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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?”

劳碌中享福

2025-09-10 in , /by

传道书2:22-23  人在日光之下劳碌、累心，在他一切的劳碌上得着什么呢？ 23 因为他日日忧虑，他的劳苦成为愁烦，连夜间心也不安。这也是虚空。

传道书2:24  人莫强如吃喝，且在劳碌中享福，我看这也是出于神的手。

传道书1:12-2:26描述传道者（多数学者认为是所罗门王）专心用智慧寻求、查究天下（日光之下）所做的一切事，找寻生命的意义。

他本以智慧为荣，却发现多有智慧，就多有愁烦；加增知识，就加增忧伤（传道书1:16-18）。他试着用欢乐来满足自己，用酒来使肉体舒畅，为自己建造房屋、栽种葡萄园、修园栽树、挖池浇灌，也经营家业，买仆婢、得牛羊、积财宝、拥妃嫔…；他得到眼所求的、心所乐的，这是他从劳碌中所得的分、所成的功。（传道书2:1-11）

他看出智慧胜过愚昧，智慧人的眼目光明，愚昧人在黑暗里行；然而，他发现智慧人和愚昧人都要都必遇见一件事，就是都要面对死亡，都被忘记，完全没有差异。（传道书2:12-16）

更有甚者，传道者发现自己用智慧、知识、灵巧所劳碌得来的，却要留给未曾劳碌的人，那人是智慧、是愚昧，谁能知道？竟要管理他劳碌所得的，就是在日光之下用智慧所得的。（传道书2:17-21）

神不喜悦的心

2025-09-09 in , /by

箴言4:23   你要保守你心，胜过保守一切，因为一生的果效是由心发出。

雅各书4:6  神阻挡骄傲的人，赐恩给谦卑的人。

雅各书1:8  心怀二意的人，在他一切所行的路上都没有定见。

马太福音15:19-20  因为从心里发出来的，有恶念、凶杀、奸淫、苟合、偷盗、妄证、谤讟。这都是污秽人的。

在人与神的关系中，祂关注人的内心胜于人的行为。箴言4:23提到「你要保守你心，胜过保守一切，因为一生的果效是由心发出。」神不喜悦的心，并不是表面上的软弱，而是内里深层的骄傲、刚硬、诡诈、贪婪与邪恶、不信与悖逆。

「骄傲的心」使人自高自大、自以为是，不倚靠神。「凡心里骄傲的，为耶和华所憎恶…」（箴言16:5）「神阻挡骄傲的人，赐恩给谦卑的人。」（雅各书4:6）

「刚硬的心」抗拒神的感动与教导，不愿意悔改，不顺服神。「你们今日若听祂的话，就不可硬着心，像在旷野惹祂发怒、试探祂的时候一样。」（希伯来书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.

与祢有约

2025-09-08 in , /by

希伯来书13:20-21 但愿赐平安的神，就是那凭永约之血、使群羊的大牧人─我主耶稣从死里复活的神，在各样善事上成全你们，叫你们遵行祂的旨意；又借着耶稣基督在你们心里行祂所喜悦的事。愿荣耀归给祂，直到永永远远。阿们！

人与人相处，结交朋友，可以意气相投，也可以道不同不相为谋，分道扬镳。然而，生命中的婚姻和受洗却截然不同，婚姻是夫妻间的立约，受洗则是与主立约，两者的生活及生命旅程建基于盟约关系，其实有着相似的成长轨迹。

第一步，是「得着」我喜欢的。婚姻的开始，源于彼此吸引，因为看见对方的可爱与美好。同样地，人在决志受洗时，往往是被主的爱吸引，得着赦免、平安、喜乐、盼望，这些是我们「喜欢」并渴慕的。婚姻和受洗的第一步总是美好，但好景总是短暂，人称其为「蜜月」，一个月或许会延续久些，就要面对现实。

第二步，是「面对」我不喜欢的。婚姻进入现实后，差异与冲突必然浮现，我们开始学习包容与接纳。跟随基督也意味着要面对挑战，悔改、被管教、舍己、十字架，这些不一定「讨喜」，甚至「不喜欢」，却是成长与真实的印记。这个阶段也不会太长，在衡量得失后，我们必须选择「坚持」或「放弃」。

爱神、跟主、助人、尽己

2025-09-07 in , /by

路加福音22:42 说：「父啊！祢若愿意，就把这杯撤去！然而，不要成就我的意思，只要成就祢的意思。」

哥林多后书1:24 我们并不是辖管你们的信心，乃是帮助你们的快乐，因为你们凭信才站立得住。

在生命与信仰的旅程中，我们常渴望爱神、跟随主、帮助人，也愿意尽己摆上。然而，稍不留心，这些美好的追求也可能失去焦点，落入自己的捆绑或骄傲中。

「爱神而不失神」：爱神是对焦于神，不仅是火热的感动、虔诚的外表、实际的服事，也需要在生活中实质的「与神同在」。若爱神变成了「爱感觉多于爱真理」、「爱事工多于爱神」，忽略了祷告、聆听、与神亲近，就可能「失焦于神」。真正的爱神，是在每一个时刻与祂同在。

「跟主而不自主」：跟随主是主权交托，跟随主的引导，不是高喊主名，却是坚持己意、偏行己路。若口里说跟随，内心仍抓紧自己的欲望与计画，就变成「挂名跟随，实则自主」。

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

彼得前书1:7 叫你们的信心既被试验，就比那被火试验仍然能坏的金子更显宝贵，可以在耶稣基督显现的时候得著称赞、荣耀、尊贵。

耶利米书31:28 我先前怎样留意将他们拔出、拆毁、毁坏、倾覆、苦害，也必照样留意将他们建立、栽植。」这是耶和华说的。

七月台风暴雨肆虐过后，走过校园，望着榕园东南角的老榕树，惊喜发现光秃枝干上长出无数的嫩树芽。

早在2015年8月8日，这棵老榕树经历强烈台风摧残而严重受损，榕树东南侧枝完全断裂，西北侧部分断裂，只剩南侧枝大致良好，老榕树呈现目前的倒伏抓地姿态。新闻报导中称老榕树「腹裂肠爆」，景况至为悽惨。十年来，我经常造访倒伏抓地的老榕树，透过几株倒插天空的秃树干望向天空，对照旁边枝叶茂盛的巨大百年榕树，画面显得沧桑凄凉。然而，今天秃树干长满了无数的嫩树芽，生意盎然！

多数人认为灾难带来毁灭，让人失去盼望，甚至于绝望。然而，从森林大火这种毁灭性的灾难中，我们可以看见神在祂创造里的「毁坏与更新」。北美的森林大火清除了积累的枯枝落叶，驱逐了病虫害，让土地重获阳光与空间，为新生的草本植物与灌木创造养分与栖地。