Take Great Care of God’s House

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 2:13-25.  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!

John 2:13-17 (NIV)
13  When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14  In the temple courts he found men selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money.
15  So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple area, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
16  To those who sold doves he said, “Get these out of here! How dare you turn my Father’s house into a market!”
17  His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me.”
 
On verses 13-17:  Here we read of Jesus going to Jerusalem, visiting the temple courts and driving out those who had turned the temple courts into a marketplace. 

虚心的人有福了

马太福音5:3  虚心的人有福了!因为天国是他们的。

Matthew 5:3  Blessed are the poor in spirit,  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.(NIV)

虚心的原文是贫穷的、低劣的、堪怜的,是仰仗别人养生的;圣经有些地方将「虚心的」诠译为「灵里贫穷的」(太5:3,路6:20)。

人们不管是物质贫穷或是灵里贫穷,通常会寻求人的帮助;唯有走到人的极限时,我们才会谦卑低头、仰目望天,渴慕神的恩典。

神给世人的应许:…但我所看顾的,就是虚心(原文是贫穷)痛悔、因我话而战兢的人。(赛66:2)

耶稣给我们的应许:虚心的人有福了!因为天国是他们的。(太5:3)

明白自己是那困苦、可怜、贫穷、瞎眼、赤身的(启3:17),「谦卑求靠神」是我们穷极一生最需要的智慧。

作主的见证人

马太福音28:16-20

16 十一个门徒往加利利去,到了耶稣约定的山上。 17 他们见了耶稣就拜他,然而还有人疑惑。 18 耶稣进前来,对他们说:「天上地下所有的权柄都赐给我了。 19 所以你们要去,使万民做我的门徒,奉父、子、圣灵的名给他们施洗, 20 凡我所吩咐你们的,都教训他们遵守。我就常与你们同在,直到世界的末了。」

圣经记载耶稣复活后,在升天前向地上的人多次显现,包括:抹大拉的马利亚(约20:12-18)、众妇女(太28:8-10)、前往以马忤斯村落的两位门徒(路24:13-35)、三次向使徒们(第一次,约20:19-23;第二次,约20:24-29;第三次,约21:1-14);此外,尚有间接转述的记载,向彼得显现(路24:33-34),显给五百多弟兄看、显给耶稣的弟弟雅各看、再显给众使徒看(林前15:3-7)…。徒1:3综合记述:祂受害之后,用许多的凭据将自己活活地显给使徒看,四十天之久向他们显现,讲说神国的事。

耶稣复活四十天后,和使徒们来到耶路撒冷附近的橄榄山,应许他们领受圣灵,嘱咐他们作主的见证直到地极,然后祂就被取升天(可16:19,路24:50-53,徒1:3-11)。

他们聚集的时候,问耶稣说:「主啊,祢复兴以色列国就在这时候吗?」耶稣对他们说:「父凭著自己的权柄所定的时候、日期,不是你们可以知道的。但圣灵降临在你们身上,你们就必得着能力,并要在耶路撒冷、犹太全地,和撒马利亚,直到地极,作我的见证。」(徒1:6-8)耶稣和使徒们的最后问答让我们明白神的心意。

Jesus Always RSVPs

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 2:1-12.  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!
 
John 2:1-2 (NIV)
1  On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,
2  and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding.
 
On verses 1-2:  Jesus is about to do his first miracle of turning water into wine.  And guess who were the ones who got to experience it?  It was those who invited Jesus, as well as those closest to him.
 
What can we learn from this? If you want Jesus’ involvement in a situation, invite Jesus into the situation.   Whenever you sincerely invite Jesus, you can count on Him to be there.  Jesus always RSVP’s.    

A Greater Vision for Your Life

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 1:40-51.  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!
 
John 1:40-41 (NIV)
40  Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus.
41  The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ).
 
On verses 40-41:  Earlier in John 1:35-37 we read that John the Baptist pointed Jesus out to two of his disciples and said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”   So those two disciples of John the Baptist start to follow Jesus.  We learn here that one of those two disciples is Andrew.  The identity of the second disciple is not 100% clear, but I think he might be John himself, the author of this gospel. 

触摸主的钉痕和枪伤

约翰福音20:24-28

24 那十二个门徒中有称为低土马的多马,耶稣来的时候,他没有和他们同在。 25 那些门徒就对他说:「我们已经看见主了!」多马却说:「我非看见他手上的钉痕,用指头探入那钉痕,又用手探入他的肋旁,我总不信。」

26 过了八日,门徒又在屋里,多马也和他们同在。门都关了,耶稣来站在当中说:「愿你们平安!」 27 就对多马说:「伸过你的指头来,摸a]”>[a]我的手!伸出你的手来,探入我的肋旁!不要疑惑,总要信!」 28 多马说:「我的主!我的神!」 29 耶稣对他说:「你因看见了我才信,那没有看见就信的有福了!」

耶稣复活当天晚上显现给十个使徒看,但少了一个人,称为低土马的多马没有和他们同在。虽然同伴们对他说:「我们已经看见主了。」多马却说:「我非看见祂手上的钉痕,用指头探入那钉痕,又用手探入祂的肋旁,我总不信。」(约20:25)

耶稣在最后的晚餐为门徒祷告:「我与他们同在的时候,因你所赐给我的名保守了他们,我也护卫了他们;其中除了那灭亡之子,没有一个灭亡的,好叫经上的话得应验。」(约17:12)

耶稣没有忘记多马,八天以后,祂再次来到使徒聚集的屋里,站在当中说:「愿你们平安!」,这是圣经记载的第五次显现。

耶稣对多马说:「伸过你的指头来,摸(原文是看)我的手;伸出你的手来,探入我的肋旁。不要疑惑,总要信!」多马没有伸手探入的动作,直接向主承认:「我的主!我的神!」(约20:26-29)

It’s God’s Work in You

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 1:29-39.  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!
 
John 1:29 (NIV)
29  The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
 
On verse 29:  Here John the Baptist is quoted as calling his younger cousin Jesus “the Lamb of God” (see also verse 36).  Just as God provided a lamb for Abraham to sacrifice in place of his son Isaac (Genesis 22:8), just as Moses called the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb without defect at Passover to atone for the sins of their firstborn sons (Exodus 12:21), just as the Israelites later would regularly sacrifice a lamb without defect as an atoning sacrifice for their sins (Leviticus 9:3), so Jesus Christ would be the lamb that God would sacrifice to pay for our sins.  John, the apostle writing this gospel, would also write the book of Revelation where again he sees a vision of Jesus in heaven looking like a lamb that has been slain (Revelation 5:6).  Praise God!  Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away our sins by the shedding of his precious blood. 

愿你们平安!

路加福音24:13-35

13 正当那日,门徒中有两个人往一个村子去。这村子名叫以马忤斯,离耶路撒冷约有二十五里。 14 他们彼此谈论所遇见的这一切事。 15 正谈论相问的时候,耶稣亲自就近他们,和他们同行, 16 只是他们的眼睛迷糊了,不认识他。 17 耶稣对他们说:「你们走路彼此谈论的是什么事呢?」他们就站住,脸上带着愁容。 18 二人中有一个名叫革流巴的回答说:「你在耶路撒冷作客,还不知道这几天在那里所出的事吗?」 19 耶稣说:「什么事呢?」他们说:「就是拿撒勒人耶稣的事。他是个先知,在神和众百姓面前说话行事都有大能, 20 祭司长和我们的官府竟把他解去,定了死罪,钉在十字架上。 

复活当天,耶稣第三次显现给正离开耶路撒冷前往以马忤斯村落的两位门徒(路24:13-35);福音书中未曾描述这两位门徒的事蹟,仅记载其中一人名叫革流巴,他们跟随耶稣,但可能没有像十二使徒那样贴近耶稣,对耶稣的认识可能也有限。

耶稣像半途遇见的路人,接近这两位门徒,与他们同行,且加入他们的谈话,陪他们走了约二十五里路(约等于十一公里)。路途中,两位门徒迫切的向耶稣谈及他们最近的经历:有个拿撒勒人耶稣,祂是个先知,说话行事都有大能,却被官府定了死罪,钉在十字架上。

以马忤斯

路加福音24:13-35

13 正当那日,门徒中有两个人往一个村子去。这村子名叫以马忤斯,离耶路撒冷约有二十五里。 14 他们彼此谈论所遇见的这一切事。 15 正谈论相问的时候,耶稣亲自就近他们,和他们同行, 16 只是他们的眼睛迷糊了,不认识他。 17 耶稣对他们说:「你们走路彼此谈论的是什么事呢?」他们就站住,脸上带着愁容。 18 二人中有一个名叫革流巴的回答说:「你在耶路撒冷作客,还不知道这几天在那里所出的事吗?」 19 耶稣说:「什么事呢?」他们说:「就是拿撒勒人耶稣的事。他是个先知,在神和众百姓面前说话行事都有大能, 20 祭司长和我们的官府竟把他解去,定了死罪,钉在十字架上。 

复活当天,耶稣第三次显现给正离开耶路撒冷前往以马忤斯村落的两位门徒(路24:13-35);福音书中未曾描述这两位门徒的事蹟,仅记载其中一人名叫革流巴,他们跟随耶稣,但可能没有像十二使徒那样贴近耶稣,对耶稣的认识可能也有限。

耶稣像半途遇见的路人,接近这两位门徒,与他们同行,且加入他们的谈话,陪他们走了约二十五里路(约等于十一公里)。路途中,两位门徒迫切的向耶稣谈及他们最近的经历:有个拿撒勒人耶稣,祂是个先知,说话行事都有大能,却被官府定了死罪,钉在十字架上。

What Greatness Looks Like

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 1:14-28.  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!

John 1:14 (NIV)
14  The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

On verse 14:  Verses 14-18 conclude what is known as the Prologue in John 1.  The Prologue summarizes some of the central truths about Jesus from the Gospel of John.  Just from verse 14 alone we learn that:

–        Jesus (the Word) “became flesh and made his dwelling among us” (v14a).  In other words, God became a man when Jesus entered this world and lived among people.  This is known as the Incarnation.

–        Jesus is the Son of God who came from the Father (v14b). 

–        Jesus is “full of grace and truth” (v14b).  Jesus is not just all grace, nor is he all truth.  He is full of both. 

–        For all these reasons, Jesus is unique and unlike anyone else.  That is why John calls Jesus “the One and Only”.