2 Corinthians (Program #25) – The Essence of the New Covenant Ministry (2)

It’s always interesting and most often enlightening when we compare what’s become the common practice in the realm of Christian work to the Bible itself. It’s natural to take many things for granted, simply because it has become common or ordinary. But one of the things that we try to do on this program is to challenge the common and ordinary thought and to check ourselves and our concepts with the Bible.

For example today it’s quite common to speak of the varies ministries. In fact we all become comfortable with this or that Christian worker speaking about his or her ministry. But if you check carefully in the pages of the New Testament this thought is just not present.

Yes, there is such a thing as ministry but it is called the ministry or this ministry and only once in the entire New Testament do we find the term ministries. So what is this ministry and in what sense does the Bible refer to the plural term ministries?

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Leviticus (Program #15) -The Sin Offering Christ for the Sins of God’s People (1)

Studying many of the books of the Old Testament can be somewhat a tedious task for some people.  Even those who loves God’s Word find it difficult to get through various books of the Bible.  Leviticus with all the details it offers on the various offerings that were prescribed in the Old Testament can be such a book.   The key is to see Christ as the reality and fulfillment of all these Old Testament pictures.

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2 Corinthians (Program #24) – The Essence of the New Covenant Ministry (1)

The apostle Paul’s writings in the New Testament are rich with the use of metaphors. He frequently used metaphors to help convey the deep and profound meaning of the highest spiritual truths contain in scriptures.

Two such metaphors are found in 2 Corinthians chapter 3. In this chapter we, the believers are first liken to letters, letters of Christ been written or inscribed by the apostles with the Holy Spirit as the ink. How about that?

Later in chapter 3 we become mirrors that both behold and reflect the glory of the Lord. Metaphors like these inspired by the Spirit Himself do help unlock the unsearchable riches of Christ both in our experience and in the working out of God’s great plan, a full salvation.

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Leviticus (Program #14) – The Peace Offering Christ as the Peace Between God and God’s People

In His wisdom and understanding God has elected to reveal Himself in His plan.  Not by way of miraculous appearances from the heavens or by supernatural manifestations but rather by speaking. His speaking is contained in His Word, the Bible.  And if we are attuned to hear His speaking is as fresh today as it was when He first spoke to His people from the Tabernacle or the Tent of Meeting as it is called in Leviticus.

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2 Corinthians (Program #23) – Transformed into the Image of the Lord by Beholding and Reflecting (2)

There are many marvelous word pictures or metaphors in the Bible. Without which the task of comprehending many of the deeper truths and thoughts of scriptures would be difficult indeed. But most of those whom were used by the Holy Spirit to bring God’s divine revelation to man were very adapt at the used of such metaphors and for those of us who love the Bible, the riches that it contains. We come to love the types and shadows and metaphors as well.

2 Corinthians, Paul’s autobiography in a sense is a book that is replead with such metaphors. And as we’ve seen in chapter 3 are among the most significant.

Listen once again to Paul’s word again in 2 Corinthians 3:

16 “But whenever their heart turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”

17 “And the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.”

18 “But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.”

Just how is it that we can be transformed as spoken of in these verses?

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Leviticus (Program #13) – The Meal Offering Church Life

The meal offering from Leviticus is not something that many believers today is familiar with.  But today we will have a program that reveals an entire New testament book explaining the details of the meal offering.  As the apostle Paul applies it to our Christian life and Church life.

The meal offering is really a marvelous type and it really shows Christ as our enjoyment, as our supply and as our food…

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2 Corinthians (Program #22) – Transformed into the Image of the Lord by Beholding and Reflecting (1)

The teachings of Confucius, the great Chinese philosopher were quite outstanding in their moral and ethical standard. In fact many early missionaries in China commented that the teachings of Confucius were just like the teachings of the Bible. But to compare the Bible to the writings of Confucius or any other philosophical or religious writings is like comparing gold to brass or copper.

All the philosophy or religious teachings can do is to improve our human behavior. But the intrinsic focus of the Bible is not about modifying our behavior is about transforming us gradually into the image of Christ.  2 Corinthians chapter 3:18 says it,

“But we all with unveiled face, beholding and reflecting like a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord Spirit.”

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Leviticus (Program #12) – The Elements of the Meal Offering for the Christian Life and the Church Life

Leviticus is a book of details and if we have a guide in all these details are full of meaning.  For example salt is a necessary ingredient in the meal offering but honey is not allowed.  How many readers of the Bible have ever applied these details of the meal offering in Leviticus to their own experience of Christ?  Today in the life-study of Leviticus our topic are the ingredients of the meal offering.  And we will see the Christian life depicted in all these marvelous ingredients.

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2 Corinthians (Program #21) – Shining the Glory of the New Covenant (2)

Two items are marvelously connected in 2 Corinthians that you may have never noticed or linked before. These two things are the New Covenant and the shining of the glory of Christ.

The Old Covenant was a Covenant of law and of letters with the affect of bringing us into spiritual death. The New Covenant on the other hand has everything to do with the Spirit and life. And to be brought into the reality of the New Covenant is to be brought into the glory of the face of Jesus Christ.

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Leviticus (Program #11) – The Practical Experience and Enjoyment of Christ as the Offerings

The Old Testament established a definite principle that sinful and fallen man must have an offering before coming into God’s presence.  In Leviticus and other Old Testament books sacrifices of animals and grain were prescribed by God.  But what about now?  Has God’s principle been abandoned?  Is it acceptable to approach Him empty-handed?  Or do His people still need an acceptable offering to come into God’s presence?

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