Myth, 102

 ~ The Bible Is Boring ~

Myth  ~  Satan the arch enemy of God suggests many lies to individuals.  This is one of his common ones. 

Truth  ~  The Bible is anything but boring.  It is true that parts of the Bible can be boring without a knowledge of other parts of the Bible.  But the Bible is a massive continuing story which is anything but boring. 

A key issue is that it takes the Spirit of God to illuminate darkened minds to make the Bible come alive. 

Scripture  ~  Jesus said, “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  You have heard Me say to you, ‘I am going away and coming back to you.’  If you loved Me, you would rejoice because I said, ‘I am going to the Father,’ for My Father is greater than I” (John 14:25-28).

“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.  For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (Hebrews 4:9-12).

The Apostle Paul wrote to Timothy, “Prescribe and teach these things.  Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.  Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching.  Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.  Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all.  Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you” (1 Timothy 4:11-16 nasu).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Quiet, 3of4

 ~ Quiet Can Be Good—There Are Times To Be Quiet ~

Principle  ~  “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven  …  A time to keep silence, and a time to speak” (Ecclesiastes 3:1, 7b). 

New Testament Examples  ~  Jesus said, “When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly” (Matthew 6:6).

“But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia.  But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more; that you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you, that you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing” (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12).

“Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:1-4).

“Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear.  Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel—rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God” (1 Peter 3:1-4).

“For we hear that there are some who walk among you in a disorderly manner, not working at all, but are busybodies.  Now those who are such we command and exhort through our Lord Jesus Christ that they work in quietness and eat their own bread” (2 Thessalonians 3:11-12).

“So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God” (James 1:19-20). 

Old Testament Examples  ~  “For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: ‘In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and confidence shall be your strength.’  But you would not, and you said, ‘No, for we will flee on horses.’—Therefore you shall flee!  And, ‘We will ride on swift horses.’—Therefore those who pursue you shall be swift!” (Isaiah 30:15-16). 

“The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever” (Isaiah 32:17).

“Thus Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, so that they lifted their heads no more.  And the country was quiet for forty years in the days of Gideon” (Judges 8:26). 

Summary  ~  Sometimes it is best to be silent.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Trinity In Leadership

 ~ Tri-Leadership Team ~

The one true God is a Triune God of three distinct personalities.  All three members of the Triune God are key in leading the Christian.

Father God  ~  “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.  He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:1-4).

Jesus Christ  ~  “Then Jesus said to His disciples, ‘If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?’” (Matthew 16:24-26).

Holy Spirit  ~  “Nevertheless I tell you the truth.  It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.  I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.  He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (John 16:7-14).

Comment  ~  ALN has previously published two postings regarding our Lord’s call to follow – “Follow Me” regarding the emblem of the United States Army Infantry Center (June 29, 2010, and “Follow Me, 2” (April 27, 2017).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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