Ephesians (Program #66) – Christ in God’s Economy, Taking Christ as our Person

Many books in the New Testament speak of the mysteries of God. First of all, Colossians tells us that God is a mystery but that Christ is the mystery of God. But then Christ also is a mystery. And so Ephesians tells us that the mystery of Christ is the Church.  Well, you may say what’s so mysterious about the Church?  The Church in reality is where the immeasurable Christ far above all, can still be so small and so intimate that He can dwell within us. Even makes His home in our hearts. Now this is mysterious.  For as the apostle Paul himself put it, “this mystery is great, but I speak concerning Christ and the Church.“

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Ephesians (Program #48) – A Mysterious Type of Christ and the Church

It’s well known among Christians that Ephesians Chapter 5 offers many meaningful and helpful words for married couple embarking on life journey together.  It reads in verse 31 & 32, “For this cause a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall be one flesh.”  But far beyond its’ value for our married life, it actually reveals the longing deep within the heart of God for a counter part for Christ.  “This mystery is great, (Paul continues) but I speak with regard to Christ and the church.”

To understand this aspect more fully, we need to return to the very first pages of the Bible on Genesis Chapter 2,  “And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh in its place. And Jehovah God built the rib, which He had taken from the man, into a woman and brought her to the man.”  What did Genesis 2 in Ephesians 5 reveal regarding God’s eternal desire?

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Ephesians (Program #6) – Redemption in the Son

If we take three simple words from the New Testament like ‘praise, glory and grace’, we may feel quite comfortable that we understand what they mean. But the apostle Paul in Ephesians 1 links them together in one verse, verse 6 “To the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He graced us in the Beloved;” How about now? Do you feel that your understanding is adequate according to the divine revelation especially when you put this verse in it’s context; that is, as the issue of our being predestinated unto sonship in verse 5?  Well, Ephesians is rich, high and mysterious because it is written from the viewpoint of God in the heavenlies. And from that point of view, ‘praise, glory and grace’ flowing out of our sonship are not simple at all but marvelous.

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2 Corinthians (Program #15) – The Ministers of the New Covenant (7b)

All genuine believers in Christ know that an essential of the Christians faith is that Christ our Savior is sinless. In fact the Bible tells us in 2 Corinthians that He did not know sin. Yet the very same verse tells us that this One that did not know sin, was made sin. Here is chapter 5:

21 “Him who did not know sin He made sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

What mysterious, marvelous language. He, Who did not know sin, was made sin on our behalf. We, who believed treasure the fact that He died for our sins. Yet do we really have the proper understanding, a proper appreciation of the fact that according to God’s word that He was made sin on our behalf?

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Exodus (Program #114) – The Lighting of the Lamps and the Garments for the Priesthood (1)

The Bible is a marvelous book.  It truly is like no other book ever written.  But most of us have experienced from time-to-time that it can also be a mysterious book, not that easy to understand.  We may not see that much each time when we come to it.  Yet thankfully others have gone before us.   Through the generations, faithful men have given the keys that unlock this book of books.   Such ones in this century were Watchman Nee and his co-worker Witness Lee.  They not only received the keys, but they passed them on to us.

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Exodus (Program #102) – The Curtain for the Door of the Tent (2)

The Old Testament tabernacle had two distinct sections with two curtains covering the entrances.  One curtain was called a veil, the other a screen.  Both of these curtains depict the death of Christ dealing with so many negative things.  Yet both curtains became the entrance for God’s people.  They are mysterious, yet marvelous.  The curtains in the tabernacle are our theme today.

We are back in the tabernacle today.  As we have seen, the tabernacle is a perfect picture of God’s dwelling place with man, so it is a good place to be.

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Exodus (Program #99) – The Veil Within the Tabernacle (1)

The tabernacle is a marvelous, vivid picture of the deepest experiences of Christ by His loving believers.  The time spent to see the meaning and significance of its aspects and details is well worthwhile and will be richly rewarded by a deeper love and appreciation for Christ and His incomparable word.

Today we are going to consider the veil that was located within the tabernacle as a separation between the two chambers, the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies.  This aspect of the tabernacle is really quite mysterious to most people.  Both chambers contain items that clearly represents Christ and our experience of Christ.

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Exodus (Program #95) – The First Layer of the Covering (1)

God’s people Israel spent 40 years journeying through the wilderness of Sinai on their way from Egypt to Canaan, the Good Land.  In a sense, they camped out for those years in tents that could easily be transported as they move about.  The God of their fathers, Abraham, Issac and Jacob joined them on this journey.  Joining them to such an extend that He too took a tent for a dwelling.   This tent is called the tabernacle.  It is mysterious, yet a marvelous type of Christ and the church.

We had 14 programs since we re-joined the life study of Exodus.  They all dealt with different articles and the various items that Jehovah ordained to furnish the two inner chambers of the tabernacle.  Thus far we looked at the Ark of the Testimony in the Holy of Holies.  More recently the Showbread Table or the Table of the Bread of the Presence and the golden lampstand that were both in the Holy Place.  Today we want to begin to look at the details of the actual structure, the tabernacle itself, it’s dimension and the materials used in its construction.  We really seeing that, when properly open up, these details are utterly marvelous in what they portrait of the riches of Christ.

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Exodus (Program #93) – The Lampstand (2)

The tabernacle in the Old Testament paints a marvelous and detailed picture of Christ in God’s New Testament plan or economy.   All of the details are meaningful and they all point us to Christ.  Among the various items in the tabernacle, the golden lampstand  is particularly interesting even mysterious.  For in this type, we not only see the shining forth of Christ as the light of life, but we see the entire Triune God as well.  But even more we see us, the believers as part this golden, shining lampstand.

We are going to spend another message today looking at the lampstand, that the Lord prescribed to be in the Holy Place of the tabernacle.  Yesterday we found out that of all the items in the tabernacle, this one is the most mysterious in its symbolism.  Why is the lampstand so mysterious?

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Exodus (Program #36) -The Heavenly Diet—Manna (2)

Manna was the food that God gave to the children of Israel to eat during their 40 year journey in the wilderness.  We know that it was small and white and round, but beyond that description we don’t know much else.  In another word, it was mysterious. Though numerous words have been written about the Lord Jesus Christ, He also remained in may ways a mystery.  It’s hard to say exactly what or who He is.  Yet like the manna of old, He can surely feed and sustain His people.

We began this topic of manna a few days ago and Witness Lee put chapter 16 of Exodus on the same plain as chapter 14 and chapter 12 where the Passover feast and the crossing of the Red Sea are all depicted.  It is quite remarkable that this chapter has the same kind of stature.  Manna is mentioned in two places at least in Scripture in the Old Testament; this portion in Exodus 16 that we’ve been looking at and also comes up in Numbers chapter 11.  more…

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