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Is it possible to lose your salvation?

2019-10-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 6:1-12.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 6:1-3 (NIV) 
1  Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,
2  instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.
3  And God permitting, we will do so.

On verses 1-3:  Just before this, the writer of Hebrews rebuked his readers for failing to mature spiritually.  As part of telling them to grow up, he mentions six topics that are foundational for every Christian to understand:

The first is “repentance from acts that lead to death” (v1), meaning the importance of turning from our sin (including our tendency to want to earn our salvation by our own good works) and turning to God.
The second is the importance of faith (v1).
The third is the importance of baptisms, referring to water baptism and baptism of the Holy Spirit (v2).
The fourth is “the laying on of hands” (v2), probably referring to how every believer is called and commissioned to serve God.

诗篇六十七篇

2019-10-13 in /by

一篇诗歌，交于伶长。用丝弦的乐器。

1 愿神怜悯我们，赐福于我们，用脸光照我们，（细拉）
2 好叫世界得知祢的道路，万国得知祢的救恩。
3 神啊，愿列邦称赞祢，愿万民都称赞祢！
4 愿万国都快乐欢呼，因为祢必按公正审判万民，引导世上的万国。（细拉）
5 神啊，愿列邦称赞祢，愿万民都称赞祢！
6 地已经出了土产，神，就是我们的神，要赐福于我们。
7 神要赐福于我们，地的四极都要敬畏祂。

纵横影坛25年，曾经五度入围奥斯卡演技奖的李奥纳多‧狄卡皮欧，终于在2016年，第88届奥斯卡金像奖时，因为“神鬼猎人”（The Revenant）的杰出演技而夺到小金人。“神鬼猎人”原预计在加拿大拍摄，却因为气候不够寒冷，必须到阿根廷南部拍摄部份场景。李奥纳多的得奖感言除了感谢之外，更着重在环保的呼吁，他说：“我们只有一个地球，不该把她视为理所当然，如同我不把今晚的成就视为理所当然。”

当我们从出生就享受着神所赐的一切时，我们很难不把神的恩典视为理所当然，予取予求，毫无顾忌。但是借着这诗篇，让我们知道所有的恩典都是来自神的赐予。这诗篇里一共有六个“愿”，“愿”代表了在祷告里的期望。1-3节是在〈民数记〉的第六章24-26节里，神晓喻摩西教导亚伦和其后裔，对以色列人的祝福：“愿耶和华赐福给你，保护你！愿耶和华使祂的脸光照你，赐恩给你！ 愿耶和华向你仰脸，赐你平安！”因此又称大祭司的祝祷。

Jesus our Perfect High Priest

2019-10-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 5:1-14.  Jesus our Perfect High Priest (Plus, 4 clues that you are still a spiritual infant) Let’s go!

Hebrews 5:1-4 (NIV) 
1  Every high priest is selected from among men and is appointed to represent them in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 
2  He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness. 
3  This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people. 
4  No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was.

On verses 1-10:  In verses 1-4 the writer of Hebrews describes how the high priest under Jewish law was appointed and what that high priest did.  He says that the high priest:

is selected from among his own people (v1a)
is appointed to represent the people in God-related matters and to offer gifts and sacrifices to God for people’s sins, including his own (v1b)

诗篇六十六篇

2019-10-11 in /by

一篇诗歌，交于伶长。

1 全地都当向神欢呼！
2 歌颂他名的荣耀，用赞美的言语将祂的荣耀发明！
3 当对神说：「祢的作为何等可畏！因祢的大能，仇敌要投降祢。
4 全地要敬拜祢，歌颂祢，要歌颂祢的名。」（细拉）
5 你们来看神所行的，祂向世人所做之事是可畏的。
6 祂将海变成干地，众民步行过河，我们在那里因祂欢喜。
7 祂用权能治理万民直到永远，祂的眼睛鉴察列邦，悖逆的人不可自高。（细拉）
8 万民哪，你们当称颂我们的神，使人得听赞美祂的声音。
9 祂使我们的性命存活，也不叫我们的脚摇动。
10 神啊，你曾试验我们，熬炼我们如熬炼银子一样。……

有一幅以色列的图画很可以说明神的恩典是等信实。在〈以西结书〉36章10-11节，那是犹太人亡国，被掳到巴比伦的时候，神已经预言：“我必使以色列全家的人数在你上面增多，城邑有人居住，荒场再被建造。我必使人和牲畜在你上面加增，他们必生养众多。我要使你照旧有人居住，并要赐福于你比先前更多，你就知道我是耶和华。”比较一下现在的以色列和以色列建国之前的巴勒斯坦，我们就可以明白为何诗人要如此地赞美神。

Approach God with Confidence Because You Have the Perfect Representative

2019-10-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 4:12-16.  These verses are worth memorizing.  They contain some powerful truths that we need to store up in our hearts.   Let’s go!

Hebrews 4:12 (NIV) 
12  For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

On verse 12:  Though the Scriptures (the logos “word of God”) were written thousands of years ago, they are incredibly relevant, applicable and helpful for us today.  Case in point: just before this, in verses 1 to 11 the writer of Hebrews gave a powerful sermon on Psalm 95 to communicate the powerful and relevant truth that trusting in Jesus’ finished work on the cross allows us to enter God’s rest.   What can we learn from this?  God actively uses the Scriptures to speak into our current situations.  God’s Word truly is living and active.

诗篇六十五篇

2019-10-10 in /by

大卫的诗歌，交于伶长。

1 神啊，锡安的人都等候赞美祢，所许的愿也要向祢偿还。
2 听祷告的主啊，凡有血气的都要来就祢。
3 罪孽胜了我，至于我们的过犯，祢都要赦免。
4 祢所拣选使他亲近祢，住在祢院中的，这人便为有福！我们必因祢居所，祢圣殿的美福知足了。
5 拯救我们的神啊，祢必以威严秉公义应允我们，祢本是一切地极和海上远处的人所倚靠的。
6 祂既以大能束腰，就用力量安定诸山，
7 使诸海的响声和其中波浪的响声，并万民的喧哗，都平静了。
8 住在地极的人因祢的神蹟惧怕，祢使日出日落之地都欢呼。

9 祢眷顾地，降下透雨，使地大得肥美；神的河满了水。祢这样浇灌了地，好为人预备五谷。

10 祢浇透地的犁沟，润平犁脊，降甘霖使地软和，其中发长的蒙祢赐福。
11 祢以恩典为年岁的冠冕，祢的路径都滴下脂油。
12 滴在旷野的草场上，小山以欢乐束腰，
13 草场以羊群为衣，谷中也长满了五谷，这一切都欢呼歌唱。

这是一首赞美的诗歌，有人认为是以色列经过了一段干旱时期，重获甘霖的赞美。在大卫做王的时期，以色列曾经有三年的饥荒。大卫去求问神时，才发现在以色列境内曾经发生过一椿很不公平的屠杀。这事要从〈约书亚记〉说起，当约书亚率领以色列人进迦南之后，就开始一连串的战争，住在迦南地的外邦人都因而震惊了。尤其是当时有非常坚固城墙的耶利哥城，在以色列人绕了七天之后，居然城墙就都倒了，以色列人的第一仗已经让外邦人闻风丧胆。

Jesus’ Finished Work Brings You Rest

2019-10-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 4:1-11.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 4:1-3 (NIV) 
1  Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it. 
2  For we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith. 
3  Now we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said, “So I declared on oath in my anger, ‘They shall never enter my rest.'” …

On verses 1-3a:  What “rest” is the writer of Hebrews talking about here?  What “rest” is he not wanting his readers to miss?  To be clear, the writer of Hebrews is not referring to resting once a week from your normal work as per the 10 commandments.  The rest he is referring to here is the rest that comes from trusting in Jesus. God offers this rest to all of us today.  This is the ultimate rest, a rest that brings benefit to us not just today but for eternity.  As verse 1 says, “since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.” 

Your Heart’s Condition Is Your Choice

2019-10-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 3:7-19.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 3:7-8 (NIV) 
7  So, as the Holy Spirit says: “Today, if you hear his voice, 
8  do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion, during the time of testing in the desert,

On verses 7-12:  There are two crucial lessons I learn as I read these verses today.
First, notice that in verses 7-11 the writer of Hebrews quotes Psalm 95:7-11 and prefaces it was saying, “as the Holy Spiritsays”.  In other words, the writer of Hebrews believed the Old Testament is not just people’s words, but the inspired words of the Holy Spirit.

Second, notice that in this passage we are told not to harden our hearts and not to have an unbelieving heart that turns away from the Lord (v12).  In other words, your heart’s condition is your choice.  The condition of your heart is not something that is beyond your control.  Rather, you choose whether you will have a soft heart or a hardened heart toward God.  You choose whether you will have a heart that humbly responds to God or a heart that pridefully and stubbornly rejects Him.   It’s your choice.  Choose a soft and humble heart toward God today.

诗篇六十四篇

2019-10-09 in /by

大卫的诗，交于伶长。

1 神啊，我哀叹的时候，求祢听我的声音。求祢保护我的性命，不受仇敌的惊恐。
2 求祢把我隐藏，使我脱离作恶之人的暗谋和作孽之人的扰乱。
3 他们磨舌如刀，发出苦毒的言语，好像比准了的箭，
4 要在暗地射完全人。他们忽然射他，并不惧怕。
5 他们彼此勉励设下恶计，他们商量暗设网罗，说：「谁能看见？」
6 他们图谋奸恶，说：「我们是极力图谋的！」他们各人的意念心思是深的。
7 但神要射他们，他们忽然被箭射伤。
8 他们必然绊跌，被自己的舌头所害，凡看见他们的必都摇头。
9 众人都要害怕，要传扬神的工作，并且明白祂的作为。
10 义人必因耶和华欢喜，并要投靠祂。凡心里正直的人，都要夸口。

南非牧师慕安德烈曾在1895年造访英格兰。当时他深受背部旧伤复发之苦，在等待康复期间，接待他的女主人告诉他，有位姐妹正面对极大的困难，希望得到他的辅导。慕安德烈说：“把这张纸拿给她，上面我写了一些话语来激励自己，或许对她有帮助。”纸上这样写：“在面对患难时，我告诉自己：首先，上帝让我遭遇困境，这既然是祂的心意，我就安稳歇息。接着，祂会保守我在祂的爱中，并在试炼中赐给我恩典，保守我行事为人合乎祂儿女的身分。然后，祂会将试炼化为祝福，从中教导我当学的功课，以祂的恩典造就我。最后，祂会按照祂所定的时刻，带领我离开这困境。至于会以什么方式，什么时候，唯有祂知道。我在这里，顺从祂的心意、得蒙祂的保守、接受祂的训练、按着祂的时间。”