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Don’t Marry an Unbeliever + What to Do When You Receive Upsetting News

2019-11-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezra 9:1-15.  Let’s go!

Ezra 9:1-2 (NIV) 
1  After these things had been done, the leaders came to me and said, “The people of Israel, including the priests and the Levites, have not kept themselves separate from the neighboring peoples with their detestable practices, like those of the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites, Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians and Amorites. 
2  They have taken some of their daughters as wives for themselves and their sons, and have mingled the holy race with the peoples around them. And the leaders and officials have led the way in this unfaithfulness.”

On verses 1-2:  Ezra learns that his fellow Israelite men, including priests, Levites, leaders and officials, have sinned by marrying foreign women who do not believe in the Lord.  In doing so, they disobeyed God’s command not to marry an unbeliever.    What is so bad, harmful and dangerous about marrying someone who does not believe in the Lord?

诗篇九十七篇

2019-11-17 in /by

1耶和华做王！愿地快乐，愿众海岛欢喜！
2 密云和幽暗在祂的四围，公义和公平是祂宝座的根基。
3 有烈火在祂前头行，烧灭祂四围的敌人。
4 祂的闪电光照世界，大地看见便震动。
5 诸山见耶和华的面，就是全地之主的面，便消化如蜡。
6 诸天表明祂的公义，万民看见祂的荣耀。
7 愿一切侍奉雕刻的偶像，靠虚无之神自夸的，都蒙羞愧。万神哪，你们都当拜祂！
8 耶和华啊，锡安听见祢的判断就欢喜，犹大的城邑也都快乐。
9 因为祢耶和华至高，超乎全地；祢被尊崇，远超万神之上。
10 你们爱耶和华的，都当恨恶罪恶，祂保护圣民的性命，搭救祂们脱离恶人的手。
11 散布亮光是为义人，预备喜乐是为正直人。
12 你们义人当靠耶和华欢喜，称谢祂可记念的圣名！

第97篇是很完整的预言性诗篇。此诗篇向我们说明：(1)耶和华神的能力(第1-5节)；(2)耶和华神的卓越(第6-9节)；(3) 耶和华神的子民(第10-12节)。本诗篇预言到那日子，与前一篇的最后一节 (96:13)互相呼应 : 「因为祂来了，祂来要审判全地。祂要按公义审判世界，按祂的信实审判万民。」

When You Set Out On a Mission Trip

2019-11-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

TToday’s passage is Ezra 8:1-36.  Let’s go!

In this chapter Ezra takes a group of approximately 1,500 Jewish exiles from Babylon to Jerusalem.  Keep in mind that many, if not most, of the people traveling with Ezra have never been to Jerusalem before, as they have spent most if not all of their years in Babylon and Persia. It is not an exaggeration to say that Ezra and these 1,500 exiles were on a mission trip, sent by King Artaxerxes to restore the worship of the Lord in Jerusalem.   

Likewise, we are called to live out loud and lead others to Jesus, both in our own city and abroad.  That’s why I encourage everyone at Thrive to go on a mission trip at least once, and preferably multiple times, while you still can.  In this chapter, we learn some valuable lessons on how to set out on a mission trip. 

On verses 1-14:  Ezra records the people who went with him from Babylon to Jerusalem, trying to account for all of them.  What can we learn from this?  Before setting out on a mission trip, take stock of what you have and who you have with you.

诗篇九十六篇

2019-11-15 in /by

1你们要向耶和华唱新歌，全地都要向耶和华歌唱！
2 要向耶和华歌唱，称颂祂的名，天天传扬祂的救恩。
3 在列邦中述说祂的荣耀，在万民中述说祂的奇事。
4 因耶和华为大，当受极大的赞美，祂在万神之上，当受敬畏。
5 外邦的神都属虚无，唯独耶和华创造诸天。
6 有尊荣和威严在祂面前，有能力与华美在祂圣所。
7 民中的万族啊，你们要将荣耀、能力归给耶和华，都归给耶和华！
8 要将耶和华的名所当得的荣耀归给祂，拿供物来进入祂的院宇！
9 当以圣洁的装饰敬拜耶和华，全地要在祂面前战抖！
10 人在列邦中要说：「耶和华做王！」世界就坚定，不得动摇，祂要按公正审判众民。
11 愿天欢喜，愿地快乐，愿海和其中所充满的澎湃，
12 愿田和其中所有的都欢乐！那时林中的树木都要在耶和华面前欢呼，
13 因为祂来了，祂来要审判全地。祂要按公义审判世界，按祂的信实审判万民。

有圣经学者说，诗篇96篇的背景是住棚节，在住棚节的第一天，以色列民会唱这首诗篇；当大卫王迎接约柜，从俄别以东的家到大卫帐幕时，亦是唱这首诗篇。这首诗篇是迎接荣耀的君王，是记念神在以色列当中，祂所作的一切荣耀作为的诗。

这诗篇说到我们要用三种方式来赞美敬拜耶和华神。一是要用口向祂唱新歌，不是老调重弹，而是在每一天的生活里，去体会神赐下的新恩典。最近有一些朋友回香港，也有一些朋友从香港来。

5 Questions to Ask Before You Give (or Accept) A Big Assignment

2019-11-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezra 7:11-28.  Let’s go!

On verses 11-26:  One underrated reason for Ezra’s success in ministry is the help he got from King Artaxerxes.  In his letter to Ezra, King Artaxerxes sends Ezra on a royal assignment to see how Jerusalem and Judah are progressing in relation to following the law of the Lord (v14).  In sending Ezra on this mission, King Artaxerxes does so many things to set up Ezra for success on his venture:

–        Artaxerxes lets Ezra choose a team of Levites, priests and other Israelites to go with him to Jerusalem (v13).

–        Artaxerxes gives Ezra generous amounts of silver and gold from his own treasury as well as from his advisors (v15), “together with all the silver and gold you may obtain from the province of Babylon” (v16) as well as the freewill offerings given by people and priests for the temple in Jerusalem (v16).  Artaxerxes entrusts Ezra with these financial resources and tells him to use them to buy livestock to make sacrifices at the temple (v17).  He tells Ezra to do whatever Ezra thinks best with the rest of the money (v18).

The Key to God’s Special Favour and Protection

2019-11-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezra 7:1-10.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-5:  57 years have passed between the end of chapter 6 and these verses in chapter 7.  During this 57 year gap, the events described in the book of Esther take place.  

Now in chapter 7 Artaxerxes is king over Persia, while Ezra, a Jewish priest who grew in Babylon, is accompanying a second group of Jewish exiles from Babylon back to Jerusalem (v7).

Notice that we are seven chapters into the book of Ezra, and it is here – over halfway through the book – that Ezra, the man after whom this book is entitled, appears on the scene.   If Ezra wrote this book, the fact that Ezra’s name and appearance are not mentioned until here shows Ezra’s humility.    

Ezra’s genealogy is listed in verses 1-5.  Ezra’s genealogy shows that Ezra’s story did not begin or end with him, but that Ezra was part of something bigger that God was doing.  Ezra’s genealogy also shows Ezra’s priestly lineage, how he came from a long line of priests originating with Aaron the first high priest.

诗篇九十五篇

2019-11-14 in /by

1来啊，我们要向耶和华歌唱，向拯救我们的磐石欢呼！
2 我们要来感谢祂，用诗歌向祂欢呼！
3 因耶和华为大神，为大王，超乎万神之上。
4 地的深处在祂手中，山的高峰也属祂。
5 海洋属他，是祂造的，旱地也是祂手造成的。
6 来啊，我们要屈身敬拜，在造我们的耶和华面前跪下！
7 因为祂是我们的神，我们是祂草场的羊，是祂手下的民。唯愿你们今天听祂的话：
8 「你们不可硬着心，像当日在米利巴，就是在旷野的玛撒。
9 那时你们的祖宗试我探我，并且观看我的作为。
10 四十年之久，我厌烦那世代，说：『这是心里迷糊的百姓，竟不晓得我的作为。』
11 所以我在怒中起誓说：『他们断不可进入我的安息。』」

希伯来语中的“歌曲”一词是zemirot，即zemer（זמר）的复数形式。 虽然歌曲是该词最常见的定义，但词根ז-מ-ר也有另一种含义：「通过去除多余的树枝来“修剪”植物。」 这些含义之间的联系最初并不很明显，但是由于希伯来语单词已触及对象的本质，因此仔细观察即可发现它们之间的相关性。

一棵大树修剪掉沉重的树枝和多余的叶子后会蓬勃发展，因此可以将其营养资源用于其最需要的地方。 同样，音乐也不是随机收集的音符的组成。 要创作一首优美的歌曲，必须“修剪”多余的声音。 同样的原则也可以适用于我们自己的生活。 为了适当地将我们的整个生活变成一首圣歌，我们必须除掉生活中繁重且多余的部份。

诗篇九十四篇

2019-11-13 in /by

1耶和华啊，祢是申冤的神。申冤的神啊，求祢发出光来！
2 审判世界的主啊，求祢挺身而立，使骄傲人受应得的报应！
3 耶和华啊，恶人夸胜要到几时呢？要到几时呢？
4 他们絮絮叨叨说傲慢的话，一切作孽的人都自己夸张。
5 耶和华啊，他们强压祢的百姓，苦害祢的产业。
6 他们杀死寡妇和寄居的，又杀害孤儿。
7 他们说：「耶和华必不看见，雅各的神必不思念。」
8 祢们民间的畜类人当思想！祢们愚顽人到几时才有智慧呢？
9 造耳朵的，难道自己不听见吗？造眼睛的，难道自己不看见吗？
10 管教列邦的，就是叫人得知识的，难道自己不惩治人吗？…….

诗篇93-99篇是一系列“耶和华坐着为王”的诗篇(Royal Psalms)，让我们看到神掌权的几个特质。诗篇94篇第1节以“耶和华啊，祢是申冤的神；申冤的神啊，求祢发出光来！”开始，而96篇的最后一节，以“因为祂来了，祂来要审判全地。祂要按公义审判世界，按祂的信实审判万民。”为呼应，真的很有意思。

这诗篇里诗人一开始就求神申冤，让敌人得报应，换句话就是求神报仇。诗人感到非常痛苦，因为在极度的痛苦中得不到神的回应，看不见神的作为。他抨击恶人的作为，但得不到任何支持。最后诗人在跟神的理论中转向神，开始明白有时候苦难确实是一种礼物。苦苁提醒人，这有可能是从神来的管教。

Your Answer is in the Royal Treasury of God’s Word

2019-11-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Ezra 6:1-22.  Let’s go!

Ezra 6:1 (NIV) 
1  King Darius then issued an order, and they searched in the archives stored in the treasury at Babylon.

On verses 1-12:  King Darius is in need of guidance on an issue: are the Jews authorized to rebuild the temple or not?  Further to the suggestion of Tattenai governor of Trans-Euphrates and another official Shethar-Bozenai in chapter 5, King Darius searches the archives stored in Babylon’s royal treasury.  There he discovers a memo from a king who came before him – King Cyrus – who clearly authorized the rebuilding of the temple as a place to present sacrifices (v3), decrees the size of the temple (v3b-4) and commands that the costs of the rebuilding be paid by the royal treasury (v3-4).  King Darius found the specific answer to his question by searching the royal archives.  Based on that, he decrees that no one interfere with the Jews’ rebuilding the temple, and further commands that whatever the Jews need is to be provided by the royal treasury (v7-12).

诗篇九十三篇

2019-11-12 in /by

1耶和华做王，祂以威严为衣穿上。耶和华以能力为衣，以能力束腰，世界就坚定，不得动摇。
2 祢的宝座从太初立定，祢从亘古就有。
3 耶和华啊，大水扬起，大水发声，波浪澎湃。
4 耶和华在高处大有能力，胜过诸水的响声，洋海的大浪。
5 耶和华啊，祢的法度最的确，祢的殿永称为圣是合宜的。

考门夫人说：「我们所走的路，上面舖著的是神的怜悯，两旁是代表神慈爱和信实的树。」这句话对经常在森林健行的我，颇有同感。在这个世界上生活到处都能感受到造物的恩典和奇妙。

在〈启示录〉一章8 节里，神说：「我是阿拉法，我是俄梅戛，是今在、昔在、以后永在的全能者。」回应了这诗篇的第2节：「祢的宝座从太初立定，祢从亘古就有。」诗人又用想像力形容，神以威严为衣，以能力为衣，以能力束腰，感觉上这个王，这个神就是满有力量，使世界坚的神。倘若神没有威严和能力，这世界岂不乱成一通？

第3和第4节在犹太人中有个传说。因为圣殿当年所需的木料来自黎巴嫩，然后经过海上送到以色列。从黎巴嫩带来大雪松以建造神殿的水手们背诵了这首诗。作为路线的一部分，他们经过了以色列与黎巴嫩接壤的边界北部海域，在那里听到海浪冲撞岩石的声音，惊叹于大海的美丽和力量，因此赞扬耶和华神让他们有份参与建造圣殿的工作。