Tuesday, 19th July 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-5 The Days Are Fulfilled
V1-2 ‘“Comfort, yes, comfort My people!” Says your God. “Speak comfort to Jerusalem, and cry out to her, that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned; for she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”’ Our days as slaves have been fulfilled, God will comfort us, and He will lead us into the Tree of Life, and into the Upper Room. We are His people, we must know who we are, stop looking at our surroundings and start looking upon God.
V3-5 ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places smooth; the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”’ God knows our hearts; He knows we are afraid, but do we know why we are afraid? We must receive the true Gospel, to know Jesus’ salvation, then we will see the Light the Power of God above all things we are afraid of and above all our surroundings. God’s glory will come, we may be hurt, and we may be disappointed by this world, but when we enter the Uppers Room, God will restore us. And together, in unity, we can receive God’s glory.
Section Two V6-11 Proclaim God’s Word
V6-8 ‘The voice said, “Cry out!” And he said, “What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all its loveliness is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, because the breath of the Lord blows upon it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.”’ When we receive the Gospel, we must continue to proclaim the Word of God, because we don’t just receive the truth once, but by continuing proclaiming and declaring, the truth will be rooted firmly in our lives.
V9 ‘O Zion, you who bring good tidings, get up into the high mountain; o Jerusalem, you who bring good tidings, lift up your voice with strength, lift it up, be not afraid; say to the cities of Judah, “Behold your God!”’ Our God is the God, who saves, He is our living God, and He continues to speak to us. When we enter the Upper Room, God will continue to show us new revelations, so we must never stop seeking God and teaching His Word. God will give us opportunities to share His Good News, and when we do, we will be the ones, who benefit the most.
V10-11 ‘Behold, the Lord God shall come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He will feed His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those who are with young.’ The Word of God endures forever, it never fails. Do we believe that God’s Word never fail, and God’s Truth can benefit our lives? Even through the surrounding environment may seem to fail us and disappoint us, but if we hold onto the Word of God, every day we will see new blessings and we will receive new restoration.
Section Three V12-31 To Know, To Wait Upon
V29 ‘He gives power to the weak, and to those who have no might He increases strength.’ God gives us power and authority; He also gives us rest. We only need to stay under His wings, let Him mould us, teach us, and build us up. When we received the vision of the Upper Room, God will continue to teach us and strengthen our understanding about entering the Upper Room.
V31 ‘But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.’ Do we believe that this is the day we respond to the Word of God? True Gospel is to bless us, God will change our lives in the Upper Room, He will lift us up to be the salt and light of the world.
以赛亚书 40 – 真福音
2022年7月19日 星期二
潘锡安牧师
以赛亚书从第40章就开始了后半段，本章一开始就说出神的心意 – 神的心意不是现在就审判世界，而是去安慰造就他的百姓，让我们在这个恐慌的末世为神说话。
一、v.1-5 日子已满了
V1-2 我们看到的“日子”、光景是什么？是否只看见媒体上所宣传的样子，就是治安混乱、物价高升、疫情恶化、世界动荡？我们如此去看，因为我们被世界洗脑，只看到不好的东西，人心失去平安和盼望。然而，神赐给我们的是平安，所以他让我们知道“日子已满了”。我们的确是看到、听到了事实，但神要我们知道在这个末世我们是有福音的。神要我们这群跟从他的人去“安慰，安慰我的百姓”。“耶路撒冷”是圣殿所在，代表跟从神的人。我们这群跟从神的人不要被世界影响，而是相信“争战的日子已满了”。神带领我们到马可楼，不是去让神处理生命中的棱棱角角、缠裹我们，因为耶稣基督已经医治我们了。我们在为奴为仆的地方失去了对神的认识，就失去平安、随波逐流。我们进入马可楼，要被神“安慰”，知道我们为奴为仆的日子已经满了。我们是否知道我们是属神的百姓？若我们真的知道我们的“后台”是谁，我们还惧怕什么呢？我们放不下这个世界，因为心里害怕。神知道我们心里的不平安，所要要宣告安慰。我们知道自己的心吗？神要我们知道，我们的“罪孽赦免了”，这就是耶稣基督的救赎。
V3 现今的世界不就是旷野、沙漠吗？人的心已经失去平安，为了生活失去盼望。他们觉得盼望、梦想很不实在，只为看得见的为奴为仆的生活奔波。然而，在这看似旷野、沙漠的地方，有人要来预备主的道和主的路。在看不见出路的时候，神的道要彰显出来，因为“日子已满了”。
V4 这就是劫后余生的描述。战争给人带来的是千疮百孔，但神说他要修复我们。
V5 我们是否相信耶和华的荣耀“必然显现”？我们无法相信，因为里面千疮百孔。在马可楼，我们要更多被神充满，与神连结，更多与弟兄姐妹合一、劝勉造就所牧养的人，使“凡有血气的”都“一同看见”。神要我们合一，将骄傲、自怜自艾的心放下，全心全意爱神，也爱人如己。
二、v.6-11 要宣告神的话
当我们听了神对我们说“要安慰”的话，就要不断宣告神的话，让人真正明白神的心意、真正的福音。
V6-7 我们不要靠自己的外表、不要像世界一样倚靠虚无。
V8 天虽改变、地虽动摇，神的话永不改变！
V9 我们不要坐在原地不动，而要“登高山！报好信息”！我们是否靠世界的方法、走灰色地带？我们要单单倚靠神？
V10 我们要宣告，一切的福分都在耶和华那里，而不是在世界里面。为奴为仆的日子已经完了，我们都要回转，先神后人再大地，以神的国为念。
V11 这就是在马可楼的生命，神要在马可楼建立我们，重新让我们恢复起初被神创造的那份美好，并且愿意去牧养和教导更多人。
三、v.12-31 要知道 要等候
V13-28 我们要谦卑，知道耶和华神是创造穹苍的神，所以无人能造任何雕像来比拟他。我们要知道神的权能，神的道路是通达的。偶像都是从我们的知识、逻辑思考中制造出来的，但我们的神不是世上任何东西可以与之比较的。神是“创造地极的主……他的智慧无法测度”。
V29 在马可楼，神要做奇事、美事，“疲乏的，他赐能力；软弱的，他加力量”。神帮助我们在马可楼成长，他给我们能力，让我们不再被打败。神不是让我们一直都软弱，而是要兴起我们都能传真正的福音。我们不再是模模糊糊的去跟从，而是清清楚楚的跟。
V30 我们不要以为自己年轻有力量、有聪明，进入马可楼，我们就要学习谦卑顺服、舍己利他。
V31 在马可楼，神要我们“重新得力……如鹰展翅上腾，……奔跑却不困倦，行走却不疲乏”。我们要穿上福音的鞋去传福音，而不要安逸在原地。在“等候耶和华”中我们单单做神的事，放下自己，让我们里面更多有神。我们是否愿意放下，是否知道为奴为仆被囚的日子已经满了？神要在马可楼翻转我们的生命，让我们被高举，成为世上的光和盐。