。当其他人都在享受，照常吃喝嫁娶时，他宁可在烈日下默默地工作。

God Can Bring Good out of Misfortune

2019-06-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 7:1-40.  God Can Bring Good out of Misfortune (Plus, Be a Good Team Player + How to Measure Greatness) .In this chapter, the Chronicler turns his attention to the genealogies of six other tribes of Israel.  Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 7:1 (NIV) 
1  The sons of Issachar: Tola, Puah, Jashub and Shimron–four in all. 

On verses 1-5:   Compared to other tribes, the Bible does not say much about Issachar as a tribe, although Issachar was given one of the richest lands in Palestine.  Arguably the two most notable figures to come out of the tribe of Issachar are Tola (mentioned in v1 and a judge who ruled over Israel for 23 years – see Judges 10:1-2) and Baasha, an idol-worshiping king who ruled Israel for 24 years (see 1 Kings 15:27).

无花果树的比方

2019-06-28 in /by

马太福音24: 32_35_无花果树的比方

32 「你们可以从无花果树学个比方。当树枝发嫩长叶的时候，你们就知道夏天近了。 33 这样，你们看见这一切的事，也该知道人子近了，正在门口了。 34 我实在告诉你们：这世代还没有过去，这些事都要成就。 35 天地要废去，我的话却不能废去。

在温哥华的四季是很明显的。冬天里大多数的树木叶子都掉光了，只剩下秃秃的树干和枝子，让世人看到他们的内在十分结实强壮。经过了寒冷的冬天，突然就看到枝子开始长芽，一点点的嫩绿在人间带来无限希望。吹面有点寒的春风，温柔无力的春阳，一点一点地唤醒了大地。然后就像耶稣说的，当树枝发嫩长叶的时候，你们就知道夏天近了。徒让人感叹“不见春来，只送春回”。

在温哥华有许多人家的院子里种有无花果树，当无花果树的树枝发嫩长叶的时候，夏天就近了。此时也有小小的无花果冒出来，但是要到八月中之后才会成熟可食。无花果树的树枝发嫩长叶，正代表耶稣所讲的，祂再临之前的预兆。

耶稣用无花果树的比喻，提醒我们不仅要会注意周边大自然的变化，也要因着世情的无常，预兆的应验，明白主来的日子近了。虽然这个世界看起来似乎永远不会消失，广大的天空也会永远地存在，可是在主的眼中，这些都要成为过去，只有神的话必永远坚立。

The Role of Music in Worship + Take Good Care of Those Who Work In The Church

2019-06-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 6:31-81.  Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 6:31-32 (NIV) 
31  These are the men David put in charge of the music in the house of the LORD after the ark came to rest there. 
32  They ministered with music before the tabernacle, the Tent of Meeting, until Solomon built the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem. They performed their duties according to the regulations laid down for them.

On verses 31-47:  As part of describing the Levites, the Chronicler singles out three Levites whom King David put in charge of the music in the temple.  There’s Heman who wrote Psalm 88.  Asaph who wrote Psalms 50, 73-83.  And there’s Ethan who wrote Psalm 89.  These men used their musical gifts and their heart of worship to lead the Israelites into the presence of God through song.

What can we learn from this?  The fact that the Chronicler would spotlight the music ministers of the temple shows how important music was to the Israelites’ worship of the Lord.  Music does not equal worship, but music can be a powerful tool for worshiping God. 

You are a Priest in God’s Kingdom

2019-06-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 6:1-30.  Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 6:1 (NIV) 
1  The sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath and Merari. 

On verses 1-30:  In these verses the Chronicler focuses his attention on the next tribe of Israel, the tribe of Levi, also known as the Levites.   Divided into three clans (the Gershonites, the Kohathites and Merarites), the Levites had a special assignment from God.  God appointed the Levites to be His servants to do the work necessary to help all the Israelites in their worship of the Lord. 

In particular, Moses’ brother Aaron (who was a Kohathite) and his sons were to serve as priests for the people, offering sacrifices on behalf of the entire community (see v49).  That’s why verses 3-15 focus especially on Aaron and his sons, as they served as priests from the time that Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, to the time when the kings of Judah like Solomon ruled (v10), to the time when Judah was exiled to Babylon (v15).   

基督再临

2019-06-27 in /by

马太福音24: 29_31_基督再临

29 「那些日子的灾难一过去，『日头就变黑了，月亮也不放光，众星要从天上坠落，天势都要震动。』 30 那时，人子的兆头要显在天上，地上的万族都要哀哭。他们要看见人子有能力、有大荣耀驾着天上的云降临。 31 他要差遣使者，用号筒的大声，将他的选民从四方，从天这边到天那边，都招聚了来。

可能有人会觉得耶稣这段话是一种灵意的说法，可是根据科学家的研究和观察，天象很可能按著耶稣所讲的每一个字应验。科学只是证明神工作和规律的一种方法，因此当耶稣预言天象的改变时，科学也证明了神话语的真实：有一天，太阳会不再放光，太阳会烧尽，会变黑。

在旧约的先知书也有多次提到这个现象：天上的众星群宿，都不发光，日头一出，就变黑暗，月亮也不放光(赛13:10)。我要使众星昏暗、以密云遮掩太阳，月亮也不放光(结32:7)。约珥说：日头要变为黑暗，月亮要变为血。在〈启示录〉里，当羔羊揩开第六印时，约翰说他看见地大震动，日头变黑像毛布，满月变红像血，天上的星辰坠落于地，天挪移好像书卷被卷起来，山岭和海岛都被挪移，离开本位，等七种现象。可见这个预兆命定要发生。

There Is Help and Restoration in Jesus

2019-06-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 5:1-26.  In addition to the tribe of Judah, Israel also consisted of 11 other tribes.  Here the Chronicler begins to look at the descendants of each of those other tribes, beginning with Reuben.  Let’s go! 

1 Chronicles 5:1-2 (NIV) 
1  The sons of Reuben the firstborn of Israel (he was the firstborn, but when he defiled his father’s marriage bed, his rights as firstborn were given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel; so he could not be listed in the genealogical record in accordance with his birthright, 

On verses 1-10:  Reuben was Israel’s firstborn, and with that status came certain rights, such as a right to a majority of his father’s property and the status of being a leader in the family.  However, Reuben lost these rights as the firstborn when he slept with his father’s concubine (Genesis 35:22).  As a result, his status as firstborn in the genealogical record, his right to a majority of his father’s property and all the other privileges that came with being the firstborn were taken from him.  This affected not just him, but all of his descendants that would come after him.

基督在哪里

2019-06-26 in /by

马太福音24: 23_28_基督在哪里

 23 那时，若有人对你们说『基督在这里』，或说『基督在那里』，你们不要信。 24 因为假基督、假先知将要起来，显大神蹟、大奇事，倘若能行，连选民也就迷惑了。 25 看哪，我预先告诉你们了！ 26 若有人对你们说『看哪，基督在旷野里』，你们不要出去；或说『看哪，基督在内屋中』，你们不要信。 27 闪电从东边发出，直照到西边，人子降临也要这样。 28 尸首在哪里，鹰也必聚在那里。

当我们看到以色列人的历史时，就会发现，他们不是不爱神，也没有忘记神，更是把敬拜看得非常重要。但是他们从来不专一地爱，不专一地敬拜。他们虽然知道神，却又很容易被埃及和外邦的假神所诱惑。因为不专一，所以在各方面大大得罪神。

假如你经常在网路上溜覧基督教的网站，你也会发现在许多自称是基督教网站，里面的内容却和《圣经》不一样，把人代替耶稣基督的假福音到处都是。耶稣说这就是末世的预兆，会有很多基督之名出来骗人。而且这些假基督还有一点能力，会显大神蹟、大奇事， 因此必有选民被迷惑。

在训练怎样看出真钞和假钞的区别时，他们不是拚命去看假钞有哪些地方和真钞不一样，而是不停地去认识真钞的特质。当他们对真钞十分了解时，一眼就可以看出假钞。

How to Receive Outstanding Blessing

2019-06-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 4:1-43.  Let’s go!

Here the Chronicler lists more descendants from the tribe of Judah (v1-23) and also from the tribe of Simeon (v24-43). 

The two names that stick out the most in this chapter are: from Judah, a man called Jabez (v9-10); and from the tribe of Simeon, the men listed in verses 34-37.   Let’s look at them more closely.

1 Chronicles 4:9-10 (NIV) 
9  Jabez was more honorable than his brothers. His mother had named him Jabez, saying, “I gave birth to him in pain.” 
10  Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request.

On verses 9-10:  What made Jabez so outstanding that God would bless him especially?    One of the important lessons we can learn from Jabez’ life is the importance of bringing your pain to God.  Jabez, whose name in Hebrew resembles the word for pain, did the wisest thing when he brought his pain to God and asked God to bless him.  When Jabez asked God to bless him, hal him and expand his territory, God did just that.