約翰福音3:19-20
19 「光來到世間，世人因自己的行為是惡的，不愛光倒愛黑暗，定他們的罪就是在此。 20 凡作惡的便恨光，並不來就光，恐怕他的行為受責備；
人在光中無法隱藏自己的影子，或是達官顯要、或是市井小民、或是窮兇惡煞，眾人皆有自己的影子。影子大小會因胖瘦高矮而有差異，然而不變的事實是，距離光愈遠，人的影子一定被拉長，距離光愈近，影子自然就會縮短。
從另個角度來看，影子或許可代表人的陰影，不為人知的黑暗面；人因自己的行為是惡的，不愛光，倒愛黑暗，因為可以將影子隱藏在黑暗中，陰影不被人發現，而免於罪責（約翰福音3:19-20）。
信主的人需要面向光，定睛前方，讓影子落在後面，我們因此可以忘記背後，努力就光；愈靠近光，背後的影子愈小，當光正照我們頭上，影子就縮到最小。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 24:18-25. 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 24:18-19 (NIV)
18 On that day Gad went to David and said to him, “Go up and build an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
19 So David went up, as the LORD had commanded through Gad.
On verses 18-19: Earlier the Lord had sent the prophet Gad to tell David about the punishment for his sin. 3 days later the Lord sends the prophet Gad to tell David how to make things right again. He instructs David to build an altar to the Lord at the very place where the plague would stop: the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite (v18).
約翰福音3:1-8
有一個法利賽人，名叫尼哥迪慕，是猶太人的官。 2 這人夜裡來見耶穌，說：「拉比，我們知道你是由神那裡來做師傅的，因為你所行的神蹟，若沒有神同在，無人能行。」 3 耶穌回答說：「我實實在在地告訴你：人若不重生，就不能見神的國。」 4 尼哥迪慕說：「人已經老了，如何能重生呢？豈能再進母腹生出來嗎？」 5 耶穌說：「我實實在在地告訴你：人若不是從水和聖靈生的，就不能進神的國。 6 從肉身生的就是肉身，從靈生的就是靈。 7 我說你們必須重生，你不要以為稀奇。 8 風隨著意思吹，你聽見風的響聲，卻不曉得從哪裡來，往哪裡去。凡從聖靈生的，也是如此。」
擁有正統宗教和社會地位的法利賽人尼哥底母夜裡來見耶穌，耶穌對他說：要重生，要從水和聖靈生才能進入神的國，且要順從聖靈的引領（約翰福音3:1-8）。風隨著己意吹向它想要的地方，我們聽見風聲，但不知道它來自何方，又吹向何處；聖靈的引領也是如此，我們雖不知祂來自何方且吹向何處，但是我們可以領受，且要順服，這就重生的生命。
尼哥底母屬於自詡遺傳和堅守律法的法利賽人，耶穌向他說明祂來是要叫一切信祂的都得永生，有如摩西在曠野舉蛇，讓人得醫治，祂說：「神愛世人，甚至將他的獨生子賜給他們，叫一切信他的，不致滅亡，反得永生。…但行真理的必來就光，要顯明他所行的是靠神而行。」（約翰福音3:16-21）
約翰福音2:23-25
23 當耶穌在耶路撒冷過逾越節的時候，有許多人看見他所行的神蹟，就信了他的名。 24 耶穌卻不將自己交託他們，因為他知道萬人， 25 也用不著誰見證人怎樣，因他知道人心裡所存的。
在我們的世代裡，影響力是個人價值的最高指標，政治人物需要選票，網紅需要粉絲，網購需要訪客流量，實體店面需要排隊人潮，議題評論要看聲量，論文發表要看影響因子，甚至教會興旺、聖靈充滿也看建築、看人數。
當耶穌在耶路撒冷過逾越節的時候，有許多人看見祂所行的神蹟，就信了他的名。耶穌卻不將自己交託他們；因為祂知道萬人，也用不著誰見證人怎樣，因祂知道人心裡所存的。（約翰福音2:23-25）
耶穌的時候，人要看神蹟，但是耶穌捨棄宣揚自己、尋求個人利益的影響力，反而選擇犧牲自己、帶給他人好處的影響力。
耶穌面對希律王正在興建中的聖殿（當時已建了四十六年），祂說：「你們拆毀這殿，我三日內要再建立起來。」（約翰福音2:19）
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 24:10-17. 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 24:10 (NIV)
10 David was conscience-stricken after he had counted the fighting men, and he said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done. Now, O LORD, I beg you, take away the guilt of your servant. I have done a very foolish thing.”
On verse 10: In the previous verses we looked at why David calling a census was a foolish thing to do. Now, after the census is over, David is conscience-stricken and confesses his sin to God. Your conscience is a great gift from God. Without a conscience, we would persist hardheartedly in our sin and never turn back. But when the Holy Spirit touches our conscience, as He did here with David, we can quickly confess our sin and get back on the right track. It’s no wonder Paul tells Timothy in 1 Timothy 1:19 to hold on to a good conscience.
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 24:1-9. 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 24:1-25 (NIV)
1 Again the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and he incited David against them, saying, “Go and take a census of Israel and Judah.”
2 So the king said to Joab and the army commanders with him, “Go throughout the tribes of Israel from Dan to Beersheba and enroll the fighting men, so that I may know how many there are.”
On verses 1-4: At a time of relative peace in Israel, King David decides to order a census. He requires his government officials to travel all throughout Israel and count how many men are ready, willing and able to fight for Israel. Joab, David’s army general, is hesitant, suggesting to David that ordering a census at such a time is not a wise thing to do. However, David’s word overrules Joab’s concern.
創世記32:22-32
22 他夜間起來，帶著兩個妻子、兩個使女並十一個兒子，都過了雅博渡口。 23 先打發他們過河，又打發所有的都過去， 24 只剩下雅各一人。有一個人來和他摔跤，直到黎明。 25 那人見自己勝不過他，就將他的大腿窩摸了一把，雅各的大腿窩正在摔跤的時候就扭了。 26 那人說：「天黎明了，容我去吧。」雅各說：「你不給我祝福，我就不容你去。」
亞伯拉罕子孫雅各的名字就是「抓住」的意思，因為他手抓住雙生哥哥以掃的腳跟來出生，他的個性正如其名，一生努力「抓」名分、祝福、妻子、牛、驢、羊群、僕婢…，甚至「抓住神」。
雅各逃避以掃的怨恨，前往母舅家棲身二十年，掙得家產財富後返鄉，在雅博渡口近鄉情怯，夜間獨自與神摔跤，尋求神的祝福；神摸了雅各的大腿窩，讓他瘸了腿，也改了他的名字為以色列，意思是「與神較力」，因為他與神與人較力，都得了勝。（創世記32:22-32）
瘸了腿的雅各給那地方起名叫毘努伊勒（神之面），意思說：「我面對面見了神，我的性命仍得保全」。雅各與神面對面，神讓一生努力「抓」、與人較力的雅各瘸了腿，謙卑不再倚靠自己，將他改名為以色列，宣告他與神較力，終於「抓住神」。
亞伯拉罕的子孫、雅各的後裔被稱為以色列人，代表著這個族類是「與神較力」、謙卑尋求「抓住神」的民族。
約翰福音2:1-12
第三日，在加利利的迦拿有娶親的筵席，耶穌的母親在那裡。 2 耶穌和他的門徒也被請去赴席。 3 酒用盡了，耶穌的母親對他說：「他們沒有酒了。」 4 耶穌說：「母親[a]，我與你有什麼相干？我的時候還沒有到。」 5 他母親對用人說：「他告訴你們什麼，你們就做什麼。」 6 照猶太人潔淨的規矩，有六口石缸擺在那裡，每口可以盛兩三桶水。 7 耶穌對用人說：「把缸倒滿了水。」他們就倒滿了，直到缸口。
迦拿娶親筵席是耶穌行蹤中難得一見的場景，沒人生病、眼瞎、垂死、被鬼附…，耶穌也沒有教訓人。
婚筵是個歡樂的場合，卻面臨酒用盡了的窘境，耶穌母親尋求耶穌協助；耶穌回應說祂的時候還沒有到（指的是救贖的工作：受死、復活、得榮耀），但接著卻將猶太人潔淨用的水變成好酒，讓婚筵的喜樂延續且可以滿足。（約翰福音2:1-12）
使徒約翰在約翰福音裡，藉著描述耶穌多處行蹤來表明耶穌就是神子，祂就是「我是」（神的名字，出埃及記3:14）。約翰特別述明這是耶穌所行的頭一件神蹟，我們也許會訝異這神蹟似乎和救贖完全無關，耶穌所行的神蹟應該是讓人病得醫治、瞎眼得看見、瘸腿得行走、罪得赦免或是死人得復活，但耶穌在這裡卻是讓婚筵的喜樂延續且可以滿足。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 23:13-39. 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 23:13-17 (NIV)
13 During harvest time, three of the thirty chief men came down to David at the cave of Adullam, while a band of Philistines was encamped in the Valley of Rephaim.
14 At that time David was in the stronghold, and the Philistine garrison was at Bethlehem.
On verses 13-17: David is hiding in the cave of Adullam. He expresses a desire that someone get him a drink of water from a well near the gate of Bethlehem, which was occupied by the Philistines. Who knows if this was just a passing wish or a deep, heartfelt desire, but David’s famous three warriors – Josheb-Basshebeth, Eleazar and Shammah – took David’s request seriously. So much so that “the Three” break through the Philistine camp just to get water from the well that David spoke of and carry the water back to David.
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 23:1-12. 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 23:1 (NIV)
1 These are the last words of David: “The oracle of David son of Jesse, the oracle of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, Israel’s singer of songs:
On verse 1: In the past God used David in many different roles:
– as a shepherd to protect sheep,
– as a king to lead His people,
– as a warrior to defeat giants and a military commander to defeat armies,
– as a priest who leads the people in worship,
– as a writer and singer of His songs.
But in this chapter and the previous chapter, we see God using David in another way: as a prophet who speaks words inspired by the Holy Spirit.
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