Daniel’s Rise And Gideon’s Fall (Chinese/English)

Daniel 6

但以理书6章

8 Now, O king, establish the decree, and sign the writing, that it be not changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth not.

8王啊，现在求你立这禁令，加盖玉玺，使禁令决不更改；照玛代和波斯人的例是不可更改的。”

9 Wherefore king Darius signed the writing and the decree.

9于是大流士王立这禁令，加盖玉玺。

10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

10但以理知道这禁令盖了玉玺，就到自己家里（他楼上的窗户开向耶路撒冷），一日三次，双膝跪在他　神面前，祷告感谢，与素常一样。

Will You Be A Daniel?

你愿意成为但以理这样的人吗

Imagine the scenario: a letter arrives on your doormat, sealed with the seal of the president of your country and it is binding on all people. You are not allowed to worship on Sunday, to gather for prayer, or to share the Gospel.

想象这样一个场景:你收到了一封信，上面盖着你国家总统的印章，对所有人都有约束力。你不允许在星期天做礼拜、聚会祷告，或分享福音。

Sounds totally unrealistic doesn’t it! It is happening all over the world and in many many countries! They were forbidden for doing the things that we have the opportunity of doing. We have the great blessing of sharing the gospel in freedom, but we take it for granted and we don’t use the blessed opportunity.

听起来完全不现实，不是吗?它正在世界各地发生，在许多许多国家，他们被禁止做我们有机会做的事情。我们有在自由中分享福音的巨大祝福，但我们认为这是理所当然的，我们没有好好利用这个带着祝福得机会。

So what would you do in response to the letter?

所以你会怎么回应这封信呢

You say this is far fetched! It happened to Daniel. How did he react?

你说这太牵强了!这件事发生在但以理身上。他的反应如何?

He could have gone to the king and complained, as he was in a position of influence, but he didn’t.

他本可以去找国王抱怨，因为他有影响力，但他没有。

He did one thing; he went to his house, opened the windows and prayed to God. He knew the consequences of doing this, but he did it anyway.

他做了一件事;他回到家中，打开窗户向上帝祈祷。他知道这样做的后果，但他还是这么做了。

We have to obey the government and respect their orders, except when their decisions infringe upon God’s word.

我们要服从执政掌权的，但如果他们的决定违背了上帝的话，我们是不能顺服的。

Peter and John in Acts 4, after being told to stop preaching about Christ, told the Jewish rulers, “We can only speak of the things we have seen and heard.”

使徒行传第4章，彼得和约翰被禁止传讲基督，他们就对犹太官长说:“我们所看见所听见的，只能说。”

但以理不仅向神祷告，而且他的祷告充满了感谢。他为什么要感谢上帝?我想知道他是否在为他所经历的迫害感谢上帝?

Not only did Daniel pray to God, but his prayers were full of thankfulness. What was he thanking God for? I wonder if he was thanking God for the persecution he was experiencing?

但以理不仅向神祷告，而且他的祷告充满了感谢。他为什么要感谢上帝?我想知道他是否在为他所经历的迫害感谢上帝?

What did you think he spent his time doing? Exactly the same thing he was doing right now… praying and giving thanks.

记住，他被丢在狮子洞里!你觉得他把时间都花在了什么上? 跟他现在做的一模一样……祈祷和感恩。

Remember, he was placed in the lions den!

Daniel prayed anyway; he respected Darius, but his love for God exceeded his love for his earthly king.

但以理还是祈祷了;他尊敬大流士，但他对上帝的爱超过了他对现世国王的爱。

Are you prepared to be a Daniel and do it anyway?

你准备好成为但以理了吗

God bless you

上帝祝福你

Gideon’s Fall (Judges 8:22-35)

基甸的堕落 (读士师记8:22-35)

Gideon had done well. He had been used of God to get rid of Israel’s enemy. But then after all the good he did, he let Israel off the hook.

基甸做得很好。他被神用来除掉以色列的敌人。但在他做了那么多好事之后，他却让以色列人逃脱了惩罚。

Instead of teaching them to fully turn from their sin unto the Lord, he built an altar with an Ephod, and all Israel went after it in sin. Not only that, but also he set a bad example in his personal conduct.

他没有教训他们离开罪归向耶和华，反而用以弗得筑了一座坛，以色列众人就在罪中跟随以弗得。不仅如此，他在个人行为上也树立了一个坏榜样。

He was sexually immoral, had many wives, and then he had a son by his concubine who stirred up a real hornets nest in Chapter 9.

他在性方面不道德，有很多妻子，然后他和他的妾生了一个儿子，这个儿子在第九章中挑起了一个真正的马蜂窝。

We have to keep on serving God throughout our lives. Paul in 2 timothy 4 said:

我们一生都要事奉神。保罗在提摩太后书4章说:

6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

7我现在被浇奠，我离世的时候到了。 8那美好的仗我已经打过了，当跑的路我已经跑尽了，所信的道我已经守住了。 9从此以后，有公义的冠冕为我存留，就是按着公义审判的主到了那日要赐给我的；不但赐给我，也赐给凡爱慕他显现的人。

Gideon did a lot of good for Israel, but ultimately he left them in the same position as he found them: in idolatry and sin.

基甸为以色列人做了很多好事，但最终他还是让他们留在原来的地方:拜偶像和犯罪。

We need to be able to say the words like Paul, and not act like Gideon.

我们需要像保罗那样说话，而不是像基甸那样行事。

Like the generations before, it says as soon as the judge died, the children of Israel went off after other god’s. The land had peace in a physical sense, but they had no spiritual peace.

像前几代人一样，据说 一旦审判官死了，以色列人就去追随其他神。这片土地拥有物质上的和平，但他们却没有属灵上的和平。

Gideon was used by God, but his life ended badly. We need to make sure that we don’t end up like Gideon; that we finish well and don’t lead our children into idolatry by leaving behind the wrong type of things and the wrong type of example for the next generation.

基甸被神使用，但他的生命结局悲惨。我们需要确保我们不会像基甸一样;我们要还好好谨慎，不要让我们的孩子盲目崇拜，给下一代留下错误的东西和错误的榜样。

What was Gideon remembered for? Maybe as a judge, but also maybe for leading the people into sin and idolatry.

基甸因什么被记住，也许是作为一个法官身份被记住，但也可能是因为 “引导人们犯罪和偶像崇拜的败坏形象”被记住。

Let’s make sure we can say like Paul!

I HAVE FINISHED THE RACE AND KEPT THE FAITH!

让我们确保我们能像保罗一样说!

当跑的路，我已经跑尽；所信的道我已经守住。

God bless you

上帝祝福你