Mar 06-07, 2021
From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Simon Lee

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

This is the 5^th and final article (in 2 parts)  on “Crown Him with Many Crowns,” which is the theme of 2021 at RCAC. Taken from the hymn with the same title, we have seen that this means worshipping Christ who is “the Lamb upon the throne,” “the Lord of love” and “the Lord of peace.” Let us worship Christ the King for who He is, as the focus of our lives in the new year, and live confidently in the King’s presence, despite the pandemic. Let us now also Crown him the Lord of years!

The truth underscored here by the hymn writer Matthew Bridges is that Jesus Christ is the sovereign and almighty Lord of time and space.

“Crown him the Lord of years, The Potentate of time,–Creator of the rolling spheres, Ineffably sublime!

Glassed in a sea of light, Where everlasting waves reflect his throne,–the Infinite!

Who lives,–and loves–and saves.”

Yes, the amazing brilliance of the universe displays and reflects the glory of God the creator and Christ the King on His throne. Indeed, Jesus Christ is not only our Saviour, He is also the “potentate of time.” According to the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, “Potentate” has the following definition:

POTENTATE po’-ten-tat (dunastes, “mighty one,” from dunamai, “to be able”): A person who possesses great power and authority. Only in I Timothy 6:15 , “the blessed and only Potentate” (= God)…

As seen in the above definition, in the Bible the word translated as “potentate” is found only in the charge of Paul to Timothy “to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, ¹⁵ which he will display at the proper time—he who is the blessed and only Sovereign (potentate, dunastes), the King of kings and Lord of lords, ¹⁶ who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.” (I Tim 6:13-16)

Christ the King is the blessed and only Sovereign (potentate, dunastes), the all-powerful creator of the universe, who deserves all our praise and worship. This is the reason for the charge of Paul to Timothy (and to us), and in view of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. There are several things in this charge that we need to note:

1. We need to keep this commandment without spot or blame.

Our charge is “to keep the commandment unstained and free from reproach.” (14) Here the “commandment” (the command) refers first to the pastoral duties laid upon Timothy (in Ephesus, I Tim. 1:3-20; 6:2c-5). But broadly speaking it refers to the entire body of sound teaching Paul had been describing throughout the letter. By his own godly life and faithful ministry, Timothy was to preserve this body of truth from stain or reproach. Our worship of the King is not just lovely sounding praise, but our spiritual worship or reasonable service before God. (Rom. 12:1,2)

2. We must be faithful till the second coming of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Faithfulness to serving the King is ultimately living our lives with the anticipation of the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Christ comes, and only then will our spiritual battle be over. Paul says, “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” (I Tim 6:12)

3. We know the Jesus Christ will return “at the proper time” known only to God.

One of the hardest things in our Christian life is to discern what it means by Christ is the “Lord of years.” One thing we all want to discern is His timing and His will in our lives, and ultimately when he will return, which is the ultimate source of our hope. While Jesus was on earth, Jesus Himself even admitted that only God the Father knows when the end will come. Here “the proper time” or “the right time” in the original Greek is simply “the time” (kairos) which means “the season or opportunity,” the idea of proper or right time is implied. There is another word in ancient Greek for time “chronos” which refers to chronological time. The important thing is not exactly “when” Christ will return, but that He will return.

4. We will praise God the ultimate ruler of the universe, the King of kings and Lord of lords.

“To crown Him with Many Crowns” is described in the inspiring doxology to the God who is the Creator, the ultimate Ruler of the universe, the King of kings and Lord of lords. The apostle John declares, “They will make war on the Lamb, and the Lamb will conquer them, for he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those with him are called and chosen and faithful.” (Rev. 17:14) Such a Lord deserves an awesome reverence combined with complete humility. To Him be honor and might forever. Amen

(To be continued in Crown him the Lord of years! (II)

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Simon Lee

Mar 06-07, 2021
李耀全牧師

親愛的列宣家弟兄姊妹：

本文為教會2021年度的主題“擁戴我主為王”，按照同名詩歌而撰寫的第五篇心聲，亦為最後一篇(共分上、下兩次刊登）。我們已於前文探討過詩歌中有關擁戴基督為王的幾方面：“擁戴寶座上的羔羊”、“擁戴愛之君王”及“擁戴和平之君”。讓我們在這新的年度裡集中於，按照神的本體和屬性去敬拜祂為王，儘管疫情肆虐，我們仍然能夠存著信心活在君王基督面前。讓我們同來擁戴主基督為萬世之王！
詩歌作者Matthew Bridges在詩歌的第四節強調的真理是：耶穌基督是至高無上、統管時空的全能主。

“擁戴我主為王，祂是萬世之王([統管]時間的大能者，Potentate of time) ，
宇宙天體乃主創造，榮美無可比量，
齊來頌讚救主！你曾為我受死，
讚美尊貴榮耀救主，直到永世無窮。”
誠然，宇宙穹蒼的奇妙輝煌展示並反映出神榮耀的創造和基督永恆的寶座。事實上，耶穌基督不僅是我們的救主，祂也是那”統管時間的大能者”(The Potentate of time，萬世之王) 。根據“國際標準聖經百科全書” “Potentate”一詞的定義如下：

POTENTATE po’-ten-tat (希臘文dunastes, “大能者” 的字根為 dunamai :”大有能力”)：指一個擁有強大權力和權威的人。此詞在聖經中，提前6:15形容為：”那可稱頌的、獨一的全能者“（= 神）…

如上所述的定義，在聖經中，這”大能者“一詞只用於保羅對提摩太的囑咐：”…你當毫無玷污，無可指摘地持守這命令，直到我們主耶穌基督的顯現。15到了適當的時候，那可稱頌的、獨一的全能者，萬王之王，萬主之主，必把基督的顯現表明出來。16只有他永遠不死，住在不能接近的光裡，沒有人見過他，人也不能看見他。願尊榮和永遠的權能都歸給他。阿們。”(提前 6:13-16)

基督君王是那可稱頌的，也是唯一的至高無上主宰(權能、大能者)，宇宙的全能創造者，配得我們所有的讚美和尊崇敬拜。這也正是保羅因著主耶穌基督的第二次再臨，囑咐提摩太(和我們)的原因，在這囑咐中，我們必須注意下列的幾方面：

1. 我們應當毫無玷污，無可指摘地持守這命令(14節上)。 這裡的”命令”(誡命)：首先是指保羅在以弗所對於提摩太牧養職責的囑咐(提前1:3-20; 6:2-5) 。但從廣義上而言，這裡指的是保羅在全書中描述的整全教導。提摩太以他敬虔的生命和忠心的事奉，保存真理不受玷污及無可指摘。我們對君王的敬拜不僅僅在於美妙歌聲的讚美, 屬靈的敬拜(spiritual worship)，而是我們在神面前理所當然的事奉(“reasonable service”)。（羅12:1-2）

2.我們必須保持盡忠，直到我們的主耶穌基督第二次再臨 (14節下) 。
過盡忠事奉君王的生活基本上是連繫於對我們主耶穌基督第二次再來的期待。我們的屬靈戰爭唯有在基督再來時才會止息。故此，保羅說，”要為信仰打那美好的仗，持定永生；你是為這永生而蒙召的，又在許多的證人面前承認過美好的信仰。” (提前 6:12)

3.我們知道耶穌基督會在那只有神知道的”適當的時候”再來。
我們基督徒生活中最難以明白的事情之一，就是辨明基督是”萬世之主”(統管時間的大能者)的含義。我們都很想辨明神在我們生活中的時間和旨意，以及祂最終何時會回來，這是我們終極盼望的源頭。當耶穌在世上的時候，祂曾表示這世界的末了只有父神才知道是什麼時候。此處的“適當時間”（新譯）或“到了日期” （和合）在希臘文是:“時機”(kairos)，意即“時段或機會”，暗示著適當的時候與時機。古希臘語中還有另一個字詞去計算時間的，就是”年代排列的順序(chronos)，即指時間的順序。其實，重要的不是基督“什麼時候”回來，而是祂必會再來。

4. 我們要讚美神是宇宙的終極統治者、萬王之王和萬主之主。
“擁戴主基督為王”詩歌在鼓舞人心的教義中描述神是造物主，宇宙的終極統治者，萬王之王和萬主之主。使徒約翰宣稱，”他們要跟羊羔作戰，羊羔必勝過他們，因為他是萬主之主，萬王之王。那些與羊羔同在、蒙召、被選、有忠心的，也必勝過他們。” (啟17:14)。這樣一位大而可畏的榮美主宰，實在是配得我們完全謙卑俯伏的尊崇與敬拜。願榮耀，權能歸於祂直到永遠！阿門！
（“擁戴主基督為萬世之王”5(之二)，下文待續）

主僕，
李耀全牧師

Feb 13-14, 2021
From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Simon Lee

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

Peace. World peace. Inner peace. We all want peace. But peace is so fleeting and so elusive.

In the Inauguration of President Biden, the young 22-year-old African American poet laureate, Amanda Gorman, read a composition she wrote called, “The Hill We Climb.” An excerpt on world peace relevant to our thought here is as follows:

Scripture tells us to envision
that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree
and no one shall make them afraid.
If we’re to live up to our own time,
then victory won’t lie in the blade.
But in all the bridges we’ve made,
that is the promise to glade,
the hill we climb.

The phrase “everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree” alludes to a verse found in the Bible Micah 4:4. The context of the allusion is a time of peace, a metaphorical time and place where one feels secure. This sense of security allows the people to enjoy their personal freedom without fear of being disturbed by external powers. The passage (Micah 4:3-5) actually speaks of the Lord’s rule of peace, but this predicates on the people following God’s ways. The Biblical imagery is applied to the hope for peace today in America. How wonderful it would be if the truth here is fully applied, for peace would indeed come.

In my graduate training at UBC in professional counselling psychology, I studied the work of world-renowned family therapy pioneer, Dr. Virginia Satir. One of the meditations she wrote was: Peace Within, Peace Between, Peace Among. Even though her aspiration was not based on Christian teaching, nevertheless we can see “peace” is what the world seeks. “Peace” is also what we Christian seeks. But how is the peace that we have different from the world’s?

We had looked at the first and second stanza of Crown him with many crowns (HL#9), which focused on “The Lamb upon his throne” and “Crown Him the Lord of Love.” Now we look at the third stanza: “Crown him the Lord of peace!”

The lyrics is as follows:

Crown him the Lord of peace! Whose power a scepter sways,
From pole to pole,–that wars may cease, Absorbed in prayer and praise:
his reign shall know no end, And round his pierced feet
Fair flowers of paradise extend Their fragrance ever sweet.

The Scriptural imagery and background of this stanza is found in the book of Hebrews, where the author is making the point that the Son is superior to angels. God says of the Son,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom.

9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing.” (Heb 1:8, 9)

Jesus Christ the King has come to rule with a scepter of righteousness in His hand. His throne is eternal. Therefore we can all rejoice. The author of Hebrews is actually quoting, from Psalm 45:6-7,

“Your throne, O God, is permanent. The scepter of your kingdom is a scepter of justice. 7 You love justice and hate evil. For this reason God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of joy, elevating you above your companions.”

We can see the sacrificial Lamb of God, the Lord of Love, is described here as the Lord of peace and righteousness.  What is declared in the Old Testament is the final triumph of King David’s Son, the Messiah, who is also God. Therefore, the author of Hebrews want to underscore the fact that the Son is superior to angels because He is God. The scepter He holds is not only a symbol of power, but of righteousness and justice.  Peace comes from the rule of righteousness and justice by Jesus Christ who is the Lord of Peace.  We can find this concept proclaimed also by the prophet Isaiah in these words found in Isa 9:6, “For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us. He shoulders responsibility and is called: Amazing Adviser, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. The messiah King is called the “Prince of Peace.”

The peace that Jesus brings is from the rule of righteousness, but it is not just worldly peace but an inner peace, the peace of Christ himself as Jesus says in John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; I do not give it to you as the world does. Do not let your hearts be distressed or lacking in courage.”  The disciples of Jesus were worried about their well being and security when Jesus their master announced to them that He was leaving them. But Jesus assured them that even though physically He is not going to be with them, He will leave His peace with them. Jesus Emmanuel is “God with us,” and as we abide in Him, He abides in us. That is the assurance we all have in all our troubles, including the current pandemic.

Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, teaches them to rejoice always and not be anxious about anything. Paul then shows them the secret of overcoming anxiety with these words, “Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” (Phi.4:6,7)  But then he goes further to urge them to walk with Christ constantly as it would result in “the God of peace will be with you,” meaning the indwelling of God of Peace Himself in us always. Yes, pray when you are anxious, you will have the peace of God. But how much better when you live a prayerful life centred in Christ, because in so doing, the God of peace is with you all the time, come rain or shine.

Let us therefore crown Him the Lord of Peace.

Your servant in Christ,

Pastor Simon Lee

Feb 13-14, 2021
李耀全牧師

親愛的列宣家弟兄姊妹：

平安。世界和平。內在的平安。我們都盼望得著平安。可是平安難尋並且迅間消逝。

22歲非裔美國青年阿曼達·戈爾文(Amanda Gorman) ，於美國總統拜登就職典禮上朗讀了她所撰寫的獲獎詩篇，詩題名為: “我們所攀越的山丘”。詩辭內容為世界和平，其中與本文思想有關的摘錄如下：

聖經教導我們去展望，
各人將安坐在自己的葡萄樹和無花果樹下，
不受任何人的驚嚇。
若我們不辜負這個時代，
勝利不在於利刃刀鋒。
而在於我們築起的橋樑，
就是通往美好境地的承諾，
我們所攀越的山丘。
“各人將安坐在自己的葡萄樹和無花果樹下” ，此句原出自聖經彌迦書4：4。經文背景描繪出一片和平及安居樂業的景象。這份安全感使人民享有個人的自由，而且毋須擔心受到外界力量的干擾。這段經文(彌4:3-5)實際上是論到上主掌權的平安統治，並以神的子民順從神的道路為前提的。聖經的意像被應用於當今美國對和平的盼望。若聖經的真理能充分應用實行出來，和平即將實現，那是何等美好。

筆者於卑斯省立大學接受輔導心理學專業研究培訓時，曾研究世界著名的家庭療法先驅弗吉尼亞·薩蒂爾博士的著作。她的思維重點之一是：內在的平安，彼此間的和平，人際的和平。即使她的意願並非基於基督教的教義，但我們從而可見世人對“平安”的渴求。“平安”亦是我們基督徒追求的目標。可是，究竟我們所擁有的平安與世人所求的平安有何分別？

我們於前已看過生命聖詩第九首: “擁戴主為王”的第一和第二節，重點在於“擁戴寶座上的羔羊為王”和“擁戴愛之王”。我們現在來看第三節：“擁戴和平之君！”。
歌詞如下：
擁戴我主為王，祂是和平之王，
普天之下戰爭停息，和平統治四方，
遍地禱頌聲揚，國權萬世永長，
美花環繞曾受傷足，朵朵歷久芬芳。
以上詩詞的背景和意象出自希伯來書，作者指出聖子遠超越於天使。神論到聖子，如此說：
“神啊！你的寶座是永永遠遠的，你國的權杖，是公平的權杖。”
“你喜愛公義，恨惡不法，所以，神，就是你的神，用喜樂的油膏抹你，勝過膏抹你的同伴。”(來1:8, 9）
君王耶穌基督手中握著公義的權杖施行統治。祂的寶座存到永遠。因此，我們可以滿心喜樂。希伯來書的作者實際上引用了詩篇45：6-7，“神啊！你的寶座是永永遠遠的，你國的權杖是公平的權杖。你喜愛公義，恨惡邪惡，所以，神，就是你的神，用喜樂的油膏抹你，勝過膏抹你的同伴。”

我們可以看到神那被犧牲的羔羊，愛之主在此被描述為和平與公義的主。舊約預言所宣告的，大衛王的兒子 (後裔)彌賽亞的最後勝利，祂就是神。因此，希伯來書的作者想強調一個事實，即兒子是超越、高於天使的。祂手持的權杖不僅象徵著權力，並且象徵著神的義與公義。和平來自和平之主耶穌基督的義和公義的統治。先知以賽亞也藉著以賽亞書9：6中所言來宣揚這觀念：“因為有一個嬰孩為我們而生，有一個兒子賜給我們；政權必擔在他的肩頭上；他的名必稱為“奇妙的策士、全能的神、永恆的父、和平的君”。彌賽亞君王被稱為“和平的君”。

耶穌所帶來的平安來自祂公義的統治，但這不僅是世人所渴求的平安，更是內在的平安，正如耶穌在約翰福音14:27中所說的，是基督自己的平安。“我留下平安給你們，我把自己的平安賜給你們；我給你們的，不像世界所給的。你們心裡不要難過，也不要恐懼”。當主向門徒宣布祂要離開他們時，他們正在擔心自身的安危，耶穌向他們保證，即使祂的肉身不能與他們同在，祂也仍然與他們同在。耶穌以馬內利就是“神與我們同在”，當我們在祂裡面時，祂也在我們裡面。這就是我們之所以能在一切的困境中，包括在病毒大流行當前時的保證與確據。

保羅在寫給腓立比信徒的書信中教導他們應當一無掛慮，要常常喜樂。保羅接著向他們指示出克勝憂慮的秘訣：“應當毫無憂慮，只要凡事藉著禱告祈求，帶著感恩的心，把你們所要的告訴神。這樣，神所賜超過人能了解的平安，必在基督耶穌裡，保守你們的心思意念。”（腓4:6,7）他更進一步地敦促信徒要不間斷地與基督同行，因為這樣就能否達致“賜和平之神就必與你們同在”，意即賜平安之神時刻在我們裡面。是的，當您在心中焦慮時祈禱，您便能得到神所賜的平安。若您過著以基督為中心的禱告生活，您必然體驗其中的美好。如此，賜平安之主必常與您同在，風雨無間。

讓我們同來擁戴我主為和平之君。
主僕,
李耀全牧師

FEb 06-07, 2021
From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Simon Lee

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

At the beginning of a new year (2021) and also as we celebrate our Chinese New Year, it is most appropriate that we celebrate the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ is King. This is indeed our hope and prayer after a devastating year of 2020 filled with chaos, and gloom and doom from the pandemic. Biden, the new President of the United States in his Inauguration Speech on January 20, quoted from Psalms 30:5 – “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Indeed, we share this hope and look forward to the dawn when we can all rejoice in the Lord.
We had looked at the first stanza of Crown him with many crowns, which focused on “The Lamb upon his throne. In this article, I would like to share with you the themes of the second stanzas of the hymn (HL #9), which is “Crown Him the Lord of Love.”

The lyrics is as follows:

Crown him the Lord of love!
Behold his hands and side,–
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified:
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his burning eye
At mysteries so bright!

Jesus is the Lord of Love

Jesus Christ is King because he is the Lord of love. We are brought to the cross where Jesus Christ the sinless Son of God was crucified for our sins. If we have any question about how much Jesus loves us, we only have to go back at the cross and “behold his hands and side, rich wounds, yet visible above, in beauty glorified.” The scene was “beauty glorified” because it symbolized the fulfilment of God’s plan of redemption of all mankind, but at the same time it was so painful that the hymn writer tells us that even the heavenly angels cannot “fully bear that sight.” In contrast Jesus with His head bend down and with “burning eye” (eyes of the King , the Judge) was gazing at this divine mystery, the mystery of the incarnation, the atonement of sin and the defeat of Satan.

This demonstration of true love is described well in the words of John: “For God so love the world, that He gave His only son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) Paul puts it this way, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom. 5:8)

One of my favourite hymns is “Love Was When” and the lyrics of the first verse is:

Love was when God became a man,
locked in time and space, without rank or place.
Love was God born of Jewish kin;
Just a carpenter with some fishermen.
Love was when Jesus walked in history.
Lovingly He brought a new life that’s free.
Love was God nailed to bleed and die,
to reach and love one such as I.

Imagine God the creator of the whole universe, “became a man, locked in time and space, without rank or place.” Incredible! Unthinkable! This is LOVE! The hymn writer urges us to ponder on the fact that the sinless Son of God came and “Lovingly He brought a new life that’s free. Love was God nailed to bleed and die, to reach and love one such as I.” Herein is LOVE! We praise God that we are a follower of Jesus who is the “Lord of Love.” We are to worship Him by crowning Him the Lord of Love. What does this mean?

Crown Him the Lord of Love

Apart from quoting from Psalm 30:5, it is interesting that Biden also invokes Augustine in call for American unity based on their common values. As a cradle Catholic, he quoted a teaching of St. Augustine whom he referred to as “a saint of my church” – that “a people are a multitude defined by the common object of their love.” The Church father Augustine in City of God presented love, not law, as the thing that binds a society together. He also wrote, “the soul takes on the character of what it loves.” Biden is appealing to Americans to love and put into practice their common values and therefore be united as a nation.

Applying it further to the Church, Jesus taught “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Jn 13:35) Jesus also underscored the relationship of loving God and following His commandments: “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” (Jn 14:21) These two dimensions of love described by John, the disciple whom Jesus loved, in these two references is summed up in Jesus’ own summary of the Great commandments, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” (Luke 10:27)

Jesus is the Lord of love, the very personification of the virtue of love. He urges us his disciples to love God vertically by following His commandments and horizontally by loving one another. Jesus has set an example for us as the Lord of love. His sacrificial love for us should motivate us to respond by loving Him and loving another in Christ. This is what is implied when we sing “crown Him the Lord of Love” as it reminds us to worship God for who He is,” the Lord of Love,” and do so by practising love, for God and for one another.

May we in RCAC all learn to “Crown Him the Lord of Love” in 2021 and beyond!

Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Simon Lee

Feb 06-07, 2021
李耀全牧師

親愛的列宣家弟兄姊妹：

2020年由於病毒大流行而帶來充滿紛亂、愁雲慘霧、厄困和毀滅的一年。於2021年新年之始，也是正當我們在慶祝農曆新年之際，讓我們同來慶祝主耶穌基督是君王的事實，這是最適合不過的了。這確實是我們的盼望和禱告。美國新總統拜登在1月20日的就職禮演說中引用了詩篇30:5 的話：“夜間雖然不斷有哭泣，早晨卻必歡呼”。事實上，我們共同擁有這盼望，並期待著黎明時，我們都可以在主裡歡欣喜樂。

我們於上文曾集中去思想生命聖詩第九首：“擁戴我主為王”詩歌的第一節，重點是“在寶座上的羔羊”。在本文中，我想與各位分享詩歌的第二節，重點在於：”擁戴仁愛之王”。詩詞如下：

擁戴我主為王，祂是仁愛之王，
祂手祂足肋旁受傷，今仍顯明天上，
何等奇妙奧祕，發出榮美光芒，
天使驚奇不敢仰視，一同俯首頌揚。

耶穌基督是愛之主

耶穌基督是君王，祂是愛之主！讓我們來到十字架前，瞻仰神無罪之子耶穌基督，因著我們的罪被釘在十字架上。若我們尚未能明白耶穌有多愛我們，我們只要”回到十字架前，去看“祂的雙手和雙足、看祂的肋旁，祂受傷深刻的釘痕仍然清晰可見，仍在發出榮美光芒”。這情景“在發出榮美光芒”，是因為它象徵著神救贖全人類計劃的應驗，但同時我們可以體驗到詩歌作者描述給我們明白的，是主所忍受極大的苦痛，即使是天上的使者也不忍“全然正視這一景象”。在此，耶穌那“低垂的頭”，相比於祂那“好像火燄的眼睛”(君王、審判者銳利的眼目)，在凝視著這神聖的奧秘，道成肉身的奧妙，罪的代贖和撒但的被擊敗。

引用約翰所說的話，可充份透切地將神這真實的愛顯明、示範出來：“神愛世人，甚至把他的獨生子賜給他們，叫一切信他的，不至滅亡，反得永生。”(約3:16)。保羅更如此形容：“唯有基督在我們還作罪人的時候為我們死，神對我們的愛就在此顯明了。”(羅5:8)

我最喜愛的詩歌之一是 “愛就是”。第一節的歌詞如下：

愛就是，神屈尊為人，
受時空限制，無地位權勢；
愛就是，主生在猶太，
為木匠兒子，跟漁夫一起。
愛就是，主降世成就大事，
因愛賜世人新生命福氣；
愛就是，主流血捨身，
妙愛臨到我這罪人。

試想像一下，神是整個宇宙的創造者，“神屈尊成為人，受時間空間限制，無地位權勢”。這實在是不可思議！不可想像的！這就是愛！詩歌作者敦促我們去思考一個事實，就是無罪的神兒子來世：“因著愛神釘死流血捨身，帶來了使人自由的新生命，祂竟然愛一個像我這樣的人”。由此可看到何謂愛！我們稱頌讚美神，因我們能跟隨這位“愛之主”，我們要尊崇祂！“擁戴祂為愛之王”。是甚麼意思？

擁戴祂為愛之主

有趣的是，拜登除了引用詩篇30:5，他還沿用奧古斯丁的教導呼籲美國人民在共同價值觀的基礎上團結一致。自幼身為天主教徒，他引用了聖奧古斯丁的教導，並稱之為“我的教會聖人”，他指出，一個民族是以愛的共同基礎元素所定義的。古教父奧古斯丁在其著作“上帝之城”中提到：能將一個社會聯繫在一起的元素是愛，而不是法律。他還寫道：“靈魂以愛作為品格的厘定”。拜登呼籲美國人要實踐愛，以愛的共同價值觀，達成團結一致。

若以此教導應用於教會，耶穌教導我們：“如果你們彼此相愛，眾人就會認出你們是我的門徒了。” (約13:35）耶穌也強調愛神和遵守神的誡命兩者之間的關係：“那領受我的命令，並且遵守的，就是愛我的；愛我的，我父必定愛他，我也要愛他，並且要親自向他顯現。”(約14:21）。主所愛的門徒約翰描述了耶穌自己總結了愛的兩方面相連關係，祂說最大誡命的總意就是：“你要全心、全性、全力、全意愛主你的神，並且要愛鄰舍如同自己。” (路10:27）

耶穌是愛之主，愛的美善品德的化身。祂敦促我們作為祂門徒的，於上向方面要敬愛神，遵照祂的誡命，於橫向方面要彼此相愛。耶穌為我們樹立了“愛之主”的榜樣。祂為我們捨身的愛是為著要激勵我們要以愛來回應祂，並在基督的愛裡彼此相愛。當我們唱頌“擁戴愛之主為王”時，就是表示，藉此詩歌來提醒我們尊崇敬拜神，因為祂是那“愛之主”，並為愛神而彼此去實踐愛。
願我們列宣家眾肢體能在 2021 年及日後學會怎樣去“擁戴愛之主為王”！

主僕,
李耀全牧師

Jan 23-24, 2021
From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Simon Lee

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

Our theme this year, based on the hymn by the same name, is “Crown Him with Many Crowns.” There are totally12 verses, first 6 by Matthew Bridges (1851) and 6 additional verses by Godfrey Thring. Let us reflect om the rich theology of this hymn based on the Holy Scriptures and discover what it means by looking at 10 of the 12 verses, one at a time, beginning with verse 1.

Crown him with many crowns

Crown him with many crowns,
The Lamb upon his throne;
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
All music but its own:
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of him who died for thee,
And hail him as thy matchless king
Through all eternity.

Crown Him with Many Crowns. We have already noted that the title comes from Revelation 19:12,
11 Then I saw heaven opened and here came a white horse! The one riding it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice he judges and goes to war. 12 His eyes are like a fiery flame and there are many diadem crowns on his head. He has a name written that no one knows except himself.

Revelation 19:11-16 is about the return of Christ to Earth, the first of seven things John saw the Son of God goes to war against Satan. When the heaven opened, the Son of God returns riding on a white horse which symbolizes victory over one’s enemies. He is described as “Faithful” (trustworthy) and “True”(righteous, the real Messiah). This contrasts with the Antichrist who was unfaithful and untrue. Jesus Christ Has come to judge the beast and make war with him.

Jesus Christ’s eyes are like a fiery flame (with piercing judgment) and there are many diadem crowns on his head. “Diadem crowns” were a type of crown that symbolizes the highest ruling authority of a king. Jesus refused the diadem when Satan offered it to Him during His temptation (Mt. 4:9) and now He is the King of Kings, not of an earthy kingdom, but a heavenly one. He is also given a name that is above every name (Phi. 2:9). But here, at His return, He has “a name written that no one knows except himself.” Christ comes with power and authority to rule.

The Lamb upon His (the) throne:

The above imagery of Christ the King who has returned to rule and judge is the culmination of a series of revelations that begins in Chapter 4 of Revelation. The imagery of the Lamb is drawn from Revelation 5, especially Rev. 5: 6 -14. The Lamb that was slain was standing in the middle of the throne, and He alone was worthy to open the seven seals of the scroll in the right hand of God the Father. When the Lamb took the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders prostrated before Him and worshipped him singing:

“You are worthy to take the scroll
and to open its seals
because you were killed,
and at the cost of your own blood you have purchased for God
persons from every tribe, language, people, and nation.

10 You have appointed them as a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will            reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:9-10)
“Myriads and myriads” (ten thousand times ten thousand) angels joined in the chorus:
“Worthy is the lamb who was killed
to receive power and wealth
     and wisdom and might
     and honor and glory and praise!” (Rev. 5:12)

This was followed by every creature singing:
“To the one seated on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise, honor, glory, and ruling power forever and ever!” (Rev. 5:13)

Finally, “the four living creatures were saying “Amen,” and the elders threw themselves to the ground and worshiped.” (Rev. 5:14) This is the resounding sound of praise and worship captured in verse 1 of our hymn.

To crown Him is to worship Him: To “Crown Him with Many Crowns” who will come again to be rule and judge in the end times is therefore above all to truly praise and worship Christ the King, the Lamb upon the throne. Christ is the Coming King, as is emphasized in the fourth element of the Four-fold Gospel of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. Our ultimate hope is that when Christ returns, He will bring divine judgement to the earth. This is why we celebrate this truth by worshipping Him as the King of Kings now and forever.

The world we see is filled with pain and suffering, evil and injustice, much of which we cannot escape from, exasperated by the unfortunate devastation of the pandemic on the one hand, and on the other, the corruption from the misuse of power. But may be find peace, hope and joy in Christ and sing,
Awake, my soul, and sing
Of him who died for thee,
And hail him as thy matchless king
Through all eternity.

Your servant in Christ,
Rev. Simon Lee

Jan 23-24, 2021
李耀全牧師

親愛的列宣家弟兄姊妹：

本年度教會的主題是按照同名的詩歌定為“擁戴我主為王”。詩歌總共有12節，前6節由Matthew Bridges於1851年所寫，另外的6節則由Godfrey Thring附加撰寫。讓我們從十二節詩詞中的十節，按照聖經的基礎，對這首詩歌在神學上的含義進行反思，我們會從第一節的詩詞開始，每次查看一節，逐節去瞭解其中的豐富屬靈含義。

擁戴我主為王，聖羔在寶座上，
請聽天上歌聲悠揚，樂聲壓倒群響，
我靈速醒同唱，頌主為我受傷，
歡呼祂為至大君王，千秋萬歲無疆。

1.“擁戴基督為王” ：

我們已意識到詩歌標題出自啟示錄19:12：

我觀看，見天開了。有一匹白馬，那騎馬的稱為“忠信”和“真實”；祂按著公義審判和作戰。祂的眼睛好像火燄，頭上戴著許多皇冠，祂身上寫著一個名字，這名字除了祂自己沒有人認識。

啟19: 11-16是描述有關基督再來的七件事中的一件事，神的兒子與撒但作戰的情景。約翰看到天開了，神的兒子騎著白馬，象徵著戰勝了敵人凱旋而歸。祂被形容為“忠信”(全然可信賴)和“真實”(公義，真正的彌賽亞)。這與那不可信、不真實的敵基督形成對比。耶穌基督要來審判這獸，並在地上與牠作戰。

耶穌基督的眼目好像烈燄(表示祂有看透一切的審判能力)，頭上戴著許多皇冠。戴著許多皇冠，象徵祂是至高無上的權威與統治權柄。耶穌於面對試探時拒絕了撒但提供給祂的冠冕(太4：9)，在此，祂是萬王之王，祂身上寫著一個名字，是超乎萬名之上的名(腓 2:9)，這名字除了祂自己沒有人認識。基督以絕對的統治權威和能力來臨。

2. 坐在寶座上的羔羊:

以上有關基督再臨作王統治和審判的圖像，是啟示錄第4章開始的一系列啟示的高潮。羔羊的形象出自啟示錄第5章，特別是啟5:6 -14。被殺的羔羊站在寶座中間，唯獨祂才配在父神的右手中打開捲軸的七個印。當羔羊拿起書卷時，4活物和24位長老到在祂面前俯伏敬拜祂，高唱著：

“你配取書卷，
配拆開封印，
因為你曾被殺，
曾用你的血，
從各支派、各方言、各民族、各邦國，把人買了來歸給神
使他們成為我們神的國度和祭司，他們要在地上執掌王權。” (啟 5:9-10)

在寶座前，千千萬萬的天使與活物和長老齊聲歌頌：：
曾被殺的羔羊是配得的，
配得權能、豐富、
智慧、能力、尊貴、
榮耀、頌讚的！”(啟5:12)

在天上、地上、地底下和海裡的一切被造之物，以及天地間的萬有，都同聲唱頌：
“願頌讚、尊貴、榮耀、能力，都歸給坐在寶座上的那一位和羊羔，
直到永永遠遠！” (啟5:13)

其後，四活物也同聲和應頌唱：
“阿們！”眾長老也俯伏敬拜。(啟 5:14)

這就是在我們的詩歌第1節中所記載的景象，天上歌頌讚美大合唱的迴響。

3. 擁戴我主為王：

“以許多冠冕給那要在末時再臨並帶來審判的至高無上、當受全然崇敬與讚美的基督君王、坐在寶座上的羔羊加冕”。基督是再來之王，就是我們宣道會信仰四重福音其中第四方面的要素(重點)。我們終極的盼望就是基督要再臨帶來地上神聖的審判，這就是我們為甚麼要慶賀祂為萬王之王直到永永遠遠的原因！

我們眼見所身處的世界充斥著苦難與災害、邪惡和不公義，我們一方面無法擺脫這些苦困，在另一方面也因疫情大流行引致毀滅性的不幸，更因著權力的濫用所造成的腐敗而感到憤怒。但是我們可以在基督裡找到平安、希望和喜樂並且能夠高唱：

我靈速醒同唱，
頌主為我受傷，
歡呼祂為至大君王，
千秋萬歲無疆。

主僕,
李耀全牧師

Jan 09-10, 2021
From the Pastor’s Desk: Rev. Simon Lee

Dear brothers and sisters of RCAC,

We said good-bye to 2020 and welcome 2021. May this year be filled with life, health, and joy because of the promises that Christ the King brings to all of us. This year our theme for the whole Church is from the hymn “Crown Him with Many Crowns”.

The hymn

What does it mean to “Crown Him with Many Crowns?” The lyrics written by Matthew Bridges in 1851 as found in the Hymn of Life, with four selected stanzas are as follows:

Crown him with many crowns,
the Lamb upon his throne.
Hark! how the heavenly anthem drowns
all music but its own.
Awake my soul, and sing
of him who died for thee,
and hail him as thy matchless King
through all eternity.

Crown him the Lord of love!
Behold his hands and side,–
Rich wounds, yet visible above,
In beauty glorified:
No angel in the sky
Can fully bear that sight,
But downward bends his burning eye
At mysteries so bright!

Crown him the Lord of peace!
Whose power a scepter sways,
From pole to pole,–that wars may cease,
Absorbed in prayer and praise:
his reign shall know no end,
And round his pierced feet
Fair flowers of paradise extend
Their fragrance ever sweet.

Crown him the Lord of years!
The Potentate of time,–
Creator of the rolling spheres,
Ineffably sublime!
Glassed in a sea of light,
Where everlasting waves
Reflect his throne,–the Infinite!
Who lives,–and loves–and saves.

The background

Matthew Bridges, who wrote the original six stanzas of the hymn, “Crown Him with Many Crowns,” was born in Maldon, Essex, in 1800. Although he was raised in the Anglican church, he was converted to Catholicism in 1848 in connection with the Oxford Movement led by John Henry Newman. The Oxford Movement was an effort by Anglican clergymen of Oxford University between 1833 and 1845 to renew the Church of England by a revival of Catholic doctrine and practice. The hymn was written in 1851 by Matthew Bridges after the time of the Oxford Movement in England. Afterwards, Godfrey Thring, an Anglican priest wrote six additional stanzas to underscore Protestant theology distinct from Catholic theology, as the original hymn was popular among Anglicans. Today, the four stanzas (1, 4, 5 and 6) retained by our protestant hymnals are devoid of the Catholic theological distinctives (in stanzas 2 and 3). For us at RCAC, this history reminds us to hold to our own Alliance distinctives of the fourfold gospel of Christ as the Saviour, Sanctifier, Healer, and the Coming King.

Dr. Hawn, professor of sacred music at Perkins School of Theology, said this: “If there was ever a hymn that suited Christ the King Sunday (last Sunday before Advent begins a new Christian Year), it is this hymn.” We note that the original six stanzas mention six crowns: “Crown him . . . the Lamb upon the throne” (stanza one); [omitting Stanza two and three as in the Hymn of Life]; “Crown him the Lord of Love” (original stanza four); “Crown him the Lord of Peace” (original stanza five); and “Crown him the Lord of Years” (original stanza six). As we enter into 2021, let us remember that Christ the Lamb upon the throne is the Lord of Love, peace and Years.

Also, according to Dr. Hawn, “DIADEMATA (meaning “crowns”) is the tune that was written by Sir George Job Elvey (1816-1893) for this hymn when it was published in the Appendix of Hymns Ancient and Modern in 1868.” Watson had observed that the tune “makes a magnificent setting for the text, march-like and joyful without ever becoming mechanical or strident.” When we sing this hymn throughout 2021, let us be always reminded of the majesty of Christ the King.

The message

One of the imageries of the theme comes from the first stanza which is based on Revelation 22:1:

1Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.

Isn’t this exactly what we need in 2021: the river of the water of life from the throne of God and the Lamb, flowing into our cities bringing fruits and healing for the nations!

Another imagery of the hymn comes also from Revelations, Revelation 19:12, ESV: “His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems (crowns), and he has a name written that no one knows but himself.”

Over the Advent season (Christmas) we had already seen how Jesus’ first coming to earth was humble (Luke 2:7). We also know from our study of Philippians the Jesus came to sacrifice Himself in death on the cross (Philippians 2:8).

His second coming, however, sees Jesus arrives as the King of kings and Lord of lords, with piercing eyes. He sees all and will come to bring judgment. The diadems (crowns) on Jesus’ head show that He is the absolute ruler of the universe. Among the many names He can claim, Jesus has a name only He knows, which means symbolically that the Son of God on His return, will come with a name unknowable to any other person, representing a personality and deeds that is beyond our comprehension (Rev. 19:11-21).

Indeed, against the chaos due to the pandemic and other factors that we have seen in 2020, let us learn in 2021 from the failures of human kings, look to Christ the messiah, the King, and await the return of Christ the Coming King, with hope and joy in our hearts.

Crown Him with Many Crowns! Yes, Crown Him with Many Crowns!

Your servant in Christ,
Pastor Simon Lee

Jan 09-10, 2021
李耀全牧師

親愛的列宣家弟兄姊妹：

我們告別了2020年，迎來了2021年。因著君王基督所賜予的應許，盼望我們今年能充滿活力，健康和喜樂。本年度，我們將採用生命聖詩中的“擁戴我主為王”詩歌作為教會整年的主題。

本詩歌詞
“擁戴我主為王”是什麼意思？本詩由Matthew Bridges於1851年所寫。在生命聖詩中的四節歌詞如下：

擁戴我主為王，聖羔在寶座上,
請聽天上歌聲悠揚，樂聲壓倒群響，
我靈速醒同唱，頌主為我受傷，
歡呼祂為至大君王，千秋萬歲無疆。

擁戴我主為王，祂是仁愛之王，
祂手祂足肋旁受傷，今仍顯明天上，
何等奇妙奧祕，發出榮美光芒，
天使驚奇不敢仰視，一同俯首頌揚。

擁戴我主為王, 祂是和平之王，
普天之下戰爭停息，和平統治四方，
遍地禱頌聲揚，國權萬世永長，
美花環繞曾受傷足，朵朵歷久芬芳。

擁戴我主為王，祂是萬世之王，
宇宙天體乃主創造，榮美無可比量，
齊來頌讚救主！你曾為我受死，
讚美之聲永不止息，永遠感恩不已。

本詩背景
“擁戴我主為王” 詩歌由Matthew Bridges所寫，起先原有六節。他於1800年在英國埃塞克斯郡的馬爾登出生。儘管他在英國聖公會中成長，但他於1848年，因著參與由約翰·亨利·紐曼領導的牛津運動而歸依天主教。牛津運動是牛津大學的英國聖公會神職人員在1833年至1845年之間，致力於透過復興天主教教義與實踐來更新英格蘭教會所達成。Matthew Bridges在1851年於英國牛津運動時期後撰寫這詩歌。其後，因著原先的詩歌已在聖公會中甚為流行，聖公會牧師Godfrey Thring再多加了六節歌詞，以強調有別於天主教神學的改革宗神學觀念。今天，我們的基督教詩集保留了四節的詩詞（1、4、5和6節），省略了原先天主教神學特色的第2和3節。對於我們在列宣家的肢體而言，這段歷史提醒了我們要珍惜宣道會信仰的特色，即基督的四重福音：基督是救主、使人成聖的主、醫治的主、和再來之王。
珀金斯神學院的聖樂教授Hawn博士說：“如果要選取一首適合基督君王主日的詩歌(基督將臨期前的最後一個主日，即開始教會年曆的新年度），這首聖詩實在是最合適不過了。我們注意到原先的六節中提到了六個冠冕：“擁戴祂為王 (君王加冕)…“聖羔羊在寶座上”(第1節)；(生命聖詩省略了其中的第2和3節)； “擁戴仁愛之主為王”(第4節)；“擁戴和平之主為王”(第5節)；和“擁戴萬世之主為王”(第6節)。在邁進2021年時，讓我們謹記，坐在寶座上的羔羊基督是– 愛、和平與歲月的主宰。
此外，據Hawn博士所言，喬治·喬布·埃爾維爵士(Sir George Job Elvey，1816-1893)於1868年為這首詩歌創作曲譜時，他是按照“DIADEMATA”(即:“皇冠”之意)，在“古今讚美詩集”的附錄中出版。聖詩學者Watson 觀察到，這首詩歌的曲調，為歌詞營造了冠冕堂皇的宏偉氣派，既具備愉快的進行曲式，又絲毫沒有呆板或尖銳刺耳的感覺。在2021年裡，當我們唱頌這首詩歌時，總能帶動我們聯繫到基督君王的威嚴雄偉。

本詩信息
本主題的圖像之一出自於啟示錄22章的第1節：
“天使又指示我一道明亮如水晶的生命水的河流，從神和羊羔的寶座那裡流出來，經過城裡的街道。河的兩邊有生命樹，結十二次果子，每月都結果子；樹葉可以醫治列國。”
生命之水從神和羔羊的寶座中流出，流入我們的城市，為各國帶來成果和康復！這豈不是在2021年中我們所需要的嗎？
詩歌中的另一幅圖像也出自啟示錄19:12，“祂的眼睛好像火燄，頭上戴著許多皇冠，祂身上寫著一個名字，這名字除了他自己沒有人認識。”(新譯本)
在聖誕節將臨期之中，我們已看到主耶穌第一次來到世上是多麼的降卑(路2:7)。並且藉著對腓立比書的研究，我們更明白耶穌來世是為著受死，在十字架上犧牲自己(腓2:8)。
然而，主耶穌的第二次降臨將會是萬王之王和萬主之主，祂要帶著如烈焰的目光來臨。祂看透一切，並將帶來審判。耶穌頭上的王冠表明祂是宇宙毋容置疑的絕對統治者。在祂眾多的名稱中，耶穌具有一個只有祂自己才知道的名字，這象徵著神的兒子在再來時將會帶著任何人都不知道的名字再臨，代表著我們所無法理解的位格與作為(啟19:11-21)。
確實地，在我們面對2020年所見的疫情大流行和其他因素所造成的混亂中，讓我們今年從世上君王的失敗中汲取教訓，仰望彌賽亞基督、君王，在充滿喜樂和盼望中等待再來之君，基督的再臨。
以許多冠冕給祂加冕，擁戴我主為王！
是的，讓我們同來擁戴基督為主為王！

主僕,
李耀全牧師