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Don’t Lose Your Edge + The Importance of Vision

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 6:1-23.  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 6:1-6 (NIV)
1  The company of the prophets said to Elisha, “Look, the place where we meet with you is too small for us.
2  Let us go to the Jordan, where each of us can get a pole; and let us build a place there for us to live.” And he said, “Go.”
3  Then one of them said, “Won’t you please come with your servants?” “I will,” Elisha replied.
4  And he went with them. They went to the Jordan and began to cut down trees.
5  As one of them was cutting down a tree, the iron axhead fell into the water. “Oh, my lord,” he cried out, “it was borrowed!”
6  The man of God asked, “Where did it fall?” When he showed him the place, Elisha cut a stick and threw it there, and made the iron float.

On verses 1-6:  The number of prophets Elisha is discipling is growing, so Elisha’s disciples propose that they build a new facility for them to meet near the Jordan River.  They begin to cut down trees in the Jordan.  While one of the young prophets is cutting, his ax head flies off its handle and falls into the water.  The young prophet is distraught because the ax head was not his, but was borrowed. 

Worship Is a Heart Thing

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 5:13-27.  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 5:13-14 (NIV) 
13  Naaman’s servants went to him and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do some great thing, would you not have done it? How much more, then, when he tells you, ‘Wash and be cleansed’!” 
14  So he went down and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times, as the man of God had told him, and his flesh was restored and became clean like that of a young boy. 

On verses 13-14:  Elisha had told Naaman to wash himself seven times in the Jordan River and his leprosy would be cleansed. Naaman was outraged at how “unspiritual” Elisha’s advice was, believing Elisha’s advice to be purely practical and natural instead of supernatural (v11-12).  Yet his servants advise Naaman to take Elisha’s advice seriously (v13).  Naaman follows Elisha’s advice.  When he dips himself 7 times in the Jordan River, his leprosy is cleansed and his skin is restored (v14).

客旅的禱告

 11 到了一個地方,因為太陽落了,就在那裡住宿,便拾起那地方的一塊石頭枕在頭下,在那裡躺臥睡了。 12 夢見一個梯子立在地上,梯子的頭頂著天,有神的使者在梯子上上去下來。 13 耶和華站在梯子以上[a],說:「我是耶和華你祖亞伯拉罕的神,也是以撒的神,我要將你現在所躺臥之地賜給你和你的後裔。 14 你的後裔必像地上的塵沙那樣多,必向東西南北開展。地上萬族必因你和你的後裔得福。 15 我也與你同在,你無論往哪裡去,我必保佑你,領你歸回這地,總不離棄你,直到我成全了向你所應許的。」

雅各的經歷讓我想起四十年前隻身啟程前往美國求學的旅程,印象雖有點模糊,但是那種不知未來的不安情緒卻是無法遺忘。很感謝神,祂安排了一位老教授坐我鄰座,因轉機需在東京留宿一晚,我就跟著他後面出關、入關,一直平安到美國。那時候,我真實的領受到雅各單純、平凡的禱告,「保佑我,給我吃,給我穿,使我平平安安地回家」,因為我需要。

現在的禱告內容多了許多,工作難題、人際關係、家人需要、服事代禱…,牧者還不斷提醒我們要感謝,要讚美。是的!聖經教導我們在禱告中交託我們許許多多的生活需要,但是,有些時候我還是會渴慕像雅各那樣單純、平凡的禱告;因為我相信未祈求以先,天父已經知道我所需用的,而「有得吃,有得穿,享平安」就是我最平凡的需要。

不要論斷人

馬太福音7:1-2

你們不要論斷人,免得你們被論斷。因為你們怎樣論斷人,也必怎樣被論斷;你們用甚麼量器量給人,也必用甚麼量器量給你們。

網路一篇文章寫著:有個人初到美國不久,某天早晨到公園散步,看到一些白人坐在草坪上聊天、曬太陽。他心想:「美國人生活真是悠閒,有錢又懂得享受生活。」

走了不久,又看到幾個黑人也悠閒地坐在草坪的另一邊,這位先生不禁想到:「唉!黑人失業的問題真嚴重,這些人大概都在領社會救濟金過生活。」

一個人對同樣悠閒地坐在草坪上的白人和黑人,從既有的印象或認知,竟然可以產生如此南轅北轍的主觀想法。哈茲立特有句話:「偏見是無知的孩子。」說得一點都不錯,「人」合「扁」為偏,人一旦有了偏見,就會把「人」看「扁」、看「偏」了。

When God Does Not Work the Way You Expect

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 5:1-12.  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 5:1-12 (NIV)
1  Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the LORD had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.
2  Now bands from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife.
3  She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

On verses 1-12: Naaman was a high-powered commander of Aram’s army, yet he had a disease that his influence, intelligence and experience could not solve. He had leprosy. So with the recommendation of an Israelite slave girl in his house, Naaman gets permission from the king of Aram to go to the king of Israel to see if Elisha the prophet can heal him.  Naaman brings with him a huge amount of gold and silver. 

Every Miracle is a Parable

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 4:18-44.  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 4:18-37 (NIV)
18  The child grew, and one day he went out to his father, who was with the reapers.
19  “My head! My head!” he said to his father. His father told a servant, “Carry him to his mother.”
20  After the servant had lifted him up and carried him to his mother, the boy sat on her lap until noon, and then he died.
21  She went up and laid him on the bed of the man of God, then shut the door and went out.

On verses 18-37:  Here God uses Elisha to raise a dead boy back to life.  We’ll look at some of the lessons we can learn from this incredible miracle when we talk about verses 42-44.

But for now notice that the Shunammite woman was willing to pour out her heart in front of Elisha, but not in front of Elisha’s servant Gehazi. 

心蒙脂油/耳朵發沉/眼睛昏迷

啟示錄3:17-19

你說:我是富足,已經發了財,一樣都不缺;卻不知道你是那困苦、可憐、貧窮、瞎眼、赤身的。我勸你向我買火煉的金子,叫你富足;又買白衣穿上,叫你赤身的羞恥不露出來;又買眼藥擦你的眼睛,使你能看見。凡我所疼愛的,我就責備管教他;所以你要發熱心,也要悔改。

(今天的分享有點味道。)有個人去找醫生:「醫生,我一直放屁,但也還好啦,我沒有很困擾!因為我的屁不會臭,也不會響。其實,進來以後,我已經放了最少20個了,您都沒感覺,就是因為我的屁不會臭,也不會響。」

醫生說:「我知道了,把這些藥拿回家吃,下禮拜再來一次。」下禮拜那人再來看醫生:「醫生,您到底給我什麼藥?我的屁還是放個不停,雖然不會響,可是臭到爆!」醫生說:「很好!你的鼻塞已經治好了,現在要治你的重聽。」

許多時候,我們離開了神,走岔了路,但是渾然沒有感覺;因為我們心蒙脂油,耳朵發沉,聽見,卻不明白神的話,眼睛昏迷,看見,卻不曉得神的作為。

When You Take God At This Word

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 3:13-27.  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 3:13-14 (NIV) 
13 Elisha said to the king of Israel, “What do we have to do with each other? Go to the prophets of your father and the prophets of your mother.” “No,” the king of Israel answered, “because it was the LORD who called us three kings together to hand us over to Moab.” 
14 Elisha said, “As surely as the LORD Almighty lives, whom I serve, if I did not have respect for the presence of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, I would not look at you or even notice you. 

On verses 13-14:  Elisha the prophet is approached by three kings: the idol-worshiping Joram king of Israel, the God-fearing Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and the king of Edom.  Together they ask Elisha for guidance on what to do in their fight against the king of Moab.  Knowing that Joram was a notorious idol worshiper who consistently disrespected the Lord, Elisha wonders, “Why are you coming to me when you can be consulting your idols?” 

神恩賜的生活

耶利米哀歌3:23-26

23 每早晨這都是新的,你的誠實極其廣大。 24 我心裡說:「耶和華是我的份,因此我要仰望他。」 25 凡等候耶和華,心裡尋求他的,耶和華必施恩給他。

26 人仰望耶和華,靜默等候他的救恩,這原是好的。

西元1814年,法國將軍陶美尼打仗時,被敵軍炸斷一條腿,負責擦皮鞋的勤務兵為此難過的哭著;陶美尼將軍斥責說:「哭什麼哭!你忘了嗎?軍人只能流血、流汗,不能流淚!以後我只要穿一隻皮鞋就好了,多方便啊!你只要擦一隻皮鞋就夠了,多輕鬆啊!」

有句話說:「命好不如態度好!」發生事情以後,執著過去已經不重要了,重要的是你怎麼面對未來!所謂的態度有部分是我們生活上的行為表現,更重要的是我們心靈的交託和盼望,也就是我們的信心!我們相信天父的慈愛,祂的憐憫永不斷絕。因此,信心將我們從痛苦的災禍深淵救拔出來,再將我們浸泡在喜樂的救恩泉源當中。

一隻皮鞋

耶利米哀歌3:23-26

23 每早晨這都是新的,你的誠實極其廣大。 24 我心裡說:「耶和華是我的份,因此我要仰望他。」 25 凡等候耶和華,心裡尋求他的,耶和華必施恩給他。

26 人仰望耶和華,靜默等候他的救恩,這原是好的。

西元1814年,法國將軍陶美尼打仗時,被敵軍炸斷一條腿,負責擦皮鞋的勤務兵為此難過的哭著;陶美尼將軍斥責說:「哭什麼哭!你忘了嗎?軍人只能流血、流汗,不能流淚!以後我只要穿一隻皮鞋就好了,多方便啊!你只要擦一隻皮鞋就夠了,多輕鬆啊!」

有句話說:「命好不如態度好!」發生事情以後,執著過去已經不重要了,重要的是你怎麼面對未來!所謂的態度有部分是我們生活上的行為表現,更重要的是我們心靈的交託和盼望,也就是我們的信心!我們相信天父的慈愛,祂的憐憫永不斷絕。因此,信心將我們從痛苦的災禍深淵救拔出來,再將我們浸泡在喜樂的救恩泉源當中。