Robert Lloyd Russell's Blog, page 62

The Law: Questions, 20of25

~ Did The Law End With Christ? ~
Scripture  ~  “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved.  For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.  For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.  For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, ‘The man who does those things shall live by them.’  But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, ‘Do not say in your heart, “Who will ascend into heaven?”’ (that is, to bring Christ down from above) or, ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).  But what does it say?  ‘The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart’ (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.  For the Scripture says, ‘Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.’  For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him.  For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved’” (Romans 10:1-13).
“In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.  And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.  And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:11-15).
Comments  ~  Did the Law end with Christ?  Yes!  “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.  For when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death.  But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter” (Romans 7:4-6). 
Reference  ~  You may be interested in a previous “Abundant Life Now” 14 post series entitled “10 Commandments Today” (from March 1 to June 28, 2018).  “Abundant Life Now” also posted a 12 post series entitled “Law vs. Grace” (from January 22 to December 24, 2013).  The Key Passage in this series is: “Do not think that I [Jesus Christ] came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
NOTES: (1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page. (2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column. (3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website.  (4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/.

O.T. Shepherds, 2of6

~ Jacob: A Fleeing Shepherd ~
Series Prologue  ~  There are at least five Old Testament shepherds who were clear “types” of Jesus Christ—our shepherd.  A typeis like a faint image or shadow of the true item.  In each of these cases we can see parallels to our Great Shepherd. 
Sample Scripture  ~  “So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, ‘The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob.’  And the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah.  So she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, ‘Surely your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you.  Now therefore, my son, obey my voice: arise, flee to my brother Laban in Haran.  And stay with him a few days, until your brother’s fury turns away, until your brother’s anger turns away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him; then I will send and bring you from there.  Why should I be bereaved also of you both in one day?’  And Rebekah said to Isaac, ‘I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth; if Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, like these who are the daughters of the land, what good will my life be to me?’” (Genesis 27:41-46).
“Then Isaac called Jacob and blessed him, and charged him, and said to him: ‘You shall not take a wife from the daughters of Canaan.  Arise, go to Padan Aram, to the house of Bethuel your mother’s father; and take yourself a wife from there of the daughters of Laban your mother’s brother.  May God Almighty bless you,  and make you fruitful and multiply you, that you may be an assembly of peoples; and give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and your descendants with you, that you may inherit the land in which you are a stranger, which God gave to Abraham."  So Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Padan Aram, to Laban the son of Bethuel the Syrian, the brother of Rebekah, the mother of Jacob and Esau.’” (Genesis 28:1-5).
Hints Of The Coming Messiah  ~  We see similarities to Abel—the shepherd in the last posting of this series. 
Jacob was hated by his brother. Jacob had to flee his homeland and dwell in a far country. Jacob labored long and hard. In exile he married a bride.  Jacob later returned to claim his possessions. 
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
NOTES: (1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page. (2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column. (3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website.  (4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/.

Question – Jesus, 42

~  Regarding Glory ~
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  ~  “Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.  Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off.  And they lifted up their voices and said, ‘Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!’  So when He saw them, He said to them, ‘Go, show yourselves to the priests.’  And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.  And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice glorified God, and fell down on his face at His feet, giving Him thanks.  And he was a Samaritan.  So Jesus answered and said, ‘Were there not ten cleansed?  But where are the nine?  Were there not any found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner?’  And He said to him, ‘Arise, go your way.  Your faith has made you well’” (Luke 17:11-19).
“Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb.  It was a cave, and a stone lay against it.  Jesus said, ‘Take away the stone.’  Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, ‘Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.’  Jesus said to her, ‘Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?’  Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying.  And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, ‘Father, I thank You that You have heard Me.  And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.’  Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, ‘Lazarus, come forth!’  And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth.  Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go’” (John 11:38-44). 
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
NOTES: (1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page. (2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column. (3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website.  (4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/.

God Is My… (Psalms), 12

~ God Is My Stronghold ~
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  ~  “I will love You, O Lord, my strength.  The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies” (Psalm 18:1-3).     
Significance  ~  Strongholds can be good or bad.  Some have developed strongholds of bad habits.  In this case the reference is to a positive stronghold.  One of the potential strongholds we are given is the Word of God.  “Your word I have hidden in my heart,that I might not sin against You” (Psalm 119:11). 
Comment  ~  We have the example of this in action in Christ’s three-fold temptation in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11).  In each of Satan’s three temptations Christ rebutted him with a quotation of the Word of God. 
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
NOTES: (1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page. (2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column. (3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website.  (4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/.

Myth, 47

~ Additional Programs Will Bring Church Growth ~
The Myth  ~  The more varied and numerous programs our church offers the greater our church growth will be. 
Reality  ~  A sage has remarked “programs are great servants but lousy masters.”  One of the inherent dangers is that often more programs add more workload to servants in the church but have little lasting spiritual impact.  Often we find that there is a huge difference between activity and desired results.  In business smart leaders know the difference between efficiency and effectiveness (your organization can be very efficient in doing the wrong thing).  If not well thought out additional programs can accomplish nothing other than burn-out of good Christian servants.  Sometimes they can produce damaging results—opposite of their intention.
Solution   ~  “Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater.”  Additional programs can be beneficial.  An absolute key before adding programs is to be in earnest prayer about the potential plans.  Remember all spiritual growth always comes from the working of the Holy Spirit. 
Key Scripture  ~  “Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one?  I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase.  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 3:5-8).
The Bottom Line  ~  The Christian is responsible before God for faithfulness in what God has given him/her to do where God has placed them.  They are not responsible for the results—that is God’s sovereign role!  Our problem is that our pride (a root of all sin) wants to feel that “I” accomplished something good. 
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
NOTES: (1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page. (2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column. (3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website.  (4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/.

Fear God, 171

~ Christ’s Disciples Had Great Fear ~
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).  However, God does want His children to have a proper respect and reverence for Him.  We are told in many places in Scripture to “ fear God .”  
This Week’s Passage  ~  “Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’  And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.  But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful?  How is it that you have no faith?’  And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, ‘Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!’” (Mark 4:39-41).
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
NOTES: (1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page. (2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column. (3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website.  (4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/.

3 Calls

~ A Three-Fold Call For Every Human ~
The Overview  ~  In the Book of Romans, the first part of Chapter 2, we have three important calls for every human on planet earth. 
The Call To Repentance(to correct our thinking)  ~  “Therefore you are inexcusable, O man, whoever you are who judge, for in whatever you judge another you condemn yourself; for you who judge practice the same things.  But we know that the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things.  And do you think this, O man, you who judge those practicing such things, and doing the same, that you will escape the judgment of God?  Or do you despise the riches of His goodness, forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing that the goodness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:1-4).  …
The Call To Obedience(to obey God’s Word)  ~  …  “But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who ‘will render to each one according to his deeds’:  eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.  For there is no partiality with God” (Romans 2:5-11).  …
The Call To Trust(to believe God)  ~  …  “For as many as have sinned without law will also perish without law, and as many as have sinned in the law will be judged by the law (for not the hearers of the law are just in the sight of God, but the doers of the law will be justified; for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them) in the day when God will judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ, according to my gospel” (Romans 2:12-16). 
The Bottom Line  ~  This portion of Scripture is all about the righteous judgement of God.  The “secrets of men” in that last verse relates to these three calls.  Have you answered all three calls? 
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
NOTES: (1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page. (2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column. (3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website.  (4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/.

The Law: Questions, 19of25

~ Has Anyone Fulfilled The Law? ~
Scripture  ~  “Do not think that I [Jesus Christ] came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-20). 
Comments  ~  Jesus Christ, the only perfect man, is the only One who has ever fulfilled the Law.  Because of His birth, life, death, burial, and resurrection believers have been released from the Law as we live for Him in grace. 
Reference  ~  You may be interested in a previous “Abundant Life Now” 14 post series entitled “10 Commandments Today” (from March 1 to June 28, 2018).  “Abundant Life Now” also posted a 12 post series entitled “Law vs. Grace” (from January 22 to December 24, 2013).  The Key Passage in this series is: “Do not think that I [Jesus Christ] came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
NOTES: (1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page. (2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column. (3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website.  (4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/.

O.T. Shepherds, 1of6

~ Abel: A Sacrificed Shepherd ~
Series Prologue  ~  There are at least five Old Testament shepherds who were clear “types” of Jesus Christ—our shepherd.  A typeis like a faint image or shadow of the true item.  In each of these cases we can see parallels to our Great Shepherd. 
Sample Scripture  ~  “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, ‘I have acquired a man from the Lord.’  Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel.  Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.  And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord.  Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat.  And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering.  And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell.  So the Lord said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry?  And why has your countenance fallen?  If you do well, will you not be accepted?  And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.  And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.’  Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him.  Then the Lord said to Cain, ‘Where is Abel your brother?’  He said, ‘I do not know.  Am I my brother's keeper?’ (Genesis 4:1-9).
“Therefore you are witnesses against yourselves that you are sons of those who murdered the prophets.  Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers’ guilt.  Serpents, brood of vipers!  How can you escape the condemnation of hell?  Therefore, indeed, I send you prophets, wise men, and scribes: some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from city to city, that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.  Assuredly, I say to you, all these things will come upon this generation” (Matthew 23:31-36).
Hints Of The Coming Messiah  ~  First, and foremost we see Abel as a shepherd who gave his life through shed blood.  This was done by his own brother who rejected him.  His brother Cain (a picture of Israel) was banished from his homeland and as a result wandered in other nations.  God in His grace preserved him from his enemies. 
Abel died at the hands of his own brethren. His brethren were scattered around the world. His brethren were divinely preserved over the centuries.  God had marked this nation as a special people of His own. In a future date the nation will be a special exhibit of God’s grace. 
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
NOTES: (1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page. (2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column. (3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website.  (4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/.

Question – Jesus, 41

~  Regarding Fragments ~
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  ~  “And He left them, and getting into the boat again, departed to the other side.  Now the disciples had forgotten to take bread, and they did not have more than one loaf with them in the boat.  Then He charged them, saying, ‘Take heed, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.’  And they reasoned among themselves, saying, ‘It is because we have no bread.’  But Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, ‘Why do you reason because you have no bread?  Do you not yet perceive nor understand?  Is your heart still hardened?  Having eyes, do you not see?  And having ears, do you not hear?  And do you not remember?  When I broke the five loaves for the five thousand, how many baskets full of fragments did you take up?’  They said to Him, ‘Twelve.’  ‘Also, when I broke the seven for the four thousand, how many large baskets full of fragments did you take up?’ And they said, ‘Seven.’  So He said to them, ‘How is it you do not understand’?” (Mark 8:13-21).
~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW
NOTES: (1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page. (2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column. (3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website.  (4)     You may COPY any ALN post, but please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/.