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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

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?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

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?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

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.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

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?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Jeremiah (Program #12) – God’s Economy with His Dispensing in Jeremiah (1)

The Bible consummates with the revelation of the city of New Jerusalem. This indicates that the New Jerusalem is God’s goal. In fact every book in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation is in some way related to the New Jerusalem as God’s goal. And as the ultimate goal of His plan and purpose with man, the New Jerusalem is just too wonderful for us to imagine. So God reveals this matter bit by bit. First by the Bible’s own words and then the stories, types, history, shadows and figures make it more and more clear to us. The Old Testament of Jeremiah is rich in the aspect of God’s economy that are revealed throughout. In Jeremiah, God’s goal of having a group of human beings that have been filled with Him and that bear His image and likeness to become His corporate expression for eternity is very much on display. And this vision unlocks all the riches and treasures in this book.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Hebrews (Program #21) – The Remaining Sabbath Rest (4)

Hebrews chapter 6 contains a severe and solemn warning. Christians for centuries have struggled with how to apply this word of righteousness and who to apply it to. The revelation of the divine speaking on this portion will be a word you would not want to miss on today’s life study of the Bible.

Another marvelous message today dealing with the matter of Sabbath rest.  To review just a little what we’ve seen regarding the Sabbath; it really is not relate to whether or not we observe this day or another day, but this altogether deals with God being satisfied in His expression.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Jeremiah (Program #11) – A Word concerning Israel’s History

On Mount Sinai, Israel was in the dawning of a divine revelation. God had revealed the law to them as a portrait, a picture of Himself. And opened His heart’s desire to them that He would be everything to them, even a Husband that they would be a people to Him and eventually become even His duplication. But the history of Israel reveals how quickly they have departed from this revelation and this sunrise soon became a sunset, leaving Israel in darkness and under the chastising hand of Jehovah. This was the situation when God had to call a young boy to be a prophet for Him. Jeremiah was raised up by the Lord because Jehovah found no one among His kings, princes or even His priests that would be faithful to Him and speak His word to the people. To see Israel in the sunset of the divine revelation becomes a sober warning to us today – never to forsake Him, the fountain of living waters.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS