Friday, July 4, 2014

Independence



~ Dependence Upon God Provides The Greatest Freedom ~



Quotes from our 16th President  ~  “I have been driven many times upon my knees by the overwhelming conviction that I had nowhere else to go.  My own wisdom, and that of all about me, seemed insufficient for that day.  When I left Springfield I asked the people to pray for me.  I was not a Christian.  But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ.  Yes, I do love Jesus.”    ~ Abraham Lincoln 

“I know there is a God, and that He hates injustice and slavery.  I see the storm coming, and I know that His hand is in it.  If he has a place and work for me—and I think He has—I believe I am ready.”    ~ Abraham Lincoln

“It is the duty of nations, as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God and to recognize the sublime truth announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is the Lord.  I am much indebted to the good Christian people of the country for their constant prayers and consolations; and to no one of them, more than to yourself.”    ~ Abraham Lincoln, from his September 4, 1864, Letter to Eliza Gurney

“Character is like a tree and reputation like its shadow.  The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.”   ~ Abraham Lincoln

“The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies.  To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God.  In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere...  No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things.  They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God.”    ~ Abraham Lincoln, October 3, 1863

“I believe the Bible is the best gift God has ever given man.  All the good from the Saviour of the world is communicated to us through this book.”    ~ Abraham Lincoln

“He said he wanted to visit the Holy Land and see those places hallowed by the footprints of the Saviour.  He was saying there was no city he so much desired to see as Jerusalem.  And with the words half spoken on his tongue, the bullet of the assassin entered the brain, and the soul of the great and good President was carried by the angels to the New Jerusalem above.”    ~ Mary Todd Lincoln, April 14, 1865 (her recollection of Abe’s last words)

Comment  ~  Freedom from sin is the greatest of all freedoms! 

From an old Protestant hymn:
        Know this, that every soul is free
                To choose his life and what he'll be;
        For this eternal truth is given
                That God will force no man to heaven.
       
        He'll call, persuade, direct aright,
                And bless with wisdom, love, and light,
        In nameless ways be good and kind,
                But never force the human mind. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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If you would prefer to copy this post, please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight (http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/).

Thursday, July 3, 2014

“Chock-Full of Information”



~ Book Review of “God Light” by Readers’ Favorite ~

Reproduced immediately below is one of the independent book reviews “God Light” has received.


Book Reviews 

"5 Stars"  

God Light
Sunlight Sonlight
by Robert Lloyd Russell
Christian - Non Fiction
Reviewed on 05/27/2013

Reviewed by Joy Hannabass for Readers' Favorite

Apostle John’s statement in I John 1:5, “God Is Light,” intrigued this author enough to start questioning just what John really meant by these three words.  Having studied physical light, Robert Russell started to understand that some of the characteristics of physical light help us to understand God’s nature and give us new meaning to the phrase in I John.  Therefore Russell writes this book giving us parallels between natural physical light and spiritual light to help us understand what the real meaning of this three-word phrase is.  “God is Light” is chock-full of information about how God is Light.  It is in three parts: ‘Sunlight Sonlight Attributes,’ showing us the character of God; ‘Sunlight Sonlight of the World,’ an overview of light in scriptures; and ‘Sunlight Sonlight Interactions,’ application to what we have learned.  I have heard this phrase all of my life, and I never dreamed of it being so involved and never bothered to know what this is all about.

This book is very well-written and formatted.  At the end of each chapter, the Sunlight\Sonlight parallels are explained, and there is a Think and Grow section with a few questions to answer.  “God Light” could easily be used as a personal Bible study, or a study for small groups or Sunday school class.  Though there is a lot of information, on account of the way the book is written, it is easy to read and understand.  Each chapter is pretty short so that it can be read and discussed in one sitting.  I highly recommend “God Light” to help with any type of Bible study.

Robert Lloyd Russell is a popular Bible teacher and seminar leader. Bobs personal goal is to help others develop a living theology and dynamic discipleship.  His writings have been described as encouraging, enlightening, and entertaining.  In his career as a professionally certified management consultant, he is acclaimed for reducing complex topics to easy-to-understand ideas, concepts, and actions.  His Christian writings also have that characteristic.  He has served on a number of boards including non-profit organizations.  He earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Portland and a Master of Christian Leadership from Western Seminary.


ADDITIONAL COMMENTS:

In the time since “GOD LIGHT: Sunlight Sonlight” was released, it has received accolades including being named:
Gold Medal Winner” (Christian non-fiction) by the “2013 Readers’ Favorite Awards”
Best Book” (Religion: Christianity) by the “2012 World Book Awards
Winner” (Religion non-fiction) by the “2012 Beverly Hills Book Awards” 
1st Place” (Religion: Eastern-Western) by the “2012 Reader Views Awards”
Runner-up” (Religion: Christianity) by the 2012 USA Best Books Awards
Finalist” (Book: Biblical Studies) by the “2013 Word Guild Awards” (Canada)

There is more information about God Light at the author’s website.
You may order directly from Amazon, Barnes&Noble, Infinity Publishing, and other retailers.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

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Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Effectiveness


~ 6 Cs Of An Effective Christian Life From Ezekiel 1 ~         

The book of Ezekiel is about the glory of God sitting on His throne.  It is all about His presence. One interesting aspect of this book is we find the word “living” at least 40 times. It is clear from Scripture that there is no effectiveness in the Christian life unless one pays strong attention to his spiritual life. Physical activity without spiritual depth is ineffective in God’s view.

This book, like the entire canon of Scripture, is directly from God Himself. “The word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar; and the hand of the Lord was upon him there” (Ezekiel 1:3).

A Consistent Life  ~  Their legs were straight” (1:7a). They were careful where they went and they walked uprightly in a manner pleasing to God.  

A Consecrated Life  ~  And each one went straight forward” (v. 12). They made their personal desires secondary to the will of God. The clear implication is an unwavering in their decision to follow God.  

A Controlled Life  ~  They went wherever the Spirit wanted to go, and they did not turn when they went” (v. 12b). They made their personal desires secondary to the will of God.  

A Convincing Life  ~  When they went, I heard the noise of their wings, like the noise of many waters, like the voice of the Almighty, a tumult like the noise of an army; and when they stood still, they let down their wings” (v. 24). They were noticed by those around. 

A Contemplative Life  ~  A voice came from above the firmament that was over their heads; whenever they stood, they let down their wings” (v. 25).  The implication is taking time aside to rest, reflect, and listen to God above. 

A Crowned Life  ~  And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it” (v. 26). The end of all true service for God is a crown!

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

If you found this post personally interesting or helpful, you are welcome to add a link to it on your own blog or website. 

If you would prefer to copy this post, please credit ALN as the source by prominently displaying the following statement:  Reprinted from “Abundant Life Now,” a free blog which offers inspiring moments, thought-provoking comments, and solid Biblical insight (http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/).