Myth, 103

 ~ Seminary Is Not About Real Life Issues ~

Myth  ~  Seminary study is all theoretical and does not effectively deal with the every day issues of living in our era.

Truth  ~  Seminary students study truth.  Truth is the only thing which can guide an individual to living their life good and pleasing in the sight of an all-knowing God. 

Scripture  ~  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).

“Whoever loves his life loses it and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life” (John 12:25).

Quotes  ~   “Things which matter most must never be at the mercy of things which matter least.” –Goethe (1749-1832)    

“I'd rather lose in a cause that will ultimately succeed, than succeed in one that will ultimately fail.” –Abraham Lincoln )1809-1865)

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Quiet, 4of4

 ~ Quiet Can Be Good—Jesus Our Example ~

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). 

Jesus At Birth  ~  When Jesus Christ was born there was no fanfare, blaring trumpets to announce the King’s arrival!  Even today if we look carefully we can see that many times the most effective leaders are quiet—rather than the boisterous leader which our society sometimes portrays as the leader type.  Instead of great fanfare He was visited by a few humble shepherds from nearby fields.  Interestingly enough the Jews were anticipating and watching for their Messiah—but when He came they did not recognize Him.

Jesus Living Among Us  ~  During His earthly ministry Jesus never sought to bring attention to Himself.  By word-of-mouth crowds followed Him as they heard about His teachings and the miracles He performed. 

Jesus At Death  ~  “The place in the Scripture which he read was this: ‘He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, so He opened not His mouth.  In His humiliation His justice was taken away, and who will declare His generation?  For His life is taken from the earth.’  So the eunuch answered Philip and said, ‘I ask you, of whom does the prophet say this, of himself or of some other man?’  Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, preached Jesus to him” (Acts 8:32-35). 

Summary  ~  Sometimes it is best to be silent.

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Divine Revelations

 ~ 5 Critical Things Revealed ~

God’s Righteousness Revealed (in the Gospel)  ~  “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.  For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘The just shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17).

Christ Revealed (to the Soul)  ~  “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, to reveal His Son in me, that I might preach Him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately confer with flesh and blood, nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and returned again to Damascus” (Galatians 1:15-17).   

A Mystery Revealed (of union with Christ)  ~  “For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for you Gentiles — if indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already, by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ), which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets: that the Gentiles should be fellow heirs, of the same body, and partakers of His promise in Christ through the gospel, of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power” (Ephesians 3:1-7).    

His Glory Will Be Revealed (at His coming)  ~  For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.  For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God.  For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now.  Not only that, but we also who have the first-fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.  For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees?  But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance” (Romans 8:18-25).

The Man Of Sin Revealed (as a Christ rejecter)  ~  “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, we ask you, not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled, either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us, as though the day of Christ had come.  Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God.  Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?  And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time.  For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way.  And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.  The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.  And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-12).

Comment  ~  If you appreciated this post you may also be interested in a series of seven posts entitled “Revelation of God” posted by Abundant Life Now between December 11-26, 2018. 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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God Our Rock, 19

 ~ Rock Of My Strength ~

Introduction  ~  In Matthew 7:24-27 and Luke 6:47-49 Jesus relates the importance of building your house upon rock rather than sand.  This principle is even more critical when it comes to our spiritual life.  Each post in this series looks at a different Biblical passage which refers to our God as a Rock (not a complete list). 

Scripture  ~  “Truly my soul silently waits for God; from Him comes my salvation.  He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.  How long will you attack a man? You shall be slain, all of you, like a leaning wall and a tottering fence.  They only consult to cast him down from his high position; they delight in lies; they bless with their mouth, but they curse inwardly.  Selah.

“My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.  He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be moved.  In God is my salvation and my glory; the rock of my strength, and my refuge, is in God.  Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us” (Psalm 62:1-8).

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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