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The Best Way to Prepare for Eternity

2025-04-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Kings 9:30-37.  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 9:30 (NIV)
30  Then Jehu went to Jezreel. When Jezebel heard about it, she painted her eyes, arranged her hair and looked out of a window.

On verse 30:  Having heard that Jehu has killed her son King Joram, Jezebel expects that she is next, so she paints her eyes and does her hair.  Why?  Some scholars think she was trying to seduce Jehu.  I think the more likely scenario is that she’s getting ready to die as dignified a death as possible.  Jezebel may have thought to herself, “If I’m going to die a queen mother, I better look the part!”  Ironically, despite her efforts to look good in death, Jezebel would end up being killed in the most undignified way, as we will see.

我明白祂爱我到底…

2025-04-16 in , /by

马太福音26:17-30

除酵节的第一天，门徒来问耶稣说：「你吃逾越节的筵席，要我们在哪里给你预备？」 18 耶稣说：「你们进城去，到某人那里，对他说：『夫子说：我的时候快到了，我与门徒要在你家里守逾越节。』」 19 门徒遵著耶稣所吩咐的，就去预备了逾越节的筵席。

20 到了晚上，耶稣和十二个门徒坐席。 21 正吃的时候，耶稣说：「我实在告诉你们：你们中间有一个人要卖我了。」 22 他们就甚忧愁，一个一个地问他说：「主，是我吗？」 23 耶稣回答说：「同我蘸手在盘子里的，就是他要卖我。 

那一天（星期四），耶稣与门徒守逾越节晚餐（最后的晚餐），设立圣餐，且殷切教导门徒（马太福音26:17-30；马可福音14:12-26；路加福音22:7-38；约翰福音13-17章）。晚餐后，耶稣带门徒到客西马尼园，痛苦挣扎地为自己和门徒祷告，随后犹大带兵丁捉拿了耶稣（马太福音26:36-56；马可福音14:32-50；路加福音22:39-53；约翰福音18:1-12）。

我窥望那小屋，烛光下，祂俯身为门徒洗脚。我看见那双手，即将要被出卖、被钉穿的手，轻抹过彼得、犹大…门徒们的赤脚。祂叮咛说：「我是你们的主，你们的夫子，尚且洗你们的脚，你们也当彼此洗脚。」（约翰福音13:14）

祂擘开饼，举起杯，眼中闪烁泪光，祂说：「这是我的身体，为你们舍的。」这是爱的约定，也是即将破碎的开始。祂知道门徒当中，有人会背叛，有人会逃跑，有人会三次不认祂。但祂依然一一喂养，无一拒绝。

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).

我听见祂的教导与警告…

2025-04-15 in , /by

马可福音13章

耶稣从殿里出来的时候，有一个门徒对他说：「夫子，请看，这是何等的石头，何等的殿宇！」 2 耶稣对他说：「你看见这大殿宇吗？将来在这里没有一块石头留在石头上不被拆毁了。」

3 耶稣在橄榄山上对圣殿而坐，彼得、雅各、约翰和安得烈暗暗地问他说： 4 「请告诉我们，什么时候有这些事呢？这一切事将成的时候有什么预兆呢？」 5 耶稣说：「你们要谨慎，免得有人迷惑你们。 6 将来有好些人冒我的名来，说『我是基督』，并且要迷惑许多人。 7 你们听见打仗和打仗的风声，不要惊慌，这些事是必须有的，只是末期还没有到。 8 民要攻打民，国要攻打国，多处必有地震、饥荒，这都是灾难的起头。

那一天（星期二），耶稣与宗教领袖辩论，讲论天国的比喻，批评法利赛人、文士的伪善（马太21-23章），预言圣殿将被毁，讲论末世的征兆（马太福音24-25章；马可福音13章；路加福音21章）。

我跟在人群中，听祂讲道。犹太人空有虔诚表面的虚伪信仰，有如路旁枯萎的无花果树，祂的话语如同利剑，刺穿我自以为义的空壳生命。祂提醒我：

「第一要紧的就是说：『以色列啊，你要听，主─我们神是独一的主。你要尽心、尽性、尽意、尽力爱主─你的神。』其次就是说：『要爱人如己。』再没有比这两条诫命更大的了。」（马可福音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. 

我看见祂洁净圣殿…

2025-04-14 in , /by

马太福音21:12-17

耶稣进了神的殿，赶出殿里一切做买卖的人，推倒兑换银钱之人的桌子和卖鸽子之人的凳子， 13 对他们说：「经上记着说：『我的殿必称为祷告的殿』，你们倒使它成为贼窝了！」 14 在殿里有瞎子、瘸子到耶稣跟前，他就治好了他们。 15 祭司长和文士看见耶稣所行的奇事，又见小孩子在殿里喊著说「和散那归于大卫的子孙」，就甚恼怒， 16 对他说：「这些人所说的，你听见了吗？」耶稣说：「是的。经上说『你从婴孩和吃奶的口中完全了赞美』的话，你们没有念过吗？」 17 于是离开他们，出城到伯大尼去，在那里住宿。

那一天（星期一），耶稣进入圣殿，赶出在殿里做买卖的人，推翻兑换银钱者的桌子（马太福音21:12-17；马可福音11:15-19；路加福音19:45-48）。

我站在圣殿外，听见鞭子的声音。我远远看见祂怒目喝斥，把桌椅推翻，钱币在石板地上叮当作响，鸽子惊慌飞起，摊贩们咒骂、逃窜。我从未见过祂这样动怒，祂那双总是充满慈爱的眼睛，如今燃烧着烈焰。祂说：

「…我的殿必称为万国祷告的殿吗？你们倒使它成为贼窝了！」（马可福音11:17）

我看见祂骑着驴驹…

2025-04-13 in , /by

马太福音21:1-11

耶稣和门徒将近耶路撒冷，到了伯法其，在橄榄山那里， 2 耶稣就打发两个门徒，对他们说：「你们往对面村子里去，必看见一匹驴拴在那里，还有驴驹同在一处。你们解开，牵到我这里来。 3 若有人对你们说什么，你们就说：『主要用牠。』那人必立时让你们牵来。」 4 这事成就，是要应验先知的话说： 5 「要对锡安的居民说：『看哪，你的王来到你这里，是温柔的，又骑着驴，就是骑着驴驹子。』」 6 门徒就照耶稣所吩咐的去行， 7 牵了驴和驴驹来，把自己的衣服搭在上面，耶稣就骑上。

那一天（星期日），耶稣骑着驴驹进入耶路撒冷，群众夹道欢呼：「和散那！」并铺上棕榈枝与衣服迎接祂（马太福音21:1-11；马可福音11:1-11；路加福音19:28-44；约翰福音12:12-19）。

我站在人群中，看见祂骑着驴驹缓缓而来。人们挥舞著棕枝迎接祂，掌声、棕枝、欢呼声震耳欲聋，仿佛祂是他们期盼已久的王。但在人群热烈的表象下，我感觉到一丝哀伤。祂知道，人们不了解真正的救赎；他们要的，是一位胜利者，而不是一位受苦的仆人。

这样的荣耀，祂会如何承受？今日的欢呼，是否也能承担明日的拒绝？

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.