真正的貧窮

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耶利米書5:4  我說：「這些人實在是貧窮的，是愚昧的，因為不曉得耶和華的作為和他們神的法則。 

閱讀經文:  5:1-18

1「你們當在耶路撒冷的街上跑來跑去，在寬闊處尋找，看看有一人行公義、求誠實沒有！若有，我就赦免這城。 2 其中的人雖然指著永生的耶和華起誓，所起的誓實在是假的。」 3 耶和華啊，你的眼目不是看顧誠實嗎？你擊打他們，他們卻不傷慟；你毀滅他們，他們仍不受懲治。他們使臉剛硬過於磐石，不肯回頭。

4 我說：「這些人實在是貧窮的，是愚昧的，因為不曉得耶和華的作為和他們神的法則。 5 我要去見尊大的人，對他們說話，因為他們曉得耶和華的作為和他們神的法則。」哪知，這些人齊心將軛折斷，掙開繩索。 6 因此，林中的獅子必害死他們，晚上的豺狼必滅絕他們，豹子要在城外窺伺他們。凡出城的必被撕碎，因為他們的罪過極多，背道的事也加增了。

大家還記得亞伯拉罕和神討價還價的故事嗎?當神告訴亞伯拉罕，祂計劃要毀滅所多瑪和蛾摩拉兩城時，亞伯拉罕就開始向神求情：若有五十個義人在其中，直到有十個義人在其中，神就為他們的緣故，不毀滅那兩城。故事的結局大家都知道。現在神大大降低祂的要求: 只要耶路撒冷有一人行公義，求誠實，祂就赦免耶路撒冷。當然， 耶利米是不被計算在裡面的。

神講到當時的人指著神起誓，卻起假誓。這事在我們的時代也有，而且是美國某位前總統做給大家看的。手按聖經，一派胡言。神擊打耶路撒冷，他們卻不傷慟；要毀滅他們了，他們卻以為還有平安；他們的臉比磐石還剛硬，不肯回頭歸向神。當時的世代和我們的時代何等相似。

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Know Who You Are Living For

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ephesians 3:1-6.  Let’s go!

Ephesians 3:1 (NIV)
1 For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles– 

On verse 1:  Paul was writing this letter to the Ephesian church while he was in prison — most likely in Rome or in Caesarea — for preaching the Gospel.  Up to this point Paul had focused his ministry on reaching Gentiles (non-Jews) with the gospel message.  That is why Paul refers to himself as “I, Paul, a prisoner for Jesus Christ on behalf of you Gentiles” (v1 English Standard Version).

Likewise, no matter what title you may currently have or what job you do, may you also be clear on whom you are living for and whom you are called to serve.  For example:

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有智慧行惡，沒有知識行善

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耶利米書4:22  耶和華說：「我的百姓愚頑，不認識我。他們是愚昧無知的兒女，有智慧行惡，沒有知識行善。」

閱讀經文：4:19-31

19 我的肺腑啊，我的肺腑啊，我心疼痛！我心在我裡面煩躁不安，我不能靜默不言，因為我已經聽見角聲和打仗的喊聲。 20 毀壞的信息連絡不絕，因為全地荒廢。我的帳篷忽然毀壞，我的幔子頃刻破裂。 21 我看見大旗、聽見角聲要到幾時呢？ 22 耶和華說：「我的百姓愚頑，不認識我。他們是愚昧無知的兒女，有智慧行惡，沒有知識行善。」

在這段經文裡，神說了兩句話。第一句話：「我的百姓愚頑，不認識我。他們是愚昧無知的兒女，有智慧行惡，沒有知識行善。」第二句話：「全地必然荒涼，我卻不毀滅淨盡。 因此地要悲哀，在上的天也必黑暗。因為我言已出，我意已定，必不後悔，也不轉意不做。」

神的第一句話道出了人類最大的問題：有智慧行惡，沒有知識行善。有的人以為亞當和夏娃在吃了善惡果之後才懂得分別善惡，那不是很好嗎？其實在吃禁果之前，他們是很有智慧和知識的。否則神怎能交給亞當那麼大的工作量，不僅要修理看守伊甸園（創2:15），還要為上帝造的每一種動物取名字？(創2:19)

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When Jesus Turned Enemies into Friends

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ephesians 2:11-22.  Let’s go!

Ephesians 2:11-22 (NIV)
11  Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)–
12  remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world.

On verses 11-22:  By the time Paul had written Ephesians, there had already been centuries worth of hostility between Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews).  Generally speaking Jews and Gentiles would not interact with each other except under special circumstances.  The Jews contemptuously called the Gentiles “the uncircumcised” (v11).

Even between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians, there was uncertainty as to how much they should interact with one another and how different or similar they were to each other.  Since Jesus was a Jew, did that mean Jewish Christians were on a different level than Gentile Christians?  Were Gentile Christians second class citizens in God’s kingdom?

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除去心裡的污穢

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耶利米書4:18 你的行動、你的作為招惹這事，這是你罪惡的結果，實在是苦，是害及你心了！

閱讀經文：4:1-18

1 耶和華說：「以色列啊，你若回來歸向我，若從我眼前除掉你可憎的偶像，你就不被遷移。 2 你必憑誠實、公平、公義指著永生的耶和華起誓，列國必因耶和華稱自己為有福，也必因他誇耀。」3 耶和華對猶大和耶路撒冷人如此說：「要開墾你們的荒地，不要撒種在荊棘中。 4 猶大人和耶路撒冷的居民哪，你們當自行割禮，歸耶和華，將心裡的污穢除掉，恐怕我的憤怒因你們的惡行發作，如火著起，甚至無人能以熄滅。

偶像是什麼，為何神如此憎惡偶像崇拜？偶像崇拜對人的生活和生命有怎樣的影響？簡單來說，偶像就是吸引人離開耶和華神，控制了你生活和思想的人、事、物。當我們的生活中有了偶像時，我們自己知不知道呢？

有一個人名叫Jeffery, 他在幼小時很不幸地被父親的一個僱員強姦，長大後又被幾個男人雞姦。這些經驗使他對自己的性向感到極大的混亂，他強烈地感覺自己應該是個女性。在18 歲時，有人把他介紹給一位內分泌專家，開始了他的變性之旅。變性之後，朋友介紹他一份脫衣舞孃的工作，之後便和毒品、酒精和賣淫結下了不解之緣。

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This Makes Me Wanna Shout

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ephesians 2:1-10.  Let’s go!

In Ephesus 2:1-10 we find one of the best summaries of the Gospel anywhere in the Bible.  Here Paul summarizes the core message of Christianity.  When I read Ephesians 2:1-10 with an open heart, it makes me want to shout and cheer because of how incredibly good and undeservingly kind God has been to us.  Praise God!

Ephesians 2:1-5 (NIV)
1  As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,
2  in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient.
3  All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath.
4  But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy,
5  made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved.

On verses 1-5:  These verses show us the “before” and “after” pictures of what happens when we place our faith in Jesus Christ.

BEFORE:  We were dead in our sins (v1).
AFTER:    God made us alive with Christ (v5).

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There is Resurrection Power in You

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Ephesians 1:11-23.  Let’s go!

Ephesians 1:11 (NIV) 
11 In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will

On verse 11:  Here Paul tells us that God works out everything in conformity with the purpose of His will.  Everything.  That includes the biggest mistakes, failures, hurts, disappointments, accidents, tragedies, and heartbreaks we will ever experience.  Nothing is a surprise to God.  As Pastor Rick Warren says, “God never wastes a hurt.”  He uses it all to accomplish His purpose in this world and in our lives.

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背道的病

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耶利米書3:18  當那些日子，猶大家要和以色列家同行，從北方之地一同來到我賜給你們列祖為業之地。

閱讀經文：3:11-25

11 耶和華對我說：「背道的以色列比奸詐的猶大還顯為義。 12 你去向北方宣告說：『耶和華說：背道的以色列啊，回來吧！我必不怒目看你們，因為我是慈愛的，我必不永遠存怒。這是耶和華說的。 13 只要承認你的罪孽，就是你違背耶和華你的神，在各青翠樹下向別神東奔西跑，沒有聽從我的話。這是耶和華說的。 14 耶和華說：背道的兒女啊，回來吧！因為我做你們的丈夫，並且我必將你們從一城取一人，從一族取兩人，帶到錫安。

假如你對以色列和猶大南北國有一個基本的理解，可能會奇怪為何神說背道的以色列比奸詐的猶大還顯為義？因為以色列北國從耶羅波安執政開始，沒有一個王，一個也沒有，願意敬畏神的。耶羅波安造了兩個金牛犢取代了對耶和華神的敬拜，從此北國的王和百姓都拜偶像和假神。到了亞哈的時候，他的妻子耶洗別更引進亞斯他錄、巴力等等異邦的神，公然地取代對耶和華神的敬拜。耶羅波安還自定節期，自設祭司。真是一個比一個壞，罄竹難書。

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虛情假意

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耶利米書3:9   因以色列輕忽了她的淫亂，和石頭木頭行淫，地就被玷污了。

閱讀經文：3:1-10

1「有話說，人若休妻，妻離他而去，做了別人的妻，前夫豈能再收回她來？若收回她來，那地豈不是大大玷污了嗎？但你和許多親愛的行邪淫，還可以歸向我。」這是耶和華說的。 2 「你向淨光的高處舉目觀看，你在何處沒有淫行呢？你坐在道旁等候，好像阿拉伯人在曠野埋伏一樣，並且你的淫行、邪惡玷污了全地。 3 因此甘霖停止，春雨不降，你還是有娼妓之臉，不顧羞恥。 4 從今以後，你豈不向我呼叫說：『我父啊，你是我幼年的恩主！ 5 耶和華豈永遠懷怒，存留到底嗎？』看哪，你又發惡言又行壞事，隨自己的私意而行。」

你是否會覺得奇怪，為什麼神用淫亂來形容以色列人的背道？淫亂對我們而言，是指性生活的不潔淨，在婚姻之外的性生活，這和拜偶像有何關係呢？拜偶像不是屬於信仰，也就是靈性生活的部份嗎？有時我們無法把性生活淫亂和信仰的不同聯想在一起。這是有原因的。

其一，因為在古時候的迦南地，那些外邦人拜的假神巴力、亞斯他勒、摩洛等等，都摻雜著很多淫亂的儀式。人們盼望農作物的收成豐盛，就以為是靠假神的活力去祝福他們。所以他們要在廟裡舉行淫亂的儀式，為了刺激他們想像中的假神醒過來幫助他們。所以他們的廟裡都有很多廟妓和孌童。

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8 Parts to Your Identity

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Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin Ephesians, one of the most important letters in the New Testament.  Written around 60 AD, Ephesians is a letter by Paul to the church he started in the city of Ephesus.

Today’s passage is Ephesians 1:1-10.  Let’s go!

Ephesians 1:1-10 (NIV)
1  Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints in Ephesus, the faithful in Christ Jesus:
2  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3  Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

On verses 1-10:  After identifying himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ and greeting his church (v1-2), Paul begins by giving praise to God (v3).  Then in verses 4-10, Paul describes some of the spiritual blessings we have received in Christ: how He chose us (v4), predestined us to be adopted as his sons and daughters (v5), redeemed us (bought us back) with His precious blood (v7), forgave our sins (v7), lavished His grace on us (v7-8), and is making His will known to us (v9).

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