耶利米书 24:2-7
2 一筐是极好的无花果，好像是初熟的；一筐是极坏的无花果，坏得不可吃。 3 于是耶和华问我说：「耶利米你看见什么？」我说：「我看见无花果，好的极好，坏的极坏，坏得不可吃。」
4 耶和华的话临到我说： 5 「耶和华以色列的神如此说：被掳去的犹大人，就是我打发离开这地到迦勒底人之地去的，我必看顾他们如这好无花果，使他们得好处。 6 我要眷顾他们，使他们得好处，领他们归回这地。我也要建立他们，必不拆毁；栽植他们，并不拔出。 7 我要赐他们认识我的心，知道我是耶和华。他们要做我的子民，我要做他们的神，因为他们要一心归向我。
以色列人被掳掠到外邦之地，在急难时刻，神应许眷顾他们，使他们得好处，建立不拆毁，栽植不拔出；为的是让他们认识神的心，知道祂是神，一心归向祂。
在困境里，我们要经历呼求祷告得应允，专心寻求必寻见，被掳得招聚归回；因为神向我们所怀的意念是赐平安的意念，要叫我们末后有指望。
神的儿女倚靠神，在失望中得建立、被栽植，认识神、经历神，赢得生命得归回的永恒盼望。
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.
提摩太后书 4:6-7
6 我现在被浇奠，我离世的时候到了。
7 那美好的仗我已经打过了，当跑的路我已经跑尽了，所信的道我已经守住了。
「我不要了！」是父亲肝癌离世的最后一句话，他不想要急救，他想要回天家。保罗在提后4:6-7一段话诠释了父亲的一生。
整理父亲的遗物，看着父亲的身分证，「父」栏上注记着「不详」，我们家人都不清楚我的祖父是谁。从小我和姊姊们、弟弟心中有疑惑，但未曾发问一直到现在，这是父亲一生的痛，随着父亲的过世，这个疑问似乎不再重要；但是，它却标记了父亲一生的「成就」，父亲不是完人，他却努力在逆境中孵育儿女成长，且成为许多人的祝福。
父亲常分享年轻时在电台工作，喝醉酒、肚子痛，在地上打滚、认罪悔改的经历，因着这个呼召，让他全心全意摆上自己在教会、家庭和工作。父亲是教会里的孩子王，说起圣经故事，孩子们鸦雀无声、聚精会神，主日学的服事，从幼儿班到松年班，班班皆有他的身影，父亲的身影深埋在许多弟兄姊妹对教会的怀念里。
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.
创世记 1:31 神看着一切所造的都甚好。有晚上，有早晨，是第六日。
使徒行传 17:24-25 创造宇宙和其中万物的神，既是天地的主，就不住人手所造的殿， 25 也不用人手服侍，好像缺少什么，自己倒将生命、气息、万物赐给万人。
天尚未亮的清晨，走出家门，大楼管理员近似敬礼的跟我打招呼，我受宠若惊地感受他的尽责和诚恳；沿着街道，倾听路跑者规律的脚步声，由远而近，回荡着他们的活力和耐力；路旁老先生、老太太提着小提袋，等著进入游泳池晨泳，舒展手脚，脸上露出生命的坚持；迎面来辆脚踏车，摇晃车身上猛然向我挥手的是那每天清晨不期而遇，精神恍惚、喃喃自语，我避之不及的老头，他认得我，还挥手跟我打招呼；拐进7-11，忙碌的身影放下拖把，带着微笑习惯问我一杯中热美，再加一句要不要寄杯、八折优待，我在亲切的「谢谢光临」声中走出店门。
创世记 1:31 神看着一切所造的都甚好。有晚上，有早晨，是第六日。
使徒行传 17:24-25 创造宇宙和其中万物的神，既是天地的主，就不住人手所造的殿， 25 也不用人手服侍，好像缺少什么，自己倒将生命、气息、万物赐给万人。
天尚未亮的清晨，走出家门，大楼管理员近似敬礼的跟我打招呼，我受宠若惊地感受他的尽责和诚恳；沿着街道，倾听路跑者规律的脚步声，由远而近，回荡着他们的活力和耐力；路旁老先生、老太太提着小提袋，等著进入游泳池晨泳，舒展手脚，脸上露出生命的坚持；迎面来辆脚踏车，摇晃车身上猛然向我挥手的是那每天清晨不期而遇，精神恍惚、喃喃自语，我避之不及的老头，他认得我，还挥手跟我打招呼；拐进7-11，忙碌的身影放下拖把，带着微笑习惯问我一杯中热美，再加一句要不要寄杯、八折优待，我在亲切的「谢谢光临」声中走出店门。
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)?
罗马书 5:1-5
我们既因信称义，就借着我们的主耶稣基督得与神相和。 2 我们又借着他，因信得进入现在所站的这恩典中，并且欢欢喜喜盼望神的荣耀。 3 不但如此，就是在患难中也是欢欢喜喜的。因为知道患难生忍耐， 4 忍耐生老练，老练生盼望， 5 盼望不至于羞耻，因为所赐给我们的圣灵将神的爱浇灌在我们心里。
「我愿意」是婚姻家庭的开端，面对的是与我不同的你（或妳），我需要改变自己来接纳你（或妳），让你（或妳）与我能和出成泥，可以白头偕老，这要经过数十年的功夫。
「我愿意」是养儿育女的起头，面对的是未来像我的你（或妳），我需要改变自己来塑造你（或妳），让你（或妳）成长有我的模样，可以展翅高飞，这要经过二十年的浇灌。
「我愿意」是跟随耶稣的初始，面对的是我看不见的神，我需要改变自己来跟随祂，让我能常在祂里面，活出祂的样式，这是一生之久的历程。
「我愿意」是我的承诺，是属于我的改变、我的挑战、也是我的冒险；「我愿意」关乎心志和毅力，需要圣灵将神的爱浇灌在我心里，让我在百般试炼中恒久忍耐；忍耐也当成功，使我们成全、完备，毫无缺欠。
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.
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