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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). 

耶稣的责备

2024-06-07 in , /by

路加福音 19:41-44

41 耶稣快到耶路撒冷，看见城，就为它哀哭， 42 说：「巴不得你在这日子知道关系你平安的事，无奈这事现在是隐藏的，叫你的眼看不出来。 43 因为日子将到，你的仇敌必筑起土垒，周围环绕你，四面困住你， 44 并要扫灭你和你里头的儿女，连一块石头也不留在石头上，因你不知道眷顾你的时候。」

福音书描绘耶稣人性面的喜怒哀乐，好让我们经由祂感同身受，而体会神的心意。

耶稣为耶路撒冷哀哭，因为耶路撒冷将会遭遇围困、毁灭（路19:41-44）；面对失丧拉撒路的一家人，耶稣哭了，祂不仅显露对拉撒路的爱，也因众人信心的有限（难以认知拉撒路得复活的应许）而悲叹（约11:33-44）；被差遣的七十个人欢欢喜喜地回来，耶稣为他们的得胜，被圣灵感动就欢乐（路10:17-22）。

耶稣哀哭、悲叹、欢乐，祂也责备人，狠狠地责备文士和法利赛人，在马太23章中，几乎整章，痛批他们是假冒为善、瞎眼领路的。

法利赛人是一群遵循先知与摩西律法，自勉追求圣洁、分别为圣，为保持纯洁而与俗世保持距离的人；但是，他们过于注重外表和仪文，最后反而陷入曲解神意、假冒为善的泥沼。

西恩的故事

2024-06-06 in , /by

马太福音 25:34-40

34 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。』

耶稣的教导: 给一个机会

在一个学习迟缓儿童学校的募款餐会上，有位父亲说了他儿子西恩的故事。

西恩和我走过公园，里面有些西恩认识的男孩们正在玩棒球。西恩问我：「你想他们会让我一起玩吗？」我知道大部份孩子不会想要有西恩这样的孩子在自己的队上，但身为父亲，我知道若他们能让我儿子参加，会让他得到他迫切需要的归属感，并建立起自己虽是残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.
 

耶稣恩友

2024-06-05 in , /by

约翰福音 15:13-15

13 人为朋友舍命，人的爱心没有比这个大的。 14 你们若遵行我所吩咐的，就是我的朋友了。 15 以后我不再称你们为仆人，因仆人不知道主人所做的事。我乃称你们为朋友，因我从父所听见的，已经都告诉你们了。

耶稣恩友

「耶稣恩友」这首家喻户晓的圣诗，不知安慰了多少人！作者史克文(Joseph Scriven 1819-1886)生于爱尔兰，父亲是皇家海军上校。早年他一心想当军人，曾进军官学校，但因健康欠佳而中辍。1842年，他毕业于都柏林大学。在他结婚前夕，他的未婚妻意外堕水溺毙，当时他痛不欲生，但耶稣安慰了他。他在廿五岁时，伤心地离开故乡，前往加拿大执教。

数年后，他再次恋爱，可是就在筹备婚礼时，未婚妻突然病故。自此他孤独一生，将自己的生命、财产、光阴完全奉献给主，让主引导前程，主成为他最亲密的良友。

他生性豪爽，乐于助人，经常帮助贫病和孤寡，时常带了一把锯子，在街头为贫民、残障者、或寡妇义务作工。在严冬时，他将衣服和食物与穷苦人分享，自己过著简朴的生活。

Jesus’ Peace vs. The World’s Peace

2024-06-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 14:22-31.  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 14:22-24 (NIV)
22  Then Judas (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”
23  Jesus replied, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.
24  He who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.
 
On verses 22-24:  One of Jesus’ disciples called Judas (not to be confused with Jesus’ betrayer Judas Iscariot) asks Jesus a question: “Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?” (v22)  Jesus’ response is interesting.  Instead of answering Judas’ question directly, Jesus talks about how obedience is the true indicator of one’s love for Jesus and that if anyone loves Jesus, the Father and Jesus will come to that person and make their home with that person (v23). 

耶利哥的瞎子

2024-06-04 in , /by

马可福音 10:46-52

46 到了耶利哥，耶稣同门徒并许多人出耶利哥的时候，有一个讨饭的瞎子，是底买的儿子巴底买，坐在路旁。 47 他听见是拿撒勒的耶稣，就喊著说：「大卫的子孙耶稣啊，可怜我吧！」 48 有许多人责备他，不许他作声，他却越发大声喊著说：「大卫的子孙哪，可怜我吧！」 49 耶稣就站住说：「叫过他来。」他们就叫那瞎子，对他说：「放心，起来，他叫你啦！」 50 瞎子就丢下衣服，跳起来，走到耶稣那里。 51 耶稣说：「要我为你做什么？」瞎子说：「拉波尼[a]，我要能看见！」 52 耶稣说：「你去吧！你的信救了你了。」瞎子立刻看见了，就在路上跟随耶稣。

耶稣同门徒及众人出耶利哥，坐在路旁讨饭的瞎子巴底买，他听见是拿撒勒的耶稣，就喊著说：「大卫的子孙耶稣啊！可怜我吧！」耶稣站住，叫过他来，瞎子就丢下衣服，跳起来，走到耶稣那里。耶稣对他说：「要我为你做甚么？」瞎子说：「我要能看见。」耶稣说：「你去吧！你的信救了你了。」瞎子立刻看见了，就在路上跟随耶稣。（可10:46-52）

Enter The Holy Spirit

2024-06-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 14:15-21.  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 14:15 (NIV)
15  “If you love me, you will obey what I command.
 
On verse 15:  Loving Jesus is not simply feeling a certain way toward Jesus or having a favourable opinion about Jesus.  It’s doing what Jesus commands.  To love Jesus is to obey Jesus.  If you want to know how well you love Jesus, ask yourself, “How much am I obeying what Jesus is commanding me to do?”

绵羊与山羊的比喻

2024-06-03 in , /by

马太福音 25:34-40

34 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。

What Does It Mean To Ask In Jesus’ Name

2024-06-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 14:1-14.  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 14:1-3 (NIV)
1  “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.
2  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you.
3  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.

On verses 1-3:  These words from Jesus to his disciples can also be taken as his words to us today.  Jesus has prepared a place for you in heaven, in his Father’s house.  The question is: do you trust Jesus (v1) to take you to his Father’s house when you die, or are you trusting in something else, trying to build your own place in heaven?  Praise God that if you have placed your trust in Jesus, on the day you die you don’t leave home; you go home.  For the Christian, home is where Jesus and the Father are.