（引用小記：這是我今年看過關於聖誕的文字最簡短有力和盼望的一篇，匆忙譯出，在此祝福大小羊聖誕快樂、大有力量。 ）

聖誕的奧秘？耶穌來世上──打開了一條又新又活的路 by 布永康(REINHARD BONNKE)

以前的人們習慣跟神禱告：「願祢裂天而降！」(以賽亞書64章1節)

古時候人們覺得天地之間的界限非常壁壘分明、「天」更是無法穿透的，即便在某些罕見的情況下，神的靈偶爾造訪人間，就像是陽光穿透雲層射向地面。但是當耶穌來到世上，天永遠開了，天不再一樣！罪人們無論男女，都因著天堂燦爛奪目的光，而見到神和天堂景象。一扇門已經打開、屬天的光湧向地上。詩篇24篇預言性地呼喊著：「眾城門哪，你們要抬起頭來！永久的門戶，你們要被舉起，那榮耀的王將要進來！」(詩篇24:9)地上的門戶已經打開，榮耀的王進來，而且和我們居住在一起！

沒人能關上那些城門，或者關閉打開的天堂。當年但以理禱告時，天堂並沒有打開，神的信使必須在路途上爭戰，以屬靈的力量打開一條出路。但事情不再一樣了，因為耶穌已經完全得勝、打敗我們的對頭。祂打開了一條又新又活的道路直通到神面前。然後祂又回到天父那裡，確保道路是暢通無阻的，接著聖靈就可以穿透打開的天、傾流向人們。

這就是聖誕節的意義。不用再去拼命敲關上的門，而是一個開放的天堂，天使自由地上上下下，我們的禱告直達到不再隱藏的神寶座前，聖靈時常傾倒在我們身上，如同陽光在萬里無雲的晴空照耀我們一樣。

上帝與我們同在！以馬內利！Emmanuel！聖誕快樂。

──布永康(REINHARD BONNKE)

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That is what Christmas means…..

The prayer of the people of God used to be “Oh, that you would rend the heavens! That you would come down” (Is 64:1). They felt as if the skies were impenetrable, sometimes as if God were cut off from earth by a cast-iron firmament. There were fleeting visits of the Spirit of God, rare occasions, like sunshine breaking through the clouds. But when Jesus came, the heavens were torn apart forever. Never before had ordinary, sinful men and women seen the hosts of God and the landscape lit by dazzling splendor from heaven. A door had opened and heavenly light streamed down to earth. In the prophetic Psalm 24, the call is, “Lift up your heads, O you gates … and the King of glory shall come in” (Ps 24:9). The gates of earth opened and the King of glory came in, and dwelt with us.

Nobody can close those gates, or shut up the open heaven. When Daniel prayed, the heavens were not open and the messenger of God had to fight his way through the barrier of spiritual powers. Things are no longer like that. Jesus has conquered all such opposition. He opened a new and living way to God. He returned to God, ensuring that way was still open, and then the Holy Spirit was poured upon men through the opened skies.

That is what Christmas means. No more beating on closed doors, but an open heaven, angels ascending and descending freely, our prayers reaching the throne of God unhindered, and the Holy Spirit constantly pouring upon us like sunshine from a cloudless sky. God is with us – “Immanuel.” Merry Christmas.

──REINHARD BONNKE