Thursday, March 5, 2015

Bible Answer, 10



~ Did You Get It Right?  ~   

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~~~~ bible answer ~~~~
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question 10:  How many Biblical characters committed suicide?    

answer:  At least six …

(1)  Samson (by pulling down the building)  ~  “Then Samson said, ‘Let me die with the Philistines!’  And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the lords and all the people who were in it.  So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life” (Judges 16:30).   

(2)  Saul (by falling on his sword)  ~  Then Saul said to his armorbearer, ‘Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised men come and thrust me through and abuse me.’  But his armor bearer would not, for he was greatly afraid.  Therefore Saul took a sword and fell on it” (1 Samuel 31:4). …

(3)  Saul’s armor-bearer (by falling on his sword)  ~  “And when his armor bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell on his sword, and died with him” (1 Samuel 31:5).  

(4)  Ahithophel (by hanging)  ~  Now when Ahithophel saw that his advice was not followed, he saddled a donkey, and arose and went home to his house, to his city.  Then he put his household in order, and hanged himself, and died; and he was buried in his father’s tomb” (2 Samuel 17:23).   

(5)  Zimri (by burning the building)  ~  “And it happened, when Zimri saw that the city was taken, that he went into the citadel of the king’s house and burned the king's house down upon himself with fire, and died, because of the sins which he had committed in doing evil in the sight of the Lord, in walking in the way of Jeroboam, and in his sin which he had committed to make Israel sin” (1 Kings 16:18-19). 

(6)  Judas Iscariot (by hanging)  ~  “Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’  And they said, ‘What is that to us?  You see to it!’  Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:3-5).

~ 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/).



Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Quote: Christ-Like



~ Have You Looked in a Mirror Lately? ~ 

Consider the appearance of three different surfaces!

The following is an excerpt from a book.

With respect to the hidden gem, notice that the pearl slowly takes on the appearance of that which is forming it. Examine a grain of sand under a microscope; this foreign matter that enters the oyster’s side has rough, sharp edges. But slowly, ever so slowly, a pearl evolves into an item of beauty, with the same luster and beauty of the inside of the oyster.

It may be well to note that the external appearance of the oyster is not beautiful. It is Christ who transforms the Church. We read concerning Jesus Christ, the Messiah, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him” (Isaiah 53:2).

What is the pearl like? Its luster is like the inside of that which forms it. Have you ever looked at the inside of an oyster shell? It has the same luster that a pearl has. In essence the pearl’s exterior resembles the interior beauty of the life that produced it. The nacreous coating is on the external surface of the pearl. Jesus Christ bought the pearl of great price at the Cross of Calvary, and now He covers Christians with His righteousness.

The fruit of the Spirit results from the Christian being attached to the vine, the trunk, as explained in John 15:5. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22). We are to be taking on the luster of Christ. We should be becoming more and more like that which is transforming us. In Philippians 3:21, concerning Jesus Christ, we read: “Who by the power that enables Him to bring everything under His control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.” Did you catch that? “Who [Jesus Christ] will transform [redesign] our lowly bodies so that they will be like [identical to] His glorious body.” The Christian community will take on the luster of Christ as He forms His Church (see also Romans 8:29). “And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

~ from “ONE PRECIOUS PEARL: God’s Design for His Church, pgs 105-106  (ISBN: 9780741462329)
Learn more about this important book at Amazon, the Publisher, or the Author’s website.

~ 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/).