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數算日子，得著智慧

2024-10-11 in , /by

詩篇 90

1 主啊，祢世世代代做我們的居所。
2 諸山未曾生出，地與世界祢未曾造成，從亙古到永遠，祢是神。
3 祢使人歸於塵土，說：「你們世人要歸回。」
4 在祢看來，千年如已過的昨日，又如夜間的一更。
5 祢叫他們如水沖去，他們如睡一覺。早晨他們如生長的草，
6 早晨發芽生長，晚上割下枯乾。
7 我們因祢的怒氣而消滅，因祢的憤怒而驚惶。
8 祢將我們的罪孽擺在你面前，將我們的隱惡擺在祢面光之中。
9 我們經過的日子都在你震怒之下，我們度盡的年歲好像一聲嘆息。

大衛作王，國勢強盛，立意數點百姓。元帥約押勸阻大衛，惟王的命令勝過約押，於是，約押和眾軍長走遍全地，過了九個月零二十天，將百姓的總數奏告於王：以色列拿刀的勇士有八十萬；猶大有五十萬（撒下24:1-9，代上21:1-6）。神不喜悅這數點百姓的事（代上21:7），大衛也心中自責，禱告神說：「我行這事大有罪了。耶和華啊，求你除掉僕人的罪孽，因我所行的甚是愚昧。」（撒下24:10）

數點我們擁有甚麼？擁有多少？銀行存摺上的數目、股票螢幕上跳動的紅綠數字、生活小確幸所需的折價積點…比比皆是，數點是我們生活中的常事。數點的數目多寡、大小，往往代表著我們的個人價值和影響力；於是，生意人數點鈔票，政治人物數點選票，網紅數點粉絲，網購數點訪客流量，實體店面數點排隊人潮，議題評論數點聲量（不管正負聲量），論文發表數點影響因子，甚至教會興旺也需數點人數…。

God’s Vision for Your Life Is Greater

2024-10-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 9:15-27.  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 9:15-20 (NIV)
15  Now the day before Saul came, the LORD had revealed this to Samuel:
16  “About this time tomorrow I will send you a man from the land of Benjamin. Anoint him leader over my people Israel; he will deliver my people from the hand of the Philistines. I have looked upon my people, for their cry has reached me.”

On verses 15-20:  Saul was on a mission to find lost donkeys.  Little did Saul know that Samuel was on a mission to find Saul and anoint him king over Israel.  In the same way, God is on a mission to find you and to give you a new purpose for living.

Sometimes the Simplest Lessons are the Most Important

2024-10-10 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 9:1-14.  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 9:1-2 (NIV)
1  There was a Benjamite, a man of standing, whose name was Kish son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Becorath, the son of Aphiah of Benjamin.
2  He had a son named Saul, an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites–a head taller than any of the others.

On verses 1-2:  Saul was naturally outstanding and outwardly impressive.  But there is a difference between making an impression and making an impact.  Saul certainly made a positive impression on people with his height and natural abilities.  But the impact he would end up making would be a very different story.  

信徒和門徒的區別

2024-10-10 in , /by

腓立比書 3:12

這不是說我已經得著了，已經完全了，我乃是竭力追求，或者可以得著基督耶穌所以得著我的。

信徒在順境中讚美神，門徒則在順境、逆境中都讚美神。

信徒有聖靈的內住，門徒裡面的聖靈則透過他全人照亮出來。

信徒會用心靈和思想來愛神，門徒則把意志也臣服在神面前。

信徒會去愛神也會去愛別人，門徒則以愛神愛人為自己的生命。

信徒活在盼望中，門徒則認定神的盼望必然實現。

信徒犯罪尋求赦免，門徒則下定決心不再重蹈覆轍。

信徒相信神，門徒的信心則在火的試驗中經歷千錘百煉。

信徒愛主，門徒則無條件愛主。

有罪該罰，罪責主擔，我得平安

2024-10-09 in , /by

撒母耳記下 12:13-20

13 大衛對拿單說：「我得罪耶和華了！」拿單說：「耶和華已經除掉你的罪，你必不至於死。 14 只是你行這事，叫耶和華的仇敵大得褻瀆的機會，故此，你所得的孩子必定要死。」

15 拿單就回家去了。

耶和華擊打烏利亞妻給大衛所生的孩子，使他得重病。 16 所以大衛為這孩子懇求神，而且禁食，進入內室，終夜躺在地上。 17 他家中的老臣來到他旁邊，要把他從地上扶起來，他卻不肯起來，也不同他們吃飯。 18 到第七日，孩子死了。

耶和華擊打大衛與拔示巴犯罪所生的孩子，使他得重病。大衛為這孩子懇求神，而且禁食，進入內室，終夜躺在地上，不肯起來，也不吃飯。到第七日，孩子死了，大衛就從地上起來，沐浴，抹膏，換了衣裳，進耶和華的殿敬拜；然後回宮，吩咐人擺飯，他便吃了（撒下12:15-20）。

臣僕稀奇大衛的舉動，大衛解釋說：「孩子還活著，我禁食哭泣；因為我想，或者耶和華憐恤我，使孩子不死也未可知。孩子死了，我何必禁食，我豈能使他返回呢？…」（撒下12:21-23）大衛明白神的心意和性情，認罪得赦免，犯罪需受罰，神的話語既出（你所得的孩子必定要死），就不能挽回。

神的懲罰過後，雨過天晴，神的恩慈再次臨到大衛家。大衛與拔示巴同寢，生下所羅門，神也喜愛他，藉先知拿單賜他一個名字，叫耶底底亞（撒下12:24-25）。所羅門的字義是平安，源自希伯來語shalom；耶底底亞的字義是耶和華所摯愛的。大衛得著所羅門，就是得著平安，與神關係的和好是耶和華所摯愛的。

The One You Truly Need

2024-10-09 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 8:1-22.  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 8:1-3 (NIV)
1  When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges for Israel.
2  The name of his firstborn was Joel and the name of his second was Abijah, and they served at Beersheba.
3  But his sons did not walk in his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
 
On verses 1-3:  Samuel was a respected prophet and leader in Israel.  He was known for communicating God’s Word to the people and living with integrity.  But his sons were corrupt.  We don’t know what Samuel’s relationship with his sons was like or what kind of father Samuel was.  Based on the information available to us about Samuel and his sons, here are a couple lessons we can learn:

There Is No Breakthrough Without Repentance

2024-10-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 7:1-17.  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 7:1-4 (NIV)
1  So the men of Kiriath Jearim came and took up the ark of the LORD. They took it to Abinadab’s house on the hill and consecrated Eleazar his son to guard the ark of the LORD.
2  It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the LORD.
3  And Samuel said to the whole house of Israel, “If you are returning to the LORD with all your hearts, then rid yourselves of the foreign gods and the Ashtoreths and commit yourselves to the LORD and serve him only, and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines.”
4  So the Israelites put away their Baals and Ashtoreths, and served the LORD only.  
 
On verses 1-4:  Verse 2 says that the Israelites “mourned and sought after the Lord”. But Samuel still had to say to them in verse 3, “If you are returning to the Lord with all your hearts, then get rid of your foreign gods, and He will deliver you from the Philistines.” 
 

罪的工價

2024-10-08 in , /by

撒母耳記下 12:11-12 

耶和華如此說：『我必從你家中興起禍患攻擊你。我必在你眼前把你的妃嬪賜給別人，他在日光之下就與她們同寢。12 你在暗中行這事，我卻要在以色列眾人面前，日光之下，報應你。』」

以賽亞書 53:4-10

4 祂誠然擔當我們的憂患，背負我們的痛苦，我們卻以為祂受責罰，被神擊打苦待了。 5 哪知祂為我們的過犯受害，為我們的罪孽壓傷。因祂受的刑罰我們得平安，因祂受的鞭傷我們得醫治。 6 我們都如羊走迷，各人偏行己路，耶和華使我們眾人的罪孽都歸在祂身上。

神並未輕放大衛所犯的罪，耶和華如此說：「…我必從你家中興起禍患攻擊你；我必在你眼前把你的妃嬪賜給別人，他在日光之下就與她們同寢。你在暗中行這事，我卻要在以色列眾人面前，日光之下，報應你。」（撒下12:11-12）

神照大衛自己所定的罪責（償還四倍）來責罰他：拔示巴所生的長子病死（撒下12:13-18），大衛長子暗嫩被殺（暗嫩玷辱他瑪，押沙龍謀殺暗嫩；撒下13:28-29），三子押沙龍叛變（押沙龍在以色列眾人眼前，與大衛的妃嬪親近；撒下16:21-22）、被殺陣亡（約押殺押沙龍，大衛悲痛喪子；撒下18章），四子亞多尼雅謀篡被殺（亞多尼雅被所羅門王貶為平民，後因妄求被殺；王上1-2章），恰巧償還四倍。

認罪直接了當，不拖泥帶水

2024-10-07 in , /by

創世記 3:1-13

1耶和華神所造的，唯有蛇比田野一切的活物更狡猾。蛇對女人說：「神豈是真說，不許你們吃園中所有樹上的果子嗎？」 2 女人對蛇說：「園中樹上的果子我們可以吃， 3 唯有園當中那棵樹上的果子，神曾說：『你們不可吃，也不可摸，免得你們死。』」 4 蛇對女人說：「你們不一定死！ 5 因為神知道你們吃的日子眼睛就明亮了，你們便如神能知道善惡。」

始祖犯罪後，藏在園裡樹木中，躲避耶和華神的面。神呼喚亞當：「你在哪裡？」神詢問亞當是否吃了分別善惡樹的果子？亞當說：「祢所賜給我、與我同居的女人，她把那樹上的果子給我，我就吃了。」神又問夏娃，夏娃說：「那蛇引誘我，我就吃了。」（創3:1-13）推託罪責是我們的原生生命。

該隱殺死亞伯，耶和華對該隱說：「你兄弟亞伯在哪裡？」他說：「我不知道！我豈是看守我兄弟的嗎？」該隱迴避殺死亞伯的事實（創4:1-9）。

撒母耳指責掃羅自行獻祭的錯誤：「你做了糊塗事了，沒有遵守耶和華─你神所吩咐你的命令。…現在你的王位必不長久。耶和華已經尋著一個合他心意的人…。」掃羅對此並無回應（撒上13:1-14）。

撒母耳詢問掃羅為何沒有聽神的話滅盡亞瑪力人和他們所有的，反而留下上好的牛羊和一切美物。掃羅推託給百姓，又藉口獻給神。在撒母耳指責下，掃羅最後向撒母耳認罪（撒上15:1-21）。

Jesus Is The True King of Our City

2024-10-07 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Samuel 6:1-21.  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 6:1-2 (NIV)
1  When the ark of the LORD had been in Philistine territory seven months,
2  the Philistines called for the priests and the diviners and said, “What shall we do with the ark of the LORD? Tell us how we should send it back to its place.”
 
On verses 1-2:  For seven months the Philistines had removed the ark of God (a symbol of God’s presence) from its rightful place.  As a result, they experienced devastation and disease throughout their land, to the point that all five Philistine rulers felt they had no choice but to return the ark of God to its rightful place in Israel.