Messiah, 29

~ Messiah Would Be a Prophet Sent From God ~ 

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture

“The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me [Moses] from among your own brothers. You must listen to Him. For this is what you asked of the Lord your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, ‘Let us not hear the voice of the Lord our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die’ The Lord said to me: ‘What they say is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put My words in His mouth, and He will tell them everything I command Him. If anyone does not listen to My words that the Prophet speaks in My name, I Myself will call him to account’” (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).

The Messiah  

“But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities’” (Acts 3:18-26). 

   

 “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph’” (John 1:45).

   

“Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, ‘This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world’” (John 6:14).

   

“For I [Jesus Christ] have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak. And I know that His command is everlasting life. Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak’” (John 12:49-50).

~~~ EXPLANATORY “MESSIAH” NOTES ~~~   

(1)  Each Saturday ALN posts an example of a Hebrew Scriptures prophecy (or foreshadowing) related to the coming Messiah which was fulfilled in the birth, life, death, or resurrection of Jesus Christ.

(2)  While extensive it will not be a complete list—there are hundreds of prophecies of the coming Messiah which have been fulfilled by one man—Jesus Christ at His First Coming.

(3)  It is important that there are many more prophecies of the Messiah, yet unfulfilled, which Christians believe will be fulfilled at the time of His Second Coming.  A particularly relevant Scripture verse in this regard is: “Do not despise prophesies” (1 Thessalonians 5:20).

(4)  These posts will typically consist only of Scripture—which speaks for itself.  Sometimes italicized or bold font will be used by ALN for emphasis.

(5)  The numbering of these fulfilled prophecies of the Messiah is used to differentiate individual posts. It is not chronological (either by time of the prophecy or by sequence in the life of the Messiah).  The posting sequence will, for the most part, be in the order that the prophecies appear in Scripture.

(6)  Because of the chosen methodology (#5 above) we will find many specific prophecies repeated multiple times throughout the Scriptures.

(7)  These serial posts are in addition to our regular Tuesday ALN postings on random topics.

(8)  Subscription to ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog is simple—just use the link on the left sidebar.  Once subscribed you will not miss future posts.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Jesus Christ, 1

~ His Name~

This is the first post in a new monthly series about Jesus Christ. This time we will look at the meaning of the “Lord Jesus Christ.” In future posts we will examine other aspects of Jesus Christ including some of His other names.

Jesus  ~  “Jesus” is His Greek common name, or proper name, and equivalent to His Hebrew name “Jeshua” which means “The Lord shall save” (Matthew 1:21; Acts 5:31, 13:23). This name is representative of His work on earth.

It was a common name in that day and so He was sometimes differentiated by phrases such as “Jesus the son of Joseph” (John 6:42), and “Jesus of Nazareth” (John 18:7).

Christ  ~  “Christ” is the Greek translation of the Hebrew “Messiah” and is His official title. It appears well over 500 times in the New Testament. This name carries the connotation of His great work of the redemption of mankind through His offices as Prophet, Priest, and King.

Jesus is the Anointed One, the Christ (Acts 17:3, 18:5; Matthew 22:42). He fulfilled many prophesies throughout the Hebrew Scriptures [note the Messiah series of posts on ALN]. It is interesting that often when people use the name Christ they do not realize that they are actually making a confession of faith in the Anointed One, the Messiah!

Jesus Christ  ~  “Jesus Christ” is the common or natural order. When addressed as “Christ Jesus” His role as Messiah and his title are emphasized. (A modern example is “Billy Graham, the evangelist” or to emphasize his role by saying “Evangelist Billy Graham.”)

Lord Jesus Christ  ~  “Lord” is used by Christians who are proclaiming not only His right to rule over them but that they have given Him the full control of their lives. When someone addresses Him as the “Lord Jesus Christ” they are declaring full submission (to the best of their abilities) to their Savior and that they are in a habit of giving Him control of all aspects of their life. 

In a future day He will be the Lord of your life and of every life! “For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written [in Isaiah 45:23]: ‘As I live, says the Lord, Every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:9-12).

The Name Which Is Above Every Name  ~  “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

the key question: “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15).  This is the most important question you will ever answer. If you do not answer it, or answer it incorrectly, you have made the biggest mistake anyone can make!

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Messiah, 28

~ Messiah as the Coming Ruler ~ 

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture

“A ruler will come out of Jacob and destroy the survivors of the city” (Numbers 24:19).

The Messiah  

“Then the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus . He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end’” (Luke 1:30-33).

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, ‘Where is the One who has been born king of the Jews? We saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him’ (Matthew 2:1-2).

Comment

To this point through the Pentateuch we have looked at specific Hebrew Scriptures which prophesied that The Messiah would be a descendant of Abraham (4x), Isaac (2x), Jacob, and the tribe of Judah, and that He would have characteristics like Melchizedek and would be from the seed of a woman (Mary). Jesus Christ fulfills all of these requirements (Matthew 1:1-16).

~~~ EXPLANATORY “MESSIAH” NOTES ~~~   

(1)  Each Saturday ALN posts an example of a Hebrew Scriptures prophecy (or foreshadowing) related to the coming Messiah which was fulfilled in the birth, life, death, or resurrection of Jesus Christ.

(2)  While extensive it will not be a complete list—there are hundreds of prophecies of the coming Messiah which have been fulfilled by one man—Jesus Christ at His First Coming.

(3)  It is important that there are many more prophecies of the Messiah, yet unfulfilled, which Christians believe will be fulfilled at the time of His Second Coming.  A particularly relevant Scripture verse in this regard is: “Do not despise prophesies” (1 Thessalonians 5:20).

(4)  These posts will typically consist only of Scripture—which speaks for itself.  Sometimes italicized or bold font will be used by ALN for emphasis.

(5)  The numbering of these fulfilled prophecies of the Messiah is used to differentiate individual posts. It is not chronological (either by time of the prophecy or by sequence in the life of the Messiah).  The posting sequence will, for the most part, be in the order that the prophecies appear in Scripture.

(6)  Because of the chosen methodology (#5 above) we will find many specific prophecies repeated multiple times throughout the Scriptures.

(7)  These serial posts are in addition to our regular Tuesday ALN postings on random topics.

(8)  Subscription to ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog is simple—just use the link on the left sidebar.  Once subscribed you will not miss future posts.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

7 Things to Grow

~ The Garden of Your Mind ~   

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 2:5).  

Grow in the knowledge of GOD  ~ “That you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” (Colossians 1:10). 

 

Grow in the knowledge of JESUS CHRIST  ~  [Jesus said] “Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). 

Grow in the knowledge of HIS WILL  ~  “For this reason we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9).

Grow in the knowledge of HIS LOVE  ~  “That Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height —  to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:17-19). 

Grow in the knowledge of HIS POWER  ~  “That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Philippians 3:10).

Grow in the knowledge of HIS GLORY  ~  “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6).

Grow in the knowledge of ALL TRUTH  ~  [Jesus said] “However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you”  (John 16:13-14).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Quote: Disappointed?

~ Is Life No Longer Worth Living? ~  

Lessons from an old oil painting.

The following is an excerpt from a book.

There was a time when I collected prints of scenes from the Pacific Northwest. I remember the time that I was looking through a hardware store in a small town along the Columbia River. I always enjoy hardware stores, especially in small towns, and in this case the anticipation of a bargain was high due to the “going out of business” signs in the windows. It wasn’t long before I spotted something I had not anticipated. It was a large discarded painting in the back room—in the “Employees Only” area. It was extremely dirty and dusty but I thought I could make out that it was a painting of Crater Lake, Oregon. The painting had no future and was headed for the dump when the store closed for the last time.

I found the owner of the store and asked about it. He was surprised that I had spotted it and amazed that I showed an interest in it. He brought it out and we blew off some of the dust. I quickly discovered some prior do-it-yourself efforts to clean the painting—which were clearly unsuccessful. Apparently someone had used gasoline or other solvent, smearing the oils—the painting looked beyond repair. But since my wife and I had honeymooned at Crater Lake and we returned to that special spot regularly, to his delight I gave the store owner a few dollars and then left with an original oil painting. My intention was to restore the painting.

At home I briefly cleaned it the best I could and hung it in our basement, but it was clearly damaged goods. The painting hung in our basement for a number of years.

One day through a business contact I learned of a local oil painting restoration expert. His services turned out to be far more reasonable than I expected and the beauty of the original creation was brought back to life. The vibrant colors were amazing. It turned out to be a painting from the late 1800s by a well-known painter. Some years later we took it for a formal valuation and confirmed that the painting which had been headed to the trash was indeed valuable.

The painting now occupies a prominent spot in our dining room—it is on display for others to see and admire.

Just like that painting, many lives have been wasted and now exist in back rooms missing out on the purpose for which they were created. Many others appear very successful on the outside, but inside they are empty and missing the most important thing in life. Like the painting, they are covered with dirt from past experiences, circumstances, and wrong decisions.

When the surface is cleaned up and a deeper analysis is made, the evidence of past do-it-yourself improvement projects is evident. No lasting success was achieved; in fact, often they are worse off than before their “pulling up by bootstraps” efforts were completed.

I have some good news for you. Jesus Christ is the Master Restorer. He restores broken and cast-off lives. He also brings clarity and brilliance to all who come to Him. Bringing your past to Jesus Christ and trusting Him for the future is the only effective answer. He has already paid for your restoration at the Cross. You only need to deliver yourself to the Master Restorer. When He restores, all your stains are removed and vibrancy is restored. Like my painting, you can be restored to what you were intended to be.

As you grow in your knowledge of Him, you take on His character. Like the painting, you can now fulfill the role for which you were created. Your life will have meaning and purpose, and like the painting, you will bring joy and pleasure to others. You will no longer be headed for the trash bin, rather now you have a secure home. Others looking on will admire what they see.

That painting is a picture of many individuals today. Because of Adam’s original sin all of mankind is doomed to sin, suffering, and death. The just and righteous Creator of the universe cannot overlook crime against His holy nature—the price must be paid!

The Good News is that your penalty has been paid by Jesus Christ.

The sin of man grieved the heart of God so much that He sent His only Son to die at Calvary to pay the penalty of your sin. However, there is a simple requirement in order for you to escape the ultimate judgment and corresponding eternal suffering. You must make a decision to accept the gift of salvation that the death of Jesus Christ provided for you. 

But please do not take my word for it—take God at His Word. Consider the following quotations from the Word of God. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one” (Romans 3:10).

“But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. Whoever believes in Him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because He has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son” (John 3:16-18).

~ from “ONE PRECIOUS PEARL: God’s Design for His Church, pgs 16-17  (ISBN: 9780741462329)

Learn more about this important book at Amazon, the Publisher, or the Author’s website.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW