也許你會想知道聖經形成的簡史

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提摩太後書 3:14-17

但你所學習的、所確信的，要存在心裡，因為你知道是跟誰學的， 15 並且知道你是從小明白聖經，這聖經能使你因信基督耶穌有得救的智慧。16 聖經都是神所默示的，於教訓、督責、使人歸正、教導人學義都是有益的， 17 叫屬神的人得以完全，預備行各樣的善事。

舊約（猶太人稱為《希伯來聖經》）主要由摩西五經（律法書）、歷史書、詩歌智慧書及先知書所組成。從西元前15世紀（摩西時代）到西元前4世紀陸續完成，主要用希伯來文寫成，少部分（但以理書部分章節、以斯拉記）使用亞蘭文。舊約定典在主前2世紀至主後1世紀逐漸被確定，猶太人在主後90年左右的「雅米尼亞會議」（有爭議）普遍認定了舊約的範圍。

新約由四福音書（馬太、馬可、路加、約翰）、使徒行傳、保羅書信、普通書信及啟示錄所組成。大約在主後40年到100年間完成，主要以希臘文（通用希臘語Koine Greek）書寫。最早的書信和福音書已在教會中廣泛使用，直到西元4世紀，特別是主後397年的迦太基公會議正式確認新約27卷書目。

隨著猶太人散居地中海四周，許多人不再通曉希伯來文。西元前3世紀在埃及，約70位學者將舊約翻譯成希臘文，「七十士譯本(Septuagint)」因而問世，對早期教會影響深遠（新約作者常引用此譯本），也使更多人能以通用語言接觸到神的話語。

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Even When You’ve Lost Everything, There Is Still Hope

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 21:1-26.  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 21:1-18 (NIV)
1  Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years. His mother’s name was Hephzibah.
2  He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations the LORD had driven out before the Israelites.
3  He rebuilt the high places his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he also erected altars to Baal and made an Asherah pole, as Ahab king of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the starry hosts and worshiped them.

On verses 1-18:  Manasseh replaces his father Hezekiah as the king of Judah.  But rather than following the Lord like his father Hezekiah did, Manasseh goes headlong into worshiping idols, committing violent crimes and even sacrificing his own son in the fire as part of idol worship. 

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賜生命的主

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約翰福音3:15  叫一切信祂的都得永生。

約翰福音17:3   認識祢獨一的真神，並且認識祢所差來的耶穌基督，這就是永生。

約翰福音14:6  耶穌說：我就是道路、真理、生命。若不藉著我，沒有人能到父那裡去。

舊約中「永生」一詞來自希伯來文 עוֹלָם (ʿolam)，意思是永遠、長久、或時間的無限，因為沒有生命的含意，詞意並不直接等同於「永生」。

舊約常用的「永生神(El Olam)」是將永遠和神兩個字放一起，表明神在時間層面的屬性，祂是自有永有的（出埃及記3:14），祂是從亙古到永遠的神（詩篇90:2）。

神說：「我憑著永生起誓…」（申命記32:40），「惟耶和華是真神，是活神，是永遠的王。」（耶利米書10:10），這兩處經文的永生和永遠，是同一個字ʿolam，指出神是永不改變的長遠存在，並未呈現生命的含意。

舊約希伯來文中很少出現直接對應具「永生」含意的詞，僅有一處，詩篇133:3「好比黑門的甘露降在錫安山，因為在那裡有耶和華所命定的福，就是永遠的生命。」此處，永遠的生命(chayyei olam)是將永遠和生命兩個字放一起。

大衛王渴慕：「…引導我走永生的道路。」（詩篇139:24），所羅門王領悟：「神造萬物，各按其時成為美好，又將永生安置在世人心裡。然而神從始至終的作為，人不能參透。」（傳道書3:11）他們同樣在尋求永遠及永恆，但並未訴及生命的意涵。

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我有一個心願

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約翰福音14:27    我留下平安給你們，我將我的平安賜給你們。我所賜的不像世人所賜的，你們心裡不要憂愁，也不要膽怯。

「同心圓」旗下的敬拜者使團2020年演唱《平安》，作者馬啟邦分享：我有一個心願—為孩子們寫經文詩歌，把神的應許都記下來。

這年代的人，很苦，很無力，我不敢想像下一代過的日子會是怎樣。我希望有天當孩子們知道生命中的狂風暴雨和捆鎖劫難是何等的磨人，直叫人對別人、對自己也失去信心時，也會記得神賜下的平安和盼望其實不曾離開，因主耶穌已經「親自」為祂所愛的孩子把平安留下來。

祂的犧牲洗清了我們的過犯，祂的復活讓我們盼待祂的再來與審判。祂賜下的盼望不會死，祂的安慰常在，在祂裡面我們穩如磐石，因我們的主已勝過了世界。

在音樂會聽到小孩子在唱《平安》時，異常的感動我。我心裡暗暗的祝願：「你要一直把這歌唱下去，好像我們唱給你們聽一樣。」近日特別多天災人禍、逼迫和不公義，願這歌也承載著我們，讓我們注目於神。無論什麽境況，願平安與你常在。

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When You’re Facing A Wall, Look Up To God

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 20:1-21.  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 20:1-3 (NIV) 
1  In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, “This is what the LORD says: Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.” 
2  Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD, 
3  “Remember, O LORD, how I have walked before you faithfully and with wholehearted devotion and have done what is good in your eyes.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

On verses 1-3:  Hezekiah is suffering from a life-threatening illness.  Initially Isaiah brings a message to Hezekiah from the Lord saying that he must get ready to die.  Turning his face to the wall, Hezekiah prays, weeps, and pleads with God for mercy.

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God Will Defend and Protect You

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 19:20-37.  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 19:20-21 (NIV)
20  Then Isaiah son of Amoz sent a message to Hezekiah: “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I have heard your prayer concerning Sennacherib king of Assyria.
21  This is the word that the LORD has spoken against him: “‘The Virgin Daughter of Zion despises you and mocks you. The Daughter of Jerusalem tosses her head as you flee.

On verses 20-21:  Here God responds to King Hezekiah’s plea for help against King Sennacherib of Assyria.  Through the prophet Isaiah, God sends a reassuring message to Hezekiah.  First, the Lord tells Hezekiah that He has heard Hezekiah’s prayer (v20). 

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穩妥的一天

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詩篇5:11   凡投靠祢的，願他們喜樂，時常歡呼，因為祢護庇他們。又願那愛祢名的人，都靠祢歡欣。

為這一天(為今天)，我獻(上)感謝，全人再次交托，與主聯結；
祂是生命活水，使我滿足歡暢，從我靈裏向外流淌，將我溢漫且從我顯彰。

無須憂慮，無須懷疑，惟尋求祂的國和祂的義，
每天都有需要，凡事向祂述說，祂賜平安深且廣闊，時時保守使我永穩妥。

常常喜樂，不住禱告，凡事謝恩無何比這更美好；
主是永活源頭，作我一切供應，凡我交托在祂手中，祂能保全一直到路終。

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2 Things to Do When You’re Under Pressure

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 19:1-19.  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 Kings 19:1-4 (NIV)
1  When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD.
2  He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.
3  They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.
4  It may be that the LORD your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”
 
On verses 1-4:   King Hezekiah’s officials deliver Assyria’s intimidating message to Hezekiah.  In response, Hezekiah does two wise things: (1) he pours his heart out to God, spending time in His presence (v1); and (2) he seeks counsel and support from the prophet Isaiah (v2-4). 

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人生第一次

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以賽亞書46:3-4

雅各家，以色列家一切餘剩的，要聽我言！你們自從生下，就蒙我保抱；自從出胎，便蒙我懷揣。 4 直到你們年老，我仍這樣；直到你們髮白，我仍懷揣。我已造做，也必保抱；我必懷抱，也必拯救。

記憶是個已經過去，且無法改變、抹滅的事實，它被封存，卻常襲心頭，帶著溫暖，湧出感謝，特別的日子想念特別的您，媽媽！

我第一聲啼哭，您聽到、您確認、您喜悅，您明白這是您對我一生牽掛的開始；
我第一次張眼，矇矓光影中，我望著您的臉龐，您的笑容是我摸索生命的開始；
我第一個擁抱，我傾聽您的心跳，感受您的溫暖，我明白這是我可以安歇之處；
我第一次飽足，在您懷中，您為我擺設豐盛筵席，我開始領受生命的滋養成長；
我第一個腳步，您攙扶、您拍手、您喜悅，您明白這是我起步、漸遠離的開始；
…無數個第一次，您雕塑了現在的我。

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6 Ways Satan Tries to Attack You and How to Defend Yourself

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 18:17-37.  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 18:17-19 (NIV)
17  The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field.
18  They called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.
19  The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: “‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours?
 
On verses 17-19:  In verses 17-37 Assyria’s field commander tries to intimidate Hezekiah’s Israelite troops.  At the same time I believe through this passage we can learn 6 ways that our enemy, Satan, tries to erode our confidence and soften us up for a defeat.  The quicker you can identify these 6 ways that Satan will try to attack you, the quicker you can defeat him in Jesus’ name.   Let’s go! 

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