Luke (Program #13) – The Ministry of the Man-Savior in Galilee (4)

The Bible tells us to love our enemies. Even to treat those who hate us well and to the ones that beat us in the cheek we should turn the other. Well we all heard such teachings and we may agree with them and even strongly desire to be such humble and meek persons. But when confronted with evil treatment or slander we lash out in anger and hatred of our own. But there is One in whom this kind of behavior does not come with difficulty and strife, in fact it matches the very character and nature of His life. For there was a time when we were His enemies and even His haters but He captured us with His love and now He blesses us by imparting His very life into us with the same capacity to love and forgive and forget.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Revelation (Program #10) – Ephesus – Love, Life and Light

No doubt, hundreds of volumes and countless thousands of pages have been written concerning the 2,000 years of church history since the Lord Jesus established the first church in Jerusalem. Church historians have had much to say as they have looked back through time. But do you realize that the Bible, in just two short chapters in the Book of Revelation, gives an incredibly comprehensive summary of the history, and did it before that history happened.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Jude (Program #4) – Charges to the Believers (2)

The short epistle of Jude concludes with a marvelous charge to the believers. A charge that includes, “…building up yourselves upon your most holy faith,” and “praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God,” of course the Father, “awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ“, the Son.

The result or issue of this four fold charge is that it will be unto eternal life.  Actually some consideration of this passage may give raise to a very meaningful question. Is this really a formula for how to receive the eternal life?  Or rather is it a charge to those who already possessed the eternal life, is that how they should have their daily living in the eternal life that they already received?  A profound question.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Jude (Program #3) – Charges to the Believers (1)

Jude a short book of only one chapter with twenty five verses is known primarily for the classic call in verse three “to contend for the faith”.

Yet in addition to this well known passage it also contains some marvelous utterances that help bring the believers into a rich and glorious experience of the divine life. And even some practical help on how not just to live a godly manner but how to live in the Triune God Himself. Listen to verses 20 and 21 – “But you, beloved, building up yourselves upon your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, awaiting the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

2 John (Program #1) – The Walk in Truth and Love

The apostle John in his gospel and first epistle inoculated the believers with the mending ministry concerning the person of Christ against the heresies regarding Christ’s deity and humanity.  Because of such an inoculating truth, we see in 2 and 3 John that he and all those who had known this truth love those who were faithful to this truth.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 John (Program #31) – The Virtues of the Divine Birth to Practice the Divine Love (4)

In his first epistle the apostle John talks very much about love.  Chapter four particularly places a strong emphasis on love. But if we examine John’s presentation of this most visible virtue of the divine birth we realize that the love spoken of in this book is not a vague or general love nor is it a natural love, a love that finds its’ source in the human heart. It is the love that flows from the divine source from God Himself.  In verse 8 of chapter 4 John puts it this way, “He who does not love has not known God, because God is love.“

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 John (Program #18) – The World and the Things in the World

One of the interesting words in the original language of the New Testament is cosmos. This Greek word is normally translated in the Bible as “world”.

In John 3:16 “For God so loved the world (cosmos) that He gave His only begotten Son..” to save it.  Yet in John’s epistle we are told not to love the cosmos, because it’s impossible for us to both love the world and love God the Father at the same time.

The reason that we as believers need to flee and any attachment of the world is that the world is a mask for God’s enemy, Satan.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 John (Program #16) – Conditions of the Divine Fellowship (9)

John first epistle as a continuation of his gospel stresses the eternal life. And specifically the fellowship or flow of this divine life that is available for all of us as His children to experience.

But though our salvation is unconditional there are conditions for us to stay in the fellowship of life experimentally. The first of this condition is found in chapter one and this is a basic requirement for every believer to maintain their enjoyment of Christ as life.

1 John 1:7, 9
7 “But if we walk in the light as He 1is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from every sin.”

9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Keeping sure account by confessing our sins before God is vitally important. But John brings us another important condition for maintaining the fellowship of life and that is to love the brothers.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 John (Program #15) – Conditions of the Divine Fellowship (8)

The two conditions of the divine fellowship involves sin on the negative side and love on the positive side. On the negative side we need to deal with sin, on the positive side we need to exercise ourselves to love God and love the brothers.

Therefore sin must be dealt with and love must be perfected. If we deal with sin and exercise ourselves to love God and the brothers, we shall fulfill the conditions of keeping ourselves in the fellowship of the divine life.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 John (Program #6) – Conditions of the Divine Fellowship (1)

All genuinely blood washed, Spirit regenerated believers in Christ have become children of God and we can never break this marvelous relationship in life with our Savior God.

Yet in our experience we all know that our fellowship with God can be broken. Unfortunately this happens to us all too frequently and we miss the fellowship with the Lord that we love. So, the apostle John helped us in a practical way in his first epistle to deal with this.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS