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Take on Trouble with Boldness

2024-05-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 12:27-36.  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 12:27 (NIV)
27  “Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour.

On verse 27:  Jesus was troubled by the prospect of dying, showing his real humanity (v27a).  Yet rather than asking the Father to rescue him from having to die, Jesus reminds himself that that is why he came (v27b). 
 
Taking a hint from Jesus, when I go through trouble or hardship, sometimes it helps to remind myself, “JB, it’s part of the calling.  This is just part of living out the life God called you to live on this earth, so don’t cry and complain as if something strange were happening to you.  This is what you were made for.”  Let’s learn to boldly take on trouble Jesus’ way. 

百夫長的信心

2024-05-27 in , /by

馬太福音 8:7-9 / 13

7 耶穌說：「我去醫治他。」 8 百夫長回答說：「主啊，你到我舍下我不敢當，只要你說一句話，我的僕人就必好了。 9 因為我在人的權下，也有兵在我以下，對這個說『去！』他就去，對那個說『來！』他就來，對我的僕人說『你做這事！』他就去做。」

只說一句話

「只說一句話」也是信心的功課，百夫長相信耶穌的權柄，保羅堅定明白他所傳揚救恩的道理。許多時候，我們只說一句話，相信復活的主。

百夫長為害癱瘓病的僕人求耶穌醫治，耶穌說：「我去醫治他。」百夫長回答說：「主啊，你到我舍下，我不敢當；只要你說一句話，我的僕人就必好了。…」（太8:7-9）耶穌對百夫長說：「你回去吧！照你的信心，給你成全了。」那時，他的僕人就好了。（太8:13）

What It Means to Really Serve God

2024-05-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 12:20-26.  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 12:20-22 (NIV)
20  Now there were some Greeks among those who went up to worship at the Feast.
21  They came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, with a request. “Sir,” they said, “we would like to see Jesus.”
22  Philip went to tell Andrew; Andrew and Philip in turn told Jesus.

On verses 20-22:  Here we see not just Jews but Greeks wanting to see Jesus.  It’s a reminder that Jesus didn’t just come to be the long-awaited Messiah the Jews were waiting for.  Even more Jesus came to be the saviour that the entire world needs.  That’s why Jesus would talk about having “other sheep that are not of this pen” that he must bring in also (John 15:16).  That’s also why Jesus reached out to a Samaritan woman in John 4, a Roman centurion in Luke 7, and a Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:22. 

牧人尋羊的比喻

2024-05-26 in , /by

馬太福音 18:10-14

10 你們要小心，不可輕看這小子裡的一個。我告訴你們，他們的使者在天上，常見我天父的面。a]”>[a]

12 「一個人若有一百隻羊，一隻走迷了路，你們的意思如何？他豈不撇下這九十九隻，往山裡去找那隻迷路的羊嗎？ 13 若是找著了，我實在告訴你們：他為這一隻羊歡喜，比為那沒有迷路的九十九隻歡喜還大呢。 14 你們在天上的父也是這樣，不願意這小子裡失喪一個。

耶穌用牧人尋羊的比喻來闡述祂來是要拯救失喪的人（太18:10-14），接著就談到弟兄得罪你（原文或譯犯了罪）時，當如何行：「倘若你的弟兄得罪你，你就去，趁著只有他和你在一處的時候，指出他的錯來。他若聽你，你便得了你的弟兄；他若不聽…」（太18:15-17）

這裡，耶穌談到迷羊被抱回、失喪的人成為弟兄後，當他們再次犯罪或得罪你時，你該怎麼辦？聰明的彼得一聽就知道他可能面對的難題，我可以饒恕他幾次？到七次夠了嗎？（太18:21）若第八次他還不聽，這時候我就照著耶穌的教導，將他交給兩三個人、教會…，最後就看他像外邦人和稅吏一樣。（太18:15-17）

無花果樹的比喻

2024-05-24 in , /by

馬太福音 24:13-14 / 32-36

13 唯有忍耐到底的，必然得救。 14 這天國的福音要傳遍天下，對萬民作見證，然後末期才來到。

32 「你們可以從無花果樹學個比方。當樹枝發嫩長葉的時候，你們就知道夏天近了。 33 這樣，你們看見這一切的事，也該知道人子近了，正在門口了。 34 我實在告訴你們：這世代還沒有過去，這些事都要成就。 35 天地要廢去，我的話卻不能廢去。 36 但那日子、那時辰，沒有人知道，連天上的使者也不知道，子也不知道，唯獨父知道。

聖經中的無花果樹名為Ficus carica，是一種桑科榕屬的植物，生長在高地，不需要很多水分，樹身可長至十米高。中東地帶無花果樹的果實呈球根狀，是一個大而有肉的花托，尾部有一小孔，花粉由黃蜂傳播，花生長於果內，屬於隱頭花序。因外觀只見結果不見花，所以稱為「無花果」。

以色列的無花果每年有兩季收穫，冬果在五、六月成熟，可以採摘；夏果則在八、九月成熟，但有時這兩季會重疊。無花果樹在長葉前會先露出果子的芽，果芽在二月長出，五、六月間長出葉子；葉子落下後，便是果子成熟的時候（太21:19）。

Why Did Jesus Ride On A Donkey?

2024-05-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 12:12-19.  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 12:12-16 (NIV)
12  The next day the great crowd that had come for the Feast heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem.
13  They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, “Hosanna!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” “Blessed is the King of Israel!”
14  Jesus found a young donkey and sat upon it, as it is written,
15  “Do not be afraid, O Daughter of Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”
16  At first his disciples did not understand all this. Only after Jesus was glorified did they realize that these things had been written about him and that they had done these things to him.
 
On verses 12-16:  Here Jesus arrives in Jerusalem for the Feast of the Passover.  His entrance is met with great fanfare from the massive crowd who were expecting him.  Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem is eye-catching for a number of reasons.  First, Jesus is riding on a donkey (v14).  Second, the people were greeting him with palm branches (v13).  Why a donkey and why palm branches?  Let’s look at that now.

無知的財主

2024-05-23 in , /by

路加福音 12:16-21

16 就用比喻對他們說：「有一個財主田產豐盛， 17 自己心裡思想說：『我的出產沒有地方收藏，怎麼辦呢？』 18 又說：『我要這麼辦：要把我的倉房拆了，另蓋更大的，在那裡好收藏我一切的糧食和財物， 19 然後要對我的靈魂說：「靈魂哪，你有許多財物積存，可做多年的費用，只管安安逸逸地吃喝快樂吧！」』 20 神卻對他說：『無知的人哪，今夜必要你的靈魂，你所預備的要歸誰呢？』 21 凡為自己積財，在神面前卻不富足的，也是這樣。」

恩典中的儆醒-不要為明日自誇

在神的恩典中，我們每個人都擁有明日，明日不是宴樂無量，明日不是安安逸逸，明日不是做買賣得利…我們無法為明日自誇；神若願意，我們就可以活著，也可以做這事，或做那事，且肯定享有神面前的富足。

不要為明日自誇，因為一日要生何事，你尚且不能知道。（箴27:1）

…這些牧人不能明白─各人偏行己路，各從各方求自己的利益。他們說：來吧！我去拿酒，我們飽飲濃酒；明日必和今日一樣，就是宴樂無量極大之日。（賽56:11-12）

What Opportunity Do I Have Today That I Won’t Have Tomorrow?

2024-05-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 12:1-11.  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 12:1-3 (NIV)
1  Six days before the Passover, Jesus arrived at Bethany, where Lazarus lived, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
2  Here a dinner was given in Jesus’ honor. Martha served, while Lazarus was among those reclining at the table with him.
3  Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.

On verses 1-3:  At Bethany, a small village just outside of Jerusalem to the southeast, Jesus is at a dinner given in his honor less than a week before Passover.  At the dinner, Lazarus reclines, Martha serves, and Mary worships.  To me this is a good picture of the church.  It’s a place where you can rest like Lazarus, serve like Martha and worship like Mary.

Let Jesus Take Your Place

2024-05-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 11:45-57.  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 11:45-48 (NIV)
45  Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, put their faith in him.
46  But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Jesus had done.
47  Then the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. “What are we accomplishing?” they asked. “Here is this man performing many miraculous signs.
48  If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”
 
On verses 45-48:  The Sanhedrin, being the ruling council of the Jewish people, meet to discuss what to do about the popular, miracle performing Jesus.  The chief priests and Pharisees were concerned that the kind of following Jesus was getting would get the entire Jewish people in trouble with the Roman government and cause them in particular to lose their place of power.

浪子回頭-2

2024-05-22 in , /by

路加福音 15:11-32

11 耶穌又說：「一個人有兩個兒子。 12 小兒子對父親說：『父親，請你把我應得的家業分給我。』他父親就把產業分給他們。 13 過了不多幾日，小兒子就把他一切所有的都收拾起來，往遠方去了。在那裡任意放蕩，浪費資財。 14 既耗盡了一切所有的，又遇著那地方大遭饑荒，就窮苦起來。 15 於是去投靠那地方的一個人，那人打發他到田裡去放豬。 16 他恨不得拿豬所吃的豆莢充飢，也沒有人給他。 17 他醒悟過來，就說：『我父親有多少的雇工，口糧有餘，我倒在這裡餓死嗎？ 18 我要起來，到我父親那裡去，向他說：「父親，我得罪了天，又得罪了你。 19 從今以後，我不配稱為你的兒子，把我當做一個雇工吧！」』 

一位年輕弟兄的分享：猶記得在我生病後，父親對我說過一句話：上天待我真好，我撿回了一個兒子。依照我原本計畫，是打算出國念書留在國外的，沒有辦法好好陪伴家人，但上帝有上帝的時間與計畫，是我永遠無法參透的。誰知道生病後，家人反而更團結、更相愛。

林布蘭特在俄羅斯的冬宮當中藏有一幅畫-浪子回頭，很貼切我的心境。浪子回頭是聖經當中大家都耳熟能詳的故事，在畫中小兒子花光一切，狼狽地回到父親身邊說讓我做你的僕役吧，但父親的那雙大手卻溫柔的抱住孩子說你是失而復得的，