Today & Tomorrow

~ Do You Know Whose Terms They Are? ~

Background  ~  (1) In one sense yesterday, today, and tomorrow are all God’s terms.  “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrew 13:8).  (2) In a different sense none of these terms are Gods terms since He is eternal—there is no time, as we understand it, with God.  (3) There is a third concept that is important to recognize; “today” is God’s word while “tomorrow” is Satan’s word. 

Amplification  ~  Satan seeks to have us procrastinate on eternal matters!  This is absolutely true!  First, regarding salvation for those who don’t believe—Satan desperately seeks to keep individuals from seeking truth [Jesus Christ].  Secondly, Satan strives hard to make Christians procrastinate in all aspects of obedience to Jesus Christ. 

“Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2b).  “Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion, in the day of trial in the wilderness, where your fathers tested Me, tried Me, and saw My works forty years.  Therefore I was angry with that generation, and said, “They always go astray in their heart, and they have not known My ways.”  So I swore in My wrath, “They shall not enter My rest.”’  Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion’” (Hebrews 3:7-15).  “Again He designates a certain day, saying in David, ‘Today,’ after such a long time, as it has been said: ‘Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts’” (Hebrews 4:7). 

Quotation  ~  Between God’s command and our obedience is the wasteland of Satan.  When we hear what God tells us to do, we should say, “I will obey today.”  If we don’t say that, we will hear “tomorrow” ringing in our ears.  And one of those days our tomorrow will be gone!

When D.L. Moody first started to preach the Gospel in Chicago, he would say at the end of each service, “I want you to go home tonight and think about what I’ve said and come back tomorrow night ready to make a decision.”  For years that was his standard procedure.

On the night of the Great Chicago Fire, he gave the same instruction.  And many of the people who were in his congregation that night perished in the fire, never having responded to Moody’s message. 

From that day until he died, Moody never gain said those closing words.  He learned the power of today.  He realized that the message of the Gospel usually comes home to our hearts when we first hear it.  Maybe a light goes on.  Maybe we realized, I’ve known about Jesus, but I’ve never trusted Him as my Savior.  When that happens and you know God is speaking to you, the time to do something about it is not tomorrow, not the next time you meet with God’s people, but today.   ~ I Never Thought I’d See the Day! – Culture at the Crossroads, Dr. David Jeremiah, page 89. 

Application  ~  (1) For Christians:  Is your Christianity ancient history or current events? 

(2) For those who do not know Jesus Christ personally:  How about today?  You may not be given any tomorrows!  “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near.  Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon” (Isaiah 55:6-7). 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post but 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/).

Occupational Hymns

~ Do You Know the Hymn of Your Profession? ~

note:  The original source of this material is unknown. 

Contractor’s Hymn:  The Church's One Foundation

Convicted Murderer’s Hymn:  Take My Life

Dentist’s Hymn:  Crown Him With Many Crowns

Electrician’s Hymn:  This Little Light of Mine and/or Send The Light

Fisherman’s Hymn:  I Will Make You Fishers of Men

Golfer’s Hymn:  There is a Green Hill Far Away

Gossip’s Hymn:  Pass It On

IRS Agent’s Hymn:  I Surrender All

Mason’s Hymn:  Rock of Ages

Optometrist’s Hymn:  Open My Eyes That I May See

Politician’s Hymn:  Standing On The Promises

Shopper’s Hymn:  Sweet By And By

Tailor’s Hymn:  Holy, Holy, Holy

Weatherman’s Hymn:  There Shall Be Showers of Blessings

additional note:  If you know of, or can think of, others please comment!

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post but 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/).

God Alphabet

~ God’s Interactions with His People  ~

Almighty God (to bless us)  ~  “When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the Lord appeared to Abram and said to him, ‘I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless’” (Genesis 17:1).

Blessed God (to cheer us)  ~  “According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust” (1 Timothy 1:11).

Compassionate God (to bear with us)  ~  “For the Lord’s portion is His people; Jacob is the place of His inheritance. He found him in a desert land and in the wasteland, a howling wilderness; He encircled him, He instructed him, He kept him as the apple of His eye. As an eagle stirs up its nest, hovers over its young, spreading out its wings, taking them up, carrying them on its wings, so the Lord alone led him, and there was no foreign god with him. He made him ride in the heights of the earth, that he might eat the produce of the fields; He made him draw honey from the rock, and oil from the flinty rock” (Deuteronomy 32:9-13).

Defending God (to protect us)  ~  “The Lord is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; my father's God, and I will exalt Him. The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name” (Exodus 15:2-3).

Eternal God (to secure us)  ~  “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, ‘Destroy!’” (Deuteronomy 33:27).

Faithful God (to assure us)  ~  “By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised” (Hebrews 11:11).

Gracious God (to bless us)  ~  “So he prayed to the Lord, and said, ‘Ah, Lord, was not this what I said when I was still in my country? Therefore I fled previously to Tarshish; for I know that You are a gracious and merciful God, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness, One who relents from doing harm’” (Jonah 4:2).

Holy God (to sanctify us)  ~  “I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim. For I am God, and not man, the Holy One in your midst; and I will not come with terror” (Hosea 11:9).

Indwelling God (to establish/guide us) – “God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn” (Psalm 46:5). “And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit” (Ephesians 5:18).  

Just God (to clear us)  ~  “Tell and bring forth your case; yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I, the Lord? And there is no other God besides Me, a just God and a Savior; there is none besides Me” (Isaiah 45:21).

Kind God (to supply us)  ~  “Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies” (Psalm 103:4).

Loving God (to cherish us)  ~  “The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: ‘Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you’” (Jeremiah 31:3).

Mighty God (to deliver us)  ~  “And because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them; and He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, with His mighty power” (Deuteronomy 4:37). “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

Near God (to sustain/comfort us)  ~  “He is near who justifies Me; who will contend with Me? Let us stand together. Who is My adversary?” (Isaiah 50:8).  “Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near” (Isaiah 55:6).

Omniscient God (to watch over us)  ~  “Behold, He who keeps Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade at your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord shall preserve you from all evil; He shall preserve your soul” (Psalm 121:4-7).

Powerful God (to strengthen us)  ~  “But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, so that the message might be preached fully through me, and that all the Gentiles might hear. Also I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion” (2 Timothy 4:17).

Quickening God (to change us)  ~  “Even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:5).

Righteous God (to justify us)  ~  “Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; for the righteous God tests the hearts and minds” (Psalm 7:9). “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:9).

Saving God (to free us)  ~  “And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold, this is our God; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation’” (Isaiah 25:9).

Truth-keeping God (to encourage us)  ~  “Who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; Who keeps truth forever” (Psalm 146:6).

Unchanging God (to secure us)  ~  “For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob” (Malachi 3:6).

Victorious God (to overcome for us)  ~  “But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 15:57).

Wise God (to enlighten us)  ~  “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).   

Xcellent God (to be our example)  ~  “O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens!” (Psalm 8:1). 

Yearning God (to look after us) ~  “Can a woman forget her nursing child, and not have compassion on the son of her womb? Surely they may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me” (Isaiah 49:15-16).

Zealous God (to keep us)  ~  “As His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue” (2 Peter 1:3).    

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW

NOTES:

(1)     The current TOP 10 ALN posts are listed at the very bottom of this home page.

(2)     There is an INDEX of all ALN posts accessed by scrolling down the left column.

(3)     You may LINK to any ALN posts on your own blog or website. 

(4)     You may COPY any ALN post but 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/).