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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.

耶穌潔淨聖殿

2019-06-04 in /by

馬太福音21: 12_17_耶穌潔淨聖殿

12 耶穌進了神的殿，趕出殿裡一切做買賣的人，推倒兌換銀錢之人的桌子和賣鴿子之人的凳子， 13 對他們說：「經上記著說：『我的殿必稱為禱告的殿』，你們倒使它成為賊窩了！」 14 在殿裡有瞎子、瘸子到耶穌跟前，他就治好了他們。 15 祭司長和文士看見耶穌所行的奇事，又見小孩子在殿裡喊著說「和散那歸於大衛的子孫」，就甚惱怒， 16 對他說：「這些人所說的，你聽見了嗎？」耶穌說：「是的。經上說『你從嬰孩和吃奶的口中完全了讚美』的話，你們沒有念過嗎？」 17 於是離開他們，出城到伯大尼去，在那裡住宿。

陳終道牧師在《金燈台活頁刊》曾對這段經文有所解釋：主耶穌曾經兩次潔淨聖殿。第一次是祂出來傳道的時候。記載在〈約翰福音〉第二章。其餘三福音所記載的是第二次潔淨聖殿，是祂受死前一週所作的事。為甚麼兩次的事這麼相似﹖那正好證明猶太人並沒有因耶穌第一次潔淨聖殿而悔改。主耶穌拿繩子作鞭子，把賣牛羊鴿子的人都趕出去，推翻兌換銀錢之人的桌子，那些人的情形必然十分狼狽。後來主又得再次潔淨聖殿，因為那些受責備的人依然如故！

人如果受了責備而不肯悔改，必不會因所受的責備難過，反而使他們懷恨在心，設法報復。所以在第一次潔淨聖殿之後，猶太人對耶穌說：“你既作這些事，還顯甚麼神蹟給我們看呢﹖”（約2:18）意思是說，你既這樣沒有愛心對待那些人，叫他們血本無歸，還行甚麼神蹟呢﹖但在主耶穌第二次潔淨聖殿時，猶太人就不單埋怨耶穌沒有愛心，而且商量怎樣去除滅耶穌了！（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. 

耶穌騎驢進耶路撒冷

2019-06-04 in /by

馬太福音21: 1_11_耶穌騎驢進耶路撒冷

1耶穌和門徒將近耶路撒冷，到了伯法其，在橄欖山那裡， 2 耶穌就打發兩個門徒，對他們說：「你們往對面村子裡去，必看見一匹驢拴在那裡，還有驢駒同在一處。你們解開，牽到我這裡來。 3 若有人對你們說什麼，你們就說：『主要用牠。』那人必立時讓你們牽來。」 4 這事成就，是要應驗先知的話說： 5 「要對錫安的居民說：『看哪，你的王來到你這裡，是溫柔的，又騎著驢，就是騎著驢駒子。』」 6 門徒就照耶穌所吩咐的去行， 7 牽了驢和驢駒來，把自己的衣服搭在上面，耶穌就騎上。 8 眾人多半把衣服鋪在路上，還有人砍下樹枝來鋪在路上。 9 前行後隨的眾人喊著說：「和散那歸於大衛的子孫！奉主名來的是應當稱頌的！高高在上和散那！」 10 耶穌既進了耶路撒冷，合城都驚動了，說：「這是誰？」 11 眾人說：「這是加利利拿撒勒的先知耶穌。」

這是耶穌受難週的開始，也是棕樹節的由來。此時耶路撒冷闔城都在準備要過逾越節，前來過節的人數比耶路撒冷平常的人多上好幾倍，羅馬政府為了防止有人藉機作亂，也會派兵駐紥；因此若沒有預先準備，臨時要找落腳的地方很難。所以主耶穌在這之前很可能就己經有預備。

〈馬可福音〉裡記載了主耶穌每個晚上都離開耶路撒冷，往城外的伯大尼住宿。伯法其和伯大尼都是在橄欖山東邊的小村鎮，相距約一公里。伯大尼的地勢較高，可以眺望耶路撒冷。耶穌就在伯法其叫門徒去牽祂所預備好的驢駒。這驢駒沒有人騎過，代表了「初熟之物」是獻給神的:正如後來埋葬耶穌屍身所用的墓穴也是從未使用過的。耶穌想要給耶路撒冷的民眾帶去怎樣的信息呢?

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.

要我為你們做什麼

2019-06-02 in /by

馬太福音20: 29_34_要我為你們做什麼

29 他們出耶利哥的時候，有極多的人跟隨他。 30 有兩個瞎子坐在路旁，聽說是耶穌經過，就喊著說：「主啊，大衛的子孫，可憐我們吧！」 31 眾人責備他們，不許他們作聲，他們卻越發喊著說：「主啊，大衛的子孫，可憐我們吧！」 32 耶穌就站住，叫他們來，說：「要我為你們做什麼？」 33 他們說：「主啊，要我們的眼睛能看見！」 34 耶穌就動了慈心，把他們的眼睛一摸，他們立刻看見，就跟從了耶穌。

記得剛移民到溫哥華時，有次聽到一個外國女人說：“What could I do for you? ”(我可以為你做什麼？)時，那時心裡非常感動。竟然有一個陌生人問我，她可以為我做什麼？咱們素昧平生，我又一身土包子裝飾，一看就是個土包子，連Thank you(謝謝你)都說不出來。然而對方卻如此誠懇溫柔，這句話帶給我很大的震憾。

在洋人的地方特別能感受到基督教的信仰在生活裡的潛移默化，雖然這個時代裡因為太多欺騙狡詐，以致人性越來越粗糙，但有時候我們還會碰到一些靈魂被聖靈得著的人，他們流露出的氣質總令人感動莫名。你接觸到那種人時就彷彿跌到了《聖經》裡的耶穌面前。

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

馬太福音20: 17_28_服侍的生命

17 耶穌上耶路撒冷去的時候，在路上把十二個門徒帶到一邊，對他們說： 18 「看哪，我們上耶路撒冷去，人子要被交給祭司長和文士，他們要定他死罪， 19 又交給外邦人將他戲弄、鞭打、釘在十字架上，第三日他要復活。」

20 那時，西庇太兒子的母親同她兩個兒子上前來拜耶穌，求他一件事。 21 耶穌說：「你要什麼呢？」她說：「願你叫我這兩個兒子在你國裡，一個坐在你右邊，一個坐在你左邊。」 22 耶穌回答說：「你們不知道所求的是什麼。我將要喝的杯，你們能喝嗎？」他們說：「我們能。」 23 耶穌說：「我所喝的杯，你們必要喝；只是坐在我的左右，不是我可以賜的，乃是我父為誰預備的，就賜給誰。」24 那十個門徒聽見，就惱怒他們弟兄二人。 25 耶穌叫了他們來，說：「你們知道，外邦人有君王為主治理他們，有大臣操權管束他們。 26 只是在你們中間不可這樣，你們中間誰願為大，就必做你們的用人； 27 誰願為首，就必做你們的僕人。 28 正如人子來不是要受人的服侍，乃是要服侍人，並且要捨命做多人的贖價。」

當耶穌帶著門徒往耶路撒冷前行時，祂再次告訴他們，此行的目的和後果。這次門徒聽完了全部的信息，不像彼得上次只聽到前一部份。明白了耶穌此行的目的後，門徒之間起了爭執，還有人去把母親帶來求耶穌一件事。