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敬畏神

2024-02-05 in , /by

瑪拉基書4: 6   他必使父親的心轉向兒女，兒女的心轉向父親，免得我來咒詛遍地。

閱讀經文: 瑪拉基書 3:1-18

1萬軍之耶和華說：「那日臨近，勢如燒著的火爐，凡狂傲的和行惡的必如碎秸，在那日必被燒盡，根本、枝條一無存留。 2 但向你們敬畏我名的人，必有公義的日頭出現，其光線有醫治之能。你們必出來，跳躍如圈裡的肥犢。 3 你們必踐踏惡人，在我所定的日子，他們必如灰塵在你們腳掌之下。這是萬軍之耶和華說的。

在〈瑪拉基書〉裡，我們一直看到以色列人對神的頂撞： 祢在何事上愛我們呢？（1:2）／我們在何事上藐視祢的名呢？(1:6) ／這是為什麼呢？（2:14）／我們在何事上煩瑣祂呢？（2:17）／凡行惡的，耶和華眼看為善，並且祂喜悅他們／公義的神在哪裡呢？？（2:17）。當神把他們從被擄之地帶回，又重建了聖殿和耶路撒冷的城牆，使他們能夠重享在家園的自由生活時，他們不但沒有感恩之心，反而更加囂張狂妄。

這一點讓我們明白，為什麼在這之後神就停止了祂的默示四百年，直到主耶穌降生。在這舊約的最後一章裡，神再次提醒他們“那日臨近”。對於他們所有的挑釁和指責，神表明了祂的主權和公義，神有祂的時間表和計劃。

Jesus: My Prophet, Priest and King

2024-02-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 6:1-15.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!
 
Zechariah 6:1-8 (NIV)
1  I looked up again–and there before me were four chariots coming out from between two mountains–mountains of bronze!
2  The first chariot had red horses, the second black,
3  the third white, and the fourth dappled–all of them powerful.
4  I asked the angel who was speaking to me, “What are these, my lord?”

On verses 1-8:  Zechariah is shown an eighth vision.  It’s a vision of four chariots coming out from between two bronze mountains.  The first chariot is pulled by red horses, the second by black horses, the third by white horses and the fourth by spotted horses.  When Zechariah asks what these chariots and horses represent, the angel speaking to Zechariah explains that the four chariots represent the “four spirits (or winds) of heaven” (v4).  Zechariah notices that all these powerful horses are “straining” (v7) — that is, they’re eager to get going.  When the angel gives the command, “Go throughout the earth!” they do exactly that.  Then the angel tells Zechariah that the black ones going toward the north country have given his Spirit rest in the north country (v8).

神要敞開天上的窗戶

2024-02-04 in , /by

瑪拉基書3:10   萬軍之耶和華說：「你們要將當納的十分之一全然送入倉庫，使我家有糧，以此試試我，是否為你們敞開天上的窗戶傾福於你們，甚至無處可容。」

閱讀經文: 瑪拉基書 3:1-18

1萬軍之耶和華說：「我要差遣我的使者在我前面預備道路。你們所尋求的主必忽然進入他的殿，立約的使者，就是你們所仰慕的，快要來到。2 「祂來的日子，誰能當得起呢？他顯現的時候，誰能立得住呢？因為祂如煉金之人的火，如漂布之人的鹼。 3 祂必坐下如煉淨銀子的，必潔淨利未人，熬煉他們像金銀一樣，他們就憑公義獻供物給耶和華。

讀第三章時要從第二章的最後一節開始：“你們用言語煩瑣耶和華，你們還說：我們在何事上煩瑣他呢？因為你們說：凡行惡的，耶和華眼看為善，並且他喜悅他們；或說：公義的神在哪裏呢？”經過了亡國和七十年的被擄時期，終於回到了家園，這就是以色列人對神的回應。他們看不見在整件事上，神的主權，神的帶領，神完全的愛和包容。所以他們議論神，頂撞神，不以神為神。假如我們經歷了人生許多的功課，卻還不能學到一點東西，看不見神的帶領和保守之愛，那樣的人生便是全然浪費了。

但是在這一章裡，先知依然傳給他們一個充滿盼望的信息。雖然此時的以色列人已經敗壞到人覺得無法挽回的地步，但是神還是不放棄他們，神依然要藉著先知喚醒他們歸回，轉向神。

Sin and Evil Cannot Stand in the Presence of Holiness

2024-02-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 5:1-11.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!
 
Zechariah 5:1-3 (NIV)
1  I looked again–and there before me was a flying scroll!
2  He asked me, “What do you see?” I answered, “I see a flying scroll, thirty feet long and fifteen feet wide.”
3  And he said to me, “This is the curse that is going out over the whole land; for according to what it says on one side, every thief will be banished, and according to what it says on the other, everyone who swears falsely will be banished.

On verses 1-3:  In a sixth vision, Zechariah sees a large flying scroll.  He learns that the flying scroll represents a curse, or a judgment, from God over the whole land (probably meaning Judah).  The curse is that every thief and liar must be banished (v3).    

謹守你們的心

2024-02-02 in , /by

瑪拉基書 2:15 雖然神有靈的餘力能造多人，他不是單造一人嗎？為何只造一人呢？乃是他願人得虔誠的後裔。所以當謹守你們的心，誰也不可以詭詐待幼年所娶的妻。

閱讀經文: 瑪拉基書 2:10-17

10 我們豈不都是一位父嗎？豈不是一位神所造的嗎？我們各人怎麼以詭詐待弟兄，背棄了神與我們列祖所立的約呢？ 11 猶大人行事詭詐，並且在以色列和耶路撒冷中行一件可憎的事，因為猶大人褻瀆耶和華所喜愛的聖潔，娶侍奉外邦神的女子為妻。 12 凡行這事的，無論何人，就是獻供物給萬軍之耶和華，耶和華也必從雅各的帳篷中剪除他。

在我們的網站上有個﹝問題答疑﹞的信箱，本來是為了信仰的問題而設立的，沒想到有不少人為了感情的事而來信。特別讓我感到難過的是，有一些掛著基督徒之名的弟兄，在感情上卻沒有辦法做一個有原則有承擔的人，不但不能帶領女友信主，反而因自己的言行使人受害，並使主名不得榮耀。

我想這也是為什麼當年Bill McCartney成立Promise Keepers(諾言守護者)的主要原因，因為有許多男性，包括教會的弟兄都沒辦法守住婚約的承諾，以致於像瑪拉基說的，“使前妻嘆息哭泣的眼淚遮蓋耶和華的壇，以致耶和華不再看顧那供物，也不樂意從你們手中收納”。

瑪拉基提到在尼希米的時代，以色列人拋棄髮妻，娶侍奉外邦神的女子為妻。在神的眼中，拋棄髮妻已是“褻瀆耶和華所喜愛的聖潔”，更何況學所羅門娶外女去拜他們的假神，真是敗壞之極。

Moving Mountains by the Power of God’s Spirit

2024-02-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 4:1-14.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!
 
Zechariah 4:1-6 (NLT2)
1  Then the angel who had been talking with me returned and woke me, as though I had been asleep.
2  “What do you see now?” he asked. I answered, “I see a solid gold lampstand with a bowl of oil on top of it. Around the bowl are seven lamps, each having seven spouts with wicks.
3  And I see two olive trees, one on each side of the bowl.”
4  Then I asked the angel, “What are these, my lord? What do they mean?”
5  “Don’t you know?” the angel asked. “No, my lord,” I replied.
6  Then he said to me, “This is what the LORD says to Zerubbabel: It is not by force nor by strength, but by my Spirit, says the LORD of Heaven’s Armies.
 
On verses 1-6:  The same angel that spoke to Zechariah earlier wakes Zechariah from his slumber (v1) and Zechariah sees a fifth vision.  In this fifth vision, Zechariah sees a golden lampstand.  Usually to keep a lampstand burning, priests would have to keep coming back to that lampstand to fill it with oil.  However, what Zechariah sees is a lampstand that keeps burning without stopping and without needing people to refill it with oil. 

Because of Jesus You Can Serve God Without Shame

2024-02-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 3:1-10.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!
 
Zechariah 3:1-5 (NIV)
1  Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him.
2  The LORD said to Satan, “The LORD rebuke you, Satan! The LORD, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?”
3  Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel.
4  The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put rich garments on you.”
5  Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the LORD stood by.

On verses 1-5:  Here Zechariah describes a fourth vision that he sees.  It’s a picture of Joshua the high priest dressed in filthy clothes and standing before the angel of the Lord.  Satan is at Joshua’s right side accusing Joshua of all the sins Joshua has committed. 

生命和平安的約

2024-02-01 in , /by

瑪拉基書 2:5  我曾與他立生命和平安的約，我將這兩樣賜給他，使他存敬畏的心，他就敬畏我，懼怕我的名。

閱讀經文: 瑪拉基書 2:1-9

1「眾祭司啊，這誡命是傳給你們的。 2 萬軍之耶和華說：你們若不聽從，也不放在心上，將榮耀歸於我的名，我就使咒詛臨到你們，使你們的福分變為咒詛。因你們不把誡命放在心上，我已經咒詛你們了。 3 我必斥責你們的種子，又把你們犧牲的糞抹在你們的臉上，你們要與糞一同除掉。

神揀選利未人，使以色列人可以藉著他們與神溝通（相交）；也藉著利未人，使以色列人的罪過可以得赦免，並蒙悅納。這個制度建立在神的能力和聖潔之上。也因為利未人是神所揀選的僕人，他們必須放棄擁有地土和財產的權利，只能在會幕（或聖殿）裡工作，因為神就是他們的一切。神也要求以色列其他支派要負起供應利未人的責任和義務。

所以當利未人裡作祭司的不再相信有神，不相信神愛他們，隨隨便便地應付獻祭的事時，整個以色列人的根基就倒塌了。祭司污染祭壇，偏離正道，在律法上瞻徇情面，以致於他們被眾人藐視，看為下賤。當一個人不尊重自己時，也很難得到別人的尊重；一個祭司不尊重自己的身份和事工時，人也不會尊重他和他的工作。

在〈彼得前書〉二章9節裡，他說：“惟有你們是被揀選的族類，是有君尊的祭司，是聖潔的國度，是屬神的子民。要叫你們宣揚那召你們出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德”。你們，指的便是信徒，這就是“信徒皆祭司”的由來。

尊祂為大

2024-01-31 in , /by

瑪拉基書1:11 萬軍之耶和華說：從日出之地到日落之處，我的名在外邦中必尊為大。在各處人必奉我的名燒香，獻潔淨的供物，因為我的名在外邦中必尊為大。

閱讀經文: 瑪拉基書1:1-14

1耶和華藉瑪拉基傳給以色列的默示。

2 耶和華說：「我曾愛你們，你們卻說：『你在何事上愛我們呢？』」耶和華說：「以掃不是雅各的哥哥嗎？我卻愛雅各， 3 惡以掃，使他的山嶺荒涼，把他的地業交給曠野的野狗。 4 以東人說：『我們現在雖被毀壞，卻要重建荒廢之處。』萬軍之耶和華如此說：任他們建造，我必拆毀。人必稱他們的地為罪惡之境，稱他們的民為耶和華永遠惱怒之民。

〈瑪拉基書〉是舊約最後一卷書，〈瑪拉基〉的意思是“我的使者”，原文是 ‘我要差遣瑪拉基’＝‘我要差遣我的使者’之意。沒人知道那是一個人名或只是書名。在〈瑪拉基書〉成書後，神就靜默，不再有預言，直到耶穌降生，這之間就是沉默的四百年。

〈瑪拉基書〉成書時，被擄的以色列人在所羅巴伯、以斯拉和尼希米的帶領下已有三次歸回（主前536/457/444年），至少有五萬人已回到耶路撒冷。那時大約是主前400年，聖殿已經重建完成，以色列人恢復獻祭，做生意和嫁娶，也沒有亡國之前被外邦壓迫的威脅。

Jesus is the Wall of Fire Around You and the Glory Within You

2024-01-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 2:1-13.  There are so many rich and powerful lessons we can learn from this passage.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!
 
Today’s passage is Zechariah 2:1-13.  Let’s go!
 
Zechariah 2:1-5 (NIV)
1  Then I looked up–and there before me was a man with a measuring line in his hand!
2  I asked, “Where are you going?” He answered me, “To measure Jerusalem, to find out how wide and how long it is.”
3  Then the angel who was speaking to me left, and another angel came to meet him
4  and said to him: “Run, tell that young man, ‘Jerusalem will be a city without walls because of the great number of men and livestock in it.
5  And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will be its glory within.’

On verses 1-5:  Here Zechariah sees a third vision.  It’s of a man with a measuring line (like a measuring tape) who is trying to measure how wide and long is the city of Jerusalem (v1-2).  The angel who was earlier helping Zechariah to interpret the visions (1:19-21) leaves and is met by another angel who tells the interpreter angel a message to give to “that young man” (v3-4a).