於2017-01-10發佈


讓火持續燃燒─啟示錄 

老底嘉教會
(2006—到這世代末了) 

正如我們上週所談到的,老底嘉的意思是『由人來審判』,這意味著有一個時期人的意見會被高舉過神的。在我們的世代,這被稱為『政治性正確』。這造成人對神的不冷不熱,在一個關係中,沒有任何關係比冷漠更冒犯人的。 

我們也談到主警告我們不要掉入此可怕光景中,以及祂留下盼望和應許給那些勝過這世代之靈的得勝者。這些應許遠大過神賜給任何其他教會時期的應許,在我們談到這些應許前,我們需要先來看最容易造成教會不冷不熱的其他事物: 

你說:我是富足,已經發了財,一樣都不缺;卻不知道你是那困苦、可憐、貧窮、瞎眼、赤身的。 

我勸你向我買火煉的金子,叫你富足;又買白衣穿上,叫你赤身的羞恥不露出來;又買眼藥擦你的眼睛,使你能看見。(啟示錄3:17-18 

我們活在前所未有的富足中, 許多人認為因著現代科技與便利,有些國家的窮人甚至好過幾世紀前的君王。我們應對此充滿感恩,不要感到罪惡,只要我們了解這些財富可能會成為影響我們對主委身的陷阱。 

十年前有一個關於快樂的有趣研究,結果令人驚訝與啟發,以下是研究的三大結果: 

1)   我們的財產與快樂毫無關係,而且可能會使我們很不快樂。 

2)   地表上最快樂的人往往是那些生活最簡單的人,只要有食物與居所即可。 

3)  真實的快樂總是與親密關係有關。 

當我讀了這些結果,剛開始並不贊成,我想到有一些我的所有物為我帶來快樂,例如我的重型機車。但憑良心說,當我騎車時可能很享受,但那不過是我在騎乘時享受創造,享受主或與朋友的關係。因此我所得到的真正快樂還是與關係有關。 

因為我們受造與主相交,所以沒有其他關係可以與之相比。若沒有在與神的關係和愛中成長,我們的生命會有一個很大的空洞,無論我們其他關係有多好。我們若將神放在我們生命的首位,我們很可能與他人也有著良好關係,能與祂一起並為祂完成目的。 

最近我們接待了將近四百名來自一海濱退休社區的人,他們因馬太颶風必須暫時撤離,這些人來自一個非常富有的社區。他們在我們這裡住一天後,我詢問他們還可以做什麼讓他們住得更舒服,多數人說房間有電視會更好。二天過後同一批人感謝我房間沒有電視,這使他們走出去、認識鄰居並參與我們為他們準備的活動。有些人說他們住在同一社區好幾年,卻不認識他們的鄰居。到了第三天,他們已和鄰居開派對了!

當他們待了十天左右要離開時,有些人說這是他們一生中最棒的日子,這也是我們晨星事工最好的時光之一。有些人本來就是基督徒,有些人則是住在這裡時認識主的,還有一些人得到醫治,但我認為所有人最後都結交到新朋友,有更深的友誼。這是團契關係的開始,是真實教會很重要的部分,卻很少在現今的教會找到。 

因此,我們要如何得自由、重建我們的愛與熱火?首先我們要承認有這樣的需要,禱告求主幫助,並且了解主責備祂所疼愛的人 :凡我所疼愛的,我就責備管教他;所以你要發熱心,也要悔改』(啟示錄3:19正如箴言不斷告訴我們,智慧人喜愛責備,因為這引至生命的道上。正如這裡告訴我們的,我們是靠熱心來悔改。 

在摩西會幕和所羅門聖殿中,主從祂的同在中賜下火來點燃祭壇上的火,緊接著祂吩咐祭司要讓壇上的火持續燃燒。神開始在我們心中點火,但祂期待我們讓火持續燃燒。我們要做什麼刻意讓心中的火焰持續燃燒呢?基本上就是禱告、閱讀並研讀神的話、團契­­­—需要真實的教會生活—並且做見證或做主的工。 

在啟示錄三章20節,主告訴我們一件我們必須做的重要事情 :看哪,我站在門外叩門,若有聽見我聲音就開門的,我要進到他那裡去,我與他,他與我一同坐席。主持續在叩我們生命的門,要求進來, 我們聽見叩門聲了嗎?有趣的是,聽到的不是祂的叩門聲,而是祂的聲音,好讓我們可以為祂開門。正如祂在約翰福音十章教導我們,祂的羊聽祂的聲音,他們跟隨祂是因為認得祂的聲音。這即是何以我們教導認得主的聲音是跟隨祂最決定性的要求,然後我們才能領受祂不可思議、深不可測的應許,直接賞賜我們屬靈的食物。 

正如上面所陳述的,主將第二大應許賜給任何教會時期,最大的則賜給老底嘉教會時期的得勝者。很有可能是因為這世代不冷不熱的靈是最難勝過的事,現在讓我們來思想此應許: 

得勝的,我要賜他在我寶座上與我同坐,就如我得了勝,在我父的寶座上與祂同坐一般。聖靈向眾教會所說的話,凡有耳的,就應當聽!(啟示錄3:21-22 

在此教會時期得勝的人,不只和在啟示錄七章所看見的許多人能『站在寶座前』,而且能與祂同坐在寶座上。這世代的得勝者將呈現什麼叫與祂一同坐在天上的寶座—這是前所未有的屬靈權柄,他們會做祂曾做過的事,甚至是更大的事,因為他們與現今的祂緊緊連結。這仍賜給所有深深渴望的人,以至於他們將奔那路程,放下各樣的累贅,只為追求我們的神。 

(摘自喬納 word for the week,Week52, 2016)

 
Keep the Fire Burning—The Book of Revelation
Week 52, 2016
Rick Joyner

The Church of Laodicea
(2006—the end of the age) 

As we covered last week, Laodicea means, “judging by the people.” The implication is that this is an age in which men’s opinions are exalted above God’s. In our time, this is called “political correctness.” This results in a people lukewarm to God, and there is nothing more offensive in a relationship than indifference. 

          We also covered the Lord’s warnings to keep us from falling into this terrible condition, and how He left this church age with a hope and a promise for those who overcome the spirit of this age. These promises are greater than the promises given to any other church. Before we get to these, we need to look at the other things causing most in this church to be lukewarm: 

         “Because you say, ‘I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked—

         “I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see” (Revelation 3:17-18 NKJV). 

          We live in a time of unprecedented earthly wealth. Many considered poor in some countries are better off than kings were a couple of centuries ago because of modern technology and conveniences. We should be thankful for these things and not feel guilty as long as we understand the trap they can be in affecting our devotion to the Lord. 

          An interesting study on happiness was done over a decade ago. The results were surprising and enlightening. Here are the study’s three main conclusions: 

1)   Our possessions have zero to do with our happiness and can make us very unhappy. 

2)   The happiest people on earth tend to be those who live the simplest lives, as long as they have food and shelter. 

3)   True happiness is always connected to close relationships.

          When I read these conclusions, I first protested. I thought about how some of my things, like my motorcycle, make me happy. Yet in truth, I may enjoy it when I ride it, but it really is a means for me to enjoy creation and to fellowship with the Lord or my friends while I do it. So the real happiness I get from it is connected to relationships. 

          Since we were created to have fellowship with God, there is no other relationship that is as important as that one. Without a growing relationship and love for God, we will have a large, empty hole in our life, regardless of how well our other relationships are doing. If we keep Him first in our life, we are far more likely to have good relationships with others and fulfill the purposes done with Him and for Him.

          We recently took into our Heritage facilities almost four hundred people from a retirement community on the coast who had to flee from Hurricane Matthew. These were from a wealthy community. When I asked them after the first day if there was anything we could do to make their stay better, most said that a television in their room would help. Two days later, the same people thanked me for not having television in their room. This had caused them to get out and meet their neighbors and participate in the events we hosted for them. Some said they had lived in the same community for years and yet did not know their neighbors. By the third day, it had turned into a party! 

          When they left after about ten days, some said it was one of the best times they had ever had. It was also one of the best times we have had as a ministry. Some were Christians, and some met the Lord while staying with us. Some got healed of various things, but I think all ended up bonding with new and deeper friends. It was the beginning of koinonia, the essential element in true church life so rarely found in church today. 

          So how do we get free and have our love and fire restored? It starts with acknowledging that we are the ones this is talking about, praying for help, and understanding that the rebuke of the Lord is for those He loves: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent” (Revelation 3:19).As we are told repeatedly in Proverbs, the wise love reproof because it leads to a repentance that keeps us on the path of life. As we are told here, we repent by being “zealous.” 

          In both the Tabernacle of Moses and the Temple of Solomon, the Lord sent fire from His presence to start the fire on the altar. But then He commanded the priests to keep it going. God starts the fire in our hearts, but He expects us to keep it going. What are we doing to intentionally keep the fire blazing in our hearts? The basics are prayer, reading and studying the Word of God, koinonia—requiring a real church life—and witnessing, or doing the work of the Lord. 

         In Revelation 3:20, He tells us one major thing we must do: “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” The Lord is constantly knocking on the door of our life, asking to come in. Do we hear Him? Interestingly, it is not hearing His knock but His voice so that we can open to Him. As He taught in John 10, His sheep hear His voice and they follow Him because they know His voice. This is why we teach knowing the voice of the Lord as one of the most critical requirements for following Him. It is then that we receive the incredible, unfathomable promise of Him giving us our spiritual food directly. 

         As stated, the Lord gives the second of the greatest promises given to any of the church ages to the overcomers of the Laodicean church. This is likely because the lukewarm spirit of the age is one of the most difficult things to overcome. Now let’s consider this promise: 

“To him that overcomes I will grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches” (Revelation 3:21-22). 

          Those who overcome during this church age will not just be like the great company in Revelation 7 that stands “before the throne,” but they will sit with Him on His throne. There will be overcomers in this time that demonstrate what it really means to be seated with Him on His throne in the heavenly places—unprecedented spiritual authority. These are the ones who will do the works that He did, and even greater ones, because they abide in Him as He is now. This is still available to all who want it so much that they will run the race, laying aside every encumbrance to pursue our God.