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How to Live Today With Eternity in Mind

2025-08-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 9:42-50.  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 9:42-48 (NIV)
42  “And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck.
43  If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out.

On verses 42-48:  Jesus’ words here show us a number of things:

1. Here Jesus shows us how holy God is, how nothing with sin can stand in His presence.  If it weren’t for Jesus Christ dying on the cross to pay for our sinfulness, none of us would stand a chance of going to heaven.

你可曾從樹枝上摘下果子？

2025-08-28 in , /by

約翰福音15:2  凡屬我不結果子的枝子，祂就剪去；凡結果子的，祂就修理乾淨，使枝子結果子更多。

路加福音6:43-45    因為沒有好樹結壞果子，也沒有壞樹結好果子。 44 凡樹木看果子就可以認出它來。人不是從荊棘上摘無花果，也不是從蒺藜裡摘葡萄。 45 善人從他心裡所存的善就發出善來，惡人從他心裡所存的惡就發出惡來；因為心裡所充滿的，口裡就說出來。

兒少時家中小康，但孩子們卻覺得富裕，因為我們日式房舍前有個七八十坪的庭園；大門進來沿著左手邊繞一圈，一棵不大結果的柚子樹，兩三棵木瓜樹，繞到右邊的楊桃樹是庭園中的主角，枝葉茂盛、結果纍纍，也是孩子們攀爬戲耍的園地，接下來是釋迦樹和阿嬤最喜歡的玉蘭花樹。在庭園裡爬樹、摘果，樹蔭下乘涼、讀書，當然還有澆水、鬆土、掃落葉…皆是無法抹滅的甜美回憶。

默想神

2025-08-27 in , /by

創世記24:62-63    那時，以撒住在南地，剛從庇耳拉海萊回來。 63 天將晚，以撒出來在田間默想，舉目一看，見來了些駱駝。

有段日子（一直到現在），我喜歡在忙碌的工作中，抽空到外地參與審查案件，案件跟自己無關，打個分數、做個評比，沒有壓力又不用費心；重點是，在往返交通時刻，我可以在區間車、高鐵上觀看車窗外掠過的樹木、田野、藍天…，這些是我平常在辦公室未曾思想、未曾留意的情景。看著，看著，心中湧起一種滿足感，我感謝祂！

颱風過後隔天前往雲林出差，我提早一個多小時到高鐵站，靜坐等候，默然想起一段經文：「那時，以撒住在南地，剛從庇耳拉海萊回來。天將晚，以撒出來在田間默想，舉目一看，見來了些駱駝。」（創世記24:62-63）

「庇耳拉海萊」的字義是「那看顧我的永活者之井」，是往書珥曠野路上的水泉，夏甲被驅逐時在此處遇見神（創世記16:1-14）。亞伯拉罕死後，以撒從南地遷往靠近庇耳拉海萊居住（創世記25:11）。

創世記24:62-63描述以撒從庇耳拉海萊回到當時住處南地，「天將晚，以撒出來在田間默想(Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the eventide)」。也許是經過一段艱辛取水的旅程，一天將盡，傍晚時分，以撒默想一天神的帶領。接著，聖經很特別的給了一個轉折，以撒舉目一看，見來了些駱駝，還有從美索不達米亞千里迢迢迎回的妻子利百加（創世記24:64-67）。

The Truly Great One Among Us

2025-08-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 9:33-41.  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 9:33-34 (NIV)
33  They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?”
34  But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest.

On verses 33-34:  How silly it was for the disciples to be arguing about who among them was the greatest, when in fact the greatest one by far was with them but not part of the conversation.  It’s like if Wayne Gretzky were to play with a bunch of grade school children and find them arguing about who is the greatest player among them, all the while forgetting that the greatest of all time was in their midst.

鹽與光的生命

2025-08-26 in , /by

馬太福音 19:26  耶穌看著他們說：「在人這是不能的，在神凡事都能。」

馬太福音5:13   你們是世上的鹽。鹽若失了味，怎能叫它再鹹呢？

「你們是世上的鹽。鹽若失了味，怎能叫它再鹹呢？」（馬太福音5:13）

徐賓諾護理師(Alfhild J. Gislefoss)和紀歐惠醫師(Bjarne Gislefoss)是埔里人最感念的阿公、阿媽。1950年代，這兩位來自挪威的醫師夫婦，離開安穩的歐洲生活，來到缺乏醫療、物資匱乏、疾病肆虐的台灣埔里山區。他們沒有帶來富裕的資金或豪華的設備，帶來的是一種「鹽」的力量，真誠的愛與醫治的心。

徐賓諾從小立志成為宣教士，他選擇成為一名護理師。1943年，進入奧斯陸護理學校學習，畢業後立刻獻身於醫療宣教的事工。1952年，他受挪威協力差會差派，坐了三個月的船來到台灣，先到馬偕醫院，再到新莊痲瘋病院，最後在埔里基督教醫院（簡稱「埔基」）落腳，並加入由美籍宣教士孫理蓮與謝緯醫師所創辦的「基督教山地中心診所」，開始異鄉醫療的傳道生涯。

紀歐惠生於丹麥哥本哈根，在挪威長大，1939年就讀奧斯陸醫學院，取得醫師執照後，赴美國研習麻醉醫學成為麻醉專科醫師。1960年代台灣流行小兒麻痺，許多肢體殘障患者需要矯正手術，她受邀來台灣指導麻醉技術。1963年，她被挪威路加信義會指派到埔基為偏遠山區作醫療工作。

With Prayer Comes THIS

2025-08-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 9:24-32.  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 9:24 (NIV)
24  Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” 

On verse 24:  After realizing that the size of his own faith mattered, the boy’s father declares his faith in Jesus and asks Jesus to help him overcome his unbelief.  That is a legitimate prayer and request you can make to God: “help me overcome my unbelief”.  When you pray that way, you’re coming to God honestly, humbly and with an open mind.  God loves to give grace to those who come before Him with honesty, humility and an open mind.

微光中的盼望

2025-08-25 in , /by

馬太福音 19:26  耶穌看著他們說：「在人這是不能的，在神凡事都能。」

馬太福音5:14 你們是世上的光。城造在山上，是不能隱藏的。

張進益牧師1972年生於台灣台中市，家中有六姊一兄，小時候因為爸爸生意不順而搬到台中漁村生活。他於高中輟學後跟隨其兄加入黑社會，成為率眾吸毒、鬥毆及勒索的黑幫分子。他的人生就像深夜中一艘沒有燈塔引導的船，不斷被暗礁擊碎。兩度入獄的他，甚至一度覺得自己的人生「沒有翻身的可能」。

他因重度毒癮造成身體嚴重創傷，在苗栗「仰望之家」的幫助下，他遇見了神的光。這光不僅照亮了他的罪，也溫暖了他冰冷的心。他開始戒毒、悔改，接受裝備，成為少年事工的牧者。

2001年，張進益攜手妻子楊淑慧及更生團契台灣總會成立「更生團契桃園少年之家」，2010年取「上帝大大改變我們」之意創立「大改樂團」，2017年1月，成立「榮益教會」，並擔任該教會牧師。

The Size of Your Faith Matters

2025-08-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 9:14-23.  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 9:14-23 (NIV)
14  When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them.
15  As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him.
16  “What are you arguing with them about?” he asked.

On verses 14-23:  At first in verse 19 it seems that Jesus is rebuking his disciples for their lack of faith.  But in verse 23, Jesus turns his attention to the father’s apparent lack of faith (v23).  The father’s words “If you can” suggest that the father’s faith was not strong that Jesus could help his demon-possessed son.  So when Jesus says in verse 19 “O unbelieving generation”, perhaps Jesus is not just referring to his disciples but also to those who would come to Jesus for help.

All (o) in God is good

2025-08-24 in , /by

哥林多後書1:20  神的應許不論有多少，在基督都是是的，所以藉著祂也都是實在的，叫神因我們得榮耀。

雅各書 1:17  各樣美善的恩賜和各樣全備的賞賜都是從上頭來的，從眾光之父那裡降下來的，在祂並沒有改變，也沒有轉動的影兒。

在主日早晨的崇拜中，腦海裡浮出一個感動：在G-o-d中多加一個 “o”，你就會得到G-o-o-d，從英文字面上呈現「All (o) in God is good（一切在神裡面都是好的）」(Put an extra “o” into G-o-d and you get G-o-o-d. So literally, all (o) in God is good.)。

創世記第一章描述神的創造：神說話，於是光、天空（空氣）、陸地、海洋、植物、日月星辰、空中與水中動物、地上動物和人類，就逐日出現。每一日創造之後，都有一句重複的宣告：「神看著是好的」（創世記1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25）。

到第六日結束時，更進一步說：「神看著一切所造的都甚好。」（創世記1:31）。

Understanding the Transfiguration of Jesus

2025-08-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Mark 9:1-13.  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 9:1-2 (NIV)
1  And he said to them, “I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God come with power.”
2  After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.
 
On verses 1-2:  It’s not too much of a stretch to say that when Jesus lived on earth, His glory was under cover, veiled by human flesh.  For while Jesus came to the world revealing God’s glory, in some ways by being limited to a human form Jesus was also concealing God’s glory.