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祂来（待降节期的渴慕）

2024-12-04 in , /by

腓立比书 2:6-7  祂本有神的形象，不以自己与神同等为强夺的， 7 反倒虚己，取了奴仆的形象，成为人的样式。

「待降」(Advent)拉丁文的意思是「来临」，就是等待耶稣基督的降临，一方面纪念祂曾降临，另方面则期待祂二次降临。「待降」节期包含四个礼拜，就是圣诞节的前四个礼拜，一般都从十一月最后主日算起，持续四个主日，直到圣诞节达到节庆高潮。

祂在耶和华面前生长如嫩芽，像根出于干地。祂无佳形美容；我们看见祂的时候，也无美貌使我们羡慕祂。祂被藐视，被人厌弃；多受痛苦，常经忧患。祂被藐视，好像被人掩面不看的一样；我们也不尊重祂。祂诚然担当我们的忧患，背负我们的痛苦；我们却以为祂受责罚，被神击打苦待了。哪知祂为我们的过犯受害，为我们的罪孽压伤。因祂受的刑罚，我们得平安；因祂受的鞭伤，我们得医治。我们都如羊走迷；各人偏行己路；耶和华使我们众人的罪孽都归在祂身上。（以赛亚书53:2-6）

祂来，本有神的形象，反到虚己，撇下天上荣华，成为世人模样，
如此荣耀的君王，竟降生在马槽，谦谦卑卑，静静悄悄。

祂来，愿做罪人良友，为世人的罪过，流血牺牲，爱到毫无保留，
而祂深爱的人啊，悖逆不认识祂，我主耶稣，曾否心伤？

祂来，使罪奴得释放，应许凡担劳苦，重担的人，就近祂得轻省，
人们为何不肯 放手全交给祂，宁愿受苦，宁愿疲乏！

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”.

生命的粮

2024-12-03 in , /by

约翰福音6:35   耶稣说：我就是生命的粮。

粮食给人带来饱足，持续人的生命，给人力量，维持人的生命力。所有生物，都需要粮食，需要吃，生命才能维系。

上帝给人的设定，就是要吃，才能活。吃的背后，有千万个化学反应，才能使人得供应。这些反应，我们不全然知道。而且是我们不知道时，已经设定在我们内。

「信耶稣」得到新生命，也是一样，信主之后，我们有多少生命的作用与反应，我们也不知道。单纯的信与单纯的吃，是生命的所需。「耶稣说：我就是生命的粮。」，是何等宝贵的应许。信耶稣，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). 

爱在伯利恒

2024-12-02 in , /by

弥迦书 5:2-5  「伯利恒以法他啊，你在犹大诸城中为小，将来必有一位从你那里出来，在以色列中为我做掌权的。祂的根源从亘古，从太初就有。」 3 耶和华必将以色列人交付敌人，直等那生产的妇人生下子来。那时，掌权者其余的弟兄必归到以色列人那里。
4 祂必起来，倚靠耶和华的大能并耶和华祂神之名的威严，牧养祂的羊群。他们要安然居住，因为祂必日见尊大，直到地极。 5 这位必做我们的平安。当亚述人进入我们的地境，践踏宫殿的时候，我们就立起七个牧者、八个首领攻击他。

爱在伯利恒：因着爱，为着我们，祂愿意卑微，成为人的样式，屈生在马槽里。（路2:1-17）

祂要牧养祂的羊群，他们要安然居住；祂必日见尊大，直到地极；祂必作我们的平安。

伯利恒的以法他啊，你在犹大诸城中为小，将来必有一位从你那里出来，在以色列中为我作掌权的；祂的根源从亘古，从太初就有。

…祂必起来，倚靠耶和华的大能，并耶和华─祂　神之名的威严，牧养他的羊群。他们要安然居住；因为他必日见尊大，直到地极。这位必作我们的平安。…（弥5:2-5）

将身心献给耶稣的英国女王

2024-12-01 in , /by

申命记 6:5  你要尽心、尽性、尽力爱耶和华你的神。

马可福音 12:30  你要尽心、尽性、尽意、尽力爱主你的神。

将身心献给耶稣的英国女王伊丽莎白二世

英国女王伊丽莎白二世(Elizabeth II)的一生，以及70年辉煌的在位期间，都是以耶稣作为她长期治理的磐石和明灯。

在每年圣诞节的全国转播中，女王会分享她个人的基督信仰，也是她一切行为的关键力量。某一年，她曾引用了著名圣诗〈在萧瑟的隆冬〉(In the bleak midwinter)当中的一段歌词：「贫穷似我，当献何物。若是牧人，当献羔羊。若是智者，当献所有。我所能献，仅我身心。」

她鼓励数百万名观众将身心献给耶稣。南非出生的犹太裔基督徒作家查尔斯．加纳(Charles Gardner)最近为文透露一段女王与亲近友人之间的对话，女王说：「我希望耶稣能在我有生之年再来。」当被问到原因时，她回答说：「因为我想将我的王冠放在祂的脚下。」

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.

看见那不能看见的

2024-11-29 in , /by

马太福音 25:34-40   
于是，王要向那右边的说：『你们这蒙我父赐福的，可来承受那创世以来为你们所预备的国。 35 因为我饿了，你们给我吃；渴了，你们给我喝；我做客旅，你们留我住； 36 我赤身露体，你们给我穿；我病了，你们看顾我；我在监里，你们来看我。』 37 义人就回答说：『主啊，我们什么时候见你饿了给你吃，渴了给你喝？ 38 什么时候见你做客旅留你住，或是赤身露体给你穿？ 39 又什么时候见你病了或是在监里，来看你呢？』 40 王要回答说：『我实在告诉你们：这些事你们既做在我这弟兄中一个最小的身上，就是做在我身上了。』

希伯来书谈到信心的本质：「信就是所望之事的实底，是未见之事的确据（11:1）。」（现代中文译本2019版：信心是对所盼望的事有把握，对不能看见的事能肯定），这是一节不易让人领会的经文；于是，作者在第11章中列举历代信徒跟随神的经历，来见证：「这些人都是因信得了美好的证据（或译为赞许），却仍未得着所应许的；…（11:39-40）」。

其中，作者提到摩西说：「他因着信，就离开埃及，不怕王怒；因为他恒心忍耐，如同看见那不能看见的主（原文没有「主」这字）（11:27）。」这节经文描述摩西年少时躲避法老，逃往米甸牧羊，凭著信心忍耐40年；最后，神在燃烧的荆棘中呼召摩西，差遣他开始承担年轻时渴望「拯救族人」的使命。

「看见」的原文可译为观察、体验、注意，「那不能看见的」指的是看不见的神；「看见那不能看见的」意思就是观察、体验那看不见的神。摩西凭著信心忍耐40年，让他得以观察、体验那看不见的神。

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”).