Walking in the Light of God’s Character

The Bible in a Year One of the greatest blessings of reading through the Bible in a year is discovering not only what God has done but who God is. Every page gradually reveals His character, and Psalm 84:11 gathers that revelation into one remarkable promise: “For the Lord God is a sun and shield;Continue reading “Walking in the Light of God’s Character”

When Mercy Meets Our Lowest Place

The Bible in a Year There are seasons in Scripture when God’s people stand amid the consequences of their own choices. Psalm 79 is one of those moments. Jerusalem has been invaded, the Temple has been desecrated, and the nation bears the painful weight of divine discipline. Yet amid the ashes rises a prayer filledContinue reading “When Mercy Meets Our Lowest Place”

Finding Clarity in God’s Presence

The Bible in a Year “Until I went into the sanctuary of God; then understood I their end.” — Psalm 73:17 (KJV) There are moments in every believer’s life when faith collides with experience. We look around and wonder why those who ignore God seem to flourish while those who seek Him often endure hardship.Continue reading “Finding Clarity in God’s Presence”

When Heaven Sends the Rain

The Bible in a Year “Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary.” — Psalm 68:9 As I journey through the Bible this year, I am continually reminded that God does not merely save His people—He sustains them. Psalm 68 looks back upon Israel’s wildernessContinue reading “When Heaven Sends the Rain”

When Your Heart Needs Higher Ground

The Bible in a Year “From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.” (Psalm 61:2) One of the comforting patterns we discover throughout Scripture is that God’s people consistently turn to prayer when life becomes more thanContinue reading “When Your Heart Needs Higher Ground”

When Prayer Orders the Day

The Bible in a Year “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud; and he shall hear my voice.” Psalm 55:17 Psalm 55:17 gives us more than a verse about prayer; it gives us a pattern for living before God. David speaks of prayer in the evening, in the morning, andContinue reading “When Prayer Orders the Day”

信心使天开路

Angels and Demons 在基督徒的生命中,天使的工作不是一种神秘的表演,也不是人可以随意操控的力量。圣经让我们看见,天使是服事神旨意的灵,是在神命令之下执行祂计划的仆役。因此,若我们盼望在地上的生活中经历神超自然的同在,就不能把注意力放在天使本身,而要回到神的话语、神的儿子,以及我们对祂真实的信靠。 耶稣在旷野受试探时说:“人活着,不是单靠食物,乃是靠神口里所出的一切话。”(马太福音4:4)这句话告诉我们,信心不是嘴上说“我相信圣经”,而是在生活中让神的话成为判断、选择和行动的根基。许多时候,人并不是公开否认神的话,却在实际生活中被环境、情绪、惧怕和压力支配。我们说相信神,却更快相信仇敌的谎言;我们说神掌权,却让忧虑成为心中的王。 这对中国读者来说尤其值得思想。许多人从小被教导要务实、谨慎、靠自己努力解决问题。这些品质有其价值,但若一个人的心只相信看得见的条件,就容易忽略那位看不见却掌管万有的神。圣经所说的信心,不是盲目乐观,也不是逃避现实,而是在现实压力中仍选择让神的话拥有最终权威。当神的话在我们心中站稳,天上的帮助也按照神的旨意运行。 信靠神的话,也必须连接到信靠神的儿子耶稣基督。拿但业听见耶稣说祂早已看见他在无花果树底下,就承认:“拉比,你是神的儿子,你是以色列的王。”(约翰福音1:49)他的信心不是建立在许多神迹之上,而是因他认出耶稣的真实身份。后来耶稣告诉他,他将看见天开了,神的使者上去下来在人子身上。这表明真正的属天开启,是以基督为中心的。 约翰福音也记载,有许多人因看见神迹而信耶稣的名,但耶稣却不将自己交托他们,因为祂知道人心(约翰福音2:23–24)。这是一种令人警醒的信仰矛盾:人可能想要耶稣的祝福,却不愿完全交托自己;想要祂的能力,却不愿走祂的道路;想看见天使工作,却不愿公开承认主名。这样的信仰停留在安全距离之外,难以经历更深的属灵真实。 耶稣说:“凡在人面前不认我的,我在我天上的父面前也必不认他。”(马太福音10:33)这不是要人鲁莽张扬,而是呼召我们诚实地站在基督一边。基督徒不应成为隐藏身份的门徒,只在无人知道时相信,只在没有代价时跟随。真正的信心会在生活、关系、工作和选择中显明出来。当天使服事神的百姓时,他们不是回应人的好奇心,而是服事神在信心之人身上的旨意。 所以,若我们盼望经历神更真实的同在,就要认真对待神的话,也要诚实承认神的儿子。信心不是召唤天使的咒语,而是把生命放在神权柄之下的姿态。当天上的门为人打开,中心不是天使,而是基督。祂是道路,祂是真理,祂是生命;祂也是那位使天地相连的主。 如果你有关于天使、鬼魔、属灵争战,或基督徒信心生活的问题,欢迎回复你想探讨的主题。我们会尽力按圣经真理回应大家的提问。 愿主赐福你,使你在神的话语中站立得稳,在基督里信心坚定,在每日生活中勇敢承认主名。 Pastor Hogg

When the Heart Is Left Unguarded

The Bible in a Year There are chapters in Scripture that we would almost rather read quickly and leave behind, but 2 Samuel 11 is not given to us so we can hurry past it. It is a warning light on the dashboard of the soul. David, the shepherd boy who trusted God before Goliath,Continue reading “When the Heart Is Left Unguarded”

When the Soul Gets Thirsty

The Bible in a Year As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God. Psalm 42:1 There is a kind of thirst that cannot be satisfied by success, entertainment, possessions, or human approval. Psalm 42 opens with the image of a deer panting after flowing streams, and theContinue reading “When the Soul Gets Thirsty”

The Greatness of Forgiveness

The Bible in a Year “For thy name’s sake, O Lord, pardon mine iniquity; for it is great.” (Psalm 25:11) As we journey through Scripture, we repeatedly discover that one of the greatest barriers between humanity and God is not God’s unwillingness to forgive but our unwillingness to acknowledge our need for forgiveness. David’s prayerContinue reading “The Greatness of Forgiveness”