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兩群六十萬人

申命記8:2-3    你也要記念耶和華你的神在曠野引導你這四十年,是要苦煉你、試驗你,要知道你心內如何,肯守他的誡命不肯。 3 祂苦煉你,任你飢餓,將你和你列祖所不認識的嗎哪賜給你吃,使你知道人活著不是單靠食物,乃是靠耶和華口裡所出的一切話。

出埃及記12章記載:以色列人在住滿埃及四百三十年的那一天,猶太曆正月十五日,他們從蘭塞起行,往疏割去;除了婦人孩子,步行的男人約有六十萬(出埃及記12:37-41)。這大群以色列人包括婦人孩子,可能高達兩百萬人,神領他們出埃及,走曠野的路。

在曠野的旅程中,他們因恐懼埃及軍隊的追趕而抱怨摩西,懷疑神的帶領(出埃及記14:10-12),在瑪拉因水苦而抱怨(出埃及記15:23-24),在曠野中抱怨沒有食物(神為此賜下嗎哪和鵪鶉)(出埃及記16:2-20),在利非訂再次因缺水而抱怨(出埃及記17:1-7),在西奈山下拜金牛犢,嚴重背叛神(出埃及記32:1-6)…。

兩條路

希伯來書1:3  祂是神榮耀所發的光輝,是神本體的真像,常用祂權能的命令托住萬有。祂洗淨了人的罪,就坐在高天至大者的右邊。

這是我首次飛往印度,班機在凌晨抵達班加羅爾機場。儘管要來接機的朋友先前已經寄給我許多電子郵件,但我還是不知道誰會來接我,也不知道該在哪裡與對方碰面。我隨著人群來到行李領取處,再前往海關,在潮濕悶熱的黑夜裡,試圖從茫茫人海中看到友善的眼神。

整整一小時,我在人群前面來回走動,希望有人能認出我。最終,有個和藹可親的人走過來,問道:「你是惟恩嗎?真抱歉!你就在我面前走來走去,我卻認不出你,但你的樣子跟我想像的完全不一樣。」

我們經常因為一時糊塗,而無法認出我們應認得的人或地方。但上帝提供一種明確的方式,讓我們能準確無誤地認出祂。

We Have the Mind of Christ

Romans 8:6 (NCV) reads, “If people’s thinking is controlled by the sinful self, there is death. But if their thinking is controlled by the Spirit, there is life and peace.”

We are what we think! For that reason, God redeems the thought patterns of his children. Do you realize what happened to you when you were saved? He began the process of renewing your mind. When you said yes to Jesus, he saved your soul, wrote your name in the Book of Life, washed away all your sins, gave you spiritual gifts, and adopted you into his family. “We have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16 ESV).

What a stunning statement! We have access to the mind of Jesus. He has enrolled us in Christlikeness 101. In time, with the help of his Spirit, we will think and live like him.

兩千肘

希伯來書1:3  祂是神榮耀所發的光輝,是神本體的真像,常用祂權能的命令托住萬有。祂洗淨了人的罪,就坐在高天至大者的右邊。

這是我首次飛往印度,班機在凌晨抵達班加羅爾機場。儘管要來接機的朋友先前已經寄給我許多電子郵件,但我還是不知道誰會來接我,也不知道該在哪裡與對方碰面。我隨著人群來到行李領取處,再前往海關,在潮濕悶熱的黑夜裡,試圖從茫茫人海中看到友善的眼神。

整整一小時,我在人群前面來回走動,希望有人能認出我。最終,有個和藹可親的人走過來,問道:「你是惟恩嗎?真抱歉!你就在我面前走來走去,我卻認不出你,但你的樣子跟我想像的完全不一樣。」

我們經常因為一時糊塗,而無法認出我們應認得的人或地方。但上帝提供一種明確的方式,讓我們能準確無誤地認出祂。

UFOs

Overreactions are understandable. If I trigger your unseen emotional wound, you might react in a manner disproportionate to my action. Overreactions have their reasons. They also have their consequences. They can trap us in a stronghold.

Untruths lead to False narratives that prompt Overreactions. UFOs.

We need to follow Paul’s instructions: “Fight to capture every thought until it acknowledges the authority of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5 PHILLIPS). You confront worry at the door of your brain.  You grab worry by the nape and march him into the presence of the Prince of Peace. With the confidence of a burly barroom bouncer, toss anxiety out the door.

False Narratives

A narrative is a message that ceaselessly plays in your mind. It is the way you see yourself and what you say to yourself.

Do you know anyone who seems to be incurably irritable, cranky, or melancholy? I would bet that a negative, intrusive loop dominates their thoughts. The untruth has dredged a rut, and this rut has resulted in a false narrative.

It seems that a lot of people have chosen to be less happy than they could be. Their problem began with an untruth. The untruth spread like mold and became part of their identity. And since it was left uncontested, it morphed into a false narrative that defines the way they see themselves and what they say to themselves. What narrative are you listening to today?

愛他、愛她、愛他們

希伯來書1:3  祂是神榮耀所發的光輝,是神本體的真像,常用祂權能的命令托住萬有。祂洗淨了人的罪,就坐在高天至大者的右邊。

這是我首次飛往印度,班機在凌晨抵達班加羅爾機場。儘管要來接機的朋友先前已經寄給我許多電子郵件,但我還是不知道誰會來接我,也不知道該在哪裡與對方碰面。我隨著人群來到行李領取處,再前往海關,在潮濕悶熱的黑夜裡,試圖從茫茫人海中看到友善的眼神。

整整一小時,我在人群前面來回走動,希望有人能認出我。最終,有個和藹可親的人走過來,問道:「你是惟恩嗎?真抱歉!你就在我面前走來走去,我卻認不出你,但你的樣子跟我想像的完全不一樣。」

我們經常因為一時糊塗,而無法認出我們應認得的人或地方。但上帝提供一種明確的方式,讓我們能準確無誤地認出祂。

Satan’s Arsenal of Untruths

James 4:7  Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Satan connives, plots, and deploys tactics. He has a strategy – that’s cause for concern. He is predictable – that is reason for hope. The devil, while potent, is a rotten chess player. He signals his moves in advance. He runs the same play over and over. And since we know it, we can defend against it.

Satan always starts with an untruth. It might be a blatant lie or simply an inaccurate assumption. Either way, it is untrue. Do you remember his words to Eve? “Did God really say, ‘You may not eat from any tree in the garden’?…God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” (Genesis 3:1,5 NIV).

認出上帝

希伯來書1:3  祂是神榮耀所發的光輝,是神本體的真像,常用祂權能的命令托住萬有。祂洗淨了人的罪,就坐在高天至大者的右邊。

這是我首次飛往印度,班機在凌晨抵達班加羅爾機場。儘管要來接機的朋友先前已經寄給我許多電子郵件,但我還是不知道誰會來接我,也不知道該在哪裡與對方碰面。我隨著人群來到行李領取處,再前往海關,在潮濕悶熱的黑夜裡,試圖從茫茫人海中看到友善的眼神。

整整一小時,我在人群前面來回走動,希望有人能認出我。最終,有個和藹可親的人走過來,問道:「你是惟恩嗎?真抱歉!你就在我面前走來走去,我卻認不出你,但你的樣子跟我想像的完全不一樣。」

我們經常因為一時糊塗,而無法認出我們應認得的人或地方。但上帝提供一種明確的方式,讓我們能準確無誤地認出祂。

Monitor Your Default Thoughts

Proverbs 4:23  Above all else, guard your heart,  for everything you do flows from it.

Monitor your default thoughts. Most of us are unaware of the inner dialogue we carry on with ourselves each day. Appraisals. Criticisms. Assumptions. They are knee-jerk reactions. “I’m so stupid.” “I’ll never get this under control.”

When self-criticism or worry plays like a tape in your head, there is always a reason.  Someone trained you to think this way. They are the result of injury after injury, influence after influence, regret after regret—days, years, decades of immobilizing notions until a person cannot escape.