Thursday, 24th November 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
We can be who we are today, not because of who we are but because of who He is. Most of us are in a ‘doing’ mode, in a religious practice, and our knowledge are based on what we learn and what we see. But the truth is, everything comes from God, He is the One, who moves first, who takes the first action, and who loves first. God rules and reigns, He makes the call, therefore, do not try to walk in front of God, because only by following God, we can walk on the true path. God gives us freedom; He gives us the freewill and let us choose. But when we have the freewill, we sin against God. What is the choice we make every day? When we choose to follow God, we must continue to follow God in this Promised Land. This is very important because every day is in God’s hands.
Section One V1-8 To Know God is With Us
Moses lived 120 years old, for the first 40 years, God was preparing him in this salvation plan. On the day Moses was born, he was in God’s plan, but nobody knew at the time. God has important plans for each one of us, but it’s our decision if we want to follow or not. This is the freedom God gives to us, to choose His plan, or to choose our own plan. The next 40 years of Moses was in the wilderness, everything he learnt as the prince of Egypt was useless, because he killed a man and ran to the wilderness. When we fail, we make assumptions, we lose hope, and we see darkness. We judge ourselves and we judge others. We look down on our church and we down on our God. Because we do not know that our path ahead is in God’s hands. God’s Will is higher than our will.
Moses was 80 years old, and that’s when God started to use him. It was not an easy path to be used by God and to follow God’s plan for him. The path to persuade Pharoah was difficult, but why did Moses continue to try and not giving up? Because he knew his path ahead was in God’s hands. He was 80 years old and he did not know how much longer he would live, what he knew was he had to live in God’s will no matter what. When Pharoah finally agreed to free the Israelites, they faced another challenge at the Red Sea. A lot of time, when we chose to walk on the path of God, we would expect a smooth life blessed by God, but we did not realise that there would still be challenges, and the lesson of faith is for lifetime. We tend to become our own god and we want to design our own path.
The path God has given us to walk on has the Red Sea in front of us and enemies behind us, but this is the path God leads us to walk. Only God can do the impossible and the supernatural, He opened the Red Sea and let the Israelites know that they were on the right path of God and everything they had was from God. It’s time for us to stop fighting, stop following with bitterness, worries and fears. God will deal with all these things one by one, but what is our attitude towards the problems in our lives? God is talking to all the people following Him, to be strong and courageous, He is walking ahead of us, as long as we follow Him and obey His commandments.
When Moses told the Israelites to be strong and courageous, then he called Joshua to come in front of the people and appointed him the leader over them. God called us and when we responded, He had given us the responsibility to our calling, and when we took this responsibility, we must be strong and courage. A lot of times, we might say that we are not ready, but it’s never about if we are ready or not, it should always be God’s timing, when the time comes, no matter if we are ready or not, we must follow. Do we know God’s with us? If we do, then we will not be afraid and we will not try to run away from our responsibilities.
Section Two V9-13 To Listen and to Learn the Word of God
When God gives us teaching, we must listen and learn the Word of God. All the laws given by God through Moses would be repeated to the people again and again. Every seventh year, they must read it our to all the people so they would remember what God’s teaching was. Everything is in God’s hands, and without Him, we cannot go this far.
Section Three V14-30 To Understand the Heart of God.
God continues to talk to us and to teach us, repeatedly, again and again, because He knows our hearts, He knows our rebellious, and He knows our weakness. God called Moses and Joshua to lead the Israelites and to remind them about keeping the commandments of God, because He knew they would fail, they would forget, and they would choose the path of death instead of the path of life. Again and again, God is also reminding us not to go back to our old life, not to choose the worldly way, but His path.
God still wants us to receive His blessings, everything He promised us, He will still give them to us, but He knows our hearts and He wants us to continue following this path with He is leading us. Can we understand the heart of God? Do we want to be our own god and walk in our own way? God’s Will is to give us path and to prosper us. God has already prepared everything for us, He has already shown us the life and death. Are we still living under the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil? Do we still want to take control of our own life? God is love, He is our Father, and He has prepared the eternal blessings for us.
申命记 31 – 前面是在神的手里
2022年11月24日 星期四
潘锡安牧师
神在本章一开始就告诉我们是他主动先来找我们。我们能够走到今天都是因为神，而不是因为自己能多厉害。知道这一点，我们就能脱离doing的模式和宗教认知，真正谦卑下来。我们都很想要掌握自己的命运、运筹帷幄，然而神向他的百姓显明，我们的前面掌握在神的手中。唯有相信我们的前面掌握在神手里的时候，我们才能活在生命树下。神将生死祸福陈明在我们面前，我们是有自由可以选择的，并非像一个机器人那样只能被掌控。我们的自由其实是神的一个属性。神选择相信他所创造的都是好的，所以没有在人犯罪的时候给人机会回转。神有公义，也有怜悯。当他选择给我们恩典的时候，就要负上代价，赐给我们他的独生儿子，因此，我们也要做正确的选择。
一、v.1-8 要知道神同在
V1-2 摩西从出生开始神就预备他，让他成为救赎计划的一部分。他在法老身边学到了一切知识、能力，却因为杀人而逃跑。神没有选择让摩西因此灭亡，而是用40年的旷野来预备摩西，让他将之前在埃及学到的所有东西都废去。在人看来，这样一个80岁笨口笨舌的人一无是处，然而，前面是在神的手里，神的意念高过我们的意念。神在摩西年迈的时候才开始用他，并且摩西带领以色列百姓出埃及的过程充满坎坷。当生活充满挫折的时候，我们若轻易放弃，就说明我们不知道我们的前面掌握在神手中。我们以为若有神的带领，路上必会一帆风顺，然而，我们没有看到，逃到红海前的摩西和众百姓面临的“前无去路，后有追兵”的状况。神能让红海分开，他说的话才算数。我们不要做自己的神，以为前面要按自己的意愿来安排才是好的，但要看到只有神的安排才是最好的。
V4-5 不是我们去解决前面遇到的困难，而是要看到神掌权。应许之地是属于神百姓的，但神没有要百姓衣来伸手饭来张口，而是要他们亲自去take over本来属于他们的产业。神已经告诉我们结局会如何，我们是否相信？我们的一路都有神的同在，走过高山低谷神都没有离开我们。耶和华神的意念是赐平安的意念，所以我们不要做无谓的挣扎，不要一边跟随神一边有担心、苦毒。
V6 神并非只对约书亚说话，而是对所有跟从神的人说“你们当刚强壮胆”。神在我们前面，我们的前面掌握在他手中，我们就不必惧怕，而要在自由中做选择。
V7 摩西跟蒙召的百姓说完话之后才从众人中召约书亚出来，并鼓励说“你当…你要…你也要…”。我们常说是神带领我们，但神对我们说他将责任交给了“你”，我们就不要用“还没有预备好”当借口推脱。神的时间到了，我们就要回应，即使躲在众人中，神也能呼召我们出来。
V8 我们会担心、忧愁，想要跑回自己的山洞，然而神鼓励我们，我们的前面都掌握在神手中。我们不要被周围的声音影响。
二、v.9-13 要听要学习神的话
律法就是所有的教训。神吩咐他们每七年的“豁免年”都要向会众诵读律法，使众人学习。神要我们知道，不是我们自己过去六年的努力让我们得到第七年的自由，提醒我们在第七年庆祝的时候不要得意忘形，而是学习神的教训，知道我们若没有神，就什么都没有了。我们一周有七天的时间，是否会觉得前面6天已经工作得很辛苦了，第七天主日的时候就该属于我们自己？
三、v.14-29 要明白神的心意
V16-17 神不断重复对我们说话，因为神知道我们的叛逆。神要我们知道，我们会经历祸患，不是神故意要给我们，而是我们自由选择的结果。
V19-20 以色列选择叛逆，神都已经知道。然而神是信实的，就算他知道我们悖逆他，他仍然赐给我们应许之地。
V21 神知道我们的意念，我们知道吗？我们想要自由，因为我们想自己做王做主。
V27-29 神已经将生死告诉我们，我们却还想走自己的路。要相信神给我们预备的是我们和我们子孙永享福乐、。我们知道我们的前面都在神的手中、一切都有神的预备吗？
Zion Bread of Life Christian Church 
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