John (Program #10) – An Introduction to Life and Building (6)

Christ as a man is the letter that opens the heavens, that joins the earth to heaven, and that brings heaven down to earth.

When John the Baptist said, “Behold, the Lamb of God”, two disciples were attracted. Not two thousand, but two. Not even twenty, but two. Two of John’s disciples got attracted, and John was happy. Who were these two? One of these two was Andrew. Who was the other one? John. And then Andrew got attracted, and Andrew went to catch his brother Peter. And, Peter came. The Lord Jesus changed his name from Simon to Cephas, which means Peter. And Peter, or Cephas, means a stone. The book of John is a book of allegories. The Lamb, the dove, the stone. This signifies the Lamb plus the dove produces the stone. Redemption plus regeneration and transformation produces stone…

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John (Program #9) – An Introduction to Life and Building (5)

God’s economy is not to have a giant, litter with power to accomplish some movement. No.  God’s economy is to send His son to be the little lamb with His Spirit as the little dove.

The main subject of this message is Christ as the Lamb of God with the Spirit as the dove to produce stones for God’s building. If I would ask you, what are the main points or main things in this title?  Number one, Jesus as the Lamb of God. You have to pick up Lamb. The second point, the dove. And the third point, stone. And the fourth point, the house or the building of the house. What is the last item? The Son of Man. These are the five main points: the Lamb for redemption, the dove for anointing and uniting, the stone for material, and the house as the building, and the man as the very substance. The substantial element of God’s building is man…

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Mark (Program #36) – The Preparation of the Slave-Savior for His Redemptive Service (10)

It’s no coincident that the Lord Jesus final night before His death was also the Jewish Passover. The Old Testament Passover commemorated the sacrificing of a spotless lamb for the shedding of blood to atone for the sins of God’s people.

That Old Testament type signify that one day God would send the real spotless Lamb to be offered up as an eternal sacrifice not just to atone for sins but to accomplish a full redemption for all who believe.

1 Cor. 5 tells us that Jesus was that perfect spotless Lamb, the fulfillment of the Passover. And so on that more significant night the Lord Jesus shared the final Passover feast with His disciples but then He prepared another feast, at feast that would replace the passover. For all those who believe until He comes again to receive all His redeemed ones and feast with them anew in His kingdom.

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Mark (Program #33) – The Preparation of the Slave-Savior for His Redemptive Service (7)

At a critical time during the final few days before His crucifixion, the Lord Jesus took the disciples to the Mount of Olives. From that spot looking across to the temple in all its’ splendor, He spoke to them of the coming events that would ultimately usher in the kingdom of God to the earth

Let’s pick up His word to the disciples in Mark chapter 13:1, “And as He was going out of the temple, one of His disciples said to Him, Teacher, behold, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!
And Jesus said to him, Do you see these great buildings? There shall by no means be left here a stone upon a stone which shall not be thrown down.  And as He sat on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew asked Him privately,  Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign when all these things are about to be accomplished?  And Jesus began to say to them, See that no one leads you astray.  Many will come in My name, saying, I am the Christ! and will lead many astray.  And when you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed; it must happen, but the end is not yet.  For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will be famines. These things are the beginning of birth pangs.”

This phrase, birth pangs is a clear reference to a  coming delivery, a child is been born. But what is this birth that He spoke of and has it taken place,  even yet?  Many clear signs were unveiled in Mark chapter 13.

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Isaiah (Program #29) – A Sanctuary to the Positive Ones…a Trap and a Snare to the Negative Ones

1 Peter chapter 2 reveals Christ as the stone which the builders rejected.  “This has become the head of the corner, and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense; who stumble at the word,”  This word was quoted from Isaiah 8 and reveals Christ not simply as the Savior but as the One of God’s purpose and plan.  How do you know Him?  Do you know Him as your Savior?  If you do, do you know Him as the Stone?

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Psalms (Program #37) – The Praise of God’s Elect Consummating in the Particular Position of Christ

The four gospels give us a four-fold record of what Christ is and what He has done.  However, the gospel did not reveal Christ as much as the Psalms do.  Psalms 118:22 says “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the head of the corner.”  The head of the corner, that is the corner stone.  Christ as the corner stone is the hardest point to understand in the entire Bible.

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Psalms (Program #25) – The Pious Expressions of the Psalmists Uttered Out of Their Complex Sentiments While Enjoying God in His House

It’s always remarkable isn’t it, how an expert gemologist is able to exam what may to the untrained eyes appear to be just an ordinary stone or rock.  But to his trained eye, is the realization that he is holding something of great value.  The ability to distinguish the rare gem from the ordinary is primary a matter of training and experience.  Knowing what to look for is the key and having a master to point the way is indispensable.   In many ways, this our life study of the Psalms.  150 poems, psalms and praises many of which are full of gems.  Many others are full of ordinary and more common expressions.  But the question is, can you tell the difference?  How we thank the Lord for those experienced masters that have gone before and who have left us with so much help to learn how to spot the gems.

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1 Peter (Program #12) -Growth in Life and Its Results (2)

At times the apostle Peter’s way of writing in his New Testament epistles seems very strange.  Though his content is quite high, he breaks many rules of composition by mixing metaphors and awkward use of grammar.   For example in chapter 2 of 1 Peter he describes the spiritual nourishment in the word of God by comparing it to the nourishing milk of a nursing mother for her new born babe.  But then without any apparent transition the metaphor changes to Christ being a stone for the building up of God’s house.  As a work of literature we might have a ground to criticize Peter, but as a conveyor of rich spiritual content, we will see today that Peter’s writing is full of the divine thought and deep experiential enlightenment.

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1 Peter (Program #2) – The Operation of the Triune God Upon the Elect for Their Participation in His Full Salvation

The story of the Lord’s calling of the apostle Peter as is recorded in the gospel of John includes and intriguing unusual component; he changes his name from Simon to Cephas which literally means a stone. This is John chapter 1: 40-42
1:40 “One of the two who heard this from John and followed Him was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.”

41 “He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, We have found the Messiah (which translated means Christ).”

42 “He led him to Jesus. Looking at him, Jesus said, You are Simon, the son of John; you shall be called Cephas (which is interpreted, Peter).”

Of course nothing of God’s genuine work is accomplished merely in name only. And so the changing of this poor Galilean fisherman’s name from Simon to something so solid and permanent, as Peter, a stone for God’s building is full of meaning. And it implies that God has much more in mind for Peter than simply saving him from his sins. For both Peter’s transformation and the accomplishment of God’s very eternal purpose is hinted at in this symbolic act.

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