The Old Testament Witness to Christ and His Kingdom, Student Workbook, SW09

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T H E O L D T E S T A M E N T W I T N E S S T O C H R I S T A N D H I S K I N G D O M

If you are interested in pursuing some of the ideas of The Promise Given , you might want to give these books a try: Baron, David. Rays of Messiah’s Glory: Christ in the Old Testament . Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2001. Clowney, Edmund P. The Unfolding Mystery: Discovering Christ in the Old Testament . Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 1991. Drew, Charles D. The Ancient Love Song: Finding Christ in the Old Testament . Phillipsburg, NJ: P & R Publishing, 2000. As you go through this module, probing the nature of the OT’s witness to Christ, you will want to examine the ways in which these insights and perspectives can affect your own understanding and practice of ministry. How do you study and investigate the OT, what are your attitudes and responses to the OT literature, and in what way does your own preaching and teaching need to be impacted by a fresh and more unified understanding of the relationship of the testaments? Ask the Holy Spirit to help you identify the key ways in which you might want to make a direct practical ministry connection with the perspectives and ideas that you covered in this lesson, and ones that you can think about and pray for throughout this next week. The key to dynamic growth and innovation in ministry is being dramatically open to the Holy Spirit’s promptings about growth, change, and application. Ask him to point out particular situations where you can integrate these new insights into your own personal walk and ministry. Spend time in prayer for yourself and your colleagues, asking that God would enable you to grow in your knowledge and application of the biblical concepts of progressive revelation, of the promise-fulfillment motif, and of your own mastery and appreciation of the unity underlying both the Old and New Testament. Ask God to grant you a new love and insight into the Bible’s revelation about the majesty and centrality of Jesus Christ, and ask him for a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit so you can prove in experience Augustine’s epigram: “In the OT the NT lies hidden; in the NT the OT stands revealed.” Prayer is a powerful, effective, and God-ordained way to receive his wisdom (James 1.5), never underestimate the power of prayer in your study of the Word of God. Pray fervently for yourself and for your fellow students, and ask the Lord for his generous supply and help–he is more than willing to provide it.

Resources and Bibliographies

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Ministry Connections

Counseling and Prayer