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2013/10/22

Morning Nourishment-The Experience, Growth, And Ministry Of Life For The Body(W2-5)

WEEK 2 — DAY 5

Morning Nourishment

Rom. 12:4 "For just as in one body we have many members, and all the members do not have the same function."

1 Cor. 12:18-20 "But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, even as He willed. And if all were one member, where would the body be? But now the members are many, but the body one."

    If you are simply a believer, you can act as you please, but if you are a member of the Body, then you must allow yourself to be limited by the other members. Here we find the necessity of the cross. The cross leads to the Body, and the cross operates in the sphere of the Body....If I am a prophet, then I must give way to the evangelist when it comes to the matter of preaching to the unsaved. I should not feel the need to preach just because I have the gift of prophecy....It is essential for the development of the Body that we each recognize our measure and not go beyond it. This is a basic requirement for the growth of the Body. The Body of Christ is not only a protection to the members but a limitation to all the members. Every Christian is but one member in the Body of Christ and must accept the limitation of the Body. We should not allow ourselves to go our own way; rather, we should learn to be blended with other brothers and sisters. (CWWN, vol. 44, p. 805)

Today's Reading

    First Corinthians 12:18... shows that every member has a definite place, definite assignment, and definite position. Every member has a particular portion with which he serves the Body of Christ. The eyes see, the ears hear, and the nose smells. Each organ has its function, and each has its portion. The eyes serve the body by seeing. The ears serve the body by hearing. The nose serves the body by smelling. Each has its own responsibility, and none can replace another....Each member has his own characteristics, and each has his own capability. These characteristics and capabilities constitute the place, position, or ministry of each member.

     We supply the Body with the life that we have received from Christ the Head. Yet when we function, we have to be proper and in order. Order in the Body is essential to growth and ministry....In the meeting...you have to speak according to your measure of faith and according to the leading of the Spirit. You have to know whether there is any overstepping in your speaking, and you have to know whether your speaking is too long....When we truly come under the authority of the Head, He sets us in our special place in the Body and appoints us to our special function.

    We have to seek revelation and experience from Christ so that we can have something to supply the Body, and we have to know the order of the Body, which is God's assigned pattern in the Body. We must be willing to be limited to our measure. As soon as we go beyond it, we go beyond the authority of the Head and move out from under the anointing. When we go beyond our measure, we interfere with the order of the Body. The Body of Christ is an organic life; it operates without any human arrangement. All the members must receive life from the Head and function in proper order. If our relationship with the Head is proper, we will keep our place in the Body
spontaneously. (CWWN, vol. 44, pp. 821-823)

   [God] has placed all the members in the Body even as He willed (1 Cor. 12:18). Each one of us members has our own place in the Body of Christ. It is assigned by God and should be accepted by us. Since such an assignment is according to God's will, every member is necessary (v. 21). Especially those members who are not comely are more necessary (vv. 22-23). (The Oneness and the One Accord according to the Lord's Aspiration and the Body Life and Service according to His Pleasure, p. 28)

    [In Romans 12:3] , to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think without a sober mind is to annul the proper order of the Body life. (Crystallization-study of the Epistle to the Romans, p. 110)

    Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 44, "The Mystery of Christ," chs. 100, 103; The Divine and Mystical Realm, ch. 6; The Oneness and the One Accord according to the Lord's Aspiration and the Body Life and Service according to His Pleasure, ch. 2; Crystallization-study of the Epistle to the Romans, msg. 10

Morning Nourishment-The Experience, Growth, And Ministry Of Life For The Body(W2-4)

WEEK 2 — DAY 4

Morning Nourishment

1 Cor. 12:12 "For even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ."

Rom. 12:5 "So we who are many are one Body in Christ, and individually members one of another."

     In the New Testament there are two ways to look at Christ. On the one hand, He is Jesus Christ the Nazarene—this is the individual Christ. On the other hand, He is Christ plus the church—the corporate Christ. First Corinthians 12:12 refers to the second aspect when it says, "All the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ." Anything apart from Christ is not the church. There is only one thing in a Christian that forms a part of the church—Christ. The church is the corporate Christ. In the church there is only Christ. During the bread-breaking meeting, the portion that we break off from the whole still signifies the Body of Christ, the church. The church is not what is added to Christ but what issues out from Christ....The church is the composition of all the believers with Christ. The church is the corporate Christ. (CWWN, vol. 44, p. 787)

Today's Reading

     The New Testament shows us that there is a difference between being a member and being a Christian. Being a Christian is something individualistic, whereas being a member is something corporate. Being a Christian is something one does for himself, whereas being a member is something for the Body. In the Bible there are many terms with opposite meanings, such as purity and uncleanness, holiness and commonness, victory and defeat, the Spirit and the flesh, Christ and Satan, the kingdom and the world, and glory and shame. All these are opposites. In the same way, the Body is in opposition to the individual. Just as the Father is versus the world, the Spirit is versus the flesh, and the Lord is versus the devil, so also is the Body versus the individual. Once a man sees the Body of Christ, he is free from individualism. He will no longer live for himself but for the Body. Once I am delivered from individualism, I am spontaneously in the Body.

    The Body of Christ is not a doctrine; it is a realm. It is not a teaching but a life. Many Christians seek to teach the truth of the Body but few know the life of the Body. The Body of Christ is an experience in a totally different realm. A man can know the book of Romans without being justified. Similarly, a man can know the book of Ephesians without seeing the Body of Christ. We do not need knowledge; rather, we need revelation to know the reality of the Body of Christ and to enter the realm of the Body. Only a revelation from God will usher us into the realm of the Body, and only then will the Body of Christ become our experience.

    If we realize that a Christian is nothing more than a member, we will no longer be proud. Everything depends on our seeing. Those who see that they are members will surely treasure the Body and honor the other members. They will not see just their own virtues; they will readily see others as being better than themselves.

    The Body of Christ is a reality. The church life is also a reality. The Word of God does not say the church is like the Body of Christ; it says the church is the Body of Christ. Nothing external can become part of our physical bodies. We may clothe our bodies, but the clothes do not become part of our bodies. Nothing that is of us can ever become part of the Body of Christ, because "Christ is all and in all" in the Body (Col. 3:11). Anything in us that is not a part of Christ frustrates our inward knowledge of the Body of Christ. Sin hinders us from seeing Christ, and the natural life hinders us from seeing the Body. We all must see our position in the Body of Christ. If we truly see our position in the Body, it will be as though we were saved a second time. (CWWN, vol. 44, pp. 794-795, 794)

Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 44, "The Mystery of Christ," chs. 96-98

Morning Nourishment-The Experience, Growth, And Ministry Of Life For The Body(W2-3)

WEEK 2 — DAY 3

Morning Nourishment

Acts 9:4-6. "And he fell on the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? And he said, Who are You, Lord? And He said, I am Jesus, whom you persecute. But rise up and enter into the city, and it will be told to you what you must do".

    Acts 9 shows us two characteristics of the revelation that Paul received at the time of his conversion. When the Lord appeared to Paul on the way to Damascus, He showed him that persecuting the believers was the same as persecuting Him (vv. 3-5). The Lord asked, "Why are you persecuting Me?" He did not ask, "Why are you persecuting those who believe in Me?" Paul asked, "Who are You, Lord?" The Lord said, "I am Jesus, whom you persecute." The Lord showed Paul that he was persecuting the Head when he was persecuting the members of the Body. When you damage any member of the Body, you damage the Head. Every sin that offends the Body offends the Head. Every believer of the Lord is one with the Lord. This is the oneness of the Head with the Body. Paul was the first one who saw the Body of Christ. The day that the Lord revealed Himself was the day that Paul saw the Body. (CWWN, vol. 44, pp. 833-834)

Today's Reading

    [Acts 9:4 refers to] a corporate "Me," comprising Jesus the Lord and all His believers. Saul did not have this revelation. He thought that he was persecuting Stephen and other Jesus-followers, who were in the Way, which he considered heresy (24:14). He did not know that when he persecuted these he persecuted Jesus, for they were one with Him by being united to Him through their faith in Him. He considered that he was persecuting people on earth, never thinking that he touched anyone in heaven. To his great surprise a voice from heaven told him that He was the One whom he was persecuting and that His name was Jesus. To him this was a unique revelation in the universe! By this he began to see that the Lord Jesus and His believers are one great person—the wonderful "Me." This must have impressed and affected him for his future ministry concerning Christ and the church as the great mystery of God (Eph. 5:32) and laid a solid foundation
for his unique ministry. (Acts 9:4, footnote 1)

    The Lord would not directly tell Saul immediately after his conversion what He wanted him to do. This was because he needed a member of His Body to initiate him into identification with the Body, for he had been saved and brought to the Lord directly by Him, not indirectly through any channel. Unless a member of His Body had been sent by the Lord to contact him, it would have been difficult for any member of the Body to receive Saul (cf. Acts 9:26). This is related to Saul's knowledge concerning the Body of Christ and to his ministry for the Body of Christ later (Col. 1:24). (Acts 9:6, footnote 1)

    After this high revelation, the Lord charged him to go into the city, and there it would be told to him what he must do (Acts 9:6). This was also a revelation of the Body. After such a high revelation, the Lord did not speak to him directly; rather, He committed him to the Body. On the day Paul was saved, the Lord showed him the principle of the Body. Three days later the Lord sent a small disciple by the name of Ananias to lay hands on him, and Ananias said to him, "Saul, brother, the Lord has sent me—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road on which you were coming—so that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit" (v. 17). Ananias was just an ordinary brother. We know nothing about his history before or after this event. When he was sent by the Lord to Saul, he said, "Saul, brother." This ushered Saul into the Body of Christ, filled him with the Holy Spirit, and brought him under the anointing. (CWWN, vol. 44, p. 834)

    The Lord sent Ananias, one member of His Body, to Saul that Saul might be initiated into identification with the Body of Christ. This too must have impressed Saul with the importance of the Body of Christ, helping him to realize that a saved believer needs the members of the Body of Christ. (Acts 9:11, footnote 1)

    Further Reading: CWWN, vol. 44, "The Mystery of Christ," ch. 104

Morning Nourishment-The Experience, Growth, And Ministry Of Life For The Body(W2-2)

WEEK 2 — DAY 2

Morning Nourishment

Lev. 14:8-9. "And the one who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe in water, and he shall be clean. And after that he may come into the camp, but he shall dwell outside his tent seven days. And on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair; he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair..."

    The hair of the head signifies man's glory in self-display; the beard, man's self-assumed honor; the eyebrows, man's excellencies, merits, and virtues issuing from his natural birth; and all the hair of the body, man's natural strength and ability. The shaving off of all the hair and the bathing in water equal getting rid of the self with all its glory, honor, excellencies, merits, virtues, strength, and ability through the "razor" of the cross. When we have nothing and are nothing, we shall be clean (cf. Phil. 3:7-11). (Lev. 14:9, footnote 1)

    The leper's shaving of his entire body, washing his clothes, and bathing his flesh a second time after waiting and watching seven days signifies that a sinner who is to be cleansed needs to bear the responsibility for dealing with every part of his natural life and daily walk. This shows that if we deal with our sin and our sinful self seriously, in a definite, thorough, and absolute way, we shall be clean. (Lev. 14:9, footnote 2)

Today's Reading

    In the third stage [of the experience of life is the] ... "shaving of the hair," that is, dealing with the problems of our own self. [In Leviticus 14:8-9] the hair, which is something grown out from a man's body, signifies the difficulties within ourselves. Therefore, shaving the hair means dealing with the difficulties of our own self. This is the work of the cross in dealing with our being. After one passes through the dealing of the cross, his whole being is cleansed in a practical way. This kind of dealing is not once for all; it must be repeated again and again to become thorough. Therefore, "on the seventh day he shall shave off all his hair; he shall shave his head and his beard and his eyebrows, even all his hair. Then he shall wash his clothes and bathe his flesh in water, and he shall be clean" (v. 9). This continuous dealing is not only thorough but detailed; that is, it is not only the shaving of the hair in general, but it also differentiates between the hair of the head, the beard, the eyebrows, and the hair of the whole body. These areas must be dealt with one by one, and eventually the whole body completely shaved.

    In the Bible each of the different kinds of hair has its own significance. The hair of the head signifies the glory of man, the beard represents the honor of man, the eyebrows speak of the beauty of man, and the hair of the whole body denotes the natural strength of man. Everyone has his boasts in certain areas. Some boast of their ancestry, some of their education, some of their virtues, some of their zeal in their love for the Lord. Almost everyone can find an area in which to boast, to glorify himself, and to make a display before man. This is typified by the hair of the head. Moreover, people esteem themselves honorable with regard to their position, their family background, or even their spirituality; they always have a superior feeling that they are above others. This is their beard. At the same time, men also have some natural beauty, that is, some naturally good and strong points, which did not issue from the experience of God's salvation but from natural birth. This is the eyebrows of man. Finally, as human beings, we are full of natural strength, natural methods and opinions, thinking that we can do this or that for the Lord and that we are capable of doing all things....All these are not outward contaminations but problems of our natural birth. The outward contaminations need only to be washed with water; however, our own natural problems must be shaved with a razor, which means that they must be dealt with by the cross. This kind of dealing is deep and severe,
hurting us within and causing us much pain. (The Experience of Life, pp. 189,188-189)

    Further Reading: The Experience of Life, pp. 188-189

Morning Nourishment-The Experience, Growth, And Ministry Of Life For The Body(W2-1)

WEEK 2 — DAY 1

Morning Nourishment

Matt.  16:23  "...He...said to Peter, Get behind Me, Satan!  You are a stumbling block to Me, for you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of men."

Luke 9:23-24 "And He said to them all, If anyone wants to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his soul-life shall lose it; but whoever loses his soul-life for My sake, this one shall save it."

    The hindrance to seeing the vision of the Body and to practicing the Body life is the self. Yes, we are practicing the church life on the proper ground of the church, but are we built up together? Are we rightly related to one another? Are we fitly framed together? We meet together, but we may not be built up together. We have the meeting, but we do not have the building. We need a vision of the Body, but this vision is at the cost of the self. If we are to be built up in the Body, the self must go. This is why we also need to see...the vision of the self. The self is a problem to the Body. (The Heavenly Vision, pp. 32-33)

Today's Reading

    The origin of the self was Satan's injecting his thought into the human mind. Now we need to see that the self is the soul being independent of God. Whenever the soul is not dependent on God but is independent of Him, the soul immediately becomes the self. This means that whenever we do something by ourselves without depending on God, we are in the self. No matter what we are and no matter what we do, as long as we are independent of God, we are in the self.

    God created man as a soul to be always dependent on Him. Man is a soul (Gen. 2:7), and as a soul he should depend on God for everything. We may use married life as an illustration of the dependence of the soul on God. A wife should depend on her husband. This is indicated by a bride's wearing a head covering on her wedding day. Her wearing a head covering signifies that she will take her husband as her head and will depend on him. Otherwise, there will be two heads, and this will lead to contradicting, fighting, and even divorce. Just as a wife should depend on her husband, so the soul should depend on God.

    However, the soul has become the self. The self is simply the soul declaring independence from God. If we have the vision of the self, we will see what the self is—the soul declaring its independence from God. If we see this vision, we will realize that we can no longer be independent of God. Then we will say, "I must depend on God all the time. Whatever I do, I must depend on God. Whatever I am, I must depend on God."

    Because the self is something independent, the self is the greatest problem to the building up of the Body. We should be dependent not only on God but also on the Body, on the brothers and sisters. Whenever we are independent of the brothers and sisters, we are in the self; in the independent soul. For us today, being independent of the Body is equal to being independent of God. This is a matter not of doctrine but of experience. If you check with your experience, you will realize that when you were independent of the brothers and sisters, you had the sense that you were also independent of God. Likewise, when you were isolated from the brothers and sisters, you had the sense that you were also isolated from God.

    Seeing the vision of the self has much to do with the Body. Today we are in the Lord's recovery, and the recovery will eventually come to this crucial matter—the building up of the Body. The enemy of the Body is the self. The greatest problem, the greatest frustration and opposition, to the Body is also the self. When we have the self, we do not have the Body. When we have the Body, we do not have the self. In order for the Body to be built up, the self, the independent soul, must be dealt with. The self is the independent "I," the independent "me." When we are independent, we are in the self, the Body is gone, and we do not have peace. (The Heavenly Vision, pp. 43-44, 47)

    Further Reading: The Heavenly Vision, chs. 3-4

Morning Nourishment-The Experience, Growth, And Ministry Of Life For The Body(Outline 2)

Int’l Training for Elders and Responsible Ones (Fall 2013)

Entering Into the Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life
 to Arrive at a Full-Grown Man for the Fulfillment of God’s Purpose

Message Two

The Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life (1)

Knowing the Body

Scripture Reading:

Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:16; 4:4, 12, 16;5:30; Col. 1:18, 24; 2:19

Outline

Day1

I.  In order to know the Body, we have to deal with and renounce the self, which is the enemy of the Body—Matt.16:18, 21-26; Luke 9:23-25:

A.  The self is the fallen soul declaring independence from God and,thus, independence from the Body; the greatest problem, the greatestfrustration and opposition, to the Body is the self.

Day2

B.  The shaving of the hair of the leper for his cleansing in Leviticus 14 signifies dealing with the difficulties of the self; the razor signifies thecross—v. 9:

1.   The hair of the head signifies the glory of man; everyone has his boasts in certain areas—some boast of their ancestry, some of their education, some of their virtues, some of their zeal in their love for the Lord; almost everyone can find an area in which to boast, to glorify himself, and to make a display before man.

2.   The beard signifies the honor of man; people esteem themselves honorable with regard to their position, their family background, or even their spirituality; they always have a superior feeling that they are above others.

3.   The eyebrows signify the beauty of man; everyone has naturally good and strong points, which did not issue from the experience of God’s salvation but from natural birth.

4.   The hair of the whole body signifies the natural strength of man; we are full of natural strength, natural methods and opinions, thinking that we can do this or that for the Lord and that we are capable of doing all things.

5.   When all the aspects of the self are dealt with through the “razor” of the cross, and when we have nothing and are nothing, we shall be clean—cf. Phil. 3:7-11.

6.   We should utterly reject the self by doing everything through the cross and by the Spirit to dispense Christ into one another for the sake of the Body of Christ.

Day3

II. In order to know the Body, we must see the vision of the Body—Eph. 1:17; 3:3-6:

A. When the Lord appeared to Saul on the way to Damascus, He showed him that persecuting the believers  was the same as persecuting Him—Acts 9:3-5:

1.  The Lord asked, “Why are you persecuting Me?” He did not ask,“Why are you persecuting those who believe in Me?” When Saul asked, “Who are You, Lord?” the Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you persecute”—vv. 4-5.

2.   The “Me” here is a corporate “Me,” comprising Jesus the Lord and all His believers; by this, Saul began to see that the Lord Jesus and His believers are one great person—the wonderful “Me.”

3.   The Lord showed Saul that he was persecuting the Head when he was persecuting the members of the Body; every sin that offends the Body offends the Head.

4.   The day that the Lord revealed Himself to Saul was the day that he saw the Body—Rom. 12:5; 1 Cor. 12:12; Eph. 1:22-23; 2:16; 4:4, 12, 16; 5:30; Col. 1:18, 24; 2:19.

B.  After such a high revelation the Lord did not speak to  Saul directly but charged him to go into the city, and there it would be told to him what he must do (Acts 9:6); this was also a revelation of the Body:

1.   The Lord committed Saul to the Body through a member of His Body—Ananias—so that Saul would be initiated into the identification with the Body of Christ.

2.   This must have impressed Saul with the importance of the Body of Christ, helping him to realize that a saved believer needs the members of the Body of Christ.

3.   The Lord sent a small disciple to lay hands on Saul, and this disciple said, “Saul, brother” (v. 17); this ushered Saul into the Body of Christ, filled him with the Holy Spirit, and brought him under the anointing.

Day4

C.  In the New Testament there are two ways to look at Christ; on the one hand, He is Jesus Christ the Nazarene—the individual Christ; on the other hand, He is Christ plus the church—the corporate Christ—1 Cor. 12:12.

D.  We do not need knowledge; rather, we need revelation to know the Body of Christ and to enter into the realm of the Body; only a revelation from God will usher us into the realm of the Body, and only then will the Body of Christ become our experience.

E.  Once a man sees the Body of Christ, he is free from individualism; he will no longer live for himself but for the Body; he becomes Body-conscious and Body-centered and is freed from being self-centered—Rom. 12:5.

F.  Everything depends on our seeing; those who see that they are members will surely treasure the Body and honor  the other members—Phil. 2:3-4.

G.  If we truly see our position in the Body, it will be as though we were saved a second time—cf. John 1:49-51.

Day5

III. In order to know the Body, we must be under the
limitation of the Body; as members of the Body, we must
allow ourselves to be limited by the other members, not
going beyond our measure:

A.  God has placed all the members of the Body even as He willed; the Head sets us in our special place in the Body and points us to our special function—Rom.12:4-5; 1 Cor. 12:15-21:

1.   Each one of us members has our own place in the Body of Christ; it is assigned by God and should be accepted by us; since such an assignment is according to God’s will, every member is necessary—vv. 19-22.

2.   Every member has a definite place, a definite assignment, and a particular portion with which he serves the Body of Christ; each member has his own characteristics, and each has his own capability; these characteristics constitute the place, position, or ministry of each member—Rom. 12:4-8.

B.  A basic requirement for the growth and development of the Body is that we recognize our measure and do not go beyond it—Eph. 4:7, 16:

1.   We must be willing to be limited by our measure; as soon as we go beyond our measure, we go beyond the authority of the Head and move out from under the anointing—Rom. 12:3, 6.

2.   When we go beyond our measure, we interfere with the order of the Body; to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to think, without a sober mind, is to annul the proper order of the Body life—v. 3.

Day6

C.  Like Paul, we should move and act according to how much God has measured to us, staying within the limits of God’s ruling, God’s measuring—2 Cor. 10:13:

1.   When we give a testimony about our work, experience, or enjoyment of the  Lord, we must testify within measure, that is, within a certain limit.

2.   Although we expect the work to spread, we must learn how to be under God’s restriction; we should not expect a spread that is without measure; if we spread the work according to the Spirit, there will always be a certain limit—vv. 13-15:

a.   Inwardly, we have the consciousness that the Lord intends to spread the work only to a certain extent; inwardly, we do not have the peace to spread the work beyond a certain point—cf. 2:12-14.

b.   Outwardly, in the environment, the Lord may cause certain matters to restrict the spread of the work; the environment does not allow us to go beyond a particular boundary line—cf. Rom. 15:24.

3.   In the church service we need to realize that God has measured out only so much to us, and we should not  overstretch ourselves—12:3-4, 6a.

4.   Whatever we do should be in the Body, through the Body, and for the Body—cf. Eph. 4:4; Zech. 4:6.

晨興聖言─進入生命經歷第四層, 達到長成的人以完成神的定旨(W2-5)

第二週 ‧ 週五

晨興餧養

羅十二 4『正如我們一個身體上有好些肢體,但肢體不都有一樣的功用。』

林前十二 18 〜 20『但如今神照着自己的意思,把肢體俱各安置在身體上了。若都是一個肢體,身體在那裏?但如今肢體是多的,身體卻是一個。』

     如果你僅僅是一個信徒,你就能照你所要的去作,但如果你是基督身體的一個肢體,你就必須受別的肢體的限制。這裏就需要十字架。十字架引到身體,十字架也是 在身體的範圍裏作工。…如果我是申言者,當要傳福音給未得救的人時,我必須讓給傳福音者,我不能覺得因爲我有作申言者的恩賜,就必須作一切傳福音的工 作。…我們各人都知道自己的度量,並且不越過這度量,這對身體的長大,乃是最基本的。…基督的身體不僅是眾肢體的覆庇,基督的身體對各個肢體也有約束。每 一個基督徒不過是基督身體上的一個肢體,所以也需要受身體的約束。我們不該任憑自己有單獨的自由,需要學習與別的弟兄姊妹合得起來(基督的奧祕,二七 頁)。

信息選讀

     林前十二章十八節告訴我們:『如今神照着自己的意思,把肢體俱各安置在身體上了。』可見,每一個肢體都有其一定的位置,有一定的安排,有一定的地位。每一 個肢體都有他的那一分來服事基督的身體,就像眼睛能看,耳朵能聽,鼻子能嗅,肢體各有各的功能,各有各的那一分。眼睛用看來服事身體,耳朵用聽來服事身 體,鼻子用嗅來服事身體。它們各有所司,不能彼此取代。…每一個〔肢體〕都有他的特點,都有他所能的,那就是他的位置,就是他的地位,也就是他的職事。

     我們乃是用我們個人從元首基督所得的生命,來供應身體。但我們盡功用時,必須按着秩序,必須有規矩。身體裏的規矩對長大和職事是緊要的。…在聚會時,…你 需要按着信心的度量,按着聖靈的引導來發言。你說話的時候,要看有沒有越分的話,或者話是否拉得太長。…當我們真的來在頭的權柄底下,主就把我們安排在身 體的特別地位上,也指派我們特別的功用。

     我們一面要追求對基督有啓示、有經歷,好有內容可以供應身體;另一面也要認識身體裏的規矩,就是神在身體裏所安排的次序。我們要樂意受我們度量的限制。只 要我們越過度量,我們就越過元首的權柄,離開膏油的塗抹。當我們越過我們的度量,我們就干涉了身體的規矩。基督的身體乃是活的生命,不是用人的安排能彀運 動的;各肢體必須得着頭的生命,並且在正確的規矩下盡功用。我們與頭的關係正確,我們就自然而然保守我們在身體裏的地位(基督的奧祕,四七至四九頁)。

     神照着自己的意思,把所有的肢體俱各安置在身體上(18)。我們每一個肢體,在基督的身體裏都有自己的一個位置,是神所量給各人的,也是我們所該接受的。 旣然這件事是照着神的意思,就每一個肢體都是不可少的(21),尤其是似乎較爲輭弱的肢體,更是不可少的(22)(主所渴望的合一與同心並祂所喜悅的身體 生活與事奉,二五頁)。

     羅馬十二章三節說,『不要看自己過於所當看的,乃要照着神所分給各人信心的度量,看得清明適度。』…不清明適度,而看自己過於所當看的,就是抹煞身體生活中正確的等次(羅馬書的結晶,一三五頁)。

參讀:基督的奧祕,第五篇;神聖奧祕的範圍,第六章;主所渴望的合一與同心並祂所喜悅的身體生活與事奉,第二篇;羅馬書的結晶,第十篇。

晨興聖言─進入生命經歷第四層, 達到長成的人以完成神的定旨(W2-4)

第二週 ‧ 週四

晨興餧養

林前十二 12『就如身體是一個,卻有許多肢體,而且身體上一切的肢體雖多,仍是一個身體,基督也是這樣。』

羅十二 5『我們這許多人,在基督裏是一個身體,並且各個互相作肢體,也是如此。』

     在新約裏,關於基督有兩面的說法:一是拿撒勒人耶穌基督,這是個人的基督;二是基督加上召會,這是團體的基督。這就是林前十二章十二節所說的:『肢體雖 多,仍是一個身體,基督也是這樣。』在基督之外的一切,都不是召會。在基督徒的裏面只有一樣東西是召會的一部分,就是基督;召會就是團體的基督,在召會中 只有基督。在擘餅聚會裏,我們的手從餅拿下的那一點就是基督身體—召會—的一部分。召會並不是從外面擺進去多少,乃是從基督身上拿出來有多少。…召會乃是 所有的信徒與基督合爲一所成的,召會乃是團體的基督(基督的奧祕,四至五頁)。

信息選讀

     新約聖經給我們看見,作基督徒與作肢體是不同的。作基督徒是個人的,而作肢體是團體的。作基督徒是爲着自己,而作肢體是爲着身體。聖經中有許多的相對辭, 如清潔與污穢、聖別與平凡、得勝與失敗、聖靈與肉體、基督與撒但、國度與世界、榮耀與羞辱,這些都是相對的,而『身體』乃是與『個人』相對的。父如何與世 界相對,聖靈如何與肉體相對,主如何與魔鬼相對,照樣,身體也與個人相對。人看見了基督的身體,就脫去了個人主義,不再爲自己,乃爲身體而活。當我蒙拯 救,脫離個人主義,我就自然在身體裏面。

     基督的身體不是一個道理,乃是一個範圍;基督的身體不是一種教訓,乃是一個生命。許多基督徒教導身體的真理,但少有人認識身體的生命。基督的身體乃是另一 個完全不同的經歷。人可以明白羅馬書,卻未被稱爲義;人也可以明白以弗所書,但不一定看見基督的身體。我們所需要的不是知識,乃是看見啓示,認識基督身體 的實際,進入基督身體的範圍裏。惟有從神來的啓示,能把我們帶進基督身體的範圍裏,這樣,基督的身體對我們纔能成爲經歷。

     我們如果認識,一個基督徒不過是一個肢體,這樣,我們就沒有驕傲了。這件事在於看見。一個看見自己是肢體的人,定規寶愛身體,看重其他的肢體,也不再只看見自己的好,乃是看別人比自己強。

     基督的身體是一個實在的東西,所以召會生活也是實在的。聖經不是說召會好像基督的身體,乃是說召會就是基督的身體。身外任何東西都不能成爲身體,身體可以 穿衣服,但衣服並不能因此成爲身體。照樣,出於我們自己天然的任何東西,都不能成爲基督身體的一分。 在基督的身體裏,基督是一切,又在一切之內(西三 11)。任何非基督的東西,只能攔阻我們裏面認識基督,人有罪,就不能看見基督;人有天然生命,就不能看見基督的身體。我們都當看見我們在基督身體上的地 位。你若真看見你在基督身體上的地位,你就會像是第二次得救一樣(基督的奧祕,一五至一六、一四頁)。

參讀:基督的奧祕,第一至三篇。

晨興聖言─進入生命經歷第四層, 達到長成的人以完成神的定旨(W2-3)

第二週 ‧ 週三

晨興餧養

徒九 4〜6『他就仆倒在地,聽見有聲音對他說,掃羅,掃羅,你爲甚麼逼迫我?他說,主阿,你是誰?主說,我就是你所逼迫的耶穌。起來,進城去,你所當作的事,必有人告訴你。』

    行傳九章給我們看見,保羅悔改時所得的啓示有兩個特點。保羅在往大馬色的路上,主向他顯現,給他看見他逼迫信徒,就是在逼迫主自己(3〜5)。主是說, 『你爲甚麼逼迫我』;主不是說,『你爲甚麼逼迫信我的人。』保羅問說,『主阿,你是誰?』主說,『我就是你所逼迫的耶穌。』在這裏,主給保羅看見,當他逼 迫身體的肢體時,就是逼迫頭。當你傷了身上任何的肢體,你就傷了頭。所以一切干犯身體的罪,就是干犯頭的罪。一切信主的人,乃是與主合一的,這就是元首與 身體的合一。保羅是第一個看見基督身體的人,他從頭一天主向他顯現時,就看見身體(基督的奧祕,六二頁)。

信息選讀

    〔行傳九章四節〕的『我』是團體的,包括主耶穌和祂所有的信徒。掃羅沒有這啓示,以爲他是逼迫司提反,以及別的他認爲是在異端的道路上跟從耶穌的人(二四 14),卻不曉得他逼迫這些人,就是逼迫耶穌,因爲他們藉着相信祂與祂聯合,就與祂是一。掃羅認爲他是逼迫地上的人,絕沒有想到他是摸着天上的人。使他非 常驚奇的是,有聲音從天上對他說,祂就是他所逼迫的那一位,祂的名是耶穌。對掃羅而言,這乃是全宇宙中獨特的啓示!藉此他開始看見,主耶穌和祂的信徒是一 個偉大的人—那奇妙的『我』。這必定使他印象深刻,影響他將來關於基督與召會是神極大奧祕的職事(弗五32),並爲他獨特的職事立下了穩固的根基(聖經恢 複本,徒九 4 註 1)。

    掃羅悔改以後,主不願直接告訴他當作甚麼,因爲他需要基督身體的一個肢體,引他進入與這身體的聯合裏;他是直接因主得救並歸向主的,並不是間接經由任何管 道。主若不從祂的身體差遣一個肢體去接觸他,祂身體的肢體就難以接受他(參 26)。這與他對基督身體的認識,並以後爲基督的身體盡職有關(西一 24)(徒九 6註 1)。

    在這樣高超的啓示之後,主要他進城去,並對他說,他所當作的事,主會用別人告訴他(6)。這一個也是身體的啓示。甚至在這樣超越的啓示之後,主沒有直接指 示他,主把他交給身體。保羅在得救的頭一天,主就給他看見身體的原則。三天後,主差一個小門徒,名叫亞拿尼亞,進來按手在他身上,對他說,『掃羅弟兄,在 你來的路上向你顯現的耶穌,就是主,差遣我來,叫你能看見,又被聖靈充溢。』(17)亞拿尼亞只是一個普通弟兄,在這件事的前後,我們都看不見他的歷史。 當他受主差遣到掃羅那裏,對他說,『掃羅弟兄』,這就是帶掃羅看見基督的身體;又叫他被聖靈充滿,這乃是帶他到膏油之下(基督的奧祕,六二至六三頁)。

    主差遣亞拿尼亞,祂身體的一個肢體,去掃羅那裏,將掃羅引進與基督身體的聯合裏。這必定使掃羅對基督身體的重要有深刻的印象,幫助他曉得,得救的信徒需要基督身體的肢體(聖經恢複本,徒九 11 註 1)。

    參讀:基督的奧祕,第九篇。

晨興聖言─進入生命經歷第四層, 達到長成的人以完成神的定旨(W2-2)

第二週 ‧ 週二

晨興餧養

利十四 8〜9『那求潔淨的人當洗衣服,剃去所有的毛髮,用水洗澡,就潔淨了;然後可以進營,只是要在自己的帳棚外居住七天。第七天,他要再剃去所有的毛髮,把頭髮、鬍鬚、眉毛、並全身的毛都剃了…。』

     頭髮,表徵人自我炫耀的榮耀;鬍鬚,表徵人自居的尊貴;眉毛,表徵來自人天然出生的優點、長處和美德;全身的毛髮,表徵人天然的力量和才能。剃去所有的毛 髮以及用水洗澡,等於藉着十字架的『剃刀』,把己及其一切的榮耀、尊貴、優點、長處、美德、力量和才能都除去。當我們一無所有,一無所是,我們就是潔淨的 (參腓三7〜11)(聖經恢複本,利十四9 註1)。

     患痲瘋者在等候並儆醒七天之後,要再剃去全身的毛,洗衣服,並用水洗身,表徵求潔淨的罪人,需要負責對付他天然生命和日常行事爲人的每一部分。這表明我們若以確定、徹底並絕對的方式,認真的對付我們的罪和罪惡的己,我們就必得着潔淨(註2)。

信息選讀

     〔在利未記十四章八至九節,〕毛髮都是人本身所長出來的東西,所以是指着我們本身的難處說的。因此,剃毛髮,就是指着對付我們本身的難處,也就是十字架對 付我們這個人的工作。人經過十字架的對付,全人纔能得着實際的潔淨。但這個對付,不是一次就可以的,必須一再的有對付纔能徹底。所以『第七天,他要再剃去 所有的毛髮,把頭髮、鬍鬚、眉毛、並全身的毛都剃了;又要洗衣服,用水洗身,就潔淨了』〔9〕。這繼續而有的對付,不只徹底,並且仔細多了,不單是籠統的 剃毛髮,還要認清那裏是頭髮,那裏是鬍鬚,或是眉毛,或是全身其他的毛,都要分別一一對付,剃除淨盡。

     這些毛髮在聖經中都有它豫表的意思。頭髮是指人的榮耀,鬍鬚是指人的尊貴,眉毛是指人的美麗,全身的毛是指人天然的能力。每一個人都有他所誇耀、所顯揚的 地方。有人自誇他的出身,有人自誇他的學問,有人自誇他的美德,也有人自誇他的熱心愛主。每一個人都能在自己身上找出一些可誇的地方,引以爲榮,而顯揚在 人的面前。這就是他的頭髮。人也都自居尊貴。有的人自居他的地位,或自居他的身家,或自居他的屬靈,總覺得他自己比別人高超。這就是他的鬍鬚。同時在人身 上還有一些天然的美麗,就是天然的長處和優點。這些不是神的救恩所帶給人的,乃是人生來就有的。這就是人的眉毛。最後,人還滿有天然的能力、辦法、主張, 以爲能爲主作這個,能爲主作那個,覺得甚麼都能。…凡這些,都不是我們從身外所受的玷污,而是我們本身與生俱來的難處。從身外所受的那些玷污,
只要用水洗就可以了,但我們本身的這些難處,卻必須用刀來剃,也就是用十字架來對付,纔可以。這說出這些對付乃是深重的,是傷到我們裏面的,也是使我們很有痛苦的(生命的經歷下册,二二八至二三○頁)。

    參讀:生命的經歷下册,第二二八至二三○頁。

晨興聖言─進入生命經歷第四層, 達到長成的人以完成神的定旨(2-1)

第二週 ‧ 週一

晨興餧養

太十六 23『祂…對彼得說,撒但,退我後面去罷!你是絆跌我的,因爲你不思念神的事,只思念人的事。』

路九 23〜24『耶穌又對眾人說,若有人要跟從我,就當否認己,天天背起他的十字架,並跟從我。因爲凡要救自己魂生命的,必喪失魂生命;凡爲我喪失自己魂生命的,必救了魂生命。』

     攔阻人看見身體的異象並實行身體生活的,乃是己。不錯,我們在召會正確的立場上實行召會生活,但我們是否建造在一起?我們有否正確的彼此相聯?我們有否合 式的結構在一起?我們在一起聚會,卻可能沒有建造在一起。我們有聚會,卻沒有建造。我們需要身體的異象,但要看見這異象,需要付代價捨棄己。我們若要在身 體裏建造起來,己必須去掉。這就是爲甚麼我們也必須看見己的異象。己對於身體乃是難處(從天上來的異象,三五頁)。

信息選讀

     己的源頭就是撒但把他的思想注射到人的心思裏。現在我們需要看見,己就是那向神獨立的魂。每當魂不倚靠神,並向神獨立時,魂立刻成了己。這就是說,每當我們憑自己作事而不倚靠神時,我們就在己裏。不管我們的所是和所作是甚麼,只要我們向神獨立,我們就在己裏。

     神乃是將人創造成一個經常倚靠神的魂。人是魂(創二 7),這樣一個魂應該凡事倚靠神。我們可以用婚姻生活爲例,來說明魂對神的倚靠。妻子該倚靠她的丈夫。新婦在結婚之日蒙頭,就指明這點。她的蒙頭表徵她要 以丈夫爲她的頭,並要倚靠他。不然就會有兩個頭,那就會引起不和、相爭甚至離婚。就如妻子該倚靠丈夫,照樣魂也該倚靠神。

     然而,魂成了己。己就是那向神宣告獨立的魂。我們若看見己的異象,就會看見己是甚麼—己就是那向神宣告獨立的魂。我們若看見這異象,就會領悟自己不能再向 神獨立。那時我們會說,『我必須一直倚靠神。不論我作的是甚麼,我必須倚靠神;不論我的所是如何,我必須倚靠神。』

     因着己是獨立的,所以己是基督身體建造最大的難處。我們不僅要倚靠神,也要倚靠身體,倚靠弟兄姊妹。每當我們向弟兄姊妹獨立,我們就在己裏,在獨立的魂 裏。今天對我們而言,向身體獨立就等於向神獨立。這不是道理上的事,乃是經歷上的事。你若核對你的經歷,就會發現當你向弟兄姊妹獨立時,你覺得你向神也是 獨立的。照樣,當你與弟兄姊妹隔絕時,你覺得你與神也是隔絕的。

     看見有關己的異象,與身體很有關係。今天我們是在主的恢復裏,而主的恢復至終要來到這件極重要的事上,就是建造基督的身體。身體的仇敵就是己。身體最大的 難處、最大的攔阻和反對,也是己。我們只要有了己,就沒有身體。我們有了身體,就沒有己。爲了使身體建造起來,己,就是獨立的魂,必須受對付。己是獨立的 『我』。當我們獨立時,我們就是在己裏,身體不見了,我們也沒有平安(從天上來的異象,四九至五○、五三至五四頁)。

參讀:從天上來的異象,第三至四章。

Morning Nourishment-The Experience, Growth, And Ministry Of Life For The Body(W3-Outline)

Int’l Training for Elders and Responsible Ones (Fall 2013)

Entering Into the Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life to Arrive at a Full-Grown Man for the Fulfillment of God’s Purpose

Message Three

The Fourth Stage of the Experience of Life (2)
          Knowing the Ascension

Scripture Reading: Acts 2:36; Heb. 2:9; 4:14-15; 7:26; 12:2; Eph. 1:19-23

Outline

Day 1 & 2

I. The Man-Savior’s ascension is His inauguration into His heavenly office through the process of creation, incarnation,human living, crucifixion, and resurrection as God and man, as the Creator and the creature, and as the Redeemer, the Savior,and the life-giving Spirit to execute God’s administration and to carry out God’s New Testament economy.

II. We need to see the objective aspect of the Lord’s ascension:

A. The Lord’s ascension caused Him to be crowned with glory and honor—Heb. 2:9:

1. Glory is the splendor related to Jesus’ person; honor is the preciousness related to Jesus’ worth—1 Pet. 2:7.

2. Christ is glorious in state and honorable in rank; He is above all kings and rulers; this is His honor.

B. The Lord’s ascension caused Him to be enthroned for God’s administration; Hebrews 12:2 says that Christ is now seated on the right hand of the throne of God:

1. The fact that God in Christ is sitting on the throne means that God administrates the entire universe from within Christ and through Christ, just as the light shines from within the lamp and through the lamp—Rev. 22:1, 3; cf. 21:23.

2. Christ is now on the throne to administrate the entire universe; He is the unique Administrator, the King of kings and the Lord of lords; He is the Ruler of the kings of the earth—1:5; 17:14;19:16.

3. His administrating is related to the universe, but His carrying out God’s New Testament economy is to propagate Himself for His reproduction to build up the church, His Body, which will issue in the New Jerusalem—cf. Acts 5:31.

C. “Let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made Him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you have crucified” (2:36); in this verse the word made can be understood to mean “inaugurated”; in His ascension God inaugurated Christ into His heavenly ministry:

1. The Man-Savior, in His ascension, has been made the Lord to possess all; He is now the Lord to possess the whole universe, God’s chosen people, and all positive things, matters, and persons.

2. The Man-Savior, in His ascension, was made the Christ as God’s Anointed (Heb. 1:9) to carry out God’s commission.

D. We are now one with Christ in His resurrection and ascension (Eph.2:6); as a result, we have life and power in resurrection and alsoauthority in ascension; when we contact our Lord, we need to have a realization of what He is, a realization of His status, position, and office.

Day 3

III. We need to see the subjective aspect of the Lord’s
ascension—cf. Psa. 91:1; S. S. 4:7-8; 6:10:

A. Christ in His all-transcending ascension transcended Hades (where the dead people are being held), the earth (where the fallen people are moving against God), the air (where Satan and his power of darkness are acting against God), and all the heavens (where Satan can go—Eph. 1:20-21; 4:8-10; Heb. 7:26; Job 1:6-12a; 2:1-6); in His ascension Christ passed through the heavens (Heb. 4:14) so that now He is not only in heaven (9:24) but also is higher than the heavens (7:26), far above all the heavens (Eph. 4:10).

B. Ephesians 1:19-23 reveals that there is a transmission from the ascended Christ to us; verse 22 says that God gave Christ “to be Head over all things to the church”; the phrase to the church indicates a transmission from the ascended Christ to the church, His Body:

1. God gave the ascended Christ a great gift—the headship over all things; what God gave Christ to be is to the church; it is transmitted to the church, and the church shares it.

2. Verses 20 through 22 show that God caused His power to operate in Christ in four steps: first, raising Him from the dead; second, seating Him at His right hand in the heavenlies; third, subjecting all things under His feet; and fourth, giving Him to be Head over all things to the church.

3. Christ’s power—His resurrecting power, ascending power,subjecting power, and heading up power—is “toward us who believe” and “to the church”; whatever Christ, the Head, has attained and obtained is transmitted to the church, His Body—vv. 19, 22-23.

4. We should not only believe in the divine transmission; we need to experience it day by day; the church should be in the transmission of the exalted and ascended Christ; in this transmission the church shares with Christ in all His attainments—the resurrection from among the dead, being
seated in His transcendency, the subjection of all things under His feet, and the headship over all things.

5. Because the divine transmission is not once for all, the church should continually receive this transmission; this is the continual transmission into the church of the ascended Christ with the full significance of His ascension; through the divine transmission, we are joined to Christ in the heavens; as long as we are clean receptacles and are willing to open ourselves, this transmission will take place continually in us—2:6.

6. We simply need to open ourselves and say, “Lord, I am here. I love You, and I give myself to You. Lord, I empty my whole being for You”; if you pray like this, you will experience and enjoy this divine transmission.

Day 4

C. The great goal of the divine transmission is the heading up of all things in Christ (1:10); through all the dispensations of God in all the ages, all things will be headed up in Christ in the new heaven and new earth; this will be God’s eternal administration and economy:

1. This heading up is done by God through a universal man; the Head of this man is Christ, and the Body of this man is the church.

2. Because God is heading up all things through a universal man constituted of Christ, the Head, and the church, the Body, we as members of the Body need to keep the oneness of the Body under the headship; this oneness is the instrument, channel, and sphere that God is using to head up all things in Christ.

3. The whole creation is expecting and eagerly awaiting the manifestation of the sons of God; at that time all divisions and separations will be removed, and all things, not only mankind, will be headed up in Christ—Rom. 8:19-22.

4. According to man’s view, the heading up of the entire
universe seems to be an impossibility, but with God nothing is impossible—Mark 10:27.

Day 5

D. In His ascension Christ was made the Head of the church, His Body, to express God in His fullness—Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:23; 3:19:

1. The Head and the Body are one and form a universal man; with this divine matter there is neither the element of space nor the element of time; the Body is one with the Head in the divine life and in the divine Spirit.

2. According to the divine viewpoint, we are one with the ascended Christ, and His ascension is also ours (2:6);  here in this ascension we express Him in His fullness; since the transcending Christ is the embodiment of the Triune God (Col. 2:9), His transcending transmission includes all the rich dispensing of the Triune God to make us the fullness of Christ for His expression (Eph. 1:22-23; 3:19, 8).

E. In His ascension Christ was also made the High Priest in the heavens to bear us in the presence of God and to care for all our needs; in His ascension He was inaugurated into His priestly office—Heb. 2:17-18;4:14-15; Psa. 110:1-4; Heb. 5:6; 7:26:

1. On the one hand, Christ is the High Priest interceding in the heavens for the churches (vv. 25-26; Rom. 8:34); on the other hand, He is the High Priest moving in the churches to care for them; in Revelation 1:13 Christ is depicted as the High Priest, as shown by His garment, a garment reaching to the feet, that is, a priestly robe (Exo. 28:33-35).

Day 6

2. In Revelation 8 Christ is revealed as the Priest offering the incense at the golden altar: “And another Angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer, and much incense was given to Him to offer with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne” (v. 3).

3. In the Old Testament the high priest typifies Christ as our High Priest; according to the book of Exodus, the high priest bore the names of the twelve tribes of Israel on his shoulders and on his heart, bearing the names of God’s chosen people before God—Exo. 28:9-10, 12, 21, 29:

a. Today Christ is our High Priest, and we are on His shoulders and on His breast; He is in the heavens as the High Priest bearing us with His strength and holding us with His love.

b. As our High Priest, Christ is also taking care of us; He is “a merciful and faithful High Priest in the things pertaining to God” (Heb. 2:17), a High Priest who is able to sympathize with our weaknesses (4:15).

c. Although Christ as the High Priest is taking care of us, we all have our own thought and feeling as to how He should care for us; however, what is good for us is not a matter of our interpretation but of His—Rom. 8:28-29.

d. The ascended Christ cares not only for us and our welfare; He cares for God’s desires; as the High Priest, He cares more for God’s need than our need.

e. The Lord as the High Priest establishes lampstands and trims the lamps for the expression of God (Rev. 1:13; 2:1); this work includes His edifying of the saints and His building up of the church as the living testimony of Jesus.

4. As the High Priest in the heavens, the Lord is the surety and the Mediator, the Executor, of a better covenant—Heb. 7:22; 8:6;9:15-17:

a. The New Testament is a new will for our inheritance; it has many bequests, all of which are divine blessings bequeathed to the churches.

b. Christ died to enact the will, resurrected to become the reality of the bequests of the will, and He is now in the heavens as the living Executor of the will that He has bequeathed to us (Isa. 42:6).

c. Every blessing in the New Testament (Eph. 1:3; Gal. 3:14) is a bequest applied to us by the living, resurrected, and ascended Christ.

d. Christ’s ministry in the heavens has a destination—the New Jerusalem; the New Jerusalem will be the consummation of Christ’s work in His ascension.

2013/10/21

晨興聖言─進入生命經歷第四層,達到長成的人以完成神的定旨(第3篇綱目)

二〇一三年秋季國際長老及負責弟兄訓練

進入生命經歷第四層,達到長成的人以完成神的定旨

第三篇

生命經歷第四層(二)

認識升天

讀經:徒二36,來二9,四14 〜15,七26,十二2,弗一19 〜23

綱  目

週 一、週 二

壹 人救主的升天乃是祂經過創造、成爲肉體、人性生活、釘十字架與復活的過程,是神也是人,是創造主也是受造者,又是救贖主、救主、以及賜生命的靈,就職進入屬天的職任,以執行神的行政,並完成神新約的經綸。

貳 我們需要看見主的升天客觀的一面:

一 主的升天使祂得了榮耀尊貴爲冠冕—來二9:

1 榮耀是指與耶穌人位有關的榮美;尊貴是指與耶穌價值有關的珍貴—彼前二7。

2 基督的光景是榮耀的,位分是尊貴的;祂在一切君王和執政者之上,這是祂的尊貴。

二 主的升天使祂爲着神的行政登上了寶座;希伯來十二章二節說,基督現今坐在神寶座的右邊:

1 神在基督裏坐在寶座上這個事實,表明神是從基督裏面,並藉着基督執政管理整個宇宙,就像光從燈裏面並藉着燈照耀—啓二二1,3,參二一23。

2 基督現今在寶座上,執政管理整個宇宙;祂是獨一的執政管理者,是萬王之王,萬主之主;祂是地上君王的元首—一5,十七14,十九16。

3 祂的執政管理與宇宙有關,但祂完成神新約的經綸,乃是繁殖祂自己,使祂得着複製,以建造召會,就是祂的身體,結果乃是新耶路撒冷—參徒五31。

三 『以色列全家當確實的知道,你們釘在十字架上的這位耶穌,神已經立祂爲主爲基督了;』(二36;)這節的『立』可以領會成使其就職之意;在基督升天時,神使祂就職進入祂屬天的職事:

1 人救主在祂的升天裏已經被立爲主,來得着萬有;祂現今是主,爲要得着整個宇宙、神所揀選的人、以及一切正面的人、事、物。

2 人救主在祂的升天裏被立爲基督,作神的受膏者,(來一9,)來完成神的使命。

四 我們現今與在復活和升天裏的基督是一;(弗二6;)結果,我們有復活裏的生命和能力,也有升天裏的權柄;當我們接觸我們的主,需要認識祂的所是,認識祂的身分、地位和職任。

週 三

叁 我們需要看見主的升天主觀的一面—參詩九一1,歌四7 〜8,六10:

一 基督在祂超越一切的升天裏超越陰間(拘留死人的地方)、地(墮落之人行動反對神的地方)、空中(撒但和他黑暗權勢行事抵擋神的地方)、和諸天(撒但能去的 地方);(弗一20 〜21,四8 〜10,來七26,伯一6 〜12 上,二1 〜6;)基督在祂的升天裏經過了諸天,(來四14,)所以現今不僅在天上,(九24,)更是高過諸天,
(七26,)遠超諸天之上。(弗四10。)

二 以弗所一章十九至二十三節啓示從升天的基督向着我們有一種傳輸;二十二節說,神使基督『向着召會作萬有的頭』;向着召會,指明從升天的基督向着召會,祂的身體,有一種傳輸:

1 神賜給升天的基督一個大恩賜—作萬有的頭;神使基督作頭,乃是向着召會,傳輸給召會;召會一同分享這件事。

2 二十至二十二節給我們看見,神使祂的能力在基督身上運行,有四個步驟:第一,使基督從死人中復活;第二,叫祂在諸天界裏,坐在自己的右邊;第三,將萬有服在祂的腳下;第四,使祂向着召會作萬有的頭。

3 基督的能力—祂復活的能力、升天的能力、使萬有歸服的能力、以及使萬有歸一於一個元首之下的能力—是『向着我們這信的人』並『向着召會』;凡元首基督所達到、所得着的,現在都傳輸給祂的身體—召會—19,22 〜23 節。

4 我們不僅應當相信神聖的傳輸,我們更需要天天經歷這傳輸;召會應當在高舉並升天之基督的傳輸裏;在這傳輸裏,召會與基督同享祂所達到的一切—從死人中的復活、在超越裏的坐下、萬有的服在腳下、以及作萬有的頭。

5 因着神聖的傳輸不是一勞永逸的,召會應當不斷的接受這傳輸;這就是升天的基督帶着祂升天的完滿意義,不斷的傳輸到召會裏面;藉着神聖的傳輸,我們就聯於諸天裏的基督;只要我們是潔淨的容器,並且願意敞開自己,這傳輸就會在我們裏面不斷的進行—二6。

6 我們只需要敞開自己,說,『主,我在這裏;我愛你,我將自己給你;主,我爲着你倒空我的全人;』你如果這樣禱告,就會經歷並
享受這神聖的傳輸。

週 四

三 神聖傳輸的偉大目標就是將萬有在基督裏歸一於一個元首之下;(一10;)藉着神在所有世代中一切的安排,萬有要在新天新地中,在基督裏歸一於一個元首之下;這是神永遠的行政和經綸:

1 這歸一是神藉着一個宇宙人完成的;這人的頭是基督,身體是召會。

2 因着神將萬有歸一於一個元首之下,是藉着基督(元首)與召會(身體)所構成的宇宙人,所以我們這些身體上的肢體就需要在元首權柄之下保守身體的一;這一乃是神用來將萬有在基督裏歸一於一個元首之下的憑藉、管道和範圍。

3 一切受造之物正在期望,熱切等待神的眾子顯示出來;那時,一切的分裂與間隔都要除去;萬有,不僅人類,都要在基督裏歸一於一個元首之下—羅八19 〜22。

4 按照人的看法,全宇宙歸一於一個元首之下似乎是不可能的,但是在神凡事都能—可十27。

週 五

四 基督在祂的升天裏作了祂身體召會的頭,在祂的豐滿裏彰顯神—西一18,弗一23,三19:

1 頭與身體乃是一,形成一個宇宙人;對於這神聖的事,沒有空間的因素,也沒有時間的因素;身體與頭在神聖的生命和神聖的靈裏乃是一。

2 按照神聖的觀點,我們與升天的基督乃是一,祂的升天也就是我們的升天;( 二6;)在這升天裏,我們在祂的豐滿裏彰顯祂;因着超越的基督乃是三一神的具體化身,(西二9,)所以祂超越的輸供包括了三一神的一切豐富分賜,使我們成 爲基督的豐滿,使祂得彰顯。(弗一22 〜23,三19,8。)

五 基督在祂的升天裏,也作了在諸天裏的大祭司,在神面前擔負我們,並照顧我們一切的需要;祂在升天裏就職進入祂的祭司職任—來二17 〜18,四14 〜15,詩一一〇1 〜4,來五6,七26:

1 一面,基督是大祭司,在諸天裏爲眾召會代求;(25 〜26,羅八34;)另一面,祂是大祭司,在眾召會裏行動,照顧眾召會;啓示錄一章十三節描述基督爲大祭司,就如祂的長袍所顯示的,這長袍直垂到腳,乃是祭司袍。(出二八33 〜35。)

週 六

2 啓示錄八章啓示基督是把香獻在金壇上的祭司:『另一位天使拿着金香爐,來站在祭壇旁邊,有許多香賜給祂,好同眾聖徒的禱告獻在寶座前的金壇上。』(3。)

3 舊約裏的大祭司豫表基督是我們的大祭司;按照出埃及記,大祭司在他的肩上和心上擔負以色列十二支派的名字,在神面前擔負神選民的名字—二八9 〜10,12,21,29:

a 今天基督是我們的大祭司,我們在祂的肩上,也在祂的胸前;祂在諸天裏是用力量擔負我們且用愛托住我們的大祭司。

b 基督作我們的大祭司,也照顧我們;祂『在關於神的事上,成爲憐憫、忠信的大祭司』,(來二17,)就是能同情我們輭弱的大祭司。(四15。)

c 雖然基督作大祭司照顧我們,但對於祂該如何照顧我們,我們都有自己的想法和感覺;然而,究竟甚麼對我們有益,這不在於我們的解釋,乃在於主的解釋—羅八 28 〜29。d 升天的基督不僅顧到我們和我們的利益,祂也顧到神的願望;祂這位大祭司,顧到神的需要,過於我們的需要。

e 主這位大祭司,建立燈臺並修剪燈盞以彰顯神;(啓一13,二1;)這工作包括祂造就聖徒並建造召會,作耶穌活的見證。

4 主這位在諸天裏的大祭司,是更美之約的保證和中保,執行者—來七22,八6,九15-17:

a 新約乃是給我們承受的新遺囑;這遺囑有許多遺贈,全是給眾召會神聖的福分。

b 基督受死,立了遺囑,復活成了遺囑之遺贈的實際,現今祂且在諸天裏作遺贈給我們之遺囑活的執行者。(賽四二6。)

c 新約裏的每一項福分(弗一3,加三14)都是一項遺贈,由活着、復活、升天的基督應用到我們身上。

d 基督在諸天裏的職事有一個目標—新耶路撒冷;新耶路撒冷乃是基督在祂升天裏工作的完成。

Morning Nourishment-The Experience, Growth, And Ministry Of Life For The Body(W2-6)

WEEK 2 — DAY 6

Morning Nourishment

2 Cor. 10:13-14 "But we will not boast beyond our measure but according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure has apportioned to us, to reach even as far as you. For we are not extending ourselves beyond our bounds, as if we did not reach you, for we were the first to
come even as far as unto you in the gospel of Christ."

   [In 2 Corinthians 10:13] the apostle is bold, but he is not bold without limit. This shows that he is under the restriction of the Lord. His boasting is according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure, the ruling God, has apportioned to him. Paul's ministry to the Gentile world, including Corinth, was according to the measure of God (Eph. 3:1-2, 8; Gal. 2:8).

   We should never boast without measure. In giving a testimony of what we have learned of the Lord, we should have a limit, a measure. The word measure in 2 Corinthians 12:13 indicates being ruled by God. God has allotted us just so much for our work and experience. Furthermore, He has given us just so much to enjoy. Therefore, when we give a testimony about our work, experience, or enjoyment of the Lord, we must testify within measure, that is, within a certain limit. (Life-study of2 Corinthians,p. 447)

Today's Reading

   From 2 Corinthians 10:13, 14, and 15 we see that although we expect the Lord's work to spread, we must learn how to be under God's restriction. Do not expect
a spread that is without measure. That kind of spread would certainly not be within the limit of a walk according to Spirit. From experience we can testify that if we spread the work according to the Spirit, there will always be a certain limit.Inwardly we shall have the consciousness that the Lord intends to spread the work only to a certain extent. Furthermore, outwardly, in the environment, the Lord may cause matters to restrict the spread of the work. Therefore, inwardly we do not have the peace to spread the work beyond a certain point, and outwardly the environment does not allow us to go beyond a particular boundary line.

   The Lord is especially interested in restricting the young people. If the young ones do not have a heart to serve the Lord, He will stir them up to serve Him.But once they have been stirred up, He will limit them. Human nature does not like this kind of limitation....God's way, however, is first to speed us up and then to slow us down, first to raise us up and then to lower us down....Many young people cannot tolerate God's ups and downs. After a few of these ups and downs, they want to quit....God does not want us to be always up or to be always down. Even in nature the alternating of day and night testifies of this.

   Some young people have been brought down by their married life. Before a particular brother was married, he may have been like an eagle soaring in the air.He could easily talk about the wonderful, glorious church life. But not long after his wedding, it seems that the church life is no longer glorious. God is using his marriage to calm down such an excited brother. In some cases, such a brother may stay down for a long period of time after his marriage. But eventually he is up again,although not in the same excited way as before. This is a sign of improvement.

   We need to know our limitation, our jurisdiction, and not go beyond it into others' territory. Like Paul, we should move and act according to our rule, that is, according to how much God has measured to us.

   I encourage the young people especially to study this portion of the Word and learn from it how to conduct themselves in the church service and how to move in the Lord's recovery. Young people, you must know your rule, your limit...This restriction, this limitation, is a very practical dealing with our flesh. Our natural man wants to be without limitation. However, God knows our problem. Therefore, He sets up boundaries and restrictions so that we may stay within the measure He has apportioned to us. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 448-450, 452-453)

Further Reading: Life-study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 51

晨興聖言─進入生命經歷第四層, 達到長成的人以完成神的定旨(W2-6)

第二週 ‧ 週六

晨興餧養

林後十13〜14『我們卻不要過了度量誇口,只要照度量的神所分給我們尺度的度量誇口,這度量甚至遠達你們。我們並非過度伸展自己,好像達不到你們,因爲在基督的福音上,我們是最先來的,甚至遠及你們。』

   〔在林後十章十三節,〕使徒是勇敢的,但不是沒有界限的。這表明他是在主的限制之下。他的誇口是照着度量的神,管治的神,所分給他的度量誇口。保羅向外邦世界(包括哥林多)的職事,是照着神的度量(弗三1 〜2、8,加二8)。

   我們不該過了度量誇口。當我們見證我們從主所學的功課時,該受限制,有分寸。林後十章十三節的度量一辭,指明受神的管治。我們的工作和經歷都是照神所分給 我們尺度的度量。不僅如此,祂給我們的享受也是有尺度的。因此,當我們說到自己的工作和經歷,或對主的享受時,我們必須是在度量之內作見證,也就是說,在 一定的限度之內作見證(哥林多後書生命讀經,五二六至五二七頁)。

信息選讀

   我們從林後十章十三、十四、十五節看見,雖然我們期望主的工作開展,但我們必須學習如何受神的約束。不要期望無限度的開展。那種開展必定不是在照着那靈而 行的限制之內。我們從經歷中能見證,我們若照着那靈而開展工作,就一直有某種限制。我們裏面會感覺到,主擴展祂的工作只是要到某一程度。不僅如此,主會在 外面興起環境來限制工作的開展。所以,當我們越過了某種界限去開展主的工作,我們裏面就沒有平安,外面的環境也不容我們越過界限。

   主特別喜歡約束年輕人。如果年輕人無心事奉,主會挑旺他們事奉祂。但等他們被挑旺之後,祂又會限制他們。人天然的性情不喜歡這種限制。…但神的原則乃是先 叫我們快起來,又使我們慢下去;先興起我們來,又使我們降下。…許多年輕人受不了神的上上下下。幾番上上下下,他們就想逃了。…神不要我們一直在上,或一 直在下。甚至在自然界,日夜的轉換也證實這事。

   有些年輕人被他們的婚姻生活帶到低處。某位弟兄在婚前可能像飛鷹翱翔在空中。他很容易談到美妙而榮耀的召會生活。但是結婚沒有多久,召會生活就不再榮耀 了。神用婚姻生活來使這位興奮的弟兄冷靜下來。有些弟兄婚後就這樣在低處沉寂了很長一段時間。但最終他會起來,只是不像從前那樣衝動了。這是長進的現象。

   我們必須知道自己的限度,自己的屬區,而不越過到別人的區域。像保羅一樣,我們該照着我們的尺度行動、行事;也就是說,只照着神量給我們的度量行動、行事。

   我鼓勵青年聖徒特別要研讀這一段話,從中學習如何在召會的事奉中行事,並如何在主的恢復裏行動。青年人,你們必須知道自己的尺度、界限。這意思是說,你們 必須知道神所量給你們的度量有多少,範圍有多大。這樣的約束和限制,對於我們的肉體是非常實際的對付。我們天然的人喜歡無拘無束。但神知道我們的難處,所 以給我們一些限制和約束,好叫我們留在祂所分給我們的度量之內(哥林多後書生命讀經,五二八至五三○、五三三至五三四頁)。

   參讀:哥林多後書生命讀經,第五十一篇。

2013/10/18

屬靈書報導讀(219) 生命樹與善惡樹的異象(第一至二篇)

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生命樹與善惡樹的異象(第一至二篇)

本書收錄李常受弟兄與同工們的交通,原刊於一九五八年『話語職事』,今彙集為單行本。本系列依據內容推斷,應係一九五八年,關於如何享受神的特別訓練之後,在台北同工聚會所釋放的談話記錄。

信息內容
第一篇信息向我們開啟『生命樹的異象控制全本聖經』,第二篇陳明『神要人直接接觸生命樹,享受祂作生命』。

真理要點
一、創世記頭兩章和啟示錄末兩章首尾一貫,神在宇宙中工作的計畫和完成,都包 含在這四章聖經裏。創世記頭兩章只講四件事,就是生命、形像、權柄和新婦。這四件事中,生命是獨一的『因』,其他三者都是『果』。這將神的心意描繪出來, 神要以食物的方式進到人裏面,作人的生命,正如神把受造的亞當擺在生命樹跟前所表明的。人這樣與神調和,就會有以下結果:第一,人有神的形像,作神的表 彰;第二,人要作神掌權的憑藉,能服神權柄,為神掌權;第三,人要成為神的新婦,而與神聯合。

二、到了創世記三章,神的對頭撒但進來,把罪帶到人裏面。於是從三章開始,有 一個大的轉彎,轉出去了。在那條岔出去的線上,撒但進來,帶進罪惡,產生肉體和世界,至終的結局就是死。從創世記三章直到啟示錄二十章,都是關乎神和這五 件事爭鬥的歷史。到聖經末了,神審判罪惡、肉體、世界和撒但,至終毀壞了死。這時,那條岔出去的線纔又轉回來,神的計畫終告完成。

三、啟示錄末兩章裏,有好些東西是創世記頭兩章沒有的。因為在創世記頭兩章, 罪還沒有進來。神所造的人,並不需要贖罪稱義;因此那裏有創造的神,有與人發生關係的耶和華就彀了。然而,到啟示錄末兩章,我們不僅看見耶和華神,更看見 神和羔羊(二一22~23,二二1,3)。創世記頭二章裏的神,還沒有成為肉體、釘死、復活,進到人裏面,把人帶到祂裏面;啟示錄末了二章,神已經過過 程,解決一切消極的難處,並且復活,化身為靈,得以進到人裏面與人調和。

生命經歷
一、我們必須看見,生命樹足彀應付我們一切的需要;這是惟一的因。當這一個『因』在我們裏頭有了地位,我們定規是神的彰顯,有神的形像;我們也定規是神的憑藉,能為神掌權;並且我們定規是神的配偶,能與神聯合。這些都是自然而有的『結果』。

二、我們需要看見神已經解決人身上的難處,無須人自己去對付;這些都是創世記 三章到啟示錄二十章裏的大彎。我們要看見,已經有一條捷徑擺在我們面前,這條捷徑就是主自己。主在約翰福音十四章說,『我就是道路』(6)。藉著成為肉 體,主把祂自己帶到人裏頭,與人聯合,經過死,解決一切與祂相反的事物;然後從死裏復活,進到榮耀裏,又化身靈,進到人裏面。今天,人只要吸取祂,享受 祂,就能經歷與主同死,也能經歷與主同活;這就是一條捷徑。

三、今天我們要看見,不需要轉彎,只需要作一個喫神、喝神、享受神作生命的 人;這是一條筆直的路。我們不必想到罪惡的問題、世界的問題、肉體的問題,我們只要把神接受進來,這一位神裏面有相當的成分,在消極方面為我們解決一切難 處,並在積極方面為我們成全神永遠的心意,就是使我們有神的形像,表彰祂;服神的權柄,為祂掌權;作神的配偶,與祂聯合。

問題研討
一、創世記頭兩章中那四件重要的事,將神的心意描繪出來?

二、我們對付罪惡、肉體、世界等難處的道路為何?

三、為解決難處並成全神心意,我們該作怎樣的人?
下期豫告:生命樹與善惡樹的異象(第三至四篇)

『主在亞洲的行動』特會報導--在一道獨一的生命水流中,生機的擴長獨一的宇宙真葡萄樹

今年秋季『主在亞洲的行動』特會,於九月二十九日至十月一日在泰國曼谷舉行。特會總題為『在一道獨一的生命水流中,生機的擴長獨一的宇宙真葡萄樹』。聖徒參與情形踴躍,與會人數超過七百三十位,分別來自三十個國家。
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弟兄們強調,在聖經裏只有一道神聖的水流;這道歷經所有世代一直在湧流的神聖 水流,是獨一無二的。無論在歐洲、美洲、非洲,或是在亞洲的開展,都在這一道水流裏。這神聖的水流也是主工作的水流;水流所到之處,就有神的工作。因此我 們在各地開展時,需要問自己:『在我的工作中是否有神聖的水流』?當我們感覺裏面的水流停止時,就需要停下我們的工作,轉向主並向主悔改,好保守自己一直 在這一道流裏。正如詩歌第六百六十二首所說,『榮耀福音向外推廣,乃是生命的湧流』;那裏有湧流,那裏才有真實的開展。

最後一篇信息說出我們要『成全出迎接主來的一代』,基本的原則就是要作出人, 成全青年人走奉獻的路、禱告、追求真理,以及一同事奉。成全青年人極佳之路,就是讓他們出去開展。我們不該盼望先應付自己所在召會的需要,纔為著開展擺上 財物和人力,主的路並非如此。即使我們所在地的財物和人力仍有缺乏,我們還需學習顧到主在全地的需要;當我們顧到全地福音的開展,主也會應付我們的需要。

特會中有來自二十二個亞洲國家的召會,交通他們目前開展的情形,包括孟加拉、柬埔寨、波斯灣六國、印度、寮國、緬甸、巴基斯坦、斯里蘭卡、越南等國。無論外在政治、經濟、宗教、文化條件何其艱難,主行動的水流仍澎湃往前。

特會末了,弟兄們也鼓勵眾弟兄姊妹積極與主配合,為阿富汗、不丹、東帝汶、伊拉克、北韓、馬爾地夫、敘利亞、葉門、以及新幾內亞等尚未有召會見證的國家代禱;並藉著『去』和『給』,應付全亞洲廣大的需要。

秋季國際長老同工暨負責弟兄訓練報導--進入生命經歷第四層,達到長成的人以完成神的定旨

秋季國際長老及負責弟兄訓練於十月三至五日,在泰國曼谷舉行,總題為『進入生命經歷第四層,達到長成的人以完成神的定旨』。來自全球三十三個國家,一千五百多位弟兄們一同有分。

頭一篇信息中,弟兄點出以西結書一章二十六節和創世記一章二十六節的關聯,啟 示神創造人的定旨是要得著一個團體人以彰顯並代表祂,主恢復的目標是要產生一個長成的團體人。而我們若要達到長成的團體人,就必須進入生命經歷的第四層, 屬靈生命最後並最高的一層。第二至六篇信息論到我們在第四層裏的生命經歷,包括:認識身體、認識升天、在生命中作王、從事屬靈爭戰、滿有基督的身量。第七至九篇信息則論到我們如何達到長成的人:接受基督作我們的人位,以及過神人的生活;在一切事上長到基督裏面,照著那在耶穌身上是實際者學基督,以及在心思 的靈裏得以更新;盡神管家的職分,將個人在基督裏成熟的獻上,以及在一個新人的感覺裏實行召會生活。

十月六日之曼谷國際相調特會,主題為『傳揚福音,建立召會,產生一個新人,迎 接主的回來』,各地聖徒約二千位參加。弟兄們啟示我們,為著主的恢復,我們必須將國度福音傳遍居人之地。我們終極的責任乃是活基督,並照著神所命定的方式 聚集、事奉,使我們能成為基督的身體、新人、燈台和新婦。我們也必須看見一個身體和一個新人的異象,這將引進神的國,把君王基督帶回地上。當一個新人得著 成全,那就是主回來的時候,這個得成全的新人要成為新婦。

如此信息對我們實在應時且豐富,與會者無不得加強,異象被拔高,服事也更有動力,我們願往前,作長成的人。
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