Tuesday, 28th December 2021
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Are we willing to believe in God and believe in our authority? On Sunday, we carried out a prophetic action by crossing over the bridge, proclaiming ‘the old is gone and the new is here’! When Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt, they did not know what was ahead of them, but they were willing to follow. When we follow God and keep going up, we will reach the summit, then we will see the beautiful scenery! Let us walk out of poverty and enter the abundance!
On the next Sunday, we will go to the central of Auckland, to build the alter of God and to worship Him in the beginning of the year. This is another prophetic action, for us to receive blessings together as a church, and experience God together as a church!
Section One V1-6 Our Situation
V1 ‘Remember, O Lord, what has come upon us; look, and behold our reproach!’ Prophet Jeremiah’s prayer was to ask God not to forget the situation of the Israelites. The Israelites did not know their situation and they were stuck in sins. They were not alert of the sins they committed, and they became insensitive of the world around them. Their inheritance was taken away from the outsiders and they did not even realise it!
V2-3 ‘Our inheritance has been turned over to aliens, and our houses to foreigners. We have become orphans and waifs, our mothers are like widows.’ We could have enjoyed the life God prepared for us, but we chose to labour and toil for money and fame of this world. V4-5 ‘We pay for the water we drink, and our wood comes at a price. They pursue at our heels; we labour and have no rest.’ God created the Garden of Eden in the beginning for us to enjoy, everything was given freely, but now even the water we drink requires us to pay for it. We became the slaves of the world, and we can no longer enjoy the wonderful things God created for us.
Let us stop focusing on the world and focusing on what we don’t have, because it will stop us to see the blessings. The land should work for us not us working for the land! Nowadays everyone lives in debt, we are paying for car loan, mortgage, credit card, etc. we feel like we are lacking, and we can never have enough. God wants us to trust in Him and not to be afraid. V6 ‘We have given our hand to the Egyptians and the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.’ God led us out of Egypt, but we wanted to go back! God is love, He knows our situation and He sees us becoming the slaves of Egypt, but why do we want to go back?
Section Two V7-18 Die of Sins
V7 ‘Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their iniquities.’ We tend to blame on our parents for our mistakes and for our sorrowful situations. We think that our families make us poor, hurt, and lacking. But the Bible tells us that all have sinned and fell short of the glory of God. Do we see our own problems instead of the problems of others? V12-14 ‘Princes were hung up by their hands, and elders were not respected. Young men ground at the millstones; boys staggered under loads of wood. The elders have ceased gathering at the gate, and the young men from their music.’ The hands of princes were supposed to lead people, but no one could lead anymore. Young men and children were supposed to be playful, but instead they had to work hard and tried to impress their parents.
Parents’ responsibility is to educate their children to know God and to love God. To enjoy God’s creation and to have fellowship with Him. Our joy should not be built upon the worldly gains but in God only. V15-18 ‘The joy of our heart has ceased; our dance has turned into mourning. The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned! Because of this our heart is faint; because of these things our eyes grow dim; because of Mount Zion which is desolate, with foxes walking about on it.’
We have sinned against God, because we were attracted to the world, we lived in slavery and we stopped trusting God. Therefore it’s time to go back to the first love, to know God’s with us no matter what, and to strive to return to Him and away from the world.
Section Three V19-22 Live of Faith
V19-20 ‘You, O Lord, remain forever; Your throne from generation to generation. Why do You forget us forever, and forsake us for so long a time?’ Where is our faith? Do we only see God is not with us, instead of how we are not following God continuously? Today we cross over to the victorious side with God, but we must continue to pray and read the Word of God! It’s never because of how good we are or how much we do! But our faith in God.
V21-22 ‘Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be restored; renew our days as of old, unless You have utterly rejected us, and are very angry with us!’ What is the kingdom of God? To believe before we see it happen, to have trust and have love for God. Only by faith we can receive life, we will be reborn, and our days will be renewed. Then we can return to the beautiful image God has first created us.
耶利米哀歌 5 – 回到起初的爱
2021年12月28日 星期二
潘锡安牧师
在过去的这周主日我们全教会一起外出到户外敬拜神，在爬山之前我们有一个先知性的行动：就是跟随着牧师师母的带领走过一座桥，宣告“旧事已过，都变成新的了”。这个主日正好也是Boxing Day, 是大家要去商场抢购打折物品的传统节日，但我们看自己是贫穷还是丰盛的？当我们去抢购的时候，是否先神后人再大地？我们要选择先寻求神，经历信心的一大步，走出贫穷的心态，才进入丰盛。在山顶看到神的创造，我们就记念与神立的约。上山很辛苦，但下山很轻松 – 神知道我们2021年走得很辛苦，但2022年我们会经历很多的祝福。在下一周也就是2022年第一个主日，我们会去奥克兰的中心点去筑坛敬拜神，相信我们与神在那里所立的约 – 如神与挪亚用彩虹立约一样。先知性的行动是我们整个教会一起领受、经历的。我们要用祷告进入2022年 – 愿意祷告就是愿意谦卑，因为我们愿意与神有沟通。
一、我们的光景 v.1-6
V1 耶利米先知的祷告就是求神不要忘记以色列人所遭遇的事情。人最大的问题是不知道自己处在问题之中，对自己被“凌辱”的光景已经麻木。
V2 “产业”本来是属于以色列人的，如今归于外邦人。
V3 那些以色列男子都被抓去外国做苦工，致使孩子留在家里看不见爸爸，妻子就好像没有丈夫一样。现在，神祝福我们，让我们来到新西兰，然而，我们还带着国内的生活模式和态度，结果父亲常常顾着工作不回家，让孩子母亲过得好像孤儿寡妇一样。我们若带着贫穷的心态进入神给我们的流奶与蜜之地，我们也会把这里变成为奴为仆的埃及。
V4 迦南美地的水本来是免费赐给他们的，如今他们要付钱才能喝，意思是他们要努力才能得到基本维生用品。我们是否觉得读经祷告聚会是没有用的，只想靠自己来过活？以色列人的柴是别人卖给他们的 – 说明神本来赐给他们的水和树木都没了，只能努力去做工换取。我们要相信，这片土地是要为我们效力的，我们要走出只有靠努力才有水有柴的贫穷心态。
V5 我们现在就算不吃不喝也有很多贷款要付，很多人都处在欠债的光景中，为了还债而活，承受很多压力，甚至双肩到颈项都僵硬。我们要相信神会带领我们，所以不用害怕。
V6 神已经跟以色列人说不能回埃及，当我们回去的时候，我们就重新为奴为仆。神很清楚知道我们的光景，所以要带我们走出为奴为仆和贫穷的生命，我们要对神有爱有信任。
二、因罪而死 v.7-18
V7 我们很多时候会将问题的源头归罪到我们的原生家庭和祖先身上，然而，圣经说，“世人都犯了罪，亏缺了神的荣耀”。我们看不到自己的问题，以为自己担当了祖先的罪孽。
V8 奴仆原本是要服侍我们的，如今我们连奴仆都不如。
V9 我们的性命危在旦夕。
V10 我们因为做苦工“皮肤就黑如炉”。我们都在劳苦担重担。
V11 锡安有名无实，不再成为祝福之地，这里的妇女处女都被凌辱。
V12 首领的手本是可以带领祝福的，如今被“吊起”，也没有人尊敬老人。
V13 孩童本来是单纯开心的，如今却过分“懂事”，因为他们要为了自己家做事，让爸爸妈妈开心，失去了本有的纯真。在孩子年幼的时候，生命教育才是最重要的，要让孩子出去看看神的创造、认识世界。回到起初的爱就是回到神起初创造乐园时的爱。
V14 大家都在做苦工了，城门口已经没有了老年人，而少年人没办法真正的“作乐”，享乐之后反而更加疲倦，因为他们在灵里没有永恒的喜乐。
V16a 我们没办法说自己是王子公主，我们受洗了，但我们是否真的死去？我们的冠冕在哪里？
V16b-17 上面所讲的“这些事”是因为我们自己犯罪了。我们不要再活在为奴为仆的生命中，要回到神起初创造我们的美好。
三、因信而生 v.19-22
V21 我们要有一颗谦卑受教的心。我们能走到如今，不是因为我们能够，而是因为神。耶利米先知求神使他们回转。唯有神能帮助我们“旧事已过、一切都变成新的”。我们可能走过了那座桥，却没有继续读经祷告，生命还是没有改变。我们要祷告，因为我们能回转不是因为我们厉害，而是因为神。我们靠着自己是不能成就愿望的，我们也不能凭自己的付出而要求神给我们祝福。神的国是我们在还没有看见的时候就相信，我们才得到生命。“复新”其实是reborn, 是重新建立的意思，“古时”指的是神创造天地时的光景。我们要有爱有信任，回到神起初创造我们时的美好。