耶利米書 24:2-7
2 一筐是極好的無花果，好像是初熟的；一筐是極壞的無花果，壞得不可吃。 3 於是耶和華問我說：「耶利米你看見什麼？」我說：「我看見無花果，好的極好，壞的極壞，壞得不可吃。」
4 耶和華的話臨到我說： 5 「耶和華以色列的神如此說：被擄去的猶大人，就是我打發離開這地到迦勒底人之地去的，我必看顧他們如這好無花果，使他們得好處。 6 我要眷顧他們，使他們得好處，領他們歸回這地。我也要建立他們，必不拆毀；栽植他們，並不拔出。 7 我要賜他們認識我的心，知道我是耶和華。他們要做我的子民，我要做他們的神，因為他們要一心歸向我。
以色列人被擄掠到外邦之地，在急難時刻，神應許眷顧他們，使他們得好處，建立不拆毀，栽植不拔出；為的是讓他們認識神的心，知道祂是神，一心歸向祂。
在困境裡，我們要經歷呼求禱告得應允，專心尋求必尋見，被擄得招聚歸回；因為神向我們所懷的意念是賜平安的意念，要叫我們末後有指望。
神的兒女倚靠神，在失望中得建立、被栽植，認識神、經歷神，贏得生命得歸回的永恆盼望。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Acts 9:23-43. 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!
Acts 9:23-28 (NIV)
23 After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him,
24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him.
25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.
26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.
28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.
On verses 23-28: Here we see various groups responding to Saul in different ways. Some (his former allies) want to kill him (v23-24). Others (his new converts) want to protect him (v25). Some are afraid of him and doubt his intentions (v26). Barnabas believes in him and advocates for him (v27). Just as Barnabas advocated for Saul and spoke on his behalf so that he could join the apostles’ team, so Jesus Christ stood in the gap for us and spoke on our behalf so that we could join His team.
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Acts 9:1-22. 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!
Acts 9:1-19a (NIV)
1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest
2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
On verses 1-19a: As we read about Saul’s amazing conversion to Christianity, we see that God is full of grace and mercy. He does not treat His enemies as they deserve. Instead of destroying His enemies for their sins, His first choice is to woo them to His side. That’s what Jesus did with Saul, and that’s He does with us too.
提摩太後書 4:6-7
6 我現在被澆奠，我離世的時候到了。
7 那美好的仗我已經打過了，當跑的路我已經跑盡了，所信的道我已經守住了。
「我不要了！」是父親肝癌離世的最後一句話，他不想要急救，他想要回天家。保羅在提後4:6-7一段話詮釋了父親的一生。
整理父親的遺物，看著父親的身分證，「父」欄上註記著「不詳」，我們家人都不清楚我的祖父是誰。從小我和姊姊們、弟弟心中有疑惑，但未曾發問一直到現在，這是父親一生的痛，隨著父親的過世，這個疑問似乎不再重要；但是，它卻標記了父親一生的「成就」，父親不是完人，他卻努力在逆境中孵育兒女成長，且成為許多人的祝福。
父親常分享年輕時在電台工作，喝醉酒、肚子痛，在地上打滾、認罪悔改的經歷，因著這個呼召，讓他全心全意擺上自己在教會、家庭和工作。父親是教會裡的孩子王，說起聖經故事，孩子們鴉雀無聲、聚精會神，主日學的服事，從幼兒班到松年班，班班皆有他的身影，父親的身影深埋在許多弟兄姊妹對教會的懷念裡。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Acts 8:26-40. 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!
Acts 8:26-28 (NIV)
26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road–the desert road–that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”
27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship,
28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet.
On verses 26-28: God tells Philip to go south to the desert road that goes from Jerusalem to Gaza. God doesn’t tell Philip why. On his way Philip meets the treasurer of the Egyptian government. According to the New American Commentary, eunuchs in the ancient Near East were men who had been castrated at a young age and were put in charge of the royal harem and the treasury.
創世記 1:31 神看著一切所造的都甚好。有晚上，有早晨，是第六日。
使徒行傳 17:24-25 創造宇宙和其中萬物的神，既是天地的主，就不住人手所造的殿， 25 也不用人手服侍，好像缺少什麼，自己倒將生命、氣息、萬物賜給萬人。
天尚未亮的清晨，走出家門，大樓管理員近似敬禮的跟我打招呼，我受寵若驚地感受他的盡責和誠懇；沿著街道，傾聽路跑者規律的腳步聲，由遠而近，迴盪著他們的活力和耐力；路旁老先生、老太太提著小提袋，等著進入游泳池晨泳，舒展手腳，臉上露出生命的堅持；迎面來輛腳踏車，搖晃車身上猛然向我揮手的是那每天清晨不期而遇，精神恍惚、喃喃自語，我避之不及的老頭，他認得我，還揮手跟我打招呼；拐進7-11，忙碌的身影放下拖把，帶著微笑習慣問我一杯中熱美，再加一句要不要寄杯、八折優待，我在親切的「謝謝光臨」聲中走出店門。
創世記 1:31 神看著一切所造的都甚好。有晚上，有早晨，是第六日。
使徒行傳 17:24-25 創造宇宙和其中萬物的神，既是天地的主，就不住人手所造的殿， 25 也不用人手服侍，好像缺少什麼，自己倒將生命、氣息、萬物賜給萬人。
天尚未亮的清晨，走出家門，大樓管理員近似敬禮的跟我打招呼，我受寵若驚地感受他的盡責和誠懇；沿著街道，傾聽路跑者規律的腳步聲，由遠而近，迴盪著他們的活力和耐力；路旁老先生、老太太提著小提袋，等著進入游泳池晨泳，舒展手腳，臉上露出生命的堅持；迎面來輛腳踏車，搖晃車身上猛然向我揮手的是那每天清晨不期而遇，精神恍惚、喃喃自語，我避之不及的老頭，他認得我，還揮手跟我打招呼；拐進7-11，忙碌的身影放下拖把，帶著微笑習慣問我一杯中熱美，再加一句要不要寄杯、八折優待，我在親切的「謝謝光臨」聲中走出店門。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Acts 8:14-25. 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!
Acts 8:14-17 (NIV)
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.
15 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
On verses 14-17: At THRIVE and the great majority of Christian churches, it is routinely taught that the Holy Spirit begins to dwell in us from the moment that we believe and trust Jesus as our Saviour. So why is it that in Acts 8:14-17, the Samaritan Christians already believed in Jesus and had already been baptized, but that “the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them” (v16)?
羅馬書 5:1-5
我們既因信稱義，就藉著我們的主耶穌基督得與神相和。 2 我們又藉著他，因信得進入現在所站的這恩典中，並且歡歡喜喜盼望神的榮耀。 3 不但如此，就是在患難中也是歡歡喜喜的。因為知道患難生忍耐， 4 忍耐生老練，老練生盼望， 5 盼望不至於羞恥，因為所賜給我們的聖靈將神的愛澆灌在我們心裡。
「我願意」是婚姻家庭的開端，面對的是與我不同的你（或妳），我需要改變自己來接納你（或妳），讓你（或妳）與我能和出成泥，可以白頭偕老，這要經過數十年的功夫。
「我願意」是養兒育女的起頭，面對的是未來像我的你（或妳），我需要改變自己來塑造你（或妳），讓你（或妳）成長有我的模樣，可以展翅高飛，這要經過二十年的澆灌。
「我願意」是跟隨耶穌的初始，面對的是我看不見的神，我需要改變自己來跟隨祂，讓我能常在祂裡面，活出祂的樣式，這是一生之久的歷程。
「我願意」是我的承諾，是屬於我的改變、我的挑戰、也是我的冒險；「我願意」關乎心志和毅力，需要聖靈將神的愛澆灌在我心裡，讓我在百般試煉中恆久忍耐；忍耐也當成功，使我們成全、完備，毫無缺欠。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Acts 8:1-13. 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!
Acts 8:1 (NIV)
1 And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.
On verse 1: Starting here in Acts 8 we will see how, through persecution and the scattering of God’s church, the gospel begins to go out from Jerusalem to the surrounding regions of Judea and Samaria. Here God takes what Satan meant for evil – the persecution of Christians – and uses it to fulfill His own good purposes and advance His own agenda.
Acts 8:2 (NIV)
2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him.
On verse 2: Just because as believers we have hope of heaven doesn’t mean that we don’t feel incredible pain when someone we love dies and goes to heaven before we do. It is godly to mourn deeply for those we miss.
如果您希望通過電子郵件，收看我們的最新文章，我們將會為您訂閱『福音快訊』，每週五發送。