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The Right Way to Respond to God’s Grace

2019-09-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 32:23-33.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 32:24-26 (NIV) 
24  In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. He prayed to the LORD, who answered him and gave him a miraculous sign. 
25  But Hezekiah’s heart was proud and he did not respond to the kindness shown him; therefore the LORD’s wrath was on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. 
26  Then Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart, as did the people of Jerusalem; therefore the LORD’s wrath did not come upon them during the days of Hezekiah.
 
On verses 24-26:  What can we learn from this?  How we respond to God’s grace is crucial.  If your heart is proud like Hezekiah’s was in verse 25, you will not respond to God when He treats you well and you will forfeit the blessing that God otherwise wants to give you.  But if you repent of your pride and humble yourself before the Lord, as Hezekiah later does in verse 26, you give God room to bless you again. 

詩篇五十三篇

2019-09-26 in /by

大衛的訓誨詩，交於伶長。調用麻哈拉。

1 愚頑人心裡說：「沒有神！」他們都是邪惡，行了可憎惡的罪孽，沒有一個人行善。
2 神從天上垂看世人，要看有明白的沒有，有尋求祂的沒有。
3 他們各人都退後，一同變為污穢；並沒有行善的，連一個也沒有。
4 作孽的沒有知識嗎？他們吞吃我的百姓如同吃飯一樣，並不求告神。
5 他們在無可懼怕之處，就大大害怕，因為神把那安營攻擊你之人的骨頭散開了。祢使他們蒙羞，因為神棄絕了他們。
6 但願以色列的救恩從錫安而出！神救回祂被擄的子民，那時雅各要快樂，以色列要歡喜。

在這詩篇裡，大衛不是說愚頑人才會行可憎惡的罪孽，他在第二節說神從天上察看世人的角度，來讓我們明白，在神的眼中世人所行所為何等愚頑。2016年在俄羅斯發生一起謀殺案，有位19歲的姐姐因為嫉妒17歲的做模特兒的妹妹比她漂亮，不只是謀殺妹妹，還剜出她的眼睛，割下她的耳朵，殺了她妹妹189刀，手法十分殘忍。

再看最近香港的動亂，不管是警察或是示威者都有受到非常傷害的例子；台灣在選舉總統這段期間裡抺黑說謊，讓人奇怪那些在高層的政客為何如此低級？當神從天上查看世人時，我們的所作所為是令祂痛心，還是覺得光榮呢？

人做愚頑的事是因為心裡覺得沒有神。他們不是沒有讀過書，不是不知道是非好惡，而是他們覺得人都上到太空了，在月亮那裡沒有看到嫦娥，也沒有吳剛，更沒有神，因此他們越發高傲，以為沒有神就可以胡作非為。

4 Ways the Enemy Tries to Attack You and How to Defend Yourself

2019-09-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 32:1-22.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-8:  King Sennacherib of Assyria invades King Hezekiah’s nation of Judah, laying siege to various fortified cities.  So Hezekiah takes several steps to prepare for battle and to make it difficult for King Sennacherib of Assyria to attack the capital city of Jerusalem:

Hezekiah cuts off King Sennacherib’s water supply (v2-4)
Hezekiah repairs the broken sections of Jerusalem’s walls (v5)
Hezekiah erects new towers from which he can see Sennarcherib from far away and defend the city (v5)
Hezekiah builds a second wall outside the first wall (v5)
Hezekiah strengthens supporting terraces (v5)
Hezekiah makes large numbers of weapons and shields (v5)
Hezekiah prepares his soldiers and military officers for battle, speaking encouraging words to them and reminding them that God is on their side, while the Assyrians are merely men (v7-8).
What can we learn from this?  Don’t make it easy for the enemy to attack.  Don’t wait for the enemy to attack before doing something to defend yourself.  Realize that attacks from the enemy will come and prepare yourself in advance for them.  

Don’t Settle for Mediocrity

2019-09-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is on 2 Chronicles 31:1-21.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 31:1 (NIV) 
1  When all this had ended, the Israelites who were there went out to the towns of Judah, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. They destroyed the high places and the altars throughout Judah and Benjamin and in Ephraim and Manasseh. After they had destroyed all of them, the Israelites returned to their own towns and to their own property.

On verse 1:  Notice that after the worship festival ended, the Israelites continued their worship by destroying the things that had been used to worship idols.  What can we learn from this?  A natural outflow of revival, a natural fruit of the Holy Spirit working in your heart, is that you want to tear down the things that don’t give God glory.

詩篇五十二篇

2019-09-25 in /by

以東人多益來告訴掃羅說：「大衛到了亞希米勒家。」那時，大衛作這訓誨詩，交於伶長。

1 勇士啊，你為何以作惡自誇？神的慈愛是常存的。
2 你的舌頭邪惡詭詐，好像剃頭刀，快利傷人。
3 你愛惡勝似愛善，又愛說謊，不愛說公義。（細拉）
4 詭詐的舌頭啊，你愛說一切毀滅的話！
5 神也要毀滅你，直到永遠。祂要把你拿去，從你的帳篷中抽出，從活人之地將你拔出。（細拉）
6 義人要看見而懼怕，並要笑他，
7 說：「看哪！這就是那不以神為他力量的人，只倚仗他豐富的財物，在邪惡上堅立自己。」
8 至於我，就像神殿中的青橄欖樹，我永永遠遠倚靠神的慈愛。
9 我要稱謝祢，直到永遠，因為祢行了這事。我也要在祢聖民面前仰望祢的名，這名本為美好。

這詩篇的背景故事是在大衛逃避掃羅的追殺時，他跑到挪伯祭司亞希米勒那裡，向祭司討吃的。祭司給了他一些撤放下來的陳設餅，然後又把大衛當年殺歌利亞的刀給大衛。那時有一個以東人多益也在場，他是掃羅的司牧長，他看到這件事，後來就把這事告訴掃羅。

掃羅便下令殺掉挪伯城所有的祭司，但是沒有人敢下手。只有以東人多益去殺祭司，那日殺了穿細麻布以弗得的八十五人。又用刀將祭司城挪伯中的男女、孩童、吃奶的，和牛、羊、驢盡都殺滅(撒上21-22章)。後來只有亞希米勒的兒子亞比亞他逃出去，逃到大衛那裡接受庇護。

詩篇五十一篇

2019-09-24 in /by

大衛與拔示巴同室以後，先知拿單來見他。他作這詩，交於伶長。

1 神啊，求祢按祢的慈愛憐恤我，按祢豐盛的慈悲塗抹我的過犯！
2 求祢將我的罪孽洗除淨盡，並潔除我的罪！
3 因為我知道我的過犯，我的罪常在我面前。
4 我向祢犯罪，唯獨得罪了祢，在祢眼前行了這惡，以致祢責備我的時候顯為公義，判斷我的時候顯為清正。
5 我是在罪孽裡生的，在我母親懷胎的時候就有了罪。
6 祢所喜愛的是內裡誠實，祢在我隱密處必使我得智慧。
7 求祢用牛膝草潔淨我，我就乾淨；求祢洗滌我，我就比雪更白。
8 求祢使我得聽歡喜快樂的聲音，使祢所壓傷的骨頭可以踴躍。
9 求祢掩面不看我的罪，塗抹我一切的罪孽。
10 神啊，求祢為我造清潔的心，使我裡面重新有正直的靈。……

這是一篇很著名的詩篇，也是很感人的詩篇。它是大衛王和拔示巴發生姦情，拔示巴懷孕，大衛設計謀殺她的丈夫烏利亞之後，神差遣先知拿單去責備他。當大衛醒悟自己犯罪得罪神之後，痛心疾首地懺悔時所寫下的詩篇。

Love Beyond Borders

2019-09-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 30:1-27.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 30:5 (NIV) 
5  They decided to send a proclamation throughout Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, calling the people to come to Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover to the LORD, the God of Israel. It had not been celebrated in large numbers according to what was written. 

On verses 1-9:  Hezekiah is getting ready to lead his people in celebrating the Passover Feast (also known as the Feast of the Unleavened Bread) for the first time in many years.  In doing so, Hezekiah reaches out not just to his own people of Judah but to all of Israel.  Notwithstanding the previous tensions between the people of Judah and the Israelites living to the north of them, Hezekiah invites all the Israelites to assemble together to celebrate the Passover and to worship the Lord at the temple in Jerusalem. 

詩篇五十篇

2019-09-23 in /by

亞薩的詩。

1 大能者神耶和華已經發言招呼天下，從日出之地到日落之處。
2 從全美的錫安中，神已經發光了。
3 我們的神要來，決不閉口。有烈火在祂面前吞滅，有暴風在祂四圍大颳。
4 祂招呼上天下地，為要審判祂的民，
5 說：「招聚我的聖民到我這裡來，就是那些用祭物與我立約的人。」
6 諸天必表明祂的公義，因為神是施行審判的。（細拉）
7 「我的民哪，你們當聽我的話；以色列啊，我要勸誡你。我是神，是你的神！
8 我並不因你的祭物責備你，你的燔祭常在我面前。
9 我不從你家中取公牛，也不從你圈內取山羊。
10 因為樹林中的百獸是我的，千山上的牲畜也是我的。……

在猶太人的塔木德裡有一段拉比們的對話，拉比們互相對問，神是從哪裡開始塑造了全世界？有一位拉比以利以謝說，神是從世界的中心開始的；拉比約書亞說，是從一邊開始的；伊扎克拉比說，神把一塊石頭丟進海洋，就變出整個世界；但是聖者說，神從錫安開始祂的塑造，所以錫安全然美麗，是全世界最完美之處。就是詩人所言：從全美的錫安中，神已經發光了。

這詩篇是一篇神對以色列人將有的審判之預言。有的人認為這詩篇寫於阿摩司先知或彌迦先知的時期，也有人認為是在猶太人被擄到巴比倫之後寫的。雖然那時聖殿己經被毀，但是在猶太人心中錫安依然是全世界最完美的地方。

Sing an Old Song

2019-09-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Chronicles 29:20-36.  Let’s go!

2 Chronicles 29:30 (NIV) 
30  King Hezekiah and his officials ordered the Levites to praise the LORD with the words of David and of Asaph the seer. So they sang praises with gladness and bowed their heads and worshiped. 

On verses 20-33:  Hezekiah, the priests and the Levites reopen the temple and hold the very first worship service at the temple in years.  Sacrifices are made (v21-24), music is played (v25-28), and the people worship the Lord together.  The famous old worship songs of David and Asaph are sung for the first time in what seems like forever (v29-30), and the worship of the Lord is Judah is renewed.    

What can we learn from this?  Once my son Bradley and I were having our GAME time together and he suggested that we listen to a worship song.  So I got on my phone and played an old album that I used to listen to many years ago.  As we listened to these old but beautiful worship songs, I not only remembered the lyrics, but the places where I was at spiritually when I first heard those songs.  

詩篇四十九篇

2019-09-22 in /by

可拉後裔的詩，交於伶長。

1 萬民哪，你們都當聽這話。世上一切的居民，
2 無論上流下流，富足貧窮，都當留心聽。
3 我口要說智慧的言語，我心要想通達的道理。
4 我要側耳聽比喻，用琴解謎語。
5 在患難的日子，奸惡隨我腳跟四面環繞我，我何必懼怕？
6 那些倚仗財貨，自誇錢財多的人，
7 一個也無法贖自己的弟兄，也不能替他將贖價給神，
8 叫他長遠活著，不見朽壞，因為贖他生命的價值極貴，只可永遠罷休。
10 他必見智慧人死，又見愚頑人和畜類人一同滅亡，將他們的財貨留給別人。……

這篇詩篇非常獨特，因為詩人是向著世人發聲的。他一開始就說：「萬民哪，你們都當聽這話。世上一切的居民，無論上流下流，富足貧窮，都當留心聽。」他的話有這麼重要嗎？可見其內容必是有關萬民，而不是一兩個人。

在這詩篇裡他只有兩處提到神，就是人必須把贖價給神，而且每個人必須付自己的贖價，不能由他人代付；二是只有神才能救贖人的靈魂脫離陰間的權柄，只有當神肯收納一個人的靈魂時，那個人的靈魂才能倖免於陰間。

去陰間有何可怕呢？在那裡死亡必做他們的牧者，他們的美容必被陰間所滅。換句話說,到了陰間你再也漂亮不了啦! 那是靈魂之死，那麼肉體之死又如何？一是什麼也帶不走，榮耀也盡失去，永遠再也見不到光明。