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If Jesus Squeezes You Today, What Will Come Out?

2025-08-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 7:24-30.  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 7:24-30 (NIV)
24  Jesus left that place and went to the vicinity of Tyre. He entered a house and did not want anyone to know it; yet he could not keep his presence secret.
 
On verse 24:  Jesus goes into Gentile (non-Jewish) territory, visiting the city of Tyre.  Whereas the Pharisees and teachers of the law would be concerned about becoming ceremonially by getting close to Gentiles, Jesus had no such concern.  The fact that Mark places this passage right after the passage where Jesus declares all foods clean suggests that just as there was no food that could not be eaten, so people of all cultures are loved by God and God does not discriminate based on culture or race. 

父親的心轉向兒女

2025-08-15 in , /by

瑪拉基書4:5-6 「看哪，耶和華大而可畏之日未到以前，我必差遣先知以利亞到你們那裡去。 6 他必使父親的心轉向兒女，兒女的心轉向父親，免得我來咒詛遍地。」

李‧史特博(Lee Strobel)是《鐵證待判》(The Case for Christ)一書的作者，過去曾任《芝加哥論壇報》(Chicago Tribune)的法律記者，是一位邏輯嚴謹、個性堅毅的堅定無神論者。年輕時，他一心投入事業，對信仰不屑一顧，常對家庭中的情感與屬靈氛圍表現出冷漠與不耐。

他早年與父親的關係極度疏離。高中畢業前夕，父親曾冷冷地對他說：「我沒有足夠的愛，連我最小的手指都無法填滿你。」這句話深深烙印在李的心中，成為他日後質疑天父是否真愛自己的情緒根源之一。

後來，妻子Leslie成為基督徒，李不但極力反對，甚至嘲諷她的信仰。然而，他察覺到妻子的言行有了轉變，變得溫柔、有耐性、充滿愛心。他雖心存抗拒，卻也好奇：「究竟是什麼讓她有如此改變？」

To Be Truly Clean Before God

2025-08-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 7:14-23.  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 7:14-23 (NIV)
14  Again Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand this.
15  Nothing outside a man can make him ‘unclean’ by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a man that makes him ‘unclean.’
17  After he had left the crowd and entered the house, his disciples asked him about this parable.

On verses 14-23:  The Pharisees and teachers of the law focused so much on physical cleanliness, washing their hands, cups and dishes, all under the belief that those who washed were clean before God whereas those who didn’t were unclean. 

Don’t Put Tradition Over God’s Word

2025-08-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 7:1-13.  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 7:1-13 (NIV)
1  The Pharisees and some of the teachers of the law who had come from Jerusalem gathered around Jesus and
2  saw some of his disciples eating food with hands that were “unclean,” that is, unwashed.
3  (The Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they give their hands a ceremonial washing, holding to the tradition of the elders.

On verses 1-13:  Jesus had no problem with washing your hands before eating per se.  Rather Jesus’ problem was with the Pharisees and teachers and how they put more focus on following their man-made traditions (like “wash your hands before you eat”) than obeying God’s commands.

兒女的心轉向父親

2025-08-14 in , /by

瑪拉基書4:5-6 「看哪，耶和華大而可畏之日未到以前，我必差遣先知以利亞到你們那裡去。 6 他必使父親的心轉向兒女，兒女的心轉向父親，免得我來咒詛遍地。」

奧斯卡影帝、舞台巨星─丹佐·華盛頓(Denzel Hayes Washington, Jr.)，或許在人前是萬眾矚目的演員，但在內心深處，他常自覺只是「一位牧師的兒子」。

丹佐的父親─老丹佐·海伊斯·華盛頓牧師(Reverend Denzel Hayes Washington, Sr.)是五旬節教派的牧師，同時也在紐約水務局工作，信仰堅定、生活端正。丹佐回憶道，父親每天讀聖經、講道，雖然不苛刻，卻以身作則，在靜默中留下深遠影響。許多年輕人的現今生活裡缺乏父親的角色，他卻慶幸自己擁有一位屬靈的導師，「不是高聲吩咐，而是默默活出」的基督信仰。

年輕時，丹佐曾吸毒、販毒，一度遠離神，他坦言：「我現在沒有待在監獄裡，是神的恩典。」他形容自己曾拒絕神、恨神，但也愛神、讚美神，這段掙扎正是信仰的真實樣貌。然而在1980年代，丹佐曾與好友造訪教會，並經歷一次強烈的聖靈充滿，令他震撼落淚。母親告訴他，那是聖靈的工作。那一刻，他知道，父親從未停止為他禱告。

典章真實，全然公義

2025-08-13 in , /by

詩篇19:9  耶和華的道理潔淨，存到永遠。耶和華的典章真實，全然公義。

「耶和華的典章真實，全然公義(The judgments of the LORD are true and righteous altogether)。」（詩篇19:9）典章的原文是מִשְׁפָּטִים (mishpatim)，係指神的審判與判斷，經文強調祂的「真實」與「公義」，可作為衡量人行為的標準。

「真實」表示神的話語不虛假，不含謬誤，無論古今時空、無論境遇如何，都能信靠。神不說謊，也不改變祂的標準。祂的典章揭示的是永恆的真理，而非一時的潮流。

「公義」則指出神的律例不偏不倚，不論貧富貴賤、種族性別，神都以同一準則對待人。這樣的公義，令人敬畏，也讓人得著安慰。即使世上有不公平的審判，神的典章卻成為信靠祂之人的庇護和依據。

He’s Greater than the Storm You’re In

2025-08-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 6:45-56.  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 6:45-46 (NIV)
45  Immediately Jesus made his disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to Bethsaida, while he dismissed the crowd.
46  After leaving them, he went up on a mountainside to pray.
 
On verses 45-46:  Here we see Jesus’ heart for his disciples, how he lets them go on ahead of him by boat so that they can get some rest while he dismisses the crowd…OR was Jesus intentionally sending them into a storm to teach them a lesson?  Hmm. 
 

6 Traits of an Effective Leader

2025-08-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 6:30-44.  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 6:30-32 (NIV)
30  The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to him all they had done and taught.
31  Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, he said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.”
32  So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place.
 
On verses 30-32:  Jesus did not simply use his disciples; he also cared for their well being.  That’s why here we see Jesus leading his disciples not only in serving but also in resting.  Jesus sets an example for his team on how to rest and plans for a way that his team can rest together.

真誠敬畏，存到永遠

2025-08-12 in , /by

詩篇19:9  耶和華的道理潔淨，存到永遠。耶和華的典章真實，全然公義。

「耶和華的道理潔淨，存到永遠(The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever)。」（詩篇19:9）「道理」的原文是יִרְאָה (yirah)，原意是「敬畏」，指的是人對耶和華發自內心的敬重、謙卑及順服。

這樣的敬畏是「潔淨」的，是出於認識祂的聖潔、公義與慈愛所產生的敬愛之心。它不是懼怕懲罰的屈身，也不摻雜私心、不單求恩典，它是單純、透明、聖潔的，是神所悅納的心態。

這樣的敬畏將「存到永遠」，不僅在今生引導我們走正路，更在永恆中成為與神同行的記號。在新天新地中，眾聖徒依然敬畏神，因祂的榮耀超過萬有；即便無苦難與黑夜，我們對祂的敬愛仍不減分毫。

萬古磐石

2025-08-11 in , /by

約翰福音1:1-9   太初有道，道與神同在，道就是神。 2 這道太初與神同在。 3 萬物是藉著祂造的；凡被造的，沒有一樣不是藉著祂造的。 4 生命在祂裡頭，這生命就是人的光。 5 光照在黑暗裡，黑暗卻不接受光。 6 有一個人，是從神那裡差來的，名叫約翰。 7 這人來，為要作見證，就是為光作見證，叫眾人因他可以信。 8 他不是那光，乃是要為光作見證。 9 那光是真光，照亮一切生在世上的人。

「耶和華的命令清潔，能明亮人的眼目(The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes)。」（詩篇19:8）命令的原文是מִצְוָה (mitsvah)，常用於具體的「命令」或「誡命」，神明確要人遵行的事，是具約束力的指示。

「明亮的眼目」是神創造人極大的恩典，人有眼目可以自由地觀察、尋找、欣賞…，因此可以自由的行動、工作、吃喝…。然而，眼目需要「光照」才能「明亮」，沒有光照，猶如目盲，眼不能見，手觸無感，行路踉蹌，人在黑暗中摸索。