5 Steps to Obedience

~ Selected Psalms Show the Progressive Development of Godly Character ~  

Separation  ~  “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither; and whatever he does shall prosper” (Psalm 1:1-3). 

Forgiven  ~  “Rejoice in the Lord, O you righteous! For praise from the upright is beautiful. Praise the Lord with the harp; make melody to Him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing to Him a new song; play skillfully with a shout of joy” (Psalm 33:1-3). “Righteous” and “upright” in God’s eyes as one of His forgiven children.

Trust  ~  “Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him! Oh, fear the Lord, you His saints! There is no want to those who fear Him. The young lions lack and suffer hunger; but those who seek the Lord shall not lack any good thing)” (Psalm 34:8-10).

Discipline  ~  “Blessed is the man whom You instruct, O Lord, and teach out of Your law” (Psalm 94:12).   

Obedience  ~  “Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; the generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever” (Psalm 112:1-3). 

These selected Psalms show the truth of how God progressively sanctifies His people. First is the decision to accept Christ as Savior and to be separate from patterns of on-going evil which results in forgiveness. With forgiveness the child of God increases trust in God as he develops the necessary discipline to be consistently obedient. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

5-Steps to Ultimate Success

~ Do You Understand The Process? ~            

The Goal  ~  God’s goal for every Christian is that they become increasingly Christ-like. “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But you have not so learned Christ if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus:” (Ephesians 4:17-21). This chapter continues by clearly presenting four things which need to be put in their proper place in order for meaningful progress in our metamorphosis towards Christ.

The fourth chapter of Ephesians tells us a lot about how to become increasingly Christ-like. In particular verses 17-32 give instructions regarding the new individual a Christian has become and how to engage in this world without grieving the Spirit of God. It is important to note that these instructions are given to those who have accepted the free gift of salvation through the death of Jesus Christ for their sins (Step 1). 

2.  Put Away Your Former Lifestyle  ~  “That you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts” (Ephesians 4:22).  

3.  Put New Attitudes into Your Thinking  ~  “And be renewed in the spirit of your mind” (Ephesians 4:23, see also Romans 12:1-2).  

4.  Put On a New Person of Holiness  ~  “And that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,’ for we are members of one another. ‘Be angry, and do not sin:’ do not let the sun go down on your wrath, nor give place to the devil. Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need. Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:24-30). 

5.  Put Away Wrong Emotions  ~  “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:31-32). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

A Fool Today? Everyday?

~ How Many Ways Can You Say It? ~            

Twentieth century martyred missionary Jim Elliot is known for a number of quotes—the most famous being, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose” (Jim Elliot, 28 October 1949).

This quote is from his private journals which he never expected would be made public. The quote is a reflection upon his deep knowledge and understanding of Scripture. Consider the record we have of what Jim’s Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ said, “For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?” (Matthew 16:26; Mark 8:36; Luke 9:25).

Jim Elliot was certainly not the only one to have reflected so much on this truth that they paraphrased the words for themselves. Consider the following examples.

“It matters not what you lose if you save your soul; it matters not what you save if you lose it.”

“The greatest use of life is to spend it on something that outlasts it.”   

“Do not let the good things of life rob you of the best things” (Buster Kothman).

“He is no fool who parts with that which he cannot keep, when he is sure to be recompensed with that which he cannot lose” (Philip Henry—Matthew Henry’s father, 1631-1696).

“At the root of all the miseries of mankind is a miscalculation of the value of things” (Benjamin Franklin, 1706-1790).

“Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least” (Goethe, 1749-1832). 

“I'd rather lose in a cause that will ultimately succeed, than succeed in one that will ultimately fail” (Abraham Lincoln, 1809-1865).

 “If a man has Christ, he has all for eternity; and if he has not Christ, he is poor, and blind, and naked, and will be miserable forever” (Charles H. Spurgeon, 1834-1892).

 “Only one life twill soon be past, only what's done for Christ will last” (C.T. Studd, 1860-1931, note this entire poem was previously posted on ALN on November 22, 2011).

“There are two things that characterize the teachings of our Lord.  Number one is this: the worth, the infinite, heavenly, eternal worth of the soul.  And the second one: the transitory, temporal, ephemeral, ultimate worthlessness of everything else” (W.A. Criswell).

One of my favorites is, “Don’t sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate.”

Summary  ~  The following excerpt is from R.G. Lee (1886-1978) and his sermon entitled “Paths of Disappointment” which was based on a single verse from Solomon—the wisest man who ever lived. “Vanity of vanities; all is vanity” (Ecclesiastes 1:2).

What shall it profit a man if he be a great artist and know not Jesus, the One Who is Altogether Lovely?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great architect and know not Jesus, the Chief Corner Stone?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great baker and know not Jesus, the Living Bread?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great banker and know not Jesus, the Priceless Possession?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great biologist and know not Jesus, the Life?

What shall it profit a man if he be a great builder and know not Jesus, the Sure Foundation?

What shall it profit a man if he be a great carpenter and know not Jesus, the Door?
What shall it profit a man if be be a great doctor and know not Jesus, the Great Physician?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great educator and know not Jesus, the Teacher?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great engineer and know not Jesus, the New and Living Way?

What shall it profit a man if he be a great farmer and know not Jesus, the Sower and Lord of Harvests?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great florist and know not Jesus, the Rose of Sharon?

What shall it profit a man if he be a great geologist and know not Jesus, the Rock of Ages?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great astronomer and know not Jesus, the Star of Bethlehem?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great horticulturist and know not Jesus, the True Vine?

What shall it profit a man if he be a great judge and know not Jesus, the Righteous judge?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great jurist and know not Jesus, the True Witness?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great jeweler and know not Jesus, the Pearl of Great Price?

What shall it profit a man if he be a great lawyer and know not Jesus, the Sinner’s Advocate?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great philanthropist and know not Jesus, the Unspeakable Gift?

What shall it profit a man if he be a great philosopher and know not Jesus, the Wisdom of God?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great sculptor and know not Jesus, the Living Stone?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great student and know not Jesus, the Incarnate Truth?
What shall it profit a man if he be a great sinner and know not Jesus, the Lamb of God?

Finally  ~  Consider something else which Jesus Christ said, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:19-21). Are you rich? Eternally rich?

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Witnesses to Jesus Christ

~ Consider Five Witnesses ~ 

The Father’s Divine Testimony  ~  “And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:17). 

The Scripture’s Inspired Testimony  ~  [Jesus said] “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me”  (John 5:39).

The Believer’s Experiential Testimony  ~  “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:8-12).

The World’s Human Testimony  ~  “Then the officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, ‘Why have you not brought Him?’ The officers answered, ‘No man ever spoke like this Man!’” (John 7:45-46).

The Demon’s Infernal Testimony  ~  “Then they sailed to the country of the Gadarenes, which is opposite Galilee. And when He stepped out on the land, there met Him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wore no clothes, nor did he live in a house but in the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before Him, and with a loud voice said, ‘What have I to do with You, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me!’ For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles; and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness.  Jesus asked him, saying, ‘What is your name?’ And he said, ‘Legion,’ because many demons had entered him. And they begged Him that He would not command them to go out into the abyss. Now a herd of many swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged Him that He would permit them to enter them. And He permitted them. Then the demons went out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep place into the lake and drowned.  When those who fed them saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. Then they went out to see what had happened, and came to Jesus, and found the man from whom the demons had departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. They also who had seen it told them by what means he who had been demon-possessed was healed. Then the whole multitude of the surrounding region of the Gadarenes asked Him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. And He got into the boat and returned. Now the man from whom the demons had departed begged Him that he might be with Him. But Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your own house, and tell what great things God has done for you.’ And he went his way and proclaimed throughout the whole city what great things Jesus had done for him” (Luke 8:26-39).

Can you witness to whom Jesus Christ is? Do you witness about Jesus Christ to others?

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