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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.

真葡萄树上的枝子

2025-06-08 in , /by

约翰福音15:1-6

我是真葡萄树，我父是栽培的人。 2 凡属我不结果子的枝子，他就剪去；凡结果子的，他就修理干净，使枝子结果子更多。 3 现在你们因我讲给你们的道，已经干净了。 4 你们要常在我里面，我也常在你们里面。枝子若不常在葡萄树上，自己就不能结果子；你们若不常在我里面，也是这样。

旧约里，以色列民族是神栽种的上等葡萄树，全然是真种子；然而，他们却变为外邦葡萄树的坏枝子（耶利米书2:21），结出野葡萄（以赛亚书5:1-7）。

约翰福音15:1-6中，耶稣阐明自己是「真葡萄树」，天父是栽培的人，门徒（信主的人）则是连结于祂的枝子。这段经文除了印证旧约先知所预言：「从耶西的本（树干、树桩之意）必发一条；从他根生的枝子必结果实。」（以赛亚书11:1）之外，也强调真葡萄树（耶稣）与枝子（门徒、信主的人）的生命关系。

人栽种葡萄树的目的是结果子，天父所栽培的真葡萄树也是如此，期待连结于树的枝子能结果子，活出丰盛的生命，带出恩典与祝福。耶稣谈到不结果子的枝子，祂就剪去，丢在外面枯干，人拾起来，扔在火里烧了。

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.  

真葡萄树

2025-06-06 in , /by

以赛亚书5:1-7   

我要为我所亲爱的唱歌，是我所爱者的歌，论他葡萄园的事。我所亲爱的有葡萄园，在肥美的山冈上。 2 他刨挖园子，捡去石头，栽种上等的葡萄树，在园中盖了一座楼，又凿出压酒池，指望结好葡萄，反倒结了野葡萄。

巴勒斯坦（以色列与周边地区）的葡萄树不只是经济作物，也是文化与宗教的象征。巴勒斯坦属于地中海型气候，冬季温和多雨，有利于葡萄的根系发育；夏季干燥炎热，有助于果实成熟、糖分集中。犹大山地、以法莲山地的丘陵地区排水良好、土壤肥沃，特别适合种植葡萄。

古代巴勒斯坦的葡萄栽培方式和现代葡萄园不同，多数葡萄树不架高，而是低矮沿地面爬行，或攀爬在石墙、棚架上。因地中海阳光强烈，低矮的生长方式有助于保留水分，并减少曝晒。秋季采收葡萄后，枝子会被修剪。

旧约里，神将以色列民族比喻为一棵葡萄树，祂从埃及领出，亲手栽种在迦南地的葡萄园中（诗篇80:8），祂为这棵树除石开垦，筑墙防护，期待它结出甜美的果实，但令人痛心的是，这棵树竟结出野葡萄（败坏与不义）（以赛亚书5:1-7）。这不只是亲手栽种农夫的失望，更代表神对祂子民不领受其心意的哀叹。

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.

我饶恕你！全心全意！

2025-06-05 in , /by

马太福音 6:12   免我们的债，如同我们免了人的债。
马太福音 6:14-15    你们饶恕人的过犯，你们的天父也必饶恕你们的过犯。 15 你们不饶恕人的过犯，你们的天父也必不饶恕你们的过犯。

马太福音18:21-35

21 那时，彼得进前来，对耶稣说：「主啊，我弟兄得罪我，我当饶恕他几次呢？到七次可以吗？」 22 耶稣说：「我对你说，不是到七次，乃是到七十个七次。 23 天国好像一个王要和他仆人算帐。 24 才算的时候，有人带了一个欠一千万银子的来。 25 因为他没有什么偿还之物，主人吩咐把他和他妻子儿女并一切所有的都卖了偿还。 26 那仆人就俯伏拜他，说：『主啊，宽容我！将来我都要还清。』 27 那仆人的主人就动了慈心，把他释放了，并且免了他的债。

柯丽·特恩·鲍姆(Corrie ten Boom)是荷兰一位钟表匠家庭的女儿，在第二次世界大战期间，她与家人冒着生命危险，在自家钟表店中设置密室，秘密收容犹太人，帮助他们逃离纳粹的迫害。后来他们被蓄意告发，全家被逮捕，她被送往德国的拉文斯布吕克集中营，姐姐贝琪(Betsie)在集中营中因营养不良与疾病而死。

战争结束后，柯丽奇蹟生还，她经历了极深的苦难，家人死亡、被羞辱、饥饿、虐待，但她没有选择仇恨。她深信耶稣基督的爱与赦免是唯一能医治这个破碎世界的力量，便走上宣教之路，到处分享见证。

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. 

有福的确据

2025-06-04 in , /by

诗篇 33:12  以耶和华为神的，那国是有福的！祂所拣选为自己产业的，那民是有福的！

诗篇 84:12  万军之耶和华啊，倚靠祢的人便为有福！

诗篇89:15  知道向祢欢呼的，那民是有福的！耶和华啊，他们在祢脸上的光里行走。

诗篇 94:12  耶和华啊，祢所管教，用律法所教训的人是有福的！

被喻为圣诗皇后的芬妮·克罗斯比(Fanny Crosby, 1823-1915)是美国著名的基督教赞美诗词作者，尽管她是位盲人，但她从幼年起共写了超过8,000首赞美诗，可说是历史上多产赞美诗作者之一。

芬妮出生于美国纽约州乡下的贫穷家庭，幼年因感冒被误诊而失明。芬妮在她的自传中说：「…我活到现在，从来就没有一刻恨过那位医生，因我一直知道，慈爱的神，曾藉祂无限的慈爱与奇妙的旨意，使我还能有机会事奉祂。」

芬妮的父亲早逝，她是由母亲和祖母抚养长大，带领认识神并学习圣经真理。她八岁开始写诗，中学就读盲校期间，作品曾多次获奖。她的圣诗创作从四十一岁才开始，之后就决定以此为终生工作。

为你我所爱之地呼求

2025-06-03 in , /by

耶利米书29:7  我所使你们被(掳)到的那城，你们要为那城求平安，为那城祷告耶和华，因为那城得平安，你们也随着得平安。

耶利米书29:11-12  耶和华说：我知道我向你们所怀的意念是赐平安的意念，不是降灾祸的意念，要叫你们末后有指望。 12 你们要呼求我，祷告我，我就应允你们。

有一座岛，人称她福尔摩沙(Ilha Formosa)，她是「美丽之岛」，是你我所爱之地，我们身在其中，我们举手为她呼求。

亲爱的天父，祢认识祢所爱的福尔摩沙，祢关注祢所爱的「美丽之岛」，她正走在一段充满张力与挑战的路程，我们将这地的一切重担、困难、混乱，都带到祢面前，交托在祢慈爱的手中。

我们感受社会充满了对立与撕裂，人与人间因立场、信仰、选择而彼此伤害、隔阂。我们也感受政治的混乱与信任的崩塌，许多人对未来失望、无助，甚至冷漠。

这片土地在近年不断摇晃，地震频繁、灾情四起，许多家庭心惊胆战、夜不能寐。物价持续上升，房价居高不下，生活压力日趋沉重，父母为孩子的未来忧心忡忡。疾病趋缓又复燃，后遗的疲惫仍在人群中徘徊，医疗人员疲惫、心灵的创伤尚未平复。但在这一切黑暗之中，亲爱的天父，我们仍然仰望祢。