当幕布拉开，一件新的艺术作品展现在众人面前时，人们会报以赞赏和掌声。原本神秘的事物被揭开了面纱。
在启示录中也发生了类似的事情。神拉开了掩盖耶稣基督已完成工作的帷幕。在这里，神向基督里的信徒揭示了他们安慰、勇气和盼望的源泉。主最初通过天使的工作向使徒约翰——耶稣最亲密的追随者之一——启示了这一切。约翰见证说，这与他作为耶稣的一个门徒所亲眼目睹的是一致的。
在启示录第一章中，约翰写到了历代教会的主，包括启示录第2-3章中提到的七个教会。这位主就是耶稣基督。
这个见证引导我们今天继续作耶稣的教会。教会需要认识她的主和王，祂同时也是这个世界和所有受造物的主和王。
教会必须摒弃一切与神的话语和旨意相悖的东西，坚持一切公义、真实和美好的东西。启示录第2-3章中的七个教会需要这一信息，基督的教会在2024年也需要这一信息。
耶稣君王，你是教会的主，也是全世界的主。请装备我们跟随你。阿们。
启示录 1:1-3；22:16
1耶稣基督的启示，就是神赐给他，叫他将必要快成的事指示他的众仆人。他就差遣使者晓谕他的仆人约翰。
2约翰便将神的道和耶稣基督的见证，凡自己所看见的都证明出来。
3念这书上预言的和那些听见又遵守其中所记载的，都是有福的，因为日期近了。
16“我耶稣差遣我的使者为众教会将这些事向你们证明。我是大卫的根，又是
他的后裔；我是明亮的晨星。”
"The revelation from Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant John, who testifies to everything he saw—that is, the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
When a curtain is pulled back to reveal a new work of art, the assembled crowd responds with appreciation and applause. Something that was a mystery is made known.
A similar thing happens in the book of Revelation. God pulls back a curtain that has been concealing the finished work of Jesus Christ. Here God reveals to believers in Christ the source of their comfort, courage, and hope. The Lord initially revealed all of this to the apostle John, one of Jesus' closest followers, through the work of an angel. And John testifies that this aligns with what he witnessed first¬hand as one of Jesus' disciples.
In chapter one of Revelation, John writes about the Lord of the church of all ages, including the seven churches addressed in Revelation 2-3. And that Lord is Jesus Christ.
This testimony guides us to continue as the church of Jesus today. The church needs to know its Lord and King, who at the same time is Lord and King over this world and all creation.
Rejecting all that contradicts God's Word and God's will, the church must stand for all that is righteous, true, and good. The seven churches in Revelation 2-3 needed that message, and so does the church of Christ in 2024.
King Jesus, you are the Lord of your church and of the whole world. Equip us to follow you. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳
