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God’s Message for Everyone

2024-03-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 14:1-13.  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!

Revelation 14:1-5 (NIV) 
1  Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 
2  And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 
3  And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth. 

On verses 1-5:  After his vision in chapter 13 of earth being controlled by the red dragon, the beast from the sea and the beast from the earth, John’s vision switches to heaven where John once again sees the 144,000 whom he saw earlier in Revelation 7.  These 144,000 are quite possibly Jewish Christians who came from the 12 tribes of Israel.  Here in these verses we learn more about these 144,000 and the role that they play in heaven:

愛在衣裳繸子

2024-03-10 in , /by

馬太福音 9:20-22

20 有一個女人患了十二年的血漏，來到耶穌背後，摸祂的衣裳穗子， 21 因為她心裡說：「我只摸祂的衣裳，就必痊癒。」 22 耶穌轉過來看見她，就說：「女兒，放心！你的信救了你。」從那時候，女人就痊癒了。

愛在衣裳繸子：因著愛，祂對患十二年血漏的女人說：女兒，放心，妳的信救了妳。（太9:20-22，可5:25-34，路8:43-48）

這件事發生在耶穌和門徒正趕路，前往管會堂的睚魯家（他的女兒快死了）的半途中，眾人擁擠時，一個患了十二年血漏的女人，從耶穌背後，摸祂的衣裳繸子。

患了十二年的血漏，在醫生手裡受了許多的苦，花盡了她一切養生的，病勢沒有好轉，反倒更重，這是聖經對婦人極其絕望景況的描述。她心裡想：「我只摸祂的衣裳，就必痊癒。」她摸著耶穌的衣裳繸子，血漏立刻就止住了。

愛在畢士大池旁

2024-03-08 in , /by

約翰福音 5:1-15

 1這事以後，到了猶太人的一個節期，耶穌就上耶路撒冷去。

2 在耶路撒冷，靠近羊門有一個池子，希伯來話叫做畢士大，旁邊有五個廊子， 3 裡面躺著瞎眼的、瘸腿的、血氣枯乾的許多病人[a]。 5 在那裡有一個人，病了三十八年。 6 耶穌看見他躺著，知道他病了許久，就問他說：「你要痊癒嗎？」

愛在畢士大池旁：因著愛，祂在安息日醫治三十八年患者，對他說：「起來，拿你的褥子走吧！」，又警戒他說：「你已經痊癒了，不要再犯罪，恐怕你遭遇的更加利害。」（約5:1-15）

病了三十八年的病人在畢士大池旁等候水動，好進入池子讓病得痊癒，可是水動時，沒有人把他放入池子裡，正去時又有別人比他先下池去。耶穌看見他躺著，知道他病了許久，給他機會讓他得醫治。

面對生命或生活的困境，我們有如池旁等候水動的病人，自己抓不住機會，機會來了又被人捷足先登，只好將自己隱藏在蝸居（褥子）中，毫無希望。耶穌來了，祂給予機會，要我們「起來」，靠著信心，離開自怨自艾、逃避現實的「褥子」，「走吧！」，三十八年的病就得痊癒。

An Unholy Trinity

2024-03-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 13:1-18.  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!

Revelation 13:1-2 (NIV) 
1  And the dragon stood on the shore of the sea. And I saw a beast coming out of the sea. He had ten horns and seven heads, with ten crowns on his horns, and on each head a blasphemous name. 
2  The beast I saw resembled a leopard, but had feet like those of a bear and a mouth like that of a lion. The dragon gave the beast his power and his throne and great authority.
 
On verses 1-2:  Picture this: While the red dragon representing Satan stands on the seashore, a beast rises out of the sea.  Like the dragon, this beast from the sea has 7 heads and 10 horns (compare Revelation 12:3 with 13:1).   Resembling a leopard but also having feet like a bear and a mouth like a lion, this beast is not for God but against God.  Each of the beast’s 7 heads displays a blasphemous name, making a false statement about God (v1b).  The dragon and the beast are clearly affiliated as the dragon gives the beast his power, his throne and great authority (v2).

愛在加利利海邊

2024-03-07 in , /by

馬太福音 8:23-27

23 耶穌上了船，門徒跟著他。 24 海裡忽然起了暴風，甚至船被波浪掩蓋，耶穌卻睡著了。 25 門徒來叫醒了他，說：「主啊，救我們，我們喪命啦！」 26 耶穌說：「你們這小信的人哪！為什麼膽怯呢？」於是起來，斥責風和海，風和海就大大地平靜了。 27 眾人稀奇，說：「這是怎樣的人？連風和海也聽從他了！」

愛在加利利海邊：因著愛，祂斥責狂風大浪，風浪就止住，平靜了。（太8:23-27，可4:35-41，路8:22-25）

耶穌上了船，對門徒說：「我們渡到那邊去吧。」那邊指的是加利利對面的格拉森（有古卷：加大拉），是外邦人的地方；三個福音書接續記載著，耶穌平靜風浪後，船到格拉森，迎著他們來的是個從墳塋裡出來被污鬼附著的人。

顯然的，這趟船程，門徒面對的不僅是狂風大浪，心中擔憂的還有他們此行的目的地是外邦人的地方，是黑暗權勢掌權的地方。可以理解門徒的害怕到了極點，波浪打入船內，甚至船要滿了水，他們叫醒了耶穌，說：「主啊，救我們，我們喪命啦！」耶穌醒了，斥責風和海，風浪就止住，平靜了。耶穌對他們說：「你們這小信的人哪，為甚麼膽怯呢？」

How You Overcome Satan

2024-03-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 12:1-17.  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!

Revelation 12:1-2 (NIV) 
1  A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 
2  She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth.

On verses 1-2:  Who is this pregnant woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet, and a crown of twelve stars on her head?  According to many commentators, the best interpretation is that the woman represents the nation of Israel.  On what basis do commentators reach this conclusion?  One reason is that for a Jew like John, an image of the sun, the moon and 12 stars together would likely remind him of Joseph’s dream in Genesis 37:9 where Joseph dreams of the sun (symbolizing his father Israel), the moon (symbolizing his mother Rachel) and 11 stars (symbolizing his brothers, the other sons of Israel) bowing down to him.  The idea is that when John sees this woman clothed with the sun, the moon under her feet and a crown of 12 stars on her head (representing the 12 tribes of Israel), John would think of the nation of Israel.  A second reason is that when you consider the entire vision John describes in this chapter and its meaning, the woman as a symbol for Israel seems to make the most sense.

Heaven Always Gets the Last Laugh

2024-03-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 11:1-19, considered by many to be the most difficult chapter in the book of Revelation.  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!

Revelation 11:1-2 (NIV) 
1  I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, “Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. 
2  But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months.
 
On verses 1-2:  In John’s vision John receives a reed like a measuring rod and is told to measure the temple of God and the altar as well as to count the worshipers there (v1).  John is told not to include the outer court in his measurements, because “it has been given to the Gentiles” who “will trample on the holy city for 42 months” (v2).  The holy city is most likely a reference to the city of Jerusalem.  

愛在管會堂的家裡

2024-03-06 in , /by

馬太福音 9:18-19 / 9:23-26

18 耶穌說這話的時候，有一個管會堂的來拜他，說：「我女兒剛才死了，求你去按手在她身上，她就必活了。」 19 耶穌便起來跟著他去，門徒也跟了去。

23 耶穌到了管會堂的家裡，看見有吹手，又有許多人亂嚷， 24 就說：「退去吧！這閨女不是死了，是睡著了。」他們就嗤笑他。 25 眾人既被攆出，耶穌就進去，拉著閨女的手，閨女便起來了。 26 於是這風聲傳遍了那地方。

愛在管會堂的家裡：因著愛，祂對睚魯說：不要怕，只要信！接著拉著孩子的手，對她說：閨女！我吩咐妳起來。（太9:18-19, 23-26，可5:22-24, 35-43，路8:40-42, 49-56）

在猶太人的社會，「管會堂的」是會堂的領袖，身份背後代表諸多深意：神的揀選、摩西的律法、輝煌的聖殿、被擄的屈辱、榮耀的盼望。管會堂睚魯的小女兒病得快死了，他愛女兒，不顧自己的身分地位，大庭廣眾下俯伏在耶穌面前，再三求祂去醫治自己的女兒。

睚魯求主幫助的經歷可說是驚滔駭浪、高潮迭起，先被患了十二年血漏的女人半途插隊攔截耶穌，趕不及到家就聽到女兒的噩耗，看見眾人為女兒哀哭捶胸頓失希望，最後驚奇的面對復活的女兒。

愛在格拉森外邦之地

2024-03-05 in , /by

馬太福音 8:28-34

28 耶穌既渡到那邊去，來到加大拉人的地方，就有兩個被鬼附的人從墳塋裡出來迎著他，極其凶猛，甚至沒有人能從那條路上經過。 29 他們喊著說：「神的兒子，我們與你有什麼相干？時候還沒有到，你就上這裡來叫我們受苦嗎？」

30 離他們很遠，有一大群豬吃食。 31 鬼就央求耶穌，說：「若把我們趕出去，就打發我們進入豬群吧。」 32 耶穌說：「去吧！」鬼就出來，進入豬群。全群忽然闖下山崖，投在海裡淹死了。 33 放豬的就逃跑進城，將這一切事和被鬼附的人所遭遇的都告訴人。 34 合城的人都出來迎見耶穌，既見了，就央求他離開他們的境界。

愛在格拉森外邦之地：因著愛，祂釋放被污鬼附著的人，鬼入豬群，投海淹死。（太8:28-34，可5:1-20，路8:26-39）

格拉森（有古卷：加大拉）坐落外約但的山區，距加利利海東南面約35哩，離約但河東19哩；格拉森處於當時羅馬帝國的低加坡里行政區，這地區是由十個外邦人城市組成，位於撒馬利亞和加利利以東的地方。當地的文化、生活習慣趨向希臘化，經文中談及在山上吃食的一大群豬，顯示格拉森人可能以養豬為生，並未遵循摩西律法中有關潔淨的規條（利11:7-8），對於猶太人而言，格拉森就等同於一個亂七八糟、污穢之地。

Eat the Word of God and Be a Blessing

2024-03-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Revelation 10:1-11.  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!

Revelation 10:1-4 (NIV) 
1  Then I saw another mighty angel coming down from heaven. He was robed in a cloud, with a rainbow above his head; his face was like the sun, and his legs were like fiery pillars. 
2  He was holding a little scroll, which lay open in his hand. He planted his right foot on the sea and his left foot on the land, 
3  and he gave a loud shout like the roar of a lion. When he shouted, the voices of the seven thunders spoke. 
4  And when the seven thunders spoke, I was about to write; but I heard a voice from heaven say, “Seal up what the seven thunders have said and do not write it down.”
 
On verses 1-4:  Revelation is full of strange and awesome creatures: living creatures, fallen angels, the scariest locusts ever, crazy “horses”, the list goes on.  Sometimes I think that if Pokemon could be transported into the world of Revelation, Pikachu, Charmander and all their Pokemon friends would look at some of the creatures in Revelation and think, “They’re so weird.”  Here in these verses we meet the next awesome creature in Revelation:  a mighty angel whose shout like a lion causes the voices of the “seven thunders” to speak (v3).  What are the seven thunders?  It is not clear.  Also, it is not clear to us what they said because John is commanded by a voice from heaven to seal up what the seven thunders said and not to write it down (v4).