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讓神的靈保守我們的心

2024-09-26 in , /by

撒母耳記上 10:1    撒母耳拿瓶膏油倒在掃羅的頭上，與他親嘴，說：「這不是耶和華膏你做他產業的君嗎？

撒母耳記上 11

亞捫人的王拿轄上來，對著基列雅比安營。雅比眾人對拿轄說：「你與我們立約，我們就服侍你。」 2 亞捫人拿轄說：「你們若由我剜出你們各人的右眼，以此凌辱以色列眾人，我就與你們立約。」 3 雅比的長老對他說：「求你寬容我們七日，等我們打發人往以色列的全境去。若沒有人救我們，我們就出來歸順你。」 4 使者到了掃羅住的基比亞，將這話說給百姓聽，百姓就都放聲而哭。 5 掃羅正從田間趕牛回來，問說：「百姓為什麼哭呢？」眾人將雅比人的話告訴他。

讓神的靈保守我們的心

神差遣撒母耳膏抹掃羅成為以色列第一個王（撒上10:1），掃羅是便雅憫人基士的兒子，又健壯、又俊美，在以色列人中沒有一個能比他的；身體比眾民高過一頭（撒上9:1-2）。神賜給掃羅一個新心，變為新人，神的靈大大感動他，他就在先知中受感說話（撒上10:6-10）；神的靈又大大感動他，招集以色列人擊殺亞捫人，眾百姓到吉甲擁護掃羅，在耶和華面前立他為王（撒上11:1-15）。

掃羅面對多如海沙般的非利士人，等不及撒母耳來到，沒有遵行神的命令，就自行獻祭（撒上13:1-14）；掃羅和百姓擊打亞瑪力人，卻憐惜亞甲，也愛惜上好的牛羊，並一切美物，不肯滅絕，推托給百姓，說要獻給神（撒上15:1-21）。

Taking a Stand for a Brighter Tomorrow

2024-09-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin the book of 1 Samuel.  I’ve got some powerful lessons to share with you from 1 Samuel 1:1-18.  But before we do that, here is some background on 1 Samuel for those of you who are curious.

Some Background on 1 Samuel

– Together 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel tell the story of how Israel came to be ruled by kings.  1 Samuel and 2 Samuel focus on the lives of three of the most significant rulers in Israel’s history who, one after another, led Israel during this “early monarchy” period: first, the prophet and judge Samuel; second, Israel’s first king Saul; and third, Saul’s successor David who would become Israel’s most celebrated king and against whom all other kings of Israel would be measured.

– 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel together cover a period of approximately 150 years, beginning with Samuel’s birth in about 1120 B.C. and ending in approximately 971 B.C. with an aging David preparing to hand the throne to his son Solomon in approximately 971 B.C.

– While many scholars believe Samuel played an important role in recording some of the material in 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel, exactly who wrote 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel remains a mystery. Nevertheless, 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel play a vital role in the Bible and are filled with powerful life lessons for all of us today.

Still Unstoppable

2024-09-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 28:17-31.  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 28:17-20 (NIV)
17  Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews. When they had assembled, Paul said to them: “My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.
18  They examined me and wanted to release me, because I was not guilty of any crime deserving death.
19  But when the Jews objected, I was compelled to appeal to Caesar–not that I had any charge to bring against my own people.
20  For this reason I have asked to see you and talk with you. It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain.”
 
On verses 17-20:  Having received so much opposition in the past from certain Jews in the various cities where Paul had gone, Paul decides to take the initiative to reach out to the Jewish leaders in Rome and explain to them plainly where he is coming from.  His hope was to avoid misunderstanding based on possible rumours and hearsay.

人看外貌，神看內心

2024-09-25 in , /by

撒母耳記上 16:7  耶和華卻對撒母耳說：「不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，我不揀選他。因為耶和華不像人看人，人是看外貌，耶和華是看內心。」

撒母耳記上 16:13  撒母耳就用角裡的膏油，在他諸兄中膏了他。從這日起，耶和華的靈就大大感動大衛。撒母耳起身回拉瑪去了。

人看外貌，神看內心

神厭棄掃羅作以色列的王，差遣撒母耳到伯利恆人耶西家，在他眾子中預定一個作王的。撒母耳到伯利恆，給耶和華獻祭，叫耶西和他眾子自潔，請他們來吃祭肉，好尋得耶和華的受膏者（撒上16:1-6）。神提醒撒母耳說：「…耶和華不像人看人：人是看外貌；耶和華是看內心。」（撒上16:7）

在自潔獻祭、同吃祭肉的現場，耶西叫他七個兒子都從撒母耳面前經過，撒母耳說：「這都不是耶和華所揀選的。」耶西打發人叫回在外放羊的小兒子大衛，耶和華向撒母耳說：「這就是他，你起來膏他。」（撒上16:8-12）撒母耳用角裡的膏油膏抹大衛，從那日起，耶和華的靈就大大感動大衛（撒上16:13）。

You Can’t Always Control THIS, But It’s Okay

2024-09-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 28:1-16.  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 28:1-10 (NIV)
1  Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta.
2  The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold.
3  Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.
4  When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, “This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not allowed him to live.”

On verses 1-10:  Has anyone ever judged you and jumped to conclusions about you because of your circumstances?  In Acts 28:34, Paul is bitten by a snake and based on these unfortunate circumstances the residents of Malta assume he is guilty of murder.  But when Paul shows no ill effects from the snake bite, those same people change their minds and call him a god (v6)!  That’s how fickle public opinion can be.

倚靠神！

2024-09-24 in , /by

撒母耳記上 17:40-44 

他手中拿杖，又在溪中挑選了五塊光滑石子，放在袋裡，就是牧人帶的囊裡。手中拿著甩石的機弦，就去迎那非利士人。41 非利士人也漸漸地迎著大衛來，拿盾牌的走在前頭。 42 非利士人觀看，見了大衛，就藐視他，因為他年輕，面色光紅，容貌俊美。 43 非利士人對大衛說：「你拿杖到我這裡來，我豈是狗呢？」非利士人就指著自己的神咒詛大衛。 44 非利士人又對大衛說：「來吧！我將你的肉給空中的飛鳥、田野的走獸吃。」

倚靠神！兇悍的面對挑戰、困難，甚至邪惡勢力

非利士軍隊聚集在梭哥附近的以弗大憫，以色列軍隊聚集在以拉谷，兩軍對峙預備打仗。非利士人見大衛年輕，就藐視他，對大衛說：「你拿杖到我這裡來，我豈是狗呢？」他們指著自己的神咒詛大衛，又對大衛說：「來吧！我將你的肉給空中的飛鳥、田野的走獸吃。」（撒上17:40-44）

大衛對非利士人說：「你來攻擊我，是靠著刀槍和銅戟；我來攻擊你，是靠著萬軍之耶和華的名，就是你所怒罵帶領以色列軍隊的神。今日耶和華必將你交在我手裡。我必殺你，斬你的頭，又將非利士軍兵的屍首給空中的飛鳥、地上的野獸吃，使普天下的人都知道以色列中有神；又使這眾人知道耶和華使人得勝，不是用刀用槍，因為爭戰的勝敗全在乎耶和華。他必將你們交在我們手裡。」（撒上17:45-47）

合神心意的人

2024-09-23 in , /by

撒母耳記上 13:14  現在你的王位必不長久。耶和華已經尋著一個合祂心意的人，立他做百姓的君，因為你沒有遵守耶和華所吩咐你的。

撒母耳記上 16:11  撒母耳對耶西說：「你的兒子都在這裡嗎？」他回答說：「還有個小的，現在放羊。」撒母耳對耶西說：「你打發人去叫他來。他若不來，我們必不坐席。」

撒母耳記上 17:12-14  大衛是猶大伯利恆的以法他人耶西的兒子，耶西有八個兒子。當掃羅的時候，耶西已經老邁。 13 耶西的三個大兒子跟隨掃羅出征，這出征的三個兒子，長子名叫以利押，次子名叫亞比拿達，三子名叫沙瑪。 14 大衛是最小的。那三個大兒子跟隨掃羅。

合神心意的人

大衛是耶西的兒子，是伯利恆人，弟兄八人，大衛是最小的一個（撒上17:12-14）。大衛父親耶西的家中，本來僱有看守牛羊的人（撒上17:20），但是大衛自幼勤勞，常常親自到伯利恆的曠野去牧放羊群（撒上16:11, 17:15）。

面對非利士人歌利亞的挑戰，掃羅憂心大衛年輕，無法敵擋；大衛回應掃羅他如何照顧他的小羊：「你僕人為父親放羊，有時來了獅子，有時來了熊，從群中銜一隻羊羔去，我就追趕牠，擊打牠，將羊羔從牠口中救出來。牠起來要害我，我就揪著牠的鬍子，將牠打死。…」（撒上17∶33-36）。

The One Who Rescues You From The Wreck

2024-09-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 27:27-44.  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 27:27-32 (NIV)
27  On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land.
28  They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep.
29  Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.
30  In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow.
31  Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.”
32  So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it fall away.
 
On verses 27-32:  Knowing that the ship was soon going to crash into land, some sailors try to secretly let a lifeboat down into the sea to save themselves.  But for the sake of everyone’s safety including the sailors trying to escape, Paul warns the centurion and soldiers that everyone needs to stay with the ship if they want any hope of being saved. 
 

一生以上帝為首

2024-09-22 in , /by

歌羅西書 1:15-20  愛子是那不能看見之神的像，是首生的，在一切被造的以先。 16 因為萬有都是靠祂造的，無論是天上的、地上的，能看見的、不能看見的，或是有位的、主治的、執政的、掌權的，一概都是藉著祂造的，又是為祂造的。 17祂在萬有之先，萬有也靠祂而立。

一生以上帝為首

曾奪得兩屆奧斯卡影帝的丹佐華盛頓(Denzel Washington)，從不掩飾自己的基督徒身分，也時常透過各樣頒獎典禮及活動，向眾人宣揚福音。他曾在2015年，為美國迪拉德大學(Dillard University)畢業生進行演講：

第一點：在你所做的每件事上，將上帝放在首位。你們在我身上看見的一切，我所有的成就、我擁有的一切，都是來自上帝的恩典。四十年前，我被趕出大學校門，我坐在母親開的美容院，一位正在吹頭髮的女士對說：「孩子，你將會跑遍世界各地對上百萬人說話，你將會對他們講道。」要記得我才剛被退學，不知何去何從，她卻說我會環遊世界，我的聲音還要傳達給百萬人。

The God Who’s Greater Than The Storm

2024-09-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 27:13-26.  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 27:13-26 (NIV)
13  When a gentle south wind began to blow, they thought they had obtained what they wanted; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete.
14  Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the “northeaster,” swept down from the island.
15  The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.
16  As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure.

On verses 13-26:  As Paul and about 270 others sail to Rome, their ship is caught in the middle of a storm of hurricane proportions called a northeaster.  After many days of fearing for their lives, Paul stands up and addresses everyone on the ship, telling them to keep up their courage, because God spoke to Paul and assured him that he would go to Rome to testify before Caesar and that not one person on this ship would be lost.