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The Headline Story

2026-01-07 in /by

We love to know where we came from. We need to know where we came from. Knowing connects us, links us to something greater than we are. That is why God wants you to know his story.

Framed photos hang in his house and lively talks await you at his table. A scrapbook sits in his living room, brimming with stories. Stories about Bethlehem beginnings and manger miracles. Enemy warfare in the wilderness and fishermen friends in Galilee. The stumbles of Peter, the stubbornness of Paul. All part of the story. But subplots to the central message of the headline story: John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life!”

God saves his people—God’s story. And we are a part of it.

No One Has Ever Imagined

2026-01-06 in /by

Try this. Imagine a perfect world. Whatever that means to you, imagine it. Does that mean peace? Then envision absolute tranquility. Does a perfect world imply joy? Then create your highest happiness. Will a perfect world have love? Ponder a place where love has no bounds.  Whatever heaven means to you, imagine it.

Get it firmly fixed in your mind. Delight in it. Dream about it. Long for it. And then smile as the Father reminds you from the apostle Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 2:9: “No one has ever imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” No one. No one has come close.

Think of all the songs about heaven. All the artists’ portrayals. All the lessons preached, poems written and chapters drafted. When it comes to describing heaven, we are all happy failures!

木乃伊

2026-01-06 in , /by

希伯来书 9:27-28  按着定命，人人都有一死，死后且有审判；像这样，基督既然一次被献，担当了多人的罪，将来要向那等候他的人第二次显现，并与罪无关，乃是为拯救他们。

开罗的埃及博物馆收藏了十万件的展览品，但埃及最著名的木乃伊不在展览之列。博物馆入门处贴了一张布告：木乃伊恕不展览。向导说，这张布告并非暂时性的。沙特总统决定今后不再展览木乃伊。我们问为什么？她说，本来木乃伊就不是什么供展览的艺术品，后来不知什么人开始了这股邪风。现在沙特要纠正这个怪现象，恢复原来的规矩。

说得也对，木乃伊除了给人恐怖感以外，什么也没有。多年前我们经过伦敦时，刚好碰上一个著名的木乃伊运来英国展览，博物馆外摆了三条街长的人龙。朋友带我们从旁门进去看楼上一些不出名的木乃伊，看得我毛骨悚然。那些死人若地下有知，恐怕也要抗议这样「不顾情面」的展览了。

空白的忙碌

2026-01-05 in , /by

诗篇84:1-4  

1万军之耶和华啊，祢的居所何等可爱！
2 我羡慕渴想耶和华的院宇，我的心肠、我的肉体向永生神呼吁。
3 万军之耶和华，我的王我的神啊，在祢祭坛那里，麻雀为自己找著房屋，燕子为自己找著抱雏之窝。
4 如此住在祢殿中的，便为有福！他们仍要赞美祢。（细拉）

岁末年终走进办公室，望着苍白墙壁上孤伶伶的壁钉，没有习见的风景月历，再转向摆设整齐的办公桌，电话旁边缺少了惯常陪伴的周历。2025年没人送我月历、周历，看来整年的日子似乎「空白」了？倒也未必！电脑萤幕天天更新的Google行事历，还是忠实的、密密麻麻的标示了「塞满的忙碌」。

月历、周历上有风景和图片，瞬间欣赏，看过也就忘了，留下的只是1至30（或31）和一到七两组数字的组合。Google行事历没有风景和图片，只有冰冷的显示这两组数字的组合，组合的框框里还仔细的提醒我在每段时间该有的工作，一到五（甚至到六）框框内呈现我「塞满的忙碌」。

有别于「塞满的忙碌」，我的行事历上有个属于七的框框，一直都是空白的；那是属七的主日，是我的生活习惯，就像吃饭、睡觉一样，没有改变。这习惯传承自父亲的信仰实践，也是我们家族一起到教会敬拜、服事的习惯。

和平的君

2026-01-04 in , /by

因有一婴孩为我们而生；有一子赐给我们。政权必担在祂的肩头上；祂名称为「奇妙策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君」。（以赛亚书9:6）

「和平的君」的希伯来文שַׂר־שָׁלוֹם (Sar Shalom)，Sar指的是掌权者、君王、治理者，Shalom则有平安、安稳、满足、身体安康、与人和睦友好等意思。

世局动荡不安，地缘政治冲突让人类的未来充满不确定性；俄乌战争、以巴（加萨）交战、叶门（胡塞）冲突、叙利亚战局、中印边界争端、泰柬边境交火、中菲南海议题…延伸至中日、台海紧张情势，世界各地危机四伏、烽火频传。2025年是个不平安的年，谁能带给全球八十亿人口生活的平安、生命的保障？

号称「MAGA」（Make America Great Again，发音近似Mega，意指量体的巨大）的美国川普政府利用外交穿梭、谈判、威吓、甚至制裁，积极介入或调停多方战争与冲突，然而似乎未见任何一场战争已真正「平息」，留下的是「TACO」（Trump Always Chickens Out，实际字义为墨西哥卷饼）带着嘲讽的批评，一事无成，「和平」化为泡影。

「MAGA」是人心的渴望。如果能「再次伟大」，能重回荣光、伟大、复兴、强盛，那么我们就能得着和平。「MAGA」暗示一种拯救的想像。世界需要一位强者，能用手腕、声量及强势把局势扳回来。当「伟大」成了救赎的代名词，人们自然会期待一位「看起来足够强」的王。

永在的父

2026-01-02 in , /by

以赛亚书9:6  因有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，政权必担在祂的肩头上。祂名称为奇妙、策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。

「永在的父」的希伯来文אֲבִי־עַד (Avi-ʿad)，Avi是父、生命的源头、保护者，ʿAd有着永恒、没有终止之意；「永在的父」可理解为「永恒的源头」，表示耶稣是生命的持续者与保护者。

世上的父亲常被诠释为儿女的保护者、引导者，是可依靠的肩膀、可身藏的遮盖。然而，身为儿女会问：父亲能成为我的肩膀、遮盖到几时？身为父亲也问：我能保护、引导我的儿女到几时？世上的父亲是个「有限」的身分、角色。

人间的父爱孩子，但他会累、会分心，常心有余而力不足；不是不爱，而是受限于时间、体力、情绪与人生阶段。永在的父却像一盏不灭的灯，不因夜深而熄灭，不因你打饨而关掉，不因你遗忘而消失。你抬头时，祂在；你转身时，祂仍在。

The Call to Forgive

2026-01-01 in /by

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.

全能的神

2026-01-01 in , /by

以赛亚书9:6  因有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，政权必担在祂的肩头上。祂名称为奇妙、策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。

婴孩的软弱、依赖、有限…，对比于全能神的创造、掌权、无可抵挡…，一位婴孩何以能被称为「全能的神」？先知以赛亚宣告令人难以置信的真理：全能的神，选择以看似软弱的方式临到人间。

「全能的神」的希伯来文אֵל גִּבּוֹר (El Gibbor)，El代表独一真神、至高者，Gibbor则是大能的勇士、得胜者、战士；以赛亚书10:21毫无争议地将这婴孩指向耶和华自己，祂是大有能力的全能神。

耶稣有能力，却常施予「人无力的深处」。人被污鬼附着，祂一句话，鬼就离开（马可福音1:23-27）；风浪前门徒恐惧，祂一句话，风就平静（马可福音4:36-39）；坟墓前众人悲叹，祂一句话，死人复活（约翰福音11:43-44）。

An Everlasting Love

2025-12-31 in /by

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.

奇妙策士

2025-12-31 in , /by

以赛亚书9:6  因有一婴孩为我们而生，有一子赐给我们，政权必担在祂的肩头上。祂名称为奇妙、策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。

2025年的圣诞过去了，让我们从以赛亚先知的宣告里，在新的一年开始时来认识这位新生王的特质。

因有一婴孩为我们而生；有一子赐给我们。政权必担在祂的肩头上；祂名称为「奇妙策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君」。（以赛亚书9:6）

「奇妙」的希伯来文פֶּלֶא (peleʾ)常用来形容只有神才能做、或人难以理解的作为；指的是超越人类理解范围的神圣作为或属性。「策士」指的是谋略者、咨询者、引导道路的人，能提供正确指引、解决问题并制定有效策略的人。

「奇妙策士」在现代中文译本译为「奇妙导师」，英译常为「Wonderful Counselor」(ESV, KJV, NIV)或「Wise Guide」(BBE)。耶稣在三年行踪里如何显出祂是「奇妙策士」？