礼物
有时，给人买一份合适的礼物是个挑战。接受礼物也有它的挑战。如果我们不太喜欢那件礼物，我们可能会试图表现得有礼貌，跟对方说谢谢，但过后我们会想办法处理掉，或干脆把它放在橱柜里。我们可能会感激送礼人的体贴，但我们不太可能用它或珍视它。
在我们今天所读的经文中，我们知道了神给这世界最宝贵的礼物：耶稣基督，祂的独生子。有许多人不想和这份礼物有任何关系。他们可能会忽略它，认为这是个童话故事，或者这并不适用于他们。他们可能会说，如果上帝真的想帮助我们，祂应该结束贫穷、战争和苦难；或者祂应该治愈癌症或净化环境。其他人可能会有礼貌地说他们感谢这份礼物，但并不真正使用和做什么。
但还有一些人绝对热爱耶稣这份礼物。为了充分享受这份礼物，我们需要知道和明白如何接受耶稣。约翰说我们必须相信祂——这不仅仅是认同圣经的教导；我们还需要相信，耶稣来到世上将我们从罪中释放出来，并改变我们的生活，使我们能永远享受与祂在一起的全新、丰盛的生活（参约6-10）。愿我们在思考、玩耍、工作和爱的过程中清楚地知道，耶稣是我们最宝贵、最值得感恩的礼物！
父啊，当我冷漠和缺乏信心的时候，赦免我。感谢你在耶稣——你的独生爱子里赐给我所需要的一切。阿们。
约翰福音 3:16-21
16“神爱世人，甚至将他的独生子赐给他们，叫一切信他的不致灭亡，反得永生。
17因为神差他的儿子降世，不是要定世人的罪，乃是要叫世人因他得救。
18信他的人不被定罪，不信的人罪已经定了，因为他不信神独生子的名。
19“光来到世间，世人因自己的行为是恶的，不爱光倒爱黑暗，定他们的罪就是在此。
20凡作恶的便恨光，并不来就光，恐怕他的行为受责备；
21但行真理的必来就光，要显明他所行的是靠神而行。”
The Gift
“God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son... “ — John 3:16
Buying the right gift for someone can be a challenge at times. Receiving a gift can have its challenges too. If we don’t really like a gift, we might try to be polite and say thank-you to the giver, but later we’ll find a way to get rid of it or just put it in a closet. We might appreciate the thoughtfulness of the giver, but if we don’t really love the gift, we’re not likely to use it or value it much.
In our Bible reading today, we learn of the most precious gift God gave to the world: Jesus Christ, his one and only Son. Many people want nothing to do with this gift. They might just ignore it and think it’s a fairy tale or that it doesn’t apply to them. They might argue that if God really wanted to help us, he should have ended poverty, war, and suffering; or should have cured cancer or cleaned up the environment. Others might be polite and say they appreciate the gift, but they don’t really do anything with it.
But there are others who absolutely love the gift of Jesus. To enjoy this gift fully, we need to know and understand how Jesus is to be received. John says we must believe in him—and this means more than just agreeing with what the Bible teaches; we need to live by faith that Jesus’ coming into the world frees us from sin and changes us to live new, full life that we can enjoy forever with him (see John 6-10). May it be clear in the way we think, play, work, and love that Jesus is our most precious, appreciated gift!
Forgive me, Father, when I show apathy and a lack of faith. Thank you for giving me all I need in Jesus, your one and only Son. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
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