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3 Reasons Why Staying Bitter Is Short-Sighted

2024-12-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 3:17-39.  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 Samuel 3:17-39 (NIV)
17  Abner conferred with the elders of Israel and said, “For some time you have wanted to make David your king.
18  Now do it! For the LORD promised David, ‘By my servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their enemies.'”
19  Abner also spoke to the Benjamites in person. Then he went to Hebron to tell David everything that Israel and the whole house of Benjamin wanted to do.
20  When Abner, who had twenty men with him, came to David at Hebron, David prepared a feast for him and his men.

On verses 17-39:  Here Abner uses his substantial political connections to campaign for David to become king over all of Israel.  Abner speaks with key influencers in the country like the elders of Israel (v17-18) and the Benjamites (Saul and Ish-Bosheth’s own tribe) (v19), all in an effort to rally support for David.  David thanks Abner with a feast (v20).  Abner responds by saying that next he will assemble all of Israel before David and have them publicly declare David as their king (v21). 

愛在伯利恆

2024-12-02 in , /by

彌迦書 5:2-5  「伯利恆以法他啊，你在猶大諸城中為小，將來必有一位從你那裡出來，在以色列中為我做掌權的。祂的根源從亙古，從太初就有。」 3 耶和華必將以色列人交付敵人，直等那生產的婦人生下子來。那時，掌權者其餘的弟兄必歸到以色列人那裡。
4 祂必起來，倚靠耶和華的大能並耶和華祂神之名的威嚴，牧養祂的羊群。他們要安然居住，因為祂必日見尊大，直到地極。 5 這位必做我們的平安。當亞述人進入我們的地境，踐踏宮殿的時候，我們就立起七個牧者、八個首領攻擊他。

愛在伯利恆：因著愛，為著我們，祂願意卑微，成為人的樣式，屈生在馬槽裡。（路2:1-17）

祂要牧養祂的羊群，他們要安然居住；祂必日見尊大，直到地極；祂必作我們的平安。

伯利恆的以法他啊，你在猶大諸城中為小，將來必有一位從你那裡出來，在以色列中為我作掌權的；祂的根源從亙古，從太初就有。

…祂必起來，倚靠耶和華的大能，並耶和華─祂　神之名的威嚴，牧養他的羊群。他們要安然居住；因為他必日見尊大，直到地極。這位必作我們的平安。…（彌5:2-5）

將身心獻給耶穌的英國女王

2024-12-01 in , /by

申命記 6:5  你要盡心、盡性、盡力愛耶和華你的神。

馬可福音 12:30  你要盡心、盡性、盡意、盡力愛主你的神。

將身心獻給耶穌的英國女王伊麗莎白二世

英國女王伊麗莎白二世(Elizabeth II)的一生，以及70年輝煌的在位期間，都是以耶穌作為她長期治理的磐石和明燈。

在每年聖誕節的全國轉播中，女王會分享她個人的基督信仰，也是她一切行為的關鍵力量。某一年，她曾引用了著名聖詩〈在蕭瑟的隆冬〉(In the bleak midwinter)當中的一段歌詞：「貧窮似我，當獻何物。若是牧人，當獻羔羊。若是智者，當獻所有。我所能獻，僅我身心。」

她鼓勵數百萬名觀眾將身心獻給耶穌。南非出生的猶太裔基督徒作家查爾斯．加納(Charles Gardner)最近為文透露一段女王與親近友人之間的對話，女王說：「我希望耶穌能在我有生之年再來。」當被問到原因時，她回答說：「因為我想將我的王冠放在祂的腳下。」

Let Christ’s Kingdom Take Over

2024-12-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 3:1-16.  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 Samuel 3:1 (NIV) 
1 The war between the house of Saul and the house of David lasted a long time. David grew stronger and stronger, while the house of Saul grew weaker and weaker. 

On verse 1:  For 7.5 years after Saul’s death, the house of David and the house of Saul (represented by Ish-Bosheth) continued to war against one another.  But over time, the house of David would “grow stronger and stronger” (v1).  Likewise, as a follower of Jesus, you will find that there is an ongoing war between the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness, between God and Satan, for the territory in your life (Ephesians 6:12).  That war will continue until the day you see Jesus face to face and Jesus wins the war once and for all.  But my prayer for you is that over time, as you learn to trust Jesus more and more, and as you develop the attitudes, the habits and the skills necessary to grow in Christ and give the Holy Spirit more room, may the kingdom of the Son of David — Jesus Christ — grow stronger and stronger in you, and may Satan’s strongholds in your life grow weaker and weaker.

看見那不能看見的

2024-11-29 in , /by

馬太福音 25:34-40   
於是，王要向那右邊的說：『你們這蒙我父賜福的，可來承受那創世以來為你們所預備的國。 35 因為我餓了，你們給我吃；渴了，你們給我喝；我做客旅，你們留我住； 36 我赤身露體，你們給我穿；我病了，你們看顧我；我在監裡，你們來看我。』 37 義人就回答說：『主啊，我們什麼時候見你餓了給你吃，渴了給你喝？ 38 什麼時候見你做客旅留你住，或是赤身露體給你穿？ 39 又什麼時候見你病了或是在監裡，來看你呢？』 40 王要回答說：『我實在告訴你們：這些事你們既做在我這弟兄中一個最小的身上，就是做在我身上了。』

希伯來書談到信心的本質：「信就是所望之事的實底，是未見之事的確據（11:1）。」（現代中文譯本2019版：信心是對所盼望的事有把握，對不能看見的事能肯定），這是一節不易讓人領會的經文；於是，作者在第11章中列舉歷代信徒跟隨神的經歷，來見證：「這些人都是因信得了美好的證據（或譯為讚許），卻仍未得著所應許的；…（11:39-40）」。

其中，作者提到摩西說：「他因著信，就離開埃及，不怕王怒；因為他恆心忍耐，如同看見那不能看見的主（原文沒有「主」這字）（11:27）。」這節經文描述摩西年少時躲避法老，逃往米甸牧羊，憑著信心忍耐40年；最後，神在燃燒的荊棘中呼召摩西，差遣他開始承擔年輕時渴望「拯救族人」的使命。

「看見」的原文可譯為觀察、體驗、注意，「那不能看見的」指的是看不見的神；「看見那不能看見的」意思就是觀察、體驗那看不見的神。摩西憑著信心忍耐40年，讓他得以觀察、體驗那看不見的神。

Have the Wisdom to Call a Truce

2024-11-29 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 2:12-32.  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 Samuel 2:12-32 (NIV)
12  Abner son of Ner, together with the men of Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, left Mahanaim and went to Gibeon.
13  Joab son of Zeruiah and David’s men went out and met them at the pool of Gibeon. One group sat down on one side of the pool and one group on the other side.
14  Then Abner said to Joab, “Let’s have some of the young men get up and fight hand to hand in front of us.” “All right, let them do it,” Joab said.
15  So they stood up and were counted off–twelve men for Benjamin and Ish-Bosheth son of Saul, and twelve for David.

On verses 12-32:  Here we see a showdown between David’s men led by Joab and Ish-Bosheth’s men led by Abner.  After a dramatic and bloody standoff between 24 men at the Pool of Gibeon (v13-16), Joab’s side ends up fighting and defeating Abner’s side (v17).  Abner’s side lost 360 men (v31) while Joab’s side lost only 20 soldiers (v30).

Among all the men that died in battle that day, the most noteworthy was Joab’s brother Asahel.  Verse 18 says that Asahel was fast (“fleet-footed as a wild gazelle”).  

Don’t Despise Small Beginnings. Trust God.

2024-11-28 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 2:1-11.  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! 

2 Samuel 2:1-4 (NIV)
1  In the course of time, David inquired of the LORD. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked. The LORD said, “Go up.” David asked, “Where shall I go?” “To Hebron,” the LORD answered.
2  So David went up there with his two wives, Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail, the widow of Nabal of Carmel.

On verse 1-4a:  David is considering what his first move should be after the death of Saul.  He does the wisest thing anyone can do: he inquires of the Lord.  The Lord tells David to go to Hebron.  Why Hebron?  We don’t know for sure, but reasons could include: (1) it was the largest city of refuge in the region; (2) it was a city that had belonged to Caleb, an ancestor of David’s wife Abigail; and (3) it was given to the priests of Israel, the sons of Aaron, and David’s pastor Abiathar the priest was a son of Aaron. 

古舊十架

2024-11-28 in , /by

詩篇 18:2  耶和華是我的巖石，我的山寨，我的救主，我的神，我的磐石，我所投靠的。他是我的盾牌，是拯救我的角，是我的高臺。

奧地利位處中歐內陸，依着阿爾卑斯山脊發展，高低起伏，輪廓多變，多湖是奧地利的地理特色；位於薩爾斯堡附近的「鹽湖區」(Salzkammergut)有76個寶石般的冰河湖泊，深藏在群嶽山巒，若隱若現，如玉如璞。

鹽湖區中的聖沃夫岡湖，於1997年被列入聯合國世界自然遺產，整個湖由12個大小湖泊串連，宛若翡翠項鍊，周圍被茂密林帶、綠地和陡峭高山環抱。聖沃夫岡小鎮最吸睛的是全鎮最高的「聖沃夫岡教堂」，又稱「朝聖教堂」。傳說在一千多年前，聖人沃夫岡(St. Wolfgang)來此地修行，有一天他聽到神諭，叫他手擲斧頭，並在斧頭落下處建一座教堂。在中世紀，這間湖邊小教堂成為很多基督徒遠赴千里來朝聖的教堂聖地。

從西元972年聖誕節到去世，聖沃夫岡一直擔任巴伐利亞州雷根斯堡的主教。他是天主教和東正教教會的聖人，被視為10世紀德國三大聖人之一，另外兩位是奧格斯堡的聖烏爾里希(St. Ulrich)和康斯坦斯的聖康拉德(St. Conrad)。

自誇與驕傲

2024-11-27 in , /by

箴言 11:2  驕傲來，羞恥也來，謙遜人卻有智慧。
箴言 16:18  驕傲在敗壞以先，狂心在跌倒之前。
箴言 18:12  敗壞之先，人心驕傲；尊榮以前，必有謙卑。
雅各書4:6  神阻擋驕傲的人，賜恩給謙卑的人。

蕭伯納是英國現代傑出的戲劇家，也是擅長幽默與諷刺的語言大師。下面幾則小故事，他用幽默的話語回應了人的自誇與驕傲。

有一次，在巴黎名流人士聚集的沙龍上，蕭伯納在那裡沉思，一名美國的億萬富翁說：「先生，如果你告訴我你在想什麼，我就付你一美元。」蕭伯納看了他一眼說：「我思考的內容不值一美元。」億萬富翁怔了一下，摸不清這句話的意思。接著蕭伯納話鋒一轉，說：「因為我腦中思考的是你。」

一天，瘦削的蕭伯納碰到一位大腹便便的商人，商人譏諷道：「看見你，人們會以為英國發生了饑荒！」蕭伯納回擊道：「看見你，人們就會明白饑荒的原因。」

一位以美貌馳名歐美的舞蹈家對蕭伯納說：「你若與我結婚，生下小孩，相貌像我而頭腦像你，這孩子豈不是世上最美麗最有思想的人了！」「妳的想像很美妙！不過，假如生下的孩子，外貌像我，而智慧又像你，那該怎麼辦呢？」蕭伯納回應。

Focus on the Good + The Most Wonderful Love You Will Ever Know

2024-11-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 2 Samuel 1:17-27.  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 Samuel 1:17-24 (NIV)
17  David took up this lament concerning Saul and his son Jonathan,
18  and ordered that the men of Judah be taught this lament of the bow (it is written in the Book of Jashar):
19  “Your glory, O Israel, lies slain on your heights. How the mighty have fallen!

On verses 17-24:  Saul had caused so much trouble for David personally.  But notice that David did not treat Saul’s death as an occasion for rejoicing.  Rather he led all of Israel in mourning for Saul and Jonathan.  David even pens a lament (a song of mourning) for Saul and Jonathan and orders everyone in the nation to learn it (v18-19).  When you read David’s lament for Saul, notice that David doesn’t mention a single bad thing about Saul.  Rather, he speaks about Saul in only positive ways: