Matthew (Program #12) – The Beginning of the King’s Ministry

In the Old Testament, Isaiah give us a wonderful prophesy concerning the beginning of the ministry of Jesus Christ that would take place hundreds of years later.  The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali…the way to the sea beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the gentiles.  The people sitting in the darkness have seen a great light; and to those sitting in the region and shadow of death, to them Light has risen.  So it was Christ began His earthly ministry not in the religious capital Jerusalem, but in the despised region of Galilee.

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1 & 2 Kings (Program #14) – The Reign of Jehoahaz, Jehoash, and Jeroboam over Israel

In reading the Old Testament it’s easy to become lost at times in page after page of history because much of the Old Testament is devoted to telling this history, the history of God’s people Israel in both their triumphs and in their many failures.  To study it in this way does have some values, but if that is the extend of our realization of the Old Testament, we will miss a lot.  In fact, we will miss the Lord’s burden for us in that portion of Scriptures.  For both the Lord Jesus Himself in His direct speaking concerning the Old Testament and the apostle Paul in example after example of how he applied the Old Testament made it clear that in reality the Old Testament is a book of types and symbols that if properly understood reveal Christ to us in marvelously clear pictures that can often convey more of the spiritual reality than even the direct and condensed passage of the New Testament.  One of the great types of Christ in the books of history surely is the prophet Elisha, who typified Christ in his living, his ministry and as we will see today even in his death.

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1 & 2 Kings (Program #10) – The Reign of Ahaziah Over Israel & Rapture of Elijah

In 2 Kings, the might prophet Elijah was taken up from the earth into the heavens in a whirlwind. At that moment Elisha who had been with Elijah picked up his mantle and the Spirit of God descended upon Elisha. This moment marked the transition from the ministry of Elijah to the ministry of Elisha. But is that all that was represented by this transfer? Actually if we understand the clear types and symbols of the Old Testament, we can see that in reality, this story unveils the transition from the Old Testament to the New.

Hebrews (Program #35) – A Heavenly Minister with a More Excellent Ministry

“Simon, Simon, behold, Satan has asked to have you all to sift you as wheat.  But I have made petition concerning you that your faith would not fail; and you, once you have turned again, establish your brothers.” (Luke 22:31-32)  Why didn’t Peter’s faith fail?  It’s because the Lord was praying for him.

Many portions of Scripture talk about salvation, and most of us as Christians feel that we understand this term well enough.  But do we really know what it is to be “saved to the uttermost,” as spoken of in Hebrews 7?  We will see this higher view of salvation in today’s life-study of the Bible.

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Hebrews (Program #34) – The Indestructible Life

We should really open to the Lord and to the Word, and to this ministry, to learn more, appreciate more, and experience and enjoy more of Christ as our High Priest.  The New Testament book of Hebrews shows us a kingly and majestic view of Christ in His priesthood – offering, ministering, and saving.  These three functions of our heavenly High Priest will open up our heart and uplift our appreciation of God’s full salvation.

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Numbers (Program #4) – Being Formed into an Army (3 – 4)

After the children of Israel escaped the tyranny of Egypt and built a tabernacle in the wilderness according to the plan God showed Moses, the Lord set about forming an army to protect His testimony and fight against His enemies.  Members of each of the various tribes were called to serve in this army, saved one, the tribe of Levite.  To them it was given not to fight directly but to serve God in the tabernacle in a holy service and ministry.  Today God’s people are still called upon to war against His enemy and to fight to protect His testimony on the earth.  Just as in ancient time, God needs His people to minister and serve Him in His dwelling place on earth.  Another wonderful picture of a New Testament reality awaits us today from the Old Testament book of Numbers.

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2 Timothy (Program #2) – The Basic Factor of the Decline-Forsaking the Apostle and his Ministry

2 Timothy 1:15 contains a very short but very pungent word that describes the apostasy at the end of the apostle Paul’s life.  “All those who are in Asia turned away from me.”

Today in our second life study from 2 Timothy, we are going to look at the basic factor of the decline of the church which is forsaking the apostle and his ministry.

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Colossians (Program #30) – Objective Revelation, Subjective Ministry and Practical Experience

The Gospel of John surely is loved by nearly every believer and presents Christ as life and even the mystery of life. Yet for its marvelous revelation of Christ as both God and man and as our life, it still cannot compare with the high peak of the Christ that’s revealed in the book of Colossians.  As we consider not just this high revelation of Christ but how seeing it can help us all to be brought into the practical experience of such Christ.

The expressions used in this book of Colossians, even though it is a short book, they are unique in the whole Bible. But Paul wasn’t trying just to be different, he was really endeavoring to present to us a Christ that is higher, deeper, and richer than we’ve ever imagined.

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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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2 Corinthians (Program #46) – Paul’s Vindication of His Apostolic Authority (1)

The last section of 2 Corinthians beginning at chapter 10, marks a strong contrast to the first nine chapters of this book.  The apostle Paul throughout most of the book was pleasant, intimate and very tender  with the Corinthians believers.  But in this final segment, he is forced to vindicate his own apostolic authority, because both he himself personally as well as his ministry and work had been severely undermined by other so call Christian workers who had come in to distract, damage  and confuse the Corinthians.  Just how does Paul approach this delicate and difficult situation?  Actually seeing the apostle dealing with such a problem is a marvelous window for all of us to see what it is to be a person one with  and living Christ.

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