第十一週 • 週一

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晨興餧養

啟一20　  論到你所看見在我右手中的七星，和七個金燈臺的奧祕，那七星就是七個召會的使者…。

彼後一19  我們並有申言者更確定的話，你們留意這話，如同留意照在暗處的燈，直等到天發亮，晨星在你們心裏出現…。

在啟示錄裏，星是在眾召會中發光的人。『那七星就是七個召會的使者。』〔一20〕…這些使者是眾召會中屬靈的人。他們也許不負責召會的事務，卻擔負耶穌的見證〔2、9〕。他們應當像星一樣，有屬天的性質，並在屬天的地位上。

星可能是長老，也可能不是長老；但肯定是忠信的人、真實屬靈的人、召會裏聖徒當中的得勝者。在神看來，這樣的人乃是發光的星。…所有的信徒都該渴望作星（新約總論第五冊，一九三至一九四頁）。

信息選讀

聖經不只給我們看見，我們如何纔能跟隨那星；它也給我們看見，我們如何能成為一顆星。有兩條路：第一是藉着聖經，第二是憑着那靈。

彼後一章十九節給我們第一個祕訣。…我們有申言者的話，就是聖經。但申言者的話並不是星。…這節聖經說，因為我們有申言者的話，我們必須留意，我們必須全心關注，直等到天發亮，晨星在我們心裏出現。…聖經不該僅僅是白紙黑字；不該是死的字句。我們必須留意聖經的話，直到有些像磷一樣的東西在我們裏頭出現—那就是基督作為晨星。

如果我們的讀經是活的，是正確的，這話必要轉變為活的基督。這就是轉變的點—話必須轉變為基督；寫出來的話必須轉變為活的話。我們永遠沒法把基督與活話分開。我們必須留意申言者的話，直等到有個東西在我們裏面出現，那就是基督，就是磷出現，如同在黑暗中晨光發亮一樣。

在彼得後書我們有申言者的話，而在啟示錄我們有七靈。啟示錄三章一節說，『那有神的七靈和七星的，這樣說。』耶穌的手不只握着七星，也握着七靈。這意思是，七靈與七星是一，七星與七靈是一。如果我們有活的話像晨星那樣在裏面出現，並且我們與七靈是一，到末了我們便成了眾星。我們不單有星在我們裏面照亮，並且藉着察看這星，並且在那靈裏跟隨，我們也成了眾星（李常受文集一九七○年第一冊，三八五至三八六、三八八至三八九頁）。

巴勒雇巴蘭去咒詛以色列人，然而巴蘭不但沒有咒詛神的百姓，反而祝福他們。巴蘭代表神，說，『祂未見雅各中有罪孽，也未見以色列中有禍患。』（民二三21）不僅如此，在民數記二十四章五節巴蘭說，『雅各阿，你的帳棚何其佳美！以色列阿，你的帳幕何其華麗！』按照這些經節，神未見以色列中有罪孽和禍患。反之，祂只看見美好、佳美和華麗。今天的召會也是這樣。

不要說召會下沉或發死。你越這樣說，就越將自己擺在咒詛之下。然而，你若為着召會生活讚美主，稱讚召會生活，你就越將自己擺在神的祝福之下。…凡說召會積極話的，宣告召會是可愛的，並且召會是神的家的人，都蒙了祝福（出埃及記生命讀經，九五頁）。

參讀：新約的事奉，第六章；出埃及記生命讀經，第七篇。

WEEK 11 — DAY 1

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Morning Nourishment

Rev. 1:20 The mystery of the seven stars which you saw upon My right hand and the seven golden lampstands: The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches…

2 Pet. 1:19 And we have the prophetic word made more firm, to which you do well to give heed as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.

In the book of Revelation stars are the shining ones in the churches… ”The seven stars are the messengers of the seven churches” [1:20]. These messengers are the spiritual ones in the churches. They may not be responsible for the affairs of the church, but they are responsible for bearing the testimony of Jesus [vv. 2, 9]. As stars, they should be of the heavenly nature and in a heavenly position.

The stars may or may not be elders. It is certain that they are the faithful ones, the genuinely spiritual ones, the overcoming ones among the saints in the church. In the sight of God such ones are shining stars. All believers should aspire to be stars. (The Conclusion of the New Testament, pp. 1221-1222)

Todays Reading

In the Bible we see how we may not only follow the star but even become one of the stars. There are two ways: first, by the Bible, and second, by the Spirit.

Second Peter 1:19 gives us the first secret…We have the prophetic word, the Bible. However, the prophetic word is not the star…This verse says that since we have the prophetic word, we need to give heed to it, we need to pay full attention to it, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our hearts. The Bible should not simply be words in black and white; it should not be dead letters. We should give heed to the words of the Bible until something as phosphorous rises within us—that is, Christ as the morning star.

If we deal with the Word livingly and properly, it surely will turn into the living Christ. This is the turning point—the Word needs to be turned into Christ; the written word needs to be turned into the living word. We can never separate Christ from the living word. We should give heed to the prophetic word until it rises within us as Christ, as the phosphorous, as the day breaking through the darkness.

In 2 Peter we have the prophetic word, but in Revelation we have the seven Spirits. Revelation 3:1 says, “These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars.” The hand of Jesus holds not only the seven stars but also the seven Spirits. This means that the seven Spirits are one with the seven stars, and the seven stars are one with the seven Spirits. If we have the living word as the morning star rising within us and we are one with the seven Spirits, eventually we will become the stars. We not only have the star shining within us, but by looking to the star and following in the Spirit, we become the stars. (CWWL, 1970, vol. 1, “New Testament Service,” pp. 287-289)

Balaam was hired by Balak to curse the children of Israel. But instead of cursing God’s people, Balaam blessed them. Speaking on behalf of God, Balaam said, “He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob, / Nor has He seen trouble in Israel” (Num. 23:21). Furthermore, in Numbers 24:5 Balaam said, “How fair are your tents, O Jacob, / Your tabernacles, O Israel!” According to these verses, God did not see iniquity or trouble in Israel. Instead, He saw only goodness, fairness, and beauty. The same is true regarding the church today.

Do not say that the church is low or dead. The more you say this, the more you put yourself under a curse. However, if you praise the Lord for the church life and speak well concerning it, you will put yourself under God’s blessing… Those who speak positively about the church, declaring that the church is lovely and that it is God’s house, receive the blessing. (Life-study of Exodus, pp. 78-79)

Further Reading: CWWL, 1970, vol. 1, “New Testament Service,” ch. 6; Life-study of Exodus, msg. 7