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辯論復活

2019-06-12 in /by

馬太福音22: 23_33_辯論復活

23 撒都該人常說沒有復活的事。那天，他們來問耶穌，說： 24 「夫子，摩西說：『人若死了，沒有孩子，他兄弟當娶他的妻，為哥哥生子立後。』 25 從前在我們這裡有弟兄七人，第一個娶了妻，死了，沒有孩子，撇下妻子給兄弟。 26 第二、第三直到第七個，都是如此。 27 末後，婦人也死了。 28 這樣，當復活的時候，她是七個人中哪一個的妻子呢？因為他們都娶過她。」 29 耶穌回答說：「你們錯了，因為不明白聖經，也不曉得神的大能。 30 當復活的時候，人也不娶也不嫁，乃像天上的使者一樣。 31 論到死人復活，神在經上向你們所說的，你們沒有念過嗎？ 32 他說：『我是亞伯拉罕的神、以撒的神、雅各的神。』神不是死人的神，乃是活人的神。」 33 眾人聽見這話，就稀奇他的教訓。

這是一段很有意思的討論，讓我們看見屬天和屬地的人之眼光何等不同。

在猶太人的傳統裡，為了保護各人的地產，有一種條例，就是兄弟之間有義務為死去的兄弟留個後裔，免得因為沒有後裔，以致地產被變賣成為他人的。所以他們有這樣的疑問，若一個女人和弟兄七人都結過婚，將來到了天上，這女人算是誰的妻子？撒都該人不相信復活，所以用這個例子來考耶穌: 假如有復活的話，將來在天上這些人怎麼辦？

耶穌的回答是為了讓他們明白屬天和屬地的人之眼光何等不同。為了讓他們知道，人到了天上之後和地上的情形完全不同。耶穌說，“人復活之後，不娶也不嫁，乃像天上的使者一樣。”耶穌讓他們明白，第一，人的確可以復活。因為“神原不是死人的神，乃是活人的神，因為在祂那裡人都是活的。(路20:38)”其次，在神那裡的活人不再有兩性的分別，因為天上的使者是沒有性別的。

納稅給該撒

2019-06-11 in /by

馬太福音22: 15_22_納稅給該撒

15 當時，法利賽人出去商議，怎樣就著耶穌的話陷害他， 16 就打發他們的門徒同希律黨的人去見耶穌，說：「夫子，我們知道你是誠實人，並且誠誠實實傳神的道，什麼人你都不徇情面，因為你不看人的外貌。 17 請告訴我們你的意見如何：納稅給愷撒可以不可以？」

18 耶穌看出他們的惡意，就說：「假冒為善的人哪，為什麼試探我？ 19 拿一個上稅的錢給我看。」他們就拿一個銀錢來給他。 20 耶穌說：「這像和這號是誰的？」21 他們說：「是愷撒的。」耶穌說：「這樣，愷撒的物當歸給愷撒，神的物當歸給神。」 22 他們聽見就稀奇，離開他走了。

再一次我們看到耶穌面對難題所表現的智慧。而耶穌回答問題的智慧經常可以給我們很多靈感去面對生活中的一些抉擇。讀《聖經》時，我們若肯花一點時間去思想，就會發現神就是用祂的話在指引我們人生的方向，生活的選擇。但是你若每次讀《聖經》只是為了應付必須的“靈修”要求，很可能會覺得味如嚼臘。

在馬太和馬可的記錄中，他們指出法利賽人和希律黨人想要陷害耶穌；路加卻更進一步指出，他們窺探耶穌，打發奸細裝作好人，為要在祂的話上得把柄，好將祂交在巡撫的政權之下。因為猶太人的公會不能定人死罪，只有羅馬賦予政權、所指派的巡撫才有權致人於死。在他們三人的記載裡，我們不難發現，原本分道揚鑣的政客，竟然合作要致耶穌於死地。在這裡一共有四群人想害耶穌：法利賽人、希律黨人、文士和祭司長。

God Is King Over All + Don’t Just Love with Words but with Action

2019-06-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 23:21-24:7.  There are so many good lessons we can learn from this passage.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 23:21-23 (NIV) 
21  The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” 
22  Not since the days of the judges who led Israel, nor throughout the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, had any such Passover been observed. 
23  But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem.
 
On verses 21-23:  In the Book of the Law, God had commanded His people to celebrate the Passover, an annual festival intended to commemorate how God had rescued His people.  As part of ushering a revival (a spiritual awakening) in his land, Josiah leads the people of Judah in celebrating the Passover for the first time in approximately 500 years.
 
What can we learn from this? When revival takes place in a person, group, or community, there is a renewed passion in the people to observe the ceremonies that God has instituted, also known as “ordinances”.  In the Christian church there are two ordinances that Jesus commanded us to observe: baptism and communion. 

娶親的筵席

2019-06-10 in /by

馬太福音22: 1_14_娶親的筵席

1耶穌又用比喻對他們說： 2 「天國好比一個王為他兒子擺設娶親的筵席， 3 就打發僕人去，請那些被召的人來赴席，他們卻不肯來。 4 王又打發別的僕人，說：『你們告訴那被召的人：我的筵席已經預備好了，牛和肥畜已經宰了，各樣都齊備，請你們來赴席。』 5 那些人不理就走了：一個到自己田裡去，一個做買賣去，6 其餘的拿住僕人，凌辱他們，把他們殺了。 7 王就大怒，發兵除滅那些凶手，燒毀他們的城。 8 於是對僕人說：『喜筵已經齊備，只是所召的人不配。 9 所以你們要往岔路口上去，凡遇見的，都召來赴席。』 10 那些僕人就出去，到大路上，凡遇見的，不論善惡都召聚了來，筵席上就坐滿了客。 11 王進來觀看賓客，見那裡有一個沒有穿禮服的， 12 就對他說：『朋友，你到這裡來怎麼不穿禮服呢？』那人無言可答。 13 於是王對使喚的人說：『捆起他的手腳來，把他丟在外邊的黑暗裡，在那裡必要哀哭切齒了。』 14 因為被召的人多，選上的人少。」

有時，雖然知道瞭解比喻，要先明白它取喻的重心，但問題是，有些比喻並不容易摸着它的重心，娶親筵席的比喻（太二二：1-14）正是一例。

　　1. 要明白這比喻的重心，首先不要忽略“天國好比…”這句話是指下文整個比喻，不是單指比喻中的某一個人物或某一件事。就如：天國不是好比一個王為兒子擺設娶親筵席；也不是好比王打發僕人請被召的人來赴席。而是好比：由第三節到十三節的整段描寫的情形，這是瞭解所有天國比喻非常重要的關鍵。

　　2. 這比喻很自然的分作兩段講述。首段講述那王怎樣打發人去請被召的人來赴席，而都被拒絕，王大怒而發兵除滅他們。末段講述王怎樣從岔路口邀請人來赴席，在赴席的人中有人不穿禮服而被丟在黑暗裏哀哭切齒。

The God of Revival

2019-06-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,
 
Today’s passage is 2 Kings 23:1-20.  In this passage, King Josiah of Judah has just discovered the long lost Book of the Law (consisting of the first five books of the Old Testament, also known as the Pentateuch).  He realizes that he and his nation of Judah have not lived up to God’s commands contained inside that book.  So King Josiah assembles the nation of Judah, reads the Book of the Law to them, has them pray and pledge in the presence of God that they will obey God’s commands.  He then proceeds to get rid of all the shrines, altars and sites used to worship idols in Judah. 
 
It’s worth noting that before Josiah, three other kings of Judah had tried to cleanse Judah of these idolatrous shrines, altars and sites — Asa in 1 Kings 15, Jehoshaphat in 1 Kings 22 and his grandfather Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18.  But Josiah’s efforts are far more extensive. 
 
What is happening here?  God is using Josiah to usher in a time of revival in the land of Judah.  What is revival?  Revival is a spiritual awakening that takes place in a group of people, such as a family, church, city or country.  When there is revival, people are more passionate about worshiping God, more focused on pleasing God with their lives, more inclined to confess their sins and seek God’s help, and more courageous in sharing Christ with others. 

Have a Soft and Responsive Heart toward God’s Word

2019-06-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 22:1-20.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-20:  At just eight years old Josiah becomes king of Judah.  At age 26, Josiah leads a campaign to repair the temple of the Lord.  As the temple is being repaired, workers in the temple recover an old Book of the Law, which most likely contained the first five books of the Bible, also known as the Pentateuch.  (Some scholars say that during the reign of Josiah’s father King Manasseh, Manasseh tried to destroy all copies of the Pentateuch, and this one copy may have been the only one left.)  

As Josiah reads this Book of the Law, his heart is moved.  In an act of repentance and mourning, Josiah tears his robes and weeps.  Josiah realizes that his nation is incurring the wrath of God because they and their ancestors have not lived in accordance with God’s commands found in this book.  

So Josiah inquires of the Lord by seeking the advice of Huldah, a prophetess.  Huldah informs Josiah that, just as Josiah suspected, disaster is awaiting the people of Judah because they have turned to worship other gods and disobeyed God’s commands.  Huldah also tells Josiah that because Josiah humbled himself in response to God’s Word, tearing his robes and weeping in God’s presence, his generation would not see the disaster that would come to the people of Judah in their lifetime.

兩個兒子的比喻

2019-06-07 in /by

馬太福音21: 28_32_兩個兒子的比喻

28 又說：「一個人有兩個兒子。他來對大兒子說：『我兒，你今天到葡萄園裡去做工。』 29 他回答說『我不去』，以後自己懊悔，就去了。 30 又來對小兒子也是這樣說，他回答說『父啊，我去』，他卻不去。 31 你們想這兩個兒子是哪一個遵行父命呢？」他們說：「大兒子。」耶穌說：「我實在告訴你們：稅吏和娼妓倒比你們先進神的國。 32 因為約翰遵著義路到你們這裡來，你們卻不信他，稅吏和娼妓倒信他。你們看見了，後來還是不懊悔去信他。

根據猶太傳統，七七節是神賜下妥拉的日子，在這天在西乃山上的摩西，得到了妥拉(Matan Torah) (摩西五經)，在這天以色列正式成為一個民族。這是三大耶和華的節期之中的第二個，百姓必須上耶路撒冷，這也是為何有虔誠的猶太人從天下各國來，住在耶路撒冷。七七節是「Matan」的日子，Matan的意思是當新娘和新郎分開時，新郎所送給新娘的訂婚禮物，讓她能受到鼓勵、能變美、能確定這段關係，而這份禮物就是聖靈(也就是耶穌送給信徒的禮物)。(摘自〈以色列美角〉

為何今天要談到七七節呢？因為明天6月9日就是以色列人的五旬節，也是基督徒的聖靈降臨節。在前一晚上十點開始到第二天的六、七點，以色列人就會整夜讀《聖經》，然後才去睡覺。因為傳說上帝給摩西妥拉(摩西五經)時，以色列百姓都在睡覺。所以現在大家不睡覺，會一起讀聖經～代表對領受神話語的渴望。

Even When You’ve Lost Everything, There Is Still Hope

2019-06-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 21:1-26.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 21:11-12 (NIV) 
11  “Manasseh king of Judah has committed these detestable sins. He has done more evil than the Amorites who preceded him and has led Judah into sin with his idols. 
12  Therefore this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I am going to bring such disaster on Jerusalem and Judah that the ears of everyone who hears of it will tingle. 

On verses 1-18:  Manasseh replaces his father Hezekiah as the king of Judah.  But rather than following the Lord like his father Hezekiah did, Manasseh goes headlong into worshiping idols, committing violent crimes and even sacrificing his own son in the fire as part of idol worship.  Manasseh leads the rest of Judah to commit the same sins such that the nation of Judah ends up committing more evil than any nation that had previously occupied their land.  God’s response to Manasseh’s sins and Judah’s sins is clear and stern:  Judah would be looted, plundered and handed over to their enemies, thereby following in the footsteps of Samaria and the house of Ahab, who had also persistently sinned against Him.

When You’re Facing a Wall, Look Up and Look to God

2019-06-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 20:1-21.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 20:1-3 (NIV) 
1  In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” 
2  Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 
3  “Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

On verses 1-3:  Hezekiah is suffering from a life-threatening illness.  Initially Isaiah brings a message to Hezekiah from the Lord saying that he must get ready to die.  Turning his face to the wall, Hezekiah prays, weeps, and pleads with God for mercy.

What can we learn from this?  Just as Hezekiah turned and faced a wall and then prayed, when you’re facing a wall — no matter how insurmountable it may seem — let your first instinct be to go to God in prayer.  Pour out your heart to God.