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Barabbas and The Flogging

2025-09-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 15:1-15.  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 15:1-5 (NIV)
1  Very early in the morning, the chief priests, with the elders, the teachers of the law and the whole Sanhedrin, reached a decision. They bound Jesus, led him away and handed him over to Pilate.
2  “Are you the king of the Jews?” asked Pilate. “Yes, it is as you say,” Jesus replied.
3  The chief priests accused him of many things.

On verses 1-5:  “As a lamb before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth” (Isaiah 53:7).  That’s Jesus for you.  In the face of so many accusations, Jesus remained silent.  Why? 

Jesus Identifies with You

2025-09-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 14:66-72.  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 14:66-72 (NIV)
66  While Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came by.
67  When she saw Peter warming himself, she looked closely at him. “You also were with that Nazarene, Jesus,” she said.

On verses 66-72: Earlier that day, Peter said to Jesus in front of the other disciples, “Even if all fall away, I will not…Even if I have to die with you, I will never disown you.” (Mark 14:29, 31)  Yet hours later, that very night, Peter finds himself disowning Jesus three times.

读祢、想祂

2025-09-23 in , /by

诗篇63:1  神啊，祢是我的神，我要切切地寻求祢，在干旱疲乏无水之地，我渴想祢；我的心切慕祢。

「读你」是蔡琴唱的、脍炙人口的一首老歌，歌词这样写着：读你千遍也不厌倦，读你的感觉像三月，浪漫的季节，醉人的诗篇，唔…；读你千遍也不厌倦，读你的感觉像春天，喜悦的经典，美丽的句点，唔…。

将歌词中的「你」换成「祢」，世人渴慕情感的歌词表达，不也正是神的儿女渴慕与天父关系的内心写照。读祢千遍也不厌倦？读祢的感觉像三月、像春天，是吗？

过去有段时间，牧师回德国省亲，请我帮忙站主日讲台。我是平信徒，没受过神学教育，深怕错言真理，站讲台不适当，只能说是分享，也因如此，我会提早准备要分享的主题和内容。在那段时间，我爱上了台铁的区间车，我搭着它到不远的高雄或嘉义开会，区间车的座位蛮舒服的，冷气够强，行驶速度慢，沿途我呆望车窗外掠影，脑子里却默想着即将到来的主日分享，那是一段难得的，身心灵都舒畅、好棒的时刻。

传福音是要与神同行

2025-09-22 in , /by

哥林多前书2:9 神为爱祂的人所预备的是眼睛未曾看见，耳朵未曾听见，人心也未曾想到的。

诗篇 92:1-3  称谢耶和华，歌颂祢至高者的名，
2 用十弦的乐器和瑟，用琴弹幽雅的声音，早晨传扬祢的慈爱，每夜传扬祢的信实，这本为美事。
4 因祢耶和华借着祢的作为叫我高兴，我要因祢手的工作欢呼。

出过50张专辑的蔡琴，得奖无数，多年巡回演唱相当耀眼。她对生命充满好奇，曾研究紫微斗数、八字、星座…，在演艺界拥有「星座大师」之称，还曾于主持的节目中剖析星座。2003年，她在美国一间教会受洗，回台后虽参与聚会，但生命无太大改变。自从参与团契小组后，她在肢体关系中明白，有人能与她同分担痛苦、分享喜乐。

蔡琴长年在各地巡回演出，信主受洗后亦是如此，因此没办法固定参加主日。她渴望用歌声荣耀神，但却不知如何是好，心中涌生疑惑：「我有个千万人都在听的声音，然而我又不能在商演场合唱诗歌…」

她开始从团队中寻找曾去教会、受洗的人，组成「行动教会」，彼此分享经文、一起祷告。彩排日，他们会彼此分享经文，表演日除了分享经文外，并且为观众、台前表演人员、幕后人员祷告。

THIS will determine how you treat Jesus

2025-09-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 14:53-65.  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 14:53-59 (NIV)
53  They took Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests, elders and teachers of the law came together.
54  Peter followed him at a distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest. There he sat with the guards and warmed himself at the fire.
55  The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find any.
56  Many testified falsely against him, but their statements did not agree.
57  Then some stood up and gave this false testimony against him:
58  “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this man-made temple and in three days will build another, not made by man.'”
59  Yet even then their testimony did not agree. 

On verses 53-59:  As much as the chief priests and the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling council) tried, they could not find any dirt on Jesus that would justify putting him to death. 

神爱世人

2025-09-21 in , /by

约翰福音3: 16-17  神爱世人，甚至将祂的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信祂的不致灭亡，反得永生。 17 因为神差祂的儿子降世，不是要定世人的罪，乃是要叫世人因祂得救。

在历史传承中，「公义」和「慈爱」是犹太人代代经历、且传颂的两个神的属性。诗人说：「公义和公平是祢宝座的根基；慈爱和诚实行在祢前面。」（诗篇85:10），大卫也以他生命的经历，见证说：「耶和华在祂一切所行的，无不公义；在祂一切所做的都有慈爱。」（诗篇145:17）

然而，从旧约圣经所描述犹太人和外邦人间的沧桑、血泪历史里，我们也许试想，犹太人会问：「祢的慈爱在哪里？」，外邦人当然也会问：「祢的公义在哪里？」；而我们则是一头雾水，不易看出或分辨「公义」和「慈爱」，进而认识那位创造的神，还有「祂与我有何关系？」。

圣经是描述神与人的关系，仔细数算一下，「公义」一词在旧约出现227处，新约仅有36处；「慈爱」一词在旧约出现188处，新约仅有6处。看来在新约中，「公义」和「慈爱」用以描述神属性的次数减少了许多，神的属性改变了吗？

It Happened in the Dark

2025-09-21 in /by

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. 

平稳安静

2025-09-19 in , /by

诗篇131:2 我的心平稳安静，好像断过奶的孩子在他母亲的怀中；我的心在我里面真像断过奶的孩子。

箴言1:33  惟有听从我的，必安然居住，得享安静，不怕灾祸。

科学月刊582期一篇文章谈到「安静」。有些人认为听音乐让人身心放松，不过在2006年一项关于聆听音乐与寂静对于人体的影响报告指出，安静的环境较有音乐的环境更让人体放松。

研究人员邀请24名受试者，一半为受过音乐训练的音乐家，另外一半为未受过音乐训练的学生，让他们听六种不同旋律、节奏、和弦的音乐，但在音乐间穿插2分钟的寂静。研究人员发现那寂静的2分钟，受试者的心跳、呼吸频率等生理状况明显较趋缓，因此他们在结论提到，安静的声音较音乐来的让人放松。

安静也许是身体重新生长的要素之一。2013年的研究中，研究人员让不同组的小鼠分别听白噪音（类似电风扇、吹风机运作时发出的声音）、莫札特奏鸣曲、事先录制狗的叫声以及其中一组绝隔外界声音，每天数小时。

Gethsemane

2025-09-19 in /by

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. 

The God Who Goes Ahead Of You

2025-09-18 in /by

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.