Before You Make That Decision

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 15:1-12.  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! 

Acts 15:1-12 (NIV)
1  Some men came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.”
2  This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question.

On verses 1-12:  Since the gospel came through the Jews, with so many non-Jewish people (Gentiles) now coming to faith in Jesus, it was only a matter of time before people would ask, “Does a non-Jewish convert to Christianity need to follow the Law of Moses, that is, the laws and regulations found in the first five books of the Bible (also known as the Pentateuch) just like any Jewish person does? 

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Aleph 属灵的119

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诗篇 119 

1  行为完全，遵行耶和华律法的，这人便为有福！
2 遵守祂的法度，一心寻求祂的，这人便为有福！
3 这人不做非义的事，但遵行祂的道。
4 耶和华啊，祢曾将祢的训词吩咐我们，为要我们殷勤遵守。
5 但愿我行事坚定，得以遵守祢的律例！
6 我看重祢的一切命令，就不至于羞愧。
7 我学了祢公义的判语，就要以正直的心称谢祢。
8 我必守祢的律例，求祢总不要丢弃我。

诗篇第119篇的内容关乎耶和华的律法，聚焦在「神的话语」，它是诗篇中最长的一篇，也是整本圣经中最长的一章。全篇分成二十二段，以希伯来文22个字母来押头韵；每段有八节，而每一节都以相同的字母来开始，总共176节。

本诗篇要传达的信息是，神的话语包含人需要知道的每一件事。除了第1至3节和115节之外，每一节的对象都是耶和华；总共只有6节没有提及神的话语：84, 90, 91, 121, 122, 132节。诗人用律法、法度、训词、律例、命令、判语、话、应许、典章、道路等词语来描述上帝的律法。

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父亲和儿子（下）

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创世记 37:3  以色列原来爱约瑟过于爱他的众子，因为约瑟是他年老生的，他给约瑟做了一件彩衣。

创世记 47:9  雅各对法老说：「我寄居在世的年日是一百三十岁。我平生的年日又少又苦，不及我列祖在世寄居的年日。」

以色列（雅各）原来爱约瑟过于爱他的众子，因为约瑟是他年老生的…（创37:3）。约瑟和哥哥们失和，蒙爱的约瑟被哥哥们卖到埃及。

父亲雅各：雅各一生经历苦难，家庭破口也带给他许多忧伤，女儿底拿受辱、二子西缅和三子利未藉割礼报复屠城、妻子拉结生便雅悯因难产而死、长子流便与父亲的妾行淫乱、四子犹大乱伦儿媳妇…；雅各晚年与儿子们来到埃及投靠约瑟，他对法老说：「我寄居在世的年日是一百三十岁，我平生的年日又少又苦，不及我列祖在世寄居的年日。」（创47:9）

儿子约瑟：约瑟被卖到埃及、因抵挡诱惑而遭陷入监、为狱友解梦解愁却被遗忘…，然而约瑟谦卑持守，与神同行。廿年沧桑，约瑟成为埃及法老的宰相，他用儿子的名字来表达他的心境，长子叫玛拿西（使之忘了），神使我忘了一切的困苦和我父的全家，次子叫以法莲（使之昌盛），神使我在受苦的地方昌盛（创41:50-52）。

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No Risk, No Reward

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 14:13-28.  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! 

Acts 14:13-17 (NIV)
13  The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.
14  But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting:
15  “Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.

On verse 17:  When the people of Lystra try to sacrifice to Paul and Barnabas thinking that they are reincarnations of their gods Hermes and Zeus, Paul and Barnabas tear their clothes to emphasize their humanity and urge them not to worship people but the living God whom they cannot see.  To persuade the crowd about God’s kindness and goodness to them, Paul and Barnabas point to evidence such as the rains that come, the crops they harvest, the food they eat and the joy that they have.

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父亲和儿子（上）

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创世记 12:4-7  亚伯兰就照着耶和华的吩咐去了，罗得也和他同去。亚伯兰出哈兰的时候年七十五岁。5 亚伯兰将他妻子撒莱和侄儿罗得，连他们在哈兰所积蓄的财物、所得的人口，都带往迦南地去。他们就到了迦南地。 6 亚伯兰经过那地，到了示剑地方，摩利橡树那里。那时，迦南人住在那地。 7 耶和华向亚伯兰显现，说：「我要把这地赐给你的后裔。」亚伯兰就在那里为向他显现的耶和华筑了一座坛。

亚伯拉罕75岁初次踏足迦南，在示剑地方、摩利橡树那里，神应许将迦南地赐给他的后裔（创12:4-7）；事实上，亚伯拉罕一生没有拥有任何迦南土地，但他遗留神的应许（创12:1-7，13:14-17，15:1-7，17:1-8，22:16-18）给他的后裔-以色列人。以色列人经过430年在埃及的奴役，和40年在旷野的飘流，六十多万男丁在旷野死亡，最终得以进入迦南，神将六百多年前的应许（创15:13-21）化成现实。

神对以色列人的应许是跨世代的，他们历经第一层跨越（渡过伯拉大河），离开本族父家，从舒适安逸、既有满足的环境中破茧而出；第二层跨越（下海中走干地），离开为奴之地，神为他们斩断枷锁、断绝綑绑，并以云柱领路、火柱光照来带领他们；第三层跨越（渡过约旦河），在旷野中学习让神带领生活、塑造生命、指引道路，最后，凭著信心抬着约柜，与神同行一起渡过约旦河，进入神应许的迦南地。他们从一小群成为一大族，他们祖先亚伯兰（被高举的父）成为亚伯拉罕（多国的父）。

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Help For My Disability

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 14:1-12.  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! 

Acts 14:1-7 (NIV)
1  At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.
2  But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
3  So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.

On verses 1-7:  Paul and Barnabas travel to Iconium, the capital of ancient Lycaonia, about 90 miles southeast of Antioch.  There, they preach in the synagogue and the people are responding, both positively and negatively.  On one hand, a great number of Jews and Gentiles are coming to faith in Jesus.  On the other hand, some oppose Paul and Barnabas by trying to lure new converts away.  Not wanting their gospel message to be misunderstood, Paul and Barnabas spend considerable time in Iconium, defending the gospel, while God would enable them to do miraculous signs and wonders to confirm the validity of their message.

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跨世代的应许

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创世记 12:4-7  亚伯兰就照着耶和华的吩咐去了，罗得也和他同去。亚伯兰出哈兰的时候年七十五岁。5 亚伯兰将他妻子撒莱和侄儿罗得，连他们在哈兰所积蓄的财物、所得的人口，都带往迦南地去。他们就到了迦南地。 6 亚伯兰经过那地，到了示剑地方，摩利橡树那里。那时，迦南人住在那地。 7 耶和华向亚伯兰显现，说：「我要把这地赐给你的后裔。」亚伯兰就在那里为向他显现的耶和华筑了一座坛。

亚伯拉罕75岁初次踏足迦南，在示剑地方、摩利橡树那里，神应许将迦南地赐给他的后裔（创12:4-7）；事实上，亚伯拉罕一生没有拥有任何迦南土地，但他遗留神的应许（创12:1-7，13:14-17，15:1-7，17:1-8，22:16-18）给他的后裔-以色列人。以色列人经过430年在埃及的奴役，和40年在旷野的飘流，六十多万男丁在旷野死亡，最终得以进入迦南，神将六百多年前的应许（创15:13-21）化成现实。

神对以色列人的应许是跨世代的，他们历经第一层跨越（渡过伯拉大河），离开本族父家，从舒适安逸、既有满足的环境中破茧而出；第二层跨越（下海中走干地），离开为奴之地，神为他们斩断枷锁、断绝綑绑，并以云柱领路、火柱光照来带领他们；第三层跨越（渡过约旦河），在旷野中学习让神带领生活、塑造生命、指引道路，最后，凭著信心抬着约柜，与神同行一起渡过约旦河，进入神应许的迦南地。他们从一小群成为一大族，他们祖先亚伯兰（被高举的父）成为亚伯拉罕（多国的父）。

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Don’t Sulk, But Shake Off The Dust

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 13:42-52.  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! 

Acts 13:42-49 (NIV)
42  As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath.
43  When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.
44  On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord.

On verses 42-49:  Still in Pisidian Antioch, Paul and Barnabas are invited to come back and speak at the synagogue there.  Practically the entire city shows up the next week to hear Paul and Barnabas preach.  Jealous of all the attention Paul and Barnabas are getting, the Jewish leaders slander Paul and try to oppose the arguments he is making.  In response, quoting from Isaiah 49:6, Paul and Barnabas announce that since the Jews in Pisidian Antioch have rejected their message, Paul and Barnabas will focus on reaching the Gentiles in Pisidian Antioch with the same message. 

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生命的第三层跨越-凭信心进入应许之地

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出埃及记 19:1  以色列人出埃及地以后，满了三个月的那一天，就来到西奈的旷野。

民数记 13:21-33   他们上去窥探那地，从寻的旷野到利合，直到哈马口。 22 他们从南地上去，到了希伯仑，在那里有亚衲族人亚希幔、示筛、挞买。（原来希伯仑城被建造比埃及的锁安城早七年。） 23 他们到了以实各谷，从那里砍了葡萄树的一枝，上头有一挂葡萄，两个人用杠抬着，又带了些石榴和无花果来。 24 因为以色列人从那里砍来的那挂葡萄，所以那地方叫做以实各谷。

以色列人离开埃及，用了三个月走到西乃旷野（出19:1），在西乃山停留大约十一个月，从神领受律法和制作帐幕，第二年年底，来到迦南地南边的加低斯。他们差派12个探子打探迦南地，发现那地果然是流奶与蜜之地，但是除了约书亚和迦勒以外的探子回报恶讯：住那地的民强壮高大，城邑也坚固宽大，我们看自己就如蚱蜢一样（民13:21-33）。全会众畏惧害怕、喧嚷哭号，向摩西、亚伦发怨言，惹动神的怒气宣告：按窥探那地的四十日，一年顶一日，以色列人要担罪，在旷野飘流四十年，直到尸首在旷野消灭（民14:27-35）。

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How God Fulfilled His Promises

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Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 13:26-41.  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! 

Acts 13:26-31 (NIV)
26  “Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent.
27  The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.
28  Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed.
29  When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb.
30  But God raised him from the dead,
31  and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.
 
On verses 26-31:  Here Paul continues his sermon to the Jews at the synagogue in Pisidian Antoich.  Paul points out a number of ironies relating to the way Jesus was treated by the people of Jerusalem:

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