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The Importance of Building Common Ground

2024-07-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 7:1-16.  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 7:1-16 (NIV)
1  Then the high priest asked him, “Are these charges true?”
2  To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran.
3  ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’
4  “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living.

On verses 1-16: Why is Stephen giving a speech to the Sanhedrin, Israel’s ruling council of elders, about the history of Israel? Remember that the Sanhedrin had accused Stephen of making false, blasphemous statements about Moses, about God (6:11), about the temple (6:13) and about the law of Moses (6:13).  They accused Stephen of trying to subvert Judaism and advocate for a new religion, saying that Jesus would change the customs which the Jews had received from Moses (Acts 6:14).

如果我能唱

2024-07-24 in , /by

哥林多前书 12:4-11

4 恩赐原有分别，圣灵却是一位； 5 职事也有分别，主却是一位； 6 功用也有分别，神却是一位，在众人里面运行一切的事。 7 圣灵显在各人身上，是叫人得益处。 8 这人蒙圣灵赐他智慧的言语，那人也蒙这位圣灵赐他知识的言语， 9 又有一人蒙这位圣灵赐他信心，还有一人蒙这位圣灵赐他医病的恩赐， 10 又叫一人能行异能，又叫一人能做先知，又叫一人能辨别诸灵，又叫一人能说方言，又叫一人能翻方言。 11 这一切都是这位圣灵所运行，随己意分给各人的。

我喜欢唱诗歌，诗歌带着神的话语，常不自主地由心中涌出，带给我安慰和鼓励，帮助我亲近神。

我是自由派（失控派）的歌者，抓不住五线谱上的蝌蚪，掉拍和抢拍是常见的事，女儿给我评价：音色还好，音拍不准，肚子虽大，气却不长。我惊艳于鼓钹上方飞舞的鼓槌，羡慕在黑白琴键和吉他弦线来回飘移的指头，这是我想拥有，但神从未应许的恩赐。

我很喜欢「如果我能唱」这首诗歌，神用黄美廉博士 的诗歌来提醒我，拍不准续唱，气不长再吸，只要能开口唱，那就是恩典，那就是真诚的敬拜。

In Order To Grow, Sometimes You Need To Say No

2024-07-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 6:1-15.  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 6:1 (NIV)
1  In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.
 
On verse 1:  In the Old Testament God shows His heart to care for orphans and widows (see for example Exodus 22:22; Deuteronomy 10:18; and Psalm 146:9).  This concern for orphans and widows is also found in the New Testament in verses like James 1:27, 1 Timothy 5, and here in Acts 6 where the growing Christian community has a ministry to care for widows in Jerusalem. 

两个祷告

2024-07-23 in , /by

希伯来书 12:1-2

我们既有这许多的见证人，如同云彩围着我们，就当放下各样的重担，脱去容易缠累我们的罪，存心忍耐，奔那摆在我们前头的路程， 2 仰望为我们信心创始成终的耶稣[a]。他因那摆在前面的喜乐，就轻看羞辱，忍受了十字架的苦难，便坐在神宝座的右边。

年少时向神祷告：「亲爱的天父！明天我们主日学将在教会开始一个礼拜的儿童夏令营，我们都准备好了，孩子们也兴奋地期待着；但是，台风来了，我们需要祢的恩典，求祢保守我们一个礼拜的平安…」上帝听了少年人和孩子们的祷告，台风在台湾周围整整绕了一个礼拜，等到夏令营结束，孩子们平安回家，它才狂暴地吹了进来。

年长时向神祷告：「亲爱的天父！明天我们主日学将到长荣大学开始两天一夜的儿童夏令营，我们都准备好了，孩子们也兴奋地期待着；但是，台风来了，考虑孩子们的出入平安和我的职责，我需要做明智的决定，很遗憾地取消这次夏令营…」上帝听了孩子们的祷告，台风没进来，还帮忙扫掉了所有的乌云，留下灿烂的阳光；只是，孩子们叹息著：今天如果有夏令营该多好！那天，全台湾只有那位年长者在抱怨：今天为何没有狂风暴雨！

两个口袋

2024-07-22 in , /by

诗篇 19:12-14

12 谁能知道自己的错失呢？愿祢赦免我隐而未现的过错。
13 求祢拦阻仆人，不犯任意妄为的罪，不容这罪辖制我，我便完全，免犯大罪。
14 耶和华我的磐石，我的救赎主啊，愿我口中的言语、心里的意念在祢面前蒙悦纳。

随着敲门声进来的是个熟悉的身影，落魄的身躯伴随着相同的哀求：帮帮我！我需要一些钱。我习惯的拿出右边口袋里的皮夹，打开皮夹，露出那仅有的一张，说：就只有一张，给你吧！带着失望和勉强挤出的谢谢，他离开了。摸著静悄悄躺在左边口袋里的几张钞票，在我里面的说话了：你有两个口袋！

许多人给我建议：你不能一直满足他的需要，你不能一直给他鱼吃，要给他鱼竿…我找不着鱼竿，似乎也不应该一直满足他的需要，我该怎么办？于是，我开始有两个口袋。我常为他祷告，求神带领他生命的改变，心中预想这将是极大的见证，而且我参与其中。看来，神并未悦纳我祷告，神的意念并非如此；他持续的失败，一败涂地到生命的结束。

The Sovereignty of God and The Unstoppable Church

2024-07-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 5:33-42.  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 5:33-40 (NIV)
33  When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.
34  But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while.
35  Then he addressed them: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men.

On verses 33-40:   The Sanhedrin, which is the assembly of Israel’s elders (Acts 5:21), wants to put the apostles to death for refusing to obey the Sanhedrin’s orders not to preach about Jesus (v33).  But Gamaliel, who is both a Pharisee and a teacher of the law and who is highly respected by the people, uses his considerable influence to move the Sanhedrin in another direction.  Ordering the apostles to wait outside, Gamaliel speaks to the Sanhedrin and asks them to carefully consider their next step (v35). 

我在这里

2024-07-21 in , /by

撒母耳记上 3:1-14   童子撒母耳在以利面前侍奉耶和华。当那些日子，耶和华的言语稀少，不常有默示。 2 一日，以利睡卧在自己的地方。他眼目昏花，看不分明。 3 神的灯在神耶和华殿内约柜那里，还没有熄灭，撒母耳已经睡了。 4 耶和华呼唤撒母耳，撒母耳说：「我在这里。」 5 就跑到以利那里，说：「你呼唤我？我在这里。」以利回答说：「我没有呼唤你，你去睡吧。」他就去睡了。 6 耶和华又呼唤撒母耳，撒母耳起来，到以利那里，说：「你呼唤我？我在这里。」

神呼叫亚伯拉罕往摩利亚地献以撒，他回答：我在这里！

神呼叫雅各带领家族下埃及，他回答：我在这里！

神呼叫撒母耳传达以利家的灾难，他回答：我在这里！

神呼叫以赛亚传讲悔改蒙拯救的信息，他回答：我在这里！

我们是否预备好？儆醒等候神的呼叫，立刻回答：我在这里！

When It’s Not Politically Correct To Obey God

2024-07-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 5:17-32.  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 5:17-25 (NIV)
17  Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy.
18  They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.
19  But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out.
20  “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people the full message of this new life.”

On verses 17-25:  The high priest is jealous of the apostles and the positive attention they were getting from the miracles God had enabled them to perform.  The high priest throws the apostles in jail.  Yet miraculously God sends an angel to deliver the apostles, taking them out of jail without being noticed.  At daybreak the next morning, the high priest finds the apostles in the temple courts telling people “the full message of this life” (v20).

因着信，我们能爱

2024-07-19 in , /by

马太福音 17:14-21

14 耶稣和门徒到了众人那里，有一个人来见耶稣，跪下， 15 说：「主啊，怜悯我的儿子！他害癫痫的病很苦，屡次跌在火里，屡次跌在水里。 16 我带他到你门徒那里，他们却不能医治他。」 17 耶稣说：「唉！这又不信又悖谬的世代啊，我在你们这里要到几时呢？我忍耐你们要到几时呢？把他带到我这里来吧！」 18 耶稣斥责那鬼，鬼就出来，从此孩子就痊愈了。

车子飞快地奔驰著，心想还有半小时就到台南，应该可以准时回家吃中饭。一转瞬，街道旁中年妇人的身影闪过我的眼角，一身破烂、一根柺杖、还有缠着绷带且不断挥舞的双手，显然的，她在期待撘便车。荒郊野地，一位脏兮兮的妇人，让她撘便车，不方便吧！那根柺杖，会不会有危险啊！日头赤焰焰，随人顾生命……。是的！中午的日头赤焰焰，她的手可能要挥舞好久，才能盼到第二辆车子。心念一转，随着右脚的煞车动作，心中唠叨了几句，上帝啊！祢可得帮帮忙喔！保守我的平安。车子拐个弯，停在妇人的身旁。

Integrity Matters

2024-07-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 5:1-16.  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 5:1-11 (NIV)
1  Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property.
2  With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.
3  Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?

On verses 1-11:  What exactly did Ananias and Sapphira do wrong here?  Weren’t they generous in giving money to the church?  Did God strike them down simply because they kept a bit of the money for themselves?  Are we not allowed to keep anything for ourselves when we sell something?