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让神的灵保守我们的心

2024-09-26 in , /by

撒母耳记上 10:1    撒母耳拿瓶膏油倒在扫罗的头上，与他亲嘴，说：「这不是耶和华膏你做他产业的君吗？

撒母耳记上 11

亚扪人的王拿辖上来，对着基列雅比安营。雅比众人对拿辖说：「你与我们立约，我们就服侍你。」 2 亚扪人拿辖说：「你们若由我剜出你们各人的右眼，以此凌辱以色列众人，我就与你们立约。」 3 雅比的长老对他说：「求你宽容我们七日，等我们打发人往以色列的全境去。若没有人救我们，我们就出来归顺你。」 4 使者到了扫罗住的基比亚，将这话说给百姓听，百姓就都放声而哭。 5 扫罗正从田间赶牛回来，问说：「百姓为什么哭呢？」众人将雅比人的话告诉他。

让神的灵保守我们的心

神差遣撒母耳膏抹扫罗成为以色列第一个王（撒上10:1），扫罗是便雅悯人基士的儿子，又健壮、又俊美，在以色列人中没有一个能比他的；身体比众民高过一头（撒上9:1-2）。神赐给扫罗一个新心，变为新人，神的灵大大感动他，他就在先知中受感说话（撒上10:6-10）；神的灵又大大感动他，招集以色列人击杀亚扪人，众百姓到吉甲拥护扫罗，在耶和华面前立他为王（撒上11:1-15）。

扫罗面对多如海沙般的非利士人，等不及撒母耳来到，没有遵行神的命令，就自行献祭（撒上13:1-14）；扫罗和百姓击打亚玛力人，却怜惜亚甲，也爱惜上好的牛羊，并一切美物，不肯灭绝，推托给百姓，说要献给神（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，神看内心

2024-09-25 in , /by

撒母耳记上 16:7  耶和华却对撒母耳说：「不要看他的外貌和他身材高大，我不拣选他。因为耶和华不像人看人，人是看外貌，耶和华是看内心。」

撒母耳记上 16:13  撒母耳就用角里的膏油，在他诸兄中膏了他。从这日起，耶和华的灵就大大感动大卫。撒母耳起身回拉玛去了。

人看外貌，神看内心

神厌弃扫罗作以色列的王，差遣撒母耳到伯利恒人耶西家，在他众子中预定一个作王的。撒母耳到伯利恒，给耶和华献祭，叫耶西和他众子自洁，请他们来吃祭肉，好寻得耶和华的受膏者（撒上16:1-6）。神提醒撒母耳说：「…耶和华不像人看人：人是看外貌；耶和华是看内心。」（撒上16:7）

在自洁献祭、同吃祭肉的现场，耶西叫他七个儿子都从撒母耳面前经过，撒母耳说：「这都不是耶和华所拣选的。」耶西打发人叫回在外放羊的小儿子大卫，耶和华向撒母耳说：「这就是他，你起来膏他。」（撒上16:8-12）撒母耳用角里的膏油膏抹大卫，从那日起，耶和华的灵就大大感动大卫（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

撒母耳记上 17:40-44 

他手中拿杖，又在溪中挑选了五块光滑石子，放在袋里，就是牧人带的囊里。手中拿着甩石的机弦，就去迎那非利士人。41 非利士人也渐渐地迎著大卫来，拿盾牌的走在前头。 42 非利士人观看，见了大卫，就藐视他，因为他年轻，面色光红，容貌俊美。 43 非利士人对大卫说：「你拿杖到我这里来，我岂是狗呢？」非利士人就指著自己的神咒诅大卫。 44 非利士人又对大卫说：「来吧！我将你的肉给空中的飞鸟、田野的走兽吃。」

倚靠神！凶悍的面对挑战、困难，甚至邪恶势力

非利士军队聚集在梭哥附近的以弗大悯，以色列军队聚集在以拉谷，两军对峙预备打仗。非利士人见大卫年轻，就藐视他，对大卫说：「你拿杖到我这里来，我岂是狗呢？」他们指著自己的神咒诅大卫，又对大卫说：「来吧！我将你的肉给空中的飞鸟、田野的走兽吃。」（撒上17:40-44）

大卫对非利士人说：「你来攻击我，是靠着刀枪和铜戟；我来攻击你，是靠着万军之耶和华的名，就是你所怒骂带领以色列军队的神。今日耶和华必将你交在我手里。我必杀你，斩你的头，又将非利士军兵的尸首给空中的飞鸟、地上的野兽吃，使普天下的人都知道以色列中有神；又使这众人知道耶和华使人得胜，不是用刀用枪，因为争战的胜败全在乎耶和华。他必将你们交在我们手里。」（撒上17:45-47）

合神心意的人

2024-09-23 in , /by

撒母耳记上 13:14  现在你的王位必不长久。耶和华已经寻着一个合祂心意的人，立他做百姓的君，因为你没有遵守耶和华所吩咐你的。

撒母耳记上 16:11  撒母耳对耶西说：「你的儿子都在这里吗？」他回答说：「还有个小的，现在放羊。」撒母耳对耶西说：「你打发人去叫他来。他若不来，我们必不坐席。」

撒母耳记上 17:12-14  大卫是犹大伯利恒的以法他人耶西的儿子，耶西有八个儿子。当扫罗的时候，耶西已经老迈。 13 耶西的三个大儿子跟随扫罗出征，这出征的三个儿子，长子名叫以利押，次子名叫亚比拿达，三子名叫沙玛。 14 大卫是最小的。那三个大儿子跟随扫罗。

合神心意的人

大卫是耶西的儿子，是伯利恒人，弟兄八人，大卫是最小的一个（撒上17:12-14）。大卫父亲耶西的家中，本来雇有看守牛羊的人（撒上17:20），但是大卫自幼勤劳，常常亲自到伯利恒的旷野去牧放羊群（撒上16:11, 17:15）。

面对非利士人歌利亚的挑战，扫罗忧心大卫年轻，无法敌挡；大卫回应扫罗他如何照顾他的小羊：「你仆人为父亲放羊，有时来了狮子，有时来了熊，从群中衔一只羊羔去，我就追赶牠，击打牠，将羊羔从牠口中救出来。牠起来要害我，我就揪著牠的胡子，将牠打死。…」（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. 
 

一生以上帝为首

2024-09-22 in , /by

歌罗西书 1:15-20  爱子是那不能看见之神的像，是首生的，在一切被造的以先。 16 因为万有都是靠祂造的，无论是天上的、地上的，能看见的、不能看见的，或是有位的、主治的、执政的、掌权的，一概都是借着祂造的，又是为祂造的。 17祂在万有之先，万有也靠祂而立。

一生以上帝为首

曾夺得两届奥斯卡影帝的丹佐华盛顿(Denzel Washington)，从不掩饰自己的基督徒身分，也时常透过各样颁奖典礼及活动，向众人宣扬福音。他曾在2015年，为美国迪拉德大学(Dillard University)毕业生进行演讲：

第一点：在你所做的每件事上，将上帝放在首位。你们在我身上看见的一切，我所有的成就、我拥有的一切，都是来自上帝的恩典。四十年前，我被赶出大学校门，我坐在母亲开的美容院，一位正在吹头发的女士对说：「孩子，你将会跑遍世界各地对上百万人说话，你将会对他们讲道。」要记得我才刚被退学，不知何去何从，她却说我会环游世界，我的声音还要传达给百万人。

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.