Scripture Reading: Col. 1:15, 18; 3:4, 10-11, 17; Rev. 2:4; Dan. 7:9-10

DAY 1 Outline　MorningRevival

DAY 2 Outline　MorningRevival

DAY 3 Outline　MorningRevival

DAY 4 Outline　MorningRevival

DAY 5 Outline　MorningRevival

DAY 6 Outline　MorningRevival

«　WEEK 3　DAY 1　»

　　Dan. 7:9-10 ...And the Ancient of Days sat down. His clothing was like white snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool; His throne was flames of fire, its wheels, burning fire. A stream of fire issued forth and came out from before Him. Thousands of thousands ministered to Him, and ten thousands of ten thousands stood before Him...

　　The book of Daniel... reveals that it is through their environment that Christ becomes the centrality and universality of God’s elect. Through the nations as the environment, in the coming days God will eventually make Christ the centrality and universality of Israel. The principle is the same with us today. In this present age of mystery, which is not revealed in Daniel, God is using the environment to make Christ the centrality and universality to us.

　　We are not simple. On the one hand, we, the believers in Christ, are God’s elect; on the other hand, we are parts of the old creation.... As God’s elect, we need Christ to be wrought into us as our centrality and universality. However, the old creation in us is sometimes a beast [as in Daniel 7] and at other times a Nebuchadnezzar or an Antichrist seeking to defeat, capture, possess, and utilize God’s elect. Since we are complicated in this way, we also need to be a Daniel and open our windows toward Jerusalem and pray that Christ will come in to cut off, to terminate, everything in us that is natural and part of the old creation. (Life-study of Daniel, p. 76)

　　Christ becomes our centrality and universality by His appearing in two aspects. First, He has come to terminate us as the old creation and then to germinate us as the new creation. Second, He will come to clear away all the beasts. Depending on our culture and nationality, we all have our own beasts. Those from one part of the world have one kind of beast, and those from another part have a different kind of beast. We need Christ to receive the kingdom from God and come to crush all the beasts and then to become a great mountain that comprises us and that fills the whole earth to be the kingdom of God. By terminating and germinating us and by crushing all the beasts in us, Christ is wrought into our being to become our centrality and universality.

　　The book of Daniel covers three crucial matters: God’s heavenly rule, the preeminence of Christ, and the portion of God’s people. In His economy God administrates the universe in order to fulfill His purpose. His purpose is to give Christ the preeminence in all things.... For Christ to be the preeminent One, God needs a people. Apart from God’s having a people, there is no way for Christ to be made preeminent.

　　As those who have been chosen by God to be His people for Christ’s preeminence, we are under God’s heavenly rule. Concerning this, the principle is the same both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. Under God’s heavenly rule, everything is working together for our good (Rom. 8:28). This is especially true of the things in our personal universe. Our universe includes ourselves, our families, and the church. In our universe many things happen day by day for the purpose of making Christ preeminent. We need to realize this and be submissive to God’s heavenly rule.

　　The earth is under the rule of a heavenly administration [cf. Dan. 4:26]. The heavens rule for us, and Christ is for us. Furthermore, we are under God’s heavenly rule for Christ. The purpose of the heavenly ruling is to complete God’s elect so that Christ may be preeminent, that He may be the first—the centrality—and everything—the universality. (Life-study of Daniel, pp. 76-78)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Daniel, msg. 12; CWWL, 1978, vol. 3, “The Recovery of Christ as Everything in the Church,” ch. 6

«　WEEK 3　DAY 2　»

　　Phil. 2:9 ...God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name.

　　Eph. 1:22 And He subjected all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church.

　　Our God is triune. He is one yet three, and He is three but still one....Among the three in the Godhead, the preeminence always goes to the second, the Son. The first, the Father, always exalts the Son (Phil. 2:9); and the third, the Spirit, always testifies concerning the Son (John 15:26).

　　Christ has the first place in all things; for in Him all the fullness was pleased to dwell (Col. 1:18b-19). The fullness was pleased. This indicates that the fullness must be a person. He felt happy to dwell in Jesus the Nazarene. All the fullness refers to all the matters, all the things, and all the persons involved in and with the Godhead....Our God is very wonderful. He is one God, yet His Godhead is in three. All the fullness of the Godhead was pleased to dwell in Christ (Col. 1:19; 2:9). (CWWL, 1990, vol. 2, “Messages to the Trainees in Fall 1990,” pp. 559-560)

　　In God’s old creation Christ is the Firstborn of all creation (Col. 1:15b). He is the first item of God’s creation. Christ as God is the Creator. However, as man, sharing the created blood and flesh (Heb. 2:14a), He is part of the creation, having the preeminence in all creation.

　　In God’s new creation in resurrection, Christ is the Firstborn from the dead (Col. 1:18b). Christ is the first in resurrection as the Head of the Body, having the first place in the church. Some may argue that we cannot say that Jesus was the first in resurrection because others in both the Old and New Testaments were resurrected before Him (2 Kings 4:32-37; John 11:41-44). But all these other resurrections were not something that involved divinity. Those resurrected people, such as Lazarus, died again. But Jesus, once resurrected, will live forever; He will never die again. Therefore, He has the preeminence. Christ as the firstfruits of resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20) is the Firstborn from the dead to be the Firstborn among many brothers (Rom. 8:29) and the Head of the Body (Col. 1:18; Eph. 1:20-23).

　　We can also see the preeminence of Christ in God’s exaltation.... Christ has been exalted to the right hand of God in the third heaven (Acts 2:33a). It took a tremendous amount of power to land a man on the moon, but that was very insignificant compared to the power it took to raise Christ from the dead and seat Him at the right hand of God (Eph. 1:19-20).

　　In God’s exaltation of Christ, He has been given to be Head over all things (v. 22b). Jesus today has been ordained and appointed by God to be the Head of the entire universe. God has also given Him the name above every name (Phil. 2:9b). Since the Lord’s ascension there has never been a name on this earth above the name of Jesus. Even the entire human race is under the calendar of Jesus. According to history, the one whose calendar you use is the one to whom you are in subjection. If anyone used the calendar of a certain king, he would have to be under the rule of that king. People today refer to our calendar as an international calendar, but actually it is the calendar of Christ. In this way they unconsciously admit that He is their Ruler. He is the One whose name is above every name.

　　Christ has the preeminence in the church, being the Head of the Body, the church (Col. 1:18a). Christ is the unique Head, and the preeminence belongs to Him only. (CWWL, 1990, vol. 2, “Messages to the Trainees in Fall 1990,” pp. 560-562)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1990, vol. 2, “Messages to the Trainees in Fall 1990,” ch. 18; CWWL, 1983, vol. 1, “The Five Great Mysteries in the Bible,” ch. 3; CWWL, 1961-1962, vol. 3, “The Purpose of God’s Salvation,” ch. 1

«　WEEK 3　DAY 3　»

　　Col. 1:15 Who is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation.

　　18 ...He is the Head of the Body, the church; He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that He Himself might have the first place in all things.

　　In both the old creation and the new creation Christ is the first and occupies the first place, the place of preeminence.... If we see this as a vision, not as a mere doctrine, our living and our church life will be revolutionized.

　　In the Bible to be the first is to be all. Since Christ is the first both in the universe and in the church, He must be all things in the universe and the church. As the first, He is all. God’s way of reckoning in this matter is different from ours. According to our estimation, if Christ is the first, then something else should be the second, third, and others in sequence. However, from God’s point of view, for Christ to be the first means that He is all. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 74-75)

　　The first Adam included not only Adam as an individual, but all of mankind. In the same principle, in the eyes of God, the firstborn of the Egyptians included all the Egyptians. The firstborn includes all. Therefore, for Christ to be the Firstborn in the universe means that He is everything in the universe. In like manner, for Christ to be the Firstborn in resurrection means that He is everything in resurrection. For Christ to be the Firstborn both of the old creation and of the new creation means that He is everything both in the old creation and in the new creation. This corresponds to Paul’s word in Colossians 3:11, where he says that in the new man, in the new creation, “there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all.” In the new man Christ is everyone and in everyone. In the new creation there is room only for Christ.

　　This Christ is the image of God, the full expression of God. He is not the hidden God, the concealed, mysterious God; He is God expressed, the image of the invisible God. Furthermore, He is the first among God’s creation. As we have pointed out, this indicates that He is everything. He is the Alpha, the Omega, and all the letters in between (Rev. 22:13).

　　Perhaps you are wondering how this understanding of Christ can help you in a practical way. If for a period of thirty days you are occupied with the revelation of Christ in Colossians, you will be revolutionized, reconstituted, and transformed. Pray over these messages on Colossians and have fellowship concerning them....When you see this vision, you will hate everything that issues from the self. You will despise not only your hatred, but even your love, kindness, and patience. As this vision causes you to hate the self, it will constrain you to love the Lord. You will say, “Lord Jesus, I love You because You are everything. Lord, there is no need for me to struggle or strive to do anything. O Lord, You are so much to me. You are God, You are the Firstborn of all creation, and You are the Firstborn from among the dead.” I suggest that you pray-read Colossians for thirty days. Pray until all the aspects of Christ revealed in this book saturate your being. We do not need regulations or teachings—we need to be infused and saturated with Christ as the all-inclusive One.

　　If Christ is infused into you, you will drop everything that is not Christ, and you will be constituted with Christ in your very being. Religion gives people doctrines and teaches them how to behave. The book of Colossians, on the contrary, speaks of the all-inclusive Christ. This Christ is already in us, but we need to see Him, know Him, be filled with Him, be saturated with Him, and become absolutely one with Him. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 75-77)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msg. 9; The Conclusion of the New Testament, msgs. 24-25,30,353; CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 3, “Fellowship concerning the Urgent Need of the Vital Groups,” ch. 12

«　WEEK 3　DAY 4　»

　　Rev. 2:4 But I have one thing against you, that you have left your first love.

　　2 Tim. 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, with which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will recompense me in that day, and not only me but also all those who have loved His appearing.

　　What was the cause of the desolation of [the temple], God’s house? Apparently it was because the children of Israel were evil and sinful. However, the intrinsic reason for the desolation was that Christ was not exalted by God’s people; they did not give Him the preeminence, the first place, in everything. Actually their failure to give Christ the preeminence, their failure to honor and exalt Him, was the cause of their becoming sinful and evil.

　　The principle is the same with us in the church life today. If we do not love Christ with our first love, giving Him the first place in everything that He may have the preeminence among us, the church will become desolate. The desolation of the church as the house of God always issues from the negligence of the experience of Christ. (Life-study of the Psalms, pp. 352-353)

　　The problem of desolation is solved by Christ being properly appreciated and exalted by God’s people. Recently the church in Anaheim has been praying for revival. If all the saints in Anaheim would give Christ the preeminence, exalting Him to the uttermost and loving Him with the first love, there would be a genuine revival. The real revival in the church depends upon everyone in the church life giving Christ the first place in everything.

　　[Psalm 80:17 says], “Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, / Upon the son of man whom You have strengthened for Yourself.” From this verse we see that Christ is at the right hand of God, the highest place in the universe. This reveals that the first place, the highest position, the preeminence, has been given to Christ.

　　The way of restoration is the exaltation of Christ. Whenever God’s people exalt Christ, there will be restoration and revival.... If a church is somewhat cold and old and desires revival, that church should give Christ the preeminence, recognizing Him as the One who is at the right hand of God.... Whoever calls upon Him as such a One will be restored and revived. In our private life, married life, family life, and church life, Christ needs to be at the right hand of God. If He is exalted in every aspect of our living, there will be restoration everywhere. Exalting Christ is the way for revival, for restoration.

　　According to Psalm 80, the vine is Israel and the man at God’s right hand is Christ. The world rejected Christ and put Him on the cross, but God came in to raise Him from among the dead and to seat Him at God’s right hand in the heavens. Today, as we visit people for the preaching of the gospel, we need to tell them that Christ, the Son of God, became a man, died on the cross for their sins, resurrected, and ascended to the right hand of God in the heavens, and now they need to call upon Him. In the sight of God, for a sinner to call upon the Lord Jesus is to exalt Him. When a sinner exalts Christ by calling upon Him, that sinner will be regenerated.

　　As regenerated people we need to come together in the meetings of the church to exalt Christ by praising, singing, and shouting. Instead of being silent, we should exercise our spiritual birthright to exalt Christ. We should declare, “Lord Jesus, You are at the right hand of God. You have the preeminence in my private life, married life, family life, and church life.” The more we exalt Christ, giving Him the preeminence in everything, the more we will be revived and restored. (Life-study of the Psalms, pp. 353, 364-365)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of the Psalms, msgs. 8, 30-31

«　WEEK 3　DAY 5　»

　　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.

　　3:4 When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory.

　　Christ must become everything to us in our daily living. The Christ who is the expression of God and the mystery of God’s economy now lives in us. The Christ who indwells us is not a small, limited Christ. He is the One who is the image of the invisible God, the embodiment of the fullness of God, and the focal point of God’s economy. Such a Christ now dwells in us and is waiting for the opportunity to spread Himself throughout our being. We need to live by Him moment by moment.... All the room within us should be given over to the all-inclusive Christ who dwells in us to be our hope of glory. If we see such a vision of the indwelling, all-inclusive Christ, we shall spontaneously drop our culture....Once we see this vision, the culture within us will be replaced by Christ. (Life-study of Colossians, p. 309)

　　The extensive, all-inclusive Christ revealed in Colossians is subjective to us, for He dwells in us as our hope of glory (Col. 1:27), and He is our life (3:4). Nothing can be more subjective to us than our own life. In fact, our life is us. To say that Christ is our life means that Christ becomes us. How could Christ be our life without actually becoming us?

　　Some Christian teachers oppose the revelation we have seen concerning the subjective experience of Christ. According to them, we deify ourselves, we make ourselves God. They claim that we teach that the self becomes the same as God and that this is self-deification. Although we definitely do not teach that we become God Himself or that we shall ever be worshipped as deity, it is nonetheless true that Christ dwells in us and that He is our life. He becomes us in our experience. As Paul says, “To me, to live is Christ” (Phil. 1:21)....Life is our very being. Hence, for Christ to be our life means that He becomes our being. For Christ to become our being is for Christ to become us.

　　To us, Christ is both objective and subjective. We know Christ both according to doctrine and according to experience. On the one hand, our Christ is on the throne in the heavens. On the other hand, He is in our spirit. We worship the enthroned Christ in the heavens, but we experience, enjoy, and partake of the indwelling Christ in our spirit. We are one with Him in a very subjective way. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 6:17, “He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.” Christ is subjective to us to such a degree that He and we, we and He, have become one spirit. To be one spirit with the Lord is greater than to have gifts and miracles. Now that we have become one spirit with the Lord, in our daily life we need to experience being one spirit with Him.

　　Some years ago I stayed with some saints who talked a lot about Colossians 1:27. Although they could speak of the indwelling Christ as the hope of glory, they had very little experience of Christ. To them, the indwelling Christ was merely a doctrine, not a reality. In their practical daily living, they were ethical and religious, but they did not live Christ. Even their love was a natural, ethical love, not the expression of Christ lived out from within them. In these believers you could see religion and ethics, but you could not see much of Christ.... Many Christians today... know Christ in doctrine, but they have very little genuine experience of Him. However, when Paul wrote the book of Colossians, he wrote both according to doctrine and according to experience. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 443-444)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msgs. 36, 51; CWWL, 1973-1974, vol. 1, “The Indwelling Christ in the Canon of the New Testament,” ch. 16

«　WEEK 3　DAY 6　»

　　Col. 3:17-21 ...Do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him. Wives, be subject to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives and do not be bitter against them. Children, obey your parents in all things, for this is well pleasing in the Lord. Fathers, do not vex your children, that they may not be disheartened.

　　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. In John 15 the Lord tells us to abide in Him, for apart from Him we can do nothing. In the eyes of God, whatever we do apart from Christ has no value. Therefore, if we are separated from the all-inclusive Christ revealed in Colossians, we cannot do anything. The living of the saints must be in union with Christ. This means that in our living we need to be one with Him. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 239-240)

　　God desires that Christ be expressed through human life. We see this in Colossians 3:18—4:1, a sister passage to Ephesians 5:22—6:9, regarding the believers’ ethical relationships. In Ephesians the emphasis is on the need of spirit-filled ethical relationships for the expression of the Body in the normal church life. In Colossians the emphasis is that we should hold Christ as our Head and take Him as our life by having His rich word dwelling in us, that the highest ethical relationships, issuing not from our natural life but from Christ as our life, may be realized for His expression.

　　If we live in union with Christ, Christ will be expressed through our humanity. Christ is to be expressed in the human life, not in the angelic life. Angels cannot express Christ. The Father has ordained that we, His chosen ones, be the expression of His Son. “Live Thyself, Lord Jesus, through me” should be our prayer (see Hymns, #403).

　　If we would be those through whom Christ can live, we need to pass through the first two and a half chapters of the book of Colossians. Then, coming to 3:15 and 16, we need to be those in whom the peace of Christ arbitrates and in whom the word of Christ dwells richly. Then Christ will be expressed in our human living. Many of those in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Catholicism have a low estimate of human life. They do not care for marriage or for the proper family life. They prefer to remain unmarried, and they aspire to live a type of angelic life. But the angelic life cannot express Christ. On the contrary, Christ needs to be expressed in those who are husbands, wives, parents, children, masters, and slaves. In order to express Christ, we need to have a proper and normal human life.

　　As an elderly person with eight children and more than twenty grandchildren, I can testify that the Lord knows how to choose the best husband or wife for us and what kind of children we should have. He also knows how to break us and make us transparent so that we can express Christ. Through our family life we learn many valuable lessons from the Lord. I believe that the angels are observing to see whether or not we live out Christ in our family life. It is not as difficult to live out Christ in the church as it is to live Him out at home. But how wonderful it is for a brother or sister to express Christ in his or her married life! No brother or sister in the Lord’s recovery should aspire to live like a monk or nun. At the right time, the brothers and sisters should marry and then learn through the experiences of married life to express Christ in their human living. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 250-251)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msgs. 29-30