晨興聖言-經歷、享受並彰顯基督(四)(W39-6)

第三十九週.週六

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晨興餧養

啟一16 『祂右手中拿著七星,從祂口中出來一把兩刃的利劍,面貌如同烈日中天發光。』

來四12 『因為神的話是活的,是有功效的,比一切兩刃的劍更鋒利,能以刺入、甚至剖開魂與靈,骨節與骨髓,連心中的思念和主意都能辨明。』

啟示錄一章十六節說,『祂右手中拿著七星。』二十節清楚的說,『七星就是七個召會的使者。』使者是眾召會中屬靈的人,擔負著『耶穌的見證』的責任。他們應當像星一樣,有屬天的性質,並在屬天的地位上。

在召會墮落的黑夜裏,需要集體的召會發光,也需要單個的使者發光。基督行走在眾召會中間的時候,祂的右手握著這些領頭的人。這是何等的安慰!召會中領頭的人都當讚美祂,因為他們在主的手中,並且主也一直的握住他們。

在啟示錄裏,沒有題到召會裏的長老,只有使者。寫這卷書的時候,召會已經墮落了,因此在啟示錄裏,主拋棄了所有的形式。作長老或許有點形式化,所以不要盼望作長老,要羨慕作發光的星。(啟示錄生命讀經,一二六至一二七頁。)

信息選讀

啟示錄一章十六節告訴我們,『從祂口中出來一把兩刃的利劍。』…這就是祂那辨明、審判、擊殺的話。(來四12,弗六17。)恩言是為著供應恩典給祂所喜愛的人,兩刃的利劍是為著對付消極的人事物。…要記得,今天說話的靈,就是這位口中出來一把兩刃利劍的基督。這裏是有審判的,我們都經歷過這樣的審判。…所有的基督徒,今天都需要主話的審判。許多時候,我們因著作錯了事,離開了主,就經歷到這樣的審判。因著我們流蕩離開了祂,祂就來審判我們。今天祂的說話,大都是一種審判。我能作見證,主若是對你說話,祂的話大部分是審判的話。祂說話時,就是在審判。今天在召會中,祂口中出來的每一句話,都像一把利刃,審判我們。從主口中所出來的話是鋒利的,刺入我們這人,把我們的靈與魂分開,甚至辨明我們心中的意念。這就是我們今天在召會生活中所經歷的基督。

我們是人,都有許多意見。但就如我們都能見證的,每次一個意見興起時,那把劍就把它切成碎片。你越想你的意見,就越被切得粉碎。這不是道理,乃是我們的經歷。每當兩位弟兄快要打起來了,第三方,就是最強的一方就出現,用利劍把這兩位弟兄的意見切除。…這位第三方就是人子基督,祂是那行走在眾召會中間,並在愛裏照顧眾召會的大祭司。

啟示錄一章十六節也告訴我們,祂的『面貌如同烈日中天發光』。在雅歌五章十、十三節,祂的面貌可愛美麗,為給追求祂者欣賞;在書信裏,祂的臉面返照神的榮耀,(林後四6,)為將生命分賜到祂的信徒裏面;但在〔啟示錄〕,祂的面貌如同烈日中天發光,正如但以理十章六節所說的,這是為著審判的光照,以帶進國度。祂變化形像,臉面發光如日頭時,那就是祂在國度裏的來臨。(太十六28~十七2。)當祂來為國度取得這地時,祂的臉面要像日頭一樣。(啟十1。)(啟示錄生命讀經,一二八至一三○頁。)

參讀:國度的操練為著教會的建造,第三、五篇。

WEEK 39 — DAY 6

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Morning Nourishment

Rev. 1:16 And He had in His right hand seven stars; and out of His mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword; and His face shone as the sun shines in its power.

Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is living and operative and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit and of joints and marrow, and able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Revelation 1:16 says, “He had in His right hand seven stars.” As verse 20 makes clear, “the seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches.” The messengers are the spiritual ones in the churches bearing the responsibility of the testimony of Jesus. Like stars, they should be of the heavenly nature and in a heavenly position.

In the dark night of the church’s degradation, the shining of both the collective churches and the individual messengers is needed. As Christ walks among the churches, He holds the leading ones in His right hand. How comforting this is! The leading ones must praise Him that they are in His hands and that He is holding them.

In the book of Revelation there are no elders in the churches; rather, there are messengers. At the time this book was written, the church had become degraded. Hence, in Revelation, the Lord repudiates all formalities. Being an elder may be somewhat legal or formal. Do not aspire to be an elder; desire to be a shining star. (Life-study of Revelation, pp. 100-101)

Today’s Reading

In Revelation 1:16 we are told that “out of His mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword.”…This is His discerning, judging, and slaying word (Heb. 4:12; Eph. 6:17). The words of grace are for His supply of grace to His favored ones, whereas the sharp two-edged sword is for His dealing with negative persons and things…Remember that the speaking Spirit today is just this Christ who speaks with a two-edged sword. There is judgment here, and we all have experienced this…Today all Christians need the judgment of the Lord by His word. Many times we have experienced this judgment because of our being mistaken and going astray from the Lord. Since we had wandered away from Him, He came to judge us. His speaking today is mainly a type of judgment. I can testify to you that if the Lord would speak to you, most of His words would be words of judgment. When He speaks, He judges. Every word out of His mouth in the churches today is like a sharp knife that judges us. The words that proceed out of the Lord’s mouth are sharp, piercing into our being, dividing our soul from our spirit, and discerning the intentions of our heart. This is the Christ we experience today in the church life.

We are human and have many opinions. But, as we all can testify, every time an opinion rises up, the sword cuts it to pieces. The more you think about your opinion, the more you are cut. This is not doctrine—this is our experience. Whenever two brothers are close to fighting, the third party, the strongest party, appears, using the sharp sword to cut the opinions of both brothers…This third party is the very Christ, the Son of Man, who, as the High Priest, walks among the churches and cares for them in love.

In Revelation 1:16 we are also told that “His face shone as the sun shines in its power.” In Song of Songs 5:10 and 13, Christ’s face appears lovely for His seeker’s appreciation of Him, and in the Epistles His face reflects God’s glory (2 Cor. 4:6) for the imparting of life into His believers. Here, however, His face shone as the sun shines in its power, as in Daniel 10:6; this shining is the judging enlightenment for bringing in the kingdom. When He was transfigured and His face shone like the sun, that was His coming in the
kingdom (Matt. 16:28—17:2). When He comes to take over the earth for the kingdom, His face will be like the sun (Rev. 10:1). (Life-study of Revelation, pp. 101-103)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1978, vol. 1, “The Exercise of the Kingdom for the Building of the Church,” chs. 3, 5

 

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