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数算日子，得着智慧

2024-10-11 in , /by

诗篇 90

1 主啊，祢世世代代做我们的居所。
2 诸山未曾生出，地与世界祢未曾造成，从亘古到永远，祢是神。
3 祢使人归于尘土，说：「你们世人要归回。」
4 在祢看来，千年如已过的昨日，又如夜间的一更。
5 祢叫他们如水冲去，他们如睡一觉。早晨他们如生长的草，
6 早晨发芽生长，晚上割下枯干。
7 我们因祢的怒气而消灭，因祢的愤怒而惊惶。
8 祢将我们的罪孽摆在你面前，将我们的隐恶摆在祢面光之中。
9 我们经过的日子都在你震怒之下，我们度尽的年岁好像一声叹息。

大卫作王，国势强盛，立意数点百姓。元帅约押劝阻大卫，惟王的命令胜过约押，于是，约押和众军长走遍全地，过了九个月零二十天，将百姓的总数奏告于王：以色列拿刀的勇士有八十万；犹大有五十万（撒下24:1-9，代上21:1-6）。神不喜悦这数点百姓的事（代上21:7），大卫也心中自责，祷告神说：「我行这事大有罪了。耶和华啊，求你除掉仆人的罪孽，因我所行的甚是愚昧。」（撒下24:10）

数点我们拥有甚么？拥有多少？银行存摺上的数目、股票萤幕上跳动的红绿数字、生活小确幸所需的折价积点…比比皆是，数点是我们生活中的常事。数点的数目多寡、大小，往往代表着我们的个人价值和影响力；于是，生意人数点钞票，政治人物数点选票，网红数点粉丝，网购数点访客流量，实体店面数点排队人潮，议题评论数点声量（不管正负声量），论文发表数点影响因子，甚至教会兴旺也需数点人数…。

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.  

信徒和门徒的区别

2024-10-10 in , /by

腓立比书 3:12

这不是说我已经得着了，已经完全了，我乃是竭力追求，或者可以得着基督耶稣所以得着我的。

信徒在顺境中赞美神，门徒则在顺境、逆境中都赞美神。

信徒有圣灵的内住，门徒里面的圣灵则透过他全人照亮出来。

信徒会用心灵和思想来爱神，门徒则把意志也臣服在神面前。

信徒会去爱神也会去爱别人，门徒则以爱神爱人为自己的生命。

信徒活在盼望中，门徒则认定神的盼望必然实现。

信徒犯罪寻求赦免，门徒则下定决心不再重蹈覆辙。

信徒相信神，门徒的信心则在火的试验中经历千锤百炼。

信徒爱主，门徒则无条件爱主。

有罪该罚，罪责主担，我得平安

2024-10-09 in , /by

撒母耳记下 12:13-20

13 大卫对拿单说：「我得罪耶和华了！」拿单说：「耶和华已经除掉你的罪，你必不至于死。 14 只是你行这事，叫耶和华的仇敌大得亵渎的机会，故此，你所得的孩子必定要死。」

15 拿单就回家去了。

耶和华击打乌利亚妻给大卫所生的孩子，使他得重病。 16 所以大卫为这孩子恳求神，而且禁食，进入内室，终夜躺在地上。 17 他家中的老臣来到他旁边，要把他从地上扶起来，他却不肯起来，也不同他们吃饭。 18 到第七日，孩子死了。

耶和华击打大卫与拔示巴犯罪所生的孩子，使他得重病。大卫为这孩子恳求神，而且禁食，进入内室，终夜躺在地上，不肯起来，也不吃饭。到第七日，孩子死了，大卫就从地上起来，沐浴，抹膏，换了衣裳，进耶和华的殿敬拜；然后回宫，吩咐人摆饭，他便吃了（撒下12:15-20）。

臣仆稀奇大卫的举动，大卫解释说：「孩子还活着，我禁食哭泣；因为我想，或者耶和华怜恤我，使孩子不死也未可知。孩子死了，我何必禁食，我岂能使他返回呢？…」（撒下12:21-23）大卫明白神的心意和性情，认罪得赦免，犯罪需受罚，神的话语既出（你所得的孩子必定要死），就不能挽回。

神的惩罚过后，雨过天晴，神的恩慈再次临到大卫家。大卫与拔示巴同寝，生下所罗门，神也喜爱他，藉先知拿单赐他一个名字，叫耶底底亚（撒下12:24-25）。所罗门的字义是平安，源自希伯来语shalom；耶底底亚的字义是耶和华所挚爱的。大卫得着所罗门，就是得着平安，与神关系的和好是耶和华所挚爱的。

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.” 
 

罪的工价

2024-10-08 in , /by

撒母耳记下 12:11-12 

耶和华如此说：『我必从你家中兴起祸患攻击你。我必在你眼前把你的妃嫔赐给别人，他在日光之下就与她们同寝。12 你在暗中行这事，我却要在以色列众人面前，日光之下，报应你。』」

以赛亚书 53:4-10

4 祂诚然担当我们的忧患，背负我们的痛苦，我们却以为祂受责罚，被神击打苦待了。 5 哪知祂为我们的过犯受害，为我们的罪孽压伤。因祂受的刑罚我们得平安，因祂受的鞭伤我们得医治。 6 我们都如羊走迷，各人偏行己路，耶和华使我们众人的罪孽都归在祂身上。

神并未轻放大卫所犯的罪，耶和华如此说：「…我必从你家中兴起祸患攻击你；我必在你眼前把你的妃嫔赐给别人，他在日光之下就与她们同寝。你在暗中行这事，我却要在以色列众人面前，日光之下，报应你。」（撒下12:11-12）

神照大卫自己所定的罪责（偿还四倍）来责罚他：拔示巴所生的长子病死（撒下12:13-18），大卫长子暗嫩被杀（暗嫩玷辱他玛，押沙龙谋杀暗嫩；撒下13:28-29），三子押沙龙叛变（押沙龙在以色列众人眼前，与大卫的妃嫔亲近；撒下16:21-22）、被杀阵亡（约押杀押沙龙，大卫悲痛丧子；撒下18章），四子亚多尼雅谋篡被杀（亚多尼雅被所罗门王贬为平民，后因妄求被杀；王上1-2章），恰巧偿还四倍。

认罪直接了当，不拖泥带水

2024-10-07 in , /by

创世记 3:1-13

1耶和华神所造的，唯有蛇比田野一切的活物更狡猾。蛇对女人说：「神岂是真说，不许你们吃园中所有树上的果子吗？」 2 女人对蛇说：「园中树上的果子我们可以吃， 3 唯有园当中那棵树上的果子，神曾说：『你们不可吃，也不可摸，免得你们死。』」 4 蛇对女人说：「你们不一定死！ 5 因为神知道你们吃的日子眼睛就明亮了，你们便如神能知道善恶。」

始祖犯罪后，藏在园里树木中，躲避耶和华神的面。神呼唤亚当：「你在哪里？」神询问亚当是否吃了分别善恶树的果子？亚当说：「祢所赐给我、与我同居的女人，她把那树上的果子给我，我就吃了。」神又问夏娃，夏娃说：「那蛇引诱我，我就吃了。」（创3:1-13）推托罪责是我们的原生生命。

该隐杀死亚伯，耶和华对该隐说：「你兄弟亚伯在哪里？」他说：「我不知道！我岂是看守我兄弟的吗？」该隐回避杀死亚伯的事实（创4:1-9）。

撒母耳指责扫罗自行献祭的错误：「你做了糊涂事了，没有遵守耶和华─你神所吩咐你的命令。…现在你的王位必不长久。耶和华已经寻着一个合他心意的人…。」扫罗对此并无回应（撒上13:1-14）。

撒母耳询问扫罗为何没有听神的话灭尽亚玛力人和他们所有的，反而留下上好的牛羊和一切美物。扫罗推托给百姓，又借口献给神。在撒母耳指责下，扫罗最后向撒母耳认罪（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.