Friday, 28th October 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Every day we must remember God is our loving Father, whenever there is a negative emotion entering our minds, we must know that we are not orphans, we are the beloved children of God, and we are valued. When our hearts are in the right place, no matter what happens, we will be at ease, on the other hand, if we don’t know our identity in the Kingdom of God, and if we don’t have the right attitude towards ourselves, then we will be uncomfortable wherever we go and whoever we meet with. When we have an encounter with God, do we always ask God what we want? Or can we simply enjoy His presence, and not thinking too much about what will happen or why they will happen?
Section One V1-12 Always Remember God’s Salvation
God knew that the Israelites felt restricted by the place they lived and the things they ate in the wilderness, but He also knew that when they entered the Promised Land, they seemed to be ‘free’ but they would also become wilful. We are al wilful and sinful, and God wants us to live in the promises of God. God was explaining to the Israelites why He wanted them to keep the Passover, to remember what God had done for them. When we become Christians, do we also remember how God saved us and blessed us along the way? Do we also tell our children how God saved us from the darkness and blessed us through our path with Him?
It’s easy for us to treat festivals as something we must do every year, but we tend to forget the meanings behind these festivals and how God worked through the lives of people in the past. God wants us to live in His promise, and to remember His salvation. Furthermore, we should also go to the place God appointed, not the place we want to go. When we are in a ‘doing’ mode, it’s hard for us to see our own problems. We become prideful and rebellious, we thought we are following God, but we are actually not living under the Tree of Life. We must go to the place God appoints for us to go, even if it seems unreasonable and even if we don’t feel like going.
Section Two V13-17 Always Remember God’s Blessings
Do we know that everything happened in our lives is from God? It’s easy for us to give credits to ourselves, we tend to think that all our success is from our hard work and our abilities. We are blessed by God to live in New Zealand, then can we really give thanks to God for everything we have? Furthermore, not only we are to go to the place God appointed, all the men from the household also should go three times a year to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacle. We might think that when all the men went away three times a year, then who would do the work? Who would protect the family?
We must know that our protection and our providence are all from God. Can we trust in God to take over everything in our lives? It’s not by our might and not by our strength, but it’s about to put God first. Every decision we make should be about the Kingdom of God, and God’s blessings will continue to be with us.
Section Three V18-22 Always Live in God’s Heart
What is God’s Heart? He is full of righteousness, and we also must live out this righteousness. Stay away from sin, and worship God only.
申命记 16 – 活在神的应许
2022年10月28日 星期五
潘锡安牧师
圣灵并非带领我们进入的死板的规条，而是让我们与神交心。我们即使跟神相遇、或仅仅与权柄一起用餐，心里却还是不平安、想着到底该做什么事情。我们的心态很重要，是看到神给我们的丰盛享受，还是觉得被约束、心中有很多担忧？在旷野走了40年的后我们可能觉得进入应许之地后终于可以挣脱束缚了，这些心里的小剧场神都知道。我们习惯了为奴为仆的生活，不喜欢与神同行，只想任意妄为。在本章的经文里，老摩西教导百姓如何活在神的应许里。
一、v.1-12 要记得神的拯救
V1 我们要记得神在我们生命中曾经做过的事情。神特别将节期给以色列人，当我们不明白神的心意时，我们会觉得这是一个要求。神不要我们成为一个doing的人，他指示我们逾越节设立的原因。
V2-3 神借着逾越节提醒百姓不要忘了神曾经如何拯救他们，不然这些人还以为神只是他们祖先的神。我们是否有让下一代知道神是怎样将我们从破碎的人生、死亡的边缘拯救出来，还是只懂得带他们去教会？我们记得很多欢庆的节日，是否记得代表神拯救的逾越节？
V5-7 我们不仅要记得神的拯救，也要懂得谦卑跟随神的指示。如今因着疫情的影响，很多人不想去教会聚会，只想停留在家里。我们可能以为在家是保护自己和家人，但其实这是在分辨善恶树下的骄傲，没有到神所指定的地方去敬拜神。
V9-12 上一辈的以色列人整天抱怨、叛逆，所以死在旷野中，神不希望这年轻的世代重蹈覆辙，他要他们活在神的应许里。
二、v.13-17 要凡事感谢神的祝福
我们不要以为我们能走到如今是因为自己有能力或人脉，而要凡事感谢神的祝福。
V13-15 我们如今在新西兰得到神的祝福，是否愿意守住棚节，在节期中看到神让我们在生活、工作上的供应，还是觉得这些都是自己努力得来的？我们是否在奉献的时候对神斤斤计较？
V16 “一切男丁”指的是所有有劳动力、能保护家庭的男人。当他们都出去过节的时候，家里就没有人做工了。神要百姓看到，我们能得到这一切的丰盛，不是靠人的智慧才能，而是单单倚靠耶和华。我们是否能先神后人再大地，还是把世上的事放在神前面？我们看到的是赚钱的机会，还是可以传福音？神与我们同行，不会丢下我们。
三、v.18-22 要活在神的心意里
V18-20 神是有公义的，我们是否在生活中活出神的样式？如果我们屈枉正直，神就离开我们，因为罪使我们与神隔绝。
V21-22 我们敬拜神时不要又拜其它东西，不要一只脚在教会另一只脚又在世界。不要活在诅咒中，而是在神的心意里，这样神在圣经里一切的应许都是给我们和我们子孙后代的。
Zion Bread of Life Christian Church 
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