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积善之家有余庆，积恶之家有余殃(1)

2023-05-05 in , /by

以赛亚书65:1 「素来没有访问我的，现在求问我；没有寻找我的，我叫他们遇见；没有称为我名下的，我对他们说：『我在这里！我在这里！』。

阅读经文：65:1-7

1 「素来没有访问我的，现在求问我；没有寻找我的，我叫他们遇见；没有称为我名下的，我对他们说：『我在这里！我在这里！』

2 「我整天伸手招呼那悖逆的百姓，他们随自己的意念行不善之道。 3 这百姓时常当面惹我发怒，在园中献祭，在坛上烧香；

本章开始，先知转述救主的启示，论到能被拣选成为新国度选民的原则。以色列为神选民的身份原是来自先祖，然而，他们却要因悖逆而丧失地位。他们虽然称为主名下的选民，但却从不主动寻找祂（65:1）。

首先先知论到神主动的救赎。先知以第一人称的口气转述上帝主动对外邦人救赎的心意──外邦百姓原是「素来没有访问我（耶和华神）的」、「没有寻找我的」、也是「没有称为我名下的」，但是神却「叫他们遇见」、「对他们说我在这里」，犹太百姓对神的轻忽，因此神就主动转向外邦百姓。这一段启示也是一个预言，指明福音要因犹太人的弃绝而转向外邦。耶和华神原是犹太人所熟悉的，但是犹太人却因习以为常以致不珍惜这个能够成为神子民的福气，所以上帝便将认识祂、成为祂子民的福气转向外邦，叫他们有机会可以了解救赎主的存在，并能够寻求到祂。

When Paul Confronted Peter

2023-05-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

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

Galatians 2:1-2 (NIV)
1  Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.
2  I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.
 
On verses 1-2:  Paul’s goal is to show the Christians in Galatia that they are heading in the wrong direction by thinking that they need to be circumcised in order to be saved.  To help them see the error of their ways, Paul uses an interesting and commendable approach: he shares a story.  In fact, it’s his own story, the story of how years before he went through a similar struggle.  Paul shares about a time when he also wondered whether he was preaching the right thing by telling Gentile Christians that they didn’t need to be circumcised in accordance with the law of Moses.  So Paul goes to Jerusalem, along with his ministry teammates Barnabas and Titus, to ask for advice from leaders in Jerusalem. 

It Helps to Get Good Advice

2023-05-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

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

Galatians 2:1-2 (NIV)
1  Fourteen years later I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also.
2  I went in response to a revelation and set before them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did this privately to those who seemed to be leaders, for fear that I was running or had run my race in vain.
 
On verses 1-2:  Paul’s goal is to show the Christians in Galatia that they are heading in the wrong direction by thinking that they need to be circumcised in order to be saved.  To help them see the error of their ways, Paul uses an interesting and commendable approach: he shares a story.  In fact, it’s his own story, the story of how years before he went through a similar struggle.  Paul shares about a time when he also wondered whether he was preaching the right thing by telling Gentile Christians that they didn’t need to be circumcised in accordance with the law of Moses.  So Paul goes to Jerusalem, along with his ministry teammates Barnabas and Titus, to ask for advice from leaders in Jerusalem. 

选民对耶和华神的求救

2023-05-04 in , /by

以赛亚书64: 8 耶和华啊，现在祢仍是我们的父！我们是泥，祢是窑匠，我们都是祢手的工作。

阅读经文：63:15-64:12

63:15 求祢从天上垂顾，从祢圣洁荣耀的居所观看！祢的热心和祢大能的作为在哪里呢？祢爱慕的心肠和怜悯向我们止住了。 16 亚伯拉罕虽然不认识我们，以色列也不承认我们，祢却是我们的父！耶和华啊，祢是我们的父，从万古以来，祢名称为我们的救赎主。 17 耶和华啊，祢为何使我们走差离开你的道，使我们心里刚硬不敬畏祢呢？求祢为祢仆人，为祢产业支派的缘故转回来。 18 祢的圣民不过暂时得这产业，我们的敌人已经践踏祢的圣所。 19 我们好像祢未曾治理的人，又像未曾得称祢名下的人。

六十三章的第三部份（63:15-19），先知从异象中看到仇敌已践踏圣殿，有一群不认识耶和华的人统治著这个地方。显然，这异象乃是先知被带到巴比伦军队攻略耶路撒冷圣殿的场景中的记录，那时，先知体会到耶和华神此时似乎并不怎么关切百姓的命运，以致于先知认为神已向他们止住爱与怜悯（63:15「你的热心和你大能的作为在哪里呢？」此语乃是因百姓感受不到神对他们的眷顾）。

虽说这全是因为百姓的罪有应得，然而神的置若罔闻却引起部份百姓更硬着心肠，而且心里更刚硬不敬畏神（63:17「祢为何使我们走差离开祢的道，使我们心里刚硬不敬畏你呢？」此语乃是百姓再度对神埋怨，将一切的苦难归责于上帝）。

Look to God First, Then to People

2023-05-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Galatians 1:13-24.  Let’s go!

Galatians 1:13-16 (NIV)
13  For you have heard of my previous way of life in Judaism, how intensely I persecuted the church of God and tried to destroy it.
14  I was advancing in Judaism beyond many Jews of my own age and was extremely zealous for the traditions of my fathers.
15  But when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased
16  to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles…

On verses 13-16a:  Here in verses 13-24 Paul shares his experience of how he went from trying to destroy the church of God and one of the most zealous Pharisees to a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  As Paul writes, everything changed “when God, who set me apart from birth and called me by his grace, was pleased to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles” (v15-16).  Notice those words: “who set me apart from birth and called me” (v15).  Long before Paul became passionate about persecuting the church or advancing in Judaism, God had a call on Paul’s life and had set him apart from birth.

救主临格践踏诸敌

2023-05-03 in , /by

以赛亚书63: 9   他们在一切苦难中，祂也同受苦难，并且祂面前的使者拯救他们。祂以慈爱和怜悯救赎他们。在古时的日子，常保抱他们，怀揣他们。

阅读经文：63:1-14

1「这从以东的波斯拉来，穿红衣服，装扮华美，能力广大，大步行走的，是谁呢？」「就是我，是凭公义说话，以大能施行拯救。」 2 「你的装扮为何有红色，你的衣服为何像踹酒榨的呢？」 3 「我独自踹酒榨，众民中无一人与我同在。我发怒将他们踹下，发烈怒将他们践踏，他们的血溅在我衣服上，并且污染了我一切的衣裳。 4 因为报仇之日在我心中，救赎我民之年已经来到。 5 我仰望，见无人帮助，我诧异没有人扶持。所以我自己的膀臂为我施行拯救，我的烈怒将我扶持。 6 我发怒踹下众民，发烈怒使他们沉醉，又将他们的血倒在地上。」

本章分为三个部份，第一部份论到以东的毁灭（63:1-6），第二部份论到以色列人对神拯救的颂赞（63:7-14），第三部份论到先知针对选民的现况而向耶和华神恳求垂顾（63:15-19此部份于下一段落再叙述）。〔注：本章的内容可与第卅四章互参〕

在第一部份中，先知看到了一位征服者，从以东的首都波斯拉凯旋归来的异象。这一位征服者所著的衣服是「红衣」（象征祂来乃是为了审判）、「装扮华美」（这是高级军官的衣饰，象征祂是统治者的身份），祂「能力广大，大步行走」（象征满有自信，作战目标明确）。

It’s About God’s Power

2023-05-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today we start our look at the book of Galatians, a letter written by Paul to the churches in the region of Galatia in approximately 48 to 53 A.D.  Our passage today is Galatians 1:1-12.  Let’s go!

Galatians 1:1-2 (NIV)
1  Paul, an apostle–sent not from men nor by man, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead–
2  and all the brothers with me, To the churches in Galatia:

On verses 1-2:  The first thing Paul does in his letter is identify himself as an apostle.  An “apostle” literally means sent one, a messenger, a person who has been sent on a mission by another.  Notice that Paul goes out of his way to say that his apostleship is a God thing, not a man thing.  He says he has been sent “by Jesus Christ and God the Father”, not “from men or by man” (v1).

耶和华的圣民必蒙眷顾

2023-05-02 in , /by

以赛亚书62: 3  你在耶和华的手中要作为华冠，在你神的掌上必作为冕旒。

阅读经文：62:1-12

1我因锡安必不静默，为耶路撒冷必不息声，直到他的公义如光辉发出，他的救恩如明灯发亮。 2 列国必见你的公义，列王必见你的荣耀。你必得新名的称呼，是耶和华亲口所起的。

3 你在耶和华的手中要作为华冠，在你神的掌上必作为冕旒。 4 你必不再称为「撇弃的」，你的地也不再称为「荒凉的」，你却要称为「我所喜悦的」，你的地也必称为「有夫之妇」，因为耶和华喜悦你，你的地也必归他。 5 少年人怎样娶处女，你的众民也要照样娶你；新郎怎样喜悦新妇，你的神也要照样喜悦你。

本章论到神对耶路撒冷的提升与拯救。分为两部份，第一部份论到神将提升耶路撒冷，第二段论到神对耶路撒冷完全的救赎。

在第一部份，先知提到神以两个步骤来完成祂对耶路撒冷的提升。

第一个步骤：先知宣告他将按照神的吩咐，不止息的为耶路撒冷祷告（62:1，6-7），使神的公义从耶路撒冷中如明灯般的被发现（62:1）。神发出公义，也就是指神的审判来临，否则便不叫公义。这样祷告的结果将使耶路撒冷成为满有公义之城，神也将赋予它一新的名号，这新的名乃是与锡安的新品格有关。

除了先知主动的代祷之外，神也要为耶路撒冷设立「守望者」、「呼吁耶和华的」（亦即指官长与属灵领袖的祷告），他们「昼夜必不静默」、「不要歇息」地为耶路撒冷代求，他们立志迫切的祷告，甚至不要使神歇息，直到祂建立耶路撒冷成为可赞美的城为止（62:7）。

The Spirit-Empowered Life

2023-05-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Jude 1:17-24.  Let’s go!
 
Jude 1:17-18 (NIV) 
17  But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. 
18  They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.”
 
On verses 17-18:  In the wake of false teachers appearing, Jude tells his Christian readers to remember how the apostles had previously warned them that false teachers would come.  What can we learn from this?

1.     When false teachers try to lead you away from the truth we have in Jesus, don’t be surprised.  This is something Jesus Himself warned about (for example, see Matthew 7:15; Matthew 24:11, 24).  This is also something the apostles warned about (for example, see Acts 20:29; 2 Corinthians 11:13; Colossians 2:18).

耶和华受膏者的事工

2023-05-01 in , /by

以赛亚书61: 8  因为我耶和华喜爱公平，恨恶抢夺和罪孽。我要凭诚实施行报应，并要与我的百姓立永约。

阅读经文：61:1-11

1「主耶和华的灵在我身上，因为耶和华用膏膏我，叫我传好信息给谦卑的人，差遣我医好伤心的人，报告被掳的得释放、被囚的出监牢， 2 报告耶和华的恩年和我们神报仇的日子，安慰一切悲哀的人， 3 赐华冠于锡安悲哀的人代替灰尘，喜乐油代替悲哀，赞美衣代替忧伤之灵，使他们称为公义树，是耶和华所栽的，叫他得荣耀。」

从本章起至六十二章为先知论述到弥赛亚来临时的黄金时代。本章的信息带着欢欣的气氛，论到耶路撒冷将被重建，世上的列国将来到锡安同享欢乐，以及万民将并且获得永恒生命之光。

本章接续第六十章，论到受膏者的来临要带来锡安的复兴。这是一段双重的预言，先知以「受膏者」来同时比喻自己和那将要来的弥赛亚。第一，先知借此宣称他的任务乃是安慰被掳到巴比伦受难的人，面对那被掳到巴比伦七十年的百姓，先知预告他们将要被「释放」（这是依据禧年的规定而来的宣告，象征弥赛亚来临的时刻，将要赐给所有信靠祂的子民真实的自由，正如一切为奴的人从买主的手中得自由之身一般，因此先知也就宣告这是「耶和华的恩年」）。第二，先知借此预告救赎主初次降临道成肉身在地上所做的工，而耶稣基督一开始出来传道的时候，便公开引用以赛亚的这一段的话作为就职的宣告（61:1-2）。