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恩典中的真实

箴言 27:1  不要为明日自夸,因为一日要生何事,你尚且不能知道。

马太福音 6:34  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。

箴言 30:7-9  我求你两件事,在我未死之先不要不赐给我: 8 求你使虚假和谎言远离我;使我也不贫穷也不富足,赐给我需用的饮食。 9 恐怕我饱足不认你,说:「耶和华是谁呢?」又恐怕我贫穷就偷窃,以致亵渎我神的名。

恩典中,我们学习不要为明日自夸(箴27:1),也不要为明天忧虑(太6:34)。

恩典中,我们真实的面对自己,我求神让我也不贫穷也不富足,免得我贫穷就偷窃,恐怕我饱足不认祢(箴30:7-9)。

世人啊!这就是真实的我!也是真实的你!「我靠着那加给我力量的主,凡事都能做。」(腓4: 13)是我们能常在恩典中的祕诀。

Resurrected Jesus

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 20:19-31.  I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!
 
John 20:19-20 (NIV)
19  On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
20  After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord.
 
On verses 19-20:  On the evening of the same day that Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene, Jesus appears behind locked doors to his disciples, who were already gripped with fear because of what the Jews might do to them.  So Jesus’ first words to his frightened disciples are, “Peace be with you!”  For those who believe in Him, the presence of Jesus is often accompanied with peace.

防备法利赛人的酵

马太福音 16:6   耶稣对他们说:「你们要谨慎,防备法利赛人和撒都该人的酵。」

马可福音 8:15   耶稣嘱咐他们说:「你们要谨慎,防备法利赛人的酵和希律的酵。」

马太福音 15:1-2   那时,有法利赛人和文士从耶路撒冷来见耶稣,说: 2 「你的门徒为什么犯古人的遗传呢?因为吃饭的时候,他们不洗手。」

耶稣提醒门徒要谨慎,防备法利赛人和撒都该人、希律的酵。(太16:6,可8:15)

法利赛人早在犹太人被掳到巴比伦时期就已出现,直到第二圣殿被毁,在马加比时代许尔堪(主前135-104年)统治期间,法利赛教派重新建立为拉比犹太教,并成为日后传统犹太教的典范、今日犹太教各教派的根本。

「法利赛」的希伯来文意思是「分离」,指一些为保持纯洁而与俗世保持距离的人,是保守派,也被仇敌挖苦为分离派。法利赛人认为他们是先知与摩西律法解释的权威,口传或经卷律法的阐释者和指引者,他们的教义强调近乎宿命论的神统治观念,相信义人复活、坏人毁灭,相信天使的存在及工作。

Jesus’ Resurrection Changes Everything

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 20:1-18.  I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!
 
John 20:1-18 (NIV)
1  Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.
2  So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

On verses 1-18:  These verses speak about the most important event in human history: the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  For more on evidential support for the resurrection of Jesus, check out this message “Resurrection: Fact or Fiction”.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is what separates Jesus from every other religious figure.  Throughout history various individuals have started different religions and philosophical movements.  Each of them claimed to know something about God, the purpose of life on earth, and how to secure a good afterlife.  Then each of them died.  For example, Muhammad founded Islam and then died of an illness.  Siddartha Gautama started Buddhism and then died of food poisoning. 

How Jesus Finished

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 19:17-27.  I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

John  19:17-27 (NIV) 

17 Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). 18 There they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

19 Pilate had a notice prepared and fastened to the cross. It read: jesus of nazareth, the king of the jews. 20 Many of the Jews read this sign, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Aramaic, Latin and Greek. 21 The chief priests of the Jews protested to Pilate, “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that this man claimed to be king of the Jews.”

What does John 19:17-27 mean?

John 19:17-27 is a significant passage in the Bible, as it describes the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and the events that occurred during that time. This passage illuminates the suffering and sacrifice of Jesus, as well as the love and care he showed to those closest to him even in the midst of his own agony.

The passage starts with Jesus carrying his own cross to the place of his crucifixion, which was outside the city walls of Jerusalem. This act of carrying his own cross is symbolic of the weight of sin and the burden of humanity that Jesus bore on his shoulders. It is also significant that Jesus went willingly to his death, showing obedience to God’s will and a deep love for humanity.

防备撒都该人的酵

列王纪上 2:35  王就立耶何耶大的儿子比拿雅做元帅,代替约押,又使祭司撒督代替亚比亚他。

历代志上 29:22  他们奉耶和华的命再膏大卫的儿子所罗门做王,又膏撒督做祭司。

马太福音 22:23  撒都该人常说没有复活的事。

马可福音 12:18-27  撒都该人常说没有复活的事。他们来问耶稣,说: 19 「夫子,摩西为我们写着说:『人若死了,撇下妻子,没有孩子,他兄弟当娶他的妻,为哥哥生子立后。』 20 有弟兄七人,第一个娶了妻,死了,没有留下孩子。

撒都该人出自大祭司撒督,始于所罗门统治时期(王上2:35,代上29:22)。在基督时代,他们是贵族,比较富有并拥有权势地位,包括大祭司和最高祭司,在犹太公会占有多数席位。他们在意政治而不是宗教,赞同罗马的决策来维持和平局面,跟平民的关系不怎么好,平民对他们的评价也不高。相对于撒都该精英来说,法利赛人得到民众的普遍支持。

撒都该人只承认圣经的前五卷,否认灵魂的不灭、肉身的复活(太22:23,可12:18-27)以及天使的存在(徒23:8),藐视口传法律。法利赛人则对口传法律相当敬崇,认为传统惯例和书面圣经有同样权威,由于对于启示的理解不同,他们在历史上相互斥责。法利赛人认为他们是先知与摩西律法解释的权威,而撒都该人代表的是祭司权威,以及所罗门时期大祭司撒都所遗传的特权。

The Greatest Hero Who Ever Lived

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 19:17-27.  I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

John 19:17-18 (NIV)
17  Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha).
18  Here they crucified him, and with him two others–one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

On verses 17-18:  The pain, suffering and humiliation of Jesus is taken to a climactic level as Jesus, carrying his own cross, is taken to the place of the Skull and crucified.  That Jesus carried his own cross and was crucified in between two criminals shows that Jesus identified in every way with sinners like us.  Jesus stood right in the middle of us all and received the punishment we deserved for our sin.

防备希律的酵

马太福音 2:16-18

16 希律见自己被博士愚弄,就大大发怒,差人将伯利恒城里并四境所有的男孩,照着他向博士仔细查问的时候,凡两岁以里的都杀尽了。 17 这就应了先知耶利米的话说: 18 「在拉玛听见号啕大哭的声音,是拉结哭她儿女,不肯受安慰,因为他们都不在了。」

希律是以东人,又称为大希律(Herod the Great),与罗马帝国王室的政治关系良好,西元前40年被封为犹太王,管理犹太、以土买、加利利等地。

他是犹太历史上最著名的建设者,扩建耶路撒冷的第二圣殿(又称希律的圣殿),修建凯撒利亚的港口,建立马萨达与希律宫的城墙。希律为了掌握政权而牺牲了许多人,连自己的子女都杀害,也因寻索耶稣而屠杀婴孩(太2:16-18)。

大希律总共娶了五个妻子,生了七个儿子,前三个儿子在家族斗争中惨死,老四逃往罗马远避伤害。大希律西元前4年去世,罗马皇帝亚古士督按照他的遗嘱,将其所统治的土地,分封给五子亚基老、六子安提帕和七子腓力二世。

亚基老作犹太、撒玛利亚、以土买地区的分封王,所管理的大多是犹太人。由于亚基老暴虐无道,只做王十年,就被罗马政府罢黜流放。

隣舍百分百

路加福音 10:30-37

30 耶稣回答说:「有一个人从耶路撒冷下耶利哥去,落在强盗手中。他们剥去他的衣裳,把他打个半死,就丢下他走了。 31 偶然有一个祭司从这条路下来,看见他,就从那边过去了。 32 又有一个利未人来到这地方,看见他,也照样从那边过去了。 33 唯有一个撒马利亚人行路来到那里,看见他,就动了慈心, 34 上前用油和酒倒在他的伤处,包裹好了,扶他骑上自己的牲口,带到店里去照应他。 35 第二天拿出二钱银子来,交给店主说:『你且照应他,此外所费用的,我回来必还你。』 36 你想,这三个人哪一个是落在强盗手中的邻舍呢?」 37 他说:「是怜悯他的。」耶稣说:「你去照样行吧。」

成为邻舍

好撒马利亚人的比喻(路10:30-37)里有两个提问值得我们比较与深思。耶稣说比喻前,律法师问耶稣说:「谁是我的邻舍呢?」耶稣说完比喻,问律法师说:「你想,这三个人哪一个是落在强盗手中的邻舍呢?」

「邻舍」的原文意思是朋友,与自己有交往的人,但是犹太人加上了传统、信仰的因素,认为「邻舍」不包括与他们敌对的撒马利亚人及外邦人。律法师问耶稣说:「谁是我的邻舍呢?」他想要先定义「邻舍」,筛选「邻舍」,再履行「爱邻舍如同自己」。

Flogged, Humiliated and Sentenced for You

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 19:1-16.  I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!
 
John 19:1-3 (NIV) 
1  Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged. 
2  The soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head. They clothed him in a purple robe 
3  and went up to him again and again, saying, “Hail, king of the Jews!” And they struck him in the face.

On verses 1-3:  There are no words to describe the kind of shame, suffering and humiliation Jesus went through on our behalf, even before he was sentenced to die on a cross. That includes the flogging of Jesus’ body, the mocking of Jesus by placing a crown of thorns on his head and a purple robe over his shoulders, the verbal abuse and the physical beatings Jesus received.  Though Jesus was innocent and the last person who deserved this kind of treatment, Jesus willingly suffered all of this for us from people who could not come close to Jesus’ integrity and innocence.