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跨世代的應許

2024-08-15 in , /by

創世記 12:4-7  亞伯蘭就照著耶和華的吩咐去了，羅得也和他同去。亞伯蘭出哈蘭的時候年七十五歲。5 亞伯蘭將他妻子撒萊和侄兒羅得，連他們在哈蘭所積蓄的財物、所得的人口，都帶往迦南地去。他們就到了迦南地。 6 亞伯蘭經過那地，到了示劍地方，摩利橡樹那裡。那時，迦南人住在那地。 7 耶和華向亞伯蘭顯現，說：「我要把這地賜給你的後裔。」亞伯蘭就在那裡為向他顯現的耶和華築了一座壇。

亞伯拉罕75歲初次踏足迦南，在示劍地方、摩利橡樹那裡，神應許將迦南地賜給他的後裔（創12:4-7）；事實上，亞伯拉罕一生沒有擁有任何迦南土地，但他遺留神的應許（創12:1-7，13:14-17，15:1-7，17:1-8，22:16-18）給他的後裔-以色列人。以色列人經過430年在埃及的奴役，和40年在曠野的飄流，六十多萬男丁在曠野死亡，最終得以進入迦南，神將六百多年前的應許（創15:13-21）化成現實。

神對以色列人的應許是跨世代的，他們歷經第一層跨越（渡過伯拉大河），離開本族父家，從舒適安逸、既有滿足的環境中破繭而出；第二層跨越（下海中走乾地），離開為奴之地，神為他們斬斷枷鎖、斷絕綑綁，並以雲柱領路、火柱光照來帶領他們；第三層跨越（渡過約旦河），在曠野中學習讓神帶領生活、塑造生命、指引道路，最後，憑著信心抬著約櫃，與神同行一起渡過約旦河，進入神應許的迦南地。他們從一小群成為一大族，他們祖先亞伯蘭（被高舉的父）成為亞伯拉罕（多國的父）。

Don’t Sulk, But Shake Off The Dust

2024-08-15 in /by

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. 

生命的第三層跨越-憑信心進入應許之地

2024-08-14 in , /by

出埃及記 19:1  以色列人出埃及地以後，滿了三個月的那一天，就來到西奈的曠野。

民數記 13:21-33   他們上去窺探那地，從尋的曠野到利合，直到哈馬口。 22 他們從南地上去，到了希伯崙，在那裡有亞衲族人亞希幔、示篩、撻買。（原來希伯崙城被建造比埃及的鎖安城早七年。） 23 他們到了以實各谷，從那裡砍了葡萄樹的一枝，上頭有一掛葡萄，兩個人用槓抬著，又帶了些石榴和無花果來。 24 因為以色列人從那裡砍來的那掛葡萄，所以那地方叫做以實各谷。

以色列人離開埃及，用了三個月走到西乃曠野（出19:1），在西乃山停留大約十一個月，從神領受律法和製作帳幕，第二年年底，來到迦南地南邊的加低斯。他們差派12個探子打探迦南地，發現那地果然是流奶與蜜之地，但是除了約書亞和迦勒以外的探子回報惡訊：住那地的民強壯高大，城邑也堅固寬大，我們看自己就如蚱蜢一樣（民13:21-33）。全會眾畏懼害怕、喧嚷哭號，向摩西、亞倫發怨言，惹動神的怒氣宣告：按窺探那地的四十日，一年頂一日，以色列人要擔罪，在曠野飄流四十年，直到屍首在曠野消滅（民14:27-35）。

How God Fulfilled His Promises

2024-08-14 in /by

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:

生命的第二層跨越-離開為奴之地

2024-08-13 in , /by

出1:1-14   以色列的眾子各帶家眷和雅各一同來到埃及，他們的名字記在下面。 2 有魯本、西緬、利未、猶大、 3 以薩迦、西布倫、便雅憫、 4 但、拿弗他利、迦得、亞設。 5 凡從雅各而生的，共有七十人。約瑟已經在埃及。 6 約瑟和他的弟兄，並那一代的人都死了。 7 以色列人生養眾多，並且繁茂，極其強盛，滿了那地。

8 有不認識約瑟的新王起來，治理埃及， 9 對他的百姓說：「看哪，這以色列民比我們還多，又比我們強盛。 10 來吧，我們不如用巧計待他們，恐怕他們多起來，日後若遇什麼爭戰的事，就聯合我們的仇敵攻擊我們，離開這地去了。」 11 於是埃及人派督工的轄制他們，加重擔苦害他們。他們為法老建造兩座積貨城，就是比東和蘭塞。 12 只是越發苦害他們，他們越發多起來，越發蔓延，埃及人就因以色列人愁煩。

亞伯拉罕的後裔（雅各家族）因大饑荒，遷徙到埃及歌珊地，投靠時任宰相的約瑟。四百多年來，以色列人生養眾多，繁茂且強盛；有不認識約瑟的新王起來治理埃及，畏懼以色列人的強盛，採取高壓政策，強制他們做工，加重擔苦害他們，甚至要求收生婆殺死初生男嬰（出1:1-14）。

神看見以色列人在埃及所受的困苦，聽見他們因受督工轄制所發的哀聲，祂打發摩西去見法老，將以色列人從埃及領出來，回到美好、寬闊、流奶與蜜的迦南地（出3:7-10）。

神降下災害在埃及地，迫使法老容許以色列人出埃及。逾越節過後，以色列人帶著羊群、牛群，還有向埃及人要的金器、銀器、衣裳、財物，從蘭塞起行，往疏割去；除了婦人孩子，步行的男人約有六十萬。正滿了四百三十年的那天，耶和華的軍隊都從埃及地出來了（出12:31-41）。

It All Points to Jesus in the End

2024-08-13 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 13:13-25.  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 13:13-15 (NIV)
13  From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.
14  From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down.
15  After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak.”
 
On verses 13-15:  Here John Mark decides to leave Paul and Barnabas and go back to Jerusalem, while Paul, Barnabas and the rest of their team continue a physically challenging and dangerous journey to Pisidian Antioch.  You can’t tell from Acts 13:13 that John’s decision to leave bothered Paul, but it did.  In fact, John’s decision to leave would become a point of contention between Barnabas and Paul later on (see Acts 15:37-38). 

Greater is He who is in You

2024-08-12 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 13:1-12.  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 13:1 (NIV)
1  In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
 
On verse 1:  The church at Antioch had a team of prophet-teachers who spoke to the congregation.  Notice the diversity on this teaching team: Barnabas was Jewish but grew up in Greek-influenced Cyprus, likely making him a “Grecian Jew”.   Simeon, scholars say, was probably black.  Lucius was from Cyrene (North Africa).  Manaen grew up with King Herod Antipas the tetrarch, which meant he probably came a very wealthy background and was older.  Saul, of course, was a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5) but was also well traveled and from Tarsus (modern day Turkey).   God loves diversity.  In fact Jesus’ Church is the largest and most racially, ethnically and culturally diverse family that has ever existed.  

生命的第一層跨越-離開本族父家

2024-08-12 in , /by

使徒行傳 7:2-3   司提反說：「諸位父兄請聽！當日我們的祖宗亞伯拉罕在美索不達米亞，還未住哈蘭的時候，榮耀的神向他顯現，3 對他說：『你要離開本地和親族，往我所要指示你的地方去。』

創世記 11:31-32  他拉帶著他兒子亞伯蘭和他孫子哈蘭的兒子羅得，並他兒婦亞伯蘭的妻子撒萊，出了迦勒底的吾珥，要往迦南地去。他們走到哈蘭，就住在那裡。 32 他拉共活了二百零五歲，就死在哈蘭。

亞伯蘭被呼召（徒7:2）。他的父親他拉帶著亞伯蘭和妻子撒萊、亞伯蘭的侄子羅得，出了迦勒底的吾珥，要往迦南地去；他們沿著美索不達米亞平原的伯拉大河（幼發拉底河）北上走到哈蘭，就住在那裡，他拉後來死在哈蘭（創11:31-32）。

耶和華再呼召亞伯蘭離開本地、本族、父家，帶著撒萊和羅得，以及在哈蘭所積蓄的財物、所得的人口，渡過伯拉大河，進入迦南地（創12:1-5）。

亞伯蘭75歲被呼召出哈蘭，經歷饑荒與異鄉的危難（創12:10-20），因財物甚多不能同居而與羅得分手（創13:14-18），從基大老瑪和同盟王中拯救羅得後，神與亞伯蘭立約（創15:4-21），亞伯蘭99歲時，神以改名為亞伯拉罕與割禮為證據，預言生以撒（創17:1-21）。亞伯拉罕年100歲生以撒，以撒生下來第八日，亞伯拉罕照著神所吩咐的，給以撒行了割禮（創21:1-5）。

我們眼睛要能看見！

2024-08-11 in , /by

馬太福音 6:22-23  「眼睛就是身上的燈。你的眼睛若瞭亮，全身就光明； 23 你的眼睛若昏花，全身就黑暗。你裡頭的光若黑暗了，那黑暗是何等大呢！

馬太福音 20:30-34  有兩個瞎子坐在路旁，聽說是耶穌經過，就喊著說：「主啊，大衛的子孫，可憐我們吧！」 31 眾人責備他們，不許他們作聲，他們卻越發喊著說：「主啊，大衛的子孫，可憐我們吧！」 32 耶穌就站住，叫他們來，說：「要我為你們做什麼？」 33 他們說：「主啊，要我們的眼睛能看見！」 34 耶穌就動了慈心，把他們的眼睛一摸，他們立刻看見，就跟從了耶穌。

疫情蔓延許久，大家戴上多采多姿的各式口罩，沒有嘴巴的臉上露出兩顆眼睛，顯得晶亮有神，靈魂之窗閃爍出神起初創造我們的美好，在茫然不見終了的疫情裡帶來無限的希望。

眼睛不僅用於視覺，也是光進入我們身體的主要入口。光經由眼睛可以直接剌激和調節神經糸統及內分泌系統，光送到腦裡的丘腦下部，控制交感神經及副交感神經，包含七情六慾的調節，可視為人體的靈魂座位及光量計（松果腺）。第四世紀希臘醫師Herophilus稱松果腺為思想的括約肌，印度人及瑜珈信徒稱其為第三隻眼睛，文學家莎士比亞說：「眼睛是靈魂之窗」。

In Case You’re Tested By This

2024-08-11 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Acts 12:11-25.  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 12:11-12 (NIV)
11  Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.”
12  When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.
 
On verses 11-12:  Peter now realizes that the deliverance from prison he was dreaming about was actually real.  His first instinct is to go to the house of Mary, mother of John-Mark, where many are praying for him.  Peter wants those praying for him to see for themselves the incredible deliverance God made possible for him, knowing how much encouragement that would bring to them.