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4 Ways to Understand God’s Word Better

2019-11-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Nehemiah 8:1-18.  Let’s go!

Nehemiah 8:3 (NIV) 
3  He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.

On 7:73 to 8:8:  After all the Israelites had settled in their towns, Ezra the priest assembles all the people together for a worship service in the public square (v1).  Men, women and “all who were able to understand” (which probably suggests older or mature children) (v2-3) listen attentively as Ezra reads the book of the law out loud from daybreak tillnoon (that’s about 6 hours of reading out God’s Word!) (v3).  Then the people stand and join in a time of face-to-the-ground worshiping and praising God (v6).  After that a team of 13 Levites get on the stage and teach God’s Word, “making it clear and giving the meaning so that the people could understand what was being read” (v8).

诗篇一百零六篇

2019-11-27 in /by

1你们要赞美耶和华！要称谢耶和华，因祂本为善，祂的慈爱永远长存！
2 谁能传说耶和华的大能？谁能表明祂一切的美德？
3 凡遵守公平、常行公义的，这人便为有福！
4 耶和华啊，祢用恩惠待祢的百姓，求祢也用这恩惠记念我，开祢的救恩眷顾我，
5 使我见祢选民的福，乐祢国民的乐，与祢的产业一同夸耀。
6 我们与我们的祖宗一同犯罪，我们作了孽，行了恶。
7 我们的祖宗在埃及不明白祢的奇事，不记念祢丰盛的慈爱，反倒在红海行了悖逆。
8 然而祂因自己的名拯救他们，为要彰显祂的大能。
9 并且斥责红海，海便干了；祂带领他们经过深处，如同经过旷野。
10 祂拯救他们脱离恨他们人的手，从仇敌手中救赎他们。…….

从诗篇第105篇里，我们看到神的信实；而第106篇让我们看到以色列人的悖逆。第105篇包括了直到出埃及的事件，第106篇概括了从出埃及到犹大亡国被巴比伦俘掳的事件。并且以神的公义慈爱和大能来对比以色列人的悖逆和罪过。第七节指出以色列人犯罪的基本模式是：不明白、不记念和行悖逆的事；换句话说，不明白神的奇事，是因为他们不思想；不记念神的慈爱，是因为他们不肯听从神的话；行悖逆的事是因为他们自高自大，自以为义。从这三方面来看，世人和以色列人其实都是一样的。

诗人列出以色列人过红海之后，在旷野所犯的六个大罪和受所的刑罚(13-33节)。一是因贪欲而试探神 (13-15节) 。“神把所求的赐给他们，却使他们的心灵软弱。”这句话深具警告，我们常常以为神垂听我们的祷告，把我们所想所要的给我们，就是好得无比。

Protecting the Work Jesus Has Done In Your Life

2019-11-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Nehemiah 7:1-73.  Let’s go!

Nehemiah 7:1-2 (NIV) 
1  After the wall had been rebuilt and I had set the doors in place, the gatekeepers and the singers and the Levites were appointed. 2  I put in charge of Jerusalem my brother Hanani, along with Hananiah the commander of the citadel, because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do.
 
On verses 1-2:  Having successfully rebuilt the wall, Nehemiah now choses leaders to help protect and manage what he and the people have built together.  Nehemiah picks his brother Hanani as well as Hananiah to take charge of Jerusalem.  He picks Hananiah “because he was a man of integrity and feared God more than most men do” (v2).  Notice that when picking leaders, Nehemiah wasn’t focused on the candidates’ charisma or charm, but their character.  Likewise, when choosing your spouse, your closest friends, or other key people whom you let have an influence on your life, don’t focus on that person’s charisma or charm; focus on that person’s character.  Are they a person of integrity?  Do they have an uncommon heart for God?
 

Exposing the Enemy’s Schemes

2019-11-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Nehemiah 6:1-19.  Let’s go!

Nehemiah 6:1-4 (NIV) 
1  When word came to Sanballat, Tobiah, Geshem the Arab and the rest of our enemies that I had rebuilt the wall and not a gap was left in it–though up to that time I had not set the doors in the gates– 
2  Sanballat and Geshem sent me this message: “Come, let us meet together in one of the villages on the plain of Ono.” But they were scheming to harm me; 
3  so I sent messengers to them with this reply: “I am carrying on a great project and cannot go down. Why should the work stop while I leave it and go down to you?” 
4  Four times they sent me the same message, and each time I gave them the same answer.
 

诗篇一百零五篇

2019-11-26 in /by

1你们要称谢耶和华，求告祂的名，在万民中传扬祂的作为！
2 要向祂唱诗歌颂，谈论祂一切奇妙的作为！
3 要以祂的圣名夸耀，寻求耶和华的人心中应当欢喜！
4 要寻求耶和华与祂的能力，时常寻求祂的面！
5 祂仆人亚伯拉罕的后裔，祂所拣选雅各的子孙哪，你们要记念祂奇妙的作为和祂的奇事，并祂口中的判语。
7 祂是耶和华我们的神，全地都有祂的判断。
8 祂记念祂的约直到永远，祂所吩咐的话直到千代，
9 就是与亚伯拉罕所立的约，向以撒所起的誓。
10 祂又将这约向雅各定为律例，向以色列定为永远的约，……

诗篇105篇伯者回顾了以色列人早期的历史，从耦选亚伯拉罕开始，到约瑟下埃及，摩西亚伦领以色列人出埃及，神为他们所行的神蹟奇事。

这诗篇实在不需要笔者多言，当我们自己读的时候，便己经领受且明白神和以色列的渊源。神实在爱以色列人，祂也实在爱我们。让我们这些原不是祂子民的人，可以借着耶稣基督与神和好，又成为祂的儿女，在永生上有份。我们也要像以色列人一样，明白神把灯塔的责任交给我们，也就是要借着我们传递神的光和爱，使更多在黑暗中的人能认识神，也跟我们一样享有属天的福份。

诗篇一百零四篇

2019-11-25 in /by

1我的心哪，你要称颂耶和华！耶和华我的神啊，祢为至大！祢以尊荣威严为衣服，
2 披上亮光如披外袍；铺张穹苍如铺幔子，
3 在水中立楼阁的栋梁；用云彩为车辇，借着风的翅膀而行；
4 以风为使者，以火焰为仆役。
5 将地立在根基上，使地永不动摇。
6 祢用深水遮盖地面，犹如衣裳，诸水高过山岭。
7 祢的斥责一发，水便奔逃；祢的雷声一发，水便奔流。
8 诸山升上，诸谷沉下，归你为它所安定之地。
9 祢定了界限，使水不能过去，不再转回遮盖地面。
10 耶和华使泉源涌在山谷，流在山间，……

这篇诗篇和第103篇都是歌颂神的诗篇，但第103篇着重在神对罪孽的赦免，这诗篇则着重于神的创造。这个周末是美国的感恩节，但是商人把大家的注意力都转到“黑色的星期五”，也就是圣诞节生意开跑前的大减价。因此，很少看到有庆祝感恩节的信息了。假如我们用买更多的物品来取代对神的感恩，再多的物质也不能增加我们的喜乐。

我非常喜欢看诗人怎样描写神的创造。因为在创世记里没有这些细腻的描写。当他说神披上亮光如披外袍，你可以想像一个充满荣光的形像；当他说神铺张穹苍如铺幔子时，我们仿佛看见神细心地抚平那些皱折。神呼唤风，使唤火焰；原来地还有根基？何等奇妙，神还怕地若塌了，我们会掉下去!现在有不少人好奇地心究竟有多深，但是还没有人能发现地也有根基。

Be That Kind of Leader

2019-11-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,
 
Today’s passage is Nehemiah 5:1-19.  Let’s go!
 
Nehemiah 5:1-4 (NIV) 
1  Now the men and their wives raised a great outcry against their Jewish brothers. 
2  Some were saying, “We and our sons and daughters are numerous; in order for us to eat and stay alive, we must get grain.” 
3  Others were saying, “We are mortgaging our fields, our vineyards and our homes to get grain during the famine.” 
4  Still others were saying, “We have had to borrow money to pay the king’s tax on our fields and vineyards.
 
On verses 1-4, 7-10:  The richer Jews in Jerusalem were taking advantage of the poorer Jews in Jerusalem, lending them money but charging interest (v7-10) and taking their real estate as security (v1-4). Nehemiah rebukes the nobles and officials harshly for this (v7-10).  You might ask, “What’s wrong with that? In a market economy that sounds reasonable.” It’s because God expects us to deal with His children graciously rather than to squeeze them for everything that they can give to us. Since we are brothers and sisters in Christ, we are not use each other simply for business purposes, but we are to see each other as family and “love each other as brothers and sisters” (1 Peter 3:8). 
 

诗篇一百零三篇

2019-11-24 in /by

大卫的诗。

1 我的心哪，你要称颂耶和华；凡在我里面的，也要称颂祂的圣名！
2 我的心哪，你要称颂耶和华，不可忘记祂的一切恩惠。
3 祂赦免你的一切罪孽，医治你的一切疾病。
4 祂救赎你的命脱离死亡，以仁爱和慈悲为你的冠冕。
5 祂用美物使你所愿的得以知足，以致你如鹰返老还童。
6 耶和华施行公义，为一切受屈的人申冤。
7 祂使摩西知道祂的法则，叫以色列人晓得祂的作为。
8 耶和华有怜悯，有恩典，不轻易发怒，且有丰盛的慈爱。
9 祂不长久责备，也不永远怀怒。
10 祂没有按我们的罪过待我们，也没有照我们的罪孽报应我们。……

有一次有个人写信给当地的报纸，抱怨每星期日去教会实在没意思。他说：“我已经去教会卅年了，大约听了不下三千次讲道，但是我一次也记不起来，牧师到底讲过什么。我觉得这是浪费时间，而牧师讲道也是在浪费他们的时间。”这封信在〈给编辑的信〉一栏里引起相当多人的反应，正反的意见都非常踊跃，令编者很高兴。这种情况持续了几个星期，直到有个人投书。

他说：“我已经结婚卅年了，在这段时间里，我妻子大约煮了不下三万两千餐。我根本不记得她在任何一餐里究竟煮了哪些菜。但是我知道，它们使我的身体得到需要的营养，供应我所需的力量。假如我的妻子没有煮那么多餐，我的肉体可能早已死了。同样的，假如我没有去教会领受牧师所供应的灵粮，我今天也可能面临灵性上的死亡。”感谢神，因为祂不仅借着牧者供应我们灵粮，也借着亲人使我们的身体毫无匮乏。

When You Face Opposition

2019-11-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Nehemiah 4:1-23.  Let’s go!

Nehemiah 4:1-3 (NIV) 
1  When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, 
2  and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble–burned as they are?” 
3  Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building–if even a fox climbed up on it, he would break down their wall of stones!”
 
On verses 1-3:  Here some vocal critics begin to voice their complaints and hurl their insults as Nehemiah and the people rebuild the wall.  What can we learn from this?  As a leader, even when you do your best at the work God has called you to do, you will not please everyone.  So do not be surprised if you meet your share of critics and opponents as you do the work God has called you to do. 

It Takes a Team to Achieve a Dream

2019-11-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Nehemiah 3:1-32.  Let’s go!

In these verses we read of various people involved in repairing different sections of the wall. These people came from different parts of the land, with different backgrounds and skillsets, including priests (v1, 28), goldsmiths (v8), perfume-makers (v8), politicians (v12, 16, 17), Levites (v17, 18), temple servants (v26), and many others. 
 
What can we learn from this?

1. It takes a team to achieve a dream. Nehemiah obviously could not rebuild the wall all by himself. He needed help, and lots of it. Likewise, when God places a dream in a leader’s heart, He will also provide a team to help make that dream into a reality – people with different backgrounds and skillsets, but with a common vision. At Thrive Church we believe the dream God has given us is to build a church of 10,000 AEIOU Leaders.