Identity in Christ, 116

~ I Am Charged with Eagerly Expecting Christ’s Second Coming ~

Introduction  ~  When Christians understand the various characteristics and aspects of the birthright which came with their second birth, they comprehend their identity in Christ.  Once Christians understand their identity, their destiny is also clear!  This series of “Abundant Life Now” posts will look at one of those facets each week. 

This Week’s Verse  ~  “For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works” (Titus 2:11-14).

~~~ EXPLANATORY “IDENTITY IN CHRIST” NOTES ~~~  

(1)  Each Monday ALN posts an example of Scripture’s description of aspects/characteristics of Christians—those who have personally trusted in Jesus Christ, The Messiah, as their personal Savior.

(2)  This series is not intended to be an exhaustive list.

(3)  God the Father described Himself to Moses as the great “I AM” (Exodus 3:14).  God the Son also said “I AM” (John 8:58). 

(4)  Jesus Christ is the Son of God and several times in the Gospel of John He refers to Himself as “I am.”  “I am the Bread of Life” (6:35-51), “I am the Light of the World” (8:12, 9:5), “I am the Door” (10:7-9), “I am the Good Shepherd” (10:11-14), “I am the Son of God” (10:36), “I am the Resurrection and the Life” (11:25), “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (14:6), “I am in the Father, and the Father in Me … Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me” (John 14:10-11), and “I am the True Vine” (15:1-5). 

(5)  Individual Christians are also sons and daughters of God.  This series will show some of the various “I am” aspects of a Christian. 

~ 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/ .

Christ in Colossians

~ Jesus Christ Is The Great Pre-Eminent One, the Fulfillment of the Old Testament ~

The Bible is about Jesus Christ  ~  “Jesus said to them, ‘How foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!  Did not the Christ have to suffer these things and then enter His glory?’  And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning Himself” (Luke 24:25-27).

Jesus Christ in the Book of Colossians  ~  In the Book of Colossians Jesus Christ is part of the Godhead (as part of the Trinity He has full and complete deity), He is Pre-eminent over all creation, the Redeemer, and the Head of the Church. 

The Old Testament was full of “shadows” (not the real thing) pointing us to the ultimate coming Messiah.  “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). 

Comment  ~  We have only touched the surface of Christ in the book of Colossians.  The Apostle Paul told us in this book that the Old Testament presents many faint pictures of the future but the reality was fulfilled and is found in Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:17 above). 

~~~ EXPLANATORY “JESUS CHRIST IN EVERY BOOK OF THE BIBLE” SERIES ~~~   

(1)  Approximately once a month ALN posts an overview of how Jesus Christ is seen in a specific book of the Bible.

(2)  In most cases these posts only scratch the surface regarding Jesus Christ in the particular book.

(3)  These posts will typically be in the same order as the books are found in the Bible.

(4)  These serial posts are in addition to our other ALN postings.

(5)  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

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/ .

Are You A Fool?

~ Is Yours The Life of a Fool or the Wise? ~

Guest Post by Eddie Bradley, pastor emeritus at High Way Church.

The origin of April Fool’s Day has been lost in the antiquity of time.

The earliest recorded association between April 1st and foolishness can be found in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales written in 1392.

There is no reliable source that tells us when and where the observance of this lighthearted fool’s day began. I was surprised, however, to discover the wide range of countries that recognize and celebrate this day of jokes and foolishness – Canada, the U.K., Cypress, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, U.S.A., Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Russia, Italy, South Korea, France.

The day is also called All Fool’s Day.

We may all have fallen victim to an April Fool’s joke or prank, but none of us like to be the object of the absurd or be designated as the fool of the day, humiliated by some stupid word or act.

But is it possible that we are really real fools?

Was the elf Puck right when in Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream he surmised, “What fools these mortals be”?

There is no question but that some people are fools – real fools.

King Saul of Israel awakened one morning and opined, “I have played the fool, I have acted foolishly, I have acted like a fool and have erred greatly.”

King David lamented over the death of Abner who had pledged to help make him king over all Israel. Abner had fallen into a trap set by his enemies and though he could have escaped he was murdered and David lamented, saying, “Should Abner die as a fool dies?”

Jesus told a parable of a rich man whose buildings bulged with the products of his land. The man resolved to tear down his barns and build larger ones to store his grain and goods. And he said, “I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”

But God said to him, “Fool! This night your souls is required to you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?”

So is the one who lays up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:19-21 ESV)

Twice the Psalmist David wrote: “The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.”

From a Biblical perspective, the man is a fool who orders his own life, does his own thing and gives no thought to his eternal future and to God Almighty.

The wise man, then, is the man who believes in God, loves him, serves, knows him and is accountable to him.

We know God in the person of His Son Who died for our sins and was buried and rose again that we can have our sins forgiven and become His child.

Prior to being slain on January 28, 1956 at 28 years of age (along with four fellow missionaries) by the Auca Indians, whom he sought to win to Christ, Jim Elliot wrote, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Is yours the life of a fool or the life of the wise?

~ 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/ .