Messiah, 75

~ Messiah Would Be an Eternal King, 3 ~

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom” (Psalm 45:6). 

The Messiah  

“But to the Son He says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom’” (Hebrews 1:8).

“And: ‘You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands. They will perish, but You remain; and they will all grow old like a garment; like a cloak You will fold them up, and they will be changed. But You are the same, and Your years will not fail’” (Hebrews 1:10-12).

“And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:33). 

~~~ 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

5 Steps To Peace

~ Psalm 37 Shows the Way to Peace ~   

Psalm 37 is a wonderful psalm. The first part of the psalm shows a clear progression to victory in the Christian life. Overall, the psalm contrasts the life and end of the believer versus the unbeliever.

Trust God  ~  “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness” (37:3).

Commit Your Way To God  ~  “Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” (37:5).

Rest In God  ~  “Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass” (37:7).

Wait On God  ~  “For evildoers shall be cut off; but those who wait on the Lord, they shall inherit the earth” (37:9).

Enjoy Peace With God  ~  “But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace” (37:11).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Messiah, 74

~ Messiah Is Blessed Forever By God ~

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture

“You are fairer than the sons of men; grace is poured upon Your lips; therefore God has blessed You forever” (Psalm 45:2). 

The Messiah  

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it” (Acts 2:22-24).

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they” (Hebrews 1:1-4). 

“But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance” (Hebrews 9:11-15).

~~~ 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

The First Astronaut

~ Enoch ~  

Enoch, who was a “type” of the church, was the first astronaut—he made a non-stop trip to heaven. One day Jesus Christ will return a second time to take away His church, His bride to be with Him forever. This typical aspect of Enoch is not the only interesting aspect of the Biblical account of Enoch. He was a fascinating Biblical character in other ways. Consider three main aspects of Enoch’s life. 

His FAITH in God  ~  Enoch possessed a consistent PURPOSE in his life and as a result the Hebrew writer tells us that he pleased God. “By faith Enoch was taken away so that he did not see death, ‘and was not found, because God had taken him’; for before he was taken he had this testimony, that he pleased God. But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:5-6). He was determined to obey God, regardless of cost, and as a result he achieved his life purpose. And because of his faith and obedience he experienced a TRANSFORMATION of his life.    

His WALK with God  ~  Enoch understood the PATH in which he should go and he walked with God. A path implies a beginning and an end. “Enoch walked steadily with God. And then one day he was simply gone: God took him” (Genesis 5:24). The fact that Enoch walked steadily with God implies certain things. First, it implies a harmony or agreement with God. Second, increasing intimacy occurs the longer you walk together with another. Third, there was a consistency which implies he neither ran ahead of God nor lagged behind. Finally a walk with God provides safety in the form of both shelter and protection. Enoch experienced a TRANSLATION as God took him directly to heaven. 

His TESTIMONY for God  ~  Enoch was a PROPHET who gave an amazing prediction. “Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, ‘Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him’” (Jude 14-15). Enoch was the first prophet and he prophesied about the Lord’s coming. His prophecy was one of coming CONDEMNATION for those sinners who have not accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.     

CONTEMPLATE:  How is your current walk with God?

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW