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基遍人向掃羅家復仇

2021-09-05 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉下 21:13 大衛將掃羅和他兒子約拿單的骸骨從那裡搬了來，又收殮被懸掛七人的骸骨。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉下 21 章

大衛年間有三年的饑荒，國家出問題了，大衛要找出問題的原因，便去求問神。我們的生命或生活裡，有時也會出問題，覺得做什麼事都不順。有的人會去問算命的，有的人會去廟裡求問，但是我們可以求問的只有神，祂不會為了貪錢而胡說八道，也不會誤導人讓人傾家蕩產，因為祂誠心實意要為求問的人解決問題。大衛求問神，神就讓他看到饑荒的原因。

可能有許的人在做壞事時，不知道會連累到自己的後代，所以才會盡情地作惡吧。假如知道自己做了壞事，會使後代付出生命的代價，那麼會不會收歛一點呢？掃羅殺基遍人這事，便是如此。掃羅自己不順服神，不聽神的話，卻想要甪自己的方法去取悅神，破壞了約書亞和基遍人所立的合約，以致他的後裔遭禍。你覺得值不值得？神要掃羅做的事，他不去做；神沒有叫他做的事，他卻去做，這就是掃羅的悲哀。

很多人想取悅神，想知道神對他們的心意，明白前途何去何從；但是他們卻不肯聽神的話，反而覺得神應該用他們認可的方法來引導他們，這便是自大了。基遍人在約書亞帶領以色列人進迦南時，明白自己斷然無法勝過以色列人，因此假扮成遠來的異族，與約書亞立下互不侵犯的合約。後來被發現原來是在迦南的異族之一，便甘心做了以色列中服苦的人。約書亞已經立約不殺他們，但是隔了那麼幾百年後，掃羅為何還要去殺他們？

The God of All Comfort

2021-09-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Now onto today’s GAME passage.  Today we begin the book of 2 Corinthians, which Paul wrote to the church in Corinth in approximately 56 AD.  We start today with 2 Corinthians 1:1-11.  Let’s go!

2 Corinthians 1:1-2 (NIV)
1  Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother, To the church of God in Corinth, together with all the saints throughout Achaia:
2  Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

On verses 1-2:  Though it is called “2 Corinthians”, scholars believe that this letter is actually the fourth letter that Paul wrote to the church in Corinth.  Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians has never been found. His second letter has become known as “1 Corinthians” and was written to address a number of problems happening in the church.  After writing the letter known as 1 Corinthians, Paul would make a “painful visit” (2 Corinthians 2:1) to the church in Corinth, probably to reprimand the church because the problems he wrote about in 1 Corinthians had not been adequately dealt with.  Paul would then write a couple more letters to the church in Corinth, with 2 Corinthians being the last of these letters.  As shown in verse 1, Paul wrote 2 Corinthians with the help of Timothy, Paul’s apprentice, who was likely writing down Paul’s words as he dictated them.  Paul would make one more visit to the church in Corinth after writing this letter.

教會應如何面對LGBT(4 )

2021-09-03 in , /by

以下有幾點建議：

鼓勵他們尋求幫助

鼓勵他們把自己的掙扎，和教會屬靈生命成熟的人分享，請求他們指引和守望禱告。說到守望禱告，為他們禱告時要小心禱告的內容。有的人這樣禱告說，“主啊，求主你醫治某某，讓他成為正常。”你要先定義，你所謂的正常是指什麼？是按照什麼標準？我們要了解，神帶領每個人為祂活的方式都不相同，相信神對跨性別，或被同性吸引的弟兄姐妹帶領也是不同的。有的被同性吸引的同性戀者，神帶領他們結婚生子，過著神所賜的美好婚姻生活。有的人並沒有因為信了主而變成異性戀者，神帶領他們選擇過單身生活，在面對同性吸引的試探時，靠著主賜的恩典來得勝。正如我前面舉的那個有跨性別掙扎的弟兄，雖然他目前還有想成為女性的念頭，但他選擇按照生理的男性來生活，也對結婚生子存開放的心，他最高的追求是在生活中學習愛人如己，以此來榮耀神。那麼你說，這位弟兄正常嗎？個人以為，他雖然有想成為女性的掙扎，但按照聖經聖潔的標準，他是一個屬靈的正常人。因此，我們不要有錯誤的期望以致禱告的方向產生偏差,也不要讓你的禱告帶來當事人的“二度傷害”。

教導聖經立場和生活應用

要常常教導弟兄姐妹聖經一男一女的婚姻，以及上帝以生理作為性別區分的立場。同時告訴他們，同性間要界定在“友情”，而絕非愛情。對那些相對容易受同性吸引的弟兄姐妹，要提醒他們在跟同性建立親密友誼上，特別儆醒和謹守。如果因被同性吸引而開始出現污穢的思想，要藉禱告當下治死污穢的思想，尊重對方是主裡的弟兄或姐妹。是將來別人的丈夫或妻子。如果是跟不信主的同事相處，要尊重對方是帶有神形象的人而不要給性幻想留餘地。教導他們如果發現對同性朋友的思念已經超過一般的友情，要逃避試探，減少聯繫的次數，或見面的頻率。並請守望同伴為他們禱告。

事實上，不單是他們要警醒謹守，每個基督徒都要一樣要警醒謹守。只要新天新地還沒有來臨，罪和魔鬼還沒有除滅，基督徒都要面對許多“不同形式”的試探和引誘。因此，弟兄姐妹千萬不要以為自己已經持守好幾年聖潔了，彼得提醒我們“務要謹守和儆醒”。

Be A Thoughtful Planner

2021-09-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 16:1-12.  Let’s go!

1 Corinthians 16:1-12 (NIV)
1  Now about the collection for God’s people: Do what I told the Galatian churches to do.
2  On the first day of every week, each one of you should set aside a sum of money in keeping with his income, saving it up, so that when I come no collections will have to be made.
3  Then, when I arrive, I will give letters of introduction to the men you approve and send them with your gift to Jerusalem.
4  If it seems advisable for me to go also, they will accompany me. ……

On verses 1-12:  In 1 Corinthians 16:1-12, Paul shares his plans with his church in Corinth.  Notice how intentional and thoughtful Paul is in his planning.  Whether it’s about giving and collecting offerings (v1-4), about his travels and how he spends his time (v5-8), about how to treat his own disciples like Timothy (v10-11) or how to lead and take care of the church (v12), Paul explores different options, considers their advantages and disadvantages, and carefully plans out his steps.

What can we learn from this?  Whether it’s in regard to your ministry, your family, your finances, the way you give, your future, or your friendships, be a thoughtful planner.

Beware the misconception that spiritual leadership is all about “feeling the Holy Spirit” and nothing more.  Those who think this way will try to make it seem as though thoughtful planning is somehow unspiritual, that to plan means you’re not trusting God, and that it is more spiritual and supernatural to be spontaneous than to be strategic. 

示巴叛變

2021-09-02 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉下 20:21c 婦人對約押說：「那人的首級必從城牆上丟給你。」

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉下 20:1-26

緊接著示每帶著便雅憫人來向大衛認罪並迎接大衛過河，大衛回朝之後，又有另一個便雅憫人示巴起來叛變，反對大衛。掃羅王是便雅憫人，便雅憫人一定相當為掃羅自豪，因為他是以色列人的第一個王。沒想到掃羅死了之後，不僅神膏了大衛做王，以色列各支派也都擁立大衛為王。在掃羅家，也就是便雅憫支派，有許多人因而感到失落和不滿，覺得大權旁落，便雅憫支派的榮耀被搶去了。因此，示每在大衛落難時咒罵大衛，向他丟石頭；而示巴趁著內戰稍停之際也起來叛變，希望有機可乘，一舉把大衛趕下寶座。

示巴的口號喊得可響亮了：“我們與大衛無份，與耶西的兒子無涉。以色列人哪，你們各回各家去吧！”這是一個離間計，使以色列人忘記大衛是神所膏的王，以及大衛曾為以色列立下的功績。以色列人何等健忘，前一刻還想念著大衛所做的一切，後一刻就彷彿與他無關，不理會大衛，跟隨示巴去了。所以我們若想要靠人的“捧場”，實在很危險。人的心何等不可靠。

亞瑪撒是大衛的另一個外甥，他在押沙龍叛變時，做押沙龍的元帥，大衛饒他不死，還立他代替約押為以色列人的元帥。大衛要給他一個立功的機會，可是亞瑪撒似乎不很賣力，對大衛給他的第一個命令遲遲無法完成。大衛因而轉令亞比篩去追殺示巴，因為大衛看見示巴的叛亂比押沙龍的篡位影響更大，因為押沙龍要的只是王位，示巴則把以色列人都帶走了，只留下猶大人，造成王國的分裂。此時大衛要亞比篩速速去追趕示巴，而不是派約押，很可能因為約押殺了押沙龍，所以大衛對他不滿，因此把他“冷凍”起來。

Imperishable Hope

2021-09-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 15:50-58.  Let’s go!

1 Corinthians 15:50-53 (NIV)
50  I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.
51  Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed–
52  in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
53  For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

On verses 50-53:  What is Paul saying here?  Let me explain it this way.  When you trust Jesus Christ as your Saviour, you become a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17).  You received a new heart and a new spirit (one destined to be with God forever rather than one destined to be apart from God forever) (Ezekiel 36:26).  But while your spirit was made new in Christ, your body didn’t change.  I would be really surprised if the moment you received Jesus into your life, you went from balding to a full head of hair, or from a beer belly to six pack abs, or from your current bodily measurements to a clothing size up or down.  In other words, though some crucial changes happened in your spirit when you received Jesus, your body stayed the same.  

大衛重返耶路撒冷

2021-09-01 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉下  19:15 王就回來，到了約旦河。猶大人來到吉甲，要去迎接王，請他過約旦河。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉下 19:8-43

在這章經文裡，我們嗅到有許多政治的味道。大衛王不愧是個政治家，在處理問題時，面面俱到。我們也可以看到人情冷暖的變化。押沙龍一死，跟隨他的以色列支派立刻回想起大衛的好處，大衛曾經帶領以色列人爭戰，脫離各方仇敵，包括非利士人的轄制，這樣好的王，豈能不趕快把他請回來，難道要再淪為敵人的奴隸嗎？他們當初不顧情面，膏押沙龍做王，想跟著押沙龍大幹一場，奪取大衛的王權；沒想到押沙龍一死，樹倒猢猻散，以色列人就又想回到大衛那裡。可見人心多麼不可靠，好像蘆葦一樣，風往哪邊吹，它就往哪邊倒。

大衛擺出王的架勢，要猶大長老們來接他回宮，有兩個前題：一是以色列其他支派已經發言要請王回來，猶大支派是大衛的本家，怎可落後？二，他要亞瑪撒放心，大衛不因為他幫助押沙龍而殺他，反而要立他為元帥，代替約押。大衛的話使猶大長老放心，因此立刻到吉甲迎接大衛。這樣大衛也有面子了。大衛很懂得部下的心理，否則大家都害怕他回來報仇，雖然想要他回來，也不敢出聲。

曾經在大衛落難逃走時，咒罵大衛，又對他丟石頭的示每，現在領著一千便雅憫人和洗巴等人去接大衛，還預備了擺渡船，任王的家眷使用。又俯伏在大衛面前求大衛赦免他的罪。這就是人的可怕之處，看你落難了，就打落水狗；看你發達了，他就變成一隻搖頭擺尾的狗。大衛雖然暫時饒他不死，但是後來交給所羅門去處理。大衛非常聰明，在這個時候控制了要報仇的意念，免得以色列人的人心惶惶。倘若他殺了示每，那麼其他人自知有罪，為了保命，很有可能聯合起來，真的不給他回去了。反正都要死的話，不如拚命，放手一搏。大衛很聰明，他不報仇，使大家警戒的心都鬆懈下來，不再擔心，也就不會再反抗了。

Let’s Talk About Your Body

2021-08-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Corinthians 15:35-49.  Let’s go!

On verses 35-49:  In 1 Corinthians 15:35-49, Paul addresses a question that people back then and people today have about resurrection: if Christians will physically rise from the dead, what kind of bodies will they have? Will we look the same way as when we died?  Will we look like zombies? Will those who died with wounds still show those wounds when they are resurrected? Will we look younger or older?  What about people whose bodies were cremated after they died? What will our resurrected bodies look like?

In response to these questions, Paul says: don’t expect your resurrection body to look just like the body you died in (v37). Rather, your resurrection body will have a splendour that is altogether different from your earthly body (v40).

Does that mean that guys who always wanted six pack abs will get it with their resurrection body? Does that mean the parts of your body which you wish were smaller or bigger will be your ideal size when you get your resurrection body? I can’t promise anything. But if we take a clue from how the disciples didn’t immediately recognize the resurrected Jesus after he appeared to them (for example, Luke 24:15-16), it’s very possible that when your loved ones see you in your resurrected body, your resurrection body will look different enough that they might not recognize you at first, but then when they realize it’s you they’ll be like, “Wow! It IS you!”

大衛為押沙龍悲哀

2021-08-31 in , /by

〈撒母耳記〉下19:2 眾民聽說王為他兒子憂愁，他們得勝的歡樂卻變成悲哀。

閱讀經文：〈撒母耳記〉下 18:19-19:8

有兒女的人大概都能體會大衛的悲哀，曾經在人手下的，也能體會約押進言的中肯。神垂聽了大衛的禱告，讓他得以平安回到耶路撒冷。雖然“刀劍永不離大衛家”是個咒詛，但是在咒詛中仍然有神的恩典。這件事讓我們明白在神的公義和慈愛中，犯罪必有後果，但是只要肯悔改，回頭仰望神，神的恩典依然會如恩雨般賜下。所以只要回到神面前，我們永遠有希望。

大祭司的兒子亞希瑪斯原是為大衛在耶路撒冷佈置的“間諜”，傳信的人之一，可能因為如此，所以沒有參加和押沙龍的戰役。也可能因為他善跑，所以可以當傳信的人。他一知道勝利了，就迫不及待地想把這消息報告給大衛。但是約押提醒了他一句，因為押沙龍死了，所以報此信息不一定會讓大衛高興，可能適得其反。亞希瑪斯的父親是大祭司，後來他的兒子亞撒利雅也做大祭司。因此以他的身份而言，他在大衛的宮庭中也是個人人知道的角色，連他的跑法都為眾人所熟悉，一看到他的身影就知道是他了。

約押一提醒，他就立刻明白約押的意思，因此當大衛問到押沙龍是否平安時，他顧左右而言他：「約押打發王的僕人，那時僕人聽見眾民大聲喧嘩，卻不知道是什麼事。」以至大衛斥責他，叫他退去，站在旁邊。古示人是約押的手下，他的回答也很含蓄，但是大衛一聽就明白了。大衛心裡傷慟，就不顧一切地哭喊。眾民本來以為內戰結束，可以回家，都很高興；但是看到大衛那樣傷心，他們也高興不起來了。好像做錯事的人一樣。

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.