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Don’t Get Blindsided by an Inside Job

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 15:25-34.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  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:  1 and 2 Kings is tale of two kingdoms, Judah and Israel.  After Judah and Israel separate to become separate kingdoms, the author of 1 and 2 Kings tracks the reigns of the kings of Judah as well as the kings of Israel, going back and forth between them.  Verses 25-32 summarize the short 2 year reign of Jeroboam’s son Nadab king of Israel.

交换

路加福音15:21-24   儿子说:「父亲!我得罪了天,又得罪了你;从今以后,我不配称为你的儿子。」父亲却吩咐仆人说:「把那上好的袍子快拿出来给他穿;把戒指戴在他指头上;把鞋穿在他脚上;把那肥牛犊牵来宰了,我们可以吃喝快乐;因为我这个儿子是死而复活,失而又得的。」他们就快乐起来。

用一个盼望,交换破碎的梦想,用一声呼唤,交换满是灰烬的行囊,

用一顶荣美华冠,交换我破烂的衣裳,用喜乐油,交换满怀的忧伤。

用一朝晴朗,交换昨天的遗憾,用一个拥抱,交换叹息的夜晚,

用不责备的目光,交换我铁石的心肠,交换我回转到祢身旁。

是真的吗?以新生换我不堪的模样。是真的吗?以安息换我挣扎和徬徨。

是真的吗?祢倾尽所有换回一粒沙,还如获至宝,放在心上。

Don’t Let Your Past Define You

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 15:9-24.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Kings 15:9-15 (NIV)
9  In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Asa became king of Judah,
10  and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years. His grandmother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
11  Asa did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, as his father David had done.

On verses 9-15:  These verses summarize the long 41 year reign of Asa king of Judah.  Previously, for three consecutive generations, the kings of Judah (Solomon, Rehoboam and Abijah) fell headlong into idolatry.  So when Asa, Abijah’s son, comes on the scene as king of Judah, he is a breath of fresh air.  Notice that when the author of 1 Kings summarizes Asa’s reign, the author differentiate Asa from his idol-worshiping father by not even mentioning in verses 9-15 that Asa was Abijah’s son.

两件事

箴言30:7-9  我求祢两件事,在我未死之先,不要不赐给我:求祢使虚假和谎言远离我;使我也不贫穷也不富足;赐给我需用的饮食,恐怕我饱足不认祢,说:耶和华是谁呢?又恐怕我贫穷就偷窃,以致亵渎我神的名。

所罗门王在智慧箴言里,道尽了我们在生活与生命中,不断挣扎且无法克服的两大难题:诚实与知足。

我求祢两件事,在我未死之先,不要不赐给我:求祢使虚假和谎言远离我;使我也不贫穷也不富足;赐给我需用的饮食,恐怕我饱足不认祢,说:耶和华是谁呢?又恐怕我贫穷就偷窃,以致亵渎我神的名。(箴言30:7-9)

耶和华所赐的福使人富足,并不加上忧虑。(箴言10:22)

You’re Blessed Because Someone Went Ahead Of You

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 15:1-8.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Kings 15:1-8 (NIV)
1  In the eighteenth year of the reign of Jeroboam son of Nebat, Abijah became king of Judah,
2  and he reigned in Jerusalem three years. His mother’s name was Maacah daughter of Abishalom.
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.

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.

是谁偷走我的快乐?

诗篇16:8-11  我将耶和华常摆在我面前,因祂在我右边,我便不致摇动。因此,我的心欢喜,我的灵快乐;我的肉身也要安然居住。…祢必将生命的道路指示我。在祢面前有满足的喜乐;在祢右手中有永远的福乐。

畅销作家约翰·伊佐(John Izzo)在西班牙朝圣之路的旅程中,发现快乐曾经是人类最自然、容易的一件事,但为何现在费尽心思却不一定能得到?于是,他写下「是谁偷走我的快乐?(The Five Thieves of Happiness)」这本书。这五个偷走快乐的小偷分别是:

第一个名叫「控制」:认为事情必须按照自己的期望走,不愿意单纯接受当下现实,试图控制,汲汲营营,不愿放手,无法真实地活在当下。「控制」偷走我们「交托给神」的心。

第二个名叫「自负」:以自我为中心,认为只有自己最重要,满足自我欲望的同时,反而制造更多不平等和对立。「自负」偷走我们「与人分享」的心。

第三个名叫「觊觎」:认为事事要比别人好,内心不断比较、嫉妒和不满,也失去对自己的认同与肯定。「觊觎」偷走我们「凡事谢恩」的心。

第四个名叫「消费」:骗人如果拥有某物,就会得着快乐,驱使不断追求消费,但却是消耗自己的内心。「消费」偷走我们「知足喜乐」的心。

The Dangers of Worshiping an Idol

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 14:21-31.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Kings 14:21-31 (NIV)
21  Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the LORD had chosen out of all the tribes of Israel in which to put his Name. His mother’s name was Naamah; she was an Ammonite.
22  Judah did evil in the eyes of the LORD. By the sins they committed they stirred up his jealous anger more than their fathers had done.

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).

柔和谦卑

马太福音11:28-29   耶稣说:「…凡劳苦担重担的人可以到我这里来,我就使你们得安息。我心里柔和谦卑,你们当负我的轭,学我的样式;这样,你们心里就必得享安息。因为我的轭是容易的,我的担子是轻省的。」

新约希腊文「温柔」的词意是温柔、谦卑、体谅、柔和、友好,耶稣是个代表人物,祂心里柔和(与希腊文「温柔」同字)谦卑(低下的、不显著的、无名的);保罗在歌罗西书勉励神的选民,要存怜悯、恩慈、谦虚、温柔、忍耐的心,也归结于「温柔」一词。

耶稣时代的拉比惯用「律法的轭」来要求跟随者「顺服」律法的典章。耶稣所说的「轭」,代表着「顺服」的意思,耶稣教导我们顺服神是容易的轭、轻省的担,顺服神也让我们得享从神赐下的安息。

在争竞掠夺的社会环境里,信主的人当学习耶稣的样式,心里柔和谦卑,顺服神的旨意(容易的轭、轻省的担),因此我们得享安息。

Don’t Pretend. Be Real With God.

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 14:1-20.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Kings 14:1-6 (NIV)
1  At that time Abijah son of Jeroboam became ill,
2  and Jeroboam said to his wife, “Go, disguise yourself, so you won’t be recognized as the wife of Jeroboam. Then go to Shiloh. Ahijah the prophet is there–the one who told me I would be king over this people.

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: