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Raise Your Love Game

2023-07-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Thessalonians 4:9-18. Let’s go!
 
1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 (NIV)
9 Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.
10 And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more. 
 
On verses 9-10:  Apparently, other than in the area of sexual immorality (1 Thessalonians 4:1-8), the Christians in Thessalonica were generally quite good at loving one another.  Paul encourages them to do so more and more.
 
What can we learn from this?  When it comes to loving others, aim to love people better and better, more and more.  Don’t settle for where you’re at.  Jesus’ love for people is all-surpassing and without limit.  May His unparalleled love cause you to aim higher when it comes to loving people.  Let’s raise our love game. 

另立新约

2023-07-07 in , /by

耶利米书 31:31  耶和华说：日子将到，我要与以色列家和犹大家另立新约。

阅读经文:  31:21-40

21 「以色列民哪，你当为自己设立指路碑，竖起引路柱，你要留心向大路，就是你所去的原路。你当回转，回转到你这些城邑。 22 背道的民哪，你翻来覆去要到几时呢？耶和华在地上造了一件新事，就是女子护卫男子。」

华理克牧师写了一本书：《标杆人生The Purpose Driven Life》，2002年出版之后，到2020年已被翻译成85种语言，在纽约畅销书排行版上连续50周之久，已卖了超过五千万本，风迷了全球，有许多人的生命因而受到影响。因为当大家都在寻找人生的意义和目的时，他明确地为众人指出人生的标杆是什么？怎样去活出一个有标杆的人生，不再浑浑噩噩、糊里糊涂地生活下去。

因此神向以色列民指出，他们当为自己设立指路碑，竖起引路柱，然后留心大路。当以色列民被掳之后，他们可还记得回家的路？神要他们明白，在他们的人生里有一件很重要的事，就是要找到所去的原路，才能回转到原先所住的城邑。因为那是神的应许。回家，神一直要我们好好地去设立正确的指路碑，竖起正确的引路柱，好让自己和后人都有依循，才能回到神赐给他们的应许之地。他们必须立下心志，确定心意，不可以再翻来覆去改变心意，因为人生很短，一转眼就再也走不动，那时就后悔莫及了。

God and Sex

2023-07-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Thessalonians 4:1-8. Let’s go!
 
1 Thessalonians 4:1-8 (NIV)
1  Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living. Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.
2  For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
3  It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality;
4  that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable,
5  not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God;

On verses 1-8: It appears that some members of the church in Thessalonica were engaging in sexual immorality – that is, having sex outside of marriage. So Paul takes the opportunity to remind the church about the instructions he and his team had earlier given on sex. He says that it is God’s will (v3) and God’s instructions “by the authority of the Lord Jesus” (v2) that God’s people should avoid sexual immorality.

The Heartbeat of a Pastor

2023-07-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Thessalonians 3:1-13.  Let’s go!

1 Thessalonians 3:1-5 (NIV)
1  So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens.
2  We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God’s fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith,
3  so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them.
4  In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.
5  For this reason, when I could stand it no longer, I sent to find out about your faith. I was afraid that in some way the tempter might have tempted you and our efforts might have been useless.
 
On verses 1-5:  From this passage we get an inside look into what makes a pastor’s heart beat.  First, we learn that a pastor is concerned for the well-being of the church.  Notice that in verses 1 and 5, Paul repeats these words, “When we/I could stand it no longer”.  Paul here is talking about the pain of being separated from his spiritual family in Thessalonica and not being able to know how the church was doing.  So what did Paul do? He sent his spiritual son and disciple, Timothy, to the Thessalonian believers to find out how they are doing (v2).  

末后必有指望

2023-07-06 in , /by

耶利米书 31:17  耶和华说：你末后必有指望，你的儿女必回到自己的境界。

阅读经文:  31:1-20

1 耶和华说：「那时，我必做以色列各家的神，他们必做我的子民。」 2 耶和华如此说：「脱离刀剑的，就是以色列人，我使他享安息的时候，他曾在旷野蒙恩。 3 古时耶和华向以色列显现，说：『我以永远的爱爱你，因此我以慈爱吸引你。』 4 以色列的民哪，我要再建立你，你就被建立。你必再以击鼓为美，与欢乐的人一同跳舞而出。 5 又必在撒马利亚的山上栽种葡萄园，栽种的人要享用所结的果子。 6 日子必到，以法莲山上守望的人必呼叫说：『起来吧！我们可以上锡安，到耶和华我们的神那里去。』」

神的公义和慈爱在哪里相遇呢？以色列人被神大大地管教，以色列北国败于亚述，犹大南国败于巴比伦，全都成为俘虏，被丢到万国之中。家园荒芜，残缺不已。在异国苟延残喘，苟且偷安的以色列家，怎能相信，神竟不再帮助他们？他们的列祖呼求时，神岂不是一再地出手相救吗？神为何忍心看他们遭受这样大的痛苦？神怎能在列邦中彰显祂的荣耀？

在耶利米书里，神至少说了6次（24:7/30:22/31:1/31:33/32:38），祂要做以色列人的神，以色列人必做祂的子民。从神拣选亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各开始，神就已经拣选，也已经命定，要让以色列人成为世界的灯塔，要借着以色列使万国万民都认识祂，耶和华是独一的真神。在全世界都已经拜偶像而离开起一神的敬拜时，神依然没有放弃这些祂所赐的生命。因此祂不能放弃以色列，为了祂所有的儿女，祂必须重建祂的子民。

The Greatest Investment You Can Make + The Reality of Spiritual Warfare

2023-07-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Thessalonians 2:13-20.  Let’s go!

1 Thessalonians 2:13-16 (NIV)
13  And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is at work in you who believe.
14  For you, brothers, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus: You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews,
15  who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. They displease God and are hostile to all men
16  in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved. In this way they always heap up their sins to the limit. The wrath of God has come upon them at last.

On verses 13-16:  In these verses Paul praises his church in Thessalonica for two things: (1) the way they received the Word of God from Paul’s preaching (v13); and (2) the way they persevered in their faith despite great trials and opposition (v14-16).  
From these verses we can learn the following:

安慰之书

2023-07-05 in , /by

耶利米书 30:22  你们要做我的子民，我要做你们的神。

阅读经文:  30:1-24

1 耶和华的话临到耶利米说： 2 「耶和华以色列的神如此说：你将我对你说过的一切话都写在书上。 3 耶和华说：日子将到，我要使我的百姓以色列和犹大被掳的人归回。我也要使他们回到我所赐给他们列祖之地，他们就得这地为业。这是耶和华说的。」

这一章常称为安慰之书，因为书里的信息是神在犹大人被掳之后对他们的安慰和励，并让他们对未来有盼望。神要求耶利米把这段信息写在书上。书是指书卷，当时的埃及人使用蒲草纸书卷，以色列等地区地区则使用羊皮纸书卷。这里所指的被掳之民的回归，不只是被掳到巴比伦的犹大子民，也包括了以色列北国被亚述掳到别的地区的以色列民。神应许他们虽被赶到世界各国，最终都要回归迦南地（巴勒斯坦），成为一个国家，不再分裂。

你可能觉得神真是多此一举，既然如此伤痛，又何必让他们经历这些流亡之苦？又要利用外敌来打他们，打完又嫌外敌欺人太甚，又把外敌通通灭掉。那么被神“利用”的人岂不是很倒霉？

10 Traits of Excellent Leaders

2023-07-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is 1 Thessalonians 2:1-12.  Let’s go:

1 Thessalonians 2:1-12 (NIV)
1  You know, brothers, that our visit to you was not a failure.
2  We had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in spite of strong opposition.
3  For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you.
4  On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.
5  You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed–God is our witness.

On verses 1-12:  In this passage we get an inside look at what made Paul and his companions such excellent ministers of the gospel and such excellent leaders.

You too are called to be a leader, whether it’s in your home, your workplace, your school, your church, or a team you lead.  Here are 10 traits of excellent leaders we learn from today’s passage:

1. Excellent leaders don’t let fear or suffering keep them from chasing the dream God has placed in their heart.  Paul and his companions “had previously suffered and been insulted in Philippi” (v2).  They faced “strong opposition”.  Still “with the help of our God” they “dared to proclaim the gospel” to the city of Thessalonica (v2).  Excellent leaders push through pain to get to their dream.

真假先知

2023-07-04 in , /by

耶利米书 29:28b  被掳的事必长久，你们要盖造房屋住在其中，栽种田园吃其中所产的。

阅读经文:  29:15-32

15 「你们说：『耶和华在巴比伦为我们兴起先知。』 16 所以耶和华论到坐大卫宝座的王和住在这城里的一切百姓，就是未曾与你们一同被掳的弟兄， 17 万军之耶和华如此说：看哪，我必使刀剑、饥荒、瘟疫临到他们，使他们像极坏的无花果，坏得不可吃。

这段经文的开始甚是突然，让人百思不得其解。为何他们说：『耶和华在巴比伦为我们兴起先知。』在这里有个特别的背景，便是当耶利米写信给在巴比伦的被掳之民，劝他们安心居住在巴比伦时，被掳到巴比伦的示玛雅写信给先知也是祭司的西番雅，请他责备耶利米。他的意思是，神也会在巴比伦兴起祂的先知和祭司，何劳你耶利米如此辛苦，还要写信来教导我们？

当时的西番雅是希西家王的玄孙，算是王孙贵冑，也是犹大王西底家统治时期的副祭司(除大祭司之外的第二把交椅)，继承耶何耶大任职于圣殿。他曾两次奉西底家王的吩咐去见耶利米，求问耶和华的旨意，可以说在犹大国的官位甚高，年记也比耶利米大许多。当他看了假先知示玛雅的信之后，他认为耶利米的预言是正确的，所以就把这信唸给耶利米听。

Begin with Thanks

2023-07-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today we begin the book of 1 Thessalonians, a letter written by Paul in approximately 50 AD to the church in the ancient city of Thessalonica.  Ancient Thessalonica was an important port city, located in what is now modern day Greece.  Paul established the church there during his second mission trip (Acts 17:1-10).  1 Thessalonians is one of the earliest letters of Paul in the New Testament.
 
Today’s passage is 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10.  Let’s go!
 
1 Thessalonians 1:1-2 (NIV)
1 Paul, Silas and Timothy, To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.
2 We always thank God for all of you, mentioning you in our prayers. 
 
On verses 1-2:  Typical Paul — he begins his letter with thanks.  In whatever you do, it’s a great idea to begin with saying thanks.