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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.
 

八个不当

2022-08-09 in , /by

箴言21:10   恶人的心乐人受祸，他眼并不怜恤邻舍。

阅读经文：箴言21:10-12

10恶人的心乐人受祸，他眼并不怜恤邻舍。11亵慢的人受刑罚，愚蒙的人就得智慧；智慧人受训诲，便得知识。12义人思想恶人的家，知道恶人倾倒，必致灭亡。

第10节：恶人的心乐人受祸，他眼并不怜恤邻舍。Wicked souls love to make trouble; they feel nothing for friends and neighbors.《The Message》

在圣经里记载着神对某一族人的惩罚，这族人在很高的山上建屋，以为没有人能上到那样的高处去打他们。没想到神说：“你虽如大鹰高飞，在星宿之间搭窝，我必从那里拉下你来。”后来这个国家真的被灭亡了。那就是以东，以扫的后裔。

为何神的愤怒临到他们呢？因为神说：“当外人掳掠雅各的财物，外邦人进入他的城门，为耶路撒冷拈阄的日子，你竟站在一旁，像与他们同伙。你兄弟遭难的日子，你不当瞪眼看着。犹大人被灭的日子，你不当因此欢乐。他们遭难的日子，你不当说狂傲的话。 我民遭灾的日子，你不当进他们的城门。他们遭灾的日子，你不当瞪眼看着他们受苦。他们遭灾的日子，你不当伸手抢他们的财物。你不当站在岔路口，剪除他们中间逃脱的。他们遭难的日子，你不当将他们剩下的人交付仇敌。”一共有八个“不当”。这事记载在〈俄巴底亚书〉里。

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.

清洁的人所行乃正直

2022-08-08 in , /by

箴言21:8负罪之人的路甚是弯曲，至于清洁的人，他所行的乃是正直。

7恶人的强暴必将自己扫除，因他们不肯按公平行事。8负罪之人的路甚是弯曲，至于清洁的人，他所行的乃是正直。9宁可住在房顶的角上，不在宽阔的房屋与争吵的妇人同住。

第7节：恶人的强暴必将自己扫除，因他们不肯按公平行事。The wicked get buried alive by their loot because they refuse to use it to help others.《The Message》

今天读到一则真实故事，人的强暴有很多方式，这算不算是一种？有个男孩从小学习都很优秀，因此他的父母寄望他长大后能做医生。但是孩子对医学并没有兴趣，跟父母没法沟通，于是让自己的成绩往下滑。父母紧张了，找了好多人跟孩子谈。

金钱如风吹的浮云

2022-08-07 in , /by

箴言 21:6  用诡诈之舌求财的，就是自己取死，所得之财乃是吹来吹去的浮云。

阅读经文：箴言21:4-6

4恶人发达，眼高心傲，这乃是罪。5殷勤筹划的足致丰裕，行事急躁的都必缺乏。6用诡诈之舌求财的，就是自己取死，所得之财乃是吹来吹去的浮云。

第4节：恶人发达，眼高心傲，这乃是罪。Arrogance and pride—distinguishing marks in the wicked— are just plain sin.《The Message》

很多人都在问：什么是罪？罪是指何事？不是指杀人放火，奸淫掳掠吗？我有什么罪？我怎么会是罪人？假如和别人比较，说不定，我还比谁好几分。老李对他娘不好，王五整天打骂老婆，张三经常说话不算数。只有我，朝九晚五地上班，领了薪水就交给老婆，每周回去探望爹娘，什么该做的都做了，我怎么会是罪人？

这里智者告诉我们，罪是一种从心里发出的，眼高心傲，觉得自己比人高一等，好一级，就是罪。我们心里把人比下去，看不起人，这就是罪。Arrogance and pride傲慢和自豪，这就是罪。从心里发出来的罪。在神面前，自大了。

“人所行的在自己眼中都看为正，唯有耶和华衡量人心”（箴21:2）。耶和华神衡量人心，我们的心思意念，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). 

耶和华衡量人心

2022-08-05 in , /by

箴言21:1 王的心在耶和华手中好像垄沟的水，随意流转。

1王的心在耶和华手中好像垄沟的水，随意流转。 2 人所行的在自己眼中都看为正，唯有耶和华衡量人心。 3 行仁义、公平比献祭更蒙耶和华悦纳。

第1节：王的心在耶和华手中好像垄沟的水，随意流转。Good leadership is a channel of water controlled by GOD; he directs it to whatever ends he chooses.《The Message》

陇沟是田间的小水沟，水自上游送到田间，要随农田的位置弯曲绕，才能送水到农田。好的管理者贴近所管理，如同陇沟的水，弯曲送达。这也许给人诟病，不够有擘力，不够铁令如山，不够前后一致，不够方针固定，怎能随着所需，流向摇摆？

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).