神的異象
我們的神在施行統治
經文
詩篇九1-20
1（大衛的詩，交與伶長。調用慕拉便。）我要一心稱謝耶和華；我要傳揚你一切奇妙的作為。
2我要因你歡喜快樂；至高者啊，我要歌頌你的名！
3我的仇敵轉身退去的時候，他們一見你的面就跌倒滅亡。
4因你已經為我伸冤，為我辨屈；你坐在寶座上，按公義審判。
5你曾斥責外邦，你曾滅絕惡人；你曾塗抹他們的名，直到永永遠遠。
6仇敵到了盡頭；他們被毀壞，直到永遠。你拆毀他們的城邑，連他們的名號都歸於無有。
7惟耶和華坐著為王，直到永遠；他已經為審判設擺他的寶座。
8他要按公義審判世界，按正直判斷萬民。
9耶和華又要給受欺壓的人作高臺，在患難的時候作高臺。
10耶和華啊，認識你名的人要倚靠你，因你沒有離棄尋求你的人。
11應當歌頌居錫安的耶和華，將他所行的傳揚在眾民中。
12因為那追討流人血之罪的，他記念受屈的人，不忘記困苦人的哀求。
13耶和華啊，你是從死門把我提拔起來的；求你憐恤我，看那恨我的人所加給我的苦難，
14好叫我述說你一切的美德；我必在錫安城（原文是女子）的門因你的救恩歡樂。
15外邦人陷在自己所掘的坑中；他們的腳在自己暗設的網羅裡纏住了。
16耶和華已將自己顯明了，他已施行審判；惡人被自己手所作的纏住了（或譯：他叫惡人被自己手所作的累住了）。（細拉）
17惡人，就是忘記神的外邦人，都必歸到陰間。
18窮乏人必不永久被忘；困苦人的指望必不永遠落空。
19耶和華啊，求你起來，不容人得勝！願外邦人在你面前受審判！
20耶和華啊，求你使外邦人恐懼；願他們知道自己不過是人。（細拉）
信息分享
昨天我們說過，二十世紀初期有國家領袖曾宣告說：「我們已經將君王從他們的寶座上驅逐下來，現在我們要驅逐天上的君王。」1917年的革命以後，俄國採納了無神論主義──但結果怎麼樣呢？俄羅斯的基督徒比英倫三島還要多！不但這樣，很多基督徒都感到，現在的俄羅斯和東歐都是世界上其中一些屬靈最豐收的禾場。
歐洲的王國受到搖動，導致不能動搖的王國可以從塵土中顯現。基督徒需要一直記著這點：世上的一切都是由天上的寶座在做決定，不是地上。我知道有時天上寶座的權力似乎和地上發生的事沒有多大關連。謀殺、搶掠、慾望、貪婪、強姦、自私、驕傲和妒忌充滿全地，而善良與邪惡之間的戰爭似乎永遠是那麼激烈，但是不要被你雙眼所看見的、或你從報紙上讀到的事情所欺騙。不論情況的表面怎樣，我們都必須相信聖經，它是神所寫下的話語。神在聖經中告訴我們，這是祂的世界──祂從宇宙中央的寶座那裡施行統治。
神是君王！看祂坐在寶座上！請在你心裡再次為祂加冕吧！
「世上一切都是天上的決定」
進深研究
詩四十七1-9；詩九十三1；詩九十六10；詩九十七1-2
1. 我們為甚麼可以歡欣？
2. 詩人確信甚麼？
祈禱
天父，我在您面前下跪，承認您是宇宙的統治者，因為您俘擄了我的心。我沒有黃金冠冕可以放在您的腳前，但我要把我的心給您。我屬於您，您也屬於我，直到永遠。感謝您，我的天父。阿們。
The Vision of God
Our God reigns!
Bible reading:
Psalm 9:1-20
1 I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.
2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing the praises of your name, O Most High.
3 My enemies turn back; they stumble and perish before you.
4 For you have upheld my right and my cause, sitting enthroned as the righteous judge.
5 You have rebuked the nations and destroyed the wicked; you have blotted out their name forever and ever.
6 Endless ruin has overtaken my enemies, you have uprooted their cities; even the memory of them has perished.
7 The Lord reigns forever; he has established his throne for judgment.
8 He rules the world in righteousness and judges the peoples with equity.
9 The Lord is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
11 Sing the praises of the Lord, enthroned in Zion; proclaim among the nations what he has done.
12 For he who avenges blood remembers; he does not ignore the cries of the afflicted.
13 Lord, see how my enemies persecute me! Have mercy and lift me up from the gates of death,
14 that I may declare your praises in the gates of Daughter Zion, and there rejoice in your salvation.
15 The nations have fallen into the pit they have dug; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.
16 The Lord is known by his acts of justice; the wicked are ensnared by the work of their hands.[c]
17 The wicked go down to the realm of the dead, all the nations that forget God.
18 But God will never forget the needy; the hope of the afflicted will never perish.
19 Arise, Lord, do not let mortals triumph; let the nations be judged in your presence.
20 Strike them with terror, Lord; let the nations know they are only mortal.
Message
We said yesterday that earlier this century Communist leaders were declaring: "We have deposed kings from their thrones; now we will depose the King from the skies." Following the Revolution in 1917, atheism was adopted in Russia - but what is the result? There are more Christians in the Russian Federation than there are in the British Isles! Not only that, many Christians feel Russia and Eastern Europe constitute some of the greatest spiritual harvest fields in the world at the moment.
The kingdoms of Europe have been shaken in order that from the dust the unshakeable kingdom might appear. Christians need ever to keep this in mind: it is from the throne of heaven that the final decisions are made regarding the world's affairs, not the thrones of earth. I am well aware that there are times when it looks as if the authority of heaven's throne has little to do with what transpires on planet earth. Murder, pillage, lust, greed, rape, selfishness, pride and jealousy are spread wide across it, and the battle between good and evil seems as sharp as ever. But don't be taken in by what you see with your eyes or read in your newspapers. Whatever the appearances, our trust must be in the Scriptures which are God's written Word. He tells us in its pages that this is His world - and that He reigns from the central throne of the universe.
God is King! See Him on the throne! And crown Him again in your heart.
"Decisions regarding the world's affairs are made in heaven"
Prayer
Father, I bow in Your presence and acknowledge You as the ruler of the universe and the captor of my heart. I have no crown of gold to cast at Your feet but I do more - I cast my heart. I am Yours and You are mine - forever. Thank You, my Father. Amen.
Further study
Psalm 47:1-9; 93:1; 96:10; 97:1-2
1. Why can we rejoice?
2. What is the conviction of the psalmist?
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