晨興聖言-經歷、享受並彰顯基督(四)(W38-1)

第三十八週.週一

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晨興餧養

啟二8  『你要寫信給在士每拿的召會的使者,說,那首先的、末後的、死過又活的,這樣說。』

二二13 『我是阿拉法,我是俄梅嘎;我是首先的,我是末後的;我是初,我是終。』

主耶穌不僅是首先的,也是初;不僅是末後的,也是終。首先的,指明沒有人在基督以先;末後的,指明沒有人在祂之後。初,指明祂是萬有的起源;終,指明祂是萬有的終結。因此,這裏不僅指明,沒有人在主耶穌之先,也沒有人在主耶穌之後;更指明沒有祂,就沒有起源,也沒有終結。這向我們保證,主是剛強的,能應許、鼓勵、加強我們。祂必成就祂在啟示錄所說的一切話。(新約總論第十四冊,三九六頁。)

信息選讀

主告訴在士每拿受苦的召會,祂是那首先的、末後的。這指明祂所經過的苦難無論多大,那些苦難都不能終結或破壞祂。…召會遭受苦難時,需要認識基督是那首先的、末後的,是永遠存在、永不改變的一位。無論逼迫的環境如何,祂仍是一樣。…凡事都在祂管治的界限之內。

主告訴在士每拿的召會,祂是那首先的、末後的,指明召會該是得勝的,不被任何苦難所擊敗。(新約總論第二冊,四八頁。)

基督不僅是第一個,也是創始者;祂不僅是末一個,還是成終者。換句話說,在宇宙中,從始至終都是基督。…主耶穌不僅是首先的,也是初,是創始;祂不僅是末後的,也是終,是完成,沒有留下甚麼給別人去作。祂佔有整個宇宙;在時間上,在空間上,在每一件事上,祂都是一切。

基督不僅是首先的和末後的,也是初和終;這向我們保證,祂開始了召會生活以後,就必要完成。祂永不會叫祂的工作半途而廢。所有在地方召會裏的都必須相信,主耶穌是初又是終,祂必完成祂在恢復裏所開始的工。

因著主是我們的一切,又因著祂是這樣剛強,我們就不該推諉說,我們軟弱,我們的環境太艱難。我們的環境越艱難,主對我們就越豐富;我們的情況越多試煉,主對我們就越剛強。我們必須運用我們的信心,相信這包羅萬有的一位,祂是阿拉法,是俄梅嘎,是首先的,是末後的,是初,是終。在祂毫無問題。因此,我們需要浸沒在祂裏面,相信祂,並且安息於祂。(新約總論第十四冊,三九六至三九七頁。)

起初定規的是神,末了成功的也是神。感謝神,祂是阿拉法,所有的起頭都是祂。…一切都是神起頭的。〔創一1。〕同時,祂又是俄梅嘎。人可能失敗,但祂是俄梅嘎。人可以說這個說那個,但最末後一句話還是神說的,因為祂是俄梅嘎。…祂要成功祂的計畫,祂要達到祂的目的,祂要成功祂所起頭的。我們承認,撒但的工作實在是打岔了神的工作,但是,我們更承認,神不只是起初定規的阿拉法,神並且是最後成功的俄梅嘎。神一點不放鬆。不管召會在經歷上的情形是怎樣,…召會…要穿上榮耀,…獻給祂的兒子。(倪柝聲文集第二輯第十四冊,一三九至一四○頁。)

參讀:新約總論,第二十四、四百三十四篇。

WEEK 38 — DAY 1

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Morning Nourishment

Rev. 2:8 And to the messenger of the church in Smyrna write: These things says the First and the Last, who became dead and lived again.

   22:13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.

The Lord Jesus is not only the First but also the Beginning; He is not only the Last but also the End. The First indicates that none is before Christ, and the Last that none is after Him; whereas the Beginning indicates that He is the origination of all things, and the End that He is the consummation of all things. Hence, the indication here is not only that there is nothing before or after the Lord Jesus but also that there is no origination or consummation without Him. This assures us that the Lord is strong to promise, encourage, and strengthen us. He will accomplish whatever He has spoken in Revelation. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, p. 4445)

Today’s Reading

The Lord told the suffering church in Smyrna that He is the First and the Last. This indicates that no matter how great were the sufferings through which He passed, those sufferings could not terminate or damage Him… In suffering, the church needs to know that Christ is the First and the Last, the ever-existing, unchanging One. Whatever the environment may be, He remains the same…All things are within the limit of His control.

When the Lord told the church in Smyrna that He was the First and the Last, He was indicating that the church should be victorious, not defeated by any kind of suffering.

Christ is not only the First but also the Originator; He is not only the Last but also the Finisher. In other words, in this universe from beginning to end, all is Christ…The Lord Jesus is not only the First but also the Beginning, the origination; He is not only the Last but also the End, the completion, leaving nothing to anyone. He occupies the entire universe. In time, in space, and in everything He is everything.

The fact that Christ is not only the First and the Last but also the Beginning and the End assures us that, having started the church life, He will surely accomplish it. He will never leave His work unfinished. All those in the local churches must believe that the Lord Jesus is the Beginning and the End. He will accomplish what He has begun in His recovery.

Because the Lord is everything to us and because He is so strong, we should not excuse ourselves by saying that we are weak and that our environment is too difficult. The more difficult our environment, the richer the Lord will be to us. The more trying our circumstances, the stronger the Lord will be to us. We must exercise our faith in this all-inclusive One, the One who is the Alpha, the Omega, the First, the Last, the Beginning, and the End. With Him, there are no problems. Thus, we need to be immersed into Him, believe in Him, and rest in Him. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 263-264, 4445-4446)

God made the original design, and God also will bring it to its final completion. How we thank God that He is the Alpha, the initiator of all things… All things had their beginning in God [Gen. 1:1]. At the same time, He is also the Omega. Man can and will fail, but God is the Omega. Man may say this and man may say that, but God has the last word. He is the Omega. He will bring His plan to fulfillment, He will reach His goal, and He will accomplish what He has begun. We acknowledge that Satan’s work has indeed interrupted the work of God, but we further acknowledge that God is not only the Alpha who purposed in the beginning but also the Omega who will finally succeed. God never gives up, and He will never let any of His purpose remain unfulfilled. Regardless of the church’s condition in her present experience, she will have no spot, wrinkle, or any such thing in God’s goal. Furthermore, she will be clothed with glory and presented to His Son. (CWWN, vol. 34, “The Glorious Church,” pp. 119-120)

Further Reading: The Conclusion of the New Testament, msgs. 24, 434

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