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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. 

道听途说

2025-07-23 in , /by

路加福音24:13-35   

正当那日，门徒中有两个人往一个村子去。这村子名叫以马忤斯，离耶路撒冷约有二十五里。 14 他们彼此谈论所遇见的这一切事。 15 正谈论相问的时候，耶稣亲自就近他们，和他们同行， 16 只是他们的眼睛迷糊了，不认识他。 17 耶稣对他们说：「你们走路彼此谈论的是什么事呢？」他们就站住，脸上带着愁容。 18 二人中有一个名叫革流巴的回答说：「你在耶路撒冷作客，还不知道这几天在那里所出的事吗？」 19 耶稣说：「什么事呢？」

「道听涂说」成语出自孔子《论语．阳货》篇，教育部《成语典》释义为：在路上听到一些没有根据的话，不加求证就又在路途中说给其他的人听。泛指没有经过证实、缺乏根据的话。在这网路发达、资讯串流的世代，「道听涂说」是世人的日常生活，我们一起活在传言、虚拟、诡诈的声量震荡中。

有趣的是，同音语句「道听途说」（路加福音24:13-35）却可用来描述耶稣受难后，两个门徒行路间与主谈论圣经的奇妙历程。

耶稣受难的第三日，两个门徒满怀失望地离开耶路撒冷，走在通往以马忤斯的路上。他们谈论著所发生的一切事，耶稣被钉十字架、盼望破灭的心情、以及妇女们清晨传来的空墓消息。他们困惑不解，也许内心还存著一丝渺茫的盼望。

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. 

约柜在这里

2025-07-22 in , /by

希伯来书9:3-5   第二幔子后又有一层帐幕，叫做至圣所， 有金香炉，有包金的约柜，柜里有盛吗哪的金罐和亚伦发过芽的杖并两块约版， 5 柜上面有荣耀基路伯的影罩着施恩座。

彼得前书2:9-10  惟有你们是被拣选的族类，是有君尊的祭司，是圣洁的国度，是属神的子民，要叫你们宣扬那召你们出黑暗入奇妙光明者的美德。你们从前算不得子民，现在却作了神的子民；从前未曾蒙怜恤，现在却蒙了怜恤。

旧约时代的约柜象征神与人同在的实际、以及神与人盟约的见证。约柜被安置在会幕（或圣殿）内的至圣所，包金的约柜里存有盛吗哪的金罐和亚伦发过芽的杖，并两块约版；柜上面有荣耀基路伯的影罩着施恩（施恩：原文是蔽罪）座（希伯来书9:4-5）。

「约版」是两块石版，上面刻着神在西奈山上亲自用手指写下的十条诫命（出埃及记31:18），象征神的引导和教导，是神与以色列人立约的具体条文。

「吗哪」是以色列百姓在旷野40年的主要食物，象征神的怜悯和供应（出埃及记16:31-36）。

失落的约柜

2025-07-21 in , /by

出埃及记25:10-22   10 「要用皂荚木做一柜，长二肘半，宽一肘半，高一肘半。 11 要里外包上精金，四围镶上金牙边。 12 也要铸四个金环，安在柜的四脚上，这边两环，那边两环。 13 要用皂荚木做两根杠，用金包裹。 14 要把杠穿在柜旁的环内，以便抬柜。 15 这杠要常在柜的环内，不可抽出来。 16 必将我所要赐给你的法版放在柜里。 17 要用精金做施恩座，长二肘半，宽一肘半。 18 要用金子锤出两个基路伯来，安在施恩座的两头。 19 这头做一个基路伯，那头做一个基路伯，二基路伯要接连一块，在施恩座的两头。 20 二基路伯要高张翅膀，遮掩施恩座。基路伯要脸对脸，朝着施恩座。 21 要将施恩座安在柜的上边，又将我所要赐给你的法版放在柜里。 22 我要在那里与你相会，又要从法柜施恩座上二基路伯中间，和你说我所要吩咐你传给以色列人的一切事。

1981年电影《印第安纳琼斯：法柜奇兵（Raiders of the Lost Ark）》，以冒险与神祕的风格演绎了「寻找失落约柜」的传说。剧情纯属虚构，然而圣经中的约柜在哪里？倒是长久以来人们一直想要探索寻得的奥秘。

约柜是神在西奈山指示摩西所造的至圣器物，用皂荚木制成，外包纯金，内放十诫法版，象征神与祂子民立约的核心。约柜是神与摩西相会之处，也是传达神旨谕令的地方（出埃及记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、用生命实践

2025-07-20 in , /by

约翰福音 20:29   耶稣对他说：「你因看见了我才信，那没有看见就信的有福了！」

Cyril Axelrod神父在1942年出生于南非约翰尼斯堡，自幼失聪，父母都是正统犹太教徒。他在青少年时期接触到基督信仰，1965年决志归信天主教。当时他注意到弥撒中聋哑人士无法听懂神父在说什么，于是决定献身于牧职之路。

尽管身为聋人，Cyril仍坚持完成神学训练，最终于1970年在约翰尼斯堡被按立为神父，他是当时第二位接受入会仪式的先天聋哑人士。

Cyril的牧会生涯从一开始就是走进「被忽略的人群」，聋人、弱势、被隔离的族群。他在索韦托创办多文化聋哑儿童学校，在比勒陀利亚开设聋哑无家可归者宿舍，并在开普敦设立就业中心。无论是黑人或白人，他都一视同仁地关怀，挑战当时南非种族隔离政策，他曾说：「在上帝的国度里，没有人是多余的。」

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

诗篇23篇

1 耶和华是我的牧者，我必不致缺乏。
2 祂使我躺卧在青草地上，领我在可安歇的水边。
3 祂使我的灵魂苏醒，为自己的名引导我走义路。
4 我虽然行过死荫的幽谷，也不怕遭害，因为祢与我同在，祢的杖、祢的竿都安慰我。
5 在我敌人面前，祢为我摆设筵席，祢用油膏了我的头，使我的福杯满溢。
6 我一生一世必有恩惠、慈爱随着我，我且要住在耶和华的殿中，直到永远。

每一次读大卫所写的诗篇第23篇，总会有不一样的领受。大卫是牧羊人，他深深体会牧羊人照顾羊群的心意，他说：「耶和华是我的牧者，我必不致缺乏。」这句话反映出，他处身羊群，他「满足」于神的牧养。

「我必不致缺乏(I shall not want)」指的是「够了，不缺乏，就无所需求」；有如诗篇16:2，大卫的心对神说：「我的好处不在祢以外(I have no good apart from you)」，一切的好处都在神里面，在神里面就不致缺乏。「我必不致缺乏」这句话是诗篇第23篇的起头，也是结论。