Thursday, 22nd July 2021
Pastor Kathy Poon
Section One V1-13: Seek and you will find
Jesus has not taught His disciples how to pray, but when the disciples saw Him praying after His ministry they asked Him how to pray. The focus of praying is building our relationship with God. What is the core focus of our payers? To connect with God and to bring God’s Kingdom to where we are praying right now! When we pray, the most important thing is not whatever we are praying for, but for God’s presence to be with us, then healing and deliverance will follow, and people’s hearts will return to God.
Jesus also taught us the attitude of praying, when we pray with a fervent heart and by faith, the Holy Spirit dwell within us will provide for us all the abundance and love we need.
Section Two V14-26: The kingdom of God has come upon us
There were a group of people around Jesus that don’t accept Him and always finding fault. This is a generation of depression and brokenness, and the spiritual realm is real. When Jesus casted out the demons, then people came to accuse Him for casting out small demons with a bigger demon. Therefore Jesus used parable to teach people how He serve by the Kingdom of God. The ‘strong man’ of the world is trying to overpower this world, but Jesus is bigger and stronger and through Him we can overcome all dark forces of this world.
Do not be afraid of spiritual warfare, it is because when there is spiritual warfare, it means our spirit is alert and we have the influence to change this world that the devil wants to come against it. True Christian life will have warfare, because our spirits are not asleep but awaken. We can also have the assurance that when we seek God’s kingdom, He will lead us through all the challenges and hardship.
Section Three V27-36: When your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light
When Jonah preached in the city of Nineveh, the people of Nineveh repented, but when Jesus was preaching, the Jews did not repent. Because people focused on the miracles, but Jesus focused on the hearts. People no longer have a heart of repentance, but they were only looking at the miracles like bystanders.
Do not hide our light, because our life either has light or has no light. Therefore, Jesus wanted us to open our spiritual eyes, and see God’s work and glory in our lives. Is there light in our lives? This is a generation of confusion, when Jesus carries His light into this generation, we need to return for Jesus to come into our lives.
Section Four V37-54: Woe to the Pharisees
In the Bible, it talks a lot about the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Sadducees served in the Temple of God, whereas the Pharisees were teachers, who taught all over the Synagogues about the God’s Word. The Pharisees liked to challenge Jesus, His teachings, and His doings. Jesus emphasized here that the cleansing of the heart is more important than the cleansing of hands and body. If we only look at outward appearance, we will become ignorance, because if our inside is brightened, then our whole body will be brightened.
When we preach, we are not just passing on knowledge to others, but we need to live out the life of Jesus ourselves, be genuine from inside out. The Pharisees were able to strictly carry out the law, but they neglected the righteousness and love inside the heart. Jesus also said the Pharisees need to have the cleansing of values. Do we do everything to gain people’s recognition and praises? Or do we seek the intimacy with God behind the closed doors and carry out own cross?
Then Jesus also talked about the cleansing of laws. Laws are important, but when the Pharisees added many burdens to the people by complicating the laws, they lost the love for God and for people. We need to examine our own values and actions, we must always go back to the Great Commandment, are we just obeying the laws for the sake of doing it? Or do we really have the love for God and for people?
In our position, we also need to seek God’s cleansing. The positions God has given to us is important, not for us to hold onto it tightly, but to lead people to God. What is our intention when we interact with people? Out of our own selfish gains or out of love?
Prayer & Pursuit
Lord, we long to see our environment change, we long to see Your glorious revival coming to our church. But Lord, only You know the true intention of our hearts. We don’t want to be like the Pharisees, and we don’t want to be a bystander to only see Your miracles on the side. We want to be connected to You, to have the light coming into our lives, and brighten the darkness, the false values and attitudes in our hearts. Lord, let everything we do not for people’s recognition but for people’s hearts turning back to You. Lord, may Your light come to us, so we will have no more fear and no more darkness. We want to see Your glory and Your work to come to our families, our church, our surroundings, and our city. Lord, we declare all people will praise Your Name! Lead us not into temptation and deliver us from the evil ones. Lord, You have given us the authority to overcome this world! Amen!
2021年7月22日 星期四
-Kathy师母-
路加福音 11
愿神的国降临
一、寻找的就寻见 （v.1-13)
V1 耶稣之前都没有教导他的门徒祷告，现在门徒们看见他常在服事后祷告，就请他教他们如何祷告。祷告是与神建立关系。耶稣自己先身体力行，然后门徒看见了就渴望学习。神在与我们的关系中不会逼我们，而是在等候我们对他有一颗渴慕的心。
V2-4 耶稣教导我们如何向神祷告。V2 这一段话讲到我们与神的连结，无论我们是个人还是集体祷告，重点是把神的国带到我们祷告的地方。有神同在的地方，医治、神迹奇事就会自然发生。V3 我们的焦点先在神的国里，然后是我们生活中一切的需要都被神看顾。V4 神也看重我们与人的关系，要“赦免凡亏欠我们的人”；试探- 就是灵界的争战，我们不是活在黑暗权势里，而是神的掌权中。整个主祷文是一个夹心式的祷告：要先求神的国和神的义，我们日常所需的“面包”就会临到我们，最后将一切荣耀颂赞归给神。
V5-8 祷告的态度：“我告诉你们：虽不因他是朋友起来给他，但因他情词迫切地直求，就必起来照他所需用的给他。” – 我们不仅是有个人的祭坛，也要为人代求。一个代祷人要有四个心：1）爱心（你对你朋友半夜的需要有爱心吗？），2）谦卑无助的心 – “我没有什么给他摆上”（V6）所以需要，3）恒心 – 不断的敲门、情词迫切的直求（V8），4）信心 -“就必起来照他所需用的给他”（V8），相信神一定可以供应。
V9-13 我们在祷告时要有信心。当我们有圣灵内住，有神的同在在我们里面，我们就有一切的丰盛、爱、能力和供应。有神就有一切，所以我们要常常呼求神的同在，求圣灵充满我们，让我们生命中的病痛和风暴能迎刃而解。当我们在寻找、叩门、与神建立关系的时候，神就把他的同在、智慧能力赐给我们。
二、神的国临到你们 （v.14-26)
V14-20 耶稣周围有一群不接受他却一直在找他把柄的人。这个世代是一个压抑、破碎的世代，因为亚当在犯罪后就把地上的权柄拱手让给了撒旦。灵界是真实的，耶稣为人赶鬼，有人就污蔑他说他是靠一个大鬼来赶走小鬼，于是耶稣用比喻来说明，并阐明自己是靠着“神的国”来服事。
V21-23 “壮士”代表世上掌权的王，“更壮的”则是耶稣；我们每一个人都是被耶稣从黑暗权势抢夺过来的。
V24-26 我们基督徒要警醒，因为仇敌就好像狮子遍地寻找可吞吃的人。当我们愿意一起晨祷，求神的国降临我们的生命、家庭、职场的时候，这对我们是一个很好的保护。当神的国降临，光就会临到；如果我们被洁净了，里面却没有神的话语，我们还是会被邪灵沾染。当我们读神的话语，亲近神，呼求祷告的时候，耶稣就来修复我们里面的价值观。我们平时有争战，说明我们是对撒旦有影响力的，我们是属于光明国度的，不要害怕起来争战，要警醒，而不是随波逐流做一个与世人无异的基督徒。
三、眼睛明亮全身光明 （v.27-36)
耶稣指出当时人的三个错误的看法：
1. V27-28 当时有人很崇拜耶稣，说他的妈妈很有福。耶稣教导说：“却还不如听神之道而遵守的人有福！”耶稣曾说过凡遵守父的旨意的人都是他的母亲兄弟。耶稣对于那些觉得他厉害是因为家族厉害的人说，我们能成为神国的“富二代”是因为遵守神的教训。我们在属灵里面的家人比我们肉身的亲人还要亲密，因为我们有真理，有一样的异象，在神里有连结。
2. V29-32 这个世代看不懂耶稣的作为，他所传福音的犹太人是非常相信和寻求神迹的。当约拿向尼尼微城宣告神的话，尼尼微人就悔改；但是当耶稣在传讲福音的时候，那个时代的人没有悔改的心，只是在看热闹，看耶稣行神迹而已。耶稣在教导我们，他所行的神迹都是为了让我们回转向神。
3. V33-36 我们不要隐藏我们的光 – 我们的生命不是有光就是没有光。我们要“省察”，要打开我们属灵的眼睛，看见神的作为和荣耀，而不只是表面的神迹奇事。当我们的生命有黑暗，就会有破口、罪、疾病，但若我们属灵的眼睛打开，渴望看见神，神的光就会进入我们里面，除去黑暗、带下医治，从错误回转向神。
四、法利赛人的祸 （v.37-54)
V37-41 法利赛人是当时的教师，在各地的犹太会堂教导犹太人，他们喜欢来找耶稣的麻烦。我们表面的洁净并不表明我们里面结净，我们“洗手”不是必要的，最重要的是要洗我们的心，让我们里面也洁净。我们需要从里到外的真诚。
V42- 法利赛人很严格的做十一奉献，但是更重要的公义和爱却没有。耶稣在这里说，虽然财物的奉献是应该的，但里面的公义和爱是更重要的。
V43 价值观的洁净 – 我们看什么最重要？是追求人的肯定吗？还是神他自己？
V45 耳朵要洁净 – “忠言逆耳”，耶稣说的话，他们听不进去。听神的道并遵行的人是有福的！
V46 诫命的洁净- 律法是好的，但法利赛人加了很多其他规定来压制人。诫命的总纲就是爱神爱人。
V47-51 修造的洁净- 我们不要一边表面上行公义的事，另外一边却做违背神旨意的事。
V52 职务的洁净- 我们在所在的位置是应当带领人进入神的国。
V53-54 动机的洁净- 我们跟人相处的时候，动机纯洁吗？还是会被激动说一些不该说的话？我们内心的诚实是比外在的敬虔更重要。
*追求祷告：
求主来检视我们的心，是否有什么不义、鉴察我们跟随你的动机。我们邀请圣灵来光照我们里面真实的光景。
主，我们渴慕看到神迹奇事、看到我们的环境改变、财务翻转、复兴来到教会，但唯有圣灵你知道我们内心的光景。我们不要像法利赛人那样看热闹，主我们要你，让我们的心悔改回转向你，与你再一次连结，求你生命的光来到我们里面，光照我们里面一切的自私贪婪、错误的价值观，求主洁净我们，帮助我们不是只有外面的敬虔、不是要人的称赞，我们做一切是要使神你的国降临，让人心回转。帮助我们里面没有黑暗害怕，主我们渴慕看见你的荣耀和作为不仅在我们个人身上，也在我们的家庭、教会、职场、社区、国家。愿你的旨意成就在地上如同在天上，我们宣告世人都尊你的名为圣，求主给我们权柄战胜恶者和试探，宣告我们活在你掌权的国度里。一切颂赞荣耀国度归给主！奉耶稣基督的名祷告，阿门！