1 Way

~ Jesus Christ Is The Only Way! ~

One Way  ~  Have you ever heard someone say something to the effect of “All roads lead to heaven,” or “It doesn’t matter what you believe as long as your are sincere.”  That may be someone’s opinion—but does that matter?  What is important is what God says.  Jesus Christ—one member of the Triune God—told Thomas, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6b). 

Jesus Christ is the only way to heaven!  He is also the source of all truth, and the source of all life.  Spiritually dead people cannot comprehend any of these great facts.  When a person is born a second time (spiritual life added to their physical life), then they get it.  Once they have it, they have a deep inner peace—which is the subject of this passage (John 14:1-6). 

Throughout recorded history there has been only One who came from heaven to live amongst us.  Only One Man has ever lived a perfect sinless life.  Only One Man qualified to die in our place to pay the penalty of our sin.  Only One Man rose from the dead.  Only One is now seated on the right hand of God.  Only One has paid the penalty of your sin.  The fully-God and fully-human (while on earth) Jesus Christ—The Messiah. 

Don’t Miss This  ~  It is not a question of whether or not you will bow before this One.  Rather, the question is when will you bow before Him.  There is coming a time—which many believe is not far away—when you will not have the choice to bow to Him as your Savior.  After that you will bow—but to Him who then is your Judge. 

Old Testament  ~  “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth!  For I am God, and there is no other.  I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.  He shall say, ‘Surely in the Lord I have righteousness and strength.  To Him men shall come, and all shall be ashamed who are incensed against Him’” (Isaiah 45:22-24). 

New Testament  ~  “For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.  For it is written:  ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’  So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:10-12).

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

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/).

Messiah, 160

~ Messiah Would Be Judge Righteously, 2 ~

“Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me.”

— Jesus Christ (John 5:39)

The Scripture

“In mercy the throne will be established; and One will sit on it in truth, in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking justice and hastening righteousness” (Isaiah 16:5). 

The Messiah  

Jesus said, “I can of Myself do nothing.  As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me” (John 5:30). 

The Future Complete Fulfillment

The only long-term effective government is one that is led by a perfectly just and righteous dictator.  The problem is that only one individual fits that description—Jesus Christ.  Jesus said, “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day” (John 12:48). 

Christians understand that in a future day Jesus Christ will rule overall as the Righteous One.  In that day everyone will acknowledge that He is truly the ultimate ruler and rightly has the title “King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.”   

~~~ 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

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/).

Myth: Religion & Politics

~ Have You Bought Into Satan’s Lie? ~

The Myth  ~  “Don’t mix religion and politics.” What a lie! This is much like “you can’t legislate morality” and there should be “separation of church and state.” Unfortunately when something is stated frequently enough it becomes accepted as reality.  Then over time it is assumed to be fact! Satan is the master deceiver and uses lies frequently enough that they become accepted as truth!

The Result  ~  Satan uses false beliefs not only in society at large but also inside the church. These devastating ideas are like a virus that mutates and multiplies to the extent that it affects our very core. They are like spiritual cancers.

Look around at the moral condition of our nation and our world. Our societal leaders are secular, unprincipled, ungodly, misguided, and incapable of being stewards of the blessings of God so freely bestowed on society. 

Secular nations have ignored and spurned the Bible. It has not always been so. The Bible was revered by most of the founders of the United States of America. The Bible strongly influenced the founding documents. Today the United States and most “developed nations” are in a headlong death spiral led by ungodly leaders.

The Remedy  ~  One of the great things about Jesus’ ministry while on earth was that He was not afraid to dispel popular myths. For example, in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) He repeatedly said, “You have heard it said,” and then countered with, “but I say unto you.” Jesus then set the matter straight by speaking the truth. The remedy for error is truth!

When Jesus Christ was tempted by Satan, He quoted the truth (in the form of Scripture) to refute each of Satan’s distorted arguments (Luke 4:1-13). We must know the Scripture and the One who is Truth (John 14:6) in order to combat the disastrous path of our churches and society as a whole. 

contemplate:   “Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.

“But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction” (Psalm 1, New Living Translation).

~ 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/).

Truth In Advertising

~ God Has A Logo & A Slogan ~   

Please do not take this blog post as sacrilegious, but may I suggest that only God advertises without hyperbole or exaggeration.

First He advertises His power and work in natural revelation—nature itself. “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). “For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Romans 1:20).

Second He advertises His power and work in special revelation—especially through His written Word—the Scriptures. “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17).

If you look around today, it is clear that the logo of God in our age is the symbol of the Cross of Calvary—representing the sacrificial death of His Son for your sins and mine.  The slogan, or that phrase which is most associated with the one true God in our period of time, is John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him shall never perish but have everlasting life.”

conclusion:  As in all advertising some respond and some don’t. Have you personally investigated the reality of God?

~ Credit for the concepts behind this post go to my Pastor, Dr. Mike Wilde.

~ 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/).