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A Listening Heart

2026-05-13 in /by

“Let he who has ears to hear, use them.” Eight times in the Gospels and eight times in the book of Revelation we are reminded that it’s not enough just to have ears—it’s necessary to use them.

Jesus spent regular time with God, praying and listening. Luke 5:16 (NIV) tells us, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” If Jesus, the Son of God, the sinless Savior of humankind, thought it worthwhile to clear his calendar to pray, wouldn’t we be wise to do the same? Jesus also spent regular time in God’s Word. Three times in the wilderness temptation he used the Word of God to repel the attack of Satan.

If we are to be just like Jesus, then we need to imitate his habits of prayer and Bible reading.

你們要聖潔

2026-05-13 in , /by

〈利未記〉19章1-2節     耶和華對摩西說：「你曉諭以色列全會眾說：你們要聖潔，因為我耶和華─你們的　神是聖潔的。」

在網路上流行著一個住在北京的小網紅，她名叫喬治亞Georgia，父親是比利時人，母親是中國人。她才兩歲多，卻己經會用三個國家的語言流利地溝通。她有兩個大大的眼睛，捲曲的頭髮，十分可愛。她的爸爸經常這樣開始：「你今天學到什麼了？」

Geo Geo，他這樣稱呼她，就會開始回想：「不可以把雙手放在桌上……吃飯……要洗手……」有時利用小朋友，教大家怎樣分垃圾。有一次Geo Geo在公園玩不開心，嘟著嘴找爸爸，因為有幾個阿姨看她太可愛，猛拍照。爸爸就問：「Geo Geo不高興，因為這是不禮貌的，對不對？她們要先問Geo Geo可不可以拍，對不對？」小Geo Geo聽了猛點頭。

這個連續的影集叫「家有萌娃」，每一次我都覺得這個比利時爸爸好有智慧地在教導，引導他的小女兒，讓她知道對與錯，建立是與非的觀念。我有時就覺得，神也是如此在引導，教導以色列人。在埃及生活了四百年的以色列人，做了四百年的奴隸，除了以色列人一些家傳的觀念，很多事情都受到埃及人的影響，他們其實非常單純。

我可以試婚或 同居嗎?

2026-05-12 in , /by

〈利未記〉 18:4 你們要遵守我的典章，守我的律例，按此而行。我是耶和華你們的神。

讀〈利未記〉 18章時，我恍惚有種錯覺，這不是時空轉移，而是神透過時空，向人類發出的宣告。現代人以為他們要求的性自由是新運動，但是好像在遠古就有人在這樣做了，日光之下沒有新鮮的事。

我們總以為神的誡命是制止人的自由，更正確的說法，應該是神在教導人怎樣尊重自己，彼此尊重，也尊重動物和動物的生命。要做回一個神所造的人，就要先找回對自己的尊重，尊重神賜給自己的生命，性別，性情和天份，等等。

性是神賜給人在婚姻裡的美好禮物，當人把它用在不當的關係裡，就會產生許多問題。它最先會影響健康，有許多疾病都因為濫性而引起；它影響到家庭的和諧，破壞信任，甚至使孩子們成長後對婚姻產生懼怕。它甚至會召來神的審判而至滅亡，像所多瑪和蛾摩拉一樣；有許多個人的生命或社區都受到相當大的影響。

The Touch of Jesus

2026-05-12 in /by

People longed for the compassionate touch of Jesus. Each one who came was touched, and each one touched was changed.But none was touched or changed more than the unnamed leper described in the first four verses of Matthew chapter 8. “He bowed before Jesus and said, ‘Lord, you can heal me if you will.’ And Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man and said, ‘I will. Be healed!’ And immediately the man was healed from his disease.”

In New Testament times, leprosy was the most dreaded disease. In Scripture, the leper is symbolic of the ultimate outcast. A person doesn’t have to have leprosy to feel quarantined. The divorced, handicapped, unemployed, depressed, and terminally ill know this feeling. Jesus touched the untouchables of the world. Will you do the same?

我可以吃血嗎？

2026-05-11 in , /by

利未記 17:14  論到一切活物的生命，就在血中。所以我對以色列人說，無論什麼活物的血，你們都不可吃，因為一切活物的血就是牠的生命。凡吃了血的，必被剪除。

我可以吃血嗎？冬天來臨時，火鍋的季節也上巿了，巿面上流行一樣好吃的產品，就是鴨血。聽說拿鴨血下火鍋，非常好吃。豬血雞血都有人在吃，而且特別宣傳其美味，令人食指大動。令我驚訝的是，有許多牧者都覺得吃血沒問題。因為耶穌都說了：「入口的不能污穢人，出口的乃能污穢人。(太15:11) 」

保羅也說過，「凡神所造的物都是好的，若感謝著領受，就沒有一樣可棄的。(提前4:4) 」神也曾經在異象中，三次叫彼得吃不潔之物和俗物，因為神所潔淨的，不可當作俗物 (使10:9-16)。這些都是《聖經》的教導，難道是新約和舊約的不同嗎？

那麼在〈使徒行傳〉的耶路撒冷會議中，耶穌的弟弟雅各為何做了一個總結：「所以據我的意見，不可難為那歸服神的外邦人；只要寫信，吩咐他們禁戒偶像的污穢和姦淫，並勒死的牲畜和血。」(使15:19-20)

Thirsty for Mercy

2026-05-11 in /by

Ephesians 4:32 says, “Be kind and loving to each other, and forgive each other just as God forgave you in Christ.”

Because Jesus has forgiven us, we can forgive others. Because he lives in us, you and I can do the same. Oh, I could never do that, you object. The hurt is so deep. Just seeing the person makes me cringe. Perhaps that’s the problem: you’re seeing too much of the wrong person. Try shifting your glance away from the one who hurt you and setting your eyes on the One who has saved you.

Please understand. Relationships don’t thrive because the guilty are punished but because the innocent are merciful. Are there any relationships in your world thirsty for mercy? Is there anyone who needs to be assured of your grace? Jesus made sure his disciples had no reason to doubt his love. Why don’t you do the same?

A Passionate Moment

2026-05-11 in /by

Few situations stir panic like being trapped in a relationship. Some opt to flee, to get out of the relationship. Others fight, and tension becomes a way of life. A few, however, discover another treatment: forgiveness.

In Jesus’ day the task of washing feet was reserved for the lowest of the servants. But in the thirteenth chapter of John, the one with the basin and towel is the king of the universe. What a passionate moment when Jesus silently washes the feet of all the disciples…even Judas. Jesus knows that, by morning, these men will bury their heads in shame. Remarkable. He forgave their sin before they even committed it. He offered mercy before they even sought it.

贖罪日 Yom Kippur

2026-05-10 in , /by

利未記 16:6-10亞倫要把贖罪祭的公牛奉上，為自己和本家贖罪；也要把兩隻公山羊安置在會幕門口、耶和華面前，為那兩隻羊拈鬮，一鬮歸與耶和華，一鬮歸與阿撒瀉勒。亞倫要把那拈鬮歸與耶和華的羊獻為贖罪祭，但那拈鬮歸與阿撒瀉勒的羊要活著安置在耶和華面前，用以贖罪，打發人送到曠野去，歸與阿撒瀉勒。

根據猶太傳統：起初，上帝創造天地 (創1:1) 。創造的第一天是在希伯來提敘黎月（猶太曆七月）的第一天。猶太新年(Rosh Hashanah) 字面上的意思是「年頭」，今年(2020年)落在陽曆9月18日。當天黃昏，便進入了猶太曆5781年。猶太曆不是從亞伯拉罕被揀選、摩西被呼召或大衛王朝的時候開始，而是在宇宙被造時開始的，因為《聖經》是萬物的歷史。

對於猶太人，神在《聖經》裡有很明確的指示，新年代表審判，因此要自我內省、禱告和悔改。新年也是莊嚴的節期，用來進行個人靈命反省和思考人類未來的方向，這節日是「敬畏的日子」(Days of Awe)，用來檢視自己的生活並重新將自己歸向神，與神和好。

患漏症的處理

2026-05-08 in , /by

利未記15章11節   患漏症的人沒有用水涮手，無論摸了誰，誰必不潔淨到晚上，並要洗衣服，用水洗澡。

可能有的人看到這章經文的主題會覺得很不自在，怎麼在這樣神聖的一本書裡，會出現這樣的主題呢？這種事情不是都隱秘不宣的嗎？但是當我們再讀下去時，就會發現原來只有造人的神才知道人的每一層需要；也相對地發現，耶穌所講的：「從人裡面出來的，那才能污穢人。」這句話何等真實。原來人的裡面是那樣地藏污納垢，從亞倫的兩個兒子取凡火獻祭，到人長大痲瘋，以及屋子長大痲瘋如何潔淨，讓我們充份體會到人的本質是何等地骯髒悖逆。也讓我們明白，原來罪的本質，非用血不能得以潔淨。

英文比較能表達這一章所要說的，有關人身體產生的分泌物discharge，一旦到了體外便是不潔，需要注意如何去潔淨，以免細菌到處感染，使人生病。因為分泌物包括的不只是男女性器官流出的東西，分泌物也包括口裡吐出的痰，鼻子出來的鼻涕，等等。只要我們思想一下，便會承認凡是從肉體裡出來的東西，都是不潔的。以前有些老祖母把食物在嘴裡嚼爛了，再放到嬰兒或小孩嘴裡，雖是一番好意，但是給現代母親看到，一定會大叫，「不要這樣，太髒了。」為什麼口水在自己嘴裡不覺得髒，一旦到了嘴巴外面就變髒了？

What We Can Become

2026-05-07 in /by

Jesus is pure; we are greedy. He is peaceful; we are hassled. He is spiritual; we are earthbound. The distance between our hearts and his seems so immense. How could we ever hope to have the heart of Jesus?

Ready for a surprise? You already do. If you have given your life to Jesus, Jesus has given himself to you. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:16 (TLB), “Strange as it seems, we Christians actually do have within us a portion of the very thoughts and mind of Christ.”

God has ambitious plans for us. The same one who saved your soul longs to remake your heart. Let’s imagine what it means to be just like Jesus. Let’s look long into the heart of Christ. Perhaps in seeing him, we will see what we can become.