1 & 2 Kings (Program #19) – The Reign of Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, & Zedekiah over Judah and the Governing of Gedallia

In the final chapters of 2 Kings, the Lord was ultimately forced to give up His people Israel because of their continual degradation and the hardness of their hearts.  Even when He allowed the Syrians to conquer the northern kingdom of Israel and carried them away into captivity those in the southern kingdom of Judah refused to heed this warning and continue in their evil ways.  Eventually the great king of Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar invaded Jerusalem, destroyed the temple and the walls of the city and took the king Zedekiah to Babylon.  Soon the entire nation of Israel was taken in captivity.  But through the following several hundred years though the nation of Israel was never again fully restored, Jehovah maintained a linage of the descendant of King David until ultimately Christ, the promised seed of David could be brought forth in Israel.  This maintained God’s original intention and made possible both our redemption and our regeneration.

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1 & 2 Kings (Program #3) – The Reign of Solomon (2)

We all remember the inspiring story of King Solomon in the Old Testament.  As the new king over Israel the Lord agrees to grant him one request.  Solomon touches the Lord’s heart by asking for wisdom in order that he could rule over Israel in a just manner.   For centuries, men have admired Solomon and long to be like him and have the wisdom that God blessed him with.  Surely his wisdom was great, but consider for a moment: how it compares to the wisdom that is our blessing as God’s New Testament called ones.  In 1 Corinthians 1:24, Paul writes “But to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” and in verse 30, “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became wisdom to us from God: both righteousness and sanctification and redemption.”

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Ephesians (Program #23) – The Two Created Into One New Man

When the Lord Jesus gave His life on the cross or our redemption, what were the main items that the Bible tells us were dealt with by His death?  Well, the first answer most people would give, of course is our sins. Then some might mention the devil, Satan. If you still would add the corrupted world, and our old fallen nature that the Bible calls our old man. These could be a good list an accurate one according to the New Testament but still incomplete. Or it is probably fair to say that the precious view would include on the list, the last item that the apostle Paul gives us in Ephesians Chapter 2 :15 “Abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace.”  Isn’t this interesting? And isn’t it surprising? Included among the crucial items dealt with by Christ on the cross are ordinances. How could ordinances be included with such obvious matters as sins, Satan and the world. We’ll find out in today’s fellowship.

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Ephesians (Program #8) – The Mystery of God’s Will

Ephesians opens with some of the highest speaking in the entire Bible. Our selection, our predestination and our redemption are all mentioned but not as isolated items rather as indispensable steps in the accomplishment of God’s plan which is the great mystery of the universe through the ages. So, we have been chosen, predestinated, and redeemed for what? Ephesians 1:9 says, “Making known to us the mystery of His will, according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself.” What is God’s will, His purpose, His plan?

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Ephesians (Program #7) – The Mystery of God’s Will

In the first chapters of Romans, the apostle Paul begins by establishing man’s pitiful and sinful condition; almost as though, he is proving to all mankind the need for redemption. Ephesians, however, another letter written by the apostle Paul, also speaks of redemption in the first chapter but from an entirely different perspective. This time it’s from the perspective of God and how He sees us and our need for redemption from the heavenlies. Listen to the marvelous way in which it’s presented 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, Predestinating us unto sonship through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, To the praise of the glory of His grace, with which He graced us in the Beloved; In whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of offenses according to the riches of His grace,” What an uplifted view of this matter of redemption we have in Ephesians.

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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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Galatians (Program #33) – Born of the Spirit to Receive the Spirit (2)

At Christ’s death on the cross, we were redeemed. We might think that the purpose of redemption is so that we could be saved and go to heaven. But, Galatians 4:5 says that God has redeemed us so that we might receive the Sonship. To receive Sonship means that we’re born of God and thereby receive the divine life and nature. Stay with us today as we focus not on our future in heaven, but on how to live and walk in Spirit as the very sons of God.

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Exodus (Program #135) – The Sanctification of Aaron and His Sons to be the Priests (6) Redemption and Germination, Feasting on Christ, Peace and Wave Offerings

There is a wonderful verse in Romans chapter 5 that is known and loved by most Christians.  This is verse 1 “Therefore having been justified out of faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ”  Peace with God through Christ.  This is a major theme of the good news of the gospel.  The Old Testament picture of peace through Christ was the peace offering in Exodus 29.  As we have seen again and again in our life study of Exodus, a picture is worth a thousand words.  If you appreciate the peace that Christ has secured for you, you won’t want to miss today’s life study of the Bible.

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Exodus (Program #134) – The Sanctification of Aaron and His Sons to be the Priests (5) Universal Priesthood, Redemption, Peace and Burnt Offerings

As genuine born-again Christians, we need to realize that it is possible to be saved and even forgiven of our sins yet fall short of God’s goal for our salvation.  What is this goal?  Revelation 1:5-6 tell us Jesus Christ has lose us from our sins by His blood and make us a kingdom, priests to His God and Father.  Yes we are saved, but can we boldly declare that also we are priests to God?   To see what it really means to be a priest, we have to look into the types and pictures in the Old Testament.  We will, on today’s life study of the Bible.

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Exodus (Program #132) – The Sanctification of Aaron and His Sons to be the Priests (3) Redemption and Germination, Sanctification by Hands Filled

The record given in Exodus is very detailed about many spiritual matters, like the service of the Old Testament priesthood.  Chapter 29 in fact began this way “And this is what you shall do to them to sanctify them to serve Me as priests..”.  The following verses gave items after items of instructions.  But no where in the New Testament do we find such an account of how to sanctify the New Testament priests or even how to serve as the New Testament priests.  Yet the Bible clearly tells us that all the believers in Christ are the real priests.

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