GOD’s PERFECT PLAN: The GOSPEL – Part 3: A Series Exploring The Biblical Overview

INTRODUCTION: Everything in the Bible ultimately either points to Christ by analogy and, or by type, or used in contrast to the perfection that is Christ (whether those contrasts are human or angelic). Every place name, every substantial idiom, persons by type, themes, doctrinal truths in some or in many ways all point to Christ, the very focal point of the Holy Revelation of GOD in the Bible.

As mentioned before, if you think of the Bible as a wagon wheel with sixty-six spokes, where Christ is the hub, you can appreciate that this book is literally, “all about Jesus Christ our LORD”.

PSALM 40:7
Then I said, "Behold, I come; In the volume of the book it is written of Me.

LUKE 24:44
Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."

And in order to introduce the Messiah in our world, prophetic Scripture is laid out to properly and gloriously present Him and His Gospel. This is why no detail in the Scripture is inconsequential or irrelevant – at all. In fact, the more years we put into the study of the Scriptures, the more we recognize that JESUS is on every page!

We’ll pick up where we left off, with Noah and the ark.

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PROVERBS 25:11-19 Conduct Counts & Words Can Heal or Hurt

PROVERBS 25:11-12
11 A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold In settings of silver. 12 Like an earring of gold and an ornament of fine gold Is a wise rebuker to an obedient ear.

Catch the video of this teaching from the SHINE BRIGHT Church YouTube Channel (Address: 433 W. Lerdo Rd., Tucson, AZ)
Counsel given at the right time, the right place, with just the right words is a beautiful thing, served beautifully – like golden apples on a silver platter; but only so much as it has an obedient ear to listen to such counsel.

A wise rebuker won’t be overly harsh, but nor will they be extraordinarily soft either. A wise rebuker knows the balance between grace and truth. We think of a rebuke as something necessarily harsh, but the Bible makes the distinction between a rebuke (2 TIM 4:2) and a sharp rebuke (TITUS 1:13). Then there is an admonition (1 THESS 5:12), and exhortation (1 THESS 4:1).

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Ch. 1 in JOSHUA: CONQUERING The ENEMY, INHERITING The LAND – PART TWO

INTRODUCTION: Picture yourself as one of those Hebrews – ex-slaves of Egypt, traveling through the wilderness, heading towards what Moses had declared to be the land that GOD promised to the forefathers. It’s been decades and there is no promised land in sight. You look at your children and wonder how much longer can they endure this arduous trek.

On top of that, those children heard their parents, grumbling, complaining, murmuring about their situation, all motivated by hearts of unbelief. But the second generation who grew into adulthood by the end of their journey, did express faith in the LORD, and the LORD delivered! – in more ways than one!

Now their eyes have seen the Jordan River; they’ve laid twelve stones in it, and another twelve on the riverbank as a testimony to remember what GOD had done for them.

Then they are told to prepare to enter into Canaan by gathering up provisions (and the formidable task of breaking camp for some millions of people!) and in three days (a significant number) they’ll be crossing over. Not only were they anticipating some good fortune but were probably apprehensive as well about the unknown. How much more so for their leadership, and especially Joshua!

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The G.E.P.C Study – PHILIPPIANS 1 – Part Two

Going Through Paul’s epistles to Galatia, Ephesus, Philippi, and Colossae

INTRODUCTION: We can look at disappointments, set-backs, failures with a dejected attitude and feel like giving up, giving in to disillusionment, discouragement, even bitterness. At such challenging times in our lives, we must come back around to acknowledge that the LORD is sovereign, that He has a calling and a course for each one of us His children.

NO OBSTACLE WILL BE ABLE TO KEEP GOD’s WILL FROM OUR LIVES AS WE TRUST IN HIM, YIELD TO HIM, FOLLOW HIM!

The apostle Paul was on a roll; his missionary work was flourishing! People were getting saved left and right! But then something happened that brought his work to a screeching halt: yet it didn’t keep the LORD from working through others!

This apostolic letter is one of a few “prison epistles” (Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon and 2 Timothy) that, if Paul was never arrested, he might not have had the time to write them (as he was blazing from the Middle East into Europe with the Gospel of Jesus Christ). In this one instant alone, we can see where GOD brings blessing out of what appears to be an obstacle.

Continuing on now with Part 2 of Chapter One…

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TRIUMPHANT TRILOGIES – Examining JOHN 12,13 & 14

Examining JOHN 13 – Part TWO

Introduction: Just as first impressions are lasting ones, so too are last words most impressionable. Timothy understood this when his father in the faith, apostle Paul wrote his last letter to him (2 TIMOTHY).

These are among the last words that our LORD would speak with His disciples prior to the Cross and His death. Yet unlike Paul, the apostles didn’t hear the last from Him! As the saying goes, “You just can’t keep a good man down!” Only in this case, we’re talking about the ONLY Good Man ever to be born (MATT 19:17)!

At this point in the chapter, the apostles are baffled by the LORD’s statement, “One of you will betray Me.” That must have really rocked their world! Imagine how they all must have looked at one another, completely mystified! I can picture Judas however, averting any eye contact with the others…

JOHN 13:23-27
23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of His disciples, whom Jesus loved. 24 Simon Peter therefore motioned to him to ask who it was of whom He spoke. 25 Then, leaning back on Jesus' breast, he said to Him, "Lord, who is it?" 26 Jesus answered, "It is he to whom I shall give a piece of bread when I have dipped it." And having dipped the bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son of Simon. 27 Now after the piece of bread, Satan entered him. Then Jesus said to him, "What you do, do quickly."

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GOD’s PERFECT PLAN: The GOSPEL – Part 2: A Series Exploring The Biblical Overview

INTRODUCTION: We continue now in this study, observing and tracing the plan that GOD has set forth to proclaim and initiate the Gospel Agenda, though Satan did his best to run interference and prevent it from taking place.

He failed, and this demonstrates GOD supreme authority and sovereignty!

He tried to prevent “the seed” from crushing him by goading Cain (I have no doubt he did!) into murdering his brother Abel. When that didn’t work, Satan used a tactic that many find quite bizarre!

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