Robert Lloyd Russell's Blog, page 36
January 28, 2021
The 3 Rs of a Saint
~ From Lost Sinner to Saved Saint ~
Introduction ~ The epistles in the New Testament make it clear that Christians are saints. What follows is an easy to remember road map.
Ruined by Sin ~ “For there is no difference; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:22b-23). …
Redeemed by The Savior ~ “… For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood” (Romans 3:23-25a).
Regenerated by The Spirit ~ “For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.
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January 27, 2021
Psalmist Cries, 3of5
Psalmist Cries, 3of5
~ Lament of Concern ~
Introduction ~ Throughout the Book of Psalms we find a Psalmist crying out to God – lamenting the circumstances surrounding him. In this series we look at five types of laments found in the Psalms – it is by no means an exhaustive list of the types of laments or the number of psalms in each of the types we look at. Also, a particular psalm can be labeled in more than one way.
Example Psalm ~ “You have given us up like sheep intended for food, and have scattered us among the nations. You sell Your people for next to nothing, and are not enriched by selling them. You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scorn and a derision to those all around us. … All this has come upon us; but we have not forgotten You, nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant. Our heart has not turned back, nor have our steps departed from Your way; but You have severely broken us in the place of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.
“If we had forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a foreign god, would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.
“Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord? Arise! Do not cast us off forever. Why do You hide Your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust; our body clings to the ground. Arise for our help, and redeem us for Your mercies' sake” (Psalm 44:11-13, 17-26).
Comment ~ Have you ever cried out to God with a cry of concern?
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
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Author web page: http://booksrlr.com/ “Books by Robert Lloyd Russell”
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January 26, 2021
Spiritual Gifts, 8
~ The Source Spiritual Gifts ~
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).
Source Spiritual Gifts ~ What Spiritual Gifts do we categorize as Source Spiritual Gifts? They not only relate to our service but also are related to our spiritual maturity. They enable us to please God as we exercise our traditional Spiritual Gifts. “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and Godliness through our knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness” (2 Peter 1:3 niv). The Source Spiritual Gifts are those gifts which build Christ-likeness into our lives. I think of the Source Spiritual Gifts as the Construction Sector, as you will see as we take up each of these gifts individually.
Scripture ~ Chapter 12 of 1 Corinthians is all about Spiritual Gifts and in particular how their can be unity while diversity (how our culture could learn that principle). This key chapter on Spiritual Gifts ends this way: “But earnestly desire the best gifts. And yet I show you a more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31). Two key learnings from this passage. First, it is good to seek to grow our spiritual gifts and second there is an excellent way of not only desiring the best gifts but also in the use of any and all of our Spiritual Gifts. The “more excellent way” is provided in the following passage, Chapter 13 commonly known as the Love Chapter. Notice, how the Love Chapter ends: “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love” (1 Corinthians 13:13).
Explanation ~ Faith is how you know where you are going. Hope is what keeps you going. But love is how you get there. Why is love the greatest? One idea to contemplate is that the Scripture tells us that “God is love” (1 John 4:8, 16) but nowhere does it say that God is faith or God is hope.
Our responsibility is to become more like Christ. ”And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:2). “But weall, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
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.
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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
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January 25, 2021
Question – Jesus, 76
~ Regarding Love, 2of2 ~
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 ~ “So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?’ “He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Feed My lambs.’
“He said to him again a second time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ He said to Him, ‘Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.’ He said to him, ‘Tend My sheep.’
“He said to him the third time, ‘Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?’ Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ And he said to Him, ‘Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.’
“‘Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish.’ This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, ‘Follow Me’” (John 21:15-19).
Questions ~ Do you truly love the Savior? Are you following Him daily? Would an objective bystander answer those same two questions the same way you do?
~ 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
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January 24, 2021
God Is My… (Psalms), 47
~ God Is My Expectation ~
Introduction ~ Previously from July 16, 2017 through January 6, 2019 ALN posted a series of 60 posts of “Jesus is…,” and now we look exclusively at who “God is…” from the Book of Psalms. While not a complete list these posts occur are in the same order they are in the Psalms.
Passage ~ “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God” (Psalm 62:5-7).
~ 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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January 23, 2021
Myth, 81
~ People Are Basically Good ~
Historical Reality ~ God made man and woman in His image and part of what He gave to man was the ability to make decisions. Early in human existence Adam and Eve exercised that free will to make wrong decisions and at that moment sin entered into the world and has since been passed down to all humans. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23-24).
Reality Check (parents) ~ All parents will testify that they didn’t have to teach their “little darlings” to become selfish and sinful.
Reality Check (politicians) ~ In the world of politics the solution of all problems is either to spend more money or provide more education or a combination of both. Why is it then that the wealthiest and most prosperous nations have never come close to solving the sin nature of mankind. Could it be that Romans 3:23 above provides the answer?
The Good News ~ There is a remedy for sin! Read the words of Jesus Christ, “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (John 3:14-21).
~ 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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January 22, 2021
Fear God, 205
~ The Meaning of “Fear God” ~
God does not want His children living in fear. “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:2-3).
Definition ~ There are two Hebrew words for “fear” in the Bible. One is pachad (pakh'-ad), which means terror. That’s not the word used in most of the verses we have looked at in this series. The word used is yir'ah (yir-aw'), which means a reverencefor God. Reverence to God includes a humility towards self. This second expression is a reverential attitude (a holy fear) is the result of thinking clearly and intelligently about God, the Creator of all. Many references in Scripture about the fear of God refer to understanding His sovereignty and our place in the scheme of things. In other words, it is about a proper awe and reverence to our Creator and Sustainer. With this kind of wisdom a person sees God in everything. This is true wisdom of the kind often referenced in the Book of Proverbs. The wise person will not only see the hand of God in everything, God will become the focus of their lives. In essence the “fear of God”” is living every moment with an awareness of the presence of God. “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I [God] hate” (Proverbs 8:13).Fearing God Results in Salvation ~ “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31). “A wise person fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident” (Proverbs 14:16). This does not mean the Christian is to live a fearful life—but a life which reverences God and seeks to do His will.
Fearing God Results in Fearlessness ~ “The Lordis my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lordis the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1). The answer is: only God. With the gift of salvation comes responsibility.
Fearing God Results in Witnessing ~ “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16).
~ 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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January 21, 2021
EXTRA: What a Time?
~ 21 times 5 ~
Tonight at 21 seconds after 9:21 pm it will be…
The 21stsecond of
The 21stminute of
The 21sthour of
The 21stday of
The 21stcentury!
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.
Author web page: http://booksrlr.com/ “Books by Robert Lloyd Russell”
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Noah Introversion
~ The Symmetrical Account of Noah ~
A~ Noah (6:10a)
__B~ Shem, Ham, and Japheth (6:10b)
___C~ Ark to be built (6:14-16)
____D~ Flood announced (6:17)
_____E~ Covenant with Noah (6:18-20)
______F~ Food in the ark (6:21)
_______G~ Command to enter the ark (7:1-3)
________H~ 7 days waiting for flood (7:4-5)
_________I~ 7 days waiting for flood (7:7-10)
__________J~ Entry to ark (7:11-15)
___________K~ The LORD (YHWH) shuts Noah in (7:16)
____________L~ 40 days of flood (7:17a)
_____________M~ Waters increase (7:17b-18)
______________N~ Mountains covered (7:19-20)
_______________O~ 150 days: water prevail (7:21-24)
________________P~ GOD REMEMBERS NOAH (8:1)
_______________O’~ 150 days: waters abate (8:3)
______________N’~ Mountain tops visible (8:4-5)
_____________M’~ Waters abate (8:5)
____________L’~ 40 days (end of) (8:6a)
___________K’~ Noah opens window of ark (8:6b)
__________J’~ Raven and dove leave ark (8:7-9)
_________I’~ 7 days waiting for waters to subside (8:10-11)
________H’~ 7 days waiting for waters to subside (8:12-13)
_______G’~ Command to leave ark (8:15-17 [22])
______F’~ Food outside ark (9:1-4)
_____E’~ Covenant with all flesh (9:8-10)
____D’~ No flood in the future (9:11-17)
___C’~ Ark left (9:18a)
__B’~ Shem, Ham and Japheth (9:18b)
A’~ Noah (9:19)
Comment ~ Abundant Life Now has previously published introverted outlines (or parallel outlines known as chiasms). For those who would like to review them here are the links to those prior posts.
Does History Repeat Itself? ~ Around and around we go! ~ January 25, 2011
Bible Introversion ~ Introversion Outline of the Bible ~ April 15, 2017Bible Hourglass ~ This Bible Outline Encompasses All Time ~ April 22, 2017
10 Commandments Today, 14of14 ~ Notice the Introversion of the Ten Commandments ~ June 28, 2018Bible Introversion, 2 ~ Introversion Outline of the Bible, 2 ~ September 10, 2020
EXTRA: 2020 Election ~ Nation’s Historical Cycle Throughout History ~ October 21, 2020
~ 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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January 20, 2021
Psalmist Cries, 2of5
~ Lament of Tears ~
Introduction ~ Throughout the Book of Psalms we find a Psalmist crying out to God – lamenting the circumstances surrounding him. In this series we look at five types of laments found in the Psalms – it is by no means an exhaustive list of the types of laments or the number of psalms in each of the types we look at. Also, a particular psalm can be labeled in more than one way.
Example Psalm ~ “Restore us, O God; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved! O Lord God of hosts, how long will You be angry against the prayer of Your people? You have fed them with the bread of tears, and given them tears to drink in great measure. You have made us a strife to our neighbors, and our enemies laugh among themselves. Restore us, O God of hosts; cause Your face to shine, and we shall be saved! … Return, we beseech You, O God of hosts; look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine and the vineyard which Your right hand has planted, and the branch that You made strong for Yourself. It is burned with fire, it is cut down; they perish at the rebuke of Your countenance. Let Your hand be upon the man of Your right hand, upon the son of man whom You made strong for Yourself. Then we will not turn back from You; revive us, and we will call upon Your name” (Psalm 80:3-7, 14-18).
Comment ~ Have you ever cried out to God in tears?
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
* * * * *
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”
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