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It Matters Whom You Marry

2019-04-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 16:29-34.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 16:31 (NIV) 
31 He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and began to serve Baal and worship him. 

On verses 29-33:  These verses summarize the 22 year reign of Ahab as king of Israel, although we will read about Ahab again in later chapters of 1 Kings.  One can make the argument that Ahab was the most wicked king in Israel’s history.  According to the writer of 1 Kings, Ahab “did more evil in the eyes of the LORD than any of those before him” (v30) and “did more to provoke the Lord to anger than did all the kings of Israel before him” (v32).

勞苦擔重擔的人

2019-04-03 in /by

馬太福音11: 28_30勞苦擔重擔的人

 28 凡勞苦擔重擔的人，可以到我這裡來，我就使你們得安息。 29 我心裡柔和謙卑，你們當負我的軛，學我的樣式，這樣你們心裡就必得享安息。 30 因為我的軛是容易的，我的擔子是輕省的。

在每一天的生活裡都充滿了無數的變化。有的人早上很開心地出門上班，晚上回家時卻碰到車禍，車子報銷了，自己也一身傷；有的人早上送孩子上學，以為可以安心做自己的事情，不料老師卻打電話來說孩子出麻疹了，必須帶回家隔離；有的人快快樂樂地去坐遊輪，卻沒想到遊輪到了半途開始進海水，船身慢慢傾斜，到最後要找直昇機來把遊客一個個救上岸；更有的人一家三代高高興興地回老家尋根，不料飛機起飛後六分鐘，全家和全機的人都煙消雲滅。這些事在新聞上屢見不鮮。

每一天我們都會遇到許多變數，不在計劃之內。而有些人過著一成不變地生活，上班下班，煮飯吃飯，起床睡覺，似乎非常沉悶，因而有了憂鬱症。所以耶穌問我們：你累嗎？你感到疲乏嗎？你對於自己的信仰是否感到沉悶，你是否被宗教的要求壓得透不過氣？世界上有各種各樣的勞苦重擔壓在人的身上，使人覺得過了廿歲之後的生活，就好像老牛耕田，日復一日，無法得到解脫?

How God Defines Success

2019-04-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 16:21-28.   Let’s go!

On verses 21-28:  These verses summarize the 12 year reign of Omri.  From a political and military standpoint, Omri was an impressive king.  Omri outlasted his opponent Tibni in a six year civil war (v21-22).  Omri built a new capital city for Israel called Samaria.  Ancient Assyrian records even refer to Israel as “the land of Omri”.  So from a secular perspective, Omri was an effective king.  

However, from a spiritual perspective, Omri was a failure. As verses 25 and 26 say, “Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord and sinned more than all those before him.  He followed completely the ways of Jeroboam…so that they aroused the anger of the Lord, the God of Israel, by their worthless idols.” 

What can we learn from this?  When measuring a person’s success, the criteria God focuses on is different from what most people focus on. 

The Dangers of Drunkenness and Sedition

2019-04-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 16:8-20.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 16:9-10 (NIV) 
9 Zimri, one of his officials, who had command of half his chariots, plotted against him. Elah was in Tirzah at the time, getting drunk in the home of Arza, the man in charge of the palace at Tirzah.10 Zimri came in, struck him down and killed him in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah. Then he succeeded him as king. 

On verses 8-14:  Elah’s two year reign as king of Israel is cut short when Elah gets drunk and is killed by one of his officials Zimri.

What can we learn from this?  “Don’t get drunk on wine,” Paul says in Ephesians 5:18,”but be filled with the Holy Spirit”. Too much alcohol dulls one’s senses, clouds one’s judgment, and makes you vulnerable to attack.  In contrast, being filled with the Holy Spirit sharpens your senses, improves your judgment, and equips you to defend yourself against attack.

天地旳主和子

2019-04-02 in /by

馬太福音11: 25_27天地旳主和子

25 那時，耶穌說：「父啊，天地的主，我感謝祢！因為祢將這些事向聰明通達人就藏起來，向嬰孩就顯出來。 26 父啊，是的，因為祢的美意本是如此。 27 一切所有的，都是我父交付我的。除了父，沒有人知道子；除了子和子所願意指示的，沒有人知道父。 

在耶穌責備百農等城的人對福音的默不關心和缺乏反應時，本來是很沉重的話題，耶穌卻突然開始禱告，轉向跟天上的父神談話。有時我們也會這樣做吧，覺得世上的事實在是無理可講，親友讓你感到灰心時，也只能跟神講。但是主耶穌不是抱怨，也不是訴屈，祂卻發出感謝。在眾人拒絕時，祂發出感謝。

耶穌稱呼耶和華神是祂的父，是天地的主。因為耶穌知道祂禱告的對象。當我們禱告時，也要知道我們禱告的對象是誰。若我們知道禱告的對象是天上的父，是天地的主，我們的禱告還能沒有信心嗎？有什麼事父不為我們著想? 有何事是天地的主能力所不及呢？當我們認清禱告的對象時，心裡自然湧出感謝，因為很自然感到蒙福，不管何時何地，我們都能坦然無懼地來到祂的面前尋求幫助和帶領，有一位這樣愛我們的神與我們同在。

當審判的日子

2019-04-01 in /by

馬太福音11: 20_24當審判的日子

20 耶穌在諸城中行了許多異能，那些城的人終不悔改，就在那時候責備他們說：21 「哥拉汛哪，你有禍了！伯賽大啊，你有禍了！因為在你們中間所行的異能，若行在推羅、西頓，他們早已披麻蒙灰悔改了。 22 但我告訴你們：當審判的日子，推羅、西頓所受的比你們還容易受呢！ 23 迦百農啊，你已經升到天上，將來必墜落陰間！因為在你那裡所行的異能，若行在所多瑪，它還可以存到今日。 24 但我告訴你們：當審判的日子，所多瑪所受的比你還容易受呢！」

在每一個世代，人們都希望神按著他們想要的來改變。例如在我們這個世代，同性戀者強調神也愛他們，這句話沒有錯，但問題是，他們愛神嗎?願不願意為神而持守而改變？人只要神的愛和祝福，卻不要神的原則和律法。神卻不因為人的自私而改變祂的律法和教導，因為祂知道什麼對人才是好的。

耶穌在自己的家鄉附近的城鎮行了許多神蹟奇事，那些人都高興地領受了醫治和幫助，但是對於耶穌所要求的悔改卻不理會，讓耶穌十分地懊惱。耶穌豈不愛他們嗎？但是耶穌絕不溺愛，祂要求我們在接受了祂的救恩之後也要有相對的回應。

推羅是古時候一個很大的地中海海港城巿，也是大商埠，因為十分繁華，犯罪甚多，神藉先知預言這兩個城巿必被毀滅。後來果然被巴比倫所破，又被希臘催毀，重建後又被回教軍攻擊，終於完全消失。今天的古推羅仍是一塊供漁夫曬網的凈光盤石。聖經的預言完全應驗。

Be Careful Not to Repeat Your Predecessors’ Mistakes

2019-04-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 16:1-7.  Let’s go!

On verses 1-7:  The reason God decided that the kingship of Israel would no longer go through Jeroboam’s family line and the reason God wiped out Jeroboam’s house entirely was because Jeroboam had turned away from the Lord to worship idols of his own making and led all of Israel to do the same.  Baasha must have realized this at some point.  Yet even after being the very instrument God used to wipe out Jeroboam’s house, Baasha becomes the new king and commits the very same sins Jeroboam committed.  Following in Jeroboam’s footsteps, Baasha worships idols and causes the Israelites to do the same.  Failing to learn from the mistakes of his predecessors, Baasha receives a message from God through the prophet Jehu: just like God wiped out the house of Jeroboam for their sins, God would also wipe Baasha and his house (v3-4).  

What can we learn from this?  

1. We are to honour those who go before us but we also need to be aware of what mistakes they made so that we do not repeat them.  

智慧之子總以智慧為是

2019-03-31 in /by

馬太福音11: 15_19智慧之子總以智慧為是

15 有耳可聽的，就應當聽！ 16 我可用什麼比這世代呢？好像孩童坐在街市上招呼同伴說： 17 『我們向你們吹笛，你們不跳舞！我們向你們舉哀，你們不捶胸！』 18 約翰來了，也不吃也不喝，人就說他是被鬼附著的。 19 人子來了，也吃也喝，人又說他是貪食好酒的人，是稅吏和罪人的朋友。但智慧之子總以智慧為是。

耶穌在這段經文裡談到傳福音的辛苦，主要是因為人對福音莫不關心。說實在話，每個人最關心的還是自己的事。所以說事不關己，關己則亂。人們關心的大多是物質上的需要，而不是對永生的盼望。耶穌所形容的世代其實跟我們現在的世代也很像。

耶穌用當時的孩童在巿集玩遊戲做為比喻，當猶太人結婚時就會吹笛跳舞，但是當孩童招呼同伴玩遊戲時，他們吹笛，朋友卻不理睬，不肯隨著音樂起舞，讓人很掃興!孩童看大家不喜歡玩結婚的遊戲，就邀請大家玩舉喪出殯的遊戲，在舉哀時人們都要捶胸痛苦哭，可是還是沒有人理他，也不捶胸。

畢德生牧師用一個現代家庭的例子來解釋，他說：那些人就像小孩跟父母吵著要跳繩，但是父母說太累了，不能陪他們玩；當孩子們想跟父母談心時，父母又總是太忙。耶穌用這樣的比喻來說明社會的麻木不仁，沒有反應。

他們看到施洗約翰不吃不喝地禁食，就說他被鬼附著；而看到耶穌與門徒又吃又喝，就說他們貪食好酒，是稅吏和罪人的朋友。這就是人的本相，總喜歡批評，卻不去尋求事實和真相，看到表面就很自大地說東道西，眨低別人，以致於永遠浮游在真理週圍，自絕於福音的門外。

Don’t Get Blindsided by an Inside Job

2019-03-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 15:25-34.  Don’t Get Blindsided by an Inside Job + How Do You Want God to use Your Life
Let’s go!

1 Kings 15:25-28 (NIV) 
25 Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel in the second year of Asa king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years.
26 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, walking in the ways of his father and in his sin, which he had caused Israel to commit.
27 Baasha son of Ahijah of the house of Issachar plotted against him, and he struck him down at Gibbethon, a Philistine town, while Nadab and all Israel were besieging it.
28 Baasha killed Nadab in the third year of Asa king of Judah and succeeded him as king. 

On verses 25-28:  These verses summarize the short 2 year reign of Nadab king of Israel.  The writer of 1 Kings does not find anything noteworthy about Nadab except two things.  First is how Nadab followed his father Jeroboam in worshiping idols and doing evil in God’s sight.  Second is the way Nadab died: while Nadab is in foreign territory trying to capture the Philistian city of Gibbethon, another unsuspecting enemy — in this case, Baasha, an Israelite and a member of Nadab’s own kingdom — strikes Nadab down and becomes the new king of Israel.

要努力進天國

2019-03-29 in /by

馬太福音11: 11_14要努力進天國

11 「我實在告訴你們：凡婦人所生的，沒有一個興起來大過施洗約翰的；然而天國裡最小的比他還大。 12 從施洗約翰的時候到如今，天國是努力進入的，努力的人就得著了。 13 因為眾先知和律法說預言到約翰為止； 14 你們若肯領受，這人就是那應當來的以利亞。 (和合本)

12從施洗的約翰的時候直到現在，天國不斷遭受猛烈的攻擊，強暴的人企圖把它奪去。 (新譯本 )

12-14 For a long time now people have tried to force themselves into God’s kingdom. But if you read the books of the Prophets and God’s Law closely, you will see them culminate in John, teaming up with him in preparing the way for the Messiah of the kingdom. Looked at in this way, John is the ‘Elijah’ you’ve all been expecting to arrive and introduce the Messiah.(MSG)

在這一段經文裡，主耶穌劃出了兩個時代。第一個時代是眾先知和律法到約翰的時代，第二個時代是從施洗約翰到如今的時代。這裡我摘錄了一段江守道弟兄對這段經文的看法：

主說：“現在時代改變了，律法和先知的時代到施洗約翰己經停止了、已經過去了；從施洗約翰直到如今是另一個時代了。”在這個時代的裡面，神所注意的，乃是天國，我們要進天國裡頭去。但是什麼樣的人纔能進去呢？祂說：“努力的人就進去，努力的人就得著了。”