Pre-Christian Question, 1

~ Who Is This? ~

 

Introduction  ~  This series is about questions that enquiring unbelievers often have about Jesus.  Some were asked by individuals involved with Jesus Christ while He walked on earth.  It is far from an exhaustive list. 

 

The Question  ~  “So the disciples went and did as Jesus commanded them.  They brought the donkey and the colt, laid their clothes on them, and set Him on them.  And a very great multitude spread their clothes on the road; others cut down branches from the trees and spread them on the road.  Then the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying:

 

"Hosanna to the Son of David!

'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!'

Hosanna in the highest!"

 

And when He had come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, [Q] ‘Who is this?’  So the multitudes said, [A] ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth of Galilee’” (Matthew 21:6-11).

 

Key Issue  ~  “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 24:14a).

 

Comment  ~  Have you ever asked this question?  If not, why not?  If you have asked the question, what is your answer? What is your answer based upon?

 

the critical question: “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15). This is the most important question you will ever answer. If you do not answer it, or answer it incorrectly, you have made the biggest mistake anyone can make!

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Resurrection Sunday

~ The Central Point ~

 

Easter is the central pivot of three historically great events!

 

Christmas (God with us) ~ “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23).

 

Easter (God for us) ~ Jesus said, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

 

“He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God” (John 3:14-21).

 

Pentecost (God in us) ~ Jesus said, "If you love Me, keep My commandments.  And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever — the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.  I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.  A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me.  Because I live, you will live also” (John 14:15-19).

 

“But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you.  Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His.  And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:9-11).

 

Questions ~ Do you understand the extreme importance of these three events?  If so, what have you done about it?  Do you know without a doubt where you will spend eternity?

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Silent Saturday

~ God Is Always In Control ~

 

Scripture ~ “David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; moreover my flesh also will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence’” (Acts 2:25-28).

 

Note ~ The time between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament is often referred to as the “400 Silent Years.” But God was still working!

 

Likewise, the time between the sealing of Christ’s tomb and His resurrection on the first Easter was a time of great significance. Grieving was intense, but God was still working!

 

And God is still in control and still at work today!

 

The Disciples ~ They must have had extremely mixed emotions.  On one hand they were experiencing great grief and on the other hand they must have thought about all that Christ had told them, the miracles they had witnessed first-hand, and been bewildered wondering how the things He assured them of and the events of the prior day fit together. 

 

He taught them of a revolutionary kind of love yet He died a violent death from those who hated Him.

 

What’s Next? ~ This silent excruciating Saturday will change to an exhilarating joyful Sunday. But they were unaware and temporarily defeated. 

 

Comment ~ In some parts of the world this day between the crucifixion and the resurrection is referred to as “Black Saturday.”

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Good Friday

~ Deep Despair ~

 

Consider The Realities…

 

1] It’s Friday.

 

2] Peter has been asleep.

 

3] Judas has betrayed Jesus Christ.

 

4] Mary is crying.

 

5} The disciples have lost hope.

 

6] Jesus Christ appears to have died just as all men do.

 

7] Satan is laughing. 

 

8] Jesus is buried. 

 

9] His tomb is sealed with a heavy stone.

 

9] Soldiers stand guard in front of the tomb. 

 

10] But they do not understand what will happen on Sunday!

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Maundy Thursday

  ~ Celebrate Thursday ~

 

Note ~ Some churches annually celebrate the Thursday before Easter. It was a busy day of service in the life of Christ.

 

1] It was the day of “The Last Supper.”

 

2] It was the day that Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. Sadly, He left without His feet being washed!

 

3] Jesus asked His disciples to regularly remember Him through the symbols of bread and wine representing His body and His blood which were about to be sacrificed for the sins of the world. Today, most local churches refer to this as communion. 

 

4] Jesus knew and openly predicted His soon betrayal and eminent voluntary death. 

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Ash Wednesday

~ 40 Days Before Easter ~

 

Important Notes 

 

1) For many “Ash Wednesday” marks the beginning of the Easter season.

 

2) Ash Wednesday occurs 40 days before Easter (not counting Sundays) which makes Ash Wednesday in 2023 to be this past February 22^nd. 

 

3) Some churches observe the season of Lent which begins on Ash Wednesday by fasting (giving up) something. For some it may be certain foods. For others it may be a variety of other things.

 

4) Some churches use the symbolism of marking the foreheads of those participating with ashes in the form of a cross. In the Old Testament ashes were sometimes used as a symbol of humility.

 

5) History. Many believe the tradition goes back to the eleventh century. Some believe the practice to go back to Pope Gregory I in the late 500s. In reality we find ashes being placed on foreheads in the Old Testament (for example 2 Samuel 13:19).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Ability > Failure > Progress > Success

~ Four States of Mankind Regarding Sin ~

Innocent Man (before The Fall)  ~  “Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it.  And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, ‘Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die’” (Genesis 2:15-17).  God gave man clear instructions of what to do and what not to do. 

Adam had the ability to sin, but more importantly the ability not to sin!

Natural Man (after The Fall)  ~  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  The Apostle Paul explained it this way, “For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin.  For what I am doing, I do not understand.  For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.  If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good.  But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me.  For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find.  For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice.  Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me” (Romans 7:14-20).  Since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden we are not able to not sin!  Fortunately, the believer who is experiencing normal (not average) spiritual growth is sinning less and less as they are in the process of becoming transformed into the likeness of Jesus Christ. 

Regenerated Man  ~  “Put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him” (Colossians 3:9b-10).  “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).  The Christian is a “new creation” in Christ – not a “makeover.”  As a believer with the indwelling Holy Spirit we are able to not sin!

Glorified Man  ~  “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God!  Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.  Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.  And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure” (1 John 3:1-3).  Our final stage will be when we are transformed and no longer able to sin!

Comment  ~  These four categorizations are from Augustine of Hippo in “The Bondage of the Will.” 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Question – Jesus, 179of179

 ~ Regarding “How Long” (3X) ~

 

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. 

 

Remark  ~  The last two weeks posts in this series and this final post are by far the most important posts in the entire series! 

 

Scripture  ~  “And when He came to the disciples, He saw a great multitude around them, and scribes disputing with them.  Immediately, when they saw Him, all the people were greatly amazed, and running to Him, greeted Him.  And He asked the scribes, ‘What are you discussing with them?’ …

 

“He answered him and said, ‘O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you?  How long shall I bear with you?  Bring him to Me.’ 

 

Then they brought him to Him.  And when he saw Him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground and wallowed, foaming at the mouth.

 

“So He asked his father, ‘How long has this been happening to him?’

 

“And he said, ‘From childhood.  And often he has thrown him both into the fire and into the water to destroy him.  But if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.’

 

“Jesus said to him, ‘If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.’ 

 

Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, ‘Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!’ …

 

“So He said to them, ‘This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting’ (Mark 9:14-29).

 

Comment  ~  “How long” is repeated three times in this passage. 

The key question and most important question for you to answer during your life on earth is “How long will it be before you accept the forgiveness of your sins offered to you by your Creator?”  He is patiently waiting you.  The Spirit of God may well be tugging at your heart.  What will you do with Christ?  If you need assistance I suggest that you check out https://three-two-one.org/

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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In Jesus We Have… , 13

~ In Jesus We Have Righteousness: Luke’s Gospel ~

 

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  ~  “To grant us that we being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life” (Luke 1:74-75).

 

Additional Scripture  ~  “And behold, the word of the Lord came to him [Abram], saying, ‘This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.’  Then He brought him outside and said, ‘Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them.’  And He said to him, ‘So shall your descendants be.’  And he believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:4-6),

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Fool Characteristics, #2

~ Fools Hate Knowledge (Truth) ~

 

Series Note  ~  In this series we look at some of the passages in the Book of Proverbs – wise sayings that are generally true – that describe a fool from God’s perspective.  Some may surprise you. 

 

Scripture  ~  “Wisdom calls aloud outside; she raises her voice in the open squares.  ‘She cries out in the chief concourses, at the openings of the gates in the city she speaks her words: “How long, you simple ones, will you love simplicity?  For scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge.  Turn at my rebuke; surely I will pour out my spirit on you; I will make my words known to you.  Because I have called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one regarded, because you disdained all my counsel, and would have none of my rebuke, I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your terror comes, when your terror comes like a storm, and your destruction comes like a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you” (Proverbs 1:20-27).

 

Important Truth  ~  “The fool has said in his heart, ‘there is no God’” (Psalm 53:1a).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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