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Are You “Judgment-Happy”?

2020-09-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 6:37-49.  Let’s go!

Luke 6:37-42 (NIV) 
37  “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
38  Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”
39  He also told them this parable: “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?
40  A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.
41  “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?
42  How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

On verses 37-42:  These verses warn us against being “judgment-happy” people (i.e. people who are quick to judge others without giving it much thought).  Notice how Jesus connects being judgment-happy with lacking vision.  Judgment-happy people tend not to have a clear or accurate view of others or themselves. 

Pray Through Your People Decisions Copy

2020-09-03 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 6:12-26.  Let’s go!

Luke 6:12-16 (NIV) 
12  One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
13  When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
14  Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
15  Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,
16  Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

On verses 12-16:  Notice that Jesus spent quality time in prayer before he chose his disciples and called them his authorized representatives (“apostles”).  What can we learn from this?  Before you ask someone to be in a significant relationship with you (whether it’s business-wise, romantically or otherwise), make sure you pray about it and seek God’s guidance.  Like Jesus, pray through your most important people decisions.

神照著自己的形象造人

2020-09-02 in /by

創世記一章26節    神說：「我們要照著我們的形象，按著我們的樣式造人，使他們管理海裡的魚、空中的鳥、地上的牲畜和全地，並地上所爬的一切昆蟲。」

在創造的第六天，神造了許多動物。你覺得那時的動物會不會動，有沒有生命的跡象呢？在〈創世記〉第二章19節，神說：「耶和華上帝用土所造成的野地各樣走獸和空中各樣飛鳥都帶到那人面前，看他叫甚麼。那人怎樣叫各樣的活物，那就是牠的名字。」所以我們知道，神用土造成各樣的活物。

神造出野獸，各從其類；牲畜，各從其類；地上一切昆蟲，各從其類。神看著是好的。現在這個世界看起來很圓滿了，有穹蒼大海，有陸地和各樣樹木菜蔬，有晝夜，有日夜星辰，有沉魚飛雁，還需要什麼呢？假如你把嬰兒房都預備好了，你覺得還需要什麼？是的，需要一個可愛的嬰兒來享受這一切的精心預備。

神造大地豈是沒有目的嗎？在〈啟示錄〉第四章第11節裡，寶座周圍的24位長老俯伏在坐寶座的面前，敬拜那活到永永遠遠的，又把他們的冠冕放在寶座前，說： 「我們的主，我們的神，祢是配得榮耀、尊貴、權柄的，因為祢創造了萬物，並且萬物是因祢的旨意被創造而有的。」萬物是因神的旨意被創造而有的，包括人。所以我們不是隨意被造的，我們是神精心的創造。神預定我們來享受祂所創造的一切，身為人，我們必須知道，神造萬物都是為了我們。

唐崇榮牧師說：「在〈創世記〉第一章裡面，希伯來原文有三個不同的字，都被翻譯為『造』字。第一個是 bara 這個字。第一節提到『上帝創造天地』的時候，用的是 bara 這個字。到了26、27節時說到：『我們要按照自己的形像樣式造人』的時候，用的也是 bara 這個字。 bara 這個字是什麼意思呢？它有雙重的意思。第一個的意思是： 本來沒有的現在有了，這是神旨意中的一種特殊行動 — 創造之工。第二個意思是：人本來是沒有的，從這一刻開始，人才被造出來。

You Can Never Out-Give or Out-Forgive God

2020-09-02 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 6:27-36.  Let’s go!

Luke 6:27-36 (NIV) 
27  “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you,
28  bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.
29  If someone strikes you on one cheek, turn to him the other also. If someone takes your cloak, do not stop him from taking your tunic.
30  Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back.
31  Do to others as you would have them do to you…….

As you read these words from Jesus, keep in mind the following:

Everything Jesus told his followers to do here Jesus modeled for us first and did so perfectly at the cross.  Jesus always leads us not just with his words but with his example as well.
God wants us to be people of grace who love our enemies, do good to them, lend without expecting to be repaid in full, and forgive them when they hurt us.  When we do this, we’re following in God’s example, store up treasure in heaven and show ourselves to be “children of the Most High”.
You will never give to anyone more than God has already given you.  You will never have to forgive anyone more than God has already forgiven you.  You can never outgive or outforgive God.

生命之物各從其類

2020-09-01 in /by

創世記一章24節    神說：「地要生出有生命之物，各從其類，就是牲畜、爬行動物、地上的走獸，各從其類。」事就這樣成了。

昨天的新聞報導，因為新冠肺炎疫情的關係，溫哥華的水族館在9月4日又要暫時關閉了。今年三月中也因為新冠疫情，水族館關閉了，大家都很擔心館內約七萬隻動物不知如何處理。還後後來有募款，終於可以再開，但是現在疫情一上，就又不得不關閉了，有兩百多人即將失業。

我們都很愛喜歡這間水族館，帶著小孩來，一家都開心，因為可以欣賞神奇妙的創造。動物園也是一樣，我比較喜歡野生動物園，雖然有的動物還是被局限在特定範圍裡活動，但總是好過被關在籠子裡好。我們喜歡觀看不同的動物，欣賞牠們不同的生活方式，去感覺造物的奇妙。

但是我很難想像，一隻恐龍進化成雞的樣子。多年前有人爭議先有雞還是先有蛋的謎題時，竟有人認為是恐龍的蛋進化成雞而產出雞來，所以說先有蛋後有雞。當然，這是非常牽強的說法，誰見過恐龍的蛋進化成雞蛋？那是一種沒有事實根據的推測。

幸好英國科學家發現，蛋殼的構成仰賴一種僅能在雞的卵巢中找到的蛋白質，換言之，必須先有雞，蛋才可能存在。ovocledidin-17（OC-17）的蛋白質是作為加速蛋殼發展的催化劑，硬殼保護蛋黃與蛋白，讓雞胚胎得以發育。所以在雞蛋形成前，必須先有OC-17，而OC-17只能在雞的卵巢中發現。長久以來學界料想是蛋先於雞，然而現在有科學證據，證明事實上是先有雞才能有蛋。

Pray Through Your People Decisions

2020-09-01 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 6:12-26.  Let’s go!

Luke 6:12-16 (NIV) 
12  One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.
13  When morning came, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve of them, whom he also designated apostles:
14  Simon (whom he named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, Bartholomew,
15  Matthew, Thomas, James son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot,
16  Judas son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.

On verses 12-16:  Notice that Jesus spent quality time in prayer before he chose his disciples and called them his authorized representatives (“apostles”).  What can we learn from this?  Before you ask someone to be in a significant relationship with you (whether it’s business-wise, romantically or otherwise), make sure you pray about it and seek God’s guidance.  Like Jesus, pray through your most important people decisions.

飛鳥與魚的出現

2020-08-31 in /by

創世記一章20節    神說：「水要滋生眾多有生命之物；要有鳥飛在地面以上，天空之中。」

根據地質生物學家的說法：在距離大約六億年前的寒武紀之前，沒有發現任何生物的化石，但是一到了寒武紀，大量海洋動物門類同時突然出現，顯示出地球生命大暴發的突變，而在此前卻無任何痕跡可尋。也就是所謂的「寒武紀地球生命大暴發」。科學家們說：「寒武紀地球生命大暴發」是地球生命演化史上突發性的重大事件，現代生命多樣性起於此。科學家誠證說，面對這「寒武紀生命大暴發」，人們不禁會問：「是什麼神奇力量使生物多樣化、大型化如此突然暴發的呢？為什麼門類繁多的生物會如此整齊地出現在同一起跑線上呢？究竟是什麼神奇的力量從簡單的海藻之類微生物突變出現在地球上幾乎所有生物門類的原始物種的呢？」對此，信仰真神的人只有一個回答：此乃出於真神大能的創造。

神在創造天地時，希伯來文是bara（巴拉），指從無生有；在這裡用的「造」字，希伯來文是「asah（阿撒）」，是指用已經有的材料，塵土，做成的。神造的大魚有好幾種譯法，有的說是the great sea-monsters/ great sea creatures/ great whales/ magnificent marine creature，不管是大海怪、鯨魚、大魚，都給我們一個清楚的認知，就是水裡的生物不論大小都是神所造的。在前四天的創造裡，都是神的器皿，植物或礦物只有體而沒有生命，從水裡的生物和空中的飛鳥才開始具有生命。

當摩西和法老的術士在法老面前各行神蹟和法術，從杖變蛇、水變血、使青蛙跳上埃及地，這些事情埃及的術士都沒有問題。但是當摩西擊打塵土變成蝨子時，行法術的就對法老說：「這是神的手段。」唯有神，才能使塵土變成蝨子，使生命進入塵土之中。所以當神說：「水要多多滋生有生命的物」時，並不是水有滋生生命的能力，而是神賜下生命進入水中。這裡的「水」，從英文可以看出它是複數「waters」 ，意為諸水，包括江河、湖沼、海洋等等。

Don’t Be So Caught Up In Man-Made Rules That You Miss God’s Heart

2020-08-31 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 5:27-39.  Let’s go!

Luke 6:1-2 (NIV) 
1  One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grain fields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels.
2  Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?”

On verses 1-2:  People living in Israel were allowed to walk through a fellow Israelite’s grain field and pick kernels with their hand to eat, just as Jesus’ disciples were doing here.  This was specifically allowed in Deuteronomy 23:24-25 as a way for Jewish landowners to show grace and mercy to the poor.  However, because Jesus’ disciples were doing this on a Sabbath day, the Pharisees were offended, for the Pharisees taught that picking heads of grain and eating it on a Sabbath day was “work” which violated God’s command that His people rest and not work on a Sabbath day.  The Pharisees had misapplied God’s command to rest on the Sabbath day to an absurd, ridiculous and unhelpful extreme.  As a result, laws that were meant to encourage grace, mercy and rest for people were replaced with a strict kind of legalism that just placed more burdens on everyone.

神創造日月星辰

2020-08-30 in /by

創世記一章14-15節    神說：「天上要有光體來分晝夜，讓它們作記號，定季節、日子、年份，它們要在天空發光，照在地上。」事就這樣成了。

在神創造的第一天就有了光，分了晝夜：但是在第四天時，神造了光體，就由這些光體來分晝夜，讓它們作記號，定季節、日子、年份了。根據何仲柯醫生的說法，「發光體」原是器皿而已。就如一個水壺，它自己並不會產生水，但是如果從水源，把水放在它裡面，它就可以供應人的需要，只是它在供應時，它的水量會越來越少。當初在第一天分晝夜的光，如今已經歸到太陽身上；而現在地球上之分晝夜，是因為太陽光照和地球自轉所形成的。

有的人覺得《聖經》很不科學，怎麼可能先有植物再有太陽？怎麼先有晝夜，才有太陽月亮？但事實就是如此。神可以用其他的光去分晝夜，這光也可以使植物行光合作用，又使霧氣升起滋潤萬物。因為祂是神，祂可以用各種方法使造物活下去。假如祂什麼事都要按人的邏輯，那祂就不是神了；就因為祂超乎人的邏輯、智慧和權能，所以祂是神。

根據地球的運轉，月亮和其它星象的變化規律，我們就因此計算出月份（作記號）。根據月亮和其它星際的關係，以及地球在運轉中產生的氣候變化、季節差異，而確定了不同的季節–春、夏、秋、冬（定節令）。又由於地球繞太陽公轉一周所用的時間，我們因此用來確定一年為365天（日子）。也因為地球繞太陽公轉一周所花的時間，我們用它來計算人類的壽數（年歲）。你看，《聖經》很科學吧，從創世到現在，時令節期就這樣傳下來了。

“I Don’t Believe in Christianity Because Some Christians I Know Are Hypocrites.”

2020-08-30 in /by

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is Luke 5:27-39.  There are so many lessons we can learn from today’s passage.  Let’s go!

Luke 5:27-28 (NIV) 
27  After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. “Follow me,” Jesus said to him, 
28  and Levi got up, left everything and followed him. 

On verses 27-28:  Back in Jesus’ time, tax collectors were despised in Israel.  That is because tax collectors had a reputation for being crooked and money hungry, known for charging Jews more taxes than they actually owed to the Roman government and pocketing the difference.   Jewish tax collectors were seen as traitors, since they were working for the Roman emperor while profiting at the expense of their fellow Jews.  Levi was one such Jewish tax collector.  Notice, however, that Levi’s occupation, background and reputation did not keep Jesus from inviting Levi to follow him.  It also did not keep Levi from leaving everything to follow Jesus.  Levi (also called Matthew) would become one of Jesus’ first disciples and apostles, and would go on to author the gospel of Matthew, the first book in the New Testament.