Scripture Reading: 2 Cor. 10:12-15; Eph. 2:6; 6:10-12

DAY 1 & DAY 2 Outline　MorningRevival

DAY 3 Outline　MorningRevival

DAY 4 Outline　MorningRevival

DAY 5 Outline　MorningRevival

DAY 6 Outline　MorningRevival

«　WEEK 4　DAY 1　»

　　2 Cor. 10:13-14 But we will not boast beyond our measure but according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure has apportioned to us, to reach even as far as you. For we are not extending ourselves beyond our bounds…

　　Gal. 2:8 (For He who operated in Peter for the apostleship to the circumcision operated also in me for the Gentiles).

　　The apostle was bold, but he was not bold without limit. This shows that he was under the restriction of the Lord. His boasting was according to the measure of the rule which the God of measure, the ruling God, had apportioned to him. Paul’s ministry to the Gentile world, including Corinth, was according to the measure of God (Eph. 3:1-2, 8; Gal. 2:8). Hence, his boast was within this limit and, in contrast to that of the Judaizers, was not without measure. The word rule in 2 Corinthians 10:13 literally means “a measuring rod,” like the rule of a carpenter.

　　The word measure in verse 13 indicates being ruled by God. God has allotted us just so much for our work and experience. Furthermore, He has given us just so much to enjoy. Therefore, when we give a testimony about our work, experience, or enjoyment of the Lord, we must testify within measure, that is, within a certain limit. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, p. 439)

　　The reports in certain Christian publications are exaggerations; those reports go beyond measure, beyond limit, without restriction…In testifying of our experience, we must stay within the measure that God has given us. We should not boast without measure, beyond measure…There is One who is ruling and measuring. This One is the God of measure, the God who rules.

　　Therefore, we must stay within the limits of God’s ruling, of God’s measuring. Paul’s words reach even as far as you [2 Cor. 10:13] indicate that his coming to the Corinthians was under God’s ruling and measuring.

　　In contrast to the Judaistic teachers, Paul and the other apostles did not extend themselves beyond their bounds. They were the first to go to Europe, and hence to the Corinthians, with the gospel. If the Judaizers had gone there first, probably the apostles would not have gone, and that would have been the sign that Europe had not been measured to them under God’s ruling. This is related to Paul’s point in arguing with the Judaizers.

　　In verses 15 and 16 Paul says, “We are not boasting beyond our measure in others’ labors, but have the hope, as your faith is increasing, to be magnified in you according to our rule unto abundance, so that we may announce the gospel unto those parts beyond you, not so that we may boast in another man’s rule in things already prepared.” Here we see that the apostles had the hope that through the increase of the Corinthian believers’ faith, the apostles’ ministry would be magnified (in the sense of being praised) by being enlarged and increased abundantly, yet still according to the rule, the measure, that God had apportioned to them. Paul hoped to be magnified in the Corinthians according to the limit of God’s measuring.

　　Do not expect a spread that is without measure…From experience we can testify that if we spread the work according to the Spirit, there will always be a certain limit. Inwardly, we will have the consciousness that the Lord intends to spread the work only to a certain extent. Furthermore, outwardly, in the environment, the Lord may cause matters to restrict the spread of the work. Therefore, inwardly, we do not have the peace to spread the work beyond a certain point, and outwardly, the environment does not allow us to go beyond a particular boundary line.

　　The young people are not yet very much into the Lord’s work. Nevertheless, I would encourage them to keep this word within them, for one day they will experience it. We all need to learn that in serving the Lord and in working with God, there is always a limit. This is also true in the service of the church. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 439-441)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 51

«　WEEK 4　DAY 2　»

　　2 Cor. 10:15-16 We are not boasting beyond our measure in others' labors, but have the hope, as your faith is increasing, to be magnified in you according to our rule unto abundance, so that we may announce the gospel unto those parts beyond you, not so that we may boast in another man's rule in things already prepared.

　　The Lord is especially interested in restricting the young people. If the young ones do not have a heart to serve the Lord, He will stir them up to serve Him. But once they have been stirred up, He will limit them. Human nature does not like this kind of limitation. For example, both in our sleeping and in our activity, we may not like limitations. When, spiritually speaking, we are asleep, God will stir us up. But when we become too active, He will restrict us…A young brother may want to be a leader among the young people. If he becomes a leader, he may then want to be a deacon or an elder in the church. In these matters he may expect to make swift progress. God’s way, however, is first to speed us up and then to slow us down, first to raise us up and then to lower us down. When we are down, He will lift us up. But when we get too far up, He will lower us down. Hence, God’s way of dealing with us is up and down, down and up. If we can take God’s ups and downs, we will eventually become useful in His work. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, p. 441)

　　Many young people cannot tolerate God’s ups and downs. After a few of these ups and downs, they want to quit. Their attitude may be, “If God wants me up, then let me go up to the heavens and stay there until the Lord Jesus comes back. But if God wants me down, let me stay down. But I don’t like going up and down, down and up.”

　　God does not want us to be always up or to be always down. Even in nature the alternating of day and night testifies of this. There is no such thing as an unending day or night…God did not create us so that we would have a day or night that would last for many years. This may be according to our way, but it is not according to God’s way.

　　God has many ways to bring us down. Some young people have been brought down by their married life. Before a particular brother was married, he may have been like an eagle soaring in the air. He could easily talk about the wonderful, glorious church life. But not long after his wedding, it seems that the church life is no longer glorious. God is using his marriage to calm down such an excited brother. In some cases, such a brother may stay down for a long period of time after his marriage. But eventually, he is up again, although not in the same excited way as before. This is a sign of improvement.

　　Sometimes God may use one of the elders to bring you down. If such a thing happens to you, you should realize that God is the One who is putting you down, not the elder. He does it by means of the elder. Without having any intention, that elder may speak a certain word to you, and that word lowers you down. God deals with us in this way because He is a God of measure, apportioning to us a certain measure.

　　I realize that it is a serious matter to be down. Some brothers may be down for such a long time that it seems they will never rise up again. But perhaps after another period of time, they will once again be up…It seems that this being up and down is beyond our control or management. Yes, we do not control this or manage it. Therefore, we all must realize that God is in control and that this is His way to keep us within our measure.

　　In this country the Lord’s recovery has spread to a certain degree. Yet it seems that there has been a limit to this spread. However, this does not mean that the Lord will permanently stop the spread of the recovery. The point here is that, in our concept, once the Lord’s recovery begins to spread, it should spread farther and farther without restriction. However, this is not God’s concept. (Life-study of2 Corinthians, pp. 441-442)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1963, vol. 3, “Basic Principles for the Practice of the Church Life,” ch. 6

«　WEEK 4　DAY 3　»

　　Eph. 3:1-2 For this cause I Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus on behalf of you, the Gentiles—if indeed you have heard of the stewardship of the grace of God which was given to me for you.

　　We should not think that Paul was so spiritual that he was altogether different from us. Even he had to learn to take the Lord’s restriction…He told the believers at Rome that he expected to go to Spain by way of them (Rom. 15:24). Paul never went to Spain, and he arrived in Rome in bonds. Those bonds were the Lord’s measure, His limitation…God is sovereign, and whatever happened to Paul was under God’s sovereignty. This means that Paul’s bonds and imprisonment were God’s sovereign restriction. Paul was willing to be subject to God’s measuring. He neither transgressed this restriction nor rebelled against it. In this matter he did not kick against the goads. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 442-443)

　　Paul told the Corinthians that whatever he did and spoke was not beyond his measure. Paul always acted and behaved within his measure…In contrast to the Judaizers, he never reached beyond his jurisdiction.

　　In 2 Corinthians 10:13-15 Paul seems to be saying, “Corinthians, as a church, you have suffered a great deal because of the coming of the Judaistic preachers…On the one hand, they preach Christ; on the other hand, they still teach the Mosaic law. Therefore, they cause trouble and damage the church life…You must realize that these Judaizers should never have come to Corinth. God did not measure the city of Corinth to them; Corinth is not in their jurisdiction. To be honest about it, Corinth is my jurisdiction, my territory.”…There is the implication here that Paul condemned the Judaizers for coming to Corinth. Thus, Paul seems to be saying, “We do not overreach ourselves, as the Judaizers do. We were the first to come to you with the gospel of Christ. That was a sign that Corinth had been measured to us. We came according to God’s ruling. God has apportioned Corinth to us, not to the Judaizers. Actually, God has not apportioned anything to the Judaizers.”

　　The apostles always moved according to God’s ruling…If God had apportioned a certain territory to the Judaizers, the apostles would not have gone to that territory, for in so doing, they would have overreached themselves. This is what Paul is saying here. Today many preachers and teachers overreach themselves and interfere with the jurisdiction of others. In the church service we need to realize that God has measured out only so much to us, and we should not extend ourselves beyond our measure. We need to know our limitation, our jurisdiction, and not go beyond it into others’ territory. Like Paul, we should move and act according to our rule, that is, according to how much God has measured to us.

　　Paul knew from the Macedonian call he received that Corinth was under his rule, his measure. We know from Acts 16 that Paul became clear that God had called him to Europe. He came to Achaia with the gospel of Christ according to God’s ruling. Both Macedonia and Achaia were under Paul’s rule.

　　In this section of 2 Corinthians, Paul is vindicating his apostolic authority. This authority is related to jurisdiction…In his vindication of his apostolic authority, Paul conducted himself so as not to overstep the boundary of his measure. He is a good example of a person fully under God’s restriction.

　　I encourage the young people especially to study this portion of the Word and learn from it how to conduct themselves in the church service and how to move in the Lord’s recovery. Young people, you must know your rule, your limit. This means that you must know how much God has measured to you, how much He has apportioned to you. This restriction, this limitation, is a very practical dealing with our flesh. Our natural man wants to be without limitation…Therefore, [God] sets up boundaries and restrictions so that we may stay within the measure that He has apportioned to us. (Life-study of 2 Corinthians, pp. 443-445)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of 2 Corinthians, msg. 51

«　WEEK 4　DAY 4　»

　　Matt. 6:10 Your kingdom come; Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth.

　　Eph. 2:6 And raised us up together with Him and seated us together with Him in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus.

　　In Song of Songs 4:7-8 the Lord calls His lover to live in ascension as a new creation in resurrection…He calls her to come with Him to a high mountain, which is the top of resurrection—ascension. Christ died, rose, and then ascended. In Christ’s ascension is His victory. There is no more fighting, for the enemy has been destroyed.

　　Verse 8 speaks of looking from the lions’ dens and from the leopards’ mountains. The victory has been gained, but the lions and the leopards, which signify Satan and his evil forces, are still there…in the heavenlies (Eph. 6:12). Christ calls His lover to look from this, indicating that we must have our living in ascension…The war is over, and victory has been gained. (Life-study of Song of Songs, pp. 35-36)

　　In the universe there are three wills: the divine will, the satanic will, and the human will. If we would know how the church can be God’s warrior to engage in spiritual warfare, we must know these three wills, these three intentions. God’s will, being self-existing, is eternal, uncreated. As created beings, the angels also have a will. One of these angels, an archangel, was appointed by God to rule the universe that existed before the creation of Adam. Because of his high position and his beauty, this archangel became proud. This pride gave rise to an evil intention, which became the satanic will. Therefore, in addition to God’s intention, God’s will, there is a second intention, a second will, for now the satanic will is set against God’s will.

　　God’s enemy must be defeated…Therefore,…we fight to subdue the satanic will…Our fighting is for the defeat of God’s enemy. (Life-study of Ephesians, pp. 515, 517)

　　There is only one kind of people who can engage in spiritual warfare—those who have received salvation, have been raised from death, and are now sitting with Christ in the heavens…If we really desire to deliver men out of Satan’s power so that they are not only saved but completely delivered from the hands of Satan, we who are preaching the gospel must be men who are sitting in the heavens and keeping the ascended position.

　　Since many of us have not yet reached the realm of ascension in our experience, why then is it possible that we can lead people to be saved and love the Lord? This is due to the fact that, after all, there is still a part in us that is heavenly or bears the heavenly condition; therefore, through that portion we are able to help others and edify them. Although we are defiled with sin, love the world, and mind the flesh, yet part of our condition is still heavenly; thus, we are able to chase away part of the power of darkness in men and cause them to turn to the Lord and love Him. Hence, the principle remains the same. Only those who live in the realm of the heavens can deal with the power of darkness in the air and chase the devil out…The extent to which we chase out the power of darkness is directly dependent on our heavenly condition. If we have more element of the heavens, we can engage more in spiritual warfare. If we have only a little element of the heavens, we can by no means have much element of spiritual warfare. The two are in direct proportion to one another. When a man has utterly reached the heavenly realm, his whole being, living, works, and actions are spiritual warfare. He is able to chase out the power of darkness from every place to which he comes and from all the people whom he meets. Therefore, when we in our experience have reached the position of ascension and are able to reign, that will be the time we can fight for the kingdom of God, recover the lost earth for God, and bring in the kingdom of God. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “The Experience of Life,” pp. 525-526)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “The Experience of Life,” ch. 18

«　WEEK 4　DAY 5　»

　　Eph. 1:10 Unto the economy of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him.

　　1 Tim. 6:12 Fight the good fight of the faith; lay hold on the eternal life…

　　The Christian life involves both the divine economy and the satanic chaos…During our time with the Lord in the morning, we experience economy, but later in the day we may experience chaos.

　　This has been my experience during the nearly seventy years I have been a Christian. However, I am learning the secret, the strategy, of defeating chaos and of coming back to economy and order…I have not only God’s economy within me—I have God as my economy within me.

　　The history of the universe is a history of God’s economy and Satan’s chaos. Furthermore, the entire Bible…is a record of the divine economy and the satanic chaos. In our married life we also have the economy of God and the chaos of Satan. The reason for this situation is that in the universe there are two sources—God and Satan. (CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 3, “The Satanic Chaos in the Old Creation and the Divine Economy for the New Creation,” pp. 199-200)

　　Today the earth is filled with chaos…However, we should not be discouraged. In addition to the satanic chaos, there is the divine economy. Whereas the satanic chaos will come to an end, the divine economy will reach a consummation. The end of the satanic chaos will be the lake of fire, and the consummation of the divine economy will be the New Jerusalem.

　　We need to realize that, both in the Bible and in our experience, the satanic chaos always goes along with the divine economy…Where there is the divine economy, there is the satanic chaos. Where God is, Satan is also…We may say that God is in the “central lane” and that Satan is in the “side lane.”

　　We have to run the race and finish the course so that we can be counted among the overcomers…In 2 Timothy 4:6-8 Paul says, “I am already being poured out, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight; I have finished the course; I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness.” At that time Paul anticipated his reward in the coming kingdom. In order to be the overcomers, we must conquer all the destructive chaos and triumph in the unique constructive economy.

　　The overcomers are those who suffer the chaos, but they are not disappointed or discouraged. Instead, they are strengthened and enabled to stand for and live out the divine economy…If we are enabled by the Lord to conquer all the destructive chaos, we will triumphantly enter into the kingdom. We will be those who triumph in the unique constructive economy.

　　In one meeting I heard someone pray, “Lord, deliver us from the chaos.”…Some may say that this [prayer] is right because the Lord Jesus told us to ask the Father not to bring us into temptation but to deliver us from the evil one (Matt. 6:13). We may, however, have a wrong concept about what this kind of deliverance is. God does not want us to be delivered out of the satanic chaos. What God wants is embodied in the words overcome and conquer…God wants us to conquer the satanic chaos. The real deliverance to us from God is our conquering. In Ephesians 6 Paul tells us that we need to be empowered in the Lord to stand against the stratagems of the devil (vv. 10-11). Then he says, “Take up the whole armor of God that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand” (v. 13). We are not to be delivered out of the chaos, but we are to stand against it. (CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 3, “The Satanic Chaos in the Old Creation and the Divine Economy for the New Creation,” pp. 201-202, 255-256, 271)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 3, “The Satanic Chaos in the Old Creation and the Divine Economy for the New Creation,” chs. 1—5

«　WEEK 4　DAY 6　»

　　Rev. 12:10 …Now has come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ, for the accuser of our brothers has been cast down, who accuses them before our God day and night.

　　Rom. 5:17 …Those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ.

　　Although the kingdom of God has not yet completely come upon this earth, although God has not yet gained a sphere wherein He can exercise His authority in a full way, and although His glory has not yet been made fully manifest, nevertheless there is a small place, a small sphere, thank the Lord, where there still exists the condition of God’s partial reign, which thereby manifests a portion of God’s glory. This is the church. Today the church is a model of God’s reign…It is through the church that God will bind Satan and destroy his power. Thus, His name will be honored in the whole earth, His kingdom set up, and His will done. This is the commission of the church. This also is the purpose of the church’s spiritual warfare. (CWWL, 1953, vol. 3, “The Experience of Life,” p. 519)

　　We have to conquer the satanic chaos by the processed and consummated Triune God as the all-sufficient grace…In 1 Corinthians 15:10 Paul says that the grace of the Lord was with him; in Galatians 6:18 he says that the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ is with our spirit; and in 2 Timothy 4:22 he says that the Lord is with our spirit. The Lord as the all-sufficient grace is with our spirit, and we can conquer all the satanic chaos and carry out the unique divine economy by Him as our all-sufficient grace.

　　We can conquer all the satanic chaos and carry out the divine economy according to the truth, of which the church, the manifestation of God in the flesh, is the pillar and base (1 Tim. 3:15-16). The rebellious ones cannot shake the church in the Lord’s recovery, because the church is the pillar and base of the truth. The pillar supports the building, and the base holds the pillar. The church is the pillar supporting the truth, and it is the base holding the truth. Because the church is the pillar and base of the truth, we need to be those who teach the truth. Our teaching of the truth will enlighten the darkened people, inoculate against the poison, swallow up the death, and bring the distracted back to the proper track.

　　Revelation 2 and 3 reveal that we need to conquer all the satanic chaos and carry out the unique divine economy in certain conditions.

　　We need to be those who love the Lord with the first love (2:4). The first love may be compared to the love of newlyweds. After a couple has been married for a period of time, it is easy for the first love to fade away…We must recover the wedding, bridal love toward our Husband, Christ.

　　We also need to enjoy eating Christ as the tree of life in the church as today’s Paradise so that we can be a shining lampstand (vv. 7, 5). The Lord… tells the overcomers that He will give them to eat of the entire tree of life, which is Christ Himself. We should eat one tree, the universal tree, the unique tree, that is, the tree of life, which is Christ as the embodiment of the divine life.

　　We have to love the Lord with a bridal love, and we have to enjoy Him as the entire tree of life. This tree is growing in the Paradise of God. The Paradise of God (v. 7) is the New Jerusalem in the millennial kingdom. The New Jerusalem in the millennial kingdom will be a paradise to God. This paradise will be much more pleasant than the garden of Eden. Today the church life is the precursor of this coming paradise, the miniature of the New Jerusalem in the coming kingdom. (CWWL, 1991-1992, vol. 3, “The Satanic Chaos in the Old Creation and the Divine Economy for the New Creation,” pp. 257-258)

　　Further Reading: CWWL, 1959, vol. 4, “Lessons on Prayer,” ch. 18