Ephesians (Program #74) -The Spirit and the Church

One of the major changes that takes place in the life of a Christian is in their mind.  As unbelievers we were as Paul described in Ephesians 4, darkened in our understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance which was in us and because of the hardness of our heart.

Contrast that to the conditions of the believers that follow in Chapter 5, For you were once darkness but are now light in the Lord, walk as children of light for the fruits of the light consists in all goodness and righteousness and truth.  How does this transformation in our minds take place?  The answer to this crucial matter is also found in Ephesians.

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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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Deuteronomy (Program #15) – A Word Concerning Division and Apostasy

Deuteronomy includes a lengthy portion where God through Moses is instituting His divine government among His people Israel. Divine government means government by God and according to what God is. This is call theocracy, it is neither democracy a government according to the opinions of the people nor it is autocracy which is government by a dictator or monarchy.  Many people may be apprehensive about this term because through out history it is often misapplied but according to the Old Testament picture there is a genuine theocracy may be not among earthly nations but certainly among God’s people. A theocracy that reflects the person of God, the God of love and of righteousness and holiness and absolute fairness and justice.  So, in the coming few programs we want to keep this view of God, the God who knows man and man’s condition and what man’s need to be preserved for His eternal purpose.

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Leviticus (Program #34) – The Holy Living of the Holy People — Putting Off the Old Life and Putting On the New

A wonderful passage familiar to many Christians in the New Testament is found in Ephesians 4  “This therefore I say and testify in the Lord, that you no longer walk as the Gentiles also walk in the vanity of their mind. That you put off, as regards your former manner of life, the old man, which is being corrupted according to the lusts of the deceit.  And that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind. And put on the new man, which was created according to God in righteousness and holiness of the reality.”  This marvelous passage in the new testament inspires us all but have you ever thought the Old Testament passage that parallels this one. Well, in fact there is such a passage and it is found surprisingly in the book of Leviticus.  We want to explore these two parallel passages one from the Old Testament and one from the New today.

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2 Corinthians (Program #39) – The Minister’s of the New Covenant (12)

The book of 2 Corinthians is the book of the New Testament that’s not that well known, not frequently quoted and not really that well understood. One passage however that is familiar to most believers is found in chapter 6 in verse 14, where Paul tells the Corinthians,  “Do not become dissimilarly yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership do righteousness and lawlessness have? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness?”

It’s good to consider this verse in any context but better is to consider it in the context to which it was delivered to us in the divine revelation.

Here 2 Corinthians chapter 6 is in the context of the New Testament Ministry, the ministry of reconciliation, the ministry where Paul under his commission by the Lord charges the believers in Corinth to be fully reconciled to God.

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2 Corinthians (Program #28) – The Ministry of the Spirit as the Life Supply, and of Righteousness as God’s Expression (1)

What is the ministry of the Spirit that is described in 2 Corinthians 3:8?   To best to understand this we need to consider some key verses from Romans Chapter 8.

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2 Corinthians (Program #27) – The Ministry of the Spirit as the Life Supply, and of Righteousness as God’s Expression (2)

2 Corinthians 3:9 says
9: “the ministry of righteousness abounds with glory.”

5: 21 says “Him who did not know sin He made sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Today’s life study of 2 Corinthians is going to give the unique definition of righteousness that many people especially Christians had never heard.

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2 Corinthians (Program #26) – The Ministry of the Spirit as the Life Supply, and of Righteousness as God’s Expression (1)

The Old Testament had one unique ministry beginning with Moses and his receiving and delivering to the children of Israel the law or commandments. The ministry of the law commands and continues until the coming of Christ. But the coming of Christ usher in another ministry, the ministry of the New Covenant. Actually these two are the only ministries spoken of in the Bible.

Acts chapter 1 makes it very clear that not withstanding the current situation, there is a reality of only one ministry. Listen to verse 17 and 25 of Acts chapter 1,

17 “For he was numbered among us and was allotted his portion of this ministry.”
25 “To take the place of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.”

The ministry of the New Covenant is a very great matter that we dare not take lightly, neither should we take it into our own hand to try to put it into practice.

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1 Corinthians (Program #8) – Christ, Our Wisdom, Righteousness, Sanctification and Redemption

In our human society we typically have a high regard for the wise and the well born among us and conversely we tend to despise even to disregard the poor and the lowly ones. Yet in God salvation there is no room for man to boast in himself. So God in His wisdom renders all our human wisdom mere folly in Christ. Well at the same time He Himself becomes wisdom and strength and status to all those who had been called. Listen to Paul’s writing in 1 Corinthians chapter 1

“For consider your calling, brothers, that there are not many wise according to flesh, not many powerful, not many wellborn.  But God has chosen the foolish things of the world that He might shame those who are wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world that He might shame the things that are strong, And the lowborn things of the world and the despised things God has chosen, things which are not, that He might bring to nought the things which are, So that no flesh may boast before God.”

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Exodus (Program #113) – The Court of the Tabernacle (4)

There is a powerful verse in the gospel of John that says when the Spirit of reality comes, He will convict the world concerning sin, righteousness and judgment.  Actually, every saved person has experienced this very thing.  In fact, without this experience we will never appreciate the need for our wonderful redeeming Christ.  But this same experience is described in the details of the gate of the tabernacle in Exodus.

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