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Confession Offers Freedom

2026-05-01 in /by

Confession! It’s a word that conjures up many images—some not so positive! Confession isn’t telling God what he doesn’t know. That’s impossible. It’s not pointing fingers at others without pointing any at me. That may feel good, but it doesn’t promote healing.

Confession is a radical reliance on grace—a trust in God’s goodness. The truth is, confessors find a freedom that deniers don’t! Scripture says “If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right. He will cleanse us from all the wrongs we have done” (1 John 1:8-9 NCV).

Tell God what you did. Again, it’s not that he doesn’t already know, but the two of you need to agree! Then let the pure water of grace flow over your mistakes!

Confession Reveals our Hearts

2026-05-01 in /by

We can’t live with foreign objects buried in our bodies, or our souls. What would an X-ray of your interior reveal? Remorse over a poor choice? Shame about the marriage that didn’t work, the temptation you couldn’t resist? Guilt lies hidden beneath the surface. Festering, irritating, sometimes so deeply embedded you don’t even know the cause of your pain.

And you can be touchy, you know. Understandable, since you have a shank of shame lodged in your soul. Would you like an extraction? Here’s what you do: confess. Ask God to help you. Psalm 139:23-24 is a model prayer. “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

Confession. You see, confessors find a freedom that deniers do not. If we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins! He will cleanse us. Not might, could, would, or should. He will.

大喜大悲的一天

2026-04-30 in , /by

利未記10章3節    於是摩西對亞倫說：「這就是耶和華所說：『我在親近我的人中要顯為聖；在眾民面前，我要得榮耀。』」亞倫就默默不言。

那是非常喜樂的一天，萬里晴空。在西乃山剛造好不久的會幕前，摩西按著神的吩咐，揀選亞倫和他的四個兒子供祭司的職份。

在〈出埃及記〉28章裡，神己經安排一切心中有智慧的人為亞做衣服，胸牌、以弗得、外袍、雜色的內袍、冠冕、腰帶。這祭司和大祭司的衣服所用的材料是：金線和藍色、紫色、朱紅色線，並撚的細麻。再用巧匠的手工做以弗得，以弗得就是大祭司胸前的那塊布袋，它有兩條肩帶可以相連，又取兩塊紅瑪瑙，在上面刻以色列兒子的名字，六個名字在這塊寶石上，六個名字在那塊寶石上，都照他們生來的次序；

又用刻寶石的手工，彷彿刻圖書，按著以色列兒子的名字，刻這兩塊寶石，要鑲在金槽上。再把寶石安在以弗得的兩條肩帶上，為以色列人做紀念石。亞倫要在兩肩上擔他們的名字，在耶和華面前作為紀念。

五祭

2026-04-29 in , /by

利未記6章9-13節  你要吩咐亞倫和他的子孫說，燔祭的條例乃是這樣：燔祭要放在壇的柴上，從晚上到天亮，壇上的火要常常燒著。祭司要穿上細麻布衣服，又要把細麻布褲子穿在身上，把壇上所燒的燔祭灰收起來，倒在壇的旁邊。隨後要脫去這衣服，穿上別的衣服，把灰拿到營外潔淨之處。 壇上的火要在其上常常燒著，不可熄滅，祭司要每日早晨在上面燒柴，並要把燔祭擺在壇上，在其上燒平安祭牲的脂油。在壇上必有常常燒著的火，不可熄滅。

當神住在人的中間，卻因為人的罪，成為了人與神之間的隔閡，有如萬丈高牆，難以攀越。因此神設立了五祭，使以色列可以藉著這五祭來親近祂。一般在人所創立的宗教裡，都盡量給人不食煙火的感覺，好讓人幻想在天界是何等地清靜無瑕。但是耶和華神卻有不一樣的想法，因為祂知道真正的天堂是怎樣的，祂更知道誰才能去那裡。所以在耶和華的殿裡，祭是最原始的敬拜。

神設立了五祭，雖然我們不是猶太人，不必獻祭；即使是猶太人，現在也沒了獻祭的地方。但是理解這五祭，可以幫助我們要怎樣敬拜神，親近神。現在我們要用複習的方法來看這五祭，答案都在《聖經》〈利未記〉1-7章裡。這些有的是多選題，有超過一個的答案。

The Value of Confession

2026-04-28 in /by

One day it dawned on me. I had become the very thing I hate. A hypocrite. A pretender. Two-faced. I’d written sermons about people like me. Christians who care more about their appearance than integrity.

I knew what I needed to do. I’d written sermons about that, too. 1 John 1:8-9 says, “If we say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, he will forgive our sins, because we can trust God to do what is right.” I needed to confess.

What is confession? Well, confession is not complaining. If I just recite my problems and rehash my woes, I’m whining. Confession is a radical reliance upon grace. Maybe you need to do what I’ve done in the last few days. You just need to confess. God will hear your confession. And in your confession you will find a wonder of God’s grace. You see grace creates an honest confession. And then great grace, receives it.

神在呼叫

2026-04-28 in , /by

利未記一章1-3節     耶和華從會幕中呼叫摩西，對他說：你曉諭以色列人說：你們中間若有人獻供物給耶和華，要從牛群羊群中獻牲畜為供物。他的供物若以牛為燔祭，就要在會幕門口獻一隻沒有殘疾的公牛，可以在耶和華面前蒙悅納。

從〈創世記〉一開始，神創造這個世界，賜給人生命氣息，然後人犯罪，獻祭就開始了。亞當和夏娃吃了善惡果樹的果子之後，就看見自己赤身裸體，並感到羞恥，便拿無花果樹的葉子，為自己編做裙子。神知道以後，為亞當和他妻子用皮子做衣服給他們穿。哪裡來的皮子呢？當然是動物的皮了，這便是獻祭的開始，神為他們的罪殺了動物，動物的血遮蓋他們的罪，也遮蓋他們的祼體。因為罪的工價就是死。

在亞當的家裡，孩子們都懂得獻祭，該隱獻素祭，亞伯獻燔祭。為什麼他們都知道要獻祭呢？因為罪使人與神隔絕，當他們想親近神時，就要先獻祭除罪，才能親近神。

〈創世記〉結束時，以約瑟的死為結束。一開始是生命的賜予，結束時，神收回生命，人不再享有永生。在〈出埃及記〉的開始，也是一個生命的誕生，原是該死的，卻在神的恩典中活了下來。正代表以色列人這個民族，原是該滅亡的，卻因著神的大能，起死回生，脫離奴隸生涯，成為神揀選的子民，建立起自己的國度。更美的是，在〈出埃及記〉的結束是神用雲彩每天的帶領，使以色列人成為一支充滿希望的隊伍。〈出埃及記〉，是一本從絕望到充滿希望的過程。

Christ Covers Us

2026-04-27 in /by

We are poor. Spiritually for sure; monetarily, perhaps. We’ve buried our dreams, desires, and aspirations. Like the mother with Lupus or the businessman in the unemployment line, we’re out of options. Yet Christ approached us while we were yet sinners. “Will you cover us?” we asked him, and grace smiled. He gave us grace.

Not just mercy, mind you, but grace. Grace goes beyond mercy. Mercy gave the prodigal son a second chance, but grace threw him a party. Mercy prompted the Samaritan to bandage the wounds of the victim, but grace prompted him to leave his credit card as payment for the victim’s care. Mercy forgave the thief on the cross; grace escorted him into paradise. Mercy pardons us; grace woos and weds us. Grace does this. God does this. Grace is God walking into your world with a sparkle in his eye and an offer that’s hard to resist.

神的帳幕在人間

2026-04-27 in , /by

出埃及記40章 17-19節     第二年正月初一日，帳幕就立起來。摩西立起帳幕，安上帶卯的座，立上板，穿上閂，立起柱子， 在帳幕以上搭罩篷，把罩篷的頂蓋蓋在其上，是照耶和華所吩咐他的。

摩西用五章經文來描述神所要建立的帳幕，從百姓的奉獻到帳幕建成，其中還包括了祭司和大祭司的制服。〈出埃及記〉35-40章，形容以色列人在出埃及後的第二年月初一日，建立了神所要的帳幕，神在以色列人中間終於有了自己的家。原來神是如此盼望和他們住在一起，神所盼望的就是成為以色列人當中的一份子。你能夠想像，神也希望成為你家的一份子嗎？神盼望成為我們生活中的一份子。耶和華不只是高高在上的神，祂更要成為我們生命中最要好的朋友。

「以馬內利」不只是一個說詞，那是神最深切的心願，神要與我們同在，與我們同行。只有當你對某人愛得刻骨銘心，你才會渴望朝朝暮暮和對方在一起，這就是神對我們的愛。有個父親寫信給他的女兒，他說：「女兒，你要記住，天下不會再有男人像我那樣愛你。我是天下第一個最愛你的男人，也是最後一個。」當然，他的意思不是要女兒一輩子和他在一起，而是提醒她，不管發生何事，父親永遠等著要幫助她，成為她的力量。父神也是如此，期望我們永遠明白祂愛我們，祂對我們的愛永遠不會改變。

Let Grace Begin with You

2026-04-26 in /by

Most people keep a pot of anger on low boil. But you aren’t most people. Look at your feet. They’re wet, grace soaked. Jesus has washed your feet. He has washed the grimiest parts of your life.

To accept grace is the vow to give it. You don’t endorse the deeds of your offender when you forgive them. Jesus didn’t endorse your sins by forgiving you. The grace-defined person still sends thieves to jail and expects the ex to pay child support. Grace sees the hurt full well. But it refuses to let hurts poison the heart.

Where grace is lacking, bitterness abounds. Where grace abounds, forgiveness grows. So go ahead. Set your feet in the basin. Let the hands of God wipe away every dirty part of your life. Then look across the room and wash someone else’s feet. Let grace begin—and continue—in you.