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2 Underrated Traits of Effective Leaders

2019-07-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 24:1-31.  Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 24:3 (NIV) 
3  With the help of Zadok a descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelech a descendant of Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their appointed order of ministering.

1 Chronicles 24:19 (NIV) 
19  This was their appointed order of ministering when they entered the temple of the LORD, according to the regulations prescribed for them by their forefather Aaron, as the LORD, the God of Israel, had commanded him.

On verses 1-19:  Here we are given a list of the names of the priests and their families who led the Israelites in worship.  The priests were divided into 24 teams and each team was to serve two weeks per year.  During the remainder of the year the members of that team would be serving the community and teaching God’s Word. 

诗篇第一篇

2019-07-28 in /by

诗篇第一篇

1不从恶人的计谋，不站罪人的道路，不坐亵慢人的座位，
2 唯喜爱耶和华的律法，昼夜思想，这人便为有福！
3 他要像一棵树，栽在溪水旁，按时候结果子，叶子也不枯干，凡他所做的，尽都顺利。
4 恶人并不是这样，乃像糠秕，被风吹散。
5 因此当审判的时候，恶人必站立不住，罪人在义人的会中也是如此。
6 因为耶和华知道义人的道路，恶人的道路却必灭亡。

大卫王在〈诗篇〉的一开始就写了许多从人的角度去赞美神的诗歌。在〈诗篇〉第一篇里，在决定人生的方向，在选择前面要走的道路时，他便开始思想要怎样走，该怎样去走。可见大卫王是一个非常有智慧的人，他不会随便，也不冲动。

他不是以专业作为人生的方向，也不是以兴趣作为人生的抉择，他对自己的要求是一种心态，一种在面对各种环境时都能领他走在正路上的智慧。

他要决定，要做一个正直的人或诡诈的人，他希望将来满有收成或一无所获。这种面对人生的态度将决定他在以色列的土地上成为一个怎样的人。

大使命

2019-07-26 in /by

马太福音28: 16_20_大使命

16 十一个门徒往加利利去，到了耶稣约定的山上。 17 他们见了耶稣就拜他，然而还有人疑惑。 18 耶稣进前来，对他们说：「天上地下所有的权柄都赐给我了。 19 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， 20 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。」

耶稣的话不改变，一定应验。在受难之前，耶稣己经告诉门徒，复活之后要到加利利和门徒会面。果然，耶稣复活后就去加利利和门徒会面了。有的人觉得为何耶稣不显现给他看，他就相信了。耶稣的确向许多人显现，尤其在这个世代里，有许多回教徒、犹太教徒或佛教徒，都因为看到耶稣而成为基督徒，为什么耶稣不向那些想要看的人显现呢？

耶稣曾说，那些没有看见就信的人有福了。我相信耶稣喜欢我们做有福的人。实际上，这也是真的有福，因为与其守株待兔地等待，倒不如早早相信，与神和好就能在生命中经历耶稣了。主耶稣要向谁显现不是我们可以决定的，但是否要做一个有福之人却是我们可以决定的。

耶稣在约定的山上向门徒宣使了大使命。原来受难和复活都只是神计划中的过程，更重要的使命现在才宣布：「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。」

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.  

传言

2019-07-25 in /by

马太福音28: 11_15_传言

11 她们去的时候，看守的兵有几个进城去，将所经历的事都报给祭司长。 12 祭司长和长老聚集商议，就拿许多银钱给兵丁，说： 13 「你们要这样说：『夜间我们睡觉的时候，他的门徒来把他偷去了。』 14 倘若这话被巡抚听见，有我们劝他，保你们无事。」 15 兵丁受了银钱，就照所嘱咐他们的去行。这话就传说在犹太人中间，直到今日。

在上一段的经文里，我们看到耶稣复活时不仅有两个马利亚亲眼所见，就是看守的兵丁也是目击证人。看守耶稣之墓的兵不是一般小卒，而是彼拉多派出的罗马兵，骁勇善战的军人。何事会让壮如泰山的罗马兵吓到浑身乱战，其至像死人一样不能动呢？他们看到天使，看到天使滚动石头，看到天使的相貌如同闪电，衣服洁白如雪。然后，耶稣的尸体不见了。

当两个马利亚快乐地带着耶稣复活的信息去找耶稣的门徒时，那几位目击证人罗马兵也飞奔著去告诉祭司长，耶稣复活了。

马可16:10 她去告诉那向来跟随耶稣的人，那时他们正哀恸哭泣。 11 他们听见耶稣活了，被马利亚看见，却是不信。

路加24:10-12 那告诉使徒的就是抹大拉的马利亚和约亚拿，并雅各的母亲马利亚，还有与她们在一处的妇女。11 她们这些话使徒以为是胡言，就不相信。 彼得起来，跑到坟墓前，低头往里看，见细麻布独在一处，就回去了，心里稀奇所成的事。

在约翰福音里，彼得和约翰听了马利亚的话就立刻跑到墓里察看，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.

复活

2019-07-24 in /by

马太福音28: 1_10_复活

1安息日将尽，七日的头一日天快亮的时候，抹大拉的马利亚和那个马利亚来看坟墓。 2 忽然，地大震动，因为有主的使者从天上下来，把石头滚开，坐在上面。3 他的相貌如同闪电，衣服洁白如雪。 4 看守的人就因他吓得浑身乱战，甚至和死人一样。 5 天使对妇女说：「不要害怕！我知道你们是寻找那钉十字架的耶稣。 6 他不在这里，照他所说的，已经复活了。你们来看安放主的地方！ 7 快去告诉他的门徒，说他从死里复活了，并且在你们以先往加利利去，在那里你们要见他。看哪，我已经告诉你们了！」 8 妇女们就急忙离开坟墓，又害怕又大大地欢喜，跑去要报给他的门徒。 9 忽然，耶稣遇见她们，说：「愿你们平安！」她们就上前抱住他的脚拜他。 10 耶稣对她们说：「不要害怕！你们去告诉我的弟兄，叫他们往加利利去，在那里必见我。」

安息日将尽，七日的头一日天快亮的时候After the Sabbath, as the first light of the new week dawned。安息日将尽，是星期六的黄昏，既是黄昏，又怎么会是天快亮的时候？在语句有冲突时，最容易令人想到的错误，便是可能翻译的问题。

马可16:1-3过了安息日，抹大拉的马利亚和雅各的母亲马利亚并撒罗米买了香膏，要去膏耶稣的身体。七日的第一日清早，出太阳的时候，她们来到坟墓那里， 彼此说：「谁给我们把石头从墓门滚开呢？」

路加24:1-2七日的头一日，黎明的时候，那些妇女带着所预备的香料来到坟墓前， 2 看见石头已经从坟墓滚开了。

约翰20:1七日的第一日清早，天还黑的时候，抹大拉的马利亚来到坟墓那里，看见石头从坟墓挪开了。

从这三本福音书的记载可以看到和马太所记载的己有一夜之隔。马太记载的是安息日结束后，也就是当天黄昏发生的事，而其他三位作者记的是周日早上的看见。那为何会有「七日的头一日天快亮的时候」？七日的头一日，也就是周六结束，当天黄昏的开始就是七日的头一日。那怎么会「天快亮的时候」？王明道先生提及在马太福音里这字的原文是epiphoskolg ，在路加福暜3章54节里也用了这个字，但是译为「安息日也快到了。」假如「七日的头一日天快亮的时候」译为「七日的头一日也快到了」，是不是就「案情大明」了呢？

埋葬

2019-07-23 in /by

马太福音27: 57_66_埋葬

57 到了晚上，有一个财主，名叫约瑟，是亚利马太来的，他也是耶稣的门徒， 58 这人去见彼拉多，求耶稣的身体。彼拉多就吩咐给他。 59 约瑟取了身体，用干净细麻布裹好， 60 安放在自己的新坟墓里，就是他凿在磐石里的。他又把大石头滚到墓门口，就去了。 61 有抹大拉的马利亚和那个马利亚在那里，对着坟墓坐着。

62 次日，就是预备日的第二天，祭司长和法利赛人聚集来见彼拉多，说： 63 「大人，我们记得那诱惑人的还活着的时候曾说：『三日后我要复活。』 64 因此，请吩咐人将坟墓把守妥当，直到第三日，恐怕他的门徒来把他偷了去，就告诉百姓说他从死里复活了。这样，那后来的迷惑比先前的更厉害了。」 65 彼拉多说：「你们有看守的兵，去吧，尽你们所能的把守妥当。」 66 他们就带着看守的兵同去，封了石头，将坟墓把守妥当。

假如你记得的话，耶稣骑驴进京，用的是没有人曾骑过的驴驹；埋葬耶稣身体的，也是一个新坟墓。神的儿子要用的都是“初熟之物”，因为祂是神。我相信这当中没有巧合，我们每一个在这世上都有神托咐的使命和计划。财主约瑟也是为了这特别的一个任务而存在，当然他一定也还有其他的责任。

参加过葬礼，在尸体下土之后还坐在那里的人，必然对死者有深厚的感情而不忍离去。有两个马利亚就是这样。

上次我们提到，耶稣不可能在周五被钉，因为一来周五到周日再算也算不出三天三夜，二来在史上的那星期有两个安息日。一个是逾越节的安息日，一个是普通的安息日。在这里的“次日”，英文是after sundown,太阳下山之后，是犹太人第二天的开始，所以译为“次日”。从华人的算法来看，还是同一天，就是被钉的那天黄昏。

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.