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The Fighters on Your Side

2019-07-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 11:20-47.  Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 11:22-25 (NIV) 
22  Benaiah son of Jehoiada was a valiant fighter from Kabzeel, who performed great exploits. He struck down two of Moab’s best men. He also went down into a pit on a snowy day and killed a lion.
23  And he struck down an Egyptian who was seven and a half feet tall. Although the Egyptian had a spear like a weaver’s rod in his hand, Benaiah went against him with a club. He snatched the spear from the Egyptian’s hand and killed him with his own spear.
24  Such were the exploits of Benaiah son of Jehoiada; he too was as famous as the three mighty men.
25  He was held in greater honor than any of the Thirty, but he was not included among the Three. And David put him in charge of his bodyguard.

On verses 21-25:  Continuing his description of David’s mighty men, the Chronicler turns his attention to Abishai  and Benaiah.  Benaiah was the son of a priest and a valiant fighter, whose exploits in verses 22-23 could be made into a movie.  Benaiah was so trustworthy and loyal to David that when David’s son Solomon became king, Solomon made Benaiah his own commander-in-chief over Israel’s army (1 Kings 4:4).  It’s appropriate that Benaiah’s name means “edified” for he certainly edified King David and King Solomon.

Giving Power and Getting Power

2019-07-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,
 
Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 11:1-19.  Let’s go!
 
1 Chronicles 11:1-3 (NIV) 
1  All Israel came together to David at Hebron and said, “We are your own flesh and blood. 
2  In the past, even while Saul was king, you were the one who led Israel on their military campaigns. And the LORD your God said to you, ‘You will shepherd my people Israel, and you will become their ruler.'” 
3  When all the elders of Israel had come to King David at Hebron, he made a compact with them at Hebron before the LORD, and they anointed David king over Israel, as the LORD had promised through Samuel.
 
On verses 1-3:  David stepped into his destiny as king of Israel with the affirmation, encouragement and empowering of others.  Who is someone who could use your affirmation, encouragement and empowering today?  When you go out of your way to affirm, encourage and empower another person, you help them step into their God-given calling. 

綿羊和山羊

2019-07-04 in /by

馬太福音25: 31_46_綿羊和山羊

31 「當人子在他榮耀裡同著眾天使降臨的時候，要坐在他榮耀的寶座上。 32 萬民都要聚集在他面前，他要把他們分別出來，好像牧羊的分別綿羊山羊一般： 33 把綿羊安置在右邊，山羊在左邊。 34 於是，王要向那右邊的說：『你們這蒙我父賜福的，可來承受那創世以來為你們所預備的國。 35 因為我餓了，你們給我吃；渴了，你們給我喝；我做客旅，你們留我住； 36 我赤身露體，你們給我穿；我病了，你們看顧我；我在監裡，你們來看我。』 37 義人就回答說：『主啊，我們什麼時候見你餓了給你吃，渴了給你喝？ 38 什麼時候見你做客旅留你住，或是赤身露體給你穿？ 39 又什麼時候見你病了或是在監裡，來看你呢？』 40 王要回答說：『我實在告訴你們：這些事你們既做在我這弟兄中一個最小的身上，就是做在我身上了。』 41 王又要向那左邊的說：『你們這被咒詛的人，離開我，進入那為魔鬼和他的使者所預備的永火裡去！ 42 因為我餓了，你們不給我吃；渴了，你們不給我喝； 43 我做客旅，你們不留我住；我赤身露體，你們不給我穿；我病了，我在監裡，你們不來看顧我。』44 他們也要回答說：『主啊，我們什麼時候見你餓了，或渴了，或做客旅，或赤身露體，或病了，或在監裡，不伺候你呢？』 45 王要回答說：『我實在告訴你們：這些事你們既不做在我這弟兄中一個最小的身上，就是不做在我身上了。』 46 這些人要往永刑裡去，那些義人要往永生裡去。」

當耶穌把人比喻為山羊和綿羊時，大家就趕快去看看這兩種羊各有什麼特色。結果發現，原來綿羊sheep的體形比較肥胖，毛厚且攣，羊角作螺旋狀捲曲，尾較短，生性溫馴不擇食，聽命服從牧人指令，適於群體生活；而山羊活潑好動，聰明好奇，有時會想方設法去穿越圍欄，還能輕易爬到彎曲的樹上。山羊體較瘦狹，頭長頸短，額有一對長而直的角，體毛長且直，下咢長有羊咩鬚，多呈黑色，體強力壯且性烈，喜歡硬頂，常用以形容野蠻人及惡霸。

其實綿羊和山羊在舊約都是潔淨的祭品，在巴勒斯坦的牧人經常讓兩種羊在同一塊草地上吃草和走動，牠們不會打架，不會嫉妒，也不會排斥對方。那何時牧人會把兩種羊分開呢？耶穌形容的萬民大約就是這樣混牧的情況，平常大家都在一起過著所謂多元包容的社會生活，可是一旦要回家，要面臨審判時，牧人就會把羊群分開了。

馬太效應

2019-07-03 in /by

馬太福音25: 14_30_馬太效應

14 「天國又好比一個人要往外國去，就叫了僕人來，把他的家業交給他們， 15 按著各人的才幹給他們銀子，一個給了五千，一個給了二千，一個給了一千，就往外國去了。 16 那領五千的隨即拿去做買賣，另外賺了五千。 17 那領二千的也照樣另賺了二千。 18 但那領一千的去掘開地，把主人的銀子埋藏了。 19 過了許久，那些僕人的主人來了，和他們算帳。 20 那領五千銀子的又帶著那另外的五千來，說：『主啊，你交給我五千銀子，請看，我又賺了五千。』 21 主人說：『好，你這又良善又忠心的僕人，你在不多的事上有忠心，我要把許多事派你管理。可以進來享受你主人的快樂！』 22 那領二千的也來，說：『主啊，你交給我二千銀子，請看，我又賺了二千。』 23 主人說：『好，你這又良善又忠心的僕人，你在不多的事上有忠心，我要把許多事派你管理。可以進來享受你主人的快樂！』 24 那領一千的也來，說：『主啊，我知道你是忍心的人，沒有種的地方要收割，沒有散的地方要聚斂。 25 我就害怕，去把你的一千銀子埋藏在地裡。請看，你的原銀子在這裡。』 26 主人回答說：『你這又惡又懶的僕人！你既知道我沒有種的地方要收割，沒有散的地方要聚斂，27 就當把我的銀子放給兌換銀錢的人，到我來的時候，可以連本帶利收回。 28 奪過他這一千來，給那有一萬的！ 29 因為凡有的，還要加給他，叫他有餘；沒有的，連他所有的也要奪過來。 30 把這無用的僕人丟在外面黑暗裡，在那裡必要哀哭切齒了。』

你聽過「馬太效應（Matthew Effect）」這個用詞嗎？這是取自耶穌的一句名言：「凡有的，還要加給他，叫他有餘；沒有的，連他所有的也要奪過來。」一般把它解釋為：好的愈好，壞的愈壞，多的愈多，少的愈少的一種現象。

在1968年美國科學史研究者羅伯特·莫頓用這句話來形容一種社會心理現象，他說：「相對於那些不知名的研究者，聲名顯赫的科學家通常得到更多的聲望，即使他們的成就是相似的。同樣地，在同一個項目上，聲譽通常給予那些已經出名的研究者，例如，一個獎項幾乎總是授予最資深的研究者，即使所有工作都是一個研究生完成的。」你同意嗎？

How to Live Life with Courage

2019-07-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 10:1-14. Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 10:11-12 (NIV) 
11  When all the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard of everything the Philistines had done to Saul, 
12  all their valiant men went and took the bodies of Saul and his sons and brought them to Jabesh. Then they buried their bones under the great tree in Jabesh, and they fasted seven days.

On verses 1-12:  Saul is wounded in battle against the Philistines.  So that he would not be killed by his enemies, Saul falls on his own sword and eventually dies on the hill of Gilboa.  His sons Jonathan, Malki-Shua and Abinadab are killed as well.  The Philistines find Saul’s body, strip him, cut off his head, and hang his dead body and the bodies of his dead sons on the city wall of the Philistine town of Beth Shan (1 Samuel 31:10).  They also place Saul’s head in the temple of their god Dagon (v10).  When they saw that Saul and his sons had died, most Israelites abandon their towns and flee for their lives (v7), with one important exception: when the people of Jabesh Gilead hear about what the Philistines have done to Saul’s body, the men of Jabesh-Gilead enter the Philistine city of Beth Shan, take down the bodies of Saul and his sons, bring them back to Jabesh Gilead and give them an honorable burial. 

Restoring the Worship of God in Your Life

2019-07-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 8:1-40.  At first this might seem like nothing more than a list of names, but the Holy Spirit taught me some powerful lessons we can learn from this passage.  Can I share them with you?  Let’s go!

On verses 1-34:  Starting in 605 BC, and then again in 597 BC and 586 BC, the people of Judah are deported to Babylon in three stages (This three stage deportation is described in 2 Kings 24-25).   The Old Testament writers see this deportation as God’s way of disciplining the people of Judah for their unfaithfulness to Him (v1).  Now the Chronicler fast forwards several decades to 538 B.C. when Cyrus King of Persia has conquered Babylon and allows the Israelites to return to their towns (v2).  What was Cyrus’ reason for letting the Judahites return to Jerusalem?   It’s because Cyrus believed that God had appointing him to build a temple for the Lord in Jerusalem.  As Ezra 1:2-4 says:

Ezra 1:2-4 (NIV) 
2  “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: “‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.
3  Anyone of his people among you–may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem.

十童女的比喻

2019-07-02 in /by

馬太福音25: 1_13_十童女的比喻

1「那時，天國好比十個童女拿著燈出去迎接新郎。 2 其中有五個是愚拙的，五個是聰明的。 3 愚拙的拿著燈，卻不預備油； 4 聰明的拿著燈，又預備油在器皿裡。 5 新郎遲延的時候，她們都打盹睡著了。 6 半夜有人喊著說：『新郎來了，你們出來迎接他！』 7 那些童女就都起來收拾燈。 8 愚拙的對聰明的說：『請分點油給我們，因為我們的燈要滅了。』 9 聰明的回答說：『恐怕不夠你我用的，不如你們自己到賣油的那裡去買吧。』 10 她們去買的時候，新郎到了，那預備好了的同他進去坐席，門就關了。 11 其餘的童女隨後也來了，說：『主啊，主啊，給我們開門！』 12 他卻回答說：『我實在告訴你們：我不認識你們。』 13 所以，你們要警醒，因為那日子、那時辰，你們不知道。

在耶穌走上十字架之前，祂用了許多時間跟門徒談到祂必再臨和再臨之前會發生的事，不僅明說，也用比喻。十童女的比喻是猶太人一聽就明白的比喻，因為巴勒斯坦人的習俗，就是到了新郎去迎娶新娘的當日，新郎仍可以帶同伴郎前去就聘禮的問題與新娘的家人討價還價。因此跟隨者在等候新郎新娘回來筵席的時候，就算等到半夜也不稀奇，等候的人應有心理準備。耶穌以新郎自喻，新郎回來是必然的事實，但是甚麼時候連祂自己也不能確定。藉著新郎的遲歸，來看十個童女的準備與否，襯托出主對我們的要求：若主再來，我們準備好了沒有？

在這個比喻裡有一個主題就是等待。十個童女是準備跟著新郎新婦去參加筵席的，在等待的過程中，有五個童女拿著燈，預備了油；另外有五個也拿著燈，卻不預備油。在她們等待時，都打盹睡著了。新郎一到，那五個沒有預備油的才開始慌張起來。在等待時打盹是件很自然的事，但是在有沒有預備這部份，就彰顯出愚拙和聰明的分別。

善僕與惡僕

2019-07-02 in /by

馬太福音24: 45_51_善僕與惡僕

45 「誰是忠心有見識的僕人，為主人所派管理家裡的人，按時分糧給他們呢？ 46 主人來到，看見他這樣行，那僕人就有福了。 47 我實在告訴你們：主人要派他管理一切所有的。 48 倘若那惡僕心裡說『我的主人必來得遲』， 49 就動手打他的同伴，又和酒醉的人一同吃喝， 50 在想不到的日子，不知道的時辰，那僕人的主人要來，51 重重地處治他，定他和假冒為善的人同罪，在那裡必要哀哭切齒了。

在上一段的經文裡，主耶穌要我們以挪亞方舟和當時人們的心態為戒，又以取去一個撇下一個來提醒我們要警醒，要預備。那我們該怎樣警醒？怎樣預備？主耶穌講了一個善僕與惡僕的比喻來讓我們明白祂所說的警醒和預備。

讓我們先來思想一個問題，當你聽到耶穌說祂會再來時，這個說法對你在工作或生活上的心態有沒有影響？你是把它當個新聞來看，或是暫時不會發生的事來看，或是相信主的話必定應驗？假如天氣報告說明天必下大雨，那麼你會不會把外面在曬的棉被或衣服收進屋子呢？隔天出門時會不會帶傘呢？這就是信與不信的分界點，相信的人必然有行動上的配合。行動是信心具體的彰顯。

在耶穌講的這個例子裡，主人要出遠門，派了幾個僕人管理家裡的人，按時分糧給他們。這是很大的企重和賞識。但是僕人有兩種，一種是按著主人的吩咐，要把事情做好；另一種是覺得主人不在，自己就是老大，隨意妄為。因此警醒和預備的意思就是在主的託咐上忠心，。主說：「人在最小的事上忠心，在大事上也忠心；在最小的事上不義，在大事上也不義。(路16:10)」這就是主對我們的要求。

Out of Great Hurt God Brings Out Greater Good

2019-07-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Chronicles 8:1-40.  Let’s go!

1 Chronicles 8:1-2 (NIV) 
1  Benjamin was the father of Bela his firstborn, Ashbel the second son, Aharah the third, 
2  Nohah the fourth and Rapha the fifth.
 
On verses 1-5:   1 Chronicles 8 is the longest and most comprehensive of the genealogies for Benjamin.  Yet when you compare the different genealogies for Benjamin found in the Bible (Genesis 46, 1 Chronicles 7:6-12, 1 Chronicles 8, and Numbers 26:38-46) those genealogies are not exactly the same.  Certain names appear in some lists but not in others.  Does this mean that the Bible contradicts itself?   Not necessarily.  We need to look closer at what’s going on.  One possible reason for the different names is that those who wrote out these genealogies were not writing down exhaustive lists of every single person who was born into Benjamin’s family tree.  Rather they were selective about which people from which generations to mention and focus on.  In some cases they focused only on tribal leaders or individuals whose lives taught a spiritual lesson that the writer wanted to highlight.  So when reading these genealogies, keep in mind that the term “son” does not always refer to a person’s direct descendant in the next immediate generation, but the writer could be skipping one or more generations and be referring to a grandson or an even more distant descendant.