“Whoever Steals God’s Glory Will Be Judged 凡盗取神榮耀的必受審判“（Acts 使徒行傳 12:18-25）
… After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. … On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. They shouted, ‘This is the voice of a god, not of a man.’ Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. But the word of God continued to spread and flourish. …
… 希律搜索他，卻找不到，就審問衛兵，下令把他們帶出去處死。… 到了定好的日期，希律穿上王服，坐在高台上，向他們演講。 群眾大聲說：“這是神的聲音，不是人的聲音！”他不歸榮耀給神，所以主的使者立刻擊打他，他被蟲咬，就斷了氣。神的道日漸興旺，越發廣傳。…
The guard was given the death penalty due to the escape of his prisoner, Peter. Dressed in royal clothes, Herod spoke before an audience eager to please him because they needed the food that came from Herod’s country. It is in human nature to look for political deliverers and messiahs, and they seemed to praise Herod as if he were a god. For his part, Herod enjoyed it, taking the glory unto himself. He believed he had the upper hand against God’s people but God showed who was really in charge – Herod was judged by God and the church was blessed.
看守的人因自己看守的囚犯彼得逃脫，被處死了。希律穿上王服，向著一群因需要來自他領土的食物，而熱切討好他的聽眾演講。要尋找政治上的拯救者和彌賽亞是人的本性，他們似乎把希律當作神明一樣讚美。希律很享受對他的讚美，把榮耀歸給自己。他以為自己得著對抗神子民的控制，而神卻顯示了誰是真正的主宰–希律受到了神的審判，而教會得到了祝福。
Prayer: Glorious God of Creation, human history has been filling with the stories of those who thought they could fight God and succeed; yet, their ruined lives are evidence that it cannot be done even though their deserved judgment might not come immediately. No matter how attractive human voices/words are, they are not your voice! Thank you that your voice will impress a seal in our heart through your words, the Bible, humbling us as well as guiding and leading us into your truth. Amen.
禱告: 榮耀的創造之神啊，人類的歷史一直充滿著那些以為自己可以與神相爭而成功之人的故事；他們破敗不堪的生命卻証實這是不能實現的，就算他們當得的審判或許沒有即時來到。人的聲音/說話無論是如何吸引，它都不是你的聲音！感謝你的聲音透過聖經你的話語，必壓印在我們心裡一個印記，使我們謙卑，與及輔導引領我們進入你的真理。阿們。
