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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:

爱在衣裳䍁子

2024-03-10 in , /by

马太福音 9:20-22

20 有一个女人患了十二年的血漏，来到耶稣背后，摸祂的衣裳穗子， 21 因为她心里说：「我只摸祂的衣裳，就必痊愈。」 22 耶稣转过来看见她，就说：「女儿，放心！你的信救了你。」从那时候，女人就痊愈了。

爱在衣裳䍁子：因着爱，祂对患十二年血漏的女人说：女儿，放心，妳的信救了妳。（太9:20-22，可5:25-34，路8:43-48）

这件事发生在耶稣和门徒正赶路，前往管会堂的睚鲁家（他的女儿快死了）的半途中，众人拥挤时，一个患了十二年血漏的女人，从耶稣背后，摸祂的衣裳䍁子。

患了十二年的血漏，在医生手里受了许多的苦，花尽了她一切养生的，病势没有好转，反倒更重，这是圣经对妇人极其绝望景况的描述。她心里想：「我只摸祂的衣裳，就必痊愈。」她摸著耶稣的衣裳䍁子，血漏立刻就止住了。

爱在毕士大池旁

2024-03-08 in , /by

约翰福音 5:1-15

 1这事以后，到了犹太人的一个节期，耶稣就上耶路撒冷去。

2 在耶路撒冷，靠近羊门有一个池子，希伯来话叫做毕士大，旁边有五个廊子， 3 里面躺着瞎眼的、瘸腿的、血气枯干的许多病人[a]。 5 在那里有一个人，病了三十八年。 6 耶稣看见他躺着，知道他病了许久，就问他说：「你要痊愈吗？」

爱在毕士大池旁：因着爱，祂在安息日医治三十八年患者，对他说：「起来，拿你的褥子走吧！」，又警戒他说：「你已经痊愈了，不要再犯罪，恐怕你遭遇的更加利害。」（约5:1-15）

病了三十八年的病人在毕士大池旁等候水动，好进入池子让病得痊愈，可是水动时，没有人把他放入池子里，正去时又有别人比他先下池去。耶稣看见他躺着，知道他病了许久，给他机会让他得医治。

面对生命或生活的困境，我们有如池旁等候水动的病人，自己抓不住机会，机会来了又被人捷足先登，只好将自己隐藏在蜗居（褥子）中，毫无希望。耶稣来了，祂给予机会，要我们「起来」，靠着信心，离开自怨自艾、逃避现实的「褥子」，「走吧！」，三十八年的病就得痊愈。

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).

爱在加利利海边

2024-03-07 in , /by

马太福音 8:23-27

23 耶稣上了船，门徒跟着他。 24 海里忽然起了暴风，甚至船被波浪掩盖，耶稣却睡着了。 25 门徒来叫醒了他，说：「主啊，救我们，我们丧命啦！」 26 耶稣说：「你们这小信的人哪！为什么胆怯呢？」于是起来，斥责风和海，风和海就大大地平静了。 27 众人稀奇，说：「这是怎样的人？连风和海也听从他了！」

爱在加利利海边：因着爱，祂斥责狂风大浪，风浪就止住，平静了。（太8:23-27，可4:35-41，路8:22-25）

耶稣上了船，对门徒说：「我们渡到那边去吧。」那边指的是加利利对面的格拉森（有古卷：加大拉），是外邦人的地方；三个福音书接续记载着，耶稣平静风浪后，船到格拉森，迎着他们来的是个从坟茔里出来被污鬼附着的人。

显然的，这趟船程，门徒面对的不仅是狂风大浪，心中担忧的还有他们此行的目的地是外邦人的地方，是黑暗权势掌权的地方。可以理解门徒的害怕到了极点，波浪打入船内，甚至船要满了水，他们叫醒了耶稣，说：「主啊，救我们，我们丧命啦！」耶稣醒了，斥责风和海，风浪就止住，平静了。耶稣对他们说：「你们这小信的人哪，为甚么胆怯呢？」

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.  

爱在管会堂的家里

2024-03-06 in , /by

马太福音 9:18-19 / 9:23-26

18 耶稣说这话的时候，有一个管会堂的来拜他，说：「我女儿刚才死了，求你去按手在她身上，她就必活了。」 19 耶稣便起来跟着他去，门徒也跟了去。

23 耶稣到了管会堂的家里，看见有吹手，又有许多人乱嚷， 24 就说：「退去吧！这闺女不是死了，是睡着了。」他们就嗤笑他。 25 众人既被撵出，耶稣就进去，拉着闺女的手，闺女便起来了。 26 于是这风声传遍了那地方。

爱在管会堂的家里：因着爱，祂对睚鲁说：不要怕，只要信！接着拉着孩子的手，对她说：闺女！我吩咐妳起来。（太9:18-19, 23-26，可5:22-24, 35-43，路8:40-42, 49-56）

在犹太人的社会，「管会堂的」是会堂的领袖，身份背后代表诸多深意：神的拣选、摩西的律法、辉煌的圣殿、被掳的屈辱、荣耀的盼望。管会堂睚鲁的小女儿病得快死了，他爱女儿，不顾自己的身分地位，大庭广众下俯伏在耶稣面前，再三求祂去医治自己的女儿。

睚鲁求主帮助的经历可说是惊滔骇浪、高潮迭起，先被患了十二年血漏的女人半途插队拦截耶稣，赶不及到家就听到女儿的噩耗，看见众人为女儿哀哭捶胸顿失希望，最后惊奇的面对复活的女儿。

爱在格拉森外邦之地

2024-03-05 in , /by

马太福音 8:28-34

28 耶稣既渡到那边去，来到加大拉人的地方，就有两个被鬼附的人从坟茔里出来迎着他，极其凶猛，甚至没有人能从那条路上经过。 29 他们喊著说：「神的儿子，我们与你有什么相干？时候还没有到，你就上这里来叫我们受苦吗？」

30 离他们很远，有一大群猪吃食。 31 鬼就央求耶稣，说：「若把我们赶出去，就打发我们进入猪群吧。」 32 耶稣说：「去吧！」鬼就出来，进入猪群。全群忽然闯下山崖，投在海里淹死了。 33 放猪的就逃跑进城，将这一切事和被鬼附的人所遭遇的都告诉人。 34 合城的人都出来迎见耶稣，既见了，就央求他离开他们的境界。

爱在格拉森外邦之地：因着爱，祂释放被污鬼附着的人，鬼入猪群，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）坐落外约但的山区，距加利利海东南面约35哩，离约但河东19哩；格拉森处于当时罗马帝国的低加坡里行政区，这地区是由十个外邦人城市组成，位于撒马利亚和加利利以东的地方。当地的文化、生活习惯趋向希腊化，经文中谈及在山上吃食的一大群猪，显示格拉森人可能以养猪为生，并未遵循摩西律法中有关洁净的规条（利11:7-8），对于犹太人而言，格拉森就等同于一个乱七八糟、污秽之地。

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).