Blog Archives

29 May 2022 1 & 2 Samuel (Program #16)

1 & 2 Samuel (Program #16) – God’s Sovereignty and David’s Taking the Lessons of the Cross

The New Testament is full of divine truth. By reading and studying these truths, we enter into the divine revelation: what God is occupied with, what His purpose is, and what He is desiring to accomplish. But what is lacking in the New Testament are illustrations or pictures. These are provided to us through the great stories of the Old Testament. For example, the New Testament teaches us that God is sovereign, that means He is over all, above all, and in all. Yet, it takes an Old Testament story such as the story of the young boy David, chosen and designated to be king over Israel, yet placed in the most difficult and trying situations for us to see and realize just how sovereign our wonderful God really is. more…

Play
28 May 2022 1 Peter (Program #14)

1 Peter (Program #14) -Growth in Life and Its Results (4)

The Bible in both the Old Testament and New tells us that man was formed of the dust of the ground and even as living creatures, we all are but clay in the hands of God. Yet the apostle Peter in his epistles boldly declares that we have become living stones useful in building up God’s house.  Chapter 2:5 of his first epistle says “You yourselves also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house into a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”  I think we can all easily relate to being lumps of clay but it may be more difficult for us to relate to being living stones, useful for God’s building and precious.   How is it that such a transformation from clay to precious stone is possible?  Peter in both his words and by example of his own spiritual progress gives us a marvelous pattern.

Play
02 Apr 2022 Hebrews (Program #38)

Hebrews (Program #38) – The Working of the Law of Life

We have to realize God has an eternal plan. This plan is all worked-out by setting up a model and this model was Jesus Christ.

Hebrews, a New Testament book, full of Old Testament types and shadows embodies the central theme of God’s New Testament revelation. That is, that He desires to produce many sons and bring them fully into glory according to the pattern of the first born son, Christ. We will explore this great topic of Scripture in today’s life-study of the Bible.

Play
11 Jan 2022 1 Thessalonians (Program #15)

1 Thessalonians (Program #15) – Cooperation with the Divine Operation (1)

As we are caring for new believers, we likely often follow the pattern of the apostle Paul as he cared for the young Church in Thessalonica by giving them encouraging and hopeful passages from the Bible.

In the Thessalonians, it was Paul’s word concerning the coming rapture of the believers at the end of the age and the Lord Jesus promise return from the heavens to the earth that fill them with hope. But if we are fully faithful  to the pattern of the apostle will also bring them to the words of warning and sobriety that Paul concluded the book of 1 Thesssalonians with Chapter 5. Listen to this lengthy passage at the beginning of Chapter 5 of 1 Thessalonians 1-11:

But concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need for anything to be written to you; For you yourselves know perfectly well that like a thief in the night, so the day of the Lord comes. When they say, Peace and security, then sudden destruction comes upon them, just as birth pangs to a woman with child; and they shall by no means escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness that the day should overtake you like a thief; For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. So then let us not asleep, as the rest do, but let us watch and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep during the night, and those who get drunk are drunk during the night; But since we are of the day, let us be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love and a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God did not appoint us to wrath but to the obtaining of salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us in order that whether we watch or sleep, we may live together with Him. Therefore comfort one another, and build up each one the other, even as you also do.

Play
19 May 2021 Galatians (Program #6)

Galatians (Program #6) – Paul’s Faithfulness and Peter’s Unfaithfulness to the Truth of the Gospel

The New Testament book of Galatians reveals much about the Gospel of Grace and the freedom that believers have in Christ. But if we read it carefully, we will also see a marvelous pattern for all believers; the living and manner of the Apostle Paul. This epistle shows us one who was bold and faithful to the truth, yet humble and careful before the Lord to preserve the oneness of the Body of Christ without ever falling into politics. Stay with us for this enlightening life study of the Bible.

Play
18 May 2021 Galatians (Program #5)

Galatians (Program #5) – The Formation of Paul’s Apostleship

The New Testament contains many references to the Apostles. We know that Jesus selected 12 of them originally, and one ultimately betrayed Him and was replaced. After Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, Saul of Tarsus was gained by the Lord and became an Apostle. Tradition teaches that the list stops there, but what does the Bible have to say on the subject? And more importantly, what is the pattern that we see in Paul’s life and his apostleship that is relevant to us? Don’t miss today’s life study of the Bible.

Play
10 May 2021 2 Corinthians (Program #52)

2 Corinthians (Program #52) – Paul’s Vindication of His Apostolic Authority (7)

The concluding chapters of 2 Corinthians are Paul’s vindication of his apostleship.  His authority, especially with the believers in Corinth had been challenged and undermined by religious men  posing as apostles seeking to  lead them away from the simplicity and purity in Christ back to the Mosaic and Judaic practices of the old covenant.  It would be easy to consider that the points Paul makes in this portion would have little or any application to us. believers in a much different time and not necessarily in the capacity of leadership.  Yet as with all the Scripture the divine revelation contain in this portion is full of meaning and shows us once again a true pattern for all of us who desire to live Christ and experience Him day by day.

Play
04 Apr 2021 2 Corinthians (Program #16)

2 Corinthians (Program #16) – A Pattern of Living Christ for the Church

The apostle Paul’s two epistles or letters to the Church in Corinth are definitely related. But if we read carefully we can see that really they are in two different realms.

The first letter dealt with many major problems in the Church. Problems that are in many ways still plague the Church today. The solution that Paul presents in 1 Corinthians is for the believers to live Christ for the church. And this is the link to the other realm that is clearly presented in 2 Corinthians. For in this book more than any other in the Bible, we see the pattern of person living Christ for the church not merely spoken of but demonstrated. The apostle Paul and even other apostles with him really lived this pattern.

Play
22 Mar 2021 2 Corinthians (Program #3)

2 Corinthians (Program #3) -Introduction (3)

The apostle Paul after his strong rebuke and dealing with the Corinthians in his first letter had good reason to visit the city at his first opportunity. It would had given him the chance to answer first hand any misunderstandings and to sue any lingering stinging from his rebuke.

In the realms of public relations or human wisdom he surely would had taken this way. But Paul’s living was not directed by such things as “PR” in human wisdom. And though he was criticized by some of the Corinthians for delaying his coming after he told them of his desire to come.  We see the real reason for his delay. The reason was the Lord Jesus Himself. And Paul’s first concern which was not to live just a Godly life, but to live Christ, to live in perfect oneness with Him. This is the pattern that Paul had become not just to the Corinthians but to all of us.

Play