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Fix Your Thoughts on Jesus and Experience His Peace

2023-11-15 in /by

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”.

以色列忘记造他的主

2023-11-15 in , /by

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。

Two Reasons Jesus Became Like You

2023-11-14 in /by

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.

翻背的弓

2023-11-14 in , /by

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。

Salvation’s Announcer and Agent

2023-11-13 in /by

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).

务要认识耶和华

2023-11-13 in , /by

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。

祂在等待

2023-11-12 in , /by

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)。

Jesus Is…

2023-11-12 in /by

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.  

风把他们裹在翅膀里

2023-11-10 in , /by

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？

Characteristics of a Great Friend

2023-11-10 in /by

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.