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The Penitent Thief

2026-03-09 in /by

Much has been said about the prayer of the penitent thief on the cross next to Jesus. But dare we forget the one who didn’t pray? He offered no request. He, too, could have requested mercy. He, too, could have asked Jesus to remember him in the new kingdom. But he didn’t. He offered no prayer of repentance. And Jesus didn’t demand one.

Jesus gave both criminals the same choice. One said, “Remember me.” The other said nothing. There are times when God sends thunder to stir us. There are times when God sends blessings to lure us. But then there are times when God sends nothing but silence as he honors us with the freedom to choose where we spend eternity.

亚伯兰与罗得分离

2026-03-08 in , /by

创世记 13章:14-18

14 罗得离别亚伯兰以后，耶和华对亚伯兰说：「从你所在的地方，你举目向东西南北观看， 15 凡你所看见的一切地，我都要赐给你和你的后裔，直到永远。 16 我也要使你的后裔如同地上的尘沙那样多，人若能数算地上的尘沙，才能数算你的后裔。 17 你起来，纵横走遍这地，因为我必把这地赐给你。」 18 亚伯兰就搬了帐篷，来到希伯仑幔利的橡树那里居住，在那里为耶和华筑了一座坛。

2020年5月13日的纽约每日新闻报导，说有位下班了的警员在长岛的家外面和一位从小一起长大的好朋友发生争执，开了五枪，把对方杀死了。从小一起长大，这样的友谊不能说不坚固了，可是让坚固的情谊受到挑战的因素很多，其中有一个很大的因素便是利益冲突。

就像亚伯兰和罗得这对伯侄，他们在一起很久了。罗得的父亲过世了，所以他跟着亚伯兰伯伯出吾珥，又跟着他到迦南。他们一起下埃及，又一起出埃及，在这数十年的时间里，罗得也逐渐成长，可以独当一面。他们各有自己的财产和仆人，各有自己的牲畜和需求。

当他们从埃及回到迦南地后，大家住在一起，伯侄相安，仆人却时有争执。同在一地共饮一井，谁的牲畜先喝水，谁的牛羊先到哪块草地上吃草，大家都要抢先机，免得吃亏。日子一久，这些争执就传到了两个伯侄的耳中。

法老责备亚伯兰

2026-03-06 in , /by

创世记 12:10-20

10 那地遭遇饥荒。因饥荒甚大，亚伯兰就下埃及去，要在那里暂居。 11 将近埃及，就对他妻子撒莱说：「我知道你是容貌俊美的妇人， 12 埃及人看见你必说『这是他的妻子』，他们就要杀我，却叫你存活。 13 求你说你是我的妹子，使我因你得平安，我的命也因你存活。」 14 及至亚伯兰到了埃及，埃及人看见那妇人极其美貌。 15 法老的臣宰看见了她，就在法老面前夸奖她，那妇人就被带进法老的宫去。 16 法老因这妇人就厚待亚伯兰，亚伯兰得了许多牛、羊、骆驼、公驴、母驴、仆婢。 17 耶和华因亚伯兰妻子撒莱的缘故，降大灾于法老和他的全家。

亚伯兰在埃及说谎，25年后，亚伯拉罕在基拉耳说同样的谎。很多人说这是他的软弱，其实他真正的弱点跟所有人都一样，要用自己的方法来保护自己。当危险来临时，我们想到的一定是自保。所谓夫妻本是同林鸟，大限来时各自飞。但是当神不允许时，神就出手了。

亚伯兰因饥荒下埃及，这是很不得己的做法，因为迦南地是神给他的祝福，一旦离开神给他的祝福之地，他就害怕了。

Jesus Himself Chose the Cross

2026-03-06 in /by

God has penned a list of our faults. The list God has made, however, cannot be deciphered. The mistakes are covered. The sins hidden. “He has forgiven you all your sins: he has utterly wiped out the written evidence…and has completely annulled it by nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14 Phillips).

He knew the price of those sins was death. He knew the source of those sins was you, and since he couldn’t bear the thought of eternity without you, he chose the nails.

The verdict behind the death was not decided by jealous Jews. With a flex of the biceps, Jesus could have resisted. No. Jesus himself chose the nails. He knew that the purpose of the nail was to place your sins where they could be hidden by his sacrifice—nailed to the cross, covered by his blood.

The Hand of God

2026-03-05 in /by

Come with me to the hill of Calvary. Watch as the soldiers press a knee against a forearm and a spike against a hand, as the soldier lifts the hammer to strike it. Think about the hand that received the nail. The fist doesn’t clench, the moment isn’t aborted.

A mallet drove a nail into the hand, not just of a carpenter, but into the hand of God. Fingers that formed Adam out of clay and furrowed truth into tablets felt the pain of crucifixion. The same hand that stilled the seas stilled your guilt. And as the hands of Jesus opened for the nail, the doors of heaven opened for you.

神第二次呼召亚伯拉罕

2026-03-05 in , /by

创世记 12:1-9

耶和华对亚伯兰说：「你要离开本地、本族、父家，往我所要指示你的地去。 2 我必叫你成为大国，我必赐福给你，叫你的名为大，你也要叫别人得福。 3 为你祝福的，我必赐福于他；那咒诅你的，我必咒诅他。地上的万族都要因你得福。」 4 亚伯兰就照着耶和华的吩咐去了，罗得也和他同去。

神第一次呼召亚伯拉罕时，他的妻子撒莱和父亲他拉，以及侄子罗得都跟他一起离开本地、本族、父家。但是走到哈兰时，可能老人家岁数大了，就停留下来直到过世。那时的亚伯拉罕在想什么呢？

他可能也觉得累了，父亲的坟在那里，不如就陪着他老人家，守坟。以前的华人有守坟的习俗吧，好像父母过世后，要守三年，连做官的也得回去守孝，不然就会被指责。

当神的话再次临到他时，离开本地、本族、父家这句话开始有了真正的意义。离开，包括思想上的离开，因为神要让他的后裔成为大国。他不能再眷恋以前的生活或人事，他必须前行，因为那里有极大的应许等着他去领取。

The Briar Patch of Humanity

2026-03-05 in /by

What is the fruit of sin? Step into the briar patch of humanity and feel a few thistles. Shame. Fear. Disgrace. Discouragement. Anxiety. Haven’t our hearts been caught in these brambles?

The heart of Jesus, however, had not. Jesus never knew the fruits of sin—until he became sin for us. And when he did, all the emotions of sin tumbled in on him. Can’t you hear the emotion in his prayer at the Cross? “My God, my God, why have you rejected me?” (Matthew 27:46). These are not the words of a saint. This is the cry of a sinner. He stood silent as a million guilty verdicts echoed in the tribunal of heaven.

Do you want to know the most amazing thing about the One who gave up the crown of heaven for a crown of thorns? He did it for you. Just for you.

神第一次呼召亚伯拉罕

2026-03-04 in , /by

创世记 11:27-32

27 他拉的后代记在下面。他拉生亚伯兰、拿鹤、哈兰。哈兰生罗得。 28 哈兰死在他的本地迦勒底的吾珥，在他父亲他拉之先。 29 亚伯兰、拿鹤各娶了妻：亚伯兰的妻子名叫撒莱；拿鹤的妻子名叫密迦，是哈兰的女儿，哈兰是密迦和亦迦的父亲。 30 撒莱不生育，没有孩子。 31 他拉带着他儿子亚伯兰和他孙子哈兰的儿子罗得，并他儿妇亚伯兰的妻子撒莱，出了迦勒底的吾珥，要往迦南地去。他们走到哈兰，就住在那里。 32 他拉共活了二百零五岁，就死在哈兰。

基督教论坛报报导：美国时间2020年9月15日下午，以色列总理纳坦雅胡（Benjamin Netanyahu）与阿拉伯联合大公国（阿联）外长阿布杜拉（Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan）、巴林外长萨亚尼（Abdullatif al-Zayani）正式签署历史性的《亚伯拉罕协议》，正式向世界宣告，以色列与两个阿拉伯国家建交。此项仪式由美国川普总统在白宫南草坪主持。

以色列总理纳坦雅胡说：「这天是历史的转折点。它预示著和平的新曙光。数千年来，犹太人民一直为和平祈祷。几十年来，犹太国家一直为和平祈祷。」纳坦雅胡认为，这项协议「已经提出了实现以色列与巴勒斯坦人之间和平的现实构想。」纳坦雅胡感谢阿联国王和外长「扩大了和平圈」，也感谢巴林的国王和外长， 与以色列「一起为亚伯拉罕的所有子孙带来希望。」

巴别

2026-03-03 in , /by

创世记 11:1-9

那时，天下人的口音、言语都是一样。 2 他们往东边迁移的时候，在示拿地遇见一片平原，就住在那里。 3 他们彼此商量说：「来吧！我们要做砖，把砖烧透了。」他们就拿砖当石头，又拿石漆当灰泥。 4 他们说：「来吧！我们要建造一座城和一座塔，塔顶通天，为要传扬我们的名，免得我们分散在全地上。」 5 耶和华降临，要看看世人所建造的城和塔。

弗朗兹·卡夫卡（德文：Franz Kafka），是廿世纪奥地利德语小说家，也是个犹太人。他写过一篇极短篇，名为〈巴别之坑〉：你在建造什么？—我想挖一条地道。必须有些进展，因为我所在的位置太高了。 我们正在挖巴别之坑。

在另一篇名为〈巴别塔〉的寓言里，他写道：「如果建造巴别塔不是往上盖，或许这项工程会被恩准。」

The Gifts of the Cross

2026-03-02 in /by

Have you ever wondered why God gives us so much? We could exist on far less. God could have left the world flat and gray—we wouldn’t have known the difference—but he didn’t. Why give the flower a fragrance? Why give food its taste? Jesus asked, “If you hardhearted, sinful men know how to give good gifts to your children, won’t your Father in heaven even more certainly give good gifts to those who ask him for them?” (Matthew 7:11).

Every gift reveals God’s love, but no gift reveals his love more than the gifts of the cross. They came, not wrapped in paper, but in passion. Not covered with ribbons, but sprinkled with blood. The gifts of the cross! Have you taken time to open these gifts? If you do, perhaps you will hear him whisper, “I did it just for you.”