南方王和北方王的争战之一

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但以理书11: 5  南方的王必强盛，他将帅中必有一个比他更强盛，执掌权柄，他的权柄甚大。
阅读经文:  但以理书 11:5-9

5 「南方的王必强盛，他将帅中必有一个比他更强盛，执掌权柄，他的权柄甚大。 6 过些年后，他们必互相联合，南方王的女儿必就了北方王来立约。但这女子帮助之力存立不住，王和他所倚靠之力也不能存立。这女子和引导她来的，并生她的，以及当时扶助她的，都必交于死地。

在亚历山大死去后，希腊帝国被四个将军分为四国：马其顿和希腊（安提帕特和卡山德）；脱拉西及小亚西亚（赖西马克）：叙利亚（西流古一世）；巴勒斯坦和埃及（多利买一世）。但是在但以理书里则着重在南王与北王之争。南王指占领埃及的多利买王，北王指占领叙利亚的西流古王。这从希腊出来的二强互相争霸，历时约160多年，以致生灵涂炭。以色列位在巴勒斯坦，正好夹在埃及和叙利亚中间，因此饱受战火之祸。

在第5节说到，南方的王必强盛，便是指占领埃及的多利买一世苏他Ptolemy Soter　自封为王。亚历山大生前曾册封一名将帅在巴比伦作王，那便是在叙利亚称王的西流古一世尼卡特Seleucus Nicator。他的权柄甚大，远胜于多利买一世。

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he More You Look at Jesus, the More Like Jesus You Become

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 John 3:1-8.

1 John 3:1a
1  How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!

On verse 1a:  When our sin had disqualified us from God’s presence and we had no right to have anything to do with God, God lavished His love on us when He sent His Son Jesus to die on the cross.  It is through Jesus Christ that we can be called children of God.   That’s the identity changing love of our God.  Because of His love, we’re no longer the same.  We go from sinners to saints, from excluded to included, from being orphaned to being part of His family.  It’s not because of anything we have done but because of His grace.

1 John 3:1b (NIV) 
1…The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

On verse 1b:  Through faith in Christ we are children of God, but of course the world does not know that or acknowledge that.  As we looked at in 1 John 2:15-17, the world is a system of thinking, feeling and living that does not acknowledge Christ.  It’s a system that pervades our society.  Since the world does not acknowledge God, the world will not acknowledge you as a child of God.  Instead the world will try to define you in other ways that are sometimes contradictory to what God’s Word says about you.  

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You Can’t Have God Without Jesus

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 John 2:18-29.  Let’s go!

1 John 2:18-28 (NIV)
18  Dear children, this is the last hour; and as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come. This is how we know it is the last hour.
19  They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us. For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us.
20  But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.

On verses 18-28:  The apostle John is warning his readers about false teachers.  These false teachers were originally part of the church that John led, but they left the church (v19) and were now teaching that Jesus is not the Christ (that is, not the Messiah that the Jews were waiting for nor the Saviour that we all need) (v22).

These teachers were likely telling the people in John’s church, “You do not know the truth” (v21), accusing John and the other apostles of lying to them.  In response, John reassures his people that “you have an anointing form the Holy One, and all of you know the truth” (v20). 

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四百年沉默时期的序幕

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但以理书11: 2 现在我将真事指示你，波斯还有三王兴起，第四王必富足远胜诸王。他因富足成为强盛，就必激动大众攻击希腊国。

阅读经文:  但以理书 11:1-4

1 又说：「当玛代王大流士（大利乌）元年，我曾起来扶助米迦勒，使他坚强。

2 「现在我将真事指示你，波斯还有三王兴起，第四王必富足远胜诸王。他因富足成为强盛，就必激动大众攻击希腊国。 3 必有一个勇敢的王兴起，执掌大权，随意而行。 4 他兴起的时候，他的国必破裂，向天的四方分开，却不归他的后裔，治国的权势也都不及他，因为他的国必被拔出，归于他后裔之外的人。

在《圣经》的旧约与新约之间有一段沉默的时期，这沉默指的是神不再有话语给犹大人。这段时期大约有四百年，其间所发生的事都记载在但以理书11章里，那时巴比伦已经被灭，波斯成为世界的霸主。因此旧约的记事中止于波斯帝国；当新约圣经开始时，已是罗马帝国统治的时候。自先知玛拉基之后，到施洗约翰出生，神在以色列（包括犹大），没有再兴起先知。此时犹大人散居在埃及、巴比伦和波斯，有一部份得到古列王的允许，已经回到耶路撒冷重建圣城和圣殿。

因着但以理迫切的祷告，神把将来要发生的事一一告知但以理。神学家D.K. Campbell 说在这一章的前35节里，已经有135个预言在历史上应验了。也因为这部份的预言和历史是那样丝丝相扣，后来的史学家竟有人不愿意相信那是神在数百年前的预言，而说是有马加比族的人按著历史所编造的。但是智者总应该明白，唯有耶和华才是真神，也是宇宙的主宰。

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3 Stages in Your Spiritual Growth

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 John 2:9-17.  Let’s go!

1 John 2:9-11 (NIV) 
9  Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. 
10  Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. 
11  But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.

On verses 9-11:  Light versus darkness is an ongoing theme in 1 John, the idea that God is light (see 1 John 1:5), that Jesus is the true light (2:5) and that if we are in Jesus we are in the light as well (1:7).  In contrast, the darkness is anywhere where Jesus is not glorified or obeyed (1:6).  How do you know if a Christian is truly in the light or in the darkness?  It’s in how that person loves others.  Here John proclaims that anyone who says he is in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness, whereas anyone who loves his brother lives in the light (v10).  In other words, how we love others is proof of whether we are truly in Christ or not. 

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但以理最后的一个异象

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但以理书10: 12  他就说：但以理啊，不要惧怕。因为从你第一日专心求明白将来的事，又在你神面前刻苦己心，你的言语已蒙应允，我是因你的言语而来。

阅读经文:  但以理书 10:1-21

1 波斯王居鲁士第三年，有事显给称为伯提沙撒的但以理。这事是真的，是指著大争战。但以理通达这事，明白这异象。 2 当那时，我但以理悲伤了三个七日。 3 美味我没有吃，酒肉没有入我的口，也没有用油抹我的身，直到满了三个七日。

4 正月二十四日，我在底格里斯大河边， 5 举目观看，见有一人身穿细麻衣，腰束乌法精金带。 6 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。 7 这异象唯有我但以理一人看见，同着我的人没有看见，他们却大大战兢，逃跑隐藏， 8 只剩下我一人。我见了这大异象便浑身无力，面貌失色，毫无气力。 9 我却听见他说话的声音，一听见就面伏在地沉睡了。

这是继上一章的事件两年之后发生的，也是但以理的最后一个异象。第10-12章是一个极长的预言，本章是导论，11-12章则比较详细地叙述在但以理之后的世代将要发生的事。但以理因为预言的内容而悲伤了21天。为何此内容使但以理如此伤神呢？从但以理被告知此预言时 ，他自己就好像被卷入了一场极大的争战之中。

这次在底格里斯河向他显现的，不再是天使加百列了，而是一位像在启示录里，约翰看见的那一位：“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”（启1:13-15）。但以理则见“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。” 令人不能不想到，是不是荣耀的主耶稣向他显现了？

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Love Never Gets Old

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 John 2:1-8.  Let’s go!

1 John 2:1-2 (NIV) 
1  My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense–Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 
2  He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

On verses 1-2:  The greatest lawyer you will have representing you is Jesus Christ.  When we sin, Jesus acts as our advocate and speaks to the Father in our defense (v1).  Yet unlike lawyers who defend with their words alone, Jesus defended us with His blood, giving Himself as “the atoning sacrifice for our sins”.  What an amazing advocate and Saviour we have in Jesus. 

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但以理的祷告和异象

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但以理书 9:17  我们的神啊，现在求祢垂听仆人的祈祷恳求，为自己使脸光照祢荒凉的圣所。

阅读经文:  但以理书  9:1-27

1 玛代族亚哈随鲁的儿子大流士(新译本:大利乌)立为迦勒底国的王元年， 2 就是他在位第一年，我但以理从书上得知耶和华的话临到先知耶利米，论耶路撒冷荒凉的年数，七十年为满。

3 我便禁食，披麻蒙灰，定意向主神祈祷恳求。 4 我向耶和华我的神祈祷、认罪，说：「主啊，大而可畏的神，向爱主守主诫命的人守约施慈爱。 5 我们犯罪作孽，行恶叛逆，偏离你的诫命、典章， 6 没有听从你仆人众先知奉你名向我们君王、首领、列祖和国中一切百姓所说的话。

“亚哈随鲁”是波斯皇帝的称号，有如罗马的“凯撒”或埃及的“法老”，不是人名。这里指出大流士（新译本译：大利乌）是亚哈随鲁的儿子，表示他是当时的统治者之子。按华人说法，就是太子登基那年。迦勒底国实际上是不存在的，是沿着下来的称呼，其实已经改朝换代，是玛代和波斯统治了。可能尚未定名，所以但以理就暂时这么称之。就像在第五章31节：“玛代人大流士（大利乌）年六十二岁，取了迦勒底国”。是指迦勒底人之国，就是尼布甲尼撒创建的新巴比伦。这位大流士和第六章第1节立但以理为总长的大流士是同一人，也就是本章第1节所说的大流士。

那时但以理已经82岁，被掳到巴比伦已有六十余年。当他在典籍中看到耶利米写的预言，犹太人在被掳七十年后必将归回，他的心情何等激动。家国已毁，神恩浩荡，竟有重建之日，我想他一定是老泪纵横。想当年国共之战，有许多人从大陆逃到台湾或其他地方，卅几年后才得以回归，也是个个激动不已。平时的思念都化为行动，用尽方法要回去再见故老乡亲一面。虽然从犹大被灭开始算起，还有大约廿年才满七十年，但以理知道自己已年迈，不可能回去了，却因而向神献上一个充满感恩和认罪求赦免的祷告，恳求神施怜悯，按著所应许的，眷顾耶路撒冷，让被掳之人可以早日回去重建圣城。

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Welcome to the Light

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Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the powerful book of 1 John.  Here is some background you may find helpful:

· Interestingly, the author of 1 John does not identify himself in this book, although he repeatedly claims to be an eyewitness of Jesus’ life on earth.  From very early on in Christian history, this book has been attributed to the apostle John, who was one of Jesus’ closest disciples and the writer of the Gospel of John.  Both in terms of writing style and content themes, 1 John and the Gospel of John read like they come from the same author.  Thus in our look at 1 John we will assume that John is indeed the author of 1 John. 
· Many scholars believe that 1 John was written around the same time as the Gospel of John, in which case 1 John may have been written around 70 A.D.

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

1 John 1:1-4 (NIV) 
1  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched–this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. 
2  The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. 
3  We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 
4  We write this to make our joy complete.

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公绵羊和公山羊的异梦

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但以理书  8:16  我又听见乌莱河两岸中有人声呼叫说：「加百列啊，要使此人明白这异象。」

阅读经文:  但以理书  8:1-27

1 伯沙撒王在位第三年，有异象现于我但以理，是在先前所见的异象之后。 2 我见了异象的时候，我以为在以拦省书珊城中，我见异象又如在乌莱河边。

3 我举目观看，见有双角的公绵羊站在河边，两角都高，这角高过那角，更高的是后长的。 4 我见那公绵羊往西、往北、往南牴触，兽在牠面前都站立不住，也没有能救护脱离牠手的。但牠任意而行，自高自大。

这是伯沙撒王在位的第三年，也就是在梦到四怪兽的两年之后，神继续向但以理显示将来要发生的事。神真的很爱但以理，爱到一个地步，不能不跟他分享世界的趋势和权力的走向。就像当年神要灭掉所多玛和蛾摩拉之前，耶和华说：「我所要做的事，岂可瞒着亚伯拉罕呢？（创18:17）」神的心是那样渴望和祂所爱的人分享，我觉得这是很奇妙的一件事，也令人感到十分的温馨。每个人都会有这样的感受吧，有想要和好朋友分享的时候。

就像以西结被神的灵从巴比伦的迦巴鲁河边提到耶路撒冷的圣殿里，但以理也是被神的灵从巴比伦提到书珊城外的乌莱河边。以拦是挪亚之孙，闪的长子，他的领土即是古代的以拦。大约在今日伊朗的边，与伊拉克的库兹斯坦省相隣，是底格里斯河和伊朗高原之间的一片狭长高地，其首都是书珊城。以拦先为亚述打败，后被波斯并吞，从一个独立国变成波斯之一省。

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