Tag-Archive for ◊ defeated ◊

03 Nov 2024 Ezra (Program #1)

Ezra (Program #1) – The Need of a Return from Captivity

The history of the children of Israel in the Old Testament gives us a picture of the church today in the New Testament.  And today what we want to look at is the picture of the children of Israel going into captivity and the recovery out of that captivity.  Today when God’s people are defeated in their spiritual life they remain in captivity until they repent and have a turn back to Him.  This repentance brings us back to the enjoyment of Christ.

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20 Sep 2023 Romans (Program #15)

Romans (Program #15) – The Freedom of the Spirit in Our spirit (1)

When we come to Romans chapter eight, we have to say “Hallelujah!” because here, Romans 8 is not a refrigerator, but a dining table and the Lord is saying “Come and dine!”

We have come to one of the landmark chapters in the entire divine revelation today; that is Romans 8. You will not want to miss this life-study.

It’s no accident that Romans 8 follows Romans 7, both in the sequence of the Bible and more significantly in our experience. When you look at Romans 7, you say “Oh what a mess” because it just ends with a wretched man – “Wretched man! Who will deliver me from the body of this death?”  We just see a person who is doing his best to respond to God’s law.  more…

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11 Aug 2023 Exodus (Program #15)

Exodus (Program #15) – God’s Further Training of Moses

God’s calling of Moses is the most complete call in the Bible.  Moses took God’s word, and did all that God had charged him to do.  However, things did not turned out as Moses expected.  To his surprise, he was defeated, Pharaoh was victorious and the children of Israel suffered all the more.  For this reason, he complained to the Lord in Exodus chapter 5 saying “why is it that You sent me?  Ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has mistreated this people, and You have not delivered Your people at all.”  Have you ever brought such a charge against the Lord?

We want to continue today to look at how God further trained Moses, His called one.  This is critical to us because we have been seeing the calling of Moses very much represent our own calling by God.  Yesterday, in fact we saw that the first two items that God brought to Moses in this further training were His name and His covenant.

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10 Aug 2022 Psalms (Program #4)

Psalms (Program #4) – Christ in God’s Economy versus the Law in Man’s Appreciation (3)

In our natural common mentality, the law of God easily assumes a preeminent position.  We can relate to the notion of keeping a high moral standard of conduct.  And surely this seems in line with what must be God’s plan and desire for mankind.  After all God Himself gave the commandments to Moses to pass on to His people, the children of Israel.  But there is a fundamental problem; when we afford the law the central position in our relationship to God and that is although it is good and righteous and holy, the law is powerless and must rely on man’s fallen flesh to carry it out.  Try as we may and regardless of how much desperate prayer expressing our earnest desire to carry it out we add to it,  the result is inevitable, an utter failure, leaving us defeated and condemned and spiritually dead.  Oh that our eyes would be open to see that this righteous law that so vividly portraits God’s holy nature has never occupied the central place in His plan.  For that place throughout eternity is reserved unchangingly for the Christ of God alone.

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