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Jesus, Your Alpha and Omega

2024-02-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of Revelation.  It is easily one of the most intriguing, mysterious, powerful and controversial books in all the Bible.   Revelation was written by the apostle John in approximately 95 A.D. while he was in exile on the island of Patmos for preaching about Jesus.  While on Patmos, John receives multiple visions which he understands to be from Jesus Christ and is told to write them down.  The result is the book of Revelation, a highly significant book that describes what will happen before, during and after the return (second coming) of Jesus Christ.  This book also shows how many Old Testament prophecies will be fulfilled.

Today’s passage is Revelation 1:1-8.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Revelation 1:1-2 (NIV) 
1  The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, 
2  who testifies to everything he saw–that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. 

Jesus Makes the Ordinary Extraordinary

2024-02-18 in /by

Today’s passage is Zechariah 14:12-21.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Zechariah 14:12-13 (NIV) 
12 This is the plague with which the LORD will strike all the nations that fought against Jerusalem: Their flesh will rot while they are still standing on their feet, their eyes will rot in their sockets, and their tongues will rot in their mouths.
13 On that day men will be stricken by the LORD with great panic. Each man will seize the hand of another, and they will attack each other.
 
On verses 12-13:  Here Zechariah continues to describe what the end times will look like when Jesus the Messiah comes again.  What will happen “on that day” (a phrase repeated 15 times in chapters 12-14)?  In verses 1-11, Zechariah described how the city of Jerusalem will be rescued and transformed.  Now in these verses Zechariah describes what will happen to the nations who tried to attack Jerusalem.  He says their flesh, their eyes and their tongues will rot (v12).  In addition, there will be great panic, and they will seize each other by the hand and attack one another (v13). 

上行之诗系列–诗篇第130篇

2024-02-18 in , /by

诗篇130:4 但在祢有赦免之恩，要叫人敬畏祢。

阅读经文: 诗篇130篇–踏上第十级台阶-等候救赎

130:1 （上行之诗。）耶和华啊，我从深处向祢求告！

130:2 主啊，求祢听我的声音！愿祢侧耳听我恳求的声音！

130:3 主─耶和华啊，祢若究察罪孽，谁能站得住呢？

这首诗是七首忏悔诗之一（6，32，38，51，102，130，143篇）。诗人谦卑地承认遭受痛苦的原因在于他犯了罪，并恳求神赦免他。此处的罪孽意味着整个以色列对神的不顺服与叛逆，而不只是指个人的罪过。这首诗始于诗人对救恩的迫切恳求，将焦点集中在全然信靠神的怜恤上（5, 6节），最后以根据神丰盛慈爱而确信赦罪与恢复的信仰告白（7, 8节）来结束。

他一生经历了如此严重的抑郁症，却写下了传世诗歌《有一活泉》

2024-02-17 in /by

作者：徐彬   区别于过去我写的的圣诗专栏文章，今天我想以不同寻常的方式，着重通过介绍及评论一个人特殊的患病历史来认识他的人生及所写的诗歌代表作。这个人从他22岁起就伴随着抑郁症的反复发作，多次试图自杀，一直到他的晚年。传记作家称他的一生“经历了史诗般的灵魂战争”；在他去世后，著名诗人勃朗宁夫人（Elizabeth Barrett Browning）还专门因他的这些特殊经历而撰写了一篇感人的长诗。然而，他的人生故事和他所写的诗歌《有一活泉》（There is a Fountain Filled with Blood/也有译成“宝血活泉”）却感动鼓励了无数同样身心柔弱的后来人。这个人就是威廉·考伯（William Cowper 1731-1800）。 考伯生于1731年的11月15日。他的家族在那个时代可算得上是令人羡慕的精英阶层。祖父斯宾塞·考伯是普通上诉法院的法官；叔祖父威廉.考伯不但做过英国司法部长和首任大法官，而且还被英王册封成第一代的考伯伯爵（Count Cowper）；父亲约翰·考伯拥有剑桥和牛津大学的傲人学位，博士毕业后曾担任过大伯克汉姆斯特德区的教区长和英王乔治二世的牧师。 然而同样作为亨利三世和伊莉莎白时代诗人约翰·多恩的后裔，安妮.多恩嫁到考伯家后的命运却过于悲催。她婚后生了七个孩子，却只有考伯和他弟弟约翰活了下来，在34岁那年她又因难产而身亡。 母亲去世那年考伯才六岁。父亲只能将他和弟弟俩人送到一所寄宿学校去就读。不幸的是一进校门他就受到一位年长同学的肆意欺负，以至于每次遇到那男生他就惊吓得低下头，不敢直视对方的眼睛。对此后来他心酸地回忆道，“那时我对那个男生鞋扣的了解超过了对他身上的任何部分。” 过早失去母爱和年少遭遇霸凌这两件痛苦经历不但成了他少年时代不堪回首的回忆，也给他日后性格的形成带来了阴影，造成他不自信、渴望被人关爱，以及容易陷入幻想等心理弱点。 10岁那年考伯考上顶尖的著名私校威斯敏斯特公学（Westminster School)。在那里他最感兴趣的是古典文学，并多次因成绩优异而获得了奖学金，并结交了一些志同道合的文友。 1749年考伯如期从威斯敏斯特毕业。早在毕业之前，父亲就按家族的愿望，为他在著名的“中殿”（The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple）完成了登记注册。这一机构属于当时英国三大法律教育、培训、管理机构之一，其功能相当于后来的律师协会和法学院。同时父亲还为他在一家律师事务所安排好了为期三年的见习工作，希望他能够因此而尽快地熟悉实际业务，成为一名优秀的律师人才。然而尽管如此，考伯的兴趣却一直无法专注在法律上，而是更青睐于他所热衷的文学。 ▼下图左是考伯年轻时的画像；右上是威斯敏斯特公学校舍某处的历史旧照；右下是现今时期某年该校毕业生的合照 在那段日子里，唯一让他感兴趣的是每到周末可以到他亲叔叔、身为议院大律师的阿什利.考伯（Ashley Cowper）家去消磨时光。但让人意想不到的是，在那里他竟和他的堂妹西奥多拉（Theodora […]

What A Difference the Lord Makes

2024-02-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 14:1-11.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Zechariah 14 has posed quite a challenge for scholars.  For example, Martin Luther once wrote two commentaries on Zechariah.  In the first one, Luther stopped at Zechariah 13 without explaining why.  Then in his second commentary, Luther begins his discussion on Zechariah 14 by saying, “Here, in this chapter, I give up.  For I am not sure what the prophet is talking about.” 1 I love Martin Luther’s honesty! 

So we must approach Zechariah 14 with special care and humility.  It seems quite clear that Zechariah 14 is talking about the end times.  Whereas Zechariah 9 to 11 focus on Jesus’ first appearance on earth, Zechariah 12 to 14 focus on Jesus’ second coming and the establishment of His kingdom.  

At the same time, I believe the Holy Spirit has some powerful lessons to encourage us today from this chapter.  Let’s go!  

上行之诗系列–诗篇第129篇

2024-02-16 in , /by

诗篇129:4 耶和华是公义的；祂砍断了恶人的绳索。

阅读经文: 诗篇128篇–踏上第九级台阶-寻求公义

129:1 （上行之诗。）以色列当说：从我幼年以来，敌人屡次苦害我，

129:2 从我幼年以来，敌人屡次苦害我，却没有胜了我。

129:3 如同扶犁的在我背上扶犁而耕，耕的犁沟甚长。

新钦定版圣经称其为「战胜锡安之敌的胜利之歌」，而修订后的标准版称其为「为以色列的敌人灭亡而祈祷」。1-4 节是祈求的基础：选民曾屡受迫害，但都得耶和华救援，再次倚靠神。5-8 节则是祈求的内容：求神对付敌人，使他们像长在屋顶上的野草，枯干且毫无用处，无法去收割，就算收割，捆起来也不够一把。

第1, 2节「从我幼年以来」是指以色列人在埃及、出埃及的时候。连续两次提到「敌人屡次苦害我」，但强调「却没有胜了我」；接着，第3节形容以色列人是被鞭笞的人，背上有深深的伤痕。

There’s a Fountain of Forgiveness for You

2024-02-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 13:1-9.  While not an easy passage, there are some powerful lessons to learn.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Zechariah 13:1 (NIV) 
1 “On that day a fountain will be opened to the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and impurity. 

On verse 1:  In Zechariah 13, Zechariah continues to describe the vision God has given him concerning the end times.  In chapter 12, Zechariah has just finished describing how God will protect Jerusalem and Judah against the attack of other nations (12:1-9), and how God’s people will weep bitterly upon realizing that they had pierced and killed the Messiah (12:10-14). 

上行之诗系列–诗篇第128篇

2024-02-15 in , /by

诗篇128:4 看哪，敬畏耶和华的人必要这样蒙福！

阅读经文: 诗篇128篇–踏上第八 级台阶-平安蒙福

128:1 （上行之诗。）凡敬畏耶和华、遵行祂道的人便为有福！

128:2 你要吃劳碌得来的；你要享福，事情顺利。

诗人在第八级台阶上论及「敬畏耶和华、遵行祂道的人」所得到的祝福，不仅是个人蒙福、家庭蒙福、也推至于国家蒙福。

葡萄树是结果累累的植物，无论在开花或结果时都充满芬芳香气，所结葡萄果子，可制成葡萄汁，发酵成酒或压成葡萄干。橄榄树充满生机，树根周围长出许多幼苗，是很独特的栽子树木，果实能榨油，可作为食料、入药、抹身、燃烧…多种用途。诗人用这两种植物形容家室蒙福、兴旺的景象，成为葡萄树和橄榄树的家庭，是蒙神赐福的家庭。

上行之诗系列–诗篇第127篇

2024-02-14 in , /by

诗篇127:3 儿女是耶和华所赐的产业；所怀的胎是他所给的赏赐。

阅读经文: 诗篇127篇–踏上第七级台阶-安然睡觉

127:1 （所罗门上行之诗。）若不是耶和华建造房屋，建造的人就枉然劳力；若不是耶和华看守城池，看守的人就枉然警醒。

127:2 你们清晨早起，夜晚安歇，吃劳碌得来的饭，本是枉然；惟有耶和华所亲爱的，必叫他安然睡觉。

诗人踏上第七级台阶，他体认到建造家庭（建造房屋）、护卫社稷（看守城池）、甚至于个人每天的劳碌，若不是神的恩待、赐与，这一切都将是「枉然」。「枉然」的意思是空虚的、虚妄的、无价值的，没有神参与的建造、看守和劳碌，这一切所得到的结果将是虚空，且毫无价值。

许多时候，我们带着建造、看守和劳碌所衍生的烦恼和挫折进入我们的休息，没有神的同工，我们就无法将手上的工作视为「都甚好」，也因此不能得享安息。

根据世界睡眠协会指出，睡眠问题已经构成全球性的流行病，威胁著全世界将近一半人口的健康和生活品质。你知道吗？

Pierced for Our Transgressions

2024-02-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Zechariah 12:1-14.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Zechariah 12:1 (NIV)
1 This is the word of the LORD concerning Israel. The LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him, declares: 
 
On verse 1:  Here Zechariah writes down a message from the LORD regarding Israel.  Before describing the message, first Zechariah describes the God who gave him the message as “the LORD, who stretches out the heavens, who lays the foundation of the earth, and who forms the spirit of man within him”.  In other words, the same God who made the heavens and the earth, as big as they are, also forms the spirit within each person.  You’re not a spiritual being by accident.  It is God who formed the spirit in you so that you would ultimately reach for Him.