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Jesus’ Heart for Children

2020-09-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 9:37-50.  Let’s go!

Luke 9:37-45 (NIV) 

37  The next day, when they came down from the mountain, a large crowd met him. 
38  A man in the crowd called out, “Teacher, I beg you to look at my son, for he is my only child. 
39  A spirit seizes him and he suddenly screams; it throws him into convulsions so that he foams at the mouth. It scarcely ever leaves him and is destroying him. 
40  I begged your disciples to drive it out, but they could not.”
41  “O unbelieving and perverse generation,” Jesus replied, “how long shall I stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son here.”
42  Even while the boy was coming, the demon threw him to the ground in a convulsion. But Jesus rebuked the evil spirit, healed the boy and gave him back to his father…….

On verses 37-45:  There are a number of important lessons we can learn from these verses.  I look forward to sharing them with you at a Thrive service today.

神呼召亞伯蘭

2020-09-16 in /by

創世記12章1-3節     耶和華對亞伯蘭說：「你要離開本地、本族、父家，往我所要指示你的地去。我必叫你成為大國，我必賜福給你，叫你的名為大，你也要叫別人得福。為你祝福的，我必賜福於他；那咒詛你的，我必咒詛他。地上的萬族都要因你得福。」

基督教論壇報報導：美國時間2020年9月15日下午，以色列總理納坦雅胡（Benjamin Netanyahu）與阿拉伯聯合大公國（阿聯）外長阿布杜拉（Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan）、巴林外長薩亞尼（Abdullatif al-Zayani）正式簽署歷史性的《亞伯拉罕協議》，正式向世界宣告，以色列與兩個阿拉伯國家建交。此項儀式由美國川普總統在白宮南草坪主持。

以色列總理納坦雅胡說：「這天是歷史的轉折點。它預示著和平的新曙光。數千年來，猶太人民一直為和平祈禱。幾十年來，猶太國家一直為和平祈禱。」納坦雅胡認為，這項協議「已經提出了實現以色列與巴勒斯坦人之間和平的現實構想。」納坦雅胡感謝阿聯國王和外長「擴大了和平圈」，也感謝巴林的國王和外長， 與以色列「一起為亞伯拉罕的所有子孫帶來希望。」

從這則新聞來看神對亞伯拉罕的呼召，令人感到無比的震撼。那是大約主前兩千年，神呼召亞伯蘭。在〈使徒行傳〉七章2節，司提反說：「諸位父兄請聽！當日我們的祖宗亞伯拉罕在美索不達米亞，還未住哈蘭的時候，榮耀的神向他顯現，  對他說：『你要離開本地和親族，往我所要指示你的地方去。』 他就離開迦勒底人之地，住在哈蘭。

Jesus is Greater

2020-09-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 9:18-36.  Let’s go!
 
Luke 9:18-21 (NIV) 
18  Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say I am?” 
19  They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.” 
20  “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.” 
21  Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone.
 
On verses 18-21:  The most important question you will ever need to answer is the question Jesus asked here, which is: who do you say Jesus is?  My prayer is that the more you get to know Jesus, like Peter you will come to the same conclusion, which is that Jesus is not just a legend, a fiction, a good person, or a famous prophet, but that Jesus is the Messiah (the Christ) and the one we need.  It matters to God who you think Jesus is. 

挪亞的後裔

2020-09-14 in /by

創世記十章1節   挪亞的兒子閃、含、雅弗的後代記在下面。洪水以後，他們都生了兒子。

創世記十章32節   這些都是挪亞三個兒子的宗族，各隨他們的支派立國。洪水以後，他們在地上分為邦國。

挪亞的後裔是誰呢？就是我們囉! 洪水之後。全世界的人都是挪亞的後裔。再往前推的話，就是塞特的後裔，亞當和夏娃的後裔。該隱的後裔消失在大水的洪流之中了。所以我們不要輕看神的話，神最後要保留怎樣的人呢？一定是屬祂的人。

挪亞三個兒子的後裔各隨宗族、方言而各聚成族或國，分散到世界各地，這是指在巴別塔之後的分佈。看族諎有時會讓人覺得很無聊。但是從後面往前看，比較有趣。例如，非利士人是誰的後裔？我們都知道大衛和歌利亞巨人打仗的故事，為何非利士人比以色列人高大強壯呢？你找得到非利士人是誰的後裔嗎？他們是從迦斐托出來的。迦斐托是一個很美麗的名字，代表「串珠」，串起來的珠子，多美啊！原來迦斐托是一個海島，有人說那就是革哩底島（又譯：克里特島），也就是新約保羅去傳福音的居比路，今名塞浦路斯。那麼，迦斐托人又是誰的後裔呢？是閃、含或雅弗的後裔？你猜中了嗎？這樣去讀，你就會記得很清楚，原來非利士人是含的後裔。非利士人的名字含有「打滾」之意，在士師的時代，他們已經懂得怎樣治鐵製造武器，成為以色列人最直接的敵人。在大衛王之後開始沒落。

因為篇幅有限，所以只能簡單地舉一些例子。先來看看這三兄弟的名字有何特別？這三兄鈟的順序有很多種說法，在這裡說閃是雅弗的哥哥，有解經家認為含不是老大，所以含和雅弗誰比較大就成了個謎。閃的意思是「名聲」，含的意思是「熱與黑」，雅弗的意思是「擴張、美好」。迦南是指「低窪地、鄙陋、商人」。他們的名字會讓你聯想到什麼？

Rely on God’s Power (Also, When God Interrupts Your Plans)

2020-09-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,
 
Today’s passage is Luke 9:1-17.  Let’s go!
 
Luke 9:1-4 (NIV) 
1  When Jesus had called the Twelve together, he gave them power and authority to drive out all demons and to cure diseases, 
2  and he sent them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. 
3  He told them: “Take nothing for the journey–no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic. 
4  Whatever house you enter, stay there until you leave that town. 

On verses 1-4:  Here Jesus sends out his twelve disciples with his power and authority to go from town to town preaching the kingdom of God, driving out all demons and curing diseases (v1-2).  But notice also that Jesus told them to take nothing else for the journey (“no staff, no bag, no bread, no money, no extra tunic” – v3).  What was Jesus doing?  Jesus was teaching his disciples to have faith in God’s power to use them and to provide for their needs, rather than relying on their own smarts, strength and resources. 

巴別巴別

2020-09-13 in /by

創世記11章4節      他們說：「來吧！我們要建造一座城和一座塔，塔頂通天，為要傳揚我們的名，免得我們分散在全地上。」

有人說挪亞在五百歲生兒育女之後，就開始做起方舟的總工程師；六百歲時變成方舟遊輪的船長；約601歲時，挪亞全家離開方舟，他轉行作農夫，而且做得很好，不僅栽了一個葡萄園，而且還能用葡萄釀酒。可能太興奮了，他一下喝太多，醉了。還好，他是在自己的帳篷裡喝的；不幸的是，他那時沒穿衣服。

本來，在自己的睡房裡有沒有穿衣服，實在跟別人沒關係。國外也有很多人睡覺時不穿衣服的習慣。偏偏小兒子不知為何事闖進父親的帳篷，看到了父親的祼體，覺得很好笑，便跑出去告訴兩個哥哥。哥哥們比較懂事，他們拿件衣服搭在肩上，倒退著進去，給父親蓋上，他們背著臉就看不見父親的赤身。這裡就是一個心態上尊重和不尊重的分別，尤其是對長輩。

挪亞也是有脾氣的人，當他知道小兒子含那樣輕浮的心態時，他咒詛含的兒子迦南，必給他弟兄做奴僕的奴僕。做奴僕己經很可憐，還要做奴僕的奴僕。這事提醒我們，凡事要尊重別人，尤其是對長輩。有人說，老人家說話有時都帶有預言的成份，像雅各，摩西的遺言何等有份量。話說回來，在我們看挪亞的三子之後裔的分佈情形時，先來看看分散之前的世界是怎樣的。

God Works With Your Faith

2020-09-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 8:40-56.  Let’s go!

Luke 8:40 (NIV) 
40  Now when Jesus returned, a crowd welcomed him, for they were all expecting him.

On verse 40:  In the verses just before this the people of the Garasenes rejected Jesus and told him to go away.  Here another crowd is expecting him and welcoming him.  Likewise, we too need to choose: will we be among those who reject Jesus and push him away, or will we welcome Jesus into our lives?

Luke 8:41-42 (NIV) 
41  Then a man named Jairus, a ruler of the synagogue, came and fell at Jesus’ feet, pleading with him to come to his house
42  because his only daughter, a girl of about twelve, was dying. As Jesus was on his way, the crowds almost crushed him.

散會比聚會更重要！

2020-09-11 in /by

2017年10月，夏忠堅牧師於七賢路禮拜堂分享，他說了一句很值得反思的話：「教會最要看重的不是『聚會』，而是『散會』！

弟兄姊妹散會後，是否真的在家庭、社群、職場活出基督徒生命？」看一家教會會友聚會人數成千上萬，但重要的是有多少會友活出「散會」後的生命？

夏忠堅牧師引用〈列王紀〉上十四章25-28節「金盾牌vs.銅盾牌」的故事—羅波安王製造銅盾牌想代替被竊奪的金盾牌，提醒今天教會的運作是否也是這樣：用銅的想代替金的？他指出，教會五種基本功能：敬拜、團契、成長（門徒）、事奉、宣教，目前的光景為何？

例如弟兄姊妹的敬拜只在週日，那週一至週六有無活出敬拜生命？在團契小組裡愛的死去活來，但散會後有去愛鄰舍及職場遇到的人嗎？又或是參加團契（名詞），到底有無與其他肢體真正的團契（動詞），還是戴著面具來參加？

他問大家：「你的教會有多少人只參加主日，在教會沒有小組團契生活？」根據統計，沒有穩定小組團契生活的基督徒，本身靈修、奉獻、傳福音也比較差。而初代教會一開始，是在各個家庭過小組生活，是建造一群人像三一神團契的樣子。所以小組生活與結構，比較可以建造真實的教會生活及基督徒生命。

Don’t Push Jesus Away

2020-09-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 8:26-39.  Let’s go!
 
Luke 8:26-33 (NIV) 
26  They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 
27  When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs. 
28  When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don’t torture me!” 
29  For Jesus had commanded the evil spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places.