穩妥的一天
詩篇5:11 凡投靠祢的，願他們喜樂，時常歡呼，因為祢護庇他們。又願那愛祢名的人，都靠祢歡欣。
為這一天(為今天)，我獻(上)感謝，全人再次交托，與主聯結；
祂是生命活水，使我滿足歡暢，從我靈裏向外流淌，將我溢漫且從我顯彰。
無須憂慮，無須懷疑，惟尋求祂的國和祂的義，
每天都有需要，凡事向祂述說，祂賜平安深且廣闊，時時保守使我永穩妥。
常常喜樂，不住禱告，凡事謝恩無何比這更美好；
主是永活源頭，作我一切供應，凡我交托在祂手中，祂能保全一直到路終。
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2 Things to Do When You’re Under Pressure
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Kings 19:1-19. 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 19:1-4 (NIV)
1 When King Hezekiah heard this, he tore his clothes and put on sackcloth and went into the temple of the LORD.
2 He sent Eliakim the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary and the leading priests, all wearing sackcloth, to the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.
3 They told him, “This is what Hezekiah says: This day is a day of distress and rebuke and disgrace, as when children come to the point of birth and there is no strength to deliver them.
4 It may be that the LORD your God will hear all the words of the field commander, whom his master, the king of Assyria, has sent to ridicule the living God, and that he will rebuke him for the words the LORD your God has heard. Therefore pray for the remnant that still survives.”
On verses 1-4: King Hezekiah’s officials deliver Assyria’s intimidating message to Hezekiah. In response, Hezekiah does two wise things: (1) he pours his heart out to God, spending time in His presence (v1); and (2) he seeks counsel and support from the prophet Isaiah (v2-4).
人生第一次
以賽亞書46:3-4
雅各家，以色列家一切餘剩的，要聽我言！你們自從生下，就蒙我保抱；自從出胎，便蒙我懷揣。 4 直到你們年老，我仍這樣；直到你們髮白，我仍懷揣。我已造做，也必保抱；我必懷抱，也必拯救。
記憶是個已經過去，且無法改變、抹滅的事實，它被封存，卻常襲心頭，帶著溫暖，湧出感謝，特別的日子想念特別的您，媽媽！
我第一聲啼哭，您聽到、您確認、您喜悅，您明白這是您對我一生牽掛的開始；
我第一次張眼，矇矓光影中，我望著您的臉龐，您的笑容是我摸索生命的開始；
我第一個擁抱，我傾聽您的心跳，感受您的溫暖，我明白這是我可以安歇之處；
我第一次飽足，在您懷中，您為我擺設豐盛筵席，我開始領受生命的滋養成長；
我第一個腳步，您攙扶、您拍手、您喜悅，您明白這是我起步、漸遠離的開始；
…無數個第一次，您雕塑了現在的我。
6 Ways Satan Tries to Attack You and How to Defend Yourself
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Kings 18:17-37. 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 18:17-19 (NIV)
17 The king of Assyria sent his supreme commander, his chief officer and his field commander with a large army, from Lachish to King Hezekiah at Jerusalem. They came up to Jerusalem and stopped at the aqueduct of the Upper Pool, on the road to the Washerman’s Field.
18 They called for the king; and Eliakim son of Hilkiah the palace administrator, Shebna the secretary, and Joah son of Asaph the recorder went out to them.
19 The field commander said to them, “Tell Hezekiah: “‘This is what the great king, the king of Assyria, says: On what are you basing this confidence of yours?
On verses 17-19: In verses 17-37 Assyria’s field commander tries to intimidate Hezekiah’s Israelite troops. At the same time I believe through this passage we can learn 6 ways that our enemy, Satan, tries to erode our confidence and soften us up for a defeat. The quicker you can identify these 6 ways that Satan will try to attack you, the quicker you can defeat him in Jesus’ name. Let’s go!
住在祢的院宇
詩篇27:4 有一件事，我曾求耶和華，我仍要尋求，就是一生一世住在耶和華的殿中，瞻仰祂的榮美，在祂的殿裡求問。
小時候的主日清晨，母親總是特別忙碌，因為需要迅速的把五個孩子梳洗乾淨、穿戴整齊，好讓他們跟著父親準時到教會上主日學。那時父親的腳踏車是孩子們唯一的交通工具，一車載三個孩子是常見的事，如果我們家有博物館的話，父親的老爺腳踏車一定會放在最顯眼之處，因為那是我們家孩子們最深層的記憶。
從小在教會長大，自然投入團契生活，主日清晨是少年人學習晨禱的時候，教會前庭棕櫚樹下常是我們清晨聚集的地方。記得有天清晨我負責帶領晨禱，排了四張長板凳在樹下，時間到了，卻只我一個人，沒人哪！我低頭為夥伴們的平安來到禱告，禱告完後抬頭一看，前面三張長板凳坐滿了剛到的夥伴們，那時我開始學習信心的功課。
教會鼓勵年輕人參與服事，我在大學時期開始教主日學，曾經帶領一群小三的孩子一直到他們小學畢業。那段時間我跟孩子們相約在主日清晨早禱，在教堂前側小小的準備室圍在一起，大家開口輪流禱告，禱告會完後再帶他們到教會附近的市場吃早餐。在服事的過程，我看著、也跟著這群小蘿蔔頭，一起在教會成長。
日子久了，不僅要照顧小蘿蔔頭，也開始學習帶領主日學同工。主日清晨，我們全家一起到教會，我和妻子惠吟教主日學，兩個孩子當主日學學生。來到教會，習慣的打開一間間主日學教室門窗，接著進主日學辦公室和同工們一起禱告，再走到教會門口歡迎一個個來參加主日學的孩子們，這是一段充滿學習和感恩的日子。
Blaze the Trail
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Kings 18:1-16. 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 18:1-16 (NIV)
1 In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel, Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
2 He was twenty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years. His mother’s name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.
On verses 1-16: After Judah had been led by a handful of spiritually rotten, idol-worshiping kings, Hezekiah bursts onto the scene. Hezekiah courageously breaks with his predecessors’ idol worshiping traditions. He begins to use his authority as king of Judah to remove idolatry from his land. Hezekiah also courageously stands up to the king of Assyria, even while Hezekiah’s counterpart Hoshea king of Israel was being defeated by Assyria.
上帝使萬事互相效力
「萬事都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處。」（羅馬書8:28）這句話常被理解為，不管發生了甚麼，無論是好事、壞事，愛上帝的人都會在其中得到好處。這句常出現於安慰告白失敗、失戀被甩的人，或求職工作不順利。
最後一次用到這句，是在數年前。我維持讀書、打電腦的姿勢太久，沒有起來走走，做一下伸展運動，結果肩膀沾黏。這是壞事。那陣子全世界COVID-19肆虐，我們家打疫苗，丈夫和孩子們都肩膀腫痛哀哀叫。這也是壞事。我就用了這句話：「肩膀沾黏的徒手治療更痛，打疫苗的痛真是小菜一碟。真是萬事都互相效力，叫愛神的人得益處啊。」說自己更倒楣，多了肩膀沾黏的壞事，但負負得正，壞壞變好。
這句話被節錄，然後濫用、亂用。直到我閱讀希臘文聖經羅馬書第八章，才知道自己對這句話理解錯誤三十多年。
首先，「萬事都互相效力」是不正確的翻譯。「萬事」成為主詞，具有泛靈論或古代斯多葛主義的思想，以為事情有它自己的力量。許多中文聖經都做了修訂。《現代中文譯本》2019版「…上帝使萬事互相效力…」、《中文標準譯本》「…神使萬事相輔相成…」。
「萬事」πάντα是直接受格，主詞「上帝」被隱藏了。這種句法是猶太人的習慣，因為上帝太偉大了。事實上，有些古代抄本有「上帝」ὁ θεὸς。所以，不是「萬事」自己有甚麼想法意念，而是上帝使萬事互相效力。
God Is Our Deliverer and Strength
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Kings 17:34-41. 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 17:34-41 (NIV)
34 To this day they persist in their former practices. They neither worship the LORD nor adhere to the decrees and ordinances, the laws and commands that the LORD gave the descendants of Jacob, whom he named Israel.
35 When the LORD made a covenant with the Israelites, he commanded them: “Do not worship any other gods or bow down to them, serve them or sacrifice to them.
On verses 34-41: We see some of the main lessons of 2 Kings reiterated here in these verses:
1. We were made to worship the Lord alone (v36). Three times in this short passage it says “Do not worship other gods” (v35, 37, 38).
結出聖靈的果子-節制
加拉太書5:22-23 聖靈所結的果子，就是仁愛、喜樂、和平、忍耐、恩慈、良善、信實、溫柔、節制；這樣的事沒有律法禁止。
哥林多前書9:25-27 凡較力爭勝的，諸事都有節制。他們不過是要得能壞的冠冕，我們卻是要得不能壞的冠冕。26 所以，我奔跑不像無定向的，我鬥拳不像打空氣的。 27 我是攻克己身，叫身服我，恐怕我傳福音給別人，自己反被棄絕了。
「節制」是保羅在加拉太書5:22-23談到結出聖靈的果子的最後一項，它常被忽略，卻是極其重要的基督徒品格。節制的原文意思是「自我控制」或「自律」，它不在於壓抑慾望，而是靠著聖靈的能力，在思想、情緒、行為上有智慧的選擇與克制。
本應上戰場的大衛王留在宮中，睡到太陽平西，眼目看到拔示巴後，沒有節制自己的情慾，結果犯了姦淫，為掩蓋罪又謀殺她丈夫烏利亞（撒母耳記下11章）。這悲劇的開端，就是他沒有節制自己的眼目與情慾。
以掃因一時飢餓，賣掉了神所賜的長子名分，他說：「我將要死，這長子的名分於我有什麼益處呢？」（創世記25:29-34）他沒節制口腹之慾，輕看屬靈福分，後來想要承受父所祝的福，竟被棄絕，雖然號哭切求，卻得不著門路使他父親的心意回轉（希伯來書12:16-17）。
Keep It Simple
Hi GAMErs,
Today’s passage is 2 Kings 17:24-33. 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 17:24-26 (NIV)
24 The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim and settled them in the towns of Samaria to replace the Israelites. They took over Samaria and lived in its towns.
25 When they first lived there, they did not worship the LORD; so he sent lions among them and they killed some of the people.
26 It was reported to the king of Assyria: “The people you deported and resettled in the towns of Samaria do not know what the god of that country requires. He has sent lions among them, which are killing them off, because the people do not know what he requires.”
On verses 24-26: Shalmaneser king of Assyria has deported the Israelites from Samaria (Israel’s capital city) and replaces them with people from foreign lands. These foreigners do not worship the Lord in Samaria and are attacked, and in some cases killed, by lions.
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