Hebrews (Program #18) – The Remaining Sabbath Rest (1)

Today we come in Hebrews to the matter of the Sabbath rest. How does a Christian enter in to the Sabbath rest? This is the subject of today’s life study.

Hebrews 4:9 says, “So then there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.” Many Christians debate whether our Sabbath is Saturday or Sunday or some other time period yet in the future. What is the New Testament revelation on this topic and how critical it is for us as Christians?

The New Testament doesn’t say too much about this issue but I guess it’s fitting that it is addressed in this book of Hebrews. There are several different views of the importance or the interpretation of the Sabbath in the New Testament. The Sabbath here in Hebrews has a very particular meaning and interpretation. There is a debate among some Christians whether to keep the Saturday or Sunday as the Sabbath. more…

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Hebrews (Program #15) – Christ as the Apostle Superior to Moses

Most Christians know Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the living God. Today we will see Jesus as the apostle sent by God. Why was He sent and what was He sent to do? This is the subject of our message today.

The early chapters in Hebrews present one comparison after another of Christ to the cherished items of the old covenant. And this comparison now brings us to Moses, the most revered of all the Old Testament figures. Once again our Christ is superior!

Hebrews is a wonderful book of comparisons. The writer is convincing his fellow Hebrews that Christ and God’s economy in Christ is far superior to the Old Testament economy. So the comparison begins by comparing the God of the Old Testament who spoke in the prophets in various ways with the God of the New Testament who is speaking in the Son. The comparison is clear that the speaking of God in the Son, and therefore, the God in the New Testament is much more clear, definite, and, substantial than the Old Testament God that the Hebrews knew. more…

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1 Timothy (Program #4) – The Normal Life of the Brothers and Sisters in the Church

In his first letter to his young co-worker, Timothy, the apostle Paul after his first imprisonment encourages Timothy to war the good warfare for the faith against the situation of degradation that had set in among all the churches.

In his letter he firstly reconfirms the basic foundation of the truth, God’s economy and the teaching of the apostles. Then he points the Timothy and eventually all the brothers and sisters to prayer. The real solution for all the negative situations.  Next, he addresses the sisters and admonishes them in much detail on how they must bear the burden for the church to be healthy.

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1 Timothy (Program #3) – Prayer to Carry Out God’s Desire for Man’s Salvation

The apostle Paul wrote the books of 1 & 2 Timothy during a period of decline and degradation among the Churches that have been under his ministry. In respond to this negative situation he first laid the foundation for good spiritual health by refocusing them on God’s economy. This is in 1 Timothy 1:4.

Then in Chapter 2 he exhorts Timothy, his faithful co-worker to take the lead in the most crucial area of all in dealing with degraded and trouble situations and that is in the matter of prayer.  Listen to 1 Timothy Chapter 2 : 1-3. “I exhort therefore, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercessions, thanksgivings be made on behalf of all men; On behalf of kings and all who are in high position, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all godliness and gravity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of our Savior God,“

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1 Timothy (Program #2) – Faith and a Good Conscience Needed for the Keeping of the Faith

In 1 Timothy Chapter 1:18, The apostle Paul gives young Timothy a charge. A charge that he would war the good warfare.  This charge he writes, “I commit to you, my child Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you might war the good warfare,”

Many Bible readers and Bible lovers have no doubt been aspired by such hefty stuff. But do they really understand what it was that Paul would have Timothy so gallantly fight for and defend?

In reading passages like this in scripture. We need to take great care to get in the full context. In this case the key to understanding Paul’s charge to Timothy is the preceding 17 verses in Chapter 1. And those can be well summarized by verse 3, “Even as I exhorted you, …. that you might charge certain ones not to teach different things. Nor to give heed to myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings rather than God’s economy, which is in faith.“

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1 Timothy (Program #1) – God’s Dispensation versus Differing Teachings

The book of 1 Timothy was written during a period of decline and even degradation in the Church. And interestingly the apostle Paul takes the opportunity to point out a clear distinction between the central focus of the New Testament and general, random Christians teachings.  And remarkably very few Bible readers have ever taken notice of these important verses. Listen to 1 Timothy Chapter 1:3-4 “.. I exhorted you, when I was going into Macedonia,” Paul writes to Timothy, “to remain in Ephesus in order that you might charge certain ones not to teach different things. Nor to give heed to myths and unending genealogies, which produce questionings rather than God’s economy, which is in faith.”

What are these different teachings that are versus God’s economy?  We will explore this marvelous, broad and critically important topic in the coming days and weeks in this new life study of 1 & 2 Timothy.

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Colossians (Program #12) – Christ-The Mystery Of God’s Economy

What kind of book is the Bible to you? Maybe a book of stories of inspiring men of faith or perhaps a book of deep teachings and doctrines. Or, a book of ethics or words of wisdom for men to live by. Well, surely it’s all of these things but if these are all we see in the Bible, we’d missed the mark. Because embedded in all the stories, all the teachings, and all the ethics and wisdom lies the mystery of God and of His heart’s desire for man. Listen to Paul the Apostle in Colossians 1:25  “Of which I became a minister according to the stewardship of God, which was given to me for you, to complete the word of God, The mystery which has been hidden from the ages and from the generations but now has been manifested to His saints;”

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