God’s Law and God’s Promise Are Working Together for You

/in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Galatians 3:15-22.  Let’s go!

What’s the main message of Galatians?  It’s that we are justified by faith in Christ and not by trying to obey God’s laws.  (Remember that “justified” means to be declared righteous in God’s sight and worthy to be in God’s presence.)  Earlier in Galatians 3:6-14, Paul focuses on the life of Abraham as an example of “justification by faith”, how Abraham believed God and God credited it to him as righteousness.  In other words, God justified Abraham not because he perfectly obeyed God’s laws, but because Abraham believed God’s promise.

Now in the following verses, Galatians 3:15-22, Paul answers some questions on how justification by faith works if God gave laws for His people to obey in the Old Testament.  

Read more

God Planned It All Along

/in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Galatians 3:6-14.  Let’s go!

Galatians 3:6-14 (NIV)
6  Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
7  Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.
8  The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”
9  So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

On verses 6-14:  When I was a kid growing up in church, my teachers would get us to sing a song called “Father Abraham”.  It went like this:

Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them, and so are you
So let’s just praise the Lord

There were these funny actions that accompanied the song.

Now why would a Chinese boy growing up in Vancouver be calling an old middle eastern man from ancient Mesopotamia, whom he has never met, his father?

Read more

新天新地

/in , /by

以赛亚书65:17  看哪，我造新天新地，从前的事不再被记念，也不再追想。

阅读经文：65:16-25

16 这样，在地上为自己求福的，必凭真实的神求福；在地上起誓的，必指真实的神起誓。因为从前的患难已经忘记，也从我眼前隐藏了。

17 「看哪，我造新天新地，从前的事不再被记念，也不再追想。 18 你们当因我所造的永远欢喜快乐，因我造耶路撒冷为人所喜，造其中的居民为人所乐。 19 我必因耶路撒冷欢喜，因我的百姓快乐，其中必不再听见哭泣的声音和哀号的声音。 20 其中必没有数日夭亡的婴孩，也没有寿数不满的老者，因为百岁死的仍算孩童，有百岁死的罪人算被咒诅。

在论述完神对不虔之民与敬虔之余民的信息之后，先知接着揭开了一项奥祕，那就是有关新天新地的启示。耶和华神透过先知向选民介绍祂的新世界与新秩序──「看哪！我造新天新地，从前的事不再被记念，也不再追想」，以前的旧世界与旧秩序将完全过去（65:16-17）。有解经家认为这一段新天新地的叙述，并非指千禧年国度的来临，因为第20节说到在新天新地中，「必没有数日夭亡的婴孩，也没有寿数不满的老者。因为百岁死的仍算孩童，有百岁死的罪人算被咒诅」。这些学这认为既是新天新地的时代，就不会有罪人与死亡的存在，因此这段经文最可能是指被掳归回后耶路撒冷的新光景。

Read more

The Most Common False Teaching Today – Don’t Fall For it

/in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Galatians 3:1-5.  Let’s go!

Galatians 3:1-5 (NIV)
1  You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified.
2  I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?
3  Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort?
4  Have you suffered so much for nothing–if it really was for nothing?
5  Does God give you his Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?

What is the most common false teaching that billions of people believe about God and heaven?  It’s believing that through your own goodness or effort you can go to heaven or reach God.  That’s what Paul was warning the Galatians against in his letter called “Galatians”.

Read more

积善之家有余庆，积恶之家有余殃(2)

/in , /by

以赛亚书65:10   沙仑平原必成为羊群的圈，亚割谷必成为牛群躺卧之处，都为寻求我的民所得。

阅读经文：65:8-16

8 耶和华如此说：「葡萄中寻得新酒，人就说：『不要毁坏，因为福在其中。』我因我仆人的缘故也必照样而行，不将他们全然毁灭。 9 我必从雅各中领出后裔，从犹大中领出承受我众山的，我的选民必承受，我的仆人要在那里居住。 10 沙仑平原必成为羊群的圈，亚割谷必成为牛群躺卧之处，都为寻求我的民所得。 11 但你们这些离弃耶和华，忘记我的圣山，给时运摆筵席，给天命盛满调和酒的， 12 我要命定你们归在刀下，都必屈身被杀。因为我呼唤，你们没有答应，我说话，你们没有听从，反倒行我眼中看为恶的，拣选我所不喜悦的。」

上一段论到对于那些悖逆神去拜偶像的百姓，上帝将挪去他们原本所蒙的救恩，转而把救赎赐给外邦人。本段继续就此一主题，论到虽然神向百姓发怒，但是有少数对耶和华神保持真敬虔的余民却将要被分别（65:15b）。神将不把他们与恶百姓一同除灭，反倒要把临到他们的咒诅化为祝福（65:8-10）。

Read more

积善之家有余庆，积恶之家有余殃(1)

/in , /by

以赛亚书65:1 「素来没有访问我的，现在求问我；没有寻找我的，我叫他们遇见；没有称为我名下的，我对他们说：『我在这里！我在这里！』。

阅读经文：65:1-7

1 「素来没有访问我的，现在求问我；没有寻找我的，我叫他们遇见；没有称为我名下的，我对他们说：『我在这里！我在这里！』

2 「我整天伸手招呼那悖逆的百姓，他们随自己的意念行不善之道。 3 这百姓时常当面惹我发怒，在园中献祭，在坛上烧香；

本章开始，先知转述救主的启示，论到能被拣选成为新国度选民的原则。以色列为神选民的身份原是来自先祖，然而，他们却要因悖逆而丧失地位。他们虽然称为主名下的选民，但却从不主动寻找祂（65:1）。

首先先知论到神主动的救赎。先知以第一人称的口气转述上帝主动对外邦人救赎的心意──外邦百姓原是「素来没有访问我（耶和华神）的」、「没有寻找我的」、也是「没有称为我名下的」，但是神却「叫他们遇见」、「对他们说我在这里」，犹太百姓对神的轻忽，因此神就主动转向外邦百姓。这一段启示也是一个预言，指明福音要因犹太人的弃绝而转向外邦。耶和华神原是犹太人所熟悉的，但是犹太人却因习以为常以致不珍惜这个能够成为神子民的福气，所以上帝便将认识祂、成为祂子民的福气转向外邦，叫他们有机会可以了解救赎主的存在，并能够寻求到祂。

Read more

When Paul Confronted Peter

/in /by

Hi GAMErs!

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

Galatians 2:1-2 (NIV)
1  Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.
2  I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.
 
On verses 1-2:  Paul’s goal is to show the Christians in Galatia that they are heading in the wrong direction by thinking that they need to be circumcised in order to be saved.  To help them see the error of their ways, Paul uses an interesting and commendable approach: he shares a story.  In fact, it’s his own story, the story of how years before he went through a similar struggle.  Paul shares about a time when he also wondered whether he was preaching the right thing by telling Gentile Christians that they didn’t need to be circumcised in accordance with the law of Moses.  So Paul goes to Jerusalem, along with his ministry teammates Barnabas and Titus, to ask for advice from leaders in Jerusalem. 

Read more

It Helps to Get Good Advice

/in /by

Hi GAMErs!

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

Galatians 2:1-2 (NIV)
1  Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.
2  I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.
 
On verses 1-2:  Paul’s goal is to show the Christians in Galatia that they are heading in the wrong direction by thinking that they need to be circumcised in order to be saved.  To help them see the error of their ways, Paul uses an interesting and commendable approach: he shares a story.  In fact, it’s his own story, the story of how years before he went through a similar struggle.  Paul shares about a time when he also wondered whether he was preaching the right thing by telling Gentile Christians that they didn’t need to be circumcised in accordance with the law of Moses.  So Paul goes to Jerusalem, along with his ministry teammates Barnabas and Titus, to ask for advice from leaders in Jerusalem. 

Read more

选民对耶和华神的求救

/in , /by

以赛亚书64: 8 耶和华啊，现在祢仍是我们的父！我们是泥，祢是窑匠，我们都是祢手的工作。

阅读经文：63:15-64:12

63:15 求祢从天上垂顾，从祢圣洁荣耀的居所观看！祢的热心和祢大能的作为在哪里呢？祢爱慕的心肠和怜悯向我们止住了。 16 亚伯拉罕虽然不认识我们，以色列也不承认我们，祢却是我们的父！耶和华啊，祢是我们的父，从万古以来，祢名称为我们的救赎主。 17 耶和华啊，祢为何使我们走差离开你的道，使我们心里刚硬不敬畏祢呢？求祢为祢仆人，为祢产业支派的缘故转回来。 18 祢的圣民不过暂时得这产业，我们的敌人已经践踏祢的圣所。 19 我们好像祢未曾治理的人，又像未曾得称祢名下的人。

六十三章的第三部份（63:15-19），先知从异象中看到仇敌已践踏圣殿，有一群不认识耶和华的人统治著这个地方。显然，这异象乃是先知被带到巴比伦军队攻略耶路撒冷圣殿的场景中的记录，那时，先知体会到耶和华神此时似乎并不怎么关切百姓的命运，以致于先知认为神已向他们止住爱与怜悯（63:15「你的热心和你大能的作为在哪里呢？」此语乃是因百姓感受不到神对他们的眷顾）。

虽说这全是因为百姓的罪有应得，然而神的置若罔闻却引起部份百姓更硬着心肠，而且心里更刚硬不敬畏神（63:17「祢为何使我们走差离开祢的道，使我们心里刚硬不敬畏你呢？」此语乃是百姓再度对神埋怨，将一切的苦难归责于上帝）。

Read more

Look to God First, Then to People

/in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Galatians 1:13-24.  Let’s go!

Galatians 1:13-16 (NIV)
13  For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
14  I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15  But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased
16  to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles…

On verses 13-16a:  Here in verses 13-24 Paul shares his experience of how he went from trying to destroy the church of God and one of the most zealous Pharisees to a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As Paul writes, everything changed “when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles” (v15-16).  Notice those words: “who set me apart from birth and called me” (v15).  Long before Paul became passionate about persecuting the church or advancing in Judaism, God had a call on Paul’s life and had set him apart from birth.

Read more