1 & 2 Chronicles (Program #3) – The Highest Point of God’s Gospel

It is clear from the first two chapters of the Bible that the center and focus of God’s creative work was man.  Genesis 1:26 “and God said let us make man in our image after our likeness.”  In Zechariah God focus is even more graphic, in chapter 12 verse 1 it says “the burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel thus said Jehovah who stretches forth the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth forms the spirit of man within him.”  God’s goal was with man.  His eternal purpose was with man.  But Old Testament declaration like these refer to man’s status before he fell.  So the question for us today is “did the focus, the center and the plan of God changed with the fall of man or is the original purpose still intact?”  The New Testament answer this question with crystal clarity.  Ephesians 1:9 “making known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself unto the economy of the fullness of the times to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth in Him.”

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1 & 2 Kings (Program #1) – An Introductory Word

The books of the Old Testament can be viewed from differing perspectives.  On one hand we can think of the Old Testament as a compilations of interesting stories that convey certain moral and ethical teachings.  This is the common thought and it’s easy for the natural mind to grasp.  Another perspective takes a more intrinsic view.  And it is this view that compels us in this study called the life study of the Bible.

1 & 2 Kings contains many stories to be sure but they also convey the rich intrinsic significance of the entire Bible that which is centered on Christ, in His person and in His economy for the establishment of His kingdom.  Welcome to the life study of 1 & 2 Kings.

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #21) – The History Concerning David (8)

The first two kings of Israel present us with two distinctly different patterns. Both began their monarchy by being selected and anointed by God, but any similarity ends there. Saul, the first king, was intent on one thing, and that was establishing and building up his own monarchy. What he was building up was absolutely for himself. David who replaced Saul was also intent on one thing. But for David, that one thing had nothing to do with his own kingdom. His focus was God’s kingdom. What he was building up was for God’s kingdom, not for his own.

The result of their two lives tells us a lot about how we should approach and conduct ourselves in the kingdom of God. Saul and his three sons died a humiliating death, and the honor and the glory that surrounded his kingship in the beginning was completely lost. David on the other hand, despite some serious failures, became an important person in God’s plan and even in the accomplishment of His eternal economy.

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Ephesians (Program #9) – To Head Up All Things in Christ (1)

The book of Ephesians presents the highest view in the entire New Testament. The apostle Paul identifies the focus of this book in the very first chapter when he says, “Making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself, Unto to the economy of the fullness of the times, to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth, in Him;” (Ephesians 1:9-10) This is not a book about improved behavior, how to raise our children or even how to have a successful marriage; yet in one sense, it’s on all these things. But fundamentally this book is altogether dealing with God’s eternal purpose which is according to His good pleasure and on how He is working in the world situation without and more specifically on how He is working within us to bring this purpose into reality.

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1 Corinthians (Program #39) – The Type of Israel

The Bible contains two histories. The history of Israel in the Old Testament and the history of the church in the New Testament. Actually these two histories are really one story. The history of Israel a type, a shadow while the church is the fulfillment, the reality.

In many of his writings the apostle Paul used the Old Testament as a book of types and pictures to help illustrate the New Testament economy that he was entrusted to preach.

In 1 Corinthians 5 he mentioned the Old Testament passover as our type of New Testament experience of redemption. In chapter 9 and 10 he again picks up the Old Testament to show us a pattern .

First, of our running the race that is our Christians life. Then as a picture of both aspects of our baptism by water and by the Spirit. And finally as a negative pattern regarding the possibility of the genuine, redeemed children of God could ultimately failed to overcome in their Christian life and missed the prize of the reward that is typified by the good land. This is a strong word, a word of warning, which we, like the Corinth believers should heed.

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Acts (Program #67) – The Propagation in Asia Minor and Europe through the Ministry of Paul’s Company (33)

The book of Acts reveal the outward trials and life-threatening events that confronted the Apostle Paul. Yet, hidden within these interesting stories are periods of absolute seclusion and reflection by the Apostle. What role did these periods play in the eventual unfolding of God’s plan for His people in the pages of the New Testament. We will look today at some of the great writings of the Bible and how God used every circumstance in the life of His chosen servant to bring to life his New Testament economy.

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Acts (Program #51) – The Propagation in Asia Minor and Europe through the Ministry of Paul’s Company (17)

We’re going to hear reference in the program today to a mixture that was present in the Church in Jerusalem. Even a mixture to some degree in the Word of the Apostle James. We want to be clear we’re not condemning or criticizing the Word of God, but simply looking at how the divine record, the Holy Word, has presented the condition that existed at that time. What is this mixture regarding and what kind of influence did it have on the early Church, particularly in Jerusalem?

This mixture is really a mixture of God’s New Testament economy with the Old Testament dispensation. It’s a mixture of Christ with things that are out of date. Many things in the Old Testament, in fact the entire Old Testament, with all the types, the figures, the shadows, and the prophecies – all pointed us to Christ…

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John (Program #51) – Life in Resurrection (2)

We should treasure the way the Lord has ordained to be present with us now. May the Lord really open our eyes: that what is precious to God, that is the invisible, indwelling, pneumatic Christ, would also become precious to us.

In John 20 as in the Gospel of John as a whole, we see the Trinity both in His essence and in His economy. The Divine Trinity is a trinity of essence eternally that is the Father, Son, and Spirit coexist and co-inhere in the Godhead eternally. This is the Trinity in essence. But in order to have the fulfillment of God’s economy, the essential Trinity must function as the economical Trinity to pass through the process in order to, on the one hand, enter into God’s people, and on the other to bring God’s people, now redeemed and regenerated, into God. By the time we reach chapter 20, we have at least the initial completion of this process in which the very God who became a man and died for our redemption, in resurrection became the Spirit, so that, economically speaking, the Father, Son, and Spirit may indwell us.

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Zechariah (Program #15) – The Prophecies of Encouragement (6)

We all have our own favorite verses throughout the Bible. For many of us, some of our favorite verses are found in pages of the Old Testament. And we tend to avoid the Old Testament often in terms of its bigger meaning because it does seem to be somewhat veiled and obscure. However, the real meaning of all of our verses in the Old Testament match that of the revelation in the New Testament. And, that is that at the heart of God’s desire is an economy. In the life study of Zechariah, God’s economy is summarized: “The center of God’s economy is to have a Body to express Christ. Eventually, this Body will be Christ’s Bride to match Him as His counterpart and to come down to earth with Him to carry out the final step of God’s economy. Today, the world situation is ready for His coming, but the Lord has not yet gained His counterpart. Therefore, He has no way to come back. He is still waiting.”

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Isaiah (Program #19) – Christ as the Servant of Jehovah (4 & 5)

The Bible reveals that God has a plan or an economy.  It also reveals that God has an enemy bend on the frustration of His accomplishing that plan.  Between these two is mankind, include even God’s elect.  What strategy does God’s enemy employ to delay and frustrate God in His unfailing pursue of this goal?  That’s the focus on today’s broadcast and is also the focus of much of our daily struggle in the Christian life.  Stay with us for a very enlightening program on the life study of the Bible.

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