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Is it possible to lose your salvation?

2023-11-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hebrews 6:1-12.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 6:1-3 (NIV)
1  Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,
2  instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
3  And God permitting, we will do so. 

On verses 1-3:  Just before this, the writer of Hebrews rebuked his readers for failing to mature spiritually.  As part of telling them to grow up, he mentions six topics that are foundational for every Christian to understand:
The first is “repentance from acts that lead to death” (v1), meaning the importance of turning from our sin (including our tendency to want to earn our salvation by our own good works) and turning to God. 
The second is the importance of faith (v1). 
The third is the importance of baptisms, referring to water baptism and baptism of the Holy Spirit (v2). 

可悲的逆转

2023-11-21 in , /by

何西阿书13:4  自从你出埃及地以来，我就是耶和华你的神。在我以外，你不可认识别神，除我以外并没有救主。

阅读经文:  何西阿书 13:1-16

1从前以法莲说话，人都战兢，他在以色列中居处高位，但他在侍奉巴力的事上犯罪就死了。 2 现今他们罪上加罪，用银子为自己铸造偶像，就是照自己的聪明制造，都是匠人的工作。有人论说：「献祭的人可以向牛犊亲嘴。」 3 因此，他们必如早晨的云雾，又如速散的甘露，像场上的糠秕被狂风吹去，又像烟气腾于窗外。

一、高位变糠秕(13:1-3)

「从前以法莲说话，人都战兢，他在以色列中居处高位。」(13:1a) 以法莲是一个很特别的支派。摩西带领以色列人过红海，到旷野，摩西是利未支派；然后约书亚带领以色列人进入迦南地，约书亚是以法莲支派；到士师时代，底波拉是以法莲支派的，撒母耳也是以法莲支派的，然后到北国耶罗波安，他也是以法莲支派的，所以以法莲支派在以色列中居很高的位置。但因为他们拜巴力，就带来一个可悲的逆转，他们变成云雾、甘露、糠秕和烟气，这四种比喻都表示他们很短暂、没有份量、稍纵即逝。

Jesus our Perfect High Priest

2023-11-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Hebrews 5:1-14.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 5:1-10 (NIV)
1  Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
2  He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.
3  This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
4  No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.

On verses 1-10:  In verses 1-4 the writer of Hebrews describes how the high priest under Jewish law was appointed and what that high priest did.  The high priest:
–  was selected from among his own people (v1a)
–  was appointed to represent the people in God-related matters and to offer gifts and sacrifices to God for people’s sins, including his own (v1b)
–  dealt gently with sinners because he himself could sympathize with their weaknesses (v2)
–  did not take up the honor of being a high priest on his own initiative, but must be called by God (v4).

审判中的怜悯

2023-11-20 in , /by

何西阿书12:6 所以你当归向你的神，谨守仁爱、公平，常常等候你的神。

阅读经文:  何西阿书 12:1-14

1「以法莲吃风，且追赶东风，时常增添虚谎和强暴，与亚述立约，把油送到埃及。 2 耶和华与犹大争辩，必照雅各所行的惩罚他，按他所做的报应他。 3 他在腹中抓住哥哥的脚跟，壮年的时候与神较力。 4 与天使较力，并且得胜，哭泣恳求。在伯特利遇见耶和华， 5 耶和华万军之神在那里晓谕我们以色列人，耶和华是他可记念的名。

在这一章里，神用雅各生平的四个故事来阐述神和以色列的关系。雅各离开迦南地去巴旦亚兰的路，也是以色列人将被亚述带离应许之地的路。在雅各出生时，他紧紧抓住以扫的脚跟，因此他被命名为雅各，意思就是抓住。在他的一生中，正彰显出这个名字的特质，也是每一个人心里的欲望，总想抓住这世界的什么，来增加自己心里的安全感。

神说以法莲吃风，且追赶东风。风是无定形的，抓不住，可见其努力的都将化为虚空。这里也形容人的愚昧，竟不知所要抓住的都将变为虚空。他们和亚述立约，把油送到埃及，两只脚踏两只船，以为这样就什么都抓住了，没想到就像雅各一样，什么也抓不住。

Approach God with Confidence Because You Have the Perfect Representative

2023-11-19 in /by

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.

神的慈绳爱索

2023-11-19 in , /by

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。

寻求耶和华的时候

2023-11-17 in , /by

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。

Jesus’ Finished Work Brings You Rest

2023-11-17 in /by

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. 

降罚的日子临近了

2023-11-16 in , /by

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）”

Your Heart’s Condition Is Your Choice

2023-11-16 in /by

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.)