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The Dangers of Worshiping an Idol

2025-03-02 in /by

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).

柔和謙卑

2025-03-02 in , /by

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。

Don’t Pretend. Be Real With God.

2025-02-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 14:1-20.  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 14:1-6 (NIV)
1  At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill,
2  and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there–the one who told me I would be king over this people.

On verses 1-6:  Jeroboam’s son Abijah is sick, so Jeroboam tells his wife to disguise herself and consult the prophet Ahijah to find out what will happen to the boy.  Up in years, Ahijah was physically blind, but the Spirit of God helped him to discern that the woman coming to see him was Jeroboam’s wife.

What can we learn from this?   Here are three lessons I believe the Holy Spirit taught me from these verses:

我是大罪人,基督是大救主

2025-02-28 in , /by

提摩太前書1:15-16 「基督耶穌降世，為要拯救罪人。」這話是可信的，是十分可佩服的。在罪人中我是個罪魁！16 然而我蒙了憐憫，是因耶穌基督要在我這罪魁身上顯明祂一切的忍耐，給後來信祂得永生的人做榜樣。

約翰·牛頓是耳熟能詳「奇異恩典」聖詩的作者，小時候母親曾經教導他聖經，但長大後他卻忘記了神。20歲時牛頓成為奴隸船船長，當時他的目標是讓船的每個角落都塞滿黑奴；在高度不到70公分的船艙裡，250位黑奴帶著枷鎖，無法轉動或站立，空氣中混雜著排泄物、食物發臭與屍體腐爛的味道。從非洲到英國的航程，有四分之一的奴隸會因疾病或營養不良死亡，他將屍體直接拋進大海。

23歲時，牛頓在一次出海時遇到狂風暴雨，他感覺死亡就在眼前，想到母親曾告訴他有一位神，於是他開始呼求：「神啊，饒恕我，憐憫我，如果祢在，請給我這個罪人一次生命，我將重新活著！」那一夜，牛頓逃脫了風暴的死劫，他明白是神的手抓住了他。此後，牛頓成為一名牧師，不再販賣黑奴，並把廢除奴隸制度作為畢生努力的目標。

Protect Yourself and Your Family Against the Lion’s Attack

2025-02-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 13:23-34.  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 13:23-32 (NIV)
23  When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him.
24  As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was thrown down on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it.

On verses 23-32:  Earlier in verses 21 and 22, the older prophet gives the younger prophet a word from God that the younger prophet has defied God’s command by eating and drinking when God specifically told him not to eat and drink during his trip (v21-22).  Notice the younger prophet’s response in verse 23: there is no indication that the younger prophet repented or felt remorse for what he did.  It seems like he just got on his donkey and proceeded to go home as if everything was normal. 

誰能使你滿足永久

2025-02-27 in , /by

詩篇16:10-11    因為祢必不將我的靈魂撇在陰間，也不叫祢的聖者見朽壞。11  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。

「奇異恩典」這部真實歷史改編的電影，除了描寫18世紀英國議員威廉·威伯福斯提倡廢除黑奴法案的歷程，也描寫了威伯福斯與小威廉·皮特之間深刻的友誼。

皮特來自於政治世家，從大學時代開始和威伯福斯成為摯友。皮特24歲時就成為英國有史以來最年輕的首相，也是英國歷史上任期最長的首相之一。在威伯福斯推動廢奴法案的過程中，也仰賴皮特長時間的支持。

1806年，在廢除奴隸貿易法案通過的前一年，皮特過世。電影中描繪皮特病危時威伯福斯前往探視他的一幕，身居高位的皮特，在面臨死亡時對好友傾吐：「威伯，我害怕，我真希望能有你的信仰(I am afraid. I wish I had your faith.)」。

二十年來掌握英國最高權力的皮特，和二十年來每次提出廢奴法案都失敗且被輿論撻伐、受逼迫威脅的威伯福斯，相較之下，世人都羨慕擁有名利權勢的皮特，但皮特在面對死亡的那一刻卻覺得恐懼空虛，反而羨慕擁有堅實信仰的威伯福斯。

彎曲悖謬世代的明光

2025-02-26 in , /by

腓立比書2:13-15  因為你們立志行事都是神在你們心裏運行，為要成就祂的美意。凡所行的，都不要發怨言，起爭論，使你們無可指摘，誠實無偽，在這彎曲悖謬的世代作神無瑕疵的兒女。你們顯在這世代中，好像明光照耀。

「奇異恩典」這部2006年由真實歷史改編的電影，描寫的是18世紀英國議員威廉·威伯福斯提倡廢除黑奴法案的歷程。

威伯福斯21歲就成為國會議員，是個前途無量的政治人物；但是，威伯福斯26歲時信主，對他往後生涯產生了巨大改變。他曾好幾次思考，是否要放棄從政而成為傳道人？但最終決定回到議會，在有影響力的位置上實踐信仰。而神也給了他奮鬥一生的目標，受到曾為奴隸船船長的約翰·牛頓牧師的啟發，威伯福斯決心投入推動廢奴法案。然而，這條路非常漫長與艱難。

28歲時，威伯福斯第一次提出廢奴法案的前身─道德提升法案，以失敗告終。此後，他一次又一次提出法案，但一次又一次慘敗。他提倡的廢奴主張，影響了龐大利益，因此他受到英國輿論的聲討，曾被人毆打，收到死亡威脅，被迫帶上武裝保鏢出門。儘管如此，當所有人都認為奴隸制是必要之惡時，他仍堅守自己的信仰，不斷向大眾呼籲：「上帝造人，生而平等」。

When Someone Claims to Have a Word from God for You

2025-02-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 13:11-22.  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 13:11-19 (NIV)
11  Now there was a certain old prophet living in Bethel, whose sons came and told him all that the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father what he had said to the king.
12  Their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him which road the man of God from Judah had taken.
13  So he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it

On verses 11-19:  In these verses the man of God from Judah is on his way home when he is met by a “certain old prophet living in Bethel” (v11).  Having heard from his sons about the impressive feats this younger prophet from Judah was involved in, the old prophet finds this younger prophet and invites him to come to his house and eat.  Initially the younger prophet refuses, saying that God has told him not to eat or drink (v16-17). 

變與不變

2025-02-25 in , /by

希伯來書1:11-12   天地都要滅沒，祢卻要長存；天地都要像衣服漸漸舊了。 12 祢要將天地捲起來，像一件外衣，天地就都改變了；唯有祢永不改變，祢的年數沒有窮盡。」

雅各書1:17-18 各樣美善的恩賜和各樣全備的賞賜都是從上頭來的，從眾光之父那裡降下來的，在祂並沒有改變，也沒有轉動的影兒。 18 祂按自己的旨意，用真道生了我們，叫我們在祂所造的萬物中好像初熟的果子。

主愛不變，我因祂而改變。

我們有一位永不改變的神，用真道生了我們，厚恩給我們各樣美善的恩賜和各樣全備的賞賜；在劇變動盪的環境裡，我們察驗神的善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意，心意更新而變化，改變我們卑賤的身體，和祂榮耀的身體相似。

天地都要滅沒，祢卻要長存。天地都要像衣服漸漸舊了；祢要將天地捲起來，像一件外衣，天地就都改變了。惟有祢永不改變；祢的年數沒有窮盡。（希伯來書1:11-12）

Faith in the Lord = Real Power

2025-02-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 13:1-10.  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 13:1-10 (NIV)
1  By the word of the LORD a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering.
2  He cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD: “O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.'”

On verses 1-10:  King Jeroboam is now deeply entrenched in idolatry.  An unnamed prophet from Judah appears before Jeroboam while Jeroboam is offering an idolatrous sacrifice.  This unnamed prophet predicts that one day a young man named Josiah will be born to the house of David and “will sacrifice the priests who now make offerings here” (v2).  In other words, the prophet predicts that this young man Josiah would put an end to idolatry in Israel.