Tag-Archive for ◊ Bible ◊

18 Mar 2024 1 Corinthians (Program #19)

1 Corinthians (Program #19) – Growth in Life Needed (2)

In first Corinthians the apostle Paul confronts the difficult situation in the church there in a very wise way. He first identifies that their problems would due primarily to a shortage of the growth in the divine life. Although they had received the initial gifts of the divine life and the Holy Spirit they were still infants or babes in Christ.

He then unveils to them the marvelous progression of God’s economy. First they need to realize that they are all plants growing on God’s farms. Then the goal is to be built up together into a building and finally that this building is destined to become God’s dwelling place, His temple.

How about you and me? Have we received such a vision, such a revelation or are we like the Corinthians satisfied to remain in our spiritual infancy and hang on to personal preferences in our own traditions?

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18 Mar 2024 Exodus (Program #129)

Exodus (Program #129) – The Priestly Garments (16) Golden Plate

The high priest that served God in the tabernacle in the Old Testament was adorned with a golden crown, upon which were engraved the words “Holy to Jehovah”.   This top most piece of the priestly garment connected the priest himself and the garment to God’s holiness.  As the real New Testament priests how are we connected to God’s holiness?

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17 Mar 2024 1 Corinthians (Program #18)

1 Corinthians (Program #18) – Growth in Life Needed (1)

In the first two chapters of 1 Corinthians the apostle Paul stresses one thing, Christ. This is his wisdom in pointing the believers’ in these problems laden church to the one unique solution to all the problems in the Christian life and in the church life.

But in chapter three he turned his focus to the church. Writing about the church in a marvelous way without even ever using the term, church. In this book his speaking related to the church is not according to the doctrine and teaching regarding the church life but according to the life and the growth in life.

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17 Mar 2024 Exodus (Program #128)

Exodus (Program #128) – The Priestly Garments (15) Robe

The Bible tells us that Christ is the embodiment or the expression of God.  No one has ever seen God, but the Son of God has given Him expression.  Without an expression, how could God ever be known?  A wonderful type of God’s expression is seen in Exodus in the beautiful garments that the priests serving in the tabernacle were required to wear.   We will look more at this divine expression in this life study of the Bible.

We are looking at the robe particularly today as we continue this examination that has gone on for many programs, some weeks actually of the garments of the priest.  We saw initially that the instructions for this priestly garment came from God Himself, Jehovah as He was giving so many instructions to Moses on Mount Sinai.  To really pick up the spiritual essence of these items of the garment, first we need to realize that in the Bible garments always signify outward expression.  How does that principle apply to the complicated priestly garment we have been looking at?

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16 Mar 2024 1 Corinthians (Program #17)

1 Corinthians (Program #17) – The Church, God’s Farm, God’s Building (2)

The believers in Corinth in the early church were rich in many things. They have received the initial gifts of the divine life and the Holy Spirit. They were enriched in all knowledge and they even have many miraculous gifts in their midst.  Yet Paul referred to them as infants or babes in Christ. How could that be with all that God had given them?   Primarily is because they neglect the mater of life and growing spiritually in the divine life. So, the apostle Paul points out to them in clear types and pictures the importance and necessity of the divine life.

Listen again as his words are so full of references to life and growth:

3:5-9 “What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Ministers through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave to beach one of them. I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth.  So then neither is he who plants anything nor he who waters, but God who causes the growth.  Now he who plants and he who waters are one, but each will receive his own reward according to his own labor.  For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s cultivated land, God’s building.”

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16 Mar 2024 Exodus (Program #127)

Exodus (Program #127) – The Priestly Garments (13 & 14) Alphabet

The garment worn by the high priest in the Old Testament gives us a wonderful picture of many aspects of Christ.  But the breastplate that was the outer-most item of the priestly garment also gives us a picture of God’s redeemed people, the church and how God conveys His word and will to man through the church.

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15 Mar 2024 1 Corinthians (Program #16)

1 Corinthians (Program #16) – The Church, God’s Farm, God’s Building (1)

The first two chapters of Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians are very rich in their presentation of Christ. Paul clearly was doing all he could to bring the troubled Corinthians to Christ in their experience.

But in Chapter three Paul turns his focus to the church. Though not in shallow or superficial language rather he speaks in marvelous profound expressions referring to the church in types.  First as a farm growing, producing a rich crop. Then as a building and ultimately as a temple, a divine dwelling place, build out of priceless materials such as gold, silver and precious stones. Of course these materials are not literally either but types of the transformation work that the Holy Spirit is engaged in with all of us, God’s redeemed.

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15 Mar 2024 Exodus (Program #126)

Exodus (Program #126) – The Priestly Garments (12) Urim and Thummin for Joshua, Eleazar, Aaron

It was recently reported, that although sales for the Bible has actually increased in recent years, reading the Bible is at an all time low.  The reasons given by most people for not reading the Bible that they own is that they simply don’t understand the Bible.  Well, we all experience not being able to understand the Bible from time to time.  Many of the Old Testament books are difficult.  But when we are given the keys to unlock all the marvelous types and pictures that are given to us in the Old Testament becomes a brand new book.  More of those keys are waiting for us today.

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14 Mar 2024 1 Corinthians (Program #15)

1 Corinthians (Program #15) – The Spirit of Man and the Spirit of God Knowing the Things of God (3)

Only the spirit of man knows the things of a man. And only the Spirit of God knows the things of God.

This is our third program in a row on this critical matter of the spirit of man.

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14 Mar 2024 Exodus (Program #125)

Exodus (Program #125) – The Priestly Garments (10 & 11) Urim and Thummin

There is a very tender picture of our Lord Jesus holding His redeemed ones in love in the Old Testament book of Exodus.  This picture matches the New Testament revelation as well as our own experience of being held by His love.  But the picture in the Old Testament reveals that God’s people are not only held by His love, they are also upheld by His strength.

This week we have been looking at Ephod and the 3 items that were attached to it or added to it in the priest’s garment.  These are the two shoulder pieces that had onyx stones attached and then also the breast plate worn in front by the priest.  This piece also contains precious stones, 12 of them actually.  We seen that the Ephod, this vest-like outer garment is a clear picture of Jesus Christ.  What are these added items, these precious stone items signify?

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