Seek God’s Kingdom First

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 7:1-51.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Kings 7:1-12 (NIV)
1  It took Solomon thirteen years, however, to complete the construction of his palace.
2  He built the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred cubits long, fifty wide and thirty high, with four rows of cedar columns supporting trimmed cedar beams.
3  It was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the columns–forty-five beams, fifteen to a row.

On verses 1-12:  Whereas it took Solomon 7 years to complete the construction of the temple, it took him 13 years to complete the construction of his own palace.  What does that tell us?  One theory is that at this time in Solomon’s life, the kingdom of God was more important than his own kingdom.  So when it came to deciding which should take priority — God’s temple or Solomon’s palace — Solomon chose to work first on God’s temple.

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撇下与跟从

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马可福音10章17-22节描述一个人来求问耶稣如何才能承受永生？耶稣提到要晓得诫命：不可杀人；不可奸淫；不可偷盗；不可作假见证；不可亏负人；当孝敬父母（这些是十诫律法后半段关于人与人间需要遵守的诫命）。

那人兴奋的回答：「夫子，这一切我从小都遵守了。」相信我们周边许多规规矩矩生活的人，若评价自己，应该也不遑多让，得永生似乎应该不难。然而耶稣看着他，就爱他，对他说：「你还缺少一件：去变卖你所有的，分给穷人，就必有财宝在天上；你还要来跟从我。」

「耶稣爱他」是四福音书中少见的描述，看来耶稣喜爱这人的品格表现；接着，耶稣提醒他还缺少一件，就是撇下他所有的，来跟从耶稣。他听见这话，脸上就变了色，忧忧愁愁地走了，因为他的产业很多。

耶稣将「撇下」和「跟从」视为同一件要求，「撇下」辖制我们的权势，才能「跟从」恩赐永生的耶稣，没有「撇下」所有的，就谈不上「跟从」；那人产业很多，忧愁失去产业而无法跟从耶稣。

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和耶稣说话

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路加福音24:13-36   

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？」

28 将近他们所去的村子，耶稣好像还要往前行， 29 他们却强留他，说：「时候晚了，日头已经平西了，请你同我们住下吧！」耶稣就进去，要同他们住下。 30 到了坐席的时候，耶稣拿起饼来，祝谢了，掰开，递给他们。 31 他们的眼睛明亮了，这才认出他来。忽然耶稣不见了。 32 他们彼此说：「在路上他和我们说话，给我们讲解圣经的时候，我们的心岂不是火热的吗？」 33 他们就立时起身，回耶路撒冷去。正遇见十一个使徒和他们的同人聚集在一处， 34 说：「主果然复活，已经现给西门看了。」 35 两个人就把路上所遇见和掰饼的时候怎么被他们认出来的事，都述说了一遍。

36 正说这话的时候，耶稣亲自站在他们当中，说：「愿你们平安！」

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The Work God Is Doing In You

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 6:1-38.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Kings 6:1-10 (NIV)
1  In the four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, the second month, he began to build the temple of the LORD.
2  The temple that King Solomon built for the LORD was sixty cubits long, twenty wide and thirty high.
3  The portico at the front of the main hall of the temple extended the width of the temple, that is twenty cubits, and projected ten cubits from the front of the temple.

On verses 1-10:  In verses 1 through 10 Solomon gets busy building the temple. Interestingly, according to verse 7, Solomon went to great lengths to make sure that the sound of construction tools could be not heard at the temple site.  He did this by moulding, shaping and dressing all the building blocks for the temple off-site. 

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祢说

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耶和华啊，人算甚么，祢竟认识他！世人算甚么，祢竟顾念他！人好像一口气；他的年日如同影儿快快过去。（诗篇144:3-4）

我持续不断与内心的声音对抗，那个一直说我不够完美的声音，一个又一个的谎言，控诉我永远不能达到标准。

我所经过的高山低谷，是否就是人生的全部？

请再次提醒我，我是谁？因为我需要知道。

当我感到一无是处，祢说我是被爱的；当我感到软弱，祢说我是刚强；当我正在跌落，祢说祢托住我；当我找不到归属，祢说我是祢的。

所以我相信，我要相信，祢所对我说的话，我愿意相信。

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God Wants to Use You to Build His Church

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 5:1-18.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Kings 5:1-5 (NIV)
1  When Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David.
2  Solomon sent back this message to Hiram:

On verses 1-5:  In these verses King Solomon communicates with King Hiram of Tyre, a long time ally of his father David.  King Solomon discloses to King Hiram his ambition to build a temple where people can worship the Lord.  Solomon notes that this was also his father David’s desire, but David was not able to build the temple because he was always fighting the enemies surrounding him.

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如同麻雀

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麻雀不种，不收，不积蓄，但牠会寻找，因此寻得神的供应。

「你们寻求我，若专心寻求我，就必寻见。」（耶利米书29:13）

耶稣提醒我们：「…不要为生命忧虑吃甚么，喝甚么；为身体忧虑穿甚么。生命不胜于饮食吗？身体不胜于衣裳吗？你们看那天上的飞鸟，也不种，也不收，也不积蓄在仓里，你们的天父尚且养活牠。你们不比飞鸟贵重得多吗？你们哪一个能用思虑使寿数多加一刻呢？…你们要先求他的国和他的义，这些东西都要加给你们了。所以，不要为明天忧虑，因为明天自有明天的忧虑；一天的难处一天当就够了。」（马太福音6:25-34）

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When You Ask God For Wisdom, God Answers

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 4:20-34.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Kings 4:20-34 (NIV)
20  The people of Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand on the seashore; they ate, they drank and they were happy.
21  And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt. These countries brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life.

On verses 20-34:  Previously in 1 Kings 3:4-15, Solomon asked the Lord for a wise and discerning heart so that he could govern the nation of Israel for God’s glory.  In response to Solomon’s request, God promised that He would not only give Solomon a wise and discerning heart, but also unparalleled riches and honour “so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings” (v13).

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