وجبـــــــة روحيـــــ(†)ــــــــــة يوميـــــــــة

[Mary Naeem]

يسوع بيحبك





يقدّم يسوع لتلاميذه مسيرة معرفة، وهو ليس معلّمًا يفرض على الآخرين أحمالا لا يُمكن حملها هو نفسه، بل إنه يتوجّه إلى الذين يشعرون بثقل الخطيئة وتعب الضمير ويُعدهم بالراحة والتعزية. ويشترط عليهم ان يأتوا اليه ويتعلموا منه التواضع والوداعة والمحبة، لأنه هو نفسه صار صغيرًا ووديعا ومتواضعًا. فيسوع هو ذاك الّذي يحمل آلامنا وأمراضنا وخطايانا، ويحمل الظلم الّذي نتعرّض له ويُعيننا على هواجسنا وقلقنا وتعبنا كما جاء في نبوءة أشعيا "أُحصِيَ مع العُصاة وهو حَمَلَ خَطايا الكثيرين وشَفَعَ في مَعاصيهم" (أشعيا (53: 12).



ويفهم يسوع الخطأة والمتألمين لأنه هو أيضًا جاء الى الأرض وتألّم كي يخلّص البشريّة، لم يسر دربًا سهلاً، بل على العكس، لأن مسيرته كانت صعبة وأليمة. كما تذكّرنا الرسالة إلى أهل فيلبي: " وضَعَ نَفسَه وأَطاعَ حَتَّى المَوت مَوتِ الصَّليب” (فيلبي 2: 8). إن النير الذي يحمله الخطأة والمضطهدون هو النير عينه الذي حمله يسوع قبلهم ولذلك هو نير خفيف. قد حمل على كتفيه آلام وخطايا البشريّة بأسرها، وبالتالي ان يحمل التلميذ نير يسوع يعني أن ينال حبه ويقبله. ولذلك يطالب يسوع من تلميذه بمشاركته في المصير نفسه: لذلك يتوجب على تلميذه ان يحمل الصليب (مرقس 8: 34) ويشرب كأسه (مرقس 10: 28-29).

[Mary Naeem]

أيها الآب السماوي،

نشكر أنك كشفت اسرار الملكوت للمتواضعين والودعاء،

هبنا روح التواضع والوداعة على مثال ابنك يسوع
الوديع والمتواضع القلب لكي نحمل معه نير الصليب
ونجد فيه الراحة ونعرف اسرار الملكوت كل يوم أكثر،

الى ان يأتي يوما نراك فيه وجها لوجه.

مردِّدين بثقة:
"يا يسوع الوديع والمتواضع القلب، اجعل قلبنا مثل قلبك".

[Mary Naeem]

التواضع امام الله



فاز أحد الأشخاص بالانتخابات النيابية في إنجلترا، وأصبح عضواً في مجلس البرلمان البريطاني. كان هذا الرجل من إحدى القرى الصغيرة خارج مدينة لندن، ولدى فوزه بالانتخابات، اعتراه شعورٌ بالكبرياء، إذ أصبح له منصب هام في الحكومة البريطانية.



وذات يومٍ، اصطحب الرجل زوجته وأولاده في زيارة للندن، ليريهم مكان عمله، ومعالم المدينة الشهيرة. وبينما هم يمشون وينظرون إلى تلك الأبنية العظيمة، كان الرجل يفسّر باعتزاز تاريخ تلك المباني التي كانوا يزورونها. وأخيرا اقتادهم إلى مبنى West Minster Abbey الشهير، حيث تقام المراسيم الدينية للعائلة المالكة في بريطانيا.



لدى دخول العائلة المبنى، بانت معالم الذهول على وجه ابنته الصغيرة البالغة من العمر ثماني سنوات. نظر اليها والدها بافتخار، ثم سألها: "بما تفكرين يا ابنتي؟" فأجابته: "أفكر يا والدي كم تبدو أنت كبيراً في منزلنا، وكم تبدو صغيراً في هذا المكان".

[Mary Naeem]

"Does God hear / answer the prayers of a sinner / unbeliever?"




Answer: John 9:31 declares, “We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.” It has also been said that “the only prayer that God hears from a sinner is the prayer for salvation.” As a result, some believe that God does not hear and/or will never answer the prayers of an unbeliever. In context, though, John 9:31 is saying that God does not perform miracles through an unbeliever. First John 5:14-15 tells us that God answers prayers based on whether they are asked according to His will. This principle, perhaps, applies to unbelievers. If an unbeliever asks a prayer of God that is according to His will, nothing prevents God from answering such a prayer—according to His will.

Some Scriptures describe God hearing and answering the prayers of unbelievers. In most of these cases, prayer was involved. In one or two, God responded to the cry of the heart (it is not stated whether that cry was directed toward God). In some of these cases, the prayer seems to be combined with repentance. But in other cases, the prayer was simply for an earthly need or blessing, and God responded either out of compassion or in response to the genuine seeking or the faith of the person. Here are some passages dealing with prayer by an unbeliever:

The people of Nineveh prayed that Nineveh might be spared (Jonah 3:5-10). God answered this prayer and did not destroy the city of Nineveh as He had threatened.

Hagar asked God to protect her son Ishmael (Genesis 21:14-19). God not only protected Ishmael, God blessed him exceedingly.

In 1 Kings 21:17-29, especially verses 27-29, Ahab fasts and mourns over Elijah’s prophecy concerning his posterity. God responds by not bringing about the calamity in Ahab’s time.

The Gentile woman from the Tyre and Sidon area prayed that Jesus would deliver her daughter from a demon (Mark 7:24-30). Jesus cast the demon out of the woman’s daughter.

Cornelius, the Roman centurion in Acts 10, had the apostle Peter sent to him in response to Cornelius being a righteous man. Acts 10:2 tells us that Cornelius “prayed to God regularly.”

God does make promises that are applicable to all (saved and unsaved alike) such as Jeremiah 29:13: “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” This was the case for Cornelius in Acts 10:1-6. But there are many promises that, according to the context of the passages, are for Christians alone. Because Christians have received Jesus as the Savior, they are encouraged to come boldly to the throne of grace to find help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). We are told that when we ask for anything according to God’s will, He hears and gives us what we ask for (1 John 5:14-15). There are many other promises for Christians concerning prayer (Matthew 21:22; John 14:13, 15:7). So, yes, there are instances in which God does not answer the prayers of an unbeliever. At the same time, in His grace and mercy, God can intervene in the lives of unbelievers in response to their prayers.

[Mary Naeem]

"Why is God a jealous God?"




Answer: It is important to understand how the word “jealous” is used. Its use in Exodus 20:5 to describe God is different from how it is used to describe the sin of jealousy (Galatians 5:20). When we use the word “jealous,” we use it in the sense of being envious of someone who has something we do not have. A person might be jealous or envious of another person because he or she has a nice car or home (possessions). Or a person might be jealous or envious of another person because of some ability or skill that other person has (such as athletic ability). Another example would be that one person might be jealous or envious of another because of his or her beauty.

In Exodus 20:5, it is not that God is jealous or envious because someone has something He wants or needs. Exodus 20:4-5 says, “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God...” Notice that God is jealous when someone gives to another something that rightly belongs to Him.

In these verses, God is speaking of people making idols and bowing down and worshiping those idols instead of giving God the worship that belongs to Him alone. God is possessive of the worship and service that belong to Him. It is a sin (as God points out in this commandment) to worship or serve anything other than God. It is a sin when we desire, or we are envious, or we are jealous of someone because he has something that we do not have. It is a different use of the word “jealous” when God says He is jealous. What He is jealous of belongs to Him; worship and service belong to Him alone, and are to be given to Him alone.

Perhaps a practical example will help us understand the difference. If a husband sees another man flirting with his wife, he is right to be jealous, for only he has the right to flirt with his wife. This type of jealousy is not sinful. Rather, it is entirely appropriate. Being jealous for something that God declares to belong to you is good and appropriate. Jealousy is a sin when it is a desire for something that does not belong to you. Worship, praise, honor, and adoration belong to God alone, for only He is truly worthy of it. Therefore, God is rightly jealous when worship, praise, honor, or adoration is given to idols. This is precisely the jealousy the apostle Paul described in 2 Corinthians 11:2, “I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy...”

[Mary Naeem]

ما هي الحجج التاريخية بشأن وحدانية الله؟







الحجج القائمة على الشعبية غالباً ما تكون موضع شك الباحث، ولكن من الشيق معرفة تأثير الإيمان بوحدانية الله على شعوب كثيرة. والنظرية الشائعة عن تطور الأديان تنبع من نظرية التطور بصورة عامة، والإفتراض المسبق في علم تطور الإنسان الذي يرى أن الثقافات "البدائية" تمثل المراحل المبكرة من التطور الديني. ولكن توجد عيوب عديدة في هذه النظرية.

(1) نوعية التطور المذكور لم يدرس؛ بل لا يوجد في الحقيقة تطور تصاعدي نحو الإيمان بوحدانية الله في أي من الثقافات – وفي الواقع، العكس صحيح في معظم الحالات.

(2) الطريقة الأنثروبولوجية لتعريف ما هو "البدائي" تستند على التطور التكنولوجي، ولكن هذا لا يعتبر محك مناسب حيث توجد مكونات عديدة لأية تقافة موجودة.

(3) المراحل المذكورة غالباً ما تكون غائبة أو يتم تخطيها.
(4) أخيراً، كثير من المجتمعات المتعددة الآلهة لها ومضات تاريخية من الإيمان بإله واحد في مراحل تطورها المبكرة.


وما نجده هو إله واحد شخصي، مذكر، يعيش في السماء، له قدرة ومعرفة عظيمة، خلق العالم، وأعطي قوانين الأخلاق التي يجب علينا إتباعها، وقد عصينا ذلك الإله وبالتالي إنفصلنا عنه، ولكنه صنع طريقاً للمصالحة. ونجد أن كل الأديان بها صورة من هذا الإله في وقت متا في الماضي قبل التدهور إلى فوضى تعدد الآلهة. وهكذا، يبدو أن معظم الأديان بدأت بإله واحد ثم "تدهورت" إلى تعدد الآلهة، والسحر، وعبادة الأوثان – وليس العكس. (أما الدين الإسلامي فهو حالة نادرة حيث أنه رجع إلى الإيمان بوحدانية الله). وحتى مع هذا التحرك، كثيراً ما يكون الإيمان بتعدد الآلهة في الواقع إيمان بإله واحد أو إله يتسلط على باقي الآلهة. فمن النادر أن نجد ديانة تعددية لا تعتبر أحد آلهتها أسمى من باقي الآلهة، وكل الآلهة الأخرى تعمل كوسطاء.

[Mary Naeem]

ما هي الحجج الفلسفية/اللاهوتية للإيمان بإله واحد؟







هناك الكثير من الحجج الفلسفية التي تؤكد استحالة وجود أكثر من إله واحد. ويعتمد الكثير من هذه الحجج إلى حد كبير على النظرة الميتافيزيقية للإنسان بشأن طبيعة الحقيقة. وللأسف لا يتسع المجال في هذا المقال القصير لشرح هذه الرؤى الميتافيزيقية الأساسية ومن ثم بيان علاقتها بالإيمان بإله واحد، ولكن بالتأكيد توجد أسس فلسفية ولاهوتية لهذه الحقائق ترجع إلى الآف السنين (وغالبيتها ليست بحاجة إلى الشرح). بإختصار، إذاَ، إليك ثلاث من هذه الحجج:

1. لو كان هناك أكثر من إله واحد، سيكون الكون في فوضى بسبب وجود أكثر من خالق وأكثر من سلطة، ولكن نجد أن الكون ليس في حالة فوضى؛ لذا لابد وأن هناك إله واحد.

2. حيث أن الله كامل، لا يعقل أن يكون هناك إله آخر، لأنه لا يد وأن يوجد إختلاف بينهما، والإختلاف عن الكمال يعني عدم الكمال أي عدم الألوهية.

3. حيث أن الله غير محدود، فلا يمكن أن يتكون من أجزاء (لأنه لا يمكن إضافة الأجزاء للوصول إلى ما لا نهاية). وإذا كان وجود الله ليس مجرد جزء منه (الأمر الذي ينطبق على كل الأشياء الموجودة وغير الموجودة) فلا بد أن وجوده غير محدود. لذلك، لا يمكن أن يوجد كائنين غير محدودين، لأن أحدهما لا بد وأن يختلف عن الآخر.

ربما يود البعض الرد بأن كثير من هذه الحجج لا تنفي وجود "طبقة ثانية" من الآلهة. ورغم أننا نعلم أن هذا غير صحيح كتابياً، فليس به خطأ نظرياً. بكلمات أخرى، كان يمكن أن يخلق الله طبقة ثانية من "الآلهة"؛ ولكن الواقع أنه لم يفعل ذلك. ولو فعل ذلك، تكون تلك "الآلهة" كائنات مخلوقة ومحدودة — ربما مثل الملائكة إلى حد كبير (مزمور 82). هذا لا يؤثر على قضية الإيمان بإله واحد، التي لا تقول بعدم وجود كائنات روحية أخرى – ولكن فقط أنه لا يمكن أن يوجد أكثر من إله واحد.

[Mary Naeem]

"Is it wrong to question God?"



Answer: At issue is not whether we should question God, but in what manner—and for what reason—we question Him. To question God is not in itself wrong. The prophet Habakkuk had questions for God concerning the timing and agency of the Lord’s plan. Habakkuk, rather than being rebuked for his questions, is patiently answered, and the prophet ends his book with a song of praise to the Lord. Many questions are put to God in the Psalms (Psalms 10, 44, 74, 77). These are the cries of the persecuted who are desperate for God’s intervention and salvation. Although God does not always answer our questions in the way we want, we conclude from these passages that a sincere question from an earnest heart is welcomed by God.

Insincere questions, or questions from a hypocritical heart, are a different matter. “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him” (Hebrews 11:6). After King Saul had disobeyed God, his questions went unanswered (1 Samuel 28:6). It is entirely different to wonder why God allowed a certain event than it is to directly question God’s goodness. Having doubts is different from questioning God’s sovereignty and attacking His character. In short, an honest question is not a sin, but a bitter, untrusting, or rebellious heart is. God is not intimidated by questions. God invites us to enjoy close fellowship with Him. When we “question God,” it should be from a humble spirit and open mind. We can question God, but we should not expect an answer unless we are genuinely interested in His answer. God knows our hearts, and knows whether we are genuinely seeking Him to enlighten us. Our heart attitude is what determines whether it is right or wrong to question God.

[Mary Naeem]

"Has anyone ever seen God?"

Answer: The Bible tells us that no one has ever seen God (John 1:18) except the Lord Jesus Christ. In Exodus 33:20, God declares, “You cannot see my face, for no one may see me and live.” These Scriptures seem to contradict other Scriptures which describe various people “seeing” God. For example, Exodus 33:11 describes Moses speaking to God “face to face.” How could Moses speak with God “face to face” if no one can see God’s face and live? In this instance, the phrase “face to face” is a figure of speech indicating they were in very close communion. God and Moses were speaking to each other as if they were two human beings having a close conversation.

In Genesis 32:30, Jacob saw God appearing as a man; he did not truly see God. Samson’s parents were terrified when they realized they had seen God (Judges 13:22), but they had only seen Him appearing as an angel. Jesus was God in the flesh (John 1:1, 14) so when people saw Him, they were seeing God. So, yes, God can be “seen” and many people have “seen” God. At the same time, no one has ever seen God revealed in all His glory. In our fallen human condition, if God were to fully reveal Himself to us, we would be consumed and destroyed. Therefore, God veils Himself and appears in forms in which we can “see” Him. However, this is different than seeing God with all His glory and holiness displayed. People have seen visions of God, images of God, and appearances of God, but no one has ever seen God in all His fullness (Exodus 33:20).

[Mary Naeem]

"Does God change His mind?"



Answer: Malachi 3:6 declares, “I the LORD do not change. So you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed.” Similarly, James 1:17 tells us, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Numbers 23:19 is clear: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should change His mind. Does He speak and then not act? Does He promise and not fulfill?” Based on these verses, no, God does not change. God is unchanging and unchangeable. He is also all-wise. So He cannot “change His mind” in the sense of realizing a mistake, backtracking, and trying a new tack.

How then do we explain verses that seem to say that God does change His mind? Verses such as Genesis 6:6, “The LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth, and His heart was filled with pain.” Also, Exodus 32:14 proclaims, “Then the LORD relented and did not bring on His people the disaster He had threatened.” These verses speak of the Lord “repenting” or “relenting” of something and seem to contradict the doctrine of God’s immutability.

Another passage that is often used to show that God changes His mind is the story of Jonah. Through His prophet, God had told Nineveh He would destroy the city in forty days (Jonah 3:4). However, Nineveh repented of their sin (verses 5–9). In response to the Assyrians’ repentance, God relented: “He had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction He had threatened” (verse 10).

There are two important considerations involving the passages that say God changed His mind. First, we can say statements such as “the LORD was grieved that He had made man on the earth” (Genesis 6:6) are examples of anthropopathism (or anthropopatheia). Anthropopathism is a figure of speech in which the feelings or thought processes of finite humanity are ascribed to the infinite God. It’s a way to help us understand God’s work from a human perspective. In Genesis 6:6 specifically, we understand God’s sorrow over man’s sin. God obviously did not reverse His decision to create man. The fact that we are alive today is proof that God did not “change His mind” about the creation.

Second, we must make a distinction between conditional declarations of God and unconditional determinations of God. In other words, when God said, “I will destroy Nineveh in forty days,” He was speaking conditionally upon the Assyrians’ response. We know this because the Assyrians repented and God did not, in fact, mete out the judgment. God did not change His mind; rather, His message to Nineveh was a warning meant to provoke repentance, and His warning was successful.

An example of an unconditional declaration of God is the Lord’s promise to David, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever” (2 Samuel 7:16). There is no qualification expressed or implied in this declaration. No matter what David did or did not do, the word of the Lord would come to pass.

God tells us of the cautionary nature of some of His declarations and the fact that He will act in accordance with our choices: “If at any time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down and destroyed, and if that nation I warned repents of its evil, then I will relent and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. And if at another time I announce that a nation or kingdom is to be built up and planted, and if it does evil in my sight and does not obey me, then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do for it. Now therefore say to the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look! I am preparing a disaster for you and devising a plan against you. So turn from your evil ways, each one of you, and reform your ways and your actions’” (Jeremiah 18:7– 11). Note the conditional word if: “If that nation I warned repents [like Assyria in Jonah 3] . . . then I will relent.” Conversely, God may tell a nation they will be blessed, but “if it does evil in my sight [like Israel in Micah 1] . . . then I will reconsider the good I had intended to do.”

The bottom line is that God is entirely consistent. In His holiness, God was going to judge Nineveh. However, Nineveh repented and changed its ways. As a result, God, in His holiness, had mercy on Nineveh and spared them. This “change of mind” is entirely consistent with His character. His holiness did not waver one iota.

The fact that God changes His treatment of us in response to our choices has nothing to do with His character. In fact, because God does not change, He must treat the righteous differently from the unrighteous. If someone repents, God consistently forgives; if someone refuses to repent, God consistently judges. He is unchanging in His nature, His plan, and His being. He cannot one day be pleased with the contrite and the next day be angry with the contrite. That would show Him to be mutable and untrustworthy. For God to tell Nineveh, “I’m going to judge you,” and then (after they repent) refuse to judge them may look like God changed His mind. In reality, God was simply staying true to His character. He loves mercy and forgives the penitent. “Has God forgotten to be merciful?” (Psalm 77:9). The answer is, no.

At one time we were all enemies of God due to our sin (Romans 8:7). God warned us of the wages of sin (Romans 6:23) in order to cause us to repent. When we repented and trusted Christ for salvation, God “changed His mind” about us, and now we are no longer enemies but His beloved children (John 1:12). As it would be contrary to God’s character to not punish us had we continued in sin, so it would be contrary to His character to punish us after we repent. Does our change of heart mean that God changes? No, if anything, our salvation points to the fact that God does not change, because had He not saved us for the sake of Christ, He would have acted contrary to His character.