Hebrews (Program #11) – The Sanctifier and the Sanctified

The history of the Christian faith shows us that the great truth of God’s eternal plan were first given to man in Scripture but then lost during centuries of darkness and then later recovered by God moving in His Body.  Such was the case with justification by faith and its recovery during the time of Martin Luther.  We will see another great item of recovery – sanctification, in today’s life study of the Bible.

We mentioned the matter of recovery.  We are going to hear Witness Lee refer to it today in our message several times.  For those listening that may not understand what we mean by this term in its historical context.  It might help if we could have a look at the meaning of the word “recovery”.

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Numbers (Program #16) – Journeying (8-9)

Rebellion.  Of all the evils and sins of mankind none carry greater consequence nor evoke a more serious reaction from God.  That’s because the target or object of all rebellion is authority which comes from and signify God Himself.  God’s people Israel were caught up in acts of rebellion against God and His deputy authority on many occasions.  The book of Numbers records the accounts of several progressive stages of rebellion ultimately resulting in God’s judgment and wrath being poured out in a very sobering display.  The on-going and progressive rebellion of Israel in the wilderness is again our topic on our life study from Numbers.

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Hebrews (Program #10) – The Captain of Salvation (2)

This wonderful Jesus is not only our Savior but He is also the marvelous captain of our salvation. And He is leading us even during this broadcast into the goal of our salvation. Glory is God expressed – this may seem simple but nonetheless this is what the Bible reveals. But just as we need our entire body to be adequately expressed, God desires to bring us as the members of His body into the region of His glory. So He’s provided us with a captain of salvation to lead us into glory.

We’ve spoken our first life study of Hebrews about though it’s a mysterious and somewhat hidden book to a lot of Christians when we’re given just one or two keys, it opens up like a flower. We’ve just spoken of the two of the keys that we’ve been given and these will be part of our life study today: river-crossers and the captain of salvation. more…

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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.

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Hebrews (Program #9) – The Captain of Salvation (1)

God’s goal is not to bring us to heaven. The goal of God’s salvation is to bring us into the very glory which in Christ has been sown into us at the time of our regeneration. Christ is many things to His saved ones. We may appreciate Him as our Savior and our Redeemer or may be even as our friend. But Hebrews unveils Him as the Captain of our Salvation. We’ll see Him as the fighting captain in today’s life study of the Bible.

Logically, we think that for salvation you need a savior or a redeemer but why do we need a captain for our salvation?

We need to make it emphatically clear that we surely need Christ as the Savior and we absolutely need Christ as the Redeemer. There’s no way to be saved without this personal Savior, the God-man. And we surely need Him as the Redeemer who bought us back with His precious blood and has brought us back to God that we may enjoy God as everything to us in Christ as the Spirit. Regrettably, many believers have a shallow even elementary concept of salvation. If we understand salvation merely as a rescue from hell to heaven then we don’t really need a captain. We just need a savior and a redeemer, one who allegedly who brings us out of the likelihood of going to hell and brings us to heaven. However, the goal of God’s salvation is not heaven. We are told in the book of Hebrews that God is bringing many sons into glory. For this we need a captain. Why? more…

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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.

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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?

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Hebrews (Program #8) – Jesus in Incarnation, Crucifixion, Glorification and Exaltation

The gospel includes the entire process of God’s eternal purpose. His purpose is to impart Himself and dispense Himself into man. Hebrews chapter 2 may be one of the deepest chapters in the entire Bible. Yet it’s not often studied and perhaps even less understood. We’ll see this chapter open in a tremendous way in today’s life study of the Bible.

Some or all of the terms maybe familiar to all – incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, glorification and exaltation. I believe you all know these five terms deeper but my burden is to show you in no other chapters, no other portion of the Holy word that has put all these five things together. In some of the chapters, you can see a part of Christ’s crucifixion, in some the chapters you could see Christ’s resurrection, in some portions you could see He is glorification, He is exaltation and so forth. But in no portion so short you can see all these main items – incarnation, crucifixion, resurrection, glorification and exaltation. Not only so, these five major points of what Christ has passed through are presented in this chapter in a very particular way. Not in the way as the four Gospels did, not in the way as Acts did, not in the way as all the other Epistles did. This chapter presented these five things in a very very strange way.

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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

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Hebrews (Program #7) – Jesus as the Son of Man – as Man Superior to the Angels

There is a certain fascination with angels in this present age and the Bible certainly confirms that angels and the angelic realm exist. But the Bible also confirms that man occupies an even higher place in God’s eternal plan. Are you surprised? Don’t be. We’ll see that and much more in today’s life study of the Bible.

Today we are on Christ as superior to the angels in two ways. First, as the Son of God which means as God He was superior. Second, as the Son of Man, which affects us a little bit more that as a man He was also superior to the angels. And in fact, it shows us man’s place in God’s plan and how the angels are really our servants. So it puts everybody in their proper place. I think as our listeners know, ours is not a topical study of the Bible, we are really going book by book. And it just happens that today the subject matter does line up with a topic that is currently very much of interest to a lot of people Christians and non-Christians alike. So, I believe our listeners will be very interested to stay tuned as we are going to see angels from the Bible.

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