很多家庭都有一个收藏旧信件的盒子，但它却被放在被遗忘了的角落。这些书信或许会令人想起生命中痛苦和难过的一页，它们也可能是充满欢乐回忆的书信。太太和我也有一个收藏我们恋爱时写的情信的盒子，写了这些书信后，我们便再没有翻阅它们了，但我们总舍不得把它们弃掉。
启示录中有一组写给七个教会的书信，每一封书信都有其独特之处，书信中说明每一个教会群体的质素和特色，这些都是耶稣写给每一个教会群体的情书。
我可以想像到，那七个教会必定会一次又一次读这卷耶稣写给他们的信的，他们也永远舍不得弃掉它。这封信不但指出耶稣认识他们－他们的长处和软弱－它更说明耶稣爱他们。
我们很感恩，这七封书信一直没有丢失。圣灵邀请我们去读这些书信，好叫我们可以欣赏到耶稣写给初期教会群体的话，并且听到耶稣对我们说什么。耶稣吩咐约翰把这些事写下来，也是为了我们的益处。能够收到耶稣写的书信，是多么宝贵的礼物啊！
亲爱的父，惟愿你的圣灵带领我们，在我们向你的教会群体诵读你的书信时，叫我们也听到你在今天对我们说的话。奉耶稣名祈求，阿们。
启示录 1:10-11, 19-20
10当主日，我被圣灵感动，听见在我后面有大声音如吹号说：
11“你所看见的当写在书上，达于以弗所、士每拿、别迦摩、推雅推喇、撒狄、非拉铁非、老底嘉那七个教会。”
19所以你要把所看见的和现在的事，并将来必成的事，都写出来。
20论到你所看见在我右手中的七星和七个金灯台的奥秘，那七星就是七个教会的使者，七灯台就是七个教会。
“Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia and Laodicea.” - Revelation 1:11
Lots of homes have a box of letters from the past stored away in a forgotten corner. The letters may be reminders of a painful chapter in life that was hard to work through. Or perhaps the letters are filled with happy memories. My wife and I have a box of our courtship letters. We have not looked at them since the day they were written, but we can’t part with them.
Revelation includes a set of letters written to seven churches. Each letter is unique, identifying the qualities and characteristics of each church community. These are love letters from Jesus to each of these church communities.
I imagine that each of the seven churches read and reread the letter they received from Jesus and were never able to part with it. The letter revealed not only that Jesus knew them—both their strengths and weaknesses—but also that he loved them.
Thankfully, these seven letters were never thrown away. The Holy Spirit invites us to read them so that we can appreciate what Jesus wrote to the early church communities, and so that we can hear what Jesus is saying to us. Jesus’ command for John to write was for our benefit too. What a gift it is to receive these letters from Jesus!
Dear Father, may your Holy Spirit lead us so that in reading your letters to your church communities we may hear you speak to us today. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
