Let's Pray:
We believe that what You are doing here will close this age and will bring You in to have a new age, day by day, make them God-men, overcomers.
Hymn: 152
What from Thee can separate me?
Thou wilt love me to the end!
Oh! Thy love is so prevailing,
E'en Thyself with me to blend!
We two one will be for ever;
I am Thine and Thou art mine!
This will be my testimony:
In Thy love we'll ever twine!
Today's Verses and Footnotes: Col. 3:12-4:18
Key Verse:
Col. 3:15 And let the peace of Christ arbitrate in your hearts, to which also you were called in one Body; and be thankful.
Col. 3:16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God.
Life Supply:
In Colossians 3:12—4:6 Paul turns to the matter of the living of the saints in union with Christ. In 3:12-15 he speaks of the necessity of being ruled by the peace of Christ, and in verses 16 and 17, of the word of Christ dwelling in us richly. To live in union with Christ means that in our living we are not apart from Christ.
It is very easy in the church life to offend one another or to make one another unhappy. In the matter of arranging chairs in the meeting hall, a brother may be unhappy if the arrangement is not according to his opinion. But if we open to the Lord when we are offended and tell Him that we love Him, something heavenly will be transmitted into us. Then spontaneously we shall be happy with the one who offended us. This is an example of the peace of Christ arbitrating in our heart. This arbitrating peace preserves the oneness in the church life.
I can testify that often, when I have been unhappy with someone in the church life, I have contacted the Lord and called on His name. Many times I say, “Lord Jesus, I thank You for Your presence, for Your anointing, and for everything You have been to me.” When I give thanks to the Lord in this way, the divine transmission begins to work. After a few minutes, I may be so full that I am beside myself with joy. Then spontaneously I begin to count the one who made me unhappy better than myself. When I see him the next time, I have no problem with him. Because I experience the Lord’s transmission and arbitration, I do not have problems with any of the saints in the Lord’s recovery.
When a local church is first established, the saints may experience a church-life honeymoon. But just as there is no permanent honeymoon in married life, there is no permanent honeymoon in the church life. Friction develops eventually between the saints. This friction causes the wrinkles Paul speaks of in Ephesians 5. If we do not have the peace of Christ arbitrating in us, wrinkles will continue to develop. But if the heavenly transmission supplies us with the divine element, the wrinkles will be removed metabolically. Then instead of friction there will be the arbitrating peace of Christ. (Life-Study of Colossians, pp. 239, 564)
Questions:
1. How is the Christian life a life in union with Christ? (See Col 2:6 note 2)
2. How does the peace of Christ arbitrate in our hearts? (See Col. 3:15 note 3)
3. How does the word of Christ dwell in us richly? (See Col. 3:16 note 1, note 2)
Monday, June 15, 2009
Christ Is All and in All
Let's Pray:
Lord, may we all hear Your voice. We are worthy of nothing. We are nothing, we have nothing, and we can do nothing. But we have You as our everything. Amen.
Hymn: 152
Today's Verses and Footnotes: Col. 2:18-3:11
Key Verse:
Col. 3:11 Where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all.
Filling the Blanks:
In the new man there is room only for ( ). He is all the members of the new man and in all the members. He is ( ) in the new man. Actually, He is the( ), His Body (1 Cor. 12:12). In the new man He is the ( ) and universality. He is the constituent of the new man, and He is all in all in the new man. (See Col. 3:11 note 9)
Lord, may we all hear Your voice. We are worthy of nothing. We are nothing, we have nothing, and we can do nothing. But we have You as our everything. Amen.
Hymn: 152
Today's Verses and Footnotes: Col. 2:18-3:11
Key Verse:
Col. 3:11 Where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all.
Filling the Blanks:
In the new man there is room only for ( ). He is all the members of the new man and in all the members. He is ( ) in the new man. Actually, He is the( ), His Body (1 Cor. 12:12). In the new man He is the ( ) and universality. He is the constituent of the new man, and He is all in all in the new man. (See Col. 3:11 note 9)
Friday, June 12, 2009
Having Been Rooted and Being Built Up in Him
Let's Pray:
Father, we extol You. It is of Your sovereignty that we can blend together. It is our blessing, our growing, our increasing and our building. It is everything to us.
Hymn: 152
Today's Verses and Footnotes: Col. 2:1-17
Key Verse:
Col. 2:6 As therefore you have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in Him,
Col. 2:7 Having been rooted and being built up in Him, and being established in the faith even as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Filling the Blanks:
Like plants, we are living ( ). As such, we have been rooted in ( ), our soil, our earth, that we may absorb all His riches as ( ). These riches become the element and substance with which we grow and are ( ). To be rooted is for the growth in life. This rooting has been completed already. To be built up is for the building of the Body of Christ. This is still going on. Both these matters are in Christ. (See Col. 2:7 note 1)
Father, we extol You. It is of Your sovereignty that we can blend together. It is our blessing, our growing, our increasing and our building. It is everything to us.
Hymn: 152
Today's Verses and Footnotes: Col. 2:1-17
Key Verse:
Col. 2:6 As therefore you have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in Him,
Col. 2:7 Having been rooted and being built up in Him, and being established in the faith even as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
Filling the Blanks:
Like plants, we are living ( ). As such, we have been rooted in ( ), our soil, our earth, that we may absorb all His riches as ( ). These riches become the element and substance with which we grow and are ( ). To be rooted is for the growth in life. This rooting has been completed already. To be built up is for the building of the Body of Christ. This is still going on. Both these matters are in Christ. (See Col. 2:7 note 1)
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Christ in You, the Hope of Glory
Let's Pray:
O Lord Jesus, we tell You again that we love You. We treasure You. May Your name be exalted by the nations. May Your kingdom come, and may Your glory be manifested.
Hymn: 152
Today's Verses and Footnotes: Col. 1:15-29
Key Verse:
Col. 1:27 To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Filling the Blanks:
( ), who dwells in our spirit to be our life and person, is our ( ) of glory. When He comes, we will be glorified in Him. This indicates that the ( ) Christ will saturate our entire being that our ( ) may be transfigured and conformed to the body of His glory (Phil. 3:21). (See Col. 1:27 note 3)
O Lord Jesus, we tell You again that we love You. We treasure You. May Your name be exalted by the nations. May Your kingdom come, and may Your glory be manifested.
Hymn: 152
Today's Verses and Footnotes: Col. 1:15-29
Key Verse:
Col. 1:27 To whom God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Filling the Blanks:
( ), who dwells in our spirit to be our life and person, is our ( ) of glory. When He comes, we will be glorified in Him. This indicates that the ( ) Christ will saturate our entire being that our ( ) may be transfigured and conformed to the body of His glory (Phil. 3:21). (See Col. 1:27 note 3)
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
The Father Has Qualified You for a Share of the Allotted Portion of the Saints
Let's Pray:
Oh, Lord, We do love You; we love You with Your love. We are in Your love. Here we have the oneness, the oneness of the Triune God. Oh, what a wonder and what a blessing!
Hymn: 152
Today's Verses and Footnotes: Col. 1:1-14
Key Verse:
Col. 1:12 Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light.
Filling the Blanks:
God the Father has qualified us by the ( ) of God the Son and through the ( ) of God the Spirit for a share of the all-inclusive ( ) , the very embodiment of the processed Triune God, as the allotted ( ) of the saints.
This refers to the lot of the inheritance, as illustrated by the allotment of the good land of ( ) given to the children of Israel for their inheritance (Josh. 14:1). The New Testament believers' inheritance, their allotted portion, is not a physical( ) ; it is the all-inclusive ( ) . He is the allotted ( ) of the saints as their divine inheritance for their ( ) . (See Col. 1:12 note 1, note 2)
Oh, Lord, We do love You; we love You with Your love. We are in Your love. Here we have the oneness, the oneness of the Triune God. Oh, what a wonder and what a blessing!
Hymn: 152
Today's Verses and Footnotes: Col. 1:1-14
Key Verse:
Col. 1:12 Giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you for a share of the allotted portion of the saints in the light.
Filling the Blanks:
God the Father has qualified us by the ( ) of God the Son and through the ( ) of God the Spirit for a share of the all-inclusive ( ) , the very embodiment of the processed Triune God, as the allotted ( ) of the saints.
This refers to the lot of the inheritance, as illustrated by the allotment of the good land of ( ) given to the children of Israel for their inheritance (Josh. 14:1). The New Testament believers' inheritance, their allotted portion, is not a physical( ) ; it is the all-inclusive ( ) . He is the allotted ( ) of the saints as their divine inheritance for their ( ) . (See Col. 1:12 note 1, note 2)
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
I Am Able to Do All Things in Him Who Empowers Me
Let's Pray:
Lord, be gracious to us, and pour Yourself out upon us and into us that we would have good fellowship in You and receive the best supply from You.
Hymn: 152
Today's Verses and Footnotes: Phil. 4:10-23
Key Verse:
Phil. 4:23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Filling the Blanks
This book, which is concerned with the experience of Christ, points out to us at the beginning, in ch. 1, that it is the ( ) supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ that enables us to live Christ, even to ( ) Christ under any circumstances, that we may enjoy Him as the uttermost ( ) . Here, at the end of the book, we are told that our experience and enjoyment of Christ must take place in our ( ) , which has been regenerated to be the dwelling place and vessel of the Triune God. Therefore, this is altogether a matter of the union and mingling of the processed Triune God, who has become the all-inclusive, ( ) Spirit, and the spirit of us, the tripartite men, who are being ( ) by such a Spirit. (See Phil. 4:23 note 2)
Lord, be gracious to us, and pour Yourself out upon us and into us that we would have good fellowship in You and receive the best supply from You.
Hymn: 152
Today's Verses and Footnotes: Phil. 4:10-23
Key Verse:
Phil. 4:23 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.
Filling the Blanks
This book, which is concerned with the experience of Christ, points out to us at the beginning, in ch. 1, that it is the ( ) supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ that enables us to live Christ, even to ( ) Christ under any circumstances, that we may enjoy Him as the uttermost ( ) . Here, at the end of the book, we are told that our experience and enjoyment of Christ must take place in our ( ) , which has been regenerated to be the dwelling place and vessel of the Triune God. Therefore, this is altogether a matter of the union and mingling of the processed Triune God, who has become the all-inclusive, ( ) Spirit, and the spirit of us, the tripartite men, who are being ( ) by such a Spirit. (See Phil. 4:23 note 2)
Monday, June 8, 2009
In Nothing Be Anxious
Let's Pray:
We thank You that You cleanse us with Your precious blood. We trust in this cleansing that we might be kept in the fellowship with You, dear Lord¡ªthe Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
Hymn: 152
Today's Verses and Footnotes: Phil. 3:17-4:9
Key Verse:
Phil. 4:6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Phil. 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every man's understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Filling the Blanks:
The result of practicing fellowship with God in prayer is that we enjoy the ( ) of God. The peace of God is actually ( ) as peace (v. 9) ( ) into us through our fellowship with Him by prayer, as the counterpoise to troubles and the antidote to ( ).(See Phil. 4:7 note 1)
We thank You that You cleanse us with Your precious blood. We trust in this cleansing that we might be kept in the fellowship with You, dear Lord¡ªthe Father, the Son, and the Spirit.
Hymn: 152
Today's Verses and Footnotes: Phil. 3:17-4:9
Key Verse:
Phil. 4:6 In nothing be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
Phil. 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses every man's understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.
Filling the Blanks:
The result of practicing fellowship with God in prayer is that we enjoy the ( ) of God. The peace of God is actually ( ) as peace (v. 9) ( ) into us through our fellowship with Him by prayer, as the counterpoise to troubles and the antidote to ( ).(See Phil. 4:7 note 1)
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