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The Cost of Not Obeying God

2022-08-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 28:43-57.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 28:43-52 (NIV)
43  The alien who lives among you will rise above you higher and higher, but you will sink lower and lower.
44  He will lend to you, but you will not lend to him. He will be the head, but you will be the tail.
45  All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the LORD your God and observe the commands and decrees he gave you.

On verses 43 to 52:  Here Moses describes another problem that will come on God’s people if they refuse to obey Him: the land that God had given to them as an inheritance will be taken away from them and given to other nations.  Moses says that if the Israelites do not obey the Lord and observe His commands, they will be pursued by their enemies (v45).  A foreign nation will lay siege to them (v47-52) all “because you did not obey the Lord your God and observe the commands and decrees that he gave you (v45)…[and] because you did not serve the Lord your God joyfully and gladly in the time of prosperity (v47)”.  Because the Israelites would disobey God, they would lose the land that God had originally reserved for them.

人的靈是耶和華的燈

2022-08-03 in , /by

箴言 20:27 人的靈是耶和華的燈，鑒察人的心腹。

閱讀經文：箴言20:27-28

27人的靈是耶和華的燈，鑒察人的心腹。28王因仁慈和誠實得以保全他的國位，也因仁慈立穩。

第27節：人的靈是耶和華的燈，鑒察人的心腹。God is in charge of human life, watching and examining us inside and out.《The Message》

「人的靈是耶和華的燈，鑒察人的心腹。 (箴言20:27) 」 上帝創造人，是按著祂的形象。人墮落之後，這形象仍在心中，稱為「人的靈」。這是人的良心，提醒人要守道德，不要犯罪；要公正，不要欺壓人；要遵行真理，不行錯謬的事；要渴慕永生，不以世事為滿足；要尋求永恆，不以短暫為依歸。

良心是上帝放在人心中的燈，照明黑暗。良心是上帝的燈，不是自己的燈。良心是見證上帝的作為，不是以自己的良心為惟一的標準。良心如同黑夜裡的月亮，反射太陽光。如果要驅除黑暗，則需日光，那是上帝的真光。耶穌的救贖，才能拯救黑暗中的人。

憑良心行事是不夠的，我們需要上帝的真光。自稱擁有真光的人，也要格外小心，不要比不上有良心的人。（張文亮教授）

What Life Without God Looks Like

2022-08-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 28:30-42.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 28:30-42 (NIV)
30  You will be pledged to be married to a woman, but another will take her and ravish her. You will build a house, but you will not live in it. You will plant a vineyard, but you will not even begin to enjoy its fruit.
31  Your ox will be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will eat none of it. Your donkey will be forcibly taken from you and will not be returned. Your sheep will be given to your enemies, and no one will rescue them.
32  Your sons and daughters will be given to another nation, and you will wear out your eyes watching for them day after day, powerless to lift a hand.
33  A people that you do not know will eat what your land and labor produce, and you will have nothing but cruel oppression all your days.
34  The sights you see will drive you mad.

On verses 30-42:  In Deuteronomy 28:30-42, Moses continues to describe the curses and problems the Israelites would encounter if they did not obey all of God’s commands.  When you read this passage, it seems unbelievable that any person could experience that many problems.  But Deuteronomy 28:30-42 is a picture of the final, ultimate destiny of a person who lives without Christ:

人的腳步為耶和華所定

2022-08-02 in , /by

箴言 20:24  人的腳步為耶和華所定，人豈能明白自己的路呢？

閱讀經文：箴言20:23-26

23兩樣的法碼為耶和華所憎惡，詭詐的天平也為不善。24人的腳步為耶和華所定，人豈能明白自己的路呢？25人冒失說「這是聖物」，許願之後才查問，就是自陷網羅。26智慧的王簸散惡人，用碌碡滾軋他們。

第23節：兩樣的法碼為耶和華所憎惡，詭詐的天平也為不善。God hates cheating in the marketplace; rigged scales are an outrage.《The Message》

耶和華神是一個有個性的神，藉著祂的喜好和憎惡讓信徒明白，我們所相信的神是一個怎樣的神。我們要認識神，才知道怎樣與祂同行，才知道怎樣禱告，怎樣祈求。

耶和華神是一個憎惡欺騙和不公平的神，這表示祂是一個正直而公義的神。所以使用兩樣的法碼或詭詐的天平之人，不要想得到耶和華所賜的福。

No Curse Can Touch You Because of Jesus

2022-08-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 28:15-29.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 28:15-29 (NIV)
15  However, if you do not obey the LORD your God and do not carefully follow all his commands and decrees I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
16  You will be cursed in the city and cursed in the country.
17  Your basket and your kneading trough will be cursed.
18  The fruit of your womb will be cursed, and the crops of your land, and the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
19  You will be cursed when you come in and cursed when you go out.
20  The LORD will send on you curses, confusion and rebuke in everything you put your hand to, until you are destroyed and come to sudden ruin because of the evil you have done in forsaking him.

On verses 15-29:  Whenever you read the Old Testament, it’s important to read it with New Testament eyes. That’s because the Old Testament is not complete without the New Testament. So whenever you see something in the Old Testament, don’t stop there. Instead ask yourself: how does this play out in the New Testament? How does Jesus affect what I’m reading in the Old Testament? When you read the Old Testament with New Testament eyes, God’s Word comes to life like never before.

祂是我們的平安

2022-08-01 in , /by

箴言 20:21  起初速得的產業，終久卻不為福。

閱讀經文：箴言20:20-22

20咒罵父母的，他的燈必滅，變為漆黑的黑暗。21起初速得的產業，終久卻不為福。22你不要說「我要以惡報惡」，要等候耶和華，祂必拯救你。

第20節：咒罵父母的，他的燈必滅，變為漆黑的黑暗。Anyone who curses father and mother  extinguishes light and exists benighted.《The Message》

有很多人誤解福音，以為父母死後，人不供奉就是不孝。其實在聖經裡有多處教導我們孝順父母，若不孝順，那個懲罰可大了。人死後什麼都不知道，供奉何益，真正的孝順還是要在父母還活著時，使他們高興，那才是孝順。

在以色列人領受律法時，“咒罵父母的，必要把他治死”（出21:17）。有一個主日，我們停車後走向教堂時，前面有一個老婦人突然停住腳。在她旁邊的男人大聲叫：“你不可以邊走邊擤鼻涕嗎？非得停下來不可嗎？”他突然驚覺我們可能聽到了，很快不再大聲，轉為小聲跟老婦人說笑。因為他也是去教堂，他知道聖經的教導。其實他應該擔心的是那有眼能看，有耳能聽的耶和華神，而不是我們這兩個與他無相干的外人。

父母年記大了，動作難免緩慢，有的人就覺得父母很難侍候。但是在我們年幼無知時，父母也是這樣等待我們。在十誡的第五誡裡說：“當孝敬父母，使你的日子在耶和華你神所賜你的地上得以長久。”所以孝敬父母，生命得以蒙福；相反地，咒罵父母的，他的燈必滅，沒有指望的意思。他的人生會變為漆黑的黑暗，因為神不祝福他了，沒有光的生命，走在黑暗中的生命。

You are 100% Blessed Because of Jesus

2022-07-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 28:1-14.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 28:1-14 (NIV)
1  If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth.
2  All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
3  You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.
4  The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock–the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.
5  Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

On verses 1-14, Moses tells the Israelites about the kinds of blessings God will pour out on His people if they obey His commands:

– He will bless them no matter where they are (Verse 3: “You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.”)
– He will bless not just them but the generations after them (Verse 4a: “The fruit of your womb will be blessed…”)
– He will bless their finances, businesses, professions and careers (Verse 4b: “…and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock–the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.”)
– He will bless their food and supplies (Verse 5: “Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.”)

靈巧如蛇，馴良如鴿

2022-07-31 in , /by

箴言 20:18  計謀都憑籌算立定，打仗要憑智謀。

閱讀經文：箴言20:17-19

17以虛謊而得的食物人覺甘甜，但後來他的口必充滿塵沙。18計謀都憑籌算立定，打仗要憑智謀。19往來傳舌的洩漏密事，大張嘴的不可與他結交。

第17節：以虛謊而得的食物人覺甘甜，但後來他的口必充滿塵沙。Stolen bread tastes sweet, but soon your mouth is full of gravel.《The Message》

「偷來的水是甜的，在暗中吃的餅是美味的。（箴9:17）」偷來的水是甜的，可能是因為覺得自己佔了便宜，所以覺得特別甜，但是被人抓到的話，打落牙齒和血吞，再被打倒在地，就真的是口裡要充滿塵沙了。

最近聽朋友說起，在超巿看到有三位黑頭髮的女士，把貴的有機雞蛋換到便宜的雞蛋盒裡；還有人很得意地說，把普通菜的價錢貼紙下來，換貼在有機菜的袋子上，說可以省很多錢。這種行為就是以虛謊而得的食物，雖然暫時得意，被發現之後，就是全體買單。因為超巿必然用更多方法來制止這類行為，成本全部回到顧客身上。佔小便宜，將來吃大虧，還壞了華人的名聲。但是最大的後遺症是，自己無法再信任別人，不管買什麼，都會擔心被人動過手腳，買得不安心，吃得也不安心，一輩子疑神疑鬼，都是自己害自己，吃了滿口塵沙。

在惡事上馴良如鴿，便是愛自己了。

買東西的智慧

2022-07-29 in , /by

箴言 20:15  有金子和許多珍珠，唯有知識的嘴乃為貴重的珍寶。

閱讀經文：箴言20:14-16

14買物的說「不好，不好」，及至買去，他便自誇。15有金子和許多珍珠，唯有知識的嘴乃為貴重的珍寶。16誰為生人作保，就拿誰的衣服；誰為外人作保，誰就要承當。

第14節：買物的說「不好，不好」，及至買去，他便自誇。The shopper says, “That’s junk—I’ll take it off your hands,”  then goes off boasting of the bargain.《The Message》

「買物的說不好，不好，及至買去，他便自誇。 (箴言20:14) 」上帝教我們作生意的原則，第一，購買東西時，不要嫌這不好，那不好，這是給賣方基本的尊 重。作生意時要尊重對方，喜歡所買，欣賞所購。如果不喜歡，為什麼還要買呢？不要這不好，那不好，放在嘴上。例如嫌這東西不好，這工作不好，這國家不好， 這時代不好……，為了佔便宜，就故意抱怨，挑剔。其實是人心不好。

第二，作生意時，不要東嫌西嫌來殺價，討折扣，要給賣方有利可賺，不然對方如何生活？如何養家？有時哄抬物價不是賣方，而是買方。買方每次都要殺價，賣方只好一開始就把價格抬高，帶下不好的循環。

第三，買到之後，不是自誇買得真便宜，賺到了。東西要好好地使用，才有真正的價值。（張文亮教授）

Repenting Starts with “Amen” + Jesus Turns Your Curse into a Blessing

2022-07-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 27:11-26.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 27:11-26 (NIV)
11  On the same day Moses commanded the people:
12  When you have crossed the Jordan, these tribes shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph and Benjamin.
13  And these tribes shall stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan and Naphtali.
14  The Levites shall recite to all the people of Israel in a loud voice:
15  “Cursed is the man who carves an image or casts an idol–a thing detestable to the LORD, the work of the craftsman’s hands–and sets it up in secret.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”

On verses 11-26:  Here Moses tells half the Israelite tribes to stand on Mount Gerizim to pronounce blessings on the people (v12).  He tells the other half of the Israelite tribes to stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce curses on the people (v13).  Then he tells the Levites to pronounce 11 curses and have all the people say “Amen!” after each one (v14-26).
What can we learn from this?