Entries by

Open the Book

2025-10-05 in /by

John 8:31-32  To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

I’ve listened to lesser voices. Locker-room know-it-alls. Godless teachers. Messed-up movie stars. Self-absorbed talk show hosts. They don’t know what they are talking about. I need an authoritative voice, an owner’s manual. And so do you.

I played catcher in Little League baseball, Pony League baseball, and high school baseball. I noticed something: the width of home plate never changed. It was always seventeen inches wide. The width of the plate was permanent.

七次提醒-剛強壯膽

2025-10-05 in , /by

約書亞記6:2-5    耶和華曉諭約書亞說：「看哪，我已經把耶利哥和耶利哥的王，並大能的勇士，都交在你手中。 3 你們的一切兵丁要圍繞這城，一日圍繞一次，六日都要這樣行。 4 七個祭司要拿七個羊角走在約櫃前。到第七日，你們要繞城七次，祭司也要吹角。 5 他們吹的角聲拖長，你們聽見角聲，眾百姓要大聲呼喊，城牆就必塌陷，各人都要往前直上。」

七個祭司拿七個羊角，繞耶利哥城七日，第七日繞城七次，耶利哥城牆就塌陷了。七是聖經中的完全數，神用六日創造天地，第七日安息（創世記2:1-3），七日成為一週，七代表完美、完全。

最近我也經歷七次「剛強壯膽」的提醒。前些日子讀經，從申命記末幾章讀到約書亞記第一章，發現約書亞分別從摩西（申命記31:7）、神（申命記31:23，約書亞記1:6，1:9）以及以色列百姓（約書亞記1:18）得著五次鼓勵，當「剛強壯膽」承接摩西的使命，降服於神，竭力追求神的旨意，帶領以色列人進入迦南地。

多加種子，多增果子，多方施捨

2025-10-03 in , /by

哥林多後書9:10-11  那賜種給撒種的、賜糧給人吃的，必多多加給你們種地的種子，又增添你們仁義的果子， 11 叫你們凡事富足，可以多多施捨，就藉著我們使感謝歸於神。

使徒保羅在哥林多後書第九章鼓勵教會信徒樂意慷慨捐獻：「那賜種給撒種的，賜糧給人吃的，必多多加給你們種地的種子，又增添你們仁義的果子；叫你們凡事富足，可以多多施捨，就藉著我們使感謝歸於神。」（哥林多後書9:10-11）

種子或果實除了靠自體的掉落或彈力外，也會藉風力或水流等自然力量來傳播，甚至利用鳥類、螞蟻、動物來幫忙攜帶至遠方。

作物成長需要日光、水、空氣和營養素，營養素可由空氣、水和土壤中吸收，也可以靠現代化的肥料來供給。

在神的創造裡，祂撒種於大地，孕育作物成長，結出果實、成為糧食給人吃。從種子到結出果實、成為糧食的過程中，人參與其中，與神同行，且與神同工。

The Bible Works

2025-10-03 in /by

Ephesians 2:10  “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Can we genuinely believe that the Bible is the word of God? The unique and ultimate standard? Many people don’t. Others of us, however, do so for good reasons. Here are my three:

Jesus believed it. When the devil came to tempt him, Jesus quoted Scripture. When Jesus rose from the dead, he taught from Scripture. He set his own stamp of approval upon Scripture. What else is needed?

Fulfilled prophecies confirm it. In his life Christ fulfilled 332 distinct prophecies from the Old Testament. The mathematical probability of these prophecies being fulfilled by one man is one in 840 untrigintillion. That’s 840 followed by 96 zeroes.

「十」分出「一」

2025-10-02 in , /by

利未記27:30-34

「地上所有的，無論是地上的種子是樹上的果子，十分之一是耶和華的，是歸給耶和華為聖的。 31 人若要贖這十分之一的什麼物，就要加上五分之一。 32 凡牛群羊群中，一切從杖下經過的，每第十隻要歸給耶和華為聖。 33 不可問是好是壞，也不可更換；若定要更換，所更換的與本來的牲畜都要成為聖，不可贖回。」

34 這就是耶和華在西奈山為以色列人所吩咐摩西的命令。

拿供物獻給神源自於該隱和亞伯兩兄弟（創世記4:1-16），而最早的十分之一奉獻，則是當亞伯蘭殺敗諸王回來，把所得的拿出十分之一奉獻給來迎接他、給他祝福的撒冷王麥基洗德（至高神的祭司，希伯來書7:1）。

申命記14:22-26論及以色列人的十一奉獻：「你要把你撒種所產的，就是你田地每年所出的，十分取一分；又要把你的五穀、新酒、和油的十分之一，並牛群羊群中頭生的，吃在耶和華─你神面前，就是他所選擇要立為他名的居所。這樣，你可以學習時常敬畏耶和華─你的神。…」

Take Every Thought Captive

2025-10-02 in /by

2 Corinthians 10:4-5 (GNT) reads, “The weapons we use in our fight are not the world’s weapons but God’s powerful weapons, which we use to destroy strongholds. We destroy false arguments; we pull down every proud obstacle that is raised against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey Christ.”

The image is that of a warrior, a soldier, a fighter. Our enemy is the unsolicited, unhealthy, and unwelcome idea. Rather than indulge such thoughts, we take a wrecking ball to them. We “take every thought captive and make it obey Christ.” We poke a spear against the spine of toxic thoughts, march them outside, and toss them on their derrieres. Discipleship, at its core, is Christlike thinking.

一首搖滾上月球

2025-10-01 in , /by

哥林多後書1:4-5  我們在一切患難中，祂就安慰我們，叫我們能用神所賜的安慰去安慰那遭各樣患難的人。 5 我們既多受基督的苦楚，就靠基督多得安慰。

《一首搖滾上月球(Rock Me To The Moon)》描寫臺灣罕見疾病家庭的日常壓力以及病友間互相扶助的情誼，由六個罕見疾病家庭的父親共同成立「睏熊霸」(睡太飽)樂團，以登上貢寮國際海洋音樂祭表演為目標的奮鬥歷程。本片2013年獲第15屆台北電影節「觀眾票選獎」與第50屆金馬獎「最佳原創電影歌曲」。

來自六個家庭的父親，職業從國中教師、網站設計師、捏麵人師傅、課輔班老師、教會行政主任到計程車司機都有，相同的是家中都有罕病兒。他們組成樂團，六人從不會使用樂器到站上海洋音樂祭舞臺，面向大海獻唱《一首搖滾上月球》。

「尼曼匹克症C型」（Niemann–Pick disease, type C、NPC）是極其罕見的疾病，全台灣不到10個病例，如果一個家庭就有兩個，而且醫師宣告「可能都活不過20歲」，你會不會覺得，這樣的苦難不是一般人所能承受的？

Practice Picky Thinking

2025-10-01 in /by

The space between your ears occupies about six inches. It buzzes with nonstop activity—processing data, issuing commands, making selections, and determining the course of your life. It exists to filter facts and make decisions, and it was designed and built by God. One rule matters above all others: truth. Good decisions depend upon reliable information.

Because Jesus Rose Again

2025-09-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 16:12-20.  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 16:12-14 (NIV)
12  Afterward Jesus appeared in a different form to two of them while they were walking in the country.
13  These returned and reported it to the rest; but they did not believe them either.
14  Later Jesus appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.

On verses 12-14:  Even after Jesus had repeatedly told them that he would rise again, even after the incredible miracles the disciples had seen Jesus do, and even after multiple witnesses were testifying to them about Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples still refused to believe.

踩剎車

2025-09-30 in , /by

詩篇119:11 我將祢的話藏在心裡，免得我得罪祢。

民數記22-24章記載：摩西帶領以色列人出埃及後，在約旦河東邊的摩押平原安營。摩押王巴勒畏懼以色列人，打發人拿著卦金，去找巴蘭為他咒詛以色列人。巴蘭求問神，神不允，他就回絕巴勒的請求。巴勒再次差遣使臣，比先前的又多又尊貴，巴蘭再次求問神，神任憑巴蘭前去，但要求他遵行神所說的話。

巴蘭早晨備上驢，帶著僕人和摩押的使臣前去。在路上他的驢子三次看見天使站在前方，於是跨進田間、擠傷巴蘭的腳、臥在巴蘭底下不走，巴蘭卻看不到天使，因此發怒，用杖打驢。最後，驢子說話，告訴巴蘭它看見了天使，這讓巴蘭感到驚訝和恐懼。神讓巴蘭的眼目明亮，對他說：「你為何三次打驢呢？我出來敵擋你，因你所行的，在我面前偏僻。」又說：「你同這些人去吧！你只要說我對你說的話。」

後來，巴蘭反倒三次祝福以色列人，說：「巴勒就是將他滿屋的金銀給我，我也不得越過耶和華的命，憑自己的心意行好行歹。耶和華說甚麼，我就要說甚麼。」巴勒看出巴蘭不會詛咒以色列人，所以打發他離開。