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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). 

耶和華必做全地的王

2024-01-30 in , /by

撒迦利亞書13:1  那日，必給大衛家和耶路撒冷的居民開一個泉源，洗除罪惡與污穢。

閱讀經文: 撒迦利亞書13:1-9

1「那日，必給大衛家和耶路撒冷的居民開一個泉源，洗除罪惡與污穢。」

2 萬軍之耶和華說：「那日，我必從地上除滅偶像的名，不再被人記念，也必使這地不再有假先知與污穢的靈。 3 若再有人說預言，生他的父母必對他說：『你不得存活，因為你託耶和華的名說假預言。』生他的父母在他說預言的時候，要將他刺透。 4 那日，凡做先知說預言的必因他所論的異象羞愧，不再穿毛衣哄騙人。

“那日”，是一個警告，也是一個盼望。對萬民而言，那是爭戰和復興的日子，對萬民而言，則是末世大掃除。在前面幾章裡，我們一直讀到神要復興以色列和耶路撒冷的信息，在教會的事工中，我們也常渴望復興。但是我們想要的復興和神要的復興有點不同，我們要的復興是人丁興旺，財源茂盛；神要的復興是人心裡外的全然潔淨。而，人很難一直保持潔淨。所以在本章第一節，神要為大衛家和耶路撒冷的居民開一個泉源，除罪惡與污穢。

為何要開泉源呢？有個池子或裝個自來水不就行了嗎？泉源，代表活水不停息的奔流，把髒的洗去，不停地洗。耶穌說：“人若喝我所賜的水，就永遠不渴。我所賜的水要在他裡頭成為泉源，直湧到永生。（約4:14）”這就是人的狀況，我們需要有從耶穌來的活水泉源，在我們的裡面不斷地沖去心裡和思想的污穢，讓我們裡外潔淨。現在有些人很流行灌腸，為了維持健康，天天都灌腸，要把那些對健康有影響的廢物和骯髒都排得一乾二淨，以達到除百病和擁有健康的目的。我們的肉體需要保持乾淨，靈魂也是如此。

God Stands By Your Side

2024-01-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 1:7-21.  It’s not an easy passage to understand, but the lessons in it are significant.  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 1:7 (NIV)
7 On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, the month of Shebat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Zechariah son of Berekiah, the son of Iddo. 
 
On verse 7:  Here Zechariah begins to recount 8 visions that he apparently received in a single night from God.  Verses 8-17 describe the first vision.
 
Zechariah 1:8 (NIV)
8 During the night I had a vision–and there before me was a man riding a red horse! He was standing among the myrtle trees in a ravine. Behind him were red, brown and white horses. 
 
On verse 8:  In his first vision Zechariah sees an angel who looks like a man riding a red horse, standing among the myrtle trees in the middle of a deep valley, and backed by other horses.  

Find Your Identity and Hope in God and His Word

2024-01-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of Zechariah.

Here is some background on the book of Zechariah: 

– The book of Zechariah was written approximately in the 6th century B.C., probably around the same time as the book of Haggai (which we finished looking at together yesterday).  Haggai and Zechariah served God around the same time.  In fact, Zechariah started his own public ministry just a couple months after Haggai preached his first sermon.  

– Zechariah was one of 50,000 Jewish exiles who lived in Babylon but who were later allowed by the Persian empire to return to Jerusalem.  

– In Jerusalem, God used Zechariah much like He used Haggai: as a prophet to encourage the Jews to finish rebuilding Solomon’s temple and to get them ready for a king, a Messiah, to come.

– Zechariah’s name means “the Lord remembers”.

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

末世大掃除

2024-01-29 in , /by

撒迦利亞書13:1  那日，必給大衛家和耶路撒冷的居民開一個泉源，洗除罪惡與污穢。

閱讀經文: 撒迦利亞書13:1-9

1「那日，必給大衛家和耶路撒冷的居民開一個泉源，洗除罪惡與污穢。」

2 萬軍之耶和華說：「那日，我必從地上除滅偶像的名，不再被人記念，也必使這地不再有假先知與污穢的靈。 3 若再有人說預言，生他的父母必對他說：『你不得存活，因為你託耶和華的名說假預言。』生他的父母在他說預言的時候，要將他刺透。 4 那日，凡做先知說預言的必因他所論的異象羞愧，不再穿毛衣哄騙人。

“那日”，是一個警告，也是一個盼望。對萬民而言，那是爭戰和復興的日子，對萬民而言，則是末世大掃除。在前面幾章裡，我們一直讀到神要復興以色列和耶路撒冷的信息，在教會的事工中，我們也常渴望復興。但是我們想要的復興和神要的復興有點不同，我們要的復興是人丁興旺，財源茂盛；神要的復興是人心裡外的全然潔淨。而，人很難一直保持潔淨。所以在本章第一節，神要為大衛家和耶路撒冷的居民開一個泉源，除罪惡與污穢。

為何要開泉源呢？有個池子或裝個自來水不就行了嗎？泉源，代表活水不停息的奔流，把髒的洗去，不停地洗。耶穌說：“人若喝我所賜的水，就永遠不渴。我所賜的水要在他裡頭成為泉源，直湧到永生。（約4:14）”這就是人的狀況，我們需要有從耶穌來的活水泉源，在我們的裡面不斷地沖去心裡和思想的污穢，讓我們裡外潔淨。現在有些人很流行灌腸，為了維持健康，天天都灌腸，要把那些對健康有影響的廢物和骯髒都排得一乾二淨，以達到除百病和擁有健康的目的。我們的肉體需要保持乾淨，靈魂也是如此。