Ephesians (Program #58) – The Application by Prayer

In the realm of spiritual warfare covered in Ephesians chapter 6, there are six items that make up the whole armor of God. Of these six the girdling of the lions, the breastplate of righteousness, the shod-ding of the feet with the gospel of peace, the helmet of salvation, the shield of faith and the sword of the spirit.  Five are defensive in nature, protecting us from the attack of God’s enemy. But the 6th item the sword of the spirit is offensive, with this sword we are actually equipped to fight against God’s enemy.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #24) – Our Need for God to Build Christ into Us

Upon a casual reading, 2 Samuel 7 seems simple enough to understand, it begins with King David expressing his heart’s desire to build a dwelling place for Jehovah. The Lord’s response to David seems to be a very good illustration of His love and mercy toward David, telling him that instead of wanting David to build something for Him, the Lord needed to build something first for David. But if we look more carefully and through the lens of God’s economy, we will see that 2 Samuel 7 reveals one of the highest revelations in the entire Bible.

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Ephesians (Program #57) – The Whole Armor of God (2)

Four verses in Ephesians Chapter 6 mentioned 6 items that are associated with spiritual warfare. Beginning at verse 14, it says “Stand therefore, having girded your loins with truth (#1) and having put on the breastplate of righteousness (#2)  And having shod your feet with the firm foundation of the gospel of peace; (#3). Besides all these, having taken up the shield of faith, (#4) with which you will be able to quench all the flaming darts of the evil one. And receive the helmet of salvation (#5) and finally the sword of the Spirit, which Spirit is the word of God.”

Six items in two groups. The first group : the girdle of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, and the feet shod with the firm foundation of the gospel of peace. These three things prepare us for the warfare. While the second group provide us for the weapons, the implements that we need to fight the battle.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #23) – The History Concerning David (10)

In 2 Samuel, David becomes secure and well established as the one king over all the tribes of Israel. As king, he’s prosperous, respected, loved, and secure from his enemies, even admired by the surrounding nations. In this situation, David’s true heart is clearly manifest. What he desires to do is to do something for God, even to build God a dwelling place in Israel. But having such a one on this earth whose heart was fully one on its own, Jehovah responds to David’s expression of wanting to do something for Him in a most surprising way.

Listen to this passage from 2 Samuel 7:

“Thus says Jehovah, Is it you who will build Me a house for Me to dwell in? For I have not dwelt in a house, since the day I brought the children of Israel up out of Egypt to this day; but I went about in a tent and in a tabernacle. more…

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Ephesians (Program #56) – The Whole Armor of God (1)

The book of Ephesians unveils the Church as the center of God’s purpose and eternal plan. It also shows us the Church in several aspects that progress from the Body of Christ to a full grown man fully matured in life, in the expression of God to ultimately become the Bride of Christ for His satisfaction. That brings us to Chapter 6 and spiritual warfare.  Verse 10 “Finally, be empowered in the Lord and in the might of His strength. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the stratagems of the devil”

It’s here that many readers of the Bible lose sight of one very crucial truth regarding the real focus of Ephesians.  Remember, Ephesians is a book on the Church, the corporate expression of God and in the realm of spiritual warfare, this is even more crucial. For us to put on the whole armor takes the Body, all the members, we can not fight the spiritual battle alone.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #22) – The History Concerning David (9)

After years of being persecuted at the hands of the evil king Saul, David has finally become king, fulfilling the promise that Jehovah had given to him as a young boy. Now, the entire nation of Israel was with him. And, even the surrounding nations lent their support to him as king. But most importantly, David had Jehovah’s presence with him as well. With all things fully in order under God’s sovereign arrangement, what would David turn his attention to now?

Many before him had sought greater riches and glory for themselves, but David has a different kind of heart. David had a heart that was fully one with the Lord. So and with his own house in order, David turned his full attention to God’s house. What a marvelous picture and pattern for us as believers today.

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Ephesians (Program #55) – Warfare to Deal with the Spiritual Enemy (2)

Spiritual warfare something that every genuine believer encounters if they have had any experience in the Christians life. It seems like almost immediately after we received the Lord Jesus Christ as our salvation, we soon encounter the very real fact that God has an enemy in this universe. The Bible admonishes us not to be ignorant of this enemy and his stratagems or devices.

Ephesians Chapter 6 more than any passage in the New Testament enlighten us regarding this warfare and shows us the crucial factors in this universal struggle are not our own strength or even our own spirituality but to be empowered so that we might stand in the Body. If you ever had problems with Satan, you wouldn’t want to miss today’s fellowship on this Life-Study from Ephesians.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #21) – The History Concerning David (8)

The first two kings of Israel present us with two distinctly different patterns. Both began their monarchy by being selected and anointed by God, but any similarity ends there. Saul, the first king, was intent on one thing, and that was establishing and building up his own monarchy. What he was building up was absolutely for himself. David who replaced Saul was also intent on one thing. But for David, that one thing had nothing to do with his own kingdom. His focus was God’s kingdom. What he was building up was for God’s kingdom, not for his own.

The result of their two lives tells us a lot about how we should approach and conduct ourselves in the kingdom of God. Saul and his three sons died a humiliating death, and the honor and the glory that surrounded his kingship in the beginning was completely lost. David on the other hand, despite some serious failures, became an important person in God’s plan and even in the accomplishment of His eternal economy.

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Ephesians (Program #54) – Warfare to Deal with the Spiritual Enemy (1)

After 5 marvelous chapters leading us progressively to ultimately see the highest aspect of the Church in God’s eternal purpose, the New Man, expressing a full grown man and then seeing the Church as the Bride to satisfy the longing within the heart of Christ.  At last we come to the final chapter and the final aspect of the Church in Ephesians and here the scene changes from a positive one with Christ and His loving Bride to warfare, a universal conflict, but not between right and wrong or good and evil. A universal conflict or clash of wills, God’s and Satan’s. It is in this light that we see the Church not as a loving Bride, even as a New Man, but as a fierce, corporate warrior.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #20) – Lessons of the Five Major Figures

The books of Samuel in the Old Testament are among the top concerning the history of God’s move with his people. Many stories in these two books that we learned as children, perhaps, and have treasured our whole lives, but these are more than stories, their invaluable to us as illustrations of the main items of God’s economy. Five main persons are spoken of in first Samuel. And their lives reveal to us item after item of how to maintain a proper relationship with God, God’s economy, and to enjoy Christ. If we remember these five persons and the lessons that their lives reveal, we will have our own enjoyment of Christ enriched and our participation in God’s economy strengthened.

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