Entries by

Don’t Give The Enemy a Foothold through Unconfessed Sin

2019-03-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 11:14-25.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 11:25 (NIV) 
25 Rezon was Israel’s adversary as long as Solomon lived, adding to the trouble caused by Hadad. So Rezon ruled in Aram and was hostile toward Israel. 

On verses 14-25:  In these verses we see various enemies rising up against Solomon. One is King Hadad of Edom (v14-22) and Rezon of Aram (v23-25).   Notice that the arrival of these enemies comes immediately after the writer of 1 Kings describes how King Solomon repeatedly disobeyed God’s command not to get romantically involved with women who do not worship the Lord (v1-13).  The enemies came after Solomon refused to repent.

What can we learn from this?  The Bible says that we too have an enemy — Satan  — and that Satan’s agenda is to steal, kill and destroy our lives (Ephesians 6:12; John 10:10).  When we persist in sin and refuse to repent, we give room for our enemy Satan to work in our lives.   When I keep sinning and refuse to repent, I effectively give Satan a foothold to work and to cause trouble in the territory God has given me.  

事工的方向和內容

2019-03-15 in /by

馬太福音10: 5_8 事工的方向和內容

5 耶穌差這十二個人去，吩咐他們說：「外邦人的路你們不要走，撒馬利亞人的城你們不要進， 6 寧可往以色列家迷失的羊那裡去。 7 隨走隨傳，說『天國近了』。 8 醫治病人，叫死人復活，叫長大痲瘋的潔淨，把鬼趕出去。你們白白地得來，也要白白地捨去。

這是耶穌門訓的摘要，也是可以讓我們學習的。在門徒跟了耶穌一段時間後，耶穌開始做栽培的工作。第一就是裝備，給他們趕污鬼和醫治各樣病症的權柄。這就是很實際的能力。所以宣教士不能只會傳福音，還要具備一些服侍人的能力。趕污鬼需要有信心和權柄，醫治病症在以前是主給的權柄，現在有些醫生就做醫療傳道。這兩樣對人都有實質的意義。

主要他們工作的範圍只在以色列。那時門徒算是實習吧，主不要他們去外邦人或撒瑪利亞人的城。這就給了我們一個很確實的概念，想做主工，要從自己的家裡做起。先在自己的家裡，自己的教會學習，失敗了也沒關係，都是自己人好說話。不要好高鶩遠，第一步都要從腳下走起。

第三是工作的內容，隨走隨傳：「天國近了」。這也是主耶穌傳福音的主要內容。這簡單四個字，含有幾個深意：1,有個天國，人死不是百了，有得永生上天國的機會，人是有盼望的。2,要上天國，要知道上天國的律。就像移民到哪個地方，都要按著那個地方的律和要求。所以要先與神和好，因為那是神的所在。

Christian, What Are You Doing Dating a Non-Christian?

2019-03-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 11:1-13.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 11:1-3 (NIV) 
1 King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh’s daughter–Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites. 
2 They were from nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.” Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love. 
3 He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.

On verses 1-13:  As wise and as rich as Solomon had become by God’s grace, here we see Solomon’s fatal flaw: his insistence on being romantically involved with women who did not worship the same God as he did.  In doing so, over and over Solomon disobeyed God’s command to not intermarry with unbelieving women.  This sin would lead him to worship other gods (v5, 7-8), and would ultimately lead to the downfall of his faith and the removal of his kingdom (v9-13).

Jesus’ Splendour > Solomon’s Splendour

2019-03-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 10:14-29.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 10:23-25 (NIV) 
23 King Solomon was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth.
24 The whole world sought audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had put in his heart.
25 Year after year, everyone who came brought a gift–articles of silver and gold, robes, weapons and spices, and horses and mules.

On verses 14-28: Previously Solomon had prayed for a wise and discerning heart.  God was so pleased with Solomon’s request that He decided to grant Solomon not only a wise and discerning heart but riches and honor as well, such that in terms of wisdom there would never be anyone like Solomon and in terms of riches Solomon would have no equal in his lifetime (1 Kings 3:12-13).

耶穌差遣十二使徒(下)

2019-03-14 in /by

馬太福音10: 1_4耶穌差遣十二使徒(下)

1 耶穌叫了十二個門徒來，給他們權柄，能趕逐污鬼，並醫治各樣的病症。
2 這十二使徒的名：頭一個叫西門，又稱彼得，還有他兄弟安得烈，西庇太的兒子雅各和雅各的兄弟約翰， 3 腓力和巴多羅買，多馬和稅吏馬太，亞勒腓的兒子雅各，和達太， 4 奮銳黨的西門，還有賣耶穌的加略人猶大。

馬太又名利未，在跟從耶穌之前，原任羅馬帝國猶太行省的稅吏長，在迦百農工作，代表羅馬政府向希伯來人抽稅。有一個古老的傳說藉著一幅很著名的畫流傳下來，就是馬太在晚年時受到天使的啟示而寫下〈馬太福音〉。

在義大利畫家Guido Reni這幅圖中，年老的馬太似乎受到天使的啟發，通過幾乎是催眠的凝視而不是任何口頭的語言向他傳達福音的經文，但是天使的手勢又似乎表達了直接的語言。馬太則用羽毛筆快速地在他的書上記錄下天使提示的每一句話。主升天後，他在猶太各地傳道達九年之久，後來前往埃提阿伯，又赴帕西亞傳道，當他重返埃提阿伯時，在乃旦巴城被戟刺死，時約主後六十年。

多馬，又名底土馬或猶大·多馬·迪迪摩斯，皆為「雙胞胎」之意。聖經中提到多馬三次發言，三次都顯出他的疑惑不信。第一次是在拉撒路死了的時候，多馬對其他門徒說：我們也去和他同死吧（約11:16）。第二次是在最後的晚餐席上，多馬說：主啊！我們不知道你往哪裡去，怎麼知道那條路呢（約14:5）？

耶穌差遣十二使徒(上)

2019-03-13 in /by

馬太福音10: 1_4耶穌差遣十二使徒(上)

1 耶穌叫了十二個門徒來，給他們權柄，能趕逐汙鬼，並醫治各樣的病症。
2 這十二使徒的名：頭一個叫西門，又稱彼得，還有他兄弟安得烈，西庇太的兒子雅各和雅各的兄弟約翰， 3 腓力和巴多羅買，多馬和稅吏馬太，亞勒腓的兒子雅各，和達太， 4 奮銳黨的西門，還有賣耶穌的加略人猶大。

耶穌是個言行合一的人，在說完「要收的莊稼多，做工的人少。所以，你們當求莊稼的主打發工人出去收他的莊稼。」之後，就裝備門徒，並打發門徒出去。在這裡我們來看一下耶穌的門徒，每個人的個性和認識主的經過都不一樣。

彼得，原名「西門巴約拿」，意思是「約拿的兒子西門」，（約翰福音稱他為約翰的兒子西門）。「彼得」是希臘文，與亞蘭文的「磯法」同意，是石頭或磐石之意，是伯賽大的漁夫。跟隨耶穌後，承認耶穌是基督，永生神的兒子；後來三次不認主，悔改後成為門徒和初期教會的領袖，後來在尼祿逼迫基督教的時候殉道，官府按照他自己的要求，倒釘十字架而死，因為他認為自己不配像耶穌一樣地釘十字架。著有〈彼得前後書〉。

Pursue Excellence in All You Do

2019-03-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 10:1-13.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 10:7-9 (NIV) 
7 But I did not believe these things until I came and saw with my own eyes. Indeed, not even half was told me; in wisdom and wealth you have far exceeded the report I heard. 
8 How happy your men must be! How happy your officials, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom! 
9 Praise be to the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and placed you on the throne of Israel. Because of the LORD’s eternal love for Israel, he has made you king, to maintain justice and righteousness.” 

On verses 1-9:  Having heard of Solomon’s fame, wisdom and splendor, the Queen of Sheba travels approximately 1,200 to 1,500 miles from Sheba (modern day Yemen) to visit King Solomon in Jerusalem.  The Queen of Sheba is thoroughly impressed by King Solomon’s ability to answer her tough questions (v3). 

待收的莊稼

2019-03-12 in /by

馬太福音9: 37_38待收的莊稼

37 於是對門徒說：「要收的莊稼多，做工的人少。 38 所以，你們當求莊稼的主打發工人出去收他的莊稼。」

當耶穌生活在世人中間時，祂不是坐在家裡享福，等著人來侍候，而是親自走入人群，到各城各鄉去尋找有需要幫助的人。祂採取一種很主動的方式去關心人，表達神對我們的愛。從耶穌的榜樣裡，我們看見愛不是口裡的甜言蜜語，而是實際的行動。

耶穌感受到人巨大的需要，這巨大的需要來自對神的認識，歸向神的迫切。因為需要知道，有一位神愛他們，關切他們，願意俯就，做他們隨時的幫助。因為找不到這位神，所以他們去拜偶像拜假神，希望可以得到心靈的滿足，但是他們失望了。求神拜佛一點不能解決他們的問題，反而使他們更痛苦，甚至家破人亡，財去人空。

走在人群當中，你感受到什麼？能感受到耶穌所看到的嗎？一片待收的莊稼，但是沒有收割的工人。這些莊稼指的是神要贏回的靈魂，這些靈魂在撒旦的桎梏中活得太久太沉痛了，神聽見人心的呼喊，就像祂當年聽見以色列人在埃及當奴隸的哀告。那時祂差遣摩西去拯救以色列人，這次祂道成肉身，親自成為人來到人間。看到人的困苦流離，祂心痛了。

God is in the Rebuilding Business

2019-03-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 9:15-28.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 9:15-17 (NIV) 
15 Here is the account of the forced labor King Solomon conscripted to build the LORD’s temple, his own palace, the supporting terraces, the wall of Jerusalem, and Hazor, Megiddo and Gezer. 
16 (Pharaoh king of Egypt had attacked and captured Gezer. He had set it on fire. He killed its Canaanite inhabitants and then gave it as a wedding gift to his daughter, Solomon’s wife. 
17 And Solomon rebuilt Gezer.) He built up Lower Beth Horon, 

On verses 15-24:  Here we read of more towns and buildings that Solomon built (v15-19, 24), and more people whom he involved to help with constructing those buildings, including both conscripted foreigners (v20-21) and his fellow Israelites (v22-23).

Notice in verses 16 and 17, the writer of 1 Kings mentions that Pharaoh king of Egypt captured the town of Gezer, burned it down and destroyed it.  However, when Solomon king of Israel took over the destroyed town, he rebuilt it.  What can we learn from this?