Sister Emily Huang
Thursday, 15th September 2022
Section One V1-6 Have the Perfect Behaviour
In the Book of Revelation, Jesus was talking to the messengers of the seven churches, and He is also talking to us today. Yesterday’s chapter talks about the four churches nearby the sea and today’s chapter talks about the three churches located in the inland.
V2 ‘Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God.’ God is talking to us today that none of our works is perfect. We thought we have done so much for God, but when we really open up our life, we can see many defects in our everyday life, the words we say, the actions we carry out, and the thoughts we have. We thought people will not know, but God sees everything, and He knows everything.
V3 ‘Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.’ What we need to do is simple, to always convict ourselves for sin, for righteousness and for judgement, to put our old self on the cross, repent and return, and follow the light of God. When we are watchful all the time, then we will not be left in the darkness. Because we never know how the judgement will come upon us like a thief. Do not wait until the last minute, when all the things we treasures have been stolen.
V4-5 ‘You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.’ We must believe that Jesus’ blood has covered us and cleansed us, so we can dress in the white garments before God. Our names have been written in the Book of Life, so let us live out this life and receive His eternal blessings.
Section Two V7-13 Have the Heart of Perseverance
V7-8 ‘And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, these things says He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens: I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.’ God knows our strength; He knows how much we can carry. He will not give us burdens more than we can carry. When we have little strength, are we willing to use this strength to carry out the works of God? Or are we using the little strength we have left to do what we desire in our hearts. We must examine into our lives and see if we put God first or put ourselves first.
V10 ‘Because you have kept My command to persevere, I also will keep you from the hour of trial which shall come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell on the earth.’ We must remember, when God has given us the mission, He will open the doors for us. The way we walk with our own strength and might will be blocked, only by following the way God makes for us, then we can walk far. God is encouraging us today to continue preserve in His way, because when we follow through this way, we will not need to go through the trials yet to come. We can easily overcome all challenges ahead of us and not fall with the world.
Section Three V14-22 Humble and Seek God
V15-16 ‘I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.’ The church our Laodiceans was the most revived church among the seven churches, but there were no praises spoken about this church. The church of Laodiceans seemed to have everything they need, it seemed wealthy and resourceful, but for God it was empty. Our lives can also be like this, we thought we know a lot about God and about the Bible, we thought we have everything we need, and we no longer need to cry out for God. But this is the life, which displeases God.
V17-18 ‘Because you say, I am rich, 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.’ When we look into our lives, are we wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked? We might have everything we need, but God still wants us to buy the gold refined in the fire, which represents the firm faith and the refined life. We must go through the refining fire, to be trained and to be moulded, into the images and vessels according to God’s hearts.
V19-20 ‘As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and repent. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.’ God loves those He rebukes, can we see God’s love behind all His disciplines? We need God and we need to come before God, to leave our evil ways and to see God is still calling us, He is not giving up on us. When God knocks on our door, can we open it straight away? Do not wait until we are ready, because we can never be ready, all we must do is to open our door, open our heart, let Him come in to sit with us and to cleanse us.
V21-22 ‘To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’ God wants to share His beautiful love with us, He is still speaking to us today. He loves us, He treasures us, and He values. Let the Holy Spirit shine the light upon us today.
启示录 3 – 神所看重的生命
2022年9月15日 星期四
Emily 姐妹
今天我们继续看主耶稣对七间教会说话的后面三间。神鼓励前面四个教会在困难中要跟随神到底，如今他也借着本章经文中的三件教会告诉我们他所看重的生命有哪些特质。
一、v.1-6 行事为人要完全
V1-2: 撒狄教会，按名或许外在的名声很好、或许会众们年轻活泼，但神说他们是“死的”。如果神这样说我们，我们是怎样的感受呢？其实我们基督徒信主以后，可能外表在不断衰残，但是我们里面应该是一天新似一天，然而为什么我们是“死的”？因为“信心没有行为就是死的”。我们扪心自问，我们的言行在神面前是完全的吗？可能我们觉得自己信神，来教会了，甚至读学房了，以为自己已经为神做了很多事，但是我们想想，如果我们敞开自己的生命给神和人看，我们真的完全吗？我们也许只是礼拜天两个小时的基督徒？可能我们因为学房结束，又回到以前的生活了，没有被要求就不认真读经祷告了？我们的言行在神在人面前是站立不住的。
V3: 今天我们要来到神面前要真实悔改，就是谦卑来到神面前，在追求有超自然的复活大能前活出复活的生命，就是将我们的旧人钉死在十字架上，懊悔死行，这样才能将失丧的灵魂救活。我们要警醒，不是只有在晨祷，在需要神的时候，在礼拜天警醒。我们常会说要有神同在，但是如果我们没有警醒，没有为罪为义为审判自己责备自己，神说他的来临就像“贼”一样。如果盗贼偷走我们的东西，我们一定会气愤、难过。我们会希望神的到来像贼一样吗？我们觉得重要的家人、工作、甚至事工，若不是交在神手上，而是靠着自己去做，神就会把这些都拿走。让我们时时警醒，让神是带着丰丰富富的祝福来到我们当中。
V4-5: 我们的名字都是记载在神的生命册上的，愿我们教会的弟兄姐妹们都能披戴耶稣基督圣洁的外衣，真实与神同行。我们要单单讨神的喜悦，单单得到神的认可，让我们完全的行事为人配得起神的救恩。
二、v.7-12 有忍耐的心
V7-8: 神不会让我们经历超过我们所承受的。当我们还有一点力量的时候，我们是为神持守吗？还是赶快躺一躺，对于神交代的事情，等我们休息好了再去做？当我们还有一点力量的时候，是不是都只想着满足自己肉体的需要？当教会交代给我们特别的任务，我们会不会用要忙于照顾自己和家庭当借口推脱？我们服事神是不是有条件的，是否带着交换的心态？如果我们认为只有自己有足够的精力、时间或资源才去回应神，我们这样靠着自己的力量去做是不会长久的。我们靠着自己的时候，前面的门是关的，唯有觉得靠着自己不行，愿意将剩下的一点力量交给神，神会为我们开门关门，因为神给我们大卫的钥匙，他会帮助我们，成就他的心意，只要我们有一颗忍耐到底的心。
V10: 我们可能觉得跟随神很辛苦，要花时间亲近神、付代价传福音、牧养别人，结果还不一定顺利。今天神鼓励我们说，当我们愿意吃神给的苦，到试炼来的时候，就不会受苦。我们愿意节制是于我们生命有益的，让我们在末世的时候就不会跟别人一起受苦。
V11-12: 我们可能看别人有的、其他教会有的都比我们好，我们什么都没有，不用去担心，只要我们持守神给我们的那一份，我们的冠冕是不会被夺去的，在神的国度里永不动摇。这是神对我们所怀的心意。
三、v.13-22 谦卑渴慕神
V15-17 老底嘉教会或许是这七个教会中最富足的，然而，他们是这些教会当中唯一没有得到神任何一句赞美的。老底家这个城市可能需要从外面其他地方引水过来，不管是冷水或者热水，来到这里若是不冷不热，好像一杯放凉的咖啡一样恶心，神要吐出来。反观我们自己，我们可能以为自己学到的神学知识很多，不仅在教会里学，又到外面自己学，出了事就觉得靠自己这些经验解决就好；或者我们看自己的生活都挺好，于是用无所谓的心态来面对神，因为我们以为自己是“富足”的，不用放下身段或负上代价去追求神了。其实，在神眼中，我们是“困苦、可怜、贫穷、瞎眼、赤身的”。我们要知道自己是缺乏的，所以需要谦卑自己更多渴慕、寻求神。也许我们在牧养的过程当中看到有些人也跟我们说他们很好、什么都不缺，但我们要看见在灵里的穷困贫乏，要不放弃为他们祷告。
V18: 虽然老底嘉可能有很富足的金银，但是神还要他们去“买”，因为真正的金子不是我们平时能看见的金钱或满足我们许岙的物质，而是那经过火的试炼也不会毁坏的信心和生命（彼前1:17），这在神眼中才看为宝贵。白衣就是耶稣基督给我们的圣洁外袍，我们里面一切的肮脏污秽神都看见，他的宝血能洗净我们，我们披戴耶稣，才不会活在羞耻当中。神也让我们去买“眼药”，让我们不再被眼前的环境、谎言蒙蔽，而是得到神的医治，在神的真理真光中看清楚神对我们真实的爱。
V19: 神说神所疼爱的都必管教，感谢神，因为他爱我们，他能看到我们生命的问题，我们要有颗谦卑顺服的心，知道我们是没有的，是污秽的，不够的，需要神帮助我们站起来。
V20-21: 感谢神是那位先来寻找我们的，就好像良人看我们是他所爱的佳偶，我们看到良人时是否带着渴慕的心马上回应，还是躲起来？听到我们的良人耶稣叩门的时候，不要担心自己不够漂亮、或者家里还有好多事没有整理好，不要延迟，而是立刻邀请他进入我们的生命，让我们与他一起领受美好的爱情。求神帮助我们的教会成为那热情回应主、无论高山低谷都与主同行的教会！