讀經:啟01-03章
啟示錄第01章主要在講:「約翰看見人子如同烈日放光」。
使徒約翰在拔摩島得了耶穌基督啟示,將必要快成的事,見證和證明出來,念這書、聽這話、遵守所記載的是有福。耶穌基督愛我們,用自己的血,使我們脫離罪惡,成為上帝的國民和祭司,祂將駕雲降臨,祂是首先也是末後的。
一.人子:身穿長衣、胸前束金帶、頭與頭髮皆白如雪、眼目如火焰、腳像光明的銅、聲音如眾水的聲音、右手拿著七星、口中有
二.七星:就是寶貴前的七靈,就是七個教會的使者。
三.七燈臺:就是七個教會。
◎心得分享:本章講到三角的關係,「人子耶穌、上帝使者、七個教會」揭開了整個啟示錄的序幕,我們對上帝的認識,上帝使者,以及七個教會。
啟示錄第02章主要在講:「教會:悔改至死忠心」。
一.以弗所教會:把起初的愛心和信心離棄。
1.景況:行為=勞碌、忍耐、不能容忍惡人、為主名勞苦不乏倦。
2.缺點:把起初愛心離棄了。
3.鼓勵:悔改、行起初所行的事。
4.得勝的:上帝必將上帝樂園中生命樹的果子,賜給他吃。
二.士每拿教會:受苦、被試煉受患難十日。
1.景況:受患難、受毀謗、受苦,魔鬼要把你們下到監裡被試煉,你們必受患難十日。
2.缺點:無
3.鼓勵:受苦不用怕,務要忠心,就必得生命冠冕。
4.得勝的:必不受第二次死的害。
三.別迦摩教會:有人服從巴蘭的教訓。
1.景況:忠心安提帕見證人被殺時,還堅守主的名,沒有棄絕主的道。
2.缺點:有人服從了巴蘭的教訓(為利混亂上帝的道),將絆腳石放在以色列人面前,叫人吃偶像之物,行姦淫,服從尼哥拉一黨(七執事之一,強調縱慾,從罪中得犯罪的經驗)。
3.鼓勵:悔改。
4.得勝的:上帝賜隱藏的嗎哪,賜一塊白石,石上寫著新名。
四.推雅推喇教會:容讓耶洗別的教導。
1.景況:行為、愛心、信心、勤勞、忍耐,未後作的事,比起初所行更多。
2.缺點:容讓自稱是先知的婦人耶洗別教導,引誘上帝的僕人,行姦淫,吃偶像之物,有悔改的機會,卻不肯悔改淫行。
3.鼓勵:已經有主的道的,總要持守,直等到主來。
4.得勝的:遵守我的命令到底 我要賜給他權柄制服列國,用鐵杖管他們,領受權柄,賜給他晨星。
◎心得分享:這一章是論到到七個教會中的四個教會,四個教會只有「士每拿教會」沒有被責備,讓我們想到「一粒米養百樣人」,不同的團體有不同的問題,不同的教會,也有不同的結果,「以弗所教會」是一個富足的教會,但卻是冷漠的教會,把起初的愛心和信心離棄了,「士每拿教會」在受苦中,卻沒有可責備的,「別迦摩教會」無知的服從了錯誤的教訓,「推雅推喇教會」太有愛心,讓罪在教會中運行,這提醒我們,受苦的教會是蒙福的,沒有受苦的教會,反而是犯罪被上帝所責備。
啟示錄第03章主要在講:「教會:遵守忍耐的道」。
五.撒狄教會:按名字行為應該是活的,其實是死的。
1.景況:你的行為,按名是活的,其實是死的。
2.缺點:行為在上帝面前,沒有一樣是完全的。
3.鼓勵:要回想是怎樣聽見的,遵守主的道,要悔改儆醒,有幾名未曾污穢自己的衣服的,要穿白衣與主同行。
4.得勝的:穿白衣,必不從生命冊上塗抹他的名,要在父面前認他。
六.非拉鐵非教會:遵守上帝的道,沒有棄絕上帝的名。
1.景況:行為有力量,曾遵守主的道,沒有棄絕主的名,主要使撒但一會的,在你腳前下拜,。
2.缺點:無。
3.鼓勵:既遵守主忍耐的道,要持守免得有人奪去你的冠冕。
4.得勝的:叫他在我神的殿中作柱子,將神的名和上帝城的名,寫在他上面。
七.老底嘉教會:不冷不熱。
1.景況:行為不冷不熱,上帝要從口中,把他們吐出去。
2.缺點:自以為是富足,卻是困苦、可憐、貧窮、瞎眼、赤身的。
3.鼓勵:向上帝買火煉的金子,買白衣穿上,買眼藥擦眼晴,要發熱心、悔改,主站在門外叩門,要進去。
4.得勝的:在寶座與主耶穌同坐。
◎心得分享:
這一章沒有被責備的教會是「非拉鐵非教會」,而富足的「老底嘉教會」,卻被上帝責備是「不冷不熱」的教會,再次提醒我們「飽足思淫慾」,當教會在安逸中,卻是失去上帝的祝福,反而在受苦堅持下去的,是被上帝肯定的,求神幫助我們,堅持順服上帝的話。
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"God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world."(Gal. 6:14)
THEY were living to themselves; self with its hopes, and promises and dreams, still had hold of them; but the Lord began to fulfill their prayers. They had asked for contrition, and had surrendered for it to be given them at any cost, and He sent them sorrow; they had asked for purity, and He sent them thrilling anguish; they had asked to be meek, and He had broken their hearts; they had asked to be dead to the world, and He slew all their living hopes; they had asked to be made like unto Him, and He placed them in the furnace, sitting by "as a refiner and purifier of silver," until they should reflect His image; they had asked to lay hold of His cross, and when He had reached it to them it lacerated their hands.
They had asked they knew not what, nor how, but He had taken them at their word, and granted them all their petitions. They were hardly willing to follow Him so far, or to draw so night to Him. They had upon them an awe and fear, as Jacob at Bethel, or Eliphaz in the night visions, or as the apostles when they thought that they had seen a spirit, and knew not that it was Jesus. They could almost pray Him to depart from them, or to hide His awfulness. They found it easier to obey than to suffer, to do than to give up, to bear the cross than to hang upon it. But they cannot to back, for they have come too near the unseen cross, and its virtues have pierced too deeply within them. He is fulfilling to them His promise, "And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me" (John 12:32).
But now at last their turn has come. Before, they had only heard of the mystery, but now they feel it. He has fastened on them His look of love, as He did on Mary and Peter, and they can but choose to follow.
Little by little, from time to time, by fitting gleams, the mystery of His cross shines out upon them. They behold Him lifted up, they gaze on the glory which rays from the wounds of His holy passion; and as they gaze they advance, and are changed into His likeness, and His name shines out throught them, for He dwells in them. They live alone with Him above, in unspeakable fellowship; willing to lack what others own (and what they might have had), and to be unlike all, so that they are only like Him.
Such, are they in all ages, "who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth."
Had they chosen for themselves, or their friends chosen for them, they would have chosen otherwise. They would have been brighter here, but less glorious in His Kingdom. They would have had Lot's portion, not Abraham's. If they had halted anywhere-if God had taken off His hand and let them stray back-what would they not have lost? What forfeits in the resurrection?
But He stayed them up, even against themselves. Many a time their foot had well night slipped; but He in mercy held them up. Now, even in this life, they know that all He did was done well. It was good to suffer here, that they might reign hereafter; to bear the cross below, for they shall wear the crown above; and that not their will but His was done on them and in them.
-Anonymous.
基督曾說過:「我心柔和謙卑,你們當學我的樣式,這樣你們心裏就必得享安息。」這兒有雙重的真理,有忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的美德,這與傚法基督或信靠祂有相同的意義;同時因著你有這些美德,可以完全脫離亞當墮落的本性而有信靠主高尚的行為。
連帶而有的福份,是因著脫離罪惡和對基督初步信仰、期望,受基督忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好的靈引導並管理;當你具有這些德性,你的生命就有目的,是真理和生命的基督才會在你裏面,你不再掌權,而是基督在你裏面活著。除非你願在忍耐、溫柔、謙卑和與神和好裏治死老我,否則神聖愛的靈,因無立足之地而不能在你裏面產生;而當你又為不忍耐、驕傲所困擾之際,馬上完全捨己,求神施恩幫助。當你遇到難處就促使與神親近,最能使你忍耐接受神的幫助,我們對神有多少信心和期望就可得多少的啟示。
「這些雖然很簡短,但是真正確的教義,使我們因賜下的救恩而真正完全順服神的啟示下,也真正宣告承認三而一的真神。」現在願你有個思想:完全將我的心靈獻上,單單尋求救恩,直接藉著溫柔、謙卑、忍耐和與神和好的力量,使我的生命有屬天的德性。
「並且要作這更大的事,因為我往父那裡去。」約翰福音十四章12節
祈禱不是叫我們適於那偉大的工作;祈禱本身就是偉大的工作。我們以為祈禱,是叫我們得到較高的能力,去應付神的工作。但按照耶穌基督的眼光看,祈禱是我本已救贖的奇蹟,藉著神的能力,同時也是別人救贖的奇蹟。結果子之方法,是祈禱,但須記取的,這種祈禱是建立在救贖的痛苦,不是建立於我的痛苦。一個小孩能獲得祈禱的答覆,一個聰明人反而得不著。
你無論在那裡祈禱總是一種戰爭。不管神製造環境的方法怎樣,本分就是祈禱。切不可如此作想──「我所在的地方,不見得有用;」因為你不在的地方,你必沒有有用。無論神安排你在那裡,祈禱,常常向祂祈禱。「你們若奉我的名求甚麼,我必成就。」(約十四13)我們不肯祈禱,我們得不著奮興,就不肯祈禱,那就是靈性自私的極度形態。我們要依照神的指導而勞動,但祂指導我們的是祈禱,「所以你們當求莊稼的主,打發工人出去,收祂的莊稼。
通常的工人對於工作,是沒有興奮的,但是成功通常是工作勞作出來的;同樣基督的概念,沒有那些勞苦的聖徒是不會發現的。你慇勤祈禱,從神的立場看,是無時不發生效果的。當帕子揭開,一種說不出的驚奇必然發現,你可以看出你是慣於接受耶穌基督的命令的,已經為祂收穫了不少的靈魂。
「……亞伯拉罕信神……」羅馬書四章3節
亞伯拉罕的信心是向著神本身的,他認識帶領他的神,所以他對神有絕對的信心。
亞伯拉罕一生的秘訣在於他與神的友誼。他所認識的神是一位偉大、良善、信實的朋友。無怪乎他能聽神的話,從他自身所愛的本家本族出來,走向一條未知的道路。
除了信靠神的話語,我們是否已學會把自己全然交給神呢?神有無限的愛及力量,祂是與我們立約的主並永遠的好朋友。
經上告訴我們,亞伯拉罕因著信心而榮耀了神。最能榮耀神的辦法,乃是讓世人看見神是誰,以及祂的大能力。神並不希望藉著我們所能做的事,讓世人知道祂能做什麼;神也不用那些有乖謬性格的器皿。相反的,祂一直在找尋那些謙卑的人,並用這些人在世世代代中榮耀祂。