Tag-Archive for ◊ enemies ◊

26 Aug 2023 Acts (Program #62)

Acts (Program #62) – The Propagation in Asia Minor and Europe through the Ministry of Paul’s Company (28)

In Acts 21 through 23, the Apostle Paul finds himself surrounded by men seeking to do away with him. Given the chance to speak on his own behalf, he boldly declares the very truth that has provoked his enemies. God sovereignly intervenes to protect and secure his chosen one for the work that was still before for it. Stay with us today as we see our faithful Lord and His chosen vessel laboring together for the testimony of the all surpassing Christ on this life study of the Bible.

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19 Feb 2023 Micah (Program #2)

Micah (Program #2) – Jehovah’s Comfort to Israel

The Prophet Micah in the Old Testament speaks of God’s reprove and chastisement of Israel in a very poetic language.

Chapter 1:3-4 “For Jehovah is about to come forth from His place, And He will come down and tread upon the high places of the earth. And the mountains will be melted under Him, And the valleys will be cleft, Like wax before fire, Like water poured down a slope.”

These sobering words caused Micah to weep but as with other prophets Micah also speaks of God’s comforting of His people.  Which ultimately comes at the end of this age in what the prophets of all spoke as the restoration. A coming age when there will be no need of weapons for all the enemies will be gone and Christ will rule, shepherd and protect His people while His people feast and rejoice in loving worship of Him for a thousand years.

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11 Sep 2022 Psalms (Program #36)

Psalms (Program #36) –  The Highest Revelation of Christ

OK, here is a Bible question for you.   There is one verse in the Old Testament that is quoted directly at least twenty times in the New Testament and is referred to indirectly at least another twenty times.  What Old Testament verse could possibly command this much attention in the New Testament?  Well, here is a clue: it’s a verse from the Psalms.  In fact, it’s from a Psalms that Martin Luther said it’s the highest revelation of Christ in all the Psalms.  Give up?  It is Psalms 110:1  “Jehovah declares to my Lord, Sit at My right hand Until I make Your enemies Your footstool.”  That’s our topic today.

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14 Aug 2022 Psalms (Program #8)

Psalms (Program #8) – David’s Concept Concerning God’s Judgment on David’s Enemies Among the Nations and Concerning Man’s Condition Before God

The Psalms beloved by all of God’s people are composed of the expression of the sentiments, feelings, impressions and experiences of godly men. Many of the psalms express primarily the concept of the writer. David, for example, in a number of the psalms was frequently in grave danger being pursued by his enemies those who were desiring even to do away with him. And so we see his crying out to Jehovah for safety and deliverance. Other of the psalms exult and uplift the law of God connecting God’s blessing with our ability to keep the law. There are however, many psalms that express a much higher thought, even the divine thought. Psalms which present the very Christ of God maybe not in direct reference but in unmistakable clarity. These are psalms which convey God’s deepest feeling and His heart’s desire for man that Christ would occupy the center in our lives as He occupies the center of God’s own economy.

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05 Jun 2022 1 & 2 Samuel (Program #23)

1 & 2 Samuel (Program #23) – The History Concerning David (10)

In 2 Samuel, David becomes secure and well established as the one king over all the tribes of Israel. As king, he’s prosperous, respected, loved, and secure from his enemies, even admired by the surrounding nations. In this situation, David’s true heart is clearly manifest. What he desires to do is to do something for God, even to build God a dwelling place in Israel. But having such a one on this earth whose heart was fully one on its own, Jehovah responds to David’s expression of wanting to do something for Him in a most surprising way.

Listen to this passage from 2 Samuel 7:

“Thus says Jehovah, Is it you who will build Me a house for Me to dwell in? For I have not dwelt in a house, since the day I brought the children of Israel up out of Egypt to this day; but I went about in a tent and in a tabernacle. more…

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25 May 2022 1 & 2 Samuel (Program #12)

1 & 2 Samuel (Program #12) – The History Concerning Saul (4)

After been established as king over Israel, God enabled Saul to defeat three successive enemies that were plaguing Israel. But during the course of these campaigns, it gradually become more and more clear what Saul was seeking in his own heart was not God’s kingdom, but rather to build up a kingdom or a monarchy for himself. The third of these enemies, the Amalekites had bothered the children of Israel many years before when they were traveling in the wilderness on their way to good land after leaving Egypt. After Joshua defeated them the Lord told Moses that He would war with the Amalekites from generation to generation. Because in typology, the Amalekites signified the most difficult of all of God’s enemies that is the flesh of mankind. Though king Saul may have outward success his battle against the Amalekites, inwardly he was defeated by his own compulsion to serve God according to his own flesh.

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24 May 2022 1 & 2 Samuel (Program #11)

1 & 2 Samuel (Program #11) – The History Concerning Saul (3)

The children of Israel were in a low condition.  Their enemies were closing in.  They had strayed far from the Lord  both in their hearts and in their deeds.  And they feared that He would no longer look after them and protect them. Their reaction was understandable; they asked the prophet Samuel to give them a king just as all the other nations had to protect them. Reluctantly Samuel sought Jehovah in the matter and the Lord granted the people their request and instructed Samuel to anoint Saul as the first king over Israel. In the beginning it appeared that the Lord was with king Saul. And he was victorious in defeating the Ammonites, Israel’s enemy. But as time went on it became more and more evident that what was filling Saul’s heart was not so much to establish God’s kingdom but rather to build up a monarchy or a kingdom of his own within God’s kingdom.

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23 May 2022 1 & 2 Samuel (Program #10)

1 & 2 Samuel (Program #10) – The History Concerning Saul (2)

During every period of history it is important to realize God is operating behind the scenes for the accomplishment of His eternal purpose.  When Israel’s first king, Saul was anointed by the priest Samuel, he was confronted with three enemies that were troubling Israel. Jehovah was there working behind the scenes.  And He gave Saul specific instructions how to deal with each of these enemies.  How Saul carried out these instructions gives us a clear window into what was in Saul’s heart, and what kind of king he would turned out to be for Israel.  The first enemy Saul confronted were the Ammonites.

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03 May 2022 Judges (Program #3)

Judges (Program #3) – The Miserable History of Israel’s Forsaking God (2)

If God’s people are to enjoy all the benefits of their relationship with Him, it is necessary for them to maintain this relationship in a proper way. In reality God is the king, the unique husband and the Head over all things. That means His people must be under Him, submissive and subject to Him in a tender and intimate way . But in much of the history of God’s people they rejected Him in His headship always resulting in a condition of His people falling lower and lower and been evidenced by defeat after defeat at the hands of the various enemies of God’s people.  At such times we occasionally see Jehovah acting in an extra ordinary way to jolt his people into the realization of their actual condition. Such a time existed in the book of Judges after the death of Joshua, God chosen leader over Israel as the people turned away from Him and their enemies began to prevail, God responded by raising up not a mighty king to lead Israel back to victory but rather He raised up Deborah, a female.  Though she was very capable, she was the one who lived in submission and in subjection to Him.

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10 Mar 2022 Numbers (Program #20)

Numbers (Program #20) – Fighting (1)

As the Old Testament is a book of pictures and types, what does Canaan signify?  Well, to many people it is synonymous with heaven.  Actually Canaan, one of the names for the good land that God brought His people Israel into in the Old Testament which is also a type of the all-inclusive Christ that we are possessing in the New Testament, was a name used to describe the land when it was filled with enemies, even giants that had to be fought against and overcome before the people can go in.  The warfare of God’s people against the authorities and rulers of Satan’s kingdom is the topic of our life study today in Numbers.

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