See a Mighty Jesus
“In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and his train filled the temple. Above him stood the seraphim. Each one had six wings. With two he covered his face. With two he covered his feet. With two he flew. One called to another, and said, “Holy, holy, holy, is Yahweh of Armies! The whole earth is full of his glory!” The foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke.” (Isaiah 6:1-4 WEB)
Picture this majestic vision. The mortal king of Israel had just died, and the Lord Christ revealed Himself, seated on His throne of glory which was high and lifted up, and the train of His robes filled the whole temple. The longer the train, the more honorable the king is—it was a picture of the supreme ruler. The King of kings and Lord of lords!
No mortal king rules forever, so regardless of who rules in Israel, Christ is the ultimate king who is watching over the nation, protecting it from all her enemies.
We can benefit from seeing Jesus in His love and Grace, and also from seeing Him in His power and authority. However, the former is more important to be established in first because without having a sense of being loved by Him, you will be afraid of Him due to the latter.
Behold Jesus in His power. Can any enemy stand against a God like that? He is Yahweh of Armies, who commands the seraphim, the cherubim, the four living creatures, the chariots of fire, and all the heavenly armies. The natural elements of this world like the wind and waves obey His word, and nothing can resist His command.
When we magnify the Lord in our hearts, we won’t fear the enemies because the greatness of our God overshadows the problems we face in life.
What does the passage mean when it says that “the house was filled with smoke”? This smoke is the smoke from the altar of incense, which is a picture of the prayers being offered up by the nation of Israel. The people were crying out for God to help them, and that is why the temple was filled with smoke—the many prayers of the people.
“The Lord said, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says. Won’t God avenge his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them? I tell you that he will avenge them quickly. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”” (Luke 18:6-8 WEB)
God is being patient, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance in Christ Jesus. There is a day of vengeance coming, which is the period of time called the Tribulation and the Day of Christ, and it will be horrible for the inhabitants of this earth who have not received Jesus Christ as Lord. We won’t be going through the Tribulation, but we will be returning to earth with Jesus on the Day of Christ (popularly known as the Second Coming).
Our Lord is not coming back as a meek Lamb, but as the mighty Lion of the tribe of Judah.
“I saw the heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it is called Faithful and True. In righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are a flame of fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has names written and a name written which no one knows but he himself. He is clothed in a garment sprinkled with blood. His name is called “The Word of God.” The armies which are in heaven followed him on white horses, clothed in white, pure, fine linen. Out of his mouth proceeds a sharp, double-edged sword, that with it he should strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod. He treads the wine press of the fierceness of the wrath of God, the Almighty. He has on his garment and on his thigh a name written, “KING OF KINGS, AND Lord OF LORDS.”” (Revelation 19:11-16 WEB)
We have to change the picture of the ascended Jesus we have in our minds. He is no longer the bleeding and suffering man of sorrows who was so injured that He fell from the weigh of the cross that He was carrying.
He is now high and lifted up, back on His throne of glory, with all the heavenly armies at His command. In fairy tales, there is often a handsome prince on a white horse that whisks the damsel in distress away to a happy ending where they ride away together into the sunset. Where did humans get this picture from?
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in their hearts, yet so that man can’t find out the work that God has done from the beginning even to the end.” (Ecclesiastes 3:11 WEB)
God has set eternity into the hearts of men. Jesus is the prince who will save Israel from her oppressors. When you think of Jesus today, see a mighty King who commands the heavenly armies to fight your battles for you. He does this because He loves you!
My vision drawings was one of the Bible Study series shared for GEM patrons on Patreon. Join our Patreon community to receive fresh rhema words from the Holy Spirit to help you in every season of life: http://patreon.com/miltongohblog
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the house of lords 在 Apple Daily - English Edition Facebook 的最佳貼文
#Opinion by Benedict Rogers 羅傑斯|"As I resolve to redouble my efforts for my friends in Hong Kong and Myanmar I do so with the mottos of the two men who did more than most to signpost my journey. Lord Alton’s, on his coat of arms in the House of Lords, says: 'Choose Life'. Cardinal Bo’s episcopal motto is, in Latin, 'Omnia possum in eo' – 'I can do all things in Him'. With those two inspirations, even if it takes a while, who can go wrong?"
Read more: https://bit.ly/3vVnOcF
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the house of lords 在 Eddie Tam 譚新強 Facebook 的最佳貼文
God Save the (Racist?) Queen
過去一整年,令人沮喪的疫情霸佔了全球新聞,尤其美英等西方國家,死傷慘重,所有人的心情都非常沉重。近月隨着疫苗的出現和接種速度加快,前景終於露出曙光,心情也變得稍為輕鬆。所以,今周的哈里王子(Prince Harry)與妻子梅根(Meghan Markle)接受名嘴奧花雲費(Oprah Winfrey)「爆料」訪問的時機非常好,正好滿足美英人民對無關痛癢的八卦新聞的渴求。今次訪問亦馬上帶來不少人(尤其美國)對英國王室的一片罵聲,指摘他們為一班種族主義者(真的感到意外?)。
但不少英國人和同聲同氣的澳洲和加拿大人等,亦馬上為維護他們最愛的王室而還擊,指摘梅根是個功利主義者,過去曾拋棄前夫和斷絕與家人和很多朋友的關係。哈里王子自稱已被王室「關水喉」,財政拮据,但又自命清高,自稱今次訪問不收分文。據說美國電視台CBS,付出了700萬美元以上的播出權費用,難道全數入了大富婆奧花雲費口袋?當然哈里王子與梅根「呻窮」亦只是真人騷劇本中的指定動作,其實他們正與Netflix和Spotify等,商討數以千萬計的豐厚合約。有人估計他們未來十年的總收入,可高達10億美元,身家隨時超越祖母英女王!
哈里與梅根「呻窮」只是真人騷劇本
奧花雲費訪問中的最犀利爆料,無非就是一些不點名的王室成員為種族主義者,在梅根上次懷孕時,其中一位(最大嫌疑是王儲查理斯Prince Charles),竟詢問哈里王子,估計未來小孩的膚色將有多黑?種族歧視態度,溢於言表。除涉嫌言語侮辱外,因王室規定,他們兒子阿奇(Archie)未能自動獲得王子封號,因此王室或不會出錢提供保安。說到底,都是名和錢的問題。
梅根更哭訴王室生活充滿壓力,經常被謊言抹黑和出賣,因此曾萌出輕生之念!她更指控王室非常不公平,從不保護她和哈里王子,讓傳媒和社交媒體(social media)隨意攻擊他們,但反而願意講大話保護某位王室成員。她的指控對象呼之欲出,明顯是在攻擊安德魯王子(Prince Andrew),他曾被捲入美國富豪愛潑斯坦(Jeffrey Epstein)的未成年少女性派對醜聞。愛潑斯坦相識滿天下,除安德魯王子是多年老友外,連美國前總統特朗普都曾邀請愛潑斯坦到佛州海湖莊園(Mar-a-Lago)開派對,克林頓更曾多次乘坐他的私人飛機,和參加愛潑斯坦在私人小島舉行的派對。後來愛潑斯坦被捕,被關在防止自殺的羈留室,但他似乎對自己的罪行實在太慚愧,連累那麼多名人好友,所以不知從哪裏找來一條剛好用得上的皮帶,在囚室上吊自殺!相信愛潑斯坦的好友對他去世都深表「哀痛」,但就如釋重負呀!
梅根被王室生活迫至崩潰邊緣也不是什麼新奇的事。她的已去世家婆王妃戴安娜(Princess Diana),當年也同樣面對巨大王室和傳媒壓力。看來王儲查理斯從未真心愛過她,始終未忘他獨特眼光中可能更美麗的卡米拉(Camilla)!初時當王妃戴安娜報復式跟馬伕和隨從等搭上時,王室還勉強忍耐,但當她與埃及伊斯蘭富二代多迪法耶茲(Dodi Fayed)墮入愛河,到了談婚論嫁時,雖然已離婚,但英國王室和整個西方傳媒都瘋了,完全不能接受,狗仔隊24小時全球追蹤,終於不幸命喪在巴黎隧道的高速汽車與電單車追逐中。我不太相信陰謀論,但她的去世即使是意外,其實與謀殺的分別也不太大。
在訪問中,梅根對王室的種族主義態度表示驚訝(真的?),訴說自己因拍劇集《金裝律師》(Suits),曾住在屬於英聯邦的加拿大7年之久,結婚後亦曾到多個英聯邦國家出訪。她指出王室非常關心英聯邦,子民中超過60%以上為有色人種,他們怎可能如此racist(種族主義)?梅根此說可能是假天真,要不然就是完全不懂大英帝國歷史,包括非法霸佔北美洲和澳洲,種族滅絕原住民;殘忍地在非洲捕捉數百萬黑人,販賣到美洲為奴隸;殖民印度,肆意搶掠和種植毒品,販售到中國,然後更發動兩次不義的鴉片戰爭,搶走會生金蛋的香港等等滔天罪行!如果英國不奉行種族主義,侵略其他的國家,這些有色人種又怎會無端成為英聯邦的一分子?英國曾否為這些多不勝數的帝國主義罪行作出賠償?英女王伊利沙伯二世,有否為以她高祖母維多利亞女王之名,對中國的侵略道過歉?
其實根本不用懂歷史,只要留意新聞,都能清楚看到過去20年至今,英國、澳洲、加拿大等英聯邦國家,跟隨美國全球門羅主義(Monroe Doctrine),在中東以極度諷刺的民主、自由、和平為藉口,大量屠殺無辜伊斯蘭教徒的種族滅絕暴行!尊重和愛惜有色人種?開玩笑吧!
這次爆料肯定為英國王室帶來一點傷害,王室亦已作出模糊回應,對哈里王子與梅根情况表示「saddened」(哀傷),但當然沒有解釋哀傷是因為同意他們講法,所以哀傷慚愧(肯定不是),還是因為家門不幸,出了如此不肖子孫而哀傷(較大可能)?但英國王室身經百戰,肯定能捱過今次小小挑戰。英國王室在血緣上是兩次大戰敵國德國王室的近親,都能以改姓(從Saxe-Coburg And Gotha改為Windsor)而成功安撫民憤,化解危機;一戰後歐洲多國廢除君主制度,英國王室都能逃過厄運;二戰後大英帝國解體和沒落,但英國王室仍能屹立不倒,實在不容易。英國王室的成功,除因本身公關技巧高超外,亦因英國的階級觀念和種族主義,根深柢固,其實仍受歡迎,得到大部分人的認可。很多英國人仍渴望封侯晉爵,甚至如凱特(Kate Middleton)和她父母般,找機會認識威廉王子(讀同一所大學),嫁入王室,圓公主夢!
梅根,一位黑白混血離婚婦,嫁進王室,本可算是個童話故事。明顯啟發了荷李活的想像力,因此Netflix拍製了非常受歡迎的《柏捷頓家族:名門韻事》(Bridgerton),一套非常大膽創新的古裝宮闈電視劇。故事是虛構的,但時代背景是真實的十九世紀攝政時代(Regency Era),扮演喬治三世王后夏洛特(Queen Charlotte)的演員竟然破天荒是位黑人Golda Rosheuvel,男主角角色是虛構的黑白混血貴族Duke of Hastings,亦由一位混血演員Rege-Jean Page出演。該劇好評如潮,是Netflix有史以來全球收視率最高的劇集。但幻想歸幻想,梅根的近日遭遇,提醒世人即使有色人種能嫁入帝王之家,也必遭到排斥,王室更非常擔心血統被搞亂,原來一位深色皮膚的王子,仍為家族帶來羞恥!
春晚扮非洲人表演 遭無理指控種族主義
且西方人永遠是雙重標準的,荷李活幻想世界中,黑人扮演英國王室貴族就代表平反種族主義和創新。但今年中央台春晚其中一個節目,歌頌中國與世界各民族的友誼,表演者扮作非洲、西班牙、俄羅斯等各國人,載歌載舞,表演各民族舞蹈和音樂,又再遭到西方傳媒批評。他們當然只針對中國人扮成非洲人,無理指控這就是種族主義(同樣指控在2018年的春晚已出現過一次),但奇怪地扮成白種西班牙和俄國人就一點問題都沒有!為何《杜蘭朵》(Turandot),普契尼(Puccini)的歌劇名作,背景在中國,但絕大多數的演出中,演出者都是西方人(大肥佬居多,如已故的巴伐洛堤 Pavarotti),中國人又應否覺得被侮辱(其實應該)?如在白人眼中,扮成黑人具特別侮辱性,也是因為他們心中有鬼,知道自己奴役黑人數百年的邪惡醜陋歷史。中國沒有這個包袱,所以何需避忌,為何不能正面陽光地歌頌與非洲人的友誼?
脫歐後金融業萎縮 加速英國分裂
即使英國王室能維持下去,英國的政治和經濟前景反而更不明朗。金融業可說是倫敦的經濟命脈,脫歐後股票成交已大幅下跌,荷蘭阿姆斯特丹已取代倫敦成為全歐洲成交最多的市場。所有銀行亦已開始把部分業務和員工移到巴黎和法蘭克福等城市。未來倫敦仍將是個金融中心,但可能較多是資產管理方面,和更集中服務俄國和中東富豪(即洗錢)。政治上,已合併300多年的蘇格蘭,雖上次2014年公投中決定留英,但他們亦在2016年英國脫歐(Brexit)公投中支持留歐;現在民調顯示支持脫英領先,已有人倡議舉行第二次獨立公投。同樣,北愛爾蘭在2016年公投中亦支持留歐,加上關稅上的邊界問題(Irish border)仍存在,所以支持南北愛爾蘭合併的動力也在增強。此外,連威爾斯本來支持Brexit,現在民調中,都有三分之一的人支持獨立。代表英倫三島合併的英國米字旗,在將來都可能需要再次拆開!
去年的BLM運動中,美國很多紀念種族主義者的銅像都被拉倒和拆除,一些學院名字都被刪除或更改,連在英國都有人把黑奴販的銅像掉進河中。但不幸所謂覺醒也不過止於此,英國仍未為鴉片戰爭作出道歉,East India Club亦仍未改名。英女王已屆94歲高齡,破紀錄在位近70年,一生忠心服務國家,保護王室地位和形象,值得國民尊敬。但無論她個人性格有多好,如紀念種族和帝國主義者的銅像一樣,君主制度的繼續存在已經是一種對曾被帝國主義和種族主義欺壓過的人民(包括香港)的一種侮辱,亦象徵現在的英國人,對前人的罪行,對貴族階級制度所代表的不平等和不公,毫不感到慚愧,亦無意懺悔改過。
君主制度延續 侮辱帝國主義受害者
再者,雖說英國是所謂西方民主制度的搖籃,但其實它是沒有正式憲法,一切只按照傳統和零星法律和案例。其實君主立憲下的英王仍擁有很大權力,包括解散國會和委任首相等,亦可在每周會見中對首相提出問題。如有人像美國般鑽研憲制漏洞,肯定可搞出嚴重憲法危機。貴族仍享有某些法律特權,部分世襲貴族並非只是橡皮圖章的上議院(House of Lords)議員,仍有一定立法、辯論和質詢權力。貴族有特權,何來真正民主?
我有一個八卦疑團,哈里王子和梅根雖所謂脫離王室,但總有家庭聚會機會,譬如女兒出生後帶去見曾祖母。梅根會否再願意向英女王curtsy(行屈膝禮)?
God Save the (Racist?) Queen!
(中環資產持有Netflix的財務權益)
中環資產投資行政總裁
[譚新強 中環新譚]
the house of lords 在 UK House of Lords - Home | Facebook 的推薦與評價
The House of Lords is the second chamber of the UK Parliament. It is independent from, and complements the work of, the elected House of Commons. ... <看更多>
the house of lords 在 House of Lords - YouTube 的推薦與評價
The House of Lords is one of two Houses of the UK Parliament. Learn about the role, work and membership of the Lords. ... <看更多>