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我願意倚靠神，勇於面對挑戰

2024-09-15 in , /by

哥林多後書 12:9 祂對我說：「我的恩典夠你用的，因為我的能力是在人的軟弱上顯得完全。」所以，我更喜歡誇自己的軟弱，好叫基督的能力覆庇我。

我願意倚靠神，勇於面對挑戰

隨著車窗外掠過的昏黃光影，坐在高速公路奔馳回台南的國光號上，心中沮喪莫名，第四次考托福了！想著下午在台北金華國中階梯教室考場的光景，坐在考場最後方高高的位置，講台上播放英聽的錄放音機顯得遙遠而渺小，右耳似有似無的飄進英聽的語句，敵不過左耳灌入教室窗邊兩位買菜路過歐巴桑的台語交談，我記不得我是用英文的理解或是台語的詮釋來填寫我的英聽答案。我的心情和窗外夜色一樣昏暗…這一次鐵定又考砸了！

出國讀書是我從未有過的夢想，老爸的期望超出我的人生規劃，老爸愛我，我知道，雖然百般不願，也似乎沒有理由反對他的期望，但是出國讀書卻逼著我需要面對我學習過程中難以克服的弱點-英文。高中考上南一中，大部分的人英語都拿九十分以上，我考七十幾分；進入南一中，成績紅字的是英語，補習的重點科目一直是英語，愈補洞愈大；大專聯考我考兩次，其中補習一年，結果兩次聯考的英語成績居然一樣，都是二十幾分（我不想記得正確的分數）；為了出國讀書考托福，考了三次，498分、497分、496分都被我考到（我不想記得它們的順序），就是過不了出國的門檻500分。

It’s Time To Lawyer Up

2024-09-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 24:1-16.  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 24:1-9 (NIV)
1  Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor.
2  When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix: “We have enjoyed a long period of peace under you, and your foresight has brought about reforms in this nation.
3  Everywhere and in every way, most excellent Felix, we acknowledge this with profound gratitude.

On verses 1-9:  The trial of the apostle Paul in Governor Felix’s court is about to get under way.  The high priest and the Jewish elders decide to lawyer up and retain the attorney Tertullus to bring their case against Paul.  But Paul had an even better lawyer on his side to defend him against these false charges: the Lord Jesus.  His judge and his accusers couldn’t see him, but Jesus was there.

藉著耶穌

2024-09-13 in , /by

約翰福音 8:36  所以天父的兒子若叫你們自由，你們就真自由了。

哥林多後書 3:17 主就是那靈，主的靈在哪裡，哪裡就得以自由。

詩篇 119:45  我要自由而行，因我素來考究祢的訓詞。

馬太福音 5:17-18 「莫想我來要廢掉律法和先知，我來不是要廢掉，乃是要成全。 18 我實在告訴你們：就是到天地都廢去了，律法的一點一畫也不能廢去，都要成全。

藉著耶穌，我們自由的行出律法，行在寬闊之地

詩篇第119篇中，詩人用律法、法度、訓詞、律例、命令、判語、話、應許、典章、道路等詞語來描述上帝的律法，從人的角度來看，這些詞語表達的是「規範」和「約束」，似乎和人所渴求的「自由」是對立的、相左的。

事實上，人生命的自由發展取決於自我意念延伸和外在環境限制兩者間的抗衡，外在環境限制來自於人與神的關係和人與人的關係；人的自我意念能否自主延伸，關鍵在於人是否與神和好，目標是否與神對齊（稱義），也在於人與人之間能否彼此接納、彼此相愛。

You Are Surrounded by God’s Protection

2024-09-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 23:23-35.  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 23:23-33 (NIV)
23  Then he called two of his centurions and ordered them, “Get ready a detachment of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.
24  Provide mounts for Paul so that he may be taken safely to Governor Felix.”
25  He wrote a letter as follows:
26  Claudius Lysias, To His Excellency, Governor Felix: Greetings.

On verses 23-33:  Claudius Lysius, the Roman commander in charge of Paul, wants to make sure that Paul is not killed prematurely and that Paul is taken safely to Caesarea to stand trial before Felix governor of Judea.  To ensure Paul’s safety, the Roman commander mobilizes a huge detachment of soldiers, horsemen and spearmen to accompany Paul together with a formal letter explaining the situation.

Tav求神教導、幫助、尋找我

2024-09-12 in , /by

詩篇 119:169-176

169 耶和華啊，願我的呼籲達到祢面前，照祢的話賜我悟性。

170 願我的懇求達到祢面前，照祢的話搭救我。

171 願我的嘴發出讚美的話，因為祢將律例教訓我。

172 願我的舌頭歌唱祢的話，因祢一切的命令盡都公義。

173 願祢用手幫助我，因我揀選了祢的訓詞。

174 耶和華啊，我切慕祢的救恩！祢的律法也是我所喜愛的。

175 願我的性命存活，得以讚美祢！願祢的典章幫助我！

176 我如亡羊走迷了路，求祢尋找僕人，因我不忘記祢的命令。

Tav 求神教導、幫助、尋找我（詩119:169-176）

詩人在最後的一段用「願」表達了他迫切的期盼，祈願他的呼籲和懇求能達到神面前，祈願他的嘴和舌頭能讚美歌唱神，祈願他的性命能存活，求神用手幫助、尋找如亡羊走迷的自己。

在急難困苦中，我們如亡羊走迷了路，記得撥打「屬靈的119」，回到神面前，聆聽祂話語，領受祂訓詞，遵行祂命令，這是神兒女得救、得勝的祕訣。

哪知祂為我們的過犯受害，為我們的罪孽壓傷。因祂受的刑罰，我們得平安；因祂受的鞭傷，我們得醫治。我們都如羊走迷；各人偏行己路；耶和華使我們眾人的罪孽都歸在祂身上。（賽53:5-6）

God’s Plan Will Prevail

2024-09-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 23:12-22.  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 23:12-22 (NIV)
12  The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
13  More than forty men were involved in this plot.
14  They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul.

On verses 12-22:  Growing up as a kid I loved watching James Bond movies.  Not only did James Bond show tremendous skill, heart, and suave as he went about his mission, but he was also extremely lucky.  In every James Bond movie, there would be some crucial moment when his life would be in grave danger and he would be spared not because of his skill, his heart or his suave, but simply because he happened to be in the right place at the right time or because someone else happened to lend him a hand.  That’s what I see happening here with Paul too.

Shin 我一切所行的都在神面前

2024-09-11 in , /by

詩篇 119:161-168

161 首領無故地逼迫我，但我的心畏懼祢的言語。

162 我喜愛祢的話，好像人得了許多擄物。

163 謊話是我所恨惡所憎嫌的；惟祢的律法是我所愛的。

164 我因祢公義的典章一天七次讚美祢。

165 愛祢律法的人有大平安，甚麼都不能使他們絆腳。

166 耶和華啊，我仰望了祢的救恩，遵行了祢的命令。

167 我心裡守了祢的法度；這法度我甚喜愛。

168 我遵守了祢的訓詞和法度，因我一切所行的都在祢面前。

Shin 我一切所行的都在神面前（詩119:161-168）

在神的典章中，我們看見公義，在神的命令中，我們仰望救恩；我們敬畏神的話語，喜愛神的律法，遵守神的訓詞和法度，一天七次讚美神，並一切所行的都在神面前，不被絆腳且大有平安。

The God Who Stands Near You

2024-09-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 23:1-11.  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 23:1-5 (NIV)
1  Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.”
2  At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth.
3  Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”

On verses 1-5:  Paul appears before the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin.  He tells them that with a clear conscience he can say that he has fulfilled his duty to God, suggesting that those in the Sanhedrin who are upset with him are upset for no good reason.  In response, the high priest Ananias, whom historians describe as a hot-tempered and corrupt leader, orders Paul to be struck on the mouth.  Paul reacts strongly. 

When Your Citizenship Can Save You

2024-09-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 22:17-30.  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 22:17-21 (NIV)
17  “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance
18  and saw the Lord speaking. ‘Quick!’ he said to me. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’
19  “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you.
20  And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’
21  “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'”

On verses 17-21:  In Paul’s mind, it seemed to make so much sense for him, when he first became a Christian, to stay in Jerusalem, since he was well known in Jerusalem as the most zealous persecutor of Christians and now had become a Christian himself.  But God had different plans for Paul. God knew that people were bent on killing Paul in Jerusalem, so God sends Paul far away to the Gentiles.  It turns out that there was wisdom in God’s plan after all.

Resh神因祂的慈愛而施行拯救

2024-09-10 in , /by

詩篇 119:153-160

153 求祢看顧我的苦難，搭救我，因我不忘記祢的律法。

154 求祢為我辨屈，救贖我，照祢的話將我救活。

155 救恩遠離惡人，因為他們不尋求祢的律例。

156 耶和華啊，祢的慈悲本為大；求祢照祢的典章將我救活。

157 逼迫我的，抵擋我的，很多，我卻沒有偏離祢的法度。

158 我看見奸惡的人就甚憎惡，因為他們不遵守祢的話。

159 祢看我怎樣愛祢的訓詞！耶和華啊，求祢照祢的慈愛將我救活！

160 祢話的總綱是真實；祢一切公義的典章是永遠長存。

Resh 神因祂的慈愛而施行拯救（詩119:153-160）

在苦難中，神的兒女不灰心、不喪膽；不忘記神的律法，相信祂看顧我、搭救我；相信祂為我辨屈，救贖我，照祂的話將我救活。神話語的總綱是真實，公義的典章是永遠長存。

我若不信在活人之地得見耶和華的恩惠，就早已喪膽了。要等候耶和華！當壯膽，堅固你的心！我再說，要等候耶和華！（詩27:13-14）