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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神的慈绳爱索

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何西阿书11:1  以色列年幼的时候，我爱他，就从埃及召出我的儿子来。

阅读经文:  何西阿书 11:1-12

1「以色列年幼的时候，我爱他，就从埃及召出我的儿子来。2 先知越发招呼他们，他们越发走开，向诸巴力献祭，给雕刻的偶像烧香。3 我原教导以法莲行走，用膀臂抱着他们，他们却不知道是我医治他们。4 我用慈绳爱索牵引他们，我待他们如人放松牛的两腮夹板，把粮食放在他们面前。

2018年2月21日一代福音巨人葛理翰牧师（Billy Graham）过世了，享年99岁。葛牧师是爱尔兰和苏格兰人的后裔，也是他家的长子。他从小就喜欢读书，特别喜欢读《泰山Tarzan》，并且喜欢学泰山吊挂在树上大叫，有时把附近的马和开车的人都吓跑了。据他父亲说，就是因为他的声音，所以他成了一个布道家！在他14岁时，美国的禁酒令取消了。他的父亲强迫葛理翰和他妹妹凯萨琳喝啤酒，直到他们喝不下为止。从此以后，他们两人对酒和毒品终生敬而远之。

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寻求耶和华的时候

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何西阿书10:12 你们要为自己栽种公义，就能收割慈爱。现今正是寻求耶和华的时候，你们要开垦荒地，等他临到，使公义如雨降在你们身上。

阅读经文:  何西阿书 10:1-15

1以色列是茂盛的葡萄树，结果繁多。果子越多，就越增添祭坛；地土越肥美，就越造美丽的柱像。 2 他们心怀二意，现今要定为有罪。耶和华必拆毁他们的祭坛，毁坏他们的柱像。 3 他们必说：「我们没有王，因为我们不敬畏耶和华。王能为我们做什么呢？」

以色列一直是神所栽种，所祝福，所喜爱的葡萄树。神喜欢用葡萄树，或甚至葡萄园来形容以色列。但是以色列让神很脑筋，因为神越祝福他们，他们越发茂盛，结果越多，就越发去造异教的祭坛祭拜偶像，忘记造他们的主，离弃拣选他们的神耶和华。他们用神的祝福去做美丽的柱像，也就是一个又一个的偶像，然后去拜那些自己的手所做出来的，没有生命之物。

这个用现代的话来说，可不可以说现代人用神给的祝福，所赚来的钱，所赐的时间，去追求更多的享受和物质，而逐渐远离神？玩手机和上网路取代了亲近神的时间，游戏和美食占去了我们的心神？偶像没有什么了不起，真正的问题是“心怀二意”也可译为“他们的心是虚假的”，在选择之间，原本该尊主为大，却变成尊已欲望为大。那是偶像。我一直觉得，人真正的偶像是自己，和自己的私欲。外表的敬拜只是一种投射，拜偶像也只是一种利用。

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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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降罚的日子临近了

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何西阿书 9:5  在大会的日子，到耶和华的节期，你们怎样行呢？

阅读经文:  何西阿书 9:1-16

1以色列啊，不要像外邦人欢喜快乐，因为你行邪淫离弃你的神，在各谷场上如妓女喜爱赏赐。 2 谷场和酒榨都不够以色列人使用，新酒也必缺乏。 3 他们必不得住耶和华的地，以法莲却要归回埃及，必在亚述吃不洁净的食物。 4 他们必不得向耶和华奠酒，即便奠酒也不蒙悦纳。他们的祭物必如居丧者的食物，凡吃的必被玷污，因他们的食物只为自己的口腹，必不奉入耶和华的殿。 5 在大会的日子，到耶和华的节期，你们怎样行呢？ 6 看哪，他们逃避灾难，埃及人必收殓他们的尸首，摩弗人必葬埋他们的骸骨。他们用银子做的美物上必长蒺藜，他们的帐篷中必生荆棘。

七月一日是加拿大的国庆日，在这一天加拿大人庆祝国家的诞生；美国的国庆在七月四日，也有类似的庆祝。世界各国都有自己的国庆日，是特别欢乐的日子。但就是在这样的日子，在欢乐的时刻，在举国庆祝的日子里；何西阿对欢乐的众人开始他的演讲：“以色列阿，不要……欢喜快乐！”（1节）。

这个谷场是一个既作为打谷，又作为庆祝丰收的公开场所。他所讲的却是悲哀的信息： “他们必不得住耶和华的地。（3节）”间接上，他是宣布上帝与这个国家所立的约已经终止。以色列过去曾经从埃及为奴之地出来，被带到自由和丰收之地。但是现在先知宣布：“以法莲却要归回埃及”那些欢乐地吃丰收的食物的人，不久将要“在亚述吃不洁净的食物。（3节）”

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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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以色列忘记造他的主

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何西阿书8:14  以色列忘记造他的主，建造宫殿，犹大多造坚固城，我却要降火焚烧他的城邑，烧灭其中的宫殿。

阅读经文:  何西阿书 8:1-14

1「你用口吹角吧！敌人如鹰来攻打耶和华的家，因为这民违背我的约，干犯我的律法。 2 他们必呼叫我说：『我的神啊，我们以色列认识你了！』 3 以色列丢弃良善，仇敌必追逼他。

有个新闻说，在中国陕西紫阳县有名王老先生，独居在一个山上的小村落，生活得困苦，当地的扶贫组织想劝他搬到养老院，有专人照顾，环境也比较好，但他说什么也不肯，问了他原因，才知道他有个15年音讯全无的儿子，他一直在等著儿子回家。

王老先生原在煤坑、矿场工作，日子非常穷苦，为了儿子他到处借钱，预支薪水，就是舍不得让儿子吃少穿少了。他的儿子也很争气，读书读得很好，并且在2003年时告诉父亲，他要到西安赚钱，几年后再回来。从此，王老先生省吃俭用， 花了几年时间，将之前欠下的债务通通还清，养了猪和羊，请师傅将猪做成腊肉，挂在屋梁上，等儿子回来一起吃。只是儿子这一去，15年来音讯全无，等到腊肉早就发霉了，儿子还是没有回来。

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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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何西阿书 7:11  以法莲好像鸽子愚蠢无知，他们求告埃及，投奔亚述。

阅读经文:  何西阿书 7:1-15

1「我想医治以色列的时候，以法莲的罪孽和撒马利亚的罪恶就显露出来。他们行事虚谎，内有贼人入室偷窃，外有强盗成群骚扰。 2 他们心里并不思想我记念他们的一切恶，他们所行的现在缠绕他们，都在我面前。 3 他们行恶使君王欢喜，说谎使首领喜乐。 4 他们都是行淫的，像火炉被烤饼的烧热，从抟面到发面的时候，暂不使火著旺。

神在暗中察看，知道人的一切心思和诡计。从第3-7节指出当时的政局是何等地混乱。在北国君王耶罗波安去世后，到何细亚登基为最后一位北国君王之前的廿年，发生了六次宫廷政变。强人伺机夺取政权，不择手段，进行谋杀，因此说：“他们行恶使君王欢喜，说谎使首领喜乐”。他们之间彼此疑嫉妒，没有真正的信任，互相说谎取悦于人。

王无法看出谁是真正帮助他的，竟与亵慢人拉手。亵慢是指心里骄傲的人，他们图谋的，王竟不知道，而与他们联手，以致于被消灭。他们埋伏的时候，就好像热著的火炉，一整夜之后，热情上胜，无法控制；人民也一样，大家都为了夺权，想法消灭他们的官长和君王。在这样混乱的政局中，没有一个人想到要求告神，要寻求公义。都只是为了自己的权益。

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