Be Confident About Your Future

What does the future hold in store for you? – By Nicky Gumbel

Be Confident About Your Future What does the future hold in store for you? Futurologists predict what will happen in the future. For example, it has been predicted that some babies born today will live to the age of 150. Some of their predictions may come true. Others may not. In 1962 Decca Recording Company rejected the Beatles. They said, ‘We don’t like their sound, and guitar music is on the way out.’ In 1977 Ken Olson, Chairman of Digital Equipment Co., said, ‘There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home.’ There are certain things about the future that we don’t know and that we are not supposed to know. However, there are other things that you can know about the future and that makes a real difference to your life now. In the passages today we see three reasons why, if you put your trust in the Lord, you can be confident about your future.

對你的未來充滿信心 未來對你有什麼影響？ 未來學家預測未來會發生什麼。 例如，有人預測今天出生的一些嬰兒將活到 150 歲。他們的一些預測可能會成真。 其他人可能不會。 1962 年，迪卡唱片公司拒絕了披頭士樂隊。 他們說，“我們不喜歡他們的聲音，吉他音樂正在消失。” 1977 年，數字設備公司董事長肯·奧爾森 (Ken Olson) 說：“沒有人願意在家里安裝電腦。” 關於未來，有些事情我們不知道，也不應該知道。 但是，您還可以了解其他一些關於未來的事情，這些事情會對您現在的生活產生真正的影響。 在今天的經文中，我們看到三個原因，為什麼如果你信靠主，你就能對自己的未來充滿信心。

Psalm 33:1-11

The plans of the Lord

‘The plans of the Lord stand firm forever’ (v.11). God has plans. God has a good plan for your life. He has ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’ (Jeremiah 29:11). The psalmist’s confidence about the future comes from looking back on the past. He reflects on what God has done through ‘the word of the Lord’ (Psalm 33:6a). As we read this psalm through the lens of the New Testament, we see that it was through Jesus (the Word of God) that the whole world came into being (vv.6–9). He is the one who is the source of all that is ‘right and true’ (v.4a). He is ‘faithful’ (v.4b). He ‘loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of his unfailing love’ (v.5). It is on this basis that the psalmist can be confident that ‘The plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations’ (v.11). Governments and people make plans. These may fail (v.10). Yet you can be confident in God’s good plans for you and for your life. The appropriate response to all this is worship – to sing joyfully to the Lord and to praise him with different instruments, to write new songs, to use every musical skill and ability, and even make lots of noise (!) (‘shout for joy’, v.3b). Lord, thank you that you have good plans for me. Thank you that you are in ultimate control of history, the future and my life.

“耶和華的計劃永遠立定”（第 11 節）。上帝有計劃。上帝對你的生命有一個美好的計劃。他有“計劃使你興旺而不傷害你，計劃給你希望和未來”（耶利米書 29:11）。 詩人對未來的信心來自於回顧過去。他反思上帝通過“主的道”所做的事（詩篇 33:6a）。 當我們從新約的角度閱讀這首詩篇時，我們看到整個世界都是通過耶穌（上帝的道）產生的（6-9 節）。他是一切“正確和真實”的源頭（第 4a 節）。他是“忠信的”（4b 節）。他‘喜愛公義公平；大地充滿了他永恆的愛”（第 5 節）。 正是在這個基礎上，詩人可以確信“耶和華的計劃永遠堅定，他心中的計劃萬代”（11節）。政府和人民制定計劃。這些可能會失敗（第 10 節）。然而，你可以對上帝對你和你生命的美好計劃充滿信心。 對這一切的恰當回應就是敬拜——向主歡呼歌唱，用不同的樂器讚美他，寫新歌，運用每一種音樂技巧和能力，甚至大聲喧嘩（！）（“歡呼’，v.3b）。 主啊，謝謝你對我有好的計劃。感謝您最終掌控了歷史、未來和我的生活。

Mark 16:1-20

The power of the resurrection

Mark 16:1-20 The power of the resurrection The resurrection of Jesus did actually happen. When the women arrived at the tomb they found the huge stone, which had been blocking the entrance, rolled back. Jesus had been raised up. He was no longer there. They saw for themselves that the tomb was empty (vv.6–8). It is significant that the first witnesses of the resurrection recorded in all the Gospels were women. Women’s testimonies were widely seen as unreliable (in most Jewish courts it was not even allowed). Yet in appearing first to them, Jesus affirms the importance and role of women in his new community. This also gives the story the ring of truth of an eyewitness account. The early church would never have invented this feature of the story. The fact is that the resurrection was, initially, as unbelievable for the first disciples as it is for many today. When other disciples were told of Jesus’ resurrection, they did not believe (vv.11,13) until they saw the risen Jesus for themselves. Yet when they witnessed his resurrection, either at the tomb or in one of the many subsequent resurrection appearances of Jesus (vv.12,14), their lives were transformed. They moved from fear to faith, from alarm to action and from despair to hope. As a result of the resurrection you can face the future with confidence: Confident about your eternal future This life is not the end. There is life beyond the grave. As Jesus was raised from the dead, so in Christ you will be raised with him (see 1 Corinthians 15). As Tim Keller writes, ‘Why is it so hard to do the right thing if you know it’s going to cost your money, reputation, maybe even your life? Why is it so hard to face your own death or the death of loved ones? It’s so hard because we think this broken world is the only world we’re ever going to have… But if Jesus is risen, then your future is so much more beautiful, and so much more certain, than that.’ Confident about your future life Jesus is alive. He is with you as you ‘go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation’ (Mark 16:15). You, like the disciples, are commissioned to go out and preach the good news to the whole world. You can be confident that God’s power will be with you. You can expect powerful signs to accompany your message – driving out demons, speaking in tongues and healing the sick. This is what occurred (v.20) and this is what we should expect today. Healing, for example, is not confined to those who have the special gift of healing but is for all ‘who believe’ (v.17). It is God who heals, but he involves you in his plans: ‘The Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs that accompanied it’ (v.20). There are a variety of models in the New Testament, but they are always simple. Healing comes ‘in [Jesus’] name’ (v.17). The most common model is the one Jesus speaks of here – the laying on of hands: ‘They will place their hands on people who are ill and they will get well’ (v.18). Thank you, Lord, for the resurrection of Jesus. Thank you that I can face the future with hope and confidence because you are alive and with me.

馬可福音 16:1-20 復活的力量 耶穌的複活確實發生了。當婦女們到達墳墓時，他們發現擋住入口的巨石滾了回來。耶穌已經復活了。他已經不在了。他們親眼看到墳墓是空的（6-8 節）。 重要的是，所有福音書中記錄的複活的第一批見證人都是女性。女性的證詞被廣泛認為是不可靠的（在大多數猶太法庭甚至不允許這樣做）。然而，耶穌首先出現在他們面前時，肯定了女性在他的新社區中的重要性和作用。 這也使故事具有目擊者敘述的真實性。早期的教會永遠不會發明這個故事的特徵。 事實是，起初，對於第一批門徒來說，復活就像今天對許多人一樣令人難以置信。當其他門徒被告知耶穌復活時，他們不相信（11,13 節），直到他們親眼看到復活的耶穌。然而，當他們目睹他的複活時，無論是在墳墓裡，還是在耶穌隨後的許多複活顯現之一中（12,14 節），他們的生活都發生了改變。他們從恐懼轉變為信仰，從警覺轉變為行動，從絕望轉變為希望。 由於復活，你可以自信地面對未來： 對你永恆的未來充滿信心 此生並非盡頭。墳墓之外還有生命。正如耶穌從死裡復活一樣，在基督裡你也會和他一起復活（見哥林多前書 15）。 正如蒂姆·凱勒 (Tim Keller) 所寫，‘如果你知道做正確的事會付出你的金錢、名譽甚至生命的代價，為什麼這麼難？為什麼面對自己或親人的死亡如此困難？這太難了，因為我們認為這個破碎的世界是我們將擁有的唯一世界……但如果耶穌復活了，那麼你的未來會比這更美好，更確定。 對未來的生活充滿信心 耶穌還活著。當你“往全世界傳福音給所有受造之物”時，他與你同在（馬可福音 16:15）。你和門徒一樣，受命出去向全世界宣講好消息。你可以確信上帝的能力會與你同在。你可以期待伴隨著你的信息有強大的跡象——趕鬼、說方言和治愈病人。這就是發生的事情（第 20 節），也是我們今天應該期待的。 例如，醫治不僅限於那些有醫治特殊恩賜的人，而是為所有“相信”的人（第 17 節）。是神醫治，但他讓你參與他的計劃：“主與他們同工，並用伴隨的跡象證實了他的話”（第 20 節）。 新約中有各種各樣的模型，但它們總是很簡單。醫治是“奉［耶穌］名而來的”（第 17 節）。最常見的模式是耶穌在這裡所說的——按手：“他們會按手在生病的人身上，他們就會好起來”（第 18 節）。 主啊，感謝你讓耶穌復活。謝謝你，我可以帶著希望和信心面對未來，因為你還活著，和我在一起。

Leviticus 25:1-26:13

The promises of God

Leviticus 25:1-26:13 The promises of God Although you cannot know the details of the future, you can be assured of God’s blessing on your future. In chapter 26, God promises that if you obey him you will enjoy fruit (v.4), satisfaction, safety (v.5), peace (v.6), no fear (v.6), growth (v.9), the presence of the Lord (v.12) and confidence ‘to walk with heads held high’ (v.13). God says, ‘If you live by my decrees… you’ll have more than enough to eat and will live safe and secure in… a place of peace – you’ll be able to go to sleep at night without fear… I’ll make sure you prosper… grow in numbers… I’ll set up my residence in your neighbourhood… I’ll be your God; you’ll be my people. I am God, your personal God… I ripped off the harness of your slavery so that you can move about freely’ (vv.3–13, MSG). This is God’s long-term plan for your future. You will face trials and difficulties in this life as you seek to obey God, but through Jesus you can enjoy some of these blessings even now. In chapter 25, we see some of the things we need to do in order to obey God. Some of these, of course, are specific to ancient Israel but some apply for all time. I love what Joyce Meyer writes about the year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25) in which all debts were forgiven and all debtors were pardoned and set free: ‘In Christ, every day can be a year of Jubilee. We can have our own sins forgiven continually through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. We can enjoy a continual year of Jubilee. Our trouble is either that we are trying to pay our debt to the Lord, or that we are still trying to collect debts from others. Just as God cancelled our debt and forgave us so we can cancel the debts of others and forgive them what they owe us.’ The key to this chapter is ‘do not take advantage of each other’ (vv.14,17). It is not enough to be honest – we must also be considerate. This is radically different from the world’s view. The world admires a person who makes money – however ruthlessly. They may be successful in one sense. But God cares about how we treat others more than how much we own and he cares especially about how we treat the poor (vv.25,35,39). We are only stewards. The Lord says, ‘The land is mine… you reside… as foreigners and strangers’ (v.23). This is how we should regard property and possessions. They belong to God. They are on loan to you. God was teaching his people that there is no such thing as permanent wealth. You own what you own for a season. It is only God who owns them permanently. Thank you, Lord, for all your promises of blessing. Thank you that you have a long-term plan for my future. Thank you that, one day, I will be raised with Christ to full and eternal life.

利未記 25:1-26:13 上帝的應許 雖然你無法知道未來的細節，但你可以確信上帝會祝福你的未來。在第 26 章，上帝應許，如果你順服他，你將享受果子（4 節）、滿足、安全（5 節）、平安（6 節）、無懼（6 節）、成長（9 節） )、主的同在（第 12 節）和“昂首行走”的信心（第 13 節）。 上帝說，‘如果你按照我的法令生活……你將有足夠的食物吃，並且將安全可靠地生活在……一個和平的地方——你將能夠在晚上毫無恐懼地入睡…我會確保你繁榮昌盛…人數增加…我將在您附近建立我的住所…我將成為您的上帝；你將成為我的子民。我是神，你個人的神……我扯掉了你奴役的馬俱，好讓你可以自由行動”（3-13 節，味精）。 這是神對你未來的長遠計劃。當你尋求順服上帝時，你將在今生面臨考驗和困難，但通過耶穌，即使現在你也可以享受其中的一些祝福。 在第 25 章中，我們看到了為了順服上帝需要做的一些事情。當然，其中一些是特定於古代以色列的，但有些則適用於所有時間。 我喜歡喬伊斯·邁耶（Joyce Meyer）關於禧年（利未記 25 章）所寫的所有債務都被免除，所有債務人都被赦免和釋放：“在基督裡，每一天都可以成為禧年。通過悔改和對耶穌基督的信心，我們可以不斷地赦免自己的罪。我們可以享受連續的禧年。我們的麻煩要么是我們試圖向主還債，要么我們仍在試圖向別人討債。就像上帝取消了我們的債務並原諒了我們一樣，我們也可以取消其他人的債務並原諒他們欠我們的東西。 本章的關鍵是“不要互相利用”（14,17 節）。僅僅誠實是不夠的——我們還必須考慮周到。 這與世人的看法截然不同。世界欽佩一個賺錢的人——無論多麼無情。他們可能在某種意義上是成功的。但神關心我們如何對待他人勝過我們擁有多少，他特別關心我們如何對待窮人（25,35,39 節）。 我們只是管家。主說：“地是我的……你們居住……如同外人和寄居的”（第 23 節）。這就是我們應該如何看待財產和財產。他們屬於上帝。他們藉給你。上帝教導他的子民，沒有永恆的財富。你擁有你所擁有的一個賽季。只有上帝才能永久擁有它們。 主啊，感謝你所有的祝福應許。謝謝你對我的未來有一個長遠的計劃。謝謝你，有一天，我將與基督一起復活，獲得完全和永恆的生命。

Pippa Adds At an Alpha Weekend, there is always such a sense of God walking among his people and revealing himself to them (Leviticus 26:12). In verse 13 it says, ‘I broke the bars of your yoke and enabled you to walk with heads held high.’ Recently, at one of these weekends, a young woman said to me that her fear had gone and a weight had lifted – and she looked radiant.

皮帕補充道 在阿爾法週末，總是有一種上帝在他的人民中間行走並向他們展示自己的感覺（利未記 26:12）。 第 13 節說：“我打破了你的軛，使你昂首行走。”最近，在這些週末的一個週末，一位年輕女子對我說，她的恐懼已經消失，重量已經減輕—— 她看起來容光煥發。