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天地万物都造齐了

创世记 2:1-3

天地万物都造齐了。 2 到第七日,神造物的工已经完毕,就在第七日歇了祂一切的工,安息了。 3 神赐福给第七日,定为圣日,因为在这日神歇了祂一切创造的工,就安息了。

天地万物都造齐了。 然后,神就安息了。这是何等令人害怕的信息:神歇了祂一切的工,就安息了。神怎么能够安息呢?我们这些人还在地球上苦苦挣扎,神怎能安息?

在诗篇第121篇里,诗人说:保护以色列的也不打盹,也不睡觉。保护你的是耶和华,耶和华在你右边荫庇你。白日,太阳必不伤你;夜间,月亮必不害你。耶和华要保护你免受一切的灾害,他要保护你的性命。你出你入,耶和华要保护你,从今时直到永远。

神奇的第六日

创世记1:24-31

24 神说:「地要生出活物来,各从其类;牲畜、昆虫、野兽,各从其类。」事就这样成了。 25 于是神造出野兽,各从其类;牲畜,各从其类;地上一切昆虫,各从其类。神看着是好的。

26 神说:「我们要照着我们的形象,按着我们的样式造人,使他们管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟、地上的牲畜和全地,并地上所爬的一切昆虫。」 27 神就照着自己的形象造人,乃是照着祂的形象,造男造女。 28 神就赐福给他们,又对他们说:「要生养众多,遍满地面,治理这地,也要管理海里的鱼、空中的鸟和地上各样行动的活物。」 29 神说:「看哪,我将遍地上一切结种子的菜蔬和一切树上所结有核的果子,全赐给你们做食物。 30 至于地上的走兽和空中的飞鸟,并各样爬在地上有生命的物,我将青草赐给牠们做食物。」事就这样成了。 31 神看着一切所造的都甚好。有晚上,有早晨,是第六日。

好像一对夫妇结婚后,发现妻子怀孕了,于是他们开始为这个新生命预备房间,预备一切所需的用具。在婴儿的床上要放些什么呢?大大小小的毛茸茸的动物玩偶,还有一些会发出音乐的玩具或会摇动的东西。像不像天父先把人的世界摆了动物,天上的鸟和水里的鱼?差别在于天父放的是有生命的活物,我们则不能把活物摆满婴儿的小床。

完美,是天父创造的极限。在最后,祂才造和祂一样形像的人。祂渴望有和祂一样形像和生命的人,一起来享受并统治这个奇妙的世界。

Worship of a Risk Free Life

When fear shapes our lives, safety becomes our god. We worship the risk-free life. The fear-filled cannot love deeply because love is risky. They cannot give to the poor because benevolence has no guarantee of return. The fear-filled cannot dream wildly. What if their dreams fail?

No wonder Jesus wages such a war against fear. In Matthew 8:26 “Jesus got up and gave a command to the wind and the waves, and it became completely calm.” The sea became as still as a frozen lake, and the disciples were left wondering, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (vs. 27 NCV) What kind of man, indeed. Turning typhoon time into nap time, silencing waves with one word.a frozen lake, and the disciples were left wondering, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!” (vs. 27 NCV) What kind of man, indeed. Turning typhoon time into nap time, silencing waves with one word.

Fear Less Tomorrow

In Matthew 8:26 Jesus asks, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” (NKJV). That’s a good question. Sometimes fear is healthy. Fear can keep a child from running across a busy road. It’s the appropriate reaction to a burning building or a growling dog.

Fear itself is not a sin. But it can lead to sin. If we medicate fear with angry outbursts, sullen withdrawals, or viselike control, we exclude God from the solution. Fear may fill our world, but it doesn’t have to fill our hearts. It will always knock on the door. Just don’t invite it in for dinner. The promise of Jesus is simple: we can fear less tomorrow than we do today.

世界上最遥远的距离

创世记1:20-23

20 神说:「水要多多滋生有生命的物,要有雀鸟飞在地面以上、天空之中。」 21 神就造出大鱼和水中所滋生各样有生命的动物,各从其类;又造出各样飞鸟,各从其类。神看着是好的。 22 神就赐福给这一切,说:「滋生繁多,充满海中的水,雀鸟也要多生在地上。」 23 有晚上,有早晨,是第五日。

在泰戈尔的《鱼与飞鸟的故事》里,他形容世界上最遥远的距离,不是生与死的距离,而是鱼和飞鸟的距离,因为“我就站在你的面前,你却不知道我爱你”,因为“明明知道彼此相爱,却不能在一起”,看起来非常罗曼蒂克,却和天父的心不一样吧。

有许多人去旅行时,喜欢参加浮潜, 因为平常没机会看到海里是怎样的。看过的人大概都会为了那些美丽的鱼和水草,珊瑚等等而感动不己。其实浮潜能看到的很有限,因此有更多人去学潜水,到更深的海里去探险。当然他们的努力都没有白费,因为迷人的海洋真是有无穷尽的宝藏。

天上的飞鸟亦然。在纽约的机场外面有很多小麻雀,在温哥华的公园里有许多知更鸟,牠们经常一跳一跳地在觅食;有时成群的海鸥掠过,有时成排的乌鸦或鸽子站在电线上,我经常为这些可爱的小鸟们深深着迷。

Discover the Unstirred Christ

Christ-followers contract malaria, bury children, and battle addictions, and, as a result, face fears. It’s not the absence of storms that sets us apart. It’s whom we discover in the storm—an unstirred Christ.

Matthew 8:24 says, “Jesus was sleeping.” Now there’s a scene. The disciples scream, and Jesus dreams. “Do you not care that we are perishing?” (NKJV). Fear corrodes our confidence in God’s goodness. It unleashes a swarm of anger-stirring doubts. Fear creates a form of spiritual amnesia. It makes us forget what Jesus has done and how good God is. Jesus takes our fears seriously. Don’t be afraid.

天上的好朋友

创世记1:14-19

14 神说:「天上要有光体,可以分昼夜,做记号,定节令、日子、年岁, 15 并要发光在天空,普照在地上。」事就这样成了。 16 于是神造了两个大光,大的管昼,小的管夜,又造众星。 17 就把这些光摆列在天空,普照在地上, 18 管理昼夜,分别明暗。神看着是好的。 19 有晚上,有早晨,是第四日。

今天跟朋友去走路时,她说太阳出来了,你不觉得很好吗? 我非常同意,经过了几天的大雨小雨,难得看到亲切的阳光,心里就忍不住的高兴。在北美的冬天能看到太阳,那就是一天的幸运,好像碰到老朋友般,在叫你出去玩。

我也喜欢月亮,以前住宿舍时,床位正好在窗户旁。有一晚睡着时突然惊醒,却见月光洒满床前,十分宁静美丽,仿佛是母亲坐在床旁为我拉起掉下来的被子般的温柔。

植物来了 !

创世记1:9-13

神说:「天下的水要聚在一处,使旱地露出来。」事就这样成了。 10 神称旱地为地,称水的聚处为海。神看着是好的。 11 神说:「地要发生青草和结种子的菜蔬,并结果子的树木,各从其类,果子都包著核。」事就这样成了。 12 于是地发生了青草和结种子的菜蔬,各从其类;并结果子的树木,各从其类,果子都包著核。神看着是好的。 13 有晚上,有早晨,是第三日。

根据AI,从神学与生物学角度来看,植物确实在人类之前出现。圣经《创世记》描述第三天创造植物,第六天创造人类;生物学表明,植物(如12亿年前红藻)早于人类出现,它们通过光合作用制造碳水化合物,为人类等地球生物奠定了食物基础。

植物是自养生物,能够利用阳光将二氧化碳和水转化为食物。作为生产者,它们维持了自然界食物链的完整性,没有植物,人类将无法生存。因此,无论基于宗教或科学记录,植物早于人类存在是公认的结论。(AI)

Imagine Life Without Fear

In Matthew 8:26, Jesus asks his disciples, “Why are you afraid?” At first we wonder if he’s serious, but he’s dead earnest. Here is how Matthew remembered the trip: “Jesus got into a boat, and his followers went with him. A great storm arose on the lake so that waves covered the boat” (Matthew 8:23-24 NCV).

The story sends the not-so-subtle and not-too-popular reminder that getting on board with Christ can mean getting soaked with Christ. Disciples can expect rough seas and stout winds. Jesus said, “In this world you will have tribulation” (John 16:33 NKJV). Not might, may, or could, but you will.

But what if faith, not fear, was your default reaction to threats? This is the possibility behind Jesus’ question. Imagine your life without fear.

Mercy That Abounds

Scripture says in Romans 5:20 that “the more we see our sinfulness, the more we see God’s abounding grace.” To abound is to have a surplus, an abundance, an extravagant portion.

Should the fish in the Pacific worry that it will run out of ocean?  No, why? Because the ocean abounds with water. Need the lark be anxious about finding room in the sky to fly?  No, the sky abounds with space.  So should the Christian worry that the cup of mercy will run empty?  He may. For he may not be aware of God’s abounding grace. Are you?

Are you aware that the cup God gives you overflows with mercy?  Or are you afraid your cup will run dry? Or your mistakes are too great for God’s grace? God is not a miser with his grace. Your cup may be low on cash or clout, but it is overflowing with mercy!