Job (Program #5) -The First of the Three Rounds in the Debates Between Job and His Three Friends (1) – Eliphaz’s Answer to Job by Rebuking

In Job chapter 4 and 5 Eliphaz, the first of Job’s three friends opens up the first of three rounds of debates concerning Job’s sufferings. Job held the concept that he was right but Eliphaz corrected him. Referring to Job in chapter 4:17 Eliphaz asked him, “Can a mortal man be more righteous than God? Can a man be purer than his Maker?”

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Job (Program #4) – Job’s Cursing of His Birthday

In Job chapter 3, Job cursed the day of his birth. He was a good man and he was trying to keep his perfection, uprightness and integrity. But due to his vexation he could not contain himself and he didn’t know what to do. Job’s suffering was so intense and most of the book of Job is a debate about why God would allow such a good person to suffer so much. And this debate continues today. At the end of chapter 2, Job painfully sat in silence for seven days and nights. And then in chapter 3 Job broke the silence and initiated the debate, which is most of the book of Job, by cursing the day of his birth because of his suffering of this very great pain.

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Philippians (Program #3) – Paul’s Suffering for the Gospel and His Enjoyment of Grace

Through out the ages many people had suffered for the sake of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Among these the apostle Paul stand prominently. In fact in many of his Epistles they are specific references and even details regarding not only his suffering but also the suffering we may experience as well. Philippians gives us such an account not just the suffering because of his willingness to preach the gospel in a general way.

Today on our life study of the Bible we will see Paul as an example not just of suffering but as one who also had the enjoyment of grace under suffering and the high gospel for which he had suffered.

This phrase” enjoyment of grace under suffering”, almost sounds like kind of contradiction to our natural ear…

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Joshua (Program #12) – The Saving of Gibeon

One of the most interesting aspects of the relationship between husbands and wives is how easily and freely the wife can agreed to do something often involving money without checking first with her husband. The husbands also make the same mistake with unfortunate frequency and result is usually the same. A cooling trend seems to over take the relationship for a period of time and the sweetness at least for a season is gone .

God’s relationship to Israel in the Old Testament was also as a husband and the Israel was as His wife. Listen to Israel Jeremiah chapter 2, “Thus says Jehovah: I remember concerning you the kindness of your youth, The love of your bridal days, When you followed after Me in the wilderness.”  So what happened in this marriage when the wife acted on her own? Predictably the result was always a suffering for Israel. Such a case is recorded in Joshua 9, the story of the Gibeonites.

Today’s message touches the very essence of the divine romance; a favorite subject of the life study of the Bible and also a topic that Witness Lee frequently came to in his ministry.

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2 Corinthians (Program #50) – Paul’s Vindication of His Apostolic Authority (5)

At the end of 2 Corinthians the apostle Paul was compelled to make a vindication of his apostolic authority.   In the course of this defense, he described much of the sufferings and poverty that seem to be his constant companions during his ministry.  Judging his ministry by today’s common standards, it might seem to some that his work lack the Lord’s blessing.  Listen, “three times I was beaten with rods” he writes, “once I was stoned, three times I was shipwrecked, a night and a day I had spent in the deep, In journeys often, in dangers of rivers, in dangers of robbers, in dangers from my race, in dangers from the Gentiles, in dangers in the city, in dangers in the wilderness, in dangers in the sea, in dangers among false brothers; In labor and hardship; in watchings often; in hunger and thirst; in fastings often; in cold and nakedness.”

This kind of hardship and shortage even of the basic material supplies might seems strange to some.  How could this be the case of a genuine servant of the Lord?  But to Paul, it was quite the opposite.  For to his realization the Lord Jesus during His earthly ministry similarly suffered and Paul considered it an honor that the Lord would find him worthy to share in the sufferings.

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Romans (Program #22) – Heirs of Glory (4)

Most Christians know and have quoted Romans 8:28 that God works all things together for good to those who love Him. Today we are going to find out what is that “good” that God is working for in every Christian’s life.

The value of Romans 8 is hard to overestimate in a Christian’s life.  It tells us in a practical way how we can experience the Spirit as the sanctifying Spirit – the Spirit of life in a practical way to make our mind life by setting our mind upon the spirit, to transform us in that life and even to bring that life into our mortal body.  more…

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Acts (Program #45) – The Propagation in Asia Minor and Europe through the Ministry of Paul’s Company (11)

To suffer persecution on behalf of Jesus is not uncommon. Believers have experienced this glory from the first century. We may think that the Biblical pattern for such suffering is to bear it humbly, meekly, as a lamb led to the slaughter. The Bible does show us such examples, but there are other examples completely different attitude for the sake of the Gospel. We will see one such example on today’s life study of the Bible.

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Luke (Program #44) – The Man-Savior’s Presentation of Himself to Death for Redemption (4)

One item that seems to interest all believers is the rapture of the Christians at the time of the Lord second coming. The prevailing thought among believers today is that the rapture rescues all the saved ones so that they do not have to pass through the suffering associated with the great tribulation.  But the Bible if you read it carefully just does not support such a view. Because it depicts aspect of the rapture taking place at different times. In history these passages had led to confusions, and strong disputing among the brothers and sisters in the Lord. We will touch some of this confusing matters today.  If the Lord is merciful, we would be brought into a clearer view of this very crucial matter.

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Luke (Program #15) – The Ministry of the Man-Savior in Galilee (6)

Have you ever noticed that shortly after introducing and baptizing the Lord Jesus, John the Baptist himself was imprisoned and held there until he was beheaded? But during his imprisonment, the Lord Jesus was healing and liberating many oppressed and suffering people. Yet for John the Baptist He offer no such miracle. Even pressed to do so by John and some of His followers. What He did offer to John, was a very unique word that outwardly seem to offer no help. But likely became an inner strengthening to John, even through his martyrdom. We will look at this case and two other interesting cases from Luke chapter 7.

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Zechariah (Program #11) – The Prophecies of Encouragement (3)

Zechariah is one of those hidden treasures in the Old Testament. As a book of prophecy it does seem mysterious and rather vague to many readers of the Bible. But as with all Scripture, with the Spirit’s illumination and the right keys to unlock our understanding, it reveals marvelous treasures. The main treasure in Zechariah is how compellingly and marvelously Christ is revealed. We see Him as the Shepherd of God’s flock in chapters 11 through 13, as He comes in, in an intimate way to feed and supply God’s suffering people. But we also see how this One was fully rejected, attacked, judged and ultimately crucified as well.

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