1 Corinthians (Program #49) – Dealing with the Gifts (5)

As the apostle Paul was writing chapter 12, 13 and 14 of 1 Corinthians, he had much more in his heart then just dealing with the problem of the improper use or abuse of the gifts of the Spirit. There was an overwhelming burden on his heart and in his spirit concerning several crucial matters related to the building up of the Body of Christ, the church.

In chapter twelve and thirteen, he emphasizes five things: Speaking, the Spirit, the Body, God’ administration and love.  Then in chapter 14, he comes to another main item, the superiority of one particular gift for the building up of the church. Among the main spiritual gifts describe in this portion of the word, one stands out as superior for building up the church. What is this unique superior gift?

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1 Corinthians (Program #38) – Dealing with Eating of Sacrifices to Idols (3)

1 Corinthians chapter 9 shows us two very significant factors in the ministry of the apostle Paul. First we see how pure he was. Pure in a sense that he had only one motive to be wholly in Christ and for Christ. He sought nothing for his personal gain. Second Paul was also faithful. Faithful because he saw his commission from the Lord in the gospel is a kind of stewardship with which he had been entrusted. Listen to these verses in 1 Corinthians

9:16-17 “For if I preach the gospel, I have no boast, for necessity is laid upon me; for woe to me if I do not preach the gospel. If I do this of my own will, I have a reward; but if not of my own will, I am entrusted with a stewardship.”

To read words such as these can’t help but convict us because we all become keenly aware of the impurity of our motives when we receive light from God’s word. But rather be discouraged we should take heart. For in other of Paul’s writing he opens the door to help all of God’s children to as such pure living and in such a faithful serving.

In Galatians
2:20 “I am crucified with Christ;”

and in this book 1 Corinthians chapter

6:17 “But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit.”

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John (Program #15) – The Need of the Moral People – Life’s Regenerating (2)

Today, when we would repent and lift up our heart and look at the very Jesus crucified on the cross, what would happen to us? I tell you, sin would be removed and the serpentine nature would be dealt with. And, Satan would be destroyed, and we will have life eternity.

Regardless how cold you are or how bad you are, as long as you are a human being, you need to be terminated. And, you need to be germinated. Germinated with what? Germinated with the divine life. You need another life. To get another life, you need another birth.

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Zechariah (Program #15) – The Prophecies of Encouragement (6)

We all have our own favorite verses throughout the Bible. For many of us, some of our favorite verses are found in pages of the Old Testament. And we tend to avoid the Old Testament often in terms of its bigger meaning because it does seem to be somewhat veiled and obscure. However, the real meaning of all of our verses in the Old Testament match that of the revelation in the New Testament. And, that is that at the heart of God’s desire is an economy. In the life study of Zechariah, God’s economy is summarized: “The center of God’s economy is to have a Body to express Christ. Eventually, this Body will be Christ’s Bride to match Him as His counterpart and to come down to earth with Him to carry out the final step of God’s economy. Today, the world situation is ready for His coming, but the Lord has not yet gained His counterpart. Therefore, He has no way to come back. He is still waiting.”

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Mark (Program #20) – The Move of the Slave-Savior’s Gospel Service (8)

In Matthew, Luke and John the order or sequence of the stories does not necessary follow the actual time sequence in which they took place.  The gospel of Mark is unique among the four in this way. Not only so, but the sequence of the healing and the miracles in Mark’s gospel are progressive. That means in each case signifies a step in our spiritual development and maturity and we are brought onward and always
higher.

Chapter 8 beginning at verse 27 and chapter 9 may be considered the high peak of the disciples’ experience in their contact with the Lord Jesus.  After been healed by the Lord in a general way that is when there were saved, they then experience His detailed and specific dealing until their heart had been dealt with. And then their spiritual ears were opened and their tongues were filled with His word and eventually even their eyes were healed of their blindness so that they can receive the high vision portrayed in this rich portion of God’s word.

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Lamentations (Program #3) – The Third Lamentations (2)

The prophet Jeremiah in the Old Testament had much to be sorrowful for.  For all around him is God’s judgment.  This judgment fell upon God’s people Israel because of their degradation and their unfaithfulness.  It also fell upon the nations that surrounded Israel for opposing God’s people and His purpose.  And finally God’s judgment fell upon the prophet himself, not so much for his own failures and sins but rather because the prophet Jeremiah properly identified with his people Israel and thereby shared in their judgment.  It was these sufferings that brought him to pour out his heart and soul to Jehovah in the short book called Lamentations.  But in so doing, we see some wonderful passages that can be immense help to those of us in the New Testament economy.  For Jeremiah learned to practice three marvelous things that sustain him and likewise can sustain us.  We will look at these three in today’s program.

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Psalms (Program #31) – A Supplement to Message Thirty-Two on Psalm 84

Psalms 84:1-4 say “How lovely are Your tabernacles, O Jehovah of hosts! My soul longs, indeed even faints, For the courts of Jehovah; My heart and my flesh cry out To the living God.  At Your two altars even the sparrow has found a home; And the swallow, a nest for herself, Where she may lay her young, O Jehovah of hosts, my King and my God. Blessed are those who dwell in Your house; They will yet be praising You.”

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Psalms (Program #21) – The Psalmist’s Intensified Enjoyment of God in His House and City Through the Suffering, Exalted, and Reigning Christ (2)

Psalms 45 is a marvelous Psalms and it starts with verse 1 saying “My heart overflows with a good matter. I speak what I have composed concerning the King. My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.” Today in our life study of Psalms we come to the highest and greatest of all the Psalms; Psalm 45. Stay with us for the next half hour as we turn our attention to the fairest among ten thousands.

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Job (Program #8) – God’s Answer to Job

Job 10:13 says, “But You have hidden these things in Your heart; I know that this is with You:”. Job knew there must be a reason why God was allowing him to suffer so much but he didn’t know what God’s purpose was. Job was frustrated but we don’t have to be – God has shown us the answer.

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1 John (Program #26) -The Virtues of the Divine Birth to Practice the Divine Love (3)

1 John 3:19-21 say
19 “And in this we will know that we are of the truth, and we will persuade our heart before Him, Because if our heart blames us, it is because God is greater than our heart and knows all things.  Beloved, if our heart does not blame us, we have boldness toward God;“

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