約翰福音3: 16-17 神愛世人，甚至將祂的獨生子賜給他們，叫一切信祂的不致滅亡，反得永生。 17 因為神差祂的兒子降世，不是要定世人的罪，乃是要叫世人因祂得救。
在歷史傳承中，「公義」和「慈愛」是猶太人代代經歷、且傳頌的兩個神的屬性。詩人說：「公義和公平是祢寶座的根基；慈愛和誠實行在祢前面。」（詩篇85:10），大衛也以他生命的經歷，見證說：「耶和華在祂一切所行的，無不公義；在祂一切所做的都有慈愛。」（詩篇145:17）
然而，從舊約聖經所描述猶太人和外邦人間的滄桑、血淚歷史裡，我們也許試想，猶太人會問：「祢的慈愛在哪裡？」，外邦人當然也會問：「祢的公義在哪裡？」；而我們則是一頭霧水，不易看出或分辨「公義」和「慈愛」，進而認識那位創造的神，還有「祂與我有何關係？」。
聖經是描述神與人的關係，仔細數算一下，「公義」一詞在舊約出現227處，新約僅有36處；「慈愛」一詞在舊約出現188處，新約僅有6處。看來在新約中，「公義」和「慈愛」用以描述神屬性的次數減少了許多，神的屬性改變了嗎？
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Mark 14:43-52. 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 14:43-46 (NIV)
43 Just as he was speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve, appeared. With him was a crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the chief priests, the teachers of the law, and the elders.
44 Now the betrayer had arranged a signal with them: “The one I kiss is the man; arrest him and lead him away under guard.”
45 Going at once to Jesus, Judas said, “Rabbi!” and kissed him.
46 The men seized Jesus and arrested him.
On verses 43-46: Judas betrays Jesus with a kiss. It’s ironic how something so intimate and even Biblical (Psalm 2:12) could be used to signal something so evil.
詩篇131:2 我的心平穩安靜，好像斷過奶的孩子在他母親的懷中；我的心在我裡面真像斷過奶的孩子。
箴言1:33 惟有聽從我的，必安然居住，得享安靜，不怕災禍。
科學月刊582期一篇文章談到「安靜」。有些人認為聽音樂讓人身心放鬆，不過在2006年一項關於聆聽音樂與寂靜對於人體的影響報告指出，安靜的環境較有音樂的環境更讓人體放鬆。
研究人員邀請24名受試者，一半為受過音樂訓練的音樂家，另外一半為未受過音樂訓練的學生，讓他們聽六種不同旋律、節奏、和弦的音樂，但在音樂間穿插2分鐘的寂靜。研究人員發現那寂靜的2分鐘，受試者的心跳、呼吸頻率等生理狀況明顯較趨緩，因此他們在結論提到，安靜的聲音較音樂來的讓人放鬆。
安靜也許是身體重新生長的要素之一。2013年的研究中，研究人員讓不同組的小鼠分別聽白噪音（類似電風扇、吹風機運作時發出的聲音）、莫札特奏鳴曲、事先錄製狗的叫聲以及其中一組絕隔外界聲音，每天數小時。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Mark 14:32-42. 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 14:32-42 (NIV)
32 They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.”
33 He took Peter, James and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.
34 “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death,” he said to them. “Stay here and keep watch.”
On verses 32-42: Gethsemane is a transliteration of two words in Hebrew that mean “olive press”. It’s also the name of a garden at the foot of Jerusalem’s Mount of Olives.
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Mark 14:26-31. 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 14:26-31 (NIV)
26 When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
27 “You will all fall away,” Jesus told them, “for it is written: “‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’
28 But after I have risen, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.”
On verses 26-31: Peter was so sure and passionate about his commitment to Jesus that he acted as if nothing could possibly shake him. Not even Jesus’ Scripture-based prophecy that all the disciples would fall away (v27) seemed to affect Peter’s confidence that he would remain faithful to Jesus till the end.
詩篇127:3 兒女是耶和華所賜的產業；所懷的胎是祂所給的賞賜。
陪伴孩子長大就像打一場籃球，隨著時間、歲月的延伸，角色變了…
從起頭，我們徘徊球場邊，扮演孩子的教練，左手拿毛巾，右手帶水杯，千叮嚀走位，萬交代防守；隨著球賽的進行，我們來回走動，或舉手、或頓足，眼睛盯著孩子的身影，吶喊指揮、握拳嘆息，差點沒衝入球場，抱起孩子灌籃得分。
接下來，我們躍入球場內，成了孩子的隊友，牽手搭背圍圈圈，大喊三聲「嘿！嘿！嘿！」，一起加油；隨著球賽的進行，我們試著阻擋、抄截、跳傳、助攻，就是想把球傳給孩子，等著看孩子投球，一刷進網得分。
然後呢，我們坐在觀眾席，化身孩子的球迷，或許我們會跳腳大吼對手犯規、越位，但是鼓掌紅了手，嘶喊失了聲應該是我們的經常；隨著球賽的進行，
馬太福音25:40 我實在告訴你們，這些事你們既做在我這弟兄中一個最小的身上，就是做在我身上了。
有次到高雄市參加一個政府部門的開標審查會，遇見同校教書的老師也參與審查，他是教會的弟兄，也是我在西北的老同學。審查會結束一齊搭火車回台南，途中他興奮的分享：「我去年到柬浦寨短宣。」我眼睛一亮，說：「你到詐騙園區短宣！大挑戰！」「沒有！我們去偏遠貧困的區域。」他咧著嘴笑說：「我啥事都不會做，我教他們摺紙。」這位弟兄是學校的特聘教授，是政府的環評委員、是國內空氣汙染的頂尖專家，但是，他在偏鄉的短宣裡，教「摺紙」。
年輕的時候習慣在繁雜的教會服事中，抽空去探視長者。進入長者的居家或養護之家，蹲下來，唸一處經文（總是詩篇第23篇），唱一首聖詩（清唱，還會走調），長者揮動枯槁的手，低語感謝，泛紅的眼睛簌簌滴下淚珠；在哽咽中為長者禱告，心裡莫名地感受到他們透露出“ 近鄉情怯 ”、或是前路茫茫的落寞，我體會到「老」的感覺，那個瞬間似乎很貼近神。
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Mark 14:12-25. 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 14:12-16 (NIV)
12 On the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, when it was customary to sacrifice the Passover lamb, Jesus’ disciples asked him, “Where do you want us to go and make preparations for you to eat the Passover?”
13 So he sent two of his disciples, telling them, “Go into the city, and a man carrying a jar of water will meet you. Follow him.
On verses 12-16: Before his disciples made any preparations for the Passover, Jesus was already prepared and had a plan. Great leaders don’t just rise to the occasion. Great leaders also anticipate and plan ahead.
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is Mark 14:1-11. 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 14:1-9 (NIV)
1 Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were only two days away, and the chief priests and the teachers of the law were looking for some sly way to arrest Jesus and kill him.
2 “But not during the Feast,” they said, “or the people may riot.”
On verses 1-9: In Matthew 14:1-11 we see three groups of people: (1) those who have never been with Jesus, don’t understand Jesus and are looking to eliminate him (e.g. the chief priests and teachers of the law – v1-2); (2) those who are closer to Jesus and committed to honouring Him (v3-8); and (3) those who have committed their lives to Jesus before but end up leaving him (v10-11).
約翰福音1:1-4 太初有道，道與神同在，道就是神。 2 這道太初與神同在。 3 萬物是藉著他造的；凡被造的，沒有一樣不是藉著他造的。 4 生命在他裡頭，這生命就是人的光。 5 光照在黑暗裡，黑暗卻不接受光。
約翰福音8:12 耶穌又對眾人說：「我是世界的光。跟從我的，就不在黑暗裡走，必要得著生命的光。」
希臘古詩記載，遠在西元前666年，地中海上就有導航用的「燈標」，當時在埃及與腓尼基船隻進出頻繁的尼羅河及地中海沿岸，築有類似我國古代建於邊境的「烽隧台」或「烽火台」，焚燒柴草產生火光，作為船隻夜間航行的辨識目標。
世界上最早的燈塔是「亞歷山卓」燈塔，位於埃及的亞歷山卓對面的法羅斯島上，也叫「法羅斯島(Pharos)」燈塔，是古代世界七大奇蹟之一。這燈塔大約在西元前283年由小亞細亞的建築師索斯塔特(Sostrate)設計，在托勒密王朝時建造，二十餘年始完成，三層樓的塔高約130公尺，強光足以照亮方圓55公里的海面。
燈塔通常用來提供船舶定位、引導船隻航行、指示港口航道、警示險礁淺灘…，它的功能是確保海上船舶航行安全。人們常用燈塔來形容人生的方向、希望…
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