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Move Forward with Faith

2024-10-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 17:41-58.  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! 
 
1 Samuel 17:41-43 (NIV)
41  Meanwhile, the Philistine, with his shield bearer in front of him, kept coming closer to David.
42  He looked David over and saw that he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome, and he despised him.
43  He said to David, “Am I a dog, that you come at me with sticks?” And the Philistine cursed David by his gods.

On verses 41-43a:  Goliath made fun of the weapons David brought to the battle.  A similar thing happens when people of the world see God’s people praying, reading God’s Word and taking church seriously.  They think, “What good will that do?”  Little do they know that our weapons have power that the things they trust in do not have: power to demolish strongholds, power to bring the most significant changes to people’s lives.  As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.” 

In Jesus’ Eyes, You Are The Prize

2024-10-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 17:20-40.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
1 Samuel 17:20 (NIV) 
20 Early in the morning David left the flock with a shepherd, loaded up and set out, as Jesse had directed. He reached the camp as the army was going out to its battle positions, shouting the war cry. 

On verse 20:  David was responsible.  Before leaving for the next mission his father gave him, David found a qualified person to be in charge of his flock.  What can we learn from this?  The way to expand how much territory we manage is through wise delegation, planning and involving others.  There’s only so much you can do by yourself.  Whether it’s in your home, ministry, workplace or elsewhere, is there a role, a responsibility or a skill that you need to start training others to do?

牽我的手

2024-10-29 in , /by

約翰福音 8:11  她說：「主啊，沒有。」耶穌說：「我也不定你的罪。去吧，從此不要再犯罪了！」

詩篇 55:22  你要把你的重擔卸給耶和華，祂必撫養你，祂永不叫義人動搖。

以賽亞書 40:29-31  疲乏的，祂賜能力；軟弱的，祂加力量。 30 就是少年人也要疲乏困倦，強壯的也必全然跌倒， 31 但那等候耶和華的，必重新得力。他們必如鷹展翅上騰，他們奔跑卻不困倦，行走卻不疲乏。

「艱難的挑戰」使我在坡道上氣喘吁吁，主牽我的手，鼓勵我抬起腳，吸口氣向前行，告訴我：「疲乏的，祂賜能力；無力的，祂加力量。就是少年人也要疲乏困倦，年輕人也必力竭跌倒；但那等候耶和華的必重新得力；他們必如鷹展翅上騰；他們奔跑卻不困倦，行走卻不疲乏。」（賽40:29-31）

「方向的迷失」讓我在崎嶇路迂迴不前，主牽我的手，鼓勵我抬起腳，靠信心定方向，告訴我：「主雖然以艱難給你當餅，以困苦給你當水，你的教師卻不再隱藏；你眼必看見你的教師。你或向左或向右，你必聽見後邊有聲音說：『這是正路，要行在其間。』」（賽30:20-21）

There’s Bread For You

2024-10-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 17:1-19.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

The story of David and Goliath is one of the best known stories in the Bible and shows us that with God nothing is impossible.  But also, when read through a New Testament  lens, this story is also a powerful picture pointing to the day when our Lord Jesus Christ would defeat Satan, our biggest enemy, for us.

1 Samuel 17:1-3 (NIV)
1  Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Socoh in Judah. They pitched camp at Ephes Dammim, between Socoh and Azekah.
2  Saul and the Israelites assembled and camped in the Valley of Elah and drew up their battle line to meet the Philistines.
3  The Philistines occupied one hill and the Israelites another, with the valley between them.

On verses 1-3:  The Philistines gathered in Judah, a territory belonging to the nation of Israel, God’s chosen nation.  “Judah” literally means “praise”.  What’s the lesson here?  The first place your biggest enemy Satan will try to occupy in your life is the place of praise.

小孩的禱告

2024-10-28 in , /by

馬太福音8 :2-3 耶穌便叫一個小孩子來，使他站在他們當中， 3說：「我實在告訴你們：你們若不回轉，變成小孩子的樣式，斷不得進天國。

大學時候的期末考，早上考完熱機學後，心裡一直有疙瘩，因為有幾題不大會寫，應該是考砸了！下午繼續考另外一門選修課程，進了教室，隨意找了個位置坐下來，清清桌面，準備考試。一看桌面，我頓然傻眼，上午答不出來的考題答案竟然工工整整的鐫刻在整個桌面，很莫名的，我向神禱告：「有人作弊，不公平，我要向祢申冤！」

我不清楚神做了什麼事，遠遠超出我所能想像，熱機學的期末成績我居然拿了98分，是我學習過程未曾拿過的最高成績。畢業許久，我未曾忘記這個禱告，芝麻小事一樁，我竟為這事禱告，祂居然也聽了。

小小孩需要父母許多的照顧、幫忙，他的呼求不分時候，不管事情的大小，父母的援手總是即刻臨到。孩子長大了，許多事情可以自理，不分時候，不管事情的大小，都不再需要向父母呼求。

Serving is Your Path to Greatness

2024-10-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 16:14-23.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
1 Samuel 16:14-15 (NIV) 
14 Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. 
15 Saul’s attendants said to him, “See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you. 

On verses 14-15:  Yesterday in verse 13 we read about how the Holy Spirit came upon David in power.  Conversely, in verse 14 we see how the Holy Spirit had departed from Saul and now an evil spirit was tormenting him.  Verses 14 and 15 say that this evil spirit was from God. Does God really send evil spirits?  Remember that throughout much of the Old Testament, the mindset was that everything — both good and bad — comes directly from God. 

我不後悔，我很願意

2024-10-27 in , /by

雅各書 3:6 舌頭就是火，在我們百體中舌頭是個罪惡的世界，能汙穢全身，也能把生命的輪子點起來，並且是從地獄裡點著的。

箴言 25:11  一句話說得合宜，就如金蘋果在銀網子裡。

過去，某間問卷調查機構曾做過一項問卷調查，票選孩子最不想聽到父母說的一句話，其中票數最高的是：「我為你犧牲了這麼多」、「都是你害我淪落到這種地步」。

最近，雲林家扶台西希望教室讓家扶小朋友來票選「最讓我受傷的一句話」，結果前三名依序是「你可不可以像○○一樣」、「你笨得像豬一樣」、「早知道就不要生下你」。

「我後悔對你的付出…」，「我對你的表現失望…」，可能是我們面對孩子、家人、同事、週遭朋友，不符自己期盼或遭遇溝通挫折時，無意中從口裡冒出來的一句話。

說話是經常且自然的事，雖然我們戴著口罩，口罩擋得住病菌，卻擋不住話語的影響力。一句發自內心話，溫暖人心，給人啟發，帶出盼望；一句不經意的話，傷透人心，導引歧路，影響終生。

在基督裡彼此饒恕

2024-10-25 in , /by

以弗所書 4:32  並要以恩慈相待，存憐憫的心，彼此饒恕，正如神在基督裡饒恕了你們一樣。

有一天，老師叫班上同學各帶個大袋子到學校，還要去雜貨店買一袋馬鈴薯。大家期待著有個新鮮的活動，也許是烤馬鈴薯，或是雕刻馬鈴薯…。有人猜對了，老師要大家雕刻馬鈴薯，為自己不願意原諒的人選顆馬鈴薯，再將這人的名字和犯錯的日期給刻在上面，再把刻好字的馬鈴薯放進袋子裡。

這一天還蠻好玩的，快放學時，我的袋子裡已經有了七顆馬鈴薯，阿土說我新戴的眼鏡很醜，阿牛踢了我的腳，阿水撥水弄濕我的衣服，阿聰不肯讓我抄他的作業…每件事都讓我欣然地丟個馬鈴薯到袋子裡，還發誓絕不原諒這些對不起我的人。

When Your New King Takes Over

2024-10-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 16:1-13.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 
 
1 Samuel 16:1 (NIV) 
1 The LORD said to Samuel, “How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king.” 

On verse 1:  Samuel was still depressed and in grief regarding what happened with Saul, but God told Samuel that it was time to move on, to fill his horn with old and anoint God’s choice for the next king.  What can we learn from this?  There are two powerful lessons here:

豐盛的應許

2024-10-24 in , /by

希伯來書 11:1  信就是所望之事的實底，是未見之事的確據。

有一個故事：有個小鎮很久沒有下雨了，當地農作物損失慘重，牧師邀集大家到教堂，準備祈求降雨的禱告會。小鎮居民攜老帶幼都來了，站在講台上的牧師望著門口匆匆進來的小女孩，注意到小女孩手上的東西，不禁激動地在臺上指著她說：「大家看！」眾人望向小女孩，看見小女孩手上拿著一把紅色的小雨傘，她怯怯的望著大家狐疑的眼光說：「回家會下雨啊！」大家一陣沉寂後，接著是一陣掌聲與交織的淚水，大家看到盼望！

沒有人帶著「失望」求幫助，求雨就要準備雨具，求幫助就要帶著「信心」，在信心裡能看見「盼望」，盼望裡承載著「應許」，應許是用來「實現」的。