路加福音 2 :11-14 因今天在大衛的城裡，為你們生了救主，就是主基督。 12 你們要看見一個嬰孩，包著布，臥在馬槽裡，那就是記號了。」 13 忽然有一大隊天兵，同那天使讚美神說： 14 「在至高之處榮耀歸於神！在地上平安歸於他所喜悅的人！」
所有的節日中，我最愛的是聖誕，當然主要的原因是：這是紀念神的獨生子耶穌，為我們降生的日子；但是令人感慨的是，有多少人在歡渡聖誕時記得耶穌？街上的裝飾，收音機傳出的歌聲，書店裡擺賣的耶誕卡，都該提醒我們聖誕的主人翁是耶穌，但這一切早被白鬚紅袍的聖誕老公公取代了。今天卡上的祝賀詞，也多半換上了Happy Holidays!（歡樂假期）
記得喬宏講過一個聖誕小故事：某一年，一個家庭在聖誕前夕，預備歡度聖誕，家裡佈置得非常美麗，門窗前擺著盛開的聖誕紅，客廳裡有一棵裝飾得很漂亮的聖誕樹，樹下放了好幾份經過細心包裝的禮物。廚房裡傳出陣陣香味，遠方回來的親人在歡笑、暢談！就在男女主人把食物擺在餐桌上，大家預備享用時，忽然門鈴響了。
How does a person get relief from shame, embarrassment, anger? In Matthew 11:28-29 (NCV) Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are tired and have heavy loads, and I will give you rest. Accept my teachings and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in spirit, and you will find rest for your lives.”
I can see you shaking your head. “I’ve tried that. I’ve read the Bible, I’ve sat on the pew, but I’ve never received relief.” Could it be you went to religion and you didn’t go to God? Could it be you went to a church, but never saw Christ? “Come to me” the verse reads. Jesus is the solution for weariness of soul. Go to him. Admit you have soul secrets you’ve never dealt with. He already knows what they are. Go to him! He’s just waiting for you to ask him to help.
腓立比書 2:5-8 你們當以基督耶穌的心為心。 6 祂本有神的形象，不以自己與神同等為強奪的， 7 反倒虛己，取了奴僕的形象，成為人的樣式； 8 既有人的樣子，就自己卑微，存心順服以至於死，且死在十字架上。
看完電影《親愛的，我把孩子縮小了！ 》後，我再次意識到「大小」在我們日常生活中的重要性。
對許多人來說，大小意味著重要性、力量和可靠性。尺寸越大，分量越重，也越重要。基督教教會也存在著同樣的思考模式。教堂越大，信眾越多，教會就越受尊重。教會的預算規模也可能起到一定作用。這有時被稱為“規模綜合症”。
當門徒聽到天國的教導時，他們以為耶穌說的是地上的王國，於是開始詢問他們當中誰最偉大。他們認為，這個人會在基督的國度裡佔據最有權勢的位置。甚至連父母也開始為自己的孩子爭取。 有一位母親甚至向耶穌懇求：「耶穌，當你的國降臨時，請讓我的兒子們坐在你旁邊，一個坐在你的右邊，一個坐在你的左邊。」
耶穌指著一個孩子告訴他們，通往天堂的門是很小的。只有極其渺小的人才能進去。即便如此，你也不能帶任何東西進去。耶穌對他們的勸告是：“你們若不迴轉，變成小孩子的樣式，斷不得進天國。”（太18:3）現代的解釋是：“你們必須先變得渺小。”
腓立比書 2:5-8 你們當以基督耶穌的心為心。 6 祂本有神的形象，不以自己與神同等為強奪的， 7 反倒虛己，取了奴僕的形象，成為人的樣式； 8 既有人的樣子，就自己卑微，存心順服以至於死，且死在十字架上。
看完電影《親愛的，我把孩子縮小了！ 》後，我再次意識到「大小」在我們日常生活中的重要性。
對許多人來說，大小意味著重要性、力量和可靠性。尺寸越大，分量越重，也越重要。基督教教會也存在著同樣的思考模式。教堂越大，信眾越多，教會就越受尊重。教會的預算規模也可能起到一定作用。這有時被稱為“規模綜合症”。
當門徒聽到天國的教導時，他們以為耶穌說的是地上的王國，於是開始詢問他們當中誰最偉大。他們認為，這個人會在基督的國度裡佔據最有權勢的位置。甚至連父母也開始為自己的孩子爭取。 有一位母親甚至向耶穌懇求：「耶穌，當你的國降臨時，請讓我的兒子們坐在你旁邊，一個坐在你的右邊，一個坐在你的左邊。」
耶穌指著一個孩子告訴他們，通往天堂的門是很小的。只有極其渺小的人才能進去。即便如此，你也不能帶任何東西進去。耶穌對他們的勸告是：“你們若不迴轉，變成小孩子的樣式，斷不得進天國。”（太18:3）現代的解釋是：“你們必須先變得渺小。”
Maybe your past isn’t much to brag about. Maybe you’ve seen evil and you have to make a choice. Do you rise above the past and make a difference? Or do you remain controlled by the past and make excuses? Many choose the convalescent homes of the heart. Healthy bodies, sharp minds, but retired dreams. Lean closely and you’ll hear, “If only.” The white flag of the heart. “If only…”
Maybe you’ve used those words. Maybe you have every right to use them. Perhaps you were hearing the ten count before you even got into the ring. Can I show you where to turn? Go to John’s gospel and read Jesus’ words in John 3:6 (NCV). “Human life comes from human parents, but spiritual life comes from one Spirit.” Your parents have given you genes, but God gives you grace. God is willing to give you what your family didn’t.
I’ve never been surprised by God’s judgment, but I’m still stunned by his grace. God’s judgment has never been a problem for me. In fact, it always seems right. Lightning bolts on Sodom. Fire on Gomorrah. Good job, God! Egyptians swallowed in the Red Sea. They had it coming. Discipline is easy for me to swallow, logical to assimilate. But God’s grace? Anything but.
Examples? How much time do you have? Peter denied Christ before he preached Christ. Zacchaeus, the crook. The cleanest part of his life was the money he’d laundered, but Jesus still had time for him. The thief on the cross – hung-out to die one minute, heaven-bound and smiling the next.
Story after story. Surprise after surprise! Search the pages, read the stories. Find one person who came seeking a second chance and left with a stern lecture. Search. You won’t find it.
以賽亞書 9:2 在黑暗中行走的百姓看見了大光，住在死蔭之地的人有光照耀他們。
以賽亞書 9:6 因有一嬰孩為我們而生，有一子賜給我們，政權必擔在他的肩頭上。他名稱為奇妙、策士、全能的神、永在的父、和平的君。
最近朋友送給我一首歌，歌名叫「Christmas With a Capital “C”」，是幾個美國福音歌手新推出的一首聖誕歌曲。它是這樣開始的：「當我去咖啡店時，女店員對我說：假期快樂。我說，我很快樂，但是只有一個節日能讓我如此快樂，那就是聖誕節，一個記念耶穌基督降生的日子。不管你怎樣稱呼它，你也沒辦法改變它。聖誕快樂，以一個大寫的C字開頭…..」
自從北美的公立學校禁止慶祝「聖誕節」以來，我想我們都彆得很辛苦，不知道如何去表達心裡的那份抗議，這首歌實在把我們的心事都唱出來。是的，沒有一個節日能夠帶給我們今天有如此的喜樂，因為耶穌基督降生在我們中間。
萬鬼節剛剛過去不久，在許多機關和學校都大事特事地慶祝。有的公司特令職員當天可以穿睡衣上班，打扮成鬼怪；有的銀行也命令職員打扮成妖精魔鬼；學校裡更不用說了，在小學裡為了慶祝鬼節，為了開萬鬼會，老師只上半天課，下半天都拿來搞鬼。
路加福音 1:26-33 到了第六個月，天使加百列奉神的差遣往加利利的一座城去，這城名叫拿撒勒； 27 到一個童女那裡，是已經許配大衛家的一個人，名叫約瑟，童女的名字叫馬利亞。 28 天使進去，對她說：「蒙大恩的女子，我問你安，主和你同在了！」 29 馬利亞因這話就很驚慌，又反覆思想這樣問安是什麼意思。 30 天使對她說：「馬利亞，不要怕，你在神面前已經蒙恩了。 31 你要懷孕生子，可以給祂起名叫耶穌。 32 祂要為大，稱為至高者的兒子；主神要把祂祖大衛的位給祂， 33 祂要做雅各家的王，直到永遠；祂的國也沒有窮盡。」
在這個聖誕季，我們總是聽到天使的歌聲。事實上，聖經從未提及天使會唱歌；只提到他們在聖殿裡彼此呼喊，他們有自己的語言，並用言語讚美主。那麼，我們為何會有天使唱歌這種美好的誤解呢？
首先，天使的聲音在我們聽來如同音樂一般悅耳動聽。相反，我們現代的音樂聽起來卻像是叫喊、呻吟和爭吵。所以你看，我們的歌聲甚至不如我們說話的聲音悅耳。你知道漢語比其他語言更具音樂性嗎？我們應該利用這個特點，好好說話。
Paul asks the question in Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” The question isn’t simply, “Who can be against you?” You could answer that one. Who is against you? Disease, inflation, corruption, exhaustion. Calamities confront, fears imprison. Were Paul’s question, “Who can be against us?” we could list our foes much easier than we could fight them.
God is for us. God is for us. God is for us. Your parents may have forgotten you, your teachers may have neglected you, your siblings may be ashamed of you. But within reach of your prayers is the maker of the oceans – God! God is for you. Not may be, not has been, not was, but God is! He is for you. Today. At this hour. At this minute. As you hear this, he is with you. God is for you.
God rewards those who seek him. Not those who seek doctrine or religion or systems or creeds. Many settle for these lesser passions, but the reward goes to those who settle for nothing less than Jesus himself. And what is the reward? What awaits those who seek Jesus? Nothing short of the heart of Jesus. Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:18 (TLB), “And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him.”
Can you think of a greater gift than to be like Jesus? Christ felt no guilt; God wants to banish yours. Jesus had no bad habits; God wants to remove yours. Jesus had no fear of death; God wants you to be fearless. Jesus had kindness for the diseased and mercy for the rebellious and courage for the challenges. God wants you to have the same. Isn’t it just like Jesus!
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