晨興聖言-馬太福音中所啓示...(W1-4)
第一週 • 週四
晨興餧養
啟一20 論到…七星,和七個金燈臺的奧秘,那七星就是七個召會的使者,七燈臺就是七個召會。
但十二3 通達人必發光,如同穹蒼的光輝;那使多人歸義的,必發光如星,直到永永遠遠。
馬太二章裏的星,只是這事在新約裏的起頭。如果我們到了聖經最後一卷書啟示錄,我們就看見兩件相關的事:第一,主耶穌是星。不是晚星,而是晨星。第二,所有召會的使者也全都是星。在此我們必須瞭解,這些使者不是那些天上的人物(天使),而是在召會中擔負屬靈責任的屬靈人—他們是眾星。在這卷書裏基督是晨星,而那些在眾召會中忠心跟隨基督的人乃是眾星。現在星在那裏?非常清楚,今天星是在召會裏(李常受文集一九七○年第一冊,三八三頁)。
信息選讀
在新約起頭,星是在宗教之外,但在新約的末了,星是在召會裏面。你有沒有看見新約的這兩端?…今日星是在召會裏,在眾召會中。大衛的根與後裔,是神子又是人子的耶穌基督,就是那晨星,祂今天行走在眾地方召會中間。
不只基督自己是星,祂的跟從者也是,他們是在眾召會中發光的人。在使徒行傳與書信裏,帶頭的人被稱作長老,但在聖經末一卷裏他們乃是星。…所有在地方召會中領頭的人必須是發光的星。
是一顆星,究竟是甚麼意思?但以理十二章三節答覆了這個問題。…眾星乃是那些在黑暗中照亮,並使人從錯誤的路轉到正路上去的人。現今的召會時代乃是黑夜的時期;因此我們需要星發光照耀。在地方召會中,所有領頭的人都不該自居地位。他們不該說,『我是長老,你們必須承認我。』如果他們這樣說,他們就是在黑暗裏。我們需要發光的弟兄姊妹;我們需要發光的星。乃是藉着在今日黑暗中發光,纔叫人能接受引導,從錯誤的路轉到正路上。任何一件錯誤的事都是不義;任何一件對的事都是義。那使多人歸義的,纔是發光的星,直到永永遠遠。
在新約開頭,只題到有一顆星在天上;但在新約末了,有七星在七個地方召會中。在每個地方召會中都有一顆星;在每個地方召會裏都有發光物,把人帶到正路上去。
大約在四十年以前,我因為地方召會裏的星,從錯誤的路轉到正路上。許多親愛的弟兄姊妹今天也能見證這個事實;他們能說,『阿利路亞,在地方召會裏我看見了星。是召會裏的星使我轉到正路上。』
我們如何能有新約的事奉?就是藉着跟隨那星。星在那裏?…今天星是在地方召會裏。在聖經的結尾有這樣的話:『我是大衛的根,又是他的後裔,我是明亮的晨星。那靈和新婦說,來!』(啟二二16~17)今天星與那靈同在,也與新婦同在。那靈在那裏,那裏就有星;新婦召會在那裏,那裏就有星(李常受文集一九七○年第一冊,三八三至三八五頁)。
參讀:長老訓練第十一冊,第一章;啟示錄生命讀經,第九、十四篇。
WEEK 1 — DAY 4
Morning Nourishment
Rev. 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars…and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches.
Dan. 12:3 And those who have insight will shine like the shining of the heavenly expanse, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars, forever and ever.
The star in Matthew 2 is only the beginning of this matter in the New Testament. If we go to the last book, the book of Revelation, we see two things concerning this matter. The first is that the Lord Jesus is the star, not the evening star but the morning star; second, we see that all the messengers of the churches are stars. Here we should realize that the messengers are not the heavenly beings but the spiritual people who take the spiritual responsibility in the church—they are the stars. In this book we have Christ as the morning star and those faithful followers of Christ in the churches as the stars. Now where is the star? It is so clear that the star today is in the church. (CWWL, 1970, vol. 1, “New Testament Service,” pp. 285-286)
Today’s Reading
At the beginning of the New Testament the star was outside of religion, but at the end of the New Testament the star is within the church. Have you seen these two ends of the New Testament?…Today the star is in the church and among the churches. The Root and the Offspring of David, the Son of God as well as the Son of Man, Jesus Christ as the morning star, is walking today among the local churches.
Not only is Christ Himself the star, but also His followers, the shining ones in the churches, are stars. In Acts and the Epistles the leading ones were called elders, but in the last book of the Bible they are the stars…All the leading ones of the local churches should be shining stars.
What
does it mean to be a star? Daniel 12:3 gives the answer…The stars are
those who shine in darkness and turn people from the wrong way to the
right way. Now, during the church age, is the time of night. Therefore,
we need the shining of the stars. None of the leading ones in the local
churches should claim their position; they should not say, “I am one of
the elders; you must recognize me.” If they say this, they are in
darkness. We need brothers and sisters who shine; we need the shining
stars. It is by the shining in today’s darkness that people receive the
guidance and are turned from the wrong way to the right way. Anything
that is wrong is unrighteousness; whatever is right is righteousness.
Those who turn many to righteousness are the stars that shine
forever and ever.
In
the beginning of the New Testament there was mention of only one star
in the heavens, but at the end of the New Testament there are seven
stars in seven local churches. In every local church there is a star; in
every local church there is something shining, leading people to the
right way.
About
forty years ago, I was turned from the wrong way to the right way by
this star in the local church. So many dear ones today can also testify
to this fact; they can say, “Hallelujah, I have seen the star in the
local church. It was the star in the church that turned me to the right
way.”
How
do we have the New Testament service? It is simply by following the
star. And where is the star?…Today the star is in the local churches.
The Bible ends with this word: “I am the Root and the Offspring of
David, the bright morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come!”
(Rev. 22:16-17). Today the star is with the Spirit and with the bride.
Where the Spirit is, there is the star; where the bride is, where the
church is, there is the star. (CWWL, 1970, vol. 1, “New Testament
Service,” pp. 286-287)
Further Reading: CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 1, “Elders’ Training, Book 11: The Eldership and the God-ordained Way (3),” ch. 1; Life-study of Revelation, msgs. 9, 14
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