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Life and Freedom through the Cross

2023-06-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Colossians 2:6-15.  Let’s go!

These verses show us the powerful and unique difference Christ makes in our lives.  Let’s go!

Colossians 2:6-7 (NIV) 
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 
7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. 

On verses 6-7:  It’s not enough just to receive Christ into our lives.  If you really want to experience the benefit of a relationship with Christ, we are to “continue to live in Him” (v6).  What does it mean to continue to live in Christ?  According to verse 7, it means to:
– keep growing in Christ (“rooted and built up in him”).  Like a plant, deepen your roots in Jesus. Like a new construction project, be built up with Jesus as your foundation.  
– get stronger in the faith (“strengthened in the faith”).  That means letting the truth of God’s Word fill, fuel and fortify your thinking more and more.  
– overflow with thankfulness.  For Paul, thankfulness is one of the big indicators of a person’s maturity and stability in Christ.  Every day be thanking God often, both publicly and privately.

Glorious Hope Lives in You

2023-06-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

There are so many good truths and practical lessons for us in today’s passage, Colossians 1:24-2:5.  Just one of these lessons could be enough for me to chew on today, but God’s Word here is like a bountiful buffet. Let’s go!
 
Colossians 1:24 (NIV) 
24 Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. 

On verse 24:  What is Paul saying here?  Is he saying that what Jesus Christ endured on the cross was not enough to pay for our sins?  No.  The afflictions Christ endured on earth, especially dying on the cross, was sufficient to pay for our sins and to reconcile us to God.  But here Paul is saying that he has more suffering to endure as he follows God’s calling on his life.  And for whose sake is Paul suffering?  Christ’s body, the church.   From this we can learn two important lessons:
 

公义的苗裔

2023-06-23 in , /by

耶利米书23:6   在祂的日子，犹大必得救，以色列也安然居住，祂的名必称为『耶和华我们的义』。

阅读经文:  23:1-8

1耶和华说：「那些残害、赶散我草场之羊的牧人有祸了！」 2 耶和华以色列的神斥责那些牧养他百姓的牧人，如此说：「你们赶散我的羊群，并没有看顾他们，我必讨你们这行恶的罪。」这是耶和华说的。 3 「我要将我羊群中所余剩的，从我赶他们到的各国内招聚出来，领他们归回本圈，他们也必生养众多。 4 我必设立照管他们的牧人牧养他们，他们不再惧怕，不再惊惶，也不缺少一个。」这是耶和华说的。

在2017年的8月29日，美国哈佛大学校长德鲁・吉尔平・福斯特（Drew Gilpin Faust）于开学礼进行了一场例行的致辞，她的谈话公开上网之后，引起了很多人的分享和转载。她所认为的高等教育最重要目标就是：「确保毕业的学生能分辨有人在胡说八道」。她这一句话引起了许多的回响，因为在现今这种资讯爆炸的时代，若没有分辨的能力，很容易上当受骗，还沾沾自喜，到处散布不实的消息。

做牧人，也就是带领者。在当时的犹大指的是君王和众首领；在现代，指的是教会的领导者。因为牧者是用来带领保护神的羊群，是在神的家里服侍的。为何要说“确保毕业的学生能分辨有人在胡说八道”，就是因为有太多的牧者所讲的信息不是来自神的话语，那就是胡说八道。就好像耶利米指责假先知编造神所没有说的平安，以致百姓不知灭亡将临，而来不及悔改。

耶和华坚立

2023-06-22 in , /by

耶利米书22:24   耶和华说：犹大王约雅敬的儿子哥尼雅，虽是我右手上带印的戒指，我凭我的永生起誓，也必将你从其上摘下来。

阅读经文:  22:24-30

24 『耶和华说：犹大王约雅敬的儿子哥尼雅，虽是我右手上带印的戒指，我凭我的永生起誓，也必将你从其上摘下来。 25 并且我必将你交给寻索你命的人和你所惧怕的人手中，就是巴比伦王尼布甲尼撒和迦勒底人的手中。 26 我也必将你和生你的母亲赶到别国，并不是你们生的地方，你们必死在那里。 27 但心中甚想归回之地，必不得归回。

约西亚的儿子约雅敬，约雅敬的儿子耶哥尼雅，简称哥尼雅，又名约雅斤。耶哥尼雅Jeconiah的意思是：耶和华坚立。在每个名字里，我们都看到起名字的人都希望子孙得到耶和华的眷顾和厚爱，但是要怎样才能得到耶和华神的恩宠？在你的名字里，你可曾看到为你起名字的人对你的厚望，你让他高兴了，或失望了？

神说耶哥尼雅是祂右手上带印的戒指，表明他在神所命定的计划里，原是有权柄，原是高贵的。可惜因为犹大列王和他自己的罪行，神要把这戒指摘下来，也就是说，把他从王位上赶下来。

It’s All About Jesus

2023-06-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Colossians 1:15-23.  Let’s go!

Colossians 1:15a (NIV) 
15 He is the image of the invisible God…

On verse 15a:  If you want to know what God, who is invisible, looks like, all you have to do is look at Jesus.  He is the image of the invisible God.

Colossians 1:15b (NIV) 
15 He is …the firstborn over all creation. 

On verse 15b:  Jehovah’s Witnesses and other cults teach that Jesus was created by God.  They use this verse and in particular the word translated “firstborn” to support that teaching.  However, by “firstborn” Paul does not mean that Jesus was created.  Rather it’s talking about Jesus’ importance in relation to all of creation — how He is superior to, and has special rights and authority over, all of creation.  As Pastor Jon Courson says, “[t]he Greek word prototokos, translated “firstborn,” doesn’t speak of chronology but of priority” (Courson, Jon. Jon Courson’s Application Commentary – Jon Courson’s Application Commentary New Testament. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2004. WORDsearch CROSS e-book). 

Welcome to the Kingdom

2023-06-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of Colossians.  Since I was a 15, Colossians has been a special book to me as it contains one of my “life verses”, which I’ll share with you in the days to come.  

Here is some background on the book of Colossians to help us understand what’s going on in this letter:

1. Colossians is a letter written by Paul in approximately 60 AD to a church located in the ancient city of Colosse, located in the heart of what is modern day Turkey. 

2.  Paul had never met the church community at Colosse before (see Colossians 2:1).  The one who started the church was probably Epaphras (1:7), a student and disciple of Paul and a native of that area (4:12).  Although Paul had never met the church at Colosse, because of Epaphras his relationship to them was like that of a spiritual grandparent who had great concern for their well-being. 

3. Colossians is one of Paul’s four “prison letters” in that Paul wrote the letter of while he was in prison for preaching the Gospel, probably in Rome.  The other three prison letters are Philemon, Ephesians and Philippians.  

愿耶和华兴起

2023-06-21 in , /by

耶利米书22:13  那行不义盖房，行不公造楼，白白使用人的手工不给工价的，有祸了！

阅读经文:  22:13-23

13 『那行不义盖房，行不公造楼，白白使用人的手工不给工价的，有祸了！ 14 他说：「我要为自己盖广大的房、宽敞的楼，为自己开窗户，这楼房的护墙板是香柏木的，楼房是丹色油漆的。」 15 难道你做王是在乎造香柏木楼房争胜吗？你的父亲岂不是也吃也喝，也施行公平和公义吗？那时他得了福乐。

约雅敬是约西亚王的第二个儿子，原名以利亚敬，意思是God rises耶和华兴起。当约西亚为这个儿子起名时，他期望神兴起这个儿子，在哪方面建立这个儿子呢？假如你有个儿子，你希望神怎样建立他呢？使他茁壮？做大官？发大财？或是像宋朝苏轼的〈洗儿戏作〉中说的：“人皆养子望聪明，我被聪明误一生，惟愿孩儿愚且鲁，无灾无难到公卿”。约西亚王希望神建立、兴起他的儿子，会不会是希望他将来可以荣耀神呢？

愿耶和华握住

2023-06-20 in , /by

耶利米书22:2  坐大卫宝座的犹大王啊，你和你的臣仆并进入城门的百姓，都当听耶和华的话。

阅读经文:  22:1-12

1耶和华如此说：「你下到犹大王的宫中，在那里说这话， 2 说：『坐大卫宝座的犹大王啊，你和你的臣仆并进入城门的百姓，都当听耶和华的话。 3 耶和华如此说：你们要施行公平和公义，拯救被抢夺的脱离欺压人的手，不可亏负寄居的和孤儿寡妇，不可以强暴待他们，在这地方也不可流无辜人的血。

在这章里，我们看到神很早就差派耶利米和其他先知出来警告犹大王室和百姓，有关巴比伦王要来灭犹大的信息。这信息不是一次两次地讲，而是三番四次地说，不仅用口传，用比喻，还要先知亲身示范。从约西亚王开始，他是个好王，敬虔的王，神希望百姓能明白约西亚之教导的重要性。可惜的是，约西亚的儿孙们竟都置若罔闻。

这是人之常情。有很多人说不知道神的旨意，有多人说想知道神的旨意，可惜他们都只是说说而已，应景，表示他们有心寻求。可是事实上他们根本不想知道，因为他们对神的话语没有一点兴趣。因为他们早知道神的话是反对他们的。他们只想利用神的一两句话来支持自己的论点，而不是要遵从神的旨意。

The Secret of Contentment

2023-06-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Philippians 4:10-23.  Do you struggle with being content?  In today’s passage Paul shares about the secret to contentment. Let’s go!
 
Philippians 4:10-13 (NIV)
10 I rejoiced greatly in the Lord that at last you renewed your concern for me. Indeed, you were concerned, but you had no opportunity to show it.
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances.
12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.
13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength. 
 
On verses 10-13:  What is the secret to “being content in any and every situation” (v12)?  It’s a relationship with Jesus.  Whether you’re living in plenty or in want, press into your relationship with Jesus. Draw close to Him and pour out your heart to Him. When you do, you’ll find, just like Paul did, that “I can do everything through him who gives me strength” (v13).  
 
If you struggle in the area of contentment or know someone who does, also be sure to check out my message called “The Secret of Contentment” from December 27, 2021, where I share 4 practical keys to finding contentment.

How to Experience More of God’s Peace and God’s Presence

2023-06-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Philippians 4:1-9, which is full of good verses to remember.  Let’s go!
 
Philippians 4:1 (NIV)
1 Therefore, my brothers, you whom I love and long for, my joy and crown, that is how you should stand firm in the Lord, dear friends! 
 
On verse 1: You can feel Paul’s affection for his church in Philippi by the tender words he uses to describe them: “you whom I love and long for”, “my joy and crown”.  This tells me two things:
 
1. If Paul’s affection for his church in Philippi is a reflection of Christ’s affection for His Church (see 1:8), then to Jesus you are his joy and crown, one whom Jesus loves and longs for.  You are the object of Christ’s affections.
 
2. To be an effective pastor, your heart has to be in it.  That is probably the biggest reason why pastoring (or shepherding people) is a tough gig.  It’s because from time to time your heart will be tested, challenged, stretched, and even broken, pierced and stepped on, both by the people around you and by the situations you face.  Pastoring is certainly not for the faint of heart.  But if you’re called to it, there’s also nothing more rewarding and nothing that brings more fulfillment and joy.