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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.

生命和死亡的路

2023-06-19 in , /by

耶利米書 21:8b   耶和華如此說：看哪，我將生命的路和死亡的路擺在你們面前。

閱讀經文:  21:1-14

1耶和華的話臨到耶利米。那時西底家王打發瑪基雅的兒子巴施戶珥和瑪西雅的兒子祭司西番雅，去見耶利米，說： 2 「請你為我們求問耶和華，因為巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒來攻擊我們，或者耶和華照他一切奇妙的作為待我們，使巴比倫王離開我們上去。」

耶利米書的記錄顯然不是按照當時的時間和秩序，因為西底家是猶大最後一個王。再繼續的幾章，還會提到西底家之前的幾個王。約西亞之後，他的兒子約哈斯王（約雅敬的弟弟）；三個月後約哈斯被埃及法老廢掉，由約雅敬做王，他可能死在巴比倫王進攻的時期裡，因此由他的兒子約雅斤做王，出去向巴比倫投降，被尼布甲尼撒帶回巴比倫，這是猶大家第二次的被擄，以西結先知也在這次被擄到巴比倫。約雅斤王投降後，尼布甲尼撒王立約雅斤王的叔父西底家(約西亞王的弟弟)為猶大王。

本章所記載的是尼布甲尼撒第三次來攻擊猶大之時。神給西底家有11年做王的時間，11年讓他悔改的機會。但是他仍然行耶和華眼中看為惡的事，渺視神的預言和警告。現在大軍當前，他慌張了，急急地找耶利米尋求解決之道。他希望神用奇妙的作為拯救猶大，卻不想謙卑在神面前。只想解決問題，不要解決問題的神。

Stop Worshiping the Past

2023-06-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Philippians 3:12-21.  Let’s go!
 
Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV) 
12 Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.
13 Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,
14 I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

On verses 12-14:  In verse 12 Paul says that Jesus took hold of him so that he could take hold of something.  What is that thing Paul is pressing on to take hold of?  It’s the full knowledge and experience of Jesus and His resurrection power (see v10-11).  As much as Paul knew the Lord and experienced His power, Paul was not content with what he already knew and experienced.  He wanted to know Christ and His resurrection power in all its fullness.  That’s why Paul says, “But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

瑪歌珥米撒畢

2023-06-18 in , /by

耶利米書 20:13  你們要向耶和華唱歌，讚美耶和華！因祂救了窮人的性命脫離惡人的手。

閱讀經文:  20:1-18

1祭司音麥的兒子巴施戶珥做耶和華殿的總管，聽見耶利米預言這些事， 2 他就打先知耶利米，用耶和華殿裡便雅憫高門內的枷將他枷在那裡。3 次日，巴施戶珥將耶利米開枷釋放。於是耶利米對他說：「耶和華不是叫你的名為『巴施戶珥』，乃是叫你『瑪歌珥米撒畢』。 4 因耶和華如此說：我必使你自覺驚嚇，你也必使眾朋友驚嚇。他們必倒在仇敵的刀下，你也必親眼看見。我必將猶大人全交在巴比倫王的手中，他要將他們擄到巴比倫去，也要用刀將他們殺戮。 5 並且我要將這城中的一切貨財和勞碌得來的，並一切珍寶，以及猶大君王所有的寶物，都交在他們仇敵的手中，仇敵要當做掠物帶到巴比倫去。 6 你這巴施戶珥和一切住在你家中的人，都必被擄去。你和你的眾朋友，就是你向他們說假預言的，都必到巴比倫去，要死在那裡，葬在那裡。」

巴施戶珥是負責維持聖殿秩序的官員，同時也是一位祭司。他顯然沒有跟著耶利米去欣嫩子谷，但是有人把耶利米在欣嫩子谷所講的信息告訴他，令他勃然大怒。所以當耶利米離開欣嫩子谷，回到聖殿繼續傳講神的信息時，就被他抓起來了。他看到耶利米時，先打了耶利米一頓，或是刮他耳光，不管怎樣打他，都是為了表達他的憤怒及下馬威，並且在眾人面前羞辱耶利米。然後，他把耶利米用腳鐐手銬枷住，懸掛在聖殿的便雅憫高門的門框上示眾，第二天才把耶利米放下來。

打碎的瓦瓶

2023-06-16 in , /by

耶利米書 19:6  耶和華說：因此，日子將到，這地方不再稱為陀斐特和欣嫩子谷，反倒稱為殺戮谷。

閱讀經文:  19:1-15

1耶和華如此說：「你去買窯匠的瓦瓶，又帶百姓中的長老和祭司中的長老， 2 出去到欣嫩子谷，哈珥西的門口那裡，宣告我所吩咐你的話， 3 說：『猶大君王和耶路撒冷的居民哪，當聽耶和華的話！萬軍之耶和華以色列的神如此說：我必使災禍臨到這地方，凡聽見的人都必耳鳴。 4 因為他們和他們列祖並猶大君王離棄我，將這地方看為平常，在這裡向素不認識的別神燒香，又使這地方滿了無辜人的血。 5 又建築巴力的丘壇，好在火中焚燒自己的兒子，作為燔祭獻給巴力。這不是我所吩咐的，不是我所提說的，也不是我心所起的意。

在這一章裡，神用打碎的瓦瓶來傳遞祂的信息。神叫耶利米帶著百姓中的長老和祭司中的長老們，去耶路撒冷以南的一個山谷。猶大人習慣在這個山谷裡燒垃圾，是他們的公共垃圾場，也就是欣嫩子谷。在谷中有一段比較廣濶之處，是猶太人用來專門焚燒自己的孩子獻祭給摩洛的地方，叫做陀斐特，意為“火燒之地”。哈珥西門是丟棄碎瓦片和垃圾之地。

猶大王亞哈斯背棄對耶和華神的崇拜，在欣嫩谷獻煙祭，用火焚燒自己的兒子（代下28:1-3）。他的孫子瑪拿西王比他還要壞，也“在欣嫩子谷把自己的兒子投進火裏”（代下33）。後來，瑪拿西的孫子約西亞王廢止了這種可憎的習俗。他毀壞陀斐特，看來是讓那裡佈滿骨頭或廢物，使人們不能再在那裏進行崇拜（王下23:10）。

Religion vs Relationship

2023-06-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Philippians 2:19-30.  Let’s go!

A big theme in the book of Philippians is humbly putting others before yourself for Christ’s sake.

In chapter 1 Paul talks about how he personally wished he could depart and go to heaven, but for the benefit of his church he is committed to staying.  Paul was putting the interests of his church ahead of his own.

In chapter 2:1-18 Paul talks about how Jesus put our interests ahead of his own.  Although he was in very nature God, he took on the nature of a servant and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.

Now in these verses Paul cites two more men who exemplified this same attitude of humbly putting others before themselves.  They are Timothy and Epaphroditus.

Thank God For Christ-Like Messengers

2023-06-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Philippians 2:19-30.  Let’s go!

A big theme in the book of Philippians is humbly putting others before yourself for Christ’s sake.

In chapter 1 Paul talks about how he personally wished he could depart and go to heaven, but for the benefit of his church he is committed to staying.  Paul was putting the interests of his church ahead of his own.

In chapter 2:1-18 Paul talks about how Jesus put our interests ahead of his own.  Although he was in very nature God, he took on the nature of a servant and became obedient to death, even death on a cross.

Now in these verses Paul cites two more men who exemplified this same attitude of humbly putting others before themselves.  They are Timothy and Epaphroditus.

窯匠弄泥

2023-06-15 in , /by

耶利米書 18:11b  你們各人當回頭離開所行的惡道，改正你們的行動作為。。

閱讀經文:  18:1-23

1耶和華的話臨到耶利米說： 2 「你起來，下到窯匠的家裡去，我在那裡要使你聽我的話。」 3 我就下到窯匠的家裡去，正遇他轉輪做器皿。 4 窯匠用泥做的器皿在他手中做壞了，他又用這泥另做別的器皿。窯匠看怎樣好，就怎樣做。5 耶和華的話就臨到我說： 6 「耶和華說：以色列家啊，我待你們，豈不能照這窯匠弄泥嗎？以色列家啊，泥在窯匠的手中怎樣，你們在我的手中也怎樣。 7 我何時論到一邦或一國說要拔出、拆毀、毀壞， 8 我所說的那一邦，若是轉意離開他們的惡，我就必後悔，不將我想要施行的災禍降於他們。

在《耶利米書》第十八章第1節起，記載一段神要耶利米去窰匠家觀察的經歷。先知以自傳的方式描述他往訪窰匠的家之經過，神也透過窰匠製作器皿的方式，讓他明白重要的神學信息，並將此信息向當時的選民傳達出來。

耶利米到窰匠的家中，剛好遇到他正在製作器皿，也正好看見窰匠做壞器皿的情況，既然作不成，窰匠只能重新再造。這裡窰匠所作的器皿，是指圓形深底作為容器用的陶土器皿，窰匠之所以會把瓦器作壞，是因為泥質不好，而不是窰匠的手藝不好。

由於他有精巧的技術，他可用同樣的泥另作別的器皿，「」（他又回來，他又造它）在第4節的經文中有兩個字，「回來」與「製作」，即有重新再造之意，表示他非達到目的不可，因為他看怎樣好就怎樣作，必須合乎他的心意。他決不因土質問題阻撓他原先的計畫。

安息日不擔擔子

2023-06-14 in , /by

耶利米書  17:21  耶和華如此說：你們要謹慎，不要在安息日擔什麼擔子進入耶路撒冷的各門。

閱讀經文:  17:1-27

1「猶大的罪是用鐵筆、用金鋼鑽記錄的，銘刻在他們的心版上和壇角上。 2 他們的兒女記念他們高岡上、青翠樹旁的壇和木偶。 3 我田野的山哪，我必因你在四境之內所犯的罪，把你的貨物、財寶並丘壇當掠物交給仇敵。 4 並且你因自己的罪必失去我所賜給你的產業，我也必使你在你所不認識的地上服侍你的仇敵，因為你使我怒中起火，直燒到永遠。」

有個新聞說，在台灣有一個佛教分支，名為佛教如來宗，其教主妙嬋因為讓信徒購置了兩部勞斯萊斯供他使用，引起各地的回響，並有許多人透露被洗腦的經過。最有趣的是一位女士，她曾經在心情低落時被朋友邀請去參加他們的聚會，因為朋友說妙嬋可以幫助她。她是新人，被安排坐在第一排。進去之後的過程，就是要讓她慢慢相信妙禪，可以協助自己度過低潮、事業發達、人生一路順遂，甚至生病也會痊癒。然後她回家後因為太累在客廳就睡著了，結果夢到已經去世的母親，在夢裡告誡她：“那是假的啦！”

在聖經裡經常告訴我們，要倚靠神，不要倚靠人。倚靠神的人要像一棵樹栽於溪水旁，炎熱來到並不懼怕，葉子仍必青翠；在乾旱之年毫無掛慮，而且結果不止。反之，倚靠人血肉的膀臂，必像沙漠的杜松，不見福樂來到，卻要住曠野乾旱之處，無人居住的鹼地。有很多人因為看見某些人有一些“神力” 就去膜拜，把他當作神來拜。