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Is COVID 19 God’s Way of Punishing the World?

2022-08-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 28:58-68.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 28:58-68 (NIV)
58  If you do not carefully follow all the words of this law, which are written in this book, and do not revere this glorious and awesome name–the LORD your God–
59  the LORD will send fearful plagues on you and your descendants, harsh and prolonged disasters, and severe and lingering illnesses.
60  He will bring upon you all the diseases of Egypt that you dreaded, and they will cling to you.
61  The LORD will also bring on you every kind of sickness and disaster not recorded in this Book of the Law, until you are destroyed.
62  You who were as numerous as the stars in the sky will be left but few in number, because you did not obey the LORD your God.

On verses 58-68:  In Deuteronomy 28:58-67, we read about another problem that the Israelites would face if they did not carefully follow the law of Moses: Moses says that God will send plagues, sicknesses, and diseases on them.  The end result is that the Israelites will be full of anxiety, worry, fear and despair (v65-67) and ultimately give themselves as slaves to a foreign nation (v68).

鞭伤除净人的罪恶

2022-08-04 in , /by

箴言 20:30    鞭伤除净人的罪恶，责打能入人的心腹。

阅读经文：箴言20:29-30

29强壮乃少年人的荣耀，白发为老年人的尊荣。30鞭伤除净人的罪恶，责打能入人的心腹。

第29节：强壮乃少年人的荣耀，白发为老年人的尊荣。Youth may be admired for vigor,  but gray hair gives prestige to old age.《The Message》

人在不同年纪，有不同的美。婴孩期、青年期、中年期、老年期的美都不相同。不用在中年期，要有青年期的美。老年期，不用有中年期的样子。上帝让人在不同年纪，有不同的样子，是祂的美意。

「白发为老年人的尊荣」(箴言20:29)，黑发是美，满头白发的人，有另一种美。黑发对光线的吸收，白发是对光线的反射，年轻的日子像是黑发，什么光都吸收，强壮、活泼、有活力。年老的日子，像是白发反射，是智慧的给出，经验的分享，财物的豁达，那是年老的荣耀。不是以得到更多为满足，而是以分享多多为 知足；不是以较力得胜为成就，而是以分享得宜为尊荣。

为长白发而难过吗？为青春渐逝而伤感吗？不，上帝的美意本是如此，每一根白发都在提醒上帝昔日的给与，当今应该分享出。（张文亮教授）

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.

人的灵是耶和华的灯

2022-08-03 in , /by

箴言 20:27 人的灵是耶和华的灯，鉴察人的心腹。

阅读经文：箴言20:27-28

27人的灵是耶和华的灯，鉴察人的心腹。28王因仁慈和诚实得以保全他的国位，也因仁慈立稳。

第27节：人的灵是耶和华的灯，鉴察人的心腹。God is in charge of human life, watching and examining us inside and out.《The Message》

「人的灵是耶和华的灯，鉴察人的心腹。 (箴言20:27) 」 上帝创造人，是按着祂的形象。人堕落之后，这形象仍在心中，称为「人的灵」。这是人的良心，提醒人要守道德，不要犯罪；要公正，不要欺压人；要遵行真理，不行错谬的事；要渴慕永生，不以世事为满足；要寻求永恒，不以短暂为依归。

良心是上帝放在人心中的灯，照明黑暗。良心是上帝的灯，不是自己的灯。良心是见证上帝的作为，不是以自己的良心为惟一的标准。良心如同黑夜里的月亮，反射太阳光。如果要驱除黑暗，则需日光，那是上帝的真光。耶稣的救赎，才能拯救黑暗中的人。

凭良心行事是不够的，我们需要上帝的真光。自称拥有真光的人，也要格外小心，不要比不上有良心的人。（张文亮教授）

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:

人的脚步为耶和华所定

2022-08-02 in , /by

箴言 20:24  人的脚步为耶和华所定，人岂能明白自己的路呢？

阅读经文：箴言20:23-26

23两样的法码为耶和华所憎恶，诡诈的天平也为不善。24人的脚步为耶和华所定，人岂能明白自己的路呢？25人冒失说「这是圣物」，许愿之后才查问，就是自陷网罗。26智慧的王簸散恶人，用碌碡滚轧他们。

第23节：两样的法码为耶和华所憎恶，诡诈的天平也为不善。God hates cheating in the marketplace; rigged scales are an outrage.《The Message》

耶和华神是一个有个性的神，借着祂的喜好和憎恶让信徒明白，我们所相信的神是一个怎样的神。我们要认识神，才知道怎样与祂同行，才知道怎样祷告，怎样祈求。

耶和华神是一个憎恶欺骗和不公平的神，这表示祂是一个正直而公义的神。所以使用两样的法码或诡诈的天平之人，不要想得到耶和华所赐的福。

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.

祂是我们的平安

2022-08-01 in , /by

箴言 20:21  起初速得的产业，终久却不为福。

阅读经文：箴言20:20-22

20咒骂父母的，他的灯必灭，变为漆黑的黑暗。21起初速得的产业，终久却不为福。22你不要说「我要以恶报恶」，要等候耶和华，祂必拯救你。

第20节：咒骂父母的，他的灯必灭，变为漆黑的黑暗。Anyone who curses father and mother  extinguishes light and exists benighted.《The Message》

有很多人误解福音，以为父母死后，人不供奉就是不孝。其实在圣经里有多处教导我们孝顺父母，若不孝顺，那个惩罚可大了。人死后什么都不知道，供奉何益，真正的孝顺还是要在父母还活着时，使他们高兴，那才是孝顺。

在以色列人领受律法时，“咒骂父母的，必要把他治死”（出21:17）。有一个主日，我们停车后走向教堂时，前面有一个老妇人突然停住脚。在她旁边的男人大声叫：“你不可以边走边擤鼻涕吗？非得停下来不可吗？”他突然惊觉我们可能听到了，很快不再大声，转为小声跟老妇人说笑。因为他也是去教堂，他知道圣经的教导。其实他应该担心的是那有眼能看，有耳能听的耶和华神，而不是我们这两个与他无相干的外人。

父母年记大了，动作难免缓慢，有的人就觉得父母很难侍候。但是在我们年幼无知时，父母也是这样等待我们。在十诫的第五诫里说：“当孝敬父母，使你的日子在耶和华你神所赐你的地上得以长久。”所以孝敬父母，生命得以蒙福；相反地，咒骂父母的，他的灯必灭，没有指望的意思。他的人生会变为漆黑的黑暗，因为神不祝福他了，没有光的生命，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.”)

灵巧如蛇，驯良如鸽

2022-07-31 in , /by

箴言 20:18  计谋都凭筹算立定，打仗要凭智谋。

阅读经文：箴言20:17-19

17以虚谎而得的食物人觉甘甜，但后来他的口必充满尘沙。18计谋都凭筹算立定，打仗要凭智谋。19往来传舌的泄漏密事，大张嘴的不可与他结交。

第17节：以虚谎而得的食物人觉甘甜，但后来他的口必充满尘沙。Stolen bread tastes sweet, but soon your mouth is full of gravel.《The Message》

「偷来的水是甜的，在暗中吃的饼是美味的。（箴9:17）」偷来的水是甜的，可能是因为觉得自己占了便宜，所以觉得特别甜，但是被人抓到的话，打落牙齿和血吞，再被打倒在地，就真的是口里要充满尘沙了。

最近听朋友说起，在超巿看到有三位黑头发的女士，把贵的有机鸡蛋换到便宜的鸡蛋盒里；还有人很得意地说，把普通菜的价钱贴纸下来，换贴在有机菜的袋子上，说可以省很多钱。这种行为就是以虚谎而得的食物，虽然暂时得意，被发现之后，就是全体买单。因为超巿必然用更多方法来制止这类行为，成本全部回到顾客身上。占小便宜，将来吃大亏，还坏了华人的名声。但是最大的后遗症是，自己无法再信任别人，不管买什么，都会担心被人动过手脚，买得不安心，吃得也不安心，一辈子疑神疑鬼，都是自己害自己，吃了满口尘沙。

在恶事上驯良如鸽，便是爱自己了。