You’re Blessed Because Someone Went Ahead Of You

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 15:1-8.  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 15:1-8 (NIV)
1  In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah,
2  and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
3  He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been.

On verses 1-8:  Here we read about Abijah son of Rehoboam and his 3 year reign as king of Judah.  The writer of 1 Kings saw little that was noteworthy about Abijah’s reign other than the fact that he committed all the same sins his father Rehoboam committed (v3).  In fact the only reason God allowed Abijah to continue reigning as king was for his great grandfather David’s sake (v4), because David had followed the Lord.  Because David obeyed, his great grandson Abijah was blessed long after David was gone.

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是誰偷走我的快樂？

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詩篇16:8-11  我將耶和華常擺在我面前，因祂在我右邊，我便不致搖動。因此，我的心歡喜，我的靈快樂；我的肉身也要安然居住。…祢必將生命的道路指示我。在祢面前有滿足的喜樂；在祢右手中有永遠的福樂。

暢銷作家約翰·伊佐(John Izzo)在西班牙朝聖之路的旅程中，發現快樂曾經是人類最自然、容易的一件事，但為何現在費盡心思卻不一定能得到？於是，他寫下「是誰偷走我的快樂？(The Five Thieves of Happiness)」這本書。這五個偷走快樂的小偷分別是：

第一個名叫「控制」：認為事情必須按照自己的期望走，不願意單純接受當下現實，試圖控制，汲汲營營，不願放手，無法真實地活在當下。「控制」偷走我們「交託給神」的心。

第二個名叫「自負」：以自我為中心，認為只有自己最重要，滿足自我欲望的同時，反而製造更多不平等和對立。「自負」偷走我們「與人分享」的心。

第三個名叫「覬覦」：認為事事要比別人好，內心不斷比較、嫉妒和不滿，也失去對自己的認同與肯定。「覬覦」偷走我們「凡事謝恩」的心。

第四個名叫「消費」：騙人如果擁有某物，就會得著快樂，驅使不斷追求消費，但卻是消耗自己的內心。「消費」偷走我們「知足喜樂」的心。

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The Dangers of Worshiping an Idol

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 14:21-31.  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 14:21-31 (NIV)
21  Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.
22  Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had done.

On verses 21-31:  These verses summarize the 17 year reign of Rehoboam, David’s grandson and Solomon’s son, over the tribe of Judah.  Judah (together with Benjamin) was the one tribe out of the tribes of Israel that the Lord did not tear away from the house of David.  While Rehoboam ruled over Judah, Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord by worshiping idols (v22).

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柔和謙卑

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馬太福音11:28-29   耶穌說：「…凡勞苦擔重擔的人可以到我這裡來，我就使你們得安息。我心裡柔和謙卑，你們當負我的軛，學我的樣式；這樣，你們心裡就必得享安息。因為我的軛是容易的，我的擔子是輕省的。」

新約希臘文「溫柔」的詞意是溫柔、謙卑、體諒、柔和、友好，耶穌是個代表人物，祂心裡柔和（與希臘文「溫柔」同字）謙卑（低下的、不顯著的、無名的）；保羅在歌羅西書勉勵神的選民，要存憐憫、恩慈、謙虛、溫柔、忍耐的心，也歸結於「溫柔」一詞。

耶穌時代的拉比慣用「律法的軛」來要求跟隨者「順服」律法的典章。耶穌所說的「軛」，代表著「順服」的意思，耶穌教導我們順服神是容易的軛、輕省的擔，順服神也讓我們得享從神賜下的安息。

在爭競掠奪的社會環境裡，信主的人當學習耶穌的樣式，心裡柔和謙卑，順服神的旨意（容易的軛、輕省的擔），因此我們得享安息。

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