In Him

~ Benefits of Being In the Godhead! ~          

Those who know me sometimes comment about the way I usually end my correspondence. For many years instead of ending with “Sincerely Yours,” “Yours Truly,” or other rather traditional endings I use the closing phrase, “In Him.” It is my only “claim to fame”—that I am His child through no merit of my own! Consider some statements from Scripture about our relationship in Him.

Faith In Him  ~  “For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ” (Colossians 2:5). 

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

Accepted In Him  ~  “to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6). 

Rooted In Him  ~  “Rooted and built up in Him” (Colossians 2:7).   

Built Up In Him  ~  “Rooted and built up in Him” (Colossians 2:7).  

Walking In Him  ~  “As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him” (Colossians 2:6).   

Complete In Him  ~  “You are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:10). 

summary:  None of this should be surprising since, “In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9). 

Can you think of other “in Him” Scripture passages? 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Christ Is Better, 1

~ Consider Four Aspects ~

Christ Is Better Than The Prophets  ~  Jesus Christ is the ultimate Prophet! “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear” (Deuteronomy 18:15). 

“Jesus Christ was a prophet in the full sense. Not through visions, not through ideas that had come into His head, but because He existed on the other side of death! He could tell us what heaven and hell were like. He knew it because He had been there. That’s what He Himself claimed in this passage, we read, ‘I don’t speak for Myself,’ He says, ‘I tell you what I’ve seen and heard.’ And in the third chapter of John, ‘I’ve been there and I know what I’m talking about when I speak about hell. Or when I speak about heavenly things, I know whereof I speak because I’ve been there.’  Jesus Christ is the only One who can say that, my friend, and that’s why His Word is so terribly important. So terrifyingly important.” (“JIM ELLIOT: A Christian Martyr Speaks to You”; Robert Lloyd Russell, page 104; ISBN: 9781615797646)

Christ Is Better in His Relation to God  ~  Jesus Christ is the Son of God! “Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’” (Matthew 16:16). “The woman said to Him, ‘I know that Messiah is coming’ (who is called Christ). ‘When He comes, He will tell us all things.’ Jesus said to her, ‘I who speak to you am He’” (John 4:25-26).  “Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (John 6:69). 

Christ Is Better in His Speech  ~  Jesus Christ is the heir of all things! “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).

Christ Is Better in His Person  ~  Jesus Christ is the Creator!  “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made” (John 1:3). “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, before the difficult days come” (Ecclesiastes 12:1a).

Jesus Christ is better! Jesus Christ came to earth to show us a better way!

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, 92

~ Messiah Would Be Honored by Kings ~

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture

“The kings of Tarshish and of the isles will bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba will offer gifts” (Psalm 72:10). “And He shall live; and the gold of Sheba will be given to Him” (Psalm 72:15a).

The Messiah  

“After Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. So they said to him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: “But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are not the least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.”’  Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, ‘Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.’ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:1-11).

~~~ 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

Only One Nation

~ Israel is the Only Resurrected Ancient Nation ~   

Biblical prophecy is fascinating!

We are living in exciting times!

We are living in a time which throughout history devout scholars of the Scripture would wish to live. 

Of all the nations which have come and gone, Israel is unique in that it has been resurrected—and its recreation occurred during the life of many who are alive today. On May 14, 1948, the United Nations approved the recreation of the Jewish State. As individuals need to be “born again” so the nation of Israel was in 1948 “born again.”  

This historical event was a fulfillment of prophecy in the Holy Scriptures made approximately 2500 years earlier. Listen to Scripture:

(1)  “‘Therefore behold, the days are coming,’ says the Lord, ‘that it shall no more be said, “The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,” but, “The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.” For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers’” (Jeremiah 16:14-15 NKJV).

(2)  “Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect My holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. I will show how holy My great name is—the name on which you brought shame among the nations.  And when I reveal My holiness through you before their very eyes, says the Sovereign Lord, then the nations will know that I am the Lord. For I will gather you up from all the nations and bring you home again to your land.  Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you.  I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey My regulations. And you will live in Israel, the land I gave your ancestors long ago. You will be my people, and I will be your God” (Ezekiel 36:22-28, NLT).

 (3)  “Also on that day, the Master for the second time will reach out to bring back what's left of His scattered people. He'll bring them back from Assyria, Egypt, Pathros, Ethiopia, Elam, Sinar, Hamath, and the ocean islands. And He'll raise that rallying banner high, visible to all nations, gather in all the scattered exiles of Israel, pull in all the dispersed refugees of Judah from the four winds and the seven seas” (Isaiah 11:11-12, The Message).

Note the phrase “visible to all nations.” What other small nation is so incredibly prominent in world affairs? None! 

This prophecy and fulfillment is incredible in another way. What other nation has been hated and persecuted to the degree that the Jewish people have been?  None! 

The most prominent example is during the Holocaust when Hitler’s armies murdered six million Jews. There have been many other attempts throughout history to eradicate the Jewish people. Yet the small nation of Israel is the only ancient nation to re-emerge.

World leaders today continue to search for an acceptable way to divide Israel into a “Two State Solution” which typically includes dividing or separating Jerusalem from Israel. Scholars of Scripture, however, are well aware of another prophesy in Scripture. God has made it clear that His temple will be rebuilt in Jerusalem. 

One example of current exciting events is in regard to the temple. Plans, resources, and organizing efforts are underway for the rebuilding of His temple.

the key question:  Are you ready for Jesus Christ’s sure return when He will take His people home to be with Him forever? 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW