我知誰掌管明天

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雅各書 4:14-15    其實明天如何，你們還不知道。你們的生命是什麼呢？你們原來是一片雲霧，出現少時就不見了。 15 你們只當說：「主若願意，我們就可以活著，也可以做這事或做那事。」 

我不知明日將如何，每時刻安然度過；我不求明天的陽光，因明天或轉陰暗。
我不為將來而憂慮，因我知主所應許；今天我必與主同行，祂深知前途光景。
許多事明天將臨到，許多事難以明瞭；但我知主掌管明天，祂必要領我向前。

艾拉·史坦菲爾(Ira Forest Stanphill)是20世紀美國著名的福音詩歌作家和巡迴佈道家，一生創作超過500首詩歌，《我知誰掌管明天》是最廣為流傳的一首。

1914年，史坦菲爾出生於美國新墨西哥州，在基督徒家庭長大，自小接觸音樂與教會生活，10歲開始彈鋼琴與風琴，12歲開始作曲。他於神學院獲得音樂與神學訓練，22歲成為音樂牧師與巡迴佈道家，常以音樂服事來分享福音；在那個時代，他的音樂風格被認為既「流行」又「敬虔」，能夠吸引教會內外的人。

在1940年代末期，史坦菲爾的婚姻出現極大危機，他的妻子離開他並拒絕信仰，這對他造成極大打擊。在那段人生低谷中，他仍堅持事奉主，甚至說：「我選擇在破碎中服事，因為神能使用破碎的器皿。」

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Eat with the King

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 25:8-25:30.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
2 Kings 25:8-21 (NIV)
8  On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
9  He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.

On 2 Kings 25:8-21: King Nebuchadnezzar has captured Judah’s capital city of Jerusalem and has deported Judah’s King Zedekiah along with approximately 10,000 Judahites to Babylon (v1-7). Now in these verses we see King Nebuchadnezzar setting fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace, all the houses and every important building in Jerusalem (v8-9). 

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讓今天成為美事

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詩篇30:5  因為祂的怒氣不過是轉眼之間，祂的恩典乃是一生之久，一宿雖然有哭泣，早晨便必歡呼。

耶利米哀歌 3:23  每早晨這都是新的，祢的誠實極其廣大。

詩篇 5:3  耶和華啊，早晨你必聽我的聲音；早晨我必向你陳明我的心意，並要警醒。

大衛在獻殿的時候作詩歌，歌頌神，稱讚祂的聖名，因為他深深體會，神的怒氣僅在轉瞬之間，神的恩典乃是一生之久。黑夜或許充滿眼淚與掙扎，但是神未遠離，黑夜過去，天一亮，祂依然與我們同在，我們可以歡呼迎接新的開始。

大衛說：「一宿雖然有哭泣，早晨便必歡呼。」（詩篇30:5）

清晨，神的慈愛與憐憫再次臨到，這是祂誠實不變的應許，祂給每一個人都有新的一天。在這時刻，萬物甦醒，我們的心也再次被更新。「每早晨，這都是新的；祢的誠實極其廣大。」（耶利米哀歌 3:23）

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從「永遠」進入「永生」

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約翰福音 3:1-21  

有一個法利賽人，名叫尼哥迪慕，是猶太人的官。 2 這人夜裡來見耶穌，說：「拉比，我們知道你是由神那裡來做師傅的，因為你所行的神蹟，若沒有神同在，無人能行。」 3 耶穌回答說：「我實實在在地告訴你：人若不重生，就不能見神的國。」 4 尼哥迪慕說：「人已經老了，如何能重生呢？豈能再進母腹生出來嗎？」 5 耶穌說：「我實實在在地告訴你：人若不是從水和聖靈生的，就不能進神的國。 6 從肉身生的就是肉身，從靈生的就是靈。

耶穌第一個傳福音的對象是尼哥底母（約翰福音3:1-21），他是法利賽人、猶太人的官，擁有舊約傳統的宗教和社會地位。他夜裡來見耶穌，也許是謙卑尋見、或是避人耳目；但耶穌與他一席詳談，帶他明白如何從舊約的「永遠」進入「永生」，將「永遠」賦予生命意義，闡述永遠的生命。

耶穌劈頭給尼哥底母一個重擊，「我說：『你們必須重生』，你不要以為希奇。（約翰福音3:3-7）」；接著，祂用猶太人熟捻的「摩西曠野舉蛇」歷史（民數記21:4-9），來說明得著「生命」的真理。

以色列人出埃及後，在曠野途中，因艱苦與缺水缺糧而向神和摩西抱怨。神使火蛇進入百姓中間，咬死了許多人，懲罰他們的埋怨與背棄。後來，百姓悔改，神吩咐摩西製造一條銅蛇，掛在杆子上，凡被蛇咬的，只要抬頭仰望銅蛇，就必得痊癒。摩西照做，銅蛇成了神憐憫與救贖的記號。

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God’s Preferred Way of Working in Your Life

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 24:8-25:7.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

2 Kings 24:8-19 (NIV)
8  Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem.
9  He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father had done.

On 2 Kings 24:8-19:  These verses describe how in approximately 597 B.C. while Jehoiachin is king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invades Judah again, this time deporting back to Babylon approximately 10,000 Judahites, including King Jehoiachin, his mother, wives, officials, 7,000 soldiers and 1,000 craftsmen and artisans. 

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God is King Over All

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 23:21-24:7.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

2 Kings 23:21-23 (NIV) 
21  The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” 
22  Not since the days of the judges who led Israel, nor throughout the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, had any such Passover been observed. 
23  But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem.
 
On verses 21-23:  In the Book of the Law, God had commanded His people to celebrate the Passover, an annual festival intended to commemorate how God had rescued His people.  As part of ushering a revival (a spiritual awakening) in his land, Josiah leads the people of Judah in celebrating the Passover for the first time in approximately 500 years.

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主日

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詩篇118:22-24    

22 匠人所棄的石頭，已成了房角的頭塊石頭。23 這是耶和華所做的，在我們眼中看為稀奇。24 這是耶和華所定的日子，我們在其中要高興歡喜。

使徒行傳4:10-11 

你們眾人和以色列百姓都當知道：站在你們面前的這人得痊癒，是因你們所釘十字架、神叫祂從死裡復活的拿撒勒人耶穌基督的名。11 「祂是『你們匠人所棄的石頭，已成了房角的頭塊石頭』。

使徒行傳 20:7  七日的第一日，我們聚會掰餅的時候，保羅因為要次日起行，就與他們講論，直講到半夜。

舊約時代，神賜下「安息日」的律例（十誡的第四誡，出埃及記20:8-11）；因為神用六天的工夫創造天地，第七天祂就安息了。當時的安息日是七日裡的最後一天，為了叫人記念神的作為。

新約時代，耶穌在逾越節期間被釘十字架，星期五（受難日）下午三點左右斷氣，晚上被埋葬，三天後，星期天早上復活（約翰福音20:1-23）；自此以後，星期天（七日裡的第一天）就成為聖日，基督徒聚集一起紀念耶穌（使徒行傳20:7，哥林多前書16:2），就是現在的主日（啟示錄1:10）。

主日（Lord’s Day，拉丁語：dies dominica，源自通用希臘語：he kuriake hemera）即主的日子，這一天是紀念耶穌基督復活的日子。它使人想起神創造的第一日，神在這一天造了光，而基督徒的五旬節(Christian Pentecost)是逾越節後的第五十天，這日子紀念聖靈的降臨，也是星期日（使徒行傳2:1-4）。

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The God of Revival

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 23:1-20.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

2 Kings 23:1-2 (NIV)
1  Then the king called together all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
2  He went up to the temple of the LORD with the men of Judah, the people of Jerusalem, the priests and the prophets–all the people from the least to the greatest. He read in their hearing all the words of the Book of the Covenant, which had been found in the temple of the LORD.
 
On verses 1-2:  Keep in mind that King Josiah of Judah has just discovered the long lost Book of the Law (consisting of the first five books of the Old Testament, also known as the Pentateuch).  He realizes that he and his nation of Judah have not lived up to God’s commands contained inside that book. 

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「聽從」聲音或讓聲音「空響」

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帖撒羅尼迦前書5:19-22      19 不要消滅聖靈的感動， 20 不要藐視先知的講論。 21 但要凡事察驗，善美的要持守， 22 各樣的惡事要禁戒不做。

那是個忙碌的週五上午，一早跟學生討論研究進度、接著一場視訊會議、之後又有研究生固定的專題演講…；中午吃完便當，正想休息片刻，卻來了一通電話，提醒我下午的拜訪行程。起身走向校園的另一個角落，天氣熱，身體有點累，心想拜訪行程完後就打道回府，迎接週末，好好休息。

擦擦汗，坐在會議室等候拜訪會議，滑手機看email，「老師！下午三點可以在哪裡找到您?」訊息映入眼簾。喔！喔！找我？下週二要期中考了，問問題？不是跟大家約好，明天週六上午開放讓同學問問題嗎？今天下午三點！我累了，我不想回辦公室，我要回家。正想要回訊息，會議開始了，我停下滑手機。

接近下午三點開完會，我再打開手機看，「老師！您傳給我的訊息怎麼空空的？」原來剛才猶豫不知如何回覆，就送出空白訊息。此時心中聲音湧現…，我掙扎著思考，回研究中心太遠，回機械系館還算可以，那就在系館中庭好了，我不想上五樓辦公室，太麻煩了。回了email，緩步走向系館，呆坐中庭木椅，收到回覆訊息「我從體育館過來，十分鐘，馬上到」。

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Have a Soft and Responsive Heart toward God’s Word

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 22:1-20.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 22:1-20 (NIV)
1  Josiah was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years. His mother’s name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah; she was from Bozkath.
2  He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD and walked in all the ways of his father David, not turning aside to the right or to the left.
3  In the eighteenth year of his reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the temple of the LORD. He said:
4  “Go up to Hilkiah the high priest and have him get ready the money that has been brought into the temple of the LORD, which the doorkeepers have collected from the people.

On verses 1-20:  At just eight years old Josiah becomes king of Judah.  At age 26, Josiah leads a campaign to repair the temple of the Lord.  As the temple is being repaired, workers in the temple recover an old Book of the Law, which most likely contained the first five books of the Bible, also known as the Pentateuch. 

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