Approach God with Confidence Because You Have the Perfect Representative

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hebrews 4:12-16.  These verses are worth memorizing.  They contain some powerful truths that we need to store up in our hearts.   Let’s go!

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
12  For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

On verse 12:  Though the Scriptures (the logos “word of God”) were written thousands of years ago, they are incredibly relevant, applicable and helpful for us today.  Case in point: just before this, in verses 1 to 11 the writer of Hebrews gave a powerful sermon on Psalm 95 to communicate the powerful and relevant truth that trusting in Jesus’ finished work on the cross allows us to enter God’s rest.   What can we learn from this?  God actively uses the Scriptures to speak into our current situations.  God’s Word truly is living and active.

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神的慈繩愛索

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何西阿書11:1  以色列年幼的時候，我愛他，就從埃及召出我的兒子來。

閱讀經文:  何西阿書 11:1-12

1「以色列年幼的時候，我愛他，就從埃及召出我的兒子來。2 先知越發招呼他們，他們越發走開，向諸巴力獻祭，給雕刻的偶像燒香。3 我原教導以法蓮行走，用膀臂抱著他們，他們卻不知道是我醫治他們。4 我用慈繩愛索牽引他們，我待他們如人放鬆牛的兩腮夾板，把糧食放在他們面前。

2018年2月21日一代福音巨人葛理翰牧師（Billy Graham）過世了，享年99歲。葛牧師是愛爾蘭和蘇格蘭人的後裔，也是他家的長子。他從小就喜歡讀書，特別喜歡讀《泰山Tarzan》，並且喜歡學泰山吊掛在樹上大叫，有時把附近的馬和開車的人都嚇跑了。據他父親說，就是因為他的聲音，所以他成了一個佈道家！在他14歲時，美國的禁酒令取消了。他的父親強迫葛理翰和他妹妹凱薩琳喝啤酒，直到他們喝不下為止。從此以後，他們兩人對酒和毒品終生敬而遠之。

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尋求耶和華的時候

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何西阿書10:12 你們要為自己栽種公義，就能收割慈愛。現今正是尋求耶和華的時候，你們要開墾荒地，等他臨到，使公義如雨降在你們身上。

閱讀經文:  何西阿書 10:1-15

1以色列是茂盛的葡萄樹，結果繁多。果子越多，就越增添祭壇；地土越肥美，就越造美麗的柱像。 2 他們心懷二意，現今要定為有罪。耶和華必拆毀他們的祭壇，毀壞他們的柱像。 3 他們必說：「我們沒有王，因為我們不敬畏耶和華。王能為我們做什麼呢？」

以色列一直是神所栽種，所祝福，所喜愛的葡萄樹。神喜歡用葡萄樹，或甚至葡萄園來形容以色列。但是以色列讓神很腦筋，因為神越祝福他們，他們越發茂盛，結果越多，就越發去造異教的祭壇祭拜偶像，忘記造他們的主，離棄揀選他們的神耶和華。他們用神的祝福去做美麗的柱像，也就是一個又一個的偶像，然後去拜那些自己的手所做出來的，沒有生命之物。

這個用現代的話來說，可不可以說現代人用神給的祝福，所賺來的錢，所賜的時間，去追求更多的享受和物質，而逐漸遠離神？玩手機和上網路取代了親近神的時間，遊戲和美食佔去了我們的心神？偶像沒有什麼了不起，真正的問題是“心懷二意”也可譯為“他們的心是虛假的”，在選擇之間，原本該尊主為大，卻變成尊已欲望為大。那是偶像。我一直覺得，人真正的偶像是自己，和自己的私欲。外表的敬拜只是一種投射，拜偶像也只是一種利用。

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Jesus’ Finished Work Brings You Rest

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hebrews 4:1-11.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 4:1-3a (NIV)
1  Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.
2  For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith.
3  Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.'” …

On verses 1-3a:  What “rest” is the writer of Hebrews talking about here?  What “rest” is he not wanting his readers to miss?  To be clear, the writer of Hebrews is not referring to resting once a week from your normal work as per the 10 commandments.  The rest he is referring to here is a spiritual rest in God, a rest that comes from being forgiven of our sins, a rest where we are no longer separated from God but reconciled to Him.  Another way to describe this “rest” is having peace with God, such that instead of being slaves to sin and doomed to hell, we are now children of God and citizens of heaven.  This is the ultimate rest, a rest that brings benefit to us not just today but for eternity.  This rest comes only from trusting in Jesus Christ, and God offers this rest to all of us today. 

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降罰的日子臨近了

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何西阿書 9:5  在大會的日子，到耶和華的節期，你們怎樣行呢？

閱讀經文:  何西阿書 9:1-16

1以色列啊，不要像外邦人歡喜快樂，因為你行邪淫離棄你的神，在各穀場上如妓女喜愛賞賜。 2 穀場和酒榨都不夠以色列人使用，新酒也必缺乏。 3 他們必不得住耶和華的地，以法蓮卻要歸回埃及，必在亞述吃不潔淨的食物。 4 他們必不得向耶和華奠酒，即便奠酒也不蒙悅納。他們的祭物必如居喪者的食物，凡吃的必被玷汙，因他們的食物只為自己的口腹，必不奉入耶和華的殿。 5 在大會的日子，到耶和華的節期，你們怎樣行呢？ 6 看哪，他們逃避災難，埃及人必收殮他們的屍首，摩弗人必葬埋他們的骸骨。他們用銀子做的美物上必長蒺藜，他們的帳篷中必生荊棘。

七月一日是加拿大的國慶日，在這一天加拿大人慶祝國家的誕生；美國的國慶在七月四日，也有類似的慶祝。世界各國都有自己的國慶日，是特別歡樂的日子。但就是在這樣的日子，在歡樂的時刻，在舉國慶祝的日子裡；何西阿對歡樂的眾人開始他的演講：“以色列阿，不要……歡喜快樂！”（1節）。

這個穀場是一個既作為打穀，又作為慶祝豐收的公開場所。他所講的卻是悲哀的信息： “他們必不得住耶和華的地。（3節）”間接上，他是宣布上帝與這個國家所立的約已經終止。以色列過去曾經從埃及為奴之地出來，被帶到自由和豐收之地。但是現在先知宣布：“以法蓮卻要歸回埃及”那些歡樂地吃豐收的食物的人，不久將要“在亞述吃不潔淨的食物。（3節）”

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Your Heart’s Condition Is Your Choice

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hebrews 3:7-19.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 3:7-12 (NIV)
7  So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice,
8  do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,
9  where your fathers tested and tried me and for forty years saw what I did.
10  That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known my ways.’
11  So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.'”
12  See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.

On verses 7-12:  There are two crucial lessons I learn as I read these verses today.

First, notice that in verses 7-11 the writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 95:7-11 and prefaces it was saying, “as the Holy Spirit says”.  In other words, the writer of Hebrews believed the Old Testament is not just people’s words, but the inspired words of the Holy Spirit.  (In chapter 2, the writer of Hebrews credits other parts of the Old Testament to Jesus (see 2:12).  So according to the writer of Hebrews, both Jesus and the Holy Spirit were involved in the writing of Scripture in the Old Testament.) 

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Fix Your Thoughts on Jesus and Experience His Peace

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Hi GAMErs!

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

Hebrews 3:1 (NIV)
1  Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess.

On verse 1:  Could you use more joy, peace, hope, love or perseverance?  Then do what verse 1 tells us to do: fix your thoughts on Jesus.  Don’t just think about Jesus occasionally, but focus your attention on Him.  Fix your gaze on Him.   As the writer of Hebrews will later write: “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2).  When we spend long extended times looking at and thinking about Jesus, we gain joy, peace, hope, love and perseverance that the world cannot give.

On verses 2-6:   In chapters 1 and 2 we are shown how Jesus is greater than the angels.  Now in the first part of chapter 3 we are shown how Jesus is greater than Moses.  When it comes to great leaders in the Bible, you will be hard pressed to find anyone who played a more significant role in building God’s house, or who served God and His people more faithfully, than Moses.  Both verses 2 and 5 state that “Moses was faithful in all God’s house”.

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以色列忘記造他的主

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何西阿書8:14  以色列忘記造他的主，建造宮殿，猶大多造堅固城，我卻要降火焚燒他的城邑，燒滅其中的宮殿。

閱讀經文:  何西阿書 8:1-14

1「你用口吹角吧！敵人如鷹來攻打耶和華的家，因為這民違背我的約，干犯我的律法。 2 他們必呼叫我說：『我的神啊，我們以色列認識你了！』 3 以色列丟棄良善，仇敵必追逼他。

有個新聞說，在中國陝西紫陽縣有名王老先生，獨居在一個山上的小村落，生活得困苦，當地的扶貧組織想勸他搬到養老院，有專人照顧，環境也比較好，但他說什麼也不肯，問了他原因，才知道他有個15年音訊全無的兒子，他一直在等著兒子回家。

王老先生原在煤坑、礦場工作，日子非常窮苦，為了兒子他到處借錢，預支薪水，就是捨不得讓兒子吃少穿少了。他的兒子也很爭氣，讀書讀得很好，並且在2003年時告訴父親，他要到西安賺錢，幾年後再回來。從此，王老先生省吃儉用， 花了幾年時間，將之前欠下的債務通通還清，養了豬和羊，請師傅將豬做成臘肉，掛在屋樑上，等兒子回來一起吃。只是兒子這一去，15年來音訊全無，等到臘肉早就發霉了，兒子還是沒有回來。

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Two Reasons Jesus Became Like You

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hebrews 2:11-18.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 2:11 (NIV)
11  Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.

On verse 11:  Who is “the one who makes men holy”?  Jesus.  Who is “those who are made holy”? You, me and everyone else who is currently living on earth and trusting Jesus as Saviour.  We are being made holy by Jesus, the holy one who makes others holy.  And yet even though Jesus is holy and we are only in the process of being made holy, Jesus humbly still puts himself in the same boat as us, not ashamed to call us his family, his brothers and sisters.  This shows us the amazing humility and love of Jesus for us.

Do you have a tendency to look down on members of your family?  Remember Jesus, that though Jesus is so much holier than us, He is not ashamed to call us His brothers and sisters, but goes out of His way to love them and serve them.

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翻背的弓

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何西阿書 7:11  以法蓮好像鴿子愚蠢無知，他們求告埃及，投奔亞述。

閱讀經文:  何西阿書 7:1-15

1「我想醫治以色列的時候，以法蓮的罪孽和撒馬利亞的罪惡就顯露出來。他們行事虛謊，內有賊人入室偷竊，外有強盜成群騷擾。 2 他們心裡並不思想我記念他們的一切惡，他們所行的現在纏繞他們，都在我面前。 3 他們行惡使君王歡喜，說謊使首領喜樂。 4 他們都是行淫的，像火爐被烤餅的燒熱，從摶麵到發麵的時候，暫不使火著旺。

神在暗中察看，知道人的一切心思和詭計。從第3-7節指出當時的政局是何等地混亂。在北國君王耶羅波安去世後，到何細亞登基為最後一位北國君王之前的廿年，發生了六次宮廷政變。強人伺機奪取政權，不擇手段，進行謀殺，因此說：“他們行惡使君王歡喜，說謊使首領喜樂”。他們之間彼此疑嫉妒，沒有真正的信任，互相說謊取悅於人。

王無法看出誰是真正幫助他的，竟與褻慢人拉手。褻慢是指心裡驕傲的人，他們圖謀的，王竟不知道，而與他們聯手，以致於被消滅。他們埋伏的時候，就好像熱著的火爐，一整夜之後，熱情上勝，無法控制；人民也一樣，大家都為了奪權，想法消滅他們的官長和君王。在這樣混亂的政局中，沒有一個人想到要求告神，要尋求公義。都只是為了自己的權益。

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