Contrast, 10

~ Contrast: God’s Power vs. Self-Power ~

 

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 (self effort) ~ “So they took the bull which was given them, and they prepared it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even till noon, saying, ‘O Baal, hear us!’  But there was no voice; no one answered.  Then they leaped about the altar which they had made.  And so it was, at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, ‘Cry aloud, for he is a god; either he is meditating, or he is busy, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he is sleeping and must be awakened.’  So they cried aloud, and cut themselves, as was their custom, with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.  And when midday was past, they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice.  But there was no voice; no one answered, no one paid attention” (1 Kings 18:26-29) …

 

Scripture 2 (God’s power) ~ This historical account continues.  “Then Elijah said to all the people, ‘Come near to me.’  So all the people came near to him.  And he repaired the altar of the Lord that was broken down.  And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the Word of the Lord had come, saying, ‘Israel shall be your name.’  Then with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord; and he made a trench around the altar large enough to hold two seahs of seed.  And he put the wood in order, cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood, and said, ‘Fill four waterpots with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice and on the wood.’  Then he said, ‘Do it a second time,’ and they did it a second time; and he said, ‘Do it a third time,’ and they did it a third time.  So the water ran all around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

 

“And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, ‘Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that I have done all these things at Your word.  Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that You are the Lord God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again.’

 

“Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.  Now when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said, ‘The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!’” (1 Kings 18:30-39).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW 

 

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God Attribute, 52

~ God Will Be Your Final Judge ~

 

This Series  ~  This series of posts looks at some of the many attributes of God.  Generally, we move in alphabetical order.

 

Introduction  ~  At the end of this age every person will face a final judgment. The good news is that each of us can choose which of two judgments we will face.

 

Christians  ~  Believers will face God in judgment of their good works while on earth as believers. This Bema Seat (a.k.a. Judgment Seat of Christ) will be a positive time of rewards.

 

Unbelievers  ~  Unbelievers will be judged negatively at the Great White Throne Judgment because their refusal to accept the Son of God’s sacrificial death in substitutionary payment of the sins. Since the wages of sin have not been paid, they will pay the penalty of unending judgement.

 

Scripture 

 

Unbelievers  ~  “Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life.  And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:11-15).

 

Christians  ~  The Christian will face the Bema Seat.  Jesus said, “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work [as a believer—as a result of salvation, not for salvation]” (Revelation 22:12-13).

 

The unbeliever will face a very different judgment and future.  If you died today which judgment would you face?

 

Quotes  ~  “Christ will be Lord or He will be Judge.  Every man must decide whether he will take Him as Lord now, or face Him as Judge then!”  A.W. Tozer

 

“When God wants to judge a nation, He gives them wicked rulers.”  John Calvin 

 

Comment  ~  Are you ready if Christ returned today? If not, go to https://three-two-one.org/

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Why Trust God? 40

~ God Gives The Victory ~

 

Introduction  ~  “Abundant Life Now” previously provided a list of Biblical of examples of fearing / reverencing God (217 posts).  In this current series we look at Biblical accounts that demonstrate that we can fully trust God.  Initially we posted seven general reasons for trusting God.  We are currently looking at passages from all 66 books of Scripture which demonstrate a reason for trusting our Creator. 

 

Scripture  ~  “So Gideon said, ‘For this cause, when the Lord has delivered Zebah and Zalmunna into my hand, then I will tear your flesh with the thorns of the wilderness and with briers!’  Then he went up from there to Penuel and spoke to them in the same way.  And the men of Penuel answered him as the men of Succoth had answered.  So he also spoke to the men of Penuel, saying, ‘When I come back in peace, I will tear down this tower!’  Now Zebah and Zalmunna were at Karkor, and their armies with them, about fifteen thousand, all who were left of all the army of the people of the East; for one hundred and twenty thousand men who drew the sword had fallen.  Then Gideon went up by the road of those who dwell in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah; and he attacked the army while the camp felt secure.  When Zebah and Zalmunna fled, he pursued them; and he took the two kings of Midian, Zebah and Zalmunna, and routed the whole army.  Then Gideon the son of Joash returned from battle, from the Ascent of Heres.  And he caught a young man of the men of Succoth and interrogated him; and he wrote down for him the leaders of Succoth and its elders, seventy-seven men.  Then he came to the men of Succoth and said, ‘Here are Zebah and Zalmunna, about whom you ridiculed me, saying, “Are the hands of Zebah and Zalmunna now in your hand, that we should give bread to your weary men?”’  And he took the elders of the city, and thorns of the wilderness and briers, and with them he taught the men of Succoth.  Then he tore down the tower of Penuel and killed the men of the city” (Judges 8:7-17).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Question – Jesus, 168

 ~ Regarding Why ~

 

Introduction  ~  This series is about questions involving Jesus.  Some were asked by individuals involved with Jesus Christ while He walked on earth.  Others are questions that Jesus Christ asked others.  We will look at questions on over 160 topics (some may split into two or more posts).  Even so, it is far from an exhaustive list. 

 

Scripture  ~  “Simon Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, where are You going?’

 

Jesus answered him, ‘Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.’

 

“Peter said to Him, ‘Lord, why can I not follow You now?  I will lay down my life for Your sake.’

 

“Jesus answered him, ‘Will you lay down your life for My sake?  Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times’” (John 13:36-38).   

 

Comment  ~  While Peter’s three denials are prominent in many of our thoughts about Peter we should never lose sight that he was one of the most influential of all the early Christians. 

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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In Jesus We Have… , 2

~ In Jesus We Have Completeness ~

 

Introduction  ~  In this series we look at a few of the verses which state what we have when we are “in Christ.”  Consider our series theme verse: 

 

“God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.  For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:4-10).

 

Scripture  ~  “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.  For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power” (Colossians 2:8-10).

 

Comment  ~ I love the paraphrase of Eugene Peterson: “My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given.  You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live Him.  You’re deeply rooted in Him.  You’re well constructed upon Him.  You know your way around the faith.  Now do what you've been taught.  School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it!  And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.

 

“Watch out for people who try to dazzle you with big words and intellectual double-talk.  They want to drag you off into endless arguments that never amount to anything.  They spread their ideas through the empty traditions of human beings and the empty superstitions of spirit beings.  But that’s not the way of Christ.  Everything of God gets expressed in Him, so you can see and hear Him clearly.  You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without Him.  When you come to Him, that fullness comes together for you, too.  His power extends over everything” (Colossians 2:6-10 msg).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Adornment, 5

 ~ Clothing, 5 ~

 

Series Note ~ In this series we look at some of the Scriptures which mention human physical adornment—pretty much without comment.  These posts will include clothing, head (including hair and wigs), jewelry (including accessories), makeup (including tattoos), and perfume (including incense).  It is important to note that some of these passages are culturally related to a specific culture and time period.   

 

Two Principles ~ (1) Focus on the long-term: “Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.  Give her of the fruit of her hands, and let her own works praise her in the gates” (Proverbs 31:30-31).

 

(2) Exercise modesty: “Women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly clothing, but, which is proper for women professing godliness, with good works” (1 Timothy 2:9b-10).

 

Scripture For This Week ~ “And there a woman met him, with the attire of a harlot, and a crafty heart.  She was loud and rebellious, her feet would not stay at home.  At times she was outside, at times in the open square, lurking at every corner” (Proverbs 7:10-12).

 

Two Keys ~ (1) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God” (Romans 12:1-2).

 

(2) “Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?  For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

* * * * *

Earnestly

~ Christian Earnestness ~

Earnestly Heed the Word  ~  “Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.  For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward, how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him, God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?” (Hebrews 2:1-4). 

Earnestly Contend for the Faith  ~  “Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.  For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ” (Jude 3-4).

Earnestly Pray to God  ~   “And Jesus was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.’  Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him.  And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:41-44).  “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months.  And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (James 5:17-18).  

Earnestly Care for the Saints  ~  “For indeed, when we came to Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were troubled on every side.  Outside were conflicts, inside were fears.  Nevertheless God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, and not only by his coming, but also by the consolation with which he was comforted in you, when he told us of your earnest desire, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced even more” (2 Corinthians 7:5-7).   

Earnestly Long for Glory  ~  “For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.  For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven” (2 Corinthians 5:1-2).  

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

* * * * *

Contrast, 9

~ Contrast: Good Character vs. Sinful Character ~

 

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 ~ “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps, to be over the whole kingdom; and over these, three governors, of whom Daniel was one, that the satraps might give account to them, so that the king would suffer no loss.  Then this Daniel distinguished himself above the governors and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king gave thought to setting him over the whole realm.  So the governors and satraps sought to find some charge against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find no charge or fault, because he was faithful; nor was there any error or fault found in him.  Then these men said, ‘We shall not find any charge against this Daniel unless we find it against him concerning the law of his God.’  So these governors and satraps thronged before the king, and said thus to him: ‘King Darius, live forever!  All the governors of the kingdom, the administrators and satraps, the counselors and advisors, have consulted together to establish a royal statute and to make a firm decree, that whoever petitions any god or man for thirty days, except you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.  Now, O king, establish the decree and sign the writing, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which does not alter.’  Therefore King Darius signed the written decree.  Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went home.  And in his upper room, with his windows open toward Jerusalem, he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom since early days” (Daniel 6:1-10).

 

Scripture 2 ~ “Then Baasha the son of Ahijah, of the house of Issachar, conspired against him.  And Baasha killed him at Gibbethon, which belonged to the Philistines, while Nadab and all Israel laid siege to Gibbethon.  Baasha killed him in the third year of Asa king of Judah, and reigned in his place.  And it was so, when he became king, that he killed all the house of Jeroboam.  He did not leave to Jeroboam anyone that breathed, until he had destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord which He had spoken by His servant Ahijah the Shilonite, because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he had sinned and by which he had made Israel sin, because of his provocation with which he had provoked the Lord God of Israel to anger.  Now the rest of the acts of Nadab, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel?  And there was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel all their days” (1 Kings 15:27-32).

 

Comment ~ As others have said, reputation is what others think you are but character is what you really are.  Are you consistent when nobody is watching or aware of your behavior? 

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW 

 

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God Attribute, 51

~ God Is A Jealous God ~

 

This Series  ~  This series of posts looks at some of the many attributes of God.  Generally, we move in alphabetical order.

 

Introduction  ~  It is abundantly clear in Scripture that God is jealous of His people’s affection and love. In the New Testament the Apostle Paul reminds us that God is a jealous God. 

 

“Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly — and indeed you do bear with me. For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband [Jesus Christ], that I may present you as a chaste virgin [the Bride of Christ] to Christ. 2 Cor 11:1-3

 

Scripture  ~  "You shall not make for yourself a carved image — any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (Exodus 20:4-5a).

 

“But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God)” (Exodus 34:13-15a).

 

“For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24).

 

“You shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 5:9-10a).

 

“You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you (for the Lord your God is a jealous God among you)” (Deuteronomy 6:14-15a).

 

“But Joshua said to the people, ‘You cannot serve the Lord, for He is a holy God. He is a jealous God" (Joshua 24:19a).

 

“Therefore thus says the Lord God: ‘Now I will bring back the captives of Jacob, and have mercy on the whole house of Israel; and I will be jealous for My holy name’” (Ezekiel 39:25).

 

“God is jealous, and the Lord avenges; the Lord avenges and is furious. The Lord will take vengeance on His adversaries, and He reserves wrath for His enemies” (Nahum 1:2).

 

Comment  ~  While these Old Testament verses relate to the gods of other nations it is clear that our jealous God did not want His people worshipping other gods. In our day we easily make gods, that we worship, out of many things including material objects, sports, hobbies, or a wide variety of other things. An idol is anything that we give more affection to than our God. Is there anything in your life which you value more than God?

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

* * * * *

Why Trust God? 39

 Why Trust God? 39   

 

~ God Gives Clear Direction ~

 

Introduction  ~  “Abundant Life Now” previously provided a list of Biblical of examples of fearing / reverencing God (217 posts).  In this current series we look at Biblical accounts that demonstrate that we can fully trust God.  Initially we posted seven general reasons for trusting God.  We are currently looking at passages from all 66 books of Scripture which demonstrate a reason for trusting our Creator. 

 

Scripture  ~  “Gideon said to Him, ‘O my lord, if the Lord is with us, why then has all this happened to us?  And where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about, saying, “Did not the Lord bring us up from Egypt?”  But now the Lord has forsaken us and delivered us into the hands of the Midianites.’  Then the Lord turned to him and said, ‘Go in this might of yours, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites.  Have I not sent you?’  So he said to Him, ‘O my Lord, how can I save Israel?  Indeed my clan is the weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.’  And the Lord said to him, ‘Surely I will be with you, and you shall defeat the Midianites as one man’” (Judges 6:13-16).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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