Job (Program #12) – Man Moving in God’s Move and God Moving in Man’s Move

As the New Testament era opened, a dramatic change occurred in the way that God moves to accomplish His purpose on the earth. God’s move was then inextricably linked to man; that means that God ceased to move apart from and independent of man. Of course, the man that God used for His move was Jesus Christ, who we know was also God. That’s why the high priests, the elders and even the officials of the Roman government could not determine whether the activities of Jesus were the activities of a man or of God. Actually, His actions were the actions of the first God-man. Today God is still operating in this principle. The principle of His moving into man, in man and through man. This is the principle of incarnation. “In the beginning was the Word”, John says, “…and the Word was God and the Word became flesh and tabernacled among us”. (John 1:1, 14)

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1 & 2 Chronicles (Program #3) – The Highest Point of God’s Gospel

It is clear from the first two chapters of the Bible that the center and focus of God’s creative work was man.  Genesis 1:26 “and God said let us make man in our image after our likeness.”  In Zechariah God focus is even more graphic, in chapter 12 verse 1 it says “the burden of the word of Jehovah concerning Israel thus said Jehovah who stretches forth the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth forms the spirit of man within him.”  God’s goal was with man.  His eternal purpose was with man.  But Old Testament declaration like these refer to man’s status before he fell.  So the question for us today is “did the focus, the center and the plan of God changed with the fall of man or is the original purpose still intact?”  The New Testament answer this question with crystal clarity.  Ephesians 1:9 “making known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure which He purposed in Himself unto the economy of the fullness of the times to head up all things in Christ, the things in the heavens and the things on the earth in Him.”

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1 & 2 Samuel (Program #14) – The History Concerning David (2)

Throughout the ages, many have opposed God and oppressed His people. On one hand, it could be said that God has many enemies; but actually God has only one unique enemy – man. Man fights against God and this man is the flesh. The teaching regarding the flesh is found in many New Testament books and passages like Galatians 5 that tells us that, “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh; for these oppose each other that you would not do the things that you desire.” But it takes the Old Testament pictures and types to illustrate how we all are subject to the evil of the flesh and how diligent we all must be to keep it where the Lord Jesus left crucified on the cross. If our eyes are open, we will see these Old Testament books such as 1 Samuel in a different, fresh and very new way that brings these things into a sharper focus.

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Hebrews (Program #17) – The Good Land for the Fulfillment of God’s Purpose

The good land typified in the Old Testament is profoundly related to God’s eternal purpose to have a corporate expression. Hebrews 2:5 says, “For it was not to angels that He subjected the coming inhabited earth concerning which we speak.” Though we may long for heaven, it is the earth, the land, the good land that has occupied God from the ages for His purpose. We will see all this land typified in today’s life study of Bible.

Though we’re in the midst of the life study of Hebrews, today we’re going to touch many points that we first touched in the life study of Genesis for those that were with us at that time. What is the basis or the ground to draw upon the pictures that were presented in Genesis in order to help us with the book of Hebrews?

As we will soon see this particular message connects as the Bible does the matters of the land, Christ and God’s chosen people. In Genesis 1, we have these three matters either stated or implied. The land is obviously signified by the dry land that emerged from the dead waters on the third day. This dry land, the sphere for the living of the human beings created by God typifies Christ in resurrection. Significantly as Genesis 2:7 reveals, humankind was created from the dust of this land. more…

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Numbers (Program #9) – Being Formed into an Army (10)

If you ask most people, they will tell you that God dwells in heavens.  Well, while this is surely the case, the Bible tells us again and again that He is the God of heaven and earth.  So while from eternity, He has dwelt in heavens.  The Bible reveals His goal even His desire is to dwell on earth with man.  Old Testament books like Exodus, Leviticus and Numbers give us a very sweet picture of His earthly dwelling place, which at that time was in the tabernacle.

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Ephesians (Program #49) – Christ Sanctifying the Church by Cleansing Her

In Genesis Chapter 2 God produced a bride for Adam by first putting him to sleep and then taking something from his side. “And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, ..and He took one of his ribs.. And Jehovah God built the rib, …. into a woman and brought her to the man. And the man said, This time this is bone of my bones And flesh of my flesh;”

When Christ was dying on the cross something was also released from His side. John 19:34 “But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately there came out blood and water.”

Now listen to Ephesians 5,  “Husbands, love your wives even as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her that He might sanctify her, cleansing her by the washing of the water in the word, that He might present the church to Himself glorious, not having spot or wrinkle or any such things, but that she would be holy and without blemish.”

Blood and water from the side of our Lord Jesus. A rib from the side of Adam. Both cases, the result is the Bride.

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Ephesians (Program #22) – The Breaking Down of the Middle Wall of Partition

The Bible in Romans tells us very clearly that Christ’s death on the cross resolved any conflict that exists between us and God. Roman 5 :1 “Therefore having been justified out of faith, we have peace toward God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”  And how we worship Him and praise Him for making such peace. But there is another peace that was accomplished through the redeeming death of Christ and Paul talks about this peace in Ephesians chapter 2:14 “For He Himself is our peace, He who has made both one and has broken down the middle wall of partition, the enmity, abolishing in His flesh the law of the commandments in ordinances, that He might create the two in Himself into one new man, so making peace.”

This specifically is not talking about peace between us and God. This is talking about peace between bitter and fierce enemies, peace between man and even between races and it is a crucial aspect of the salvation that we had received.  We’ll talking about this peace today on our life study of the book of Ephesians.

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Galatians (Program #2) – The Apostle’s Gospel

The New Testament reveals the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact the first 4 books of the New Testament are called the Gospels. Each one is unique in its focus and what it unveils regarding our wonderful Lord Jesus. But the New Testament also reveals the Gospel through the writings of the Apostle Paul. And, it’s this 5th Gospel that we come to today particularly in the book of Galatians.

We need 4 different versions of the Gospel because Christ is such a wonderful person. And, the 4 Gospels are just unveiling this most wonderful person from the angle of His being a king, the angle of His being a servant or a slave, from the angle of His being the most precious man ever revealed in the universe, and also being the Son of God who gives us Himself as the eternal life.

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