Are You “Judgment-Happy”?

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 6:37-49.  Let’s go!

Luke 6:37-42 (NIV) 
37  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
39  He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
40  A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41  “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
42  How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

On verses 37-42:  These verses warn us against being “judgment-happy” people (i.e. people who are quick to judge others without giving it much thought).  Notice how Jesus connects being judgment-happy with lacking vision.  Judgment-happy people tend not to have a clear or accurate view of others or themselves. 

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Pray Through Your People Decisions Copy

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 6:12-26.  Let’s go!

Luke 6:12-16 (NIV) 
12  One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
13  When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
14  Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
15  Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,
16  Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

On verses 12-16:  Notice that Jesus spent quality time in prayer before he chose his disciples and called them his authorized representatives (“apostles”).  What can we learn from this?  Before you ask someone to be in a significant relationship with you (whether it’s business-wise, romantically or otherwise), make sure you pray about it and seek God’s guidance.  Like Jesus, pray through your most important people decisions.

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神照着自己的形象造人

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创世记一章26节    神说：「我们要照着我们的形象，按着我们的样式造人，使他们管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、地上的牲畜和全地，并地上所爬的一切昆虫。」

在创造的第六天，神造了许多动物。你觉得那时的动物会不会动，有没有生命的迹象呢？在〈创世记〉第二章19节，神说：「耶和华上帝用土所造成的野地各样走兽和空中各样飞鸟都带到那人面前，看他叫甚么。那人怎样叫各样的活物，那就是牠的名字。」所以我们知道，神用土造成各样的活物。

神造出野兽，各从其类；牲畜，各从其类；地上一切昆虫，各从其类。神看着是好的。现在这个世界看起来很圆满了，有穹苍大海，有陆地和各样树木菜蔬，有昼夜，有日夜星辰，有沉鱼飞雁，还需要什么呢？假如你把婴儿房都预备好了，你觉得还需要什么？是的，需要一个可爱的婴儿来享受这一切的精心预备。

神造大地岂是没有目的吗？在〈启示录〉第四章第11节里，宝座周围的24位长老俯伏在坐宝座的面前，敬拜那活到永永远远的，又把他们的冠冕放在宝座前，说： 「我们的主，我们的神，祢是配得荣耀、尊贵、权柄的，因为祢创造了万物，并且万物是因祢的旨意被创造而有的。」万物是因神的旨意被创造而有的，包括人。所以我们不是随意被造的，我们是神精心的创造。神预定我们来享受祂所创造的一切，身为人，我们必须知道，神造万物都是为了我们。

唐崇荣牧师说：「在〈创世记〉第一章里面，希伯来原文有三个不同的字，都被翻译为『造』字。第一个是 bara 这个字。第一节提到『上帝创造天地』的时候，用的是 bara 这个字。到了26、27节时说到：『我们要按照自己的形像样式造人』的时候，用的也是 bara 这个字。 bara 这个字是什么意思呢？它有双重的意思。第一个的意思是： 本来没有的现在有了，这是神旨意中的一种特殊行动 — 创造之工。第二个意思是：人本来是没有的，从这一刻开始，人才被造出来。

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You Can Never Out-Give or Out-Forgive God

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 6:27-36.  Let’s go!

Luke 6:27-36 (NIV) 
27  “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28  bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29  If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.
30  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
31  Do to others as you would have them do to you…….

As you read these words from Jesus, keep in mind the following:

Everything Jesus told his followers to do here Jesus modeled for us first and did so perfectly at the cross.  Jesus always leads us not just with his words but with his example as well.
God wants us to be people of grace who love our enemies, do good to them, lend without expecting to be repaid in full, and forgive them when they hurt us.  When we do this, we’re following in God’s example, store up treasure in heaven and show ourselves to be “children of the Most High”.
You will never give to anyone more than God has already given you.  You will never have to forgive anyone more than God has already forgiven you.  You can never outgive or outforgive God.

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生命之物各从其类

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创世记一章24节    神说：「地要生出有生命之物，各从其类，就是牲畜、爬行动物、地上的走兽，各从其类。」事就这样成了。

昨天的新闻报导，因为新冠肺炎疫情的关系，温哥华的水族馆在9月4日又要暂时关闭了。今年三月中也因为新冠疫情，水族馆关闭了，大家都很担心馆内约七万只动物不知如何处理。还后后来有募款，终于可以再开，但是现在疫情一上，就又不得不关闭了，有两百多人即将失业。

我们都很爱喜欢这间水族馆，带着小孩来，一家都开心，因为可以欣赏神奇妙的创造。动物园也是一样，我比较喜欢野生动物园，虽然有的动物还是被局限在特定范围里活动，但总是好过被关在笼子里好。我们喜欢观看不同的动物，欣赏牠们不同的生活方式，去感觉造物的奇妙。

但是我很难想像，一只恐龙进化成鸡的样子。多年前有人争议先有鸡还是先有蛋的谜题时，竟有人认为是恐龙的蛋进化成鸡而产出鸡来，所以说先有蛋后有鸡。当然，这是非常牵强的说法，谁见过恐龙的蛋进化成鸡蛋？那是一种没有事实根据的推测。

幸好英国科学家发现，蛋壳的构成仰赖一种仅能在鸡的卵巢中找到的蛋白质，换言之，必须先有鸡，蛋才可能存在。ovocledidin-17（OC-17）的蛋白质是作为加速蛋壳发展的催化剂，硬壳保护蛋黄与蛋白，让鸡胚胎得以发育。所以在鸡蛋形成前，必须先有OC-17，而OC-17只能在鸡的卵巢中发现。长久以来学界料想是蛋先于鸡，然而现在有科学证据，证明事实上是先有鸡才能有蛋。

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Pray Through Your People Decisions

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 6:12-26.  Let’s go!

Luke 6:12-16 (NIV) 
12  One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
13  When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
14  Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
15  Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,
16  Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

On verses 12-16:  Notice that Jesus spent quality time in prayer before he chose his disciples and called them his authorized representatives (“apostles”).  What can we learn from this?  Before you ask someone to be in a significant relationship with you (whether it’s business-wise, romantically or otherwise), make sure you pray about it and seek God’s guidance.  Like Jesus, pray through your most important people decisions.

Read more