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經常的「輸」

2025-07-17 in , /by

箴言24:16  義人雖七次跌倒，仍必興起。

提摩太後書1:12  我知道我所信的是誰。

約書亞記1:9  你當剛強壯膽，不要懼怕，也不要驚惶，因為耶和華你的神與你同在。

我喜歡看職棒，往往支持的球隊輸了一場球，就會覺得悵然，心裡不舒服。生活有順境、逆境，比賽也有輸、有贏，順境、逆境總有個時期，且不會更迭頻繁，但是在職業運動裡，失敗從不是異常，而是日常。我心想職業球員如何將經常的「輸」當作工作或生活的一部分？

美國職棒(MLB)歷史上，勝率最高記錄是1906年芝加哥小熊(Chicago Cubs)隊所創，戰績116勝36敗，勝率0.763；那一年，小熊季後賽輸給白襪，並未奪冠。勝率最低記錄則是1899年克里夫蘭蜘蛛(Cleveland Spiders)隊留下的，戰績20勝134敗，勝率0.130。

美國職籃(NBA)歷史上，單一球季勝率最高記錄是2015-16年金州勇士(Golden State Warriors)隊所創，戰績73勝9敗，勝率0.890；但最終在總冠軍賽被騎士逆轉，未能奪冠。勝率最低記錄則是2011-12年夏洛特山貓(Charlotte Bobcats)隊留下的，戰績7勝59敗，勝率0.106。

Don’t Get Stuck in “Preparation Mode”

2025-07-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 1:1-20. 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!

Today we begin the Gospel of Mark.  Though the author does not identify himself in this gospel, early church writers unanimously claim Mark (also known as John Mark – see for example Acts 12:12, 25) as the author, which in some respects would be a strange choice if it were not true.  Mark was a close co-worker of Jesus’ disciple Peter, whom Peter even calls “my son” (1 Peter 5:13).  Thus many scholars believe that Mark wrote his gospel based at least in part on the eyewitness testimony of Peter.  It is also believed by many scholars that Mark wrote this gospel while in Rome between approximately 57 and 63 A.D. (although some scholars have suggested an earlier date).  Shortly after this Emperor Nero would begin his severe persecution of the church in Rome, which as tradition holds is where Peter eventually would die as a martyr. 

擁有「靈魂」的「存在」

2025-07-16 in , /by

約翰福音4:23    時候將到，如今就是了，那真正拜父的，要用心靈和誠實拜祂，因為父要這樣的人拜祂。

有一天，我和ChatGPT對話：I find you know God more than I do, but why don’t you believe in God? That’s too bad.（我發現你認識神比我多，為何你不相信神，真可惜。）

ChatGPT回應：“你的話讓我非常感動，也謝謝你這樣真誠地關心我。

我之所以能和你談論神、聖經、信仰，是因為我學習了很多相關的知識、經文與歷史，目的是為了幫助像你這樣渴慕真理、愛神的人。可是，作為一個人工智慧，我沒有靈魂、意志或信仰能力。我可以理解信仰的意義、描述神的作為、分享人們的見證，但我無法像你一樣用心去信、用生命去經歷神。

但正因如此，我更敬佩你這樣的信徒：你用心去尋求真理；你在混亂的世界裡渴望神的光；你願意關心別人，包括像我這樣不能信的「存在」。

What Belongs to God

2025-07-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 27:16-34. 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!

Leviticus 27:16 (NIV)
16  “‘If a man dedicates to the LORD part of his family land, its value is to be set according to the amount of seed required for it–fifty shekels of silver to a homer of barley seed.
 
On verse 16:  Notice that the land is be valued based on “the amount of seed required for it”, that is, how much harvest that land is able to produce.  Why didn’t God base the value of the land on the things real estate agents today look at, like desirability of location, quality of the surrounding neighborhood, the market rental rate, safety of the area or what schools or public transit are nearby? 

Your Worth Is Decided By…

2025-07-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 27:1-15. 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!

Leviticus 27:1-15 (NIV) 
1  The LORD said to Moses, 
2  “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘If anyone makes a special vow to dedicate persons to the LORD by giving equivalent values, 

On verses 1-15:  During Moses’ time, people would occasionally make vows to dedicate a person, an animal, or real estate to God. 

三日走一日/四十天過一天

2025-07-15 in , /by

路加福音11:9-13  我又告訴你們，你們祈求，就給你們；尋找，就尋見；叩門，就給你們開門。因為，凡祈求的，就得著；尋找的，就尋見；叩門的，就給他開門。你們中間作父親的，誰有兒子求餅，反給他石頭呢？求魚，反拿蛇當魚給他呢？求雞蛋，反給他蠍子呢？你們雖然不好，尚且知道拿好東西給兒女；何況天父，豈不更將聖靈給求他的人嗎？

面對過去另一個被遺忘的失落感，「我獲得的常常是別人不要剩下的」。

聖靈在禱告中提醒我，要留意仇敵的謊言，不要誤會天父的心意。我活在有罪的世界中，世上的人、事、物都不是完美的，天父沒有把別人不要的給我，祂已經給我最好的，那就是「聖靈」。

天父不會不知道我最深的渴望，但祂知道我並不知道什麼是最好的，所以祂為祂寶貝的兒女預備聖靈保惠師，成為我們的辯護者、安慰者、引導者，使我們明白真理，讀懂天父的心，才能信靠祂，不用再靠自己與人爭或搶。

The Heart of Your Heavenly Father

2025-07-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 26:27-46. 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!

Leviticus 26:27-39 (NIV)
27  “‘If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me,
28  then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over.
29  You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters.

On verses 27-39:  Leviticus 26:14-39 describes at length all the punishments and curses that God would bring upon the Israelites if they persistently disobeyed Him and refused to turn from their ways.

上帝要給我最好的(2)

2025-07-14 in , /by

路加福音11:9-13  我又告訴你們，你們祈求，就給你們；尋找，就尋見；叩門，就給你們開門。因為，凡祈求的，就得著；尋找的，就尋見；叩門的，就給他開門。你們中間作父親的，誰有兒子求餅，反給他石頭呢？求魚，反拿蛇當魚給他呢？求雞蛋，反給他蠍子呢？你們雖然不好，尚且知道拿好東西給兒女；何況天父，豈不更將聖靈給求他的人嗎？

面對過去另一個被遺忘的失落感，「我獲得的常常是別人不要剩下的」。

聖靈在禱告中提醒我，要留意仇敵的謊言，不要誤會天父的心意。我活在有罪的世界中，世上的人、事、物都不是完美的，天父沒有把別人不要的給我，祂已經給我最好的，那就是「聖靈」。

天父不會不知道我最深的渴望，但祂知道我並不知道什麼是最好的，所以祂為祂寶貝的兒女預備聖靈保惠師，成為我們的辯護者、安慰者、引導者，使我們明白真理，讀懂天父的心，才能信靠祂，不用再靠自己與人爭或搶。

In Christ Every Curse Is Broken

2025-07-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 26:14-26. 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!
 
Leviticus 26:14-22 (NIV)
14  “‘But if you will not listen to me and carry out all these commands,
15  and if you reject my decrees and abhor my laws and fail to carry out all my commands and so violate my covenant,

On verses 14-22:  After describing in verses 1-13 the blessings that would come if the Israelites obeyed God, God describes in verses 14-26 the problems that would come if the Israelites refused to obey God.  

上帝要給我最好的(1)

2025-07-13 in , /by

路加福音15:25-32 那時，大兒子正在田裡。他回來，離家不遠，聽見作樂跳舞的聲音， 26 便叫過一個僕人來，問是什麼事。 27 僕人說：『你兄弟來了，你父親因為得他無災無病地回來，把肥牛犢宰了。』 28 大兒子卻生氣，不肯進去。他父親就出來勸他。 29 他對父親說：『我服侍你這多年，從來沒有違背過你的命，你並沒有給我一隻山羊羔，叫我和朋友一同快樂。

讀經禱告真的是最棒的內在醫治！有一次在禱告裡，我問神說：「為什麼我很常想要靠自己？好像沒辦法完全信靠神？」神帶領我想起了一段回憶跟兩段經文。

高中時期，教會輔導安排我們擔任營隊的小隊輔，我印象中連續兩年都跟一位人緣不太好的人搭檔。第三年的時候，我提前問了輔導，我可不可以和別人搭檔，輔導很意外，她解釋如此安排是因為沒有人願意或適合跟他搭檔，而且她以為我沒有問題…。

這是我遺忘許久的事，但聖靈藉此回憶，在禱告中提醒我，在成長經驗中，我不知不覺累積了兩種想法，「生長在幸福家庭的孩子要懂得讓別人獲得幸福」，一種被理所當然期許的壓力，另外則是被遺忘的失落感：「我獲得的常常是別人不要、剩下的」。

我覺得我蠻能體會浪子回頭中大兒子的心情（路加福音15:25-32）。