兒女的心轉向父親

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瑪拉基書4:5-6 「看哪，耶和華大而可畏之日未到以前，我必差遣先知以利亞到你們那裡去。 6 他必使父親的心轉向兒女，兒女的心轉向父親，免得我來咒詛遍地。」

奧斯卡影帝、舞台巨星─丹佐·華盛頓(Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr.)，或許在人前是萬眾矚目的演員，但在內心深處，他常自覺只是「一位牧師的兒子」。

丹佐的父親─老丹佐·海伊斯·華盛頓牧師(Reverend Denzel Hayes Washington, Sr.)是五旬節教派的牧師，同時也在紐約水務局工作，信仰堅定、生活端正。丹佐回憶道，父親每天讀聖經、講道，雖然不苛刻，卻以身作則，在靜默中留下深遠影響。許多年輕人的現今生活裡缺乏父親的角色，他卻慶幸自己擁有一位屬靈的導師，「不是高聲吩咐，而是默默活出」的基督信仰。

年輕時，丹佐曾吸毒、販毒，一度遠離神，他坦言：「我現在沒有待在監獄裡，是神的恩典。」他形容自己曾拒絕神、恨神，但也愛神、讚美神，這段掙扎正是信仰的真實樣貌。然而在1980年代，丹佐曾與好友造訪教會，並經歷一次強烈的聖靈充滿，令他震撼落淚。母親告訴他，那是聖靈的工作。那一刻，他知道，父親從未停止為他禱告。

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典章真實，全然公義

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詩篇19:9  耶和華的道理潔淨，存到永遠。耶和華的典章真實，全然公義。

「耶和華的典章真實，全然公義(The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether)。」（詩篇19:9）典章的原文是מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim)，係指神的審判與判斷，經文強調祂的「真實」與「公義」，可作為衡量人行為的標準。

「真實」表示神的話語不虛假，不含謬誤，無論古今時空、無論境遇如何，都能信靠。神不說謊，也不改變祂的標準。祂的典章揭示的是永恆的真理，而非一時的潮流。

「公義」則指出神的律例不偏不倚，不論貧富貴賤、種族性別，神都以同一準則對待人。這樣的公義，令人敬畏，也讓人得著安慰。即使世上有不公平的審判，神的典章卻成為信靠祂之人的庇護和依據。

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He’s Greater than the Storm You’re In

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 6:45-56.  With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Mark 6:45-46 (NIV)
45  Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
46  After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
 
On verses 45-46:  Here we see Jesus’ heart for his disciples, how he lets them go on ahead of him by boat so that they can get some rest while he dismisses the crowd…OR was Jesus intentionally sending them into a storm to teach them a lesson?  Hmm. 
 

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6 Traits of an Effective Leader

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 6:30-44.  With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Mark 6:30-32 (NIV)
30  The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.
31  Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32  So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
 
On verses 30-32:  Jesus did not simply use his disciples; he also cared for their well being.  That’s why here we see Jesus leading his disciples not only in serving but also in resting.  Jesus sets an example for his team on how to rest and plans for a way that his team can rest together.

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真誠敬畏，存到永遠

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詩篇19:9  耶和華的道理潔淨，存到永遠。耶和華的典章真實，全然公義。

「耶和華的道理潔淨，存到永遠(The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever)。」（詩篇19:9）「道理」的原文是יִרְאָה (yirah)，原意是「敬畏」，指的是人對耶和華發自內心的敬重、謙卑及順服。

這樣的敬畏是「潔淨」的，是出於認識祂的聖潔、公義與慈愛所產生的敬愛之心。它不是懼怕懲罰的屈身，也不摻雜私心、不單求恩典，它是單純、透明、聖潔的，是神所悅納的心態。

這樣的敬畏將「存到永遠」，不僅在今生引導我們走正路，更在永恆中成為與神同行的記號。在新天新地中，眾聖徒依然敬畏神，因祂的榮耀超過萬有；即便無苦難與黑夜，我們對祂的敬愛仍不減分毫。

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萬古磐石

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約翰福音1:1-9   太初有道，道與神同在，道就是神。 2 這道太初與神同在。 3 萬物是藉著祂造的；凡被造的，沒有一樣不是藉著祂造的。 4 生命在祂裡頭，這生命就是人的光。 5 光照在黑暗裡，黑暗卻不接受光。 6 有一個人，是從神那裡差來的，名叫約翰。 7 這人來，為要作見證，就是為光作見證，叫眾人因他可以信。 8 他不是那光，乃是要為光作見證。 9 那光是真光，照亮一切生在世上的人。

「耶和華的命令清潔，能明亮人的眼目(The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes)。」（詩篇19:8）命令的原文是מִצְוָה (mitsvah)，常用於具體的「命令」或「誡命」，神明確要人遵行的事，是具約束力的指示。

「明亮的眼目」是神創造人極大的恩典，人有眼目可以自由地觀察、尋找、欣賞…，因此可以自由的行動、工作、吃喝…。然而，眼目需要「光照」才能「明亮」，沒有光照，猶如目盲，眼不能見，手觸無感，行路踉蹌，人在黑暗中摸索。

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Your Story Does Not End Here

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 6:14-29. With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Mark 6:14-16 (NIV)
14  King Herod heard about this, for Jesus’ name had become well known. Some were saying, “John the Baptist has been raised from the dead, and that is why miraculous powers are at work in him.”
15  Others said, “He is Elijah.” And still others claimed, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of long ago.”
16  But when Herod heard this, he said, “John, the man I beheaded, has been raised from the dead!”

On verses 14-16: King Herod hears about the movement that Jesus is leading.  While others think Jesus is the second coming of the prophet Elijah, and others a modern day prophet, King Herod can’t help but think that Jesus is actually John the Baptist raised from the dead. 

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Live Simply, Stay Hungry, and Shake Off The Dust

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 6:7-13. With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Mark 6:7 (NIV)
7  Calling the Twelve to him, he sent them out two by two and gave them authority over evil spirits.
 
On verse 7:  Jesus was not just about serving crowds.  Even more, Jesus was about making disciples and sending them into the world to do what he did.  And this is what he does here.  He’s calling the Twelve to Himself and then sending them out with authority. 
 

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命令清潔，明亮眼目

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約翰福音1:1-9   太初有道，道與神同在，道就是神。 2 這道太初與神同在。 3 萬物是藉著祂造的；凡被造的，沒有一樣不是藉著祂造的。 4 生命在祂裡頭，這生命就是人的光。 5 光照在黑暗裡，黑暗卻不接受光。 6 有一個人，是從神那裡差來的，名叫約翰。 7 這人來，為要作見證，就是為光作見證，叫眾人因他可以信。 8 他不是那光，乃是要為光作見證。 9 那光是真光，照亮一切生在世上的人。

「耶和華的命令清潔，能明亮人的眼目(The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes)。」（詩篇19:8）命令的原文是מִצְוָה (mitsvah)，常用於具體的「命令」或「誡命」，神明確要人遵行的事，是具約束力的指示。

「明亮的眼目」是神創造人極大的恩典，人有眼目可以自由地觀察、尋找、欣賞…，因此可以自由的行動、工作、吃喝…。然而，眼目需要「光照」才能「明亮」，沒有光照，猶如目盲，眼不能見，手觸無感，行路踉蹌，人在黑暗中摸索。

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進入祂的平安

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約翰福音16:33   在世上，你們有苦難；但你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。到的。

「在世上，你們有苦難；但你們可以放心，我已經勝了世界。」（約翰福音16:33）

這是個短暫寧靜、片刻休憩的週六早晨，外面的雨似乎滌不盡昨晚的激情、喧囂，卻又即將灌滿一天的焦慮、頹喪。心中湧出一首熟悉的台語詩歌《主惦我心內，無驚惶自在》，它帶我進入祂的平安，我相信祂得勝的應許！

這首台語詩歌翻譯改編自英文聖詩《Be Thou My Vision》(成為我異象)，旋律取自愛爾蘭傳統民謠Slane，並後來被收錄為基督教詩歌之一。

原始詩歌的作者不詳，可能是約在西元八世紀出自愛爾蘭的信徒所寫的古詩；後來在1905年被Mary E. Byrne翻譯成英文散文，於1912年由Eleanor Henrietta Hull改寫為詩體。

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