5 Ways You Can Unwittingly Put Your Foot in Your Mouth

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Jude 1:8-16.  In the following passage, Jude will describe five ways that you can put your foot in your mouth – that is, five ways that you can do damage (especially to yourself) with your words.  The first one is in verse 8, the other four are in verse 16.  Let’s go!

Your words are powerful.  Here Jude describes five ways that you can put your foot in your mouth – that is, five ways that you can do damage (especially to yourself) with your words.

Jude 1:8-10 (NIV) 
8  In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. 
9  But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 
10  Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals–these are the very things that destroy them.

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耶和華為永久之光

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以賽亞書60: 19  日頭不再做你白晝的光，月亮也不再發光照耀你，耶和華卻要做你永遠的光，你神要為你的榮耀。

閱讀經文：60:1-22

1「興起發光，因為你的光已經來到，耶和華的榮耀發現照耀你。 2 看哪，黑暗遮蓋大地，幽暗遮蓋萬民，耶和華卻要顯現照耀你，他的榮耀要現在你身上。 3 萬國要來就你的光，君王要來就你發現的光輝。

從本章起至六十二章為先知論述到彌賽亞來臨時的黃金時代。本章的信息帶著歡欣的氣氛，論到耶路撒冷將被重建，世上的列國將來到錫安同享歡樂，以及萬民將並且獲得永恆生命之光。

本章一開始，先知便宣告了上帝對錫安的兩個命令：「興起、發光」（直譯為「閃爍」）。儘管當時周圍的環境仍然籠罩在一片黑暗中，但是因為彌賽亞（「你的光」）已經臨到他們當中了，所以他們有能力在祂的裡面完成「興起、發光」的這兩個託付（60:1-3）。錫安是不能自己發光的，但因彌賽亞（「你的光」）已經來到，為錫安帶來聖潔的同在，所以錫安才能夠重獲新的地位和能力為神發光。神也預言因著錫安重新興起發光，因此使得萬國及萬國的君王都前來歸向這「光」（彌賽亞），屆時救恩便要普及世界每個角落。

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必有一位救贖主來到錫安

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以賽亞書59: 20 「必有一位救贖主來到錫安，雅各族中轉離過犯的人那裡。」這是耶和華說的。

閱讀經文：59:1-21

1耶和華的膀臂並非縮短不能拯救，耳朵並非發沉不能聽見； 2 但你們的罪孽使你們與神隔絕，你們的罪惡使他掩面不聽你們。 3 因你們的手被血沾染，你們的指頭被罪孽沾汙，你們的嘴唇說謊言，你們的舌頭出惡語。 4 無一人按公義告狀，無一人憑誠實辯白，都倚靠虛妄，說謊言，所懷的是毒害，所生的是罪孽。 5 他們抱毒蛇蛋，結蜘蛛網。人吃這蛋必死，這蛋被踏，必出蝮蛇。

在本段中，先知首先告訴百姓，上帝並非沒有能力拯救他們，而是因為他們本身的罪孽使他們與神隔絕，以致於上帝不願意聽他們的禱告（59:1-3）。為了進一步說明百姓犯罪以致於上帝不願意拯救的原因，先知分別從手、指頭、嘴唇、舌頭、腳等方面，列舉百姓所犯的諸項罪行（59:4-8指出他們的手沾染無辜之人的血、他們的指頭偷竊掠奪財物、執政者嘴唇言而無信以謊言謀己利、他們的舌頭詆毀上帝、他們的腳四處奔走行惡）。

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You Are Called, Loved and Kept

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Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of Jude, one of the shortest books in the Bible, written by a Christian called Jude to Jewish Christians probably between 67 AD and 80 AD. 

Today’s passage is Jude 1:1-7.  Let’s go!

Jude 1:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ: 
2  Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

On verses 1-2:  Who is Jude?  The fact that Jude calls himself “a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James” (v1) suggests to scholars that Jude had a very unique background: Jude was Jesus’ half-brother.  In other words, after the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus, Mary and her husband Joseph had natural children of their own, including Jude and James.  Imagine growing up with Jesus as your older brother!  Although Jude grew up with Jesus, Jude and his siblings at first did not believe that their brother was actually the Son of God (John 7:4-5).  It was not until Jesus rose from the dead and appeared to his followers and family that Jude believed Jesus to be who He claimed to be.  It is likely for this reason that Jude humbly refers to himself as only a “servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James”, instead of as “Jesus’ half-brother”. 

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守安息日者有福樂

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以賽亞書58: 11   耶和華也必時常引導你，在乾旱之地使你心滿意足，骨頭強壯。你必像澆灌的園子，又像水流不絕的泉源。

閱讀經文：58:1-14

1「你要大聲喊叫，不可止息，揚起聲來，好像吹角，向我百姓說明他們的過犯，向雅各家說明他們的罪惡。 2 他們天天尋求我，樂意明白我的道，好像行義的國民，不離棄他們神的典章，向我求問公義的判語，喜悅親近神。

本章論到對耶和華神崇拜的道德觀點，先知首先提到神對他傳信息的託付（58:1），這是一段同義平行的詩歌。先知在他的前言中，說到百姓形式化敬拜的罪。他嚴厲斥責這樣的虛假，因這完全喪失信仰該有的生命相稱要件。百姓對耶和華神的敬拜，外表看似樂於追求明白真道，事實上他們僅是把它當做一般知識去研究而已。

他們真正喜歡的是那種滿有知識的優越感，而不是行出真理。這一點要成為今日信徒的提醒，因為越來多的敬拜，已經變成追求陶醉在聖靈的充滿，或是美好的崇拜氣氛中。許多領敬拜者已經把敬拜神的過程與工具，代替了神在敬拜中的重要性，只以能否帶動會眾進入情緒的亢奮裡，或是令會眾感受到敬拜的規格，過於使人在敬拜中面對神、轉向神、經歷神、尊榮神的目的。

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The Unboxable God and Where You’ll Be In The End

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Hi GAMErs!

Today we’re finishing the book of Isaiah with the final chapter, Isaiah 66:1-24.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 66:1-2 (NIV)
1  This is what the LORD says: “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?
2  Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” declares the LORD. “This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word.
 
On verses 1-2:  In the final chapter of Isaiah 66, God has a number of messages to tell His people.  He begins this last chapter by going back to the very beginning, reminding them of who He is: He is the Creator, the reason this world came into existence.  Because God made it all, God can’t be contained by any man-made structure. He’s too big.  So don’t try to box God into a building.  He won’t fit. 

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至高者將與謙卑人同居住

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以賽亞書57:1 義人死亡，無人放在心上；虔誠人被收去，無人思念。這義人被收去，是免了將來的禍患。

閱讀經文：56:9-57:21

56:9 田野的諸獸都來吞吃吧，林中的諸獸也要如此！ 10 他看守的人是瞎眼的，都沒有知識，都是啞巴狗，不能叫喚，但知做夢、躺臥、貪睡。 11 這些狗貪食，不知飽足；這些牧人不能明白，各人偏行己路，各從各方求自己的利益。 12 他們說：「來吧，我去拿酒，我們飽飲濃酒。明日必和今日一樣，就是宴樂無量極大之日。」

在先知論述完對外邦人的接納之後，接著提到耶和華神將對惡人的懲治，就連神的百姓也在被審判之列。神的審判第一部份是針對社會的領袖，指出他們盲目腐化的崇拜（56:9-57:13）。第二部份是對一切犯罪頑梗的百姓，指出他們屬靈的淫亂與虛謊（57:14-21）。在一連串的指責之後，神向他們揭示了不變的恩典與接納，凡向祂心存謙卑的人，祂必安慰醫治（57:15-19）。

在第一部份的論述中，先知指責宗教領袖沒有看到迫在眉睫的警訊，也沒有向群眾發出警告。他們只知貪圖追求個人的利益，躺臥做白日夢。他們不顧明天，也不顧神將臨到的審判（56:12）。他們被形容為「瞎眼的」以及「啞吧狗」，沒有看到正日益逼近的「田野的諸獸」與「林中的諸獸」（兩者均象徵列強）將對猶大進行的侵吞行動。

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The New Heavens and The New Earth

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 65:17-25.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 65:17 (NIV)
17  “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.
 
On verse 17:  What does God mean by “the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind”?  Likely it means that what we know of the earth and the heavens today will one day be gone and instead God will create new heavens and a new earth.  This is consistent with what we read from Jesus in the gospels (see for example Matthew 24) as well as in the book of Revelation (see for example Revelation 8) .

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外邦人要入神的聖殿敬拜

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以賽亞書56: 7  我必領他們到我的聖山，使他們在禱告我的殿中喜樂。他們的燔祭和平安祭在我壇上必蒙悅納，因我的殿必稱為萬民禱告的殿。

閱讀經文：53:1-13

1耶和華如此說：「你們當守公平，行公義，因我的救恩臨近，我的公義將要顯現。 2 謹守安息日而不干犯，禁止己手而不作惡，如此行、如此持守的人，便為有福！」 3 與耶和華聯合的外邦人不要說：「耶和華必定將我從他民中分別出來。」太監也不要說：「我是枯樹。」 4 因為耶和華如此說：「那些謹守我的安息日，揀選我所喜悅的事，持守我約的太監， 5 我必使他們在我殿中、在我牆內有紀念，有名號，比有兒女的更美。我必賜他們永遠的名，不能剪除。

這是一段安慰外邦人的經文，他們一夕之間從神的仇敵，變為神的選民，並被允許得以進入耶和華的聖殿來事奉祂（56:6-7）。他們要與以色列人歸併為一群（56:8），神使外邦人和猶太人在對祂的敬拜中達到美好的合一，打破了界限，在敬拜中拆毀中間隔斷的牆。先知說，外邦人之所以有如此的新地位，乃是因為他們做到了三件事（56:4）。

第一，他們遵守耶和華的安息日（56:2a,4a,6b）──安息日是神創造的高峰，有它的宇宙性的基礎。創世記2:3記載上帝六日創造之後，就定第七日為安息日，祂並在這日息了一切的工。在被擄時期，安息日成為摩西律法中人類唯一能向真神表示崇敬的規律，為真以色列人的標記。因此當外邦人守安息日的時候，亦即表明他們已經實行了摩西律法，成為神的子民。

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He Called You First

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Isaiah 65:1-16.  Let’s go!

Isaiah 65:1 (NIV)
1  “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’
 
On verse 1:  The book of Isaiah ends with God speaking the whole way through the last two chapters.  Is Isaiah 65:1-16 (and even Isaiah 65:17 to the end of Isaiah 66) God’s direct answer to the prayer that Isaiah prayed in Isaiah 64?  It’s possible, but it’s not absolutely clear. 
 
One of the big themes of the Bible is that we weren’t looking for God as much as God was looking for us.  We see that in verse 1: “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’”  Desiring that we find Him and know Him, God takes the initiative to reach out to us.  

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