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Two Reasons Jesus Became Like You

2019-10-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 2:11-18.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 2:11 (NIV) 
11  Both the one who makes men holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers.
 
On verse 11:  Who is “the one who makes men holy”?  Jesus.  Who is “those who are made holy”? You, me and everyone else who is currently living on earth and trusting in Jesus Christ as Saviour.  We are being made holy by Jesus, the holy one who makes others holy.  And yet even though Jesus is holy and we are only in the process of being made holy, Jesus humbly still puts himself in the same boat as us, not ashamed to call us his family, his brothers and sisters.  This shows us the amazing humility and love of Jesus for us.
 
Hebrews 2:12-13 (NIV) 
12  He says, “I will declare your name to my brothers; in the presence of the congregation I will sing your praises.” 
13  And again, “I will put my trust in him.” And again he says, “Here am I, and the children God has given me.”

詩篇六十一篇

2019-10-06 in /by

大衛的詩，交於伶長。用絲弦的樂器。

1 神啊，求祢聽我的呼求，側耳聽我的禱告。
2 我心裡發昏的時候，我要從地極求告祢，求祢領我到那比我更高的磐石。
3 因為祢做過我的避難所，做過我的堅固臺，脫離仇敵。
4 我要永遠住在祢的帳幕裡，我要投靠在祢翅膀下的隱密處。（細拉）
5 神啊，祢原是聽了我所許的願；祢將產業賜給敬畏祢名的人。
6 祢要加添王的壽數，他的年歲必存到世世。
7 他必永遠坐在神面前，願祢預備慈愛和誠實保佑他。
8 這樣，我要歌頌祢的名直到永遠，好天天還我所許的願。

讀〈詩篇〉時，我有一個很深的感想。以色列人最偉大的君王大衛，留給世人的詩歌裡，幾乎全是他倚靠神的經歷。在每一篇詩歌裡，都是他仰望神的見證。那麼平凡如我們，為什麼要覺得倚靠神是一件羞恥的事呢？為什麼要說，信仰是老人、病人或窮途末路之人的拐杖呢？大衛的生平讓我們看見，神不是軟弱者的拐杖；相反地，祂是每一個願意倚靠祂之人的力量。

大衛之所以成功，就是因為他知道自己不過是人。他很英勇，在看羊時碰到獅子或熊都可以打贏牠們；聽到巨人歌利亞咒罵以色列人的神，他也奮不顧身地站出去迎戰。但是他肯面對自己的軟弱，這才是一個真正的強者之所以剛強的原因。好幾年前，我兒子去參加醫學院的口試後，他說有一道題，口試官問他有沒有什麼弱點？假如是你，你想讓口試官有好印象，會怎樣回答呢？兒子回答，他有一些弱點，並解釋了他的弱勢之處。後來他被錄取了。敢承認自己有弱點的人，才知道自己應該在哪些方面加倍小心；倘若一個人覺得自己什麼弱點都沒有，很可能會承受不了突如其來的打擊。

Jesus the Greatest Human and the Author of My Salvation

2019-10-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Hebrews 2:1-10.  Let’s go!

Hebrews 2:1-4 (NIV) 
1  We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 
2  For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment, 
3  how shall we escape if we ignore such a great salvation? This salvation, which was first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 
4  God also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.

On verses 1-4:   Here the writer of Hebrews starts to compare two messages.  The first message is the message of the Old Covenant, a message that was “spoken by angels” (v2; see also Galatians 3:19) to Moses.  The message of the Old Covenant is all about God’s law.  The essence of this first message is: “Obey God’s law and be blessed.  Disobey God’s law and die.”   This first message was binding on the Israelites.  Those who disobeyed the law of Moses were punished.

詩篇六十篇

2019-10-04 in /by

大衛與兩河間的亞蘭並瑣巴的亞蘭爭戰的時候，約押轉回，在鹽谷攻擊以東，殺了一萬二千人。那時，大衛作這金詩叫人學習，交於伶長。調用為證的百合花。

1 神啊，祢丟棄了我們，使我們破敗，祢向我們發怒，求祢使我們復興。
2 祢使地震動，而且崩裂，求祢將裂口醫好，因為地搖動。
3 祢叫祢的民遇見艱難，祢叫我們喝那使人東倒西歪的酒。
4 祢把旌旗賜給敬畏祢的人，可以為真理揚起來。（細拉）

5 求祢應允我們，用右手拯救我們，好叫祢所親愛的人得救。

6 神已經指著他的聖潔說：「我要歡樂，我要分開示劍，丈量疏割谷。
7 基列是我的，瑪拿西也是我的。以法蓮是護衛我頭的，猶大是我的杖。
8 摩押是我的沐浴盆，我要向以東拋鞋。非利士啊，你還能因我歡呼嗎？」
9 誰能領我進堅固城？誰能引我到以東地？
10 神啊，祢不是丟棄了我們嗎？神啊，祢不和我們的軍兵同去嗎？
11 求祢幫助我們攻擊敵人，因為人的幫助是枉然的。
12 我們倚靠神才得施展大能，因為踐踏我們敵人的就是祂。

這篇金詩和其他金詩不同之處，在於其他的金詩都是大衛還沒有做王之時寫的，只有這一篇是做王之後寫的。不管是做王之前或之後，都有金子的本意在其中，也就是在火煉的試驗中所產生的作品。話說大衛做了全以色列人的王之後，神大大地祝福他，使他攻無不克，戰無不利。他打敗了非利士人，從他們手下奪取了京城的權柄；又打敗了摩押王，讓他們年年進貢。那跟亞蘭有何關係呢？

Jesus Is…

2019-10-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin the book of Hebrews.  It contains one of the Bible’s most beautiful, thoughtful and thorough presentations of who Jesus is and what He has done.   Here is some background on the book of Hebrews that you may find helpful:

– The book of Hebrews is known as the only truly anonymous book in the New Testament, as the author does not reveal his identity.  Some have suggested that the apostle Paul wrote this book, although many scholars agree that this is unlikely.  For reasons that we won’t get into now, it seems that a strong argument can be made that Luke, the one who wrote both the Gospel of Luke and Acts, was the one who authored this book.  Whoever the author was, it is clear that the author knew Paul’s disciple Timothy well (see 13:22).   

– Many scholars agree that Hebrews was written in approximately 69 AD before the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed (otherwise, the author would likely have mentioned this event when talking about how the old sacrificial system of the Jews had been replaced by a new system ushered by the blood of Jesus).  

Jesus Our Saving King

2019-10-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 36:1-23.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-19:  These verses describe the four kings who rule the nation of Judah after King Josiah: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah.  Notice that while each of these kings of Judah were in power, they were controlled by, opposed by and at the whim of a stronger foreign king.  Jehoahaz was controlled by Neco king of Egypt.  The other three kings were controlled by  Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon.   As a result, these kings never really had full authority to rule over the people of Judah, and the people of Judah would not thrive but lived under great fear and oppression.   During this time, God sends prophet after prophet to turn the people back to the Lord, but instead of listening and repenting the people of Judah mock the prophets God sends.  Their persistent rebellion against God ultimately results in the destruction of all of Jerusalem (including the temple and the royal palace) and Judah’s exile to Babylon.  The Promised Land is destroyed and Judah is ousted.

What can we learn from this?  The biggest reason for all of this taking place was the persistent sin of the people of Judah.  This was God on one hand disciplining the people of Judah for their persistent sin against Him, and at the same time fulfilling his promise in 2 Chronicles 34:28 not to bring about disaster to the people of Judah until after Josiah had died.  

詩篇五十九篇

2019-10-03 in /by

掃羅打發人窺探大衛的房屋，要殺他。那時，大衛作這金詩，交於伶長。調用休要毀壞。

1 我的神啊，求祢救我脫離仇敵，把我安置在高處，得脫那些起來攻擊我的人。
2 求祢救我脫離作孽的人，和喜愛流人血的人。
3 因為他們埋伏要害我的命，有能力的人聚集來攻擊我。耶和華啊，這不是為我的過犯，也不是為我的罪愆。
4 我雖然無過，他們預備整齊，跑來攻擊我。求祢興起，鑒察、幫助我！
5 萬軍之神耶和華，以色列的神啊，求祢興起，懲治萬邦，不要憐憫行詭詐的惡人。（細拉）
6 他們晚上轉回，叫號如狗，圍城繞行。
7 他們口中噴吐惡言，嘴裡有刀，他們說：「有誰聽見？」
8 但祢耶和華必笑話他們，祢要嗤笑萬邦。
9 我的力量啊，我必仰望祢，因為神是我的高臺。
10 我的神要以慈愛迎接我，神要叫我看見我仇敵遭報。……

這詩篇的背景是一個很美的愛情故事。在大衛打敗歌利亞之前，掃羅已經有三次得罪神，以致神厭惡掃羅，差遣撒母耳去膏大衛做王。那時大衛只是個很會彈琴的小牧童，有時會去為掃羅彈琴，使掃羅的心情轉好一點。當非利士人再次來和以色列人爭戰時，耶西派幼子大衛去前線探望他的哥哥們。大衛到了以色列的軍營，聽到歌利亞怒罵以色列人和耶和華神，以色列人中卻沒有一個人攻出去應戰。那時掃羅懸賞：“若有能殺他的，王必賞賜他大財，將自己的女兒給他為妻，並在以色列人中免他父家納糧當差。”

The King and The Lamb

2019-10-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 35:1-27.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-19:  King Josiah leads his nation of Judah in celebrating the Feast of the Passover, a time when God’s people remembered the way that He saved them and delivered them from certain death through the sacrifice of a Passover lamb.  King Josiah provides 30,000 lambs and young goats as the people’s Passover offerings, along with 3,000 cattle, all from the king’s own flocks and herds (v7).  The celebration is done as prescribed in the Book of Moses (v12).  Never had there been such a Passover celebration since the time that Samuel led as judge over Israel (v18). 

What can we learn from this?  Centuries later another king would make a costly sacrifice on Passover weekend.  But rather than sacrificing lambs, goats and cattle of his own, this king would make a far greater sacrifice: Jesus would become the Passover lamb and sacrifice himself on the cross to take away our sins and to save us from certain death.

On verses 20-27:  King Neco of Egypt is getting ready to fight another nation, but King Josiah musters his army to confront King Neco.  King Neco warns King Josiah that God has told King Neco to hurry and that Josiah should best get out of the way lest he get hurt.  But King Josiah refuses to listen.  He disguises himself in battle and is fatally wounded.  

詩篇五十八篇

2019-10-02 in /by

大衛的金詩，交於伶長。調用休要毀壞。

1 世人哪，你們默然不語，真合公義嗎？施行審判，豈按正直嗎？
2 不然！你們是心中作惡，你們在地上稱出你們手所行的強暴。
3 惡人一出母胎，就與神疏遠；一離母腹，便走錯路，說謊話。
4 他們的毒氣好像蛇的毒氣，他們好像塞耳的聾虺，
5 不聽行法術的聲音，雖用極靈的咒語，也是不聽。
6 神啊，求祢敲碎他們口中的牙！耶和華啊，求祢敲掉少壯獅子的大牙！
7 願他們消滅如急流的水一般，他們瞅準射箭的時候，願箭頭彷彿砍斷。
8 願他們像蝸牛消化過去，又像婦人墜落未見天日的胎。
9 你們用荊棘燒火，鍋還未熱，祂要用旋風把青的和燒著的一齊颳去。
10 義人見仇敵遭報就歡喜，要在惡人的血中洗腳。
11 因此，人必說：「義人誠然有善報，在地上果有施行判斷的神。」

在這篇詩篇裡，大衛經歷著一場內心的交戰，正如我們有時也會有的交戰一樣；就是當義人受苦，看到惡人或壓迫他們的人越來越強盛時的不理解和不服氣。為什麼惡人不遭報應，反得祝福？有時我們覺得自己做得比別人好，生活也比他人敬虔，為什麼神反而讓那些不比我們敬虔的人得意呢？義人真的會有善報嗎？在世上真有施行判斷的神嗎？

再一次，畢德生牧師的翻譯讓我們可以從另一個角度來看這段經文1-2節： Is this any way to run a country? Is there an honest politician in the house? Behind the scenes you brew cauldrons of evil, behind closed doors you make deals with demons. 這是統治一個國家的方法嗎？難道一個誠實的政治人物都沒有？他們在私底下釀造邪惡的大鍋，在關閉的門後與魔鬼談交易。