Philippians (Program #1) – The Background and Subject of the Book

Living Christ and magnifying Christ in whatever circumstance is the message of the book of Philippians.

Marvelous book, what a precious book is the book of Philippians. Today is a happy day, because Philippians is a very special book for this ministry because it relates so much so specifically to the experience of Christ.

The past several months we’ve been covered life studies in Matthew, Revelation, Daniel, tremendous books with a lot of prophesies and items related to coming features events and a lot of doctrines and teaching, very healthy teaching.  But we are going to focusing now on Christ and the practical experience of Christ. They are two phrases I like to read that represent the basic concept of the entire book of Philippians and also this life study.  First one is found in Philippians 1:21 “Christ will be magnified in my body”.  And that is not doctrine by any means.  The second is found on the next verse, it says, “to me to live is Christ”. So we have magnifying Christ and living Christ as the big subjects.  We all hope and pray that all of our listeners to get into and appreciate these items more and more in the coming weeks.

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1 & 2 Kings (Program #12) – The Reign of Jehu Over Israel

Many prominent figures of the Old Testament are important not only because of the actual events associated with their lives historically but also because they represent or typify something greater and more significant than themselves.  For example, in the New Testament, Moses still typifies the law and similarly Elijah represents the prophets.  Of course, Moses and Elijah were godly and used by Him to advance His purpose in the Old Testament age.  But there is another Old Testament figure that was utterly evil and led God’s people into idolatry and inequity and is also referred to in the New Testament typifying the idolatry and inequity that still consume many of God’s people today.  Today we come to consider the evil prophetess Jezebel from the books of 1 & 2 Kings.

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Ephesians (Program #74) -The Spirit and the Church

One of the major changes that takes place in the life of a Christian is in their mind.  As unbelievers we were as Paul described in Ephesians 4, darkened in our understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance which was in us and because of the hardness of our heart.

Contrast that to the conditions of the believers that follow in Chapter 5, For you were once darkness but are now light in the Lord, walk as children of light for the fruits of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth.  How does this transformation in our minds take place?  The answer to this crucial matter is also found in Ephesians.

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1 & 2 Kings (Program #11) – Elisha’s Ministry of Grace

The mighty prophet Elijah was a clear type of John the baptist in the New Testament.  John the baptist was mighty and most assuredly he was clothed with the Spirit of power as was Elijah.  But John’s most critical role was to announce and usher in Christ.  Centuries before Elijah ushered in Elisha.  Just as Elijah was a type of John the Baptist, the prophet Elisha typified Christ and the New Testament ministry of grace.

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Ephesians (Program #73) – Faith But Not Doctrine

The book of Ephesians which stresses the Church places tremendous importance on the matter of Oneness. The oneness of the Spirit and the oneness of the faith are both highlighted in this book. But notably it does not speak about the oneness of teaching or of doctrine, in fact both teaching and doctrine are the subject of Paul’s warning in Chapter 4:13-14, “Until we all arrive at the oneness of the faith and of the full knowledge of the Son of God, …That we may be no longer little children tossed by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching in the sleight of men, in craftiness with a view to a system of error.”  Obviously the oneness of the faith is something other than that of doctrine or teaching.

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1 & 2 Kings (Program #10) – The Reign of Ahaziah Over Israel & Rapture of Elijah

In 2 Kings, the might prophet Elijah was taken up from the earth into the heavens in a whirlwind. At that moment Elisha who had been with Elijah picked up his mantle and the Spirit of God descended upon Elisha. This moment marked the transition from the ministry of Elijah to the ministry of Elisha. But is that all that was represented by this transfer? Actually if we understand the clear types and symbols of the Old Testament, we can see that in reality, this story unveils the transition from the Old Testament to the New.

Ephesians (Program #72) – Growth by Feeding for the Building

The book of Ephesians has two distinct sections. The first three chapters give us a clear account of all of Christ is accomplished to produce the Church as the One New Man. His work on the cross, in resurrection has brought forth this New Man, composed of His redeemed people, built together in Himself to become not just One New Man but even the New Man filled unto all the fullness of God.  Well, this seem to be a logical conclusion to the book, but Paul goes on to the last three chapters and points out how much God needs our human co-operation if the Church is to be built up as the habitation of God in Spirit.  We want to look today, just what kind of co-operation God is looking for.

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1 & 2 Kings (Program #9) – The Reign of Ahab Over Israel (2)

In the Old Testament history of Israel, God often resorted to miracles either to save His people Israel from a fierce enemy or to establish in the faith of the people that He, the God of Abraham, Issac and Jacob was the only true God.  Often these miracles were performed through the ministry of the prophets, such as Jeremiah or Isaiah or Elijah.  In fact, most people considering Elijah probably think first and foremost of him as man of great power and mighty miracles.  Yet he himself when he was threatened by the evil prophetess Jezebel was powerless to perform even the simplest of miracle to save himself.  Instead he ran away and hid himself.  Until Jehovah came to him not in a earthquake or in the wind or in the fire but rather the great and powerful God came to Elijah the way He most often comes to you and me; in a gentle and quiet voice.

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Ephesians (Program #71) – Ordinances and the Church Life

The book of Ephesians reveals that what God is after is for Christ to be wrought into His chosen and redeemed people to produce the Church. But it also exposes many of the negative things that frustrate us form attaining to His purpose. Among these are the obvious items of sin and worldliness. But though these things surely damage the Church none are so great a problem as the not so obvious matter of ordinances.

Ordinances expressed our own way of practicing the Christian life. And each group, each gathering of believers has its’ own particular characteristics, its’ way to practice, to meet and to worship. Yet these ways that we treasure and value so dearly may in fact be the factor divide us from other believers and thereby frustrate God to the uttermost and He desires to obtain His heart desire, the Church as the One New Man.

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1 & 2 Kings (Program #8) – The Reign of Ahab Over Israel (1)

In the Old Testament we find the record of the deeds of many of the great and powerful men of God.  Of all of these, perhaps none was more mighty and performs more miracles than the prophet Elijah.  In a way Elijah typifies and represents all of the prophets of the Old Testament, even appearing with Moses on the mount of transfiguration when the Lord Jesus revealed His glory to some of His disciples.

The first appearance of Elijah in the Bible is in 1 King 17, where he is called by Jehovah to confront the evil King Ahab, whose heart had been fully turned away from the God of Abraham to the idols of Jezebel, his wife.

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