1 Corinthians (Program #51) – Dealing with the Gifts (7)

When we come to a topic it’s crucial and central in the Bible as the church, we would naturally assume that the Bible has much to say on how the meetings of the church should be conducted. Surprising however the Bible is almost silent on the subject. Except from one particular portion in 1 Corinthians chapter 14 especially verses 26-40. And even though the section has 15 verses it is really just one verse that show us the basic principle for how the meetings, the gatherings of the believers should carry on. Listen to 1 Corinthians 14:26 “What then, brothers? Whenever you come together, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for building up.”

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Exodus (Program #161) – The Workers of the Tabernacle, the Furniture and the Priestly Garment – Skillful Works, the Workmanship

God’s calling is a wonderful and mysterious thing.  He calls many people to many different works.  But the highest call to all of His people, regardless of our personal interests or desires is to be fully occupied in the building up of His habitation.  In the Old Testament it was first the tabernacle and later the temple.  But today this building work and our calling is related to the church.

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1 Corinthians (Program #50) – Dealing with the Gifts (6)

Two chapters in 1 Corinthians deals specifically with the matter of the gifts, chapter twelve and thirteen. Though there is similarities between these two chapters there is a significant change in focus or emphasis. Eighteen times in the chapter twelve Paul uses the term, “the Body” referring of course to the Body of Christ.

But in chapter fourteen, we never hear the Body. Rather in this chapter the emphasis was the church and specifically is the building up of the church. Listen to the shift that takes place in  these few verses.

12:12 “For even as the body is one and has many members, yet all the members of the body, being many, are one body, so also is the Christ.”

12:27-28  “Now you are the Body of Christ, and members individually. And God has placed some in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers; then works of power, then gifts of healing, helps, administrations, various kinds of tongues.”

Is this just Paul used of idol synonyms? Or is this divine? Or is this the divine wisdom manifest once again for our further instruction?

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Exodus (Program #160) – The Workers of the Tabernacle, the Furniture and the Priestly Garment – The Wise Master Builder, Filled with the Spirit of God

A major topic in the New Testament has to do with building up of God’s House or the building of the church. Yet the details for this important building work may be most clearly seen in the Old Testament, particularly in the book of Exodus.

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1 Corinthians (Program #49) – Dealing with the Gifts (5)

As the apostle Paul was writing chapter 12, 13 and 14 of 1 Corinthians, he had much more in his heart then just dealing with the problem of the improper use or abuse of the gifts of the Spirit. There was an overwhelming burden on his heart and in his spirit concerning several crucial matters related to the building up of the Body of Christ, the church.

In chapter twelve and thirteen, he emphasizes five things: Speaking, the Spirit, the Body, God’ administration and love.  Then in chapter 14, he comes to another main item, the superiority of one particular gift for the building up of the church. Among the main spiritual gifts describe in this portion of the word, one stands out as superior for building up the church. What is this unique superior gift?

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Exodus (Program #159) – The Incense—Oiled and Salted; the Ingredients

We are going to complete, in a sense a two-part series dealing with the incense that was burnt in the golden incense altar in the tabernacle.  Yesterday, we had a program that brought out this matter of the divine traffic that is pictured by looking at these two things that are brought up at the end of chapter 30; the holy anointing oil, we spent a number of programs on this topic and then yesterday and today we are now touching the recipe for incense that was given almost in the same breath.  This was a marvelous point, the divine traffic.  We touched many times earlier but particularly in Genesis as we first look at Jacob’s ladder.  Of course, in the life study of John it comes up again as well.  There seems to be a development of what was initially presented in Genesis to some degree.

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1 Corinthians (Program #48) – Dealing with the Gifts (4)

In 1 Corinthians chapter 12, Paul, the apostle touches the so called gifts of the Spirit. He concludes the chapter by telling the believers by the shallowness of the most outward of these gifts. But then he points them clearly to something much better, the gift of love.

12: 31 “But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And moreover I show to you a most excellent way.”  13:1 “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels but do not have love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.”

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Exodus (Program #158) – The Incense—Prayers Ascending to God, Sweetness of Genuine Prayer

One of the most significant realizations that a human being can have is that the God of creation has come to visit mankind in the person of Jesus Christ.  This is the beginning of our salvation experience.  But it takes a further revelation to see that the traffic between God and man is not limited to this one-way traffic.  The divine traffic is our topic on today’s life study of the Bible.

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1 Corinthians (Program #47) – Dealing with the Gifts (3)

No division in the Body of Christ, is it too idealistic to think that they could actually be no division in the Body of Christ as the Bible charges in 1 Corinthians 12:25?

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Exodus (Program #157) – The Ingredients of the Compound Spirit Typified by the Compounded Ointment

One of the truly great promises of Christian life is found in 1 John chapter 2, there it says o”if that which you have heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father”.  Verse 25 says “And this is the promise which He Himself promised us, the eternal life.”  The condition of this promise is that we need to let that which we have heard from the beginning abide in us.  No genuine lover of the Lord Jesus would want to miss promise.   But what is it that we need to let abide in us that will bring us into this marvelous reality?

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