Friday, 1st April 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1 Self-Deception
This is a dark time when the world leaders decided to live together with the virus. But when God first created the world, He did not create Covid-19, and He wanted people to enjoy the beautiful world. Unfortunately, when sins come into the world, we become slaves to the world. We give up because we don’t believe God is with us. When the Government declares that we will live with the virus, do we still believe God reigns?
V1 ‘The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; there is none who does good.’ We believe in God but does our lifestyle reflect our faith in God? Do we believe that God vindicates? A lot of time we want to solve the problems straight away and for cannot see God is already making a way for us. We don’t need to judge others because there are rules and regulations in this world, and God is our Judge. He knows everything about us, and He knows every word we say.
Every created thing has the desire to find their root. We all want to know where we came from, how we were created, and if we were valuable. Self-deception will only take away our hope; David knew this truth and he knew that he must first recognise God in his life, in order to see the way out of his troubles.
Section Two V2-3
V2 ‘God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there are any who understand, who seek God.’ God not only sees us, but He also sees our children and our children’s children. He is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; He is the God if all generations and He also wants us to pass on the understanding of who He is to our next generations. We must live out this Great Commission from Jesus, to share the Good News and to pass on the goodness of God to everyone around us.
V3 ‘Every one of them has turned aside; they have together become corrupt; there is none who does good, no, not one.’ We must be the faithful servants for God, to be diligent in sharing His Word. May God forgive us for not understanding His Will, He has taught us and He has lift us up, but we have been slacking in walking in His Truth. We tend to focus on our own needs and our own problems, we have been busy trying to solve our own problems instead of carrying out the Work of God.
Section Three V4-6 God Reigns
V4-5 ‘Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, who eat up my people as they eat bread, and do not call upon God? There they are in great fear where no fear was, for God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you; You have put them to shame, because God has despised them.’ At the end God will reign no matter what, why then are we afraid of the enemies? On the other hand, if we follow the worldly way, then when God reigns, we will be destroyed along with the world.
V6 ‘Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back the captivity of His people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.’ God is there with us in dark times and in difficult times, do not be afraid because He is with us.
诗篇 53 – 有困难是有神在
2022年4月1日 星期五
潘锡安牧师
神的创造都是美好的，他并没有要我们与病毒共存。如今我们面对这个天灾人祸频发的末世，有很多事情都不是从神的创造而来，只是因为罪进入世界，世界就与我们为敌，让我们活在为奴为仆的光景中。当我们不知道有神在，就会放弃了。很多时候我们会有负面的思想出来，说自己就是原来的样子无法改变，但我们不要放弃自己真实的身份，因为我们若放弃，仇敌就得到我们的权柄。我们要相信神给我们的是能力、智慧、权柄，不要放弃我们君尊王族的身份而去与世界共存。面对新西兰疫情政策的变动、民众有很多害怕、担心，不知道前方光景如何，神借着这诗篇53篇的经文启示我们当怎样行。本篇诗篇从字面上看与诗篇14一样。但是，诗篇14篇是大卫写的交给伶长的诗歌，直抒胸臆；而诗篇53是“训诲诗”，是大卫教导那些在困难中属神子民的话语，不是自我情绪的发泄。
一、v.1 自欺欺人
大卫在一开始就说“愚顽人”心里“没有神”。我们是否说自己跟从神，但活出的却是一个“没有神”、跟从世界的生命? 圣经教导我们不要为自己伸冤，我们要知道在这个爱的家庭里我们有一个大家长 – 就是神。在一个家里，父母会为我们主持公道，我们不需要在他们面前指责其他的兄弟姐妹。不为自己伸冤不代表在这个世界不分黑白，而是指在主的家中不要为了对错而失去合一，要相信神掌权。我们不要批评论断主内的属灵权柄或弟兄姐妹，但这个世界有地上的权柄来掌权，我们是通过世界的法律途径来处理事情。基督徒不需要用批评别人来高举自己，也不需要逆来顺受。
“邪恶”指的是破坏。每一个人心里都有渴慕去寻回起初创造的那一位，因为里面有不满足，好像从小被别人收养的孩子长大后心里有“寻根”的渴望。当人说“没有神”的时候，这是在做破坏，让听到的人不觉得自己有价值。这些坏人讲自欺欺人的话让我们混乱、失去盼望，这是一件神所看为恶的事。人眼中看自己所行的都是对的，但其实“没有一个人行善”。
二、v.2-3 神在看
V2 大卫的回应就是否定之前恶人的话，神是从天上看我们的，并且也看着我们的子孙后代。“明白的”原文跟创3:6“使人有智慧”是一样的意思。神在看我们是否愿意从困难中走出来，成为黑暗中的星星，使人敬畏耶和华。我们蒙召的人要活出耶稣基督给我们“广传福音、门训万民”的大使命，让我们可以聚宝在天上，而不是只享受地上的生活，因我们只是带着自己的儿孙一起在这个世界“出差”。当我们传福音却被人拒绝的时候，是否有“寻求”神，是否迫切祷告甚至禁食祷告？还是只是用“我已经尽力了”来当作放弃的借口？我们将来是要向神交账的，神从天上看我们是否寻求他，而我们所寻求的内容是否只是叫神为我们做事情：住大房子、换好工作、让配偶对我们好，等等？这不是跟从神的方式，我们要感恩神教导我们，当我们力行圣经遇到困难的时候要寻求神。
V3 各人“退后”是因为大家都单顾自己的事，冷淡退后之后都一同变得肮脏，没有一个人行神眼中看为对的事。神一直都在看我们所做的事，我们是否整天只处理自己觉得困难的事，只看到自己的软弱、自己的需要，而没有时间去传福音？我们相信神在看吗？
三、v.4-6 神掌权
V4-5 本来神是跟他的百姓在一起的，而仇敌看到后本该害怕的，但现在他们当作没看见，就不害怕、任意妄为。然而，他们不知道 自己最终会尸横遍野（“骨头散开”）、经历失败，因为神最后是得胜的。
V6 在困难、干旱无水之地，我们要知道有神在，就不害怕！