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I Think You Need a New Container

2025-07-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 2:13-22. 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 2:13-14 (NIV)
13  Once again Jesus went out beside the lake. A large crowd came to him, and he began to teach them.
14  As he walked along, he saw Levi son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him.
 
On verses 13-14:  Levi, who is also known as Matthew, made his living as a tax collector.  Many Jews looked down on Jewish tax collectors since they were known for taking money from their own people, giving it to the Roman government and in some cases pocketing some of that money for themselves. 

道聽途說

2025-07-23 in , /by

路加福音24:13-35   

正當那日，門徒中有兩個人往一個村子去。這村子名叫以馬忤斯，離耶路撒冷約有二十五裡。 14 他們彼此談論所遇見的這一切事。 15 正談論相問的時候，耶穌親自就近他們，和他們同行， 16 只是他們的眼睛迷糊了，不認識他。 17 耶穌對他們說：「你們走路彼此談論的是什麼事呢？」他們就站住，臉上帶著愁容。 18 二人中有一個名叫革流巴的回答說：「你在耶路撒冷作客，還不知道這幾天在那裡所出的事嗎？」 19 耶穌說：「什麼事呢？」

「道聽塗說」成語出自孔子《論語．陽貨》篇，教育部《成語典》釋義為：在路上聽到一些沒有根據的話，不加求證就又在路途中說給其他的人聽。泛指沒有經過證實、缺乏根據的話。在這網路發達、資訊串流的世代，「道聽塗說」是世人的日常生活，我們一起活在傳言、虛擬、詭詐的聲量震盪中。

有趣的是，同音語句「道聽途說」（路加福音24:13-35）卻可用來描述耶穌受難後，兩個門徒行路間與主談論聖經的奇妙歷程。

耶穌受難的第三日，兩個門徒滿懷失望地離開耶路撒冷，走在通往以馬忤斯的路上。他們談論著所發生的一切事，耶穌被釘十字架、盼望破滅的心情、以及婦女們清晨傳來的空墓消息。他們困惑不解，也許內心還存著一絲渺茫的盼望。

A Difference Making Faith

2025-07-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 2:1-12. 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 2:1 (NIV)
1  A few days later, when Jesus again entered Capernaum, the people heard that he had come home.
 
On verse 1:  Wait. Wasn’t Jesus born in Bethlehem and raised in Nazareth?  Why do people say that Jesus has come home when he returned to Capernaum?  It’s because Capernaum is known as the place that Jesus treated as his hub or his base when his public ministry began. 

約櫃在這裡

2025-07-22 in , /by

希伯來書9:3-5   第二幔子後又有一層帳幕，叫做至聖所， 有金香爐，有包金的約櫃，櫃裡有盛嗎哪的金罐和亞倫發過芽的杖並兩塊約版， 5 櫃上面有榮耀基路伯的影罩著施恩座。

彼得前書2:9-10  惟有你們是被揀選的族類，是有君尊的祭司，是聖潔的國度，是屬神的子民，要叫你們宣揚那召你們出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。你們從前算不得子民，現在卻作了神的子民；從前未曾蒙憐恤，現在卻蒙了憐恤。

舊約時代的約櫃象徵神與人同在的實際、以及神與人盟約的見證。約櫃被安置在會幕（或聖殿）內的至聖所，包金的約櫃裡存有盛嗎哪的金罐和亞倫發過芽的杖，並兩塊約版；櫃上面有榮耀基路伯的影罩著施恩（施恩：原文是蔽罪）座（希伯來書9:4-5）。

「約版」是兩塊石版，上面刻著神在西奈山上親自用手指寫下的十條誡命（出埃及記31:18），象徵神的引導和教導，是神與以色列人立約的具體條文。

「嗎哪」是以色列百姓在曠野40年的主要食物，象徵神的憐憫和供應（出埃及記16:31-36）。

失落的約櫃

2025-07-21 in , /by

出埃及記25:10-22   10 「要用皂莢木做一櫃，長二肘半，寬一肘半，高一肘半。 11 要裡外包上精金，四圍鑲上金牙邊。 12 也要鑄四個金環，安在櫃的四腳上，這邊兩環，那邊兩環。 13 要用皂莢木做兩根槓，用金包裹。 14 要把槓穿在櫃旁的環內，以便抬櫃。 15 這槓要常在櫃的環內，不可抽出來。 16 必將我所要賜給你的法版放在櫃裡。 17 要用精金做施恩座，長二肘半，寬一肘半。 18 要用金子錘出兩個基路伯來，安在施恩座的兩頭。 19 這頭做一個基路伯，那頭做一個基路伯，二基路伯要接連一塊，在施恩座的兩頭。 20 二基路伯要高張翅膀，遮掩施恩座。基路伯要臉對臉，朝著施恩座。 21 要將施恩座安在櫃的上邊，又將我所要賜給你的法版放在櫃裡。 22 我要在那裡與你相會，又要從法櫃施恩座上二基路伯中間，和你說我所要吩咐你傳給以色列人的一切事。

1981年電影《印第安納瓊斯：法櫃奇兵（Raiders of the Lost Ark）》，以冒險與神祕的風格演繹了「尋找失落約櫃」的傳說。劇情純屬虛構，然而聖經中的約櫃在哪裡？倒是長久以來人們一直想要探索尋得的奧秘。

約櫃是神在西奈山指示摩西所造的至聖器物，用皂莢木製成，外包純金，內放十誡法版，象徵神與祂子民立約的核心。約櫃是神與摩西相會之處，也是傳達神旨諭令的地方（出埃及記25:10-22）。

The Touch of Your Hand

2025-07-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 1:40-45. 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 1:40-42 (NIV)
40  A man with leprosy came to him and begged him on his knees, “If you are willing, you can make me clean.”
41  Filled with compassion, Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!”
42  Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cured.
 
On verses 40-42:  When the leper cried out to Jesus for help, Jesus showed that he was full of compassion as well as the power to heal.  What touches me most is the way Jesus healed this leper: he touched him. 
 

用心相信、用生命實踐

2025-07-20 in , /by

約翰福音 20:29   耶穌對他說：「你因看見了我才信，那沒有看見就信的有福了！」

Cyril Axelrod神父在1942年出生於南非約翰尼斯堡，自幼失聰，父母都是正統猶太教徒。他在青少年時期接觸到基督信仰，1965年決志歸信天主教。當時他注意到彌撒中聾啞人士無法聽懂神父在說什麼，於是決定獻身於牧職之路。

儘管身為聾人，Cyril仍堅持完成神學訓練，最終於1970年在約翰尼斯堡被按立為神父，他是當時第二位接受入會儀式的先天聾啞人士。

Cyril的牧會生涯從一開始就是走進「被忽略的人群」，聾人、弱勢、被隔離的族群。他在索韋托創辦多文化聾啞兒童學校，在比勒陀利亞開設聾啞無家可歸者宿舍，並在開普敦設立就業中心。無論是黑人或白人，他都一視同仁地關懷，挑戰當時南非種族隔離政策，他曾說：「在上帝的國度裡，沒有人是多餘的。」

Face Time with Your Father

2025-07-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 1:29-39. 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 1:29-31 (NIV)
29  As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew.
30  Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her.
31  So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.

On verses 29-31:  In Mark 1:21-22, we saw Jesus’ power to teach God’s Word.  In Mark 1:23-27 we saw Jesus’ power to drive out evil spirits.  Now in Mark 1:29-34 we see Jesus’ power to heal the sick, beginning with Simon’s mother-in-law.

The GOAT

2025-07-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 1:21-28. With a humble heart, 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 1:21-22 (NIV)
21  They went to Capernaum, and when the Sabbath came, Jesus went into the synagogue and began to teach.
22  The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.

On verses 21-22:  Jesus was far more than just a teacher, but what a teacher he was.  There was something about Jesus’ teachings that carried weight and authority that other teachers of the time did not have (v22).  

我必不致缺乏

2025-07-18 in , /by

詩篇23篇

1 耶和華是我的牧者，我必不致缺乏。
2 祂使我躺臥在青草地上，領我在可安歇的水邊。
3 祂使我的靈魂甦醒，為自己的名引導我走義路。
4 我雖然行過死蔭的幽谷，也不怕遭害，因為祢與我同在，祢的杖、祢的竿都安慰我。
5 在我敵人面前，祢為我擺設筵席，祢用油膏了我的頭，使我的福杯滿溢。
6 我一生一世必有恩惠、慈愛隨著我，我且要住在耶和華的殿中，直到永遠。

每一次讀大衛所寫的詩篇第23篇，總會有不一樣的領受。大衛是牧羊人，他深深體會牧羊人照顧羊群的心意，他說：「耶和華是我的牧者，我必不致缺乏。」這句話反映出，他處身羊群，他「滿足」於神的牧養。

「我必不致缺乏(I shall not want)」指的是「夠了，不缺乏，就無所需求」；有如詩篇16:2，大衛的心對神說：「我的好處不在祢以外(I have no good apart from you)」，一切的好處都在神裡面，在神裡面就不致缺乏。「我必不致缺乏」這句話是詩篇第23篇的起頭，也是結論。