What God-Pleasing Faith Looks Like

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 4:17-25.  Let’s go!

Romans 4:17 (NIV)
17  As it is written: “I have made you a father of many nations.” He is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed–the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.
 
On verse 17:  God called Abraham a father of many nations (Genesis 17:5) even when Abraham and Sarah had no success bearing even a single child.  God specializes in doing the impossible and speaking the possible out of impossible situations.  That’s why Paul calls him “the God who gives life to the dead and calls things that are not as though they were.” 

Romans 4:18 (NIV)
18  Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.”

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Who’s Your Daddy?

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 4:9-16.  Let’s go!

Romans 4:9-12 (NIV)
9  Is this blessedness only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham’s faith was credited to him as righteousness.
10  Under what circumstances was it credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but before!
11  And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them.
12  And he is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
 
Verses 9-12:  To show that righteousness by faith is a gift that God makes available to everyone and not only to Jews, Paul goes back to the example of Abraham.  Paul notes that Abraham received his righteousness by faith before he was circumcised (v10).  In this way, Abraham is a father of faith (that is, a great example and a forerunner of what it looks like to receive righteousness by faith) for all of us who are not circumcised, i.e. who do not come from a Jewish background (v11). 

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以智慧建造人生

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箴言24:3   房屋因智慧建造，又因聪明立稳。

阅读经文：箴言 24:1-4

1你不要嫉妒恶人，也不要起意与他们相处。2因为他们的心图谋强暴，他们的口谈论奸恶。3房屋因智慧建造，又因聪明立稳，4其中因知识充满各样美好宝贵的财物。

1你不要嫉妒恶人，也不要起意与他们相处。2因为他们的心图谋强暴，他们的口谈论奸恶。Don’t envy bad people; don’t even want to be around them. All they think about is causing a disturbance; all they talk about is making trouble.

什么是恶人呢？就是那些心里图谋强暴，口里谈论奸恶的人。这样的人有什么值得人嫉妒，并且还起意想跟他们相处？你会发现，在日常生活里，有不少人很羡慕这样的恶霸。似乎跟他们在一起，自己也有了存在感。

他们似乎是具有特权的人，因为凶恶，令人害怕，不敢得罪，以致于常常占别人的便宜。大部份人成为被恐吓的对象。也因此，超人电影往往受人喜爱，因为我们常常感到自己的软弱，无法和恶势力对抗。所以恶霸后面总跟着一群人，为了要沾他的光。为了离开自己的软弱，而成为恶人的手下，卑躬屈膝，成为走狗，大有人在。

例如同性婚姻的诉求，同运人士的操作，即使有很多人心里不以为然，表面上却很积极地支持，因为怕被同伴嘲笑落伍，怕被人说有歧视，等等。我们心里害怕被挤出去，不敢说出心里真正的看法。因为忘记了，我们有一位耶和华神，是全能的主宰，是看顾我们的天父。我们总是害怕眼所能见的，不敢相信眼见不到的。我们的信心建立在自我之上，所以不敢过分别为圣的生活。

求天父帮助我们，开我们的眼睛，让我们看到，那与我们同在的，比与他们同在的更多。让我们明白，不要怕那只能伤害身体的，反而要怕那有能力辖制身体和灵魂的。

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You Are Righteous Because of Jesus

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Hi GAMErs!

Today’s passage is Romans 3:21-31.  Let’s go!

Romans 3:21-24 (NIV)
21  But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22  This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24  and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
 
On verses 21-24:  In the Bible, to be “righteous” means to be blameless, acceptable and worthy in God’s eyes to be in His presence because we are holy like He is.  In Romans 3:9-20 Paul explained that we could never be righteous by trying to obey God’s laws.  That’s because no matter how hard we try, we will never meet God’s perfect standard.  Because of our sin, we are separated from God’s holy presence.  As Romans 3:23 says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. 

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流连饮酒的后果

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箴言23:34   你必像躺在海中，或像卧在桅杆上。

阅读经文：箴言 23:27-35

27妓女是深坑，外女是窄阱。28她埋伏好像强盗，她使人中多有奸诈的。29谁有祸患？谁有忧愁？谁有争斗？谁有哀叹？谁无故受伤？谁眼目红赤？30就是那流连饮酒，常去寻找调和酒的人。31酒发红，在杯中闪烁，你不可观看，虽然下咽舒畅，终久是咬你如蛇，刺你如毒蛇。33你眼必看见异怪的事，你心必发出乖谬的话。34你必像躺在海中，或像卧在桅杆上。35你必说：「人打我我却未受伤，人鞭打我我竟不觉得，我几时清醒，我仍去寻酒！」

根据2016年12月英媒《都市报》报导，波兰一名25岁男子卡密尔（Kamil）日前参加一个狂饮派对，在过程中他喝下大量伏特加酒，当场丧失意识，经送医后宣告不治，被送进太平间停放。然而当晚医院的警卫听到奇怪的声音从停尸间传出，推开门后赫然发现一具冰冷、全裸的「尸体」望着他，并开口要一条毛毯，令警卫吓到直接报警。警方到场后协同院方人员进行身分比对，确定这具复活的「尸体」是已被宣判死亡的卡密尔，在进行一连串健康检查后，医师认为他健康状况良好，随即送他出院。不过，死里逃生的卡密尔出院后目的地竟不是家中，而是另一间酒馆。

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