History

History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again.

Ruth 路得記 2:12

願耶和華照你所行的賞賜你、你來投靠耶和華以色列神的翅膀下、願你滿得他的賞賜。

May the LORD repay you for what you have done. May you be richly rewarded by the LORD, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge.”

Job 10

1 ”I hate my life, so I will complain without holding back; I will speak because I am so unhappy.
2 I will say to God: Do not hold me guilty, but tell me what you have against me.
3 Does it make you happy to trouble me? Don’t you care about me, the work of your hands? Are you happy with the plans of evil people?
4 Do you have human eyes that see as we see?
5 Are your days like the days of humans, and your years like our years?
6 You look for the evil I have done and search for my sin.
7 You know I am not guilty, but no one can save me from your power.
8 ”Your hands shaped and made me. Do you now turn around and destroy me?
9 Remember that you molded me like a piece of clay. Will you now turn me back into dust?
10 You formed me inside my mother like cheese formed from milk.
11 You dressed me with skin and flesh; you sewed me together with bones and muscles.
12 You gave me life and showed me kindness, and in your care you watched over my life.
13 ”But in your heart you hid other plans. I know this was in your mind.
14 If I sinned, you would watch me and would not let my sin go unpunished.
15 How terrible it will be for me if I am guilty! Even if I am right, I cannot lift my head. I am full of shame and experience only pain.
16 If I hold up my head, you hunt me like a lion and again show your terrible power against me.
17 You bring new witnesses against me and increase your anger against me. Your armies come against me.
18 ”So why did you allow me to be born? I wish I had died before anyone saw me.
19 I wish I had never lived, but had been carried straight from birth to the grave.
20 The few days of my life are almost over. Leave me alone so I can have a moment of joy.
21 Soon I will leave; I will not return from the land of darkness and gloom,
22 the land of darkest night, from the land of gloom and confusion, where even the light is darkness.”

Job complains of his hardships. (1-7) He pleads with God as his Maker. (8-13) He complains of God’s severity. (14-22)

Commentary on Job 10:1-7
Job, being weary of his life, resolves to complain, but he will not charge God with unrighteousness. Here is a prayer that he might be delivered from the sting of his afflictions, which is sin. When God afflicts us, he contends with us; when he contends with us, there is always a reason; and it is desirable to know the reason, that we may repent of and forsake the sin for which God has a controversy with us. But when, like Job, we speak in the bitterness of our souls, we increase guilt and vexation. Let us harbour no hard thoughts of God; we shall hereafter see there was no cause for them. Job is sure that God does not discover things, nor judge of them, as men do; therefore he thinks it strange that God continues him under affliction, as if he must take time to inquire into his sin.

Commentary on Job 10:8-13
Job seems to argue with God, as if he only formed and preserved him for misery. God made us, not we ourselves. How sad that those bodies should be instruments of unrighteousness, which are capable of being temples of the Holy Ghost! But the soul is the life, the soul is the man, and this is the gift of God. If we plead with ourselves as an inducement to duty, God made me and maintains me, we may plead as an argument for mercy, Thou hast made me, do thou new-make me; I am thine, save me.

Commentary on Job 10:14-22
Job did not deny that as a sinner he deserved his sufferings; but he thought that justice was executed upon him with peculiar rigour. His gloom, unbelief, and hard thoughts of God, were as much to be ascribed to Satan’s inward temptations, and his anguish of soul, under the sense of God’s displeasure, as to his outward trials, and remaining depravity. Our Creator, become in Christ our Redeemer also, will not destroy the work of his hands in any humble believer; but will renew him unto holiness, that he may enjoy eternal life. If anguish on earth renders the grave a desirable refuge, what will be their condition who are condemned to the blackness of darkness for ever? Let every sinner seek deliverance from that dreadful state, and every believer be thankful to Jesus, who delivereth from the wrath to come.

Shimri

[Shĭm'rī,Sĭm'rī] — jehovah is watching.

1. A Simeonite and head of a tribal family (1 Chron. 4:37: -³⁷ and Ziza son of Shiphi, the son of Allon, the son of Jedaiah, the son of Shimri, the son of Shemaiah).

2. Father of Jediael, one of David’s heroes (1 Chron. 11:45: – ⁴⁵ Jediael son of Shimri, his brother Joha the Tizite).

3. A son of Hosah and Tabernacle gatekeeper (1 Chron. 26:10: -¹⁰ Hosah the Merarite had sons: Shimri the first (although he was not the firstborn, his father had appointed him the first)).

4. A son of Elizaphan who assisted in Hezekiah’s reformation (2 Chron. 29:13: -¹³ from the descendants of Elizaphan, Shimri and Jeiel; from the descendants of Asaph, Zechariah and Mattaniah).

Romans 15:5-11

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. For I tell you that Christ has become a servant of the Jews on behalf of God’s truth, so that the promises made to the patriarchs might be confirmed and, moreover, that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy. As it is written: ‘Therefore I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing the praises of your name.’ Again, it says, ‘Rejoice, you Gentiles, with his people.’ And again, ‘Praise the Lord, all you Gentiles; let all the peoples extol him.’

-That’s exactly what Jesus did. He didn’t make it easy for himself by avoiding people’s troubles, but waded right in and helped out. ‘I took on the troubles of the troubled,’ is the way Scripture puts it . Even if it was written in Scripture long ago, you can be sure it’s written for us. God wants the combination of his steady, constant calling and warm, personal counsel in Scripture to come to characterize us, keeping us alert for whatever he will do next. May our dependably steady and warmly personal God develop maturity in you so that you get along with each other as well as Jesus gets along with us all. Then we’ll be a choir–not our voices only, but our very lives singing in harmony in a stunning anthem to the God and Father of our Master Jesus! -So reach out and welcome one another to God’s glory. Jesus did it; now you do it! Jesus, staying true to God’s purposes, reached out in a special way to the Jewish insiders so that the old ancestral promises would come true for them. As a result, the non-Jewish outsiders have been able to experience mercy and to show appreciation to God. Just think of all the Scriptures that will come true in what we do! For instan ce: Then I’ll join outsiders in a hymn-sing; I’ll sing to your name! And this one: Outsiders and insiders, rejoice together! And again: People of all nations, celebrate God! All colors and races, give hearty praise! And Isaiah’s word: There’s the root of our ancestor Jesse, breaking through the earth and growing tree tall, Tall enough for everyone everywhere to see and take hope! Oh! May the God of green hope fill you up with joy, fill you up with peace, so that your believing lives, filled with the life-giving energy of the Holy Spirit, will brim over with hope!

Kids Bible Study 2-24-2012

Zacchaeus – The Little Man who Climbed into a Tree to see Jesus Luke 19:1-28

“Zacchaeus,” said Jesus, “come down at once, for today I must stop at your house.” THERE WAS LIVING in Jericho at the time a rich man named Zacchaeus, and he was chief among the publicans. He had never seen Jesus, and when the news came that Jesus was passing through Jericho on his way to attend the Passover Feast in Jerusalem, Zacchaeus determined that he would try to see this wonderful man. So down to the highway Zacchaeus went, hurrying along with the gathering crowd; for Jesus was to pass that way.    But Zacchaeus did not stop when the crowd stood still. He hurried a little farther on, and there he climbed into a sycamore-tree, which grew by the roadside. From this place he knew he could surely see Jesus when he passed by. If he had remained in the crowd he could not have seen the wonderful man from Galilee, for Zacchaeus was not so tall as the other people about him. Soon the travelers bound for Jerusalem came down the road, and the people of Jericho, who had gathered to watch them pass looked eagerly to catch a glimpse of Jesus. On the travelers went till they came to the sycamore-tree, and here Jesus and his disciples stood still. Then Jesus looked up into the tree and saw Zacchaeus clinging to its branches and gazing down upon him. ”Zacchaeus,” said Jesus, “come down at once, for today I must stop at your house.” How surprised Zacchaeus was to hear these words! He had hoped to catch at least a glimpse of Jesus; now he could take this wonderful man into his home and talk face to face with him. With a joyful heart Zacchaeus led the way to his home, to entertain Jesus and his disciples there. And as they went, others followed, some finding fault because Jesus was going to stop in the home of a publican, whom they called a sinful man. The Pharisees would not enter such a house, for they despised people they called sinners and would not be friendly with them. Although Zacchaeus was a publican his heart had been changed by the kind words of Jesus. So he stood up before Jesus and said, “Behold, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor, and if I have in my business dealing taken more from any man than I should have taken, I give him back four times as much as I took from him.” Jesus was pleased with Zacchaeus; for he knew this publican really had been changed in his heart. And he said, “Today salvation is come to your house, for the Son of man is come to seek and to save those who are lost.” He had known about this publican who longed to see him, and he had sought for Zacchaeus. Now he would grant him forgiveness because Zacchaeus had received him gladly, and had confessed his willingness to make his wrong right. Others stood by listening, and Jesus took this time to teach them another parable, or story-sermon. He knew the people were expecting the kingdom of heaven to be set up soon like an earthly kingdom, so he told them a story to show them what the kingdom of heaven is like. He said: ”A certain nobleman went away to a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to be made the ruler of it. Before leaving home he gave a sum of money, called a pound, to each of his ten servants and commanded them to use the money till his return. ”After some time the nobleman came back again, having received the crown and the kingdom in that far-away country. Then he called his ten servants and asked them how they had used the money he had given to them before he went away. ”The first servant came to him bringing ten pieces of money, and saying, ‘I traded with the pound you gave me, and I have gained these ten pounds.’ The nobleman was pleased with that servant and said to him, ‘Because you have done this, I will give you the rule of ten cities in my kingdom.’ ”Next came a servant who had gained five pounds by using the money the nobleman had given him. And the nobleman was pleased with him also, and said, ‘To you I will give the rule of five cities in the kingdom which I have received.’ ”Then came the third servant, bringing only one pound, the same one that the nobleman had given him before he went away. ‘Here is your pound,’ the servant said, ‘I have kept it wrapped in this napkin all the while you were away for fear I might lose it. I know you are a harsh master, taking up what you do not lay down and reaping what you do not sow.’ With this servant the nobleman was much displeased. He answered, ‘If you know I am a harsh master, why did you not put my money into a bank that I might have it and its gains at my return?’ Then he commanded those who stood by to take the one pound away from the unfaithful servant and give it to the one having ten pounds. ”The servants were surprised, and they said, ‘Lord, he has ten pounds, why give him more?’ But the nobleman answered, ‘To every one who uses what he has, more shall be given; but those who refuse to use what is given to them shall have their own taken away.’” After speaking this parable, Jesus, with his disciples, left Jericho and went on the way over the mountains toward Jerusalem.

Prayer 2-24-2012

Dear Father, thank you for your goodness and faithfulness in my life. Thank you for all you’ve done for me in my past and for what you are preparing for my future. Help me keep my eyes on you and stand strong as I look for your goodness all the days of my life.

In Jesus’ Name
Amen

Bible Study 2-24-2012

Psalm 119:129-136

¹²⁹ Your statutes are wonderful;
therefore I obey them.

¹³⁰ The unfolding of your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.

¹³¹ I open my mouth and pant,
longing for your commands.

¹³² Turn to me and have mercy on me,
as you always do to those who love your name.

¹³³ Direct my footsteps according to your word;
let no sin rule over me.

¹³⁴ Redeem me from human oppression,
that I may obey your precepts.

¹³⁵ Make your face shine on your servant
and teach me your decrees.

¹³⁶ Streams of tears flow from my eyes,
for your law is not obeyed.

Have you ever faced the problems of dullness, darkness and dryness? Certain days come to us that are simply dull. There may be sameness and tameness about them. And sometimes we have to go through periods of darkness, and we wonder what in the world God is doing. Or we experience dryness–we are so spiritually dry, hungry and thirsty.

What is the answer to dullness? The Word of God. “Your testimonies are wonderful; therefore my soul keeps them” (v. 129). Life cannot be dull when we read and obey the Bible. It has a way of taking the ordinary things of life and making them wonderful. When our minds and hearts are filled with Scripture, everything we see appears different.

What is the answer to darkness? “The entrance of Your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple” (v. 130). Entrance means the opening up, the expounding, the unfolding of God’s Word. As Scripture is explained to us, it illuminates us. If you find yourself in darkness today, read your Bible, and it will give you light.

What is the answer to dryness? Sometimes we feel so dry and needy. “I opened my mouth and panted, for I longed for Your commandments” (v. 131). The Word of God is like fresh air when we feel smothered, like water when we are parched, like food when we are famished.

If you are having a dull, dark or dry day, turn to the Word of God. Its truths will brighten your soul, and its promises will encourage you. God designed the Bible to meet your needs. So when the discouraging days come, feed your mind and heart with the Word.

Full moon on a silver sea, throwing into sharp relief the luminous rocks. I sat in the antique rocking chair by the window, a cup of hot Postum in my hand, fascinated by the undulation of great swaths of foam on the ocean, almost fluorescent in the moonlight.

Stillness. Perfect stillness. It is a very great gift, not always available to those who would most appreciate it and would find joy in it, and often not appreciated by those who have it but are uncomfortable with it. External noise is inescapable in many places–traffic on land and in the air, sirens, horns, chain saws, loud voices and, perhaps worst of all, screaming rock music with thundering amplification which makes the very ground shudder.

I think it is possible to learn stillness–but only if it is seriously sought. God tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10, NIV). “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15, KJV).

The stillness in which we find God is not superficial, a mere absence of fidgeting or talking. It is a deliberate and quiet attentiveness–receptive, alert, ready. I think of what Jim Elliot wrote in his Journal: “Wherever you are, be all there. Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God.”

This is not so difficult, perhaps, for a sports fan, eyes riveted on the game. For me, however, this quietness in the presence of God, this being “all there” for Him, though I treasure it and long for it, is not easy to maintain, even in the beautiful place where I live. I am easily distracted, more so, it seems, as soon as I try to focus on God Himself and nothing else. Why should this be? I think C.S. Lewis puts his finger right on it in The Screwtape Letters, which purports to be the correspondence between Screwtape, under-secretary to the devil, and his nephew, Wormwood, instructing him in the best ways to tempt the followers of the Enemy, God:

“My dear Wormwood: Music and silence–how I detest them both! How thankful we should be that ever since our Father entered Hell–though longer ago than humans, reckoning in light years, could express, no square inch of infernal space and no moment of infernal time has been surrendered to either of those abominable forces, but all has been occupied by Noise–Noise, the grand dynamism, the audible expression of all that is exultant, ruthless, and virile–Noise which alone defends us from silly qualms, despairing scruples, and impossible desires. We will make the whole universe a noise in the end. We have already made great strides in this direction as regards the Earth. The melodies and silences of Heaven will be shouted down in the end. But I admit we are not yet loud enough, or anything like it. Research is in progress.”

C.S. Lewis died in 1963. Research in noise-making has made considerable progress since then, don’t you think? To learn stillness we must resist our ancient foe, whose craft and power are great, and who is armed with cruel hate. There is One far greater who is on our side. His voice brought stillness to fierce winds and wild waves, and He will surely help us if we put ourselves firmly and determinedly in His presence–”I’m here, Lord. I’m listening.” If no word seems to be forthcoming, remember “it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord,” and “when He gives quietness, who then can make trouble?” (Lamentations 3:26, NIV; Job 34:29, KJV).

Silence is one form of worship. When the seventh seal was opened (in St. John’s Revelation), there was silence in heaven for the space of half an hour. What would happen in our homes if we should try to prepare ourselves for those heavenly silences by having just one half-hour when there is no door slamming, no TV, no stereo or video, and a minimum of talk, in quiet voices? Wouldn’t it also be a calming thing just to practice the stillness which is the absence of motion? My father used to have us try this every now and then. Why not try a Quiet Day or even a Quiet Week without the usual noises? It might open vistas of the spiritual life hitherto closed, a depth of communion with the Lord impossible where there is nothing but noise. Does God seem absent? Yes, for most of us He sometimes does. Even at such a time may we not simply be still before Him, trusting that He reads the perplexity we cannot put into words?

Remain Calm!

Remain calm, serene, always in command of yourself. You will then find out how easy it is to get along.

Judges 士師記 21:25

那時以色列中沒有王、各人任意而行。

In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit.