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Torture

2025-09-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 15:16-32.  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 15:16-20 (NIV)
16  The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers.
17  They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him.
18  And they began to call out to him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”
19  Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him.
20  And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
 
On verses 16-20:  After enduring the extreme physical torture of flogging (v15), Jesus is brought into the palace to be abused psychologically and emotionally by the soldiers.

親近神

2025-09-24 in , /by

希伯來書11:6人非有信，就不能得神的喜悅；因為到神面前來的人必須信有神，且信祂賞賜那尋求祂的人。

神在西乃山上向摩西頒布律法和誡命，以色列人花了一年多建造完會幕，為的是突顯出神對祂的百姓的心意，「聖潔」。「聖潔」貫穿整本利未記，意思是「分別」，將人或物分別出來，歸給神，為神專有。

耶和華從會幕中呼叫摩西，對他說：「你曉諭以色列人說：你們中間若有人獻供物給耶和華，要從牛群羊群中獻牲畜為供物。」（利未記1:1-2）

上面經文：若有人…，指的是獻供物是心甘情願，且是個人的行為，也循著古人的經驗，如：亞伯、該隱、挪亞、亞伯拉罕、以撒、雅各…，他們知道應向神獻祭，獻上無瑕疵的供物。

現今的我們，因著神已將耶穌作為無瑕羔羊獻祭，在靈性上通往神的路已經開通了，我們不再在有形的會幕裡親近神，而是隨時隨地用心靈直接親近神！

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.

讀祢、想祂

2025-09-23 in , /by

詩篇63:1  神啊，祢是我的神，我要切切地尋求祢，在乾旱疲乏無水之地，我渴想祢；我的心切慕祢。

「讀你」是蔡琴唱的、膾炙人口的一首老歌，歌詞這樣寫著：讀你千遍也不厭倦，讀你的感覺像三月，浪漫的季節，醉人的詩篇，唔…；讀你千遍也不厭倦，讀你的感覺像春天，喜悅的經典，美麗的句點，唔…。

將歌詞中的「你」換成「祢」，世人渴慕情感的歌詞表達，不也正是神的兒女渴慕與天父關係的內心寫照。讀祢千遍也不厭倦？讀祢的感覺像三月、像春天，是嗎？

過去有段時間，牧師回德國省親，請我幫忙站主日講台。我是平信徒，沒受過神學教育，深怕錯言真理，站講台不適當，只能說是分享，也因如此，我會提早準備要分享的主題和內容。在那段時間，我愛上了台鐵的區間車，我搭著它到不遠的高雄或嘉義開會，區間車的座位蠻舒服的，冷氣夠強，行駛速度慢，沿途我呆望車窗外掠影，腦子裡卻默想著即將到來的主日分享，那是一段難得的，身心靈都舒暢、好棒的時刻。

傳福音是要與神同行

2025-09-22 in , /by

哥林多前書2:9 神為愛祂的人所預備的是眼睛未曾看見，耳朵未曾聽見，人心也未曾想到的。

詩篇 92:1-3  稱謝耶和華，歌頌祢至高者的名，
2 用十弦的樂器和瑟，用琴彈幽雅的聲音，早晨傳揚祢的慈愛，每夜傳揚祢的信實，這本為美事。
4 因祢耶和華藉著祢的作為叫我高興，我要因祢手的工作歡呼。

出過50張專輯的蔡琴，得獎無數，多年巡迴演唱相當耀眼。她對生命充滿好奇，曾研究紫微斗數、八字、星座…，在演藝界擁有「星座大師」之稱，還曾於主持的節目中剖析星座。2003年，她在美國一間教會受洗，回台後雖參與聚會，但生命無太大改變。自從參與團契小組後，她在肢體關係中明白，有人能與她同分擔痛苦、分享喜樂。

蔡琴長年在各地巡迴演出，信主受洗後亦是如此，因此沒辦法固定參加主日。她渴望用歌聲榮耀神，但卻不知如何是好，心中湧生疑惑：「我有個千萬人都在聽的聲音，然而我又不能在商演場合唱詩歌…」

她開始從團隊中尋找曾去教會、受洗的人，組成「行動教會」，彼此分享經文、一起禱告。彩排日，他們會彼此分享經文，表演日除了分享經文外，並且為觀眾、台前表演人員、幕後人員禱告。

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. 

神愛世人

2025-09-21 in , /by

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？

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. 

平穩安靜

2025-09-19 in , /by

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。