Resurrection - Part 1. Paul said it best, if we have hope only in this world, we are all most miserable (1 Cor 15:19). When the Sadducees approached Jesus in Mark 12:18-27, they put forth a question about “resurrection”. It was clearly stated that the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection so their question was attempting to make Christ stumble. His response to them not only validated a resurrection, but emphasized an important point... they were in error from not knowing the scriptures.
The Resurrection - Part 2. The resurrection is so critical to the believer. By one man sin entered the world, and death by sin. Yet the second Adam, Christ, is alive and resides in heaven as the one mediator between God and man. In the Old Testament, Job had hope of a resurrection. Abraham is another individual who trusted in the power of God to raise the dead.
The Resurrection - Part 3. Historically, their have been many theories about the resurrection. Although there has been agreement to call the resurrection of believers the “Rapture”, two major questions still cause serious debates: 1) When does it occur? and 2) Who does it involve? The timeframe for the resurrection revolves around the Day of the Lord, which includes both the tribulation and the millennium. While attempting to pinpoint the “when”, there have been several views that have come in and out of popularity.
Language and The Meaning of Words. In Bible study as well as every day conversation, language and words portray specific meanings. We know from Matt 12:36-37 that “...every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.
The Eternal Purpose of God. According to Ephesians 3:7-11, Gods intent is to demonstrate His wisdom to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms. Further, this demonstration is according to His eternal purpose, which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. God calls this demonstration “the mystery” and He puts Christ on center stage in the leading role. Co-starring with Christ is The Church (which is His body). If God were in the movie business, His current release would be called “The Eternal Purpose of God” brought to you by the “Manifold Wisdom Studios”.
Resurrection - Part 4. Within the Pre-Millenial view, there are three “rapture” timing theories. This consists of a pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-tribulation rapture. The most popular position for the placement of the rapture is the Pre-Tribulation view, however, this view has the least scriptural support. The Pre-Tribulation believers are looking for the eminent return of Christ. The Mid -Tribulation view raptures the believers 3.5 years into the tribulation (half way through he seven year tribulation).
Resurrection - Part 5. What does our resurrection body look like? The Corinthians were skeptics as was explained in 1 Corinthians 15:35 (KJV) “But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?” These skeptics have a hard time accepting the resurrection as demonstrated in 1 Corinthians 15:12 (KJV) “Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?” Paul was dealing with worldly intellectuals who were having a problem dealing with this truth.
Preach The Word. It is increasingly rare to hear Scripture quoted in public, partly because of legal constraints, but largely because the Bible has become unfamiliar territory. Pollster George Gallup Jr. refers to us as a "nation of biblical illiterates." Although 95 percent of Americans profess a belief in God, only 4 in 10 know that Jesus delivered the Sermon on the Mount. Only 3 in 10 teenagers know why Easter is celebrated. Only 3 in 10 Americans admit they look to Scripture for truth. The lack of Bible knowledge is a christian epidemic of tremendous consequences.
Resurrection - Part 6. There are two types of people in this world: “Saints, and Aints”. In Philippians 3:7-14, the apostle Paul is addressing the Saints when discussing the status of “perfect”. We know that no one is perfect for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). Yet “Saints” are perfected by Christ in salvation and are complete in Him (Colossians 2:10). The pursuit of “being perfect” is the race of Saints in the pursuit of the calling of God. Life in the Christian realm is a race for inheritance. The reward for the winning the race are crowns.
Resurrection - Part 7 . Only on half of one verse in scripture does God give to the atheist. In Psalm 14:1 (KJV) “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God...” The fool doesn’t believe there will be a resurrection yet we know that the blessed hope of the resurrection will happen to everyone. Why? Judgment for everyone will be judged of God.
Resurrection - Part 8. It’s our responsibility as Christians to approach scripture and determine how it should apply in our lives. The resurrection is one of the key topics that we should study. For example, Martha in John 11:23-24 (KJV) demonstrated her understanding of a resurrection when talking about her brother Lazarus “Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” As Martha demonstrates, it was widely known among the believers that there is a resurrection of the dead.
Priorities. Leland Maples of LOOPS Ministries delivered a lesson on priorities. Leland shared his recent fight with lung cancer and the insights this gave him into setting proper priorities. Everybody has responsibilities in their lives that change over time. From being a student to becoming a parent, responsibilities change. Yet we need to keep in mind that responsibilities are not priorities. Our priorities need to dictate which responsibilities come first.
Resurrection - Part 9. In scripture, we learn of a resurrection of an individual unto life, and a resurrection of an individual unto damnation or condemnation. It’s differences like this that should provoke us to study the word of God and compare the things that differ so we may learn more about what God has said. The lesson on Mar 30, 2003 provides a recap of the Resurrection series and reviews the high points of the series. The belief in a resurrection was first demonstrated by Abraham in Genesis when he was asked to sacrifice his son Isaac.
Resurrection - Part 10. There are several positions taken when applying John 5:25-29 to believers. One thought is there is a resurrection of believers to life that have done good, and a resurrection of believers to damnation who have done evil. The other position does not put any believer in a position of damnation since they are made justified by Christ. Which resurrection belongs to whom? Right division teaches us to study scripture in context and compare the things that differ. John 3:16 identifies two classes of people: those who have everlasting life and those who perish.
Jesus Enters Jerusalem. The Sunday before Easter is celebrated as Palm Sunday which signifies Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The gospel of Matthew has four occurrences that tells of the suffering Jesus has to encounter leading up to the resurrection. Matthew 16:21 is the first occurrence that tells of Jesus going into Jerusalem, foretells of his suffering, his eventual death, then reveals the fact that he will rise on the third day. Each occurrence in Matthew tells something a little different about Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem. The same is true in the other three gospels.
Easter Sunday. In three days time Satan was defeated when Christ Jesus rose again. The resurrection is the turning point in human history when Christ defeated Satan and death. This is the event that keeps Christianity from being a warm hearted fairy tale. Satan is still working to keep those from learning about the resurrection with the Easter Bunny and other pagan traditions. The lesson on Apr. 20, 2003 speaks to two kinds of people: The “Saints” and the “Aints”. The “Aints” need to know that Christ died for your sins and God loves you.
Christian Prayer. May 1, 2003 is recognized as the National Day of Prayer in America. What is prayer? Prayer simply stated is “talking to God”. What a privilege we have to be able to talk directly to God. We don’t have to go through an intermediary like a minister or priest because Christ paved the way through His shed blood. He became the one mediator between God and man, so the way to God is open for anyone to approach Him.
Christian Prayer - Part 2. There were many instances of prayer given this past week in America to thank God for the prosperity and blessings bestowed upon America. This was done in the celebration of the National Day of Prayer set aside on the first Thursday in May each year. This was an example of one aspect of prayer but another aspect of prayer is shown in the prayer that Paul makes in Colossians 1:9-14 for the Colossians. The Colossians (those from Colossee) received their letter from Paul through Tychius (just like Philemon).
Sarah’s Example. The first woman mentioned in the great chapter of faith (Hebrews 11:11) is Abraham’s wife Sarah. The lesson on May 11, 2003, celebrates Mother’s Day with a lesson about Sarah, the mother of Israel. There was something special about Sarah since she was identified by God in Hebrews 11:11 as a “heroine” of faith. Not only do we learn about her faith, but this lesson teaches us all about the pursuit of Godliness, which applies to both men and women. God does not expect us to live a perfect life, that’s why Christ died for our sins.
Pleroma - Part 2. The lesson on May 25, 2003 continues the lesson on the Pleroma but first remembers Memorial Day in America which is the holiday that honors America’s war casualties. A handout was given showing how many Americans have died in each war but emphasis was put on what they died for... preserving the freedoms that were endowed by our creator and embraced in the founding of America. The freedoms we possess of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (or property) truly come from God and are celebrated in the founding documents of America.
Pleroma - Part 3. When you study the “fullness”, the breadth of it covers from before the foundation of the world through the ages to come and beyond . One of the problems we have when studying “the fulness”, is we often focus on the present rather than understanding the big picture.
The Apostle Paul - A Chosen Vessel. The Apostle Paul has the unique distinction of being called the Apostle to the gentiles. This is pretty important for today’s christians to understand because the church, which is the body of Christ, consists of the gentile nations that are apart from Israel and all the promises made to them. Paul is given a unique message to deliver unto the gentiles and he declared in Acts 28:28 that they would hear it.
Father’s Day. A non-traditional Father’s Day message is in store for those who listen to the lesson on June 15, 2003. Traditional lessons would focus on the horizontal relationship fathers have or the duties they should be doing. God has given everyone the desire to succeed but work is not to become the idol of your life. It will never give you the true meaning of life. You can go through all the experiences in life and it will never give you any meaning. Solomon tells us that the things and experiences in life that people pursue is all vanity.
Pleroma - Part 4. The Pleroma = The fullness. This word is applied by Jesus in the New Testament scriptures to identify something that repairs a tear or rip in a fabric, that is subsequently filled by a patch. Pleroma fills the tear or gap. There are many “gaps” in scripture and one of the most important gaps to be understood is identified in Acts 28:28. This is when Christ reveals through the Apostle Paul the start of another gap which He calls The Mystery.
Independence Day Commentary. July 4th in America celebrates the 227th anniversary of independence. No other country has held a single form of government for so long yet America’s christian-based republic is under attack by the spiritual decay of the American people. The founders of America based their government on scripture and finally gave God the credit for founding the country.
Pleroma - Part 5 . Pleroma speaks to the fullness of God. His fullness is used to fill various gaps in Adamic history as it pertains to His eternal purpose and will. One of these gaps is identified between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.
One Way . The lesson on July 13, 2003 is a recap of the Vacation Bible School that was held at Northside Bible Church. The theme of “One Way” was based on John 14:6 (KJV) “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” The analogy of road signs were used to identify certain truths in scripture so we could relate them to signs we would see while driving around town. A christian road map was used to take the kids on a journey to heaven and learn how to grow up as christins in the word of God along the way.
Pleroma - Part 6. The fullness is what God will accomplish in the end times. In every administration of God, it ends in what appears to be outward failure but that is only to let you realize that God is about something else. Something better than what mankind thought at that time God could be about. This lesson contuies to study the Pleroma handout which you should download and review with all the lessons on the Pleroma. The Garden of Eden is an example of failure outwardly. Sin entered the world with the fall of Adam. Consequently, we have Adam to thank for death.
Pleroma - Part 7. The previous lesson on the Pleroma introduced us to Cheribum. This lesson studies the most famous Cheribum, Lucifer. As Ezekiel 28:14-15 (KJV) tells us “Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created, till iniquity was found in thee.” God created Lucifer as the most anointed cherub. It wasn’t until Lucifer sinned, did he become Satan.
Proverbs - The Wisdom of Solomon. The book of Proverbs is one that is a continuous treasury of wisdom. No matter how many times you read the 31 chapters, there is always something new that jumps out and gets your attention. There may be times when you wonder what Solomon was trying to get across. Many books have been written to that end. There is one in particular that serves as a good study aide when reading Proverbs.
Above All, Faith. Ephesians 6:16 (KJV) says “Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Paul tells us that above all, we are to use the shield of faith to stand against the wiles of the Devil. To the mature Christian, the importance of faith is most assuredly known. Yet the new creature in Christ needs to be built up in a faith that is most holy.
Pleroma - Part 8. The actions of man are like building sand castles on the beach in lo tide, only to perish when the sea comes back during high tide. All that mankind does perishes just like the beautiful sand sculptures are gone. Only God creates things that last and the fullness of Christ lasts forever. Only in Christ will man find eternity. Even though the bible begins at Genesis 1:1, we know that God was there even before the beginning so Genesis 1:1 is the beginning of what God chooses to reveal to us. Lucifer was an individual that fell between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2.
Pleroma - Part 9. The study of the Pleroma, shows that God’s purpose transcends all ages and has been revealed to us through the Scriptures. Even before the foundation of the world, God prepared the way to demonstrate His fullness to principalities and powers, the manifold wisdom of God. For example, Adam was given responsibility over the garden of Eden after a cataclismic event when the original earth was under judgement from the fall of Lucifer. God then re-created the earth in 7 days demonstrating His fullness with Eden.
Pleroma - Part 10. There are two great themes in scripture. The first is the sead of the woman which is the promise of the Savior. The second is the emnity between the seed and the serpent. These go through all of scripture until the very end when Satan is chained in the bottomless pit forever. The lesson on August 31, 2003 begins with a review of these themes and how it impacted mankind from Adam on through the calling of Abraham. Abraham was called out of the nations to begin the nation of Israel who God dealt with exclusively.
Those Things Believed Among Us. Luke 1:1 (KJV) states “Forasmuch as many have taken in hand to set forth in order a declaration of those things which are most surely believed among us,”. How would this apply to Christians today? We live in a world today where Christianity is under attack everywhere we turn. From taking the ten commandments out of our courthouses to eliminating prayer in public events, Christianity is losing ground to a secular, anti-God mindset.
Pleroma - Part 11. The Abrahamic promise is one that continues from Genesis Chapter 12 through Acts 28:28. There was 2000 years of history preceding Abraham from Genesis 1:2 up to Genesis 12:1. In those 2000 years, man demonstrated he could not consist apart from God. From Adam to Noah, to the tower of Babel, it all ended in judgment and paved the way for God to call out one man to make a nation, the nation of Israel. The lesson on September 14 covers the history of Abraham and the promises made to his seed. He gives Israel a kingdom because God promised land to Abraham.
Pleroma - Part 12. The lesson on September 21, 2003 picks up with the Times of the Gentiles study and reviews the period of the Kings in Israel. It then continues with the Birth of Christ and into the New Testament where all that was promised to Israel was in focus. The New Covenant was in scope as Israel was called upon to believe on the Messiah so the Kingdom would be restored to Israel. The kingdom that was lost when the Time of the Gentiles began was ready to be restored because of the offering of the King, Christ Jesus was at hand.
Pleroma - Part 13. The last few lessons on the Pleroma studied the time that God has established that deals with the Gentiles. This lesson continues to review the period when Israel was put in a position of “Lo-Ammi” which was at the end of Acts in AD 70. Keep in mind, God did not discard Israel, but put then on hold until He will restore them in the future to fulfill all that has been promised to them. The Mystery, God’s sacred secret, is what God revealed to the Gentiles through the Apostle Paul after Acts 28:28 when the true fulness of Christ was revealed.
Pleroma and the 3 Spheres of Blessings. With the study of the Pleroma, there is no coincidence that the highest sphere of blessing is in the Heavenlies, far above all principalities and powers, which is where Christ is seated who is the head of the body. This is the exact position of the fullness that exists in Christ who sits in Heavenly places.
The Pleroma - Part 14. The lesson on October 12, 2003 continues the lesson on the Pleroma. This lesson deals with the Headship of Christ which is located in the middle of the Pleroma chart. The head of the woman is the man, and the head of the man is Christ as stated in 1 Corinthians 11:3 (KJV) “But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.” Even Christ as the head of the body, will turn over all things back unto God the Father.
The Pleroma - Part 15. The lesson on October 19, 2003 is the final lesson on the Pleroma. Let no man beguile you with the fleshly mind that denies the truth in darkness. God tells us that he is the light and in John 1:1-12 (KJV) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
Family Influence and Tradition. The lesson on October 26, 2003 has Clark Curry sharing the influence of good family tradition in our lives as Christians. His grandfathers favorite verse was in Philippians 4:13 (KJV) “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.” The impact of family in our lives is so important to the proper growth of a Christian.
Murmuring & Disputing. Two enemies that affect our Christian walk is murmuring and disputing. One example of this is in 1 Kings 18:17- when Elijah came up against Ahab. Elijah asked the people how long they would murmur or oscillate between two decisions. As we wrestle with the old nature, notice how often you approach a situation with murmuring and disputings, just like Israel behaved when they departed the bondage of Egypt, who after a very short time, wanted to go back into slavery instead of relying on God’s providence.
The lesson on December 21, 2003 was entitled "The Christmas Story" and the scripture reading was in Matthew 1:18-25 KJV. "18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost. 19 Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
The lesson on December 28, 2003 was entitled "Did You Get What You Wanted For Christmas?" and the scripture reading was in Luke 2:7-14 KJV. "7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.
