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 Is Jesus Consistent with the Law?

2024-05-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 8:1-11.  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 8:1-6 (NIV)

1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.

2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery.

This passage opens with Jesus going off to teach around the Mount of Olives and the crowds coming to him to learn. During the middle of his teaching he is interrupted by the religious leaders. The Pharisees and Scribes bring a woman caught in the middle of the act of adultery and place her in the midst of the crowd and Jesus to see what he would do and how he’d interpret the Law of Moses.

What Pressure Can Do

2024-05-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 7:37-52.  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 7:37-39 (NIV)
37  On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.
38  Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”
39  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
 
On verses 37-39:  Jesus, who often sat when he taught, stands for emphasis and makes the invitation for all who are thirsty to come to him and drink.  The promise Jesus publicly gives here is the same promise Jesus privately gave to the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4:13-14: that those who believe in him will have streams of living water flowing from within them.  Streams of living water are a reference to the Holy Spirit. 

两个儿子的比喻

2024-05-02 in , /by

马太福音21:33-46 「你们再听一个比喻：有个家主栽了一个葡萄园，周围圈上篱笆，里面挖了一个压酒池，盖了一座楼，租给园户，就往外国去了。 34 收果子的时候近了，就打发仆人到园户那里去收果子。 35 园户拿住仆人，打了一个，杀了一个，用石头打死一个。 36 主人又打发别的仆人去，比先前更多，园户还是照样待他们。 37 后来打发他的儿子到他们那里去，意思说：『他们必尊敬我的儿子。』 38 不料园户看见他儿子，就彼此说：『这是承受产业的。来吧，我们杀他，占他的产业！』 39 他们就拿住他，推出葡萄园外杀了。 40 园主来的时候，要怎样处治这些园户呢？」 41 他们说：「要下毒手除灭那些恶人，将葡萄园另租给那按著时候交果子的园户。」

欢喜赴宴得享欢乐与祝福

耶稣用凶恶园户的比喻（太21:33-46）指责当时祭司长、文士等宗教领袖没有忠心于所托付的看顾和教导工作，接着用娶亲筵席（太22:1-14）来比喻他们回绝、不理和抗拒福音，忽视神所预备的尊贵隆重且欢乐祝福的筵席。

在耶稣时代，犹太和罗马上流社会邀人赴宴是件严谨的工作，主人通常先打发仆人递出初步邀请，时候到了再派仆人通知客人赴宴；被邀请且答应要来赴宴的客人若不守约出席，是非常不礼貌，甚至可说是对主人的侮辱，有敌对、宣战的意涵。

Know Jesus Better

2024-05-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 7:25-36.  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 7:25-26 (NIV)
25  At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill?
26  Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Christ?
 
On verses 25-26:  Some in Jerusalem wondered why the Jerusalem authorities were allowing Jesus to preach publicly if they considered him to be public enemy number 1 (v25-26).  By not doing anything seemingly to stop Jesus, the religious leaders were seen by some as possibly approving of Jesus’ claims.  What can we learn from this?  When you’re silent on an issue, you may give others the impression that you accept the status quo as being okay.  May you have wisdom to know when to speak up and when to remain silent.  When you do speak up, may you speak up with wisdom, tact and courage.

凶恶园户的比喻

2024-05-01 in , /by

马太福音21:33-46 「你们再听一个比喻：有个家主栽了一个葡萄园，周围圈上篱笆，里面挖了一个压酒池，盖了一座楼，租给园户，就往外国去了。 34 收果子的时候近了，就打发仆人到园户那里去收果子。 35 园户拿住仆人，打了一个，杀了一个，用石头打死一个。 36 主人又打发别的仆人去，比先前更多，园户还是照样待他们。 37 后来打发他的儿子到他们那里去，意思说：『他们必尊敬我的儿子。』 38 不料园户看见他儿子，就彼此说：『这是承受产业的。来吧，我们杀他，占他的产业！』 39 他们就拿住他，推出葡萄园外杀了。 40 园主来的时候，要怎样处治这些园户呢？」 41 他们说：「要下毒手除灭那些恶人，将葡萄园另租给那按著时候交果子的园户。」

欢喜赴宴得享欢乐与祝福

耶稣用凶恶园户的比喻（太21:33-46）指责当时祭司长、文士等宗教领袖没有忠心于所托付的看顾和教导工作，接着用娶亲筵席（太22:1-14）来比喻他们回绝、不理和抗拒福音，忽视神所预备的尊贵隆重且欢乐祝福的筵席。

在耶稣时代，犹太和罗马上流社会邀人赴宴是件严谨的工作，主人通常先打发仆人递出初步邀请，时候到了再派仆人通知客人赴宴；被邀请且答应要来赴宴的客人若不守约出席，是非常不礼貌，甚至可说是对主人的侮辱，有敌对、宣战的意涵。

作门徒的代价

2024-04-30 in , /by

路加福音14:16-24 耶稣对他说：「有一人摆设大筵席，请了许多客。 17 到了坐席的时候，打发仆人去对所请的人说：『请来吧，样样都齐备了。』 18 众人一口同音地推辞。头一个说：『我买了一块地，必须去看看。请你准我辞了。』 19 又有一个说：『我买了五对牛，要去试一试。请你准我辞了。』 20 又有一个说：『我才娶了妻，所以不能去。』 21 那仆人回来，把这事都告诉了主人。家主就动怒，对仆人说：『快出去到城里大街小巷，领那贫穷的、残废的、瞎眼的、瘸腿的来。』 22 仆人说：『主啊，你所吩咐的已经办了，还有空座。』 23 主人对仆人说：『你出去到路上和篱笆那里，勉强人进来，坐满我的屋子。 24 我告诉你们：先前所请的人，没有一个得尝我的筵席！』」

路加福音14章后段记载了有极多的人和耶稣同行，于是，耶稣用盖楼与打仗的比喻，提醒他们要估算跟随主、作门徒的代价。路加用了25-27节当作楔子，衔接前段筵席的比喻（路14:16-24）和后段盖楼与打仗的比喻（路14:28-33）。

福音书记载有一个富有的少年人来问耶稣要做什么善事才能得永生，耶稣回应他要变卖所有的，分给穷人，还要来跟从主（太19:16-22，可10:17-22，路18:18-23）。接着，彼得问耶稣：「看哪，我们已经撇下所有的跟从你，将来我们要得甚么呢？」（太19:25-27）

耶稣回应彼得说：「我实在告诉你们，人为我和福音撇下房屋，或是弟兄、姊妹、父母、儿女、田地，没有不在今世得百倍的，就是房屋、弟兄、姊妹、母亲、儿女、田地，并且要受逼迫，在来世必得永生。」（太19:29，可10:29-30，路18:29）

Wisdom from the Father

2024-04-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 7:14-24.  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 7:14 (NIV)
14  Not until halfway through the Feast did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach.

On verse 14:  The Feast of Tabernacles lasted 8 days.  According to some scholars, it had been approximately 18 months since the last time Jesus visited Jerusalem.  Many were expecting Jesus to make a public appearance at the Feast, but Jesus does not appear when everyone expects.  Only when the Feast is halfway through did Jesus begin to teach in the temple courts.  There he amazes the crowd with his teaching.

Timing Can Be Everything

2024-04-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 7:1-13.  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 7:1-5 (NIV)
1  After this, Jesus went around in Galilee, purposely staying away from Judea because the Jews there were waiting to take his life.
2  But when the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles was near,
3  Jesus’ brothers said to him, “You ought to leave here and go to Judea, so that your disciples may see the miracles you do.
4  No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.”
5  For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
 
On verses 1-5:  The Feast of Tabernacles was the biggest festival in the Jewish calendar, so much so that it is sometimes in Scripture it is just called “The Feast”.  With the Feast closely approaching, Jesus’ brothers tell Jesus to go to Judea and show himself to everyone, since they know Jesus is claiming to be the Messiah, though they themselves did not believe him.  They tell Jesus to go to Judea for the Feast since naturally that’s what anyone who wants to get famous in Israel would do (v4). 

放在上帝的手中

2024-04-29 in , /by

诗篇31:15 我终身的事在祢手中，求祢救我脱离仇敌的手和那些逼迫我的人。

约伯记12:10  凡活物的生命和人类的气息，都在祂手中。

一颗篮球在我手中，价值约几百块钱；它在麦可乔丹手中，价值约上亿台币；篮球的价值取决于它在谁的手中…

一根高尔夫球杆在我手中，毫无用处；它在老虎伍兹手中，他赢得多项高尔夫球锦标赛；球杆的价值取决于它在谁的手中…

我手中的杖驱赶野狗，摩西手中的杖分开红海，杖的价值取决于它在谁的手中…

我手中的甩石是个玩具，大卫手中的甩石却是致命的武器，甩石的价值取决于它在谁的手中…

五饼二鱼在我手中，是我午餐的三明治；五饼二鱼在耶稣手中，喂饱五千人；五饼二鱼的价值取决于它在谁的手中…

Why Do You Follow Jesus?

2024-04-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 6:60-71.  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 6:60-71 (NIV)
60  On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
61  Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?
62  What if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!
63  The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.

On verses 60-71:  Upon hearing Jesus talk about the importance of eating his flesh and drinking his blood (symbolic for believing in Jesus) (v51-58), many no longer followed Jesus (v66), leaving only a remnant such as Jesus’ 12 disciples (v67-69), although Judas would also later leave Jesus (v70-71).
What can we learn from this?  When you read the whole chapter of John 6, you will notice that people followed Jesus for different reasons. A great crowd followed Jesus at first because they saw him do miraculous signs for the sick (v2). People from that same crowd continued to follow Jesus because they had their fill of food that Jesus miraculously provided and were hoping to get more (v24-26). But then on hearing more of what Jesus had to say, many would desert Jesus (v66) leaving only a remnant who would continue to follow him.