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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.

賜生命的主

2025-05-21 in , /by

出埃及記3:14a    神對摩西說：「我是自有永有的。」

耶利米書10:10a  唯耶和華是真神，是活神，是永遠的王。  

約翰福音17:3  認識祢獨一的真神，並且認識祢所差來的耶穌基督，這就是永生。

舊約中「永生」一詞來自希伯來文 עוֹלָם (ʿolam)，意思是永遠、長久、或時間的無限，因為沒有生命的含意，詞意並不直接等同於「永生」。

舊約常用的「永生神(El Olam)」是將永遠和神兩個字放一起，表明神在時間層面的屬性，祂是自有永有的（出埃及記3:14），祂是從亙古到永遠的神（詩篇90:2）。

神說：「我憑著永生起誓…」（申命記32:40），「惟耶和華是真神，是活神，是永遠的王。」（耶利米書10:10），這兩處經文的永生和永遠，是同一個字ʿolam，指出神是永不改變的長遠存在，並未呈現生命的含意。

舊約希伯來文中很少出現直接對應具「永生」含意的詞，僅有一處，詩篇133:3「好比黑門的甘露降在錫安山，因為在那裡有耶和華所命定的福，就是永遠的生命。」此處，永遠的生命(chayyei olam)是將永遠和生命兩個字放一起。

Jesus Your Burnt Offering

2025-05-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Leviticus 1:1-17. 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!

Today we begin the book of Leviticus. According to many scholars, Leviticus was most likely written by Moses himself in approximately the second half of 15th century B.C. It was apparently the first book that a Jewish child studied and contained many of the sacrificial and ceremonial laws that the Jewish people were to follow. From the book of Leviticus we can learn a lot about the character of God.

Leviticus 1:1-2 (NIV)
1 The LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting. He said,
2 “Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘When any of you brings an offering to the LORD, bring as your offering an animal from either the herd or the flock.

我知誰掌管明天

2025-05-20 in , /by

雅各書 4:14-15    其實明天如何，你們還不知道。你們的生命是什麼呢？你們原來是一片雲霧，出現少時就不見了。 15 你們只當說：「主若願意，我們就可以活著，也可以做這事或做那事。」 

我不知明日將如何，每時刻安然度過；我不求明天的陽光，因明天或轉陰暗。
我不為將來而憂慮，因我知主所應許；今天我必與主同行，祂深知前途光景。
許多事明天將臨到，許多事難以明瞭；但我知主掌管明天，祂必要領我向前。

艾拉·史坦菲爾(Ira Forest Stanphill)是20世紀美國著名的福音詩歌作家和巡迴佈道家，一生創作超過500首詩歌，《我知誰掌管明天》是最廣為流傳的一首。

1914年，史坦菲爾出生於美國新墨西哥州，在基督徒家庭長大，自小接觸音樂與教會生活，10歲開始彈鋼琴與風琴，12歲開始作曲。他於神學院獲得音樂與神學訓練，22歲成為音樂牧師與巡迴佈道家，常以音樂服事來分享福音；在那個時代，他的音樂風格被認為既「流行」又「敬虔」，能夠吸引教會內外的人。

在1940年代末期，史坦菲爾的婚姻出現極大危機，他的妻子離開他並拒絕信仰，這對他造成極大打擊。在那段人生低谷中，他仍堅持事奉主，甚至說：「我選擇在破碎中服事，因為神能使用破碎的器皿。」

Eat with the King

2025-05-19 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 25:8-25:30.  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 25:8-21 (NIV)
8  On the seventh day of the fifth month, in the nineteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard, an official of the king of Babylon, came to Jerusalem.
9  He set fire to the temple of the LORD, the royal palace and all the houses of Jerusalem. Every important building he burned down.

On 2 Kings 25:8-21: King Nebuchadnezzar has captured Judah’s capital city of Jerusalem and has deported Judah’s King Zedekiah along with approximately 10,000 Judahites to Babylon (v1-7). Now in these verses we see King Nebuchadnezzar setting fire to the temple of the Lord, the royal palace, all the houses and every important building in Jerusalem (v8-9). 

讓今天成為美事

2025-05-19 in , /by

詩篇30:5  因為祂的怒氣不過是轉眼之間，祂的恩典乃是一生之久，一宿雖然有哭泣，早晨便必歡呼。

耶利米哀歌 3:23  每早晨這都是新的，祢的誠實極其廣大。

詩篇 5:3  耶和華啊，早晨你必聽我的聲音；早晨我必向你陳明我的心意，並要警醒。

大衛在獻殿的時候作詩歌，歌頌神，稱讚祂的聖名，因為他深深體會，神的怒氣僅在轉瞬之間，神的恩典乃是一生之久。黑夜或許充滿眼淚與掙扎，但是神未遠離，黑夜過去，天一亮，祂依然與我們同在，我們可以歡呼迎接新的開始。

大衛說：「一宿雖然有哭泣，早晨便必歡呼。」（詩篇30:5）

清晨，神的慈愛與憐憫再次臨到，這是祂誠實不變的應許，祂給每一個人都有新的一天。在這時刻，萬物甦醒，我們的心也再次被更新。「每早晨，這都是新的；祢的誠實極其廣大。」（耶利米哀歌 3:23）

從「永遠」進入「永生」

2025-05-18 in , /by

約翰福音 3:1-21  

有一個法利賽人，名叫尼哥迪慕，是猶太人的官。 2 這人夜裡來見耶穌，說：「拉比，我們知道你是由神那裡來做師傅的，因為你所行的神蹟，若沒有神同在，無人能行。」 3 耶穌回答說：「我實實在在地告訴你：人若不重生，就不能見神的國。」 4 尼哥迪慕說：「人已經老了，如何能重生呢？豈能再進母腹生出來嗎？」 5 耶穌說：「我實實在在地告訴你：人若不是從水和聖靈生的，就不能進神的國。 6 從肉身生的就是肉身，從靈生的就是靈。

耶穌第一個傳福音的對象是尼哥底母（約翰福音3:1-21），他是法利賽人、猶太人的官，擁有舊約傳統的宗教和社會地位。他夜裡來見耶穌，也許是謙卑尋見、或是避人耳目；但耶穌與他一席詳談，帶他明白如何從舊約的「永遠」進入「永生」，將「永遠」賦予生命意義，闡述永遠的生命。

耶穌劈頭給尼哥底母一個重擊，「我說：『你們必須重生』，你不要以為希奇。（約翰福音3:3-7）」；接著，祂用猶太人熟捻的「摩西曠野舉蛇」歷史（民數記21:4-9），來說明得著「生命」的真理。

以色列人出埃及後，在曠野途中，因艱苦與缺水缺糧而向神和摩西抱怨。神使火蛇進入百姓中間，咬死了許多人，懲罰他們的埋怨與背棄。後來，百姓悔改，神吩咐摩西製造一條銅蛇，掛在杆子上，凡被蛇咬的，只要抬頭仰望銅蛇，就必得痊癒。摩西照做，銅蛇成了神憐憫與救贖的記號。

God’s Preferred Way of Working in Your Life

2025-05-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 24:8-25:7.  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 24:8-19 (NIV)
8  Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem three months. His mother’s name was Nehushta daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem.
9  He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father had done.

On 2 Kings 24:8-19:  These verses describe how in approximately 597 B.C. while Jehoiachin is king of Judah, King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon invades Judah again, this time deporting back to Babylon approximately 10,000 Judahites, including King Jehoiachin, his mother, wives, officials, 7,000 soldiers and 1,000 craftsmen and artisans. 

God is King Over All

2025-05-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 23:21-24:7.  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 23:21-23 (NIV) 
21  The king gave this order to all the people: “Celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, as it is written in this Book of the Covenant.” 
22  Not since the days of the judges who led Israel, nor throughout the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah, had any such Passover been observed. 
23  But in the eighteenth year of King Josiah, this Passover was celebrated to the LORD in Jerusalem.
 
On verses 21-23:  In the Book of the Law, God had commanded His people to celebrate the Passover, an annual festival intended to commemorate how God had rescued His people.  As part of ushering a revival (a spiritual awakening) in his land, Josiah leads the people of Judah in celebrating the Passover for the first time in approximately 500 years.