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诗篇第十四篇

2019-08-12 in /by

诗篇第14篇

大卫的诗，交于伶长。

1 愚顽人心里说：「没有神！」他们都是邪恶，行了可憎恶的事，没有一个人行善。
2 耶和华从天上垂看世人，要看有明白的没有，有寻求神的没有。
3 他们都偏离正路，一同变为污秽；并没有行善的，连一个也没有。
4 作孽的都没有知识吗？他们吞吃我的百姓，如同吃饭一样，并不求告耶和华。
5 他们在那里大大地害怕，因为神在义人的族类中。
6 你们叫困苦人的谋算变为羞辱，然而耶和华是他的避难所。
7 但愿以色列的救恩从锡安而出！耶和华救回他被掳的子民，那时雅各要快乐，以色列要欢喜。

网上传出这样的一个故事：有一位无神论者有一次搭飞机时，他的旁边坐了一个小女孩。他对女孩说：「我们来聊天吧，这样会让人觉得旅程不会那么枯燥乏味。」小女孩其实刚刚打开一本书想看，便礼貌地回答：「您想聊什么呢？」无神论者说：「随便吧!例如根本没有神或在人死后有没有天堂或地狱？」

「好啊，」小女孩说：「这话题很有意思，但是我先问你，你知不知道马、牛和鹿都是草食动物，为什么鹿的大便是小颗粒状，而牛的大便却是一个大饼似的形状？马的则是一团块的？」无神论者对小女孩的问题很感惊奇，想了一下说：「我也不知道为什么会这样。」小女孩回答他：「你连大便都不懂，那你觉得自己有资格去讨论有没有神存在，有没有天堂和地狱的问题吗? 」说完就自顾自地看书去了。

Are You An Artist? Use Your Talents to Build God’s House

2019-08-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 2:1-18.  Let’s go!
 
2 Chronicles 2:7 (NIV) 
7  “Send me, therefore, a man skilled to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, and in purple, crimson and blue yarn, and experienced in the art of engraving, to work in Judah and Jerusalem with my skilled craftsmen, whom my father David provided.
 
2 Chronicles 2:13-14 (NIV) 
13  “I am sending you Huram-Abi, a man of great skill, 
14  whose mother was from Dan and whose father was from Tyre. He is trained to work in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and wood, and with purple and blue and crimson yarn and fine linen. He is experienced in all kinds of engraving and can execute any design given to him. He will work with your craftsmen and with those of my lord, David your father.
 
On verses 1-16:  In 1 Kings 5, we read of the same situation where King Solomon gets ready to build the temple in Jerusalem.  He enlists the help of Hiram king of Tyre, forming an economic partnership with Hiram whereby Hiram would provide cedar and pine logs from Lebanon for the temple and in exchange Solomon would send wheat, barley, wine and olive oil. 

诗篇第十三篇

2019-08-11 in /by

诗篇13篇

大卫的诗，交于伶长。

1 耶和华啊，祢忘记我要到几时呢？要到永远吗？祢掩面不顾我要到几时呢？
2 我心里筹算，终日愁苦，要到几时呢？我的仇敌升高压制我，要到几时呢？
3 耶和华我的神啊，求祢看顾我，应允我，使我眼目光明，免得我沉睡至死，
4 免得我的仇敌说「我胜了他」，免得我的敌人在我摇动的时候喜乐。
5 但我倚靠祢的慈爱，我的心因祢的救恩快乐。
6 我要向耶和华歌唱，因祂用厚恩待我。

在这首诗篇里，大卫用了四次 “How long, O Lord”  (要到几时呢)， 来表明他心里的沉痛诉求。司布真将此诗篇称为“多长时间的诗篇， 或者“嚎叫的诗篇”，因为这是心灵的呐喊。有神学家认为这是在大卫的儿子押沙龙反叛，大卫逃亡时写的，但是有更多说法，认为大卫王此诗可以应用于一个人生活中的每一种情境。

因为大卫王经历了他的苦难，借着诗篇表达他的感受，每个人都可以在这些诗篇中找到回应自己经历的话语。在大卫的诗篇里，让我们看到无论大卫经历了怎样的苦难，即使是在人生的最低点，在他感到被弃和气馁时，他都记得仰望神，不停地仰望神，也因而永远抱着希望，相信神一定会拯救。

Worship God, Then Reign with God

2019-08-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin the book of 2 Chronicles and there are many powerful lessons we can learn from today’s passage, 2 Chronicles 1:1-17. Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 1:3-6 (NIV)
3 and Solomon and the whole assembly went to the high place at Gibeon, for God’s Tent of Meeting was there, which Moses the LORD’s servant had made in the desert.
4 Now David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath Jearim to the place he had prepared for it, because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem.
5 But the bronze altar that Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, had made was in Gibeon in front of the tabernacle of the LORD; so Solomon and the assembly inquired of him there.
6 Solomon went up to the bronze altar before the LORD in the Tent of Meeting and offered a thousand burnt offerings on it.

On verses 1-6: Solomon is now the new king of Israel in place of his father David (v1). After speaking with his leaders, Solomon’s first order of business is to go and worship the Lord and inquire of Him. But then here’s a question: where should Solomon go to inquire of God?

诗篇第十二篇

2019-08-09 in /by

诗篇第八篇

大卫的诗，交于伶长。调用第八。

1 耶和华啊，求祢帮助，因虔诚人断绝了，世人中间的忠信人没有了。
2 人人向邻舍说谎，他们说话是嘴唇油滑，心口不一。
3 凡油滑的嘴唇和夸大的舌头，耶和华必要剪除。
4 他们曾说：「我们必能以舌头得胜，我们的嘴唇是我们自己的，谁能做我们的主呢？」
5 耶和华说：「因为困苦人的冤屈和贫穷人的叹息，我现在要起来，把他安置在他所切慕的稳妥之地。」
6 耶和华的言语是纯净的言语，如同银子在泥炉中炼过七次。
7 耶和华啊，祢必保护他们，祢必保佑他们永远脱离这世代的人。
8 下流人在世人中升高，就有恶人到处游行。

这首诗篇也是大卫写的，他真是一个很有才华的人。调用第八是指以男低音低八度的音调，或是用有第八弦之乐器发音，可见这首诗篇唱起来极为深沉。

在这诗篇里大卫对人的谎言和油嘴滑舌感到极其不耐，不知你有没有听过那样的言语，你的感觉又是如何？在〈雅各书〉里，说到舌头在百体中最小，却能说大话，又可以点起地狱之火。

Jesus Your Sacrificial Lamb and the Paul’s In Your Life

2019-08-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Philemon 1:17-25.  Let’s go!

Philemon 1:17-19 (NIV) 
17  So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.
18  If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.
19  I, Paul, am writing this with my own hand. I will pay it back–not to mention that you owe me your very self.

On verses 17-19:  Earlier in verses 8 to 16 we saw Paul acting as a mediator between Philemon and Onesimus, trying to help Philemon and Onesimus reconcile with one another.  But here in these verses we see Paul going beyond what a typical mediator would do.  For while a mediator’s role is help two warring sides reach an agreement, a mediator normally does not sacrifice himself just so that the two sides can reconcile.  But that’s what Paul does.  Paul writes in verses 17-18, “So if you consider me a partner, welcome him as you would welcome me.  If he has done you any wrong or owes you anything, charge it to me.” To emphasize how serious he is about this, Paul even takes his secretary Timothy’s pen and writes these words himself on the scroll: “I will pay it back” (v19).

诗篇第十一篇

2019-08-08 in /by

诗篇第十一篇

大卫的诗，交于伶长。

1 我是投靠耶和华，你们怎么对我说：「你当像鸟，飞往你的山去！
2 看哪，恶人弯弓，把箭搭在弦上，要在暗中射那心里正直的人。
3 根基若毁坏，义人还能做什么呢？」
4 耶和华在祂的圣殿里，耶和华的宝座在天上，祂的慧眼察看世人。
5 耶和华试验义人，唯有恶人和喜爱强暴的人，祂心里恨恶。
6 祂要向恶人密布网罗，有烈火、硫磺、热风做他们杯中的份。
7 因为耶和华是公义的，祂喜爱公义，正直人必得见祂的面。

这首诗篇虽然说是大卫的作品，但有不少学者认为这是在巴比伦之囚回归耶路撒冷后的作品。在这首诗篇里分了三部份，第一部份在第1节的上半：「我是投靠耶和华」，这是作者的立场。人必须先有立场，才能决定怎样面对遇件的事，采取怎样的方法或心态去走前面的路。作者有了立场，所以对关心他的朋友们之建议有不同的反应。

他拒绝了朋友的建议在第1节下半到第3节：「你当像鸟，飞往你的山去！看哪，恶人弯弓，把箭搭在弦上，要在暗中射那心里正直的人。根基若毁坏，义人还能做什么呢？」朋友的建议是叫他回去躲起来，留得青山在，不怕没柴烧。但是作者在4-7节里表明对神的信任，所以他要勇往直前。

Your Gentle Mediator is Jesus

2019-08-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Philemon 1:8-16.  Let’s go!

Philemon 1:8-11 (NIV) 
8  Therefore, although in Christ I could be bold and order you to do what you ought to do,
9  yet I appeal to you on the basis of love. I then, as Paul–an old man and now also a prisoner of Christ Jesus–

On verses 8-9:  Paul had a special role in Philemon’s life.  For one, Paul was the one whom God used to lead Philemon to Christ (v19).  In this way Paul was like a spiritual father to Philemon.  Not only that, Paul’s disciple Epaphras was the one who started the church in Colosse that met in Philemon’s home and so, like a spiritual grandfather to the Colossian Christians, Paul’s words carried special weight.  Yet instead of throwing his weight around and using his rights and authority to order Philemon to do what he should do (v8), Paul appeals to Philemon gently and meekly “on the basis of love” (v9) – not as an authoritarian apostle, but as “an old man” and as “a prisoner of Christ Jesus” (v9).   From this I learn an important lesson:

诗篇第十篇

2019-08-07 in /by

诗篇第十篇

1耶和华啊，祢为什么站在远处？在患难的时候为什么隐藏？
2 恶人在骄横中把困苦人追得火急，愿他们陷在自己所设的计谋里。
3 因为恶人以心愿自夸，贪财的背弃耶和华，并且轻慢他。
4 恶人面带骄傲，说：「耶和华必不追究。」他一切所想的，都以为没有神。
5 凡他所做的，时常稳固，祢的审判超过他的眼界。至于他一切的敌人，他都向他们喷气。
6 他心里说：「我必不动摇，世世代代不遭灾难。」
7 他满口是咒骂、诡诈、欺压，舌底是毒害、奸恶。
8 他在村庄埋伏等候，他在隐密处杀害无辜的人，他的眼睛窥探无倚无靠的人。
9 他埋伏在暗地，如狮子蹲在洞中。他埋伏，要掳去困苦人；他拉网，就把困苦人掳去。
10 他屈身蹲伏，无倚无靠的人就倒在他爪牙之下。…………

在希腊七十士译本里，诗篇第9/10篇是同一诗篇，但是在国王詹姆斯(King James)版本里分成了两个诗篇。从内容来看，第10篇更注重在个人与神的关系。通常以色列人在吹角节到赎罪日的十天里，会朗读这首诗歌。

在香港的局势如此不稳定时，读这诗篇似乎很合此时的心境。谁是恶人？谁是义人？似乎在每个团体里都有恶人，也有义人。我们看到港警一些不合宜的作法，也看到有些港警试着偷偷地保护民众，叫他们快跑不要被抓到；我们看到港民和平示威，也看到有港民作乱。在我们不知如何为香港祷告时，这首诗篇似乎派上了用场。因为只有监察人心的神知道谁是恶人，谁是义人。

If You Love That Person, Do THIS Before You Challenge or Criticize Them

2019-08-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,
 
Today we begin the book of Philemon, a letter Paul wrote during his first imprisonment in Rome between 61 to 63 AD (imprisoned for preaching the gospel).  Here is some background you will find helpful: 

Paul wrote this letter to a man called Philemon.  Who was Philemon?  Philemon lived in the city of Colosse and came to faith in Christ through the ministry of Paul (v19).  Later on Philemon would open up his home for the church in Colosse to use as their meeting place.  The fact that Philemon had a home large enough to host a church and owned slaves like Onesimus suggests that Philemon was wealthy.
Paul’s reason for writing Philemon personally is because one of Philemon’s slaves, called Onesimus, had stolen something from Philemon, ran away, only to meet Paul in Rome and become a Christian under his ministry.  Onesimus becomes useful to Paul’s ministry, but Paul feels it is best to send Onesimus back to Philemon, encouraging Philemon to forgive his former slave and take him in again.