Jesus Christ, 3

~ 3X Declaration—The Second Coming ~

The last chapter of the Bible reassures the Christian that Jesus Christ will return to earth a second time—and it will occur very quickly and without warning.  

“I am coming quickly!” (For My Disciples)  ~  “Behold, I am coming quickly! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy of this book” (Revelation 22:7).

“I am coming quickly” (For My Servants)  ~  “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work” (Revelation 22:12).

“Surely, I come quickly” (For My Bride—The Church)  ~  “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming quickly’” (Revelation 22:20a). The Bible ends at this point with the following declarations, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen” (Revelation 22:20b-21).

The question of the day is, “Are you ready for that instantaneous occurrence?”

“For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, ‘Peace and safety,’ destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled” (1 Thessalonians 5:2-6). 

“But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.  But as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know until the flood came and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be. Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and the other left.  Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and the other left. Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.  But know this, that if the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Matthew 24:36-44).

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, 36

~ Messiah Would Be Heir to David’s Throne, 2 ~

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture

“And it shall be, when your [David] days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish His kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish His throne forever. I will be his Father, and He shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from Him, as I took it from Him who was before you. And I will establish Him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and His throne shall be established forever” (1 Chronicles 17:11-14). 

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).  

~~~ 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 Benefits of the Blood of Christ

~ Are You Secure In The Blood of Jesus Christ?  ~

In many churches today the blood of Christ is rarely mentioned. The Bible talks a lot about the blood of our Savior. Consider some of the benefits we receive as a result of the shed blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.

(1)  The Blood of Christ Procures Redemption  ~  “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7).   

(2)  The Blood of Christ Secures Justification  ~  “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:6-9).

(3)  The Blood of Christ Ensures Cleansing  ~  “But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us” (1 John 1:7-10).  

(4)  The Blood of Christ Makes Peace  ~  “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled” (Colossians 1:19-21).

(5)  The Blood of Christ Effects Sanctification  ~  “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate” (Hebrews 13:12).  

(6)  The Blood of Christ Gives Nearness  ~  “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13).  

(7)  The Blood of Christ Brings Victory  ~  “Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony”(Revelation 12:10-11a).  

(Summary)  The Blood of Christ Offers Forgiveness  ~ “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22b). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Quote: One Pearl & Many Cults

~ Do You Know the Difference? ~

Differences can be very subtle!

The following is an excerpt from a book.

Today  ~  In our day the value of true natural pearls is obscured. Large-scale farming of cultured pearls, mass-produced fake pearls, and the merchandising of freshwater pearls have made “pearls” commonplace. The average person viewing a strand of pearls does not usually know or care about the strand’s composition. In fact it is very difficult for even a gemologist to differentiate between natural pearls and some of the high-quality imitations. An x-ray is generally considered the best way to reveal the true nature of a pearl. We read in Scripture that God uses His own unique way to reveal the truth of the character of a human being, and it is reasonable to believe He can similarly determine the genuineness of a local church.

God has the ability to look beyond the surface. “The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).

There is another parallel here; religions and cults are currently abundant, and at first glance many look like reality. It takes skill and attention to detail to differentiate many of them from true Christianity with its one and only Creator and living God. In pearls and in truth, it is the very center that confirms reality. At the center of truth are the core doctrines concerning God, and in particular the second member of the Trinity, Jesus Christ. There is only one way to heaven. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you really knew Me, you would know My Father as well. From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him’” (John 14:6-7).

~ from “ONE PRECIOUS PEARL: God’s Design for His Church, pgs 93-94  (ISBN: 9780741462329)

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

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Messiah, 35

~ Messiah Would Be a Descendant of David, 3 ~

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture

“And it shall be, when your [David] days are fulfilled, when you must go to be with your fathers, that I will set up your seed after you, who will be of your sons; and I will establish His kingdom. He shall build Me a house, and I will establish His throne forever. I will be His Father, and He shall be My son; and I will not take My mercy away from Him, as I took it from Him who was before you. And I will establish Him in My house and in My kingdom forever; and His throne shall be established forever” (1 Chronicles 17:11-14). 

The Messiah  

“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God  which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead” (Romans 1:1-4).

“Therefore many from the crowd, when they heard this saying, said, ‘Truly this is the Prophet.’ Others said, ‘This is the Christ.’ But some said, ‘Will the Christ come out of Galilee? Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was?’” (John 7:40-42).

“He said to them, ‘How then does David in the Spirit call Him “Lord,” saying: “The Lord  said to my Lord, sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’'? If David then calls Him “Lord,” how is He his Son?’ And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore” (Matthew 22:43-46). 

“Then Jesus answered and said, while He taught in the temple, ‘How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the Son of David? For David himself said by the Holy Spirit: “The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’ Therefore David himself calls Him “Lord;” how is He then his Son?’” (Mark 12:35-37).

“And He said to them, ‘How can they say that the Christ is the Son of David? Now David himself said in the Book of Psalms: “The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”’ Therefore David calls Him 'Lord'; how is He then his Son?’” (Luke 20:41-44).

“Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying: ‘Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, as He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began’” (Luke 1:67-70).  

~~~ 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