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一瓢水

2025-05-27 in , /by

出埃及記30:17-21

17 耶和華曉諭摩西說： 18 「你要用銅做洗濯盆和盆座，以便洗濯。要將盆放在會幕和壇的中間，在盆裡盛水。 19 亞倫和他的兒子要在這盆裡洗手洗腳。 20 他們進會幕，或是就近壇前供職給耶和華獻火祭的時候，必用水洗濯，免得死亡。 21 他們洗手洗腳，就免得死亡。這要做亞倫和他後裔世世代代永遠的定例。」

來到水槽，打開龍頭，捧水盈手，洗淨面容，是早晨起床最舒服的一件事；明目清新，滿滿精神的感覺，帶來一天的喜樂、更新及盼望。想起泰北短宣回來姊妹分享用黃水洗滌的生活體會，每早晨捧著清水總是有無以言喻的感謝，用水洗淨是我們經常的事，是我們喜歡的事，但我們常常忽視「洗淨」對我們生命的意義。

舊約時代並沒有「洗禮」這個詞，猶太律法只規定祭司進入會幕前，必須先洗手洗腳，以表示潔淨（出埃及記30:17-21），這種「潔淨禮」是屬於祭司的條例。當時律法也規定長大痲瘋的人得醫治，經過祭司查驗後，要舉行「潔淨禮」（利未記14:1-9）；民眾若患有不潔淨的規定時，要用水沐浴來表明他已潔淨。

新約時代，施洗約翰在約旦河施洗，呼召人悔改（馬太福音3:1-6）；耶穌也「盡諸般的義」接受施洗約翰的洗禮，受了洗後，天為祂開了，神的靈彷彿鴿子落在祂身上（馬太福音3:13-17）。

祂禱告

2025-05-26 in , /by

約翰福音11:41-42  他們就把石頭挪開。耶穌舉目望天，說：「父啊，我感謝祢，因為祢已經聽我。 42 我也知道祢常聽我，但我說這話是為周圍站著的眾人，叫他們信是祢差了我來。」

路加福音 22:31-32  主又說：「西門，西門，撒旦想要得著你們，好篩你們像篩麥子一樣。 32 但我已經為你祈求，叫你不至於失了信心。你回頭以後，要堅固你的弟兄。」

天未亮、一整夜、離開眾人時刻…、甚至斷氣前，靜寂之時，祂需要，祂禱告。
在山上、曠野、客西馬尼園…、甚至十架上，獨處之時，祂需要，祂禱告。

耶穌受洗時禱告。祂正禱告的時候，天就開了，聖靈降臨在祂身上，形狀彷彿鴿子；又有聲音從天上來，說：「祢是我的愛子，我喜悅祢。」（路加福音3:21-22）

耶穌選召門徒前禱告。那時，祂上山禱告，整夜禱告神；到了天亮，叫祂的門徒來，就從他們中間挑選十二個人，稱他們為使徒。（路加福音6:12-13）

耶穌為五餅二魚祝謝禱告。祂拿起餅來，祝謝了，就分給那坐著的人；分魚也是這樣，都隨著他們所要的。（約翰福音6:11）

“Sorry, I didn’t know!”

2025-05-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 5:1-19. 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 5:1 (NIV)
1  “‘If a person sins because he does not speak up when he hears a public charge to testify regarding something he has seen or learned about, he will be held responsible.

On verse 1:  Often we think that sinning is when we do bad things.  Verse 1 shows us that failing to do the good that we know we ought to do is sin.  For example, refusing to speak up against injustice is sin.  James 4:17 says “Anyone who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins”.  That’s how high God’s moral standards are.  For God, holiness is not just about avoiding wrong; it’s about always doing what is right.  Anything less than that is sin in God’s eyes.  Praise God that even though all of us have sinned, God has given us His Son Jesus to save us from our sins.

祂從禍坑裡把我拉上來

2025-05-25 in , /by

羅馬書7:18-24

我也知道，在我裡頭，就是我肉體之中，沒有良善。因為立志為善由得我，只是行出來由不得我。 19 故此，我所願意的善，我反不做；我所不願意的惡，我倒去做。 20 若我去做所不願意做的，就不是我做的，乃是住在我裡頭的罪做的。 21 我覺得有個律，就是我願意為善的時候，便有惡與我同在。 22 因為按著我裡面的意思，我是喜歡神的律， 23 但我覺得肢體中另有個律和我心中的律交戰，把我擄去，叫我附從那肢體中犯罪的律。 24 我真是苦啊！誰能救我脫離這取死的身體呢？

驢子掉入深坑內，人倒土入深坑，驢子靠著不斷倒入的土，站上去，離開深坑。鴨子掉入深坑內，人注水入深坑，鴨子靠著不斷上升的水，浮上來，離開深坑。

若人掉入深坑呢？

When a Leader Sins against God

2025-05-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 4:22-35. 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 4:22-35 (NIV)
22  “‘When a leader sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the commands of the LORD his God, he is guilty.
23  When he is made aware of the sin he committed, he must bring as his offering a male goat without defect.

On verses 22-35:  In Leviticus 4, notice that when a person sins unintentionally, the animal to be sacrificed for the sin offering depends on the person’s position in the community.

When You Sin By Accident

2025-05-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 4:1-17. 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 4:1-21 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Say to the Israelites: ‘When anyone sins unintentionally and does what is forbidden in any of the LORD’s commands–
3  “‘If the anointed priest sins, bringing guilt on the people, he must bring to the LORD a young bull without defect as a sin offering for the sin he has committed.

On verses 1-21:  Leviticus 4:1-21 talks about what happens when a Jew sins against God unintentionally  (v1).  For example, maybe that person did something that was against God’s laws but they were not aware that they did it, or maybe they didn’t know it was something God’s laws prohibited.

我現在正缺乏

2025-05-23 in , /by

詩篇 23 大衛的詩

1 耶和華是我的牧者，我必不致缺乏。
2 祂使我躺臥在青草地上，領我在可安歇的水邊。
3 祂使我的靈魂甦醒，為自己的名引導我走義路。

久未謀面的西北弟兄回應「我必不致缺乏」的分享，他捎來Leanna Crawford在2024年創作的一首以詩篇第23篇為靈感的歌曲《Still Waters》（可安歇的水邊），這首歌帶來一個不同的詮釋。

Leanna在歌曲中唱出「我現在正缺乏」的渴望…，我知道祢的話語充滿力量，所以我要一遍又一遍地說，直到我的靈魂甦醒(I’ll say it over and over till my soul’s reminded)。這首歌的中譯歌詞是這樣寫著…

瑪琳姑媽一百零三歲時說：將經文刻在心版上，以備不時之需。
因為焦慮討厭詩篇第23篇，所以你要對自己唸詩篇第23篇，直到你相信它。
而我現在感覺，我正需要它！

耶和華是我的牧者，我必不至缺乏，祂領我在可安歇的水邊，直到我的恐懼消失。
我雖然行過死蔭的幽谷，喔！我知道祢與我同在，我的天父！我的朋友！
我一生一世必有祢的恩惠慈愛隨著我，我知道在祢安靜的水邊，我享安全。

我知所信的是誰

2025-05-22 in , /by

約翰福音 16:7-8   然而我將真情告訴你們，我去是於你們有益的。我若不去，保惠師就不到你們這裡來；我若去，就差祂來。 8 祂既來了，就要叫世人為罪、為義、為審判，自己責備自己。

不知何以上主恩惠，待我如此豐饒，不堪如我亦蒙選召，主恩何等奇妙。
不知何以因信得救，此恩向我成就，不知何以一信主話，滿心平安無憂。
不知如何聖靈感動，使人自覺罪污，由聖經中顯明耶穌，引人信靠救主。
不知明日將遇何事，前途或順或逆；但主慈愛永不更易，主必撫養到底。
不知我主何時再臨，如何與主相逢？或將經過死蔭幽谷，或遇主於空中。
惟我深知，所信的是誰，並且也深信，祂必定能夠，
保守我所交付祂的，都全備直到那日。

丹尼爾·韋伯斯特·惠特爾(Daniel Webster Whittle)是一位福音佈道家與詩歌作者，曾經是銀行員、美國南北戰爭時期的退役軍官。在芝加哥鐘錶公司工作時，與著名的佈道家慕迪(Dwight L. Moody)密切合作，是19世紀末期福音佈道運動的重要一員。

1840年，惠特爾出生於美國麻州的奇科皮市，母親十分敬虔，積極將基督信仰傳給自己的四個孩子，惠特爾卻遲遲未能真正認識基督。1861年，他在美國南北戰爭期間服役，在一場戰事中受傷，失去了右手臂，之後還被送進戰俘營。戰後，他被授予少校官階，從此他就被稱為「惠特爾少校」。

惠特爾在受傷養病過程，很想看書，於是拿出從軍前母親流淚送他，塞進隨行帆布包中的小本新約聖經。從馬太福音一章一章的讀，讀到啟示錄，再回頭讀，反覆的讀，越讀越覺有趣，但是他坦承，當時他還不認為自己是基督徒。

Bring Your Innermost Feelings to God

2025-05-22 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 3:1-17. 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 3:1-17 (NIV)
1  “‘If someone’s offering is a fellowship offering, and he offers an animal from the herd, whether male or female, he is to present before the LORD an animal without defect.
2  He is to lay his hand on the head of his offering and slaughter it at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting. Then Aaron’s sons the priests shall sprinkle the blood against the altar on all sides.

On verses 1-17:  As you read the first few chapters of Leviticus talking about the different offerings that God commanded the Jews to give, maybe you’re thinking, “What do these offerings have anything to do with us today?”  These offerings have much to do with us. They are pictures foreshadowing what Christ would do for us in the New Testament. Each offering described in Leviticus speaks to a unique aspect of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ.

Forgiveness and Gratitude Go Together

2025-05-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 2:1-16. 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 2:1-12 (NIV)
1  “‘When someone brings a grain offering to the LORD, his offering is to be of fine flour. He is to pour oil on it, put incense on it
2  and take it to Aaron’s sons the priests. The priest shall take a handful of the fine flour and oil, together with all the incense, and burn this as a memorial portion on the altar, an offering made by fire, an aroma pleasing to the LORD.

On verses 1-12:  Leviticus 2 describes a second type of offering that the Israelites were commanded to give:  the grain offering.  Whereas the burnt offering in Leviticus 1 involved sacrificing animals for the forgiveness of sins, the grain offering in Leviticus 2 involved sacrificing vegetables (i.e. grain) and was for the purpose of giving thanks to God.