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You Have A Destiny

2025-04-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 11:1-21.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

2 Kings 11:1-21 (NIV)
1  When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.
2  But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram and sister of Ahaziah, took Joash son of Ahaziah and stole him away from among the royal princes, who were about to be murdered. She put him and his nurse in a bedroom to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed.

On verses 1-21:  After talking about the kingdom of Israel and how Jehu became its king in 2 Kings 9 and 10, the author of 2 Kings turns our attention once again to the kingdom of Judah.  Judah’s King Ahaziah was killed by Jehu of Israel, but instead of Ahaziah’s brother or son taking over Ahaziah’s throne in Judah, Ahaziah’s mother Athaliah seizes power for herself.

Goodbye Jehu. Hello Jesus.

2025-04-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 10:18-36.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

2 Kings 10:18-36 (NIV)
18  Then Jehu brought all the people together and said to them, “Ahab served Baal a little; Jehu will serve him much.
19  Now summon all the prophets of Baal, all his ministers and all his priests. See that no one is missing, because I am going to hold a great sacrifice for Baal. Anyone who fails to come will no longer live.” But Jehu was acting deceptively in order to destroy the ministers of Baal.
20  Jehu said, “Call an assembly in honor of Baal.” So they proclaimed it.

On verses 18-36:  Having gotten rid of the house of Ahab along with a slew of others, Jehu now focuses on erasing the worship of the idol Baal in Israel. He invites all the prophets of Baal to the temple of Baal under the auspices that he is going to hold an assembly in honour of their god. Jehu even gives each prophet of Baal a special robe, which seems like a gift when in fact it just makes them an easier target (v22). 

我知道我的救贖主活著

2025-04-20 in , /by

馬太福音28:1-10

安息日將盡，七日的頭一日天快亮的時候，抹大拉的馬利亞和那個馬利亞來看墳墓。 2 忽然，地大震動，因為有主的使者從天上下來，把石頭滾開，坐在上面。 3 他的相貌如同閃電，衣服潔白如雪。 4 看守的人就因他嚇得渾身亂戰，甚至和死人一樣。 5 天使對婦女說：「不要害怕！我知道你們是尋找那釘十字架的耶穌。 6 他不在這裡，照他所說的，已經復活了。你們來看安放主的地方！ 7 快去告訴他的門徒，說他從死裡復活了，並且在你們以先往加利利去，在那裡你們要見他。看哪，我已經告訴你們了！」 8 婦女們就急忙離開墳墓，又害怕又大大地歡喜，跑去要報給他的門徒。 9 忽然，耶穌遇見她們，說：「願你們平安！」她們就上前抱住他的腳拜他。 10 耶穌對她們說：「不要害怕！你們去告訴我的弟兄，叫他們往加利利去，在那裡必見我。」

那一天（星期日）清晨，婦女們買了香膏要去膏抹耶穌的身體，發現墳墓空了；天使宣告耶穌復活，耶穌向來探墓的抹大拉馬利亞顯現（馬太福音28:1-10；馬可福音16:1-8；路加福音24:1-12；約翰福音20:1-18），那日也向門徒顯現，證明祂真的從死裡復活。

天微亮，我跟著婦女們走向墳墓，心中充滿悲傷。但當我們抵達，大石頭已被挪開，墳墓裡空無一人，只有折好的裹屍布。我們聽到聲音說：「不要驚恐！你們尋找那釘十字架的拿撒勒人耶穌，祂已經復活了，不在這裡。」（馬可福音16:6）

我在晨光中甦醒…死亡失去了權勢，愛在絕望中暈開，黑夜過去了，新的曙光升起。祂真的勝過了死亡！救贖勝過死亡，盼望永不止息。

Not One, But Both: Two Areas Where We Need To Be Strong

2025-04-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 10:1-17.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

2 Kings 10:1-17 (NIV)
1  Now there were in Samaria seventy sons of the house of Ahab. So Jehu wrote letters and sent them to Samaria: to the officials of Jezreel, to the elders and to the guardians of Ahab’s children. He said,
2  “As soon as this letter reaches you, since your master’s sons are with you and you have chariots and horses, a fortified city and weapons,
3  choose the best and most worthy of your master’s sons and set him on his father’s throne. Then fight for your master’s house.”
4  But they were terrified and said, “If two kings could not resist him, how can we?”

On verses 1-17:  Having assassinated Joram king of Israel and Jezebel the queen mother, Jehu continues his mission to eliminate the remaining sons in Ahab’s house.  Instead of a sneak attack, Jehu issues a formal challenge to the high officials in Israel’s capital city as well as those in charge of Ahab’s sons.  Jehu challenges them to put one of Ahab’s sons on Ahab’s throne and to fight Jehu and his troops.

我鳥瞰死寂的耶路撒冷城

2025-04-18 in , /by

馬太福音27:62-66

次日，就是預備日的第二天，祭司長和法利賽人聚集來見彼拉多，說： 63 「大人，我們記得那誘惑人的還活著的時候曾說：『三日後我要復活。』 64 因此，請吩咐人將墳墓把守妥當，直到第三日，恐怕他的門徒來把他偷了去，就告訴百姓說他從死裡復活了。這樣，那後來的迷惑比先前的更厲害了。」 65 彼拉多說：「你們有看守的兵，去吧，盡你們所能的把守妥當。」 66 他們就帶著看守的兵同去，封了石頭，將墳墓把守妥當。

那一天（星期六），耶穌的身體被安放在墳墓中，門徒們因猶太安息日而靜默哀悼；祭司長和法利賽人擔心門徒藉機迷惑眾人，要求彼拉多派兵看守耶穌的墳墓（馬太福音27:62-66；馬可福音15:42-47；路加福音23:50-56）。

安息日過後的清晨，我從橄欖山鳥瞰耶路撒冷城，街道上的人少了，狂熱肅殺的氣氛依然還在，流淚、痛心、失望、嘆息…從燈光微暈的矮樓洩出，人們失去了那屬於「安息日的安息」。我隱約回憶…

祂曾在耶路撒冷城內羊門旁的畢士大池，醫好一個病了38年的癱子，對他說：「起來，拿你的褥子走吧！」

祂曾在耶路撒冷聖殿面對一位行淫時被拿的婦人，提醒正要依律法處置婦人的眾人說：「你們中間誰是沒有罪的，誰就可以先拿石頭打她。」又對婦人說：「我也不定你的罪。去吧，從此不要再犯罪了！」

我遙望十架上的耶穌…

2025-04-17 in , /by

路加福音23:34 當下耶穌說：「父啊，赦免他們！因為他們所做的他們不曉得。」兵丁就拈鬮分祂的衣服。

路加福音23:42-43 就說：「耶穌啊，你得國降臨的時候，求你記念我！」 43 耶穌對他說：「我實在告訴你：今日你要同我在樂園裡了！」

約翰福音 19:30  耶穌嘗了那醋，就說：「成了！」便低下頭，將靈魂交付神了。

那一天（星期五），耶穌先後受審於猶太議會（公會）、彼拉多、希律王，最後被定罪；接著，遭受鞭打、羞辱，背著自己的十字架走到各各他（髑髏地）。中午被釘十字架，下午三時左右斷氣（馬太福音27章；馬可福音15章；路加福音23章；約翰福音18-19章），死後由亞利馬太人約瑟和尼哥底母領去安葬。

我跟在人群後，暗夜裡悄悄地跟隨祂的蹤跡。黎明時分，祂被捆綁帶走，踉蹌背負十字架前行。鞭子抽打，血跡斑斑；荊棘壓頭，嘲笑怒吼。祂不吭一聲，默默承受。

我從城牆邊遙望，看著祂被釘上十字架。祂睜開被鮮血模糊的眼睛，望向我們—不是咒罵，不是控訴，而是祈求天父的饒恕，祂說：「父啊！赦免他們；因為他們所做的，他們不曉得。」（路加福音23:34）

我聽見與祂同釘十架的犯人說：「耶穌啊，祢得國降臨的時候，求祢記念我！」祂肯定的回應：「我實在告訴你，今日你要同我在樂園裡了。」（路加福音23:42-43）

The Best Way to Prepare for Eternity

2025-04-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 9:30-37.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

2 Kings 9:30 (NIV)
30  Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she painted her eyes, arranged her hair and looked out of a window.

On verse 30:  Having heard that Jehu has killed her son King Joram, Jezebel expects that she is next, so she paints her eyes and does her hair.  Why?  Some scholars think she was trying to seduce Jehu.  I think the more likely scenario is that she’s getting ready to die as dignified a death as possible.  Jezebel may have thought to herself, “If I’m going to die a queen mother, I better look the part!”  Ironically, despite her efforts to look good in death, Jezebel would end up being killed in the most undignified way, as we will see.

我明白祂愛我到底…

2025-04-16 in , /by

馬太福音26:17-30

除酵節的第一天，門徒來問耶穌說：「你吃逾越節的筵席，要我們在哪裡給你預備？」 18 耶穌說：「你們進城去，到某人那裡，對他說：『夫子說：我的時候快到了，我與門徒要在你家裡守逾越節。』」 19 門徒遵著耶穌所吩咐的，就去預備了逾越節的筵席。

20 到了晚上，耶穌和十二個門徒坐席。 21 正吃的時候，耶穌說：「我實在告訴你們：你們中間有一個人要賣我了。」 22 他們就甚憂愁，一個一個地問他說：「主，是我嗎？」 23 耶穌回答說：「同我蘸手在盤子裡的，就是他要賣我。 

那一天（星期四），耶穌與門徒守逾越節晚餐（最後的晚餐），設立聖餐，且殷切教導門徒（馬太福音26:17-30；馬可福音14:12-26；路加福音22:7-38；約翰福音13-17章）。晚餐後，耶穌帶門徒到客西馬尼園，痛苦掙扎地為自己和門徒禱告，隨後猶大帶兵丁捉拿了耶穌（馬太福音26:36-56；馬可福音14:32-50；路加福音22:39-53；約翰福音18:1-12）。

我窺望那小屋，燭光下，祂俯身為門徒洗腳。我看見那雙手，即將要被出賣、被釘穿的手，輕抹過彼得、猶大…門徒們的赤腳。祂叮嚀說：「我是你們的主，你們的夫子，尚且洗你們的腳，你們也當彼此洗腳。」（約翰福音13:14）

祂擘開餅，舉起杯，眼中閃爍淚光，祂說：「這是我的身體，為你們捨的。」這是愛的約定，也是即將破碎的開始。祂知道門徒當中，有人會背叛，有人會逃跑，有人會三次不認祂。但祂依然一一餵養，無一拒絕。

Sometimes God Needs To Disturb the Peace So A Greater Peace Can Result

2025-04-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 9:14-29.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

2 Kings 9:14-29 (NIV)
14  So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth Gilead against Hazael king of Aram,
15  but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him in the battle with Hazael king of Aram.) Jehu said, “If this is the way you feel, don’t let anyone slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.”

On verses 14-29:  These verses describe how Jehu assassinates Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah.  Jehu travels from Ramoth Gilead to Jezreel where Joram king of Israel is nursing his wounds from battle and where Ahaziah king of Judah has gone to visit Joram (v14-16).  When Joram’s guards spot Jehu approaching in his chariot, twice Joram sends a horseman to ask Jehu, “Do you come in peace?”

If You Want to Hear from God, Make THIS Your Habit

2025-04-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 9:1-13.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

2 Kings 9:1-6 (NIV)
1  The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead.
2  When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room.

On verses 1-6:  Elisha sends one of his junior prophets to speak to Jehu and anoint him as the next king of Israel.  Notice Elisha’s instructions to that junior prophet: “Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room” (v2).