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Baptism And The Hope Of Resurrection

2021-08-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 15:29-34. Let’s go!

1 Corinthians 15:29 (NIV) 
29 Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? 

On verse 29:  Welcome to one of the more controversial verses in the Bible.  When Paul writes about people being “baptized for the dead”, what does he mean?  Paul seems to be describing a practice where a Christian would get baptized for an unbaptized dead person (perhaps a relative, an ancestor, or a friend).  This is the only place in Scripture that refers to this practice.  Now it is highly questionable whether getting baptized on behalf of an unbaptized dead person has any effect at all.  Baptism of course is a personal decision.  We can’t save someone from their sins or secure their place in heaven by getting baptized on their behalf.  Some scholars even see Paul as being sarcastic and rhetorical in verse 29, as if to say, “What good is it to get baptized for the dead?”  For all these reasons, baptizing for the dead is not something you see practiced widely in churches today, if at all.
Still, verse 29 shows us how important baptism was to the early church and how seriously the early church took Jesus’ command to get baptized.  Baptism is not an option for believers, but a command from Jesus himself (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16).  In fact, if you’re not willing to get baptized even though you have the opportunity to do so, you need to question whether you really believe in Jesus.  If I say, “Jesus I want to follow You”, and Jesus says, “Okay.  Go and get baptized”, and I say, “Well, let me think about it, or let me wait until my circumstances are more perfect”, then you need to question whether your heart is really set on following Jesus, or if you’re actually following something else more closely.

押沙龙之死

2021-08-30 in , /by

〈撒母耳记〉下 18:10  有个人看见，就告诉约押说：「我看见押沙龙挂在橡树上了！」

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记〉下 18:1-18

在面对押沙龙的叛变时，大卫写了一首诗：“耶和华啊，我的敌人何其加增！有许多人起来攻击我。有许多人议论我说：‘他得不著神的帮助。’但祢耶和华是我四围的盾牌，是我的荣耀，又是叫我抬起头来的。我用我的声音求告耶和华，祂就从祂的圣山上应允我。我躺下睡觉，我醒著，耶和华都保佑我。虽有成万的百姓来周围攻击我，我也不怕。耶和华啊，求祢起来！我的神啊，求祢救我！因为祢打了我一切仇敌的腮骨，敲碎了恶人的牙齿。救恩属乎耶和华，愿祢赐福给祢的百姓。（诗篇3）”

这首美丽的诗歌充份表达了他对神的信任。他是一国之君，但是忽然之间，他的百姓竟然联合起来攻击他。但是因为他相信耶和华是他四围的盾牌，四围的荣耀，又是叫他抬起头来的，因此他求告神，神就应允他。他相信神会打他一切仇敌的腮骨，敲碎恶人的牙齿。果然，神应允了他的呼求。扫罗在面对非利士人的最后一场战役里，惊慌到要去找撒母耳的鬼魂。但是大卫不同，在胆颤心惊时，他呼求神，神就帮助他。在我们面对考验时，有时真的会吓到手足无措，事情的变化会令人痛苦丧志。那时，我们怎么办？

台湾有位人称锦鲤女王的钟莹莹，她是个基督徒。为了还清家里的债务，她在事业尚未起色时，用信用卡买了机票，带着她的锦鲤飞往美国，希望开创商机。她参加了一个商展，要展示锦鲤让人订购。她到了美国之后，有位同行表示愿意帮她去领鱼，帮她运过来。她在旅馆等了三天三夜都没等到鱼，而次日就要开展了，她的摊位又是在商展门口的第一个摊位。怎么办？她做见证，那天晚上，她在旅馆里向神痛哭祷告，是否要打道回府，就此放弃？

3 Things That Will Happen In The End

2021-08-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 15:20-28. Let’s go!

1 Corinthians 15:20-23 (NIV) 
20 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 
21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 
22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 
23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 

On verses 20 to 23:  As we near the end of his letter to the church in Corinth, Paul talks about things that we as Christians can look forward to in the future.  The first thing that will happen as a pre-cursor to “the end” is that God’s people will be resurrected.  Just as death came to all people through one man, Adam, when Adam sinned against God, resurrection from death has been made possible for all people through one man, Jesus Christ, when he rose from the dead.  In other words, because of our connection to Adam the first man who sinned, like Adam we too were destined to die and be separated from God.  But because of our connection to Jesus the only man who never sinned and who rose from the dead, like Jesus we too will experience resurrection from the dead.  So when Paul says that Christ is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (v20), he means that Christ is the first to die, rise from the dead, and never die again, and that we as people who have trusted in Jesus (“those who belong to him”) will follow in His footsteps and also be raised from the dead one day (v23).  Praise God!  For Christians, death is not the end.  For after death comes resurrection.

户筛败亚希多弗之策

2021-08-29 in , /by

〈撒母耳记〉下 17:23 亚希多弗见不依从他的计谋，就备上驴，归回本城。到了家，留下遗言，便吊死了，葬在他父亲的坟墓里。

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记〉下 17:1-29

所罗门王说：“王的心在耶和华手中好像垄沟（river河里）的水，随意流转。（箴 21:1）”因着大卫的祷告，我们看到押沙龙做了一个极不明智的选择。其实押沙龙根本就不知道要相信谁才好。他还年轻，虽然聚集了不少人跟随他，但他没有实地作战的经验，所以他无从判断什么是合理的作战计划。押沙龙的身边也没有老成的谋士。户筛和亚希多弗都是大卫的谋士，也都是大卫的好朋友，因此当押沙龙作选择时，你会感觉到，他其实对这两人都不大信任。

表面上押沙龙似乎比较喜欢户筛的计策，聚集以色列众人像海边的沙那样，再下到大卫那里，想把大卫淹死吗？其实他是想在两人之间取得一个平衡。他若要驾驭这两人，就不能偏向其中的一个。上一次他已经采取了亚希多弗的意见，这次也该让户筛建点功劳。并且，谁和大卫的感情比较好，关系比较深，他就会比较不相信那个人。因此他是在户筛和亚希多弗两人之间做选择，而不是真正地以计谋去定夺。在他的内心深处，他很害怕会被出卖。亚希多弗若挑选了一万二千人，谁能保证他不会反过来对付他押沙龙？他怎能轻易给大卫的前谋士这样多精兵？

在〈历代志上〉廿七章33节里记载：“亚希多弗也做王的谋士。亚基人户筛做王的陪伴。”哪一个人看来会更忠诚于大卫呢？换了是你，你会比较相信哪一个？押沙龙选择相信户筛的计谋。可能在他的眼中，他的父亲不像亚希多弗形容的那么容易惊惶；大卫原是个英雄，而跟随大卫的人也如户筛所言，有许多勇士，不是会轻易逃跑的类型。因此人多似乎比较容易取胜。总而言之，神应允了大卫的祷告，祂使亚希多弗的计谋在押沙龙眼中变为愚拙！（撒下15:31）

教会应如何面对LGBT(3 )

2021-08-27 in , /by

外在因素引起的

接下来，我们来谈一下有些同性恋者或跨性别者，他们背后的成因或多或少有些外在因素的影响。我下面简单地列出几个可能因素：

源自父母的错误期望：

我认识一位女性，她父亲非常渴望得的是男孩。以致后来她在成长过程中，因着父亲的期望和无形的熏陶，她的穿着打扮，讲话个性，甚至连走路都像个男孩。或许她想以这些来获取父亲的欢喜和认可。又或者像《我是跨性别女人》的作者Walt Heyer，他祖母希望他是个女孩，常给他穿紫色的连衣裙。使他开始错认为自己应该是女孩，结果导致对自我性别的混乱。

痛苦的成长经历。

另外有一位成长在父亲施暴，母亲被虐待家庭的女孩，由于她一直挺身保护母亲。之后在同性间，她惯性地扮演着保护柔弱女生的阳刚角色，深获同性的喜爱。她也享受这种被同性爱戴的身份和角色。久而久之，她开始习惯男性打扮，跟女性交往也越来越频繁，慢慢地开始了同性恋的生活形态.

孤单寂寞

有些同性恋者从小并没有被同性吸引的倾向，但由于孤单和寂寞，和一些同性朋友的美好友谊，渐渐变了质。例如在季刊76期登过一篇文章，作者因出国到异地他乡，非常寂寞，想家，失落。突然发现自己超乎异常的想念一位平常非常关心他的同性好友。这种原本是同性之间的美好友谊慢慢变质，演变到最后，坠入到同性恋的性关系里面。像这种因寂寞，以致心理上过度依赖同性好友而演变成同性恋关系，在我个人有限的辅导个案里面，占了很大的部分。

Why the Resurrection of Jesus Is So Important

2021-08-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 15:12-19. Let’s go!

1 Corinthians 15:12-19 (NIV)
12  But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
13  If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
14  And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.
15  More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised.
16  For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either.
17  And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.
18  Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost.
19  If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

On verses 12-19:  Some people in Paul’s church were saying, “How can Christ have risen from the dead?  Dead people don’t rise again!”  Paul says that as Christians we must be open to the idea that dead people can rise again because a central tenet to the Christian faith is that Jesus Christ himself resurrected (v12-13).  In verses 13-19, Paul then begins to spell out why the resurrection of Jesus Christ is so central to the Christian faith:

A God of Order, Not Chaos

2021-08-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 14:26-40. Let’s go!

1 Corinthians 14:26 (NIV) 
26 What then shall we say, brothers? When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.

On verse 26:  The church of Corinth was full of creative and spiritually gifted people.  Everyone was eager to share what they felt God had placed on their heart, be it a song, a message, a vision, a tongue or an interpretation of a tongue.   Paul reminds the Christians in Corinth: check your motives before you share anything – always do it to build up the church, not to feed your own ego.  In the same way, whenever you’re sitting in any church gathering large or small, check your motives whenever you share with others.   Let it always be “for the strengthening of the church”, to exalt God’s name, not your own.

1 Corinthians 14:27-28 (NIV) 
27 If anyone speaks in a tongue, two–or at the most three–should speak, one at a time, and someone must interpret.
28 If there is no interpreter, the speaker should keep quiet in the church and speak to himself and God.

On verses 27-28:  This shows that Paul’s concern with tongues was mainly in regard to addressing the congregation publicly.  He says if there’s no one to interpret, go ahead and speak in tongues but keep it between you and God.

大卫逃离耶路撒冷

2021-08-26 in , /by

〈撒母耳记〉下 15:28 我在旷野的渡口那里等你们报信给我。

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记〉下 15:13-37

此时的大卫虽然已经年记大了，但是他的反应和处理事情的能力却一点都不比年轻时差。他显然没有想到押沙龙会叛变，但是一听到这个消息，却很快就做了一个决定，离开耶路撒冷。在很短的时间内，他就把事情整理得有条有理，谁该留，谁该跟他走，哪个人要负责何事，大卫王像一个总指挥，把事情安排得十分妥当。押沙龙在希伯仑，为何大卫要离开耶路撒冷呢？因为大卫知道有许多人跟随押沙龙，若是他留在耶路撒冷，耶路撒冷必然变成战场。假如他留下来，他不可能把耶路撒冷拱手交给押沙龙，为了避免无辜的百姓遭到杀害，大卫选择退出耶路撒冷，只留下十个妃嫔看守宫殿。当然这是象征性的，因为十个妃嫔怎么能抵挡押沙龙的攻势？伯墨哈是耶路撒冷过汲沦溪谷以前，面向橄榄山的一座房子（或是：地方）。

患难见真情，在大卫逃亡时，有个迦特人，也就是非利士人以太，他带着跟随他的人和所有妇人孩子也跟着大卫走。大卫是个仁君，他知道以太刚从非利士地逃到耶路撒冷，正应该享受稳定的生活，不然也可以去辅助新王，拿个高职，何必跟着他这个糟老头子颠沛流离，过著有一餐没一餐的逃亡生涯？但是以太的回答，就好像路得给拿俄米的回答那样令人感动：“无论生死，王在哪里，仆人也必在哪里！”有的解经家说，跟随大卫的基利提人、比利提人等六百从迦特来的人，其实就是跟随以太的人，也是大卫那时拥有的唯一军旅，但是大卫还是不忍心看他们为他而奔波，被他连累。但是经过亚太一再保证，大卫终于允许他们和他一起过了汲沦溪，再往旷野而去。

大卫预备过了旷野，走到耶利哥的渡口，过约旦河，再上玛哈念，在约旦河西的以色列地休息，同时等待事情的进展。大卫对以色列的地理可熟悉了，在以色列地逃亡了几年，那里的情形如何，他几乎都了若指掌。但是在他继续要前行时，却发现祭司们把约柜都抬来了。此时，我们看见大卫的信心，他不要让神的约柜跟着他流浪。

Speak A Language That The Unchurched Can Understand

2021-08-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 14:13-25. Let’s go!

1 Corinthians 14:13-25 (NIV)
13  For this reason anyone who speaks in a tongue should pray that he may interpret what he says.
14  For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my mind is unfruitful.
15  So what shall I do? I will pray with my spirit, but I will also pray with my mind; I will sing with my spirit, but I will also sing with my mind.
16  If you are praising God with your spirit, how can one who finds himself among those who do not understand say “Amen” to your thanksgiving, since he does not know what you are saying?
17  You may be giving thanks well enough, but the other man is not edified.
18  I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you.

On verses 13-18:  “For this reason”, Paul says in verse 13.  What reason is this?  Keep in mind the context: in verses 1-12, as well as in the rest of 1 Corinthians 14, Paul is talking about how to lead people in public worship.  Paul is saying that if you intend to lead people in prayer by praying in tongues, you should also make sure there is someone to interpret what you pray. Otherwise, as verse 16 says, how will anyone understand and say “Amen” to what you are saying?  How can the people listening to you be helped or edified by what you are saying (v17).

押沙龙叛变

2021-08-25 in , /by

〈撒母耳记〉下 15:6 以色列人中，凡去见王求判断的，押沙龙都是如此待他们。这样，押沙龙暗中得了以色列人的心。

阅读经文：〈撒母耳记〉下 15:1-12

在你的一生中，有没有最想做的事？你所做的一切努力，会不会都朝着那个方向而准备？在一些宫庭故事里，经常围绕的主题就是对王位的明争暗夺，在以色列也不例外。大卫做王，生了许多儿子；在清朝的宫庭里，例如康熙、雍正、乾隆也都有不少儿子。于是乎，王位之争就成了不可避免的一件事，各个王子都害怕自己一旦做不成王就命运堪虞，还有他们背后的母亲也害怕被打入冷宫，因此比较有野心的王子就会处心积虑地为自己谋事。几乎没看过像扫罗的儿子约拿单那样体察神心意的王子，竟然愿意把王位拱手让给大卫，并且愿意作大卫的辅佐之臣（撒上23:17）。但是，像押沙龙这样想谋取王位的王子，不胜枚举。

而押沙龙的作法，也显明了世人为自己筹谋的心机和不择手段。到目前为止，你能看出来押沙龙的心狠手辣吗？大卫躲避扫罗时，是有所不为，凡是会得罪神的事，他一概不做；押沙龙为了争夺王位，则是无所不为。他利用剪羊毛的欢庆，杀了暗嫩；为了逼约押帮他，就烧约押的田地；又利用还愿的借口，要到希伯仑称王。在他的心意显明之前，又用尽手段拢络以色列的百姓，把大卫变成一个不理人间疾苦的君王。他的计谋是那样地深沉，以至于有两百多跟随他的人竟然都被蒙在鼓里。

他先为自己造势，坐在马车上，派五十人在他前面奔走，好让人看见他的威仪，就仰慕他，喜欢他。他是以色列第一美男子，天天坐在华丽的马车上跑来跑去，让人看了印象加深，对他产生好感。上次我回台时，正好碰到台湾有选举，那些竞选的人各自雇了车子，贴上他们的大头照，又站在敞开的车上，用扩音器拜票。所以，押沙龙真的很聪明，在古时候还没有开广告这行业，他已经会打广告，自我宣传了。