Entries by

Problem of Unresolved Guilt

2026-07-20 in /by

What kind of person does unresolved guilt create? An anxious one, forever hiding, running, denying, pretending. As one man admitted: “I was always living a lie for fear someone might see me for who I really was and think less of me. I hid behind my super spirituality but this lie was exhausting and anxiety producing.”

Unresolved guilt will turn you into a miserable, weary, angry, fretful mess. In a psalm David wrote after his affair with Bathsheba, the king said, “When I refused to confess my sin, my body wasted away, and I groaned all day long. Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me. My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat” (Psalm 32:3-4 NLT).

As Paul told Titus, “God’s grace is the fertile soul out of which courage sprouts! God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone!” (Titus 2:11, 15 MSG).

立王的规矩

2026-07-20 in , /by

〈申命记〉 17:15  你总要立耶和华─你　神所拣选的人为王。必从你弟兄中立一人；不可立你弟兄以外的人为王。

在〈申命记〉 17章里，摩西谈到了一些神所憎恶的事。神最憎恶的事就是祂的子民或儿女远离神去敬拜事奉别神，以及审判中要按神的律法，并听从神的判语。比较特别的一点，便是教导以色列人要怎样立他们的王。

有位在查经班学习了一段时期的慕道友问过一个问题：「假如神设定了一夫一妻制，那为什么以色列人的王都娶了那么多老婆？」他从大卫开始到所罗门，如数家珍。可见有很多慕道友对《圣经》的知识并不差。

在这章经文里，神提到以色列人立王和做王的规矩。

Grace Restores Your Soul

2026-07-19 in /by

Guilt sucks the life out of our souls. Grace restores it.

No one had more reason to feel the burden of guilt than did the apostle Paul. He had orchestrated the deaths of Christians, an ancient version of a terrorist. Yet, Paul gave his guilt to Jesus. Period. He surrendered it to Jesus. As a result he could write, “I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us” (Philippians 3:13-14 TLB).

What would the apostle say to the guilt-ridden? Simply this: Rejoice in the Lord’s mercy. Trust in his ability to forgive. Cast yourself upon the grace of Christ and Christ alone!

神命定的三个节期

2026-07-19 in , /by

〈申命记〉 16:15在耶和华所选择的地方，你当向耶和华─你的　神守节七日；因为耶和华─你　神在你一切的土产上和你手里所办的事上要赐福与你，你就非常地欢乐。

华人过节和以色列人过节有何不同呢？为何我们必须认识这些节日，这些节日对华人信徒有何意义？

华人过节，除了吃，还是吃，主题就是：吃，聚在一起，吃! 可能有时候小朋友会问过春节的意义，吃元宵，吃粽子的意义，对于那些故事和传说，很可能每个人都有不同的说法，不同的流传形成不一样的故事。

但是以色列人的节日很特别，是神定的，不是人订的。所以每一个节日都有不同的历史意义，使以色列人记得他们和神的关系。

逾越节、七七节(五旬节)、住棚节，是耶和华神指定以色列成年男子要上耶路撒冷的三大重要节日之一。

赐福与你

2026-07-17 in , /by

〈申命记〉 15:10   你总要给他，给他的时候心里不可愁烦；因耶和华─你的　神必在你这一切所行的，并你手里所办的事上，赐福与你。

在〈申命记〉第15章里，摩西一共用了五次的「赐福与你」，来强调神要我们「松开手」的重要性。

每逢七年末一年的意思就是安息年，安息年又叫做「耶和华的豁免年」；安息年的条例，主要是指著土地的休耕，此处则是债务的免除。

神说，我们若遵行祂的命令，在我们中间就没有穷人了(申15:4)。这是一句很严厉的话，转过来说，就是：因为我们没有遵行神的命令，所以在我们当中才会有穷人。

所以人的贫穷不是因为神不公平，而是人不肯遵行神的命令而造成的差距。

因为人的自私和没有安全感，对神缺乏信心，因此我们把钱抓得紧紧的，不敢松手。

What Sustains Your Belief

2026-07-16 in /by

Many years ago I spent a week visiting the interior of Brazil with a longtime missionary pilot. Wilbur and Orville had a sturdier aircraft! I could not get comfortable. I kept thinking the plane was going to crash in the jungle, and I’d be gobbled up by piranhas. I kept shifting around, looking down, and gripping my seat—as if that would help. Finally, the pilot had enough of my squirming. He looked over at me and shouted over the airplane noise, “We won’t face anything that I can’t handle. You might as well trust me to fly the plane.”

Is God saying the same to you? Examine the truths which sustain your belief in God. Make sure one of them is etched with the words, “My God is sovereign!” Then, be anxious for nothing.

神的儿女圣洁的民

2026-07-16 in , /by

〈申命记〉14章1-2节「你们是耶和华─你们　神的儿女。不可为死人用刀划身，也不可将额上剃光；因为你归耶和华─你　神为圣洁的民，耶和华从地上的万民中拣选你特作自己的子民。」

神把以色列人放在歌珊地四百卅年，现在要让他们进迦南地，神有太多的不放心。在歌珊地时，以色列人以蓄牧为主，是埃及人所厌恶的；以色列人被奴役，也是埃及人所轻贱的。以色列人在埃及自成一族，没有和他外族混和，非常单纯。但是在迦南地有很多外邦民族，他们的生活习惯都是神所厌恶的。因此神要以色列人把迦南民族赶出迦南，免得以色列人受到影响。但是神也知道以色列人的信心有限，无法达成神的愿望。因此祂只能一再教导，多方教育，希望他们进了迦南还能记得并遵行神的话。

Trust Brings Peace

2026-07-15 in /by

Our minds cannot be full of God and at the same time full of fear! Don’t get lost in your troubles. Lift up your eyes! “He will keep in perfect peace all those who trust in him, whose thoughts turn often to the Lord! (Isa. 26:3 TLB)

Are you troubled, restless, sleepless? Then rejoice in the Lord’s Sovereignty. I dare you. I double-dog dare you—to expose your worries to an hour of worship. Your concerns will melt like ice on an August sidewalk!

Jeremiah draws a direct connection between faith and peace. He says, “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is in the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river, and will not fear when heat comes; but its leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought. (Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV)

神的试验

2026-07-15 in , /by

〈申命记〉13章1-3节: 「你们中间若有先知或是做梦的起来，向你显个神蹟奇事，对你说：『我们去随从你素来所不认识的别神，事奉它吧。』他所显的神蹟奇事虽有应验，你也不可听那先知或是那做梦之人的话；因为这是耶和华─你们的　神试验你们，要知道你们是尽心尽性爱耶和华─你们的　神不是。」

每次的美国总统大选都让我感受到这段经文的真实和警戒。每次选举在开始以前就己经沸沸扬扬了。引起我观注的是世界各地灵媒的预言，其中也包括了天主教的神父和基督教的牧师，印度神童观天象，耶稣半夜造访，等等。每一个人都言之凿凿，可惜事实往往与预言相反。

我连想起耶利米当年的情景。巴比伦王大军来袭，而以色列里许多先知都预言: 「你们必不看见刀剑，也不遭遇饥荒；耶和华要在这地方赐你们长久的平安。(耶14:13)」但是耶和华神告诉耶利米：「定为死亡的，必致死亡；定为刀杀的，必交刀杀；定为饥荒的，必遭饥荒；定为掳掠的，必被掳掠。(耶15:2)」事情的发生果然如耶利米的预料，因为那才是出于神的带领。

行耶和华眼中看为正的事

2026-07-14 in , /by

〈申命记〉 12:25    不可吃血。这样，你行耶和华眼中看为正的事，你和你的子孙就可以得福。

在非常推崇素食的时代里，看到〈申命记〉12章19-32节，会不让你连想到昨天读的经文：「各人行自己眼中看为正的事」？今天这段经文给了我们一节对照的经文：「行耶和华你神眼中看为善、看为正的事(申12:28)」。在人的一生里，经常在这两节经文的挣扎之中做选择，究竟要行自己眼中看为正的事好，还是要行耶和华神眼中看为正的事？前一阵子我也一直在思考这个问题，一定要吃素食才健康吗？虽然现在的肉食有太多的抗生素等等因素，但是有些肉店还是有品质不错的肉，我们必须放弃吗？在不断地思考中，我几乎不知如何下厨了。

在神起初创造这个世界时，神把蔬菜和水果赐给亚当和夏娃作为食物；在大洪水之后，神又把动物赐给挪亚和他的后裔作为食物。然后在以色列人出埃及之后，神正式宣告，哪些是不洁的动物，哪些是洁净可食的动物。