Spirit of God Alphabet

~ The Third Person of the Trinity Performs Many Roles ~

Advocates  (He pleads for us)  ~  Jesus Christ said, “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth” (John 14:16-17a NLT).

Baptizes  (He unites us to Christ)  ~  “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Corinthians 12:13).   

Comforts (He cheers us)  ~  Jesus Christ said, “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you forever” (John 14:16 KJV). Notice that all three members of the Trinity are seen in this verse. 

Convicts (He alarms us)  ~  “And when He [The Holy Spirit] has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8).

Directs (He guides us)  ~  “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God” (Romans 8:140. 

Earnest (He assures us)  ~  “In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of His glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14). 

Enlightens (He reveals to us)  ~  “Yet I am writing you a new commandment, which is true (is realized) in Him and in you, because the darkness (moral blindness) is clearing away and the true Light (the revelation of God in Christ) is already shining” (1 John 2:8 Amplified). 

Fulfills (He enriches us)  ~  “Don't drink too much wine. That cheapens your life. Drink the Spirit of God, huge draughts of Him” (Ephesians 5:18 The Message). 

Fruit Bearing  (through us)  ~  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23). 

Guides (He leads us)  ~  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” (John 16:13). 

Glorifies (through us)  ~  “If you are reproached for the name of Christ, blessed are you, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. On their part He is blasphemed, but on your part He is glorified” (1 Peter 4:14).  

Helper (He enables us)  ~  “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered” (Romans 8:26).   

Holy Spirit (He sets us apart)  ~  “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [do not offend or vex or sadden Him], by Whom you were sealed (marked, branded as God's own, secured) for the day of redemption (of final deliverance through Christ from evil and the consequences of sin)” (Ephesians 4:30). 

Indwells  (He occupies us)  ~  “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16).   

Illuminates (He reveals to us)  ~  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” (John 16:13).   

Joy (He gladdens us)  ~  “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:13).  

King (He rules in us)  ~  “The Lord is the Spirit who gives them life, and where he is there is freedom [from trying to be saved by keeping the laws of God]” (2 Corinthians 3:17 TLB).

Liberator (He frees us)  ~  “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:2).   

Marks (He marks that we are God’s)  ~  “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Corinthians 1:21-22).

New Nature (He imparts the Divine nature in us)  ~  “Men can only reproduce human life, but the Holy Spirit gives new life from heaven” (John 3:6 TLB).

Oil (He brings gladness to us)  ~  “You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, Your God, has anointed You with the oil of gladness more than Your companions” (Psalm 45:7). comment: While this Psalm is addressing The Messiah, Jesus Christ, the principle applies to all those who are truly children of God.   

Power (He strengthens us)  ~  “That He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man” (Ephesians 3:16).   

Quiets Our Fears (and gives us peace)  ~  “For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, ‘Abba, Father’” (Romans 8:15-16). 

Renews  (He invigorates us)  ~  “Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).   

Searches (He investigates)  ~  “But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God” (1 Corinthians 2:10).  

Sanctifies (He separates us)  ~  “That I might be a minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering of the Gentiles might be acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Spirit” (Romans 15:16).   

Teaches (He instructs us)  ~  Jesus Christ said, “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you” (John 14:26).   

Truth (as the Spirit of Truth He equips us)  ~  Jesus Christ 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” (John 16:13). 

Understanding (He provides discernment to us)  ~  “But you are not like that, for the Holy One has given you his Spirit, and all of you know the truth” (1 John 2:20 NLT). 

Victory (He enables us to overcome)  ~  “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57). “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37).   

Witness (He establishes us)  ~  “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8:16-17).

Well Doing (He produces through us)  ~  “He who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart” (Galatians 6:8b-9).

X (He operates invisibly in the background and does not draw attention to Himself)  ~  The Spirit of God seeks anonymity as He functions—instead of notoriety or worship He wants all glory to go the Son of God.  Jesus Christ said, “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). 

Yielding (He shows the path to obedience)  ~  “That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day. Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you've been raised from the dead!—into God's way of doing things. Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God” (Romans 6:12-14 The Message). 

Zeal (He inspires us)  ~  “And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your young men shall see visions, your old men shall dream dreams. And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; and they shall prophesy” (Acts 2:17-18, quoting Joel 2:28-29).   

a concise summary:  Jesus Christ said, “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Comforter (Counselor, Helper, Intercessor, Advocate, Strengthener, and Standby), that He may remain with you forever—The Spirit of Truth, Whom the world cannot receive (welcome, take to its heart), because it does not see Him or know and recognize Him. But you know and recognize Him, for He lives with you [constantly] and will be in you” (John 14:16-17, Amplified).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

Christ Working For You

~ Three Ways Jesus Christ Works On Your Behalf ~

Jesus Christ is Working FOR US  ~  Jesus Christ speaking to His Father in heaven said, “I have glorified You on the earth. I have finished the work which You have given Me to do” (John 17:4). 

Jesus Christ is Working IN US  ~  “Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Jesus from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen” (Hebrews 13:20-21).

Jesus Christ is Working WITH US  ~  “And they [His followers] went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen” (Mark 16:20).    

What are you doing for Him? Are you working with Jesus Christ? Are you working on His behalf? Are you working for His kingdom? 

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, 96

~ Messiah Would Die In His Prime, 2 ~

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture

“He weakened My strength in the way; He shortened My days. I said, ‘O My God, do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations’” (Psalm 102:23-24). 

The Messiah  

ALN NOTE:  According to the Scriptural account Jesus Christ, the Messiah, lived about 33 years before being crucified.

~~~ 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

Is That In The Bible? 1

~ “God Helps Those Who Help Themselves” ~

This posting is a response to a blog entitled “7 Things You Won’t Find in the Bible… I Dare You to Look.” I am taking that challenge! The first phrase listed in that posting was “God helps those who help themselves.”

R.W. Glenn once wrote, “God does not help those who help themselves; He helps those who are convinced they could never help themselves.” That is certainly an accurate Biblical truth. I would also agree the phrase is not found in our English Bible. But what about the principle behind the phrase?

Words by themselves are meaningless—it is only when we attach meaning to the words that communication occurs. The principle behind this phrase can be found in the Bible, but the phrase can be heresy when different meanings are behind the words and the phrase. 

The author of that piece supported his position by quoting the following verses. 

(1) “For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly... But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6, 8).

(2) “He who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but he who walks wisely will be delivered” (Proverbs 28:26).

(3) “Thus says the Lord, ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the Lord’” (Jeremiah 17:5).

Note that the first passage is talking about the process of salvation and how man is totally helpless before a righteous God—the process to peace with God is only through Jesus Christ. “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me’” (John 14:6). It is an absolute truth that man has no part in salvation! The second passage speaks about walking wisely. To do that we need the counsel of all of Scripture! Finally, the third passage relates putting your trust in human effort while ignoring God. 

The spiritual life requires a balance. In reference to this topic we need to understand the whole of Scripture—the best commentary on Scripture is Scripture! 

“God Helps Those Who Help Themselves”  ~  While it is true that the Christian is totally  dependent upon God, it is also true that they have an absolute responsibility before God to walk in the light and abilities they have been given. For example, one responsibility includes training ourselves to be Godly (1 Timothy 4:7). There are many other directions in Scripture about how Christians are to live. 

There are many “apparent contradictions” about the Christian life, but they are not really contradictions. They are like an old-style balance with two items hanging on opposite sides of a center pivot point—it is only one scale with two balancing items. In this case the two items to be kept in balance are “Dependence Upon God” as noted above and “Absolute Responsibility Before God.”

Either of these two truths can be misunderstood. Neither should be applied as a hard and fast principle without the countering effect of the other.

additional comment:  Do you want to better comprehend the balance between “Dependence Upon God” and “Absolute Responsibility Before God”? This balance is the center of the “Christian Life Model” (Chapter 2 of the book “Thy Will Be Done On Earth” by Robert Lloyd Russell).  More information about this book can be found on the right column, the tab at the top, or the author’s website. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

2 Priests

~ Luke’s Gospel Opens and Ends with a Priest ~

The Gospel of Luke opens with an earthly priest at the altar of incense on earth. The people are worshipping outside the temple in doubt and fear (Luke 1:8-21).

Luke closes his account with the Great High Priest entering into the heavenly temple with His saints as they worship with great joy and certainty (the very last verses of Luke’s Gospel – Luke 24:50-53) .

The Start of Luke’s Gospel  ~  “So it was, that while he [Zacharias] was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

“But the angel said to him, ‘Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb. And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, “to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,” and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.’  

“And Zacharias said to the angel, ‘How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.’ And the angel answered and said to him, ‘I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.’ And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple” (Luke 1:8-21).

The End of Luke’s Gospel  ~  Luke closes his Gospel with an account of the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven. “And He [Jesus Christ] led them out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen” (Luke 24:50-53).  

So, what is your reaction? Do you have a personal relationship with the Great High Priest? Will you one day be with Christ in heaven with great joy?

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW