耶和華的默示

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耶利米書 23:24   耶和華說：「人豈能在隱密處藏身，使我看不見他呢？」耶和華說：「我豈不充滿天地嗎？」

閱讀經文:  23:9-40

9 論到那些先知，我心在我裡面憂傷，我骨頭都發顫。因耶和華和他的聖言，我像醉酒的人，像被酒所勝的人。 10 地滿了行淫的人。因妄自賭咒，地就悲哀，曠野的草場都枯乾了。他們所行的道乃是惡的，他們的勇力使得不正。 11 「連先知帶祭司都是褻瀆的，就是在我殿中我也看見他們的惡。」這是耶和華說的。 12 「因此，他們的道路必像黑暗中的滑地，他們必被追趕在這路中仆倒。因為當追討之年，我必使災禍臨到他們。」這是耶和華說的。

『耶和華的默示』原是神聖的，但是在一群有心人的操作之中，變成了荒唐的話語。耶利米因假先知利用耶和華的聖言的情況而痛苦得不能自己，像醉酒的人一樣無法控制自己。先知的憂傷，是因遍地的罪行，因人不認識正版的『耶和華的默示』，被盜版的『耶和華的默示』害得走向滅亡之路。耶利米嘆息那些人的勇力使得不正，正好像我們嘆息那些做假物，想以假亂真來取利的人一樣，他們有聰明以假亂真，為何不用在正路上，做些有益眾人的事物？

耶和華的審判臨到那些假先知和離棄神道的祭司，連耶利米都無法為他們脫罪，只能為他們憂傷難過，看他們就好像得了絕症，卻一無所知的人，不知道他們正走向滅亡的明天。因為耶和華是近處的神，也是遠處的神，神都看到了他們的所作所為，所言所論，有誰能為他們申辯？

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Life and Freedom through the Cross

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Colossians 2:6-15.  Let’s go!

These verses show us the powerful and unique difference Christ makes in our lives.  Let’s go!

Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV) 
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 
7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 

On verses 6-7:  It’s not enough just to receive Christ into our lives.  If you really want to experience the benefit of a relationship with Christ, we are to “continue to live in Him” (v6).  What does it mean to continue to live in Christ?  According to verse 7, it means to:
– keep growing in Christ (“rooted and built up in him”).  Like a plant, deepen your roots in Jesus. Like a new construction project, be built up with Jesus as your foundation.  
– get stronger in the faith (“strengthened in the faith”).  That means letting the truth of God’s Word fill, fuel and fortify your thinking more and more.  
– overflow with thankfulness.  For Paul, thankfulness is one of the big indicators of a person’s maturity and stability in Christ.  Every day be thanking God often, both publicly and privately.

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Glorious Hope Lives in You

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Hi GAMErs!

There are so many good truths and practical lessons for us in today’s passage, Colossians 1:24-2:5.  Just one of these lessons could be enough for me to chew on today, but God’s Word here is like a bountiful buffet. Let’s go!
 
Colossians 1:24 (NIV) 
24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 

On verse 24:  What is Paul saying here?  Is he saying that what Jesus Christ endured on the cross was not enough to pay for our sins?  No.  The afflictions Christ endured on earth, especially dying on the cross, was sufficient to pay for our sins and to reconcile us to God.  But here Paul is saying that he has more suffering to endure as he follows God’s calling on his life.  And for whose sake is Paul suffering?  Christ’s body, the church.   From this we can learn two important lessons:
 

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公義的苗裔

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耶利米書23:6   在祂的日子，猶大必得救，以色列也安然居住，祂的名必稱為『耶和華我們的義』。

閱讀經文:  23:1-8

1耶和華說：「那些殘害、趕散我草場之羊的牧人有禍了！」 2 耶和華以色列的神斥責那些牧養他百姓的牧人，如此說：「你們趕散我的羊群，並沒有看顧他們，我必討你們這行惡的罪。」這是耶和華說的。 3 「我要將我羊群中所餘剩的，從我趕他們到的各國內招聚出來，領他們歸回本圈，他們也必生養眾多。 4 我必設立照管他們的牧人牧養他們，他們不再懼怕，不再驚惶，也不缺少一個。」這是耶和華說的。

在2017年的8月29日，美國哈佛大學校長德魯・吉爾平・福斯特（Drew Gilpin Faust）於開學禮進行了一場例行的致辭，她的談話公開上網之後，引起了很多人的分享和轉載。她所認為的高等教育最重要目標就是：「確保畢業的學生能分辨有人在胡說八道」。她這一句話引起了許多的迴響，因為在現今這種資訊爆炸的時代，若沒有分辨的能力，很容易上當受騙，還沾沾自喜，到處散佈不實的消息。

做牧人，也就是帶領者。在當時的猶大指的是君王和眾首領；在現代，指的是教會的領導者。因為牧者是用來帶領保護神的羊群，是在神的家裡服侍的。為何要說“確保畢業的學生能分辨有人在胡說八道”，就是因為有太多的牧者所講的信息不是來自神的話語，那就是胡說八道。就好像耶利米指責假先知編造神所沒有說的平安，以致百姓不知滅亡將臨，而來不及悔改。

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耶和華堅立

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耶利米書22:24   耶和華說：猶大王約雅敬的兒子哥尼雅，雖是我右手上帶印的戒指，我憑我的永生起誓，也必將你從其上摘下來。

閱讀經文:  22:24-30

24 『耶和華說：猶大王約雅敬的兒子哥尼雅，雖是我右手上帶印的戒指，我憑我的永生起誓，也必將你從其上摘下來。 25 並且我必將你交給尋索你命的人和你所懼怕的人手中，就是巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒和迦勒底人的手中。 26 我也必將你和生你的母親趕到別國，並不是你們生的地方，你們必死在那裡。 27 但心中甚想歸回之地，必不得歸回。

約西亞的兒子約雅敬，約雅敬的兒子耶哥尼雅，簡稱哥尼雅，又名約雅斤。耶哥尼雅Jeconiah的意思是：耶和華堅立。在每個名字裡，我們都看到起名字的人都希望子孫得到耶和華的眷顧和厚愛，但是要怎樣才能得到耶和華神的恩寵？在你的名字裡，你可曾看到為你起名字的人對你的厚望，你讓他高興了，或失望了？

神說耶哥尼雅是祂右手上帶印的戒指，表明他在神所命定的計劃裡，原是有權柄，原是高貴的。可惜因為猶大列王和他自己的罪行，神要把這戒指摘下來，也就是說，把他從王位上趕下來。

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It’s All About Jesus

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Colossians 1:15-23.  Let’s go!

Colossians 1:15a (NIV) 
15 He is the image of the invisible God…

On verse 15a:  If you want to know what God, who is invisible, looks like, all you have to do is look at Jesus.  He is the image of the invisible God.

Colossians 1:15b (NIV) 
15 He is …the firstborn over all creation. 

On verse 15b:  Jehovah’s Witnesses and other cults teach that Jesus was created by God.  They use this verse and in particular the word translated “firstborn” to support that teaching.  However, by “firstborn” Paul does not mean that Jesus was created.  Rather it’s talking about Jesus’ importance in relation to all of creation — how He is superior to, and has special rights and authority over, all of creation.  As Pastor Jon Courson says, “[t]he Greek word prototokos, translated “firstborn,” doesn’t speak of chronology but of priority” (Courson, Jon. Jon Courson’s Application Commentary – Jon Courson’s Application Commentary New Testament. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2004. WORDsearch CROSS e-book). 

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Welcome to the Kingdom

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Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of Colossians.  Since I was a 15, Colossians has been a special book to me as it contains one of my “life verses”, which I’ll share with you in the days to come.  

Here is some background on the book of Colossians to help us understand what’s going on in this letter:

1. Colossians is a letter written by Paul in approximately 60 AD to a church located in the ancient city of Colosse, located in the heart of what is modern day Turkey. 

2.  Paul had never met the church community at Colosse before (see Colossians 2:1).  The one who started the church was probably Epaphras (1:7), a student and disciple of Paul and a native of that area (4:12).  Although Paul had never met the church at Colosse, because of Epaphras his relationship to them was like that of a spiritual grandparent who had great concern for their well-being. 

3. Colossians is one of Paul’s four “prison letters” in that Paul wrote the letter of while he was in prison for preaching the Gospel, probably in Rome.  The other three prison letters are Philemon, Ephesians and Philippians.  

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願耶和華興起

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耶利米書22:13  那行不義蓋房，行不公造樓，白白使用人的手工不給工價的，有禍了！

閱讀經文:  22:13-23

13 『那行不義蓋房，行不公造樓，白白使用人的手工不給工價的，有禍了！ 14 他說：「我要為自己蓋廣大的房、寬敞的樓，為自己開窗戶，這樓房的護牆板是香柏木的，樓房是丹色油漆的。」 15 難道你做王是在乎造香柏木樓房爭勝嗎？你的父親豈不是也吃也喝，也施行公平和公義嗎？那時他得了福樂。

約雅敬是約西亞王的第二個兒子，原名以利亞敬，意思是God rises耶和華興起。當約西亞為這個兒子起名時，他期望神興起這個兒子，在哪方面建立這個兒子呢？假如你有個兒子，你希望神怎樣建立他呢？使他茁壯？做大官？發大財？或是像宋朝蘇軾的〈洗兒戲作〉中說的：“人皆養子望聰明，我被聰明誤一生，惟願孩兒愚且魯，無災無難到公卿”。約西亞王希望神建立、興起他的兒子，會不會是希望他將來可以榮耀神呢？

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願耶和華握住

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耶利米書22:2  坐大衛寶座的猶大王啊，你和你的臣僕並進入城門的百姓，都當聽耶和華的話。

閱讀經文:  22:1-12

1耶和華如此說：「你下到猶大王的宮中，在那裡說這話， 2 說：『坐大衛寶座的猶大王啊，你和你的臣僕並進入城門的百姓，都當聽耶和華的話。 3 耶和華如此說：你們要施行公平和公義，拯救被搶奪的脫離欺壓人的手，不可虧負寄居的和孤兒寡婦，不可以強暴待他們，在這地方也不可流無辜人的血。

在這章裡，我們看到神很早就差派耶利米和其他先知出來警告猶大王室和百姓，有關巴比倫王要來滅猶大的信息。這信息不是一次兩次地講，而是三番四次地說，不僅用口傳，用比喻，還要先知親身示範。從約西亞王開始，他是個好王，敬虔的王，神希望百姓能明白約西亞之教導的重要性。可惜的是，約西亞的兒孫們竟都置若罔聞。

這是人之常情。有很多人說不知道神的旨意，有多人說想知道神的旨意，可惜他們都只是說說而已，應景，表示他們有心尋求。可是事實上他們根本不想知道，因為他們對神的話語沒有一點興趣。因為他們早知道神的話是反對他們的。他們只想利用神的一兩句話來支持自己的論點，而不是要遵從神的旨意。

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The Secret of Contentment

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Philippians 4:10-23.  Do you struggle with being content?  In today’s passage Paul shares about the secret to contentment. Let’s go!
 
Philippians 4:10-13 (NIV)
10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. 
 
On verses 10-13:  What is the secret to “being content in any and every situation” (v12)?  It’s a relationship with Jesus.  Whether you’re living in plenty or in want, press into your relationship with Jesus. Draw close to Him and pour out your heart to Him. When you do, you’ll find, just like Paul did, that “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (v13).  
 
If you struggle in the area of contentment or know someone who does, also be sure to check out my message called “The Secret of Contentment” from December 27, 2021, where I share 4 practical keys to finding contentment.

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