Entries by

It’s God Who Decides

2019-06-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 19:20-37. Let’s go!

2 Kings 19:20 (NIV) 
20  Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria. 

On verses 20-21:  Here God responds to King Hezekiah’s plea for help against King Sennacherib of Assyria.  Through the prophet Isaiah, God sends a reassuring message to Hezekiah.  First, the Lord tells Hezekiah that He has heard Hezekiah’s prayer (v20).  Second, the Lord tells Hezekiah what He has spoken against Sennacherib.  The Lord’s message to Sennacherib begins with the words:  “The Virgin Daughter of Zion despises you and mocks you. The Daughter of Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee.” (v21)X

What can we learn from this?

1. God hears the prayers of His people.
2. God is committed to defending His people when they are under attack.

耶稣洁净圣殿

2019-06-04 in /by

马太福音21: 12_17_耶稣洁净圣殿

12 耶稣进了神的殿，赶出殿里一切做买卖的人，推倒兑换银钱之人的桌子和卖鸽子之人的凳子， 13 对他们说：「经上记着说：『我的殿必称为祷告的殿』，你们倒使它成为贼窝了！」 14 在殿里有瞎子、瘸子到耶稣跟前，他就治好了他们。 15 祭司长和文士看见耶稣所行的奇事，又见小孩子在殿里喊著说「和散那归于大卫的子孙」，就甚恼怒， 16 对他说：「这些人所说的，你听见了吗？」耶稣说：「是的。经上说『你从婴孩和吃奶的口中完全了赞美』的话，你们没有念过吗？」 17 于是离开他们，出城到伯大尼去，在那里住宿。

陈终道牧师在《金灯台活页刊》曾对这段经文有所解释：主耶稣曾经两次洁净圣殿。第一次是祂出来传道的时候。记载在〈约翰福音〉第二章。其余三福音所记载的是第二次洁净圣殿，是祂受死前一周所作的事。为甚么两次的事这么相似﹖那正好证明犹太人并没有因耶稣第一次洁净圣殿而悔改。主耶稣拿绳子作鞭子，把卖牛羊鸽子的人都赶出去，推翻兑换银钱之人的桌子，那些人的情形必然十分狼狈。后来主又得再次洁净圣殿，因为那些受责备的人依然如故！

人如果受了责备而不肯悔改，必不会因所受的责备难过，反而使他们怀恨在心，设法报复。所以在第一次洁净圣殿之后，犹太人对耶稣说：“你既作这些事，还显甚么神蹟给我们看呢﹖”（约2:18）意思是说，你既这样没有爱心对待那些人，叫他们血本无归，还行甚么神蹟呢﹖但在主耶稣第二次洁净圣殿时，犹太人就不单埋怨耶稣没有爱心，而且商量怎样去除灭耶稣了！（可11:18）

When You’re Under Pressure

2019-06-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 19:1-19.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 19:1-2 (NIV) 
1  When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD. 
2  He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.
 
On verses 1-4:   King Hezekiah’s officials deliver Assyria’s intimidating message to Hezekiah.  In response, Hezekiah does a wise thing: (1) he pours his heart out to God, spending time in His presence; and (2) he seeks counsel from the prophet Isaiah.  What can we learn from this?  Whenever you are under great pressure or receive bad news, the best thing you can do is to go to God and spend time in His presence.  If necessary, seek godly counsel too.
 
On verses 5-13:  Isaiah gives Hezekiah an encouraging, reassuring message from the Lord, promising that the Lord will cut down Assyria’s king Sennacherib.  Shortly after that, Hezekiah receives a letter from King Sennacherib trying to shake Hezekiah’s confidence in God’s Word and trying to show that Israel is no different from all the other nations that Assyria has laid to waste. 

耶稣骑驴进耶路撒冷

2019-06-04 in /by

马太福音21: 1_11_耶稣骑驴进耶路撒冷

1耶稣和门徒将近耶路撒冷，到了伯法其，在橄榄山那里， 2 耶稣就打发两个门徒，对他们说：「你们往对面村子里去，必看见一匹驴拴在那里，还有驴驹同在一处。你们解开，牵到我这里来。 3 若有人对你们说什么，你们就说：『主要用牠。』那人必立时让你们牵来。」 4 这事成就，是要应验先知的话说： 5 「要对锡安的居民说：『看哪，你的王来到你这里，是温柔的，又骑着驴，就是骑着驴驹子。』」 6 门徒就照耶稣所吩咐的去行， 7 牵了驴和驴驹来，把自己的衣服搭在上面，耶稣就骑上。 8 众人多半把衣服铺在路上，还有人砍下树枝来铺在路上。 9 前行后随的众人喊著说：「和散那归于大卫的子孙！奉主名来的是应当称颂的！高高在上和散那！」 10 耶稣既进了耶路撒冷，合城都惊动了，说：「这是谁？」 11 众人说：「这是加利利拿撒勒的先知耶稣。」

这是耶稣受难周的开始，也是棕树节的由来。此时耶路撒冷阖城都在准备要过逾越节，前来过节的人数比耶路撒冷平常的人多上好几倍，罗马政府为了防止有人借机作乱，也会派兵驻紥；因此若没有预先准备，临时要找落脚的地方很难。所以主耶稣在这之前很可能就己经有预备。

〈马可福音〉里记载了主耶稣每个晚上都离开耶路撒冷，往城外的伯大尼住宿。伯法其和伯大尼都是在橄榄山东边的小村镇，相距约一公里。伯大尼的地势较高，可以眺望耶路撒冷。耶稣就在伯法其叫门徒去牵祂所预备好的驴驹。这驴驹没有人骑过，代表了「初熟之物」是献给神的:正如后来埋葬耶稣尸身所用的墓穴也是从未使用过的。耶稣想要给耶路撒冷的民众带去怎样的信息呢?

How to Respond to a Trash Talker

2019-06-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 18:17-35.  In this passage we read of all the ways Assyria’s field commander tries to intimidate Hezekiah’s Israelite troops.  At the same time I believe through this passage we can learn 6 ways that our enemy, Satan, tries to erode our confidence and soften us up for a defeat.  The quicker you can identify these 6 ways that Satan will try to attack you, the quicker you can defeat him in Jesus’ name.   Let’s go! 

2 Kings 18:20 (NIV) 
20  You say you have strategy and military strength–but you speak only empty words. On whom are you depending, that you rebel against me?

On verses 20-21:  The field commander was correct to say that Israel had very little strategy and military strength left (v20).  The field commander was also correct to say that Egypt would not be a reliable partner to depend on (v21).  But contrary to the field commander’s final conclusion, Israel was not without hope.  Israel still had something far more important than strategy and military strength and someone far greater than Egypt: Israel had the Lord.

要我为你们做什么

2019-06-02 in /by

马太福音20: 29_34_要我为你们做什么

29 他们出耶利哥的时候，有极多的人跟随他。 30 有两个瞎子坐在路旁，听说是耶稣经过，就喊著说：「主啊，大卫的子孙，可怜我们吧！」 31 众人责备他们，不许他们作声，他们却越发喊著说：「主啊，大卫的子孙，可怜我们吧！」 32 耶稣就站住，叫他们来，说：「要我为你们做什么？」 33 他们说：「主啊，要我们的眼睛能看见！」 34 耶稣就动了慈心，把他们的眼睛一摸，他们立刻看见，就跟从了耶稣。

记得刚移民到温哥华时，有次听到一个外国女人说：“What could I do for you? ”(我可以为你做什么？)时，那时心里非常感动。竟然有一个陌生人问我，她可以为我做什么？咱们素昧平生，我又一身土包子装饰，一看就是个土包子，连Thank you(谢谢你)都说不出来。然而对方却如此诚恳温柔，这句话带给我很大的震憾。

在洋人的地方特别能感受到基督教的信仰在生活里的潜移默化，虽然这个时代里因为太多欺骗狡诈，以致人性越来越粗糙，但有时候我们还会碰到一些灵魂被圣灵得着的人，他们流露出的气质总令人感动莫名。你接触到那种人时就仿佛跌到了《圣经》里的耶稣面前。

Be Courageous

2019-06-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 18:1-16.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-16:  After Judah had been led by a handful of spiritually rotten, idol-worshiping kings, Hezekiah bursts onto the scene.  Hezekiah courageously breaks with his predecessors’ idol worshiping traditions.  He begins to use his authority as king of Judah to remove idolatry from his land.  Hezekiah also courageously stands up to the king of Assyria, even while Hezekiah’s counterpart Hoshea king of Israel was being defeated by Assyria.  When Assyria turns its attention to attacking and capturing all of Judah, Hezekiah stands in the gap and offers whatever we can to stop Judah from being completely taken over.

What can we learn from this?   Our world is in need of courageous leaders like Hezekiah — people who trust in the Lord no matter what, who aren’t afraid to break with the idol-worshiping traditions of those who came before them and those around them, and who will stand up to the enemy and fight to protect the people in their care.  Because of Hezekiah’s courage and how he hung onto God no matter what, verses 5-7 honour him with these words: 

服侍的生命

2019-05-31 in /by

马太福音20: 17_28_服侍的生命

17 耶稣上耶路撒冷去的时候，在路上把十二个门徒带到一边，对他们说： 18 「看哪，我们上耶路撒冷去，人子要被交给祭司长和文士，他们要定他死罪， 19 又交给外邦人将他戏弄、鞭打、钉在十字架上，第三日他要复活。」

20 那时，西庇太儿子的母亲同她两个儿子上前来拜耶稣，求他一件事。 21 耶稣说：「你要什么呢？」她说：「愿你叫我这两个儿子在你国里，一个坐在你右边，一个坐在你左边。」 22 耶稣回答说：「你们不知道所求的是什么。我将要喝的杯，你们能喝吗？」他们说：「我们能。」 23 耶稣说：「我所喝的杯，你们必要喝；只是坐在我的左右，不是我可以赐的，乃是我父为谁预备的，就赐给谁。」24 那十个门徒听见，就恼怒他们弟兄二人。 25 耶稣叫了他们来，说：「你们知道，外邦人有君王为主治理他们，有大臣操权管束他们。 26 只是在你们中间不可这样，你们中间谁愿为大，就必做你们的用人； 27 谁愿为首，就必做你们的仆人。 28 正如人子来不是要受人的服侍，乃是要服侍人，并且要舍命做多人的赎价。」

当耶稣带着门徒往耶路撒冷前行时，祂再次告诉他们，此行的目的和后果。这次门徒听完了全部的信息，不像彼得上次只听到前一部份。明白了耶稣此行的目的后，门徒之间起了争执，还有人去把母亲带来求耶稣一件事。