啟示錄第04章主要在講:「約翰看見四活物與24位長老」。
天上有門開了,有寶座安置在天上,有一位坐在寶座上,有虹圍著寶座,寶座周圍有二十四位穿白衣長老,頭上戴著金冠冕,寶座前有玻璃海和四活物,四活物(獅子、牛、人、飛鷹)各有六個翅膀,內外都滿了眼睛,晝夜不住的說:聖哉!聖哉!
◎心得分享:上一章主要是講到地上「教會」的情形,這一章是講到天上「上帝的寶座」的情形,是無法完全形容的美麗,又是碧玉又是紅寶石,是光彩奪目,比較特別的是彩虹是圓的,我們在地上的彩虹都是半圓的,預表天上神與我們「立的約」是完整的,而四活物在形容耶穌的神性,二十四位長老是代表地上掌權的12位長老,與天空掌權的12位長老,都降服在上帝面前敬拜,這一章在告訴我們「除祂以外別無拯救,天下人間沒有賜下別的名,能使我們靠著得救」。
啟示錄第05章主要在講:「書卷裏外寫字用七印封嚴」。
坐寶座的右手有書卷,裡外都寫著字,用七印封嚴,大力天使說:「有誰配展開書卷?」,長老說:「已得勝猶大的獅子,大衛的根,能展開書卷」,有被殺過羔羊,拿了書卷,長老俯伏在羔羊面前,拿著琴、金香爐(聖徒的禱告),長老說:「你配得拿書卷,揭開七印,因為你曾被殺,用自己的血買了人來,歸於上帝」。
◎心得分享:這一章說明了「用印封嚴的書卷」,表示許多「未來」的事,是被隱藏的,沒有人能打開這個秘密的書卷,只有耶穌能打開這個書卷,把未來要發生的事顯明出來,當書卷一打開,四活物和長老就俯伏敬拜,這一章在說明,「耶穌」是道路、真理、生命,若沒有藉著祂,沒有人能到父那裡去。
啟示錄第06章主要在講:「羔羊揭開第一印到第六印」。
羔羊揭開
第二印 紅馬:手拿大刀,有權柄賜給他,奪去太平,使人彼此相殺。
第三印 黑馬:手拿天平,說:「一錢銀子,買
第四印 灰馬:名字叫作死,陰府隨著他,有權柄賜給他們,用刀劍、饑荒瘟疫野獸,殺害地上四分之一的人。
第五印 祭壇底下為上帝道作見證被殺靈魂說:「主啊!你不審判在地上的人嗎?」,有話對他們說:「還要安息片時,等被殺滿足了數目」。
第六印 地大震動,日頭變黑,月變紅像血,天上星辰墜落於地,天挪移,山嶺、海島被挪移開本位,地上的人,藏在山洞、巖石穴裡,躲避羔羊的忿怒。
◎心得分享:這一章把書卷內容,原本是有「蓋印」的內容解開,說明主要來的情形,是非常可怕的,一個印比另一個印可怕,這在提醒我們要更「謹醒」預備好自己,不要太愛世界和世界上的事,因為這些都會被毀滅,只有預備好自己成為上帝百般恩賜忠心又有見識的好管家。
今天: | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
昨天: | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
總計: | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
"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。