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Gratitude is Food for Your Soul

2025-06-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 22:17-33. 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 22:17-25 (NIV)
17  The LORD said to Moses,
18  “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the Israelites and say to them: ‘If any of you–either an Israelite or an alien living in Israel–presents a gift for a burnt offering to the LORD, either to fulfill a vow or as a freewill offering,

On verses 17-25:  Once again we see that God’s holiness requires that almost all sacrifices need to be without defects in order to be acceptable in God’s sight.  This reminds me that:

God’s Mercies Are New Every Day

2025-06-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 22:1-16. 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 22:1-8 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Tell Aaron and his sons to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am the LORD.

On verses 1-8:  In ancient Jewish culture, the Israelites considered each new day to begin in the evening when the sun set, not in the morning when the sun rose.  In current Western culture, when we see the sun rise, we think, “A new day is just about to start”.

約櫃被擄去

2025-06-29 in , /by

撒母耳記上 4:5-11  耶和華的約櫃到了營中，以色列眾人就大聲歡呼，地便震動。 6 非利士人聽見歡呼的聲音，就說：「在希伯來人營裡大聲歡呼，是什麼緣故呢？」隨後就知道耶和華的約櫃到了營中。 7 非利士人就懼怕起來，說：「有神到了他們營中。」又說：「我們有禍了！向來不曾有這樣的事。 8 我們有禍了！誰能救我們脫離這些大能之神的手呢？從前在曠野用各樣災殃擊打埃及人的，就是這些神。

「約櫃被擄去」史實被記載於撒母耳記上第四章，當時以色列人正處於士師時代後期，「那時，以色列中沒有王，各人任意而行。」（士師記21:25）

以色列人與宿敵非利士人交戰，四千人倒在敵軍手下，在困惑與恐懼中，長老們下了決斷，他們尋求將約櫃從示羅抬至戰場，盼望耶和華的同在能扭轉敗局。

約櫃進入營中，以色列眾人歡呼，聲震大地。非利士人聞聲驚懼，說：「有神到了他們營中！」但恐懼化為憤怒，他們奮力一戰，大敗以色列人。那日，以色列三萬步兵陣亡，約櫃被擄，祭司以利的兩個兒子何弗尼與非尼哈也戰死沙場。

消息傳至示羅，九十八歲的以利聽聞約櫃被擄，兒子雙亡，當場仰倒而死。非尼哈的妻子臨產早產，在絕命前痛哭說道：「榮耀離開以色列了！」於是，她給兒子取名「以迦伯」（字意是沒有榮光）。

Loved Despite the Defects

2025-06-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 21:1-24. 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 21:1-4 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them: ‘A priest must not make himself ceremonially unclean for any of his people who die,
2  except for a close relative, such as his mother or father, his son or daughter, his brother,
3  or an unmarried sister who is dependent on him since she has no husband–for her he may make himself unclean.
4  He must not make himself unclean for people related to him by marriage, and so defile himself.
 
On verses 1-4:  Leviticus 21:1-4 says that a priest could not touch or get near a dead person unless that person was a close relative, lest he become ceremonially unclean himself and unable to approach God. 

為著美麗的地面

2025-06-27 in , /by

以弗所書5:20  凡事要奉我們主耶穌基督的名，常常感謝父神。

前言：求神幫助我們在這混亂不安的世代中，轉眼觀看祂的豐富創造，領受祂的全然預備，在祂所賜的恩典與祝福裡，感謝讚美祂！願你今天充滿喜樂！

《為著美麗的地面》(For the Beauty of the Earth)這首詩歌是英國作曲家盧特(John Rutter)創作的混聲四部合唱曲目，歌詞取自英國十九世紀詩人皮爾珀因(Folliott S. Pierpoint)創作的同名基督教聖詩，據傳是詩人在春天時，受到英國西南部鄉間自然景色啟發，在滿懷喜悅下所寫成。

作曲家捨棄十九世紀德國作曲家寇賀(Conrad Kocher)的著名旋律，重新打造上行、富詩意的樂句，呼應詩人在面對自然與大地恩賜時的喜悅。

Giving thanks always for all things unto God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:20)

凡事要奉我們主耶穌基督的名，常常感謝父神。（以弗所書5:20）

Jesus, Fortune Telling and The Dangers of Divination

2025-06-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 20:1-27. 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 20:1-5 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Say to the Israelites: ‘Any Israelite or any alien living in Israel who gives any of his children to Molech must be put to death. The people of the community are to stone him.
3  I will set my face against that man and I will cut him off from his people; for by giving his children to Molech, he has defiled my sanctuary and profaned my holy name.
4  If the people of the community close their eyes when that man gives one of his children to Molech and they fail to put him to death,
5  I will set my face against that man and his family and will cut off from their people both him and all who follow him in prostituting themselves to Molech.

On verses 1-5:  Here we see God’s heart for children, how God absolutely abhors the practice of child sacrifice. 

打開窗，讓光灑進來

2025-06-26 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 萬物是藉著他造的；凡被造的，沒有一樣不是藉著他造的。 4 生命在他裡頭，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。

今年五月底張家銘醫師在網頁（https://www.dna.tw/content/cate7-1336.html）發表了一篇文章「光線，是身體的密碼開關？最新研究揭露：曬太陽能喚醒免疫系統」，內容主要是摘述了最近一篇發表於Science Immunology期刊的研究發現。

張家銘醫師談到（節錄自網頁）：我們一直以為「曬太陽」只是為了讓人看起來有精神，或者補充維他命D，但最新的科學發現，光線不只是自然現象，它像一把鑰匙，會打開身體裡某些開關，影響我們的免疫力、修復力，甚至情緒與壽命。

研究發現，我們身體裡白血球成員中的嗜中性球，這群每天幫我們對抗細菌、清除病毒的免疫前鋒，竟然會根據光線而改變工作效率。當早晨的陽光照進來時，細胞內一個叫做「Per2」的基因被活化，啟動了一連串的反應，讓嗜中性球產生更多的活性氧，大幅提升殺菌能力。

因祢開廣了我的生命

2025-06-25 in , /by

默想詩篇119:45：「我要自由而行，因我素來考究祢的訓詞。」

我們常常以為，只要能夠擁有更多、成就更高、被更多人認同，就能活得自由。但人生的經歷讓我明白，當我們將自己的心交給這世界所定義的價值—名聲、成就、財富、或關係—我們其實是將生命的主權交給世界的「王」。這些看似吸引人的事物，很快就會成為我們的主人，管理我們的情緒，牽引我們的選擇，甚至決定我們是否配得快樂。

罪與習慣會悄悄纏繞，對愛與肯定的渴望會變成隱性的奴役，不安和憂慮會侵蝕內心，對成功的追求會讓人耗盡力氣。我發現，一旦生命的中心不是神，其他的事就會霸佔那個位置。而那個位置，本該是神坐著為王的寶座。

然而，當我們選擇讓神掌權，一切都改變了。祂不是一位奪權的暴君，而是那位使人自由的王。當祂進入我們的生命，不是要壓迫我們，而是要開廣我們的人生—讓我們脫離壓迫，進入祂為我們預備的寬闊之地。

How Do We Apply These Verses on Hair Cutting?

2025-06-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 19:23-37. 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 19:23-25 (NIV)
23  “‘When you enter the land and plant any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden. For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not be eaten.
24  In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an offering of praise to the LORD.
25  But in the fifth year you may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased. I am the LORD your God.

On verses 23-25:  Why would God forbid the Israelites from eating the fruit from a fruit tree they planted for the first three years?  Isn’t this a waste?  Why is God depriving His own people of food? 

Do All the Regulations in Leviticus Apply to Christians Today?

2025-06-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 19:11-22. 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 19:11-22 (NIV)
11  “‘Do not steal. “‘Do not lie. “‘Do not deceive one another.
12  “‘Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
13  “‘Do not defraud your neighbor or rob him. “‘Do not hold back the wages of a hired man overnight.

On verses 11-22:  What do we do with a passage like Leviticus 19:11-22?  On one hand, the first half (verses 11-18) lists commands that are easy for us to understand and that we can easily see applying just as much today as in Moses’ time: do not steal, do not lie, do not pervert justice, do not slander others, etc.