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Two Reasons You Can Be Courageous

2022-08-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 31:1-13.  Let’s go!
 
Deuteronomy 31:1-6 (NIV)
1  Then Moses went out and spoke these words to all Israel:
2  “I am now a hundred and twenty years old and I am no longer able to lead you. The LORD has said to me, ‘You shall not cross the Jordan.’
3  The LORD your God himself will cross over ahead of you. He will destroy these nations before you, and you will take possession of their land. Joshua also will cross over ahead of you, as the LORD said.
4  And the LORD will do to them what he did to Sihon and Og, the kings of the Amorites, whom he destroyed along with their land.
5  The LORD will deliver them to you, and you must do to them all that I have commanded you.
6  Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
 
On verses 1-6:  In Deuteronomy 31, 120 year old Moses knows his time on earth is almost up (v2). He does his best to prepare the Israelites to conquer the land that God promised to them. He reassures them that God will help them succeed (v3-5a) and reminds them to obey God (v5b). He tells them to be strong and courageous and that though he will not always be with them, God will never leave them or forsake them (v6). 

You Can Always Reach God Because of Jesus

2022-08-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 30:11-20.  Let’s go!
 
Deuteronomy 30:11-14 (NIV)
11  Now what I am commanding you today is not too difficult for you or beyond your reach.
12  It is not up in heaven, so that you have to ask, “Who will ascend into heaven to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”
13  Nor is it beyond the sea, so that you have to ask, “Who will cross the sea to get it and proclaim it to us so we may obey it?”
14  No, the word is very near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so you may obey it.
 
On verses 11-14:  Moses recognized that in each of our hearts is both the ability to obey (v14) as well as the ability to turn away and go astray (v17).  God knew this as well but He went one step further.  Knowing our propensity to turn away and go astray, God sent His Son Jesus Christ to earth to perfectly obey His commandments on our behalf and then die on the cross for our sins.  So whereas we could never reach God on our own, through Jesus, God is now within our reach.
 

八個不當

2022-08-09 in , /by

箴言21:10   惡人的心樂人受禍，他眼並不憐恤鄰舍。

閱讀經文：箴言21:10-12

10惡人的心樂人受禍，他眼並不憐恤鄰舍。11褻慢的人受刑罰，愚蒙的人就得智慧；智慧人受訓誨，便得知識。12義人思想惡人的家，知道惡人傾倒，必致滅亡。

第10節：惡人的心樂人受禍，他眼並不憐恤鄰舍。Wicked souls love to make trouble; they feel nothing for friends and neighbors.《The Message》

在聖經裡記載著神對某一族人的懲罰，這族人在很高的山上建屋，以為沒有人能上到那樣的高處去打他們。沒想到神說：“你雖如大鷹高飛，在星宿之間搭窩，我必從那裡拉下你來。”後來這個國家真的被滅亡了。那就是以東，以掃的後裔。

為何神的憤怒臨到他們呢？因為神說：“當外人擄掠雅各的財物，外邦人進入他的城門，為耶路撒冷拈鬮的日子，你竟站在一旁，像與他們同夥。你兄弟遭難的日子，你不當瞪眼看著。猶大人被滅的日子，你不當因此歡樂。他們遭難的日子，你不當說狂傲的話。 我民遭災的日子，你不當進他們的城門。他們遭災的日子，你不當瞪眼看著他們受苦。他們遭災的日子，你不當伸手搶他們的財物。你不當站在岔路口，剪除他們中間逃脫的。他們遭難的日子，你不當將他們剩下的人交付仇敵。”一共有八個“不當”。這事記載在〈俄巴底亞書〉裡。

You Are Never Beyond God’s Reach

2022-08-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 30:1-10.  Let’s go!
 
Deuteronomy 30:1-10 (NIV)
1  When all these blessings and curses I have set before you come upon you and you take them to heart wherever the LORD your God disperses you among the nations,
2  and when you and your children return to the LORD your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today,
3  then the LORD your God will restore your fortunes and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.
4  Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the LORD your God will gather you and bring you back.

On verses 1-10:  In Deuteronomy 30:1-10 we see God’s heart to restore people who have run away from Him. For those Israelites who had rebelled against God and who were cursed and banished for their disobedience, verses 1 to 3 say that if they will return to the Lord and obey Him once again, then God will restore them and have compassion on them.

清潔的人所行乃正直

2022-08-08 in , /by

箴言21:8負罪之人的路甚是彎曲，至於清潔的人，他所行的乃是正直。

7惡人的強暴必將自己掃除，因他們不肯按公平行事。8負罪之人的路甚是彎曲，至於清潔的人，他所行的乃是正直。9寧可住在房頂的角上，不在寬闊的房屋與爭吵的婦人同住。

第7節：惡人的強暴必將自己掃除，因他們不肯按公平行事。The wicked get buried alive by their loot because they refuse to use it to help others.《The Message》

今天讀到一則真實故事，人的強暴有很多方式，這算不算是一種？有個男孩從小學習都很優秀，因此他的父母寄望他長大後能做醫生。但是孩子對醫學並沒有興趣，跟父母沒法溝通，於是讓自己的成績往下滑。父母緊張了，找了好多人跟孩子談。

金錢如風吹的浮雲

2022-08-07 in , /by

箴言 21:6  用詭詐之舌求財的，就是自己取死，所得之財乃是吹來吹去的浮雲。

閱讀經文：箴言21:4-6

4惡人發達，眼高心傲，這乃是罪。5殷勤籌劃的足致豐裕，行事急躁的都必缺乏。6用詭詐之舌求財的，就是自己取死，所得之財乃是吹來吹去的浮雲。

第4節：惡人發達，眼高心傲，這乃是罪。Arrogance and pride—distinguishing marks in the wicked— are just plain sin.《The Message》

很多人都在問：什麼是罪？罪是指何事？不是指殺人放火，姦淫擄掠嗎？我有什麼罪？我怎麼會是罪人？假如和別人比較，說不定，我還比誰好幾分。老李對他娘不好，王五整天打罵老婆，張三經常說話不算數。只有我，朝九晚五地上班，領了薪水就交給老婆，每週回去探望爹娘，什麼該做的都做了，我怎麼會是罪人？

這裡智者告訴我們，罪是一種從心裡發出的，眼高心傲，覺得自己比人高一等，好一級，就是罪。我們心裡把人比下去，看不起人，這就是罪。Arrogance and pride傲慢和自豪，這就是罪。從心裡發出來的罪。在神面前，自大了。

“人所行的在自己眼中都看為正，唯有耶和華衡量人心”（箴21:2）。耶和華神衡量人心，我們的心思意念，祂都明如指掌。

“Do You Want to Know A Secret?”

2022-08-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 29:16-29.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 29:16-28 (NIV)
16  You yourselves know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed through the countries on the way here.
17  You saw among them their detestable images and idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold.
18  Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.

On verses 16 to 28:  Deuteronomy 29:16-28 talks about the consequences of living presumptuously and having a hard heart toward God.  In verse 19, Moses describes a hardhearted person who hears God’s Word and presumptuously says, “I will be safe, even though I persist in going my own way.”  Moses warns that when people live with such presumption, what they can expect are disastrous consequences to come upon them: their sins will not be forgiven (v20), God’s wrath will remain on them (v20), and they will be cut off from heaven (v20). 

耶和華衡量人心

2022-08-05 in , /by

箴言21:1 王的心在耶和華手中好像壟溝的水，隨意流轉。

1王的心在耶和華手中好像壟溝的水，隨意流轉。 2 人所行的在自己眼中都看為正，唯有耶和華衡量人心。 3 行仁義、公平比獻祭更蒙耶和華悅納。

第1節：王的心在耶和華手中好像壟溝的水，隨意流轉。Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by GOD; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses.《The Message》

隴溝是田間的小水溝，水自上游送到田間，要隨農田的位置彎曲繞，才能送水到農田。好的管理者貼近所管理，如同隴溝的水，彎曲送達。這也許給人詬病，不夠有擘力，不夠鐵令如山，不夠前後一致，不夠方針固定，怎能隨著所需，流向搖擺？

Don’t Harden Your Heart

2022-08-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Deuteronomy 29:1-15.  Let’s go!

Deuteronomy 29:1-4 (NIV)
1  These are the terms of the covenant the LORD commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in Moab, in addition to the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.
2  Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that the LORD did in Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his officials and to all his land.
3  With your own eyes you saw those great trials, those miraculous signs and great wonders.
4  But to this day the LORD has not given you a mind that understands or eyes that see or ears that hear.

On verses 1-4:  The Israelites had witnessed some of the most incredible miracles ever recorded (v2-3).  Yet after all that God had done for them, Moses says that the Israelites still could not understand, see or hear God in their lives.  Instead, they often fell back in unbelief and rebellion.  Why is that?  It wasn’t a problem with their minds, eyes or ears.  It wasn’t a problem with God.  It was a heart problem.  Their hearts remained hard toward God.   

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).