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What To Do With This Chance?

2024-12-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 11:1-13.  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! 

2 Samuel 11:1-4 (NIV)
1  In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
2  One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,
3  and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “Isn’t this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
4  Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home.
 
On verses 1-4:  Notice the factors that led to David’s fall into adultery:

小耶穌和大希律

2024-12-15 in , /by

馬太福音2:1  當希律王的時候，耶穌生在猶太的伯利恆。

當耶穌降生時，猶大的掌權者是大希律。

主前163年，猶太人奮起反抗希臘的統治，成立了馬加比王朝。在這段時期裡，他們曾經征服了以東人(以掃的後裔)，但是他們不像大衛當年統治以東人，而是接納了以東人，並強迫以東人受割禮，意欲同化以東人。從此以後，以東人住在以色列境內，被稱為以土買人。

馬加比王朝因為內亂被羅馬消滅後，羅馬佔領猶大，改為羅馬的猶大省，希律被任命為加利利的總督。主前43年，帕提亞人侵襲猶大，希律逃到羅馬，後由該撒亞古士督指派去收復巴勒斯坦。希律借助羅馬勢力，在主前33年被封為猶太王，並娶了馬加比的重孫女馬利亞米為第二王后，因此他有了以色列國的王位繼承權。

踐信於行的約瑟

2024-12-13 in , /by

馬太福音1:24-25   約瑟醒了，起來，就遵著主使者的吩咐把妻子娶過來， 25 只是沒有和她同房，等她生了兒子，就給他起名叫耶穌。

約瑟在聖經裡是一個非常安靜的人，我們甚至找不到他講過話的記載，但是他在沉默裡所做的每一件事，卻都可以成為我們的典範。

第一， 他在得知馬利亞懷孕後，就想暗暗的把她休了，讓她不再受婚約的束縛。他關心的是希望把傷害減到最低。這是他對人的善良。

第二， 當神的使者在夢中傳話之後，他就遵著主使者的吩咐把妻子娶過來。不再疑神疑鬼，懷疑馬利亞不貞。這是他對神的相信。

第三， 他和馬利亞結婚了，卻在她生兒子之前，都沒有和她同房。這是對神和對馬利亞的尊重。

第四， 他按著神的吩咐，給嬰孩取名耶穌。這是對神的順服。

Be Quick To Admit When You’re Wrong

2024-12-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 10:1-19.  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! 

2 Samuel 10:1-4 (NIV)
1  In the course of time, the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun succeeded him as king.
2  David thought, “I will show kindness to Hanun son of Nahash, just as his father showed kindness to me.” So David sent a delegation to express his sympathy to Hanun concerning his father. When David’s men came to the land of the Ammonites,

On verses 1-4:  In 2 Samuel 9, David showed God’s kindness to Mephibosheth, and Mephibosheth is both humbled and overwhelmed.  Now here in 2 Samuel 10, David shows kindness to Hanun leader of the Ammonites when his father died.  But rather than responding with gratitude, in return Hanun, influenced by his skeptical nobles, treats David poorly.  Hanun publicly humiliates the messengers whom David had sent to pay his family respect. 

The Kindness of the King

2024-12-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 9:1-13.  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!

2 Samuel 9:1-13 (NIV)
1  David asked, “Is there anyone still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?”
2  Now there was a servant of Saul’s household named Ziba. They called him to appear before David, and the king said to him, “Are you Ziba?” “Your servant,” he replied.
3  The king asked, “Is there no one still left of the house of Saul to whom I can show God’s kindness?” Ziba answered the king, “There is still a son of Jonathan; he is crippled in both feet.”

On verses 1-13:  Back in 1 Samuel 20:14-17 David made a promise to his best friend Jonathan that he would show kindness to Jonathan’s family.  David asks who is left from Saul’s household and Ziba, a servant in Saul’s household, tells David about Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son who was crippled in both feet.  Faithful to his promise to Jonathan, David reaches out to Mephibosheth.  At the time Mephibosheth is living in Lodebar (literally, “a pastureless place”), probably hiding for fear that David’s troops would hunt him down.  Could you imagine the fear that Mephibosheth must have felt when David’s troops found him?

以馬內利

2024-12-12 in , /by

馬太福音1:22-23   這一切的事成就，是要應驗主藉先知所說的話說： 23 「必有童女懷孕生子，人要稱他的名為以馬內利。」（「以馬內利」翻出來就是「神與我們同在」。）
以賽亞書7:13-14   以賽亞說：「大衛家啊，你們當聽！你們使人厭煩豈算小事？還要使我的神厭煩嗎？ 14 因此，主自己要給你們一個兆頭，必有童女懷孕生子，給他起名叫以馬內利。

天使又接著對約瑟說：這一切的事成就，是要應驗主藉先知所說的話。這事不是空穴來風，不是編造的，也不是神突然起意，來個即興活動，而是神在創世時就己經訂下的計劃。祂又藉著以賽亞先知預告：「必有童女懷孕生子，人要稱祂的名為以馬內利。」以賽亞是猶大南國的先知，大約與耶穌相距七百年。神的話沒有一句不應驗，人會忘記，神卻不會忘記。

這一切的事成就，是要應驗主藉先知所說的話。因為祂是信實的神。神來告訴約瑟，我以前派以賽亞先知說過的話，現在我要成全了。這是見證神蹟的時刻。

這個神蹟就是童女生子。童女怎麼會生孩子呢？在人不能，在神凡事都能。

這個孩子不僅要起名為耶穌，人還要稱祂另一個名字為以馬內利。

給祂起名叫耶穌

2024-12-11 in , /by

馬太福音 1:18-20
18 耶穌基督降生的事記在下面：他母親馬利亞已經許配了約瑟，還沒有迎娶，馬利亞就從聖靈懷了孕。 19 她丈夫約瑟是個義人，不願意明明地羞辱她，想要暗暗地把她休了。 20 正思念這事的時候，有主的使者向他夢中顯現，說：「大衛的子孫約瑟，不要怕，只管娶過你的妻子馬利亞來，因她所懷的孕是從聖靈來的。

為什麼約瑟被稱為義人呢？在聖經裡被稱為義的人不多，約瑟是其中的一個。他的“義”是從何事上表明的呢？

亞伯拉罕被稱為義，是因為他相信神(創15:6)；挪亞被稱為義人，是因為他與神同行，在當時的世代裡被認為是個完全人(創6:9)；羅得是義人，因為他常為惡人的淫行憂傷(彼後2:7)；耶穌說「為義受逼迫的人是有福的，因為天國是他們的。」這裡的義，指的是為神的國或福音。那麼約瑟在何事上被稱為義？

在當時的世代裡未婚先孕，是一件大事。按照舊約的律法，在婚約之外與人行淫，是可以用石頭打死的(申22:23-27)；而對猶太人來說，除了離婚和死亡之外，無法推翻婚姻的誓約。

馬利亞己經許配給約瑟，在眾人眼中就是公認的一對了，只差迎娶和圓房成為正式的夫妻。但是馬利亞有身孕了？! 對約瑟而言，是一個沉重的打擊，表明了馬利亞別有新歡，以及對他的背叛。對一個男人而言，這是一個極大的耻辱。在婚約中任何一方面的出軌，對另一方都是沉重的打擊。

The Mindset God Wants You To Have

2024-12-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 8:1-18.  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! 

2 Samuel 8:1-18 (NIV)
1  In the course of time, David defeated the Philistines and subdued them, and he took Metheg Ammah from the control of the Philistines.
2  David also defeated the Moabites. He made them lie down on the ground and measured them off with a length of cord. Every two lengths of them were put to death, and the third length was allowed to live. So the Moabites became subject to David and brought tribute.

On verses 1-14:  In the previous chapter (2 Samuel 7), God gives David some powerful promises regarding his future — that God would raise up a descendant of David to succeed David as king, that God would establish this descendant’s kingdom for all time and that through this descendant, David’s house, kingdom and throne would reign forever (2 Samuel 7:12-16).  Now in these verses (v1-14), David, as king of Israel, scores victory after victory over a long list of Israel’s opponents: the Philistines (v1), the Moabites (v2), Hadadezer (v3-4, 7-8), the Arameans of Damascus (v5-6), the Edomites (v12), the Ammonites (v12), and the Amalekites (v12).

義人約瑟

2024-12-10 in , /by

馬太福音 1:18-20
18 耶穌基督降生的事記在下面：他母親馬利亞已經許配了約瑟，還沒有迎娶，馬利亞就從聖靈懷了孕。 19 她丈夫約瑟是個義人，不願意明明地羞辱她，想要暗暗地把她休了。 20 正思念這事的時候，有主的使者向他夢中顯現，說：「大衛的子孫約瑟，不要怕，只管娶過你的妻子馬利亞來，因她所懷的孕是從聖靈來的。

為什麼約瑟被稱為義人呢？在聖經裡被稱為義的人不多，約瑟是其中的一個。他的“義”是從何事上表明的呢？

亞伯拉罕被稱為義，是因為他相信神(創15:6)；挪亞被稱為義人，是因為他與神同行，在當時的世代裡被認為是個完全人(創6:9)；羅得是義人，因為他常為惡人的淫行憂傷(彼後2:7)；耶穌說「為義受逼迫的人是有福的，因為天國是他們的。」這裡的義，指的是為神的國或福音。那麼約瑟在何事上被稱為義？

在當時的世代裡未婚先孕，是一件大事。按照舊約的律法，在婚約之外與人行淫，是可以用石頭打死的(申22:23-27)；而對猶太人來說，除了離婚和死亡之外，無法推翻婚姻的誓約。

馬利亞己經許配給約瑟，在眾人眼中就是公認的一對了，只差迎娶和圓房成為正式的夫妻。但是馬利亞有身孕了？! 對約瑟而言，是一個沉重的打擊，表明了馬利亞別有新歡，以及對他的背叛。對一個男人而言，這是一個極大的耻辱。在婚約中任何一方面的出軌，對另一方都是沉重的打擊。

Respond to God’s Promises with Wonder, Worship and Faith

2024-12-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 7:18-29.  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! 

2 Samuel 7:18a (NIV)
18 Then King David went in and sat before the LORD

On verse 18a:  Notice how David responds after hearing the powerful promises God spoke to him through the prophet Nathan.  David doesn’t say, “That’s interesting” and walk away.  Rather David responds by getting into God’s presence and sitting before the Lord.  When God speaks to you, don’t just go, “That’s nice” and walk away.  Take time to sit in God’s presence and let your soul digest what you have received.  Then you can respond to God in an appropriate way.  One of the most powerful things you can do any day is to sit in God’s presence and be still.  When I sit down in God’s presence, I experience His peace, receive insight for my situation and direction for what to do next.