Colossians (Program #4) – Delivered out of the Authority of Darkness And Transferred Into The Kingdom Of the Son Of His Love

The Lord Jesus declared in John chapter 8, “I am the light of the world, he who follows me shall by no means walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” What is it to walk in darkness? We all likely have our own set of mental images that are initiated by such a question. But the darkness that may be blinding us today may not be so obviously evil or sinister as you might think. Colossians reveals that anything, even any good thing, that occupies us that is not Christ Himself is likely an instrument of the authority of darkness.

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Colossians (Program #3) – The Apostle’s Prayer

Colossians 1:13 says, “Who delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love”. This is a marvelous verse that is well beloved by many that love the Lord Jesus especially those whose background is easily described by the phrase “authority of darkness”. If we had a particularly sinful and dark past then likely our appreciation of this transfer is quite keen. To many others that may not have such an evil and wicked past seemingly, so while they may agree doctrinally that such a transfer has taken place, the heartfelt realization may not be quite as strong. But what was the apostle Paul referring to when he wrote these words to the believers in Colossi?  The answer to this question will likely surprise you.

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Colossians (Program #2) – Introduction

Today’s life study is from the book of Colossians. The book revealing that Christ is everything to us, being profound and all-inclusive and is unveiled to us to a fuller extent  than any other book in the Bible.  We must not allow anything to replace Christ or to be a substitute for Him.

It has been said that the book of Colossians reveals or unveils Christ to a fuller extent than any other book in the Bible. The first 8 verses of Colossians serve as somewhat an introduction to the book. In this introduction, the apostle Paul seemed to be saying, ‘Dear Colossians, if you follow the Jewish observances or the Gentile ordinances you will not lay up anything for yourselves in the heavens as a hope – you need to live by Christ. One day, Christ who is our life will appear in glory’.

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Colossians (Program #1) – The Background And Position of the Book

Witness Lee opened the life study of Colossians this way, “In the book of Colossians, Christ is unveiled to a fuller extend than in any other book in the Bible.”  That’s quite an introduction; the fullest unveiling of Christ is in this book.  We will devote ourselves to bringing this unveiled Christ to you each day during the coming weeks as we continuing on day by day on this life study of Colossians.

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Philippians (Program #59) – Highlight Portions

Apostle Paul wrote to the Philippians, “For I know that for me this will turn out to salvation through your petition and the bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I will be put to shame, but with all boldness, as always, even now Christ will be magnified in my body, whether through life or through death.  For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”  These words from the apostle Paul from the first chapter of this book perhaps summarize better than any, the essence of the Epistle of Paul to the Philippians.  A book focus on the experience of Christ, experiencing Him in every situation, magnifying Him whether through life or through death.

Welcome to our final broadcast from the life study of Philippians. We have a special program today.  We have enjoyed a tremendous life study through the past weeks and months as we have explored the riches in this book of Philippians. For the sake of those who perhaps missed many of the programs we decided for our final broadcast today to go back to the weeks to pick up a few highlight portions and try to bring them together to give you a taste and idea of what we have experience and enjoy in this tremendous life study.

For the first portion of this program we like to go back to life study on magnifying Christ by living Him…

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Philippians (Program #58) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (6 & 7)

It has been said that anxiety is the totality of the natural human life. Day by day even hour by hour our human life is just consumed with the anxiety.  And it seems like the more thoughtful and sensitive we are the more anxiety we suffer. Yet the Bible says “let your forbearance be known to all men in nothing be anxious.”  These two things, anxiety and forbearance represent not just opposite ends of the spectrum but actually characterize two completely different sources from which our life experience might flow. more…

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Philippians (Program #57) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (5)

In Ephesians chapter 1:3 and 2:6 the apostle Paul says that we have been blessed and have been seated with Christ in the heavenlies. Well it might say that in the Bible what does it say in your experience?  Day by day are you in the heavenlies or do you find yourself spending your time in anxiety?  Most of us would have to truthfully answer that we spend much more of our time wrestling with anxiety than enjoying a life with Christ at peace in the heavenlies. The truth is that after men fell, human life become a composition of anxiety and worry. So how it is then the apostle Paul also said in Philippians 4 “Let your forbearance be known to all men. The Lord is near.  In nothing been anxious.”? more…

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Philippians (Program #56) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (2)

Philippians 4:5 says “Let your forbearance be known to all men. The Lord is near.”  Today is our third life study out of five on the subject of “A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety”.  This matter of forbearance without anxiety is not a small thing.  If you miss these programs then you want to stay with us for there is something for you in this program.

This word forbearance in Greek is composed of two different words and combining these words the meaning of the term in Greek can be translated literally this way, “extensively reasonable or fully reasonable.”  Base on this kind of analysis of the Greek word, our spiritual experience and God’s activity in His economy plus the Lord’s living on earth I think we can realize to have adequate forbearance means we also have to have many other virtues as well.  Since forbearance is the all-inclusive virtues.

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Philippians (Program #55) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (2)

What word would you use to describe a life that expresses Christ?  Would you say loving, submissive, may be patient, humble or kind?  All of these words do describe aspects of Christ’s living. But none individually are adequate. It’s significant that the apostle Paul does not use any of these terms in the last chapter of Philippians focusing on the living out of Christ. Instead he uses the word forbearance. “Let your forbearance be known to all man.” He did not tell us to let our patience, our humility be known, but our forbearance. This all inclusive virtue of Christ is the topic today.

Philippians is unique in the New Testament, because it talks about the experience of Christ.  We are going to see that actually forbearance as virtue is Christ Himself and we need to let this Christ as forbearance within us be known to all man.

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Philippians (Program #54) – A Life Full of Forbearance But Without Anxiety (1)

In our reading of the book of Philippians it might seem that Paul’s thought in chapter 4:1-7 is not nearly as high as what was expressed in the first three chapters. In chapter 1 for example he speaks of “living Christ and magnifying Him”. In chapter 2 of “taking Christ as our pattern and shining as light in the world and holding forth the word of life.”  And in chapter three “the excellency of the knowledge of Christ and pursuing toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. But then in chapter 4 he uses the expressions that apparently seem quite ordinary. He says “rejoice in the Lord, let your forbearance be known to all man and in nothing be anxious.”  Suppose you are pursuing toward the goal for the prize and suddenly someone encourages you not to be anxious. Would you not consider this an interruption and say “I am pursuing Christ, I want to arrive at the out resurrection. Why talk to me about anxiety?”  Well, we are going to focus on this practical Christ reveal in chapter 4. more…

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