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To Meet Our Greatest Need

2025-12-26 in /by

Christmas cards. Punctuated promises. On this day, can I share words from my favorite Christmas cards?

“He became like us, so we could become like Him.” “Angels still sing and the star still beckons.” And from Isaiah 9:6, “God has given a Son to us. His name will be Wonderful Counselor, Powerful God, and Prince of Peace.”

And my favorite: “If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent an educator. If our greatest need had been technology, God would have sent us a scientist. If our greatest need had been money, God would have sent us an economist. But since our greatest need was forgiveness, God sent us a Savior.”

Merry Christmas, everybody!

圣诞老人

2025-12-26 in , /by

约翰福音20:24-29 

24 那十二个门徒中有称为低土马的多马，耶稣来的时候，他没有和他们同在。 25 那些门徒就对他说：「我们已经看见主了！」多马却说：「我非看见他手上的钉痕，用指头探入那钉痕，又用手探入他的肋旁，我总不信。」26 过了八日，门徒又在屋里，多马也和他们同在。门都关了，耶稣来站在当中说：「愿你们平安！」 27 就对多马说：「伸过你的指头来，摸我的手！伸出你的手来，探入我的肋旁！不要疑惑，总要信！」 28 多马说：「我的主！我的神！」 29 耶稣对他说：「你因看见了我才信，那没有看见就信的有福了！」

踏入十二月除了天气转冷，大家都会感到一份期待，小朋友固然如此，连成人也一样有点轻奋，就算你不是基督徒，没有任何宗教，这个普世欢腾的日子～圣诞节，多少都在影响着你：你会为你的至爱准备一份礼物，烹调一顿丰富晚餐，给自己添件新衣，这些都来得很自然。加上街道、商场的布置，家家户户屋前的灯饰，电视里的广告，圣诞节的气氛实在很浓厚。

笔者这次也应应节，忙碌的工余，在影带店挑选了一部“圣诞”电影，以圣诞节为题材的影片不少，多以温馨为主，《圣诞老人》Santa Clause是其中之一，这部多年前「和路迪士尼」电影，今年又再推出续集（Santa Clause2），由添亚伦Tim Allen主演。

圣诞老人在北美来说，是一个神话，不少小朋友都深信不疑，圣诞老人每年圣诞前夕都会坐鹿车，四出由烟囱而下，送上礼物给小朋友；所以今天还有很多小朋友写信到北极给圣诞老人，告诉他自己的愿望。

祂是我们的和睦

2025-12-25 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。

以弗所书 2:14-15  因祂使我们和睦，将两下合而为一，拆毁了中间隔断的墙，而且以自己的身体废掉冤仇，就是那记在律法上的规条，为要将两下借着自己造成一个新人，如此便成就了和睦。

俄乌纷争持续11年，全面战火延烧近三年，以哈冲突也满了400天；在这不平安的日子里，2024年11月9日，德国举行了柏林围墙倒塌35周年的纪念活动。当天在沿着过去柏林围墙的路径上，展出当年抗议行动标语的复制品，途经历史悠久国会大厦以及知名的查理检查站。晚上融合声光秀的「自由派对」在柏林地标布兰登堡大门登场，大门恰位于柏林围墙原址。这一天象征著德国历史上重要的一天，提醒人们不断追求自由和民主。

柏林围墙（德语：Berliner Mauer）是二次世界大战后德国分裂期间，隶属于社会主义国家的德意志民主共和国（东德）政府，修筑环绕西柏林边境的全封闭边防系统，用来阻止东德居民通过西柏林前往西德。它建于1961年8月13日，全长167.8公里，最初以铁丝网和砖石为材料，后期加固为由瞭望塔、混凝土墙、开放地带以及反车辆壕沟组成的边防设施。

More Than A Christmas Story

2025-12-25 in /by

The virgin birth is much, much more, than a Christmas story. It’s a story of how close Christ will come to you.

The first stop on his itinerary was a womb. Where will God go to touch the world? Look deep inside Mary for an answer. Better still, look deep within yourself. “Christ in you, the hope of glory,” Scripture says (Colossians 1:27).

Christ grew in Mary until he had to come out. Christ will grow in you until the same occurs. He will come out in your speech, in your actions, in your decisions. Every place you live will be a Bethlehem. Every day you live will be a Christmas. Deliver Christ into the world—your world!

Savor the Spirit

2025-12-24 in /by

I’m reflecting today on one stunning thought. The world was different this week. We forgot our compulsion with winning, wooing, and warring. We looked out toward the star of Bethlehem. More than in any other season, his name was on our lips.

And the result? For a few precious hours our heavenly yearnings intermeshed and we became a chorus. “Come and behold him” we sang, stirring even the sleepiest of shepherds and pointing them toward the Christ-child. Immanuel. He is with us. God came near.

Soon December’s generosity will become January’s payments, and the magic will begin to fade. I want to savor the spirit just a bit more. To pray that those who beheld him today will look for him next August. How much more could we do if we thought of him every day.

纪念道成肉身

2025-12-24 in , /by

约翰福音 6:47-48  我实实在在地告诉你们：信的人有永生。 48 我就是生命的粮。 

约翰福音 6:63  叫人活着的乃是灵，肉体是无益的。我对你们所说的话就是灵，就是生命。

让我们先从一个略显沉重的观察开始：圣经并没有提供耶稣确切出生日期的确凿证据。那么，早期基督徒是如何得出12月25日这个结论的呢？

答案在于犹太神学思想与早期基督教推测的融合。教会借鉴了犹太传统（例如，《犹太新年》10b-11a），认为时间是循环的，一位伟大人物的受孕和死亡在宇宙中可能存在某种关联。被认为是拉丁教父和西方基督教神学鼻祖之一的特土良（约公元160-220年）声称知道耶稣的死亡日期（3月25日，尼散月十四日），并据此推断耶稣的受孕也发生在同一天。

逻辑很简单：如果耶稣受孕于3月25日，那么他的出生日期就在9个月后，大约是12月25日。这种推算展现了早期基督徒用来推论耶稣诞生的神学推理。它也恰好与1月1日的割礼节吻合，根据犹太历，割礼节是在耶稣诞生后第八天庆祝的。

圣诞节的形成与后来基督教化的罗马帝国截然不同。在公元4世纪到6世纪之间，教会领袖确实重新诠释了一些现有的节日（包括像农神节这样的仲冬庆祝活动），但这发生在12月25日被提议之后很久。早期的基督徒仍遭受迫害，与主流文化格格不入，他们并非采纳异教习俗，而是与异教划清界线。

以马内利

2025-12-23 in , /by

以赛亚书 7:14   因此，主自己要给你们一个兆头，必有童女怀孕生子，给祂起名叫以马内利。

马太福音 1:22-23   这一切的事成就，是要应验主藉先知所说的话说：23 「必有童女怀孕生子，人要称他的名为以马内利。」（「以马内利」翻出来就是「神与我们同在」。）

这是一个真实故事：在1994年，有两个美国宣教士应邀到苏联的一个孤儿院，与他们共度圣诞。在那个孤儿院里，多是被遗弃或虐待，甚至没人要的残障小孩。

那年，他们第一次听到圣诞节的故事，听到因为神爱世人，让耶稣降生在马槽里。说完故事之后，宣教士请孩子们用他们带去的黄色纸巾剪出一丝丝的纸条，放在宣教士带去的小纸盒里，做成一个个的马槽。然后让孩子们在一张小纸头上画下婴孩耶稣，把他放进马槽里。

宣教士们轮流去看每个孩子的成品，发现有个大约六岁的小孩在马槽里放了两个小婴孩。宣教士请翻译员来问他为何是两个？那个小孩说：“当马利亚要把耶稣放进马槽时，耶稣问我有没有地方住。祂说，假如我没有地方住，可以跟祂一起睡在马槽里。我跟祂说，我不像别人一样有礼物可送给祂。但是我很想跟耶稣在一起，所以我就拚命想，后来想到我的身体可以让祂觉得温暖。

Such A Thing To Do

2025-12-23 in /by

The God of the universe was born into the poverty of a peasant and spent his first night in the cows’ feed trough. He left the glory of heaven and moved into our neighborhood. Who could have imagined he would do such a thing?

What a world he left. Our classiest mansion would be a tree trunk to him. God became a one-celled embryo and entered the womb of Mary. He became like us. Just look at the places he was willing to go: feed troughs, carpentry shops, badlands, and cemeteries. The places he went to reach us show how far he will go to touch us. He loves to be with the ones he loves.

圣诞树与马丁路德

2025-12-22 in , /by

约翰福音 6:40  我父的旨意是要一切见子而信的人得永生，并且在末日我要叫他复活。

约翰福音 3:36  信子的人有永生；不信子的人得不着永生，神的震怒常在他身上。

圣诞树是圣诞节最广为人知的象征物。今天从各个教会，到各大城市的公共广场、百货公司的大厅里都有它的踪影。但是你知道今天我们看到上有伯利恒之星、挂满各种饰品的圣诞树，最早是宗教改革的发起人马丁路得做出来的吗？

圣诞树最早可以追溯到古代欧洲维京人与日耳曼人的树木崇拜信仰，他们认为长青树木象征永恒的生命力。后来各民族归信基督教后，他们将长青树转为永生的象征。中世纪日耳曼地区演出有关亚当夏娃故事的戏剧里，有一棵挂满苹果的杉树，被认为是圣诞树的原形。

A Moment Like No Other

2025-12-22 in /by

It was an ordinary night with ordinary sheep and ordinary shepherds. Then the black sky exploded with brightness. Trees that had been shadows jumped into clarity. Sheep that had been silent became a chorus of curiosity. One minute the shepherd was dead asleep, the next he was rubbing his eyes and staring into the face of an angel! The night was ordinary no more. The angel came in the night because it’s when lights are best seen, and when they are most needed.

It all happened in a most remarkable moment—a moment like no other. God became a man. Divinity arrived. Heaven opened and place her most precious one in a human womb. God had come near.

In the mystery of Christmas, we find its majesty. The mystery of how God became flesh, why he chose to come at all, and how much he must love his people.