約翰福音6: 1-15

 

6:1 這事以後，耶穌渡過加利利海，就是提比哩亞海。
6:2 有許多人因為看見他在病人身上所行的神蹟，就跟隨他。
6:3 耶穌上了山，和門徒一同坐在那裡。
6:4 那時猶太人的逾越節近了。
6:5 耶穌舉目看見許多人來，就對腓力說：「我們從哪裡買餅叫這些人吃呢？」
6:6 （他說這話是要試驗腓力；他自己原知道要怎樣行。）
6:7 腓力回答說：「就是二十兩銀子的餅，叫他們各人吃一點也是不夠的。」
6:8 有一個門徒，就是西門•彼得的兄弟安得烈，對耶穌說：
6:9 「在這裡有一個孩童，帶著五個大麥餅、兩條魚，只是分給這許多人還算甚麼呢？」
6:10 耶穌說：「你們叫眾人坐下。」原來那地方的草多，眾人就坐下，數目約有五千。
6:11 耶穌拿起餅來，祝謝了，就分給那坐著的人；分魚也是這樣，都隨著他們所要的。
6:12 他們吃飽了，耶穌對門徒說：「把剩下的零碎收拾起來，免得有糟蹋的。」
6:13 他們便將那五個大麥餅的零碎，就是眾人吃了剩下的，收拾起來，裝滿了十二個籃子。
6:14 眾人看見耶穌所行的神蹟，就說：「這真是那要到世間來的先知！」
6:15 耶穌既知道眾人要來強逼他作王，就獨自又退到山上去了。

 

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), ² and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the signs he had performed by healing the sick. ³ Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. ⁴ The Jewish Passover Festival was near.

⁵ When Jesus looked up and saw a great crowd coming toward him, he said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?” ⁶ He asked this only to test him, for he already had in mind what he was going to do.

⁷ Philip answered him, “It would take more than half a year’s wages^[a] to buy enough bread for each one to have a bite!”

⁸ Another of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, spoke up, ⁹ “Here is a boy with five small barley loaves and two small fish, but how far will they go among so many?”

¹⁰ Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” There was plenty of grass in that place, and they sat down (about five thousand men were there). ¹¹ Jesus then took the loaves, gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted. He did the same with the fish.

¹² When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, “Gather the pieces that are left over. Let nothing be wasted.” ¹³ So they gathered them and filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five barley loaves left over by those who had eaten.

¹⁴ After the people saw the sign Jesus performed, they began to say, “Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world.” ¹⁵ Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself.

 

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    主耶穌用五個大麥餅和兩條魚，分給五千人吃，剩下的零碎收拾起來，裝滿了十二個籃子。

 

    在人看來是非常神奇的事情，但是對於全能的上帝，這是祂可以做的事情，是沒有甚麼困難。然而主耶穌仍然是要透過這事，讓人來認識祂是全能的上帝，雖然祂取了人身與人同住，祂仍然是上帝！

 

    在人的觀念中，認為上帝是不可見的，是極其威嚴的，甚至事不關心人發生甚麼事情。然而主耶穌願意以人的樣式，在人的中間行神蹟，來提醒人祂是全能的上帝，是滿有恩典與憐憫的上帝！

 

    你有將主耶穌當成完全的上帝嗎？雖然祂以完全的人之方式在人的面前。也因為祂是完全的上帝，在十字架上為我們的罪而犧牲，展顯人無法想像的大能，將魔鬼和牠的工作徹底敗壞，救人脫離魔鬼的權勢進入永生，成就永遠的功效！

 

    因此，「五餅二魚的神蹟」顯明耶穌基督就是全能上帝！

 

 

 

 

歷代志下14章

    歷代志下14:1-15 ,

歷代志下14:1-15

 

14:1 亞比雅與他列祖同睡，葬在大衛城裡。他兒子亞撒接續他作王。亞撒年間，國中太平十年。
14:2 亞撒行耶和華─他上帝眼中看為善為正的事，
14:3 除掉外邦神的壇和邱壇，打碎柱像，砍下木偶，
14:4 吩咐猶大人尋求耶和華─他們列祖的上帝，遵行他的律法、誡命；
14:5 又在猶大各城邑除掉邱壇和日像，那時國享太平；
14:6 又在猶大建造了幾座堅固城。國中太平數年，沒有戰爭，因為耶和華賜他平安。
14:7 他對猶大人說：「我們要建造這些城邑，四圍築牆，蓋樓，安門，做閂；地還屬我們，是因尋求耶和華─我們的上帝；我們既尋求他，他就賜我們四境平安。」於是建造城邑，諸事亨通。
14:8 亞撒的軍兵，出自猶大拿盾牌拿槍的三十萬人；出自便雅憫拿盾牌拉弓的二十八萬人。這都是大能的勇士。
14:9 有古實王謝拉率領軍兵一百萬，戰車三百輛，出來攻擊猶大人，到了瑪利沙。
14:10 於是亞撒出去與他迎敵，就在瑪利沙的洗法谷彼此擺陣。
14:11 亞撒呼求耶和華─他的上帝說：「耶和華啊，惟有你能幫助軟弱的，勝過強盛的。耶和華─我們的上帝啊，求你幫助我們；因為我們仰賴你，奉你的名來攻擊這大軍。耶和華啊，你是我們的上帝，不要容人勝過你。」
14:12 於是耶和華使古實人敗在亞撒和猶大人面前，古實人就逃跑了；
14:13 亞撒和跟隨他的軍兵追趕他們，直到基拉耳。古實人被殺的甚多，不能再強盛，因為敗在耶和華與他軍兵面前。猶大人就奪了許多財物，
14:14 又打破基拉耳四圍的城邑；耶和華使其中的人都甚恐懼。猶大人又將所有的城擄掠一空，因其中的財物甚多，
14:15 又毀壞了群畜的圈，奪取許多的羊和駱駝，就回耶路撒冷去了。

 

And Abijah rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. Asa his son succeeded him as king, and in his days the country was at peace for ten years.

² Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God. ³ He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles.^{[b] 4} He commanded Judah to seek the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and to obey his laws and commands. ⁵ He removed the high places and incense altars in every town in Judah, and the kingdom was at peace under him. ⁶ He built up the fortified cities of Judah, since the land was at peace. No one was at war with him during those years, for the Lord gave him rest.

⁷ “Let us build up these towns,” he said to Judah, “and put walls around them, with towers, gates and bars. The land is still ours, because we have sought the Lord our God; we sought him and he has given us rest on every side.” So they built and prospered.

⁸ Asa had an army of three hundred thousand men from Judah, equipped with large shields and with spears, and two hundred and eighty thousand from Benjamin, armed with small shields and with bows. All these were brave fighting men.

⁹ Zerah the Cushite marched out against them with an army of thousands upon thousands and three hundred chariots, and came as far as Mareshah. ¹⁰ Asa went out to meet him, and they took up battle positions in the Valley of Zephathah near Mareshah.

¹¹ Then Asa called to the Lord his God and said, “Lord, there is no one like you to help the powerless against the mighty. Help us, Lord our God, for we rely on you, and in your name we have come against this vast army. Lord, you are our God; do not let mere mortals prevail against you.”

¹² The Lord struck down the Cushites before Asa and Judah. The Cushites fled, ¹³ and Asa and his army pursued them as far as Gerar. Such a great number of Cushites fell that they could not recover; they were crushed before the Lord and his forces. The men of Judah carried off a large amount of plunder. ¹⁴ They destroyed all the villages around Gerar, for the terror of the Lord had fallen on them. They looted all these villages, since there was much plunder there. ¹⁵ They also attacked the camps of the herders and carried off droves of sheep and goats and camels. Then they returned to Jerusalem.

 

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    亞比雅敬畏上帝，接續的王亞撒也是敬畏上帝的王，於是國中太平十年，表示沒有外來的敵軍，內部也安定！也因為這樣國家慢慢得著建設，而日漸強甚。在信仰上他也除去邱壇和日像，使人民專心仰望上帝！

 

    所以他宣告說：「我們要建造這些城邑，四圍築牆，蓋樓，安門，做閂；地還屬我們，是因尋求耶和華─我們的上帝；我們既尋求他，他就賜我們四境平安。」

 

    雖然後來有古實王謝拉率領軍兵一百萬，戰車三百輛，出來攻擊猶大人。他也不懼怕，他向上帝禱告：「耶和華啊，惟有你能幫助軟弱的，勝過強盛的。耶和華─我們的上帝啊，求你幫助我們；因為我們仰賴你，奉你的名來攻擊這大軍。耶和華啊，你是我們的上帝，不要容人勝過你。」

 

    也因為這樣，他堅心倚賴上帝，上帝也讓他勝過古實大軍！讓我們看見得勝不在兵強馬壯，而是在於有上帝的同在！

 

    同樣，在我們的人生面對各樣的磨難，也要用這樣的精神來面對，求上帝給我們智慧和勇氣來面對與解決，正如所羅門王的《箴言》所說：「你要專心仰賴耶和華，不可倚靠自己的聰明，在你一切所行的事上都要認定他，他必指引你的路。不要自以為有智慧；要敬畏耶和華，遠離惡事。這便醫治你的肚臍，滋潤你的百骨。你要以財物和一切初熟的土產尊榮耶和華。這樣，你的倉房必充滿有餘；你的酒醡有新酒盈溢。」(3:5-10)

 

    不要為眼前的困境躊躇不前，上帝必定讓你躍過的！正如現今的Covid-19的疫情雖然造成我們壓力，我們只要勇敢面對，倚靠上帝的同在，努力向前，就必然可以度過的！

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

約翰福音5:31-47

 

5:31 「我若為自己作見證，我的見證就不真。
5:32 另有一位給我作見證，我也知道他給我作的見證是真的。
5:33 你們曾差人到約翰那裡，他為真理作過見證。
5:34 其實，我所受的見證不是從人來的；然而，我說這些話，為要叫你們得救。
5:35 約翰是點著的明燈，你們情願暫時喜歡他的光。
5:36 但我有比約翰更大的見證；因為父交給我要我成就的事，就是我所做的事，這便見證我是父所差來的。
5:37 差我來的父也為我作過見證。你們從來沒有聽見他的聲音，也沒有看見他的形像。
5:38 你們並沒有他的道存在心裡；因為他所差來的，你們不信。
5:39 你們查考聖經（或譯：應當查考聖經），因你們以為內中有永生；給我作見證的就是這經。
5:40 然而，你們不肯到我這裡來得生命。
5:41 「我不受從人來的榮耀。
5:42 但我知道，你們心裡沒有上帝的愛。
5:43 我奉我父的名來，你們並不接待我；若有別人奉自己的名來，你們倒要接待他。
5:44 你們互相受榮耀，卻不求從獨一之上帝來的榮耀，怎能信我呢？
5:45 不要想我在父面前要告你們；有一位告你們的，就是你們所仰賴的摩西。
5:46 你們如果信摩西，也必信我，因為他書上有指著我寫的話。
5:47 你們若不信他的書，怎能信我的話呢？」

 

³¹ “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. ³² There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.

³³ “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. ³⁴ Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. ³⁵ John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.

³⁶ “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. ³⁷ And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, ³⁸ nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. ³⁹ You study^[c] the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, ⁴⁰ yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

⁴¹ “I do not accept glory from human beings, ⁴² but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts. ⁴³ I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. ⁴⁴ How can you believe since you accept glory from one another but do not seek the glory that comes from the only God^[d]?

⁴⁵ “But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set. ⁴⁶ If you believed Moses, you would believe me, for he wrote about me. ⁴⁷ But since you do not believe what he wrote, how are you going to believe what I say?”

 

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    主耶穌在這裡告訴我們一個信仰很重要的原則，就是「求從獨一之上帝來的榮耀」！也唯有求上帝的榮耀，人才可以認出耶穌基督是上帝的兒子，進而信靠祂，因為上帝要藉主耶穌來拯救我們，脫離魔鬼的權勢進入永生！

 

    人與人之間常常以為看得見的才有力量，殊不知看不見的上帝是我們的力量泉源，祂的力量是來自祂的話語，而祂的話語更是有形有體的成為主耶穌基督，成就上帝救贖的大功！

 

    這當中有許多人不明白的奧秘，卻在這些奧秘中，透過有形有體的主耶穌像我們說，耶穌基督的代贖是實實在在的，也因為祂是上帝兒子的身分，這些作為才是有效的！也就是，祂死在十字架上是真真實實為我們贖罪，使我們有將來完全的贖的盼望，雖然我們現在還不是完美無罪的，但是將來必定完美無罪的！

 

    我們相信上帝羔羊的婚禮，教會也就是全體信徒，必定成為聖潔無有瑕疵的！