結出聖靈的果子-和平(平安)

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腓立比書4:7  神所賜出人意外的平安，必在基督耶穌裡保守你們的心懷意念。

NBA金州勇士隊球星Stephen Curry曾多次分享，信仰是他的人生和職業生涯的核心價值之一。作為一位職業運動員，柯瑞面臨極大的壓力，媒體關注、比賽勝負、傷病風險…，這些都可能讓人焦慮或失去方向。但他常提到「對耶穌的信仰」讓他享有心裡平安，無論在勝利還是失敗中都不動搖。

他說過：「我知道我是誰，也知道我是屬於誰的(I know who I am, and I know whose I am)。」還說過：「我身上有比球衣更重要的東西(There’s more to me than just this jersey I wear)。」這幾句話背後，就是他對神完全的信靠，讓他在動盪的環境中依然持守內心的平靜與安穩，這正是聖靈的果子-和平。

賈斯汀・比伯(Justin Bieber)是全球知名的流行音樂巨星，年少成名後，迷失了方向，他的生命經歷非常大的掙扎，曾公開承認：「我感到孤單、迷惘、焦慮…，即使世界都認識我，我卻不認識自己。」但幾年前，他開始重新參加教會，並在牧師與妻子Hailey的陪伴下，重新建立與耶穌的親密關係。

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There’s No One Like Jesus

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 15:27-38.  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 Kings 15:27-38 (NIV)
27  In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Samaria, and he reigned twenty years.
28  He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. He did not turn away from the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, which he had caused Israel to commit.
29  In the time of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maacah, Janoah, Kedesh and Hazor. He took Gilead and Galilee, including all the land of Naphtali, and deported the people to Assyria.

On verses 27-38:  In these verses we read of two kings with two very different reigns. First there is Pekah king of Israel who worshiped idols and as a result much of his territory was conquered and his people taken away by a foreign enemy, the Assyrians (v27-31). 

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結出聖靈的果子-喜樂

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使徒行傳16:16-40

16 後來，我們往那禱告的地方去，有一個使女迎著面來，她被巫鬼所附，用法術叫她主人們大得財利。 17 她跟隨保羅和我們，喊著說：「這些人是至高神的僕人，對你們傳說救人的道！」 18 她一連多日這樣喊叫，保羅就心中厭煩，轉身對那鬼說：「我奉耶穌基督的名，吩咐你從她身上出來！」那鬼當時就出來了。

19 使女的主人們見得利的指望沒有了，便揪住保羅和西拉，拉他們到市上去見首領， 20 又帶到官長面前，說：「這些人原是猶太人，竟騷擾我們的城， 21 傳我們羅馬人所不可受、不可行的規矩。」 22 眾人就一同起來攻擊他們。官長吩咐剝了他們的衣裳，用棍打。 23 打了許多棍，便將他們下在監裡，囑咐禁卒嚴緊看守。 24 禁卒領了這樣的命，就把他們下在內監裡，兩腳上了木狗。

保羅和同工西拉在腓立比傳講福音（使徒行傳16:16-40），被誣告而遭到捉拿，受到眾人攻擊、毆打，最後被下到監裡，雙腳上了木狗，處境極為艱難。然而，即便是在這樣的困境中，保羅和西拉並沒有感到絕望，反而在監裡禱告，並且唱詩讚美神。

這時，令人驚奇的事發生了。一場地震使監牢的地基搖動，監門全開，囚犯的鎖鏈也都鬆開了。驚慌的獄卒以為囚犯都逃走了，想要拔刀自盡，但保羅喊住他：「不要傷害自己！我們都在這裡。」

獄卒被保羅和西拉的喜樂、信心及行為感動，戰兢地俯伏在他們面前，問道：「我當怎樣行才可以得救？」他們回應說：「當信主耶穌，你和你一家都必得救。」（使徒行傳16:30-31）最後，獄卒和他的全家接受了福音，並受了洗。

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A Kingdom Built on Sedition Will Not Last

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 15:13-26.  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 Kings 15:13-26 (NIV)
13  Shallum son of Jabesh became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah, and he reigned in Samaria one month.
14  Then Menahem son of Gadi went from Tirzah up to Samaria. He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria, assassinated him and succeeded him as king.

On verses 13-26:  In Israel, Shallum had killed Zechariah to become king. Then a month later Menahem kills Shallum to become king.  After Menahem reigns for 10 years, his son Pekahiah takes over only to be killed and succeeded 2 years later by Pekah.

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結出聖靈的果子-仁愛

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加拉太書5:6 原來在基督耶穌裡，受割禮不受割禮全無功效，唯獨使人生發仁愛的信心才有功效。

Galatians 5:6  For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (NIV)

德蕾莎修女(Mother Teresa)以她對印度加爾各答貧困病患的無私奉獻而聞名於世。她創立了「仁愛傳教女修會」，致力於照顧「最貧困中的貧困者」。她不僅提供食物、醫療照護，更重要的是，她給予那些被社會遺棄的人們愛與尊嚴。她的行動表達對人們最深切的關懷，即使面對艱難的環境，也始終堅持付出愛。

曼德拉(Nelson Mandela)在南非種族隔離時期，為了爭取平等與正義，被監禁長達27年。出獄後，他沒有選擇報復，而是以寬恕與和解來帶領南非走向和平轉型。他的行動展現出強大的仁愛力量，即使面對曾經迫害自己的人，也能夠選擇寬恕，並為整個社會福祉而努力。

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Use Scripture to Interpret Scripture

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 15:1-12.  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 Kings 15:1-7 (NIV)
1  In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel, Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign.
2  He was sixteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two years. His mother’s name was Jecoliah; she was from Jerusalem.

On verses 1-7:  Here we read of King Azariah of Judah.  In verse 3 we learn that King Azariah of Judah did right in the eyes of the Lord. Yet in verse 5 we also learn that King Azariah had leprosy until he died and lived in seclusion.  Due to his disease, King Azariah basically had to let his son Jotham rule Judah for him.  What happened?  If we read 2 Kings 15:1-12 in isolation, we only see part of the story. 

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Don’t Let Pride Cloud Your Judgment

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 14:1-16.  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 Kings 14:1-16 (NIV)
1  In the second year of Jehoash son of Jehoahaz king of Israel, Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign.
2  He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Jehoaddin; she was from Jerusalem.
3  He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, but not as his father David had done. In everything he followed the example of his father Joash.

On verses 1 to 16:  Here we read of the 29 year reign of Amaziah, king of Judah, son of Joash.  The author of 2 Kings describes Amaziah as:

– a good king who followed the Lord, although Amaziah failed to remove the high places in Judah where idolatry continued (v2-4).

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耶穌斷開鎖鏈

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耶利米書30:8-9   萬軍之耶和華說：「到那日，我必從你頸項上折斷仇敵的軛，扭開他的繩索；外邦人不得再使你作他們的奴僕。你們卻要事奉耶和華─你們的神和我為你們所要興起的王大衛。」

約翰壹書5:4-5   因為凡從神生的，就勝過世界；使我們勝了世界的，就是我們的信心。勝過世界的是誰呢？不是那信耶穌是神兒子的嗎？

我曾走在烈火中，走過黑暗的夜晚，
背負著我的重擔，虛弱得無法掙扎。
我聽見祢在呼喚，低聲呼喊我名字，
告訴我孩子別怕，我已經勝過墳墓。

我面對每場戰鬥，哭涕的每滴眼淚，
祢一直站我身邊，未曾離開我身旁。
現在我舉起雙手，讓全世界都看見，
耶穌的寶血拯救了我！

哦！我曾被束縛，但現在我自由了！
主啊，祢的憐憫拯救了我！

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我有一個夢想

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創世記1:26  神說：「我們要照著我們的形象，按著我們的樣式造人，使他們管理海裡的魚、空中的鳥、地上的牲畜和全地，並地上所爬的一切昆蟲。」

阿摩司書5:24  唯願公平如大水滾滾，使公義如江河滔滔。

1963年8月28日，為了爭取黑人民權，超過25萬人在華盛頓特區舉行「向華盛頓進軍」大遊行，馬丁·路德·金恩(Martin Luther King Jr.)在林肯紀念堂前發表著名演講《我有一個夢想》（I Have a Dream）。演講中，馬丁·路德·金恩以充滿激情的語言描繪了他對未來的願景：一個沒有種族歧視、人人平等的社會。他重複使用「我有一個夢想」這句話，強調希望黑人與白人能和平共處，並享有平等機會。

馬丁·路德·金恩是一位浸信會牧師，他相信所有人都是按上帝的形象創造（創世記1:26），並應享有平等的尊嚴與權利。他經常引用聖經的教導，愛鄰舍、愛仇敵（馬太福音5:43-44），來支持他提倡非暴力抗議和追求社會正義的立場。

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Faith Is Evidenced By Action

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 13:14-25.  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 Kings 13:14-25 (NIV)
14  Now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!”
15  Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so.

On verses 14-19, 22-25:  In the final chapter to Elisha’s ministry and life on earth, Elisha meets Jehoash king of Israel, who weeps knowing that Elisha is sick and approaching death.  Testifying to Elisha’s greatness, Jehoash calls Elisha “the chariots and horsemen of Israel” (v14), just as Elisha had so called his mentor Elijah (2 Kings 2:12). 

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