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祂來（待降節期的渴慕）

2024-12-04 in , /by

腓立比書 2:6-7  祂本有神的形象，不以自己與神同等為強奪的， 7 反倒虛己，取了奴僕的形象，成為人的樣式。

「待降」(Advent)拉丁文的意思是「來臨」，就是等待耶穌基督的降臨，一方面紀念祂曾降臨，另方面則期待祂二次降臨。「待降」節期包含四個禮拜，就是聖誕節的前四個禮拜，一般都從十一月最後主日算起，持續四個主日，直到聖誕節達到節慶高潮。

祂在耶和華面前生長如嫩芽，像根出於乾地。祂無佳形美容；我們看見祂的時候，也無美貌使我們羨慕祂。祂被藐視，被人厭棄；多受痛苦，常經憂患。祂被藐視，好像被人掩面不看的一樣；我們也不尊重祂。祂誠然擔當我們的憂患，背負我們的痛苦；我們卻以為祂受責罰，被神擊打苦待了。哪知祂為我們的過犯受害，為我們的罪孽壓傷。因祂受的刑罰，我們得平安；因祂受的鞭傷，我們得醫治。我們都如羊走迷；各人偏行己路；耶和華使我們眾人的罪孽都歸在祂身上。（以賽亞書53:2-6）

祂來，本有神的形象，反到虛己，撇下天上榮華，成為世人模樣，
如此榮耀的君王，竟降生在馬槽，謙謙卑卑，靜靜悄悄。

祂來，願做罪人良友，為世人的罪過，流血犧牲，愛到毫無保留，
而祂深愛的人啊，悖逆不認識祂，我主耶穌，曾否心傷？

祂來，使罪奴得釋放，應許凡擔勞苦，重擔的人，就近祂得輕省，
人們為何不肯 放手全交給祂，寧願受苦，寧願疲乏！

God Promotes You For The Sake of Others

2024-12-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 5:1-16.  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! 

2 Samuel 5:1-5 (NIV)
1  All the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood.
2  In the past, while Saul was king over us, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.'”
3  When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, the king made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel.
4  David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years.
5  In Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months, and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah thirty-three years.

On verses 1-5:  Here David finally becomes the official king over all of Israel.  Notice that when David finally became king over all of Israel, it wasn’t because he single-handedly grabbed that title and forced himself upon the nation.  Rather verses 1-2 say it was the tribes of Israel — all of them — who approached David and who affirmed the calling God had on David’s life for David to be their shepherd and ruler.  Then all the elders of Israel came to David and anointed him king (v3).

One Way NOT to Build God’s Kingdom

2024-12-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 4:1-12.  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! 

2 Samuel 4:1-12 (NIV)
1  When Ish-Bosheth son of Saul heard that Abner had died in Hebron, he lost courage, and all Israel became alarmed.
2  Now Saul’s son had two men who were leaders of raiding bands. One was named Baanah and the other Recab; they were sons of Rimmon the Beerothite from the tribe of Benjamin–Beeroth is considered part of Benjamin,
3  because the people of Beeroth fled to Gittaim and have lived there as aliens to this day.

On verses 1-12:  In the book of 2 Samuel, David must contend with men who think they are helping David establish his kingdom by doing some very evil things.  For example, in 2 Samuel 3, Joab tells David that he does not trust Abner and then murders Abner.  Here in 2 Samuel 4 we see two brothers called Baanah and Recab who do something horrendous in the name of “building David’s kingdom”.

生命的糧

2024-12-03 in , /by

約翰福音6:35   耶穌說：我就是生命的糧。

糧食給人帶來飽足，持續人的生命，給人力量，維持人的生命力。所有生物，都需要糧食，需要吃，生命才能維繫。

上帝給人的設定，就是要吃，才能活。吃的背後，有千萬個化學反應，才能使人得供應。這些反應，我們不全然知道。而且是我們不知道時，已經設定在我們內。

「信耶穌」得到新生命，也是一樣，信主之後，我們有多少生命的作用與反應，我們也不知道。單純的信與單純的吃，是生命的所需。「耶穌說：我就是生命的糧。」，是何等寶貴的應許。信耶穌，是就受主，有主的生命，活出主生命。

3 Reasons Why Staying Bitter Is Short-Sighted

2024-12-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 3:17-39.  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! 

2 Samuel 3:17-39 (NIV)
17  Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king.
18  Now do it! For the LORD promised David, ‘By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.'”
19  Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin wanted to do.
20  When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast for him and his men.

On verses 17-39:  Here Abner uses his substantial political connections to campaign for David to become king over all of Israel.  Abner speaks with key influencers in the country like the elders of Israel (v17-18) and the Benjamites (Saul and Ish-Bosheth’s own tribe) (v19), all in an effort to rally support for David.  David thanks Abner with a feast (v20).  Abner responds by saying that next he will assemble all of Israel before David and have them publicly declare David as their king (v21). 

愛在伯利恆

2024-12-02 in , /by

彌迦書 5:2-5  「伯利恆以法他啊，你在猶大諸城中為小，將來必有一位從你那裡出來，在以色列中為我做掌權的。祂的根源從亙古，從太初就有。」 3 耶和華必將以色列人交付敵人，直等那生產的婦人生下子來。那時，掌權者其餘的弟兄必歸到以色列人那裡。
4 祂必起來，倚靠耶和華的大能並耶和華祂神之名的威嚴，牧養祂的羊群。他們要安然居住，因為祂必日見尊大，直到地極。 5 這位必做我們的平安。當亞述人進入我們的地境，踐踏宮殿的時候，我們就立起七個牧者、八個首領攻擊他。

愛在伯利恆：因著愛，為著我們，祂願意卑微，成為人的樣式，屈生在馬槽裡。（路2:1-17）

祂要牧養祂的羊群，他們要安然居住；祂必日見尊大，直到地極；祂必作我們的平安。

伯利恆的以法他啊，你在猶大諸城中為小，將來必有一位從你那裡出來，在以色列中為我作掌權的；祂的根源從亙古，從太初就有。

…祂必起來，倚靠耶和華的大能，並耶和華─祂　神之名的威嚴，牧養他的羊群。他們要安然居住；因為他必日見尊大，直到地極。這位必作我們的平安。…（彌5:2-5）

將身心獻給耶穌的英國女王

2024-12-01 in , /by

申命記 6:5  你要盡心、盡性、盡力愛耶和華你的神。

馬可福音 12:30  你要盡心、盡性、盡意、盡力愛主你的神。

將身心獻給耶穌的英國女王伊麗莎白二世

英國女王伊麗莎白二世(Elizabeth II)的一生，以及70年輝煌的在位期間，都是以耶穌作為她長期治理的磐石和明燈。

在每年聖誕節的全國轉播中，女王會分享她個人的基督信仰，也是她一切行為的關鍵力量。某一年，她曾引用了著名聖詩〈在蕭瑟的隆冬〉(In the bleak midwinter)當中的一段歌詞：「貧窮似我，當獻何物。若是牧人，當獻羔羊。若是智者，當獻所有。我所能獻，僅我身心。」

她鼓勵數百萬名觀眾將身心獻給耶穌。南非出生的猶太裔基督徒作家查爾斯．加納(Charles Gardner)最近為文透露一段女王與親近友人之間的對話，女王說：「我希望耶穌能在我有生之年再來。」當被問到原因時，她回答說：「因為我想將我的王冠放在祂的腳下。」

Let Christ’s Kingdom Take Over

2024-12-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 3:1-16.  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! 

2 Samuel 3:1 (NIV) 
1 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. 

On verse 1:  For 7.5 years after Saul’s death, the house of David and the house of Saul (represented by Ish-Bosheth) continued to war against one another.  But over time, the house of David would “grow stronger and stronger” (v1).  Likewise, as a follower of Jesus, you will find that there is an ongoing war between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness, between God and Satan, for the territory in your life (Ephesians 6:12).  That war will continue until the day you see Jesus face to face and Jesus wins the war once and for all.  But my prayer for you is that over time, as you learn to trust Jesus more and more, and as you develop the attitudes, the habits and the skills necessary to grow in Christ and give the Holy Spirit more room, may the kingdom of the Son of David — Jesus Christ — grow stronger and stronger in you, and may Satan’s strongholds in your life grow weaker and weaker.

看見那不能看見的

2024-11-29 in , /by

馬太福音 25:34-40   
於是，王要向那右邊的說：『你們這蒙我父賜福的，可來承受那創世以來為你們所預備的國。 35 因為我餓了，你們給我吃；渴了，你們給我喝；我做客旅，你們留我住； 36 我赤身露體，你們給我穿；我病了，你們看顧我；我在監裡，你們來看我。』 37 義人就回答說：『主啊，我們什麼時候見你餓了給你吃，渴了給你喝？ 38 什麼時候見你做客旅留你住，或是赤身露體給你穿？ 39 又什麼時候見你病了或是在監裡，來看你呢？』 40 王要回答說：『我實在告訴你們：這些事你們既做在我這弟兄中一個最小的身上，就是做在我身上了。』

希伯來書談到信心的本質：「信就是所望之事的實底，是未見之事的確據（11:1）。」（現代中文譯本2019版：信心是對所盼望的事有把握，對不能看見的事能肯定），這是一節不易讓人領會的經文；於是，作者在第11章中列舉歷代信徒跟隨神的經歷，來見證：「這些人都是因信得了美好的證據（或譯為讚許），卻仍未得著所應許的；…（11:39-40）」。

其中，作者提到摩西說：「他因著信，就離開埃及，不怕王怒；因為他恆心忍耐，如同看見那不能看見的主（原文沒有「主」這字）（11:27）。」這節經文描述摩西年少時躲避法老，逃往米甸牧羊，憑著信心忍耐40年；最後，神在燃燒的荊棘中呼召摩西，差遣他開始承擔年輕時渴望「拯救族人」的使命。

「看見」的原文可譯為觀察、體驗、注意，「那不能看見的」指的是看不見的神；「看見那不能看見的」意思就是觀察、體驗那看不見的神。摩西憑著信心忍耐40年，讓他得以觀察、體驗那看不見的神。

Have the Wisdom to Call a Truce

2024-11-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 2:12-32.  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!

2 Samuel 2:12-32 (NIV)
12  Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.
13  Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.
14  Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us.” “All right, let them do it,” Joab said.
15  So they stood up and were counted off–twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David.

On verses 12-32:  Here we see a showdown between David’s men led by Joab and Ish-Bosheth’s men led by Abner.  After a dramatic and bloody standoff between 24 men at the Pool of Gibeon (v13-16), Joab’s side ends up fighting and defeating Abner’s side (v17).  Abner’s side lost 360 men (v31) while Joab’s side lost only 20 soldiers (v30).

Among all the men that died in battle that day, the most noteworthy was Joab’s brother Asahel.  Verse 18 says that Asahel was fast (“fleet-footed as a wild gazelle”).