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經文：「人要稱祂的名為以馬內利。....就是神與我們同在。」（太1:23）「祂名稱爲....和平的君。」（賽9:6） 數年前，坊間發行過一張非常特別的聖誕卡片，標題是：「假若基督沒有來」。它源自主耶穌說過的一句話：「我若沒有來」（約15:22）。卡片上描述某個耶誕節早晨，有位牧師在書房裏小睡，夢見一個耶穌從未降臨過的世界。 他在夢中環顧自己家的室內；壁爐角落裏沒有長襪，沒有聖誕鈴噹與冬青花圈，沒有基督的安慰、喜悅和救贖；他走到街上也看不見指向天上的教堂尖閣。他回家坐在書房裏，然而每一本有關救主的書都不見了。此時門鈴響起，有位孩子來請牧師去看望他那將斷氣的可憐母親。 牧師急忙跟著那啼哭的孩子趕去，到了那裏他坐下來說道：「我這裡有些東西能安慰你。」；他打開聖經想找一句熟悉的應許，但經文卻只寫到瑪拉基書，沒有福音，沒有希望，和救世的承諾；他只能低著頭，和她一同在痛苦的絕望中哭泣。 兩天後牧師在教堂主持告別式，但是找不到安慰的唁詞，沒有光榮復活的字句，沒有敞開天堂的話語，只有「塵歸塵，土歸土」，和那遙遙無期的永別。他終於明白「主未曾到來」，於是淚如泉湧，在那悲哀的夢中深深痛苦。然後他突然驚醒，聽到他的唱詩班正在教堂裏歌唱，於是發出欣喜和讚美的歡呼。 今天就讓我們快樂歡欣吧，因爲「基督已降臨」。請記得天使的通報：「我報給你們的大喜的信息，是關乎萬民的，因今天在大衛的城裏，為你們生了救主，就是主基督。」（路2:10-11） 「祂來，使祂的祝福漫佈在所有遭受咒詛的地面。」 願我們關心那些仍在外邦的世人，因為他們沒有真正幸福的聖誕節。「你們去吃肥美的，喝甘甜的，有不能預備的，就分給他。」（尼8:10） 新譯｜荒漠甘泉讀書會
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Scripture: "His name shall be called Emmanuel . . . God with us." (Matt. 1:23) ."The Prince of Peace" (Isa. 9:6). A few years ago a striking Christmas card was published, with the title, "If Christ had not come." It was founded upon our Saviour's words, "If I had not come." The card represented a clergyman falling into a short sleep in his study on Christmas morning and dreaming of a world into which Jesus had never come. In his dream he found himself looking through his home, but there were no little stockings in the chimney corner, no Christmas bells or wreaths of holly, and no Christ to comfort, gladden and save. He walked out on the public street, but there was no church with its spire pointing to Heaven. He came back and sat down in his library, but every book about the Saviour had disappeared. A ring at the door-bell, and a messenger asked him to visit a poor dying mother. He hastened with, the weeping child and as he reached the home he sat down and said, "I have something here that will comfort you." He opened his Bible to look for a familiar promise, but it ended at Malachi, and there was no gospel and no promise of hope and salvation, and he could only bow his head and weep with her in bitter despair. Two days afterward he stood beside her coffin and conducted the funeral service, but there was no message of consolation, no word of a glorious resurrection, no open Heaven, but only "dust to dust, ashes to ashes," and one long eternal farewell. He realized at length that "He had not come," and burst into tears and bitter weeping in his sorrowful dream. Suddenly he woke with a start, and a great shout of joy and praise burst from his lips as he heard his choir singing in his church close by: "O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant, O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem; Come and behold Him, born the King of Angels, O come let us adore Him, Christ, the Lord." Let us be glad and rejoice today, because "He has come." And let us remember the annunciation of the angel, "Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people, for unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." (Luke 2:10, 11). "He comes to make His blessing flow, Far as the curse is found." May our hearts go out to the people in heathen lands who have no blessed Christmas day. "Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and SEND PORTIONS TO THEM FOR WHOM NOTHING IS PREPARED." (Neh. 8:10). ｜ Mrs. Charles Cowman
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