EXTRA: 2,000th Post

~ Thanks to All Our Readers ~

Overview  ~  God has been wonderfully gracious toward Abundant Life Now.  What a great God we serve!!

Response  ~  Abundant Life Now has passed the 2,000^th post milestone.  There have been well over 500 comments posted (at various posting locations on the internet).  Your comments have been wonderful and are always appreciated.  It is a continual amazement to me how God brings readers with a wide breadth of background, locations, and interests to this site.

Location of Readers  ~  Abundant Life Now has been read in over 200 countries plus some unidentified ones (a listing is on the right side bar).  It has been translated into more than 110 languages.  Currently the Top 12 countries, as far as number of readers are: USA, Russia, France, Germany, Ukraine, Ital, UK, China, Spain, Canada, Poland, and India. 

God at Work  ~  One aspect which continually amazes me is that the particular blog entries which I personally think will generate multiple comments rarely do.  On the other hand, some of the blogs which I did not expect a comment generated multiple comments! It is evidence that we are only channels and it is the Holy Spirit that causes the stirrings of the human heart.  While Abundant Life Now’s audience is primarily Christian some members of our audience are very diverse.  Comments have been received from Muslims, Buddhists, and others.  Some have come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ through this ministry.  Praise the Lord! 

If Abundant Life Now has been a blessing to you, please pass the information along to your friends and acquaintances so that more individuals might be blessed by the simple concepts and truths presented here.  May God bless all of you as you seek His face and we seek to minister for Him together in these last days—just before our Lord and Savior returns to take us home to be with Him forever.

~ 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/ .

EXTRA: 1500 & Counting

~ Thank You ~

  

Earlier this week Abundant Life Now posted its 1,500^th post!

INTRODUCTION  ~  Before I give a more typical summary of the history of this syndicated Christian blog I will answer a question that is sometimes asked. 

Question  ~  I’ve noticed that ALN tends to have a heavy concentration of Scripture quotation compared to many other Christian blogs.  Why is that?

Answer  ~  There are some interrelated factors.  First, Jesus Christ gave the parable of the sower which clearly shows that results vary depending on the condition of the soil where the seed is planted.  The seed is the Word of God.  Nothing can grow without seed first being planted.  Second, I have a strong belief that only the Word of God combined with the Spirit of God can change lives in a supernatural way which results in spiritual fruit.  Third, think about the power of a single seed.  An apple, guava, pomegranate, and other fruits have many seeds.  Each seed is capable of producing a new tree each of which can produce many more fruits each with many more seeds each.  The power of multiplication is potentially huge.  Fourth, as I read the Apostle Paul’s final instructions from prison to those who would follow in his footsteps (particularly his protégé Timothy) his main instruction is to “preach the Word” (2 Timothy 4:2).  He did not tell him to be politically correct, but rather to be true to his Lord and the Word of God.  Finally, God requires His servants to be faithful, but does not hold them accountable for results (results are up to Him). 

Also, I am sometimes asked why I always spell out the entire name of the book of the Bible in my posts.  The answer is simple.  Some of my readers do not come from a Biblical background and so it is imperative to make it easy for them to get into the Word of God themselves to read the context of the Scripture passages which are quoted. 

Key Passage  ~  “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).

Comment  ~  The Gideons International is one example of an organization which believes in the eternal value of distributing God’s Word.  Every week their headquarters receives hundreds of testimonies of changed lives as the result of the Word of God.  Earlier this year they distributed their two billionth copy of Scripture. 

REVIEW  ~  ALN’s first post was on November 11, 2009.  Since that time there have been many satisfying and rewarding moments.  Each year the number of posts increased until 2015 when ALN began daily posts.  Here are some statistics:

Audience  ~  ALN has been read in over 200 countries and in more than 100 languages. 

Readers’ Favorite Posts  ~  The top ten listed by viewer popularity at the time of this post: (1) 7 Benefits of the Blood of Christ, (2) Spiritual 7-Up, (3) Are You an April Fool? …an Everyday Fool?, (4) EXTRA: Comment to a Comment, (5) The Core Message of the Bible, (6) The Shortest Man (humor), (7) 10 Failures of Samson, (8) 7 Traits of a Godly Father, (9) The Christian’s 3 Choices, and (10) “Evangelist” vs. “Witness” - 2of2.

My Personal Favorite Posts  ~  Here are a few of my personal favorites: (1) Tri-Rx for Fear or Worry, 3of3, (2) 12 Successes of Samson, (3) The Christian’s 3 Choices, (4) Genealogy Gospel, (5) The BEST Bible Version, (6) Follow Me, (7) Christ in the Pentateuch, (8) The Myth of “Judge Not”, (9) 3 Person God-Head, 3 Roles, (10) 7 Successes of Peter, and (11) For All Christian Graduates.

Looking Forward  ~  Plans are to continue daily posts (Lord willing) throughout all of 2017.  Following that we will reassess and make plans from that point. 

Additional Comment  ~  If you are not familiar with Robert Lloyd Russell’s books check out the brief summary of each in the right column of the blog or the more detailed descriptions under the tabs at the top of this blog. 

(1)   GOD LIGHT: Sunlight Sonlight – winner of 6 national and international literary awards.  A revolutionary new look at God’s attributes!

(2)   ONE PRECIOUS PEARL: God’s Design for His Church – winner of 5 national and international literary awards.  An intriguing study of Jesus’ parable of the "one pearl of great price."

(3)   THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH: Understanding God’s Will For You – Learn how to confidently know what God wants you to do and consistently make right decisions.

(4)   JIM ELLIOT: A Christian Martyr Speaks to You – For the first time his own words have been transcribed on four critical topics.  This book inspires and changes lives.

Once again, Thank You to all my readers.

~ 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/ .