Sin Creates Struggle, But God’s Love Makes Living Possible Again

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 3:1-12.  Let’s go!

Genesis 3:13-19 (NIV)
13  Then the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
14  So the LORD God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, “Cursed are you above all the livestock and all the wild animals! You will crawl on your belly and you will eat dust all the days of your life.
15  And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.”
16  To the woman he said, “I will greatly increase your pains in childbearing; with pain you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”
17  To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat of it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life.
18  It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field.
19  By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.”

On verses 13-19:  What was the result of the man and woman giving into the serpent’s temptation?  Everything that used to be easy is now a great struggle:

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因為他專心跟從耶和華

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〈約書亞記〉  14: 11 我還是強壯，像摩西打發我去的那天一樣。無論是爭戰是出入，我的力量那時如何，現在還是如何。

閱讀經文：〈約書亞記〉  14: 1-15

相信每一個超過六七十歲的人聽到迦勒的話都會羨慕不已。當別人正感到日頭、光明、月亮、星宿變為黑暗，眼睛看不清楚；街門關閉，推磨的響聲微小，耳朵聽不見；人怕高處，路上有驚慌，杏樹開花，蚱蜢成為重擔，膽子變得很小；銀鏈折斷，金罐破裂，瓶子在泉旁損壞，血管狹窄、心臟、腎都不好使了；他在八十五歲時依然擁有四十歲的力量，何等令人羨慕。

在約書亞讓以色列的九個半支派拈鬮分地業時，迦勒勇敢地提出了他的要求。他向約書亞提出神當年藉著摩西給他的應許：「你腳所踏之地定要歸你和你的子孫永遠為業，因為你專心跟從耶和華─我的　神。」或許有的人覺得一旦信了耶穌，就會變得懦弱，什麼都不敢講的好好先生或鄉愿，但是迦勒給我們看到的榜樣，是勇於為自己爭取的榜樣。迦勒為何有這樣的信心和勇氣呢？因為他對神的信心非堅定。

在他四十歲時，摩西選了十二個探子去迦南地。他是其中之一。當其他的十個人都散發著不利的言論時，只有他和約書亞挺胸而出，對百姓說：「我們所窺探經過之地是極美之地。耶和華若喜悅我們，就必將我們領進那地，把地賜給我們，那地原是流奶與蜜之地。但你們不可背叛耶和華，也不要怕那地的居民，因為他們是我們的食物，並且蔭庇他們的已經離開他們。有耶和華與我們同在，不要怕他們。（民14:7-9）」

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未得之地

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〈約書亞記〉 13:1約書亞年紀老邁，耶和華對他說：你年紀老邁了，還有許多未得之地。

閱讀經文：〈約書亞記〉 13:1-33

曾任台灣財政部長的白培英先生寫過一篇文章：「春天，不要留白」。現在正是春天，讀起來令人特別有同感。「春天就這樣來了，在暖陽煦風中，在萬紫嫣紅中來了。可是，為時無幾，當油桐花悄悄地染白了山頭，一瞬間，春天便倏然而別，不給人挽留的機會。想這個春天又將無聲無息地過去了。開春以來除了日常生活的瑣瑣碎碎外，竟還沒有做任何特別有意義的事。去年呢？也沒有做甚麼特別的事；前年呢？大前年呢？也想不起做過甚麼值得回味的事。你瞿然警覺，這些年的大好春天，你竟這樣白過了。人生能有多少春天呢？」

他說起一個真實故事：有位年輕人名叫湯米。湯米在大學時，對老師所講上帝創造萬物的奇妙以及人生的意義，總是嗤之以鼻。畢業後若干年，患了末期的肺癌，醫生告知只有數月的時 間。他想起老師講的話：「人生最悲哀的莫過於沒有愛過。」他想如果離開世界，而沒有告訴所愛的人他愛他們，那也同樣是莫大的悲哀。他和父親比較疏遠，於是 他先勇敢的向父親說：「爸爸，我願你知道我愛你！」父親先是一愣，隨即擁抱著他流著淚說：「兒子，我也愛你。」然後母親和弟弟也都流著淚和他擁抱，彼此說 出心裡的話：「我愛你。」他對老師說，他以為上帝不要他，但他現在內心充滿平安，相信上帝就在身邊，他即使離開世界也無遺憾了。老師對他說：「聖經〈約翰一 書〉中說，神就是愛，住在愛裡面的就是住在神裡面，神也住在他裡面。湯米，神找到了你！」

當約書亞結束了多年的爭戰之後，終於不得不面對人生冬天的來臨，他的年紀老邁了。神知道他的情況，對他說：「你年紀老邁了，還有許多未得之地」。這是不是每個人年老時都有的遺憾呢？

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The Pursuing Love of God

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 3:1-12.  Let’s go!

Genesis 3:1 (NIV)
1  Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”

On verse 1:  It is important to be aware of Satan’s tactics and the ways he wants to lead us astray.  That way you can guard yourself against them.  We see one tactic of Satan here in this verse: Satan likes to try to confuse us about what God actually said and what God actually requires.

Genesis 3:2-5 (NIV)
2  The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,
3  but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.'”
4  “You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman.
5  “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

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《啟示錄》緒論(下 )

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基督照各教會靈性的程度來牧養

　　基督復活之後，對祂的教會的吩咐、差遣到底是什麼，我們要仔細傳講耶穌給每個教會的信息到底是什麼。每個教會有它不同的地方，有的教會非常滿足主的心意，有的教會不討神的喜悅，照著各地靈性的狀況對他們宣講。當你真心謹慎聽，你會發現這個話是對我講，是我自己要遵行、順服、聆聽，自己修改自己，我們的靈性才會進步。每個教會領受上帝的護理都是獨特的，針對他們所要改正而發出勸戒。

　　這位曾經死過，現在活著，並且活到永永遠遠的基督，監察、照顧、牧養他的教會，用當講的話警戒、安慰、照顧教會，這位生命的主、教會的元首發號施令，賜下應許。基督不是死了就死了，主清楚知道我們每個教會的毛病在哪裡、失敗在哪裡、我們的需要在哪裡，然後按照各個教會的需要，一個個來監督、來教導、來警戒，我們對我們所做的好事、對的事情，祂都知道，我們要愛上帝，因為一個愛上帝的人，是上帝所知道的人。上帝不但知道我們做的好事，也知道我們的敗壞、錯誤，因此基督發出警戒、教訓，使我們在他面前預備自己，領受他要給我們的指責、審判、責備，使我們不至於將錯就錯，以致於遠遠離開他，走在滅亡的道路上。

　　教會是主的身體，主一定用他的督責把我們帶回正路。如果我們所做的是上帝所喜悅的事情，那麼，上帝一定會賜福；如果我們所做的是違背上帝旨意的事情，他一定要刑罰、管教我們，帶我們回到正路。這是耶穌基督作為教會的元首所做的事情。

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Breath of Life

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 2:1-14.  Let’s go!

Genesis 2:1-3 (NIV)
1  Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
2  By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work.
3  And God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.

On verses 1-3:  God did not rest on the seventh day because He was tired.  Rather He rested as an example for all of us, that we would rest from our work once a week so that we can be renewed, restored and refreshed (Exodus 20:8-11).  Often times it’s a lack of rest, a refusal to obey God’s command to rest, that causes problems for us physically, emotionally, spiritually and relationally.

Genesis 2:4-7 (NIV)
4  This is the account of the heavens and the earth when they were created. When the LORD God made the earth and the heavens—
5  and no shrub of the field had yet appeared on the earth and no plant of the field had yet sprung up, for the LORD God had not sent rain on the earth and there was no man to work the ground,
6  but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground–
7  the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

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What Does It Mean To Be Made in God’s Image?

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Genesis 1:20-31.  Let’s go!

Genesis 1:20-25 (NIV)
20  And God said, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.”
21  So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living and moving thing with which the water teems, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.
22  God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.”
23  And there was evening, and there was morning–the fifth day.
24  And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: livestock, creatures that move along the ground, and wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.
25  God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.

On verses 20-25:  One of the recurring phrases in Genesis 1 is, “And God saw that it was good.” (v21, 25.  See also v4, 10, 12 and 18)  In other words, God took pleasure in His creative work. 

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南征北伐小總結

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〈約書亞記〉 12:7 a  約書亞和以色列人在約旦河西擊殺了諸王。

閱讀經文：〈約書亞記〉 12:1-24 

看到約書亞做的報告，可以感覺到他是一個很正直的人。他沒有隱藏摩西的功績，雖然河東的仗也是約書亞帶頭在打。但那時是摩西帶領以色列人，所以把功績歸給摩西是應當的。有人拿摩西的戰績和約書亞的相比較，摩西殺了亞摩利王西宏和巴珊噩，而約書亞殺了31個王。所以約書亞比摩西厲害功高，你同意嗎？我覺得那是相當無聊的比較。其實在擊殺河東之王時，摩西已經120歲，在這之前和亞瑪利人的爭戰，摩西到山上禱告，約書亞在戰場上爭戰。仗都是約書亞打的，但是摩西的禱告卻是勝負的關鍵。摩西舉手，以色列人就打勝仗；摩西的手放下來，以色列人就打敗仗。所以亞倫和戶珥必須扶助摩西的手，直到戰事結束。

神交託給摩西和約書亞的工作是完全不同的。神交給摩西的工作是帶領以色列人出埃及，約書亞的工作是帶領以色列人進迦南。在人生的旅途上，我們都有各自的任務和使命，神對每個人的安排都不一樣。所以我們不要羨慕別人的工作和成就，反而要在自己的責任上看見神給自己的使命，盡心盡力去做就對了。

摩西不是一生下來就做領袖，約書亞也不是一生下來就會打仗。神用了八十年的時間去塑造摩西，也用了超過四十年的時間去磨鍊約書亞。正如迦南不是一天一夜打下來的，都是用了許多年，一步一腳印地打下來。所以我們不要以為只要有神的同在，成功就伸手可及。神沒有立刻讓以色列人成功，因為在努力的過程中，正是塑造一個人的機會，也是建立信心的最佳時機。仗是一個個地打，王也是一個個地殺，代表人生道路上的困難要一個個地克服，不能一下子全部解決。所以我們面對困難或自己的惡習時，不要想一下子就通通清除所有的障礙，只要有耐心和信心，靠著主，一個個地去掉它們。

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約書亞焚夏瑣

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〈約書亞記〉 11:15  耶和華怎樣吩咐他僕人摩西，摩西就照樣吩咐約書亞，約書亞也照樣行。凡耶和華所吩咐摩西的，約書亞沒有一件懈怠不行的。凡耶和華所吩咐摩西的，約書亞沒有一件懈怠不行的。

閱讀經文：〈約書亞記〉 11:1-23

在約書亞結束迦南地南部的爭戰之後，迦南地北方的王也結盟了。他們聚集在米倫水邊，就是加利利海的北面。約書亞看到敵人的人數多如海邊的沙，並有許多馬匹車輛，正在愁煩不已。再一次，神對約書亞說：「你不要因他們懼怕」，然後把打仗的方法教給約書亞。神的話及時臨到，把應對之計告訴約書亞。約書亞立刻起身作戰。神的話就是這樣有能力，使人在面對最可怕的敵人時，也能衝鋒陷陣，因為神與他們同在。

神應允：「明日這時，我必將他們交付以色列人全然殺了」。神一次又一次地告訴約書亞，祂要親自毀滅那些迦南人。以色列人之所以每戰必勝，實在是因為耶和華神親自為他們爭戰。神親自為以色列軍隊的元帥。神有能力親自除去迦南人，為何還要以色列人去打仗呢？難道神不能派天使砍斷他們馬的蹄筋，從天降火焚燒他們的車輛？神的確能夠自己完成一切的事情，那樣對以色列人有何好處呢？以色列人若是每到一處，敵人就自動消滅淨盡，他們怎能懂得打仗的艱辛？打仗需要付出，屬靈的爭戰也是一樣，我們不可能輕輕鬆鬆就勝過老我和惡習，一定要有決心，並且尋求神的帶領，才能得勝。約書亞爭戰了許年日，我們的爭戰也不可能一下子就結束，因此一定要有毅力才能打贏。

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Speak Light into the Darkness

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Hi GAMErs,

Today we begin our look at Genesis, the first book in the Bible.  Today’s passage is Genesis 1:1-19.  Let’s go!

Genesis 1:1-19 (NIV)
1  In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2  Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3  And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light….

On verses 1-19:  Is Genesis 1 intended to be a detailed scientific explanation of the origins of the earth?  Not necessarily.  The Bible is not a textbook on science and doesn’t claim to be.  Still, where it addresses scientific matters, the Bible is infallible.  You will not find a proven scientific fact that truly contradicts what the Bible teaches.  In fact, the Bible has proven to be ahead of its time.  For example, the Bible claimed that the earth is round even when the prevailing belief in ancient times was that the earth was flat (see Psalm 40:22).  Here the Bible claims that the earth had a beginning when many people believed that the earth had always existed (Genesis 1).

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