This is what I did this morning..
Showing posts with label Word of God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Word of God. Show all posts
July 20, 2011
April 14, 2011
Greek Paradigm
I made this myself, compiling from few different sources. You can download and print in on A4 paper or card. Cut it into smaller pieces. Each pieces should be at the size of a name card.
Articles, Personal Pronoun, Demonstrative Pronoun, Relative Pronoun, Conjugations of Eimi, Interrogative & Indefinite
Download Link
March 18, 2011
义人的路
[Psalms 1:1-3] Written and Produced by John Moi / Music Arrangement : John Moi & Aubrey Suwito / Recorded and Mixed by Jim Teh at Incognito Productions Malaysia / Lead Vocal : John Moi / Background Vocals Arrangement : John Moi & Charles Wong / Background Vocals : John Moi, Jacqueline John & Belinda Bino / Drums : Gary Gideon / Bass : Andrew Peterson / Acoustic Guitar : James Wilson & John Moi / Electric Guitar : James Wilson / Woodwinds : Greg Lyons / Piano : Aubrey Suwito / Percussion : Amir
January 12, 2011
义人
在圣经里，有三个人是能够因自己的义而自救的。他们就是：
挪亚，但以理，和约伯。
但要活到好像他们一样，是在高难度。但是他们三人绝对是值得我们学习的人物。
挪亚，在恶灌满溢的年代里，他在上帝眼中是唯一的义人。用了一百年的时间造船，不顾他人的非言流语，对上帝仍然忠心。他的对上帝所说的话，充满信心。因为他相信上帝必定会降大雨审判世人，他才能够忠心耿耿持续这伟大工程……
但以理，在异国成为受重用的人物。甚至遭当地人的妒嫉……但是他一样对上帝忠心，绝对不违背上帝的心意，但但侍奉遵行上帝的命令。甚至期待上帝让以色列人回归的日子。
约伯，就算被朋友冤枉他有罪，被妻子叫去自杀，他仍然选择与上帝对质。就算他失去一切，他最痛苦的事上帝的沉默。但是，他没有放弃过上帝，没有输掉上帝。因为他坚持要与上帝对话，上帝在旋风中回应他。在雅各书，雅各要我们好像约伯一样，在苦难中忍耐。并且盼望上帝后来给他的结局是如何的，也会同样发生在那些在苦难中忍耐的门徒当中。这苦难，绝对不是自招的祸，也不是因为自己的罪而来的苦难。
我们是否能够如这三位“高人”一样？
我们是否也能在他们的身上看见耶稣基督的样式？
December 01, 2010
October 23, 2009
The New Jerusalem
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the old heaven and the old earth had disappeared. And the sea was also gone. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven like a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. I heard a loud shout from the throne, saying, "Look, God's home is now among his people! He will live with them, and they will be his people. God himself will be with them. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."
And the one sitting on the throne said, "Look, I am making everything new!" And then he said to me, "Write this down, for what I tell you is trustworthy and true." And he also said, "It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. All who are victorious will inherit all these blessings, and I will be their God, and they will be my children. "But cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars—their fate is in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."
The New Living Translations ~ Revelations 21:1-8
August 07, 2008
What Lies Behind
What Lies Behind
Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar Genesis 22:9
Bound – There is a deep connection between the binding of Isaac and Yeshua. There is a deep connection between the sacrifice of father Abraham and the Father. There is a deep connection between the ram and the look behind. But that’s not quite all of it.
The pictographic representation of the word akod (to bind) is found in the three consonants Ayin-Qof-Daleth. That picture is “to see the open palm over the horizon,” or “to experience what opens behind.” In other words, the Hebrew idea of binding is not related to our concepts of forced submission and powerlessness. It is related to the purpose of the binding, not to the event. That purpose points us toward the future where we experience the grace of God’s open hand. To be bound is to be placed in the hand of God. It is to put my life into His care. Because binding is consensual submission, it must be based on the trust that God’s open palm will be seen in the future.
The pictograph of akar (behind, afterward) is “to see what is behind a person.” Coupled with the Hebrew idea of the future, this word perfectly describes the rowboat man. But now we know something else that is very important. The rowboat man is bound. The rowboat does not pick out any marker on the past shoreline to set his course. He is bound by invisible (usually) constraints that require him to pick only one set of markers. He sets his course by them because he allows himself to be bound by them. He consents to one path and only one path. In this way, akod and akar are “bound” together.
Do you get it? To travel toward the future with Messiah Yeshua is to be bound to a single pathway. That pathway is the one He gave us – to keep His commandments as He kept His Father’s commandments. There is only one way. It is the way of torah. To travel with Yeshua is to be bound to Him so that we might experience His open hand grace here and in the future.
Pay no attention to the world’s proclamation that all roads lead to God. They do not! Flee the seduction that there are many paths to righteousness. There is only one! Be cautious of all who would discard the clear commandments of God, no matter how “reasonable” their arguments seem. God’s way is not reasonable. Does the connection between akod and akar make sense? Does it really seem sane to think that the way to peace is to be bound? Do we really imagine that the marks of suffering are the badges of trust? No, God does not ask us to think our way into His plan. He asks us to obey!
What lies behind is God’s open palm, but you can’t get there by looking over your shoulder. You can only get there by climbing up on the altar and letting Father bind you. Then you will experience what is over the horizon, completely out of sight to all who refuse to let the ropes hold them down.
http://www.atgodstable.com/tw_print.cgi?l=en&a=1662
Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar Genesis 22:9
Bound – There is a deep connection between the binding of Isaac and Yeshua. There is a deep connection between the sacrifice of father Abraham and the Father. There is a deep connection between the ram and the look behind. But that’s not quite all of it.
The pictographic representation of the word akod (to bind) is found in the three consonants Ayin-Qof-Daleth. That picture is “to see the open palm over the horizon,” or “to experience what opens behind.” In other words, the Hebrew idea of binding is not related to our concepts of forced submission and powerlessness. It is related to the purpose of the binding, not to the event. That purpose points us toward the future where we experience the grace of God’s open hand. To be bound is to be placed in the hand of God. It is to put my life into His care. Because binding is consensual submission, it must be based on the trust that God’s open palm will be seen in the future.
The pictograph of akar (behind, afterward) is “to see what is behind a person.” Coupled with the Hebrew idea of the future, this word perfectly describes the rowboat man. But now we know something else that is very important. The rowboat man is bound. The rowboat does not pick out any marker on the past shoreline to set his course. He is bound by invisible (usually) constraints that require him to pick only one set of markers. He sets his course by them because he allows himself to be bound by them. He consents to one path and only one path. In this way, akod and akar are “bound” together.
Do you get it? To travel toward the future with Messiah Yeshua is to be bound to a single pathway. That pathway is the one He gave us – to keep His commandments as He kept His Father’s commandments. There is only one way. It is the way of torah. To travel with Yeshua is to be bound to Him so that we might experience His open hand grace here and in the future.
Pay no attention to the world’s proclamation that all roads lead to God. They do not! Flee the seduction that there are many paths to righteousness. There is only one! Be cautious of all who would discard the clear commandments of God, no matter how “reasonable” their arguments seem. God’s way is not reasonable. Does the connection between akod and akar make sense? Does it really seem sane to think that the way to peace is to be bound? Do we really imagine that the marks of suffering are the badges of trust? No, God does not ask us to think our way into His plan. He asks us to obey!
What lies behind is God’s open palm, but you can’t get there by looking over your shoulder. You can only get there by climbing up on the altar and letting Father bind you. Then you will experience what is over the horizon, completely out of sight to all who refuse to let the ropes hold them down.
http://www.atgodstable.com/tw_print.cgi?l=en&a=1662
Age of Consent
Age of Consent
Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar Genesis 22:9
Bound – According to Jewish tradition, Isaac was a young man of marriageable age (approximately 36) when his father Abraham took him to be sacrificed. Erase the idea of Isaac as the innocent and helpless child. At age thirty-six, Isaac could have easily overpowered his one-hundred year-old father. He did not do so. He consented to be bound. He obeyed in spite of the fact that his death was clearly imminent. In this story we have a foreshadowing of the great sacrifice of Yeshua who also consented to the will of His Father and was bound to the cross for our sins.
But there is even more here than this great foretelling of God’s ultimate gift. You see, the word for bound is akod. It describes wrapping in order to secure. The Jewish rabbinical scholar Rashi says that this word refers to the ring-like marks that are left behind as an indication of the binding. In other words, even after the ropes have been removed, the signs of akod still remain. The forensic evidence of submission leaves its impression.
Have you ever thought about the fact that Yeshua retained the marks of His submission even in His resurrected body? Why was that necessary? If the resurrected body is the perfectly redeemed expression of the true nature of the human being, why weren’t those terrible reminders of the agony of the cross removed? Why wasn’t the body of the resurrected Messiah perfectly new? The answer, of course, is that these marks of akod are the eternal badges of His fulfilled mission. When you and I see Him, we will see the marks. They are reminders that He had to be bound in order for us to be freed.
Now this raises a question for us. What are your akod marks? What have you allowed the Father to bind so that you could be obedient to Him? I suspect that we each have these identifying badges of consent. They are uniquely ours. There is something that God pressed us about, some element of our human will that had to respond, “Not my will but yours be done.” My guess is that this act of obedience left a scar. Do not expect that scar to go away. It is the eternal reminder that you belong to the ones who consented to be sacrificed. This is not a scar that you got on the way to conversion. Those painful reminders of past sins will be washed into the forgiving sea. These new markings are the evidence of your post-conversion obedience. They will not be washed away.
That does not mean that they were not painful. It just means that they were worth it.
A follower of Yeshua who does not bear any marks of akod is either too weak to allow God’s gracious suffering or too foolish to see what suffering really is all about.
http://www.atgodstable.com/tw_print.cgi?l=en&a=1661
Abraham built the altar there and arranged the wood, and bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar Genesis 22:9
Bound – According to Jewish tradition, Isaac was a young man of marriageable age (approximately 36) when his father Abraham took him to be sacrificed. Erase the idea of Isaac as the innocent and helpless child. At age thirty-six, Isaac could have easily overpowered his one-hundred year-old father. He did not do so. He consented to be bound. He obeyed in spite of the fact that his death was clearly imminent. In this story we have a foreshadowing of the great sacrifice of Yeshua who also consented to the will of His Father and was bound to the cross for our sins.
But there is even more here than this great foretelling of God’s ultimate gift. You see, the word for bound is akod. It describes wrapping in order to secure. The Jewish rabbinical scholar Rashi says that this word refers to the ring-like marks that are left behind as an indication of the binding. In other words, even after the ropes have been removed, the signs of akod still remain. The forensic evidence of submission leaves its impression.
Have you ever thought about the fact that Yeshua retained the marks of His submission even in His resurrected body? Why was that necessary? If the resurrected body is the perfectly redeemed expression of the true nature of the human being, why weren’t those terrible reminders of the agony of the cross removed? Why wasn’t the body of the resurrected Messiah perfectly new? The answer, of course, is that these marks of akod are the eternal badges of His fulfilled mission. When you and I see Him, we will see the marks. They are reminders that He had to be bound in order for us to be freed.
Now this raises a question for us. What are your akod marks? What have you allowed the Father to bind so that you could be obedient to Him? I suspect that we each have these identifying badges of consent. They are uniquely ours. There is something that God pressed us about, some element of our human will that had to respond, “Not my will but yours be done.” My guess is that this act of obedience left a scar. Do not expect that scar to go away. It is the eternal reminder that you belong to the ones who consented to be sacrificed. This is not a scar that you got on the way to conversion. Those painful reminders of past sins will be washed into the forgiving sea. These new markings are the evidence of your post-conversion obedience. They will not be washed away.
That does not mean that they were not painful. It just means that they were worth it.
A follower of Yeshua who does not bear any marks of akod is either too weak to allow God’s gracious suffering or too foolish to see what suffering really is all about.
http://www.atgodstable.com/tw_print.cgi?l=en&a=1661
Cast Your Eyes Upon
Cast Your Eyes Upon
Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; Genesis 22:13
Behind – If you’re reading this verse in English, you may discover two curious things. The first is here in the NASB with the addition of the word “him.” The second curiosity is found in translations like the NIV where the word “behind” is simply left out of the translation. Both options should cause us to pause. Something strange is happening and the English translations are stumbling over it.
The Hebrew actually says, “and behold a ram behind” (vehine-ayil achar). The word behind is achar meaning “behind, after or afterwards.” In order to make sense of this word, English translations like the NASB add the assumed pronoun “him.” But the text doesn’t say that. It says the Abraham looked and saw a ram achar. In order to understand what is implied here, we need to know that the Hebrew concept of the future is tied to the idea of behind. Achariyt comes from the same root. It is about the last time, the end or the future. It paints a picture of a man in a rowboat with his destination behind him so that he cannot see where he is going but only where he has been. This is the Hebrew idea of the future. When Abraham looked up, he peered into the behind and saw a sacrificial ram. It’s possible that Abraham saw a ram behind him, but that is not what the text says. It says that he saw the afterward-ram. In other words, in the moment that the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham to stop the sacrifice of Isaac, Abraham was allowed to see something deep in the afterward, far in the behind, hidden in the future. Abraham saw the coming sacrifice provided by God, the ram that would act as God’s own provision on the altar. Abraham caught a glimpse of the future.
It’s disappointing that this special view is lost in English translations. In an effort to make the words compatible with English grammar, we obscure the depth of the Hebrew. No Hebrew word is an accident. Unless we stick to the text exactly as it is written, we miss what God has to say. But now you know. Now you know that Abraham’s sacrifice connects us directly to Yeshua. Perhaps you always saw the implication. Now you see something even more wonderful. The secret was hidden long ago in the very word that describes the ram.
Once in awhile God allows a man or woman to see what’s coming. The occasions are rare. There is a reason for this. Human beings are preoccupied with knowing the future. It is a form of idolatry. Why? Because the motivation behind wanting to know what will happen is the motivation to control our destiny and that is based in a desire to be God. The reason the future lies behind us is so that we learn to depend on what we already know; namely, the long history of God’s faithfulness with us clearly seen in the past. As we learn of His reliable care, we trust Him. We find contentment. We reject independence. We stop worrying about tomorrow. We become children of the man who, when he was ready to sacrifice all, looked behind and saw the God who provides.
http://www.atgodstable.com/tw_print.cgi?l=en&a=1660
Then Abraham raised his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by his horns; Genesis 22:13
Behind – If you’re reading this verse in English, you may discover two curious things. The first is here in the NASB with the addition of the word “him.” The second curiosity is found in translations like the NIV where the word “behind” is simply left out of the translation. Both options should cause us to pause. Something strange is happening and the English translations are stumbling over it.
The Hebrew actually says, “and behold a ram behind” (vehine-ayil achar). The word behind is achar meaning “behind, after or afterwards.” In order to make sense of this word, English translations like the NASB add the assumed pronoun “him.” But the text doesn’t say that. It says the Abraham looked and saw a ram achar. In order to understand what is implied here, we need to know that the Hebrew concept of the future is tied to the idea of behind. Achariyt comes from the same root. It is about the last time, the end or the future. It paints a picture of a man in a rowboat with his destination behind him so that he cannot see where he is going but only where he has been. This is the Hebrew idea of the future. When Abraham looked up, he peered into the behind and saw a sacrificial ram. It’s possible that Abraham saw a ram behind him, but that is not what the text says. It says that he saw the afterward-ram. In other words, in the moment that the Angel of the Lord called to Abraham to stop the sacrifice of Isaac, Abraham was allowed to see something deep in the afterward, far in the behind, hidden in the future. Abraham saw the coming sacrifice provided by God, the ram that would act as God’s own provision on the altar. Abraham caught a glimpse of the future.
It’s disappointing that this special view is lost in English translations. In an effort to make the words compatible with English grammar, we obscure the depth of the Hebrew. No Hebrew word is an accident. Unless we stick to the text exactly as it is written, we miss what God has to say. But now you know. Now you know that Abraham’s sacrifice connects us directly to Yeshua. Perhaps you always saw the implication. Now you see something even more wonderful. The secret was hidden long ago in the very word that describes the ram.
Once in awhile God allows a man or woman to see what’s coming. The occasions are rare. There is a reason for this. Human beings are preoccupied with knowing the future. It is a form of idolatry. Why? Because the motivation behind wanting to know what will happen is the motivation to control our destiny and that is based in a desire to be God. The reason the future lies behind us is so that we learn to depend on what we already know; namely, the long history of God’s faithfulness with us clearly seen in the past. As we learn of His reliable care, we trust Him. We find contentment. We reject independence. We stop worrying about tomorrow. We become children of the man who, when he was ready to sacrifice all, looked behind and saw the God who provides.
http://www.atgodstable.com/tw_print.cgi?l=en&a=1660
July 25, 2008
The Red Letter Bible
The Red Letter Bible
and His name is called The Word of God. Revelation 19:13
Name – If you want to know the end, you must start that the beginning. John’s apocalyptic vision of the return and judgment of the Lord is unintelligible without the Hebrew Scriptures. A name is never just at name. A name is the essence of the being named. A name reveals position and power. A name uncovers destiny. So, when John tells us that the coming, glorious Messiah is named The Word of God, he is not just referring to his own gospel. He is telling us that the Messiah is the very essence of God revealed as creator, sustainer and ultimate goal of everything. The name of Yeshua is The Word of God. That’s not just a title. That’s who He is. Everywhere you find the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, you will find Yeshua.
Does that give you spiritual chills? It should. Can you imagine what it means to say that the Word of God became a human being; that the breath of God capable of bringing worlds into existence actually walked around on our planet? Do you realize that all God revealed to us about Himself was exhibited in Yeshua? No wonder He could say, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father.” To know Him is life. How could it be otherwise? He’s God! We can all shout Hallelujah!
But our excitement will be tempered when we read the preceding verse. It tells us that this One whose name is “The Word of God” comes dressed in a garment dipped in blood. Don’t ignore the apparent disconnect. Our returning Lord is a crucified God. The reason His clothing is dipped in blood is us. We are the ones who required that blood-stained garment. All of the sacrifices since the first time God slaughtered an animal to provide second skin for Adam and Eve have been previews of the crucified God. The essential character of God is “dipped in blood.” You might not like that imagery, but it’s our reality. That’s why God instructed us to participate in the blood sacrifices. We are to have a visceral, physical experience of what it means for the innocent and holy to die for the guilty. The bloodline of the Bible is not human progeny. It is divine compassion.
Imagine what this means for you and me. If God’s essential character is His Word – His power and glory – clothed in blood, and we are called to conform to His image, then our lives must honor the bloodline. We are to step into the place of the crucified God. We are to love our enemies, become peacemakers, bear the burdens of others, lay down our lives if necessary. The operating principle of redeemed living is blood sacrifice. You might think that it was all over when Jesus died on the cross. You’re right. He completed the work necessary to adopt you into the line. But it doesn’t stop there. Now you are born from above. Now you are a child of the King. Now you share in the task of bringing the red letter Bible to the rest of humanity. And it can’t be accomplished without spilling out our lives.
Wherever we operate in a protection mode, we work against the red letter God. Wherever we think first of our safety, our needs, our accumulation of goods and services, we remain antiseptically distant from the bloodline of the Bible. If the name of the Savior is dipped in blood, how can we pretend that our lives shouldn’t bleed?
http://www.atgodstable.com/tw_print.cgi?l=en&a=1557
and His name is called The Word of God. Revelation 19:13
Name – If you want to know the end, you must start that the beginning. John’s apocalyptic vision of the return and judgment of the Lord is unintelligible without the Hebrew Scriptures. A name is never just at name. A name is the essence of the being named. A name reveals position and power. A name uncovers destiny. So, when John tells us that the coming, glorious Messiah is named The Word of God, he is not just referring to his own gospel. He is telling us that the Messiah is the very essence of God revealed as creator, sustainer and ultimate goal of everything. The name of Yeshua is The Word of God. That’s not just a title. That’s who He is. Everywhere you find the Word of God, from Genesis to Revelation, you will find Yeshua.
Does that give you spiritual chills? It should. Can you imagine what it means to say that the Word of God became a human being; that the breath of God capable of bringing worlds into existence actually walked around on our planet? Do you realize that all God revealed to us about Himself was exhibited in Yeshua? No wonder He could say, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father.” To know Him is life. How could it be otherwise? He’s God! We can all shout Hallelujah!
But our excitement will be tempered when we read the preceding verse. It tells us that this One whose name is “The Word of God” comes dressed in a garment dipped in blood. Don’t ignore the apparent disconnect. Our returning Lord is a crucified God. The reason His clothing is dipped in blood is us. We are the ones who required that blood-stained garment. All of the sacrifices since the first time God slaughtered an animal to provide second skin for Adam and Eve have been previews of the crucified God. The essential character of God is “dipped in blood.” You might not like that imagery, but it’s our reality. That’s why God instructed us to participate in the blood sacrifices. We are to have a visceral, physical experience of what it means for the innocent and holy to die for the guilty. The bloodline of the Bible is not human progeny. It is divine compassion.
Imagine what this means for you and me. If God’s essential character is His Word – His power and glory – clothed in blood, and we are called to conform to His image, then our lives must honor the bloodline. We are to step into the place of the crucified God. We are to love our enemies, become peacemakers, bear the burdens of others, lay down our lives if necessary. The operating principle of redeemed living is blood sacrifice. You might think that it was all over when Jesus died on the cross. You’re right. He completed the work necessary to adopt you into the line. But it doesn’t stop there. Now you are born from above. Now you are a child of the King. Now you share in the task of bringing the red letter Bible to the rest of humanity. And it can’t be accomplished without spilling out our lives.
Wherever we operate in a protection mode, we work against the red letter God. Wherever we think first of our safety, our needs, our accumulation of goods and services, we remain antiseptically distant from the bloodline of the Bible. If the name of the Savior is dipped in blood, how can we pretend that our lives shouldn’t bleed?
http://www.atgodstable.com/tw_print.cgi?l=en&a=1557
July 04, 2008
在孤單時的信心---離棄
「我的神、我的神、為甚麼離棄我。」〈詩22:1〉
當我們聽到這句話時，通常會聯想起主耶穌在十字架上的情形。我們按照字面接受這句話，相信是神的兒子在揹負全世界的罪債時，發出的絕望呼喊。可是我們看得還不夠深。
主耶穌說這句話，是因祂要聽眾回想起整篇詩篇二十二篇。在祂那時代，詩篇不像現今一樣分成章節，而是用第一行做題目。因此宣告「我的神、我的神」，就等於在說：「凡是記得詩篇二十二篇的人」。主耶穌用這題目的原因，是當時每個猶太人都曉得祂在說什麼，在那個文化中，每個猶太人成長期間，都會背誦詩篇。
如果主耶穌要站在祂十字架下面的人，回想起詩篇二十二篇，那麼我們還要知道些什麼呢？當我們仔細看詩篇二十二篇，會發現hazav〈離棄〉不是主要的主題。詩篇二十二篇是關於拯救〈8節〉、至高權柄〈9節〉、搭救〈11節〉、安慰〈19節〉、救恩〈21節〉、讚美〈23節〉、成聖〈26節〉、繁榮〈29 節〉、以及最後公義〈31節〉的事。它以受苦和被丟棄的呼喊做開始，結尾卻是眾多的讚美。
以被丟棄的呼喊做開始的詩篇，卻以堅信公義的神會得勝的信心做結束。
主耶穌曾有過揹負罪的痛苦時刻嗎？當然有。曾經經歷徹底地被拋棄的時刻嗎？是的。主耶穌被推入絕望谷中嗎？絕對沒有！祂熟悉詩篇二十二篇，就跟熟悉祂血跡斑斑的手背一樣，神隨時準備好搭救人，神隨時能拯救人，公義會帶來勝利。 「我的神、我的神」 絕不是失敗的呼喊，而是成為宣告神在掌控一切的通道。
當我們和主耶穌一樣，想要喊叫 「我的神、我的神，為什麼」 時，必須準備好接受這篇詩篇其餘的部份。為什麼已得到了答案：「你們敬畏耶和華的人，要讚美祂」〈23節〉。祂是拯救之神。
http://missionpathway.org/
當我們聽到這句話時，通常會聯想起主耶穌在十字架上的情形。我們按照字面接受這句話，相信是神的兒子在揹負全世界的罪債時，發出的絕望呼喊。可是我們看得還不夠深。
主耶穌說這句話，是因祂要聽眾回想起整篇詩篇二十二篇。在祂那時代，詩篇不像現今一樣分成章節，而是用第一行做題目。因此宣告「我的神、我的神」，就等於在說：「凡是記得詩篇二十二篇的人」。主耶穌用這題目的原因，是當時每個猶太人都曉得祂在說什麼，在那個文化中，每個猶太人成長期間，都會背誦詩篇。
如果主耶穌要站在祂十字架下面的人，回想起詩篇二十二篇，那麼我們還要知道些什麼呢？當我們仔細看詩篇二十二篇，會發現hazav〈離棄〉不是主要的主題。詩篇二十二篇是關於拯救〈8節〉、至高權柄〈9節〉、搭救〈11節〉、安慰〈19節〉、救恩〈21節〉、讚美〈23節〉、成聖〈26節〉、繁榮〈29 節〉、以及最後公義〈31節〉的事。它以受苦和被丟棄的呼喊做開始，結尾卻是眾多的讚美。
以被丟棄的呼喊做開始的詩篇，卻以堅信公義的神會得勝的信心做結束。
主耶穌曾有過揹負罪的痛苦時刻嗎？當然有。曾經經歷徹底地被拋棄的時刻嗎？是的。主耶穌被推入絕望谷中嗎？絕對沒有！祂熟悉詩篇二十二篇，就跟熟悉祂血跡斑斑的手背一樣，神隨時準備好搭救人，神隨時能拯救人，公義會帶來勝利。 「我的神、我的神」 絕不是失敗的呼喊，而是成為宣告神在掌控一切的通道。
當我們和主耶穌一樣，想要喊叫 「我的神、我的神，為什麼」 時，必須準備好接受這篇詩篇其餘的部份。為什麼已得到了答案：「你們敬畏耶和華的人，要讚美祂」〈23節〉。祂是拯救之神。
http://missionpathway.org/
April 02, 2008
Isa 26:3
1 In that day, everyone in the land of Judah will sing this song:
Our city is strong!
We are surrounded by the walls of God's salvation.
2 Open the gates to all who are righteous;
allow the faithful to enter.
3 You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
4 Trust in the LORD always,
for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.
5 He humbles the proud
and brings down the arrogant city.
He brings it down to the dust.
6 The poor and oppressed trample it underfoot,
and the needy walk all over it.
We know that God is a God of compassion, that He does not want us to fail miserably and that He tells us that these direction signs are not too difficult for us in spite of our infirmities. God is for us, intimately interested in our alignment with Him. All that seems great. And it is.
But then we discover the terrible reality of life. “The good that I wish to do, I do not do, but rather I do the very thing that I do not wish to do.” There is a war going on inside of me – and a lot of time the enemy in me seems to win the battle. Paul, the great Hebrew rabbi, knew only too well the agony of this situation. It seems that every one of us struggles with at least one of the Commandments in a deep, personal way. There has to be an answer. There has to be hope.
Isaiah, the great prophet, offers this verse. We desperately want perfect peace (shalom shalom). But if we read this verse from a Greek perspective, we will miss its power. You see, the Hebrew text doesn’t use the word “mind” at all. The way to perfect peace is not a cognitive process. I can’t achieve harmony and tranquility with God by mental effort. The Hebrew word here is yetser. Don’t read it as the Greek nous! It’s not a word about your mental capacity. It’s a word about pottery!
Pottery? Yes, that’s right. This word is the word used to describe that wonderful metaphor of God as the potter and Man as the clay (Isaiah 29). It describes the skill of the Potter Who forms us, and all of creation, according to His desires and purposes. In other words, the form (pot) that God designed, when controlled by the Designer, allows the Designer to bring about perfect peace. When the pot is put to the use that it was designed to perform, then its real meaning is fulfilled. That is the experience of perfect peace.
How does this happen to a lump of clay like you and me? That takes us to the second word, samach. This verb means “to lay upon, to place on a person or thing,” like putting a load of wood on the back of a mule. When the pot rests entirely on God, then God uses it for exactly what it was meant to do – and that results in peace.
This is a little complex, but so important. It is not a thinking process. I don’t think my way into resting on God. I have to make choices, utilize emotions and exercise my body along with my mind in order to rest on Him. The firewood doesn’t get on the back of the mule by simply thinking about it. I have to engage my whole person, so that I deliberately put myself onto the Potter’s wheel. I have to let Him take charge of all of me. And when I do, God promises to use me for exactly what I was made to do. Then I will experience shalom shalom.
This is so simple – and so difficult. The world tells us that we must find our own destiny, discover our own best use. But that is not the Hebrew way. God has a different point of view.
Copyright 2003-2008 © Skip Moen and AtGodsTable.com. All Rights Reserved.
Our city is strong!
We are surrounded by the walls of God's salvation.
2 Open the gates to all who are righteous;
allow the faithful to enter.
3 You will keep in perfect peace
all who trust in you,
all whose thoughts are fixed on you!
4 Trust in the LORD always,
for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.
5 He humbles the proud
and brings down the arrogant city.
He brings it down to the dust.
6 The poor and oppressed trample it underfoot,
and the needy walk all over it.
We know that God is a God of compassion, that He does not want us to fail miserably and that He tells us that these direction signs are not too difficult for us in spite of our infirmities. God is for us, intimately interested in our alignment with Him. All that seems great. And it is.
But then we discover the terrible reality of life. “The good that I wish to do, I do not do, but rather I do the very thing that I do not wish to do.” There is a war going on inside of me – and a lot of time the enemy in me seems to win the battle. Paul, the great Hebrew rabbi, knew only too well the agony of this situation. It seems that every one of us struggles with at least one of the Commandments in a deep, personal way. There has to be an answer. There has to be hope.
Isaiah, the great prophet, offers this verse. We desperately want perfect peace (shalom shalom). But if we read this verse from a Greek perspective, we will miss its power. You see, the Hebrew text doesn’t use the word “mind” at all. The way to perfect peace is not a cognitive process. I can’t achieve harmony and tranquility with God by mental effort. The Hebrew word here is yetser. Don’t read it as the Greek nous! It’s not a word about your mental capacity. It’s a word about pottery!
Pottery? Yes, that’s right. This word is the word used to describe that wonderful metaphor of God as the potter and Man as the clay (Isaiah 29). It describes the skill of the Potter Who forms us, and all of creation, according to His desires and purposes. In other words, the form (pot) that God designed, when controlled by the Designer, allows the Designer to bring about perfect peace. When the pot is put to the use that it was designed to perform, then its real meaning is fulfilled. That is the experience of perfect peace.
How does this happen to a lump of clay like you and me? That takes us to the second word, samach. This verb means “to lay upon, to place on a person or thing,” like putting a load of wood on the back of a mule. When the pot rests entirely on God, then God uses it for exactly what it was meant to do – and that results in peace.
This is a little complex, but so important. It is not a thinking process. I don’t think my way into resting on God. I have to make choices, utilize emotions and exercise my body along with my mind in order to rest on Him. The firewood doesn’t get on the back of the mule by simply thinking about it. I have to engage my whole person, so that I deliberately put myself onto the Potter’s wheel. I have to let Him take charge of all of me. And when I do, God promises to use me for exactly what I was made to do. Then I will experience shalom shalom.
This is so simple – and so difficult. The world tells us that we must find our own destiny, discover our own best use. But that is not the Hebrew way. God has a different point of view.
Copyright 2003-2008 © Skip Moen and AtGodsTable.com. All Rights Reserved.
February 19, 2008
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.
诗篇19（现代中文译本）
諸天宣佈上帝的榮耀；穹蒼傳揚他的作為。
日日述說，夜夜傳播；
無言無語，無音無響。
然而，它們的音訊傳遍人間；它們的言語遠達天涯。上帝在天空為太陽安設帳幕；
太陽像新郎走出洞房，像勇士歡欣奔路。
它從天的這一邊出來，繞到天的那一邊；它的熱量普及萬物。
上主的法律完備，使人的生命更新；上主的命令可靠，使愚蠢人得智慧。
上主的法則公正，使順從的人喜樂；上主的訓誨透徹，使人的心眼明亮。
上主的規範純真，永遠留存；上主的判斷準確，始終公道。
它們比金子可貴，勝過最精純的金子；它們比蜂蜜甘甜，勝過最純淨的蜂蜜。
這一切使你的僕人深受警惕；僕人謹守，獲益無窮。
誰能看見自己的過錯呢？求你寬恕我無意的過失。
求你使我不至於故意犯罪，不容許罪惡支配我。這樣，我就能成為無可指責的人，免犯悖逆重罪。
上主─我的避難所，我的救贖者啊，願我的言語，我的心思都蒙你悅納！
Psalm 19 (New Living Translations)
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.*
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.
God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
The sun rises at one end of the heavens
and follows its course to the other end.
Nothing can hide from its heat.
The instructions of the LORD are perfect,
reviving the soul.
The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The commandments of the LORD are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are clear,
giving insight for living.
Reverence for the LORD is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the LORD are true;
each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to your servant,
a great reward for those who obey them.
How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
Don't let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
and innocent of great sin.
May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
諸天宣佈上帝的榮耀；穹蒼傳揚他的作為。
日日述說，夜夜傳播；
無言無語，無音無響。
然而，它們的音訊傳遍人間；它們的言語遠達天涯。上帝在天空為太陽安設帳幕；
太陽像新郎走出洞房，像勇士歡欣奔路。
它從天的這一邊出來，繞到天的那一邊；它的熱量普及萬物。
上主的法律完備，使人的生命更新；上主的命令可靠，使愚蠢人得智慧。
上主的法則公正，使順從的人喜樂；上主的訓誨透徹，使人的心眼明亮。
上主的規範純真，永遠留存；上主的判斷準確，始終公道。
它們比金子可貴，勝過最精純的金子；它們比蜂蜜甘甜，勝過最純淨的蜂蜜。
這一切使你的僕人深受警惕；僕人謹守，獲益無窮。
誰能看見自己的過錯呢？求你寬恕我無意的過失。
求你使我不至於故意犯罪，不容許罪惡支配我。這樣，我就能成為無可指責的人，免犯悖逆重罪。
上主─我的避難所，我的救贖者啊，願我的言語，我的心思都蒙你悅納！
Psalm 19 (New Living Translations)
The heavens proclaim the glory of God.
The skies display his craftsmanship.
Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known.
They speak without a sound or word;
their voice is never heard.*
Yet their message has gone throughout the earth,
and their words to all the world.
God has made a home in the heavens for the sun.
It bursts forth like a radiant bridegroom after his wedding.
It rejoices like a great athlete eager to run the race.
The sun rises at one end of the heavens
and follows its course to the other end.
Nothing can hide from its heat.
The instructions of the LORD are perfect,
reviving the soul.
The decrees of the LORD are trustworthy,
making wise the simple.
The commandments of the LORD are right,
bringing joy to the heart.
The commands of the LORD are clear,
giving insight for living.
Reverence for the LORD is pure,
lasting forever.
The laws of the LORD are true;
each one is fair.
They are more desirable than gold,
even the finest gold.
They are sweeter than honey,
even honey dripping from the comb.
They are a warning to your servant,
a great reward for those who obey them.
How can I know all the sins lurking in my heart?
Cleanse me from these hidden faults.
Keep your servant from deliberate sins!
Don't let them control me.
Then I will be free of guilt
and innocent of great sin.
May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing to you,
O LORD, my rock and my redeemer.
February 16, 2008
Proverbs 16
I'm reading today's proverbs, the more I read, the more I wish to leave some notes on my blog! :p And tat's why I'm here now..
16: 4 The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for punishment.
Since the Lord has His own purposes on everything, shall we ask Him the right questions: What do you want me to learn in this situation? instead of asking "Why does this happen?"
16: 24 Kind words are like honey---sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
If you cannot speak kind words, then don't say anything lor.. there is a chinese saying "你唔出聲，冇人會話你啞嘎！"
16:44 We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.
This reminds me when we like to play card games, such as Phase 10 (a game that I introduced to my friends after a trip to overseas). We are used to say "aiyar.. no luck leh..." or "aduii.. he got all the lucks! tat's why he keep getting the joker cards!!!"
In fact, what is luck? Is there such thing as luck? From this verse 44, it says "but the Lord determines how they fall." God knows everything! He knew who will be the winner and the loser of the game! Why? Because He is the Lord Almighty and He is greater, not controlled by time and history! Can you imagine how great God is? He is greater than time. He knows our past, our current, and our future! Because He is beyond everything... So, why do we still play card games? Why do we still live in this world since He knew everything and He determines everything? I guess that's the fun of life. If we human know everything, then our life have no fun! If we knew that our life will be a rich life, will we still depend on Him and ask His guidance? If we knew that our life will be a difficult life, will we keep on going? It is so amazing!
"You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever." (Psalm 16:11)
16: 4 The Lord has made everything for his own purposes, even the wicked for punishment.
Since the Lord has His own purposes on everything, shall we ask Him the right questions: What do you want me to learn in this situation? instead of asking "Why does this happen?"
16: 24 Kind words are like honey---sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.
If you cannot speak kind words, then don't say anything lor.. there is a chinese saying "你唔出聲，冇人會話你啞嘎！"
16:44 We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.
This reminds me when we like to play card games, such as Phase 10 (a game that I introduced to my friends after a trip to overseas). We are used to say "aiyar.. no luck leh..." or "aduii.. he got all the lucks! tat's why he keep getting the joker cards!!!"
In fact, what is luck? Is there such thing as luck? From this verse 44, it says "but the Lord determines how they fall." God knows everything! He knew who will be the winner and the loser of the game! Why? Because He is the Lord Almighty and He is greater, not controlled by time and history! Can you imagine how great God is? He is greater than time. He knows our past, our current, and our future! Because He is beyond everything... So, why do we still play card games? Why do we still live in this world since He knew everything and He determines everything? I guess that's the fun of life. If we human know everything, then our life have no fun! If we knew that our life will be a rich life, will we still depend on Him and ask His guidance? If we knew that our life will be a difficult life, will we keep on going? It is so amazing!
"You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever." (Psalm 16:11)
February 09, 2007
Giving
Yesterday I read about Moses receiving the Laws from the Lord, and then he went down from Mount Sinai and told the Israelites abt God's commandment and the offerings they need to give. And the people give everyday until the workers said "enough! we r hving too much to build the tabernacle!" and Moses has to stop the Israelites from giving! Isn't it amazing?
and at the "Pondering" section (according to Cover to Cover), it is written as below:
"It is a Scriptural principle to give according to one's income. Those whose giving is not accroding to their income mayfind that God adjsts their income according to their giving"
Isn't it amazing? 
February 02, 2007
Proverbs 2 How to be wise?
箴言Proverbs 2: 智慧之果 The Benefits of Wisdom
2:1 年輕人哪，要學習我的教導，不可忘記我給你的指示。
My child,* listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.
2:2 要聽明智的訓言，明白它的意義。
Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.
2:3 是的，要追求知識；要尋求領悟。
Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.
2:4 要像尋求銀子一樣熱心，像搜索寶藏一樣認真。
Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.
2:5 這樣，你就會領悟甚麼是敬畏上主，明白甚麼是認識上帝。
Then you will understand what it means to fear the LORD, and you will gain knowledge of God.
"Hey! you want more money? God says, search insight and understanding like you want more money! Then you will know how to fear the Lord! But where is our focus? Money? or KNOWLEDGE of God?"
2:6 因為，賜智慧的是上主，知識和悟性都是從他來的。
For the LORD grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
2:7 他幫助正直的人，保護誠實的人。
He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.
2:8 他幫助待人公道的人，衛護對他忠誠的人。
He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.
2:9 你若聽從我，就會知道甚麼是誠實、公平、正直，知道甚麼是你們應當做的。
Then you will understand what is right, just, and fair, and you will find the right way to go.
2:10 你會成為明智的人，而知識會使你歡愉。
For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will fill you with joy.
2:11 你的遠見要衛護你，悟性要保護你，
Wise choices will watch over you. Understanding will keep you safe.
"How to be safe? know His way! Know what He says! YOU hv to find the right way!"
2:12 使你不至於做錯了事，要保守你，使你遠離那些以口舌惹是生非的人，
Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose words are twisted.
2:13 遠避那些背棄正道、生活在黑暗中、
These men turn from the right way to walk down dark paths.
2:14 喜歡作惡、以邪惡為樂、
They take pleasure in doing wrong, and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil.
2:15 走彎曲道路、不可信賴的人。
Their actions are crooked, and their ways are wrong.
2:16 智慧使你能夠抗拒想用甜言蜜語勾引你的女人。
Wisdom will save you from the immoral woman, from the seductive words of the promiscuous woman.
2:17 這女人對自己的丈夫不貞，忘記了自己神聖的誓約。
She has abandoned her husband and ignores the covenant she made before God.
2:18 你如果上她的家，無異走上死路；她的路導向陰間。 Entering her house leads to death; it is the road to the grave.*
2:19 凡去探望她的人沒有一個回來，沒有回到生路上來的人。
The man who visits her is doomed. He will never reach the paths of life.
2:20 所以，你要以好人為榜樣，過正直的生活。
Follow the steps of good men instead, and stay on the paths of the righteous.
"Find a model to Follow! and don't forget, the best model is JESUS CHRIST!"
2:21 正直忠誠的人得以定居在這片土地上；
For only the godly will live in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it.
2:22 但是上帝要從這地上剷除作惡的人，像拔草一樣把罪人除滅。
But the wicked will be removed from the land, and the treacherous will be uprooted.
November 14, 2006
Proverbs 14
today, the Word speaks to me.. especially the first verse..
Proverbs 14
1 A wise woman builds her home,
but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
but a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
I want to be a wise woman!!
9 Fools make fun of guilt,
but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.
but the godly acknowledge it and seek reconciliation.
If you find me making fun of guilt, please remind me!
13 Laughter can conceal a heavy heart,
but when the laughter ends, the grief remains.
but when the laughter ends, the grief remains.
If you are grieving, please share with me.
31 Those who oppress the poor insult their Maker,
but helping the poor honors him.
but helping the poor honors him.
Help me to honor You..
May 19, 2006
Godliness
Being Godliness is to be holy. Holyness is a character of God. We cannot be God, but we can imitate Him, because we are created in His image. How to imitate Him? Before we do anything, say anything, think for a while, What Would Jesus Do? Though it sounds impossible, impossible to think everytime before we say anything, but we can always reflect and think over did we say the right thing, do the right thing? Being task oriented is not a sin, but before we want to achieve a task, we shall be sensitive to person as well, being sensitive to a person's feelings, the relationship between "i and he/she", think over again and again, did i say anything wrong that hurts him or her? Did i do the right thing to encourage people, and building up a person?
"And don't let anyone put you down because you're young. Teach believers with your life: by word, by demeanor, by love, by faith, by integrity. " (The Message 1 Tim 4:12)
"不可叫人小看你年轻，总要在言语、行为、爱心、信心、清洁上，都作信徒的榜样。" (1 Tim 4:12)
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