Conscience, 28

 ~ Realize You Must Protect Your Conscience ~

 

Series Note ~ The conscience plays a crucial role in human behavior.  The Scripture has much to say about our conscience.  In posts 1—20 of this series, we looked at various descriptions of conscience.  In posts 21—25 we looked at the Big Four Emotional factors that have a very negative impact on our consciences.  Finally starting with post 26 we look at dangers to the conscience. 

 

Scripture ~ “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.  For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer” (1 Timothy 4:1-5).

 

Comment ~ We must proactively protect our conscience. 

 

Solution ~ Regular time in the Word of God and in prayer.  Keep short accounts with God – when your conscience accuses you, first repent and then stay in close communion with God. 

 

Quote ~ “Where the Bible and the Church do not agree, we must obey the Bible, and, where conscience and human authority are in conflict, we must follow our conscience.” –John Wycliffe 

 

Question ~ Are you proactive in protecting your conscience? 

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Milestone

 ~ 13 Years of Abundant Life Now ~

 

Thank you!  Thank you – to all my readers!

 

Abundant Life Now’s first post was uploaded on October 21, 2009.  At the start ALN was a weekly blog.  It quickly became more frequent.  Since the beginning of 2015 it has been a daily post.  In all there have been 3,712 posts. 

 

At this point Abundant Life Now has been read in just under 200 countries and has been translated into more than 110 languages.  

 

Individual posts and post series have covered a wide range of topics relating to Christianity and the Christian life. 

 

80 topical series (5 or more posts on a subject) have been completed.  There have been four series that contained over 100 posts.  The longest running series “Messiah” contained 301 posts.

 

Simultaneously, 13 eBooks have been released during the life of this blog (12 written by Robert Lloyd Russell plus his editing of six actual recorded messages of martyred missionary Jim Elliot).  More information about each, as well as the author’s prior print books is readily available at https://booksrlr.com/ or at https://books2read.com/RobertLloydRussell (eBooks only).

 

We very much appreciate your prayers regarding this international ministry and the impact of Abundant Life Now for eternity.

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Contrast, 1

 ~ Contrast: Good Shepherd or False Prophet ~

 

Series Comment ~ The Scripture contains many contrasts.  In this series we look briefly at some of them.  Just like in our “Binary” series many of these contrasts represent a choice of this or that.

 

Scripture 1 ~ Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd.  The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.  But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them.  The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep.  I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own.  As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.  And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:11-16).

 

Scripture 2 ~ “Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man.  This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the Word of God.  But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.  Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, ‘O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?  And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time’” (Acts 13:6-11).

 

Comment ~ Be very careful about who you listen to.  The best policy is to be like the Bereans.  “Then the brethren immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea.  When they arrived, they went into the synagogue of the Jews.  These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.  Therefore many of them believed, and also not a few of the Greeks, prominent women as well as men” (Acts 17:10-12).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW 

 

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