1 & 2 Kings (Program #2) – The Reign of Solomon (1)

After the death of the great king David in Israel, his son Solomon assumed the throne.  Solomon achieved much glory and splendor during his reign and there is no doubt this was a high peak in the history of Israel.  But Solomon’s ending, like that of his father was not so glorious.   To read the account of the events in the Old Testament book of Kings is interesting to be sure, but if God is merciful and grant us a spirit of wisdom and revelation, we can realize much more from these accounts than just the great stories and historical events.   We can perceive that behind all, is a God that is on one hand full of mercy and forgiveness in grace.  But on the other hand He is righteous and holy in all His dealings with His people.  There is an encouragement in these stories but there was also a warning that should sober us to take great care in all of our doings.

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Ephesians (Program #49) – Christ Sanctifying the Church by Cleansing Her

In Genesis Chapter 2 God produced a bride for Adam by first putting him to sleep and then taking something from his side. “And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, ..and He took one of his ribs.. And Jehovah God built the rib, …. into a woman and brought her to the man. And the man said, This time this is bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh;”

When Christ was dying on the cross something was also released from His side. John 19:34 “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water.”

Now listen to Ephesians 5,  “Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her that He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word, that He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.”

Blood and water from the side of our Lord Jesus. A rib from the side of Adam. Both cases, the result is the Bride.

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Ephesians (Program #5) – The Praise of the Glory of God’s Grace

In all the Bible, no book gives us a perspective of the church from the heavenlies as Ephesians does. From the opening verse to the end, the view presented in Ephesians is God’s view, not man’s. And it’s from this view that we see that we have been chosen from the foundation of the world, not to be sinless or even perfect but to be holy. And further, that we have been marked out, predestinated not to be spiritual giants but to be sons of God.

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Ephesians (Program #4) – Predestinated Unto Sonship

When we receive the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior, is it because we choose Him or because He has chosen us?  Well, on one hand, we need to make a decision to receive Him but the Bible tells us in Ephesians chapter 1, “Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world to be holy and without blemish before Him in love,” The first blessing in the New Testament is God’s choosing, His selection of us.

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Ephesians (Program #3) – Chosen to be Holy

Let me ask you to consider a simple question, “How has God blessed you?” Most people when asked to recount the many blessings that they received from God would likely list things like their family or their good health or maybe success in business and earthly possessions. Others might give a more spiritual answer like ‘God has blessed me with His enduring mercy or undying love’. But the apostle Paul in his epistle to the Ephesians says very clearly that God’s blessings are all spiritual and they’re in the heavenlies and they’re in Christ. Furthermore, when he had the opportunity to offer his blessing to God, it was not for His mercy that endures forever or for His love or grace, rather it was being the God and Father of our Lord and Jesus Christ. Well this is how Ephesians opens – it is most unusual to say the least but it also conveys a wonderful sense of the rich and profound content of this book.

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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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Acts (Program #38) – The Propagation in Asia Minor and Europe through the Ministry of Paul’s Company (4)

Acts 13:34 is a verse that has troubled many Bible scholars and translators over the years. In it, Paul says that God will give us the holy and faithful things of David. What are these things? And, how do we receive these holy and faithful things that God desires to give us? Stay with us today for an enlightening life study of the Bible.

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Mark (Program #53) – A Life Fully According To and For God’s New Testament Economy (10)

Are you trying to be spiritual, scriptural, holy and victorious? Although this sounds very noble and honorable, it could be this effort that is distracting you from the life giving Spirit so that you could live a life that is fully according to and for God’s New Testament economy.

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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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1 Peter (Program #22) -Christian Life and Its Sufferings (10)

As believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we have received as part of our full salvation, an escape from the eternal perdition that awaits the disobedient and rebellious.  But many believers mistakenly take this to mean that Christians face no manner of judgment at all from the righteous  and holy God.  Regardless of how popular such a thought might be, the Bible does just not support it.  Take for example Peter’s word in his first epistle in chapter 4.  In verse 12 he says “Beloved do not think that the fiery ordeal among you coming to you for a trial, is strange.”  Then in verse 17 he adds “For it is time for the judgment to begin from the house of God;”  These verses made very clear that our righteous and loving Father does judge, discipline and purify His children will never putting our eternal destiny in jeopardy.

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