God Attribute, 106

~ God Is Glorious ~

 

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

 

Scripture  ~  “The Word [Jesus Christ] became flesh and made His dwelling among us.  We have seen His glory, the glory of the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

 

“God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they” (Hebrews 1:1-4).

 

Comment  ~  Think and meditate on this: “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).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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Bible Question, 116

 ~ Test Your Bible Knowledge ~

 

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~~~~ bible question ~~~~ 

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question:  How many miracles are recorded in the four Gospels?

 

Please provide your answer in the comments below!

 

The answer will be provided in a future blog.

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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The Christian Walk, 11

~ Walk In New Citizenship ~

 

Series Introduction  ~  The New Testament has much to say about how a believer should live their life.  Christians should never have to guess about the life that pleases God.  In this series we look at a variety of passages that speak about the Christian walk on earth. 

 

Scripture  ~ “Brethren, join in following my [Paul] example, and note those who so walk, as you have us for a pattern.  For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ: whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame — who set their mind on earthly things.  For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:17-21).

 

Comment  ~  People sometimes ask me about my heritage and I reply that I am a tri-citizen.  When they inevitably look puzzled, I reply: I’m a citizen of Canada where I was born, a citizen of the USA where I reside, and then I point upwards and say my true citizenship is in heaven!

 

Quote  ~  “To walk with someone means you are aware of their presence.  And this is true with God.  If you’re to walk with Him, you must be continually aware of His presence.” —Kay Smith {Pleasing God)

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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In Jesus We Have… , 53

~ In Jesus We Have Eternal Life, 18 ~

 

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).

 

Currently we are posting some of the many verses which talk about eternal life?

 

What is your definition of “eternal”?

 

Scripture ~  “But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:11-13).

 

Comment ~ I like to consider one-word descriptions of the Bible.  There are many but my favorite is “forgiveness.” 

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Promise of God, 5

~ God Is With You ~

 

This Series ~ God has made many promises to His people. This series of posts looks at some (100) of the many attributes of God.  It is not an exhaustive list.

 

Key Factor ~ God not only makes promises to His people but He also keeps all of His promises.

 

Scripture ~ “But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you” (Isaiah 43:1-2).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Fool Characteristics, 45

~ Fools Speak Without Thinking ~

 

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  ~  “A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back” (Proverbs 29:11).

 

Quotes  ~  “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” Abraham Lincoln

 

“Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.” Abraham Lincoln

 

“A smart person knows how to talk.  A wise person knows when to be silent.” Roy T. Bennett

 

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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Stewardship, 4of5

~ 3 Key Responsibilities of Godly Stewardship ~

 

Work For His Name  ~  “Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, who have borne witness of your love before the church.  If you send them forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, because they went forth for His name’s sake, taking nothing from the Gentiles.  We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become fellow workers for the truth” (3 John 5-8).

 

Witness About His Truth  ~  “And He said to them, ‘It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.  But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth’” (Acts 1:7-8).

 

Watch For His Coming  ~  “But of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  Take heed, watch and pray; for you do not know when the time is.  It is like a man going to a far country, who left his house and gave authority to his servants, and to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to watch.  Watch therefore, for you do not know when the master of the house is coming—in the evening, at midnight, at the crowing of the rooster, or in the morning—lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping.  And what I say to you, I say to all: Watch!” (Mark 13:32-37). 

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

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God Attribute, 105

~ God Is Self-Existent ~

 

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

 

Introduction  ~  God has life in Himself and depends on no one or anything.

 

Scripture  ~ “For as the Father has life in Himself, so He has granted the Son to have life in Himself” (John 5:26).

 

“Then Moses said to God, ‘Indeed, when I come to the children of Israel and say to them, “The God of your fathers has sent me to you,” and they say to me, “What is His name?” what shall I say to them?’ And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ And He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, “I AM has sent me to you.’’” (Exodus 3:13-15).

 

Comments  ~  1.) Without getting too technical is sufficient to say that the meaning of the Great “I AM’ in the original language makes it clear that God is self-existing.

 

2. Jesus Christ clarifies how He, the Son of God, is the Great “I AM” in a number of explicit statements in the Gospel of John. 

 

Quote  ~  [Chapter] 14  True Perpetual Motion: Self-Existent

 

“Like many people, I enjoy good food. I especially like to go out to a fine restaurant with my wife or with friends and enjoy a time of fellowship around the table. Have you ever considered how different our lives would be if we did not have to eat? But eat we must! But why do we eat?

 

“Our bodies derive necessary energy for survival from the food that we eat. Horses eat their hay and their oats. We put gasoline into our cars to provide the energy to propel us down our highways. We live in an energy-conscious age and are becoming increasingly more sensitive to the amount of energy we use and the way in which we use it.

 

“The universe runs on energy. The great ocean liner the Queen Mary propelled itself thirteen feet forward for each gallon of fuel consumed; and maybe for a ship that weighed in excess of eighty thousand tons and pushed a depth of thirty-nine feet of water aside at a speed of 30 knots, that’s not too bad. But thirteen feet per gallon is over 400 gallons per mile.

 

“The first space shuttle, Columbia, consumed approximately eight tons of fuel per second during lift-off. This is approximately equivalent to the fuel consumed by 25 fully loaded 747 jumbo jets. We live in an age of energy consumption, and we have been told there is an energy crisis.

 

“We have seen previously that the sun is giving off vast quantities of energy. But we must be careful to note that because of the vast size of our star, it is for practical purposes remaining unchanged, that is, it does not require constant refueling. “We may say that each square inch of the sun’s surface is only losing about a twentieth of an ounce a century.”

 

“Compared to man’s frame of reference and time scales, the sun, our source of physical light, is self-existing. It has no need of external refueling.

 

“While we live in an energy-conscious age, we are also great consumers of energy. Provision of suitable sources of energy is becoming a worldwide concern. The sun, the ultimate supplier of all our energy, is giving off vast quantities of energy. Even so, by any human time standard, the sun is in no need of refueling.

 

“The amount of energy being given off by the sun is of little consequence because of its enormous size. The sun is perhaps changing slower than anything else that we can possibly observe. Even though the sun is giving off vast amounts of energy, it will take a period of about two billion years for it to lose one seven-thousandth of its total matter. “The lifetime of a human being is measured in decades; the lifetime of the sun is a hundred million times longer.”

 

“For all practical purposes the sun symbolizes true perpetual motion.

In a universe where everything is dependent upon something else in order to exist, the sun is the most self-existent object that could be used for analogy to a self-existent God. (The theological term is “aseity.”)

 

“When we contemplate the majesty and uniqueness of the self-existent God, it should humble us. He has given us a written record, the Holy Bible, so that we may learn of Him. John in three words, “God is light,” provides us a profound image of the self-existent God of the cosmos.

 

“Sunlight / Sonlight

 

“Sunlight exists without the need for care, maintenance, or refueling.

“Sonlight is self-existing without the need of any outside resources.

 

—From the book “GOD’S NATURE: Sonlight Sunlight” (eBook ISBN: 978-1393359371, ASIN: B083L97PZV ~ print book ISBN: 979-8223228738)

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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Why Trust God? 78

~ God’s People Win In The End ~

 

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  ~  “‘But on Mount Zion there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.  The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame; but the house of Esau shall be stubble; they shall kindle them and devour them, and no survivor shall remain of the house of Esau,’ for the Lord has spoken.

 

“The South shall possess the mountains of Esau, and the Lowland shall possess Philistia.  They shall possess the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria.  Benjamin shall possess Gilead.  And the captives of this host of the children of Israel shall possess the land of the Canaanites as far as Zarephath.  The captives of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad shall possess the cities of the South.  Then saviors shall come to Mount Zion to judge the mountains of Esau, and the kingdom shall be the Lord’s” (Obadiah 17-21).

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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The Christian Walk, 10

~ Walk According To His Commandments ~

 

Series Introduction  ~  The New Testament has much to say about how a believer should live their life.  Christians should never have to guess about the life that pleases God.  In this series we look at a variety of passages that speak about the Christian walk on earth. 

 

Scripture  ~ “This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it” (2 John 6).

 

Comment  ~  This is the second of two posts that relate directly to God our Father.

 

Comment  ~  This is the last of four sequential posts that refer to Christ’s life on earth as our example of how to live our lives. 

 

Quote  ~  “To walk with someone means you are aware of their presence.  And this is true with God.  If you’re to walk with Him, you must be continually aware of His presence.” —Kay Smith {Pleasing God)

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW blog.

 

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