You Are Consecrated

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 19:14-25.  Let’s go!

Exodus 19:14-15 (NIV)
14  After Moses had gone down the mountain to the people, he consecrated them, and they washed their clothes.
15  Then he said to the people, “Prepare yourselves for the third day. Abstain from sexual relations.”

On verses 14-15:  In Exodus 19, there is a word that comes up repeatedly which we hardly use today in our daily conversation.  It’s the word “consecrated” (see for example verses 10, 14 and 22).   What does it mean to be “consecrated”? To be consecrated means to be set apart for a special, holy purpose. 

Why would God require the people to consecrate themselves before meeting Him (Exodus 19:10, 22)? And why did God say that He would break out against the people if they approached Him without first being consecrated (v22, 24)? It’s because God is holy. By “holy” we mean morally perfect, without sin, completely righteous and pure in every way. God is so holy, so righteous, and so pure that anything with sin would perish in God’s presence.

That’s why the people had to consecrate themselves. They would wash their clothes and abstain from sexual relations, not because dirty clothes and sex are sinful in God’s eyes, but as a practical way to get the people to focus on seeking God with special intensity and getting ready to encounter Him. 

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册立以斯帖为后

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〈以斯帖记〉2:17王爱以斯帖过于爱众女，她在王眼前蒙宠爱比众处女更甚。王就把王后的冠冕戴在她头上，立她为王后，代替瓦实提。

阅读经文：〈以斯帖记〉2

假如第一章的筵席是为了筹备对希腊的战争，那么第二章很可能就是在主前479年的帕雷提亚（Plataea）之役之后。主前480年亚哈随鲁撤离希腊，在小亚细亚西岸的撒狄过冬。主前479年秋季才回到书珊，那时他开始想念王后瓦实提。回到家却见不到娘子，心情必然感到寂寞吧！这时王的侍臣紧张了，万一王想让瓦实提复位，她会不会报复呢？于是议王去寻找美貌的处女，再立一个王后，代替瓦实提。王以这事为美，有不少人的心脏从喉咙跌回原来的位置上。

历史上的另一幕在神的主导下开始了。一个在巴比伦出生的犹大小女子悄悄地步上了波斯的大舞台。在亚哈随鲁寻找王后的动机下，以斯帖顺理成章进了王宫，她是第二代的以色列流民（流亡之民），就像北美的第二代移民，讲话和生活方式都与当地人认同了，人家不问也分不出她的祖籍。但是她的堂兄莫底改的人生阅历多，可能为了避免犹大人的敌人作对，便要求以斯帖不要暴露犹大人的身份。

有的人奇怪为何以犹大人的身份，以斯帖会去参加选皇后一事。其实在以前一些国家里，若是王要选秀女，就会有一段禁婚的时期，让所有适龄的未婚女子都集合起来，经过淘汰之后才可回家，被选上的就继续参加下一轮的淘汰赛，直到被王看中。王的谕旨一传出，就招聚许多女子到书珊城，所以这很可能不是以斯帖可以决定的意愿。以斯帖自幼父母双亡，由她的堂兄末底改抚养成人。可能因为彼此年龄相距其大，所以末底改把她收为自己的女儿。

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Through Jesus You Are A Priest and God’s Treasured Possession

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 19:1-13.  Let’s go!

Exodus 19:1-4 (NIV)
1  In the third month after the Israelites left Egypt–on the very day–they came to the Desert of Sinai.
2  After they set out from Rephidim, they entered the Desert of Sinai, and Israel camped there in the desert in front of the mountain.
3  Then Moses went up to God, and the LORD called to him from the mountain and said, “This is what you are to say to the house of Jacob and what you are to tell the people of Israel:
4  ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.

On verses 1-4:  Verse 3 suggests that Moses went up to God on the mountain and then God called to Moses from the mountain.  What can we learn from this?  If you want to hear from God, take the initiative, get yourself in position and draw close to God.  Don’t just wait for God to speak to you before you go up to Him.  Come near to God and He will come near to you (James 4:8).

Exodus 19:5-8 (NIV)
5  Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine,
6  you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”

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亚哈随鲁大设筵宴

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〈以斯帖记〉1:1  亚哈随鲁做王，从印度直到古实，统管一百二十七省。

阅读经文：〈以斯帖记〉1

〈以斯帖记〉是《圣经》里非常奇特的一本书，里面没有提到犹太人和神的关系，也没有犹太人敬拜神的记录，可是在每一件事上，读者可以感觉到犹太人在异地对神默然的仰望，也可以看到神的权能以无比的幽默感在运行。在被流放到巴比伦的犹大人当中，充满了任人摆布的无力感。此时但以理应该已经过世，再无位高权重的犹大人为他们出头，他们好像一群无法自卫的羊，任人宰割。可是在他们的静默里，却有神巨大的力量和保护在暗中运行。当你读完〈以斯帖记〉里所发生的许多“巧合”，可能也会猜想，是否神差遣了保护以色列人的米迦勒天使长，在暗地里布置著一切？

主前490年8-9月之间，波斯大军进攻希腊，雅典人虽然人数居于劣势，却在马拉松平原以着重两翼的平行战斗排列，使其中央部分向内凹入，最后呈现几乎垂直的战斗行列，夹击并大败深入敌阵的波斯军。雅典军大胜之后， 古希腊时代的一位雅典传令兵费里皮德斯（Pheilippides），由马拉松平原跑回雅典报捷，中途没有停顿，当他将胜利的消息转告雅典人后，随即倒地死去。为了纪念他，希腊人在1896年举行了第一次马拉松赛跑大会。这就是马拉松赛跑的来源。

亚哈随鲁做波斯王之后，立志洗雪马拉松战役之耻，在登位第三年便预备远征希腊。按照波斯的惯例，出战之前往往有连日的欢宴，以团结袍泽，激励士气，随后王与文武大臣商议国事军事。此次庆宴持续六个月，目的在于策划入侵希腊的战略，并证明王有足够的财力来支持战事。这就是〈以斯帖记〉第一章的背景。书珊城是波斯的京城，有如今日中国的北京和美国的华盛顿，当年许多大事都在这里发生。尼希米也曾在书珊城的王宫里担任酒政。在王宫举办的欢宴里，照例少不了美女与美酒，而亚哈随鲁在此时突发奇想，要以王后瓦实提的美貌来提高众人的兴致。

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预言封闭至末期

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〈但以理书〉12:10必有许多人使自己清净洁白，且被熬炼，但恶人仍必行恶。一切恶人都不明白，唯独智慧人能明白。

阅读经文：〈但以理书〉12

在2015年9月，有两位可谓人生的胜利者，在最美丽的青春年华时黯然而逝。一位是33岁的杜拜王子拉席德，因心脏病不幸猝死，他的国家将为他哀悼3天。一位是32岁的日本前NHK新闻女主播黑木奈奈，人长得非常漂亮，去年发现患了胃癌，她辞去工作专心求治，今年初还曾重回主播台，鼓励了许多患癌症的病友，没想到九月里病情急转直下，终于离世。可见人的末时，经常来得比末世还要早。所以我们不要以为末世遥遥无期，反而要为自己的末时做准备。

但以理得到启示，当末世来临时，米迦勒要出来保护以色列民。那时以色列民要面临前所未有的大艰难，比以前任何时候都艰难，那时就要知道分出来谁的名字记录在（生命）册上配得拯救。反之，那些名字没有记录在生命册上的，必不被拯救，而要面对灭亡。“睡在尘埃中”，指肉体已经死亡的人要复醒，也就是复活。有的人要得永生，有的人要受羞辱永远被憎恶。这就是主耶稣提到将来祂要审判时说的话：“时候要到，凡在坟墓里的，都要听见祂的声音，就出来，行善的复活得生，作恶的复活定罪。（约5:28-29）”又像保罗说的：“我们这活着还存留到主降临的人，断不能在那已经睡了的人之先。因为主必亲自从天降临，有呼叫的声音和天使长的声音，又有神的号吹响，那在基督里死了的人必先复活”（帖前4:15-16）。

当神预定的大艰难来临时，保护人的天使也不能违抗神的旨意挪去命定的灾害。主耶稣也曾预言：“那时，必有大灾难，从世界的起头，直到如今，没有这样的灾难，后来也必没有。若不减少那日子，凡有血气的，总没有一个得救的”(太24：21-22)。在灾难中，神有怜悯，因此米迦勒必站起来，护卫神的子民，否则有谁能站立得住呢？所以保罗勉励我们：“自己以为站得稳的须要谨慎，免得跌倒。你们所遇见的试探，无非是人所能受的。神是信实的，必不叫你们受试探过于所能受的，在受试探的时候，总要给你们开一条出路，叫你们能忍受得住。（林前10:12-13）”不管是试探或试炼，信主的人都有神的同在。

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Something to Lighten Your Load

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 18:13-27.  here are a few other lessons we can learn from this passage.  Let’s go!

Exodus 18:13-23 (NIV)
13  The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.
14  When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
15  Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.
16  Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws.”
17  Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good.

On verses 13-23:  Jethro saw that as good intentioned as Moses was, it was not healthy or advisable for Moses to be a one man show and to personally judge every case that the people brought to him.  This would wear Moses out and it would also wear the people out in terms of making them wait far too long.  Jethro saw the inefficiencies in Moses’ system and suggested a better way, encouraging Moses to focus his role on teaching the people (v20) and representing the people before God (v19) and to delegate authority to trustworthy individuals with good character to deal personally with the people’s individual problems (v21-22).  Jethro’s goal was to lighten Moses’ load (“this will make your load lighter”), to raise up leaders who would be accountable to Moses and who could help share the work (“they will share it with you”), and to create a better experience for everyone so that “all these people will go home satisfied” (v23).

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预言希腊的兴起到灭亡

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〈但以理书〉11:32作恶违背圣约的人，他必用巧言勾引；唯独认识神的子民，必刚强行事。

阅读经文：〈但以理书〉11

天使再次向但以理讲解异象，比以前的任何一次都要详细，这次主要是讲论希腊，从希腊的兴起讲到希腊的灭亡。亚哈随鲁（薛西一世）是波斯的第四个王，在他当政时，波斯帝国从印度直到古实统管一百二十七省，国富民强。在〈以斯帖记〉的第一章里，说到亚哈随鲁王把他王国的财富和荣华富贵，给那些波斯和玛代的权贵，各省的贵冑与首领看了一百八十天（六个月）；又为所有住书珊城的大小人民在御园的院子里设摆筵席七日，等等，十分地穷极奢侈。因为国富民强，他不断地 挑衅希腊，几次无功而返，终于被希腊兴起的亚历山大大帝歼灭。

亚历山大大帝死后，国家由四位将领分割。在分裂的四国之中，占有南边埃及的是多利买王朝；北边叙利亚，由西流古王朝统管，后者逐渐强盛；因此，多利买二世将女儿百尼基给叙利亚王安提奥古二世为妻，借此订立和约，没想到两年后，多利买二世病逝，安提奥古二世便解除婚约，与前妻老底嘉复合。但老底嘉心怀怨恨，把安提奥古二世与百尼基，并他们二人的儿子及一些百尼基的亲信、随从等全部毒死，清除了百尼基的余党，接着就立她的儿子西流古二世加利尼古为王。

但是百尼基在埃及的娘家哥哥多利买三世知道后，立刻出兵进攻叙利亚，史称“老底嘉之役”，可惜没有来得及救出百尼基，只能为妹妹报仇，杀掉老底嘉。他率领军队入侵叙利亚时，掳掠大批金银财宝及庙中的偶像，带回埃及尽数分给国中军民，众人称他为慈善家多利买（11章5-8节）。

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The Biggest Key to Leading Your Loved Ones to Christ

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 18:1-12.  Let’s go!

Exodus 18:1-12 (NIV)
1  Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2  After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her
3  and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land”;
4  and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5  Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God.

On verses 1-12:  Here Moses reunites with his wife Zipporah, his two sons Gershom and Eliezer, and his father-in-law Jethro. Jethro was a priest from the land of Midian where Moses met his wife.  As for what God Jethro and the Midianites worshiped, it is not clear.  Since the Midianites were descendants of Abraham (see 1 Chronicles 1:32), it is likely that Jethro and the Midianites had heard of the LORD, but it is not clear whether Jethro and the Midianites actually worshiped or believed in the LORD.  What is clear is that as Jethro hears more and more about what the LORD had done for Moses and the Israelites (v1), when he saw the change in Moses and how the LORD rescued not just him but the Israelite people too (v8), Jethro responds by expressing faith in the LORD. 

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Keys to Winning Your Battle

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage, Exodus 17:1-16, is full of powerful lessons, so many in fact that there’s probably one lesson for every hour of your workday today.  You may want to read this message in pieces, taking it in bit by bit throughout the day.  Get ready!  Let’s go!

Exodus 17:1-5 (NIV)
1  The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
2  So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?”
3  But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
4  Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
5  The LORD answered Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.

On verses 1-5:  Once again the Israelites grumble against Moses, complaining about a lack of water.  Moses asks God what he should do with these angry, grumbling people, and I like the LORD’s response to Moses.  The LORD tells Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people.” (v5) When people are grumbling, walk ahead of them.  Don’t become their follower, moving forward only when they move forward or going only when they tell you to go.  Walk ahead of them and you’ll see things that they don’t see and be better positioned to lead them.  

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但以理得启示

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〈但以理书〉10:19a 他说：「大蒙眷爱的人哪，不要惧怕，愿你平安！你总要坚强！」

阅读经文：〈但以理书〉10:1-21

在波斯王居鲁士三年，也就是西元前536年，在那之前近五万的犹大子民从巴比伦回到耶路撒冷。居鲁士不仅已经释放在巴比伦的以色列民回国，而且更为他们重建圣殿。但是在这期间，可能因为所罗巴伯领导犹太人从流亡中回归，遭到撒玛利亚人反对，回归的犹太人遭遇到极大的争战（拉4:1-5）。消息传来，引起但以理极大的悲伤。在但以理的悲伤中，神再差遣天使帮助但以理明白将来要发生的事情。但以理没有跟众人回耶路撒冷，可能因为年事已高，不适合长途跋涉；也可能因为位居要职不能离开，但是他对于犹大人回归的事却非常上心，时时等待他们的消息。

但以理因悲伤而不吃美味，不喝美酒，也不用油抹身。在不能经常洗澡，又没有现代的止汗除臭剂的地方，使用香油抹身是个人修饰和保健的重要步骤。漠视这些细节表示哀悼。但以理在刚到巴比伦时拒绝王膳，但是有了官职之后，必然有自己的住处和厨房，可以按著犹太人的律法去准备饮食。所以平常会有酒肉，只是此时悲伤，因而不进任何美食，以粗糙简单的饮食代表心中的难过。

那年的正月二十四日，但以理在底格里斯大河边看到有一人，和〈启示录〉中约翰所见的人子有很多相似之处。但以理见到“有一人身穿细麻衣，腰束乌法精金带。他身体如水苍玉，面貌如闪电，眼目如火把，手和脚如光明的铜，说话的声音如大众的声音。＂约翰见到“灯台中间有一位好像人子，身穿长衣，直垂到脚，胸间束著金带。他的头与发皆白，如白羊毛，如雪，眼目如同火焰，脚好像在炉中锻炼光明的铜，声音如同众水的声音。”但以理看到异象时是清醒的，也有人和他在一起，那些人虽然看不见人子，却可以感受到祂的能力，因而大大战兢，逃跑隐藏；而但以理看到异象后就浑身无力，听到声音就面伏在地沉睡了。

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