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Each spring, sometime between March 22 and April 25, on the Sunday following the vernal equinox of that year (T. R. F., 1999), we observe Easter. Each year in our city, the Easter public holidays (Friday through Monday) provide stressed-out Hong Kongers an annual exercise in stretching four annual leave days into potentially ten consecutive days away (assuming no work on Saturdays). For us this year, taking April 14-17 as annual leave creates an April 12-21 holiday, while taking April 22-25 creates an April 18-27 getaway period of time. Traditional Easter weekend celebrations vary greatly, ranging from sunrise worship services and candlelit vigils to kid-friendly outdoor activities such as Easter egg hunts on a local beach (Sassy Mama, 2025). How did Easter get to be this way today? This blog article will fill in some facts about how Easter has developed over history. Beyond providing facts that you can share with friends while on a holiday hike, this blog article will highlight the importance of the resurrection and examine one account, in Luke 24:1-12, drawing lessons for our spiritual lives today.
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基督徒常在一月份反思神在過去一年的作為,並為未來制定計劃和目標。我們會為身體健康或財務穩健訂立目標。我們會檢視自己的事業、人際關係和屬靈生活,並在新的一年調整方針。社交媒體上,釋經學者們每每在此時分享《聖經》關於「新開始」的教導,有些經文經常粉墨登場,如《哥林多後書》5:17:「若有人在基督裡,他就是新造的人,舊事已過,都變成新的了!」(Bible Study Tools,2024;Christianity.com)。這篇文章將探討另一段常在新年被引用的《聖經》經文的背景,出自《舊約》的《以賽亞書》43:14-21。文章接著闡述神如何展望新的開始,及藉著經文的教訓,指導我們如何為2025年定下目標和宏願。
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Christians often use the month of January to reflect on how God has worked over the past year and to set plans and goals going forward. We establish objectives for physical or financial health. We review our careers, relationships, and spiritual lives, and make course corrections for the new year. Commentators fill social media with what the Bible teaches about a new start, and some verses, such as 2 Corinthians 5:17 (New International Version Bible, 2011) frequently come to mind: “therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (Bible Study Tools, 2024; Christianity.com, n.d.). This blog post will examine the context of another popular New Year’s Bible verse, taken from a passage in the Old Testament, Isaiah 43:14-21. This post will then elaborate on how God envisions a new beginning and draw lessons that can inform us as we set goals and make resolutions for 2025.