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Jesus Is All You Need + Making Your Faith in Christ Attractive

2019-06-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Titus 2:9-15.  Let’s go!

Titus 2:9-10 (NIV) 
9  Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them,
10  and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. 

On verses 9-10:  When Paul tells slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, is Paul condoning slavery?  Nowadays whenever we think of slaves, we might think of the barbaric practices of more recent Western slave trading, where people are kidnapped, treated inhumanely and forced to work as slaves against their will for little or no compensation. We might also think about the cruel enslavement of the Israelites by the Egyptians in Exodus. Keep in mind that slavery during Paul’s time probably looked quite different. 

We Need Self-Control

2019-06-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Titus 2:1-8.  Let’s go!

Titus 2:1 (NIV) 
1  You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.

On verse 1:  Once again Paul emphasizes to Titus the need to teach what is doctrinally sound.  It’s one of the big themes of the book of Titus: right living requires right believing, and part of defending against lies and falsehood is teaching the truth.  It’s no wonder one of Jesus’ favourite sayings during his ministry was “I tell you the truth”. 

On verses 2-6:   When Paul tells Titus what to teach the older men, older women, younger women and younger men in his church, there is a common theme that emerges no matter what the group he’s talking about:  the need to be self-controlled.   For example, in verse 3, when Paul says that the older women should not be “slanderers or addicted to much wine”, another way of saying this is that we must be self-controlled in our words (“not be slanderers”) as well as in our physical appetites (“not addicted to much wine”).  In other words, we must have self-control not just over what goes into our mouths but also what comes out of our mouths.

法利賽人的七禍(上)

2019-06-17 in /by

馬太福音23: 13_22_法利賽人的七禍(上)

13 「你們這假冒為善的文士和法利賽人有禍了！因為你們正當人前把天國的門關了，自己不進去，正要進去的人你們也不容他們進去。15 「你們這假冒為善的文士和法利賽人有禍了！因為你們走遍洋海陸地，勾引一個人入教，既入了教，卻使他做地獄之子，比你們還加倍。16 「你們這瞎眼領路的有禍了！你們說：『凡指著殿起誓的，這算不得什麼；只是凡指著殿中金子起誓的，他就該謹守。』 17 你們這無知瞎眼的人哪！什麼是大的？是金子呢，還是叫金子成聖的殿呢？ 18 你們又說：『凡指著壇起誓的，這算不得什麼；只是凡指著壇上禮物起誓的，他就該謹守。』 19 你們這瞎眼的人哪！什麼是大的？是禮物呢，還是叫禮物成聖的壇呢？ 20 所以，人指著壇起誓，就是指著壇和壇上一切所有的起誓； 21 人指著殿起誓，就是指著殿和那住在殿裡的起誓； 22 人指著天起誓，就是指著神的寶座和那坐在上面的起誓。

耶穌在走上十字架之前道出法利賽人的七禍。七禍在信息聖經裡是指法利賽人的七件惡事。在希臘文化裡，相信好人必有好報，也可以上天堂，很多人覺得自己是好人，不需要耶穌的救贖也可以上天堂。但是耶穌對他們的評價讓他們傻眼了。我們是否也如此，自我感覺良好，但是在聖靈的光照下竟然有超多的污點。

耶穌先指責他們假冒為善。在希臘文中，假冒為善（Hypocrite）含有演戲的意思，在古典希臘文中，這個字沒有任何不好的意思；自從耶穌用來批評宗教界人士，帶給這字全新的意思。耶穌強調人的内心與外在表現之對比，將表裡不一帶進道德的層面。今天我們先看三點，也順便看看自己有沒有這方面的盲點。

能說不能行

2019-06-16 in /by

馬太福音23: 1_12_能說不能行

1那時，耶穌對眾人和門徒講論， 2 說：「文士和法利賽人坐在摩西的位上，3 凡他們所吩咐你們的，你們都要謹守遵行，但不要效法他們的行為，因為他們能說不能行。 4 他們把難擔的重擔捆起來，擱在人的肩上，但自己一個指頭也不肯動。5 他們一切所做的事都是要叫人看見，所以將佩戴的經文做寬了，衣裳的穗子做長了； 6 喜愛筵席上的首座、會堂裡的高位，7又喜愛人在街市上問他安，稱呼他『拉比』。 8 但你們不要受拉比的稱呼，因為只有一位是你們的夫子，你們都是弟兄。 9 也不要稱呼地上的人為父，因為只有一位是你們的父，就是在天上的父。10 也不要受師尊的稱呼，因為只有一位是你們的師尊，就是基督。 11 你們中間誰為大，誰就要做你們的用人。 12 凡自高的，必降為卑；自卑的，必升為高。

畢德生牧師說，大多數人一開始參與服事時都抱著很單純的意念和愛主的心志，然後隨著時間的磨移和環境的影響，才開始假冒為善。我很贊同他的觀點。因為當法利賽人不是一件容易的事，要把所有的律法都背起來，而且一天到晚裝得十分聖潔；就像天主教的神父，是抱著清心寡慾的意願去服侍神和人，但是有許多無法戰勝生理的慾望，以致於犯下了許多見不得光的事，又一件件地被挖出來，重現於眾人面前。

Protect the Truth

2019-06-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Titus 1:10-16.  Let’s go!

Titus 1:10-11 (NIV) 
10  For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group.
11  They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach–and that for the sake of dishonest gain.

On verses 10-11: Paul warns Titus to guard against those who try to deceive the church in Crete with false doctrine.  In particular, Paul warns Titus about the “circumcision group” (also known as the Judaizers) who taught that in order to be saved it was not enough to believe in Jesus but that you must also be circumcised and follow the ceremonial and food regulations of the Jewish law.   Paul warns Titus sternly about them.  He tells Titus to speak for the truth and silence those false teachers.  It’s no wonder that when picking leaders, Paul especially emphasized that a leader must “hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refuse those who oppose it” (v9).

What to Look for in a Leader

2019-06-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin the book of Titus, a letter that the apostle Paul wrote to one of his closest disciples and teammates Titus shortly after 64 AD.  Titus did not come from a Jewish background.  He was Greek.  Titus traveled with Paul on his mission trips (Galatians 2:1-3) and was a trusted assistant of Paul’s.  Afterwards, Paul left Titus to pastor the church they started in Crete.  The book of Titus is a follow up letter from Paul to Titus where Paul instructs Titus on how to lead and teach the church in Crete.  In it are some valuable truths and life lessons for us.

Today’s passage is Titus 1:1-9.  Let’s go!

Titus 1:1 (NIV) 
1  Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness–

On verse 1:  God’s truth is not just something God wants you to know for the sake of gaining more knowledge or for mere academic reasons.  Rather, knowing God’s truth is meant to lead to godliness.   God’s truth is not just informational; it’s transformational.  It is there not just to inform you, but to transform your heart, your mind and ultimately your behavior, to make you more godly, more like Christ.

祂是誰的子孫

2019-06-14 in /by

馬太福音22: 41_46_祂是誰的子孫

41 法利賽人聚集的時候，耶穌問他們說： 42 「論到基督，你們的意見如何？祂是誰的子孫呢？」他們回答說：「是大衛的子孫。」 43 耶穌說：「這樣，大衛被聖靈感動，怎麼還稱祂為主說： 44 『主對我主說：你坐在我的右邊，等我把你仇敵放在你的腳下』？ 45 大衛既稱祂為主，祂怎麼又是大衛的子孫呢？」 46 他們沒有一個人能回答一言。從那日以後，也沒有人敢再問他什麼。

你可以想像到，當撒都該人和法利賽人把可以想到的難題都拿出來，卻考不倒耶穌時，那種心裡的無奈嗎？就在這時，耶穌反擊了，問他們一個他們不曾想過的問題：「論到基督，你們的意見如何？祂是誰的子孫呢？大衛既稱他為主，他怎麼又是大衛的子孫呢？」耶穌希望他們能藉著思考來明白祂的身份，可是人的思想何其有限。就是現在，也有很多人只喜歡耶穌的教導，卻無法接受耶穌是神基督的位份。

新約中有十七處將耶穌描寫為“大衛王的子孫”。 但是大衛生活在耶穌出生之前約一千年，耶穌怎麼可能是大衛的子孫？

有好幾次耶穌被因信而尋求憐憫或醫治的人們稱作“主啊，大衛的子孫”： 女兒被鬼附得很苦的婦人（太 15:22 ），坐在路旁的兩個瞎子（太 20:30 ），和瞎子巴底買（可 10:47 ）都向“大衛的子孫”呼喊求救。 他們給祂的尊稱宣告了對祂的信心。 稱他為“主”表達了他們認可祂的神性、統轄和權力，而稱祂為“大衛王的子孫”表明他們認祂為彌賽亞。 耶穌是應許中的彌賽亞，這意味著祂必是大衛的後裔。

最大的誡命

2019-06-13 in /by

太福音22: 34_40_最大的誡命

34 法利賽人聽見耶穌堵住了撒都該人的口，他們就聚集。 35 內中有一個人是律法師，要試探耶穌，就問他說： 36 「夫子，律法上的誡命哪一條是最大的呢？」 37 耶穌對他說：「你要盡心、盡性、盡意愛主你的神。 38 這是誡命中的第一，且是最大的。 39 其次也相仿，就是要愛人如己。 40 這兩條誡命是律法和先知一切道理的總綱。」

這是耶穌在聖城的第二天，猶太人並沒有輕易放過祂。從猶太人最高議會的“三和林＂（Sanhedrin）領袖來質問耶穌的權柄，接著由法利賽人和希律黨人聯手問繳稅的問題，接著就是撒都該人問復活，現在輪到律法師（文士）上場。律法師也是聖經學研究師，律法自然是他們最拿手的。他們能不知道這個問題的答案嗎？他們是胸有成竹，企圖來羞辱耶穌的。因為他們認定在613條誡命中，有248條積極的誡命，365條消極的誡命。積極的誡命是要人當做哪些事，消極的誡命是不可以做哪些事。他們的問題便是針對積極的誡命而發，有那麼多該做的事，哪一件是最重要的？若是耶穌的回答不合他們的心意，那他們便可當眾羞辱耶穌，說祂沒有教導的資格。

其實在律法師當中也有不同的看法，有的人認為守安息日比其他誡命都重要，有的人認為獻祭比守誡命重要，有的人認為遵守割禮最重要。因此這也是他們之間一個無法解決的問題。信徒之間不也常常有類似的問題嗎？好像敬拜時，應該以儀式為重，或是隨意為主；要讓人覺得方便好呢？還是要讓人感受到敬拜的莊重？

Earthly Kingdoms Will fall, But Christ’s Kingdom Will Last Forever

2019-06-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 25:8-30.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 25:21 (NIV) 
21  There at Riblah, in the land of Hamath, the king had them executed. So Judah went into captivity, away from her land. 

On 2 Kings 25:8-21: King Nebuchadnezzar has captured Judah’s capital city of Jerusalem and has deported Judah’s King Zedekiah along with approximately 10,000 Judahites to Babylon (v1-7). Now in these verses we see King Nebuchadnezzar setting fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace, all the houses and every important building in Jerusalem (v8-9).  He destroys Jerusalem’s defensive walls (v10).  He carries off almost all the remaining people back to Babylon with him, except for Jeremiah the prophet (see Jeremiah 39:11-14) and the city’s poorest of the poor who are allowed to stay to work the vineyards (v11-12).  He hollows out the Lord’s temple of everything valuable (v13-17) and executes the priests and leaders in Jerusalem (v18-21).  Jerusalem has fallen.