Blog Archives

23 Oct 2024 Philippians (Program #8)

Philippians (Program #8) – Standing Firm in One Spirit Striving Together with One Soul

In Philippians 1:27 the apostle Paul says, “that you stand firm in one spirit with one soul striving together along with the faith of the gospel.”  We need to not only stand firm in one spirit for the experience of Christ but also to strive together with one soul in the faith of the gospel. To be with one soul for the gospel work is more difficult then to be in one spirit for the experience of Christ. This unique use of term would be our focus today on the life study of the Bible from the book of Philippians.

Concerning our standing it says we need to be firm in one spirit and then concerning our striving together we need to be with one soul. So this verse shows us an exercise of both the spirit and the soul. Many believers, many Christians may not realize or perceive the critical difference between these two portions or aspects of our being, the spirit and the soul. So, to clarify, to reveal this very basic and important understanding.

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23 Oct 2024 1 & 2 Kings (Program #20)

1 & 2 Kings (Program #20) – Concluding Word of the History of the Kings among Israel

During the 400-year period when the kings rule in Israel, God witnessed the hearts of His people drifting farther and farther away.  Except for a very few exceptions this degradation was actually led by the kings themselves.  Idolatry, immorality and general hardness of their hearts were the things that characterize this dark dark period in the history of God’s people.  But actually there is much that we can learn even from the failures of those kings.  Because as we have seen so often in this life study, the Old Testament is a book of types of typology and the New Testament is the fulfillment of those types.  We will explore the New Testament fulfillment of the type shown to us by the kings in this final program in the life study of Kings

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22 Oct 2024 Philippians (Program #7)

Philippians (Program #7) – The Best Choice of Paul

When things are going well in our life and God seems to be answering all of our prayers for our practical living, how easy it is to rejoice in the Lord even to boast to other of how marvelous it is to be saved and to love Jesus. But what if rather then grand every request for a good job and a happy family life or even a new house, the Lord would to allow us to be thrown into prison or even beaten, then could we boast?  Will we then be full of rejoicing and be able to minister encouragement to others?  The book of Philippians shows us how the apostle Paul related to such a situation and it also gives us a way to be brought into the real experience of practical salvation.

We have seen now in our first messages in these life study of Philippians that it is very meaningful to understand the circumstances that Paul was in when he wrote this letter dealing with the experience of Christ. In virtually very verse he pointing us and bringing us to one thing and that is the genuine experience and the enjoyment of Christ.

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22 Oct 2024 1 & 2 Kings (Program #19)

1 & 2 Kings (Program #19) – The Reign of Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, & Zedekiah over Judah and the Governing of Gedallia

In the final chapters of 2 Kings, the Lord was ultimately forced to give up His people Israel because of their continual degradation and the hardness of their hearts.  Even when He allowed the Syrians to conquer the northern kingdom of Israel and carried them away into captivity those in the southern kingdom of Judah refused to heed this warning and continue in their evil ways.  Eventually the great king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem, destroyed the temple and the walls of the city and took the king Zedekiah to Babylon.  Soon the entire nation of Israel was taken in captivity.  But through the following several hundred years though the nation of Israel was never again fully restored, Jehovah maintained a linage of the descendant of King David until ultimately Christ, the promised seed of David could be brought forth in Israel.  This maintained God’s original intention and made possible both our redemption and our regeneration.

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21 Oct 2024 Philippians (Program #6b)

Philippians (Program #6b) – Magnifying Christ by Living Him (2)

In Philippians 1:20 the Apostle Paul says, “according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be put to shame but with all boldness as always even now Christ shall be magnified in my body whether through life or through death.”  The apostle Paul wrote these words as he was in prison in a Roman jail and his exhortation to the Philippines was to follow his pattern of experiencing and enjoying even magnifying Christ regardless of his outward situation.

As we continue our fellowship from yesterday, another message covering Paul’s experience, magnified Christ by experience Him even through sufferings. There are much more here as we are able to cover a message of remarkable depth and incredible insight and so much encouragement for us.

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21 Oct 2024 1 & 2 Kings (Program #18)

1 & 2 Kings (Program #18) – The Reign of Manasseh, Amon, & Josiah over Judah

A picture is worth a thousand words and in the Old Testament God gave us many pictures.  Today we are continuing the life study of Kings and in the life study of Kings we are seeing the picture of God’s economy through the history books, the books of history.

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20 Oct 2024 Philippians (Program #6a)

Philippians (Program #6a) – Magnifying Christ by Living Him (1)

Philippians is a book that shows the reality of experiencing Christ. The apostle Paul presents himself as the living witness as the one who experience Christ in the depth of his being regardless of his outward circumstances or sufferings. Paul had learned the key not just how to endure hardship but how to allow every situation to become an opportunity for Christ to be magnified and expressed even in his body. A wonderful glimpse into the life of a person who was experiencing being one living with our Lord Jesus Christ

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20 Oct 2024 1 & 2 Kings (Program #17)

1 & 2 Kings (Program #17) – The Reign of Hezekiah over Judah

During the long history of the kings of Israel and Judah recorded in the Old Testament spanning a period of several hundred years, there are very few positive accounts.  Of course, we remember David, who was according to God’s heart though he himself was not without his own serious failure.  But not until we come to Hezekiah near the end of the account in 2 Kings do we find another who was nearly as positive as David.  Yet despite this dark negative period in the history of God’s people, God maintained His thin line of overcomers, mainly among the prophets such as Isaiah.  In fact the book of Isaiah gives us a direct linkage to God’s New Testament economy and even to Christ Himself.  As Isaiah focuses our attention on Christ, we want to focus on Him in His New Testament economy today.

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19 Oct 2024 Philippians (Program #5)

Philippians (Program #5) – The Bountiful Supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ

The bountiful supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ is a crucial expression and it would be our focus on today’s life study of the the Bible from Philippians.

We want to discuss this bountiful supply which is Paul found out can cause negative situation to actually turn out to salvation.

We want to begin by looking at the meaning of the Greek word as we find it in the text here. It’s translated in the Recovery version of the Bible as “the bountiful supply”. The word in Greek refers to a chorus leader, the leader of a chorus.  In Greek term probably pronounce as “choragus” And this is the one who supply all of the needs of the chorus. In fact in ancient time this choir leader or ” choragus” supply not just the needs of the group in a general way, but also provided for every need of each individual chorus member. It is a marvelous example how the Spirit of Jesus Christ takes care of us.

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19 Oct 2024 1 & 2 Kings (Program #16)

1 & 2 Kings (Program #16) – The Reign of Hoshea over Israel

As the kings of both houses of Israel slid further and further into degradation and failure, the Old Testament provides us with a parallel account of the prophets that God had raised up during the same period to carry on the line of His testimony and of His economy.  Often the prophecies of these ones touch the very center and focus of God’s New Testament economy in His eternal purpose which was embodied and manifested in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.  The prophet Isaiah particularly is rich with references to both Christ’s incarnation, His marvelous and all-effective redemption.Yet the challenge for us as believers today is not to stop with Christ’s wonderful redemption but rather to take it by faith as God intends as a starting point for our Christian life and walk.  This is what we hope to touch in today’s life study.

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