Myth, 122

 ~ The Single Biggest Concept In The Bible Is God’s Love ~

 

Myth  ~  There are many who believe this concept to be true.  This concept tends to fuel the belief that we are all God’s children, He loves us all, and so we will all have the same eternal fate.  

 

Reality  ~  As with most myths they are based on partial truth.  It is true that “God is love” and that He loves each one of us.  But the big concept of Scripture is “salvation” and that the only way to right relationship with God, the Father, is through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the Cross of Calvary.  Scripture clearly teaches two eternal destinies heaven or hell depending on what you do with the truth about God’s only begotten Son.  

 

Scripture  ~  “Thomas said to Him [Jesus Christ], ‘Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?’  Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:5-6).

 

“Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.  This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:8-12).

 

Comment  ~  What you think of Jesus, and what you do about it (doing nothing is a deadly default decision), is the most important decision you will make in life!

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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7 Life Essentials, 6

 ~ Critical Factor: Healing ~

 

Introduction  ~  In this series we will look at the four most basic physical needs for a human to survive, and how Jesus Christ satisfies the parallel spiritual needs.  Then we will look at three additional critical factors related to both our physical and spiritual needs.

 

Physical Needs  ~  According to basic physiological understanding mankind needs four basic elements in order to survive physically: water, air, food, and light.  Jesus satisfies the parallel spiritual needs.  Jesus is the Living Water (John 4:10-11, 7:38).  Jesus provides the Breath of Life (Genesis 2:7, Colossians 1:16-17).  Jesus is the Bread of Life (John 6:35, 48).  Jesus is the Light of the World (John 8:12, 9:5). 

There are three additional critical factors necessary for physical life: rest, healing, and blood.  Once again, we find that Jesus satisfies both the physical and the parallel spiritual needs.  Jesus provides rest (Matthew 11:25-30).  Jesus is the great healer (Matthew 4:23-25).  It is only the blood of Jesus which provides true success in life not only on earth but more importantly in the life to come (Ephesians 2:11-13).  

 

Key Scriptures  ~  “Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and He saved them out of their distresses.  He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.  Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!  Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing. Psalm 107:19-22

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.  Great multitudes followed Him — from Galilee, and from Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan” (Matthew 4:23-25, parallel passages in Mark 1:35-39; Luke 4:44; 6:17-19).

“But when Jesus knew it, He withdrew from there.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them all” (Matthew 12:15-16).

“Now it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these sayings, that He departed from Galilee and came to the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.  And great multitudes followed Him, and He healed them there” (Matthew 19:1-2).

“And He came down with them and stood on a level place with a crowd of His disciples and a great multitude of people from all Judea and Jerusalem, and from the seacoast of Tyre and Sidon, who came to hear Him and be healed of their diseases, as well as those who were tormented with unclean spirits.  And they were healed.  And the whole multitude sought to touch Him, for power went out from Him and healed them all” (Luke 6:17-19). 

“Who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness — by whose stripes you were healed.  For you were like sheep going astray, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls” (1 Peter 2:24-25, parallel passages in Matthew 4:24,25 and Mark 3:7-12).

 

Comment  ~  Like everything else on earth regular maintenance is required.  We have looked at some of those most critical routine things such as food and water.  Even while performing regular maintenance things on earth still fail sometimes and healing is required.  For physical healing we turn to our medical profession.  For spiritual healing the only authentic healer is God our Creator.  

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Bible Answer, 90

 ~ Did You Get It Right? ~

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~ bible answer ~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

question:  How many Bible characters were stoned to death?

 

answer:  7

 

1. The son of Shelemith, for cursing – Leviticus 24:11, 23
2. A man who gathered sticks on the sabbath – Numbers 15:32, 36
3. Achan, for taking an accursed thing – Joshua 6:18-19, 7:1-26
4. Adoram, because he was a tax-gatherer of a hated king – 1 Kings 12:18
5. Naboth, for alleged blasphemy, but really because King Ahab wanted his vineyard – 1 Kings 21:1-16
6. Zechariah, because they disliked his preaching – 2 Chronicles 24:20-21
7. Stephen, for the same reason as Zechariah – Acts 7:54-60

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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