Fact Check, 53

~ Temporary? ~           

Bible Quotation?  ~  “This too will pass.”

The Bible Says  ~  This is not a quote from the Bible.  In reality, this statement is both true and false—depending upon the context and application of the thought. 

True  ~   All things are temporal except God, His Word, and the souls of mankind. 

God:  “The eternal God is your refuge” (Deuteronomy 33:27a). 

The Word of God:  Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away” (Matthew 24:35).

Human Souls:  See the previous “Fact Check, 52” regarding the two eternal destinies. 

“Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.  His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom the one which shall not be destroyed” (Daniel 7:14).

False  ~  Not all pain and misery leave us. 

Example:  The Apostle Paul had a constant thorn in the flesh.  “Lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.  Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.  And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’  Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me” (2 Corinthians 12:7-9).

The Significance  ~  God will provide strength and comfort to His children but He doesn’t necessarily take the pain away. 

Comment  ~  When someone says, “This too will pass” they are correct if they are thinking in terms of the ultimate result for the Christian.  If when saying “This too will pass” the underlying thought is “eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die” they are misguided. 

~ 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/ .

Learn From Gideon, 17

~ If God Is Leading He Will Provide the Details ~

The Biblical account of the life of Gideon provides for one of the most interesting character studies in all of Scripture.  In this series we will discover practical lessons for living the Christian life today.  

Scripture  ~  ‘Now it came to pass the same night that the Lord said to him, ‘Take your father’s young bull, the second bull of seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal that your father has, and cut down the wooden image that is beside it; and build an altar to the Lord your God on top of this rock in the proper arrangement, and take the second bull and offer a burnt sacrifice with the wood of the image which you shall cut down’” (Judges 6:25-26). 

Learn From Gideon  ~  God does not leave His followers in the dark.  Throughout Scripture we find God giving very specific directions to His faithful followers.  Consider just a few examples.

1. God gave Adam and Eve specific instructions (Genesis 2:15-17).
2. He gave Noah specific directions regarding the ark (Genesis 6:13-22).
3. He gave Moses the Ten Commandments (Exodus 19-20:17).
4. He gave Noah specific directions regarding the ark (Genesis 6:13-22).
5. He gave Joshua specific directions regarding the conquering of Jericho (Joshua 6).
6. He gave a blind man specific instructions for healing (John 9:6-12).
7. God has also given His 21^st Century followers very specific directions (including Matthew 28:18-20). 

concluding comment  ~  We learn about Gideon primarily from Judges 6-8, but also Isaiah 9:1-7, and Hebrews 11:1-3, 32-34.

~ 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/ .

10 Commandments Today, 7of14

~ Do Not Murder ~

Key Passage  ~    Jesus said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).

Old Testament Command (#6)  ~  “You shall not murder” (Exodus 20:13).

“You shall not murder” (Deuteronomy 5:17). 

New Testament Responsibility  ~  Jesus said, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’  But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.  And whoever says to his brother, ‘Raca!’ shall be in danger of the council.  But whoever says, ‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of hell fire.  Therefore if you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way.  First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.  Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.  Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny” (Matthew 5:21-26).

Additional Passage  ~  “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’  On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37-40).

Comment  ~  When we hate another human being we are in essence denying the power of the Cross.  No matter what cause we have for dislike the actions of a person we must always remember that Jesus Christ died for that specific person.  Our role, should we accept it, is to help point that person to the power of the Cross of Calvary.

~ 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/ .