Jeremiah (Program #17) – Jehovah as the Potter and Israel as the Pottery

The prophet Jeremiah found himself in a difficult almost impossible situation. On one hand, he himself was part of the nation of Israel. A nation that had rebelled against the Lord and as a result was suffering under the hand of Jehovah’s discipline and chastisement. Therefore, Jeremiah was suffering along with all his countrymen. Yet Jeremiah was unique in that he had faithfully spoken Jehovah’s word to Israel pointing out their unfaithfulness and warning them to turn back to the God who had so marvelously brought them into the Good Land. But this faithful speaking by Jeremiah was rejected by Israel and caused them to hate him and even further persecute him.  So it’s not surprising to hear this man of God crying out in anguish to the one person who would surely sympathize with him – his own mother. In chapter 15, the prophet said “Woe is me, my mother, because you bore me, A man of strife and a man of contention to the whole land. I have not lent with interest, Nor have they lent to me; Yet everyone curses me.” But before his mother could speak a comforting word, Jehovah intervenes. And in the discourse that follows, we see that Jeremiah had a different view from Jehovah regarding the way that the Lord was dealing with His people, Israel.

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Hebrews (Program #26) – The Three Stages of Salvation

Today we will see our salvation is a journey much like the children of Israel’s of three stages. It has a goal and that goal is to enter into the Sabbath rest.

According to the divine revelation, God’s salvation is in three stages. The children of Israel experienced these three stages on their way into the Good Land. The picture painted by their experience in the Old Testament provides us with a road map into the full salvation of God in our spirit. We’ll look at these three stages of salvation in today’s life study of the Bible.

Hebrews is a New Testament book but it draws upon many Old Testament types and pictures to convey it’s New Testament message. We’re going to follow the exodus of the Israelites today.  A quick sketch of this story including the parallel to the three parts of man as they related to the three stages that the children of Israel passed through…

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Hebrews (Program #25) – An Evil Heart of Unbelief Deserting the Living God and the Living Word of God and the Parts of Man

Our heart is a loving organ. We should exercise our heart to love the Lord, even to say, “Lord Jesus, I love You. Fill my heart with Your love so that I might love you with my whole being.”

The book of Hebrews presents Christians with 5 serious warnings resulting in falling short of God’s reward. But in the midst of these warnings, the Spirit includes a striking portion of unveiling the three parts of man. Could this be a clue as to how not to fall short of God’s goal? more…

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Jeremiah (Program #16) – A Full Picture of God’s Economy by His Dispensing

The book of Jeremiah reveals God’s righteous judgment upon His people, Israel, for their many sins and the idolatry that had overtaken them. But if we look carefully and consider this book in the light of the entire Bible, we see that in the midst of all this negative history, God’s economy – that is His desire to dispense Himself and His riches into His chosen people that they might be reconstituted with Him and become His very corporate expression, is also revealed. In the first pages of Jeremiah’s account, God commissions him to tell all the people that their greatest evil is that they have forsaken Him not as their Creator nor even as their God, but as the fountain of living waters.

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Hebrews (Program #24) – The Remaining Sabbath Rest (7)

The book of Hebrews is profound and deep, containing many concepts, foreign to our natural understanding.  In order not to misunderstand the warning passages of this book, especially the one in Hebrews 10:26 and following, we need the light afforded by the marvelous message in this life study of Hebrews.

Hebrews 10:26 says “For when we sin willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice of bulls and goats for sins.”  This verse has troubled, frightened, confused and perplexed countless genuine children of God for centuries.  What is the real meaning and focus of this sober warning from the book of Hebrews?

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Jeremiah (Program #15) – Jehovah’s further Commission to Jeremiah (2)

When we read a verse from the Bible, particularly from an Old Testament book like Jeremiah, there’s usually a fairly clear and straightforward meaning. For example, Jeremiah 17:7-8, “Blessed is the man who trusts in Jehovah And whose trust Jehovah is. And he will be like a tree transplanted beside water, Which sends out its roots by a stream, And will not be afraid when heat comes; For its leaves remain flourishing;” On the surface we read and come away with a thought that if we trust in the Lord, He surely will bless us. Wonderful and certainly accurate according to the truth of this verse. But there is another equally accurate and yet far more profound understanding that can gleaned from such verses. It is this deeper and more intrinsic aspect that beckons our consideration and fellowship on this life study program.

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Hebrews (Program #23) – The Remaining Sabbath Rest (6)

Today we look again at the Sabbath rest and how it is related to God’s dealing with His people and His judgment upon them that they could enter into that rest.  Hebrew is a book of warnings.  Warnings to believers.  We know that in our salvation we are spared God’s judgment on our sins.  But what does it mean that “judgment begins at the House of God?”  We will look at how God will judge His children in the coming age.

We are going to begin today’s life study of Hebrews by looking at a verse in 1 Peter 4:17 “judgment begins at the House of God”.  Surely this refers to us, the church.  Yet Christians don’t typically think of judgment having any implication for us once we are saved.  What is the context that God will judge His believers?

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Jeremiah (Program #14) – Jehovah’s further Commission to Jeremiah (1)

The prophet Jeremiah was one with the Lord in many regards. So much so that during the troubling and tumultuous time in which Jeremiah lived, God used him as His own mouth. Bringing Jehovah’s direct speaking to the apostate and rebellious people of Israel. Yet despite being the Lord’s called and anointed prophet, Jeremiah also suffered greatly, sharing in Israel’s judgment. It’s understandable then at times he was given to complaining and bitterness. Yet the Lord was continually with him, comforting him and encouraging him not to speak “worthless things” as the people did. But to speak words that matched the preciousness of Jehovah and all that He had revealed to Jeremiah.

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Hebrews (Program #22) – The Remaining Sabbath Rest (5)

To put any jigsaw puzzle together piece by piece, you need to see the picture on the box.  Today we will see the picture on the box, that is the governing principle, which is the key to understand all the 66 books of the Bible.

We continue on the topic of the Sabbath rest from the book of Hebrew.  This is a major topic in the book as we have seen.  We are going to hear Witness Lee today use the term “the governing principle of the entire Scripture”.  We are going to see some amazing items related to God’s eternal purpose open up today.  What is this governing principle?

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Jeremiah (Program #13) – God’s Economy with His Dispensing in Jeremiah (2)

It seems upon casual reading of the Old Testament that the central focus of the book is the law of Moses.  When God brought Moses to the mountain and deliver the ten commandments that surely was a key moment, a key factor in God’s dealing with His people Israel.  But in the New Testament, the apostle Paul tells us that the law was not part of God’s original intention for man, rather it was something added due to man’s failures and sins.   In Galatians chapter 3 he says, “Why then the law? It was added because of the transgressions until the seed should come to whom the promise was made, it being ordained through angels in the hand of a mediator. ”  Actually God’s intention for man has never changed.  From the beginning He has desire that He Himself would be everything to man.  And Jeremiah, he lamented that His people Israel had forsaken Him, the fountain of living waters.  If we have this view of God’s eternal desire, our understanding of such Old Testament books as Jeremiah will be greatly uplifted.

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