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Featured image of 阿摩司书 第二章 — 身为神所拣选的子民，我们过着怎样的生活呢？

阿摩司书 第二章 — 身为神所拣选的子民，我们过着怎样的生活呢？

Amos

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接续第一章的内容，神继续藉阿摩司的口宣告对列国的审判。不光是外邦，连神的子民—以色列人也是三番四次地犯罪。这对今天的我们有什么警示意义呢？ 圣经中“三番四次”一共出现了八次，全部在阿摩司书中。神的心意是要给人回转的机会。“主所应许的尚未成就 ，有人以为他是耽延，其实不是耽延，乃是宽容你们，不愿有一人沉沦，乃愿人人都悔改。” (彼得后书 3:9) 列国与以色列一直犯罪，没有悔改之心。当他们三番四次地犯罪，直到恶贯满盈超越神的容忍界限后，神就开始了他公义的审判。 虽然摩押看起来只是犯了一个小罪，把以东王的骸骨焚烧成灰，但这正是他们各种残暴、凶杀、忌恨的缩影。它的结局就是宫殿被烧毁。 宫殿是君王所住的地方，象征国家的存亡兴衰。宫殿被烧灭也就是王国的败亡。也正是因着在位君王首领的败坏，才导致了国家亡国的惨痛结局。 作为被神拣选的民，以色列本应该是与神最亲密、遵行他律法的。但阿摩司把以色列国放在了最后警告的对象。他们所犯下的罪与列国相比早已超过了“三番四次”。 他们在灵性道德上已完全地败坏。不但自己堕落，甚至还想把神的先知拉下水。 他们三番四次犯罪的后果就是：不光国家要被毁灭，神也要追讨他们每一个人的罪。这是何等大的悲哀！ 作为基督徒，我们就是属灵的以色列人，每天沐浴在神的话语和恩典下。那我们今天又是怎么样过我们的生活呢？ 如果我们继续顺从情欲行事，如同阿摩司时代的以色列人一样，正如加拉太书5章19-21节所说，行这样事的人必不能承受神的国。 救恩不单是一把保护伞，它更是一种使命和责任。我们有义务过圣洁、蒙神喜悦的生活。因为我们知道 “审判要从神的家起首” (彼得前书 4:17)。让我们从以色列人身上吸取教训，勤于反躬自省，立志活出神的旨意。

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“Search Me, O God”: Cleaning What Cannot Be Seen

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Three essential qualities of God are recorded in Psalm 139: omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence. King David tells us of God’s perfect knowledge of the thoughts of man (v1-6), His looming presence over the universe (v7-12), and His masterful creation of man (v13-16). In light of this awesomeness, this is what he inquired of God: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (v23-24) But if God is all-knowing, why must David still ask Him to search his heart? Why must Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” Humans have limited knowledge and perspective, there is only so much we can perceive about ourselves. What’s worse is that this perspective is often skewed–we think lightly of our own weaknesses, or are completely unaware of them. Essentially, we don’t know ourselves as well as we think. This was the case with King David. He was undoubtedly a man after God’s own heart. But Mark 10:18 tells us that “no one is good but One, that is, God” – no human is perfect and without sin. David still sinned against God sometimes, the most severe of them recorded in 2 Samuel 11: his adultery with Bathsheba, and murder of her husband Uriah. When God sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke David, David was completely oblivious that Nathan’s parable was referring to his own sinful actions. He was deceived by his own heart, and failed to see his impurities. 1 John 1:8 tells us that we deceive ourselves when we profess to have no sin. Our knowledge can never surpass that of the living God, who is never fooled by the outward appearance of man (1 Samuel 16:7). With this mind, it is then vital for us to be searched by God. We must ask God to reveal our bad qualities and sinfulness to us–anything that can obstruct us from truly becoming His people–so that they can be corrected. Additionally, when we ask God to reveal our weaknesses, we must remove all sense of self-pride and defensiveness. When Nathan rebuked David directly, he was extremely remorseful and repented sincerely. It is crucial for us to emulate this humility. If we wish to be led in the way everlasting, let us follow what Proverbs 3:6 tells us: “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.” Let us be honest and humble before our Almighty God, and willing to submit to His sovereignty.

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Featured image of 约珥书 第二章（英文）

约珥书 第二章（英文）

Joel

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God’s punishment might feel harsh. Brutal, even. But it’s not the end of the story. As we reflected in Why? Because punishment isn’t the point. Because God loves even the messiest of sinners. In Joel 2, this divine love continues to unfold. It begins with a warning: there will come a terrifying day of celestial chaos and enemies wielding intense destructive power, here to utterly wipe out everything in their way (Joel 2:2-3). Then comes a plot twist. God does not cut the sinners loose. Instead, He offers them a way to change this destiny: It’s a fantastic deal for anyone who takes this up and sincerely comes before God. Not only does punishment disappear, but God will restore the repentant sinner’s labour, joy, and even years spent under God’s punishment (Joel 2:19-25). More importantly, this. God opens His arms wide, promising all of humanity a restored relationship with Him when they return: In other words: Every single one of you The moral of the story? This is a love so massive we can hardly imagine all of it. God waits. When the sinner awakes from spiritual slumber, when the weight of his mistakes hits him squarely in the gut, when he returns to God, that’s when he shall see God’s great kindness (Joel 2:13). God will reach into the deepest abyss of shame. He will pull even the worst sinner into a hug. That destiny of dreadful judgment becomes a glorious welcome into God’s kingdom. The sinner’s heart becomes God’s home (John 14:23). What does God ask for? That our acts of repentance are genuine and from the heart. It’s easy to fool others into believing that we have changed. Deceit is easy. Theatrics are moving. We might even fool ourselves! But God cannot be fooled. There is no That’s the turning point in the sinner’s story.

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Commit Your Way to Jesus

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“Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring it to pass.” (Psalm 37:5) The life of a Christian should be fully committed to Jesus. To commit your way to the Lord is to give all your plans, worries, and decisions to God. We’re called to commit our way to the Lord with the trust that He will guide us, even if we don’t see it right away. The word order of this verse is important: First, we are to “commit” our way to God and “trust” Him. Then only comes God’s action to “bring it to pass”. We have to initiate the first step—our total trust in God, Then, God will grant His promises to us according to the measure of our faith. Why is committing important? First, we don’t know what will happen tomorrow. Worrying doesn’t change anything. Worrying can’t make our lives longer or fix our problems. Second, we need to understand that we can’t do everything on our own. Just like a branch needs to stay connected to a tree to grow fruit, we need to stay connected to Jesus to bear much fruit. Without Jesus, we cannot do anything (Jn 15:5). Finally, a committed life removes the barrier between us and God, helping us draw nearer to Him. Not only do we let go of stress and sadness, but also Jesus fills our hearts with wonderful peace. We can bravely commit our way to Jesus because He is all-powerful, always faithful, and full of love for us. Our God is the Almighty God who can bring all things to pass. Because God is faithful, He cannot deny Himself or fail to fulfil all His promises in due time. With His love and compassion, God is concerned for us whenever we feel weak, because only He can give us everything we truly need. Unfortunately, many Christians fail to commit everything to Jesus because they don’t truly know Him. To fully commit to Jesus, we need to have constant faith in Him and take the time to learn who He is. We can ask God to give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation so that we can know Him better. Once we understand how powerful, faithful, and loving He is, it becomes easier to commit everything to Him. Unwavering faith will persist in a deep commitment to God. Today, hand over your worries to God, trust that He’s in control, and watch how He works in your life to do amazing things! Use these discussion questions and our prayer as a guide for your family altar. Parents can lead the prayer and invite their children to repeat after them or encourage their children to take the lead, making family altar time a shared journey of faith. What is 1 plan or worry you want to entrust to the Lord? Why do you think God wants us to trust Him? Why is it important to get to know God better if we want to commit to Him fully? What are some ways you can do that? In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ we pray. Lord, thank you for being loving and all-powerful. We come to You today with our worries and choices. Help us let go of our fears. Teach us to stay connected to you so that we can bear fruit that make You happy. Strengthen our faith through the Holy Spirit. We want to commit our heart and life to You fully. We trust that You will guide our family. Amen. Adapted from Hsieh, Ezra. “Commit Your Way to Jesus.” Living Bread, Word of Life Publishing House, pp. 23-24.

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Featured image of 约翰福音 第二十章（英文）

约翰福音 第二十章（英文）

John

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V2 interesting how the Bible uses “the other disciple, whom Jesus loved’, without mentioning that disciple’s name. Why? It matters that he is loved by Jesus, as can be seen through the emphasis by using that term. Just like all of us believers who are also loved by Jesus, we are also the disciples whom Jesus loved. With Jesus’ love comes everything - God’s creation, all our blessings, our existence, eternal life. God has love for us, is love and is the source of love. 1 John 4:8 - He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. V13 Mary uses the term “my Lord”, not ‘the Lord’, but “my Lord”. Jesus is the Lord. However, Jesus is also our Lord and should also be ‘my Lord’ to each of us. This shows us that a personal relationship with God is important. We must build our relationship with God through spending time with God in prayer, reading His Word, and trusting in Him. V29 “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” We are blessed, because we have not seen Jesus, yet we still believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Through Jesus, we will have eternal life. V29-31 reading these verses shows us how true and real this faith is. V31 these records are written for us to believe in Jesus and this verse shows us to believe what we read in the Bible. Finally, these two verses tie together Jesus’ love for us and how believing we may have life in His name. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 1 John 4:9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.

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How Will You Walk?

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With the start of the year, naturally, we start with goals and directions as to how we hope our year may carry out. Just like how it is important for companies to do annual planning, we too need to look ahead and decide how we will walk our journey of faith this year. This will help us be more deliberate in the choices we make, lest we drift through the year aimlessly and one day find that we have drifted far from Jesus’ side. We also often hear people gasp at how “the year flew by”.  Time slips away from us faster than we realise. Since the time we have is essentially the life we have left, failing to make use of our time wisely would mean that we have wasted the days of our lives.  Life as described by the Bible is likened to a vapor that comes a little while before vanishing (James 4:14b). Thus, it is important for us to “ Whether we walk circumspectly can be seen through the choices we make.  Choosing to keep the full Sabbath. Having daily prayers and bible reading. Joining in fellowships and serving God.  Pursuing things which last forever, rather than striving for things which will one day pass away.  How will you walk circumspectly this year? Paul reminds the Ephesians to “walk worthy of the calling with which you were called” (Eph 4:1).  When reflecting, we may think back to moments we spent in church serving, having communion with God, and having fellowship with the brethren.  Perhaps not all those moments were sweet. Some bitter. Maybe we had conflicts or disagreements with certain members. Despite it all, we must recognise all of these moments as the grace of God. For we were once gentiles who had no part with Christ, unworthy to receive this grace(Rom 5:8). But God has called us by name from the corners of the world to be His children (Isa 43:5-7), to be part of His body. Hence, just as Paul exhorts, we should adopt a humble attitude (Eph 4:2) and view others as better than ourselves (Phil 2:3). When we meet with conflicts in church, let us have patience for one another’s weaknesses. Seeking to edify the household, rather than causing further dissent.  How will you walk worthy of the calling?  Lastly, let us reflect on how we will walk to preach the gospel.  Preaching the gospel is an important work as Paul puts it plainly: How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in HIm of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? (Romans 10:14) There are many who have yet to hear of the gospel, let alone know God. And having not received the light of Christ, they are unable to break out of the influence of Satan (1 John 5:19). For us who have received the gospel despite our unworthiness, should we not share the good news with others? Moreover, the final command Jesus gave was for His apostles to preach the gospel to all the world (Matthew 28:19; Mark 16:15; Luke 24:47). Preaching is more than just a good work.  In fact, it is our duty! So just as Isaiah 52:7 tells us– From the various instances of evangelism in the book of Acts, the Bible shows us how simple preaching the gospel can be.  A simple conversation at the river.  Explaining the Bible to one who is unable to understand the word.  Sharing a testimony of how we came to know of God. In the year ahead, how will we walk to preach the gospel?

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Featured image of 约翰福音 第十九章（英文）

约翰福音 第十九章（英文）

John

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“It is finished!” (John 19:30) John 19 is a climactic chapter, detailing the events leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion and His death on the cross– the bitter cup Jesus was afraid of (Luke 22:42-44). The crucifixion was recorded across all four gospel books. But only in John 19 does it record Jesus crying out The bitter cup was truly bitter.  First, there was the physical pain of having His hands and feet pierced as He hung on the cross for three hours.  Next, there was the emotional pain. From the various betrayals by His disciples, Judas Iscariot and Simon Peter, to being publicly humiliated and scorned by the Jews (Matthew 27:28-31, Mark 15:17-20).  On top of it all, there was the spiritual pain. Having taken on the sins of the world from time past and time to come, Jesus felt the emptiness and sorrow of one who is separated by God (Mark 15:34). Perhaps it was the most bitter cup there was. Yet, Jesus’ final proclamation tells us that even the cruelest trial on earth was limited by time, and Jesus had successfully endured till the end.  Moreover, His proclamation wasn't one of resignation and defeat. Instead, it was a proclamation of victory! Because though He met with death, it was through His death and subsequent resurrection that God’s salvation plan was completed (1 Cor 15: 3-4, 20-22). Likewise, in our day to day, we too may find ourselves faced with a bitter cup. It may be a cup of physical bitterness like when we fall ill. It may be a cup of emotional bitterness when we are let down by people whom we trusted or when we lose our loved ones.  It may be the spiritual bitterness of sinful habits we struggle against. It may even be a cup that ends with death.  But let us endure till the end, drawing strength from the words of Jesus– that if even the bitterest cup was limited by time, one day we may victoriously say of our trials: “It is finished!”

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