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God Watches How You Do THIS

2024-09-08 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 21:26-40.  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 21:26-36 (NIV)
26  The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.
27  When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,

On verses 26-36:  Now we see why it was such a dangerous and risky idea for Paul to go to Jerusalem, and why others tried to discourage him from going.  Paul was a wanted man in Jerusalem, with many people bent on taking his life.  The violent opposition Paul faced in Jerusalem is reminiscent of what Jesus faced in Jerusalem.  Both Jesus and Paul knew that danger awaited them in Jerusalem.  In Luke 13, when people tried to discourage Jesus from going to Jerusalem, Jesus himself said, “In any case, I must keep going today and tomorrow and the next day–for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!” (Luke 13:33). 

Tsade 神与祂的话语都是公义的

2024-09-08 in , /by

诗篇 119:137-144

137 耶和华啊，祢是公义的；祢的判语也是正直的！

138 祢所命定的法度是凭公义和至诚（极其信实）。

139 我心焦急，如同火烧，因我敌人忘记祢的言语。

140 祢的话极其精炼，所以祢的仆人喜爱。

141 我微小，被人藐视，却不忘记祢的训词。

142 祢的公义永远长存；祢的律法尽都真实。

143 我遭遇患难愁苦，祢的命令却是我所喜爱的。

144 祢的法度永远是公义的；求祢赐我悟性，我就活了。

Tsade 神与祂的话语都是公义的（诗119:137-144）

诗篇150篇中，总共123节谈及神的慈爱，而84节谈及神的公义；诗篇119篇全部176节中，有7节谈及神的慈爱，有14节谈及神的公义：公义的判语、公义上生活、公义的典章、公义的话、神是公义的、公义永远长存、法度永远是公义的、命令尽都公义…。诗人述说他们与神的关系，神的慈爱多过神的公义，但在神的话语、律法、典章、法度…方面，却是神的公义多过神的慈爱。

Do THIS, But Remember You Can’t Please Everybody

2024-09-06 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 21:15-25.  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 21:15-25 (NIV)
15  After this, we got ready and went up to Jerusalem.
16  Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.
17  When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers received us warmly.

On verses 15-20:  Paul and his team finally reach Jerusalem.  The Jerusalem church elders, including James, praise God after hearing Paul’s reports about what God did among the Gentiles through Paul’s ministry.  However, while Paul was away from Jerusalem, a new concern had arisen for the Jerusalem church.  According to the ancient historian Josephus, the mid 50s were a time of intense nationalism and anti-Roman sentiment among the Jewish people in Jerusalem, as evidenced by numerous revolts that the Jews launched against the Roman empire.  Thus many Jews in Jerusalem did not like the idea that Paul was reaching non-Jewish people throughout the Roman empire. 

Pey 神话语的能力

2024-09-06 in , /by

诗篇 119:129-136

129 祢的法度奇妙，所以我一心谨守。
130 祢的言语一解开，就发出亮光，使愚人通达。
131 我张口而气喘，因我切慕祢的命令。
132 求祢转向我，怜悯我，好像祢素常待那些爱祢名的人。
133 求祢用你的话使我脚步稳当，不许什么罪孽辖制我。
134 求祢救我脱离人的欺压，我要遵守祢的训词。
135 求祢用脸光照仆人，又将祢的律例教训我。
136 我的眼泪下流成河，因为他们不守祢的律法。

Pey 神话语的能力，有如光照入黑暗中（诗119:129-136）

神的道是活泼的，是有功效的，比一切两刃的剑更快，甚至魂与灵，骨节与骨髓，都能刺入、剖开，连心中的思念和主意都能辨明。（来4:12）

诗人谈到切慕神话语的光景：甚至心碎、眼睛失明、上膛甘美、口中甜蜜、全身战栗、张口气喘、天未亮呼求、夜更未换睁眼思想、一天七次赞美。

119:20 我时常切慕祢的典章，甚至心碎。

119:82 我因盼望祢的应许眼睛失明，说：祢何时安慰我？

119:103 祢的言语在我上膛何等甘美，在我口中比蜜更甜！

The Best Things In Life Don’t Come Without THIS

2024-09-05 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 21:1-14.  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! 

Acts 21:1-6 (NIV)
1  After we had torn ourselves away from them, we put out to sea and sailed straight to Cos. The next day we went to Rhodes and from there to Patara.
2  We found a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, went on board and set sail.
3  After sighting Cyprus and passing to the south of it, we sailed on to Syria. We landed at Tyre, where our ship was to unload its cargo.
4  Finding the disciples there, we stayed with them seven days. Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem.

On verses 1-6:  Paul believed that the Holy Spirit was leading him to go to Jerusalem (see Acts 20:22).  Yet in verse 4 we read that “[t]hrough the Spirit” Christians in Tyre “urged Paul not to go to Jerusalem”.  Was the Holy Spirit giving contradictory directions? 

Ayin以仆人的心遵行神的律法

2024-09-05 in , /by

诗篇 119:121-128

121 我行过公平和公义，求祢不要撇下我给欺压我的人。
122 求祢为仆人作保，使我得好处，不容骄傲人欺压我。
123 我因盼望祢的救恩和祢公义的话，眼睛失明。
124 求祢照祢的慈爱待仆人，将祢的律例教训我。
125 我是祢的仆人，求祢赐我悟性，使我得知祢的法度。
126 这是耶和华降罚的时候，因人废了祢的律法。
127 所以我爱祢的命令胜于金子，更胜于精金。
128 祢一切的训词，在万事上我都以为正直，我却恨恶一切假道。

Ayin 以仆人的心遵行神的律法（诗119:121-128）

以仆人的心求神作保得好处，不容人欺压；求神以慈爱恩待，以律例教训，求神赐予悟性，得知祂法度。

你若听从耶和华─你神的诫命，就是我今日所吩咐你的，谨守遵行，不偏左右，也不随从事奉别神，耶和华就必使你作首不作尾，但居上不居下。（申28:13）

诗篇第119篇论到骄傲人的特征：受咒诅、偏离神命令、侮慢人、编造谎言、无理地倾覆人、不从神律法、欺压人。

10 Things That A Leader Who Finishes Well Does

2024-09-04 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 20:25-38.  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 20:25-38 (NIV)
25  “Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.
26  Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
27  For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.

On verses 25-38:  Here Paul continues his final charge to the elders of the church in Ephesus, knowing that this would be the last time he ever sees them.

From these verses we learn from Paul some of the characteristics that make an excellent leader and lover of God’s church.  Since you and I were made to be excellent leaders and lovers of God’s church, I pray that you and I would be intentional about displaying these characteristics as well.

Samekh 神轻弃偏离祂律例、作恶的人

2024-09-04 in , /by

诗篇 119:113-120

113 心怀二意的人为我所恨，但祢的律法为我所爱。
114 祢是我藏身之处，又是我的盾牌，我甚仰望祢的话语。
115 作恶的人哪，你们离开我吧，我好遵守我神的命令。
116 求祢照你的话扶持我，使我存活，也不叫我因失望而害羞。
117 求祢扶持我，我便得救，时常看重祢的律例。
118 凡偏离祢律例的人，祢都轻弃他们，因为他们的诡诈必归虚空。
119 凡地上的恶人，祢除掉他，好像除掉渣滓，因此我爱祢的法度。
120 我因惧怕祢，肉就发抖，我也怕祢的判语。

Samekh 神轻弃偏离祂律例、作恶的人（诗119:113-120）

在旧约里，神和人的关系建立在遵行诫命（申11:13-17），人因自己的软弱和罪的引诱，无法遵行诫命，也因此惧怕神的刑罚、判语。在新约里，耶稣带来罪的赦免和重生的救恩，祂显明神的爱，完全的爱里没有惧怕（约壹4:18），借着圣灵的内住，我们能遵行神的诫命，也让神的律法得以成全（太5:17）。

Nun 祢的话是我脚前灯、路上光

2024-09-03 in , /by

诗篇 119:105-112

105 祢的话是我脚前的灯，是我路上的光。
106  祢公义的典章，我曾起誓遵守，我必按誓而行。
107 我甚是受苦，耶和华啊，求祢照你的话将我救活。
108 耶和华啊，求祢悦纳我口中的赞美为供物，又将祢的典章教训我。
109 我的性命常在危险之中，我却不忘记祢的律法。
110 恶人为我设下网罗，我却没有偏离祢的训词。
111 我以祢的法度为永远的产业，因这是我心中所喜爱的。
112 我的心专向祢的律例，永远遵行，一直到底。

Nun 祢的话是我脚前灯、路上光（诗119:105-112）

生命在他里头，这生命就是人的光。光照在黑暗里，黑暗却不接受光。…那光是真光，照亮一切生在世上的人。（约1:4-5, 9）

我到世上来，乃是光，叫凡信我的，不住在黑暗里。（约12:46）

Empowering Responsibility

2024-09-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 20:13-24.  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 20:13-16 (NIV)
13  We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot.
14  When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.
15  The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Kios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus.
16  Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost.
 
On verses 13-16:  When I read these verses I get the sense that Paul is engaged in a race against time, as if every second counts and every moment matters.  As he travels from place to place, he doesn’t take the scenic route.  Nor does he stop to veg out.  Instead, Paul goes from Troas on foot to Assos, then takes a ship to Mitylene.  The next day he sails to Kios (v15), the day after to Samos, the following day to Miletus.  He skips past Ephesus so that he can get to Jerusalem as soon as possible.