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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.

赐生命的主

2025-05-21 in , /by

出埃及记3:14a    神对摩西说：「我是自有永有的。」

耶利米书10:10a  唯耶和华是真神，是活神，是永远的王。  

约翰福音17:3  认识祢独一的真神，并且认识祢所差来的耶稣基督，这就是永生。

旧约中「永生」一词来自希伯来文 עוֹלָם (ʿolam)，意思是永远、长久、或时间的无限，因为没有生命的含意，词意并不直接等同于「永生」。

旧约常用的「永生神(El Olam)」是将永远和神两个字放一起，表明神在时间层面的属性，祂是自有永有的（出埃及记3:14），祂是从亘古到永远的神（诗篇90:2）。

神说：「我凭著永生起誓…」（申命记32:40），「惟耶和华是真神，是活神，是永远的王。」（耶利米书10:10），这两处经文的永生和永远，是同一个字ʿolam，指出神是永不改变的长远存在，并未呈现生命的含意。

旧约希伯来文中很少出现直接对应具「永生」含意的词，仅有一处，诗篇133:3「好比黑门的甘露降在锡安山，因为在那里有耶和华所命定的福，就是永远的生命。」此处，永远的生命(chayyei olam)是将永远和生命两个字放一起。

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.

我知谁掌管明天

2025-05-20 in , /by

雅各书 4:14-15    其实明天如何，你们还不知道。你们的生命是什么呢？你们原来是一片云雾，出现少时就不见了。 15 你们只当说：「主若愿意，我们就可以活着，也可以做这事或做那事。」 

我不知明日将如何，每时刻安然度过；我不求明天的阳光，因明天或转阴暗。
我不为将来而忧虑，因我知主所应许；今天我必与主同行，祂深知前途光景。
许多事明天将临到，许多事难以明了；但我知主掌管明天，祂必要领我向前。

艾拉·史坦菲尔(Ira Forest Stanphill)是20世纪美国著名的福音诗歌作家和巡回布道家，一生创作超过500首诗歌，《我知谁掌管明天》是最广为流传的一首。

1914年，史坦菲尔出生于美国新墨西哥州，在基督徒家庭长大，自小接触音乐与教会生活，10岁开始弹钢琴与风琴，12岁开始作曲。他于神学院获得音乐与神学训练，22岁成为音乐牧师与巡回布道家，常以音乐服事来分享福音；在那个时代，他的音乐风格被认为既「流行」又「敬虔」，能够吸引教会内外的人。

在1940年代末期，史坦菲尔的婚姻出现极大危机，他的妻子离开他并拒绝信仰，这对他造成极大打击。在那段人生低谷中，他仍坚持事奉主，甚至说：「我选择在破碎中服事，因为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). 

让今天成为美事

2025-05-19 in , /by

诗篇30:5  因为祂的怒气不过是转眼之间，祂的恩典乃是一生之久，一宿虽然有哭泣，早晨便必欢呼。

耶利米哀歌 3:23  每早晨这都是新的，祢的诚实极其广大。

诗篇 5:3  耶和华啊，早晨你必听我的声音；早晨我必向你陈明我的心意，并要警醒。

大卫在献殿的时候作诗歌，歌颂神，称赞祂的圣名，因为他深深体会，神的怒气仅在转瞬之间，神的恩典乃是一生之久。黑夜或许充满眼泪与挣扎，但是神未远离，黑夜过去，天一亮，祂依然与我们同在，我们可以欢呼迎接新的开始。

大卫说：「一宿虽然有哭泣，早晨便必欢呼。」（诗篇30:5）

清晨，神的慈爱与怜悯再次临到，这是祂诚实不变的应许，祂给每一个人都有新的一天。在这时刻，万物苏醒，我们的心也再次被更新。「每早晨，这都是新的；祢的诚实极其广大。」（耶利米哀歌 3:23）

从「永远」进入「永生」

2025-05-18 in , /by

约翰福音 3:1-21  

有一个法利赛人，名叫尼哥迪慕，是犹太人的官。 2 这人夜里来见耶稣，说：「拉比，我们知道你是由神那里来做师傅的，因为你所行的神蹟，若没有神同在，无人能行。」 3 耶稣回答说：「我实实在在地告诉你：人若不重生，就不能见神的国。」 4 尼哥迪慕说：「人已经老了，如何能重生呢？岂能再进母腹生出来吗？」 5 耶稣说：「我实实在在地告诉你：人若不是从水和圣灵生的，就不能进神的国。 6 从肉身生的就是肉身，从灵生的就是灵。

耶稣第一个传福音的对象是尼哥底母（约翰福音3:1-21），他是法利赛人、犹太人的官，拥有旧约传统的宗教和社会地位。他夜里来见耶稣，也许是谦卑寻见、或是避人耳目；但耶稣与他一席详谈，带他明白如何从旧约的「永远」进入「永生」，将「永远」赋予生命意义，阐述永远的生命。

耶稣劈头给尼哥底母一个重击，「我说：『你们必须重生』，你不要以为希奇。（约翰福音3:3-7）」；接着，祂用犹太人熟捻的「摩西旷野举蛇」历史（民数记21:4-9），来说明得着「生命」的真理。

以色列人出埃及后，在旷野途中，因艰苦与缺水缺粮而向神和摩西抱怨。神使火蛇进入百姓中间，咬死了许多人，惩罚他们的埋怨与背弃。后来，百姓悔改，神吩咐摩西制造一条铜蛇，挂在杆子上，凡被蛇咬的，只要抬头仰望铜蛇，就必得痊愈。摩西照做，铜蛇成了神怜悯与救赎的记号。

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.