Episodes
Monday Mar 25, 2024
THE BATTLE WITHIN PART II (Genesis 25:1-27)
Monday Mar 25, 2024
Monday Mar 25, 2024
There is a battle that rages within every believer. It is a battle between doing the will of God in our lives, and following the desires of the world. It is a daily battle, and it is one that we will have until the day we join Christ in heaven. Paul describes this battle that raged within his own heart.
Rom 7:18-20
18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
KJV
The carnal nature is the one that we are born with, and its focus is on the desires of the world. The new nature is the one that we receive once we are reborn in Christ, and its focus is on doing the will of God in our lives. It is a battle that is only fought within the heart of a believer, for a lost person only has one nature, his carnal, or fleshly nature. He has no choice but to serve Satan as his master, so there is no need for a battle. It is when we become saved that we must then choose between our two natures, and it is then that the battle for supremacy within our heart rages.
Every believer has three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world is that value system that’s out there. We call that the external foe. The flesh is that old Adamic nature. We call that the internal foe. The devil and he is the infernal foe. These are the three enemies that are warring against us.
Every one of us, when we come to the place where we want to be fruitful for God, after the Lord intercedes for us as He does, and it looks like we’re about to be fruitful, suddenly we find within us a battle going on. There is a struggle. It is an inner, spiritual, battle. It is important to note that it is those, whose lives are the most fruitful for God, who are the most aware of the struggle between the two natures within themselves.
However, this is something that all believers will experience when they choose to turn away from the world and begin their journey of spiritual growth. As long as we are content to live carnal, worldly, lives, we have no problem, but once we are determined to meet the conditions that lead to spiritual fruitfulness, the battle begins.
Click on the link below to hear a message about how we can have victory over the old, fleshly, carnal, nature through the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.
Amen.
Sunday Mar 17, 2024
THE BATTLE WITHIN-PART I (Genesis 25:1-27)
Sunday Mar 17, 2024
Sunday Mar 17, 2024
It is interesting to note that while the Holy Spirit goes into great detail about the lives of Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph, most of the story of Isaac is told by attaching it to another person. For example, Isaac’s Mount Moriah experience was told through Abraham, and his marriage was seen through the eyes of Abraham, Abraham’s unnamed servant, and Rebekah. Even with the birth of Esau and Jacob, which are Isaac’s sons, we will see this event through the eyes of Rebekah.
This is a story of two opposites. Here are two boys, born at the same time, born in the same place, of the same parents, to the same advantages and opportunities. Yet from the outset one of them set out in his own stumbling, full of errors, way to please God, while the other set out to please himself. One was ruled by a heavenly vision, the other by worldly and carnal things.
As with each of our lessons in Genesis, there is the primary interpretation of the events, in this case it is the development of the seeds of the nations of Israel and Edom. But, we also have the spiritual interpretation of this story, and this interpretation discusses the battle that rages within each believer. The battle between our carnal nature, and our new, Holy Spirit created, nature. The carnal nature is the one we are born with, and the new nature is the one we receive once we are reborn in Christ.
It is a battle that is only fought within the heart of a believer, for a lost person only has one nature, his carnal, or fleshly nature. He has no choice but to serve Satan as his master, so there is no need for a battle. It is when we become saved that we must then choose between our two natures, and it is then that the battle for supremacy within our heart rages.
As a believer, you have three enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world is that value system that is out there. We call that the external foe. The flesh is that old Adamic nature. We call that the internal foe. The devil: we know who he is, for he is the infernal foe. So, we all have three enemies that are warring against us.
Click on the link below to hear a message about that internal foe, the flesh; and we’re going to be talking about victory over the flesh, as we study our lesson today, and next week, on Jacob and Esau, these two twins.
This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.
Amen.
Sunday Feb 18, 2024
A DRESS REHEARSAL FOR CALVARY (Genesis 22:1-14)
Sunday Feb 18, 2024
Sunday Feb 18, 2024
In Genesis chapter 22, we come to an absolute mountain peak in the spiritual life of Abraham. This chapter is one of the great, great, chapters in all of the Bible. Chapter 22 is the account of Abraham’s obedience to God’s command of offering Isaac as a burnt sacrifice. God commanded him to offer Isaac on the altar and then restrained him at the last minute when He saw that Abraham was willing to go through with it. If you were to designate the ten greatest chapters of the Bible, you would almost certainly have to include Genesis 22. The Word of God makes it clear that God requires a life to be given up in order that He might save sinners. And there is no one among the children of men worthy to take that place. Jesus Christ, God’s only begotten Son was the only One capable of fulfilling that role.
In terms of depicting great truths about the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, this chapter easily compares with Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. In our message today, we will see the similarity between the sacrifice of Isaac and the sacrifice of Christ. It is no accident that this similarity exists. The Bible is full of repeated types and symbols that point to the real event in order to prepare us for what will happen. In this case, God is revealing the Gospel of the sacrifice of Christ for our sins to His beloved servant, Abraham.
On Mount Calvary, one day, men would see God providing Himself as a lamb. One day, on this place—this sacred place—God has provided Himself a lamb. And that’s the reason when John the Baptist saw Jesus Christ, who was God in the flesh, John the Baptist pointed to Him and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)—for the Lord, Jehovah Jireh, has provided Himself as the lamb.
Click on the link below to hear a message on the Word of the Cross, a dress rehearsal for Calvary. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son.” (John 3:16) There was no reprieve for the Son of God. There was for Isaac, but not for Jesus. And God knew that one day He would spare not his own Son, because He loved you that much.
This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.
Amen.
Sunday Feb 04, 2024
GOD'S JUDGEMENT OF PERVASIVE SIN (Genesis 19:1-29)
Sunday Feb 04, 2024
Sunday Feb 04, 2024
There are those who believe that you can become a child of God and continue on in sin. God says that is impossible. You cannot do that. Paul asks the question,
Romans 6:1-2
1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?
KJV
The idea that you can be a Christian and go on living in sin, or support and condone the sin of those around you, is a tremendous mistake. Don’t tell me that the book of Genesis describes a primitive view of God, and that we have a better, more enlightened one today. Don’t argue that, after all, Jesus received sinners. That is absolutely true, He certainly did, but when He got through with them, He had changed them. The harlot who came to Him was no longer in that business. When she came to God, she changed. A tax collector named Matthew came to Jesus, and he gave up that which was crooked when he came to the Lord. If you have come to Christ, you will be changed.
Many people try to explain that we are living in a new day and that we need to wake up. That is true, we are living in a new day, but it just happens to be the same old sin. Today, it is the same for us as Christians. The world has a lot of attractions. Many people want to have one foot in the world and the other living in God’s will. But it doesn’t work that way. In order to become saved, we are commanded to repent of our sins. The word repent is an expression that always has been given to God’s people as a challenge to turn around, to stop what they are doing. The word repent can be defined as walking down the road in one direction, stopping, and turning back to go in the opposite direction, never looking or going back the way you were going. This word is much more than just saying you are sorry, it is agreeing with God that what you did was wrong and committing not to do it again.
Click on the link below to hear a message on how God will bring judgement on pervasive sin. As Christians, our love cannot be of the things of this world. Our home is no longer here on this earth. We are pilgrims on this earth. We are here for one purpose only, to bring others to a saving knowledge of Christ.
This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.
Amen.
Sunday Nov 12, 2023
HOW TO MEND A BROKEN FAITH-PART I (Genesis 12:1-10)
Sunday Nov 12, 2023
Sunday Nov 12, 2023
One of the great reoccurring lessons in the Bible is the need for the Christian believer to have faith. Not a hope-so faith, but a know-so faith based on the promises found in God’s Word. This know-so faith is absolutely required for the believer to live a victorious Christian life.
Abraham is called “the father of all them that believe” (Romans 4:11). When we think of Abraham, we think of faith, and we can learn some incredible lessons about faith as we study how he struggled to become this great man of faith. And, by the way, when I’m talking to you about faith, I’m not talking to you about something insignificant like how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. I’m talking to you about something that is so important that I can hardly think of an adjective to describe the importance of faith. It is of monumental, inestimable, importance.
Once you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, how are you going to live the Christian life? By trying? No. By trusting. The Christian life is lived by faith. Four times, the Bible says, “The just shall live by faith.” God says it one, two, three, four times. Now, do you think He’s trying to tell us something really important? I’m telling you, the way to live the Christian life is by faith.
Click on the link below to hear a message about the school of faith, and that’s a wonderful school, but sometimes we don’t make very good grades. And I want to talk to you about “How to Mend a Broken Faith,” because there are just times that we don’t do all that good in God’s school of faith. Now, life is the classroom in the school of faith. Obviously, the Bible is the textbook in the school of faith. The faculty includes the prophets and the apostles. But the dean of the school of faith would have to be Abraham.
This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.
Amen.
Monday Nov 06, 2023
ABRAHAM CHOOSES (Genesis 12:9 to 13_8)
Monday Nov 06, 2023
Monday Nov 06, 2023
One of the great Biblical themes that is taught over and over in Scripture is the effect of the choices that we, as Christians, make between choosing to follow the will of God in our lives and the things of this world. The fact that the believer even has a choice to follow the will of God is an often misunderstood blessing of our salvation.
You see, the lost person has no such choice to make. He is a slave to Satan, and he must follow the will of his master. His only choice is between heaven and hell. Between making Christ his Lord and Savior, or keeping Satan as his master. Once the decision is made to accept Christ’s offer of salvation, the person is freed from the bonds of slavery to Satan and sin. They now have a daily choice between serving God or serving Satan. They have the blessing of being able to daily choose God’s will for their lives, instead of Satan’s will.
Click on the link below to hear a message on the effect that Abraham’s choices had on his life, and that of his family. We will get to see the negative and the positive. God withholding His blessing from Abram, and God outpouring His blessings on a faithful servant.
This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.
Amen.
Monday Oct 23, 2023
THE RISE AND FALL OF BABYLON (Genesis 11:1-9)
Monday Oct 23, 2023
Monday Oct 23, 2023
In today’s message we are going to learn something about that mighty city called Babylon, which symbolically, and cryptically, and prophetically, stands for the consummation and the distillation of all evil. And pay attention, because “The Rise and Fall of Babylon” is not something that just happened in the dark, musty past, or something that’s going to happen way off yonder in the future. It deals with realities that we are facing every day. And we’re going to find out something about the person and work of the devil as we study here in Genesis chapters 10 and 11. We are going to learn about this wicked city of Babylon, which was both the cradle and the grave of all false religion, and the devil’s kingdom.
Click on the link below to hear a message on how Babylon is destined to fall. Just as this ancient tower of Babel crumpled so long ago, we find that the final full-blown Babylon is coming down; it is crashing down. And I want to tell you something: You may not have ever realized this, but the first time that the word “alleluia” is used in all the New Testament is after Babylon falls. You won’t find the word “alleluia” used any other time. But it is after Babylon falls that the “Alleluia Chorus” begins.
Rev 19:1-3
1 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:
KJV
Rev 19:6
6 And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.
KJV
This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.
Amen.
Monday Oct 09, 2023
THE FLOOD-PART II (Genesis 7:2 to 9:17)
Monday Oct 09, 2023
Monday Oct 09, 2023
As part of the story of The Flood, the Scripture tells us about the patience and long-suffering of God. It says that once Noah and all the animals were in the ark, God waited for a full week, and nothing happened. No doubt the crowds outside the ark were having a great time making fun of the whole thing. Their hearts were already hardened. Even after years of having God’s prophets warning man of the coming doom, God showed man a final measure of grace by waiting a full week before the flood began.
This means that for a full seven days they still had the opportunity to accept God’s offer of salvation, yet they abused His long-suffering, His patience, and His kindness for the last time. That extra week of grace was offered to bring them to repentance, and instead they condemned Noah and His God. Without a doubt, the people of the time of Noah had “treasurest up unto” themselves “wrath against the day of wrath” and were ready for the “revelation of the righteous judgment of God.”
Click on the play button to hear a message on how God’s final judgment was delivered on a world that had turned away from the Almighty God of all creation.
This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.
Amen.
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
THE FAITH OF NOAH (Genesis 5:25 to 6:10)
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
Sunday Sep 17, 2023
In our message today, we begin a section of verses that describes The Flood and the reasons that God brought destruction to His creation. From the time that God expelled Adam and Eve from the Garden, God had blessed man, and man had been fruitful and multiplied. In a relatively short period of time man had populated the whole earth. Yet, instead of recognizing the God that created him, man had turned away from God, and reveled in his own abilities and knowledge. And as happens every time man turns away from God, man had degenerated into total depravity.
What was the condition on the earth before the Flood? What caused God to bring the judgment of the Flood?
Genesis 6:5
5 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
KJV
But as we see throughout the Bible, there was a remnant, someone left who still believed in God. Noah “found grace in the eyes of the LORD.” The Bible tells us that grace is the unmerited favor of God; it is getting something we do not deserve. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. But it goes beyond that, why did Noah find grace in the eyes of the Lord? It is because “Noah walked with God.” It wasn’t because he deserved it; it wasn’t because his good works outweighed his bad; it was because Noah walked with God.
Click on the link below to hear a message on the faith of Noah, and man who preached righteousness for a period of 120 years without a convert, other than his family, and witnessed to the grace of God.
This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.
Amen.
Sunday Sep 10, 2023
THE TIMES OF ENOCH (Genesis 5:24)
Sunday Sep 10, 2023
Sunday Sep 10, 2023
THE TIMES OF ENOCH (Genesis 5:24)
Enoch got out of this world. The Bible tells us that God just translated Enoch “that he should not see death.” That is, God took him physically, bodily, to heaven without dying.
There is the story of a man who was complaining about the situation in the world to Mark Twain, and he said, “I’m just afraid the world is coming to an end.” And Mark Twain said, “Well, don’t worry about it. You’ll never get out of it alive anyway.” But he was wrong. Enoch got out of it alive, and Elijah got out of it alive too.
Now, the Bible teaches that some of us are also going to get out of it alive, and I have a feeling that some of us who are living in this day, and this age, are going to heaven without ever dying. The Bible calls this the Rapture of the Church.
Click on the link below to hear a message on how the conditions of the world during Enoch’s time where so bad that God sent the flood to destroy the earth. Yet, when we compare those conditions to the conditions of our day and age, we see a great deal of similarity. Enoch preached the Second Coming of the Lord.
Some people say, “Well, you know, you Christians, you’re always talking about the Second Coming of Jesus. You’re always saying Jesus is going to come. Well, why hasn’t He come?” The answer is found in,
2 Peter 3:9-10
9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.
KJV
The Second Coming of Jesus will come.
Matt 24:37
37 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
KJV
This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.
Amen.