與祂一同作王─啟示錄

這週我們繼續來看啟示錄20:4： 

我又看見幾個寶座，也有坐在上面的，並有審判的權柄賜給他們。我又看見那些因為給耶穌作見證，並為神之道被斬者的靈魂，和那沒有拜過獸與獸像，也沒有在額上和手上受過他印記之人的靈魂，他們都復活了，與基督一同作王一千年。 

凡在此生忠心服事主的，以及那些為主殉道捨命的人，將與祂一同作王一千年。這是極大的尊榮，但也是責任。我們與主一同作王不單只是讓我們備受尊榮而已，更是為要重建地上成為神當初所造的樂園，正如我們在以賽亞書與其他地方所讀到的。因此，我們要如何與主一同作王呢？ 

主對此的教導在一些地方是很清楚明瞭的，祂說祂的十二使徒將掌管以色列的十二支派。祂在比喻中教導那些忠心的人，祂託付他們來管理祂的城的數量將與他們的能力相稱。這指著此生『訓練來作王掌權』是為著要來的世代。 

當我一想到我們在此生順服的獎賞，將是在要來的時候掌管神的眾城，我承認我對此不是很開心。在參加過市和縣議會會議之後，我想不出比此更無聊的工作。然而，我們看城市的方式可能與神非常不同。我們傾向看建築、道路與地鐵，但神看的是人。諸如建築和道路等城市計畫是有其必要性的，為要服務人民，但在千禧年建造城市，建造人遠比建造東西重要多了。 

神造人與祂相交，然後再彼此團契，是我們所能擁有最滿足，最充實的經歷。此相交的希臘文稱為團契（koinonia），這是一種如此強烈的結合，就像我們身體的一部份與身體的其他部分結合。因為這樣的結合是血的結合，就是生命的結合，可以流到身體所有部分，這即是何以約翰壹書一章7節告訴我們： 

我們若在光明中行，如同神在光明中，就彼此相交（koinonia），祂兒子耶穌的血也洗淨我們一切的罪。 

血確實透過攜帶任何不潔或毒素來清潔身體，它也為身體的每個部分帶來食物與營養。同樣地，我們與祂身體其他部分的連結也透過祂的血為我們做同樣的事。這種與祂身體各部分深層的連結，是我們在世上所能擁有最充實與滿足的經歷，僅次於我們與主的相交。擁有這樣的團契是我們把神的國帶到地上，為祂的國預備地上的一個方式。 

當我初信主所領受的第一個預言，超過所有我曾經歷過的驚奇，我知道對我發預言的人根本不知道關於我的這些事─我是透過他們直接從神聽到的。我遨遊在那經歷中好幾天，認為那是我所擁有的最棒經歷，直到神以同樣方式使用我對他人說話。那經歷更好，美好到我的主要抱負就是被神使用來對祂的百姓說話。 

為何會如此美好呢？因為我看到人們改變，我看到他們的生命產生好的影響。我很確定設計很棒的建築，然後看著它被蓋好會是很滿足的一件事，卻無法和建造人的滿足感相比，看著人們改變，成為神所設計成為的樣式。一個人勝過許多的建築物，人們或許住在建築物裡，神卻住在人的中間。當我們協助建造人，我們便在建造神的居所。 

這是教會的主要原因─教會是我們學習訓練，也就是『建造』彼此的地方。 

所以，我們務要追求和睦的事與彼此建立德行的事（羅馬書14:19）。  

因為我們是與神同工的；你們是神所耕種的田地，所建造的房屋。我照神所給我的恩，好像一個聰明的工頭，立好了根基，有別人在上面建造；只是各人要謹慎怎樣在上面建造（哥林多前書3:9-10）. 

這樣，你們不再作外人和客旅，是與聖徒同國，是神家裡的人了；並且被建造在使徒和先知的根基上，有基督耶穌自己為房角石，各房靠他聯絡得合式，漸漸成為主的聖殿。你們也靠祂同被建造，成為神藉著聖靈居住的所在（以弗所書2:19-22）。 

(摘自喬納 word for the week, Week31, 2018)

 
Reigning with Him—The Book of Revelation
Week 31, 2018
Rick Joyner

        This week we continue with Revelation 20:4: 

       Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 

         Those who are faithful to serve the Lord in this life, and those who paid the price of martyrdom, will rule with Him over the earth in the millennium. This is a great honor, but it is also a duty. Our reigning with Him is not just so that we are honored, but it is for the restoration of the earth to the paradise that it was originally created to be, as we see in Isaiah 11 and other places. So how do we reign? 

         The teaching of the Lord on this is clear in some areas. He said that His twelve apostles would reign over the twelve tribes of Israel. He taught in His parables about how those faithful with what He entrusted to them would be given a number of cities to reign over in His kingdom that correspond to their ability. This points to this life being “training for reigning” in the age to come. 

         When I first considered that our reward for obedience in this life would be ruling over cities in the next, I confess to not being very happy about it. Having sat through city and county council meetings, I could not think of a more boring job. However, the way we see cities and the way God sees them can be very different. We tend to see the buildings, roads, and subways, but God sees the people. City planning of such things as buildings and roads are necessary to serve the people, but the building of cities in the millennium will be more about building people than things. 

The fellowship that God created people to have with Him, and then with one another, is the most satisfying, fulfilling experience we can have. The Greek word for this fellowship is koinonia. This is a bonding so strong that it is like the bonding of the members of our body to the rest of the body. It is because of this bonding that the blood, which is the life, can flow to all parts. This is why we are told in I John 1:7,    

If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship (koinonia) with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 

         The blood does cleanse the body by carrying any impurities or toxins from its parts. It also brings the food and nutrients to every part of the body. Similarly, it is our connections with other members of His body through which His blood flows through to do the same for us. This kind of deep connection with members of His body is one of the fulfilling and satisfying experiences we can have on this earth, second only to our fellowship with the Lord Himself. Having this is one way that we are bringing the kingdom to this earth and preparing the earth for the kingdom. 

         The first prophecies I received as a new believer were a marvel beyond anything I had ever experienced. I knew that the people giving them could not have known the things about me that they were addressing—I was hearing straight from God through them. I soared on that experience for days, and considered it the greatest experience I had ever had until I was used to speak to others in the same way. That was even better, so wonderful that my main ambition became to be used by God to speak to His people. 

Why was this so wonderful? I saw people changed. I saw their lives impacted for good. I’m sure that it would be a very satisfying thing to design a great building and then to see it built, but I don’t think it can compare to building people, to see people change and become what they were designed by God to be. One person is worth more than many buildings. People may dwell in buildings, but God dwells in people. When we help to build people, we are building God’s dwelling place. 

This is a main reason for the church—it is the place where we learn to edify, meaning “to build,” one another. 

So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another (Romans 14:19). 

For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.

According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it (I Corinthians 3:9-10). 

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints, and are of God's household,

having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,

in whom the whole building, being fitted together, is growing into a holy temple in the Lord,

in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 2:19-22).