Entries by

浪子回头-2

2024-05-22 in , /by

路加福音 15:11-32

11 耶稣又说：「一个人有两个儿子。 12 小儿子对父亲说：『父亲，请你把我应得的家业分给我。』他父亲就把产业分给他们。 13 过了不多几日，小儿子就把他一切所有的都收拾起来，往远方去了。在那里任意放荡，浪费资财。 14 既耗尽了一切所有的，又遇着那地方大遭饥荒，就穷苦起来。 15 于是去投靠那地方的一个人，那人打发他到田里去放猪。 16 他恨不得拿猪所吃的豆荚充饥，也没有人给他。 17 他醒悟过来，就说：『我父亲有多少的雇工，口粮有余，我倒在这里饿死吗？ 18 我要起来，到我父亲那里去，向他说：「父亲，我得罪了天，又得罪了你。 19 从今以后，我不配称为你的儿子，把我当做一个雇工吧！」』 

一位年轻弟兄的分享：犹记得在我生病后，父亲对我说过一句话：上天待我真好，我捡回了一个儿子。依照我原本计画，是打算出国念书留在国外的，没有办法好好陪伴家人，但上帝有上帝的时间与计画，是我永远无法参透的。谁知道生病后，家人反而更团结、更相爱。

林布兰特在俄罗斯的冬宫当中藏有一幅画-浪子回头，很贴切我的心境。浪子回头是圣经当中大家都耳熟能详的故事，在画中小儿子花光一切，狼狈地回到父亲身边说让我做你的仆役吧，但父亲的那双大手却温柔的抱住孩子说你是失而复得的，

浪子回头-1

2024-05-21 in , /by

路加福音 15:11-32

11 耶稣又说：「一个人有两个儿子。 12 小儿子对父亲说：『父亲，请你把我应得的家业分给我。』他父亲就把产业分给他们。 13 过了不多几日，小儿子就把他一切所有的都收拾起来，往远方去了。在那里任意放荡，浪费资财。 14 既耗尽了一切所有的，又遇着那地方大遭饥荒，就穷苦起来。 15 于是去投靠那地方的一个人，那人打发他到田里去放猪。 16 他恨不得拿猪所吃的豆荚充饥，也没有人给他。 17 他醒悟过来，就说：『我父亲有多少的雇工，口粮有余，我倒在这里饿死吗？ 18 我要起来，到我父亲那里去，向他说：「父亲，我得罪了天，又得罪了你。 19 从今以后，我不配称为你的儿子，把我当做一个雇工吧！」』 

不要得来速，要享全家餐

耶稣又说：「一个人有两个儿子。小儿子对父亲说：『父亲，请你把我应得的家业分给我。』他父亲就把产业分给他们。…父亲对他说：『儿啊！你常和我同在，我一切所有的都是你的；只是你这个兄弟是死而复活、失而又得的，所以我们理当欢喜快乐。』」（路15:11-32）

浪子的故事耳熟能详，耶稣用比喻来表明父神接纳宽恕的爱，同时也邀请世人能如浪子归回得救。「离家」和「归回」的差异在哪里？小儿子带着应得的产业离家，产业有用完的一天，浪子将它浪费殆尽；浪子回家，父亲对他说：「我一切所有的都是你的。」浪子享有父亲的产业，无尽丰富的产业。

Jesus Feels What You Feel

2024-05-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 11:32-44.  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 11:32 (NIV)
32  When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

On verse 32:  In the Gospels you will find Mary often at Jesus’ feet.  In Luke 10, we see Mary, in an act of spiritual hunger and teachability, listening at Jesus’ feet. In John 12:3, we see Mary, in an act of worship and gratitude, anointing Jesus’ feet with perfume.  Here in verse 32 of John 11, we see Mary, in an act of mourning and grief, weeping at Jesus’ feet.

What can we learn from this?  Whether you’re longing to learn, wanting to worship, or hungry for hope, humble yourself at the feet of Jesus.  You’ll find what you need at Jesus’ feet.

欢喜地去变卖一切所有的

2024-05-20 in , /by

马太福音 13:24-30 / 36-43 /44 /45-46 / 47-50

24 耶稣又设个比喻对他们说：「天国好像人撒好种在田里， 25 及至人睡觉的时候，有仇敌来，将稗子撒在麦子里就走了。 26 到长苗吐穗的时候，稗子也显出来。 27 田主的仆人来告诉他说：『主啊，你不是撒好种在田里吗？从哪里来的稗子呢？』 28 主人说：『这是仇敌做的。』仆人说：『你要我们去薅出来吗？』 29 主人说：『不必，恐怕薅稗子，连麦子也拔出来。 30 容这两样一齐长，等著收割。当收割的时候，我要对收割的人说：先将稗子薅出来，捆成捆，留着烧，唯有麦子要收在仓里。』」

马太福音第13章记载：耶稣坐在船上，对着岸上众人，首先用撒种（太13:3-9，太13:18-23）来比喻人听了神的道，会因为听道不明白（落在路旁）、遭遇患难或逼迫（土浅石头地）、陷于思虑、迷惑或私欲（荆棘里）、领受、持守且忍耐著结实（好土里）四种光景，而呈现不同的结局。

传讲撒种的比喻之后，耶稣接续用麦子与稗子（太13:24-30，太13:36-43）来比喻神容许天国之子与恶者之子一齐生长，一直到世界的末了，一切叫人跌倒的和作恶的将被分别出来，且被丢在火炉里焚烧。

紧接着，耶稣又用芥菜种（太13:31-32）和面酵（太13:33）的比喻来形容天国的快速扩展，同时提醒我们要谨慎来自仇敌（魔鬼）各种罪恶和错误教训的影响。

The Kind of Faith That Pleases You

2024-05-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 11:17-31.  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 11:17-22 (NIV)
17  On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
18  Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem,
19  and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother.
20  When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
21  “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
22  But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”
 
On verses 17-22:  Martha was probably disappointed that Jesus did not arrive before her brother Lazarus passed away.  But when Jesus arrived on the scene, even then she still had hope in Jesus: “I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask” (v22).  What can we learn from this?  When you have Jesus in your life, you have hope that is even greater than death and disappointment. 

Jesus is the Light in Your Darkness

2024-05-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 11:1-16.  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 11:1-4 (NIV)
1  Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.
2  This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.
3  So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
4  When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
 
On verses 1-4:  Once again we see Jesus’ view on sickness.  Jesus saw sickness as an opportunity for God to display His power and an opportunity for God to be glorified through how people deal with the sickness.  Likewise, when you see problems in your life, train yourself to see them with Jesus’ eyes.  See your problems not as gravestones marking your death, but as stepping stones to something greater.

撒种的比喻

2024-05-19 in , /by

马太福音 13:3-9 / 18-23

3 他用比喻对他们讲许多道理，说：「有一个撒种的出去撒种。 4 撒的时候，有落在路旁的，飞鸟来吃尽了。 5 有落在土浅石头地上的，土既不深，发苗最快， 6 日头出来一晒，因为没有根，就枯干了。 7 有落在荆棘里的，荆棘长起来，把它挤住了。 8 又有落在好土里的，就结实，有一百倍的，有六十倍的，有三十倍的。 9 有耳可听的，就应当听！」

向下扎胚根，向上冒胚芽

撒种的比喻是共观福音书都有记载的耶稣的比喻（太13:3-9，可4:2-8，路8:4-8），也是少数几个耶稣向门徒解释的比喻（太13:18-23，可4:13-20，路8:11-15）。

耶稣用比喻来形容撒种的人所撒的种子就是神的道，是天国的道理。种子指的是听道的人，它落在路旁、土浅石头地、荆棘里、好土里，分别呈现不同的结局：

种子落在路旁，被人践踏，天上的飞鸟来吃尽了；就如人听见天国道理不明白，撒但立刻来，把撒在他心里的道夺了去。

种子落在土浅石头地上，土既不深，发苗最快，日头出来一晒，因为没有根，就枯干了；就像人听了道，当下欢喜领受，只因心里没有根，不过是暂时的，及至为道遭了患难，或是受了逼迫，立刻就跌倒了。

我的双手是祢最美的同在

2024-05-17 in , /by

马太福音 15:29-31

29 耶稣离开那地方，来到靠近加利利的海边，就上山坐下。 30 有许多人到他那里，带着瘸子、瞎子、哑巴、有残疾的和好些别的病人，都放在他脚前，他就治好了他们。 31 甚至众人都稀奇，因为看见哑巴说话、残疾的痊愈、瘸子行走、瞎子看见，他们就归荣耀给以色列的神。

耶稣教训拒绝耶稣的犹太人说：「…你们听是要听见，却不明白；看是要看见，却不晓得；因为这百姓油蒙了心，耳朵发沉，眼睛闭着…」（太13:14-15）

但是，祂对跟随耶稣的门徒说：「但你们的眼睛是有福的，因为看见了；你们的耳朵也是有福的，因为听见了。…」（太13:16-17）

耶稣来到靠近加利利的海边，有许多人到祂那里，带着瘸子、瞎子、哑巴、有残疾的，和好些别的病人，都放在祂脚前；祂就治好了他们。甚至众人都希奇；因为看见哑巴说话，残疾的痊愈，瘸子行走，瞎子看见，他们就归荣耀给以色列的神。（太15:29-31）

在这邪恶、混乱的世代里，神依旧掌权，祂用「那双看不见的手」抚慰孤儿，奇异的恩典也临到我们生活周边的身障者：

看不见的视障者借着摸索、触摸来经历神，他们闭着眼睛唱出「看不见的看见，看见所看不见」诗歌赞美神。

Jesus’ View of Scripture + Let Your Actions Speak For You

2024-05-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 10:31-42.  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 10:31-36 (NIV)
31  Again the Jews picked up stones to stone him,
32  but Jesus said to them, “I have shown you many great miracles from the Father. For which of these do you stone me?”
33  “We are not stoning you for any of these,” replied the Jews, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.”
34  Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I have said you are gods’?
35  If he called them ‘gods,’ to whom the word of God came–and the Scripture cannot be broken–
36  what about the one whom the Father set apart as his very own and sent into the world? Why then do you accuse me of blasphemy because I said, ‘I am God’s Son’?
 
On verses 31-36:  When Jesus questions his opponents as to why they are trying to stone him, his opponents explain that they are stoning Jesus for blasphemy because he claims to be God.  Jesus’ response is intriguing.  First he quotes Psalm 82:6 and shows that in certain situations the Scriptures describe people as “ ‘gods’…sons of the Most High.”  In the case of Psalm 82:6 specifically, human judges were described as “gods” in that they possessed the power of life or death over others. 

我的灯需要油

2024-05-16 in , /by

马太福音 25:1-13

「那时，天国好比十个童女拿着灯出去迎接新郎。 2 其中有五个是愚拙的，五个是聪明的。 3 愚拙的拿着灯，却不预备油； 4 聪明的拿着灯，又预备油在器皿里。 5 新郎迟延的时候，她们都打盹睡着了。 6 半夜有人喊著说：『新郎来了，你们出来迎接他！』 7 那些童女就都起来收拾灯。 8 愚拙的对聪明的说：『请分点油给我们，因为我们的灯要灭了。』 9 聪明的回答说：『恐怕不够你我用的，不如你们自己到卖油的那里去买吧。』

耶稣跟门徒论及祂的再来与世界的末了之后，接着用十个童女的比喻勉励门徒要「儆醒预备」（太25:1-13），用按才干受责任的比喻教导门徒要「忠心尽责」（太25:14-30），用绵羊与山羊的比喻提醒门徒要「爱心服事」（太25:31-46）。

十个童女比喻的背景缘自古代犹太人的婚礼习俗。婚礼当天，新郎由伴郎陪同将新娘从娘家护送到新郎的家，亲朋好友沿途加入行列，走遍全村接受人的祝贺；一行人可能走到天黑夜晚，没火把看不清楚路，需要有童女去迎接新郎，为他点灯引路。童女带领新郎入屋坐席后，就会关上门，开始庆祝的婚筵。

无花果、葡萄和橄榄是以色列人的三大生活必需品，橄榄树的果实可压榨出橄榄油，将橄榄放在臼中捣出来的「清橄榄油」是最好的油，一般当作点灯的燃料。旧约会幕圣所中金灯台的灯要时常点着，使圣所内常有亮光；祭司要轮班将清橄榄油加入灯盏里，使灯火终日不灭（出27:20-21）。