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普世的敬拜与永远的结局

2023-05-12 in , /by

以赛亚书66:22  耶和华说：我所要造的新天新地怎样在我面前长存，你们的后裔和你们的名字也必照样长存。

阅读经文：66:18-24

18 「我知道他们的行为和他们的意念。时候将到，我必将万民万族[a]聚来，看见我的荣耀。 19 我要显神蹟在他们中间，逃脱的，我要差到列国去，就是到他施、普勒、拉弓的路德和土巴、雅完，并素来没有听见我名声，没有看见我荣耀辽远的海岛。他们必将我的荣耀传扬在列国中。

本段信息一开始，上帝以「我知道他们的行为和他们的意念」来宣示祂的全知。这一句宣示，乃是针对66:17当中所述的那些隐藏的拜偶像者所发出的回应，指出人一切偏差的行为与意念，都逃不过上帝的法眼。上帝要将一切虚假的恶人完全除去，而却要「将万民万族聚来看见我的荣耀，我要显神蹟」。这乃是一段的预言，其中所揭开的奥祕，乃是指耶稣基督将要在十字架上被举起来，就要吸引万人来归向祂所说的。神聚集万民万族，不再利用旗帜的号召（例如兴起亚述、巴比伦、波斯等国成为惩罚悖逆百姓的工具），而是利用祂牺牲的爱。

当一切的恶人（假信徒）都被除去之后，接着先知引导我们看到几幅美好的景象，先知说这完全是出于耶和华神的作为（66:18）。

Becoming an Emotionally Healthy Disciple of Jesus

2023-05-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Galatians 4:12-20.  Let’s go!

Galatians 4:12-20 (NIV)
12  I plead with you, brothers, become like me, for I became like you. You have done me no wrong.
13  As you know, it was because of an illness that I first preached the gospel to you.
14  Even though my illness was a trial to you, you did not treat me with contempt or scorn. Instead, you welcomed me as if I were an angel of God, as if I were Christ Jesus himself.
15  What has happened to all your joy? I can testify that, if you could have done so, you would have torn out your eyes and given them to me.
16  Have I now become your enemy by telling you the truth?

On verses 12-20:  In Galatians 4:12-20 we see an emotional and passionate Paul writing to the churches he helped to build in Galatia.  Using very emotional language, Paul describes the roller coaster of emotions he experienced with his churches in Galatia:

– the joy and comfort Paul felt at first when, because of an illness, Paul got to preach the gospel to them and was taken care of by them (v12-15);

– the heartbreak Paul felt when these same Christians scorned him and distanced themselves from him because they became infatuated with another group who convinced them that Paul’s gospel was wrong and that their circumcision-based “gospel” was correct (v16-17);

Jesus Sets You Free From This

2023-05-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Galatians 4:1-11.  Let’s go!

Galatians 4:1-5 (NIV)
1  What I am saying is that as long as the heir is a child, he is no different from a slave, although he owns the whole estate.
2  He is subject to guardians and trustees until the time set by his father.
3  So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world.
4  But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law,
5  to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.

On verses 1-5:  These are not the easiest verses to interpret, but here goes.  Paul begins by painting the picture of an underage child of a rich father, who until the time he becomes of age, is subject to the supervision of guardians and trustees.  These guardians and trustees exercise a great deal of control over the son such that this son is effectively no different from a slave, even though he is an heir (v1-2).  Why does Paul mention this?  It’s because Paul is saying that at one time, we were children living under the enslaving control of “the basic principles of the world” (v3) (also translated “the elemental spiritual forces of the world”).

对不敬虔者的报应

2023-05-11 in , /by

以赛亚书66:15   看哪，耶和华必在火中降临，祂的车辇像旋风，以烈怒施行报应，以火焰施行责罚。

阅读经文：66:15-17

15 「看哪，耶和华必在火中降临，祂的车辇像旋风，以烈怒施行报应，以火焰施行责罚。 16 因为耶和华在一切有血气的人身上，必以火与刀施行审判，被耶和华所杀的必多。 17 那些分别为圣洁净自己的，进入园内跟在其中一个人的后头，吃猪肉和仓鼠并可憎之物，他们必一同灭绝。」这是耶和华说的。

本段乃是第六十六章的第二段，其中又分为两部份，第一部份乃是论到神对不敬虔之恶百姓的报应（66:15-17）；第二部份乃是论到在新世界当中，普天下列国对耶和华神的奉献与服事（66:18-24）。

在这第一部份（66:15-17）的一开始，耶和华神再度以战士的姿态出现，先知以旧约惯用以描述耶和华神那无上的威严与可畏的大自然变化。先知以三个形象来，来叙述耶和华神降临所带来的震撼（66:15）。

1.「在火中降临」──在出埃及记时候，上帝在荆棘烧着的火中向摩西显现，这表明上帝乃是炼净一切的，但在祂的炼净中，被炼净的对像却不会毁坏。因此，「炼净的全能者」便是此时这一位耶和华神战士所要让祂的百姓体认到的第一个形象。

对敬虔余民的信息

2023-05-10 in , /by

以赛亚书66:13   母亲怎样安慰儿子，我就照样安慰你们，你们也必因耶路撒冷得安慰。

阅读经文：66:5-14

5 你们因耶和华言语战兢的人，当听他的话：「你们的弟兄，就是恨恶你们，因我名赶出你们的，曾说：『愿耶和华得荣耀，使我们得见你们的喜乐！』但蒙羞的究竟是他们！ 6 有喧哗的声音出自城中，有声音出于殿中，是耶和华向仇敌施行报应的声音。

在上一段论述完神对死抱型式主义的恶百姓的责备与审判之后，接着先知对那些持守单纯信靠神之心的百姓给予嘉勉，并向他们报喜讯。

这个嘉勉的信息，包括首先以型式主义者所犯的错，来安慰那持守单纯心志的百姓。先知对着他们论到「你们的弟兄」（指形式主义的敬拜者）是「恨恶你们的，因我的名赶出你们」，先知挑明说到形式主义者因为不能接受单单信靠神拯救的看法，因而排斥敬虔的选民。他们曾经骄狂地宣称「愿耶和华得荣耀」。事实上，这句话是形式主义者的一厢情愿，实际上他们所作的行为并不荣耀神。因此先知说，到头来「蒙羞的究竟是他们」，因为他们口中宣称「愿耶和华得荣耀」，实际上却背其道而行、口是而心非。

The Babysitter and the Babe

2023-05-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Galatians 3:23-29.  Let’s go!

Galatians 3:23-25 (NIV)
23  Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed.
24  So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith.
25  Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

On verses 23-25:  In Galatians 3:23-25, Paul talks more about this question:  if God’s plan was that we would be justified by faith in Jesus Christ, what was the point of God giving us the law through Moses?

Paul’s answer: the law was put in place to govern and watch over God’s people until Jesus Christ came.  Paul compares God’s law to a guardian who takes care of you when you are still young, and how when you become an adult that guardian no longer has authority over you.

对形式主义者的信息

2023-05-09 in , /by

以赛亚书66:2  耶和华说：这一切都是我手所造的，所以就都有了。但我所看顾的就是虚心、痛悔、因我话而战兢的人。

阅读经文：66:1-4

1 耶和华如此说：「天是我的座位，地是我的脚凳，你们要为我造何等的殿宇？哪里是我安息的地方呢？」 2 耶和华说：「这一切都是我手所造的，所以就都有了。但我所看顾的就是虚心、痛悔、因我话而战兢的人。 3 假冒为善的宰牛好像杀人，献羊羔好像打折狗项，献供物好像献猪血，烧乳香好像称颂偶像。

六十六章为以赛亚信息的尾声，本章分为两段。第一段论到神对死抱型式主义的恶百姓的责备与审判（66:1-4），第二段为神对敬虔的余民坚忍的称赞与赐福（66:5-14）。

今天的信息为第一段，先知以真假敬拜的对比，来论到审判的依据。在这一段中又分为两部份──第一部份66：1-2论到真实敬拜的本质，第二部份66:3-4论到对假敬拜的责备与审判。

在第一部份的讲论中，先知先叙述何为真实敬拜的本质。先知以向百姓提出两个问题，来进行他的讲论。这两个问题包含在第一节上帝的宣告中，神说：「天是我的座位，地是我的脚凳，你们要为我造何等的殿宇呢？哪里是我安息的地方呢？」的确，物质的殿不能使神安居，唯有神降卑自己时，才有可能「形式上」的住在人手所造的殿中。上帝要能够得到安息，也并非「形式上」住在人手所造的殿中，而是因着罪恶能够由地上完全的除去。

God’s Law and God’s Promise Are Working Together for You

2023-05-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Galatians 3:15-22.  Let’s go!

What’s the main message of Galatians?  It’s that we are justified by faith in Christ and not by trying to obey God’s laws.  (Remember that “justified” means to be declared righteous in God’s sight and worthy to be in God’s presence.)  Earlier in Galatians 3:6-14, Paul focuses on the life of Abraham as an example of “justification by faith”, how Abraham believed God and God credited it to him as righteousness.  In other words, God justified Abraham not because he perfectly obeyed God’s laws, but because Abraham believed God’s promise.

Now in the following verses, Galatians 3:15-22, Paul answers some questions on how justification by faith works if God gave laws for His people to obey in the Old Testament.  

God Planned It All Along

2023-05-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Galatians 3:6-14.  Let’s go!

Galatians 3:6-14 (NIV)
6  Consider Abraham: “He believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”
7  Understand, then, that those who believe are children of Abraham.
8  The Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, and announced the gospel in advance to Abraham: “All nations will be blessed through you.”
9  So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

On verses 6-14:  When I was a kid growing up in church, my teachers would get us to sing a song called “Father Abraham”.  It went like this:

Father Abraham had many sons
Many sons had Father Abraham
I am one of them, and so are you
So let’s just praise the Lord

There were these funny actions that accompanied the song.

Now why would a Chinese boy growing up in Vancouver be calling an old middle eastern man from ancient Mesopotamia, whom he has never met, his father?

新天新地

2023-05-08 in , /by

以赛亚书65:17  看哪，我造新天新地，从前的事不再被记念，也不再追想。

阅读经文：65:16-25

16 这样，在地上为自己求福的，必凭真实的神求福；在地上起誓的，必指真实的神起誓。因为从前的患难已经忘记，也从我眼前隐藏了。

17 「看哪，我造新天新地，从前的事不再被记念，也不再追想。 18 你们当因我所造的永远欢喜快乐，因我造耶路撒冷为人所喜，造其中的居民为人所乐。 19 我必因耶路撒冷欢喜，因我的百姓快乐，其中必不再听见哭泣的声音和哀号的声音。 20 其中必没有数日夭亡的婴孩，也没有寿数不满的老者，因为百岁死的仍算孩童，有百岁死的罪人算被咒诅。

在论述完神对不虔之民与敬虔之余民的信息之后，先知接着揭开了一项奥祕，那就是有关新天新地的启示。耶和华神透过先知向选民介绍祂的新世界与新秩序──「看哪！我造新天新地，从前的事不再被记念，也不再追想」，以前的旧世界与旧秩序将完全过去（65:16-17）。有解经家认为这一段新天新地的叙述，并非指千禧年国度的来临，因为第20节说到在新天新地中，「必没有数日夭亡的婴孩，也没有寿数不满的老者。因为百岁死的仍算孩童，有百岁死的罪人算被咒诅」。这些学这认为既是新天新地的时代，就不会有罪人与死亡的存在，因此这段经文最可能是指被掳归回后耶路撒冷的新光景。