1. Hello listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，你好。
2. We are delighted you tuned in today.
很高兴你今天能收听这个节目。
3. For those of you joining us for the first time, we have just beginning a study of the life of Abraham.
如果你是第一次收听，我们刚开始研读亚伯拉罕的生平。
4. In our last broadcast, we left you with the promise to look into how Abraham wasted 6 years of his life because of settling for second best.
上一次我答应你，今天要讲亚伯拉罕妥协于次等的福份，而浪费了六年的光阴。
5. How did this happen?
怎么会这样的呢？
6. On the way to Canaan, they passed the beautiful oasis town of Haran.
在他们去迦南的途中，路经一个景色宜人的绿洲 哈兰。
7. Terah, Abraham’s father, decided to stay.
亚伯拉罕的父亲他拉决定留下来。
8. Haran was the sight of a great temple honoring the Moon god... and Terah got so excited about it
哈兰有一座宏伟的庙宇，是拜月神的，他拉感到很兴奋。
9. Haran, to a moon worshiper, was a holy sight!
对崇拜月神的人来说，哈兰是他们的圣地。
10. Terah saw the temple to the moon worshipers... and he thought he died and went to heaven.
他拉看见拜月神的庙宇，心想他死后就可以从这里到天堂去。
11. So he says to Abram, “That's it son. I came with you and this is as far as we are going to go.”
于是他对亚伯兰说：“孩子啊，我就跟你到这里，别的地方都不去了。”
12. And Abraham said, “But Dad... God said to go to Canaan.”
亚伯拉罕说：“但是，父亲，神说到迦南去呀！”
13. “Oh, this is as good as Canaan... what is one place different from another?”
“噢！这里和迦南一样好，没有什么分别嘛！”
14. The answer is very simple.
答案很简单。
15. It is not where God told Abraham to go.
这不是神叫亚伯拉罕去的地方。
16. Let me ask you a question.
让我问你一个问题，
17. How many times we settle for something short of the Lord's perfect plan for our lives?
有多少时候我们满足于某些事物，而忽略神在我们生命中完美的计划？
18. How many times we come to a point in our spiritual journey and say "this is it".
有多少时候我们属灵的旅程来到某一个地步就说：“到此为止！”
19. How many times when we come to the end of our resources... and you say to yourself “this is where I'll be settling.”
有多少时候当我们用尽方法，然后对自己说：“就这样吧！没什么好做的了！”
20. And God is saying... NO... I want to take you beyond this.
而神说：“不，我要带你到更远的地方。”
21. Don't settle for Haran in your life.
你的生命不要停留在哈兰。
22. Don't let fear keep you from going further.
不要因恐惧而裹足不前。
23. Don't let fatigue stop you from progressing.
不要因疲乏而不往前走。
24. Don't let spiritual laziness stop you from going on.
不要因灵性的懒惰而停顿下来。
25. Don't let the outward attraction of the valley keep you from climbing the mountains of God.
不要让山谷里表面的吸引力妨碍你攀登属于神的高峰。
26. Here is what God is saying to us;
这是神对我们说的：
27. There are lessons to be learned only as you keep on going.
只要你不断往前走，就有很多功课值得学习。
28. There are blessings to be received only as you continue in my plans for you.
只要你继续走在我的计划里，你就会得到更多的赐福。
29. There are glories that can only be seen as you obey my will for your life.
只要顺服我为你生命所定的旨意，就可以看见更大的荣耀。
30. Here is what God is saying to you today;
今天神要对你说：
31. I want to show... you that I can provide for you.
我要指示你，我所能为你预备的。
32. I want to show... you that I can set a table before you in the wilderness.
我要指示你，我为你在旷野所摆设的筵席。
33. I want to show... you that I reign manna from Heaven.
我要指示你，我可以叫吗哪从天而降。
34. I want to show... you that I can command the ravens to feed you.
我要指示你，我可以吩咐乌鸦来喂养你。
35. But you have to learn not to settle in Haran.
但你千万不要在哈兰停留下来。
36. Are you unwilling to take the step... that will separate you from the wrong friends.
你是否不愿跨出第一步，远离你那些不正当的朋友？
37. Are you willing to move away from those who influence you the wrong way?
你是否不愿意离开那些对你有坏影响的人？
38. Is your life so cluttered up... with improper priorities?
你的生命是否一团糟，分不清优先次序？
39. Abraham at this point in his life embodies the stagnant Christian.
亚伯拉罕这时的人生阶段，正代表了停滞不前的基督徒。
40. The Christian stops in this condition for years.
也就是多年来，一直停顿在某个阶段而不长进的基督徒。
41. For six years, Abraham was marred in the murky water of partial obedience.
六年来亚伯拉罕的人生，就在他对神只有部份顺服的状态下蒙上阴影。
42. Oh God forbid me from partial obedience.
噢！神阿，不要让我对你只有部份的顺服。
43. Abraham did not accomplish much for the Lord in those six years.
在这六年间，亚伯拉罕没有为神成就什么。
44. Remember this
请你记住，
45. Revival will not come as long as everyone is waiting for it to start with somebody else.
如果人人都等待着别人开始行动，灵性的复兴是不会发生的。
46. It can start with you
要从你开始做起。
47. Finally, when Terah died... God renewed His call to Abraham.
最后，他拉死了，神重新呼召亚伯拉罕。
48. 49) God gives Abraham a seven-fold promise.
神给亚伯拉罕一个七重的应许。
49. At this point of His life Abraham was about 75 years old...
当时，亚伯拉罕已大约75岁了。
50. and here is what God was saying to him;
神对他说：
51. “Go out of your easy chair and take up where you left off six years ago.”
“离开你那张舒服的椅子，重拾你六年前停顿下来的使命。”
52. Abraham gets excited at the renewal of God's call...
亚伯拉罕为着神重新的呼召而振奋。
53. and he goes to Nahor the only brother left and say... “Guess what Nahor...”
他走到他惟一的兄弟拿鹤面前说：“拿鹤阿，你猜发生了什么事？”
54. And this time Abraham wasn't about to listen to a pagan’s advice...
这一次亚伯拉罕决心不再听从异教徒的劝告。
55. because God has spoken!
因为神已经说明！
56. At this point God gives Abraham a 7-fold promise.
这时候，神给亚伯拉罕一个七重的应许。
57. Let us read it.
让我们来看创世记12章1至3节。
58. The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you.
耶和华对亚伯兰说，“你要离开本地本族，父家，往我所要指示你的地去。
59. “I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.
“我必叫你成为大国，我必赐福给你，叫你的名为大，你也要叫别人得福。
60. “I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Gen 12:1-3 NIV)
“为你祝福的，我必赐福与他，那咒诅你的，我必咒诅他，地上的万族都要因你得福。”
61. Let us listen to those 7 promises again.
请再听听这七个应许。
62. Number 1.
第一，
63. I will make you a great nation.
我必叫你成为大国。
64. Number 2.
第二，
65. I will bless you.
我必赐福给你。
66. Number 3.
第三，
67. I will make your name great.
我要叫你的名为大。
68. Number 4.
第四，
69. I shall make you a blessing.
你也要叫别人得福。
70. Number 5.
第五，
71. I will bless those who bless you.
为你祝福的，我必赐福与他。
72. Number 6.
第六，
73. I will curse those who curse you.
那咒诅你的，我必咒诅他。
74. Number 7.
第七，
75. In you all the families of the earth will be blessed.
地上的万族都要因你得福。
76. Let’s look at the first promise.
请看第一个应许。
77. God will make Abraham a great nation.
神必叫亚伯拉罕成为大国。
78. Think about it;
想一想，
79. Abraham is an old man...
亚伯拉罕是个老人，
80. the whole world knows that Sarah his wife was barren.
全世界都知道他的妻子撒拉不能生育。
81. Yet, God said “I'll make you into a great nation.”
然而，神说：“我必叫你成为大国。”
82. As we shall see later on in this series from the life of Abraham how both he and his wife’s faith faltered three times.
稍后我们会看见亚伯拉罕和他妻子撒拉的信心动摇了三次。
83. Abraham thought Eliezer the Syrian servant of his. . . would become his adopted son (which was customary in those days).
亚伯拉罕以为按照当时的习俗，过继他的叙利亚仆人以利以谢为子。
84. Thus he thought Eliezer would become the heir that God promised.
他心里想以利以谢就是神所应许给他的继承人。
85. Sarah thought that she on the other hand would help God out in fulfilling his promise...
另一方面撒拉以为她可以帮忙神实现祂的应许。
86. by offering to Abram her maidservant Hagar.
就把婢女夏甲给亚伯兰为妾。
87. This was also customary of their day.
这也是当时的习俗。
88. Please listen to me very carefully.
请留心听着。
89. God does not need any help in fulfillment of His promises.
神是不需要任何人帮忙来实现祂的应许的。
90. Second,
第二个应许，
91. “I will bless you.”
“我必赐福给你。”
92. Do you know what it means to live under the blessing of God?
你知道活在神赐福之下是什么意思吗？
93. It means that God will look out for you.
就是神会看顾你。
94. It means that God will move on your behalf.
就是神会为你的好处着想。
95. It means that God will concern Himself with your life.
就是神会体恤你一切的需要。
96. It means that God desires always to bless you.
就是神愿意时时刻刻赐福给你。
97. Later on Moses explains what that means in Deuteronomy 28:13.
摩西后来在申命记28章13节解释说：
98. Let us read it
让我们读出，
99. And the Lord will make you the head and not the tail. You shall be above only, and not beneath. If you heed the commandments to the Lord your God which I command you today.
你若听从耶和华你神的诫命，就是我今日所吩咐你的，谨守遵行，不偏左右，也不随从事奉别神，耶和华就必使你作首不作尾，但居上不居下。
100. When you know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and the Lord of your life.
当你认识主耶稣基督是你的救主和人生的主宰，
101. You are the descendent of Abraham by faith and God's promises to Abraham are your promises.
凭着信心，你就成为亚伯拉罕的后裔，和他一同 承受神的应许。
102. Thirdly,
第三，
103. God will make Abraham's name great.
神必叫亚伯拉罕的名为大。
104. Isn't that just like the Lord?
这不正是主的作为吗？
105. He takes an obscure man from Ur of Chaldeans.
祂带一个卑微的人从迦勒底的吾珥出来，
106. A nobody... that nobody ever heard of
一个无名小卒，没有人认识他。
107. And He leads him out of his land... away from his people. . .even his father's house...
神带领他离开本地，本族，甚至父家。
108. and makes nearly three and a half billion people in the world today... clamor to identify themselves with him.
到了今天，全世界差不多三十五亿人口，都嚷着称自己为亚伯拉罕的后裔。
109. Jews, Christians and Muslims all identify with Abraham.
犹太人、基督徒和伊斯兰教徒都认自己为亚伯拉罕的后裔。
110. The fourth promise is that Abraham is to be a blessing.
第四个应许是亚伯拉罕要叫别人得福。
111. God never blesses us so that we might simply bask in the blessing.
神赐福我们不是叫我们独自享受祂的恩典。
112. God's way of blessing is that we may be a blessing to others.
而是要我们也成为别人的祝福。
113. Abraham was blessed... Why?
亚伯拉罕为什么蒙福？
114. In order that he may be a blessing to others.
因为他要成为别人的祝福。
115. God does not intend to stop with us.
神不是单单赐福我们就够了。
116. God wants us to channel His blessings...
神要我们成为祂赐福的流通管道。
117. and the faster you pass on His blessings... the faster He refills you.
你愈快将祂的恩典传开，祂就愈快再 添给你。
118. The fifth and sixth promises were... God blesses those who bless him and curses those who curse him.
第五和第六的应许是神要祝福那为亚伯拉罕祝福的，并且咒诅那咒诅他的人。
119. This needs some explanation.
这里需要解释一下。
120. Abraham was a man chosen by God to be an instrument of fulfilling God's purpose for the world.
亚伯拉罕被神拣选作为器皿，为要实现神对全世界的拯救计划。
121. Those who align themselves with the purpose of God... will come under Abraham’s blessing.
那些与神计划一致的人，就可以承受亚伯拉罕的祝福。
122. Anyone who goes against God's purpose... will experience the curse of His judgement.
任何人违背神的计划，就要面对神审判的咒诅。
123. This is a universal principle.
这是必然的定理，
124. God does not curse anybody in the sense of standing out and hurling some thunderbolts in a fit of anger.
神不会因一时的愤怒而天打雷霹。
125. 24) God's curse is the other side of blessing.
神的咒诅是赐福的反面。
126. Go with God... and know His blessings.
与神同行，就会尝到主恩的滋味。
127. Go against God... and know His curse.
与神为敌的，就受到神的咒诅。
128. If I say to you to drive your car at the speed limit and follow my direction, you will reach your destination.
比如我告诉你，如果你遵守限定的时速开车，并依从我的指示而行，就必到达目的地。
129. But if you drive your car at a very high speed and do not follow my directions... you will fall off a cliff.
但如果你以高速驾驶，又不听从我的指示，你就会跌下悬崖。
130. Would that be my fault?
这是否我的错呢？
131. Would you blame me?
你会不会埋怨我呢？
132. No, you blame yourself for not following my instructions.
不，你只能怨自己没有听从我的指引。
133. The seventh and final promise that God made to Abraham is that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him.
神对亚伯拉罕第七，也是最后一个应许就是，地上的万族都要因他得福。
134. What the Lord was saying is this;
主是这样说的：
135. “One day I am going to be bringing into this world Someone who is a physical descendant of yours Abraham...
“有一天我要差一个亚伯拉罕的后裔来到世界，
136. and when He comes...
当祂来的时候，
137. He is going to bring blessings to the whole earth.”
祂要赐福给全世界。”
138. Jesus the Son of Abraham is the fulfillment of the covenant promises
耶稣就是亚伯拉罕的后裔，要实现神立约的应许。
139. and anyone who will come to Him will be blessed...
所有来到祂面前的人，都要蒙神赐福。
140. anyone who will reject Him will not be blessed...
凡是拒绝祂的，神就不会赐福。
141. but will suffer the consequences of disobedience.
并且要承受不顺服的后果。
142. This is valid for Americans...
对美国人是这样，
143. Europeans...
对欧洲人，
144. the Asians...
对亚洲人，
145. the Africans...
对非洲人，
146. all the nations of the earth.
对全世界各民族的人，
147. Intimacy with God...
亲近神的人，
148. the experiencing of the blessings of God...
经历过神恩典的人，
149. the witnessing of the fulfillment of the promises of God...
亲身见证神应许实现人，
150. all require waiting with God and waiting in the presence of God...
都需要在神面前等候，
151. it requires unconditional obedience to God.
都要无条件的顺从神，
152. Are you willing to pay the price?
你愿不愿意付上代价？
153. It is my prayer that you would say yes
我祈祷你能说“我愿意”，
154. Until next time, I wish you God’s richest blessing.
愿神大大的赐福给你，下次再会。
