我已經看見了主

約翰福音20:11-18

 11馬利亞卻站在墳墓外面哭。哭的時候,低頭往墳墓裡看, 12 就見兩個天使,穿著白衣,在安放耶穌身體的地方坐著,一個在頭,一個在腳。 13 天使對她說:「婦人,你為什麼哭?」她說:「因為有人把我主挪了去,我不知道放在哪裡。」 14 說了這話,就轉過身來,看見耶穌站在那裡,卻不知道是耶穌。 15 耶穌問她說:「婦人,為什麼哭?你找誰呢?」馬利亞以為是看園的,就對他說:「先生,若是你把他移了去,請告訴我你把他放在哪裡,我便去取他。」 16 耶穌說:「馬利亞!」馬利亞就轉過來,用希伯來話對他說:「拉波尼!」(「拉波尼」就是「夫子」的意思。) 17 耶穌說:「不要摸我,因我還沒有升上去見我的父。你往我弟兄那裡去,告訴他們說我要升上去見我的父,也是你們的父,見我的神,也是你們的神。」 18 抹大拉的馬利亞就去告訴門徒說:「我已經看見了主!」她又將主對她說的這話告訴他們。

第一位看見復活的耶穌是誰呢?抹大拉的馬利亞。

耶穌周遊各城各鄉傳道,宣講神國的福音,與祂同行的除了十二個門徒外,還有被惡鬼所附、被疾病所累、已經治好的幾個婦女…,這些婦女都是用自己的財物供給耶穌和門徒(路8:1-3);抹大拉的馬利亞就是其中的一位,耶穌從她身上曾趕出七個鬼。

抹大拉(Migdal,「樓塔」之意)位於加利利海的西岸,介於迦百農和提比哩亞之間;耶穌給四千人吃飽後,渡過加利利海到了西岸,那地區稱為馬加丹(太15:39),大概包括抹大拉在內。

God’s Heart vs. My Heart

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Jonah 4:1-11.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Jonah 4:1-3 (NIV) 
1  But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry. 
2  He prayed to the LORD, “O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. 
3  Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”
 
On verses 1-3:  God has just shown great mercy to the Ninevites by not bringing the destruction He had warned about (see Jonah 3:10).  What is Jonah’s response to God’s act of mercy?  Displeasure and anger.  Why?  It’s for the same reason that Jonah did not want to go to Nineveh to preach in the first place: Jonah despised the Ninevites.  Jonah had probably learned from the prophets Hosea and Amos that one day Assyria (of which Nineveh was or would be the capital city) would one day attack Jonah’s country of Israel.  So Jonah did not want God to spare the Ninevites. 

The God of Second Chances

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Jonah 3:1-10.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Jonah 3:1-3 (NIV) 
1  Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: 
2  “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” 
3  Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh…
 
On verses 1-3:  The first time the word of the Lord came to Jonah, Jonah ran away.  But praise God that in His mercy God decided to let His Word come to Jonah a second time (v1).  Likewise, you and I may not have always responded with obedience the first time God called us, but thank God for those times when, even after we have rejected Him, God calls us a second time, or a hundredth time.  I’m so glad that in His mercy God has decided that “God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29).  Thank You Lord for being the God of second chances.  Thank You for Your patience with me.

耶穌愛我們到底

約翰福音19:30

30 耶穌嘗了那醋,就說:「成了!」便低下頭,將靈魂交付神了。

主耶穌受難的時候,在十字架上說了一句很重要的話,我們一定要謹記,「耶穌嘗了那醋,說:『成了!』便低下頭,將靈魂交付神了」(約19:30)

主耶穌在十字架上是說「成了」,而不是說「完了」。我們從這兩句說話的語意中看到主的心意。如果是完了,意思是過去所做的都付諸流水。主耶穌說「成了」,意思就剛好相反,祂過往所受一切的苦,並且死在十架上成為你我的代罪羔羊,向上帝付清我們的罪債,所有跟從祂的人就可以白白的憑信稱義了,這件事完成了。

成了,救恩成了,原來祂在之前所受的苦、被遺棄,只是使命的一部份,現在死於十字架上,這一刻祂完成了上帝交託給祂的使命,之前所有的苦難就不再計較,耶穌基督上帝兒子的使命完成了,祂將祂的靈魂交託給天父了。

基督徒的人生從這句「成了」給我們很大的啟迪。原來卑微的死在十字架上,代表著不計較自己的權利,放下自己的身分,死在十字架上,死在罪人的刑具上,不再計較了。

God’s Grace Is Greater Than Your Troubles

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Jonah 2:1-10.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Jonah 2:1 (NIV) 
1  From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God.
2  He said: “In my distress I called to the LORD, and he answered me. From the depths of the grave I called for help, and you listened to my cry.
3  You hurled me into the deep, into the very heart of the seas, and the currents swirled about me; all your waves and breakers swept over me.
4  I said, ‘I have been banished from your sight; yet I will look again toward your holy temple.’
5  The engulfing waters threatened me, the deep surrounded me; seaweed was wrapped around my head.
6  To the roots of the mountains I sank down; the earth beneath barred me in forever. But you brought my life up from the pit, O LORD my God.
7  “When my life was ebbing away, I remembered you, LORD, and my prayer rose to you, to your holy temple.

On verses 1-7:  Here Jonah recounts how he cried out to God for help when he was drowning in the sea and how God rescued him.  Similarly, when we were drowning in the sea of our sin, Jesus came and rescued us from sure death.  No matter what kind of trouble you may be in, like Jonah, cry out to God and believe that God’s grace is greater and He can deliver you.

被釘十架,成了!

約翰福音19:30

30 耶穌嘗了那醋,就說:「成了!」便低下頭,將靈魂交付神了。

主耶穌受難的時候,在十字架上說了一句很重要的話,我們一定要謹記,「耶穌嘗了那醋,說:『成了!』便低下頭,將靈魂交付神了」(約19:30)

主耶穌在十字架上是說「成了」,而不是說「完了」。我們從這兩句說話的語意中看到主的心意。如果是完了,意思是過去所做的都付諸流水。主耶穌說「成了」,意思就剛好相反,祂過往所受一切的苦,並且死在十架上成為你我的代罪羔羊,向上帝付清我們的罪債,所有跟從祂的人就可以白白的憑信稱義了,這件事完成了。

成了,救恩成了,原來祂在之前所受的苦、被遺棄,只是使命的一部份,現在死於十字架上,這一刻祂完成了上帝交託給祂的使命,之前所有的苦難就不再計較,耶穌基督上帝兒子的使命完成了,祂將祂的靈魂交託給天父了。

基督徒的人生從這句「成了」給我們很大的啟迪。原來卑微的死在十字架上,代表著不計較自己的權利,放下自己的身分,死在十字架上,死在罪人的刑具上,不再計較了。

最後晚餐–耶穌不改變

路加福音22:14-20

14 時候到了,耶穌坐席,使徒也和他同坐。 15 耶穌對他們說:「我很願意在受害以先和你們吃這逾越節的筵席。 16 我告訴你們,我不再吃這筵席,直到成就在神的國裡。」 17 耶穌接過杯來,祝謝了,說:「你們拿這個,大家分著喝。 18 我告訴你們,從今以後,我不再喝這葡萄汁,直等神的國來到。」 19 又拿起餅來,祝謝了,就掰開,遞給他們,說:「這是我的身體,為你們捨的。你們也應當如此行,為的是記念我。」 20 飯後也照樣拿起杯來,說:「這杯是用我血所立的新約,是為你們流出來的。

今天我們看到主耶穌設立聖餐,在當晚設立聖餐時,主耶穌宣佈祂來這世界的目的就是為我們受死。「這是我的身體,為你們捨的,你們要如此行,為的是記念我。」飯後祂照樣拿起杯來,說:「這杯是用我的血所立的新約,為你們流出來的。」(路22:19-20)「為你們捨的」和「為你們流出來的」就是聖餐核心的意義。主耶穌的一生是為我們而來到這世界,為我們而生,經歷人間百般的苦難,更重要的是祂也為我們捨命,流出祂的寶血。

耶穌設立聖餐時,祂完全明白這是祂的使命,也在實際行動上表現出來。祂在聖餐時為門徒洗腳,祂擘開餅、舉起杯,宣告自己將要受死;祂在客西馬尼園知道全部門徒睡着了,並且全部門徒都將會離祂而去,祂只是叫他們警醒一點。祂自己很辛苦,汗如血滴在地上,祂卻堅持下去。當我們每次參加聖餐時,就看到主耶穌的堅持和捨己;這樣,我們有甚麼苦捱不下去呢?有甚麼是不能捨去的?為主的緣故,有甚麼不可以放下?為主的異象,為了主交託給我們的使命,又有甚麼不可以繼續走下去?

Run After God, Not Away From Him

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Jonah 1:1-17.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Today we start the book of Jonah, a book written probably the prophet Jonah himself.  Since Jonah is described in 2 Kings as being connected to King Jeroboam II of Israel (see 2 Kings 14:25), scholars estimate that the book of Jonah was written around the time of Jeroboam II’s reign (793 to 753 B.C.).

Today’s passage is Jonah 1:1-17.  There are so many powerful lessons we can learn.  Let’s go!

Jonah 1:1-2 (NIV) 
1  The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 
2  “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

On verses 1-2:  Who is this man Jonah?  Is he a deeply spiritual man with a close and honest relationship with God?  Or is he a superficial man who lacks love for God and love for people?  Is he a bit of both?  As you read the book of Jonah, make it your aim to find out who Jonah is, besides the famous fact of him running away from God and getting swallowed up by a big fish.

認真愛耶穌

馬太福音 26:6-13

6 耶穌在伯大尼長大痲瘋的西門家裡, 7 有一個女人拿著一玉瓶極貴的香膏來,趁耶穌坐席的時候,澆在他的頭上。 8 門徒看見就很不喜悅,說:「何用這樣的枉費呢? 9 這香膏可以賣許多錢賙濟窮人。」 10 耶穌看出他們的意思,就說:「為什麼難為這女人呢?她在我身上做的是一件美事。 11 因為常有窮人和你們同在,只是你們不常有我。 12 她將這香膏澆在我身上,是為我安葬做的。 13 我實在告訴你們:普天之下,無論在什麼地方傳這福音,也要述說這女人所行的,做個紀念。」

聖經四卷福音書都記載女人用香膏抹耶穌的事蹟,馬太、馬可和約翰福音(太26:6-13,可14:3-9,約12:1-8)記載同一件事,發生於耶穌受難前一週,女人用香膏澆在主身上是為安葬的事;路加福音(路7:36-50)的記載則發生於較早期,耶穌用欠債的比喻來說明女人因罪得赦免所表現出來的愛。

法利賽人西門請耶穌吃飯,在坐席時,一個有罪的女人用香膏抹耶穌;在旁的西門看見這事,心裡說:「這人若是先知,必知道摸他的是誰,是個怎樣的女人;乃是個罪人。」(路7:39)很顯然的,經文突顯出法利賽人西門「自以為義」的心態。

You Are God’s Treasured Possession

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Malachi 3:16-4:6.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Malachi 3:16 (NIV)
16 Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name.

On verse 16:  Here Malachi describes how those who feared God – that is, worshiped, revered, and honoured God – talked to each other, and God not only heard them but also took notes about them.  What can we learn from this?  God not only listens to how we talk to Him.  He also listens to how we talk to each other.  When we talk to each other in ways that honour His name – when we encourage one another in the Lord – God takes notice.   Just as it pleases a parent to see his or her children getting along and encouraging one another, so it pleases and honours God when we speak in ways that encourage one another and lift up His name.