Entries by

Protect Yourself and Your Family Against the Lion’s Attack

2025-02-27 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 13:23-34.  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 13:23-32 (NIV)
23  When the man of God had finished eating and drinking, the prophet who had brought him back saddled his donkey for him.
24  As he went on his way, a lion met him on the road and killed him, and his body was thrown down on the road, with both the donkey and the lion standing beside it.

On verses 23-32:  Earlier in verses 21 and 22, the older prophet gives the younger prophet a word from God that the younger prophet has defied God’s command by eating and drinking when God specifically told him not to eat and drink during his trip (v21-22).  Notice the younger prophet’s response in verse 23: there is no indication that the younger prophet repented or felt remorse for what he did.  It seems like he just got on his donkey and proceeded to go home as if everything was normal. 

誰能使你滿足永久

2025-02-27 in , /by

詩篇16:10-11    因為祢必不將我的靈魂撇在陰間，也不叫祢的聖者見朽壞。11  祢必將生命的道路指示我，在祢面前有滿足的喜樂，在祢右手中有永遠的福樂。

「奇異恩典」這部真實歷史改編的電影，除了描寫18世紀英國議員威廉·威伯福斯提倡廢除黑奴法案的歷程，也描寫了威伯福斯與小威廉·皮特之間深刻的友誼。

皮特來自於政治世家，從大學時代開始和威伯福斯成為摯友。皮特24歲時就成為英國有史以來最年輕的首相，也是英國歷史上任期最長的首相之一。在威伯福斯推動廢奴法案的過程中，也仰賴皮特長時間的支持。

1806年，在廢除奴隸貿易法案通過的前一年，皮特過世。電影中描繪皮特病危時威伯福斯前往探視他的一幕，身居高位的皮特，在面臨死亡時對好友傾吐：「威伯，我害怕，我真希望能有你的信仰(I am afraid. I wish I had your faith.)」。

二十年來掌握英國最高權力的皮特，和二十年來每次提出廢奴法案都失敗且被輿論撻伐、受逼迫威脅的威伯福斯，相較之下，世人都羨慕擁有名利權勢的皮特，但皮特在面對死亡的那一刻卻覺得恐懼空虛，反而羨慕擁有堅實信仰的威伯福斯。

彎曲悖謬世代的明光

2025-02-26 in , /by

腓立比書2:13-15  因為你們立志行事都是神在你們心裏運行，為要成就祂的美意。凡所行的，都不要發怨言，起爭論，使你們無可指摘，誠實無偽，在這彎曲悖謬的世代作神無瑕疵的兒女。你們顯在這世代中，好像明光照耀。

「奇異恩典」這部2006年由真實歷史改編的電影，描寫的是18世紀英國議員威廉·威伯福斯提倡廢除黑奴法案的歷程。

威伯福斯21歲就成為國會議員，是個前途無量的政治人物；但是，威伯福斯26歲時信主，對他往後生涯產生了巨大改變。他曾好幾次思考，是否要放棄從政而成為傳道人？但最終決定回到議會，在有影響力的位置上實踐信仰。而神也給了他奮鬥一生的目標，受到曾為奴隸船船長的約翰·牛頓牧師的啟發，威伯福斯決心投入推動廢奴法案。然而，這條路非常漫長與艱難。

28歲時，威伯福斯第一次提出廢奴法案的前身─道德提升法案，以失敗告終。此後，他一次又一次提出法案，但一次又一次慘敗。他提倡的廢奴主張，影響了龐大利益，因此他受到英國輿論的聲討，曾被人毆打，收到死亡威脅，被迫帶上武裝保鏢出門。儘管如此，當所有人都認為奴隸制是必要之惡時，他仍堅守自己的信仰，不斷向大眾呼籲：「上帝造人，生而平等」。

When Someone Claims to Have a Word from God for You

2025-02-26 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 13:11-22.  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 13:11-19 (NIV)
11  Now there was a certain old prophet living in Bethel, whose sons came and told him all that the man of God had done there that day. They also told their father what he had said to the king.
12  Their father asked them, “Which way did he go?” And his sons showed him which road the man of God from Judah had taken.
13  So he said to his sons, “Saddle the donkey for me.” And when they had saddled the donkey for him, he mounted it

On verses 11-19:  In these verses the man of God from Judah is on his way home when he is met by a “certain old prophet living in Bethel” (v11).  Having heard from his sons about the impressive feats this younger prophet from Judah was involved in, the old prophet finds this younger prophet and invites him to come to his house and eat.  Initially the younger prophet refuses, saying that God has told him not to eat or drink (v16-17). 

變與不變

2025-02-25 in , /by

希伯來書1:11-12   天地都要滅沒，祢卻要長存；天地都要像衣服漸漸舊了。 12 祢要將天地捲起來，像一件外衣，天地就都改變了；唯有祢永不改變，祢的年數沒有窮盡。」

雅各書1:17-18 各樣美善的恩賜和各樣全備的賞賜都是從上頭來的，從眾光之父那裡降下來的，在祂並沒有改變，也沒有轉動的影兒。 18 祂按自己的旨意，用真道生了我們，叫我們在祂所造的萬物中好像初熟的果子。

主愛不變，我因祂而改變。

我們有一位永不改變的神，用真道生了我們，厚恩給我們各樣美善的恩賜和各樣全備的賞賜；在劇變動盪的環境裡，我們察驗神的善良、純全、可喜悅的旨意，心意更新而變化，改變我們卑賤的身體，和祂榮耀的身體相似。

天地都要滅沒，祢卻要長存。天地都要像衣服漸漸舊了；祢要將天地捲起來，像一件外衣，天地就都改變了。惟有祢永不改變；祢的年數沒有窮盡。（希伯來書1:11-12）

Faith in the Lord = Real Power

2025-02-25 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 13:1-10.  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 13:1-10 (NIV)
1  By the word of the LORD a man of God came from Judah to Bethel, as Jeroboam was standing by the altar to make an offering.
2  He cried out against the altar by the word of the LORD: “O altar, altar! This is what the LORD says: ‘A son named Josiah will be born to the house of David. On you he will sacrifice the priests of the high places who now make offerings here, and human bones will be burned on you.'”

On verses 1-10:  King Jeroboam is now deeply entrenched in idolatry.  An unnamed prophet from Judah appears before Jeroboam while Jeroboam is offering an idolatrous sacrifice.  This unnamed prophet predicts that one day a young man named Josiah will be born to the house of David and “will sacrifice the priests who now make offerings here” (v2).  In other words, the prophet predicts that this young man Josiah would put an end to idolatry in Israel.

Let Faith in God’s Promises Empower Your Thinking

2025-02-24 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 12:25-33.  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 12:25-27 (NIV) 
25 Then Jeroboam fortified Shechem in the hill country of Ephraim and lived there. From there he went out and built up Peniel. 
26 Jeroboam thought to himself, “The kingdom will now likely revert to the house of David. 
27 If these people go up to offer sacrifices at the temple of the LORD in Jerusalem, they will again give their allegiance to their lord, Rehoboam king of Judah. They will kill me and return to King Rehoboam.” 

On verses 25-27:  Jeroboam is now king of Israel (i.e. all the tribes of Israel other than Judah and Benjamin).  King Jeroboam goes to Shechem, the very place where Rehoboam had been crowned king and sets up his house there. Jeroboam fortifies Shechem to make it as secure as he can.  But despite fortifying his house, Jeroboam still feels insecure.  Verse 26 says that “Jeroboam thought to himself”.

誰等候誰？

2025-02-24 in , /by

以賽亞書30:18   耶和華必然等候，要施恩給你們，必然興起，好憐憫你們，因為耶和華是公平的神。凡等候祂的，都是有福的！

詩篇25:5, 21  求祢以祢的真理引導我，教訓我，因為祢是救我的神，我終日等候祢。/ 願純全正直保守我，因為我等候祢。

阿水嬸手拿著牛皮紙袋，匆匆趕到台南市國稅局服務台，想起昨天下午遇見鄰居小美交代的話：「阿水嬸！明天把你們家的報稅資料拿來國稅局，我幫妳處理。」阿水嬸心想：真窩心！看著長大的小美前個月才從台北市國稅局調回台南工作，現在恰好可以幫我處理報稅的瑣事；報稅真煩！家中老頭光說不練、不幫忙，還好有小美，一定搞定。

服務台前幾條人龍排的長長的，依順序等候服務人員協助填寫報稅資料，阿水嬸看不見前方服務台，找不著坐在服務台後方的小美；她想：先排隊再說，反正小美一定會幫忙她，於是，阿水嬸拿出手帕擦擦汗，看著手錶的秒針繞圓圈，腳步也一步步往前移，耐心的「等候」。

耶穌在哪裡？

2025-02-23 in , /by

路加福音23:39-43    那同釘的兩個犯人，有一個譏誚他說：「你不是基督嗎？可以救自己和我們吧！」 40 那一個就應聲責備他說：「你既是一樣受刑的，還不怕神嗎？ 41 我們是應該的，因我們所受的與我們所做的相稱，但這個人沒有做過一件不好的事。」 42 就說：「耶穌啊，你得國降臨的時候，求你記念我！」 43 耶穌對他說：「我實在告訴你：今日你要同我在樂園裡了！」

耶穌在兩個犯人（強盜）中間，祂無罪，卻被列在罪犯之中，擔當多人的罪。

耶穌在兩個犯人（強盜）中間，祂無罪，但祂沒有遠離罪犯，祂為罪犯代求。

我在罪犯中間，我有罪，但罪得主赦免；我在罪犯中間，不遠離，但為罪犯代求。處在邪惡淫亂的世代，我們向神求一個神蹟，是僅存的神蹟，是先知約拿的神蹟，是讓世人悔改的神蹟。

…因為祂將命傾倒，以致於死；祂也被列在罪犯之中。祂卻擔當多人的罪，又為罪犯代求。（以賽亞書53:12）

又有兩個犯人，和耶穌一同帶來處死。到了一個地方，名叫「髑髏地」，就在那裡把耶穌釘在十字架上，又釘了兩個犯人：一個在左邊，一個在右邊。（路加福音23:32-33）

Be Quick to Respond to God

2025-02-23 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 12:16-24.  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 12:16-20 (NIV)
16  When all Israel saw that the king refused to listen to them, they answered the king: “What share do we have in David, what part in Jesse’s son? To your tents, O Israel! Look after your own house, O David!” So the Israelites went home.
17  But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.

On verses 16-20:  Now that King Rehoboam has rejected the people’s plea for a lighter workload, the Israelites, other than the tribe of Judah, reject Rehoboam as their king.  Rehoboam tries sending Adoniram his messenger to appease the people, but the people kill Adoniram and nearly kill Rehoboam.  The people appoint Jeroboam as their new king instead, in rebellion against the house of David.