Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Servants of Christ, 2of5



~ 3 Key Postures of Servants ~

To remain successful (in God’s eyes) every servant of God needs to regularly assume three distinct postures resulting in readiness for service.

Sitting Before The Lord (rest)  ~  Then King David [a “man after God’s own heart”] went in and sat before the Lord” (2 Samuel 7:18).

Standing Before The Lord (readiness)  ~  And Elijah the Tishbite, of the inhabitants of Gilead, said to Ahab, ‘As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, except at my word’” (1 Kings 17:1).

Speaking For The Lord (testimony)  ~  Again, do you think that we excuse ourselves to you?  We speak before God in Christ.  But we do all things, beloved, for your edification” (2 Corinthians 12:19).  “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear” (1 Peter 3:15).

~ 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/).

Monday, August 18, 2014

Servants of Christ, 1of5



~ 6 Key Concepts for Servants ~

There are six battle cries which every Christian servant must constantly embrace.

Praise God For Everything (Christ in our the past)  ~  “And the men of Israel went out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, and drove them back as far as below Beth Car.  Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us.’  So the Philistines were subdued, and they did not come anymore into the territory of Israel. And the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel” (1 Samuel 7:11-13).

Commit To God (with Christ in the present)  ~  “For we do not commend ourselves again to you, but give you opportunity to boast on our behalf, that you may have an answer for those who boast in appearance and not in heart.  For if we are beside ourselves, it is for God; or if we are of sound mind, it is for you.  For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.  Therefore, from now on, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.  Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:12-19).

Identify With Christ (with Christ in our lifestyle) ~  “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:4-10).

Learn From Your Master (with Christ in the classroom~  Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15).

Model Christ In Hard Times (with Christ in suffering)  ~  Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).

Look To Christ For Ultimate Glorification (with Christ in glory)  ~  Jesus said, “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:24-26).  Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:2-3).

~ 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/).

Sunday, August 17, 2014

Why Christ Came, 2of4



~ Reasons Why Jesus Came—Specific Objectives ~

Consider four specific objectives which Jesus Christ came to earth to fulfill.

He Came To Fulfill The Law  ~  Jesus said, “Don’t suppose for a minute that I have come to demolish the Scriptures — either God’s Law or the Prophets.  I’m not here to demolish but to complete.  I am going to put it all together, pull it all together in a vast panorama.  God’s Law is more real and lasting than the stars in the sky and the ground at your feet.  Long after stars burn out and earth wears out, God’s Law will be alive and working” (Matthew 5:17-18, The Message).

He Came To Redeem Us From The Law  ~  But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).

He Came To Be The Propitiation For Our Sins  ~  “This is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

He Came To Die On The Cross  ~  While on earth Jesus Christ predicted His own death on the Cross.  That prediction includes this statement, “Now My soul is troubled, and what shall I say?  ‘Father, save Me from this hour?’  But for this purpose I came to this hour.  Father, glorify Your name” (John 12:27-28).

The bottom line is He came for our benefit.

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/).