Exodus (Program #20) -Pharaoh’s Subtle Bargaining

We may not think of ourselves as particularly crafty or skillful negotiators in a worldly sense.  But oh how we bargain with the Lord!  There are a lot examples of subtle bargaining with God in the Bible.  But the story of Pharaoh in Egypt found in the book of Exodus is a particularly striking one.  For Pharaoh can at one time represents Satan but also represents ourselves or even our family members.  There is a lot for us to relate to in today’s program.

Today we are coming back to this conflict that took place between God and Pharaoh.  Initially it seems that the Lord’s demand of Pharaoh was clear enough, very straightforward: “let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness.”  He tells him in Exodus 5:3, but it take 10 long chapters and 12 different encounters before this ultimately takes place…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Matthew (Program #47) – The Pathway to Glory (5)

There is a wonderful account in Matthew chapter 15 about a gentile woman who approaches Christ not as an upright and qualified person but as a dog, just willing to eat the crumbs that have fallen from the table.  This kind of heart touched the Lord very much and He used her coming as an opportunity to present one of the great truths of the Christian life.   We will get into this matter in some details today.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Exodus (Program #19) – God’s Demand and Pharaoh’s Resistance (5)

Bible scholars have long agreed that Egypt, the land that held God’s people, Israel in slavery for more than 400 years typifies the world, the system of commerce, culture, education and even entertainment is today’s Egypt, complete with its accompanying slavery and bondage.  God’s way with Israel was to change their view of the land they had grown to love.   He wants to do the same with us today.  When we see the world as God sees it, our heart like Israel’s heart will be changed.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Matthew (Program #46) – The Pathway to Glory (4)

Tradition.  Webster says “an inherited, established or customary pattern of thought, action or behavior handed down by word-of-mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction”.  Of course, traditions are an important part of our cultural heritage or even our religious heritage.  But what do we do when the traditions we cherished are found to be in direct conflict with God’s infallible word?  This dilemma has confronted believers and God-fearing people for centuries.  There are even numerous such accounts in Scriptures.  But it also confronts us, as God’s people today.   As we touch today some time-honored and beloved traditions of today’s religious culture.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Exodus (Program #18) – God’s Demand and Pharaoh’s Resistance (4)

God’s desire is that His people will build Him a dwelling place on the earth. This was His intention for the children of Israel even as they were held in bondage under Pharaoh in the book of Exodus and it’s His intention for us today. In Exodus, a struggle ensued between God and Pharaoh whereby He manifested not only judgment upon the Egyptian world but also the real nature and issue of the life of the world – the life that usurps God’s people. If we receive mercy, we’ll take this warning given to all God’s people about the usurping worldly system.

It has been a tremendous journey thus far, as we just get into the book of Exodus.  We come to that portion in the last few days, we have been reviewing the conflict between God and Pharaoh.  It is a fairly well-known story to most Christians and believers.  But Witness Lee has been pointing out that we are going to see very directly today that these 10 plagues and these 10 encounters, actually a dozen encounters that took place over all between God and Pharaoh were not just God’s judgement on Pharaoh and on Egypt but are really intended as an exposure and a kind of education for God’s people as well, to realize the real situation that Egypt represents.  Why do we know that this is a picture to expose but not just a matter of God’s judgement on Egypt and Pharaoh?

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Matthew (Program #45) – The Pathway to Glory (3)

Have you ever had the experience of giving yourself fully to the Lord or renewing your consecration to Him, only to have that active devotion followed by the most difficult outward experiences imaginable?   To our nature mind, this makes no sense; if we give ourselves so completely to follow Him, we would think that He would then take care of all our outward problems.  But in the spiritual realm, often the more genuinely we offer ourselves to Christ, the more difficult our outward situation becomes.  Why this apparently irony?   We will find out today.   Please don’t miss this life study program.  As we come once again to consider the pathway to glory from the gospel of Matthew.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Exodus (Program #17) – God’s Demand and Pharaoh’s Resistance (3)

The book of Exodus reveals God’s desire to rescue His people from everything other than Himself.  After the Exodus from Egypt, God’s people saw a heavenly vision by which they came to know God Himself and to know the kind of living that’s in accordance with God.  This way they can be built up as God’s dwelling place on earth. This is the basic concept of the book of Exodus and it is also the basic concept of our Christian life.

We are going to continue to look at God’s demand and Pharaoh’s resistance on our broadcast today.  This conflict going on between God and Pharaoh that lasted 10 chapters in Exodus…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Matthew (Program #44) – The Pathway to Glory (2)

After experiencing rejection on every front, the Lord Jesus withdrew into a desert and a large crowd was still willing to follow Him in this rejection and they gathered with Him in the desert.  This is the scene where a well-known miracle took place.   A miracle that exposes both man’s shortage and the Savior’s full supply.

We have the well-known story of the Lord Jesus feeding the assembled crowd of thousands with just a few loaves and fish…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Exodus (Program #16) – God’s Demand and Pharaoh’s Resistance (2)

The book of Exodus is a book of pictures, not a book of philosophy.  The pictures in the first part of Exodus present a portrait of life in the world under Satan’s usurpation.  God said to Pharaoh, “let My people go, that they may hold a feast unto Me in the wilderness.”  God’s people had fallen into a worldly life under Satan.  So God spoke and acted in a severe way to ultimately rescue His people.  How about God’s people today?  Many are still under the occupation of today’s Pharaoh and God is still demanding “let My people go”.  Please stay with us for this extraordinary life study of the Bible.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS

Matthew (Program #43) – The Pathway to Glory (1)

The gospel of Matthew presents the kingly Christ unveiling the mysteries of the kingdom in the way of parables.  But it also presents the rejection that this king suffered at the hands of religious and political establishments.  After revealing what the kingdom of the heaven is and is not, the Lord also shows us the way or path required if we are to fully participate in His kingdom.  And that path includes complete and utter rejection.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: TuneIn | RSS