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Keep Going to the End

2022-11-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Daniel 12:1-13.  (For those of you who own a printed GAME booklet, please note that we will begin the Gospel of Mark 1:1-20 tomorrow.)  Let’s go!

Daniel 12:1 (NIV)
1  “At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people–everyone whose name is found written in the book–will be delivered.

On verse 1:  Chapter 12 continues the message that the angel was giving to Daniel in chapter 11.  The angel notes that “at that time” (meaning the end times) there will be great distress unlike anything that has ever been seen, but that “everyone whose name is found written in the book” (likely meaning those written in God’s book of life in Revelation; see for example Revelation 21:27) will be delivered from that time of distress.  Verse 1 suggests that the archangel Michael will play a role in protecting and delivering those people whose names are written in the book.  How does one get their name written in God’s book of life?  By believing that Jesus died on the cross for our sins.

生命在神的话中成长

2022-11-04 in , /by

箴言30:5   神的言语句句都是炼净的，投靠祂的，祂便做他们的盾牌

阅读经文：箴言 30:5-6

5神的言语句句都是炼净的，投靠祂的，祂便做他们的盾牌。6祂的言语你不可加添，恐怕祂责备你，你就显为说谎言的。

5 Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him.6 Do not add to His words, Lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar..(NKJV)

The believer replied, “Every promise of God proves true; he protects everyone who runs to him for help. So don’t second-guess him; he might take you to task and show up your lies.” 《The Message》

你有没有想过，为何有那么多人把他们的生命投资在一本《圣经》之上？神的话为何那样特别？当世人都在为自己的生活汲汲忙碌时，却有一批神所拣选的人，情愿挑灯日攻夜战，逐字翻译神的话语，让他们的青春年华在书桌旁一点一滴地消失。为了使神的话语可以深入到每个族群，这些人必须远离家乡和亲人，去陌生的环境里学习适应当地的生活，当地的语言，从而把自己已有的希伯来文、希腊文和英文等学识应用在翻译上面。这样的工作，没有雄厚的经济报酬，反而都是清茶淡饭，才能维持每日的基本所需。

生命在主手中

2022-11-03 in , /by

箴言30:4  谁升天又降下来？谁聚风在掌握中？谁包水在衣服里？谁立定地的四极？他名叫什么？他儿子名叫什么？你知道吗？

阅读经文：箴言 30:1-4

1雅基的儿子亚古珥的言语，就是真言。2 这人对以铁和乌甲说：我比众人更蠢笨，也没有人的聪明。 3 我没有学好智慧，也不认识至圣者。 4 谁升天又降下来？谁聚风在掌握中？谁包水在衣服里？谁立定地的四极？他名叫什么？他儿子名叫什么？你知道吗？

“雅基的儿子亚古珥的言语，就是真言”这节经文在《吕振中译本》译为：“雅基的儿子亚古珥的话、是神托之言”。《思高译本》译为：“玛撒人雅刻之子阿古尔的格言”。玛撒人是以实玛利的后裔（创25:13-14），以智慧著称。“以铁和乌甲”（1下），不知何许人也，很可能是亚古珥的朋友或是他的学生。这两人是亚古珥写作的对象。

亚古珥的自谦：“我比众人更蠢笨，也没有人的聪明。我没有学好智慧，也不认识至圣者。  谁升天又降下来？谁聚风在掌握中？谁包水在衣服里？谁立定地的四极？他名叫什么？他儿子名叫什么？你知道吗？”

The King Who Will Reign Forever

2022-11-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Daniel 11:34-45, but we’ll include Daniel 11:33 in our discussion as well.  Let’s go!

Daniel 11:33-35 (NIV)
33  “Those who are wise will instruct many, though for a time they will fall by the sword or be burned or captured or plundered.
34  When they fall, they will receive a little help, and many who are not sincere will join them.
35  Some of the wise will stumble, so that they may be refined, purified and made spotless until the time of the end, for it will still come at the appointed time.

On verses 33-35:  According to scholars, “those who are wise” are those Jews that helped and encouraged the Jewish people during the time when Antiochus IV Epiphanes of Syria was severely persecuting the Jews and killing tens of thousands of them in the process.

人的帮助与上帝的主权

2022-11-02 in , /by

箴言29:26  求王恩的人多，定人事乃在耶和华。

阅读经文：箴言 29:26-27

26求王恩的人多，定人事乃在耶和华。27为非作歹的被义人憎嫌，行事正直的被恶人憎恶。

人的帮助与上帝的主权

「求王恩的人多，定人事乃在耶和华。」(箴言二十九：26)

上帝不是要我们拒绝别人的帮助，而是寻求人帮助，先将事交托给上帝，祂会透过别人帮助我们。有人说他只要上帝的帮助，不用人帮助。这种人无法存活，因他吃的饭是农夫种的，他喝的水是有人净化的，他穿的衣服有人编织，他走的马路是别人铺的。

在这经节，上帝没有说求王恩的人不对，而是最后的决定权在祂。上帝可以透过好的领袖，有恩典的主管，有远见的企业家，有经验的老师，有能力的执行者帮助我们，这些帮助的手，后面是上帝，如同亚拿尼亚对保罗的帮助，约瑟对兄弟的接待等。

但是，我们不要将盼望，放在帮助我们的人身上。人的帮助，有时令我们失望，有时要我们听话，有时没有回应，人总有限，盼望在上帝。

All Our Days Are In God’s Hands

2022-11-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Daniel 11:17-33.  Let’s go!

Daniel 11:17 (NIV)
17  He will determine to come with the might of his entire kingdom and will make an alliance with the king of the South. And he will give him a daughter in marriage in order to overthrow the kingdom, but his plans will not succeed or help him.

On verse 17:  Just as verse 17 predicts, in 195 B.C. the “king of the North” Antiochus III of Syria tries to gain additional control of Egypt by giving his daughter, Cleopatra, to the “king of the South” Ptolemy V of Egypt.  Antiochus’ real intent was that Cleopatra could spy on the Egyptian king Ptolemy and give Syria an upper hand.  However, Cleopatra refused, for she truly loved Ptolemy V.

Before It Became History, It Was Prophecy

2022-11-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Daniel 11:1-16, but for completeness of thought we’ll start from Daniel 10:20.  Let’s go!

Daniel 10:20-11:1 (NIV) 
20  So he said, “Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come;
21  but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.
1  And in the first year of Darius the Mede, I took my stand to support and protect him.)

On Daniel 10:20-11:1:  Notice that the chief angel Michael helps this other angel (some scholars believe it is Gabriel) in his fight against the Prince of Persia (v21).  In turn, this angel helps Michael in his fight.  There is cooperation in the kingdom of God, even among angels.  The kingdom of God thrives on teamwork.

有所不为

2022-11-01 in , /by

箴言29:25  惧怕人的陷入网罗，唯有倚靠耶和华的必得安稳。

阅读经文：箴言 29:23-25

23人的高傲必使他卑下，心里谦逊的必得尊荣。24人与盗贼分赃是恨恶自己的性命，他听见叫人发誓的声音，却不言语。25 惧怕人的陷入网罗，唯有倚靠耶和华的必得安稳。

23人的高傲必使他卑下，心里谦逊的必得尊荣。

有一位电脑博士毕业后，拿着证书到处找工作，可是没有一个公司敢聘请他，都说他资历太高(over qualified)。后来没办法，他只好放下证书，用最起码的高中学历去找工作，终于有一间公司录用他，让他当程序输入员。他很认真工作一丝不苟，不久老板就发现他和一般输入员不同。这时他才亮出了学士的证书。老板便给他换了一个高一点的职位。

过了一段时间，老板又发现他有独特的见，非一般大学生可比，这时他才拿出硕士证书。老板便提升他的职位。再过一段时间，老板发现他才干出众，此时他才亮出博士证书。老板终于明白他是一个不可多得的人才，便提升他，予以重用。

胜过愤怒

2022-10-31 in , /by

箴言29:22  好气的人挑起争端，暴怒的人多多犯罪。

阅读经文：箴言 29:22

22好气的人挑起争端，暴怒的人多多犯罪。

有一个显而易见的事实：不是你学会控制你的脾气，就是任凭你的脾气控制你。有多少人在关键时刻本应保持沉默，然而却情绪失控，勃然大怒，过后又后悔不当初。

我们都知道愤怒是一种非常强烈的情绪。它既可以表现美善也可以表现罪恶。愤怒，并不总是错的，比如我们知道愤怒是上帝的属性之一，你是否知道《圣经》中记载了一百多次上帝的愤怒？我们确信上帝绝对不会犯罪，虽然圣经一再讲到他对罪和悖逆的愤怒，我们也懂得在某些时候愤怒是正当甚至是公义的。〈以弗所书〉4:26“生气却不要犯罪。”

Don’t Get Too Comfortable

2022-10-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Daniel 10:1-21.  Let’s go!

Daniel 10:1-3 (NIV)
1  In the third year of Cyrus king of Persia, a revelation was given to Daniel (who was called Belteshazzar). Its message was true and it concerned a great war. The understanding of the message came to him in a vision.
2  At that time I, Daniel, mourned for three weeks.
3  I ate no choice food; no meat or wine touched my lips; and I used no lotions at all until the three weeks were over.

On verses 1-3:  The third year of Cyrus king of Persia would be approximately 536 B.C.  By this point, it would have been about a couple years since King Cyrus first started allowing Jewish exiles, starting with Ezra and other Jews, to return to Jerusalem.  For some reason, Daniel didn’t go back, maybe because Daniel was now an old man (about 85 years old) or maybe because he thought he would be of better service by staying.