Entries by

服侍的生命

2019-05-31 in /by

马太福音20: 17_28_服侍的生命

17 耶稣上耶路撒冷去的时候，在路上把十二个门徒带到一边，对他们说： 18 「看哪，我们上耶路撒冷去，人子要被交给祭司长和文士，他们要定他死罪， 19 又交给外邦人将他戏弄、鞭打、钉在十字架上，第三日他要复活。」

20 那时，西庇太儿子的母亲同她两个儿子上前来拜耶稣，求他一件事。 21 耶稣说：「你要什么呢？」她说：「愿你叫我这两个儿子在你国里，一个坐在你右边，一个坐在你左边。」 22 耶稣回答说：「你们不知道所求的是什么。我将要喝的杯，你们能喝吗？」他们说：「我们能。」 23 耶稣说：「我所喝的杯，你们必要喝；只是坐在我的左右，不是我可以赐的，乃是我父为谁预备的，就赐给谁。」24 那十个门徒听见，就恼怒他们弟兄二人。 25 耶稣叫了他们来，说：「你们知道，外邦人有君王为主治理他们，有大臣操权管束他们。 26 只是在你们中间不可这样，你们中间谁愿为大，就必做你们的用人； 27 谁愿为首，就必做你们的仆人。 28 正如人子来不是要受人的服侍，乃是要服侍人，并且要舍命做多人的赎价。」

当耶稣带着门徒往耶路撒冷前行时，祂再次告诉他们，此行的目的和后果。这次门徒听完了全部的信息，不像彼得上次只听到前一部份。明白了耶稣此行的目的后，门徒之间起了争执，还有人去把母亲带来求耶稣一件事。

Worship God Alone

2019-05-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 17:34-41.  Let’s go!

On verses 34-41:  We see some of the main lessons of 2 Kings reiterated here in these verses:

1.  We were made to worship the Lord alone (v36).  Three times in this short passage it says “Do not worship other gods” (v35, 37, 38). How do you know if you’re worshiping something other than the Lord?  Whatever we put first in our lives is what we worship.  What you worship is reflected in three things: your wallet, your time and your thoughts.  What we spend the most money, time and thought on is an indicator of what we truly worship.  

2.  Only in the Lord do we find real hope and deliverance (v39).

3.  Despite being admonished repeatedly to worship the Lord alone, the Israelites stubbornly persisted in their idol-worshiping ways, putting other things before God (v34, 40, 41a).  We too can be stubborn in our idol-worshiping ways.  We must be careful to guard against idol-worshiping tendencies.  

Keep It Simple and Seek to Please God Alone

2019-05-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 17:24-33. Let’s go!

2 Kings 17:25 (NIV) 
25  When they first lived there, they did not worship the LORD; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people. 

On verses 24-26:  Shalmaneser king of Assyria has deported the Israelites from Samaria (Israel’s capital city) and replaces them with people from foreign lands.  These foreigners do not worship the Lord in Samaria and are attacked, and in some cases killed, by lions.  This is the third case in 1 Kings and 2 Kings where someone is killed by a lion.  

What can we learn in this case?  When we do not worship the Lord but instead focus on other things, we become vulnerable to the attacks of the enemy, who is described as a lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).  

2 Kings 17:33 (NIV) 
33  They worshiped the LORD, but they also served their own gods in accordance with the customs of the nations from which they had been brought. 

进葡萄园工作的比喻

2019-05-30 in /by

马太福音20: 1_16_进葡萄园工作的比喻

1「因为天国好像家主清早出去雇人进他的葡萄园做工， 2 和工人讲定一天一钱银子，就打发他们进葡萄园去。 3 约在巳初出去，看见市上还有闲站的人， 4 就对他们说：『你们也进葡萄园去，所当给的，我必给你们。』他们也进去了。 5 约在午正和申初又出去，也是这样行。 6 约在酉初出去，看见还有人站在那里，就问他们说：『你们为什么整天在这里闲站呢？』 7 他们说：『因为没有人雇我们。』他说：『你们也进葡萄园去。』 8 到了晚上，园主对管事的说：『叫工人都来，给他们工钱，从后来的起，到先来的为止。』 9 约在酉初雇的人来了，各人得了一钱银子。 10 及至那先雇的来了，他们以为必要多得，谁知也是各得一钱。

11 「他们得了，就埋怨家主说： 12 『我们整天劳苦受热，那后来的只做了一小时，你竟叫他们和我们一样吗？』 13 家主回答其中的一人说：『朋友，我不亏负你。你与我讲定的不是一钱银子吗？ 14 拿你的走吧！我给那后来的和给你一样，这是我愿意的。 15 我的东西难道不可随我的意思用吗？因为我做好人，你就红了眼吗？』16 这样，那在后的将要在前，在前的将要在后了。」

马太福音第20章讲到天国的另一个比喻，就是进葡萄园工作的比喻。这比喻主要内容是讲到一个家主在清早，巳初，正午，申初，及酉初，这几个不同的时间出去请工人进葡萄园作工，最后他们各人所得的工钱都是一钱银子。

门徒的赏赐

2019-05-30 in /by

马太福音19: 27_30_门徒的赏赐

27 彼得就对他说：「看哪，我们已经撇下所有的跟从你，将来我们要得什么呢？」28 耶稣说：「我实在告诉你们：你们这跟从我的人，到复兴的时候，人子坐在他荣耀的宝座上，你们也要坐在十二个宝座上，审判以色列十二个支派。 29 凡为我的名撇下房屋或是弟兄、姐妹、父亲、母亲、儿女、田地的，必要得着百倍，并且承受永生。 30 然而，有许多在前的将要在后，在后的将要在前。

「看哪，我们已经撇下所有的跟从你，将来我们要得什么呢？」这是彼得的疑问，也是许多信徒的疑问。因为人都很现实，我既然付出了，可以得到怎样的回报？耶稣的回答超过彼得所求所想，因为神能给的和人心想得到的，实在有一大段的距离。就像小孩想的只是一个礼物，父母想的却是倾其所能的栽培。

假如你撇下所有的跟从耶稣，你希望将来得到什么？当一个男人热烈地追求一个女人时，他会不顾一切地付出。有的人天天做早餐给女朋友吃，有的人不分阴晴刮风下雨地送她上下班，有的人买钻戒、名牌包包等等，这样的付出是为了什么，不就是希望早日赢得芳心吗？当父母省吃减用地供应孩子上名校，又为了什么？

耶稣明白人的心里就是这些东西，因此对门徒说：「你们这跟从我的人，到复兴的时候，人子坐在祂荣耀的宝座上，你们也要坐在十二个宝座上，审判以色列十二个支派。」这是主对门徒的应许，这应许比起门徒的付出如何？

The Cost of Persistently Sinning Against God

2019-05-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 17:14-23.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 17:22-23 (NIV) 
22  The Israelites persisted in all the sins of Jeroboam and did not turn away from them
23  until the LORD removed them from his presence, as he had warned through all his servants the prophets. So the people of Israel were taken from their homeland into exile in Assyria, and they are still there. 

On verses 14-23:  These verses summarize the overall story of 2 Kings: Despite the Lord warning His people about sinning against Him and about the consequences that would result from their persistent sin, the Israelites both in Israel and in Judah persisted in all forms of sinning against the Lord (v14 to 19).  So the Lord does as He had warned: just as Abijah had prophesied approximately 200 years before in 1 Kings 14:15-16, God thrusts the Israelites from His presence and out of the land that He had given to them (v20-23).

在神凡事都能

2019-05-28 in /by

马太福音19: 23_27_在神凡事都能

23 耶稣对门徒说：「我实在告诉你们：财主进天国是难的。 24 我又告诉你们：骆驼穿过针的眼，比财主进神的国还容易呢！」 25 门徒听见这话，就稀奇得很，说：「这样谁能得救呢？」 26 耶稣看着他们说：「在人这是不能的，在神凡事都能。」27 彼得就对他说：「看哪，我们已经撇下所有的跟从你，将来我们要得什么呢？」

主耶稣这段话是在年轻的财主忧忧愁愁离去后说的，看着他的背影，想到他一生的规划何等仔细，为人何等精明，却无法在永生和财产之间分出高下，不禁感触良多：「财主进天国是难的!」

你可曾经历过如此艰难的时刻，在永生和财富之间做选择？

有位老牧师说，从前古代的耶路撒冷城，日落西山之后，城门便会关上，人要进城，便要靠城门旁的侧门出入，这侧门细小，只有一个人的身位，而这道侧门的名称，就是「针眼门」。可以想像，财主晚上来到城门，要进城的话，只能自己进去，不要说背后的骆驼不能进入「针眼门」，骆驼背上大大小小的财物，更没有可能进城了。所以，要么就放弃财物，身无一物的自己进城，要么就留在城外，哀哭切齿。耶稣所讲的，甚有道理。

但是圣经考古的结论是，这个假设没有任何根据。考古学家在古城发掘时，的确发现古城门，城门有大也有小的，但没有发现一些古代城门，设有另一道小侧门，枉论耶路撒冷城门有「针眼门」。

God Is Far More Merciful Than People

2019-05-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 17:1-13.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-13:  One thing that strikes me as I read this passage is how much more merciful and gracious the Lord is compared to Shalmaneser king of Assyria.  King Hoshea of Israel had been Shalmaneser’s vassal; in other words, King Hoshea had a relationship with Shalmaneser such that King Hoshea would pay tribute to Shalmaneser each year in exchange for Shalmaneser’s agreement to protect and not hurt Hoshea’s kingdom of Israel.  But secretly King Hoshea began to side with Egypt and stopped paying tribute to Shalmaneser.  In response to Hoshea’s rebellion and disloyalty, Shalmaneser seizes Hoshea, puts him in prison, lays siege to Israel for 3 years and deports the Israelites to Assyria.  

Just as King Hoshea was unfaithful to King Shalmaneser of Assyria, the Israelites were unfaithful to the Lord.  Verses 7-12 describe how the Israelites worshiped other gods, imitated the religious practices of foreign nations, and secretly did things against the Lord that were not right.  Rather than putting them in prison or taking away their land immediately the way Shalmaneser did, the Lord was patient with the Israelites from generation to generation, warning them not to worship idols.  It was only after persistent rebellion that the Lord finally disciplines the Israelites by allowing Assyria to invade Israel and deport the Israelites to Assyria.

来跟从我

2019-05-27 in /by

马太福音19: 16_22_来跟从我

16 有一个人来见耶稣说：「夫子，我该做什么善事才能得永生？」 17 耶稣对他说：「你为什么以善事问我呢？只有一位是善的。你若要进入永生，就当遵守诫命。」 18 他说：「什么诫命？」耶稣说：「就是不可杀人，不可奸淫，不可偷盗，不可作假见证， 19 当孝敬父母，又当爱人如己。」 20 那少年人说：「这一切我都遵守了，还缺少什么呢？」 21 耶稣说：「你若愿意做完全人，可去变卖你所有的，分给穷人，就必有财宝在天上；你还要来跟从我。」 22 那少年人听见这话，就忧忧愁愁地走了，因为他的产业很多。

有很多人都很会规划人生，不仅要赢在起跑点，而且什么都要争取到最好的：上最好的学校，进入最好的公司。来见耶稣的这个年轻人也是一个很有上进心的年轻人，他把自己的人生规划得很好，而且努力地把每一件该做的事都尽力去做，力求完美。

但是他的心里有一个不满足，跟历代的君王一样，他希望得着永生，永远的生命。这样的人有钱，有品格，有智慧，什么都有，唯一的不满足就是无法一直活下去，不让自己的肥水流入他人的手里。从犹太人的角度来看，能守住十诫就己经几乎完美了。对这样的人而言，神对他还能有什么更高的要求呢？他自己也是这么看的，他觉得或许在自己的完美之外，再多做一点善事就无可挑剔，值得拥有永生了。

Before You Make That Change, Ask Why

2019-05-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 King 16:1-20.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 16:3 (NIV) 
3  He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and even sacrificed his son in the fire, following the detestable ways of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 

On verses 1-4:  Ahaz replaces his father Jotham as king of Judah. Unlike his father, Ahaz is a staunch idol worshipper.  As part of worshiping an idol, Ahaz sacrifices his child in the fire (v3), hoping it will bring him prosperity. As horrific as such an act is and sounds, it is also a warning for parents today. Sometimes parents can be tempted to sacrifice their children for the sake of their careers or their financial gain.  So we neglect our children and deprive them of our presence all in the name of “making money for the family”.  While working and being providers for the family is important, let’s remember that in all our working and striving that our real treasure is our children and that what they need even more than money or material things is us, our time and our presence.