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A Big Reason Why God Allows Suffering

2024-05-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 9:1-12.  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!

John 9:1-3 (NIV)
1  As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth.
2  His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3  “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.

On verses 1-3:  When the disciples saw a man blind from birth, the disciples immediately assumed that the man’s blindness was somebody’s fault.  The only question for them was “Who is to blame?”  But Jesus didn’t play the blame game.  Instead, Jesus explains that the reason why this man was born blind was not due to this man’s sins or his parents’ sins, but “so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (v3).

娶親的筵席

2024-05-09 in , /by

馬太福音 5:13 「你們是世上的鹽。鹽若失了味，怎能叫它再鹹呢？以後無用，不過丟在外面，被人踐踏了。

耶穌說：「你們是世上的鹽。鹽若失了味，怎能叫它再鹹呢？以後無用，不過丟在外面，被人踐踏了。」（太5:13，可9:50，路14:34）

鹽是日常生活的必需品，不僅可用來調味、防腐，也提供人體所需的鈉和碘。我們所用的鹽是海鹽，由海水煎曬而成。聖經年代猶太人所用的鹽是岩鹽，常見於死海以東山谷地區，聖經記載大衛在「鹽谷」擊敗以東人（撒下8:13，代上18:12，詩60:1）。岩鹽又稱礦鹽或石鹽，因地殼變遷，鹽分貯存在地層中，凝結成石狀。

岩鹽有如石頭，外覆鹽層，猶太人吃飯時，一手拿菜或餅，一手持鹽塊，用舌舔味；或是烹飪時，用繩子綁住岩鹽塊調味。外覆鹽層被餂完了或烹煮少了，失了味，只剩石頭，就被棄置外面，被人踐踏。

失去或得著

2024-05-08 in , /by

馬太福音 5:13 「你們是世上的鹽。鹽若失了味，怎能叫它再鹹呢？以後無用，不過丟在外面，被人踐踏了。

耶穌說：「你們是世上的鹽。鹽若失了味，怎能叫它再鹹呢？以後無用，不過丟在外面，被人踐踏了。」（太5:13，可9:50，路14:34）

鹽是日常生活的必需品，不僅可用來調味、防腐，也提供人體所需的鈉和碘。我們所用的鹽是海鹽，由海水煎曬而成。聖經年代猶太人所用的鹽是岩鹽，常見於死海以東山谷地區，聖經記載大衛在「鹽谷」擊敗以東人（撒下8:13，代上18:12，詩60:1）。岩鹽又稱礦鹽或石鹽，因地殼變遷，鹽分貯存在地層中，凝結成石狀。

岩鹽有如石頭，外覆鹽層，猶太人吃飯時，一手拿菜或餅，一手持鹽塊，用舌舔味；或是烹飪時，用繩子綁住岩鹽塊調味。外覆鹽層被餂完了或烹煮少了，失了味，只剩石頭，就被棄置外面，被人踐踏。

Why Did Jesus Hide When Attacked?

2024-05-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 8:48-59.  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!
 
John 8:48-50 (NIV)
48  The Jews answered him, “Aren’t we right in saying that you are a Samaritan and demon-possessed?”
49  “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and you dishonor me.
50  I am not seeking glory for myself; but there is one who seeks it, and he is the judge.
 
On verses 48-50:  Jesus’ critics castigate Jesus.  They call him a Samaritan, in turn showing their prejudicial bias against people from Samaria.  They also call him demon-possessed (v49), revealing their lack of compassion for people who struggle with demon possession.  In response, Jesus says that what he says is not because he is demon-possessed (v49) or because he is seeking glory for himself (v50), but because Jesus honors his Father (v49). 

失了味的鹽

2024-05-07 in , /by

馬太福音 5:13 「你們是世上的鹽。鹽若失了味，怎能叫它再鹹呢？以後無用，不過丟在外面，被人踐踏了。

耶穌說：「你們是世上的鹽。鹽若失了味，怎能叫它再鹹呢？以後無用，不過丟在外面，被人踐踏了。」（太5:13，可9:50，路14:34）

鹽是日常生活的必需品，不僅可用來調味、防腐，也提供人體所需的鈉和碘。我們所用的鹽是海鹽，由海水煎曬而成。聖經年代猶太人所用的鹽是岩鹽，常見於死海以東山谷地區，聖經記載大衛在「鹽谷」擊敗以東人（撒下8:13，代上18:12，詩60:1）。岩鹽又稱礦鹽或石鹽，因地殼變遷，鹽分貯存在地層中，凝結成石狀。

岩鹽有如石頭，外覆鹽層，猶太人吃飯時，一手拿菜或餅，一手持鹽塊，用舌舔味；或是烹飪時，用繩子綁住岩鹽塊調味。外覆鹽層被餂完了或烹煮少了，失了味，只剩石頭，就被棄置外面，被人踐踏。

Only Jesus Can Set You Free

2024-05-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 8:33-47.  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!
 
John 8:33-36 (NIV)
33  They answered him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been slaves of anyone. How can you say that we shall be set free?”
34  Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
35  Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever.
36  So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.
 
On verses 33-36: When you don’t know that you’re a slave, you’ll have no reason to want to be set free. That was the predicament of Jesus’ opponents. They were slaves to sin but they didn’t know it (v34). Jesus came to turn us who were slaves to sin into children of God and members of God’s family (v35). So if you know that you have sinned and like a slave are bound to sin again, look to Jesus. He is the only One who can set you free.
 

How You Learn the Truth

2024-05-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 8:21-32.  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!

John 8:21-24 (NIV)
21  Once more Jesus said to them, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”
22  This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?”
23  But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.
24  I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am [the one I claim to be], you will indeed die in your sins.”
 
On verses 21-24:  Pop culture today and many world religions teach that if you’re a good enough person, you can earn your way to heaven.  But Jesus teaches something completely different and totally politically incorrect: which is that unless you believe that Jesus is who he claims to be, you will die in your sins, meaning that you will not go to heaven unless you believe in Jesus.

天國的比喻

2024-05-06 in , /by

馬太福音 20:1-16

「因為天國好像家主清早出去雇人進他的葡萄園做工， 2 和工人講定一天一錢銀子，就打發他們進葡萄園去。 3 約在巳初出去，看見市上還有閒站的人， 4 就對他們說：『你們也進葡萄園去，所當給的，我必給你們。』他們也進去了。 5 約在午正和申初又出去，也是這樣行。 6 約在酉初出去，看見還有人站在那裡，就問他們說：『你們為什麼整天在這裡閒站呢？』 7 他們說：『因為沒有人雇我們。』他說：『你們也進葡萄園去。』 8 到了晚上，園主對管事的說：『叫工人都來，給他們工錢，從後來的起，到先來的為止。』 9 約在酉初雇的人來了，各人得了一錢銀子。 10 及至那先雇的來了，他們以為必要多得，誰知也是各得一錢。

耶穌用比喻（太20:1-16）說：天國好像家主清早去雇人進他的葡萄園做工，在巳初（早上九點）、午正（中午十二點）、申初（下午三點）、酉初（下午五點）不同的時間出去，不斷地找人來園裡做工；到了晚上，園主交代管事的給工人工錢，從後來的起，到先來的為止，各人都得了一錢銀子（當時的人一天的工資就是一錢）。

比喻的結尾描述那先雇的人以為必要多得，誰知也是各得一錢，於是埋怨家主說：「我們整天勞苦受熱，那後來的只做了一小時，你竟叫他們和我們一樣嗎？」工作的比較、身分的比較是世界常見的現象，同工同酬、不同工不同酬是人視為正常的價值觀；但是，耶穌描述的天國裡，沒有比較，只有恩典，恩典沒有大小，都是完全的、滿足的。

良善又忠心的僕人

2024-05-05 in , /by

馬太福音25:14-30  「天國又好比一個人要往外國去，就叫了僕人來，把他的家業交給他們， 15 按著各人的才幹給他們銀子，一個給了五千，一個給了二千，一個給了一千，就往外國去了。 16 那領五千的隨即拿去做買賣，另外賺了五千。 17 那領二千的也照樣另賺了二千。 18 但那領一千的去掘開地，把主人的銀子埋藏了。 19 過了許久，那些僕人的主人來了，和他們算帳。 20 那領五千銀子的又帶著那另外的五千來，說：『主啊，你交給我五千銀子，請看，我又賺了五千。』 21 主人說：『好，你這又良善又忠心的僕人，你在不多的事上有忠心，我要把許多事派你管理。可以進來享受你主人的快樂！』

耶穌用十個童女的比喻勉勵跟隨主的人要「儆醒預備」（太25:1-13），因為主再來的日子、時辰，我們不知道。等候主再來需要「儆醒預備」，但不是站着不動的等候，而是需要按著個人的才幹，「忠心盡責」完成神所託付的工作（太25:14-30）。

耶穌在按才幹受責任的比喻裡，首先提到主人將家業交給僕人，按著各人的才幹給他們銀子：一個給了五千，一個給了二千，一個給了一千，就往外國去了。五千、二千、一千的原文是五他連得、二他連得、一他連得，他連得的英文是「talent」，也就是才幹、能力的意思。

How Do You Judge a Situation?

2024-05-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is John 8:12-20.  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!

John 8:12 (NIV)
12  When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

On verse 12:  Throughout the book of John, Jesus uses some of the most basic pictures that represent life, like bread and water, to describe Himself and to show how He and life go hand in hand.  He calls himself the bread of life (John 6:35).  He says that for those who believe in Him, streams of living water will flow from within (John 7:38).  And now, after using life-giving images like bread and water, Jesus brings up another image: “I am the light of the world”.  Just as our world cannot survive without light, so we can’t live without Jesus.  Like light, Jesus brings energy, warmth, hope, joy, strength and clarity to our lives.  That is why when you have Jesus, you have the light of life.