What It Means to Really Serve God

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 12:20-26.  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 12:20-22 (NIV)
20  Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast.
21  They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”
22  Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

On verses 20-22:  Here we see not just Jews but Greeks wanting to see Jesus.  It’s a reminder that Jesus didn’t just come to be the long-awaited Messiah the Jews were waiting for.  Even more Jesus came to be the saviour that the entire world needs.  That’s why Jesus would talk about having “other sheep that are not of this pen” that he must bring in also (John 15:16).  That’s also why Jesus reached out to a Samaritan woman in John 4, a Roman centurion in Luke 7, and a Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:22. 

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牧人寻羊的比喻

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马太福音 18:10-14

10 你们要小心，不可轻看这小子里的一个。我告诉你们，他们的使者在天上，常见我天父的面。a]”>[a]

12 「一个人若有一百只羊，一只走迷了路，你们的意思如何？他岂不撇下这九十九只，往山里去找那只迷路的羊吗？ 13 若是找著了，我实在告诉你们：他为这一只羊欢喜，比为那没有迷路的九十九只欢喜还大呢。 14 你们在天上的父也是这样，不愿意这小子里失丧一个。

耶稣用牧人寻羊的比喻来阐述祂来是要拯救失丧的人（太18:10-14），接着就谈到弟兄得罪你（原文或译犯了罪）时，当如何行：「倘若你的弟兄得罪你，你就去，趁著只有他和你在一处的时候，指出他的错来。他若听你，你便得了你的弟兄；他若不听…」（太18:15-17）

这里，耶稣谈到迷羊被抱回、失丧的人成为弟兄后，当他们再次犯罪或得罪你时，你该怎么办？聪明的彼得一听就知道他可能面对的难题，我可以饶恕他几次？到七次够了吗？（太18:21）若第八次他还不听，这时候我就照着耶稣的教导，将他交给两三个人、教会…，最后就看他像外邦人和税吏一样。（太18:15-17）

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无花果树的比喻

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马太福音 24:13-14 / 32-36

13 唯有忍耐到底的，必然得救。 14 这天国的福音要传遍天下，对万民作见证，然后末期才来到。

32 「你们可以从无花果树学个比方。当树枝发嫩长叶的时候，你们就知道夏天近了。 33 这样，你们看见这一切的事，也该知道人子近了，正在门口了。 34 我实在告诉你们：这世代还没有过去，这些事都要成就。 35 天地要废去，我的话却不能废去。 36 但那日子、那时辰，没有人知道，连天上的使者也不知道，子也不知道，唯独父知道。

圣经中的无花果树名为Ficus carica，是一种桑科榕属的植物，生长在高地，不需要很多水分，树身可长至十米高。中东地带无花果树的果实呈球根状，是一个大而有肉的花托，尾部有一小孔，花粉由黄蜂传播，花生长于果内，属于隐头花序。因外观只见结果不见花，所以称为「无花果」。

以色列的无花果每年有两季收获，冬果在五、六月成熟，可以采摘；夏果则在八、九月成熟，但有时这两季会重叠。无花果树在长叶前会先露出果子的芽，果芽在二月长出，五、六月间长出叶子；叶子落下后，便是果子成熟的时候（太21:19）。

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Why Did Jesus Ride On A Donkey?

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 12:12-19.  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 12:12-16 (NIV)
12  The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
13  They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
14  Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
15  “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”
16  At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
 
On verses 12-16:  Here Jesus arrives in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.  His entrance is met with great fanfare from the massive crowd who were expecting him.  Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem is eye-catching for a number of reasons.  First, Jesus is riding on a donkey (v14).  Second, the people were greeting him with palm branches (v13).  Why a donkey and why palm branches?  Let’s look at that now.

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无知的财主

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路加福音 12:16-21

16 就用比喻对他们说：「有一个财主田产丰盛， 17 自己心里思想说：『我的出产没有地方收藏，怎么办呢？』 18 又说：『我要这么办：要把我的仓房拆了，另盖更大的，在那里好收藏我一切的粮食和财物， 19 然后要对我的灵魂说：「灵魂哪，你有许多财物积存，可做多年的费用，只管安安逸逸地吃喝快乐吧！」』 20 神却对他说：『无知的人哪，今夜必要你的灵魂，你所预备的要归谁呢？』 21 凡为自己积财，在神面前却不富足的，也是这样。」

恩典中的儆醒-不要为明日自夸

在神的恩典中，我们每个人都拥有明日，明日不是宴乐无量，明日不是安安逸逸，明日不是做买卖得利…我们无法为明日自夸；神若愿意，我们就可以活着，也可以做这事，或做那事，且肯定享有神面前的富足。

不要为明日自夸，因为一日要生何事，你尚且不能知道。（箴27:1）

…这些牧人不能明白─各人偏行己路，各从各方求自己的利益。他们说：来吧！我去拿酒，我们饱饮浓酒；明日必和今日一样，就是宴乐无量极大之日。（赛56:11-12）

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What Opportunity Do I Have Today That I Won’t Have Tomorrow?

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 12:1-11.  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 12:1-3 (NIV)
1  Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
2  Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.
3  Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

On verses 1-3:  At Bethany, a small village just outside of Jerusalem to the southeast, Jesus is at a dinner given in his honor less than a week before Passover.  At the dinner, Lazarus reclines, Martha serves, and Mary worships.  To me this is a good picture of the church.  It’s a place where you can rest like Lazarus, serve like Martha and worship like Mary.

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Let Jesus Take Your Place

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 11:45-57.  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 11:45-48 (NIV)
45  Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.
46  But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
47  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many miraculous signs.
48  If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
 
On verses 45-48:  The Sanhedrin, being the ruling council of the Jewish people, meet to discuss what to do about the popular, miracle performing Jesus.  The chief priests and Pharisees were concerned that the kind of following Jesus was getting would get the entire Jewish people in trouble with the Roman government and cause them in particular to lose their place of power.

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浪子回头-2

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路加福音 15:11-32

11 耶稣又说：「一个人有两个儿子。 12 小儿子对父亲说：『父亲，请你把我应得的家业分给我。』他父亲就把产业分给他们。 13 过了不多几日，小儿子就把他一切所有的都收拾起来，往远方去了。在那里任意放荡，浪费资财。 14 既耗尽了一切所有的，又遇着那地方大遭饥荒，就穷苦起来。 15 于是去投靠那地方的一个人，那人打发他到田里去放猪。 16 他恨不得拿猪所吃的豆荚充饥，也没有人给他。 17 他醒悟过来，就说：『我父亲有多少的雇工，口粮有余，我倒在这里饿死吗？ 18 我要起来，到我父亲那里去，向他说：「父亲，我得罪了天，又得罪了你。 19 从今以后，我不配称为你的儿子，把我当做一个雇工吧！」』 

一位年轻弟兄的分享：犹记得在我生病后，父亲对我说过一句话：上天待我真好，我捡回了一个儿子。依照我原本计画，是打算出国念书留在国外的，没有办法好好陪伴家人，但上帝有上帝的时间与计画，是我永远无法参透的。谁知道生病后，家人反而更团结、更相爱。

林布兰特在俄罗斯的冬宫当中藏有一幅画-浪子回头，很贴切我的心境。浪子回头是圣经当中大家都耳熟能详的故事，在画中小儿子花光一切，狼狈地回到父亲身边说让我做你的仆役吧，但父亲的那双大手却温柔的抱住孩子说你是失而复得的，

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浪子回头-1

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路加福音 15:11-32

11 耶稣又说：「一个人有两个儿子。 12 小儿子对父亲说：『父亲，请你把我应得的家业分给我。』他父亲就把产业分给他们。 13 过了不多几日，小儿子就把他一切所有的都收拾起来，往远方去了。在那里任意放荡，浪费资财。 14 既耗尽了一切所有的，又遇着那地方大遭饥荒，就穷苦起来。 15 于是去投靠那地方的一个人，那人打发他到田里去放猪。 16 他恨不得拿猪所吃的豆荚充饥，也没有人给他。 17 他醒悟过来，就说：『我父亲有多少的雇工，口粮有余，我倒在这里饿死吗？ 18 我要起来，到我父亲那里去，向他说：「父亲，我得罪了天，又得罪了你。 19 从今以后，我不配称为你的儿子，把我当做一个雇工吧！」』 

不要得来速，要享全家餐

耶稣又说：「一个人有两个儿子。小儿子对父亲说：『父亲，请你把我应得的家业分给我。』他父亲就把产业分给他们。…父亲对他说：『儿啊！你常和我同在，我一切所有的都是你的；只是你这个兄弟是死而复活、失而又得的，所以我们理当欢喜快乐。』」（路15:11-32）

浪子的故事耳熟能详，耶稣用比喻来表明父神接纳宽恕的爱，同时也邀请世人能如浪子归回得救。「离家」和「归回」的差异在哪里？小儿子带着应得的产业离家，产业有用完的一天，浪子将它浪费殆尽；浪子回家，父亲对他说：「我一切所有的都是你的。」浪子享有父亲的产业，无尽丰富的产业。

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Jesus Feels What You Feel

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 11:32-44.  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 11:32 (NIV)
32  When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

On verse 32:  In the Gospels you will find Mary often at Jesus’ feet.  In Luke 10, we see Mary, in an act of spiritual hunger and teachability, listening at Jesus’ feet. In John 12:3, we see Mary, in an act of worship and gratitude, anointing Jesus’ feet with perfume.  Here in verse 32 of John 11, we see Mary, in an act of mourning and grief, weeping at Jesus’ feet.

What can we learn from this?  Whether you’re longing to learn, wanting to worship, or hungry for hope, humble yourself at the feet of Jesus.  You’ll find what you need at Jesus’ feet.

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