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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).

娶亲的筵席

2024-05-09 in , /by

马太福音 5:13 「你们是世上的盐。盐若失了味，怎能叫它再咸呢？以后无用，不过丢在外面，被人践踏了。

耶稣说：「你们是世上的盐。盐若失了味，怎能叫它再咸呢？以后无用，不过丢在外面，被人践踏了。」（太5:13，可9:50，路14:34）

盐是日常生活的必需品，不仅可用来调味、防腐，也提供人体所需的钠和碘。我们所用的盐是海盐，由海水煎晒而成。圣经年代犹太人所用的盐是岩盐，常见于死海以东山谷地区，圣经记载大卫在「盐谷」击败以东人（撒下8:13，代上18:12，诗60:1）。岩盐又称矿盐或石盐，因地壳变迁，盐分贮存在地层中，凝结成石状。

岩盐有如石头，外覆盐层，犹太人吃饭时，一手拿菜或饼，一手持盐块，用舌舔味；或是烹饪时，用绳子绑住岩盐块调味。外覆盐层被餂完了或烹煮少了，失了味，只剩石头，就被弃置外面，被人践踏。

失去或得着

2024-05-08 in , /by

马太福音 5:13 「你们是世上的盐。盐若失了味，怎能叫它再咸呢？以后无用，不过丢在外面，被人践踏了。

耶稣说：「你们是世上的盐。盐若失了味，怎能叫它再咸呢？以后无用，不过丢在外面，被人践踏了。」（太5:13，可9:50，路14:34）

盐是日常生活的必需品，不仅可用来调味、防腐，也提供人体所需的钠和碘。我们所用的盐是海盐，由海水煎晒而成。圣经年代犹太人所用的盐是岩盐，常见于死海以东山谷地区，圣经记载大卫在「盐谷」击败以东人（撒下8:13，代上18:12，诗60:1）。岩盐又称矿盐或石盐，因地壳变迁，盐分贮存在地层中，凝结成石状。

岩盐有如石头，外覆盐层，犹太人吃饭时，一手拿菜或饼，一手持盐块，用舌舔味；或是烹饪时，用绳子绑住岩盐块调味。外覆盐层被餂完了或烹煮少了，失了味，只剩石头，就被弃置外面，被人践踏。

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). 

失了味的盐

2024-05-07 in , /by

马太福音 5:13 「你们是世上的盐。盐若失了味，怎能叫它再咸呢？以后无用，不过丢在外面，被人践踏了。

耶稣说：「你们是世上的盐。盐若失了味，怎能叫它再咸呢？以后无用，不过丢在外面，被人践踏了。」（太5:13，可9:50，路14:34）

盐是日常生活的必需品，不仅可用来调味、防腐，也提供人体所需的钠和碘。我们所用的盐是海盐，由海水煎晒而成。圣经年代犹太人所用的盐是岩盐，常见于死海以东山谷地区，圣经记载大卫在「盐谷」击败以东人（撒下8:13，代上18:12，诗60:1）。岩盐又称矿盐或石盐，因地壳变迁，盐分贮存在地层中，凝结成石状。

岩盐有如石头，外覆盐层，犹太人吃饭时，一手拿菜或饼，一手持盐块，用舌舔味；或是烹饪时，用绳子绑住岩盐块调味。外覆盐层被餂完了或烹煮少了，失了味，只剩石头，就被弃置外面，被人践踏。

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.

天国的比喻

2024-05-06 in , /by

马太福音 20:1-16

「因为天国好像家主清早出去雇人进他的葡萄园做工， 2 和工人讲定一天一钱银子，就打发他们进葡萄园去。 3 约在巳初出去，看见市上还有闲站的人， 4 就对他们说：『你们也进葡萄园去，所当给的，我必给你们。』他们也进去了。 5 约在午正和申初又出去，也是这样行。 6 约在酉初出去，看见还有人站在那里，就问他们说：『你们为什么整天在这里闲站呢？』 7 他们说：『因为没有人雇我们。』他说：『你们也进葡萄园去。』 8 到了晚上，园主对管事的说：『叫工人都来，给他们工钱，从后来的起，到先来的为止。』 9 约在酉初雇的人来了，各人得了一钱银子。 10 及至那先雇的来了，他们以为必要多得，谁知也是各得一钱。

耶稣用比喻（太20:1-16）说：天国好像家主清早去雇人进他的葡萄园做工，在巳初（早上九点）、午正（中午十二点）、申初（下午三点）、酉初（下午五点）不同的时间出去，不断地找人来园里做工；到了晚上，园主交代管事的给工人工钱，从后来的起，到先来的为止，各人都得了一钱银子（当时的人一天的工资就是一钱）。

比喻的结尾描述那先雇的人以为必要多得，谁知也是各得一钱，于是埋怨家主说：「我们整天劳苦受热，那后来的只做了一小时，你竟叫他们和我们一样吗？」工作的比较、身分的比较是世界常见的现象，同工同酬、不同工不同酬是人视为正常的价值观；但是，耶稣描述的天国里，没有比较，只有恩典，恩典没有大小，都是完全的、满足的。

良善又忠心的仆人

2024-05-05 in , /by

马太福音25:14-30  「天国又好比一个人要往外国去，就叫了仆人来，把他的家业交给他们， 15 按著各人的才干给他们银子，一个给了五千，一个给了二千，一个给了一千，就往外国去了。 16 那领五千的随即拿去做买卖，另外赚了五千。 17 那领二千的也照样另赚了二千。 18 但那领一千的去掘开地，把主人的银子埋藏了。 19 过了许久，那些仆人的主人来了，和他们算帐。 20 那领五千银子的又带着那另外的五千来，说：『主啊，你交给我五千银子，请看，我又赚了五千。』 21 主人说：『好，你这又良善又忠心的仆人，你在不多的事上有忠心，我要把许多事派你管理。可以进来享受你主人的快乐！』

耶稣用十个童女的比喻勉励跟随主的人要「儆醒预备」（太25:1-13），因为主再来的日子、时辰，我们不知道。等候主再来需要「儆醒预备」，但不是站着不动的等候，而是需要按著个人的才干，「忠心尽责」完成神所托付的工作（太25:14-30）。

耶稣在按才干受责任的比喻里，首先提到主人将家业交给仆人，按著各人的才干给他们银子：一个给了五千，一个给了二千，一个给了一千，就往外国去了。五千、二千、一千的原文是五他连得、二他连得、一他连得，他连得的英文是「talent」，也就是才干、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.