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God Keeps Pursuing You

2025-03-19 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 (NIV)
13  Meanwhile a prophet came to Ahab king of Israel and announced, “This is what the LORD says: ‘Do you see this vast army? I will give it into your hand today, and then you will know that I am the LORD.'”
14  “But who will do this?” asked Ahab. The prophet replied, “This is what the LORD says: ‘The young officers of the provincial commanders will do it.'” “And who will start the battle?” he asked. The prophet answered, “You will.”

On verses 13-22:  Through an unidentified prophet God tells Ahab that Ahab will be victorious over Ben-Hadad and his armies and that Ahab’s junior officers will be the ones to lead Ahab’s army to victory.  So Ahab mobilizes 232 junior officers to launch an attack against Ben-Hadad, followed by 7,000 more soldiers.  Meanwhile Ben-Hadad and the kings allied with him are unsuspecting and getting drunk (v18).

与神相处/承认祂的主权

2025-03-19 in , /by

申命记34:1-7

摩西从摩押平原登尼波山，上了那与耶利哥相对的毗斯迦山顶。耶和华把基列全地直到但， 2 拿弗他利全地，以法莲、玛拿西的地，犹大全地直到西海， 3 南地和棕树城耶利哥的平原，直到琐珥，都指给他看。

申命记34:1-7记载老年的摩西登上尼坡山的毘斯迦山顶，神让他观看近在眼前的迦南地，对他说：「这就是我向亚伯拉罕、以撒、雅各起誓应许之地，说：『我必将这地赐给你的后裔。』现在我使你眼睛看见了，你却不得过到那里去。」

于是，耶和华的仆人摩西死在摩押地，年一百二十岁；眼目没有昏花，精神没有衰败。摩西带领以色列人出埃及前往迦南地，终极劳苦40年，目的地近在咫尺，未能踏入，令人唏嘘！

回转听命的约拿进尼尼微城，宣告尼尼微必倾覆的信息，没想到进城仅走了三分之一的路程，全城的人就宣告禁食，穿上麻衣，连尼尼微王也下宝座、脱朝服，披麻蒙灰。神察看他们各人离开恶道、丢弃强暴，就后悔，不降灾祸。

与神相处/无可推诿

2025-03-18 in , /by

士师记6:34-40

耶和华的灵降在基甸身上，他就吹角，亚比以谢族都聚集跟随他。 35 他打发人走遍玛拿西地，玛拿西人也聚集跟随他。又打发人去见亚设人、西布伦人、拿弗他利人，他们也都出来与他们会合。

神在不同的世代选召人来完成祂所托付的使命，被选召的人纵使推托，但终究无可推诿、无处可逃，需要领命前行。

耶和华差遣基甸去从米甸人手里拯救以色列人，基甸说：「主啊，我有何能拯救以色列人呢？我家在玛拿西支派中是至贫穷的。我在我父家是至微小的。」他向神寻求证据，神用杖头挨近肉和无酵饼，火从磐石中出来，烧尽了肉和无酵饼。（士师记6:11-24）

当耶和华的灵降在基甸身上，他聚集众人，再次向神寻求证据，神用「禾场上羊毛干湿」的神蹟叫基甸无可推诿。（士师记6:34-40）

圣经里另一个逃避神选召的人是先知约拿。他被神召唤去尼尼微城宣告神的信息，但他选择逃避。在一场暴风雨中，约拿被丢进海里，被一条大鱼吞下。在鱼腹中三日三夜，约拿祈祷、悔改，神就吩咐鱼把它吐在旱地，得以存活。

Are You Trying To Make a Deal with the Devil? Don’t.

2025-03-18 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 20:1-12.  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 20:1-12 (NIV)
1  Now Ben-Hadad king of Aram mustered his entire army. Accompanied by thirty-two kings with their horses and chariots, he went up and besieged Samaria and attacked it.
2  He sent messengers into the city to Ahab king of Israel, saying, “This is what Ben-Hadad says:
3  ‘Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.'”

On verses 1-12:  Ben-Hadad king of Aram, together with his entire army and 32 other kings (most likely rulers of smaller neighbouring city states), besiege Israel’s capital city of Samaria.  Ben-Hadad tells Ahab in verse 3, “Your silver and gold are mine, and the best of your wives and children are mine.” (In the Nintendo International Version, Ben-Hadad says “All your base are belong to us.”  I’m kidding.)

Are You Feeling Depressed?

2025-03-17 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Do you struggle with feeling depressed?  In today’s passage we learn four powerful steps you can take to help you when you are depressed.  Let’s go!

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 19:1-21.  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 19:1-3 (NIV) 
1 Now Ahab told Jezebel everything Elijah had done and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 
2 So Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah to say, “May the gods deal with me, be it ever so severely, if by this time tomorrow I do not make your life like that of one of them.” 
3 Elijah was afraid and ran for his life…

On verses 1-3a:  Elijah has just been used by God to accomplish one of the most impressive miracles ever recorded in the Bible: fire from heaven has come down upon Elijah’s sacrifice (1 Kings 18:38-39).  The prophets of Baal are seized, silenced and killed, and Elijah is riding a spiritual high, literally outrunning King Ahab’s chariot (1 Kings 18:40-46). 

与神相处/怒气不成就义

2025-03-17 in , /by

民数记20:1-13 

正月间，以色列全会众到了寻的旷野，就住在加低斯。米利暗死在那里，就葬在那里。

2 会众没有水喝，就聚集攻击摩西、亚伦。 3 百姓向摩西争闹说：「我们的弟兄曾死在耶和华面前，我们恨不得与他们同死。 4 你们为何把耶和华的会众领到这旷野，使我们和牲畜都死在这里呢？ 5 你们为何逼着我们出埃及，领我们到这坏地方呢？这地方不好撒种，也没有无花果树、葡萄树、石榴树，又没有水喝。」 6 摩西、亚伦离开会众，到会幕门口，俯伏在地。耶和华的荣光向他们显现。

摩西带领以色列人出埃及约三个月，经过汛的旷野到达利非订安营，百姓因没水喝向摩西发怨言，耶和华嘱咐摩西拿杖击打磐石，磐石必有水流出，使百姓可以喝。摩西就在以色列的长老眼前这样行了。（出埃及记17:1-7）

出埃及两年后，以色列人来到寻旷野的加低斯，派遣探子去窥探迦南地。由于他们不信神的应许，引起民众的恐慌和叛乱，因此，神宣布那一代的以色列人（二十岁以上的）不得进入迦南地。（民数记14:20-35）于是，以色列人在旷野中漂泊38年，大部分时间在加低斯附近度过，旧一代以色列人逐渐过世。

新一代以色列人在加低斯，再次因没有水喝，聚集攻击摩西、亚伦。耶和华晓谕摩西拿杖，和亚伦招聚会众，吩咐磐石出水，给会众和他们的牲畜喝。摩西、亚伦就招聚会众，摩西说：「你们这些背叛的人听我说：我为你们使水从这磐石中流出来吗？」摩西举手，用杖击打磐石两下，就有许多水流出来，会众和牲畜都喝了。那时，耶和华对摩西、亚伦说：「因为你们不信我，不在以色列人眼前尊我为圣，所以你们必不得领这会众进我所赐给他们的地去。」（民数记20:1-13）

与神相处/谦卑的仆人

2025-03-16 in , /by

哥林多后书12:9    祂对我说：「我的恩典够你用的，因为我的能力是在人的软弱上显得完全。」所以，我更喜欢夸自己的软弱，好叫基督的能力覆庇我。

摩西的一生，年少在埃及法老王宫享受富贵40年，接着因杀人而避难到米甸旷野牧羊忍受艰辛40年，最后蒙神选召领导以色列民出埃及，在西乃沙漠中帮助看顾以色列人40年，耶和华称摩西为「我的仆人」（民数记12∶7-8）。我们看这位神的仆人在旷野荆棘中，如何面对神的呼召？（出埃及记3∶1-4:18）

神从荆棘里呼叫说：「摩西！摩西！」他说：「我在这里。」

神说：「以色列人的哀声达到我耳中，我要打发你将我的百姓从埃及领出来。」

摩西说：「我是甚么人，竟能去见法老，将以色列人从埃及领出来呢？」

神说：「我必与你同在，这就是我打发你去的证据。」

摩西说：「我到以色列人那里，要对他们说祢是谁？」

神说：「你要对以色列人这样说：『那自有永有的打发我到你们这里来。』」

接着，神细说了祂与以色列人的立约，以色列人当时的光景和祂所要施行的拯救。（出埃及记3∶15-22）

摩西说：「他们必不信我，也不听我的话。」

How To Experience the Fire of the Holy Spirit

2025-03-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 18:30-46.  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 18:30 (NIV) 
30 Then Elijah said to all the people, “Come here to me.” They came to him, and he repaired the altar of the LORD, which was in ruins. 

On verse 30:  What does the writer of 1 Kings mean when writing that Elijah “repaired the altar of the Lord, which was in ruins”?  It means that Elijah was re-establishing a culture of worshiping the Lord, a culture that had disappeared in the face of rampant and ongoing idolatry in Israel.  

与神相处/成为祂的朋友

2025-03-14 in , /by

创世记18:16-19    三人就从那里起行，向所多玛观看，亚伯拉罕也与他们同行，要送他们一程。 17 耶和华说：「我所要做的事，岂可瞒着亚伯拉罕呢？ 18 亚伯拉罕必要成为强大的国，地上的万国都必因他得福。 19 我眷顾他，为要叫他吩咐他的众子和他的眷属，遵守我的道，秉公行义，使我所应许亚伯拉罕的话都成就了。」

亚伯拉罕在幔利橡树接待天使，天使即将启程离开，望向所多玛，神说：「我所要做的事岂可瞒着亚伯拉罕呢？…所多玛和蛾摩拉的罪恶甚重，声闻于我。…」（创世记18:16-21）

亚伯拉罕近前来，说：「无论善恶，你都要剿灭吗？假若那城里有五十个义人，你还剿灭那地方吗？不为城里这五十个义人饶恕其中的人吗？将义人与恶人同杀，将义人与恶人一样看待，这断不是你所行的。审判全地的主岂不行公义吗？」耶和华说：「我若在所多玛城里见有五十个义人，我就为他们的缘故饶恕那地方的众人。」（创世记18:23-26）

Don’t Play the Blame Game + When Sincerity Is Not Enough

2025-03-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 18:16-29.  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! 

1 Kings 18:17-18 (NIV) 
17 When he saw Elijah, he said to him, “Is that you, you troubler of Israel?” 
18 “I have not made trouble for Israel,” Elijah replied. “But you and your father’s family have. You have abandoned the LORD’s commands and have followed the Baals. 

On verses 16-18:  Ahab meets Elijah and contemptuously calls him “you troubler of Israel”.  Ahab was blaming the famine on Elijah, thinking, “This famine is all your fault, all because you prayed.”  Elijah retorts the root cause of the famine was not Elijah but rather Ahab and his family, and how they had led Israel to abandon the LORD’s commands and fall headlong into idolatry.