Mark (Program #48) – A Life Fully According To and For God’s New Testament Economy (4) & (5)

Both John chapter 1 verse 1 and Mark chapter 1 verse 1 both use the word ‘beginning.’

John 1:1 says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” Here the word ‘beginning’ denotes eternity past. John use of this word is very mysterious.  Yet Mark on the contrary speaks of the beginning of the gospel.  The gospel of Mark is unique among the four gospels in opening with the clear expression, the beginning of the gospel.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Mark (Program #1) – A Word of Introduction (1)

It’s very interesting to pay attention to how each of the four gospels begin.  Matthew, a gospel that focuses on the kingdom, begins with the long genealogy of Christ, demonstrating that He is the bonafide heir of David the king.  Luke, on the other hand also shows us the genealogy but not that of a king, rather it’s a genealogy of a proper and upright man.  The gospel of John begins in a much different way – “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God.”  John is the gospel that reveals Christ’s divinity.

But what about the gospel of Mark?   Mark has no genealogy what so ever. Because Mark is the gospel revealing not just the humanity of Jesus, but that in His humanity Jesus Christ took the position of a slave. And He came to us a Slave-Savior.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Jeremiah (Program #22) – The Spiritual Sequence in the Bible and in Jeremiah

The Bible presents God’s work and God’s plan in a marvelous sequence.  If we see the spiritual significance, we can see that right after creating man, God presents Himself to man as man’s source, only to be rejected by the very man that He had created.  But what seems to be the end of God’s plan is really just the beginning.  As God deals with the sins that besets mankind by coming Himself to be man’s righteousness and his life and ultimately to gain man fully for Himself as His enlargement and expression.  This is the sequence of the whole Bible.  And that sequence is closely parallel by the account of the prophet Jeremiah.  The sequence of the divine revelation in the Bible and the same sequences as found in Jeremiah is our topic on today’s life study.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

1 John (Program #24) – The Virtues of the Divine Birth to Practice the Divine Righteousness (2)

In the epistle of first John there are three main sections. The fellowship of the divine life from the beginning of the book to 2:11. The teaching of the anointing starting in 2:12 through 2:27 and the virtues of the divine birth from 2:28 to the end of the book, 5:21.

The sequence of these three sections is important and it indicates the fellowship of the divine life and the teaching of the anointing bring us into the virtues of the divine birth.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

2 Thessalonians (Program #5) – Chosen by God Unto Salvation in Sanctification of the Spirit (1)

After speaking of the Lord’s second coming and our being gathered to Him in some detail. The apostle Paul comes back to a word of further encouragement in 2 Thesssalonians chapter 2.  Surely it was in his heart to point the new believers in Thessalinica to God’s purpose in His selection of them with the goal of sanctifying them. His sweet word in verse 13 sets the tone for this loving word of encouragement. “But we ought to thank God always concerning you, brothers beloved of the Lord, because God chose you from the beginning unto salvation in sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth.”

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS