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When Faith Empowers Your Life

2019-10-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 11:20-29.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 11:20-22 (NIV) 
20  By faith Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau in regard to their future.
21  By faith Jacob, when he was dying, blessed each of Joseph’s sons, and worshiped as he leaned on the top of his staff.
22  By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones.

On verses 20-22:  When your life is empowered by God-pleasing faith, you will have a heart to encourage and help the next generation.  That’s what happened in the case of Isaac, Jacob and Joseph.  At the end of their lives they each spoke words to bless, protect and guide the generation coming after them.  These men saw their story as being connected to and continued by those in the next generation.  Likewise, may you have a heart to bless, protect and prepare the next generation, and may you see the next generation not as competition but as a continuation of the story God is writing in and through your life.

What Faith Looks Like In Real Life

2019-10-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 11:8-19.  Let’s go!

On verses 8-19:  To illustrate what faith looks like in real life, the writer of Hebrews focuses in on the life of Abraham and his wife Sarah.  Their incredible story is told in Genesis 12-25.  Here’s what I learned verse by verse about what faith looks like from the life of Abraham and Sarah as described by the writer of Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:8 (NIV) 
8  By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. 

On verse 8:  Faith is going where God tells you to go, even when you don’t see the whole picture.  So if you’re waiting to see the full picture before you go, guess what?  You’re not living by faith.

Hebrews 11:9 (NIV) 
9  By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. 
On verse 9:  Faith is leaving your comfort zone and letting go of what’s familiar and comfortable.

诗篇八十一篇

2019-10-29 in /by

亚萨的诗，交于伶长。用迦特乐器。

1 你们当向神我们的力量大声欢呼，向雅各的神发声欢乐！
2 唱起诗歌，打手鼓，弹美琴与瑟！
3 当在月朔并月望，我们过节的日期吹角！
4 因这是为以色列定的律例，是雅各神的典章。
5 祂去攻击埃及地的时候，在约瑟中间立此为证。我在那里听见我所不明白的言语，
6 神说：「我使你的肩得脱重担，你的手放下筐子。
7 你在急难中呼求，我就搭救你。我在雷的隐密处应允你，在米利巴水那里试验你。（细拉）
8 我的民哪，你当听，我要劝诫你！以色列啊，甚愿你肯听从我！
9 在你当中不可有别的神，外邦的神你也不可下拜。
10 我是耶和华你的神，曾把你从埃及地领上来。你要大大张口，我就给你充满。……

诗篇81篇是一首庆祝住棚节的诗歌。因为犹太历的每月初一称为月朔，从月朔起月渐圆，直到十五满月，称“月望”。月朔的测定非常重要，因为一年的七个大节日能否落在准确的日子，都以月朔为基准。因此每次都要有两个犹大祭司目测新月，确定月朔之后，祭司要吹银号，公告要把那天分别为圣，并要有圣会敬拜神。

What Is Faith?

2019-10-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 11:1-7.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) 
1  Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 

On verses 1, 6:  In the previous verse (Hebrews 10:39), the writer of Hebrews channeled his inner football coach and encouraged his readers to keep on fighting the fight of faith.  He told them “we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believe and are saved” (Hebrews 10:39).  Now the writer of Hebrews goes on to explain what faith is.  His definition, as translated by the NIV: “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” (v1).  I believe this verse shows us there are two parts to faith.

First, faith is being “certain of what we do not see”.  In other words, faith is using your imperfect sight to draw a conclusion based on the evidence available to you.  Say you’re sitting on a jury trying to decide whether or not to convict someone of a crime.  There will be an element of faith involved in your decision. 

诗篇八十篇

2019-10-28 in /by

亚萨的诗，交于伶长。调用为证的百合花。

1 领约瑟如领羊群之以色列的牧者啊，求祢留心听！坐在二基路伯上的啊，求祢发出光来！
2 在以法莲、便雅悯、玛拿西前面施展祢的大能，来救我们！
3 神啊，求祢使我们回转；使祢的脸发光，我们便要得救！
4 耶和华万军之神啊，祢向祢百姓的祷告发怒，要到几时呢？
5 祢以眼泪当食物给他们吃，又多量出眼泪给他们喝。
6 祢使邻邦因我们纷争，我们的仇敌彼此戏笑。
7 万军之神啊，求祢使我们回转；使祢的脸发光，我们便要得救！
8 祢从埃及挪出一棵葡萄树，赶出外邦人，把这树栽上。
9 祢在这树跟前预备了地方，他就深深扎根，爬满了地。
10 它的影子遮满了山，枝子好像佳美的香柏树。……

在这诗篇里，你读到了什么？有没有一些重复的句子一直跳进眼里？这是一篇很悲伤的诗，因为亚萨说神以眼泪当作食物给他们吃，又量出更多的眼泪给他们喝。那是何等伤心痛苦，才会让眼泪成河，不断地淌流。

神为何让祂的子民如此痛苦悲伤，在隣邦的铁蹄下受尽蹂躏。在这诗篇里亚萨不停地呼求：“万军之神啊! ”一共有四次。一国之军的元帅己经很了不起，何况是万军之，不是元帅，是神。元帅有可能打败战，神是不会打败战的。

亚萨在之前不停地求神拯救他们，经过长期的祷告，圣灵让他明白一些事情。犹大的灭亡，圣殿之遭殃，不是因为神没有能力，而是百姓和君王、祭司长期犯罪的后果。因此亚萨的呼求改变了。

Persevere and Be Blessed

2019-10-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 10:32-39.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 10:35-36 (NIV) 
35  So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded.
36  You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.

On verses 32-39:  Once again the theme of perseverance comes up here in these verses.  To encourage the Christians he is writing to, the writer of Hebrews recalls the early days of their faith when they suffered much persecution, even having their property confiscated and going to prison for their faith.  Apparently they did so joyfully because they knew that they “had better and lasting possessions” (v34).  (It reminds me of that famous quote from missionary Jim Elliott who wrote, “He is no fool who loses what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”)  In a time when his readers were likely tempted to leave their faith or disconnect themselves from church, the writer of Hebrews encourages his readers not to throw away their confidence and urges them to persevere “so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what has been promised.”  (v36)

诗篇七十九篇

2019-10-27 in /by

亚萨的诗。

1 神啊，外邦人进入祢的产业，污秽祢的圣殿，使耶路撒冷变成荒堆，
2 把祢仆人的尸首交于天空的飞鸟为食，把祢圣民的肉交于地上的野兽，
3 在耶路撒冷周围流他们的血如水，无人葬埋。
4 我们成为邻国的羞辱，成为我们四围人的嗤笑讥刺。
5 耶和华啊，这到几时呢？祢要动怒到永远吗？祢的愤恨要如火焚烧吗？
6 愿祢将祢的愤怒倒在那不认识祢的外邦，和那不求告祢名的国度，
7 因为他们吞了雅各，把他的住处变为荒场。
8 求祢不要记念我们先祖的罪孽，向我们追讨。愿祢的慈悲快迎着我们，因为我们落到极卑微的地步！

9 拯救我们的神啊，求祢因祢名的荣耀帮助我们，为祢名的缘故搭救我们，赦免我们的罪。

10 为何容外邦人说：「他们的神在哪里呢？」愿祢使外邦人知道祢在我们眼前，申祢仆人流血的冤。
11 愿被囚之人的叹息达到祢面前，愿祢按祢的大能力存留那些将要死的人。
12 主啊，愿祢将我们邻邦所羞辱祢的羞辱加七倍归到他们身上。
13 这样，祢的民，祢草场的羊，要称谢祢直到永远，要述说赞美祢的话直到万代。

现在我们用这篇诗来做灵修，当你读完之后，你有怎样的感受呢？会不会觉得又是一篇受苦的诗，又是一篇求主拯救的诗篇，好无聊啊!

你会不会思想，为什么外邦人会进入神的产业？也就是神赐给雅各，以色列的迦南地。荣耀的耶路撒冷，在所罗门的时代，金子不算什么! 现在却变成荒堆？为什么？难道神丢弃祂的圣民和仆人了？

在耶路撒冷周围流着神子民的血水，他们的尸体无人葬埋。以色列成为隣国的羞辱，被人嗤笑讥刺。

God’s Grace Is Not a Licence to Keep On Sinning

2019-10-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 10:26-31.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 10:26-27 (NIV) 
26  If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left,
27  but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.

On verses 26-31:  There are two schools of interpretation that are worth considering when trying to understand this short passage.  The first and perhaps more mainstream way to interpret this passage is to say that it is basically repeating what Hebrews 6:4-6 has already said: that we receive Jesus as Saviour (“receive the knowledge of the truth” (v26)) but later commit apostasy by rejecting Jesus as our Saviour (“deliberately keep on sinning” (v26)), we will not be saved and will end up in a Christ-less hell for eternity.  That’s because by doing this we have rejected the only provision God has made for our sin: Jesus Christ.

Another interpretation of this passage is by Bible scholar David L. Allen (David L. Allen, The New American Commentary – Volume 35: Hebrews. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2010. WORDsearch CROSS e-book).  Allen believes that the sin being referred to here is not rejecting the Christian faith and committing apostasy, but rather deliberately continuing to sin in other ways and thus taking for granted the mercy of God expressed through Jesus Christ.