Saturday, December 3, 2016

The Messiah, 290A



~ Jesus Christ and The Feast of Passover ~

Background  ~ “Search the Scriptures—they testify of Me” — Jesus Christ (John 5:39).
“And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, Jesus explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27).  Let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.  Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body [the true Church of Jesus Christ], nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God” (Colossians 2:16-19).

The Scripture  ~    “These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.  On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover” (Leviticus 23:4-5). 
note:  Additional Scripture for your review is found in Numbers 28:16-25.

The Messiah  ~  “Your glorying is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump?  Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened.  For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:6-7). 

The Feast of Passover (April)  ~  Remember that the origin of the Passover was the last plague in Egypt with the slaying of the firstborn.  The blood of a lamb on the doorpost would give safety.  Jesus Christ is the ultimate lamb—the Lamb of God.  With the crucifixion and death of Jesus Christ—The Messiah fulfills the need once and for all for a blood sacrifice.  His was the perfect life and the only death that could permanently atone for our sins.

Now it was not written for his sake alone that it was imputed to him, but also for us.  It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification” (Romans 4:23-25).  “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 5:17-19).  “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.  For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.  Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:8-11).  Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). 

~ 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 at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Friday, December 2, 2016

Fear God, 46



~ God’s People Are Not to Fear Other Gods, 3 ~

God does not want His children living in fear.  “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, 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 1:2-3).  However, God does want His children to have a proper respect and reverence for Him.  We are told in many places in Scripture to “fear God.”  

This Week’s Passage  ~  And the statutes, the ordinances, the law, and the commandment which He wrote for you, you shall be careful to observe forever; you shall not fear other gods.  And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods” (2 Kings 17:37-38).

Fearing God Results in Salvation  ~  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31).  A wise person fears and departs from evil, but a fool rages and is self-confident” (Proverbs 14:16).  This does not mean the Christian is to live a fearful life—but a life which reverences God and seeks to do His will. 

Fearing God Results in Fearlessness  ~  “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?  The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” (Psalm 27:1).  The answer is: only God.  With the gift of salvation comes responsibility.

Fearing God Results in Witnessing  ~  “Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will declare what He has done for my soul” (Psalm 66:16). 

~ 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 at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Important 7s



~ Three Major Keys to Understanding the Word of God ~             

Each of these keys are a complex and deep topic.  Each of them could become the focus of a lifetime of study.  My intent in this posting is provide a high altitude overview which may point some of my readers in a direction of profitable personal study. 

Seven Feasts (Leviticus 23)  ~  The seven feasts provide keys to understanding God’s dealing with His chosen people Israel.  (1) Passover, (2) Unleavened Bread, (3) First Fruits, (4) Pentecost, (5) Trumpets, (6) Day of Atonement, and (7) Tabernacles.  Interestingly these all foreshadow the coming Messiah—Jesus Christ.  They correspond to (1) the Cross of Calvary, (2) Christian fellowship, (3) the resurrection of Christ, (4) the start of the Church of Jesus Christ, (5) Israel coming back into the land, (6) the redemption we have in Christ, and (7) the future time of Israel in the land. 

Seven Parables (Matthew 13)  ~  The seven parables provide keys to understanding God’s dealing with the Gentile nations.  (1) The sower, (2) the tares, (3) the mustard seed, (4) the leaven, (5) the treasure in the field, (6) the pearl of great price, and (7) the net cast into the sea.  Chapter 2 of my book One Precious Pearl provides an overview of “The Parables of Matthew Thirteen.”  A key item of note is that Matthew 13 is a great turning point in Jesus’ ministry.  From the time He gave these parables He was rejected by the leaders of His day.

Seven Churches (Revelation 2-3)  ~  The seven churches provide prophetic keys to understanding the history of the Church of Jesus Christ.  The churches (1) in Ephesus, (2) in Smyrna, (3) in Pergamum, (4) in Thyatira, (5) in Sardis, (6) in Philadelphia, and (7) the Laodicean church.  I believe that they correspond to (1) the apostolic church, (2) the persecuted church under 10 Caesars, (3) the union of church and state, (4) the papal church, (5) the reformation church, (6) the mission-oriented church, and (7) the apostate church.  One interesting way to begin a study these churches is to evaluate each them with regard to their commendations, criticisms, instructions, and promises given to each.  

~ 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 at http://RobertLloydRussell.blogspot.com/ .