神的异象
我们的神在施行统治
经文
诗篇九1-20
1（大卫的诗，交与伶长。调用慕拉便。）我要一心称谢耶和华；我要传扬你一切奇妙的作为。
2我要因你欢喜快乐；至高者啊，我要歌颂你的名！
3我的仇敌转身退去的时候，他们一见你的面就跌倒灭亡。
4因你已经为我伸冤，为我辨屈；你坐在宝座上，按公义审判。
5你曾斥责外邦，你曾灭绝恶人；你曾涂抹他们的名，直到永永远远。
6仇敌到了尽头；他们被毁坏，直到永远。你拆毁他们的城邑，连他们的名号都归于无有。
7惟耶和华坐着为王，直到永远；他已经为审判设摆他的宝座。
8他要按公义审判世界，按正直判断万民。
9耶和华又要给受欺压的人作高台，在患难的时候作高台。
10耶和华啊，认识你名的人要倚靠你，因你没有离弃寻求你的人。
11应当歌颂居锡安的耶和华，将他所行的传扬在众民中。
12因为那追讨流人血之罪的，他记念受屈的人，不忘记困苦人的哀求。
13耶和华啊，你是从死门把我提拔起来的；求你怜恤我，看那恨我的人所加给我的苦难，
14好叫我述说你一切的美德；我必在锡安城（原文是女子）的门因你的救恩欢乐。
15外邦人陷在自己所掘的坑中；他们的脚在自己暗设的网罗里缠住了。
16耶和华已将自己显明了，他已施行审判；恶人被自己手所作的缠住了（或译：他叫恶人被自己手所作的累住了）。（细拉）
17恶人，就是忘记神的外邦人，都必归到阴间。
18穷乏人必不永久被忘；困苦人的指望必不永远落空。
19耶和华啊，求你起来，不容人得胜！愿外邦人在你面前受审判！
20耶和华啊，求你使外邦人恐惧；愿他们知道自己不过是人。（细拉）
信息分享
昨天我们说过，二十世纪初期有国家领袖曾宣告说：「我们已经将君王从他们的宝座上驱逐下来，现在我们要驱逐天上的君王。」1917年的革命以后，俄国采纳了无神论主义──但结果怎么样呢？俄罗斯的基督徒比英伦三岛还要多！不但这样，很多基督徒都感到，现在的俄罗斯和东欧都是世界上其中一些属灵最丰收的禾场。
欧洲的王国受到摇动，导致不能动摇的王国可以从尘土中显现。基督徒需要一直记着这点：世上的一切都是由天上的宝座在做决定，不是地上。我知道有时天上宝座的权力似乎和地上发生的事没有多大关连。谋杀、抢掠、欲望、贪婪、强奸、自私、骄傲和妒忌充满全地，而善良与邪恶之间的战争似乎永远是那么激烈，但是不要被你双眼所看见的、或你从报纸上读到的事情所欺骗。不论情况的表面怎样，我们都必须相信圣经，它是神所写下的话语。神在圣经中告诉我们，这是祂的世界──祂从宇宙中央的宝座那里施行统治。
神是君王！看祂坐在宝座上！请在你心里再次为祂加冕吧！
「世上一切都是天上的决定」
进深研究
诗四十七1-9；诗九十三1；诗九十六10；诗九十七1-2
1. 我们为甚么可以欢欣？
2. 诗人确信甚么？
祈祷
天父，我在您面前下跪，承认您是宇宙的统治者，因为您俘掳了我的心。我没有黄金冠冕可以放在您的脚前，但我要把我的心给您。我属于您，您也属于我，直到永远。感谢您，我的天父。阿们。
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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