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Truth is a Person

2020-04-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today we’re looking at one of the shortest books in the Bible: it’s 2 John, a letter which is widely believed to be written by the apostle John and written around the same time as 1 John (about early 60s AD).   Let’s go!

2 John 1:1 (NIV) 
1  The elder, To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth–and not I only, but also all who know the truth–

On verse 1:  Who is this “chosen lady” that John is writing to?  Many scholars believe that this chosen lady was not an individual but a church community.  This is supported by the fact that there are no proper names given for this chosen lady, John refers to this lady not just in the singular but also in the plural, and the church is called the “bride of Christ” in the New Testament.  Similarly, “your chosen sister” (v13) is probably referring to another church community from which John is writing his letter.
Since this was a time of heavy persecution of Christians, “chosen lady” and “your chosen sister” may have been secret code words to keep this letter from being detected by persecutors of Christians.

当转眼仰望耶稣

2020-04-23 in /by

约翰福音19:37 经上又有一句说：「他们要仰望自己所扎的人。」

人生是由许多不同的经历组合而成的，有时顺利，有时不顺；有时平安无忧，有时困难忽然而至。当以色列人和迦南人打了一场胜仗后，心情非常快乐得意；接着往何珥山起行，要绕过以东前往迦南地时，因为道路难走，他们的喜乐顿时消散，心里升起数把无名火，射向神和摩西：「你们为什么把我们从埃及领出来，使我们死在旷野呢？这里没有粮，没有水，我们的心厌恶这淡薄的食物！」(民21:5)

在旷野走的人怎能期望路边就有餐馆呢？但是神赐的吗哪包括了所有的维生素和矿物质，以及身体所需要的一切营养，因此他们可以时时刻刻拥有健壮的身体往前行，还有精力打仗，胜过强壮高大的迦南人。反正心情不好要吵架总是有理由的。

但是神听了不高兴，处处为他们着想，他们却不懂得思想，一味抱怨，有一点难处就不高兴。神时时做他们的帮助和倚靠，他们却总是像小孩只会撒赖生气抱怨？为什么不好好求神帮助他们？神多么希望他们学会不再看眼前的难处，环境的挫折，转眼仰望祂。神不是为他们行了许多神蹟，带他们走过许多的困难吗？为什么他们还像小小孩只会哭闹？

于是耶和华使火蛇进入百姓中间，蛇就咬他们，以色列人中死了许多。 他们知道自己有罪了，快快去求摩西。摩西为他们祷告，耶和华对摩西说：「你制造一条火蛇，挂在杆子上。凡被咬的，一望这蛇，就必得活。」 摩西便制造一条铜蛇，挂在杆子上。凡被蛇咬的，一望这铜蛇就活了。(民21:8-9)

The Confidence We Have Because of Jesus

2020-04-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 John 5:13-21.  Let’s go!

1 John 5:13-15 (NIV) 
13  I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.
14  This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.
15  And if we know that he hears us–whatever we ask–we know that we have what we asked of him.

On verses 13-15:  John writes so that his readers would have confidence in their salvation (v13) and confidence that God hears their prayers (v14-15).  As those who believe in the name of the Son of God, we can have the same confidence as well.

1 John 5:16-17 (NIV) 
16  If anyone sees his brother commit a sin that does not lead to death, he should pray and God will give him life. I refer to those whose sin does not lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I am not saying that he should pray about that.
17  All wrongdoing is sin, and there is sin that does not lead to death.

求祢将祢的道指示我

2020-04-23 in /by

出埃及记33章13-14节    我如今若在祢眼前蒙恩，求祢将祢的道指示我，使我可以认识祢，好在祢眼前蒙恩。求祢想到这民是祢的民。」 耶和华说：「我必亲自和你同去，使你得安息。」

Max Lucado牧师说，神的应许是整本圣经的脊椎骨，因有神的应许和应验，我们才得以认识这位神的本质是可信的。

当摩西带领以色列人到了西乃山下时，以色列人己经经历了许多神蹟。他们在埃及亲眼看到神在埃及所行的十大神蹟，亲身走过了红海变成的干路，看到法老的追兵全部丧生在红海滚滚的海水里，在玛拉又喝到从苦变甜的清水。然后神要摩西上山四十天，就在这四十天里，亚伦和百姓造了一只金牛犊，称它为神，说是带领他们出埃及的神。

摩西下山后，神对摩西说祂不要再和百姓同去迦南了，恐怕祂一怒之下把他们灭绝(出33:3)。在摩西恳求之后，神应许摩西：「我必亲自和你同去，使你得安息。」然后神又答应摩西，“I will do the very thing you have asked, because I am pleased with you and I know you by name.”(NIV) 神说，因为我按你的名认识你，我对你很满意，所以你的任何要求我都会答应你。和合本的翻译很斯文，所以不能让我们真的明白神在讲什么。这是神给摩西的一张信用卡，你要什么，我都给你。神没有给亚伯拉罕这样的应许，也没有给挪亚或大卫这样的应许，只有给摩西。何等大的一张支票。只要摩西填上任何要求，神都会给他。

摩西知道神是万能的神，以色列百姓可能愚昧，经历那么多神蹟还把金牛犊当神，但是摩西不愚昧，他知道神是轻慢不得的。他经历过所有的大风大浪之后，他发现只有一件事最值得拥有，就是神自己。因此他要求要看到神的荣耀，也就是神的本尊。

Trust What Your Heavenly Father Says About Jesus

2020-04-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 John 5:1-12.  Let’s go! 

1 John 5:1a (NIV) 
1  Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God…
 
On verse 1a:  I love how simple the apostle John makes it sometimes.  If you believe Jesus is the Christ (the Saviour of the world), you are born of God and have life in Him.  Simple.
 
1 John 5:1b-2 (NIV) 
1…and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 
2  This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands.
 
On verses 1a-2:  Earlier John was saying that one important way that we love God is by loving His children.  Now John is taking it in the other direction: he’s saying that to love God’s children is to love God and carry out His commands.  How is it that we love the children of God when we love God and obey His commands?  Here are three ways that works. 

耶利哥城的奇蹟

2020-04-22 in /by

约翰福音10章10节 b  我来了，是要叫羊得生命，并且得的更丰盛。

古耶利哥城是一个很了不起的城巿，它的城墙有里外两层，相隔12 尺，内墙有12尺厚，外墙则有六尺厚和30 尺高，里面住的尽是大能的勇士。兵士站在城墙上守卫，能极目远眺。迦南人认为它固若金汤，牢不可破。想要进去迦南地，就要先经过耶利哥城。想要得到迦南地，就要先攻取此城。

当以色列人来到约旦河畔时，耶和华晓谕约书亚说：「看哪，我已经把耶利哥和耶利哥的王，并大能的勇士，都交在你手中。」约书亚怎样带领以色列人攻下耶利哥城是旧约里一个非常振奋人心的事蹟，因为耶利哥城不是约书亚打下来的，整场战役都是神的工作。神说祂己经把耶利哥和耶利哥王，并大能的勇士都交在约书亚手里。就好像有人买了礼物，付了钱，把礼物交到你手中一样。

没有人像约书亚那样领取耶利哥的胜利，不费一兵一卒，不用一弹一箭，只是率领祭司和兵丁带着约柜绕城共13次，耶利哥的城墙就倒塌了。根据考古学家的研究，其外墙往外倒，内墙往内倒，甚是奇妙。耶利哥的失守，是神对以色列人应许的应验之一。

神己经把耶利哥交在他们手中，但是神要他们亲自上阵去领取这个礼物，成为与神一起同工的人。历史也把这功劳记在约书亚的头上。

God’s Love Drives Out Fear

2020-04-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 John 4:13-21.  Let’s go!

1 John 4:13-14 (NIV) 
13  We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.
14  And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

On verses 13-14:  In other words, the faith that John and his fellow apostles preach is not merely about believing in abstract ideas.  Rather their faith comes with a real experience of God’s Holy Spirit (v13), and their testimony is based on having actually seen this Jesus who was sent from the Father to be the Saviour of the world (v14).  In other words, Christian faith is not simply a bunch of philosophical principles and metaphysical ideas.  Rather, the Christian faith is grounded in historical fact and is accompanied by a real, life-changing experience of the Holy Spirit.

建立在磐石上的生命

2020-04-20 in /by

马太福音7:24-27   「所以，凡听见我这话就去行的，好比一个聪明人，把房子盖在磐石上。 雨淋，水冲，风吹，撞著那房子，房子总不倒塌，因为根基立在磐石上。 凡听见我这话不去行的，好比一个无知的人，把房子盖在沙土上。 雨淋，水冲，风吹，撞著那房子，房子就倒塌了，并且倒塌得很大。」

拉塞尔·凯尔索·卡特（Russell Kelso Carter）（1849-1928）是一位有许多恩赐和能力的人。他出生于美国马里兰州巴尔的摩，年轻时就被誉为杰出运动员，15岁时立志奉献一生给主，1887年被任命为传道人。他在宾夕法尼亚州军事学院担任过化学，自然科学，土木工程和数学教授。他也是个医生和音乐家。

在30岁那年，他患了很严重的心脏病，徘徊在生死边缘。他有一位要好的同事Connie Ruth Christiansen如此描写当时的卡特：他跪下来向神祷告，不管神医治他与否，他都立定心意服事神。他完完全全抓住《圣经》里的应许，把自己交给神。他相信神的应许，而不是看神是否医治才相信神。

我们常常说要有信心，但是我们的信心从何而来？很多人都凭自己的感觉和判断去揣摩神的旨意，但是凭感觉和判断的人很容易被打倒，因为事情的走向多数不是按着人的心意去发展。

How God Shows His Love

2020-04-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 John 4:7-12.  Let’s go!

1 John 4:7-12 (NIV) 
7  Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.
8  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
9  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him…….

On verses 7-12:  This is my favourite passage in 1 John, so much so that when Sharleen and I got married this was the passage we chose to be read at our wedding.  This passage is not just beautifully written; more importantly, it is one of the best summaries you will find in the Bible of what Christianity is all about:

复活的耶稣__颁下大使命

2020-04-19 in /by

马太福音28章18-20节   耶稣进前来，对他们说：「天上地下所有的权柄都赐给我了。 所以你们要去，使万民做我的门徒，奉父、子、圣灵的名给他们施洗， 凡我所吩咐你们的，都教训他们遵守。我就常与你们同在，直到世界的末了。」

马太记载了耶稣和门徒们在加利利山上约会时，耶稣最后的嘱咐，也就是我们一般所说的大使命。路加在〈使徒行传〉里记载耶稣复活后，用四十天的时间向门徒讲说神国的事，让我们知道耶稣非常看重这十一个门徒，后来他们制签，又选出马提亚为第十二个门徒，取代了卖主的犹大。这十二个门徒，是耶稣终夜祷告后筛选出来的，在历史上有举足轻重的地位，在〈启示录〉廿一章所说的圣城新耶路撒冷，其城墙有十二根基，根基上有羔羊十二使徒的名字，表明了他们的地位何等重要。他们的工作如同建造圣城的根基。

在交待工作之前，主的第一个宣告是所有相信祂的人不能忽视的：「天上地下所有的权柄都赐给我了。」换句话说，祂已经是天地之主，天上地下的掌权者了，没有任何善恶势力大过耶稣，也没有人的权柄大过耶稣。我们所信的乃是天上地下唯一的真神。在总统府工作的，即使是为总统倒垃圾的人，出了总统府都是趾气高扬的，因为他在总统府做事，和总统很近啊！而我们为天上地下的主做事，岂不更光荣吗？作主皂仆人要明白自己身份的重要性。先为自己定位，才能承担主的托咐。

主的吩咐里有先后的秩序，我们要按著主的秩序，才不会乱套。第一，要使万民做主的门徒。在坊间做徒都要先跟着师傅学习，师傅叫做什么，他就得做什么，要学得师傅满意才能升级或是独当一面。因此做门徒的意思就是要学习跟随主，明白信仰的意义，肯谦卑顺服主，才可以进到第二步。