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预言封闭至末期

2022-01-11 in , /by

〈但以理书〉12:10必有许多人使自己清净洁白，且被熬炼，但恶人仍必行恶。一切恶人都不明白，唯独智慧人能明白。

阅读经文：〈但以理书〉12

在2015年9月，有两位可谓人生的胜利者，在最美丽的青春年华时黯然而逝。一位是33岁的杜拜王子拉席德，因心脏病不幸猝死，他的国家将为他哀悼3天。一位是32岁的日本前NHK新闻女主播黑木奈奈，人长得非常漂亮，去年发现患了胃癌，她辞去工作专心求治，今年初还曾重回主播台，鼓励了许多患癌症的病友，没想到九月里病情急转直下，终于离世。可见人的末时，经常来得比末世还要早。所以我们不要以为末世遥遥无期，反而要为自己的末时做准备。

但以理得到启示，当末世来临时，米迦勒要出来保护以色列民。那时以色列民要面临前所未有的大艰难，比以前任何时候都艰难，那时就要知道分出来谁的名字记录在（生命）册上配得拯救。反之，那些名字没有记录在生命册上的，必不被拯救，而要面对灭亡。“睡在尘埃中”，指肉体已经死亡的人要复醒，也就是复活。有的人要得永生，有的人要受羞辱永远被憎恶。这就是主耶稣提到将来祂要审判时说的话：“时候要到，凡在坟墓里的，都要听见祂的声音，就出来，行善的复活得生，作恶的复活定罪。（约5:28-29）”又像保罗说的：“我们这活着还存留到主降临的人，断不能在那已经睡了的人之先。因为主必亲自从天降临，有呼叫的声音和天使长的声音，又有神的号吹响，那在基督里死了的人必先复活”（帖前4:15-16）。

当神预定的大艰难来临时，保护人的天使也不能违抗神的旨意挪去命定的灾害。主耶稣也曾预言：“那时，必有大灾难，从世界的起头，直到如今，没有这样的灾难，后来也必没有。若不减少那日子，凡有血气的，总没有一个得救的”(太24：21-22)。在灾难中，神有怜悯，因此米迦勒必站起来，护卫神的子民，否则有谁能站立得住呢？所以保罗勉励我们：“自己以为站得稳的须要谨慎，免得跌倒。你们所遇见的试探，无非是人所能受的。神是信实的，必不叫你们受试探过于所能受的，在受试探的时候，总要给你们开一条出路，叫你们能忍受得住。（林前10:12-13）”不管是试探或试炼，信主的人都有神的同在。

Something to Lighten Your Load

2022-01-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 18:13-27.  here are a few other lessons we can learn from this passage.  Let’s go!

Exodus 18:13-23 (NIV)
13  The next day Moses took his seat to serve as judge for the people, and they stood around him from morning till evening.
14  When his father-in-law saw all that Moses was doing for the people, he said, “What is this you are doing for the people? Why do you alone sit as judge, while all these people stand around you from morning till evening?”
15  Moses answered him, “Because the people come to me to seek God’s will.
16  Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God’s decrees and laws.”
17  Moses’ father-in-law replied, “What you are doing is not good.

On verses 13-23:  Jethro saw that as good intentioned as Moses was, it was not healthy or advisable for Moses to be a one man show and to personally judge every case that the people brought to him.  This would wear Moses out and it would also wear the people out in terms of making them wait far too long.  Jethro saw the inefficiencies in Moses’ system and suggested a better way, encouraging Moses to focus his role on teaching the people (v20) and representing the people before God (v19) and to delegate authority to trustworthy individuals with good character to deal personally with the people’s individual problems (v21-22).  Jethro’s goal was to lighten Moses’ load (“this will make your load lighter”), to raise up leaders who would be accountable to Moses and who could help share the work (“they will share it with you”), and to create a better experience for everyone so that “all these people will go home satisfied” (v23).

预言希腊的兴起到灭亡

2022-01-10 in , /by

〈但以理书〉11:32作恶违背圣约的人，他必用巧言勾引；唯独认识神的子民，必刚强行事。

阅读经文：〈但以理书〉11

天使再次向但以理讲解异象，比以前的任何一次都要详细，这次主要是讲论希腊，从希腊的兴起讲到希腊的灭亡。亚哈随鲁（薛西一世）是波斯的第四个王，在他当政时，波斯帝国从印度直到古实统管一百二十七省，国富民强。在〈以斯帖记〉的第一章里，说到亚哈随鲁王把他王国的财富和荣华富贵，给那些波斯和玛代的权贵，各省的贵冑与首领看了一百八十天（六个月）；又为所有住书珊城的大小人民在御园的院子里设摆筵席七日，等等，十分地穷极奢侈。因为国富民强，他不断地 挑衅希腊，几次无功而返，终于被希腊兴起的亚历山大大帝歼灭。

亚历山大大帝死后，国家由四位将领分割。在分裂的四国之中，占有南边埃及的是多利买王朝；北边叙利亚，由西流古王朝统管，后者逐渐强盛；因此，多利买二世将女儿百尼基给叙利亚王安提奥古二世为妻，借此订立和约，没想到两年后，多利买二世病逝，安提奥古二世便解除婚约，与前妻老底嘉复合。但老底嘉心怀怨恨，把安提奥古二世与百尼基，并他们二人的儿子及一些百尼基的亲信、随从等全部毒死，清除了百尼基的余党，接着就立她的儿子西流古二世加利尼古为王。

但是百尼基在埃及的娘家哥哥多利买三世知道后，立刻出兵进攻叙利亚，史称“老底嘉之役”，可惜没有来得及救出百尼基，只能为妹妹报仇，杀掉老底嘉。他率领军队入侵叙利亚时，掳掠大批金银财宝及庙中的偶像，带回埃及尽数分给国中军民，众人称他为慈善家多利买（11章5-8节）。

The Biggest Key to Leading Your Loved Ones to Christ

2022-01-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 18:1-12.  Let’s go!

Exodus 18:1-12 (NIV)
1  Now Jethro, the priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moses, heard of everything God had done for Moses and for his people Israel, and how the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt.
2  After Moses had sent away his wife Zipporah, his father-in-law Jethro received her
3  and her two sons. One son was named Gershom, for Moses said, “I have become an alien in a foreign land”;
4  and the other was named Eliezer, for he said, “My father’s God was my helper; he saved me from the sword of Pharaoh.”
5  Jethro, Moses’ father-in-law, together with Moses’ sons and wife, came to him in the desert, where he was camped near the mountain of God.

On verses 1-12:  Here Moses reunites with his wife Zipporah, his two sons Gershom and Eliezer, and his father-in-law Jethro. Jethro was a priest from the land of Midian where Moses met his wife.  As for what God Jethro and the Midianites worshiped, it is not clear.  Since the Midianites were descendants of Abraham (see 1 Chronicles 1:32), it is likely that Jethro and the Midianites had heard of the LORD, but it is not clear whether Jethro and the Midianites actually worshiped or believed in the LORD.  What is clear is that as Jethro hears more and more about what the LORD had done for Moses and the Israelites (v1), when he saw the change in Moses and how the LORD rescued not just him but the Israelite people too (v8), Jethro responds by expressing faith in the LORD. 

Keys to Winning Your Battle

2022-01-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage, Exodus 17:1-16, is full of powerful lessons, so many in fact that there’s probably one lesson for every hour of your workday today.  You may want to read this message in pieces, taking it in bit by bit throughout the day.  Get ready!  Let’s go!

Exodus 17:1-5 (NIV)
1  The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink.
2  So they quarreled with Moses and said, “Give us water to drink.” Moses replied, “Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?”
3  But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, “Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?”
4  Then Moses cried out to the LORD, “What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me.”
5  The LORD answered Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go.

On verses 1-5:  Once again the Israelites grumble against Moses, complaining about a lack of water.  Moses asks God what he should do with these angry, grumbling people, and I like the LORD’s response to Moses.  The LORD tells Moses, “Walk on ahead of the people.” (v5) When people are grumbling, walk ahead of them.  Don’t become their follower, moving forward only when they move forward or going only when they tell you to go.  Walk ahead of them and you’ll see things that they don’t see and be better positioned to lead them.  

但以理得启示

2022-01-09 in , /by

〈但以理书〉10:19a 他说：「大蒙眷爱的人哪，不要惧怕，愿你平安！你总要坚强！」

阅读经文：〈但以理书〉10:1-21

在波斯王居鲁士三年，也就是西元前536年，在那之前近五万的犹大子民从巴比伦回到耶路撒冷。居鲁士不仅已经释放在巴比伦的以色列民回国，而且更为他们重建圣殿。但是在这期间，可能因为所罗巴伯领导犹太人从流亡中回归，遭到撒玛利亚人反对，回归的犹太人遭遇到极大的争战（拉4:1-5）。消息传来，引起但以理极大的悲伤。在但以理的悲伤中，神再差遣天使帮助但以理明白将来要发生的事情。但以理没有跟众人回耶路撒冷，可能因为年事已高，不适合长途跋涉；也可能因为位居要职不能离开，但是他对于犹大人回归的事却非常上心，时时等待他们的消息。

但以理因悲伤而不吃美味，不喝美酒，也不用油抹身。在不能经常洗澡，又没有现代的止汗除臭剂的地方，使用香油抹身是个人修饰和保健的重要步骤。漠视这些细节表示哀悼。但以理在刚到巴比伦时拒绝王膳，但是有了官职之后，必然有自己的住处和厨房，可以按著犹太人的律法去准备饮食。所以平常会有酒肉，只是此时悲伤，因而不进任何美食，以粗糙简单的饮食代表心中的难过。

那年的正月二十四日，但以理在底格里斯大河边看到有一人，和〈启示录〉中约翰所见的人子有很多相似之处。但以理见到“有一人身穿细麻衣，腰束乌法精金带。他身体如水苍玉，面貌如闪电，眼目如火把，手和脚如光明的铜，说话的声音如大众的声音。＂约翰见到“灯台中间有一位好像人子，身穿长衣，直垂到脚，胸间束著金带。他的头与发皆白，如白羊毛，如雪，眼目如同火焰，脚好像在炉中锻炼光明的铜，声音如同众水的声音。”但以理看到异象时是清醒的，也有人和他在一起，那些人虽然看不见人子，却可以感受到祂的能力，因而大大战兢，逃跑隐藏；而但以理看到异象后就浑身无力，听到声音就面伏在地沉睡了。

Grace for Each New Day

2022-01-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 16:19-36.  Let’s go!

Exodus 16:19-21 (NIV)
19  Then Moses said to them, “No one is to keep any of it until morning.”
20  However, some of them paid no attention to Moses; they kept part of it until morning, but it was full of maggots and began to smell. So Moses was angry with them.
21  Each morning everyone gathered as much as he needed, and when the sun grew hot, it melted away.

On verses 19-21:  What can we learn from this?  This is not to say that we shouldn’t plan ahead or keep leftovers in the fridge.  But the lesson here is that God’s grace is enough for each day.  Instead of worrying that we won’t have enough tomorrow, trust God that He will have new grace to give us for each new day.  His grace is always sufficient for us.

Also, when we ignore God’s commands for living and working, our lives begin to decay and smell.

Exodus 16:22-26 (NIV)
22  On the sixth day, they gathered twice as much–two omers for each person–and the leaders of the community came and reported this to Moses.
23  He said to them, “This is what the LORD commanded: ‘Tomorrow is to be a day of rest, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. So bake what you want to bake and boil what you want to boil. Save whatever is left and keep it until morning.'”
24  So they saved it until morning, as Moses commanded, and it did not stink or get maggots in it.

《圣经中各种审判》17 — 亚伦家受审：事奉者受审

2022-01-07 in , /by

在上帝主权统管下的意志

　　圣经说：「我要使法老的心刚硬」，我们怎么理解？上帝的主权超越人的意志，人心能否顺从都在神主权的统管下。圣经说：「耶和华说：『我要显我一切的恩慈，在你面前经过，宣告我的名。我要恩待谁就恩待谁；要怜悯谁就怜悯谁。』」（出 33:19）一个人的生命要败坏下去，不是他决定就可以，也要上帝的许可。

有关上帝的主权与旨意，我分成四大阶层：一、上帝计划中的旨意，二、上帝许可中的自由，三、上帝引导人的转变，四、上帝任凭人的灭亡，这四样都在神的主权之下。你说：「我自己决定，所以我有这样的地步」，你没有想到你所打的主意有上帝的主权在你身上的彰显，如果你能好，是因为上帝施恩给你，如果你不好，是上帝任凭你硬着你的心，因着上帝的主权与施恩决定一个人能领受多少恩典，如果上帝没有施恩，我们只能抵挡上帝，刚硬着心。圣经说：「我要使法老的心刚硬」，这不是指硬心是上帝的决定，而是说这其中有上帝的许可，甚至是上帝的任凭。人自己本意的败坏是上帝的任凭，不让你悔改，继续硬心下去。人以为他的抵挡连上帝都束手无策，把上帝的干涉当作是对自己的搅扰，在蒙蔽之中不知道自己犯了什么错，不知道如果上帝不施恩，他也无法悔改。

圣经说：「我使法老的心刚硬，要在他身上显出我的荣耀」，因为法老的刚硬，人看见上帝凭己意行万事 ，上帝行事使祂的百姓得恩典，祂施行审判使祂的仇敌受灾殃。

十灾显明埃及诸神非真神

　　上帝降下十灾最大的目的只有一个：显明埃及人所敬拜的是假神，不能造福人群，解救百姓。在降灾的事上，术士可以模仿先知所做的事 ，无论是杖变蛇或水变血，假先知所做的事情与神的仆人好像一样，但在结局上，你看见法老的术士只能降灾，显明邪恶的能力无法施行拯救，这是圣经记载正邪之间真正的分别。

When You’re Tempted to Grumble and Complain

2022-01-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Exodus 16:1-18.  Let’s go!

Exodus 16:1-3 (NIV)
1  The whole Israelite community set out from Elim and came to the Desert of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had come out of Egypt.
2  In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron.
3  The Israelites said to them, “If only we had died by the LORD’s hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death.”

On verses 1-3:  When we’re having a tough time with life today, sometimes we can be tempted to idealize and even worship the past.  Have you ever done that before?  It’s when we speak in exaggerated terms about the past versus the present:  “Before life was so happy and perfect; now everything sucks.  Things were so good back then.  Today things are so bad.”   That’s what the Israelites were doing: in their hunger, they grumbled against their leaders Moses and Aaron.  The Israelites idealized their lives in Egypt when they apparently “sat around pots of meat and ate all the food they wanted” (v3).  Of course, in their worship of the past, they conveniently left out the fact that when they were slaves in Egypt they were crying for deliverance.  They also seemed to ignore the fact that whenever you start a new season, there will be new things to learn, new skills to develop, and new systems to create and get used to.  To expect that life would be perfect as soon as they stepped out of Egypt would be unrealistic.

生命中必须破除的五种谎言

2022-01-06 in , /by

传道书9:3a   在日光之下所行的一切事上，有一件祸患，就是众人所遭遇的都是一样。

阅读经文：传道书9:1-3

1我将这一切事放在心上，详细考究，就知道义人和智慧人并他们的作为，都在神手中。或是爱，或是恨，都在他们的前面，人不能知道。2凡临到众人的事都是一样：义人和恶人都遭遇一样的事；好人、洁净人和不洁净人，献祭的与不献祭的，也是一样。好人如何，罪人也如何；起誓的如何，怕起誓的也如何。3在日光之下所行的一切事上，有一件祸患，就是众人所遭遇的都是一样。并且世人的心充满了恶，活着的时候心里狂妄，后来就归死人那里去了。

在这忙碌的人生中，我们每天都有许多安排，天天都在忙。有何事会让你的脚步暂停一下呢？所罗门王查看之后，他发现义人和智慧人，还有他们所做的事，都在神的手中；即使如此，不管是将要发生在他们生活中的爱或恨，他们也不能预先知道。义人或智慧人，都该算是敬畏神的人。义人是指在神的眼中不以为有罪的，属神的人；而敬畏神是智慧的开端，所以有智慧的人应该是敬畏神的人。