Archive for ◊ December, 2011 ◊

31 Dec 2011 Luke (Program #7)

Luke (Program #7) – The Preparation of the Man-Savior with His Divinity (6)

In America, every four years after the legal election of a new president, we pass through the ritual known as inauguration. On one hand, the person is thought of as president immediately following his election; but it is the inauguration that actually makes him president. Do you know that the Lord Jesus passed through a kind of inauguration as he began his earthly ministry? It’s true and it’s recorded in Luke chapter 3, we will look at the inauguration of the Man-Savior in today’s life study of the Bible.

31 Dec 2011 Numbers (Program #15)

Numbers (Program #15) – Journeying (7)

After many positive and wonderful miracles given to them in the wilderness, following their escape from Egypt, the children of Israel found themselves in the midst of escalating turmoil.  This turmoil would eventually results in serious rebellion among them, bringing in God’s judgment.  It was here however, in the midst of this turmoil that the Lord inserts chapter 15 in the divine record in the book of Numbers.  This chapter reminds God’s people of what they have previously learned regarding their need for the offerings and for keeping the Sabbath.  But just as the lessons depicted in the story of the Old Testament can be applied to our situation in the New Testament so does this reminder regarding the experience of Christ, typify by the offerings and the Sabbath have an application to us today.  We will look at these types in our program.

30 Dec 2011 Luke (Program #6)

Luke (Program #6) – The Preparation of the Man-Savior with His Divinity (4)

Luke 2:1-4 says, “And in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus for a census to be taken of all the inhabited earth. This was the first census that took place when Quirinius governed Syria. And all went to be registered, each to his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee out of the city of Nazareth into Judea, to David’s city which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David.” These words introduce the most well-known story in Scripture, that of the birth of Jesus. But it is significant to know that they refer back to a prophecy from the Old Testament prophet, Micah. Listen to Micah’s words written hundred of years before, “But you, O Bethlehem, Ephrathah, So little to be among the thousands of Judah, From you there will come forth to Me He who is to be ruler in Israel; And His going forths are from ancient times; From the days of eternity”. (Micah 5:2) Marvelous prophetic words fulfilled in this most well-known story but we will look at some of the more hidden significances that are unveiled here from the gospel of Luke.

30 Dec 2011 Numbers (Program #14)

Numbers (Program #14) – Journeying (5 – 6)

We all know the story from Numbers chapter 13.  This is the story of twelve spies that were sent in from the twelve tribes of Israel  to spy out the good land before they enter the land.  We know that ten came back with one report while two seeing all the same pieces of information had an entirely different report.  This story is often used as an example of men of great faith.  But on today’s life study, we will see that two were living in a realm where faith could be produced.

29 Dec 2011 Luke (Program #5)

Luke (Program #5) – The Preparation of the Man-Savior (3 & 5)

In the opening chapter of the gospel of Luke there is the account of two miraculous conceptions.  First John the Baptist was born to Zachariah and Elizabeth who both being well advanced in age were beyond any hope of conceiving a child short of the miraculous power of the Holy Spirit.  The other conception  of course is that of the Lord Jesus, who also was conceived in a miraculous way.  But the conception of Jesus involved much more than mere divine power because it brought forth the mingling of two natures; the divine and human to produce not just an unique man as John the Baptist surely  was but a God-Man, who became our Savior, the Man-Savior Jesus.  John’s father Zachariah saw much of what was involved in this greatest of all miracles.  We will look at it in His prophecy on our life study today.

29 Dec 2011 Numbers (Program #13)

Numbers (Program #13) – Journeying (4)

Did you ever have a fight with your brothers or you sisters, those that you were close to in your family.  Of course, every family has experience squabbles and feuds or sibling rivalries and in most families they passed quickly like a summer storm, with little permanent harm done.  But Numbers chapter 12 tells the story of rivalry and jealousy within the family of Moses.  Only this was so serious as to cause Jehovah’s anger to be fiercely kindled against his brother and sister, even brought in God’s judgment in a serious way against Miriam, Moses’ sister.  Why did God take a seemingly insignificant family feud so seriously?

28 Dec 2011 Luke (Program #3)

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.

28 Dec 2011 Luke (Program #4)

Luke (Program #4) – The Preparation of the Man-Savior with His Divinity (2)

The gospel of Luke tells the story of a wonder meeting between two mothers to be – Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist and Mary, of course who was the mother of our Lord Jesus.  Listen to this marvelous account given in chapter 1 “And Mary rose up in those days and went to the hill country with haste, to a city of Judah, And entered into the house of Zachariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. And she lifted up her voice with a loud cry and said, Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And how has this happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby leaped with exultation in my womb. And blessed is she who has believed, because there will be a completion of the things spoken to her from the Lord.”

28 Dec 2011 Numbers (Program #12)

Numbers (Program #12) – Journeying (2-3)

Once God’s people were properly arranged according to their families and rated around the perimeter of the tabernacle, God’s presence overshadow them as a visible cloud.  His presence also filled the Ark of the Covenant within the tabernacle.  These two items provided guidance and leading to the children of Israel.  When the cloud was taken up, the people prepared to load up the tabernacle and their personal possessions to follow the cloud in a general way as their guide.  But it was the tiny Ark that became their particular leading, leading them through the treacherous wilderness and finding the appropriate resting places.  A forty-year journey under the guidance of the cloud and the leading of the Ark

27 Dec 2011 Luke (Program #2)

Luke (Program #2) – Introduction, Subject and Contents of the Gospel (2)

The New Testament is the most marvelous book, tremendous composition yet it is mysterious and beyond our natural comprehension as well. One perplexity is that it gives us four different accounts of the life of Jesus. Why four different accounts of one history? Well that’s because each account highlights a different aspect or facet of this most wonderful and marvelous person in the universe, Jesus Christ. What facet do we see in the gospel of Luke? Well, Luke than more all of the rest of the books in the Bible shows us Jesus Christ as the full, complete, perfect and genuine man. A man unlike any other.