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God’s Grace Is Greater than Your Mistakes

2019-09-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 33:1-25.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 33:12-13 (NIV) 
12  In his distress he sought the favor of the LORD his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. 
13  And when he prayed to him, the LORD was moved by his entreaty and listened to his plea; so he brought him back to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the LORD is God.

On verses 1-20:  Manasseh takes over from his father Hezekiah as king of Judah. Unlike his God-fearing father, Manasseh throws himself headlong into idol worship and witchcraft (v2).  He rebuilds places for idol worship that his father Hezekiah had destroyed (v3).  Manasseh even sacrifices his own children in the fire (v6) and erects altars inside the temple of the Lord to worship other gods (v4-8).  Under Manasseh’s leadership the people of Judah do more evil than the nations that the Lord had previously driven out of their land (v9). Despite warnings from God (v10), Manasseh and the people of Judah refuse to listen until Assyria invades Judah and takes Manasseh prisoner (v11).  At that time, Manasseh cries out to God in his distress (v12).  God is moved by his plea and allows Manasseh to return to Judah and restores Manasseh to power (v13).  At that point verse 13 says that “Then Manasseh knew that the Lord is God”.  Upon his return to Judah, Manasseh cleanses his land of idol worship (v15-17) and begins to live a humble life before God (v19). 

诗篇五十四篇

2019-09-27 in /by

西弗人来对扫罗说：「大卫岂不是在我们那里藏身吗？」那时，大卫作这训诲诗，交于伶长。用丝弦的乐器。

1 神啊，求祢以你的名救我，凭祢的大能为我申冤。
2 神啊，求祢听我的祷告，留心听我口中的言语。
3 因为外人起来攻击我，强暴人寻索我的命，他们眼中没有神。（细拉）
4 神是帮助我的，是扶持我命的。
5 祂要报应我仇敌所行的恶，求祢凭你的诚实灭绝他们。
6 我要把甘心祭献给祢，耶和华啊，我要称赞祢的名，这名本为美好。
7 祂从一切的急难中把我救出来，我的眼睛也看见了我仇敌遭报。

西弗是犹大支派的一个山区，当大卫和跟随他的人从基伊拉出来，就到了西弗旷野藏身。西弗城在希伯伦东南约7公里，是分给犹大支派，属于犹大山地之城，城建在一个海拔高878公尺的小山顶上，形势险峻与死海西岸的隐基底相对峙，附近之地就是西弗旷野，是多岩石，无人居住，荒凉空旷的地区。(撒上23)

没想到当地有些西弗人知道了这个消息就去报告扫罗。他们为何这样做，我们不知道，但有可能扫罗有下“通辑令”或放出风声，若有谁通知他大卫在何处就可以有奖。因此大卫的处境就更加危险，因为不管他到了哪里都有人去告诉扫罗，所以他只好过著东躲西藏的日子。

The Right Way to Respond to God’s Grace

2019-09-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 32:23-33.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 32:24-26 (NIV) 
24  In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the LORD, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. 
25  But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the LORD’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. 
26  Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the LORD’s wrath did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.
 
On verses 24-26:  What can we learn from this?  How we respond to God’s grace is crucial.  If your heart is proud like Hezekiah’s was in verse 25, you will not respond to God when He treats you well and you will forfeit the blessing that God otherwise wants to give you.  But if you repent of your pride and humble yourself before the Lord, as Hezekiah later does in verse 26, you give God room to bless you again. 

诗篇五十三篇

2019-09-26 in /by

大卫的训诲诗，交于伶长。调用麻哈拉。

1 愚顽人心里说：「没有神！」他们都是邪恶，行了可憎恶的罪孽，没有一个人行善。
2 神从天上垂看世人，要看有明白的没有，有寻求祂的没有。
3 他们各人都退后，一同变为污秽；并没有行善的，连一个也没有。
4 作孽的没有知识吗？他们吞吃我的百姓如同吃饭一样，并不求告神。
5 他们在无可惧怕之处，就大大害怕，因为神把那安营攻击你之人的骨头散开了。祢使他们蒙羞，因为神弃绝了他们。
6 但愿以色列的救恩从锡安而出！神救回祂被掳的子民，那时雅各要快乐，以色列要欢喜。

在这诗篇里，大卫不是说愚顽人才会行可憎恶的罪孽，他在第二节说神从天上察看世人的角度，来让我们明白，在神的眼中世人所行所为何等愚顽。2016年在俄罗斯发生一起谋杀案，有位19岁的姐姐因为嫉妒17岁的做模特儿的妹妹比她漂亮，不只是谋杀妹妹，还剜出她的眼睛，割下她的耳朵，杀了她妹妹189刀，手法十分残忍。

再看最近香港的动乱，不管是警察或是示威者都有受到非常伤害的例子；台湾在选举总统这段期间里抺黑说谎，让人奇怪那些在高层的政客为何如此低级？当神从天上查看世人时，我们的所作所为是令祂痛心，还是觉得光荣呢？

人做愚顽的事是因为心里觉得没有神。他们不是没有读过书，不是不知道是非好恶，而是他们觉得人都上到太空了，在月亮那里没有看到嫦娥，也没有吴刚，更没有神，因此他们越发高傲，以为没有神就可以胡作非为。

4 Ways the Enemy Tries to Attack You and How to Defend Yourself

2019-09-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 32:1-22.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-8:  King Sennacherib of Assyria invades King Hezekiah’s nation of Judah, laying siege to various fortified cities.  So Hezekiah takes several steps to prepare for battle and to make it difficult for King Sennacherib of Assyria to attack the capital city of Jerusalem:

Hezekiah cuts off King Sennacherib’s water supply (v2-4)
Hezekiah repairs the broken sections of Jerusalem’s walls (v5)
Hezekiah erects new towers from which he can see Sennarcherib from far away and defend the city (v5)
Hezekiah builds a second wall outside the first wall (v5)
Hezekiah strengthens supporting terraces (v5)
Hezekiah makes large numbers of weapons and shields (v5)
Hezekiah prepares his soldiers and military officers for battle, speaking encouraging words to them and reminding them that God is on their side, while the Assyrians are merely men (v7-8).
What can we learn from this?  Don’t make it easy for the enemy to attack.  Don’t wait for the enemy to attack before doing something to defend yourself.  Realize that attacks from the enemy will come and prepare yourself in advance for them.  

Don’t Settle for Mediocrity

2019-09-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is on 2 Chronicles 31:1-21.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 31:1 (NIV) 
1  When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property.

On verse 1:  Notice that after the worship festival ended, the Israelites continued their worship by destroying the things that had been used to worship idols.  What can we learn from this?  A natural outflow of revival, a natural fruit of the Holy Spirit working in your heart, is that you want to tear down the things that don’t give God glory.

诗篇五十二篇

2019-09-25 in /by

以东人多益来告诉扫罗说：「大卫到了亚希米勒家。」那时，大卫作这训诲诗，交于伶长。

1 勇士啊，你为何以作恶自夸？神的慈爱是常存的。
2 你的舌头邪恶诡诈，好像剃头刀，快利伤人。
3 你爱恶胜似爱善，又爱说谎，不爱说公义。（细拉）
4 诡诈的舌头啊，你爱说一切毁灭的话！
5 神也要毁灭你，直到永远。祂要把你拿去，从你的帐篷中抽出，从活人之地将你拔出。（细拉）
6 义人要看见而惧怕，并要笑他，
7 说：「看哪！这就是那不以神为他力量的人，只倚仗他丰富的财物，在邪恶上坚立自己。」
8 至于我，就像神殿中的青橄榄树，我永永远远倚靠神的慈爱。
9 我要称谢祢，直到永远，因为祢行了这事。我也要在祢圣民面前仰望祢的名，这名本为美好。

这诗篇的背景故事是在大卫逃避扫罗的追杀时，他跑到挪伯祭司亚希米勒那里，向祭司讨吃的。祭司给了他一些撤放下来的陈设饼，然后又把大卫当年杀歌利亚的刀给大卫。那时有一个以东人多益也在场，他是扫罗的司牧长，他看到这件事，后来就把这事告诉扫罗。

扫罗便下令杀掉挪伯城所有的祭司，但是没有人敢下手。只有以东人多益去杀祭司，那日杀了穿细麻布以弗得的八十五人。又用刀将祭司城挪伯中的男女、孩童、吃奶的，和牛、羊、驴尽都杀灭(撒上21-22章)。后来只有亚希米勒的儿子亚比亚他逃出去，逃到大卫那里接受庇护。

诗篇五十一篇

2019-09-24 in /by

大卫与拔示巴同室以后，先知拿单来见他。他作这诗，交于伶长。

1 神啊，求祢按祢的慈爱怜恤我，按祢丰盛的慈悲涂抹我的过犯！
2 求祢将我的罪孽洗除净尽，并洁除我的罪！
3 因为我知道我的过犯，我的罪常在我面前。
4 我向祢犯罪，唯独得罪了祢，在祢眼前行了这恶，以致祢责备我的时候显为公义，判断我的时候显为清正。
5 我是在罪孽里生的，在我母亲怀胎的时候就有了罪。
6 祢所喜爱的是内里诚实，祢在我隐密处必使我得智慧。
7 求祢用牛膝草洁净我，我就干净；求祢洗涤我，我就比雪更白。
8 求祢使我得听欢喜快乐的声音，使祢所压伤的骨头可以踊跃。
9 求祢掩面不看我的罪，涂抹我一切的罪孽。
10 神啊，求祢为我造清洁的心，使我里面重新有正直的灵。……

这是一篇很著名的诗篇，也是很感人的诗篇。它是大卫王和拔示巴发生奸情，拔示巴怀孕，大卫设计谋杀她的丈夫乌利亚之后，神差遣先知拿单去责备他。当大卫醒悟自己犯罪得罪神之后，痛心疾首地忏悔时所写下的诗篇。

Love Beyond Borders

2019-09-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 30:1-27.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 30:5 (NIV) 
5  They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written. 

On verses 1-9:  Hezekiah is getting ready to lead his people in celebrating the Passover Feast (also known as the Feast of the Unleavened Bread) for the first time in many years.  In doing so, Hezekiah reaches out not just to his own people of Judah but to all of Israel.  Notwithstanding the previous tensions between the people of Judah and the Israelites living to the north of them, Hezekiah invites all the Israelites to assemble together to celebrate the Passover and to worship the Lord at the temple in Jerusalem.