Entries by

大使命

2019-07-26 in /by

馬太福音28: 16_20_大使命

16 十一個門徒往加利利去，到了耶穌約定的山上。 17 他們見了耶穌就拜他，然而還有人疑惑。 18 耶穌進前來，對他們說：「天上地下所有的權柄都賜給我了。 19 所以你們要去，使萬民做我的門徒，奉父、子、聖靈的名給他們施洗， 20 凡我所吩咐你們的，都教訓他們遵守。我就常與你們同在，直到世界的末了。」

耶穌的話不改變，一定應驗。在受難之前，耶穌己經告訴門徒，復活之後要到加利利和門徒會面。果然，耶穌復活後就去加利利和門徒會面了。有的人覺得為何耶穌不顯現給他看，他就相信了。耶穌的確向許多人顯現，尤其在這個世代裡，有許多回教徒、猶太教徒或佛教徒，都因為看到耶穌而成為基督徒，為什麼耶穌不向那些想要看的人顯現呢？

耶穌曾說，那些沒有看見就信的人有福了。我相信耶穌喜歡我們做有福的人。實際上，這也是真的有福，因為與其守株待兔地等待，倒不如早早相信，與神和好就能在生命中經歷耶穌了。主耶穌要向誰顯現不是我們可以決定的，但是否要做一個有福之人卻是我們可以決定的。

耶穌在約定的山上向門徒宣使了大使命。原來受難和復活都只是神計劃中的過程，更重要的使命現在才宣佈：「天上地下所有的權柄都賜給我了。所以你們要去，使萬民做我的門徒，奉父、子、聖靈的名給他們施洗，凡我所吩咐你們的，都教訓他們遵守。我就常與你們同在，直到世界的末了。」

The Role of a Lifetime

2019-07-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 23:1-32.  Let’s go!  The Role of a Lifetime (Plus, 4 Characteristics of Great Servants of God)

1 Chronicles 23:1-5 (NIV) 
1  When David was old and full of years, he made his son Solomon king over Israel. 
2  He also gathered together all the leaders of Israel, as well as the priests and Levites. 
3  The Levites thirty years old or more were counted, and the total number of men was thirty-eight thousand. 
4  David said, “Of these, twenty-four thousand are to supervise the work of the temple of the LORD and six thousand are to be officials and judges. 
5  Four thousand are to be gatekeepers and four thousand are to praise the LORD with the musical instruments I have provided for that purpose.”
 
On verses 1-24:  David was known for many things and wore many hats during his lifetime: he was a shepherd, a soldier, a military commander, and a king.  But at his core, David was a worshiper who loved to worship God.  While his other roles would come and go, it is this role as a worshiper that David would carry with him throughout his lifetime.  When David was younger, his passion to worship God was evident in all the worship songs he wrote.  

傳言

2019-07-25 in /by

馬太福音28: 11_15_傳言

11 她們去的時候，看守的兵有幾個進城去，將所經歷的事都報給祭司長。 12 祭司長和長老聚集商議，就拿許多銀錢給兵丁，說： 13 「你們要這樣說：『夜間我們睡覺的時候，他的門徒來把他偷去了。』 14 倘若這話被巡撫聽見，有我們勸他，保你們無事。」 15 兵丁受了銀錢，就照所囑咐他們的去行。這話就傳說在猶太人中間，直到今日。

在上一段的經文裡，我們看到耶穌復活時不僅有兩個馬利亞親眼所見，就是看守的兵丁也是目擊證人。看守耶穌之墓的兵不是一般小卒，而是彼拉多派出的羅馬兵，驍勇善戰的軍人。何事會讓壯如泰山的羅馬兵嚇到渾身亂戰，其至像死人一樣不能動呢？他們看到天使，看到天使滾動石頭，看到天使的相貌如同閃電，衣服潔白如雪。然後，耶穌的屍體不見了。

當兩個馬利亞快樂地帶著耶穌復活的信息去找耶穌的門徒時，那幾位目擊證人羅馬兵也飛奔著去告訴祭司長，耶穌復活了。

馬可16:10 她去告訴那向來跟隨耶穌的人，那時他們正哀慟哭泣。 11 他們聽見耶穌活了，被馬利亞看見，卻是不信。

路加24:10-12 那告訴使徒的就是抹大拉的馬利亞和約亞拿，並雅各的母親馬利亞，還有與她們在一處的婦女。11 她們這些話使徒以為是胡言，就不相信。 彼得起來，跑到墳墓前，低頭往裡看，見細麻布獨在一處，就回去了，心裡稀奇所成的事。

在約翰福音裡，彼得和約翰聽了馬利亞的話就立刻跑到墓裡察看，就信了。

The Kind of People Jesus Uses to Build His Church

2019-07-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 22:2-19.  Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 22:2-4 (NIV) 
2  So David gave orders to assemble the aliens living in Israel, and from among them he appointed stonecutters to prepare dressed stone for building the house of God. 
3  He provided a large amount of iron to make nails for the doors of the gateways and for the fittings, and more bronze than could be weighed. 
4  He also provided more cedar logs than could be counted, for the Sidonians and Tyrians had brought large numbers of them to David.

On verses 2-4:  Here we see King David making preparations for the building of the temple.  As part of this, King David appoints some of the aliens (i.e. foreigners) living in Israel to be stonecutters and to prepare dressed stones for building the temple. 

Likewise, in the same chapter where Peter calls us royal priests and stones that God is using to build His house, we are also called “aliens and strangers in the world” (1 Peter 2:11). The kind of people Jesus uses to build His church are “the aliens” among us – i.e. those of us who don’t live as if earth is our final home, but who realize that our real home is in heaven and that we are but strangers in this world, living for a kingdom that is not of this world.  When you have the mindset that heaven is our home, you won’t get too attached to the material things of this world, and as such you can more easily be used by the Lord to build His church.

The One Who Goes Before You

2019-07-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 21:18-22:1.  Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 21:18-19 (NIV) 
18  Then the angel of the LORD ordered Gad to tell David to go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.
19  So David went up in obedience to the word that Gad had spoken in the name of the LORD.

On verses 18-19:  After having allowed David and all of Israel to suffer a great plague because of David’s sin, here the Lord sends Gad the prophet with a message for David.  Gad tells David to build an altar at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite, the very place where God would command the plague to stop (see verses 15 and 27).  The fact that God would take the initiative to tell David to build an altar suggests to me an important lesson:  God is just as intentional about restoring a sinner as He is about disciplining them. This is a good lesson for parents.  When our kids go astray, it is important to discipline them, but after the discipline remember to reassure them of your love and to reaffirm the relationship. 

1 Chronicles 21:20-21 (NIV) 
20  While Araunah was threshing wheat, he turned and saw the angel; his four sons who were with him hid themselves.
21  Then David approached, and when Araunah looked and saw him, he left the threshing floor and bowed down before David with his face to the ground.

復活

2019-07-24 in /by

馬太福音28: 1_10_復活

1安息日將盡，七日的頭一日天快亮的時候，抹大拉的馬利亞和那個馬利亞來看墳墓。 2 忽然，地大震動，因為有主的使者從天上下來，把石頭滾開，坐在上面。3 他的相貌如同閃電，衣服潔白如雪。 4 看守的人就因他嚇得渾身亂戰，甚至和死人一樣。 5 天使對婦女說：「不要害怕！我知道你們是尋找那釘十字架的耶穌。 6 他不在這裡，照他所說的，已經復活了。你們來看安放主的地方！ 7 快去告訴他的門徒，說他從死裡復活了，並且在你們以先往加利利去，在那裡你們要見他。看哪，我已經告訴你們了！」 8 婦女們就急忙離開墳墓，又害怕又大大地歡喜，跑去要報給他的門徒。 9 忽然，耶穌遇見她們，說：「願你們平安！」她們就上前抱住他的腳拜他。 10 耶穌對她們說：「不要害怕！你們去告訴我的弟兄，叫他們往加利利去，在那裡必見我。」

安息日將盡，七日的頭一日天快亮的時候After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned。安息日將盡，是星期六的黃昏，既是黃昏，又怎麼會是天快亮的時候？在語句有衝突時，最容易令人想到的錯誤，便是可能翻譯的問題。

馬可16:1-3過了安息日，抹大拉的馬利亞和雅各的母親馬利亞並撒羅米買了香膏，要去膏耶穌的身體。七日的第一日清早，出太陽的時候，她們來到墳墓那裡， 彼此說：「誰給我們把石頭從墓門滾開呢？」

路加24:1-2七日的頭一日，黎明的時候，那些婦女帶著所預備的香料來到墳墓前， 2 看見石頭已經從墳墓滾開了。

約翰20:1七日的第一日清早，天還黑的時候，抹大拉的馬利亞來到墳墓那裡，看見石頭從墳墓挪開了。

從這三本福音書的記載可以看到和馬太所記載的己有一夜之隔。馬太記載的是安息日結束後，也就是當天黃昏發生的事，而其他三位作者記的是週日早上的看見。那為何會有「七日的頭一日天快亮的時候」？七日的頭一日，也就是週六結束，當天黃昏的開始就是七日的頭一日。那怎麼會「天快亮的時候」？王明道先生提及在馬太福音裡這字的原文是epiphoskolg ，在路加福暜3章54節裡也用了這個字，但是譯為「安息日也快到了。」假如「七日的頭一日天快亮的時候」譯為「七日的頭一日也快到了」，是不是就「案情大明」了呢？

埋葬

2019-07-23 in /by

馬太福音27: 57_66_埋葬

57 到了晚上，有一個財主，名叫約瑟，是亞利馬太來的，他也是耶穌的門徒， 58 這人去見彼拉多，求耶穌的身體。彼拉多就吩咐給他。 59 約瑟取了身體，用乾淨細麻布裹好， 60 安放在自己的新墳墓裡，就是他鑿在磐石裡的。他又把大石頭滾到墓門口，就去了。 61 有抹大拉的馬利亞和那個馬利亞在那裡，對著墳墓坐著。

62 次日，就是預備日的第二天，祭司長和法利賽人聚集來見彼拉多，說： 63 「大人，我們記得那誘惑人的還活著的時候曾說：『三日後我要復活。』 64 因此，請吩咐人將墳墓把守妥當，直到第三日，恐怕他的門徒來把他偷了去，就告訴百姓說他從死裡復活了。這樣，那後來的迷惑比先前的更厲害了。」 65 彼拉多說：「你們有看守的兵，去吧，盡你們所能的把守妥當。」 66 他們就帶著看守的兵同去，封了石頭，將墳墓把守妥當。

假如你記得的話，耶穌騎驢進京，用的是沒有人曾騎過的驢駒；埋葬耶穌身體的，也是一個新墳墓。神的兒子要用的都是“初熟之物”，因為祂是神。我相信這當中沒有巧合，我們每一個在這世上都有神託咐的使命和計劃。財主約瑟也是為了這特別的一個任務而存在，當然他一定也還有其他的責任。

參加過葬禮，在屍體下土之後還坐在那裡的人，必然對死者有深厚的感情而不忍離去。有兩個馬利亞就是這樣。

上次我們提到，耶穌不可能在週五被釘，因為一來週五到週日再算也算不出三天三夜，二來在史上的那星期有兩個安息日。一個是逾越節的安息日，一個是普通的安息日。在這裡的“次日”，英文是after sundown,太陽下山之後，是猶太人第二天的開始，所以譯為“次日”。從華人的算法來看，還是同一天，就是被釘的那天黃昏。

Put Your Hope in God, Not in People

2019-07-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 21:1-17.  Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 21:1-6 (NIV) 
1  Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel. 
2  So David said to Joab and the commanders of the troops, “Go and count the Israelites from Beersheba to Dan. Then report back to me so that I may know how many there are.” 
3  But Joab replied, “May the LORD multiply his troops a hundred times over. My lord the king, are they not all my lord’s subjects? Why does my lord want to do this? Why should he bring guilt on Israel?” 
4  The king’s word, however, overruled Joab; so Joab left and went throughout Israel and then came back to Jerusalem. 
5  Joab reported the number of the fighting men to David: In all Israel there were one million one hundred thousand men who could handle a sword, including four hundred and seventy thousand in Judah. 
6  But Joab did not include Levi and Benjamin in the numbering, because the king’s command was repulsive to him.

On verses 1-6:  King David decides to count the number of fighting soldiers in his army, and God is not pleased with this.  You might ask, “What’s the big deal about counting soldiers?”  There is nothing wrong with counting numbers per se.  But where David sinned was in why he wanted to count numbers.   David’s sin was that he was placing his hope more in the number of people fighting for him than in the Lord who was fighting for him. 

神的兒子

2019-07-22 in /by

馬太福音27: 51_56_神的兒子

51 忽然，殿裡的幔子從上到下裂為兩半，地也震動，磐石也崩裂， 52 墳墓也開了，已睡聖徒的身體多有起來的。 53 到耶穌復活以後，他們從墳墓裡出來，進了聖城，向許多人顯現。 54 百夫長和一同看守耶穌的人看見地震並所經歷的事，就極其害怕，說：「這真是神的兒子了！」 55 有好些婦女在那裡遠遠地觀看，她們是從加利利跟隨耶穌來服侍他的。 56 內中有抹大拉的馬利亞，又有雅各和約西的母親馬利亞，並有西庇太兩個兒子的母親。

在耶穌斷氣的時候，聖殿裡的幔子從上到下裂為兩半。這是非常不尋常，從未發生過的事。那時地也震動，磐石也崩裂，墳墓也開了，並且死去的聖徒身體多有起來的。就像先知以利沙死後，人將他葬埋。在過年時，有摩押人侵入以色列，正好有人在埋他們的死人，忽然看見一群摩押人，就把死人拋在以利沙的墳墓裡。沒想到那個死者一碰著以利沙的骸骨，死人就復活，站起來了(王下13:20-21)。神的能力要在何時發生，真不是人可以想像的。

在主後七十年，也就是聖殿被毀後的幾百年裡，猶太拉比編輯了兩部關於猶太人的思想、宗教歷史及注釋的經書。一部在巴勒斯坦寫的，稱為《耶路撒冷他勒目》(Jerusalem Talmud)，另一部在巴比倫寫成，稱為《巴比倫他勒目》(Babylonian Talmud)。 在耶穌升天之後的四十年裡，《耶路撒冷他勒目》記載了一些不尋常之事。當百夫長因為所看到的事說：「這真是神的兒子了！」 我們是否也會因為接下來發生的事而明白耶穌真是神的兒子？

Slaying the Giants in Your Life

2019-07-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 20:1-8.  Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 20:1-3 (NIV) 
1  In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, Joab led out the armed forces. He laid waste the land of the Ammonites and went to Rabbah and besieged it, but David remained in Jerusalem. Joab attacked Rabbah and left it in ruins. 
2  David took the crown from the head of their king–its weight was found to be a talent of gold, and it was set with precious stones–and it was placed on David’s head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city 
3  and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.

On verse 1-3:  Here we see a longtime enemy of Israel, the Ammonites, fighting against King David and his army.  Under the leadership of David’s commander in chief Joab, the armies of Israel defeat the Ammonites soundly and consign them to labor.   In a similar way, the Bible says that for a long time we were enemies of God’s kingdom (Colossians 1:21), constantly fighting against its king – Jesus Christ — until the day we surrendered to Him and allowed Him to take over our lives.  When the kingdom of God took over our lives, we went from being his enemies to becoming his servants.