Discipleship Tape Ministries

The reapers are the angels. Can you imagine the awesomeness of it all? This isn’t some science-fiction movie, beloved, this is a true story. The angelic host will be not only participants, but key figures in the second coming of Christ. They will be present at the rapture, present at the Bema Seat, present at the wedding of the Lamb, and at the process of separating the believers from the unbelievers at the judgment seat of Christ. Though they have been invisibly active, what they have done will seem like nothing when compared to what they will do during those exciting days. No, God isn’t finished with them, yet. In fact, He has barely begun.Read lesson: 1346B

We live in a world where there is good cause to fear. Drive-by shootings, murders, rapes, senseless killings, senseless abuse. But fear is the absence of faith. Without faith it is impossible to please God. So God’s word to us it this: “Fear not”. This earth is headed for the graveyard, but God’s children are headed for mansions in glory. What can Satan do to change that? Absolutely nothing.Read lesson: 1346A

So we continue or journey into the recesses of Scripture to see just what angels do all day. Our tour has taken us to the edge of the sea of New Testament reality. We now enter into the life and times of Jesus and ask just what these winged wonders did all day while Jesus walked this earth. They didn’t sit around in heaven watching on their big-screen TVs. God was in hand-to-hand combat with His enemy, and the stakes were for everything.Read lesson: 1345B

The angels are God’s heavy artillery, too. They are the ones who frame the heavens with unseen chariots, waiting for their Commander-in-Chief to but blink an eye, and they will move into the fray, and the nations who defy God or who deny Israel its proper respect will go down in utter defeat as they always have. That’s what angels do all day. And aren’t you glad?Read lesson: 1345A

Let’s look at just what these winged wonders do all day. We looked at their fallen counterparts for several weeks and saw what they do: they harass us, tempt us, attack us, and in general try to make our lives miserable. Welcome to the other side of the valley, beloved. Now, let’s look at these wonderful spirit beings whose duties include making our lives fruitful, joyful, and productive.Read lesson: 1344B

This lesson will focus on the basics: how angels are structured, how many there are, what they look like, and hopefully what God might be saying to us simply by the manner in which He made them. Scripture again will be our text.Read lesson: 1344A

The subject of hell is not popular. It is seldom preached and often ignored; but hell is a necessary part of our study of Satan. In this lesson we will look at the reason for hell, the reality of hell, and reflections of hell and our response to it.Read lesson: 1343B

In this study, we continue our look at Satan’s tactics, and we hope to come to some conclusions about the grace of resistance. To do that, we must look at another of the names given him and his evil buddies in the Bible, and be thus warned about additional disguises he wears.Read lesson: 1343A

The tempter came. What a simple statement. That is his profession, It is his underlying purpose for living. It is a reflection of the deception that dominates his every thought. He lives to tempt you and me. He lives to trick us by dangling before us something that either appears good (but isn’t), or by luring us with something that appeals to the senses, hoping that we will take the bait, bite on the lure, and be snatched into his basket of captives, out of the reach of our Rescuer. Of course, we never get out of the reach of the One who lives to make intercession for us. But again, Satan the deceiver, has deceived himself, so he doesn’t realize that. Again and again we see that his one purpose in existing is to get at God, and because he cannot touch God Himself, he pursues his next best option, God’s children.Read lesson: 1342B

What must we do to diminish what these demons do all day? First of all, we must repent. What a dirty word in today’s religious vocabulary. But, it’s a good word in God’s Word. It means to recognize sin for what it is and turn away from it. Not slightly away. All the way around.Read lesson: 1342A

So, what do demons so all day? One thing they do is pick fights with God’s angels over nations and over you. Another thing they do all day is try to get God to let them touch your body, or to use a sickness or physical disability as a wedge to get into your life and discourage you spiritually. It may be a simple nuisance, like hay fever. It may be a more serious problem like the flu. It may be a heart problem or even cancer. These fallen angels, through their misguided leader, Satan, argue with God that by touching you, they reveal your lack of faith. God, however, only allows it when He knows that given enough time, that very sickness or anguish or emotional trauma will work for His glory.Read lesson: 1341B

In the weeks to come, we’ll look at all the things the Bible says that demons do all day. They are busy little bees. They tempt, they test, they deceive, they distract, they can be a portrait of wickedness, daring you to try immorality, pretending it provides thrills that last. They can just as well be a portrait of self-righteousness, pretending that moral behavior is enough to justify us before a holy God.Read lesson: 1341A

What happened those many years ago that caused such a spiritual upheaval? Why did God allow it to happen? What is happening today as a result of that moment? And what will happen in the future to bring it to an end? Those are some of the issues we must deal with in this study. We will face the issue of Satan and his demonic host early on, because his revolt is the defining moment in history when spiritual warfare as we know it began. We will also deal with this issue first because of its chronological place in the history of angels, and because we want to overlay a portrait of the power of God on top of Satan’s limited power, to keep it all in perspective.Read lesson: 1340B

In this study of angels, the Word of God will be our only textbook. Our only purpose will be to find what God is saying to us about the angelic world and what He is teaching us through them.We will look at these important questions: Where did angels come from? How are they organized? What do they look like? What do they do all day? and What is the angel of the Lord?Read lesson: 1340A

Once we are saved, how do we know that we cannot fall from His grace? How can we feel secure in our salvation even though we continue to sin? This is a subject on which the Word of God is very clear. Your ability to remain saved has nothing whatsoever to do with either your worth or your works, but everything to do with the power of God. For you or I to be lost once the blood of Christ has saved us, God must either change His mind, nullify His Word, disregard His Son and snatch back His gift; or someone or something in this universe would have to be stronger than He is. As you read this lesson, you will be comforted in knowing “no man can pluck them out of my Father’s hand.”Read lesson: 54

It is the will of God to know whether or not we are Christians. If you are having trouble with being assured of your salvation, this lesson will give you both an understanding of what it means to be saved, and the confidence of knowing that once you are saved, it is for all of eternity. Belief in God is not a matter of feelings, but a matter of the will. Once we have made the decision to follow Christ, there are several ways the Scripture gives us to assure us of the life of Christ indwelling in us.Read lesson: 53

On the other side – that’s where we are so much of the time when people are hurting. We see them – or do we? We hear them – or do we? We have all kinds of theological gems to toss their way, or to toss out behind their backs. It’s costly to get involved and to cross over to their side of the road. Let’s take another look at the Good Samaritan and see what it means to cross over to the side of the hurting.Read lesson: 1105B

If we are going to look at the Church’s role in meeting the needs of hurting people, we simply cannot complete our task without looking at one of the most overlooked essentials in the Christian experience: The matter of right relationships. We have to begin by asking ourselves, “What is a friend?” and what does God mean when He says “Now you are my friend.” If we are to be the kind of friend to others that God is to us, what must we do?Let’s look at our call to friendship.Read lesson: 1105A

The most famous passage on love in the Scriptures is 1 Corinthians 13. We are going to take a look at that passage of Scripture and see how love works practically in the life of the believer. We can’t study it in detail, but we need to pause long enough to examine the key points. The very definition of love means that if it is not demonstrated, it is not real. If we don’t give ourselves away in work, talking about love is not love. Giving yourself away is love.Read lesson: 1104B

What is love? It is perhaps one of the most misused words in our language. In this lesson we need to establish a definition of love as used in Scripture. Love is an active process of giving oneself away without regard to personal cost. It doesn’t stop to determine whether or not the person is worthy of that love, and it doesn’t wait to see if the person appreciates that love, it simply gives itself away. How do we do that? This lesson will give us a few suggestions.Read lesson: 1104A

This lesson is designed for those of us who simply do not know how to stop talking long enough to listen. Those of us who never stop thinking of ourselves long enough to listen, those of us who never stop wanting to be the center of attention long enough to listen, those of us who never hush long enough to hear, or care long enough to respond. The Bible has a lot to say about hearing problems. It addresses both the negative and the positive side. The first step in meeting the needs of a hurting world is to stop long enough to hear them.Read lesson: 1103B

In our last lesson, we asked ourselves ten questions concerning the handicapped. In this lesson, we are going to do three things. We are going to turn those questions into precepts; we are going to take the stethoscope of life and try to measure the heartbeat of some men and women who do understand how the handicapped feel; and lastly, we are going to make a list of some practical things that we, as individuals, and that churches as bodies of believers can do to be God’s men and women in a world of hurting and handicapped people.Read lesson: 1103A

This study is about the people the world calls “handicapped” – people God calls “blessed”. These are the people that Jesus took the time to minister to and love. This study challenges us with ten questions to ask ourselves concerning how we view those who are afflicted or handicapped. These ten questions engraved on the Living Word will give us at least a glimpse of the mind of God where the crippled and handicapped are concerned.Read lesson: 1102B

This lesson is about “Late-life Leprosy”. It is about the elderly of our day, who simply because they are old, have often been separated, treated as untouchable, devoid of love and respect. As a result, they live out the last of their days like lepers; lonely, hopeless, and without self-esteem. This is not the Biblical perspective of old-age. In God’s eyes the usefulness of man grows greater the older he gets – the more valuable he becomes to the Kingdom. The Scriptures address the issue of age clearly. It addresses the reality of old age; it issues promises to the aged who follow God’s plan; and it issues priorities to the aged so that they understand their role in the scheme of things. What is the Christian’s responsibility to the aged? God evidently foresaw the problem and He lovingly wove into the Scriptures passages to warn us of the consequences of not taking care of the aged.Read lesson: 1102A

Hurting hearts in hurting homes is the subject of this lesson. We will be spending much time in Genesis, chapters 1-3, because to get to the root of hurting marriages, we must go back to the beginning of marriage itself. What are the principles established in marriage, and how does Satan try to twist these principles? Today, in the aftermath of generations of defiance of God’s principles, the Church of Jesus Christ is filled with hurting people whose hearts are breaking because the enemy has established a foothold. What can we do? Find out as you study this lesson.Read lesson: 1101B

In this lesson we will look at a particular part of the Body that God cares a great deal about – children, in particular hurting children. God intends for us to seriously consider the way we deal with children on a day to day basis, and the way we minister to them as a Church. We will look at six ways that God views children. In light of how God views children, we will also look at how we should treat the children we come in contact with, and especially how every church ought to view their role in ministering to children.Read lesson: 1101A

As we look at the familiar portion of Scripture that deals with the death of Lazarus, we see Jesus as our model of sensitivity in the midst of grief. Jesus’ spirit was deeply troubled at the death of Lazarus, but He did not move until God’s timing was perfect. He knew Lazarus was about to be raised again, but His heart was grieved that those He loved were hurting. We are given the challenge to display the mind and heart of Christ, Who met the needs of those placed in his path with compassion.Read lesson: 1100B

This is the first in a series of messages about sensitizing the Church to minister to those who are hurting. In future lessons, we will look at ministering to those who are grieving and lonely, those children crying out to be themselves in a cookie-cutter world, crumbling marriages, the life of the elderly and dying, and those people the world considers “different”. We will look to see the balance in a Church which calls on men to repent and believe, but also goes out to a hurting, dying, grieving world and demonstrates the heart of Christ.Read lesson: 1100A

The New Testament church was not characterized by programs, but by power. It was that amazing thing called grace that enabled a band of nobodys – who had nothing but God – to turn their world upside down. Only God could change the world, and if He were to use the likes of them, it would only be by grace. He calls, He enables, and He it is that is to receive the glory. Although the devil would try to convince us that we have succeeded in accomplishing great things for God, don’t be fooled. It is not I, but Christ in me.Read lesson: 1243B

We believe that God’s grace is sufficient for salvation, but we often fail to believe that the same grace can deliver us from the same bondage to the same enemy who once held us captive. We need to take a fresh look at God’s indwelling grace. Are you still chafing under the guilt of sins long since forgiven? Are you using God’s grace to resist the devil in a time of temptation? There is always a way of escape – through grace.Read lesson: 1243A

Grace in adversity. We have all experienced it or will experience it as Christians. Will God take circumstances away? Not necessarily. Sometimes grace is the ability to endure without defeats of self-pity or bitterness. It could be a calmness that comes over our souls as the storms intensify. One thing we know is that God’s grace is sufficient. What is the purpose behind granting grace through adversity? It radiates the nature of God to a world that is searching for answers. See how God’s grace is sufficient for your life.Read lesson: 1242B

Grace: It is God’s power implanted in a human body for divine purposes. It is alive in you and me – doing what we cannot do, being what we cannot be. How can we grow in grace? How can we live in the freedom of God’s grace? Like growing up physically, it requires nourishment, exercise and certain experiences that require us to make decisions and live by the results of those decisions. We cannot, but He can – totally by His grace.Read lesson: 1242A

Amazing Grace – what is it all about? We talk a lot about grace, but do we actually understand it. How do we become recipients of God’s grace? What are the four elements that must be remembered for grace to be grace? What are the four enemies of grace? For the next several lessons we will look at the grace life and see how it functions.Read lesson: 1241B

Mercy. It defies every basic characteristic of the natural man. No other attribute of God more greatly benefits sinful man than this one. It is that aspect of God’s nature that allows Him to temper His wrath without compromising His holiness. What does the mercy of God do? Why does God do it? The mercy of God is ours for the asking. Find out how you, too, can experience the mercy of God.Read lesson: 1241A

Holy is our God. What does that mean? Why does the One who created heaven and earth call Himself “Holy”? If God is holy, and we were created to reflect His likeness, shouldn’t we also live a life of holiness? We need to recapture a sense of the holiness of God in the Church today. As we do, we, like Moses, will be standing on holy ground in awe of the presence of our God.⁠Read lesson: 1240B

God never changes. He is eternal. He is immutable. He is God. Were He to change, He could not be God. Were He to be bound by time, He could not be God. The very essence of His being demands that He be eternal and immutable. Understanding what that means can literally transform our lives.Read lesson: 1240A

What does God know? He knows everything. He knows everything that ever happened, is happening, or will happen. He knows our every thought, and the secret motives of our hearts are clear to Him. Because He knows, we need not hide from God, but rather find rest in Him. He knows everything about us and loves us.Read lesson: 1239B

Power! We see God’s power at work in nature all around us in hurricanes, tornadoes, the very sun rising in the morning. God never gets tired. He never gets weary. His power never needs to be replenished. He does what He does without effort, and He does not need our aid to accomplish His purposes. However, God has taken the vehicle of His power, His spoken Word, and made it available to us. Yes, God’s power can be ours! God has granted to us unlimited power through His Word: power that will change the course of our lives and the course of history.Read lesson: 1239A

In our first look at God’s nature, we will look at His supremacy: that aspect of His being that so sets Him apart from man that comparisons with man become meaningless. Snapshots from God’s Word will give us a clue to the incomprehensible nature of God. Though we will not know from this side of heaven all of His marvelous power, we are nonetheless to give our lives to progressively coming to know Him.Read lesson: 1238B

How big is God? How powerful is God? How wise is He? The issue at stake is “how well do we know our God?” Until we progressively come to see Him as He is, we will live in frustration and fear. However, the more we know of Him, we will also see the magnificent life of victory as we rest in Who He is.Read lesson: 1238A

Having a “White Christmas” is more than seeing snowflakes falling on the barren ground. As the Fontaine family found out, Christmas is more than snow, and carols, and lights, and trees, and gift-giving. A truly “White Christmas” comes through the gift of God through Jesus Christ. Through His shed blood on the Cross, we can become “whiter than snow” on the inside. The Fontaines found that Christmas is about a Savior who wants to make a heart that is black with sin as white as snow.Read lesson: 182A

Once we get a grasp on the Christian life, we often begin to “camp” on one position or another. On the one hand, there are the “doers” in the Body of Christ who determine that if we are to serve as believers, we must get out there and do a work for God. There are others who tune into a surrendered Christian life and are certain that the way to rewards is rest. The achieving of that balance is what this lesson is all about.Read lesson: 1229B

Paul in his letter to Timothy emphasizes that real godliness is characterized by a spirit of contentment. Your real pleasure should come in doing the will of God, not in the things which money can buy. It is the absence of concern over temporal success. The problem most of us face is relative contentment. We would like to be satisfied with our lot in life, but all around us are people who have more of everything. Just how do we develop a life of contentment?Read lesson: 1229A

What is a slave to do? The issue is really respecting those in authority, because all authority is given by God. The natural response of man is diametrically opposed to the response that would most glorify God. It does not mean that the Church ignores moral wrongs, but how we conduct ourselves under authority even as we move towards change is of primary importance to God.Read lesson: 1228B

Sin is the one word we don’t like to mention. Paul’s warning to Timothy about sin is that “Some men’s sins are evident; other men’s sins follow after them to the judgement.” Don’t try to judge spirituality by popularity or prosperity or even productivity. Most of all, don’t ever be satisfied with the level of purity and transparency in your own heart. It is our sin that separates us from God. Make no mistake about it, we will be judged according to our sins. May we take this time to repent and pray until we have gained victory in those areas of our lives no man sees.Read lesson: 1228A

Paul is dealing with issues concerning the church in 1 Timothy. He seems to miss nothing. His letter even addresses paying the staff of the church. What is Paul talking about when he speaks of honoring our pastor? Does that also include our missionaries? Another matter that Paul brings up in this section of Scripture is that of rebuking an elder or pastor. God gives us practical guidelines on both of these principles. What a fair and just God we have!Read lesson: 1227B

What is the responsibility of the children to their parents? Does the widow, herself, have any responsibilities? How about the church? What is its role in this matter? God does have a plan for the care of those He loves. He is a God of order and even in the matter of the care of the widows, He, Himself, has given us through His Word a practical way of ministering to their needs.Read lesson: 1227A

God has a special place in His heart for widows. Paul in his letter to Timothy exhorts the church in how to care for the widows. Throughout all of Scripture God not only promises to defend the widow, He commands His children to do the same. It is with this thought in mind that we look at how this special group of people is to be cared for. May we pay attention.Read lesson: 1226B

Do you like to read the end of the story first? If so, this is a lesson you will enjoy, because we have been given the ending to our story here on Earth. He lets us in on just what will happen as this world, as we know it, comes to a close. The picture that is painted is not a pretty one, but the ending is the happiest of all. What difference should knowing the end of the story make in our lives? Come visit the last days with us and see.Read lesson: 1226A

God has all sorts of secrets He wants to reveal to His children. These are things that have purposely been hidden by God from the world. What are these secrets that are hidden in God’s Word, and how do they affect us as believers? We are meant to know the end of the story. For us it will no longer be a secret. The mystery will be solved.Read lesson: 1225B