结出圣灵的果子-和平(平安)

/in , /by

腓立比书4:7  神所赐出人意外的平安，必在基督耶稣里保守你们的心怀意念。

NBA金州勇士队球星Stephen Curry曾多次分享，信仰是他的人生和职业生涯的核心价值之一。作为一位职业运动员，柯瑞面临极大的压力，媒体关注、比赛胜负、伤病风险…，这些都可能让人焦虑或失去方向。但他常提到「对耶稣的信仰」让他享有心里平安，无论在胜利还是失败中都不动摇。

他说过：「我知道我是谁，也知道我是属于谁的(I know who I am, and I know whose I am)。」还说过：「我身上有比球衣更重要的东西(There’s more to me than just this jersey I wear)。」这几句话背后，就是他对神完全的信靠，让他在动荡的环境中依然持守内心的平静与安稳，这正是圣灵的果子-和平。

贾斯汀・比伯(Justin Bieber)是全球知名的流行音乐巨星，年少成名后，迷失了方向，他的生命经历非常大的挣扎，曾公开承认：「我感到孤单、迷惘、焦虑…，即使世界都认识我，我却不认识自己。」但几年前，他开始重新参加教会，并在牧师与妻子Hailey的陪伴下，重新建立与耶稣的亲密关系。

Read more

There’s No One Like Jesus

/in /by

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). 

Read more

结出圣灵的果子-喜乐

/in , /by

使徒行传16:16-40

16 后来，我们往那祷告的地方去，有一个使女迎著面来，她被巫鬼所附，用法术叫她主人们大得财利。 17 她跟随保罗和我们，喊著说：「这些人是至高神的仆人，对你们传说救人的道！」 18 她一连多日这样喊叫，保罗就心中厌烦，转身对那鬼说：「我奉耶稣基督的名，吩咐你从她身上出来！」那鬼当时就出来了。

19 使女的主人们见得利的指望没有了，便揪住保罗和西拉，拉他们到市上去见首领， 20 又带到官长面前，说：「这些人原是犹太人，竟骚扰我们的城， 21 传我们罗马人所不可受、不可行的规矩。」 22 众人就一同起来攻击他们。官长吩咐剥了他们的衣裳，用棍打。 23 打了许多棍，便将他们下在监里，嘱咐禁卒严紧看守。 24 禁卒领了这样的命，就把他们下在内监里，两脚上了木狗。

保罗和同工西拉在腓立比传讲福音（使徒行传16:16-40），被诬告而遭到捉拿，受到众人攻击、殴打，最后被下到监里，双脚上了木狗，处境极为艰难。然而，即便是在这样的困境中，保罗和西拉并没有感到绝望，反而在监里祷告，并且唱诗赞美神。

这时，令人惊奇的事发生了。一场地震使监牢的地基摇动，监门全开，囚犯的锁链也都松开了。惊慌的狱卒以为囚犯都逃走了，想要拔刀自尽，但保罗喊住他：「不要伤害自己！我们都在这里。」

狱卒被保罗和西拉的喜乐、信心及行为感动，战兢地俯伏在他们面前，问道：「我当怎样行才可以得救？」他们回应说：「当信主耶稣，你和你一家都必得救。」（使徒行传16:30-31）最后，狱卒和他的全家接受了福音，并受了洗。

Read more

A Kingdom Built on Sedition Will Not Last

/in /by

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.

Read more

结出圣灵的果子-仁爱

/in , /by

加拉太书5:6 原来在基督耶稣里，受割礼不受割礼全无功效，唯独使人生发仁爱的信心才有功效。

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)以她对印度加尔各答贫困病患的无私奉献而闻名于世。她创立了「仁爱传教女修会」，致力于照顾「最贫困中的贫困者」。她不仅提供食物、医疗照护，更重要的是，她给予那些被社会遗弃的人们爱与尊严。她的行动表达对人们最深切的关怀，即使面对艰难的环境，也始终坚持付出爱。

曼德拉(Nelson Mandela)在南非种族隔离时期，为了争取平等与正义，被监禁长达27年。出狱后，他没有选择报复，而是以宽恕与和解来带领南非走向和平转型。他的行动展现出强大的仁爱力量，即使面对曾经迫害自己的人，也能够选择宽恕，并为整个社会福祉而努力。

Read more

Use Scripture to Interpret Scripture

/in /by

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. 

Read more

Don’t Let Pride Cloud Your Judgment

/in /by

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).

Read more

耶稣断开锁链

/in , /by

耶利米书30:8-9   万军之耶和华说：「到那日，我必从你颈项上折断仇敌的轭，扭开他的绳索；外邦人不得再使你作他们的奴仆。你们却要事奉耶和华─你们的神和我为你们所要兴起的王大卫。」

约翰壹书5:4-5   因为凡从神生的，就胜过世界；使我们胜了世界的，就是我们的信心。胜过世界的是谁呢？不是那信耶稣是神儿子的吗？

我曾走在烈火中，走过黑暗的夜晚，
背负着我的重担，虚弱得无法挣扎。
我听见祢在呼唤，低声呼喊我名字，
告诉我孩子别怕，我已经胜过坟墓。

我面对每场战斗，哭涕的每滴眼泪，
祢一直站我身边，未曾离开我身旁。
现在我举起双手，让全世界都看见，
耶稣的宝血拯救了我！

哦！我曾被束缚，但现在我自由了！
主啊，祢的怜悯拯救了我！

Read more

我有一个梦想

/in , /by

创世记1:26  神说：「我们要照着我们的形象，按着我们的样式造人，使他们管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、地上的牲畜和全地，并地上所爬的一切昆虫。」

阿摩司书5:24  唯愿公平如大水滚滚，使公义如江河滔滔。

1963年8月28日，为了争取黑人民权，超过25万人在华盛顿特区举行「向华盛顿进军」大游行，马丁·路德·金恩(Martin Luther King Jr.)在林肯纪念堂前发表著名演讲《我有一个梦想》（I Have a Dream）。演讲中，马丁·路德·金恩以充满激情的语言描绘了他对未来的愿景：一个没有种族歧视、人人平等的社会。他重复使用「我有一个梦想」这句话，强调希望黑人与白人能和平共处，并享有平等机会。

马丁·路德·金恩是一位浸信会牧师，他相信所有人都是按上帝的形象创造（创世记1:26），并应享有平等的尊严与权利。他经常引用圣经的教导，爱邻舍、爱仇敌（马太福音5:43-44），来支持他提倡非暴力抗议和追求社会正义的立场。

Read more

Faith Is Evidenced By Action

/in /by

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). 

Read more