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結合傳統與科技 台灣野台布袋戲驚豔明州

台灣新勝景掌中劇「隨光搖滾吧！野台布袋戲」，日前到明州聖保羅市的踏石戲院（Stepping stone theater）演出，結合台灣傳統布袋戲文化與新的科技，將傳統戲台改用動畫製作投影至螢幕的全新視覺效果，讓在場的華洋觀眾驚豔。

1996年創立於台灣台中豐原的新勝景，目前由畢業於雲林科技大學的朱祥溥擔任導演，他的父親朱清貴在2015年過世後，從國三跟著父親表演的哥哥朱勝珏繼承父志，不過，隨著手機及網路興盛，布袋戲表演逐漸沒落。

朱勝珏說，他常常在台下空無一人時，仍盡責地演給神明看，之後弟弟朱祥溥受到「夢想動畫」公司老闆林家齊支持，希望將布袋戲轉型，促使他寫企劃案向文化部申請經費，然後聚集各界人才把布袋戲加上動畫，製作成全世界首個「光雕投影布袋戲」，並2018年於台灣推出首演。

在夢想動畫負責市場行銷的李虹賢說，「南俠翻山谷」是五十、六十年代很紅的布袋戲，計程車司機為了看戲而不做生意載客，這也是朱清貴最愛的戲，所以這次選擇把此劇改編成「南俠一生傳」，由布袋戲大師蕭添鎮擔任顧問。

除了幕前的團員外，幕後的製作人員有許多來自「夢想動畫」的原畫師、美術設定、建模師、動畫師、燈光師、合成師、剪輯師，而雲林的張政森則負責刻偶，南俠主角的本尊花了1萬美元打造。

蕭建平電視木偶劇團的蕭志偉負責該劇動作設計；陳家和操作木偶；23歲的林昇耀，在由阿公開始的桃園泰興樂劇團擔任配音，生旦淨末丑的角色都能說；最年輕的20歲團員張維新，來自高雄的正五洲掌中劇團，是第四代的操偶師；夢想動畫的軟體工程師的吳品興負責軟體設計與投影；吳家宏負責硬體設備。

這場布袋戲搭配中英文字幕與光影，木偶表演舞台的後方背景則用另一台投影機，使畫面可以往右方平移，製造木偶向左方前進的視覺效果。觀眾對此都感到十分新奇有趣。

明州州參議員森傑(David Senjem)在活動中，感謝台灣人社群對豐富明州多元文化的貢獻，此活動是由中華民國僑委會贊助，配合「美國台灣傳統周」及「加拿大亞裔傳統月」而巡演美、加多個城市。

現代諾亞 用鏡頭打造「動物方舟」

人生如果只選擇一件事做到最好，那麼你的選擇會是什麼呢？擔任國家地理雜誌攝影師超過27年的約珥‧薩多(Joel Sartore)，選擇以照片打造動物方舟(Building the photo ark)。

方舟的意義，起源於聖經裡創世紀中提到大洪水毀滅地球前，上帝要諾亞造一艘大船，把各種動物帶到船上延續生命，NBC夜間新聞(NBC nightly news)稱大半輩子投入動物攝影的薩多是「現代諾亞」(A modern-day Noah)。

薩多所拍攝的動物，用「非常簡單的肖像攝影光線，表現動物的美與顏色；用單純的黑或白色背景，聚焦在單一動物上，讓人可以直視動物的眼睛」。

薩多從小受父母影響，喜愛大自然，更熱愛攝影，他多年來擔任自由攝影記者，後來受國家地理雜誌委託，到世界各地拍照，他除了採訪大型園遊會活動(state fair)，還負責拍攝到各國食物等內容，此外，他更經常在叢林野外，不畏天候與蟲咬，日夜守候捕捉大自然及動物生態的精彩瞬間。

13年前，薩多的妻子被診斷出罹患乳癌。在妻子進行化療期間，薩多才開始學習扶養孩子，在此之前，他總是忙著追逐下一個攝影題材，但他如旋轉陀螺的人生就在妻子生病時剎那間暫時靜止。

薩多說，當時他40多歲，因為妻子的病也開始思想人生下半場的意義，「我想用攝影專業對世界有所貢獻」，「動物照片方舟」計畫也在這時逐漸成形，薩多說，他的座右銘是「一生只要選擇做對一件事，並專心去做」。

國家地理雜誌2017年的報導，地球上有一半的物種會在2100年以前絕跡，薩多希望用攝影，至少記錄1萬2000種保存在動物園或水族館裡的生物。

目前薩多已經在世界各地拍攝了9000種物種，他打算再花10到15年完成方舟計畫。

此外，他也與電視節目RARE合作，記錄地球上瀕臨絕種的生物，薩多認為「人類以為毀滅一個又一個的物種和生態，不會影響自己，然而這想法非常愚蠢」，他很希望藉著「記錄人類毀滅的物種，改變人的想法與行為來拯救動物」。

薩多說只要他還能走路、說話，他就會一直「拍」下去，薩多經常造訪明州的明尼蘇達動物園(Minnesota Zoo)、柯莫動物園(Como Zoo)、野生動物復育中心(Wildlife rehabilitation center )，他說在各地的動物園或保育中心看到志同道合的保育動物者，最能啟發和鼓勵自己。

明州亞裔文學組織 從書寫探討身分認同

明州街頭攝影師許永揚的「第三個地方」藝廊(Third Place Gallery)，日前由亞裔文學組織(Asian American Literary Collective)舉辦了一場書寫創作討論會，許永揚在活動中，分享了自己曾因無法融入白人社會而失落，也因不了解中國文化及語言而愧疚，藉著接觸各種文化人們，終於逐漸釋懷的心路歷程，感動許多年輕與會者。

該活動首先由許永揚做簡短演講，他說，自己從1993年開始攝影創作，並按主題陸續集結成書，分別是「青蛙城」(Frogtown)，拍攝聖保羅市的歷史城鎮和當中的苗族家庭；第二個專案「湖街，美國」(Lake Street USA)拍攝明尼亞波利斯市湖街上的日常生活。

第三個專案是「大學路」(University Ave.)將該區的人物攝影展示在店家外牆、公車和大型建築物上，近年他更走訪美國、中國訪談華人家庭的攝影報導，集結出版了「中國魂」(Chinese-ness)一書。

許永揚也提到自我探索過程，從想要融入白人社會的失落，到不懂中國文化和語言的愧疚，然後因訪談接觸各類文化人而逐漸釋懷，獲得在場許多亞裔共鳴。

父母來自香港的小琪表示，因父母頗費心思常在暑假帶她回香港，使她對父母的出生地文化產生好感，想更多去瞭解；另一個亞裔美國人麥可說，他小時候覺得自己不是白人而愧疚，而白人也覺得他不太友善，類似的心理掙扎可是第二代亞裔美國人的共同經驗。

許凱達(Kai Hsu)是亞裔文學組織的發起人之一，他目前在創作關心理疾病的治療方法書籍，許凱達說他和幾個明州的亞裔美國人，因寫作的共同興趣組成社群，希望透過寫作和文學欣賞來彼此鼓勵，並藉此多認識自己的文化背景和探索亞裔身份認同。

這些成員包括父母來自中國、寮國的雲妮(Victoria Virasy)在非營利團體工作，她認為內心有股驅動力使她藉由寫作來思考，並在書寫過程中得到療癒，她正在書寫自己感興趣的烹飪食譜；越南裔的陳丹尼爾(Daniel Tran)有工程背景，為了專心寫作，平時在餐廳擔任服務生，他寫詩和小說有七年之久；韓裔的真熙(Jinhee Cha)是公共衛生博士生，藉由書寫探索人生議題。

亞裔文學組織的進一步訊息，可查詢：www.asamliterarycollective.com。

Be delivered from depression and evil lies

Everything is possible with God.

I prayed with my prayer partner this morning with Mom’s in Prayer format (Praise, Confession, Thankfulness, Intercession) and we both were lifted up by God’s grace. The attribute for today is God is truth. During praying time, I listened to what she prayed that God is victorious and I shall fix my eyes on Him, not my own negative defeated thought. I think about the Iran Muslim man I interviewed, who saw Jesus coming through the wall: Ah, it’s impossible with man, but everything is possible with God. So this encourages me to not judge people or their situations by worrying if they cannot believe God, but only trust that God is very kind and willing to save everyone.

See my enemies in Spirit.

After we prayed, I read Bible and suddenly I am reminded by my own prayer of discerning any lies in the light of God’s truth this morning. I saw there is a lie, telling me that it’s my freedom not to write even though I want to. I then see there’s a spirit of putting down myself. So, I confess to God by praying: God, I am sorry to let the spirit of putting down my value to lie to me and control me. Please forgive me. Thank You for forgiving me. In Jesus Christ’s name, I rebuke and command the spirit of putting down my value to leave me and go to the pit of hell right now. The spirit of putting down my value and lying cannot have any place in me and control me. I have released myself from your bondage. I proclaim that Jesus Christ has set me free from these spirits.

Then, I was eating my breakfast so I turned on the Youtube to listen to Derek Prince’s talk about God’s word. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sih_luu5a9I&t=2189s

Be delivered from a spirit of depression

His sermon speaks right into my need. He mentioned many people have poor image about themselves including him, who suffered from depression for a long time. After he prayed for a while without solving his problem, the dark cloud of depression was still looming over his head.

Finally the Scripture of Bible reminds him to heed God’s word which can deliver him from sin and death. And he believes that God not only give victory over our sins, but over our enemy, Satan (refer to Romans 8:1-2). He was reminded by Ephesian 6:17 to take helmet of salvation, which is hope (refer to 1 Thessalonians 5:8).

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Romans 8:1-2)

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. (1 Thessalonians 5:8)

He feels that God reveals that there’s a spirit of depression in him. And he is encouraged by Joel 2:32 to call to God to deliver him from the spirit of depression and anxiety. Just like my prayer, he asked God’s forgiveness and rebuked the spirit of depression to go away. And he was delivered.

And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be those who escape, as the Lord has said, and among the survivors shall be those whom the Lord calls. (Joel 2:32)

Take captive your thought to obey Jesus and be transformed to have sound mind.

Derek Prince said that he used to worry a lot because his family also often worry if they don’t worry. After asking God to deliver him from the spirit of depression, he also started to practice on putting hope for expecting good thing in God, and “replace negative thought with truthful thought and his old thinking pattern gradually got transformed to godly pattern.” (refer to 2 Corinthians 10:5) I can testify that this is my spiritual practice and it indeed has been transforming me as well.

We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)

Restore your image by looking into spiritual mirror.

Moreover, he mentioned how to restore our image by reading God’s word as looking self in the mirror. In the beginning, we may see our errors in the old self. But the more we see God’s glory in His word, and we apply them to ourselves through proclamation by faith, the more glory we shall become like Him because we were created in His image (refer to 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 ).

But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. ( 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 )

You are valuable in the sight of God.

Derek Prince said that people often pay for the thing with the cost they think how much it is worth. Likewise, my value is how much God pays for me, which costs Him the blood of Jesus.

Therefore, Don’t listen to any negative thought to put down yourself. Instead, proclaim in Christ: I am infinitely valuable in the sight of God because God bought me with the most valuable thing in the universe, the blood of Jesus, that’s how valuable I am.

I have a great feast through prayer with another saint and from God’s grace in His truth for my spirit today.

The husband’s wise affirmation 先生對妻子的祝福

先生參加的聖經研習團契（BSF）的小組長說，要用聖經箴言31章來讚美妻子，不要拿來要求妻子。何等有智慧的先生啊。因為先生說出來的祝福，將會塑造妻子變成箴言中的才德婦人！

The group leader in BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) my husband attends said that a wise husband would use Proverbs 31 in the bible to praise his wife, rather than request her to do the same. What a wise husband! Because the affirmation from the husband’s mouth will shape the wife to be the woman of noble character like in Proverbs 31.

不要以小人之心度君子之腹

我寫了電子郵件給先生，告訴他想和他帶小孩一起去教會看動畫電影「天路歷程」試映會。他回信只有一句話：那在south campus（南邊會堂）。
我氣沖沖地走下樓梯，到他身邊：
「南邊會堂在Duluth（明州北邊開車四小時的城市）嗎？」我諷刺地說。
「是你在電子郵件裡說在城中的會堂（downtown campus）啊。」先生淡定地回答，還打開我的電子郵件給我看。啊，我真的寫錯了，原來他是在糾正我。
我之所以氣沖沖，是把他的回答多想成：那裡很遠耶。
「對不起，是我寫錯，還用小人之心度君子之腹」。我立即認錯。
我彷彿看到自己像卡通裡那個走路有風的大野獸，突然栽跟斗跌在我先生面前。
先生哈哈大笑，問我是不是來興師問罪。我點頭承認。他笑得更大聲說，沒想到我一下子就漏風了。
有個讀理工科、不容易情緒化的先生還是不錯的。

Jesus reverses the destiny of Adam and Eve’s descendants

What is reality?
There are two realities in this earthly life: one is the life we all experience daily on the earth; the other one is in the outer space without gravity which only astronauts can go on the adventure. We cannot deny the existence of the outer space even though it’s unseen and intangible to our ordinary life.

 

Likewise, the visible reality in this finite life is temporary and partially real. Another unseen reality after death is eternal according to the Bible. We as mortal humans, cannot understand God’s eternity by our limited human senses. We cannot rely on any other man-made resources like religions, philosophy or even fortune tellers to prove our final destiny. Therefore, there’s only one way we can know about God: God needs to send a messenger directly from His heaven coming to earth and reveal the truth about Himself.

 

How is Christianity proved to be true?
No humans in the history ever predicted and fulfilled what they once said in their time. Only one man, prophesied with many signs in the Bible and all of the prophecy related to Jesus Christ  were fulfilled (see more information) from Jesus Christ’s birth from a virgin, His preaching and miracles, to His death on the cross. After Jesus Christ was resurrected from death, which was seen by hundreds of people in the historical time (see more information), His disciples were empowered by the promised Holy Spirit, who was sent to their hearts to give testimony and spread the gospel to the end of the world until today. It’s the victory Jesus Christ has done in the human history: destroy the devil and take back the lost souls to God.

 

How did the first human fall in the beginning?
Adam and Eve wanted to know the good and evil, the forbidden knowledge. They are created with a will to desire the tree of God’s life or choose to have the forbidden knowledge. Their desire of being like God is tempted and seduced by satan’s lie and they took the first bite of the fruit on the forbidden tree. Since then, their rebellious pride subjected themselves to satan’s dominion.

 

Along all the years, Adam and Eve’s descendants, all humans who inherit their DNA still reject God’s authority and want to gain the knowledge by their own power. They don’t know they are giving satan a legal foothold to dominate them. When they voluntarily walk away from the Kingdom of God’s Light of truth, they are in the kingdom of darkness whose main ruler is satan, the archangel.

 

What does the reality of living in satan’s kingdom look like?
Under satan’s illegitimate authority, a man/woman is like living in the prison. He may feel very comfortable with what he needs in his little cell. He can work hard, make a good living, enjoy earthly entertainment, look smart, have good reputation, manage a big firm, behave good virtues, religious, kind to the poor, successful in whatever he wants, etc. But he never feels satisfied with what he has. He needs to drive himself to pursue a dream or achievement. Even though he seems to give up pursuing anything, he longs for something deep in his heart, which makes him to crave, covet, envy, compare, regret, complain, etc. He may try to believe certain religion or philosophy to persuade himself to accept whatever reality he is faced with. He cannot tell what he is thinking is right or wrong because his feeling is controlling his thoughts: If he feels right, he believes it. If he feels wrong, he rejects it.

 

It’s like no one want to be deceived by the fraudster, who is so good at making things up to fool people to give up their possession. However, since he doesn’t know how to tell the truth, he either doesn’t believe at all, or believe partially. He thinks he is smart to guard his heart from being deceived by the fraudster. But in reality, he is insecure and uncertain. When everything is going well, he does not want to bother himself with questions about God and the meaning of life. But when the crisis comes suddenly like tsunami, he is panic and either complains about why he deserves such bad luck or demands to know where God is. He may seek some temporary relief in gambling, alcohol, drug or sex to numb his conscience. Or he may try to empty his mind by giving up the earthly desires to escape from the reality. No matter what he does, he never tastes the sweetness of genuine peace and joy.

 

When can a fallen human being be reversed?
Until one day, the gospel of good news comes to him: God sent His own son Jesus Christ to come to pay off his debt—his sin of rebelling God which causes him to come under Satan’s control and the wrath of God’s righteousness to punish sins. When he hears the truth from God’s word, God’s breath of life breathed into his spiritual nostril like oxygen to the body. His dead bone is awaken by the Holy Spirit’s breath of life. His conscience is clear and knows there’s Someone speaking to his heart. He feels God’s word is true and undeniable. However, the next step is critical for him: he either uses his will to believe or disbelieve, just like Adam and Eve were given a choice between the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of evil and good, being their own god to control.

 

When he wants to accept this truth, God gives him a gift of faith and he shall turn to the Light by walking away from the dark. And God’s Light gives life like sun to the plants and creature. However, if he doesn’t want to say yes to the truth, his heart automatically rejects the truth and he still remains in the darkness, just where he was.
Jesus Christ said he comes to save, not to judge. All sinful humans are in the hell of darkness. Without coming to the Light, they automatically stay where they are after death. But whoever wants to walk away from the darkness and receive Jesus Christ’s saving payment for his debt will ascend to God’s heavenly realm in eternity. Jesus Christ shed His blood on the cross to bear the man’s sins so that satan cannot accuse him anymore. Meanwhile, satan lost his power over this acquitted man. God sees Jesus Christ’s blood on the sinner and give him forgiveness because Jesus absorbs all the wrath and punishment falling on the sinner.

 

God pursues us.
Out of His mercy and patience, God may come back again and again to knock on the man’s door of heart and want to save him from the eternal death. However, the more he rejects, the harder his heart will become. Until the heart is hard like a stone, there’s no chance for him to want to leave darkness and satan is very comfortable to leave him alone because his destiny is for sure to be with satan and his companions, one third of angels, who all will be thrown into the lake of fire when Jesus Christ comes back (refer to Revelation 20:10).

 

What is happening with the new man after he believes in Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord of his life?

 

God will start His reversing process in this man. In his old life, he is in the darkness. So is his heart blinded. His conscience is guilty and impure. His spirit is dead. His heart deceives himself by agreeing with satan’s lies. Consequently, his heart influences his thought with false reasoning from the secular standard of values and against godly truth. His emotion is dark and cause him to feel gloomy, negative, depressed, obsessed, etc. He has no will of freedom to control his emotion but his will is controlled by his feeling. He is trapped and imprisoned.

 

When God starts the reversing process in him, God sends the Spirit of His Son into his heart to empower his spirit to obey God. Then his heart learns from the truth which sets his imprisoned will free. Then he can make up his mind to take captive his thought to obey the truth and the truth transforms his thought to think in God’s way. His emotion is healthy related to his godly thought. His old stronghold of ungodly thinking habit is broken and the Truth builds in him a new thinking pattern. This godly thought produces right emotion and bears the fruit of Holy Spirit such as peace, joy, love, gentleness, kindness, goodness, patience, faithfulness and self control (refer to Galatians 5:22-23).

 

You are transformed and victorious!
As a result, these fruits revive his spirit, restore his soul and nurture his body. He is healed and strengthened as a whole being, just like the one God created in His image in the first place. The whole process is reinforced daily and renewing his inner being until he receives a new body when Jesus Christ comes back.

為什麼喝牛奶，不喝牛尿？

基督教護教學者拉維‧撒迦利亞（Ravi Zacharias）說了一個真實的故事。在美國的法庭上，一個律師為出版色情刊物的大老闆弗萊恩特（Larry Flynt）辯護。他問證人說：「你是否付錢去博物館看畫，其中有些還是裸體畫。如果你願意付錢去博物館，那我問你，為什麼付錢買色情刊物看裸體照片不行呢？」可惜這個證人沒有律師的伶牙俐齒而無法反駁。

似是而非之理 令人難辯駁
拉維‧撒迦利亞引用魯益師（C.S.Lewis）所寫的《天路回程》（The pilgrim’s regress）書中的故事，給我們一些啟示，想想這兩者有何不同。

故事裡有個邪惡獄卒常對監獄中的囚犯說扭曲的話。這個獄卒說：「牛奶跟牛尿都是牛的分泌物啊。你說牛奶好喝，那牛尿不也可以喝嗎？」剛到獄中的約翰，不像其他在監獄中待了很長時間的人，被這個獄卒洗透腦子，他的思想中還存有基本邏輯和常識。

約翰說：「我看得出來你實在是在胡說八道，你假裝把不一樣的東西說成是類似的東西。你想讓我們相信牛奶跟尿或大便是一樣的。」

獄卒說：「那你說說看有什麼不一樣，除了大家習慣於喝牛奶，而不是喝尿？」

約翰說：「你是騙子還是笨蛋呢？你竟然看不出來大自然的構造有何不同嗎？從牛體內排出來的是廢物，儲存在牛裡面的是養分。」

獄卒不屑地說：「所以你就相信大自然像人一樣，都有被創造的目的。也難怪你想要相信大自然有其構造，因為這會讓你的良心好過一點。」

約翰說：「我沒想得那麼複雜。我只知道事實是牛奶可以餵養小牛，但是牛糞不行。」

撒迦利亞說，人原本是依照大自然的現實原則生活與行事。例如，手碰到火覺得燙，下次就小心不要用手去碰。這完全符合人類的本能，根本不用大道理說明。然而，當人捨棄真理、思想逐漸被自我或世界的謊言扭曲後，原本簡單的東西變得混淆，即便根本是一派胡言，卻因無法辯駁而漸漸地麻木接受。

身處亂世如何不受迷惑？
回到法庭現場，你能回答這個律師，看色情刊物和去博物館看到裸體畫的差別在哪裡嗎？撒迦利亞說：「製作色情刊物的人，希望挑起你的情慾，讓你想入非非，但是使你光看又得不到滿足。」

想想當今社會上，有哪些論調違反自然構造與道德，如同「喝牛尿，不喝牛奶」的胡說八道，卻逐漸形成風潮或變成常態？你身在其中，能有智慧辨別，能有勇氣說不嗎？

企圖違反大自然的創造，卻以為這叫作自由，其實是自欺欺人、害人害己。不認同宇宙有創造者的真理；不承認上帝、罪與魔鬼的存在，那麼人類就逐漸失去辨別真理的能力，如同落入沒有真理亮光的監牢，被魔鬼、邪惡獄卒所欺騙與轄制，出現喝牛尿、吃牛糞的結果也就不足為奇。

聖經提到舊約中，神在西乃山上跟摩西說話，摩西下山後整個人臉皮發光，亮到使族人害怕靠近他，摩西只好用帕子遮臉（參出埃及記卅四章29-33節）。聖經新約中，保羅說這帕子還遮住人的心，使人看不見神與真理。但是當我們的心幾時相信歸向主耶穌，帕子就幾時除去（參哥林多後書三章15-16節）。

你希望在亂世中當個智者，不受迷惑、不人云亦云嗎？聖經說：「敬畏耶和華是智慧的開端，認識至聖者便是聰明。」（箴言九章10節）你希望擁有真自由，去做對的事，並拒絕認同不合倫理道德的事嗎？「上帝的真理必叫你得自由。」（參約翰福音八章32節）同情罪人不等於姑息罪惡；宣揚真理不等於製造仇恨。在萬丈懸崖邊圍上欄杆，是保護而不是限制。認識主耶穌基督所教導的智慧，是你拆穿黑暗謊言的唯一指標。實踐主耶穌愛神、愛人的誡命，是你勝過罪惡與魔鬼、挽救失喪靈魂的最有效武器。

還不認識上帝的你，或為未信主的人可以這樣禱告：
上帝，我（或希望某人）想要相信真理，不受謊言迷惑，不受罪惡魔鬼轄制。我求您向我（某人）顯現，求您透過聖經的話教導我（某人）能認識並相信您，救我（某人）脫離黑暗恐懼得著真自由。求您賜給我（某人）新心、新靈，除去我（某人）的石心，賜給我（某人）肉心，使我（某人）的良心不麻痺。奉主耶穌基督的名求，阿們。

脫離律法主義，不要讓主耶穌的血白流

最近我在ＢＳＦ查經，讀到大衛王與拔示巴的醜聞，和之後他兒子之間的紛爭。大家討論的不外乎是如何不要像大衛「太閒」大白天在屋頂上走來走去，看到美女洗澡而落入試探；或是他應該好好「教訓」強暴他女兒的暗嫩，和為妹妹報復而殺害暗嫩的押沙龍。但是我突然有個感動，想到大衛王跟我們比起來，應該是對神相當有信心的人，畢竟他用一顆石頭就擊敗歌利亞，連神都說大衛是合他心意的人。
所以我不禁想到，這個不比當今社會版腥羶的故事為什麼記錄在聖經裡？是為了叫我們後人注意不要跟他一樣犯罪？在大衛為拔示巴的事認罪之後，他寫著說：「我就把你的道指教有過犯的人，罪人必歸順你」（詩篇51:13），我想這指的是上帝連他這樣的人都原諒了，我們這些犯罪的人也都能歸順神。
叫人按照聖經的真理活，不應該是為了遵守誡命而戰戰兢兢，像舊約的律法一樣，因為連耶穌都說要遵守的誡命只有兩條：愛神和愛人如己。所以我們應當從整本聖經更認識神的慈愛與公義，而不是事後像不甘己事一樣去數落這些上帝知道不過是塵土的罪人。因為我們也都可能做出同樣的事，但耶穌的寶血就是為了讓罪人可以藉著悔改而回到天父面前才流的，我提醒自己不要落入律法主義而使主耶穌的寶血浪費了。

Your identity in Christ–You are God’s child

I am God’s child.

Meditate on the verses to know your identity in Christ:

Romans 8:14: For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.

Romans 8:16:The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

Galatians 3:26: For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.

Galatians 4:7: Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God.

John 1:12:But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,

1 John 3:10: By this the children of God and the children of the devil are obvious: anyone who does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor the one who does not love his brother.

 

You are God’s creation in His image. God brings you to this world so that you can know Him, love Him, enjoy Him and glorify Him, which is the meaning of your life.

God sent Jesus Christ to this world to seek you and tell you that He loves you. At the moment you hear His voice and receive His word and believe Him to be your Creator and Savior, you are reconciled with the Father God.

You are not a slave to your sins and under the devil’s dominion anymore because Jesus Christ paid your debt of death by shedding His blood on the cross. And Jesus Christ is risen from the death and brings you together to sit by the side of our Father God, as an heir with His royal authority.

How do you know you are His child? God sent the Holy Spirit to dwell in your heart when you believe in Jesus Christ’s name. And this Spirit gives you assurance and peace to know you are not believing a fantasy but the truth recorded in the history and the Bible. Even though there’s no visible sign to prove it, the assurance in your heart is a sign because non-believers don’t have this peace in their hearts no matter how they try to reason with themselves. They cannot even say that Jesus Chris is their Lord from their mouths, which could result from either their sins or the devil is hindering them from saying it out loud. This is my American friend’s testimony when she asked a non-believer to say Jesus Christ is her Lord and she cannot even pretend it.

This faith is also not from the secular knowledge. A pastor’s wife from South Africa shared with me that when she was eight years old, she received Jesus as her Savior because she didn’t want to die and go to hell. When she was around her grandmother, who was a fortune-teller at that time, her grandmother needed to ask her to go away because she lost the power of telling people their fortune when this young Christian was around.

Another friend from Taiwan shared about her sister’s testimony. When her sister received Jesus Christ as her Lord, she was ignorant and brought by a friend to see a fortune teller. But out of her surprise, this fortune teller asked her if she is a Christian because he cannot tell her fortune like he does to other non-believers.

See, God’s Holy Spirit is already in these young believers’ hearts and protect them from the devil’s dirty hand to touch or deceive them.

As a believer, the first thing you can practice God’s righteousness is: Sincerely proclaiming you are God’s child by faith in Jesus Christ daily. When you do it, the devil cannot hinder you from claiming all the promises God want to bless you. And you also shine out Jesus Christ’s light and righteousness as you stand firm in this faith in the dark world.

Prayer: Dear Father God, I thank you for receiving me as Your child when I receive Jesus Christ as my Savior from my sins and the Lord of my life. Thank You for giving me the Holy Spirit to dwell in my heart so that I can be guided and taught by You to walk on Your righteous path to the eternity. In Jesus Christ’s name I praise You with all my heart. Amen.