1. Welcome our listening friends.
亲爱的朋友，你好。
2. It is a delight for us to join you once again.
很高兴你再次收听我们的节目。
3. My listening friends, if you are just joining us, we are continuing in our study of the life of Abraham.
如果你是第一次收听这个节目的话，我们正在讲有关亚伯拉罕生平的信息。
4. Today, we are going to focus on the freedom that is found in the truth.
今天我们要讲的是真理中的自由。
5. I read an article which stated that a poll was taken by a widely circulated magazine.
我读到一篇文章提到由一份流通很广的杂志所作的调查报告。
6. The poll stated that people lie more now than they did 10 years ago.
调查报告指出现在人撒谎比十年前的多。
7. And it says that 7 out of 10 people said that they were dissatisfied with the current standards of honesty.
报告还指出十个人当中有七个对现代人的诚实标准不满意。
8. “Lying is an indispensable, socially adaptive virtue. We could not survive without it.”
“撒谎已成为被社会接纳的行为，是不可缺少的。不撒谎就无法生存。”
9. An article entitled... “The Truth About Lying” had the following information.
有一篇文章的标题是：《撒谎的真相》，其中提到以下几点。
10. In the old view lying, like other issues of morality, was seen only in black and white.
从前的人对“撒谎”的看法，就像其它和道德有关的事一样，黑白分明。
11. Children were taught that all lying was bad, and “deserving of strict punishment”.
人们教导孩童，所有谎言都是不对的，撒谎者“必须受严厉的惩罚”。
12. In the new view;
然而在新的观念中，
13. “today some lying is considered normal.”
“今天某些谎言被看为正常。”
14. “In fact a child's first few lies are seen as an important step in development of self.”
“事实上一个孩童开始说些谎言，是他日后自我发展的重要步骤。”
15. I have found some amazing statistics in the research data in another book.
我在另外一本书，发现了一些令人惊讶的研究数据。
16. It says that “Most people lie.”
书中提到“大部分人都撒谎。”
17. “They lie more that we have ever thought possible before the study.”
“他们撒谎的次数，比我们作这研究之前所估计的要多。”
18. “But they told us the truth about how much they lie.”
“但是他们却告诉我们，他们经常撒谎这个事实。”
19. The authors found the following information:
作者发现以下的资料，
20. 91% of people lie regularly.
百分之九十一的人经常撒谎。
21. The majority of people find it hard to get through the week without lying.
大部份人每个星期都会撒谎。
22. And when it comes to premeditated lies… 1 in 5 can't make it through a single day without lying.
至于那些刻意撒的谎，五个人中有一个，每天都会故意撒谎。
23. They said that men lie more than women.
他们说男性撒谎比女性多。
24. And that young men lie more than older men.
年轻的男人撒谎比年纪大的男人多。
25. And that unemployed people lie more than those with jobs.
没有工作的撒谎比有工作的多。
26. And that the poor lie more than the rich.
贫穷的撒谎比富有的多。
27. The most frightening finding of all is that 2 out of 3 of the people in this survey believe there is nothing wrong with lying.
最令人震惊的是，这项统计指出每三个人中有两个认为撒谎没有什么大不了。
28. How do we as believers in the Word of God face this epidemic…
我们相信神话语的人，该怎么样面对这股潮流的冲击？
29. an epidemic which is invading the lives of Christians and entering our churches with incredible speed?
这股潮流正以惊人的速度侵入教会，攻击基督徒的生命。
30. First, I want to tell you that lying is a stronghold.
首先我要告诉你，撒谎就像是一股强大的势力。
31. It is like an addiction… or lust… or bitterness.
它跟癖好、色欲或苦毒一样。
32. It is like… laziness… or fear… and… a host of other strongholds that invade the Christian mind.
它跟懒惰、恐惧和其它侵袭基督徒思想的强大势力一样。
33. A stronghold can only be dealt with decisively and ruthlessly…
这样的势力必须靠着强硬而坚定的决心去对付才成。
34. not half-heartedly or by rationalizing it.
绝不能优柔寡断或是以种种的借口来自圆其说。
35. As we continue in our series of studies from the life of Abraham…
在我们继续来查考亚伯拉罕的生平时，
36. we are going to discover that lying was a stronghold in Abraham's life.
我们将要发现撒谎强占了亚伯拉罕的生命。
37. With every blessing comes a temptation.
每个祝福都可能伴随着试探。
38. You get into marital problems… you cry to the Lord…
当你陷入婚姻的困境中，你向神呼求，
39. the Lord answers your prayer…
神应允你的祷告，
40. the problem is over…
问题解决了，
41. God blesses you.
神赐福给你。
42. But soon after the blessing…
当你领受福分后，
43. you focus on the blessing… and forget the blesser.
你只注意自己所得的福，却忘掉赐福的神。
44. Or you get into financial trouble…
或者你遇到经济上的困难，
45. And you cry to the Lord;
你向神呼求说：
46. Lord I have not been faithful in the past.
主啊，我以前不够忠心，
47. But if you bless me again… I will change.
如果你再赐福给我，我一定会改变。
48. The Lord blesses you again…
于是，神再赐福给你，
49. but before long… you go back to the old ways.
但没多久，你故态复萌。
50. Here Abraham and Sarah go toward the Negev for a winter vacation
这一次亚伯拉罕和撒拉又迁往南地去过冬，
51. and then they decide to take a side trip to the coast of the Gaza strip to a place called Gerar.
后来他们决定绕到加沙海岸地带附近的基拉耳去。
52. There they encounter King Abimelech…
在那里他们遇上了亚比米勒王，
53. and there Abraham falls back to his old nature and lies about Sarah.
在那里亚伯拉罕重蹈覆辙，再次因撒拉而撒谎。
54. By now you would have thought that after the great spiritual blessings God had given him,
至此你一定以为，亚伯拉罕得到神所赐极大的属灵的福气之后，
55. after all of the first hand dealings he had with the Lord,
在他与神直接的交往之后，
56. after the lessons he was given in trusting the Lord,
在他学习了信靠神的功课之后，
57. after the incredible revelations and seeing the Lord face to face,
在他获得那不可思议的启示和面对面与神交谈之后，
58. you would have thought Abraham would have stopped being afraid.
你一定以为亚伯拉罕从此以后不会再害怕了。
59. Yet… once again here… as in Egypt… years before… Abraham tries to pass Sarah off as his sister.
但是，和多年前在埃及的时候一样，亚伯拉罕再次假称撒拉是他的妹子。
60. King Abimelech admires Sarah's beauty and takes her to his palace.
亚比米勒王迷恋撒拉的美貌，就把她带进宫里。
61. You can find this in the book of Genesis chapter 20 verse 2.
你可以在创世记二十章第二节找到这样的记载。
62. There she was once again stuck in a compromising situation…
撒拉又再一次陷入身不由己的处境中，
63. a married woman captive in the harem of a man who is not her husband.
一个已婚的妇女，落在并非她丈夫的男人手里。
64. Fortunately again… the Lord bails her out before Abimelech could touch Sarah…
幸好，在亚比米勒亲近她之前，神就把她解救出来，
65. the Lord revealed to Abimelech Sarah's true identity.
神告诉亚比米勒撒拉真实的身份。
66. Unlike the earlier time when Abraham lied to pharaoh…
这跟上一次亚伯拉罕向埃及的法老王撒谎时有所不同。
67. this time Abraham has reached such spiritual maturity…
这时，亚伯拉罕在属灵上已成熟多了，
68. that he repents immediately about his lie and even he prays for Abimelech.
他马上为所撒的谎认罪悔改，并且为亚比米勒祷告。
69. In chapter 21 we finally see the Lord fulfilling His long expected promise.
在第二十一章所记载的经文，我们终于看见神长久以来的应许得着应验。
70. Let’s read that passage.
让我们来读这段经文。
71. Now the LORD was gracious to Sarah as he had said, and the LORD did for Sarah what he had promised.
耶和华按着先前的话眷顾撒拉，便照他所说的给撒拉成就。
72. Sarah became pregnant and bore a son to Abraham in his old age, at the very time God had promised him.
当亚伯拉罕年老的时候，撒拉怀了孕，到神所说的日期，就给亚伯拉罕生了一个儿子。
73. Abraham gave the name Isaac to the son Sarah bore him.
亚伯拉罕给撒拉所生的儿子起名叫以撒。
74. When his son Isaac was eight days old, Abraham circumcised him, as God commanded him.
以撒生下来第八日，亚伯拉罕照着神所吩咐的，给以撒行了割礼。
75. Abraham was a hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him.
他儿子以撒生的时候，亚伯拉罕年一百岁。
76. Sarah said, “God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me.”
撒拉说：“神使我喜笑，凡听见的必与我一同喜笑。”
77. And she added, “Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? Yet I have borne him a son in his old age.” (Gen 21:1-7 NIV)
又说：“谁能预先对亚伯拉罕说，撒拉要乳养婴孩，因为在年老的时候，我给他生了一个儿子。”
78. My listening friends, I want you to listen very carefully.
亲爱的朋友，我希望你留心听。
79. We get impatient because the Lord does not come through when and how we want him to come through.
有时因为神没有按照我们所定的时间和方法行事，我们就不耐烦。
80. We get angry with God… because things don't go our way.
我们向神发怒，因为事情没让我们称心如意。
81. We wonder off and do our thing… and try to force God to perform a miracle… when we want Him to.
我们偏行己路，还要强迫神为我们行神迹。
82. But through it all… our faithful God holds our hand… teaches us lessons… watches over us.
纵然是这样，信实的神还是紧握着我们的手，督导我们，看顾我们。
83. And on His appointed day… God keeps His promises.
当神所定的时候到了，祂就成就祂的应许。
84. Sarah's womb that has long been dead… became alive again.
撒拉已经年老不能生育了，竟然能够怀孕生子。
85. Here God had not only demonstrated His sovereign will…
在此，神不单彰显祂的主权，
86. but He is preparing the world for another miraculous birth nearly 2,000 years later…
祂更是为世人预备两千年后另一次奇妙的诞生，
87. but the later birth will be of a virgin who would deliver the Messiah.
是从童贞女而生，那就是弥赛亚的降生。
88. In Genesis chapter 21verses 3 to 7 we see the following
创世记二十一章第三至七节，我们看到，
89. In obedience to the Lord's direction for the sign of the covenant Abraham circumcised Isaac on the 8th day.
亚伯拉罕遵行神的吩咐，在以撒出生后第八天为他进行割礼，作为立约的记号。
90. In verse 8 of chapter 21 we see Isaac grew up…
二十一章第八节的经文，我们看见以撒的成长，
91. possibly around the age of 5…
大概在他五岁左右，
92. a big feast was held on the occasion of his weaning.
在以撒断奶的日子，亚伯拉罕为他大摆筵席。
93. But Sarah saw that the son whom Hagar the Egyptian had borne to Abraham was mocking,
当时，撒拉看见埃及人夏甲给亚伯拉罕所生的儿子戏笑，
94. and she said to Abraham, “Get rid of that slave woman and her son, for that slave woman's son will never share in the inheritance with my son Isaac.” (Gen 21:9-10 NIV)
就对亚伯拉罕说：“你把这使女和她儿子赶出去！因为这使女的儿子不可与我的儿子艾萨克一同承受产业。”
95. In verse 9 Sarah notices in the midst of the festivity… past sins came to haunt them
第九节记载，撒拉在筵席里注意到，过去的罪纠缠着他们。
96. Ishmael had developed a sibling rivalry and he was resenting Isaac.
以实玛利心中产生了与兄弟相争的敌意，他怨恨以撒。
97. By this time Ishmael was about 17 years of age.
这时以实玛利大概十七岁左右。
98. Sibling rivalry is part of the original sin.
兄弟间的敌对相争，是最原始的一种罪。
99. We see it first between Cain and Abel…
我们最初在该隐和埃布尔身上见到，
100. and it continues today.
直到今天仍旧存在。
101. Abraham had thought that Ishmael was the fulfillment of God's promise
亚伯拉罕原以为以实玛利就是神应许的实现，
102. but Isaac came along.
但是后来以撒出生了。
103. Ishmael's position became irrevocably different and he doesn't like it.
以实玛利的地位明显改变了，他很不乐意这变化。
104. So throwing a huge party for Isaac… made things worse for Ishmael.
为以撒大摆筵席，更令以实玛利难堪。
105. The conflict between Ishmael and Isaac has very deep spiritual implications.
以实玛利和以撒之间的冲突，带有深远的属灵涵义。
106. It symbolizes the conflict in the Christian life.
它象征着基督徒生命里的冲击。
107. And I want to tell you more about this,
我想再深入地和你谈谈这方面的事，
108. But because our time is almost over,
但今天我们的时间已差不多到了，
109. and I want to spend more time in explaining these important truths,
我需要用多点时间跟你解释这些重要的真理，
110. I want to encourage you to tune in next time to hear how we deal with these conflicts in life
我鼓励你下一次继续收听，我们该如何面对生命中的这些冲击。
111. until then, I wish you God’s richest blessing
愿神大大的赐福给你，我们下次再会。
