Salvation’s Announcer and Agent

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Hi GAMErs!

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

Hebrews 2:1-4 (NIV) 
1  We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 
2  For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 
3  how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 
4  God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

On verses 1-4:   Here the writer of Hebrews starts to compare two messages.  The first message is the message of the old covenant, a message that was “spoken by angels” (v2; see also Galatians 3:19) to Moses.  The message of the old covenant is all about God’s law.  The essence of the old covenant message is: “Obey God’s law and be blessed.  Disobey God’s law and die.”   The old covenant message was binding on the Israelites.  Those who disobeyed the law of Moses were punished (v2).

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务要认识耶和华

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何西阿书6:3  我们务要认识耶和华，竭力追求认识祂。祂出现确如晨光，祂必临到我们像甘雨，像滋润田地的春雨。

阅读经文:  何西阿书 6:1-11

1来吧，我们归向耶和华！他撕裂我们，也必医治；他打伤我们，也必缠裹。 2 过两天他必使我们苏醒，第三天他必使我们兴起，我们就在他面前得以存活。 3 我们务要认识耶和华，竭力追求认识他。他出现确如晨光，他必临到我们像甘雨(winter rains)，像滋润田地的春雨。

今天神给我们的提醒是：“务要认识耶和华，竭力追求认识祂。祂出现确如晨光，祂必临到我们像甘雨，像滋润田地的春雨”。何等美好的鼓励。“甘雨”在此有时被译为冬雨。有人形容夏雨急促，冬雨肃杀，但其实因为冬雨徐徐，又多又长，有时以雪的形态出现，最能渗入深层，滋润根部。冬雨经常可以补足地下水，使干季时的井不会枯竭。所以有人说瑞雪兆丰年是有原因的。

迦南地是一个非常少雨的地区，春雨前是冬雨，冬雨前是秋雨。该地从六月开始就不下雨，持续四到五个月的干旱，土地经过几个月的干旱，已被太阳晒得变硬。秋雨的来临，把土地变软，才能耕犁、下种。冬雨进入土地的深层，春雨接着使土地肥沃，确保农作物的收成。

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祂在等待

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何西阿书 5:15  我要回到原处，等他们自觉有罪，寻求我面。他们在急难的时候，必切切寻求我。

阅读经文:  何西阿书 5:1-15

1「众祭司啊，要听我的话！以色列家啊，要留心听！王家啊，要侧耳而听！审判要临到你们，因你们在米斯巴如网罗，在他泊山如铺张的网。 2 这些悖逆的人肆行杀戮，罪孽极深，我却斥责他们众人。 3 以法莲为我所知，以色列不能向我隐藏。以法莲哪，现在你行淫了，以色列被玷污了。

在这一章里，神用了三重的呼召：众祭司、以色列家、王家，加起来就是全部的以色列人的意思。神要审判全部的以色列人，因为他们不只自己拜偶像，也引诱犹大去拜偶像。米斯巴在约旦河的东边，他泊山在约旦河的西边，都在犹大的边境，这两个地方都设有邱坛和偶像。他们好像打鸟和捕鱼的人，张著网罗捕捉犹大人一起去犯罪；也可以说使犹大百姓陷入罪网之中。

以法莲是约瑟的次子，后来成了以色列一支强大的支派，圣经里往往用以法莲来代表以色列。在这里以法莲和以色列都是指以色列人。有一句话极为重要，为何他们不能归向神？因为他们所行的使他们不能归向神，因有淫心在他们里面，他们也不认识耶和华(v.4)。

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Jesus Is…

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Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of Hebrews.  It contains one of the Bible’s most beautiful, thoughtful and thorough presentations of who Jesus is and what He has done.   Here is some background on the book of Hebrews that you may find helpful:

 –  The book of Hebrews is known as the only truly anonymous book in the New Testament, as the author does not reveal his identity.  Some have suggested that the apostle Paul wrote this book, although many scholars believe this is unlikely.  For reasons that we won’t get into now, it seems that a strong argument can be made that Luke, the one who wrote both the Gospel of Luke and Acts, was the one who authored this book.  Whoever the author was, it is clear that the author knew Paul’s disciple Timothy well (see 13:23).   
 –  Many scholars agree that Hebrews was written in approximately 69 AD before the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed.  Otherwise, the author would likely have mentioned this event when talking about how the old sacrificial system of the Jews had been replaced by a new system ushered by the blood of Jesus.  

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风把他们裹在翅膀里

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何西阿书4:3  因此这地悲哀，其上的民、田野的兽、空中的鸟必都衰微，海中的鱼也必消灭。

阅读经文:  何西阿书 4:1-19

1以色列人哪，你们当听耶和华的话！耶和华与这地的居民争辩：「因这地上无诚实，无良善，无人认识神， 2 但起假誓，不践前言，杀害，偷盗，奸淫，行强暴，杀人流血接连不断， 3 因此这地悲哀，其上的民、田野的兽、空中的鸟必都衰微，海中的鱼也必消灭。

假如你对一个人失望透顶，你会如何？倘若对方是个朋友，你很可能离他远远的；倘若是你的配偶，你可能计划和对方离婚；但是倘若那是你的儿子或女儿，你怎么办？有个新闻，说日本国内有超过50万的“茧居族”，关在家里、拒绝与社会接触，靠着父母养或领救济金过生活，而这些长年不工作的茧居族，如今慢慢进入中年，他们年迈的父母亲开始担心，应该要存多少钱留给孩子，才能让他们“一辈子不出门”也能活下去。

父母的心就是自己再苦，也要帮助孩子活下去。神又何尝不是如此，虽然看到以色列人的罪，却还是千方百计地要唤醒他们。而我发现以色列人的罪其实也是整个世界居民的罪。尤其是在第三节，讲到因为第1-2节的罪，“因此这地悲哀，其上的民、田野的兽、空中的鸟必都衰微，海中的鱼也必消灭”。当我读到这节经文时，心里吓了一跳，因为有谁会想到因为人的罪过，以致田野的兽、空中的鸟必都衰微，海中的鱼也必消灭？

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Characteristics of a Great Friend

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Hi GAMErs!

Today we are looking at 3 John, a very short letter most likely written by the apostle John to his friend Gaius.  Today’s passage is 3 John 1:1-13.  Let’s go!

3 John 1:1 (NIV) 
1  The elder, To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth.

On verse 1:  In this short letter John refers to Gaius as his “dear friend” four times.   Notice how affectionate John is in his words to Gaius.  Through this letter we learn several lessons on what it means to be a great friend who points others to Jesus.  We find the first one here:  if you want to be a great friend, speak affectionate words that let the other person know how much they mean to you.

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Truth is a Person

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Hi GAMErs!

Today we’re looking at one of the shortest books in the Bible: it’s 2 John, a letter which is widely believed to be written by the apostle John and written around the same time as 1 John (many scholars say about early 60s AD).   Let’s go!
 
2 John 1:1 (NIV) 
1  The elder, To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth–and not I only, but also all who know the truth–

On verse 1:  Who is this “chosen lady” that John is writing to?  Many scholars believe that this chosen lady was not an individual but a church community.  This is supported by the fact that there are no proper names given for this chosen lady, John refers to this lady not just in the singular but also in the plural, and the church is called the “bride of Christ” in the New Testament.  Similarly, “your chosen sister” (v13) is probably referring to another church community from which John is writing his letter. 

Since this was a time of heavy persecution of Christians, “chosen lady” and “your chosen sister” may have been secret code words to keep this letter from being detected by persecutors of Christians. 

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以敬畏的心归向耶和华

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何西阿书3:5  后来以色列人必归回，寻求他们的神耶和华和他们的王大卫。在末后的日子，必以敬畏的心归向耶和华，领受祂的恩惠。

阅读经文:  何西阿书 3:1-5

1耶和华对我说：「你再去爱一个淫妇，就是她情人所爱的；好像以色列人，虽然偏向别神，喜爱葡萄饼，耶和华还是爱他们。」 2 我便用银子十五舍客勒，大麦一贺梅珥半，买她归我。 3 我对她说：「你当多日为我独居，不可行淫，不可归别人为妻，我向你也必这样。」 4 以色列人也必多日独居，无君王，无首领，无祭祀，无柱像，无以弗得，无家中的神像。

你有没有想过，当我们读〈但以理书〉时，为何心里有一种欢悦；但是读〈何西阿〉书时，心里却感到厌烦和沉闷？其实，不止〈何西阿书〉，好像〈耶利米书〉、部份〈以西结书〉和〈以赛亚书〉，都会有一种想逃避的感觉？我自己稍微分析了一下，〈但以理书〉和其他先知书最大的不同，在于其中没有很长的指责和训诲，并且但以理和朋友在惊心动魄的考验之后，总是有极为奇妙的神蹟出现，那就是我们最喜欢的部份。

但是在其他的先知书，我们看到的大多是神对以色列人和列国的责备，先知的生活也总是有点悽惨。神要他们去做的事，大都是我们一般难以接受的。但以理虽然生活在外邦人中间，但是他保守自己的圣洁，也因他保守自己，神也保守他，祝福他。其他先知们也是生活在不圣洁的人群之中，虽然是本国人，神的选民之中，却是被神认为污秽而不圣洁之民。

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祢是我的神

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何西阿书2:21  耶和华说：那日我必应允，我必应允天，天必应允地。

阅读经文:  何西阿书 2:1-23

1「你们要称你们的弟兄为阿米，称你们的姐妹为路哈玛。2 「你们要与你们的母亲大大争辩，因为她不是我的妻子，我也不是她的丈夫。叫她除掉脸上的淫像和胸间的淫态， 3 免得我剥她的衣服，使她赤体，与才生的时候一样，使她如旷野，如干旱之地，因渴而死。 4 我必不怜悯她的儿女，因为他们是从淫乱而生的。 5 他们的母亲行了淫乱，怀他们的母做了可羞耻的事，因为她说：『我要随从所爱的，我的饼、水、羊毛、麻、油、酒都是他们给的。』

在这一章的上半段里，先知为何要儿女与母亲争辩？有何原因使他如此愤慨地提及他的妻子？在这段里的母亲和儿女代表的是谁？在这一段经文里，有哪些事暗示歌蔑已经又有淫乱之举？荆棘和筑墙又有什么特别的意义呢？

从这段经文里，先知似乎正处在一种非常的痛苦中，不能找他人倾诉，只能和儿女们诉苦。希望儿女在他们妻间做审判者，还给他一个公道。在这里的母亲和儿女显然代表以色列人，因为他们在属灵上的不专一，或者说是离弃神，而导致关系的破裂。神的口气是如此的痛苦，以致于祂要说：“因为她不是我的妻子，我也不是她的丈夫”，就像在说：我们干脆离婚罢了，我不要再做你的丈夫，你也不要做我的妻子。

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Confident Because of Jesus

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 John 5:13-21.  Let’s go! 
 
1 John 5:13-15 (NIV) 
13  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 
14  This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. 
15  And if we know that he hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of him.

On verses 13-15:  John writes so that his readers would have confidence in their salvation (v13) and confidence that God hears their prayers (v14-15).  As those who believe in the name of the Son of God, we can have the same confidence as well. 

On verses 16-17:  In addition to being confident that we have eternal life and being confident that God hears our prayers, we can be confident that when we pray for others who confess their sins to us, God uses our prayers to restore and strengthen them.  The sole exception is when a person commits the “sin that leads to death” (v16).

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