Archive for ◊ April, 2024 ◊

05 Apr 2024 1 Corinthians (Program #37)

1 Corinthians (Program #37) – Dealing with Eating of Sacrifices to Idols (2)

Paul’s way of writing in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 indicates that the church in Corinth had doubts and questions about him and about his apostleship. Why else would he opened the chapter in such a bold way?

“Am I not free? Am I not an apostle? Have I not seen Jesus our Lord? Are you not my work in the Lord?  If to others I am not an apostle, yet surely I am to you; for you in the Lord are the seal of my apostleship. My defense to those who examine me is this.”

Here is a striking account of the apostle commission with the majority of the New Testament revelation forced to make a bold defense of his own apostleship. But in so doing much was reveal about the Corinthians that were doubting him and much is revealed about us as well.

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05 Apr 2024 Exodus (Program #147)

Exodus (Program #147) – The Laver of Bronze

All of us as genuine Christians surely love the fact that we have been washed from our sins by the blood of the Lamb.  This is one of the basic experiences of the Christian life.  But there is another kind of washing presented to us in the Bible, not washing by His precious blood, but the washing of pure water.  This washing is not about our sins.  Yet it is absolutely necessary for us to have this washing as well.  What is this washing by water?  We will find out on today’s life study of the Bible.

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04 Apr 2024 1 Corinthians (Program #36)

1 Corinthians (Program #36) – Dealing with Eating of Sacrifices to Idols (1)

After opening the book of 1 Corinthians in a very spiritual way, the apostle Paul then turned his attention to several practical matters in the middle chapters.

Chapter 7 for instance deals with marriage. Chapter eight with eating, our diet. These are some of the most basic and practical of all human items. Yet as he begins this fellowship on eating in chapter 8 he inserts a very wonderful and very spiritual phrase. Listen to the first verse of chapter

8:1 “Now concerning things sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.”

Building up, a theme that runs through out this book. And a very important theme for all of us God’s people to understand.

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04 Apr 2024 Exodus (Program #146)

Exodus (Program #146) – The Propitiation Silver (2) Formation of An Army, Need of Maturity, Interceding at the Incense Altar

After God presented the plan for the building of His portal dwelling place, the tabernacle, He then set forth provisions for its care and maintenance.  First was the offering of a half shekel of silver, a kind of tax levy upon all the adult males.  Then the same ones were to be drafted to form an army to fight for God’s move.  These same provisions are necessary today for God’s move to be carried out on earth and we will look at both on this life study of the Bible.

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03 Apr 2024 1 Corinthians (Program #35)

1 Corinthians (Program #35) – Dealing with Marriage Life (3)

When the Lord Jesus was on the earth, it was very hard for those around Him to discern that what He was speaking was actually God’s word. Because unlike the prophets of the Old Testament He spoke as a normal man with normal language and never one time does the Bible record Him using the phrase “doth saith the Lord”. Yet He was the Lord and every one of His word was the word of God. What set Him apart from those of the Old Testament dispensation was incarnation. He wasn’t just speaking for God in the way of prophesy, He was God.  God incarnated to be a man. This principle of incarnation is the unique characteristic of the whole New Testament. Not just man under the influence or inspiration of the Spirit speaking for God but man so one with God in their life, in their living and even in their speaking that their words were God’s words.

1 Corinthians 7 is the chapter that illustrate this principle of incarnation. Not only is it applied to the Lord Jesus but even as it applied to the apostles and the apostle Paul specifically.

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03 Apr 2024 Exodus (Program #145)

Exodus (Program #145) – The Propitiation Silver (1) Formation of an Army, Military Censors, God’s Move

Precious minerals and metals have deep meaning in Scripture.  Gold points us to the holy nature of God Himself and bronze or brass typifies His righteous judgment.  Silver is also a clear type of the redeeming Christ, our Savior.  But the silver is not only meaningful for our initial redemption, it also typifies the very Christ that we experienced and then can offer to God for His satisfaction.  We will see more on today’s life study of the Bible.

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02 Apr 2024 1 Corinthians (Program #34)

1 Corinthians (Program #34) – Dealing with Marriage Life (2)

The philosophical and cultured believers in the church in Corinth had many questions concerning a topic that people today also struggle to cope with and understand. That topic is marriage.

His words in answering to their many questions were found in 1 Corinthians chapter 7 where on the one hand he gave them the principle where universally is applicable today as there were in apostle’s time.

On the one hand we see the spirit of the writer, the spirit of a man absolutely one with the Lord and one with His economy, a man who had learned the secret of contentment in what ever circumstance or situation that God would bring to him.

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02 Apr 2024 Exodus (Program #144)

Exodus (Program #144) – The Golden Incense Altar (5 & 6) Strange Fire, Natural Prayers

As Christians all of us have some realization of the need to pray.   Many sermons were given every Sunday encouraging God’s people to pray.  But sadly for too many, after a few short feeble pleads for God to give us this or that, we quickly tired and prayer is over.  There is another kind of prayer experience even a prayer life that God desires to bring His people into.  But not only does He desires us to be strengthened in our prayer life, He is actually is waiting for us to enter into this intercessory prayer before He will move on earth to accomplish divine purpose.  Don’t miss today’s life study of the Bible.

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01 Apr 2024 1 Corinthians (Program #33)

1 Corinthians (Program #33) – Dealing with Marriage Life (1)

Have you ever noticed the way that 1 Corinthians chapter 7 began:

Now concerning the things of which you wrote:

Well this means that Paul is about to respond to a series of questions that the believers in Corinth had previously sent to him in a letter.  What questions? Well, according to the context of chapter 7 we can readily see that these cultured, highly educated, philosophical saints that were the church in Corinth had many questions about marriage.  The whole chapter in fact is devoted to marriage with Paul giving the Corinthians more than a dozen principles related to marriage. It’s likely that we all had had serious questions regarding marriage. Even the unmarried ones wonder about this critical human item. That on one hand is the source of so much trouble in the human life. While on the other hand can be the source of so much blessing.

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01 Apr 2024 Exodus (Program #143)

Exodus (Program #143) – The Golden Incense Altar (4) Appreciation of the Two Altars, Two Altars in our Experience

“But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be added to you.”  This is a frequently quoted passage from Matthew chapter 6.  Of course, in context “all theses things” refer to our practical and physical needs and the promise is very clear; if we are occupied by seeking God’s kingdom and God’s righteousness, we need not be consumed with praying for our own needs.  But what is it to seek the kingdom and God’s righteousness?

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