Robert Lloyd Russell's Blog, page 2

Sabbath, 7of9

 ~ Scriptures Are Read On The Sabbath ~

 

Introduction  ~  In the Old Testament the Sabbath was established as part of The Law.  The Sabbath is observed from sundown Friday evening through sundown Saturday evening.  In the New Testament the law of God is written on believers’ hearts (Romans 2:12-16) rather than on tablets of stone.  It is the heart’s attitude which now supersedes outward obedience (Romans 10:10).  Following Christ’s resurrection, which occurred on the first day of the week, the Disciples and later the Church have observed their day of rest on Sunday in remembrance of Christ’s resurrection (Acts 20:7). 

 

Passages  ~  “Men and brethren, sons of the family of Abraham, and those among you who fear God, to you the word of this salvation has been sent.  For those who dwell in Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they did not know Him, nor even the voices of the Prophets which are read every Sabbath, have fulfilled them in condemning Him” (Acts 13:26-27). 

 

“Known to God from eternity are all His works.  Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the Gentiles who are turning to God, but that we write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from things strangled, and from blood.  For Moses has had throughout many generations those who preach Him in every city, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath” (Acts 15:18-21). 

 

Comment  ~  A primary way of reflecting upon and learning about God is by the reading of His Word and sound preaching based upon His Word. 

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

* * * * *

Author web page: http://booksrlr.com/ “Books by Robert Lloyd Russell”  

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Spiritual Gifts, 42

 ~ Spiritual Gifts – Role Players ~

 

Opening Comment  ~  “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:16-18). 

 

Introduction  ~  In our previous post in this series we pointed out the need for, and God’s intention, that all members of the local church act together to achieve the common goal.  Just like in other arenas of life, such as sports, there are various roles to perform.  The role of quarterback of an American football team is quite different from the role of a defensive lineman. 

 

A well-run business needs excellent performance in engineering and design, in manufacturing, in marketing and sales, as well as finance and accounting. 

                                        

A well-functioning local church requires excellence in their public image (pastors, teachers, etc.), their leadership (elders and other leaders), as well as service (from their deacons and members).  

                            

It is critical in any organization that all participants perform their roles well if the common goal is to be achieved.  One key is that each role player understands their role and why it is critical to accomplishing the overall purpose and mission of the organization. 

Well-known secular motivator Zig Ziglar put it this way: “Although I am a positive thinker, at least at times, if you needed surgery, I would not recommend that I be one to do it.”

 

Comments  ~  (1) All persons have multiple natural talents.  (2) All believers have multiple spiritual gifts.  (3) You have the right to ask God to strengthen your existing gifts or even add additional gifts – 2 Corinthians 9:8.  (4) You should strive to build up other believers by using the gifts you have – 1 Corinthians 14:12.

 

A Story (unknown source)  ~  “The children worked long and hard on their own little cardboard shack.  It was to be a special spot – a clubhouse – where they could meet in solemn assembly or just laugh, play games, and fool around.  As they thought long and hard about their rules, they came up with three rather perceptive ones:  1. Nobody act big.  2. Nobody act small.  3. Everybody act medium."

 

Scripture  ~  “Let another praise you, and not your own mouth; a stranger, and not your own lips” (Proverbs 27:2).

 

“Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

              

Closing Comments  ~  “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.  Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.  Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.  Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine.  Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).

 

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

 

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

* * * * *

Author web page: http://booksrlr.com/ “Books by Robert Lloyd Russell” 

·         Be an insider!  Sign up for his Author Newsletter and receive occasional news and special offers.  His books have won national and international literary awards.  Subscribe today and receive a welcome gift.  Your email will never be sold, given, or used in any other way.  You can easily unsubscribe at any time.  https://www.subscribepage.com/rlr 

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Question – Jesus, 118

 ~ Regarding Scripture ~

 

Introduction ~  This series is about questions involving Jesus.  Some were asked by individuals involved with Jesus Christ while He walked on earth.  Others are questions that Jesus Christ asked others.  We will look at questions on over 130 topics (some may split into two or more posts).  Even so, it is far from an exhaustive list. 

 

Scripture  ~  “Hear another parable: There was a certain landowner who planted a vineyard and set a hedge around it, dug a winepress in it and built a tower.  And he leased it to vinedressers and went into a far country.  Now when vintage-time drew near, he sent his servants to the vinedressers, that they might receive its fruit.  And the vinedressers took his servants, beat one, killed one, and stoned another.  Again he sent other servants, more than the first, and they did likewise to them.  Then last of all he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’  But when the vinedressers saw the son, they said among themselves, ‘This is the heir.  Come, let us kill him and seize his inheritance.’  So they took him and cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. “Therefore, when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those vinedressers?”  They said to Him, “He will destroy those wicked men miserably, and lease his vineyard to other vinedressers who will render to him the fruits in their seasons.”  Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone.  This was the Lord’s doing,and it is marvelous in our eyes?’”   

 

“‘Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a nation bearing the fruits of it.  And whoever falls on this stone will be broken; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder.’  Now when the chief priests and Pharisees heard His parables, they perceived that He was speaking of them.  But when they sought to lay hands on Him, they feared the multitudes, because they took Him for a prophet” (Matthew 21:33-46 – parallel passage Mark 12:1-12).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

* * * * *

Author web page: http://booksrlr.com/ “Books by Robert Lloyd Russell”  

·         Be an insider!  Sign up for his Author Newsletter and receive occasional news and special offers.  His books have won national and international literary awards.  Subscribe today and receive a welcome gift.  Your email will never be sold, given, or used in any other way.  You can easily unsubscribe at any time.  https://www.subscribepage.com/rlr 

Daily blog page: http://robertlloydrussell.blogspot.com/“Abundant Life Now”

·         The INDEX of topics is accessed by scrolling down the left column.

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God Is My… , 3

~ God Is My Intimate Friend ~

 

Introduction  ~  Previously (July 16, 2017 – January 6, 2019) ALN posted a series of 82 posts of “Jesus is…,” and then we looked exclusively at who “God is…” from the Book of Psalms (February 9, 2020 – December 5, 2021).  We are now considering “God is…” statements from non-Psalms passages. 

 

Passage  ~  “Live in Me.  Make your home in Me just as I do in you.  In the same way that a branch can’t bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can’t bear fruit unless you are joined with Me.  I am the Vine, you are the branches.  When you’re joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant.  Separated, you can’t produce a thing” (John 15:4-5, msg).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Author web page: http://booksrlr.com/ “Books by Robert Lloyd Russell” 

·         Be an insider!  Sign up for his Author Newsletter and receive occasional news and special offers.  His books have won national and international literary awards.  Subscribe today and receive a welcome gift.  Your email will never be sold, given, or used in any other way.  You can easily unsubscribe at any time.  https://www.subscribepage.com/rlr 

Daily blog page: http://robertlloydrussell.blogspot.com/ “Abundant Life Now”

·         The INDEX of topics is accessed by scrolling down the left column.

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The REAL “Reason for the Season”

 ~ What If Jesus is NOT the “Reason for the Season”? ~

 

Introduction  ~  It has been common for well-meaning individuals proudly proclaim that “Jesus is the Reason” for Christmas.

 

Comments  ~  (1) This is a well-meant statement and is often used as part of an effort to bring Christ back into the CHRISTmas season.  (2) Christmas is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.  (3) Is the Christian view of Christ’s birth mainly about the birth of a baby in Bethlehem over two millennium ago?

 

An Alternative View  ~  Consider the reason Jesus Christ  was born on that first Christmas day. 

 

Scripture  ~  Jesus, Himself, said, “For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost” (Matthew 18:11).

 

“For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder.  And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).   

 

“For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11). 

 

Conclusions  ~  We are the reason for the birth of Christ and therefore the “reason for the season.”

 

The point of the season is not His birth but that we can have rebirth!

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

* * * * *

Author web page: http://booksrlr.com/ “Books by Robert Lloyd Russell”  

·         Be an insider!  Sign up for his Author Newsletter and receive occasional news and special offers.  His books have won national and international literary awards.  Subscribe today and receive a welcome gift.  Your email will never be sold, given, or used in any other way.  You can easily unsubscribe at any time.  https://www.subscribepage.com/rlr 

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7 Life Essentials, 7b

 ~ Redemption Through Blood ~

 

Introduction  ~  In this series we will look at the four most basic physical needs for a human to survive, and how Jesus Christ satisfies the parallel spiritual needs.  Then we will look at three additional critical factors related to both our physical and spiritual needs.

 

Physical Needs  ~  According to basic physiological understanding mankind needs four basic elements in order to survive physically: water, air, food, and light.  Jesus satisfies the parallel spiritual needs.  Jesus is the Living Water (John 4:10-11, 7:38).  Jesus provides the Breath of Life (Genesis 2:7, Colossians 1:16-17).  Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 48).  Jesus is the Light of the World (John 8:12, 9:5).  

 

There are three additional critical factors necessary for physical life: rest, healing, and blood.  Once again, we find that Jesus satisfies both the physical and the parallel spiritual needs.  Jesus provides rest (Matthew 11:25-30).  Jesus is the great healer (Matthew 4:23-25).  It is only the blood of Jesus which provides true success in life not only on earth but more importantly in the life to come (Ephesians 2:11-13).  

 

Key Scriptures  ~  “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). 

 

“Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh — who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands — that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world.  But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:11-13).  

 

“For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator.  For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.  Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood.  For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, ‘This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.’  Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry.  And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission [forgiveness of sin]” (Hebrews 9:16-22). 

 

Comment 1  ~  Blood is essential for ALL mammal life.  If you would like to learn more about the significance of blood, I would suggest the eBook ”CHRIST’S BLOOD: 7+ Amazing Benefits” which reveals more than 20 benefits from the blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary.  (https://books2read.com/ChristsBlood)  

 

Comment 2  ~  You may find the previous ALN posts helpful:

“Blood Alphabet” (January 8, 2013), http://robertlloydrussell.blogspot.com/2013/01/blood-alphabet.html  

“7 Benefits of the Blood of Christ” (March 6, 2012), http://robertlloydrussell.blogspot.com/search/label/blood?updated-max=2013-01-08T03:00:00-08:00&max-results=20&start=3&by-date=false

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

* * * * *

Author web page: http://booksrlr.com/ “Books by Robert Lloyd Russell” 

·         Be an insider!  Sign up for his Author Newsletter and receive occasional news and special offers.  His books have won national and international literary awards.  Subscribe today and receive a welcome gift.  Your email will never be sold, given, or used in any other way.  You can easily unsubscribe at any time.  https://www.subscribepage.com/rlr 

Daily blog page: http://robertlloydrussell.blogspot.com/ “Abundant Life Now”

·         The INDEX of topics is accessed by scrolling down the left column.

·         The current TOP 10 reader favorites are listed at the bottom of the page.

·         Personal TOP 10 favorites are listed in the right-hand column of the blog. 

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Binary, 3

 ~ Religion or Relationship ~ 

 

Scripture  ~  “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.  If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me” (Revelation 3:20). 

 

The Uniqueness of Christianity  ~  Christianity rises or falls on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.  The Apostle Paul put it this way: “Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?  But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen.  And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.  Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.  For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen.  And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!  Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.  If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable” (1 Corinthians 15:12-19).

 

Jesus is the only “spiritual leader” who rose from the dead (and the only One who claims to have risen from the dead).  It is interesting that today there is more proof of Christ’s resurrection available to an inquiring open mind than for any other ancient historical event.  In fact, Christ was once seen by over 500 post crucifixion. 

 

Christianity is the only faith that serves a living Savior!  What is so significant about this historical fact is that you can have a personal relationship with the living Messiah.

 

Personal Relationship With God  ~  The uniqueness of Christianity allows individual human beings to have intimacy (through fellowship) with all three members of the Triune God—and also with fellow believers. 

 

Fellowship with the Father: “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father…” (1 John 1:3).

 

Fellowship of the Son:  “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Corinthians 1:9).  “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3).

 

Fellowship of the Spirit:  “Therefore if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy” (Philippians 2:1).  “May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14).

 

Reality  ~  It is a choice between Religion or Relationship. 

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Sabbath, 6of9

 ~ God Required Worship On The Sabbath ~

 

Introduction  ~  In the Old Testament the Sabbath was established as part of The Law.  The Sabbath is observed from sundown Friday evening through sundown Saturday evening.  In the New Testament the law of God is written on believers’ hearts (Romans 2:12-16) rather than on tablets of stone.  It is the heart’s attitude which now supersedes outward obedience (Romans 10:10).  Following Christ’s resurrection, which occurred on the first day of the week, the Disciples and later the Church have observed their day of rest on Sunday in remembrance of Christ’s resurrection (Acts 20:7). 

 

Passages  ~  “Thus says the Lord God: ‘The gateway of the inner court that faces toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened.  The prince shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway from the outside, and stand by the gatepost.  The priests shall prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings.  He shall worship at the threshold of the gate.  Then he shall go out, but the gate shall not be shut until evening.  Likewise the people of the land shall worship at the entrance to this gateway before the Lord on the Sabbaths and the New Moons.  The burnt offering that the prince offers to the Lord on the Sabbath day shall be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish; and the grain offering shall be one ephah for a ram, and the grain offering for the lambs, as much as he wants to give, as well as a hin of oil [about 1.5 gallons or 5.7 liters] with every ephah.  On the day of the New Moon it shall be a young bull without blemish, six lambs, and a ram; they shall be without blemish.  He shall prepare a grain offering of an ephah for a bull, an ephah for a ram, as much as he wants to give for the lambs, and a hin of oil with every ephah.  When the prince enters, he shall go in by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way’” (Ezekiel 46:1-8). 

 

“Therefore, sailing from Troas, we ran a straight course to Samothrace, and the next day came to Neapolis, and from there to Philippi, which is the foremost city of that part of Macedonia, a colony.  And we were staying in that city for some days.  And on the Sabbath day we went out of the city to the riverside, where prayer was customarily made; and we sat down and spoke to the women who met there.  Now a certain woman named Lydia heard us.  She was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira, who worshiped God.  The Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul.  And when she and her household were baptized, she begged us, saying, ‘If you have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come to my house and stay.’  So she persuaded us” (Acts 16:11-15). 

 

Comment  ~  Once we see the concept of a day set aside – apart – from normal activities to reflect upon our God.  

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

* * * * *

Author web page: http://booksrlr.com/ “Books by Robert Lloyd Russell”  

·         Be an insider!  Sign up for his Author Newsletter and receive occasional news and special offers.  His books have won national and international literary awards.  Subscribe today and receive a welcome gift.  Your email will never be sold, given, or used in any other way.  You can easily unsubscribe at any time.  https://www.subscribepage.com/rlr 

Daily blog page: http://robertlloydrussell.blogspot.com/“Abundant Life Now”

·         The INDEX of topics is accessed by scrolling down the left column.

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Spiritual Gifts, 41

~ Spiritual Gift Analogies ~ 

 

Opening Comment  ~  “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren.  Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.  Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (James 1:16-18). 

 

Analogies  ~  In the world around us we find many analogies of the need to function together for the good of the whole as opposed to selfishly.

 

The secular world provides examples.

 

(1)   A Championship Sports Team – a key differentiating factor from other teams is functioning with good “chemistry.”  Truly excellent teams have individual players who do what’s best to win as a team rather than what is good for their own statistics. 

 

(2)   An Excellent Company – has a clear focus, good communication, and all departments are working toward the same clear and understood goal.

 

Creation also shows this value of harmony.

 

(3)   A Forest – individual trees will withstand gale winds quite well but a lone tree will blow down much easier during a storm.

 

(4)   A Campfire – remove a red-hot ember and place it alone and it will cool rapidly.

 

(5)   The Local Church – when operating as God intended will function like a championship organization (unfortunately, like sports teams and companies this is not common).  See the next section.   

 

Biblical Analogies  ~  The Scriptures provide metaphors of a well-functioning local church.

 

(6)   The Human Body – for example read 1 Corinthians 12:12-31 and Exodus 4:11-12. 

 

(7)   The Farming Process – “So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase.  Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor” (1 Corinthians 3:7-8). 

 

(8)   A Family – “I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty” (2 Corinthians 6:18).  “You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). 

 

(9)   God’s Household – “I am writing these things to you so that… you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the Church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth” (1 Timothy 3:14-15). 

 

The Key Point  ~  In all these examples there is a clear need for all talents and gifts to be operating together for the good of the entire organization.  Each has an assigned purpose and role.

 

“And God Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ — from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love” (Ephesians 4:11-16).

              

Closing Comments  ~  “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.  Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.  Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.  Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.  Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine.  Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:12-16).

 

“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind” (2 Timothy 1:6-7).

 

“As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God” (1 Peter 4:10).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

* * * * *

Author web page: http://booksrlr.com/ “Books by Robert Lloyd Russell” 

·         Be an insider!  Sign up for his Author Newsletter and receive occasional news and special offers.  His books have won national and international literary awards.  Subscribe today and receive a welcome gift.  Your email will never be sold, given, or used in any other way.  You can easily unsubscribe at any time.  https://www.subscribepage.com/rlr 

Daily blog page: http://robertlloydrussell.blogspot.com/ “Abundant Life Now”

·         The INDEX of topics is accessed by scrolling down the left column.

·         The current TOP 10 reader favorites are listed at the bottom of the page.

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Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/robertlloyd.russell 

Question – Jesus, 117

 ~ Regarding  The Sabbath, 3of3 ~

 

Introduction ~  This series is about questions involving Jesus.  Some were asked by individuals involved with Jesus Christ while He walked on earth.  Others are questions that Jesus Christ asked others.  We will look at questions on about 130 topics (some may split into two or more posts).  Even so, it is far from an exhaustive list. 

 

Scripture  ~  “But when His brothers had gone up, then He also went up to the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.  Then the Jews sought Him at the feast, and said, ‘Where is He?’  And there was much complaining among the people concerning Him.  Some said, ‘He is good’; others said, ‘No, on the contrary, He deceives the people.’  However, no one spoke openly of Him for fear of the Jews.

 

“Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.  And the Jews marveled, saying, ‘How does this Man know letters, having never studied?’  Jesus answered them and said, ‘My doctrine is not Mine, but His who sent Me.  If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.  He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him is true, and no unrighteousness is in Him.  Did not Moses give you the law, yet none of you keeps the law?  Why do you seek to kill Me?’  

 

“The people answered and said, ‘You have a demon.  Who is seeking to kill You?’  Jesus answered and said to them, ‘I did one work, and you all marvel.  Moses therefore gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath.  If a man receives circumcision on the Sabbath, so that the law of Moses should not be broken, are you angry with Me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?  Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment’” (John 7:10-24).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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