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Jesus Gets You Where You Can’t Go

2025-06-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 13:1-17. 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 13:1-17 (NLT2)
1  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
2  “If anyone has a swelling or a rash or discolored skin that might develop into a serious skin disease, that person must be brought to Aaron the priest or to one of his sons.
3  The priest will examine the affected area of the skin. If the hair in the affected area has turned white and the problem appears to be more than skin-deep, it is a serious skin disease, and the priest who examines it must pronounce the person ceremonially unclean.

On verses 1-17:  What does it mean to be ceremonially unclean in Leviticus?  When someone is ceremonially unclean, it means that he or she, from a ceremonial worship standpoint, is unable to participate in the community worship activities of the Israelites for as long as he or she is “unclean”.  When the period of being “unclean” is over, that’s when he or she can then join the rest of the community in its community worship services.

真葡萄樹上的枝子

2025-06-08 in , /by

約翰福音15:1-6

我是真葡萄樹，我父是栽培的人。 2 凡屬我不結果子的枝子，他就剪去；凡結果子的，他就修理乾淨，使枝子結果子更多。 3 現在你們因我講給你們的道，已經乾淨了。 4 你們要常在我裡面，我也常在你們裡面。枝子若不常在葡萄樹上，自己就不能結果子；你們若不常在我裡面，也是這樣。

舊約裡，以色列民族是神栽種的上等葡萄樹，全然是真種子；然而，他們卻變為外邦葡萄樹的壞枝子（耶利米書2:21），結出野葡萄（以賽亞書5:1-7）。

約翰福音15:1-6中，耶穌闡明自己是「真葡萄樹」，天父是栽培的人，門徒（信主的人）則是連結於祂的枝子。這段經文除了印證舊約先知所預言：「從耶西的本（樹幹、樹樁之意）必發一條；從他根生的枝子必結果實。」（以賽亞書11:1）之外，也強調真葡萄樹（耶穌）與枝子（門徒、信主的人）的生命關係。

人栽種葡萄樹的目的是結果子，天父所栽培的真葡萄樹也是如此，期待連結於樹的枝子能結果子，活出豐盛的生命，帶出恩典與祝福。耶穌談到不結果子的枝子，祂就剪去，丟在外面枯乾，人拾起來，扔在火裡燒了。

You’re Rich Because Jesus Became Poor

2025-06-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 12:1-8. 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 12:1-8 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses,
2  “Say to the Israelites: ‘A woman who becomes pregnant and gives birth to a son will be ceremonially unclean for seven days, just as she is unclean during her monthly period.
3  On the eighth day the boy is to be circumcised.

On verses 1-8:  Have you ever wondered what being ceremonially unclean really means? We’re going to look at this together tomorrow.

In the meantime, why is it that a woman is ceremonially unclean for only 7 days when she gives birth to a son whereas she is ceremonially unclean for two weeks when she gives birth to a daughter?  We don’t know for sure.  

真葡萄樹

2025-06-06 in , /by

以賽亞書5:1-7   

我要為我所親愛的唱歌，是我所愛者的歌，論他葡萄園的事。我所親愛的有葡萄園，在肥美的山岡上。 2 他刨挖園子，撿去石頭，栽種上等的葡萄樹，在園中蓋了一座樓，又鑿出壓酒池，指望結好葡萄，反倒結了野葡萄。

巴勒斯坦（以色列與周邊地區）的葡萄樹不只是經濟作物，也是文化與宗教的象徵。巴勒斯坦屬於地中海型氣候，冬季溫和多雨，有利於葡萄的根系發育；夏季乾燥炎熱，有助於果實成熟、糖分集中。猶大山地、以法蓮山地的丘陵地區排水良好、土壤肥沃，特別適合種植葡萄。

古代巴勒斯坦的葡萄栽培方式和現代葡萄園不同，多數葡萄樹不架高，而是低矮沿地面爬行，或攀爬在石牆、棚架上。因地中海陽光強烈，低矮的生長方式有助於保留水分，並減少曝曬。秋季採收葡萄後，枝子會被修剪。

舊約裡，神將以色列民族比喻為一棵葡萄樹，祂從埃及領出，親手栽種在迦南地的葡萄園中（詩篇80:8），祂為這棵樹除石開墾，築牆防護，期待它結出甜美的果實，但令人痛心的是，這棵樹竟結出野葡萄（敗壞與不義）（以賽亞書5:1-7）。這不只是親手栽種農夫的失望，更代表神對祂子民不領受其心意的哀嘆。

Learning to Trust Even When You Don’t Understand

2025-06-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 11:1-47. 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 11:1-47 (NIV)
1  The LORD said to Moses and Aaron,
2  “Say to the Israelites: ‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat:
3  You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud.
4  “‘There are some that only chew the cud or only have a split hoof, but you must not eat them. The camel, though it chews the cud, does not have a split hoof; it is ceremonially unclean for you.

On verses 1-47:  What was God’s criteria for determining that certain creatures were clean and permissible for the Israelites to eat while calling other creatures unclean and forbidden to eat?  Over the centuries people have tried to come up with different explanations, but it seems that the best explanation for why certain animals were considered clean and certain animals were unclean is simply this:  God said so. 

Don’t Impair Your Judgment

2025-06-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 10:8-20. 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 10:8-11 (NIV)
8  Then the LORD said to Aaron,
9  “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the Tent of Meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.
10  You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,
11  and you must teach the Israelites all the decrees the LORD has given them through Moses.”

On verses 8-11:  Why did God tell Aaron in verses 8-9 that he and his sons must not drink wine when they go to meet with Him in the Tent of Meeting?  It’s because as priests Aaron and his sons could not afford to have their judgment impaired by anything, including alcohol.

我饒恕你！全心全意！

2025-06-05 in , /by

馬太福音 6:12   免我們的債，如同我們免了人的債。
馬太福音 6:14-15    你們饒恕人的過犯，你們的天父也必饒恕你們的過犯。 15 你們不饒恕人的過犯，你們的天父也必不饒恕你們的過犯。

馬太福音18:21-35

21 那時，彼得進前來，對耶穌說：「主啊，我弟兄得罪我，我當饒恕他幾次呢？到七次可以嗎？」 22 耶穌說：「我對你說，不是到七次，乃是到七十個七次。 23 天國好像一個王要和他僕人算帳。 24 才算的時候，有人帶了一個欠一千萬銀子的來。 25 因為他沒有什麼償還之物，主人吩咐把他和他妻子兒女並一切所有的都賣了償還。 26 那僕人就俯伏拜他，說：『主啊，寬容我！將來我都要還清。』 27 那僕人的主人就動了慈心，把他釋放了，並且免了他的債。

柯麗·特恩·鮑姆(Corrie ten Boom)是荷蘭一位鐘錶匠家庭的女兒，在第二次世界大戰期間，她與家人冒著生命危險，在自家鐘錶店中設置密室，秘密收容猶太人，幫助他們逃離納粹的迫害。後來他們被蓄意告發，全家被逮捕，她被送往德國的拉文斯布呂克集中營，姐姐貝琪(Betsie)在集中營中因營養不良與疾病而死。

戰爭結束後，柯麗奇蹟生還，她經歷了極深的苦難，家人死亡、被羞辱、飢餓、虐待，但她沒有選擇仇恨。她深信耶穌基督的愛與赦免是唯一能醫治這個破碎世界的力量，便走上宣教之路，到處分享見證。

When Your Plans Backfire

2025-06-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 10:1-7. 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 10:1-2 (NIV)
1  Aaron’s sons Nadab and Abihu took their censers, put fire in them and added incense; and they offered unauthorized fire before the LORD, contrary to his command.
2  So fire came out from the presence of the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD.

On verses 1-2:  In Leviticus 9, we saw that when the Israelites assembled together and collectively acknowledged their sin, and when Aaron the high priest painstakingly obeyed God in giving the required offerings and had a heart to bless the people, that’s when the glory of the Lord appeared to them all.  Fire from God’s presence, representing God’s favour and blessing, consumed the offerings. 

有福的確據

2025-06-04 in , /by

詩篇 33:12  以耶和華為神的，那國是有福的！祂所揀選為自己產業的，那民是有福的！

詩篇 84:12  萬軍之耶和華啊，倚靠祢的人便為有福！

詩篇89:15  知道向祢歡呼的，那民是有福的！耶和華啊，他們在祢臉上的光裡行走。

詩篇 94:12  耶和華啊，祢所管教，用律法所教訓的人是有福的！

被喻為聖詩皇后的芬妮·克羅斯比(Fanny Crosby, 1823-1915)是美國著名的基督教讚美詩詞作者，儘管她是位盲人，但她從幼年起共寫了超過8,000首讚美詩，可說是歷史上多產讚美詩作者之一。

芬妮出生於美國紐約州鄉下的貧窮家庭，幼年因感冒被誤診而失明。芬妮在她的自傳中說：「…我活到現在，從來就沒有一刻恨過那位醫生，因我一直知道，慈愛的神，曾藉祂無限的慈愛與奇妙的旨意，使我還能有機會事奉祂。」

芬妮的父親早逝，她是由母親和祖母撫養長大，帶領認識神並學習聖經真理。她八歲開始寫詩，中學就讀盲校期間，作品曾多次獲獎。她的聖詩創作從四十一歲才開始，之後就決定以此為終生工作。

為你我所愛之地呼求

2025-06-03 in , /by

耶利米書29:7  我所使你們被(擄)到的那城，你們要為那城求平安，為那城禱告耶和華，因為那城得平安，你們也隨著得平安。

耶利米書29:11-12  耶和華說：我知道我向你們所懷的意念是賜平安的意念，不是降災禍的意念，要叫你們末後有指望。 12 你們要呼求我，禱告我，我就應允你們。

有一座島，人稱她福爾摩沙(Ilha Formosa)，她是「美麗之島」，是你我所愛之地，我們身在其中，我們舉手為她呼求。

親愛的天父，祢認識祢所愛的福爾摩沙，祢關注祢所愛的「美麗之島」，她正走在一段充滿張力與挑戰的路程，我們將這地的一切重擔、困難、混亂，都帶到祢面前，交託在祢慈愛的手中。

我們感受社會充滿了對立與撕裂，人與人間因立場、信仰、選擇而彼此傷害、隔閡。我們也感受政治的混亂與信任的崩塌，許多人對未來失望、無助，甚至冷漠。

這片土地在近年不斷搖晃，地震頻繁、災情四起，許多家庭心驚膽戰、夜不能寐。物價持續上升，房價居高不下，生活壓力日趨沉重，父母為孩子的未來憂心忡忡。疾病趨緩又復燃，後遺的疲憊仍在人群中徘徊，醫療人員疲憊、心靈的創傷尚未平復。但在這一切黑暗之中，親愛的天父，我們仍然仰望祢。