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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.

詩篇八十一篇

2019-10-29 in /by

亞薩的詩，交於伶長。用迦特樂器。

1 你們當向神我們的力量大聲歡呼，向雅各的神發聲歡樂！
2 唱起詩歌，打手鼓，彈美琴與瑟！
3 當在月朔並月望，我們過節的日期吹角！
4 因這是為以色列定的律例，是雅各神的典章。
5 祂去攻擊埃及地的時候，在約瑟中間立此為證。我在那裡聽見我所不明白的言語，
6 神說：「我使你的肩得脫重擔，你的手放下筐子。
7 你在急難中呼求，我就搭救你。我在雷的隱密處應允你，在米利巴水那裡試驗你。（細拉）
8 我的民哪，你當聽，我要勸誡你！以色列啊，甚願你肯聽從我！
9 在你當中不可有別的神，外邦的神你也不可下拜。
10 我是耶和華你的神，曾把你從埃及地領上來。你要大大張口，我就給你充滿。……

詩篇81篇是一首慶祝住棚節的詩歌。因為猶太曆的每月初一稱為月朔，從月朔起月漸圓，直到十五滿月，稱“月望”。月朔的測定非常重要，因為一年的七個大節日能否落在準確的日子，都以月朔為基準。因此每次都要有兩個猶大祭司目測新月，確定月朔之後，祭司要吹銀號，公告要把那天分別為聖，並要有聖會敬拜神。

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. 

詩篇八十篇

2019-10-28 in /by

亞薩的詩，交於伶長。調用為證的百合花。

1 領約瑟如領羊群之以色列的牧者啊，求祢留心聽！坐在二基路伯上的啊，求祢發出光來！
2 在以法蓮、便雅憫、瑪拿西前面施展祢的大能，來救我們！
3 神啊，求祢使我們回轉；使祢的臉發光，我們便要得救！
4 耶和華萬軍之神啊，祢向祢百姓的禱告發怒，要到幾時呢？
5 祢以眼淚當食物給他們吃，又多量出眼淚給他們喝。
6 祢使鄰邦因我們紛爭，我們的仇敵彼此戲笑。
7 萬軍之神啊，求祢使我們回轉；使祢的臉發光，我們便要得救！
8 祢從埃及挪出一棵葡萄樹，趕出外邦人，把這樹栽上。
9 祢在這樹跟前預備了地方，他就深深扎根，爬滿了地。
10 它的影子遮滿了山，枝子好像佳美的香柏樹。……

在這詩篇裡，你讀到了什麼？有沒有一些重複的句子一直跳進眼裡？這是一篇很悲傷的詩，因為亞薩說神以眼淚當作食物給他們吃，又量出更多的眼淚給他們喝。那是何等傷心痛苦，才會讓眼淚成河，不斷地淌流。

神為何讓祂的子民如此痛苦悲傷，在隣邦的鐵蹄下受盡蹂躪。在這詩篇裡亞薩不停地呼求：“萬軍之神啊! ”一共有四次。一國之軍的元帥己經很了不起，何況是萬軍之，不是元帥，是神。元帥有可能打敗戰，神是不會打敗戰的。

亞薩在之前不停地求神拯救他們，經過長期的禱告，聖靈讓他明白一些事情。猶大的滅亡，聖殿之遭殃，不是因為神沒有能力，而是百姓和君王、祭司長期犯罪的後果。因此亞薩的呼求改變了。

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)

詩篇七十九篇

2019-10-27 in /by

亞薩的詩。

1 神啊，外邦人進入祢的產業，污穢祢的聖殿，使耶路撒冷變成荒堆，
2 把祢僕人的屍首交於天空的飛鳥為食，把祢聖民的肉交於地上的野獸，
3 在耶路撒冷周圍流他們的血如水，無人葬埋。
4 我們成為鄰國的羞辱，成為我們四圍人的嗤笑譏刺。
5 耶和華啊，這到幾時呢？祢要動怒到永遠嗎？祢的憤恨要如火焚燒嗎？
6 願祢將祢的憤怒倒在那不認識祢的外邦，和那不求告祢名的國度，
7 因為他們吞了雅各，把他的住處變為荒場。
8 求祢不要記念我們先祖的罪孽，向我們追討。願祢的慈悲快迎著我們，因為我們落到極卑微的地步！

9 拯救我們的神啊，求祢因祢名的榮耀幫助我們，為祢名的緣故搭救我們，赦免我們的罪。

10 為何容外邦人說：「他們的神在哪裡呢？」願祢使外邦人知道祢在我們眼前，申祢僕人流血的冤。
11 願被囚之人的嘆息達到祢面前，願祢按祢的大能力存留那些將要死的人。
12 主啊，願祢將我們鄰邦所羞辱祢的羞辱加七倍歸到他們身上。
13 這樣，祢的民，祢草場的羊，要稱謝祢直到永遠，要述說讚美祢的話直到萬代。

現在我們用這篇詩來做靈修，當你讀完之後，你有怎樣的感受呢？會不會覺得又是一篇受苦的詩，又是一篇求主拯救的詩篇，好無聊啊!

你會不會思想，為什麼外邦人會進入神的產業？也就是神賜給雅各，以色列的迦南地。榮耀的耶路撒冷，在所羅門的時代，金子不算什麼! 現在卻變成荒堆？為什麼？難道神丟棄祂的聖民和僕人了？

在耶路撒冷周圍流著神子民的血水，他們的屍體無人葬埋。以色列成為隣國的羞辱，被人嗤笑譏刺。

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. 

The Difference Jesus Makes to Our Relationships Both Vertically and Horizontally

2019-10-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 10:19-25. Let’s go!

Hebrews 10:19-25 (NIV) 
19  Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 
20  by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 
21  and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 
22  let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 
23  Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. ……
 
On verses 19-25:  So far in Hebrews the author has written in depth about how Jesus is our great high priest (v21) and how through Jesus’ shed blood and sacrificed body we are able to freely enter God’s holy presence (v19-20).  

詩篇七十八篇

2019-10-25 in /by

亞薩的訓誨詩。

1 我的民哪，你們要留心聽我的訓誨，側耳聽我口中的話。
2 我要開口說比喻，我要說出古時的謎語，
3 是我們所聽見所知道的，也是我們的祖宗告訴我們的。
4 我們不將這些事向他們的子孫隱瞞，要將耶和華的美德和祂的能力，並祂奇妙的作為，述說給後代聽。
5 因為祂在雅各中立法度，在以色列中設律法，是祂吩咐我們祖宗要傳給子孫的，
6 使將要生的後代子孫可以曉得。他們也要起來告訴他們的子孫，
7 好叫他們仰望神，不忘記神的作為，唯要守祂的命令，
8 不要像他們的祖宗，是頑梗悖逆居心不正之輩，向著神心不誠實。
9 以法蓮的子孫帶著兵器拿著弓，臨陣之日轉身退後。
10 他們不遵守神的約，不肯照祂的律法行。……

《詩篇》78篇是《詩篇》119篇以外，最長的一首詩，共有72節。這篇的小標題註明是“亞薩的訓誨詩”。亞薩是3千年前，大衛和所羅門時代，利未支派的領袖，受指派在耶路撒冷聖殿中，帶領眾人用詩歌敬拜神（《代上》16；《代下》5：12）。

他擅長各種樂器，也會寫作不同類型的詩歌。當時與他同擔當此任的，還有利未的子孫希幔和以探（參《代上》15：17，25：1，以探可能又名耶杜頓）。亞薩也被稱為“先見”。他的詩歌和大衛的詩歌，成為250年以後，希西家王帶領屬靈復興的重要動力（參《代下》29：30）。屬靈的復興，往往與偉大的詩歌密不可分。《詩篇》第三卷是以亞薩的詩歌為主（《詩》73-83），或許即是那時留下來的作品。