Scripture Reading: 2 Sam. 7:12-14a; Isa. 55:1-3; Psa. 110:3; Prov. 4:18; Rev. 2:4-5, 7
Ⅰ
When Christ as the seed of David became the firstborn Son of God as the life-giving Spirit in resurrection, He became God's sure mercies to be dispensed into us for the building up of the church as the house of God and the kingdom of God—2 Sam. 7:12-14a; Isa. 55:1-3; Acts 13:33-35:
A
God's sure mercies are the eternal covenant, and this eternal covenant is the resurrected Christ Himself as the all-inclusive life-giving Spirit for our enjoy-ment—Isa. 55:3; 42:6; 2 Cor. 3:6.
B
God is faithful to keep His eternal covenant by leading us into His economy, and His economy is for us to enjoy Christ, to absorb Christ, to drink Christ, to eat Christ, and to assimilate Christ so that we may grow with the growth of God for the building of God—1 Cor. 1:9; Matt. 16:18; Eph. 1:22-23; Col. 2:7, 19.
C
In allowing us to have troubles, God is faithful in His purpose; our peace, safety, health, and possessions may become idols to us, and God is faithful to take away these things so that we might drink of Him as the fountain of living waters—Jer. 2:13; Isa. 55:7; 57:20 and footnote 1; John 4:13-14.
D
Christ builds His church by supplying us with Himself as our spiritual food and drink so that a metabolic process of spiritual digestion and assimilation takes place for our growth and transformation in life; our growth and trans-formation in life are the building—1 Cor. 3:6-12a; 10:3-4; 2 Cor. 3:16-18; Eph. 2:21-22; 4:15-16.
Ⅱ
We grow with the growth of God for the building of God by having a personal and affectionate relationship with Christ—S. S. 1:1-4:
A
The Lord's recovery is a recovery of loving the Lord Jesus to enjoy Him and become His testimony—Rev. 2:4-5, 7; 2 Cor. 11:2-3.
B
To love the Lord is to care for the presence of the Lord; if we have the Lord's presence, we have wisdom, insight, foresight, and the inner knowledge concern-ing things; the Lord's presence is everything to us; if we lose God's presence, we lose everything—Exo. 33:11a, 14; 2 Cor. 2:10.
C
To love the Lord with our best love requires that we take time to behold Him, listen to His word, and receive a revelation concerning Him; the overcomers have the highest revelation of Christ and offer themselves willingly to the Lord in the splendor of their consecration—Matt. 26:1-13; Psa. 110:3; Gen. 12:7-8.
D
Mary sat at the Lord's feet and was listening to His word; having heard and received the Lord's word and revelation concerning His death, Mary looked for the opportunity to anoint Him before He died—Luke 10:38-42; Matt. 26:1-2, 12; cf. 16:21; 17:22-23; 20:18-19.
Ⅲ
We grow with the growth of God for the building of God by keeping our consecration fresh and up to date with the Lord—Psa. 110:3; Lev. 6:12-13:
A
We have Christ's life of sacrifice, and His constraining love motivates us to consecrate ourselves to Him to be His slaves, loving God, the church, and God's people—Exo. 21:1-6; 2 Cor. 5:14; Rom. 1:1; cf. Gal. 6:17.
B
We need the spirit of a slave, the love of a slave, the obedience of a slave, and the life of slave; only those who are willing to be slaves can remain permanently in the church life—5:13-16; cf. Phil. 2:17; Judg. 9:12-13.
C
A slave should take the position of doing nothing on his own but acting only according to the word of his master and should have his ear open to hear the voice of his master—Exo. 21:6; John 5:30; Psa. 40:6; Isa. 50:4-5.
Ⅳ
We grow with the growth of God for the building of God by spending personal time with the Lord for His satisfaction—Psa. 110:3:
A
Our crucial need is to have the Triune God infused into us through His word morning by morning so that we can be sanctified by moving out of ourselves and into the Triune God; sanctification through the word of truth results in oneness and saves us from the factors of division: worldliness, ambition, self-exaltation, and opinions and concepts—John 17:17, 21, 23; Eph. 6:17-18.
B
The Christian life is like the dawning of the sun; we should follow the sun to be revived and have a new beginning every morning, keeping ourselves empty, open, fresh, new, living, and young with the Lord for His up-to-date and ulti-mate move—Prov. 4:18; Ezek. 36:26-27; Rom. 6:4; 7:6; cf. Psa. 22—title.
C
We need to get to a higher level, on a "high mountain," separated from the crowd, to be with the Father privately and secretly to have intimate fellowship with Him (Matt. 14:22-23; Mark 1:35; Luke 5:16; 6:12); we can open our being fully to Him, and in the shining light of His presence, we can confess our sins, weaknesses, mistakes, hindrances, and difficulties to Him to receive His for-giveness and cleansing so that there is nothing between us and Him, and we are full of light to shine forth God (1 John 1:5, 7, 9; Luke 11:33-36).
D
The Lord Jesus told us that when we pray, we should shut our door privately and pray secretly to the Father who sees in secret; in this personal time we can come to Him to eat Him, drink Him, and enjoy Him—Matt. 6:6; John 6:57.
E
The prayer of intercession is an intimate conversation with God according to the inward intention of His heart; for this we must learn to linger in the presence of God; intercessory prayer is not prayer for ourselves but prayer for the carrying out of the divine administration, for the dispensing of God's supplying grace, and for the churches and the saints; such prayer is a fragrant incense to God—it fulfills His purpose, satisfies His desire, and delights His heart—Gen. 18:22-33; Rom. 8:26-27; Exo. 30:7; Rev. 8:3-4.