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Scripture Reading: Num. 24:17; Matt. 2:2, 9-10; 2 Pet. 1:19; Rev. 2:28; 22:16b-17a; 1:16a, 20; 2:1; 3:1; Dan. 12:3; Jude 12-13; Matt. 13:43a
The matter of the star is not only in the book of Matthew. All the main things of the Bible, as a rule, begin in the Old Testament and go right through the New Testament to the end of the Bible. With this matter of the star there is no exception. It is mentioned and revealed first in Numbers 24:17: “There shall come forth a Star out of Jacob.” According to the context of this verse, this Star that comes out of Jacob is Christ. Christ comes as the Star. Then immediately in the very opening of the New Testament, we have the star again. The magi said, “We saw His star at its rising” (Matt. 2:2). They did not say, “We saw a star,” or, “We saw the star,” but, “We saw His star.” No doubt this is the fulfillment of the prophecy in Numbers 24. The Star prophesied in the Old Testament has now come and was shown to these magi. We have seen clearly that the revealing of this star was outside of religion. The Lord God does not care for religion; anything that becomes religious, He will pass by.
The star in Matthew 2 is only the beginning of this matter in the New Testament. If we go to the last book, the book of Revelation, we see two things concerning this matter. The first is that the Lord Jesus is the star, not the evening star but the morning star; second, we see that all the messengers of the churches are stars. Here we should realize that the messengers are not the heavenly beings but the spiritual people who take the spiritual responsibility in the church — they are the stars. In this book we have Christ as the morning star and those faithful followers of Christ in the churches as the stars. Now where is the star? It is so clear that the star today is in the church.
At the beginning of the New Testament the star was outside of religion, but at the end of the New Testament the star is within the church. Have you seen these two ends of the New Testament? If you would see the star today, there is no need for you to look to the sky; there is no need for you to do as those magi did. Today the star is in the church and among the churches. The Root and the Offspring of David, the Son of God as well as the Son of Man, Jesus Christ as the morning star, is walking today among the local churches. Where then should you come to see the star? You should come to the local churches.
If we are for religion, we are through as far as the star is concerned. However, if we are in the genuine local church, praise the Lord, the star is here. So many of us have proved this by our experience: when we were in religion, we simply had the sense of being in darkness, but when the Lord brought us into the local churches, Hallelujah, we saw the star, the brightness of the star. The heavenly star today is in the local churches.
Not only is Christ Himself the star, but also His followers, the shining ones in the churches, are stars. In Acts and the Epistles the leading ones were called elders, but in the last book of the Bible they are the stars. Now it is not a matter of title or position but a matter of shining. All the leading ones of the local churches should be shining stars.
What does it mean to be a star? Daniel 12:3 gives the answer: “Those who have insight will shine like the shining of the heavenly expanse, and those who turn many to righteousness, like the stars, forever and ever.” The stars are those who shine in darkness and turn people from the wrong way to the right way. Now, during the church age, is the time of night. Therefore, we need the shining of the stars. None of the leading ones in the local churches should claim their position; they should not say, “I am one of the elders; you must recognize me.” If they say this, they are in darkness. We need brothers and sisters who shine; we need the shining stars. It is by the shining in today’s darkness that people receive the guidance and are turned from the wrong way to the right way. Anything that is wrong is unrighteousness; whatever is right is righteousness. Those who turn many to righteousness are the stars that shine forever and ever.
In the beginning of the New Testament there was mention of only one star in the heavens, but at the end of the New Testament there are seven stars in seven local churches. In every local church there is a star; in every local church there is something shining, leading people to the right way.
About forty years ago, I was turned from the wrong way to the right way by this star in the local church. So many dear ones today can also testify to this fact; they can say, “Hallelujah, I have seen the star in the local church. It was the star in the church that turned me to the right way.”
How do we have the New Testament service? It is simply by following the star. And where is the star? Praise the Lord that today we are not in the age of Matthew 1 and 2 but in the age of the book of Revelation, in the local churches. Today the star is in the local churches. The Bible ends with this word: “I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright morning star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come!” (Rev. 22:16-17). Today the star is with the Spirit and with the bride. Where the Spirit is, there is the star; where the bride is, where the church is, there is the star.
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 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.” We have the prophetic word, the Bible. However, the prophetic word is not the star; the Bible is not the star. Then what should we do? 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 word used for star here can be translated into English as “phosphorous.” This star is something as phosphorous, bringing light in the darkness. The darker the situation is, the brighter the phosphorous shines. 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.
To have the Bible in our hands is one thing; to give heed to the word until the morning star rises in our heart is another. To have the knowledge of the Bible is one thing, but to have a shining star rising in our spirit is another. To take the way of studying the Bible in a seminary means nothing. What we need today is to take the Word into us, to give heed to the living word until something within rises and shines in our heart. Then we will have the star, and then we will be a star. This is not merely the knowledge about Christ but Christ Himself as the living star.
If there are believers on this earth who love the divine Word, I believe we should be numbered among them. We love the Word, but not in the way of dead letters. We love the Word by giving heed to it until something within is dawning and rising in our heart — not the knowledge, not the written code, but the breaking through of day, the rising of the shining star.
What does this mean in practical experience? Sometimes we may take the Bible, read it, and feel that we receive nothing. Other times, however, when we open our heart and give heed to this prophetic word, something within is shining, rising, dawning, breaking through. While we are pray-reading the verses of the Bible, there is a sense deep within of enlightening, of shining, and this shining creates a love toward the Lord Jesus. We feel that He is so lovable. We could say, “O Lord Jesus, I love You; I do not have words to express how lovely You are!” Many times by this shining we are beside ourselves with love to the Lord Jesus. That is Jesus coming to us as the dawning day, as the morning star rising in our hearts. I am not speaking of something I have learned from others, and I am not boasting; this is my experience. Many times when I was with this holy Word, something has risen within me like the daybreak. Oh, it is wonderful! The situation may not be bright, the surroundings may be full of darkness, but something within is enlightening, shining, filling with glory.
In the days of the magi, the seeing of the star was a miraculous occurrence, but today to see the morning star is only normal and should be our regular experience. Day by day we need to have the morning star rising in our heart. We should not merely read the Bible and not even merely pray-read the Bible; we need to give heed to the prophetic word until the day dawns and the morning star rises in our heart. We need to go on until we reach this point.
Today, therefore, the star comes from the living word. I am so happy that in this verse we have the word and the morning star together. First, we have the word; second, by giving heed to the prophetic word, we have the morning star rising in our heart. If we will simply go along continually with this inner, rising star, we will consistently be in the Spirit. This is the New Testament service.
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.
The Lord said unto Abraham, “I will surely bless you and will greatly multiply your seed like the stars of the heavens and like the sand which is on the seashore” (Gen. 22:17). We Christians, the genuine believers, are the real children of Abraham. We are the stars of the heavens. The Jewish people, the physical descendants, are like the sand which is on the seashore. We all should be the stars. Not only the leaders in the local churches but all of us should be stars. If we read Revelation 2 and 3 again in this light, we will realize that eventually all those in the local churches should be the stars. What the Lord wrote to the seven messengers was what He wrote to the whole church. It is not a matter of teaching, knowledge, title, or position; it is a matter of shining. We need to be the shining stars so that people may find Christ through us. Where is Christ? Come and see. Simply follow the star. And where is the star? Hallelujah, the star is in the local churches. Brothers and sisters, are we really shining? We need to shine in our homes, on our jobs, in our neighborhoods, in the schools, on the campuses. We do not need to teach people so much, and we do not need to do so much preaching. What we need is the shining. The local churches should be full of shining stars.
Let me illustrate a little more and apply what we have been saying. When you go to certain believers or even to one of the great teachers, in some cases you may sense that they are lacking in clarity and transparency. You may sense that with them there is no window, there is no light, and they are opaque. Those persons may have the knowledge of the Bible, but the more they talk with you, the more you feel imprisoned. In other cases, however, perhaps not frequently, you may come to a little brother, and when he speaks with you, he may simply say, “Hallelujah, praise the Lord!” Nevertheless, by those few words something gets into you. The more he speaks with you, the more you sense that all the clouds have vanished and something is shining. Why? Because this dear little brother is a shining star. There is no tag attached to him, saying, “I am a heavenly star,” but when you meet him, you simply have the sense of shining.
I believe that many of you know of Brother Watchman Nee. When he was young, he received the greatest help from a sister by the name of Miss M. E. Barber. She was very much devoted to the Lord. Brother Nee told me several times, “When I went to see Miss Barber, many times while I was waiting in her living room, I had the sense that I was in the presence of the Lord.” What is this? This is the star of the church. Perhaps when you come to such a person, he could not say much, and he could not answer your question. He may say, “I am not clear.” However, though he says he is not clear, you have the sense that you are under the shining. It is not a matter of teaching or instruction. His word may not be clear, but he himself is transparent, and when you are in his presence, you have the sense not only that he is transparent, but that you are made clear.
Let me give you another example. Suppose you come to a brother seeking counsel and advice regarding the matter of marriage. This brother may give you a number of points concerning conditions, requirements, considerations, and instructions. However, the more he speaks, the more you sense that though he has much knowledge, he is opaque. The more he speaks, the more you are in darkness. Another brother, however, may answer that he simply does not know the answer, but while he is speaking, you sense that he is crystal clear. No word can express it, but while you are with him, you begin to be clear, and you know what to do about your marriage. Though this brother tells you nothing, you are enlightened. What is this? This is the presence of the morning star in this brother, making him also a shining star.
I hope that we all could be such stars. Though we may know little of the teachings, though we cannot give people so many instructions, yet when they come to us, they will be enlightened. There is no need to argue with others; be sure that when you argue, you will keep people away. The enlightening does not depend on how much you can say or reason, but upon what you are.
If you are a shining star, who can escape your shining? This is entirely beyond human expression and explanation. It is a matter of the presence of the Lord. If we give heed to the prophetic word, we will have the star rising within us. Then if we are faithful simply to follow the inner, rising star, we will be fully in the Spirit, and eventually we will be the stars in the local churches, not in an objective way but in a very subjective way. Praise the Lord that by His grace we all can be the stars.
Matthew 13:43 tells us, “Then the righteous will shine forth like the sun in the kingdom of their Father.” Today, during the time of the night, we need to function as the stars; but in the coming age of the kingdom, those who shine now as the stars will shine forth like the sun. Now we are the shining stars, but in that day we will be like the sun.
There is also a negative aspect to the stars — the wandering stars. Jude 12 and 13 tell us, “These are the hidden reefs in your love feasts, feasting together with you without fear, shepherding themselves; waterless clouds being carried off by winds; autumn trees without fruit, having died twice, rooted up...wandering stars, for whom the gloom of darkness is kept for eternity.” We should be the stars but not the wandering stars. These are the false leading ones. So many Christians today are not stars; some, however, are stars, but they are wandering stars. There are religious leaders and teachers today who are in this category.
Do you know what a wandering star is? I do not know astronomy, but I can tell you a little. A proper star has a certain position and fixed orbit. It continues in its course steadfastly. However, there are some stars with no fixed position or orbit; they are wandering stars. It seems that some Christians are stars; it seems that they are shining, but their shining is a deception. They are stars, but they are not the steadfast stars. If you follow them, you will be misled; eventually, you will not know where to go. They themselves are wandering: They have no ground; they have no standing; they have no certain way to go on with the Lord. Today they say one thing, and tomorrow they will say something different; they are wandering. We need to be careful. We cannot find Jesus by following a wandering star.
How can we recognize the wandering stars? There are some signs. They are autumn trees without fruit; they are waterless clouds. We need to look for the fruit. The Lord Jesus said that we may know a tree by its fruit (Matt. 7:16-20). If we follow the wandering stars, eventually our portion will be the same as theirs — the gloom of darkness that has been kept for them for eternity.
We need to follow the shining stars, those with a definite standing and a certain course. These are the stable stars, the steadfast ones. If anyone comes to us without a definite standing and a certain course, we should avoid him. The proper standing is the local church, and the right course is to go on in the Spirit in the local church. We should not be a wandering star, and we should not follow a wandering star. We need to take the proper standing and keep ourselves in the right course. If we are wandering, we are wasting our time. If you intend to go to a certain place, you need to get out your map, get on the right road and in the right lane, and as you drive you will reach your destination.
I am not speaking these things lightly. We are aware of today’s confusion. Oh, the dead things! Oh, the frustrations, the distractions of the wandering ones! Anyone who keeps us from the genuine local church and from meeting on the ground of oneness with the Lord’s people is a wandering star. The true stars are those who turn many to righteousness, those who do not lead people astray, but turn them to the right way. Today the way for you and me and for everyone else to find Christ is to see the living star. Hallelujah! Today the star is not far from us — it is with the local churches. Among all the local churches there are some living stars. You simply need to contact them; you need to keep company with them. They will lead you to the place where Jesus is.
May the Lord be merciful to us so that we may always be kept in the right way to serve the Lord, to worship Him, and to offer our love to Him. May the Lord make us all like those magi, following the star to find Christ. Today the living star and the living stars are in the local churches. Let us follow them, and let us each be one of them.
