Coming Home Can Be Hard

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 6:1-6. 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 6:1-6 (NIV)
1  Jesus left there and went to his hometown, accompanied by his disciples.
2  When the Sabbath came, he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were amazed. “Where did this man get these things?” they asked. “What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles!
3  Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.
4  Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own house is a prophet without honor.”
5  He could not do any miracles there, except lay his hands on a few sick people and heal them.
6  And he was amazed at their lack of faith. Then Jesus went around teaching from village to village.
 
On verses 1-6:  Normally when a celebrity returns to their hometown, they receive an especially warm and passionate welcome.  But not in Jesus’ case.  Jesus returns to his hometown of Nazareth, and rather than being hailed as a hero people respond to Jesus with contempt and unbelief. 
 

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我喜歡

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哥林多前書2:9   神為愛祂的人所預備的是眼睛未曾看見，耳朵未曾聽見，人心也未曾想到的。

聽一群孩子唱「我喜歡」，心中有莫名的感動，喚醒了年少歲月的歡樂記憶…；在歌聲中重溫舊夢，想起神在我們四周環繞的預備，祂為我們彩繪自然美景、溫燉親情時光、彈奏高低音符、點綴生活零碎、編織成長場景、鋪排生命歷程…。

這一切的預備並不偶然，因著神的愛，祂為我預備，祂讓我享有，祂讓「我喜歡」；我知道「神為愛祂的人所預備的是眼睛未曾看見，耳朵未曾聽見，人心也未曾想到的。」（哥林多前書2:9）

我感謝神為我預備新的一天！讓我享有！也讓我喜歡！

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Who Will You Listen To and Who Will You Ignore?

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 5:35-43. 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 5:35 (NIV)
35  While Jesus was still speaking, some men came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue ruler. “Your daughter is dead,” they said. “Why bother the teacher any more?”
 
On verse 35:  For everyone else in Jairus’ home, death meant the end, nothing more that could be done.  But for Jesus, when someone dies, that’s when his work is only just beginning.

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訓詞正直，快活人心

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詩篇19:8    耶和華的訓詞正直，能快活人的心。

詩篇91:5-7  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，叫屬神的人得以完全，預備行各樣的善事。

「耶和華的訓詞正直，能快活人的心(The statutes of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart)。」（詩篇19:8）訓詞的原文是פִּקּוּדִים (piqqudim)，關乎指引行為的準則，強調神在實際生活中的指導與細節命令。

使徒保羅強調神的訓詞「正直」所帶來的影響力：對人有益，使人完全，能行善事。「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，叫屬神的人得以完全，預備行各樣的善事。」（提摩太後書3:16-17）

「訓詞」看似「限制」，實則「保護」，讓我們遠離罪的引誘和惡者的攻擊，我們的心自然滿足、快活(rejoicing)；誠如大衛的讚美詩提到：「你必不怕黑夜的驚駭，或是白日飛的箭，也不怕黑夜行的瘟疫，或是午間滅人的毒病。雖有千人仆倒在你旁邊，萬人仆倒在你右邊，這災卻不得臨近你。」（詩篇91:5-7）

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Fall at Jesus’ Feet and Experience His Power

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 5:21-34. 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 5:21-23 (NIV)
21  When Jesus had again crossed over by boat to the other side of the lake, a large crowd gathered around him while he was by the lake.
22  Then one of the synagogue rulers, named Jairus, came there. Seeing Jesus, he fell at his feet
23  and pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.”

On verses 21-23:  Had the people living in the region of the Garasenes welcomed Jesus to stay, Jesus may not have crossed over to the other side of the lake and met Jairus and his dying daughter so soon. 

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Don’t Entertain Evil Spirits, but Welcome Jesus

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 5:11-20. 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 5:11-13 (NIV)
11  A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.
12  The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.”
13  He gave them permission, and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.
 
On verses 11-13:  Notice a couple things here.  First, notice the authority of Jesus.  When Jesus confronted the demons, the demons could only beg for mercy and plead that they take refuge in the pigs instead of the man they had possessed. 

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法度確定，人得智慧

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詩篇8:3-4    我觀看祢指頭所造的天，並祢所陳設的月亮星宿，便說：「人算什麼，祢竟顧念他？世人算什麼，祢竟眷顧他？

「耶和華的法度確定，能使愚人有智慧(The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple)。」（詩篇19:7）法度的原文是עֵדוּת (‘edut)，指神為自己作的見證，用來表明神的誡命是真實可信的，見證祂的屬性與作為。

「愚人」指的是單純、天真、容易受引誘的一般人，也就是「我們」。「神的法度確定，讓愚人得智慧」，亦即「神的作為明確，讓我們得智慧」。

現今世代知識氾濫，智慧似乎唾手可得，但真正的智慧並非只是資訊的堆疊，而是源自對神的認識，明白神的作為。這段經文談的「法度」是神作為的見證，誠如詩篇19篇前面1-6節（現代中文譯本2019版）所描述：

「諸天宣布神的榮耀；穹蒼傳揚祂的作為。
日日述說，夜夜傳播；無言無語，無音無響。
然而，它們的音訊傳遍人間；它們的言語遠達天涯。

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Jesus is Greater Any Legion of Doom

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 5:1-10. 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 5:1-5 (NIV)
1  They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.
2  When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet him.
3  This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him any more, not even with a chain.
4  For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him.
5  Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
 
On verses 1-5:  Notice what happened when Satan got a hold of this man’s life: the man had unusual strength (v4) and yet he spent his days among dead people, living in the tombs (v3), cutting himself with stones (v5) and desperate for help. 

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律法全備，甦醒人心

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詩篇19:7 耶和華的律法全備，能甦醒人心。耶和華的法度確定，能使愚人有智慧。

「耶和華的律法全備，能甦醒人心(The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul)。」（詩篇19:7）律法的原文是תּוֹרָה (torah)，原意為「教導、指引」，猶太人通常指其為摩西五經，是神整體啟示的總稱，不僅是法律，也包含生命的方向與智慧之道。

這句話簡單卻深刻地揭示了神話語的力量：不是知識上的增加，也不是道德上的提升，而是心靈的甦醒。當人陷入疲憊、困惑、甚至靈魂沉睡的狀態時，唯有神全備的話語能喚醒裡面那個真正的自己，讓人重新得力。

查克·寇爾森(Chuck Colson)曾是美國前總統尼克森的特別顧問，1972年捲入轟動一時的水門案，因違法蒐集總統大選情資而於1974年入獄服刑。

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光明中，或是黑暗裡

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「人若說自己在光明中，卻恨他的弟兄，他到如今還是在黑暗裡。愛弟兄的，就是住在光明中，在他並沒有絆跌的緣由。惟獨恨弟兄的，是在黑暗裡，且在黑暗裡行，也不知道往哪裡去，因為黑暗叫他眼睛瞎了。」（約翰壹書2:9-11）

使徒約翰談到「恨」讓人眼睛瞎了，活在黑暗裡，在黑暗裡行，不知往哪裡去。比較、論斷、批評、怨恨很容易貶低別人，抬高自己，就猶如在舞台上當燈光聚焦自己時，我們所看到舞台下的群眾是烏黑一片，我們以為自己在光明中，其實看不見四周環境，我們是在黑暗裡，眼睛瞎了！

1994年，盧安達發生種族大屠殺，佔85%人口的胡圖族(Hutu)人，聲稱要殺光佔14%的圖西族人，100天內奪走至少80萬條生命。當時伊瑪奇蕾．伊莉芭吉札(Immaculee Ilibagiza)還是大學生，她被一位胡圖族牧師藏匿在一間小廁所中，與7位婦女一起蜷縮躲藏了91天，體重從51公斤掉到21公斤。

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