Wednesday, 20th July 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-7 God will save
V1 ‘Keep silence before Me, O coastlands, and let the people renew their strength! Let them come near, then let them speak; let us come near together for judgment.’ This is the time of fear and worries. We hear lots of voices, a lot of news and information that take away our peace. First thing we must quiet down these negative voices, which trip us and take away our faith in God. We must hold onto the Word of God. Because only the Word of God can keep us standing firm. How much time do we spend in the Word of God?
We must first come forward and reject all the voices that bother us. Then the Word of God will come in, to deal with the problems of our lives. We can dialogue with God and we can interact with God. But if we don’t let go with what we hold onto in this world, our problems and our desires, then we won’t be able to really receive the true peace. God is not an idol, our relationship with God is not for Him to give us everything we want.
This is the true essence of the Upper Room, we must humble ourselves first, stop thinking about what we want and start seeking what God wants. God’s salvation is always here but we can never see it if we don’t humble ourselves first.
Section Two V8-20 God will Choose
V8-10 ‘But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, and said to you, you are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ God will choose those who see God as our Master, not our servant.
V13-14 ‘For I, the Lord your God, will hold your right hand, saying to you, ‘Fear not, I will help you.’ “Fear not, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel! I will help you,” says the Lord and your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.’ God is helping us, who can we against us? God is telling us not to be afraid. Only when we are willing to humble ourselves as worms, then God is able to do greater things in our lives. A lot of times our old self is bigger than God in our lives. We want everything to be about us and everything to happen in our ways. So God becomes our servant, who we expect to follow our leads. We must let God become our Master, there is no more I, but Christ lives within me.
V17-18 ‘The poor and needy seek water, but there is none, their tongues fail for thirst. I, the Lord, will hear them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them. I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.’ Admit that we need God, we are lowly, and we are weak. Then our strength will be renewed, and we will receive the true Gospel. God can protect us and guide us; He can make us strong.
V19-20 ‘I will plant in the wilderness the cedar and the acacia tree, the myrtle and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine and the box tree together, that they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the Lord has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it.’ Do we see our lives in the wilderness? God will come and plant in it, He will nurture it and water it. God wants to reveal His truthfulness and authority to people through us. So, when we are willing to become His servants, then we can testify the renewed strength from God.
Section Three V21-29 God will Judge
We want to be our own judge, we think everyone wrongs us, and everything is against us. We are full of the judgmental attitude, and we are never satisfied with our surroundings. But God says that the judgement belongs to Him. V24 ‘Indeed you are nothing, and your work is nothing; he who chooses you is an abomination.’ When we bring the judgement to God, then He will vindicate for us, He will rebuke our enemy and He will speak for us.
以赛亚书 41 – 使人重新得力的福音
2022年7月20日 星期三
潘锡安牧师
在以赛亚书第1到39章神不断提醒、尝试帮助犹太人从他们的蒙蔽和混乱中警醒过来。当神不断用环境帮助我们回转，而我们却没有办法回应的时候，最后吃苦的是我们。然而，从第40章开始，我们看到神爱我们的心，他记念为奴为奴的我们。当日子满了的时候，神拯救的福音就来到。本章的经文神继续跟我们分享一个好消息，就是让人重新得力的福音。
一、v.1-7 神要拯救
V1 我们很容易听到很多从世界来的声音，就是从社交媒体或周围的朋友那里听到负面新闻，但神说这些声音都要“静默”。我们若想要那些让我们失去平安喜乐和信心的声音“静默”下来，就先要抓紧神的话语。在困难的日子，唯有神说的话才能让那些负面的声音静下来。我们是否只在教会聚会的时候才把圣经拿出来？我们平时花在网络上的时间比我们读神话语的时间多还是少？唯有当神的话语在我们生命中的时候，那些让我们不安的声音才会安静下来。我们要“重新得力”，这不是一个信念或口号，而是真的让神的话语彰显，让众海岛的声音静默，我们才有信心、喜乐、盼望。
我们要先从神的话语中得力、得盼望，然后谦卑“近前来”对神说话，将我们生命中的问题诚实的摆上。若没有从神的话语中得力量，我们就会把神当作提款机一样对他提要求。我们得了力量后不应离开，而要来到神面前承认自己的软弱，对神说话时，将我们的软弱、肮脏的地方告诉神，请神鉴察我们的生命，让我们经历医治。
“彼此辩论”就是审判的意思，当耶稣再来的时候，我们要与他一起审判世界。能够拿到这个位份的前提就是我们愿意先从神的话语得力量，让神处理我们生命中一切的肮脏污秽的部分。不要以为神的力量可以被我们利用，我们的生命要被神建立，就要与神有常常说话的很紧密的关系。
V4 当我们愿意让世界静默下来，我们就会看见神在我们生命当中彰显他是那位“I AM WHO I AM”（自有永有）的神。
V5-7 当神的拯救兴起，众海岛都会害怕，人都会被我们吸引，因为世界充满问题和不安，但神是世界的答案。神要拯救我们，而当我们被兴起的时候，世界那些制造偶像的人就害怕，因为他们怕人不再去拜他们所做的偶像。你是否相信神的拯救，是否相信神的话语不是批评论断我们而是真的福音吗？
二、v.8-20 神要拣选
V8 神的拯救要我们去配合，神拣选的是活在生命树气息下、愿意成为他的“仆人”的人。我们不要做神的主人，唯有成为神的仆人，我们才不会害怕，才明白神是帮助我们的。
V9-10 神拣选我们就不会丢弃我们，他告诉我们不要去害怕。我们常常不愿意成为神的仆人，只想做自己的王、自己的主，我们很想有自己的意见，对于不能自作主张这件事纷纷不平。然而我们里面有太多的“我”，我们就成了自己的王，好像扫罗一样阻挡了神的工作。当我们成为神的仆人，他就必帮助我们，当神帮助我们，谁能抵挡我们呢？神若坚固我们，世上任何人事物都无法使我们与神隔绝。
V13 神再一次提醒我们：“我必帮助你”。
V14 “救赎主”就是我们的主人。我们常看到的是不公平、没自由，但唯有我们愿意完全谦卑自己，承认自己是那条没有“我”的“虫”，才看到神的帮助。
V17 我们愿意承认自己是“困苦穷乏”的人吗？一个困苦穷乏的人会承认自己真的非常需要神，没有神就无法活下去。神要我们放手，让他来帮助、坚固、保护我们。
V18-20 “净光之处”就是最高的地方，所以水本来是流不到那里的，但是神能够能够在那里“开江河”；今天我们的生命是净光之处、是低谷、沙漠、干地，或者旷野吗？我们有福了，因为神要为我们开泉源，使水涌流，并要栽植许多树木。神要让我们的生命成为开荒蒙福之地，好让人能够“看见、知道、思想、明白这是耶和华的手所做的”，我们的生命要见证他的真实和能力。
三、v.21-29 神要审判
V21-24 我们心里充满负面，总觉得别人在抵挡我们，时常凭着自己的意思来论断他人，但审判是属神的，唯有我们让神来掌权，神就会对假神说话。我们眼前看为跨不过的大山小山，神都会帮我们处理。
V27 我们是否有看到那“报好信息”的人是神赐给锡安的吗？
V28-29 当神的真光进入我们生命，他兴起审判、为我们出手的时候，我们面前所看到的高山低谷都会变成虚空，因为神是自有永有的神，他在这个时刻给我们的是使人重新得力的福音，我们愿意领受吗？愿意谦卑在生命树气息下成为神的仆人吗？