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与神相处/我与你同在(1)

创世记26:1-6  

在亚伯拉罕的日子那地有一次饥荒,这时又有饥荒,以撒就往基拉耳去,到非利士人的王亚比米勒那里。 2 耶和华向以撒显现,说:「你不要下埃及去,要住在我所指示你的地。 3 你寄居在这地,我必与你同在,赐福给你,因为我要将这些地都赐给你和你的后裔,我必坚定我向你父亚伯拉罕所起的誓。 4 我要加增你的后裔,像天上的星那样多,又要将这些地都赐给你的后裔,并且地上万国必因你的后裔得福。 5 都因亚伯拉罕听从我的话,遵守我的吩咐和我的命令、律例、法度。」

雅各逃避哥哥以扫的怒气,离开别是巴,前往哈兰,投靠母舅拉班,半途中,夜枕石头躺卧睡觉;神站在他旁边,说:「我是耶和华─你祖亚伯拉罕的神,也是以撒的神;…我也与你同在。你无论往哪里去,我必保佑你,领你归回这地,总不离弃你,直到我成全了向你所应许的。」(创世记28:10-16)

Catch More of God’s Vision for the Church

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 8:41-53.  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! 

In today’s passage, as Solomon continues to pray for the newly constructed temple, we catch a glimpse of God’s heart for His church.  Yesterday we learned that God wants His church to be a place of hope for the broken and hurting.  In today’s passage we see four other ways God sees His church.

1 Kings 8:41-43 (NIV) 
41 “As for the foreigner who does not belong to your people Israel but has come from a distant land because of your name– 
42 for men will hear of your great name and your mighty hand and your outstretched arm–when he comes and prays toward this temple, 
43 then hear from heaven, your dwelling place, and do whatever the foreigner asks of you, so that all the peoples of the earth may know your name and fear you, as do your own people Israel, and may know that this house I have built bears your Name. 

Where Hope Lives

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 8:31-40.  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!

1 Kings 8:31-40 (NIV)
31  “When a man wrongs his neighbor and is required to take an oath and he comes and swears the oath before your altar in this temple,
32  then hear from heaven and act. Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on his own head what he has done. Declare the innocent not guilty, and so establish his innocence.
33  “When your people Israel have been defeated by an enemy because they have sinned against you, and when they turn back to you and confess your name, praying and making supplication to you in this temple,

On verses 31-40:  Here Solomon prays that when people in Israel encounter various problems — whether it’s having wronged a neighbour (v31), being defeated by an enemy (v33), suffering from famine (v35) or some other form of disaster or disease (v37) — they will find hope, healing, and help whenever they prayed to God “in this temple” (v31, 33) or even “toward this temple” (v35, 39). 

我喜欢

哥林多前书2:9  如经上所记:「神为爱祂的人所预备的,是眼睛未曾看见,耳朵未曾听见,人心也未曾想到的。」

听一群孩子唱「我喜欢」,心中有莫名的感动,唤醒了年少岁月的欢乐记忆…;在歌声中重温旧梦,想起神在我们四周环绕的预备,祂为我们彩绘自然美景、温炖亲情时光、弹奏高低音符、点缀生活零碎、编织成长场景、铺排生命历程…。

这一切的预备并不偶然,因着神的爱,祂为我预备,祂让我享有,祂让「我喜欢」;我知道「神为爱祂的人所预备的是眼睛未曾看见,耳朵未曾听见,人心也未曾想到的。」(哥林多前书2:9)

我感谢神为我预备新的一天!让我享有!也让我喜欢!

我喜欢,暖冬的太阳;我喜欢,初春的青草;
我喜欢,午后的庭院;和一旁发呆的秋千;
我喜欢,仲夏的冰沙;我喜欢,清秋的明月,
良宵的夜空,漫天的星辰。

我喜欢,雨后的青蛙;我喜欢,山前的杏花;
我喜欢,周三的傍晚;被霞光亲吻的水族馆;
我喜欢,成群的野鸭;我喜欢,凌乱的书架,
清风的露台,远处的灯海。

Step Into Your Destiny as a Priest in God’s Kingdom

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 8:22-30.  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!

1 Kings 8:22-30 (NIV)
22  Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven
23  and said: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you in heaven above or on earth below–you who keep your covenant of love with your servants who continue wholeheartedly in your way.

On verses 22-30:  Here we see King Solomon leading the entire assembly of Israelites in prayer at the dedication service for the newly constructed temple.  This was Solomon’s most glorious moment where he steps into his role not only as a ruler but as a spiritual leader and priest for the people he is leading. 

慈绳爱索

何西阿书11:4  我用慈绳爱索牵引他们,我待他们如人放松牛的两腮夹板,把粮食放在他们面前。

以赛亚书40:31  但那等候耶和华的,必重新得力。他们必如鹰展翅上腾,他们奔跑却不困倦,行走却不疲乏。

来到祢的宝座前,我举起双手赞颂;
祢配得一切荣耀尊贵,祢是王掌管明天。
来到祢施恩座前,我将我的心奉献;
惟独祢爱我,天天不改变,奇妙救主我永属祢。
慈绳爱索紧紧牵引我,为我舍身背起我罪;
护我一生飞奔展翅上腾,在主里能得安稳。

You Are Part of a Much Bigger Story God Is Writing

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 8:12-21.  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! 

1 Kings 8:12-16 (NIV)
12  Then Solomon said, “The LORD has said that he would dwell in a dark cloud;
13  I have indeed built a magnificent temple for you, a place for you to dwell forever.”
14  While the whole assembly of Israel was standing there, the king turned around and blessed them.

On verses 12-16:  After a cloud of God’s presence has miraculously filled the temple (v11), Solomon tells God that this temple is for Him to dwell in (v12-13).  He then blesses the entire assembly of Israelites (v14) and tells them about how God faithfully fulfilled the promises He made to Solomon’s father David (v15).  Then in verse 16, Solomon quotes God as saying:

不再心急

诗篇 42

1 神啊,我的心切慕祢,如鹿切慕溪水。
2 我的心渴想神,就是永生神,我几时得朝见神呢?
3 我昼夜以眼泪当饮食,人不住地对我说:「你的神在哪里呢?」
4 我从前与众人同往,用欢呼称赞的声音,领他们到神的殿里,大家守节。我追想这些事,我的心极其悲伤。
5 我的心哪,你为何忧闷?为何在我里面烦躁?应当仰望神,因祂笑脸帮助我,我还要称赞祂。
6 我的神啊,我的心在我里面忧闷,所以我从约旦地,从黑门岭,从米萨山,记念祢。
7 祢的瀑布发声,深渊就与深渊响应,祢的波浪洪涛漫过我身。
8 白昼,耶和华必向我施慈爱;黑夜,我要歌颂、祷告赐我生命的神。

每一天忙碌的生活中,各式各样的人事物不断呈现在眼前,手中的咖啡搅拌著焦急、忧闷、烦躁…,咖啡的味道淡了,颜色混浊了,我需要被提醒「我想留给祢空间,让祢进入这空间;让永生神的灵重新降临,再次临到我们身上 (I just wanna give you the space, to move in this place; Spirit of the living God fall afresh and fall on us.)」

起来,跟我走吧!

约翰福音5章1-9节

1这事以后,到了犹太人的一个节期,耶稣就上耶路撒冷去。

2 在耶路撒冷,靠近羊门有一个池子,希伯来话叫做毕士大,旁边有五个廊子, 3 里面躺着瞎眼的、瘸腿的、血气枯干的许多病人[a]。 5 在那里有一个人,病了三十八年。 6 耶稣看见他躺着,知道他病了许久,就问他说:「你要痊愈吗?」 7 病人回答说:「先生,水动的时候,没有人把我放在池子里,我正去的时候,就有别人比我先下去。」 8 耶稣对他说:「起来,拿你的褥子走吧!」 9 那人立刻痊愈,就拿起褥子来走了。

约翰福音5章1-9节记载一位病了三十八年的病人在毕士大池旁等候水动,好进入池子让病得痊愈,可是水动时,没有人把他放入池子里,正去时又有别人比他先下池去。他窝在褥子里长时间等候…

耶稣看见他躺着,知道他病了许久,就问他说:「你要痊愈吗?」,接着对他说:「起来,拿你的褥子走吧!」

面对生命或生活的困境,我们有如池旁等候水动的病人,自己抓不住机会,机会来了又被人捷足先登,只好将自己隐藏在蜗居(褥子)中,毫无希望。

耶稣来了,祂给予机会,问我们:「你要痊愈吗?」,叫我们「起来」,靠着「信心」,离开自怨自艾、逃避现实的「褥子」,「走吧!」,三十八年的病就得痊愈。

Longing for More of God’s Presence

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 8:1-11.  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! 

1 Kings 8:1-5 (NIV) 
1 Then King Solomon summoned into his presence at Jerusalem the elders of Israel, all the heads of the tribes and the chiefs of the Israelite families, to bring up the ark of the LORD’s covenant from Zion, the City of David. 
2 All the men of Israel came together to King Solomon at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month. 
3 When all the elders of Israel had arrived, the priests took up the ark, 

On verses 1-5:  Here King Solomon holds a dedication service for the newly completed temple. He decides to hold it “at the time of the festival in the month of Ethanim, the seventh month” (v2).  Why is that significant?  It’s because this festival was the Israelites’ Feast of Booths, a festival which annually celebrates the end of the Israelites’ wanderings in the wilderness and how God had brought them to their own land.  King Solomon strategically thought, “The Feast of Booths would be a perfect time to dedicate the temple, since all the Israelites will be gathering anyway and their hearts will be expecting celebration and renewal.