The God Who Goes Ahead Of You

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 14:26-31.  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 14:26-31 (NIV)
26  When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
27  “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’
28  But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”

On verses 26-31:  Peter was so sure and passionate about his commitment to Jesus that he acted as if nothing could possibly shake him.  Not even Jesus’ Scripture-based prophecy that all the disciples would fall away (v27) seemed to affect Peter’s confidence that he would remain faithful to Jesus till the end.

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陪孩子打一場籃球

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詩篇127:3 兒女是耶和華所賜的產業；所懷的胎是祂所給的賞賜。

陪伴孩子長大就像打一場籃球，隨著時間、歲月的延伸，角色變了…

從起頭，我們徘徊球場邊，扮演孩子的教練，左手拿毛巾，右手帶水杯，千叮嚀走位，萬交代防守；隨著球賽的進行，我們來回走動，或舉手、或頓足，眼睛盯著孩子的身影，吶喊指揮、握拳嘆息，差點沒衝入球場，抱起孩子灌籃得分。

接下來，我們躍入球場內，成了孩子的隊友，牽手搭背圍圈圈，大喊三聲「嘿！嘿！嘿！」，一起加油；隨著球賽的進行，我們試著阻擋、抄截、跳傳、助攻，就是想把球傳給孩子，等著看孩子投球，一刷進網得分。

然後呢，我們坐在觀眾席，化身孩子的球迷，或許我們會跳腳大吼對手犯規、越位，但是鼓掌紅了手，嘶喊失了聲應該是我們的經常；隨著球賽的進行，

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我啥事都不會做

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馬太福音25:40  我實在告訴你們，這些事你們既做在我這弟兄中一個最小的身上，就是做在我身上了。

有次到高雄市參加一個政府部門的開標審查會，遇見同校教書的老師也參與審查，他是教會的弟兄，也是我在西北的老同學。審查會結束一齊搭火車回台南，途中他興奮的分享：「我去年到柬浦寨短宣。」我眼睛一亮，說：「你到詐騙園區短宣！大挑戰！」「沒有！我們去偏遠貧困的區域。」他咧著嘴笑說：「我啥事都不會做，我教他們摺紙。」這位弟兄是學校的特聘教授，是政府的環評委員、是國內空氣汙染的頂尖專家，但是，他在偏鄉的短宣裡，教「摺紙」。

年輕的時候習慣在繁雜的教會服事中，抽空去探視長者。進入長者的居家或養護之家，蹲下來，唸一處經文（總是詩篇第23篇），唱一首聖詩（清唱，還會走調），長者揮動枯槁的手，低語感謝，泛紅的眼睛簌簌滴下淚珠；在哽咽中為長者禱告，心裡莫名地感受到他們透露出“ 近鄉情怯 ”、或是前路茫茫的落寞，我體會到「老」的感覺，那個瞬間似乎很貼近神。

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What Kept Jesus Going

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 14:12-25.  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 14:12-16 (NIV)
12  On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
13  So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.

On verses 12-16:  Before his disciples made any preparations for the Passover, Jesus was already prepared and had a plan.  Great leaders don’t just rise to the occasion.  Great leaders also anticipate and plan ahead.

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Seven Aspects of God-Honouring Worship

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 14:1-11.  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 14:1-9 (NIV)
1  Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him.
2  “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.”

On verses 1-9:   In Matthew 14:1-11 we see three groups of people: (1) those who have never been with Jesus, don’t understand Jesus and are looking to eliminate him (e.g. the chief priests and teachers of the law – v1-2); (2) those who are closer to Jesus and committed to honouring Him (v3-8); and (3) those who have committed their lives to Jesus before but end up leaving him (v10-11). 

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永在燈塔，長亮的光

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約翰福音1:1-4 太初有道，道與神同在，道就是神。 2 這道太初與神同在。 3 萬物是藉著他造的；凡被造的，沒有一樣不是藉著他造的。 4 生命在他裡頭，這生命就是人的光。 5 光照在黑暗裡，黑暗卻不接受光。

約翰福音8:12 耶穌又對眾人說：「我是世界的光。跟從我的，就不在黑暗裡走，必要得著生命的光。」

希臘古詩記載，遠在西元前666年，地中海上就有導航用的「燈標」，當時在埃及與腓尼基船隻進出頻繁的尼羅河及地中海沿岸，築有類似我國古代建於邊境的「烽隧台」或「烽火台」，焚燒柴草產生火光，作為船隻夜間航行的辨識目標。

世界上最早的燈塔是「亞歷山卓」燈塔，位於埃及的亞歷山卓對面的法羅斯島上，也叫「法羅斯島(Pharos)」燈塔，是古代世界七大奇蹟之一。這燈塔大約在西元前283年由小亞細亞的建築師索斯塔特(Sostrate)設計，在托勒密王朝時建造，二十餘年始完成，三層樓的塔高約130公尺，強光足以照亮方圓55公里的海面。

燈塔通常用來提供船舶定位、引導船隻航行、指示港口航道、警示險礁淺灘…，它的功能是確保海上船舶航行安全。人們常用燈塔來形容人生的方向、希望…

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一生必須不斷成長

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詩篇23:5  祢用油膏了我的頭，使我的福杯滿溢。

以賽亞書58:11  耶和華也必時常引導你，在乾旱之地使你心滿意足，骨頭強壯。你必像澆灌的園子，又像水流不絕的泉源。

有一富戶人家，主人帶著僕人清早提著一大桶香濃的牛奶，準備分送給窩居大宅邊的流浪漢。

第一位來到主人面前，舉起他的杯子要裝牛奶，主人問：「杯子內怎還有半杯黃色的液體？」他回應著：「這是我特別留下來的紹興酒，捨不得丟掉。」僕人在旁提醒他：「倒掉它吧！牛奶不能混酒喝。」他猶豫片刻，拿著那半杯紹興酒離開了。

接著第二位，主人皺著眉頭問他：「你的杯內還有牛奶，已經發酸了！」他說：「這是您上個星期給我的，我喝不完，一直留存著。」僕人插話說：「喝不完，何不分給別人？現在牛奶發酸了，不能喝。倒掉它吧！」他躊躇著，緊握那半杯酸牛奶離開了。

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4 Ways to “Watch” for Jesus

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 13:28-37.  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 13:28-29 (NIV)
28  “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near.
29  Even so, when you see these things happening, you know that it is near, right at the door.

On verses 28-29:  “When you see these things happening”, Jesus says, “you know that it is near” (v29).  What things?  What’s near? 

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空杯求福，福杯滿溢！

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詩篇23:5  祢用油膏了我的頭，使我的福杯滿溢。

以賽亞書58:11  耶和華也必時常引導你，在乾旱之地使你心滿意足，骨頭強壯。你必像澆灌的園子，又像水流不絕的泉源。

有一富戶人家，主人帶著僕人清早提著一大桶香濃的牛奶，準備分送給窩居大宅邊的流浪漢。

第一位來到主人面前，舉起他的杯子要裝牛奶，主人問：「杯子內怎還有半杯黃色的液體？」他回應著：「這是我特別留下來的紹興酒，捨不得丟掉。」僕人在旁提醒他：「倒掉它吧！牛奶不能混酒喝。」他猶豫片刻，拿著那半杯紹興酒離開了。

接著第二位，主人皺著眉頭問他：「你的杯內還有牛奶，已經發酸了！」他說：「這是您上個星期給我的，我喝不完，一直留存著。」僕人插話說：「喝不完，何不分給別人？現在牛奶發酸了，不能喝。倒掉它吧！」他躊躇著，緊握那半杯酸牛奶離開了。

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Why Must The End Times Be So Terrifying?

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 13:14-27.  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 13:14-27 (NIV)
14  “When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation’ standing where it does not belong–let the reader understand–then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.
15  Let no one on the roof of his house go down or enter the house to take anything out.
16  Let no one in the field go back to get his cloak.

On verses 14-27:  Many scholars believe that verses 14-23 are referring to two periods of time: first, the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and second the end times when Jesus comes again.

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