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最後晚餐–耶穌不改變

2024-03-27 in , /by

路加福音22:14-20

14 時候到了，耶穌坐席，使徒也和他同坐。 15 耶穌對他們說：「我很願意在受害以先和你們吃這逾越節的筵席。 16 我告訴你們，我不再吃這筵席，直到成就在神的國裡。」 17 耶穌接過杯來，祝謝了，說：「你們拿這個，大家分著喝。 18 我告訴你們，從今以後，我不再喝這葡萄汁，直等神的國來到。」 19 又拿起餅來，祝謝了，就掰開，遞給他們，說：「這是我的身體，為你們捨的。你們也應當如此行，為的是記念我。」 20 飯後也照樣拿起杯來，說：「這杯是用我血所立的新約，是為你們流出來的。

今天我們看到主耶穌設立聖餐，在當晚設立聖餐時，主耶穌宣佈祂來這世界的目的就是為我們受死。「這是我的身體，為你們捨的，你們要如此行，為的是記念我。」飯後祂照樣拿起杯來，說：「這杯是用我的血所立的新約，為你們流出來的。」（路22:19-20）「為你們捨的」和「為你們流出來的」就是聖餐核心的意義。主耶穌的一生是為我們而來到這世界，為我們而生，經歷人間百般的苦難，更重要的是祂也為我們捨命，流出祂的寶血。

耶穌設立聖餐時，祂完全明白這是祂的使命，也在實際行動上表現出來。祂在聖餐時為門徒洗腳，祂擘開餅、舉起杯，宣告自己將要受死；祂在客西馬尼園知道全部門徒睡着了，並且全部門徒都將會離祂而去，祂只是叫他們警醒一點。祂自己很辛苦，汗如血滴在地上，祂卻堅持下去。當我們每次參加聖餐時，就看到主耶穌的堅持和捨己；這樣，我們有甚麼苦捱不下去呢？有甚麼是不能捨去的？為主的緣故，有甚麼不可以放下？為主的異象，為了主交託給我們的使命，又有甚麼不可以繼續走下去？

Run After God, Not Away From Him

2024-03-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Jonah 1:1-17.  As usual, 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!

Today we start the book of Jonah, a book written probably the prophet Jonah himself.  Since Jonah is described in 2 Kings as being connected to King Jeroboam II of Israel (see 2 Kings 14:25), scholars estimate that the book of Jonah was written around the time of Jeroboam II’s reign (793 to 753 B.C.).

Today’s passage is Jonah 1:1-17.  There are so many powerful lessons we can learn.  Let’s go!

Jonah 1:1-2 (NIV) 
1  The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: 
2  “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

On verses 1-2:  Who is this man Jonah?  Is he a deeply spiritual man with a close and honest relationship with God?  Or is he a superficial man who lacks love for God and love for people?  Is he a bit of both?  As you read the book of Jonah, make it your aim to find out who Jonah is, besides the famous fact of him running away from God and getting swallowed up by a big fish.

認真愛耶穌

2024-03-26 in , /by

馬太福音 26:6-13

6 耶穌在伯大尼長大痲瘋的西門家裡， 7 有一個女人拿著一玉瓶極貴的香膏來，趁耶穌坐席的時候，澆在他的頭上。 8 門徒看見就很不喜悅，說：「何用這樣的枉費呢？ 9 這香膏可以賣許多錢賙濟窮人。」 10 耶穌看出他們的意思，就說：「為什麼難為這女人呢？她在我身上做的是一件美事。 11 因為常有窮人和你們同在，只是你們不常有我。 12 她將這香膏澆在我身上，是為我安葬做的。 13 我實在告訴你們：普天之下，無論在什麼地方傳這福音，也要述說這女人所行的，做個紀念。」

聖經四卷福音書都記載女人用香膏抹耶穌的事蹟，馬太、馬可和約翰福音（太26:6-13，可14:3-9，約12:1-8）記載同一件事，發生於耶穌受難前一週，女人用香膏澆在主身上是為安葬的事；路加福音（路7:36-50）的記載則發生於較早期，耶穌用欠債的比喻來說明女人因罪得赦免所表現出來的愛。

法利賽人西門請耶穌吃飯，在坐席時，一個有罪的女人用香膏抹耶穌；在旁的西門看見這事，心裡說：「這人若是先知，必知道摸他的是誰，是個怎樣的女人；乃是個罪人。」（路7:39）很顯然的，經文突顯出法利賽人西門「自以為義」的心態。

You Are God’s Treasured Possession

2024-03-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Malachi 3:16-4:6.  As usual, 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!

Malachi 3:16 (NIV)
16 Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name.

On verse 16:  Here Malachi describes how those who feared God – that is, worshiped, revered, and honoured God – talked to each other, and God not only heard them but also took notes about them.  What can we learn from this?  God not only listens to how we talk to Him.  He also listens to how we talk to each other.  When we talk to each other in ways that honour His name – when we encourage one another in the Lord – God takes notice.   Just as it pleases a parent to see his or her children getting along and encouraging one another, so it pleases and honours God when we speak in ways that encourage one another and lift up His name.

用主的眼光而活

2024-03-25 in , /by

馬可福音12:41-44

41 耶穌對銀庫坐著，看眾人怎樣投錢入庫。有好些財主往裡投了若干的錢。 42 有一個窮寡婦來，往裡投了兩個小錢，就是一個大錢。 43 耶穌叫門徒來，說：「我實在告訴你們：這窮寡婦投入庫裡的比眾人所投的更多， 44 因為他們都是自己有餘，拿出來投在裡頭，但這寡婦是自己不足，把她一切養生的都投上了。」

主耶穌進入了耶路撒冷後，祂讚賞了三個人，一位是文士，一位是窮寡婦、一位是用香膏膏抹祂的女人。這三件事有很多地方值得我們學習。

主耶穌讚賞一位文士（可12:28-34）。這位文士回應主耶穌說：「夫子說，神是一位，實在不錯；除了祂以外，再沒有別的神；並且盡心、盡智、盡力愛他，又愛人如己，就比一切燔祭和各樣祭祀好的多。」這位文士領會到真正的善行比虛偽的禮儀好得多。主耶穌聽到這位文士所說之後，就說：「你離上帝的國不遠了。」

第二個記載是主耶穌坐在聖殿裏看人們怎樣奉獻（可12:41-44，路 21:1-4）。主耶穌說明窮寡婦所投的是很多，因為這差不多是他的所有財產，他將自己的生活所需的全數也交給上帝，主耶穌讚賞的重點不是那兩個小錢，而是有些人能夠無私地將自己的生命和生活的一切都奉獻給上帝。

Jesus is Your Soap

2024-03-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Malachi 3:1-15.  As usual, 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!

What a rich passage this is.  I believe there are at least 7 powerful lessons that the Holy Spirit would have us learn from today’s passage.  I summarize them in bold below.  

Malachi 3:1 (NIV) 
1 “See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,” says the LORD Almighty. 

On verse 1: Scholars sometimes debate whether verse 1 is describing one or two messengers.  I submit that the best interpretation is to see verse 1 as referring to two messengers.  The first messenger is described at the beginning of verse 1: “See I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me.”  In Matthew 11:7-10, Jesus seems to quote this verse when talking about John the Baptist as a messenger that God would send who will prepare the way before the Lord. 

3 Ways We Can Break Faith with God and with One Another

2024-03-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Malachi 2:10-17.  As usual, 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!

Malachi 2:10 (NIV) 
10 Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we profane the covenant of our fathers by breaking faith with one another? 

On verse 10: In this passage God identifies three ways that the Jews “broke faith” with one another. By carrying on these three sinful practices, the Jews were hurting one another, discouraging each other’s faith in God, threatening their unity as God followers, profaning the covenant their ancestors had made with God, and setting a bad example for the generations that followed them. Let’s take a look at each of these three practices, which are even more common today than they were in Malachi’s time.

愛在伯大尼

2024-03-24 in , /by

路加福音19:1-10

1耶穌進了耶利哥，正經過的時候， 2 有一個人名叫撒該，做稅吏長，是個財主， 3 他要看看耶穌是怎樣的人。只因人多，他的身量又矮，所以不得看見。 4 就跑到前頭，爬上桑樹，要看耶穌，因為耶穌必從那裡經過。 5 耶穌到了那裡，抬頭一看，對他說：「撒該，快下來！今天我必住在你家裡。」 6 他就急忙下來，歡歡喜喜地接待耶穌。 7 眾人看見，都私下議論說：「他竟到罪人家裡去住宿！」 8 撒該站著對主說：「主啊，我把所有的一半給窮人，我若訛詐了誰，就還他四倍。」 9 耶穌說：「今天救恩到了這家，因為他也是亞伯拉罕的子孫。 10 人子來，為要尋找、拯救失喪的人。」

愛在桑樹下：因著愛，祂住宿撒該家說：今天救恩到了這家，因為他也是亞伯拉罕的子孫。（路19:1-10）

路加福音記載耶穌榮耀進耶路撒冷前，經過耶利哥，出現一位人物撒該，他和使徒馬太（利未）跟隨主以前的職分同樣是稅吏，但是他是稅吏長，且是個財主；看來猶太人對他的敵視應該是加倍的，也許他也因中飽私囊而成為財主。

The Result of Reverence

2024-03-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Malachi 2:1-9.  As usual, 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!

Malachi 2:1-2 (NIV) 
1 “And now this admonition is for you, O priests. 
2 If you do not listen, and if you do not set your heart to honor my name,” says the LORD Almighty, “I will send a curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings. Yes, I have already cursed them, because you have not set your heart to honor me. 

On verses 1-2:  After rebuking the Jewish people as a whole, God has a specific rebuke and warning for the priests.  From these verses we can see that God wants His priests to have hearts that are set on honouring His name.  Because their hearts were not set on honouring God, God says that their blessings are cursed (“I will curse your blessings” – v2).  Is “blessings” in verse 2 referring to blessings that the priests receive (such as material blessings and provision) or blessings that the priests give and pronounce on others?

愛在彎腰畫字時

2024-03-22 in , /by

路加福音19:1-10

1耶穌進了耶利哥，正經過的時候， 2 有一個人名叫撒該，做稅吏長，是個財主， 3 他要看看耶穌是怎樣的人。只因人多，他的身量又矮，所以不得看見。 4 就跑到前頭，爬上桑樹，要看耶穌，因為耶穌必從那裡經過。 5 耶穌到了那裡，抬頭一看，對他說：「撒該，快下來！今天我必住在你家裡。」 6 他就急忙下來，歡歡喜喜地接待耶穌。 7 眾人看見，都私下議論說：「他竟到罪人家裡去住宿！」 8 撒該站著對主說：「主啊，我把所有的一半給窮人，我若訛詐了誰，就還他四倍。」 9 耶穌說：「今天救恩到了這家，因為他也是亞伯拉罕的子孫。 10 人子來，為要尋找、拯救失喪的人。」

愛在桑樹下：因著愛，祂住宿撒該家說：今天救恩到了這家，因為他也是亞伯拉罕的子孫。（路19:1-10）

路加福音記載耶穌榮耀進耶路撒冷前，經過耶利哥，出現一位人物撒該，他和使徒馬太（利未）跟隨主以前的職分同樣是稅吏，但是他是稅吏長，且是個財主；看來猶太人對他的敵視應該是加倍的，也許他也因中飽私囊而成為財主。