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4 Ways We May Unintentionally Look Down on God’s Name

2024-03-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin our look at the book of Malachi.  Here is some background on the book of Malachi that you may find helpful:

1.  The book of Malachi was most likely written in the 5th century B.C.  (around the same time as, or maybe slightly before or slightly after, the events described in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah).  It is the last of the Old Testament prophetic books to be written.

2. During the time that Malachi was written, the Jews were under Persian rule.  Jewish governor Zerubabbel and prophets Haggai and Zechariah had already successfully led the Jews in rebuilding the temple by 515 B.C.  Still the Jewish people had become cold spiritually and were struggling financially.  Doubt about God’s promises and spiritual apathy had set in, resulting in many Jews marrying non-believers and refusing to tithe or to be accountable to their spiritual community. It is in this context that God sends several hard-hitting messages to the people through the book of Malachi.  Let’s go!

愛在桑樹下

2024-03-21 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。

What Heaven Is Like (Part 2)

2024-03-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 22:1-21.  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!

Revelation 22:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 
2  down the middle of the great street of the city…

On verse 1-2a:  In Psalm 46:4 we read that “[t]here is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.”  Here in Revelation 22, John gets to see that river.  According to John’s description, heaven is such a beautiful city that there is a river of living water, clear as crystal, that flows from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the main street of heaven.

愛在拿因城

2024-03-20 in , /by

路加福音 7:11-17

11 過了不多時[a]，耶穌往一座城去，這城名叫拿因，他的門徒和極多的人與他同行。 12 將近城門，有一個死人被抬出來。這人是他母親獨生的兒子，他母親又是寡婦。有城裡的許多人同著寡婦送殯。 13 主看見那寡婦，就憐憫她，對她說：「不要哭！」 14 於是進前按著槓，抬的人就站住了。耶穌說：「少年人，我吩咐你，起來！」 15 那死人就坐起，並且說話。耶穌便把他交給他母親。 16 眾人都驚奇，歸榮耀於神，說：「有大先知在我們中間興起來了！」又說：「神眷顧了他的百姓！」 17 他這事的風聲就傳遍了猶太和周圍地方。

愛在拿因城：因著愛，祂憐憫寡婦，對她說不要哭，且吩咐死去的少年人起來。（路7:11-17）

拿因城是耶穌時代的一個小村莊，位於拿撒勒東南約十公里，在耶斯列山谷東側小黑門的北側山腳。「拿因」的字義是「美麗」，描述著使人愉快的綠茵之地，和該地區怡人的景色十分貼切。

福音書記載耶穌叫三個死人復活的事蹟：管會堂睚魯的女兒（太9:18-19, 23-26；可5:22-24, 35-43；路8:41-42, 49-56）、拿因城寡婦的獨生子、以及馬大與馬利亞的弟弟拉撒路（約11:1-46）；這些家人分別是來求耶穌的、耶穌路過遇見的、以及耶穌認識且素來所愛的；他們所失去的親人分別是剛死的、正在出殯、以及在墳墓裡已經四天。

愛在拆了屋頂的房子裡

2024-03-19 in , /by

馬太福音 9:1-8

耶穌上了船，渡過海，來到自己的城裡。 2 有人用褥子抬著一個癱子到耶穌跟前來。耶穌見他們的信心，就對癱子說：「小子，放心吧，你的罪赦了！」 3 有幾個文士心裡說：「這個人說僭妄的話了！」 4 耶穌知道他們的心意，就說：「你們為什麼心裡懷著惡念呢？ 5 或說『你的罪赦了』，或說『你起來行走』，哪一樣容易呢？ 6 但要叫你們知道，人子在地上有赦罪的權柄。」就對癱子說：「起來，拿你的褥子回家去吧！」 7 那人就起來，回家去了。 8 眾人看見都驚奇，就歸榮耀於神，因為他將這樣的權柄賜給人。

愛在拆了屋頂的房子裡：因著愛，藉著一群人的信心，祂赦了癱子的罪，叫他起來拿褥子行走。（太9:1-8，可2:1-12，路5:17-26）

癱子得醫治被記載在馬太、馬可和路加三卷福音書，描述著同樣的場景：四個人用褥子抬著一個癱子來見耶穌，因人多不得近前，就拆了房頂，從瓦間把他連褥子縋到耶穌面前。耶穌見他們的信心，就對癱子說：「小子，你的罪赦了。」又說：「我吩咐你，起來，拿你的褥子回家去吧！」那人立刻就起來，拿著褥子當眾人面前出去了，眾人都驚奇歸榮耀與神，說：「我們從來沒有見過這樣的事！」

What Heaven Is Like (Part 1)

2024-03-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 21:1-27.  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!

Revelation 21:1 (NIV) 
1  Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

On verse 1:  To me Revelation 21 is one of the most beautiful passages in all the Bible.  As much as I like the song “What a Wonderful World” made famous by Louis Armstrong, and as beautiful and wonderful as our world is, there is no denying that there is much brokenness and hurt that affects our world as well.  Here we see God, who specializes in making all things new (v5), creating a new heaven and a new earth that are not beset by the problems we have in our world.

愛在西羅亞池畔

2024-03-18 in , /by

約翰福音 9:1-41

耶穌過去的時候，看見一個人生來是瞎眼的。 2 門徒問耶穌說：「拉比，這人生來是瞎眼的，是誰犯了罪？是這人呢，是他父母呢？」 3 耶穌回答說：「也不是這人犯了罪，也不是他父母犯了罪，是要在他身上顯出神的作為來。 4 趁著白日，我們必須做那差我來者的工；黑夜將到，就沒有人能做工了。 5 我在世上的時候，是世上的光。」 6 耶穌說了這話，就吐唾沫在地上，用唾沫和泥抹在瞎子的眼睛上， 7 對他說：「你往西羅亞池子裡去洗。」（「西羅亞」翻出來就是「奉差遣」。）他去一洗，回頭就看見了。

愛在西羅亞池畔：因著愛，祂醫治生來瞎眼的，讓他看見且相信祂是神的兒子。（約9:1-41）

這段在約翰福音的單獨記載，描述著生來瞎眼的經歷兩段曲折的生命歷程：先從聖殿到西羅亞（奉差遣）池，他的眼睛得看見（約9:6-7），再從看見（眼睛得醫治，約9:7）到明白（與主面對面，約9:38），俯伏下拜信耶穌。

從聖殿到西羅亞池：距離大約是一公里，路徑上有明顯的高低差，對一個瞎子而言，這是一條曲折且費時費力的歷程。約9:7說明了這段歷程的結局，他去一洗，回頭就看見了（原文可譯為：於是他去清洗自己，且能看見地回去）。

Loved For A Thousand Years and More

2024-03-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 20:1-15.  There are so many powerful truths about Jesus that we can learn from this passage.  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!

Revelation 20:1-3 (NIV) 
1  And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.
2  He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 
3  He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. 

On verses 1-3:  Previously in Revelation 9 we read of “the angel of the Abyss” (9:11) who was also called a “fallen star” and given the key to the Abyss (9:1).  Many commentators believe this angel is Satan himself.  Here in Revelation 20:1 John sees another angel coming down out of heaven possessing the key to the Abyss and holding a great chain.  This angel seizes the red dragon Satan, throws him into the Abyss, locks and seals the Abyss, so that Satan cannot deceive the nations for 1,000 years.  After the 1,000 years are over, verse 3 says that Satan “must be set free for a short time”.

Meet the One Who Wins in the End

2024-03-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 19:11-21.  There are so many powerful truths about Jesus that we can learn from this passage.  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!

Revelation 19:11 (NIV) 
11  I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war.
 
On verse 11:  Here John sees an awesome picture of Jesus.  In the Gospel of John 12:14-15, John described Jesus entering Jerusalem on a donkey, which is what kings would ride on during peace time.  Now when we see Jesus on a white war horse, it’s because Jesus means war and judges with justice.  The suffering servant who died to bring us peace is now the conquering king who lives to judge with justice and defeat his enemies. 
 

愛在耶路撒冷城邊(三)

2024-03-17 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。」

耶路撒冷依照希伯來文的解釋，「耶路」意為「根基」，「撒冷」意即「平安」，「耶路撒冷」便是「以平安為根基的城市」，也就是「和平之城」。因它坐落在錫安山上，又被稱為錫安城。

西元前2000年，上帝指示亞伯拉罕到摩利亞地，獻以撒為祭（創22:1-14）。亞伯拉罕給那地方起名叫「耶和華以勒」（就是耶和華必預備的意思），直到今日人還說：「在耶和華的山上必有預備（原文有看見、看顧、察覺的含意）。」（創22:14）摩利亞地在耶路撒冷附近，其地近新約所記的加略山，即耶穌釘十字架的地方。

西元前1000年左右，大衛佔領耶路撒冷，把此地變成宗教和政治首都，接著，所羅門王在摩利亞山的亞勞拿禾場建聖殿。

西元前705年左右，希西家王向西擴建耶路撒冷（以色列國遭亞述人滅亡）。西元前500年左右，巴比倫人滅亡猶大國，摧毀聖殿，許多人被擄掠。