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存留对天父的记忆

2024-10-17 in , /by

以赛亚书 46:3-4 

3 雅各家，以色列家一切余剩的，要听我言！你们自从生下，就蒙我保抱；自从出胎，便蒙我怀揣。 4 直到你们年老，我仍这样；直到你们发白，我仍怀揣。我已造做，也必保抱；我必怀抱，也必拯救。

约翰福音 15:13-14

13 人为朋友舍命，人的爱心没有比这个大的。 14 你们若遵行我所吩咐的，就是我的朋友了。

天父让祂的儿女，用一生光阴来经历、认识祂自己。让他们：

经历孩童的襁褓萌芽，浸泡于被保抱、被怀搋（赛46:3-4）的慈爱里；

经历少年的青涩成长，寻得最好的朋友-耶稣（约15:13-14），被接纳、被肯定；

经历青年的茁壮扬帆，借着心里的力量-圣灵（约14:16-17），被装备、被挑战；

经历婚姻的磨合接纳，认识祂的爱（约壹5:1）与忌妒，学习专一、圣洁；

经历父母的养育劬劳，明白天父对祂儿女的怜悯与救赎（赛44:22），祂会伤痛（创6:5-6）、祂应该也有眼泪；

经历发白的夕阳西沉，放下曾拿起的，停下正追赶的，在背驼缓步的怅然中，涌起回家的渴望；尽头到了，停了颤动，全然谦卑地回到那创造的源头。

天父的儿女在一生历程里，所能带走的仅是灵里对天父的记忆，借着对天父的记忆，按图索骥，归回天父的家。

4 Traits of a Great Leader

2024-10-16 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 12:1-11.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Samuel 12:1 (NIV) 
1 Samuel said to all Israel, “I have listened to everything you said to me and have set a king over you.

On verse 1:  Great leaders listen to the people.  That doesn’t mean the leader agrees with everything the people say or grants all of their requests.  Rather it’s about being sensitive to where the people are at.  You need to know where your people are at in order to lead them, and in order to know where your people are at, you need to listen.  Are you a good listener?  

小人物的一句话

2024-10-16 in , /by

列王纪下 5 章:1-14

1亚兰王的元帅乃缦在他主人面前为尊为大，因耶和华曾藉他使亚兰人得胜。他又是大能的勇士，只是长了大痲疯。 2 先前亚兰人成群地出去，从以色列国掳了一个小女子，这女子就服侍乃缦的妻。 3 她对主母说：「巴不得我主人去见撒马利亚的先知，必能治好他的大痲疯。」 4 乃缦进去，告诉他主人说：「以色列国的女子如此如此说。」 5 亚兰王说：「你可以去，我也达信于以色列王。」于是乃缦带银子十他连得、金子六千舍客勒、衣裳十套，就去了。

亚兰国元帅乃缦是大能的勇士，曾立大功，深受王倚重，只是长了大麻疯。一个被亚兰人从以色列国掳来的小女子服事乃缦的妻，她告知主母说：「巴不得我主人去见撒马利亚的先知，必能治好他的大痲疯。」（王下5:3）乃缦将婢女的话告诉了亚兰王，亚兰王同意，且带信给以色列王，要求治好乃缦的大痲疯。

以色列王约兰收到信后十分恐慌，因为当时亚兰国力强于以色列；先知以利沙听到此事，就打发使者告知乃缦，让其在约旦河中沐浴七次即可洁净。乃缦初时发怒拒绝，后来经仆人劝说，就照做了，果然得洁净。

乃缦得洁净后，再三地求以利沙接受餽赠礼物，以利沙坚拒；乃缦最后带着两骡子驮的土回去，要献祭给耶和华。半途中，以利沙的仆人基哈西追上乃缦，假藉以利沙意思，编造理由索取银子和衣裳。事后被以利沙发现，指责他说：「…这岂是受银子、衣裳、买橄榄园、葡萄园、牛羊、仆婢的时候呢？…」于是，基哈西就长了大痲疯，像雪那样白。（王下5章）

人和神关系间的恢复

2024-10-15 in , /by

撒母耳记下 24:16-17

16 天使向耶路撒冷伸手要灭城的时候，耶和华后悔，就不降这灾了，吩咐灭民的天使说：「够了，住手吧！」那时，耶和华的使者在耶布斯人亚劳拿的禾场那里。 17 大卫看见灭民的天使，就祷告耶和华说：「我犯了罪行了恶，但这群羊做了什么呢？愿你的手攻击我和我的父家。」

神降灾惩罚大卫，三日瘟疫让百姓死了七万人，大卫看见即将要向耶路撒冷伸手灭城的天使，他向神祷告认罪：「我犯了罪，行了恶；但这群羊做了甚么呢？愿你的手攻击我和我的父家。」（撒下24:16-17，代上21:15-17）

神指示迦得见大卫，要他在耶布斯人亚劳拿的禾场上为耶和华筑一座坛，让民间的瘟疫止住。亚劳拿乐意献出一切，但大卫不肯用白得之物作为燔祭献给神，就用五十舍客勒银子买了那禾场与牛。大卫在那里为耶和华筑了一座坛，献燔祭和平安祭，瘟疫在以色列人中就止住了。（撒下24:18-25，代上21:18-28）

圣殿山位于摩利亚地（古耶路撒冷）。在此山上，亚伯拉罕听从神的命令，曾预备以儿子以撒为祭献给神（创22:l-14），数百年后，这里成为耶布斯人亚劳拿的禾场，大卫在此为神筑坛献祭，并交代所罗门建圣殿（代上22章）。神的话临到大卫说：「…你要生一个儿子，他必作太平的人…他的名要叫所罗门。

3 Differences the Holy Spirit Makes In You

2024-10-15 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 11:1-15.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Samuel 11:1-5 (NIV)
1  Nahash the Ammonite went up and besieged Jabesh Gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to him, “Make a treaty with us, and we will be subject to you.”
2  But Nahash the Ammonite replied, “I will make a treaty with you only on the condition that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you and so bring disgrace on all Israel.”
3  The elders of Jabesh said to him, “Give us seven days so we can send messengers throughout Israel; if no one comes to rescue us, we will surrender to you.”
4  When the messengers came to Gibeah of Saul and reported these terms to the people, they all wept aloud.
5  Just then Saul was returning from the fields, behind his oxen, and he asked, “What is wrong with the people? Why are they weeping?” Then they repeated to him what the men of Jabesh had said.

On verses 1-5:  Here we see the first major challenge Saul would face as king:  the Ammonites led by King Nahash were long-time enemies of Israel and lay siege on the Israelite town of Jabesh Gilead.  Saul, with the help of the Holy Spirit, would deal with this challenge incredibly well.  

Your Identity Impacts Your Effectiveness

2024-10-14 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 10:17-27.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go! 

1 Samuel 10:17-19 (NIV) 
17 Samuel summoned the people of Israel to the LORD at Mizpah 18 and said to them, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I brought Israel up out of Egypt, and I delivered you from the power of Egypt and all the kingdoms that oppressed you.’ 
19 But you have now rejected your God, who saves you out of all your calamities and distresses. And you have said, ‘No, set a king over us.’ So now present yourselves before the LORD by your tribes and clans.” 

On verses 17-19:  What was so wrong with the Israelites demanding that they have a king to rule over them?  In doing so, the Israelites were rejecting God as their king, the very One who had successfully brought them out of slavery in Egypt and enabled them to conquer nations much greater than them. 

我选择耶稣

2024-10-14 in , /by

历代志上 21:9-14

9 耶和华吩咐大卫的先见迦得说： 10 「你去告诉大卫说：『耶和华如此说：我有三样灾，随你选择一样，我好降于你。』」 11 于是迦得来见大卫，对他说：「耶和华如此说：『你可以随意选择： 12 或三年的饥荒；或败在你敌人面前，被敌人的刀追杀三个月；或在你国中有耶和华的刀，就是三日的瘟疫，耶和华的使者在以色列的四境施行毁灭。』现在你要想一想，我好回复那差我来的。」 

大卫数点百姓，神不喜悦，惩罚临到大卫。神给他机会选择：国中有七年饥荒？被敌人追赶三个月？或国中有三日瘟疫？大卫不愿意落在人的手里，选择神所掌管的大自然灾难，三日瘟疫让百姓死了七万人。（撒下24:11-15，代上21:9-14）

大卫的选择看起来有点自私，如果被敌人追赶三个月，也不确定会造成多少城邑失去？多少军兵、百姓死亡？七年饥荒太长，太痛苦；三日瘟疫也许是一个好的选择，但也让无辜百姓死了七万人。

换成现在的你、我，我们会有甚么样的选择？

It’s Not Enough to Be Anointed. You Need to Be Equipped.

2024-10-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 10:1-16.  As usual, I encourage you to read the passage yourself first and see what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help, then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

1 Samuel 10:1-7 (NIV)
1  Then Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Saul’s head and kissed him, saying, “Has not the LORD anointed you leader over his inheritance?
2  When you leave me today, you will meet two men near Rachel’s tomb, at Zelzah on the border of Benjamin. They will say to you, ‘The donkeys you set out to look for have been found. And now your father has stopped thinking about them and is worried about you. He is asking, “What shall I do about my son?”‘

On verses 1-7:  Samuel anointed Saul king over Israel by pouring oil on Saul’s head.  What does it mean to anoint?  To anoint means to set apart for a special purpose.

Similarly, to prepare us for our mission and life purpose, God anointed us.  Every Christian is anointed by God to serve Him and to live for Him (see 1 John 2:20).  As 2 Corinthians 1:21-22 says, “…He anointed us, set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come.”

祂深知我一切所行的

2024-10-13 in , /by

撒母耳记下 24:11-15

11 大卫早晨起来，耶和华的话临到先知迦得，就是大卫的先见，说： 12 「你去告诉大卫说：『耶和华如此说：我有三样灾，随你选择一样，我好降于你。』」 13 于是迦得来见大卫，对他说：「你愿意国中有七年的饥荒呢？是在你敌人面前逃跑，被追赶三个月呢？是在你国中有三日的瘟疫呢？现在你要揣摩思想，我好回复那差我来的。」 14 大卫对迦得说：「我甚为难。我愿落在耶和华的手里，因为他有丰盛的怜悯，我不愿落在人的手里。」

大卫数点百姓，神不喜悦，惩罚临到大卫。神差先知迦得对大卫说：「你愿意国中有七年的饥荒呢？是在你敌人面前逃跑，被追赶三个月呢？是在你国中有三日的瘟疫呢？现在你要揣摩思想，我好回复那差我来的。」大卫对迦得说：「我甚为难！我愿落在耶和华的手里，因为祂有丰盛的怜悯。我不愿落在人的手里。」于是，耶和华降瘟疫与以色列人，自早晨到所定的时候；从但直到别是巴，民间死了七万人（撒下24:11-15，代上21:9-14）。

大卫骄傲，借着数点百姓来满足自己的荣耀。大卫骄傲，累了约押和众军长（九个月零二十天数点百姓），得罪神，三日瘟疫让百姓死了七万人。

箴25:27-28提到：吃蜜过多是不好的；考究自己的荣耀也是可厌的（原文：自己荣耀的考究也不是荣耀的事；KJV: so for men to search their own glory is not glory）。人不制伏自己的心，好像毁坏的城邑没有墙垣。