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Zion Bread of Life Christian Church

Friday, 18th November 2022

Rev Daniel Xi An Poon

We must examine into our lives so we know how our lives are. Can we see the problems in our lives? This chapter is about blessings and curses, God is love, He wants us to see the true blessings from Him, and the curses that remind us not to go astray. When we see the problems of our lives, we must turn back quickly so we will not die in the Promised Land. The key is to have the fear of the Lord.

Section One V1-14 Blessings from Listening and Following 

The blessings were declared by the Levites to the Israelites. Do we also listen and follow the instructions from our God and from our authority? When we face difficulties and attacks, do we get up? Or so we stay in where we are, stop going forward? God has already called us to rise up, to strike down the enemies. God told us to rise up so we can experience Him.  We can do all things through Him who gives us strength, we don’t need to be afraid. The enemy will try to take away our identity in the Kingdom of God, do not be tricked and lied to. 

Can we see the blessings? When we are attacked by the enemies, it means that we are a threat to them, and they want to make us afraid. Do we listen to the enemies? Or do we fight back and know that God will take us through all difficulties? When we submit to God and be humble before God, the enemies will rise up and attack us to stop us from receiving God’s blessings.

God never promised us a smooth life, but He will always be with us to the end, when the enemies come, we must rise up and destroy them. What are we afraid of? Poverty? Sickness? Being mistreated? When we know our true identity in the Kingdom of God then we should not be afraid. God will life is up to manage the earth, God’s blessings for us is simple, let us get rid of our idols and worldly principles.

Section Two V15-68 Curses from Not Listening and Not Following

Why would God curse us? He wants to take down our stronghold, He wants us to receive the eternal blessings, so He rise up the environment to help us turning back to Him. He could’ve ended our lives easily, but again and again, He allowed us to turn away from our sins and come back to Him. The world tells us to live our lives according to what we want and what we like, we don’t see curses and we don’t thin God is reminding us, calling us to Him. When problems come to our lives, where are we? What is our attitude?

Everyday we must examine into our lives, where does it go wrong in our lives? Do we really know what’s from God and what’s not from God? God didn’t create sickness. But when we get sick, do we examine into our lives and see where we might need to adjust? God created everything as good, as blessings; but why do we have allergies, which become our curses? Let us examine into ourselves.

The Levites listed out the curses in great details so when we notice them coming in our lives we can examine our lives straight away. We must read carefully, tick the ones that are happening to us right now, then repent before God. The Holy Spirit comes, so we can examine our lives, convict ourselves for sins, for righteousness, and for judgement.

Not only we must follow God’s teaching and commands, but also we must take action from our hearts. If we only do it without fully submit to God’s vision, then we are still using our strength, we still live under the Tree of Knowledge and Evil. Be willing to follow, be willing to listen, and curses will leave us. We are the beloved sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father. There is nothing that can stop us coming to the Father. The commandments are not there to bind us or to restrict us, but to make our relationship closer to the Father.

Do not rely on what we think can give us security and protection. God’s plan for us is good, we must know God’s intention is for us not to walk astray and not to live in lies. Only by connecting to God, our Father in Heaven, then we can have this eternal blessings.

申命记 28 – 应许之地的祝福与咒诅                                         

2022年11月18日 星期五

潘锡安牧师

本章接续前一章利未人所吩咐的话(57:14)，提醒我们这群蒙召的人在应许之地的祝福和咒诅是什么，让我们心中有一把尺，从祝福和咒诅中可以分辨出自己生命的光景，并能及时的来到神面前求饶恕和医治。律法上的一切话是帮助我们“敬畏耶和华你神可荣可畏的名”（28:58）。

一、v.1-14 听从遵行所得的祝福

V1-2 我们是否听从利未人所吩咐的神的话语、遵行利未人传给我们的一切诫命？我们若听从遵行，就有一切的祝福。

V3-5 我们居住和工作的地方都会蒙福，并且满溢出来。

V6-7 我们蒙福的时候并非一帆风顺，仇敌会起来攻击我们最害怕的地方 – 可能是我们的健康、工作、与家人的关系、身份等等。然而，神必使他们在我们面前被我们杀败。当我们遇到困难的时候，我们是否能够起来击杀，还是瘫坐在原地？仇敌总想让我们丧胆、害怕，想让我们离开神的祝福，然而我们不要妥协，要起来，亲自杀败那些仇敌，他们从一条路来、必从七条路逃跑。

V8-10 人们看到我们所得的福，就看到神在我们生命中的大作为，必臣服于我们。

V11 我们不要以为自己很厉害，要看到是神让我们能“绰绰有余”。

V12 我们为什么会怕穷、怕挨饿？因为我们迷失了自己的身份，不知道自己圣民的身份。我们心虚，所以没有听从神的话。

V13-14 神的祝福就是这么简单，我们是否愿意放下自己所坚持的个人“原则”，在生命树的气息下谦卑听从利未人所吩咐的话？

二、v.15-68 不听从不遵行的得咒诅

神是良善的神，为何我们还会受咒诅？当我们生命中有除神以外的“偶像”时，神要将其一一拆除，让我们不再倚靠这些虚假之物，因为神怜悯我们，不断给我们机会回转。我们要从所经历的“咒诅”中立马察验出自己生命的问题，而不要与问题继续共存。

V15 “追随”说明这些咒诅会跟着我们跑，是我们逃不了的。

V20 我们所行的“恶”使我们与神隔绝，我们所做的一切事就都受诅咒。

V25 当我们没有谨守遵行神的话时，神不与我们同在，我们就很快被仇敌打败。

V27 从“埃及”来的疾病，说明这些不是从神而来。空气、土地和水本来是神祝福我们的东西，若它们给我们带来问题，我们就要去察验自己的生命，让我们能及时认罪悔改，离开诅咒，进入祝福。

V35 在古时若长疮，人会被认为不洁净，需要隔离。神借着这些毒疮，让我们无法在人前假装圣洁。神想要我们活在永远的福乐里，所以没有让我们灭亡，而是给我们机会回转。

V38 不要以为我们还有很多种子，其实最后能收的很少。

V45-46 神不要我们活在愧疚和恐惧中，而是要我们能认罪悔改，借着耶稣的鞭伤和刑罚得医治得平安、借着他的宝血得洁净，成为新造的人，靠着神的恩典世世代代永享福乐。

V47-48 我们或许遵行了神的教导，但我们是否“欢心乐意”？或许在别人面前我们很顺服，内心却有很多小剧场、不甘愿。神要的是我们出于感受到天父的爱而甘心乐意地事奉。我们是否注重与权柄的关系，看到这些教导是帮助我们的生命而不是束缚？

V52 神不要我们倚靠这些我们以为可以给我们安全感的外在事物。

V58 耶和华神向我们所怀的意念是赐平安的意念。唯有与天父连接，我们和我们的儿女、直到万代，才能拥有这永远的福乐。