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The Key to Entering God’s Kingdom

2025-09-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 12:28-34.  With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Mark 12:28-31 (NIV)
28  One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
29  “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one.

On verses 28-31:  After answering questions from the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees, now Jesus is confronted by a representative of another group: the teachers of the law.  This teacher asks Jesus, “what is the most important commandment in the Jewish law?”

勞碌中享福

2025-09-10 in , /by

傳道書2:22-23  人在日光之下勞碌、累心，在他一切的勞碌上得著什麼呢？ 23 因為他日日憂慮，他的勞苦成為愁煩，連夜間心也不安。這也是虛空。

傳道書2:24  人莫強如吃喝，且在勞碌中享福，我看這也是出於神的手。

傳道書1:12-2:26描述傳道者（多數學者認為是所羅門王）專心用智慧尋求、查究天下（日光之下）所做的一切事，找尋生命的意義。

他本以智慧為榮，卻發現多有智慧，就多有愁煩；加增知識，就加增憂傷（傳道書1:16-18）。他試著用歡樂來滿足自己，用酒來使肉體舒暢，為自己建造房屋、栽種葡萄園、修園栽樹、挖池澆灌，也經營家業，買僕婢、得牛羊、積財寶、擁妃嬪…；他得到眼所求的、心所樂的，這是他從勞碌中所得的分、所成的功。（傳道書2:1-11）

他看出智慧勝過愚昧，智慧人的眼目光明，愚昧人在黑暗裡行；然而，他發現智慧人和愚昧人都要都必遇見一件事，就是都要面對死亡，都被忘記，完全沒有差異。（傳道書2:12-16）

更有甚者，傳道者發現自己用智慧、知識、靈巧所勞碌得來的，卻要留給未曾勞碌的人，那人是智慧、是愚昧，誰能知道？竟要管理他勞碌所得的，就是在日光之下用智慧所得的。（傳道書2:17-21）

神不喜悅的心

2025-09-09 in , /by

箴言4:23   你要保守你心，勝過保守一切，因為一生的果效是由心發出。

雅各書4:6  神阻擋驕傲的人，賜恩給謙卑的人。

雅各書1:8  心懷二意的人，在他一切所行的路上都沒有定見。

馬太福音15:19-20  因為從心裡發出來的，有惡念、凶殺、姦淫、苟合、偷盜、妄證、謗讟。這都是污穢人的。

在人與神的關係中，祂關注人的內心勝於人的行為。箴言4:23提到「你要保守你心，勝過保守一切，因為一生的果效是由心發出。」神不喜悅的心，並不是表面上的軟弱，而是內裡深層的驕傲、剛硬、詭詐、貪婪與邪惡、不信與悖逆。

「驕傲的心」使人自高自大、自以為是，不倚靠神。「凡心裡驕傲的，為耶和華所憎惡…」（箴言16:5）「神阻擋驕傲的人，賜恩給謙卑的人。」（雅各書4:6）

「剛硬的心」抗拒神的感動與教導，不願意悔改，不順服神。「你們今日若聽祂的話，就不可硬著心，像在曠野惹祂發怒、試探祂的時候一樣。」（希伯來書3:8）

Is There Marriage In Heaven?

2025-09-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 12:13-27.  With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Mark 12:13-17 (NIV)
13  Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words.
14  They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

On verses 13-17:  By asking Jesus whether it is right to pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees and Herodians were trying to trap Jesus in a lose-lose situation, a “catch-22”.   If Jesus answered their question by suggesting that the Jews should not pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees and Herodians could then take this to the Roman government and say, “Look, Jesus is inciting rebellion against Caesar!” 

God’s Values vs. The World’s Values

2025-09-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 12:1-12.  With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Mark 12:1-11 (NIV)
1  He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.
2  At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.

On verses 1-11:  Being the master communicator, Jesus shares a simple, powerful, and arresting story that gives people a fresh understanding of a famous phrase in Scripture: “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone” (from Psalm 118:22-23).  At the same time, he uses this story to hint strongly at the tremendous evil that the chief priests, teachers of the law and elders were wanting to do to him.

與祢有約

2025-09-08 in , /by

希伯來書13:20-21 但願賜平安的神，就是那憑永約之血、使群羊的大牧人─我主耶穌從死裡復活的神，在各樣善事上成全你們，叫你們遵行祂的旨意；又藉著耶穌基督在你們心裡行祂所喜悅的事。願榮耀歸給祂，直到永永遠遠。阿們！

人與人相處，結交朋友，可以意氣相投，也可以道不同不相為謀，分道揚鑣。然而，生命中的婚姻和受洗卻截然不同，婚姻是夫妻間的立約，受洗則是與主立約，兩者的生活及生命旅程建基於盟約關係，其實有著相似的成長軌跡。

第一步，是「得著」我喜歡的。婚姻的開始，源於彼此吸引，因為看見對方的可愛與美好。同樣地，人在決志受洗時，往往是被主的愛吸引，得著赦免、平安、喜樂、盼望，這些是我們「喜歡」並渴慕的。婚姻和受洗的第一步總是美好，但好景總是短暫，人稱其為「蜜月」，一個月或許會延續久些，就要面對現實。

第二步，是「面對」我不喜歡的。婚姻進入現實後，差異與衝突必然浮現，我們開始學習包容與接納。跟隨基督也意味著要面對挑戰，悔改、被管教、捨己、十字架，這些不一定「討喜」，甚至「不喜歡」，卻是成長與真實的印記。這個階段也不會太長，在衡量得失後，我們必須選擇「堅持」或「放棄」。

愛神、跟主、助人、盡己

2025-09-07 in , /by

路加福音22:42 說：「父啊！祢若願意，就把這杯撤去！然而，不要成就我的意思，只要成就祢的意思。」

哥林多後書1:24 我們並不是轄管你們的信心，乃是幫助你們的快樂，因為你們憑信才站立得住。

在生命與信仰的旅程中，我們常渴望愛神、跟隨主、幫助人，也願意盡己擺上。然而，稍不留心，這些美好的追求也可能失去焦點，落入自己的捆綁或驕傲中。

「愛神而不失神」：愛神是對焦於神，不僅是火熱的感動、虔誠的外表、實際的服事，也需要在生活中實質的「與神同在」。若愛神變成了「愛感覺多於愛真理」、「愛事工多於愛神」，忽略了禱告、聆聽、與神親近，就可能「失焦於神」。真正的愛神，是在每一個時刻與祂同在。

「跟主而不自主」：跟隨主是主權交託，跟隨主的引導，不是高喊主名，卻是堅持己意、偏行己路。若口裡說跟隨，內心仍抓緊自己的慾望與計畫，就變成「掛名跟隨，實則自主」。

Unbelief vs. Honest Questions

2025-09-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 11:27-33.  With an open mind and a humble heart, read this passage and see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Mark 11:27-33 (NIV)
27  They arrived again in Jerusalem, and while Jesus was walking in the temple courts, the chief priests, the teachers of the law and the elders came to him.
28  “By what authority are you doing these things?” they asked. “And who gave you authority to do this?”

On verses 27-33:  At one time Jesus’ critics claimed that it was by the prince of demons that Jesus drove out demons, basically attributing Jesus’ power to Satan.  But Jesus put that argument to rest (Mark 3:22-30).  Still, Jesus’ critics couldn’t figure out where Jesus’ power came from and they were also unwilling to acknowledge that God was behind Jesus’ ministry.  So they ask Jesus, “Who gave you the authority to do what you’re doing?” (v28)

祂留意

2025-09-05 in , /by

彼得前書1:7 叫你們的信心既被試驗，就比那被火試驗仍然能壞的金子更顯寶貴，可以在耶穌基督顯現的時候得著稱讚、榮耀、尊貴。

耶利米書31:28 我先前怎樣留意將他們拔出、拆毀、毀壞、傾覆、苦害，也必照樣留意將他們建立、栽植。」這是耶和華說的。

七月颱風暴雨肆虐過後，走過校園，望著榕園東南角的老榕樹，驚喜發現光禿枝幹上長出無數的嫩樹芽。

早在2015年8月8日，這棵老榕樹經歷強烈颱風摧殘而嚴重受損，榕樹東南側枝完全斷裂，西北側部分斷裂，只剩南側枝大致良好，老榕樹呈現目前的倒伏抓地姿態。新聞報導中稱老榕樹「腹裂腸爆」，景況至為悽慘。十年來，我經常造訪倒伏抓地的老榕樹，透過幾株倒插天空的禿樹幹望向天空，對照旁邊枝葉茂盛的巨大百年榕樹，畫面顯得滄桑淒涼。然而，今天禿樹幹長滿了無數的嫩樹芽，生意盎然！

多數人認為災難帶來毀滅，讓人失去盼望，甚至於絕望。然而，從森林大火這種毀滅性的災難中，我們可以看見神在祂創造裡的「毀壞與更新」。北美的森林大火清除了積累的枯枝落葉，驅逐了病蟲害，讓土地重獲陽光與空間，為新生的草本植物與灌木創造養分與棲地。