Ephesians (Program #1) – Introductory Word to the Book of Ephesians (1)

Many books in the New Testament deal with practical issues associated with sinful fallen man with his struggle with problems, failures and difficulties. These books are written from the perspective or point of view of the sinner. One book in the New Testament however, uniquely takes God’s perspective, God’s view – and that book is Ephesians. Because of this very fact, many scholars consider this book to be the highest of all in Scripture. What this book reveals primarily is the church – the church not as an organization, a society or a school but as the center and focus of God’s eternal purpose. God desires us to see the church and to value the church as He does. But in order to do so, we need to climb up to that same vantage point and view the church from the heavenlies as God does.

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Galatians (Program #35) – Sow unto the Spirit to Reap Eternal Life

What is the aim or goal of your Christian life? Maybe it’s just to be saved, and to some day go to heaven. Maybe it’s to be the very best person that you can be. These are just a couple of the more common answers we might get from Christians today, and these are okay. But do they match the goal and the aim that are presented to us in the divine revelation of scripture?   Galatians is a book that has much to say about the aim and goal of the Christian life. We will look at what the Bible reveals as the goal of the Christian life on today’s life study of the Bible.

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Deuteronomy (Program #9) – The Rehearsal of the Law (2)

Deuteronomy Chapter 7 begins in a way that might be very difficult for us to reconcile with our natural thought.  “When Jehovah your God brings you into the land which you are about to enter to possess, and clears away many nations from before you – And Jehovah your God delivers them up before you and you defeat them, you shall utterly destroy them; you shall make no covenant with them, nor shall you show them any favor.”

God’s word to the children of Israel was as they were preparing to enter the good land was to utterly and absolutely destroy the people that were inhabiting the land. To us today this may seems far too extreme. But what view do we bring to the Scriptures?

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2 Corinthians (Program #6) – The Ministry of the New Covenant (2)

Metaphors play an important role in Scripture. Webster says a metaphor is the use of one set of words to describe or illustrate a similar point.

John uses the technique when he speaks of Jesus approaching him in the gospel. “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Surely he wasn’t saying that Jesus was a literal “lamb”. But the metaphor or picture gives us a much richer and clearer understanding.

The apostle Paul was also very fond of metaphors, particularly when conveying his deepest thoughts in teachings. We see it used intensively in 2 Corinthians. For example in 2 Corinthians chapter 2:14 he says “But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in the Christ”  Here, the metaphor is the triumphant possession of captured and vanquished folks after a Roman battle. And Paul says that we, the believers had become such vanquished ones in the train of the victorious Christ.

Now, we come to another marvelous metaphor in the very next chapter, chapter 3 of 2 Corinthians begins this way:

1-3 “Are we beginning again to commend ourselves? Or do we need, as some do, letters of commendation to you or from you? You are our letter, inscribed in our hearts, known and read by all men, Since you are being manifested that you are a letter of Christ ministered by us, inscribed not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tablets of stone but in tablets of hearts of flesh.”

Living letters of Christ. This is our topic today.

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1 Corinthians (Program #45) – Dealing with the Gifts (1)

To our natural understanding the structure of a book like 1 Corinthians may seem random and really lacking any particular significance. But if we realize that the book is specifically arranged with the last half of the book focused on how God is administrating the entire universe for the accomplishment of His eternal purpose, we will have a key to open a much deeper understanding and appreciation of this portion of Scripture. It’s particularly important to use this key when we come to the matter of the gifts of the spirit in 1 Corinthians chapter twelve.

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1 Corinthians (Program #32) – Dealing with the Abuse of Freedom (3)

The Bible is so rich so infinitely beyond man’s ability to compose. How can we hope to understand it with our mere mental apprehension?   We need the Lord’s gracious shinning to illuminate and unveil the truth in the Bible. Often this is done through the eyes of those who had gone before us to unlock the treasures that are contained in passages of scripture both obscure and familiar.

A well know and oft’ quoted verse 1 Corinthians 6 is an example has much more to convey to us than a simple glance revealed.

6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.”

Sounds familiar? Well it sounds clear enough as well. But reading the whole passage can’t help but impress us that there is much more been spoken of here. Listen to the verses surrounding this verse.

15 “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ?”

17 “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.”

19-20  “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price. So then glorify God in your body.”

Three marvelous truths are contained in these verse. These rich verses contain in 1 Corinthians 6.

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Acts (Program #64) – The Propagation in Asia Minor and Europe through the Ministry of Paul’s Company (30)

On two occasions in his life, the Apostle Paul was sovereignly set aside for a lengthy period of time. The Bible reveals precious little about the details of the three year period in Arabia and his two year imprisonment in Caesarea. Yet, after each of these periods, great Epistles later to be included in Scripture issued forth from God’s servant. What went on during these hidden years? And, how did God use them to further both His move on the earth and the unveiling of His eternal purpose? Please stay with us as we look at these meaningful questions on our life study of the Bible today.

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Luke (Program #32) – The Ministry of the Man-Savior in His Human Virtues with His Divine Attributes from Galilee to Jerusalem (12)

Anyone who has ever read the Bible, or even learn Bible stories as a child has come into contact with numerous parables which are stories that illustrate important lessons from the scripture. We all probably have our favorites because parables are a rich component of God’s word to man. But in addition to the moral or lesson to be learned from the parable individually, the way they are combined and arranged in the Bible is also meaningful. That aspect will become especially clear as we come to three well-known parables in Luke 15.

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Luke (Program #3) – The Preparation of the Man-Savior with His Divinity (1)

Luke chapter 1 is a marvelous chapter in the whole Bible. It’s interesting in that it gives us an account of two conceptions – that of John the Baptist and of course of Jesus Christ. Both of these conceptions involve the Holy Spirit in miraculous ways. But to see the difference between them is valuable because it will help unlock one of the most tremendous mysteries in scripture – and that is the two natures of the Man-Savior.

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Mark (Program #35) – The Preparation of the Slave-Savior for His Redemptive Service (9)

Just two days prior to His death the Lord Jesus gathered with His disciples in a small house in a tiny village of Bethany just outside of Jerusalem.

This little house, the house of a leper that Jesus had cleansed in the beginning of His ministry has become His dwelling place during His final days. Each night He would depart Jerusalem and return to this very humble and simple home. Now as the hours of His death approaches one of the great encounters in all the scriptures take place. Let’s read the account in Mark 14:1-8

“Now the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread were two days away. And the chief priests and the scribes were seeking a way to seize Him by craftiness and kill Him,  For they said, Not at the feast, lest there be a tumult by the people.  And while He was in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as He reclined at table, a woman came, having an alabaster flask of ointment, of very costly pure nard, and she broke the alabaster flask and poured it over His head.  But there were some who were indignantly commenting among themselves: Why has this waste of the ointment been made?  For this ointment could have been sold for over three hundred denarii and given to the poor. And they were infuriated with her.  But Jesus said, Leave her alone. Why do you trouble her? She has done a noble deed on Me.  For you always have the poor with you, and whenever you want, you can do good for them. But you do not always have Me.  She has done what she could; she has anointed My body beforehand for the burial.
And truly I say to you, Wherever the gospel is proclaimed in the whole world, what this woman has done shall also be told as a memorial of her.”

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