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When You Need to Make an Important Decision

2025-03-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 22:1-12.  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 22:1-3 (NIV) 
1 For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. 
2 But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel. 
3 The king of Israel had said to his officials, “Don’t you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us and yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram?” 

On verses 1-3:  For years Israel and Aram had been at war with one another.  Then God gave Israel an amazing victory over Aram.  However, in the heat of victory, instead of executing Ben-Hadad King of Aram and disabling the Arameans as a future threat, King Ahab signed an economic treaty with the Arameans and let their king go free (1 Kings 20:30-34).

被更新的我们

2025-03-25 in , /by

诗篇 51:10-15

10 神啊，求祢为我造清洁的心，使我里面重新有正直的灵。
11 不要丢弃我，使我离开祢的面，不要从我收回祢的圣灵。
12 求祢使我仍得救恩之乐，赐我乐意的灵扶持我。
13 我就把祢的道指教有过犯的人，罪人必归顺祢。
14 神啊，祢是拯救我的神，求祢救我脱离流人血的罪，我的舌头就高声歌唱祢的公义。
15 主啊，求祢使我嘴唇张开，我的口便传扬赞美祢的话。

我们为神所创造，在基督里，我们被赦免、被挽回，也被更新，成为新造的人。

祂为我们造清洁的心，使我们里面重新有正直的灵；教导我们不效法世界，惟心意更新而变化，而能察验且跟随神的善良、纯全、可喜悦的旨意；因此，我们更认识神，渐渐被更新，而成为拥有神的形象的新人。

若有人在基督里，他就是新造的人，旧事已过，都变成新的了。（哥林多后书5:17）

更新的神

2025-03-24 in , /by

以赛亚书65:17-19

「看哪，我造新天新地，从前的事不再被记念，也不再追想。 18 你们当因我所造的永远欢喜快乐，因我造耶路撒冷为人所喜，造其中的居民为人所乐。 19 我必因耶路撒冷欢喜，因我的百姓快乐，其中必不再听见哭泣的声音和哀号的声音。

耶和华是创造的神，也是更新的神。祂向归回的百姓宣告：祂将再造新天新地，不再记念、不再追想从前的事；祂要用清水洁净，使他们脱离污秽，弃掉偶像，并且赐下新心、新灵，使他们能顺从律例、谨守典章；祂必在旷野开道路，在沙漠开江河；他们必不哭泣、哀号，要因祂新造的永远欢喜快乐。

我必用清水洒在你们身上，你们就洁净了。我要洁净你们，使你们脱离一切的污秽，弃掉一切的偶像。我也要赐给你们一个新心，将新灵放在你们里面，又从你们的肉体中除掉石心，赐给你们肉心。我必将我的灵放在你们里面，使你们顺从我的律例，谨守遵行我的典章。（以西结书36:25-27）

Life When Who Humble Yourself Before God

2025-03-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 21:15-29.  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! 

1 Kings 21:15-29 (NIV)
15  As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead.”
16  When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.
17  Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite:

On verses 15-29:  Having murdered Naboth, Jezebel urges her husband Ahab to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard.  God sends Elijah to speak a word of retribution against Ahab for the way he and Jezebel murdered Naboth and stole his vineyard.  Elijah prophesies that as punishment for Ahab’s and Jezebel’s sins, God would cut off every male from Ahab’s line (v21-22) and cause the dogs to eat Jezebel’s flesh (v24). 

与神相处/我在这里

2025-03-23 in , /by

撒母耳记上 3:1-10

童子撒母耳在以利面前侍奉耶和华。当那些日子，耶和华的言语稀少，不常有默示。 2 一日，以利睡卧在自己的地方。他眼目昏花，看不分明。 3 神的灯在神耶和华殿内约柜那里，还没有熄灭，撒母耳已经睡了。 4 耶和华呼唤撒母耳，撒母耳说：「我在这里。」 5 就跑到以利那里，说：「你呼唤我？我在这里。」以利回答说：「我没有呼唤你，你去睡吧。」他就去睡了。 6 耶和华又呼唤撒母耳，撒母耳起来，到以利那里，说：「你呼唤我？我在这里。」

创世记22章记载神试验亚伯拉罕，要他将所爱的以撒，带往摩利亚地山上献为燔祭。…神要试验亚伯拉罕，就呼叫他说：亚伯拉罕！他说：我在这里。（创世记22:1）

创世记46章记载以色列（原名雅各）带着一切所有的，下埃及投靠他的孩子约瑟，半途来到别是巴献祭给神，神重申祂的应许。…夜间，神在异象中对以色列说：雅各！雅各！他说：我在这里。（创世记46:2）

出埃及记3章记载神在何烈山呼召摩西，要他带领以色列人出埃及。耶和华神见他过去要看，就从荆棘里呼叫说：摩西！摩西！他说：我在这里。（出埃及记3:4）

God Will Make Sure Justice Is Served

2025-03-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 21:1-14.  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 21:1-14 (NIV)
1  Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria.
2  Ahab said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth.”

On verses 1-14:  In these verses we see Ahab’s selfishness and Jezebel’s cunning in full bloom. Ahab wants to take the vineyard of another man, Naboth.  This vineyard was a precious family property that Naboth’s parents had given to him.  It was likely Naboth’s main source of income, whereas Ahab merely wanted to use it for a vegetable garden.  When Naboth refuses to sell the vineyard to Ahab, Ahab sulks. Ahab’s wife Jezebel devises an evil and elaborate plan to call a fast (using religion as a means to do evil) and have two scoundrels falsely accuse Naboth of cursing God and the king. 

与神相处/等候神

2025-03-21 in , /by

撒母耳记上13:8-15

扫罗照着撒母耳所定的日期等了七日。撒母耳还没有来到吉甲，百姓也离开扫罗散去了。 9 扫罗说：「把燔祭和平安祭带到我这里来。」扫罗就献上燔祭。 10 刚献完燔祭，撒母耳就到了。扫罗出去迎接他，要问他好。 11 撒母耳说：「你做的是什么事呢？」扫罗说：「因为我见百姓离开我散去，你也不照所定的日期来到，而且非利士人聚集在密抹， 12 所以我心里说，恐怕我没有祷告耶和华。非利士人下到吉甲攻击我，我就勉强献上燔祭。」

撒母耳对扫罗说：「你做了糊涂事了，…现在你的王位必不长久。耶和华已经寻着一个合祂心意的人，立他作百姓的君，因为你没有遵守耶和华所吩咐你的。」（撒母耳记上13:8-14）扫罗做了糊涂事，在危急的时刻没有耐心「等候神」，没有遵守神的吩咐，他不是合神心意的人。

使徒保罗谈及以色列历史中的大卫王，说：「我寻得耶西的儿子大衞，他是合我心意的人，凡事要遵行我的旨意。」（使徒行传13:22）

大卫就是撒母耳预言要取代扫罗王位的合神心意的人，他凡事遵行神的旨意，面对许多困难时「等候神」，在等候神的过程展现出耐心、信心和顺服。（诗篇27:14，37:7，40:1，62:5-6，130:5-6）

我等候耶和华，我的心等候；我也仰望祂的话。我的心等候主，胜于守夜的等候天亮，胜于守夜的等候天亮。（诗篇130:5-6）

His life for your life

2025-03-21 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 20:35-43.  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 20:35-36 (NIV)
35  By the word of the LORD one of the sons of the prophets said to his companion, “Strike me with your weapon,” but the man refused.
36  So the prophet said, “Because you have not obeyed the LORD, as soon as you leave me a lion will kill you.” And after the man went away, a lion found him and killed him.

On verses 35-36:  This is an odd story, but what can we learn from it?  When you don’t obey God’s Word, you become vulnerable to the attack of the enemy, whom the Bible describes elsewhere as a lion looking for someone to devour (1 Peter 5:8).  As strange as God’s Word might sometimes seem to finite people like us, God’s Word is there for our protection.  We’re much better off trusting in God’s Word than trusting in ourselves.

与神相处/无利可图

2025-03-20 in , /by

提摩太前书6:6-10

 然而，敬虔加上知足的心便是大利了。 7 因为我们没有带什么到世上来，也不能带什么去。 8 只要有衣有食，就当知足。

9 但那些想要发财的人，就陷在迷惑，落在网罗和许多无知有害的私欲里，叫人沉在败坏和灭亡中。 10 贪财是万恶之根。有人贪恋钱财，就被引诱离了真道，用许多愁苦把自己刺透了。

以色列先知以利沙行神蹟，医治敌国亚兰国元帅乃缦的大麻疯，乃缦想报答以利沙，但以利沙完全拒绝了他的金银礼物。然而，先知的仆人基哈西却心生贪念，编造谎言，藉以利沙的名义向乃缦索取礼物；事情最后败露，基哈西的行为违背神的荣耀，也让他陷入痛苦之中，他身上长了大痲疯，像雪那样白。（列王纪下5章）

初代教会凡物公用，人人将田产房屋卖了，把价银放在使徒脚前，照各人所需用的，分给各人。（使徒行传4:32-37）亚拿尼亚和妻子撒非喇也卖了田产，但把价银私自留下几分，其余几分拿来放在使徒脚前。使徒彼得指责他们欺哄圣灵，接着，亚拿尼亚和撒非喇接续仆倒在地，断了气，被抬了出去。（使徒行传5:1-10）

Don’t Rationalize God Away

2025-03-20 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 20:13-22.  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 20:13-22 (NIVToday’s passage is 1 Kings 20:23-34.  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 20:23-34 (NIV)
23  Meanwhile, the officials of the king of Aram advised him, “Their gods are gods of the hills. That is why they were too strong for us. But if we fight them on the plains, surely we will be stronger than they.
24  Do this: Remove all the kings from their commands and replace them with other officers.

On verses 23-34:  The officials of Ben-Hadad King of Aram had no idea whom they were dealing with.  They assumed that the reason why the outnumbered Israelites unexpectedly defeated the Arameans at the first battle was because the Israelites were experienced at fighting in the mountains.