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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.
 

詩篇一百零五篇

2019-11-26 in /by

1你們要稱謝耶和華，求告祂的名，在萬民中傳揚祂的作為！
2 要向祂唱詩歌頌，談論祂一切奇妙的作為！
3 要以祂的聖名誇耀，尋求耶和華的人心中應當歡喜！
4 要尋求耶和華與祂的能力，時常尋求祂的面！
5 祂僕人亞伯拉罕的後裔，祂所揀選雅各的子孫哪，你們要記念祂奇妙的作為和祂的奇事，並祂口中的判語。
7 祂是耶和華我們的神，全地都有祂的判斷。
8 祂記念祂的約直到永遠，祂所吩咐的話直到千代，
9 就是與亞伯拉罕所立的約，向以撒所起的誓。
10 祂又將這約向雅各定為律例，向以色列定為永遠的約，……

詩篇105篇伯者回顧了以色列人早期的歷史，從耦選亞伯拉罕開始，到約瑟下埃及，摩西亞倫領以色列人出埃及，神為他們所行的神蹟奇事。

這詩篇實在不需要筆者多言，當我們自己讀的時候，便己經領受且明白神和以色列的淵源。神實在愛以色列人，祂也實在愛我們。讓我們這些原不是祂子民的人，可以藉著耶穌基督與神和好，又成為祂的兒女，在永生上有份。我們也要像以色列人一樣，明白神把燈塔的責任交給我們，也就是要藉著我們傳遞神的光和愛，使更多在黑暗中的人能認識神，也跟我們一樣享有屬天的福份。

詩篇一百零四篇

2019-11-25 in /by

1我的心哪，你要稱頌耶和華！耶和華我的神啊，祢為至大！祢以尊榮威嚴為衣服，
2 披上亮光如披外袍；鋪張穹蒼如鋪幔子，
3 在水中立樓閣的棟梁；用雲彩為車輦，藉著風的翅膀而行；
4 以風為使者，以火焰為僕役。
5 將地立在根基上，使地永不動搖。
6 祢用深水遮蓋地面，猶如衣裳，諸水高過山嶺。
7 祢的斥責一發，水便奔逃；祢的雷聲一發，水便奔流。
8 諸山升上，諸谷沉下，歸你為它所安定之地。
9 祢定了界限，使水不能過去，不再轉回遮蓋地面。
10 耶和華使泉源湧在山谷，流在山間，……

這篇詩篇和第103篇都是歌頌神的詩篇，但第103篇著重在神對罪孽的赦免，這詩篇則著重於神的創造。這個週末是美國的感恩節，但是商人把大家的注意力都轉到“黑色的星期五”，也就是聖誕節生意開跑前的大減價。因此，很少看到有慶祝感恩節的信息了。假如我們用買更多的物品來取代對神的感恩，再多的物質也不能增加我們的喜樂。

我非常喜歡看詩人怎樣描寫神的創造。因為在創世記裡沒有這些細膩的描寫。當他說神披上亮光如披外袍，你可以想像一個充滿榮光的形像；當他說神鋪張穹蒼如鋪幔子時，我們彷彿看見神細心地撫平那些皺摺。神呼喚風，使喚火焰；原來地還有根基？何等奇妙，神還怕地若塌了，我們會掉下去!現在有不少人好奇地心究竟有多深，但是還沒有人能發現地也有根基。

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). 
 

詩篇一百零三篇

2019-11-24 in /by

大衛的詩。

1 我的心哪，你要稱頌耶和華；凡在我裡面的，也要稱頌祂的聖名！
2 我的心哪，你要稱頌耶和華，不可忘記祂的一切恩惠。
3 祂赦免你的一切罪孽，醫治你的一切疾病。
4 祂救贖你的命脫離死亡，以仁愛和慈悲為你的冠冕。
5 祂用美物使你所願的得以知足，以致你如鷹返老還童。
6 耶和華施行公義，為一切受屈的人申冤。
7 祂使摩西知道祂的法則，叫以色列人曉得祂的作為。
8 耶和華有憐憫，有恩典，不輕易發怒，且有豐盛的慈愛。
9 祂不長久責備，也不永遠懷怒。
10 祂沒有按我們的罪過待我們，也沒有照我們的罪孽報應我們。……

有一次有個人寫信給當地的報紙，抱怨每星期日去教會實在沒意思。他說：“我已經去教會卅年了，大約聽了不下三千次講道，但是我一次也記不起來，牧師到底講過什麼。我覺得這是浪費時間，而牧師講道也是在浪費他們的時間。”這封信在〈給編輯的信〉一欄裡引起相當多人的反應，正反的意見都非常踴躍，令編者很高興。這種情況持續了幾個星期，直到有個人投書。

他說：“我已經結婚卅年了，在這段時間裡，我妻子大約煮了不下三萬兩千餐。我根本不記得她在任何一餐裡究竟煮了哪些菜。但是我知道，它們使我的身體得到需要的營養，供應我所需的力量。假如我的妻子沒有煮那麼多餐，我的肉體可能早已死了。同樣的，假如我沒有去教會領受牧師所供應的靈糧，我今天也可能面臨靈性上的死亡。”感謝神，因為祂不僅藉著牧者供應我們靈糧，也藉著親人使我們的身體毫無匱乏。

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.

詩篇一百零二篇

2019-11-22 in /by

困苦人發昏的時候，在耶和華面前吐露苦情的禱告。

1 耶和華啊，求祢聽我的禱告，容我的呼求達到祢面前！
2 我在急難的日子，求祢向我側耳，不要向我掩面；我呼求的日子，求祢快快應允我。
3 因為我的年日如煙雲消滅，我的骨頭如火把燒著。
4 我的心被傷，如草枯乾，甚至我忘記吃飯。
5 因我唉哼的聲音，我的肉緊貼骨頭。
6 我如同曠野的鵜鶘，我好像荒場的鸮鳥。
7 我警醒不睡，我像房頂上孤單的麻雀。
8 我的仇敵終日辱罵我，向我猖狂的人指著我賭咒。
9 我吃過爐灰，如同吃飯，我所喝的與眼淚摻雜，
10 這都因祢的惱恨和憤怒。祢把我拾起來，又把我摔下去。………

這首詩篇也是一首彌賽亞詩篇，因為在〈希伯來書〉的一章10-12節裡引用了第25/26節的經文，在第一段1-11節裡也彷彿是主耶穌在受難時的孤單和痛苦。若我們記得主在客西馬尼園裡的禱告情景，這詩篇裡的描述更能使我們進入主的孤單，稍微體會祂當時的恐懼和哀傷。聖經學者多數認為，這是某個以色列人在被巴比倫擄去之後期所寫，最可能的便是但以理。若以但以理為背景來讀這首詩篇就會體會更深。

詩篇一百零一篇

2019-11-21 in /by

大衛的詩。

1 我要歌唱慈愛和公平，耶和華啊，我要向祢歌頌。
2 我要用智慧行完全的道。你幾時到我這裡來呢？我要存完全的心行在我家中。
3 邪僻的事，我都不擺在我眼前；悖逆人所做的事，我甚恨惡，不容沾在我身上。
4 彎曲的心思，我必遠離；一切的惡人，我不認識。
5 在暗中讒謗他鄰居的，我必將他滅絕；眼目高傲、心裡驕縱的，我必不容他。
6 我眼要看國中的誠實人，叫他們與我同住；行為完全的，他要伺候我。
7 行詭詐的必不得住在我家裡，說謊話的必不得立在我眼前。
8 我每日早晨要滅絕國中所有的惡人，好把一切作孽的從耶和華的城裡剪除。

詩篼101篇是大衛向神交的報告， 向神報告他立志做的事情。這對許多人可能是一個新的概念：什麼？我們還要向神報告心裡所想所做的嗎？

神賦予我們生命，我們有責任告訴祂，我們想怎樣活，用怎樣的方式去生活，來彰顯神的榮耀。

這就是在標杆人生裡，華牧師說的，我們生命的重點不在於自己，而在於神。It’s not about you¸it’s all about God.

大衛為我們立了一個榜樣，他每天在神面前立志如何過日子。第一是讚美神，第二是尋求神的智慧以求行事為人的完全。如此不管神何時來，都可以看到他存著完全的心行在家中。存完全的心也就是不要要邪情污念的心，不管是在外或在內，都保守自己的潔淨。