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Sometimes God Needs To Disturb the Peace So A Greater Peace Can Result

2025-04-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 9:14-29.  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 9:14-29 (NIV)
14  So Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi, conspired against Joram. (Now Joram and all Israel had been defending Ramoth Gilead against Hazael king of Aram,
15  but King Joram had returned to Jezreel to recover from the wounds the Arameans had inflicted on him in the battle with Hazael king of Aram.) Jehu said, “If this is the way you feel, don’t let anyone slip out of the city to go and tell the news in Jezreel.”

On verses 14-29:  These verses describe how Jehu assassinates Joram king of Israel and Ahaziah king of Judah.  Jehu travels from Ramoth Gilead to Jezreel where Joram king of Israel is nursing his wounds from battle and where Ahaziah king of Judah has gone to visit Joram (v14-16).  When Joram’s guards spot Jehu approaching in his chariot, twice Joram sends a horseman to ask Jehu, “Do you come in peace?”

If You Want to Hear from God, Make THIS Your Habit

2025-04-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 9:1-13.  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 9:1-6 (NIV)
1  The prophet Elisha summoned a man from the company of the prophets and said to him, “Tuck your cloak into your belt, take this flask of oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead.
2  When you get there, look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi. Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room.

On verses 1-6:  Elisha sends one of his junior prophets to speak to Jehu and anoint him as the next king of Israel.  Notice Elisha’s instructions to that junior prophet: “Go to him, get him away from his companions and take him into an inner room” (v2).

我聽見祂的教導與警告…

2025-04-15 in , /by

馬可福音13章

耶穌從殿裡出來的時候，有一個門徒對他說：「夫子，請看，這是何等的石頭，何等的殿宇！」 2 耶穌對他說：「你看見這大殿宇嗎？將來在這裡沒有一塊石頭留在石頭上不被拆毀了。」

3 耶穌在橄欖山上對聖殿而坐，彼得、雅各、約翰和安得烈暗暗地問他說： 4 「請告訴我們，什麼時候有這些事呢？這一切事將成的時候有什麼預兆呢？」 5 耶穌說：「你們要謹慎，免得有人迷惑你們。 6 將來有好些人冒我的名來，說『我是基督』，並且要迷惑許多人。 7 你們聽見打仗和打仗的風聲，不要驚慌，這些事是必須有的，只是末期還沒有到。 8 民要攻打民，國要攻打國，多處必有地震、饑荒，這都是災難的起頭。

那一天（星期二），耶穌與宗教領袖辯論，講論天國的比喻，批評法利賽人、文士的偽善（馬太21-23章），預言聖殿將被毀，講論末世的徵兆（馬太福音24-25章；馬可福音13章；路加福音21章）。

我跟在人群中，聽祂講道。猶太人空有虔誠表面的虛偽信仰，有如路旁枯萎的無花果樹，祂的話語如同利劍，刺穿我自以為義的空殼生命。祂提醒我：

「第一要緊的就是說：『以色列啊，你要聽，主─我們神是獨一的主。你要盡心、盡性、盡意、盡力愛主─你的神。』其次就是說：『要愛人如己。』再沒有比這兩條誡命更大的了。」（馬可福音12:29-31）

God Is At His Best Even When You’re At Your Worst

2025-04-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 8:16-29.  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 8:16-18 (NIV) 
16  In the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel, when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah, Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat began his reign as king of Judah. 
17  He was thirty-two years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years. 
18  He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done, for he married a daughter of Ahab. He did evil in the eyes of the LORD. 

On verses 16-18:  Jehoram succeeds his father Jehoshaphat as the king of Judah.  But instead of being a humble, wise, God-fearing king like his father Jehoshaphat was, Jehoram is said to have “walked in the ways of the kings of Israel, as the house of Ahab had done” (v18).  In other words, like Ahab, Jehoram worshiped other gods. 

我看見祂潔淨聖殿…

2025-04-14 in , /by

馬太福音21:12-17

耶穌進了神的殿，趕出殿裡一切做買賣的人，推倒兌換銀錢之人的桌子和賣鴿子之人的凳子， 13 對他們說：「經上記著說：『我的殿必稱為禱告的殿』，你們倒使它成為賊窩了！」 14 在殿裡有瞎子、瘸子到耶穌跟前，他就治好了他們。 15 祭司長和文士看見耶穌所行的奇事，又見小孩子在殿裡喊著說「和散那歸於大衛的子孫」，就甚惱怒， 16 對他說：「這些人所說的，你聽見了嗎？」耶穌說：「是的。經上說『你從嬰孩和吃奶的口中完全了讚美』的話，你們沒有念過嗎？」 17 於是離開他們，出城到伯大尼去，在那裡住宿。

那一天（星期一），耶穌進入聖殿，趕出在殿裡做買賣的人，推翻兌換銀錢者的桌子（馬太福音21:12-17；馬可福音11:15-19；路加福音19:45-48）。

我站在聖殿外，聽見鞭子的聲音。我遠遠看見祂怒目喝斥，把桌椅推翻，錢幣在石板地上叮噹作響，鴿子驚慌飛起，攤販們咒罵、逃竄。我從未見過祂這樣動怒，祂那雙總是充滿慈愛的眼睛，如今燃燒著烈焰。祂說：

「…我的殿必稱為萬國禱告的殿嗎？你們倒使它成為賊窩了！」（馬可福音11:17）

我看見祂騎著驢駒…

2025-04-13 in , /by

馬太福音21:1-11

耶穌和門徒將近耶路撒冷，到了伯法其，在橄欖山那裡， 2 耶穌就打發兩個門徒，對他們說：「你們往對面村子裡去，必看見一匹驢拴在那裡，還有驢駒同在一處。你們解開，牽到我這裡來。 3 若有人對你們說什麼，你們就說：『主要用牠。』那人必立時讓你們牽來。」 4 這事成就，是要應驗先知的話說： 5 「要對錫安的居民說：『看哪，你的王來到你這裡，是溫柔的，又騎著驢，就是騎著驢駒子。』」 6 門徒就照耶穌所吩咐的去行， 7 牽了驢和驢駒來，把自己的衣服搭在上面，耶穌就騎上。

那一天（星期日），耶穌騎著驢駒進入耶路撒冷，群眾夾道歡呼：「和散那！」並鋪上棕櫚枝與衣服迎接祂（馬太福音21:1-11；馬可福音11:1-11；路加福音19:28-44；約翰福音12:12-19）。

我站在人群中，看見祂騎著驢駒緩緩而來。人們揮舞著棕枝迎接祂，掌聲、棕枝、歡呼聲震耳欲聾，彷彿祂是他們期盼已久的王。但在人群熱烈的表象下，我感覺到一絲哀傷。祂知道，人們不了解真正的救贖；他們要的，是一位勝利者，而不是一位受苦的僕人。

這樣的榮耀，祂會如何承受？今日的歡呼，是否也能承擔明日的拒絕？

The King Has Spoken and You Are Restored

2025-04-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 8:1-15.  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 8:1-6 (NIV)
1  Now Elisha had said to the woman whose son he had restored to life, “Go away with your family and stay for a while wherever you can, because the LORD has decreed a famine in the land that will last seven years.”
2  The woman proceeded to do as the man of God said. She and her family went away and stayed in the land of the Philistines seven years.

On verses 1-6:  Elisha the prophet tells the woman whose son he had raised back to life to move away from Israel temporarily because a seven year famine was coming to Israel.  After living away from Israel for 7 years, the woman returns to Israel, but by this time the government has taken over her land.  So the woman goes to the king of Israel in hopes of getting her land back.

Faith Doesn’t Need To Be Blind

2025-04-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 7:1-20.  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 7:1-20 (NIV)
1  Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD. This is what the LORD says: About this time tomorrow, a seah of flour will sell for a shekel and two seahs of barley for a shekel at the gate of Samaria.”
2  The officer on whose arm the king was leaning said to the man of God, “Look, even if the LORD should open the floodgates of the heavens, could this happen?” “You will see it with your own eyes,” answered Elisha, “but you will not eat any of it!”

On verses 1-20:  Samaria is in the middle of siege and famine where food resources are increasingly scarce and expensive.  Yet Elisha the prophet predicts that within 24 hours the finest flour and barley will be sold for extremely cheap (v1).  An officer of King Joram does not believe it.  In response to the officer’s unbelief, Elisha states that this officer will see it with his own eyes but will not eat any of it (v2).  Meanwhile, four lepers stand at Samaria’s city gate and reason that they’ll die from starvation if they stay at the city gate or go into the city, so they might as well go to the Aramean camp and surrender, since the worst that could happen to them is that they die there too. 

垃圾時間

2025-04-11 in , /by

馬可福音13:32-37

耶穌說：「但那日子，那時辰，沒有人知道，連天上的使者也不知道，子也不知道，惟有父知道。你們要謹慎，警醒祈禱，因為你們不曉得那日期幾時來到。這事正如一個人離開本家，寄居外邦，把權柄交給僕人，分派各人當做的工，又吩咐看門的警醒。所以，你們要警醒；因為你們不知道家主甚麼時候來，或晚上，或半夜，或雞叫，或早晨；恐怕他忽然來到，看見你們睡著了。我對你們所說的話，也是對眾人說：要警醒！」

垃圾時間(Garbage time)常用於有時間限制的多種體育賽事，通常在一場比賽中，雙方隊伍的得分分數差距太大，已經難以改變勝負結果，這時剩餘的比賽時間就被稱為垃圾時間。在垃圾時間，雙方成員就不大會盡力投入比賽，大家準備搓掉時間而結束比賽。

也許我們會想：我已經信神，可以得永生了，那我剩餘的人生呢？是不是就等於是體育賽事中的垃圾時間？

在一支隊伍吞下11敗後又即將接續吞下敗仗時，教練準備放棄比賽，派出板凳球員上場來消磨垃圾時間；但這位在過去23場比賽只上場不到55分鐘的球員，卻為球隊帶來了最好的成績。我們可以從林書豪的身上得到學習。

Remember Who Your Real Enemy Is

2025-04-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 6:24-33.  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 6:24-30 (NIV)
24  Some time later, Ben-Hadad king of Aram mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria.
25  There was a great famine in the city; the siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels.
26  As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my lord the king!”

On verses 24-30:  King Ben-Hadad of Aram has laid seige to Samaria, Israel’s capital city.  Without access to food, Samaria suffers a severe famine.  The Israelites in Samaria are so desperate that in verses 26-29 we read about two Israelite mothers who apparently agreed that they would eat their sons to survive.  Now that one mother’s son has been eaten, the other mother refuses to let her own son suffer the same fate.