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Let Faith in God’s Promises, Not Fear, Empower Your Thinking

2019-03-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 12:25-33.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 12:25 (NIV) 
25 Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel. 

On verse 25:  Jeroboam goes to Shechem, the very place where Rehoboam had been crowned king, and then Peniel, building up his interests in both cities so as to help protect his kingdom.

1 Kings 12:26-27 (NIV) 
26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. 
27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.” 

忍耐到底，必然得救

2019-03-20 in /by

马太福音10: 21_23 忍耐到底，必然得救

21 「弟兄要把弟兄，父亲要把儿子，送到死地；儿女要与父母为敌，害死他们。22 并且你们要为我的名被众人恨恶，唯有忍耐到底的，必然得救。 23 有人在这城里逼迫你们，就逃到那城里去。我实在告诉你们：以色列的城邑你们还没有走遍，人子就到了。

耶稣在两千多年前的预言，一一应验在我们的眼前。尤其是在资讯发达的今天，我们更可以通过新闻或网路，快速得知世界各地基督徒的情况。自今年2月以来,尼日利亚卡杜纳州已造成至少120人死亡的大屠杀，在本周一(3月18日)最近一次发生的袭击事件中, 再次造成50多人死亡, 140多间房屋被毁。

2018年基督徒因信仰而被杀的有4,136人。当人们意识到基督徒所宣告的是一位真神，而不是让他们感觉良好的偶像，让他们任意妄为的信仰时，他们就群起拒绝，因为撒旦在他们的生命中做王。我们看到在犹太人的家庭中若有人信耶稣，就要遭到和家人断绝关系的痛苦，被社会拒绝的无奈。在回教或印度教的家庭也是如此，有时甚至把信主的家人送上法庭，要他们死。

Be Quick to Learn and to Respond to God

2019-03-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 12:16-24.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 12:18-19 (NIV) 
18 King Rehoboam sent out Adoniram, who was in charge of forced labor, but all Israel stoned him to death. King Rehoboam, however, managed to get into his chariot and escape to Jerusalem. 
19 So Israel has been in rebellion against the house of David to this day.

On verses 16-20:  Finding Rehoboam to be unresponsive to their demands, the Israelites, other than the tribe of Judah reject Rehoboam as their king.  Rehoboam tries sending Adoniram his messenger to appease the people, but the people kill Adoniram and nearly kill Rehoboam.  They appoint Jeroboam as their new king instead, in rebellion against the house of David.

防备人

2019-03-19 in /by

马太福音10: 17_20 防备人

17 你们要防备人，因为他们要把你们交给公会，也要在会堂里鞭打你们， 18 并且你们要为我的缘故被送到诸侯君王面前，对他们和外邦人作见证。 19 你们被交的时候，不要思虑怎样说话或说什么话，到那时候必赐给你们当说的话； 20 因为不是你们自己说的，乃是你们父的灵在你们里头说的。

远志明牧师说过一个比喻，主耶稣是羊羔，进入世人当中被宰了，那些把耶稣送上十字架的人，好几个后来都跟随主，变成忠心的仆人。那些跟随主的人，因为有了主的生命也变成羊，进入世人(狼群)当中，又被吃掉了；那些吃了羊的狼因为有了羊的生命，就变成羊了。就这样循环下去，逐渐地，羊越来越多，被吃掉，就有更多的羊变出来，福音就这样传遍了全世界。

仔细思想，他的话是有几分道理。主耶稣此时己经开始培训门徒，祂没有给门徒一个富贵美满的远景，而是实话实说，十字架的道路上满是荆棘坎坷，要遭遇很多世人眼中的不幸。但是主要我们知道，不管在何时，祂都与我们同在；甚至在我们受逼迫时，父的灵，圣灵也会赐给我们当说的话。

记得听过一个文革时的见证：有位基督徒被抓去审问，他们问他：「你是不是罪人？」他一想，没错啊，立刻回答：「是，我是罪人。」他们问他犯了什么罪，全招出来。他就开始如数家珍，把心里以前有的嫉妒、苦毒、怨恨，等等，一直说。那些审他的人一听没办法，就停了审讯。他因而逃过了许多酷刑。那位弟兄说，他相信当时认罪的灵感是来自圣灵的引导。

Before You Make a Big Decision

2019-03-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 12:1-15.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 12:1-5 (NIV) 
1 Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all the Israelites had gone there to make him king.
2 When Jeroboam son of Nebat heard this (he was still in Egypt, where he had fled from King Solomon), he returned from Egypt.
3 So they sent for Jeroboam, and he and the whole assembly of Israel went to Rehoboam and said to him:
4 “Your father put a heavy yoke on us, but now lighten the harsh labor and the heavy yoke he put on us, and we will serve you.”
5 Rehoboam answered, “Go away for three days and then come back to me.” So the people went away.

On verses 1-5:  Israel is about to make Solomon’s son Rehoboam the next king of Israel.  While in Egypt, Jeroboam hears about this, returns to Israel and rallies all of Israel behind him, perhaps with promises that if he was made king instead of Rehoboam, he would make sure that the Israelites’ load is lighter. 

灵巧如蛇，驯良如鸽

2019-03-19 in /by

马太福音10: 16灵巧如蛇，驯良如鸽

16 看哪！我差你们出去，如同羊进入狼羣，所以你们要机警如蛇，纯真如鸽。 

16 我差你们去，如同羊进入狼群，所以你们要灵巧像蛇，驯良像鸽子。

16 现在，我差派你们出去，好像羊进到狼群中间；所以你们要像蛇一样机警，像鸽子一样纯洁。

16 “I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.(NIV)

16 “Stay alert. This is hazardous work I’m assigning you. You’re going to be like sheep running through a wolf pack, so don’t call attention to yourselves. Be as cunning as a snake, inoffensive as a dove.(MSG)

这段经文有几种翻译，都很接近。但我仍然觉得「驯良」如鸽最为贴切。因为纯真给人有一种不懂世故的误解；纯洁又好像太标榜了，谁不犯罪？谁能纯洁无瑕？「灵巧」或「机警」如蛇，您觉得哪个形容得更贴切？可能要找对蛇比较有认识的人来分析才行。我觉得「灵巧」是一种变通的能力，「机警」是对危险的查觉。英文里译为shrewd精明或cunning狡滑，您以为呢？

By God’s Sovereignty You Are Royalty

2019-03-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 11:26-43.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 11:26 (NIV) 
26 Also, Jeroboam son of Nebat rebelled against the king. He was one of Solomon’s officials, an Ephraimite from Zeredah, and his mother was a widow named Zeruah. 

On verses 26-30:  Here we read of Solomon’s greatest human adversary, Jeroboam.  Jeroboam came from a tough background.  His mother Zeredah was a widow, probably meaning that Jeroboam’s father Nebat was not around for significant parts of Jeroboam’s life (v26).  Nonetheless, Jeroboam was a leader, becoming one of Solomon’s officials (v26).  He was a man of standing, meaning he may have been rich or had a good reputation among his peers (v28).  He excelled in his work, so much so that Solomon promoted him to be in charge of the entire labor force of the tribe of Joseph (v28).  

服侍的信心

2019-03-17 in /by

马太福音10: 9_15 服侍的信心

9 腰袋里不要带金银铜钱； 10 途中不要带行囊，不要带两件内衣，也不要带鞋子和手杖，因为工人得饮食是应当的。 11 你们无论进哪一城、哪一村，要打听那里谁是合适的人，就住在他家，直住到离开的时候。 12 进他家时，要向那家请安。 13 那家若配得平安，你们所求的平安就临到那家；若不配得，你们所求的平安仍归你们。 14 凡不接待你们，不听你们话的人，你们离开那家，或是那城的时候，要跺掉你们脚上的尘土。 15 我实在告诉你们，在审判的日子，所多玛和蛾摩拉地方所受的，比那城还容易受呢！

耶稣对门徒的教导一直影响着每个真心服侍祂的人。现在我们若在公司上班要出差，就可以领车马费，伙食费，甚至住旅馆的钱，等等福利。因为是公司派我们出去，所以公司要负责我们的食住和行。但是耶稣的作法何等不同，祂说：「腰袋里不要带金银铜钱；途中不要带行囊，不要带两件内衣，也不要带鞋子和手杖，因为工人得饮食是应当的。」

我不知道你如何，但是叫我出门不带钱，我是不敢出门的。万一车子坏了，万一要买菜，万一…….，我会有很多顾虑。当然信用卡也要带着，万一现金不够。现在有些地方不用现金，只要用信用卡；可是也不太保险，听说一停电，还是只有现金才能交易。总之，不带钱不敢出门。那么，耶稣叫门徒什么都不要带，甚至不带替换的内衣，鞋子和手杖；然后来一句：「因为工人得饮食是应当的。」不是很奇怪吗？

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.