以賽亞書9:6 因有一嬰孩為我們而生，有一子賜給我們，政權必擔在祂的肩頭上。祂名稱為奇妙、策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。
「永在的父」的希伯來文אֲבִי־עַד (Avi-ʿad)，Avi是父、生命的源頭、保護者，ʿAd有著永恆、沒有終止之意；「永在的父」可理解為「永恆的源頭」，表示耶穌是生命的持續者與保護者。
世上的父親常被詮釋為兒女的保護者、引導者，是可依靠的肩膀、可身藏的遮蓋。然而，身為兒女會問：父親能成為我的肩膀、遮蓋到幾時？身為父親也問：我能保護、引導我的兒女到幾時？世上的父親是個「有限」的身分、角色。
人間的父愛孩子，但他會累、會分心，常心有餘而力不足；不是不愛，而是受限於時間、體力、情緒與人生階段。永在的父卻像一盞不滅的燈，不因夜深而熄滅，不因你打飩而關掉，不因你遺忘而消失。你抬頭時，祂在；你轉身時，祂仍在。
以賽亞書9:6 因有一嬰孩為我們而生，有一子賜給我們，政權必擔在祂的肩頭上。祂名稱為奇妙、策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。
嬰孩的軟弱、依賴、有限…，對比於全能神的創造、掌權、無可抵擋…，一位嬰孩何以能被稱為「全能的神」？先知以賽亞宣告令人難以置信的真理：全能的神，選擇以看似軟弱的方式臨到人間。
「全能的神」的希伯來文אֵל גִּבּוֹר (El Gibbor)，El代表獨一真神、至高者，Gibbor則是大能的勇士、得勝者、戰士；以賽亞書10:21毫無爭議地將這嬰孩指向耶和華自己，祂是大有能力的全能神。
耶穌有能力，卻常施予「人無力的深處」。人被污鬼附著，祂一句話，鬼就離開（馬可福音1:23-27）；風浪前門徒恐懼，祂一句話，風就平靜（馬可福音4:36-39）；墳墓前眾人悲歎，祂一句話，死人復活（約翰福音11:43-44）。
You will never forgive anyone more than God has already forgiven you. Is it still hard to consider the thought of forgiving the one who hurt you?
If so, go one more time to the room. Watch Jesus as he goes from disciple to disciple. Can you see him? Can you hear the water splash? Can you hear him shuffle on the floor to the next person? Keep that image. John 13:12 says, “When he had finished washing their feet…” Please note: he finished washing their feet. That means he left no one out. Why is that important? Because that means he washed the feet of Judas. Jesus washed the feet of his betrayer.
That’s not to say it was easy for Jesus. That’s not to say it’s easy for you. That is to say God will never call you to do what he hasn’t already done.
God will not let you go. The big news of the Bible is not that you love God but that God loves you! He tattooed your name on the palm of his hand. His thoughts of you outnumber the sand on the shore. You never leave his mind, escape his sight, or flee his thoughts.
You need not win his love; you already have it. He sees the worst of you and loves you still. Your sins of tomorrow and failings of the future will not surprise him; he sees them now. Every day and deed of your life has passed before his eyes and been calculated in his decision. He knows you better than you know you and has reached this verdict: he loves you still. No discovery will disillusion him. No rebellion will dissuade him. He loves you with an everlasting love. God’s love—never failing, never ending.
以賽亞書9:6 因有一嬰孩為我們而生，有一子賜給我們，政權必擔在祂的肩頭上。祂名稱為奇妙、策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。
2025年的聖誕過去了，讓我們從以賽亞先知的宣告裡，在新的一年開始時來認識這位新生王的特質。
因有一嬰孩為我們而生；有一子賜給我們。政權必擔在祂的肩頭上；祂名稱為「奇妙策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君」。（以賽亞書9:6）
「奇妙」的希伯來文פֶּלֶא (peleʾ)常用來形容只有神才能做、或人難以理解的作為；指的是超越人類理解範圍的神聖作為或屬性。「策士」指的是謀略者、諮詢者、引導道路的人，能提供正確指引、解決問題並制定有效策略的人。
「奇妙策士」在現代中文譯本譯為「奇妙導師」，英譯常為「Wonderful Counselor」(ESV, KJV, NIV)或「Wise Guide」(BBE)。耶穌在三年行蹤裡如何顯出祂是「奇妙策士」？
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9 NKJV).
No man had more reason to be miserable than Jesus, yet no one was more joyful. He was ridiculed. Those who didn’t ridicule him wanted favors. Then they wanted to kill him. He was accused of a crime he had never committed. Witnesses were hired to lie. They crucified him. He left as he came—penniless.
He should have been miserable and bitter. But he wasn’t. He was joyful! He possessed a joy that possessed him. I call it a sacred delight. Sacred because it’s not of the earth. Delight because it’s just that: the joy of God. He offers it to you, my friend—a sacred delight!
詩篇71:7 許多人以我為怪，但祢是我堅固的避難所。
在每天生活的周遭，我們偶會遇見行為超乎尋常的「怪人」，經歷過往未曾見過的「怪事」，當然也會出現「怪天氣」、聽見「怪消息」…；有趣的是，聖經裡也有一節怪怪的經文：
「許多人以我為怪，但祢是我堅固的避難所。」（詩篇71:7）
「以我為怪」的希伯來原文「מוֹפֵת」(mo-faith’)指的是「奇蹟」、「記號」、「模範」或「異象」，在某些語境中可以指「令人驚奇的記號」，但也可能帶有「異常」、「不尋常」、「怪異」的意思。
詩人在詩篇71篇可能想表達：他的人生經歷（如：苦難、年老、病痛）使他成為眾人眼中的「異象」或「怪異的存在」，他被視為神蹟般的經歷，也可能被人誤解、嘲笑或排斥。因此，「以我為怪」在語意上詮釋出，詩人在人群中被視為不尋常或特別的存在。
“And Joseph took to him his wife, and did not know her till she had brought forth her firstborn Son. And he called his name Jesus” (Matthew 1:24-25).
Joseph was literally willing to tank his reputation. And he did – he traded it in for a pregnant fiancée and an illegitimate son and made the big decision of discipleship. He placed God’s plan ahead of his own. Rather than make a name for himself, he made a home for Christ. And because he did, a great reward came his way.
“And he called his name Jesus!” Of all the saints, sinners, prodigals, and preachers who’ve spoken the name, Joseph—a blue-collar, small-town construction worker—said it first. Joseph cradled the wrinkle-faced prince of heaven, and with an audience of angels and pigs, he whispered, “Jesus, Jesus, you’ll be called Jesus.”
以賽亞書46:3-4 你們自從生下，就蒙我保抱，自從出胎，便蒙我懷搋。直到你們年老，我仍這樣；直到你們髮白，我仍懷搋。我已造作，也必保抱；我必懷抱，也必拯救。
一個月前攝護腺癌手術後，在家休養，復原順利，但接下來的挑戰是要穿上「它」（尿布，比較文雅的字眼是復健褲），學習控制排尿；醫生說需要幾個月，有可能要達半年。於是，我拿出行事曆，取消了會議、出差，乖乖待在家裡，跟學生視訊討論研究進度。
兩星期後，開始試著迎接挑戰，穿著「它」到學校半天，跟學生、研究員實體討論，學習與「它」相處，同時適時的更換「它」。
昨天再跨出一大步，搭高鐵到台北開會，換裝一次、兩次…七次，終於回到台南；旅程中，造訪了高鐵台南站、高鐵、會議中心…的洗手間、殘障廁所，發現這些未曾去過的地方，好方便，也好乾淨。
約翰福音10:11 我是好牧人，好牧人為羊捨命。
在慶祝聖誕節的夜晚，我坐在教會的最後一排椅子上，聽見有一個程式設計師分享她的故事，她之前天天提心吊膽，擔心衣服穿錯顏色，或有些日子不宜做某些事，自己卻做了！會有不好事情發生，她越來越不快樂。
直到有一天，她的好朋友對她『情緒勒索』，星期天請她到台南的一間老教堂做禮拜，她聽到教會的詩歌就一直感動哭不停，整場禮拜都在哭…。
她接受了耶穌對她的愛，之後，她再也不擔心『做錯事』，碰到不順利的事情也不再『責備自己』，身旁的弟兄姊妹每個星期都會一同祈禱，生命完全的不同！
愛就愛了！
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