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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.  

事工的方向和内容

2019-03-15 in /by

马太福音10: 5_8 事工的方向和内容

5 耶稣差这十二个人去，吩咐他们说：「外邦人的路你们不要走，撒马利亚人的城你们不要进， 6 宁可往以色列家迷失的羊那里去。 7 随走随传，说『天国近了』。 8 医治病人，叫死人复活，叫长大痲疯的洁净，把鬼赶出去。你们白白地得来，也要白白地舍去。

这是耶稣门训的摘要，也是可以让我们学习的。在门徒跟了耶稣一段时间后，耶稣开始做栽培的工作。第一就是装备，给他们赶污鬼和医治各样病症的权柄。这就是很实际的能力。所以宣教士不能只会传福音，还要具备一些服侍人的能力。赶污鬼需要有信心和权柄，医治病症在以前是主给的权柄，现在有些医生就做医疗传道。这两样对人都有实质的意义。

主要他们工作的范围只在以色列。那时门徒算是实习吧，主不要他们去外邦人或撒玛利亚人的城。这就给了我们一个很确实的概念，想做主工，要从自己的家里做起。先在自己的家里，自己的教会学习，失败了也没关系，都是自己人好说话。不要好高鹜远，第一步都要从脚下走起。

第三是工作的内容，随走随传：「天国近了」。这也是主耶稣传福音的主要内容。这简单四个字，含有几个深意：1,有个天国，人死不是百了，有得永生上天国的机会，人是有盼望的。2,要上天国，要知道上天国的律。就像移民到哪个地方，都要按著那个地方的律和要求。所以要先与神和好，因为那是神的所在。

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).

耶稣差遣十二使徒(下)

2019-03-14 in /by

马太福音10: 1_4耶稣差遣十二使徒(下)

1 耶稣叫了十二个门徒来，给他们权柄，能赶逐污鬼，并医治各样的病症。
2 这十二使徒的名：头一个叫西门，又称彼得，还有他兄弟安得烈，西庇太的儿子雅各和雅各的兄弟约翰， 3 腓力和巴多罗买，多马和税吏马太，亚勒腓的儿子雅各，和达太， 4 奋锐党的西门，还有卖耶稣的加略人犹大。

马太又名利未，在跟从耶稣之前，原任罗马帝国犹太行省的税吏长，在迦百农工作，代表罗马政府向希伯来人抽税。有一个古老的传说借着一幅很著名的画流传下来，就是马太在晚年时受到天使的启示而写下〈马太福音〉。

在义大利画家Guido Reni这幅图中，年老的马太似乎受到天使的启发，通过几乎是催眠的凝视而不是任何口头的语言向他传达福音的经文，但是天使的手势又似乎表达了直接的语言。马太则用羽毛笔快速地在他的书上记录下天使提示的每一句话。主升天后，他在犹太各地传道达九年之久，后来前往埃提阿伯，又赴帕西亚传道，当他重返埃提阿伯时，在乃旦巴城被戟刺死，时约主后六十年。

多马，又名底土马或犹大·多马·迪迪摩斯，皆为「双胞胎」之意。圣经中提到多马三次发言，三次都显出他的疑惑不信。第一次是在拉撒路死了的时候，多马对其他门徒说：我们也去和他同死吧（约11:16）。第二次是在最后的晚餐席上，多马说：主啊！我们不知道你往哪里去，怎么知道那条路呢（约14:5）？

耶稣差遣十二使徒(上)

2019-03-13 in /by

马太福音10: 1_4耶稣差遣十二使徒(上)

1 耶稣叫了十二个门徒来，给他们权柄，能赶逐污鬼，并医治各样的病症。
2 这十二使徒的名：头一个叫西门，又称彼得，还有他兄弟安得烈，西庇太的儿子雅各和雅各的兄弟约翰， 3 腓力和巴多罗买，多马和税吏马太，亚勒腓的儿子雅各，和达太， 4 奋锐党的西门，还有卖耶稣的加略人犹大。

耶稣是个言行合一的人，在说完「要收的庄稼多，做工的人少。所以，你们当求庄稼的主打发工人出去收他的庄稼。」之后，就装备门徒，并打发门徒出去。在这里我们来看一下耶稣的门徒，每个人的个性和认识主的经过都不一样。

彼得，原名「西门巴约拿」，意思是「约拿的儿子西门」，（约翰福音称他为约翰的儿子西门）。「彼得」是希腊文，与亚兰文的「矶法」同意，是石头或磐石之意，是伯赛大的渔夫。跟随耶稣后，承认耶稣是基督，永生神的儿子；后来三次不认主，悔改后成为门徒和初期教会的领袖，后来在尼禄逼迫基督教的时候殉道，官府按照他自己的要求，倒钉十字架而死，因为他认为自己不配像耶稣一样地钉十字架。著有〈彼得前后书〉。

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). 

待收的庄稼

2019-03-12 in /by

马太福音9: 37_38待收的庄稼

37 于是对门徒说：「要收的庄稼多，做工的人少。 38 所以，你们当求庄稼的主打发工人出去收他的庄稼。」

当耶稣生活在世人中间时，祂不是坐在家里享福，等着人来侍候，而是亲自走入人群，到各城各乡去寻找有需要帮助的人。祂采取一种很主动的方式去关心人，表达神对我们的爱。从耶稣的榜样里，我们看见爱不是口里的甜言蜜语，而是实际的行动。

耶稣感受到人巨大的需要，这巨大的需要来自对神的认识，归向神的迫切。因为需要知道，有一位神爱他们，关切他们，愿意俯就，做他们随时的帮助。因为找不到这位神，所以他们去拜偶像拜假神，希望可以得到心灵的满足，但是他们失望了。求神拜佛一点不能解决他们的问题，反而使他们更痛苦，甚至家破人亡，财去人空。

走在人群当中，你感受到什么？能感受到耶稣所看到的吗？一片待收的庄稼，但是没有收割的工人。这些庄稼指的是神要赢回的灵魂，这些灵魂在撒旦的桎梏中活得太久太沉痛了，神听见人心的呼喊，就像祂当年听见以色列人在埃及当奴隶的哀告。那时祂差遣摩西去拯救以色列人，这次祂道成肉身，亲自成为人来到人间。看到人的困苦流离，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?