百姓順服約書亞

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〈約書亞記〉 1:17 我們從前在一切事上怎樣聽從摩西，現在也必照樣聽從你。唯願耶和華你的神與你同在，像與摩西同在一樣。

閱讀經文：〈約書亞記〉 1:10-18 

神吩咐約書亞要剛強壯膽之後，約書亞立即有反應。他的反應就是開始行動，這就是信心。所以雅各說，「若有人說自己有信心，卻沒有行為，有什麼益處呢？（雅1:14）」假如你想找一份工作，卻只是坐在家裡什麼也不做，那怎樣證明你真的想去工作？所以我們雖然不是靠行為稱義，但是從一個人的行為卻可以看出他對神有沒有信心。

約書亞不僅自己準備，也要全營的百姓和他一起準備。全營行動時，最主要的便是食物，沒有食物就無法進行。一般打仗，特別是外出作戰，糧草供應都是重中之重。所以說兵馬未動，糧草先行。倘若沒有糧草，便會軍心渙散。可見食物於人之重要性。以色列人想過約旦河進入神賜給他們的為業之地，要先準備食物；我們若想領受神的應許，也要把屬靈的糧草準備好，倘若沒有足夠的屬靈糧草（神的話語在心裡），便會時時感到靈裡的饑渴，力不從心，無法把神的恩典傳出去，反而常常感到心有餘而力不足，頻頻失去傳福音的機會，徒嘆耐何！

其次要收集軍心。流便支派、迦得支派和瑪拿西半支派的人已經在約旦河西得到他們的地了，他們能夠同心過約旦河，和其他支派一起努力去贏取未得之地嗎？因此約書亞先跟他們有一個對談，提醒他們之前和摩西所做的約定。要一起努力，等他們的弟兄們都有了自己的地，他們才可以回到自己的地。這是一個很重要的決定。

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What Does It Mean to Remain in Jesus’ Love?

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 15:9-17.  Let’s go!

John 15:9-10 (NIV) 
9  “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. 
10  If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.

On verses 9-10:  What does it mean to remain in Jesus’ love, as verse 9 says?  Remaining in Jesus’ love (or as some translations say, to “abide” in Jesus’ love) means to stay in tune with Jesus, to keep trusting in Jesus and to obey Jesus’ commands (v10). Just as Jesus kept in tune with his Father and did not stop obeying his Father’s commands, so Jesus tells us to do the same.  In doing this we will bear much fruit (v5). 

So what happens when we mess up and disobey?  Does it mean that we are cut off from Jesus?  Fortunately, it is Jesus’ obedience to the Father that keeps us connected to God, not our own effort.  So if you mess up and sin after a season of bearing fruit in Jesus, don’t condemn yourself or give up.  Remember that it is Jesus’ faithfulness in the end that keeps us connected to God.

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Jesus’ Cleansing Word Makes You Fruitful

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 15:1-8.  Let’s go!

John 15:1-2 (NIV) 
1  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 
2  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.

On verses 1-2:  Here Jesus refers to himself as the true vine.  Why the “true” vine?  It’s because Jesus knew that soon his followers would be threatened by persecution and false teaching.  Thus in calling himself the true vine Jesus is reminding his followers that he is the way, the truth and the life they are looking for, not anything else or anyone else.

Here Jesus also refers to God the Father as the gardener, and people as branches on the vine.  As branches on the vine we are expected to bear much fruit (v8). What kind of fruit?  The fruit of believing in Jesus and becoming more like Jesus. When we are persistently fruitless – when we don’t believe in Jesus and don’t become more like Jesus – at some point we will be cut off.  But if we are fruitful, God takes steps to “prune us” – that is, cleanse us, brace us, and lift us up – so that we can be more fruitful.

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你當剛強壯膽！

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〈約書亞記〉 1:9  我豈沒有吩咐你嗎？你當剛強壯膽！不要懼怕，也不要驚惶，因為你無論往哪裡去，耶和華你的神必與你同在。

閱讀經文：〈約書亞記〉 1:1-9 

死亡，是一個何等令人難以接受的名詞。剛才還在談笑風生的人，忽然之間就不在了。再也不能看到他（她），不能與之交談，沒有反應，他（她）什麼都不知道了。生死之間，令人難以接受這種殘酷的事實。神對約書亞說：「我的僕人摩西死了」。意思就是，你不要再期望摩西可以指導你或幫你了。You are on your own.英文就是這樣說的，你得自行負責了。約書亞的大半輩子都跟跟著摩西，摩西說什麼，他就做什麼，惟摩西是瞻。一下子，摩西走了。他情何以堪？

就像很多倚靠了老公大半輩子的女人，老公一去世，她不會開車，不會加油，不會處理帳目，因為丈夫在世時太能幹了，所以她什麼都不知道。所以在葬禮時，聽到有女人哭：「你走了，我怎麼辦啊？」她擔心的是自己如何走前面的路，不是老伴兒究竟去了何處。所羅門王說：「 活著的人知道必死，死了的人毫無所知（傳9:5）」。人雖然有靈魂，但肉體歸於塵土之後：「他們的愛、他們的恨、他們的嫉妒早都消滅了，在日光之下所行的一切事上，他們永不再有份了。（傳9:6）」他們與世人無份了。摩西再厲害也幫不到約書亞了。

神知道約書亞心裡的軟弱。摩西交給約書亞的，不是一間兩間工廠，不是一兩個家庭，而是兩三百萬的以色列人。約書亞看過那些支派的首領們怎樣悖逆，對付摩西和亞倫；想到兩三百萬人的需要和管理，約書亞明白自己的擔子有多重。大衛王在〈詩篇〉144篇第二節說：「祂是我慈愛的主，我的山寨，我的高臺，我的救主，我的盾牌，是我所投靠的，祂使我的百姓服在我以下。」唯有神可以使百姓服在一人之下，因為每個人都有個性，誰都不服誰，憑什麼你可以做領袖，我就不能？

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摩西登尼波山

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〈申命記〉 34: 10 以後以色列中再沒有興起先知像摩西的，他是耶和華面對面所認識的。

閱讀經文：〈申命記〉 34:1-12

讀完了摩西五經，你覺得摩西的一生有哪些事最觸動你的心？假如你想效法摩西，你會學習他的哪一方面？

摩西，一個本來註定要死的孩子，在神的恩典裡，竟然成為當代最偉大的，一個不平凡的人。想通了，摩西也是一個平凡的人，但是因著神的揀選和磨鍊，成了前無古人後無來者的一位先知。「以後以色列中再沒有興起先知像摩西的，他是耶和華面對面所認識的」，在摩西之前也沒有一位先知如此蒙神重用。連被稱為神的朋友的亞伯拉罕，也沒有和耶和華「面對面所認識」。神說摩西：「他是在我全家盡忠的。我要與他面對面說話，乃是明說，不用謎語，並且他必見我的形象。」

摩西，一個在眾人面前被當作神的代表之人。當日神呼召摩西時，答應摩西可以亞倫當做口，亞倫則要以摩西當做神（出4:16）。沒有其他人享有如此的殊榮，可以得到神如此的應許，讓另一個人把他當作神。神是如此愛摩西，以致於容不得摩西有一時的軟弱，在氣令智昏之下違背了神的命令，擊打磐石出水，神因而拒絕了摩西進迦南的請求。在摩西的一百廿年之間，這是唯一的一次，神拒絕了摩西。摩西會有氣令智昏的時候，神卻絕不昏頭，話出就不再收回。即使如此，摩西也活到了滿壽120歲，是該交棒的時候了。

神曾經叫摩西把自己從神得的榮耀給約書亞一些，摩西照做了，約書亞便成了摩西的繼位者。這就是人要面對的，每一代的傳承。我們不是神，不可能希望自己所開創的事業或工作一直流傳下去，我們可以在自己的大半生內，做好自己的本份；但是當我們的時候到了，我們便得把棒子交下去。不要留戀人間的地位，不要貪戀權勢和虛榮，該放手時就放手。

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Your Heavenly Father’s Greater Plan

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 14:22-31.  Let’s go!

John 14:22-24 (NIV) 
22  Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23  Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
24  He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.

On verses 22-24:  One of Jesus’ disciples called Judas (not to be confused with Judas Iscariot who would soon betray Jesus) asks Jesus a question I sometimes hear from people today, “If Jesus is truly the Messiah, why doesn’t Jesus just show himself directly to the whole world instead of communicating to and through his disciples?”  (v22)

At first it might not seem like Jesus answers Judas’ question.  But upon further reflection notice that in response to Judas’ question, Jesus emphasizes again that to love Jesus is to obey his teaching and that when a person chooses to love Jesus, God (both the Father and Jesus in this case) come to that person and make their home with that person (v23).  In other words, when a person chooses in faith to do what Jesus tells that person to do, they will discover for themselves all the evidence they need to believe in Jesus.

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摩西祝福以色列人

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〈申命記〉 33:27   永生的　神是你的居所；祂永久的膀臂在你以下。祂在你前面攆出仇敵，說：毀滅吧。

閱讀經文：〈申命記〉 33:1-29

這是《聖經》第一次稱摩西為「神人」，英文是the man of God, 可以說是屬神的人，也可以說是奉神差遣的人，或有聖靈的人。他形容神在西奈山與百姓的初見，「西奈山」又譯為何烈山，神的山。因為神在那裡賜下律法。「西珥」的原意是多毛，或長滿粗毛，是以東地的山脈。「巴蘭山」是曠野地的一座山。「萬萬聖者」有的人說可能是指眾多的天使。在這裡唯一的一次，把律法形容為烈火的律法，烈火可以燒盡渣滓，使萬物潔淨；神的律法也有潔淨人心的作用。摩西指出，神把律法傳給百姓，是因為神疼愛他們。

摩西的祝福首先提到耶和華神是以色列人的神，祂疼愛以色列人，賜下律法，並且要在以色列人當中為王。這是一個極大的祝福。因為沒有好的領袖，百姓就會很辛苦。所以為何每個國家在競選總統或總理時，競爭都非常激烈。即使選舉巿長也是很激烈，因為選民都明白領導者對自己所住地區的影響，他的為人、作風、思想和信仰都會影響到整個地區。因此有耶和華神作王，是一個最大的祝福。一個真正愛以色列百姓的王。

摩西接著講到以色列十二支派的前途，他的看法和雅各的有些不一樣，我們會稍微比較一下。雅各的祝福是從父親對兒子的觀點出發，但是摩西則不再是看個人，而是以支派而言。

老大流便因為和父親雅各的妾辟拉同寢，他放縱情慾，以至失去長子的名份。但在這裡，摩西祝福流便的支派，不致死亡，人數不致稀少。但是他還是得不回長子的尊榮和權力。

猶大本是老四，卻升到西緬和利未之上了。雅各對猶大的祝福是出於神，因為他預言君王和彌賽亞都要出於猶大支派。摩西則祝福他，求神幫助他攻擊敵人。很簡單，但是很實際，哪個君王不需要神幫助他攻擊敵人呢？

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Enter The Holy Spirit (Plus, To Love Jesus Is To Obey Jesus)

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 14:15-21.  Let’s go!

John 14:15 (NIV) 
15  “If you love me, you will obey what I command.

On verse 15:  Loving Jesus is not simply feeling a certain way toward Jesus or having a favourable opinion about Jesus.  It’s doing what Jesus commands.  To love Jesus is to obey Jesus.  If you want to know how well you love Jesus, ask yourself, “How much am I obeying what Jesus is commanding me to do?”

John 14:16-17 (NIV) 
16  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever–
17  the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

On verses 16-17:   To help us love and obey Jesus, Jesus and the Father together give us access to the Holy Spirit, the third Person in the Trinity.  Here Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as “the Spirit of truth” (v17).  He also calls the Holy Spirit a “Counselor” (v16), in Greek “parakletos”, which in other English translations has also been translated “comforter”, “advocate”, and “helper”.  Indeed the Holy Spirit is all of those things to Christians. The Holy Spirit counsels Christians to understand and do God’s will.  The Holy Spirit comforts Christians with the presence of God.  The Holy Spirit is our advocate who speaks to the Father on our behalf.  And the Holy Spirit is our helper, who empowers us to do what God wants us to do.

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摩西之歌

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〈申命記〉 32:29   唯願他們有智慧，能明白這事，肯思念他們的結局！

閱讀經文：〈申命記〉 32:1-52

這一章是摩西之歌，摩西奉神的命令所寫的預言歌。預言以色列人將在神的祝福裡，越行越遠。「耶書崙漸漸肥胖，粗壯，光潤，踢跳奔跑，便離棄造他的神，輕看救他的磐石。 敬拜別神，觸動神的憤恨；行可憎惡的事，惹了他的怒氣。」耶書崙是指神所愛的正直之人，是神為以色列人取的親蜜之名。

有很多人都很喜歡唱詩歌。在每一首歌的背後大多有一個動人的故事，因為感動，而流露出來的心思。特別是經歷過苦難而寫下的詩歌，經常成為多人的幫助。例如：哈瑞修..斯彼福在他的妻女都死於海難，他的財產又付諸大火時，他寫下了〈我心靈得安寧〉。他說，人生「有時享平安，如江河又平穩，有時憂傷來似浪滾，不論何環境，我已蒙主引領，我心靈得安寧，得安寧。」讓我們想起約伯在失去所有的兒女和財產之後，說：「賞賜的是耶和華，收取的也是耶和華。耶和華的名是應當稱頌的！」他們認識的神是宇宙的掌權者，因此在失去世上的一切時，仍然充滿盼望，有極深的平安。神巴不得以色列人也有如此的信念，知道神是他們的磐石。

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The Place Jesus Has Prepared for You

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 14:1-14.  Let’s go!

John 14:1-3 (NIV) 
1  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
2  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

On verses 1-3:  These words from Jesus to his disciples can also be taken as his words to us today.  Jesus has prepared a place for you in heaven, in his Father’s house.  The question is: do you trust Jesus (v1) to take you to his Father’s house when you die, or are you trusting in something else, trying to build your own place in heaven?  Praise God that if you have placed your trust in Jesus, on the day you die you don’t leave home; you go home.  For the Christian, home is where Jesus and the Father are.

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