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When You Have Jesus

2024-06-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 16:12-22.  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 16:16-22 (NIV)
16  “In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me.”
17  Some of his disciples said to one another, “What does he mean by saying, ‘In a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me,’ and ‘Because I am going to the Father’?”
18  They kept asking, “What does he mean by ‘a little while’? We don’t understand what he is saying.”

On verses 16-22:  What did Jesus mean when he would tell his disciples, “in a little while you will see me no more, and then after a little while you will see me” (v16)?  Jesus was pointing to his death and resurrection.  The darkest night – when Jesus Christ would die – was coming, but it would be superseded by a brighter day: when Jesus would rise again.

誰是我的鄰舍？

2024-06-11 in , /by

路加福音 10:25-37

25 有一個律法師起來試探耶穌，說：「夫子，我該做什麼才可以承受永生？」 26 耶穌對他說：「律法上寫的是什麼？你念的是怎樣呢？」 27 他回答說：「你要盡心、盡性、盡力、盡意愛主你的神，又要愛鄰舍如同自己。」 28 耶穌說：「你回答的是。你這樣行，就必得永生。」

29 那人要顯明自己有理，就對耶穌說：「誰是我的鄰舍呢？」

耶穌和律法師在路10:25-28中談論承受永生的議題，耶穌肯定他明白「愛神愛人」的律法，且鼓勵他，行出來就必得永生。接下來，律法師又自以為是的再問：「誰是我的鄰舍呢？」（路10:29）於是，耶穌用好撒馬利亞人的比喻回應他的問題。（路10:30-37）

撒馬利亞人是散居在猶太與加利利間的混血民族，他們的宗教信仰雖根據猶太傳統和摩西律法，但是滲有異族風俗（王下17:24-33），加上過去南北國的政治糾葛，而且他們相對貧窮，因此不為猶太人所接納，雙方沒有甚麼來往（約4:9）。

耶利哥處於撒馬利亞和猶太交界處，猶太人往返猶太和北邊的加利利，會經由耶利哥繞道，藉以避開撒馬利亞範圍。耶利哥位於耶路撒冷東面的約旦河谷，地勢低窪，兩地高度差超過一千公尺，連結其間的道路極其陡峭荒涼，常有強盜出沒。

The Life-Giving Conviction of the Holy Spirit

2024-06-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 16:1-11.  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 16:1-3 (NIV)
1  “All this I have told you so that you will not go astray.
2  They will put you out of the synagogue; in fact, a time is coming when anyone who kills you will think he is offering a service to God.
3  They will do such things because they have not known the Father or me.
 
On verses 1-3:  John was probably writing this Gospel at a time when the Church, i.e. Christians everywhere, had already experienced a great deal of persecution.  To comfort and reassure his fellow brothers and sisters, John recalls what Jesus said to him and the other disciples about not being surprised when they face severe persecution.  Jesus tells them not to be surprised if their persecutors even think that destroying Christians is the right, noble, God-pleasing thing to do.  Jesus tells his disciples that the reason an unbelieving world persecutes Christians is because they actually do not know God the Father or Jesus the Son.

誰要來吃飯？

2024-06-10 in , /by

路加福音 14:7-11/12-14/15-24

7 耶穌見所請的客揀擇首位，就用比喻對他們說： 8 「你被人請去赴婚姻的筵席，不要坐在首位上，恐怕有比你尊貴的客被他請來， 9 那請你們的人前來對你說：『讓座給這一位吧！』你就羞羞慚慚地退到末位上去了。 10 你被請的時候，就去坐在末位上，好叫那請你的人來對你說：『朋友，請上坐！』那時，你在同席的人面前就有光彩了。 11 因為凡自高的，必降為卑；自卑的，必升為高。」

路加福音14章的記載很特別，耶穌藉著眾人熟知「請吃飯」的飲食文化，經由「客人挑選首位」的習慣談「謙卑」（路14:7-11），也透過「主人期望回報」的意圖談「付出」（路14:12-14）。耶穌挑戰主人，為貧窮的、殘廢的、瘸腿的、瞎眼的擺設筵席，同筵席的人有感而發，回應耶穌說：「在神國裡吃飯的有福了！」（路14:15），接著，耶穌用筵席的比喻（路14:16-24）回覆他，感嘆「客人推託出席」神國的邀宴。

「請吃飯」不只是肚腹得飽足，尤重於關係的修復與建立；耶穌所談的「請吃飯」代表愛與接納，帶來歡樂、溫暖、關係的回復，聽見這話的人領受到這是無需「報答」、沒有條件的「請吃飯」，惟有神能給予，這是神國的筵席，因此回應說：在神國裡吃飯的有福了！

舊酵除淨成為新團

2024-06-09 in , /by

馬太福音 13:31-33 /41-43

31 他又設個比喻對他們說：「天國好像一粒芥菜種，有人拿去種在田裡。 32 這原是百種裡最小的，等到長起來，卻比各樣的菜都大，且成了樹，天上的飛鳥來宿在它的枝上。」

33 他又對他們講個比喻說：「天國好像麵酵，有婦人拿來藏在三斗麵裡，直等全團都發起來。」

41 人子要差遣使者，把一切叫人跌倒的和作惡的，從他國裡挑出來， 42 丟在火爐裡，在那裡必要哀哭切齒了。 43 那時，義人在他們父的國裡要發出光來，像太陽一樣。有耳可聽的，就應當聽！

馬太福音第13章記載耶穌用比喻傳講天國的信息，祂在撒種的比喻中，用「飛鳥」比喻「惡者」奪去撒在人心裡的天國福音（太13:4，太13:19）；在稗子的比喻中，祂解釋仇敵（魔鬼）來，將稗子（惡者之子）撒在麥子（天國之子）裡，兩者一齊成長，直等著收割時，才將稗子褥出用火焚燒（太13:24-30，太13:36-43）。

耶穌講完稗子的比喻，尚未向門徒解釋，祂就接續用芥菜種（太13:31-32）和麵糰發酵（太13:33）來比喻天國，內容較短且未進一步解釋。耶穌說：天國好像一粒芥菜種，種子雖小，長起來卻成了樹，且讓天上的飛鳥宿在枝上（太13:31-32）；又說：天國好像麵酵，婦人拿來，藏在三斗麵裡，直等全團都發起來（太13:33）。

When the World Hates You

2024-06-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 15:18-27.  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 15:18-25 (NIV)
18  “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.
19  If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.
20  Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also.

On verses 18-25:  An unbelieving world hated Jesus Christ so much that they killed him by nailing him to a cross.  Even to this day, no name has received more hate in all of human history than the name of Jesus Christ.  On a daily basis, there is no name that is more abused, more taken for granted and used more frequently as a curse word than the name of Jesus.  As Jesus predicted in verses 20-21, just as much of the world despised Jesus, so much of the world despises Christians.  That is why virtually the only time you hear a Christian leader making the mainstream news is if it is related to some kind of scandal. 

What Does It Mean to Remain in Jesus?

2024-06-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 15:9-17.  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 15:9-10 (NIV)
9  “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.
10  If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
 
On verses 9-10:  What does it mean to remain in Jesus’ love, as verse 9 says?  Remaining in Jesus’ love (or as some translations say, to “abide” in Jesus’ love) means to stay in tune with Jesus, to keep trusting in Jesus and to obey Jesus’ commands (v10). Just as Jesus kept in tune with his Father and did not stop obeying his Father’s commands, so Jesus tells us to do the same.  In doing this we will bear much fruit (v5). 

耶穌的責備

2024-06-07 in , /by

路加福音 19:41-44

41 耶穌快到耶路撒冷，看見城，就為它哀哭， 42 說：「巴不得你在這日子知道關係你平安的事，無奈這事現在是隱藏的，叫你的眼看不出來。 43 因為日子將到，你的仇敵必築起土壘，周圍環繞你，四面困住你， 44 並要掃滅你和你裡頭的兒女，連一塊石頭也不留在石頭上，因你不知道眷顧你的時候。」

福音書描繪耶穌人性面的喜怒哀樂，好讓我們經由祂感同身受，而體會神的心意。

耶穌為耶路撒冷哀哭，因為耶路撒冷將會遭遇圍困、毀滅（路19:41-44）；面對失喪拉撒路的一家人，耶穌哭了，祂不僅顯露對拉撒路的愛，也因眾人信心的有限（難以認知拉撒路得復活的應許）而悲嘆（約11:33-44）；被差遣的七十個人歡歡喜喜地回來，耶穌為他們的得勝，被聖靈感動就歡樂（路10:17-22）。

耶穌哀哭、悲嘆、歡樂，祂也責備人，狠狠地責備文士和法利賽人，在馬太23章中，幾乎整章，痛批他們是假冒為善、瞎眼領路的。

法利賽人是一群遵循先知與摩西律法，自勉追求聖潔、分別為聖，為保持純潔而與俗世保持距離的人；但是，他們過於注重外表和儀文，最後反而陷入曲解神意、假冒為善的泥沼。

西恩的故事

2024-06-06 in , /by

馬太福音 25:34-40

34 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。』

耶穌的教導: 給一個機會

在一個學習遲緩兒童學校的募款餐會上，有位父親說了他兒子西恩的故事。

西恩和我走過公園，裡面有些西恩認識的男孩們正在玩棒球。西恩問我：「你想他們會讓我一起玩嗎？」我知道大部份孩子不會想要有西恩這樣的孩子在自己的隊上，但身為父親，我知道若他們能讓我兒子參加，會讓他得到他迫切需要的歸屬感，並建立起自己雖是殘障仍能被接受的信心。

Jesus’ Word Makes You Clean and Fruitful

2024-06-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 15:1-8.  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 15:1-2 (NIV)
1  “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
2  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
 
On verses 1-2:  Here Jesus refers to himself as the true vine.  Why the “true” vine?  It’s because Jesus knew that soon his followers would be threatened by persecution and false teaching.  Thus in calling himself the true vine Jesus is reminding his followers that he is the way, the truth and the life they are looking for, not anything else or anyone else.