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Don’t Let Your Past Define You

2019-03-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 15:9-24.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 15:12-14 (NIV) 
12 He expelled the male shrine prostitutes from the land and got rid of all the idols his fathers had made. 
13 He even deposed his grandmother Maacah from her position as queen mother, because she had made a repulsive Asherah pole. Asa cut the pole down and burned it in the Kidron Valley. 
14 Although he did not remove the high places, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life. 

On verses 9-15:  These verses summarize the long 41 year reign of Asa king of Judah.  What I love most about Asa is that he deliberately chose not to follow the evil practices of the generations before him.  His father Abijah was an idol worshiper who did not follow the Lord.  His grandmother Maacah was as well.  Yet Asa did not allow his past to define his future.  He did not let his ancestors’ idolatry determine his relationship with God.  Rather Asa took deliberate steps to remove idolatry not just from his own life but from Judah as a whole.  Verse 14 says “Asa’s heart was fully committed to the Lord all his life”.   

耶稣论施洗约翰

2019-03-28 in /by

马太福音11: 7_10 耶稣论施洗约翰

 7 他们走的时候，耶稣就对众人讲论约翰说：「你们从前出到旷野是要看什么呢？要看风吹动的芦苇吗？8 你们出去到底是要看什么？要看穿细软衣服的人吗？那穿细软衣服的人是在王宫里。 9 你们出去究竟是为什么？是要看先知吗？我告诉你们，是的，他比先知大多了。 10 经上记着说：『我要差遣我的使者在你前面预备道路』，所说的就是这个人。

耶稣在这段话里不只是论施洗约翰，更指出人心里的一种情形。我们都有一种先入为主的观念，提到富翁就想到为富不仁，看到官员说话就觉得都是官腔，看到生意人就觉得他们没一句诚实话，都是想把你的钱掏空，等等。我们心里有很多早己设定的观点。因此当我们来到耶稣面前时，也会品头论足一番。

在这里耶稣谈到人们对施洗约翰的看法，指出人们的想法和实际有很大的距离，表示人有智慧上的不足和缺陷。当施洗约翰在旷野呼喊时，竟有人希望他穿着细软衣服，像心里想的高贵人一样？就像很多人看基督教时，也像门外汉，说所有的宗教都一样，都是劝人为善？当我们读到耶稣的教导时，你就知道不是那么一回事。

Blessed Because Someone Went Before You

2019-03-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 15:1-8.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 15:3-4 (NIV) 
3 He committed all the sins his father had done before him; his heart was not fully devoted to the LORD his God, as the heart of David his forefather had been. 
4 Nevertheless, for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up a son to succeed him and by making Jerusalem strong. 

On verses 1-8:  Here we read about Abijah son of Rehoboam and his 3 year reign as king of Judah.  The writer of 1 Kings saw little that was noteworthy about Abijah’s reign other than the fact that he committed all the same sins his father Rehoboam committed (v3).  In fact the only reason God allowed Abijah to continue reigning as king was for his great grandfather David’s sake (v4), because David had followed the Lord.  Because David obeyed, his great grandson Abijah was blessed long after David was gone.

是祢吗？

2019-03-27 in /by

马太福音11: 1_6 是祢吗？

1耶稣吩咐完了十二个门徒，就离开那里，往各城去传道、教训人。

2 约翰在监里听见基督所做的事，就打发两个门徒去， 3 问他说：「那将要来的是你吗？还是我们等候别人呢？」 4 耶稣回答说：「你们去，把所听见、所看见的事告诉约翰， 5 就是：瞎子看见，瘸子行走，长大痲疯的洁净，聋子听见，死人复活，穷人有福音传给他们。 6 凡不因我跌倒的，就有福了！」

第一节很有意思，因为它简明扼要地交待了耶稣的工作。耶稣不是把工作分派给门徒后，自己就休息了；相反地，祂仍继续前进。在没有门徒的跟随下，耶稣依然孜孜不倦地去传道教诲。但是祂的工作有没有引起很多人的赞赏呢？

施洗约翰是耶稣的表哥，曾经为耶稣施洗，也向众人证明祂是神的儿子。可是此时，他却打发门徒去门耶稣：「那将要来的是你吗？还是我们等候别人呢？」

约翰此时被希律安提帕关在监里，希律安提帕是大希律的一个儿子，他在大希律死后承继了其父加利利和比利亚的四分一领土，成为「分封王希律」。他去罗马拜访他的兄弟腓力时，爱上了腓力的妻子希罗底，并且诱骗她离开丈夫成为他的妻子，然后与自己的原配离异。约翰被下到监牢里，便是因为指责希律王如此作法的不当和不合理。

The Dangers of Worshiping an Idol

2019-03-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 14:21-31. Let’s go!

1 Kings 14:24-25 (NIV) 
24 There were even male shrine prostitutes in the land; the people engaged in all the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. 
25 In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt attacked Jerusalem. 

On verses 21-31:  These verses summarize the 17 year reign of Rehoboam, David’s grandson and Solomon’s son, over the tribe of Judah.  Judah (together with Benjamin) was the one tribe out of the tribes of Israel that the Lord did not tear away from the house of David.  While Rehoboam ruled over Judah, Judah did evil in the eyes of the Lord by worshiping idols (v22). There was rampant idolatry in the land of Judah (v22-24).  Right after this we read of how Shishak King of Egypt attacks King Rehoboam’s city of Jerusalem.  

一杯凉水

2019-03-26 in /by

马太福音10: 40_42 一杯凉水

40 「人接待你们，就是接待我；接待我，就是接待那差我来的。 41 人因为先知的名接待先知，必得先知所得的赏赐；人因为义人的名接待义人，必得义人所得的赏赐。 42 无论何人，因为门徒的名，只把一杯凉水给这小子里的一个喝，我实在告诉你们：这人不能不得赏赐。」

我有一个侄儿在保利维亚做宣教士，今年要回加敍职一年。昨晚在脸书上看到他登了一则消息，询问谁有多余的汽车可以转售。我的心里有点酸，同时也为他感到骄傲。这个侄儿非常聪明，在做宣教士之前有一个很好的工作，上司都很欣赏他，正准备给他升迁。没想到天父更欣赏他，征召他去全时间服事。

从平常人转为宣教士，是一个很考验人的经历。因为原来可以支付自己的生活费绰绰有余，还可以这里奉献那里捐助，心里上自觉不错，有点骄傲，因为「我是帮助人的」。一旦成为宣教士之后，不但自己赚不了生活费，所有需求全凭信心，全靠他人的奉献和捐助。这种转变对于一个意气风发的年轻人真是很冷酷的考验，你不再高高在上了，你变成需要帮助的人。我想，这也是主耶稣的经历，从天上被尊崇的宝座上下来，成为一个穷苦人家的孩子；出来传道后，也要接受他人的供应，而且还有些来自女人。祂放弃君王的荣耀，甘心成为卑微。

Don’t Pretend In Front of God. Come Clean Before Him.

2019-03-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 14:1-20. Let’s go!

1 Kings 14:6 (NIV) 
6 So when Ahijah heard the sound of her footsteps at the door, he said, “Come in, wife of Jeroboam. Why this pretense? I have been sent to you with bad news. 

On verses 1-6:  Jeroboam’s son Abijah is sick, so Jeroboam tells his wife to disguise herself and consult the prophet Ahijah to find out what will happen to the boy.  Up in years, Ahijah was physically blind, but the Spirit of God helped him to discern that the woman coming to see him was Jeroboam’s wife.

What can we learn from this?   Here are three lessons I believe the Holy Spirit taught me from these verses:

得着生命

2019-03-25 in /by

马太福音10: 34_39 得着生命

34 「你们不要想我来是叫地上太平，我来并不是叫地上太平，乃是叫地上动刀兵。35 因为我来是叫『人与父亲生疏，女儿与母亲生疏，媳妇与婆婆生疏； 36 人的仇敌就是自己家里的人』。 37 爱父母过于爱我的，不配做我的门徒；爱儿女过于爱我的，不配做我的门徒； 38 不背着他的十字架跟从我的，也不配做我的门徒。 39 得着生命的，将要失丧生命；为我失丧生命的，将要得着生命。

在这段经文里耶稣向我们展现了一个出乎我们意料之外的情景。我相信很多人信主都是为了得到从主来的平安和喜乐，没有人期望生活里会有更多的纷争和不安。尤其是耶稣的门徒，其中有不少是当时的奋锐党，也就是当时的革命党。他们希望脱离罗马的统治，再一次恢复马加比时代，犹太人自治的时期。

但是耶稣说，你们不要想得太美，以为祂来是要叫地上太平。耶稣从来不给人假的希望，祂把一切会发生的事告诉我们，让我们知道当门徒要付上代价，不当门徒也要付上代价。当门徒虽付上代价，却会得到永远的生命；不当门徒也要付出代价，就是失去一切，包括现世的生命和永恒的生命。

从历史来看，耶稣的话何等真实。历代的宗教战争，有多少假基督之名而行？而在家庭里，因为跟随耶稣，也有许多人付出父子生疏，母女生疏，婆媳生疏的代价，因为信仰不同，价值观不一样，为了和平共处，不能不生疏，彼此敬而远之。

Protect Yourself and Your Family Against the Lion’s Attack

2019-03-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 13:23-34.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 13:23 (NIV) 
23 When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him.

On verses 23-32:  Earlier in verses 21 and 22, the older prophet gives the younger prophet a word from God that the younger prophet has defied God’s command by eating and drinking when God specifically told him not to eat and drink during his trip (v21-22).  Notice the younger prophet’s response in verse 23: there is no indication that the younger prophet repented or felt remorse for what he did.  It seems like he just got on his donkey and proceeded to go home as if everything was normal.  Notice what happens next to the younger prophet: “As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was left lying on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it.” (v24)

面子

2019-03-24 in /by

马太福音10: 32_33 面子

32 凡在人面前认我的，我在我天上的父面前也必认他； 33 凡在人面前不认我的，我在我天上的父面前也必不认他。

上个星期天我们小组聚会，请了一位宣教士郑伯海牧师来分享他们在厄瓜多尔的事工。厄瓜多尔是一个位于南美洲西北部的国家，北与哥伦比亚相邻，南接祕鲁，西滨太平洋，与智利同为南美洲不与巴西相邻。郑牧师在分享时，我心里浮起一个问题，为什么有的人可以放弃自己的事业或工作，还有大半生的青春，去一个遥远，生活习惯背景文化都不一样的地方宣扬耶稣基督的福音，而有的人连邀请朋友来参加教会聚会的勇气都没有？

有的人可以站出来为福音争战，为福音入狱，为福音犠牲性命，有的人连在大众前做饭前祷告都不敢？

当保罗说，「我不以福音为耻，这福音本是神的大能，要救一切相信的，先是犹太人，后是希腊人。(罗1:16)」为何他会特别提到他不以福音为耻？因为在当时的社会上，保罗放弃了他在社会上的地位，为了福音甘愿成为阶下囚，被人丢石头，被人驱逐，经过船难，逃过谋杀，等等。福音仿佛成了他的生活里的咒诅，让他不能享受平凡人追求的安逸生活、声名地位，以及荣华富贵。而这正是一般人所逃避的，因为他们不想失去保罗所丢弃的。